Glenn Beck’s Infinitely Recursive Conspiracy Theory Theory

Like an onion, but not The Onion
Wingnuts • Views: 25,532

Sure, we all know Glenn Beck is the eager disseminator of all manner of goofy conspiracy theories. But lately he’s been diving even deeper into these mysterious waters, pondering the dark conspiracies behind the conspiracy theories. A theory of meta-conspiracies, if you will. A fractal universe of endlessly convoluted conspiracies, layers upon layers, all the way down.

How far will Glenn follow his recursive conspiracy theory theory? Stay tuned for more of Glenn Beck, Raving Freakazoid Nut Sandwich.

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220 comments
1 erik_t  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 2:40:15pm

Someone buy that man a bigger chalkboard!

2 dragonfire1981  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 2:42:00pm

Beckception

3 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 2:43:07pm

Can’t we just ignore Beck?

4 sizzzzlerz  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 2:44:40pm

Glenn, it’s turtles all the way down.

5 EPR-radar  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 2:44:51pm

Hilarious. Birthers and Sandy Hook deniers are the result of lefty misinformation traps that innocent RW naifs fall into?

6 EPR-radar  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 2:46:07pm

re: #3 FemNaziBitch

Can’t we just ignore Beck?

Nope. I want him on the Republican presidential ticket in 2016. Let it all hang out. Running mate should be Palin, Bachmann, Trump, or Santorum.

7 dragonfire1981  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 2:47:04pm

And just for the heck of it, more Obama executive orders:

Order #999 - Requires that Herman Cain shut up immediately and refrain from appearing on TV for a year

Order #270 - Requires Mitt Romney to admit every single lie he made in the 2012 Campaign

Order #2016 - Immediate deportation of Dinesh D’souza and that woman he left his wife for

Order #316 - Hire actors dressed as armed U.N. goons to show up at Bryan Fischer’s house and troll him.

8 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 2:47:29pm

re: #6 EPR-radar

Nope. I want him on the Republican presidential ticket in 2016. Let it all hang out. Running mate should be Palin, Bachmann, Trump, or Santorum.

You own stock on Orville Reddenbacker?

9 Dr Lizardo  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 2:47:46pm

re: #6 EPR-radar

Nope. I want him on the Republican presidential ticket in 2016. Let it all hang out. Running mate should be Palin, Bachmann, Trump, or Santorum.

Santorum/Beck 2016?

My God, the possibilities are endless. The wingularity will have arrived.

10 erik_t  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 2:47:54pm

re: #6 EPR-radar

Nope. I want him on the Republican presidential ticket in 2016. Let it all hang out. Running mate should be Palin, Bachmann, Trump, or Santorum.

Cain. Let’s not dabble in half-measures.

11 Lidane  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 2:48:04pm

re: #8 FemNaziBitch

You own stock on Orville Reddenbacker?

Jiffy Pop.

12 Pawn of the Oppressor  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 2:48:44pm

Chalkboard McBilderberg is at it again? Meta-conspiracies you say. Well, the man has to keep himself employed somehow.

13 3eff Jeff  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 2:49:10pm

Wouldn’t the Gun Industry rather we talk about possible Sandy Hook Conspiracy Theories? It makes a sort of sense if you turn it around just right.

14 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 2:49:33pm

re: #12 Pawn of the Oppressor

Chalkboard McBilderberg is at it again? Meta-conspiracies you say. Well, the man has to keep himself employed somehow.

You just won one internets!

15 Lidane  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 2:49:52pm

re: #12 Pawn of the Oppressor

Chalkboard McBilderberg is at it again? Meta-conspiracies you say. Well, the man has to keep himself employed somehow.

Between him and Alex Jones, there will never be a shortage of batshit crazy in this country.

16 EPR-radar  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 2:54:10pm

re: #10 erik_t

Cain. Let’s not dabble in half-measures.

I forget about Cain. Louie Gohmert might also be an omission.

17 Political Atheist  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 2:55:07pm

Inception and Cloud Atlas were easy to follow by comparison. We were discussion fiction, right?

18 erik_t  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 2:55:42pm

re: #16 EPR-radar

I forget about Cain. Louie Gohmert might also be an omission.

An entire inauguration where people wore shoes on their hands.

They’ve got my vote. What a sight that would be.

19 Gus  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 2:55:50pm

Ah. The ol’ “‘Sandy hook was an inside job’ is an inside job routine.

20 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 2:55:52pm

re: #17 Political Atheist

Inception and Cloud Atlas were easy to follow by comparison. We were discussion fiction, right?

Truth is harder to follow than Fiction.

21 erik_t  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 2:58:29pm

re: #19 Gus

Ah. The ol’ “‘Sandy hook was an inside job’ is an inside job routine.

I think Beck is really spreading that rumor to harm the Democrats.

As such, Sandy Hook was an inside job was an inside job is an inside job.

22 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 2:59:11pm

Beck’s travelling roadshow is a parody on travelling roadshows.

23 Pawn of the Oppressor  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 2:59:42pm

I just want him to start laughing like Krusty the Clown.

Or, I’d like to see him rebroadcast on German TV, dubbed in German. American TV can look really goofy on German rebroadcast… I’m sure a European audience would get a kick out of him.

24 The Mountain That Blogs  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:00:48pm

re: #6 EPR-radar

Nope. I want him on the Republican presidential ticket in 2016. Let it all hang out. Running mate should be Palin, Bachmann, Trump, or Santorum.

Bachmann-Gohmert. Go big or go home.

25 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:00:55pm

He’s like the Great Oz.

26 A Mom Anon  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:04:27pm

re: #7 dragonfire1981

Sadly Cain is replacing Neil Boortz on the radio in Atlanta. So Order 999 needs to include the radio (AM and FM) needs to be ammended. Get on that someone,stat!

27 BongCrodny  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:05:46pm

Beckmann Santrumpum 2016!

28 HappyWarrior  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:07:00pm

He’s no different than Alex Jones.

29 jaunte  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:08:42pm

Bill to change allocation of Virginia’s electoral votes advances

“…Sen. J. Chapman Petersen, D-Fairfax said the current state of partisan redistricting would effectively disenfranchise the will of the people under an apportionment system

“You have packed all Democrats in the state into three congressional districts — the deck is stacked,” Petersen told fellow committee members.”

30 Velvet Elvis  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:09:22pm

Alex Jones: Gay People Created by the Government:

Youtube Video
31 William Barnett-Lewis  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:09:25pm

re: #23 Pawn of the Oppressor

I just want him to start laughing like Krusty the Clown.

Or, I’d like to see him rebroadcast on German TV, dubbed in German. American TV can look really goofy on German rebroadcast… I’m sure a European audience would get a kick out of him.

The modern redub of Hogan’s Heroes is a hoot. I wish I remembered more of my German because I know I’m only getting half the jokes.

32 Lidane  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:09:40pm

re: #29 jaunte

Bill to change allocation of Virginia’s electoral votes advances

Since they can’t win on ideas, they have to rig the Presdiential race. Lovely.

33 erik_t  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:11:20pm

re: #29 jaunte

Bill to change allocation of Virginia’s electoral votes advances

Second Twelfth Amendment remedies.

34 Bubblehead II  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:11:34pm

re: #23 Pawn of the Oppressor

Youtube Video
35 EPR-radar  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:13:55pm

re: #32 Lidane

Since they can’t win on ideas, they have to rig the Presdiential race. Lovely.

It will be interesting to see if Frum, Brooks et al. (i.e., the GOP moderates that act as useful idiots for teabaggers) will have any comments on this crap.

My prediction is that they will come up with some whiny variation on the “Team uber alles” argument in a pathetic attempt to defend the indefensible.

36 nines09  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:13:56pm

I await the day Beck just locks up, looks in the camera, goes “NNYYYYAAAAHHHHHHH!!!” and his head eats his body. What a buffoon. A Maroon. A lovely bunch of coconuts. A man on a mission from a man on a mission from a man on a….Bzzziiiipppttzzzz……tic……tic..

37 Charleston Chew  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:15:03pm

re: #8 FemNaziBitch

You own stock on Orville Reddenbacker?

Technically that would be ConAgra Foods, currently trading at 31.83.

38 Kragar  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:16:26pm

So the Sandy Hook Truthers and Birthers are a government conspiracy to distract you from the real government conspiracies?

39 Charleston Chew  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:18:01pm

I’m just waiting for the day when Beck finally accuses himself of being a secret agent of Obama, hired to spread misinformation.

Kinda like that scene in The Empire Strikes Back where Luke chops off Darth Vader’s head only to reveal his own face staring back at him.

40 Feline Fearless Leader  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:19:04pm

If I want to be entertained by mega-conspiracy stuff I will just re-read _Foucault’s Pendulum_.

41 Lidane  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:20:44pm

Offensive on multiple levels:

42 Killgore Trout  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:21:05pm

Exclusive: Morsy implies Jews control the American media

Then Morsy crossed a line and made a comment that made the senators physically recoil in their chairs in shock, Coons said.

“He was attempting to explain himself … then he said, ‘Well, I think we all know that the media in the United States has made a big deal of this and we know the media of the United States is controlled by certain forces and they don’t view me favorably,’” Coons said.

