Flint Water Switch Approved Despite Health Warnings a Year Earlier

Political poison

US NewsFebruary 2016 • Views: 40,274

This qualifies as bombshell news, I think. Officials in Flint, Michigan, knew the Flint River was dangerously polluted but they went ahead and approved it for drinking water anyway. Wow.

FLINT, MI – State officials warned of potential health problems if Flint were to switch to the Flint River as its drinking water source, but the move went ahead with the state’s blessing despite the concerns, according to emails released by the Michigan’s governor’s office Friday morning.

Stephen Busch, with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’s drinking water division, told other DEQ officials in a March 26, 2013, email that the use of the river could lead to multiple problems, including increased disinfectant by-products and microbials in the water, which could put the public’s health at risk.

According to Busch’s email, continuous use of the river could pose an increased microbial risk and risk of potentially cancer-causing disinfection by-products.

Both the disinfectant by-products and microbials — viruses and bacteria linked to disease — were discovered in the city’s water supply in the months after the city was switched to the river in April 2014.

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427 comments

TedStriker Feb 12, 2016 • 6:23:28pm

If it were Democrats in charge of this preventable travesty, the TPGOPers would be screaming to high heaven for prosecutions and hearings to the highest level. So far, all I’m really hearing from them is either tumbleweeds blowing by or half-assed defenses of Snyder and his lackey.

ObserverArt Feb 12, 2016 • 6:25:07pm

You know, for the first time I am reminded of The Love Canal mess.

TedStriker Feb 12, 2016 • 6:27:28pm

re: #2 ObserverArt

You know, for the first time I am reminded of The Love Canal mess.

Not an unreasonable comparison.

Eclectic Cyborg Feb 12, 2016 • 6:29:54pm

If nobody goes to prison for this I am going to fucking SCREAM.

Targetpractice Feb 12, 2016 • 6:30:42pm

re: #1 TedStriker

If this were Democrats in charge of all of this, the TPGOPers would be screaming to high heaven for prosecutions and hearings to the highest level. So far, all I’m really hearing from them is either tumbleweeds blowing by or half-assed defenses of Snyder and his lackey.

That hasn’t really stopped them from making excuses that Democrats were responsible. When they haven’t tried (and utterly failed) to blame the matter on the city council, they’ve tried the EPA, or even gone so far as to attack the unions which they claim were responsible for bankrupting the city and putting it a position of requiring an emergency manager.

dog philosopher ஐஒஔ௸ Feb 12, 2016 • 6:30:57pm

im seeing the beginnings of trends that will result in making jeans into old fashioned clothing that old people wear: brightly colored elaborately patterned tights

olds cannot wear these without looking like walmart shoppers

BlueSpotinAL Feb 12, 2016 • 6:32:13pm

The switch still makes no economic sense. Is there a private business that was involved with getting the water from the Flint River?

Edit: On further reading, probably not. The real mystery is who decided not to treat the corrosive nature of the Flint water with orthophosphate. The root cause of the mess in the first place is all of the various water works boards not getting along, aggravated by financial stresses.

ObserverArt Feb 12, 2016 • 6:32:39pm

re: #3 TedStriker

Not an unreasonable comparison.

It certainly has the same human traits like blatant disregard for people, civic and state political manipulation and health concerns because they overlooked the obvious and already known risks.

And Love Canal was like 1975 thru 1978 once it blew all up. 40 years later and you get a similar civic disaster.

Yeah, let’s get rid of the EPA. They are pretty much gone now anyway. ///

TedStriker Feb 12, 2016 • 6:34:02pm

re: #5 Targetpractice

That hasn’t really stopped them from making excuses that Democrats were responsible. When they haven’t tried (and utterly failed) to blame the matter on the city council, they’ve tried the EPA, or even gone so far as to attack the unions which they claim were responsible for bankrupting the city and putting it a position of requiring an emergency manager.

“Why are you making me ~~hit you~~ give you lead poisoning?”

KingKenrod Feb 12, 2016 • 6:34:09pm

re: #1 TedStriker

If it were Democrats in charge of this preventable travesty, the TPGOPers would be screaming to high heaven for prosecutions and hearings to the highest level. So far, all I’m really hearing from them is either tumbleweeds blowing by or half-assed defenses of Snyder and his lackey.

You have to wonder about their reluctance. Cost cutting, incompetence, environmental catastrophe. It’s the logical conclusion of GOP priorities in action. Maybe they are afraid much of the country still sees Flint and the Detroit area as solid blue.

Tigger2 Feb 12, 2016 • 6:41:59pm

@jjmacnab @msbellows I would not want to be in the shoes of a Bundy Ranch militant at the moment. pic.twitter.com/CAMYleiH7S

— Gargoyle (@Patztense) February 12, 2016

Eric The Fruit Bat Feb 12, 2016 • 6:44:36pm

re: #11 Tigger2

I call bullshit. That top portion doesn’t pass the smell test.

Tigger2 Feb 12, 2016 • 6:45:53pm

re: #12 Eric The Fruit Bat

I call bullshit.

Yeah I think it’s someone messing with them. Because they are the butt of many jokes and are paranoid as hell.

Great White Snark Feb 12, 2016 • 6:46:10pm

re: #4 Eclectic Cyborg

If nobody goes to prison for this I am going to fucking SCREAM.

I’ll make some tea with honey. Might help your vocal cords recover. ‘Cause for all the ineptitude and craven disregard shown here, they will be highly professional at covering their asses and redefining reasonable doubt via taxpayer paid lawyers at hundreds and hour.

This is why I flinch when some depend on government to protect them from the awful private capitalist option. What I see is it matters not whether gov or corp. What matters is effective checks and balances, well paid oversight and laws with teeth. Put those things together and it goes well, again completely independent of what the management source or style is. Public or private becomes unimportant. Also importantly the issue at hand becomes far less exploitable in election years. Unremarkable. Trouble is some will miss the leverage and seek to invent it.

De Kolta Chair Feb 12, 2016 • 6:47:03pm

re: #11 Tigger2

Gargoyle @Patztense

I would not want to be in the shoes of a Bundy Ranch militant at the moment.

Stanley Sea Feb 12, 2016 • 6:49:06pm

re: #2 ObserverArt

You know, for the first time I am reminded of The Love Canal mess.

They have started a study on recent miscarriages.

nines09 Feb 12, 2016 • 6:49:31pm

re: #2 ObserverArt

You know, for the first time I am reminded of The Love Canal mess.

Houses now sit on top of that. It’s all good. Go back to sleep. It’s too late for me to go into it, but I have personal experience with my family and town being poisoned with benzene from leaking underground gas tanks. The extent of the breakdown of old tanks, pipes, filtration, and abatement is a national crime. But we’ve been fucking each other since day one for a buck. And that, in a nutshell, is Flint. A buck. And nobody of any import will serve a day of stir. Not. One.

Great White Snark Feb 12, 2016 • 6:51:30pm

re: #5 Targetpractice

That hasn’t really stopped them from making excuses that Democrats were responsible. When they haven’t tried (and utterly failed) to blame the matter on the city council, they’ve tried the EPA, or even gone so far as to attack the unions which they claim were responsible for bankrupting the city and putting it a position of requiring an emergency manager.

Find the persons responsible and punish them. See to checks and balances. All the rest of the labels are distractions. Distractions don’t help justice. Or reform. They do play well at the ballot box though.

Targetpractice Feb 12, 2016 • 6:52:38pm

re: #14 Great White Snark

I’ll make some tea with honey. Might help your vocal chords recover. ‘Cause for all the ineptitude and craven disregard shown here, they will be highly professional at covering their asses and redefining reasonable doubt via taxpayer paid lawyers at hundreds and hour.

This is why I flinch when some depend on government to protect them from the awful private capitalist option. What I see is it matters not whether gov or corp. What matters is effective checks and balances, well paid oversight and laws with teeth. Put those things together and it goes well, again completely independent of what the management source or style is. Public or private becomes unimportant. Also importantly the issue at hand becomes far less exploitable in election years. Unremarkable. Trouble is some will miss the leverage and seek to invent it.

Ayep, but the time it’s all over, the only people who might see the inside of a cell will be low-level fall guys who can’t afford the high priced lawyers that their bosses will use to avoid so much as a fine. Snyder will finish out his term on a promise of “fixing” the fuck-up, go quiet for an election cycle, then be back on the national stage running for Congress or even the White House. “What about Flint?” Somebody else’s fault, Rick was totally in the dark about it all until people started turning up sick.

Eric The Fruit Bat Feb 12, 2016 • 6:53:29pm

OT, but worth a snicker….

Want Viagra? Get A Note From Your Wife, Kentucky Lawmaker Says
State Rep. Mary Lou Marzian said her bill aims to show anti-abortion advocates another side of government involvement in the bedroom.

Great White Snark Feb 12, 2016 • 6:59:50pm

re: #19 Targetpractice

One of those observations overheard at my office, told as a joke like “two guys walk into a bar…”

First guy-” If you are a Republican you never got screwed over by a big corporation.”
Second guy-“If you are a Democrat, you never had your business picked over by OSHA, EPA or the IRS”
Third guy-“If you have good coping skills for the daily challenges our society has, you may want to consider becoming an independent, if not turn off the news and depend on your party or religion to lead you.”

De Kolta Chair Feb 12, 2016 • 7:00:32pm

re: #20 Eric The Fruit Bat

OT, but worth a snicker….

Want Viagra? Get A Note From Your Wife, Kentucky Lawmaker Says
State Rep. Mary Lou Marzian said her bill aims to show anti-abortion advocates another side of government involvement in the bedroom.

Nice twist on what was reported at Daily Kos in March 2012:

Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner (D) isn’t happy with bills that seek to control women’s access to contraception and abortion. She has joined a trend across the nation by introducing a bill that would require men seeking a prescription for erectile dysfunction drugs to see a sex therapist, receive a cardiac stress test and “get a notarized affidavit signed by a sexual partner affirming impotency.” Sex therapists would be required to present the option of “celibacy as a viable lifestyle choice.”

Kaessa Feb 12, 2016 • 7:00:41pm

re: #11 Tigger2

[Embedded content]

Constitutional camping trips? Is that what they’re calling it now?

Eric The Fruit Bat Feb 12, 2016 • 7:02:39pm

re: #19 Targetpractice

That’s why when the next drilling project comes up for vote in any state, there must be a rider that states it will be approved only if the CEO, the COO and 1/3rd of the board live within 5 miles of the drill site and must use all public utilities and are prohibited from using bottled water.

De Kolta Chair Feb 12, 2016 • 7:07:23pm

Walt Disney and Salvador Dali on a boat, Spain, 1957. Photograph from the Walt Disney Family Foundation Collection. pic.twitter.com/KzDCJX1kxn

— History In Pictures (@HistoryInPics) February 13, 2016

Looks like Lake Havasu, Arizona to me.

Lancelot Link Feb 12, 2016 • 7:12:48pm

re: #25 De Kolta Chair

Wasn’t someone talking about Franco supporters?
There’s another one.

EPR-radar Feb 12, 2016 • 7:20:52pm

re: #14 Great White Snark

I’ll make some tea with honey. Might help your vocal cords recover. ‘Cause for all the ineptitude and craven disregard shown here, they will be highly professional at covering their asses and redefining reasonable doubt via taxpayer paid lawyers at hundreds and hour.

This is why I flinch when some depend on government to protect them from the awful private capitalist option. What I see is it matters not whether gov or corp. What matters is effective checks and balances, well paid oversight and laws with teeth. Put those things together and it goes well, again completely independent of what the management source or style is. Public or private becomes unimportant. Also importantly the issue at hand becomes far less exploitable in election years. Unremarkable. Trouble is some will miss the leverage and seek to invent it.

Pinning the blame on the Republicans for this isn’t just a partisan blame game. Flint Michigan is a completely predictable and expected outcome of the kind of ‘governance’ the Republicans have come to embrace.

So if we really do want to prevent stuff like this from happening again, the GOP wrecking ball model of ‘governance’ is as much a part of the picture as anything else. This isn’t just a random act of ineptitude by some mid-level flunkies.

Stanley Sea Feb 12, 2016 • 7:21:01pm

re: #17 nines09

But we’ve been fucking each other since day one for a buck. And that, in a nutshell, is Flint. A buck.

Definitely going to be our downfall.

I keep seeing those cooking oil cans instead of cement in that earthquake building in Taiwan.

Do not doubt for a sec we are any better. Craftier, yeah.

Reality Based Steve Feb 12, 2016 • 7:24:53pm

I’m going to go into my workshop and do some woodworking stuff. Not sure if I’m going to actually try and make something, or just putter around, maybe get the lathe going, practice a bit and work on my technique. Just like the musicians in the group have things like scales and other practice stuff, I’ve got a set of exercises and cuts that I do.

Plus it’s very relaxing for me. I’ve found that I simply can not work at the lathe if I’m tight or angry. I just don’t have the flow and the feel. A bonus is that when it is going well, I get very relaxed and just don’t have a care in the world.

Or maybe I’ll just take some time and do a tuneup on my little band saw, since it’s wanting to not cut straight any more.

In any case, I’m going to be busy puttering, tinkering or turning.

Be good, and have a good weekend.

RBS

EPR-radar Feb 12, 2016 • 7:29:14pm

re: #7 BlueSpotinAL

The switch still makes no economic sense. Is there a private business that was involved with getting the water from the Flint River?

Edit: On further reading, probably not. The real mystery is who decided not to treat the corrosive nature of the Flint water with orthophosphate. The root cause of the mess in the first place is all of the various water works boards not getting along, aggravated by financial stresses.

The most plausible theory I’ve seen for why the switch is that the motive was to take away a customer of the Detroit water works to weaken that entity for the kind of private give-away/take over that Republicans live for.

After that, I’m convinced that Snyder & Co. paid no attention at all to the various early warnings because the warnings came from non-Republicans and epistemic closure was applied, making the warnings completely irrelevant.

KingKenrod Feb 12, 2016 • 7:30:19pm

Out today, St. Vincent covers “Emotional Rescue”.

(this song has always been one of my guilty pleasures)

Video

WhatEVs Feb 12, 2016 • 7:33:08pm

re: #6 dog philosopher ஐஒஔ௸

im seeing the beginnings of trends that will result in making jeans into old fashioned clothing that old people wear: brightly colored elaborately patterned tights

olds cannot wear these without looking like walmart shoppers

Hey. Watch the “olds” bit, bub. My MIL is 80, wears leggings and looks better than most women a fraction of her age. She looks better than both me and her granddaughter (not my kid, but I love her like she’s mine). Olds. Bah.

Eric The Fruit Bat Feb 12, 2016 • 7:34:21pm

re: #29 Reality Based Steve

Or maybe I’ll just take some time and do a tuneup on my little band saw, since it’s wanting to not cut straight any more.

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

ObserverArt Feb 12, 2016 • 7:37:05pm

re: #22 De Kolta Chair

Nice twist on what was reported at Daily Kos in March 2012:

Nina is now working with the Bernie Sanders campaign. She was on MSNBC today complaining about Hillary criticizing Bernie for his statements on Obama’s accomplishments. The “low blow” claim by Bernie Last night.

nines09 Feb 12, 2016 • 7:37:14pm

re: #28 Stanley Sea

Definitely going to be our downfall.

I keep seeing those cooking oil cans instead of cement in that earthquake building in Taiwan.

Do not doubt for a sec we are any better. Craftier, yeah.

On my very sarcastic days, I think the only thing we really got right in all these years was the ability to throw bigger rocks. Then a boy like Trump comes along and cements it. There’s a lot of good out there. Sometimes the foliage and fauna and rocks keep it out of view.

Stanley Sea Feb 12, 2016 • 7:38:19pm

re: #29 Reality Based Steve

I’m going to go into my workshop and do some woodworking stuff. Not sure if I’m going to actually try and make something, or just putter around, maybe get the lathe going, practice a bit and work on my technique. Just like the musicians in the group have things like scales and other practice stuff, I’ve got a set of exercises and cuts that I do.

Plus it’s very relaxing for me. I’ve found that I simply can not work at the lathe if I’m tight or angry. I just don’t have the flow and the feel. A bonus is that when it is going well, I get very relaxed and just don’t have a care in the world.

Or maybe I’ll just take some time and do a tuneup on my little band saw, since it’s wanting to not cut straight any more.

In any case, I’m going to be busy puttering, tinkering or turning.

Be good, and have a good weekend.

RBS

My Dad sold his wood shop when he retired to Myrtle Beach. A lathe & everything else possible.

I’m still sad I wasn’t even considered to ask if I wanted that shit. I’d love to learn wood working.

I would’ve figured out warehouse rent etc. :(

ObserverArt Feb 12, 2016 • 7:41:08pm

re: #28 Stanley Sea

Definitely going to be our downfall.

I keep seeing those cooking oil cans instead of cement in that earthquake building in Taiwan.

Do not doubt for a sec we are any better. Craftier, yeah.

And that great burning Tower of Dubai!

makeitstop Feb 12, 2016 • 7:42:50pm

re: #33 Eric The Fruit Bat

[Embedded content]

Just reading that made my sphincter tighten.

I’ve broken both the pinkie and index fingers on my left (fretting) hand, and I’m totally paranoid about operating power tools. I even get nervous using my Dremel.

makeitstop = power tool wuss.

JasonA Feb 12, 2016 • 7:46:23pm

Since we’re talking about filthy fluids I’d like to take a moment to say damn I loved Deadpool.

gwangung Feb 12, 2016 • 7:46:30pm

re: #34 ObserverArt

Nina is now working with the Bernie Sanders campaign. She was on MSNBC today complaining about Hillary criticizing Bernie for his statements on Obama’s accomplishments. The “low blow” claim by Bernie Last night.

Nice try, but saying Sanders was talking about primarying Obama isn’t a low blow

Barefoot Grin Feb 12, 2016 • 7:49:27pm

re: #38 makeitstop

Just reading that made my sphincter tighten.

I’ve broken both the pinkie and index fingers on my left (fretting) hand, and I’m totally paranoid about operating power tools. I even get nervous using my Dremel.

makeitstop = power tool wuss.

For me it was years in my teens and early twenties working in a variety of restaurants. It never happened, but I had dreams of slicing my fingertips off on the deli meat and cheese slicer (of course, I cut myself several times with knives; I almost lost a job when one of my bandaids found its way into a customer’s quesadillo sauce—I should have lost my job, but it was the ’80s).

