Anthony Fisher Talks Trump Press Conferences as Performance Art on Kennedy, Tonight at 8p on FBN

Also party paneling: Meghan McCain and libertarian comic Dave Smith.

Andrew Heaton

Tune into beloved libertarian goddess Kennedy's eponymous show tonight at 8p on the Fox Business Network.

I'll be there, as will Fox News personality Meghan McCain, libertarian wisecracker Dave Smith, and we'll be talking about how President Trump's hostility to the media at least makes typically pointless press conferences entertaining, and why it's not Lena Dunham's fault Hillary Clinton lost (it's Hillary Clinton's, in part for sending Lena Dunham to campaign for her in North Carolina instead of Bill Clinton).

Comments

[GILMORE?]

Anthony Fisher Talks Trump Press Conferences as Performance Art

It was glorious.

and you don't know "hostility" if you think that was hostile. He was a bathing in the media contempt like it was a soothing bubble bath. he never seemed happier.

[straffinrun]

No one is less anti Semitic than me. There are piles of ashes in Aushwitz that bow to my lack of anti Semitism.

[Suthenboy]

You too straffin. An email if you dont mind.

[straffinrun]

Will do later.

[AlmightyJB]

Straffinrun hates jews so much that if he ever gets cancer, he'll convert to Judaism just so he can watch a jew painfully die.

[straffinrun]

I'm a fine tuned machine. Get over it. I won.

[Suthenboy]

Gilmore?

Gilmore?

When you see Gilmore be so kind as to tell him to send me an email.

[DenverJ]

Hey, Gilmore, send Suthen an email.

[GILMORE?]

I'll tell him, he's in the toilet.

[westernsloper]

It was glorious.

It was hilarious.

When he was talking about Chuck Schumer, or some other "light weight". Pure gold.

It's a shame the "light weights" are on a mission to impeach him. We are going to miss out on a bunch of laughs.

[ant1sthenes]

They were on a mission to win the election too.

[AlmightyJB]

Meghan looking good

[GILMORE?]

please tell me she's not related to you-know-who

[GILMORE?]

oh shit she is, isn't she.

[AlmightyJB]

Yuppers

[White Tennis Balls, Jr.]

I can't stand her, but hell yes I would.

[Cynical Asshole]

I would too, if for no other reason than to give that old fucker a heart attack knowing that his daughter had been defiled by one of those libertarian wacko-birds.

[GILMORE?]

she looks like "venus of willendorf" meets "malibu barbie"

[GILMORE?]

the funniest photo of her i've found

[Quincy.]

Controversy: Reading books changes skin tone, reduces breast size

[The Fusionist]

The artist says he usually does porn where the woman starts out nerdy and ends up looking like a trollop.

He was just doing it in reverse, he explains.

[Quincy.]

I know the genre. I don't understand people getting mad at the reversal of the genre, rather than the genre itself.

[ant1sthenes]

They're the new Christian Right, minus the mitigating belief in everyone being a bit shit and thus requiring a patient and forgiving deity.

[CZmacure]

Everyone *else* is a bit shit in the new cosmology.

[AlmightyJB]

Would would would would maybe depending on what shes reading

[Quincy.]

It's a big book, so maybe Human Action, if you know what I mean.

[AlmightyJB]

I'll be in my bunk.

[commodious rebrands]

I felt some sympathy for the poor bastard until his apology. Why the fuck are you apologizing, dude? A bunch of outrage-huffing fuckwits got their panties twisted.

[ant1sthenes]

So she's on the "not fat" side of the pendulum, at present.

[Fascist loofa-faced shitgibbon]

"Meghan looking good"

You have got to be shitting me.

[Charles Easterly]

libertarian goddess Kennedy

Having attempted several times to watch her show, I consider her to be one of television's interruption goddesses .

[__Warren__]

It's a wonder she has kids.

[AlmightyJB]

I usually make it through 10 minutes.

[Charles Easterly]

I usually make it through 10 minutes.

Thus the "Almighty" before the "JB".

[JeremyR]

I always find that hilarious

[DenverJ]

*slaps Charles with a glove*
Sir, you are not fit to carry the hem of her dress. Apologize, or duel.

[Chipper Morning Wood]

What kind of duel?

