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1 Charles Johnson  Apr 10, 2014 8:30:35pm

Get ready for a major barrage of Greenwald cult propaganda tomorrow.

2 Dark_Falcon  Apr 10, 2014 8:36:09pm

re: #1 Charles Johnson

Get ready for a major barrage of Greenwald cult propaganda tomorrow.

Regardless of if he speaks from New York City or Rio de Janeiro, Glenn Greenwald is still an asshat.

3 Mattand  Apr 10, 2014 8:38:21pm

re: #1 Charles Johnson

Get ready for a major barrage of Greenwald cult propaganda tomorrow.

Qué?

4 Targetpractice  Apr 10, 2014 8:41:46pm

re: #1 Charles Johnson

Get ready for a major barrage of Greenwald cult propaganda tomorrow.

Is he going to announce to the world that he’s a hack writer?

5 ObserverArt  Apr 10, 2014 8:41:52pm

Nice tune. Josh Homme creates some nice rhythm textures to go with his guitar.

6 The War TARDIS  Apr 10, 2014 8:43:21pm

re: #2 Dark_Falcon

Considering our new Cold War with Russia, I want Greenwald arrested for damaging the security of the US and our allies.

7 NJDhockeyfan  Apr 10, 2014 8:44:51pm

Heh

8 Charles Johnson  Apr 10, 2014 8:47:13pm
9 Dark_Falcon  Apr 10, 2014 8:53:05pm

re: #6 The War TARDIS

Considering our new Cold War with Russia, I want Greenwald arrested for damaging the security of the US and our allies.

Bad idea: The charges might not stick and even just arresting him would turn Greenwald into a ‘free speech martyr’. The media would wail in self-serving fashion. And while other people here would look upon this next development happily, I’d find no joy in watching the Republican Party make fools of themselves over the issue. While the GOP has stayed sane on this one so far, footage of Eric Holder or Barack Obama discussing the arrest of Glenn Greenwald would likely serve as catalyst for a font of wingnut rage.

As I said, I wouldn’t like that, but others here might.

10 NJDhockeyfan  Apr 10, 2014 8:54:41pm
11 Charles Johnson  Apr 10, 2014 8:55:14pm

Remember when…

Youtube Video

12 klys  Apr 10, 2014 8:57:40pm

re: #9 Dark_Falcon

Bad idea: The charges might not stick and even just arresting him would turn Greenwald into a ‘free speech martyr’. The media would wail in self-serving fashion. And while other people here would look upon this next development happily, I’d find no joy in watching the Republican Party make fools of themselves over the issue. While the GOP has stayed sane on this one so far, footage of Eric Holder or Barack Obama discussing the arrest of Glenn Greenwald would likely serve as catalyst for a font of wingnut rage.

As I said, I wouldn’t like that, but others here might.

Contrary to what you might think, most of us are actually depressed at how wingnuts turn every point into “must oppose Obama and the Democrats” whether or not the country will be hurt by that.

The humor is just a coping mechanism.

13 NJDhockeyfan  Apr 10, 2014 9:00:52pm
14 The War TARDIS  Apr 10, 2014 9:03:32pm

Way to go Braves!

Youtube Video

15 Dark_Falcon  Apr 10, 2014 9:08:11pm

re: #12 klys

Contrary to what you might think, most of us are actually depressed at how wingnuts turn every point into “must oppose Obama and the Democrats” whether or not the country will be hurt by that.

The humor is just a coping mechanism.

Thank you, that actually is good to know.

16 darthstar  Apr 10, 2014 9:08:57pm
17 NJDhockeyfan  Apr 10, 2014 9:10:12pm
18 goddamnedfrank  Apr 10, 2014 9:13:38pm

re: #6 The War TARDIS

Considering our new Cold War with Russia, I want Greenwald arrested for damaging the security of the US and our allies.

You want a lot of stupid, counter-productive things.

19 Rev_Arthur_Belling  Apr 10, 2014 9:18:30pm

re: #17 NJDhockeyfan

Like the fundamentalists are going to listen to “scientists.” They’ll handwave away any evidence about that scroll.

20 klys  Apr 10, 2014 9:19:27pm

re: #15 Dark_Falcon

Thank you, that actually is good to know.

I would be far happier with an opposing party where compromises could actually happen and shit could get done than with pointing and laughing at wingnuts making fools of themselves.

I also want a fourth cat.

I consider one of these things much more likely.

21 Rev_Arthur_Belling  Apr 10, 2014 9:20:00pm

re: #18 goddamnedfrank

I would like to see Greenwald subpoenaed to testify before certain judicial and legislative bodies. That’s not too much to ask. He has some ‘splainin’ to do, like what did he know and when did he know it.

22 jaunte  Apr 10, 2014 9:21:47pm

re: #17 NJDhockeyfan

Interesting detail on early Christian arguments about marriage at the
Cambridge link:

What about Jesus’s reference to “my wife” ? Might it belong to intra-Christian polemics over the value of marriage? Let us consider this question in the broader context of what early Christians said about Jesus’s marital status.

The New Testament gospels never explicitly claim that Jesus was not married, but other literature does portray Christ as married metaphorically to the Church or to Jerusalem. The first Christians to claim that Jesus was not married used the claim to denounce all marriage, according to Clement of Alexandria. In his Stromateis, he reports on some second-century Christians “who say outright that marriage is fornication and teach that it was introduced by the devil. They proudly say that they are imitating the Lord who neither married nor had any possession in this world, boasting that they understand the gospel better than anyone else.”87 Tertullian, too, stated that Christ was “totally unwed” (innuptus in totum) and he urged believers to a higher perfection by imitating Christ’s status as spado in carne (“an impotent person” or “eunuch in flesh”—perhaps referring to Matt 19:8-9, 12), although Tertullian invoked Jesus’s celibacy not to forbid marriage altogether but to charge believers against a second marriage.88 As a high valuation of celibacy and virginity flourished, the position that Jesus was a virgin who never married came to be dominant, even though the extreme denunciation of marriage was rejected.89 On the other hand, the ascetic movement tended to produce many “brides of Christ,” virgins who pledged themselves to him in “spiritual marriage.”90 Without referring to a married Jesus, however, other Christians already in the second century pushed back against the devaluation or rejection of marriage and childbearing. 1 Timothy, for example, requires bishops to be married (3:2), argues that woman are saved by bearing children (2:15), and rebukes those who reject marriage as liars possessed by demons (4:15).

journals.cambridge.org

23 Feline Fearless Leader  Apr 10, 2014 9:22:02pm

re: #21 Rev_Arthur_Belling

I would like to see Greenwald subpoenaed to testify before certain judicial and legislative bodies. That’s not too much to ask. He has some ‘splainin’ to do, like what did he know and when did he know it.

If Issa subpoenaed Greenwald would an ego singularity form once they were both in the same room?

24 NJDhockeyfan  Apr 10, 2014 9:23:11pm
25 Ming  Apr 10, 2014 9:25:42pm

re: #13 NJDhockeyfan

…Seasonal drug testing in the NFL begins on 4/20…

This is the first I ever heard that the NFL cares about their players having brain damage.

26 NJDhockeyfan  Apr 10, 2014 9:29:59pm

re: #22 jaunte

Interesting detail on early Christian arguments about marriage at the
Cambridge link:

journals.cambridge.org

Fascinating. In other words about a possible Jesus’s marriage…for thousands of years everyone still has their own opinion.

27 darthstar  Apr 10, 2014 9:42:48pm

BREAKING NEWS FROM CNN INTERNATIONAL!!!OMGZ!!11ty!!!

28 darthstar  Apr 10, 2014 9:46:16pm
29 palomino  Apr 10, 2014 9:47:53pm

re: #7 NJDhockeyfan

Heh

[Embedded content]

Putin’s a joke. His 97% Crimea plebiscite is almost as absurd as Kim Jong Un’s recent reelection with 100% of the vote.

Desperately trying to restore some of the USSR’s former “glory”, he’s ironically chosen a self-destructive path that makes the new Russia look more corrupt all the time.

30 palomino  Apr 10, 2014 9:53:36pm

re: #25 Ming

This is the first I ever heard that the NFL cares about their players having brain damage.

They don’t. But with all the suicides and medical data, the NFL can’t pretend anymore that concussions (and the thousands of “mini-concussions” experienced by most football players) don’t lead to CTE and other brain damage. They’ve finally acknowledged the problem, and put some half-ass measures in place to assuage their critics.

31 goddamnedfrank  Apr 10, 2014 9:55:22pm

re: #21 Rev_Arthur_Belling

I would like to see Greenwald subpoenaed to testify before certain judicial and legislative bodies. That’s not too much to ask. He has some ‘splainin’ to do, like what did he know and when did he know it.

What does it matter? The damage is done and any attempt to bring Greenwald before any resembling an official investigation just plays right into his hand. No federal grand jury is going to indict him and a bunch of Congressional pudwacks trying to match wits with him on national TV only boosts his profile further, helping to legitimize his hijacked reputation as a “journalist.”

We could play whack-a-mole forever trying to stomp on Greenwald and people like him to only damage our reputation for freedom of the press, which has to protect and include them to be at all meaningful. The only meaningful take away from this whole ordeal is to plug the holes Snowden exploited and to treat security and the clearance process much more seriously than we did before.

32 Dark_Falcon  Apr 10, 2014 10:03:50pm

re: #21 Rev_Arthur_Belling

I would like to see Greenwald subpoenaed to testify before certain judicial and legislative bodies. That’s not too much to ask. He has some ‘splainin’ to do, like what did he know and when did he know it.

That would be doable. Congress could subpoena him and the government could then prevent him from leaving the country. He does possess knowledge relevant to several Congressional investigations, after all. The ‘prevented from leaving the country’ would be problematic if he were a foreigner, but since Greenwald is an American citizen its different.

33 The War TARDIS  Apr 10, 2014 10:40:04pm

re: #32 Dark_Falcon

I could go with that compromise.

34 goddamnedfrank  Apr 10, 2014 10:49:40pm

re: #32 Dark_Falcon

That would be doable. Congress could subpoena him and the government could then prevent him from leaving the country. He does possess knowledge relevant to several Congressional investigations, after all. The ‘prevented from leaving the country’ would be problematic if he were a foreigner, but since Greenwald is an American citizen its different.

Greenwald and Poitras are coming to NYC pick up an award, they’ll likely be here for all of the weekend. Both the Senate and House are out of session for the next 17 days. First they’d have to issue a subpoena and give him the normal amount of time to respond, this process takes several days, multiple full committee votes, there’s no way to rush it.

Then they’d need to find him in contempt for not showing up (more votes) Then their options are A.) Inherent contempt, sending the House Sgt. at Arms to go grab his ass and throw him in the House jail, which hasn’t been done in over 80 years. B.) Asking the Justice Dept. to file indirect criminal contempt charges, which aren’t automatic, require notice, court hearings, and assumes the DOJ even agrees seeking a criminal contempt charge is appropriate. Or C.) They go to civil court and seek a contempt charge there, which won’t do shit to Greenwald unless he has property in the US to lien or wages generated here that can be garnished.

