That's what a Romney campaign office will look like before long.

Creepy. Is that abandoned hospital in Chernobyl?

looks like time-lapse AND HDR

My new granddaughter's name is: Rebecca!

re: #4 Sheila Broflovski

My new granddaughter's name is: Rebecca!

congrats!

re: #4 Sheila Broflovski

My new granddaughter's name is: Rebecca!

Bravo!

re: #4 Sheila Broflovski

My new granddaughter's name is: Rebecca!

Always feel sorry for the flower-children spawn who grew up to be "Judge Bambi Mclaughlin" or "Dr. Starlight Rabinowitz".

re: #7 Decatur Deb

Always feel sorry for the flower-children spawn who grew up to be "Judge Bambi Mclaughlin" or "Dr. Starlight Rabinowitz".

I have a cousin whose parents named her "Bambi," she later legally changed it to Jennifer.

Crap, Yankees tied up the game in the bottom of the 9th.

re: #9 Sheila Broflovski

Crap, Yankees tied up the game in the bottom of the 9th.

You Michiganders have a funny way of spelling "yay."

I named my daughter Rising Moon.

Without using those exact words.

My sons are SO PISSED right now! (Except for the Canadian, he's a Mariners fan)

Only because I can. :D

Mystery of giant eyeball solved! #p2 #tlot #BigBird #Satire twitter.com/Gus_802/status...

— Gus (@Gus_802) October 13, 2012

Started for bed a couple hours ago. It's all cool. I can handle it. Can quit any time I want.

'Nite, all.

re: #14 Decatur Deb

Started for bed a couple hours ago. It's all cool. I can handle it. Can quit any time I want.

'Nite, all.

Going to bed right meow?

What's the difference between #AlexRodriguez and a crack whore? The crack whore only charges $10 to suck

— Edward Current (@edwardcurrent) October 14, 2012

Goodnight.

It's good to be back. Not least because I can stop checking status every two seconds.

[Edit - Deleted]

Sleep Well, All.

Honey Boo Boo

re: #4 Sheila Broflovski

My new granddaughter's name is: Rebecca!

Lovely, solid, and won't go out of style.

Spent my day watching marching bands.

One group did "Clue." They kept pointing accusingly at each other.

One group did "Dick Tracy." They have a senior dude who can dance fantastically, as well as the villainess, who I swear was kicking so high I was afraid she would hit her nose.

Yeah, I know, marching band competitions are lame.

The best I have to offer are scathing critiques of the various colorguard costumes.

I'm remembering my bestie Karen, who was fighting her battle with pancreatic cancer last year. She passed last year on the 19th.

re: #20 Dark_Falcon

Sleep Well, All.

Hey, See my A#431 in the previous thread...nothing personal...just fucking with you, as always.

re: #26 darthstar

Hey, See my A#431 in the previous thread...nothing personal...just fucking with you, as always.

Hold the A

re: #4 Sheila Broflovski

My new granddaughter's name is: Rebecca!

Congrats...your family makes a warren of rabbits jealous. You're close to becoming a demographic by now.

Anyone that has John Bolton as a foreign policy consultant and Robert Bork as a judicial consultant has to be nuts. #Romney #Obama #p2 #tlot

— Gus (@Gus_802) October 14, 2012

Under 140.

re: #13 Gus

Looks like Paul Ryan.

re: #30 Alexzander

Looks like Paul Ryan.

Build up you muscles. Yo girl. Dems lady parts.

2,800 RMB (Exchange rate $1.00 = 6.28627 RMB)
- $102.79 a week
- $445.42 a month
- $5,344.98 a year

Ok, magic just ran out for Jeter and his left ankle #TheresYourProblemRightThere

— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) October 14, 2012

re: #32 Gus

And the thing is, the Chinese have, over the past 5 or 6 years or so, changed the exchange rate to inch the RMB closer to the Dollar.

re: #34 freetoken

And the thing is, the Chinese have, over the past 5 or 6 years or so, changed the exchange rate to inch the RMB closer to the Dollar.

All on 8 percent.

re: #35 Gus

The historical exchange rates can be found here:

[Link: www.federalreserve.gov...]

Romney complains about China manipulating their currency, but they are in fact slowly bringing about changes, probably as fast as the system can allow.

re: #36 freetoken

The historical exchange rates can be found here:

[Link: www.federalreserve.gov...]

Romney complains about China manipulating their currency, but they are in fact slowly bringing about changes, probably as fast as the system can allow.

Romney hates China. Yet, gets rich on China.

We're supposed to be cool with that.

No. Obviously.

He also had a foreign policy consultant that argued with me on Twitter.

That's pretty lame.

re: #37 Gus

Romney hates China. Yet, gets rich on China.

We're supposed to be cool with that.

We're not supposed to be paying attention.

Americans - we love our coal:

Democrats find coal states rough sledding in campaigns

re: #39 freetoken

Americans - we love our coal:

Democrats find coal states rough sledding in campaigns

Well, yes, coal miners like to pay their mortgages and feed their families.

re: #36 freetoken

The historical exchange rates can be found here:

[Link: www.federalreserve.gov...]

Romney complains about China manipulating their currency, but they are in fact slowly bringing about changes, probably as fast as the system can allow.

I've been hearing a lot of chatter about China and 'currency wars' from some acquaintances but haven't taken the time to review.

Random funny comment from the interwebs...

The Episcopal Church is no longer a Christian denomination. It is a Communist-front run by Communist to advance Communism in America and around the globe. The people in the pews are dedicated Communists for the most part — call them Communists who enjoy socializing at once-prominent parishes and lovers of ceremony for ceremony’s sake.

A communist-front run by communists? OMG that is the worst kind!

(What a slacker, he could have fit communist into that paragraph at least one more time if he had been really trying.)

/

And now, for some music:

Digging around the old attic of music, I've been looking for some of the lesser heard pieces of Camille Saint-Saens, whose more popular works are a staple of the large orchestras, but one thing that stands out is how small a selection of his music actually gets played.

Here is his opus 130, which is incidental music to the play La Foi by playwright Eugène Brieux, and though only written 103 years ago it appears to have fallen into obscurity (try to find it in Amazon, for example.)

It's pretty music, but like so many other pieces of quality music (and frankly, not just music) of years gone by, it seems to have faded from our art menus.

It's composed of three medium sized "symphoniques", which are all quite lovely:

Van Halen - Hot For Teacher (HQ music video): youtu.be/-4GZFbCqx18 via @youtube

— Gus (@Gus_802) October 14, 2012

A lot of baseball action/drama tonight. I don't think any Tigers or Yankees fans are very happy about the way game 1 went down. I'm glad my Tigers won the game in extra innings, but definitely not glad that the Yankee's captain Derek Jeter is done for the season with a fractured ankle. Its not really beating the Yankees if Jeter isn't there.

Anyone else here tried playing Transformice?

Free MMO flash game where you are a mouse trying to get cheese and return it to your mouse hole. There are enviromental obstacles in your way like constructs, chasms, lava, water, etc. But experienced players who have gotten enough points by fetching cheese successfully can become Shamans and use magic to assist the non-shaman mice to reach the cheese.

Some maps have two competing shamans both vying to help the most mice back to their own colored mouse hole. Shamans can also fight and kill each other and execute nuisance (troll or inexperienced) mice with magic who are screwing things up.

The game depends on at least a fair number of the players working together, of course most often they don't, which results in a lot of hilariously dead mice and failed maps. ;)

[Link: www.transformice.com...]

Meow

All in good fun.

re: #46 Tiny Alien Kitties are Watching You

What it looks like...Transformice in game video with "Safety Dance" as a soundtrack...

Nate Silver reported that Obama had a surprising 2 point lead in an Arizona poll which was conducted in both english and spanish. He still doesn't believe that Arizona is in play, but the poll is indicative that Obama has a huge edge with hispanics who are more comfortable speaking spanish, and polls conducted only in english may be missing these voters. While they don't register and vote at the same rate as predominantly english speaking hispanics, their support could help the President in key swing states like Nevada, Colorado and Florida.