[chemjeff]

Well, I might have to check it out tonight. Thanks for the reminder.

[OldMexican Blankety Blank]

Tune into beloved libertarian goddess Kennedy's eponymous show tonight at 8p on the Fox Business Network.

Only if Lou Dobbs doesn't continue his show on top of her time slot because someone said something nasty about El Se?or Presidente Bananero Trumpo. You know, Breaking News!

[straffinrun]

As for the rest of you, nobody believes you anymore. Your ratings are terrible. Nobody believes you. Believe me, I know.

[Charles Easterly]

In my eighth grade class there was one among us who possessed the best speaking ability, and he was elected our Class President.

Years later, in 2017, the manner in which President Trump speaks reminds me of the individuals that my fellow classmates did not vote into office.

[Derpetologist]

I was class president in 6th grade because a more popular kid nominated me. I narrowly avoided impeachment over a prank involving the school intercom.

[Charles Easterly]

a prank involving the school intercom

I was a type of prankster as well, Doc, at least upon arriving at the elementary school, and it took quite some time and effort for me to be to sufficiently inculcated.

Thus, in the interest of possibly affording myself (and perhaps other readers of H&R) some type of vicarious enjoyment, please do go on.....

[Derpetologist]

So our class was tasked with doing the morning announcements one week. I did not want to be involved and asked to be excused. No luck. We had to fill some time, so I asked if I could do a movie review. They said OK. Now, at the time, there was a TV show called The Critic, which involved a cranky film critic would invariably shout "it stinks" after every movie clip.

So, when my turn came to speak, I said something like "Here is my review of such-and-such movie: IT STINKS!"

I was later told every kid in the school was laughing.

Naturally, the uh-thor-i-ties did not take it well and forced me to apologize over the intercom the next day.

The best part is at the time I was preparing to be play the role of Scrooge in the school play and I used my detention time to study my lines. Also, the kid who played Tiny Tim was taller than me.

[Charles Easterly]

Nice.

The best part is at the time I was preparing to be play the role of Scrooge in the school play and I used my detention time to study my lines.

Excellent.

Also, the kid who played Tiny Tim was taller than me.

It might seem that reality can indeed be stranger than fiction.

Here is something with which you and I may agree; That you were quoting a well known character ( perhaps the principle character) from a contemporary television show should have been easily ascertained by those who decided to assign you to detention. You could have been congratulated (even if not over the intercom) for your treatment of the movies in question by means of your topical media persona.

[Ted S.]

Counselor Deanna Troi: [after Riker has appeared rather confused during his play] It's nothing to be embarrassed about; we're your friends. We all know the stress you've been under. I'm sure everyone understands perfectly.

[Data passes by]

Lt. Commander Data: Commander, I must congratulate you on your performance this evening.

Commander William T. Riker: Oh?

Lt. Commander Data: Your unexpected choice to improvise was an effective method of drawing the audience into the plight of your character. You gave a truly realistic interpretation of multi-infarct dementia.

[walks on]

Commander William T. Riker: [bemused] Thank you.

Counselor Deanna Troi: Well, maybe not *everyone* understands.

[Ted S.]

When my class in elementary school did plays, I always got to be the star. Not because I could act, but because I could memorize the lines.

One year I had to be the Pied Piper of Hameln, and wear tights. Yikes.

[Crusty Juggler - #2]

OT: Williamson defends white people

[Charles Easterly]

Williamson defends white people

+1 "yet another" privilege?

[Playa Manhattan.]

Hey. What are you doing later tonight?

[kbolino]

Man, that is some fine grade bullshit:

Government assistance and tax credits lifted 6.2 million working-class whites out of poverty in 2014

If 6.2 million people, regardless of skin tone, were "lifted out of poverty" every year, then the 43.1 million living in poverty (per the government definition) would all be "lifted out" of it in 7 years' time. Or, alternately, poverty would have been eliminated some time in the early 1970s.

More accurately: 6.2 million white* people were on the dole last year. They will probably be on the dole next year, too.

* = But it's totally not racist to focus on their skin color

[Derpetologist]

Harvard computer science club apologizes for Valentine's date algorithm with only two genders

Student Darius Johnson said the disconnect between the two gender options and the text box "was super disconcerting to me" because it implied male and female were "normal" options

Now, some of you might be thinking this is Peak Derp. Not so. Peak Derp is like Planck Temperature, in that there is a theoretical limit to how stupid something can be before the laws of nature are torn asunder. However, that limit is so absurdly high, that for practical purposes, Peak Derp will never be observed.

