The Amazing Hypocrisy of Fox News Shill Howard Kurtz

Lost in a wilderness of partisan blindness
Opinion • Views: 69,128

Howard Kurtz, who works for Fox News, has what has be the most oblivious and un-self aware take I’ve ever seen on a political debate, bashing Rachel Maddow for being “unabashedly liberal” and “ripping Republicans:” Why did MSNBC put Rachel Maddow on the debate stage?

Rachel Maddow did a pretty good job in questioning Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders at MSNBC’s Democratic debate last night.

But she shouldn’t have been on that stage as a moderator, sitting next to Chuck Todd, NBC’s political director and moderator of “Meet the Press.”

This is not a knock on Maddow as a commentator. She is smart and passionate, a Rhodes scholar with a deep knowledge of the issues. She did not roll over for Clinton during a recent interview on her prime-time show.

But she is an unabashedly liberal commentator who rips the Republicans every night on her program. She should not have been put in that position.

As if the Fox News-hosted debates didn’t feature unabashedly wingnut commentators who spread lies, attack President Obama viciously and continuously, and then pretend to be “fair and balanced.”

Just amazing. The absolute bleeding hypocrisy of this shill is mind-boggling.

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210 comments
1
Dave In Austin  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:10:38pm

A transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) is an ultrasound technique that is used to view a man’s prostate and surrounding tissues. The ultrasound transducer (probe) sends sound waves through the wall of the rectum into the prostate gland, which is located directly in front of the rectum. TRUS may also be called prostate sonogram or endorectal ultrasound.

2
HappyWarrior  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:11:58pm

It’s like they can’t help themselves. Hasn’t Hannity moderated GOP debates in the pats and Hannity is a much bigger right wing hack than Rachel is for the left if she can be called one at all.

3
bratwurst  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:13:12pm

Is Hugh Hewitt a journalist and not a hyper partisan conservative with an anti-Hillary book to sell in Howie’s world?

4
EPR-radar  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:18:25pm

I suppose it is only natural that Fox News apparatchiks believe their own press releases about being ‘fair and balanced’.

Even so, this is stunning. Fox News is a propaganda outfit the likes of which has never been seen before in history. Its contributors have no business talking about other people’s political biases while pretending that they have none.

5
De Kolta Chair  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:19:24pm

re: #1 Dave In Austin

A transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) is an ultrasound technique that is used to view a man’s prostate and surrounding tissues.

That is funny, and so apt.

6
Kragar  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:20:27pm

re: #1 Dave In Austin

7
danarchy  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:21:20pm

re: #2 HappyWarrior

It’s like they can’t help themselves. Hasn’t Hannity moderated GOP debates in the pats and Hannity is a much bigger right wing hack than Rachel is for the left if she can be called one at all.

Pretty sure Hannity has never moderated a presidential debate. However Megyn Kelly, Hugh Hewitt and Neil Cavuto aren’t exactly nonpartisan moderators.

8
lawhawk  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:21:34pm

Straw sale. Go figure.

9
HappyWarrior  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:22:46pm

re: #7 danarchy

Pretty sure Hannity has never moderated a presidential debate. However Megy Kelly, Hugh Hewitt and Neil Cavuto aren’t exactly nonpartisan moderators.

Yeah I think you’re right. My mistake. But yeah not like Fox lacks their share of partisan moderators.

10
Belafon  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:24:14pm

re: #1 Dave In Austin

Maybe he could go with

TRUSTED

11
Kragar  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:25:29pm
12
BeachDem  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:25:56pm

So Chuck “it’s not my job as a journalist to be a journalist and I’ll carry all the Republican water I can” Todd was not enough of a balance to Rachel? (who is unashamedly liberal, but, I think fair and honest, even when interviewing the wingnuttiest of wingnuts.)

13
CuriousLurker  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:26:19pm

re: #1 Dave In Austin

[Embedded content]

A transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) is an ultrasound technique that is used to view a man’s prostate and surrounding tissues. The ultrasound transducer (probe) sends sound waves through the wall of the rectum into the prostate gland, which is located directly in front of the rectum. TRUS may also be called prostate sonogram or endorectal ultrasound.

LOL. Next time one of these guys bring up the ultrasound thing for women WRT abortion, someone needs to make this test mandatory for men for… I dunno, something.

All I can say is if that photo is supposed to make him look like less of an asshole and more trustworthy, it’s not working for me at all.

14
Eclectic Cyborg  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:27:14pm

re: #11 Kragar

[Embedded content]

Wow, what a shitweasel.

15
Blind Frog Belly White  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:27:35pm

Only Liberal media bias counts. The fact that the moderators for the Fox debates were practically tongue-bathing the Republican candidates doesn’t count.

16
Eclectic Cyborg  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:29:01pm

As for Kurtz…he really doesn’t get the “You can’t have it both ways” thing does he?

I mean does he really expect that Republicans be allowed to throw any and all vitriol at the Democrats while at the same time the Democrats should “respect” the Republicans?

The logic is mind boggling.

17
CuriousLurker  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:29:25pm

re: #15 Blind Frog Belly White

IOKIYAR

18
wrenchwench  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:30:05pm

re: #15 Blind Frog Belly White

Only Liberal media bias counts. The fact that the moderators for the Fox debates were practically tongue-bathing the Republican candidates doesn’t count.

Being able to bash women in the media while planning and working to defeat Hillary Is really a plus for so many jerks.

19
Blind Frog Belly White  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:31:24pm

re: #11 Kragar

[Embedded content]

He is, sadly, the perfect example of a lot of the Right - so full of hate that he unnecessarily reminds us just how deplorable he is, just because he can.

20
Dave In Austin  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:32:50pm

re: #6 Kragar

I guessing you have place this into the twitterverse?

21
The Vicious Babushka  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:33:52pm

re: #11 Kragar

[Embedded content]

He tweeted that this morning, and then proudly retweeted all the “hate Tweets” he received, HURR HURR TO SHOW HOW MUCH INTOLERANS IS TEH LEFTIST WHEN YOU TELL THEM TROOTH FACKS!!!1!!!!

22
Charles Johnson  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:34:10pm
23
EPR-radar  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:34:21pm

re: #15 Blind Frog Belly White

Only Liberal media bias counts. The fact that the moderators for the Fox debates were practically tongue-bathing the Republican candidates doesn’t count.

The GOP has done its best to ensure that all GOP debate moderators are at the “sucking golf balls through garden hoses” level, not just the ones at Fox News that already have that as part of their day jobs.

24
De Kolta Chair  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:34:38pm

re: #9 HappyWarrior

According to this Politico article from January, the GOP wanted Hannity to co-moderate, with Mark Halperin, a debate at Liberty University which would be “sponsored” by Liberty and the Washington Times. The never-to-be event turned into a debacle — the details in the article are highly amusing — with only Trump showing up to make his “2 Corinthians” gaffe.

25
KGxvi  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:35:23pm
Fox News Shill

But you repeat yourself…

I’m amazed we made it to 25 comments before this joke.

26
Dave In Austin  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:36:06pm

Umphry’s in my ear and watching a Friday afternoon clock. Not long now.

27
No Depression  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:36:07pm

Re: Bernie Sanders and his “real unemployment” talking point:

The 9.9% unemployment rate he was referring to is U6 unemployment, a broader measure of employment that includes discouraged workers, marginally attached workers (i.e. workers that are kind of looking for work but not really) and people who want to work full-time but can only work part-time for economic reasons than the U3 measure typically used by the government. But as this chart comparing U3 rates and U6 rates from 1994 - 2016* shows, the U6 rate tracks very closely with U3 rates:

So Sanders is technically right that unemployment is higher than the 4.9 unemployment rate might suggest, but it’s misleading as U6 unemployment has ALWAYS been about 5 points higher than U3 unemployment over a 22-year period; it really doesn’t tell us much about the state of economy at all.