The Cable asked Coons if Morsy specifically named the Jews as the forces that control the American media. Coons said all the senators believed the implication was obvious.

“He did not say [the Jews], but I watched as the other senators physically recoiled, as did I,” he said. “I thought it was impossible to draw any other conclusion.”

“The meeting then took a very sharply negative turn for some time. It really threatened to cause the entire meeting to come apart so that we could not continue,” Coons said.

Multiple senators impressed upon Morsy that if he was saying the criticisms of his comments were due to the Jews in the media, that statement was potentially even more offensive than his original comments from 2010.

“[Morsi] did not say the Jewish community was making a big deal of this, but he said something [to the effect] that the only conclusion you could read was that he was implying it,” Coons said. “The conversation got so heated that eventually Senator McCain said to the group, ‘OK, we’ve pressed him as hard as we can while being in the boundaries of diplomacy,’” Coons said. “We then went on to discuss a whole range of other topics.”

43 EPR-radar  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:22:37pm

Apparently, Jindal has had the wonderful idea of cutting costs by denying hospice coverage to medicaid recipients.

I do hope this doesn’t fall into the memory hole when Jindal seeks higher office.

[Link: www.wwltv.com…]

44 ProBosniaLiberal  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:29:27pm

re: #32 Lidane

If they keep pushing like this, eventually the backlash will be horrific.

At this point though, we have to realize that it is unlikely Democrats win the 2016 Election.

At least a handful of these attempts will go through, and that will swing this the necessary distance.

And the Federal Level has no recourse against this crookedness, and the Supreme Court would green light such actions.

45 freetoken  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:32:01pm

re: #42 Killgore Trout

I thought it was “Morsi”?

46 EPR-radar  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:33:26pm

re: #43 EPR-radar

Skip Intro has a featured page up on the evils of Jindal. This hospice business is only one of the counts against him.

47 Kragar  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:33:55pm

Rapid City, SD alderman apologizes for racist comments to TV reporter

Last August, KOTA-TV (Rapid City, SD) reporter Taisha Walker called Rapid City alderman Bill Clayton and asked how he planned to vote on a proposed property tax increase. He responded by asking her how she planned to vote in the presidential election, then making racist remarks.

“Should we deport you back to Kenya with Obama?” Walker says the alderman asked her. “Are you even American; are you American?” he also said.

The journalist filed a complaint against Clayton, and on Tuesday he finally apologized for what he said. He claims he doesn’t watch KOTA news and didn’t know that Walker was black.

48 Killgore Trout  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:34:09pm

re: #45 freetoken

I thought it was “Morsi”?

Nice catch. The article varies between Morsi and Morsy. I think I’ve Also seen Mursi before too. It’s all squiggles to me.

49 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:36:20pm

re: #40 Feline Fearless Leader

If I want to be entertained by mega-conspiracy stuff I will just re-read _Foucault’s Pendulum_.

ahhhhhh! talk about a mind-fuck!

50 ProBosniaLiberal  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:36:43pm

re: #44 ProBosniaLiberal

Actually, wait a minute.

Considering that this has interstate implications, couldn’t the Feds threaten to withhold funding from states that go through with this?

51 freetoken  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:36:56pm

re: #48 Killgore Trout

Nice catch. The article varies between Morsi and Morsy. I think I’ve Also seen Mursi before too. It’s all squiggles to me.

The entire eastern derivatives from the Phoenician alphabet look like scribbles to me. The western variants (that became the Greek, Etruscan/Roman scripts) we in the West are all familiar with, but the eastern ones are something else.

Then there are all the derivatives from Sanskrit….

52 EPR-radar  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:39:55pm

re: #44 ProBosniaLiberal

re: #50 ProBosniaLiberal

It is perfectly legal for the GOP to change how electoral votes are allocated in states they control at the state level. There is zero legal recourse against such ideas —- Nebraska and Maine already split their EVs this way.

The only restraining influence I can see is that a GOP victory won in that manner might well make the nation ungovernable, and that would be bad for business.

53 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:42:55pm

re: #52 EPR-radar

re: #50 ProBosniaLiberal

It is perfectly legal for the GOP to change how electoral votes are allocated in states they control at the state level. There is zero legal recourse against such ideas —- Nebraska and Maine already split their EVs this way.

The only restraining influence I can see is that a GOP victory won in that manner might well make the nation ungovernable, and that would be bad for business.

That might be the point. It’s easier to preach myth in a chaotic situation. People want to believe in anything that will bring order.

54 Killgore Trout  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:42:56pm

Here’s what I’ve been wondering
Why the United States can’t just drone Algeria.

As Algeria is doing presently, the denial or approval of overflight rights is a powerful tool that states can impose on the United States. These include where U.S. air assets can enter and exit another state, what flight path they may take, how high they must fly, what type of planes can be included in the force package, and what sort of missions they can execute. In addition, these constraints include what is called shutter control, or the limits to when and how a transiting aircraft can collect information. For example, U.S. drones that currently fly out of the civilian airfield in Arba Minch, Ethiopia, to Somalia, are restricted in their collection activities over Ethiopia’s Ogaden region, where the government has conducted an intermittent counterinsurgency against the Ogaden National Liberation Front.
…
Now, the United States assuredly has other tricks in its military bag — advanced capabilities, not yet public, that could be used to bypass the need for overflight rights. The CIA or the Pentagon could probably use those capabilities to find and attack militants in Mali or elsewhere. However, the Defense Department often strongly opposes using still-secret intelligence collection or weapons platforms on military raids because their use might make them public — or worse. If they were lost on the battlefield, advanced technologies could be sold to Russia or China and potentially reverse-engineered. That’s why at various times the United States has refrained from using cruise missiles and stealth aircraft, even when they could have done the job. Any U.S. operations in North Africa would have to be of the highest priority to justify the potential revelation of cutting-edge weapons.

It’s worth a read. Obama’s not squeamish about doing what needs to be done and the article does explain why the administration appears relatively uninterested about getting involved. I think with the recent flare ups some African countries may welcome a US drone base, giving us at least tacit permission to use airspace and leave us enough assets in the region to recover sensitive gear if something goes wrong.

55 ProBosniaLiberal  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:43:02pm

re: #52 EPR-radar

Damn it.

So, apparently the Republicans found a way to institute Dictator ship in the US. I’m assuming people like me are screwed in 2017 and beyond then?

And people wonder why I treat all Republicans brutally. There is a friend who I am going to be talking on Friday to in order to sort out some issues. I will be asking her if she supports this sort of coup. Probably in a nasty way, knowing my temper as of right now.

56 Lidane  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:44:12pm
57 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:44:47pm

re: #56 Lidane

But did he have fun doing it?

58 EPR-radar  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:44:49pm

re: #53 FemNaziBitch

That might be the point. It’s easier to preach myth in a chaotic situation. People want to believe in anything that will bring order.

The teabag true believers probably want the nation to become ungovernable, for the reasons you give. The fat cat business types would probably be against a descent into chaos.

59 Political Atheist  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:45:29pm

re: #55 ProBosniaLiberal

Damn it.

So, apparently the Republicans found a way to institute Dictator ship in the US. .

EC winner take all can do that?! That’s all it takes? I’m a bit doubtful it’s that easy.

60 freetoken  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:45:40pm

How to Win States and Disenfranchise People: The GOP’s Electoral-Vote Plan

AFAIK, this is just more evidence that the electoral college is well past its sell-by date.

The 2nd Amendment isn’t the only 18th century artifact in our Constitution that needs to be modernized.

61 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:45:46pm

re: #58 EPR-radar

The teabag true believers probably want the nation to become ungovernable, for the reasons you give. The fat cat business types would probably be against a descent into chaos.

Well, it would be better business for the snake-oil salesmen.

62 EPR-radar  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:47:17pm

re: #55 ProBosniaLiberal

Damn it.

So, apparently the Republicans found a way to institute Dictator ship in the US. I’m assuming people like me are screwed in 2017 and beyond then?

And people wonder why I treat all Republicans brutally. There is a friend who I am going to be talking on Friday to in order to sort out some issues. I will be asking her if she supports this sort of coup. Probably in a nasty way, knowing my temper as of right now.

Go for it. I am all for very pointed questions directed at Republicans regarding the PA and VA games. If they respond that it is just a useful move in the political game, you might be dealing with a sociopath.

63 Lidane  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:48:55pm
64 Political Atheist  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:49:14pm

re: #56 Lidane

Geez maybe a two million dollar car should include a rev limiter like so many other cars with high performance engines. F1 cars for instance. Then it might cost $2,000,250

65 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:49:32pm

re: #62 EPR-radar

Go for it. I am all for very pointed questions directed at Republicans regarding the PA and VA games. If they respond that it is just a useful move in the political game, you might be dealing with a sociopath.

The problem is that the true believers won’t see a problem with it. As long as it isn’t a commie-socialist-black-kenyan-hitler-stalin-seckrit-marxist-muslim-type of dictatorship, they’ll be fine with it.

Label it anything you want as long as you don’t use the words above and they’ll vote for it.

66 EPR-radar  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:49:52pm

re: #59 Political Atheist

EC winner take all can do that?! That’s all it takes? I’m a bit doubtful it’s that easy.

