Conason: Time to Reopen Breitbart’s ACORN Fraud

US News • Views: 3,187

Joe Conason asks if it’s time to reopen Breitbart’s ACORN fraud — and get the story right.

Why, yes. Yes, it is.

Real justice, as I suspect Sherrod would agree, also requires due process for Andrew Breitbart, the Internet impresario who framed her on his Big Government website. In these circumstances, that means a fair, thorough and tough examination of the media fraud that launched his operation last year: the ACORN tapes, whose misuse by Breitbart closely parallels his behavior in the Sherrod affair.

Yes, there certainly is more than a passing resemblance; the race-baiting aspect, the targeting of an organization that helps poor minorities, and the smears directed against innocent people.

There’s also more than a passing resemblance to a certain Republican Senator from Wisconsin, but with an ugly racial intent.

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382 comments
1 jamesfirecat  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:40:58pm

The arc of the universe may be long, but it bends towards justice….

2 Targetpractice  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:42:33pm

Considering that Breitbart’s making the talk-show circuit now, working his side of the story like a Rubik’s Cube to find some way it looks good for him, I think somebody really needs to ask him straight to his face:

Youtube Video
3 Ebetty  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:42:40pm

With any luck at all, the end of Breitbart’s career as a “journalist” is nigh.

4 Walking Spanish Down the Hall  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:43:13pm

Looks like this latest BS of his is going to do more than just bite him in the ass. He deserves it.

5 Charles Johnson  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:43:54pm

I know we still have some lizards who totally bought into the ACORN demonization thing. I did too, for a while.

I hope you’ll be willing to consider the possibility that, like the NAACP, Tom Vilsack, and a lot of other people, you were snookered by con men.

6 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:44:11pm

well in all due respect 100 something days out from an election it is time to reopen lots of stuff… we are gonna see some ugly shit between now and November. Just the way it is.

7 Political Atheist  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:44:21pm

Sure reopen Acorn and take another look at the video ambush/assault incident. The stronger the review and publicity the better for all of us. If the stink finally sticks to Fox, all the better. Perhaps some corrective measures will occur. Okay I’m an optimist.

Drive by…
BBL, gotta go work.

8 jamesfirecat  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:44:54pm

re: #6 brookly red

well in all due respect 100 something days out from an election it is time to reopen lots of stuff… we are gonna see some ugly shit between now and November. Just the way it is.

What else do you want to see reopened?

9 Political Atheist  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:45:21pm

re: #5 Charles

That would be me, but some time ago as the full story came out then.

10 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:45:58pm

re: #8 jamesfirecat

What else do you want to see reopened?

do you want to make this about me ?

11 Four More Tears  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:46:22pm

re: #5 Charles

I know we still have some lizards who totally bought into the ACORN demonization thing. I did too, for a while.

I hope you’ll be willing to consider the possibility that, like the NAACP, Tom Vilsack, and a lot of other people, you were snookered by a con man.

“A” con man? Charles, you can’t assign that blame to just one person. O’Keefe, Breitbart, every right wing pundit with a radio show, 3/4s of Fox News…

12 Ebetty  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:46:58pm

re: #4 b_sharp

Whether it’s the ACORN mess, Sherrod, anything he’s done should be in question. All of it. Every credentialing news organization should condemn him. My old boss had a great idea, shouldn’t someone point out that Breitbart’s “Big Government” acts much more like a political organization. Maybe someone should hire some campaign finance guys to look into whether he can be reported to the FEC. A hefty fine would be nice.

13 jamesfirecat  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:47:00pm

re: #10 brookly red

do you want to make this about me ?

“well in all due respect 100 something days out from an election it is time to reopen lots of stuff… “

I was assuming you had some ideas in mind since that would be a strange thing to say without any ideas of what you wanted reopened.

Or maybe I just don’t get your thought process.

14 Targetpractice  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:47:11pm

re: #3 Ebetty

With any luck at all, the end of Breitbart’s career as a “journalist” is nigh.

My fear is that, like the ACORN mess, Breitbart will walk away essentially fresh as a daisy. You’d think that, after getting caught acting in such a flagrant and underhanded manner then, that people would have been at least hesitant to take anything he had to say about the hackjob he made of Sherrod’s speech as the truth. But no, he threw it out there, Faux ran with it, and by the time anybody stopped to ask if it was authentic, a good and honorable woman had had her life ruined and her name smeared.

15 jamesfirecat  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:47:52pm

re: #11 JasonA

“A” con man? Charles, you can’t assign that blame to just one person. O’Keefe, Breitbart, every right wing pundit with a radio show, 3/4s of Fox News…

Some days it feels more like 99% of Fox news, or The number of people who work at Fox News minus Shepard Smith divided by the full number of people who work there percent….

16 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:48:17pm

re: #13 jamesfirecat

“well in all due respect 100 something days out from an election it is time to reopen lots of stuff… “

I was assuming you had some ideas in mind since that would be a strange thing to say without any ideas of what you wanted reopened.

Or maybe I just don’t get your thought process.

well it is a thought process so you are forgiven

17 Charles Johnson  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:49:29pm

re: #11 JasonA

“A” con man? Charles, you can’t assign that blame to just one person. O’Keefe, Breitbart, every right wing pundit with a radio show, 3/4s of Fox News…

A con man with lots of eager helpers.

18 Ebetty  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:51:04pm

re: #14 Targetpractice, Worst of Both Worlds

I’m not even worried about Fox News, they have such reach,trying to defeat them is unrealistic at best. But should they be shamed? damn right.

I’m tired of Shep Smith’s smug “I’m the good reporter here” act though.

I just think we should take this piece by piece. Take down Breitbart, establish a track record. One by one, get rid of the racists and crazies.

19 jamesfirecat  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:51:17pm

re: #17 Charles

A con man with lots of eager helpers.

Maybe a Season Four Leverage episode can deal with someone like this… though I suppose “night of the Hunger Job” was doubtlessly in the same vein…

20 Cato the Elder  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:51:28pm

Justice for ACORN would involve a full-on congressional inquiry. Nothing less would do.

21 The Shadow Do  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:51:37pm

Breitbart is a turd.

Yes, I am a deep thinker.

22 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:51:49pm

re: #14 Targetpractice, Worst of Both Worlds

My fear is that, like the ACORN mess, Breitbart will walk away essentially fresh as a daisy. You’d think that, after getting caught acting in such a flagrant and underhanded manner then, that people would have been at least hesitant to take anything he had to say about the hackjob he made of Sherrod’s speech as the truth. But no, he threw it out there, Faux ran with it, and by the time anybody stopped to ask if it was authentic, a good and honorable woman had had her life ruined and her name smeared.

well I agree 90% but she did not have her life ruined she has been (although against her will) she has been thrust in to national celebrity status… I don’t think she would have ever wanted this but for sure her life is not ruined

23 Targetpractice  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:51:58pm

re: #17 Charles

A con man with lots of eager helpers.

All of whom, by this point, should have absolutely no credibility whatsoever in the world of journalism. They should treated much like the National Enquirer, namely with a healthy dose of skepticism and suspicion when absent corroboration from a more reputable source.

24 Mad Prophet Ludwig  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:52:53pm

re: #17 Charles

A con man with lots of eager helpers.

Which is why this is a golden opportunity to go on the offensive for once and just expose these cretins for what they are.

The real ACORN investigation cleared them. This case is open and shut. There is a perfect chance to drag it all out into the light and just nail the entire wingnut propaganda apparatus to the wall.

The cases are simple to understand. The bad guys are easily shown to be the bad guys.

Playing hard NOW, right now, will echo into November.

25 Ojoe  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:52:56pm

re: #17 Charles

I don’t think they think of themselves as conning, I think they think of themselves as putting forth the truth.

Yes, and with helpers, and an audience eager to gobble.

26 Targetpractice  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:53:07pm

re: #19 jamesfirecat

Maybe a Season Four Leverage episode can deal with someone like this… though I suppose “night of the Hunger Job” was doubtlessly in the same vein…

So I wasn’t the only one who read his comment and immediately thought of Leverage.

27 Ebetty  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:54:02pm

BBIAB. Must commiserate with old boss for advice.

28 erraticsphinx  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:54:07pm

re: #23 Targetpractice, Worst of Both Worlds

LOL, the National Enquirer is quite favored nowadays in some circles. Anything to be grabbed on to smear will do.

29 celticdragon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:54:23pm

re: #5 Charles

I know we still have some lizards who totally bought into the ACORN demonization thing. I did too, for a while.

I hope you’ll be willing to consider the possibility that, like the NAACP, Tom Vilsack, and a lot of other people, you were snookered by a con man.

Here, here.

30 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:54:25pm

re: #24 LudwigVanQuixote

Which is why this is a golden opportunity to go on the offensive for once and just expose these cretins for what they are.

The real ACORN investigation cleared them. This case is open and shut. There is a perfect chance to drag it all out into the light and just nail the entire wingnut propaganda apparatus to the wall.

The cases are simple to understand. The bad guys are easily shown to be the bad guys.

Playing hard NOW, right now, will echo into November.

on guard, Sir!

31 jamesfirecat  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:54:55pm

re: #26 Targetpractice, Worst of Both Worlds

So I wasn’t the only one who read his comment and immediately thought of Leverage.

“People like that … corporations like that, they have all the money, they have all the power, and they use it to make people like you go away. Right now, you’re suffering under an enormous weight. We provide … leverage.”

32 Cato the Elder  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:55:14pm

re: #28 erraticsphinx

LOL, the National Enquirer is quite favored nowadays in some circles. Anything to be grabbed on to smear will do.

Breitbart and Fox make the National Enquirer look like the Times of London.

33 erraticsphinx  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:56:07pm

re: #32 Cato the Elder

I’d say they’re all getting closer to each other in journalistic integrity.

34 celticdragon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:57:30pm

re: #22 brookly red

well I agree 90% but she did not have her life ruined she has been (although against her will) she has been thrust in to national celebrity status… I don’t think she would have ever wanted this but for sure her life is not ruined


That was due to luck…and mistakes on Breitbarts part. He will be at it again next week with fresh victims.

35 Ojoe  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:58:22pm

re: #33 erraticsphinx

I miss “Weekly World News” (“World’s only reliable newspaper”).

“World War II bomber found on moon.”

Etc.

It is only on the web now.

36 Targetpractice  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:58:24pm

re: #22 brookly red

well I agree 90% but she did not have her life ruined she has been (although against her will) she has been thrust in to national celebrity status… I don’t think she would have ever wanted this but for sure her life is not ruined

How easy do you think it’ll be for her to simply slip back into her old life and go on as though nothing happened. While I am loath to admit it, Vilsack was right about one thing, having somebody perceived as “racist,” even if they truly aren’t, means any future claims of such by farmers who think they’re gettin’ a raw deal will be hard to refute. Her “celebrity status” is not going to be a plus when it comes time to consider moving her up and any future employer is going to be hesitant to hire her.

37 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:58:41pm

re: #24 LudwigVanQuixote

Which is why this is a golden opportunity to go on the offensive for once and just expose these cretins for what they are.

The real ACORN investigation cleared them. This case is open and shut. There is a perfect chance to drag it all out into the light and just nail the entire wingnut propaganda apparatus to the wall.

The cases are simple to understand. The bad guys are easily shown to be the bad guys.

Playing hard NOW, right now, will echo into November.

What do you wish to lead with? The unemployment rate perhaps? The housing market? The excellent handling of the oil spill? or perhaps the public opinion towards healthcare or Illegal immigration? Wow see you in November.

38 Decatur Deb  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:59:36pm

re: #25 Ojoe

I don’t think they think of themselves as conning, I think they think of themselves as putting forth the truth.

Yes, and with helpers, and an audience eager to gobble.

There is an infection of deceit in the College Republican National Committee world, probably from the days of Rove and Jack Abramoff. Bretibart’s fool O’Keefe reflects it, as did Amy Judd, the “B” girl.

39 jamesfirecat  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 5:59:49pm

re: #37 brookly red

What do you wish to lead with? The unemployment rate perhaps? The housing market? The excellent handling of the oil spill? or perhaps the public opinion towards healthcare or Illegal immigration? Wow see you in November.

How about we lead with what wonderful plans the Republican Party has to solve those problems, the exact same ones Bush used to get us into this mess!

40 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:00:40pm

re: #36 Targetpractice, Worst of Both Worlds

How easy do you think it’ll be for her to simply slip back into her old life and go on as though nothing happened. While I am loath to admit it, Vilsack was right about one thing, having somebody perceived as “racist,” even if they truly aren’t, means any future claims of such by farmers who think they’re gettin’ a raw deal will be hard to refute. Her “celebrity status” is not going to be a plus when it comes time to consider moving her up and any future employer is going to be hesitant to hire her.

she will make more on one appearance on Oprah then in 10 years of civil service….

41 Cato the Elder  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:00:59pm

re: #33 erraticsphinx

I’d say they’re all getting closer to each other in journalistic integrity.

Say what you want about the NE, but they have done some seriously good reporting.

They were the ones who completely ripped the mask off of John “Silken Pony” Edwards. And they were right to do so.

42 Targetpractice  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:01:00pm

re: #28 erraticsphinx

LOL, the National Enquirer is quite favored nowadays in some circles. Anything to be grabbed on to smear will do.

That’s just it, I think a lot of its sudden “credibility” has to do with the whole John Edwards affair bit. Beyond that, the paper is so often packed with rumors and innuendo that taking it as anything more than a gossip rag presents the very real danger of being caught in a con. That really is how Faux and pond scum like Breitbart should be viewed, with suspicion and distrust.

43 erraticsphinx  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:01:25pm

re: #39 jamesfirecat

Eggs-actly. People will have to look at the alternative too.

And I think many people will refudiate the GOP, more than some of our conservative friends might think.

44 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:01:54pm

re: #39 jamesfirecat

How about we lead with what wonderful plans the Republican Party has to solve those problems, the exact same ones Bush used to get us into this mess!

OK let’s see how it goes… I don’t trust the polls either :)

45 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:01:56pm

re: #5 Charles

I know we still have some lizards who totally bought into the ACORN demonization thing. I did too, for a while.

I hope you’ll be willing to consider the possibility that, like the NAACP, Tom Vilsack, and a lot of other people, you were snookered by a con man.

I’ve considered it and I accept it. ACORN is not a force for good, but O’Keefe and Breitbart’s “sting operation” was a hatchet job.

46 Irenicum  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:02:00pm

re: #40 brookly red

Brookly, I’m getting really tired of your constant questioning of her motives. Please just shut up.

47 Mr Pancakes  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:02:44pm

re: #41 Cato the Elder

Say what you want about the NE, but they have done some seriously good reporting.

They were the ones who completely ripped the mask off of John “Silken Pony” Edwards. And they were right to do so.

That’s right…. I remember that. They exposed that scumbag first.

48 erraticsphinx  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:02:54pm

re: #41 Cato the Elder

No one could have predicated how much of a dirty bastard John Edwards was.

That was the NE’s one “shining moment”. But other than that…it’s mostly BATBOY STRIKES AGAIN.

49 Decatur Deb  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:03:05pm

re: #43 erraticsphinx

It looks like Sarah P is actually going to get to coin a word.

50 What, me worry?  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:03:06pm

re: #25 Ojoe

I don’t think they think of themselves as conning, I think they think of themselves as putting forth the truth.

Yes, and with helpers, and an audience eager to gobble.

