Just Texas junk, rather than texas junk politics.

Good night all.

A few more views:
[Link: www.google.com...]

re: #3 jaunte

This one caught my eye.

It follows the Ed Weston theory of photography.

Since I was more focused on the extreme ignorance displayed by Romney in his "just go to the ER" comment, I didn't even think about this angle....

Romney: "Why should everyone pay for their own insurance? If you get sick, just go to the ER and make somebody else pay."

— Romney Hood (@MittRmoney) September 24, 2012

Remember to give a fake name when you go, too.

Oh, that's too fun for words.

The South Dakota 1905 State Census allows four statuses to be checked, if need be:

Deaf
Blind
Dumb
Idiotic

Darn good thing that one of those statuses is not available on Facebook for people who leave their FB accounts open.

my favorite political items this week

- onion article about how paul ryan is so well known and loved as a fighter and spokesman for the disadvantaged and downtrodden

- gingrich tells romney "do to obama what you did to me"

Romney Reportedly Knocks California While Attending Del Mar Fundraiser

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney came to the Golden State for a two-day series of high-profile fundraisers and reportedly took a shot at California in front of a $25,000 a ticket crowd in Del Mar.

Romney “took a pretty big shot at California,” according to a pool reporter.

“He said that under President Obama we’re becoming a lot more European and that the state of California was something he didn’t want to see the rest of the U.S. look like in a few years,” a pool reporter related.

re: #5 JamesWI

Romney: "Why should everyone pay for their own insurance? If you get sick, just go to the ER and make somebody else pay."

And people wonder why medical insurance costs have increased so much. Take the GOP logic to the end and eventually there will only be one person with health insurance left and the policy will cost him $500 billion a year.

re: #8 Kragar

EUROPE!!

I think Chumley should hook up with the Junk King and do their own TV show.

the state of California was something he didn’t want to see the rest of the U.S. look like in a few years

somebody stealing our spaced out blond surfer d00ds?

seriously, what exactly doesn't he like?

re: #12 engineer cat

the state of California was something he didn’t want to see the rest of the U.S. look like in a few years

somebody stealing our spaced out blond surfer d00ds?

seriously, what exactly doesn't he like?

He hates it so much he only has one mansion here.

re: #13 Kragar

He hates it so much he only has one mansion here.

only place where the trees were the right height

re: #5 JamesWI

Because this clip never gets old.

Romney promises to be more aggressive on campaign trail

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney vowed on Sunday that he would campaign more aggressively in battleground states in the final 43 days before the November election.

The comments, made to reporters aboard his campaign plane, suggested Romney was taking to heart criticism from his own party about the amount of time he has spent raising funds versus speaking to voters.

"I think the fundraising season is probably getting a bit quieter. I would rather spend the time in key states," Romney said in his first comments to reporters since Monday.

re: #15 The Mountain That Blogs

Because this clip never gets old.

[Embedded content]

Even in that 2007 GB clip, Mitt came off like a fucking uppity douchebag.

re: #17 Gert Fröbe

Even in that 2007 GB clip, Mitt came off like a fucking uppity douchebag.

he truly believes that every dollar he has in the bank makes him a little smarter

re: #17 Gert Fröbe

Even then in that 2007 GB clip, Mitt came off like a fucking douchebag.

Just the self-satisfied demeanor of a man who has convinced himself that he should take personal responsibility and care for his life.

re: #19 Hercules Grytpype-Thynne

Ever since the Thurston Howell reference, I now call them Thurston and Lovey in my head

My search of choral works continue, with Taneyev's Cantate John Damascene ("John of Damascus"):

Morning, all

re: #22 researchok

Morning, all

'Middle of the night. all.

re: #23 Decatur Deb

Just about dinner time, all.

re: #21 freetoken

Very nice-I had never heard this.

Favorited.

Great find

re: #24 ozbloke

Just about dinner time, all.

How do you keep wine in your glasses, being upside-down and all?

re: #26 Decatur Deb

How do you keep wine in your glasses, being upside-down and all?

Wine? In Australia?

"This is not a wine for drinking. This is a wine for laying down and avoiding."

More choral music. The chapel choir where I went to college used to sing this for advent:

re: #27 iossarian

Wine? In Australia?

"This is not a wine for drinking. This is a wine for laying down and avoiding."

We get lots of Australian wine here in Lower Alabama. At least there are kangaroos all over the labels.

When my family was in Korea, some Aussie contractor sold the Army commissary system a bunch of 'roo meat as hamburger, so we know our 'roos.

re: #26 Decatur Deb

How do you keep wine in your glasses, being upside-down and all?

Drink real quick!
Then it doesn't stay in the glass long enough to worry about.

re: #29 Decatur Deb

We get lots of Australian wine here in Lower Alabama. At least there are kangaroos all over the labels.

When my family was in Korea, some Aussie contractor sold the Army commissary system a bunch of 'roo meat as hamburger, so we know our 'roos.

We have dome good wines here, Barossa Valley in South Australia, and the Margerat River in Western Australia both have had many world acclaimed wines.

I like a drop of red but I prefer a nice spirit, or beer on a hot day.

I don't mind Australian wine, though I do get annoyed with the tendency to aim for high alcohol content, which I see more from the New World than Europe.

re: #32 iossarian

[Embedded content]

I don't mind Australian wine, though I do get annoyed with the tendency to aim for high alcohol content, which I see more from the New World than Europe.

What?
Why else to you drink?

re: #31 ozbloke

We have dome good wines here, Barossa Valley in South Australia, and the Margerat River in Western Australia both have had many world acclaimed wines.

I like a drop of red but I prefer a nice spirit, or beer on a hot day.

We toured a winery in Deepest Alabama. Guy had a small, beautiful high-tech plant that must have cost a million dollars. Luck to him, but the wine wasn't very good.

The part of Italy where we were stationed (Berici hills) had about the only bad wine there, but we were only a couple valleys from Valpolicella and Soave.

re: #28 iossarian

Nice piece.

re: #32 iossarian

[Embedded content]

I don't mind Australian wine, though I do get annoyed with the tendency to aim for high alcohol content, which I see more from the New World than Europe.

Thanks for the video, sounds about right.

Just switched to coffee--day has begun.

re: #33 ozbloke

What?
Why else to you drink?

Oh, I like my alcohol content. I just like there to be an accompanying flavor of some kind as well.

Lots of Australian wine is very good, it's just the 15%-plus stuff that I find a bit "robust".

re: #34 Decatur Deb

We toured a winery in Deepest Alabama. Guy had a small, beautiful high-tech plant that must have cost a million dollars. Luck to him, but the wine wasn't very good.

The part of Italy where we were stationed (Berici hills) had about the only bad wine there, but we were only a couple valleys from Valpolicella and Soave.

I normally find when it tastes bad, I tend to drink it quicker, after the third glass it seems to taste a whole lot better.

re: #39 ozbloke

I normally find when it tastes bad, I tend to drink it quicker, after the third glass it seems to taste a whole lot better.

We just transfer to a new country.

(Not wine snobs, really. There are only 4 kinds-- red, white, good, bad.)

re: #38 iossarian

Oh, I like my alcohol content. I just like there to be an accompanying flavor of some kind as well.

Lots of Australian wine is very good, it's just the 15%-plus stuff that I find a bit "robust".

I like to use hot Spanish salami, kabana, a few cheeses some black Greek olives and a mixture of crackers with the red sitting in our spa (jacuzzi) for flavor.

re: #41 ozbloke

I like to use hot Spanish salami, kabana, a few cheeses some black Greek olives and a mixture of crackers with the red sitting in our spa (jacuzzi) for flavor.

Sounds like you'd enjoy the fine untaxed beverage of Eastern Kentucky.

re: #40 Decatur Deb

We just transfer to a new country.

(Not wine snobs, really. There are only 4 kinds-- red, white, good, bad.)

I'm definitely not a connoisseur, just someone who has found some good value Shiraz and Cab Shiraz and an odd Merlot that I can tolerate, I prefer a red with food.

re: #42 Decatur Deb

Sounds like you'd enjoy the fine untaxed beverage of Eastern Kentucky.

I do like a scotch, whiskey and bourbon typically with next to no ice or no ice.
I like to sip it, don't get me wrong I don't drink too much, well not very often but a sipping spirit is lovely on a cold night.

re: #43 ozbloke

I'm definitely not a connoisseur, just someone who has found some good value Shiraz and Cab Shiraz and an odd Merlot that I can tolerate, I prefer a red with food.

My best wine experience was in a winegrower's cooperativa near Soave. You enter a large bright tiled room, very much like a modern milking parlor. One wall had 6 taps set in the wall. Opposite each tap near the far wall was a stainless steel gasoline pump. Buyers took a glass from the rack, went to each tap, and found the wine they liked. Then they took their own 20-litre container to the corresponding pump, filled up, and paid what the pump registered--about 80 cents per litre. Italians drink wine, they don't make movies like 'Sideways'.

