CIA Releases Torture Report, 70 Percent of U.S. Views Trump Negatively, IRS Joins in Prostitution Stings: A.M. Links

Chris Piascik/Flickr

• Seventy percent of Americans now view Donald Trump unfavorably, a new campaign high. Clinton's unfavorable rating stands at 55 percent. 
• The CIA released more than 50 documents yesterday detailing its torture program under the Bush administration.
• "I did it for ISIS. I did it for the Islamic State," Omar Matteen allegedly told a TV producer in a phone call during the attack. 
• What we can learn from the Orlando shooting about police militarization. 
• Oh, good, now the IRS is joining in on "human trafficking" stings. 
• Boeing is selling planes to Iran, the country's first deal with a U.S. company since economic sanctions were lifted. 
• "Amphetamine epidemic" is the new opioid epidemic. 
• The end of Apple exceptionalism? 

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Comments

[Lord Humungus]

FDA approves stomach-draining obesity treatment

A new weight loss device offers a novel approach to cutting calories: draining them from the stomach before they are digested.

The AspireAssist system consists of a thin tube implanted in the stomach, connecting to an outside port on the skin of the belly. About 30 minutes after finishing a meal, users connect the port to an external device, which drains some of the recently-consumed food into the toilet.

The manufacturer says its system removes about 30 per cent of food stored in the stomach before it begins causing weight gain.

You could, of course, just eat 30% less.

[Rufus The Monocled]

Hello.

[Tonio]

Hi, Rufus!

[But Enough About Me]

D00d.

[Lord Humungus]

Damn Canuck, get your own thread! 😉

[Rufus The Monocled]

WHAT IF NO ONE CAME?

[Lord Humungus]

Then they're doing it WRONG!

[Enough About Palin]

Tim Hortons is expanding into my state. Should I be concerned?

[Rich]

Or just puke it up like normal bulemics.

[Shirley Knott]

Bulimia bad. Stomach-sucking machines good.
what a world...

[UnCivilServant]

That's because bulemia causes esophagial damage leading to eventual rupture. I'ts just so uncontrolled and leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

[NebulousFocus]

And destroys ones teeth.

[Tonio]

Surgery and implantable devices also not good for the body, and move the problem from a personal one to a societal one (given the reality of O-care).

[UnCivilServant]

I think bulemia and related problems are covered, while this falls under "elective procedure" for the time being.

[Zeb]

A lot of people seem to do well with the various stomach size reducing surgeries and devices. No idea if it also reduces costs at all. But weighing 300 lbs is pretty bad for you too.

[Tonio]

A lot, but not all. The surgery is not magic, the patient still has to engage the process. Even though this isn't how it's billed, I think the surgery works because the body goes "whoa, I'd better lose some weight or they be cutting on me again," ie seeing the surgery and recovery as punishment.

[Groovus Maximus]

I think the surgery works because the body goes "whoa, I'd better lose some weight or they be cutting on me again," ie seeing the surgery and recovery as punishment.

Not quite, though it is demonstrable that the size and girth of the stomach has a direct affect on how much insulin is produced (which is why stomach stapling and gastro-bypass surgeries are indicated for larger patients with Type II Diabeetus).

The problem with the bulemics is, aside from all the esophogeal trauma (which *WILL* lead to varicess, which in turn will rupture and the patient dies an unpleasant death), and precluding esophogeal intervention, the stomach, even though they puke food back up, still expands the stomach, regardless of how small the stomach is made, and the cycle continues.

The pump prevents that.

[Rasilio]

Actually the mortality rate for people who get any of the weight loss surgeries is higher than those who just stay fat.

[UnCivilServant]

Does that control for the fact that people who get those surgeries tend to be the fattest and compare to people of their original weight class?

[Groovus Maximus]

Does that control for the fact that people who get those surgeries tend to be the fattest and compare to people of their original weight class?

Yes (which is why the sugeries are performed), factors in morbidity, and also controls for life expectancy of compliant patients who maintain the weight loss with other patients in the new weight class.

It should also be stressed to the utmost (hurr!) that the standards for candidacy for these types of procedures is very high and discriminate, since they are admittedly high risk (I perform some of these bariatric procedures myself).

[UnCivilServant]

also controls for life expectancy of compliant patients who maintain the weight loss with other patients in the new weight class.

I don't care about mortality versus the new weight class. I am interested in a comparison between people who started at morbidly obese but some of which had the surgery and some did not. If there was no benefit versus inaction, there's no use performing the operation. Sure you might not do as well as someone who was never that fat (ie, the new weight class), but the important question is whether they're better off than control (the no surgery fat group).

But you already know that. I seriously doubt you'd have performed an operation that you knew would not benefit the patient.

[Groovus Maximus]

but the important question is whether they're better off than control (the no surgery fat group).

It is one factor, and not always the prime mover, USC. But to answer that question, and *only* that question, in the totality of all aspects of patient outcome factoring in all areas where the weight loss did not exacerbate existing conditions, and caused others to resolve, while preventing new maladies, yes.

[Zeb]

Well, there you go. I'd expect that that has a lot to do with someone's health before the surgery. As with many medical things, seems like it works well for some people and badly for others.

[Groovus Maximus]

Actually the mortality rate for people who get any of the weight loss surgeries is higher than those who just stay fat.

We don't know that for sure; Rasilio. We do know that morbidly obese die from other factors, regardless of intervention, at about the same rate. Not to mention TXing all the other concommitant disease processes that morbid obesity brings.

[Brett L]

I worked with a guy who died on the table getting gastric bypass surgery. He and his wife had just had a daughter and he wanted to lose weight so he'd be around for his daughter.

[Groovus Maximus]

I worked with a guy who died on the table getting gastric bypass surgery. He and his wife had just had a daughter and he wanted to lose weight so he'd be around for his daughter.

Truly unfortunate, Brett, and sorry to hear that. On the flip side, if he was that ill as to not survive the surgery (I did mention upthread that these are very high risk procedures), there is no guarantee he would have survived appreciably longer without it. I cannot stress enough that *EVERY* patient is unique and presents factors endemic to that patient. Which I why I *NEVER* use the term, "routine," when describing surgeries.

Which is why I keep my crystal ball permanently in the shop.

[Zeb]

I cannot stress enough that *EVERY* patient is unique and presents factors endemic to that patient.

Seems to me that this is a thing that gets glossed over by bureaucratic administration of medicine and a lot of big studies on effectiveness of certain treatments. Doesn't seem like the average outcome of a large group will always (or even often) be relevant to what is appropriate for an individual patient.

[Atlas Slugged]

its called the ecological fallacy

[Brett L]

Oh sure, Groovus. I know the doctors told him that he was at elevated risk of death by anaesthesia due to weight induced sleep apnea. It wasn't anything the doctors did, its just one of those sad ironic things where, sure he might have fallen down dead the next day, or hung on in grim diabetic discomfort for years. But yeah, the only way for him to be less at risk would be to lose weight, and the only way for him to lose enough weight...

[Groovus Maximus]

But yeah, the only way for him to be less at risk would be to lose weight, and the only way for him to lose enough weight...

With great power, comes even greater responsibility, Brett. Medical conundrums are legion, and I don't always have pat, easy answers. And that's what I hate most about my line of work.

[Clich? Bandit]

And that's what I hate most about my line of work.

Well, that and of course your inability to medically explain how a 70 year old babushka can out drink a 230lbs, 35 year old, 6'2" man who drinks every day at altitude, in vodka shots. Also, how to explain the translating ability of said vodka.

[bacon-magic]

I'm a noob here Groovus, but I am glad you are back. You embiggen us.

[Clich? Bandit]

A perfectly cromulent response.

However G-man, after my own personal research; advice from my doctor (MD Temple U); a thorough documentation of my own specs; and a significant measure of success, I am inclined to believe that this is yet another cure for a symptom rather than the disease (to be clear I am not stating that TYPE II is a disease, I would classify it more as a condition). I think the issue is almost purely hormonal, which is controlled by a combination of factors including genetics BUT is mostly influenced by the type of food not the quantity (a lesser factor).

I pulled my blood sugar, weight, and blood pressure every single day for 6 months. I pulled my ketones once a week. My diet (no exercise at the time) took me to some very nice numbers (never got my ketones above .8 though...i blame genetics). I THEN exercised heavily. The strength went up, the weight went down only slightly, but the overall feeling of health exploded.

My personal anecdote is more than convincing enough for me to believe what goes in is the FAR more dominant factor than how much.

[Groovus Maximus]

My personal anecdote is more than convincing enough for me to believe what goes in is the FAR more dominant factor than how much.

DAMN. STRAIGHT.

And because you are so thorough, and your posting HX with me (I did pay attention to all those questions and opinions you asked of me), I will accept your anecdotal evidence. I also will factor in the advice of your physician, as Temple is a fine medical school, and I believe can be trusted. (I do disagree that the primary etiology is strictly hormonal, as per gastric surface area has a direct impact on insulin production - think of it as a positive feedback look which is demonstrably observable - with food choice being the prime mitigating factor (genetic determines how well nutrients are utilised). Type II is currently classified as a disease process in of itself, and I see no reason to change that designation (though it does present more as syndrome, TBH).

However, the candidates for these types of bariatric procdures are really, really morbidly overweight, like 400 lb+ tubs of lard, and there are a plethora of health maladies that will most likely be present, and I am betting my left testicle you are not clinically obese, Bandit.

[Chip Woodier]

The AspireAssist system consists of a thin tube implanted in the stomach, connecting to an outside port on the skin of the belly.
Why not just snake it out the butthole?
(I hope that's the only time I ever write that sentence in my whole life)

[UnCivilServant]

To reach the stomach through that route requires too much tubing and too convoluted a pathway. It's easier to conduct a direct bypass through the abdominal wall, with lower chances of complications from intestinal tearing.

[Tonio]

Also, it's not a clear pathway. There are a number of valves and any tubing would prevent those from closing.

[Chip Woodier]

I'll accept that the technology isn't available yet. But it sounds like a better idea than punching a bunch of holes through various membranes to an unsterile environment.

[Rich]

snake it out the butthole

Nice album name.

[commodious spittoon]

Badly translated German porn title.

[Citizen X]

I'm pretty sure the Bloodhound Gang already used it.

[egould310]

Yes.

Related: Bulimia Banquet http://youtu.be/vK_B5Jpg3h8

[Tonio]

So not clicking that.

[egould310]

Just some harmless SoCal punk rock from 1990-1991. Don't be afraid.

Go ahead. Click it.

[Hamster of Doom]

This gets FDA approval.

[Tonio]

Yeah, of all the things they could be worrying about. Oh, wait, this is the FDA that thinks it has a roll in regulating voluntary behavior.

[Eternal Blue Sky]

There are less .... icky surgeries available as well.

[Bee Tagger]

Oh, good, now the IRS is joining in on "human trafficking" stings.

Even victims of human trafficking owe money if they don't have valid health insurance.

[Tonio]

[golf clap]

[Bee Tagger]

"Amphetamine epidemic" is the new opioid epidemic.

At least this one will go by faster.

[Rich]

But it'll be a bigger meth.