Thus, however stupid something is, there is something even dumber lurking out there somewhere in the derposphere.

[Juice]

Wait a minute. Trans male is a different gender than cis male? So one male isn't the same male as another male? I mean, I "get it" if someone says they are some other gender besides male or female. It's stupid and delusional, but I get it. But if you're trying to say that a trans female is anything other than an authentic female, gender-wise, isn't that bigoted and intolerant?

[AlmightyJB]

Whichever viewpoint you take will be the offensive one cisscum

[Ted S.]

I assumed the whiners were bitching about the lack of options like "genderfluid" or "otherkin".

[AlmightyJB]

They should have gone with male, female, attention whore.

[DenverJ]

Right? I mean, I really don't care what you think you are or how you identify. But for the love of god, just, you know, stop already.

[ant1sthenes]

They should have a third option, "I'm a mentally ill, attention-starved snowflake."

[Derpetologist]

Problem: video of professor saying stupid things embarrasses school
Solution: ban recording in classrooms

Orange Coast College is now strictly enforcing a formerly obscure policy banning classroom recordings after a professor was caught on camera calling Donald Trump's election an "act of terrorism."
The school denies that the signs were put up "in response to any recent incident," saying they are just a reminder of existing policy.

[Juice]

If they disagreed with what was said, the professor would be fired/suspended, obviously.

[Ted S.]

SLD: Private schools (I have no idea about Orange Coast College) should be free to have such a policy.

[Derpetologist]

Choose Your Poison: Arizona Lets Inmates Bring Their Own Lethal Drugs to Execution

Remember what I said a few minutes ago about Peak Derp?

[BakedPenguin]

Jesus. 20% of junkies figure out how to kill themselves, and these geniuses can't manage it.

[colorblindkid]

In their defense, the pharma companies make it nearly impossible for the state to get them.

[Derpetologist]

file under: thought police

Book Publishers Hiring 'Sensitivity Readers' To Weed Out Offensive Content

Book publishers fearing the backlash from social justice activists are hiring special readers to check the books and flag up racist, sexist and other so-called offensive content before they go to print.

[__Warren__]

That'll increase sales! Good thinkin' Lou!

[The Grinch]

I suspect someone will move in quickly to exploit the opening in the marketplace for publishers that don't do this nonsense and strive to put out stuff that nonpussies actually want to read.

[Charles Easterly]

This might be an example of where a few individuals might go, Grinch.

[The Grinch]

Ah, the market works. Who the hell wants to read trash that's been sanitized to appeal to the most easily offended whiners they can manage to find?

[AlmightyJB]

Yeah, but no one cares about crude anymore. Write one called "Your 5 year Old isn't Trans Asshole". See how that goes.

[AlmightyJB]

We need a Lenny Bruce for identity politics.

[Ted S.]

E-publishing for the win.

[Derpetologist]

random thought

I would like Robby Soave to conduct an experiment. He should give 2 talks at 2 colleges. One should be on how he exposed the UVA rape hoax. The other should be on the dangers of Donald Trump.

I think we all know which talk would be met with riots.

Perhaps then Soave would see the error of his what-about-isms and to-be-sures.

[colorblindkid]

I know a few "liberals" who will admit that their side has a problem with SJWs and that colleges are stifling speech, but they always point to like one or two colleges a year trying to shut down anti-Israel groups and are like "SEE! THE OTHER SIDE IS JUST AS BAD!".

[lap83]

The riot will be at the beautician college, after he refuses to give them his secret for perfect hair

[AlmightyJB]

First they all have to find baby sitters

[Quincy.]

Ah, memories...

[GILMORE?]

less random thought =
(its been suggested like 5 times now)

why doesn't he just have a "blogginheads" debate w/ this Milo cat. Just invite the guy to have a 1-1 discussion about the whole "campus political correctness" thing, so they can air their points of view.

Milo seems the type who will do anything on media anywhere for any reason regardless of how much the same media have badmouthed him. Because he's an attention whore. so i can't imagine he'd say No.