We aren’t talking about EC winner take all. Instead, this topic is the idea of apportioning EVs by congressional districts in certain states (PA, VA, WI, OH) that happen to be ruled by the GOP at the state level, but which are blue states or swing states in presidential elections.

In other words, free EVs for the Republicans, if they want to play hardball at the state level. I won’t go so far as to call it a dictatorship, but it still stinks to high heaven.

67 Feline Fearless Leader  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:51:08pm

re: #55 ProBosniaLiberal

Damn it.

So, apparently the Republicans found a way to institute Dictator ship in the US. I’m assuming people like me are screwed in 2017 and beyond then?

And people wonder why I treat all Republicans brutally. There is a friend who I am going to be talking on Friday to in order to sort out some issues. I will be asking her if she supports this sort of coup. Probably in a nasty way, knowing my temper as of right now.

GOP had that back in the 1860s. But it did not work out well for the USN so they decommissioned it before the Democrats ever got control back.
[Link: en.wikipedia.org…]
/

68 Political Atheist  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:51:25pm

re: #66 EPR-radar

Interesting.

Would that have reversed Obama either election?

69 ProBosniaLiberal  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:51:48pm

re: #62 EPR-radar

To be fair, what have I suggested in the past? Granted, is done out of a flying rage, but…

I do remember that right after the election, a number of Scandinavian Politicians praised the Democrats for being more moral, and outright saying that Republican Sympathizers were shunned, without a hint of thinking of it as a problem.

70 freetoken  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:52:02pm

re: #66 EPR-radar

Ironically, it looks like the GOP want to implement an parliamentary system - but just for picking a “President”.

The last thing GOP strategists could ever want is a President elected by popular vote.

71 Amory Blaine  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:52:09pm

Here is Ron Johnson accusing Obamas administration and Clinton of lying and carrying on a false narrative on his bestest buddy Charlie Sykes radio show after his questioning.

[Link: www.620wtmj.com…]

72 Political Atheist  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:52:13pm

re: #68 Political Atheist

Interesting.

Would that have reversed Obama either election?

And I should have said setting aside winner take all…

73 dragonfire1981  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:53:08pm

The name Ron Johnson sounds like it comes from an adult movie.

74 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:53:45pm

re: #73 dragonfire1981

The name Ron Johnson sounds like it comes from an adult movie.

Candy does Ron Johnson?

75 freetoken  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:53:58pm

The Greenland ice study published today is going to provide climate change deniers quote-mine heaven for years. Not because of the paper itself, but because of all the news articles whose headlines miss the most important points.

76 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:54:56pm

re: #75 freetoken

The Greenland ice study published today is going to provide climate change deniers quote-mine heaven for years. Not because of the paper itself, but because of all the news articles whose headlines miss the most important points.

But, I thought Greenland was now mostly green.

77 EPR-radar  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:57:21pm

re: #72 Political Atheist

And I should have said setting aside winner take all…

Well, the problem isn’t just setting aside winner take all. It that the GOP is in a position to be selective about which states to do it in. They can simply grab EVs in places like PA, VA, WI and OH, and the democrats have no counter moves (no presidential red states are ruled by Democrats at the state level).

If the GOP were to propose that all states move to this system, I’d still disagree, but I would not oppose it with the white hot fury of a thousand suns.

What’s actually on the table though? Having no desire to get immediately banned, ‘outrageous and totally unacceptable’ will have to suffice.

78 Mattand  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:58:41pm

Rand Paul: Clinton Has ‘A Valid Point’ On Details Of Benghazi

I’d like to think that maybe Hillary telling Senator Johnson to piss off might be informing this comment.

Then again, this is also a man who, IIRC, is against the Civil Rights Act, because Ayn Rand and Adam Smith will make us equal. Or something.

79 Political Atheist  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 3:58:54pm

re: #77 EPR-radar

Well, the problem isn’t just setting aside winner take all. It that the GOP is in a position to be selective about which states to do it in. They can simply grab EVs in places like PA, VA, WI and OH, and the democrats have no counter moves (no presidential red state are ruled by Democrats at the state level).

If the GOP were to propose that all states move to this system, I’d still disagree, but I would not oppose it with the white hot fury of a thousand suns.

What’s actually on the table though? Having no desire to get immediately banned, ‘outrageous and totally unacceptable’ will have to suffice.

I really hate the shenanigans the GOP tries to pull. Geez, you can only quit ‘em once.

80 freetoken  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:00:32pm

re: #77 EPR-radar

As the Atlantic article points out, this is a defensive move on the part of the GOP, to stave off having to modernize its doctrinal beliefs - which is needed to appeal to a larger share of the population.

That was the whole point of today’s AEI propaganda piece too - that the American political “right” needs to drop some of its social agenda to appeal to the bigger audience.

Atavism dies hard.

81 dragonath  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:00:44pm

I still think the electoral college is still pretty useful- it’s useful in mitigating the insane bloc politics you see throughout the south. The fact that Republicans want to game the system is proof that it is working. Obviously, had the founding fathers intended something like this, they had a wide enough window to implement it.

Also- check out some news stories from 2008- Republicans were caterwauling over a Nebraska EV point going to Obama. I think they tried to change that on the state level.

82 Kragar  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:01:01pm

re: #79 Political Atheist

I really hate the shenanigans the GOP tries to pull. Geez, you can only quit ‘em once.

The Democrats don’t even need to lobby for my vote at this point. I stay on GOP mailing lists so I can cost them money they could spend elsewhere, plus learn all the reasons I shouldn’t vote for them.

Its win/win.

83 jaunte  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:01:17pm

re: #73 dragonfire1981

The name Ron Johnson sounds like it comes from an adult movie.

Ron Johnson, Top Male Gigolo In LaCrosse.

84 Mattand  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:02:37pm

re: #82 Kragar

The Democrats don’t even need to lobby for my vote at this point. I stay on GOP mailing lists so I can cost them money they could spend elsewhere, plus learn all the reasons I shouldn’t vote for them.

Its win/win.

Death by a thousand mailing permits; I like it.

85 jaunte  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:07:17pm

Republicans Are Not Being Cynical Enough in Their Power Grabs

“…Most of these bills assign one electoral vote for every congressional district, then give the two at-large districts to whoever wins the state. But the Carrico bill would assign the final two electors to whoever won the most districts….Had the Carrico plan been in place in 2012, Mitt Romney would have won nine of Virginia’s electoral votes, and Barack Obama would have won four — even though Obama won the popular vote of the state by nearly 150,000 ballots, and four percentage points.”

86 Lidane  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:08:23pm

The wingnuts are reacting to women in combat with their usual dry wit and intellect:

87 EPR-radar  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:09:30pm

re: #68 Political Atheist

Interesting.

Would that have reversed Obama either election?

A crude estimate I just did shows that splitting EVs in OH, PA, VA and WI in 2012 would have taken 26 EVs from Obama and given them to Romney, for a net GOP gain of 52. Not enough to change the result in 2012, but that was actually a very bad presidential election for the GOP.

So this EV trick could make a difference in closer races.

88 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:10:30pm

re: #86 Lidane

@foxnation In our culture, men will still instinctively protect women - the good news and the bad news about this decision. #tcot

that goes both ways.

89 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:12:15pm

re: #86 Lidane

puts us all at risk = more rapes, more assaults, more suicides

so, now they are concerned about rape and abuse against women?

90 EPR-radar  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:12:57pm

re: #85 jaunte

Nice catch. It’s about time for the proposal that the only votes that are actually counted in a general election come from registered Republicans. Scalia could probably find a way to view that as constitutional.

91 Kragar  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:15:35pm

To repost from earlier:

I love how all the people who are screaming they need an assault rifle to defend themselves at home piss themselves in outrage when a woman is allowed to use an assault rifle to defend the country.

92 Phydeaux Speaks  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:17:11pm

I feel kinda bad to come out of lurk mode just to say this, but am I the only one to whom this is happening?

Video frame on top of popup mouseover text from right column?

93 Stanghazi  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:17:31pm

re: #86 Lidane

So many ignorant cave-people. Got to look back…are GOP women freaking out?

94 jaunte  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:17:58pm

re: #90 EPR-radar

With Citizens United, money has the vote, and with these new district by district electoral vote rules, we’ll have acreage voting.

95 bratwurst  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:18:14pm

Erick son of Erick just stated on CNN that “the 1950s had more extreme weather than now”.

Erin Burnett, of course, doesn’t challenge this. Unreal.

96 goddamnedfrank  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:18:35pm

re: #87 EPR-radar

A crude estimate I just did shows that splitting EVs in OH, PA, VA and WI in 2012 would have taken 26 EVs from Obama and given them to Romney, for a net GOP gain of 52. Not enough to change the result in 2012, but that was actually a very bad presidential election for the GOP.

So this EV trick could make a difference in closer races.

Okay, but that just means that the EC would almost exactly match the popular vote. As it stands now there’s a huge Dem advantage built into the EC, with Nate Silver pointing out that Obama would have won if he’d lost the popular vote by 2 to 3 percentage points, assuming all state votes totals shifted equally. Before we start screaming about how unfair what the GOP is attempting is we should probably acknowledge that as it stands now there’s a fundamentally anti-(small d)emocratic bias to the current EC structure that tilts in the Democratic Party’s favor.

The fairest and most obvious solution is to kill off the EC entirely go with the popular vote winner.