*The U6 rate was created in 1994, so this is all the data there is comparing the two rates.

28
EPR-radar  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:36:12pm

re: #25 KGxvi

But you repeat yourself…

I’m amazed we made it to 25 comments before this joke.

It’s a target rich environment.

29
Charles Johnson  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:36:19pm
30
Charles Johnson  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:37:34pm

re: #27 No Depression

You can post embedded iframes by using the “Embedded Content” button at the top right of the posting area. (The last button in that row.)

31
CuriousLurker  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:39:00pm

re: #18 wrenchwench

Being able to bash women in the media while planning and working to defeat Hillary Is really a plus for so many jerks.

I don’t care for HRC all that much on a personal level, but I have a lot of respect for the level of experience she has and her stick-to-itiveness no matter how ugly things get. I also think she learned a lot not only from her loss to Obama, but from being part of his administration and seeing the attacks on him from the inside.

I really don’t think there’s any other potential candidate that could match her in terms of skill & experience, though VP Biden is probably really close. I think the notion of a President HRC scares the bejeezus out of the GOP—she’d be a formidable opponent.

32
Charles Johnson  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:39:09pm
33
EPR-radar  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:39:46pm

re: #29 Charles Johnson

This Arminius pinhead doesn’t even know what “cuckold” means. There is no rational way to use it as an insult over differences of political opinion.

34
Kragar  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:40:35pm

re: #19 Blind Frog Belly White

He is, sadly, the perfect example of a lot of the Right - so full of hate that he unnecessarily reminds us just how deplorable he is, just because he can.

35
No Depression  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:41:17pm

re: #32 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

Thanks Charles!

36
Blind Frog Belly White  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:41:34pm

re: #27 No Depression

Re: Bernie Sanders and his “real unemployment” talking point:

The 9.9% unemployment rate he was referring to is U6 unemployment, a broader measure of employment that includes discouraged workers, marginally attached workers (i.e. workers that are kind of looking for work but not really) and people who want to work full-time but can only work part-time for economic reasons than the U3 measure typically used by the government. But as this chart comparing U3 rates and U6 rates from 1994 - 2016* shows, the U6 rate tracks very closely with U3 rates:

<iframe src=”//research.stlouisfed.org” scrolling=”no” frameborder=”0” style=”overflow:hidden; width:670px; height:475px;” allowTransparency=”true”></iframe>

So Sanders is technically right that unemployment is higher than the 4.9 unemployment rate might suggest, but it’s misleading as U6 unemployment has ALWAYS been about 5 points higher than U3 unemployment over a 22-year period; it really doesn’t tell us much about the state of economy at all.

*The U6 rate was created in 1994, so this is all the data there is comparing the two rates.

What galls me is when wingnuts cite the U6 rate NOW and compare it to the U3 rate when GWB was President. Nothing like a little dishonesty with statistics.

The big, important thing about U6 and U3 is that the spread between the two had been as high as 7%, but has been shrinking, and is now at 5%. As the job market strengthens, they should get even closer.

37
lawhawk  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:42:17pm

re: #27 No Depression

There was a divergence during the Great Recession where the U6 greatly exceeded the U3 rate (which as you note generally averages about 5 points more than the U3), and the GOP touted the U6 rate as a sign of the true state of the economy. Of course, they had no problem touting the U3 when it suited them - like when GWB was in office. The U3 is the official rate, and if you’re going to complain about unemployment it’s best to be consistent about which data set you’re using.

38
Blind Frog Belly White  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:43:08pm

re: #32 Charles Johnson

I’m not seeing all the graph. The right side is missing after July 2014.

39
Eclectic Cyborg  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:43:46pm

re: #37 lawhawk

but but but…then the narrative would be wrong!!

/

40
Blind Frog Belly White  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:44:53pm

re: #37 lawhawk

And of course there’s the ‘record number of people out of work’, meaning older than 16 and not in the labor force. Of course we also have more people over 65 than we’ve ever had, but I guess they want them to work till they drop.

41
Kragar  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:44:55pm
42
KGxvi  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:45:29pm

re: #39 Eclectic Cyborg

but but but…then the narrative would be wrong!!

/

I’m beginning to think that the problem with this narrative is that we have an unreliable narrator

43
lawhawk  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:45:55pm

6.4 magnitude quake in Taiwan.

Damage reports starting to come in:

44
CuriousLurker  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:46:43pm

re: #43 lawhawk

6.4 magnitude quake in Taiwan.

Damage reports starting to come in:

[Embedded content]

OMG, that photo is beyond terrifying.

46
lawhawk  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:47:05pm

re: #40 Blind Frog Belly White

And of course there’s the ‘record number of people out of work’, meaning older than 16 and not in the labor force. Of course we also have more people over 65 than we’ve ever had, but I guess they want them to work till they drop.

The Baby Boom retirement hasn’t even begun to peak, so the number of retirees will continue to increase over the next few years before beginning to diminish.

47
KGxvi  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:47:06pm

re: #43 lawhawk

The 911 call must be interesting…

“What’s the nature of your emergency?”
“My building is falling over!”
“Can you repeat that?”
“MY BUILDING IS FALLING OVER!”

48
ObserverArt  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:47:55pm

As an artist it is always a good thing to get a jump on a trend. So, with that in mind Imma gonna see how ready the world is for the next big gas station lot gallery phenom…blue tarp paintings! Hey, Elvis was popular on black velevet! Why not LaVoy on his material of choice?

49
No Depression  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:48:11pm

re: #37 lawhawk

There was a divergence during the Great Recession where the U6 greatly exceeded the U3 rate (which as you note generally averages about 5 points more than the U3), and the GOP touted the U6 rate as a sign of the true state of the economy. Of course, they had no problem touting the U3 when it suited them - like when GWB was in office. The U3 is the official rate, and if you’re going to complain about unemployment it’s best to be consistent about which data set you’re using.

Thanks for bringing that up. I didn’t notice that in my admittedly cursory look at the graph; I only noticed how how the general shapes of the two lines tracked closely with each other.

50
withak  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:49:19pm

The alt-right/MRA crowd sure has done civilized society a favor by talking in their own stupid buzzwords so it’s easy to identify and ridicule them.

51
No Depression  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:49:55pm

re: #38 Blind Frog Belly White

I’m not seeing all the graph. The right side is missing after July 2014.

Here’s an image of the graph that doesn’t cut off the right side after July 2014:

52
Aunty Entity Dragon  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:50:27pm

re: #33 EPR-radar

This Arminius pinhead doesn’t even know what “cuckold” means. There is no rational way to use it as an insult over differences of political opinion.

“Cuck” has become a regular insult over on the far/neo fascist right. It applies to not-quite-so-reactionary conservatives as well as most any other male they happen to hate…which is almost all of them.

53
Eric The Fruit Bat  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:50:32pm
54
wrenchwench  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:53:31pm

re: #48 ObserverArt

As an artist it is always a good thing to get a jump on a trend. So, with that in mind Imma gonna see how ready the world is for the next big gas station lot gallery phenom…blue tarp paintings! Hey, Elvis was popular on black velevet! Why not LaVoy on his material of choice?

[Embedded content]

Frame it in barbed wire. Ranchers love their barbed wire. There’s a museum dedicated to it in Kansas. Or at least there was in 1986.

55
Mike Lamb  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:53:35pm

re: #11 Kragar

[Embedded content]

It’s amazing and sad to me that people believe this.