[straffinrun]

You're getting better at this.

[Zeb]

Didn't we already have that? Or is meth its own special kind of nasty?

If ti helps people be happy and productive, why the hell not take adderall or ritalin or something? If people diagnosed with ADHD can take it long term without developing major problems, why can't anyone else? It does work.

[Trigger Warning]

Meth has medical uses and is still infrequently prescribed. So the feds officially think meth is better for you than weed.

[Lord Humungus]

Alligator drags two-year-old boy into lagoon at Disney World resort in Florida

A father fought in vain to wrestle his two-year-old son from the jaws of an alligator at the Disney World resort in Orlando, Florida, police have said.

A massive search is under way for the missing boy, who was on holiday with his parents and two siblings from Nebraska.

Jerry Demings, Orange County Sheriff, told a 1am press conference how the family, who have not been named, were relaxing in a beach area at the edge of a lake on Tuesday when the alligator struck.

"There is a sandy beach area and the family was out simply relaxing ... and in the water along the lake's edge at the time the alligator attacked the child.

"It's my understanding the father was there nearby and the child was playing in the water, just a foot or so into the water, and the alligator came up," he said.

[Citizen X]

A massive search is under way for the missing boy

They should probably look inside an alligator. Just sayin'.

[Tonio]

My understanding is that they often store killed prey underwater for a period of time before eating it. But, yeah, they need to kill that gator.

[AlexInCT]

Gators tend to be carrion eaters primarily, so they drag prey down, drown it, then lodge it under something to let it tenderize...

[Free Market Socialist $park?]

How long before people start calling for the parents to be charged with neglect?

[commodious spittoon]

Let's see, this was reported at one in the morning, so... around 1:03?

[Atlas Slugged]

Reports say this took place around 9PM. Lots of signs telling people to not swim in the water. If you want to get wet, go to their fancy pools.

[Tonio]

Entirely different circumstances.

[Free Market Socialist $park?]

Small child toddled off because parents didn't have leash, tragedy happens. It really isn't that different.

[Tonio]

Zoo: Place people go to see animals.

Bathing Beach: Place where people go to swim.

[Free Market Socialist $park?]

This bathing beach just happened to have signs saying DON'T GO IN THE WATER.

[Private Chipperbot]

Maybe not. The area is a no swim zone (according to Disney, and there's a question if the infant was in or just near the water). They've already killed four gators trying to find the body. It's close to the gorilla incident's circumstances, but you won't hear people crying about shooting icky gators.

[Eternal Blue Sky]

"but you won't hear people crying about shooting icky gators."

That's because they're tasty.

[Brett L]

And make good boots.

[DrZaius]

And a gorilla doesn't make a nice vest?!?!

[bacon-magic]

Gators find us tasty too.

[Krabappel]

It's the cirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrcle of liiiifffeeee!

[mad.casual]

but you won't hear people crying about shooting icky gators.

Aren't wild gators abundant to the point of being a nuisance? Pretty much any source of water larger than a drinking glass is fair game to them and if you've got any sort of civilization around the water source, they generally make themselves a nuisance to it.

It's like lamenting that people aren't crying about the removal of an invasive species of swimming bear traps.

[Cdr Lytton]

Gators are still a listed species due to similarity to the crocodile, which is still endangered.

[Atlas Slugged]

FL gators are thriving, probably need to be culled statewide. African gorillas are highly endangered. BTW, some idiot was proposing that Disney should use it profits to keep gators off of their property. Hmm, how much would it cost to keep a native aquatic reptile out of a piece of land larger than the island of Manhattan???

[mad.casual]

How long before people start calling for the parents to be charged with neglect?

Sounds like he neglected to bring a reasonable weapon for the defense of himself and his family.

[Lee G]

I hear the family is going to pick their lawyer by letting them fight it out MMA style.

[Mickey Rat]

Freshwater in Florida is not really recommended for swimming, with the gators and amoebas and such.

[Lord Humungus]

So what exactly is Florida recommended for?

[commodious spittoon]

Not its gay nightclub scene.

[Free Market Socialist $park?]

Duuuuuuuuude.

[bacon-magic]

Too soon! How will we make Virginia Postrel like us with comments like that.

[UnCivilServant]

Prisoners. We need to wall off the top and rename it "Lesser Australia"

[Free Society]

Sinkhole spelunking

[John]

Maybe we would start hunting these things a little more often. There used to be some reality show about these retards in Florida who just loved gators and went out and humanly captured them and "saved" them whenever one turned up in a subdivision. It is amazing how dumb we have become.

[Brett L]

They keep the stray dog and cat population down.

[John]

And apparently the stray toddler population down as well.

[Eternal Blue Sky]

They taste good. Let's just encourage people to eat more gator.

[AlexInCT]

You can say that again...

[Eternal Blue Sky]

They taste good. Let's just encourage people to eat more gator.

[Mickey Rat]

I doubt Disney would be cool with people hunting around the Magic Kingdom and their prime hotels.

WDW is built on swampland and a lot of the property is undeveloped. They are not going to ridriof gators there easily.

[Pay up, Palin's Buttplug!]

Or disappearing.

[Krabappel]

Disney's fungineers apparently forgot to put signs warning guests that the lagoon was filled with deadly wildlife.

[Free Market Socialist $park?]

From what I heard on the news, there were signs to stay out of the water.

[Krabappel]

I don't think that qualifies as adequate signage here.

A sign that says stay out of the water could mean
- For liability reasons please dont swim here we don't have life guards
- The water isn't the cleanest, so it might not be safe

What it doesn't tell the guest is
-STAY OUT OF THE FUCKING WATER OR A GIANT ALLIGATOR MIGHT EAT YOU

[egould310]

It's Florida. Assume there are gators in the water, pythons in the weeds, Cubans in the cafes, and Florida Man in handcuffs.

[Krabappel]

I agree, pythons in the crawlspace, dangerous old people in big sedans driving through store fronts, and all that, but this is Disney where visitors come from all over the world and may not be aware of the danger.

[mad.casual]

The family was from Nebraska and Disney put up signs saying 'No Swimming'.

I don't care what part of the world your from, if you go to another part you assume the indigenous risks and no amount of signage will fix it. Moreover, the advance of civilization has consistently made the ability to erect or propagate hazard signage or other notification systems increasingly cheap and easy. And, in the age of the printing press telegraph radio internet, not knowing those risks is your own damn fault. Of course, a court and sue-happy attorneys won't see it that way, though and will happily invent "responsibility" in response to tragedy.

[Mr Drew]

Florida man with handcuffs.
FTFY

[Brett L]

I'm certain every litigation attorney in state is prepared to make this argument in return for 44% of Disney's very generous statement of regret.

[Cyto]

From this morning's facebook reactions:

"I can't believe Disney would let alligators live in that lake. They should be charged with murder for letting an alligator live in a lake beside a hotel!"

Er.... uh... yeah. 'Cause that's what happened.

For those who don't live in Florida, alligators are wild animals that are really good at hiding. That's kinda their thing. And they move around looking for new territory. So if you work in an office park with a retention pond, or live in a gated golf community with lakes around the course, eventually an alligator or two will show up. There's not really much you can do about it.

It is like complaining that some guy in Atlanta let a raccoon into his yard. Or that some guy in Duluth let a wolf into his yard. Or someone in Richmond let a fox into his yard.

Wild animals gonna wild animal. That's what they do. Unless they knew there was a dangerous alligator in the pond and refused to do anything about it, I don't see how you can blame the resort.

We have alligators all over the place down here, well intermixed with 12 million people, plus nearly 100 million visitors every year. And about a dozen people get bitten each year. And way less than one person per year is killed in an alligator attack.

But the visuals of this are so stunning, I'm sure they'll manage to whip up a nice panic.... maybe even do something stupid. Even though perspective tells us that falling coconuts kill about 150 people each year, worldwide.

[Krabappel]

I still think it would be in Disney's best interest to put up signs saying "Lake filled with alligators, do not swim."

I don't think that means they are criminally liable, but better signage would still be a good move.

[Pay up, Palin's Buttplug!]

When I was in the Orlando area in the 1980s, there were signs all over about alligators.

[Atlas Slugged]

Also first reported alligator attack on WDW property since it opened in 1971. Millions (!!!) of visitors in 40+ years and one attack. Incidence is exceptionally low; which means of course some awful law will have to be passed now.

[AlexInCT]

For the CHLIRUNS!

[Rich]

Seventy percent of Americans now view Donald Trump unfavorably, a new campaign high. Clinton's unfavorable rating stands at 55 percent.

What percentage view *both* as unfavorable?

[UnCivilServant]

68%

[Rich]

Cite?

[UnCivilServant]

Like 97% of all statistics, I pulled the number out of my ass.

[Rich]

Since 67 gt 55, I figured as much.

[Free Market Socialist $park?]

Note to self, never use 68 again...

[UnCivilServant]

*Psst* There are only ten digits, and they've all shown up in statistics at one point or another.

[commodious spittoon]

You've pulled them *all* out of your ass at some point?

[UnCivilServant]

Spittoon, you do realize it's just a figure of speech, right?

[Free Market Socialist $park?]

Well that's a relief. I don't want to use a stinky number that's been up somebody's ass. I was thinking they went up lengthwise like anal beads or something.

[Los Doyers]

As opposed to a finger of speech, in this case?

[SugarFree]

68 is a sex act between a man and two women who have suffered a transporter accident.

[commodious spittoon]

I teleported home one night
With Ron and Sid and Meg.
Ron stole Meggie's heart away
And I got Sidney's leg.

[Eternal Blue Sky]

Statistically speaking, based on those numbers, at LEAST 25%, at most 55%.

Which, even with a huge range, means that at least one in four people hate every candidate, at most one in every TWO.

[Spartacus]

That's easy: 125%. Don't you know how to add?

[Drake]

I keep hearing Russia is going to release Hillary's real emails. I hope it's after the convention.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/.....ted-emails

[Overt]

I also heard that russian hackers got all the emails from the Dem National Committee. They basically have dirt on almost every Dem on the national stage.

[KerryW]

According to reports, they have dirt on the Republicans that the Dems were storing for future use.

[Ship of Theseus]

Zero Hedge is where logic goes to die.

[John]

This is just wishful thinking and confirmation bias. I would also love for this to be true but unlike zero hedge I don't let that desire cause me to deny reality. They Russians no doubt have every email she ever sent on that server. I seriously doubt they will release any of them or if they do we will know about it before it happens.

[Tonio]

I've been thinking about that since someone posted it yesterday. The best I can come up with is that they are telling the FBI that if they don't do it the Russians will. Should the Russians release these, it will be impossible for Clinton to refute anything; even if they were miraculously able to recover the email messages from her server, anything they produced would be suspect.

[Groovus Maximus]

There's a reason chess in Russia is treated as an Olympic level sport, Tonio.

[Rhombus Parallelogram, Jr.]

+1 e4 c5

[Clich? Bandit]

Don't use your communist algebraic notation here polygon boy. Strictly English Notation.

QN1 to QB3

[Spartacus]

I think they would wait until after the inauguration. Much better to have a sitting president in turmoil than just a candidate.