Eric The Fruit Bat Feb 12, 2016 • 7:51:57pm

re: #38 makeitstop

I have real aversion when I open the hood of any auto. That gets me bigtime. As far as a Dremel goes, I maintain a firm grip on it and I also have something substantial between me and the Dremel.

allegro Feb 12, 2016 • 7:52:24pm

I mentioned briefly the other night getting into adult coloring books. My favorites are extremely intricate mandalas that I’ve been doing with a set of real fine point gel pens I found in stunning colors, some with a pearlescent sheen, some kinda glittery. I’m getting a ridiculous amount of enjoyment from these. Best part is the minimal investment, no warehouse needed, and no sharp objects that sever body parts. 🙌

nines09 Feb 12, 2016 • 7:52:50pm

Love to see the photos shared here. Great stuff. So me and the wife got new (NEW!) iphones today, 2 for 1 sale at Costco. DEAL. And in the midst of doing all the biz a photo from late summer 2014 jumped out at me. From a 4s iphone and the reason I love summer. Goodnight all.

Mantis on King Coleus eyeing me up

ObserverArt Feb 12, 2016 • 7:53:19pm

re: #40 gwangung

Nice try, but saying Sanders was talking about primarying Obama isn’t a low blow

All the Sanders people are crying about that today.

And when Hillary got on Bernie about it last night in the debate…Bernie did claim it was a low blow…so Nina was surly sent out to say Bernie was right. It was “uncalled for.*”

And Nina sort of double downed on the bit about only one of the candidates “tried to make sure Obama wasn’t elected*”

(*paraphrased but close to what she said)

Eric The Fruit Bat Feb 12, 2016 • 7:56:32pm

re: #43 allegro

Where do you get your gel pens? My favorite pen/pencil place is jetpens.com.

My favorite pencils use the Kuru Toga lead rotation engine, where the point is always sharp. I also dropped some serious coin on a Pilot retractable fountain pen.

Great White Snark Feb 12, 2016 • 7:57:13pm

re: #27 EPR-radar

Pinning the blame on the Republicans for this isn’t just a partisan blame game. Flint Michigan is a completely predictable and expected outcome of the kind of ‘governance’ the Republicans have come to embrace.

So if we really do want to prevent stuff like this from happening again, the GOP wrecking ball model of ‘governance’ is as much a part of the picture as anything else. This isn’t just a random act of ineptitude by some mid-level flunkies.

I’m not reducing this to partisan blame game. I’m reducing it further. Nor does my call for checks and balances reside mid level. it’s lives at the highest levels and mid level. Labels like “union” “republican” “democrat” when attached to corruption serve no useful purpose in preventing more of the same. Checks and balances and strong laws do that. Labels like party labels or union labels are fund raising exploitable artifacts of elections. Nothing less, nothing more.

SteveMcGaziBolaGate RN Feb 12, 2016 • 7:59:51pm

My goofy tool story: I was painting a house and trying to reach around to get paint on the underside of the eave of the roof. First I laid on the roof and tried to reach around but that left me facing head down on the pitched roof with nothing but ground twenty five feet below me. I found that distracting. So I was trying to stretch the extending aluminum ladder just ONE more step so I laid it down and extended it one step past the end of the pulley. So I stand the ladder up to lean it against the house, and I’m not sure whether I thought OOPS right before or right after the bang. Sure enough the ladder slid all the way down right on my fingers. First I looked on the ground to find them but I realized they were still attached. THen I had to figure out a way to put the ladder down since my fingers were jammed in there and I didn’t want to lose them. BTW I was trying to do this paint job in a rush because a thunderstorm was coming. So with the lightning and thunder getting closer together, I managed to get the rope in my teeth and pull just enough to get my hands out. When it was all over I wound up getting a couple stitches in the middle knuckles of five fingers. Well that’s my story, so there.

makeitstop Feb 12, 2016 • 8:01:00pm

re: #42 Eric The Fruit Bat

I have real aversion when I open the hood of any auto. That gets me bigtime. As far as a Dremel goes, I maintain a firm grip on it and I also have something substantial between me and the Dremel.

I don’t use mine for anything heavy duty, just cleaning up things like pickup cavities in guitars and wayward frets that have stabby ends on them or pickguards that don’t quite fit.

My BiLis big on all that stuff - chainsaws and circular saws and shit. I look at them and all I can see is me on the way to the emergency room.

allegro Feb 12, 2016 • 8:03:00pm

re: #46 Eric The Fruit Bat

Where do you get your gel pens? My favorite pen/pencil place is jetpens.com.

My favorite pencils use the Kuru Toga lead rotation engine, where the point is always sharp. I also dropped some serious coin on a Pilot retractable fountain pen.

I got this set of 40 pens/colors from amazon for $20. Not willing to spend serious bucks but do enjoy the nice quality (to me, but I don’t really know any better). These:
amazon.com

Feline Fearless Leader Feb 12, 2016 • 8:03:10pm

re: #41 Barefoot Grin

For me it was years in my teens and early twenties working in a variety of restaurants. It never happened, but I had dreams of slicing my fingertips off on the deli meat and cheese slicer (of course, I cut myself several times with knives; I almost lost a job when one of my bandaids found its way into a customer’s quesadillo sauce—I should have lost my job, but it was the ’80s).

Part of an episode of the BBC Comedy “Chef!” hinged around a missing bandage and also had a bit about the bandages being blue since there was no blue food. (No blue food is also a George Carlin bit as well.)

ausador Feb 12, 2016 • 8:05:40pm

Gee, CNN seems to have forgotten to put “and paid advisor for Donald Trump” into their tweet. Almost forgot to put it in the story at all, way down past the “continue reading” button to show the full article.

.@POTUS’ former top military intelligence official says @HillaryClinton should drop out https://t.co/NhZpx9Z7E5 pic.twitter.com/Gxk08ZDJ2N

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) February 13, 2016

klys (maker of Silmarils) Feb 12, 2016 • 8:12:45pm

re: #50 allegro

I got this set of 40/colors from amazon for $20. Not willing to spend serious bucks but do enjoy the nice quality (to me, but I don’t really know any better). These: amazon.com):
amazon.com

I want to play more with the adult coloring books, for nights where stitching takes too much mental energy.

I have only stabbed myself a few times.

Feline Fearless Leader Feb 12, 2016 • 8:12:54pm

re: #52 ausador

Gee, CNN seems to have forgotten to put “and paid advisor for Donald Trump” into their tweet. Almost forgot to put it in the story at all, way down past the “continue reading” button to show the full article.

[Embedded content]

I was sitting in the lunch room this morning while waiting for a maintenance contractor to show up. CNN was on the TV there and after about 20 minutes I couldn’t take anymore and simply went elsewhere since I don’t have the authority to change the channel, mute it, or simply turn the TV off.

It was primarily talking head debate coverage, MBF format, with no real questioning of the talking heads to any serious extent. Lob a few softball questions, accept the soundbite answers without any rebuttal, put out the “horse race” talking points, and move on to the next aspect. (And repeat the cycle every 30 minutes to an hour.)

It’s total political fluff. And no other apparent news coverage unless there is some looming disaster that might produce large numbers of bodies suddenly.

Stanley Sea Feb 12, 2016 • 8:13:11pm

re: #41 Barefoot Grin

For me it was years in my teens and early twenties working in a variety of restaurants. It never happened, but I had dreams of slicing my fingertips off on the deli meat and cheese slicer (of course, I cut myself several times with knives; I almost lost a job when one of my bandaids found its way into a customer’s quesadillo sauce—I should have lost my job, but it was the ’80s).

Recently, well this past summer I was doing my time at a 2nd job. The neighborhood grill.

Someone served a salad that had a fucking brown paper towel at the bottom. It was insane. No one was fired, but the managers lost it.

allegro Feb 12, 2016 • 8:16:07pm

re: #53 klys (maker of Silmarils)

I want to play more with the adult coloring books, for nights where stitching takes too much mental energy.

I have only stabbed myself a few times.

I have a 3 foot stack of yarn and a number of crochet projects waiting while I color away. I’ll get to the yarn eventually. LOVE these coloring books. Highly recommend, very relaxing.

Stanley Sea Feb 12, 2016 • 8:20:42pm

re: #47 Great White Snark

I’m not reducing this to partisan blame game. I’m reducing it further. Nor does my call for checks and balances reside mid level. it’s lives at the highest levels and mid level. Labels like “union” “republican” “democrat” when attached to corruption serve no useful purpose in preventing more of the same. Checks and balances and strong laws do that. Labels like party labels or union labels are fund raising exploitable artifacts of elections. Nothing less, nothing more.

But the bottom line is a Republican governor, mayor, city councilperson or President believes in the cut the budget theory.

They are just as beholden to the same departments the Dems are beholden to. So they pick the people. Especially the unrepresented people.

To cut the budget.

klys (maker of Silmarils) Feb 12, 2016 • 8:21:13pm

re: #56 allegro

I have a 3 foot stack of yarn and a number of crochet projects waiting while I color away. I’ll get to the yarn eventually. LOVE these coloring books. Highly recommend, very relaxing.

I’m working on small things because I can’t decide what I want to do as my next big project. Need to do a special order of beads to finish the project for my mom (it is otherwise complete) and I’m trying to decide what else goes in the cart to justify the shipping.

I’ve started posting lots of my stitching photos on Instagram. There’s a really nice active community of stitchers on there. I’m debating trying to use Duolingo to learn Russian (at least a little) to connect with some of the Russian community on there. Maybe could even get the app translated, once I deal with the hard drive mess. Sigh.

ninja cat Feb 12, 2016 • 8:22:55pm

It’s probably for the best I don’t own any power tools. I somehow managed to slice my hand open opening a cat food container. Trip to the ER, 10 stitches, tetanus shot. Cost me over $800, with insurance. It took me a long time til I was comfortable to buy any cans with pop-up openers.

Stanley Sea Feb 12, 2016 • 8:27:01pm

re: #56 allegro

I have a 3 foot stack of yarn and a number of crochet projects waiting while I color away. I’ll get to the yarn eventually. LOVE these coloring books. Highly recommend, very relaxing.

More Rodney’s!!!!

He is just the coolest thing ever.

allegro Feb 12, 2016 • 8:27:57pm

re: #58 klys (maker of Silmarils)

I’m working on small things because I can’t decide what I want to do as my next big project. Need to do a special order of beads to finish the project for my mom (it is otherwise complete) and I’m trying to decide what else goes in the cart to justify the shipping.

I’ve started posting lots of my stitching photos on Instagram. There’s a really nice active community of stitchers on there. I’m debating trying to use Duolingo to learn Russian (at least a little) to connect with some of the Russian community on there. Maybe could even get the app translated, once I deal with the hard drive mess. Sigh.

I know the feeling. I got all this yarn when it was on major sale AND free shipping, making it irresistable. I’ve got a couple of designs in my head that are still rumbling around waiting for that final inspiration. I always get there… eventually.

Stanley Sea Feb 12, 2016 • 8:29:27pm

I love that dude Allegro.

stpaulbear Feb 12, 2016 • 8:31:42pm

This evening I bought a new PC desktop to replace my old computer that’s still running Windows XP. I’ve upgraded to Windows 10 and I found out that I can buy a copy of MS 2016 Pro through work for $10 ($25 if I want a back-up disc).

I’m not a computer person so I can’t begin to tell you how intimidated I feel about setting up the new computer. I’m not even going to start until tomorrow.

Anybody have any recommendations for a wired keyboard with an old-time feel to the keys? Wish list includes backlit keys and dedicated music controls.

New computer details on request but I don’t feel like getting flamed for buying such an obvious choice. I’ve used Dell computers at work as long as I’ve been using computers.

I’m going to feel like a moron all day tomorrow.

allegro Feb 12, 2016 • 8:31:48pm

re: #60 Stanley Sea

More Rodney’s!!!!

Image: He is just the coolest thing ever.

Heh, I love him still. One of my favorite creations ever. I’ve gotta finish his buddy Bic the Dragon (a best friend always has a light for your bong, right?). He turned into a major project and I got distracted doing other projects for friends. Poor guy has been waiting for a face for months. Wait til you see him! He’ll knock your socks off.

allegro Feb 12, 2016 • 8:34:03pm

re: #62 Stanley Sea

I love that dude Allegro.

Aww, I am so glad. It’s really gratifying to know someone appreciates my goofy art. Thank you!

Eric The Fruit Bat Feb 12, 2016 • 8:36:26pm

re: #54 Feline Fearless Leader

CNN was on the TV there and after about 20 minutes I couldn’t take anymore and simply went elsewhere since I don’t have the authority to change the channel, mute it, or simply turn the TV off.

Later generation smartphones from Samsung have IR control capability….

(just sayin’….)

Belafon Feb 12, 2016 • 8:36:27pm

re: #52 ausador

@CNNPolitics @POTUS @HillaryClinton Trump advisor said that? Shock. CNN should shut down, says former sailor (me).
— Lonnie Mask (@LonnieMask) February 13, 2016

Stanley Sea Feb 12, 2016 • 8:37:26pm

re: #65 allegro

Aww, I am so glad. It’s really gratifying to know someone appreciates my goofy art. Thank you!

Everyone who comes over meets him & his bong.

Everyone.

HappyWarrior Feb 12, 2016 • 8:38:34pm

re: #67 Belafon

[Embedded content]

Getting so tired of this crap.

HappyWarrior Feb 12, 2016 • 8:39:37pm

Straight Outta Compton is worth the hype by the way. Just got done watching it. Not a huge rap fan but it’s a great look at the history of the genre.

Jenner7 Feb 12, 2016 • 8:40:11pm

re: #67 Belafon

The dude also said he had no evidence of Hillary doing anything illegal.

But, you know, HILLARY SHOULD DROP OUT!!

Eric The Fruit Bat Feb 12, 2016 • 8:42:38pm

re: #63 stpaulbear

Anybody have any recommendations for a wired keyboard with an old-time feel to the keys? Wish list includes backlit keys and dedicated music controls.

Got to MicroCenter in St. Louis Park and scope their inventory-you want Cherry (mechanical) keys and backlighting. Be prepared to drop between $100-130. You can check their inventory online.

allegro Feb 12, 2016 • 8:43:06pm

re: #68 Stanley Sea

Everyone who comes over meets him & his bong.

Everyone.

I have friends who say hello to him when they come over, after greeting my two dogs, Blossom, and Mo Betta. LOL

stpaulbear Feb 12, 2016 • 8:48:07pm

re: #72 Eric The Fruit Bat

Got to MicroCenter in St. Louis Park and scope their inventory-you want Cherry (mechanical) keys and backlighting. Be prepared to drop between $100-130. You can check their inventory online.

Yep. I’ve already been on their website looking at the Ducky keyboards. I might go over there tomorrow to look around. I may have to wait for a while - I spent more than enough money tonight.

retired cynic Feb 12, 2016 • 8:49:50pm

error - deleted

Alyosha Feb 12, 2016 • 8:50:03pm

CNN is like the weird, insecure kid that glombs onto the schoolyard bully and rides around in his wake like a remora, insulting the kids the bully has already put on the ground.

It’s increasingly FOX-lite. Trying ever-so hard to keep people from realising what a pathetic joke it truly is.

Jenner7 Feb 12, 2016 • 8:56:03pm

Watching this tonight on our brand new 48 in TV. Woot!

Video

retired cynic Feb 12, 2016 • 8:58:09pm

Lizards spending $ tonight!

stpaulbear Feb 12, 2016 • 9:01:45pm

re: #78 retired cynic

Lizards spending $ tonight!

I think it’s the combination of Valentines Day and President’s Day sales. My new computer was a President’s Day special.

teleskiguy Feb 12, 2016 • 9:03:16pm

re: #78 retired cynic

Lizards spending $ tonight!

Kragar Feb 12, 2016 • 9:12:38pm

heard from a federal source FBI is finding “rudimentary booby traps” at the Malheur national wildlife refuge

— John Sepulvado (@JohnLGC) February 13, 2016

actually it’s more serious - vehicles rigged to burn or blow when turned on.

— John Sepulvado (@JohnLGC) February 13, 2016

retired cynic Feb 12, 2016 • 9:13:12pm

re: #81 Kragar

Somebody’s in Trouble!

Eric The Fruit Bat Feb 12, 2016 • 9:13:53pm

re: #78 retired cynic

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

Kragar Feb 12, 2016 • 9:14:07pm

re: #82 retired cynic

Somebody’s in Trouble!

Nothing official to confirm that yet though. Probably have to wait until the charges are read to be sure.

retired cynic Feb 12, 2016 • 9:14:56pm

re: #83 Eric The Fruit Bat

Oh, yay! Wish my father had had access to modern technology.

Eric The Fruit Bat Feb 12, 2016 • 9:15:08pm

re: #82 retired cynic

Yep-shit just went from bad to worse for those in the hoosegow.

Feline Fearless Leader Feb 12, 2016 • 9:16:43pm

re: #66 Eric The Fruit Bat

Later generation smartphones from Samsung have IR control capability….

(just sayin’….)

Not that I couldn’t have since I have access to the room with the cable tuner and the remote. Actually doing so would have gotten me some attention from folk I would rather not rile.

Feline Fearless Leader Feb 12, 2016 • 9:19:03pm

re: #81 Kragar

[Embedded content]

I presume that rigging a Federal vehicle (or any vehicle) to blow up is a felony rap of some sort. Will be curious if they left all sorts of nice fingerprints on the tampering.

Kragar Feb 12, 2016 • 9:20:43pm

re: #88 Feline Fearless Leader

I presume that rigging a Federal vehicle (or any vehicle) to blow up is a felony rap of some sort. Will be curious if they left all sorts of nice fingerprints on the tampering.

RICO and conspiracy charges are so much fun though!

William Lewis Feb 12, 2016 • 9:21:27pm

re: #72 Eric The Fruit Bat

Got to MicroCenter in St. Louis Park and scope their inventory-you want Cherry (mechanical) keys and backlighting. Be prepared to drop between $100-130. You can check their inventory online.

Pity high end places like that only imitate those vile IBM keyboards. I really miss one that feels like a DEC VT or Vax station keyboard. Much more enjoyable typing for me.

Eric The Fruit Bat Feb 12, 2016 • 9:26:58pm

re: #85 retired cynic

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

retired cynic Feb 12, 2016 • 9:27:57pm

re: #91 Eric The Fruit Bat

Best of luck!

Stanley Sea Feb 12, 2016 • 9:29:09pm

So I’m guessing there’s a sale this weekend due to President’s day?

I need a new laptop. hmmmmmm

retired cynic Feb 12, 2016 • 9:29:41pm

re: #93 Stanley Sea

So I’m guessing there’s a sale this weekend due to President’s day?

I need a new laptop. hmmmmmm

It does give me an itchy wallet!