56
CuriousLurker  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:54:37pm

I see some people on Twitter are questioning the quake. It’s for real, unless you don’t trust the USGS. They haven’t tweeted about it yet, but the info is on their site.

57
Mentis Fugit  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:55:55pm

re: #43 lawhawk

6.4 magnitude quake in Taiwan.

Damage reports starting to come in:

[Embedded content]

Oh shit. My son is visiting his girlfriend there. Messaged him.

58
Belafon  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:56:21pm

re: #56 CuriousLurker

I see some people on Twitter are questioning the quake. It’s for real, unless you don’t trust the USGS. They haven’t tweeted about it yet, but the info is on their site.

He’s going to take our guns!!

I understand being skeptical, but questioning things like this is CT thinking.

59
gocart mozart  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:57:34pm
60
Jebediah, RBG  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:58:07pm

re: #11 Kragar

Trayvon had such amazing super-thug powers that the “injuries” from that “bashing” didn’t show up until well after Trayvon was dead.

61
lawhawk  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:58:54pm

re: #56 CuriousLurker

AP reporting it as well, and some of the pictures aren’t good - more collapsed buildings - unknown number of casualties:

62
Aunty Entity Dragon  Feb 5, 2016 • 12:59:38pm

re: #60 Jebediah, RBG

Trayvon had such amazing super-thug powers that the “injuries” from that “bashing” didn’t show up until well after Trayvon was dead.

Defending yourself from an armed stalker and repeat domestic abuser only applies if you are white.

///

63
goddamnedfrank  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:00:44pm

re: #33 EPR-radar

This Arminius pinhead doesn’t even know what “cuckold” means. There is no rational way to use it as an insult over differences of political opinion.

It’s not a normal difference in political opinion though, it’s straight racism. The cuckolds in their minds are whites who don’t defend their own demographic superiority, who adopt minorities, marry minorities, and who don’t oppose immigration by non-whites. The term’s origins become apparent when you consider that defending the perceived virtue of white womanhood is one of the cornerstones of Western racism. Allowing more dark skinned immigrants into our society is seen as a threat to what they think should be the rightful marital property of white men.

64
De Kolta Chair  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:00:59pm
65
Timothy Watson  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:03:05pm

re: #29 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

You really have to marvel at the level of projection among the RWNJs. I’ll give you three guesses what their favorite “genre” (fetish) of pornography is, and the first two don’t count.

66
ObserverArt  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:04:12pm

re: #61 lawhawk

AP reporting it as well, and some of the pictures aren’t good - more collapsed buildings - unknown number of casualties:

[Embedded content]

Damn. I hope the carnage isn’t too bad. Thoughts for the all the affected people.

67
No Country For Old Haters  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:05:11pm

re: #11 Kragar

68
Jebediah, RBG  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:08:58pm

re: #62 Aunty Entity Dragon

Yup - if you’re dumb enough to pick non-white parents, you live with the consequences of that poor choice.

I have been expecting george zimmerman to meet a violent, ignoble end - and soon - but I do hope that he lives long enough to accidentally, publicly, tell the truth about what happened. There are way too many people who are way too eager to believe the “Trayvon the attacking thug” bullshit.

69
nines09  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:12:42pm

re: #1 Dave In Austin

Embedded Image

A transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) is an ultrasound technique that is used to view a man’s prostate and surrounding tissues. The ultrasound transducer (probe) sends sound waves through the wall of the rectum into the prostate gland, which is located directly in front of the rectum. TRUS may also be called prostate sonogram or endorectal ultrasound.

So that picture shows the anus? Perfect.

70
De Kolta Chair  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:13:41pm
(My deepest apologies to Spike and Iris)
71
CuriousLurker  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:13:46pm

re: #61 lawhawk

AP reporting it as well, and some of the pictures aren’t good - more collapsed buildings - unknown number of casualties:

[Embedded content]

RWNJ: Furiously trying to find an angle that blames it on liberals/POTUS/HRC.

Islamophobes: Furiously searching for a way to blame it on Muslims.

Antisemites: Furiously searching for a way to blame it on Jews/Zionists.

Conspiracy Nuts: Furiously searching for a way make it a government false flag operation so that (take your pick):

1) President Obama & the UN can confiscate everyone’s guns and rule the world
2) The feds can distract attention from LaVoy Finicum’s funeral
3) Roll your own…

72
Charles Johnson  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:18:26pm
73
ObserverArt  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:18:45pm

re: #71 CuriousLurker

RWNJ: Furiously trying to find an angle that blames it on liberals/POTUS/HRC.

Islamophobes: Furiously searching for a way to blame it on Muslims.

Antisemites: Furiously searching for a way to blame it on Jews/Zionists.

Conspiracy Nuts: Furiously searching for a way make it a government false flag operation so that (take your pick):

1) President Obama & the UN can confiscate everyone’s guns and rule the world
2) Distract attention from LaVoy Finicum’s funeral
3) Roll you own…

BernieBot: Furiously telling everyone this can all be fixed with an economic revolution and the power of millions of voices in protest.

74
bratwurst  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:18:56pm

An act of American journalism has taken place:

75
No Country For Old Haters  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:19:29pm
76
CuriousLurker  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:21:49pm

re: #71 CuriousLurker

RWNJ: Furiously trying to find an angle that blames it on liberals/POTUS/HRC.

Islamophobes: Furiously searching for a way to blame it on Muslims.

Antisemites: Furiously searching for a way to blame it on Jews/Zionists.

Conspiracy Nuts: Furiously searching for a way make it a government false flag operation so that (take your pick):

1) President Obama & the UN can confiscate everyone’s guns and rule the world
2) The feds can distract attention from LaVoy Finicum’s funeral
3) Roll your own…

I knew I forgot someone:

Fundies: It’s punishment from God because of gays, loose women/abortion, secularists, believers in creeds other than your own, etc.

77
ausador  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:22:01pm
78
Stanley Sea  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:24:14pm
79
The Vicious Babushka  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:24:18pm

re: #40 Blind Frog Belly White

And of course there’s the ‘record number of people out of work’, meaning older than 16 and not in the labor force. Of course we also have more people over 65 than we’ve ever had, but I guess they want them to work till they drop.

According to the BLS labor force tables, the largest cohort of “unemployed, out of the labor force” from 2004-2014 are young people 16-19.

HURR HURR TEH DEMOCRATS & TEH YOONYUNS TOOK AWAY THESE KIDS JERBS & MADE THEM LAZY NO WORK ETHIC!!!1!!!!

80
Teukka  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:24:20pm

re: #76 CuriousLurker

I knew I forgot someone:

Fundies: It’s punishment from God because of gays, loose women/abortion, secularists, believers in creeds other than your own, etc.

Scientologists: It’s psychiatry’s fault.

81
Fourth Football of the Apocalypse  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:24:20pm

So Howie Kurtz he….nah, he can’t be that dense.

//

82
ausador  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:27:16pm

If it was a general election debate I can see wanting to have people who are at least nominally non-partisan moderate. But for a Democratic debate? What on earth is wrong with having a “liberal” moderate a liberal debate?

83
WhatEVs  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:28:35pm

re: #48 ObserverArt

As an artist it is always a good thing to get a jump on a trend. So, with that in mind Imma gonna see how ready the world is for the next big gas station lot gallery phenom…blue tarp paintings! Hey, Elvis was popular on black velevet! Why not LaVoy on his material of choice?

