Trump Pulls Off 'Presidential,' FDA Approves Famine-Proof Potatoes, Cuomo Proposes Raising New York Marriage Age: A.M. Links

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  CHINE NOUVELLE/SIPA/Newscom

  Donald Trump's Tuesday evening address to the joint session of Congress is being described as "presidential," but it was also full of delusions and bad ideas (so, OK, presidential, I guess). Read the full transcript here; and Reason staff reactions here, here, here, and here.

• Trump has been giving mixed signals on immigration this week.
• New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo introduced legislation to raise the age of consent for marriage from 14 to 18 years old.
• The FDA has approved potatoes modified to withstand the Great Potato Famine.
• A billboard stating "Real men provide, real women appreciate it" is causing predictable controversy in North Carolina.
• The New Republic defends "celebrity feminism."

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Donald Trump's Tuesday evening address to the joint session of Congress is being described as "presidential," ...

The most presidential ever. Everyone is saying it.

[Rufus The Monocled]

Hello.

[Raven Nation]

BBC reporting on rumors that Inter Milan want to buy out Conte's contract at the end of the season.

[Rufus The Monocled]

That's interesting.

[Rhywun]

I like it. They need all the help they can get.

[gaoxiaen]

Who are BBC, Inter Milan, and Conte?

[Rhywun]

European stuff. Don't concern yourself with it.

[Rufus The Monocled]

Constellations?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Trump has been giving mixed signals on immigration this week.

When in doubt, default to his tweets.

[Fist of Etiquette]

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo introduced legislation to raise the age of consent for marriage from 14- to 18-years-old.

He has teenage daughters?

[prolefeed]

Hunh. I did not know the executive branch could write and introduce legislation.

I'm guessing a more accurate formulation would be "convinced legislators to introduce legislation to raise ..."

[Mickey Rat]

New York minimum wage law changed a couple of years ago because Cuomo found an alternative legislature. They do not call New York the "Empire State" for nothing, you know.

[Mickey Rat]

Apparently making it illegal for a teenager to get married gives the teenagers rights and protections. Statist logic is interesting, is it not?

[Bubba Jones]

The argument is that some vague group that correlates with recently immigrated muslims might be forcing young daughters into arranged marriages.

If that were true, then yes, I think this gives protection to teenagers.

I have no idea if it's true.

[Rhywun]

Just what we need, more out-of-wedlock children.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The FDA has approved potatoes modified to withstand the Great Potato Famine.

And time travel.

[Mickey Rat]

So the reporter does not know the difference between cause and effect. Or tthey have created a potato that is inedible to a hungry Irishman., but not affected by blight.

[Bacon-Magic glib reasonoid]

You will be legal to distort the time continuum for your nefarious purpose of being first? Congratulations, sir.

[Crusty Juggler - #2]

Beard Envy

Late last year, at a bar, I looked around and noticed I was the only man there, including the bartender, without a lush growth on his face. I decided to commit. No shaving for a month.

"Never take us seriously," says The New York Times.

[Citizen X - #6]

I can't fault the author, though. [nods sagely, runs fingers through lush chin-growth]

[MikeT1986]

If you've never had a woman come up to pet your beard out of curiosity, grow more beard.

[Citizen X - #6]

Exactly.

[Rhywun]

Pet her back and see what happens.

[MikeT1986]

got married.

[Citizen X - #6]

Yep.

[Enough About Palin]

pet your beard

So MikeT1986 is gay?

[$park? don't care bout yo mom]

The world definitely does need more beardos.

[SimonD]

that reminds me. I need to go shave. I can't stand one of those scratchy soup-strainers on my face. Yuck.

[Rhywun]

I'm not clicking that but how much do you wanna bet it's Williamsburg or Park Slope.

[Not a True MJG]

Twist: there were only 3 men in the bar.

And way to nut up and withstand peer pressure, ya dork. /had-a-beard-before-it-was-cool

[gaoxiaen]

Had a beard before it was white.

[Rhywun]

Never had a beard because beards are disgusting.

[Raston Bot]

with leftists discovering prepping, i'm predicting a run on beard oil.