[AlexInCT]

^^^^THIS^^^^

And it is not just them. Everyone that stole content from her will have the upper hand and basically would love her in office doing their bidding. Of course, being the mental case she is according to far too many people that have interacted with her in the past, this could lead to her demanding we nuke the globe or something, and doing it when she gets ticked...

[Zeb]

Or during the convention.

[lafe.long]

Well if the Russians don't, it looks like wikileaks is going to anyway

"We have emails relating to Hillary Clinton which are pending publication," he says, indicating it will be a "very big year" for uncovering corruption.

Wikileaks is purported to have over 32,000 documents ready for release.

[Bee Tagger]

The end of Apple exceptionalism?

Make Americore Great Again.

[Rhywun]

Make click-bait great again.

[Dallas H.]

Funny how those graphs compare other companies shipments to Apple sales and never seem to show Apple with 90+% of all profits in the market.

Personally, I'd rather have 5% of the sales and 90% of the profits than the other way around.

[AlexInCT]

That tells me that the people that buy Apple products either are not very discriminate or smart in their purchasing decisions.

[Drake]

Lots of stuff about college recently. Fred Reed explains it.

http://fredoneverything.org/co.....ung-woman/

[Bee Tagger]

Seventy percent of Americans now view Donald Trump unfavorably, a new campaign high.

Any favorability is good favorability.

[Lord Humungus]

France's latest 'terrorist attack' exposes dark side of social media

lthough the footage, as well as the Facebook account it was posted on, were removed shortly after the attack, the photos and the video continued to circulate online. David Thomson, a journalist with Radio France Internationale and an expert on Islamist extremism, explained that some of the images showed the two victims.

In his video, the attacker also said: "I'm not yet sure what to do with him," referring to the stabbed couple's son, who appeared to be hiding behind a sofa. The 3-year-old remained unharmed.

"I just killed a police officer and his wife," the assailant reportedly said in the video, in which he also warned that the current Euro 2016 soccer tournament "would be a graveyard."

[UnCivilServant]

The end of Apple exceptionalism?

The only thing exceptional about that company was how they managed to get people to buy products at disgustingly inflated prices for what they were shilling.

[Lee G]

Apple is just another unstoppable company that hit its peak, like Microsoft, GM, Sony, etc...

[Rhywun]

FANBOIZ SO DUM

[Injun, as in from India]

"I did it for ISIS. I did it for the Islamic State," Omar Matteen allegedly told a TV producer in a phone call during the attack.

He did it for gun control. The noble cause of the Left.

[Rufus The Monocled]

Obama: Why'd you do it?
Omar: For ISIS.
Obama: Gun control it is.

[PBR Streetgang]

Despite what the actual shooter says was his motivation, I have acquaintances that have blamed: Assault Rifles, 'Toxic Masculinity", the NRA, and American Christians.
Maybe we should just let the terrorists win.

[Brett L]

That's interesting to me, too. I don't understand how blaming those things makes them feel safer than blaming crazy 2nd generation immigrants who are subject to radicalization when their slice of the American pie isn't as big as they think it should be. Like there's an acceptable number he could have killed. If he had only killed eight with a knife that would have been okay?

[PBR Streetgang]

Yeah, I guess I don't understand it either. Dylann Roof kills 9 African-Americans and says he did it to start a race war. We take that at face value and accept that he is a racist, murderer. Mateen kills 50 and says he did as an act of allegiance to ISIS and its...anything other than the reason he gave?

[creech]

Don't we have it on good authority - the former mayor of New York City - that there is no such thing as "blowback?"

[John]

http://dailycaller.com/2016/06.....donations/

Clinton foundation accepted 18 million dollars in foreign donations while she was secretary of State but won't say when and from whom. Remember, she said she stopped taking such donations when she took the job. Now in a midnight filing to some obscure New York regulatory board no one has ever heard of, we find out that wasn't true.

Nothing to see here of course. The Secretary of State taking millions of dollars from foreign governments is just a FAKE SCANDAL!!

[Rich]

The specific foreign governments were not identified in the document, entitled "Exhibit A."

But they *were* identified in "Exhibit B", right? RIGHT?!

Seriously, W.T.F?

[Aloysious]

The January filings also were unusual in that the latest submission now constituted a third "official" revised version of the Clinton Foundation's financial statements for the foundation's activities while Clinton was in public office.

How many official "revisions" do they get?

[Rich]

Oh, FFS!

Shut down the Foundation until "we understand what is going on"!

[VG Zaytsev]

I think we all know what was going on there.

[Pay up, Palin's Buttplug!]

As many as you want until piss off the IRS.

[Bee Tagger]

The CIA released more than 50 documents yesterday detailing its torture program under the Bush administration.

It's not like people are justifiably preoccupied with other things right now, so we'll definitely be able to give this the proper attention.

[Lord Humungus]

Ozzy?

Osborne Warns of Brexit Tax Toll as 'Leave' Gains in Polls

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U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne will warn that leaving the European Union could spark a fiscal crisis, as "Remain" supporters battle to turn around a referendum campaign that's slipping away from them.

Reduced trade and investment would leave a 30 billion pound ($42 billion) "black hole" that would have to be plugged by increased taxes and cuts to spending on health, education and defense, Osborne is set to say in a speech on Wednesday. The increasingly confident "Leave" campaign will meanwhile be talking about its agenda should it win, pledging legislation to restrict free movement and reduce the influence of EU judges, with the goal of negotiating a so-called Brexit by 2019.

While they're talking about the next four years, the focus of both sides is the eight days until the June 23 vote. The goal of "Leave" is to reassure voters that departure from the EU would be swift but controlled. Osborne's aim is to convince waverers that it will hurt.

[UnCivilServant]

George wants to retire to a sinceure in Brussels, he can't let those filthy plebs mess it up for him.

[Juvenile Bluster]

The more momentum the "leave" side gets, the more the government is doubling down on their threats of the disaster that will surely befall them if they do leave the EU.

[UnCivilServant]

It is a disaster - for the people counting on the EU gravy train.

It's been a common track where UK politicians, upon losing an election to 'retire' to an EU post that paid more than their previous positions.

[Zeb]

Ozzy should probably be involved. But his first name is John, I believe.

[spqr2008]

That's like if the U.S. stopped paying the U.N. dues, and booted them from prime real estate in NYC, and told all the consulates to close down. That'd be totes bad for the economy, right? Nothing else that tax money could go towards, and it's not like anyone would be interested in that real estate.

[Lee G]

Never mind that many queers are Muslim and many Muslims are queer; never mind that the American right's stand on queers is similar to ISIS's; that it is America's enormous and thriving Christian evangelical right, and not its minuscule and much-vilified Muslim minority, that has most advocated queer death.

I included the author's link so you see for yourself what is the her typical representation of the thriving Christian evangelical right.

Original opinion piece for more horseshit.

[Citizen X]

never mind that the American right's stand on queers is similar to ISIS's

It's odd that none of the super-evangelical churches i went to as a kid ever advocated for throwing gays off of rooftops, let alone actually did it.

[Lee G]

I know the local Methodists burn gay witches every other week. It's part of their bake sale fundraisers.

[Citizen X]

What kind of crazy-ass Methodists do you live near? In my experience, the central tenet of Methodist theology is having a potluck lunch after church.

[Lee G]

Williamsburg Methodists, officially the oldest Methodists on the Continent. I think some of them personally knew Cotton Mather.

[Tonio]

Perhaps not, but that doesn't let them off the hook for anti-gay rhetoric which enabled the mindset of people like Westboro Baptist and the Islamists. They may not be to blame for this, but they don't get a pass on this either.

[Free Society]

First off, I highly doubt the mean things uttered by evangelicals is "enabling the mindset" of Islamists. Secondly, who has ever given the Westboro Baptist Church a pass? I surmise that their disapproval rating hangs around 99.999%. Christians need not atone for the WBC and there's no reason to think they have widespread support, even from a minority of Christians, anywhere, ever.

[Eternal Blue Sky]

"even from a minority of Christians,"

Probably true, but then you go ahead and add

"anywhere, ever."

I think you're wrong there. I think there are plenty of Christians in other places and times that would support the WBC. Africa's Christians aren't exactly tolerant. And throughout history, well...

Overall, your point is fine, I doubt a majority of Christians US would support the WBC. The rhetoric of Africa's Christians makes me think it could go either way with the qualifier of "anywhere". And the qualifier of "ever" is likely very wrong.

[commodious spittoon]

anti-gay rhetoric which enabled the mindset of people like Westboro Baptist

Was it anti-military progressives who enabled WBC to picket soldiers' funerals? Or do they do these things because it's enraging and attention grabbing?

[Azathoth!!]

The WBC are DEMOCRATS.

Clinton supporters.

And--if none of the super-evangelical churches Citizen X went to as a kid ever advocated for throwing gays off of rooftops, let alone actually did it then no, they are NOT on the hook for anti gay rhetoric--they don't NEED a pass because they did nothing wrong.

[robc]

"Westboro" "Baptist" "Church"

I know they aren't either of the latter two, so I doubt the first also.

[Tonio]

Hey, Robbo. Baptists don't have a pope so they can claim to be baptists just as legitimately as the First Mainstream Baptist Church of Anytown, USA. And for every Westboro, there are a hundred if not a thousand baptist congregations which still condemn homosexuality even if they aren't calling for death. Sorry, you can't wiggle out of that.

[robc]

As a (former I guess) Baptist, I am aware of the lack of central authority.

Although there are conventions, and I doubt they are a member of any of them.

The point is, its a joke. They aren't a church in any real way. They aren't baptist in any real way. They aren't Westboro in any real way.

As John said below, they are the Phelps Trolling Operation.

And I never said baptists don't condemn homosexuality. They condemn all kinds of sinful behavior.

[John]

Forget Rob. tonio has to believe Christians are worse than Muslims. If he didn't, how would he feel smug and virtuous?

[robc]

He is mad at me for driving on a government road to get my marriage license.

And probably for attending a state university too.

[robc]

[although not my own state, so I paid out-of-state tuition]

[Tonio]

Bullshit, Rob. Show me where I said that. Seriously.

My critique of you was very specific: Railing (conveniently) against state marriage while hypocritically engaging in that yourself.

Whining and lying do nothing to discredit me, but do a damn good job of discrediting yourself.

[robc]

I am saying the state road/state university thing is exactly the same issue.

If I am a hypocrite for one, I am for the other.

I rail against state roads and state schools too.

[Tonio]

You can say that all you want, Rob, but it's still putting words in my mouth, aka lying.

[Eternal Blue Sky]

"They aren't a church in any real way."

Church: "A building used for public Christian worship." They have a building in Topeka, Kansas, which they use for worship. They are a church in that sense. Other definition of Church is "a body or organization of religious believers", they probably don't fit that one as well due to a lack of structure and organization, but many Baptists would thus not qualify.

"They aren't baptist in any real way."

The WBC claims to be "Primitive Baptists". Primative Baptists are a sect of Baptists that incorporate Calvinism, specifically the Five Points of Calvinism. Baptists are typically set aside from other Christian groups in lacking an ecclesiastical organization, freedom from government control, emphasizing evangelism, and belief in a literal second coming.