[Embedded content]

Quick. Etsy AND eBay! You can make a fortune from the rubes. Start at $75 on eBay. I am totally serious. (I will be happy to take a 3% management fee, thank you. :-)

84
CuriousLurker  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:28:51pm

re: #82 ausador

If it was a general election debate I can see wanting to have people who are at least nominally non-partisan moderate. But for a Democratic debate? What on earth is wrong with having a “liberal” moderate a liberal debate?

85
WhatEVs  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:29:41pm

re: #57 Mentis Fugit

Oh shit. My son is visiting his girlfriend there. Messaged him.

I will keep you both in my thoughts!

86
Aunty Entity Dragon  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:30:09pm

Your daily What the fuck obnoxious/tendentious/strange/unsupported/vaguely racist/all of the above thing did Rod Dreher write today…

As you may recall, Rod Dreher really, really hates the Enlightenment (the philosophical foundation of our Revolution and the Constitution). He has claimed frequently that Enlightenment political and social innovations (like the American experiment in self rule we experience every day!) depend exclusively on a Christian culture and that they will not survive without it.

He asserted today that:

The whole idea of “human rights” is parasitic on Christianity, and will not hold without a firm religious foundation.

He gets real specific about that in a jaw dropping response to one of his critics today:

Harvey says:
February 5, 2016 at 2:09 pm
“The whole idea of “human rights” is parasitic on Christianity, and will not hold without a firm religious foundation.”

One could also write: The whole idea of “mathematics”, especially al-gebra, is parasitic on Islam, and will not hold without a firm religious foundation.”

Many ideas grow only more powerful when taken up by a larger community. One can nakedly assert that human rights needs Christianity, but I suspect that many people who aren’t Christian won’t be persuaded by that assertion.

Rod responded:

[NFR: That’s silly. 2 + 2 will equal 4 no matter what Islam says. The Second Law of Thermodynamics was true before Christianity came, and will be true if Christianity disappears from the earth. “All men are created equal” is not the same order of truth claim. Those humanist “truths” are by no means self-evident, despite what our Deist founders believed. — RD]

This is the Natural Law claim of slave owners, as far as I can tell. I shouldn’t be shocked that this kind of thinking is still being accepted in a conservative publication…but I am.

87
GlutenFreeJesus  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:30:55pm

re: #57 Mentis Fugit

Oh shit. My son is visiting his girlfriend there. Messaged him.

Please keep us updated!

89
GlutenFreeJesus  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:32:08pm

I guess these Republicans would rather someone like Fred Phelps moderate a debate?

90
CuriousLurker  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:32:45pm

re: #88 Single-handed sailor

Live Taiwan news.

[Embedded content]

Video

Damn.

91
wrenchwench  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:33:19pm

Oh, dear.

In his remarks, Thomas said that while it was too early to know all the circumstances, there’s a chance that Mirra, who endured countless falls on ramps and at BMX parks over his career, may have been coping with long-term damage like that suffered by football players such as Junior Seau, who committed suicide in 2012.

92
bratwurst  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:35:38pm

Not a SINGLE word about earthquake on CNN domestic yet…just a lot of blather about Larry David on Saturday Night Live and the Super Bowl.

93
Fourth Football of the Apocalypse  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:35:45pm

re: #89 GlutenFreeJesus

I guess these Republicans would rather someone like Fred Phelps moderate a debate?

RWNJ: MSNBC should have let Morning Joe and Mike Barnacle moderate the debate.

/

94
De Kolta Chair  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:36:07pm
95
Fourth Football of the Apocalypse  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:36:35pm

re: #92 bratwurst

Not a SINGLE word about earthquake on CNN domestic yet…just a lot of blather about Larry David on Saturday Night Live and the Super Bowl.

There was an earthquake?

96
Aunty Entity Dragon  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:38:14pm

re: #95 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse

There was an earthquake?

CNN won’t run it unless an airplane or a pretty white blonde girl vanished.

97
goddamnedfrank  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:39:57pm

re: #61 lawhawk

AP reporting it as well, and some of the pictures aren’t good - more collapsed buildings - unknown number of casualties:

[Embedded content]

The reports I’m seeing show what looks like a ridiculous amount of damage for a 6.4 quake in a more or less first world industrialized nation. What’s up with that? I rode out the 6.8 Nisqually quake in Seattle in a brick building built in 1906. Only one person died in that quake, of a heart attack. Some buildings were condemned after the fact but none fell or were visibly damaged beyond some cracks and broken facades. I have to wonder what’s up with Taiwanese building codes, a Ring of Fire nation with their capabilities should have built much stronger structures.

98
EPR-radar  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:43:31pm

re: #86 Aunty Entity Dragon

Dreher probably has no idea how insane his ideas about human rights look to those who don’t share his religious views.

IMO, the first rule for having an intelligent discussion of human rights is to dismiss all claims of revealed religious truth on this subject as being irrelevant. Kind of like doing science, actually.

99
wrenchwench  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:45:37pm

Aaaand from way out in left field…

100
EPR-radar  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:45:50pm

re: #97 goddamnedfrank

The reports I’m seeing show what looks like a ridiculous amount of damage for a 6.4 quake in a more or less first world industrialized nation. What’s up with that? I rode out the 6.8 Nisqually quake in Seattle in a brick building built in 1906. Only one person died in that quake, of a heart attack. Some buildings were condemned after the fact but none fell. I have to wonder what’s up with Taiwanese building codes, a Ring of Fire nation with their capabilities should have built much stronger structures.

This does seem like a high level of damage for a sub-7 earthquake in a place that should have real building codes. Either the building codes weren’t in place, or they weren’t followed.

101
Aunty Entity Dragon  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:46:28pm

re: #97 goddamnedfrank

The reports I’m seeing show what looks like a ridiculous amount of damage for a 6.4 quake in a more or less first world industrialized nation. What’s up with I rode out the 6.8 Nisqually quake in Seattle in a brick building built in 1906. Only one person died in that quake, of a heart attack. Some buildings were condemned after the fact but none fell. I have to wonder what’s up with Taiwanese building codes, a Ring of Fire nation with their capabilities should have built much stronger structures.

I was going to post something like what you just said and held off. The 6.8 Loma Prietta temblor did a lot of damage in San Fransisco, but that was largely on reclaimed land (former marsh or actual underwater bay which had been filled in) which underwent liquifaction.

I don’t know the immediate soil composition of the collapse areas in question right now, and it is possible that even well built structures can fail depending on the quake wave length/building harmonics* as well as soil mechanics.

*Mexico City 1985 quake
Buildings of 5 to 15 stories were most affected, as their interaction with the shock waves created a harmonic resonance, exacerbating the degree of swaying. More than 400 buildings collapsed, and thousands more were damaged.

102
GlutenFreeJesus  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:47:02pm

re: #97 goddamnedfrank

Building code violations… lack of enforcement/oversight/bribery etc. would be my guess. It’s only a matter of time before something like this happened. Sigh.

103
Aunty Entity Dragon  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:47:21pm

re: #98 EPR-radar

Dreher probably has no idea how insane his ideas about human rights look to those who don’t share his religious views.

IMO, the first rule for having an intelligent discussion of human rights is to dismiss all claims of revealed religious truth on this subject as being irrelevant. Kind of like doing science, actually.

The more I look at his stuff…the more it looks cultish to be honest.

104
Dave In Austin  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:48:33pm
105
Decatur Deb  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:48:34pm

re: #97 goddamnedfrank

The reports I’m seeing show what looks like a ridiculous amount of damage for a 6.4 quake in a more or less first world industrialized nation. What’s up with that? I rode out the 6.8 Nisqually quake in Seattle in a brick building built in 1906. Only one person died in that quake, of a heart attack. Some buildings were condemned after the fact but none fell or were visibly damaged beyond some cracks and broken facades. I have to wonder what’s up with Taiwanese building codes, a Ring of Fire nation with their capabilities should have built much stronger structures.

