Saturday Jam: Drew Ofthe Drew, “Cry, Die, Fly”

Dig the banjo part
Music • Views: 67,173

YouTube

Here’s an amazing young band with a very different sound, creative instrumentation and great songwriting. Just stumbled across these guys on YouTube and immediately subscribed to their channel.

This song is from my album ‘Green’ Download it here!
drewofthedrew.bandcamp.com

Or on iTunes - itunes.apple.com

For more fun check out my Facebook - facebook.com

Its just a pop rock song with a fat beat. I love Jason Mraz and John Mayer and mostly Justin Timberlake, and that’s what I was channeling when I wrote this. I wrote everything except the chorus and bridge all at once and had to revisit the song later cuz I couldn’t think of what the chorus should be. This also the only song with acoustic instruments, I played a banjo and acoustic guitar that my grandma gave me. I should probly mention that my grandma is the most amazing banjo player youll ever meet. I had no idea what to do with the banjo and acoustic mix wise. When me and Chris were doing the final mixes, he was like, ‘um, take all the plugins off the acoustic and banjo and just eq it a little bit’ and what do ya know, it sounded great. I guess I can’t take the same approach I take to mixing drums to the banjo. I really like the hits in the last chorus it really helps it become more powerful. ALSO, that drum fill in the middle of the last chorus followed by that ridiculously long riff Joanna does. Mind blowing. OH and MADDIES SOLO! Rewind the song and go listen to it again. I was busy talking about how to mix acoustic guitars, but who cares. That girl can play, shes unbelievable.

Drew Ofthe Drew - Bass, additional guitar, banjo, acoustic guitar
Joanna Teters - Vocals
Ian Barnett - Left side drums
JP Bouvet - Right side drums
Maddie Rice - Guitar

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433 comments
1
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 5:36:53pm

WaPo article on Trump in PHX illustrates the revanchist love:

Trump tells supporters, ‘We have to take back the heart of our country’

[…]

“We don’t recognize our country anymore,” said Jan Drake, 72, who lives in a retirement community outside Phoenix. “If you’re coming into our country, you have got to conform to what we stand for. You speak English. You don’t try to change our country to what your country was.”

Watching Trump on television the past couple of weeks, Drake said she has become convinced that “he would be a very strong president. He doesn’t kowtow to anybody. The Republican Party will try to squeeze him out because they’re afraid of him. But he can tell them where to go — to pound sand.”

Lou Brudnock, 71, said he is attracted to Trump’s brash “truthfulness” and his willingness to be politically incorrect.

“This country today is sad, sad, sad,” Brudnock said. “You can’t say anything or they call you ‘a racist.’ It’s like we’re back in Nazi Germany. But look around, man. It’s people here reading and listening to his message.”

[…]

Yup, it’s all that Tea Party love from the blue hairs.

2
De Kolta Chair  Jul 11, 2015 • 5:38:51pm

This new thread is a veritable Sharknado of pure fresh air compared to the subject of the previous one. Thanks Charles!

3
Charles Johnson  Jul 11, 2015 • 5:43:02pm

These guys are fucking awesome.

4
b.d.  Jul 11, 2015 • 5:44:15pm

Great choice Charles. I agree with De Kolta Chair in how that band is the perfect palate cleanser from all of that Trump shrieking that was bouncing around in my noggin.

5
Charles Johnson  Jul 11, 2015 • 5:53:16pm
6
thedopefishlives  Jul 11, 2015 • 5:55:24pm

re: #5 Charles Johnson

He was never serious about the whole thing. He’ll fold the first time someone makes him file his financials.

7
thedopefishlives  Jul 11, 2015 • 5:55:56pm

re: #6 thedopefishlives

It is funny, though, to see him playing the role of a one-man wrecking crew amongst the denizens of the Clown Car.

8
#FergusonFireside  Jul 11, 2015 • 5:56:58pm

re: #7 thedopefishlives

It is funny, though, to see him playing the role of a one-man wrecking crew amongst the denizens of the Clown Car.

His kids, er heirs are shitting. They are nada without him. And he’s blowing their gravy train.

Bet they can’t say a word.

9
Skip Intro  Jul 11, 2015 • 5:59:02pm

I just hope he gets into the debates. That’s going to be awesome.

10
#FergusonFireside  Jul 11, 2015 • 5:59:11pm

re: #3 Charles Johnson

These guys are fucking awesome.

[Embedded content]

Video

I hear a little Mraz influence.

11
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 5:59:12pm

re: #5 Charles Johnson

Rep. Steve King of Iowa is cheering Trump on. Cruz is defending Trump, if a bit sheepishly.

Trump has already forced the 2016 Presidential campaigns into a corner, forcing a talk about immigration that many candidates would have preferred to be kept low-key.

What will hurt Trump in Iowa is the lack of Je$u$ talk. But I bet Trump will do quite well in some states.

Trump is pushing the immigration policy discussions to the far xenophobic tea-partying right. The window now is so far to the revanchist right that other policies are being affected, like foreign policy.

12
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:01:02pm
13
Skip Intro  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:03:29pm

re: #12 freetoken

Another lame headline:

Donald Trump talks immigration, U.S. trade policy in pair of Saturday speeches (photos)

The also omitted his talk of billing Mexico $100,000 per illegal.

The media are such tools.

14
jaunte  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:03:44pm

Can anyone explain free speech to Bill Kristol?

15
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:04:25pm

For all his demagoguery, Trump is still no where as delusional as many of the other GOP candidates.

16
Mattand  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:04:33pm

re: #2 De Kolta Chair

This new thread is a veritable Sharknado of pure fresh air compared to the subject of the previous one. Thanks Charles!

I saw Rifftrax shit on Sharknado 2 the other night.

I love the dichotomy of your compliment: everyone except minor league curling leagues love pure fresh air. Sharknado is, well, Sharknado.

Surely, you can see my predicament?

17
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:04:50pm

re: #14 jaunte

[Embedded content]

Can anyone explain free speech to Bill Kristol?

Can someone explain Bill Kristol’s tweet to me?

18
Mattand  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:05:28pm

re: #14 jaunte

[Embedded content]

Can anyone explain free speech to Bill Kristol?

I’d start with logic first. That might take longer, though.

19
jaunte  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:05:50pm

re: #17 freetoken

He seems to think liberals want Trump to stop talking.

20
RealityBasedSteve  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:05:58pm

I have a theory…. it could be bunnies… Trump was/is Reince Priebus’ secret weapon to make the rest of the GOP look sane. He would play the Trump Card (sorry), and then when people reacted in disgust the GOP could disown and disavow Trump, making somebody like Cruz or Walker look like a freaking statesman by comparison.

But like the movie “The Producers”, Trump has become wildly popular among the hard-core core.

I know it’s crazy, but sometimes the voices in my head tell me things.

RBS

21
Skip Intro  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:06:09pm

re: #17 freetoken

Can someone explain Bill Kristol’s tweet to me?

If they do, could you pass it along to me?

22
RealityBasedSteve  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:07:57pm

re: #17 freetoken

Can someone explain Bill Kristol’s tweet to me?

I’m not sure that there is a “meaning” to it…

23
thedopefishlives  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:08:01pm

re: #17 freetoken

Can someone explain Bill Kristol’s tweet to me?

HURR DE HURR DE HURPDY DURPDY BORK BORK

24
b.d.  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:08:26pm

re: #5 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

Trump isn’t going anywhere unless he says something that makes his wingnut base turn on him. Maybe something bad about Reagan?

I think Trump is too shrewd and has dialed in on the simpleton wingnuts logic, he is going to be a force.

25
Eric The Fruit Bat  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:09:36pm
26
WhatEVs  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:10:02pm

re: #17 freetoken

Can someone explain Bill Kristol’s tweet to me?

I had to read it a few times, myself.

If you (GOP candidate) defend Trumps “right” to espouse BS, half of Ttump’s supporters will go to you (said GOP candidate).

Or somfin’.

27
Skip Intro  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:10:30pm

re: #22 RealityBasedSteve

I’m not sure that there is a “meaning” to it…

The only thing I can think of is all of those out-of-control lefty-inspired PC mob businesses that have cut their ties with Trump, depriving him of his 1st amendment rights.

28
Mattand  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:11:02pm

In the game Team Fortress 2, there’s a character called the Pyro. From the name, you can pretty much guess what his role is in the game.

This video describe how the Pyro sees the world around him.

The reason I bring this up is because I think it’s a fairly decent analog to how Trump views his unbelievably racist comments, and their impact on him, his campaign, and his business.

29
thedopefishlives  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:12:18pm

re: #28 Mattand

In the game Team Fortress 2, there’s a character called the Pyro. From the name, you can pretty much guess what his role is in the game.

This video describe how the Pyro sees the world around him.

The reason I bring this up is because I think it’s a fairly decent analog to how Trump views his unbelievably racist comments, and their impact on him, his campaign, and his business.

Some men just want to watch the world burn.

30
Chan Kobun  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:12:39pm

re: #28 Mattand

In the game Team Fortress 2, there’s a character called the Pyro. From the name, you can pretty much guess what his role is in the game.

This video describe how the Pyro sees the world around him.

The reason I bring this up is because I think it’s a fairly decent analog to how Trump views his unbelievably racist comments, and their impact on him, his campaign, and his business.

HEY!
I WILL NOT STAND BY AND HAVE MY CLASS SO OPENLY INSULTED!

I challenge you to a duel!

31
Mattand  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:14:40pm

re: #30 Chan Kobun

HEY!
I WILL NOT STAND BY AND HAVE MY CLASS SO OPENLY INSULTED!

I challenge you to a duel!

I’m just a humble Medic, calling like it is.

DUMKOPF!!!!!

32
Eclectic Cyborg  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:15:02pm

re: #13 Skip Intro

The also omitted his talk of billing Mexico $100,000 per illegal.

The media are such tools.

The reason the media stay soft on Trump (and other candidates) is they don’t want to lose their access to him. Sad, but true.

33
Eric The Fruit Bat  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:15:48pm
34
Chan Kobun  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:16:58pm

re: #31 Mattand

I’m just a humble Medic, calling like it is.

DUMKOPF!!!!!

HRRMRF HRRH HMRRFR!

35
Skip Intro  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:18:20pm

Thousands and thousands of people are cutting up their Macys credit cards - Donald Trump

Huge applause line.

If I were a power in the GOP, I’d be scared shitless of this guy.

36
Mattand  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:20:48pm

re: #34 Chan Kobun

HRRMRF HRRH HMRRFR!

Yeah, you’re right there. Particularly the part about agrarian vs. technology based economics, vis a vis Bulgaria.

I’m mattand08 on Steam, if you’re so inclined!

37
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:21:31pm

re: #22 RealityBasedSteve

I’m not sure that there is a “meaning” to it…

Oh… ok… sort of like a neo-dadaist improv?

38
aagcobb  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:22:37pm

re: #35 Skip Intro

Thousands and thousands of people are cutting up their Macys credit cards - Donald Trump

Huge applause line.

If I were a power in the GOP, I’d be scared shitless of this guy.

Not being in the GOP, I simply love the entertainment value of Trump’s performance art. I hope his show runs deep into next spring before folding.

39
Mattand  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:23:22pm

re: #35 Skip Intro

Thousands and thousands of people are cutting up their Macys credit cards - Donald Trump

Huge applause line.

If I were a power in the GOP, I’d be scared shitless of this guy.

I do have a Macy’s card. They just recently announced that they’re going to do away with their whole credit card/store account system, and the cards will be just run-of-the-mill Amex’s.

I’m bringing that up for future reference, on the chance that Trump is going to spin that into him somehow being responsible for destroying Macy’s credit card system.

40
b.d.  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:25:03pm

re: #35 Skip Intro

Thousands and thousands of people are cutting up their Macys credit cards - Donald Trump

Huge applause line.

If I were a power in the GOP, I’d be scared shitless of this guy.

Trump is the new Pied Piper of the GOP. The wingnuts spent years cultivating this narrative and it has been taken over by a Frankenstein’s monster with a squirrel on its head.

41
jaunte  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:25:16pm

re: #35 Skip Intro

Thousands and thousands of people are cutting up their Macys credit cards - Donald Trump

Pants On Fire!

42
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:25:19pm

Trump is certainly playing this for his ego.

Few people are remembered once their family members also pass.

Trump doesn’t have to win the election to go down in history books. He just has to alter it.

If he throws the GOP nomination to somebody not originally expected, that will be noticed.

If he then decides to go on and run in the general election, like Ross Perot, then he will definitely be in the history books.

43
Skip Intro  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:25:48pm

re: #32 Eclectic Cyborg

The reason the media stay soft on Trump (and other candidates) is they don’t want to lose their access to him. Sad, but true.

That’s not just being soft, it’s really bad reporting.

44
plansbandc  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:26:01pm

Wow!! I love this band. Thank you for exposing them. heh!

45
psddluva4evah  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:27:22pm

So I’ve been out all day. What do we think of the new Batman vs Superman trailer? I’m still not sold on Wonder Woman.

46
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:30:34pm

I’ve had a few first cousins who have already died. Shamefully I can only remember the names of one of them.

But that is an illustration of how tenuous our existence is, how ethereal our real presence can be on this planet. Unless one does something truly outstanding, chances are one will slip into anonymity a few years after one’s passing.

Kind of depressing, yes.

Anyway, Trump is not going to let that happen to him. He is going to bend the universe towards his will, and ego, as much as possible.

I now expect him to try and leverage this attention to put his persona, his brand, on American political debate.

47
Belafon  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:30:41pm

re: #3 Charles Johnson

That one was really good.

48
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:32:09pm

“”You can’t say anything or they call you ‘a racist.’ It’s like we’re back in Nazi Germany.”

Because, lord knows, the Nazis built concentration camps, gas chambers, and crematoria to deal with racists.

That’s weapons-grade stupid, right there. Not only totally lacking in knowledge of history, but also completely the opposite of making sense.

49
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:33:08pm

re: #48 Blind Frog Belly White


That’s weapons-grade stupid, right there. Not only totally lacking in knowledge of history, but also completely the opposite of making sense.

Tea-party grade stupidity.

50
aagcobb  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:33:16pm

BTW, did Sheriff Joe announce who forged Obama’s birth certificate at the rally? The world has been breathlessly awaiting the final result of the cold case posse’s investigation!

51
Chan Kobun  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:33:38pm

re: #36 Mattand

“That profile could not be found”

52
Skip Intro  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:33:57pm

LA Times headline on Trump: Arizona crowd welcomes Donald Trump’s tough stance on immigration

Wankers.

53
Mattand  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:34:00pm

re: #51 Chan Kobun

Ah, crap. Hold on.

54
Mattand  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:34:39pm

re: #51 Chan Kobun

Try plain ol’ Mattand.

55
jaunte  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:35:08pm

re: #45 psddluva4evah

56
RealityBasedSteve  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:36:35pm

re: #50 aagcobb

BTW, did Sheriff Joe announce who forged Obama’s birth certificate at the rally? The world has been breathlessly awaiting the final result of the cold case posse’s investigation!

Nope, no universe shattering announcement.

57
Skip Intro  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:37:46pm

re: #50 aagcobb

BTW, did Sheriff Joe announce who forged Obama’s birth certificate at the rally? The world has been breathlessly awaiting the final result of the cold case posse’s investigation!

I’m still waiting for Trump to bring back his crack team of investigators from Hawaii where they found something amazing.

58
Mattand  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:38:04pm

re: #45 psddluva4evah

So I’ve been out all day. What do we think of the new Batman vs Superman trailer? I’m still not sold on Wonder Woman.

[Embedded content]

Actually, that was kind of interesting. I’m not as down on the movie as I originally was. Didn’t see enough of WW to pass judgement.

My main gripe about this movie and the last one is how stick-up-the-cape serious these DC films seem to be taking themselves. Most of the Marvel films seem to strike the right amount of drama and comedy.

59
psddluva4evah  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:38:19pm

re: #55 jaunte

LOL. I saw that sign too. It really did stand out.

60
RealityBasedSteve  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:39:36pm

re: #57 Skip Intro

I’m still waiting for Trump to bring back his crack team of investigators from Hawaii where they found something amazing.

They found that they could get a whole week each year at a beautiful Hawaii Condo for less than they would pay for a Red Roof Inn in Florida. How could they not pass up that offer…

RBS

61
Belafon  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:39:59pm

re: #55 jaunte

A sign says “Superman = Illegal Alien” right at the beginning of the trailer.

62
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:40:10pm

re: #57 Skip Intro

I’m still waiting for Trump to bring back his crack team of investigators from Hawaii where they found something amazing.

I know, right? You’d think, with such an obvious forgery, and the need for a massive coverup, that SOMEBODY would have found SOMETHING!

Why, it’s almost as if Barack Obama really WAS born in Hawaii!!

63
psddluva4evah  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:41:18pm

re: #58 Mattand

I was just saying that. I’m not a fan of the Nolan Batman movies. I don’t “Not” like them, just not a big fan of them. I’m not really into DCs subdued color pallet for their movies. It makes them so drab

64
Skip Intro  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:41:32pm

re: #62 Blind Frog Belly White

I know, right? You’d think, with such an obvious forgery, and the need for a massive coverup, that SOMEBODY would have found SOMETHING!

Why, it’s almost as if Barack Obama really WAS born in Hawaii!!

Trump made such a big deal about this at the time that I’m amazed (not really) that no one in the media ever asks him about it.

65
jaunte  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:43:06pm
66
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:43:13pm

Speaking of Jeb! Bush and his hatred of ‘big syllable words’, I challenged my FB friends to come up with the biggest syllable they could.

I thought I was good with ‘Thoughts’, at 8 letters, till my older brother came up with ‘Strengths’ - 9 letters.

Anyone got a 10 letter, single-syllable word? I can’t ask my wife. She makes two syllables out of ‘Ham’.

67
goddamnedfrank  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:43:24pm

re: #58 Mattand

My main gripe about this movie and the last one is how stick-up-the-cape serious these DC films seem to be taking themselves.

The whole thing was an enema full of pretentiousness. Not interested at all.

68
Mattand  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:45:12pm

re: #59 psddluva4evah

The “God hates aliens” sign was the one that jumped out at me first.

Leave it to the Tea Baggers to quickly climb the ranks as reliable fodder for movie villians.

69
bratwurst  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:45:36pm

Some people STILL having trouble with the whole free speech vs. consequence-free speech thing:

70
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:46:20pm

re: #69 bratwurst

Some people STILL having trouble with the whole free speech vs. consequence-free speech thing:

[Embedded content]

It’s not like it’s a complicated concept, either.

