Google Knew About Heartbleed and Didn’t Tell the US Government

Google withheld information about the largest Internet security failure in history
US News • Views: 21,202

Tell me again about how much we need to fear our elected government: Google Knew About Heartbleed and Didn’t Tell the Government.

Google knew about a critical flaw in Internet security, but it didn’t alert anyone in the government.

Neel Mehta, a Google engineer, first discovered “Heartbleed”—a bug that undermines the widely used encryption technology OpenSSL—some time in March. A team at the Finnish security firm Codenomicon discovered the flaw around the same time. Google was able to patch most of its services—such as email, search, and YouTube—before the companies publicized the bug on April 7.

The researchers also notified a handful of other companies about the bug before going public. The security firm CloudFlare, for example, said it fixed the flaw on March 31.

But the White House said Friday that no one in the federal government knew about the problem until April. The administration made the statement to deny an earlier Bloomberg report that the National Security Agency had been exploiting Heartbleed for years.

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359 comments
1 klys  Apr 15, 2014 6:20:23pm

But the EFF has joined forces with the Tea Party to warn you about the government!

2 Targetpractice  Apr 15, 2014 6:25:39pm

And things like this are why I say I worry more about businesses when it comes to my personal data than I do the government.

3 philosophus invidius  Apr 15, 2014 6:26:09pm

Seems like a responsible action for Google to try to find a solution before publicizing it. I don’t believe that that was the reason why the NSA was withholding the info.

4 ObserverArt  Apr 15, 2014 6:27:24pm

Not good Google. With the politics of data security front and center, they have some explaining to do not just for the flaw, but not telling the government is not going to go down well in many places.

They will be doing some dancing. And other companies will use it as an axe to bash things like android code, gmail, other Google code services, etc.

Good luck PR team!

5 klys  Apr 15, 2014 6:27:54pm

re: #3 philosophus invidius

Seems like a responsible action for Google to try to find a solution before publicizing it. I don’t believe that that was the reason why the NSA was withholding the info.

Where’s your proof that the NSA knew and was withholding the info?

I’ll wait.

6 SteveMcGazi  Apr 15, 2014 6:28:18pm

re: #3 philosophus invidius

If any organization would be the target of somebody exploiting the bug, it would be Google. Besides, they would probably be in a better position than anybody else to see if news of the bug was getting around.

7 SteveMcGazi  Apr 15, 2014 6:29:57pm

re: #5 klys

Where’s your proof that the NSA knew and was withholding the info?

I’ll wait.

Some things you “just know”

8 jaunte  Apr 15, 2014 6:31:55pm
9 Belafon  Apr 15, 2014 6:33:53pm

re: #4 ObserverArt

Actually, I kind of agree with Google withholding the announcement in order to create a fix and begin patching. Announcing a flaw like this before a fix was implemented really would have made it worse. Rather than waiting for people to patch, we would be waiting for an implementation and a patch.

10 dog philosopher  Apr 15, 2014 6:34:51pm

re: #9 Belafon

Actually, I kind of agree with Google withholding the announcement in order to create a fix and begin patching. Announcing a flaw like this before a fix was implemented really would have made it worse. Rather than waiting for people to patch, we would be waiting for an implementation and a patch.

good thinking, but in this case the fix was trivial

11 darthstar  Apr 15, 2014 6:36:12pm
12 Targetpractice  Apr 15, 2014 6:36:38pm

re: #10 dog philosopher

good thinking, but in this case the fix was trivial

Don’t let Charles hear you say that.

13 klys  Apr 15, 2014 6:36:46pm

re: #10 dog philosopher

good thinking, but in this case the fix was trivial

It’s doing a nice job of showing something of the nature of the private security community though, where advance warning on bugs (and the chance to patch before news goes public) depends on whether or not you’re “in the know.”

14 PhillyPretzel  Apr 15, 2014 6:36:53pm

This reminds me of when my Dell computer crashed. Microsoft knew about the bug; Dell knew about the bug and so did a few other manufacturers. They could have included a patch in anyone of countless updates but never did. This is one of the main reasons why I went and bought an Apple.

15 Charles Johnson  Apr 15, 2014 6:39:58pm

Just to be clear, the NSA issued an unequivocal statement saying they did not know about Heartbleed.

Google unequivocally did know about Heartbleed, but withheld the information — even from the government! — until they could fix their own systems.

Tell me again why I should be less concerned about Google than the US government?

16 darthstar  Apr 15, 2014 6:40:41pm

Rachel covering more Christie pettiness that’s going to fuck over NJ residents for some time to come.

17 dog philosopher  Apr 15, 2014 6:41:47pm

re: #15 Charles Johnson

Just to be clear, the NSA issued an unequivocal statement saying they did not know about Heartbleed.

Google unequivocally did know about Heartbleed, but withheld the information — even from the government! — until they could fix their own systems.

Tell me again why I should be less concerned about Google than the US government?

roger that!

18 nines09  Apr 15, 2014 6:42:10pm

Google in the wrong hands could be a nightmare.

19 dog philosopher  Apr 15, 2014 6:43:37pm

i’ll say it again

google is the new microsoft, which was the new ibm, which was the new at&t, which was the new standard oil

20 FemNaziBitch  Apr 15, 2014 6:44:11pm

re: #19 dog philosopher

i’ll say it again

google is the new microsoft, which was the new ibm, which was the new at&t, which was the new standard oil

So, what comes after Google?

21 ObserverArt  Apr 15, 2014 6:44:29pm

re: #9 Belafon

Actually, I kind of agree with Google withholding the announcement in order to create a fix and begin patching. Announcing a flaw like this before a fix was implemented really would have made it worse. Rather than waiting for people to patch, we would be waiting for an implementation and a patch.

My comment was sort of two part.

First the government. I think Google should have notified them just out of national security issues. I don’t tie that in with it being made public. So I agree with you to a point. If they didn’t tell the government out of politics, even worse.

Second…the public. I agree, find a fix and then let them know. But, in the fast pace tech world and the security politics right now, the chance of points being scored and dollars made, no matter what they did. So sales talk and PR will be in play for other tech businesses and coders, etc. to pounce. It could cause them some business and nick their name.

Due to the whole NSA thing, the public is just plain scared of their computers now. This will feed that fear at Google’s expense. The government knows and fears that too.

22 Charles Johnson  Apr 15, 2014 6:46:54pm

re: #21 ObserverArt

When Google withholds this kind of information, they’re doing it so they can fix their own systems first, and this story shows that they prioritize their own systems even above national security.

23 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 15, 2014 6:47:54pm

No surprise. I’ve told more than one dude bro that the NSA is nothing compared to what Google knows. If it ever went rouge, we’d all be in a world of hurt. (and god help us if the db’s of Google & Amazon ever got united…)

24 klys  Apr 15, 2014 6:48:05pm

re: #22 Charles Johnson

When Google withholds this kind of information, they’re doing it so they can fix their own systems first, and this story shows that they prioritize their own systems* even above national security.

* and those of the companies they decided they wanted to let know ahead of time

25 FemNaziBitch  Apr 15, 2014 6:48:30pm

New Study: Young People Are Increasingly Glum About the Future in Western Countries

yeah, me too. I tell everyone of the young people I know to learn at least one other language and be prepared to find work anywhere on the planet.

They cannot count on the USA having the job market they need.

26 Charles Johnson  Apr 15, 2014 6:48:41pm

re: #24 klys

* and those of the companies they decided they wanted to let know ahead of time

That’s why they’re called “dudebros.”

27 klys  Apr 15, 2014 6:49:24pm

re: #26 Charles Johnson

That’s why they’re called “dudebros.”

Bros before hoes national security, yo!

Good thing there’s no such thing as Russian or Chinese hackers, amirite???

///

28 Varek Raith  Apr 15, 2014 6:50:48pm

re: #1 klys

But the EFF has joined forces with the Tea Party to warn you about the government!

Yeah, I read about that. The hell is going on over there???

29 sauceruney  Apr 15, 2014 6:51:07pm

Google knows, or could know, a lot more than the government does about myself and the rest of their users. They didn’t need this security hole.

If they used it for nefarious means, it would have been against competitors, like Apple or Microsoft.

30 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce  Apr 15, 2014 6:52:37pm

re: #15 Charles Johnson

Just to be clear, the NSA issued an unequivocal statement saying they did not know about Heartbleed.

Google unequivocally did know about Heartbleed, but withheld the information — even from the government! — until they could fix their own systems.

Tell me again why I should be less concerned about Google than the US government?

Your point stands, but it’s generally considered unethical to announce a huge security vulnerability to the world at large without first notifying the upstream source (i.e., the devs who wrote the insecure software) and giving them an opportunity to fix it — all the better if you can submit a patch yourself.

It would have been a truly dick move for Google to come out publicly and say “OH HAY GUISE, OpenSSL is FUBAR at the moment and can leak random 64k segments of whatever’s in the server’s memory to whoever sends a heartbeat signal, and by the way it’s not fixed yet so go ahead an exploit as many servers as you can. ta-ta for now!”

31 Decatur Deb  Apr 15, 2014 6:52:43pm

re: #28 Varek Raith

Yeah, I read about that. The hell is going on over there???

Purity of Essence.

32 klys  Apr 15, 2014 6:53:02pm

re: #28 Varek Raith

Yeah, I read about that. The hell is going on over there???

The circle is complete.

///

Seriously, apparently freedom online is the only one that matters. Ignore the part where the Tea Party is pro-restricting women’s right to choose, gay people’s right to marriage, etc., THEY AGREE WITH US THAT THE NSA IS EVIL. (Someone might eventually inform the EFF that the Tea Party is really only against it because there’s a black man in the White House, but …in the meantime, we get an article calling Grover Norquist a “tax reform advocate.”)

33 klys  Apr 15, 2014 6:54:55pm

re: #32 klys

The circle is complete.

///

Seriously, apparently freedom online is the only one that matters. Ignore the part where the Tea Party is pro-restricting women’s right to choose, gay people’s right to marriage, etc., THEY AGREE WITH US THAT THE NSA IS EVIL. (Someone might eventually inform the EFF that the Tea Party is really only against it because there’s a black man in the White House, but …in the meantime, we get an article calling Grover Norquist a “tax reform advocate.”)

Shorter version: the dudebros may have taken over.

34 BongCrodny  Apr 15, 2014 6:55:42pm

re: #20 FemNaziBitch

So, what comes after Google?

I got this one.

10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,001.

35 Charles Johnson  Apr 15, 2014 6:55:46pm

re: #30 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce

Sure, coming out publicly before things were under control would have been a bad idea. But this isn’t about publicly announcing the bug - it’s about informing the US government, because make no mistake, this bug really does rise to the level of being a serious national security issue.

36 ObserverArt  Apr 15, 2014 6:56:10pm

re: #30 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce

Your point stands, but it’s generally considered unethical to announce a huge security vulnerability to the world at large without first notifying the upstream source (i.e., the devs who wrote the insecure software) and giving them an opportunity to fix it — all the better if you can submit a patch yourself.

It would have been a truly dick move for Google to come out publicly and say “OH HAY GUISE, OpenSSL is FUBAR at the moment and can leak random 64k segments of whatever’s in the server’s memory to whoever sends a heartbeat signal, and by the way it’s not fixed yet so go ahead an exploit as many servers as you can. ta-ta for now!”

So, you think if they told the government the government would make it public? To me the government and public are two completely different things, especially right now with all the security politics. You are more or less saying it is unethical to tell the government before it is patched. I happen to think it is unethical to not tell the government due to security issues.

Edit…damn Charles got me by moments!

37 Targetpractice  Apr 15, 2014 6:56:30pm

re: #32 klys

The circle is complete.

///

Seriously, apparently freedom online is the only one that matters. Ignore the part where the Tea Party is pro-restricting women’s right to choose, gay people’s right to marriage, etc., THEY AGREE WITH US THAT THE NSA IS EVIL. (Someone might eventually inform the EFF that the Tea Party is really only against it because there’s a black man in the White House, but …in the meantime, we get an article calling Grover Norquist a “tax reform advocate.”)

The Tea Partiers, a decade ago, were screaming that if you weren’t comfortable with the Patriot Act and other post-9/11 freakouts, you were advocating making America “weak” and letting the terrorists “win.” They were very partial to the refrain “If you’ve got nothing to hide, then you’ve got nothing to fear.”

38 Belafon  Apr 15, 2014 6:56:35pm

re: #30 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce

And think about allow those generally more lazy hackers (I think any segment of the population follows the 80/20 rule - 80% lazier than the 20%) now knowing about the exploit. The steps for hacking would have been out long before any companies would have been patched, long being in this case internet time.

39 FemNaziBitch  Apr 15, 2014 6:56:59pm

re: #35 Charles Johnson

Sure, coming out publicly before things were under control would have been a bad idea. But this isn’t about publicly announcing the bug - it’s about informing the US government, because make no mistake, this bug really does rise to the level of being a serious national security issue.

Misinforming a government of the people, by the people.

There really is an Monarchical view of government by the Whackos isn’t there.

40 klys  Apr 15, 2014 6:57:44pm

re: #35 Charles Johnson

Sure, coming out publicly before things were under control would have been a bad idea. But this isn’t about publicly announcing the bug - it’s about informing the US government, because make no mistake, this bug really does rise to the level of being a serious national security issue.

Man, I wonder how many private keys Google scored during that time period. No one’s going to track Google pings on their server, right?

///

41 klys  Apr 15, 2014 6:59:08pm

re: #20 FemNaziBitch

So, what comes after Google?

A Google-plex!

Oh wait, that’s just what makes traffic hell at the intersection between 101 and 85 between 9 and 11am every weekday.

42 darthstar  Apr 15, 2014 7:00:38pm

Great…some asshole drops two backpacks near Boston marathon finish line…Boston bomb squad detonated both.

Stupid fucker.