Post of the night from Freep:

(Responding to a flat-out racist rant about Bay Buchanan)

To:
Agreed. Demography is destiny.
However, as one descended from colonial pioneers who took the flintlock off the mantle to fight the French and Indians and participated in every major war since (including the war between the states), I am not willing yet to abandon the fight.
First, we acknowledge the problem as you have done. When we are informed of the problem by people like Pat Buchanan, whom we scorned on these threads, and Mark Steyn we should stop killing the messenger and accept the problem to deal with it.
Right now, dealing with it means fighting the electoral fight and winning this election to prevent tyranny, to preserve the Constitution and what is left of capitalism, and to deny sharia the world.

We must stick Romney's thumb in the dyke.

As and when the floodgates give way then must we take down our flintlocks and fight gallantly in a hopeless cause - but at least we will have been genetically well adapted to fighting gallantly in lost causes.

8 posted on Mon 24 Sep 2012 12:48:40 AM CDT by nathanbedford ("Attack, repeat, attack!" Bull Halsey)

re: #45 Decatur Deb

That's a great story, made me smile.
I grew up being about the only Aussie in my class, mostly Europeans, often made their own meats and grew a lot of veggies.

I use to love going to mates places for lunch, feasts from about 5 years old the kids would get watered down wine with their meals.

re: #46 Decatur Deb

Post of the night from Freep:

(Responding to a flat-out racist rant about Bay Buchanan)

To:
Agreed. Demography is destiny.
However, as one descended from colonial pioneers who took the flintlock off the mantle to fight the French and Indians and participated in every major war since (including the war between the states), I am not willing yet to abandon the fight.
First, we acknowledge the problem as you have done. When we are informed of the problem by people like Pat Buchanan, whom we scorned on these threads, and Mark Steyn we should stop killing the messenger and accept the problem to deal with it.
Right now, dealing with it means fighting the electoral fight and winning this election to prevent tyranny, to preserve the Constitution and what is left of capitalism, and to deny sharia the world.

We must stick Romney's thumb in the dyke.

As and when the floodgates give way then must we take down our flintlocks and fight gallantly in a hopeless cause - but at least we will have been genetically well adapted to fighting gallantly in lost causes.

8 posted on Mon 24 Sep 2012 12:48:40 AM CDT by nathanbedford ("Attack, repeat, attack!" Bull Halsey)

I think Romney's more used to sticking people's heads in toilets than thumbs in dykes.

re: #47 ozbloke

That's a great story, made me smile.
I grew up being about the only Aussie in my class, mostly Europeans, often made their own meats and grew a lot of veggies.

I use to love going to mates places for lunch, feasts from about 5 years old the kids would get watered down wine with their meals.

Sounds like an 'agriturismo'. My friend's daughter has one in the Alps foothills.

Image: g01.jpg

re: #49 Decatur Deb

Sounds like an 'agriturismo'. My friend's daughter has one in the Alps foothills.

Image: g01.jpg

Looks like a nice place for a feed.

I use to go there at lunch time during school, or after school, didn't matter what time is was, you were always sat down and fed.

Fond memories.

re: #49 Decatur Deb

Sounds like an 'agriturismo'. My friend's daughter has one in the Alps foothills.

Image: g01.jpg

We stayed at a v. nice Agriturismo in Tuscany a couple of years ago. "Would recommend."

Morning drunkards honcos.

Republican Deer?
AUSTIN (KXAN) - It seemed a dastardly deed -- destroying the display of a devoted Democrat.
The homeowners didn't determine who, not once but four times, deliberately devastated the yard sign that depicted their beloved president, front-yard decor which said they were supporters of the dashing Barack Obama.
[Link: www.kxan.com...]

The Kevin Bridges story in this episode is one of my favorite goddamn things of all time.

I bought a horse.

re: #54 Obdicut

That is genius.

"Where has the mysterious man gone?"

Matt Schaub loses piece of ear on illegal hit
During the Houston Texans' win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Houston quarterback Matt Schaub was on the wrong end of a devastating and illegal hit by Broncos defender Joe Mays. How devastating? He lost part of his earlobe on the play.
I'm betting this guy will be $50K lighter in the wallet. And knowing Roger Goodell, prolly gonna have to sit for a week.

re: #52 Cannadian Club Akbar

Morning drunkards honcos.

I am after watching that Patriots game last night!!

re: #56 Cannadian Club Akbar

Linky, D'oh!!!
[Link: sports.yahoo.com...]

re: #57 sattv4u2

I am after watching that Patriots game last night!!

The Pats a 1-2, just like the Bucs.:)

re: #56 Cannadian Club Akbar

Matt Schaub loses piece of ear on illegal hit
During the Houston Texans' win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Houston quarterback Matt Schaub was on the wrong end of a devastating and illegal hit by Broncos defender Joe Mays. How devastating? He lost part of his earlobe on the play.
I'm betting this guy will be $50K lighter in the wallet. And knowing Roger Goodell, prolly gonna have to sit for a week.

Somewhere,, Mike Tyson approves of the hit!!

re: #59 Cannadian Club Akbar

The Pats a 1-2, just like the Bucs.:)

shutty!

re: #55 iossarian

It's so cool that it's emergent humor, too, not scripted.

"The horse needs a break."

re: #62 Obdicut

It's so cool that it's emergent humor, too, not scripted.

"The horse needs a break."

Yeah, it's close to my favorite kind of comedy: the "four guys talking crap in a pub" school.

At 2:00 am this morning, I rolled over (I didn't crush my wife, unlike Peter Griffin) and whispered "Happy Anniversary" to my wife. She replied "You're a week early asshole"
Phew, didn't get her nuthin neither.

re: #64 Shropshire_Slasher

At 2:00 am this morning, I rolled over (I didn't crush my wife, unlike Peter Griffin) and whispered "Happy Anniversary" to my wife. She replied "You're a week early asshole"
Phew, didn't get her nuthin neither.

Balance it out by giving her her present a week late.

re: #64 Shropshire_Slasher

re: #65 Cannadian Club Akbar

Balance it out by giving her her present a week late.

That,,, or on that morning at 2 a.m,,, roll over and crush her!!

re: #64 Shropshire_Slasher

If it's any consolation, you were right; she was thinking of her other husband.

re: #67 Obdicut

If it's any consolation, you were right; she was thinking of her other husband.

No

She doesn't call her other husband "asshole"

Buy her golf shoes. When she says "I don't play golf" explain to her they are for when there is ice on the ground she can clean out your car without slipping.

Latest news from Captain Obvious.

Re #70 Sheila Brovloski
Wow, Goebbels was like the uber sycophant.
Was his nickname Captain Obvious? Wrong link?!

re: #71 Shropshire_Slasher

Re #70 Sheila Brovloski
Wow, Goebbels was like the uber sycophant.
Was his nickname Captain Obvious? Wrong link?!

The link is to an article about the early writings of Goebbels which reveal his racist and psychotic tendencies.

re: #72 Sheila Brovlofski

Yeah, I heard that on the radio the other day. Apparently, he didn't like Jews much. Who knew?

re: #73 Obdicut

Yeah, I heard that on the radio the other day. Apparently, he didn't like Jews much. Who knew?

What a shock, huh?

It's frackin' freezing in here. I'm hearing other workers complaining here in cubicle land. They haven't switched the building HVAC for colder weather. I should have brought a sweater.

re: #75 Sheila Brovlofski

It's frackin' freezing in here. I'm hearing other workers complaining here in cubicle land. They haven't switched the building HVAC for colder weather. I should have brought a sweater.

Find some computational-intensive freeware app and run it on all the desktops.

Hey presto - forced air heating!

re: #76 iossarian

Find some computational-intensive freeware app and run it on all the desktops.

Hey presto - forced air heating!

No. Bonfires. Lots of em.

re: #77 Varek Raith

No. Bonfires. Lots of em.

Set fire to the page of the employee handbook that says "no bonfires".

When I was in middle skool we would set fire to phone books to keep warm at the bus stop.

re: #79 Cannadian Club Akbar

When I was in middle skool we would set fire to phone books to keep warm at the bus stop.

At least the coal-fired bus kept you warm.
:P

brb

Good Morning Lizards.

Mopey day in Philadelphia. Nice, crisp fall weather, but the Eagles got stomped by the Cardinals yesterday and the Phillies dwindling wildcard hopes were pretty much squashed as well. I expect the bomb-throwing sports talking heads will be calling for Andy Reid's head already.

(Pittsburgh teams had a pretty poor weekend as well, so things are probably glum in that end of the state as well.)

And the neat local headline is a police officer accidently firing a loaded gun that a flight attendant brought into the airport.
[Link: www.philly.com...]

re: #82 Feline Emperor of the Conservative Waste

Cards are 3-0.

re: #83 Cannadian Club Akbar

Cards are 3-0.

A lot of players in that game yesterday from my college alma mater (Pittsburgh).

re: #46 Decatur Deb

Post of the night from Freep:

(Responding to a flat-out racist rant about Bay Buchanan)

To:

As and when the floodgates give way then must we take down our flintlocks and fight gallantly in a hopeless cause - but at least we will have been genetically well adapted to fighting gallantly in lost causes.