The truth has nothing to do with this. It was all about getting the NAACP back for their resolution on racism. Breitbart dug and dug until he found something he could work with to show just how “racist the NAACP is” and work it, he did. Since Mark Williams and his nasty letter blew up like a fireball, maybe he thought he’d have a better stab at it.

The truth is irrelevant to these people as long as you believe whatever BS they want you to believe. Huh, and they call us commies.

51 erraticsphinx  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:03:10pm

re: #48 erraticsphinx

predicted*

Palin moment.

52 Professor Chaos  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:03:20pm

re: #42 Targetpractice, Worst of Both Worlds

That really is how Faux and pond scum like Breitbart should be viewed, with suspicion derision and distrust disgust.

FTFY

53 Ojoe  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:03:21pm

re: #38 Decatur Deb

And in the party of Honest Abe.

How Very Sad.

54 Cato the Elder  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:03:44pm

re: #48 erraticsphinx

No one could have predicated how much of a dirty bastard John Edwards was.

That was the NE’s one “shining moment”. But other than that…it’s mostly BATBOY STRIKES AGAIN.

Why do you hate Batboy?!?11!

55 Targetpractice  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:03:50pm

re: #40 brookly red

she will make more on one appearance on Oprah then in 10 years of civil service…

I’m sorry, but I don’t see how that’s considered a “plus” when weighed against losing not only her job, but her reputation. Not everybody views making a lot of money as the most important event in their lives.

56 Ojoe  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:04:03pm

BBL

57 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:04:13pm

re: #37 brookly red

What do you wish to lead with? The unemployment rate perhaps? The housing market? The excellent handling of the oil spill? or perhaps the public opinion towards healthcare or Illegal immigration? Wow see you in November.

With a weak economy, and a public ill at ease with Obama’s major changes the Dems are going to suffer in November. To my mind the only question is: How bad will it be for them?

58 Mad Prophet Ludwig  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:04:21pm

re: #37 brookly red

Why I will lead with the truth on all of those.

I will start with the naked racism and cut-throat propaganda of Fox and Breitbart.

When talking about jobs, I will go into how the GOP did everything in their power to kill the jobs bill.

If we discuss the oil-spill I will happily spend a long time talking about GOP deregulation that helped BP get their permits all too easily and then move into the 2005 clean air act passed by a GOP president with a GOP congress and largely authored by Cheyney. I will spend a very long time talking about the Haliburton loopholes, frakking and the environmental damages to thousands of American communities - oh and that ties into BP as well.

But mostly I will talk about the racism and the anti-science.

59 [deleted]  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:04:47pm
60 Targetpractice  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:04:53pm

re: #52 Girth

FTFY

Thank ye kindly.

61 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:05:03pm

re: #46 Irenicum

Brookly, I’m getting really tired of your constant questioning of her motives. Please just shut up.

bite me she had no motives & I made that clear from the start. She is a victim of circumstance, and it will probably work out to her advantage financially, so please shut your own self up.

62 Ojoe  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:05:20pm

re: #50 marjoriemoon

They believe their own BS …

63 Irenicum  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:05:47pm

re: #61 brookly red

So does money mean more than honor to you?

64 Ojoe  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:06:02pm

Yes, BBL …

Ha, it is hard to quit this fine blog.

BBL

65 Walter L. Newton  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:06:33pm

re: #39 jamesfirecat

How about we lead with what wonderful plans the Republican Party has to solve those problems, the exact same ones Bush used to get us into this mess!

Did you get John Deans talking points last week… I did?

66 Cato the Elder  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:06:44pm

Anyone want to talk about “District 9”?

Just finished watching it, and I’m completely floored.

67 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:06:55pm

re: #58 LudwigVanQuixote

Why I will lead with the truth on all of those.

I will start with the naked racism and cut-throat propaganda of Fox and Breitbart.

When talking about jobs, I will go into how the GOP did everything in their power to kill the jobs bill.

If we discuss the oil-spill I will happily spend a long time talking about GOP deregulation that helped BP get their permits all too easily and then move into the 2005 clean air act passed by a GOP president with a GOP congress and largely authored by Cheyney. I will spend a very long time talking about the Haliburton loopholes, frakking and the environmental damages to thousands of American communities - oh and that ties into BP as well.

But mostly I will talk about the racism and the anti-science.

I respect you Sir. Most often I don’t agree but I do respect.

68 jamesfirecat  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:06:59pm

re: #57 Dark_Falcon

With a weak economy, and a public ill at ease with Obama’s major changes the Dems are going to suffer in November. To my mind the only question is: How bad will it be for them?

I still stand by my hopes that the American people will ask the republicans one important question “What are you going to do to make this better?” Because while the Dems answer to that question aren’t great the current ones the GOP is shooting around seem to be even worse….

69 Irenicum  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:07:16pm

re: #66 Cato the Elder

A friend has highly recommended it to me. Gotta see that movie.

70 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:07:31pm

re: #63 Irenicum

So does money mean more than honor to you?

OH piss off and stop baiting me jerk.

71 Mr Pancakes  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:07:34pm

re: #64 Ojoe

Yes, BBL …

Ha, it is hard to quit this fine blog.

BBL

Dude… when you leave I expect a San Gabriel tower cam link.

72 celticdragon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:08:56pm

re: #45 Dark_Falcon

I’ve considered it and I accept it. ACORN is not a force for good, but O’Keefe and Breitbart’s “sting operation” was a hatchet job.


Acorn did good work in some areas and had idiots screwing things up in others.

What you need to realize is that some self styled “conservatives” absolutely hated the work they did in registering poor people to vote.

You saw the same hatred in the Old South when the “bosses” instituted literacy tests or secretly changed polling places to keep uppity blacks and poor “crackers” from voting…and then told poor “cracker” farmers whatever they wanted hear how they were better then poor black farmers.

You can still hear the laughter of the “boss man” echoing around Birmingham and Raleigh and Natchez some nights, I think.


In other news, we had a great Apocalypse game at my house this last weekend. Chaos won…

73 Irenicum  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:10:03pm

re: #70 brookly red

Who’s the one baiting. You’re the one who keeps talking about how great she’s gonna do, all the money she’s gonna make, the circuit she’ll travel and make gobs of money on. Why are you continuously harping on that?

74 Targetpractice  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:10:31pm

re: #61 brookly red

bite me she had no motives & I made that clear from the start. She is a victim of circumstance, and it will probably work out to her advantage financially, so please shut your own self up.

You really, truly believe that losing everything she’s worked for up to now is outweighed by making a small fortune on the talk-show circuit?

75 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:10:33pm

re: #66 Cato the Elder

Anyone want to talk about “District 9”?

Just finished watching it, and I’m completely floored.

I thought it was almost as good as “The Children of Men”, and from my point of view that’s high praise.

76 celticdragon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:10:56pm

re: #75 negativ

I thought it was almost as good as “The Children of Men”, and from my point of view that’s high praise.


I agree.

77 Irenicum  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:11:09pm

re: #72 celticdragon

Well put. ACORN’s “crime” was registering poor folks, who happen to be disproportionately black.

78 Mr Pancakes  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:11:36pm

re: #66 Cato the Elder

Anyone want to talk about “District 9”?

Just finished watching it, and I’m completely floored.

Space-aged Apartheid

79 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:12:12pm

re: #73 Irenicum

Who’s the one baiting. You’re the one who keeps talking about how great she’s gonna do, all the money she’s gonna make, the circuit she’ll travel and make gobs of money on. Why are you continuously harping on that?

buh by guy I am not Bauga I don’t suffer from ego. Play with your self :)

80 Irenicum  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:12:40pm

re: #79 brookly red

Thanks for not answering the question.

81 celticdragon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:13:03pm

re: #78 Mr Pancakes

Space-aged Apartheid


Best sci fi movie last year. One of the 5 best since Blade Runner, IMO.

82 Targetpractice  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:13:18pm

re: #66 Cato the Elder

Anyone want to talk about “District 9”?

Just finished watching it, and I’m completely floored.

Pretty good film, when I could overlook that “in your face” commentary on apartheid-era South Africa. I get a bit soured by films that put making a point, especially a political one, before the story.

83 erraticsphinx  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:13:38pm

re: #68 jamesfirecat

The ODS infecting the GOP is at devastating levels, and will be for some time.

Small example : I was reading (and mentally throwing up at) Pat Buchanan’s article on the Union Leader website.

Under the comments for that race-baiting tripe was one made by a Republican candidate for State House in NH, and he was defending the article.

Here.

84 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:14:17pm

re: #74 Targetpractice, Worst of Both Worlds

You really, truly believe that losing everything she’s worked for up to now is outweighed by making a small fortune on the talk-show circuit?

well no but I am not the one who asked for her resignation perhaps you should take you concern to the source of the problem?

85 Professor Chaos  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:14:53pm

re: #77 Irenicum

Well put. ACORN’s “crime” was registering poor folks, who happen to be disproportionately black.

We’re not being racist. We don’t hate them because they’re black. We hate them because they vote for the wrong party.

/Breitbart, O’Keefe, Limbaugh, Beck, et al.

86 Mr Pancakes  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:18:06pm

re: #81 celticdragon

Best sci fi movie last year. One of the 5 best since Blade Runner, IMO.

I lived next door to Syd Mead’s parents for years……. Syd is a great guy. He designed the futuristic sites in Blade Runner…… he also designed Johnny #5 in Short Circuit.

87 Targetpractice  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:18:30pm

re: #84 brookly red

well no but I am not the one who asked for her resignation perhaps you should take you concern to the source of the problem?

No, but you are the one who posted that she hasn’t had her life ruined, because she’s going to small a wad of cash appearing on Oprah and other talk shows. Me, personally, I don’t consider being tried, found guilty, and sentenced in the court of public opinion based on falsified evidence as insignificant compared to touring the talk-show circuit and making some dough off my misfortune.

88 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:19:27pm

re: #68 jamesfirecat

I still stand by my hopes that the American people will ask the republicans one important question “What are you going to do to make this better?” Because while the Dems answer to that question aren’t great the current ones the GOP is shooting around seem to be even worse…

The voters didn’t ask the Dems that question in 2008, they won’t ask it of the GOP in 2010. People who are politically aware ask things like that, but they are a minority even among off-year voters.

89 Targetpractice  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:19:32pm

re: #87 Targetpractice, Worst of Both Worlds

No, but you are the one who posted that she hasn’t had her life ruined, because she’s going to small make a wad of cash appearing on Oprah and other talk shows. Me, personally, I don’t consider being tried, found guilty, and sentenced in the court of public opinion based on falsified evidence as insignificant compared to touring the talk-show circuit and making some dough off my misfortune.

90 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:19:59pm

re: #87 Targetpractice, Worst of Both Worlds

No, but you are the one who posted that she hasn’t had her life ruined, because she’s going to small a wad of cash appearing on Oprah and other talk shows. Me, personally, I don’t consider being tried, found guilty, and sentenced in the court of public opinion based on falsified evidence as insignificant compared to touring the talk-show circuit and making some dough off my misfortune.

yes and to tell you the truth it was I that shot Lincoln too…

91 Walter L. Newton  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:20:34pm

re: #87 Targetpractice, Worst of Both Worlds

No, but you are the one who posted that she hasn’t had her life ruined, because she’s going to small a wad of cash appearing on Oprah and other talk shows. Me, personally, I don’t consider being tried, found guilty, and sentenced in the court of public opinion based on falsified evidence as insignificant compared to touring the talk-show circuit and making some dough off my misfortune.

Neither would I. But you don’t know, I don’t know, none of us know for sure how she is going to react to future events, or exactly how this will effect her. Effect her it will, but we don’t know how. I hope it’s for the best.

92 Irenicum  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:20:52pm

re: #88 Dark_Falcon

You’re right about that DF. Unfortunately the vast majority of the public votes from their spleen and not from their head. It’s a sad truth.

93 Targetpractice  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:22:17pm

re: #90 brookly red

yes and to tell you the truth it was I that shot Lincoln too…

You know, falling back on this “Woe is me, what a victim am I” schtick is not going to help you win friends and influence people.

94 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:22:18pm

re: #92 Irenicum

You’re right about that DF. Unfortunately the vast majority of the public votes from their spleen and not from their head. It’s a sad truth.

no we vote from our wallets and November is going to be an ugly month :)

95 Irenicum  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:22:38pm

re: #91 Walter L. Newton

I agree with you Walter. I think the worst part of this whole fiasco is that her father was murdered by racists, and now she’s been smeared by that label unjustly. That’s just evil.

96 Fat Bastard Vegetarian  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:23:17pm

re: #66 Cato the Elder

Anyone want to talk about “District 9”?

Just finished watching it, and I’m completely floored.

Blew me away too.

97 Cato the Elder  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:23:33pm

re: #82 Targetpractice, Worst of Both Worlds

Pretty good film, when I could overlook that “in your face” commentary on apartheid-era South Africa. I get a bit soured by films that put making a point, especially a political one, before the story.

I didn’t find it “in your face” at all - in fact, since it happens in the post-apartheid era, I thought it was a brave choice. When I saw the trailers I just assume it was all happening in Los Angeles. Johannesburg was an interesting choice for multiple reasons, not the least being the commentary that if a new class of undesirables shows up, the previous undesirables will often turn out to be worse exploiters than anyone else.

The whole premise of the Nigerian Mafia being the worst of the worst is also intriguing and pretty un-PC, if you ask me.

98 Targetpractice  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:24:05pm

re: #91 Walter L. Newton

Neither would I. But you don’t know, I don’t know, none of us know for sure how she is going to react to future events, or exactly how this will effect her. Effect her it will, but we don’t know how. I hope it’s for the best.

Do I know how it will effect her? No, I can’t say as I do, I flunked my crystal ball reading classes. But I can make an educated guess based on past incidents and my guess is that she will get her 15 minutes of fame, but after that she’s going to be left with the reality that she can’t go back to the way it was.

99 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:24:14pm

re: #93 Targetpractice, Worst of Both Worlds

You know, falling back on this “Woe is me, what a victim am I” schtick is not going to help you win friends and influence people.

I neither want you as a friend nor think you smart enough to be influenced. But good Carnegie reference keep reading…

100 SanFranciscoZionist  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:25:01pm

re: #1 jamesfirecat

The arc of the universe may be long, but it bends towards justice…

The mills of God grind slow, but they grind exceedingly fine.

101 What, me worry?  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:25:24pm

re: #87 Targetpractice, Worst of Both Worlds

No, but you are the one who posted that she hasn’t had her life ruined, because she’s going to small a wad of cash appearing on Oprah and other talk shows. Me, personally, I don’t consider being tried, found guilty, and sentenced in the court of public opinion based on falsified evidence as insignificant compared to touring the talk-show circuit and making some dough off my misfortune.

And if she does do the talk show circuit and make bank, then more power to her. It’s the very least she deserves for being thrown into the spotlight and being dubbed a racist by some troglodyte journalist.

102 AlexRogan  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:25:36pm

re: #5 Charles

I know we still have some lizards who totally bought into the ACORN demonization thing. I did too, for a while.

I hope you’ll be willing to consider the possibility that, like the NAACP, Tom Vilsack, and a lot of other people, you were snookered by a con man.

Agreed…Breitbart is and apparently always has been a complete POS.

103 Four More Tears  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:25:46pm

So what I’m getting is that everything’s okay because she can go make some money from her treatment? How far away are we from claiming that Breitbart did her a favor?