ETA: Maybe Jeb! could say something like:

“I stand foursquare for Donald Trump’s right to make a colossal buffoon of himself. Americans fought and died for that right. I say, let him talk!

“Really.

“Keep talking. Please.”

71
Belafon  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:48:36pm

re: #58 Mattand

Actually, that was kind of interesting. I’m not as down on the movie as I originally was. Didn’t see enough of WW to pass judgement.

My main gripe about this movie and the last one is how stick-up-the-cape serious these DC films seem to be taking themselves. Most of the Marvel films seem to strike the right amount of drama and comedy.

I’ve watched a lot of DC and Marvel cartoons, and a lot of the stuff for DC is deadly serious (excluding Plastic Man). The Marvel Stuff is generally a lot lighter.

72
De Kolta Chair  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:48:54pm

Nature’s natural brain cleanser: salad, chicken wings, cold beer, Koko Taylor and Willie Dixon.

73
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:50:19pm

re: #71 Belafon

I’ve watched a lot of DC and Marvel cartoons, and a lot of the stuff for DC is deadly serious (excluding Plastic Man). The Marvel Stuff is generally a lot lighter.

I gotta say the death of the Emma Stone Character in ‘Amazing Spiderman 2’ surprised the hell out of me. That was pretty damn dark.

74
Chan Kobun  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:51:14pm

re: #54 Mattand

“Showing 1-18 of 18”

There are 5 people named simply “mattand”, one of which is capitalized.

75
Kragar  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:51:21pm

re: #66 Blind Frog Belly White

Speaking of Jeb! Bush and his hatred of ‘big syllable words’, I challenged my FB friends to come up with the biggest syllable they could.

I thought I was good with ‘Thoughts’, at 8 letters, till my older brother came up with ‘Strengths’ - 9 letters.

Anyone got a 10 letter, single-syllable word? I can’t ask my wife. She makes two syllables out of ‘Ham’.

WAAAAGGGHH!

76
Dark_Falcon  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:52:55pm

re: #17 freetoken

Can someone explain Bill Kristol’s tweet to me?

It confuses criticism with “silencing”. It’s a common point of confusion nowadays.

77
Snarknado!  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:53:07pm

re: #66 Blind Frog Belly White

Speaking of Jeb! Bush and his hatred of ‘big syllable words’, I challenged my FB friends to come up with the biggest syllable they could.

I thought I was good with ‘Thoughts’, at 8 letters, till my older brother came up with ‘Strengths’ - 9 letters.

Anyone got a 10 letter, single-syllable word? I can’t ask my wife. She makes two syllables out of ‘Ham’.

“Squirreled.” As stolen from wikipedia.

78
Belafon  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:54:25pm

re: #77 Snarknado!

“Squirreled.” As stolen from wikipedia.

Sounds like two syllables to me.

79
Eric The Fruit Bat  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:55:01pm

re: #39 Mattand

Fascinating. I did the conversion of Macy’s cards into Citi’s processing systems for letters, card issuance, and statements many moons ago. Back then, Macy’s ran the core processing system but used Citi to do the customer facing doc generation (but Citi bought the receivables.)

80
psddluva4evah  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:55:03pm

re: #73 Blind Frog Belly White

that was actually the best thing about the movie for me. They actually stuck to the comic canon and had that character died as an indirect consequence of Spiderman’s actions.

81
jamesfirecat  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:55:18pm

re: #71 Belafon

I’ve watched a lot of DC and Marvel cartoons, and a lot of the stuff for DC is deadly serious (excluding Plastic Man). The Marvel Stuff is generally a lot lighter.

DC can do light, watch Batman the Brave and the Bold sometime, it has an entire epsidoe that is 85% musical due to the evil villan having the superpower of mind controlling people through his voice as long as he is singing to them.

Granted there current movies are all GRRRR I AM DARK AND DEPRESSING AND THERFORE MEINGFUL! which somewhat worked with Batman (I still think Dark Knight was a very good movie) but is just silly to try and apply to Superman.

82
Dark_Falcon  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:55:38pm

re: #68 Mattand

The “God hates aliens” sign was the one that jumped out at me first.

Leave it to the Tea Baggers to quickly climb the ranks as reliable fodder for movie villians.

“God hates [fill in the blank]” is more like the nuts of the Westboro Baptist Church, which is condemned pretty much universally in this country.

83
The War TARDIS  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:56:11pm

re: #67 goddamnedfrank

DC is stuck in grimdark.

Meanwhile, I am here reading Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan), Deadpool, and Doctor Who comics.

A Doctor Who has 2 comic lines. British and American.

84
Snarknado!  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:56:46pm

re: #78 Belafon

Sounds like two syllables to me.

To me, too, but I know the noun is pronounced as one syllable, “sqrl,” some places.

85
Mattand  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:57:57pm

re: #63 psddluva4evah

I was just saying that. I’m not a fan of the Nolan Batman movies. I don’t “Not” like them, just not a big fan of them. I’m not really into DCs subdued color pallet for their movies. It makes them so drab

Yeah I get that. My argument would be that a Batman film should be a bit dark and drab, as it fits the character.

Supes is all about hope and optimism, IMO. Treating him the same as Bats is a sign that persons handling the story don’t understand the character.

As for the Nolan films: I thought the first one was note perfect. The other two were too long and not focused. To be honest, the constant slaughter of cops in The Dark Knight started to bother me after a while.

86
TedStriker  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:58:01pm
87
De Kolta Chair  Jul 11, 2015 • 6:59:51pm

re: #16 Mattand

I saw Rifftrax shit on Sharknado 2 the other night.

I love the dichotomy of your compliment: everyone except minor league curling leagues love pure fresh air. Sharknado is, well, Sharknado.

Surely, you can see my predicament?

Rifftrax has done Sharknado 2? I must check that out. The first one was highlarious.

As for a dichotomy, why does dichotomy even have an “h”, especially in this fast-paced world of 24-7 tv curling coverage and general disinterest in the proper usage of the English language?

And I can’t even spell perdicomont.

88
jamesfirecat  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:00:06pm

re: #85 Mattand

Yeah I get that. My argument would be that a Batman film should be a bit dark and drab, as it fits the character.

Supes is all about hope and optimism, IMO. Treating him the same as Bats is a sign that persons handling the story don’t understand the character.

As for the Nolan films: I thought the first one was note perfect. The other two were too long and not focused. To be honest, the constant slaughter of cops in The Dark Knight started to bother me after a while.

Right on he money, have you watched Superman verus the Eliete? Very good movie that does a wonderful job portraying the ethos of Superman and how he is not supposed to be grim, dark, or depressed.

89
Mattand  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:00:09pm

re: #86 TedStriker

Superman is a dick…

Love that site.

All right, kids, I’m going off the webs to try install a SSD in my laptop. I cannot deal with the constant beach balling. Ever since Apple released 10.9, I think their attitude towards OSes is “You don’t have a SSD in your machine? Sucks to be you.”

90
Snarknado!  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:00:20pm

re: #74 Chan Kobun

“Showing 1-18 of 18”

There are 5 people named simply “mattand”, one of which is capitalized.

I don’t do Steam, but maybe you could give him your username and he can get back to you once he’s made his choice of weapons?

91
Dark_Falcon  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:00:25pm

re: #83 The War TARDIS

DC is stuck in grimdark.

Meanwhile, I am here reading Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan), Deadpool, and Doctor Who comics.

A Doctor Who has 2 comic lines. British and American.

You might want to read this:

Tripoli Parliament Stays Away From Signing Of Libya Peace Agreement

SKHIRAT, Morocco (Reuters) - Some Libyan warring factions signed an initial United Nations-sponsored agreement on Sunday to form a unity government and end fighting, but a key player from a parliament controlling the capital Tripoli stayed away.

Western officials say the U.N. talks are the only hope of halting fighting among factions allied to the oil producer’s two governments and parliaments vying for power four years after the ousting of Muammar Gaddafi.

An armed alliance known as Libya Dawn took over Tripoli and declared its own government and parliament a year ago, driving out the internationally recognized premier and deepening anarchy in the North African country.

SNIP

But while delegates from the elected parliament, the House of Representatives based in the east, signed the deal, the Tripoli-based parliament, the General National Congress (GNC), refused to attend.

92
Chan Kobun  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:00:34pm

Since I’m on the subject of finding people in games, here’s somethng I’ll spam every now and then to get some free following… where to find me in games:

3DS: 1332-7817-1833
Steam: Chankobun
battle.net (Hearthstone/WoW):Chankobun#1207
Miiverse and Origin: HardWiredGaming
PSN (PS4/PS3):HWGVictor

93
Chan Kobun  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:01:21pm

And by coincidence, I post my Steam username before seeing the comment asking me to do so. What timing!

94
Mattand  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:03:38pm

re: #92 Chan Kobun

Since I’m on the subject of finding people in games, here’s somethng I’ll spam every now and then to get some free following… where to find me in games:

3DS: 1332-7817-1833
Steam: Chankobun
battle.net (Hearthstone/WoW):Chankobun#1207
Miiverse and Origin: HardWiredGaming
PSN (PS4/PS3):HWGVictor

Apparently I’m just Mattand on Steam. I’ll send a request to yours.

Mooninite8000 on PSN.

95
psddluva4evah  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:04:06pm

I also missed the Serena Williams Wimbledon final today.

But I’m loving that JK Rowling is taking it to the usual racist trolls that always come out whenever Venus or especially Serena beats another lil tennis player.

Jezebel has an article here…

jezebel.com

96
Mattand  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:04:14pm

re: #88 jamesfirecat

Right on he money, have you watched Superman verus the Eliete? Very good movie that does a wonderful job portraying the Ethos of Superman and how he is not supposed to be grim, dark, or depressed.

Haven’t heard of that yet. Will check it out. Thanks!

97
teleskiguy  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:06:58pm

Weren’t we talking about the supposed rehabilitation of the swastika recently?

98
RealityBasedSteve  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:07:15pm

Well I’m going to go and pack up some gear and go diving tomorrow. My buds are in North Carolina seeing sharks (8 or 9 today), wrecks and having a great time. I’ll be diving in a quarry with bluegill (which are prone to bite however.) In any case, I’ll be getting my dive on, and that makes me happy.

Have a good one. Remember, If it weren’t for curling, well… something

RBS

99
Jayleia  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:08:56pm

re: #85 Mattand

I think they got the color palette HALF right for Superman, but for the wrong reason.

If I had been making the movie, it would have been mostly subdued, but not quite as dark as it was…until you see the suit. The suit would be the normal full color, while the rest of the world is still kind of gray.

And then Clark fully accepts his role as Superman and palette shifts for the whole world, instantly becoming brighter. No, its not very subtle, but it gets the point across.

100
Snarknado!  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:09:07pm

re: #95 psddluva4evah

I also missed the Serena Williams Wimbledon final today.

But I’m loving that JK Rowling is taking it to the usual racist trolls that always come out whenever Venus or especially Serena beats another lil tennis player.

[Embedded content]

Jezebel has an article here…

jezebel.com

Actually, I took a look at some comments today (masochist), and it looked like their racism was being submerged by their underlying terror of the female sex. It probably doesn’t hurt that she could probably lob them over a net like so many tennis balls.

101
De Kolta Chair  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:09:35pm

re: #95 psddluva4evah

I also missed the Serena Williams Wimbledon final today.

But I’m loving that JK Rowling is taking it to the usual racist trolls that always come out whenever Venus or especially Serena beats another lil tennis player.

[Embedded content]

Jezebel has an article here…

jezebel.com

Good for JK and good for Serena.Btw, the second set was a bit hairy for Serena, who looked and played tired, and for while there I thought Garbine Muguruza — who defeated Serena at last year’s French Open — just might pull it off, but Serena was just too good.

102
jamesfirecat  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:10:46pm

re: #96 Mattand

Haven’t heard of that yet. Will check it out. Thanks!

There is one aspect of the end that I am not over the moon about but I think you will like it…

103
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:11:06pm

re: #97 teleskiguy

I’m sure there’s more than one fantasy wrapped up in that scene.

104
The War TARDIS  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:11:10pm

re: #83 The War TARDIS

Right now, the American Doctor Who comics have them in the 50’s or 60’s in Las Vegas, with the Rat Pack. Doctor gets in trouble for turning a relatively small amount of money into 6-figures.

British Line have the Doctor and Clara in Antarctica. When there, they meet one of Clara’s echoes. This is going about as well as you would expect, when the echo finds out she is destined to die (according to the 12th).

re: #91 Dark_Falcon

Roughly what I expect. I expect that once fighting breaches through the buffer by local militias at Tawergha, Misrata will change their tune.

Egypt and a handful of other countries are are meanwhile doing a rough approximation of Alfred in The Dark Knight, in burning the forest down.

They are doing a complete and blanket ban of the writings of Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Baz, and Ibn Uthaimeen from every mosque in the Egypt.

Tunisia is also closing down many Salafi mosques.

105
Mattand  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:11:42pm

re: #87 De Kolta Chair

Rifftrax has done Sharknado 2? I must check that out. The first one was highlarious.

As for a dichotomy, why does dichotomy even have an “h”, especially in this fast-paced world of 24-7 tv curling coverage and general disinterest in the proper usage of the English language?

And I can’t even spell perdicomont.

Yes.

As for Rifftrax, here’s the schedule for the rest of the Crappening 2015 for the year. Rebroadcast of Sharknado 2 this Thursday!

Fun fact: saw them do The Room live in NYC back in April. I rule.

Okay, less typing, more screwing up my laptop by putting in a second drive.

106
Timothy Watson  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:13:09pm

re: #97 teleskiguy

Given how rarely a Korean teenager, several decades and thousands of miles removed from the Nazi ideologies of World War II, has cause to think back on Adolf Hitler, it might be tempting to accept the explanation of Pritz’s creative team and write the whole thing off as a coincidence. But the Pritz incident was just one of a deluge of (often more direct) Nazi influences in the fashion and culture in South Korea,

Yet, I really doubt you would ever see a Korean popstar dressing up in an Imperial Japanese Army uniform and getting away with it.

107
Charles Johnson  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:15:04pm

re: #97 teleskiguy

That’s not about rehabilitating the swastika, though - it’s outright Nazi.

Asian countries have a history of infatuation with Nazi symbolism, unfortunately.

108
Kragar  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:18:06pm

THEY TOOK OUT THE HITLER BUILDING!

109
teleskiguy  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:19:03pm

re: #107 Charles Johnson

O_o

110
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:19:46pm

re: #77 Snarknado!

“Squirreled.” As stolen from wikipedia.

I call bullshit. I don’t believe ‘squirrel’ is, anywhere, a single syllable word.

111
The War TARDIS  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:23:12pm

re: #105 Mattand

I looked, and under Sci-Fi are the two Doctor Who movies with Peter Cushing are there.

For good reason, cause they were terrible.

Though to be fair, a number of plot points are the same between the movies and the serials they are based on. A lot of stuff considered Doctor Who would not be fleshed out until later Doctors.

112
De Kolta Chair  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:27:28pm

re: #105 Mattand

Yes.

As for Rifftrax, here’s the schedule for the rest of the Crappening 2015 for the year. Rebroadcast of Sharknado 2 this Thursday!

Fun fact: saw them do The Room live in NYC back in April. I rule.

Okay, less typing, more screwing up my laptop by putting in a second drive.

You do rule! Ice Cream Bunny, heh?

113
De Kolta Chair  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:30:20pm

‘Night lizards.

Jack Kirby meets Leon Russell?
114
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:30:26pm

For all those touting the Pope as some sort of greenie liberal, remember that the Catholic church is still quite a religiously backwards form of Christianity:

Bob Vander Plaats Headed To Vatican In November

Bob Vander Plaats, a Christian conservative activist in Iowa and a Sheldon native, has been invited to a conference at the Vatican in November.

[…]

115
Snarknado!  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:34:32pm

re: #110 Blind Frog Belly White

I call bullshit. I don’t believe ‘squirrel’ is, anywhere, a single syllable word.

Looks like it’s pronounced that way in the south, and some parts of the Pacific Northwest.

116
goddamnedfrank  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:35:49pm
117
Timothy Watson  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:36:43pm

Been watching ER from the beginning and I am up to season 12, am I the only person who loathed Taggart and her annoying ass kid? I seem to recall she was slightly less annoying in the final season (I stopped regularly watching the show in season 11 but did see all the final season), but damn, she’s such a PlotTumor.

What’s especially annoying is that the season finale for season 11, which was Carter’s last regular episode, completely skips any meaningful goodbye between Abby and Carter, but spends 20 minutes (or so it seemed) on her and that annoying kid.

118
Lidane  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:42:12pm

So the boyfriend and I had a Redbox day (Kingsman: The Secret Service and Big Hero 6) and I missed all the Trump herpty derp in Arizona.

For those of you who suffered through it how painful was it?

119
Chan Kobun  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:43:02pm

How the hell do people on Twitter set up the same four dozen tweets every day? I tweet about twenty things on a weekly basis and it’s a nightmare to set up.

120
goddamnedfrank  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:45:47pm
121
Eclectic Cyborg  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:46:20pm

re: #118 Lidane

So the boyfriend and I had a Redbox day (Kingsman: The Secret Service and Big Hero 6) and I missed all the Trump herpty derp in Arizona.

For those of you who suffered through it how painful was it?

Did you enjoy Kingsman? I just watched it last night and found it very entertaining.

122
EmmaAnne  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:48:41pm

re: #45 psddluva4evah

So I’ve been out all day. What do we think of the new Batman vs Superman trailer? I’m still not sold on Wonder Woman.

[Embedded content]

I’m liking WW’s outfit more than I thought. It is a bit Xena’d up, but it does have red and blue, though muted.

123
Lidane  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:51:47pm

re: #121 Eclectic Cyborg

Did you enjoy Kingsman? I just watched it last night and found it very entertaining.

I didn’t know anything about the source material and enjoyed it. I thought it was very cool. I’ve heard they’re doing a sequel. I hope so. I liked the setup and I want to see where they’d go next.

124
Dark_Falcon  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:53:39pm

re: #97 teleskiguy

Weren’t we talking about the supposed rehabilitation of the swastika recently?

[Embedded content]

I have no words, because you don’t use words to talk to Nazis. You use an M1 Garand.

I don’t mean the above literally, but that anyone could think wearing something inspired by SS uniforms ‘sexy’ makes me quite angry.

125
goddamnedfrank  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:57:20pm

“FL Woman Chases Black Kids with Bat Threatens To Hang Their Family From A Tree”

126
Charles Johnson  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:57:22pm
127
psddluva4evah  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:58:48pm

Good night guys.

Photo of the night….

