Photo Gallery: Veterans Passed Over Due to Prejudice Receive the Medal of Honor

Recognized at last for their heroism
Images • Views: 41,675

Courtesy of Getty Images’ excellent new embedding feature, some images from today’s moving Medal of Honor ceremony, rewarding veterans long denied recognition due to racial prejudice.

Getty Image

Getty Image

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 18: U.S. Army Staff Sgt. (Ret.) Melvin Morris (2L), Sgt. First Class (Ret.) Jose Rodela (obscured) and U.S. Army Specialist Four (Ret.) Santiago J. Erevia (L) are applauded after receiving the Medal of Honor from U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House on March 18, 2014 in Washington, DC. Melvin Morris, U.S. Army Sgt. First Class (Ret.) Jose Rodela and U.S. Army Specialist Four (Ret.) Santiago J. Erevia were joined by the families of 21 others who were presented posthumously with the Medal of Honor. Following a congressionally mandated review to ensure that eligible recipients were not bypassed due to prejudice, the veterans received the Medal of Honor for action during major combat operations in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Getty Image

Getty Image

Getty Image

Getty Image

Getty Image

Getty Image

Getty Image

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 18: Musician Lenny Kravitz (R) attends a ceremony where his uncle, Leonard Kravitz, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor at the White House March 18, 2014 in Washington, DC. Melvin Morris, U.S. Army Sgt. First Class (Ret.) and Jose Rodela and U.S. Army Specialist Four (Ret.) Santiago J. Erevia were joined by the families of 21 others who were presented posthumously with the Medal of Honor. Following a congressionally mandated review to ensure that eligible recipients were not bypassed due to prejudice, the veterans received the Medal of Honor for action during major combat operations in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Getty Image

Getty Image

Getty Image

Jump to bottom

315 comments
1 Political Atheist  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 6:45:55pm

Someday President Obama will share his thoughts of the honor and privilege he genuinely felt & showed in giving out these awards.

2 chadu  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 6:47:24pm

re: #1 Political Atheist

Someday President Obama will share his thoughts of the honor and privilege he genuinely felt & showed in giving out these awards.

I am eagerly awaiting his Presidential memoir.

Man can write.

3 William Barnett-Lewis  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 6:48:00pm

As I commented earlier today, this ceremony is one of the reasons I am proud to be a blue coat. Hooah!

4 FemNaziBitch  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 6:50:59pm

I’ve listened to quite a few of the Medal of Honor series podcasts from Pritzker Military Library.

Most of what I learned about those who have been honored is truly amazing. And they all say the same thing: “I’m not a hero”.

5 FemNaziBitch  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 6:52:33pm

Pritzker Military Library

If you are ever in Chicago and are into such stuff, you can visit the library. They have new digs and it’s very cool.

6 Weet  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 6:53:22pm

<script async src=”//platform.twitter.com” charset=”utf-8”></script>

<script async src=”//platform.twitter.com” charset=”utf-8”></script>

7 austin_blue  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 6:55:09pm

So happy for everyone there. So sad that only three of these twenty four brave heroes are still alive to receive their just rewards for defending their country

“…above and beyond the call of duty and with reckless disregard for their own lives”.

8 austin_blue  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 6:58:30pm

re: #3 William Barnett-Lewis

As I commented earlier today, this ceremony is one of the reasons I am proud to be a blue coat. Hooah!

And it’s why I am proud to have been an Air Force pilot. “Hey, nav, can you pass me up that box lunch?”

9 RealityBasedSteve  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 6:58:53pm

re: #5 FemNaziBitch

Pritzker Military Library

If you are ever in Chicago and are into such stuff, you can visit the library. They have new digs and it’s very cool.

I want to go to Chicago and visit the Museum of Science and Industry. That would be on the list also. And the Aquarium, and the Planetarium.

and Imos.

It would be a busy weekend.

RBS

10 William Barnett-Lewis  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 6:59:53pm

re: #8 austin_blue

And it’s why I am proud to have been an Air Force pilot. “Hey, nav, can you pass me up that box lunch?”

Nothing wrong with the air force. Especially when you’re moving mud for us ;)

11 NJDhockeyfan  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 7:01:28pm

re: #9 RealityBasedSteve

I want to go to Chicago and visit the Museum of Science and Industry. That would be on the list also. And the Aquarium, and the Planetarium.

and Imos.

It would be a busy weekend.

RBS

I want to sit in Wrigley Field and watch a Cubs game.

12 NJDhockeyfan  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 7:02:12pm
13 Belafon  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 7:15:51pm

I forget, who was president, and who was in control of Congress, in 2002:

The mass awarding of medals has its roots back in 2002 when Congress ordered a review of the war records of Jewish and Hispanic veterans to see if any might have been passed over for the Medal of Honor because of anti-Semitism or racism.

14 Pie-onist Overlord  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 7:16:56pm
15 NJDhockeyfan  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 7:21:46pm

re: #6 Weet

[Embedded content]

16 darthstar  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 7:22:08pm

Birds bring me joy.

17 thedopefishlives  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 7:23:24pm

Evening Lizardim.

18 Pie-onist Overlord  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 7:23:31pm

I think that if the Glennbots and the Janiebots had a brain cell competition, the Glennbots would win by like maybe a dozen more. It would be close, though.

19 NJDhockeyfan  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 7:29:58pm
20 CuriousLurker  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 7:33:23pm

Richard Engel retweeted the photo below about 30 minutes ago, which sent me on a quick trip down the rabbit hole…

I’m a fan of urban “street” art even though it can get a bit dark at times (I also love weird stuff a la Tim Burton), so I went looking for the artist. Here are all of his works, and here are some Vimeo videos of his work:

Into the woods, Blanca, Murcia. Spain
Vimeo

Cement Eclipses @ Nantes
Vimeo

Waiting for climate change
Vimeo

Résidence secondaire
Vimeo

Also, if you like street art (some images NSFW):

streetartutopia.com
brooklynstreetart.com
streetartlondon.co.uk

Later, lizards.

21 Weet  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 7:39:02pm
22 NJDhockeyfan  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 7:44:29pm
23 blueraven  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 7:47:22pm

Neil Degrasse Tyson Answers Who’s The Greatest Physicist In History? (And Sounds Even Better In Slow Motion)

Youtube Video

24 jonhendry  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 7:48:48pm

re: #9 RealityBasedSteve

I’d like to see the anachronistically-named Oriental Institute museum at UofC.

I never managed to get down there when I lived in Chicago. And I think it might have been closed for part of that time, for a remodeling.

25 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 7:49:44pm

re: #20 CuriousLurker

Richard Engel retweeted the photo below about 30 minutes ago, which sent me on a quick trip down the rabbit hole…

[Embedded content]

I’m a fan of urban “street” art even though it can get a bit dark at times (I also love weird stuff a la Tim Burton), so I went looking for the artist. Here are all of his works, and here are Vimeo videos of his work:

>Into the woods, Blanca, Murcia. Spain
[Embedded content]

Later, lizards.

That piece of art made me wish I had a hand grenade to lob at those zombies. If the hostiles are gonna bunch up like that, grenades are a great weapon to use.

26 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 7:50:39pm

re: #24 jonhendry

I’d like to see the anachronistically-named Oriental Institute museum at UofC.

I never managed to get down there when I lived in Chicago. And I think it might have been closed for part of that time, for a remodeling.

If you ever get the chance, take it. It’s well worth it.

27 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 7:55:33pm

The last listed of the MoH recipients on CNN’s gallery, First Lt. Donald K. Schwab, would in my opinion made an excellent Flames of War Warrior character. I’d have him subbed in for an SMG Team and he’d have the power to force an enemy unit to fail its Morale Check.

Any others who’d be good in a game, and if so which game?

28 jonhendry  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 7:56:09pm

re: #26 Dark_Falcon

If you’re ever in Philadelphia, try to visit the Penn Museum. If nothing else, the Buddhist art is located in a fantastic space.

Buddhist art at Penn Museum

Also, I got to see real electrum coins there.

29 jonhendry  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 7:57:16pm

So are the wingnuts dismissing these MoH recipients as “diversity medals” yet?

30 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 8:02:18pm

re: #29 jonhendry

So are the wingnuts dismissing these MoH recipients as “diversity medals” yet?

At least 1/3-1/2 of them won’t do that. What those men did to earn the MoH was brave enough that even many wingnuts will act respectfully. They’ll still attack Obama but they’ll find something else to use.

31 wheat-dogghazi  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 8:03:24pm

re: #27 Dark_Falcon

The last listed of the MoH recipients on CNN’s gallery, First Lt. Donald K. Schwab, would in my opinion made an excellent Flames of War Warrior character. I’d have him subbed in for an SMG Team and he’d have the power to force an enemy unit to fail its Morale Check.

Any others who’d be good in a game, and if so which game?

Has any combat game designer used real veterans’ identities or likenesses? In some ways, it would be a cool way to honor them, if they or their families agreed.

32 jonhendry  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 8:06:43pm

re: #30 Dark_Falcon

At least 1/3-1/2 of them won’t do that. What those men did to earn the MoH was brave enough that even many wingnuts will act respectfully. They’ll still attack Obama but they’ll find something else to use.

I hope that’s true, but all they’d need to do is decide that the accounts of what happened are made up or exaggerated. You know, “unskew the medals” or some such bollocks. Hopefully that won’t be many.

33 Targetpractice  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 8:14:10pm

re: #30 Dark_Falcon

At least 1/3-1/2 of them won’t do that. What those men did to earn the MoH was brave enough that even many wingnuts will act respectfully. They’ll still attack Obama but they’ll find something else to use.

Most will simply sneer that Obama doesn’t deserve to be giving them those medals and that he’s somehow demeaning their sacrifice by being the one to award the medal instead of a “real war hero” or some such horseshit.

34 Kragar  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 8:16:19pm

Has Bryan Fischer chimed in with his “feminizing the MoH” spiel again?

35 Lidane  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 8:22:41pm

Rebranding!

36 Lidane  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 8:24:16pm

re: #33 Targetpractice

Most will simply sneer that Obama doesn’t deserve to be giving them those medals and that he’s somehow demeaning their sacrifice by being the one to award the medal instead of a “real war hero” or some such horseshit.

Pretty much, yeah. If they attack the MoH recipients they prove they’re hypocrites about supporting the troops and about being respectful of military service. They’ll just piss and moan about how it should be a “Real American president” giving those medals instead of Obama.

37 Targetpractice  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 8:25:01pm

re: #35 Lidane

Rebranding!

[Embedded content]

I saw a bumper sticker the other day that so perfectly nailed the response to shit like this:

“Well-behaved women rarely make history”

- Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

38 Weet  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 8:26:17pm

For those who are still into it, Mary Schiavo (former Inspector General of the United States Department of Transportation) tweeted this. The link has some interesting info.

<blockquoteclass=”twitter-tweet” lang=”en”>

Residents of the Maldives report seeing large, loud, low-flying jumbo jet, not turning or landing, March 8th http://t.co/lrHva0z1R2 #MH370

— MarySchiavo(@MarySchiavo) March 18, 2014

<script asyncsrc=”//platform.twitter.com” charset=”utf-8”></script>

39 Targetpractice  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 8:26:57pm

re: #36 Lidane

Pretty much, yeah. If they attack the MoH recipients they prove they’re hypocrites about supporting the troops and about being respectful of military service. They’ll just piss and moan about how it should be a “Real American president” giving those medals instead of Obama.

Decided to test the theory by mounting a short dumpster-diving expedition over at FR. And it’s running ‘bout 50/50 between “He doesn’t deserve to give that reward!” and “I’m not sure they deserve that reward!” There’s a smattering of Freepers pointing out that these are vets and they should be honored, but they’re the lone voice of dissent amongst an angry mob.

40 chadu  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 8:29:36pm

re: #13 Belafon

I forget, who was president, and who was in control of Congress, in 2002:

Time Lord Obama!

41 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 8:30:14pm

re: #39 Targetpractice

Decided to test the theory by mounting a short dumpster-diving expedition over at FR. And it’s running ‘bout 50/50 between “He doesn’t deserve to give that reward!” and “I’m not sure they deserve that reward!” There’s a smattering of Freepers pointing out that these are vets and they should be honored, but they’re the lone voice of dissent amongst an angry mob.

50/50 is about what I figured, but results from more than one site would be best for verification. Let me check something…

42 jaunte  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 8:33:54pm

re: #35 Lidane

Kieffer was speaking during a hearing on the Women’s Economic Security Act, which would raise the minimum wage to $9.50, expand access to paid sick leave and childcare and protect women from discrimination and unfair pay.

Another economic idiot who doesn’t understand that increasing wages increases demand.

43 Lidane  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 8:39:58pm

re: #42 jaunte

Another economic idiot who doesn’t understand that increasing wages increases demand.