104 erraticsphinx  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:25:57pm

Newt Gingrich gets in on the fun.

Nativism in quickly becoming obligatory in the GOP. This must be the nastiest take on this I have seen.

105 Irenicum  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:26:01pm

re: #84 brookly red

So the “source of the problem” is the Obama administration? Not the racist Breitbart and his toadies Fox News?

106 Charles Johnson  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:26:03pm

re: #97 Cato the Elder

I didn’t find it “in your face” at all - in fact, since it happens in the post-apartheid era, I thought it was a brave choice. When I saw the trailers I just assume it was all happening in Los Angeles. Johannesburg was an interesting choice for multiple reasons, not the least being the commentary that if a new class of undesirables shows up, the previous undesirables will often turn out to be worse exploiters than anyone else.

The whole premise of the Nigerian Mafia being the worst of the worst is also intriguing and pretty un-PC, if you ask me.

A big reason for choosing Johannesburg for the location is that those ghettos in the movie are real. I’ve been there - spent more than a month in South Africa on tour with Al Jarreau - and I’ve seen this stuff up close. Those aren’t sets.

107 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:26:33pm

re: #100 SanFranciscoZionist

The mills of God grind slow, but they grind exceedingly fine.

yup and they are not union either :)

108 Targetpractice  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:26:46pm

re: #97 Cato the Elder

I didn’t find it “in your face” at all - in fact, since it happens in the post-apartheid era, I thought it was a brave choice. When I saw the trailers I just assume it was all happening in Los Angeles. Johannesburg was an interesting choice for multiple reasons, not the least being the commentary that if a new class of undesirables shows up, the previous undesirables will often turn out to be worse exploiters than anyone else.

The whole premise of the Nigerian Mafia being the worst of the worst is also intriguing and pretty un-PC, if you ask me.

*shrugs* Well, like I said, I tried to ignore any political commentary, so I found the movie truly interesting. Personally, my favorite parts of the movie were from the beginning of the mech chase onwards.

109 Stanley Sea  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:26:49pm

re: #103 JasonA

So what I’m getting is that everything’s okay because she can go make some money from her treatment? How far away are we from claiming that Breitbart did her a favor?

Exactly. Low thinking.

110 What, me worry?  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:26:52pm

re: #98 Targetpractice, Worst of Both Worlds

Do I know how it will effect her? No, I can’t say as I do, I flunked my crystal ball reading classes. But I can make an educated guess based on past incidents and my guess is that she will get her 15 minutes of fame, but after that she’s going to be left with the reality that she can’t go back to the way it was.

I have something just for you…

The Magic 8 Ball

111 celticdragon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:27:20pm

re: #106 Charles

A big reason for choosing Johannesburg for the location is that those ghettos in the movie are real. I’ve been there - spent more than a month in South Africa on tour with Al Jarreau - and I’ve seen this stuff up close. Those aren’t sets.

One of the location shots was actually in the bunkers where the SA military stored nuclear weapons.

112 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:28:12pm

re: #105 Irenicum

So the “source of the problem” is the Obama administration? Not the racist Breitbart and his toadies Fox News?

did fox fire her? did breitbart fire her? no she did not work for either of them…

113 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:28:33pm

re: #82 Targetpractice, Worst of Both Worlds

Pretty good film, when I could overlook that “in your face” commentary on apartheid-era South Africa. I get a bit soured by films that put making a point, especially a political one, before the story.

The primary goal of telling a story is “making a point”. That is, unless you’re Grampa Simpson and you had an onion on your belt, which was the style at the time.

If you avoid movies that try to make a point, all that’s left are car chases, explosions, and movies whose primary draw is that some 21 year-old starlet of the moment shows her tits for 15 seconds.

114 freetoken  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:28:35pm

re: #104 erraticsphinx

Newt Gingrich gets in on the fun.

From that link:

There should be no mosque near Ground Zero in New York so long as there are no churches or synagogues in Saudi Arabia. The time for double standards that allow Islamists to behave aggressively toward us while they demand our weakness and submission is over.

Remember, these are people who claim to hold the Constitution so highly that in their minds it’s almost the word of God.

Newt always has been one of the more obvious opportunists.

115 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:28:49pm

re: #104 erraticsphinx

Newt Gingrich gets in on the fun.

Nativism in quickly becoming obligatory in the GOP. This must be the nastiest take on this I have seen.

Great. Newt’s lining up behind Scott Wheeler.

SOMEBODY MAKE THE BAD CRAZINESS STOP!!

/facepalm

116 Fat Bastard Vegetarian  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:28:59pm

re: #97 Cato the Elder

Most poignant moment in the movie for me was when they used the “hero’s” hand to use the alien weapon and blew an alien away. It appeared to be “just for the hell of it”… no consideration was given for “life”.

That changed my posture for the rest of the movie.

117 Stanley Sea  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:29:06pm

re: #104 erraticsphinx

Newt Gingrich gets in on the fun.

Nativism in quickly becoming obligatory in the GOP. This must be the nastiest take on this I have seen.

“The time for double standards that allow Islamists to behave aggressively toward us while they demand our weakness and submission is over. “

Oh my. Triple down Newt.

118 Cato the Elder  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:29:08pm

re: #100 SanFranciscoZionist

The mills of God grind slow, but they grind exceedingly fine.

I believe the original quote is about justice, not God. I may be mistaken.

119 celticdragon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:29:40pm

re: #111 celticdragon

uh, a bunch of my post went missing.

I was saying that one of the location shots in District 9 was in the old nuclear weapon bunkers that used to belong to the South African Air Force.

120 Fat Bastard Vegetarian  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:29:41pm

re: #5 Charles

Guiltily, slowly raises hand…

121 Four More Tears  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:30:01pm

re: #112 brookly red

did fox fire her? did breitbart fire her? no she did not work for either of them…

I can’t imagine any corporation not doing the same. I’m not defending it, but that’s the world we live in. A whiff of bad press and you’ve got to go.

122 erraticsphinx  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:30:12pm

re: #114 freetoken

Even for Newt Gingrich, the tone of this piece was particularly venomous.

It was literally dripping with hatred, everybody should read this. This is one of the LEADERS of the GOP.

123 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:30:27pm

re: #111 celticdragon

One of the location shots was actually in the bunkers where the SA military stored nuclear weapons.

say what?

124 Four More Tears  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:30:40pm

re: #113 negativ

The primary goal of telling a story is “making a point”. That is, unless you’re Grampa Simpson and you had an onion on your belt, which was the style at the time.

If you avoid movies that try to make a point, all that’s left are car chases, explosions, and movies whose primary draw is that some 21 year-old starlet of the moment shows her tits for 15 seconds.

How dare you talk about Transformers 2 like that!

125 Cato the Elder  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:30:46pm

re: #106 Charles

A big reason for choosing Johannesburg for the location is that those ghettos in the movie are real. I’ve been there - spent more than a month in South Africa on tour with Al Jarreau - and I’ve seen this stuff up close. Those aren’t sets.

Yeah, I figured that.

One of the most intriguing moments is early on in the film when the MNU forces deploy through the wall surrounding the alien compound. You get an air-shot, and see that there is no difference between the housing of the slum-dwellers and that of the aliens.

126 Charles Johnson  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:31:08pm

re: #119 celticdragon

Missed a closing > in your blockquote. Preview is your friend.

127 Stanley Sea  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:31:37pm

re: #104 erraticsphinx

Newt Gingrich gets in on the fun.

Nativism in quickly becoming obligatory in the GOP. This must be the nastiest take on this I have seen.

Oh this is really bad


America is experiencing an Islamist cultural-political offensive designed to undermine and destroy our civilization. Sadly, too many of our elites are the willing apologists for those who would destroy them if they could.

No mosque.

No self deception.

No surrender.

The time to take a stand is now - at this site on this issue.

128 Four More Tears  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:31:45pm

re: #119 celticdragon

uh, a bunch of my post went missing.

I was saying that one of the location shots in District 9 was in the old nuclear weapon bunkers that used to belong to the South African Air Force.

South Africa had nuclear weapons? That doesn’t sound right.

129 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:32:14pm

re: #124 JasonA

How dare you talk about Transformers 2 like that!

Well, they’re shooting Transformers 3 in Chicago and Milwaukee this summer, if that makes you feel any better.

130 Irenicum  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:32:31pm

re: #112 brookly red

Wow. Do you know what “source of the problem” means? Why did they do that? What could have possibly preceded her being fired? Oh yeah, that’s it. A racist scumbag purposely distorted her words in order to falsely call her a racist. Again, what does “source of the problem” mean to you?

131 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:32:34pm

re: #121 JasonA

I can’t imagine any corporation not doing the same. I’m not defending it, but that’s the world we live in. A whiff of bad press and you’ve got to go.

I actually support her I think she got a raw deal … but hey

132 Walking Spanish Down the Hall  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:32:45pm

re: #112 brookly red

did fox fire her? did breitbart fire her? no she did not work for either of them…

There would have been no putative reason to even consider firing her if Breitbart had not pushed the out of context video and Fox had not broadcast it. Even the reasons for putting it out there were slimy.

What the USDA did in firing her was a direct result of Breitbart and Fox’s actions.

133 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:32:58pm

re: #128 JasonA

South Africa had nuclear weapons? That doesn’t sound right.

it was the Jooooos

134 celticdragon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:33:03pm

re: #112 brookly red

did fox fire her? did breitbart fire her? no she did not work for either of them…


I call shenanigans on you. Hannity and O’Reilly were screaming for her resignation, and Breitbart/Fox were openly scalp hunting to link another BLACK OBAMA ADMIN RACIST ZOMG in with the Acorn/Van Jones/Black Panthers scaring the white people story they have been building.

135 Charles Johnson  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:33:27pm

Maddow is just pulverizing Fox News tonight, with their own video quotes.

136 Fat Bastard Vegetarian  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:33:29pm

re: #129 Dark_Falcon

I heard on the Sirius Chicago traffic report the other day that an entire area of downtown will be shut down for part of the filming.

I thought it was CGI. They’ve got real Transformers fighting in Chicago?

137 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:33:50pm

re: #128 JasonA

South Africa had nuclear weapons? That doesn’t sound right.

They did have them, and they tested one in 1979. We knew they had them, but the government said nothing because we didn’t want to jam them up. Said weapons were dismantled once Nelson Mandela became president.

138 _RememberTonyC  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:33:53pm

can we add a new word to our vocabulary?

“vilsack”
to fire without just cause

139 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:34:27pm

re: #132 b_sharp

There would have been no putative reason to even consider firing her if Breitbart had not pushed the out of context video and Fox had not broadcast it. Even the reasons for putting it out there were slimy.

What the USDA did in firing her was a direct result of Breitbart and Fox’s actions.

yes it was but if I claim you stole my bicycle and with out any proof the cops lock you up who’s fault is that?

140 Professor Chaos  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:34:28pm

re: #114 freetoken

Why should someone who styles themselves as a patriotic conservative who believes in American Exceptionalism give two shits about what buildings Saudia Arabia does or does not allow to be built?

Opportunist indeed.

141 Ojoe  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:34:44pm

re: #71 Mr Pancakes

OK but it will be better in an hour or so.

(Towercam)

142 erraticsphinx  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:34:59pm

re: #127 Stanley Sea

It’s designed to appeal to the most paranoid and deranged of society.

ZOMG teh elites!

ZOMG teh surrender!

143 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:35:29pm

re: #134 celticdragon

I call shenanigans on you. Hannity and O’Reilly were screaming for her resignation, and Breitbart/Fox were openly scalp hunting to link another BLACK OBAMA ADMIN RACIST ZOMG in with the Acorn/Van Jones/Black Panthers scaring the white people story they have been building.

flipping a bird that you can not see…

144 Charles Johnson  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:35:31pm

re: #138 _RememberTonyC

can we add a new word to our vocabulary?

“vilsack”
to fire without just cause

And another new word:

“Breitbart”

to fraudulently smear an innocent person

145 celticdragon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:35:34pm

re: #123 brookly red

say what?


uh, yeah. They shot one of the movie scenes in an old nuclear weapons bunker that had belonged to the SA Air Force.

Or didn’t you know that South Africa used to have nuclear weapons?

146 Four More Tears  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:35:57pm

re: #138 _RememberTonyC

can we add a new word to our vocabulary?

“vilsack”
to fire without just cause

I love how some Lizards don’t even have to move their focus off of the administration to make a point about this.

As for the hatchet job that was done on her, I vote that we call that an “O’Keefe.”

147 freetoken  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:36:24pm

re: #140 Girth

Newt is playing on the “Our God is bigger than their God” feelings (oh yeah, feelings) of the hate-right.

148 Four More Tears  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:36:47pm

re: #137 Dark_Falcon

re: #145 celticdragon

This is news to me, actually. Thanks for informing me.

149 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:36:56pm

Wow I have not even been here that long and I don’t recognize the place…

150 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:36:59pm

re: #136 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

I heard on the Sirius Chicago traffic report the other day that an entire area of downtown will be shut down for part of the filming.

I thought it was CGI. They’ve got real Transformers fighting in Chicago?

There are no mock up’s of the Transformers themselves, but the scenes and actors are being shot on location. Last weekend they shut down part of Michigan Avenue and these last three days they had part of Wacker Drive closed down. One of my co-workers got a picture of Josh DuHamel last Friday.

151 Four More Tears  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:37:31pm

re: #150 Dark_Falcon

There are no mock up’s of the Transformers themselves, but the scenes and actors are being shot on location. Last weekend they shut down part of Michigan Avenue and these last three days they had part of Wacker Drive closed down. One of my co-workers got a picture of Josh DuHamel last Friday.

Michael Bay just likes to blow stuff up for real.

152 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:37:43pm

re: #145 celticdragon

uh, yeah. They shot one of the movie scenes in an old nuclear weapons bunker that had belonged to the SA Air Force.

Or didn’t you know that South Africa used to have nuclear weapons?

used to? so where are they now?

153 Mr Pancakes  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:37:50pm

re: #141 Ojoe

OK but it will be better in an hour or so.

(Towercam)

Still an awesome shot……. there is no state that can rival California for it’s natural beauty and it’s diverse landscape.

154 Walter L. Newton  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:38:22pm

re: #135 Charles

Maddow is just pulverizing Fox News tonight, with their own video quotes.

Between my efforts to sleep during the day this week because of my work schedule, I’ve had my always present earbud in my ear, with talk radio on, I sleep with the radio blaring in my ear (it’s too damn quiet in the hills here). So, I hear some of the Fox people who have radio shows and quotes/news clips from Fox feeds.

The flip flop has been seamless, people like Hannity have gone from one outrage to the other in a blink of an eye, approaching this subject depending on how the wind was blowing for that hour, and not even caring what sort of spin they had on it not a news cycle past.

It has been disgusting to say the least.

Dinner… bb before work.

155 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:38:25pm

re: #138 _RememberTonyC

re: #144 Charles

Those both work.

156 Fat Bastard Vegetarian  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:38:41pm

re: #106 Charles

If I may ask…

When you’re on tour with a someone like Al J… do y’all hang out? Or just see each other in practices and shows and the like.

I know the band members generally hang, but does the “Big Cheese”?

157 Professor Chaos  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:39:05pm

re: #139 brookly red

yes it was but if I claim you stole my bicycle and with out any proof the cops lock you up who’s fault is that?

I think a more accurate analogy would be if you hid your bicycle in your basement and then accused someone of theft.