The Five Points of Calvinism are: "Total depravity", the belief that every person is enslaved to sin and no sinner can truly love God, "Unconditional election", the belief God has chosen who he will save through no judgement of merit but merely through His divine mercy, "Limited atonement", Jesus' atonement is sufficient for the redemption of the elect and no more, "Irresistible grace", God saves whoever he wants whether or not that person wants to be saved, "Perseverance of the saints", those God has saved will always be saved.

The WBC shares these beliefs and qualifiers. By all meaningful definitions, they meet the standard for the label of "Primitive Baptist" that they claim.

[Eternal Blue Sky]

"They aren't Westboro in any real way."

I honestly don't know what Westboro means and attempts to search for the definition only find articles on the WBC... so you may be right there.

[Tonio]

Westboro is merely a place name, a geographical designator for a neighborhood in Topeka, KS.

[spqr2008]

Why shouldn't they be allowed to condemn homosexuality, as long as they do not act to restrict other people's rights, and do not behave violently towards them?

[Tonio]

They are totally "allowed" to do that. When did I say they weren't? Or are you listening to the Tonio in your head as certain other posters seem to do?

[Zeb]

never mind that the American right's stand on queers is similar to ISIS's

Yeah, ISIS is real big on gay marriage and cake.

And a church that everyone hates that is comprised of one insane family represents the Christian right.

[John]

And the "church" is basically a legal trolling operation designed to make the Phelps family money. That is all it is. What would Progs do without it? They might have to face reality.

[Tonio]

Hey, if PETA can be a proxy for the whole animal welfare movement, then yeah. Get your own house in order first.

[John]

PETA is an enormously well funded organization that has a lot of supporters. The Westboro Baptist Church is a professional trolling operation consisting of less than 50 people.

Why don't you learn how properly use analogies and then come back and talk to use about getting our house in order.

[Zeb]

Yeah, WBC is pretty much universally despised. The comparison to PETA isn't great.

I don't think it's fair to associate the whole animal rights movement with PETA, because they are just evil fucks, but an awful lot of animal rights supporters do support PETA, which is not the case with conservative Christians and WBC.

[Tonio]

Citations missing. Also, never said that more mainstream christians supported WBC, that's something you made up in your own mind. There is a difference between being a follower and a fellow traveller.

[WTF]

If you think Christians in general are "fellow travelers" with the WBC because they both purport to hold the same basic religious beliefs then you must also think that Muslims in general are "fellow travelers" with ISIS for the same reasons. Which makes you irrational on this issue.

[Zeb]

Seems pretty evident that WBC is almost universalyl despised.

Anyway, who is even claiming that PETA is a proxy for the whole animal rights movement. I certainly don't see it that way. But a lot of people that don't pay a lot of attention do seem to assume that they are good. Who could oppose ethical treatment of animals?

[Hamster of Doom]

Oh, good, now the IRS is joining in on "human trafficking" stings.

They care so much, y'all. They're going to give until it hurts.

[Bee Tagger]

Boeing is selling planes to Iran

Now that hilarious thing people do when they sing "Iran, Iran so far away" doesn't make any sense!

[Lord Humungus]

Joe Biden Said Guys Who Ignore Misogyny Are 'Accomplices' to Sexual Assault

Speaking at the first ever United State of Women Summit in Washington, DC, Tuesday, Vice President Joe Biden said that men who don't confront the misogyny in everyday "locker room talk" or laugh off the occasional rape joke are just as responsible for the perpetuating sexual assault, Politico reports.

Directly addressing the men in the audience, Biden said, "We've got to overcome this social discomfort of calling out the misogyny that happens when no women are present: the locker room talk, the bar banter, the rape jokes. As a man, maybe it makes you uncomfortable, but if you let it pass because you wanna become of the one guys, you become an accomplice."

Biden explained that men on college campuses especially need to hold their peers accountable, saying, "It's a fraternity party, you see a co-ed that is absolutely stone drunk, you see one of your brothers walking her upstairs. If you don't have the courage to walk up and say, 'Hey, Jack, not in my house,' you are an accomplice. You are an accomplice."

[Hamster of Doom]

Can I still fire a warning shot?

[Rufus The Monocled]

What a bunch of fucking commies encouraging snitching these assholes are.

[(((Renegade)))]

Biden explained that men on college campuses especially need to hold their peers accountable

So Joe of course was the voice of conscience when Teddy Kennedy was alive.

[Rich]

"It's an award ceremony, you see a daughter that is absolutely gorgeous, you see one of your administration smelling her hair. If you don't have the courage to walk up and say, 'Hey, Joe, not in my house,' you are an accomplice. You are an accomplice."

[PBR Streetgang]

So they entire DNC are accomplices to the assault on Juanita Broaddrick? Ok.

[Brett L]

So I get to punch Joe out when he creeps on my wife? Excellent.

[Brett L]

So I get to punch Joe out when he creeps on my wife? Excellent.

[VG Zaytsev]

Are politicians that ignore Militant Islamic activism responsible for terrorist attacks?

[Rhywun]

the occasional rape joke

Wat? I may not be a dudebro myself but I've been around them on enough occasions that you would think I would have heard them let slip a rape joke or two. But no.

[Aloysious]

Venezuela accuses Washington and the OAS of fostering a coup

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic ? The United States and Venezuela will work to improve their strained relations, Secretary of State John F. Kerry said Tuesday after meeting with his counterpart from Caracas, who hours earlier had accused Washington of helping foment a coup against Venezuela's socialist government.

On a day that started with Kerry backing calls for a referendum to recall President Nicol?s Maduro, as well as Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez saying Washington was "bullying" her country, Kerry and Rodriguez spoke privately for about half an hour. Initially they avoided eye contact when posing for photos and exchanged an awkward handshake, but Kerry later described their conversation as "very congenial and very respectful."

.

[Rufus The Monocled]

Naturally. Socialists are losers that way.

Next up.

The Jews.

[DEG]

Socialists are losers that way.

"It's not my fault! It's not my fault!"

[Agammamon]

Why the fuck is the US government getting involved in this at all? Venezuela wants to go down the shitter? That's their perogative. Doubly so, since any public support for the least insane option just fuels the fires of paranoia in the current ruling class.

Just walk away, ignore them, and when it all finally comes burning down around their ears swing back around and offer some help to the (hopefully) wiser survivors.

'For your own good' is not sufficient justification for getting involved with these people.

[commodious spittoon]

After seven years do you really expect this administration to pass up an opportunity to get something hopelessly, catastrophically wrong?

[Something]

I suspect "Venezuela" doesn't want to go down the shitter but the people are prisoners in this disaster.

[UnCivilServant]

Without toilet paper? how could they?

[bacon-magic]

Consider it a courtesy flush.

[John]

Maybe Bush should have had the military shoot Chavez back when this shit started?

A military coup would have not been good but it would have been better than this.

[Agammamon]

For your own good is not sufficient cause to initiate violence.

[John]

Okay, then you stand around and let the people who are willing to initiate violence take over and run things.

[Eternal Blue Sky]

The US has repeatedly shown itself incapable of making any country better.

You don't let the guy who constantly breaks things work on your house, no matter how good his intentions are and no matter how bad the condition of the house will be without his help.

[Eternal Blue Sky]

Other countries around the world are like houses on the verge of collapsing. You could very well make a case they need to be fixed.

But the USA is a mouth-breathing idiot with a hammer and no usable skills in the field of house repair. Sure, these houses need to be fixed, but getting THIS GUY to fix 'em is just not going to help.

[John]

I pretty sure all of Europe would disagree with you, unless you think living under Fascism is better. And throw in Chile as well. The US helped Pinochet shoot the communists and Chile is a lot better off for it.

[Tonio]

^This (Agammamon @ 9:35)

[Eternal Blue Sky]

Exactly.

If the US doesn't get involved, if it just sits on its hands and let things collapse the way it will, then socialism has failed.

If it gets involved, the socialists will just say the only reason it failed was that the US got involved, evil imperialists something something.

[Rhywun]

Just walk away, ignore them

That's just crazy talk.

[Lord Humungus]

Chastity Belt Makes DUI Arrest A Little More Complicated

The 35-year-old was wearing "some kind of red mesh see-through hose" with a ribbon tied in his goatee and "some kind of little skirt," Bobby Joe Higgs, an investigator for the Anderson County District Attorney General's office, told the Knoxville News Sentinel.

...

But it wasn't until they took him into custody that they say they found out about that aforementioned chastity belt.

Eidam mentioned that he needed a key that was in his vehicle because it unlocked the chastity device he was wearing, according to an affidavit obtained by The Smoking Gun.

Eidam said one key was in his car and the other was around the neck of his driving companion, who officials noted was visibly intoxicated but did not arrest.

They djd manage to retrieve the key, thankfully.

[John]

EEW

[Citizen X]

Crusty's date nights often end in arrest, it is known.

[Agammamon]

So, at no point in that article did they bother to explain why the headline says it made the DUI arrest more complicated.

[lafe.long]

Cavity searches are mandatory at dui stops, obviously.

[Agammamon]

If your *male* chastity belt stops a cavity search, you're wearing it wrong.

[lafe.long]

Mine includes a plug.. I thought they all did. =/

[Tonio]

^This. And since he was male it was more likely a "device" (male-specific) than a "belt" (generally female-specific). The article uses both terms seemingly interchangeably. The belt was developed during the crusades to ensure the chastity of wives while their husbands were away. These were big, heavy clunky things given the technology of the day, and also interfered with menstruation and defecation. The modern male devices lock around both the penis and scrotum then have a cage or other semi-open business which allows urination.

FWIW, I have no direct experience with any of this.

[Eternal Blue Sky]

Yes!! I to am upset that the author of this article didn't have total knowledge on the subject of fetish chastity!! What ARE reporters coming to these days!?

[Pay up, Palin's Buttplug!]

Modern historians think medieval references to chastity belts were jokes and most belts are 18th/19th century forgeries.

[Rhywun]

Bobby Joe Higgs

I miss Monstervision.

[SugarFree]

"Thank you for meeting with me," Hillary said. It was loud enough for the staffers and reporters in the hallway to hear before she shut the door.

"No problem, no problem," he said. Bernie feebly made his way to an overstuffed chair and lowered himself painfully into it. "The campaign trail. Young people hug too strong these days. Back when I was growing up in the Bronx we were tough but we knew how to hug! The old Bronx hug we'd used to say. It was elegant, dammit. And it never hurt."

Hillary played with the panel near the door. Powerful bolts thunked close inside the door and frame and three loud beeps sounded.

"Shut up, fuckhead," she told him. "I've turned off the recorders and soundproofed the roof."

"Excellent! I already have an erection. There's a button between my dangler and my nutsack."

"We're not here for that," she said.

"What? I wasted a charge then. You know they have to reload through my ass? My ASS!"

Hillary slapped him.

"Pay attention. I am speaking. I have spoken!" she screamed.

"So we're done here?" Bernie started to get up and she pushed him back down.

"What?" he asked. "You said you had spoken. Past tense. Why do I talk like an old vaudeville routine?"