Btw, that was Mireille Mathieu.

re: #39 freetoken

Americans - we love our coal:

Democrats find coal states rough sledding in campaigns

Coal mining is one of the few remaining professions for which you need no sort of education or extensive training. We all miss those days. When I was a kid, the steel mills was the fall-back option for everyone did not want to or could not make it into college, or got their girlfriend pregnant in high school.

Those jobs are gone and they ain't comin' back to your hometowm...

Morning, all

Short dresses lead to 2nd dance

[...]

School Principal Kendall Topham said a decision was made to review the situation after some parents complained that several dozen students had not been allowed to attend the first dance two weeks earlier.

"It was unfortunate that the first homecoming dance went down the why it did," Topham said.

"Our goal has been to bring resolution to the situation and we're doing that with this replacement dance."

He said the girls would be allowed to wear dresses 3 inches shorter than normal to avoid any need for a close call the second time around.

What is this world coming to?

And the demise of coal has less to do with "government over-regulation" than it does with the fackt that natural gas (especially fracked gas) is cheaper, cleaner and more efficient.

re: #51 freetoken

pardonnez moi while I enjoy a cafe au lait and beignets at a local patisserie.

I'm gonna go sit on my bidet and wear my beret, clean and free!

Been a few days between the blog being down-ish and me working early, so it's good to say this....
Morning Honcos.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I need your services in a confidential matter regarding consignment (fund) out of a family beneficiary deposit. This requires a private arrangement.

You will receive these funds under legal claims; all legal documents will be carefully worked out to ensure a risk free transfer. 30% of the total sum would be your own potion at the end of this deal.

I have all the details. The funds in question are quite large sum of $35Million (THIRTY FIVE MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS ONLY).I will expect a straight answer from you If you are willing to assist, kindly furnish me with your personal information which must include your direct cell phone and fax number, your address and company name.

Please kindly contact my lawyer Barrister Ali Martins

Thanks as I expect to hear from you.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Udoka Ego.

what do they do when they get the cell phone number?

"Been a few days between the blog being down-ish and me working early, so it's good to say this....
Morning Honcos."

the things we come to take for granted...

re: #60 engineer cat

Dear Sir/Madam,

I need your services in a confidential matter regarding consignment (fund) out of a family beneficiary deposit. This requires a private arrangement.

You will receive these funds under legal claims; all legal documents will be carefully worked out to ensure a risk free transfer. 30% of the total sum would be your own potion at the end of this deal.

I have all the details. The funds in question are quite large sum of $35Million (THIRTY FIVE MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS ONLY).I will expect a straight answer from you If you are willing to assist, kindly furnish me with your personal information which must include your direct cell phone and fax number, your address and company name.

Please kindly contact my lawyer Barrister Ali Martins

Thanks as I expect to hear from you.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Udoka Ego.

what do they do when they get the cell phone number?

I once made the mistake of firing back a pissy response to such a mail, and forgot that my tag line included my number. Got a number of calls from them, finally wound up telling them I was racist who hated n*ggers to get them to leave me alone

re: #61 AK-47%

"Been a few days between the blog being down-ish and me working early, so it's good to say this....
Morning Honcos."

the things we come to take for granted...

It is odd. This is an actual part of my morning routine.

For the overnight crowd, we're going olde skool, as in 16th century. Here is Giovanni da Palestrina's mass “Viri Galilaei”:

re: #60 engineer cat

Dear Sir/Madam,

I need your services in a confidential matter regarding consignment (fund) out of a family beneficiary deposit. This requires a private arrangement.

You will receive these funds under legal claims; all legal documents will be carefully worked out to ensure a risk free transfer. 30% of the total sum would be your own potion at the end of this deal.

I have all the details. The funds in question are quite large sum of $35Million (THIRTY FIVE MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS ONLY).I will expect a straight answer from you If you are willing to assist, kindly furnish me with your personal information which must include your direct cell phone and fax number, your address and company name.

Please kindly contact my lawyer Barrister Ali Martins

Thanks as I expect to hear from you.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Udoka Ego.

Dear Mrs. Udoka Ego,

I am not wearing any underwear

sincerely,
Mr. Hiroshi Id.

re: #43 freetoken

Superb- favorited.

I really enjoy these less popular pieces. Sometimes I think we give up the sublime for the easier 'ear candy'

Great selection.

TY

re: #64 freetoken

For the overnight crowd, we're going olde skool, as in 16th century. Here is Giovanni da Palestrina's mass “Viri Galilaei”:

[Embedded content]

Thank you

re: #64 freetoken

For the overnight crowd, we're going olde skool, as in 16th century. Here is Giovanni da Palestrina's mass “Viri Galilaei”:

[Embedded content]

have you ever heard tallis' 'spem in aliem'?

positively hallucinogenic

re: #64 freetoken

Makes me want to genuflect.

After I get dressed.

So a couple nights this week we (me and friends) have started fires in of all places, fireplaces. This might not seem like a big deal but remember, I grew up in Florida.

re: #68 engineer cat

have you ever heard tallis' 'spem in aliem'?

positively hallucinogenic

It appears to now be permanently associated with "50 shades of gray"?

Well, this isn't good.
Samutsevich, 30, walked free after more than six months in jail when an appeals court suspended her two-year sentence on Wednesday. Two band mates were sent back behind bars to serve out their terms and could be sent to prison in Siberia.
[Link: www.reuters.com...]

re: #64 freetoken

palestrina came towards the end of the great period of a capella polyphonic church music, which lasted from the mid 1300s when counterpoint was first practiced, until the rise of instrumental music in the late 1500s. important composers earlier than palestrina include guillaume de machaut, guillaume dufay, and josquin desprez. a capella vocal counterpoint continued to be practiced after this period by great composers, of course, and has really never died out completely, but in the period 1350 - 1550 it was the dominant form of 'serious' music

re: #60 engineer cat

Dear Sir/Madam,

I need your services in a confidential matter regarding consignment (fund) out of a family beneficiary deposit. This requires a private arrangement.

You will receive these funds under legal claims; all legal documents will be carefully worked out to ensure a risk free transfer. 30% of the total sum would be your own potion at the end of this deal.

I have all the details. The funds in question are quite large sum of $35Million (THIRTY FIVE MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS ONLY).I will expect a straight answer from you If you are willing to assist, kindly furnish me with your personal information which must include your direct cell phone and fax number, your address and company name.

Please kindly contact my lawyer Barrister Ali Martins

Thanks as I expect to hear from you.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Udoka Ego.

what do they do when they get the cell phone number?

I'm getting an idea here...

Anyone know what Bain Capital's fax number is?

re: #74 BongCrodny

I'm getting an idea here...

Anyone know what Bain Capital's fax number is?

666?
///

re: #71 freetoken

It appears to now be permanently associated with "50 shades of gray"?

really? that's unfortunate...

re: #68 engineer cat

Nice!

re: #70 Cannadian Club Akbar

So a couple nights this week we (me and friends) have started fires in of all places, fireplaces. This might not seem like a big deal but remember, I grew up in Florida.

Just make sure your homeowners insurance is up to date.

re: #78 researchok

Just make sure your homeowners insurance is up to date.

I left my homeowners insurance when I lost my home.

Ex-Walker appointee convicted of stealing $51,000 from veterans

A Milwaukee County jury Friday convicted Kevin Kavanaugh of stealing more than $51,000 from money donated to help veterans and their families.

Prosecutors said the 62-year-old Kavanaugh had skimmed the money from bank deposits and phony withdrawals from accounts for the local chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, a veterans service organization.

Kavanaugh, of Cudahy, was treasurer of the group.

He didn't testify at the trial and said nothing following the verdict. Sentencing on the felony conviction was sent for Dec. 7. Kavanaugh, who had no prior criminal record, faces up to 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine.

Kavanaugh's attorney Christopher Hartley said circumstantial evidence in the form of many checks Kavanaugh cashed from Purple Heart funds were difficult to overcome with jurors. No direct evidence was presented showing that Kavanaugh spent the missing money or salted it away for himself, Hartley said.

He argued to jurors that Kavanaugh regularly gave money - a few hundred dollars at a time - to needy veterans.