So in short, he’ll be long gone by the time any of these wheels even think of beginning to turn. More importantly all any of this does is serve to validate the persecution / martyr complex he is selling.

35 goddamnedfrank  Apr 10, 2014 11:50:54pm
Ben Shapiro, editor-at-large for Breitbart, wrote an essay for Truth Revolt comparing Colbert’s routine to actual blackface. “This routine, in which Colbert plays at conservatism in order to portray it as unendingly ugly, should be labeled for what it is: vile political blackface,” he writes. The actual term is “Conservativeface,” which involves acting like “an idiotic, racist, sexist, bigoted, brutal conservative. He out-Archie Bunkers Archie Bunker.” The best part of Shapiro’s piece is that he refers to blackface in the past tense — it “was used to portray demeaning and horrifying stereotypes of blacks” — while arguing that conservative bias is alive and well today, at the hands at intolerant liberals. In other words, Colbert mocking incidents of actual racism within your ideology is as bad as actual racism.

Sorry Ben, modern conservatives weren’t born self-centered, unempathic, reactionary, ganged-in, spastic assholes dominated by fear and greed, that’s just who they chose to be. Unlike race, contemporary political conservatism is not an endemic trait, it’s a choice people make every day when they wake up in the morning and decide to continue acting like dirty little dicks. It is also not a religious faith or a metaphysical belief system, although it does twist perceptions about all the above into a mentally unstable, cognitively dissonant combination of nationalism and hatred of government. It is mostly ego worship and hatred of the other sustained by the, creepy, invisible, swimsuit-area touching hand of the free market.

36 Chrysicat  Apr 11, 2014 12:04:06am

About that comment regarding Sebelius’s resignation in the old thread, Targetpractice (and sorry I didn’t get to it sooner; I was kinda distracted in the evening hours and even the late-night ones):
re: #58 Targetpractice

I really do wish she’d tried to hold out til next year, because this is the sort of thing that the GOP really didn’t need an election year confirmation hearing where they can use the soapbox it affords them to rail against the ACA and parade it’s “failures” before voters. You can be sure that they’ll be making various impossible demands of her, such as trying to extract promises of “no more delays” or “no funding for abortion.”

I disagree with you entirely. We’ve used the nuclear option for nominations, so the R’s can’t filibuster. OTOH, there’s a disturbingly good chance that ‘wait ‘til after the election’ gives us ‘oh, wait, now you can’t go anywhere until after the new President takes office, because I’m looking at a Repug senate majority and there’s no way anyone left of Rand Paul is getting through for any office.’
Yes, the Rs may try to make hay—they may even succeed. But simple math says the Rs get a majority in both houses next year no matter what. That majority may be as much as 57-43.

37 Single-handed sailor  Apr 11, 2014 1:52:11am
38 freetoken  Apr 11, 2014 1:59:03am
39 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 11, 2014 2:01:56am

double-drip espresso!

40 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2014 2:57:23am

I’m depressed for NC. The election primary is May 6, and this is the guy who will probably be up against Kay Hagen in Nov. He’s already speaker of the NC House but that isn’t enough power for him.

He’s what most southerners, you’d think, would abhor—a carpetbagger, but since he’s from north FL, I suppose it’s OK w/them. He came out of “nowhere” about 10 yrs ago, and only served as a small town board member before being elected to the NC House in 2007. He was formerly a partner at Price/Waterhouse and now w/Bank of America. His wife was sales mgr for the largest local real estate co in NC before she went back to selling houses on Lake Norman at the same co (they’re Lake People and very rich). His rise to power has been very swift and financed, some believe, by outsiders intent on smashing the progressive route NC was pursuing for years and which led to the slim margin of victory for Pres Obama in 2008. When that happened, State Republicans went for blood and Tillis happily joined in.

thomtillis.net

A write-up on Tillis from a local rag. lakenormancitizen.com

Interestingly, the teabagger types call him a “RINO”, but he’s very conservative and leans that way on their issues. He’s just more educated and a lot richer than the average ‘bagger.

I expect he will be elected the next senator, but I hope I’m mistaken. I’m going to use my “unaffiliated” status in May to vote against him and for some R idiot who hasn’t a chance, then in Nov vote my usual Dem ticket. Not that it will matter, but it’s just my little part in the voting process. : )

41 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2014 3:02:52am

Senate Seat for Sale

bluenc.com

“Money from the outside groups spent directly for and against candidates already exceeds totals from the 2010 Senate race won by Republican Richard Burr.”

And, as usual, the R clown car is full.

nationaljournal.com

42 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2014 3:17:57am

This is awful…

9 Killed in Bus Crash; Southern California High School Students Aboard
The students were headed to visit Humboldt State University for a weekend college tour

nbclosangeles.com

43 Lidane  Apr 11, 2014 3:56:29am

Hah.

44 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2014 4:04:01am

We have lost our fucking minds…

Police set to return child images to paedophile

itv.com

“A paedophile is set to have intimate photographs of a young girl he abused returned to him by police who say their hands are tied by the law.

“The man was jailed for nine years over of a string of sex offences last including the sexual assault of a child under the age of 13.

“He has now requested the return of his mobile phone and laptop, which contain images of the young victim in swimwear and leotards.” More

45 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 11, 2014 4:11:00am

re: #42 Justanotherhuman

This is awful…

9 Killed in Bus Crash; Southern California High School Students Aboard
The students were headed to visit Humboldt State University for a weekend college tour

nbclosangeles.com

A good guy with a gun could’ve prevented it!

oops, wrong kind of disaster…

46 Rev_Arthur_Belling  Apr 11, 2014 4:22:09am

re: #31 goddamnedfrank

The damage is done and any attempt to bring Greenwald before any resembling an official investigation just plays right into his hand.

It matters because there are important issues at stake beyond just GG’s persecution complex. Sometimes you do things because it’s the thing that needs to be done, despite the “optics” and how it plays into the image of a single individual.

47 Pie-onist Overlord  Apr 11, 2014 4:27:25am

This Nevada BLM showdown is not going to end well.

48 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 11, 2014 4:29:55am

re: #47 Pie-onist Overlord

This Nevada BLM showdown is not going to end well.

Too many people have an interest in seeing it end in bloodshed and chaos…sorta like the Ukraine.

49 Pie-onist Overlord  Apr 11, 2014 4:47:59am
50 Lidane  Apr 11, 2014 5:06:43am
51 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2014 5:10:12am

re: #50 Lidane

[Embedded content]

Very sad that idiots have to resort to fucking assault simply because they don’t like someone.

I hope the perp was arrested and charged.

ETA:

“Brian Spellacy, U.S. Secret Service supervisory special agent in Las Vegas, said the woman in custody was being questioned and would face criminal charges. Spellacy declined to identify the woman.

“Spellacy and a spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden said it wasn’t immediately clear what charges she would face.

“A black and orange athletic shoe was recovered from the stage, Spellacy added.”

At least it wasn’t a 6” stiletto. Those are WMDs.

52 Pie-onist Overlord  Apr 11, 2014 5:11:18am

HURR HURR!!!! I AM SO TEH VICTIM!!!!!

53 Pie-onist Overlord  Apr 11, 2014 5:12:07am

Peter Labarbera was not “thrown into progressive gulag” he was just not allowed into Canada to spread hate speech.

54 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2014 5:13:28am

re: #53 Pie-onist Overlord

Peter Labarbera was not “thrown into progressive gulag” he was just not allowed into Canada to spread hate speech.

[Embedded content]

He continues to dig his hole…

55 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2014 5:17:01am

Never. Ever.

Pope Francis asks forgiveness for child abuse by clergy

bbc.com

How many of those “clergy” have served a day in prison for the prisons they put little children in? What kind of slap on the wrist did they receive before people eventually started realizing the church is not omnipotent and raised hell about what it was allowed to be done to their children?

56 Lidane  Apr 11, 2014 5:26:48am

re: #55 Justanotherhuman

What the Church fails to understand (or refuses to admit) is that the sexual abuse is only one part of the problem. The systematic shaming and silencing of the victims and the active shielding of abusive priests is another.

57 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 11, 2014 5:30:07am

re: #56 Lidane

What the Church fails to understand (or refuses to admit) is that the sexual abuse is only one part of the problem. The systematic shaming and silencing of the victims and the active shielding of abusive priests is another.

They only agreed to cooperate with US authorities when they were threatened with a RICO suit for behaving as a conspiratorial criminal organization.

58 GunstarGreen  Apr 11, 2014 5:36:17am

re: #43 Lidane

Hah.

[Embedded content]

Ahem. Sorry, but I’ve been waiting far, far too long for an opportunity to say this.

Shut up, Wesley!

59 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2014 5:37:25am

re: #57 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

They only agreed to cooperate with US authorities when they were threatened with a RICO suit for behaving as a conspiratorial criminal organization.

This.

Who knows what deals they made in countries where they have more sway, such as Ireland, Italy, etc.

60 GunstarGreen  Apr 11, 2014 5:37:38am

re: #55 Justanotherhuman

Never. Ever.

Pope Francis asks forgiveness for child abuse by clergy

bbc.com

How many of those “clergy” have served a day in prison for the prisons they put little children in? What kind of slap on the wrist did they receive before people eventually started realizing the church is not omnipotent and raised hell about what it was allowed to be done to their children?

The Catholic Church: We’ll send you straight to hell for using birth control, but please forgive us for raping your children.

61 NJDhockeyfan  Apr 11, 2014 5:39:08am
62 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2014 5:44:34am

re: #60 GunstarGreen

The Catholic Church: We’ll send you straight to hell for using birth control, but please forgive us for raping your children.

People don’t realize exactly how fucked up little lives become until they know someone who was victimized by those bastards.

I worked with a woman to whom it happened (and to her brother, as well), when they were kids in CT. The little bit of money she received after the 30 yrs it took to catch that creep didn’t begin to make up for the mental anguish and emotional damage it did to her and her brother (who had turned to drugs and was totally dysfunctional). And she stayed w/a man who was emotionally abusive and sometimes physically abusive.

63 NJDhockeyfan  Apr 11, 2014 5:45:12am

My daughters friend gave her a rabbit. She is picking it up today. I don’t know how the dog and cat are going to respond.

64 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 11, 2014 5:45:23am

re: #59 Justanotherhuman

This.

Who knows what deals they made in countries where they have more sway, such as Ireland, Italy, etc.

In Germany the Catholic church draws a lot of political capital from the fact that the Nazis were very anti-clerical…anyone who attacks the Church for any reason, even justified, is quickly Godwinized into silence.

65 Lidane  Apr 11, 2014 5:47:39am

re: #63 NJDhockeyfan

My daughters friend gave her a rabbit. She is picking it up today. I don’t know how the dog and cat are going to respond.

Dog: “Ooh! A new friend! Let’s play! Let’s play! Let’s play! Let’s play!”

Cat: “Hey, neat. I’ve been wanting rabbit stew lately.”

66 Lidane  Apr 11, 2014 5:50:35am
67 GunstarGreen  Apr 11, 2014 5:52:43am

re: #66 Lidane

“Surprisingly long”?