But asking for money makes you a whiner! Why can’t they just work 2 or 3 jobs instead?!

/////

44 Kragar  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 8:40:48pm

re: #42 jaunte

Another economic idiot who doesn’t understand that increasing wages increases demand.

Pretty much the norm for conservatives.

45 jaunte  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 8:40:49pm

<script async src=”//platform.twitter.com” charset=”utf-8”></script>

46 Targetpractice  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 8:44:09pm

re: #43 Lidane

But asking for money makes you a whiner! Why can’t they just work 2 or 3 jobs instead?!

/////

If women would just quietly go about their work without making too much of a fuss, surely good things will come to them. In fact, if they just stay home and let hubby bring home the bacon, their lot in life will get even better!

47 jonhendry  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 8:48:31pm

re: #38 Weet

Maldives seems like it’d be outside the range of MH370.

48 Targetpractice  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 8:50:07pm

And like clockwork, a wingnut arguing with me about how a deregulated health insurance market could lead to sick people being able to get insurance without government “interference” brings up LASIK as “proof” that the market can bring down prices and help more people if left to its own devices. Except just cursory research turned up that LASIK clinics have time and again been the subject of government investigations for deceptive advertising, promising “cheap” surgery only for the person to find out that it’s gonna cost $1-2,000 per eye, instead of $299 per eye advertised.

49 jonhendry  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 8:50:41pm

re: #36 Lidane

Pretty much, yeah. If they attack the MoH recipients they prove they’re hypocrites about supporting the troops and about being respectful of military service.

That didn’t stop the 2004 GOP national convention attendees from wearing Purple Heart band-aids in order to take a swipe at Kerry.

50 Lidane  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 8:53:17pm

re: #49 jonhendry

That didn’t stop the 2004 GOP national convention attendees from wearing Purple Heart band-aids in order to take a swipe at Kerry.

The Swift Boat Vets exposed the lie in the GOP’s respect for the military. They only give a damn if you’ve got an (R) after your name. If you’re a vet with a (D) after your name then somehow you didn’t deserve your medals or serve “properly”.

Then again, the 2000 GOP primaries talking about McCain being a Manchurian candidate and a Viet Cong sleeper agent pretty much exposed the GOP as hypocrites, so 2004 shouldn’t have surprised anyone.

51 Targetpractice  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 8:55:20pm

re: #50 Lidane

The Swift Boat Vets exposed the lie in the GOP’s respect for the military. They only give a damn if you’ve got an (R) after your name. If you’re a vet with a (D) after your name then somehow you didn’t deserve your medals or serve “properly”.

Then again, the 2000 GOP primaries talking about McCain being a Manchurian candidate and a Viet Ccong sleeper agent pretty much exposed the GOP as hypocrites, so 2004 shouldn’t have surprised anyone.

They still hate on McCain all the time, though I think by this point it’s due to lingering resentment over his winning the nomination in ‘08 instead of a “true conservative.”

52 Lidane  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 8:58:05pm

re: #51 Targetpractice

They still hate on McCain all the time, though I think by this point it’s due to lingering resentment over his winning the nomination in ‘08 instead of a “true conservative.”

They wanted him to win and then immediately drop dead. Neither of those things happened, so they hate him for it.

Sane Americans, however, thank the universe daily that we dodged those bullets.

53 Targetpractice  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 9:02:29pm

re: #52 Lidane

They wanted him to win and then immediately drop dead. Neither of those things happened, so they hate him for it.

Sane Americans, however, thank the universe daily that we dodged those bullets.

They want him to retire, but dropping dead would fulfill the same goal so they’re likely also rooting for that. Again because his vacating office will allow a “true conservative” to take his seat and thus give the GOP yet another “dependable” vote for whatever brain fart they should choose to unleash.

54 sagehen  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 9:09:49pm

re: #48 Targetpractice

And like clockwork, a wingnut arguing with me about how a deregulated health insurance market could lead to sick people being able to get insurance without government “interference” brings up LASIK as “proof” that the market can bring down prices and help more people if left to its own devices. Except just cursory research turned up that LASIK clinics have time and again been the subject of government investigations for deceptive advertising, promising “cheap” surgery only for the person to find out that it’s gonna cost $1-2,000 per eye, instead of $299 per eye advertised.

Plus which, nobody ever died from not being able to get Lasik. Market forces work great for things people can live without.

55 Targetpractice  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 9:13:57pm

re: #54 sagehen

Plus which, nobody ever died from not being able to get Lasik. Market forces work great for things people can live without.

Exactly. When you need your gallbladder removed or a stent put in your heart, you don’t have time to “shop around” for the cheapest price or wait for the clinic to offer a discount.

56 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 9:14:21pm

re: #52 Lidane

They wanted him to win and then immediately drop dead. Neither of those things happened, so they hate him for it.

Sane Americans, however, thank the universe daily that we dodged those bullets.

I think John McCain would would have made a good president. But I also think that him dying in office would have been a disaster of massive proportions. Sarah Palin was and remains unfit for high office.

57 Targetpractice  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 9:23:43pm

re: #56 Dark_Falcon

I think John McCain would would have made a good president. But I also think that him dying in office would have been a disaster of massive proportions. Sarah Palin was and remains unfit for high office.

I think McCain would have joined Hoover on the list of ignoble presidents, his faith in the “free market” and in “strong” foreign policy only exacerbating the damage done by Dubya. And I sure as fuck don’t think he’d have been able to do any better with Congressional Republicans than President Obama has.

58 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 9:24:13pm

re: #41 Dark_Falcon

I checked National Review’s story on the MoH ceremony. it had 12 comments, nine of which were wholly positive. One praised the vets while called President Obama “an empty suit”, one was rather clueless about the deeds of the recipients and was promptly schooled by several other commentators, and one trolled about why nothing had been released documenting the discrimination the recipients had faced.

While none of the comments attacked the MoH recipients directly, NR moderates its comments fairly well so its unlikely such a comment would be allowed to remain if posted.

59 goddamnedfrank  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 9:26:41pm

re: #56 Dark_Falcon

I think John McCain would would have made a good president. But I also think that him dying in office would have been a disaster of massive proportions. Sarah Palin was and remains unfit for high office.

He’s a warmonger. He’d have us balls deep in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Iran. Under McCain we’d be so massively overextended from day one that the economic recovery never would have even begun. He’s such a bigot that DADT never would have been repealed and Windsor v. US would have been fought tooth and nail.

McCain would have been an unmitigated disaster of a President.

60 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 9:27:21pm

re: #57 Targetpractice

I think McCain would have joined Hoover on the list of ignoble presidents, his faith in the “free market” and in “strong” foreign policy only exacerbating the damage done by Dubya. And I sure as fuck don’t think he’d have been able to do any better with Congressional Republicans than President Obama has.

If McCain had won it is likely the Tea Party would not have come into being. Conservative activists would have been more focused on getting the laws they wanted enacted and the TP would not have received the tremendous boost it got from the national debate over Obamacare in the summer of 2009.

61 Targetpractice  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 9:31:53pm

re: #60 Dark_Falcon

If McCain had won it is likely the Tea Party would not have come into being. Conservative activists would have been more focused on getting the laws they wanted enacted and the TP would not have received the tremendous boost it got from the national debate over Obamacare in the summer of 2009.

True, it likely would have led instead to a mid-term where Democrats only expanded their majorities in the House and Senate, ensuring McCain’s legacy as a guy who got little accomplished due to his need to keep the base happy but still look “bipartisan.”

62 goddamnedfrank  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 9:32:39pm

re: #60 Dark_Falcon

If McCain had won it is likely the Tea Party would not have come into being.

John McCain would have appeased the racists is not a very compelling argument.

Conservative activists would have been more focused on getting the laws they wanted enacted and the TP would not have received the tremendous boost it got from the national debate over Obamacare in the summer of 2009.

So, massive abortion restrictions and DOMA as a constitutional amendment. Meanwhile the uninsured would remain fucked. Screw that.

63 freetoken  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 9:37:24pm

AAAS created a website, white paper, etc. to try and convince (an audience which I have yet to determine) that climate change is real:

WHAT WE KNOW

It has gathered a little bit of attention in media around the world, e.g.:

U.S. scientists warn of “irreversible” impacts from climate change

Fortunately for all us free-market Patriots, Cato’s Patrick Michaels assures us it’s all baseless alarmism:

AAAS’s Guide to Climate Alarmism

64 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 9:39:34pm

re: #62 goddamnedfrank

John McCain would have appeased the racists is not a very compelling argument.

That rests on the assumption that the primary reason for the emergence of the Tea Party was Barack Obama’s race, which I would contest sharply. His race motivated a good bit of the animosity directed at him, but it did not cause that animosity to become organized. The organization arose in response to the presidents ideology and policy plans.

So, massive abortion restrictions and DOMA as a constitutional amendment. Meanwhile the uninsured would remain fucked. Screw that.

I seriously doubt McCain would have pushed for massive abortion restrictions or if he could have gotten any such restrictions past the Senate.

65 freetoken  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 9:43:00pm

Amy Klein aims to quell the anti-applied-genetics bandwagon:

Embryo Testing Should Not Be Controversial

Fears of “designer babies” are not rational, is my contention.

Fears of “eugenics” are based in emotion.

We ought to be actively investigating ways to help people find ways to ensure that DNA caused maladies are reduced for their children.

66 palomino  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 9:46:18pm

Someone with the temperament of John McCain really shouldn’t be chief executive.

Obama is careful not to say things publicly like “Russia is just a big gas station masquerading as a country.”

How could it possibly be good to have McCain shooting from the lip and making inflammatory statements about virtually everything—as President, not just one of 100 Senators. It’s in the man’s DNA. As Obama once said about McCain, “he shoots first and aims later.” He wouldn’t be able to suddenly bring that under control at age 75.

67 freetoken  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 9:49:44pm

The LA Times puts up an article on the AAAS report:

Scientists warn of global warming’s abrupt changes

The comments show, once again, that the anti-knowledge crowd has “won” the internet screaming war.

Meanwhile, the Obama administration is, coincidentally (or not) using this time to push forward:

OBAMA UNLEASHING POWER OF DATA ON CLIMATE CHANGE

68 DKoch  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 9:50:52pm

re: #66 palomino

He wouldn’t be able to suddenly bring that under control at age 75.

He’s actually pushing 78

69 Lidane  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 9:52:51pm
70 Kragar  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 9:54:17pm

Game this weekend, getting my command squad ready

71 palomino  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 9:55:20pm

re: #64 Dark_Falcon

That rests on the assumption that the primary reason for the emergence of the Tea Party was Barack Obama’s race, which I would contest sharply. His race motivated a good bit of the animosity directed at him, but it did not cause that animosity to become organized. The organization arose in response to the presidents ideology and policy plans.

I seriously doubt McCain would have pushed for massive abortion restrictions or if he could have gotten any such restrictions past the Senate.

Bullshit. The TP was in full lynch mob mode well before Obama’s “radical ideology” had become apparent. You might want to go back and look at video from early 2009. Before there was any ACA, before there was even a stimulus package, rallies attended by rabid all-white audiences sprouted up across the US, especially of course in the South. Thousands of angry costume wearing buffoons were rabidly protesting against Obama because of nothing substantive except bailouts and taxes, neither of which he had started (in the case of bailouts) or increased (in the case of taxes). What they were really upset about was losing the election, especially to an “arrogant” black guy from an evil place that wasn’t south of the Mason-Dixon line.

72 goddamnedfrank  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 9:56:58pm

re: #64 Dark_Falcon

That rests on the assumption that the primary reason for the emergence of the Tea Party was Barack Obama’s race, which I would contest sharply. His race motivated a good bit of the animosity directed at him, but it did not cause that animosity to become organized. The organization arose in response to the presidents ideology and policy plans.

Transparent bullshit. The Tea Part was organizing less than a month into Obama’s first term, suddenly enraged about debts incurred under his white predecessor.

I seriously doubt McCain would have pushed for massive abortion restrictions or if he could have gotten any such restrictions past the Senate.

You shift so easily I don’t think you even understand when you’re doing it. This is what you said:

Conservative activists would have been more focused on getting the laws they wanted enacted and the TP would not have received the tremendous boost it got from the national debate over Obamacare in the summer of 2009.

So my response was about what conservative activists would have been focused on. And therefore what McCain would have been “focused on” is a dodge, a distraction, an utterly irrelevant response. The point is that McCain would have been far less prone to stand up to the very conservative politicians he would have needed to enable his insane foreign policy. To accomplish that he’d have sacrificed women’s reproductive rights in a second.

