Operation Choke Point Ending, Women's Suffrage Turns 97, Four Arrested in Barcelona Attack: A.M. Links
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JT Vintage/ZUMA Press/Newscom The White House has announced it will end Operation Choke Point, an Obama-administration program that discouraged banks from doing business with "risky" customers.
- Following yesterday's terrorist attack in Barcelona, Spanish police "say they have killed several people south of Barcelona in response," AP is reporting. Four have been arrested in conjunction with the attack.
- On this day 97 years ago, U.S. women got the right to vote.
- "In Alaska, as in every other U.S. state, it is currently legal for members of law enforcement to have sexual contact with individuals who are under investigation," notes The Huffington Post. "The line is legally drawn at penetration."
- The #MAGA crowd will meet the Juggalos this September.
- The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has come out against the decisions of companies like Google and GoDaddy to cease doing business with vocal white supremacists. "Because internet intermediaries, especially those with few competitors, control so much online speech, the consequences of their decisions have far-reaching impacts on speech around the world," EFF says.
- "In this nationally representative cross-sectional study of 5674 adults who reported pubic hair grooming, grooming-related injury was reported by 1430." Science!
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The White House has announced it will end Operation Choke Point, an Obama-administration program that discouraged banks from doing business with "risky" customers.
Because one 2007/08 financial collapse just wasn't enough.
Shut up tony
What are you talking about? How will doing business with legal marijuana businesses cause a financial collapse?
It won't of course.
The operation in question only targeted pay-day loan sharks and the like - small fry.
It also targeted prostitutes, gun dealers, and coin collectors.
Dishonest troll is dishonest. Leave him alone.
pay-day loan sharks and the like
There was some money laundering going on but the vice element was reprehensible.
So you mentioned one business the left disapproves of and hid the rest under a weasel word. Congratulations.
Anyone who bitches about pay-day loans has never truly had their backs against the wall. It's the same thinking that causes people to talk about how it's a good thing mass shooting victims didn't have guns to protect themselves with.
We're supposed to make our decisions as a people based on a perfect society that doesn't exist, where poor people shouldn't be 'exploited' by being given the ability to survive. Poor foreigners shouldn't be allowed to work for $2.00 a week when they are starving, because it helps a white person make money. Poor people without good credit shouldn't be able to survive in the short term when things fall apart, because some white person might make a little bit extra money by using interest rates that reflect and protect his risk in loaning the money.
Fuck off, loser.
Ignatius showing his libertarian purity.
Also, doesn't know what caused the '08 financial collapse.
You weren't around back then but I was.
The wingnuts all blamed black people for making loans, Fannie/Freddie, or the late 70s Community Reinvestment Act - all bullshit of course.
Try one if you want to.
You just commented on Operation Chokepoint with a '08-like economic collapse warning. You're an idiot now. I'll just assume you were an idiot then. Let me guess. You believe Team Red policies created the bubble and Team Blue policies have saved the nation. You're such a libertarian purist.
Maybe he figured that throwing out so much unrelated nonsense in a single post would confuse everyone so much that they'd leave him alone.
Typical butt cork mistake.
That was hyperbole, you asswipe. Later posts confirm that.
The 07/08 collapse was mostly a market failure. LIAR/ARM option loans were handed out by the millions because investment banks like Bear and Lehman wanted exotic fake AAA bonds to sell to the gullible.
WaMu and Countrywide were shit loan drug dealers out to feed the investment bank habit.
Mr. Blue seems to be leaving out the culpability of big government. What a surprise. Probably thinks Bailing out banks was the right play too. How 'bout that stimulus Mr. Blue. Obama saved the country, right?
But surely it helped that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were willing to buy any shit loan that WaMu and Countrywide wrote? Fannie and Freddie even lowered their own standards to keep up their marketshare. There were a lot of people involved there, and without claiming that the government did everything, the government and government involved corporations were definitely on the side encouraging rather than stopping. At the same time, Bear and Lehman were just as gullible as their customers-- you can't argue that they *wanted* to go bankrupt losing tons of money.