Feline Fearless Leader Feb 12, 2016 • 9:30:04pm

re: #90 William Lewis

Pity high end places like that only imitate those vile IBM keyboards. I really miss one that feels like a DEC VT or Vax station keyboard. Much more enjoyable typing for me.

I have an old desktop keyboard around here somewhere. But would need to find an adapter to get it to fit one of the laptops. That’s assuming that the computer would even recognize it if I found the adapter since it would have to be to USB.

Which reminds me that I had a discussion about computer data security with one of our non-IT product managers earlier this week. He had some bug up his ass about protecting data as massively as possible against theft. I asked him if that included automatically blocking USB ports on all the desktops, laptops, etc. He said “Yes”. Then I asked him who was going to pay to replace all the equipment since we have all this Dell equipment about that uses USB for mice, keyboards, etc. etc. and the docking stations as well. The topic of discussion rapidly changed at that point.

Eric The Fruit Bat Feb 12, 2016 • 9:30:04pm

re: #90 William Lewis

Remember the TI PC keyboards? Now those were some sweet keyboards.

But you have to give the IBM PC keyboards some credit-they were built like tanks, and could cause serious damage if wielded as a weapon.

teleskiguy Feb 12, 2016 • 9:30:16pm

re: #83 Eric The Fruit Bat

76GwE+F9lNPWKpSaA00dTZmEdatGdA/vCiFjjrMfZBgg46Xbttk3gL5cnmucxun35D4Nl+auzZGIY98zkDwZwK0V/VaWtV6qqvwAYpWColMJ+O1FAq3uAHlFlFelN8+ucNyXgNZ2xlMuI4tajfkf0vuKLmb8wj2ul3x1bmG6rQTwkeMvGeotNrQcsotMt6oBzYn8bGACHsbAygUMKN7m7H4AZ6893BE2IQIoJPMV0GNxhbd4MBvJya0l6+DFDtBzE7CeoVWgjXAeu82BQ7kr7Jj7Z6Je4tXEEz7VMJcAAsgxhqjDHyiBsW0dr5Kw0amiRpW9bcNrAW+rglcA9iS+jOklPZtdI5BTj9Srw1D1qNRPPjxmPver5bxTzbQnGO2KSC4sdAqVoAc=

TedStriker Feb 12, 2016 • 9:32:33pm

re: #72 Eric The Fruit Bat

Got to MicroCenter in St. Louis Park and scope their inventory-you want Cherry (mechanical) keys and backlighting. Be prepared to drop between $100-130. You can check their inventory online.

*sits in Nashville, looks in the general direction of the St. Louis Micro Center, then in the general direction of the Atlanta Micro Centers*

*sobs uncontrollably*

Belafon Feb 12, 2016 • 9:33:50pm

re: #95 Feline Fearless Leader

At my job, they remotely control all the ports and receive notifications when things are plugged into the USB ports.

100

Belafon Feb 12, 2016 • 9:35:12pm

re: #98 TedStriker

*sits in Nashville, looks in the general direction of the St. Louis Micro Center, then in the general direction of the Atlanta Micro Centers*

*sobs uncontrollably*

The st. Louis one is probably closers than the one here in dallas.

101

teleskiguy Feb 12, 2016 • 9:35:45pm

re: #98 TedStriker

*sits in Nashville, looks in the general direction of the St. Louis Micro Center, then in the general direction of the Atlanta Micro Centers*

*sobs uncontrollably*

If it makes you feel any better I still have to drive twenty-five miles in either direction to buy a pair of pants.

102

retired cynic Feb 12, 2016 • 9:35:51pm

re: #98 TedStriker

*sits in Nashville, looks in the general direction of the St. Louis Micro Center, then in the general direction of the Atlanta Micro Centers*

*sobs uncontrollably*

Aha! I was confused by St. Louis Park. I have been in the one in St. Louis MO, and bought some bits there.

103

majii Feb 12, 2016 • 9:38:02pm

Snyder has decided he wants to testify in Congress now. He says he wants to explain to Congress how “the local, state, and federal governments combined to fail the people of Flint.” This is a pure CYA move on Snyder’s part. It was his decision to install an emergency manager in Flint to save a few bucks and take local sovereignty away from the citizens on Flint. He is also known to be a member of the “let’s fight the EPA at every turn” crew. He is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Big Business/Big Energy and would abolish the EPA and other federal and state regulatory agencies if he could so that the Koch Bros. and other corporate big-timers could do as they please and pay no consequences for their wrongdoing.
mlive.com

104

Belafon Feb 12, 2016 • 9:39:13pm

re: #103 majii

He’ll try to ask for immunity I bet.

105

Eric The Fruit Bat Feb 12, 2016 • 9:41:06pm

re: #97 teleskiguy

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

106

Kragar Feb 12, 2016 • 9:41:06pm

re: #95 Feline Fearless Leader

I have an old desktop keyboard around here somewhere. But would need to find an adapter to get it to fit one of the laptops. That’s assuming that the computer would even recognize it if I found the adapter since it would have to be to USB.

Which reminds me that I had a discussion about computer data security with one of our non-IT product managers earlier this week. He had some bug up his ass about protecting data as massively as possible against theft. I asked him if that included automatically blocking USB ports on all the desktops, laptops, etc. He said “Yes”. Then I asked him who was going to pay to replace all the equipment since we have all this Dell equipment about that uses USB for mice, keyboards, etc. etc. and the docking stations as well. The topic of discussion rapidly changed at that point.

Years ago, I had a CO in comm battalion who really didn’t get computers. When the intel group put out the guidelines for a “secure system”, meant for use only in the comm vault, he decided to order us to make sure the entire battalion complied. We tried to explain to him how this wouldn’t work, but he was insistent. We decided to make his office the first to be secured. We removed his network card, his CD burner and replaced his HD with a removable drive that would have to be logged into the security vault, by him, each evening. We also removed the rights for him to add, remove or make changes to the system in any way.

The next day, he took the time to re-read the guidelines and saw things our way.

107

BlueSpotinAL Feb 12, 2016 • 9:42:31pm

re: #96 Eric The Fruit Bat

Remember the TI PC keyboards? Now those were some sweet keyboards.

But you have to give the IBM PC keyboards some credit-they were built like tanks, and could cause serious damage if wielded as a weapon.

Yeah, I put one of those on my son’s computer that I built. When he was playing online video games with his friends, they could hear CLACK, CLACK, CLACK over the microphone. Almost 22 years old and still works (the keyboard, I mean. :)

108

TedStriker Feb 12, 2016 • 9:42:59pm

re: #100 Belafon

The st. Louis one is probably closers than the one here in dallas.

I’ve tweeted the Micro Center Twitter account before, shortly after I had made a pilgrimage to one of the Atlanta Micro Centers to get a lot of shit for a new build about three years ago (that was a long ass drive down and back to make in one day, not to mention the fucking Atlanta traffic, but I also went and ate at the Varsity downtown while I was there, so it was good) and posited this to them: I live in Nashville, a metro area of over 1.5 million people and a huge college, tech, and medical industry town, yet the closest Micro Centers to us are 3-4 hours away in three directions (St. Louis, Atlanta, and Cincinnati). I asked them if there were any plans to put one here, seeing that there really hasn’t been a decent full-on computer store in Nashville since CompUSA went under; all I got was a typical corporate non-answer that they are not planning on opening a store here, but would look into it if the market dictates (to paraphrase).

It’s a damn pity, because, even if they only opened one store here, they’d make a fucking killing.

109

teleskiguy Feb 12, 2016 • 9:46:10pm

Snow at Crans Montana, Switzerland.

I think I found my car…. #holysnowballs pic.twitter.com/l6wi0tNyRQ

— lindsey vonn (@lindseyvonn) February 13, 2016

IT’S BEAUTIFUL!!!

110

Belafon Feb 12, 2016 • 9:46:26pm

re: #108 TedStriker

I’ve tweeted the Micro Center Twitter account before, shortly after I had made a pilgrimage to one of the Atlanta Micro Centers to get a lot of shit for a new build about three years ago (that was a long ass drive down and back, not to mention the fucking Atlanta traffic, but I also went and ate at the Varsity down town, so it was good and posited this to them: I live in Nashville, a metro area of over 1.5 million people and a huge college, tech, and medical industry town, yet the closest Micro Centers to us are 3-4 hours away in three directions (St. Louis, Atlanta, and Cincinnati). I asked them if there were any plans to put one here, seeing that there really hasn’t been a decent full-on computer store since CompUSA went under; all I got was a typical corporate non-answer that they are not planning on opening a store here, but would look into it if the market dictates (paraphrasing again).

It’s a damn pity, because, even if they only opened one store here, they’d make a fucking killing.

The Microcenter here used to have a computer book section that was awesome. You could find anything from the simple up through advanced CS books. Then they got rid of most of it. The store’s still around, but it has heavy competition from Fry’s; there are four in the Metroplex.

111

Eric The Fruit Bat Feb 12, 2016 • 9:46:59pm

re: #101 teleskiguy

If it makes you feel any better I still have to drive twenty-five miles in either direction to buy a pair of pants.

You must be waaaay out there in the boonies. I normally get out to CO every other year to visit friends in Fort Colorado, I suspect you must be out west from Denver.

112

TedStriker Feb 12, 2016 • 9:48:09pm

re: #110 Belafon

The Microcenter here used to have a computer book section that was awesome. You could find anything from the simple up through advanced CS books. Then they got rid of most of it. The store’s still around, but it has heavy competition from Fry’s; there are four in the Metroplex.

FML…

*sobs some more*

113

teleskiguy Feb 12, 2016 • 9:50:36pm

re: #111 Eric The Fruit Bat

You must be waaaay out there in the boonies. I normally get out to CO every other year to visit friends in Fort Colorado, I suspect you must be out west from Denver.

I’m a few miles outside of a bedroom community for Vail and Beaver Creek ski areas. New friends of mine are always like ‘dude, you’re out here in the country, man!’

114

TedStriker Feb 12, 2016 • 9:51:03pm

re: #101 teleskiguy

If it makes you feel any better I still have to drive twenty-five miles in either direction to buy a pair of pants.

Eh, who needs trifling things such as pants?

115

Eric The Fruit Bat Feb 12, 2016 • 9:53:05pm

re: #110 Belafon

The store’s still around, but it has heavy competition from Fry’s; there are four in the Metroplex.

Fry’s is incredible, but when it comes to their warranty service, they suck dead donkey dick-I have a friend who took over a year to get them to honor their warranty.

I judge whether a place is worth inhabiting is whether they have both a (1) Ikea and (2) MicroCenter and/or Fry’s. If they have both, I’m happy.

116

WhatEVs Feb 12, 2016 • 9:55:02pm

re: #60 Stanley Sea

More Rodney’s!!!!

Image: He is just the coolest thing ever.

That little guy is adorable!!

117

Eric The Fruit Bat Feb 12, 2016 • 9:56:06pm

re: #113 teleskiguy

Every now and then we’ll go out to Idaho Springs and hit the mineral baths. My friends have a pseudo-timeshare near Rocky Mountain, so we’ll also spend time out there as well.

118

TedStriker Feb 12, 2016 • 9:58:03pm

re: #115 Eric The Fruit Bat

Fry’s is incredible, but when it comes to their warranty service, they suck dead donkey dick-I have a friend who took over a year to get them to honor their warranty.

I judge whether a place is worth inhabiting is whether they have both a (1) Ikea and (2) MicroCenter and/or Fry’s. If they have both, I’m happy.

Hey, we might not have either an Ikea (fucking Memphis is getting one before us), a Fry’s, or a Micro Center, but we’ll have something very, very, soon that a lot of people in a lot of cities want, but may never have: Google Fiber.

119

Belafon Feb 12, 2016 • 9:58:52pm

re: #115 Eric The Fruit Bat

Fry’s is incredible, but when it comes to their warranty service, they suck dead donkey dick-I have a friend who took over a year to get them to honor their warranty.

I judge whether a place is worth inhabiting is whether they have both a (1) Ikea and (2) MicroCenter and/or Fry’s. If they have both, I’m happy.

There’s currently an Ikea in Frisco, and they’re going to build a second one in Grand Prarie. 6.5 million people will do that. Plus we have a Nebraska Furniture Mart that opened last year.

120

retired cynic Feb 12, 2016 • 9:59:52pm

re: #118 TedStriker

Hey, we might not have either an Ikea (fucking Memphis is getting one before us), a Fry’s, or a Micro Center, but we’ll have something a lot of cities want, but may never have: Google Fiber.

Ooo. Dreaming here out in the boonies with my satellite dish!

121

teleskiguy Feb 12, 2016 • 10:00:09pm

From my twenty the nearest Walmart is approx. 30 miles to the east. The nearest Target is approx. 25 miles to the west. The nearest grocery store is about four miles away.

Nice ‘n’ quiet. The way I like it.

122

TedStriker Feb 12, 2016 • 10:01:34pm

re: #120 retired cynic

Ooo. Dreaming here out in the boonies with my satellite dish!

$70/month for symmetrical gigabit internet with no data caps (or $130/month for that, plus TV) and no bullshit?

Yes, please!

123

Eric The Fruit Bat Feb 12, 2016 • 10:01:48pm

re: #118 TedStriker

but we’ll have something a lot of cities want, but may never have: Google Fiber.

Some folks in Minneapolis already have gigabit fiber, and both CenturyLink and Comcast have announced Gigabit speeds in the next few years.

124

retired cynic Feb 12, 2016 • 10:02:23pm

re: #123 Eric The Fruit Bat

Some folks in Minneapolis already have gigabit fiber, and both CenturyLink and Comcast have announced Gigabit speeds in the next few years.

Sob.

125

Mich-again Feb 12, 2016 • 10:02:34pm

For many years it has been a key initiative of the Michigan GOP led by Dick DeVos the Amway billionaire and L. Brooks Patterson the Oakland County Executive to privatize the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department. Flint was just one battle in the war to weaken the DWSD and drive it into insolvency and usher in privatization. The use of the Flint River for the fresh water source was a stopgap measure that was only going to be needed for a couple years and besides the only victims would be poor and mostly minority communities so no biggie. All they needed to do to succeed was cheat and lie about water quality test results, stall any investigations and deny and obfuscate for a couple years, which seemed easy enough given the absolute power of the GOP in Michigan. This crisis is a conspiracy that should draw in all levels of the GOP in Michigan all the way up to Dick and Betsy DeVos. Snyder is a piece of shit no doubt, but he was just carrying water for the GOP establishment. He isn’t a leader, he is a front man for an organized crime syndicate.

126

teleskiguy Feb 12, 2016 • 10:02:41pm

re: #122 TedStriker

$70/month for symmetrical gigabit internet with no caps (or $130/month for that, plus TV) and no bullshit?

Yes, please!

I love what Chattanooga is doing with broadband internet. More cities should adopt shit like that.

127

retired cynic Feb 12, 2016 • 10:03:46pm

re: #121 teleskiguy

From my twenty the nearest Walmart is approx. 30 miles to the east. The nearest Target is approx. 25 miles to the west. The nearest grocery store is about four miles away.

Nice ‘n’ quiet. The way I like it.

Nearest WalMart is half an hour away. Nearest small grocery is 11 miles. Nearest Target a bit over an hour. Nearest Apple Store 2+ hours away. No Ikea for 6 hours. But it is quiet, and lovely!

128

Belafon Feb 12, 2016 • 10:05:34pm

I want to go in the opposite direction. When I move, it will be into an apartment where I can walk everywhere. I have a personal goal of reaching a day where I don’t drive most days of the week. I like cities.

129

TedStriker Feb 12, 2016 • 10:06:19pm

re: #123 Eric The Fruit Bat

Some folks in Minneapolis already have gigabit fiber, and both CenturyLink and Comcast have announced Gigabit speeds in the next few years.

Comcast can lick my balls; when it comes to actually providing the internet service I buy from them, the connections is very reliable and I generally get close to my provisioned line speed consistently [90 Mbps down/12 Mbps up on a 75 Mbps/10 Mbps plan], but their pricing sucks and their customer service still fucking blows, even after all the noise they’ve been making the past couple of years how they’ve improved it.

I can’t wait for GF to finish building out here (they have crews laying the conduit for the “distribution fiber” down the street from me right now), so I can give both Comcast and DirecTV the heave-ho.

130

Eclectic Cyborg Feb 12, 2016 • 10:07:26pm

re: #121 teleskiguy

So where’s the nearest hospital?

131

teleskiguy Feb 12, 2016 • 10:09:18pm

re: #127 retired cynic

Nearest WalMart is half an hour away. Nearest small grocery is 11 miles. Nearest Target a bit over an hour. Nearest Apple Store 2+ hours away. No Ikea for 6 hours. But it is quiet, and lovely!

I’m about a 150 minute drive from Denver and Denver’s got some stuff for sale (IKEA, several Apple stores, Trader Joe’s), and rock ‘n’ roll every night, and Wahoo’s Fish Tacos and Hot Chick-a-Latte, Wax Trax Records and…(I’m reminiscing…I used to live in Denver, and me being a rural bumpkin down to the bones, that was a formidable experience)

132

teleskiguy Feb 12, 2016 • 10:11:27pm

re: #130 Eclectic Cyborg

So where’s the nearest hospital?

There’s an urgent care facility about 10 miles from where I’m at. Full service hospitals are the same distances as the Walmart and Target. The hospital to the east, Vail Valley Medical Center, has the best knee surgeons in the world. :-P

133

retired cynic Feb 12, 2016 • 10:11:30pm

re: #131 teleskiguy

My brother and I had the same upbringing, and he was city to the bone. Visiting me had him twitching in a few hours. And it was vice versa for me!

134

Eric The Fruit Bat Feb 12, 2016 • 10:14:15pm

re: #129 TedStriker

I hear ya-I’m not happy with Comcast after they did a hard hit on my credit while I was reporting a outage while they were trying to upsell me into a new package while claiming that it would reduce my bill. The only other output to pull that shit was AT&T when I was trying to buy a phone outright without signing up for service.

People bitch that these monitoring services aren’t worth the money-wrong. These services are the canary in the coal mine before things get way out of hand. In the Comcast case, I knew in 3 days.

And the worst part? They said my cable modem was bad-turns out the fiber connection at the pole directly across the main street from my subdivision was out, as I saw the xfinity truck on the pole as I was returning from picking up a new cable modem.

Grrrrr…….

135

TedStriker Feb 12, 2016 • 10:14:24pm

re: #129 TedStriker

Comcast can lick my balls; when it comes to actually providing the internet service I buy from them, the connections is very reliable and I generally get close to my provisioned line speed consistently [90 Mbps down/12 Mbps up on a 75 Mbps/10 Mbps plan], but their pricing sucks and their customer service still fucking blows, even after all the noise they’ve been making the past couple of years how they’ve improved it.