It seems a hell of a lot better than writing obliquely about the guy and panning him as a "deplorable" and repeating the same "well yes he's awful but still, setting fires and smashing things is probably not effective"

because that catty-teenage-girl sneering isn't going anywhere, really.

I don't think it will happen, because for whatever reason i get the impression Reason + Breitbart are on some Sharks vs. Jets type thing, and they won't ever refer to them in anything other than "fuck those guys" terms.

(which is weird, because they're really just the "Vox of the right"; they're not *good*, but they're certainly not worse than @*()#&@*( Buzzfeed)

[Derpetologist]

KARACHI: Nearly 100 people were killed and several injured tonight when an Islamic State suicide bomber blew himself up inside the crowded shrine of revered Sufi Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan town, some 200 KM northeast of Karachi, in a string of deadly blasts this week in Pakistan.

3rd suicide bombing in Pakistan this week.

Meanwhile:

UCLA bans "Islamophobic" book from free speech event

[The Grinch]

That's a shame, the Sufis are as peacable a bunch as you'll manage to find in Islam. I suppose it was only a matter of time before the death worshippers fixed their sights more firmly on them.

[Derpetologist]

" the Sufis are as peacable a bunch as you'll manage to find in Islam"

Which, sadly, is exactly why the militants hate them. In their view, the Sufis are the ones who are perverting Islam.

And as always, a curious silence from the world's imams and sheikhs.

Why, it's almost as though the militants have the Islamic scripture and tradition on their side.

But only awful, hate-filled Islamophobes notice such things.

[The Grinch]

Interesting, it seems that the dominant sect among the Kurds is Sufism. I wonder if that's why they're so widely reviled or if it's more of an ethnic thing.

[MWG]

"And as always, a curious silence from the world's imams and sheikhs."

Seriously?

https://tinyurl.com/han7tfz

[CZmacure]

That link doesn't seem to contain any Imams or Sheikhs condeming the incident in question...

[MWG]

Yes. It had only been a matter of hours, Also, I was referring to the fact that Derp claimed that Imams never condemn terrorism. If you beliveve that, it's because you're not looking.

[GILMORE?]

suppose it was only a matter of time before the death worshippers fixed their sights more firmly on them.

I think the Pakistani Taliban / Haqqani network types have killed thousands of Shia/Sufis/Baluchis [insert any minority group in Pakistan] over the last 10-12 years

Here= they've averaged about 2200 civilians killed a year since 2007. usually in bursts of 'a dozen here', 'a dozen there'. it just doesn't make US papers all that often.

[one true athena]

my alma mater proving their cowards again. Still. Some more. damn it, Bruintown, get it together.

Note that the event also had Flemming Rose at it, whose book was also being blocked by the morons.

[one true athena]

*they're

[SIV]

Have the comments been broken all day?

[AlmightyJB]

I don't think anymore than usual.

[Charles Easterly]

I don't think anymore than usual.

Aside from myself, JB, you are the first to mention this upon H&R.

[AlmightyJB]

Lol

[Pompey:? Class Mothersmucker]

Trump believes that America is a "drug-infested nation" and that the low prices are a problem, rather than perhaps a reason why violent crime trends had been heading downward.

#MAGA

[commodious rebrands]

Christie: Trump made me order the meatloaf.

"This is what it's like to be with Trump," Christie said. "He says, 'There's the menu, you guys order whatever you want.' And then he says, 'Chris, you and I are going to have the meatloaf.'"

[Ted S.]

Trump should have made him order the diet plate.

[GILMORE?]

that story is actually (tho probably unintended) a perfect microcosm of Trump's entire rhetorical/psychological method - something people really don't understand, but which is actually very simple

what he says is mostly meaningless, and he doesn't mind saying and doing entirely contradictory things in the space of a few seconds.

Its not super-calculated, and its not sophisticated, its just a way of doing things that i think he simply takes for granted as "normal", but which many other people are completely befuddled by.

Its actually how i think lots of people do business in NY. Its a language that mixes congenial bullshit with casual threats, pretend friendliness or pretend anger... but its all really just "throwing stuff out there" to see what sticks and what disarms your interlocutor.

"I'm telling you, the meatloaf is fabulous," Trump said, as Christie told it.

So Christie ordered the meatloaf.