[SugarFree]

"Shut up, Jew," Hillary's goiter rasped.

"Who said that?"

"I did," the goiter said.

"Hillary? Your neck is talking to me. Hello? Can someone bring me a Fresca?"

"Fuck your Fresca and fuck you," the goiter said. "You didn't drop out when you were told and now we have to run an actual campaign."

"Can I touch it?" he asked.

"No," Hillary and the goiter said at the same time.

"What it is?" he asked.

"It's my only child, Bernie. I made her," Hillary whispered.

"What about Chelsea?" he asked.

"That ugly thing? She was made from the filth Webb left in me. Left in me, like a floater in a guest bathroom toilet. This is my true child." She stroked the bulge on the side of her larynx. It purred with contented delight.

"I still have an erection," he said.

"You will support us, Jew," the goiter said. Hillary began to unbutton her $12,000 housecoat.

"Whatever you say, uh, ma'am," he stammered.

Hillary lifted a ponderous breast and saw a dark patch of skin and hair and wetness. As she pulled her heavily-veined teat high, the patch of dark skin split, revealing lips.

"I grew it for you, Bernie. Black Vaginas Matter."

[(((Renegade)))]

Perfect.

[Citizen X]

I feel sick.

[Rufus The Monocled]

Tabernak.

[Tonio]

Things I never knew. Thanks, Rufus.

[Groovus Maximus]

This is outstanding, the finest in Cronenberg-esque non-fiction!

You bunch of squeamish wimps simply don't know good art when you see it and read it.

[Rufus The Monocled]

FWIW, I replied to you in the udder tred.

[The Grinch]

This has me rethinking my unconditional support of free speech.

Gag, ack, barf!

[Tonio]

Sugarfree - helping the commentariat keep the pounds off since, like forever.

[This Machine]

*screams internally*

[Tonio]

For I have no mouth, but I must scream?

[Eternal Blue Sky]

I didn't even throw up this time. Either SugarFree's getting less raunchy or more likely I'm becoming desensitized...

[You Sound Like a Prog (MJG)]

Delightful.

[Azathoth!!]

Better.

[Atanarjuat]

Too soon?

[Lord Humungus]

Caught on video: Nightclub owner crashes Soviet-era tank through entrance

crashes Soviet-era tank through entrance
Published June 10, 2016 FoxNews.com
Facebook0 Twitter0 livefyre Email Print

This is certainly one way to make sure your entrance at the club is memorable.

A nightclub owner crashed his decommissioned Soviet-era tank crashed through the building's doors in Poland over the weekend in a promotional stunt gone very wrong.

A video of the out-of-control tank plowing through the doors of the Mono Club in Szubin quickly went viral.

Rafal Pasionek, the owner of the tank and business, told AFP, "the brakes and steering failed as I was moving the vehicle in front of the club."

No one was hurt in the incident, which happened in the afternoon.

"I was incredibly lucky that the vehicle went right between the posts flanking the entrance - otherwise there would have been a lot of damage," Pasionek said.

[Rufus The Monocled]

Russian Kool-Aid commercial gone wrong?

[Citizen X]

O da!

[UnCivilServant]

No bunga?

[UnCivilServant]

And I misspelled the joke.

-1 Japanese Civil War.

[John]

http://www.washingtontimes.com.....ess-with-/

We need to invent a new word to describe the kind of stupidity exhibited by George Takei. Animalistic or retarded doesn't describe it since animals and the mentally handicapped at least have a survival instinct.

[Doctor Whom]

the logical solution is to render them less armed and less fanatical.

Common-sense gun control would have prevented the Admiral Duncan Pub bombing.

Seriously, I resent hearing people talk about "the LGBT community" as a hive mind.

[John]

So do I. I know a good number of gay people and not a single one of them is anything like this stupid.

[Drake]

He's committed to supporting the party that tossed him and his family into a concentration camp.

[John]

And the party who wants to let more Muslims into the country but make up for it by making sure gays are unarmed. Its just unbelievable.

[AlexInCT]

What you are missing John, is that there are a lot people are seriously so deluded that they think if they could just get rid of those icky guns, then gun crime would stop completely. Nothign else computes. they don't want guns, and they don't want anyone else to have guns (government thugs excluded).

[spqr2008]

That's the part I just can't square with him. He was literally held prisoner as a child, without due process, by the hero of the Democrat Party, which was supported by the other hero of said party (LBJ), and the father of the martyr of said party (Joe Kennedy). How the ever loving hell do you ever vote for anyone using that party to help get elected ever again? And how do you see a mass confiscation working out? Because it'll probably end up with a bunch of people in some kind of prison camp.

[Agammamon]

George Takei warns NRA: 'You don't want to mess with' LGBT community

George, George, George. ITS NOT THE FUCKING NRA THAT IS MESSING WITH THE LGBT COMMUNITY YOU MORON!

The NRA is suggesting that you take up the tools that will help prevent *others from messing with you*.

You know what beats three big dudes looking for a good time gaybashing? A little fairy with a gun and a bad attitude.

[Rasilio]

The entire LGBTQWTFBBQI spectrum is at most 7 to 8% of the population maybe as much as 15% if you include every single person who has ever had a same sex encounted or bisexual encounter but does not actually identify as such.

Gun ownership is what 45% of the country, hardcore gun owners are about 30%

Throw in the fact that gun owners are actually armed and I really don't think the NRA has any fear of the gays

[John]

But the gays have a lot of influence over Hollywood and the media Rasillo. They could turn Hollywood and the media against gun owners. Oh NOES!!

[Eternal Blue Sky]

The LGBT /community/ is not the whole of LGBT people, as the name might imply. I swing both ways but am not a part of that community. The /community/ is a political apparatus which includes straight people with the same political bent and it merely pretends to represent the people for which it is named.

[Rhywun]

I stopped attending gay pride events when it started to be more about far-left politics than fun.

[Rhywun]

Suddenly I'm in the mood for barbecue.

[Pay up, Palin's Buttplug!]

"In fact, [Americans] think that 23 percent of Americans, or almost one in four, are are gays or lesbians, a Gallup survey released Thursday revealed. That's way off: The polling organization most recently found that less than 4 percent self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender."

[Pay up, Palin's Buttplug!]

According to Gallup, gun ownership is at least 43%.

[Lord Humungus]

US charges Chinese ex-IBM worker with espionage

Mr Xu intended to sell the code for his own profit and for the benefit of the Chinese government, authorities said.

The source code has been described as "a product of decades of work".

The US Attorney's office said Mr Xu had worked as a developer for "a particular US company" from November 2010 to May 2014.

IBM's website, however, has a Xu Jiaqiang still listed as a developer. The company has not commented.

On Tuesday, the DOJ said Mr Xu planned to share the valuable source code with the National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People's Republic of China.

The source code in question was a clustered file system - or one that helps a computer's performance "by coordinating work among multiple servers".

[Overt]

Oh it would be rich if he was selling them Hadoop software (which is open source).

[Lee G]

The navel-gazing is too much for the author to parse even though they try.

If I'm frustrated by other people pillaging my culture by picking and choosing whatever they think is valuable and trendy to them, why would I do it to another community? If I want my culture to be respected, I need to do the same to others.

No matter how much I like something, no matter how I much I feel connected to it, I still need to make space to respect that this is someone else's culture and that there's history and struggle there.

In thinking through appropriation, a good, hard question to ask is "Why do I actually want to wear this, consume this, or do this?"

In engaging with other cultures, I shouldn't just do or wear something because it's fun, trendy, and cool.

Other questions to consider might be: Is this item mass-produced? Is it "inspired" by a culture, or does it actually come from members of that community? Am I really taking the time to invest in understanding this cultural element and its history?

[Doctor Whom]

On Everyderp Feminism? Let me put on my culturally appropriate shocked face.

[Citizen X]

In engaging with other cultures, I shouldn't just do or wear something because it's fun, trendy, and cool.

Yes, you most certainly should. How the fuck do these people think culture even happens?

[Illocust]

I've believe this the day she stops eating pizza or wearing t-shirts.

[Agammamon]

Nope - she's specifically said in that very article that appropriating White Culture is OK.

[UnCivilServant]

So she's seeking to whitewash the world by having everyone become just like whitey?

I think she should be classed as a hardcore white supremacist given that view.

[John]

Isn't cultural appropriation just the ultimate expression of "I liked that band before they were famous"? What is th bitch here other than "uncool people like the same things I do and that is wrong"?

[Lee G]

It's evolved into "How can I examine the infinite layers of non-existent subtext with enough words to get a masters degree in grievance studies?"

[John]

Everything always boils down to junior high with these people. It is just an expression of the self selected cool kids being pissed that this or that band is now getting played on the radio. "Oh my God I saw that nerd wearing a (insert formerly underground band here) in third period yesterday. They so sold out".

That is all it is.

[tarran]

It's worse. She won't listen to a band because other people liked them before they were cool.

[Ken Shultz]

There's a term for people who strenuously resist cultural appropriation.

"White Supremacist"

[Eternal Blue Sky]

Sharing cultural artifacts: the most beautiful thing in the world, that brings us together in unity and diversity, bringing different peoples together in mutual understanding and cooperation!!

Of course the side that claims to be pro "diversity" and "multicultural" opposes it because they want a system of diverse segregation. Where every culture is separate but equal. And cultures are put on displays, like a zoo, instead of free to roam and change and adapt. All to maintain a wacked sense of cultural purity.

[Pay up, Palin's Buttplug!]

You know who else wanted to stop cultural appropriation?

[Doctor Whom]

The end of Apple exceptionalism?

My old firm barred all mobile devices from the network except iOS devices and firm-issued BlackBerries because of security concerns. Now, however, there are Android apps that offer sufficient security for our needs.

[Juvenile Bluster]

Seventy percent of Americans now view Donald Trump unfavorably, a new campaign high. Clinton's unfavorable rating stands at 55 percent.

Dear GOP:

Thanks so much for fucking up the primary so badly so as to ensure us President Hillary Clinton.

Fuck you,

JB

[Ken Shultz]

Donald Trump invaded the GOP.

In their defense, they tried to fight it.

[Atanarjuat]

No, the GOP tried to stick Jeb's sweaty member in the voters' faces, after previously forcing Romney, McCain, etc on them and they were sick of it, so they went with an outsider. Unfortunately the outsider is well, you know.

[Citizen X]

Hitler?

[kbolino]

Romney won 52% of the popular vote in the 2012 GOP primary.

[John]

Against a much smaller field and one that dropped out giving him all of the votes in the later primaries. Trump ran against 13 candidates, two of whom stayed in until the end for the specific purpose of depriving him of 50% of the votes.

[kbolino]

The point is that the numbers don't support any particular narrative of party elites vs. voters.

[Glide]

As much as he may be objectionable on foreign policy from a libertarian perspective, it blows my mind that Republican voters didn't see how much more likable, marketable, and able to capitalize on Democratic weakness Marco Rubio would have been as a pick. (Obviously there were some other widely tolerated Republicans but he had the best current image AND the best future potential.) A vote for Trump was almost literally a vote that "hating the brown people is more important than winning elections."

