Ellikott Smith Covering Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks

Very creative peoples!

Goodnight, all.

I liked the microbe boogie down on the the sandwich.
/type that into a search engine.

man, what the heck did i just watch?

re: #5 deranged cat

Bad things that could happen.

If I may, along the lines of weird videos...

The Adventures of Salesman Pete.

re: #5 deranged cat

man, what the heck did i just watch?

Well, i just watched "Play Dirty" with Michael Caine.

You might or might not enjoy this highly amusing illustrated tale of a young girl, dental sedation, and a birthday party.

[Link: hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com...]

Holy Molly,

If the last thread is any indication of next Tuesday/Wednesday I didn't get anywhere near enough popcorn.

Signs

re: #10 ozbloke

'sall fun and games, mostly. Some folks just like to sling it to see how much will stick.

Others... Well I imagine there will be plenty of butthurt going around Wednesday for both parties.

I'm thinking if the house goes nothing will get done.

Its not bad enough that nutters will take over the house, but what does it say when conservatives would gloat over the the US going nowhere for two more years?

re: #13 ozbloke

...but what does it say when conservatives would gloat over the the US going nowhere for two more years?

I dunno. This moderate conservative really has no interest in seeing that happen.

Make no mistake, I bet there will be 'fiscal conservatives' on this blog gloating, like its some sort of win.

If I'm wrong, I will come in on the night shift and replace the ashtrays for thirty days.

Not enough people got the message of the rally, sadly.

Scoring points, thats what winning is.

Not good for the USA

Star Spangled Banner, as harmonized and orchestrated by the most important composer of the 20th century, Igor Stravinsky. One of the most famously awkward pieces of music ever constructed is made quite pleasant and listenable.

Pro tip: Don't touch the Loknar.

G'nite all.

re: #18 Slumbering Behemoth

OH GOD I ALREADY TOUCHED IT!

what should I do??!?!?

re: #19 negativ

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Calm down. At this point there's really not much you can do. Just relax, you're already dead.

These are truly the End Times.

Only one solution:

[Link: vodpod.com...]

re: #20 Slumbering Behemoth

dead, dead, dead.

re: #21 ralphieboy

These are truly the End Times.

Only one solution:

[Link: vodpod.com...]

The man from mars stopped eating cars and now he only eats guitars.

Speaking of Deborah Harry, Videodrome is one of the best sci-fi movies ever made.

re: #23 negativ

The man from mars stopped eating cars and now he only eats guitars.

Speaking of Deborah Harry, Videodrome is one of the best sci-fi movies ever made.

[Video]

Eh, it was OK.

The Thing remains the greatest though.

re: #24 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

Eh, it was OK.

The Thing remains the greatest though.

Which version? 1982 or 1951? Both are good, 1982 uses some cool FX.

re: #24 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

Eh, it was OK.

BLASPHEMER! You will worship at the altar of Cronenberg, or ELSE!

The Thing remains the greatest though.

A most excellent film. But like almost everything else that doesn't suck, Hollywood is about to ruin it.

Stay tuned for remakes of:
Casablanca
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Citizen Cane
The Godfather
Young Frankenstein
Dr Strangelove
Blue Velvet
It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (starring Justin Bieber)

Everything is destined to be made terrible.

re: #25 boxhead

Which version? 1982 or 1951? Both are good, 1982 uses some cool FX.

The '82 version. I prefer the viral alien and rampant paranoia to the killer vegetable approach, plus it remained closer to the source material.

re: #26 negativ

Well, they are running out of comic books and old TV series to make films out of, they will have to start remaking more films...

re: #26 negativ

In the 1980s, Casablanca's script was sent to readers at a number of major studios and production companies under its original title, "Everybody Comes to Rick's". Some readers recognized the script but most did not. Many complained that the script was "not good enough" to make a decent movie. Others gave such complaints as "too dated", "too much dialog" and "not enough sex".

re: #27 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

District 9 is a very good sci fi. I also liked Pitch Black as well. For fun I enjoy The 5th Element. Of course Blade Runner kicks arse too.

re: #30 boxhead

District 9 is a very good sci fi. I also liked Pitch Black as well. For fun I enjoy The 5th Element. Of course Blade Runner kicks arse too.

Love District 9. Haven't seen Pitch Black; will have to check it out. Vehemently recommend The Children of Men. Also, The Road.

I am still awaiting a film adaptation of Phillip Dick's "The Man in the High Castle". That is one of my favorite science fiction/alternate-reality novels, and one that is worthy of a great screenplay, director and cast.

re: #28 ralphieboy

Well, they are running out of comic books and old TV series to make films out of, they will have to start remaking more films...

Running out of comic books? Have you been to a comic book store lately? Lots and lots... Will they make a good movie? eh.. don't know cause I have not read them all. But I have read some that would be great on the big screen. Besides, Marvel is just starting to get into a fun and successful grove.

re: #30 boxhead

District 9 is a very good sci fi. I also liked Pitch Black as well. For fun I enjoy The 5th Element. Of course Blade Runner kicks arse too.

Pitch Black was a good movie because they kept it simple. The sequel was a abomination because they added in so much extraneous crap.

I'm praying the don't royally fuck up the Deadpool movie.

"Don't worry, I'll negotiate. I speak the international language...of automatic weaponry."

re: #32 ralphieboy

I am still awaiting a film adaptation of Phillip Dick's "The Man in the High Castle". That is one of my favorite science fiction/alternate-reality novels, and one that is worthy of a great screenplay, director and cast.

I've long wanted to see a film treatment of Larry Niven's Gil Hamilton character. Corpsesicles and organleggers! In the right hands, it could be another Blade Runner.

re: #31 negativ

Love District 9. Haven't seen Pitch Black; will have to check it out. Vehemently recommend The Children of Men. Also, The Road.

I watched both Children and Road.... I liked Children more. The Road was good, but as a viewer I felt frustrated by the situation. Which means I felt the movie.. :)

One of the really cool things about Children is that they shot a very long take with one camera following the protagonists running from building to building dodging gun fire and other such stuff. if you are into the art of film, that was a awesome feat considering how much "war" stuff was happening.

re: #33 boxhead

I must admit that my concept of "comics" is limited to the ones I remember as kid. But there are people who tell me that comics culture is a world unto itself and that there are even entire conventions where peope go to discuss and trade comic books.

Ponderous...

re: #38 ralphieboy

I must admit that my concept of "comics" is limited to the ones I remember as kid. But there are people who tell me that comics culture is a world unto itself and that there are even entire conventions where peope go to discuss and trade comic books.

Ponderous...

ComicCon which is held in San Diego is huge!

re: #36 negativ

I've long wanted to see a film treatment of Larry Niven's Gil Hamilton character. Corpsesicles and organleggers! In the right hands, it could be another Blade Runner.

Man/Kzin Wars. Or better yet, Sauron Super Soldiers and Moties.

re: #36 negativ

I've long wanted to see a film treatment of Larry Niven's Gil Hamilton character. Corpsesicles and organleggers! In the right hands, it could be another Blade Runner.

How about Larry's Smoke Ring? That was a great story. Ring World ain't so bad either.. :)

re: #41 boxhead

How about Larry's Smoke Ring? That was a great story. Ring World ain't so bad either.. :)

Smoke Ring was good, but I get more of miniseries feel for it.