The biggest source of money Kavanaugh was accused of tapping was donations made for Operation Freedom, an annual picnic and veterans event at the zoo that Gov. Scott Walker hosted while he was Milwaukee County executive. In 2006, Walker's county office arranged to have the Operation Freedom donations and expenses run through the Purple Heart chapter after being advised by county lawyers to have a separate nonprofit handle the books rather than continue to have Walker aides do so.

re: #64 freetoken

huh

the plainchant at 27:00 or so was sung at the religious prep school i went to at mass every week

re: #79 Cannadian Club Akbar

Well that sucks

re: #81 engineer cat

Tradition dies hard.

re: #81 engineer cat

huh

the plainchant at 27:00 or so was sung at the religious prep school i went to at mass every week

What's nuem, chum?

Mongolia capital Ulan-Bator removes Lenin statue

Ulan-Bator, the capital of Mongolia, has removed its last bronze statue of Vladimir Lenin, denouncing the communist leader as a "murderer".

The monument was hoisted from its plinth in a park and dropped on to the back of a flat-bed lorry at a ceremony attended by city mayor Bat-Uul Erdene.

During the Cold War, Mongolia was effectively a Soviet satellite state.

Mr Bat-Uul said the statue would be auctioned off with a starting price of about $280 (£174; 216 euros).

[...]

Wow, that's cheap, especially if it is bronze.

Perhaps we collectively should put in a bid? If we win we could convince Charles to make the Lenin statue an honorary member of LGF?

Lomborg is at it again, spreading confusion about climate change:

When Good Intentions Go Bad

Two studies—one on genetically modified corn and one on climate change—demonstrate how scare tactics can backfire.

Campaigners on important but complex issues, annoyed by the length of time required for public deliberations, often react by exaggerating their claims, hoping to push a single solution to the forefront of public debate. But, however well-intentioned, scaring the public into a predetermined solution often backfires: When people eventually realize that they have been misled, they lose confidence and interest.

Last month, there were two examples of this in a single week. First, French researcher Gilles-Eric Séralini attempted to fuel public opposition to genetically modified foods by showing the public how GM corn, with and without the pesticide Roundup, caused huge tumors and early death in 200 rats that had consumed it over two years.

[...]

The Séralini fiasco was only a week old when, the Climate Vulnerability Forum, a group of countries led by Bangladesh, launched the second edition of its Global Vulnerability Monitor. Headlines about the launch were truly alarming: Over the next 18 years, global warming would kill 100 million people and cost the economy upwards of $6.7 trillion annually.

These public messages were highly misleading and clearly intended to shock and disturb. The vast majority of deaths discussed in the report did not actually result from global warming. Outdoor air pollution—caused by fossil-fuel combustion, not by global warming—contributed to 30 percent of all deaths cited in the study. And 60 percent of the total deaths reflect the burning of biomass (such as animal dung and crop residues) for cooking and heating, which has no relation to either fossil fuels or global warming.

[...]

First off, Lomborg is just wrong in equating the two.

The GMO study was published in a scientific journal, and it immediately brought criticism from other scientists and while it is being used by policy activists (such as here in California) to change laws, the science community will get to the bottom of the Seralini controversy.

The AGW position paper Lomborg references is just that - a publication of an independent organization (sort of a cross between a think tank and an aid organization):
[Link: daraint.org...]
and the very effort that Lomborg laments:
[Link: daraint.org...]
is upfront that they are tackling a variety of issues surrounding carbon. And, Lomborg seems to be looking at media headlines to pull his "scare" blaming, rather than the actual press release by DARA:
[Link: daraint.org...]

One can quibble with the economic costs described in the DARA document - as I keep pointing out, Economics really is the "dismal" science, but Lomborg isn't really doing that as much as just trying to sweep the whole DARA position under the rug, because whatever DARA comes up with will be different from what Lomborg himself has claimed, in books and lectures, and he doesn't want to be shown to be wrong.

Well, if anything, the Lomborg lambada of prevarication has gotten me off my lazy ass and got me to post a Page for the first time in a long time:

[Link: littlegreenfootballs.com...]

re: #42 Tiny Alien Kitties are Watching You

Random funny comment from the interwebs...

A communist-front run by communists? OMG that is the worst kind!

(What a slacker, he could have fit communist into that paragraph at least one more time if he had been really trying.)/

He didn't even have the courtesy to leave the link to his page on the John Birch Society.

//

Fighter Jets Intercept 2 Planes Over Williamsburg

AFAIK, Episcopalians are also rather tolerant, even welcoming of gay couples and ministers. That makes them an abomination in many people's eyes.

re: #89 Varek Raith

We still have to look over our shoulders.

re: #89 Varek Raith

Fighter Jets Intercept 2 Planes Over Williamsburg

Those sorts of restrictions are routinely imposed when the president or vice president is around, and are currently in place for Mitt Romney as well. This is to prevent terrorist attack.

Reposted from the last thread by request:
I don't even know where to start on this whole Reddit guy's story. KT's defense of him is something I don't think I can unpack either.

But I will say this. His rights stop where anyone else's begin. Especially when we're talking about kids,but it goes for everyone. I read the article about this disgusting evil fucktard. There's a forum under his "jailbait" heading called"deadjailbait" with pictures of murdered girls. Defend that. I don't know about you,but if that was my husband doing that,I'd have my kids and I outta there so fast there'd be nothing but a dust trail and divorce papers in my wake. If I knew anyone doing that,I would personally out them because this is the behavior of either a predator or one in training.

Here's the thing no one's mentioning in all this. When allowed to run unchecked this sort of shit isn't some harmless outlet. It's stimulating the desire to do more and more and push the envelope more and more. It's like allowing a bully to continue to bully without calling their crap on it. It makes things exponentially worse over time. The hatred for women in all this is more disturbing than even the photos are,and that's OK with some men? Fuck,that's goddamned frightening and makes me want to walk around heavily armed. I'm an abuse survivor,go ahead and try to defend that shit to me,I'm waiting.

Our society is SUPPOSED to call out shitty behavior,nevermind the legality of what this asshole has been doing. That's how you keep crappy behavior in check,by taking away the social rewards for doing so. Period. If you have issues with that,you might want to get out into the world more and understand what's going on. Jesus.

re: #93 A Mom Anon

And to repost my response:

Even if I think he has the perfect right to take these pictures and post them, Killgore's hypocrisy in attacking the reporter for exercising his right to reveal the guy is massive. You can't simultaneously argue for the right to invade privacy on one hand and not on the other.

re: #93 A Mom Anon

In theory, I support reddit guy's legal right to post almost anything. If someone wants to kick his ass for it I decry that, in theory.

re: #93 A Mom Anon

I have no idea what you were talking about so I googled reddit and violentacrez and tada! a monster and a creep (to put it rather mildly). Reminded me of this guy, don't read if you ate breffist.
[Link: en.wikipedia.org...]

re: #94 Obdicut

And to repost my response:

Even if I think he has the perfect right to take these pictures and post them, Killgore's hypocrisy in attacking the reporter for exercising his right to reveal the guy is massive. You can't simultaneously argue for the right to invade privacy on one hand and not on the other.

I never claimed the reporter didn't have the right to publish the creeps name and personal info.

re: #95 Decatur Deb

In theory, I support reddit guy's legal right to post almost anything. If someone wants to kick his ass for it I decry that, in theory.

I'm heavily anti-censorship. I don't want the government to shut down ideas or the means of expression of those ideas. Short of that, there are very few ways to truly censor anything. People can claim that mainstream movie studios not filiming hardcore pornography is self-censorship, or that newspapers not running a story because it's too sleazy is, but that confuses the issue. The frightening form of censorship is governmental.

Part of the burden of such free exchange of information is that some of it will anger and inflame people. Sometimes this is because they're hearing true things they don't want to hear-- that black people are their equals, that gay marriage is okay, etc.-- and sometimes it's because they're hearing things that aren't true, or are malicious-- that gay people are all pedophiles, that black people are attacking white people in record numbers.

There is no perfect way to make sure that people only get upset by the lies and disinformation, and support the truth. It's all a rich tangle, and it's up to us as individuals, as a society, to help the good rise to the top and the foul to sink to the bottom.