158 Cato the Elder  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:39:21pm

Newt Gingrich is the textbook definition of a has-been politician who will do and say anything to keep his chubby face on the airwaves.

159 Charles Johnson  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:39:25pm

Truly, Breitbart has screwed the pooch this week.

160 RogueOne  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:39:33pm

re: #99 brookly red

I neither want you as a friend nor think you smart enough to be influenced. But good Carnegie reference keep reading…

I used to have a shirt that said “I’m ok, You’re an asshole”. No one got the reference.

161 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:39:40pm

re: #151 JasonA

Michael Bay just likes to blow stuff up for real.

Well, most of the explosions are CGI, but they had a real one on Monday. I only see what they’re doing during lunch.

162 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:40:01pm

re: #157 Girth

I think a more accurate analogy would be if you hid your bicycle in your basement and then accused someone of theft.

yet it still was the cops that did the deed, no?

163 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:40:03pm

re: #106 Charles

A big reason for choosing Johannesburg for the location is that those ghettos in the movie are real. I’ve been there - spent more than a month in South Africa on tour with Al Jarreau - and I’ve seen this stuff up close. Those aren’t sets.

You SERIOUSLY need to start posting some Tales from the Tours every once in a while. I guarantee you they are far more interesting than you think they are.

One of the most entertaining things I’ve ever read was a tour diary written by a band nobody has ever heard of.

Worst Hotel: Travelodge, Dallas, TX. I don’t know what it is with these Travelodges—they seem to have a knack for picking out America’s dumbest, least helpful people to work their front desks. Just when I thought that Cleveland’s Mister Howell couldn’t be topped (see Act 21 of the LOB), along comes a surly lady who refused to acknowledge that our room keys wouldn’t open our door. She simply kept giving me different keys and telling me to go back up to the ninth floor and try again. The first three times I was nice. The fourth time I was less so. The fifth time I grew short. The sixth time, when she told me that there was “absolutely nothing” she could do—neither leave her desk nor call somebody else to help—I lost my temper. Finally the manager showed up and told me that she had been giving us keys to the wrong room. Poetic justice: the bitch quit the following morning. Honorable Mention goes to the Sunset Lodge in Wilmington, NC, where only Scott Chatfield stayed. Apparently the “crusty” carpet was only the beginning of the filth Scott had to endure on that night. Then housekeeping practically chased him out of the room the following morning.

164 Targetpractice  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:40:06pm

re: #113 negativ

The primary goal of telling a story is “making a point”. That is, unless you’re Grampa Simpson and you had an onion on your belt, which was the style at the time.

If you avoid movies that try to make a point, all that’s left are car chases, explosions, and movies whose primary draw is that some 21 year-old starlet of the moment shows her tits for 15 seconds.

I may simply not be wording my argument right. What I’m tryin’ to say is I don’t mind a movie with a moral, a story, or a point, just so long as they don’t try to beat me over the head with it. It’s like V for Vendetta, which was in its original incarnation a truly thought-provoking story, turned instead into a 2-hr anti-Bush ad. When it becomes painfully obvious that the script-writer was more interested in the point he’s pushing than in telling a story, it tends to turn me off to a movie.

165 AlexRogan  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:40:11pm

re: #103 JasonA

So what I’m getting is that everything’s okay because she can go make some money from her treatment? How far away are we from claiming that Breitbart did her a favor?

Who’s “we”, paleface?

/Tonto

166 Irenicum  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:40:11pm

re: #154 Walter L. Newton

But Walter, we’ve always been at war with Oceania!

167 Cato the Elder  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:40:12pm

re: #159 Charles

Truly, Breitbart has screwed the pooch this week.

I think he may have jumped the pooch and screwed the shark.

168 tradewind  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:40:14pm

re: #138 _RememberTonyC
LOL @ ’ I vill sack you for that ‘.
Has POTUS yet remarked that Vilsack ’ acted stupidly ’ ?

169 erraticsphinx  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:40:47pm

re: #158 Cato the Elder

He can’t be upstaged by Palin now, can he?

He needed to take this brave, brave stand.

170 CuriousLurker  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:40:48pm

re: #104 erraticsphinx

Newt Gingrich gets in on the fun.

Nativism in quickly becoming obligatory in the GOP. This must be the nastiest take on this I have seen.

Muslims are a great target as far as they’re concerned. There are already plenty of people who hate and/or fear us, and we are perceived as the dangerous “other” in a way that other minorities are not.

171 Guanxi88  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:40:56pm

Enough of this unpleasantness - the world will continue to wend its merry way toward Hell rrgardless of whether we take notice or object.

Here’s a little home-improvement tutorial - tested in the real world by yours truly, as witnessed by the Guadalupe County Volunteer Fire Department:

Say, troubled by wasps? Have hornets built nests the size of the national debt in the eaves of your home? Not to worry - these pesky little critters are easily dealt with, provided you have the right tools, materials, and attitude.

What You’ll Need:

at least one fifth of Night Train Express
Sprite or Ginger Ale (optional)
a tray of ice cubes
a clean (-ish) cup

First, as in any home improvement project, make sure that your loved ones aren’t around and are unlikely to be home for a while.

Begin by putting ice into cup. Pour at least half-full of night train, then top up with mixer of your choice. Alternately, just fill with night train.

So drink it, already.

Repeat until you feel flushed and invincible. You needn’t quite reach the “10 feet tall and bullet proof stage”, but you do need a fair amount of dutch courage for what follows.

Retrieve the propane-fueled flamethrower you used for your last round of vigorous weeding. Confirm that you have at least a half-tank of fuel and that the burner assembly is functioning. (note: for those of you who smoke, DO NOT attempt to light your cig off the flame thrower - you’ll just melt the filter and singe your eyebrows.)

Retrieve the garden hose and spray nozzle. Turn hose on full-blast, and soak the bejeesus outta the nest and surrounding area. Go ahead and soak the roof, the shrubbery, and the siding while you’re there.

Now, crack the valve on the flamethrower slightly and ignite the pilot light. Slowly crank it up to full force and commence to re-enact the last days of Pompeii for your stinging friends. This is a ticklish business - the flames get most of them on the first pass, but a few stragglers can get through; make sure you don’t waste all your fuel on the first few go-arounds.

Make sure you are able to provide a semi-coherent explanation of what you’re doing and why when the VFD show up, and take care NOT to gesture using the business end of the flammenwerfer.

172 Targetpractice  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:41:01pm

re: #144 Charles

And another new word:

“Breitbart”

to fraudulently smear an innocent person

Is that anything like “to Rather”?

173 _RememberTonyC  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:41:03pm

re: #146 JasonA

I love how some Lizards don’t even have to move their focus off of the administration to make a point about this.

As for the hatchet job that was done on her, I vote that we call that an “O’Keefe.”

actually, i was going for the play on words ….. or maybe the “sack” part didn’t register.

174 Fat Bastard Vegetarian  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:41:06pm

re: #159 Charles

He’s damaged his brand, irreparably, IMO.

175 Decatur Deb  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:41:25pm

re: #160 RogueOne

You would like the 1980 movie “Serial”.

176 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:41:44pm

re: #159 Charles

Truly, Breitbart has screwed the pooch this week.

He tried, but even the pooch deemed him unworthy.

177 SanFranciscoZionist  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:42:08pm

re: #40 brookly red

she will make more on one appearance on Oprah then in 10 years of civil service…

Some people actually like having jobs, and lives.

178 Guanxi88  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:42:17pm

re: #128 JasonA

South Africa had nuclear weapons? That doesn’t sound right.

“tis so. They ware the first and only nation to go nuke and then voluntarily disarm, all in secret. The Boers didn’t much relish the thought of a nuclear-armed ANC.

179 celticdragon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:42:29pm

re: #133 brookly red

it was the Jooos


You need to stfu with that at this point.

Israel, right or wrong, made a strategic decision to give military aid to South Africa with the Cheetah/Mirage IIIc fighter program, the Oliphant/Centurion tank, artillery and nuclear weapons development.

Fucking deal with it without the JOOOOS! bullshit.

Every country on earth makes deals with bad actors. Smearing people who observe that it happened is the nmost vile sort of dishonesty.

180 Fat Bastard Vegetarian  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:42:40pm

re: #171 Guanxi88

Glad you didn’t burn your fingers off.

181 Walking Spanish Down the Hall  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:42:47pm

re: #139 brookly red

yes it was but if I claim you stole my bicycle and with out any proof the cops lock you up who’s fault is that?

Yours, for lying with intent.

The cops would be fools to take you at your word.

182 _RememberTonyC  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:43:06pm

re: #159 Charles

Truly, Breitbart has screwed the pooch this week.

doggie style professional suicide?

183 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:43:22pm

re: #177 SanFranciscoZionist

Some people actually like having jobs, and lives.

I would like that for my self & can not wait for November…

185 erraticsphinx  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:44:08pm

re: #170 CuriousLurker

Oh yes, the cowardly always choose their targets well.
If God forbid, the situation ever gets out of control, you guys should know there will always be people who will try to stand up for what’s right, not what’s easy .

:)

186 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:44:17pm

re: #181 b_sharp

Yours, for lying with intent.

The cops would be fools to take you at your word.

well then maybe the people that fired/pushed out this woman were fools?

187 Guanxi88  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:44:19pm

re: #180 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

Glad you didn’t burn your fingers off.

barbecue mitts - readily available at the Home Depot.

188 Cato the Elder  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:44:25pm

re: #172 Targetpractice, Worst of Both Worlds

Is that anything like “to Rather”?

I would rather Rather Breitbart than Breitbart Rather.

189 jamesfirecat  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:45:00pm

re: #184 Killgore Trout

Coulter says Breitbart was “set up” with edited Sherrod tape
LOL@wingnuts

Honestly, when I went into rob that doughnut shop I had no idea there would be fifty cops in there waiting for me!

190 SanFranciscoZionist  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:45:12pm

re: #54 Cato the Elder

Why do you hate Batboy?!?11!

There’s a Batboy musical now.

I knowyou hate me. But if you could only see me the way I see all of you…

Look at all your faces. Children, husbands, wives.
God, you’re all so beautiful. I envy you your lives.
Going to work, building your schools, throwing a football
or swimming in pools.
Out in the sun, living by rules, I could learn how if you’d teach me the tools…
I know I’m strange, so help me change, please.

Let me walk among you. Let me show my face.
I could learn to live with you, I can earn my place.
I will move a mountain; your wish is my command.
And some day you may want to shake my hand.

I will paint your houses. I’ll milk your cows at dawn.
I will do your laundry and I will mow your lawn.
Let me file your taxes. I am a CPA!
And maybe then you’ll shake my hand someday.
I can grow a champion rose, or teach a yoga class.
I myself designed these clothes. I can do my part.
Must I die then with my nose still pressed against the glass?
But if you’d shake my hand, well, thats a start.
Yes, thats a start. Look in your heart!

191 Stanley Sea  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:45:13pm

re: #187 Guanxi88

barbecue mitts - readily available at the Home Depot.

You kill me!!! lol, I can picture it.

192 Targetpractice  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:45:19pm

re: #184 Killgore Trout

Coulter says Breitbart was “set up” with edited Sherrod tape
LOL@wingnuts

It’s the Killian Memos all over again. Karl Rove, you magnificent bastard!

/

193 Irenicum  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:45:44pm

re: #188 Cato the Elder

LOL!

194 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:46:07pm

re: #179 celticdragon

You need to stfu with that at this point.

Israel, right or wrong, made a strategic decision to give military aid to South Africa with the Cheetah/Mirage IIIc fighter program, the Oliphant/Centurion tank, artillery and nuclear weapons development.

Fucking deal with it without the JOOOS! bullshit.

Every country on earth makes deals with bad actors. Smearing people who observe that it happened is the nmost vile sort of dishonesty.

first of all it was sarc, second of all did Israel give SA nukes? I am not thinking so…

195 Guanxi88  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:46:53pm

re: #194 brookly red

first of all it was sarc, second of all did Israel give SA nukes? I am not thinking so…

As I heard it, the two nations collaborated on the project. RSA providing materials, Israel providing know-how.

196 SanFranciscoZionist  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:47:07pm

re: #69 Irenicum

A friend has highly recommended it to me. Gotta see that movie.

Yeah, you really, really do. I’m not sure exactly why it’s so fantastic…there are certainly sci-fi cliches all through it that have been rolling around since the 1950s at least…but it feels fresh as hell, and very immediate.

197 Killgore Trout  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:47:29pm

re: #184 Killgore Trout

Coulter says Breitbart was “set up” with edited Sherrod tape
LOL@wingnuts

In a weird way that does raise an interesting point. If Breitbart really was duped by being sent an edited tape he would instantly out his source as a lefty infiltrator who was trying to discredit him. Of course that’s not the case because he edited the video himself (or one of his employees with his supervision) like with the Acorn tapes.

198 erraticsphinx  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:47:32pm

re: #194 brookly red

en.wikipedia.org

There are varying allegations of collaboration.

199 tradewind  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:47:39pm

re: #186 brookly red
Has it been determined whether or not Benjamin Jealous was actually present at her speech?
Because if he was, it’s a little disingenuous for him to claim he was ‘snookered ’ when he was actually there and could have spoken in her defense immediately instead of leading the condemnation.

200 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:47:44pm

re: #195 Guanxi88

As I heard it, the two nations collaborated on the project. RSA providing materials, Israel providing know-how.

so where are the nukes?

201 Targetpractice  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:47:52pm

re: #189 jamesfirecat

Honestly, when I went into rob that doughnut shop I had no idea there would be fifty cops in there waiting for me!

What’s it like being a rocket scientist?

202 Four More Tears  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:48:08pm

re: #184 Killgore Trout

Coulter says Breitbart was “set up” with edited Sherrod tape
LOL@wingnuts

I could swear the media used to have more integrity than this. “He had crappy sources!” is a piss-poor excuse.

203 Walking Spanish Down the Hall  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:48:17pm

re: #159 Charles

Truly, Breitbart has screwed the pooch this week.

And the pooch complained and is about to bite his … off.

204 RogueOne  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:48:39pm

re: #175 Decatur Deb

You would like the 1980 movie “Serial”.

I looked it up and it sounds familiar. I like Mull, I’ll see if I can find it on DVD anywhere.

205 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:48:40pm

re: #199 tradewind

Has it been determined whether or not Benjamin Jealous was actually present at her speech?
Because if he was, it’s a little disingenuous for him to claim he was ‘snookered ’ when he was actually there and could have spoken in her defense immediately instead of leading the condemnation.

who is that person & why should I care?

206 Cato the Elder  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:48:49pm

re: #184 Killgore Trout

Coulter says Breitbart was “set up” with edited Sherrod tape
LOL@wingnuts

Sneaky, tricksy libruhls.

207 Four More Tears  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:48:50pm

re: #203 b_sharp

And the pooch complained and is about to bite his … off.

Nah, the pooch didn’t feel a thing…

208 Stanley Sea  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:49:00pm

re: #199 tradewind

Has it been determined whether or not Benjamin Jealous was actually present at her speech?
Because if he was, it’s a little disingenuous for him to claim he was ‘snookered ’ when he was actually there and could have spoken in her defense immediately instead of leading the condemnation.

You buy this stuff lock stock and barrel!! He wasn’t there.