Anyone remember "The Fleet" anthologies that came out in the late 80s, early 90s? Several dozen scifi authors contributing short stories in a shared universe?

re: #37 boxhead

Yeah, thanks for noticing that. I usually have to watch a movie 2 or 3 times to figure out what it's actually about because I get distracted by the technical details. I find myself thinking, "wow that's a really long take with no edits", or "That's some complicated lighting, I wonder how they did that" instead of actually paying attention to the movie.

I am excited about HBO's rendition of George RR Martin's Game of Thrones. Loved the first three books. Pissed that he has STILL not finished it.

But he is not as bad as Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time. arrrr I am still waiting for that to finish.

re: #39 boxhead

I was just being facetious. One of my best buddies here in Germany is a great afficionado of European comics, which takes itself even more seriously than the US comics scene.

I just never really got into comic books beyond Mickey Mouse & Donald Duck as a kid and Zap Comics as a teenager.

For that, I love comic strips and read the New Yorker almost entirely for its cartoons.

re: #44 negativ

Yeah, thanks for noticing that. I usually have to watch a movie 2 or 3 times to figure out what it's actually about because I get distracted by the technical details. I find myself thinking, "wow that's a really long take with no edits", or "That's some complicated lighting, I wonder how they did that" instead of actually paying attention to the movie.

I look at story development and follow thru. One of the things I can't fucking stand is the guy I call The Answer Man. Usually shows up at 2/3 of the way into the movie, explains the plot to anyone who hasn't figured it out already, tells the Hero everything he has to do to win the day, then conviently gets written out in the next five minutes.

I HATE THAT.

re: #45 boxhead

I am excited about HBO's rendition of George RR Martin's Game of Thrones. Loved the first three books. Pissed that he has STILL not finished it.

But he is not as bad as Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time. arrr I am still waiting for that to finish.

2 Books to go. Next one is out next week, then a year to wait.

re: #42 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

Smoke Ring was good, but I get more of miniseries feel for it.

There certainly is enough of a underlying story to make it so... I was not satisfied with the Integral Tree being the last one.

re: #47 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

Sounds like Mister Exposition.

re: #46 ralphieboy

I have an older brother who collected many comics and read much scifi and fantasy. I certainly was exposed to stuff most others were not. I love perusing his library!

re: #48 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

2 Books to go. Next one is out next week, then a year to wait.

arrrrrrrrrrr Just get the dragons to kill the ice people and be done! lol

re: #51 boxhead

My friend collects all the European clasics, like Lt. Blueberry, Lucky Luke and all the Asterix volumes, which are not well known in the 'States.

I appreciate it as an art form, just never developed much of an interest for it.

re: #52 boxhead

arrr Just get the dragons to kill the ice people and be done! lol

I was talking Wheel of Time.

re: #54 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

I was talking Wheel of Time.

oh... heh... I have forgotten SO much of the series. My son is named after one of the characters. He was born after I read the third book. He is 18 now. something is wrong here...lol

re: #53 ralphieboy

My friend collects all the European clasics, like Lt. Blueberry, Lucky Luke and all the Asterix volumes, which are not well known in the 'States.

I appreciate it as an art form, just never developed much of an interest for it.

Have your friend check out Lone Wolf and Cub. It is a Japanese comic translated into English.

From wikipedia...

Lone Wolf and Cub chronicles the story of Ogami Ittō, the Shogun's executioner who uses a dōtanuki battle sword. Disgraced by false accusations from the Yagyū clan, he is forced to take the path of the assassin. Along with his three-year-old son, Daigorō, they seek revenge on the Yagyū clan and are known as "Lone Wolf and Cub".

re: #53 ralphieboy

My friend collects all the European clasics, like Lt. Blueberry, Lucky Luke and all the Asterix volumes, which are not well known in the 'States.

I appreciate it as an art form, just never developed much of an interest for it.

I once tried really hard to "get" anime, but I just couldn't. The artwork is uniformly terrible (though I was raised on a diet of reruns of pre-1960 Warner Bros and Tex Avery cartoons, so it's difficult for me to appreciate lots of animation that's probably better than I credit) and the plotlines are incomprehensible. One notable exception is Grave of the Fireflies, which is one of the most tragic things I've ever seen.

re: #53 ralphieboy

My friend collects all the European clasics, like Lt. Blueberry, Lucky Luke and all the Asterix volumes, which are not well known in the 'States.

I appreciate it as an art form, just never developed much of an interest for it.

I was a fan of Judge Dredd for a while. The UK stuff, not the crap they rebranded him with when they imported him to the US.

re: #57 negativ

Japanese culture is quite different from Western stuff. I guess my steady diet of weird readings made me more accepting of unusual stories. But yes... they have some "interesting" interests...

nite all.... time to surrender to sleep

A lot of the anime that made it over to the US in the late 70s and early 80s was really low rate stuff compared to what Japan had. The bigger companies weren't interested, so lower end distributors bought the rights, hired cheap dubbing and translators or just made up their dialog.

re: #61 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

British TV once bought the rights to a French animated children's show, "The Magic Roundabout". They could not be bothered to translate the dialogue, so they just fired up a five-skin monster joint and started improvising. It is truly sublime.

re: #62 ralphieboy

Speaking of British TV and the BBC, I've been trying to keep up with Strictly Come Dancing (the show that was then Americanized into DWTS.) Saturday's show was unusually un-staid for a British ballroom show. And, sure enough, looking at some of the forums that fans of Strictly Come Dancing inhabit shows that about half the audience are in an uproar.

re: #57 negativ

On rare occasion when I was in Japan I would watch TV and a few of the anime series. Some of it was pretty funky stuff. Definitely a touch erotic, even for the shows that were not late night.

re: #63 freetoken

British TV seems to have been going downhill since I started watching it in the late 80's.

I realized that when I ran across a show (hosted by Russel Brand) consisting of people getting together to discuss the latest "Big Brother" episode. Television for the Life-less.

re: #64 freetoken

On rare occasion when I was in Japan I would watch TV and a few of the anime series. Some of it was pretty funky stuff. Definitely a touch erotic, even for the shows that were not late night.

There is a special place in heaven for whoever invented strip rock-paper-scissor featuring Japanese girls as an hour long game show.

I loved that show.

re: #65 ralphieboy

From what I can tell being over here, the BBC still produces some good shows. Their nature specials tend to be the best produced, anywhere.

Many of the Strictly Come Dancing fans are complaining that the show has been too Americanized, a la DWTS. I suspect that a great deal of British TV has been Americanized given the plethora of satellite/cable channels vying for an audience now.

re: #64 freetoken

On rare occasion when I was in Japan I would watch TV and a few of the anime series. Some of it was pretty funky stuff. Definitely a touch erotic, even for the shows that were not late night.

The first anime I ever saw was called "LA BLUE GIRL", and I have no idea what the actual Japanese title is. Probably nothing resembling "La Blue Girl". It featured tentacle rape, and a character that inexplicably changed from male to female and vice-versa at random intervals. I'm a big fan of weirdness, but my understanding is that there are something like 15 episodes, all equally deranged, and that they are actually considered mainstream. I'd love to be wrong about any of that. I guess that's what happens when you drop nuclear bombs on people.

re: #66 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

Beat the tar-pit version:

Actually, the official name for Strip rock/paper/scissors is Yakyuken, coined in 1969.