The 07/08 collapse was mostly a market failure.
The fact you say that with a straight face makes me think you were an infant at the time.
Wasn't it Bill Clinton that signed the legislation that encouraged home ownership for the poor?
It was really a stupid idea because anyone who has owned a home knows they can be a money pit, plus you have to pay taxes.
You got a loan that you can barely afford, then you have to make repairs you can't afford. Then the property tax is due. You end up in a position where you can't pay on the note, can't pay the tax. Next thing you know the government and bank wants the property. Yeah, great idea.
"an Obama-administration program that discouraged banks from doing business with "risky" customers"
But we're still going to use taxpayer dollars to cover any loses if it goes bad right?
Only if they are too big to fail. Or Lehman Brothers.
Or not Lehman Bros
Operation Chokepoint was about denying basic banking services -- like checking accounts and credit card services -- to marijuana dispensaries, escort services, pawn shops, payday lenders, gun shops, retail precious metal dealers, and other business activities that are often sketchy or unpopular with politicians.
Try to operate a business without a checking account, and you'll see what this is about. No checking account means no credit cards, which would be death to most retail businesses.
It was all about making life difficult for owners of businesses who are not politically connected. Political connections were sufficient for banks to continue to provide banking services to politically savvy business owners.
Operation Chokepoint had precisely nothing to do with Too Big To Fail or bailing out financial institutions. Most of the businesses that it targeted were usually 100% equity financed.
Exactly. How is this Constitutional? If it isn't, it's scary that it was done. It it is, that's even scarier.
You must be new around this country.
Listen up.
Shreek has explained that Operation Chokepoint will save us from a future economic collapse.
He is the pure libertarian, so stop your complaining.
Well, it was just the government "advising" private companies to make private decisions, because, well, it would be horrible for something to come out about your customers and you should have known better that you were facilitating money laundering.
Hence why at least healthy skepticism of "it's just a private business decision" can be warranted.
And good on the Trump WH for ending it. You'd think Sessions would love it, but maybe not.
Note how shriek yet again defends an Obama-era policy.
SHUT YOUR FACE!! He is the sun, bathing us in libertarian glory.
That's not sunshine he's bathing you in...
Women are naturally attracted to the body odor of men who eat more vegetables than those who eat lots of carbs, study claims
Eating some more veg will increase the amount of women who attend your next Nazi march, people.
If only there were something to eat other than broccoli or cupcakes.
Should get veggies stir fried for maximum health benefits, so eat out at Yong's Veg China!
More veg = more vag?
Aren't vegetables mostly carbohydrates?
Most are mostly water.
They probably mean grains and refined starch and sugar.
But their caloric content comes mostly from carbohydrates. The water is irrelevant.
I know what they mean. But they should be more precise in the use of nutritional terms. They are "scientists" after all.
It's a Daily Mail article, what do you want? I suspect the actual scientists were more precise in their description of the various diets. And "carbs" is pretty commonly used to refer specifically to starch and refined sugars when causally discussing nutrition.
It's a headline. And it does say "lots of carbs." Ignoring the starchy veges, it's hard to get lots of carbs from vegetables.
It does go on to talk about a "fruit- and vegetable-packed diet," and fruits have even more sugar and carbs.
Maybe it's less about the carbs and more about the other stuff in fruits and vegetables that grain and refined carbs lack.
"even more sugar and carbs."
Sugar is carbs. See my comment on vegetables.
I know, and not all carbs are sugar.
Not good enough. You didn't say "other carbs".
How come no one has pedantically pointed out yet that dietary fiber is also carbs?
Depends on the veg. Swiss chard, collard and mustard greens are low carb. Corn and russet potatoes are a different matter.
Swiss Chard:
74% carb/ 23% protein/ 3% fat
That's pretty high carb.
Most of that "carb" is fibre, though.
When people say "carbs", they mean things made of fructose and glucose, for the most part.
