U.S. Women on Strike, Lady Liberty Goes Dark, American Alzheimer's Deaths Have Doubled: A.M. Links

Lady Liberty got the memo. On 3/8, we strike! #DayWithoutAWoman #StatueOfLiberty (Anyone know who this amazing artist is? Pls let us know!) pic.twitter.com/AGaHvk3gOj

— Women's March (@womensmarch) March 8, 2017

• Women across the U.S. are on strike today as part of a protest dubbed "A Day Without a Woman," in conjunction with this year's International Women's Day.
• Repair work on the Statue of Liberty caused it to go dark for about two hours Tuesday night.
• The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit becomes the first U.S. appeals court to apply federal Title IX law to medical residency programs.
• A U.S. citizen is suing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and private prison company GEO Group, claiming he was illegally detained for three days in 2015.
• New research finds that Alzheimer's disease now kills twice as many Americans as it did 15 years ago.
• Switzerland tops a new U.S. News ranking of the world's "best countries," followed by Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan.
• Portland residents will vote on whether the city can tax short-term rentals of the sort advertised on Airbnb.
• Satellite TV is providing an opportunity for Iranian feminism to flourish.
• Americans are having less sex.

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Women across the U.S. are on strike today as part of a protest dubbed "A Day Without a Woman," in conjunction with this year's International Women's Day.

For a day without women, I'm sure still getting nagged a lot about it.

[Rufus The Monocled]

Hello.

"Women across the U.S. are on strike today as part of a protest dubbed "A Day Without a Woman,"

Or as it's known to us males, 'No Nagging Day'.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I'm beginning to suspect you don't read my comments.

[DanO.]

You have comments?

[dan'o en barrel]

Just throwing this here (for the few who know who I am) to declare that I have no connection with ^that guy.

[Konima]

""Women across the U.S. are on strike today as part of a protest dubbed "A Day Without a Woman,""

Some of us, being less effeminate in nature, might refer to this as the day where we get naggged less.

[american socialist]

Lol

[Number 2]

That's funny. I have yet to encounter a single woman Who is not at work. Nor are they wearing red.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Repair work on the Statue of Liberty caused it to go dark for about two hours Tuesday night.

TAKE THAT, MR. PRESIDENT.

[DanO.]

Trump's Problematic Penis-Pointer

As you might have already seen, Donald Trump was recently photographed as a gust of wind caught his necktie and revealed a dirty secret. The president-elect, who is a man of substantial means, holds his necktie together with Scotch tape ? a discombobulating mishmash of Armani aesthetics and hobo fashion sense.

What the hell is going on here? Trump likes to wear his ties long so that they extend well past his belt buckle and form a crimson arrow that points at his crotch. There's a trade-off for transforming your necktie into a gaudy billboard for your penis: you can't do what normal people do and just tuck the narrow end into the conveniently placed loop on the back the broad end.

https://tinyurl.com/jqc45fm

[BigT]

Trump likes to wear his ties long so that they extend well past his belt buckle and form a crimson arrow that points at his crotch cover for the lack of bulge.

[Crusty Juggler - #2]

You'd think he would just wear some padded, enhancing undergarments like a normal man.

[DanO.]

Frankly, I'm surprised he doesn't go with an Armani codpiece.

[Cynical Asshole]

So I guess things like this shit and ruminating over the meaning of well done steak are the kind of hard hitting journalism we can look forward to for the next 4 years.

Yay.

[Sevo]

TDS is not 'fake news'; it's what we get 24-7, including crap like the penis-envy 'writer' above.

[Zeb]

Not fake, just stupid and pointless.

[DanO.]

Servo hardest hit.

[Zeb]

Cut it out.

[Sevo]

DanO.|3.8.17 @ 10:16AM|#
"Servo hardest hit"

Sevo bored by DanO's inanity.

[Mock-star]

What about Gypsy, Crow, or Joel?

[Konima]

Does anyone really envy Donald Trump's small penis?

[dan'o en barrel]

Considering the places it goes --maybe a little. First lady IS pretty hawt after all.

[DanO.]

No, not that I don't have TDS.