People follow this on purpose?

re: #71 negativ

The young women in those things are always so ... busty.

Insomnia. Sucks.

re: #71 negativ

People follow this on purpose?

[Video]

The Manga is easier to follow...

Err, um...damn.

re: #73 Alouette

Insomnia. Sucks.

5:17am here...I hear you...I started working on my shopping list..Boring!

re: #67 freetoken

it is still good TV, it has just started dumbing down considerably over past decades.

re: #67 freetoken

From what I can tell being over here, the BBC still produces some good shows. Their nature specials tend to be the best produced, anywhere.

Many of the Strictly Come Dancing fans are complaining that the show has been too Americanized, a la DWTS. I suspect that a great deal of British TV has been Americanized given the plethora of satellite/cable channels vying for an audience now.

American TV plagiarized The Office, which is inexcusable as far as I'm concerned.

re: #78 negativ

American TV plagiarized The Office, which is inexcusable as far as I'm concerned.

I never thought the Office was that funny...It's suppose to be funny right?
/

re: #79 HoosierHoops

I never thought the Office was that funny...It's suppose to be funny right?
/

It's actually kinda sad (the UK version, that is. The US one is just... empty).

re: #78 negativ

I've watched the British version... it makes me very anxious (in a good way). But they talk funny, so I prefer the American version.

I'm guessing Ricky loves the American version. And I imagine that he cashes each and every royalty check from it.

Anyone here watch The IT Crowd?

re: #81 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

I've watched the British version... it makes me very anxious (in a good way). But they talk funny, so I prefer the American version.

I'm guessing Ricky loves the American version. And I imagine that he cashes each and every royalty check from it.

Best wishes Veggie.. I know it's been hard for you

Where does Dracula like to water ski?

Lake Eerie.

re: #82 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

I really like it, although it kinda went off the rails in later seasons.

I also liked Ricky Gervais' "Extras", which was a rather unique approach at a comedy series on and about television.

re: #83 HoosierHoops

Thanks. Harder on Dad. I get these little emotion "surprise parties" (which are awful) but I have other crap to take my mind off of things.

Why don't Warlocks have children?

They have hollow-weenies.

re: #87 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

and crystal balls

Morning, all!

There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.

Will Rogers

Good Morning Honcos!

Morning All!

Okay ,, you're all probably wondering why I've called you all here this morning ,,,,

oh ,, wait ,, nevahmind!

re: #92 sattv4u2

Okay ,, you're all probably wondering why I've called you all here this morning ,,,

oh ,, wait ,, nevahmind!

Do not tell me I bought the donuts for nothing...

re: #93 researchok

Do not tell me I bought the donuts for nothing...

shhhh,,, you'll have FBV drooling on his keyboard!

re: #94 sattv4u2

shhh,,, you'll have FBV drooling on his keyboard!

Pie donuts, an idea who's time has come...

re: #95 rwdflynavy

Pie donuts, an idea who's time has come...

Details, please

re: #96 researchok

Details, please

Shhhh, it's classified. I've already said too much...

The targeted Google ad at the top of the page is letting me know Brad Ellsworth is bad for Indiana. The second ad is letting me know Sheriff Ellsworth is good for Indiana. Google needs to make up my mind.

re: #98 RogueOne

The targeted Google ad at the top of the page is letting me know Brad Ellsworth is bad for Indiana. The second ad is letting me know Sheriff Ellsworth is good for Indiana. Google needs to make up my mind.

The worst part? Kerblahkistan paid for both ads!!!!11

I'm sure you have all seen the MoveOn asshat in AZ choking the TeaPartier at a rally. Now the MoveOn guy is sorry but we wouldn't have had either problem in KY or AZ if people had lived by the "don't be an asshole" rule. He shouldn't have grabbed the guy by the throat but the guy shouldn't have been an asshole and he wouldn't have been choked. It's all one vicious circle usually started by someone being an ass.

[Link: dailycaller.com...]

The next Stewart rally needs to be "Stop Being Assholes".

re: #100 rwdflynavy

Now I see why it's so important to know who's doing the funding. It's all so clear now.

re: #98 RogueOne

The targeted Google ad at the top of the page is letting me know Brad Ellsworth is bad for Indiana. The second ad is letting me know Sheriff Ellsworth is good for Indiana. Google needs to make up my mind.

As long as google pays....

Zach Galifianakis Smokes Joint On Bill Maher's Show 'Real Time' (VIDEO)

[Link: www.huffingtonpost.com...]

re: #101 RogueOne

I'm sure you have all seen the MoveOn asshat in AZ choking the TeaPartier at a rally. Now the MoveOn guy is sorry but we wouldn't have had either problem in KY or AZ if people had lived by the "don't be an asshole" rule. He shouldn't have grabbed the guy by the throat but the guy shouldn't have been an asshole and he wouldn't have been choked. It's all one vicious circle usually started by someone being an ass.

[Link: dailycaller.com...]

The next Stewart rally needs to be "Stop Being Assholes".

Theres not enough room on the mall for the crowd!

re: #100 rwdflynavy

re: #103 researchok

Mr. Ellsworth isn't going to be a U.S. Senator this year. Mr. Coates is going to win that race going away. It's going to be a double disaster since the house district Ellsworth left to run is also going to go Repub this year. Mr. Ellsworth and Evan Bayh have been a big help this year.

re: #104 RogueOne

Zack smokes pot?

Whoda thunk it?

re: #105 sattv4u2

Theres not enough room on the mall for the crowd!

Good point but if we're looking for assholes I'd wager DC has more assholes per square yard than anywhere else in the nation.

re: #107 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

Zack smokes pot?

Whoda thunk it?

S'Okay
he didn't inhale!

I have my lucky socks on. And good morning Honcos.

BTW Navy, good call on the Ozzy Crazy Train reference yesterday morning, you nailed it. Help yourself to an addition 10 karma points.

Smoking is smoking, and it is rude to smoke in public like that. And it was a rather rude stunt that could be conterproductive, voters could well get the impression that legalization means dudes like that firing up doobers on park bences and bus stops all over California

re: #112 ralphieboy

but it wasn't a bus stop. It was a circle of friends discussing the weeks issues. Perfectly appropriate timing.

re: #110 Cannadian Club Akbar

I have my lucky socks on. And good morning Honcos.

On what?

wait ,, on second thought ,, I really don't need to know!

re: #112 ralphieboy

Smoking is smoking, and it is rude to smoke in public like that. And it was a rather rude stunt that could be conterproductive, voters could well get the impression that legalization means dudes like that firing up doobers on park bences and bus stops all over California

they don't now !?!?!?

// (kinda)

bbiab.

DMZ shooting
Wire: N. Korea fires at South
[Link: www.politico.com...]

I think a lot of people would be surprised to learn how often this happens. The N. Koreans are crazy.

Mimes.....

I hate mimes....

but after the rally for sanity I might still occasionally let one merge into traffic ahead of me.

re: #118 Thanos

Mimes...

I hate mimes...

but after the rally for sanity I might still occasionally let one merge into traffic ahead of me.

Damn ,, I'm tired

I thought you typed miNes (after the North Korea post above you)

So , of COURSE if someone has a mine i'm going to let them merge!