That dude hasn’t been paying any attention.

I’m not sure whether I should be amused, depressed, or enraged that the idiom “homofascist” even exists.

68 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 11, 2014 5:54:37am

re: #67 GunstarGreen

“Surprisingly long”?

That dude hasn’t been paying any attention.

The GOP missed a chance to distance itself from this sort of extreme, unfounded lunacy, but they were too afraid of being shouted down at a Town Hall Meeting by some goombah in a tricorne hat carrying a Gadsen flag…

Now it has become mainstream within the party.

69 NJDhockeyfan  Apr 11, 2014 6:00:06am

re: #65 Lidane

Dog: “Ooh! A new friend! Let’s play! Let’s play! Let’s play! Let’s play!”

Cat: “Hey, neat. I’ve been wanting rabbit stew lately.”

My dog got very good chasing and killing rabbits in Virginia. He needs to learn this one is not available for chasing across the yard.

70 NJDhockeyfan  Apr 11, 2014 6:01:12am

Today is probably the best day to get a new pet.

71 NJDhockeyfan  Apr 11, 2014 6:06:33am

Not appropriate to show my kids today:

72 Lidane  Apr 11, 2014 6:07:23am
73 Pie-onist Overlord  Apr 11, 2014 6:07:45am

re: #71 NJDhockeyfan

Not appropriate to show my kids today:

[Embedded content]

I’m like all WTFITS because I thought it said RABBIS

74 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 11, 2014 6:15:41am

re: #71 NJDhockeyfan

Not appropriate to show my kids today:

[Embedded content]

YUMM! Pity they’d need a Concord to deliver to Wisconsin ;)

75 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2014 6:17:35am

re: #68 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

The GOP missed a chance to distance itself from this sort of extreme, unfounded lunacy, but they were too afraid of being shouted down at a Town Hall Meeting by some goombah in a tricorne hat carrying a Gadsen flag…

Now it has become mainstream within the party.

It’s a valid fear. Unless a congressperson or senator has something special about him or her (war hero, major legislation their voters are proud of, that sort of thing) a really bad town hall can generate the feeling the congressperson is weak with his or her base, opening things up for a primary challenge.

76 Lidane  Apr 11, 2014 6:19:10am
77 Lidane  Apr 11, 2014 6:21:04am

re: #75 Dark_Falcon

It’s a valid fear. Unless a congressperson or senator has something special about him or her (war hero, major legislation their voters are proud of, that sort of thing) a really too many bad town hall can generate the feeling the congressperson is weak with his or her base, opening things up for a primary challenge.

You can have a war hero or whatever in Congress and he’ll still face some yahoo in colonial garb in a town hall calling him a RINO and a traitor because Obama hasn’t been impeached and sent to Gitmo yet.

Fact is, the GOP had a chance to distance themselves from the dipshits years ago, but they didn’t. Now they’re having to appeal to a lot of really stupid people in order to get elected.

78 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 11, 2014 6:21:11am

re: #75 Dark_Falcon

It’s a valid fear. Unless a congressperson or senator has something special about him or her (war hero, major legislation their voters are proud of, that sort of thing) a really too many bad town hall can generate the feeling the congressperson is weak with his or her base, opening things up for a primary challenge.

Now that they have hijacked the primaries, it is turning into a race to the bottom for unfounded claims and sensationalized outrage.

79 Pie-onist Overlord  Apr 11, 2014 6:22:45am

Stupid Wingnut Meme
HOW RICH PEOPLE BECAME RICH: CHILD LABOR!

80 GunstarGreen  Apr 11, 2014 6:25:27am

re: #79 Pie-onist Overlord

Stupid Wingnut Meme
HOW RICH PEOPLE BECAME RICH: CHILD LABOR!

[Embedded content]

That kid didn’t buy that lawnmower.

Or those clothes.

Or the food that enabled him to be strong enough to push the lawnmower.

Filthy moocher.

//

81 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2014 6:26:04am

re: #77 Lidane

You can have a war hero or whatever in Congress and he’ll still face some yahoo in colonial garb in a town hall calling him a RINO and a traitor because Obama hasn’t been impeached and sent to Gitmo yet.

Fact is, the GOP had a chance to distance themselves from the dipshits years ago, but they didn’t. Now they’re having to appeal to a lot of really stupid people in order to get elected.

Stupid people vote, too, and their votes count as much as yours or mine. Most of the electorate is made up of people who are dumbasses when it comes to politics.

82 Pie-onist Overlord  Apr 11, 2014 6:28:39am

re: #80 GunstarGreen

That kid didn’t buy that lawnmower.

Or those clothes.

Or the food that enabled him to be strong enough to push the lawnmower.

Filthy moocher.

//

HE BOUGHT IT ALL HIMSELF WITH TEH MONEYS THAT HE EARNED FROM HIS LEMONAID STAND, UNTIL TEH EBIL DEMOCRATS SHUT IT DOWN!!!!!!

83 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 11, 2014 6:28:53am

re: #81 Dark_Falcon

Stupid people vote, too, and their votes count as much as yours or mine. Most of the electorate is made up of people who are dumbasses when it comes to politics.

Problem is that the GOP base of frothing bigots is shrinking. Motivating them and shaking them out paid off in 2004 and 2010, but in 2008 and 2012 it failed dismally, because it alienated too many centrist voters (and because Mitt Romney, despite his attempts, could not motivate the base, only alienate the center.)

So they will show some gains again this year and that will convince them to stay on that course.

84 lawhawk  Apr 11, 2014 6:34:34am

Greets and saluts from the NYC metro area. I’m really getting into QoTSA, particularly after how rudely they were treated at the Grammys. They had the closing act along with NIN, and they were basically cut off by advertising. Never mind that the show itself is supposed to be advertising for the musical acts being honored. This is how the show should have ended (it’s the rehearsal gig):

Youtube Video

85 Pie-onist Overlord  Apr 11, 2014 6:37:18am

What was that thing in Lebanon?

86 Political Atheist  Apr 11, 2014 6:37:40am

Just want to extend prayers and kind thoughts for those parents and HS students involved in the fatal bus vs FedEx truck crash.

87 lawhawk  Apr 11, 2014 6:40:27am

re: #85 Pie-onist Overlord

Grenada wasn’t a war (or a police action, or military action)?

88 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2014 6:42:24am

re: #87 lawhawk

Grenada wasn’t a war (or a police action, or military action)?

It was a military action, but one over too fast to be a ‘war’. Lebanon was something else again, but even leaving that aside Luap Dnar is still full of crap.

89 Pie-onist Overlord  Apr 11, 2014 6:42:36am

re: #87 lawhawk

Grenada wasn’t a war (or a police action, or military action)?

NO THAT WAS AN ICE CREAM SOCIAL!!!!

90 Political Atheist  Apr 11, 2014 6:43:58am

re: #87 lawhawk

Hostage rescue, in the aftermath of the Iranian hostage release. Lebanon was a big multinational effort.

When I think war making President I think Bush for kicking Iraq out of Kuwait, BushII for invading Iraq & Afgjhanistan. I don’t think of Clinton as a war maker over Somalia. Or the missile strikes he ordered. So not really Reagan so much either. Rands unqualified declaration overstates though.

Facts:
October 23, 1983 - 241 U.S. service personnel, 220 Marines and 21 other service personnel, are killed by a truck bomb at a Marine compound in Beirut, Lebanon.
A multi-national force with units from France, Italy and the United Kingdom is also on peacekeeping duty in Lebanon at the same time.
At the same time the Marine barracks is hit, a suicide bomber drives a pickup truck full of explosives and crashes into a building housing French paratroopers. Approximately 58 French soldiers are killed in the attack.
This is the most deadly attack against U.S. Marines since the battle over Iwo Jima in February 1945.
The bombing is traced to Hezbollah, a militant and political group that originated in Lebanon in 1982. Iranian and Syrian involvement was also suspected.

Timeline:
1982 - President Ronald Reagan sends Marines to Lebanon on a peacekeeping mission.
October 23, 1983 - At 6:22 am, a truck carrying 2000 pounds of explosives drives into the Marine compound in Beirut, Lebanon and crashes into the 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regimental Battalion Landing Team barracks.
February 1984 - U.S. troops withdraw from Lebanon.

91 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 11, 2014 6:45:58am

re: #88 Dark_Falcon

It was a military action, but one over too fast to be a ‘war’. Lebanon was something else again, but even leaving that aside Luap Dnar is still full of crap.

He was right that Reagan was no neocon…but the rest is crap.

92 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2014 6:49:24am

re: #91 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

He was right that Reagan was no neocon…but the rest is crap.

Heck, the Neocons of the Reagan era weren’t like what what Neocon came to mean during the presidency of Bush the Younger. Back in the 1980’s, American projection of power was constrained by the limits imposed by the Cold War, and no one seriously suggested simply flouting those limits.

93 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 11, 2014 6:50:17am

re: #85 Pie-onist Overlord

What was that thing in Lebanon?

[Embedded content]

Nor should we forget the live fire war game in Grenada. Or arming the Taliban. Or the horrors of fascist governments set up & supported in Central and South America.

Reagan was a warmonger who (thank god) got out-maneuvered regularly by other leaders, especially Gorbachev. He had no understanding of just how many his adventures could have killed.

94 lawhawk  Apr 11, 2014 6:52:27am

re: #88 Dark_Falcon

Since when does speed/duration determine what’s a war or not? Six days? That’s indisputably a war.

Urgent Fury was about 2 months in duration and also happened to commence within hours of the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut.

More than 7,000 troops, sailors, and Marines were involved.

BTW, the shortest war in history? about 40 minutes.

95 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2014 6:52:35am

re: #93 William Barnett-Lewis

Reagan didn’t arm the Taliban, William. The Taliban was created by Pakistan’s ISI in the 1990’s as a way for Pakistan to install a client government in Kabul.

96 Eventual Carrion  Apr 11, 2014 6:52:40am

re: #63 NJDhockeyfan

My daughters friend gave her a rabbit. She is picking it up today. I don’t know how the dog and cat are going to respond.

Like it’s supper time

97 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 11, 2014 6:54:37am

re: #92 Dark_Falcon

Heck, the Neocons of the Reagan era weren’t like what what Neocon came to mean during the presidency of Bush the Younger. Back in the 1980’s, American projection of power was constrained by the limits imposed by the Cold War, and no one seriously suggested simply flouting those limits.

The neocons saw the US as the world’s only remaining superpower and were pursuing the fata morgana of retaining eternal superiority. That mindset coupled well with a view that the stock market and housing market would rise forever and all we had to do was to retain the right posturing and keep gays out of the military…

98 lawhawk  Apr 11, 2014 6:55:42am

re: #85 Pie-onist Overlord

99 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 11, 2014 6:57:31am

re: #95 Dark_Falcon

Reagan didn’t arm the Taliban, William. The Taliban was created by Pakistan’s ISI in the 1990’s as a way for Pakistan to install a client government in Kabul.

He may not have created them but without the FIM-92 Stinger & the other support they received from the US, they would have been defeated by Soviets to the long term good of the whole world.