By revealing the identity of the guy invading the privacy of these girls, by showing who the guy is who's so fascinated by 'jailbait', the reporter is serving precisely that service. He's found someone who's using free speech to an ill end, and he's using his own power of free speech to combat him.

I have no idea why a purported defender of free speech would be against this reporter's exercise of free speech. I have even less of an idea how anyone could support the individual posting 'jailbait' pictures and not the person reporting on him doing so. It makes no sense, is hypocritical, and naive.

Former NYT executive editor: Media echo chamber worries me

Some argue that the rise of channels such as MSNBC and Fox News creates a troubling echo chamber effect as viewers are only exposed to their own point of view. Does this worry you?

It does. I think the kind of MSNBC/Fox news dichotomy is a symptom of a larger, polarized quality in our public conversation. The same is true on the internet. You can easily put together a diet of news and information that just confirms your prejudices. I don’t think it’s the end of the world, but it does cause me some serious concern because I think it contributes to the kind of gridlock you get in Washington where one party is pandering to one audience that only listens to MSNBC or reads Daily Kos, while another is pandering to an audience that reads Tea Party websites and watches Fox News. I’m something of a centrist, so I find this a little disconcerting.

re: #24 Mostly sane, most of the time.

Yeah, I know, marching band competitions are lame.

The best I have to offer are scathing critiques of the various colorguard costumes.

I don't think they are lame...but then I was a band geek and marched in those competitions. ;-)

re: #97 Killgore Trout

I never claimed the reporter didn't have the right to publish the creeps name and personal info.

So what is your actual argument? You're using your free speech to attack the reporter's use of his free speech to reveal the identity of someone else using their free speech to post pictures of underage girls.

Why? What is he actually doing wrong, in your view, and why?

This guy I guess is trying to jump out of a perfectly good balloon today.

[Link: hosted.ap.org...]
I didn't understand his previous attempts, when we have balloon rides here in upstate NY, it is early in the morning or late in the day, to avoid high winds. I know this and I'm just some idiot posting on LGF.

re: #99 Killgore Trout

Former NYT executive editor: Media echo chamber worries me

Some argue that the rise of channels such as MSNBC and Fox News creates a troubling echo chamber effect as viewers are only exposed to their own point of view. Does this worry you?

We need a Ministry of Fairness and Balance! I nominate Rupert Murdoch as Chairman

re: #100 Sionainn

I don't think they are lame...but then I was a band geek and marched in those competitions. ;-)

They rock if done right...

re: #103 AK-47%

I think one of the important points is if places actually link to other places for explanation and bias. Some of the 'echo chamber' complaints are nonsense; on the subject of global warming, for example, there's nothing to be gained from considering the arguments of deniers except to learn how to combat them. The arguments of deniers on their own are absolutely worthless, so being in the 'bubble' is actually a good thing in that case.

There's also plenty of factionalism, argument, and counterargument inside 'bubbles'.

re: #95 Decatur Deb

In theory, I support reddit guy's legal right to post almost anything. If someone wants to kick his ass for it I decry that, in theory.

I can't say what I'd have done if he'd victimized my sister in that fashion without being banned. Suffice it to say I would not have been concerned with the law when making my response.

re: #102 Shropshire_Slasher

This guy is just a media whore. I don't see him jumping, ever. And sponsored by Red Bull, iirc.

re: #107 Cannadian Club Akbar

He's done quite a few actually impressive jumps, but this one is pretty extremely outside what he's done already. Hope he doesn't get hisself killed.

re: #107 Cannadian Club Akbar

Definitely didn't hire a union crane operator.
[Link: www.redbullstratos.com...]
How come I want to spell it definately? damn spell check.

re: #105 Obdicut

There's also plenty of factionalism, argument, and counterargument inside 'bubbles'.

You mean like whether AGW is simply nonsense to be ignored or a threat to freedom that must be stamped out wherever it exists?

re: #110 AK-47%

You mean like whether AGW is simply nonsense to be ignored or a threat to freedom that must be stamped out wherever it exists?

I'll say the problem with AGW is the fact that the rest of the world wants to tax America and turn a blind eye to China and the such.

re: #110 AK-47%

You mean like whether AGW is simply nonsense to be ignored or a threat to freedom that must be stamped out wherever it exists?

Heh. Yeah. Though there's an amazing ability on the denier end to hold contradictory views at once: Global warming isn't happening, it's not caused by humans, and it's a good thing anyway.

That's one of the signs, in general, of the side of the argument that's foolish and unscientific; it's pure contrarianism, never bothering to resolve its internal contradictions. It's one of the reasons contrarianness tends to lead people into idiotic thinking.

re: #111 Cannadian Club Akbar

I'll say the problem with AGW is the fact that the rest of the world wants to tax America and turn a blind eye to China and the such.

As shown by..?

re: #109 Shropshire_Slasher

Definitely didn't hire a union crane operator.
[Link: www.redbullstratos.com...]
How come I want to spell it definately? damn spell check.

No, the operator had been union you'd have seen some Obama/Biden bumper stickers on the crane.

//entirely kidding

re: #113 Obdicut

As shown by..?

The UN?

re: #114 Dark_Falcon

No, the operator had been union you'd have seen some Obama/Biden bumper stickers on the crane.

//entirely kidding

You'd also see needed hardhats on the ground crew. A bit sloppy.

re: #115 Cannadian Club Akbar

The UN?

Can you cite this vote, policy, or what have you that taxed the US and ignored China?

re: #104 Cannadian Club Akbar

They rock if done right...

[Embedded content]

Wow! That's a massive band!

re: #114 Dark_Falcon

I'm actually on the fence, crane is a little overkill, since the pod prolly weighs 100 pounds. Crane is just for advertising, that, and a good crane operator doesn't lift anything without putting their outriggers down.

re: #116 Decatur Deb

You'd also see needed hardhats on the ground crew. A bit sloppy.

Agreed. There's a reason I think construction unions are still a needed thing.

re: #104 Cannadian Club Akbar

They rock if done right...

[Embedded content]

Drum Corps International often visits here, and we often get blown out of the HS stadium by a cloudburst.

re: #119 Shropshire_Slasher

I'm actually on the fence, crane is a little overkill, since the pod prolly weighs 100 pounds. Crane is just for advertising, that, and a good crane operator doesn't lift anything without putting their outriggers down.

That makes things worse: You don't bring out a piece of equipment if its not ready for use. That's not just sloppy, that's a lawsuit waiting to happen.

re: #119 Shropshire_Slasher

I'm actually on the fence, crane is a little overkill, since the pod prolly weighs 100 pounds. Crane is just for advertising, that, and a good crane operator doesn't lift anything without putting their outriggers down.

In this case, the crane isn't to lift, so much as to ballast the balloon until release.

re: #117 Obdicut

Can you cite this vote, policy, or what have you that taxed the US and ignored China?

See Kyoto. 3 Presidents have passed on signing it. And this.
[Link: www.washingtontimes.com...]

re: #104 Cannadian Club Akbar

I have trouble walking and chewing gum. That was awesome, I regret I only have one upding to give.

re: #95 Decatur Deb

The reason positive social pressure is so valuable is to call this shit out so it can be exposed and then the social rewards for it go away. That's how you keep assholes and bullies in check. I'd go so far as to argue that it's not healthy even for the assholes and bullies to run unchecked because it does cause an escalation in behavior.It simply is not normal male behavior to loathe women and girls this much. If there's a reward for this kind of shit it doesn't stay in a harmless little bubble. And in this case,that bubble was broken the second the pictures became fodder for this creep and his buddies.

What's interesting about these discussions is that MOST of the time you don't get alot of disagreement on these points from women,we know what's what. It's men who usually argue about freedom and all that stuff or find a way to defend the creepy behavior. I am NOT saying that's what you're doing,Decatur Deb,I know you aren't.

re: #124 Cannadian Club Akbar

See Kyoto. 3 Presidents have passed on signing it. And this.
[Link: www.washingtontimes.com...]

Kyoto doesn't tax the US and ignore China. Can you explain why you're presenting it as though it does?