73 Lidane  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 9:59:35pm

re: #64 Dark_Falcon

The Tea Party existed years before Obama ever got nominated for POTUS. People were mailing tea bags to their congressmen as far back as the 90’s as part of organized Tax Day protests. It’s basically an outgrowth of the Perot campaign and his Reform party. The GOP just co-opted it and used the imagery for their own purposes.

Luap Nor babbled about the Tea Party in his primary run and the current movement stems from his supporters, who were then astroturfed by Fox News and the big donors like the Koch brothers into something else entirely. And yes, a big part of why they co-opted the Tea Party was to use their focus on Keep yer gubmint off mah Medicare to distract people from the very real racist undertone of opposition to Obama’s candidacy.

74 palomino  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 10:00:38pm

re: #68 DKoch

He’s actually pushing 78

Actually I should have typed 72, as that was his age on Inauguration Day 2009. Either way he’s an angry old fart, unlikely to suddenly turn into a tactful human being at such an advanced age.

75 CuriousLurker  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 10:03:03pm

*wanders in holding bizarre tweet with fingertips and, blinking, gingerly drops it into thread*

Dafuq?

I don’t even… What is that? It’s like moonbat, meets…? One of the libs I follow retweeted something with #AliceInArabia in it, so I went looking for the source to see what it was about and…

*shakes head, slumps into chair, dazed*

76 Lidane  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 10:03:42pm
77 Lidane  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 10:06:24pm

re: #75 CuriousLurker

It’s apparently a real TV pilot, but it’s receiving a shit ton of deserved criticism for that pitch.

Personally, I think the whole thing is stupid. Why not just have a show that focuses on a teenage girl that happens to be Muslim? Adding the rest of that garbage is just trying too hard to make some kind of incoherent point.

78 CuriousLurker  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 10:10:04pm

re: #77 Lidane

It’s apparently a real TV pilot, but it’s receiving a shit ton of deserved criticism for that pitch.

Personally, I think the whole thing is stupid. Why not just have a show that focuses on a teenage girl that happens to be Muslim? Adding the rest of that garbage is just trying too hard to make some kind of incoherent point.

Seriously—that’s for real? WTF? I thought it was snark from some pissed off moonbat, possibly one who’d gone off his/her meds. Sheesh.

79 Lidane  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 10:13:26pm

re: #78 CuriousLurker

Seriously—that’s for real? WTF? I thought it was snark from some pissed off moonbat, possibly one who’d gone off his/her meds. Sheesh.

It’s real, but they have the basic premise backwards. It’s about an American girl who has to live in Saudi Arabia:

scpr.org

80 Lidane  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 10:14:31pm

Here’s the actual pitch of the show:

“Alice in Arabia” is a high-stakes drama series about a rebellious American teenage girl who, after tragedy befalls her parents, is unknowingly kidnapped by her extended family, who are Saudi Arabian. Alice finds herself a stranger in a new world but is intrigued by its offerings and people, whom she finds surprisingly diverse in their views on the world and her situation. Now a virtual prisoner in her grandfather’s royal compound, Alice must count on her independent spirit and wit to find a way to return home while surviving life behind the veil. The pilot was written by Brooke Eikmeier, who previously served in the US Army as a Cryptologic Linguist in the Arabic language, trained to support NSA missions in the Middle East. She left service in September 2013 as a rank E-4 Specialist.

81 Jocko's Rocket Ship  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 10:18:18pm

These people seem to put corporations above people. It’s really revealing. Accept their rules, and work to please them or you’re a loser.

And they really lack any understanding of economics beyond 101, if that. Labor econ 330 says wages should rise with productivity. It hasn’t while corporate margins have increased and income and wealth gains flow to capital and the 1%. You can only be so relatively smart or work so hard - this hasn’t changed. So why now is nearly all our growth income going to the top 1%, and none to the bottom half?

They can shake the shiny metal object with lazy inner city people, but they’re really indicting 70% of the country whose income has barely increased while their income security has declined.

I can take a simple look at MCDonald’s income statement and say with confidence that a $10 min wage would result in ~3% increase in costs. If they pass all that along to the consumer it’s 20c to the Big Mac deal - or a one-time increase equal to their average yearly price increases. If you eat at MCD or fast food in general 100 times a year, that’s like $15 more annually, or a single 8-hour shift with the higher wage at MCD.

82 Targetpractice  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 10:19:15pm

re: #79 Lidane

It’s real, but they have the basic premise backwards. It’s about an American girl who has to live in Saudi Arabia:

scpr.org

Yeah, apparently there’s a lot of backlash on Twitter due to the wording of the series premise, namely “kidnapping” and “surviving life behind the veil.” Really, just at first blush, I’m not sure what ABC was thinking with buying into a pilot episode. Just what demographic were they hoping to appeal to with this?

83 wheat-dogghazi  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 10:19:35pm

re: #80 Lidane

Here’s the actual pitch of the show:

Sounds like a twisted version of a fairy tale, like Rapunzel locked in the tower, except with a plucky Disney heroine.

I suspect Muslims and Saudis might be offended.

84 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 10:19:48pm

re: #80 Lidane

Here’s the actual pitch of the show:

The creator of that show supported NSA operations, I see. If her show ends up getting an episode order it’ll be fun to watch Glenn Grenwald freak out. Heck, I’d watch the pilot episode just for that reason alone.

85 CuriousLurker  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 10:23:11pm

re: #79 Lidane

re: #80 Lidane

Okayyyy, I get it now. They’re mocking the premise of the show. Man, sometimes you encounter something on Twitter with no context and… O_O

ABC Family Orders Three Drama Pilots

ABC Family has added three drama pilots to its development slate and renewed comedies Melissa & Joey and Baby Daddy for additional seasons.

The youth-skewing Disney-owned cable network has added drama pilot Alice in Arabia, Recovery Road and Unstrung, while Melissa & Joey and Baby Daddy will be back for their respective fourth seasons. […]

hollywoodreporter.com

So there’s actually a show on a “family” network called Baby Daddy?

I weep for my country.

Excuse me while I run to the bedroom and scream into a pillow…

86 The Ghost of a Flea  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 10:23:14pm

re: #83 wheat-dogghazi

Sounds like a twisted version of a fairy tale, like Rapunzel locked in the tower, except with a plucky Disney heroine.

I suspect Muslims and Saudis might be offended.

it’s a slight twist on the “plucky European girl gets abducted to be a white slave in a Turkish harem” thing that turns up in penny dreadfuls.

87 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 10:24:30pm

re: #83 wheat-dogghazi

Sounds like a twisted version of a fairy tale, like Rapunzel locked in the tower, except with a plucky Disney heroine.

I suspect Muslims and Saudis might be offended.

What really worries me about a show like this is how Pam Geller and her band of haters would try to twist it into an anti-Islam morality tale. Presently clips out of context, harping on certain points endlessly, those are just a couple of ways this show would be usable by haters.

It could be used in positive ways as way, but in my mind the negatives are more important than the positives when it comes to a TV show. TV as medium favors the quick and easy and hate is quicker and easier than tolerance.

88 Lidane  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 10:26:14pm

re: #82 Targetpractice

Really, just at first blush, I’m not sure what ABC was thinking with buying into a pilot episode. Just what demographic were they hoping to appeal to with this?

My guess is that they wanted to try and “humanize” Muslims for people by showing an American teenager thrust into the Middle East and having to adapt. But the premise they’ve gone with is so stereotypical (being a virtual prisoner at a Saudi compound, horrible tragedy that leaves her stranded, etc.) that it’s going to be offensive just because it’s trying too hard to be clever.

Simpler is always better. Taking a show that would normally center on a middle to upper-middle class white girl and changing that girl and her family to Muslims isn’t that hard.

89 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 10:29:58pm

And in the Good News category tonight, Bruce Rauner won the Republican nomination for governor of Illinois tonight. He got 40% of the vote (Illinois does not do run offs for statewide office) while 2008 niminee Bill Brady got just over 15.1 of the vote. So now Brady (whom I sworn I would not vote for ever again) is defeated soundly, and Rauner (whom I actually voted for today) has won.

90 CuriousLurker  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 10:35:11pm

re: #82 Targetpractice

Yeah, apparently there’s a lot of backlash on Twitter due to the wording of the series premise, namely “kidnapping” and “surviving life behind the veil.” Really, just at first blush, I’m not sure what ABC was thinking with buying into a pilot episode. Just what demographic were they hoping to appeal to with this?

re: #86 The Ghost of a Flea

it’s a slight twist on the “girl gets abducted to be a white slave in a Turkish harem” thing that turns up in penny dreadfuls.

Well, Ms. Eikmeier sure didn’t miss a single stereotype, did she? I wonder how she would feel about a Middle Eastern drama where an Arab girl in the unknowingly kidnapped by her extended American family and dragged to live in the U.S…. [switch every negative stereotype to ones Middle Easterners have about Americans, keep the condescending tone, and then see how Americans on Twitter react to the plot]

91 wheat-dogghazi  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 10:39:12pm

re: #85 CuriousLurker

Okayyyy, I get it now. They’re mocking the premise of the show. Man, sometimes you encounter something on Twitter with no context and… O_O

So there’s actually a show on a “family” network called Baby Daddy?

I weep for my country.

Excuse me while I run to the bedroom and scream into a pillow…

I think Baby Daddy is a TV version of Three Men and a Baby, which was originally a French movie.

92 CuriousLurker  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 10:44:43pm

re: #88 Lidane

You’d think if they were concerned about humanizing Muslims they might run their show ideas past a few of us first. //

Simpler is always better. Taking a show that would normally center on a middle to upper-middle class white girl and changing that girl and her family to Muslims isn’t that hard.

THIS.

re: #91 wheat-dogghazi

I think Baby Daddy is a TV version of Three Men and a Baby, which was originally a French movie.

I see. Still, I find the title offensive. It’s like they’re mockingly appropriating… Gah, never mind. I’m gonna go to bed and forget about the stupid Twitterverse & cable TV. G’nite all.

93 Lidane  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 10:46:29pm

re: #87 Dark_Falcon

What really worries me about a show like this is how Pam Geller and her band of haters would try to twist it into an anti-Islam morality tale. Presently clips out of context, harping on certain points endlessly, those are just a couple of ways this show would be usable by haters.

It could be used in positive ways as way, but in my mind the negatives are more important than the positives when it comes to a TV show. TV as medium favors the quick and easy and hate is quicker and easier than tolerance.

The biggest problem with this show is that it’s trying too hard. It’s trying to dive into a premise they think is clever and different but it just ends up hitting every stereotype on the way down.

It would have made much more sense to take something like the Disney show Jessie, which has the plucky teenage girl rebelling against her strict family and moving to the big city, and making her a Muslim. Simple is always better.

94 AntonSirius  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 10:49:05pm

re: #47 jonhendry

Maldives seems like it’d be outside the range of MH370.

Actually, the Maldives are just within its range without needing to refuel, and it’s roughly on a straight line path after the U-turn. It’s plausible.

95 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 10:49:58pm

re: #93 Lidane

The biggest problem with this show is that it’s trying too hard. It’s trying to dive into a premise they think is clever and different but it just ends up hitting every stereotype on the way down.

It would have made much more sense to take something like the Disney show Jessie, which has the plucky teenage girl rebelling against her strict family and moving to the big city, and making her a Muslim. Simple is always better.

Maybe they think the swipe at Saudi Arabia will make it more popular. Or perhaps they thought without that added angle most viewer wouldn’t connect with it.

/Pure speculation.

96 Aqua Obama  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 10:52:07pm

A special gift for LGF

97 gwangung  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 10:52:15pm

re: #95 Dark_Falcon

Maybe they think the swipe at Saudi Arabia will make it more popular. Or perhaps they thought without that added angle most viewer wouldn’t connect with it.

/Pure speculation.

Execs of the theatre, TV and film industries are remarkably clueless when it comes to anything that’s not white, male and young.

They share a lot with Republicans….

98 Stephen T.  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 10:55:25pm

re: #29 jonhendry

So are the wingnuts dismissing these MoH recipients as “diversity medals” yet?

I’ve come across at least one already, but I’m damned if I can find the link now.

99 AntonSirius  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 11:01:52pm

re: #85 CuriousLurker

So there’s actually a show on a “family” network called Baby Daddy?

I weep for my country.

Excuse me while I run to the bedroom and scream into a pillow…

ABC Spark has been dead to me ever since they cancelled Bunheads.

100 freetoken  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 11:45:03pm

Leonard Cohen:

MP3 Audio

101 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 11:57:16pm

re: #95 Dark_Falcon

Maybe they think the swipe at Saudi Arabia will make it more popular. Or perhaps they thought without that added angle most viewer wouldn’t connect with it.

/Pure speculation.

Goodnight, All.

102 Lidane  Tue, Mar 18, 2014 11:59:08pm

The Most Interesting Kitten in the World:

And on that note, good night all. I haz follow up interview tomorrow and need sleep.