Just ask any older HIND pilot you meet… O_o

100 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2014 7:05:22am

re: #99 William Barnett-Lewis

I’m going to have to disagree. It was crucial that the Red Army be bled in Afghanistan as part of the overall plan to weaken the Soviet Union. That helped end the Cold War and so lowered the risk of a truly catastrophic war,

The Soviet withdrawal did not have to mean disaster in Afghanistan, and the US could have shifted to non-military aid, or worked to build its own client army there. The failure to do those things was not Ronald Reagan’s, as he had left office by that time. The failure of the United states to follow-through with Afghanistan properly should be laid at the door of George Bush the Elder, with some portion reserved for the American public, due to its too-short attention span.

101 NJDhockeyfan  Apr 11, 2014 7:07:19am
102 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 11, 2014 7:09:33am

re: #100 Dark_Falcon

We’ve gone around on this one a few times. Suffice to say, it’s my belief the the US got lucky in just how fragile the Soviet economy was because after Ronnie got done the US wasn’t in much better shape. And even more lucky that Gorby could wrap Ronnie around his finger.

103 darthstar  Apr 11, 2014 7:12:24am
104 darthstar  Apr 11, 2014 7:13:42am

re: #101 NJDhockeyfan

That’s Norwich, not London.

105 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2014 7:13:51am

re: #101 NJDhockeyfan

[Embedded content]

It’s the thing on the crawl that I find offensive: “[Jerry] Sandusky asks judge to let him visit with his grandchildren.”

That request should be denied, because fuck Jerry Sandusky with a reciprocating saw! That child molesting scumbag has been convicted and imprisoned, but he’s still trying to get his picture in the dictionary under the definition of chutzpah.

106 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2014 7:16:37am

re: #102 William Barnett-Lewis

We’ve gone around on this one a few times. Suffice to say, it’s my belief the the US got lucky in just how fragile the Soviet economy was because after Ronnie got done the US wasn’t in much better shape. And even more lucky that Gorby could wrap Ronnie around his finger.

Gorby was able to do that so well he signed the IRBM treaty that implemented the ‘zero option’ Reagan had sought since the beginning of 1982. Reagan can hardly have been a patsy if the first key treaty was exactly what he wanted.

107 Lidane  Apr 11, 2014 7:17:14am

re: #101 NJDhockeyfan

CNN is to geography what Jim DeMint is to history.

108 NJDhockeyfan  Apr 11, 2014 7:17:32am
109 Lidane  Apr 11, 2014 7:20:27am

What right wing sexism?

110 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 11, 2014 7:24:32am

re: #109 Lidane

What right wing sexism?

[Embedded content]

I really hope she does not run…I mean I would probably vote for her unless the GOP miraculously reforms itself by 2016, but a Hillary candidacy would force me to give up my favorite hobby, namely political blogging, because public discourse would just get too ugly and vitriolic.

111 Lidane  Apr 11, 2014 7:25:33am

re: #81 Dark_Falcon

Stupid people vote, too, and their votes count as much as yours or mine. Most of the electorate is made up of people who are dumbasses when it comes to politics.

And they get the candidates they deserve, too:

112 kirkspencer  Apr 11, 2014 7:25:36am

re: #95 Dark_Falcon

Reagan didn’t arm the Taliban, William. The Taliban was created by Pakistan’s ISI in the 1990’s as a way for Pakistan to install a client government in Kabul.

Armed and created are two different verbs. Yes, the US under Reagan armed the Taliban.

re: #100 Dark_Falcon

[snip] The Soviet withdrawal did not have to mean disaster in Afghanistan, and the US could have shifted to non-military aid, or worked to build its own client army there. The failure to do those things was not Ronald Reagan’s, as he had left office by that time. [snip]

That’s mighty fine parsing, since the withdrawal agreement was signed and the withdrawal itself began during Reagan’s tenure. You don’t start a shift as you discuss after the withdrawal is complete, not if you want success. While Bush the Elder is also to blame, Reagan is not free from the taint here.

113 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 11, 2014 7:28:49am

re: #111 Lidane

And they get the candidates they deserve, too:

[Embedded content]

And the party cannot do much about them, either. Nor can it get them to shut the f*ck up and just get elected, one too many Todd Akin and they have women fleeing the party in droves.

114 lawhawk  Apr 11, 2014 7:29:59am

The key graf:

The point of DeMint’s history lesson—and constitutional conservatism writ large—is to place liberals outside the narrative of American history, and to make liberalism a deviation from the norms of American thought. But the opposite is true—constitutional conservatism is foreign to liberals and conservatives—and the truth is ironic. If there was any period in our history where so-called constitutional conservatives held sway, it’s during the brief life of the Articles of Confederation. Under the Articles, national government was extraordinarily weak—it could not tax, mint coins, or pay collective debts—and states held near-total sovereignty. The result was economic disaster—several states were gripped by depression in the 1780s—and revolt. The failed Articles led American elites to convene a constitutional convention, where they would rethink their approach to national government.

Yup, these nitwits want a return to the good old days of the Articles of Confederation - states rights being paramount, and a federal government that was so weak that even the founders realized something drastic needed to be done, scrapping the Articles of Confederation and putting together the Constitution, which establishes a strong central government. It was a sop to those who thought that the powers of the federal government were too broad that the Bill of Rights was proffered (and adopted shortly thereafter).

But it’s all part and parcel of the revisionist history and pretzel that DeMint, Heritage, and conservatives in general to try and paint opponents as being out of touch. Pot meet kettle.

115 NJDhockeyfan  Apr 11, 2014 7:31:09am
116 GunstarGreen  Apr 11, 2014 7:38:09am

re: #87 lawhawk

Grenada wasn’t a war (or a police action, or military action)?

What Granada was, was a kickass game for the Sharp X68000 (and later ported rather admirably to the Sega Megadrive/Genesis) by the sadly-defunct Wolfteam.

Youtube Video

117 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2014 7:40:49am

re: #114 lawhawk

I think that might characterize DeMint, but I don’t think it applies to conservatives as whole. DeMint has long been in a world of his own on these matters, in great part because he comes from South Carolina, a state for which ‘State’s Rights’ has always been an issue of great import. The original reason for that importance was of course slavery.

118 ObserverArt  Apr 11, 2014 7:42:03am

re: #81 Dark_Falcon

Stupid people vote, too, and their votes count as much as yours or mine. Most of the electorate is made up of people who are dumbasses when it comes to politics.

That’s for sure. How else did we end up with the do-nothing Republican Congress. It sure isn’t smart people that voted them in.

///

: )

119 kirkspencer  Apr 11, 2014 7:44:11am

On the D side, Hillary is the front-runner. Not the inevitable, but unless and until she says “no”, or until the actual race comes on and someone shows up, she’s the odds on favorite for now.

I think Kerry is going to try again. His acceptance of the SoS position was in part an attempt to break the ‘senator curse’ [1] and add administration time to his credentials.

There are some Democratic governors who are possibles. The big disadvantages are a major front-runner and low recognition outside their respective states, but it’s been done and is still doable. (They can’t wait till barely a year before the election, however, not with an existing front runner.)

I think that if she wants to do so, Warren is a viable candidate. If she does, however, she’ll take all the “unqualified” crap Obama did during his run plus the misogynist subtext. Gripping hand here is that if she waits she’ll suffer from the senator curse.

[1] Senator curse. My name for the problem of a long-term senator having a reputation as committee member, not leader. Kennedy is the last president elected out of a senate position and he’d only just started his second term. His predecessor, Truman, was also only in his second (though almost complete).

120 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 11, 2014 7:45:37am

re: #106 Dark_Falcon

Gorby was able to do that so well he signed the IRBM treaty that implemented the ‘zero option’ Reagan had sought since the beginning of 1982. Reagan can hardly have been a patsy if the first key treaty was exactly what he wanted.

Gorby wanted that treaty too - the Pershing was a very dangerous first strike weapon with a far smaller CEP than anything the Soviets ever fielded.

121 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 11, 2014 7:47:29am

re: #110 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

I really hope she does not run…I mean I would probably vote for her unless the GOP miraculously reforms itself by 2016, but a Hillary candidacy would force me to give up my favorite hobby, namely political blogging, because public discourse would just get too ugly and vitriolic.

I fully expect her to run and I fully expect that just like in 2008 she will not be the candidate. My best guess remains Gillibrand but a current effective unknown is just as likely.

123 Lidane  Apr 11, 2014 7:51:35am

First Pat Robertson, now this douche:

124 ObserverArt  Apr 11, 2014 7:51:40am

re: #91 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

He was right that Reagan was no neocon…but the rest is crap.

I’d argue that he was for sure a neocon. How else did the whole “starwars’ thing of outspending Russia with military buildup and future technologies to bring down the wall happen? How about the support of the Nicaraguan Contras by back-dooring the American people and selling arms under the table to our supposed arch enemy Iran?

125 lawhawk  Apr 11, 2014 7:51:52am

re: #119 kirkspencer

I’d also watch Andrew Cuomo, who’s probably going to throw his hat in the ring. He’d run on having done something NY governors haven’t been able to do in a long time - get a string of on-time budgets (April 1 deadline, which is far earlier than most other states, whose fiscal years start July 1). He’s likely going to tout the tax cuts and state’s handling of Sandy rebuilding.

IOW, he’s got much the same kind of experience as Christie, without Bridgegate (for now; the Moreland Commission being shuttered suggests that he isn’t as concerned about cleaning up Albany with its ethical tar pit as he loudly proclaimed).

126 Killgore Trout  Apr 11, 2014 7:53:29am
127 GunstarGreen  Apr 11, 2014 7:55:39am

After spending the past eight years completely losing their shit over the black man in the white house, what are the insane monkeys of the Republican base going to screech about when he’s gone?

128 Killgore Trout  Apr 11, 2014 7:56:57am

What’s up with Salon?
We need to talk about the nudity on “Game of Thrones”

As you may have gathered, I’m a pretty dang big fan of Game of Thrones. I’ve read all the books. I know the fan theories (Jojen Reed is paste, y’all). I will passionately defend the greatness of Stannis Baratheon to everyone who wants to listen, and some people who don’t. But there’s one thing about the show that I don’t like—something that mars an otherwise amazing hodgepodge of swords, sorcery, sex, and violence.

There isn’t enough penis.

Like Gawker meets Firedog Lake.

129 Mattand  Apr 11, 2014 7:58:25am

re: #127 GunstarGreen

After spending the past eight years completely losing their shit over the black man in the white house, what are the insane monkeys of the Republican base going to screech about when he’s gone?

A Democratic woman in the White House.

130 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2014 7:58:39am

re: #120 William Barnett-Lewis

Gorby wanted that treaty too - the Pershing was a very dangerous first strike weapon with a far smaller CEP than anything the Soviets ever fielded.

And it was a weapon that Reagan never really wanted. I’d honestly say the entire crisis of the IRBMs was ultimately due to the misbegotten late 1970’s effort by the Soviet military that, feeling that Communism was winning, pushed for the deployment of the SS-20 ‘Saber’s in order to intimidate Western Europe and ensure a rapid follow up for the use of any ‘tactical’ nukes by the West.