The transaction tax brought up in the Moonie times is not directly related to AGW. It's a proposed measure to limit the runaway problems we have in the financial markets and curb the riskiness of financial speculation, trying to prevent another global meltdown.

re: #126 A Mom Anon

I think he should be 'free' to take creepy pictures and post them, because if we limit that right we're going to limit the right of actual artists to depict children as well. However, I don't think he should be 'free' from the consequences of his doing so; revealing his name and identity is a consequence of that. The right to free speech doesn't mean that other people's right to free speech is therefore curtailed; they can talk about your right to free speech.

re: #126 A Mom Anon

"Theoretically".

I have 2 daughters and 3 grand-daughters.

re: #127 Obdicut

Kyoto doesn't tax the US and ignore China. Can you explain why you're presenting it as though it does?

The transaction tax brought up in the Moonie times is not directly related to AGW. It's a proposed measure to limit the runaway problems we have in the financial markets and curb the riskiness of financial speculation, trying to prevent another global meltdown.

Granted, but such matters are better done domestically within the US. Though it would have to be matched with tax cuts elsewhere to pass the Congress, due to ATR influence.

re: #111 Cannadian Club Akbar

I'll say the problem with AGW is the fact that the rest of the world wants to tax America and turn a blind eye to China and the such.

Funny, because it is the Third World that is going to get hit the worst with the results of global warming through famine and flooding.

re: #123 Decatur Deb

Twenty beer drinkers could do the same thing, and provide additional methane. (I know wrong gas!)

re: #99 Killgore Trout

Former NYT executive editor: Media echo chamber worries me

Some argue that the rise of channels such as MSNBC and Fox News creates a troubling echo chamber effect as viewers are only exposed to their own point of view. Does this worry you?

Full disclaimer: I catch Maddow's show on podcast daily. Having said that:

My issue with the whole MSNBC/Fox News thing is that MSNBC doesn't hide who they're rooting for. Do they lean left? Sure, but they don't really deny it.

Fox News, as everyone here knows, presents themselves as truly neutral. Which is easily disabused when anyone with a 2nd grade education watches them for more than 5 minutes.

Being stuck in an echo chamber generally isn't a good thing. But this notion that MSNBC is wreaking as much havoc on political discourse as Fox is laughable. Only the most devoted Balance Fairy acolytes buy into this.

re: #130 Dark_Falcon

Granted, but such matters are better done domestically within the US.

I'm really not sure what you mean by this. What do you mean by 'such matters'? And by 'done domestically', do you mean the US shouldn't ever sign any treaties?

Though it would have to be matched with tax cuts elsewhere to pass the Congress, due to ATR influence.

Yes, at the current moment the GOP and their insanity are preventing many sensible things from going forwards, thanks to the Grover Norquist fantasy about destroying government. It's too bad. However, I think people are realizing that after years and years and years of tax cuts that it's pretty obvious they don't have the magical economy-inspiring power that the GOP keeps claiming they do.

re: #131 AK-47%

Funny, because it is the Third World that is going to get hit the worst with the results of global warming through famine and flooding.

China feels keeping growth going is more important right now, and allowing in "outer barbarians" with any regulatory powers over china's industry is unthinkable in that nation.

re: #134 Obdicut

I'm really not sure what you mean by this. What do you mean by 'such matters'? And by 'done domestically', do you mean the US shouldn't ever sign any treaties?

'Such matters' means any transfer taxes. 'Done domestically' doesn't mean anything like what you suggest. What it does mean is that I am utterly unwilling to give the UN any power to tax. I feel any such power will ultimately end up being used by anti-American Grandees to wound the US, the power to tax being a power to destroy, after all.

re: #111 Cannadian Club Akbar

I'll say the problem with AGW is the fact that the rest of the world wants to tax America and turn a blind eye to China and the such.

Because the rest of the world would somehow be able to impose taxes on America without its consent. Really.

That's not how UN treaties work. At all.

re: #136 Dark_Falcon

'Such matters' means any transfer taxes. 'Done domestically' doesn't mean anything like what you suggest. What it does mean is that I am utterly unwilling to give the UN any power to tax. I feel any such power will ultimately end up being used by anti-American Grandees to wound the US, the power to tax being a power to destroy, after all.

The UN has no, and would never have any, power to tax the US. Nothing like that has been proposed by any person and is a complete red herring.

What could happen is that the US signs a treaty, ratified by congress, that includes transfer taxes. That is still it being done domestically.

The fantasy of the UN directly taxing the US is simply impossible.

re: #135 Dark_Falcon

China feels keeping growth going is more important right now, and allowing in "outer barbarians" with any regulatory powers over china's industry is unthinkable in that nation.

Their experiences with "outer barbarians" have hardly been positive, and they feel that they have a right to achieve a standard of living similar to what we enjoy in America and Europe.

re: #128 Obdicut

The answer to free speech is more free speech not less,that I agree with. Which again is why social consequences of this sort of shit is so very important. Lots of stuff isn't illegal but it's still shitty and wrong. I would think that this is how healthy societies survive,but weeding out bullies and hateful people and minimizing them,which includes exposing who they are and what they do.

I'm an abuse survivor and I've met many like me,so I'm a bit testy on this one.I don't think it's at all healthy to turn a blind eye to this sort of shit and protect it,which is the main point. Sunlight is a pretty effective disinfectant in cases like this.

re: #136 Dark_Falcon

What it does mean is that I am utterly unwilling to give the UN any power to tax.

Please learn how treaties work.

Two guys in Roswell are now wearing hardhats. Lurking Sunday morning LGF, they are.

re: #140 A Mom Anon

Yeah, I was abused too, and seeing stuff like this really fucks with my head. I agree completely about sunshine. There's really no coherent logical argument for being against reporting on someone who's doing this kind of shit. It's hypocritical at the core.

re: #138 Obdicut

The UN has no, and would never have any, power to tax the US. Nothing like that has been proposed by any person and is a complete red herring.

What could happen is that the US signs a treaty, ratified by congress, that includes transfer taxes. That is still it being done domestically.

The fantasy of the UN directly taxing the US is simply impossible.

And I'd still oppose it. Moreover, the Constitutionality of such a treaty would be seriously questionable: Bills involving revenues have to originate in the House, but treaties are approved solely by the Senate. That would seem to pose a Constitutional question for any such treaty.

re: #137 Lidane

Because the rest of the world would somehow be able to impose taxes on America without its consent. Really.

That's not how UN treaties work. At all.

Would and want are different words. Of course the UN can't just make shit up and there has to be a vote. But if they could, they would.

UN Urges Countries To Impose Global Taxes, Raise $400 Billion
UNITED NATIONS, July 5 (Reuters) - The United Nations on Thursday urged countries to impose international taxes to raise more than $400 billion a year, such as a carbon tax, a currency transaction tax and a billionaires tax, to offset cutbacks in aid by many countries amid global economic turmoil.
[Link: www.huffingtonpost.com...]

re: #145 Cannadian Club Akbar

Would and want are different words. Of course the UN can't just make shit up and there has to be a vote. But if they could, they would.

No they couldn't. Any treaty or agreement passed by the UN that affects a country still has to be ratified by that country. The UN could write a treaty that imposes a candy and soda tax on the United States and if Congress tells them to piss off and refuses to pass it, then the whole idea is moot. It won't happen.

Just look at all the different international conventions and treaties for copyright. Just because a bunch of countries might sign off on a treaty doesn't mean those treaties have any teeth if those countries don't also ratify them under their own laws.

re: #144 Dark_Falcon

And I'd still oppose it.

Then talk about your opposition to it without using an untruth, please.

Moreover, the Constitutionality of such a treaty would be seriously questionable: Bills involving revenues have to originate in the House, but treaties are approved solely by the Senate. That would seem to pose a Constitutional question for any such treaty.

Such a treaty would just commit the US to such a tax; we've signed many such treaties before. The house and senate would then have to actually work out the imposition of the tax, as normal.