[Drave Robber]

Two thirds of overseas readers just thought: "wish we had your problems".

[Red Rocks Baiting n Inciting]

Probably not a coincidence that so many liberals are obsessed with Trump's dick.

[DanO.]

No more than he is himself.

[Red Rocks Baiting n Inciting]

"I know you are but what am I" loses its effectiveness after about the first grade, so it's not surprising that you're unaware of this.

[DanO.]

Trump is not obsessed with his own penis? Then why the Penis Pointer?

[Gadfly]

Someone else (Gilmore?) already posted an article on this topic from a legit fashion site that determined his ridiculous tie length is due to being overweight. A longer tie visually diminishes the belly, and pictures of Trump from when he was thin show him sporting a normal-length tie.
(And yes, I know this whole topic is stupid, but I was curious about the tie length, as it stands out.)

[Fist of Etiquette]

A U.S. American citizen is suing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and private prison company GEO Group, claiming he was illegally detained for three days

You want only American cheese in your omelette, you're going to have to detain a few eggs.

[pan fried wylie]

NO SUBSTITUTIONS

[Rich]

Repair work on the Statue of Liberty caused it to go dark for about two hours Tuesday night.

Thank God it wasn't terrorism!

[Rich]

Cool! No links!

[Fist of Etiquette]

ENB just realized she should have been on strike.

[Rich]

They're BAAAAACK!

[Fist of Etiquette]

New research finds that Alzheimer's disease now kills twice as many Americans as it did 15 years ago.

I blame whatever it is that's currently fashionable to want to ban. Quinoa? Is that a thing we want to ban yet?

[spqr2008]

Did the researchers forget the causality?

[BigT]

I got your solution right here...

Caffeine boosts enzyme that could protect against dementia
New analysis reveals 24 compounds that can help reduce impact of harmful proteins in the brain

A study by Indiana University researchers has identified 24 compounds -- including caffeine -- with the potential to boost an enzyme in the brain shown to protect against dementia.

[double ham fisted]

You joke about Quinoa but there is a backlash there. Apparently the rise in popularity in America has priced the traditional consumers out of the market. My coworker's daughter won't eat it anymore because: think of the kids in the Andes or something.

[ColoradoKook]

I only care if a crop kills hop cultivation. Down with biodiesel!

[Gadfly]

I blame whatever medicine saved the people who otherwise would have died before developing Alzheimer's. Stupid medical advances, always giving us different (better?) problems than we had before.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Switzerland tops a new international poll of the world's "best countries," followed by Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan.

The Swiss are apparently neutral on having a link in their link.

[Idle Hands]

TIWTANLW

[Idle Hands]

Nevermind the problem has been solved.

[Rich]

He told officers he stabbed his mother, and ... claimed he was a werewolf, and his mother was a vampire

"The defendant admitted to police that he's been using a lot of meth recently, which is the reason for the voices in his head."

Thank God it wasn't "bath salts"!

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

The defendant admitted to police that he's been using a lot of meth recently

Sure, blame legitimate mental illness on meth. This is why people are against meth!

[John]

How much longer will America continue to oppress those who identify as werewolves? I for one stand with the Lupine American community.

[This Machine Chips Fascists]

Lindsey Graham morphs into a sexy beast every time he sees a full moon.

[Mickey Rat]

Horrible combination of mind altering substances, meth and "Twilight". Thatt will really mess you up.

[Rufus The Monocled]

"Switzerland tops a new international poll of the world's "best countries," followed by Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan."

I wouldn't live in ANY of those countries. Yuk. I mean, come on...do they even have American Standard?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Portland residents will vote on whether the city can tax short-term rentals of the sort advertised on Airbnb.

I don't know Portland. Is the sharing economy more hip than regulatory capture?

[prolefeed]

I know Portland. Tossing more cash at the state is likely to win.

[DanO.]

This place needs some glib, stat!

[Sevo]

Wherever you came from, they called and want their idiot back.

[Mongo]

Sevo - it's that attention whore AM/dajjal. It was using the same words in other (multiple) postings: "tu quoque for the WIN" , etc.

Ignore it until it gets banned and then comes back with another handle.

[DanO.]