43 Varek Raith  Apr 15, 2014 7:00:43pm

re: #40 klys

lmgtfy.com

:P

44 Belafon  Apr 15, 2014 7:00:54pm

re: #36 ObserverArt

what would they have done with that information except make it public? Sit on it, and rightfully be accused of witholding information? Pass it to the companies they know can keep a secret, which, when people find out, will really blow their minds: “The government is sharing secrets with companies but not the American people.”

45 Political Atheist  Apr 15, 2014 7:02:07pm

“No one is US government knew”.

Except the NSA right?

47 klys  Apr 15, 2014 7:05:57pm

re: #44 Belafon

what would they have done with that information except make it public? Sit on it, and rightfully be accused of witholding information? Pass it to the companies they know can keep a secret, which, when people find out, will really blow their minds: “The government is sharing secrets with companies but not the American people.”

…kept it under wraps for a set period of time before the announcement is made, in order to allow the chance to fix servers before the bug is publicly announced, just like all the other companies that Google did tell?

48 Charles Johnson  Apr 15, 2014 7:07:32pm

re: #47 klys

If something catastrophic did happen and the rest of the Internet became a nightmarish hellscape, you could still get to Google.

49 klys  Apr 15, 2014 7:09:07pm

re: #48 Charles Johnson

If something catastrophic did happen and the rest of the Internet became a nightmarish hellscape, you could still get to Google.

Well, at least they patched what’s important, right?

//

50 Belafon  Apr 15, 2014 7:09:28pm

re: #47 klys

So, basically, what we got now, except more people would have known whow could have possibly leaked it?

My hypotheticals are about how there’s not really a good answer in this case.

51 abolitionist  Apr 15, 2014 7:10:36pm

re: #15 Charles Johnson

Just to be clear, the NSA issued an unequivocal statement saying they did not know about Heartbleed.

Google unequivocally did know about Heartbleed, but withheld the information — even from the government! — until they could fix their own systems.

Tell me again why I should be less concerned about Google than the US government?

From what I’ve read, this zero-day vulnerability seems to have been managed somewhat responsibly, much like others are, with rapid but controlled growth of the secret-sharing prior to full disclosure.

52 klys  Apr 15, 2014 7:12:36pm

re: #50 Belafon

So, basically, what we got now, except more people would have known whow could have possibly leaked it?

My hypotheticals are about how there’s not really a good answer in this case.

Well, it depends. Do you think that people might potentially type information into secure government websites that could be used for identity theft? I do. Therefore, I would think that getting those systems patched is worth the potential risk by increasing the number of people who know ahead of time.

It’s not like a memo would have been sent out to every government worker about it. Those system administrators who are involved would have been alerted and able to make the appropriate updates ahead of time - and because these are people who understand the implications, they’re also less likely to leak about it.

Really, the takeaway here is that Google is concerned about your online security only at their sites. They really don’t give a fig about you the rest of the time you’re on the Internet and in fact, they’d like to track you a whole lot more closely than the NSA does.

53 ObserverArt  Apr 15, 2014 7:13:09pm

re: #44 Belafon

what would they have done with that information except make it public? Sit on it, and rightfully be accused of witholding information? Pass it to the companies they know can keep a secret, which, when people find out, will really blow their minds: “The government is sharing secrets with companies but not the American people.”

Well, that is all good, but there is still the fact that it is a security issue no matter what.

I guess maybe I must be too old school. Sometimes you do what you see as the right thing to do and deal with the fallout as it comes with the truth.

So, they tell the government, and then it is up to the government to deal with it. If it comes out publicly, then you explain why it was being withheld as a security problem. Then you tell the truth to the public and explain if it was made public before being fixed then anyone could hack it. Again, old school…tell the truth, deal with it in a logical manner.

That’s all I have.

By the way…what agency would be the best to notify? Would it be the NSA? Would it be the FBI? Anyone?

54 Varek Raith  Apr 15, 2014 7:14:37pm

re: #53 ObserverArt

Well, that is all good, but there is still the fact that it is a security issue no matter what.

I guess maybe I must be too old school. Sometimes you do what you see as the right thing to do and deal with the fallout as it comes with the truth.

So, they tell the government, and then it is up to the government to deal with it. If it comes out publicly, then you explain why it was being withheld as a security problem. Then you tell the truth to the public and explain if it was made public before being fixed then anyone could hack it. Again, old school…tell the truth, deal with it in a logical manner.

That’s all I have.

By the way…what agency would be the best to notify? Would it be the NSA? Would it be the FBI? Anyone?

FCC.

55 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce  Apr 15, 2014 7:15:06pm

re: #36 ObserverArt

So, you think if they told the government the government would make it public? To me the government and public are two completely different things, especially right now with all the security politics. You are more or less saying it is unethical to tell the government before it is patched. I happen to think it is unethical to not tell the government due to security issues.

Edit…damn Charles got me by moments!

Which part of “the government” is the correct agency to report this to? You could tell the FBI, but unless you’re alleging criminal wrongdoing, they can’t help you. NSA/CIA? What exactly are they supposed to do to fix it? Get directly involved in the development of a particular open-source SSL/TSL library?

Maybe they could tell the House subcommittee on Communications and Technology. It’s run by such luminaries as Joe Barton, Marsha Blackburn, Obamacare warrior Mike Rogers, and John Shimkus who famously denies climate change because “God decides when earth will end.” I’m sure they’ve wisely chosen staffers who can be 100% trusted not to leak explosive tech news to rightwingdipshits.com or whatever.

My preference is that when you notice a broken security gate, you alert the security company before you alert the neighborhood vandals.

56 Single-handed sailor  Apr 15, 2014 7:15:31pm

re: #53 ObserverArt

NIST Computer Security Division

57 NJDhockeyfan  Apr 15, 2014 7:15:43pm

Evening lizards!

Got some breaking news from CNN:

58 Varek Raith  Apr 15, 2014 7:15:59pm

re: #57 NJDhockeyfan

Evening lizards!

Got some breaking news from CNN:

[Embedded content]

Rofl.

59 Political Atheist  Apr 15, 2014 7:16:02pm

re: #15 Charles Johnson

Just to be clear, the NSA issued an unequivocal statement saying they did not know about Heartbleed.

Google unequivocally did know about Heartbleed, but withheld the information — even from the government! — until they could fix their own systems.

Tell me again why I should be less concerned about Google than the US government?

These things are not exclusive. Both government agencies and the private sector ISP’s and cloud companies all need to be strongly regulated in terms of what they can do with “Big Data”. Given the stakes a reasonably high level of concern and awareness seems appropriate. Legislative resolution may be unlikely, but that is a separate partisan phenomenon & distant from it’s urgency and necessity.

60 abolitionist  Apr 15, 2014 7:16:20pm

re: #48 Charles Johnson

If something catastrophic did happen and the rest of the Internet became a nightmarish hellscape, you could still get to Google.

But you probably couldn’t know whether your connection was MITM’d by an uncountable number of other parties.

61 dog philosopher  Apr 15, 2014 7:16:21pm

re: #48 Charles Johnson

If something catastrophic did happen and the rest of the Internet became a nightmarish hellscape, you could still get to Google.

not to be too much of a literal minded nitpicker, but if the rest of the intertubes was a nightmarish hellscape, where would you go once you got to google?

62 Targetpractice  Apr 15, 2014 7:16:31pm

re: #57 NJDhockeyfan

Evening lizards!

Got some breaking news from CNN:

[Embedded content]

63 Charles Johnson  Apr 15, 2014 7:16:44pm

I gotta say I find it pretty disturbing that Google didn’t notify the NSA and any other pertinent government agencies as one of their very first steps.

And you’ll have to convince me it wasn’t out of purely mercenary motives, because that’s how it looks to me.

64 HappyWarrior  Apr 15, 2014 7:17:23pm

re: #57 NJDhockeyfan

Evening lizards!

Got some breaking news from CNN:

[Embedded content]

Shit now the movie of the same name is ruined for me. Thanks CNN.

65 klys  Apr 15, 2014 7:18:26pm

re: #61 dog philosopher

not to be too much of a literal minded nitpicker, but if the rest of the intertubes was a nightmarish hellscape, where would you go once you got to google?

Who knows, but at least you could get there.

66 Stephen T.  Apr 15, 2014 7:18:29pm

re: #2 Targetpractice

And things like this are why I say I worry more about businesses when it comes to my personal data than I do the government.

Businesses are not answerable to their customers, to their employees, or to their government. They are only answerable to their shareholders, but how answerable is dependent on how many shares a particular share holder holds.

This is why I’ll never trust a company or the “free market.”

Government is answerable (or, at least, it should be) to the people. They are there to represent me, even if I didn’t vote for them.

I’ll always trust the government to act in my interest, or, at least, in the general interest of the population, simply because their position depends on my good will, my taxes and my vote.

67 ObserverArt  Apr 15, 2014 7:18:53pm

re: #55 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce

Which part of “the government” is the correct agency to report this to? You could tell the FBI, but unless you’re alleging criminal wrongdoing, they can’t help you. NSA/CIA? What exactly are they supposed to do to fix it? Get directly involved in the development of a particular open-source SSL/TSL library?

Maybe they could tell the House subcommittee on Communications and Technology. It’s run by such luminaries as Joe Barton, Marsha Blackburn, Obamacare warrior Mike Rogers, and John Shimkus who famously denies climate change because “God decides when earth will end.” I’m sure they’ve wisely chosen staffers who can be 100% trusted not to leak explosive tech news to rightwingdipshits.com or whatever.

My preference is that when you notice a broken security gate, you alert the security company before you alert the neighborhood vandals.

I see. You have no trust in the government at all do you? You are calling them the vandals are you not? Or am I just reading you as lumping everything together???

68 NJDhockeyfan  Apr 15, 2014 7:19:13pm

re: #64 HappyWarrior

Shit now the movie of the same name is ruined for me. Thanks CNN.

They should have mentioned spoiler first.

69 HappyWarrior  Apr 15, 2014 7:19:40pm

re: #68 NJDhockeyfan

They should have mentioned spoiler first.

I know, bastards.

70 Killgore Trout  Apr 15, 2014 7:21:40pm

Outrage! Conspiracy!
The Koch brothers posted something awesome on Facebook

71 Varek Raith  Apr 15, 2014 7:22:13pm

What will CNN do when we eventually find this plane?

72 klys  Apr 15, 2014 7:23:18pm

re: #71 Varek Raith

What will CNN do when we eventually find this plane?

“Go off air” is probably too much to hope for.

73 HappyWarrior  Apr 15, 2014 7:23:44pm

re: #71 Varek Raith

What will CNN do when we eventually find this plane?

Try to get an interview with the plane. Wolf Blitzer will be eager to know if the plane has an accent.

74 FemNaziBitch  Apr 15, 2014 7:24:17pm

re: #70 Killgore Trout

Outrage! Conspiracy!
The Koch brothers posted something awesome on Facebook

AS usual Conservatives are behind.

75 jaunte  Apr 15, 2014 7:24:30pm

re: #71 Varek Raith

Introducing

Jeff Zucker’s CNN Fear Factor Electric Boogaloo.

76 Killgore Trout  Apr 15, 2014 7:24:44pm

A Nigerian terrorist group just kidnapped 100 girls to keep them from going to school
and to make some money

“Their goal is almost certainly to ransom [the girls],” Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, a senior fellow at the Foundation of the Defense of Democracies who follows Boko Haram, told me. “Otherwise, they have chosen a target that will make everybody hate them. Killing [100] schoolgirls would be a huge PR hit even for some of the rougher jihadist groups.”

77 NJDhockeyfan  Apr 15, 2014 7:27:39pm

WTF?

78 Killgore Trout  Apr 15, 2014 7:27:58pm

CNN just reporting that the toll might be higher
As many as 200 girls abducted by Boko Haram, Nigerian officials say

79 Charles Johnson  Apr 15, 2014 7:28:43pm
80 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce  Apr 15, 2014 7:29:06pm

re: #67 ObserverArt

I see. You have no trust in the government at all? You are calling them the vandals are you not? Or am I just reading you as lumping everything together???

I’m just saying that I don’t see how notifying any governmental agency would have 1) done anything at all to stop the problem, or 2) mitigated damage already incurred by the problem. There are uncountable ways in which they could have made it worse.

The thing that is sticking in my craw is this: Suppose Google tells “the government” (pick your favorite agency) all about Heartbleed 5 minutes after they find out about it.

Now what?

What specifically do you think the government can do to help in this case?

81 Killgore Trout  Apr 15, 2014 7:29:24pm

re: #77 NJDhockeyfan

WTF?

[Embedded content]

Good grief. Is this like all the kids tweeting bomb threats yesterday?

82 Charles Johnson  Apr 15, 2014 7:30:11pm

Getty Image

83 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce  Apr 15, 2014 7:32:47pm

re: #76 Killgore Trout

A Nigerian terrorist group just kidnapped 100 girls to keep them from going to school
and to make some money

reason.com headline: “Nigerian militant economists defend fledgling free market.”

84 klys  Apr 15, 2014 7:33:05pm

re: #80 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce

I’m just saying that I don’t see how notifying any governmental agency would have 1) done anything at all to stop the problem, or 2) mitigated damage already incurred by the problem. There are uncountable ways in which they could have made it worse.

The thing that is sticking in my craw is this: Suppose Google tells “the government” (pick your favorite agency) all about Heartbleed 5 minutes after they find out about it.

>Now what?

What specifically do you think the government can do to help in this case?

What help does the government need to offer? Why did Google tell any other companies before announcing it publicly? What help did they offer?

Good thing no one ever enters information like social security numbers into a ‘secure’ government website.

85 FemNaziBitch  Apr 15, 2014 7:33:16pm

re: #82 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

awww, puddy!

86 Killgore Trout  Apr 15, 2014 7:34:00pm

Unsettling video shows large al Qaeda meeting in Yemen

A new video shows what looks like the largest and most dangerous gathering of al Qaeda in years. And the CIA and the Pentagon either didn’t know about it or couldn’t get a drone there in time to strike.