By deploying the SS-20s however, the Soviet Union had created a threat to which the United States had to respond. The plan to deploy the Pershing IIs was actually first formulated in 1979, but the missiles were not ready for deployment till 1981. Thus whoever the US president was, the Pershing IIs would likely have been deployed in some numbers, if only because not doing so would have been a fatal sign of weakness. But though he deployed them, Ronald Reagan never liked them and got rid of them as soon the Soviet Union put up a leader willing to clean up the mess it had made.

The IRBM Treaty was, in the end, about Gorbachev acquiring enough power to undue a prior Soviet mistake without fear of removal. The treaty itself provided the frame work by which both he and Reagan could ensure that weapons neither of them wanted were destroyed.

131 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2014 8:01:27am

re: #128 Killgore Trout

Premium channel shows like ‘GoT’ have too much female nudity. It isn’t really needed, and it open appeal to titillation coarsens the shows.

There, I said it.

132 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 11, 2014 8:04:21am

re: #131 Dark_Falcon

Premium channel shows like ‘GoT’ have too much female nudity. It isn’t really needed, and it open appeal to titillation coarsens the shows.

There, I said it.

Still haven’t watched it, more I read like this, the less likely I ever will…

133 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 11, 2014 8:04:42am

re: #125 lawhawk

I’d also watch Andrew Cuomo, who’s probably going to throw his hat in the ring. He’d run on having done something NY governors haven’t been able to do in a long time - get a string of on-time budgets (April 1 deadline, which is far earlier than most other states, whose fiscal years start July 1). He’s likely going to tout the tax cuts and state’s handling of Sandy rebuilding.

IOW, he’s got much the same kind of experience as Christie, without Bridgegate (for now; the Moreland Commission being shuttered suggests that he isn’t as concerned about cleaning up Albany with its ethical tar pit as he loudly proclaimed).

His gun record would kill him in the Midwest - even in the blue states. Look to the Colorado recall and how many Democrats voted against the incumbents over those cosmetic magazine restrictions.

134 goddamnedfrank  Apr 11, 2014 8:05:03am

re: #46 Rev_Arthur_Belling

It matters because there are important issues at stake beyond just GG’s persecution complex. Sometimes you do things because it’s the thing that needs to be done, despite the “optics” and how it plays into the image of a single individual.

Great. Please then give us a pragmatic explanation for why this needs to be done? What big picture fundamental principle do we sacrifice by choosing not to drag Glenn Greenwald before some toothless congressional committee, grand jury or kangaroo court? What law has he broken, what would realistically ever be gained by this sacrifice of our conviction to uphold the freedom of the press?

I haven’t made an argument based on image or optics. I’m saying that what’s been proposed is counter-productive, abjectly and obviously so. Not because it looks bad but because in any realistic analysis it can’t possibly result in anything good for the country. Yes, okay, we’d look like panicked little bullies lashing out at a journalist for publishing facts we couldn’t keep secret, but more importantly than that, that’s who we’d actually be. Press freedoms actually matter, not simply for the sake of appearances, but intrinsically. They are very much part of who we are as a nation.

Except for the absence of actual violence it’s exactly the kind of solution someone in Putin’s government would propose, the abuse of government power to try and impose one’s will upon an inconvenient journalist. And yes, even a shitty, self aggrandizing, manipulative little prick like Greenwald is still a journalist as far as the law is concerned.

135 lawhawk  Apr 11, 2014 8:07:37am

re: #127 GunstarGreen

Hey, where the white women at? /

136 Lidane  Apr 11, 2014 8:09:45am

re: #131 Dark_Falcon

Premium channel shows like ‘GoT’ have too much female nudity. It isn’t really needed, and it open appeal to titillation coarsens the shows.

There, I said it.

What they need is more male nudity. If a woman is going to be topless or whatever, a guy should face the camera naked too.

137 lawhawk  Apr 11, 2014 8:12:42am

re: #131 Dark_Falcon

Part of the reason for the nudity on GoT is that it allows the show to engage in quite a bit of exposition that moves the story forward without being eye-glazing. We are, after all, talking about a series of books that rivals the tax code in depth and size (even if they’re killing off a character a chapter).

138 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Apr 11, 2014 8:13:15am

re: #136 Lidane

It seems to me there’s been a lot of male nudity compared to other shows (complete with brief gay sex scenes). To me the show is following some of the old cliches out of other sword/sorcery flicks with lots of female nudity. What do they want? Tyrion (sp?) naked on screen?

139 goddamnedfrank  Apr 11, 2014 8:14:33am

re: #134 goddamnedfrank

Edited - Reload to respond.

140 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 11, 2014 8:15:07am

re: #136 Lidane

What they need is more male nudity. If a woman is going to be topless or whatever, a guy should face the camera naked too.

Overall, I tend to agree but the reality is that this would help put a spotlight on the fact that the scenes are not needed for telling the story (such as it is in the gore fest that is GoT. Bleah!)

But that is America in a nutshell - the red wedding’s acceptable but a naked boob makes people get hysterical.

141 goddamnedfrank  Apr 11, 2014 8:17:30am

re: #136 Lidane

What they need is more male nudity. If a woman is going to be topless or whatever, a guy should face the camera naked too.

Sure. In principle yes. I’m afraid though that Twitter / the internet could not possible survive full frontal Peter Dinklage.

It’s hard to even type that without giggling.

142 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Apr 11, 2014 8:19:42am

re: #141 goddamnedfrank

There’ve been a few brief scenes of it. What kinda irks me with the female nudity is that in reality, given the time period that GoT is set in, I doubt most of those women would be so well trimmed, especially the wildling chick. But that’s nit-picking.

143 Skip Intro  Apr 11, 2014 8:19:44am

Another day, another GOPER finds another Anti-Christ.

Montana GOP Candidate Calls Hillary Clinton The ‘Anti-Christ’

A Republican candidate for Congress in Montana compared former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the anti-Christ.

The candidate, state Sen. Ryan Zinke, is one of five Republicans competing for the nomination to succeed Rep. Steve Daines (R-MT) who is likely to run for the seat being vacated by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT).

At his campaign kickoff event, according to the Bigfork Eagle, Zinke said “we need to focus on the real enemy.” He then went on to criticize Clinton calling her the “anti-Christ.”

talkingpointsmemo.com

144 lawhawk  Apr 11, 2014 8:19:59am

re: #140 William Barnett-Lewis

Indeed.

For instance, NYC subways have lots of problems, but apparently Gov. Cuomo thinks that ads for boob jobs requires changing the MTA ad policy.

secondavenuesagas.com

But there’s no problem with the GoT ads that warn - Death comes to all Men. Or any of the ultraviolent offerings in movies or tv shows that feature murder and mayhem.

/trying to stifle a Carlin riff on violence versus sexuality in culture/society

Youtube Video

145 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Apr 11, 2014 8:22:01am

re: #144 lawhawk

It is pretty funny if not sad that we have no problem with ultra-violence but do have a problem with the human body. I tend to think it leads back to the puritanical roots of this country.

146 Lidane  Apr 11, 2014 8:23:57am

re: #140 William Barnett-Lewis

Overall, I tend to agree but the reality is that this would help put a spotlight on the fact that the scenes are not needed for telling the story (such as it is in the gore fest that is GoT. Bleah!)

But that is America in a nutshell - the red wedding’s acceptable but a naked boob makes people get hysterical.

Well yeah. Violence is perfectly okay. Sex OTOH gives people the vapors. It’s why a naked boob or a topless scene in a film will get you an R rating long before huge explosions and people being shot en masse will.

147 The War TARDIS  Apr 11, 2014 8:25:55am

Finished my first play through of Skyrim last night.

148 goddamnedfrank  Apr 11, 2014 8:25:59am

re: #142 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance

There’ve been a few brief scenes of it. What kinda irks me with the female nudity is that in reality, given the time period that GoT is set in, I doubt most of those women would be so well trimmed, especially the wildling chick. But that’s nit-picking.

Is it really a time period? I mean, the place has dragons, shadow assassins spirit things, some kind of undead lich woman and no recognizable continents.

Always got the impression is was an alien world. Maybe they don’t need vaccines, computers and pasteurization because magic.

149 Lidane  Apr 11, 2014 8:26:07am

re: #141 goddamnedfrank

Sure. In principle yes. I’m afraid though that Twitter / the internet could not possible survive full frontal Peter Dinklage.

It’s hard to even type that without giggling.

Even Peter Dinklage doesn’t want full frontal Peter Dinklage on camera. Heh. He seems like a funny guy based on the interviews I’ve seen, but I’m sure he’s got his limits.

I think that’s the point, though. It’s somehow expected for women to be topless or naked on camera because “that’s how it was back then” or whatever other excuse, but for men, there’s a different standard.

150 lawhawk  Apr 11, 2014 8:27:11am

re: #146 Lidane

Hey, if it’s fantasy violence, you’ll be able to get PG or PG-13.

LOTR, which is a sprawling and visual epic, sees tens of thousands slaughtered, and huge armies clash with gore aplenty, but it’s a PG-13 romp because it’s mostly orcs, goblins, Urak-Hai, and elves getting cleaved. Men are usually wearing enough armor to make them unrecognizable as men.

151 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2014 8:27:31am

re: #146 Lidane

Even so, that shouldn’t forestall a complaint that the nudity in question is gratuitous and/or simply an appeal to low urges. One can make either such argument without being Puritan.

152 Dr. Matt  Apr 11, 2014 8:29:46am

So, Cliven Bundy has every right to freely use federal lands for his cattle, yet the Occupy Movement were trespassing on state and federal property during their protests? K?

153 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 11, 2014 8:30:13am

re: #150 lawhawk

Hey, if it’s fantasy violence, you’ll be able to get PG or PG-13.

LOTR, which is a sprawling and visual epic, sees tens of thousands slaughtered, and huge armies clash with gore aplenty, but it’s a PG-13 romp because it’s mostly orcs, goblins, Urak-Hai, and elves getting cleaved. Men are usually wearing enough armor to make them unrecognizable as men.

But just imagine if Liv Tyler had bared some elvish nipple…

154 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2014 8:30:40am

re: #152 Dr. Matt

So, Cliven Bundy has every right to freely use federal lands for his cattle, yet the Occupy Movement were trespassing on state and federal property during their protests? K?

Please don’t get Killgore started.

155 kirkspencer  Apr 11, 2014 8:30:58am

re: #142 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance

There’ve been a few brief scenes of it. What kinda irks me with the female nudity is that in reality, given the time period that GoT is set in, I doubt most of those women would be so well trimmed, especially the wildling chick. But that’s nit-picking.

The word is fantasy.

Actually, I get giggles when I hear people complain of blood and sex (and nudity) in the show. They’re in the book - in a few places the nudity is by implication, but they are there. And while the show is not the book it’s remaining delightfully close in the broad strokes.

156 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 11, 2014 8:31:32am

re: #152 Dr. Matt

So, Cliven Bundy has every right to freely use federal lands for his cattle, yet the Occupy Movement were trespassing on state and federal property during their protests? K?