PIc of dad taking his son to see the Minions movie! Ya gotta check it out!

128
GlutenFreeJesus  Jul 11, 2015 • 7:59:12pm

re: #118 Lidane

Both great movies! I didn’t even bother with the Trump thing. I slept mostly. lol

129
psddluva4evah  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:00:38pm

re: #122 EmmaAnne

I’ll be honest and say I’m in it for Wonder Woman. I understand the role was supposed to be more of a cameo, but it looks to be a bit more. I’d bet, they realized after hiring the lady cast, that they needed to give WW fans something to hold on to. Especially, since there is still conflict about her casting. If they can pull it off where she damn near steals the movie (ala Quicksilver in X-Mens: DOFP), then it’ll go a long way to staving off some of that critic.

130
psddluva4evah  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:03:31pm

re: #118 Lidane

My only interest in Kingman was Colin Firth but I really enjoyed the whole movie. If the director can manage to get Firth in the sequel somehow, I would love it. But regardless I loved the movie.

BTW, I’ve been recommending John Wick to alot of people I know. So far to a person, they all have come back and said they really liked. I believe it’s at Redbox. If u and the boyfriend are looking for another movie night, try John Wick

131
Dark_Falcon  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:04:54pm

re: #125 goddamnedfrank

“FL Woman Chases Black Kids with Bat Threatens To Hang Their Family From A Tree”

[Embedded content]

Video

And would you look at the face of the black reporter as the anchor gives the woman’s family version of the story (which the station is right to do, but that doesn’t make it any less DERPy). He clearly sees the family’s line as BS, and he’s probably right. He also knows that when white women freak out about black boys or men, Very Bad Things can happen to those boys or men.

132
Belafon  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:11:35pm

re: #127 psddluva4evah

You always have that one guy:

I guess he decided he could get away with it since he didn’t start the sentence exactly with “I’m not racist, but…”

133
Timothy Watson  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:12:41pm

Oh God, back to bitching about ER:
Taggart has been dating Luka for a year and a half, and living with him for over half a year, know he’s from Croatia and seriously asks him, “They have beaches in Croatia?”

This episode deserved a Razzie for awful writing.

134
GlutenFreeJesus  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:13:15pm

Hey Donald.

135
Snarknado!  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:15:00pm

re: #132 Belafon

You always have that one guy:

[Embedded content]

I guess he decided he could get away with it since he didn’t start the sentence exactly with “I’m not racist, but…”

He should ride public transportation in my town. Jerk.

136
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:19:02pm

re: #115 Snarknado!

Looks like it’s pronounced that way in the south, and some parts of the Pacific Northwest.

Yeah, but that’s like saying ‘Shit’ is a two-syllable word because some folks say “Sheee-itt!”

137
The Vicious Babushka  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:20:27pm

Wow. There is someone on Twitter even stupider than Ben Shapiro.

138
The War TARDIS  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:28:23pm
139
teleskiguy  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:29:36pm

re: #137 The Vicious Babushka

Wow. There is someone on Twitter even stupider than Ben Shapiro.

[Embedded content]

This fucking guy. The brainchild of this verbal diarrhea.

WARNING: Video will make you dumber, guaranteed.

140
psddluva4evah  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:29:56pm
141
psddluva4evah  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:34:14pm

re: #132 Belafon

Ugh…always one!

142
teleskiguy  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:34:27pm

I got bored and wanted some easy lulz, so I’m scrolling through comment threads from the Great Creationist Purge of 2008 at LGF. There’s some real doozys in there!

143
The Vicious Babushka  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:35:35pm

WHAT THE FUCK JUST FLEW IN HERE

144
The Vicious Babushka  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:36:45pm

Never mind

145
Charles Johnson  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:36:52pm
146
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:37:14pm

re: #142 teleskiguy

I got bored and wanted some easy lulz, so I’m scrolling through comment threads from the Great Creationist Purge of 2008 at LGF. There’s some real doozys in there!

Embedded Image

Gee, looks like I missed a fun time. I LOVE beating up on Creationists, especially the asshole kind who think that I only believe in one of the best supported theories in Biology because I want to be sinful.

147
The Vicious Babushka  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:38:00pm

re: #142 teleskiguy

Don’t do that again.

148
teleskiguy  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:38:01pm

re: #143 The Vicious Babushka

WHAT THE FUCK JUST FLEW IN HERE

A bat flew into my house last summer. That was an interesting night, to say the least!

149
teleskiguy  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:38:36pm

re: #147 The Vicious Babushka

Don’t do that again.

I’m sorry. I thought it was funny.

I’m sorry.

150
GlutenFreeJesus  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:39:02pm

re: #148 teleskiguy

151
Jenner7  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:40:16pm

I was trying to down ding and I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t. lolololol

152
Chan Kobun  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:42:30pm

re: #148 teleskiguy

A bat flew into my house last summer. That was an interesting night, to say the least!

Had that too. Flew right into the crack between my broken-ass window and the tarp we’ve put over it and flapped around my room like crazy. I was in bed (right under the window) and was scared shitless. My roommate finally coaxed it out.

153
Jenner7  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:43:14pm
154
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:43:39pm

re: #137 The Vicious Babushka

Wow. There is someone on Twitter even stupider than Ben Shapiro.

[Embedded content]

Funny thing about LBJ - he allegedly said that when signing the CRA - or the VRA, one of those - and he also said he’d lost the Democrats the South for a generation.

But really, if you have to resort to this kind of horseshit, it’s because you have no argument, AND you’re a moron.

155
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:44:38pm

re: #153 Jenner7

[Embedded content]

He must have applied his Fortune Expander - the one that makes his tarnished name worth $4Billion.

156
b_sharp  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:46:15pm

re: #146 Blind Frog Belly White

Gee, looks like I missed a fun time. I LOVE beating up on Creationists, especially the asshole kind who think that I only believe in one of the best supported theories in Biology because I want to be sinful.

Come to my Twitter timeline.

157
#FergusonFireside  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:46:44pm

re: #145 Charles Johnson

Correcting the Record | Dave Weigel

Good. Edit, that was a good read.

158
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:47:02pm

re: #152 Chan Kobun

Had that too. Flew right into the crack between my broken-ass window and the tarp we’ve put over it and flapped around my room like crazy. I was in bed (right under the window) and was scared shitless. My roommate finally coaxed it out.

My Mother-in-law was convinced a bat got into her house, because she kept hearing this peeping noise at odd intervals.

My wife said, “When did you last change your smoke detector battery?” Yep, that was it.

Two years later, she called, once again convinced a bat got into her house, because she kept hearing this peeping noise at odd intervals.

159
Chan Kobun  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:47:06pm

Hackish Beltway testicle-cozy Chris Cilizza has a sad:

160
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:47:52pm

re: #156 b_sharp

Come to my Twitter timeline.

Tempting, but I do not do zee twitterz. I waste too much time online as it is.

161
teleskiguy  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:50:36pm

re: #143 The Vicious Babushka

WHAT THE FUCK JUST FLEW IN HERE

re: #147 The Vicious Babushka

Don’t do that again.

I feel belittled, to be honest.

LGF has a very colorful history, after all.

I don’t know. I’m not here to piss anybody off, but somehow I’ve done that. Not feeling too good right now.

162
b_sharp  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:51:05pm

re: #160 Blind Frog Belly White

Tempting, but I do not do zee twitterz. I waste too much time online as it is.

Lots of creationists there to destroy & a knowledgeable biologist is always welcome.

163
b_sharp  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:52:33pm

re: #161 teleskiguy

I feel belittled, to be honest.

LGF has a very colorful history, after all.

I don’t know. I’m not here to piss anybody off, but somehow I’ve done that. Not feeling too good right now.

Dont worry about it, you did nothing wrong. You just wound a few people up.

164
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:53:23pm

re: #161 teleskiguy

I feel belittled, to be honest.

LGF has a very colorful history, after all.

I don’t know. I’m not here to piss anybody off, but somehow I’ve done that. Not feeling too good right now.

I didn’t mind. I knew where you were coming from. I could also see the comment you pasted wasn’t a ‘real’ comment.

165
teleskiguy  Jul 11, 2015 • 8:54:28pm

re: #164 Blind Frog Belly White

I didn’t mind. I knew where you were coming from. I could also see the comment you pasted wasn’t a ‘real’ comment.

Thanks.

And it was totally a real comment, I just took a screenshot.

166
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:00:35pm

re: #165 teleskiguy

Thanks.

And it was totally a real comment, I just took a screenshot.

Oh, yeah, I figured that. I meant real in the sense of a comment on this thread.

I’ve had more than enough experience with Creationists of various types - the brain dead, “Why are there still monkeys” type; the ‘paste entire pages from Answers In Genesis’ type; the ‘I have a background in science so I know more than actual scientists’ type; and the ‘turn it into an analogy and disprove the analogy’ type. That comment is relatively mild.

167
teleskiguy  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:02:22pm

FTR

168
whitebeach  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:03:30pm

Forget about “squirreled.” I have a perfectly good eleven-letter one-syllable word: “Australians,” which as every sentient being knows is pronounced “Strines.”

169
WhatEVs  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:03:38pm

Oh look. Reince sent me a scary letter.

You’ve heard it before many times.

But it’s worth repeating: we simply can’t afford four more years of Obama’s failed liberal policies. And that’s exactly what we’ll get if Hillary Clinton wins in 2016.

By that point, an entire generation of Americans will have grown up not knowing the America you and I love. This next generation will only know an America run by liberals who drown us in excessive regulations, who slow down job growth and stifle innovation, who believe taxing and spending is the way out of debt and who tell us it’s not our job to hold them accountable.

That’s a scary thought. And it’ll be an even scarier reality if we don’t act today.

But if we win in 2016, that same generation will suddenly see an entirely new kind of leadership: one that empowers individuals and families, one that sparks growth by working from the bottom up, and one that holds public transparency in the highest regard — the only way a democracy can properly work.

This is our chance to present fresh ideas to get the country back on track. And this is our chance to take back the White House. But it may be our only chance for years to come.

So it’s up to you to seize this critical moment right here, right now.

Gak.

170
BeachDem  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:03:46pm

re: #118 Lidane

So the boyfriend and I had a Redbox day (Kingsman: The Secret Service and Big Hero 6) and I missed all the Trump herpty derp in Arizona.

For those of you who suffered through it how painful was it?

Can’t say—I went back to the future and watched “Idiocracy” (especially because of the Trump speech) and “O Brother Where Art Thou” to save my sanity.

171
teleskiguy  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:07:09pm

re: #170 BeachDem

“Idiocracy” has the best depiction of a President of the United States ever in the history of film.

The currency in the film is also all sorts of awesome.

172
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:09:08pm

re: #169 WhatEVs

Oh look. Reince sent me a scary letter.

But it’s worth repeating: we simply can’t afford four more years of Obama’s failed liberal policies. And that’s exactly what we’ll get if Hillary Clinton wins in 2016.

Gak.

We can’t afford 4 more years of declining unemployment, growing GDP, and lower deficits. We need to start a war, cut some taxes, take health insurance away from 1 million people, and reduce workers’ rights. THAT will fix things!
////

173
WhatEVs  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:12:41pm

re: #172 Blind Frog Belly White

We can’t afford 4 more years of declining unemployment, growing GDP, and lower deficits. We need to start a war, cut some taxes, take health insurance away from 1 million people, and reduce workers’ rights. THAT will fix things!
////

They really do live in a completely different alternate “reality”. I have no idea how That even works.

174
BeachDem  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:13:25pm

re: #139 teleskiguy

This fucking guy. The brainchild of this verbal diarrhea.

WARNING: Video will make you dumber, guaranteed.

[Embedded content]

Video

He has also shared the stage with Dana Loesch’s repulsive husband.

175
teleskiguy  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:13:39pm

We’ve been discussing Jackie Fuchs from the Runaways, with great gusto from goddamnedfrank, who first made me aware of the HuffPo long form wherein Jackie recounts a horrible rape after their first gig.

Pic just went by in my Twitter TL, thought I’d share. It’s not Jackie, rather her band mate Lita Ford. Great picture.

176
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:13:41pm

Mrs. FBW has gotten sucked into some furrin TV show, complete with subtitles. Scandanavian or something. Not German, or Dutch, but Germanic sounding. I just don’t have the energy to read television tonight.

177
Mattand  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:16:17pm

Well, that semi-sucked.

Pro-tip: if you’re putting a HDD caddy in your MacBook Pro, make sure it’s the same height as the optical drive you’re swapping out.

These effing mythical Speed Force ssd speeds I keep reading about better be worth it…

178
BeachDem  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:17:35pm

re: #171 teleskiguy

“Idiocracy” has the best depiction of a President of the United States ever in the history of film.

Embedded Image

The currency in the film is also all sorts of awesome.

Embedded Image

Welcome to Costco. I love you. Welcome to Costco. I love you.

179
Romantic Heretic  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:19:35pm

re: #66 Blind Frog Belly White

Speaking of Jeb! Bush and his hatred of ‘big syllable words’, I challenged my FB friends to come up with the biggest syllable they could.

I thought I was good with ‘Thoughts’, at 8 letters, till my older brother came up with ‘Strengths’ - 9 letters.

Anyone got a 10 letter, single-syllable word? I can’t ask my wife. She makes two syllables out of ‘Ham’.

Myrmidon. Does Greek count?

180
wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:19:50pm

re: #107 Charles Johnson

That’s not about rehabilitating the swastika, though - it’s outright Nazi.

Asian countries have a history of infatuation with Nazi symbolism, unfortunately.

They also have a fascination with Hitler, and I very occasionally see his mug appear in my students’ social media feeds. I have not seen any swastikas in this part of China, though. Maybe it’s an urban chic kinda thing in the coastal metropolises.

Some younger Chinese forget the Nazis were allies of Japan, but government-approved historical dramas only focus on the Japanese devils and not on the German devils. So, I’ll wager most young Chinese have only a vague notion of why Hitler and the Nazis were so bad.

181
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:20:37pm

re: #173 WhatEVs

They really do live in a completely different alternate “reality”. I have no idea how That even works.

It’s like how Austerity works - it gives investors ‘confidence’, so they invest, which is where all jobs come from, apparently. Not demand for goods and services. Investment.

To understand it, think of Ancient Greek Mythology, where the gods are jealous, capricious, petty, vain, and omnipotent. They must be flattered, sacrifices including human must be made to them, so that they bestow their favor.

The crazy thing is, their own Free Market ideology should tell them if some rich people withhold their bounty, unwilling to make a slightly smaller buck, other rich people will step in, and THEY’LL make the money.

Like a lot of Conservative ideology, it lacks any attempt at internal consistency.

182
BeachDem  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:21:20pm

Thankful for small favors. My brother only spends the winters in Phoenix, so he was on the east coast, or he probably would have been there cheering Trump on. Bro is a big Sheriff Joe fan. Sigh.

183
wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:21:36pm

re: #110 Blind Frog Belly White

I call bullshit. I don’t believe ‘squirrel’ is, anywhere, a single syllable word.

Yo, I’m from Long Island, and we say “skwirl.”

184
teleskiguy  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:22:06pm

re: #178 BeachDem

Welcome to Costco. I love you. Welcome to Costco. I love you.

Don’t get me started!

I like money.

It’s got electrolytes!

Water? You mean like out the toilet?

You like money and having sex with chicks? You’re freakin’ me out.

Oh, I like money, though.

185
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:23:26pm

re: #183 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

Yo, I’m from Long Island, and we say “skwirl.”

I’m so sorry to hear that.

/////

186
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:24:15pm

re: #184 teleskiguy

Don’t get me started!

I like money.

It’s got electrolytes!

Water? You mean like out the toilet?

You like money and having sex with chicks? You’re freakin’ me out.

Oh, I like money, though.

“GO AWAY! ‘BATIN’!!”

187
teleskiguy  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:24:22pm

BroughtToYouByCarlsJunior, BroughtToYouByCarlsJunior, BroughtToYouByCarlsJunior…

188
Timothy Watson  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:29:28pm

re: #180 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

They also have a fascination with Hitler, and I very occasionally see his mug appear in my students’ social media feeds. I have not seen any swastikas in this part of China, though. Maybe it’s an urban chic kinda thing in the coastal metropolises.

Some younger Chinese forget the Nazis were allies of Japan, but government-approved historical dramas only focus on the Japanese devils and not on the German devils. So, I’ll wager most young Chinese have only a vague notion of why Hitler and the Nazis were so bad.

Thanks for the info, that was one thing was confusing me. For countries that suffered such brutality by Japanese fascism, I was having trouble making sense of it.

189
teleskiguy  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:31:07pm

Idiocracy is one of my favorite movies. I was rather astounded by it when I saw it on DVD in Steamboat Springs. A co-worker brought it to work and let me borrow it, “You have to see this, man, it’s so fucking weird!” he told me.

I’ll never forget that night. I watched two films, actually. A friend and I took some hallucinogens and went and saw The Simpsons movie in the theater (we were laughing the loudest in the theater, in hindsight we were probably total assholes in that theater) then we went to my place and watched Idiocracy. Some scenes in that film made me laugh so loud tears were streaming down my face.

Love the cheesy special effects, too!

190
wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:32:13pm

re: #185 Blind Frog Belly White

I’m so sorry to hear that.

/////

Now that I teach English as a Foreign Language, i warn my students that occasionally Nyawkese will slip out of my mouth and I’ll say things like “bawwl” for “ball” and “lawng” for “long.” I don’t do the hard “g” as in “Lawng Guyland,” though.

I’m trying not to teach them any more bad habits than they already have.

191
BeachDem  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:32:31pm

re: #184 teleskiguy

Don’t get me started!

I like money.

It’s got electrolytes!

Water? You mean like out the toilet?

You like money and having sex with chicks? You’re freakin’ me out.

Oh, I like money, though.

That movie just kills me.

“Brawndo - The Thirst Mutilator - had come to replace water virtually everywhere. Water, the basic component of all life, had been deemed a threat to Brawndo’s profit margin. The solution came during the budget crisis of 2330, when the Brawndo Corporation simply bought the FDA and the FCC enabling them to say, do, and sell anything they wanted.”

And then, watching “O Brother, Where Art Thou,” the Klan rally scene had some quotes in it that I’ve heard just this week here in South by Dog Carolina.

192
Romantic Heretic  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:36:24pm

re: #180 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

They also have a fascination with Hitler, and I very occasionally see his mug appear in my students’ social media feeds. I have not seen any swastikas in this part of China, though. Maybe it’s an urban chic kinda thing in the coastal metropolises.