"It's emasculating," host Craig Carton joked in response. "Another man tells you what you eat and you eat it? Not acceptable. I don't care who he is."

I am surprised Christie felt that way, because if anyone understood goombah behavior, you'd think it would be a fat guy in Jersey.

If i were in his shoes, i would have interpreted it as "he wants me to try his favorite thing"; which is actually more like a compliment than a 'command'.

[GILMORE?]

on a slightly different angle of the same sort of thing... i was reminded of this scene from the Sopranos

its a case study in how you maintain the upper hand in an exchange of insults; it mixes generosity and kindness with sharp kicks to the groin; its not about the substance of the conversation, its about the who gets the best shots in and still saves face. Because if you get angry, you lose.

that's sort of what i'm talking about with Trump; he doesn't really communicate in 'content'. He just spews vague noise which is intended to send his listeners off in different directions, and which ever reaction they take is fine, just as long as he can later claim he meant no such thing and maintain a position of relative advantage. because he can choose what he meant later.

[Sevo]

"Bay Area businesses and restaurants that will be closed for the Day Without Immigrants"
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/.....937732.php

Last count was ~50 out of 18,000. They're not too proud of the number; it's in the link rather than the story.

[commodious rebrands]

Tacolicious, S.F. and Palo Alto (Note: all five locations will be open, but as explained in this letter, employees are welcome to strike and 100 percent of profits go to ACLU.)

Pretty clever: capitalize on the fact that many of your competitors are closed, then appeal to hungry yuppies wanting to signal their virtue. Cut a check for a few grand out of the profits?'cuz who's going to know??and claim the tax write-off. Win fucking win.

[Sevo]

"Pretty clever: capitalize on the fact that many of your competitors are closed, then appeal to hungry yuppies wanting to signal their virtue. Cut a check for a few grand out of the profits?'cuz who's going to know??and claim the tax write-off. Win fucking win."

Yep. Get'cher 'virtuous signaling' points paid for by your employees and a write-off besides!

[Hyperion]

My wife saw that on her FB. She showed it to me and we both then wondered who cares. If they own a business, they lose business. If they are working for the business, they lose wages. And then no one cares. I'm not exactly who the genius was that told them this is a good idea to further a cause.

[Sevo]

"...I'm not exactly who the genius was that told them this is a good idea to further a cause."

These are proglodites; "genius" isn't one of the options.

[GILMORE?]

Do they still do re-runs of Kennedy @ midnight? I might try to catch this later.

[The Hyperbole]

Twitter says yes.

[Sevo]

"According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, eight hate groups are active in the Bay Area."
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/.....o-12387342

Well, maybe not "active":
"The Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan and the white nationalist Counter-Currents are active in liberal San Francisco, but keep a low profile. And, as San Francisco Chronicle reporter Kevin Fagan notes, they're not too eager to return calls."
Dangerous folks, right there! Why, not returning phone calls is hateful all on its own!

[DenverJ]

For double points, does anybody remember the word of the day from this morning?

[John]

Tweet of the day maybe the year.

http://twitter.com/menaquinone.....8767843329

[Playa Manhattan.]

You missed the comment of the day.
http://reason.com/blog/2017/02.....nt_6761153

[Pompey:? Class Mothersmucker]

Ha ha

[Chipper Morning Wood]

Glorious.

[Rufus The Monocled]

Only John can drive someone that crazy.

[John]

The truth always hurts more than lies.

[widget]

"Fuck off, John."

Are we really continuing with the lawyer purge at H&R?

[Pompey:? Class Mothersmucker]

John's an amazing lawyer too. Only the finest attorneys opine on nonsense like the super damning John Podesta pedo rumour.

[Playa Manhattan.]

I have no problem with lawyers. I'm married to one.

John has Shackford Derangement Syndrome, at it's at peak retard now.

[John]

Yeah, I am the one with Shackford Derangement Syndrome. Good thing I didn't hit a nerve or anything. If I had hit a nerve Scott might of got defensive or something.

Your right that was the comment of the day. I laughed my ass off over that. Notice never once did he say "the woman had a right to do what she did and the guy who sued her was an asshole". Nope, Scott couldn't bring himself to do that. It was one long "how dare you". Yeah, I commented on his articles about the subject. All of those articles where you equivocated and never could bring himself to unconditionally condemn this shit.