Mongo only retard in game of life.

[Aloysious]

NY mag interview with Camille Paglia

Still, the pussy hats: She buried her face in her hands as she discussed them. "I was horrified, horrified by the pink pussy hats," she said; the pink pussy hats were "a major embarrassment to contemporary feminism."

"I want dignity and authority for women," she said. "My code is Amazonism. I want weapons."

[Aloysious]

She doesn't seem especially troubled by the rise of a certain kind of outlandish vitriol on the right. When I asked her about Yiannopoulos, she wrote back: "Too many gay men have lost the scathingly cruel wit for which they were famous in the pre-Stonewall era. None of his satirical jibes seem any worse than the campy insults that the great female impersonator Charles Pierce had Bette Davis fling at Joan Crawford. However, true reformers need to build as well as attack.

[Red Rocks Baiting n Inciting]

the great female impersonator Charles Pierce

Probably not a coincidence that modern journalist Charles Pierce is also a great female impersonator, albeit unintentionally.

[Rich]

"Oh, very well. *Vagina dentata* hats."

[Aloysious]

No. Nope. Negative. Nyet. Disaffirmative.

[68W58]

Someone here has actually read "Sexual Personae".

[CatoTheChipper]

Au contraire: pink pussy hats are not a major embarrassment to contemporary feminism; they are the symbol of contemporary feminism.

Paglia is embarrassed. But she's not a contemporary feminist; she's an old-school feminist.

[Zeb]

Well, it would be if they were just a bit more self-aware.

[Rhywun]

Reading that I got the sense that an outfit like NYMag doesn't know what to do with someone whose thoughts can't all be pigeonholed in one box.

[John]

I want dignity and authority for women," she said. "My code is Amazonism. I want weapons."

How can anyone not love Paglia? She is the last interesting public intellectual in America.

[Rhywun]

Pretty much.

I'd like to find out why she's soured on Madonna - I mean, I approve - but she was so gung-ho on that freak for so long. Maybe she finally noticed that Madonna has looked like an alien for the last dozen years and that her kids will need to be deprogrammed some day from all the nonsense she's been feeding them.

[Red Rocks Baiting n Inciting]

Paglia has always been something of a professional contrarian against conventionalism--I suspect she liked Madonna just fine for all those years because she was scandalizing middle America and the Catholic church back in the late 80s-early 90s. Now that Madonna is a parrot for the cultural status quo, Paglia's not as enamored of her antics anymore.

Plus, both women are old as fuck now and Paglia probably is thinking, "damn, woman, try to act your age."

[Rhywun]

Now that Madonna is a parrot for the cultural status quo, Paglia's not as enamored of her antics anymore.

Good point. I just thought it was because she barely looks female any more.

[DanO.]

She is the last interesting public intellectual in America.

The last one? Wow. It must be true, because you, the least interesting person in America, said it.

[John]

Yes, I am so boring, you feel the need to pay attention to me. Whatever gets you through the night there buddy.

[Mongo]

It's AddictionMyth/dajjal.

[DanO.]

She is the last interesting public intellectual in America.

The last one? Wow. It must be true, because you, the least interesting person in America, said it.

[ColoradoKook]

The last interesting squirrel resides on reason.com.

[DanO.]

John is so interesting, he must be addressed twice. Twice.

[Juice]

I want weapons.

[Crusty Juggler - #2]

The Brady lunch: Tom Brady launches meal kit service based on his notoriously finicky diet

The dinners include healthy and organic items like crispy turnip cakes with tabbouleh, white lentil risotto with roasted vegetables, and ramen with gingered greens and broccolini.

Like Brady, customers can enjoy meals that are gluten-free and high in protein.

The meals will also be devoid of dairy, eggs, seafood, meat, or processed foods. There is almost no soy or refined sugar as well.

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

Brady is pretty populah in New England. Maybe some of the brotahds will try this out.

[Crusty Juggler - #2]

The good people of Fall River will love the broccolini.

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

That's Fahl Rivah.

[Libertymike]

Hills, mills, and pork pies.

[Crusty Juggler - #2]

Wicked.