Some younger Chinese forget the Nazis were allies of Japan, but government-approved historical dramas only focus on the Japanese devils and not on the German devils. So, I’ll wager most young Chinese have only a vague notion of why Hitler and the Nazis were so bad.

Perhaps they confuse John Rabe with Nazis in general.

193
Pawn of the Oppressor  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:44:11pm

I have a coworker who’s been trying to get me to see Idiocracy for what seems like years. For some reason I’ve never had the combination of time and access to a copy. It’s not on Netflix, it never seemed to be running on cable, and even a copy he burned on DVD for me has gone missing. I really need to see it, but right now my TV and internet are out (construction crew cut my line, really annoying).

Mike Judge has a genius for absurdity. I loved Beavis and Butthead when I was a kid, Office Space needs no explanation, and I love the heck out of Silicon Valley. I feel downright ashamed that I haven’t seen Idiocracy yet. I’m going to have to fix that soon.

194
wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:44:18pm

re: #185 Blind Frog Belly White

Since we’re discussing variations in pronunciation, you might be interested in this site microsyntax.sites.yale.edu

There are regional variations of American English, not just in pronunciation but in syntax and grammar, too.

Examples:
“When I don’t have hockey and I’m done my homework, I go there and skate.”
“He plays guitar, but so don’t I.”

Textbook grammar says these constructions are wrong, but that’s the way people speak, and they understand each other. In fact, this is how languages change over the centuries, and I remind my students that the grammar rules in their texts (and examinations) are rarely employed in everyday speech. They might even be obsolete in some cases.

Like, how many people use the subjunctive mood in English anymore? “If it were sunny out, I’d go for a walk.” Very grammatical, but some people would find it a bit stilted.

Chinese education teaches English by the grammar-translation method, which is pretty old-fashioned but lends itself well to multiple-choice exams. Chinese schools are heavily exam oriented, you know.

Their books rarely mention “Ms.” as a common honorific for women, and of course “they” to replace “he or she” is never seen.

195
Chan Kobun  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:44:36pm

I didn’t know Cartoon Network could get away with gratuitous, barely-censored nudity. Well, [adult swim] can, anyhow.

196
wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:45:58pm

re: #195 Chan Kobun

I didn’t know Cartoon Network could get away with gratuitous, barely-censored nudity. Well, [adult swim] can, anyhow.

Donald Duck and Daffy Duck never wore any pants, so there’s that.

197
teleskiguy  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:46:21pm

re: #193 Pawn of the Oppressor

You’re in for a real treat! It’s probably Mike Judge’s most absurd creation.

198
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:46:41pm

re: #191 BeachDem

That movie just kills me.

“Brawndo - The Thirst Mutilator - had come to replace water virtually everywhere. Water, the basic component of all life, had been deemed a threat to Brawndo’s profit margin. The solution came during the budget crisis of 2330, when the Brawndo Corporation simply bought the FDA and the FCC enabling them to say, do, and sell anything they wanted.”

Embedded Image

And then, watching “O Brother, Where Art Thou,” the Klan rally scene had some quotes in it that I’ve heard just this week here in South by Dog Carolina.

“Izzat YO cultchah and her’tage? Thass not MAH cultchah and her’tage!!”

199
teleskiguy  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:48:23pm

200
BeachDem  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:56:53pm

re: #193 Pawn of the Oppressor

I have a coworker who’s been trying to get me to see Idiocracy for what seems like years. For some reason I’ve never had the combination of time and access to a copy. It’s not on Netflix, it never seemed to be running on cable, and even a copy he burned on DVD for me has gone missing. I really need to see it, but right now my TV and internet are out (construction crew cut my line, really annoying).

Mike Judge has a genius for absurdity. I loved Beavis and Butthead when I was a kid, Office Space needs no explanation, and I love the heck out of Silicon Valley. I feel downright ashamed that I haven’t seen Idiocracy yet. I’m going to have to fix that soon.

If you get your tv back and have HBO On Demand or know somebody who does, it’s on till 7/27.

201
prairiefire  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:57:55pm

re: #194 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

Modern vernacular in the Deep South has much in common with late 1700’s King’s English.

202
stpaulbear  Jul 11, 2015 • 9:58:50pm

re: #190 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

Now that I teach English as a Foreign Language, i warn my students that occasionally Nyawkese will slip out of my mouth and I’ll say things like “bawwl” for “ball” and “lawng” for “long.” I don’t do the hard “g” as in “Lawng Guyland,” though.

I’m trying not to teach them any more bad habits than they already have.

Last night I was listening to a really fun and entertaining interview on Fresh Air about what makes someone sound gay. A guy (very gay) made a documentary about it. He brings in speech pathologists to point out what makes speech ‘gay’, and gives exercises to get you out of the habits. It was kind of fun because Terry Gross wanted to get some free advice about her voice too so she let the pathologist loose on her quirks too. It was a fun listen. I got a feel for what makes my low rumbly gay voice what it is and what i shouls maybe do to sound more ‘authentic’ and real.

npr.org

203
austin_blue  Jul 11, 2015 • 10:02:14pm

re: #202 stpaulbear

Last night I was listening to a really fun and entertaining interview on Fresh Air about what makes someone sound gay. A guy (very gay) made a documentary about it. He brings in speech pathologists to point out what makes speech ‘gay’, and gives exercises to get you out of the habits. It was kind of fun because Terry Gross wanted to get some free advice about her voice too so she let the pathologist loose on her quirks too. It was a fun listen. I got a feel for what makes my low rumbly gay voice what it is and what i shouls maybe do to sound more ‘authentic’ and real.

npr.org

Here’s the NYT review:

nytimes.com

204
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 11, 2015 • 10:02:41pm

re: #194 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

Since we’re discussing variations in pronunciation, you might be interested in this site microsyntax.sites.yale.edu

There are regional variations of American English, not just in pronunciation but in syntax and grammar, too.

Examples:
“When I don’t have hockey and I’m done my homework, I go there and skate.”
“He plays guitar, but so don’t I.”

Textbook grammar says these constructions are wrong, but that’s the way people speak, and they understand each other. In fact, this is how languages change over the centuries, and I remind my students that the grammar rules in their texts (and examinations) are rarely employed in everyday speech. They might even be obsolete in some cases.

Like, how many people use the subjunctive mood in English anymore? “If it were sunny out, I’d go for a walk.” Very grammatical, but some people would find it a bit stilted.

Chinese education teaches English by the grammar-translation method, which is pretty old-fashioned but lends itself well to multiple-choice exams. Chinese schools are heavily exam oriented, you know.

Their books rarely mention “Ms.” as a common honorific for women, and of course “they” to replace “he or she” is never seen.

I’ve always been fascinated by dialects and how they evolve and change across geographic distances.

I grew up in South Central PA, near but not in Pennsylvania Dutch country, with parents who grew up in Pittsburgh (aka ‘Pissburgh’, or Pixburgh’). Dad would ask if we’d warshed behind our ears. We were told to ‘redd up’ our desks in school, and occasionally the backwards German grammar would sneak in.

Some of my classmates used ‘take and’ in front of action verbs, as in, “My mom saw a snake, and she took and shot it”. Others used ‘Yunsers’ as the plural of ‘you’.

There was a weird vowel some folks had. Long O became AO, which I understand is a Bawlamerism. In college, there was a girl from a town near where I grew up, named ‘Stonesifer’. She had a hell of a time getting the professors to understand she was saying ‘STONEsifer’, and not ‘STAINsifer’.

In Pennsylvania, sugary carbonated drinks are called ‘Soda’ at the Phluffya end of the state, and ‘Pop’ at the Pissburgh end. I swear, I once saw a soda machine at the Breezewood rest area on the PA Turnpike, roughly in the middle of the state, that said, “Soda Pop”.

205
retired cynic  Jul 11, 2015 • 10:06:29pm

My family is from deep southern Illinois, near Golconda, and the grandparents used ‘warsh’ and many others that I fear may pop out occasionally when I’m not paying attention!

206
wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Jul 11, 2015 • 10:10:34pm

re: #204 Blind Frog Belly White

I’ve always been fascinated by dialects and how they evolve and change across geographic distances.

I grew up in South Central PA, near but not in Pennsylvania Dutch country, with parents who grew up in Pittsburgh (aka ‘Pissburgh’, or Pixburgh’). Dad would ask if we’d warshed behind our ears. We were told to ‘redd up’ our desks in school, and occasionally the backwards German grammar would sneak in.

Some of my classmates used ‘take and’ in front of action verbs, as in, “My mom saw a snake, and she took and shot it”. Others used ‘Yunsers’ as the plural of ‘you’.

There was a weird vowel some folks had. Long O became AO, which I understand is a Bawlamerism. In college, there was a girl from a town near where I grew up, named ‘Stonesifer’. She had a hell of a time getting the professors to understand she was saying ‘STONEsifer’, and not ‘STAINsifer’.

In Pennsylvania, sugary carbonated drinks are called ‘Soda’ at the Phluffya end of the state, and ‘Pop’ at the Pissburgh end. I swear, I once saw a soda machine at the Breezewood rest area on the PA Turnpike, roughly in the middle of the state, that said, “Soda Pop”.

My aunt Jo grew up in Uniontown. She’d say “warsh” but I don’t remember if she had any other unique speech characteristics.

207
wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Jul 11, 2015 • 10:11:34pm

re: #201 prairiefire

Modern vernacular in the Deep South has much in common with late 1700’s King’s English.

Probably one reason the KJV is so popular there.
/

208
teleskiguy  Jul 11, 2015 • 10:12:27pm

re: #191 BeachDem

Had to tweet!

209
teleskiguy  Jul 11, 2015 • 10:14:01pm

re: #206 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

My aunt Jo grew up in Uniontown. She’d say “warsh” but I don’t remember if she had any other unique speech characteristics.

My grandfather said “warsh.” He was from Pittsburgh, moved to Morrison, CO after the war (WWII).

210
The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Jul 11, 2015 • 10:23:35pm

re: #183 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

Yo, I’m from Long Island, and we say “skwirl.”

Yeah, I don’t know what they’re talking about. If “squirt” is one syllable, so is “squirrel”. What’s the difference? [skwɚ́l]

211
The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Jul 11, 2015 • 10:33:24pm

re: #193 Pawn of the Oppressor

I have a coworker who’s been trying to get me to see Idiocracy for what seems like years. For some reason I’ve never had the combination of time and access to a copy. It’s not on Netflix, it never seemed to be running on cable, and even a copy he burned on DVD for me has gone missing. I really need to see it, but right now my TV and internet are out (construction crew cut my line, really annoying).

Mike Judge has a genius for absurdity. I loved Beavis and Butthead when I was a kid, Office Space needs no explanation, and I love the heck out of Silicon Valley. I feel downright ashamed that I haven’t seen Idiocracy yet. I’m going to have to fix that soon.

Also features my favorite redhead (uncredited) as the Attorney General. “Funbags”.

212
wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Jul 11, 2015 • 10:40:44pm

re: #210 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

Yeah, I don’t know what they’re talking about. If “squirt” is one syllable, so is “squirrel”. What’s that difference? [skwɚ́l]

Spoken American English and the English pronunciation given in dictionaries sometimes differ. A book I use with my speech contest candidates is American Accent Training by Ann Cook. She points out words like “feel” and “pool,” which are supposedly mono-syllabic but are spoken more like two-syllable words: “fee-yul” and “poo-wul.” EFL students tend to pronounce these with very clean vowels from their native tongues, or as they are spelled, which to American speakers identifies them as “foreign.” Americans stretch out long vowels, almost making them into dipthongs.

The Southern pattern of saying “heh-yum” for “ham” is a similar habit. When I first lived in Kentucky, I had a neighbor who could stretch out the word “egg” into two or three syllables. My roommate and I would try to imitate them as this woman (on her porch) would speak to her mother (in her car on the curb) about what she wanted mom to get at the supermarket.

“Yew wan s’m ai-eh-ggzuh?”
“No, jus’ geh s’m bray-ud-uh.”

My roomie was a local guy, and he still thought they talked kinda funny.

213
teleskiguy  Jul 11, 2015 • 10:42:58pm

So, this gal in St. Louis and I started following each other on Twitter a day or two after Michael Brown was murdered by Darren Wilson in Ferguson. She just tweeted this, a poem she wrote about her grandmother. I loved it, and the picture of her grandmother as a young lady astounds.

214
goddamnedfrank  Jul 11, 2015 • 10:45:12pm

re: #193 Pawn of the Oppressor

I feel downright ashamed that I haven’t seen Idiocracy yet. I’m going to have to fix that soon.

Don’t worry scrote, now there are plenty of ‘tards out there leading really kickass lives. My first wife was ‘tarded, she’s a pilot now.

215
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 10:47:21pm

I am struck at how the other GOP candidates appear unable to use social media to counter Trump’s attacks.

It’s like they think they can campaign like it’s 1984 all over again.

Trump is rolling because he knows how to use mass media better than any other candidate.

All these GOP candidates claim to have masses of followers on social media, but then how can these same candidates be so incompetent in knowing how to use that to push back immediately had in a powerful way?

It is true that older people are more likely to vote in the primaries and so I suppose that these GOP candidates reckon their individual ‘base’ are not going to be under 50, and here though I would think that Rand Paul of all people would have a clue.

Even Paul seems muted… lost somewhere in the outback.

The bandwagon effect will help Trump now and if I was advising one of the GOP candidates whose last name were not Bush or Walker, I’d say do something big now, every week, until the second debate at least.

216
The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Jul 11, 2015 • 10:48:33pm

re: #212 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

Spoken American English and the English pronunciation given in dictionaries sometimes differ. A book I use with my speech contest candidates is American Accent Training by Ann Cook. She points out words like “feel” and “pool,” which are supposedly mono-syllabic but are spoken more like two-syllable words: “fee-yul” and “poo-wul.” EFL students tend to pronounce these with very clean vowels from their native tongues, or as they are spelled, which to an American speakers identifies them as “foreign.” Americans stretch out long vowels, almost making them into dipthongs.

The Southern pattern of saying “heh-yum” for “ham” is a similar habit. When I first lived in Kentucky, I had a neighbor who could stretch out the word “egg” into two or three syllables. My roommate and I would try to imitate them as this woman (on her porch) would speak to her mother (in her car on the curb) about what she wanted mom to get at the supermarket.

“Yew wan s’m ai-eh-ggzuh?”
“No, jus’ geh s’m bray-ud-uh.”

My roomie was a local guy, and he still thought they talked kinda funny.

Oh, I know. My Mom was from Texas, so I’ve heard a lot of different dialects—she actually pronounced “Mary”, “marry”, and “merry” three different ways. (Disclaimer—I pronounce them all the same: “merry”.)

I really don’t get the “squirrel” thing, though. “Girl”—“squirrel”. Perfect rhyme. I suppose those people who want to pronounce syrup “sear-up” might want to hypercorrect squirrel to “Squeer-ill”? I don’t know.

217
teleskiguy  Jul 11, 2015 • 10:51:33pm

re: #214 goddamnedfrank

Best Idiocracy comment of the night! Made me crack the fuck up!

I don’t mean to sound like a dick, but according to your chart, you’re fucked up. You talk like a fag, and your shit’s all retarded.

218
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 10:51:33pm

Here’s Jeb!’s only tweet today:

Well, ok, but the dichotomy he sets up is false, clearly. But more to the point is that it is lost in the noise, and Trump makes a heck of a lot of noise.

219
The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Jul 11, 2015 • 10:52:12pm

re: #214 goddamnedfrank

Don’t worry scrote, now there are plenty of ‘tards out there leading really kickass lives. My first wife was ‘tarded, she’s a pilot now.

Ha! That was Justin Long. He should have used that line in the “I’m a Mac—I’m a PC” commercials.

220
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 10:54:58pm
221
wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:00:31pm

re: #216 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

Oh, I know. My Mom was from Texas, so I’ve heard a lot of different dialects—she actually pronounced “Mary”, “marry”, and “merry” three different ways. (Disclaimer—I pronounce them all the same: “merry”.)

I really don’t get the “squirrel” thing, though. “Girl”—“squirrel”. Perfect rhyme. I suppose those people who want to pronounce syrup “sear-up” might want to hypercorrect squirrel to “Squeer-ill”? I don’t know.

Were her parents from Texas? Distinguishing Mary, merry and marry is common among Middle Atlantic speakers — roughly between Baltimore and NYC. I say those three differently: “mairy,” “mehry,” and “maa-ry.”

Another merger of vowels happens with “cut,” “cot” and “caught,” especially the last two.

222
Lancelot Link  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:04:42pm

re: #204 Blind Frog Belly White

In Pennsylvania, sugary carbonated drinks are called ‘Soda’ at the Phluffya end of the state, and ‘Pop’ at the Pissburgh end. I swear, I once saw a soda machine at the Breezewood rest area on the PA Turnpike, roughly in the middle of the state, that said, “Soda Pop”.

We call it “soda pop” here’n Cal’fornia.

223
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:05:51pm

Kasich’s only tweet today:

But he only has 74k followers, so he’s an easy non-starter in the GOP field. I’m guessing he’s hoping to be a VP pick, to carry Ohio.

224
teleskiguy  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:06:41pm

re: #193 Pawn of the Oppressor

Don’t you worry, with all the Idiocracy comments in this thread, we haven’t given away a damn thing. When you’re finished with the film do tell us! And be sure to tell us how much you laughed.

225
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:06:43pm

re: #216 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

Oh, I know. My Mom was from Texas, so I’ve heard a lot of different dialects—she actually pronounced “Mary”, “marry”, and “merry” three different ways. (Disclaimer—I pronounce them all the same: “merry”.)

I really don’t get the “squirrel” thing, though. “Girl”—“squirrel”. Perfect rhyme. I suppose those people who want to pronounce syrup “sear-up” might want to hypercorrect squirrel to “Squeer-ill”? I don’t know.

Because it’s actually pronounced skwer-l, when you listen. It’s not a single sound. Girl, swirl, hurl, pearl - not really a single syllable.

226
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:07:17pm

re: #222 Lancelot Link

We call it “soda pop” here’n Cal’fornia.

The hell we do! I haven’t heard anyone here call it ‘soda pop’.

227
teleskiguy  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:07:31pm

re: #223 freetoken

How many Republicans are running for president now? 30?

228
wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:08:06pm

re: #222 Lancelot Link

We call it “soda pop” here’n Cal’fornia.

Speaking of regional food names, how about the variations on submarine sandwiches: submarine, sub, grinder, po’boy, hoagie, hero, etc.

229
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:09:24pm

re: #227 teleskiguy

It’s more than a baker’s dozen. After that I lost count.