I am always so amused to see people like this represent some kind of fighting far right. If I were of the kind to make a sock, I'd be tempted to say this to him:

"Hey dude? The only thing you're genetically adapted to is setting your fat ass down on the couch to swill down cheap beer and cheezy puffs while pretending you still have a pair between your legs. Those ancestors of yours would have laughed at you and then left you behind like the real world is doing today. "

:)

Corporate communication email reminding everyone to vote Nov 6 and what the deadlines for voter registration are in the various states we have plants in (or near).

Taking their civil responsibilities seriously.

So I bounced out to a web site and confirmed that I was in the voter database and that my polling place had not moved.

re: #85 William Barnett-Lewis

There's also the obvious malunderstanding of genetics. You can't get adapted to fighting gallantly in losing causes. There's no evolutionary benefit.

I'm also not sure why he thinks fighting the French and Indians were lost causes.

re: #85 William Barnett-Lewis

I am always so amused to see people like this represent some kind of fighting far right. If I were of the kind to make a sock, I'd be tempted to say this to him:

"Hey dude? The only thing you're genetically adapted to is setting your fat ass down on the couch to swill down cheap beer and cheezy puffs while pretending you still have a pair between your legs. Those ancestors of yours would have laughed at you and then left you behind like the real world is doing today. "

I have a feeling that genetics and lost causes don't mix in the long term. Sounds like something that leads to a dead-end twig on the tree of life.

biab

re: #87 Obdicut

There's also the obvious malunderstanding of genetics. You can't get adapted to fighting gallantly in losing causes. There's no evolutionary benefit.

I'm also not sure why he thinks fighting the French and Indians were lost causes.

Too wrapped up in that whole southern thing somehow, though perhaps his ancestors were up in the Northwest Territories fighting against the British?

All I can think of is Bugs Bunny pointing with a carrot and saying "what a maroon..."

re: #86 Feline Emperor of the Conservative Waste

:)

Corporate communication email reminding everyone to vote Nov 6 and what the deadlines for voter registration are in the various states we have plants in (or near).

Taking their civil responsibilities seriously.

So I bounced out to a web site and confirmed that I was in the voter database and that my polling place had not moved.

Kewl. I need to find out the training date as I'm scheduled to work the day shift as a poll worker.

Wisconsin voters - you can get your early ballots as of Oct 22. Rat bastards moved it back from the 18th as too many Democrats were voting early... :(

re: #64 Shropshire_Slasher

How romantical:) But seriously, I am the one who doesn't keep track of the "special days"- my husband is, over the summer I somehow missed the 4th anniversary of when we met. . .ooops:)

re: #91 William Barnett-Lewis

Kewl. I need to find out the training date as I'm scheduled to work the day shift as a poll worker.

Wisconsin voters - you can get your early ballots as of Oct 22. Rat bastards moved it back from the 18th as too many Democrats were voting early... :(

In 2004 I drove a "get out the vote" van from 7am-1pm then was a poll watcher from 4-7ish.

re: #91 William Barnett-Lewis

Good to know, I'll pass it on to my fellow Wisconsinites

re: #88 Feline Emperor of the Conservative Waste

His statement actually makes less sense the more you look at it. Apparently he comes from a family that's fought in every major war since.

Let's have a look:

French-Indian War: Basically a draw, not at all a lost cause.

American Revolutionary War: Unless his ancestors fought on the Tory side, we won that one.

Maybe minor wars of Tecumsah's Rebellion and the Barbary Pirates-- we won both of those.

War of 1812: Draw.

Bunch of other little wars against pirates and American Indians, we won all of 'em.

Mexican-American war: US totally fucking romped home on this one, embarrassingly large margin of victory.

Bunch of small wars against various people in the Pacific, American Indians, and whoever else we could find: We won almost all of 'em, didn't really lose any.

Civil War: The US won this one handily. The confederacy lost. I'd say from this guy's post that for some reason he feels his ancestors fighting for the Confederacy's attempt to destroy the United States was all super-patriotic.

More beating up on American Indians in a very lopsided manner for the most part, smacking Koreans around while looking like dicks, fucking around in South America like assholes. A pretty undignified period, but militarily very successful.

Spanish-American War: We won bigtime.

Phillipine Insurrection: We won brutally, with lots of racism.

Other little things in South America: America wins, is a jerk, etc.

WWI: America joins late, lowest causalties of any serious belligerent, on the winning side.

Russian Civil War: America half-assed this one, but our alliance did lose. But we really half-assed it.

WWII: America joins late, lowest casualties of any serious belligerent, on the winning side, and escapes the devastation of Europe and so is in brilliant position to dominate the next century.

Korean War: A spiffy little stalemate, not at all a lost cause.

Vietnam: Lost cause! We found one.

Gulf War I: We win like Tyson vs. an Ice Cream Sandwich

Afghanistan: We 'won', then figured out that oh shit, we're in Afghanistan. Sorta lost cause.

Gulf War II: We failed to achieve our objective because it didn't exist, not really a lost cause, just not even really a cause.

So my question is: I'm a non-gun-owning liberal pansy in New York City who had whole-grain English muffins this morning and need to buy more soy milk: How come I know more about US military history than this supposed blood-and-guts patriot?

re: #95 Obdicut

So my question is: I'm a non-gun-owning liberal pansy in New York City who had whole-grain English muffins this morning and need to buy more soy milk: How come I know more about US military history than this supposed blood-and-guts patriot?

Simple: staying educated and, more importantly, rational is hard work. Both of those qualities are in short supply in the modern conservative movement.

It's cold.

re: #56 Cannadian Club Akbar

Matt Schaub loses piece of ear on illegal hit
During the Houston Texans' win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Houston quarterback Matt Schaub was on the wrong end of a devastating and illegal hit by Broncos defender Joe Mays. How devastating? He lost part of his earlobe on the play.
I'm betting this guy will be $50K lighter in the wallet. And knowing Roger Goodell, prolly gonna have to sit for a week.

He should be suspended, and in my opinion for longer than a week. Those kinds of hits to the head can cause mTBI, which makes them very serious indeed. Defensemen need to understand that clubbing the quarterback like that will not be tolerated.

re: #95 Obdicut

French and Indian War wasn't a draw from the British point of view. (The earlier wars in the sequence generally ended with some sort of status quo since they were being fought in Europe, India, and North America.) This one ended with the British taking Quebec and Montreal and France never got Canada back.

A draw from the frontiersman perspective maybe. It ended with a bit of peace and the backers of the Indians changing from the French to the British and Tories by the time of the Revolutionary War. (If you want to read a good book on this whole time period on the frontier I would recommend _Bloody Mohawk_ if you want to see how a region handled this, or _Year of the Hangman_ if you want to see frontier events over a few years during the Revolution. The latter is a real good follow-up to reading McCullough's _1776_.)

re: #98 Dark_Falcon

He should be suspended, and in my opinion for longer than a week. Those kinds of hits to the head can cause mTBI, which makes them very serious indeed. Defensemen need to understand that clubbing the quarterback like that will not be tolerated.

If he has been warned before, I'll agree and say 4 games. If it was just a stoopid play, Goodell might only make it a week

re: #101 Cannadian Club Akbar

If he has been warned before, I'll agree and say 4 games. If it was just a stoopid play, Goodell might only make it a week

It's a free for all out there right now. After watching three games yesterday, I understand why the replacement refs are such a problem. They have no control over what happens on the field. In the PIT-OAK game, there was a scuffle (as happens) on the field and the refs were in there shouting for everyone to break it up. Regular refs would have just tossed in a few yellow flags and the players themselves would have stopped it. Then there was the head-to-head contact in the end zone that turned a Raider receiver into a heap of flesh...he was out cold before he hit the ground and had to be back-boarded to the hospital.

Yeah, it's ugly, but nobody seems to give a shit. Once a few teams lose their star players they may start to care. But fuck it, they're professionals.

Caveat to my Comment #100. Not all the Indians fought with the British and Tories. One of the "bad things" with the Revolution is that Iroquois fought Iroquois and it pretty much wrecked their highly successful to that point confederation. There was even a contingent of Oneida that came south and served with Washington's army in eastern Pennsylvania for a period of time.

re: #102 darthstar

The NFL isn't happy with the refs.
[Link: www.nfl.com...]

re: #102 darthstar

The Saints game was a good example of how totally clueless the replacement refs are, that Oakland play was scary as hell

Same with the Redskins/Bengals game.
Terrible, terrible calls.

re: #104 Cannadian Club Akbar

Oh my, it is getting interesting, but I will wait to see what happens to Belichick for his arm grab. I am guessing that Harbough will not be in trouble for his triple? dip of reviews.

re: #107 DisturbedEma

Oh my, it is getting interesting, but I will wait to see what happens to Belichick for his arm grab. I am guessing that Harbough will not be in trouble for his triple? dip of reviews.

Belichick should/will prolly get a fine. If it was actually during the game he would have been tossed.

re: #104 Cannadian Club Akbar

The NFL isn't happy with the refs.
[Link: www.nfl.com...]