87 Belafon  Apr 15, 2014 7:34:39pm

re: #62 Targetpractice

My middle child recognized the character in clip, and named the two animes she’s in.

88 dog philosopher  Apr 15, 2014 7:38:09pm

re: #86 Killgore Trout

Uninteresting video shows large al Qaeda meeting in Yemen

fyt

90 FemNaziBitch  Apr 15, 2014 7:38:34pm

nytol

91 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce  Apr 15, 2014 7:38:40pm

re: #84 klys

What help does the government need to offer? Why did Google tell any other companies before announcing it publicly? What help did they offer?

Good thing no one ever enters information like social security numbers into a ‘secure’ government website.

You understand that the Heartbleed bug affects OpenSSL specifically, and not every website that uses TLS/SSL? There are numerous implementations of the same technology that weren’t affected by the bug.

92 Lidane  Apr 15, 2014 7:42:25pm
93 GlutenFreeJesus  Apr 15, 2014 7:43:54pm

re: #3 philosophus invidius

Seems like a responsible action for Google to try to find a solution before publicizing it. I don’t believe that that was the reason why the NSA was withholding the info.

Informing the government (ie. being responsible) doesn’t mean they have to publicize it.

94 Killgore Trout  Apr 15, 2014 7:49:18pm

re: #88 dog philosopher

fyt

Uninteresting to you maybe but it’s very disturbing to people whose job it is deal with Al Qaeda. Pretty large meeting with high value targets, somebody dropped the ball on that one.

95 Dark_Falcon  Apr 15, 2014 7:50:05pm

re: #74 FemNaziBitch

AS usual Conservatives are behind.

All the more reason for the meeting. If you’re behind, you need to admit there is a problem and then decide on remedial action. Getting that action organized is part of effective leadership.

96 AntonSirius  Apr 15, 2014 7:50:33pm

re: #52 klys

Those system administrators

You mean government sysadmins like…

Aww, I can’t even type it. It’s so fucking stupid.

A couple of years ago, there might have been enough of a sliver of trust between the government, the public and corporations for Google to have looped in someone on the government side along with the companies they tipped off about the bug.

In this post-Snowwald world in which we live in? Forget it.

97 klys  Apr 15, 2014 7:51:39pm

re: #91 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce

You understand that the Heartbleed bug affects OpenSSL specifically, and not every website that uses TLS/SSL? There are numerous implementations of the same technology that weren’t affected by the bug.

Yes, thanks.

Fortunately it appears that the US government wasn’t hit by this particular one.

Too bad the same thing can’t be said for the Canadians. But eh, they’re just Canadians. Right?

//

98 ObserverArt  Apr 15, 2014 7:52:25pm

re: #80 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce

I’m just saying that I don’t see how notifying any governmental agency would have 1) done anything at all to stop the problem, or 2) mitigated damage already incurred by the problem. There are uncountable ways in which they could have made it worse.

The thing that is sticking in my craw is this: Suppose Google tells “the government” (pick your favorite agency) all about Heartbleed 5 minutes after they find out about it.

>Now what?

What specifically do you think the government can do to help in this case?

Sorry. I had logged out.

I didn’t necessarily mean the government needed to help. And help would be as in helping fix the code. It is just they need to judge what it affects on a national security level so they need to know there is a problem. Think of all those agencies that potentially could be hit by the hacker and they carry on as if nothing is wrong, but others know (a Snowden type at Google) when they could at least think about how they wanted to use their systems while it is being fixed. Maybe suspend sending anything of a critical nature until a patch is made.

Remember, the government is huge. Think of all the systems, all the security. It is just that simple to me.

And with that I am out for the evening. I think I’ve said what I can say about the whole thing. And it sure looks like other LGFers are on the same wavelength. Especially Charles, the efficient site coder that dealt with the mess and also has a pretty keen view on things government!

Good evening…nice discussion. Stay safe…on your computers…you never know.

99 Dark_Falcon  Apr 15, 2014 7:53:53pm

re: #63 Charles Johnson

I gotta say I find it pretty disturbing that Google didn’t notify the NSA and any other pertinent government agencies as one of their very first steps.

And you’ll have to convince me it wasn’t out of purely mercenary motives, because that’s how it looks to me.

Don’t worry, Google was just deceiving the NSA over money and that’s the only reason they didn’t disclose Heartbleed sooner. Just normal corporate greed, nothing more.

Spoiler

Hail HYDRA!

100 klys  Apr 15, 2014 7:54:16pm

re: #96 AntonSirius

In part because the tech dudebros have so freaked out that it’s impossible to have a rational conversation on this anymore.

See: the EFF teaming up with the Tea Party because NSA IS TEH EBILS, OMG.

101 Belafon  Apr 15, 2014 7:55:45pm

re: #97 klys

I went and googled “government websites openssl” and all I ended up with were stories about Canada.

102 klys  Apr 15, 2014 7:58:22pm

re: #101 Belafon

I went and googled “government websites openssl” and all I ended up with were stories about Canada.

Probably because the DHS has announced that core citizen-facing websites in the US weren’t affected. From the date on that press release, though, it took them up to 4 days to make that determination.

103 Rennie  Apr 15, 2014 7:59:02pm

I think Google handled things responsibly. They notified the OpenSSL team on the quiet, and standard mechanisms were put into motion to try to get the patch out to as many web sites as possible before “the bad guys” got wind of the vulnerability.

smh.com.au

But then a couple of guys in Finland independently discovered the bug, and they notified the Finnish public security agency, and then they set wheels in motion to get credit for their discovery, not knowing it was already discovered and being fixed on the quiet.

When it became obvious that the bug had been discovered independently by two sources the decision was made to go public.

I don’t see how Google notifying the NSA or any American agency would have been a positive move. In a situation like this it’s a race between the professionals on the good guys’ team trying to close the barn doors before the bad guys get wind of the barn doors being open. Involving government agencies too soon is simply counter-productive.

104 AntonSirius  Apr 15, 2014 8:02:27pm

re: #100 klys

In part because the tech dudebros have so freaked out that it’s impossible to have a rational conversation on this anymore.

See: the EFF teaming up with the Tea Party because NSA IS TEH EBILS, OMG.

It’s not just that though. I’m sure Google thoroughly enjoyed having their rep dragged through the mud when it was “revealed” that they aided and abetted the NSA’s pilfering of the country’s Strategic LOLcat Reserves, and that made them much more open to any sort of cooperation in the future.

105 klys  Apr 15, 2014 8:04:03pm

Time for izakaya dinner. Yum.

106 Decatur Deb  Apr 15, 2014 8:04:55pm

re: #94 Killgore Trout

Uninteresting to you maybe but it’s very disturbing to people whose job it is deal with Al Qaeda. Pretty large meeting with high value targets, somebody dropped the ball on that one.

Perhaps something has degraded our signals intelligence gathering.

107 Killgore Trout  Apr 15, 2014 8:11:09pm

re: #106 Decatur Deb

Perhaps something has degraded our signals intelligence gathering.

Did you catch the mention that they’ve gone back to using couriers?
/Thanks, Snowden.

108 AntonSirius  Apr 15, 2014 8:11:22pm

re: #88 dog philosopher

fyt

Holy crap, that article is terrible. Even by CNN standards.

110 abolitionist  Apr 15, 2014 8:14:22pm

re: #100 klys

In part because the tech dudebros have so freaked out that it’s impossible to have a rational conversation on this anymore.

See: the EFF teaming up with the Tea Party because NSA IS TEH EBILS, OMG.

I’m suprised Ben Franklin was cherry-picked. He also wrote “Three can keep a secret if two are dead.”

IMO, BF was more likely advocating discretion than homicide.

111 Killgore Trout  Apr 15, 2014 8:24:41pm

Not many drone strikes these days.

112 jaunte  Apr 15, 2014 8:29:22pm

re: #111 Killgore Trout

8 in 2014 (as of April1).
longwarjournal.org

113 Dark_Falcon  Apr 15, 2014 8:29:48pm

re: #110 abolitionist

I’m suprised Ben Franklin was cherry-picked. He also wrote “Three can keep a secret if two are dead.”

IMO, BF was more likely advocating discretion than homicide.

Stalin also said that, but he was more inclined toward murder.

114 Ming  Apr 15, 2014 8:40:25pm

re: #11 darthstar

Looks like Romney dyes his hair. Either that, or his left sideburn has a mind of its own.

115 Ming  Apr 15, 2014 8:42:30pm

re: #20 FemNaziBitch

So, what comes after Google?

Skynet.

116 Dark_Falcon  Apr 15, 2014 8:45:37pm

re: #114 Ming

Looks like Romney dyes his hair. Either that, or his left sideburn has a mind of its own.

Mitt Romney’s Good Hair is really a highly-evolved symbiote. Having it gives him a full head of normally manageable hair, in exchange every year the Good Hair is allowed to devour the soul of a poor person. It must be nearly time for that devouring.

///////////////////////

117 goddamnedfrank  Apr 15, 2014 8:59:23pm

Anybody else ever deal with this Patrick Read @SwiftRead guy on Twitter? He’s precious, and by precious I mean profoundly retarded.

118 Ming  Apr 15, 2014 9:00:17pm

re: #15 Charles Johnson

Just to be clear, the NSA issued an unequivocal statement saying they did not know about Heartbleed.

Google unequivocally did know about Heartbleed, but withheld the information — even from the government! — until they could fix their own systems.

Tell me again why I should be less concerned about Google than the US government?

I agree. Even if Google were 100% American-owned, I don’t expect anything from them, other than technological advancement uber alles.

I’m curious how much of Google is foreign-owned. I didn’t see anything with a cursory, um, Google search. Turns out Google is ~70% owned by ~1800 institutions; the rest is owned by individuals. This seems thoroughly multinational to me.

119 goddamnedfrank  Apr 15, 2014 9:07:16pm

re: #15 Charles Johnson

Tell me again why I should be less concerned about Google than the US government?

Google’s informal motto is “Don’t be evil.”

I mean, they couldn’t informally say it if it wasn’t informally true.

Right?

Hmm … ?

120 Dark_Falcon  Apr 15, 2014 9:07:21pm

This is interesting:

Russia has begun handing back Ukrainian navy vessels seized during the occupation of the Crimea last month, with a missile boat and a tanker being towed out of Sevastopol on 11 April.

Once in international waters, the two vessels were handed over to Ukrainian tugs to be towed into Odessa, according to the Russian state news agency ITAR-TASS.

The first vessels to go through the return process were the Matka-class missile boat Priluki and the tanker Fastov , said the agency.

A Russian naval officer quoted by the agency said the two vessels were in such poor technical condition that they could not move under their own power.

Most of the 70 ships and vessels of the Ukrainian Navy remaining in Crimea are not operational because they are old, obsolete, and in poor condition, according to Russian navy sources.

On 8 April, the Ukrainian government announced that it had reached agreement with the Russians over the fate of its fleet.

Thoughts?

121 goddamnedfrank  Apr 15, 2014 9:13:28pm

I’m starting to get the impression that none of these #BundyRanch guys read the New Yorker.

I mean, I don’t read the New Yorker, but I’m pretty sure none of these guys do either. Or much else for that matter.

122 wheat-doggha -- oo bird outside my window  Apr 15, 2014 9:28:47pm

re: #121 goddamnedfrank

I’m starting to get the impression that none of these #BundyRanch guys read the New Yorker.

I mean, I don’t read the New Yorker, but I’m pretty sure none of these guys do either. Or much else for that matter.

Too many words, not enough pictures.

123 The War TARDIS  Apr 15, 2014 9:43:56pm

re: #120 Dark_Falcon

Russia is trying to walk back. They want to try and salvage a relationship with Ukraine.

Problem is, you can’t unfuck that goat.

124 Targetpractice  Apr 15, 2014 9:53:21pm

re: #120 Dark_Falcon

This is interesting:

Thoughts?

Probably the best of all options for the Russians, based upon the description given. The cost of having them transported for scrapping would probably eat up any profit, and the cost of bringing them up to snuff is likely to be prohibitively expensive. Plus they have their own ships in the area, so there’s no need to maintain the fiction of a “defense force” for Crimea.

125 Eclectic Cyborg  Apr 15, 2014 9:54:28pm

re: #20 FemNaziBitch

So, what comes after Google?

Skynet…or Omnicorp.

126 freetoken  Apr 15, 2014 9:55:29pm

The following is getting a little press because… well, it’s Rolling Stone:

Blake Griffin Dishes on Bieber, Weed, Creed and His PED Secret

[…]

You were home-schooled until the seventh grade. Are you Team Creationism or Team Evolution?
I was raised in a Christian household and went to a Christian high school, so I believe in creationisim, for sure.

So you think the Earth is only 6,000 years old?
I don’t want to do the math, but somewhere around there.

[…]

Since I don’t pay attention to pro sports I really don’t know who this individual is or why he is so important to get RS to interview him.

I do wonder why RS would even ask such a question. Do we really care what a (likely) overpaid athlete thinks about this or that issue?

What about cocoa futures? Or liquid natural gas exports? How about fake soy sauce in China? - Things we probably would never ask a basketball player.

127 freetoken  Apr 15, 2014 9:58:12pm

Mullah Mohler doesn’t like the competition:

It’s Back — The “Gospel of Jesus’s Wife” and the State of Modern Scholarship

Entrenched patriarchal religion will not go quietly.

128 Eclectic Cyborg  Apr 15, 2014 10:01:41pm

re: #126 freetoken

He’s a basketball player on the L.A. Clippers known for his monster dunks.

129 goddamnedfrank  Apr 15, 2014 10:29:43pm

re: #124 Targetpractice

Probably the best of all options for the Russians, based upon the description given. The cost of having them transported for scrapping would probably eat up any profit, and the cost of bringing them up to snuff is likely to be prohibitively expensive. Plus they have their own ships in the area, so there’s no need to maintain the fiction of a “defense force” for Crimea.

The main obstacle to Russia in any way keeping possession those vessels is that naval “prizes” are generally the spoils of open warfare, and they desperately want to sell the annexation of Crimea as anything but.