[Cynical Asshole]

The meals will also be devoid ... seafood...

No clam chowdah on the Brady diet?! Pass! /brotahd

[Rhywun]

You would think on Woman-Free Day he could ditch that garbage and enjoy a real meal.

[Not a True MJG]

Like Brady, customers can enjoy meals that are gluten-free and high in protein.

The meals will also be devoid of dairy, eggs, seafood, meat, or processed foods.

...Whut?

So if I eat this high protein vegetarian diet, I'll look like Tom Brady, right?

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

That's what the box says.

[Rich]

Switzerland tops a new international poll of the world's "best countries," followed by Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan.

The *United Kingdom*?! I call bullshit!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Satellite TV is providing an opportunity for Iranian feminism to flourish.

It's Iranian cablemen, hallelujah.

[db]

*nods head, politely applauds*

[Rich]

Americans are having less sex

"with that woman, Miss Lewinsky."

[Aloysious]

I blame pink pussy hats.

[ColoradoKook]

Everyone has to go Greek today.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Americans are having less sex.

Fewer sex.

[Fist of Etiquette]

But at least we have more sexes not having it.

[BigT]

More sexes, less sex, much less sexy.

[Rich]

But more gender.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Genderer.

[But Enough About Me]

Genderest.

[BigT]

Species adapt to different temperatures. Who knew?

Species appears to evolve quickly enough to endure city temperatures
Study shows acorn ants rapidly adjust, suggesting the insects may be able to cope with other sources of warming, including climate change.

The speed at which a tiny ant evolves to cope to its warming city environment suggests that some species may evolve quickly enough to survive, or even thrive, in the warmer temperatures found within cities, according to a new study by researchers at Case Western Reserve University.

Evolution is often thought of as a process that takes millennia, but urban acorn ants collected in Cleveland have taken no more than 100 years to adjust to their heat-trapping home of asphalt and concrete steeped with waste heat from cars and buildings -- although their tolerance to cold was reduced.

The reduced tolerance to cold is a problem - winter is coming - and much more concerning than CAGW.

[Cyto]

Screw winter.

5 years of "Winter is Coming" is enough. Hinting and hinting and hinting of things to come, but never delivering. And then backing off on the fan service. Screw you, HBO.

[Zeb]

Just be glad you aren't reading the books. Then it would be 20 years.

[Overt]

Best thing I ever did was read Feast of Crows. It was so terrible, and so perfectly summed up everything wrong with Martin's writing that I could comfortably wave off from anything having to do with Game of Thrones for the rest of my life- tv, books, merchandise, rampant speculation with people enamored with the show/books. It was a breath of fresh air as I closed that book- as if the PotUS himself had hand delivered a letter commuting a 20 year prison sentence.

[Red Rocks Baiting n Inciting]

Honestly, the TV show has done a decent job, IMO, distilling out what became a glorified travelogue after Martin started attending comic book conventions more than he was writing his own series. If Martin's editor and publisher had actually kept on his ass, I doubt he'd have taken this long to write what have amounted to a couple of pointless and redundant narratives.

For instance, I always thought the Lady Stoneheart plotline was stupid and was glad to see that, at least up to now, the producers have completely ignored it.

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

Overt, a man after my own heart. But I like the TV show. Sword fights and tittes are two of my favorite things.

[Not a True MJG]

Evolution is often thought of as a process that takes millennia

By idiots?

You're talking about ANTS!

[Zeb]

You mean a species whose generations last weeks evolves faster than one whose generations last decades?
Woah!

[BigT]

The article says 20 generations in 100 years.

[Azathoth!!]

This right here is where the stupid piles in--

Evolution is often thought of as a process that takes millennia

Evolution is a process that takes generations. It is the length of those generations that determines the time that passes. An ant generation is from 3-10 weeks. That means that there's at least 4 generations a year--or 400 generations in a hundred years.

The shorter the generation, the quicker evolution works.

[Crusty Juggler - #2]

Googling Londonderry: Town unhappy with default photo of state rep's wedding

State Rep. Al Baldasaro is a popular man in the community, but through no doing of his own: An unusual photo from his wedding a few years ago has become the curious image of the town on Google.