230
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:09:42pm

re: #228 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

Speaking of regional food names, how about the variations on submarine sandwiches: submarine, sub, grinder, po’boy, hoagie, etc.

Hoagie in South Central (PA, that is). When I left the area, I learned to call them subs, so people wouldn’t wonder what the hell i was asking for.

But most places out here seem to just call them ‘Sandwiches’.

231
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:10:15pm

Huckabee’s been busy on the twitters today, mostly scaring old people:

232
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:10:22pm

re: #227 teleskiguy

How many Republicans are running for president now? 30?

Maybe we should ask how many AREN’T.

233
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:11:05pm

Rubio has been busy too, but mostly bragging about being in Vegas yesterday, and various tweets on nebulous support for education, whatever that means.

234
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:12:20pm

re: #233 freetoken

Rubio has been busy too, but mostly bragging about being in Vegas yesterday, and various tweets on nebulous support for education, whatever that means.

I suspect they don’t know how to engage Trump and not alienate the base.

235
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:14:11pm

re: #234 Blind Frog Belly White

I suspect they don’t know how to engage Trump and not annoy the base.

They clearly don’t.

Now I’m sure the Bushes still have pull behind the scenes. That is why we’re getting articles popping up by staid conservative writers trying to convince the base that Trump is really a liberal in disguise, etc. I think that will continue, and the Bush clan will find plenty of people to do their dirty work for them.

236
Pip's Squeak  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:14:52pm

re: #194 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

Since we’re discussing variations in pronunciation, you might be interested in this site microsyntax.sites.yale.edu

There are regional variations of American English, not just in pronunciation but in syntax and grammar, too.

Examples:
“When I don’t have hockey and I’m done my homework, I go there and skate.”
“He plays guitar, but so don’t I.”

Neither of these seem grammatical, in the sense of understandable. Isn’t ‘I’m done my homework’ simply a misprint for “I’ve done…”

And no offense meant, but the second example isn’t just ungrammatical, it’s incomprehensible (to this native speaker anyway). I’ve not heard anything like it.

237
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:15:27pm

Ted Cruz has mostly been complaining about the NYT, but he found time to prove that he doesn’t really understand how foreign policy has been conducted since there was foreign policy:

238
The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:16:33pm

re: #221 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

Were her parents from Texas? Distinguishing Mary, merry and marry is common among Middle Atlantic speakers — roughly between Baltimore and NYC. I say those three differently: “mairy,” “mehry,” and “maa-ry.”

Another merger of vowels happens with “cut,” “cot” and “caught,” especially the last two.

Yeah, the loss of the “backwards c” in “caught” [cᴐ:t] is one of the New England dialect features that’s been spreading nationwide the last 30 years or so. Hearing people pronounce “daughter” “dotter”—just smh.

Plus, I was embarrassed one time when told to expect somebody named “Don”, and it turned out to be a woman named “Dawn”.

239
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:18:33pm

Meanwhile Rand Paul is bragging about winning a straw poll in which … get this… 136 people voted:

240
teleskiguy  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:18:42pm

I was really young (10 years old) but I thought this Time cover was incredibly hilarious. My parents have a lifetime subscription to Time, as well as Rolling Stone, those two magazines were always around when I was a kid.

Trump might be the Perot in the picture. Hillary is Bill and fuckin’ Walker or Bush or Carson or, I don’t know, the Republican presidential primary gives me a headache.

241
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:20:51pm

Ben Carson’s only tweet today is… well, it looks like he’s trying to make friends:

242
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:21:43pm

re: #236 Pip’s Squeak

Neither of these seem grammatical, in the sense of understandable. Isn’t ‘I’m done my homework’ simply a misprint for “I’ve done…”

And no offense meant, but the second example isn’t just ungrammatical, it’s incomprehensible (to this native speaker anyway). I’ve not heard anything like it.

No, not a misprint. I’ve heard it used. I suspect it’s one of those instances where a word is understood, like “The car needs washed”

I hear it from my wife if I say that. She’ll tell me it either needs washing, or needs TO BE washed. I tell her ‘to be’ is understood. She doesn’t buy it.

But then she says, “May I have the sugar”, and when I ask ‘What’s the magic word?’, she tells me the ‘please’ is understood.

243
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:23:56pm

Carly Fiorina… hasn’t tweeted in over 2 weeks.

244
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:25:09pm

Santorum tweeted today, to push his interview on Hannity.

245
The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:25:46pm

re: #242 Blind Frog Belly White

No, not a misprint. I’ve heard it used. I suspect it’s one of those instances where a word is understood, like “The car needs washed”

I hear it from my wife if I say that. She’ll tell me it either needs washing, or needs TO BE washed. I tell her ‘to be’ is understood. She doesn’t buy it.

But then she says, “May I have the sugar”, and when I ask ‘What’s the magic word?’, she tells me the ‘please’ is understood.

The “to be” being understood arose after my time, but it seems to be standard now. The one that surprised me was the first time I heard Bill Clinton talk about how we needed to “grow the economy”—I went “Oh, shit, they’re gonna be all over him for that”. Not only didn’t anybody say a word, but now I hear it all the time. When did “grow” become intransitive? I can’t even use “marry” that way—I have to say “get married”.

246
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:26:02pm

Christie didn’t tweet today, at least on his official Gov. account.

247
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:26:25pm

Did I leave anyone out?

248
teleskiguy  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:26:34pm

re: #243 freetoken

Carly Fiorina… hasn’t tweeted in over 2 weeks.

re: #244 freetoken

Santorum tweeted today, to push his interview on Hannity.

re: #246 freetoken

Christie didn’t tweet today, at least on his official Gov. account.

@HavanaTed tweeted today!

249
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:27:18pm

I’m sure I did… let me count:

Trump
Fiorina

… oh… I forgot Goodhair….

250
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:27:55pm

Perry tweeted photos from a trip to Iowa, that’s all.

251
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:29:27pm

So,

Trump
Fiorina
Perry
Santorum
Cruz
Rubio
Bush
Kasich
Christie
Huckabee
Paul
Carson

Ok, who am I forgetting?

252
The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:30:43pm

re: #251 freetoken

So,

Trump
Fiorina
Perry
Santorum
Cruz
Rubio
Bush
Kasich
Christie
Huckabee
Paul
Carson

Ok, who am I forgetting?

Pataki. Jindal.

253
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:31:04pm

re: #252 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

And Graham.

254
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:32:17pm

Pataki didn’t originate a tweet today, but he did retweet once:

But he has even fewer followers than Kasich, and that’s bad.

255
Pip's Squeak  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:32:43pm

re: #242 Blind Frog Belly White

No, not a misprint. I’ve heard it used. I suspect it’s one of those instances where a word is understood, like “The car needs washed”

I hear it from my wife if I say that. She’ll tell me it either needs washing, or needs TO BE washed. I tell her ‘to be’ is understood. She doesn’t buy it.

But then she says, “May I have the sugar”, and when I ask ‘What’s the magic word?’, she tells me the ‘please’ is understood.

The car needs [to be] washed or The car needs [to have been] washed. The second construction would seem to be older. Positively medieval Germanic, I’d say.

256
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:33:56pm

Jindal tweeted pics from Iowa, that’s all.

Lots of grey hair.

257
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:35:45pm

Graham didn’t tweet today (or yesterday).

258
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:36:41pm

There, I think that’s all of them.

The entire crowd is being swamped by Trump, who in one appearance has more people than all the others combined, and in one tweet reaches more than all the others combined, by several factors.

259
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:38:36pm

Oh… of course, Scott Walker:

His only tweet was more Reagan idolization:

260
teleskiguy  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:38:59pm

re: #251 freetoken

Is this guy running for president as a Republican?

Video

261
teleskiguy  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:39:37pm

re: #259 freetoken

Oh… of course, Scott Walker:

His only tweet was more Reagan idolization:

[Embedded content]

Him and his wife married on Reagan’s birthday. Creepy.

262
The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:39:50pm

re: #258 freetoken

There, I think that’s all of them.

The entire crowd is being swamped by Trump, who in one appearance has more people than all the others combined, and in one tweet reaches more than all the others combined, by several factors.

I think even if Scooter hadn’t accidentally tweeted his announcement three days early, he’d still be lost in the shuffle. Especially with Trump sucking all the oxygen out of the room.

263
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:41:18pm

There, that’s all 16 of them.

There’s also Jim Gilmore, but nobody knows him.

2016.republican-candidates.org

264
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:43:58pm

Gilmore appears to have an inactive Facebook page:

facebook.com

I suspect he’s going for the over 75 crowd.

265
Jenner7  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:45:18pm

The Strain and Masters of Sex is back this Sunday. Just an FYI.

266
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:46:29pm

There is also Skip Andrews, a stealthy person:

skipandrews2016.com

267
The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:46:49pm

re: #264 freetoken

Gilmore appears to have an inactive Facebook page:

facebook.com

I suspect he’s going for the over 75 crowd.

I can see it now—instead of the Wild in the Streets “Don’t trust anyone over 30” president sending all the olds to camps, it’ll be “Don’t trust anyone under 75”, and we’re all getting Walmart/FEMA’d.

268
teleskiguy  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:50:21pm
At the 2013 Reagan Day Dinner, Wisconsin governor Scott Walker, standing in front of an oil painting of Ronald Reagan bathed in holy light shining down on his head, began to recount his connections to the former president. He mentioned that his own wedding was held on the day of Reagan’s birth, and also that his recall election coincided with the anniversary of “the day he was born into eternal life, the day he passed.” Walker then began to recount his visit to the Reagan Library, in suitably awestruck tones. At that point the story began to take on even more overtly religious overtones.

As Walker recounted for his audience, the library’s curator came to him holding a sacred relic: the Reagan Bible, the very one the Gipper himself had sworn the oath of office upon. “And they brought over a pair of white gloves for me and [the curator] said, ‘No one has touched this since President Reagan,’ recalled Walker, ‘It is his mother’s Bible that he took the oath of office on. Mrs. Reagan would like you to hold and take a picture with it.’”

nymag.com

269
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:51:17pm

Let us not forget declared candidate Shawna Sterling:

270
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:52:00pm

Who doesn’t like ice cream?

271
Single-handed sailor  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:53:09pm

re: #269 freetoken

Let us not forget declared candidate Shawna Sterling:

[Embedded content]

She sounds fat. NTTAWWT

272
teleskiguy  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:53:50pm

re: #270 freetoken

Who doesn’t like ice cream?

I love ice cream. Which is why I only eat it once or twice per quarter.

273
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:57:19pm

Also in the clown car, if riding quietly in the back seat:

Michael Bickelmeyer.

MILES OF SMILES!

274
freetoken  Jul 11, 2015 • 11:57:58pm

A Bickelmeyer/Sterling ticket would certainly put smiles on the faces of Americans.

275
freetoken  Jul 12, 2015 • 12:00:32am

How could we have missed Jefferson Sherman, who like his namesake apparently is marching across Georgia:

276
Charles Johnson  Jul 12, 2015 • 12:03:13am

Here we go again with this libelous smear:

277
wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Jul 12, 2015 • 12:19:44am

re: #236 Pip’s Squeak

Neither of these seem grammatical, in the sense of understandable. Isn’t ‘I’m done my homework’ simply a misprint for “I’ve done…”

And no offense meant, but the second example isn’t just ungrammatical, it’s incomprehensible (to this native speaker anyway). I’ve not heard anything like it.

Well, I haven’t heard it spoken wherever I have lived, but the researchers say both constructions are used in some areas of the USA and Canada.

Like I said, textbook grammar is not the way everybody speaks.

Usually, we would say “I’m done with xx,” but it seems some folks drop the preposition. It’s not a misprint; it’s what they say.

And for the second, it’s a parallel construction of “so do I,” so it makes sense in a weird kind of way.

Got complaints? Take it up with those Yalies. They’re doing the research. I’m just the messenger. :-p

278
freetoken  Jul 12, 2015 • 12:20:51am

Believe it or not, there are several other declared candidates for GOP nomination for President.

An odd assortment of mostly religious people with lots of God talk.

279
wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Jul 12, 2015 • 12:28:29am

re: #255 Pip’s Squeak

The car needs [to be] washed or The car needs [to have been] washed. The second construction would seem to be older. Positively medieval Germanic, I’d say.

microsyntax.sites.yale.edu

Murray and Simon (2002) describe the rough boundaries as Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio, Northern West Virginia, Central Indiana. Pockets of speakers might exist as far as Kentucky and Illinois. This construction is also attested in Scots English, which might be its historical source.

I wonder about the Scots origin, as those areas mentioned were settled pretty early in American history by Germans. Then again, Scots English still retains some pre-Norman conquest features and maybe is closer to Old English (Germanic roots) than English or American English.

280
Pip's Squeak  Jul 12, 2015 • 12:38:13am

re: #279 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

microsyntax.sites.yale.edu

I wonder about the Scots origin, as those areas mentioned were settled pretty early in American history by Germans. Then again, Scots English still retains some pre-Norman conquest features and maybe is closer to Old English (Germanic roots) than English or American English.

Sure, in that I’m ignorant of Middle English, and of Celtic altogether. Thanks for looking it up. Unfortunately, historical syntax is a real bitch.

281
teleskiguy  Jul 12, 2015 • 12:40:13am

Bassist for one of my favorite punk rock bands tweeted this a bit ago.

He also tweeted this during the Ebola “scare.”

282
wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Jul 12, 2015 • 12:41:50am

“So do I” trips up my Chinese students. I think they learn this reply in secondary school, and assume can be used all the time to signify agreement or sharing something in common with the speaker.

Examples:
— “I am from Hunan.”
— “So do I.”

— “I can swim.” or “I can’t swim.”
— “So do I.”

Sadly, I think their textbooks and examinations perpetuate this error.

Chinese learners also have trouble with he, she, him and her, because the Chinese words for he 他 and she 她 are pronounced the same (“ta”) and can be used as subject or object. I’ve even heard some secondary school teachers say things like, “He is her mother.” and “She is my father.”

I correct my students every time they make this mistake, because it’s inexcusable for an English major.

283
freetoken  Jul 12, 2015 • 12:48:56am

re: #282 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

In discussions with Japanese, one of the harder English grammar concepts to explain are the past perfect uses of verbs. Perfect and imperfect, and then tense (past, present, future), combinations really trip them up.

284
freetoken  Jul 12, 2015 • 12:51:18am

English is quite the mutt of a language. We’re also very stuck on cadence in our spoken language. Japanese do that too, but it becomes most pronounced with older Japanese men, who primarily use guttural sounds to communicate.

285
wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Jul 12, 2015 • 1:11:09am

re: #284 freetoken

English is quite the mutt of a language. We’re also very stuck on cadence in our spoken language. Japanese do that too, but it becomes most pronounced with older Japanese men, who primarily use guttural sounds to communicate.

Chinese speakers are supposed to enunciate each word clearly and not slur the syllables together, so the tone is easier to hear. So Chinese speakers of English carry that speech pattern over to English, making their speech sound very staccato and strident. Machine gun English, as one person puts it. Naturally, their teachers of Chinese and English both stress this kind of clear and separate pronunciation.

But native speakers rarely speak that way. We speak our words in groups as if they were a unit. So, my students have a devil of a time understanding American TV and movie dialog, and audio and video news reports. Even harder for them is to adopt the native English speaker’s tendency to group and connect words together.

English cadence (rhythm and intonation) is another big problem, because it’s so different from Chinese. Chinese teachers stress pronunciation — almost obsessively — while ignoring the other aspects of spoken language.That’s when they even teach speaking, which most do not. After all, it’s not on the national examinations, so why bother? /

286
wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Jul 12, 2015 • 1:13:25am

re: #284 freetoken

English is quite the mutt of a language. We’re also very stuck on cadence in our spoken language. Japanese do that too, but it becomes most pronounced with older Japanese men, who primarily use guttural sounds to communicate.

As demonstrated by John Belushi playing a samurai warrior. //

287
Pip's Squeak  Jul 12, 2015 • 1:18:00am

re: #283 freetoken

In discussions with Japanese, one of the harder English grammar concepts to explain are the past perfect uses of verbs. Perfect and imperfect, and then tense (past, present, future), combinations really trip them up.

What aspect of English grammar have they had difficulty understanding?

288
Pip's Squeak  Jul 12, 2015 • 1:26:03am

Damn. Summit cancelled. This is getting dangerous. Not only as euro-finance, but as geopolitics.

289
William Lewis  Jul 12, 2015 • 1:27:33am

re: #285 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

Interesting. Have you ever used sonnets to help teach English cadence? Iambic pentameter remains remarkably close to our speech patterns.

290
The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Jul 12, 2015 • 1:34:14am

re: #285 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

Chinese speakers are supposed to enunciate each word clearly and not slur the syllables together, so the tone is easier to hear. So Chinese speakers of English carry that speech pattern over to English, making their speech sound very staccato and strident. Machine gun English, as one person puts it. Naturally, their teachers of Chinese and English both stress this kind of clear and separate pronunciation.

But native speakers rarely speak that way. We speak our words in groups as if they were a unit. So, my students have a devil of a time understanding American TV and movie dialog, and audio and video news reports. Even harder for them is to adopt the native English speaker’s tendency to group and connect words together.

English cadence (rhythm and intonation) is another big problem, because it’s so different from Chinese. Chinese teachers stress pronunciation — almost obsessively — while ignoring the other aspects of spoken language.That’s when they even teach speaking, which most do not. After all, it’s not on the national examinations, so why bother? /

English is unique, as far as I know, in speeding up and slowing down so that the stressed syllables of key words come at approximately constant intervals. It makes it very difficult for me to hear and appreciate vowel quantity as so many languages depend on.

I’d love to be able to read Homer, for example, but the meter is a huge stumbling block. Japanese also has what they call the “machine gun articulation”, where every mora takes up exactly the same time, be it a short vowel, half a long vowel, part of a diphthong, or a final “n”. That’s probably the most accessible introduction to quantitative meter.

Trying to write “haikus” in English with 17 syllables instead of 17 morai is cheating, though!

291
Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Jul 12, 2015 • 1:40:57am

re: #168 whitebeach

Forget about “squirreled.” I have a perfectly good eleven-letter one-syllable word: “Australians,” which as every sentient being knows is pronounced “Strines.”

Any drunk German soccer fan knows that “Deutschland” has only one syllable (and three exclamation points): TSCHLAND!!!

292
wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Jul 12, 2015 • 1:52:09am

re: #289 William Lewis

re: #290 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

English is unique, as far as I know, in speeding up and slowing down so that the stressed syllables of key words come at approximately constant intervals. It makes it very difficult for me to hear and appreciate vowel quantity as so many languages depend on.