True, but but doing something about it will mean paying the regular refs pensions and the owners don't want to do that. They may well figure they can slap the fans across the face with bad officiating so that they can make more money. And they're probably right.

Good morning lizards!

Boom! Today, Romney will accuse the president of the same.

On @60minutes, Obama re accusations weak on Syria: "If Governor Romney is suggesting that we should start another war, he should say so"

— Mike Allen (@mikeallen) September 23, 2012

re: #109 Dark_Falcon

True, but but doing something about it will mean paying the regular refs pensions and the owners don't want to do that. They may well figure they can slap the fans across the face with bad officiating so that they can make more money. And they're probably right.

I can't even get a Bucs game streaming from my sports talk radio out of Tampa. Well, I can for $22.

Anybody here ever have to use the ER because you didn't have health insurance...I have. Fucking miserable experience.

Romney cites emergency room as viable health care option for uninsured huff.to/Uw34mo

— Huffington Post (@HuffingtonPost) September 24, 2012

Romney calls emergency room a health-care option for uninsured wapo.st/Qd5F1S

— PostPolitics (@postpolitics) September 24, 2012

re: #112 Cannadian Club Akbar

I can't even get a Bucs game streaming from my sports talk radio out of Tampa. Well, I can for $22.

Same with baseball.

re: #112 Cannadian Club Akbar

I can't even get a Bucs game streaming from my sports talk radio out of Tampa. Well, I can for $22.

Check out siriusxm.

re: #114 Cannadian Club Akbar

Same with baseball.

Siriusxm. Get football and baseball (and NASCAR - you're from the south)

re: #113 darthstar

The hospitals back in FLA had billboards around town showing wait times. I've sat in one for long periods of time, though. (when I was young)

re: #116 darthstar

I've looked into it.

re: #111 darthstar

Boom! Today, Romney will accuse the president of the same.

This sounds like an issue that will fall into the "professionals study logistics" pit as the talking heads ignore what it really takes in terms of time and planning to project force for any period of time into foreign lands. Especially if you plan on including ground troops in any meaningful number.

I suspect that this is a ploy to start in on trying to veer the campaign towards discussing military spending and claiming Obama is soft on defense.

re: #113 darthstar

Anybody here ever have to use the ER because you didn't have health insurance...I have. Fucking miserable experience.

[Embedded content]

That's what causes rates to skyrocket you dipshit!

re: #100 Feline Emperor of the Conservative Waste

French and Indian War wasn't a draw from the British point of view. (The earlier wars in the sequence generally ended with some sort of status quo since they were being fought in Europe, India, and North America.) This one ended with the British taking Quebec and Montreal and France never got Canada back.

It nearly bankrupted them, though. The economic effects of having to fight it were pretty devastating for Britain, and France didn't really care about Canada compared to how much it cared about the Caribbean possessions.

re: #105 DisturbedEma

The Saints game was a good example of how totally clueless the replacement refs are, that Oakland play was scary as hell

I half-expected the KC coaching staff to slug the refs in overtime yesterday. They all looked distinctly unimpressed.

At this rate, the NFL should just give the actual refs whatever they want just to get them back on the field. It's getting ridiculous with these replacement officials.

re: #119 Feline Emperor of the Conservative Waste

This sounds like an issue that will fall into the "professionals study logistics" pit as the talking heads ignore what it really takes in terms of time and planning to project force for any period of time into foreign lands. Especially if you plan on including ground troops in any meaningful number.

I suspect that this is a ploy to start in on trying to veer the campaign towards discussing military spending and claiming Obama is soft on defense.

The media in general does not want to understand logistics, as an admitted understanding of the issue would make it much harder for them to simply point at a 'tragic situation' and wail "Do Something!". As we've seen with conservative talk-show hosts, the media in almost all its forms isn't about solutions; It's about stirring shit up in order to gain attention and money. There are a few military oriented sites, though, that will actually explain military matters in a realistic way.

re: #109 Dark_Falcon

True, but but doing something about it will mean paying the regular refs pensions and the owners don't want to do that.

Oh boo hoo. How much are the owners worth? They can afford to spring for pensions for the refs.

re: #113 darthstar

Anybody here ever have to use the ER because you didn't have health insurance...I have. Fucking miserable experience.

[Embedded content]

If you don't have health insurance and you go to the ER they will bankrupt you. ER's don't treat you for free. They will shake you down.

I broke my foot 10 years ago and I stayed home and wrapped it in an ace bandage. Today I am disabled because I did not want to go to the ER for a broken foot. (I never knew my foot was actually broken until years later when I finally did get insurance and went to an orthopedist who took x-rays which revealed an old poorly healed fracture).

re: #124 Lidane

Oh boo hoo. How much are the owners worth? They can afford to spring for pensions for the refs.

Yes, they can afford to, but they don't want to and don't think they have to.

re: #124 Lidane

Oh boo hoo. How much are the owners worth? They can afford to spring for pensions for the refs.

Commissioner Goodell is in the owner's pockets.

re: #120 Varek Raith

That's what causes rates to skyrocket you dipshit!

But the free market! Eleventy!

Seriously, though -- a single trip to the ER for someone without insurance leaves that person with thousands in medical bills that they suddenly have to pay. It's not a solution for anything. It just adds to their debts and increases the chances of their having to file bankruptcy.

re: #121 Obdicut

It nearly bankrupted them, though. The economic effects of having to fight it were pretty devastating for Britain, and France didn't really care about Canada compared to how much it cared about the Caribbean possessions.

Short term thinking to a degree. But the islands were profitable due to the sugar industry as compared to the "few acres of snow" that was mainly fur trade and fishing.

The British were also having a much easier time generating colonists than the French were, so have larger land tracts for settlement interested them more. Of course, once the British interests had all the fur trade they suddenly wanted the extent of settlement limited in order to not disturb it.

And the near bankruptcy is what also led to more taxes and a desire to make the colonists "pay for their own defense." Which helped lead to further unhappiness.

re: #126 Dark_Falcon

Yes, they can afford to, but they don't want to and don't think they have to.

Just like the same bosses who didn't want to give people family and medical leave, or overtime pay or anything else.

As we're seeing now, the actual NFL refs are much better at their jobs than the refs that were supposed to take their place. That should be rewarded. If that means actually giving them a retirement pension after years of dedicated service, then so be it.

re: #125 Sheila Brovlofski

Because of the business of health insurance, uninsured actually pay more for the same services given to insured, depending on the agreement with the provider, which is negotiated by the insurance company. My Ex still covers our kids on his plan, and because of the agreement, I pay more as an uninsured patient, than my college student still covered on his dad's plan

re: #131 DisturbedEma

I was in a car accident and went to a chiropractor. If insurance paid for it my bill was $67. If insurance didn't pay it cost me $25.

re: #132 Cannadian Club Akbar

Not sure how that works, the plan my ex has a acute/urgent visit for $20 (co pay) and the uninsured pays the full cost, $135

re: #132 Cannadian Club Akbar

I was in a car accident and went to a chiropractor. If insurance paid for it my bill was $67. If insurance didn't pay it cost me $25.

I didn't finish my thought. He would bill the insurance company $67 who then paid 80% and I paid nothing. Sorry for the confusion.

re: #128 Lidane

Seriously, though -- a single trip to the ER for someone without insurance leaves that person with thousands in medical bills that they suddenly have to pay. It's not a solution for anything. It just adds to their debts and increases the chances of their having to file bankruptcy.

My one business partner is essentially bankrupt for this reason. Ended up in the hospital and getting operated on for acute diverticulitis a few years back. Was out of work for 2-3 months and is still trying to pay off bills from that.

This "go to the ER" should be treated as the GOP's "let them eat cake" quote, but the media doesn't have the guts to point out how mind-blowingly stupid this theory is from just about any point of view; health, financial, or productivity.

re: #124 Lidane

Oh boo hoo. How much are the owners worth? They can afford to spring for pensions for the refs.

Then they will want the tax payers to pay for a new stadium for them so they can make more money to cover their 'losses'. Then claim they built that team themselves and are entitled to all those profits.

re: #134 Cannadian Club Akbar

Ah, yes, the EOB is very interesting to read. I do not see them anymore, but when I was married to him, the numbers were there to show how much the service was "discounted" because of the PPA prefered provider agreement

re: #133 DisturbedEma

Not sure how that works, the plan my ex has a acute/urgent visit for $20 (co pay) and the uninsured pays the full cost, $135

My last real job with insurance, I paid $25 for an office visit and $35 for a specialist. BUT any co-pays I had, I could save the receipts and once it hit $1500 the company would reimburse me. (I never needed to do that but others did)

SHAME on @nro for this tasteless, inflammatory, & deeply dishonest photoshopped cover: #StayClassyNationalReview twitter.com/litbrit/status...

— Deborah N. Tornello (@litbrit) September 24, 2012

re: #136 Eventual Carrion

The people of Minnesota may want to take note. . .

re: #135 Feline Emperor of the Conservative Waste

My one business partner is essentially bankrupt for this reason. Ended up in the hospital and getting operated on for acute diverticulitis a few years back. Was out of work for 2-3 months and is still trying to pay off bills from that.