The tax isn't something I can give an opinion on. Some people think it'd help a lot, but others think that it'd just get gamed like everything else. I don't in general think regulation through taxation is the best approach. I think we should have a ton more police officers and others looking into financial irregularities and crimes, and that that would be the best actual solution. Really busting people and companies for white collar crime.

re: #146 Cannadian Club Akbar

There should be two options: either pay the tax or build a dome over your country to keep your CO2 emmissions from escaping across your borders...

re: #146 Cannadian Club Akbar

Yeah, it urged countries to impose a tax. Urged. That's all.

Do you understand that, under Kyoto, China, rather than being ignored as you said, is actually held to emissions standards as well?

fuck. Jesus freaks knocking at the door.

re: #143 Obdicut

Yeah, I was abused too, and seeing stuff like this really fucks with my head. I agree completely about sunshine. There's really no coherent logical argument for being against reporting on someone who's doing this kind of shit. It's hypocritical at the core.

It's been fascinating reading the "Gawker/Chen are out of line" opinions. The attitude that a reporter who has learned the name of a borderline child pornographer should keep his mouth shut, in the name of free speech, is twisted.

re: #144 Dark_Falcon

And I'd still oppose it. Moreover, the Constitutionality of such a treaty would be seriously questionable: Bills involving revenues have to originate in the House, but treaties are approved solely by the Senate. That would seem to pose a Constitutional question for any such treaty.

Again -- please learn how treaties work.

The UN can pass whatever it wants. If Congress refuses to ratify that treaty and refuses to write legislation making the terms of that treaty law, the whole point is moot.

re: #151 Cannadian Club Akbar

fuck. Jesus freaks knocking at the door.

Jesus.

Jesus.. Concerns in St Petersburg that "rainbow milk cartons" will make kids gay abc.net.au/correspondents... HT @eeleach

— Peter(@PME2013) October 14, 2012

re: #151 Cannadian Club Akbar

fuck. Jesus freaks knocking at the door.

friend of mine used to keep a pentagram necklace at the door which he would put on before oepning up for the missionaries

re: #151 Cannadian Club Akbar

fuck. Jesus freaks knocking at the door.

I have a No Solicitors sign on my door. The Jesus folks always think it doesn't apply to them.

re: #155 Gus

Jesus.. Concerns in St Petersburg that "rainbow milk cartons" will make kids gay

Rainbows are evil And by extension, unicorns, leprechauns and pots of gold...

re: #157 Killgore Trout

I have a No Solicitors sign on my door. The Jesus folks always think it doesn't apply to them.

Then you need one that says "No Solicitors or Jesus Freaks"

re: #153 Lidane

Again -- please learn how treaties work.

The UN can pass whatever it wants. If Congress refuses to ratify that treaty and refuses to write legislation making the terms of that treaty law, the whole point is moot.

Christ, we can't get Congress to raise taxes on the 1% to alleviate the deficit. On top of that, the current Democratic Party is basically center-right. In what frigging universe would the Legislative branch agree to be taxed by the UN?

re: #156 AK-47%

I used to have a pentacle wreath on the front door to keep the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses away. It worked,I haven't had one around here since the kid was in diapers.

Jesus. UN talk. Alright. Who started it?

Mornin' everyone. Just paid my UN taxes...boy was that easy! Sure looking forward to those blue-helmeted workers coming down here and trimming the grass along the side of the freeway.

re: #148 Obdicut

Then talk about your opposition to it without using an untruth, please.

Please excuse me, given the speed at which things often move here I often feel the need to post without research, in order to keep up with the pace.

Such a treaty would just commit the US to such a tax; we've signed many such treaties before. The house and senate would then have to actually work out the imposition of the tax, as normal.

The tax isn't something I can give an opinion on. Some people think it'd help a lot, but others think that it'd just get gamed like everything else. I don't in general think regulation through taxation is the best approach. I think we should have a ton more police officers and others looking into financial irregularities and crimes, and that that would be the best actual solution. Really busting people and companies for white collar crime.

It might be a solution, but its unlikely. The people in question contribute lots to political campaigns and that kind of money typically buys friends who will whack the watchdog on the nose with a rolled-up Washington Post if it barks at you.

re: #151 Cannadian Club Akbar

fuck. Jesus freaks knocking at the door.

Heh. They were raising money for deaf people to help the deaf find Jesus. I told them to go to a sports bar that I go to on Sundays that has a large contingent of deaf people on Sundays. And I'm not kidding. About 30 of them meet there.

re: #151 Cannadian Club Akbar

fuck. Jesus freaks knocking at the door.

Quick, take off all your clothes before answering. They love it when they see naked people.

re: #161 A Mom Anon

I used to have a pentacle wreath on the front door to keep the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses away. It worked,I haven't had one around here since the kid was in diapers.

I just tell them we're atheist (which is true). They usually politely nod and move on, although one contingent of grannies looked truly scared.

re: #159 AK-47%

Then you need one that says "No Solicitors or Jesus Freaks"

...and hippies with petitions.

re: #158 AK-47%

Rainbows are evil And by extension, unicorns, leprechauns and pots of gold...

Listening to Marshall Tucker will make you gay!

re: #169 Gus

Listening to Marshall Tucker will make you gay!

Politifact rating;
Mostly True.

re: #161 A Mom Anon

I used to have a pentacle wreath on the front door to keep the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses away. It worked,I haven't had one around here since the kid was in diapers.

We have a copy of a della Robbia Virgin--doesn't work.

Communism.

re: #165 Cannadian Club Akbar

Heh. They were raising money for deaf people to help the deaf find Jesus. I told them to go to a sports bar that I go to on Sundays that has a large contingent of deaf people on Sundays. And I'm not kidding. About 30 of them meet there.

I can see why they'd need the money. Megaphones aren't cheap.

re: #164 Dark_Falcon

Please excuse me, given the speed at which things often move here I often feel the need to post without research, in order to keep up with the pace.

It's not our fault you talk out of your ass. Everyone makes mistakes, and nobody expects you to be perfect or knowledgeable about every topic. Hell, I don't know much about treaties, but I do know enough not to let xenophobia cloud my judgment when discussing them. I trust that my country, in signing a treaty, probably had some of it's own self-interest documented as well.

re: #164 Dark_Falcon

Yeah. In general I think shit like that just winds up getting gamed. That's one reason I want a 0% corporate tax rate. Corporations lobby their asses off and spend billions dodging taxes, and are largely successful. That's all totally wasted wealth, money producing nothing. I'd much rather target individual incomes than corporate ones.

Of course, I think we need a lot more regulation of finance in different ways, I just don't think taxation and regulation should be intertwined in the way they often are. I may be wrong about this-- it's a highly complex area-- but that's one reason I think we should simplify.

re: #160 Mattand

Christ, we can't get Congress to raise taxes on the 1% to alleviate the deficit. On top of that, the current Democratic Party is basically center-right. In what frigging universe would the Legislative branch agree to be taxed by the UN?

EXACTLY. This is why fears of the UN imposing taxes on America are stupid, naive, and overblown. They can't do it unless Congress agrees to it, which means it's not even worth talking about.

If the UN passed a treaty or resolution imposing a tax on America for whatever reason, not only would America have to agree to it and sign off on it at the UN, but Congress have to ratify it AND they'd have to write legislation making those taxes law under the Constitution. On what fucking planet would that happen? We can't even pass tax legislation of our own, and I'm supposed to believe that the UN somehow has the power to force taxes on the United States? Bitch plz. Won't happen. Ever.

FWIW, Jesus is in prison. That is where most people find him.:)

re: #169 Gus

Listening to Marshall Tucker will make you gay!

Upding for reference to one of my favorite songs by them.

re: #177 Cannadian Club Akbar

FWIW, Jesus is in prison. That is where most people find him.:)

Funny...and I went there looking for Lindsey Lohan.

I don't know about y'all but I'm getting the spinning wheel of death.

re: #179 darthstar

Funny...and I went there looking for Lindsey Lohan.

She gets 30 days but only does 1 hour because of overcrowding.

re: #180 Cannadian Club Akbar

I don't know about y'all but I'm getting the spinning wheel of death.

Just reload the whole page...that's what I just did.

Oh, and this is funny:

Love the subtlety: Beau Biden: This isn't abt my father's smile, or "how many gallons of waterRep Ryan drank nervously on that stage."