I’d love to be able to read Homer, for example, but the meter is a huge stumbling block. Japanese also has what they call the “machine gun articulation”, where every mora takes up exactly the same time, be it a short vowel, half a long vowel, part of a diphthong, or a final “n”. That’s probably the most accessible introduction to quantitative meter.

Trying to write “haikus” in English with 17 syllables instead of 17 morai is cheating, though!

English is “stress timed,” meaning the time between stressed syllables is approximately the same, so “Bob is on the phone” and “Bob is waiting on the phone” have about the same time span between “Bob” and “phone,” though the number of words is different.

I’ve thought about using sonnets in Oral English classes, but the vocabulary gets in the way of their full comprehension. As a way to teach stress and rhythm, though, poetry is helpful. For that matter, so is rap, which is not far from iambic pentameter in many cases. You could probably set Shakespeare’s plays to a hip hop beat pretty successfully.

NPR had a report a few weeks ago about using singing as a way to learn a language. Our brains remember words better when they are set to music, the experts say. No wonder those bards could recite the entire Odyssey from memory — the meter helped them remember the words.

293
Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Jul 12, 2015 • 1:56:03am

re: #292 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

NPR had a report a few weeks ago about using singing as a way to learn a language. Our brains remember words better when they are set to music, the experts say. No wonder those bards could recite the entire Odyssey from memory — the meter helped them remember the words.

That is how poetry and song came to be born in the days before written language.

294
freetoken  Jul 12, 2015 • 1:57:08am

re: #287 Pip’s Squeak

What aspect of English grammar have they had difficulty understanding?

As I noted, the use of perfect past, and the whole array of colloquial speech that depends on just throwing out a participle.

Japanese grammar has formulas for past and present that depend upon conjugations of verbs and use of helper words, particles, to put things in order. I found it very confusing because it is indeed different than English grammar, and they likewise have a hard time with our use of past and present, and forms like the present perfect versus the present perfect continuous.

We English speakers are quite hung up on temporal relationships with the hearer and the speaker. Japanese less so.

And of course the idioms… doesn’t matter what language one is learning, the local idioms require so much work, immersion really. That’s why humor is hard to translate.

295
Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Jul 12, 2015 • 1:58:10am

Germans have an inflection problem with English, as theirs in different, they inflect European CENTRAL Bank instead of the English inflection that stresses European Central BANK, or Madison SQUARE Garden instead of Madison Square GARDEN.

296
wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Jul 12, 2015 • 2:02:28am

re: #295 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

Germans have an inflection problem with English, as theirs in different, they inflect European CENTRAL Bank instead of the English inflection that stresses European Central Bank, or Madison SQUARE Garden instead of Madison Square GARDEN.

How about “Obama lives in the WHITE House” while “my mother lives in a white HOUSE?”

Also “I ate a HOT dog” while “it’s summer and I have a hot DOG at home”.
(Though some people are known to eat hot DOGS for dinner.)

I try to teach these to my students, too. The building where Obama lives and the sausage thingie we eat are “set phrases” and have their own special stress patterns.

297
Pip's Squeak  Jul 12, 2015 • 2:04:08am

re: #294 freetoken

Clearly, an unsuccessful quip. My apologies.

298
wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Jul 12, 2015 • 2:06:20am

re: #294 freetoken

Humor is very culturally based. My students really like watching The Big Bang Theory, but many of the gags go right over their heads, even with Chinese subs, because they lack the background knowledge to “get it.”

I once took an episode of TBBT and wrote out the dialog, complete with explanations of the words and references. [It was season 8 ep 20, the one with Wil Wheaton interviewing Penny for a podcast.]

If you have to explain a joke, it’s not funny anymore.

299
freetoken  Jul 12, 2015 • 2:11:48am

re: #297 Pip’s Squeak

Humor is hard, especially on the internet.

300
freetoken  Jul 12, 2015 • 2:14:02am

Some people in the world have a very hard time with English sounds, and the Japanese are known for stumbling over “L” (though some Japanese do overcome that.)

To help, especially those who liked to go dancing, I’d encourage them to sing-a-long with all those La-la songs of years gone past, and there is none more fun than this one:

301
freetoken  Jul 12, 2015 • 2:15:25am

It’s also a great tune for salsa dancing.

302
freetoken  Jul 12, 2015 • 2:17:21am

Here’s a better version, in the original sound, from 1956 I believe:

303
Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Jul 12, 2015 • 2:27:37am

re: #296 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

How about “Obama lives in the WHITE House” while “my mother lives in a white HOUSE?”

Also “I ate a HOT dog” while “it’s summer and I have a hot DOG at home”.
(Though some people are known to eat hot DOGS for dinner.)

I try to teach these to my students, too. The building where Obama lives and the sausage thingie we eat are “set phrases” and have their own special stress patterns.

Just like: “We met up at Washington SQUARE and went to a concert at Madison Square GARDEN.”

304
Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Jul 12, 2015 • 2:34:03am

re: #294 freetoken

As I noted, the use of perfect past, and the whole array of colloquial speech that depends on just throwing out a participle.

And irregular verbs. German speakers have the advantage that a lot of them are similar (drink, drank drunk: trinken, trank, getrunken, etc.), but I can imagine that non-Germanic language speakers are totally lost.

305
wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Jul 12, 2015 • 2:43:26am

re: #304 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

And irregular verbs. German speakers have the advantage that a lot of them are similar (drink, drank drunk: trinken, trank, getrunken, etc.), but I can imagine that non-Germanic language speakers are totally lost.

Teach and taught throws my students for a loop. They often say “teached.”

Those are called “strong verbs” and are a holdover from Anglo-Saxon, which is part of the Germanic language family. Most are mono-syllabic, as are many English words with Anglo-Saxon origins (and not just the 4-letter variety).

306
freetoken  Jul 12, 2015 • 2:44:52am

re: #303 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

Just like: “We met up at Washington SQUARE and went to a concert at Madison Square GARDEN.”

How very colloquial of you.

307
Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Jul 12, 2015 • 2:48:59am

re: #306 freetoken

How very colloquial of you.

To “meet up” in the sense of to appear at an appointment, as opposed to “meet” in the sense of to encounter each other for the first time.

English is rather unclear on that point.

308
Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Jul 12, 2015 • 2:49:36am

re: #305 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

Teach and taught throws my students for a loop. They often say “teached.”

Those are called “strong verbs” and are a holdover from Anglo-Saxon, which is part of the Germanic language family. Most are mono-syllabic, as are many English words with Anglo-Saxon origins (and not just the 4-letter variety).

I dood it.

309
Pip's Squeak  Jul 12, 2015 • 2:50:22am

re: #305 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

Teach and taught throws my students for a loop. They often say “teached.”

Those are called “strong verbs” and are a holdover from Anglo-Saxon, which is part of the Germanic language family. Most are mono-syllabic, as are many English words with Anglo-Saxon origins (and not just the 4-letter variety).

This is Ablaut, which is found in all of Indo-European. E.g. the Sanskrit sequences of a, aa, aa; i, e, ai; u, o, au, etc.

310
wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Jul 12, 2015 • 2:59:34am

re: #309 Pip’s Squeak

This is Ablaut, which is found in all of Indo-European. E.g. the Sanskrit sequences of a, aa, aa; i, e, ai; u, o, au, etc.

My French instructor in college was a PhD student in the linguistics department. He was learning Sanskrit and began one French 101 lesson with a digression on the Sanskrit word “hrt” which became in English “heart” and in French “coeur” because of consonant changes.

I was fascinated, being a Comparative Literature major, but the rest of the class was there to satisfy their language requirement and could care less.

Linguistics and genetics work hand in hand as we try to figure out how humanity spread across the globe.

311
freetoken  Jul 12, 2015 • 3:00:43am

re: #307 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

We gathered at Washington Square
and tarried not,
from whence we traveled
a concert to attend
at Madison Garden, the Square.

312
Pip's Squeak  Jul 12, 2015 • 3:04:33am

re: #310 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

My French instructor in college was a PhD student in the linguistics department. He was learning Sanskrit and began one French 101 lesson with a digression on the Sanskrit word “hrt” which became in English “heart” and in French “coeur” because of consonant changes.

I was fascinated, being a Comparative Literature major, but the rest of the class was there to satisfy their language requirement and could care less.

Linguistics and genetics work hand in hand as we try to figure out how humanity spread across the globe.

The one that got to me was Skt. verbal root yuj (yujyate), to join, apply and the noun yoga, praxis — cognate to English yoke.

313
freetoken  Jul 12, 2015 • 3:13:16am

Trying to imagine Scott Walker up on the stage with these two, groovin’ away …. …. …. nope, just can’t seem him doing it (even off time):

314
wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Jul 12, 2015 • 3:15:58am

re: #312 Pip’s Squeak

The one that got to me was Skt. verbal root yuj (yujyate), to join, apply and the noun yoga, praxis — cognate to English yoke.

His yoga is easy, and his burthen is light.

[from Sanskrit bharati, he carries, brings]

Bharati has other meanings in modern Hindi.

Image: bharati.jpg

bharatitheshow.com

315
Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Jul 12, 2015 • 3:17:24am

re: #309 Pip’s Squeak

This is Ablaut, which is found in all of Indo-European. E.g. the Sanskrit sequences of a, aa, aa; i, e, ai; u, o, au, etc.

What’s it all ablaut, alphiebet?

316
freetoken  Jul 12, 2015 • 3:31:46am
Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila denied his government had been on the verge of collapse over disagreements on a Greek bailout among coalition members.

On Saturday, when finance ministers from across the 19-country eurozone, there were reports coming out of Finland that the government was being pressured by the Finns Party which has previously advocated a Greek exit from the euro.

“Absolutely not, no way. You’re living in a world of rumors,” Sipila told reporters in Helsinki on Sunday. “The government took a totally united stand.”

Finland has refused to reveal its position on Greece publicly for tactical reasons.

The head of the Finns Party, Foreign Minister Timo Soini, refused to comment on the Greek question saying that the pledge of secrecy made by government members will stand.

Ah yes, the True Finns. Well, maybe they are not as objectionable as other nationalistic parties around Europe, but they do have their controversies:

Several True Finns MPs and other party leaders have made public statements which others have interpreted as being racist or otherwise inflammatory. In 2011 True Finn MP James Hirvisaari was fined 1,425 euro by the Kouvola Court of Appeals for comments he made on his blog about Muslims.[86] In 2011 President Tarja Halonen was quoted characterizing some True Finn voters as racist.[87][88] Her comments were broadly condemned by the True Finn party.[88] A 2011 book by Swedish journalist Lisa Bjurwald made a similar characterization, that the party’s leaders support racist positions, while publicly denying that they do so.[89]

In 2011 MP Pentti Oinonen declined an invitation to the presidential Independence Day ball, citing his aversion to seeing same-sex couples dance.[90] In a judgement given on 8 June 2012, MP Jussi Halla-aho, then Chairman of the Administration Committee was found guilty by the Supreme Court of both disturbing religious worship and ethnic agitation for statements he made about Muhammad in his blog.[91]

In October 2013 it was reported that a Finns Party member of parliament, James Hirvisaari, had invited far-right activist Seppo Lehto as his guest to the parliament. During his visit, Lehto made several Nazi salutes, including at least one instance where Hirvisaari took a photo of Lehto performing the Nazi salute from the spectator gallery overlooking the Parliament House’s Session Hall. Photos and videos of Lehto performing the Nazi salute in the Parliament House were then distributed on Lehto’s public Facebook page and on YouTube.[92] After newspapers broke news of the incident, Speaker of the Parliament Eero Heinäluoma issued a notice of censure to Hirvisaari for the incident and the Finns Party leadership unanimously decided to expel Hirvisaari from the party, citing multiple cases of acting against the party’s interest.[93][94][95] Hirvisaari is now affiliated with Change 2011.

317
wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Jul 12, 2015 • 3:38:06am

re: #316 freetoken

Freakin’ neo-Nazis everywhere, it seems.

318
Swift2991  Jul 12, 2015 • 3:47:43am

That is one fine voice that young lady has. Joanna Teters. I’ll remember that.

319
Dr Lizardo  Jul 12, 2015 • 4:00:24am

So, in regard to the Greek situation, I came across this from Robert Peston, the BBC’s Economics Editor:

So the first rather chilling thing I’ve learned, from well-placed bankers, is there have been no conversations between the Bank of Greece, the government or regulators and Greece’s commercial banks about the technicalities of leaving the euro and adopting a new currency.

This is astonishing - and some would say pretty close to criminal - given that on Wednesday night the president of the European Union, former Polish prime minister Donald Tusk, was explicit that this weekend’s negotiations were all about whether Greece would stay in the eurozone.

“There have been absolutely no talks with the authorities on what we would do if we leave the euro - no technical preparations, nothing that we are aware of,” said one senior banker.

He added, just in case I was in any doubt about the impact of leaving the euro on the Greek banks: “If it does happen, well I have no idea how and whether we would ever reopen”.

He’s a pretty well-connected chap, by all accounts. So this, if indeed the case, certainly ups the ante.

bbc.com

320
freetoken  Jul 12, 2015 • 4:32:04am

re: #319 Dr Lizardo

I think this is just one more sign that Greece is playing real hardball, playing the role of the poison pill, if one will.

There is the Eurozone, then there is the EU. If Greece has set up the cards so that if it looks like the Eurozone wants to kick Greece out of the Euro currency then the result will also bring instability to the greater EU, due to an unmitigated disaster in the Greece, then the Eurozone parties might be too afraid to kick Greece out of the Euro currency.

I notice that Cyprus has already made public that they will stand by Greece whatever may come.

So if Poland or some other country want to kick Greece out of the Euro, now they have to contend with the larger EU politics.

It’s quite the game of chicken.

321
Targetpractice  Jul 12, 2015 • 4:45:29am

One wingnut I know who fancies himself a financial and foreign policy guru believes that Russia and China have offers on the table to bail out Greece, in exchange for a vote to bring down the EU boycotts against Russia.

322
freetoken  Jul 12, 2015 • 4:49:27am

This happened:

Authorities: Man dies after being pepper sprayed by police

How many deaths by pepper-spray are there per year?

323
freetoken  Jul 12, 2015 • 4:57:12am

Well…

‘19 Kids And Counting’ Sex Scandal: Josh Duggar Watches Porn While Working For Politician’s Campaign

[…]

Now, in the latest issue of In Touch Magazine, as shared by Celebrity Dirty Laundry, Josh Duggar allegedly has been frequenting porn sites while working for a politician in Arkansas.

The article claimed, “In 2004, two years after Josh confessed to molesting his younger sisters, the 16 year old worked on a campaign for an Arkansas politician. After the election they discovered that Josh had been looking up porn on one of the campaign computers.”
The politician also had an axe to grind against Josh Duggar as he blamed the “19 Kids and Counting” reality star for his loss in the election.

“Apparently, the politician in question was very religious and an important member of the church. He promised the church that God would ‘ensure a victory.’ So, when he lost the election, it was apparently God’s doing because Josh Duggar had brought sin to their campaign by sitting in the campaign office and watching porn,” the article added.

[…]

324
Amory Blaine  Jul 12, 2015 • 5:07:21am

A post of mine from last week.
Hmm. Gov. Fuckface Walker is formally announcing his candidacy for POTUS on July 13th, and since he likes to link everything he does to Ronald Reagan I present:

July 13th, this day in history

On this day in 1985, while President Ronald Reagan is undergoing surgery to remove a benign polyp in his large intestine, doctors discover a second polyp and perform a biopsy to determine whether or not it is cancerous.

Malignant Polyp Scooter “the clown” Walker
325
freetoken  Jul 12, 2015 • 5:25:58am

The Telegraph cries:

MP’s son attacked by girl gang in Leicester Square KFC

Sounds a bit scary… let’s read:

A Tory MP has told how her son was viciously beaten up and left unconscious by a ‘girl gang’ in London’s West End as security guards looked on.

“Girl gangs” - well, ok, yes that happens, though it does seem a bit weird for them to hang out in a KFC of all places.

Tom Borwick, the son of Victoria Borwick MP, was attacked alongside his girlfriend as they queued in a KFC restaurant in Leicester Square, central London.

So it was two people who were attacked by this gang. Must have been a big gang.

[…] His mother, MP for Kensington and until recently Boris Johnson’s deputy, called for more ‘safe havens’ to be set up after the guards pushed her son out of the restaurant. […]

So he is the son of a somebody in conservative UK politics, and his father is a peer in the Lords too.

On Friday the Metropolitan Police released images of two women they want to question in connection with the attack that hospitalised the MP’s son.

Wait… two people?? And this is a “girl gang”.

Oh…. wait…. they are… b.r.o.w.n…..

The 27-year-old computer app writer, was queuing with friends when they became embroiled in a row with three women who had been complaining about a lack of space.

Now the story is a bit more clear. He was with friends, plural, and there were 3 women, and it sounded like the place was packed and there was no place to sit.

Lady Borwick said: “Tom was among a group of six friends on a night out in London.

Um… so let me see if we get this straight - Tom (the young man of high breeding) was with 6 other people, a total of seven, and three women attacked, and the other 6 did what, exactly??

That part is missing from the story.

“They noticed these women, and Tom said something to try to lighten the mood. But he soon realised they were being pretty unfriendly.

Uh huh… I wonder what he said.

“There were security guards standing around doing absolutely nothing. They ignored it, even though he was being attacked.”

As Tom recovered from the assault, which started at around 9.45pm on June 27, he sought refuge at a nearby casino.

Lady Borwick said: “He said to the bouncers ‘help me, help me, I am being attacked.’ But they turned round and said ‘we don’t want that sort of thing here.’

Yeah, right.

Scotland Yard have released images of two of the suspects. All three are black females in their 20s or 30s.

A KFC spokesperson said: “Our security guards stepped in to break-up the altercation in the restaurant, which unfortunately then continued outside. We are extremely sorry for what happened to the customer and we have been in contact with him to explain how we are investigating the matter. […]

Anyway, it sounds like the Telegraph is doing Lady Borwick’s bidding here and describing an incident not objectively.

Bottom line - some uppity kid of noble ancestry is out as a group of 7, says something to 3 black girls, and they kick his but because his 6 friends could care less. Perhaps they even thought he had it coming, or maybe they were just cowards.

But I bet UKIP and VDare and the rest will love this headline.

326
Decatur Deb  Jul 12, 2015 • 5:34:03am

re: #325 freetoken

The Telegraph cries:

MP’s son attacked by girl gang in Leicester Square KFC

Sounds a bit scary… let’s read:

But I bet UKIP and VDare and the rest will love this headline.