[UnCivilServant]

Marco "Dem Lite" Rubio?

Yeah, no.

There's a candidate that keeps me home on election day.

[R C Dean]

If your nobody likes you or buys what you're selling, maybe you aren't so likable and marketable?

[Groovus Maximus]

+ Flaccid Johnson and Gelded Weld

[Calidissident]

Rubio was tolerable to most Republicans and was more appealing to the general electorate than Trump. Not a fan of the guy, but just because he didn't win the primary doesn't mean his chances in a general election wouldn't have been better.

[Pay up, Palin's Buttplug!]

Thanks so much for fucking up the primary so badly so as to ensure us President Hillary Clinton.

Hillary isn't assured? She has a little problem:

28,584,625 GOP Primary voters vs. 27,834,835 Democratic Primary voters (as of today).

[Pay up, Palin's Buttplug!]

In 2008, there were " and (total).

Interestingly, the spread between Obama and Clinton was only 41,622 votes or 0.1%?

[Spoonman.]

So, my wife is pregnant: with twins. Due in January so it's not far enough along to really tell people yet, but it sure is stressful.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

We pretty much felt like we had one figured out. Two at a time is going to be a lot harder. We have a big support network and I love babies. We'll be fine. But.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

[Spoonman.]

Also, this probably means more time in the NICU with newborns. I fucking hate the NICU.

[The Fusionist]

Courage, man, your H&R friends wish you and your wife and kids the very best!

[Tonio]

Congrats and good luck.

[Ken Shultz]

Congratulations!

And more libertarians is a good thing. Two at a time!

Keep 'em comin'.

[Rufus The Monocled]

Congrats. Congrats.

[Lord Humungus]

Double Congratulations!

I suggest you stock up on gin.

[Spoonman.]

I can't stand gin since an unpleasant high school party experience.

[Lord Humungus]

You'll learn to like it - again.

[SugarFree]

Sell one to the fighting pits.

[Hamster of Doom]

You and your wife are to be commended for efficiency. Congratulations.

[Groovus Maximus]

Oj! Otlychno!

I can appreciate this, Spoony; we were recently blessed with twins (girls). Remember, you are simply getting a two-fer, and at some point, they will be able to care for each other, leaving you and Mrs. Spoony more free time.

Or better equipped to plot against you, especially if they are identical twins. Bwahahahaha!

[Spoonman.]

They appear to be fraternal, according to the ultrasound lady. And thanks to all for the good wishes.

[Groovus Maximus]

Oj! This is important, Spoony, because you and yours odds of having a multi birth has now increased significantly - especially if fertility RX is involved here (even if subsequent pregnancies may not require them - and I strongly suspect you and Mrs Spoony needed no help here).

I'm sure (hope) your OBGYN/family doc has mentioned this, as fraternal births are a greater predictor of the likelihood of having a multi birth, than identical, about 1 in 3000. If she herself is a twin or her mother is twin, those odds go up steeply.

[Groovus Maximus]

Addendum: Secondary multi birth, i.e. having more kiddos

[DEG]

Congratulations!

[Lee G]

I'll buy some more stock in Huggies.

[Brett L]

Wow! Congratulations and I'm sorry.

[egould310]

Maybe one fetus will consume the other in the womb? Twin problem solved!

But congratulations, man. Your seed is strong.

[UnCivilServant]

Are you claiming Spoon and/or his wife is/are part shark?

[Agammamon]

Do the libertarian thing and trade your surplus. Someone's gotta be willing to give you something worthwhile - maybe a used lawnmower or something, for the spare.

[R C Dean]

Nah. Health babies get $15K each on the open market.

Err, I'm told.

[robc]

Congrats.

So you have 1 now? So you get to go immediately from double team to playing zone.

[Spoonman.]

Exactly. A coworker with four kids once told me that kids were one, two, many. We will go straight from one to many.

[robc]

Congrats, I guess.

[Rasilio]

Twins aren't really all that much harder till they learn to walk, then you have to figure out how to deal with the one running towards the aligator pond and the other running in the opposite direction towards the interstate problem

[lap83]

Congratulations and I hope everything goes well, twin pregnancies are supposed to be higher risk.

[Groovus Maximus]

Two kiddos, so yes they are, and you get Kewpie Doll!

However, he indicated they are most likely fraternal, so's each kiddo has his or her own placenta, as opposed to identical twins sharing one, so there is less risk here with Mrs. Spoony's pregnancy.

[Rich]

Why It's Time to Repeal the Second Amendment

I teach the Constitution for a living. I revere the document when it is used to further social justice

That's where I stopped reading.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Literally the second sentence in the article. Rare for someone to reveal what a smarmy dickhead they are so quickly in these types of pieces.

[Ken Shultz]

"I revere the document when it is used to further social justice."

In other words, he hates the fucking thing.

[commodious spittoon]

He loves the penumbras and emanations.

[Groovus Maximus]

EUPEHMISMS!

[R C Dean]

[runs through Russian translator, scratches head]

[Groovus Maximus]

Fine, Counselor....

?????????!!!

Also, please check your email, your response to me on the issue at hand is quite important to me.

[DEG]

Rolling Stone wasn't the giveaway?

[Michael]

I have absolutely no idea how that rag manages to keep the lights on after the Jackie debacle.

[commodious spittoon]

Eardley's victims may well take them down the Gawker route.

[R C Dean]

They haven't been tagged with damages.

Yet.

[Glide]

That whole article was worth reading. It was the first pile of liberal dreck I've read in a few weeks that honestly made me smile multiple times because it proves that you can have the mentality of a particularly dumb 17-year-old and still get published by a national magazine with name recognition and a 50-year track record.

By far the most hilarious part was the perversion of the "right to life" into a right "to live their lives free from risk" which, despite having been invented literally the line before, clearly MUST take precedence over that other right that we've had for 240 years.

[Tonio]

Rolling Stone - LOL.

[SFC B]

I actually kind of appreciate the honesty. It's so much nicer than having to constantly explain why every "common-sense" thing is a planned step down the slippery slope.

[Pay up, Palin's Buttplug!]

Will he be shocked, shocked to find out gun control, like drug laws, will be used to put more poor and non-white folks behind bars?

Or is that what he thinks social justice is?

[Lord Humungus]

NYT: The Corrosive Politics That Threaten L.G.B.T. Americans

As families began planning funerals for the victims of Sunday's rampage at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., gay Americans mourned a loss that extended beyond the lives cut short.

Omar Mateen shattered the tenuous, hard-fought sense of personal safety that many gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans have begun to feel as the movement for equality has made significant gains in recent years. His bullets and the blood he left behind that early morning were a reminder that in many corners of the country, gay and transgender people are still regarded as sinners and second-class citizens who should be scorned.

While the precise motivation for the rampage remains unclear, it is evident that Mr. Mateen was driven by hatred toward gays and lesbians. Hate crimes don't happen in a vacuum. They occur where bigotry is allowed to fester, where minorities are vilified and where people are scapegoated for political gain. Tragically, this is the state of American politics, driven too often by Republican politicians who see prejudice as something to exploit, not extinguish.

[Rich]

Hate crimes don't happen in a vacuum. They occur where bigotry is allowed to fester, where minorities are vilified and where people are scapegoated for political gain.

But, enough about radical Islam.

[PBR Streetgang]

" the precise motivation for the rampage remains unclear".
It's unclear?

[Ken Shultz]

Well, saying it was Islam would be wrong.

Hell, that may have been inserted by the editor.

"When you write here that "He was a Muslim", do you think it flows better if we wrote, "The precise motivation for the rampage remains unclear" instead?

[John]

If they want to set up the country to hate Muslims, it would be hard to think of a more effective way than every time a Muslim does something horrible blaming it on everyone else. All that does is just make people resent and hate Muslims more.

[UnCivilServant]

This goes back to "Progressives to not understand incentives".

[commodious spittoon]

Who needs incentives when you have good intentions?

[spqr2008]

On 9/11, I was in high school, and they actually shut down the internet access at about noon. They were afraid we'd blame the Muslims in school with us for the terrorism. I thought that was ridiculous, since clearly they weren't involved, they were there at school with us when the attacks happened, and they already knew where the flights had departed from, and it wasn't my home city.

[John]

Really? There are a lot of stories like that. I have never known whether to believe them.

[Azathoth!!]

HE said it was for Islam, Ken. Omar did. Can't get any clearer than that.

You can stop making excuses now, k?

[John]

While the precise motivation for the rampage remains unclear,

Yeah, he just pledged his loyalty to ISIS and called a TV producer during the crime to explain that he was doing it for ISIS. ISIS must read this stuff and think America is full of retards and wonder what it is going to take to get their message across.

The NYT didn't seem to have much of a problem figuring out why Dylan Roof shot all those people. Funny that. You can't overstate how disgusting these people are. A Muslim murders 50 gays in the name of ISIS and the NYT's and Scott Shackford's BTW, response is "God damn it we really need to do something about those Christians."

[R C Dean]

While the precise motivation for the rampage remains unclear,

Seems pretty clear to me.

Hate crimes don't happen in a vacuum. They occur where bigotry is allowed to fester,

Righty-o. And nothing allows bigotry to fester like multiculturalism and "social justice".

where minorities are vilified

I'm not seeing gays being vilified, outside, perhaps, of a few enclaves that are shielded from criticism by multiculturalism and social justice.

and where people are scapegoated for political gain.

No shit. We need to stop scapegoating gun owners to push gun control.

[Rhywun]

The Times, George Takei, et al. don't seem to have digested the news yet that the killer was likely gay himself & the motivations were a tad more complex than their brains can handle.

[Calidissident]

"I'm not seeing gays being vilified, outside, perhaps, of a few enclaves that are shielded from criticism by multiculturalism and social justice."

The other person's arguments that Republicans were responsible for this is obviously ludicrous, but this is also absurd. Yes, the left often downplays homophobia in minority groups, but to pretend that there aren't a large number of conservative white Christians that villify gay people (to one extent or another) is nonsense.

[Domestic Dissident]

ISIS jihadis leaving Syria, preparing to invade France and Belgium to stage more attacks.

Oh boy, get ready for even more carnage. Stay safe Euros, and you might want to consider locking and loading.

[Rufus The Monocled]

War by other means?

I'd like to know how this isn't a declaration of war? Are Europeans waiting for a formal declaration followed by tanks?

[UnCivilServant]

ISIS doesn't have tanks. And they gave a formal declaration of war on the world.

[Rufus The Monocled]

I know.

I was being, what's the word, tongue in cheek.

[UnCivilServant]

Do that and you're liable to injure yourself.

[R C Dean]

ISIS doesn't have tanks.

I believe they have some of ours, in fact.

Based on various reports, CNBC came up with the following laundry list of supplies the U.S. has so kindly provided to ISIS so far.

2,300 Humvee armored vehicles at $70,000 each: $16 million
40 M1A1 Abram tanks at $4.3 million each: $172 million
52 M198 Howitzer mobile gun systems at $527,337 each: $2.7 million
74,000 Army machine guns at $4,000 each: $29 million

http://www.globalresearch.ca/w.....ks/5490040

[Pay up, Palin's Buttplug!]