97 Stanghazi  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:18:59pm

re: #93 Stanghazi

So many ignorant cave-people. Got to look back…are GOP women freaking out?

So far it looks like the GOP manlyhood. Dog I want to say pussies. Ooops I did.

98 Jalal bin Smokin?  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:19:09pm

re: #92 Phydeaux Speaks

I feel kinda bad to come out of lurk mode just to say this, but am I the only one to whom this is happening?

Video frame on top of popup mouseover text from right column?

No

99 Stanghazi  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:19:48pm

re: #92 Phydeaux Speaks

not I.

100 freetoken  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:20:45pm

Another country with a lack of individual rights:

Stiff 11-year term for Red Shirt royal critic

Thai courts have jailed a leading Red Shirt editor for 11 years in the latest tough sentence under Thailand’s controversial royal defamation law to the dismay of rights defenders.

[…]

101 Feline Fearless Leader  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:20:49pm

re: #96 goddamnedfrank

Okay, but that just means that the EC would almost exactly match the popular vote. As it stands now there’s a huge Dem advantage built into the EC, with Nate Silver pointing out that Obama would have won if he’d lost the popular vote by 2 to 3 percentage points, assuming all state votes totals shifted equally. Before we start screaming about how unfair what the GOP is attempting is we should probably acknowledge that as it stands now there’s a fundamentally anti-(small d)emocratic to the current EC structure that tilts in the Democratic Party’s favor.

The fairest and most obvious solution is to kill off the EC entirely go with the popular vote winner.

That’s a viewpoint that I’d potentially accept if the GOP was trying to change the rules in *all* the states. Instead they are just pushing this to game a few states that have particular electoral majorities right now. So this is not some sort of principled thing to support equality, it’s a brazen political move simply to help the GOP.

102 b_sharp  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:20:51pm

re: #92 Phydeaux Speaks

I feel kinda bad to come out of lurk mode just to say this, but am I the only one to whom this is happening?

Video frame on top of popup mouseover text from right column?

Doesn’t seem to be happening in my FireFox.

103 The Mountain That Blogs  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:21:00pm

re: #87 EPR-radar

A crude estimate I just did shows that splitting EVs in OH, PA, VA and WI in 2012 would have taken 26 EVs from Obama and given them to Romney, for a net GOP gain of 52. Not enough to change the result in 2012, but that was actually a very bad presidential election for the GOP.

No, but it would make Florida really really close to mattering again. Nightmares of 2000 abound.

104 Jalal bin Smokin?  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:23:14pm

re: #102 b_sharp

Doesn’t seem to be happening in my FireFox.

Does it to me in both Chromium and Firefox.

105 EPR-radar  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:23:47pm

re: #96 goddamnedfrank

Okay, but that just means that the EC would almost exactly match the popular vote. As it stands now there’s a huge Dem advantage built into the EC, with Nate Silver pointing out that Obama would have won if he’d lost the popular vote by 2 to 3 percentage points, assuming all state votes totals shifted equally. Before we start screaming about how unfair what the GOP is attempting is we should probably acknowledge that as it stands now there’s a fundamentally anti-(small d)emocratic to the current EC structure that tilts in the Democratic Party’s favor.

The fairest and most obvious solution is to kill off the EC entirely go with the popular vote winner.

I’ll have to vigorously disagree here, in part. Going with the popular vote and apportioning EVs by congressional district are very different things. We have a large GOP majority in the House, even though total House votes in 2012 were higher for Dems than for Reps. The House districts are seriously gerrymandered, always have been, and at this point in time, the gerrymandering is giving the Republicans a net advantage in House districts.

I agree that getting rid of the EC is a good idea, but the replacement should be national popular vote, not EVs by congressional district.

106 Kragar  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:24:02pm

I knew a fair number of female Marines who would stomp a mudhole into Bryan’s flabby ass.

107 b_sharp  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:24:12pm

re: #104 JAFO

Does it to me in both Chromium and Firefox.

What OS?

108 Jalal bin Smokin?  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:24:33pm

re: #107 b_sharp

What OS?

Windows 7 64bit.

109 goddamnedfrank  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:25:06pm

re: #101 Feline Fearless Leader

That’s a viewpoint that I’d potentially accept if the GOP was trying to change the rules in *all* the states. Instead they are just pushing this to game a few states that have particular electoral majorities right now. So this is not some sort of principled thing to support equality, it’s a brazen political move simply to help the GOP.

Yeah, but so what. The end result is just an EC that more closely resembles the popular vote instead of magnifying and creating an illusion of a blowout. I’m not saying that we should go along with it, I’m saying that people are overreacting and somewhat hypocritically ignoring the equally undemocratic current structure of the EC. The fact that we could have lost by several points in the popular vote and still won is fundamentally problematic, any honest broker would admit this.

110 EPR-radar  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:25:40pm

re: #103 The Mountain That Blogs

No, but it would make Florida really really close to mattering again. Nightmares of 2000 abound.

Well, perhaps I can make an exception for FL. If Florida were to split its EVs by congressional district, there would be no point in campaigning there, and we would all be spared the endless analysis of FL tea leaves in each election.

Might be worth it.

111 Lidane  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:26:12pm

Family Research Council: Allowing Women In Combat Not Worth Risks

Retired Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin, executive vice president of the Family Research Council, said in a statement Wednesday that lifting the military’s ban on women serving in combat positions is a “social experiment” that is not worth the additional burdens it places on the military’s leadership.

Sounds familiar. Wasn’t integrating the military a “social experiment”?

112 jvic  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:26:48pm

re: #44 ProBosniaLiberal

At this point though, we have to realize that it is unlikely Democrats win the 2016 Election.

Republican denial about the 2012 election is amazingly intransigent. I’m highly dubious that they are capable of making the adjustments needed to win in 2016. They seem incapable of asking why they lost, let alone answering the question, let alone implementing solutions.

This thread is about conspiracy theories. Maybe I’m carrying out a cunning plan of disinformation to make the Left complacent? No, I’m just describing what I see (not) happening on my side of the street.

113 Kragar  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:27:01pm

re: #111 Lidane

Family Research Council: Allowing Women In Combat Not Worth Risks

Sounds familiar. Wasn’t integrating the military a “social experiment”?

And allowing interracial schooling and marriage.

114 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:28:11pm

GOP is shivering with rage that will all their shenanigans trying to gerrymander and otherwise undercut the Dems, Obama still won the popular vote.

It just goes against what they “know” to be true and right in the world.

They seem to be operating under the “if there is nothing wrong with me, there must be something wrong with my world” Star Trek scenerio.

115 Targetpractice  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:28:56pm

re: #111 Lidane

Family Research Council: Allowing Women In Combat Not Worth Risks

Sounds familiar. Wasn’t integrating the military a “social experiment”?

I’ve no patience for that theocratical prat.

116 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:28:59pm

re: #111 Lidane

Family Research Council: Allowing Women In Combat Not Worth Risks

Sounds familiar. Wasn’t integrating the military a “social experiment”?

and if pressed, they’d tell you it failed as well.

117 freetoken  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:29:11pm

The atavists complaining about women in combat… while most of the world’s military are in quite a different situation. E.g., Argentina:

SYMBOL OF ARGENTINA’S DECAYING NAVY SINKS IN PORT

Argentina’s defense chief expressed shame Wednesday after a Navy destroyer sank at its moorings, putting on display the declining fortunes of a once-proud fleet.

The ARA Trinidad led Argentina’s 1982 sea war against Britain, but has long been mothballed and used for spare parts to sustain what’s left of Argentina’s Navy.


[…]

Congressman Julio Martinez said Wednesday that of a total of 70 navy ships, only 16 are in sailing condition, and even then only barely. He said increases in defense spending have gone to salaries, leaving little or nothing for maintenance or investment in hardware.

[…]

118 EPR-radar  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:29:16pm

re: #109 goddamnedfrank

Yeah, but so what. The end result is just an EC that more closely resembles the popular vote instead of magnifying and creating an illusion of a blowout. I’m not saying that we should go along with it, I’m saying that people are overreacting and somewhat hypocritically ignoring the equally undemocratic current structure of the EC. The fact that we could have lost by several points in the popular vote and still won is fundamentally problematic, any honest broker would admit this.

But this present day democratic advantage in the electoral college seems like a strange and temporary affair to me. The structure of the EV (extra representation to small states) favors the GOP by over-representing rural areas where the GOP is strong.

I think the pattern Nate Silver is seeing is a basically meaningless artifact of who is winning which states by how much (at this point in time).

119 SpaceJesus  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:32:37pm

Freep on women in combat

To: GeronL
Foxholes will look much nicer with better interior decorators.

7 posted on 1/23/2013 1:42:59 PM by TurboZamboni (Looting the future to bribe the present)

To: GeronL
Women are barred by Congress from participating in frontline combat. What Panetta says meaning nothing without congressional approval. The dykes will not win this one.

8 posted on 1/23/2013 1:43:09 PM by NKP_Vet

120 Targetpractice  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:34:11pm

re: #119 SpaceJesus

Freep on women in combat

What War on Women?

///

121 Bubblehead II  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:35:42pm

re: #92 Phydeaux Speaks

I feel kinda bad to come out of lurk mode just to say this, but am I the only one to whom this is happening?