This "go to the ER" should be treated as the GOP's "let them eat cake" quote, but the media doesn't have the guts to point out how mind-blowingly stupid this theory is from just about any point of view; health, financial, or productivity.

Reporter needed to ask, does the ER treat MS?

re: #126 Dark_Falcon

Yes, they can afford to, but they don't want to and don't think they have to.

Then if they don't care about the integrity of the game, then it's time for a fan boycott of the NFL.

(Where's KT?/// ;)

re: #140 DisturbedEma

The people of Minnesota Los Angelas may want to take note. . .

re: #130 Lidane

Just like the same bosses who didn't want to give people family and medical leave, or overtime pay or anything else.

As we're seeing now, the actual NFL refs are much better at their jobs than the refs that were supposed to take their place. That should be rewarded. If that means actually giving them a retirement pension after years of dedicated service, then so be it.

shrug. It's another example of broken promises.

Way back when the Unions were powerful, one of the choices to be made was whether to have the employees prepare for their own retirements or to have the company do it (pensions). The thing was that doing the former was more expensive for the company (because hundreds of small investment accounts don't have the leverage or opportunities one large account has) and worse for the employees (because more than a few would spend their futures today.) It made sense for both to agree to the pension system.

The companies reneged, and the workers are no longer being paid their worth.

History tells me how much to trust any company that says "trust me, take a hit now and I'll make it up to you in the future."

re: #140 DisturbedEma

The people of Minnesota may want to take note. . .

Done billion dollar deal there now isn't it?

re: #136 Eventual Carrion

Then they will want the tax payers to pay for a new stadium for them so they can make more money to cover their 'losses'. Then claim they built that team themselves and are entitled to all those profits.

Not one penny of public money should be spent on a stadium for a privately owned team. That should be federal law. Of course I also believe that the most teams ownership should be like Green Bay's - since they are owned by the people the use of the people's money to support them is appropriate.

re: #140 DisturbedEma

The people of Minnesota may want to take note. . .

And keep an eye out for what the Plan B is...

(Western PA had a vote and shot down stadium funding. The local executives then pulled a Plan B out of their ass and got public funding for what is now Heinz Field and PNC Park done via bond issues anyways.)

Wikipedia Summary:

Originally, a sales tax increase was proposed to fund three projects: Heinz Field, PNC Park, and an expansion of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. After the rejection of this proposal in a referendum, the city developed Plan B. Similarly controversial, the alternative proposal was labeled "Scam B" by opponents. The Steelers' pledge toward the new stadium was criticized for being too little, even after it was raised from $50 million to $76.5 million. Other local government members criticized the $281 million of public money allocated for Plan B. One member of the Allegheny Regional Asset District board called the use of tax dollars "corporate welfare". The plan, totaling $809 million, was approved by the Allegheny Regional Asset District board on July 9, 1998, with $233 million allotted for Heinz Field. Shortly after Plan B was approved, the Steelers made a deal with Pittsburgh city officials to stay in the city until at least 2031. The total cost of Heinz Field was $281 million.

re: #146 William Barnett-Lewis

Not one penny of public money should be spent on a stadium for a privately owned team. That should be federal law. Of course I also believe that the most teams ownership should be like Green Bay's - since they are owned by the people the use of the people's money to support them is appropriate.

And public ownership of NFL teams is specifically banned by their by-laws. Apparently one Green Bay was enough for them.

re: #148 Feline Emperor of the Conservative Waste

And public ownership of NFL teams is specifically banned by their by-laws. Apparently one Green Bay was enough for them.

If a city were to get serious with an anti-trust lawyer or three, that wouldn't last long... ;)

re: #146 William Barnett-Lewis

Not one penny of public money should be spent on a stadium for a privately owned team. That should be federal law. Of course I also believe that the most teams ownership should be like Green Bay's - since they are owned by the people the use of the people's money to support them is appropriate.

Tampa paid for part of the Ray Jay Stadium cost but the sports authority got some of the money from the games and most of the other events there, IIRC.

re: #149 William Barnett-Lewis

If a city were to get serious with an anti-trust lawyer or three, that wouldn't last long... ;)

I think the reason the NFL did that is so that they would have the mobility option as a negotiating threat. If you're owned by a city there is no way that you'd threaten to move out of it (or to another particular city) in order to get a sweetheart stadium deal.

re: #148 Feline Emperor of the Conservative Waste

And public ownership of NFL teams is specifically banned by their by-laws. Apparently one Green Bay was enough for them.

Honestly, public ownership is part of what drew me to Green Bay and is one of the reasons why I'm a Packers fan. I spent most of my childhood in Houston. Between Bud Adams and his idiocy with the Oilers and Jerry Jones in Dallas, I got fed up with asshole sports owners a long time ago.

re: #144 kirkspencer

[snip]

History tells me how much to trust any company that says "trust me, take a hit now and I'll make it up to you in the future."

Math can be a bitch. Reminds me of a time years ago I was working for a large county in Texas (Harris) in central data processing. The Houston police would come in every evening to pick up tapes with data that they processed at their data center.

One evening as I was waiting for the tapes to get produced I struck up a conversation with the officers at the window about the just completed salary negotiations they had just concluded. They were fairly happy about the outcome. I asked what they had agreed to. They said they would all take a 5% cut in pay to last 2 years and then they would be given a 5% raise after that 2 year freeze. I asked if they ever said anything about giving back all the money they gave up. They said the 5% would do that. I said no it won't. Taking 5% of a larger number is more money than giving you 5% back of the lower number. They would still be short money from what they are giving up right now. Kinda set them back.

The owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning spent $35 million for upgrades to the Tampa Bay Times Forum out of his own pocket. Now? NHL is on strike.:(

re: #113 darthstar

One of the reasons for high health care costs is that ER visits are more expensive than going with preventative care. Once you let things get so bad you have to go to the ER, the issues are usually a whole lot worse, and the cures are more expensive.

Cheaper to have preventative care. Or, urgent care facilities outside hospitals that can treat ailments that aren't so serious so as to warrant a hospital ER. ER visits, even for nonserious ailments, take time away from caring for those who need that level of care.

Romney's "solution" would end up being more expensive and increase health care costs.

After all, uninsured health care visits to ERs are one of several major contributing factors to high health care costs and hospital insolvency because ER visits aren't being sufficiently compensated for under the current reimbursement systems.

re: #150 Cannadian Club Akbar

Tampa paid for part of the Ray Jay Stadium cost but the sports authority got some of the money from the games and most of the other events there, IIRC.

Has anyone done any serious research on the actual ROI on the various stadium deals that have gotten public financing? Most of the "jobs and income generated by a stadium" numbers I have seen ignore (probably purposefully) the fact that there is opportunity cost and that the money could have gone into other projects that would have generated jobs and income for the city/region as well.

Barak floats unilateral Israeli withdrawal in West Bank

Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak has called for a unilateral withdrawal from most of the West Bank if peace talks with the Palestinians fail.

In an interview with Israel Hayom, Mr Barak proposed uprooting dozens of Jewish settlements, although he said major settlement blocs would be kept.

@litbrit How is that dishonest or inflammatory?

— Kurt Akemann (@Dark_Falcon7) September 24, 2012

re: #156 Feline Emperor of the Conservative Waste

Non-pro football events are many for Ray Jay and good for the Tampa Sports Authority-USF football, monster trucks, concerts (few), motocross, etc.

re: #117 Cannadian Club Akbar

Some hospitals now have ER wait times posted on their websites. But if you're in an accident or some other kind of urgent need of medical attention, you might not have any choice in when you're going. Putting up the wait time might dissuade someone from seeking care when they need it, or it might encourage people to go when they probably should be seeking care from an urgent care facility outside a hospital setting. It probably should be the focus of a study to see whether that kind of thing works or not.

re: #158 Dark_Falcon

Blatantly photoshopping the crowd and their signs isn't enough for you?

re: #151 Feline Emperor of the Conservative Waste

I think the reason the NFL did that is so that they would have the mobility option as a negotiating threat. If you're owned by a city there is no way that you'd threaten to move out of it (or to another particular city) in order to get a sweetheart stadium deal.

That's exactly why they did it and exactly why a good anti-trust lawyer would smash it in about 5 pages of a brief.

re: #161 Lidane

Blatantly photoshopping the crowd and their signs isn't enough for you?

It this case it seems the are doing a parody. It's not intended to be a news photograph but an editorial commentary. Like a cartoon. It might be in poor taste but I don't think it's dishonest.

re: #149 William Barnett-Lewis

If a city were to get serious with an anti-trust lawyer or three, that wouldn't last long... ;)

You'd be surprised about how long it would last. Those anti-trust lawyers would run into a phalanx of NFL lawyers who would force the city to spend millions and take years to make their case. Right now most cities haven't got that kind of money, and even if they won the other owners have to approve the purchase of a team.

re: #152 Lidane

As I grew up in Green Bay, I know of what you speak. The stock sales, with the "shareholder's meetings" being the only return on the investment are interesting to behold

re: #163 Killgore Trout

It this case it seems the are doing a parody. It's not intended to be a news photograph but an editorial commentary. Like a cartoon. It might be in poor taste but I don't think it's dishonest.