The photo, which appears in the "knowledge panel" on the right side of the Google search results page for Londonderry, shows Baldasaro wearing a tuxedo, joined by his wife and her wedding party all holding firearms.

[double ham fisted]

surprisingly good trigger discipline all around.

[american socialist]

I admit i don't know too much about strikes but do they typically last only 1 day where the end of it was determined months in advance?

[Cynical Asshole]

Real strikes, no. But idiotic virtue signaling bullshit? Yes.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit becomes the first U.S. appeals court to apply federal Title IX law to medical residency programs.

"I can't operate on this boy. He's my son. And a misogynist."

[Rich]

Women across the U.S. are on strike today as part of a protest dubbed "A Day Without a Woman"

One strike; no balls?

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

*polite clap*

[Crusty Juggler - #2]

'Big Candy' is lobbying the Trump administration. It's also holding events at Trump hotels.

The National Confectioners Association is doing a lot of business with President Trump's company.

. Among the industry's priorities: a long-sought rollback of government sugar subsidies that candy firms say drive up the costs of making their products.

Big Candy was my nickname in college.

[BigT]

Um....OMWC would like a word.

[american socialist]

I am bit confused....they want to roll back sugar subsidies? Wouldn't this get rid of the subsidies then?

[CatoTheChipper]

Sugar subsidies are "long-sought" by libertarians, not Big Candy.

[american socialist]

Haha sorry im still lost. I thought the goal was to not subsidize big sugar and a roll back to me means getting rid of them

[Rhywun]

Forget it, it's WaPo land. Clarity, among other things, is not their forte.

[Zeb]

Sugar subsidies in the US actually make sugar prices higher by limiting supply. And they are combined with tariffs that make otherwise much cheaper imported sugar uncompetitive.
This is also part of the reason why so much corn syrup is used in the US where cane sugar is used in other countries.

[american socialist]

So wouldnt get rid of them be a good thing?

[Zeb]

Yes. Killing subsidies and price controls is always good.

I think I misunderstood the source of your confusion.

[Mickey Rat]

So we have a lobbying group for one set of interests asking to remove a bit of cronyism that favors their suppliers?

Unless yhey are asking for subsidies ir o th er favors for themselves, why should this bother me?

[Rebel Scum]

Women across the U.S. are on strike today as part of a protest dubbed "A Day Without a Woman,"

All of the women at my office are present. But that might be because it's a civil engineering/architecture/surveying firm and, therefor, isn't full of regressive leftists.

in conjunction with this year's International Women's Day.

I wish lefties would stop trying to co-opt everything.

[american socialist]

I liked how someone called it LARPing

[DaveSs]

So far I've seen no evidence of a strike as well.

All females were present and accounted for at the two establishments I visit before starting my day.

And looking at my department calendar, the only two people taking off today are dudes.

[carol]

All of the women in my office received an email yesterday requesting that we all wear red to work today. I am the only woman in the office who declined to do so. When pressed I gave my reasons for my lack of participation which went over like a lead balloon. Oh, well. This isn't the first time I've been accused of not being a team player.

[Rhywun]

Was the email from a coworker or a boss?

[carol]

From a co-worker. Probably the reason I didn't get too much guff is because I am one of the bosses. We have a three new hires straight out of college and they are pretty gung ho about this stuff. I don't let it bother me. If they have a conversation I'm included in and they say something just flat out stupid I'll call them on it but for the most part I ignore it.

[Rhywun]

We have a three new hires straight out of college

My thoughts and prayers are with you.

[carol]

Thank you. These are difficult times.

[ColoradoKook]

I wore a red tie to work today. Does this mean I'm virtue signaling?

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

More like re-appropriating you cis-hetero shitlord.

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

Carol I applaud your individual virtue.

[Rhywun]

I wish lefties would stop trying to co-opt everything.

I always thought International anything Day is going to be something leftist.

[Cynical Asshole]

I guess they didn't get the memo.

[Not a True MJG]

I saw two posts on facebook last night reminding people about how important today's strike is...

...and then saying that they can't participate, because of deadlines and such, but otherwise they stand in solidarity!