Flint’s Sister-city. Gov. Snyder’s people helped with the construction standards.

106
EPR-radar  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:50:30pm

re: #103 Aunty Entity Dragon

The more I look at his stuff…the more it looks cultish to be honest.

This kind of thing usually is. With Dreher it is a bit less obvious than usual because he hides his fanaticism beneath a veneer of civility and $10 vocabulary words. He also relieves himself of the burdens of original thought by plagiarizing those bits of Christian tradition he finds to be most convenient for his purposes.

edited to add: This use of tradition makes Dreher looks considerably more intelligent than the many evangelical preachers who make their theology up as they go along.

107
wrenchwench  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:53:17pm

re: #102 GlutenFreeJesus

Building code violations… lack of enforcement/oversight/bribery etc. would be my guess. It’s only a matter of time before something like this happened. Sigh.

Corruption can be deadly.

108
Aunty Entity Dragon  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:53:38pm

re: #106 EPR-radar

This kind of thing usually is. With Dreher it is a bit less obvious than usual because he hides his fanaticism beneath a veneer of civility and $10 vocabulary words. He also relieves himself of the burdens of original thought by plagiarizing those bits of Christian tradition he finds to be most convenient for his purposes.

Exactly.

109
unproven innocence  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:55:10pm

re: #105 Decatur Deb

Flint’s Sister-city. Gov. Snyder’s people helped with the construction standards.

Nope. List of sister cities in Michigan

110
klys (maker of Silmarils)  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:55:56pm

re: #109 unproven innocence

Nope. List of sister cities in Michigan

Pretty sure that was sarcasm.

111
451_Montag  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:57:29pm

re: #97 goddamnedfrank

The reports I’m seeing show what looks like a ridiculous amount of damage for a 6.4 quake in a more or less first world industrialized nation. What’s up with that? I rode out the 6.8 Nisqually quake in Seattle in a brick building built in 1906. Only one person died in that quake, of a heart attack. Some buildings were condemned after the fact but none fell or were visibly damaged beyond some cracks and broken facades. I have to wonder what’s up with Taiwanese building codes, a Ring of Fire nation with their capabilities should have built much stronger structures.

Depends a lot on the type of quake and building types.

My biggest… The 7.9 in Peru nearly 8 years ago. After that they scare the shite out of me. Was living at the beach 40km south of Lima. Surprisingly few deaths. Went outside during the quake, saw ripples running across the grass then up the side of the house in the glass. Very little damage to the house, but fellow teacher was on the 16th floor of an apartment block had his bedroom wall destroyed by the block next door hitting it.

The Tsunami warning was less fun.

112
unproven innocence  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:57:29pm

re: #110 klys (maker of Silmarils)

I was sure too, but the real sister-cities should take note.

113
Decatur Deb  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:58:10pm

re: #109 unproven innocence

(snark)

114
Nyet  Feb 5, 2016 • 1:59:22pm

re: #1 Dave In Austin

Trus = coward in Russian.

115
Belafon  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:01:43pm

re: #86 Aunty Entity Dragon

Your daily What the fuck obnoxious/tendentious/strange/unsupported/vaguely racist/all of the above thing did Rod Dreher write today…

As you may recall, Rod Dreher really, really hates the Enlightenment (the philosophical foundation of our Revolution and the Constitution). He has claimed frequently that Enlightenment political and social innovations (like the American experiment in self rule we experience every day!) depend exclusively on a Christian culture and that they will not survive without it.

He asserted today that:

He gets real specific about that in a jaw dropping response to one of his critics today:

Rod responded:

This the Natural Law claim of slave owners, as far as I can tell. I shouldn’t be shocked that this kind of thinking is still being accepted in a conservative publication…but I am.

It doesn’t require a God to have human rights any more than I, as an adult, have to ask my parents to go to the movies.

116
Blind Frog Belly White  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:01:48pm

re: #43 lawhawk

6.4 magnitude quake in Taiwan.

Damage reports starting to come in:

[Embedded content]

A 6.4 did THAT? Doesn’t speak very highly of building standards.

117
Decatur Deb  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:02:07pm

re: #112 unproven innocence

I was sure too, but the real sister-cities should take note.

They have their own problems, even the city architects:

Violent crimes

The city has witnessed a mafia killing spree: there have been 550 commissioned killings in Tolyatti over 1998-2004, five of those murdered were journalists.[26]

Three chief architects of Tolyatti were victims of violent crimes: Valery Lopatin was shot to death on July 7, 2004, Mikhail Syardin and Aleksander Kiryakov were also injured in violent attacks.[27]

A former city mayor (1994-2000), Sergey Zhilkin (Сергей Жилкин), was murdered on November 15, 2008.[28]

On December 13, 2008, Anatoly Stepanov, a vice-speaker of Duma of Samara Oblast, a former head of administration of Tsentralny City District of Tolyatti in 1991-1997 and Tolyatti mayor candidate in 2004, was attacked on a street and left with serious head injuries. He died in hospital on February 24, 2009.[29]

118
EPR-radar  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:04:23pm

re: #111 451_Montag

A 7.9 will cause lots of trouble anywhere in the world. It had about 30x the energy of the 6.4 in Taiwan.

119
Aunty Entity Dragon  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:06:06pm

re: #111 451_Montag

Depends a lot on the type of quake and building types.

My biggest… The 7.9 in Peru nearly 8 years ago. After that they scare the shite out of me. Was living at the beach 40km south of Lima. Surprisingly few deaths. Went outside during the quake, saw ripples running across the grass then up the side of the house in the glass. Very little damage to the house, but fellow teacher was on the 16th floor of an apartment block had his bedroom wall destroyed by the block next door hitting it.

The Tsunami warning was less fun.

Depends a lot on the soil mechanics. The big I-10/I-215 interchange in San Bernardino is built on cohesionless sediment that has a relatively high water table. The interchange is at a high risk for failure even with the additional building safeguards added back in the late 80’s.

120
Blind Frog Belly White  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:06:39pm

re: #67 No Country For Old Haters

[Embedded content]

I would have thought after Zimmerman’s post acquittal behavior, the wingnuts would have shut up, since he’s the poster boy for ‘People Who Shouldn’t Have Guns’, but I guess that would require being capable of shame.

121
HappyWarrior  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:09:15pm

re: #120 Blind Frog Belly White

I would have thought after Zimmerman’s post acquittal behavior, the wingnuts would have shut up, since he’s the poster boy for ‘People Who Shouldn’t Have Guns’, but I guess that would require being capable of shame.

You’d think so but I guess not. I really think Shapiro is incapable of acting like a decent person.

122
EPR-radar  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:09:19pm

re: #115 Belafon

It doesn’t require a God to have human rights any more than I, as an adult, have to ask my parents to go to the movies.

If I bothered to respond to the likes of Rod Dreher, I’d use his fancy vocabulary against him.

For example, if human rights are dependent on knowing God’s will, that gives rise to epistemology issues the pursuit of which will end with Dreher saying “I know it’s God”s will because I say so!”

123
CuriousLurker  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:09:30pm
124
De Kolta Chair  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:09:57pm

I like Bernie. I may vote for him. But I wish his witty sense of humor would appear on his stolid twitter feed once in a while.

125
wrenchwench  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:11:09pm

Though it does not breathe fire, the olm has several attributes fitting a creature of mythology. It can live as long as a hundred years and survive without food for 10. It is blind, but hunts using its incredible sense of hearing and smell, and it can detect electric and magnetic fields.