Quite Concur.

re: #163 Killgore Trout

Whatever gives you that MBF feeling.

re: #145 Eventual Carrion

I believe so- last I looked they were close

re: #158 Dark_Falcon

[Embedded content]

Did you look closely at both photos? The actual photo show them carrying "Forward" signs. NRO photoshopped the signs to read "Abortion"

re: #165 DisturbedEma

As I grew up in Green Bay, I know of what you speak. The stock sales, with the "shareholder's meetings" being the only return on the investment are interesting to behold

They just held one last year to raise money for the refurbishment and improvement of Lambeau Field. Essentially fundraising by popular subscription. During both World Wars many nations funded warships that way. The biggest such vessel was the Japanese battleship Mutsu, the 2nd ship of the Nagato-class.

re: #169 Sheila Brovlofski

Did you look closely at both photos? The actual photo show them carrying "Forward" signs. NRO photoshopped the signs to read "Abortion"

I consider it within the lines of acceptable parody. The Dems made a big enough deal over abortion to merit the cover.

DERP DERP FAIL

When Obama says Israel struggles in a "tough neighborhood," he casually channelsPam Geller's "civilized man" vs "savage" dynamic

— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) September 24, 2012

re: #159 Cannadian Club Akbar

Non-pro football events are many for Ray Jay and good for the Tampa Sports Authority-USF football, monster trucks, concerts (few), motocross, etc.

Quite possible. But what did it possibly cost in infrastructure improvements deferred, green field projects passed by, and other ways for the city/region to have spent that same amount of money?

Boils down in my opinion to a "socialize the loss, privatize the profits" thing.

In the Pittsburgh case with Heinz Field I personally think the Rooney family could have gotten the financing done for the field themselves, worked out the deal with the Univ of Pittsburgh using it for games, set up a board for managing it and handling other events, etc. without involving the regional development authority or the city. Or with asking for a grant or loan like any other business. But if the city execs were going to bend over backwards to help them fund it they weren't going to turn the money down. OTOH, the Pirate's ownership wasn't going to get anywhere without serious help.

re: #170 Dark_Falcon

I remember the hesitation to give naming rights to the different gates at Lambeau, it went through eventually, so we have the Verizon gate among others

re: #171 Dark_Falcon

I consider it within the lines of acceptable parody. The Dems made a big enough deal over abortion to merit the cover.

Er, that's because that has been the GOP's main focus since winning in 2010.

re: #164 Dark_Falcon

You'd be surprised about how long it would last. Those anti-trust lawyers would run into a phalanx of NFL lawyers who would force the city to spend millions and take years to make their case. Right now most cities haven't got that kind of money, and even if they won the other owners have to approve the purchase of a team.

And what was that about "anti-trust" again? I'm not saying it would be cheap, but the PR would be bad for the NFL, especially given how beloved the Packer's arrangement is with the fans. It would definitely be "interesting times".

re: #175 Varek Raith

Er, that's because that has been the GOP's main focus since winning in 2010.

The reason doesn't matter. The Dems decided to use the abortion issue to rally their base and NR is well with acceptable limits mocking them for it.

re: #163 Killgore Trout

It this case it seems the are doing a parody. It's not intended to be a news photograph but an editorial commentary. Like a cartoon. It might be in poor taste but I don't think it's dishonest.

IOW, IOKIYAAR. Gotcha.

re: #177 Dark_Falcon

The reason doesn't matter. The GOP decided to use the abortion issue to rally their base and NR is well with acceptable limits mocking them for it.

Funny how that works too.

re: #171 Dark_Falcon

I consider it within the lines of acceptable parody. The Dems made a big enough deal over abortion to merit the cover.

Maybe because the GOP has all but declared war on an entire gender since the teabaggers took over in 2010?

re: #174 DisturbedEma

I remember the hesitation to give naming rights to the different gates at Lambeau, it went through eventually, so we have the Verizon gate among others

Johnsonville Brats Gate, PBR Gate, Cheddar makes it taste better Gate.....
///

re: #176 William Barnett-Lewis

And what was that about "anti-trust" again? I'm not saying it would be cheap, but the PR would be bad for the NFL, especially given how beloved the Packer's arrangement is with the fans. It would definitely be "interesting times".

The owners don't care about bad PR as long as the fans keep buying tickets watching the games on TV.

re: #153 Eventual Carrion

Math can be a bitch. Reminds me of a time years ago I was working for a large county in Texas (Harris) in central data processing. The Houston police would come in every evening to pick up tapes with data that they processed at their data center.

One evening as I was waiting for the tapes to get produced I struck up a conversation with the officers at the window about the just completed salary negotiations they had just concluded. They were fairly happy about the outcome. I asked what they had agreed to. They said they would all take a 5% cut in pay to last 2 years and then they would be given a 5% raise after that 2 year freeze. I asked if they ever said anything about giving back all the money they gave up. They said the 5% would do that. I said no it won't. Taking 5% of a larger number is more money than giving you 5% back of the lower number. They would still be short money from what they are giving up right now. Kinda set them back.

Ah, but it's worse than math. I strongly suspect that around the two year point the county renegotiated and the officers didn't even get the promised 5%.

re: #177 Dark_Falcon

The reason doesn't matter. The Dems decided to use the abortion Women's health issue to rally their base and NR is well with acceptable limits mocking them for it.

Women's health is much more than contraception and abortion.

It was 90 degrees on Saturday. Now it's freaking cold.
Fall and Spring are entirely optional around these parts.

re: #171 Dark_Falcon

I consider it within the lines of acceptable parody. The Dems made a big enough deal over abortion to merit the cover.

Wow. You are a real peice of work, aren't you?re: #177 Dark_Falcon

The reason doesn't matter. The Dems decided to use the abortion issue to rally their base and NR is well with acceptable limits mocking them for it.

So you are cool with mocking the Republiacans based on what they use to "fire up the base"? Are you sure ? 'Cause you sure do seem to whine a lot about how poor little Cons keep having their words and actions use against them. And we aren't even talking about the lies and photo and video maniputations. Yet.

re: #185 Varek Raith

It was 90 degrees on Saturday. Now it's freaking cold.
Fall and Spring are entirely optional around these parts.

Didn't Autumn just hit? Well, there you go!!
/

re: #177 Dark_Falcon

The reason doesn't matter. The Dems decided to use the abortion issue to rally their base and NR is well with acceptable limits mocking them for it.

As I recall the Dems were talking as much about contraception as abortion - and even there, there was a fair amount of other women's health issues. It's the GOP that kept trying to say it was all and only about abortion.

re: #187 Cannadian Club Akbar

Didn't Autumn just hit? Well, there you go!!
/

You'll get used to it.
Or have a psychotic episode.

re: #184 Sheila Brovlofski

Women's health is much more than contraception and abortion.

Not to thick headed GOP men.

re: #171 Dark_Falcon

I consider it within the lines of acceptable parody. The Dems made a big enough deal over abortion to merit the cover.

It's not making a big deal over abortion, Dark, it's making a big deal over abortion access, about the right to choose.

It can't get much more blatantly bizarre-ass weird than to photoshop a crowd into a bunch of people slavering for abortion. Abortion is a pretty important subject, and it's true that the Democrats take protecting abortion rights seriously. It's good that they do, given the stupid, unprecedented, inhumane, misogynistic wave of anti-abortion legislation passed by the GOP, legislation not based on science but on religion. But it isn't the central issue for most Democrats, it's only an issue at all because the GOP wants to ban it in contradiction of all pity, privacy, and common sense.

Sure, it's satire. Satire can be dishonest too. Pictures of Jews as octopuses with their fingers extending into every nation's capitals are satirical, but they're also dishonest in that they portray a fictional representation of Jewish influence on politics.

re: #189 Varek Raith

You'll get used to it.
Or have a psychotic episode.

I've decided to work my way North until I become an Inuit.
/

re: #181 Cannadian Club Akbar

For some reason the Verizon one pisses me off, your names do not:)

re: #172 Sheila Brovlofski

DERP DERP FAIL

[Embedded content]

what a moron

re: #193 DisturbedEma

For some reason the Verizon one pisses me off, your names do not:)

My dad would have liked them all. He was born/raised in Wisconsin and retired from Verizon/GTE after 30 years.

re: #192 Cannadian Club Akbar

I've decided to work my way North until I become an Inuit.
/

Better hurry, they're starting to have an ice shortage up that way.

re: #177 Dark_Falcon

The reason doesn't matter. The Dems decided to use the abortion issue to rally their base and NR is well with acceptable limits mocking them for it.

No, the repubs are using the blocking of abortions to rally their base and the dems are fighting back.

re: #191 Obdicut

It's not making a big deal over abortion, Dark, it's making a big deal over abortion access, about the right to choose.