[Crusty Juggler - #2]

Movie Theater Enhances Experience With the Screams of Childhood Exhuberance

According to the LA Times, Cinepolis, the "world's fourth-largest cinema operator," is installing playground equipment inside some of its theaters. The concept, called "Cinepolis Junior," aims to make the movie-going experience "more fun" for kids.

Pedophiles rejoice!

[Cynical Asshole]

So instead of watching the damn movie that their parents paid at least $10 for the tickets ot the little shits will be running around playing on playground equipment that they could have played on for free at a park.

This must be what going mad feels like.

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

*Obligatory Firefly standing ovation*

[Rebel Scum]

Repair work on the Statue of Liberty caused it to go dark for about two hours Tuesday night.

Trump's election has caused the fire of liberty to cease to exist, obvs.

[Rebel Scum]

Switzerland tops a new international ranking of the world's "best countries," followed by Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan.

Now I KNOW these rankings are bs. //sorryRufus

[This Machine Chips Fascists]

We are always #1 in bomb tonnage.

[Crusty Juggler - #2]

New research finds that Alzheimer's disease now kills twice as many Americans as it did 15 years ago.

My advice: start smoking.

[Trigger Hippie]

Women across the U.S. are on strike today as part of a protest dubbed "A Day Without a Woman"

So, Wednesday....I'm in a bit of a dry spell.*

*no, Crusty. Just no.

[This Machine Chips Fascists]

So, No Hump Day?

I kid, I kid!

[Trigger Hippie]

Just a soggy, balled up pillow.

Poor thing needs a wash.

[This Machine Chips Fascists]

Fleshlight sales soar!

[John Titor]

Women across the U.S. are on strike today as part of a protest dubbed "A Day Without a Woman,"

Meh, Aristophanes' version was better. Less comedy though.

[Cynical Asshole]

Women across the U.S. are on strike today as part of a protest dubbed "A Day Without a Woman,"

Aka "Best Day Ever." /TIWTANFL

[Red Rocks Baiting n Inciting]

Seriously, do all these GRRRRRRRRRLpowah! feminists actually think that if they go away for a day, that their incessant hectoring and self-regard will be noticed with anything other than gladness?

This is like the "Day without Immigrants" protest--why stop at a day? Why not make it a year and really show those bigots what they're missing (peace and quiet being the most obvious)?

[Bender B. Rodriguez]

Americans are having less sex

This American concurs.

Sigh.

[But Enough About Me]

"Bite my shiny metal ass!"
"Not tonight dear, I have a headache."

[prolefeed]

Married couples had sex an average of 56 times a year in 2014, down from 67 in 1989

Are they including people who don't officially have any sex at all? Once a week on average sounds way low.

Once every two days or so was what I thought it would be.

[Rat's instance]

Sometimes you just need sleep.

[Rebel Scum]

Americans are having less sex.

Trump ruined Americas libido.

[This Machine Chips Fascists]

Who can compete with The Tie? So long. So red.

[But Enough About Me]

The longest. The reddest. Seriously, you're gonna love it.

[DanO.]

It's a Tie to Nowhere.

[Free Society]

Switzerland tops a new U.S. News ranking of the world's "best countries," followed by Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan.

From the same list that features Germany as the number one spot on the planet for entrepreneurs. Spend five minutes talking to German business owners so you'll know how much of a joke it is to call Germany the most entrepreneur friendly country in the world. You need permits for everything, the taxation is highly progressive, taxes on employee benefits, high property taxes and of course the VAT tax. And they pay the second highest electric rates in Europe, if not by now the entire world.

[Mickey Rat]

So Germeny's entrepreneurs are properly leashed then?

[John]

Apparently, Mark Steyn didn't return their calls when they were polling about what a great place Canada is. Canada is a very nice place, provided you don't say the wrong thing.

For all of the problems the US has, you still don't have to worry about the government putting you up on hate speech charges and unless you live in a few select deep blue shitholes, you can still own a gun and have the right to defend yourself and your home. Those two things alone make the US a far better and more just place than Canada.

[CPRM]

I wonder if this season on The Americans if they'll meet a young Donald Trump like on Quantum Leap.