209 HoosierHoops  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:49:11pm

re: #106 Charles

A big reason for choosing Johannesburg for the location is that those ghettos in the movie are real. I’ve been there - spent more than a month in South Africa on tour with Al Jarreau - and I’ve seen this stuff up close. Those aren’t sets.

They did a world class job presenting the World Cup this month
Kudos!

210 erraticsphinx  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:49:43pm

re: #206 Cato the Elder

We hatess them.
We hatesss them forever.

211 Killgore Trout  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:49:44pm

re: #192 Targetpractice, Worst of Both Worlds

It’s the Killian Memos all over again. Karl Rove, you magnificent bastard!

/

The wingnuts surpassed the Killian Memos long ago. The key difference is the lefties at CBS actually cared about their credibility enough to fire Rather. Fox news and wingnuts aren’t even bothered with obvious liars.

212 freetoken  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:49:48pm

re: #159 Charles

Truly, Breitbart has screwed the pooch this week.

But his friends don’t care.

Those in the business of hate don’t care.

The sad thing about the free-wheeling era of the internet is that the concept of accountability, which was never that strong in the media to begin with, is out the window.

213 Targetpractice  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:50:02pm

re: #197 Killgore Trout

In a weird way that does raise an interesting point. If Breitbart really was duped by being sent an edited tape he would instantly out his source as a lefty infiltrator who was trying to discredit him. Of course that’s not the case because he edited the video himself (or one of his employees with his supervision) like with the Acorn tapes.

If Breitbart had truly been duped, he’d have already outed his source. He’s gaining nothing by continuing to flog a horse that’s so obviously rung down the curtain and joined the bleedin’ choir invisible.

214 Guanxi88  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:50:06pm

re: #200 brookly red

so where are the nukes?

RSA dismantled theirs, destroyed the equipment and records.

en.wikipedia.org

knew a fellow in the US Navy who told me about the RSA and nukes, circa 1995, reporting it as a publicly-known, but little-discussed, fact of history.

215 SanFranciscoZionist  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:50:10pm

re: #82 Targetpractice, Worst of Both Worlds

Pretty good film, when I could overlook that “in your face” commentary on apartheid-era South Africa. I get a bit soured by films that put making a point, especially a political one, before the story.

I liked that it used a South African setting, though, rather than making it all glossy and set in some predictable major capital, and I liked the references—not instead of apartheid, but after apartheid.

Question, the main character’s surname is van der Merwe. I learned from reading Holidays in Hell that van der Merwe is the name used for the dumb-but-lucky Boer in South African jokes. Is it a common enough name that it’s just chance, or is that deliberate? Any South Africans in the room?

216 darthstar  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:50:28pm

re: #197 Killgore Trout

In a weird way that does raise an interesting point. If Breitbart really was duped by being sent an edited tape he would instantly out his source as a lefty infiltrator who was trying to discredit him. Of course that’s not the case because he edited the video himself (or one of his employees with his supervision) like with the Acorn tapes.

Oh, bullshit. Breitbart already admitted on television this morning that he selected that section of the speech because he felt it illustrated that there were racists in the NAACP and even though he (apparently) knew she wasn’t just talking about hating whitey he made it look that way because people “cheered” when she said she recommended the white farmer to “one of his own”…which, in reality, the audience didn’t actually do.

217 RogueOne  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:50:47pm

re: #196 SanFranciscoZionist

Yeah, you really, really do. I’m not sure exactly why it’s so fantastic…there are certainly sci-fi cliches all through it that have been rolling around since the 1950s at least…but it feels fresh as hell, and very immediate.

That’s it, it was different which is hard to do in the genre.

218 Cato the Elder  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:50:49pm

re: #210 erraticsphinx

We hatess them.
We hatesss them forever.

Ann “Orexia” Coulter certainly does.

She’s another one who ought to be taken down a few pegs.

219 Macha  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:51:01pm

re: #135 Charles

Maddow is just pulverizing Fox News tonight, with their own video quotes.

I’m glad to hear this. I just watched the ABC evening news and there was not a single mention of Breitbart or Fox news when they ran the story. I’m not surprised at the omission of FOX but to make Breitbart into an anonymous instigator is pretty questionable.

220 CuriousLurker  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:51:02pm

re: #185 erraticsphinx

Oh yes, the cowardly always choose their targets well.
If God forbid, the situation ever gets out of control, you guys should know there will always be people who will try to stand up for what’s right, not what’s easy .

:)

I know. I’m not worried about it. That’s not to say I take it lightly as it can surely get very ugly, but I have faith in the inherent fairness and basic decency of (most of) my fellow Americans. ;o)

221 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:51:14pm

re: #179 celticdragon

You need to stfu with that at this point.

Israel, right or wrong, made a strategic decision to give military aid to South Africa with the Cheetah/Mirage IIIc fighter program, the Oliphant/Centurion tank, artillery and nuclear weapons development.

Fucking deal with it without the JOOOS! bullshit.

Every country on earth makes deals with bad actors. Smearing people who observe that it happened is the nmost vile sort of dishonesty.

To be fair, CD, Brookly didn’t mean that as a slap at Israel. Any slap was directed at the people who vilify Israel for having done it. Using “Jooos” like that here is meant as a slap at Jew-haters.

222 Four More Tears  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:51:32pm

re: #220 CuriousLurker

{{CL}}

223 Targetpractice  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:51:40pm

re: #211 Killgore Trout

The wingnuts surpassed the Killian Memos long ago. The key difference is the lefties at CBS actually cared about their credibility enough to fire Rather. Fox news and wingnuts aren’t even bothered with obvious liars.

I was going to say the difference was that Rather at least tried to make an effort, even if it was an obviously piss-poor one, to verify that the Memos were authentic. From all accounts, Faux didn’t even attempt that much.

224 Irenicum  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:52:00pm

re: #214 Guanxi88

That makes me wonder if they inherited some of the German scientists after the war just like the US and the Soviets did? It would make sense then.

225 tradewind  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:52:13pm

re: #205 brookly red
Sorry for the evidently obscure reference. Jealous is the president of the NAACP who led the condemnation of Ms. Sherrod and then claimed he had been snookered by that wily coyote Fox.

226 brookly red  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:52:17pm

re: #214 Guanxi88

RSA dismantled theirs, destroyed the equipment and records.

[Link: en.wikipedia.org…]

knew a fellow in the US Navy who told me about the RSA and nukes, circa 1995, reporting it as a publicly-known, but little-discussed, fact of history.

with all due respect no one gives up nukes.

227 CuriousLurker  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:52:28pm

re: #222 JasonA

{{CL}}

(((JasonA)))

228 darthstar  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:52:43pm

re: #159 Charles

Truly, Breitbart has screwed the pooch this week.

Screwed the pooch? He totally fucking intercoursed the canine. He did the dog. He hosed the hound. He porked the puppy. Breitbart is the poster child for Santorum’s campaign against man-dog love.

229 Stanley Sea  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:52:54pm

re: #208 Stanley Sea

You buy this stuff lock stock and barrel!! He wasn’t there.

From Politico:

…”NAACP President Ben Jealous was not in attendance at the speech former Department of Agriculture official Shirley Sherrod lost her job over, POLITICO has confirmed.

Some of the same conservative blogs that pushed the initial misleading video of Sherrod that prompted the Department of Agriculture to ask for her resignation were pushing a new story on Wednesday that Jealous had attended the speech and therefore questioned his honesty in saying that he had been “snookered” into condemning Sherrod”

Read more: politico.com

230 celticdragon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:53:06pm

re: #194 brookly red

first of all it was sarc, second of all did Israel give SA nukes? I am not thinking so…


Clever non-use of sarc tags, hmm?

Israel and SA had a deal, and 99.99985 of us will never know exactly what all of it was…but SA got some sort of technology transfer (probably centrifuges and high speed capaciters) SA has plenty of Uranium ore along with rare earth minerals, cobalt and lots of other great stuff you get in mines.

I imagine Israel wanted some of that. So did we. (Cobalt is used in jet engines, for example…)

The nukes were dismantled before Mandela took power, I believe. I may be wrong on that.

231 Charles Johnson  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:53:08pm

re: #199 tradewind

Has it been determined whether or not Benjamin Jealous was actually present at her speech?
Because if he was, it’s a little disingenuous for him to claim he was ‘snookered ’ when he was actually there and could have spoken in her defense immediately instead of leading the condemnation.

He was NOT present at the speech.

Gateway Pundit reader, I see.

232 freetoken  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:53:13pm

As the Governator’s term draws to an end it appears as if he is going to venture out into comedy:

Gov. Schwarzenegger pokes fun at Mel Gibson, Rush Limbaugh

Schwarzenegger, speaking to the National Assn. of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, told the standing-room audience he’s been lifting weights — and recently hoisted 375 pounds.

“I lifted Rush Limbaugh out of the chair,” he said of the conservative radio host, who has long criticized the governor.

Schwarzenegger wasn’t done. He said there was a recent mix of good and bad news. The good: the BP oil spill has been contained. The bad: “Mel Gibson, no one knows how to contain.”

Maybe if Arnold becomes a pundit we’d see some real push back against the hate-industry?

233 Guanxi88  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:53:42pm

re: #224 Irenicum

That makes me wonder if they inherited some of the German scientists after the war just like the US and the Soviets did? It would make sense then.

Who, RSA? Naah - they likely swapped fuel for know-how during the arms embargo and the subsequent unpleasantness.

234 SanFranciscoZionist  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:54:15pm

re: #118 Cato the Elder

I believe the original quote is about justice, not God. I may be mistaken.

Quick Google attributes the original quote to a third-century gentleman, Sextus Empiricus, who says ‘the gods’.

235 Professor Chaos  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:54:25pm

re: #218 Cato the Elder

Ann “Orexia” Coulter certainly does.

She’s another one who ought to be taken down a few pegs.

At the very least she ought to be made to eat a cheeseburger or three.

236 tradewind  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:54:38pm

re: #211 Killgore Trout
Yeah, they immediately Vilsacked him.
Uh….. not so much. Rather announced in November ( a while after the rathergate affair) that he was retiring in March.

237 SanFranciscoZionist  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:54:41pm

re: #120 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

Guiltily, slowly raises hand…

We love you, man!!

238 Walking Spanish Down the Hall  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:54:48pm

re: #207 JasonA

Nah, the pooch didn’t feel a thing…

Chihuahuas are pretty small.

239 Guanxi88  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:55:28pm

re: #226 brookly red

with all due respect no one gives up nukes.

When you’re about to hand over the government to the people you’ve been oppressing and murdering for better than half a century, you try to avoid passing along anything at all that could do you harm. boers feared the ANC would go simian-feces and take retribution.

240 engineer cat  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:55:44pm

Coulter says Breitbart was “set up” with edited Sherrod tape

if coultergeist says “ouch”, the blowback onto the wingnuts must sting

i feel better now

241 Four More Tears  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:55:48pm

re: #238 b_sharp

Chihuahuas are pretty small.

Eggzactly.

242 darthstar  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:55:49pm

re: #238 b_sharp

Chihuahuas are pretty small.

So is Breitbart (nttaawwt) I hear.

243 SanFranciscoZionist  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:55:57pm

re: #138 _RememberTonyC

can we add a new word to our vocabulary?

“vilsack”
to fire without just cause

Appropriate, especially given the use of ‘sack’ to mean ‘fire’ in British usage.

244 Irenicum  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:56:11pm

re: #228 darthstar

And they called it puppy love….

245 Fat Bastard Vegetarian  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:56:31pm

re: #237 SanFranciscoZionist

And I don’t blame ya!

246 tradewind  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:56:35pm

re: #229 Stanley Sea
Well that’s good to know.
Still, since the speech was an address to the NAACP, it would have been smart for the national president to at least view the whole tape before calling for her head.

247 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:56:56pm

re: #238 b_sharp

Chihuahuas are pretty small.

He mated with a Mexican Dog?! OUTRAGEOUS OUTRAGE!!!11 That Chihuahua took a job from an American dog!!1

/wingnuts

248 erraticsphinx  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:57:07pm

Palin/Santorum ‘12!

249 celticdragon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:57:12pm

re: #221 Dark_Falcon

To be fair, CD, Brookly didn’t mean that as a slap at Israel. Any slap was directed at the people who vilify Israel for having done it. Using “Jooos” like that here is meant as a slap at Jew-haters.

Uh, that is what I was slapping him for. Pointing out that Israel and the RSA had a deal where South Africa got nukes does not entitle one to be smeared as a “JOOOO” hater.

Fuck that.

250 darthstar  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:57:30pm

re: #244 Irenicum

And they called it puppy love…

Breitbart went Donny Osmond on a dog?

251 prairiefire  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:57:55pm

Good lord, it’s pouring again.

252 Four More Tears  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:58:00pm

re: #246 tradewind

Well that’s good to know.
Still, since the speech was an address to the NAACP, it would have been smart for the national president to at least view the whole tape before calling for her head.

Now if only we could change same words around and make this about Congress and ACORN…

253 CuriousLurker  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:58:00pm

re: #220 CuriousLurker

I know. I’m not worried about it. That’s not to say I take it lightly as it can surely get very ugly, but I have faith in the inherent fairness and basic decency of (most of) my fellow Americans. ;o)

Besides, if things get too crazy I can always move back to Brooklyn. Or ditch the hijab and go live in the Spanish Harlem or the Bronx (where I could easily pass for a Puerto Rican) until things cools off. Taqiyyah! Heh.

254 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:58:22pm

re: #246 tradewind

Well that’s good to know.
Still, since the speech was an address to the NAACP, it would have been smart for the national president to at least view the whole tape before calling for her head.

Yes, and he has admitted he screwed up. Further, his error was that of weakness, unlike Breitbart’s actions, which born of malice.

255 AlexRogan  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:58:23pm

re: #184 Killgore Trout

Coulter says Breitbart was “set up” with edited Sherrod tape
LOL@wingnuts

“The b**ch set me up!”

/Marion Barry

256 Irenicum  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:58:30pm

re: #233 Guanxi88

Prolly right.

257 Fat Bastard Vegetarian  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:58:48pm

re: #250 darthstar

And I guess they’ll never knooow…
How a young heart, truly feeEEeellls
And how I love her soooo…


Oh gosh. I didn’t even look that up.

I wonder how close I was…

258 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:59:02pm

re: #249 celticdragon

Uh, that is what I was slapping him for. Pointing out that Israel and the RSA had a deal where South Africa got nukes does not entitle one to be smeared as a “JOOO” hater.

Fuck that.

I don’t think he was trying to smear you.

259 Targetpractice  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:59:07pm

re: #236 tradewind

Yeah, they immediately Vilsacked him.
Uh… not so much. Rather announced in November ( a while after the rathergate affair) that he was retiring in March.

That will forever be the one thing that irritates the fuck out of me about Rathergate, more than anything else: That Dan got to go off into the sunset with his reputation (mostly) intact. He should have been sacked and given 20 minutes to clear out his desk and exit the building, instead he got to retire with the rest of the media getting misty-eyed over seeing him go. The only thing that somewhat soothes that pain is that he’s since taken to wasting his retirement money going after the real killers…er, after CBS for forcing him to retire.

260 Guanxi88  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:59:10pm

So these fine folk are asking - “why should that handsome rogue Guanxi88 give up Thunderbird?”

Simple. Sayyid - the sommelier and gas station attendant at the corner, was kind enough to lay in a supply for me. “My friend,” he says to me, “I see that you enjoy the strong wine. Here is the strongest wine my distributor carries.” I was floored - Night Train is hard to come by down here, and yet, he had a whole case of it, smiling at me through the cardboard of the carton, begging, like small puppies, to be brought home.