103 freetoken  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 12:02:30am

He rests here:

MP3 Audio

104 Amory Blaine  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 12:47:46am

LaBron James is a weapons system ~Alex Jones

105 Amory Blaine  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 1:05:33am

re: #48 Targetpractice

Nothing says rational consumer like clipping a coupon for laser eye surgery at the local strip mall.

106 freetoken  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 1:22:43am

Looking around the web, it is clear that last Sunday’s episode of Cosmos is causing the expected churn among the more zealous of religious outlets.

Having just watched that episode I think that the best thing Tyson did was telling of the Eye Story. It wasn’t new, and Tyson’s version is very similar to that which has shown up on various science documentaries the past few years. Still, it did a good job in showing (though it could have used a few more words) on how an aperture (in this case the ancestor to our pupils) is all that is needed to create a (relatively) clear image.

I don’t discount the power of story-telling - words are magick to us humans. The evolution of language is the central actor in what makes us modern humans.

Still, I grimace when I see the gloss over the real discoveries, and the total lack of what I think is the, by far, most important, aspect to the undertaking we call “science”.

107 freetoken  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 1:25:29am

MP3 Audio

108 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 2:42:59am

re: #106 freetoken

If you insist on a literal interpretation of the Bible, then you must not only reject science, you must reject logic and empirical reasoning.

Feel free to do that on your own time, but in order to have an organized, advanced (post-) industrial society, we are kinda stuck relying on science and logic, and not superstition, miracles and divine intervention.

109 Varek Raith  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 2:55:53am

re: #96 Aqua Obama

A special gift for LGF

How amusingly lame.
XD

110 Fairly Sure I'm Still Obdicut  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 3:14:06am

re: #64 Dark_Falcon

That rests on the assumption that the primary reason for the emergence of the Tea Party was Barack Obama’s race, which I would contest sharply. His race motivated a good bit of the animosity directed at him, but it did not cause that animosity to become organized. The organization arose in response to the presidents ideology and policy plans.

I seriously doubt McCain would have pushed for massive abortion restrictions or if he could have gotten any such restrictions past the Senate.

Yeah, it’s kind of obvious a lot of the animus towards Obama, not just from the Tea Party, but definitely from the Tea Party, is based on race. This is pretty obvious from the get-go, since the main policies he began with were continuations of Bush’s attempts to address the financial meltdown. The ‘birther’ shit is also really obvious racism.

And since the GOP has been pushing for massive abortion restrictions everywhere they can, it seems a weird hope that McCain wouldn’t have pushed for them nationally.

111 Amory Blaine  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 3:17:35am

re: #109 Varek Raith

The dudebro roomba. Crawls around sucking up stealing all your data.

112 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 3:39:09am

re: #110 Fairly Sure I’m Still Obdicut

And since the GOP has been pushing for massive abortion restrictions everywhere they can, it seems a weird hope that McCain wouldn’t have pushed for them nationally.

The fundamentalist GOP base was not at all pleased with McCain’s record on social policies, including abortion, and was prepared to run a third-party candidate to make their point.

I suspect that he had to really cave in on issues like abortion to guarantee their continued support.

113 wheat-dogghazi  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 3:41:36am

re: #106 freetoken

I was able to watch the first two episodes yesterday. We’ve way more eye candy and of course many more real discoveries since the original Cosmos aired. The new Cosmos does not scrimp on the eye candy — I was half expecting a Star Trek ship to come cruising by during the deep space scenes. The voiceovers by Sagan and the animated line drawings from bacterium to human from the original series were nice touches, too.

There was too much focus on Giordano Bruno and his punishment by the Church, IMO. Bruno was not a scientist, like Copernicus or Galileo, and his visions of an infinite universe with many suns and worlds were as “fringe science” then as anything Deepak Chopra can dish out now. Sure, it turns out Bruno was mostly correct, but that was luck, not science.

If the purpose was to contrast ideology and dogma to observation and scientific conclusions, then it would have been better to refer to Galileo’s travails.

I agree that the evolution of the eye was well done, especially the “creature’s eye view” panel. Creationists and IDists just do not comprehend that the eye did not pop into existence as a finished product all of a sudden. It took millions of years to evolve into its present form, which as Tyson explains, is not so effective as a seeing “device” for non-aquatic species. An Intelligent Designer would have presumably done a better job engineering the eye, was the unspoken conclusion.

Another quibble I have was with the extinctions hall. Tyson only referred to the Permian extinction in any detail, and did not visit the four other extinction events. I suppose those details will be in the companion book, but the editing in that part was a bit uneven.

Don’t get me wrong. I was a science teacher for a long time. I love this show.

114 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 3:43:42am

re: #113 wheat-dogghazi

Don’t get me wrong. I was a science teacher for a long time. I love this show.

And you are going to hell unless you repent.

/

115 Fairly Sure I'm Still Obdicut  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 3:56:06am

re: #112 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

The fundamentalist GOP base was not at all pleased with McCain’s record on social policies, including abortion, and was prepared to run a third-party candidate to make their point.

I suspect that he had to really cave in on issues like abortion to guarantee their continued support.

McCain wouldn’t have vetoed anti-abortion bills, and the way that the abortion amendment got shoved into the ACA shows what the GOP would have done anytime there was anything remotely relevant to abortion rights.

I mean, it’s hard to tell with McCain. He’s not so much a maverick as inconsistent. He would also, however, have immediately faced rebellion from Palin unless he was hewing to the far-right.

But there’s really no reason to believe he wouldn’t have just gone along with the far right, who are the mainstream of the GOP.

116 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 4:01:41am

re: #115 Fairly Sure I’m Still Obdicut

I mean, it’s hard to tell with McCain. He’s not so much a maverick as inconsistent. He would also, however, have immediately faced rebellion from Palin unless he was hewing to the far-right.

I saw his begrudging acceptance of Palin as a quid pro quo for continued support from the fundamentalist base.

117 wheat-dogghazi  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 4:03:05am

re: #114 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

And you are going to hell unless you repent.

/

Oh, a fundie would declare I was going to Hell for that and several other reasons, I’m sure.

No me importa.

118 Fairly Sure I'm Still Obdicut  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 4:05:22am

re: #116 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

I saw his begrudging acceptance of Palin as a quid pro quo for continued support from the fundamentalist base.

What was grudging about it? Where do you see the grudging?

119 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 4:14:20am

re: #118 Fairly Sure I’m Still Obdicut

What was grudging about it? Where do you see the grudging?

She was not his choice. Nor can imagine he would have chosen her. He knew that he had to appease the base and take a chance, he gambled and failed. Miserably. And rightly so…

120 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 4:25:40am

re: #48 Targetpractice

And like clockwork, a wingnut arguing with me about how a deregulated health insurance market could lead to sick people being able to get insurance without government “interference” brings up LASIK as “proof” that the market can bring down prices and help more people if left to its own devices. Except just cursory research turned up that LASIK clinics have time and again been the subject of government investigations for deceptive advertising, promising “cheap” surgery only for the person to find out that it’s gonna cost $1-2,000 per eye, instead of $299 per eye advertised.

Not to mention the fact that LASIK is an entirely elective procedure, like liposuction, not necessary treatment of a life and death condition.

121 Fairly Sure I'm Still Obdicut  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 4:29:54am

re: #119 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

She was not his choice. Nor can imagine he would have chosen her. He knew that he had to appease the base and take a chance, he gambled and failed. Miserably. And rightly so…

Why do you believe this?

122 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 4:46:07am

Fuckin’ payroll tax withholding, how does it work?

123 Fairly Sure I'm Still Obdicut  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 4:49:29am

re: #122 Pie-onist Overlord

Fuckin’ payroll tax withholding, how does it work?

[Embedded content]

What I love about this meme is it basically says “If stuff were more inconvenient, people would be annoyed.”

Genius observation.

124 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 5:00:11am
125 b.d.  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 5:23:41am

re: #124 Pie-onist Overlord

[Embedded content]

That’s about what my 401K was worth back then too.

126 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 5:32:59am

Getting a new swarm of wingnuts over this tweet. Bring it on assholes.

127 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 5:33:35am

HURR HURR!!!!! JFK WAS A DEMOCRAT!!!!!

128 Varek Raith  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 5:38:12am

re: #127 Pie-onist Overlord

HURR HURR!!!!! JFK WAS A DEMOCRAT!!!!!

[Embedded content]

Lol.

129 b.d.  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 5:38:33am

re: #127 Pie-onist Overlord

HURR HURR!!!!! JFK WAS A DEMOCRAT!!!!!

[Embedded content]

JFK Presidency = 1950s?

130 William Barnett-Lewis  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 5:38:38am

re: #127 Pie-onist Overlord

HURR HURR!!!!! JFK WAS A DEMOCRAT!!!!!

[Embedded content]

Tweet them this:

131 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 5:39:18am

re: #130 William Barnett-Lewis

Tweet them this:

[Embedded image]

Already did.

132 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 5:40:42am
133 chadu  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 5:41:10am

re: #56 Dark_Falcon

I think John McCain would would have made a good president. But I also think that him dying in office would have been a disaster of massive proportions. Sarah Palin was and remains unfit for high office.

Personally, I think McCain would have made a horrible president: more saber-rattling than GWB, not quite as malleable to the hands of the forces behind him but not quite willing to tell the party/backers to f-off (as he was back in the day), and frankly lacking empathy all around.

And Palin shouldn’t be entrusted with being the Wasilla dogcatcher, much less a heartbeat away from the button.

134 chadu  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 5:41:50am

re: #57 Targetpractice

I think McCain would have joined Hoover on the list of ignoble presidents, his faith in the “free market” and in “strong” foreign policy only exacerbating the damage done by Dubya. And I sure as fuck don’t think he’d have been able to do any better with Congressional Republicans than President Obama has.

dingdingding!

135 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 5:41:51am

Nah Baby can’t read, the Link title says clearly: The Geography of Inequality in the United States, 1950-2000

136 chadu  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 5:42:49am

re: #60 Dark_Falcon

If McCain had won it is likely the Tea Party would not have come into being. Conservative activists would have been more focused on getting the laws they wanted enacted and the TP would not have received the tremendous boost it got from the national debate over Obamacare in the summer of 2009.

I’ll give you that one.

137 chadu  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 5:43:32am

re: #61 Targetpractice

True, it likely would have led instead to a mid-term where Democrats only expanded their majorities in the House and Senate, ensuring McCain’s legacy as a guy who got little accomplished due to his need to keep the base happy but still look “bipartisan.”

I’m not sure I buy that.

138 Flounder  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 5:44:02am

Those pictures are making my eyes well up, who knew I had a heart?!

139 chadu  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 5:46:19am

re: #71 palomino

Bullshit. The TP was in full lynch mob mode well before Obama’s “radical ideology” had become apparent. You might want to go back and look at video from early 2009. Before there was any ACA, before there was even a stimulus package, rallies attended by rabid all-white audiences sprouted up across the US, especially of course in the South. Thousands of angry costume wearing buffoons were rabidly protesting against Obama because of nothing substantive except bailouts and taxes, neither of which he had started (in the case of bailouts) or increased (in the case of taxes). What they were really upset about was losing the election, especially to an “arrogant” black guy from an evil place that wasn’t south of the Mason-Dixon line.

I’m thinking the TP would have continued to be within the bounds of the established GOP, but we’d see a lot more of the “dissent is treason!” kind of stuff we saw when GWB was in office.

140 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 5:46:19am

JFK started the whole HURR HURR MOAR TAX CUTS FOR TEH RICHS!!!!! so what? Who ever said JFK was perfect?

141 chadu  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 5:47:03am

re: #71 palomino

What they were really upset about was losing the election, especially to an “arrogant” black guy from an evil place that wasn’t south of the Mason-Dixon line.

Evil places south of the Manson-Nixon line are fine.

142 chadu  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 5:48:57am

re: #140 Pie-onist Overlord

JFK started the whole HURR HURR MOAR TAX CUTS FOR TEH RICHS!!!!! so what? Who ever said JFK was perfect?

Of course he did; he was a rich guy.

He also started the ball rolling on civil rights, fucked around a lot on his wife, ramped up Vietnam, and handled both the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Bay of Pigs.

Mixed bag. Like every President.

143 chadu  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 5:50:15am

re: #73 Lidane

The Tea Party existed years before Obama ever got nominated for POTUS.

Militia movements, Clinton-era.

144 chadu  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 5:53:49am

re: #75 CuriousLurker

*wanders in holding bizarre tweet with fingertips and, blinking, gingerly drops it into thread*

Dafuq?