[Fist of Etiquette]

A billboard stating "Real men provide, real women appreciate it" is causing predictable controversy in North Carolina.

It being an oil change.

[Rich]

If you know what Fist means by "oil change", and I think you do.

[Citizen X - #6]

+1 dipstick in the ol' oil level pipe

[Memory Hole]

Lubrication *runs off with a red face

[gaoxiaen]

+ more lipstick on my dipstick

[Mickey Rat]

"Youuuuuu neeeed cooling
Baby I'm not fooling"

[Marty Feldman's Eyes]

A billboard stating "Real men provide, real women appreciate it"

Anyone up to kickstart a billboard right next to it?

"Real men mind their own business and don't tell others how to live their lives."

[Marty Feldman's Eyes]

"And real women appreciate it"

[Crusty Juggler - #2]

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo introduced legislation to raise the age of consent for marriage from 14- to 18-years-old.

I need a reason to break up with my girlfriend, so I hope this passes.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The New Republic defends "celebrity feminism."

Because celebrity presidential-election-overturning is what-was.

[Crusty Juggler - #2]

Was there a sale on light blue ties outside of the Capitol?

[Rich]

It's the GOP's little way of sticking it to the Donks.

[Rich]

"with this new legislation, we will put an end to child marriage, give our young people a voice and provide the rights and protections to minors that they deserve," Cuomo said.

"Fourteen-year-olds will now just shack up, the way God intended."

[Citizen X - #6]

The FDA has approved potatoes modified to withstand the Great Potato Famine.

The FDA must be stepping up its game, because that only took 170 years.

[Not a True MJG]

I heard the approval process was out of control, but this is ridiculous!

[$park? don't care bout yo mom]

In today's "That's Weird" news.

For those just getting to know RGGI, there's good news and bad news. The good news is that it's working. A sane, bipartisan process yielded a smart policy framework with enduring and broadly shared social and economic benefits.

The bad news is that RGGI isn't succeeding in the one way that counts most: reducing carbon. It has benefited from emission reductions in the Northeast, but it hasn't really caused any, or at least not many. Whether it can serve as an instrument of meaningful decarbonization ? and retain its integrity and popularity ? largely remains to be seen.

[Not a True MJG]

"It's working" because it is nice, uplifting politics, not because it is accomplishing its stated goal?

I submit this as Peak Vox.

[B.P.]

Feelings trump results, exhibit #3,245,001

[Not a True MJG]

It's more that they care about politics for its own sake, not as a means to achieving some other ends for the public good. I'd call it political hedonism, but I think that's a term for something slightly different.

[gaoxiaen]

Han Solo hopes so.

[Rich]

The FDA has approved potatoes modified to withstand the Great Potato Famine.

Unfortunately, the modified potatoes are extremely susceptible to the common cold.

[Rich]

Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world and will overtake Christianity as the most popular before the end of this century

Maybe *then* Muslims will stop blowing shit up?

[Citizen X - #6]

Commentariat yokeldom hardest hit.

[Rich]

Tarvuists hardest hit.

[Juice]

That's just because people in the West are abandoning religion (thank god) and most of the one's doing that were putatively Christian.

[Free Society]

It's a double edged sword. In a way it's good because reason is better than superstition but atheists aren't automatically rationalists, they expand on their secular superstitions like the god-state. In fact if you look at the proportion of atheists that are avowed leftists, it's a bit disconcerting. A society shedding it's traditional religion creates a moral vacuum that requires some kind of secular moral philosophy to fill the gap. The problem is that most people don't have a philosophical thought in their head and so become moral relativists and hedonists which is not a great thing for promoting a free society.

[Fatty Bolger]

Religion loves a vacuum. Something will fill it, either a different religion or something very similar.

[BigT]

AGW

[Uilleam]

I don't get the hostility towards Christianity in general. "Thou shalt not kill or steal" lines up pretty well with the libertarian philosophy.

[Konima]

Yeah, just ignore the hundreds of other things that don't line up well for a rational human.

[Uilleam]

Because the vast majority of humans are so very rational. What was your point?

[Jerryskids]

How many of the 4 billion Chinese will be Muslim? You'd think with an economy 500 times* the size of the USA, all those prosperous Chinese would tend more towards irreligion as the materially wealthy usually do.