[Cyto]

Et tu, Reason?

The wife had "Today" on this morning and they covered the Statue of Liberty story. I thought, "That's a pretty inconsequential and exceedingly local story for a national news show." Then I got in the car and the AP news feed had the same story. Really? How is this national news? It is the external lighting on a statue going out for a couple of hours. That isn't even a non-story.

But Reason.com? Covering a blown light bulb as if it were really an important topic of discussion?

So why did I chose this stupid topic to bloviate upon? Because it is illustrative of another idiotic story that has been picked up nationally with unrelenting and unthinking coverage. The "Day Without Women". For the last few days, every national and local news outlet has been covering this, providing publicity and propaganda for the organizers. But why? What is there about this group that gives them any clout to speak for women? They are a non-entity.

And the very notion... this is something that belongs in the 1950's. "Oooh, the work that women do is valuable too!!" Where the heck are these people from? Is there any workplace in America that isn't fully co-ed? I've never worked anywhere that had a notion of women as the "girl who gets coffee". And dual-income families have been the norm in the US for what, 40 years?

These stories are indicative of something seriously lacking in the media. Are you all really that sexist?

[american socialist]

It drives clicks. Our culture now thanks to tech relies on tabloid level stuff quantity over quality

Since their business model is 24 7 coverage and they have a ton of competition....they need stuff to fill it

This is why major publications give articles where the entire content is what random folks say on twitter.

[Domestic Dissident]

Nope, that's not it here. I'm sure you must have noticed Reason has driven away a big portion of their old fan base.

Welch and company care a lot more about the agenda they're pushing than the number of clicks.

[Rhywun]

I would normally agree, but then look at the very next post:

"The Lingering Impact of Justice Kennedy's Trumpesque Claim About Sex Offenders"

Tell me that isn't click bait. The story has nothing whatsoever to do with you-know-who.

[american socialist]

Yep or that vet who may be deported. The headline referenced trump policies even though the proceedings started at least on dec 1 or even earlier about deportation

[Bacon-Magic glib reasonoid]

No, it drives narratives.

[Cynical Asshole]

And the very notion... this is something that belongs in the 1950's. "Oooh, the work that women do is valuable too!!" Where the heck are these people from? Is there any workplace in America that isn't fully co-ed? I've never worked anywhere that had a notion of women as the "girl who gets coffee". And dual-income families have been the norm in the US for what, 40 years?

I suspect a lot of the fuck-wits behind this are people who grew up listening to their mothers and grandmothers wax nostalgic about how they "fought the power" back in the 50's, 60's and 70's and want desperately to be able to fight against EVUL misogynists or some shit. It's like they're desperate to be victims.

[Rhywun]

I would not be at all surprised if the Statue of Liberty thing was in fact tied in with this nonsense and some higher-up put a stop to it.

[This Machine Chips Fascists]

A Day Without Liberty

[DanO.]

Is Reason ruining your life?

[VG Zaytsev]

They're masters in the IC want to distract attention from the wikileaks story.

[Domestic Dissident]

I'm so old, I remember when Julian Assange was considered one of the good guys at Reason.

That was before the election though.

[DanO.]

Turns out he was just another self-important prick.

[here's where you reply, "Just like you!"]

Block yo Momma!

[Domestic Dissident]

Nope, you're bitter and angry that he spilled the beans on your beloved Hildog, so now he's on your permament Enemies List.

You're as pathetic and transparent as all the other fakers around here, Weigie boy.

[DanO.]

hahahaha

[Zeb]

Well, the links are just supposed to be "let's see what's in the news", so I can't really complain about that. Even if the actual story is stupid, it spurs discussions like this about the state of the news media which are interesting.

But you make an excellent point about the supposed "day without women".

[Rhywun]

Wasn't this event started by some old terrorist broad? Why isn't that part of the story?

[Not a True MJG]

Covering a blown light bulb as if it were really an important topic of discussion?

That's what you think the links are for?