130 Kragar  Apr 15, 2014 11:04:22pm
131 freetoken  Apr 15, 2014 11:05:14pm

MP3 Audio

132 Kragar  Apr 15, 2014 11:05:29pm

And in other news, looks like I’m back in the Imperial guard business

133 Targetpractice  Apr 15, 2014 11:05:52pm

re: #132 Kragar

And in other news, looks like I’m back in the Imperial guard business

Aren’t you a little short for a stormtrooper?

//

134 Kragar  Apr 15, 2014 11:14:40pm

re: #133 Targetpractice

Aren’t you a little short for a stormtrooper?

//

They’re calling themselves the Militarum Tempestus now, but I’m keeping my Kasrkin

135 freetoken  Apr 15, 2014 11:41:59pm

re: #132 Kragar

MP3 Audio

136 Kragar  Apr 15, 2014 11:54:10pm

re: #135 freetoken

[Embedded content]

Youtube Video

137 Kragar  Apr 16, 2014 12:05:25am

In a galaxy of genetically engineered super warriors, ancient androids dedicated to eradicating all life, planet devouring swarms of deep space insects, and demons from hell, the Imperial Guard are the normal run of the mill humans.

Great fun to be had by all.

138 freetoken  Apr 16, 2014 12:18:07am

Speaking of “normal run of the mill humans”, Slate joins the chorus of outlets running articles on the SAT, IQ, etc:

Yes, IQ Really Matters

The comment run the gamut but generally reflect churn over the correlation between SAT scores and socioeconomic status.

139 freetoken  Apr 16, 2014 1:32:02am

MP3 Audio

140 freetoken  Apr 16, 2014 1:51:02am

Well, the boggle-my-mind meter just pegged when I saw Jonah Goldberg’s latest column, in which Goldberg accuses Holder and Obama of blowing racist dog whistles.

Really.

141 freetoken  Apr 16, 2014 1:55:23am

In the midst of life we are dying:

MP3 Audio

142 Kragar  Apr 16, 2014 2:07:08am

re: #141 freetoken

In the midst of life we are dying:

[Embedded content]

Chris Cornell - Preaching the end of the world

Youtube Video

143 Dr Lizardo  Apr 16, 2014 3:04:23am

re: #113 Dark_Falcon

Stalin also said that, but he was more inclined toward murder.

IIRC, one of Stalin’s favorite sayings was “Stone dead hath no fellow”, a Russian phrase equivalent to “Dead men tell no tales.”

144 freetoken  Apr 16, 2014 3:53:13am

Did anyone watch episode 1 of Fargo?

I found it interesting, to say the least. Definite has the flavor of Coen brothers (who are executive producers) productions, but with a little less of the it that makes their films so unique and a little more FX/HBO/Showtime mini-series-ness to it.

I see by the comments people are leaving on boards that some people don’t like the pacing. The paint-slowly-starkly approach I really like, and I was very intrigued by the first 15 minutes, which some commenters seem to think was boring.

The Coen-esque nature will tire some of the traditional American TV audience, because I fully expect in future episodes that there will be more time-consuming character paintings, of which action-lovers will tire.

It’s the first TV production since Breaking Bad to draw me into the story and make me pay attention carefully.

145 FemNaziBitch  Apr 16, 2014 3:55:54am
Timon
PRONUNCIATION:
(TY-muhn)

MEANING:
noun: One who hates or distrusts humankind.

ETYMOLOGY:
After Timon, the misanthropic hero of Shakespeare’s play Timon of Athens. Earliest documented use: 1598.

USAGE:
“My soul was swallowed up in bitterness and hate … I saw nothing to do but live apart like a Timon.” Upton Sinclair; Prince Hagen; Heinemann; 1903.

Is there a GOT character with this name?

146 Dr Lizardo  Apr 16, 2014 3:57:41am

Looks like a maritime tragedy is playing out in South Korea, as a passenger ferry capsized and sunk after - apparently - striking something. On board were 459 souls, 293 of whom, as of this posting, remain unaccounted for. Many of the missing were high-school students on a field trip.

bbc.com (autoplay embedded)

147 FemNaziBitch  Apr 16, 2014 3:58:43am

re: #115 Ming

re: #125 Eclectic Cyborg

Reagan tried Skynet, It didn’t get off the ground.

Maybe Omnicorp will have better luck.

148 Justanotherhuman  Apr 16, 2014 4:02:32am

There is a real, instinctual reason I don’t trust corporations. Corporations should never make public policy, for one thing—we elect representatives to do that for us, and one policy is to rein in businesses that exploit us. We may dislike a lot of things that the govt does, from time to time, or all the time as some do, but it is our govt and we do have a say in how it’s run. You don’t have that say in a business, even when you own a bit of stock in a corp. Businesses play a bit at “democracy” just enough to keep customers or employees from total dissatisfaction most of the time, but their motive is profits, not ensuring that customers enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Most of us don’t believe in what so many who work in the tech sector these days do—libertarianism—because we know that it is exploitative in its ideology. Technology is going through the same phase as its predecessors in the industrial revolution, but in a different way, and while we got rid of the “monopolies” and “trusts”, there is something going on in the tech industry that is not quite describable yet, but there was a reining in, of sorts, during the dot.com bubble of the ’90s. There is ever more money in fewer hands and we’re seeing people like Jeff Bezos and Pierre Omidyar getting into the “news” business and other areas with the money that’s hiding in their couch cushions. And not just their own money, either. Most venture capital is going into internet deals which don’t tend to generate jobs, or only add fewer than normal to already well-staffed companies.

inc.com

As someone pointed out above, Google chose to “correct” a huge vulnerability before (a) informing the govt, and (b) informing the public that there was a serious flaw. It was business first, national security secondly, and then the public, and the last 2 of us could just go pound sand if that “hole” has ever been exploited by criminal elements.

No one will ever know what damage has ever been done because no one will ever know who, when, where and what was ever done—there would have been no traces left.

As a non-techy type, though, to me it brings up the question of whether or not this huge vulnerability had any effect on how easy it made hacking for so many?

149 FemNaziBitch  Apr 16, 2014 4:03:03am
“I think the American people should know that the members of Congress are underpaid,” Moran told CQ Roll Call. “I understand that it’s widely felt that they underperform, but the fact is that this is the board of directors for the largest economic entity in the world.”

The senior appropriator pointed out that some members have taken to living out of their offices to save money, while others have “small little apartment units” that make it impossible to spend the time they should with their families.

150 freetoken  Apr 16, 2014 4:03:25am

Martin Freeman impressed me with his character portrayal here, thickly but deliciously presented.

The first episode’s title could have been:

Spoiler

Bilbo Breaks Bad

151 Justanotherhuman  Apr 16, 2014 4:09:19am

re: #149 FemNaziBitch

Fuck them. I have a “small little apartment unit” of about 800 sq ft in which 3 people live. And it’s comfortable for what I can afford on the pittance I get each mo for SS.

They don’t need to be paid enough to support 2 McMansions. And many are wealthy in their own right.

152 FemNaziBitch  Apr 16, 2014 4:12:52am

I don’t understand this at all.

I’ve never understood —picketing funerals???

153 FemNaziBitch  Apr 16, 2014 4:13:41am

re: #151 Justanotherhuman

Fuck them. I have a “small little apartment unit” of about 800 sq ft in which 3 people live. And it’s comfortable for what I can afford on the pittance I get each mo for SS.

They don’t need to be paid enough to support 2 McMansions. And many are wealthy in their own right.

Just thinking that the minimum wage could be raised, I mean, most American’s aren’t earning enough either …where do they think they tax money is going to come from to increase their pay?

154 Dr Lizardo  Apr 16, 2014 4:16:42am

A bit more on the South Korean ferry disaster here:

The ferry began to list badly about 20 km (12 miles) off the southwest coast as it headed for [the island of] Jeju.

A member of the crew of a government ship involved in the rescue, who said he had spoken to members of the sunken ferry’s crew, said the area was free of reefs or rocks and the cause was likely some sort of malfunction on the vessel.

There were reports of the ferry having veered off its course but coordinates of the site of the accident provided by port authorities indicated it was not far off the regular shipping lane.

Several survivors spoke of hearing a “loud impact” before the ship started listing and rolling on its side.

Within a couple of hours, the Sewol lying on its port side. Soon after, the ship had completely turned over, with only the forward part of its white and blue hull showing above the water.

reuters.com

155 FemNaziBitch  Apr 16, 2014 4:17:26am

re: #154 Dr Lizardo

A bit more on the South Korean ferry disaster here:

reuters.com

horrible

156 Dr Lizardo  Apr 16, 2014 4:21:08am

re: #155 FemNaziBitch

horrible

Yes, it is horrible. It’s dark now in South Korea, so that will unfortunately make search and rescue operations more difficult. Some of the survivors recount they were told to “stay put” over the ship’s intercom; the Sewol sank within two hours, and according to survivors, the ship began listing pretty much immediately.

At a certain point, the list would have reached an angle that would make escape all but impossible for anyone still trapped below deck.

157 FemNaziBitch  Apr 16, 2014 4:21:35am
158 Justanotherhuman  Apr 16, 2014 4:31:33am

re: #157 FemNaziBitch

[Embedded content]

Definitely one of my favorites. : )

159 FemNaziBitch  Apr 16, 2014 4:32:08am

going back to bed

160 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 16, 2014 4:32:34am

re: #158 Justanotherhuman

Definitely one of my favorites. : )

I loved Ragtime” to bits, enjoyed “The March” but could not get my head around “The Waterworks”.

161 Lidane  Apr 16, 2014 4:33:29am
162 Backwoods_Sleuth  Apr 16, 2014 4:40:11am

re: #161 Lidane

[Embedded content]

163 Justanotherhuman  Apr 16, 2014 4:41:56am

re: #160 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

Read Billy Bathgate and The Book of Daniel.

“Dr. Sartorius” of “The Waterworks” (which I thought a bit melodramatic) was also in “The March” (which I didn’t read).

164 Justanotherhuman  Apr 16, 2014 4:50:20am

re: #162 Backwoods_Sleuth

[Embedded content]

That was most excellent!

165 Justanotherhuman  Apr 16, 2014 4:52:51am

re: #152 FemNaziBitch

[Embedded content]

I don’t understand this at all.

I’ve never understood —picketing funerals???

Westboro is all about being attention whores and when challenged, suing on First Amendment grounds, and making money from it, to keep doing the same thing.

They’re despicable.

166 Justanotherhuman  Apr 16, 2014 4:57:36am

Another roadblock for bitcoins.

Japanese court rejects rebuilding plans for bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox; company placed into administration - @CNBC
read more on cnbc.com

What person in their right mind, etc.

167 NJDhockeyfan  Apr 16, 2014 5:04:51am

Creepy story of the day:

168 Lidane  Apr 16, 2014 5:06:27am

re: #152 FemNaziBitch

[Embedded content]

I don’t understand this at all.

I’ve never understood —picketing funerals???

It’s part of their fucked up ideology. They don’t picket funerals to protest a cause. They picket because they legitimately believe they’re reflecting God’s word and that the reactions they get only reinforce that this nation is doomed to hellfire. It shows that people have rejected the truth of God’s hate.

And it’s not surprising they’re picketing Jewish funerals. The WBC are on record saying that the only true Jews are Christians, and that anyone else is a phony. They’re also on record as calling the Holocaust God’s punishment of Jews for falling short.

169 NJDhockeyfan  Apr 16, 2014 5:11:35am
170 NJDhockeyfan  Apr 16, 2014 5:31:53am
171 sattv4u2  Apr 16, 2014 5:54:40am

Snow

April 16th

I’m in Boston

just woke up and there is snow on the ground

Snow

172 sattv4u2  Apr 16, 2014 5:55:16am

re: #169 NJDhockeyfan

I wonder how much the Studebaker will sell for

173 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 16, 2014 5:57:10am

re: #171 sattv4u2

Snow

April 16th

I’m in Boston

just woke up and there is snow on the ground

Snow

It’s snowing here in Hayward WI with 10 - 15 inches expected by tomorrow morning… :(

174 sattv4u2  Apr 16, 2014 5:59:30am

re: #173 William Barnett-Lewis

It’s snowing here in Hayward WI with 10 - 15 inches expected by tomorrow morning… :(

Sunny and 60’s back home (Atlanta)

I usually have Wednesday morning off
I’d be playing golf right now

175 GunstarGreen  Apr 16, 2014 6:03:11am

re: #149 FemNaziBitch

Boo Hoo, some congressional assholes have to live in conditions that are STILL better than a large chunk of the country.

Pay them the minimum wage that they argue against increasing. Try living on that for a while, fuckers.

176 Eventual Carrion  Apr 16, 2014 6:11:37am

re: #175 GunstarGreen

Boo Hoo, some congressional assholes have to live in conditions that are STILL better than a large chunk of the country.

Pay them the minimum wage that they argue against increasing. Try living on that for a while, fuckers.

And do it on an hourly basis. Not at work, no pay. Have to see the doctor (and they have to pay for their own medical insurance too) and you don’t get paid for the trip. Have take kids to doctor, no pay. Sick. no pay. Injured and can’t work, no pay.

177 Feline Fearless Leader  Apr 16, 2014 6:11:41am

It looks like those who run a few financial institutions did the math and decided it was more profitable to do things like a criminal and pay the lawyers than to make their customers (customers, not shareholders) the primary focus and practice what is referred to as “stewardship”.

nbcnews.com

Aside: My financial adviser gave me a book written by an investment house executive on the 2008-2009 meltdown and discussion of newer standards for banks and investment houses. The author was apparently one of the more ethical folk in that hen house, but also acts surprised about all the shenanigans the big banks pulled during the housing bubble, That’s the point where I started rolling my eyes.

178 Justanotherhuman  Apr 16, 2014 6:15:13am

re: #174 sattv4u2

Sunny and 60’s back home (Atlanta)

I usually have Wednesday morning off
I’d be playing golf right now

I dunno—it was 32 here in NC this am. The same in the morning.