Morning,

I used to be a mime artist.
Its only now I can talk about it.

re: #111 RogueOne

BTW Navy, good call on the Ozzy Crazy Train reference yesterday morning, you nailed it. Help yourself to an addition 10 karma points.

Thanks for remembering. I was pretty tickled with myself.

re: #121 rwdflynavy

Thanks for remembering. I was pretty tickled with myself.

CCA putting his lucky socks on things

You tickling yourself

TMI !!!

I can't stand Favre. If he plays today I'm rooting for a serious bruising.

re: #123 RogueOne

I can't stand Favre. If he plays today I'm rooting for a serious bruising.

Other than that, Mrs Lincoln, did you enjoy the play!?!?!

Farve is a prima donna. The only good thing I can think to say about him is that -- I'm happy he is with the Vikings. I do not like them either.

Greets and saluts from the spooky NYC metro area.

Here's hoping that it's a Thriller:

At least that's a damned sight better (and happier) than the ongoing investigations into the terror plot into the cargo bombs.

Ans on that note, the long quiet ride home beckons

re: #113 RogueOne

but it wasn't a bus stop. It was a circle of friends discussing the weeks issues. Perfectly appropriate timing.

No, but it was on television, which - in public perception - is a public place. We are dealing with perceptions and not reality at this point, but that is what modern media are about.

In any case, the Europeans can get away with decriminalization because they have a much more relaxed view of morals than a lot of Americans.

Soft drugs and prostitution are till illegal, they are just not prosecutable offenses if one observes certain limits and restrictions: possession of small amounts for personal use and restricting prostitution to certain designated areas.

Americans seem to have a problem with anything but complete freedom or complete prohibition, and I saw Zack G's in-your-face approach as symptomatic of that, just as I see a lot of fundamentalist moralists' prohibitionist spproach on the other side of the fence.

re: #124 sattv4u2

Other than that, Mrs Lincoln, did you enjoy the play!?!?!

Other than that Mrs Kennedy, what did you think of the parade?

Actual headlline from tea party radio droid Jim Vicevich:

Media conspires to create false stories imputing Alaska’s Joe Miller (Audio) (emphasis added)

im·pute (m-pyt)
tr.v. im·put·ed, im·put·ing, im·putes
1. To relate to a particular cause or source; attribute the fault or responsibility to: imputed the rocket failure to a faulty gasket; kindly imputed my clumsiness to inexperience.
2. To assign as a characteristic; credit: the gracefulness so often imputed to cats. See Synonyms at attribute.

Perhaps they wanted this:
im·pugn (m-pyn)
tr.v. im·pugned, im·pugn·ing, im·pugns
To attack as false or questionable; challenge in argument: impugn a political opponent's record.

Palin should impudiate this unliteracy at once, or maybe even at twice.

re: #131 Shiplord Kirel

Re should refudimugniate this misimpugniation!!!

100 signs from the Restoring Sanity and/or Fear rally

[Link: www.buzzfeed.com...]

re: #131 Shiplord Kirel

that hurt my brain

re: #133 negativ

100 signs from the Restoring Sanity and/or Fear rally

[Link: www.buzzfeed.com...]

I love the first one, but my fav is the 2nd.
Stuffed coyote holding a sign:
I'm not a coyote.
I'm you.

(and I just saw the Christine O'Donell "I'm you" ad and hubby and I both said "I'm not a coyote")

(and am I the only one who thinks Ben Quayle looks like he has a couple of chopped up bodies in the freezer...way creepy looking guy in an American Psycho way)

re: #135 webevintage

He does look like a young man with a few skeletons in his closet, but I mean that more in the metaphorical sense...

In any case, he seems typical of young men of his age and backgroune, i.e., prone to serious lapses of judgement.

re: #131 Shiplord Kirel

Looks like the story might have legs.

Palin calls Alaska media ‘corrupt bastards’ over leaked voicemail

re: #101 RogueOne

The entirely predictable effort by the right wing to make this into a big issue is going nowhere, because this case is not even remotely comparable.

You do this every time - try to take attention away from the right's extremism by drumming up fake outrages. It's pathetic.

If The Drudge Report Was a Political Thriller

re: #137 researchok

It will be their excuse to ignore anything that anyone does come up with about Miller, be it credible or not.

re: #140 ralphieboy

It will be their excuse to ignore anything that anyone does come up with about Miller, be it credible or not.

That may be- in fact, expect it.

It is bad enough when spin machines are the loudest voices, but reporters looking to 'stir the pot' in the way alleged, well, that is really bad.

This is really the Dan Rather again event, albeit on a smaller scale IF and only if, the allegations are true.

If it is true, John Stewart's words were prescient.

re: #138 Charles

The entirely predictable effort by the right wing to make this into a big issue is going nowhere, because this case is not even remotely comparable.

You do this every time - try to take attention away from the right's extremism by drumming up fake outrages. It's pathetic.

I didn't try to take away from anything and I think my stance was consistent. I thought I was pretty clear about the Rand rally incident and I feel the same way about this one. Neither person deserved to get manhandled but neither incident would have happened if they hadn't pushed.

You can't try to get into peoples faces and expect that good things are going to happen.

re: #101 RogueOne

I'm sure you have all seen the MoveOn asshat in AZ choking the TeaPartier at a rally. Now the MoveOn guy is sorry but we wouldn't have had either problem in KY or AZ if people had lived by the "don't be an asshole" rule. He shouldn't have grabbed the guy by the throat but the guy shouldn't have been an asshole and he wouldn't have been choked. It's all one vicious circle usually started by someone being an ass.

[Link: dailycaller.com...]

The next Stewart rally needs to be "Stop Being Assholes".

I have not seen the case, but you do not respond to someone being an asshole by choking them. That's the law. If the facts are as you report, the MoveOn guy should be sorry, and he should also be facing charges.

Conservative James Massee released video of Highton grabbing his throat and face after the face-stomping video from a Kentucky rally for Republican Rand Paul.

“I released it just to show there are some lefties who could be violent too,” Massee said.

On the other hand, maybe I'll choke him myself. What a moron.

"It's not that I minded being assaulted, it's just that I need to show that lefties are also bad..."

re: #143 SanFranciscoZionist

He probably will be, it's kind of hard to ignore his hands around the guys throat. OTOH, the chokee had come up right behind the choker and was heckling him while the choker was performing his bit. He's not hurt and I don't feel sorry for him.

re: #143 SanFranciscoZionist

I have not seen the case, but you do not respond to someone being an asshole by choking them. That's the law. If the facts are as you report, the MoveOn guy should be sorry, and he should also be facing charges.

Yup

same thing applies to that Proffit guy who stomped on that girl at the Paul rally.

Prosecute them for assault. This isn't political, it's criminal.

re: #142 RogueOne

I didn't try to take away from anything and I think my stance was consistent. I thought I was pretty clear about the Rand rally incident and I feel the same way about this one. Neither person deserved to get manhandled but neither incident would have happened if they hadn't pushed.

You can't try to get into peoples faces and expect that good things are going to happen.

Since this is the United States, and not "Mad Max", I persist in believing that the wrestling to the ground and stomping on of an annoying small woman is rather beyond the pale.