[Embedded content]

I don’t even… What is that? It’s like moonbat, meets…? One of the libs I follow retweeted something with #AliceInArabia in it, so I went looking for the source to see what it was about and…

*shakes head, slumps into chair, dazed*

I’d kind of be interested in seeing that, honestly. (More reading it than watching it.)

It would really depend on how… hateful? Slanted? Carrying too much Idiot Ball? — the story had.

A better take might be to strip the names/history off of things to show the same “hey, take a look at it from this angle” thing.

145 chadu  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 5:56:30am

re: #77 Lidane

It’s apparently a real TV pilot, but it’s receiving a shit ton of deserved criticism for that pitch.

It’s a crappy pitch, full of buzzwords.

Personally, I think the whole thing is stupid. Why not just have a show that focuses on a teenage girl that happens to be Muslim? Adding the rest of that garbage is just trying too hard to make some kind of incoherent point.

Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing shows on BOTH a teenage Muslim girl and a person trapped in a “modern American culture with the serial numbers filed off” type thing.

146 chadu  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 5:57:40am

re: #80 Lidane

Here’s the actual pitch of the show:

Interesting, but less interesting.

And fricking rife with opportunities to hate on Mooslims and Ay-rabs.

147 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 5:59:32am

HURR HURR!!!!! TEH TAXES IS TEH STEALING & TEH SLAVERYS!!!! HOW DARE TEH GOVT TAKE THERE MONEYS THAT TEH RICHS HAS EARNED BY THEMSELFS BY THERE HARD WURK & BOOTSTRAPS!!!!!!

148 chadu  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 6:02:57am

re: #123 Fairly Sure I’m Still Obdicut

What I love about this meme is it basically says “If stuff were more inconvenient, people would be annoyed.”

Genius observation.

If people paid more attention, they’d pay more attention.

149 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 6:08:07am

Oh and I got the usual wingnut insults:
HURR HURR!!! UR A YOONYUN THUG!!!! U STEAL MONEYS FROM TEH HARD WORKING EXECUTIVES & RICHS TO MAKE A GOOD LIVING FOR UR YOONYUN THUG FRIENDS WHILE U SIT AROUND ALL UNEMPLOYED & LIVING EASY ON TEH WELFARES & TEH FOOD STAMPS!!!!!

Yeah, actually said that, using the TwitLonger in order to extend the insults beyond the 140-char limit.

Never mind that it makes no freaking sense whatever.

150 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 6:09:18am

I have the #UAW tag in my Twitter bio so of course that makes me personally responsible for everything bad that has ever happened in Detroit ever.

151 Bubblehead II  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 6:21:29am

re: #149 Pie-onist Overlord

Oh and I got the usual wingnut insults:
HURR HURR!!! UR A YOONYUN THUG!!!! U STEAL MONEYS FROM TEH HARD WORKING EXECUTIVES & RICHS TO MAKE A GOOD LIVING FOR UR YOONYUN THUG FRIENDS WHILE U SIT AROUND ALL UNEMPLOYED & LIVING EASY ON TEH WELFARES & TEH FOOD STAMPS!!!!!

Yeah, actually said that, using the TwitLonger in order to extend the insults beyond the 140-char limit.

Never mind that it makes no freaking sense whatever.

Morning Lizards.

H/T Idaho Statesman and McClatchy Cartoons

Image: 56-PMoxQ.AuSt.91.jpeg

152 GunstarGreen  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 6:31:48am

re: #123 Fairly Sure I’m Still Obdicut

What I love about this meme is it basically says “If stuff were more inconvenient, people would be annoyed.”

Genius observation.

Yeah, pretty much. If you don’t already know how much of your gross income is going to income taxes, it’s because you’re an inattentive idiot, not because you’re not forced to write the check.

Shit shows up clear as day on every paystub, whether physical or electronic.

Then again, most of the rhetoric of the American Right is based around catering to inattentive idiots.

153 GunstarGreen  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 6:33:12am

re: #151 Bubblehead II

Morning Lizards.

H/T Idaho Statesman and McClatchy Cartoons

Image: 56-PMoxQ.AuSt.91.jpeg

Yep, pretty much.

Again, this little graphic bears repeating:

The cost of business has drastically risen in recent decades. And it ain’t because of the average worker.

154 b.d.  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 6:51:05am

Dear God, the posters over at DailyKos have completely lost their mind over:

To the “It’s Just Metadata Crowd” - The NSA Collects Content

by Jesselyn Radack.

dailykos.com

The have no idea that there is a difference between foreign and domestic and that the US constitution does not apply to foreigners living abroad.

What a disgrace.

155 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 6:56:44am

So what kind of “strength” does Ted Cruz think should be shown to Russia?
“The bombing begins in 5 minutes!”

156 b.d.  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 6:58:56am

re: #155 Pie-onist Overlord

So what kind of “strength” does Ted Cruz think should be shown to Russia?
“The bombing begins in 5 minutes!”

[Embedded content]

I’ll take “Things Ted Cruz’s dad heard while fighting for Castro for $100 Alex”

157 Fairly Sure I'm Still Obdicut  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 6:59:11am

re: #154 b.d.

Dude, it’s a thread with 45 comments.

Is there far too much support for Snowden among the activist ‘left’? Definitely. And a severe lack of understanding, too. But it’s among the least-commented and least-recommended stories on the rec list.

This one is pretty good:

dailykos.com

Just a good list of sober and judicious quotes about religion and government by the founders.

Or this:

dailykos.com

Coverage of how Obamacare is working in a red state.

158 AntonSirius  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 7:02:24am

re: #135 Pie-onist Overlord

Nah Baby can’t read, the Link title says clearly: The Geography of Inequality in the United States, >1950-2000

Subjects Nah Baby has proven to be ignorant of:

- history
- economics
- reading comprehension

159 Backwoods_Sleuth  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 7:04:05am

<script async src=”//platform.twitter.com” charset=”utf-8”></script>

160 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 7:11:28am

I just ordered my new ObamaCar!
THANK YOU YOONYUN THUGS!!!

161 wheat-dogghazi  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 7:18:43am

re: #160 Pie-onist Overlord

I just ordered my new ObamaCar!
THANK YOU YOONYUN THUGS!!!

I would hope the new ObamaCar is an electric vehicle, or at least a hybrid.

162 Iwouldprefernotto  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 7:30:18am

re: #161 wheat-dogghazi

I would hope the new ObamaCar is an electric vehicle, or at least a hybrid.

Does it come with an Obama phone or just sharks and laser beams?

163 wheat-dogghazi  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 7:33:24am

re: #162 Iwouldprefernotto

Does it come with an Obama phone or just sharks and laser beams?

ObamaPhone, GPS, and a direct link to the NSA! For the frickin’ sharks with laser beams, you have to order the submersible package, a dealer option.

164 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 7:39:07am

Teh Dumbest Man on Teh Interwebs Strikes Again:
OMG!!!!!!! WHY WOULD A PILOT WHO FLIES FOR AN ASIAN AIRLINE HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN HIS HOUSE!!!!!! IT MUST BE TERRORISM!!!!!!

165 Bubblehead II  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 7:41:26am

Cue the splodey heads about Obama coming for our guns.

Feds Raid Gun Store Despite Injunction

Despite an injunction approved by a judge, federal agents searched and seized items from several gun store locations in San Diego County.

(Notice the sign in the video. No serial number on the lower receiver)

More over at Fox News.

The ATF says their investigation into Ares Armor stems from the sale of a new plastic version of the 80 percent lower receiver, which can be used to build AR-15 rifles, according to the report.

// Now who didn’t see this coming?

166 wrenchwench  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 7:50:05am

Good morning.

167 William Barnett-Lewis  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 7:50:54am

re: #165 Bubblehead II

Cue the splodey heads about Obama coming for our guns.

Feds Raid Gun Store Despite Injunction

Despite an injunction approved by a judge, federal agents searched and seized items from several gun store locations in San Diego County.

(Notice the sign in the video. No serial number on the lower receiver)

More over at Fox News.

The ATF says their investigation into Ares Armor stems from the sale of a new >plastic version of the 80 percent lower receiver, which can be used to build AR-15 rifles, according to the report.

// Now who didn’t see this coming?

We had a discussion of this the other night.

Ares is probably in full compliance with BATFE regulations regarding 80% receivers. For those unfamiliar with this, an 80% completed receiver is not legally considered a weapon. I can buy one, do the remaining 20% of the work and build a fully legal semi-automatic rifle or carbine on it.

The argument stems from disagreements over the manufacturing process and how easy it is to complete that last 20%. As I noted, it appears Ares was in compliance and the apparent violation of the TRO does put BATFE into a bad spot regarding the use of any evidence they may have seized.

I have read a theory that a local politician/us senator may have goaded BATFE into this raid and that they didn’t really want to do it. But as with all of these things there are too many left wing and right wing conspiracy squeals to be sure just what is going on until it gets to court.

I do note that Ares was back in normal business on Monday which shows how little that BATFE really had to work with. Normally if they have anything the company is shut down.

168 Bubblehead II  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 7:52:17am

re: #164 Pie-onist Overlord

Teh Dumbest Man on Teh Interwebs Strikes Again:
OMG!!!!!!! WHY WOULD A PILOT WHO FLIES FOR AN ASIAN AIRLINE HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN HIS HOUSE!!!!!! IT MUST BE TERRORISM!!!!!!

[Embedded content]

He’s probably going to go totally ape shit when he reads this.

Missing flight simulator data probed in Malaysia Flight 370 disappearance

(CNN) — Investigators looking at the flight simulator taken from the home of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah have discovered that some data had been erased from it, Malaysia’s acting transportation minister said Wednesday.

169 Bubblehead II  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:00:56am

re: #167 William Barnett-Lewis

Thanks. Missed that thread apparently. All I could gather from both the video and the Fox story was that they had gone from manufacturing a 1 piece unit to a two piece unit that could conceivably remove the 20% machining requirement. If so, then Ares is definitely pushing the envelope.

170 sagehen  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:04:02am

Pretty pictures.

Winners of the 2014 Sony World Photography Awards, Part I

171 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:15:26am

BUT OBAMA IS TEH HITLER & PUTIN IS SO DREAMY!!!!!

172 Stanley Sea  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:16:55am

My new Obamacar is averaging 39 mpg so far. Not yet to 5K miles.

Loving it.

173 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:17:53am

re: #172 Stanley Sea

My new Obamacar is averaging 39 mpg so far. Not yet to 5K miles.

Loving it.

What kind you get?

174 Stanley Sea  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:20:39am

re: #173 Pie-onist Overlord

What kind you get?

Focus.

175 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:21:17am
176 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:21:40am

re: #174 Stanley Sea

Focus.

Sweet.

177 Killgore Trout  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:27:12am

Putin gets four Pinocchios
Fact Checking Vladimir Putin’s speech on Crimea

178 Stanley Sea  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:27:52am

re: #176 Pie-onist Overlord

Sweet.

I love it. I had a 2000 that I drove to it’s death in 2012. Had a Kia Optima for the time in-between. It was ok, but gobbled the gas.

179 Feline Fearless Leader  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:28:15am

re: #140 Pie-onist Overlord

JFK started the whole HURR HURR MOAR TAX CUTS FOR TEH RICHS!!!!! so what? Who ever said JFK was perfect?

It’s the standard “dispute your authority and you destroy their entire argument” approach. Similar to the belief that if they discredit Darwin than evolution as a theory is destroyed along with it.

180 Feline Fearless Leader  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:30:41am

re: #154 b.d.

Dear God, the posters over at DailyKos have completely lost their mind over:

dailykos.com

The have no idea that there is a difference between foreign and domestic and that the US constitution does not apply to foreigners living abroad.

What a disgrace.

They only think that “foreign” means that the beer is more expensive than the one that says “domestic”.
//

181 HappyWarrior  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:31:23am

re: #179 Feline Fearless Leader

It’s the standard “dispute your authority and you destroy their entire argument” approach. Similar to the belief that if they discredit Darwin than evolution as a theory is destroyed along with it.

What’s also worth mentioning is JFK was cutting taxes on the wealthy from 90% to 70%. It amuses me when today’s conservatives try to claim JFK as their own when conservatives at the time were posting these in Dallas.
Image: 28258_lg.jpeg

182 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:32:43am

re: #181 HappyWarrior

What’s also worth mentioning is JFK was cutting taxes on the wealthy from 90% to 70%. It amuses me when today’s conservatives try to claim JFK as their own when conservatives at the time were posting these in Dallas.
Image: 28258_lg.jpeg

HURR HURR BUT OSWALD WAS TEH COMMUNIST!!!!!!!!

183 Fairly Sure I'm Still Obdicut  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:34:46am

re: #167 William Barnett-Lewis

We had a discussion of this the other night.