261 Four More Tears  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:59:18pm

re: #253 CuriousLurker

Besides, if things get too crazy I can always move back to Brooklyn. Or ditch the hijab and go live in the Spanish Harlem or the Bronx (where I could easily pass for a Puerto Rican) until things cools off. Taqiyyah! Heh.

Five’ll get you ten that this quote ends up on a stalker blog.

262 Jimmah  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:59:48pm

re: #114 freetoken

From that link:

There should be no mosque near Ground Zero in New York so long as there are no churches or synagogues in Saudi Arabia. The time for double standards that allow Islamists to behave aggressively toward us while they demand our weakness and submission is over.


Remember, these are people who claim to hold the Constitution so highly that in their minds it’s almost the word of God.

Newt always has been one of the more obvious opportunists.

Yep. Also,he is demanding that America reach parity with Saudi Arabia in terms of religious tolerance. Can anyone see the tiny flaw in that approach?

263 tradewind  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:59:52pm

re: #231 Charles
No, don’t read ’ gateway pundit’.
Heard it discussed on a drivetime radio show, which is why I didn’t say it happened, but asked.

264 Fat Bastard Vegetarian  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 6:59:56pm

re: #257 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

Oh gosh. I was close.

265 Nimed  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:00:03pm

re: #197 Killgore Trout

In a weird way that does raise an interesting point. If Breitbart really was duped by being sent an edited tape he would instantly out his source as a lefty infiltrator who was trying to discredit him. Of course that’s not the case because he edited the video himself (or one of his employees with his supervision) like with the Acorn tapes.

Excellent point. If he was duped, why not just burn the source that deceived him?

Of course, this was a guy who tried pretty much everything by now: casting doubt on the identity of the farmers, insisting that Sherrod is a racist, that the story was never about her, etc.

266 Guanxi88  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:00:19pm

re: #256 Irenicum

Prolly right.

It’s how I would have done it, if I were in their place.

267 CuriousLurker  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:00:57pm

Shoot, I’ve been putting off watching District 9, but now all this talk about it has made me want to go watch the DVD tonight.

268 What, me worry?  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:01:13pm

re: #230 celticdragon

Clever non-use of sarc tags, hmm?

Israel and SA had a deal, and 99.99985 of us will never know exactly what all of it was…but SA got some sort of technology transfer (probably centrifuges and high speed capaciters) SA has plenty of Uranium ore along with rare earth minerals, cobalt and lots of other great stuff you get in mines.

I imagine Israel wanted some of that. So did we. (Cobalt is used in jet engines, for example…)

The nukes were dismantled before Mandela took power, I believe. I may be wrong on that.

Back off Brookly. He didn’t say anything offense. It was sarcasm.

The Mirage fighters were French made and sold to many countries by France, not Israel. Israel bought them and so did S. Africa. The Centurion tanks were made by the British and Israel also bought them.

Israel denounced apartheid strongly during the 1960s, but after the Yom Kippur war (1973) countries were pulling away support for Israel. They began selling arms to S. Africa, but nuclear? Israel has been accused of doing so, but there isn’t any proof.

269 Killgore Trout  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:01:15pm

re: #255 talon_262

“The b**ch set me up!”

/Marion Barry

Ha!

270 darthstar  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:01:38pm

Headed to Alice’s for dinner, where I can have anything I want! (translation: Chili Burger). Though I do like their “Hog Burger.”

Youtube Video

Well, it is only a half mile from my house…

271 Targetpractice  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:02:08pm

re: #267 CuriousLurker

Shoot, I’ve been putting off watching District 9, but now all this talk about it has made me want to go watch the DVD tonight.

Despite my words above, I do think it was a good movie and really recommend it. I know the phrase is overused when describing movies, but it will definitely make you think.

272 Fat Bastard Vegetarian  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:02:08pm

re: #267 CuriousLurker

Do it. Amazing.

273 freetoken  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:02:09pm

News about the Martian movement in Congress:


Bachmann in overdrive

This ought to be fun: Michele Bachmann, the ever-so-uninhibited congresswoman from Minnesota who recently opined that President Barack Obama is turning America into “a nation of slaves,” has won approval from House leaders to create a Tea Party Caucus.

Democrats, for obvious reasons, seem eager to go to battle with this rambling sideshow, so diverse in its views that it includes a tea-party group in Iowa that thought it would be illuminating to us all to put up a billboard featuring Obama, Adolf Hitler and Vladimir Lenin.

But the reaction from Bachmann’s GOP colleagues appears decidedly mixed. Indiana’s Mike Pence, chairman of the House Republican Conference, joined the caucus with an enthusiastic “You betcha!” Others announced on Twitter that they’re in.

But some folks are offering up the political equivalent of the “I’d love to, but I’m too busy sorting my sock drawer” excuse. (“Oh, and filibustering! Lots of filibustering!”)

[…]

The fear of being co-opted isn’t out of place, it appears.

Trent Lott, a former Republican leader who fell from grace after he sang the praises of Strom Thurmond’s long-ago segregationist bid for the White House, is now a lobbyist on Capitol Hill.

He has plans for any tea partiers who win in this fall’s elections. “As soon as they get here, we need to co-opt them,” he told The Washington Post.

But Lott doesn’t think it’ll come to that. “I still have faith in the visceral judgment of the American people,” he said.

Ah, faith in the visceral.

Ahh… visceral… there are those feelings again.

The “Tea Party Caucus” ought to be a barrel of laughs.

274 Guanxi88  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:02:10pm

re: #267 CuriousLurker

Shoot, I’ve been putting off watching District 9, but now all this talk about it has made me want to go watch the DVD tonight.

I was genuinely impressed with the flick, and, like Mikey from the commercials, I hate everything. Gets its message across, but never preaches at you. you hate the prawns, then sorta respect them, then love and admire them.

275 Irenicum  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:02:11pm

re: #253 CuriousLurker

As the Arabic version of my name means, Salaam.

276 Fat Bastard Vegetarian  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:02:58pm

re: #270 darthstar

‘Ceptin’ Alice!

G’night knuckleheads!

277 tradewind  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:03:00pm

re: #252 JasonA
I would imagine that the WH (and possibly the NAACP) would rather it just go away.

278 tnguitarist  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:03:04pm

re: #260 Guanxi88

So these fine folk are asking - “why should that handsome rogue Guanxi88 give up Thunderbird?”

Simple. Sayyid - the sommelier and gas station attendant at the corner, was kind enough to lay in a supply for me. “My friend,” he says to me, “I see that you enjoy the strong wine. Here is the strongest wine my distributor carries.” I was floored - Night Train is hard to come by down here, and yet, he had a whole case of it, smiling at me through the cardboard of the carton, begging, like small puppies, to be brought home.

That stuff will kill you. Not passively; it will jump out of the bottle and physically harm you.

279 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:03:05pm

re: #262 Jimmah

Yep. Also,he is demanding that America reach parity with Saudi Arabia in terms of religious tolerance. Can anyone see the tiny flaw in that approach?

I can, but it took me a while to see it. The tables finally turned when I saw how batshit insane Scott Wheeler had gone on the issue. Now Palin and Gingrich are following him into the abyss.

280 ryannon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:03:48pm

re: #39 jamesfirecat

How about we lead with what wonderful plans the Republican Party has to solve those problems, the exact same ones Bush used to get us into this mess!

So essentially, it’s all Bush’s fault.

I get it.

281 Irenicum  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:04:05pm

re: #261 JasonA

If I were a betting man I’d lay down some money.

282 Cato the Elder  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:04:09pm

Andy Breitbart, a loose-cannon pundit,
says, “If you’ll do the dirt work, I’ll fund it.”
Sane people all stare
at a face lying bare
and a man who’s so willing to punt it.

Copyright © 2010 Cato the Elder

283 Guanxi88  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:04:19pm

re: #278 tnguitarist

That stuff will kill you. Not passively; it will jump out of the bottle and physically harm you.

I enjoy a good challenge. Besides - my liver has been slacking off here lately - time to make that lazy bastard pay.

284 CuriousLurker  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:04:51pm

re: #261 JasonA

Five’ll get you ten that this quote ends up on a stalker blog.

LOL, well, even stalkers need to have fun. *waves @ stalkers*

285 Cato the Elder  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:05:02pm

re: #267 CuriousLurker

Shoot, I’ve been putting off watching District 9, but now all this talk about it has made me want to go watch the DVD tonight.

It’s rather disturbing. Have alcohol handy.

286 Targetpractice  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:05:03pm

re: #274 Guanxi88

I was genuinely impressed with the flick, and, like Mikey from the commercials, I hate everything. Gets its message across, but never preaches at you. you hate the prawns, then sorta respect them, then love and admire them.

And it might make you temporarily crave cat food…or maybe that was just me.

/

287 prairiefire  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:05:06pm

re: #66 Cato the Elder

Anyone want to talk about “District 9”?

Just finished watching it, and I’m completely floored.

How did it floor you?

288 Fat Bastard Vegetarian  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:05:11pm

re: #283 Guanxi88

On a tshirt I saw…

This liver is evil and must be punished…

289 jamesfirecat  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:05:22pm

re: #280 ryannon

So essentially, it’s all Bush’s fault.

I get it.

No it’s the fault of Bush’s policies.

And if the current GOP wants to go back to those policies, how exactly are them to do any better than Bush did with them?

290 engineer cat  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:05:38pm

re: #273 freetoken

News about the Martian movement in Congress:

Bachmann in overdrive

Ahh… visceral… there are those feelings again.

The “Tea Party Caucus” ought to be a barrel of laughs.


i anticipate Tea Party Youth camps before too long…

291 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:05:56pm

re: #268 marjoriemoon

Back off Brookly. He didn’t say anything offense. It was sarcasm.

The Mirage fighters were French made and sold to many countries by France, not Israel. Israel bought them and so did S. Africa. The Centurion tanks were made by the British and Israel also bought them.

Israel denounced apartheid strongly during the 1960s, but after the Yom Kippur war (1973) countries were pulling away support for Israel. They began selling arms to S. Africa, but nuclear? Israel has been accused of doing so, but there isn’t any proof.

But Israel did share the data of its upgrade programs for those weapon systems with South Africa and they also granted SA a manufacturing license for their Galil assault rifle, which was modified then enter SA Army service as the G4.

292 tradewind  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:06:27pm

re: #259 Targetpractice, Worst of Both Worlds
He gets a commentary gig here and there.
Has he written his memoirs yet?

293 Four More Tears  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:06:41pm

re: #289 jamesfirecat

No it’s the fault of Bush’s policies.

And if the current GOP wants to go back to those policies, how exactly are them to do any better than Bush did with them?

*ahem* Obviously Bush’s problem was that he didn’t go far enough. More tax cuts! Less regulation!

294 Four More Tears  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:07:16pm

re: #290 engineer dog

i anticipate Tea Party Youth camps before too long…

Have you ever seen the documentary “Jesus Camp?”

295 AlexRogan  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:08:11pm

re: #290 engineer dog

i anticipate Tea Party Youth camps before too long…

Too late…someone posted about one not long ago.

296 freetoken  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:08:17pm

More news about the Martian caucus:


Latest Members of the Tea Party Caucus

Which is list from the Ms. Bachmann. Well, it’s nice to have all the revanchist atavists in one place, I guess.

But…

Bachmann Inflates Tea Party Caucus Numbers

Earlier this morning, Rep. Michele Bachmann’s office released a list of members of the newly-formed Tea Party Caucus. The list included congressmen who had supported the tea party for some time, like Reps. Joe Wilson, Mike Pence and Michele Bachmann.

One problem, however: at least two members had not yet agreed to join, and several of the offices were either unaware that their congressman had joined the Tea Party caucus or were not informed that Bachman was going to release their names.

297 Guanxi88  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:08:18pm

re: #294 JasonA

Have you ever seen the documentary “Jesus Camp?”

I have - kinda creepy, but hey, it’s a free country; we can inflict anything we wish on our children, short of outright physical abuse.

298 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:08:37pm

re: #116 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

Most poignant moment in the movie for me was when they used the “hero’s” hand to use the alien weapon and blew an alien away. It appeared to be “just for the hell of it”… no consideration was given for “life”.

That changed my posture for the rest of the movie.

Back in WWI, weapons researchers found that a chemical called chloropicrin could penetrate the seals of gas masks. Its primary effect was to cause extreme nausea and vomiting. So the Germans would spray this stuff on the field before deploying mustard gas, and your choice was to either drown in your own spew, or to remove your mask to let the chunks out, whereupon you’d drown in your own blood as the mustard gas caused your lungs to hemorrhage. It has always fascinated me that people get paid to think this stuff up.

It really seems that, all through history, much more effort and resources have been put into developing ways to make other people die than to helping people live. It’s certainly more politically popular.

299 Cato the Elder  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:08:46pm

re: #287 prairiefire

How did it floor you?

Mostly through the story-arc of the main character, who starts out as a smarmy little functionary willing to do and say anything to “clear the ghetto”, and ends up finding that the aliens are his only friends.

300 AntonSirius  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:08:51pm

I flipped over to Anderson Cooper, just to see if CNN was still on this, and he just took a two-by-four upside Breitbart’s head, all but calling him a liar and a race baiter.

Fun to watch, even if it probably won’t mean a damn thing in the long run.

301 CuriousLurker  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:09:03pm

re: #272 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

Do it. Amazing.

re: #274 Guanxi88

I was genuinely impressed with the flick, and, like Mikey from the commercials, I hate everything. Gets its message across, but never preaches at you. you hate the prawns, then sorta respect them, then love and admire them.

re: #285 Cato the Elder

It’s rather disturbing. Have alcohol handy.

Okay, you guys have convinced me. The King of Scotland and Avatar will have to wait till the weekend.

302 Targetpractice  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:09:21pm

re: #292 tradewind

He gets a commentary gig here and there.
Has he written his memoirs yet?

Apparently he wrote them back in ‘06, which is news to me. You can order a “Like New” copy from Amazon for one whole penny, plus the shipping costs.

I tell ya, every now and then, it’s nice to indulge in a little schadenfreude.

303 engineer cat  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:10:39pm

re: #294 JasonA

Have you ever seen the documentary “Jesus Camp?”

yes! amazing movie!

actually, despite my serious cultural and ideological differences with the proprietors (is that the 17th century they’re living in?) i liked the fact that they were empowering the young people

304 Irenicum  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:10:40pm

re: #294 JasonA

That’s a really disturbing doc. I know people who are totally like that.

305 freetoken  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:10:40pm

re: #297 Guanxi88

I have - kinda creepy, but hey, it’s a free country; we can inflict anything we wish on our children, short of outright physical abuse.

Oh, really?

306 What, me worry?  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:11:27pm

re: #291 Dark_Falcon

But Israel did share the data of its upgrade programs for those weapon systems with South Africa and they also granted SA a manufacturing license for their Galil assault rifle, which was modified then enter SA Army service as the G4.

They weren’t nuclear though.

307 Jimmah  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:11:42pm

re: #284 CuriousLurker

LOL, well, even stalkers need to have fun. *waves @ stalkers*

I think it’s great that we are starting to get muslim posters here on LGF. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, most of the people who are bigoted towards muslims have little or no contact with muslims whatsoever. That makes it easier for them to demonise them, since they have no actual experience to counter whatever crap they are reading/watching about them.