It can't get much more blatantly bizarre-ass weird than to photoshop a crowd into a bunch of people slavering for abortion. Abortion is a pretty important subject, and it's true that the Democrats take protecting abortion rights seriously. It's good that they do, given the stupid, unprecedented, inhumane, misogynistic wave of anti-abortion legislation passed by the GOP, legislation not based on science but on religion. But it isn't the central issue for most Democrats, it's only an issue at all because the GOP wants to ban it in contradiction of all pity, privacy, and common sense.

Sure, it's satire. Satire can be dishonest too. Pictures of Jews as octopuses with their fingers extending into every nation's capitals are satirical, but they're also dishonest in that they portray a fictional representation of Jewish influence on politics.

Claiming it is "satire" excuses everything. Just ask Rush Limbaugh.

Heh...hadn't thought about this...the expectations game. Romney did 20+ debates in the last year. Obama hasn't debated since he was called "that one" by John McCain in 2008. So obviously Romney's "more practiced" and "has the advantage"...except for this one detail, as you will recall:

It's cute how Obama's campaign says "Romney debated more recently." Recap: After every debate not-Mitt became the frontrunner.

— Zach Green (@140elect) September 24, 2012

re: #177 Dark_Falcon

The reason doesn't matter. The Dems decided to use the abortion issue to rally their base and NR is well with acceptable limits mocking them for it.

Tone deaf and not paying attention.

If you WERE paying attention, it would be about women's health issues.

Stop being so insulting and start listening with half an ear; you're disrespecting the posters here by being so sloppy.

re: #182 Dark_Falcon

The owners don't care about bad PR as long as the fans keep buying tickets watching the games on TV.

Yes, that is the key now isn't it? And the NFL may well learn the hard way about that if the replacement refs keep costing teams wins. Several games yesterday didn't end they way they would have with competent refs. Start blowing the important ones and the fans may walk away even faster than they have on the NHL. There's lot's of college ball to watch instead...

re: #195 Cannadian Club Akbar

Ah, well that makes sense. I have no ill will toward Verizon, it is the old Sesame Street mindset- which of these things is not like the other, but to be fair, I believe there is a gate for Bellin Health as well as Shopko, when I like your names a whole lot better

re: #198 Feline Emperor of the Conservative Waste

Indeed

re: #201 William Barnett-Lewis

Yes, that is the key now isn't it? And the NFL may well learn the hard way about that if the replacement refs keep costing teams wins. Several games yesterday didn't end they way they would have with competent refs. Start blowing the important ones and the fans may walk away even faster than they have on the NHL. There's lot's of college ball to watch instead...

For what it's worth, I think the players are looking at a point where they will support a sympathy strike. Extra injuries, games that are definitely won by the (bad) ref, games where even when you win it sucked, all these are complaints you're hearing from players.

re: #181 Cannadian Club Akbar

Johnsonville Brats Gate, PBR Gate, Cheddar makes it taste better Gate.....
///

Pabst Blue Ribbon has its origins in Chicago.

re: #199 darthstar

Something else to consider. Some people have already cast their ballots. Early voting means that we're already getting completed ballots. Some people have already made up their mind about the election, which means that the debates wont matter to them, nor would any kind of October surprise or otherwise.

The full schedule of early voting.

re: #205 Dark_Falcon

Pabst Blue Ribbon has its origins in Chicago.

Then it must be a liberal plot!

re: #205 Dark_Falcon

Pabst Blue Ribbon has its origins in Chicago.

Didn't know that. I do know my dad liked it. But then again he did spend time working in Chicago.

re: #204 kirkspencer

Was the hit on the Oakland player that knocked him out cold for 11 minutes legal? I only saw the replay on the news, and they did not mention if it was. . .

re: #200 gwangung

Tone deaf and not paying attention.

If you WERE paying attention, it would be about women's health issues.

Stop being so insulting and start listening with half an ear; you're disrespecting the posters here by being so sloppy.

In most Republican circles, Women's Health is seen as a partial smokescreen for abortion.

re: #210 Dark_Falcon

On what do you base this statement? edited to add- and please define partial

re: #209 DisturbedEma

Was the hit on the Oakland player that knocked him out cold for 11 minutes legal? I only saw the replay on the news, and they did not mention if it was. . .

The Bucs D-Lineman hit Romo yesterday helmet to helmet. No flag as far as I know. Romo was lost for about 5 minutes.

re: #210 Dark_Falcon

In most Republican circles, Women's Health is seen as a partial smokescreen for abortion.

That's no excuse for your statement. (And certainly no excuse for them).

Deal with what people said and not with a straw man of your own making.

You're pulling a Limbaugh here; folks should be expected to do better.

re: #212 Cannadian Club Akbar

I know that helmet to helmet is illegal- I also remember a horse collar not being flagged but cant remember which game.

re: #213 gwangung

I am hoping he gets back to me, I am really confused by his comment.

re: #205 Dark_Falcon

Pabst Blue Ribbon has its origins in Chicago.

Sorry DF, but Pabst bought into Jacob Best's brewery in Milwaukee. He never, to my knowledge, ever ran one in Chicago.

Finest brewery tour ever was in 1982, month before basic training, at the Pabst complex in Milwaukee and ending up in that glorious tap room with as much Andeker as you wanted.

re: #210 Dark_Falcon

In most Republican circles, Women's Health is seen as a partial smokescreen for abortion.

I'm not sure the word partial belongs in that sentence.

re: #209 DisturbedEma

Was the hit on the Oakland player that knocked him out cold for 11 minutes legal? I only saw the replay on the news, and they did not mention if it was. . .

No, it was helmet to helmet.

re: #215 DisturbedEma

I am hoping he gets back to me, I am really confused by his comment.

What I mean is that almost all Republicans would acknowledge that woman have health issues not shared by men, but they don't think abortion should be considered as primarily a health issue.

I hate discussing this issue. I don't really care about it and I don't even have a position in it anymore.

re: #210 Dark_Falcon

In most Republican circles, Women's Health is seen as a partial smokescreen for abortion.

Then those folks are idiots.

re: #217 kirkspencer

Ok, I am thinking that this is another one of those "why did I take the bait" moments. . .it is the old "when Democrats talk about women's health, they really mean killing as many unborn children as possible" adage, which is of course, umm not what I believe, being, you know, a woman. . .grrrr fell for it again!

re: #209 DisturbedEma

Was the hit on the Oakland player that knocked him out cold for 11 minutes legal? I only saw the replay on the news, and they did not mention if it was. . .

Contact to head, so should have been flagged. It wasn't.

I doubt there was intent to injure, just safety attempting to put on a hard hit and potentially jar the ball loose. The receiver was lower than expected and the contact was shoulder to top of shoulder and into head. I am not sure what can (or will) be done rule-wise to prevent these kind of hits from happening. The tackler was leading with a shoulder (legal) and the contact did not end up in a good place.

re: #209 DisturbedEma

Was the hit on the Oakland player that knocked him out cold for 11 minutes legal? I only saw the replay on the news, and they did not mention if it was. . .

I'm a Pittsburgh fan so I am not impartial, but it was a legal hit. The receiver split 2 defenders to get the pass. Both defenders hit him trying to keep him from catching it or to dislodge it if he caught it. One of the defenders helmet hit the face guard of the receiver's helmet as everyone collided. Knocked the receiver out cold.

re: #216 William Barnett-Lewis

Sorry DF, but Pabst bought into Jacob Best's brewery in Milwaukee. He never, to my knowledge, ever ran one in Chicago.

Finest brewery tour ever was in 1982, month before basic training, at the Pabst complex in Milwaukee and ending up in that glorious tap room with as much Andeker as you wanted.

There used to be a brewery tour at Busch Gardens theme park in Tampa. They bottled beers there and gave away 2 free beers in the park. The beer was out of kegs from St. Louis.:) (although one time me and 6 friends tipped a "free beer" guy about $40 and he kept giving us more)

re: #219 Dark_Falcon

You may not care about it, but many males in the GOP do, and it is they who continue to bring it up, not me. When you throw in with them, you have to fight for them, and well, if you are not willing to take up the fight because you don't care, so be it, but if you would please explain "partial" for me. . .

re: #210 Dark_Falcon

In most Republican circles, Women's Health is seen as a partial smokescreen for abortion.

And in most Republican circles, AGW is a hoax.

re: #214 DisturbedEma

I know that helmet to helmet is illegal- I also remember a horse collar not being flagged but cant remember which game.

At least one in the Pittsburgh-Oakland game. Receiver was horse collared from the side right before he fumbled.

re: #222 Feline Emperor of the Conservative Waste

Ah, thanks. I know much about the basic game, but admit that when it comes to rules and such, my 26 year old son is really good at spotting the fouls and who did what.

re: #223 Eventual Carrion

I'm a Pittsburgh fan so I am not impartial, but it was a legal hit. The receiver split 2 defenders to get the pass. Both defenders hit him trying to keep him from catching it or to dislodge it if he caught it. One of the defenders helmet hit the face guard of the receiver's helmet as everyone collided. Knocked the receiver out cold.

Intent or not, helmet to helmet is a flag.