The other case isn't comparable, and the victim should have filed a police report, rather than playing this passive-aggressive game.

re: #131 Shiplord Kirel

A few mornings ago on the local Houston conservative talk radio, Joe 'Pags' went off on a Hispanic caller for complaining about him dehumanizing people by calling them aliens. Pags focused on the fact that 'alien' was a proper term for illegal aliens, mocked his ability to speak English, and wondered several times why the guy was 'honing in' on that word.

re: #141 researchok

This is really the Dan Rather again event, albeit on a smaller scale IF and only if, the allegations are true.

It doesn't have to be true. It is, however, enough to muzzle the press over Miller until Tuesday, which is all the time he needs.

re: #144 SanFranciscoZionist

I hope he likes the saccharine spokesmodels at Fox. He now will get to have exclusive interviews with each of them. He'll be a regular Joe the Plumber - James the Victim.

re: #147 SanFranciscoZionist

Both "victims" got to be victims because they chose to get into someones face. The 2nd video of the girl in KY showed how she was behaving before getting stomped. The second video doesn't show it but the guy admits to being an asshole right before getting choked. Both people chose to put themselves into that situation and both decided to see how far they could push people. I don't feel sorry for either of them.

re: #144 SanFranciscoZionist

Conservative James Massee released video of Highton grabbing his throat and face after the face-stomping video from a Kentucky rally for Republican Rand Paul.

“I released it just to show there are some lefties who could be violent too,” Massee said.

On the other hand, maybe I'll choke him myself. What a moron.

"It's not that I minded being assaulted, it's just that I need to show that lefties are also bad..."

No one was "choked." That's ridiculous hype, as usual. If the guy was really choking him he wouldn't have been able to yell. The video shows two guys in a clinch, and you can't tell who initiated the aggression.

It's not even remotely comparable to the curb stomping incident. This is another fake outrage.

re: #141 researchok

It is bad enough when spin machines are the loudest voices, but reporters looking to 'stir the pot' in the way alleged, well, that is really bad.

That's why I only watch Fox. They never do anything to intentionally hurt a candidate.
/

re: #147 SanFranciscoZionist

Since this is the United States, and not "Mad Max", I persist in believing that the wrestling to the ground and stomping on of an annoying small woman is rather beyond the pale.

The other case isn't comparable, and the victim should have filed a police report, rather than playing this passive-aggressive game.

Too short a period of time to know the inner workings of anyone's motives.

I still believe assault is assault is assault. I make no distinctions, especially because when it happens at a political rally nowadays it is pretty safe to say the event will be spun faster than the spin cycle on my washer.

re: #153 darthstar

That's why I only watch Fox. They never do anything to intentionally hurt a candidate.
/

It wouldn't have surprised me if it had come from a local fox affiliate. Local news people are vicious. They'll step on anyone to move on and I bet just about any market in the country has to be a better gig than alaska.

re: #152 Charles

No one was "choked." That's ridiculous hype, as usual. If the guy was really choking him he wouldn't have been able to yell. The video shows two guys in a clinch, and you can't tell who initiated the aggression.

It's not even remotely comparable to the curb stomping incident. This is another fake outrage.

His fingers were on the guy's neck...fanned out while he was getting a bear hug. What you don't see are the tentacles that come out of the Move-on guy's palms and circle invisibly around the guy's neck and cut off his breathing.

re: #151 RogueOne

Both "victims" got to be victims because they chose to get into someones face. The 2nd video of the girl in KY showed how she was behaving before getting stomped. The second video doesn't show it but the guy admits to being an asshole right before getting choked. Both people chose to put themselves into that situation and both decided to see how far they could push people. I don't feel sorry for either of them.

I disagree with your assessment of the situation. I believe that the attackers in both cases had a legal and moral responsibility to control their behavior.

They did not, and should face consequences. I do, however, note that one case is that of a grown man briefly scuffling with another grown man and then expressing remorse, while the fuckwad who stomped in cold blood on a restrained woman's head wants to be apologized to for her being so mean to him.

Also, this has, as I've said until I'm blue in the face, nothing to do with 'feeling sorry'. This is about a civil society.

Have to run before the games start. Enjoy your sunday people.

re: #154 researchok

Too short a period of time to know the inner workings of anyone's motives.

I still believe assault is assault is assault. I make no distinctions, especially because when it happens at a political rally nowadays it is pretty safe to say the event will be spun faster than the spin cycle on my washer.

Assault is assault. In this case, there's a fairly clear difference between the two instances. Neither, however, is legal or acceptable. And the second was clearly trotted out for the explicit purpose of justifying the first, which strikes me as deeply dumbass.

re: #149 ralphieboy

It doesn't have to be true. It is, however, enough to muzzle the press over Miller until Tuesday, which is all the time he needs.

That's not the issue. If Miller is proved to have contrived the matter, he will be excoriated.

The bigger question remains- what of it is true?

re: #159 SanFranciscoZionist

Assault is assault. In this case, there's a fairly clear difference between the two instances. Neither, however, is legal or acceptable. And the second was clearly trotted out for the explicit purpose of justifying the first, which strikes me as deeply dumbass.

Politics, dumbass...just another day.

//

We have a moron this morning at Patterico claiming that I completely rewrote my post about Bush bowing to Saudi King Abdullah.

I didn't, of course. He also claims that I added a word to a post (gasp!), and I didn't do that either.

The right wing blogs are now resorting to just making shit up about me. I'm their boogeyman. I rewrite everything and change everything and ban people just for breathing. It's mass hysteria.

re: #160 researchok

He did not contrive it, he is just exploiting a really stupid slip-up on the part of some reporters. But they will be made to represent an entire "smear campaign" against him by the whole of the press, which plays right into his hands and allows him to continue to ignore and/or "refudiate" the press at all points of contact.

re: #163 ralphieboy

He did not contrive it, he is just exploiting a really stupid slip-up on the part of some reporters. But they will be made to represent an entire "smear campaign" against him by the whole of the press, which plays right into his hands and allows him to continue to ignore and/or "refudiate" the press at all points of contact.

You can see the talking points developing right here.

re: #157 SanFranciscoZionist

I disagree with your assessment of the situation. I believe that the attackers in both cases had a legal and moral responsibility to control their behavior.

They did not, and should face consequences. I do, however, note that one case is that of a grown man briefly scuffling with another grown man and then expressing remorse, while the fuckwad who stomped in cold blood on a restrained woman's head wants to be apologized to for her being so mean to him.

Also, this has, as I've said until I'm blue in the face, nothing to do with 'feeling sorry'. This is about a civil society.

Speaking of 'civil society', is Sister Boom Boom still around?

Years ago, on a visit I saw her campaigning for mayor.

That was entertainment.

spooky Halloween video.....

re: #162 Charles

We have a moron this morning at Patterico claiming that I completely rewrote my post about Bush bowing to Saudi King Abdullah.

I didn't, of course. He also claims that I added a word to a post (gasp!), and I didn't do that either.

The right wing blogs are now resorting to just making shit up about me. I'm their boogeyman. I rewrite everything and change everything and ban people just for breathing. It's mass hysteria.

It wouldn't bother them so much if they'd stop reading every word so obsessively. Just a thought.

re: #163 ralphieboy

He did not contrive it, he is just exploiting a really stupid slip-up on the part of some reporters. But they will be made to represent an entire "smear campaign" against him by the whole of the press, which plays right into his hands and allows him to continue to ignore and/or "refudiate" the press at all points of contact.