— ForUS50 (@FORUS50) October 14, 2012

re: #168 Killgore Trout

...and hippies with petitions.

You gotta watch out for those Hippies. They can go from Drum Circles with a bong being passed around, to "Rapey-Stabby" in less than 30 seconds!

///

re: #180 Cannadian Club Akbar

I don't know about y'all but I'm getting the spinning wheel of death.

I keep getting an issue where the new comments gets stuck if the auto button is checked. Have to refresh to unstick it.

EDIT: this was happening both before and after the Great Server Heart Attack of 2012.

Anyone have any hamster issues this morning? Probably my end.

re: #180 Cannadian Club Akbar

I don't know about y'all but I'm getting the spinning wheel of death.

Yep.

re: #183 Dark_Falcon

You gotta watch out for those Hippies. They can go from Drum Circles with a bong being passed around, to "Rapey-Stabby" in less than 30 seconds!

///

Name of my next band.

re: #180 Cannadian Club Akbar

I don't know about y'all but I'm getting the spinning wheel of death.

Had one for a while on a 'pages' comment.

re: #175 Obdicut

Yeah. In general I think shit like that just winds up getting gamed. That's one reason I want a 0% corporate tax rate. Corporations lobby their asses off and spend billions dodging taxes, and are largely successful. That's all totally wasted wealth, money producing nothing. I'd much rather target individual incomes than corporate ones.

Of course, I think we need a lot more regulation of finance in different ways, I just don't think taxation and regulation should be intertwined in the way they often are. I may be wrong about this-- it's a highly complex area-- but that's one reason I think we should simplify.

On that matter we agree.

re: #183 Dark_Falcon

You gotta watch out for those Hippies. They can go from Drum Circles with a bong being passed around, to "Rapey-Stabby" in less than 30 seconds!

///

We'll pass a joint, or a small pipe, but bongs are a pain in the ass to carry around and are best kept in the house. But I understand...the speed of keeping up and all...still, it's some research that would do you some good, hanging out in a drum circle and learning about it.

re: #190 darthstar

We'll pass a joint, or a small pipe, but bongs are a pain in the ass to carry around and are best kept in the house. But I understand...the speed of keeping up and all...still, it's some research that would do you some good, hanging out in a drum circle and learning about it.

With my feet, I'd just end up ruining the drum. BBL

BBL

re: #190 darthstar

We'll pass a joint, or a small pipe, but bongs are a pain in the ass to carry around and are best kept in the house. But I understand...the speed of keeping up and all...still, it's some research that would do you some good, hanging out in a drum circle and learning about it.

Siesta Key, brother!!!

re: #185 Gus

Anyone have any hamster issues this morning? Probably my end.

I had the new comments not load once, and refreshing the page cured it instantly.

re: #191 Dark_Falcon

With my feet, I'd just end up ruining the drum. BBL

BBL

That was actually funny.

re: #190 darthstar

We'll pass a joint, or a small pipe, but bongs are a pain in the ass to carry around and are best kept in the house. But I understand...the speed of keeping up and all...still, it's some research that would do you some good, hanging out in a drum circle and learning about it.

Got stuck at one in the Stewart/Colbert rally. Really cool for the first 15 mins, then I got the urge to 911 Officer Pepperspray.

re: #183 Dark_Falcon

You gotta watch out for those Hippies. They can go from Drum Circles with a bong being passed around, to "Rapey-Stabby" in less than 30 seconds!

///

There's the rapey-stabby but there was also some smashy-smashy in my neighborhood the other day.

Masked "Mob" Gets All Smashy-Smashy on Hawthorne

As mentioned in Good Morning News, some kind of roving group smashed bank windows up and down Hawthorne last night. The police describe the group as a "mob vandalizing businesses" who broke the windows of Wells Fargo, Chase Bank, US Bank, and Umpqua Bank, but who also "were throwing bottles at pedestrians and walking into traffic blocking vehicles."

re: #151 Cannadian Club Akbar

fuck. Jesus freaks knocking at the door.

Go answer the door, but take your clothes off first.

rapey staby, smashy smashy, oinky doinky, bongy hitty, drummy hitty......

re: #196 Killgore Trout

Don't confuse self-labeled "anarchists" (usually upper middle-class kids who like to go out and be rebels and would be home destroying their kid sister's barbie dolls otherwise) with 'hippies' or those who initiated the occupy movement of a year and a half ago.

You've just got a destructive white kid problem where you live. Maybe try some place more multi-cultural.

Daily Mail Fail

re: #197 Sheila Broflovski

Go answer the door, but take your clothes off first.

That's what I told him too. Another fun thing to do is just sit back and shout, "One second...be right there!" every two or three minutes and see how long you can keep them on the step.

re: #200 Gus

Daily Mail Fail

Yep. A wingnut with a British accent.

re: #201 darthstar

That's what I told him too. Another fun thing to do is just sit back and shout, "One second...be right there!" every two or three minutes and see how long you can keep them on the step.

Or you can release the hounds.

re: #203 Varek Raith

Or you can release the hounds.

re: #204 Cannadian Club Akbar

That had better be Kate Bush when I click on it.

re: #205 darthstar

That had better be Kate Bush when I click on it.

Good luck with that.

re: #205 darthstar

That had better be Kate Bush when I click on it.

Fuckin' Simpsons? Fine, I'll do it myself.

I find it odd, funny, ridiculous, that the political party that brought the cluster fuck of the Iraq War with so many controversies in itself is making this incident in Benghazi into something 400 times worse than what happened in Iraq.

re: #208 Gus

And the party that cut funding for embassy security is complaining about the lack of embassy security.

re: #209 Obdicut

And the party that cut funding for embassy security is complaining about the lack of embassy security.

Many of them were also complaining about us being involved with NATO in the revolution against Gaddafi. Remember the two week thing?

They moved up the capsule launch--going soon.

Discovery Channel - space jump

re: #210 Gus

So when this administration makes a mistake, a tactical error and the GOP goes all over the top nutty...

Are the rest of us who simply recognize the mistake for what it is now asked to just sit down and shut up? I've gotten that vibe from Fast & Furious, Libya, a couple other incidents.

re: #211 Decatur Deb

They moved up the capsule launch--going soon.

re: #212 Blackity Black Black!

Discovery Channel - space jump

Actually a smart move. Move it to Sunday morning. More people to watch if it is a go.

re: #213 Daniel Ballard

Fast and Furious was not a mistake by the administration. The main guy pushing the story turned out to be the main problem; he went off the rez. The administration responded to it when they found out about it. You can blame it on them in the regards that everything under their watch is their fault, but the hype and insanity about F&F both far outstripped its actual import and placed the blame in the wrong areas.

In terms of Libya, I'm not sure what mistake you think that the administration made. Can you explain?

Remembering Nick Piantanida's primitive attempt. Cardboard box and a surplus pressure suit.

re: #215 Obdicut

Before I get into all that what of my central point? Surely we can agree there has and likely will be mistakes made?

re: #213 Daniel Ballard

So when this administration makes a mistake, a tactical error and the GOP goes all over the top nutty...

Are the rest of us who simply recognize the mistake for what it is now asked to just sit down and shut up? I've gotten that vibe from Fast & Furious, Libya, a couple other incidents.

In today's hyper-partisan environment it seems almost impossible to simply recognize a mistake for what it is and calmly, rationally discuss it. I find that when I bring up an issue in which I disagree with the administration, I'm hit with a barrage of "see? That Kenyan Marxist Communist ni-CLANG is destroying the country!"

re: #216 Decatur Deb

Remembering Nick Piantanida's primitive attempt. Cardboard box and a surplus pressure suit.

Sometimes you have to go brand name. Just sayin'....

re: #155 Gus

[Embedded content]

Rainbows are fabulous, and just naturally bring out the gay in people./

re: #218 allegro

Or get shouted down and lumped in with the nut jobs...

re: #216 Decatur Deb

Remembering Nick Piantanida's primitive attempt. Cardboard box and a surplus pressure suit.

I like this family.