I can’t wait for GF to finish building out here (they have crews laying the conduit for the “distribution fiber” down the street from me right now), so I can give both Comcast and DirecTV the heave-ho.

I do have to clarify something and give some props: the bright exception to Comcast’s traditionally shitty customer service is their Twitter tech support/retentions team [@ComcastCares].

They’re pretty pleasant to deal with, even if they can’t always get you what you want (particularly in regards to retentions deals); while dealing with @ComcastCares can take a while (it was about 18 hours before they responded to my initial tweet for assistance about a week or two ago, simply because they were so busy, and our DM exchange spanned over another day or so), it’s loads better than dealing with the phone drones.

136

Feline Fearless Leader Feb 12, 2016 • 10:14:29pm

re: #128 Belafon

I want to go in the opposite direction. When I move, it will be into an apartment where I can walk everywhere. I have a personal goal of reaching a day where I don’t drive most days of the week. I like cities.

That’s what I have here in Philly.

Work is 3 blocks away. 7-11 is 30’ from front door of apartment building. Deli/small grocery is 1.5 blocks. Trader Joes’s is 6 blocks. Whole Foods (where I never shop) is 8 blocks the other way. Very good cheese and specialty food place is 2-4 blocks depending on whether I want close or a larger selection. Ikea is about 4 miles. And multiple Target/Walmart/whatever within 15 miles. Plus a few Wegman’s as well.

So I walk most of the time. Car only comes out on weekends for travels farther afield than I can get on foot or direct ride on the train/subway.

137

Feline Fearless Leader Feb 12, 2016 • 10:15:57pm

re: #132 teleskiguy

There’s an urgent care facility about 10 miles from where I’m at. Full service hospitals are the same distances as the Walmart and Target. The hospital to the east, Vail Valley Medical Center, has the best knee surgeons in the world. :-P

I recall that the ski towns in Colorado generally have very good medical facilities for their nominal size. I took advantage of that in Steamboat Springs back in 1988 since I had my first kidney stone attack while there for my sister’s wedding.

138

teleskiguy Feb 12, 2016 • 10:20:55pm

re: #133 retired cynic

I genuinely enjoyed my two years in Denver, the largest population place I’ve ever lived in. It was amazing, actually. I got to see Johnny Winter (RIP) in a little club when I was living there.

I figured something out quickly, though. If you’re a serious skier like myself, living in Denver will take away from that part of your life. Nothing like sitting in a car for seven hours for three or four hours of skiing every weekend. Ugh!

139

teleskiguy Feb 12, 2016 • 10:23:06pm

re: #137 Feline Fearless Leader

I recall that the ski towns in Colorado generally have very good medical facilities for their nominal size. I took advantage of that in Steamboat Springs back in 1988 since I had my first kidney stone attack while there for my sister’s wedding.

Yampa Valley Medical Center! I’ve visited twice, both times for stitches after nasty cuts at the restaurant I worked at. That’s a good hospital, for sure.

140

klys (maker of Silmarils) Feb 12, 2016 • 10:23:34pm

re: #137 Feline Fearless Leader

I recall that the ski towns in Colorado generally have very good medical facilities for their nominal size. I took advantage of that in Steamboat Springs back in 1988 since I had my first kidney stone attack while there for my sister’s wedding.

Ahhhh, Steamboat Springs.

I came down that mountain on a backboard.

141

William Lewis Feb 12, 2016 • 10:24:31pm

Up here it’s Charter or CenturyLink and both make ATT service look stellar. I recently went to a 15 gig data plan on my phone & tablet for the same price as phone plus Internet had been so I could get away from the scum at Charter.

142

BeachDem Feb 12, 2016 • 10:27:53pm

re: #40 gwangung

Nice try, but saying Sanders was talking about primarying Obama isn’t a low blow

I had never seen the actual interview where he talked about it until the other day. He didn’t just bring it up casually—

“We are beginning to talk about it a little bit” are his closing words.

A Primary Challenger For Obama?

143

teleskiguy Feb 12, 2016 • 10:29:07pm

re: #140 klys (maker of Silmarils)

Ahhhh, Steamboat Springs.

I came down that mountain on a backboard.

Yeesh! You and downhill snowsports was never meant to be, eh?

Steamboat Springs, where I learned to tele ski…

144

Feline Fearless Leader Feb 12, 2016 • 10:29:23pm

re: #140 klys (maker of Silmarils)

Ahhhh, Steamboat Springs.

I came down that mountain on a backboard.

Might be the winner of the trivia question, “Which hospital has hosted the most Lizards?”

145

klys (maker of Silmarils) Feb 12, 2016 • 10:29:43pm

re: #143 teleskiguy

Yeesh! You and downhill snowsports was never meant to be, eh?

Steamboat Springs, where I learned to tele ski…

There’s a reason I don’t do it anymore. Fear of heights heavily triggered on slopes + that experience = I’m done.

146

HappyWarrior Feb 12, 2016 • 10:30:03pm

re: #142 BeachDem

I had never seen the actual interview where he talked about it until the other day. He didn’t just bring it up casually—

“We are beginning to talk about it a little bit” are his closing words.

[Embedded content]

Video

I wonder who the we was given how Bernie seems not to be winning any superlatives with his fellow Congressional Democrats. There’s a large part of me that thinks Sanders has no understanding for how difficult Obama’s job has been.

147

klys (maker of Silmarils) Feb 12, 2016 • 10:30:36pm

re: #144 Feline Fearless Leader

Might be the winner of the trivia question, “Which hospital has hosted the most Lizards?”

Haha, I didn’t actually make it to the hospital. It ended up being an abundance of caution incident instead of “major medical attention needed.”

Thank goodness.

148

Feline Fearless Leader Feb 12, 2016 • 10:30:56pm

re: #143 teleskiguy

Yeesh! You and downhill snowsports was never meant to be, eh?

Steamboat Springs, where I learned to tele ski…

I remember that Steamboat back then (1988) also had a bookstore/coffee shop combination where you could sit and read while you drank your coffee. Liberal socialism at it’s best!

149

gwangung Feb 12, 2016 • 10:31:15pm

re: #146 HappyWarrior

I wonder who the we was given how Bernie seems not to be winning any superlatives with his fellow Congressional Democrats. There’s a large part of me that thinks Sanders has no understanding for how difficult Obama’s job has been.

He also is demonstrating that he has no understanding how difficult being a black person is in this country.

150

BeachDem Feb 12, 2016 • 10:31:42pm

re: #45 ObserverArt

All the Sanders people are crying about that today.

And when Hillary got on Bernie about it last night in the debate…Bernie did claim it was a low blow…so Nina was surly sent out to say Bernie was right. It was “uncalled for.*”

And Nina sort of double downed on the bit about only one of the candidates “tried to make sure Obama wasn’t elected*”

(*paraphrased but close to what she said)

That last is such a bunch of bullshit from Nina and Bernie (and speaking of low blows). Hillary announced on 1/20/2007; Obama announced on 2/10/2007, so HE ran against her, not the other way around.

151

HappyWarrior Feb 12, 2016 • 10:31:56pm

re: #149 gwangung

He also is demonstrating that he has no understanding how difficult being a black person is in this country.

Big time.

152

teleskiguy Feb 12, 2016 • 10:34:45pm

re: #148 Feline Fearless Leader

I remember that Steamboat back then (1988) also had a bookstore/coffee shop combination where you could sit and read while you drank your coffee. Liberal socialism at it’s best!

Yep! The store is called Off The Beaten Path, still in business today. I was a frequent patron.

153

HappyWarrior Feb 12, 2016 • 10:35:42pm

re: #150 BeachDem

That last is such a bunch of bullshit from Nina and Bernie (and speaking of low blows). Hillary announced on 1/20/2007; Obama announced on 2/10/2007, so HE ran against her, not the other way around.

There is a mountain’s difference between the two situations and he knows that. The 2008 primary was wide open. Obama and Clinton were far from the only Democrats who ran. There were few if any Democrats talking about primarying Obama in 2012 though after he had become his party’s standard bearer. Bernie is acting like gasp a politician.

154

teleskiguy Feb 12, 2016 • 10:57:04pm

Local ski hero Mikaela Shiffrin is coming back from her recent knee injury in a big way! Barring any weirdness she’ll be dominant in technical ski races next year and beyond.

Facebook Post

155

BeachDem Feb 12, 2016 • 11:25:19pm

Charles P. Pierce agrees with us about Donna Rose:

Yes, the Wonkbabby is beyond the cuteness horizon. Yes, I am a sap for such things. Whatsit to yez?

156

klys (maker of Silmarils) Feb 12, 2016 • 11:27:36pm

re: #155 BeachDem

Charles P. Pierce agrees with us about Donna Rose:

Yes, the Wonkbabby is beyond the cuteness horizon. Yes, I am a sap for such things. Whatsit to yez?

I do not want babies.

I looked at those photos and my ovaries threatened to explode.

That baby is a menace to society.

157

Alyosha Feb 12, 2016 • 11:38:11pm

re: #156 klys (maker of Silmarils)

I do not want babies.

I looked at those photos and my ovaries threatened to explode.

That baby is a menace to society.

I don’t want kids either but I have a weird maternal-type reaction to the Minions.
The other day, a two-year old girl ran up to me and shouted ‘bello!’ and now I’m all conflicted haha

158

Targetpractice Feb 12, 2016 • 11:38:57pm

re: #146 HappyWarrior

I wonder who the we was given how Bernie seems not to be winning any superlatives with his fellow Congressional Democrats. There’s a large part of me that thinks Sanders has no understanding for how difficult Obama’s job has been.

He doesn’t, because he’s been in the Senate for years and in the House longer than that. The man is a subscriber to the “Green Lantern theory of presidenting,” i.e. the only reason a president doesn’t get something accomplished is because he doesn’t have the will to make it so. It’s the sort of empty-headed idealism that wanted him to go down to the Senate and knock Joe Lieberman around until he’d accept the public option. It’s the same BS we’ve heard for years: “The President needs to go to Congress and get them onboard with (insert bill/proposal GOP absolutely refuses to consider),” totally ignoring that most in the GOP (especially after 2010) would sooner slit their wrists than support anything he wanted.

159

klys (maker of Silmarils) Feb 12, 2016 • 11:39:12pm

re: #157 Alyosha

I don’t want kids either but I have a weird maternal-type reaction to the Minions.
The other day, a two-year old girl ran up to me and shouted ‘bello!’ and now I’m all conflicted haha

I remind myself that hormone-prompted decisions are rarely good ones and proceed to ignore it.

But I won’t pretend they don’t exist.

160

Cheechako Feb 12, 2016 • 11:40:23pm

It sucks to have internet withdrawal. Last Wednesday morning a dump truck smashed an electric pole and wiped out the phone companies primary distribution box. No hard-line phone or internet service for 700 customers including yours truely. It wasn’t until late Thursday night at o’ dark thirty the service resumed.

Came to the conclusion the solitare software developers have sharpend their skills. On an older PC I could beat solitare 35-40% of the games. On my new laptop I can barely win 15% of the games.

161

BeachDem Feb 12, 2016 • 11:41:49pm

re: #156 klys (maker of Silmarils)

I do not want babies.

I looked at those photos and my ovaries threatened to explode.

That baby is a menace to society.

Aw, her momma will be so proud!

She really is the cutest, sunniest thing ever. And now, a media star.

162

klys (maker of Silmarils) Feb 12, 2016 • 11:42:08pm

re: #160 Cheechako

It sucks to have internet withdrawal. Last Wednesday morning a dump truck smashed an electric pole and wiped out the phone companies primary distribution box. No hard-line phone or internet service for 700 customers including yours truely. It wasn’t until late Thursday night at o’ dark thirty the service resumed.

Came to the conclusion the solitare software developers have sharpend their skills. On an older PC I could beat solitare 35-40% of the games. On my new laptop I can barely win 15% of the games.

I will freely admit I would start twitching within about 3 hours.

I can handle it fine if it’s expected, but take it away when I expect to have it and…

163

klys (maker of Silmarils) Feb 12, 2016 • 11:42:55pm

re: #161 BeachDem

Aw, her momma will be so proud!

She really is the cutest, sunniest thing ever. And now, a media star.

Today I tried on a corset. I looked damn good.

No baby is going to interfere with that. Dammit.

164

BeachDem Feb 12, 2016 • 11:46:13pm

re: #163 klys (maker of Silmarils)

Today I tried on a corset. I looked damn good.

No baby is going to interfere with that. Dammit.

I hear ya. (I helped raise other people’s kids and it all worked out.)

The Wonkers are coming to South Carolina. I might have to drag my ass to Charleston just to get a peek at the babby.

165

klys (maker of Silmarils) Feb 12, 2016 • 11:49:27pm

The real question is do I start beading tonight. pic.twitter.com/05D1zAIWcr

— sylk (@sylk) February 13, 2016

166

wheat-dogghazi-mailgate Feb 12, 2016 • 11:55:15pm

re: #68 Stanley Sea

Everyone who comes over meets him & his bong.

Everyone.

Watching DC’s Legends of Tomorrow the other day, I noticed that Sara Lance whacked a younger Dr. Stein over the head with bright red (presumably unbreakable) bong. They were visiting 1975, and Dr. Stein was quite the stoner in his younger days. Also, the only Legend who partook of the doobie young Dr. S offered them was Sara. They don’t show her smoking on camera, but she seemed to be bogarting the joint in one scene, and in another, a female hand removes the still burning joint from the ashtray as they leave Stein’s office. They later ask her if she’s battle-ready, “because you seem pretty stoned.”

Sly scriptwriters.

167

Alyosha Feb 13, 2016 • 12:55:10am

I trust everyone has seen the Funny or Die Trump feature? Featuring Johnny Depp.

Really classy. Incredible.

FunnyOrDie Video

168

freetoken Feb 13, 2016 • 1:48:04am

re: #167 Alyosha

Sadly my browser can’t play Funny or Die videos.

169

freetoken Feb 13, 2016 • 1:50:16am

MP3 Audio

170

freetoken Feb 13, 2016 • 1:58:48am

Here’s the AP, whitewashing the lunatic seditionists:

After Oregon Standoff, Some Say: Right Fight; Wrong Tactics

The AP doesn’t even list the crimes for which the Bundy Gang were arrested.

171

Nojay UK Feb 13, 2016 • 2:55:53am

re: #107 BlueSpotinAL

Almost 22 years old and still works (the keyboard, I mean. :)

The keyboard I’m typing this on came out of a dumpster about fifteen years ago. It’s branded as an Olivetti, part of their now-defunct PC manufacturing division back in the PC-AT 286 days.The keycaps are double-strike so the lettering is still perfect and I’ve never had a problem with it, ever.

We’ve got a couple of IBM Model Ms here on secondary machines but it’s the keyboards in the cupboard that are the interesting ones…

Symbolics Lisp system keyboard

Ah for the days when the Gods of Computing walked the earth. They NEEDED keyboards with keys like this:

Power keys

172

Nyet Feb 13, 2016 • 3:05:56am

re: #171 Nojay UK

Is there a key “Hack teh arpanets”?

173

William Lewis Feb 13, 2016 • 3:30:12am

re: #171 Nojay UK

Oh, gah. I so still want to get one. There is very little I would not do to get an XL1200 with as many MWords of ram as possible.

174

William Lewis Feb 13, 2016 • 3:32:21am

re: #172 Nyet

Is there a key “Hack teh arpanets”?

Meta super hyper triangle square :)

But Chaos Net is so much cooler.

175

Decatur Deb Feb 13, 2016 • 3:42:53am

re: #159 klys (maker of Silmarils)

I remind myself that hormone-prompted decisions are rarely good ones and proceed to ignore it.

But I won’t pretend they don’t exist.

Almost every important good decision I ever made was wildly illogical. Others were purest chance.

Nevertheless, the illusion of rationality is very seductive.

176

wheat-dogghazi-mailgate Feb 13, 2016 • 3:44:17am

re: #175 Decatur Deb

Almost every important good decision I ever made was wildly illogical. Others were purest chance.

Nevertheless, the illusion of rationality is very seductive.

Updinged for truth, as those words speak my mind, too.

177

Decatur Deb Feb 13, 2016 • 3:59:46am

Two from the morning Google news cull:

F—k you!” Workers react to news that their 1400 jobs are being sent to Mexico — WARNING: STRONG LANGUAGE
nydailynews.com

Bank of America awarded chief executive Brian T. Moynihan $16 million for his work last year, increasing his potential compensation by 23 percent.
washingtonpost.com

178

Decatur Deb Feb 13, 2016 • 4:04:11am

Here’s the sweet part:

Bank of America slashes outlook for S&P 500
cnbc.com

179

Backwoods_Sleuth Feb 13, 2016 • 4:28:24am

You know what’s fun?
Hearing the battery backup beeping at 2:45 am.
And it’s 12F outside.

Wait…no, it’s not fun…

180

Decatur Deb Feb 13, 2016 • 4:33:54am

Put up the wrong link:

181

Alyosha Feb 13, 2016 • 4:37:58am

re: #168 freetoken

Tried looking for a Youtube link but no dice.

182

Backwoods_Sleuth Feb 13, 2016 • 4:50:47am

pic.twitter.com/FF7KzN8uGg

— Serdar (@serdargoknur) February 13, 2016

183

Not a Sparkly Vampire Feb 13, 2016 • 5:00:32am

Haha, negative windchills!

184

WhatEVs Feb 13, 2016 • 5:02:36am

re: #146 HappyWarrior

I wonder who the we was given how Bernie seems not to be winning any superlatives with his fellow Congressional Democrats. There’s a large part of me that thinks Sanders has no understanding for how difficult Obama’s job has been.

That has to be it. Bernie made it sound like Obama wanted to make compromises.

So if he’s elected he’s going to be the left’s tea partier? Because the GOP isn’t going away. They get more hardcore every day.

ONE person can put a hold on stuff. ONE. Anonymously, no less. And we’re supposed to expect things will happen?

Goddamnit. I want a better, more secure social safety net, too. But it’s not going to happen with people entrenched and unmovable in their positions…left or right. It just won’t.

185

lawhawk Feb 13, 2016 • 5:15:21am

Greets and saluts from the bitterly cold NYC metro area (though the real bitterness wont be until later today and tomorrow as temps really drop to levels not seen in these parts in a long time). No doubt we’ll watch GOPers claim that this is somehow disproving global warming.