Supposedly 38 in Hot ‘Lanta right now. : )

179 GunstarGreen  Apr 16, 2014 6:17:52am

re: #178 Justanotherhuman

I dunno—it was 32 here in NC this am. The same in the morning.

Supposedly 38 in Hot ‘Lanta right now. : )

It was in the 80s on the weekend. Low 30s this morning, warming up to nearly 60 this afternoon. Near-freezing again tonight and tomorrow morning, then getting up into the low 60s. 70s again by the weekend.

Srsly though, get me out of this place. Here in Georgiastan, even the weather blows chunks.

180 sattv4u2  Apr 16, 2014 6:21:12am

re: #178 Justanotherhuman

I dunno—it was 32 here in NC this am. The same in the morning.

Supposedly 38 in Hot ‘Lanta right now. : )

One of the foursome I usually play with on Wednesdays just texted me asking if I ws going to show (I forgot to tell them I was traveling to Boston this week)

he said it was mid 40’s about half an hour ago and warming fast

181 Justanotherhuman  Apr 16, 2014 6:28:37am

Russia needs to back the fuck off…

182 makeitstop  Apr 16, 2014 6:32:15am

This just in: Arizona still sucks.

Project Rose is Arresting Sex Workers in Arizona to Save their Souls

Project ROSE is a Phoenix city programme that arrests sex workers in the name of saving them. In five two-day stings, more than 100 police officers targeted alleged sex workers on the street and online. They brought them in handcuffs to the Bethany Bible Church. There, the sex workers were forced to meet with prosecutors, detectives, and representatives of Project ROSE, who offered a diversion programme to those who qualified. Those who did not may face months or years in jail.

W. T. F.

183 wheat-doggha -- oo bird outside my window  Apr 16, 2014 6:36:41am

re: #166 Justanotherhuman

Another roadblock for bitcoins.

Japanese court rejects rebuilding plans for bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox; company placed into administration - @CNBC
read more on cnbc.com

What person in their right mind, etc.

The Bitcoin markets are still cooking, though at a lower temperature than back in December. Meanwhile, the CEO of Mt Gox is trying to fend off the US Justice and Treasury (FINCEN office) departments, and a class action suit filed by Goxers in the USA. He’s managed to piss off a lot of people — a mediocre gamer and coder whom people entrusted with millions of dollars.

In Cyprus, another bright light in the Bitcoin world has disappeared with investors’ funds, and the Cyprus police have issued an arrest warrant for him. You can google “Neo and Bee” if you’re interested in the gory details.

Neo and Bee has got to be one of the dumbest names for a financial services company.

Caveat emptor, indeed.

184 GunstarGreen  Apr 16, 2014 6:38:55am

re: #182 makeitstop

This just in: Arizona still sucks.

Project Rose is Arresting Sex Workers in Arizona to Save their Souls

W. T. F.

Um. Pretty sure that bringing arrestees to a church instead of the local PD station isn’t cool, constitutionally.

185 makeitstop  Apr 16, 2014 6:40:26am

re: #184 GunstarGreen

Um. Pretty sure that bringing arrestees to a church instead of the local PD station isn’t cool, constitutionally.

And threatening to put them away if they don’t participate in their little ‘program.’ Fucking coercion is what it is.

186 Eventual Carrion  Apr 16, 2014 6:41:17am

re: #182 makeitstop

This just in: Arizona still sucks.

Project Rose is Arresting Sex Workers in Arizona to Save their Souls

W. T. F.

Forced religious conversion, what could go wrong. Or maybe the pastor(s) was just getting lonely.

187 Justanotherhuman  Apr 16, 2014 6:42:59am

re: #184 GunstarGreen

Um. Pretty sure that bringing arrestees to a church instead of the local PD station isn’t cool, constitutionally.

I think that’s called “judicial interference” in legal circles.

If arrested by actual LE, they deserve to go before a judge, not some fucking preachers (who actually might have been one of their tricks).

188 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 16, 2014 6:43:35am

re: #184 GunstarGreen

Um. Pretty sure that bringing arrestees to a church instead of the local PD station isn’t cool, constitutionally.

Generally sex workers that are being arrested like this don’t have the money for a real attorney (sharing a PD with how many hundreds of others) so that doesn’t matter.

The constitution only protects those with money any more.

Youtube Video

189 makeitstop  Apr 16, 2014 6:45:26am

re: #186 Eventual Carrion

Forced religious conversion, what could go wrong. Or maybe the pastor(s) was just getting lonely.

Cuffing them and taking them to a church…wouldn’t that be kidnapping?

190 darthstar  Apr 16, 2014 6:56:46am

re: #182 makeitstop

This just in: Arizona still sucks.

Project Rose is Arresting Sex Workers in Arizona to Save their Souls

W. T. F.

Related

Youtube Video

191 lawhawk  Apr 16, 2014 6:57:14am

re: #15 Charles Johnson

Just to be clear, the NSA issued an unequivocal statement saying they did not know about Heartbleed.

Google unequivocally did know about Heartbleed, but withheld the information — even from the government! — until they could fix their own systems.

Tell me again why I should be less concerned about Google than the US government?

Don’t. Be. Evil. That was their motto.

Now? It’s how can they gain an advantage over everyone else, business, industry, government, and consumers.

192 Stephen T.  Apr 16, 2014 7:00:29am

re: #119 goddamnedfrank

Google’s informal motto is “Don’t be evil.”

I mean, they couldn’t informally say it if it wasn’t informally true.

Right?

Hmm … ?

There is a joke that says that there is a secret internal memo going around Google that their actual motto has been changed to “Don’t get caught being evil,” but this motto isn’t meant for public distribution.

193 darthstar  Apr 16, 2014 7:02:19am

Google Glass allows you to see vulnerable people.

194 wheat-doggha -- oo bird outside my window  Apr 16, 2014 7:03:36am

re: #193 darthstar

Google Glass allows you to see vulnerable people.

But, can you see dead people?

195 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 16, 2014 7:05:10am

re: #194 wheat-doggha — oo bird outside my window

But, can you see dead people?

I just hear them through my Google earphones…

196 wheat-doggha -- oo bird outside my window  Apr 16, 2014 7:06:41am

re: #195 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

I just hear them through my Google earphones…

If you have a Google microphone, can you talk to them? I wanna talk to my Uncle Louie.
//

197 ObserverArt  Apr 16, 2014 7:12:03am

re: #165 Justanotherhuman

Westboro is all about being attention whores and when challenged, suing on First Amendment grounds, and making money from it, to keep doing the same thing.

They’re despicable.

I read the other day they will be out on the morning of the Indy 500 protesting the race.

Not a funereal. An auto race.

What is the protest against?

Jim “Gomer” Neighbors and alcohol consumption.

Alcohol is the devil, so we can figure that one out.

Jim Neighbors. He sings “back Home in Indiana” as many know he has done since the 70s. But, he came out many years back and last year actually married his long time partner. To hell he goes in the mind of the WBC!

So, old man Phelps is gone. Most of his family are out of the church, but the die-hard’s will go on!

198 darthstar  Apr 16, 2014 7:12:25am

Jenga played right.
Youtube Video

199 Romantic Heretic  Apr 16, 2014 7:13:20am

re: #116 Dark_Falcon

Mitt Romney’s Good Hair is really a highly-evolved symbiote. Having it gives him a full head of normally manageable hair, in exchange every year the Good Hair is allowed to devour the soul of a poor person. It must be nearly time for that devouring.

///////////////////////

Jesus himself said the poor will always be with us so it’s not like they’re a finite resource.

///

200 NJDhockeyfan  Apr 16, 2014 7:18:03am
201 Romantic Heretic  Apr 16, 2014 7:25:06am

re: #135 freetoken

[Embedded content]

Here’s the full song with some rarely seen Wehrmacht footage.

Youtube Video

Here’s a little information plus lyrics and translation.

202 NJDhockeyfan  Apr 16, 2014 7:37:35am
203 Killgore Trout  Apr 16, 2014 7:41:07am

re: #202 NJDhockeyfan

[Embedded content]

This looks like the culprits, they sure know how to drive them.
Ukraine: Fast and furious APC driving skills in Slavyansk
Liveleak Video

204 Killgore Trout  Apr 16, 2014 7:49:13am

Update on the mass kidnapping in Nigeria
Impersonating Soldiers, Nigerian Rebels Abducted Schoolgirls

Islamist rebels duped dozens of Nigerian schoolgirls into thinking they were soldiers come to evacuate them before abducting over 100 in their latest anti-government raid, one of the survivors said on Wednesday.
….
“When we saw these gunmen, we thought they were soldiers, they told all of us to come and walk to the gates, we followed their instructions,” 18-year-old Godiya Isaiah, who later managed to escape the abductors, told Reuters.

But when the armed men started ransacking the school stores and set fire to the building, the terrified girls being herded at gunpoint into vehicles realized they were being kidnapped.

205 wheat-doggha -- oo bird outside my window  Apr 16, 2014 7:54:56am

re: #197 ObserverArt

I read the other day they will be out on the morning of the Indy 500 protesting the race.

Not a funereal. An auto race.

What is the protest against?

Jim “Gomer” Neighbors and alcohol consumption.

Alcohol is the devil, so we can figure that one out.

Jim Neighbors. He signs “back Home in Indiana” as many know he has done since the 70s. But, he came out many years back and last year actually married his long time partner. To hell he goes in the mind of the WBC!

So, old man Phelps is gone. Most of his family are out of the church, but the die-hard’s will go on!

I wonder if they will also picket the Kentucky Derby — for booze and gambling. And the shenanigans in the infield.

206 NJDhockeyfan  Apr 16, 2014 7:57:06am

re: #204 Killgore Trout

Update on the mass kidnapping in Nigeria
Impersonating Soldiers, Nigerian Rebels Abducted Schoolgirls

I haven’t seen this story on the cable news channels. Is the MSM covering this story?

207 Iwouldprefernotto  Apr 16, 2014 8:01:16am

re: #206 NJDhockeyfan

I haven’t seen this story on the cable news channels. Is the MSM covering this story?

Too busy covering the missing Malaysian plane.

208 Lidane  Apr 16, 2014 8:01:35am

re: #197 ObserverArt

I read the other day they will be out on the morning of the Indy 500 protesting the race.

Not a funereal. An auto race.

What is the protest against?

Jim “Gomer” Neighbors and alcohol consumption.

It’s not so much alcohol and Jim Nabors as it is the fact that Jim Nabors hasn’t been killed by the government for being gay.

The WBC thinks that as long as gays are “tolerated” (read: allowed to live) then the country is doomed. If we don’t immediately slaughter LGBT people in the streets the way that gays would be in parts of Africa and the Middle East, we are offending God. It’s as simple as that. And as long as there are no laws in place mandating death for gays, America is against God in the twisted minds of the WBC.

209 Lidane  Apr 16, 2014 8:02:33am

re: #205 wheat-doggha — oo bird outside my window

I wonder if they will also picket the Kentucky Derby — for booze and gambling. And the shenanigans in the infield.

They’ll picket if even a single jockey is gay. Or if any of the sponsors of the Derby give benefits to gays.

210 ObserverArt  Apr 16, 2014 8:04:59am

re: #208 Lidane

It’s not so much alcohol and Jim Nabors as it is the fact that Jim Nabors hasn’t been killed by the government for being gay.

The WBC thinks that as long as gays are “tolerated” (read: allowed to live) then the country is doomed. If we don’t immediately slaughter LGBT people in the streets the way that gays would be in parts of Africa and the Middle East, we are offending God. It’s as simple as that. And as long as there are no laws in place mandating death for gays, America is against God in the twisted minds of the WBC.

Oops…brainfart…I spelled his name wrong. Thanks for getting it correct and for the reminder of it.

211 Killgore Trout  Apr 16, 2014 8:05:56am

re: #206 NJDhockeyfan

I haven’t seen this story on the cable news channels. Is the MSM covering this story?

Nope, it’s been largely ignored even by the print media. Poor brown people very far away don’t get much coverage. It really should be an internationally significant event but it’s in Africa so there’s not much interest. It’s a disgrace.

212 Killgore Trout  Apr 16, 2014 8:07:42am

The French seem to be the only ones interested in stabilizing Africa these days. It’s a big place and there’s only so much they can do on their own.

213 Lidane  Apr 16, 2014 8:08:46am
214 Bulworth  Apr 16, 2014 8:11:42am
Herman Cain joins the Clinton shoe throw truther brigade.

We still have questionssssss! What is Hillary hiding???!!1

215 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 16, 2014 8:12:49am

re: #213 Lidane

Herman Cain joins the Clinton shoe throw truther brigade.

It was a size nine-nine-nine!!!

216 CuriousLurker  Apr 16, 2014 8:13:25am

re: #206 NJDhockeyfan

I haven’t seen this story on the cable news channels. Is the MSM covering this story?

I doubt the MSM interested since they’re black Africans killing other black Africans, and they apparently have no interest in attacking Western interests inside or outside Nigeria (according to the United States Institute of Peace):

Boko Haram is an Islamic sect that believes northern politics has been seized by a group of corrupt, false Muslims. It wants to wage a war against them, and the Federal Republic of Nigeria generally, to create a “pure” Islamic state ruled by sharia law. Since 2009 it has been driven by a desire for vengeance against politicians, police, and Islamic authorities for their role in a brutal suppression of the group that year. But the group has proved itself to be very adaptable, evolving its tactics swiftly and changing its targets at the behest of a charismatic leadership. The group leapt onto the world’s agenda in August 2011, when it bombed the United Nations compound in Abuja, killing twenty-three people. Some observers say Boko Haram has reached out to find allies in other global jihadist movements in the Sahel. The speed at which the group developed the capability to produce large and effective improvised explosive devices and enlist suicide bombers to deliver them suggests outside help. But thus far there remains no evidence to say the group’s intentions are to confront and attack Western interests inside or outside Nigeria.