[Link: www.switched.com...]

re: #211 Decatur Deb

They moved up the capsule launch--going soon.

re: #212 Blackity Black Black!

Discovery Channel - space jump

Translation: Screw the lawn and Sunday football...let's watch this guy jump from 20 miles or whatever.

re: #217 Daniel Ballard

Before I get into all that what of my central point? Surely we can agree there has and likely will be mistakes made?

Of course. There will also be people making huge political hay out of them, to the point that it obscures the actual mistakes, if any-- like with Fast and Furious. The reaction to it was far, far, far more irresponsible than any mistake that can be laid at the feet of the administration.

Let's see. Speaking of nutjobs:

[x] Michael Chertoff
[x] Daily Mail
[x] Darrell Issa
[x] Jason Chaffetz

re: #221 Daniel Ballard

Or get shouted down and lumped in with the nut jobs...

When I hear nonsensical talking points and red herrings being presented as legitimate arguments, I stop taking that person seriously. I think the nut jobs (many of whom now hold high offices) do contaminate the pool considerably to make those of us on the left a bit prickly.

Republicans just do a better job of covering up their fuck-ups.

If this Red Bull jumper really wanted to impress, he'd wear a squirrel suit and land on the opposite side of the country.

re: #224 Obdicut

okay so
Are the rest of us who simply recognize the mistake for what it is now asked to just sit down and shut up?

re: #229 Daniel Ballard

okay so
Are the rest of us who simply recognize the mistake for what it is now asked to just sit down and shut up?

What mistake are you talking about, please?

Republicans will also do this.

• US Consulate attacked in Libya with Republican president in White House is translated into: America under attack.

• US Consulate attacked in Libya with Democrat (Obama) in White House is translated into: Obama's consulate attacked.

re: #230 Obdicut

To keep this on point lets say a hypothetical mistake for now.

America came under attack in Libya.

Americans need to remain calm.

And go shopping.

//

re: #232 Daniel Ballard

To keep this on point lets say a hypothetical mistake for now.

I don't see how that keeps it on point at all. It seems to make it barely able to talk, since a hypothetical mistake could be of any dimension, severity, etc. Can you talk about, for example, the mistake you feel was made in Libya?

If you see a mistake made, feel free to call it out. If you also see, like with Fast and Furious, asshole conspiracy theorists like Issa doing an investigation, call them out for their assholishness, and don't jump on board the criticism bandwagon because it's likely that they're making hay out of very little, that the reaction is worse than whatever went down. And it's likely there's a lot of disinformation about, if assholes like that are hyping it.

Nice video for the balloon launch.

No apostrophe needed.

re: #233 Gus

When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping. //

re: #233 Gus

America came under attack in Libya.

Americans need to remain calm.

And go shopping.

//

Shopping for duct tape!!!!

I've got some new neighbors - him with shaved head, her with massive implants and big hair, and a thing for pit bulls (they have 3). Spent some time talking with her the other day and she proudly talked about her former Tea Party leadership roles, talking about how "pure" the movement was in the beginning, before taking off on every Fox news talking point in an avalanche of insipid bile.

She then said, "hey, come on over later and join us for a few beers!" having quite enjoyed our "conversation" in which I just stood there without participating. It was really pretty amusing in a creepy kinda way. Right now she thinks I'm terrific and wants to befriend me. As soon as she sees me out wearing my Obama T-shirt, what are the odds of any future invites for beer? Heh.

Huge: NC's Winston-Salem Journal, which endorsed McCain in '08, endorses @barackobama for re-election www2.journalnow.com/news/2012/oct/... ...

— Lis Smith (@Lis_Smith) October 14, 2012

Hahahaha!

Ed Gillespie: Romney has been 'completely consistent' on abortion goo.gl/A2YaH

— The Raw Story (@RawStory) October 14, 2012

They're emphasizing Kittinger's 102K jump, but in the mid-60's we were aware of reported Russian stories of higher free-falls. Kittinger was stabilized by a small drogue, changing the record definitions. Don't know what happened to the Russian claims.

re: #234 Obdicut

From your insistence I get into the specifics one might think I never posted on either matter before. Rather than have that conversation all over again I could link some past posts. As I recall you and I discussed F&F at some length already. I think I have done exactly what you suggest except observing dozens of attacks on Issa about the F&F investigation and chose not to add much to an already huge volume of posts. If a point is already well covered I would need not add to it.

On the Libya attack, I posted my position the very first day that the video tape caused it as very skeptical right off the top. As it worked out I was right. The tape had little if anything to do with the killing of our ambassador.

Knock knock!
Good afternoon everyone.
Have you all heard the good news about the Kingdom of Jehovah?
I got some 'Watchtowers'!
...from my grandma...
{{sigh}}

The only Watchtowers I generally deal with are ones that involve Hendrix or Dylan.

I did actually read through a Jehovah's Wtiness pamphlet once. Had a defense of intelligent design, post-Dover ass kicking. Entertaining and depressing, all at once.

re: #243 Daniel Ballard

From your insistence I get into the specifics one might think I never posted on either matter before.

I haven't read what you've written about Libya, and I think what you wrote on F&F works against you rather than for you; you bought into a lot of they Issa-inspired hype against the adminsitration, and the actual report did not back up any claims of grave irresponsibilty or deception on the part of the administration.

Rather than have that conversation all over again I could link some past posts. As I recall you and I discussed F&F at some length already. I think I have done exactly what you suggest except observing dozens of attacks on Issa about the F&F investigation and chose not to add much to an already huge volume of posts. If a point is already well covered I would need not add to it.

I'm sorry, no. I feel that from the beginning of F&F you were quite insistent that the administration had done something in some way bad, that there was something being covered up. It isn't that you refrained from attacking Issa, but that many of your posts echoed what Issa was saying.

On the Libya attack, I posted my position the very first day that the video tape caused it as very skeptical right off the top. As it worked out I was right. The tape had little if anything to do with the killing of our ambassador.

Sure looks that way-- the tape provided cover for an attack. So... what's the problem with that? I'm not getting where the 'mistake' is that you're upset about.

Tweet & delete...save 10% on your next visit.Works for me.

— Sean McCabe (@darthstar99) October 14, 2012

I should know better, as I now work in social media marketing...but I'm bad.

Lots of concern trolling pages being put up about Benghazi.

@mccainblogette Is that any way to talk about the St. Louis Cardinals?Go Giants!

— Sean McCabe (@darthstar99) October 14, 2012

I used to go with my grandma to the Kingdom Hall.
They have a whole book dedicated to debunking evolution. They take excerpts from actual literature, jumble it up, and feed it to people who don't know any better.
One day, I went with grandma, and they were studying their book, and I had just finished 'Lucy's Child', by Don Johanson, so I could see very clearly what they were doing. I was 12.
Never went back.

Felix Baumgartner on his way to history!!! He is finally launched to the edge of space for a record breaking parachute jump.

Watch live!!

For contrast, a photo of Piantanida's suit and gondola.

Image: nick-sitting.jpg

re: #246 Obdicut

Yes on F&F I made the mistake of trusting a law enforcement agency whistle blower who lied. I'm asserting that is an understandable error. To the extent Issa added to the senseless din, well that's on him not me.

And I still agree with the Mexican governments position that there was inadequate coordination with the Mexican government agencies, and that guns walking should never happen, and should be stopped as soon as discovered by the next admin.

On Libya well, there were some obvious terror indicators. It sucks we got a better briefing from the Libyan President than we did from our own White House. Do you recall my speculation why that happened? To deny AQ a propaganda victory?

Anyway I'll just say I have the impression (possibly mistaken) that many Obama voters that post here would like even the reasonable critics of the administration to shut up until November. Well I am an Obama voter and I don't agree that reasonable critics need to cool it just because an election is on. Or get lumped in with the unreasonable critics.

re: #251 William of Orange

I'm watching. The shots from the camera is actually making me feel ill.

re: #254 Cannadian Club Akbar

I'm watching. The shots from the camera is actually making me feel ill.

My dad hates heights. I'm going to email him the jump.

re: #254 Cannadian Club Akbar

I'm watching. The shots from the camera is actually making me feel ill.