The reason for flagging the unintentional is to minimize if not outright eliminate the gray hits. "Honest, ref, it just happened."

re: #216 William Barnett-Lewis

Sorry DF, but Pabst bought into Jacob Best's brewery in Milwaukee. He never, to my knowledge, ever ran one in Chicago.

Finest brewery tour ever was in 1982, month before basic training, at the Pabst complex in Milwaukee and ending up in that glorious tap room with as much Andeker as you wanted.

The beer premiered in Chicago, though, winning the Grand Colombian Exposition of 1893's prize for best beer. It was that prize the lead to its name of Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Ha ha ha ha!

Shalom & welcome to NYC, A’jad!

Feel the love, Mahmoud — and taste the gefilte fish.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived last night at the Warwick Hotel in Midtown in advance of his annual hate-spewing address to the UN General Assembly on Wednesday — and The Post tried to deliver him a gift fit for a despot.

The anti-Semite’s special welcome basket — from New Yorkers with love — included such locally procured goodies as Gold’s Borscht, Manischewitz Gefilte Fish and smoked whitefish from the world-famous Murray’s Sturgeon House on the Upper West Side.

If Ahmadinejad (pronounced: I’m a dinner jacket) needed midnight munchies during his visit to this infidel city, there were also plenty of H&H bagels, onion bialys and Zabar’s cream cheese.

To cheer up the sourpuss hatemonger, there’s a $125 comped ticket to the off-Broadway play “Old Jews Telling Jokes” — booked in his name. It just might take the edge off his bloodthirsty desire to develop nuclear weapons and wipe Israel off the map.

Anticipating the schlumpy, unshaven dictator’s penchant for wearing the same suit all week long, we thoughtfully included “I ♥ NY” undies and a stick of Irish Spring deodorant, to keep the flies away.

For those quiet moments away from spinning centrifuges, he can relax with a good book. But since it’s likely he can’t read the truth about 9/11, which he condemns as “a big lie,” there’s a picture book, “The 9/11 Report,” a graphic adaptation by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon.

There’s also a bobblehead Statue of Liberty to keep on his night table, a teddy bear to cuddle with during those cold Persian nights and a 9/11 American-flag refrigerator magnet that he can stick on the minibar.

The Holocaust denier might want to learn something about the subject by taking in a tour of downtown’s Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. We packed a brochure.

Of course, a basket of cheer wouldn’t be complete without a card — the little kitty on the cover might melt his evil heart — and New Yorkers lined up to pen their personal greetings.

re: #226 Varek Raith

True that and OMFG do I hate dealing with that issue at Thanksgiving!

re: #231 NJDhockeyfan

Ha ha ha ha!

Shalom & welcome to NYC, A’jad!

Heh

re: #228 DisturbedEma

Ah, thanks. I know much about the basic game, but admit that when it comes to rules and such, my 26 year old son is really good at spotting the fouls and who did what.

Don't feel bad. NFL rulebook is the longest and most complex one in sports. The referees themselves (even the regular ones) often get things wrong. And don't believe half the crap the announcers are saying - they feel compelled to fill air time.*

* - Collinsworth was going off for about 5 minutes last night about the ref blowing a call between defensive holding and illegal contact. Both have the same penalty result. It's a bit like trying to debate what a particular ice hockey penalty is - in many cases the transgressor committed multiple ones at once and the referee has a choice.

re: #210 Dark_Falcon

In most Republican circles, Women's Health is seen as a partial smokescreen for abortion.

So in other words, most Republican circles are fucking stupid.

Women's health is about far more than just abortion.

re: #233 Killgore Trout

Now that is more like it:)

re: #234 Feline Emperor of the Conservative Waste

True that, but I did actually remember 1 rule that my husband forgot, well the change in Overtiime play (which was used quite a bit yesterday) so, I am not totally clueless.:)

re: #219 Dark_Falcon

What I mean is that almost all Republicans would acknowledge that woman have health issues not shared by men, but they don't think abortion should be considered as primarily a health issue.

I hate discussing this issue. I don't really care about it and I don't even have a position in it anymore.

Don't you ever get tired of all the hateful, ignorant, and destructive stuff you have to ignore to vote for your "team"?

re: #221 DisturbedEma

Ok, I am thinking that this is another one of those "why did I take the bait" moments. . .it is the old "when Democrats talk about women's health, they really mean killing as many unborn children as possible" adage, which is of course, umm not what I believe, being, you know, a woman. . .grrrr fell for it again!

WHich, if you're going back to the original point, makes the NR alterations dishonest.

re: #238 Coracle

Don't you ever get tired of all the hateful, ignorant, and destructive stuff you have to ignore to vote for your "team"?

Sometimes, but then I remember what an utter disaster the other team is and I get over it.

So, the Romney campaign has decided which group they want to alienate next: Conservative pundits!

Emerging from a rough few weeks and down in the polls, conservative commentators are fretting that unless Mitt Romney gets specific and bold about his agenda, he’s going to lose on November 6.

But the Romney campaign has been outwardly defensive. Over the weekend, Paul Ryan rebuffed pundits in his own party, saying it is simply “the nature of conservative punditry” to complain.

Extra comedy gold from Ryan:

“His very selection of me as his running mate, the guy with all the specifics, who’s put out all these solutions on the table,” Ryan said, “shows you very clearly Mitt Romney’s not afraid of making big decisions, making tough decisions, putting specifics out there.”

That Ryan. What a kidder.

re: #239 gwangung

I agree, and the repeated attempts to usher in a new era [of]restricted "women's health options" (repeal Roe) by members of the GOP are scary as hell.

Republican Staffers Charged With 36 Counts of Election Fraud

This incident perfectly highlights the dirty little secret about election fraud. Election fraud overwhelmingly happens on the campaign side, not the voter side. It’s far easier – and more rewarding – to cheat while working from within the system than it is to commit in-person voter fraud. The GOP is legislating against cases of voter fraud in which a person would have to give someone else’s name at the correct polling place in order to falsely vote once; meanwhile a Republican Congressman and his staff fabricated 1,756 signatures so that he could run illegally.

And this is the truth about so many Republican policies: rules and regulations are put in place to scapegoat people who aren’t causing problems.

re: #240 Dark_Falcon

So you'd rather support deliberate ignorance and anti-intellectualism?

re: #243 Lidane

Republican Staffers Charged With 36 Counts of Election Fraud

Well I just don't like fraudsters and I hope the jackass and his staff go to prison for their Chicago-style shenanigans.

Laser like focus on jobs!

Anti-choice activists say Ohio State Senate may vote on criminalization bill before Nov election bit.ly/SgGZ4K

— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) September 24, 2012

re: #240 Dark_Falcon

Sometimes, but then I remember what an utter disaster the other team is and I get over it.

Willful ignorance. You're part of the problem; smart enough to know and do better, and choose not to. Done.

re: #243 Lidane

Republican Staffers Charged With 36 Counts of Election Fraud

re: #234 Feline Emperor of the Conservative Waste

I get the complaints about the refs when they completely blow calls: like giving an extra time out when they have already used three, missing clear personal fouls, or giving replay challenges when the team was out of those opportunities, or spotting where to place the ball after a penalty, etc.

Even the regular refs blow calls - though not as frequently as the replacements. However, this weekend saw more mistakes than we normally do - including several that could have turned games in major ways.

I'm more lenient when they get a player number wrong (that happened with the regular refs too), or on bang-bang plays where instant replay shows calls go either way or that the refs on the field had reason to get it wrong (and instant replay it should be remembered was instituted because of blown calls on the field).

re: #249 lawhawk

In the last Packer game, one of the calls neglected to call a number for the foul, noted how many yards it cost, and after starting to detail where the ball would be spotted, the ref simply sputtered, and gestured down field. . .I looked at my husband and said "Need to get away?" He said "Need a minute?" Southwest and Twix well represented, except is was, you know, real life:)

re: #249 lawhawk

I get the complaints about the refs when they completely blow calls: like giving an extra time out when they have already used three, missing clear personal fouls, or giving replay challenges when the team was out of those opportunities, or spotting where to place the ball after a penalty, etc.

Even the regular refs blow calls - though not as frequently as the replacements. However, this weekend saw more mistakes than we normally do - including several that could have turned games in major ways.

I'm more lenient when they get a player number wrong (that happened with the regular refs too), or on bang-bang plays where instant replay shows calls go either way or that the refs on the field had reason to get it wrong (and instant replay it should be remembered was instituted because of blown calls on the field).

I don't live or die based on football results like some of my friends and co-workers. So I'm pretty lenient about calls as well and whether they go for or against "my team".

It's a sort of "walk a mile in their shoes" thing. I was a basketball referee for a bit while in college (intramural games). There's a lot to try to see and keep track of, and you make mistakes. Plus, as a given, you're going to get razzed, abused, and have people in your face. Part of the competitive nature of humans.

re: #249 lawhawk

From Peter King at SI this morning:

"Tweet of the Week II
"Can someone please tell these f------ zebras foot locker called and they're needed Back at work !!!! #BreakingPoint''
-- @BrandonSpikes55, the Patriots' linebacker, at 12:43 this morning."