Just a bloke and his droogs caught up in a bit of the ultra-violence.

327
Lancelot Link  Jul 12, 2015 • 5:48:11am

re: #325 freetoken

Anyway, it sounds like the Telegraph is doing Lady Borwick’s bidding here and describing an incident not objectively.

Well, there’s a reason they call it “The Torygraph”

328
PhillyPretzel  Jul 12, 2015 • 5:56:01am

re: #325 freetoken

re: #326 Decatur Deb

re: #327 Lancelot Link

It is called “slant.” Every paper does it and some papers more than others.

329
PhillyPretzel  Jul 12, 2015 • 6:10:00am

re: #328 PhillyPretzel

darn. Another entry in Philly Pretzel’s Thread Killers. :(

330
Lancelot Link  Jul 12, 2015 • 6:17:38am

re: #328 PhillyPretzel

It is called “slant.” Every paper does it and some papers more than others.

Oh, I know.

331
Decatur Deb  Jul 12, 2015 • 6:18:36am

re: #329 PhillyPretzel

darn. Another entry in Philly Pretzel’s Thread Killers.

Slipped in a dogwalk, going now for a backyard harvest. The container microfarm is crossing the break-even point.

332
Smith25's Liberal Thighs  Jul 12, 2015 • 7:10:30am

re: #127 psddluva4evah

Good night guys.

Photo of the night….

PIc of dad taking his son to see the Minions movie! Ya gotta check it out!

[Embedded content]

That is awesome. Wife and I took the kids to the Drive in(yes they still exist) to see Minions movie last night. They loved it. I loved it.

Last time I had been to the Drive in to see a movie was when Terminator 2 was released.

333
Eventual Carrion  Jul 12, 2015 • 7:17:18am

re: #332 Smith25’s Liberal Thighs

That is awesome. Wife and I took the kids to the Drive in(yes they still exist) to see Minions movie last night. They loved it. I loved it.

Last time I had been to the Drive in to see a movie was when Terminator 2 was released.

Our local drive-in closed up a few years ago. No other one for miles around. End of an era.

334
whitebeach  Jul 12, 2015 • 7:22:07am

Just read what I regard as a nearly perfect one-line joke in, of all places, a Joyce Carol Oates short story: “A dyslexic walks into a bra.” I offer this as my final contribution to all the linguistic commentary.

335
Romantic Heretic  Jul 12, 2015 • 7:22:08am

re: #237 freetoken

Ted Cruz has mostly been complaining about the NYT, but he found time to prove that he doesn’t really understand how foreign policy has been conducted since there was foreign policy:

[Embedded content]

Maybe someone should quote Churchill at him.

Jaw, jaw is better than war, war.

336
Eventual Carrion  Jul 12, 2015 • 7:28:29am

re: #334 whitebeach

Just read what I regard as a nearly perfect one-line joke in, of all places, a Joyce Carol Oates short story: “A dyslexic walks into a bra.” I offer this as my final contribution to all the linguistic commentary.

Two peanuts walk into a bar, on was a salted.

337
The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Jul 12, 2015 • 7:32:19am

re: #335 Romantic Heretic

Maybe someone should quote Churchill at him.

Jaw, jaw is better than war, war.

And to tie it all up, in British RP, that rhymes. And with a “backwards c”: [dᴣᴐ:ə], [wᴐ:ə].

338
Romantic Heretic  Jul 12, 2015 • 7:33:48am

re: #282 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

A game I play a lot is Civ V.

One of the cultures in it is China and the ruler is Wu Zetian. When you’re interacting with AI cultures they have the leaders speak in the culture’s language (although I can’t fathom how they found someone who speaks Babylonian).

A phrase that Wu Zetian says when a successful trade negotiation is finished, I swear, sounds like “Works for me.”

339
Romantic Heretic  Jul 12, 2015 • 7:35:12am

re: #284 freetoken

English is quite the mutt of a language. We’re also very stuck on cadence in our spoken language. Japanese do that too, but it becomes most pronounced with older Japanese men, who primarily use guttural sounds to communicate.

As the writer’s meme puts it, English is a language that mugs other languages in dark alleys and goes through they pockets for spare vocabulary.

340
Decatur Deb  Jul 12, 2015 • 7:46:47am

re: #339 Romantic Heretic

As the writer’s meme puts it, English is a language that mugs other languages in dark alleys and goes through they pockets for spare vocabulary.

Do Civ4 and Civ5 work under Windows 10? Can think of no other use for it.

341
Romantic Heretic  Jul 12, 2015 • 7:48:44am

re: #340 Decatur Deb

Do Civ4 and Civ5 work under Windows 10? Can think of no other use for it.

Beat me. I have a Mac.

342
Higgs Boson's Mate  Jul 12, 2015 • 7:50:36am

re: #340 Decatur Deb

Do Civ4 and Civ5 work under Windows 10? Can think of no other use for it.

Win 10 has compatibility modes that go from Win8 all the way back to Win95. The game should have no problems. I’m keeping Win7 until they stop making hardware drivers for it.

343
Decatur Deb  Jul 12, 2015 • 7:52:16am

re: #342 Higgs Boson’s Mate

Win 10 has compatibility modes that go from Win8 all the way back to Win95. The game should have no problems. I’m keeping Win7 until they stop making hardware drivers for it.

Civ4 keeps me double-booting a machine to Vista. Win7 won’t take it.

344
Feline Fearless Leader  Jul 12, 2015 • 7:58:00am

re: #181 Blind Frog Belly White

It’s like how Austerity works - it gives investors ‘confidence’, so they invest, which is where all jobs come from, apparently. Not demand for goods and services. Investment.

To understand it, think of Ancient Greek Mythology, where the gods are jealous, capricious, petty, vain, and omnipotent. They must be flattered, sacrifices including human must be made to them, so that they bestow their favor.

The crazy thing is, their own Free Market ideology should tell them if some rich people withhold their bounty, unwilling to make a slightly smaller buck, other rich people will step in, and THEY’LL make the money.

Like a lot of Conservative ideology, it lacks any attempt at internal consistency.

And in ancient Greek mythology if you do something for the benefit of the common man the other gods get mad, chain you to a rock, and have an eagle come and tear out your liver — every day!

345
Higgs Boson's Mate  Jul 12, 2015 • 7:59:41am

re: #343 Decatur Deb

Civ4 keeps me double-booting a machine to Vista. Win7 won’t take it.

That’s odd. I run Civ IV under Win7 64bit without problems and without having to go to compatibility mode. I do install it under C:GamesCivIV simply because many games run better installed thus than they do with the default install to C:ProgramFiles(X86).

346
Decatur Deb  Jul 12, 2015 • 8:04:22am

re: #345 Higgs Boson’s Mate

I just let it put itself wherever the autoinstall landed it. Had no luck using Civ5 from Steam through Ubuntu either—wouldn’t play past the demo.

347
Snarknado!  Jul 12, 2015 • 8:08:38am

re: #345 Higgs Boson’s Mate

That’s odd. I run Civ IV under Win7 64bit without problems and without having to go to compatibility mode. I do install it under C:GamesCivIV simply because many games run better installed thus than they do with the default install to C:ProgramFiles(X86).

Civ IV works fine on my Win 7 machine, too.

348
Decatur Deb  Jul 12, 2015 • 8:12:33am

re: #347 Snarknado!

Civ IV works fine on my Win 7 machine, too.

Win7 is on Wife’s fairly new, heavy desktop. I forget the glitch that keeps it from working, though it might have been in the video. It works well enough on the dying Vista/Ubuntu laptop, I was just wondering if Win10 was worth messing with. (I run it while pedalling the hamster bike, with the PC ported to a large-screen TV.)

349
Snarknado!  Jul 12, 2015 • 8:29:14am

re: #348 Decatur Deb

Win7 is on Wife’s fairly new, heavy desktop. I forget the glitch that keeps it from working, though it might have been in the video. It works well enough on the dying Vista/Ubuntu laptop, I was just wondering if Win10 was worth messing with. (I run it while pedalling the hamster bike, with the PC ported to a large-screen TV.)

I also wonder. I run Win 7 on one machine, but I keep XP because it’s smaller (for my beloved netbook) and I have old programs that won’t run on Win 7. I’ve heard that Win 10 is faster than even XP, and if it runs my old XP programs, I may go for it. (Although, if it’s as ugly as 8, I’ll stay with XP and continue not to use it for anything that needs security.)

350
Timothy Watson  Jul 12, 2015 • 8:35:07am

Whoever wrote this Forbes article isn’t familiar with accounting requirements and terminology:
forbes.com

351
Skip Intro  Jul 12, 2015 • 8:35:11am
352
Great White Snark  Jul 12, 2015 • 8:44:04am

re: #342 Higgs Boson’s Mate

I just bought 7 for the second time at home. 64 bit pro. I’m not even taking 10 seriously until it has been out a year and or a major service pak comes out. Operating systems are like new drugs. Well tested but uncertain until in the wild for a year.

353
Decatur Deb  Jul 12, 2015 • 8:47:31am

Heh.

Lindsey Graham Says Reince Priebus Should Denounce Donald Trump on Immigration

bloomberg.com

Needs moar broken beer bottles.

354
ObserverArt  Jul 12, 2015 • 8:47:47am

Morning…

So, I put Meet The Todd on to see what he/they would say about The Donald™.

Synopsis: Nothing. They had some video of his outrageous BS from yesterday in Arizona, talk about him being outrageous, how it disappoints Latino voters and how the other Republicans have to dance around his large presence.

I learn more about Trump by reading the comments and the links to not-as-mainstream media posted here at LGF.

Oh yeah, Matt Bai, Yahoo news is still convinced Donald is still in Trump Reality Show® mode and will still drop out and never actually run. He said he is doing it all for his ego and is not to be taken as a serious candidate.

Trump is The Very Large and Boisterous Elephant in the room. Seems everyone hopes the VL&B Elephant just decides to leave the room and then the other elephants can come out and play. How very strange. The Republicans can’t even take care of Trump and they want to run our country and deal with the world. Ugh.

355
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 12, 2015 • 8:50:16am

re: #354 ObserverArt

Morning…

So, I put Meet The Todd on to see what he/they would say about The DonaldTM.

Synopsis: Nothing. They had some video of his outrageous BS from yesterday in Arizona, talk about him being outrageous, how it disappoints Latino voters and how the other Republicans have to dance around his large presence.

I learn more about Trump by reading the comments and the links to not-as-mainstream media posted here at LGF.

Oh yeah, Matt Bai, Yahoo news is still convinced Donald is still in Trump Reality Show(r) mode and will still drop out and never actually run. He said he is doing it all for his ego and is not to be taken as a serious candidate.

Trump is The Very Large and Boisterous Elephant in the room. Seems everyone hopes the VL&B Elephant just decides to leave the room and then the other elephants can come out and play. How very strange. The Republicans can’t even take care of Trump and they want to run our country and deal with the world. Ugh.

If you can’t deal with an egomaniacal blowhard with money, how will you deal with an egomaniacal blowhard with an army?

356
Feline Fearless Leader  Jul 12, 2015 • 8:52:00am

It’s getting close to the point that Trump can ask for a financial filing extension and the GOP will scrap their own rules and allow him in the first debate anyways. Otherwise they get to generate the optics of dropping one of the candidates leading in the polls from their forum.

And if they do so Trump will go ballistic about how the GOP establishment fears him and his talking to the truth - and the base will eat that up. Which will feed things further if Trump opts to go 3rd party run as the GOP settles for Jeb! or Walker.

357
The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Jul 12, 2015 • 8:53:14am

re: #355 Blind Frog Belly White

If you can’t deal with an egomaniacal blowhard with money, how will you deal with an egomaiacal blowhard with an army?

Trump’s Strategic Rocket Forces are the yoogest, bestest ever! He’ll show Putin what’s what! Prolly sue his ass off too!

358
WhatEVs  Jul 12, 2015 • 8:53:18am

Was watching CNN and they had Trump’s legal counsel from his business enterprise and he was as big an asshole as Trump himself. He sounded like a mafia Don. I was LMAO.

The Don: “Trump had 20,000 people there! We all want to Make America Great Again!”

CNN: “The capacity was 4000. 20,000 is not a valid number.”

The Don: “The number doesn’t matter! We’re a movement!”

No, lying about a verifiable number doesn’t matter at all.

And it doesn’t matter that Trump plays games by filing bankruptcy because it is a legal business tool. I mean, why not make our country great again by putting it into bankruptcy?

ARGH! And this asshat is being taken seriously.

Shoot me now.

359
JadeHelmCurious  Jul 12, 2015 • 8:56:21am

It’s not lying when you’re awesome.

360
JadeHelmCurious  Jul 12, 2015 • 8:58:19am
361
Feline Fearless Leader  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:02:10am

re: #360 JadeHelmCurious

I notice a resemblance here
362
Jenner7  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:04:29am

On MSNBC, drug cartel leader escapes from Mexico prison.

Uh oh, Donald was right again….

Or something…

Just wait for it.

363
Blind Frog Belly White  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:05:07am

The possibility of President Donald Trump frightens me like the idea of President Sarah Palin - I don’t think either of them have actual principles or a vision for America, and they’re both stupid enough to do real damage flailing.

That’s why I will never forgive McCain.

364
#FergusonFireside  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:08:26am

Watching Lindsey Graham on CNN & he’s taking it to Trump hard.

Called him a demagogue and hasn’t stopped.

At least Lindsey has found one decent thing to stand for, I’ll give him that.

365
#FergusonFireside  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:09:54am

And he just said “hats off to John Kerry” re: interim deal.

wtf?

366
Jenner7  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:11:37am

re: #365 #FergusonFireside

waaaa?

367
Higgs Boson's Mate  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:12:25am

re: #352 Great White Snark

I just bought 7 for the second time at home. 64 bit pro. I’m not even taking 10 seriously until it has been out a year and or a major service pak comes out. Operating systems are like new drugs. Well tested but uncertain until in the wild for a year.

Good thinking. I don’t even try a new Windows OS until the first Service Pack comes out. I haven’t read much about Win 10 and I have no felt need for a new OS so I’ll be waiting quite a while - even though it’s free.

368
The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:13:02am

re: #363 Blind Frog Belly White

The possibility of President Donald Trump frightens me like the idea of President Sarah Palin - I don’t think either of them have actual principles or a vision for America, and they’re both stupid enough to do real damage flailing.

That’s why I will never forgive McCain.

Trump frightens me considerably less than Palin. He’s not a crazed religious fanatic, he couldn’t care less about all the culture war issues the base is het up about, and he would spend all his time looting the treasury, while using his chosen xenophobic crap to distract the marks.

He’d do considerably less actual damage to our institutions than any other Gooper who’s running, and maybe he’d only rob the treasury to enrich himself rather than throwing the door open to the Kochs, et. al., and throwing away the key, like all the rest of them would.

It’s come to a pretty pass when Donald Trump is the best of a bad lot….

369
#FergusonFireside  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:13:52am

re: #366 Jenner7

waaaa?

Oh you’ll be hearing it again. Dana Bash made him repeat it.

370
Dark_Falcon  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:14:20am

re: #365 #FergusonFireside

And he just said “hats off to John Kerry” re: interim deal.

wtf?

He’s a reserve officer. Lindsey Graham has actually been to Iraq in uniform, not on a congressional fact-finding trip (though he’s been on some the less-varnished and less pleasant of those as well). He’s not afraid of fighting, but he’d rather have Iran on our side against Daesh, as opposed to trying to stop Iran’s nuclear program by force of arms.

371
The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:15:30am

re: #369 #FergusonFireside

Oh you’ll be hearing it again. Dana Bash made him repeat it.

I would say: “Well, that’s the end of Lindsey”, if he’d had a chance in the first place.

372
WhatEVs  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:19:06am

Mediaite comments (sigh). The ignorance throughout their comment section is depressing.

Can you believe, an hour-long speech without a teleprompter……

Trump has cut a deal with his friend Hillary Clinton. If he divides the republicans she will give him federal buildings to develop in return. He was a democrat folks, she was at his wedding, he donated to her and her foundation. The clintons did the same thing when Bill ran when they got Perot to run! Don’t fall into their trap

And possibly my personal favorite.

Trump is doing what no other candidate has been able to do since Sarah’s 2008 speech, excite the Grass Roots and awaken the Silent Majority. He is resonating with everyone and that is scaring the hell out of both parties and the ruling class. More importantly he is having fun toying with the political class.

That speech put a smile on my face and I enjoyed hearing it.

Sarah has avery big decision to make to jump in or endorse Trump and become his VP.

373
JadeHelmCurious  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:21:13am

TrumPalin? ROFLMAOxgazillionz.

374
ObserverArt  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:21:55am

re: #363 Blind Frog Belly White

The possibility of President Donald Trump frightens me like the idea of President Sarah Palin - I don’t think either of them have actual principles or a vision for America, and they’re both stupid enough to do real damage flailing.

That’s why I will never forgive McCain.

I agree.

Who do we blame for Trump???

How about the whole damn Republican Party!

They are not in control of their own damn doings. They’ve allowed so much crap into their thinking by kissing TeaParty butt, Trump butt, Koch cock, all manner of nutty pols like Cruz, Gohmert, King (Iowa) and the rest and this is what they have to offer for a national party. And then they have a slimeball like Reince Priebus trying to control it and it is obvious he is way in over his head. Trump seems to treat him like a bug that is buzzing around and bothering him.

But they still control congress. How did we all get here???

375
GlutenFreeJesus  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:24:15am

re: #358 WhatEVs

“There were 15,000 people outside, watching on TVs!!!!”

376
WhatEVs  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:26:57am

Internet comments. Oy.

How far to the right do you have to be to consider Fox RINOs?

Hume & the other RINO’s at Fox are dead wrong. The Donald has resonated with the grassroots Americans. He speaks the truth & the left & rino’s are chitting their pants. He will not fade one bit, rather he will keep soaring.

377
Dr Lizardo  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:27:51am

So, here in Europe, it looks like Greece has been given quite a ‘to-do’ list.

Note that Greece has until Wednesday (the 15th) if Greece wants the money.

378
ObserverArt  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:28:14am

re: #371 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

I would say: “Well, that’s the end of Lindsey”, if he’d had a chance in the first place.

Maybe Lindsey is in it to be the Trump destroyer. He may have decided to be the hit man. Someone is going to have to deal with him. It sure isn’t going to be Reince Priebus! Or any of the other jokers.

I heard a video of Kasich on a local Columbus NBC political show and he was getting all heated up and being an ass when being pressed on Trump questions. He ended up saying something like “I don’t talk bad about other GOP candidates.” A total non-answer. Pfft!