*I think I'm doing the math right - China's economy is growing 5 times as fast as ours and will double ten times over by the end of the century while ours only doubles once. Just like Japan's economy is now 5 times ours since they overtook us sometime in the early '90's.

[Karen24]

The track record of predictions about what human culture will look like in 83 years is not particularly good.

[Rhywun]

I suppose that's possible if they steadfastly refuse to modernize.

[Not a True MJG]

Well, not popular, but with the most members.

[gaoxiaen]

I'll just stick with Prastafarianism. Smoke dope and pig out on spaghetti.

[Crusty Juggler - #2]

Game of Thrones Actor and Britain's Tallest Man Neil Fingleton Dies at 36

2017 is the worst. 🙁

[Citizen X - #6]

-1 Last King of the Giants

[$park? don't care bout yo mom]

Game over, man! Game over!

[Memory Hole]

Maybe next time give him a weapon.

[Not a True MJG]

Huh, I figured the same guy played Wun Wun.

RIP to one tall motherfucker. Awful to die that young.

[Raston Bot]

killed by a one-armed blacksmith

[Mickey Rat]

Show Mag was killed by Grenn.

[Crusty Juggler - #2]

Jezebel asks: What Is "Birth Rape"?

It refers not to forced sexual contact, but to violations experienced during childbearing

Yeahhhhhhhh

[Rufus The Monocled]

Next up. How the Immaculate Conception was rape.

[Get To Da Chippah]

Unexpectedly clicking on a Jezebel link is brain rape.

[Stormy Dragon]

What about surgery rape? This guy drugs me until I've blacked out and then just starts sticking his hands and all kinds of metal objects into my viscera without even bothering to obtain my enthusiastic affirmative consent before each one!

[american socialist]

Is it just me or does this site suck commenting wise? It is about 50 50 shot if the comment even takes

[Rufus The Monocled]

MASS EXODUS 2017.

[american socialist]

Haha no i mean like the actual system...seriously when i post a comment most of the time i get a blank in like chrome and sometimes in mobile that it never goes

[Rufus The Monocled]

AND WE'RE DOING OUR BEST WITH THE RESOURCES WE HAVE LEFT.

[Memory Hole]

I like to think that an asteroid hit comment threads caused a mass extinction of the old guard and we're the rats who now rule the world. Sure we're not as ferocious or flashy but we're still around.

[Memory Hole]

Fist must be the dinosaur that will evolve into the birds and Sevo is like a turtle or something.

[Fist of Etiquette]

More like the snake that was here 6,000 years ago when the world was created and is still around, in all my slithery seductiveness.

[Konima]

I am more ferocious than any.

[Not a True MJG]

People don't feed trolls like they used to. 🙁

[Jerryskids]

We just need the courage to share the dreams that fill our hearts. The bravery to express the hopes that stir our souls. And the confidence to turn those hopes and dreams to action.

"Hope and Change" .

[Crusty Juggler - #2]

Hundreds allege sex harassment, discrimination at Kay and Jared jewelry company

Declarations from roughly 250 women and men who worked at Sterling, filed as part of a private class-action arbitration case, allege that female employees at the company throughout the late 1990s and 2000s were routinely groped, demeaned and urged to sexually cater to their bosses to stay employed. Sterling disputes the allegations.

[Crusty Juggler - #2]

Many of the most striking allegations stem from the company's annual managers meetings, which former employees described as a boozy, no-spouses-allowed "sex-fest" where attendance was mandatory and women were aggressively pursued, grabbed and harassed.

Routine sexual "preying" at company events "was done out in the open and appeared to be encouraged, or at least condoned, by the company," Melissa Corey, a manager of Sterling stores in Massachusetts and Florida between 2002 and 2008, said in her declaration.

llen Contaldi, a Sterling manager in Massachusetts between 1994 and 2008, said in her declaration that male executives "prowled around the (resort) like dogs that were let out of their cage and there was no one to protect the female managers from them."

"I didn't like being alone, anywhere. I used to dread going" to the meetings, Contaldi told The Post in an interview. "If you were even remotely attractive or outgoing, which most salespeople are, you were meat, being shopped."