What is Boko Haram? (PDF) - see page 2, next to last paragraph

217 Eclectic Cyborg  Apr 16, 2014 8:13:41am

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

It was a size nine-nine-nine!!!

I was JUST about to post the same thing!

218 Lidane  Apr 16, 2014 8:14:07am

Nope. Nothing fishy here at all:

219 Feline Fearless Leader  Apr 16, 2014 8:15:06am

re: #206 NJDhockeyfan

I haven’t seen this story on the cable news channels. Is the MSM covering this story?

Whoever observed that the MSM is like this yesterday pretty much hit it on the head:
FOX: Benghazi! Benghazi!
CNN: Boss! da Plane! da Plane!
MSNBC: We look like Windows 8!

Beyond those points the 2nd thing covered seems to be fluff domestic stories. Europe is 3rd and the rest of the world a very distant 4th.

220 Feline Fearless Leader  Apr 16, 2014 8:16:23am

re: #218 Lidane

Nope. Nothing fishy here at all:

Just lots of itchy backs.

221 Skip Intro  Apr 16, 2014 8:18:03am

re: #219 Feline Fearless Leader

Whoever observed that the MSM is like this yesterday pretty much hit it on the head:
FOX: Benghazi! Benghazi!
CNN: Boss! da Plane! da Plane!
MSNBC: We look like Windows 8!

Beyond those points the 2nd thing covered seems to be fluff domestic stories. Europe is 3rd and the rest of the world a very distant 4th.

So still no reason to unblock any of those channels. Good to know.

222 Lidane  Apr 16, 2014 8:21:59am

WTF:

223 calochortus  Apr 16, 2014 8:22:29am

re: #206 NJDhockeyfan

I haven’t seen this story on the cable news channels. Is the MSM covering this story?

It’s been on public radio. Is that MSM?

224 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 16, 2014 8:22:57am

re: #222 Lidane

WTF:

Ariz sheriff says armed Nevada ranch standoff was like Rosa Parks vs. the Nazis

Rosa Parks and a Godwin in one talking point? Give that man a raise!!!

225 NJDhockeyfan  Apr 16, 2014 8:25:31am

re: #223 calochortus

It’s been on public radio. Is that MSM?

It’s good to know Its being covered by public radio. At least the dozens of people who listed to it know what going on.

226 makeitstop  Apr 16, 2014 8:26:23am

re: #222 Lidane

WTF:

Ariz sheriff says armed Nevada ranch standoff was like Rosa Parks vs. the Nazis

Rosa Parks, Nazi Slayer!

No tether to reality as we know it. None.

227 Bulworth  Apr 16, 2014 8:28:11am
Ariz sheriff says armed Nevada ranch standoff was like Rosa Parks vs. the Nazis
t.co

OFFS

228 Stanley Sea  Apr 16, 2014 8:30:03am

re: #225 NJDhockeyfan

It’s good to know Its being covered by public radio. At least the dozens of people who listed to it know what going on.

HAHAHAHAHA. Good one.

229 danarchy  Apr 16, 2014 8:30:58am

5 killed in mass stabbing in Calgary. What is it with stabbings lately.

cnn.com

230 Eclectic Cyborg  Apr 16, 2014 8:32:31am

re: #229 danarchy

5 killed in mass stabbing in Calgary. What is it with stabbings lately.

cnn.com

Cheaper than guns and ammo?

231 Eclectic Cyborg  Apr 16, 2014 8:32:57am

re: #222 Lidane

WTF:

[Embedded content]

Wow, I expected it to be Arpaio.

232 Skip Intro  Apr 16, 2014 8:34:43am

re: #231 Eclectic Cyborg

Wow, I expected it to be Arpaio.

It was his understudy.

233 iossarian  Apr 16, 2014 8:38:16am

re: #225 NJDhockeyfan

It’s good to know Its being covered by public radio. At least the dozens of people who listed to it know what going on.

Hey now. It has achieved broad dissemination among those people who like word puzzles and quirky human interest stories.

234 Eclectic Cyborg  Apr 16, 2014 8:39:23am

re: #232 Skip Intro

It was his understudy.

Good. Use your aggressive feelings, boy. Let the hate flow through you.

235 wrenchwench  Apr 16, 2014 8:40:54am

re: #222 Lidane

WTF:

[Embedded content]

He hasn’t been a sheriff since 1996.

236 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 16, 2014 8:44:20am

re: #231 Eclectic Cyborg

Wow, I expected it to be Arpaio.

He is the first and foremost, but he stands for a whole phalanx of law-and-order idiot sheriffs elected in Arizona

237 Feline Fearless Leader  Apr 16, 2014 8:47:23am

re: #236 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

He is the first and foremost, but he stands for a whole phalanx of law-and-white supremacy order idiot sheriffs elected in Arizona

FTFY.

238 darthstar  Apr 16, 2014 8:48:03am

There were about four sea lions swimming around in the harbor this morning feeding on a school of fish. There were these two and two others, and the four of them swam in circles around the school and then there’d be a frenzy of jumping fish and sea lions coming out of the water.
Fun watching these guys feed on a school of fish this morning.

239 Justanotherhuman  Apr 16, 2014 8:55:12am

What fucking idiot would pull a stunt like that?

Boston Police Commissioner says more security and bike patrols will be on Boylston Street the next few days due to last night’s bomb hoax - @HagerWBZ
see original on twitter.com

240 wrenchwench  Apr 16, 2014 8:56:16am

re: #232 Skip Intro

It was his understudy.

Arpaio is older, but he could have taken his cue from Mack.

[…]

It was in Provo that Mack met the man who appears to have shaped his ideology more than any other — a fellow Mormon named W. Cleon Skousen.

By the time Mack saw him speak in 1984, Skousen was a leading light of right-wing radicalism, a theocrat who believed the decline of America began with passage of the 14th Amendment and its guarantee of equality for the former slaves and others. A former Salt Lake City police chief who spent 11 years with the FBI, Skousen had toured the country in the late 1950s and into the 1960s to whip up anti-communist fervor under the banner of the John Birch Society. His best-selling book in 1958, The Naked Capitalist, warned of a cabal of global elites who were scheming to create a worldwide, collectivist government — what the JBS and Patriot groups now fear as the “New World Order.” He demonized the federal regulatory agencies and wanted to abolish civil rights laws, labor unions, the minimum wage, the income and estate taxes, the direct election of U.S. senators, the wall between church and state, and many other government programs and initiatives.

To Mack, Skousen’s controversial worldview was much more than a trip down the rabbit hole of Birch-style conspiracy theories. Years later, according to the Arizona Daily Star, Mack said of the 240 officers who heard Skousen speak: “I don’t know what happened to the other 239 of them, but this one was converted.”

[…]

Mack also has been a longtime supporter of white supremacist Randy Weaver. In 2003, he wrote the forward to Weaver’s book, Vicki, Sam and America: How the Government Killed All Three. It had been 11 years since the deadly siege of the Weavers’ cabin in Ruby Ridge, Idaho, an event that helped fuel the militia movement of the 1990s, but Mack treated the event with fresh indignation. He chastised the federal government for inflicting an “unimaginable hell” on the Weavers and defended the family’s racist ties under the guise of “restor[ing] America as a country dedicated to freedom and liberty.”

[…]

241 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 16, 2014 8:57:20am

re: #223 calochortus

It’s been on public radio. Is that MSM?

The last stand of real news in America. Even there, though, they kowtow to the right wingers in congress ($$) and are too dependent on corporate contributions ($$$$) for real independence. Still, it’s better than any other source that remains here.

242 Dr. Matt  Apr 16, 2014 8:59:02am

How many people did Reddit falsely accuse of being the hoax bomber?

243 Lidane  Apr 16, 2014 9:02:58am
244 Amory Blaine  Apr 16, 2014 9:05:19am

Real close to picking up a PRS custom 24. Need nerve to put…in..cart.

245 Charles Johnson  Apr 16, 2014 9:08:09am
246 makeitstop  Apr 16, 2014 9:11:15am

re: #244 Amory Blaine

Real close to picking up a PRS custom 24. Need nerve to put…in..cart.

Oooh! Pics, plz.

I only have one PRS, probably their most low-end model, an SE One. It’s kind of their take on a Les Paul Junior. Despite being cheap by PRS standards, it’s a really fun guitar.

247 Targetpractice  Apr 16, 2014 9:11:53am

re: #245 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

Sounds like he’s going back to old habits.

248 ObserverArt  Apr 16, 2014 9:12:07am

Have some of the western US sheriffs been out in the sun too long and it has turned their brains to boiled mush???

Suddenly some of them seem to think they are the supreme law in America. They need to be knocked back to reality.

Maybe Mack’s wife and daughter can set him straight since he was ready to line them up in front of the Feds to be gunned down first as an example.

What kind of woman puts up with that kind of thinking? Or, do the women of some of these guys look at it like…let the boys have their fun with their guns they are all show and no go, just as long as no one gets hurt?

249 wrenchwench  Apr 16, 2014 9:12:21am

re: #245 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

Libertarians seem to be quite fond of money. Even that crappy fiat currency printed by the Fed.

250 Lidane  Apr 16, 2014 9:13:29am
251 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 16, 2014 9:13:54am

re: #248 ObserverArt

Have some of the western US sheriffs been out in the sun too long and it has turned their brains to boiled mush???

It has to do with an attitude prevalent in the Southwest that people want Law and Order but at the same time want Low Taxes. People like Arpaio and Mack are the logical products of such a constellation of priorities.

252 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 16, 2014 9:15:20am

re: #250 Lidane

Tea Party protests GOP crackdown on white supremacy ties

Or: Tea Party insists that First Amedment Rights exempt them from the social and political consequences of their speech.

253 Justanotherhuman  Apr 16, 2014 9:16:17am

Good.

Federal judge rules North Dakota fetal heartbeat abortion law ‘invalid and unconstitutional’ - @AP
end of alert

Not so good.

Ohio judge stays gay marriage ruling, but says state must recognize marriages of 4 same-sex couples - @DispatchAlerts
read more on dispatch.com

254 Lidane  Apr 16, 2014 9:17:17am
255 wrenchwench  Apr 16, 2014 9:17:30am

re: #248 ObserverArt

Have some of the western US sheriffs been out in the sun too long and it has turned their brains to boiled mush???

Suddenly some of them seem to think they are the supreme law in America. They need to be knocked back to reality.

Maybe Mack’s wife and daughter can set him straight since he was ready to line them up in front of the Feds to be gunned down first as an example.

What kind of woman puts up with that kind of thinking? Or, do the women of some of these guys look at it like…let the boys have their fun with their guns they are all show and no go, just as long as no one gets hurt?

They really do think sheriffs ARE the supreme law of the land.

[…]

Over the past two years [the article is from 2012], Mack has been working to bring county sheriffs nationwide into the fold of the Patriot movement. He formed the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association in 2011 to advance the principle that sheriffs must resist the government.

“The county sheriff is the one who can say to the feds, ‘Beyond these bounds you shall not pass,’” Mack writes on the CSPOA website. He further writes that hundreds of police officers, sheriffs and others have “expressed a desire to be part of this Holy Cause of Liberty.” He vows to train them, state by state, and says that the local governments they represent will issue a “Declaration to the Federal Government regarding the abuses that we will no longer tolerate or accept.” That declaration, he says, will be enforced by those lawmen. “In short, the CSPOA will be the army to set our nation free.”

[…]

And that just may be the endgame Mack is after — a generation of sheriffs whose politics are infused with radical-right views and whose understanding of the office of sheriff extends far beyond serving court papers, running local jails and policing areas outside the city limits. What Mack seems to want is a nation of county sheriffs who believe the government is the enemy.

“These are now sheriffs who are learning and willing to learn how to become oath keeper sheriffs — that they would actually be willing to interpose on behalf of the people to protect their freedom,” Mack said in February. “These are true American sheriffs.”

And I don’t think there’s any point to wishing women think differently. They are just as sincere about this crap as the men.

256 Eclectic Cyborg  Apr 16, 2014 9:23:40am

re: #240 wrenchwench

Skousen was also a huge influence on Glenn Beck. Beck even wrote the foreword to an updated version of Skousen’s “5000 year leap”.

257 wrenchwench  Apr 16, 2014 9:25:05am

Time for a little refresher course on Cleon Skousen.

258 wrenchwench  Apr 16, 2014 9:25:28am

re: #256 Eclectic Cyborg

Skousen was also a huge influence on Glenn Beck. Beck even wrote the foreword to an updated version of Skousen’s “5000 year leap”.

Oh, ya beat me! But I haz link!

259 makeitstop  Apr 16, 2014 9:25:29am

re: #256 Eclectic Cyborg

Skousen was also a huge influence on Glenn Beck. Beck even wrote the foreword to an updated version of Skousen’s “5000 year leap”.

Mittens was connected to Skousen, too, wasn’t he?

260 Amory Blaine  Apr 16, 2014 9:25:52am

re: #246 makeitstop

This one has a one piece top with a solid rosewood neck.

I like this one too.

261 wrenchwench  Apr 16, 2014 9:29:09am

re: #259 makeitstop

Mittens was connected to Skousen, too, wasn’t he?

Romney studied under Skousen at Brigham Young

262 makeitstop  Apr 16, 2014 9:35:00am

re: #260 Amory Blaine

This one has a one piece top with a solid rosewood neck.

I like this one too.

The Teal one gets my vote. I’ve never been a fan of the highly-figured tops.

Both real nice, though. Good luck with whichever one you choose.

263 ObserverArt  Apr 16, 2014 9:37:35am

re: #260 Amory Blaine

This one has a one piece top with a solid rosewood neck.

I like this one too.

Nice guitars. I really like the green one…some beautiful wood in that arch top.

264 Justanotherhuman  Apr 16, 2014 9:40:42am

re: #261 wrenchwench

Romney studied under Skousen at Brigham Young

Two things Mormons are taught to really understand: The power of authoritarianism and the power of money. The “religion” plays second fiddle and is just used to keep people in line. And they have courted white supremacy since the religion’s invention in the early 1800s, even though they give lip service to integration so they don’t lose their tax status.