ISIS doesn't need to declare war. All they have to do is issue a call to Islam to you and if you refuse, that's a formal declaration of war on your part.

[Domestic Dissident]

I just hope their governments aren't sneaking them into the country in vans and dropping them off in small towns in the middle of the night like the Obama "Department of Homeland Security" is.

[Rufus The Monocled]

ISIS HORSE.

[John]

When the refugee thing started happening last year, I said this was nothing but ISIS waging war by other means. And Cytoxic and a lot of other people on here said I was paranoid.

Funny how reason doesn't say a word about the refugee issue anymore.

[Agammamon]

Because only 'states' can wage war. That's important to other states - its part of the illusion of legitimacy that they depend upon. And ISIS isn't a state because other states haven't agreed that they are a state.

So ISIS isn't allowed to declare war. Instead they're just 'enemy combating' or whatever idiotic term the administration will come up with to provide a fig leaf for their actions.

Remember not a 'conflict', a 'kinetic military action'. Its not a conflict if the people you're shooting at can't shoot back at you.

[John]

Only a racist would think allowing more Muslims into the country is a bad idea.

[Tonio]

I'm waiting for the first time some european pulls out an illegal handgun and plugs a jihadi. The butt-hurt on both sides of the Atlantic will be epic.

[Tonio]

plugs a jihadi actively engaged in an act of terror

[lafe.long]

Ava Sambora: Heather Locklear and Richie Sambora's Daughter Participates in Bikini Photo Shoot

Sambora was reportedly seen in Malibu, Calif., modeling in a bikini for a photo shoot for 138 Water in collaboration with Baes & Bikinis. Sambora made her modeling debut a few months ago.

[Lord Humungus]

Did Sarcasmic get a new handle?

[Rich]

She looks healthy enough.

[lafe.long]

America's Got Talent: 13-Year-Old Contestant Gets Standing Ovation for Donald Trump Joke

Lori Mae Hernandez, from Lancaster, Calif., performed a stand-up routine that compared her lack of qualifications to be a babysitter to Trump's presidential qualifications. The NBC show airs Tuesdays.

[John]

Trump won't carry Hollywood this fall. He is DOOMED

[Rhywun]

I don't think I could come up with anything that sounds more horrible to watch. Congratulations, NBC. You should be proud of yourself.

[Lee G]

Michael Savage: I'm the architect of Trump's message

Talk-radio icon Michael Savage says GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump is winning because he's pushing the ideas that Savage himself has been bringing to the American public for years already.

On the day he announced he was campaigning for the GOP nomination for president, Trump pointed out that the illegal aliens coming into the U.S. across the southern border sometimes bring crime with them.

Savage three years ago responded to a listener on that issue.

I'm convinced.

[John]

Isn't Savage the gay guy who promotes polyamory and open marriages? Or am I confusing him with someone else?

[Lee G]

Savage is basically Limbaugh's crazy uncle.

[The Fusionist]

Dan Savage is the sex dude.

Michael Savage I once heard described as Ann Coulter without the graciousness to her adversaries.

[John]

Okay. I thought saying Trump got his platform from the sex dude was a little out there.

[Citizen X]

That would be hilarious, though.

[John]

Wouldn't it? The bed wetting and weeping at National Review alone would be more entertainment than we probably deserve.

[Atanarjuat]

Dan Savage?

[Glide]

No, but I think Trump did get part of his platform from Adam Savage.

[Agammamon]

Savage is sounding a lot like the desperate Richard Murphy - you know, the architect of 'Corbynomics' that Corbin won't acknowledge.

[lafe.long]

Chiral Molecules: Scientists Discover 1st Complex Organic Chiral Molecule in Interstellar Space

Scientists discovered propylene oxide in a cloud of gas and dust in the Milky Way galaxy. Chiral molecules, often compared to hands, are different molecules that are mirror images of each other.

[Atanarjuat]

What if there's an Earth-like planet where humans have evolved exactly like they are here like in Star Trek, and you go there and fall in love with one of the humans there, but you can't have kids because it turns out her body is composed of amino acids that have the opposite chirality. Well, I guess you'd probably die of some nutritional deficiency first anyway.

[Citizen X]

+1 Anathem

[Tonio]

Disease- and pregnancy-free sex!

[Rhywun]

Just tell her to reverse her polarity and try again.

[AddictionMyth]

I did it for ISIS. I did it for the Islamic State

Omar Mateen also did it for Hezbollah and al-Nusra, whom we must destroy after "utterly destroying ISIS" (according to Hillary, Obama, Trump). But mostly he did it for his daddy.

[Tonio]

Yeah, as much as people want to pigeonhole this into a single cause to bolster their agendas it's the result of multiple causes.

[lap83]

What is wrong with taking someone at their word?

[UnCivilServant]

There needs to be some context on their past track record and the statements being made.

In the context of "I'm murdering people because..." the statement does give insight into the mind behind the murder.

In the context of someone who's a known liar, the probability that it's true goes down.

In this case, I'll take the guy at his word.

[lap83]

Yeah, I agree. If he was, say, a Clinton I'd assume he wasn't telling the truth.

But the whole "He may have SAID one thing, but let's not discount the fact that he used a gay dating app and had a mean daddy!" is armchair psycho-babble.

[Groovus Maximus]

Indeed, the vast commentariat around here will take the infallible, unimpeachable word of a 5 year old child claiming to be the opposite sex, or indulging some adult who claims the same, when science, biology, and genetics has demonstrably prove otherwise, as gospel that can never, ever be questioned, and will twist themselves into pretzels rationalising and excusing it.

Yet, this piece of work told us, IN HIS OWN WORDS, exactly why he did it, right there, Exactly What It Says on the Tin, and yet will not cease contorting themselves in those same pretzels to rationalise, excuse, and explain away what the man said to further other narratives, conflations, and flat out selfish SJW dishonesty.

[Groovus Maximus]

HTML FAIL!

[DEG]

Medieval doodles

Rabbits: cute, fluffy creatures; big ears, big teeth. Harmless? Wrong.
In the medieval period they were fierce, sword-wielding Leporids, happy to take on the rest of the animal kingdom -- including humans.

Rabbits riding lions, rabbits riding humans, rabbits mutilating poor hapless knights in shining armor. Who knew "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" could be so germane?
These relatives of the Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog dwell not in caves but in the "bas-de-page" below the text of 14th century manuscripts, according to James Freeman, a medieval manuscripts specialist at Cambridge University Library.

[Ken Shultz]

Well, they had to contend with the squirrels, who we all know to be ravenous, contemptuous, and violent beasts.

Incidentally, I found a photo of the leader of the infamous "server squirrels" who have been tormenting us here at Hit for so long.

http://tinyurl.com/jaf5k9l

His name is "Lord Snarky".

[Agammamon]

Everytime someone brings up a piece of medieval history I find that 'The Holy Grail' was far more accurate and educational than I had thought it was before.

[commodious spittoon]

"Good Lord," said the monk. "Even if the foolishness of it all occasion no shame, at least one might balk at the expense."

BURN!

[Tonio]

The Pythons were all well-educated so were quite possibly aware of that manuscript. The "we don't have a lord, we're an anarcho-syndicalist commune" bit wasn't just something they stumbled upon, it was deliberate brilliance. Python routines helped get me through several college classes by providing easy-to-remember summaries of some of the material.

[AddictionMyth]

Amphetamines are far more dangerous and addictive than opiates and must be severely restricted. Dust off your woodchippers, people.

[Citizen X]

Not gonna start off with dajjal today, huh?

[AddictionMyth]

Isn't this AM links?

[lafe.long]

Whole Foods: FDA Sends Grocer Warning Letter for Manufacturing and Packaging Regulation Violations

The agency cited the Austin, Texas-based company in a June 8 letter to co-CEOs John Mackey and Walter Robb. The grocer issued a statement Tuesday, saying it had corrected each issue.

[John]

If you could go back in time to when Congress created the FDA and tell them that within 50 years the FDA would be telling grocery stores how to package their food, no one in the room would have believed you.

[Atanarjuat]

Well, except for the closet authoritarians going in to the bureaucracy who would be rubbing their hands with glee if they knew.

[Agammamon]

The FDA inspector cited many other violations, such as failure to sanitize food prep surfaces, dirty dishes near food,

I better hope the FDA doesn't inspect my kitchen.

[DEG]

Investors heavily in cash

Fund managers' average cash allocation jumped to 5.7% this month, surpassing even the levels during the 2008 Wall Street meltdown or the 2011 U.S. debt ceiling debacle, BofA said. Hartnett noted other "big bear signals" as well, including investors displaying the lowest risk appetite in four years.

And later in the article:

Still, it's a tough time to be sitting in cash. Extremely low interest rates around the world mean money in the bank earns virtually nothing. And when inflation is factored in, cash actually loses value.

The average money market and savings account carries an annual percentage yield of just 0.11%, according to Bankrate.com. Even savvy savers who shop around for better rates aren't fetching much more than 1% from online banks.

But that's better than losing money, which most people think is likely with volatile stocks. It also doesn't help that investors have very few places to hide these days. Government debt is normally viewed as a safe haven, but it's hard to justify buying bonds, when there's nothing much to earn. German bond yields went negative for the first ever this week and the U.S. Treasury yield closed at a four-year low of 1.61%.

[Lee G]

Bond yields are at 500 year lows. We are in completely uncharted waters and it will not end well.

The ECB is directly buying corporate bonds now. Just skipping the banks altogether.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Peter Schiff says hyper-inflation is right around the corner.

I swear that idiot must post here but I can't figure out which Peanut he is.

[DEG]

Did you pay your bet?

[Free Society]

If we look back, I bet we'll find a Krugman-like denial claiming that he was still right even though he was completely wrong.

[DEG]

Insurers want to hike Obamacare premiums 10%

Not 8%?

You may have heard that insurers are hiking Obamacare premiums by 30%, 40% or even more next year.

Certainly, some companies have requested hefty rate increases for certain policies. But that doesn't mean that everyone will be writing a much bigger monthly check to their insurer.

The benchmark silver plan premiums are projected to rise 10% for 2017, on average, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation report that looked at insurers' proposed rate increases for a 40-year-old consumer in 14 major cities. That's double the 5% increase for 2016 policies, but it could change since state regulators often reduce insurers' rate requests.

[Citizen X]

Oh, well that's okay, then. Thanks, Obama!

[Lee G]

My insurer requested 37%

[robc]

Im sure that will get knocked down to 23%.

[Lord Humungus]

Don't worry, the government handouts will cover these costs.

[Hamster of Doom]

Subprime is contained.

[John]

But Megan McArdle assured me back in 2010 that while Obamacare was not perfect, it was better than what we had and we had to pass it to "bend the cost curve".

There needs to be some kind of national truth and reconciliation commission where every journalist who sold that piece of shit has come before the nation and admit how stupid they were and why no one should ever listen to anything they have to say again.

[robc]

After the 1994 election, I suggested pundit relegation.

The worst predictor of election results gets fired from CNN and sent to MSNBC or something.