They’ll further ignore that out on the West Coast and Southwest, they’re seeing record heat - temperatures 20-30 above normal, and the warm weather extends to places like Denver. Oh, and NYC will temps in the 50s by the middle of next week.

But that kind of anti-science BS extends to other aspects, like thinking that Flint water would be fine. No one would notice.

Every step of the way in the switch, the GOPers in charge - and they were without a doubt in charge - the emergency manager by and through Gov. Synder - wanted to make this switch happen.

The real question is why. Detroit water was safe. And emails reveal that Detroit water was offering a deal on supplying water that was 20% cheaper than the source they were switching to. So, if it wasn’t about the money (even as Snyder and the EM were saying it was all about the money), then what was the switch about?

And once the switch was foisted upon Detroit, why did no one make sure that the water they were using in the interim was safe? They didn’t care. That’s the only answer I can come up with. They knew there were issues with the water, and they didn’t care. They knew that the water from the Flint River was corrosive, and that there’s steps that can be taken to reduce the damage to the pipes. They didn’t take any of them. For months.

Then they denied that there was a problem with the water for months.

All that while the evidence piled up that there was - like when GM stopped using the water because it was damaging components being assembled at its Flint facility.

At the end of the day, with all the money that will be spent to fix the problem, it will not be enough. There’s a body count. At least 10 people killed as a result of Legionnaire’s disease outbreak tied to the water use.

There’s also now indications that a higher miscarriage rate in Flint can also be linked to the water switch [and not for nothing, the GOP, which claims that it’s so pro-life, can’t be bothered to answer for any of this].

186

CleverToad Feb 13, 2016 • 5:31:25am

re: #159 klys (maker of Silmarils)

I remind myself that hormone-prompted decisions are rarely good ones and proceed to ignore it.

But I won’t pretend they don’t exist.

This is where the internet may be of service. There are thousands of adorable baby pictures to trigger the hormones, but also lots of frazzled-parent sites to highlight reality. My current favorite is a strip called Fowl Language - they nail it pretty well:

Been there, done that too many times

187

wheat-dogghazi-mailgate Feb 13, 2016 • 5:35:20am

re: #186 CleverToad

This is where the internet may be of service. There are thousands of adorable baby pictures to trigger the hormones, but also lots of frazzled-parent sites to highlight reality. My current favorite is a strip called Fowl Language - they nail it pretty well:

[Embedded content]

It is an immutable fact of nature that a young child will always have to use the toilet on a road trip *after* you have just pulled away from the last toilet for the next 150 miles.

188

steve_davis Feb 13, 2016 • 5:42:37am

re: #31 KingKenrod

Out today, St. Vincent covers “Emotional Rescue”.

(this song has always been one of my guilty pleasures)

[Embedded content]

for me, the Stones ended after “Some girls,” but I’m told that’s actually a decent album.

189

CleverToad Feb 13, 2016 • 5:45:05am

re: #125 Mich-again

This crisis is a conspiracy that should draw in all levels of the GOP in Michigan all the way up to Dick and Betsy DeVos. Snyder is a piece of shit no doubt, but he was just carrying water for the GOP establishment. He isn’t a leader, he is a front man for an organized crime syndicate.

Hope you’re right and that the investigations go higher up than Snyder. I also have these fond dreams of seeing the RICO investigations for the Ranch Stupidians pull in the not only the Bundy gang but their ideological backers all the way up to the Koch dispensers. Not that the Brothers Grim are going to jail, but at least put them to the cost and effort of setting up a whole new set of shadow organizations.

*dreaming*

190

CleverToad Feb 13, 2016 • 5:49:24am

re: #187 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

It is an immutable fact of nature that a young child will always have to use the toilet on a road trip *after* you have just pulled away from the last toilet for the next 150 miles.

After you have pulled onto the interstate and gone a mile with the next exit more than five miles ahead, so there’s no good place to turn around…

191

steve_davis Feb 13, 2016 • 5:52:27am

re: #81 Kragar

[Embedded content]

oh, well, congratulations to them. they just went from 5 years for impeding a federal officer to life for domestic terrorism.

192

Amory Blaine Feb 13, 2016 • 6:17:55am

Valentine’s score! Picked up a $200 Logan mat cutter for my sweetie at Goodwill for 10 dollars.

193

andres Feb 13, 2016 • 6:18:37am

re: #81 Kragar

Dear Mother of God!

I can accept that they have a grudge against the Government, and want to set things right (right from the perspective, not from a dispassionate neutral point), and they decided to protest. That’s “fine”. Going to prison for breaking the law is part of this process.

But this is cold blooded murder of someone just doing their job. It’s horrifying. This is an instance I say, lock ‘em up and throw out the key.

194

lawhawk Feb 13, 2016 • 6:27:31am

re: #81 Kragar

The Bundy militia weren’t just welfare queens (looking to get something for nothing); they were a criminal enterprise engaging in domestic terrorism.

The initial charge against them was just the start. The findings by the FBI and other law enforcement at the NWR will go towards additional counts, which should include domestic terrorism now that they’ve found all manner of explosives and traps set in and around the refuge.

Heck, each item could alternatively be considered vandalism in excess of $1,000, which brings hefty fines/prison sentences by itself.

They’re looking at occupying federal prison for a long time to come.

195

ObserverArt Feb 13, 2016 • 6:35:31am

Morning from a mighty cold Columbus…8°…-8° wind chill.

Still catching up from last night, but I see a lot of reference to MicroCenter for computer supplies.

It is a proud Columbus Ohio company started by some ol’ Radio Shack dudes. I buy all my stuff from their big store here in town on Bethel Road. My previous job was once located out in Hilliard on the west side of town and our offices were directly behind MicroCenter’s corporate offices. A buddy’s daughter worked for them for a long time.

As far as decent keyboards…I have two Microsoft Wireless Keyboard/Mouse 2000 setups. Great keyboard. It does have the feel of an old heavy keyboard and makes all those cool old key sounds…clacka tappa clacka. And they are wifi. Good deal too.

196

Kent Dorfman Feb 13, 2016 • 6:35:45am

Sometimes I get shivers in my spine just thinking about how much tougher Popeye would’ve been if he’d eaten fresh spinach instead of canned.

Fighting a war on drugs is better than fighting a war sober.

197

WhatEVs Feb 13, 2016 • 6:36:55am

re: #189 CleverToad

Hope you’re right and that the investigations go higher up than Snyder. I also have these fond dreams of seeing the RICO investigations for the Ranch Stupidians pull in the not only the Bundy gang but their ideological backers all the way up to the Koch dispensers. Not that the Brothers Grim are going to jail, but at least put them to the cost and effort of setting up a whole new set of shadow organizations.

*dreaming*

That’s a dream I can get behind.

198

wheat-dogghazi-mailgate Feb 13, 2016 • 6:37:16am

re: #194 lawhawk

The Bundy militia weren’t just welfare queens (looking to get something for nothing); they were a criminal enterprise engaging in domestic terrorism.

The initial charge against them was just the start. The findings by the FBI and other law enforcement at the NWR will go towards additional counts, which should include domestic terrorism now that they’ve found all manner of explosives and traps set in and around the refuge.

Heck, each item could alternatively be considered vandalism in excess of $1,000, which brings hefty fines/prison sentences by itself.

They’re looking at occupying federal prison for a long time to come.

Considering all the shit they did there, they managed to compile quite a rap sheet in 41 days’ time. The prosecutors will have a lot of ammunition (if you pardon the phrase) to throw at them.

199

Kent Dorfman Feb 13, 2016 • 6:38:42am

Particle accelerators give me a hadron.

What is a social life and where can I download one?

Having a 2-year-old is like having a blender without a lid.

Valentine’s Day is for lovers. For everyone else, there’s Palm Sunday.

try the beef!

200

Kent Dorfman Feb 13, 2016 • 6:49:38am

Dollar General facing a lawsuit for selling engine oil that damaged customer’s engines.

An attorney with the lawsuit said the oil is being marketed incorrectly, and the retail giant is preying on consumers.

The oil they are talking about isn’t supposed to be used in engines made after 1988, and there is another quart that shouldn’t be used if your engine was made after 1930.

Always read the back of the container and make sure it has a starburst.
more info

201

jeffreyw Feb 13, 2016 • 6:50:57am

re: #44 nines09 I have his cousin!

202

Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light) Feb 13, 2016 • 6:51:29am

re: #76 Alyosha

CNN is like the weird, insecure kid that glombs onto the schoolyard bully and rides around in his wake like a remora, insulting the kids the bully has already put on the ground.

It’s increasingly FOX-lite. Trying ever-so hard to keep people from realising what a pathetic joke it truly is.

I caught that over the summer when Trump was boasting about how Jeb’s campaign rallies were so boring that people were falling asleep at them.

CNN (honest to god) followed up with an interview of a woman who fell asleep at at a Bush rally…

That is when I realized that CNN kills brain cells.

203

ObserverArt Feb 13, 2016 • 6:55:48am

re: #182 Backwoods_Sleuth

[Embedded content]

That cat is saying…”Freakin’ happy dogs…I hate ‘em, don’t you just hate them too?”

204

lawhawk Feb 13, 2016 • 6:56:08am

Your suit was for $500 million. You settled for less than $10 million? Some deal for you - https://t.co/IgkeVbthwF @realDonaldTrump

— lawhawk (@lawhawk) February 13, 2016

205

Amory Blaine Feb 13, 2016 • 6:56:47am

Ducky shine and das keyboard are nice units. I currently am running a corsair k70 with brown cherry switches that I like very much.

206

Skip Intro Feb 13, 2016 • 7:04:13am

re: #141 William Lewis

Up here it’s Charter or CenturyLink and both make ATT service look stellar. I recently went to a 15 gig data plan on my phone & tablet for the same price as phone plus Internet had been so I could get away from the scum at Charter.

I’ve got a 60 mb/s plan with Charter that, on a good day, might hit half of that speed. My only other choice is a 3 mb/s DSL plan with ATT.

I can live with half speed from Charter, but I think I should also be paying half the price as well.

207

SoundGuy 2016 Feb 13, 2016 • 7:08:52am

My biz pays 50/10 that tests 60/15 all the time - costs $375.

My house? 300/10 for $100 and it goes up and down all the time.

It’s all relative levels of suck.

208

Amory Blaine Feb 13, 2016 • 7:11:42am

re: #200 Kent Dorfman

I chuckle when I see oil at the dollar store. Sure, let’s put the crappiest oil into the most expensive thing I own. Also what’s up with the price of oil. Im seeing around 5 bux a quart around here for regular oil. I’d love to get my hands on a barrel of sweet crude for $30. I’ll filter it myself for that price!

209

ObserverArt Feb 13, 2016 • 7:13:56am

re: #206 Skip Intro

I’ve got a 60 mb/s plan with Charter that, on a good day, might hit half of that speed. My only other choice is a 3 mb/s DSL plan with ATT.

I can live with half speed from Charter, but I think I should also be paying half the price as well.

I have a 100 mbps Uverse from ATT. Overall, I like it a lot. It has been consistent for delivery. I had their old DSL and this is so much better.

Now, if they only would bring Uverse TV to my neighborhood too, I could go full package with my phone, internet and TV and get TImeWarner out of my life.

Or, I could get Direct TV with ATT…but I don’t know.

And that brings up a question for the tech people out there. I have my house wired for cable. A buddy that worked for Time Warner put in a nice little amplifier that drives the whole house and keeps the signal boosted. If I go to any type of satellite system can I connect the satellite to the boosted cable system in my house? Or, just go for something WiFi? I have done no checking of satellite systems so I have no idea what type of connecting to the house is available.

210

makeitstop Feb 13, 2016 • 7:14:06am

Morning, Lizards,

I just went outside to grab some guitar cables out of the truck. Cold AF out there.

Have you seen Iggy Pop’s Facebook letter to Ted Cruz? Here it is (Jim Osterberg is Ig’s given name).

211

lawhawk Feb 13, 2016 • 7:16:15am

Pulled from my spam folder this morning from a “Donald Trump”:

Please read this email carefully. I would like to personally thank you for supporting me :) and heres your once in a lifetime opportunity to make the $5000 in the next 24 hours.

Here are the steps:

1. Sign up at the website coinbase.com
2. You will get your own bitcoin wallet/address from them.
3. Fund/load 1 Bitcoin to it.
4. Send the 1 Bitcoin you loaded in the above step, to the below bitcoin address:
1HsttSS7aS8nMCzwX6ja3pEbPXg2EAiDBP
(Copy and paste the address, its CaSe sensitive)
5. Once I receive the 1 bitcoin from you, I will send you 15 Bitcoins back to your address.
6. Withdraw the 15 bitcoins to your bank account :)

Do not share this email with anyone, the bitcoin address is unique to you, and the whole process is automated.

Thanks!
Donald Trump

No doubt, the only one making money is the scammer who’s attempting this.

212

ausador Feb 13, 2016 • 7:24:10am

Bet they have some good (bad) stories about prejudice…

Biracial Twins Lucy and Maria Aylmer #blacktolive #BlackHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/rAA81NGwlH

— 1-800-WOKE-AF (@gloed_up) February 13, 2016

213

ObserverArt Feb 13, 2016 • 7:25:51am

re: #210 makeitstop

Morning, Lizards,

I just went outside to grab some guitar cables out of the truck. Cold AF out there.

Have you seen Iggy Pop’s Facebook letter to Ted Cruz? Here it is (Jim Osterberg is Ig’s given name).

Embedded Image

Fuck yeah Iggy!

He still has that Lust for Life.

214

Nyet Feb 13, 2016 • 7:33:04am

It’s sorta interesting how the “Scrapbookpages” website “came out” as a Holocaust denial site with time. 10 years ago or so its owner was still quite shy about her denial, esp. when I directly confronted her. The evidence consisted of some sneaky language in her articles (the goal was to put doubt into the mind of the reader), as well as hidden references to the Leuchter report (they were hidden in the “title” tags and such).

Nowadays she links to Leuchter, CODOH, and lets it all hang it out in the open on her “furtherglory” blog. Just the latest:

So why is Justin Sonder testifying against 94-year-old Reinhold Hanning? Did Henning make the selections at Monowitz, and decide who would live and who would die?
No, Henning did not make the selections, but he was there, so he is a war criminal, who deserves to spend his final years in prison because HE WAS THERE.
When will this madness stop?

and

Please, please, please — stop using photos like the one above to illustrate the horror of Auschwitz. One prisoner in the photo is having trouble walking out of the camp, after it was liberated, but the other men in the photo look like they are in excellent condition.
[…]
Notice the man on the far right, who has a double chin. None of the survivors of the Auschwitz main camp look like they were starving.
[…]
The photo above would be suitable to illustrate the horror of the Auschwitz camp, but why was this boy allowed to live? He was under the age of 15, and he was not in good health, so why wasn’t he gassed?
[…]
Notice that the woman in the photo above is wrapped up in a warm comforter, but she is unhappy about being dragged out of her warm bed to pose for an Auschwitz liberation movie.

and

Notice that the scratches are near the ceiling of the gas chamber. The adults held the babies up so that they could leave their marks on the ceiling as proof that people were gassed in this room. [Don’t deny this, unless you want to go to prison in 19 countries.]

The problem? Too many think that the site is credible and mainstream. Wiki used to be full of links to it.

215

GlutenFreeJesus Feb 13, 2016 • 7:42:47am

re: #210 makeitstop

Almost Famous - Introducing Mr. Lester Bangs

216

Dr Lizardo Feb 13, 2016 • 7:54:32am

And. Here. We. Go.

#BREAKING Turkey bombs Kurdish-held areas of Syria’s Aleppo, says monitor
— AFP news agency (@AFP) February 13, 2016

217

Great White Snark Feb 13, 2016 • 7:54:42am

Happy Caturday everybody. Extra happy here.

Does this mean I have a trophy wife?

Best Vendor Display In Show Westminster Orchid Show 2016

She set this up for Sunset Valley Orchids of Vista California. On display through tomorrow at the Westminster Mall, Orange County, CA.
nhosinfo.org

218

Barefoot Grin Feb 13, 2016 • 7:56:47am

re: #210 makeitstop

Morning, Lizards,

I just went outside to grab some guitar cables out of the truck. Cold AF out there.

Have you seen Iggy Pop’s Facebook letter to Ted Cruz? Here it is (Jim Osterberg is Ig’s given name).

Embedded Image

Gotta go find and “like” hard.

219

Barefoot Grin Feb 13, 2016 • 7:58:37am

re: #216 Dr Lizardo

And. Here. We. Go.

[Embedded content]

Goddamnit.

220

Eventual Carrion Feb 13, 2016 • 7:58:56am

re: #210 makeitstop

Morning, Lizards,

I just went outside to grab some guitar cables out of the truck. Cold AF out there.

Have you seen Iggy Pop’s Facebook letter to Ted Cruz? Here it is (Jim Osterberg is Ig’s given name).

Embedded Image

No one listens to what rock stars think of politics or politicians.

221

Dr Lizardo Feb 13, 2016 • 7:59:51am

re: #219 Barefoot Grin

Goddamnit.

Yep.

222

SoundGuy 2016 Feb 13, 2016 • 8:09:12am

Martha MacCallum = What makes someone a ‘Lady’ in 2016?

Look at this Lady:
Kentucky lawmaker’s bill would require men to get a note from their wives to purchase Viagra

223

Dr Lizardo Feb 13, 2016 • 8:12:11am

re: #219 Barefoot Grin

Goddamnit.

BREAKING: Turkish official says there will be a ‘massive escalation’ in Syria over next 24 hours.
— The Int’l Spectator (@intlspectator) February 13, 2016

224

Stanley Sea Feb 13, 2016 • 8:13:37am

re: #217 Great White Snark

Happy Caturday everybody. Extra happy here.

Does this mean I have a trophy wife?

[Embedded content]

She set this up for Sunset Valley Orchids of Vista California. On display through tomorrow at the Westminster Mall, Orange County, CA.
nhosinfo.org

Huge congratulations to D_L!

Beautiful!

225

jaunte Feb 13, 2016 • 8:14:22am

‘Go Back Where You Came From’: White Texas A&M Students Taunt Black High School Visitors https://t.co/xP92Bn1Ltm

— Citizen Stewart (@citizenstewart) February 13, 2016

If you were wondering how racist presidential candidates are still on top of the polls, here are the college-aged conservatives of Texas.

226

Timothy Watson Feb 13, 2016 • 8:16:31am

re: #225 jaunte

[Embedded content]

If you were wondering how racist presidential candidates are still on top of the polls, here are the college-aged conservatives of Texas.

I guess there’s no way to trick Mexico into accepting Texas back, right?