Video frame on top of popup mouseover text from right column?


Nope, happens all the time. Just one of the quirks of this blog.

122 Vicious Babushka  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:36:04pm

SHE WOULD TOTALLY SQUASH HIS ASS

123 SpaceJesus  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:37:01pm

re: #120 Targetpractice

radical feminist spotted

124 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:37:43pm

re: #123 SpaceJesus

radical feminist spotted

Present

125 EPR-radar  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:37:48pm

re: #122 Vicious Babushka

I would love to see Hillary run in 2016. The wingnut angst would be delicious.

126 Interesting Times  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:38:16pm

re: #116 FemNaziBitch

There was a piece on the CBS Evening News tonight I think you’d really be interested in seeing - I can’t find a text version of the story yet, but here’s the video:

[Link: www.cbsnews.com…]

Guidelines released for OB/Gyns on what signs to look for that a woman is being abused - including deliberate birth control sabotage by a male partner. The doctor being interviewed, when asked why a man would do this, used the exact words “to control a woman’s body”.

Now what political party does that remind you of? Hmmm…

127 SpaceJesus  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:38:21pm

re: #122 Vicious Babushka

I like how Rand is acting all surprised that Hillary got “emotional” after he and his cohorts basically accused her in public of being complicit in the murder of her employees

128 Chrysicat  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:38:49pm

re: #60 freetoken

I don’t down-ding for much, but the Electoral College has saved us from more bad presidents than it’s led to. And it’s the last stand against direct democracy—which the Founders were very much opposed to, considering that their own history books would have pointed out the way that that led to the English Civil War and various disastrous cases of mob rule.

129 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:39:38pm

re: #126 Interesting Times

There was a piece on the CBS Evening News tonight I think you’d really be interested in seeing - I can’t find a text version of the story yet, but here’s the video:

[Link: www.cbsnews.com…]

Guidelines released for OB/Gyns on what signs to look for that a woman is being abused - including deliberate birth control sabotage by a male partner. The doctor being interviewed, when asked why a man would do this, used the exact words “to control a woman’s body”.

Now what political party does that remind you of? Hmmm…

Right of Ownership concept

130 EPR-radar  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:41:00pm

re: #126 Interesting Times

And some people think the accusation that GOP cavemen want women to be “barefoot and pregnant” is some crazy, over-the-top exaggeration.

Nope. Just a case of telling it like it is.

131 erik_t  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:41:11pm

re: #127 SpaceJesus

I like how Rand is acting all surprised that Hillary got “emotional” after he and his cohorts basically accused her in public of being complicit in the murder of her employees

I challenge anyone to find a reference to a man being “emotional” as a personal and professional failing in such a role.

I’ll wait.

132 Girth  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:41:24pm

Full Metal Wingnut Dad thinks that Obama and Hillary are running guns through Benghazi like Iran-Contra.

133 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:41:46pm

re: #128 Chrysicat

I don’t down-ding for much, but the Electoral College has saved us from more bad presidents than it’s led to. And it’s the last stand against direct democracy—which the Founders were very much opposed to, considering that their own history books would have pointed out the way that that led to the English Civil War and various disastrous cases of mob rule.

I agree in theory. The problem is that the “States Rights” part of our Checks and Balances system seems to be used to create or maintain inequity more than it is used to protect us from the abuses of an overpowering central government.

134 SpaceJesus  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:41:48pm

A brave freeper steps forward to defend women in combat

To: AnAmericanAbroad
I’ve recently read some unconfirmed reports that Obozo is firing Generals who would not agree to turning the machines of war against U.S. citizens. Perhaps this is Panetta’s way to counter Obozo? Women in combat roles would likely be less inclined to shoot at American citizens if that order is given.

77 posted on 1/23/2013 2:51:46 PM by SoldierDad (Proud dad of an Army Soldier who has survived 24 months of Combat deployment.)

135 Stanghazi  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:42:00pm

re: #124 FemNaziBitch

Present

2 of us

136 ProBosniaLiberal  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:42:20pm

re: #112 jvic

As a Muslim, I know how screwed I am should the Republicans win. Either that, or the black and white thinking that I gained one and a half years ago is still dominant.

I won’t feel safe until the Republicans are put into a permanent minority.

137 Bubblehead II  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:42:33pm

re: #106 Kragar

I knew a fair number of female Marines who would stomp a mudhole into Bryan’s flabby ass.

/// Probably because they were not True American Women.

138 goddamnedfrank  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:43:00pm

re: #118 EPR-radar

But this present day democratic advantage in the electoral college seems like a strange and temporary affair to me.

Why? Seems to me it’s because you want to view it that way and have no data to back up the POV. Texas’s demographics are shifting it inexorably towards the D column, CO and NM are now reliably blue states and the Dems have a lock on the entire Northeast and West Coast.

The structure of the EV (extra representation to small states) favors the GOP by over-representing rural areas where the GOP is strong.

Viewed in a vacuum maybe. In the real world the populous states are still winner take all and in no danger of diluting their votes. In fact, currently, only reliably red Nebraska has any real chance of splitting it’s votes.

I think the pattern Nate Silver is seeing is a basically meaningless artifact of who is winning which states by how much.

You do this a lot, just dismissively wave off all evidence that runs counter to your preconceived thesis without presenting anything concrete to back it up. The fact is that the ups and downs of national sentiment track very close to the state by state data, which is why aggregators like Silver, Wang, and Linzer use it. Each state has a more or less predictable deviance to the national norm, which is what makes state by state polling predictive. If what you want to believe was true, that it’s all just a meaningless artifact, there’d be no advantage to using it versus national polling data.

139 CuriousLurker  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:43:01pm

re: #92 Phydeaux Speaks

I feel kinda bad to come out of lurk mode just to say this, but am I the only one to whom this is happening?

Video frame on top of popup mouseover text from right column?

It’s a known issue with Flash content. Not sure if Charles can fix it as the code that embeds the video may not be accessible to him.

140 erik_t  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:43:13pm

re: #134 SpaceJesus

A brave freeper steps forward to defend women in combat

LOL

LOLOLOLOLOL

The derp has folded back on itself.

141 Bubblehead II  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:43:35pm

re: #108 JAFO

Windows 7 64bit.

Same here. Using Safari 5.03

142 ProBosniaLiberal  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:44:29pm

Of course, I think the Democrats could use the Republicans statements against Muslims to proclaim that, if Republicans win, Muslims (and others) will lose their civil rights.

143 SpaceJesus  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:45:09pm

re: #140 erik_t

this guy literally thinks obama is hanging out in the oval office sending emails to generals asking them if they would be ok with him bombing huntsville

144 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:45:50pm

re: #135 Stanghazi

2 of us

We are the best company

145 Stanghazi  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:48:16pm

Ha! Oh wait! Has any #GOP freak said that the women in combat announcement was done to change the subject from BENGHAZI yet? bet you

146 Vicious Babushka  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:48:24pm

The RWNJ’s have been screeching nonstop for months for a “Benghazi hearing” and now that they got one IT’S ALL LYES!1! #WhatDifferenceDoesItMake

147 ProBosniaLiberal  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:48:50pm

Someone is doubting the Electoral College rigging scheme.

Someone give me a good, easy to understand link?

148 Vicious Babushka  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:49:21pm

Ramp up the insanity

149 Shvaughn  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:49:59pm

It’s bugging me that the first, and highest rated, comment on the Todd Kincannon is a scammer page is a link to a post by anti-Semite-recommending right-wing creep Brooks Bayne.

I think we can be better than that.

150 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:50:14pm

re: #148 Vicious Babushka

Ramp up the insanity

People who don’t oppose gun control have a strange pre-occupation with killing… . .

151 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:50:48pm

bbl

152 makeitstop  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:51:12pm

re: #121 Bubblehead II

I feel kinda bad to come out of lurk mode just to say this, but am I the only one to whom this is happening?

Video frame on top of popup mouseover text from right column?

Nope, happens all the time. Just one of the quirks of this blog.

I think that’s actually a Flash thing. I used to have the same problem with Flash movies and javascript flyout navigation - Flash floats on top of it.

153 Vicious Babushka  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:51:40pm

re: #149 Shvaughn

It’s bugging me that the first, and highest rated, comment on the Todd Kincannon is a scammer page is a link to a post by Brooks Bayne.

I think we can be better than that.

Brooks Bayne is pissed that he didn’t think of #TGDN first. It’s fun to watch them eat each other.

154 erik_t  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:52:07pm

re: #148 Vicious Babushka

Ramp up the insanity

The “Twitter Gulag Defense Network” has somehow actually grown funnier with time.

Yeah, y’all were getting suspended or whatever for airing vaguely weird positions to too many people… but you can append #TGDN to a twit and suddenly call for open rebellion against the democratically elected government of the United States with nary a peep. As if the owners and operators of the Twitter service are somehow held at bay within their own service by a hashtag.

It’s the funniest thing the right wing has rolled out in at least the last year, and I won’t accept argument to the contrary.

155 Shvaughn  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:53:19pm

re: #153 Vicious Babushka

Brooks Bayne is pissed that he didn’t think of #TGDN first. It’s fun to watch them eat each other.

Yeah, but his posts need to be taken with a huge grain of salt.