[Palin's Buttplug]

But you wingnutters cried DEATH SPIRAL! and that it would collapse within a year and cause massive unemployment - all wrong of course.

The Buttplug said the ACA was pretty much insignificant and would not disrupt the health insurance market.

Of course I was right.

[robc]

Everything I predicted has happened.

[Citizen X]

How do you think Jeb is gonna do in the general, though?

[Palin's Buttplug]

Back when Trump began his campaign everyone here thought the GOP electorate would realize what a conman he was and someone else would take the nomination.

[commodious spittoon]

Can you be a conman if you believe your own bullshit? Or if you believe nothing at all?

[Citizen X]

I didn't ask what you think "everyone here" thought about Trump, i asked you about Jeb, who you were sure would take the nomination.

[Domestic Dissident]

Better be careful out there in the gay clubs, Weigel. ISIS is on a rampage and they're gunning pretty hard for you guys nowadays.

[UnCivilServant]

You seem to be under this delusion that we're not in a death spiral.

All the symptoms are there...

And why am I talking to this brick wall anyway?

[Juice]

It is in a death spiral. Did you think would happen all at once? Another few years and it'll be a "crisis".

[This Machine]

Exactly. That's the thing about spirals. They take a little time.

[R C Dean]

But you wingnutters cried DEATH SPIRAL!

Which you are looking at, right now, but are too stupid to see.

Premiums rising rapidly? Check.

Covered population sicker? Check.

People dropping coverage in mid-year? Check.

and that it would collapse within a year

See, now you're just lying.

and cause massive unemployment

Participation rate crashing and not recovering. Underemployment spiking. A historically long period of low growth. The only number that doesn't look like shit is the heavily manipulated headline number.

[The Grinch]

Looks like it isn't working so let's give single payer a shot.

[Domestic Dissident]

"Yeah, but it would have gone up even more without Obamacare!"

-derp

[The Fusionist]

Cops say the hostage-taking at an Amarillo Wal-Mart, was related to a workplace dispute and was not linked to Terrorism. The gunman, Mohammad Moghaddam, was killed by SWAT cops.

[John]

TEACH SOMALIS NOT TO TAKE HOSTAGES

[Brett L]

Maybe taking your boss hostage is how you get promoted in his culture. Those culturally insensitive cops in Amarillo.

[Spoonman.]

When oil companies go into third-world shitholes, they hire anthropologists to help them manage the local help because expectations are so different. Apparently a big problem Shell had in Indonesia was convincing the "scoop-the-goop-out" manual laborers that you couldn't simply be promoted to bulldozer operator by killing the bulldozer operator.

[Brett L]

I saw this on an Archer episode... Only it was king of the pirates.

[UnCivilServant]

You got a link for that, spoon? I'd like to read up on the subject.

[Free Society]

"Ohhh I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I thought this was America." he was quoted as saying as the SWAT breached the building.

[This Machine]

-1 pants & shirt

[Krabappel]

Randy Marsh 2016

[VG Zaytsev]

Taking hostages is part of their culture, you racist.

[VG Zaytsev]

BTW has reason reported at all on the Orlando murderer's wife conspiring with him? Kind of blows the whole self loathing homo narrative to hell.

[John]

They haven't mentioned that or the fact that he called a TV producer during the stand off and said he was "doing it for ISIS". I am sure Shackford really going to give to those nasty Christians now.

[robc]

Can't it be both? Why can't he be a gay ISIS member?

Is it so hard for things to be multidimensional?

[John]

Yes. Exactly who does reason think ISIS recruits to be suicide bombers? Well adjusted and on violent people? They guy was some kind of closet cases with violent tendencies. No shit.

[lap83]

They did mention him calling the TV producer in the links above.

[Domestic Dissident]

It's almost a certainty she knew more than she's letting on.

And I'd still like to see this creep's father deported by the way.

[Tonio]

From what I've read it seems she's already admitted enough to get her in deep, deep trouble.

[Tonio]

Orlando murderer's wife...Kind of blows the whole self loathing homo narrative to hell.

No, not really VG. Here's how that works: When you are from a primitive, virulently homophobic culture (afghani muslim in this case) being gay just isn't an option. So you pretend you're straight, marry some poor girl, beat her when you can't get it up for her and hate yourself for wanting other men. Yes, he was US born, but his parents weren't and as is often discussed here failure to assimilate is a problem.

This explanation is not to ignore the jihadi wannabe thing. That's certainly a factor, too.

Don't fall into the trap of comforting, simplistic explanations.

[R C Dean]

I'm guessing he was both (a) self-loathing and (b) prone to violence because of his Islamonutter upbringing.

[Groovus Maximus]

Don't fall into the trap of comforting, simplistic essential explanations.

William of Occam suggest otherwise; in this case, I will take the man's word, of which we have reliable, demonstrable evidence, first. The man invoked ISIS, full stop. Anything else is a mitigating or precluding factor. ISIS membership here is the prime mover (does he need a decoder ring as proof?)

If you want to play psychiatric forensic detective, be my guest; just make sure you place a disclaimer that you also are toting a +2 Axe of Perpetual Dullness forever in search of a grindstone when discussing this case by blaming via casting of aspersion with a wide net.

I like you Tonio, a lot, but don't blame me and/or my wife (we both attend The Russian Orthodox Church - I know, ICKY DR. BLEEVERS) in UKR for something we demonstrably and geographically had absolutely had nothing to do with.

[bacon-magic]

I love you Groovus.

[John]

It is not just a factor. It is the factor that caused him to murder 50 people. There are lots of repressed fucked up closet cases. But none of them except the radical Islamic ones, murder 50 people in a gay bar.

[Rhywun]

I thought I saw it on the NY Post this morning but since then they've banned adblocking hence I refuse to visit ever again.

[Lord Humungus]

China's 'Naked Loans' Force Female Students to Get Nude for More Cash

Dodgy internet lenders in China are reportedly getting female college students to provide nude pictures of themselves as collateral in a loan-for-porn scheme.

In this creepy arrangement, reported by Chinese media this week, students have agreed to send nude photos of themselves holding their identification cards to lenders. After doing so, the girls are then eligible for higher loan amounts ? two to five times the normal sum, according to Beijing Youth Daily. The lenders told the students that they'd publish the photos online if loans aren't repaid in time, with extreme interest rates.

The site's online leaders allegedly preyed on young people who may be out of pocket or lacking in financial experience. One female student told the Beijing Youth Daily that she wanted to start a small business, so in February agreed to send nude photos to private lenders in exchange for 120,000 yuan (?12,873). Within four months, the debt she owed had more than doubled. After being threatened by her lenders, she was forced to ask her family for money to avoid having her photos put online.

[commodious spittoon]

One female student told the Beijing Youth Daily that she wanted to start a small business, so in February agreed to send nude photos to private lenders in exchange for 120,000 yuan (?12,873). Within four months, the debt she owed had more than doubled.

I admire her entrepreneurial spirit but her business acumen leaves something to be desired.

[Tonio]

Why is a nude photo any more onerous than requiring your parents to put their house up as collateral?

[Illocust]

So they found something that has actual value to somebody who owns no property and they used it as collateral. Sounds like a business plan. Just because some idiot put up something they weren't actually willing to lose doesn't seem like a reason to stop it.

[Rasilio]

You know when people wake up and just say ... Eh go ahead and post them because everyone else has nude pics on the internet already this will stop being a useful tactic of blackmail

[KerryW]

Kinda makes payday lenders look not so bad...

[This Machine]

Repost from last night's late-late thread:

Huh. Looks like Judicial Watch found a memo, written in 2012, that details the Western (including the U.S.) strategy of supporting ISIS (then AQI) in a type of proxy conflict in Syria against Iran, Russia and China (who backed the regime).

It's an interesting read if you have the time.

[Tonio]

Oh, that's embarrassing.

[R C Dean]

So we really did create ISIS. Huh.

[GILMORE?]

There's a lot in that memo that sounds like it was written by Public Relations people and not "intelligence".

In fact it reads in many places as though it wasn't written by anyone in govt at all. And it has an "Aug 12" at the top in the body, but where else is there a time-stamp that actually dates it?

[Domestic Dissident]

DOI (U): 20120730. It's near the top of page 2.

And it absolutely reads to me like something from a DIA high level bureaucrat (probably in the Area of Operations) to his superiors in Washington. Also, most of the really interesting stuff has been redacted so it could be declassified.

Just because they have to comply with FOIA requests doesn't mean they have to show you everything.

[This Machine]

Yes, thank you, Mike.

Apologies to Gilmore for not making this clear in the original post (no sarc).

[GILMORE?]

Additionally =

It "" details the Western (including the U.S.) strategy of supporting ISIS (then AQI) in a type of proxy conflict in Syria against Iran""

no it doesn't.

Point to where it describes "US intentions" at all.

All it describes is the status quo in Syria (which is vague enough to have been true for anytime between 2012 and 2014), and not even that in more than general detail.

while it references vague "support for opposition" coming from gulf states & turkey, it provides no detail on how its being done, to what degree they exercise any strategic contro, and by no means suggests that its a "good thing" - and specifically it says that its going to be very bad for Iraq.

Nowhere do you see anything either making suggestions for US future policy, or describing US current policy

[This Machine]

It suggests that Western powers, Turkey, and the Gulf States were supporting the AQI opposition, while Iran, China, and Russia were supporting the regime.

Does it seem so unlikely that "Western" wouldn't include the U.S?

I disagree with the "PR v. Intel" tack; to the contrary, this reads like a typical situation report, usually published by an Intel shop to describe the top-level situation in a region - in this case, Syria and Iraq.

And yes, it's short on strategic details. Considering it's was originally published as a SECRET: NOFORN document, it's unlikely it would have a lot of meat to it, as NOFORN is the lowest form of SECRET classification.

This document doesn't blow anything wide open, sure, but doesn't it make you the least bit skeptical that the U.S. had nothing to do with the instability created by AQI in Syria and Iraq?

[Domestic Dissident]

I'll bet the redacted sections have a few things in there that would make our hair stand on end.

[GILMORE?]

It suggests that Western powers, Turkey, and the Gulf States were supporting the AQI opposition, while Iran, China, and Russia were supporting the regime.

Does it seem so unlikely that "Western" wouldn't include the U.S?

That's not what it actually says.

It says there is Western, Turkish, Gulf support for the generic opposition; then goes into detail parsing out AQI as an element distinct and separate from the generic term "opposition" (it suggests they too 'support' it - albeit for different reasons)

That BOTH the 'West' & AQI were 'supporting' anti-regime elements does not equate to "A US Strategy to Support ISIS", which was your claim.

- Also notable - they distinguish between AQI, IS, and Al-nusra in the piece as all separate elements, while i've heard numerous people claim on multiple occasions they're all "The Same"

[Krabappel]

Facebook finally hit peek derp for me today and I had to deactivate. Gay friends were sharing pictures of conservative politicians with the words "I am Omar Mateen" on them and I just went "No. No, fuck that, I'm out."

LET'S ALL SHOUT OUR FEELINGS AT EACH OTHER THAT'LL FIX EVERYTHING!

[Dallas H.]

Am on the fence for the very same thing.