(Apologies to any Texan lizards among us.)

227

Feline Fearless Leader Feb 13, 2016 • 8:16:47am

re: #160 Cheechako

It sucks to have internet withdrawal. Last Wednesday morning a dump truck smashed an electric pole and wiped out the phone companies primary distribution box. No hard-line phone or internet service for 700 customers including yours truely. It wasn’t until late Thursday night at o’ dark thirty the service resumed.

Came to the conclusion the solitare software developers have sharpend their skills. On an older PC I could beat solitare 35-40% of the games. On my new laptop I can barely win 15% of the games.

Or they just got more subtle in their cheating. I have had and then removed cribbage and euchre apps from my iPhone because I eventually got tired of putting up with the AI side cheating in order to cover for its general incompetence at certain facets of the game.

Both games with “the AI doesn’t cheat!” as part of their mantra about the game. Well, yes it doesn’t cheat in the play itself - but when you modify the card deal in its favor you are still essentially helping it cheat.

228

jaunte Feb 13, 2016 • 8:18:53am

re: #226 Timothy Watson

The lamebrained neo-confederates probably believe they could take over both Texas and Mexico if that happened.

229

ObserverArt Feb 13, 2016 • 8:20:13am

Didn’t both of the Texas A&M football quarterbacks leave the school because they thought it was a joke as far as discipline? I think I heard one say there was too much “Johnny Football” privileged asshole around the program.

It appears the whole school suffers.

230

jaunte Feb 13, 2016 • 8:21:14am

An aggie musters his best defense: “Everybody does it.”

People love to say that Texas A&M is racist and always acts the same way. Nope. It happens everywhere. https://t.co/UUaXpu485f

— Dell B. (@DB_Out_Front) February 13, 2016

231

lawhawk Feb 13, 2016 • 8:24:00am

re: #230 jaunte

Same defense that Trump nuts trot out. The racists and nuts have definitely come out of the woodwork.

232

Belafon Feb 13, 2016 • 8:25:38am

re: #230 jaunte

As a dad, I feel sorry for his children.

233

Barefoot Grin Feb 13, 2016 • 8:28:00am

re: #223 Dr Lizardo

[Embedded content]

Never any intention to help against ISIS? Fucking allies.

234

ObserverArt Feb 13, 2016 • 8:28:22am

re: #231 lawhawk

Same defense that Trump nuts trot out. The racists and nuts have definitely come out of the woodwork.

I would love to see a chart and if there is any kind of correlation between the vermin coming out and not getting doused with bug spray and the demise of our media from doing it’s job like real exposure of the bad that comes with not spraying the bugs.

235

Great White Snark Feb 13, 2016 • 8:32:12am

re: #224 Stanley Sea

Huge congratulations to D_L!

Beautiful!

Thanks. It’s all snoopy dance here.

236

Jebediah, RBG Feb 13, 2016 • 8:36:56am

re: #210 makeitstop

That is awesome!
I’ve always loved Iggy and that just added to it.

237

Backwoods_Sleuth Feb 13, 2016 • 8:38:54am

#recap Spotted at the Science Museum in Londonhttps://t.co/ZePpwY5zgk pic.twitter.com/VhIttSBAS9

— The Poke (@ThePoke) February 13, 2016

238

Feline Fearless Leader Feb 13, 2016 • 8:39:15am

re: #234 ObserverArt

I would love to see a chart and if there is any kind of correlation between the vermin coming out and not getting doused with bug spray and the demise of our media from doing it’s job like real exposure of the bad that comes with not spraying the bugs.

The media owners decided to be more interested in making money. Which, in turn, put them on the side of the bankers and industrialists in terms of wanting access or ownership of politicians.

Side effect of this is that the disaffected public look for other means to get news and information - or simply opt to listen to and eventually accept the propaganda. With the internet being the vast uncontrolled thing it is you get back to the older days of journalism where there are no controls on content. So the good is mixed in with the bad and the signal to noise ratio is low.

And the media is really not interested in spraying the bugs. One, it costs money - and the networks have cut their employee budgets repeatedly. Two, the vermin are essentially their minor leagues now - you let a vermin be quasi-accurate and then a network can hire him on when he already has a following and reputation you can draw on. Three, they are useful as sources and back-up for spurious claims - the rumor or lie can start with a vermin site, and the network is only “reporting” on it with no requirement to do any accuracy research to verify it is factual.

239

Kryptik Feb 13, 2016 • 8:39:43am

re: #225 jaunte

[Embedded content]

If you were wondering how racist presidential candidates are still on top of the polls, here are the college-aged conservatives of Texas.

Browsing through the spectrum of the millenial-aged on Facebook and Twitter shows that the hope that this generation of kids bucking the racism of the previous gens is painfully wishful thinking. If anything, they’re becoming even more satisfied and comfortable with open, naked racism.

240

Big Beautiful Door Feb 13, 2016 • 8:44:15am

re: #239 Kryptik

Browsing through the spectrum of the millenial-aged on Facebook and Twitter shows that the hope that this generation of kids bucking the racism of the previous gens is painfully wishful thinking. If anything, they’re becoming even more satisfied and comfortable with open, naked racism.

In the shrinking southern white demographic. Their racism is becoming more open because they are becoming a minority group, and considering the way America has treated minorities for centuries, it scares and angers them. That is a big reason Trump is doing so well; they like his ethnic cleansing plan because they are scared and they want America to remain a white supremacist country.

241

withak Feb 13, 2016 • 8:44:54am

re: #239 Kryptik

Browsing through the spectrum of the millenial-aged on Facebook and Twitter shows that the hope that this generation of kids bucking the racism of the previous gens is painfully wishful thinking. If anything, they’re becoming even more satisfied and comfortable with open, naked racism.

I’ve noticed the opposite trend. YMMV.

242

Dr Lizardo Feb 13, 2016 • 8:47:31am

re: #233 Barefoot Grin

Never any intention to help against ISIS? Fucking allies.

And let’s not forget the nightmare scenario: Russia downs a Turkish fighter jet or worse yet, begins bombing Turkish infantry/armored units should they cross the border into Syria proper. Let’s be blunt…..that would constitute an invasion of Syria by Turkey.

All bets are off at that point.

How far is everyone prepared to go?

243

Big Beautiful Door Feb 13, 2016 • 8:54:49am

The GOP debate is much watch tv again tonight now that Trump is threatening to file a birther suit against Cruz. Cruz must attack Trump because he badly needs a South Carolina win. Pass the popcorn for hot wingnut on fascist action!

244

mmmirele Feb 13, 2016 • 8:59:57am

re: #225 jaunte

[Embedded content]

If you were wondering how racist presidential candidates are still on top of the polls, here are the college-aged conservatives of Texas.

Reminds me of how Prairie View A&M (the historically Black college affiliated with Texas A&M) had to fight with Texas A&M to get the funding it was due. TAMU denied PV was its extension, when the history of PV was clear that it was set up to educate people who didn’t have the “proper” white skin. PV was successful in tapping into the TAMU money stream. Prairie View is where Sandra Bland went to school, and it’s in Waller County.

245

Backwoods_Sleuth Feb 13, 2016 • 9:00:37am

Near Lebanon, Pennsylvania:

@PennLive pic.twitter.com/zDXUzp6kPI

— Daniel Zampogna (@DanielZampogna) February 13, 2016

TRAFFIC: I-78 closed in both directions between Exit 1 and Exit 8 because of serious fatal accident.

— WITF news (@witfnews) February 13, 2016

More than 50 vehicles, multiple fatalities.

246

No Depression Feb 13, 2016 • 9:02:13am

re: #230 jaunte

An aggie musters his best defense: “Everybody does it.”

[Embedded content]

Yeah, you would be a lot less likely to see something like this happen at UT at Austin. But of course I would say that, as the Longhorns are my college sportsball team :)

247

sagehen Feb 13, 2016 • 9:02:49am

re: #243 Big Beautiful Door

The GOP debate is much watch tv again tonight now that Trump is threatening to file a birther suit against Cruz. Cruz must attack Trump because he badly needs a South Carolina win. Pass the popcorn for hot wingnut on fascist action!

So if I’m reading the headlines and tweets right…

Donald Trump “truly believes” that Ted Cruz is constitutionally not qualified to run. Donald Trump “truly believes” that he has standing to bring suit and have Ted Cruz tossed from the race. Donald Trump “is sincerely concerned” with standing up for ordinary citizens.

But he’ll maybe bring that suit, or maybe not, depending on whether Ted Cruz is nice to him?

248

Backwoods_Sleuth Feb 13, 2016 • 9:03:13am

re: #245 Backwoods_Sleuth

Snow squall leads to massive, deadly pileup on I-78. The highway is shut down in both directions in Bethel Twp. https://t.co/Lz6xk5XW04

— NBC10 Philadelphia (@NBCPhiladelphia) February 13, 2016

249

Great White Snark Feb 13, 2016 • 9:04:07am

re: #242 Dr Lizardo

“A Wild Weasel provides a Warsaw Pact SAM operator the maximum opportunity to give his life for his country.”
usmilitary.about.com

“There will always be F-16 HARM shooters,” he added.

Hutchison said the capability is a must-have item on a theater commander’s checklist.

“People have gained a lot of respect for us over the past few years. You don’t go anywhere without us,” he said.

Today’s Wild Weasels give enemy surface-to-air missile operators the same “maximum opportunity” offered by their Cold War counterparts two decades before.

According to Ihde, a 26-year Air Force veteran, giving them this opportunity is Air Force fun like no other.

“It’s not like we’re crazy, but it takes someone with a lot of guts to want to waltz in and have a bad guy ‘light you up,’ ” he said, smiling. “You drive in and hope somebody wants to shoot at your airplane. Then we go to work.

250

retired cynic Feb 13, 2016 • 9:06:36am

re: #187 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

It is an immutable fact of nature that a young child will always have to use the toilet on a road trip *after* you have just pulled away from the last toilet for the next 150 miles.

And I can remember being that kid. The thing is, if a parent hollers, it makes it nearly impossible to go when you do stop! (My father had been an MP in WW2, and it carried over for a while.)

251

Big Beautiful Door Feb 13, 2016 • 9:07:30am

re: #247 sagehen

So if I’m reading the headlines and tweets right…

Donald Trump “truly believes” that Ted Cruz is constitutionally not qualified to run. Donald Trump “truly believes” that he has standing to bring suit and have Ted Cruz tossed from the race. Donald Trump “is sincerely concerned” with standing up for ordinary citizens.

But he’ll maybe bring that suit, or maybe not, depending on whether Ted Cruz is nice to him?

Yep, you got it. What a hot mess of a tire fire the GOP race has become!

252

ObserverArt Feb 13, 2016 • 9:08:41am

re: #245 Backwoods_Sleuth

Near Lebanon, Pennsylvania:

[Embedded content]

More than 50 vehicles, multiple fatalities.

Ugh. Trucks in big multiple vehicle accidents scare the crap outta me. Winter roads…even worse.

Thoughts to the victims.

253

Dr Lizardo Feb 13, 2016 • 9:08:59am

re: #249 Great White Snark

“A Wild Weasel provides a Warsaw Pact SAM operator the maximum opportunity to give his life for his country.”
usmilitary.about.com

If I’m not mistaken, the Russians have deployed the SA-21 “Growler” (S 400) in Syria.

254

ObserverArt Feb 13, 2016 • 9:12:09am

re: #247 sagehen

So if I’m reading the headlines and tweets right…

Donald Trump “truly believes” that Ted Cruz is constitutionally not qualified to run. Donald Trump “truly believes” that he has standing to bring suit and have Ted Cruz tossed from the race. Donald Trump “is sincerely concerned” with standing up for ordinary citizens.

But he’ll maybe bring that suit, or maybe not, depending on whether Ted Cruz is nice to him?

Shorter…it’s all about Trump.

255

retired cynic Feb 13, 2016 • 9:15:35am

re: #216 Dr Lizardo

And. Here. We. Go.

[Embedded content]

No No No No No No No No No No No No No No!!!

256

Stanley Sea Feb 13, 2016 • 9:17:39am

FYI Hillary has the ground game.

My Aunt Joan in Las Vegas had a volunteer stop at her house yesterday to get them to commit to Hillary in the caucus.

257

Great White Snark Feb 13, 2016 • 9:17:58am

re: #255 retired cynic

No No No No No No No No No No No No No No!!!

The question now is can we take a foreign policy loss gracefully, or escalate? Those are the options now.

258

Dr Lizardo Feb 13, 2016 • 9:19:12am

re: #257 Great White Snark

The question now is can we take a foreign policy loss gracefully, or escalate? Those are the options now.

Dick-waving contest + national prestige = epic clusterfuck.

259

Great White Snark Feb 13, 2016 • 9:21:17am

re: #258 Dr Lizardo

Dick-waving contest + national prestige = epic clusterfuck.

Syria is clearly the major fail/loss point in our foreign policy.

260

Barefoot Grin Feb 13, 2016 • 9:25:26am

re: #259 Great White Snark

Syria is clearly the major fail/loss point in our foreign policy.

I hate to concede anything to Obama critics, and I don’t really have any answers for what could or should have been done, but I have the impression of benign neglect that allowed for this malignancy. Can our new pals the Iranians help? That wouldn’t much please our old pals, KSA. I just have no clue. This is really bad and only going to get worse with Erdogan’s stubborn idiocy.

261

retired cynic Feb 13, 2016 • 9:25:35am

Backwoods Sleuth, it is good to see you on again! I hope you have power and heat!

262

Blind Frog Belly White Feb 13, 2016 • 9:27:07am

re: #247 sagehen

So if I’m reading the headlines and tweets right…

Donald Trump “truly believes” that Ted Cruz is constitutionally not qualified to run. Donald Trump “truly believes” that he has standing to bring suit and have Ted Cruz tossed from the race. Donald Trump “is sincerely concerned” with standing up for ordinary citizens.

But he’ll maybe bring that suit, or maybe not, depending on whether Ted Cruz is nice to him?

I had that exact thought when I saw Trump’s tweets. It was almost like he’s saying that if Cruz is mean to him, THAT will give him standing to sue.

263

ObserverArt Feb 13, 2016 • 9:29:05am

re: #259 Great White Snark

Syria is clearly the major fail/loss point in our foreign policy.

I think it may be too easy to say that. To my thinking American has been losing in the Middle East for a long long time. It really started to get out of total control with the Iranian mucking around we did to put Shah Reza Pahlavi in puppet power and then backing Hussein in Iraq against the Iranians who we pissed off. Been downhill since…and we’ve been a big part of it. Syria is just another arm of it all.

I just wished years ago American politicians realized we had very little understanding of the people in the region and we were never going to give them the American political experience.

Hell, we are losing our own true American political experience.

264

Backwoods_Sleuth Feb 13, 2016 • 9:31:39am

re: #261 retired cynic

Backwoods Sleuth, it is good to see you on again! I hope you have power and heat!

Thanks!
Power outages in winter suck.

265

Dr Lizardo Feb 13, 2016 • 9:32:00am

re: #260 Barefoot Grin

I hate to concede anything to Obama critics, and I don’t really have any answers for what could or should have been done, but I have the impression of benign neglect that allowed for this malignancy. Can our new pals the Iranians help? That wouldn’t much please our old pals, KSA. I just have no clue. This is really bad and only going to get worse with Erdogan’s stubborn idiocy.

This is a major part of the problem right here - Erdogan and his delusions of Ottomanesque grandeur. His fantasies of a “Turkish-Islamic Union” are a major driving force behind Turkey’s erratic foreign policy.

266

thedopefishlives Feb 13, 2016 • 9:34:24am

Morning/Afternoon Lizardim.

267

Great White Snark Feb 13, 2016 • 9:36:11am

re: #260 Barefoot Grin

I hate to concede anything to Obama critics, and I don’t really have any answers for what could or should have been done, but I have the impression of benign neglect that allowed for this malignancy. Can our new pals the Iranians help? That wouldn’t much please our old pals, KSA. I just have no clue. This is really bad and only going to get worse with Erdogan’s stubborn idiocy.

We can ignore the worst critics, they are always wrong. The natural consequence of a more measured military policy was sure to be challenged by those who seek to fill any vacuum real or merely perceived. That does not make the policy wrong. I think it was a foregone conclusion that Russia would back Assad at least as strongly as we have seen. I think Putin will cheerfully escalate. Should we push back hard enough to change that equation? Maybe not as the gain hardly fits the risks.

268

freetoken Feb 13, 2016 • 9:36:49am

“People are furious, they are angry,” said Hogan Gidley, Mike Huckabee’s former spokesman who hails from South Carolina. “I think you’re going to see that anger play out here.”

Why?

I mean, the people of Flint, MI have something to be furious about.

But the entire state of South Carolina? WTF do they have to furious about?

269

Blind Frog Belly White Feb 13, 2016 • 9:38:18am

re: #263 ObserverArt

I think it may be too easy to say that. To my thinking American has been losing in the Middle East for a long long time. It really started to get out of total control with the Iranian mucking around we did to put Shah Reza Pahlavi in puppet power and then backing Hussein in Iraq against the Iranians who we pissed off. Been downhill since…and we’ve been a big part of it. Syria is just another arm of it all.

I just wished years ago American politicians realized we had very little understanding of the people in the region and we were never going to give them the American political experience.

Hell, we are losing our own true American political experience.

IMO, we well and truly fucked ourselves in the Middle East, playing proxies with the Soviet Union. This is what happens when you try to simultaneously be an empire, and The Good Guys. You can’t be both.

270

allegro Feb 13, 2016 • 9:39:02am

re: #268 freetoken

Why?

I mean, the people of Flint, MI have something to be furious about.

But the entire state of South Carolina? WTF do they have to furious about?

Black guy in charge. They’ve been stewing about it now for 7 years and are fixin to pop.

271

Dr Lizardo Feb 13, 2016 • 9:39:41am

re: #267 Great White Snark

We can ignore the worst critics, they are always wrong. The natural consequence of a more measured military policy was sure to be challenged by those who seek to fill any vacuum real or merely perceived. That does not make the policy wrong. I think it was a foregone conclusion that Russia would back Assad at least as strongly as we have seen. I think Putin will cheerfully escalate. Should we push back hard enough to change that equation? Maybe not as the gain hardly fits the risks.

I agree; it’s not worth it.

Mind you, the Turks, the Saudis and the Gulf States are gonna hit the ceiling if that comes to pass.

272

freetoken Feb 13, 2016 • 9:40:40am

I fully expect tonight’s debate to be loaded with victim-talk and laments about “political correctness”.

But the majority of the debate, at least the answers, will be about who is truly the True Conservative.