This isn’t to say that many Mormons don’t see themselves as “good people”, but if you look closely at church finances, the amount of actual “charity” involved is not so much the traditional kind we think of, but the 10% required tithing goes mainly to funding of church businesses (of which there are many).

businessweek.com

265 Skip Intro  Apr 16, 2014 9:42:23am

re: #264 Justanotherhuman

Grifters gotta grift, and religion is the most successful grift in history.

266 Amory Blaine  Apr 16, 2014 9:43:56am

I was considering the new PRS S2 Custom 24 value line. They’re made in the USA with Korean electronics and priced at 1400.00. I don’t care for the look though and for ~$600 more it’s possible to get a better set up used. I never bought a guitar unseen before though.

267 Bulworth  Apr 16, 2014 9:46:33am
On May 30, 2009, George Wythe University (named after the first law professor in America, who was a teacher of Thomas Jefferson)

Crank wingnuts once again besmirching the good name of an elightened, well-educated figure from the early Republic.

268 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 16, 2014 9:47:17am

re: #264 Justanotherhuman

Mormons also take care of their own, a lot of those charities go to helping Mormon families. Which is not a bad thing in itself, but I can imagine it is often used as a tool of control.

269 aagcobb  Apr 16, 2014 9:49:12am

Its pretty funny. A post on a rightwing message board was complaining about liberals’ intolerant political correctness stifling dissent against same-sex marriage. I pointed out that the message board itself is banning an increasing number of words. I was suspended from the board for three days for pointing this out.

270 Skip Intro  Apr 16, 2014 9:49:31am

Speaking of Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson - what, we weren’t? Tough.

Anyway, Netflix has his six part The Teaching Company course The Inexplicable Universe: Unsolved Mysteries available for streaming.

For those who like the new Cosmos but would like to go a little deeper I highly recommend watching it. It’s unlike any Teaching Company course I’ve ever seen (i.e. it has production values), and I much prefer it to Cosmos.

Tyson is, without exception, the best science popularizer I’ve ever seen.

271 Romantic Heretic  Apr 16, 2014 9:50:54am

re: #236 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

He is the first and foremost, but he stands for a whole phalanx of law-and-order idiot sheriffs elected in Arizona

FTFY. These people don’t care about the law at all.

272 Romantic Heretic  Apr 16, 2014 9:53:14am

re: #245 Charles Johnson

Preparing for another sugar daddy when Omidyar gets pissed at supporting this moocher.

273 Justanotherhuman  Apr 16, 2014 9:54:33am

re: #268 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

Mormons also take care of their own, a lot of those charities go to helping Mormon families. Which is not a bad thing in itself, but I can imagine it is often used as a tool of control.

Actually, no. This is from the Business Week article I linked:

“According to an official church Welfare Services fact sheet, the church gave $1.3 billion in humanitarian aid in more than 178 countries and territories during the 25 years between 1985 and 2010. A fact sheet from the previous year indicates that less than one-third of the sum was monetary assistance, while the rest was in the form of “material assistance.” All in all, if one were to evenly distribute that $1.3 billion over a quarter-century, it would mean that the church gave $52 million annually. A study co-written by Cragun and recently published in Free Inquiry estimates that the Mormon Church donates only about 0.7 percent of its annual income to charity; the United Methodist Church gives about 29 percent.”

274 makeitstop  Apr 16, 2014 9:58:15am

re: #266 Amory Blaine

I was considering the new PRS S2 Custom 24 value line. They’re made in the USA with Korean electronics and priced at 1400.00. I don’t care for the look though and for ~$600 more it’s possible to get a better set up used. I never bought a guitar unseen before though.

Well, if you’re going to do it, PRS is probably the brand to buy unseen. They’ve gotta be the most uniformly set up guitars in the world. Even my cheapie plays like a $1000 guitar.

275 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 16, 2014 9:59:21am

re: #271 Romantic Heretic

FTFY. These people don’t care about the law at all.

They care about “Law and Order”, which is a subjective concept that involves a selective application of existing laws and often involves inventing “laws” on the spot.

276 goddamnedfrank  Apr 16, 2014 10:00:28am

I can’t help you guy:

277 Bulworth  Apr 16, 2014 10:03:14am

Snopes is a liberal cover op. Not debunked.

—

Yeah, Confirmed. FACT.

278 bratwurst  Apr 16, 2014 10:03:41am
279 GunstarGreen  Apr 16, 2014 10:04:54am

re: #269 aagcobb

Its pretty funny. A post on a rightwing message board was complaining about liberals’ intolerant political correctness stifling dissent against same-sex marriage. I pointed out that the message board itself is banning an increasing number of words. I was suspended from the board for three days for pointing this out.

“Political Correctness”, as defined in RWNJ-speak, means “When people call me a vile asshole for slinging vicious slurs and epithets at other people”. The concept has nothing to do with valuing actual freedom of speech.

280 Backwoods_Sleuth  Apr 16, 2014 10:06:40am
281 blueraven  Apr 16, 2014 10:09:08am

re: #280 Backwoods_Sleuth

[Embedded content]

This is so true. I watched part of his show last night and was totally flabbergasted by his recklessness. He needs to be called out hard for this shit.

282 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 16, 2014 10:13:01am

re: #280 Backwoods_Sleuth

[Embedded content]

I believe these are the “Second Amendment Solutions” that Harry Reid’s GOP Senate opponent Sharron Angle was talking about…

283 Skip Intro  Apr 16, 2014 10:15:16am

re: #280 Backwoods_Sleuth

Pierce has some of the best commenters in the world.

“We will have legitimized voter suppression, and political corruption, and now, outright lying.”—Charles Pierce

Stop giving the GOP campaign slogans!

284 Justanotherhuman  Apr 16, 2014 10:19:08am

re: #257 wrenchwench

Time for a little refresher course on Cleon Skousen.

I wish more people, of all types, would think about this little piece of wisdom:

“Fantasies can have serious consequences.”

285 Mattand  Apr 16, 2014 10:20:58am

re: #279 GunstarGreen

“Political Correctness”, as defined in RWNJ-speak, means “When people call me a vile asshole for slinging vicious slurs and epithets at other people”. The concept has nothing to do with valuing actual freedom of speech.

Somebody pointed out to me a few years ago that racist speech, almost by definition, is politically incorrect. From there, it didn’t take me long to come to the conclusion you mention here.

That’s what I get so fidgety with political incorrectness, even in the context of something like a South Park episode, which generally has a broader satirical point.

I have waaaaaaay too many family members and acquaintances who mask their barely hidden racism under the guise of being un-PC.

Say whatever the hell you want. Just don’t come crying to me like a fucking spoiled baby when the groups you’re slagging start to push back.

286 makeitstop  Apr 16, 2014 10:22:16am

re: #281 blueraven

This is so true. I watched part of his show last night and was totally flabbergasted by his recklessness. He needs to be called out hard for this shit.

And he’s said he’d show up at Bundy’s ranch if/when BLM returns. That’s a recipe for disaster, because the man seems constitutionally incapable of dialing back the rhetoric - and those militia dim bulbs will take his every word literally. Could end badly.

287 darthstar  Apr 16, 2014 10:22:40am

I think I’ll put “I had two cups of coffee and can’t stop shaking” on the list of things I’d rather not hear from someone on their third try sticking a needle in my vein to draw blood. I told her she needed to go deeper, then said to just use my hand. She didn’t have the little ‘butterfly’ needles, but I told her it didn’t matter. I just wanted to get the test over with. Who knew getting life insurance was such a pain in the ass?

288 Bulworth  Apr 16, 2014 10:23:21am

GunstarGreen wrote:

“Political Correctness”, as defined in RWNJ-speak, means “When people call me a vile asshole for slinging vicious slurs and epithets at other people”. The concept has nothing to do with valuing actual freedom of speech.

True dat.

289 wrenchwench  Apr 16, 2014 10:25:07am

re: #287 darthstar

I think I’ll put “I had two cups of coffee and can’t stop shaking” on the list of things I’d rather not hear from someone on their third try sticking a needle in my vein to draw blood. I told her she needed to go deeper, then said to just use my hand. She didn’t have the little ‘butterfly’ needles, but I told her it didn’t matter. I just wanted to get the test over with. Who knew getting life insurance was such a pain in the ass?

She missed your hand?

291 goddamnedfrank  Apr 16, 2014 10:25:34am

re: #285 Mattand

Somebody pointed out to me a few years ago that racist speech, almost by definition, is politically incorrect. From there, it didn’t take me long to come to the conclusion you mention here.

That’s what I get so fidgety with political incorrectness, even in the context of something like a South Park episode, which generally has a broader satirical point.

I have waaaaaaay too many family members and acquaintances who mask their barely hidden racism under the guise of being un-PC.

Say whatever the hell you want. Just don’t come crying to me like a fucking spoiled baby when the groups you’re slagging start to push back.

The difference between South Park satire and stuff like Colbert Report is the difference between a fertilizer truck bomb, and a scalpel. South Park is funny but it’s not trying too hard to actually educate / be instructive, it just blows shit in all directions.

292 Mattand  Apr 16, 2014 10:26:13am

re: #281 blueraven

This is so true. I watched part of his show last night and was totally flabbergasted by his recklessness. He needs to be called out hard for this shit.

Not as long as the advertisers keep paying their bills. It won’t matter how many BLM agents and female human shields get killed.

I forget the source, but I was reading an article about Roger Ailes that feature a quote by his nominal boss, Rupert Murdoch. Supposedly when the subject of Ailes’s political leanings came up, Murdoch commented along the the lines of “You know, he actually believes that stuff.”

IMO, that makes Murdoch in some ways much more worse than Ailes. Because apparently Murdoch is fine with triggering another Ruby Ridge as long as it prints money.

293 iossarian  Apr 16, 2014 10:27:14am

re: #289 wrenchwench

She missed your hand?

His hand was on…

I won’t go there.

294 Bulworth  Apr 16, 2014 10:29:41am

cnn.com no longer headlining the search for missing flight 370. Other stuff is finally happening in the world. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

295 NJDhockeyfan  Apr 16, 2014 10:29:53am
296 Justanotherhuman  Apr 16, 2014 10:29:59am

re: #287 darthstar

I think I’ll put “I had two cups of coffee and can’t stop shaking” on the list of things I’d rather not hear from someone on their third try sticking a needle in my vein to draw blood. I told her she needed to go deeper, then said to just use my hand. She didn’t have the little ‘butterfly’ needles, but I told her it didn’t matter. I just wanted to get the test over with. Who knew getting life insurance was such a pain in the ass?

Why did they hire such an incompetent in the first place?

297 FemNaziBitch  Apr 16, 2014 10:30:02am

re: #280 Backwoods_Sleuth

[Embedded content]

Without Alan Colms, Sean has no one to measure himself against. He will slide into Glenn Beck territory before too long.

298 Mattand  Apr 16, 2014 10:30:04am

re: #291 goddamnedfrank

The difference between South Park satire and stuff like Colbert Report is the difference between a fertilizer truck bomb, and a scalpel. South Park is funny but it’s not trying too hard to actually educate / be instructive, it just blows shit in all directions.

That’s a brilliant point. Part of what irritates me about Stone and Parker is the whole libertarian-esque “Well, everyone sucks equally” mantra they hide behind. To me, it’s code for “We’re too chickenshit to actually take a stand on something.”

299 Mattand  Apr 16, 2014 10:31:54am

re: #297 FemNaziBitch

Without Alan Colms, Sean has no one to measure himself against. He will slide into Glenn Beck territory before too long.

I’ve seen wet tissue paper with more resistance than Colmes when he was on that show.

300 BeenHereAwhile  Apr 16, 2014 10:32:10am

re: #160 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

I loved Ragtime” to bits, enjoyed “The March” but could not get my head around “The Waterworks”.

’
To “Ragtime” add “Billy Bathgate”

301 FemNaziBitch  Apr 16, 2014 10:34:39am

re: #299 Mattand

I’ve seen wet tissue paper with more resistance than Colmes when he was on that show.

Hubby and I noticed a difference as soon as Colmes left. I think he had more to do behind the scenes than any of us knew. No, he didn’t seem extremely strong on camera, but his absence marked a drastic change in the show.

302 NJDhockeyfan  Apr 16, 2014 10:34:45am
303 Justanotherhuman  Apr 16, 2014 10:35:21am

re: #298 Mattand

That’s a brilliant point. Part of what irritates me about Stone and Parker is the whole libertarian-esque “Well, everyone sucks equally” mantra they hide behind. To me, it’s code for “We’re too chickenshit to actually take a stand on something.”

Yeah, I quit watching SP years ago. Don’t miss the “humor”, which I thought bordered on sophomoric, at all. Yeah, after a while, that “everyone sucks equally” gets to you—it’s a pretty nihilistic attitude.

304 FemNaziBitch  Apr 16, 2014 10:35:23am

re: #302 NJDhockeyfan

[Embedded content]

Didn’t we discuss this yesterday?

305 FemNaziBitch  Apr 16, 2014 10:35:40am

re: #303 Justanotherhuman

Yeah, I quit watching SP years ago. Don’t miss the “humor”, which I thought bordered on sophomoric, at all. Yeah, after a while, that “everyone sucks equally” gets to you—it’s a pretty nihilistic attitude.

BASTARDS!

306 RealityBasedSteve  Apr 16, 2014 10:36:36am

re: #55 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce

SNIP
Maybe they could tell the House subcommittee on Communications and Technology. It’s run by such luminaries as Joe Barton, Marsha Blackburn, Obamacare warrior Mike Rogers, and John Shimkus who famously denies climate change because “God decides when earth will end.” I’m sure they’ve wisely chosen staffers who can be 100% trusted not to leak explosive tech news to rightwingdipshits.com or whatever.
SNIP

I was so hoping that was a real site.