Ares is probably in full compliance with BATFE regulations regarding 80% receivers. For those unfamiliar with this, an 80% completed receiver is not legally considered a weapon. I can buy one, do the remaining 20% of the work and build a fully legal semi-automatic rifle or carbine on it.

The argument stems from disagreements over the manufacturing process and how easy it is to complete that last 20%. As I noted, it appears Ares was in compliance and the apparent violation of the TRO does put BATFE into a bad spot regarding the use of any evidence they may have seized.

Nah, Ares got too clever. Frank wrote it up a few threads ago.

These are the kind of idiots that give gun-likers a bad name, anyway. Pushing the envelope on unregistered, unserialized guns, I mean, come on, where the hell is the good in that? What legitimate reason is there for it?

184 HappyWarrior  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:34:53am

re: #182 Pie-onist Overlord

HURR HURR BUT OSWALD WAS TEH COMMUNIST!!!!!!!!

Yep. Totally ignore the right wing hostility to JFK. And there were to a degree JFK birthers or more precisely JFK PT Boaters who tried to claim he wasn’t heroic in WWII. The right villifies guys like JFK while they’re alive or Clinton when they’re in power but then when they realize that the American people liked them and their policies, they try to claim them as their own. I’ve seen the same thing with Truman done.

185 Killgore Trout  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:37:02am

re: #154 b.d.

Dear God, the posters over at DailyKos have completely lost their mind over:

dailykos.com

The have no idea that there is a difference between foreign and domestic and that the US constitution does not apply to foreigners living abroad.

What a disgrace.

They go bonkers over everything Jessilyn Radack posts.

186 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:42:15am

So the Tatars are about to be expelled from Crimea, I wonder what The Great Glenn will say about it.

Other than nothing.

187 Mattand  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:42:51am

re: #183 Fairly Sure I’m Still Obdicut

Nah, Ares got too clever. Frank wrote it up a few threads ago.

These are the kind of idiots that give gun-likers a bad name, anyway. Pushing the envelope on unregistered, unserialized guns, I mean, come on, where the hell is the good in that? What legitimate reason is there for it?

FREEDUMB!!!!!!

188 HappyWarrior  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:43:22am

re: #186 Pie-onist Overlord

So the Tatars are about to be expelled from Crimea, I wonder what The Great Glenn will say about it.

Other than nothing.

Iraq your argument is invalid? Oh I forgot the obligatory snide remark, “Iraq, your argument is invalid, you Obamologist.”

189 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:43:35am

Let me guess:

HURR HURR!!!! I AM TEH GREAT JOURNALIST DOING JOURNALISM HERE!!! I DECIDE WHAT SHOULD BE REPORTED NOT WHAT YOU, NON-JOURNALIST WHO HAS NEVER DONE TEH JOURNALISM, THINK SHOULD BE REPORTED!!!!!!!

190 Mattand  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:47:40am

re: #189 Pie-onist Overlord

Let me guess:

HURR HURR!!!! I AM TEH GREAT JOURNALIST DOING JOURNALISM HERE!!! I DECIDE WHAT SHOULD BE REPORTED NOT WHAT YOU, NON-JOURNALIST WHO HAS NEVER DONE TEH JOURNALISM, THINK SHOULD BE REPORTED!!!!!!!

On a tangential note: One of the guests on the This Week in Tech podcast went full-on slobber over Snowden’s appearance at SXSW, literally calling him an American hero.

Between that and John C. Dvorak believing that the missing Malaysian jet is safely intact on the ground with all its passengers dead inside, I had to turn off the podcast. First time I’ve ever done that.

What the fuck is it about tech journalism that brings out the paranoid and conspiracy?

191 b.d.  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:47:51am

re: #185 Killgore Trout

They go bonkers over everything Jessilyn Radack posts.

Top of the rec. list, over 230 comments much of them like this:

I sure would love to see the EU put sanctions(6+ / 0-)
upon us, but alas, most of them are collusive.

by pajoly on Wed Mar 19, 2014 at 08:56:42 AM CDT

192 Internet Tough Guy  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:48:24am

re: #186 Pie-onist Overlord

I think he’ll write about how he trusts his president to fight the terror threat.

193 William Barnett-Lewis  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:48:27am

re: #183 Fairly Sure I’m Still Obdicut

Nah, Ares got too clever. Frank wrote it up a few threads ago.

These are the kind of idiots that give gun-likers a bad name, anyway. Pushing the envelope on unregistered, unserialized guns, I mean, come on, where the hell is the good in that? What legitimate reason is there for it?

I read Frank’s posts. From what I can see of the regulations, Ares is probably in compliance. I say probably because it’ll have to go to a federal court to say for sure since BATFE works on the “guilty till proven innocent” model.

The reason for the 80% business is simple enough - though I’m sure it’s illegitimate to you - is the belief that the government will come to seize firearms eventually and thus they need to have firearms without serials or other paper trails that can be kept safe.

There is also a simple joy in building such a thing. I don’t have a lathe or milling machine to do it from scratch but an aluminum 80% receiver, the proper jigs & a few hours time on my father’s drill press would make for an entertaining weekend (or two) project. I’d prefer a 1911 80% over a AR one but then I’m rather more of a Fudd than the real gun nuts like.

In the end it’s not that much different from working up ammunition for a WWII rifle like my Type 99 Arisaka or other such hobbies.

194 Killgore Trout  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:49:19am

re: #191 b.d.

Top of the rec. list, over 230 comments much of them like this:

lol

195 RealityBasedSteve  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:53:06am

re: #168 Bubblehead II

He’s probably going to go totally ape shit when he reads this.

Missing flight simulator data probed in Malaysia Flight 370 disappearance

(CNN) — Investigators looking at the flight simulator taken from the home of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah have discovered that some data had been erased from it, Malaysia’s acting transportation minister said Wednesday.

“I’ll say ‘Because Dim Jim’s idea of a simulator involves vinyl and is called ‘Embraceable Ewe’ Alex”

RBS

196 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:05:49am

Seen on FB: WHERE CAN I BUY THIS NEW “RESPONSIBLY” LIQUOR THAT ALL THE ADVERTS ARE TELLING ME TO DRINK?

197 Fairly Sure I'm Still Obdicut  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:07:09am

re: #193 William Barnett-Lewis

I

The reason for the 80% business is simple enough - though I’m sure it’s illegitimate to you - is the belief that the government will come to seize firearms eventually and thus they need to have firearms without serials or other paper trails that can be kept safe.

Yeah, that’s what I mean about them giving others in the gun community a bad name. That sort of crazy paranoid militia stuff is frightening.

198 ericblair  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:07:27am

re: #190 Mattand

What the fuck is it about tech journalism that brings out the paranoid and conspiracy?

My guess is it’s a combination of the tech journalist white young single middle-class demographic who don’t usually have anything more pressing to worry about, and the data overload that can generate any coincidence you can think of. If you have a bit of brains and imagination and a lack of impulse control you can turn any few bits of data into a full-blown fantasy in a couple of hours.

199 HappyWarrior  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:09:05am

re: #196 Pie-onist Overlord

Seen on FB: WHERE CAN I BUY THIS NEW “RESPONSIBLY” LIQUOR THAT ALL THE ADVERTS ARE TELLING ME TO DRINK?

You can buy it with Zima.

200 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:10:51am

TEH DERP NEVER ENDS.

201 HappyWarrior  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:12:16am

re: #200 Pie-onist Overlord

TEH DERP NEVER ENDS.

[Embedded content]

Pffft every generation of wingnuts claims the government is too big. The Wingnuts of Washington’s time even thought a Constitution itself was big government.

202 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:14:23am

re: #201 HappyWarrior

Pffft every generation of wingnuts claims the government is too big. The Wingnuts of Washington’s time even thought a Constitution itself was big government.

But somehow they ignore that Bush bought 2 wars and Medicare D and a tax cut for the rich 10 years ago, and put it on the National Credit Card and wiped out the budget surplus.

203 wrenchwench  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:15:01am

Bird tweets are the best.

204 HappyWarrior  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:16:22am

re: #202 Pie-onist Overlord

But somehow they ignore that Bush bought 2 wars and Medicare D and a tax cut for the rich 10 years ago, and put it on the National Credit Card and wiped out the budget surplus.

That’s because Bush was a Republican. If Biden had said what Cheney did about deficits not mattering, they would probably demand his immediate resignation or impeachment. And don’t forget how “fiscally responsible” their idol Reagan was.

205 HappyWarrior  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:16:42am

re: #203 wrenchwench

[Embedded content]

Bird tweets are the best.

Abbird Road :).

206 Bubblehead II  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:18:39am

Another pipeline. Another leak.

Crews working around clock after oil leak in Ohio

CINCINNATI — Crews worked today to prevent the spread of more than 10,000 gallons of oil that leaked into a southwest Ohio nature preserve and clean up the mess, a task expected to take several days.

So far it looks like they dodged the bullet with this one.

As of today, the only sign of damage to wildlife was a single dead crawfish, said Ohio Department of Natural Resources spokesman Matt Eiselstein.

207 HappyWarrior  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:22:12am

The irony is the most fiscally conservative and responsible Republicans to hold the office were people like Eisenhower, Ford, and H.W Bush who are deemed RINOs now. And Clinton too. The GOP/right has equated fiscally conservative with tax cuts above all else and that’s not nor has it ever been fiscally responsible. But that’s what happens when you let Grover Norquist set policy and bully anyone who sees that sometimes you need tax raises to pay for shit and not merely cuts in social programs.

208 Weet  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:22:29am

<script async src=”//platform.twitter.com” charset=”utf-8”></script>

209 Fairly Sure I'm Still Obdicut  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:26:24am

re: #198 ericblair

My guess is it’s a combination of the tech journalist white young single middle-class demographic who don’t usually have anything more pressing to worry about, and the data overload that can generate any coincidence you can think of. If you have a bit of brains and imagination and a lack of impulse control you can turn any few bits of data into a full-blown fantasy in a couple of hours.

I think part of it is the general-to-specific problem, too. If you work in tech, you know how powerful information is, how easy it is to find out all sorts of things about a person even without having court powers and electronic warrants at your disposal.

The problem is that the NSA can’t, won’t, doesn’t want to bring that to bear on every individual. They can’t because putting together that sort of narrative takes time, human attention. They won’t and don’t want to because it’s not their mission, or anything close to it—their whole job is singling out information about people of interest, not being interested in everyone.

210 Dr Lizardo  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:27:57am

re: #208 Weet

[Embedded content]

Randall Flagg would totally encourage and egg on RWNJ’s, while chuckling to himself, “What a bunch of rubes.”

211 HappyWarrior  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:29:05am

re: #208 Weet

[Embedded content]

What did he do to piss them off this time?

212 Lidane  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:29:56am

re: #177 Killgore Trout

No shit. Did anyone ever think Putin was telling the truth about Crimea?

213 Weet  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:31:28am

<script async src=”//platform.twitter.com” charset=”utf-8”></script>

214 HappyWarrior  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:32:10am

re: #213 Weet

[Embedded content]

All quiet on the Snowden front with that news I’m sure.

215 HappyWarrior  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:32:39am

theonion.com
I hope Vitale takes him up on it.

217 HappyWarrior  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:36:25am

re: #216 Varek Raith

Fox News host Bill Hemmer explains missing plane: ‘It took 2,000 years to find Noah’s Ark’

It will take another 2000 to find evidence of intelligent thinking on FNC.

218 Decatur Deb  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:36:50am

re: #216 Varek Raith

Fox News host Bill Hemmer explains missing plane: ‘It took 2,000 years to find Noah’s Ark’

They should look for the airliner in N. Central Kentucky.

219 ericblair  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:38:53am

re: #209 Fairly Sure I’m Still Obdicut

I think part of it is the general-to-specific problem, too. If you work in tech, you know how powerful information is, how easy it is to find out all sorts of things about a person even without having court powers and electronic warrants at your disposal.

Yeah, and the tech culture’s casual attitude towards rules in general. There’s an advantage to breaking rules sometimes, but the sort of contempt of rules and policy and process has gotten out of control. Government has tools to do a lot of things, including spying on citizens and blowing up the planet, and doesn’t because it’s against the law. You tell them that and they snort at you like you’re some naive idiot, but yes, people, especially in government service, obey the rules here.

220 b.d.  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:41:28am

re: #216 Varek Raith

Fox News host Bill Hemmer explains missing plane: ‘It took 2,000 years to find Noah’s Ark’

I guess they didn’t like Lemon over at CNN trying to take over their true believer audience

221 Kragar  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:42:02am

re: #200 Pie-onist Overlord

TEH DERP NEVER ENDS.

[Embedded content]

Another “no one really paid taxes in the ’50s” moron?

222 Kragar  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:42:42am

re: #220 b.d.

I guess they didn’t like Lemon over at CNN trying to take over their true believer audience

So the Ark was discovered when exactly?