273

Great White Snark Feb 13, 2016 • 9:42:18am

re: #263 ObserverArt

I think it may be too easy to say that. To my thinking American has been losing in the Middle East for a long long time. It really started to get out of total control with the Iranian mucking around we did to put Shah Reza Pahlavi in puppet power and then backing Hussein in Iraq against the Iranians who we pissed off. Been downhill since…and we’ve been a big part of it. Syria is just another arm of it all.

I just wished years ago American politicians realized we had very little understanding of the people in the region and we were never going to give them the American political experience.

Hell, we are losing our own true American political experience.

Not sure I understand your point. if what you say is correct, some of which I do agree with it seems to embrace my point. Is too easy really just obvious data in a contentious political moment? Our goals are failing to be achieved over there.

274

stpaulbear Feb 13, 2016 • 9:46:02am

Well after last night’s conversation about Micro Center, I’m off this morning (well noonish) to the St. Louis Park store to pick up a better monitor and look at keyboards.

Hopefully I’ll get the new computer set up before WWIII breaks out…

275

freetoken Feb 13, 2016 • 9:46:19am

Republican on Republican action:

Cruz Cheated

276

WhatEVs Feb 13, 2016 • 9:46:53am

re: #252 ObserverArt

Ugh. Trucks in big multiple vehicle accidents scare the crap outta me. Winter roads…even worse.

Thoughts to the victims.

I was on I94 in MI late at night heading back to Chicago when a whiteout hit. I managed to make my way to the next exit, doing about 5mph, where I pulled off and took a nap in a McDonald’s parking lot. I then made a reservation at the closest hotel (20 miles away) and made my way once it let up.

I was never so frightened in my whole life. It was terrifying.

Luckily, at 10 pm you can crawl along and be less likely to get smooshed by another vehicle.

277

stpaulbear Feb 13, 2016 • 9:48:00am

re: #275 freetoken

Bwahahaha.

278

WhatEVs Feb 13, 2016 • 9:49:10am

re: #260 Barefoot Grin

I hate to concede anything to Obama critics, and I don’t really have any answers for what could or should have been done, but I have the impression of benign neglect that allowed for this malignancy. Can our new pals the Iranians help? That wouldn’t much please our old pals, KSA. I just have no clue. This is really bad and only going to get worse with Erdogan’s stubborn idiocy.

The problem I always saw was…which group were we to side with? To me, there were bad options and really bad options.

279

Blind Frog Belly White Feb 13, 2016 • 9:49:21am

re: #270 allegro

Black guy in charge. They’ve been stewing about it now for 7 years and are fixin to pop.

A lot of white people thought that electing a black President meant that we’d stop talking about race - not because the problems would have been solved, but because we’d played the trump card. They thought they could keep white privilege intact, but now everyone would just shut up about it.

Instead, as Jamelle Bouie tweeted the other night, white people find themselves racialized, just as we’d done to everyone else since time immemorial. Any conversation about race very quickly gets uncomfortable for those who have benefited from the current system, and when you make people uncomfortable, a lot of them blame YOU. So they think Obama has divided us, when what he’s actually done, by his mere existence, is to shine a light on the division that was already there.

280

Belafon Feb 13, 2016 • 9:50:17am

The Kurds are one of the many things in the area we don’t have an answer to. They’re spread across multiple countries, and the countries that have them don’t want them as citizens, and then don’t want to deal with why they might want to make their own country.

281

freetoken Feb 13, 2016 • 9:50:27am

He’s finally hanging it up:

Jim Gilmore Suspends Presidential Campaign After Failing To Register With Voters

We don’t have Jim Gilmore to kick around any more.

282

WhatEVs Feb 13, 2016 • 9:50:31am

re: #263 ObserverArt

Boy, I’d love to give you a few more updings for that.

283

Blind Frog Belly White Feb 13, 2016 • 9:51:01am

re: #281 freetoken

He’s finally hanging it up:

Jim Gilmore Suspends Presidential Campaign After Failing To Register With Voters

We don’t have Jim Gilmore to kick around any more.

Who is his supporter going to?

284

Belafon Feb 13, 2016 • 9:51:49am

re: #281 freetoken

He’s finally hanging it up:

Jim Gilmore Suspends Presidential Campaign After Failing To Register With Voters

We don’t have Jim Gilmore to kick around any more.

Virginia’s still kicking Jim Gilmore. No reason we have to stop.

285

Belafon Feb 13, 2016 • 9:52:11am

re: #283 Blind Frog Belly White

Who is his supporter going to?

Based on NH, I don’t think he has any.

286

Dr Lizardo Feb 13, 2016 • 9:52:16am

re: #283 Blind Frog Belly White

Who is his supporter going to?

HE’LL GO TO TRUMP OR ELSE HE’S A LOSER AND A PU**Y!!

287

Barefoot Grin Feb 13, 2016 • 9:52:41am

re: #265 Dr Lizardo

This is a major part of the problem right here - Erdogan and his delusions of Ottomanesque grandeur. His fantasies of a “Turkish-Islamic Union” are a major driving force behind Turkey’s erratic foreign policy.

I didn’t know much about him. I had a favorable impression a few years ago. There was a small but vibrant Turkish population in Bloomington, IN where I did grad work, and Erdogan’s daughters went there. Every once in awhile a UI official would be shown meeting with Turkey’s president. Then a couple of years ago I started to hear that he was leaning toward Islamists and sporadically persecuting secular opponents. It made no sense. The secular government was what was making Turkey strong. I’m still confused, but your comments helps clear things up a little.

288

WhatEVs Feb 13, 2016 • 9:53:25am

re: #268 freetoken

Why?

I mean, the people of Flint, MI have something to be furious about.

But the entire state of South Carolina? WTF do they have to furious about?

The same as everywhere else; small towns don’t offer opportunities as they did in the 50s. Cities are the devil. Blah de blah.

They’re upset with what is never going to be again (anytime soon, until new cities form).

289

Great White Snark Feb 13, 2016 • 9:53:39am

BTW speaking of Obama critics I had a long chat with an old friend. I’m afraid I upset him. He is Israeli, hard core believer that Israel is the first line of defense against Iran. Is convinced Obama is anti Israel.

First thing I pointed out is the continued increases in every kind of aid, especially military. I made the claim that Obama is anti Bibi, not anti Israel. What with my facts at hand he had to fall all the way back on the Iran deal as a betrayal. Then I pointed out the breadth and depth of Israeli defense experts, former top intel and defense service people who supported the deal. Then i asked him about his reaction to Bush threatening loans to Israel over settlements.
nytimes.com

Some claim this cost him re election. I think that overblown but all that sure went under the rug in the “Obama is against Israel” episodes of fiction as breaking news.

290

freetoken Feb 13, 2016 • 9:53:49am

What an odd way to die:

Teacher killed in flying manhole cover accident on her way to work

291

Big Beautiful Door Feb 13, 2016 • 9:54:10am

re: #285 Belafon

Based on NH, I don’t think he has any.

He got about half the votes Vermin Supreme did, so you can’t say he has NO support.

292

Barefoot Grin Feb 13, 2016 • 9:58:27am

re: #290 freetoken

What an odd way to die:

Teacher killed in flying manhole cover accident on her way to work

Saw that on the local news yesterday. Just horrible. A couple of years ago on 93 a wheel came off a semi, bounced across the median, and basically did the same thing to another woman (and I think there was a famous flying ice from preceding car incident a couple of years ago such that now by law in NH you have to clear your vehicle of all ice and snow).

Gotta do some work. Look forward to your collective wisdom this evening.

293

Belafon Feb 13, 2016 • 9:58:35am

re: #291 Big Beautiful Door

He got about half the votes Vermin Supreme did, so you can’t say he has NO support.

When I wrote that quote, I was remembering the percentage of the vote he got, 0%, and the delegates, 0. His fraction of voters was just really low.

294

Dark_Falcon Feb 13, 2016 • 9:59:00am

re: #267 Great White Snark

We can ignore the worst critics, they are always wrong. The natural consequence of a more measured military policy was sure to be challenged by those who seek to fill any vacuum real or merely perceived. That does not make the policy wrong. I think it was a foregone conclusion that Russia would back Assad at least as strongly as we have seen. I think Putin will cheerfully escalate. Should we push back hard enough to change that equation? Maybe not as the gain hardly fits the risks.

Concur. I hate to say it, but to me it comes down to this: Other than Assad’s nasty government, the only other entity I can see as being able to rule Syria is Daesh and I like that option even less than Assad winning.

I’d prefer an option where Syria was governed and not ruled, but I don’t see how that can happen now.

295

Big Beautiful Door Feb 13, 2016 • 10:00:13am

re: #271 Dr Lizardo

I agree; it’s not worth it.

Mind you, the Turks, the Saudis and the Gulf States are gonna hit the ceiling if that comes to pass.

Tough. We don’t have a dog in this fight, though I feel for the people of Syria.

296

Eclectic Cyborg Feb 13, 2016 • 10:03:32am

Do you all realize what’s happening now?

Unless Jeb! somehow manages to pull himself from the ashes or Rubio starts to seriously gain traction, the GOP primaries will be a dog fight between Ted Cruz and Donald Trump.

I don’t even factor in Carson because he has been spiraling out of control for awhile.

Bottom line: Unless something radically changes either Ted Cruz or Donald Trump WILL be the GOP nominee for President.

It’s like a dystopian sci-fi novel come to life.

297

Dark_Falcon Feb 13, 2016 • 10:04:41am

re: #296 Eclectic Cyborg

Do you all realize what’s happening now?

Unless Jeb! somehow manages to pull himself from the ashes or Rubio starts to seriously gain traction, the GOP primaries will be a dog fight between Ted Cruz and Donald Trump.

I don’t even factor in Carson because he has been spiraling out of control for awhile. I also expect Rand Paul to throw in the towel soon.

Bottom line: Unless something radically changes either Ted Cruz or Donald Trump WILL be the GOP nominee for President.

It’s like a dystopian sci-fi novel come to life.

Rand Paul has already thrown in the towel.

298

Eclectic Cyborg Feb 13, 2016 • 10:05:49am

re: #297 Dark_Falcon

Oops, missed that. Will edit post.

299

wrenchwench Feb 13, 2016 • 10:05:50am

re: #297 Dark_Falcon

Rand Paul has already thrown in the towel.

Thank Goddess for small favors.

300

ObserverArt Feb 13, 2016 • 10:06:26am

re: #273 Great White Snark

Not sure I understand your point. if what you say is correct, some of which I do agree with it seems to embrace my point. Is too easy really just obvious data in a contentious political moment? Our goals are failing to be achieved over there.

You had stated “Syria is clearly the major fail/loss point in our foreign policy.”

I was only making a contention that it is hard to say Syria is clearly the major (singular?) fail/loss in our foreign policy.

If you meant the only major one for Obama, I can sort of see that, but that too is all colored by the whole history of our foreign policy in the region.

If you meant that it is our only major one for a long time, then my point stands. It is my opinion we have had major failures and loses for a long time.

I think Blind Frog in #269 gets damn close to what I am thinking. We can’t be the great fixers while we are also fucking about.

If you were in the ME as a leader, a citizen, whatever…how much trust would you have with the United States?

And if the world’s big dog power can’t gain trust it opens it up for the others like Russia and Turkey. Really who is in power in the Middle East? As far as I can tell…no one. Thus the mess.

I am not a foreign policy specialists, just going off of a gut feeling of the whole thing and I always try to think of how others look at us. I don’t think it is good. And I get the feeling that most Americans think we can control anything and everything. Wrong.

301

WhatEVs Feb 13, 2016 • 10:07:36am

re: #296 Eclectic Cyborg

Do you all realize what’s happening now?

Unless Jeb! somehow manages to pull himself from the ashes or Rubio starts to seriously gain traction, the GOP primaries will be a dog fight between Ted Cruz and Donald Trump.

I don’t even factor in Carson because he has been spiraling out of control for awhile. I also expect Rand Paul to throw in the towel soon.

Bottom line: Unless something radically changes either Ted Cruz or Donald Trump WILL be the GOP nominee for President.

It’s like a dystopian sci-fi novel come to life.

I thought Paul dropped out last week.

302

Eclectic Cyborg Feb 13, 2016 • 10:08:09am

re: #301 WhatEVs

He did, that was my bad. I corrected my original post to remove him.

303

freetoken Feb 13, 2016 • 10:08:24am

re: #296 Eclectic Cyborg

It’s like a dystopian sci-fi novel come to life.

Nah, it’s just Alinsky’s plan, using Soro’s money, to take over America.

304

Targetpractice Feb 13, 2016 • 10:08:41am

To me, after NH it’s a two-man race, Trump v. Cruz for the soul (*snicker*) of the party. Kasich is now campaigning for a cabinet slot, while Rubio might be angling for a VP nod. And Bush is in the same car as Carson, spinning his wheels in the hopes that he can pull together enough delegates to be a force at the RNC.

305

ObserverArt Feb 13, 2016 • 10:09:22am

re: #280 Belafon

The Kurds are one of the many things in the area we don’t have an answer to. They’re spread across multiple countries, and the countries that have them don’t want them as citizens, and then don’t want to deal with why they might want to make their own country.

Just one fine example.

306

Eclectic Cyborg Feb 13, 2016 • 10:10:30am

I wonder how many black voters that voted for Obama will NOT vote for Hillary?

There would have to be a decrease there I would imagine.

307

HappyWarrior Feb 13, 2016 • 10:11:25am

re: #304 Targetpractice

To me, after NH it’s a two-man race, Trump v. Cruz for the soul (*snicker*) of the party. Kasich is now campaigning for a cabinet slot, while Rubio might be angling for a VP nod. And Bush is in the same car as Carson, spinning his wheels in the hopes that he can pull together enough delegates to be a force at the RNC.

I can’t disagree with that. I think Kasich’s hot showing in NH is flash in the pan. He did his best in two groups that are not heavily represented in GOP primary voters- self described moderates and people with post college educations. Rubio had a shot but his bad showing in NH I think really hurt him big time. Had he and not Kasich finished in second, it might be another story. I was reading on Nate’s website that he had what he called a 3-2-1 plan which was to finish third in Iowa, (check), second in New Hampshire (nope not even third or fourth), and then win in South Caorlina Tuesday which I think is extremely unlikely.

308

wrenchwench Feb 13, 2016 • 10:11:28am

re: #305 ObserverArt

Just one fine example.

The best. They prove that the enemy of my friend is not my enemy.

309

WhatEVs Feb 13, 2016 • 10:11:56am

I think Bush or Rubio will remain as the “establishment” candidate. Which one I don’t know.

Rubio really shot himself in the head by showing his incredible lack of depth. Bush shoots off his balls every time he opens his mouth. He’s forever dispelled the notion that he’s the smart brother.

310

freetoken Feb 13, 2016 • 10:13:01am

re: #304 Targetpractice

What I’m finding deliciously ironic is that if Trump and Cruz continue their pace through SC and NV, the “establishment” will have to beg all of Kasich+Rubio+Bush to stay in if any of those three consider dropping.

That’s because Trump+Cruz are polling so far ahead that if two of the three “establishment” Republicans drop out, the remaining one still can’t catch Trump.

So all three have to continue, in order to make sure that neither Trump or Cruz make it over the minimum delegates to win the nomination.

Thus the convention will eventually turn to an open voting platform, freeing the delegates, and the good ol’ boy network can do its thing.

Anyway, that’s what I suspect will happen.

311

HappyWarrior Feb 13, 2016 • 10:13:07am

re: #306 Eclectic Cyborg

I wonder how many black voters that voted for Obama will NOT vote for Hillary?

There would have to be a decrease there I would imagine.

I dunno. I think people forget though that Hillary had a lot of African-American endorsers in 2008 too. I think Hillary would easily capture over 90% of the African-American vote as the nominee but I don’t know if the turnout would be as high. African-American voters love President Obama and are his strongest supporters.

312

ObserverArt Feb 13, 2016 • 10:13:27am

re: #294 Dark_Falcon

Concur. I hate to say it, but to me it comes down to this: Other than Assad’s nasty government, the only other entity I can see as being able to rule Syria is Daesh and I like that option even less than Assad winning.

I’d prefer an option where Syria was governed and not ruled, but I don’t see how that can happen now.

Hey Dark…you haven’t been around much. Hope you are feeling better and all that.

313

Targetpractice Feb 13, 2016 • 10:14:34am

re: #307 HappyWarrior

I can’t disagree with that. I think Kasich’s hot showing in NH is flash in the pan. He did his best in two groups that are not heavily represented in GOP primary voters- self described moderates and people with post college educations. Rubio had a shot but his bad showing in NH I think really hurt him big time. Had he and not Kasich finished in second, it might be another story. I was reading on Nate’s website that he had what he called a 3-2-1 plan which was to finish third in Iowa, (check), second in New Hampshire (nope not even third or fourth), and then win in South Caorlina Tuesday which I think is extremely unlikely.

Rubio was the establishment’s Big White(-ish) Hope, their golden boy who could be their Obama in being a well-spoken young face who could rally the party’s moderates and peel off some wingnuts from Cruz and Trump. But Christie pretty effectively kneecapped him in NH by showing he’s just been trained to bark on command. He’s trying to reinvent himself as something other than a human tape recorder, but I don’t think he’s gonna have any success, at least not before Super Tuesday.

314

HappyWarrior Feb 13, 2016 • 10:15:03am

re: #309 WhatEVs

I think Bush or Rubio will remain as the “establishment” candidate. Which one I don’t know.

Rubio really shot himself in the head by showing his incredible lack of depth. Bush shoots off his balls every time he opens his mouth. He’s forever dispelled the notion that he’s the smart brother.

Yeah he looked like a total tool out there and I have to say regarding Jeb, this is by no means putting down Latin American studies or the University of Texas, but it is worth noting that George was the Ivy Leaguer (It is kind of funny though that Jeb’s degree is in one of those ethnic studies programs that I see right wingers love to put down). I’d never call George an intellectual but I think he’s smarter than given credit for. At the same time, I think Jeb was given too much credit for his intelligence.

315

wrenchwench Feb 13, 2016 • 10:15:27am

When you throw off the shackles of your oppression pic.twitter.com/Mqv0DvcvEp

— ben™ (@benicus_rex) February 13, 2016

316

allegro Feb 13, 2016 • 10:16:04am

re: #306 Eclectic Cyborg

I wonder how many black voters that voted for Obama will NOT vote for Hillary?

There would have to be a decrease there I would imagine.

Why? She’s actively running on Obama’s record to preserve his legacy. About damn time a Dem running for office did, IMO. She speaks for them more clearly than any other candidate and Bill had a great record with minorities as well.