126
EPR-radar  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:11:19pm

re: #123 CuriousLurker

That almost needs to be hidden behind the spoiler tags. Ghastly.

127
Kragar  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:11:53pm
128
sunnygal  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:12:24pm

re: #97 goddamnedfrank

The Nisqually quake was 30 miles deep which considerably lessened the damage it caused. If the one in Taiwan was shallow, that could account for the damage. (I was on the corner of 3rd and Cherry when the Nisqually happened. 45 very long seconds of wondering when it would end.

129
Alephnaught  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:14:08pm

re: #43 lawhawk

6.4 magnitude quake in Taiwan.

Damage reports starting to come in:

[Embedded content]

That’s at the south end of Taiwan. Was just checking with an old friend of mine who lives in Taipei at the north end, to see if he’s okay. He is, but it was “huge” even where he was, and he’s been feeling the aftershocks.

130
De Kolta Chair  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:16:15pm

re: #127 Kragar

He was one of my childhood heroes, and he certainly had a way with words.

“You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world, and a compulsion to do something about it. From out there on the moon, international politics look so petty. You want to grab a politician by the scruff of the neck and drag him a quarter of a million miles out and say, ‘Look at that, you son of a bitch.’” — Edgar D. Mitchell
131
Aunty Entity Dragon  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:16:28pm

re: #115 Belafon

It doesn’t require a God to have human rights any more than I, as an adult, have to ask my parents to go to the movies.

If you are a fan of various Greek Natural Law theories and philosophical universal realism* like Rod, I guess that is the way you roll. See, according to Rod, without Divinely ordained limits to our existence, then all you have left is (Cue De DE DAAAAAA!!! music) Triumph of the Will!!!!!.

Yeah, he really means that. It’s why he hates transgendered people like me so much. He thinks we are abusing free will and disordering the natural Divine boundaries of our sacramental bodies as well as the ordained universals of female and male being.

Moreover…he thinks all of western civilization should reflect that and therefore there would be no place for GLBT people because we would simply be outside the vocabulary of what could even be imagined.

*(look it up and don’t blame me for the headache. I am sure as hell not the one claiming that there is a universal “Green” that defines all shades of green or a universal “Cat” state of being which defines small feline housepets!)

132
Mentis Fugit  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:17:47pm

re: #87 GlutenFreeJesus

Please keep us updated!

He’s in Taichung, so if this graphic is accurate they could have slept through it. The shallowness of the quake may amplify the damage but it also seems to localise it.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35508475

I haven’t heard back yet, but it’s early there (6:15am) and I imagine mobile networks are somewhat overloaded right now.
133
Blind Frog Belly White  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:18:26pm

re: #127 Kragar

[Embedded content]

Only 7 left. It will be a sad, sad day, should the last of them die before anyone else gets there.

134
Timothy Watson  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:19:38pm

re: #131 Aunty Entity Dragon

So, he’s a more eloquent version of Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson, who thinks that would Christianity, he would be out raping and murdering a whole family?

135
Aunty Entity Dragon  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:20:07pm

re: #133 Blind Frog Belly White

Only 7 left. It will be a sad, sad day, should the last of them die before anyone else gets there.

I have never understood why we went into space, thought it was cool and then sort of shrugged and said “Fuck it.”

136
Barefoot Grin  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:20:34pm

re: #125 wrenchwench

[Embedded content]

We’re doomed.

137
Aunty Entity Dragon  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:20:46pm

re: #134 Timothy Watson

So, he’s a more eloquent version of Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson, who thinks that would Christianity, he would be out raping and murdering a whole family?

Pretty much. Yeah.

138
Romantic Heretic  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:21:37pm

re: #57 Mentis Fugit

Sending positive vibes your way.

139
Decatur Deb  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:21:40pm

re: #135 Aunty Entity Dragon

I have never understood why we went into space, thought it was cool and then sort of shrugged and said “Fuck it.”

Think of it as a very romantic application of mathematics.

140
CuriousLurker  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:24:38pm

re: #126 EPR-radar

That almost needs to be hidden behind the spoiler tags. Ghastly.

I almost did that. Creepy stuff.

141
Romantic Heretic  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:25:51pm

re: #107 wrenchwench

But it’s so much cheaper than taxes. Plus the people being bribed and doing the bribing are not usually the ones suffering from the corruption.

142
Blind Frog Belly White  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:25:58pm

re: #135 Aunty Entity Dragon

I have never understood why we went into space, thought it was cool and then sort of shrugged and said “Fuck it.”

There are, of course, reasonable arguments to be made that manned exploration of space is hugely less cost effective than unmanned exploration. The Mars Rover is an excellent example of this, of course, as are all the probes we’ve sent farther out into the solar system. But there’s something about actually going there, landing, walking around, picking up stuff and bringing it back - something hard to explain.

I know when I first went to the Air and Space museum back in the late 1970s, people lined up to touch the Moon Rock. TOUCHING an actual rock from the fucking MOON!!!! How cool is THAT?!?

I went there a decade later, and I had to hunt down the little kiosk. Nobody cared anymore. A FUCKING ROCK FROM THE FUCKING MOON, and nobody cared.

143
Belafon  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:26:29pm

re: #135 Aunty Entity Dragon

I have never understood why we went into space, thought it was cool and then sort of shrugged and said “Fuck it.”

Think of it in terms of the Cold War. 1) We had to beat the Russians to show them and the world that we could do something better than the Soviets. 2) If you can send a rocket to the moon and back, you can send an ICBM anywhere in the world.

144
weave  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:26:31pm
Thanks be to God that women are having more babies. :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

redstate.com

The folks over at Redstate are over-the-moon happy that access to birth control is being restricted in Texas and hence more pregnancies are happening.

Now if only we can just get rid of birth control all together….

Edit: Of course they won’t want to support these babies with any sort of social programs once they are born. Fuck ‘em.

145
gocart mozart  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:27:26pm
146
Aunty Entity Dragon  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:28:16pm

re: #143 Belafon

Think of it in terms of the Cold War. 1) We had to beat the Russians to show them and the world that we could do something better than the Soviets. 2) If you can send a rocket to the moon and back, you can send an ICBM anywhere in the world.

Depressing take on it.

147
De Kolta Chair  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:28:21pm

Speaking of childhood heroes, and she’ll remain my hero if and when I ever grow up:

148
makeitstop  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:28:22pm

Greetz from Philly! Waiting for a cheesesteak delivery.

Y’know…the last time I was down here the Dubai hotel fire happened, this time an earthquake…

I’m thinking maybe I should just stay out of Philly.

149
CuriousLurker  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:28:57pm

Support for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in New Hampshire has collapsed precipitously, according to a Suffolk/Boston Globe poll released Friday which showed him falling from second place to fifth place in the state.

By contrast, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) surged by 9 points to a comparatively secure second place but still trailed the longtime frontrunner, businessman Donald Trump, by a 10-point margin. […]

Damn, I just now realized it’s Friday. All day long I’d thought it was Thursday. Sheesh.

150
Belafon  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:28:58pm

re: #144 weave

redstate.com

The folks over at Redstate are over-the-moon happy that access to birth control is being restricted in Texas and hence more pregnancies are happening.

Now if only we can just get rid of birth control all together….

And how much are they going to want to pay in taxes to take care of the children when the Zika virus starts affecting pregnancies…

151
Aunty Entity Dragon  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:29:22pm

re: #145 gocart mozart

[Embedded content]

I think that moment was the end of his campaign, such as it was.

He actually had to ask the audience to clap. Jesus.

152
Decatur Deb  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:30:25pm

re: #146 Aunty Entity Dragon

Depressing take on it.