I'm sure you know that. I just can't resist a pointless argument sometimes.
the stats I'm looking at say swiss chard: 1 cup serving - 1.3g carbs russet potato: 38g carbs. Corn: 123g carbs
Stats retrieved from the google.
Everyday at work I've been sucking down eggplant in front of the ladies. Yet still, no one will eat lunch with me.
I remove the seeds from a papaya half with my tongue. You better believe the ladies are taking notice.
I thought the MAGA crowd and the Juggalos were one in the same. What makes America greater than the Juggalos?
Time to buy stock in Faygo?
Are the Juggalos still listed as a gang by the FBI?
I believe that's what they're protesting. Which means I'm down with the clown. If only for this.
"have far-reaching impacts on speech around the world"
If one has no real viable options than a handful of companies with a monopoly over internet access than yes, this is a 1st Amendment concern and these guys are just asking to be regulated.
Nah. They aren't government entities. They're free to do business with who (and only who) they choose. If Google doesn't want your business, you can always either start your own internet services business or take it to the dark web. Online is no different than in real life when it comes to speech. You have a right to speak, but not to be heard or have your speech amplified or repeated by a third party.
I'm looking forward the phrase "Google it" being replaced by "Duck Duck Go It".
DDG it
Even better would be if "google" just became a generic term for using a search engine. Big brands really hate it when that happens. "I'm going to google that on Duck Duck Go".
If they just alter "Go" a bit, we can have the phrase "Goose it", which trips off the tongue much better.
And yet florists and bakers and photographers, who are all a dime a dozen, can't do the same.
It's not a monopoly. Anyone is free to set up their own top level name server and add a routing for The Daily Stomer. And anyone is free to add that name server to the lookup service on their computer.
Honestly I'm surprised it isn't brought up more often that Google should be nationalized as a public utility, but frankly I think they've avoided it by handing over anything the government wants sans a warrant in a back room somewhere.
That, or their lawyers are extra-scary.
Note that I personally do not think that's a good idea, but it is odd that the left hasn't been shrieking about it for years now. The same goes for Facebook.
I have actually seen people argue for that.
'Star Wars': What to Expect From an Obi-Wan Kenobi Movie
Hello there.
It wasn't until I saw some of the side-by-side pictures yesterday that I appreciated how stupid it is that Kenobi and the other Jedi wear a tunic and robe. It makes sense for an old hermit on Tatooine. Elsewhere it's d-u-m-m.
I would've liked to have seen a Jedi in shorts. And maybe some snappy, tight uniforms for the council members.
Not only that, Kenobi and Yoda were supposed to be in hiding, yet they are wearing their outlawed organization's distinctive garb.
These are not the inconsistencies you're looking for. Move along.
In Praise of the Irish Goodbye
Turns out the Irish were good for something.
In French, it's called filer ? l'anglaise. Whodathunk.
Especially helpful after dropping the goodbye fart.
Well...that explains how I leave gatherings. It's genetic.
Competitive Gravedigging Is a Real Thing in Europe
You brought a shovel to a backhoe fight. You're shoutin' that I'm dead.
My old friend Caterpillar thinks you're in over your head.
Literally. Ha!
'Antifa' Grows as Left-Wing Faction Set to, Literally, Fight the Far Right
Yay!
It's full-on war, basically.
Welp, that looks like an official declaration of war to me. GAME OOOOON!
The Left doesn't seem to be aware that the Right has most of the guns.
But they probably outnumber the neo-Nazis by 100 to 1 so maybe they'll win by the sheer force of willpower and body odor.
It eorked gor the Soviets.
"You need violence in order to protect nonviolence," Ms. Nauert added
, with a giggle.
Teehee!
Oh, I think the neo-Nazis probably care. They want people to show up that they can brawl with. Antifa gives them exactly what they want.
What antifa and the nazis or whatever they are should do is find a big field somewhere and fight until they are all dead.
Or at least a controlled environment.
a white nationalist leader punched her in the face during a melee
Not that there is any excuse for that guy, but that sounds a lot like "he hit me back!"