That's fine...let Miller complain, so long as he loses the election. He's got eight kids to feed, so anything he can do for a buck he'll do...including hitting up the Government for more assistance.

Well this new case is exactly why I am starting to hate modern politics more and omre. You have dipshits who actually think because their side was made to look bad that they should one up it by making the other side look equally bad so they can summon the ole magical balance fairy as if to say "you see they're violent too." I am not excusing the behavior of hte people who attack him but I am so sick of this tic for tack nonsense. Whatever happened to just acknowledging when someone acts like a jackass. We have a Dem congressman here in Northern Va who appparently said his opponent, a military veteran had no public service experience and reading that I just groaned. Of course, I imagine his opponent is using it to paint all Democrats as military haters so it's all a giant circle jerk in the end.

re: #163 ralphieboy

He did not contrive it, he is just exploiting a really stupid slip-up on the part of some reporters. But they will be made to represent an entire "smear campaign" against him by the whole of the press, which plays right into his hands and allows him to continue to ignore and/or "refudiate" the press at all points of contact.

We'll know soon enough.

If they apologize and come clean, the wind will be knocked out of Miller's and Palin's accusations. If they don't come clean, or apologize or defend their actions, they'll have to deal with a world of grief.

re: #165 researchok

Speaking of 'civil society', is Sister Boom Boom still around?

Years ago, on a visit I saw her campaigning for mayor.

That was entertainment.

The gift that keeps on giving. According to Wiki: Jack Fertig retired Sister Boom Boom in 1985, and joined a sobriety program. He converted to Islam in 2001, and continues to live in San Francisco where he works as an astrologer.

That post at Patterico is completely, mind-blowingly stupid. They're trying to claim that the Beck rally was much larger than the Stewart-Colbert rally, and mocking me because I believe the CBS News estimate -- which is based on a scientific analysis of aerial photos, of BOTH rallies.

The idiocy of these people is just unbelievable.

re: #171 SanFranciscoZionist

The gift that keeps on giving. According to Wiki: Jack Fertig retired Sister Boom Boom in 1985, and joined a sobriety program. He converted to Islam in 2001, and continues to live in San Francisco where he works as an astrologer.

Priceless. You never have to pay to be entertained in the Bay Area.

Have you ever been to that burger joint, Joe's Cable Car?

re: #172 Charles

They are confused. They seem to think you are simultaneously insignificant, and important enough to attempt to refute on every point.

re: #172 Charles

That post at Patterico is completely, mind-blowingly stupid. They're trying to claim that the Beck rally was much larger than the Stewart-Colbert rally, and mocking me because I believe the CBS News estimate -- which is based on a scientific analysis of aerial photos, of BOTH rallies.

The idiocy of these people is just unbelievable.

A lot of this has become tightly wound up with the idea that MOST people want what the Tea Party wants. You can see it here--the idea that the Democrats are going to lose seats means, for some, that the whole electorate has turned on Obama and everything he represents, forever and ever.

So the idea that a lot of people will turn out for something mocking that, and that that crowd might be bigger than Beck's crowd, is very threatening.

And yeah, the idiocy is just unbelievable.

Every Tea Party candidate who loses is going to be chalked up to voter fraud. Every one who wins will be lauded as the will of the entire American people, no matter how close. It's just that kind of season.

re: #173 researchok

Priceless. You never have to pay to be entertained in the Bay Area.

Have you ever been to that burger joint, Joe's Cable Car?

Many, many years ago.

re: #172 Charles

That post at Patterico is completely, mind-blowingly stupid. They're trying to claim that the Beck rally was much larger than the Stewart-Colbert rally, and mocking me because I believe the CBS News estimate -- which is based on a scientific analysis of aerial photos, of BOTH rallies.

The idiocy of this people is just unbelievable.

They are part of the pundit class Stewart was talking about.

Patterico used to be a great blogger. Unlike you, he sold out.

It's that simple.

Ah haz skreenshot!

re: #176 SanFranciscoZionist

Many, many years ago.

I saw that on Guy Fieri's show and have wanted to make the trip back just to eat there.

I'm really shallow.

re: #179 researchok

I saw that on Guy Fieri's show and have wanted to make the trip back just to eat there.

I'm really shallow.

There are a lot of good burger places in the City--if Hoosier Hoops was here, he'd make the case for Tommy's Joynt. And the Chinese food is rivaled only in Hong Kong. And we have a lot of other restaurants...

re: #175 SanFranciscoZionist

A lot of this has become tightly wound up with the idea that MOST people want what the Tea Party wants. You can see it here--the idea that the Democrats are going to lose seats means, for some, that the whole electorate has turned on Obama and everything he represents, forever and ever.

That is why I am so confused about everyone saying "oh just wait until Tuesday night, there will be some fireworks around here...blah blah blah." There is hardly a man, woman or child in the world who thinks the GOP WON'T win the house. I am not going to be distraught over it at all, and anyone who is jumping for joy over having to caucus with a bunch of young earth creationists who are anti-science and would deny a raped woman an abortion needs their head examined.

Someone should start going through the archives of these bloggers who are spreading the smears about me that I routinely delete old posts, and see how many posts THEY'VE deleted. I know for a fact that Pamela Geller has deleted several of her posts when she was caught lying or promoting an obviously false meme.

It's very important for the right wing blogs to spread this smear about me, because they're scared of what I represent -- someone who sees right through their bullshit and isn't afraid to call them on it. They wouldn't spend so much time scrutinizing every word I write if they weren't terrified.

re: #168 darthstar

That's fine...let Miller complain, so long as he loses the election. He's got eight kids to feed, so anything he can do for a buck he'll do...including hitting up the Government for more assistance.

Looks like he could still win the election at this point, at which he can drop the "scandal" and move to Washington.

re: #180 SanFranciscoZionist

There are a lot of good burger places in the City--if Hoosier Hoops was here, he'd make the case for Tommy's Joynt. And the Chinese food is rivaled only in Hong Kong. And we have a lot of other restaurants...

Oh, I've had Chinese in SF. One place, upstairs, a dim sum place was fantastic. Incredible- sour waitresses, screaming kids and parents and very old Chinese men who looked mummified all melted away with each cart go round.

Fine, fine eating.

re: #181 bratwurst

That is why I am so confused about everyone saying "oh just wait until Tuesday night, there will be some fireworks around here...blah blah blah." There is hardly a man, woman or child in the world who thinks the GOP WON'T win the house. I am not going to be distraught over it at all, and anyone who is jumping for joy over having to caucus with a bunch of young earth creationists who are anti-science and would deny a raped woman an abortion needs their head examined.

The people who are saying that--and it's really just a few--really seem to need the gloat.

The fact that every single other person on the blog is going 'yeah, Dems are gonna hurt some for sure' doesn't seem to faze them, so, well, rock and roll.