The Sovereign Citizen movement is looking for some martyrs/poster children it can rally around so they can live out their adolescent Randian fantasies in the media spotlight.

158 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Apr 11, 2014 8:33:04am

re: #148 goddamnedfrank

It’s medieval fantasy. The time period is a medieval setting. That’s what I meant.

159 kirkspencer  Apr 11, 2014 8:34:14am

re: #149 Lidane

Even Peter Dinklage doesn’t want full frontal Peter Dinklage on camera. Heh. He seems like a funny guy based on the interviews I’ve seen, but I’m sure he’s got his limits.

I think that’s the point, though. It’s somehow expected for women to be topless or naked on camera because “that’s how it was back then” or whatever other excuse, but for men, there’s a different standard.

umm

Peter Dinklage is ready to do his part to increase the amount of male nudity on “Game of Thrones.”

The actor, who plays Tyrion Lannister on the HBO hit, told Entertainment Weekly he hasn’t seen a script yet calling for nudity. But if there is one, he’s in.

“If it’s appropriate for the material, I will definitely go to the gym,” Dinklage told EW.

160 Dr. Matt  Apr 11, 2014 8:34:53am

re: #157 Varek Raith

Right-Wing Media Are Throwing Gas On A Rancher’s Violent Threats Against The Government

The RWNJs are getting sexually aroused as they clean and prep their ARs for war with the gummit.

161 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Apr 11, 2014 8:36:09am

re: #155 kirkspencer

Yeah, I guess in a fantasy world all women have landing strips.

I laugh my ass off when people get bent out of shape about sex and violence in most any medium. Again I think it goes back to the puritanical roots of this country.

162 Dr. Matt  Apr 11, 2014 8:37:07am

re: #161 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance

Yeah, I guess in a fantasy world all women have landing strips.

You mean they don’t?!

///

163 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Apr 11, 2014 8:37:34am

re: #159 kirkspencer

If they get a naked Tyrion scene they will have turned it up to 11. Personally Tyrion is one of my favorite characters on the show, which means he’ll probably be killed soon.

164 Lidane  Apr 11, 2014 8:37:43am

re: #159 kirkspencer

I stand corrected. Good on him, then. It’s nice to see a male actor willing to go there if the script calls for it. He’s definitely an exception to the rule, though.

165 lawhawk  Apr 11, 2014 8:37:53am

re: #159 kirkspencer

Dinklage linkage. That’ll definitely bring record viewership.

166 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Apr 11, 2014 8:38:49am

I also have to wonder if the lack of male nudity correlates directly to penis envy.

167 Varek Raith  Apr 11, 2014 8:39:08am

re: #161 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance

Yeah, I guess in a fantasy world all women have landing strips.

I laugh my ass off when people get bent out of shape about sex and violence in most any medium. Again I think it goes back to the puritanical roots of this country.

I remember the outrage! at the Watchmen movie.

168 GunstarGreen  Apr 11, 2014 8:39:18am

The nudity in GoT isn’t annoying because it’s gender-imbalanced. It’s annoying because it’s gratuitous and unnecessary, played solely for titillating the audience rather than any significance to the story.

There’s a fine-yet-fuzzy line between nudity being played for just being a natural part of the human body, and nudity being played for a crass ratings-grab.

That being said, we’re an embarrassingly repressed society. We’ll blow people up all day long with no problem, but show a boob and people start freaking out. I have just as much of a problem with gratuitous gore-for-the-sake-of-gore as I do with sex-for-the-sake-of-sex. There are tasteful ways to do things, and then there are 80s-style splatterflicks which, while occasionally entertaining, are trash from an artistic angle.

169 goddamnedfrank  Apr 11, 2014 8:40:16am

HBO’s Rome had a lot of nudity in it too. People thought that was gratuitous too, which kind of baffled me, because you know, Rome.

I kind of think that people fuck, and walk around naked sometimes, that historically and on alien magical planets these things happen. If you were to go back in time, before TV and the internet, you’d probably find that people fucked even more, owing to a comparative dearth of competing entertainment alternatives.

170 Bulworth  Apr 11, 2014 8:40:27am
So, Cliven Bundy has every right to freely use federal lands for his cattle, yet the Occupy Movement were trespassing on state and federal property during their protests? K?

Yes because Freedom. //

171 Lidane  Apr 11, 2014 8:41:30am

re: #155 kirkspencer

The word is fantasy.

Actually, I get giggles when I hear people complain of blood and sex (and nudity) in the show. They’re in the book - in a few places the nudity is by implication, but they are there. And while the show is not the book it’s remaining delightfully close in the broad strokes.

I still haven’t read the books. I remember doing my grad internship at a game studio when the show started and I asked the people there if I needed to know the books before seeing the show. They said no, the show pretty much follows the books exactly, so there’s no need.

172 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 11, 2014 8:42:05am

re: #152 Dr. Matt

So, Cliven Bundy has every right to freely use federal lands for his cattle, yet the Occupy Movement were trespassing on state and federal property during their protests? K?

Shhhh! That’s almost as bad as saying Beetlejuice 3 times! You’re sure to invoke KT!

173 kirkspencer  Apr 11, 2014 8:43:05am

re: #163 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance

If they get a naked Tyrion scene they will have turned it up to 11. Personally Tyrion is one of my favorite characters on the show, which means he’ll probably be killed soon.

… ok, this is the sort of thing that frustrates me. Is it spoiling to talk about stuff published almost three years ago?

I mean yes, there are two (unless divided again) more books coming out. But is it spoiling to talk about what happens to Tyrion in the second half of book three (plus allegedly a couple of points from books four and five) when book five is three years old?

174 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 11, 2014 8:43:06am

re: #152 Dr. Matt

So, Cliven Bundy has every right to freely use federal lands for his cattle, yet the Occupy Movement were trespassing on state and federal property during their protests? K?

As Hannity points out, it helps keep the price of meat down for the American consumer. Freedom and Big Macs!!!

175 Varek Raith  Apr 11, 2014 8:43:25am

re: #172 William Barnett-Lewis

Shhhh! That’s almost as bad as saying Beetlejuice 3 times! You’re sure to invoke KT!

KT. KT. KT.
Biggie Smalls. Biggie Smalls. Biggie Smalls.
Bloody Mary. Bloody Mary. Blood Mary.
Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice.

Nope, nothing.

176 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2014 8:43:27am

re: #154 Dark_Falcon

Please don’t get Killgore started.

re: #172 William Barnett-Lewis

I beat you to it. :)

177 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 11, 2014 8:43:54am

re: #163 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance

If they get a naked Tyrion scene they will have turned it up to 11. Personally Tyrion is one of my favorite characters on the show, which means he’ll probably be killed soon.

If he’s the Dwarf, you don’t need to worry yet. But hey, I’m sure he’ll end with his head on a pike someday.

178 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Apr 11, 2014 8:45:00am

re: #173 kirkspencer

… ok, this is the sort of thing that frustrates me. Is it spoiling to talk about stuff published almost three years ago?

I mean yes, there are two (unless divided again) more books coming out. But is it spoiling to talk about what happens to Tyrion in the second half of book three (plus allegedly a couple of points from books four and five) when book five is three years old?

I haven’t read the books so it would probably spoil it for me but in reality, given how the show has gone, I am already assuming that characters I like will die extremely horrible deaths and few if any will live to a ripe old age. That’s the brutality of the show.

I do see important roles to be played by the younger stark kids and look forward to seeing what happens with them.

179 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Apr 11, 2014 8:46:02am

re: #177 William Barnett-Lewis

Yeah he’s the Dwarf, and the guy is a really good actor.

180 Dr. Matt  Apr 11, 2014 8:48:48am

I bet The Onion wishes they came up with this headline:

Fox Host Declares Bush The Best At Dodging Shoes

181 lawhawk  Apr 11, 2014 8:49:41am

re: #152 Dr. Matt

Occupy was technically on private property that was available to the public in a public/private deal (Zuccotti Park). It wasn’t subject to the same rules available for other parks in NYC (which is why it was able to persist for months without being rousted for as long as it was).

182 Varek Raith  Apr 11, 2014 8:51:02am

re: #180 Dr. Matt

I bet The Onion wishes they came up with this headline:

Fox Host Declares Bush The Best At Dodging Shoes

Seriously?

183 kirkspencer  Apr 11, 2014 8:51:42am

re: #178 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance

I haven’t read the books so it would probably spoil it for me but in reality, given how the show has gone, I am already assuming that characters I like will die extremely horrible deaths and few if any will live to a ripe old age. That’s the brutality of the show.

I do see important roles to be played by the younger stark kids and look forward to seeing what happens with them.

heh. ‘Martin, Whedon, and Moffat walk into a bar, and everyone you ever loved dies. But some of them get better.’

184 Dr. Matt  Apr 11, 2014 8:51:48am

re: #181 lawhawk

Occupy was technically on private property that was available to the public in a public/private deal (Zuccotti Park). It wasn’t subject to the same rules available for other parks in NYC (which is why it was able to persist for months without being rousted for as long as it was).

I wasn’t precise in my comment. I was referencing the Occupy protests in DC, i.e., McPherson Square, Freedom Plaza.

185 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Apr 11, 2014 8:52:43am

On a gaming note.

1) I beat the expansion to Diablo III. I have to say it was really well done, the new class, the “Crusader” is beast and I like that they added in content to actually finish your henchman’s (or woman) story line and left few loose strings (including getting revenge on Adria) I won’t spoil the ending but suffice to say there’s room for more games. The difficulty increase based on character level is pretty nice but, with the crusader anyway, you still wreck things, big time.

I haven’t tried adventure mode which supposedly opens the world to adventure through with random quests, dungeons etc.

2) I’ve played a bit more of Elder Scrolls online and have to say I like it so far. Though they changed some things to make it more MMO and less skyrim it still maintains a lot of what made the ES games great.

3) The main reason I haven’t been playing much of ESO is World of Tanks, what can I say, it’s a blast. It’s my understanding that this Tuesday they will be releasing 9.0 which will re-vamp a lot of the maps (which I am looking forward to big time) and updated HD graphics. The new looks of the tanks in HD are awesome and the new suspension is really cool. Not sure if the new physics will be released in that or the upgrade to the Havok engine/introduction of multi-core support. Hopefully they tweak the matchmaking because despite them saying it’s “fixed” it’s ridiculous.

186 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2014 8:53:50am

If we’re going to be discussing the Clive Bundy imbroglio, perhaps this Page from Alouette should be promoted.

187 Pie-onist Overlord  Apr 11, 2014 8:54:40am
188 Varek Raith  Apr 11, 2014 8:56:52am

re: #187 Pie-onist Overlord

[Embedded content]

Good grief. Just because someone else breaks a law doesn’t mean you get to break them too.

189 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 11, 2014 8:57:04am

re: #187 Pie-onist Overlord

Dana Loesch: If Bundy Trespass Cows Were Illegal Aliens They’d Get EBT Cards & Obama Phones

eat aliens!

190 kirkspencer  Apr 11, 2014 8:57:35am

re: #187 Pie-onist Overlord

I understand that Ms Loesch is not a personal friend of truth, but I keep forgetting she doesn’t even know truth’s phone number.