They’re both awful creeps (and that post linked to is particularly creepy, with transphobia right up front on display, to boot).

156 Vicious Babushka  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:55:58pm

re: #155 Shvaughn

Yeah, but his posts need to be taken with a huge grain of salt.

They’re both awful creeps (and that post linked to is particularly creepy, with transphobia right up front on display, to boot).

Here’s another source:

Todd Kincannon doubles down on the misogyny.

157 EPR-radar  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:57:00pm

re: #138 goddamnedfrank

…

You do this a lot, just dismissively wave off all evidence that runs counter to your preconceived thesis without presenting anything concrete to back it up. The fact is that the ups and downs of national sentiment track very close to the state by state data, which is why aggregators like Silver, Wang, and Linzer use it. Each state has a more or less predictable deviance to the national norm, which is what makes state by state polling predictive. If what you want to believe was true, that it’s all just a meaningless artifact, there’d be no advantage to using it versus national polling data.

Sure, each state presently has a predictable deviation from the national norm. Silver et al. use these for short term forecasting. However, as you indicate above, those deviations change over time. E.g., TX is expected to shift closer to blue from the national norm.

Since who can win the EC despite losing the popular vote depends very much on these state vs. national deviances that change over time, it follows that the advantage the EC delivers to either the Democrats or the Republicans is also subject to change over time.

For example, GW Bush lost the popular vote in 2000. So as recently as 2000, the EC did not deliver a significant advantage to the Democrats.

158 goddamnedfrank  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:57:13pm

re: #128 Chrysicat

I don’t down-ding for much, but the Electoral College has saved us from more bad presidents than it’s led to.

Speculative, fundamentally anti-democratic horseshit. Bush’s presidency alone fucked up the course of this nation badly enough to forever bury that argument.

159 Vicious Babushka  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:58:34pm

Stay classy, #TGDN

160 CuriousLurker  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:59:11pm

re: #149 Shvaughn

It’s bugging me that the first, and highest rated, comment on the Todd Kincannon is a scammer page is a link to a post by anti-Semite-recommending right-wing creep Brooks Bayne.

I think we can be better than that.

I agree. He’s a nasty piece of work and has also taken up with some of our stalkers on Twitter.

161 goddamnedfrank  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:59:36pm

re: #157 EPR-radar

For example, GW Bush lost the popular vote in 2000. So as recently as 2000, the EC did not deliver a significant advantage to the Democrats.

Why are you choosing to ignore the obvious irreversible demographic changes that have occurred since then? Time is not on the GOPs side.

162 Feline Fearless Leader  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 4:59:38pm

re: #137 Bubblehead II

/// Probably because they were not True American Women.

Given that Citadel “citizens” would have to maintain rifle and pistol qualification just like the Marines do you’d think female Marines would be held up as especially qualified for that moniker.

163 Bubblehead II  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:02:38pm

re: #117 freetoken

The atavists complaining about women in combat… while most of the world’s military are in quite a different situation. E.g., Argentina:

SYMBOL OF ARGENTINA’S DECAYING NAVY SINKS IN PORT

“Martinez said he, like most Argentines, has no desire to wage another war, “but if the country lacks defenses, and the British know that, they won’t ever negotiate a peaceful resolution.”

No shit. They told you fuck off back then (1982) and sank the Cruiser Gen. Belgrano to prove that point. And yet you (Argentine) are still trying to lay claims to the Falklands. Idiots.

164 ProBosniaLiberal  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:04:57pm

re: #163 Bubblehead II

We need to bury the Monroe Doctrine, and give support to Britain.

Outright say that, should Argentina try the Falklands again, Our carriers get involved. Make Argentina permanently back off.

165 Gus  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:05:31pm

The freaking out about women in combat is so silly. Consider Audie Murphy. Yes, he was a man but he was 5’-5” tall and weighed 110 pounds when the Army finally accepted him. He was by any other measure, a small man physically yet went on to receive:

Medal of Honor
Distinguished Service Cross ribbon.svg Distinguished Service Cross
Silver Star ribbon.svg Silver Star
Legion of Merit ribbon.svg Legion of Merit
Bronze Star ribbon.svg Bronze Star
Purple Heart BAR.svg Purple Heart
Legion Honneur Chevalier ribbon.svg French Legion of Honor
Croix de guerre 1939-1945 with palm.jpg French Croix de Guerre
BEL Croix de Guerre 1944 ribbon.svg Belgian Croix de guerre

166 Varek Raith  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:05:42pm

re: #164 ProBosniaLiberal

We need to bury the Monroe Doctrine, and give support to Britain.

Outright say that, should Argentina try the Falklands again, Our carriers get involved. Make Argentina permanently back off.

I’m quite happy not getting us involved in such a stupid dispute.

167 Interesting Times  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:05:47pm

re: #161 goddamnedfrank

Why are you choosing to ignore the obvious irreversible demographic changes that have occurred since then? Time is not on the GOPs side.

Personally, I won’t feel safe with that assumption until enough of the antiquated atavists really do shuffle off this mortal coil. There’s plenty of horrific long-term damage they’re capable of inflicting until then - perhaps of the irreversible variety.

168 erik_t  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:06:48pm

re: #164 ProBosniaLiberal

We need to bury the Monroe Doctrine, and give support to Britain.

Outright say that, should Argentina try the Falklands again, Our carriers get involved. Make Argentina permanently back off.

Empty rhetoric for domestic consumption should always be combatted with legitimate promises of war.

Wait, ///////^infinity

Argentina possesses exactly zero capability to so much as have a blue-and-white-flagged bird take a passing shit on the Falkland Islands, so I have no idea why we should bother to say a single damned thing.

169 Vicious Babushka  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:07:15pm

re: #165 Gus

The freaking out about women in combat is so silly. Consider Audie Murphy. Yes, he was a man but he was 5’-5” tall and weighed 110 pounds when the Army finally accepted him. He was by any other measure, a small man physically yet went on to receive:

And he was a totally hot Hollywood star!

170 The Mountain That Blogs  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:07:21pm

re: #165 Gus

The freaking out about women in combat is so silly. Consider Audie Murphy. Yes, he was a man but he was 5’-5” tall and weighed 110 pounds when the Army finally accepted him. He was by any other measure, a small man physically yet went on to receive:

Murphy’s story was so ridiculous that the movie about him (and starring him) actually took out stuff because they didn’t think people would believe it.

171 Vicious Babushka  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:09:50pm

HOPE YOU ENJOY KERRY

172 EPR-radar  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:13:00pm

re: #161 goddamnedfrank

Why are you choosing to ignore the obvious irreversible demographic changes that have occurred since then? Time is not on the GOPs side.

I prefer not to count those chickens until they are hatched.

With respect to apportioning all EVs nationwide by congressional district, I would not view that as an improvement over the current system of winner take all for (nearly all) states for the simple reason that it would help the GOP for no good reason. I see no reason to respond to the GOP demographic woes by giving them freebies.

If the GOP decides to go after this in an unprincipled way (as appears to be happening by selecting the states in which this is done), then no real consideration of the merits of their position is needed, for there are none.

173 Gus  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:14:18pm

Right. Start a war with Argentina because Kirchner is trying to wag the dog by taking up far-right talking points about the Falklands/Malvinas which in turn attracted some left-wing support (ironically) in recent day. Then, complain about Republican Party war mongering another day. If you’re going to be morally or politically consistent, at least make a better effort.

174 Bubblehead II  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:14:28pm

re: #152 makeitstop

I think that’s actually a Flash thing. I used to have the same problem with Flash movies and javascript flyout navigation - Flash floats on top of it.

I have run into this problem when I click on a Lizards Nic who has posted a vid. The vid invariably overlays the popup. Haven’t really given it much thought as I just grab the slider and move the vid window/post up until the pop up is no longer underneath it. Like I said, just a quirk of the blog.

175 goddamnedfrank  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:14:34pm

re: #167 Interesting Times

Personally, I won’t feel safe with that assumption until enough of the antiquated atavists really do shuffle off this mortal coil. There’s plenty of horrific long-term damage they’re capable of inflicting until then - perhaps of the irreversible variety.

Okay, but voicing that fear isn’t the same thing as justifying anti democratic measures, or maintaining denial that currently and for the foreseeable future the EC will favor the Democratic Party. What the GOP is doing is wrong because its intrinsically hypocritical, they don’t advocate the same policy for all states. It’s similarly hypocritical I think for people to pretend that that the current EC structure isn’t fundamentally skewed in our favor. It is in fact so far skewed in our favor that if the GOP got electoral law changed in the states it is targeting, the result would simply be an Electoral Vote outcome almost identical to the popular vote.

My only argument is that people should bear that in mind before freaking out.

176 ProBosniaLiberal  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:18:04pm

re: #173 Gus

The Argentinians want to deny the Falklanders their rights to Self-Determination. Makes this real simple.

177 erik_t  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:19:17pm

re: #176 ProBosniaLiberal

The Argentinians want to deny the Falklanders their rights to Self-Determination. Makes this real simple.

I want to own the moon. Gonna declare war against the Republic of erik_t?

What a stupid line of thinking.

178 Varek Raith  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:19:39pm

re: #176 ProBosniaLiberal

The Argentinians want to deny the Falklanders their rights to Self-Determination. Makes this real simple.