"It was like nobody knew right from wrong, and there was nobody trying to show anybody right from wrong," Contaldi added. "There was no discipline. There was no consequence. You were on your own.

[Rich]

a boozy, no-spouses-allowed "sex-fest" where attendance was mandatory

Sounds like bullshit to me.

[OldMexican Blankety Blank]

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.

[Get To Da Chippah]

grab its motherfucking jewelry

[gaoxiaen]

My CV is on the way.

[Red Rocks Baiting n Inciting]

"Every Office Blow-Job Begins With Kay" just doesn't have the same snap to it.

[Jerryskids]

The FDA has approved potatoes modified to withstand the Great Potato Famine.

They come with a steerage ticket for steamship passage to America.

[Pi Guy]

Great Loki, Reason - was there nothing good in last night's speech? I'm pretty close to being a #NeverTrumper and I'd say that that there was a moving speech. School vouchers? Check. Expanding educational and business opportunities for women and minorities? Check.

I concede that his immigration policies are terrible and he clearly doesn't have a grasp of Econ 101 in his trade policies. And Jeff Sessions is possibly the most un-libertarian appointment for AG ever (re: drug war: the Attorney General can only enforce the laws that exist. Congress needs to get off its ass and change the laws. That goes for immigration, too.) And I know that those manufacturing jobs aren't coming back. But, wholly jeebus, he sure sounded like he cared about everything he said. And it pretty closely aligns with what he said on the campaign trail.

More than anything, I know that the Rs are terrible by almost every measure but, please just acknowledge that the Dems looked petty and childish last night and that the party of old harpies has passed.

[american socialist]

Yea pretty much agree with this.

[Raven Nation]

You have to stick with the narrative, man.

[Rich]

the party of old harpies has passed

the torch onto the party of *young* harpies.

[Citizen X - #6]

+both of Lena Dunham's chins

[Fist of Etiquette]

Libertarians aren't known to give pats on the back when there's a marijuana crackdown afoot.

[Citizen X - #6]

Trump isn't too keen on the Mexican part of the trifecta, either.

[Memory Hole]

What's his position on buttsex? Can you imagine someone asking that exact question to Spicer?

[Kauzig Kristen]

Doggy style

[Memory Hole]

Awesome, I didn't even realize.

[gaoxiaen]

With Melania? Count me in.

[Memory Hole]

To me it seemed like Trump came off as a libertarian nightmare in that speech because he pushes that theme that govt is here to solve all our problems and then he's horrible on civil liberties and crime and punishment.

[american socialist]

Aren't you a prog? seems kind of ironic if so

[Memory Hole]

I'm sure. I'm more like a chick who makes out with her girlfriends when she's drunk but also really likes getting fucked. *The "girlfriends" representing my flirtation with democrat ideas and libertarian ideas being the other.

[american socialist]

Are you a chick then?

[Hail Rataxes]

Yeah but she's disabled and can't feel anything "down there."

[Pi Guy]

There was some of that, too, to be sure. I cringed when he talked about mandatory leave for workers and that VOICE shit. I'm merely noting that it wasn't all terrible.

More than anything, my hope is that Trump will force We the Little People to start taking more seriously who we elect to Congress. They're the ones who looked fake, D and R.

[Cyto]

He sounded for all the world like a new deal Democrat to me. Lots of big spending, lots of opportunities for crony capitalism and pork projects.

I still cannot get over Democrats sticking to their party discipline on their talking points so harshly when Trump said that he was the representative of the people of the United States not the representative of the people of the world. The Democrats took this is a partisan moment. How the hell do you sit in opposition to the president of the United States being the representative of the people of the United States? That makes not one lick of sense.

[Pi Guy]

The infrastructure stuff is bad, too. "Shovel-ready"jobs, and all that.

Remember - Congress holds the purse strings. Elect better Congress critters.

[Rhywun]

The left is happy to do without that infrastructure money when it contradicts something Trump said.

[Not a True MJG]

But, wholly jeebus, he sure sounded like he cared about everything he said.

I don't get it. This is like the third or fourth time I've seen someone drop in here to push this.