He is just a complete phony. God, that was funny.

[Chipper Morning Wood]

Scott might of got defensive

John, I hope that was an auto-correct glitch.

[John]

Might have gotten defensive. Sorry, I was laughing too hard and was a bit sloppy. I mean he didn't get defensive or anything. Right? Good thing I didn't strike a nerve.

[widget]

"Your right"

You're right.

I never had 'comment of the day'.

/sulks

[Playa Manhattan.]

Documentary:
John on his best behavior.

[MWG]

"Yeah, I am the one with Shackford Derangement Syndrome. Good thing I didn't hit a nerve or anything. If I had hit a nerve Scott might of got defensive or something."

Speaking of hitting a nerve and getting defensive...

[John]

So pointing out that Scott got defensive makes me defensive? Really? What do I have to be defensive about?

[MWG]

Well, so far you've made 3 comments to Playas single SDS comment, which sort of proves his point.

[John]

Shackford went on a three paragraph whine about how mean I am to him. If you don't find that funny, you have no heart. It is worthy of more than three comments. I keep getting this vision of Shackford typing that and I just can't stop laughing. I really can't.

[Pompey:? Class Mothersmucker]

Hilaaaarious

[John]

See Pompey, you don't have a brain, but you apparently have a heart.

[Pompey:? Class Mothersmucker]

Oh, good one.

[John]

And he is a lousy thinker and writer. I can't for the life of me understand why he has so many fan boys. Just because he is gay doesn't obligate you to defend him and pretend to like him. You do know that right?

[Playa Manhattan.]

There it is.

[John]

Yeah, there it is. I don't understand why it pains him so much to just tell the truth.

[Chipper Morning Wood]

John's battle hymn:
Gay cabal, back again,
Fight the homocaust, let's begin,
Stay strong straight male people let me hear some noise,
Orientation is clearly a choice,
Cocktail party, over here,
A gay frog, over there,
You will not take my derriere,
All these Others make me dizzy,
Whoomp there it is

[John]

Yes Chipper. gays are sacred. Almost as sacred as Muslims.

[Pompey:? Class Mothersmucker]

Good times.

[John]

The end result of your behavior is that I end up ignoring comments entirely and rarely interact with other commenters, and that's not fair to them.

I have been so mean to Scott, he doesn't interact with his fan boys. Because of me you have been deprived of Scott's wisdom.

That is the funniest thing I have read in a very long time. Like I said, it is a good thing Scott isn't defensive about it. Thanks for pointing it out. Had you not I would have missed that.

[GILMORE?]

I have been so mean to Scott,

i don't think its that you're mean, its that you're completely wrong

[John]

Scott had his chance to prove me wrong. All he had to do is go on a rant about how wrong the case is. And he didn't do it. That is because he never does. It is not so much that he supports these suits. He is not that honest. It is that he finds the entire thing annoying. He wishes the people involved with them would just go with the program so he didn't have to talk about it and deal with it. That is the tone of everything he has ever written about the subject.

For whatever reason, Scott is pretty much universally admired and loved on this board. I just don't share in that. I don't think he is honest at all. And I don't think he really cares about religious freedom. He sees it as an annoyance to what he views is the really important issue of gay rights. And I have no patience for that.

[GILMORE?]

Scott had his chance to prove me wrong. All he had to do is go on a rant about how wrong the case is. And he didn't do it.

whatever. just because he doesn't strike exactly the pose you desire doesn't make him some silent supporter of the Homolegal-Agenda to undermine America.

Scott is pretty much universally admired and loved on this board. I

He's smart, he's a good writer, and he's more of a genuine, instinctive libertarian than many of the others who write for the mag. and for whatever reason, you completely mis-read him, and impute some ethical wishy-washyness to him that is entirely off the mark

but whatever, i think all of this has been said a million times already.

[John]

whatever. just because he doesn't strike exactly the pose you desire doesn't make him some silent supporter of the Homolegal-Agenda to undermine America.

I never said it did. What I said was Scott cares about gay rights and not much else. This is a good example of his attitude

http://reason.com/blog/2016/11.....ver-trumps

In that entire article he never once says that doing this is wrong. He says that doing it will result in a backlash and hurt gays. The whole point is for him to get his pony. He doesn't really care about anyone else' rights or see how rights exist whether or not protecting them is necessary to protect yours or not. If you think that counts as "libertarian" or even classical liberal instincts, well good for you. But I don't see it that way.