WITH WHAT?

179 erik_t  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:20:00pm

re: #178 Varek Raith

WITH WHAT?

FINGER GUNZ

PEW PEW

180 jaunte  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:20:20pm

re: #178 Varek Raith

Amphibious sheep invasion.

(Training exercise) [Link: www.flickr.com…]

181 Gus  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:20:27pm

re: #176 ProBosniaLiberal

The Argentinians want to deny the Falklanders their rights to Self-Determination. Makes this real simple.

No it doesn’t and it really doesn’t matter because you’re not calling the shots. Obama wouldn’t do anything as you suggest. Do that and the USA will only have one friendly nation left in South America, Columbia, which is busy sucking off the USA over the war on drugs. The rest of South America would be against any such fantastical actions.

182 simoom  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:23:05pm

[Link: www.nationalreview.com…]

Senator Kelly Ayotte said moments ago that she’s “pleased” with Secretary Panetta’s decision to overturn the longstanding ban on women in combat. “I’ve seen firsthand servicemen and women working together in a range of dangerous operations to achieve our military objectives – and today’s announcement reflects the increasing role that female service members play in securing our country,” Ayotte said in a statement. “As the Pentagon begins the review process, I’m also glad that military service leaders will provide guidance on how best to implement this policy change.”

183 Chrysicat  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:23:31pm

re: #181 Gus

‘The rest of South America’ already calls those islands Las Malvinas. If you don’t want to offend South America, you’re almost required to support the next Argentinian invasion. I’d rather have every other country in South America against me than the UK, myself.

184 DREd  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:24:26pm

re: #177 erik_t

I want to own the moon. Gonna declare war against the Republic of erik_t?

What a stupid line of thinking.

Obama’s transformation of NASA into a muslim outreach program has left the moon dangerously vulnerable to the growing threat from The Republic of erik_t.

185 Gus  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:24:30pm

I guess this must be the Evening War Mongering Wave. Well, my family came from Argentina. Fuck this shit. Later.

186 erik_t  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:24:47pm

re: #183 Chrysicat

‘The rest of South America’ already calls those islands Las Malvinas. If you don’t want to offend South America, you’re almost required to support the next Argentinian invasion. I’d rather have every other country in South America against me than the UK, myself.

WHAT next fucking invasion? The four Typhoons permanently stationed on the Falklands are more firepower by a factor of five than is needed to oppose an invasion that 2012 Argentina could support, and 2012 Argentina knows it.

187 ProBosniaLiberal  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:24:56pm

re: #183 Chrysicat

Then just pull foreign aid to the entire region. They want to go down this road, they don’t need our support.

Some African Nations and others can have that aid.

188 Feline Fearless Leader  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:28:42pm

Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.

It’s… New Feline Overlords!

I haz coolness

Leave me alone

Two rescue cats have come to take up residence and keep the staff busy. They are still getting used to the place; exploring, sniffing, and since they are only mildly acquainted with each other they are also getting used to each other as full-time room mates. So far they like the wide window sills and being high up — lots of time spent sitting on sill watching the world go by below. There has been some play and cats chasing each other around the place since they have a lot more room than they had at the shelter.

The all black one (rescue name of “Cannon”) is pretty laid back and is already hanging out on the couch while I type comments. When I went to pick up cats today at the shelter he was in the one room lying on his back on the window sill catching some rays.

The other one (rescue name “Puffin”) is a bit more of a problem case. Has a “does not play well with others” reputation and is still a bit more strung-out still. She is also pretty aggressive towards the other cat and initiates most of the minor spitting and growling exchanges.

We will see how they settle in, adjust to the new surroundings, and get along over the next few days.

189 Bubblehead II  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:32:13pm

re: #162 Feline Fearless Leader

Given that Citadel “citizens” would have to maintain rifle and pistol qualification just like the Marines do you’d think female Marines would be held up as especially qualified for that moniker.

In their world, they do.

Citadel Patriot Agreement

Two: Every able-bodied Patriot aged 13 and older governed by this Agreement shall annually demonstrate proficiency with the rifle of his/her choice by hitting a man-sized steel target at 100 yards with open sights at the Citadel range. Each Resident shall have 10 shots and must hit the target at least 7 times.

190 Killgore Trout  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:34:43pm

re: #188 Feline Fearless Leader

Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.

It’s… New Feline Overlords!

I haz coolness

Leave me alone

Two rescue cats have come to take up residence and keep the staff busy. They are still getting used to the place; exploring, sniffing, and since they are only mildly acquainted with each other they are also getting used to each other as full-time room mates. So far they like the wide window sills and being high up — lots of time spent sitting on sill watching the world go by below. There has been some play and cats chasing each other around the place since they have a lot more room than they had at the shelter.

The all black one (rescue name of “Cannon”) is pretty laid back and is already hanging out on the couch while I type comments. When I went to pick up cats today at the shelter he was in the one room lying on his back on the window sill catching some rays.

The other one (rescue name “Puffin”) is a bit more of a problem case. Has a “does not play well with others” reputation and is still a bit more strung-out still. She is also pretty aggressive towards the other cat and initiates most of the minor spitting and growling exchanges.

We will see how they settle in, adjust to the new surroundings, and get along over the next few days.

It does take a while for them to settle in. In regards to your “does not play well with others” cat I do have a bit of advice. Lot’s of exercise and laser pointer is distracting enough that playing with others becomes less problematic. Good luck!

191 Killgore Trout  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:38:41pm

I checked in with Al Jaz english to see how they’re covering Mali but stumbled across this interesting editorial
Can non-Europeans think?
It does have some thought provoking points but I can’t help but be reminded of Al Gazahli whose ideas unfortunately resulted in the Islamic world skipping the Enlightenment as a heretical Western concept. Still interesting.

192 Bubblehead II  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:38:43pm

re: #164 ProBosniaLiberal

We need to bury the Monroe Doctrine, and give support to Britain.

Outright say that, should Argentina try the Falklands again, Our carriers get involved. Make Argentina permanently back off.

Why? There is no need for the U.S. to get involved in this. Briton/UK kicked their ass then, and they will do so again if the need arises.

193 CuriousLurker  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:40:04pm

re: #188 Feline Fearless Leader

The new overlords are beautiful! Don’t worry, they’ll be inseparable and conspiring against you in no time flat. ;)

194 erik_t  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:40:22pm

re: #186 erik_t

2013. 2013 2013 2013. I HATE YOU JANUARY.

195 Douchecanoe and Ryan Too  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:40:50pm

re: #188 Feline Fearless Leader

Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.

It’s… New Feline Overlords!

I haz coolness

Leave me alone

Two rescue cats have come to take up residence and keep the staff busy. They are still getting used to the place; exploring, sniffing, and since they are only mildly acquainted with each other they are also getting used to each other as full-time room mates. So far they like the wide window sills and being high up — lots of time spent sitting on sill watching the world go by below. There has been some play and cats chasing each other around the place since they have a lot more room than they had at the shelter.

The all black one (rescue name of “Cannon”) is pretty laid back and is already hanging out on the couch while I type comments. When I went to pick up cats today at the shelter he was in the one room lying on his back on the window sill catching some rays.

The other one (rescue name “Puffin”) is a bit more of a problem case. Has a “does not play well with others” reputation and is still a bit more strung-out still. She is also pretty aggressive towards the other cat and initiates most of the minor spitting and growling exchanges.

We will see how they settle in, adjust to the new surroundings, and get along over the next few days.

A house is not a home without feline overlords. Congratulations on your new finds, I hope they live long and happy lives with you and give hours of entertainment chasing each other around. Also, they’re trying to distract you so that they can sneak into the ‘fridge.

196 Jalal bin Smokin?  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:43:47pm

re: #194 erik_t

2013. 2013 2013 2013. I HATE YOU JANUARY.

I do fine till March, then I start writing 2012 again.

197 Varek Raith  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:43:58pm

re: #180 jaunte

Amphibious sheep invasion.

(Training exercise) [Link: www.flickr.com…]

We’re boned.

198 wrenchwench  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:44:38pm

re: #188 Feline Fearless Leader

Good for you picking adult black cats. I hear they are difficult to place. Two is always better (unless they fight).

199 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:48:20pm

re: #188 Feline Fearless Leader

I find it take about two weeks for the packs to sort out a new order. I leave them alone as long as there is no serious fighting.

200 Bubblehead II  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:49:34pm

re: #168 erik_t

Empty rhetoric for domestic consumption should always be combatted with legitimate promises of war.

Wait, ///////^infinity

Argentina possesses exactly zero capability to so much as have a blue-and-white-flagged bird take a passing shit on the Falkland Islands, so I have no idea why we should bother to say a single damned thing.

Well, I do. How about we support letting the People of the Falkland Islands decide for themselves whom they want to be Governed by?

Argentine?
Briton/UK?
Independent (Not going to happen)?

201 simoom  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:50:58pm
202 Feline Fearless Leader  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:51:03pm

re: #198 wrenchwench

Good for you picking adult black cats. I hear they are difficult to place. Two is always better (unless they fight).

Family cat when I was growing up was black, so this is sort of nostalgic.

They said at the shelter that the one cat played very aggressively and that the other cat was one of the few that handled it well. I’ve seen a few examples so far today and he generally either backs off and runs away when she gets in his face waving a paw - or sits there and just looks at her like he is saying “what is your problem?”