Antifa is the militant auxiliary of the Democratic Party, much like the KKK served that function a century ago. Even though Democrats have not unambiguously denounced Antifa, and Antifa's goals align perfectly now that the Democratic Party has essentially become a socialist party, such a statement seems impolite and somewhat ridiculous. However, Democrats do not hesitate to complain that white nationalists serve the same role in relation to the GOP, even though all Republican office holders -- including Donald Trump -- unambiguously denounce white nationalism, national socialism, fascism, etc. as well as militant groups like Antifa.
This reminds me a disturbing libertarian thought-experiment: murder park. In libertopia, would dueling be legal? (For those who don't quite grasp what libertarianism is about, that does not equate to dueling being moral. In libertopia, immorality would be legal provided that there was no coercion involved.) Would it be legal for a land owner to rent his property to militant opponents for the purpose of fighting to the death?
If there was a murder park, Antifa and the militant wing of BLM could meet up with Spenser acolytes and skinheads to bash it out without disturbing civilized society. The victor would win nothing but the disapprobation of civilized society and the loser would be vanquished. The first meet-up might be enough for many people on both sides to understand that violence isn't going to accomplish anything good.
Of course it would be legal, as long as enough documents were properly signed to prevent any kin pressing charges on their behalf. Prosecution should be left entirely to the victims. Wards, such as unemancipated children, senile parents, accident victims in a coma, wouldn't have the legal authority to make those decisions, but otherwise, duel on!
"""You need violence in order to protect nonviolence," Ms. Nauert added""
Welcome to being a neo-con.
I'm glad someone else said it first.
Weiner asks judge to delay sentencing for sexting scandal
Who ever said the criminal justice system wasn't fair and accommodating?
It's been 97 years of matriarchal oppression now?
And sandwiches, amirite? *nudge, nudge*
Findings In this nationally representative cross-sectional study of 5674 adults who reported pubic hair grooming, grooming-related injury was reported by 1430 (weighted prevalence, 25.6%). Degree of grooming was an independent risk factor for injury; waxing may prevent repetitive injuries.
Prevalence of Pubic Hair Grooming?Related Injuries and Identification of High-Risk Individuals in the United States
Cops: Woman Crashes Car While Shaving Her Privates
There are all kinds of folks in this world.
As a young adolescent Buttplug I got my first view of the entire female form via the likes of Penthouse. I still like it that way.
Big fan of cold cuts, are we?
Cold cuts
A vagina with an abundance of labia with many folds that resembles a cold cut sandwich. Often accompanied by a fat labia majora resembling the bun,
(Urban dictionary)
Not quite what I meant.
Penthouse was known for having extreme close-ups of nether regions, hence the cold cuts reference.
Yes, but the nether bits were unshaved. Thus my comment.
Since you are no doubt a fan of such culture the specialty magazine for fans of the bald look was called Shavetail
Sadly, the skin magazine biz is nearly dead except for the great American Larry Flynt.
PB is talking to me about pornography he used to look at.
*shudders*
I need to scrub off the filth with a Brillo pad and Bleach.
Brillo pad. Now THERE'S a euphemism.
... and coating the camera lens with vaseline. Artsy!
And Guccione is a First Amendment hero!
Yes. You like your naked women on paper not in person.
It's highly unlikely Weigel has ever been alone with a naked woman in his life. #1, he "prefers the company of men". #2, even if he was a straight guy, no woman would ever want to be anywhere within twenty yards of him without a crowd of people around.
Mikey speaks from experience.
"As a young adolescent Buttplug I got my first view of the entire female form via the likes of Penthouse. I still like it that way."
You still like to get your first view of the entire female form via Penthouse?
Actually, nobody cares what you do in your mom's basement.
grooming-related injury
Nice album name.
MSNBC Ranks as No. 1 Cable Network in Total Viewers for First Time Ever
http://variety.com/2017/tv/new.....202531567/
With an average of only 1.5 million per day. Most Americans don't give a fuck about NAZIs or antifa.