Shit, I don't know how they can say that with any sense of reason. I wasn't in town the weekend of Beck's rally but I knpw plenty who were and they say itwasn't nearly as packed and I have to believe it too, the only time I can imagine the city in the last couple years being more packed than it was yesterday was for Obama's inaguaration. I love it, they think we're just dumb kids yet they feel the need to spin, spin, spin at all costs. One of the speakers yesterday said jokingly that there were 50 million people on the mall making fun of the crazy claims Bachmann maded..

re: #181 bratwurst

That is why I am so confused about everyone saying "oh just wait until Tuesday night, there will be some fireworks around here...blah blah blah." There is hardly a man, woman or child in the world who thinks the GOP WON'T win the house. I am not going to be distraught over it at all, and anyone who is jumping for joy over having to caucus with a bunch of young earth creationists who are anti-science and would deny a raped woman an abortion needs their head examined.

But you know they will be gloating like crazy anyway. You even still see people at LGF who think it's a good idea to vote for these people despite their sick social attitudes and universal anti-science derangement.

Well, I'm going to do my part to stop them, even if it's futile. I registered as a Democrat in California for this election.

re: #181 bratwurst

and anyone who is jumping for joy over having to caucus with a bunch of young earth creationists who are anti-science and would deny a raped woman an abortion needs their head examined.

Well, the gloaters here won't have to caucus with them, personally.

I actually feel bad for normal Republicans in Congress. This is going to be harder on them than on me.

re: #182 Charles

Someone should start going through the archives of these bloggers who are spreading the smears about me that I routinely delete old posts, and see how many posts THEY'VE deleted. I know for a fact that Pamela Geller has deleted several of her posts when she was caught lying or promoting an obviously false meme.

It's very important for the right wing blogs to spread this smear about me, because they're scared of what I represent -- someone who sees right through their bullshit and isn't afraid to call them on it. They wouldn't spend so much time scrutinizing every word I write if they weren't terrified.

Charles, you seem like a very nice man, and I like LGF very much, but I am NOT starting a research project on Pam Geller's blog. I'm just not. Sorry.

re: #182 Charles

Someone should start going through the archives of these bloggers who are spreading the smears about me that I routinely delete old posts, and see how many posts THEY'VE deleted. I know for a fact that Pamela Geller has deleted several of her posts when she was caught lying or promoting an obviously false meme.

It's very important for the right wing blogs to spread this smear about me, because they're scared of what I represent -- someone who sees right through their bullshit and isn't afraid to call them on it. They wouldn't spend so much time scrutinizing every word I write if they weren't terrified.

The serial trolls over at the stalker blog are the ones who started this BS about deleted posts. What is hilarious is that the Tampa Twit, Rick martinez, has deleted several entire stalker blogs to hide his and Mark (savage) Donato's trolling past.

re: #181 bratwurst

anyone who is jumping for joy over having to caucus with a bunch of young earth creationists who are anti-science and would deny a raped woman an abortion needs their head examined.

That's worth repeating. The contradictory hopes for slightly less tax and paying off the deficit aren't worth some of the company you have to keep.

re: #187 Charles

But you know they will be gloating like crazy anyway. You even still see people at LGF who think it's a good idea to vote for these people despite their sick social attitudes and universal anti-science derangement.

If I were you and I had a least one long-time reg basing his views on climate change on the weather the past two winters after all of the work you have done to educate your readers, my head would explode.

re: #185 SanFranciscoZionist

The people who are saying that--and it's really just a few--really seem to need the gloat.

The fact that every single other person on the blog is going 'yeah, Dems are gonna hurt some for sure' doesn't seem to faze them, so, well, rock and roll.

Further evidence that the primary motivation of this movement is not any particular political issue or philosophy, just hatred of other people they call liberal.

re: #190 Reginald Perrin

The serial trolls over at the stalker blog are the ones who started this BS about deleted posts. What is hilarious is that the Tampa Twit, Rick martinez, has deleted several entire stalker blogs to hide his and Mark (savage) Donato's trolling past.

The main stalker blog started out by wholesale theft of LGF posts -- they literally copied every LGF post at their hate site, for months, including the pictures, which they hotlinked. Go look at their early archives. The ripped-off posts are all still there.

This kind of behavior is just fine with the right wing, of course.

re: #181 bratwurst

I am not going to be distraught over it at all, and anyone who is jumping for joy over having to caucus with a bunch of young earth creationists who are anti-science and would deny a raped woman an abortion needs their head examined.

These people will not be brought into line out of party considerations, wither. they are on a Mission from God, and neither the GOp machinery or even the US Constitution will stop them from doing everything they can to implement their various agendas

re: #193 Renaissance_Man

Further evidence that the primary motivation of this movement is not any particular political issue or philosophy, just hatred of other people they call liberal.

There's a lot of anger there. I don't entirely get it.

re: #189 SanFranciscoZionist

The phrase "there's not enough vodka in the world" comes to mind.

I think that the quality, or lack thereof, of people like Geller, the stalkers, etc. is obvious from a brief reading of them. Rodan spoke approvingly of the genocide of Muslims the other day. Geller puts up birther rants and then claims that she didn't agree with them at all. Geller links to anti-semitic crazy women without a moment's qualm. The stalker blog moons over Putin and how great it'd be to live in Russia under a strong leader.

Anyone who likes them is already determinedly ignoring decency and reality to do so.

re: #194 Charles

The main stalker blog started out by wholesale theft of LGF posts -- they literally copied every post I put up at their hate site, for months, including the pictures, which they hotlinked. Go look at their early archives. The ripped-off posts are all still there.

This kind of behavior is just fine with the right wing, of course.

I think it was more than just fine with the right wing, Twajie (rodan) was working with Eric Odom at the time the stalker blog was started.

SFZ is exactly right: Every TP win will be attributed to the will of hte American people and be "proof" that Obama is going down in flames as if other presidents haven't had problems at midterms and rebounded. But the ones who lose we will hear about ACORN, the SEIU, and others. As I said Thursday night if people want voter fraud reform to happen they have to stop actling like only one side is gulity of it. The people who whine about fraud in the big cities were often the same ones screeching Sore Loserman ten years ago.

re: #199 HappyWarrior

And in reality, we have an incredibly low amount of voter fraud, thanks to a redundant system that makes it difficult to affect large numbers of votes without somebody noticing.

Where the real corruption in US politics is, is in 'some are more equal than others'-- the money = free speech aspect, which means that multinational corporations, hyperwealthy billionaires, and other interest groups, have far more of a voice in national politics than anyone else does or can. That influence's corruptive ability can be seen most easily in people's views on climate change; it's a scientific reality that everyone should accept as easily as "radiation is bad for us", but thanks to the massive amounts of money spent on disinformation, the body politic is ill-informed and dis-informed on the subject.

A democracy like ours depends on an educated population with good information. We have shitloads of groups who spend all day, every day, spreading bad information. Our system is vulnerable to that.

It is much, much, much less vulnerable to attempts to subvert the vote.

re: #200 Obdicut

And in reality, we have an incredibly low amount of voter fraud, thanks to a redundant system that makes it difficult to affect large numbers of votes without somebody noticing.

Where the real corruption in US politics is, is in 'some are more equal than others'-- the money = free speech aspect, which means that multinational corporations, hyperwealthy billionaires, and other interest groups, have far more of a voice in national politics than anyone else does or can. That influence's corruptive ability can be seen most easily in people's views on climate change; it's a scientific reality that everyone should accept as easily as "radiation is bad for us", but thanks to the massive amounts of money spent on disinformation, the body politic is ill-informed and dis-informed on the subject.