A weird tack to take.

[paranoid android]

Sure, he's going to pour billions into military waste, amp up the war on drugs and the war on crime, and do nothing about long-term entitlement problems, but he JUST CARES SO MUCH, DAMMIT.

[Pi Guy]

And... Drop in? I've been commenting on H y R for close to 15 years. I'm just not usually on vacation so that I can comment in the AM or PM Links very often.

It wasn't perfect. It's not libertarian. But let's work with what we have, address the shortcomings, and make the world more our Platonic Libertarian image. We do that by talking frankly and getting newer, better ideas for ourselves. Spread the word of liberty and the NAP.

If anything, THIS might be the Libertarian moment. We all finally hate our government. So throw the bums out (dare I say, drain the swamp?) and get things going the right way. Elect better.

[Free Society]

The left doesn't hate their government. They hate that the Top. Men. The left can't be trusted with anything. As soon as they're back in a position of strength they'll stab you in the back and resume the task of assaulting everything you value.

[Not a True MJG]

Should I have gone with "pop in"? Or maybe the more neutral "speak up."

But let's work with what we have, address the shortcomings, and make the world more our Platonic Libertarian image. We do that by talking frankly and getting newer, better ideas for ourselves. Spread the word of liberty and the NAP.

1. I'm not sure how Reason insufficiently giving "credit where credit's due" betrays this mission. They're not shy about saying that DeVos might do good things at the Dept of Ed. How does applauding empty rhetoric move us closer to this goal?

2. Do we also do it by taking the President's words in one of the most high profile political speeches as genuine and earnest and caring? That's what I find strange. Obama and Bush could sure sound like they "cared," too.

3. What is accomplished by mocking the party that is out of power? They need to be nicer to Trump, who's doing his best, but oh my god what about those stupid Dems?? "More than anything" makes it sound like you think this is the most critical shortcoming here.

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

I don't think he actually means that Trump 'seemed like he actually cared' -- I think it's more of a it wasn't rife with your normal, mock-able, pants-shitting Trump moments. Again I didn't watch it, but I know that was the case because I read the news, and that shit would be front page, instead the speech is on page 4. Page 4, for Trump! It must have been borderline passionate

[Pi Guy]

I think I was first. And, again, not a Trump fan. But give some credit where credit is due.

[Ceci n'est pas un woodchipper]

It's because Reason is part of that group of libertarians et al who basically subscribe to the poop sundae framework when it comes to Trump. In other words, if there's a spec of poo somewhere in an ice cream sundae the whole thing is ruined. Jeffrey Tucker is one of those, too.

If I were a more energetic or perhaps more vindictive man I'd go back and see what Reason was saying following Obama's first election, because so far Trump hasn't done anything nearly as injurious to liberty as he did, but I'm definitely seeing a sharp uptick in hyperventilation, pearl-clutching, and hand-wringing. Which is annoying as shit, because you'd think that as nominal libertarians they'd be practiced in being able to find the silver lining to national politics where it exists.

I don't know. To me it seems like Trump has made a lot of unpleasant noises, brought in a shitty AG (but not a shittier one than his predecessor), and done some things that a libertarian might see in a positive light. Maybe he's throwing the yokels a bone by saying one thing and then doing another. Maybe advisors are changing his mind.

[Free Society]

Jeffrey Tucker is one of those, too.

Jeffrey Tucker lost his mind. Opposing Trump isn't anything special, but he transformed into some kind of free market version of a screeching leftist making Hitler analogies and race baiting at every turn.

[Ceci n'est pas un woodchipper]

That makes me genuinely sad. I've been a big fan of his for awhile, but he's just gone completely apeshit of late. For somebody who has been such a vocal advocate of circumventing politics and promoting libertarianism as a mode of living he's just like hanging on every word that comes out of that White House these days and then freaking right the fuck out about it.

[Free Society]

I've been a big fan of just about everyone at the Mises Institute for a while, Jeffrey Tucker is no exception. I still don't dislike the guy or anything, I just keep cringing every time I catch video of him freaking out. It's like a watching an episode of some show you like that relies on awkward humor, every now and then it's just too much to bear and you have to look away because you're so utterly embarrassed for him.