RBS

307 FemNaziBitch  Apr 16, 2014 10:36:37am

Nevada GOP drops opposition to abortion from platform

WOOT!!!!!

308 RealityBasedSteve  Apr 16, 2014 10:39:09am

re: #295 NJDhockeyfan

[Embedded content]

Turds In Space!!!!

RBS

309 Justanotherhuman  Apr 16, 2014 10:40:12am

re: #307 FemNaziBitch

Nevada GOP drops opposition to abortion from platform

WOOT!!!!!

I doubt that will go over well with Mr. Bundy. Haha.

310 Feline Fearless Leader  Apr 16, 2014 10:41:25am

re: #269 aagcobb

Its pretty funny. A post on a rightwing message board was complaining about liberals’ intolerant political correctness stifling dissent against same-sex marriage. I pointed out that the message board itself is banning an increasing number of words. I was suspended from the board for three days for pointing this out.

“Ignore the man behind the curtain! The GREAT OZ has spoken!”

311 FemNaziBitch  Apr 16, 2014 10:42:08am

Well, I may scream NOW!

You can too.

I’m so tired of the euphemisms. The media’s attempt to avoid calling a spade a spade or a heart a heart is pissing me off.

312 Backwoods_Sleuth  Apr 16, 2014 10:43:40am

re: #307 FemNaziBitch

Nevada GOP drops opposition to abortion from platform

WOOT!!!!!

And there’s this today, as well:

North Dakota Fetal Heartbeat Abortion Law Ruled ‘Invalid And Unconstitutional’

313 FemNaziBitch  Apr 16, 2014 10:46:10am

Ellen is great!
Youtube Video

314 Backwoods_Sleuth  Apr 16, 2014 10:48:03am

Oklahoma school district OKs ‘Bible curriculum’ created by Hobby Lobby president

According to the Religious News Service, the “Museum of the Bible Curriculum” created by Hobby Lobby’s President Steve Green (pictured above) will be beta-tested in Oklahoma’s Mustang Public School district beginning in the Fall of 2014.

…Green refers to the Bible as a “reliable historical document” that’s had a “great impact on the world,” but that people don’t understand that impact. “It’s our job to point that out,” Green said, “to show that whether it be our government, education, science, art, literature, family, on and on in every area of our life.”

“The goal is to show that the impact of this book, when we apply it to our lives, has been good, because it has. So it’s good, and it’s true,” Green said, before moving on to discuss the other section of the curriculum, which would be “the story of the Bible.”

“We’re as ignorant [as] we’ve ever been, would be my argument,” Green said, “because we aren’t teaching it in our schools.”

my bold…no truer words has he ever said, but that phrase doesn’t mean what he thinks it does…

315 Justanotherhuman  Apr 16, 2014 10:48:54am

re: #311 FemNaziBitch

Well, I may scream NOW!

You can too.

I’m so tired of the euphemisms. The media’s attempt to avoid calling a spade a spade or a heart a heart is pissing me off.

And how did cultists like the Duggars ever get a fucking TV show?

Everyone should know they’re nutso facto.

316 NJDhockeyfan  Apr 16, 2014 10:51:46am

re: #308 RealityBasedSteve

Turds In Space!!!!

RBS

Official NASA released photo:

317 EdDantes  Apr 16, 2014 10:54:39am

re: #316 NJDhockeyfan

Oh, no! Mr. Hanky!

318 darthstar  Apr 16, 2014 10:55:57am

re: #289 wrenchwench

She missed your hand?

Ha! Almost.

319 Dr Lizardo  Apr 16, 2014 10:56:28am

So, Lizards, here’s your break for the day. A little brain bleach, as it were. A kaiju film made by Shochiku Studios back in 1967, Uchū Daikaijū Girara, better known internationally as The X From Outer Space. This one is the international English dub.

Youtube Video

en.wikipedia.org

Aww, shit! It’s Space Chicken!

320 Lidane  Apr 16, 2014 10:56:50am

re: #307 FemNaziBitch

Nevada GOP drops opposition to abortion from platform

WOOT!!!!!

Freepers are on the case:

America needs the political equivalent of the non-denominational church.
—

I been in Nevada five months now. The Nevada Republican Party has convinced me to register Independent.
—

It figures…

Theres a lot of Mormon Republicans in Nevada..

but not a lot of Conservatives..

and then there’s Harry Reid’s influence..
—

of course - the land of cat houses and casinos.
—

The repubes are reminding me of the dems at their convention when they denied God three times before the “cock” (Bill Clinton) crowed.
—

Given what is going on north of them, I’m surprised they didn’t also strip out the rule of law and land rights from the platform.
—

Didn’t the Paulbots take over the state party organization?
—

Yes, they did. But they must have lost their majority at that convention, because Sue Lowden won the party endorsement, and Paultards hate Lowden almost as much as they hate logic, national defense, Judeo-Christian ethics, and Israel’s right to exist (their hatred of Lowden began when she was state party chair in 2008 and she stopped the Paulistinians from rigging a state convention for Ron Paul, who had been trounced by Romney at the local caucuses).

That being said, Paultards usually support abortion-on-demand and special rights for gays, so I guess that there were enough Paulistinians at the convention that, when their votes were aggregated to those of RINOs, there was a majority for removing abortion and marriage from the state party platform.

321 FemNaziBitch  Apr 16, 2014 10:57:38am

VOTE

322 Backwoods_Sleuth  Apr 16, 2014 10:57:56am
323 FemNaziBitch  Apr 16, 2014 10:59:33am

re: #314 Backwoods_Sleuth

“That would be the goal,” he continued, “to reintroduce this book to this nation, because it is in danger, because of its ignorance, of what God has taught. There is [sic] lessons of the past that we can learn from the dangers of ignorance of this book. We need to know it, and if we don’t know it, our future is going to be very scary.”

“Some day,” he said, teaching the Bible in high school “should be mandated. Here’s a book that’s impacted our world unlike any other and you’re not going to teach it?”

Because we are nothing like the Jihadis … . .

324 BeenHereAwhile  Apr 16, 2014 11:02:30am

re: #244 Amory Blaine

Real close to picking up a PRS custom 24. Need nerve to put…in..cart.

A little off the PRS-Gibson meme, but saw this vintage Fender while in Guitar Center in Nashville helping a friend broker his Taylor K-24ce.

325 FemNaziBitch  Apr 16, 2014 11:04:28am

326 NJDhockeyfan  Apr 16, 2014 11:09:42am
327 blueraven  Apr 16, 2014 11:11:12am

re: #286 makeitstop

And he’s said he’d show up at Bundy’s ranch if/when BLM returns. That’s a recipe for disaster, because the man seems constitutionally incapable of dialing back the rhetoric - and those militia dim bulbs will take his every word literally. Could end badly.

Also Hannity kept talking about BLM snipers! I was out of the country when this whole thing started…but I dont see anything about any snipers except for the militia people there.

Were there BLM snipers, or is this just part of the wistful dreams of the fevered swamp?

328 FemNaziBitch  Apr 16, 2014 11:11:22am

nap time.

329 FemNaziBitch  Apr 16, 2014 11:13:03am

I’m so pissed about this.

Please tweet and share.

330 FemNaziBitch  Apr 16, 2014 11:13:11am

now, I can sleep.

331 Backwoods_Sleuth  Apr 16, 2014 11:15:18am

It’s way too early in the day for me to have this much fun.
I must pace myself…

332 Stanley Sea  Apr 16, 2014 11:16:23am

re: #327 blueraven

Also Hannity kept talking about BLM snipers! I was out of the country when this whole thing started…but I dont see anything about any snipers except for the militia people there.

Were there BLM snipers, or is this just part of the wistful dreams of the fevered swamp?

All I saw were the American Taliban snipers prone on the bridge. Those are the snipers we saw.

333 Backwoods_Sleuth  Apr 16, 2014 11:18:34am

re: #332 Stanley Sea

All I saw were the American Taliban snipers prone on the bridge. Those are the snipers we saw.

This is the picture the nutters are using as “proof” of BLM snipers.

334 blueraven  Apr 16, 2014 11:23:10am

re: #332 Stanley Sea

All I saw were the American Taliban snipers prone on the bridge. Those are the snipers we saw.

Well, I tried the Google. I came upon a few images that claimed they were of BLM snipers, but with no credit. Also, they were definitely not in Nevada near the Bundy ranch as the background was quite lush with tall, green vegetation.

All sources seem to emanate from infowars.
Hannity just flat out lied.

335 EdDantes  Apr 16, 2014 11:24:13am

re: #333 Backwoods_Sleuth

This is the picture the nutters are using as “proof” of BLM snipers.

What is the source of that photo?

336 Gus  Apr 16, 2014 11:25:53am

Behold!

Glenn Greenwald links to stalkers.

337 Backwoods_Sleuth  Apr 16, 2014 11:26:07am

re: #335 EdDantes

What is the source of that photo?

I’ve seen it in a few places, but here’s the first link I found in Google:

ammoland.com

338 Kragar  Apr 16, 2014 11:26:33am

re: #333 Backwoods_Sleuth

This is the picture the nutters are using as “proof” of BLM snipers.

Its almost like the BLM employees were taking cover, the dirty bastards.
///

339 Bubblehead II  Apr 16, 2014 11:26:42am

Charles, currently logged in using my VTAB1008. I keep getting the following error

Unresponsive Script

Script: H T T P://ajax . googleapis .com/ajax/libs/jquery 1.11.01/jquery.min.js:2

OS: Android 3.2.1 HTK 55
Browser: Firefox V.28.0.1

340 jaunte  Apr 16, 2014 11:26:57am

re: #336 Gus

Circle of Derp.

341 wrenchwench  Apr 16, 2014 11:27:49am

re: #336 Gus

Behold!

Glenn Greenwald links to stalkers.

Where there was a graphic that they altered to smear Charles.

Greenwald is scum.

342 Backwoods_Sleuth  Apr 16, 2014 11:29:39am

re: #335 EdDantes

What is the source of that photo?

I also want to stress that I don’t know what the picture is actually of, or where/when it was taken. It’s just the picture they are using as “proof”.

343 EdDantes  Apr 16, 2014 11:29:39am

re: #337 Backwoods_Sleuth

Ok. Looks like snipers without weapons which are not snipers.

344 Gus  Apr 16, 2014 11:31:46am

re: #341 wrenchwench

Where there was a graphic that they altered to smear Charles.

Greenwald is scum.

[x] EFF hearts the Tea Party
[x] Greenwald hearts Koch
[x] Greenwald hearts CATO
[x] Greenwald hearts Diary of Daedalus

The circle is complete.

345 blueraven  Apr 16, 2014 11:33:35am

re: #343 EdDantes

Ok. Looks like snipers without weapons which are not snipers.

I keep seeing this photo used

example

346 jaunte  Apr 16, 2014 11:33:45am

re: #333 Backwoods_Sleuth

This is the picture the nutters are using as “proof” of BLM snipers.

Don’t they teach snipers not to be silhouetted against a ridge line?

347 Backwoods_Sleuth  Apr 16, 2014 11:36:40am

re: #345 blueraven

I keep seeing this photo used

example

yeah, wasn’t that one included in the fake photo composite that was flying around social media?

348 Kragar  Apr 16, 2014 11:36:47am

re: #345 blueraven

I keep seeing this photo used

example

That picture is straight off the Wikipedia entry for Snipers, being a US military team training,

349 Backwoods_Sleuth  Apr 16, 2014 11:37:09am

re: #346 jaunte

Don’t they teach snipers not to be silhouetted against a ridge line?

Must be because of the sequester funding cutbacks.

350 Kragar  Apr 16, 2014 11:37:49am

Image: File:USMC_Sniper_M24.jpg

351 Kragar  Apr 16, 2014 11:38:23am

Google image search is your friend

google.com

352 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Apr 16, 2014 11:38:37am

re: #307 FemNaziBitch

Nevada GOP drops opposition to abortion from platform

WOOT!!!!!

They know that they could’ve beaten Harry Reed if the Tea Party had not saddled them with Sharron Angle.

353 Gus  Apr 16, 2014 11:39:15am

Says a lot about a person when they switch sides so much to smear others.

354 Single-handed sailor  Apr 16, 2014 11:40:19am

re: #352 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

They know that they could’ve beaten Harry Reed if the Tea Party had not saddled them with Sharron Angle.

Their other choice was the chicken lady.

355 Decatur Deb  Apr 16, 2014 11:41:30am

re: #352 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

They know that they could’ve beaten Harry Reed if the Tea Party had not saddled them with Sharron Angle.

” The Nevada Republican Party stripped opposition to abortion and gay marriage from its platform Saturday as state convention delegates instead focused on judging fellow Republicans on their worthiness to serve in office and adherence to GOP values.”

Too late. Bad Crazy has become a GOP value.

356 Bulworth  Apr 16, 2014 11:44:07am

Who or what is the EFF? Wait, I probably don’t want to know, do I?

357 Decatur Deb  Apr 16, 2014 11:46:17am

re: #356 Bulworth

Who or what is the EFF? Wait, I probably don’t want to know, do I?

eff.org

An organization based on good intentions.

358 ObserverArt  Apr 16, 2014 11:57:37am

re: #280 Backwoods_Sleuth

Sean Hannity’s Continued Efforts To Get Somebody Shot

If Hannity goes down there for the standoff next time, will sheriff Mack put him out front to get shot first with the rests of the women?

/

359 Jay in Oregon  Apr 16, 2014 1:01:01pm

re: #208 Lidane

The WBC thinks that as long as gays are “tolerated” (read: allowed to live) then the country is doomed. If we don’t immediately slaughter LGBT people in the streets the way that gays would be in parts of Africa and the Middle East, we are offending God. It’s as simple as that. And as long as there are no laws in place mandating death for gays, America is against God in the twisted minds of the WBC.

The fact that these people aren’t breaking rocks in some federal prison somewhere puts the lie to every evangelical who claims that the U.S. is persecuting Christians or people who speak out about homosexuality.


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