Ogg curious. Ogg want to see next wadi.

(Less depressing.)

153
Belafon  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:30:48pm

re: #146 Aunty Entity Dragon

Depressing take on it.

I’ve noticed that, from personal experience, that if your only goal is to beat someone else, your interest tends to wane pretty easily. And since the Russians completely stopped trying, we pretty much gave up as well.

154
Snarknado!  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:31:55pm

re: #144 weave

And they assume all those babies are non-Hispanic whites, of course.

155
Romantic Heretic  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:32:47pm

re: #135 Aunty Entity Dragon

Cold War started to thaw. The moon rockets ran entirely on hatred of communists. So there wasn’t enough fuel to make the trip any more.

That’s a joke. ;)

156
Targetpractice  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:33:26pm

re: #144 weave

redstate.com

The folks over at Redstate are over-the-moon happy that access to birth control is being restricted in Texas and hence more pregnancies are happening.

Now if only we can just get rid of birth control all together….

Edit: Of course they won’t want to support these babies with any sort of social programs once they are born. Fuck ‘em.

There’s a reason we call them “forced birthers,” because they feel that it is their goal to force these women to bring their babies to term. What happens after the babies are born? Not their problem, because they think the poors shouldn’t be fucking unless they want a baby. So the kids grow under in broken homes, with impoverished parents who can’t afford to be there to raise them and put food on the table, and then wingnuts wonder where all the crime in those communities comes from.

157
unproven innocence  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:34:23pm

re: #143 Belafon

Think of it in terms of the Cold War. 1) We had to beat the Russians to show them and the world that we could do something better than the Soviets. 2) If you can send a rocket to the moon and back, you can send an ICBM anywhere in the world.

The challenge that JFK threw down, “to put a man on the moon before the decade is out” was a game changer. The default game was one without any winners.

158
De Kolta Chair  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:35:37pm

Astronaut jokes always go way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way over my head.

159
Decatur Deb  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:36:42pm

re: #158 De Kolta Chair

Astronaut jokes always go way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way over my head.

They lack the depth of Cousteau jokes.

160
KGxvi  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:38:29pm

re: #149 CuriousLurker

[Embedded content]

Damn, I just now realized it’s Friday. All day long I’d thought it was Thursday. Sheesh.

Better than thinking all day that it was Friday and then realizing it was only Thursday…

161
Decatur Deb  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:39:22pm

Off to walk the dog and close the hoophouse.

162
EPR-radar  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:40:39pm

re: #131 Aunty Entity Dragon

Platonism may make sense for mathematics. For anything else, it is laughably inadequate.

It is so obvious that the meaning of ‘cat’ is derived empirically by observation, experience, generalization and a somewhat arbitrary definition.

Especially if the alternate view is that an animal is a cat if and only if it participates (somehow) in the Platonic Ideal of cat-ness.

163
CuriousLurker  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:42:33pm

re: #160 KGxvi

Better than thinking all day that it was Friday and then realizing it was only Thursday…

True that!

164
De Kolta Chair  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:44:03pm

re: #159 Decatur Deb

They lack the depth of Cousteau jokes.

Clink!

165
Aunty Entity Dragon  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:44:46pm

re: #162 EPR-radar

Platonism may make sense for mathematics. For anything else, it is laughably inadequate.

It is so obvious that the meaning of ‘cat’ is derived empirically by observation, experience, generalization and a somewhat arbitrary definition.

Especially if the alternate view is that an animal is a cat if and only if it participates (somehow) in the Platonic Ideal of cat-ness.

Don’t tell that Rod. You will be accused of (De DE DAAAAAAA!!!!!!) Nominalism…or worse yet(DE DAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!)…being a Moral Therapeutic Deist!

166
EPR-radar  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:46:21pm

re: #165 Aunty Entity Dragon

Don’t tell that Rod. You will be accused of (De DE DAAAAAAA!!!!!!) Nominalism…or worse yet(DE DAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!)…being a Moral Therapeutic Deist!

I wonder if Dreher has opined on whether or not Pluto is a planet. The trap there might be a bit too obvious.

167
wrenchwench  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:49:02pm

Oh, for heaven’s sake.

A former Sandoval County deputy who was caught on camera slapping a 12-year-old has been charged by a special prosecutor with misdemeanor battery, according to Sandoval County Magistrate Court records.

In the video, Deputy Fred Switzer, 70, can be seen hitting the boy in the face while the juvenile was being transported to court. The incident happened on Aug. 24, 2015.

The Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office confirmed a supervisor witnessed the incident and reported it. Switzer was terminated as a result.

Switzer worked with the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office for eight years. He also previously served with the Albuquerque Police Department.

168
Nyet  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:51:03pm

- Kick the baby! :D
- Don’t kick the baby :(

169
De Kolta Chair  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:52:08pm

Sweet Jesus pecan pie, this is stupid

170
Shiplord Kirel  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:53:23pm

re: #127 Kragar

CNN International ✔ @cnni
#Apollo14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell has died. He was 1 of just 12 humans to walk on the moon.

RIP
Only 7 left now: Buzz Aldrin, Alan Bean, Gene Cernan, Charles Duke, Harrison Schmidt, David Scott, and John Young. Charlie Duke, born October 3 1935, is the youngest.

171
Aunty Entity Dragon  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:54:06pm

re: #166 EPR-radar

I wonder if Dreher has opined on whether or not Pluto is a planet. The trap there might be a bit too obvious.

Not enough obscure criticism of William of Ockham, nor outrage inducing hyperbole on liberal college students being mean to conservatives, Caitlyn Jenner being herself and gheyz making Christian bakers actually bake something for a wedding.

If your story doesn’t have 1)Obscure and pedantic Medieval philosophy and poetry stuff concerning why modernity is so evil and wrong…2)Liberals are bullies or 3) Trannies and gheyz are nominalist liberal bullies who threw away Rod’s beloved traditions because TRIUMPH OF THE WILL!!!! then Rod probably isn’t going to be interested.

172
Dr. Matt  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:54:27pm

re: #170 Shiplord Kirel

Only 7 left now: Buzz Aldrin, Alan Bean, Gene Cernan, Charles Duke, Harrison Schmidt, David Scott, and John Young. Charlie Duke, born October 3 1935, is the youngest.

That is, of course, if you are actually dumb enough to believe man walked on the moon.

///

173
De Kolta Chair  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:54:47pm

re: #168 Nyet

- Kick the baby! :D
- Don’t kick the baby :(

“It’s not how far you fall, but how high you kick that goddamn baby.” — Donald Trump

///

174
Dr. Matt  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:55:43pm

I bet “shofar” has never been posted on LGF until now.

175
Shiplord Kirel  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:55:46pm
176
Aunty Entity Dragon  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:56:00pm

re: #167 wrenchwench

Oh, for heaven’s sake.

[Embedded content]

You can bet that there are cops at Policeone who think the 12 year old kid needed an ass kicking with a badge attached to it.

177
ausador  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:56:14pm

Hahahaha…

178
Shiplord Kirel  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:56:59pm

re: #172 Dr. Matt

That is, of course, if you are actually dumb enough to believe man walked on the moon.

///

Yep, I’m that dumb.
///

179
retired cynic  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:57:22pm

re: #174 Dr. Matt

[Embedded content]

I bet “shofar” has never been posted on LGF until now.

Yep. In fact, that tweet was posted earlier. <G>

180
Aunty Entity Dragon  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:58:09pm

re: #174 Dr. Matt

[Embedded content]

I bet “shofar” has never been posted on LGF until now.

So Guy Fieri is going to be providing musical entertainment on a rams horn at his Times Square burger place?