308 AntonSirius  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:11:47pm

re: #299 Cato the Elder

Mostly through the story-arc of the main character, who starts out as a smarmy little functionary willing to do and say anything to “clear the ghetto”, and ends up finding that the aliens are his only friends.

Awesome. I jump onto the bottom of the thread and into the middle of a District 9 discussion.

309 Guanxi88  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:11:48pm

Well, I’ll be attending my second Chinese funeral tomorrow. Gotta brace myself for it - it’s a twofer: Confucian elements with a holy-rolling evangelical thumper overlay. Kowtow and Corinthians, as it were.

310 CuriousLurker  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:12:26pm

re: #275 Irenicum

As the Arabic version of my name means, Salaam.

Really? You mean Irenicum or your real real name? Every time I see your nick I tell myself I’m gonna look it up, but I always forget.

Either way, salaam! (Now they’re gonna blog about you too.)

311 Targetpractice  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:12:34pm

re: #298 negativ

Back in WWI, weapons researchers found that a chemical called chloropicrin could penetrate the seals of gas masks. Its primary effect was to cause extreme nausea and vomiting. So the Germans would spray this stuff on the field before deploying mustard gas, and your choice was to either drown in your own spew, or to remove your mask to let the chunks out, whereupon you’d drown in your own blood as the mustard gas caused your lungs to hemorrhage. It has always fascinated me that people get paid to think this stuff up.

It really seems that, all through history, much more effort and resources have been put into developing ways to make other people die than to helping people live. It’s certainly more politically popular.

I find a bit of dark humor in that both the guillotine and the Gatling gun were designed for humane purposes. The first to make execution less painful, the second in the belief that such weapons would lower the human toll of future wars.

312 engineer cat  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:12:40pm

re: #295 talon_262

Too late…someone posted about one not long ago.

i owe them a beverage of their choice, according to teh traditions of teh internets

313 Four More Tears  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:12:46pm

re: #303 engineer dog

yes! amazing movie!

actually, despite my serious cultural and ideological differences with the proprietors (is that the 17th century they’re living in?) i liked the fact that they were empowering the young people

Empowering them? By teaching them that Harry Potter was an evil warlock and that they (6- 10 year olds…) are just full of sin?

314 Guanxi88  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:14:05pm

re: #305 freetoken

Oh, really?

More or less. The price we pay for our liberties is that some of our fellow citizens will inflict the most pernicious nonsense on their spawn, under the guise of homeschooling and/or religious education (both of which I support, in spite of the problems).

The day you can no longer tell you kid that his thoughts are little more than re-runs of a Reptilian alien overlord’s favorite sit-com, filtered through the medium of Illuminati mind-control and made real by implanted micro-chips that help make the experience immersive is the day we’ve lost the right to be free.

315 Cato the Elder  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:14:12pm

re: #301 CuriousLurker

Okay, you guys have convinced me. The King of Scotland and Avatar will have to wait till the weekend.

The movie is also a stunning tour-de-force in the integration of different styles, beginning as a documentary, then moving through about half a dozen genres, including action-adventure, the lonely-fugitive-on-the-run, corporate conspiracy, with nods to classic sci-fi flicks like “Robocop” and “Terminator” thrown in for good measure.

I’ll be eager to hear what you think of it.

316 Four More Tears  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:14:49pm

re: #311 Targetpractice, Worst of Both Worlds

I find a bit of dark humor in that both the guillotine and the Gatling gun were designed for humane purposes. The first to make execution less painful, the second in the belief that such weapons would lower the human toll of future wars.

Yeah, Doc Gatling’s heart was in the heart place. At least Oppenheimer succeeded in making a weapon no nation would want to use (more than twice).

317 CuriousLurker  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:15:13pm

re: #307 Jimmah

I think it’s great that we are starting to get muslim posters here on LGF. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, most of the people who are bigoted towards muslims have little or no contact with muslims whatsoever. That makes it easier for them to demonise them, since they have no actual experience to counter whatever crap they are reading/watching about them.

Yeah, God forbid they should actually get to know and maybe even *GASP* like one of us. That would be just awful.

318 prairiefire  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:15:18pm

re: #299 Cato the Elder

Mostly through the story-arc of the main character, who starts out as a smarmy little functionary willing to do and say anything to “clear the ghetto”, and ends up finding that the aliens are his only friends.

Wasn’t the actor, Sharito Copley, incredibly engaging? His character is totally sold on being a company man, participating with the documentary cameras, upholding his company’s quasi arparthid like practices, and then it all changes. The director, Neill Blomkamp was also a co writer. I look forward to more from these artists.
My husband said they did not need to add much to the bleak South African set.
Also, all the shoot ups looked like they cost more money than what the production had.

319 Irenicum  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:15:22pm

re: #307 Jimmah

Excellent point Jimmah. Very similar to my childhood neighborhood in NYC where no other kid had actually met a person of color, and yet they knew exactly what was “wrong” with them. I’m extremely grateful that my family dynamic forced me to come into contact with those unlike me. That broadened my horizon considerably. And it made me a better person for it.

320 AlexRogan  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:15:32pm

re: #307 Jimmah

I think it’s great that we are starting to get muslim posters here on LGF. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, most of the people who are bigoted towards muslims have little or no contact with muslims whatsoever. That makes it easier for them to demonise them, since they have no actual experience to counter whatever crap they are reading/watching about them.

Heaven forbid that some people have to interact with people who, while different that they are, are men/women just like them?

/it is often easier for people to hate what they don’t understand

321 jamesfirecat  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:15:33pm

re: #311 Targetpractice, Worst of Both Worlds

I find a bit of dark humor in that both the guillotine and the Gatling gun were designed for humane purposes. The first to make execution less painful, the second in the belief that such weapons would lower the human toll of future wars.

Don’t forget Albert Nobel!

In fact while we’re talking about about other Alberts, didn’t Albert Einstein say something along the lines of if he had known what would have come from his experiments, he would have torn up his notes and become a plumber?

322 Walter L. Newton  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:15:46pm

re: #315 Cato the Elder

The movie is also a stunning tour-de-force in the integration of different styles, beginning as a documentary, then moving through about half a dozen genres, including action-adventure, the lonely-fugitive-on-the-run, corporate conspiracy, with nods to classic sci-fi flicks like “Robocop” and “Terminator” thrown in for good measure.

I’ll be eager to hear what you think of it.

Well… how about I just tell you right now, since you managed to spoil the whole movie for me and anyone who hasn’t seen it, comment after comment about it…

323 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:15:54pm

re: #284 CuriousLurker

LOL, well, even stalkers need to have fun. *waves @ stalkers*

Well, now that your here, its time for tonight’s D&D/LGF Crossover. We return to the next major battle inside the Tomb of Dead Political Gods. Tonight’s chapter is based on a special request, and used that request for the dead god. Tomorrow, we’ll get into the political figure dead gods. Tonight’s stalker big-bad is rendered less comedically than Dorkus, because I felt it proper for this Encounter. And so, here we go:

The Ruins of the Harpy

Your party enters a dank, ruined tomb, lit only by moonlight and two large braziers on the back wall. This is the tomb of an internet nymph who became associated with the decay of the Political Right. So ugly were her words that folks have forgotten her name and refer to her only as “The Harpy”. Her statue is on the far wall, its face a hate-filled grimace. The tomb is still faintly echoing with her shrieks of rage.

324 Nimed  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:15:57pm

re: #97 Cato the Elder

Two things that I didn’t like very much in the movie (but that didn’t spoil it):

- every person that worked for the multinational was extreeemely evil and inhumanely indifferent to Winkus, to the point of talking about what they were going to do to him in his presence. The movie could have been a little less hamfisted on this.

- near the end, the action sequence with the robotic exoskeleton. It felt out of place in the movie.

The rest of it was great. I LOVED the sequence of interview snippets at the beginning of the movie.

325 Cato the Elder  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:16:41pm

re: #322 Walter L. Newton

Well… how about I just tell you right now, since you managed to spoil the whole movie for me and anyone who hasn’t seen it, comment after comment about it…

Are you cranky today? I gave practically no real spoilers.

326 HoosierHoops  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:16:49pm

re: #272 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

Do it. Amazing.

Hey Veggie..I know you travel for work..So I was on a Con Call with a bunch of people today including my Boss…
So Hoopster you will be on-Site Monday Morning?
Yes Sir
What flight?
I’m driving on-site
You are what?
I’m driving there
*My Boss speaks up”
Why are you driving? Get flight plans and a rental..Why..Are ..You..Driving?
Silence…
(Like you 40 people didn’t think I would have an answer)
Pause…Wait for it..
Well..You guys are sending me a day away for who knows for how long…Nobody knows how long I’ll be there..
I could fly.. Or I could drive there with lots of clothes, My guitar, 3 laptops and all my geek equipment to program stuff, My favorite blankets, books and hundreds of DVD’s
Why should I fly?
Pause
Laughter
Somebody said It makes sense to me..And we moved onto to the next topic..( You guys know me.. I bring laughter when possible)It was pretty funny cause I knew it was going to come up

327 CuriousLurker  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:17:24pm

re: #315 Cato the Elder

The movie is also a stunning tour-de-force in the integration of different styles, beginning as a documentary, then moving through about half a dozen genres, including action-adventure, the lonely-fugitive-on-the-run, corporate conspiracy, with nods to classic sci-fi flicks like “Robocop” and “Terminator” thrown in for good measure.

I’ll be eager to hear what you think of it.

Sounds fantastic! Maybe we can chat about it this weekend.

328 Walter L. Newton  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:17:35pm

re: #325 Cato the Elder

Are you cranky today? I gave practically no real spoilers.

Did you not mention the title? :)

329 Irenicum  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:17:41pm

re: #310 CuriousLurker

Don’t worry. They already do. Irenicum is the Laintized version of the Greek word irene/ειρήνη, which means peace.

330 RogueOne  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:17:51pm

re: #114 freetoken

re: #262 Jimmah

Hate to keep harping on this point but there is no constitutional right to build a church/synagogue/mosque wherever we want.

331 McSpiff  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:17:52pm

re: #106 Charles

A big reason for choosing Johannesburg for the location is that those ghettos in the movie are real. I’ve been there - spent more than a month in South Africa on tour with Al Jarreau - and I’ve seen this stuff up close. Those aren’t sets.

en.wikipedia.org

332 Four More Tears  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:18:03pm

re: #325 Cato the Elder

Are you cranky today? I gave practically no real spoilers.

I’ve actually had the movie spoiled for me and still haven’t seen it. I don’t think anyone’s given up major spoilage here.

333 engineer cat  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:18:18pm

re: #313 JasonA

Empowering them? By teaching them that Harry Potter was an evil warlock and that they (6- 10 year olds…) are just full of sin?

no, seriously, there were a couple of scenes where they were building up the self confidence of the kids and telling them that they had it in them to stand up in front of people and preach, and be leaders

quite the opposite of the message that i’ve seen other grownups send to kids telling them that they were fuckups

it’s too bad that we don’t do this with kids that have a good, positive, sane message to preach

334 RogueOne  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:18:35pm

re: #307 Jimmah

I think it’s great that we are starting to get muslim posters here on LGF. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, most of the people who are bigoted towards muslims have little or no contact with muslims whatsoever. That makes it easier for them to demonise them, since they have no actual experience to counter whatever crap they are reading/watching about them.

Out of curiosity, how much time have you spent in the ME?

335 Guanxi88  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:19:00pm

re: #329 Irenicum

Don’t worry. They already do. Irenicum is the Laintized version of the Greek word irene/ειρήνη, which means peace.

Come on!

Youtube Video
336 Four More Tears  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:19:47pm

re: #330 RogueOne

re: #262 Jimmah

Hate to keep harping on this point but there is no constitutional right to build a church/synagogue/mosque wherever we want.

Huh? If you can build a church in a certain location, or a synagogue, then you may build a mosque. Otherwise it would be religious discrimination.

337 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:20:19pm

I’ll continue on the next thread.

338 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:20:41pm

re: #336 JasonA

Huh? If you can build a church in a certain location, or a synagogue, then you may build a mosque. Otherwise it would be religious discrimination.

Quite Concur.

339 tradewind  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:20:56pm

re: #300 AntonSirius
You can’t blame MSNBC and CNN for going all out on Fox when they get the chance. If you put them together, they still don’t approach that audience.
tvbythenumbers.com

340 freetoken  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:21:14pm

re: #330 RogueOne

re: #262 Jimmah

Hate to keep harping on this point but there is no constitutional right to build a church/synagogue/mosque wherever we want.

First, I doubt you do “hate” doing what you do.

Secondly, your statement is a non-sequitur in a discussion about Newt’s blindingly hypocritical opportunism.

341 RogueOne  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:21:27pm

re: #336 JasonA

Huh? If you can build a church in a certain location, or a synagogue, then you may build a mosque. Otherwise it would be religious discrimination.

How are you going to build all 3 on the same spot?/

Freedom of Religion does not grant you the right to build a structure at the corner of 5th and main, Anywhere USA because your god told you to build there. It doesn’t work that way.

342 CuriousLurker  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:22:15pm

re: #329 Irenicum

Don’t worry. They already do. Irenicum is the Laintized version of the Greek word irene/ειρήνη, which means peace.

Ohhh, okay. I guess I should’ve just asked you in the first place (but sometimes the mystery of not knowing and thinking of going on a hunt for info is fun). That’s interesting. Both are lovely, serene sounding names, so it makes sense that they would mean peace.

343 Guanxi88  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:22:51pm

re: #341 RogueOne

How are you going to build all 3 on the same spot?/

Build a Lodge.

Just sayin’

Youtube Video
344 RogueOne  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:22:56pm

re: #340 freetoken

First, I doubt you do “hate” doing what you do.

Secondly, your statement is a non-sequitur in a discussion about Newt’s blindingly hypocritical opportunism.

When people quit making that argument I won’t have to bring it up again. Stick to your argument without making parallels to constitutional rights that don’t exist.

345 Four More Tears  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:22:56pm

re: #341 RogueOne

How are you going to build all 3 on the same spot?/

Freedom of Religion does not grant you the right to build a structure at the corner of 5th and main, Anywhere USA because your god told you to build there. It doesn’t work that way.

I never said it did. NYC has building codes. Certain zones for certain things. Unless they’re in violation of that then how do you suggest we put a stop to it?

346 RogueOne  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:24:55pm

re: #345 JasonA

I never said it did. NYC has building codes. Certain zones for certain things. Unless they’re in violation of that then how do you suggest we put a stop to it?

The same way they decide where you’re allowed to put up a liquor store. If the people in the neighborhood don’t want it, it doesn’t get built. In this instance, if the people of NYC say it’s fine then it’s fine. I have a hard enough time getting people to understand the need to abide by the real and actual constitutional rights we have without making up new ones out of whole cloth.

347 Jimmah  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:25:28pm

re: #317 CuriousLurker

Yeah, God forbid they should actually get to know and maybe even *GASP* like one of us. That would be just awful.

Have you ever had anyone try to convert you with that Jack Chick stuff? lol

chick.com

This is hilarious btw.

348 Stanley Sea  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:25:36pm

re: #341 RogueOne

How are you going to build all 3 on the same spot?/

Freedom of Religion does not grant you the right to build a structure at the corner of 5th and main, Anywhere USA because your god told you to build there. It doesn’t work that way.