[John]

Compare the coverage given to a "day without women" to the coverage or complete lack thereof given to the yearly pro-life march. Whatever your opinion of Roe v. Wade, there is no denying that the yearly pro-life march is a huge affair. They get hundreds of thousands of people at it every year and have for decades. The day without women, in contrast, is something that at most a few thousand activists care about. Yet, it gets covered to death and the pro-life march is ignored.

Some of that is prog bias, but a lot of it is just Pauline Kael syndrome. The day without women gets covered and the pro-life march doesn't because in the social circles of journalists one is important and the other isn't. Same with this story. The people who determine what local stories get turned national are largely from the I-95 corridor and thus consider the lights at the Statue of Liberty going out to be a big deal. So, the story gets picked up where something similar happening at the Gateway Arch or Mount Rushmore would not.

[Mickey Rat]

Much of the media lives in NYC and because of that thinks local NYC oddities are of interest to their national audiences. The Reason staff are still creatures of the media and tend to follow the herd on what media conventional wisdom thinks is interesting with some exceptions for pet causes.

[Azathoth!!]

You know, I went and read the article about the statue of Liberty complete with all it's warnings of portentous symbolism.

And then I looked at the pictures.

The floodlights that let you see the statue at night were off----but the lamp stayed lit. As did the lighting in the crown. Those are the lights of Liberty, not the floodlights. That is the lamp lifted beside the golden door.

And it stayed lit

While everything else was shrouded in darkness, the lights of Liberty shone forth.

[Sevo]

Moonbeam wants all you folks to bail CA out of his years of mis-management:

"Governor declares state of emergency for storm-wrenched California"
[...]
"Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday declared a state of emergency and requested federal aid for parts of California hard hit by winter storms."
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/.....984978.php

Imagine if he hadn't blown all that money on buying votes with free shit!

[american socialist]

He cant be bothered to make sure infrastructure is in good shape and citizens are doing alright when he is out saving the planet with a choo choo and leading the resistance

[This Machine Chips Fascists]

NPR was talking CalExit yesterday. I guess when The Big One flattens LA and/or SF post-independence they won't be begging Uncle Sugar for those sweet sweet greenbacks to rebuild their cities.

[DanO.]

Worse than North Korea it is.

[Mongo]

AddictioMyth/dajjal always had an obsession with North Korea too.

[DanO.]

That's fascinating.

[B.P.]

I'm fascinated that a subset of middle and upper-middle class American women, arguably the most privileged* and economically powerful demographic in the history of the world, has convinced itself that it is an oppressed minority.

*another perfectly useful word ruined by progressives

[DOOMco]

astounding.

[John]

It really is. If they are fat or handicapped, they can have a hard life. But think about the life of the attractive, upper-middle-class white woman. They will never really have to take care of themselves. Sure they can if they want to but if things go south, they will always have their parents or some boyfriend or husband to take care of them. Who else in the world can say that?

I had a conversation with one such woman a while back and she was bemoaning how oppressed she was. I asked her "how many times in your life has someone other than a blood relative or an employer bought you dinner or a drink?" She never gave me an answer but was not happy even being asked the question. I think the answer to that question for men is "rarely" or "never". Her answer, of course, was "every weekend since I turned 16". Not that I begrudge her that. I don't. It is her good fortune. But it is pretty rich to hear someone in that position talk about how hard they have it.

[StupendousMan]

I wouldn't have had any idea about this strike if it weren't mentioned on every website I frequent. Of course I don't have many women on my construction sites- constantly bring in new women but they don't want to carry anything or learn any trade. I'm doing my part!

[Brandybuck]

Americans are having less sex.

TRUMP!!!!

[John]

It is all of the women going on strike and withholding sex from their husbands and boyfriends in protest.

[BigT]

Americans are having less sex...

..but grabbing more pussy!

[DOOMco]

so they stole someones artwork and don't even know who to credit?

[NoVaNick]

When will the male-hating variety of feminists and other assorted progtards wake up and realize that this is not 1968-1972? That period did not end well for them with the re-election of Tricky Dick. This one won't either.

[Robert]

?Americans are having less sex

...& more "gender".

[Robert]

DAMN YOU, RICH!

[John]

That is the comment of the year. Bravo!!

[DanO.]

Time for a recipe!