[GILMORE?]

and is the idea that you plan to just keep repeating that same claim over and over again until the end of time?

[John]

Until Shackford or reason publish something that changes my mind, yes. Lightening may strike and Scott may feel as strongly about this as he does my criticism of him. You never know. The fact is, he is more pissed off about my criticism than he is about these people losing their business.

[John]

Here is the other thing that makes Shackford's response so sorry. If he has been so outraged by my criticisms, it would have been very easy to respond to them. All he had to do was say "No John you are wrong. I absolutely support religious freedom and think the people bringing these suits are wrong to do so and the people being sued have an absolute right to do what they are doing". And what would have said? Nothing. He could have settled the issue with one single comment. But he never did that. Even tonight, he still couldn't bring himself to say it. He just went on with a bunch of "how dare you". He never actually said his views.

Why? Because he doesn't support religious freedom. If he did, he would say so and win the argument. We are arguing about his views. And even then, he still won't give them and makes vague "you are misrepresenting me". Really? How. Say how and say what your views are. Scott can't do that, even when poked to the point of giving a rant on the comments.

[GILMORE?]

wow i guess you won, congratulations.

[John]

What am I saying that is wrong Gilmore? You tell me why Scott just didn't contradict me.

[GILMORE?]

You tell me why Scott just didn't contradict me.

you can't reason people out of positions they didn't reason themselves into

[GILMORE?]

also = its boring

[SQWRLZ://cdn.panopticon.gov]

Do you have an objection to the "other site"?

[John]

And in some ways it is more fun to screw with Scott's fans than it is him. He is kind of collateral damage in that. The people on here are so dedicated to him. They love the guy. Their anger and butt hurt is really more satisfying than Scott's.

[The Hyperbole]

How is John wrong? It's not like he claimed Reason and Scott haven't cover this case ...which they did, and he didn't accuse Scott of not defending freedom of association... which he has. John simply doesn't think that Scott and Reason have covered the case and defended freedom in the exact way that he wants them to....and they haven't. Why won't Scott and Reason say exactly what John thinks they should? If Scott and Reason treated me this way I would form a splinter group or something.

[commodious rebrands]

We should thank John for keeping the authors honest, and nothing elicits honesty like equating differences of opinion with intellectual deficiency or professional fraud, and imputing occult motives known only to John.

[John]

So you admit that Scott and I differ in opinion? We do. I value religious freedom and he doesn't. That is my point.

[John]

Yes Hyperbole. I would like Scott and Reason to say this is wrong and the people who sued are despicable. For some reason they find that incredibly difficult to do. But, that fact somehow in now way reflects on their actual feelings about the matter for some reason, because Scott is perfect I guess. He has Libertarian instincts, whatever that means.

[chemjeff]

Exactly right! Unless Scott utters the exact words that John has rumbling around in his head, it proves Scott is insincere and a liar!

[John]

Yes Jeff. Words have meaning.

[Chipper Morning Wood]

John reminds me of someone.....

'I don't know what you mean by "glory",' Alice said.

Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. 'Of course you don't ? till I tell you. I meant "there's a nice knock-down argument for you!"'

'But "glory" doesn't mean "a nice knock-down argument",' Alice objected.

'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean ? neither more nor less.'

'The question is,' said Alice, 'whether you can make words mean so many different things.'

'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master ? that's all.'

[John]

Yes Chipper. Scott is your hero. He is above reproach.

[chemjeff]

I suppose Scott can be fairly faulted for not being a mindreader. You're right.

[John]

Scott can say what he actually thinks. It is his own mind he needs to read and be honest about what is going on.

[widget]

I thought you were a lawyer (of the financial variety) too. None of my business, but that's the impression I got.

[Playa Manhattan.]

Ah... I get it now. You were suggesting I self-deported.

I have lawyers in the building, but I don't have the self-discipline for law school myself.

[John]

Law school is child's play. it is a bad financial investment right now. But if for some reason it might be a good one for you, do it. It doesn't take much self discipline and it isn't that hard.