A democracy like ours depends on an educated population with good information. We have shitloads of groups who spend all day, every day, spreading bad information. Our system is vulnerable to that.

It is much, much, much less vulnerable to attempts to subvert the vote.

I've almost given up trying to discuss voter fraud here. It's an article of faith, not a reality-based discussion--especially among those who adhere to the doctrine of Franken Must Have Cheated Somehow.

re: #200 Obdicut

And in reality, we have an incredibly low amount of voter fraud, thanks to a redundant system that makes it difficult to affect large numbers of votes without somebody noticing.

Where the real corruption in US politics is, is in 'some are more equal than others'-- the money = free speech aspect, which means that multinational corporations, hyperwealthy billionaires, and other interest groups, have far more of a voice in national politics than anyone else does or can. That influence's corruptive ability can be seen most easily in people's views on climate change; it's a scientific reality that everyone should accept as easily as "radiation is bad for us", but thanks to the massive amounts of money spent on disinformation, the body politic is ill-informed and dis-informed on the subject.

A democracy like ours depends on an educated population with good information. We have shitloads of groups who spend all day, every day, spreading bad information. Our system is vulnerable to that.

It is much, much, much less vulnerable to attempts to subvert the vote.

Yeah this is absolutely a problem. The implication that money is speech to me implies that he who has the most money has more speech than he has does not which to me is bothersome since under the law we're supposed all have the same rights of speech.

"I don't have any criticism of the members of the Tea Party," Carter told CNN's Howard Kurtz in an interview on "Reliable Sources." "A lot of those same people, 30 years ago, were the ones who put me in the White House."

30 years older, none to wiser.

re: #202 HappyWarrior

It's a highly complex question in many ways, it's not a black-and-white thing, but those who choose the ideological stand that money is simply equivalent to or an aid to speech, and choose to overlook the actual, real-world effects, confuse me. It reminds me of O'Donnell's "always tell the truth no matter what" ideology; very quickly, you can show ways that it leads to a terrible and reprehensible situation.

re: #204 Obdicut

It's a highly complex question in many ways, it's not a black-and-white thing, but those who choose the ideological stand that money is simply equivalent to or an aid to speech, and choose to overlook the actual, real-world effects, confuse me. It reminds me of O'Donnell's "always tell the truth no matter what" ideology; very quickly, you can show ways that it leads to a terrible and reprehensible situation.

YEah it confuses me too. The problem I have really with much of the conservative backlash to Obama really is how hypocritical it is. It claims Obama and the Dems are out of touch with the rest of America yet they spout all the crazy shit we've heard them say and not to mention they seem to have no problem with big business acting poorly and unethically. I don't always support big government but I wish people would acknowledge big business isn't always great. It's like with people who scream about union thuggery but say nothing about what led people to form unions to begin with.

re: #196 SanFranciscoZionist

There's a lot of anger there. I don't entirely get it.

It's cultlike brainwashing, essentially. A small but significant minority of voters has hate actively pumped into their brains for virtually every waking hour. Like all emotions, it is addictive, and they willingly seek more.

I know it's crazy year when my very liberal wife is leaning towards voting for Linda McMahon and I'm leaning toward Dick Blumenthal.

re: #205 HappyWarrior

Or that 'business' is treated like a monolithic entity, when any cursory knowledge of capitalism shows that the biggest obstacle to small businesses are entrenched businesses. So when people talk about something being 'good for businesses', most of the time it's something it's good for large, established businesses, and not good for small, start-up businesses.

I'm the owner of a one-man (me) corporation-- hopefully soon to expand to actually employing people. Tax breaks and the like do almost nothing to help me. Single-payer insurance would help me enormously, because I'd be able to attract better-quality employees.

A lot of the people who champion capitalism don't appear to really have much of a knowledge of how capitalism works. They spout nonsense about businesses always passing along costs to the consumer, or tax breaks allowing companies to hire more workers, without every sitting down and actually working out the math and the logic behind those positions, or even observing the real world and seeing if their assumptions are true.

It's frustrating.

I'll just sit here and drink my Odwalla Superfood, and watch a regime that really puts on a good show:

(gee, they look so happy....)

re: #208 Obdicut

Or that 'business' is treated like a monolithic entity, when any cursory knowledge of capitalism shows that the biggest obstacle to small businesses are entrenched businesses. So when people talk about something being 'good for businesses', most of the time it's something it's good for large, established businesses, and not good for small, start-up businesses.

I'm the owner of a one-man (me) corporation-- hopefully soon to expand to actually employing people. Tax breaks and the like do almost nothing to help me. Single-payer insurance would help me enormously, because I'd be able to attract better-quality employees.

A lot of the people who champion capitalism don't appear to really have much of a knowledge of how capitalism works. They spout nonsense about businesses always passing along costs to the consumer, or tax breaks allowing companies to hire more workers, without every sitting down and actually working out the math and the logic behind those positions, or even observing the real world and seeing if their assumptions are true.

It's frustrating.

Exactly - they ignore the principle economic rule of supply and demand when it comes to hiring "businesses need lower taxes to hire people".......... no, no, no - businesses actually need an economy sustaining demand for their products to consider hiring people. Its agenda driven double think.

re: #208 Obdicut

Or that 'business' is treated like a monolithic entity, when any cursory knowledge of capitalism shows that the biggest obstacle to small businesses are entrenched businesses. So when people talk about something being 'good for businesses', most of the time it's something it's good for large, established businesses, and not good for small, start-up businesses.

I'm the owner of a one-man (me) corporation-- hopefully soon to expand to actually employing people. Tax breaks and the like do almost nothing to help me. Single-payer insurance would help me enormously, because I'd be able to attract better-quality employees.

A lot of the people who champion capitalism don't appear to really have much of a knowledge of how capitalism works. They spout nonsense about businesses always passing along costs to the consumer, or tax breaks allowing companies to hire more workers, without every sitting down and actually working out the math and the logic behind those positions, or even observing the real world and seeing if their assumptions are true.

It's frustrating.

Yeah when I was a little kid my dad briefly had his own business. The situations he faced and decisions he had to make were totally different than that of some fortune 500 CEO whose annual salary is in figures that many of us dream about. I would really like to see more championing of small businesses really.

Now, THIS is happy:

perhaps some day for some.....

re: #181 bratwurst

That is why I am so confused about everyone saying "oh just wait until Tuesday night, there will be some fireworks around here...blah blah blah." There is hardly a man, woman or child in the world who thinks the GOP WON'T win the house. I am not going to be distraught over it at all, and anyone who is jumping for joy over having to caucus with a bunch of young earth creationists who are anti-science and would deny a raped woman an abortion needs their head examined.

A bunch of prematurely ejaculating rape gene enablers, that's what we're dealing with.

Steve Martin tweet:

I decided to dress up as myself tonight.
Looked in mirror, decided to go as my older self.

re: #212 Ericus58

Sorry this video does not exist. Deep.

re: #215 JeffFX

Sorry this video does not exist. Deep.

hmmm - should be Vital - Saying

test...

VITAL - Saying from VITAL on Vimeo.

Live Creatively:

DARK SIDE OF THE LENS from Astray Films on Vimeo.

re: #215 JeffFX

Sorry this video does not exist. Deep.

So, better for you now?

Wow. can not beleive I actually watched two minutes of that. Boring!!!!