They have city approval, they own the property. Only thing that will stop them is the fear and bigotry of out of towners.

349 freetoken  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:25:59pm

re: #344 RogueOne

Yes, people do have a right to practice their religion in their country (no matter how silly I think it is.)

What you’re trying to do is turn the conversation around, and pretend what is happening isn’t happening.

Namely, Newt, Palin et. al. want to discriminate against Cordoba house explicitly because it is Moslem. That is unconstitutional.

350 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:26:37pm

re: #238 b_sharp

Chihuahuas are pretty small.

I’ve known (eh, not in the biblical sense, mind you) several chihuahuas in my day, and not a single one of them could ever credibly be called “small”. In my experience, a primary trait of chihuahuas is that they tend to be fiercely, fanatically loyal to one or possibly two members of a household, and the rest are forever cordially invited to die in a horrific industrial accident. I once had a chihuahua who was the dominant member of his pack which also included an 80lb Lab and a deaf Staffordshire / Pit Bull mix. Granted, they were gentle pooches to begin with, but I’m sure it did not go unnoticed that the Chi was the Gunnery Sergeant Hartman of the canine community.

Youtube Video
351 erraticsphinx  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:26:53pm

re: #349 freetoken

This fact is apparently very hard to grasp.

352 prairiefire  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:27:01pm

re: #348 Stanley Sea

Hey, I have “Rescue Me” on the DVR list. I got a bit turned off last season when it seemed like Tommy was getting to nail every chick on the planet. I love Lou.

353 Four More Tears  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:27:09pm

re: #346 RogueOne

The same way they decide where you’re allowed to put up a liquor store. If the people in the neighborhood don’t want it, it doesn’t get built. In this instance, if the people of NYC say it’s fine then it’s fine. I have a hard enough time getting people to understand the need to abide by the real and actual constitutional rights we have without making up new ones out of whole cloth.

But that’s not how it works. you can’t say “no more mosques.” You have to say no more religious buildings. And I’m not even sure you can do that…

At any rate, I have to head home. I want to catch the repeat of Maddow people were talking about. Ciao.

354 ryannon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:27:34pm

re: #298 negativ

Back in WWI, weapons researchers found that a chemical called chloropicrin could penetrate the seals of gas masks. Its primary effect was to cause extreme nausea and vomiting. So the Germans would spray this stuff on the field before deploying mustard gas, and your choice was to either drown in your own spew, or to remove your mask to let the chunks out, whereupon you’d drown in your own blood as the mustard gas caused your lungs to hemorrhage. It has always fascinated me that people get paid to think this stuff up.

It really seems that, all through history, much more effort and resources have been put into developing ways to make other people die than to helping people live. It’s certainly more politically popular.

Nothing and no one hates our species more than ourselves.

And possibly with good reason.

355 RogueOne  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:28:00pm

re: #348 Stanley Sea

They have city approval, they own the property. Only thing that will stop them is the fear and bigotry of out of towners.

So who’s rights are supreme in this case? The mosque or the neighborhood? If the local planning commission decides (and I believe they have) that the site is appropriate for that type of building then so be it. If it’s still in the discussion phase then the “towners” have every right to add their input.

356 RogueOne  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:28:56pm

re: #349 freetoken

Yes, people do have a right to practice their religion in their country (no matter how silly I think it is.)

What you’re trying to do is turn the conversation around, and pretend what is happening isn’t happening.

Namely, Newt, Palin et. al. want to discriminate against Cordoba house explicitly because it is Moslem. That is unconstitutional.

The practice of their religion doesn’t include putting up buildings when and where they choose. That is all I’m disagreeing with here.

357 Stanley Sea  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:29:46pm

re: #352 prairiefire

Hey, I have “Rescue Me” on the DVR list. I got a bit turned off last season when it seemed like Tommy was getting to nail every chick on the planet. I love Lou.

Awesome! Lou is my fav. Oh and pillow lips (you know who that is) Last nights episode was epic.

358 Irenicum  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:29:54pm

See ya upstairs kids.

359 Walter L. Newton  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:30:32pm

re: #354 ryannon

Nothing and no one hates our species more than ourselves. And possibly with good reason.

Interesting, you, I, come to the same conclusions, yet through totally different political lenses. Doesn’t bode well for mankind I don’t think. But, in my opinion, not much of a surprise.

360 Nimed  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:31:17pm

re: #356 RogueOne

Yes, but how do you think this should work ideally? Don’t forget that this can be thought of as, in essence, a limitation on property rights.

361 freetoken  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:31:25pm

re: #356 RogueOne

The practice of their religion doesn’t include putting up buildings when and where they choose. That is all I’m disagreeing with here.

And frankly you’re coming off like an idiot because as others have repeatedly pointed out they got the clearance from the local boards. That is, if it isn’t already clear enough for you, the proposed reconstruction at that site has been shown to fit all local ordinances.

There is no case against this effort except the bigot’s case.

362 CuriousLurker  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:31:33pm

re: #347 Jimmah

Have you ever had anyone try to convert you with that Jack Chick stuff? lol

[Link: www.chick.com…]

This is hilarious btw.

Oh, boy the moon god stuff—LOL!

Nope, no one has ever tried to re-convert me. Or would that be revert me? I did have a few Egyptian Coptic Christians grouse at me about becoming Muslim back when I lived in Jersey City though.

363 erraticsphinx  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:32:18pm

re: #361 freetoken

Exactly, all that’s left is the hysterical wingnut case. And they have no case.

364 RogueOne  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:33:44pm

re: #360 Nimed

Yes, but how do you think this should work ideally? Don’t forget that this can be thought of as, in essence, a limitation on property rights.

That’s the question as I see it, whose property rights are supreme in this kind of case. It would seem to me that since this has been done all over the country to liquor stores, bars, and even fast food joints, drive-thrus and Wal-mart that the neighborhoods collective property rights outweigh a churches right to build where they want.

365 Jimmah  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:33:44pm

re: #334 RogueOne

Out of curiosity, how much time have you spent in the ME?

None. But I’ve spent a lot of time here:

Youtube Video

And I’ve met plenty of muslims, especially in the last few years. It’s that experience that told me that the fevered claims of impending Islamist takeover of ‘our culture and laws’ by the likes of Robert Spencer etc are complete and utter bollocks.

366 CuriousLurker  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:34:13pm

Hey, Nimed! *waves*

367 ryannon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:35:11pm

re: #359 Walter L. Newton

Interesting, you, I, come to the same conclusions, yet through totally different political lenses. Doesn’t bode well for mankind I don’t think. But, in my opinion, not much of a surprise.

Walter, my ‘political lens’ is so fractured and has been for so long that the images it sends back are more like those of a prism. Or on a good day, a fun-house mirror. In the strict sense of the word, I’m the least political creature on this board.

368 Nimed  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:37:50pm

re: #366 CuriousLurker

Hey, Nimed! *waves*

Hey, CL. :)

I have really enjoyed your comments and pages lately. Not that I didn’t like them before.

369 BongCrodny  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:38:47pm

Didn’t Tom Vilsack run for president in the last primary season?

I’m thinking the country dodged a bit of a bullet there.

370 AntonSirius  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:39:04pm

re: #339 tradewind

You can’t blame MSNBC and CNN for going all out on Fox when they get the chance. If you put them together, they still don’t approach that audience.
[Link: tvbythenumbers.com…]

Oh, of course. But Cooper’s intro wasn’t aimed at Fox - I don’t think he even mentioned them. It seems purely about Breitbart.

The phrase ‘blood in the water’ came to mind while I was watching. He seemed to be having a lot of fun unloading on Breitbart.

Now CNN’s doing a time line of the smear, and the beginning is again all Breitbart, Breitbart, Breitbart. Fox doesn’t even get mentioned until a minute or so in.

371 Jimmah  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:40:09pm

re: #362 CuriousLurker

Oh, boy the moon god stuff—LOL!

Seriously. Forget about the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers - Jack Chick is the ‘grade A’ stoner material of choice. There is another one - just as funny - where a sassy young creationist student reduces his evil and misguided biology teacher to a sobbing, confounded mess with his superior logics.

372 RogueOne  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:42:50pm

re: #365 Jimmah

None. But I’ve spent a lot of time here:

[Video]

And I’ve met plenty of muslims, especially in the last few years. It’s that experience that told me that the fevered claims of impending Islamist takeover of ‘our culture and laws’ by the likes of Robert Spencer etc are complete and utter bollocks.

I was just curious. I’ve been to SA multiple times, I have family that lives there including a BiL who just happens to be a Saudi pilot trained in an American flight school. I’ve also had the pleasure of spending a couple hours in a Saudi police station and afterwards having a panic attack about revisiting that station when my in-laws brought over a group of clerics to have a religious debate with my father who just happens to be a Christian minister. I don’t think it’s bigoted or racist to point out the obvious problems within the religion especially as it’s practiced in the sunni/shia strongholds of SA/Iran.

373 CuriousLurker  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:44:36pm

re: #368 Nimed

Hey, CL. :)

I have really enjoyed your comments and pages lately. Not that I didn’t like them before.

Thanks. I’ve enjoyed making them. You comments are pretty darned enjoyable too when you get going! *grin*

374 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:45:23pm

re: #366 CuriousLurker

Hey, Nimed! *waves*

CL, please stop in over on the next thread and let me know if you approve of my fiction.

375 CuriousLurker  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:47:52pm

re: #371 Jimmah

Seriously. Forget about the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers - Jack Chick is the ‘grade A’ stoner material of choice. There is another one - just as funny - where a sassy young creationist student reduces his evil and misguided biology teacher to a sobbing, confounded mess with his superior logics.

I’ve bookmarked that one for the weekend. Thanks!

Hey is ice still in NYC? If so, how much longer will she be here? I’m really annoyed with myself for not having gotten to know her better sooner, and now I know she’s getting ready to leave and I may never be able to talk her into meeting for a cup of coffee. :-(

Ah, well. I guess there’s always video chat.

376 Jimmah  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:49:40pm

re: #372 RogueOne

I was just curious. I’ve been to SA multiple times, I have family that lives there including a BiL who just happens to be a Saudi pilot trained in an American flight school. I’ve also had the pleasure of spending a couple hours in a Saudi police station and afterwards having a panic attack about revisiting that station when my in-laws brought over a group of clerics to have a religious debate with my father who just happens to be a Christian minister. I don’t think it’s bigoted or racist to point out the obvious problems within the religion especially as it’s practiced in the sunni/shia strongholds of SA/Iran.

Well you certainly won’t find me defending any of the religious bigotry evident in Saudi Arabia, nor anyone else here. My original point remember, was all about NOT emulating the religious intolerance of that country, as Gingrich suggested we do.

377 CuriousLurker  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:51:32pm

re: #271 Targetpractice, Worst of Both Worlds

Despite my words above, I do think it was a good movie and really recommend it. I know the phrase is overused when describing movies, but it will definitely make you think.

Oops, missed your comment. Thanks.

378 Jimmah  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 7:59:40pm

re: #375 CuriousLurker

I’ve bookmarked that one for the weekend. Thanks!

Hey is ice still in NYC? If so, how much longer will she be here? I’m really annoyed with myself for not having gotten to know her better sooner, and now I know she’s getting ready to leave and I may never be able to talk her into meeting for a cup of coffee. :-(

Ah, well. I guess there’s always video chat.

She’s still got a few things she needs to get wrapped up, but she should be leaving next week. She’s hit a little snag actually - she needs to get a phone in the US that will work and use the same number when she is in the UK. I don’t suppose you or anyone else reading this can help with that? But anyway, we’ll be back in New York from time to time so that meeting will happen sometime I’m sure :)

379 CuriousLurker  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 8:04:20pm

re: #378 Jimmah

She’s still got a few things she needs to get wrapped up, but she should be leaving next week. She’s hit a little snag actually - she needs to get a phone in the US that will work and use the same number when she is in the UK. I don’t suppose you or anyone else reading this can help with that? But anyway, we’ll be back in New York from time to time so that meeting will happen sometime I’m sure :)

Vonage, if she’ll have a high-speed internet connection wherever she goes. My nic should be blue—if you want to shoot me an email, I’ll respond and you can pass it on to her. She’s more than welcome to call me by phone to chat about it if that’ll help.

380 iceweasel  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 8:12:51pm

re: #379 CuriousLurker

Vonage, if she’ll have a high-speed internet connection wherever she goes. My nic should be blue—if you want to shoot me an email, I’ll respond and you can pass it on to her. She’s more than welcome to call me by phone to chat about it if that’ll help.

Cheers, i may do that. Just got back from dealing with some phone related bullshit. BTW, sent you a little note on twitter to thank you again for that page the other day on Taqqiyah. (sp? sorry, tired)

381 CuriousLurker  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 8:23:01pm

re: #380 iceweasel

Cheers, i may do that. Just got back from dealing with some phone related bullshit. BTW, sent you a little note on twitter to thank you again for that page the other day on Taqqiyah. (sp? sorry, tired)

Hey, ice!

Gah, I just realized my blog link was overriding the email link. It should work now.

Yes, I saw your note on Twitter and responded. Thanks so much for your support.

382 celticdragon  Wed, Jul 21, 2010 8:45:40pm

re: #268 marjoriemoon

Back off Brookly. He didn’t say anything offense. It was sarcasm.

The Mirage fighters were French made and sold to many countries by France, not Israel. Israel bought them and so did S. Africa. The Centurion tanks were made by the British and Israel also bought them.

Israel denounced apartheid strongly during the 1960s, but after the Yom Kippur war (1973) countries were pulling away support for Israel. They began selling arms to S. Africa, but nuclear? Israel has been accused of doing so, but there isn’t any proof.

The South African AF rebuilt their Mirage IIIc fighters up to the new Cheetah standard with extensive help from Israel. Notice how the Cheetah looks just like the Israeli KFIR…which is also rebuilt from old Mirage IIIc’s.

Fun document here from the Guardian an an actual working Israeli nuke weapon sale offer to the RSA from official RSA archives now declassified…!

The upgrade of old British Centurion tanks into the newer Oliphant standard was also accomplished with Israeli know how…and again, the Israelis had practical experience with the same tanks.
of both countries is well documented and not at all a controversial subject. It is taken for granted that Israeli offered help…and proven just two months ago that Israeli actually offered working nuclear weapons…to South Africa.

I really could not care less, beyond the interesting to and fro of arms evolution and who has what today. Realpolitik is a fact, and Israel obviously found it in her interest to work deals with the RSA. I can’t imagine that they didn’t have tacit (and behind the scenes)approval from the Reagan Admin at the time, since there were Soviet client regimes on two borders with the RSA and Cuban troops in Angola and Namibia. I have no moral qualms about it, since that was the reality of the Cold war and both sides played dirty and played to win.


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The Pandemic Cost 7 Million Lives, but Talks to Prevent a Repeat Stall In late 2021, as the world reeled from the arrival of the highly contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus, representatives of almost 200 countries met - some online, some in-person in Geneva - hoping to forestall a future worldwide ...
Cheechako
2 days ago
Views: 94 • Comments: 0 • Rating: 1
Texas County at Center of Border Fight Is Overwhelmed by Migrant Deaths EAGLE PASS, Tex. - The undertaker lighted a cigarette and held it between his latex-gloved fingers as he stood over the bloated body bag lying in the bed of his battered pickup truck. The woman had been fished out ...
Cheechako
2 weeks ago
Views: 260 • Comments: 0 • Rating: 1