[widget]

You were suggesting I self-deported.

You are welcome to move up the coast. You can buy my condo in Oxnard as I buy one in Morro Bay.

[VG Zaytsev]

You're pointing to that comment to show that shacklefor is a dishonest bitch, right?

Because despite his hyperventilating he doesn't disprove John's point at all.

And his link sucks, a list of mostly irrelevant articles, with the only relevant one being from more than a year ago where he says the same thing that he denies saying in his response to John.

But yeah, to Cosmo fan bois that don't bother following the link he totally rect John.

[Sidd Finch v2.01]

I'm outraged that this lefty/libertarianish/WaPo stepping stone doesn't represent my right wing/libertarian/anti-establishment POV. Also, commenters... amiright?!

[John]

Damn right Sid. Damn right. That is the only good comment I have read tonight. And you are absolutely right. Reason is what it is. And I am tilting at windmills hoping it will ever be anything different. But, at least I don't pretend it is something other than it is now, like some of the staff's fan boys. I just pretend it will ever change.

[Sidd Finch v2.01]

You're the worst example of this, but damn near everybody bitches about Robby and Shikha as if they're some kind of new development. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills when I see this stuff.

[Pompey:? Class Mothersmucker]

I have no idea what you're on about. I'm here for the dongs.

[John]

WaPo stepping stone is excellent BTW. I am going to steal that.

[GILMORE?]

this lefty/libertarianish/WaPo stepping stone

Welch, Gillespie, Dougherty, Sullum, Bailey, etc. have been here for nearly 20 years.

which is unusually 'sticky' for any publication.

[John]

That just means they can't step off the stone. It doesn't mean it isn't a stepping stone.

[Pompey:? Class Mothersmucker]

Ace reasoning. Pinnacle.

[John]

Something being a stepping stone, still requires the person to stop onto and off of it. If I step on the stone and am unable to step off, it is still a stepping stone. I just can't make the step.

Which part of that reasoning do you not follow?

[Pompey:? Class Mothersmucker]

Yeah, got it. Hyuk.

[GILMORE?]

k sure

[Sidd Finch v2.01]

Weigel, Balko, Weigel again, uhmmm ... Suderman soon

[GILMORE?]

yeah, "2". You're famously scientific.

[Sidd Finch v2.01]

LOL

[GILMORE?]

Watching Kennedy now.

Meghan McCain is sort of the inverse of the whole "i''d put a bag on her head" thing.

Dave Smith is funny and i wish Reason gave him more publicity. I know they did... an interview a while back? need to dig that up. still, he should have like a monthly bit or something. maybe do vids like Remy.

Fish, your standard look is noticeably improved when your gingham shirt matches the jacket & tie. not bad.

its really not a terrible show at all. i think when it started it was just "a shittier independents" to me. Kennedy's actually 'objectively good' at the talk-show host thing, even considering her ritalin-snorting-tempo

[chemjeff]

Okay so I am catching the rebroadcast of Kennedy.

Trump is doing a rally this weekend in Florida? Why? It was my understanding that the campaign is over.

[DOOMco's Ref Chipper]

It's the new thing.

[GILMORE?]

Obama was on the campaign trail all through his first term.

And from what i can tell, he hasn't stopped since.

[chemjeff]

Yeah I guess I had forgotten all of Obama's campaigning.

It's just creepy.

[DOOMco's Ref Chipper]

pretty much.

[widget]

Trump did a thank-you tour in the US midwest just after being elected. At the same time in President Obama's tenure of duty he made an apology tour in Europe. That's a head-scratcher.

[Praveen R.]

Trump's conference is definitely performance art.
Trump " I was elected with the biggest electoral college majority since Reagan"
Reporter: "Sir, you got 304. Obama got 370+"
Trump "I meant largest for a republican"
Reporter :Bush HW got 420+"
Trump " "
Reporter "Why should we believe your fake claims when you accuse others of fake news"
Trump "i dont know, they just gave me this and I just read it out to you"

[chemjeff]

"Grandpa with his dentures out in a roomful of longshoremen in a sauna" - sounds like weekends at John's place

[The Fusionist]

First Calhoun Hall at Yale changes its name, now they're talking about changing the name of Tillman Hall at Clemson...

What's with naming college buildings after racist Democrats?