181
Shiplord Kirel  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:59:42pm

re: #167 wrenchwench

Oh, for heaven’s sake.

[Embedded content]

70 years old? This guy should probably never have been a cop but that is too old in any case. I was a deputy sheriff for a while, back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, and I am pushing 70 now so I should know.

182
De Kolta Chair  Feb 5, 2016 • 2:59:46pm

re: #174 Dr. Matt

[Embedded content]

I bet “shofar” has never been posted on LGF until now.

My first thought on seeing that photo was Guy Fieri had a new show called Diners, Drive-Ins & Dipshits.

183
Stanley Sea  Feb 5, 2016 • 3:00:59pm

re: #167 wrenchwench

Oh, for heaven’s sake.

[Embedded content]

Betcha he left Albuquerque under some circumstances.

They shuttle bad cops around like the Catholic church did with molesters.

184
Aunty Entity Dragon  Feb 5, 2016 • 3:01:22pm

He seems nice.

185
Dr. Matt  Feb 5, 2016 • 3:02:04pm

re: #179 retired cynic

Yep. In fact, that tweet was posted earlier. <G>

LIAR

186
wrenchwench  Feb 5, 2016 • 3:02:26pm

re: #174 Dr. Matt

[Embedded content]

I bet “shofar” has never been posted on LGF until now.

You would lose that bet.

And I don’t think 2011 was the first time, but my search skills are lacking.

187
De Kolta Chair  Feb 5, 2016 • 3:02:59pm

re: #174 Dr. Matt

[Embedded content]

I bet “shofar” has never been posted on LGF until now.

Shofar so goo… well you know the drill. ;-)

188
Emoprog Refugee  Feb 5, 2016 • 3:03:35pm

re: #177 ausador

Hahahaha…

[Embedded content]

Brad and Janet, Bernie and Jane, tomayto, tomahto.

189
Stanley Sea  Feb 5, 2016 • 3:05:52pm

re: #186 wrenchwench

You would lose that bet.

And I don’t think 2011 was the first time, but my search skills are lacking.

Excellent page and comments!

190
Dr. Matt  Feb 5, 2016 • 3:06:38pm

This is what a fucked up society looks like:

Officials at this school decided to send a very clear message - if you try to attack our students, we are ready to protect them. STORY: http://www.fox13news.com/news/u-s-and-world-news/84851396-story

Posted by FOX 13 News - Tampa Bay on Friday, February 5, 2016
191
wrenchwench  Feb 5, 2016 • 3:07:06pm

re: #189 Stanley Sea

Excellent page and comments!

CL is a treasure. Brings out the best in people. I miss Bob Levin.

192
b_sharp  Feb 5, 2016 • 3:08:36pm

re: #190 Dr. Matt

This is what a fucked up society looks like:

[Embedded content]

Looks like a challenge to a nut with a sniper rifle.

193
Targetpractice  Feb 5, 2016 • 3:09:02pm

re: #190 Dr. Matt

This is what a fucked up society looks like:

[Embedded content]

Yeah, I don’t want to see what their insurance rates look like, because I imagine they’re pretty ugly.

194
WhatEVs  Feb 5, 2016 • 3:15:04pm

re: #184 Aunty Entity Dragon

He seems nice.

[Embedded content]

Surprising there’s room for so much hate in his mom’s basement - where they all seem to live. Well, there and in their own aggrandized, addled minds.

195
De Kolta Chair  Feb 5, 2016 • 3:16:39pm

re: #190 Dr. Matt

This is what a fucked up society looks like:

I predict that the next stage of the NRA/gun manufacturer psy-ops campaign will be to make lib-progs so frightened of crazy gun-owners that they’ll load up on armaments and fuck it we might as well start calling our homes armories.

There’s gold in them thar gun barrels!

196
BeachDem  Feb 5, 2016 • 3:20:52pm

Well shit. Had a power outage that seems to have fried my desktop. Not good. It’s trying to do a system recovery but doesn’t appear to be making much progress. Damn me for being such a lax backupper. Arrggh

197
De Kolta Chair  Feb 5, 2016 • 3:29:13pm

Jump started to the next thread

198
Decatur Deb  Feb 5, 2016 • 3:32:20pm

re: #195 De Kolta Chair

I predict that the next stage of the NRA/gun manufacturer psy-ops campaign will be to make lib-progs so frightened of crazy gun-owners that they’ll load up on armaments and fuck it we might as well start calling our homes armories.

There’s gold in them thar gun barrels!

I don’t hunt, I don’t shoot for sport. Right now I’m trying to figure out what percentage of my police force is active Klan.

199
Shiplord Kirel  Feb 5, 2016 • 3:40:06pm

re: #190 Dr. Matt

This is what a fucked up society looks like:

[Embedded content]

Corrected:

(I think this might be better than Bundy Ranch Patritos)

200
Blind Frog Belly White  Feb 5, 2016 • 3:47:09pm

re: #174 Dr. Matt

[Embedded content]

I bet “shofar” has never been posted on LGF until now.

Hey, Guy Fieri lost weight!
///

201
Shiplord Kirel  Feb 5, 2016 • 4:30:54pm
202
JP Chgo  Feb 5, 2016 • 4:45:35pm

re: #11 Kragar

[Embedded content]

Maybe that should have been behind a “spoiler” button (only half kidding.)

Reading it actually made me sick to my stomach.

203
Backwoods_Sleuth  Feb 5, 2016 • 4:48:59pm

re: #47 KGxvi

The 911 call must be interesting…

“What’s the nature of your emergency?”
“My building is falling over!”
“Can you repeat that?”
“MY BUILDING IS FALLING OVER!”

AND IT CAN’T GET UP!!!!!!

204
CuriousLurker  Feb 5, 2016 • 4:50:42pm

re: #186 wrenchwench

You would lose that bet.

And I don’t think 2011 was the first time, but my search skills are lacking.

LOL! I was sitting here thinking, “I think I did a page on that once…”
Then—*POOF*—there it is.

205
CuriousLurker  Feb 5, 2016 • 4:52:54pm

re: #191 wrenchwench

CL is a treasure. Brings out the best in people. I miss Bob Levin.

Yeah, he disappeared after the 2012 election. Hope he’s doing okay.

206
CuriousLurker  Feb 5, 2016 • 4:56:19pm

Oh, I’m standing here talking to myself. Duh…

207
Backwoods_Sleuth  Feb 5, 2016 • 5:00:41pm

re: #52 Aunty Entity Dragon

“Cuck” has become a regular insult over on the far/neo fascist right. It applies to not-quite-so-reactionary conservatives as well as most any other male they happen to hate…which is almost all of them.

It’s actually spelled “Chuck” but the “h” is silent…

208
Backwoods_Sleuth  Feb 5, 2016 • 5:31:09pm

re: #147 De Kolta Chair

Speaking of childhood heroes, and she’ll remain my hero if and when I ever grow up:

[Embedded content]

Also the first woman to run for president as a Dem.

209
Backwoods_Sleuth  Feb 5, 2016 • 5:35:26pm

re: #170 Shiplord Kirel

RIP
Only 7 left now: Buzz Aldrin, Alan Bean, Gene Cernan, Charles Duke, Harrison Schmidt, David Scott, and John Young. Charlie Duke, born October 3 1935, is the youngest.

Buzz will be the last one standing because he’s the one who will slap a moon landing denier upside the head as long as he can.

210
Backwoods_Sleuth  Feb 5, 2016 • 5:41:32pm

re: #206 CuriousLurker

Oh, I’m standing here talking to myself. Duh…

[Embedded image]

I was playing catchup since it was an unusually long work day for me for a Friday.


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