So basically only the Reason staff, tony, buttplug, and Lena dunham?
I find it amusing that even the Reason staff cannot pass your LP Purity Test.
You know even Ron Paul failed it, right?
True, but that was still funny.
Hey there's Stossel.
"I find it amusing that even the Reason staff cannot pass your LP Purity Test."
It's "especially" the Reason Staff cannot pass a LP Purity Test, if you've been paying attention. No surprise you're a big fan, Mr. Blue.
"In this nationally representative cross-sectional study of 5674 adults who reported pubic hair grooming, grooming-related injury was reported by 1430."
Thankfully for men the a scrotum has skin similar to the back of a rhinoceroses - they're idiot proof!
I shaved my scrotum a few years back. It has never stopped itching
Lucky for you, mine never stopped bleeding.
Peak dance and fashion took place in the 80s.
I like the girl in the green dress.
"dance" and "fashion"
I'm not really a fan of flailing my limbs about in spastic gyrations.
If the EFF is so concerned about free speech, then why did they want to turn the US internet over to the FCC? They've never been known to censor.
Yes, a mistake on their part. Not only has the FCC censored, but their tighter regulation of telcos has been directly related to greater telco cooperation with surveillance and law enforcement.
I also wouldn't quite say that the EFF came out against the decision. It's more a musing about the possible downsides, and wishing for a clearer process. I will grant the complexity of the mostly private decision.
The existence of Operation Chokepoint, and parallels to Title VII and IX regulation is why the "it's just private businesses making a business decision" argument should be treated a little skeptically in some cases. Of course in many cases a company or university would have made the same decision without regulation, but it's hard to know for sure.
"On this day 97 years ago, U.S. women got the right to vote."
Okay, I'll just say it. It's been downhill ever since.
NYPD officials booted for being too drunk to fly to Afghanistan for training trip
Alt text:
Wouldn't.
Wouldn't.
Wouldn't.
Would.
Nancy Pelosi.
Lived in that area for a couple months once - it's weird hearing these places I used to know pretty well are now terror targets. Then again they hit a town I lived in in Germany too. Either they're following me around or there's just a lot of attacks.
Either they're following me around or there's just a lot of attacks.
OR...
Rhywun, everywhere you go you leave a lingering trace of freedom. It enrages them.
I guess it's a good thing NYC isn't on their radar.
Man shot after stabbings in Finnish city
Breaking news, so that's all there is so far.
"In Alaska, as in every other U.S. state, it is currently legal for members of law enforcement to have sexual contact with individuals who are under investigation," notes The Huffington Post. "The line is legally drawn at penetration."
If only my wife was as tolerant as the US taxpayers....
Yet people say Bill Clinton didn't leave much of a legacy.
I see Weigel is off his meds big time today.
Obviously, since his self-hating alter-ego has returned.
Mikey speaks from experience.
Judge refuses to order Congress to outlaw parts of the Koran or issue an official federally edited Koran
The White House has announced it will end Operation Choke Point, an Obama-administration program that discouraged banks from doing business with "risky" customers.
Libertarian moment. Who'd a thunk it?
...Spanish police "say they have killed several people south of Barcelona in response," AP is reporting.
That doesn't seem worded quite right.
Maybe they just rounded up the usual suspects.
On this day 97 years ago, U.S. women got the right to vote.
And still no President Hillary.
"The line is legally drawn at penetration."
Unless you're on the just the tip hotline.
The #MAGA crowd will meet the Juggalos this September.
Is this who Bannon was calling clowns?
"Because internet intermediaries, especially those with few competitors, control so much online speech, the consequences of their decisions have far-reaching impacts on speech around the world," EFF says.
Agreed. They still get to.
"In this nationally representative cross-sectional study of 5674 adults who reported pubic hair grooming, grooming-related injury was reported by 1430."
There's your problem. You shouldn't be grooming cross-sectionally.
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