191 Timothy Watson  Apr 11, 2014 8:58:02am

re: #112 kirkspencer

Armed and created are two different verbs. Yes, the US under Reagan armed the Taliban.

That’s mighty fine parsing, since the withdrawal agreement was signed and the withdrawal itself began during Reagan’s tenure. You don’t start a shift as you discuss after the withdrawal is complete, not if you want success. While Bush the Elder is also to blame, Reagan is not free from the taint here.

The Taliban didn’t exist until 1994, so unless Reagan mastered the space-time continuum like the conservatives think Obama has, it would be pretty impossible for Reagan to arm them.

192 Dr. Matt  Apr 11, 2014 8:58:10am

re: #187 Pie-onist Overlord

If Bundy Trespass Cows Were Illegal Aliens, then the RWNJs would be shooting them on sight.

193 Pie-onist Overlord  Apr 11, 2014 8:58:40am

re: #190 kirkspencer

I understand that Ms Loesch is not a personal friend of truth, but I keep forgetting she doesn’t even know truth’s phone number.

Wingnuts love this meme that ILLEGAL ALIENS IS TAKING ALL TEH WELFARES & ALL TEH FOOD STAMPS & ALL TEH JRRBS!!!!!!!

194 Pie-onist Overlord  Apr 11, 2014 8:59:01am

re: #192 Dr. Matt

If Bundy Trespass Cows Were Illegal Aliens, then the RWNJs would be shooting them on sight.

I am so Tweeting that.

195 Varek Raith  Apr 11, 2014 8:59:25am

re: #192 Dr. Matt

If Bundy Trespass Cows Were Illegal Aliens, then the RWNJs would be shooting them on sight.

Lol.

196 Lidane  Apr 11, 2014 9:00:29am

re: #185 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance

The main reason I haven’t been playing much of ESO is World of Tanks, what can I say, it’s a blast. It’s my understanding that this Tuesday they will be releasing 9.0 which will re-vamp a lot of the maps (which I am looking forward to big time) and updated HD graphics. The new looks of the tanks in HD are awesome and the new suspension is really cool. Not sure if the new physics will be released in that or the upgrade to the Havok engine/introduction of multi-core support. Hopefully they tweak the matchmaking because despite them saying it’s “fixed” it’s ridiculous.

The boyfriend has been playing World of Tanks a lot lately. I never knew that driving around in WW2 tanks and blowing people up could get someone so interested.

197 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Apr 11, 2014 9:00:55am

re: #192 Dr. Matt

well the only way to know if they are or aren’t illegal aliens is to check their birth certificates.

198 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Apr 11, 2014 9:03:43am

re: #196 Lidane

The boyfriend has been playing World of Tanks a lot lately. I never knew that driving around in WW2 tanks and blowing people up could get someone so interested.

I play in a clan that’s more about hanging out and platooning than it is the whole clan wars thing and we have a blast. Last night I finished with a match in a german tank destroyer known as a Jagd Panther (or JPanther for short). I was doing my thing and keeping an eye out for the other team to push through and area, they were dealt with and it was coming down to the wire, I was low on health (tanks have hit points) and the other side of the map was in trouble but I started rolling that way and proceeded to eliminate the 4 remaining enemy players in rapid succession. The cries of “omg” and “fuck you” were just epic.

199 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Apr 11, 2014 9:04:40am

On a side note you know you play too much when you can watch world War II documentaries, identify the tank, and know if they were the original model minus the modifications that allowed them to carry better guns ><

200 GunstarGreen  Apr 11, 2014 9:05:04am

re: #196 Lidane

The boyfriend has been playing World of Tanks a lot lately. I never knew that driving around in WW2 tanks and blowing people up could get someone so interested.

Simple vehicular combat can be a lot of fun — used to be a huge genre in the PC gaming space.

Unfortunately, nowadays it’s pretty much entirely relegated to “F2P” freemium games, and it’s a model I just can’t support. Last I heard about WoT, they allowed you to buy special ammo that out-performed regular ammo, and pay-to-win is a giant no-no as far as I’m concerned. Same thing with Mechwarrior Online and the “hero” mechs; I love me some Mechwarrior, but I will not support a version that gives you an in-game advantage in competitive multiplayer for spending money.

201 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2014 9:07:40am

Folks, we got ourselves a wingnut troll.

202 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Apr 11, 2014 9:08:27am

re: #200 GunstarGreen

Actually the “premium ammo” can be purchased with gold (bought with money) or for in game credits earned by just playing. I carry some around on a few tanks given since it is superior at times. While those rounds do have better penetration and can do massive damage they also bounce…a lot…making it expensive to use them.

That being said, give me an SU 152 (tier 7 russian tank destroyer) with the 152 gun and some HEAT rounds and it can be epically hilarious. Did that once then switched to standard ammo and a lot of HE rounds for higher tier battles.

203 CuriousLurker  Apr 11, 2014 9:08:38am
204 Feline Fearless Leader  Apr 11, 2014 9:08:48am

re: #199 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance

On a side note you know you play too much when you can watch world War II documentaries, identify the tank, and know if they were the original model minus the modifications that allowed them to carry better guns ><

There’s a thread on ComSimWorld where they are going through WW2 “70 years ago today”. Mainly covering naval stuff since the thread is for a submarine game, but the authors are covering land events as well; Eastern Front, Burma, etc.

After photos are posted there are comments critiquing them if equipment is misidentified or the photo is obviously from a different place or time period. (Here there be grognards!) I’m guilty of it as well since I commented about a photo not being dated properly since it had T-34/85 in it and those had not come into service yet in the Soviet Army.

205 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Apr 11, 2014 9:10:14am

re: #204 Feline Fearless Leader

They are going to be releasing World of Warships sometime soon. I will probably give it a try. Wasn’t a huge fan of World Of Warplanes.

206 Varek Raith  Apr 11, 2014 9:10:20am

re: #201 Dark_Falcon

Folks, we got ourselves a wingnut troll.

My response may be… over the top.

207 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2014 9:10:41am

re: #190 kirkspencer

I understand that Ms Loesch is not a personal friend of truth, but I keep forgetting she doesn’t even know truth’s phone number.

I hear that Obamaphones have truth’s phone number preprogrammed into their contact lists.

/Completely kidding

208 Varek Raith  Apr 11, 2014 9:10:59am

re: #205 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance

They are going to be releasing World of Warships sometime soon. I will probably give it a try. Wasn’t a huge fan of World Of Warplanes.

Ohhhhh, that I’ll play.

209 Eventual Carrion  Apr 11, 2014 9:11:02am

re: #144 lawhawk

Indeed.

[snip]

/trying to stifle a Carlin riff on violence versus sexuality in culture/society

[Embedded content]

If god dropped acid, would he see people?
- George Carlin

If you can’t beat them, arrange to have them beaten,
- George Carlin

210 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Apr 11, 2014 9:11:17am

re: #200 GunstarGreen

I do buy premium time which boosts the amount of credits and experience I earn, plus I buy gold now and then to convert a bunch of experience on my “Elite” tanks to free Experience for researching modules on tanks I buy.

211 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Apr 11, 2014 9:12:24am

re: #208 Varek Raith

Ohhhhh, that I’ll play.

worldofwarships.com

212 The War TARDIS  Apr 11, 2014 9:13:59am

re: #183 kirkspencer

Thing is, when Moffat kills a character, they often get some sort of happy ending. Look at River, Amy, and Rory.

Or, in one case when a companion sacrificed herself, the Doctor decided to un-sacrifice her. Even with the threat of his own death.

213 Varek Raith  Apr 11, 2014 9:14:00am

I play Star Trek Online, which is Pay 2 Win, and I never spent a dime. Amuses me to no end to take out players who spent lots of real money on stuff.

214 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2014 9:14:49am

re: #208 Varek Raith

Ohhhhh, that I’ll play.

I might, too, if they have some historicals or historical variants like the Leyte Gulf what-if I played last month. Automating the record keeping and damage scoring for a game like that would be a big boon to game players.

215 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 11, 2014 9:15:14am

re: #199 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance

On a side note you know you play too much when you can watch world War II documentaries, identify the tank, and know if they were the original model minus the modifications that allowed them to carry better guns ><

Thank god that modern WWII films have developed an eye for accuracy: taking an old US surplus tank, painting a German cross on it and calling it a Tiger or Panther is like taking an old Dodge Dart, slapping a Mercedes star on it and calling it an SLK roadster

216 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2014 9:16:05am

re: #159 kirkspencer

umm

So the nudity won’t happen until the actors are “body satisfied” and everything looks “perfect”?

Face it, if we really wanted nudity in this country because it was very much an integral part of the story, we would have people of all sizes, shapes and apparent health shedding their clothes on the screen, along with pregnant and nursing mothers.

Like this guy at 1:30:45…rear naked shot of a pensioner just before he kills his lover’s husband.

Youtube Video

217 Pie-onist Overlord  Apr 11, 2014 9:20:24am

A sample of Teh Derp on #tcot about the Bundy trespassing cattle thing.

218 Varek Raith  Apr 11, 2014 9:21:21am

re: #217 Pie-onist Overlord

A sample of Teh Derp on #tcot about the Bundy trespassing cattle thing.

[Embedded content]

Cowards, the whole lot of them.

219 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2014 9:23:34am

re: #217 Pie-onist Overlord

220 Lidane  Apr 11, 2014 9:23:59am

re: #217 Pie-onist Overlord

I see the 101st Fighting Keyboardists are in full swing today. ROFL.

Every single person RT’ing that nonsense would shit a brick if they were faced with a SWAT team, never mind the US military. Cowards, the lot of them.

221 Pie-onist Overlord  Apr 11, 2014 9:24:34am
222 Pie-onist Overlord  Apr 11, 2014 9:25:05am

re: #220 Lidane

I see the 101st Fighting Keyboardists are in full swing today. ROFL.

Every single person RT’ing that nonsense would shit a brick if they were faced with a SWAT team, never mind the US military. Cowards, the lot of them.

HURR HURR TYRANNY!!!!!!!

223 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Apr 11, 2014 9:26:17am

re: #213 Varek Raith

I play Star Trek Online, which is Pay 2 Win, and I never spent a dime. Amuses me to no end to take out players who spent lots of real money on stuff.

There’s another tank/plane/boat game out there (can’t remember the name of it) that is, straight up, pay to win and people are saying it sucks. You don’t need to pay a dime to play world of tanks and be successful at it. Sure their are perks to premium time but you can still get the same tier tanks and same ammo without spending real money. Even their premium tanks aren’t that great. The only one I ever bought was the T26E4 super pershing (basically an up armored pershing) and that’s only good because of its ridiculous armor. The rest may have some perks but can be destroyed just as easy.

You know the wallet warriors though, they’re the ones who bought an IS-6 tier 8 heavy and have few if any battles. They’re the ones who most often get completely owned in a battle. I was on my T69 (US medium prototype based on the french auto-loaders) once and took out an IS-6 which had full health (complete with waiting 20 seconds to reload my clip) while just dancing around him.