I’ve also seen him initiate things a few times; including a sudden charge-by that she did a spinning half-flip in surprise to avoid. So it’s bring out some toys and then play with them a lot once they get more accepting of me and I’m part of the social scene.

(Right now the one cat is just looking out the window* while the other one is lying on the other end of the couch from me sleeping.)

* - I guess that when you’re cooped up in a cage or at best a room with a ground-level view a big window 10+ stories up looking out on a city with twinkling lights, cars on the highway, and big rotating display ad panel would be sort of engrossing. Wait until the pigeons and starlings start using the ledge.

203 wrenchwench  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:52:47pm

BBL.

204 krypto  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:57:11pm

It looks like Ron Johnson is now doing the TV interview circuit to try to capitalize politically from his ridiculous comments.

205 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:57:52pm

Every black cat that has owned me developed bladder stones and eventually had to be relieved of it’s rule in this life.

Now we have a gray and white who is getting old and is very healthy.

206 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:58:24pm

re: #204 krypto

It looks like Ron Johnson is now doing the TV interview circuit to try to capitalize politically & financially from his ridiculous comments.

ftfy

207 Achilles Tang  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:59:25pm

re: #200 Bubblehead II

Well, I do. How about we support letting the People of the Falkland Islands decide for themselves whom they want to be Governed by?

Argentine?
Briton/UK?
Independent (Not going to happen)?

Haven’t they already done so, many times?

Let’s be clear, this issue pops up not for any reason about national rights, but economic potential. Argentina wants the potential oil territory, which nobody knew about in the last war; just like China now plays the same game with Japan, and Russia will be doing in the Arctic.

208 Douchecanoe and Ryan Too  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 5:59:26pm

re: #205 FemNaziBitch

Every black cat that has owned me developed bladder stones and eventually had to be relieved of it’s rule in this life.

Now we have a gray and white who is getting old and is very healthy.

Basement Cat is enjoying every minute of her reign at the fish household. I hope that the same doesn’t happen to her, the Mrs. Fish has been owned by her since she was a teenager.

209 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 6:00:12pm

re: #208 Douchecanoe and Ryan Too

Basement Cat is enjoying every minute of her reign at the fish household. I hope that the same doesn’t happen to her, the Mrs. Fish has been owned by her since she was a teenager.

:)

210 Douchecanoe and Ryan Too  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 6:02:30pm

re: #208 Douchecanoe and Ryan Too

And ironically enough, Basement Cat’s partner in crime is a grey and white tuxedo cat, whom I adopted from a young lady working the cash register at the grocery store. Mrs. Fish believed he would make a good companion for me at my lonely lakeside cabin, and she was right.

211 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 6:04:58pm

It will be a sad day when the Gray and White Overlord decides to move on. He is the only cat that has stayed with us so long. I think we are going on 14 years. I doubt will try our luck with a black cat again. After losing three, I couldn’t take it if it were to happen again.

Gray and White is still having a good time playing with the dogs, so I think he’ll be around a while.

212 Douchecanoe and Ryan Too  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 6:07:45pm

re: #211 FemNaziBitch

It will be a sad day when the Gray and White Overlord decides to move on. He is the only cat that has stayed with us so long. I think we are going on 14 years. I doubt will try our luck with a black cat again. After losing three, I couldn’t take it if it were to happen again.

Gray and White is still having a good time playing with the dogs, so I think he’ll be around a while.

When my folks’ previous cat disappeared, my grandmother was inconsolable. Not my parents, even though they’d lived with him for 10 years. No, my dear sweet grandmother, who had hosted him at her house for all of a summer, was absolutely devastated by the loss. She probably still misses him.

213 EPR-radar  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 6:14:42pm

As an interesting footnote to the Electoral College discussion, the progress to date of the National Popular Vote (NPV) is worth noting.

The idea of NPV is that each state agrees to allocate all of its EVs to the popular vote winner, with these agreements only coming into effect when a sufficient number of states have signed up to be decisive. This is a way to get to popular vote without changing the constitution.

According to the NPV web site [Link: www.nationalpopularvote.com…]

this has passed in 9 states so far:

Maryland
Massachusetts
Washington
Vermont
DC
Hawaii
New Jersey
Illinois
California

A sea of blue. It would appear that the red states presently have zero interest in going for a national popular vote, even though the GOP appears to be laboring under a EC disadvantage.

214 Bubblehead II  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 6:27:23pm

re: #207 Achilles Tang

Haven’t they already done so, many times?

Let’s be clear, this issue pops up not for any reason about national rights, but economic potential. Argentina wants the potential oil territory, which nobody knew about in the last war; just like China now plays the same game with Japan, and Russia will be doing in the Arctic.

This be true. Which leads credence to my last choice in a previous piost. Independence. Not going to happen.

215 CuriousLurker  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 6:30:30pm

re: #191 Killgore Trout

…It does have some thought provoking points but I can’t help but be reminded of Al Gazahli whose ideas unfortunately resulted in the Islamic world skipping the Enlightenment as a heretical Western concept. Still interesting.

Interesting. Mandy once claimed in one of her Pages that the roots of violent Islamism lead back to him. Have you ever actually read any of Al Ghazali’s works? Just curious as English translations of most of them are widely available, yet the assertion you’re making about him leads me to believe you haven’t read a single page of his writings. (Yes, I’ve read some of his works.)

I hope you’re not relying solely on the Wiki section about his Incoherence of the Philosophers as it’s mostly lacking in citations. As a matter of fact, the single footnote that IS available for that section disputes the Wiki entry in an article called How the decline of Muslim scientific thought still haunts.

Additionally, the “External Links” section at the bottom of the Wiki entry will take you to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy’s page on Al Ghazali which—SURPRISE!—credits him with just the opposite of being responsible for “skipping the Enlightenment as a heretical Western concept.” Here, let me highlight the important bits for you so you won’t miss them:

Al-Ghazâlî (c.1055–1111) was one of the most prominent and influential philosophers, theologians, jurists, and mystics of Sunni Islam. He was active at a time when Sunni theology had just passed through its consolidation and entered a period of intense challenges from Shiite Ismâ’îlite theology and the Arabic tradition of Aristotelian philosophy (falsafa). Al-Ghazâlî understood the importance of falsafa and developed a complex response that rejected and condemned some of its teachings, while it also allowed him to accept and apply others. Al-Ghazâlî’s critique of twenty positions of falsafa in his Incoherence of the Philosophers (Tahâfut al-falâsifa) is a significant landmark in the history of philosophy as it advances the nominalist critique of Aristotelian science developed later in 14th century Europe. On the Arabic and Muslim side al-Ghazâlî’s acceptance of demonstration (apodeixis) led to a much more refined and precise discourse on epistemology and a flowering of Aristotelian logics and metaphysics. With al-Ghazâlî begins the successful introduction of Aristotelianism or rather Avicennism into Muslim theology. After a period of appropriation of the Greek sciences in the translation movement from Greek into Arabic and the writings of the falâsifa up to Avicenna (Ibn Sînâ, c.980–1037), philosophy and the Greek sciences were “naturalized” into the discourse of kalâm and Muslim theology (Sabra 1987). Al-Ghazâlî’s approach to resolving apparent contradictions between reason and revelation was accepted by almost all later Muslim theologians and had, via the works of Averroes (Ibn Rushd, 1126–98) and Jewish authors a significant influence on Latin medieval thinking.

More…

Sounds to me like not only did his efforts have a positive influence the Islamic thinking of his time wrt science & philosophy, but they also actually had some influence on the development of our own Enlightenment, doesn’t it? Imagine that. //

216 Phydeaux Speaks  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 6:36:31pm

re: #139 CuriousLurker

Thanks to you and the others who answered my question.

Now I know I’m not the only one. :)

217 CuriousLurker  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 6:37:45pm

re: #216 Phydeaux Speaks

Thanks to you and the others who answered my question.

Now I know I’m not the only one. :)

You’re quite welcome. ;)

218 CuriousLurker  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 6:52:41pm

Edit: Never mind, I’m gonna Page it.

219 Pawn of the Oppressor  Wed, Jan 23, 2013 7:07:02pm

re: #39 Charleston Chew

I’m just waiting for the day when Beck finally accuses himself of being a secret agent of Obama, hired to spread misinformation.

Kinda like that scene in The Empire Strikes Back where Luke chops off Darth Vader’s head only to reveal his own face staring back at him.

Ooh ooh! PUPPETS!

I’d love to see him put an Obama puppet on one hand, and a Saul Alinsky puppet on the other. Then he starts the “dialogue” about the big conspiracy to control our gold supply with fluoridated water, and turn the whole country Communist, etc. but the whole thing breaks down, and he starts crying, and the puppets get him to admit that he’s behind the whole thing…

Fade to him being dragged off-stage screaming, by emergency response personnel…

220 steve_davis  Thu, Jan 24, 2013 9:22:17am

I wonder if Glenn is ever gonna have one of those moments where he looks like he’s just solved a major puzzle, and say, “She never gets any older. That little girl who’s been following me around for 20 years never gets older.” Well, probably not. It took a genius 20 years to figure that out, and I doubt Glenn will live long enough to unwind his tether from around the bush.


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