379
Snarknado!  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:29:35am

re: #376 WhatEVs

“Chitting their pants?” If that’s a way to avoid filters, okay, but I suspect the spelling issues run deep.

380
Lidane  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:30:27am

re: #377 Dr Lizardo

#2 is impossible. Tax evasion is endemic in Greece. The rest of that list is wishful thinking.

381
Lidane  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:31:22am

re: #379 Snarknado!

“Chitting their pants?” If that’s a way to avoid filters, okay, but I suspect the spelling issues run deep.

Mediaite has language filters in place, so you’ll see a lot of creative workarounds for curse words in their comments.

382
Snarknado!  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:31:30am

re: #377 Dr Lizardo

What’s with #8? Who in the world thinks that’s a good idea?

383
Dr Lizardo  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:31:37am

re: #380 Lidane

#2 is impossible. Tax evasion is endemic in Greece. The rest of that list is wishful thinking.

Yep. Basically, this is getting Greece to pull the trigger themselves on Grexit because that wish list is impossible to pull off.

384
Eclectic Cyborg  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:31:51am

re: #377 Dr Lizardo

Privatize the electric grid?

Why, I’m sure that would go swimmingly!

/

385
Dr Lizardo  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:32:08am

re: #382 Snarknado!

What’s with #8? Who in the world thinks that’s a good idea?

Obviously, the EU.

386
Eclectic Cyborg  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:32:53am

re: #382 Snarknado!

What’s with #8? Who in the world thinks that’s a good idea?

Beat me by 21 seconds lol.

387
kirkspencer  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:33:39am

Depoliticize the Greek administration? Really?

That deserves the “Please show us how the rest of the Eurozone depoliticizes /their/ political offices.”

388
WhatEVs  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:34:08am

re: #382 Snarknado!

What’s with #8? Who in the world thinks that’s a good idea?

That was my first thought. Apparently, when the Greeks look for a place to add a relative (or friend), they park them in some of those areas (the electric area being one) where they get paid with a government pension.

I wouldn’t be opposed to getting paid with a pension if they actually collected tax dollars to pay for those pensions. I am not opposed to government work or pensions one iota…if you collect tax dollars to pay for them.

389
Snarknado!  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:34:24am

re: #381 Lidane

Mediaite has language filters in place, so you’ll see a lot of creative workarounds for curse words in their comments.

There are places on the internet I don’t go… still, “chit” is not a substitute I’d go with (because LOL).

390
Dark_Falcon  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:35:42am

re: #382 Snarknado!

What’s with #8? Who in the world thinks that’s a good idea?

[raises hand]

391
Dr Lizardo  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:38:58am

re: #390 Dark_Falcon

In any event, this wish list is impossible to pull off. They might as well ask Tsipras to pull a hippopotamus out of his ass on live TV.

This is how they EU will accomplish Grexit; this is so inherently impossible that Tsipras might as well fly home right now, get on TV and tell his fellow citizens, “We’re boned.”

392
WhatEVs  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:39:57am

re: #390 Dark_Falcon

[raises hand]

Privatizing a needed utility makes little sense. It costs more and people don’t have an option - you pay what they want or you don’t get it.

Privatization is not a holy grail; it’s not something that should apply to every single thing in the world.

393
Belafon  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:40:15am

re: #377 Dr Lizardo

I don’t get number eight.

394
Timothy Watson  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:40:16am

re: #377 Dr Lizardo

So, here in Europe, it looks like Greece has been given quite a ‘to-do’ list.

[Embedded content]

Note that Greece has until Wednesday (the 15th) if Greece wants the money.

[Embedded content]

Those requirements are as absurd as the requirements the Austrians demanded of Serbia before they invaded.

395
PhillyPretzel  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:41:25am

re: #393 Belafon

Someone is looking to buy it and the EU owes that someone. That is the only thing I can come up with.

Sorry about the previous remark as to the cast iron frying pan.

396
Snarknado!  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:41:44am

re: #390 Dark_Falcon

[raises hand]

DF, compare the private utilities in this country with the municipal ones. The latter tend to be cheaper and no worse at service. (Also, it was a private entity, PG&E, that blew up a suburb while keeping costs down for the shareholders.)

397
Dark_Falcon  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:41:55am

re: #391 Dr Lizardo

In any event, this wish list is impossible to pull off. They might as well ask Tsipras to pull a hippopotamus out of his ass on live TV.

This is how they EU will accomplish Grexit; this is so inherently impossible that Tsipras might as well fly home right now, get on TV and tell his fellow citizens, “We’re boned.”

Oh, I agree. Germany has decided to run Greece off. It seems clear its leaders have decided that Greece cannot be relied upon and so they are moving to shove the Greeks out of the Europe.

398
The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:42:32am

re: #381 Lidane

Mediaite has language filters in place, so you’ll see a lot of creative workarounds for curse words in their comments.

I prefer the Turkish dotless “i” for sites like that. But it’s easy for me: just shift + option + b: shıt. I don’t know how you do it on a PC.

399
The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:43:19am

re: #382 Snarknado!

What’s with #8? Who in the world thinks that’s a good idea?

The Austrian School maniacs that are running things.

400
WhatEVs  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:43:26am

re: #398 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

I prefer the Turkish dotless “i” for sites like that. But it’s easy for me: just shift + option + b: shıt. I don’t know how you do it on a PC.

I usually use $h!t, myself.

401
Snarknado!  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:44:19am

re: #398 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

I prefer the Turkish dotless “i” for sites like that. But it’s easy for me: just shift + option + b: shıt. I don’t know how you do it on a PC.

With great difficulty. I had just a bit of Turkish years ago, and that one problem nearly killed me.

402
Dr Lizardo  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:45:14am

re: #397 Dark_Falcon

Oh, I agree. Germany has decided to run Greece off. It seems clear its leaders have decided that Greece cannot be relied upon and so they are moving to shove the Greeks out of the Europe.

Yeah, there’s simply no way that any of this will fly in the Greek Parliament. This is how Greece will be run out of the Eurozone.

403
Backwoods_Sleuth  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:47:38am
404
Dark_Falcon  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:49:31am

re: #396 Snarknado!

DF, compare the private utilities in this country with the municipal ones. The latter tend to be cheaper and no worse at service. (Also, it was a private entity, PG&E, that blew up a suburb while keeping costs down for the shareholders.)

The first reason for wanting such a privatization has nothing to do with who transmits electricity the best, it has to do with reducing the size and importance of the state. It’s about reducing the number of state employees, which reduces ongoing government costs and allows the trimming of the workforce and alteration of working conditions to increase cost-efficiency.

In layman’s terms, the Germans want to give Greece’s power grid management a Bain Capital-type overhaul.

405
Dr Lizardo  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:51:44am

re: #397 Dark_Falcon

Oh, I agree. Germany has decided to run Greece off. It seems clear its leaders have decided that Greece cannot be relied upon and so they are moving to shove the Greeks out of the Europe.

And I forgot to add, that if - by some tiny infinitesimal chance - all this does pass the Greek Parliament (by Wednesday - LOL) there’s gonna be riots the like of which the world hasn’t seen since the fall of the Roman Empire.

406
The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:52:16am

re: #404 Dark_Falcon

The first reason for wanting such a privatization has nothing to do with who transmits electricity the best, it has to do with reducing the size and importance of the state. It’s about reducing the number of state employees, which reduces ongoing government costs and allows the trimming of the workforce and alteration of working conditions to increase cost-efficiency.

In layman’s terms, the Germans want to give Greece’s power grid management a Bain Capital-type overhaul.

Wow. That you consider either of these things desirable…Wow.

407
WhatEVs  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:53:17am

re: #404 Dark_Falcon

In layman’s terms, the Germans want to give Greece’s power grid management a Bain Capital-type overhaul.

And you think this is a good idea? Bain pretty well fucked the companies they “managed”.

408
sagehen  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:53:56am

re: #390 Dark_Falcon

[raises hand]

even after what Enron did to California?

409
kirkspencer  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:54:43am

it seems to me the Troika keeps forgetting that if they say Greece can leave, then it makes it possible for other nations to leave. And once that happens the Eurozone is done as a coordinated economic power.

What will make it worse, but only to the people who watch that sort of thing, is that if Greece leaves it’ll probably be back on its feet in half a decade, whereas the Eurozone is saying if Greece stays and follows their demands it’s going to take a couple of decades for that to happen.

410
JadeHelmCurious  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:55:10am

re: #404 Dark_Falcon

The first reason for wanting such a privatization has nothing to do with who transmits electricity the best, it has to do with reducing the size and importance of the state. It’s about reducing the number of state employees, which reduces ongoing government costs and allows the trimming of the workforce and alteration of working conditions to increase cost-efficiency.

In layman’s terms, the Germans want to give Greece’s power grid management a Bain Capital-type overhaul.

That is fear that corporations bank on, exploiting the right to push the message.

411
ObserverArt  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:55:14am

Let’s send The Donald™ to Greece to fix that country. Give him something to do.

///

412
retired cynic  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:56:36am

re: #411 ObserverArt

I wouldn’t wish that on any people!

413
PhillyPretzel  Jul 12, 2015 • 9:57:28am

I just noticed this by aagcobb. This does not look good. littlegreenfootballs.com

414
Dark_Falcon  Jul 12, 2015 • 10:00:39am

re: #408 sagehen

even after what Enron did to California?

Enron didn’t own the power grid, and California had saddled the companies that did own it with a disastrously half-way “deregulation”. Enron did royally screw California, but it was a bad legal situation that gave Jefferey Skilling and Ken Lay the chance to do it. That situation does not have to recur.

415
ObserverArt  Jul 12, 2015 • 10:01:23am

re: #412 retired cynic

I wouldn’t wish that on any people!

Oh I agree. I sure didn’t mean it, thus the satire ///.

But yet there are U.S. citizens wishing him on us. What did we do to deserve for that to happen???

416
kirkspencer  Jul 12, 2015 • 10:04:26am

re: #404 Dark_Falcon

The first reason for wanting such a privatization has nothing to do with who transmits electricity the best, it has to do with reducing the size and importance of the state. It’s about reducing the number of state employees, which reduces ongoing government costs and allows the trimming of the workforce and alteration of working conditions to increase cost-efficiency.

In layman’s terms, the Germans want to give Greece’s power grid management a Bain Capital-type overhaul.

A significant role of government is to prevent the tragedy of the commons. Inevitably this prevention means someone does not make as much money; that someone is less “efficient”, a procedure less cost-efficient.

I am not persuaded to to agree with anyone using that language in discussing dealing with common goods.

417
WhatEVs  Jul 12, 2015 • 10:04:36am

re: #414 Dark_Falcon

Enron didn’t own the power grid, and California had saddled the companies that did own it with a disastrously half-way “deregulation”. Enron did royally screw California, but it was a bad legal situation that gave Jefferey Skilling and Ken Lay the chance to do it. That situation does not have to recur.

But it will. Time and time again. Human greed being what it is.

418
The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Jul 12, 2015 • 10:04:57am

re: #414 Dark_Falcon

Enron didn’t own the power grid, and California had saddled the companies that did own it with a disastrously half-way “deregulation”. Enron did royally screw California, but it was a bad legal situation that gave Jefferey Skilling and Ken Lay the chance to do it. That situation does not have to recur.

That’s the only reason “privatization” occurs. It’s simply a euphemism for the GOP handing over the functions of government to their owners. Its purpose is to allow these cannibals to feast on the flesh of their fellow citizens, and leave a gaping wound that has to be filled anew, at further public expense. It started when Ronnie Raygun gave away the key to the Savings and Loan industry to his puppetmasters.

419
Lidane  Jul 12, 2015 • 10:06:32am

re: #404 Dark_Falcon

In layman’s terms, the Germans want to give Greece’s power grid management a Bain Capital-type overhaul.

That’s a terrible idea. Why would you wish that on a country that’s already suffering?

Greece’s problems start with the fact that almost nobody pays taxes there AND the country runs massive trade deficits.

420
Higgs Boson's Mate  Jul 12, 2015 • 10:07:31am

re: #418 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

That’s the only reason “privatization” occurs. It’s simply a euphemism for the GOP handing over the functions of government to their owners. It’s purpose is to allow these cannibals to feast on the flesh of their fellow citizens, and leave a gaping wound that has to be filled anew, at further public expense. It started when Ronnie Raygun gave away the key to the Savings and Loan industry to his puppetmasters.

The tree of Capitalism must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of taxpayers.

421
kirkspencer  Jul 12, 2015 • 10:08:21am

re: #414 Dark_Falcon

Enron didn’t own the power grid, and California had saddled the companies that did own it with a disastrously half-way “deregulation”. Enron did royally screw California, but it was a bad legal situation that gave Jefferey Skilling and Ken Lay the chance to do it. That situation does not have to recur.

But you want to remove the restraints that prevent it from recurring?

422
ObserverArt  Jul 12, 2015 • 10:08:32am

I’m thinking Dark_Falcon has one of those rather large government drowning bathtubs. And once you have one installed, well, everything gets drowned. People too!

Small government. Large Defense. Big Bathtubs. Hey!!!

423
Dr Lizardo  Jul 12, 2015 • 10:12:13am

And the latest:

The four-page proposal on the table tonight is now circulating in Brussels.

It confirms that Greece could indeed by offered a ‘temporary’ exit from the eurozone if it doesn’t agree a deal with its creditors tonight.

The square brackets are important — that means that finance ministers couldn’t actually agree on this point, so have bumped it up to the leaders.

This must be one of the ‘big issues’ that Jeroen Dijsselbloem, Eurogroup president, said was unresolved as he arrived at the summit.

If you’re just tuning in, this idea was proposed in a German finance ministry paper. Curiously, some ministers have said that Grexit wasn’t discussed at last night’s meeting — yet, there is the reference….

But as we mentioned earlier, Francois Hollande dismissed the idea of a temporary Grexit as he arrived at the Summit.

So will he cave in, or will Angela Merkel?

The meeting taking place now, between Tsipras, Donald [Tusk], Merkel and Hollande is really crucial…

theguardian.com

424
Great White Snark  Jul 12, 2015 • 10:19:43am

“deregulation” as the primary cause of Californians energy debacle is shorthand too short. Not an episode to repeat by any means, but the landscape was a patchwork of regulations that impeded one another. See Refugio beach oil spill. Federal regulations trumped stricter state regulation. Deregulate? Sure from the Federal side.That would have been better.

What we got was all the wrong rules left in all the wrong ones removed. In both instances. Some may disagree, in my defense well I paid for it. Higher bills for years.

425
JadeHelmCurious  Jul 12, 2015 • 10:20:55am

re: #414 Dark_Falcon

Enron didn’t own the power grid, and California had saddled the companies that did own it with a disastrously half-way “deregulation”. Enron did royally screw California, but it was a bad legal situation that gave Jefferey Skilling and Ken Lay the chance to do it. That situation does not have to recur.

So it was only ‘half deregulated’ not ‘fully deregulated?’ Because when it was fully deregulated it wasn’t that good, but doing it half way, well, that made it worse.

This is rhetoric lacking in fact. Has the tinge of City Journal narrative.

426
JadeHelmCurious  Jul 12, 2015 • 10:22:59am

When all the lobbyists pushing all the deregulation in various government bodies get a patchwork of their wishes passed and it turns into a giant cluster, blame government.

They built that.

427
Dark_Falcon  Jul 12, 2015 • 10:23:22am

re: #421 kirkspencer

But you want to remove the restraints that prevent it from recurring?

No. I believe the electricity market must be government regulated but those regulations must take into account the ways malfactors like Enron’s leadership can use the structure set up by the regulations to reap unjust rewards.

Saying part of that market is better in private ownership is not the same as saying it should not be regulated. It was, after all, the badly designed deregulation in California that had left SoCal Edison and PG&G vulnerable to Enron’s depredations.

428
Teukka  Jul 12, 2015 • 10:33:07am

re: #350 Timothy Watson

Whoever wrote this Forbes article isn’t familiar with accounting requirements and terminology:
forbes.com

Since when have the writers at Forbes been familiar with the requirements and terminology of most of the areas they write negatively about?

429
BlueSpotinAL  Jul 12, 2015 • 10:41:48am

re: #380 Lidane

Actually, tax evasion in Greece is not as bad a popular perception has it, compared to similar countries. It is a problem, in that the difference is significant. The tax evasion rate is the same as Estonia, who says Estonia has endemic tax evasion or holds Estonia up as a moral example?

430
BeenHereAwhile  Jul 12, 2015 • 11:01:42am

re: #286 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

As demonstrated by John Belushi playing a samurai warrior. //

Think I’ve mentioned this before, but a friend who was raised in an English & Japanese speaking household, once told me that although Belushi Samurai was speaking gibberish, it sounded like authentic Japanese.

431
Romantic Heretic  Jul 12, 2015 • 11:03:47am

re: #382 Snarknado!

What’s with #8? Who in the world thinks that’s a good idea?

The people that stand to make a great deal of money off it. When they have a monopoly they can charge whatever they want for power and individuals can’t say “Boo!”

re: #404 Dark_Falcon

The first reason for wanting such a privatization has nothing to do with who transmits electricity the best, it has to do with reducing the size and importance of the state. It’s about reducing the number of state employees, which reduces ongoing government costs and allows the trimming of the workforce and alteration of working conditions to increase cost-efficiency.

In layman’s terms, the Germans want to give Greece’s power grid management a Bain Capital-type overhaul.

D_F, your ideological rationale, to me, makes no sense. There are no indications that private is any more efficient than public.

Furthermore, efficient is not the same thing as effective. Power needs to be effective. It has to be available to every one at a reasonable price. Otherwise a modern society cannot work.

Private, in this case, has one small problem. It is obsessed with profit. Efficiency increases the profit, but it decreases the effectiveness. People become overworked. Turnover becomes high. Maintenance schedules are stretched. All more ‘efficient’. It can be proven with numbers.

But the effectiveness is decreased. Because of the things listed above the grid starts to fail. People and companies stop receiving power. The cost of doing business rises and production deadlines aren’t met.

Privatizing a utility simply to ‘reduce the state’ is an idea as foolish as collective farms in my opinion.

432
BeenHereAwhile  Jul 12, 2015 • 11:14:18am

re: #326 Decatur Deb

Just a bloke and his droogs caught up in a bit of the ultra-violence.

Tipping the lion.

433
Lancelot Link  Jul 12, 2015 • 4:20:26pm

The Greek people voted to say “no” to Germany, so the Chancellor had to punish them by wrecking their economy. That was 1942. The more things change…


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