224 Pie-onist Overlord  Apr 11, 2014 9:26:35am

A MILLION PATRIOTS!!!!!!!

Like all those truckers who blocked the Beltway on Labor Day ‘13?

Oh wait.

Oh and, how many access roads are there into and out of the ranch?

225 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Apr 11, 2014 9:27:11am

re: #215 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

Thank god that modern WWII films have developed an eye for accuracy: taking an old US surplus tank, painting a German cross on it and calling it a Tiger or Panther is like taking an old Dodge Dart, slapping a Mercedes star on it and calling it an SLK roadster

That’s one thing I love about the game, it’s pretty darn accurate and before long they will have historical battles setup.

226 The War TARDIS  Apr 11, 2014 9:27:23am

re: #219 Dark_Falcon

I would take Joel tweet to be a threat against the government.

227 The War TARDIS  Apr 11, 2014 9:31:17am

And I killed the thread.

228 calochortus  Apr 11, 2014 9:32:48am

re: #227 The War TARDIS

It happens to us all. :)

229 Feline Fearless Leader  Apr 11, 2014 9:33:43am

re: #215 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

Thank god that modern WWII films have developed an eye for accuracy: taking an old US surplus tank, painting a German cross on it and calling it a Tiger or Panther is like taking an old Dodge Dart, slapping a Mercedes star on it and calling it an SLK roadster

A lot of that was using whatever was available due to hiring the local National Guard outfit, or foreign army if filming overseas. Thus you see lots of M-48s and such from films set in the 50s and 60s. There are/were 4-5 T-34 converted to look like Tiger I in Yugoslavia that got a lot of film use - I think they’re the same ones used in “Kelly’s Heroes”.

Once things went heavily CGI there was greater ability to model accurate tanks and aircraft in. Though you should ignore the ships being bombed in “Pearl Harbor”. (cringe)

230 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2014 9:35:29am

re: #227 The War TARDIS

And I killed the thread.

I’ll bring it back by showing an example the bad press coverage fanning this damn mess:

Moment federal agents tasered son of last Nevada rancher caught on tape as critics accuse officers of acting like they’re in ‘Tiananmen Square’ in fight over right to graze land

Yes, that’s the Daily FAIL, but I’m concerned about the tendency of all media to sensationalize this sort of situation. Regardless of what they say publicly, the press sometimes will want a situation to get ugly so they can make money covering it.

“You provide the pictures, I’ll provide the war.”

231 lawhawk  Apr 11, 2014 9:39:27am

Pollution in national monuments from oil drilling operations outside the parks and pipelines in the vicinity? You don’t say.

The oil appears to have been deliberately covered with dirt and gravel in a manner consistent with remediation techniques of the 1970s. Monument spokesman Larry Crutchfield emphasized the oil found in Pet Hollow, Horse Spring Canyon, Canaan Wash and Bear Hollow appears to be stable and probably does not pose an immediate danger to the environment, but officials intend to recover soil and water samples for testing.

“The good news is that the resource impacts appear minimal. There are no dead animals and dead plants and the older oil appears stable,” Crutchfield said. “There is no evidence of recent spills.”

Addressing the mess in nearby Little Valley Wash is a bigger priority for the Bureau of Land Management, which runs the monument.

Officials examined neighboring washes after hikers last month found Little Valley Wash clogged with oil from the 50-year-old oil field perched on a rugged mesa at the headwaters of the Escalante River.

Many of these spills may have occurred long before Citation Oil and Gas Corp. took over the field from Tenneco in the mid-1980s, but at least three spills from old pipelines have occurred here since 2012, according to BLM and Dixie National Forest, which administers most of oil field. Citation officials have not responded to any requests for comment since the Tribune began inquiring into the spills three weeks ago.

232 Feline Fearless Leader  Apr 11, 2014 9:40:21am

Feline Overlord puts self in peril:

(extracted from an email from my brother)
The pond started to thaw out, bad winter kill as all the bass and one big bluegill died. I hope the smaller fry survived, otherwise I will have to start from scratch. I did not see any of the grass carp, so hopefully they are alive. While I am taking the fish out from the edge Storm (Ed: one of the shed cats) walked out on the ice and then fell through. I could not reach him with the 10 foot staff I keep there, so I ran up to the shed, grabbed a canoe, ran back, and got him out. He was having quite the struggle swimming through the slush, where he chose to try to get to “firmer” ice rather than head to shore, at least that is my take. So, after I fished him out I toweled him the best I could, chucked him in the bathtub and turned the heat up so he could be warm and hopefully groom. After an hour he was pretty dry, so I let him outside, and this morning he seemed fine. He did get lots of pets, as I would go sit with him once and a while while I cleaned the house and did dishes. Idiot cat.

233 Varek Raith  Apr 11, 2014 9:45:29am

re: #223 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance

There’s another tank/plane/boat game out there (can’t remember the name of it) that is, straight up, pay to win and people are saying it sucks. You don’t need to pay a dime to play world of tanks and be successful at it. Sure their are perks to premium time but you can still get the same tier tanks and same ammo without spending real money. Even their premium tanks aren’t that great. The only one I ever bought was the T26E4 super pershing (basically an up armored pershing) and that’s only good because of its ridiculous armor. The rest may have some perks but can be destroyed just as easy.

You know the wallet warriors though, they’re the ones who bought an IS-6 tier 8 heavy and have few if any battles. They’re the ones who most often get completely owned in a battle. I was on my T69 (US medium prototype based on the french auto-loaders) once and took out an IS-6 which had full health (complete with waiting 20 seconds to reload my clip) while just dancing around him.

Yep, most P2W is like that. I have no trouble having fun and winning at them.

234 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 11, 2014 9:46:55am

re: #230 Dark_Falcon

n. Regardless of what they say publicly, the press sometimes will want a situation to get ugly so they can make money covering it.

There is that aspect, and there is the ideological aspect: the Sovereign Citizens need a martyr and poster child they can rally behind to prove their “point” that Obama is just a-fixin’ to crack down on all us good law-abidin’ white folks out tryin’ to make a livin’ in God’s Own Country

235 Varek Raith  Apr 11, 2014 9:48:00am

re: #232 Feline Fearless Leader

Feline Overlord puts self in peril:

(extracted from an email from my brother)
The pond started to thaw out, bad winter kill as all the bass and one big bluegill died. I hope the smaller fry survived, otherwise I will have to start from scratch. I did not see any of the grass carp, so hopefully they are alive. While I am taking the fish out from the edge Storm (Ed: one of the shed cats) walked out on the ice and then fell through. I could not reach him with the 10 foot staff I keep there, so I ran up to the shed, grabbed a canoe, ran back, and got him out. He was having quite the struggle swimming through the slush, where he chose to try to get to “firmer” ice rather than head to shore, at least that is my take. So, after I fished him out I toweled him the best I could, chucked him in the bathtub and turned the heat up so he could be warm and hopefully groom. After an hour he was pretty dry, so I let him outside, and this morning he seemed fine. He did get lots of pets, as I would go sit with him once and a while while I cleaned the house and did dishes. Idiot cat.

My dumb cat got stuck under my neighbors shed. Took us almost two weeks realize she was under there. Was not a happy camper when I got her out.

236 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2014 9:48:44am

re: #234 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

There is that aspect, and there is the ideological aspect: the Sovereign Citizens need a martyr and poster child they can rally behind to prove their “point” that Obama is just a-fixin’ to crack down on all us good law-abidin’ white folks out tryin’ to make a livin’ in God’s Own Country

The ideological aspect doesn’t apply to non-RW news outlets, though, and it was those I was referring to.

237 GunstarGreen  Apr 11, 2014 9:49:09am

Any F2P game that’s worth anything will allow you to purchase the premium stuff with cash or in-game currency that you can earn without paying — that’s basic F2P design 101. In that respect, yes, WoT and MWO are ‘good’ F2P games.

I’m just not keen on anything that lets you shortcut your way to an in-game advantage by breaking out the wallet. As far as I’m concerned, microtransactions — and let’s not kid ourselves, a lot of this stuff stopped being ‘micro’ long ago; The $50+ clan ‘mech packs for MWO make me cross-eyed with rage — should only buy appearance, fluff, and convenience. All actual gameplay-oriented stuff should be in-game only.

That being said, I’m eagerly awaiting SOE’s promised shift of the original Planetside to F2P, supposedly mid-April (this month!). It’s down to only one server and nobody plays it anymore because it’s not worth a subscription at this point, but hopefully not costing a penny will bring some of the old veterans back. There’s still no experience like it, not even Planetside 2 — which was really just Battlefield 3.5 with a sci-fi skin applied to it.

I thirst for that sci-fi combined-arms gameplay with deep and rich certification trees for getting equipment.

238 calochortus  Apr 11, 2014 9:53:18am
239 Pie-onist Overlord  Apr 11, 2014 9:55:57am

HURR HURR!!!!! BRING BACK TEH CHILD LABORS & MAKES TEH LITTLE BRATS WORK FOR FREE!!!!!!

241 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Apr 11, 2014 10:03:28am

re: #237 GunstarGreen

If I had to pay to actually win, I probably wouldn’t play WoT. As it is I was considering buying a Premium Tier 8 heavy tank, there are 3 IIRC to choose from, the soviet IS-6, the U.S. T34 and the German Lowe (it has the “..” over the o). But then I thought about it. Sure the T34 has a really good gun and good turret armor and sure the Lowe can snipe well and has decent armor and the IS-6 is alright but the reality is I melt them with my regular tanks all the time.

The super pershing is an exception in that it has great frontal and turret armor and a decent gun but flank it and it’s toast (plus it is pretty damn slow). There’s just no need to buy a premium tank unless you want to avoid having to grind your way to that tier and those tanks. I have had a few premiums I earned completing missions but even those tend to suck.

I like that I can buy the premium ammo for in game credits and I do carry some on my higher tiered tanks given that a tier 7 can get into a match with a bunch of tier 9’s and penetrating a tier 9’s armor is pretty tough to do (love seeing someone in a tier 7 trying to pen the armor on my E75 for example). and most tier 8 tanks put against tier 10’s are just doomed unless they’re specific tank destroyers.

242 bluebonnetbunny  Apr 11, 2014 1:01:31pm

re: #63 NJDhockeyfan
Hi Everyone - I’m a long time reader of this website. I decided to register today so that I could reply to NJDhockeyfan.
I love rabbits and dogs too. It is possible for a dog a cat and a rabbit to live together as companions. The most important things are to go slowly, be patient and never leave them alone with the rabbit - just in case.
The House Rabbit Society is a good resource. Here’s a link to an article on rabbits and dogs living together; rabbit.org
There’s a woman in Texas who has a pit bull, a cat, a rabbit and other small animals who all live together in harmony. Here’s a link to one of her YouTube videos Youtube Video Wishing you the best of luck with the bonding!

243 wrenchwench  Apr 11, 2014 3:43:16pm

re: #242 bluebonnetbunny

Welcome, hatchling.

244 bluebonnetbunny  Apr 11, 2014 5:08:52pm

re: #243 wrenchwench
Thank-you very much!


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