[Fatty Bolger]

I went back and looked at the post-Obama site from the same time when they were losing their shit over Trump. A spattering of articles on the billion dollar "stimulus" boondoggle, some light criticism, but mostly just the usual Reason fare (or as some might put it, "pot, ass sex, and food trucks.").

[chemjeff]

But, wholly jeebus, he sure sounded like he cared about everything he said.

So did Obama in his speeches.

[Jerryskids]

I did not watch the speech, but I'm assuming from everybody saying how "Presidential" he sounded that Trump was reading what somebody else wrote. Who knows if he meant anything he said? Or if he even knows what he said, we all know he doesn't feel bound by anything he said and he can change his statements two seconds after he makes them.

[Fatty Bolger]

You mean exactly like every other president?

[Fatty Bolger]

You mean exactly like every other president?

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

Trump was reading what somebody else wrote.

It's amazing how even standard operating procedure can be thrown in this guys face.

[Conchfritters]

A chicken in every pot.

[Bubba Jones]

Hmmm, perhaps he's the heir to Bill Clinton that the voters really wanted?

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

Dude I didn't watch the speech but you can tell from the conspicuous lack of Trump articles on the net -- sure they are there but it's not front page shit on Yahoo or anything -- that must mean the speech wasn't bad. Thus it is ignored or pecked at the disagreeable portions.

Again, I didn't watch it, but you can just tell from media response. If it had been classic Trump, it would have been rammed down our throats all day.

[Kauzig Kristen]

Obama book deal - nobody needs that much money (except certain anointed elites, I guess)

[OldMexican Blankety Blank]

The FDA has approved potatoes modified to withstand the Great Potato Famine.

Good! I was growing tired of all those Irish immigrants, anyway! Maybe they can all go back whence they came!

[american socialist]

Were they illegal? You do understand trump isnt really against legal immigration right.

[Eternal Blue Sky]

Myes. Good catch there. That joke about the Irish was clearly a secretly coded anti-Trump message.

But of course, AmSoc, you must understand that it doesn't matter if the Irish are legal or not, even if we can assume it is about Trump. After all, Trump wants to restrict immigration from countries with high numbers of terrorists. :{P

[Enough About Palin]

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo introduced legislation to raise the age of consent for marriage from 14 to 18 years old.

Who in their right mind would want to marry a 14-year-old?

[Crusty Juggler - #2]

Jerry Lee Lewis?

[Crusty Juggler - #2]

Doug Hutchison?

[Memory Hole]

No one in their right mind.

[Cyto]

The 15 year old baby daddy?

[Rhywun]

With a shotgun pointed at him?

[chipper me timbers]

Joseph Smith?

[lap83]

New Yorkers, apparently?

[Pi Guy]

Neither R Kelly nor Gary Glitter.

[Bacon-Magic glib reasonoid]

Old Man with Candy?

[Raston Bot]

my paternal granddad

[gaoxiaen]

A sixteen-year-old with a driver's license?

[Mindyourbusiness]

Will Durant?

[Free Society]

The FDA has approved potatoes modified to withstand the Great Potato Famine.

And just in time to save the Irish.

[Pi Guy]

Talk about slow walking approval...

[chipper me timbers]

That article about the billboard with the "real men provide, real women appreciate it" message on it is a perfect example of how speech controversy *should* be handled in a free society.

No one is there to tear down the billboard or firebomb the billboard company. They are assembling to project a counter-message to the one they don't like, which is not only perfectly fine but commendable. And the billboard company has calmly and firmly refused to divulge the buyer's identity honoring his request to stay anonymous behind the message.

If it were a political message, staying anonymous would be *illegal*. which is of course, the exact opposite of what should be.

[Raston Bot]

i'm assuming not many single stay-at-home moms in that protest movement.

[Eternal Blue Sky]

"single stay-at-home moms"

How does that work??

[Rhywun]

Usually, with a lot government assistance.

[B.P.]

They sort of buried the lede though. A bunch of people marched out to the highway to.... yell at a sign.

[Libertarian]

Blue ties following me
Nothing but blue ties do I see . . .