223 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:43:07am

This is easily the dumbest thing I’ve seen all day, which is remarkable seeing as it trumps all the dumb things I read on Twitter this morning, and all the dumb things I’ve experienced at work over the past ~4 hours.

[Lubbock] Texans attack “Muslim Weather”

The term “Haboob” is the Arabic word for wind—try saying it a few times, it’s fun!—and American meteorologists have been using it since the 1950’s to describe a huge sandstorm. Most recently, however, the word inspired a mini-firestorm.

Shortly after KCBD News Channel 11 in Lubbock, Texas posted a photo on its Facebook page with the caption “Haboob headed toward Lubbock” Texans begun to freak out, taking to Facebook to make it clear they aren’t fond of Arabs or Muslims therefore don’t want to hear no, “meddle [sic] eastern term.”

The hullabaloo over “haboob” ranged from run of the mill xenophobic comments such as, “Its a freakin’ dust storm people!! Its not a Haboob!! This is America….be proud!!!” to the more angry, racist remarks like:

“Since when do we need to apply a Muslim vocabulary to a good ole AMERICAN dirt storm?? …I take great offense to such terminology! GO BACK TO CALLING THEM DIRT STORMS!!”

“It’s called a dust storm..Texas is not a [bigoted word] country.”

“Never had a haboob until we got that Muslim boob for POTUS.”

“John Robinson [the station’s meteorologist] wants to call it a Haboob, let him MOVE to where a SAND STORM is called that!!!!!!!!!!”

224 Varek Raith  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:43:10am

re: #222 Kragar

So the Ark was discovered when exactly?

Just now.

225 RealityBasedSteve  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:43:54am

re: #203 wrenchwench

[Embedded content]

Bird tweets are the best.

All those Toms going “Hey baby… Hey there… Check me out… ” and the Hens are like “yea… see ya around maybe”

RBS

226 Varek Raith  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:44:03am

re: #223 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce

haBOOB.
Heheheheh, boob.
/

227 Kragar  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:44:31am

re: #224 Varek Raith

Just now.

You would think some of the civilizations such as the Romans, Persians, Chinese, etc might have remarked something about a flood.

228 Varek Raith  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:46:25am

229 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:47:37am

re: #121 Fairly Sure I’m Still Obdicut

Why do you believe this?

McCain’s first choice was joe Liebermann, but he was an Independent (ex Democrat) and Jewish, which would have totally alienated the extreme right/Christian fundamentalist wing of the party.

McCain was smart enough to know that Sarah was a bad choice, but she was foisted on him as his only choice if he wanted the slightest chance of winning.

230 Ian G.  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:49:04am

re: #223 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce

This is easily the dumbest thing I’ve seen all day, which is remarkable seeing as it trumps all the dumb things I read on Twitter this morning, and all the dumb things I’ve experienced at work over the past ~4 hours.

[Lubbock] Texans attack “Muslim Weather”

I hope none of them look up the origin of the word “tornado”. It comes from that illegal immigrant language.

Maybe in a few weeks (assuming spring ever arrives), NWS Lubbock will issue a “rotating freedom storm” watch, in order to placate wingut PC sensibilities.

231 wrenchwench  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:49:15am

re: #223 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce

This is easily the dumbest thing I’ve seen all day, which is remarkable seeing as it trumps all the dumb things I read on Twitter this morning, and all the dumb things I’ve experienced at work over the past ~4 hours.

[Lubbock] Texans attack “Muslim Weather”

Shiplord cover that here, and I made a pithy comment:

Wait until they find out that public schools are teaching algebra!

232 HappyWarrior  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:50:52am

re: #227 Kragar

You would think some of the civilizations such as the Romans, Persians, Chinese, etc might have remarked something about a flood.

They were just anti-Christian pagans.//

233 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:51:53am

re: #223 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce

It is seen as a sign of True patriotism to line up and openly reject anything vaguely connected with Islam, like Halal turkeys or separate swimming classes.

234 Charles Johnson  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:52:05am

This morning I got an amazingly deranged wall-of-text rant from a right wing Greenwald cultist. Could be a “We Got Mail” post.

235 Ian G.  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:52:14am

So yesterday evening, sitting in the airport in sunny Buffalo, NY (no, really, it was a very nice day there yesterday), I saw CNN was on the TV, and while I couldn’t hear it, the big red headline at the bottom said “MAH 370 still missing, Israel on high alert”.

What? Is CNN telling me that Iran has the plane? Did Hezbollah get it? Thinking about that headline too much will probably cause my brain to spring a leak, so I’m not going to. I invite explanations from others, however.

236 b.d.  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:52:18am

re: #222 Kragar

So the Ark was discovered when exactly?

On a Thursday iirc, Gregorianly adjusted, of course.

237 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:52:41am

Wingnuts keep asking WHY ARE THERE NO PICTURES OF OBAMA LIKE THIS?
Because, morans, if there were, you’d be like all OH LOOK HE WIPED HIS MOUTH ON TEH FLAG TO SHOW DISRESPECT HE TEH MUSLINCOMMUNIST!!!!!

238 wrenchwench  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:53:11am

re: #20 CuriousLurker

Richard Engel retweeted the photo below about 30 minutes ago, which sent me on a quick trip down the rabbit hole…

[Embedded content]

I’m a fan of urban “street” art even though it can get a bit dark at times (I also love weird stuff a la Tim Burton), so I went looking for the artist. Here are all of his works, and here are some Vimeo videos of his work:

>Into the woods, Blanca, Murcia. Spain
[Embedded content]

Later, lizards.

I went down the very same rabbit hole yesterday! Glad I didn’t get around to posting about it because you always do it better. :)

239 HappyWarrior  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:55:32am

re: #237 Pie-onist Overlord

Wingnuts keep asking WHY ARE THERE NO PICTURES OF OBAMA LIKE THIS?
Because, morans, if there were, you’d be like all OH LOOK HE WIPED HIS MOUTH ON TEH FLAG TO SHOW DISRESPECT HE TEH MUSLINCOMMUNIST!!!!!
[Embedded image]

That’s not even a flattering picture if you ask me. Surely, they can find better ones of Reagan with the flag.

240 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:56:32am

re: #237 Pie-onist Overlord

The real reason is simply this: people who have no idea what true patriotism is abou tendt to fixate on symbols: flags, salutes, uniforms, etc…

Just as people who have no idea what it truly means to be a man also fixate on accepted symbols and stereotypes: muscles, bare chests, guns, etc…

241 Kragar  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:57:14am
242 Kragar  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:58:53am

Youtube Video

243 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:00:46am

WTFITS? From the guy who claims THEIR ARE NO PICTURES OF OBAMA HUGGING SOLDIERS!!!!!!
Putin rolled into Georgia & Bush went fishing.

244 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:02:01am

re: #240 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

The real reason is simply this: people who have no idea what true patriotism is abou tendt to fixate on symbols: flags, salutes, uniforms, etc…

Just as people who have no idea what it truly means to be a man also fixate on accepted symbols and stereotypes: muscles, bare chests, guns, etc…

Pretty much. Wingnuts are easily impressed with shiny objects like TEH FLAG!!!! EAGLES!!!! COLONIAL DUDES!!!! GUNZ!!!11!!!

245 HappyWarrior  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:02:29am

re: #241 Kragar

[Embedded content]

Oh you’re tough Governor, declaring war on unions when they’re at their weakest in modern history.

246 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:02:31am

HURR HURR SEXY HALF-NEKKID BABE WITH GUNZ!!!!!!

247 wrenchwench  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:02:44am

re: #241 Kragar

[Embedded content]

Goddamned teabagger.

248 HappyWarrior  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:02:53am

re: #246 Pie-onist Overlord

HURR HURR SEXY HALF-NEKKID BABE WITH GUNZ!!!!!!

God bless America.

249 Internet Tough Guy  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:02:58am

re: #243 Pie-onist Overlord

I agree, because if W were still prez he’d be doing the baltic states too.

250 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:03:59am

HURR HURR!!!!!!

251 HappyWarrior  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:04:33am

re: #243 Pie-onist Overlord

WTFITS? From the guy who claims THEIR ARE NO PICTURES OF OBAMA HUGGING SOLDIERS!!!!!!
Putin rolled into Georgia & Bush went fishing.

[Embedded content]

Yeah because that whole business in Georgia happened in Obama’s presidency. Face it wingnuts, Bush’s “cowboy” act scared practically no one and despite what you believe about Obama, he’s not a wuss.

252 RealityBasedSteve  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:04:52am

re: #246 Pie-onist Overlord

HURR HURR SEXY HALF-NEKKID BABE WITH GUNZ!!!!!!

Where??? /NeckCrackingHeadSwivel

RBS

253 Kragar  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:05:42am

re: #246 Pie-onist Overlord

HURR HURR SEXY HALF-NEKKID BABE WITH GUNZ!!!!!!

Hey, I love hot chicks with guns. I just don’t consider them role models or an essential part of our nations criminal justice or national defense infrastructure.

254 Targetpractice  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:06:10am

re: #250 Pie-onist Overlord

HURR HURR!!!!!!

[Embedded content]

Yes, minorities getting home loans was the problem, not the banks repackaging subprime loans as top-grade investments, rich folks running up the market through speculation, or vulture capitalists selling homes as “investments” and telling people they could get rich buying up crappy homes to remodel themselves.

255 HappyWarrior  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:07:17am

re: #254 Targetpractice

Yes, minorities getting home loans was the problem, not the banks repackaging subprime loans as top-grade investments, rich folks running up the market through speculation, or vulture capitalists selling homes as “investments” and telling people they could get rich buying up crappy homes to remodel themselves.

Or not a word on how their side pretty much universally accepted the repeal of Glass-Steagall.

256 HappyWarrior  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:08:23am

But yeah let’s just blame Clinton and the Dems even though Bush’s economic policies stank to high heaven but wait I’m “blaming Bush” and will hear it from the same people who use Jimmy Carter as a boogeyman over 30 years after he last lived in the WH.

257 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:08:56am

re: #253 Kragar

Hey, I love hot chicks with guns. I just don’t consider them role models or an essential part of our nations criminal justice or national defense infrastructure.

258 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:09:33am

How is the day so far?

It’s overcast and muddy in my part of the world.

259 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:10:36am

260 Kragar  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:11:15am
261 Kragar  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:11:38am

re: #257 Pie-onist Overlord

[Embedded content]

So they use the Terminator as their example?

262 Mike Lamb  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:12:20am

re: #257 Pie-onist Overlord

[Embedded content]

Knee jerk reaction is that the study is bullshit.

263 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:13:35am

remember, in our discussions on the nature of money—the word: placeholder?

Why I love Montessori Eduction

264 Targetpractice  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:13:52am

re: #257 Pie-onist Overlord

[Embedded content]

Can I see that study? Because I’ve seen the statistics and am willing to bet more women are killed every year with their own guns by husbands/boyfriends than defend themselves.

265 Kragar  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:14:30am

re: #262 Mike Lamb

Knee jerk reaction is that the study is bullshit.

I notice they didn’t include the name of the study, a link to the study, or disclose the fact that NRA lobbyists have been blocking those kinds of study for decades now.

266 Lidane  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:14:50am

I am amused by this, especially when you consider the graham cracker’s origins.

267 wrenchwench  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:15:02am

re: #96 Aqua Obama

A special gift for LGF

The disembodied Headward Snowden.

Soooo creeeepy.

268 Targetpractice  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:15:58am

re: #260 Kragar

[Embedded content]

And American Indians are looking on like “Yeah, we feel for that one too.”

269 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:15:58am

SIGN if you choose

270 BongCrodny  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:15:58am

re: #241 Kragar

[Embedded content]

I wonder who they’ll be able to blame their bullshit theories once the unions are completely and thoroughly gutted.

“Well, see, if we hadn’t given the unions so much power in the 50’s, we wouldn’t be having these problems today!”

271 Targetpractice  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:16:32am

re: #266 Lidane

[Embedded content]

I am amused by this, especially when you consider the graham cracker’s origins.

Suddenly, I have a desire for s’mores.

272 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:16:55am
273 Decatur Deb  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:17:10am

re: #267 wrenchwench

The disembodied Headward Snowden.

Soooo creeeepy.

Thief on a stick.

274 HappyWarrior  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:17:10am

re: #271 Targetpractice

Suddenly, I have a desire for s’mores.

Me too. I don’t care how cold it is out there.

275 Charles Johnson  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:17:24am
276 Fairly Sure I'm Still Obdicut  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:18:39am

re: #229 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

McCain’s first choice was joe Liebermann, but he was an Independent (ex Democrat) and Jewish, which would have totally alienated the extreme right/Christian fundamentalist wing of the party.

McCain was smart enough to know that Sarah was a bad choice, but she was foisted on him as his only choice if he wanted the slightest chance of winning.

Where are you getting the idea she was foisted on him?

277 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:18:46am

278 wrenchwench  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:20:10am

re: #277 FemNaziBitch

[Embedded image]

One of yours?

279 sagehen  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:20:38am

re: #233 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

It is seen as a sign of True patriotism to line up and openly reject anything vaguely connected with Islam, like Halal turkeys or separate swimming classes.

Is it Islamic that the JCC pool also has women’s hour a few times a week? (men’s hour is only once a week. Feminist Tyranny!!)

280 Fairly Sure I'm Still Obdicut  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:22:14am

re: #275 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

Which one, Jr or Sr?

281 Lidane  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:23:21am

re: #276 Fairly Sure I’m Still Obdicut

Where are you getting the idea she was foisted on him?

I think the foisting was by McCain on the rest of us.

She was a last minute, desperate choice by McCain and his campaign to try and attract disgruntled Hillary supporters by saying “See! We can nominate a woman! Vote GOP!” It also helped that Princess Dumbass of the Northwoods was just as dumb as the far right loons McCain needed on his side.

At the end of the day, she was still his choice, and it showed how desperate and craven he was. He went with someone he barely even knew existed to try and knock Obama off the front pages.

282 Charles Johnson  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:25:26am
283 HappyWarrior  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:26:54am

re: #281 Lidane

I think the foisting was by McCain on the rest of us.

She was a last minute, desperate choice by McCain and his campaign to try and attract disgruntled Hillary supporters by saying “See! We can nominate a woman! Vote GOP!” It also helped that Princess Dumbass of the Northwoods was just as dumb as the far right loons McCain needed on his side.

At the end of the day, she was still his choice, and it showed how desperate and craven he was. He went with someone he barely even knew existed to try and knock Obama off the front pages.

I think the whole thing regardless of circumstance speaks to that McCain was not cut out to be president of the US if he was gong to being making his VP selection based onf fear from the base. I don’t buy that view FTR. I think you’re right that he and his aides saw disgruntled Hillary supporters and thought they could lure them to their side by picking Palin and wanted a splash. The whole thing I think shows that McCain has shitty judgment ultimately and man am I glad he’s not president every day since we’d probably be at war with Russia several times over had he been in charge given that McCain is prone to rash decision making rather than making the calculated move.

284 Charles Johnson  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:26:59am

re: #280 Fairly Sure I’m Still Obdicut

Which one, Jr or Sr?

Roger Pielke, Jr. The one with a long, long, history of distorting facts and misrepresenting climate science. Well, that’s another “new media” startup I can write off.

285 Lidane  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:28:09am
286 122 Year Old Obama  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:28:36am

re: #285 Lidane

Rebranding!

287 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:28:46am

Secretary Johnson announces results of operation that dismantled underground child exploitation enterprise on Tor network

So far, investigators have identified 251 minor victims in 39 states and five foreign countries: 228 in the United States and 23 in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Belgium. Eight of the victims were female and 243 were male. The majority of victims, 159, were 13 to 15 years old. Fifty nine victims were 16 and 17; 26 victims were 10 to 12; four victims were 7 to 9; one victim was 4 to 6; and two victims were 3 years old or younger. All victims have been contacted by law enforcement and U.S. victims offered support services from HSI victim assistance specialists.

…

“Never before in the history of this agency have we identified and located this many minor victims in the course of a single child exploitation investigation,” said ICE Deputy Director Daniel Ragsdale. “Our agency is seeing a growing trend where children are being enticed, tricked and coerced online by adults to produce sexually explicit material of themselves. While we will continue to prioritize the arrest of child predators, we cannot arrest our way out of this problem: education is the key to prevention.”

also Paged

288 Kragar  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:29:05am

Oh good Lord, how the hell am I supposed to resist this?

289 Fairly Sure I'm Still Obdicut  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:29:52am

re: #284 Charles Johnson

Roger Pielke, Jr. The one with a long, long, history of distorting facts and misrepresenting climate science. Well, that’s another “new media” startup I can write off.

HIs dad is a denier too. They’re both of the Bjorn Lomberg soft-denier school, and kind of more frustrating to argue with than the outright deniers.

WTF, Silver.

290 Lidane  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:31:44am

re: #283 HappyWarrior

The whole thing I think shows that McCain has shitty judgment ultimately and man am I glad he’s not president every day since we’d probably be at war with Russia several times over had he been in charge given that McCain is prone to rash decision making rather than making the calculated move.

The very first decision a President makes is before they’re even elected. It’s when they select their running mate. That tells you a lot about their judgement and their decision making process.

Obama chose a guy who had a reputation for shooting his mouth off but who had a Rolodex to kill for. That meant he had someone on his side who could say the things he can’t (or won’t) say and who knew who to talk to and where the bodies are buried. McCain chose someone that gave the RWNJs “starbursts” and who he cynically believed would peel off women from the Dems. One made a long-term choice and the other only thought about winning the election.

291 sagehen  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:32:35am

re: #284 Charles Johnson

Roger Pielke, Jr. The one with a long, long, history of distorting facts and misrepresenting climate science. Well, that’s another “new media” startup I can write off.

Or maybe Nate will supervise him closely, force him to hew to actual facts, and drag Pielke’s readership to the truth.

(A girl can dream)

292 HappyWarrior  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:34:05am

re: #290 Lidane

The very first decision a President makes is before they’re even elected. It’s when they select their running mate. That tells you a lot about their judgement and their decision making process.

Obama chose a guy who had a reputation for shooting his mouth off but who had a Rolodex to kill for. That meant he had someone on his side who could say the things he can’t (or won’t) say and who knew who to talk to and where the bodies are buried. McCain chose someone that gave the RWNJs “starbursts” and who he cynically believed would peel off women from the Dems. One made a long-term choice and the other only thought about winning the election.

Precisely. Said it much better than I could. Obama was thinking about someone he knew he could trust as a number two. McCain also saw Palin as a means to winning the election and making good with the nuts that didn’t trust him rather than looking for someone who could step into the presidency and do the job effectively.

293 Decatur Deb  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:35:49am

re: #289 Fairly Sure I’m Still Obdicut

HIs dad is a denier too. They’re both of the Bjorn Lomberg soft-denier school, and kind of more frustrating to argue with than the outright deniers.

WTF, Silver.

Not entirely unexpected. Sep 2012:

FiveThirtyEight: The Number of Things Nate Silver Gets Wrong About Climate Change

huffingtonpost.com

294 Fairly Sure I'm Still Obdicut  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:36:56am

re: #291 sagehen

Or maybe Nate will supervise him closely, force him to hew to actual facts, and drag Pielke’s readership to the truth.

(A girl can dream)

Nah, he’s already got an article up that combines fudging statistics with being besides the point—about the costs (literal economic) of disasters. While it might possibly be true that Obama’s overstated the amount that climate change has increased storms and suchlike, the heatwaves are definitely, absolutely related to climate change and they’re causing droughts and outright deaths.

295 A Mom Anon  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:40:11am

re: #288 Kragar

She has a sad because a poor person had some food today?

Her bonus was only 20,000 dollars this year instead of 40?

Her driver swerved to miss that squirrel?

She pooped?

296 Lidane  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:40:36am
297 Pie-onist Overlord  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:41:23am

re: #288 Kragar

Oh good Lord, how the hell am I supposed to resist this?

[Embedded content]

Is that Janie after Babushka called her a country club princess who never had a real jrrb?

298 blueraven  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:41:32am

re: #267 wrenchwench

The disembodied Headward Snowden.

Soooo creeeepy.

Ed Headroom

299 Kragar  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:43:10am

re: #295 A Mom Anon

re: #297 Pie-onist Overlord

I was just thinking of going with the classic “Do farts have lumps?”

300 Backwoods_Sleuth  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:44:14am

re: #298 blueraven

Ed Headroom

heh, I said something to that effect to Gus on twitter yesterday.

301 Kragar  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:44:18am

re: #298 blueraven

Ed Headroom

Well, I wouldn’t mind seeing Edward get hit in the head with a traffic sign repeatedly.

/obscure

302 Charles Johnson  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:45:21am

If anyone thought Barton Gellman was not a full-on dudebro, here he is praising the FireDogLake lunatic who left that threatening message on James Kirchick’s phone.

303 Charles Johnson  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:48:24am

Kevin Gosztola is doing what he always does in that blog post — sucking up to Glenn Greenwald, angling for a job. He’s just repeating Greenwald’s fucked up statement that Gellman should have revealed the name of the country even though the US government asked him not to.

These people are so naive and so dangerous.

304 wrenchwench  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:49:30am

re: #293 Decatur Deb

Not entirely unexpected. Sep 2012:

FiveThirtyEight: The Number of Things Nate Silver Gets Wrong About Climate Change

huffingtonpost.com

Soft science meets hard science.

Nate conflates problems of prediction in the realm of human behavior — where there are no fundamental governing ‘laws’ and any “predictions” are potentially laden with subjective and untestable assumptions — with problems such as climate change, which are governed by laws of physics, like the greenhouse effect, that are true whether or not you choose to believe them.

305 Kragar  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:50:35am
306 HappyWarrior  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:52:43am

re: #305 Kragar

[Embedded content]

Yeah wanting to be treated as an equal is “whining” but letting some 2000 year old book tell you have to be subservient is awesome. What the hell is wrong with Republican women? In the past, Republican women were strongly for the ERA. Every Republican first lady from Pat Nixon to Laura Bush exempting perhaps Nancy Reagan favored the ERA and Nancy’s step-daughter I believe supported it.

307 wrenchwench  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:53:29am

Damn it. Kobach wins one.

308 Targetpractice  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:54:35am

re: #303 Charles Johnson

Kevin Gosztola is doing what he always does in that blog post — sucking up to Glenn Greenwald, angling for a job. He’s just repeating Greenwald’s fucked up statement that Gellman should have revealed the name of the country even though the US government asked him not to.

These people are so naive and so dangerous.

Remember that long off time, ages ago, when Glenn was assuring folks that he’d not use the NSA documents to hurt or endanger the US?

309 William Barnett-Lewis  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:57:20am

re: #307 wrenchwench

Damn it. Kobach wins one.

[Embedded content]

District court Judge. I’ll wait till the appeals court decision before getting excited.

310 wrenchwench  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:57:53am

re: #309 William Barnett-Lewis

District court Judge. I’ll wait till the appeals court decision before getting excited.

TY.

311 FemNaziBitch  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:57:54am

re: #278 wrenchwench

One of yours?

No, but same breed.

312 Decatur Deb  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:57:54am

re: #304 wrenchwench

Soft science meets hard science.

The shame is that he was so good at extracting prediction from very ‘soft’ data—human voting patterns.

313 Feline Fearless Leader  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 11:34:21am

re: #285 Lidane

[Embedded content]

That’s because he called and the guy’s wife answered the phone.
////

314 chadu  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 11:50:19am

re: #166 wrenchwench

[Embedded content]

Good morning.

I am starting to love these streetcrow tweets.

315 sagehen  Wed, Mar 19, 2014 12:24:42pm

re: #306 HappyWarrior

Yeah wanting to be treated as an equal is “whining” but letting some 2000 year old book tell you have to be subservient is awesome. What the hell is wrong with Republican women? In the past, Republican women were strongly for the ERA. Every Republican first lady from Pat Nixon to Laura Bush exempting perhaps Nancy Reagan favored the ERA and Nancy’s step-daughter I believe supported it.

Also, Republican Presidents’ wives and daughters have all been pro-choice. Every single one of them, starting with Pat, Julie and Tricia Nixon.


This article has been archived.
Comments are closed.

Jump to top

Create a PageThis is the LGF Pages posting bookmarklet. To use it, drag this button to your browser's bookmark bar, and title it 'LGF Pages' (or whatever you like). Then browse to a site you want to post, select some text on the page to use for a quote, click the bookmarklet, and the Pages posting window will appear with the title, text, and any embedded video or audio files already filled in, ready to go.
Or... you can just click this button to open the Pages posting window right away.
Last updated: 2023-04-04 11:11 am PDT LGF User's Guide RSS Feeds

Help support Little Green Footballs!

Subscribe now for ad-free access!Register and sign in to a free LGF account before subscribing, and your ad-free access will be automatically enabled.

Donate with
PayPal Cash.app
Recent PagesClick to refresh
Texas County at Center of Border Fight Is Overwhelmed by Migrant Deaths EAGLE PASS, Tex. - The undertaker lighted a cigarette and held it between his latex-gloved fingers as he stood over the bloated body bag lying in the bed of his battered pickup truck. The woman had been fished out ...
Cheechako
3 days ago
Views: 139 • Comments: 0 • Rating: 1