317

HappyWarrior Feb 13, 2016 • 10:16:30am

re: #313 Targetpractice

Rubio was the establishment’s Big White(-ish) Hope, their golden boy who could be their Obama in being a well-spoken young face who could rally the party’s moderates and peel off some wingnuts from Cruz and Trump. But Christie pretty effectively kneecapped him in NH by showing he’s just been trained to bark on command. He’s trying to reinvent himself as something other than a human tape recorder, but I don’t think he’s gonna have any success, at least not before Super Tuesday.

Yeah Christie showed the voters what I’ve long felt and that Rubio’s a one trick dog who relies on attacking Obama and not real substance. I personally think the establishment was and perhaps still is divided which is why you saw that happen.

318

Targetpractice Feb 13, 2016 • 10:17:50am

re: #310 freetoken

What I’m finding deliciously ironic is that if Trump and Cruz continue their pace through SC and NV, the “establishment” will have to beg all of Kasich+Rubio+Bush to stay in if any of those three consider dropping.

That’s because Trump+Cruz are polling so far ahead that if two of the three “establishment” Republicans drop out, the remaining one still can’t catch Trump.

So all three have to continue, in order to make sure that neither Trump or Cruz make it over the minimum delegates to win the nomination.

Thus the convention will eventually turn to an open voting platform, freeing the delegates, and the good ol’ boy network can do its thing.

Anyway, that’s what I suspect will happen.

A brokered convention would be about the worst thing that could happen to the party. They don’t want Trump, but they absolutely loathe Cruz. And that leaves Bush, Kasich, or Rubio, who are pathetic, transparent, and artificial respectively. Even creating a “compromise ticket,” such as Cruz/(insert “moderate”) would roil the base something fierce.

319

ObserverArt Feb 13, 2016 • 10:18:01am

re: #304 Targetpractice

To me, after NH it’s a two-man race, Trump v. Cruz for the soul (*snicker*) of the party. Kasich is now campaigning for a cabinet slot, while Rubio might be angling for a VP nod. And Bush is in the same car as Carson, spinning his wheels in the hopes that he can pull together enough delegates to be a force at the RNC.

I’ve said it before. I think Ohio Johnny wants the big office and nothing else. He will just come back to Ohio and run out his time as governor. Then he will write books and speak. Vice President and cabinet offices are not for Johnny.

320

Dark_Falcon Feb 13, 2016 • 10:19:13am

re: #310 freetoken

What I’m finding deliciously ironic is that if Trump and Cruz continue their pace through SC and NV, the “establishment” will have to beg all of Kasich+Rubio+Bush to stay in if any of those three consider dropping.

That’s because Trump+Cruz are polling so far ahead that if two of the three “establishment” Republicans drop out, the remaining one still can’t catch Trump.

So all three have to continue, in order to make sure that neither Trump or Cruz make it over the minimum delegates to win the nomination.

Thus the convention will eventually turn to an open voting platform, freeing the delegates, and the good ol’ boy network can do its thing.

Anyway, that’s what I suspect will happen.

It’s possible, since George W. Bush has reemerged to campaign for his brother in South Carolina, a state he is still popular in. The Bush family are the ultimate GOP insiders, so it wouldn’t shock me if they’d favor a trainwreck that let Trump and Cruz punch each other out, followed by a show of insider strength that they imagine will cause Rubio to accept a VP nomination, leaving Jeb as Last Man Standing.

Won’t happen, though. Jeb Bush is too unpopular with the base and memories of how his brother’s presidency ended are too fresh for Jeb Bush to beat Hillary Clinton, and the party knows this. A convention might nominate Rubio, but not Jeb.

321

HappyWarrior Feb 13, 2016 • 10:19:14am

Goes to show you that you can have a big roster but that means nothing if your guys suck.

322

Targetpractice Feb 13, 2016 • 10:19:21am

re: #319 ObserverArt

I’ve said it before. I think Ohio Johnny wants the big office and nothing else. He will just come back to Ohio and run out his time as governor. Then he will write books and speak. Vice President and cabinet offices are not for Johnny.

If that’s the case, then the best he might angle for is either a brokered convention or at the very least a spot of honor at the convention. Because right now, there’s not many paths to the top of the ticket that haven’t been blocked by Trump or Cruz.

323

freetoken Feb 13, 2016 • 10:21:12am

I don’t know which is worse, the slightly misleading RCP headline, or Amy Lindsay’s dissonance:

Porn Actress From Pulled Ted Cruz Ad Is A Conservative Christian Republican, Still Might Vote For Cruz

Amy Lindsay sits down with CNN after Ted Cruz campaign pulls advertisement over softcore porn ties

324

HappyWarrior Feb 13, 2016 • 10:21:13am

It is interesting to note that the convention is in Kasich’s home state but favorite son doesn’t have much meaning anymore.

325

Targetpractice Feb 13, 2016 • 10:21:23am

re: #321 HappyWarrior

Goes to show you that you can have a big roster but that means nothing if your guys suck.

That’s why I laughed myself silly any time I’d get told about the “strong” bench the GOP had. All their governors were crooks/liars, their senators were unseasoned/unlikable, and the remainder were sideshow freaks. But I still don’t think anybody really believed that we’d be two months into 2016 and looking at Donald Trump as the frontrunner.

326

ObserverArt Feb 13, 2016 • 10:21:37am

re: #315 wrenchwench

[Embedded content]

Free! Free at last! Thank Dog I am free at last!

327

HappyWarrior Feb 13, 2016 • 10:22:19am

re: #325 Targetpractice

That’s why I laughed myself silly any time I’d get told about the “strong” bench the GOP had. All their governors were crooks/liars, their senators were unseasoned/unlikable, and the remainder were sideshow freaks. But I still don’t think anybody really believed that we’d be two months into 2016 and looking at Donald Trump as the frontrunner.

Yeah I can’t believe Trump has gotten as far as he has. He’s in it for the long run.

328

Dark_Falcon Feb 13, 2016 • 10:22:24am

re: #316 allegro

Why? She’s actively running on Obama’s record to preserve his legacy. About damn time a Dem running for office did, IMO. She speaks for them more clearly than any other candidate and Bill had a great record with minorities as well.

She herself is not black and she comes across to some people as insincere. That’s likely to hurt turnout, especially if she ends up facing Trump or Rubio (neither of whom are easily linked to racism).

329

Great White Snark Feb 13, 2016 • 10:22:39am

re: #300 ObserverArt

If you meant the only major one for Obama, I can sort of see that, but that too is all colored by the whole history of our foreign policy in the region.

If you meant that it is our only major one for a long time, then my point stands. It is my opinion we have had major failures and loses for a long time.

I think Blind Frog in #269 gets damn close to what I am thinking. We can’t be the great fixers while we are also fucking about.

If you were in the ME as a leader, a citizen, whatever…how much trust would you have with the United States?

And if the world’s big dog power can’t gain trust it opens it up for the others like Russia and Turkey. Really who is in power in the Middle East? As far as I can tell…no one. Thus the mess.

I am not a foreign policy specialists, just going off of a gut feeling of the whole thing and I always try to think of how others look at us. I don’t think it is good. And I get the feeling that most Americans think we can control anything and everything. Wrong.

I was speaking in terms of the Obama admin. And yes we are not a trustworthy partner except for Israel in the ME. Totally agree with your last paragraph.

330

HappyWarrior Feb 13, 2016 • 10:23:58am

re: #328 Dark_Falcon

She herself is not black and she comes across to some people as insincere. That’s likely to hurt turnout, especially if she ends up facing Trump or Rubio (neither of whom are easily linked to racism).

Trump not easily linked to racism? Dude, what? She’s actually quite popular in the African-American community. Not as much as President Obama is but as I mentioned, she did have a lot of African-American support in 2008 too.

331

WhatEVs Feb 13, 2016 • 10:26:43am

re: #327 HappyWarrior

Yeah I can’t believe Trump has gotten as far as he has. He’s in it for the long run.

Unles he loses a few states. I still don’t think his ego takes that.

332

freetoken Feb 13, 2016 • 10:26:51am

I think Jake Tapper was enjoying that interview just a little bit too much…

333

The alpuzzzzz from Wisconsin Feb 13, 2016 • 10:27:32am

re: #315 wrenchwench

[Embedded content]

That has gotta be the greatest thing I’ve seen in a long time! I wish I was there.

334

Targetpractice Feb 13, 2016 • 10:27:56am

re: #328 Dark_Falcon

She herself is not black and she comes across to some people as insincere. That’s likely to hurt turnout, especially if she ends up facing Trump or Rubio (neither of whom are easily linked to racism).

She herself has been a part of the fight for civil rights for decades, as far back as the 1970s. The Clintons have a great deal of support in the Af-American community, which Bernie is desperately trying to chip away by bringing endorsements from jackasses who’ve spent years calling this president a “house ni-CLANG.” And she’s given the First Black President a big ol’ bear hug while Bernie’s spent years criticizing the man and is now trying to use him to bludgeon her over the head.

335

WhatEVs Feb 13, 2016 • 10:27:58am

re: #328 Dark_Falcon

She herself is not black and she comes across to some people as insincere. That’s likely to hurt turnout, especially if she ends up facing Trump or Rubio (neither of whom are easily linked to racism).

WHAT? You jest, right?

336

Dark_Falcon Feb 13, 2016 • 10:28:00am

re: #324 HappyWarrior

It is interesting to note that the convention is in Kasich’s home state but favorite son doesn’t have much meaning anymore.

That’s why he’s staying in. Kaisch is hoping to last to the Ohio primary, which will be held on March 15th. That’s also a day Rubio and Jeb Bush are looking to last until, for Florida also votes that day. Winning Florida would give either Floridian a major shot in the arm.

337

freetoken Feb 13, 2016 • 10:28:11am

re: #327 HappyWarrior

Yeah I can’t believe Trump has gotten as far as he has. He’s in it for the long run.

Trump’s in it to WIN it!

338

nines09 Feb 13, 2016 • 10:29:10am

Fatal Lebanon Co. crash on I78

Aerial photo. Not good. You can bet everyone was tooling along at 60+ mph right into it.

339

Dark_Falcon Feb 13, 2016 • 10:29:47am

re: #335 WhatEVs

WHAT? You jest, right?

No, I don’t. With Trump you can make connections, but its not straightforwards. With Rubio there’s no notable racism at all.

340

Blind Frog Belly White Feb 13, 2016 • 10:30:17am

re: #300 ObserverArt

And I get the feeling that most Americans think we can control anything and everything. Wrong.

I think Americans, especially Republicans, remember a past that didn’t exist, where everyone danced to our tune. This nonexstent past is that Trump promises to take us back to - “We don’t WIN anymore!” And it’s more comforting to listen to a lie that makes you feel powerful than a truth that discloses how limited our power is.

I caught a lot of shit from Conservatives during the Iraq war for pointing out that what they had dreamed would be a demonstration of our omnipotence actually showed the LIMITS of our power. It couldn’t be that we were unable to shape events to our will. It had to be that we weren’t allowed to kill enough people, or that people like me didn’t BELIEVE hard enough. The Tinkerbelle Defense.

341

Blind Frog Belly White Feb 13, 2016 • 10:31:13am

re: #328 Dark_Falcon

She herself is not black and she comes across to some people as insincere. That’s likely to hurt turnout, especially if she ends up facing Trump or Rubio (neither of whom are easily linked to racism).

Seriously?

342

ObserverArt Feb 13, 2016 • 10:31:25am

re: #322 Targetpractice

If that’s the case, then the best he might angle for is either a brokered convention or at the very least a spot of honor at the convention. Because right now, there’s not many paths to the top of the ticket that haven’t been blocked by Trump or Cruz.

Well, with Rubio running on run-flat tires that won’t last more than 100 miles I have a sneaking suspicion that Ohio Johnny might get enough backing to at least get him to the Ides of March (30 states or so??) with a hope he does well enough in some of the states and maybe win some Midwestern states along with Ohio, he may have enough delegates to really throw that RNC into open status and then the real politicking will start.

And his being a dick as a major trait, he would relish the opportunity to have that kind of power…even if he doesn’t get the nomination.

343

HappyWarrior Feb 13, 2016 • 10:32:20am

re: #339 Dark_Falcon

No, I don’t. With Trump you can make connections, but its not straightforwards. With Rubio there’s no notable racism at all.

Rubio I get but Trump. Same guy who called an entire nationality of people rapists? Same guy who retweets white nationalists on Twitter.

344

Targetpractice Feb 13, 2016 • 10:32:47am

re: #339 Dark_Falcon

No, I don’t. With Trump you can make connections, but its not straightforwards. With Rubio there’s no notable racism at all.

With Rubio, there’s the entire party behind his ass to dissuade minority voters. Trump’s been screaming his head off for months about building a YUUUUGE wall and kicking out Muslims, and Marco’s kept his mouth shut or nodded along. Black voters? He’s made no attempt to connect with them, while his party and its base are continuing to repeat the “Democrat plantation” BS and insinuate that black voters are only looking for “free stuff.”

Best Rubio can hope to do is bring in the traditional <10% of the black vote that Republicans traditionally achieve.

345

freetoken Feb 13, 2016 • 10:33:31am

In case anyone missed it, DMOTI ran with an article headlined: “REPORT: Ted Cruz Entered US Illegally in 1974” .

It is kind of fascinating to watch the self-declared conservatives all turning on each other. Who could have guessed last year that DMOTI’s commenters would actually be hitting Ted Cruz now?

346

HappyWarrior Feb 13, 2016 • 10:34:32am

re: #344 Targetpractice

With Rubio, there’s the entire party behind his ass to dissuade minority voters. Trump’s been screaming his head off for months about building a YUUUUGE wall and kicking out Muslims, and Marco’s kept his mouth shut or nodded along. Black voters? He’s made no attempt to connect with them, while his party and its base are continuing to repeat the “Democrat plantation” BS and insinuate that black voters are only looking for “free stuff.”

Best Rubio can hope to do is bring in the traditional <10% of the black vote that Republicans traditionally achieve.

Correct.

347

HappyWarrior Feb 13, 2016 • 10:35:12am

re: #345 freetoken

In case anyone missed it, DMOTI ran with an article headlined: “REPORT: Ted Cruz Entered US Illegally in 1974” .

It is kind of fascinating to watch the self-declared conservatives all turning on each other. Who could have guessed last year that DMOTI’s commenters would actually be hitting Ted Cruz now?

Hot wingnut on wingnut action baby!

348

wrenchwench Feb 13, 2016 • 10:35:13am

re: #339 Dark_Falcon

No, I don’t. With Trump you can make connections, but its not straightforwards. With Rubio there’s no notable racism at all.

I think of being anti-immigrant as being anti-human, but many people see it as racist.

349

Dark_Falcon Feb 13, 2016 • 10:35:14am

re: #344 Targetpractice

With Rubio, there’s the entire party behind his ass to dissuade minority voters. Trump’s been screaming his head off for months about building a YUUUUGE wall and kicking out Muslims, and Marco’s kept his mouth shut or nodded along. Black voters? He’s made no attempt to connect with them, while his party and its base are continuing to repeat the “Democrat plantation” BS and insinuate that black voters are only looking for “free stuff.”

Best Rubio can hope to do is bring in the traditional <10% of the black vote that Republicans traditionally achieve.

We were speaking of turnout for Hillary Clinton. Just because a Republican doesn’t get many black votes doesn’t mean those votes will go to Clinton. The voters in question might decide to just stay home if none of the candidates greatly appeals. to them.

350

Blind Frog Belly White Feb 13, 2016 • 10:36:22am

re: #339 Dark_Falcon

No, I don’t. With Trump you can make connections, but its not straightforwards. With Rubio there’s no notable racism at all.

Sorry, but Trump’s appeal is overtly, nakedly racist. That’s why the White Supremacists are coming out of the woodwork - he’s made White Supremacy okay again.

Rubio? I seem to recall you like him - though God only knows why - but he’s currently going down in flames and reaching for the Eject handles. 5th place in New Hampshire killed him.

Interestingly, Josh Marshall thinks this is actually the death knell for his career in politics generally. He blatantly disrespects his position as a Senator, doesn’t do his job. If he doesn’t get the nomination, what’s his next play? Run for reelection to a position he openly despises?

351

WhatEVs Feb 13, 2016 • 10:36:23am

re: #339 Dark_Falcon

No, I don’t. With Trump you can make connections, but its not straightforwards. With Rubio there’s no notable racism at all.

I agree on Rubio. Some.

Trump is every -ist and -phobic there is.

352

Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light) Feb 13, 2016 • 10:36:41am

re: #276 WhatEVs

I was on I94 in MI late at night heading back to Chicago when a whiteout hit. I managed to make my way to the next exit, doing about 5mph, where I pulled off and took a nap in a McDonald’s parking lot. I then made a reservation at the closest hotel (20 miles away) and made my way once it let up.

I was never so frightened in my whole life. It was terrifying.

Luckily, at 10 pm you can crawl along and be less likely to get smooshed by another vehicle.

I once hit a whiteout driving in Northern Arizona. Finally found a set of tire tracks and started following it, realizing the whole time that if this fellow had gone off into a ditch somewhere down the road, I would follow…

353

HappyWarrior Feb 13, 2016 • 10:36:54am

re: #349 Dark_Falcon

We were speaking of turnout for Hillary Clinton. Just because a Republican doesn’t get many black votes doesn’t mean those votes will go to Clinton. The voters in question might decide to just stay home if none of the candidates greatly appeals. to them.

I see you missed Allegro’s post about Mrs. Clinton and the AA community. Seems to me like you’re doing a lot of wishful thinking hoping they’ll stay home if she’s the nominee.

354

Dark_Falcon Feb 13, 2016 • 10:36:59am

re: #348 wrenchwench

I think of being anti-immigrant as being anti-human, but many people see it as racist.

Rubio’s not “anti-immigrant”. It’s not being ‘anti-immigrant’ to say that people who came here illegally should leave. One can say that and still fully favor legal immigration.

355

Targetpractice Feb 13, 2016 • 10:37:07am

re: #349 Dark_Falcon

We were speaking of turnout for Hillary Clinton. Just because a Republican doesn’t get many black votes doesn’t mean those votes will go to Clinton. The voters in question might decide to just stay home if none of the candidates greatly appeals. to them.

I suppose that’s about the best the GOP can hope for at this point, a low turnout election that allows the diehards to carry the day.

356

Blind Frog Belly White Feb 13, 2016 • 10:38:45am

re: #351 WhatEVs

I agree on Rubio. Some.

Trump is every -ist and -phobic there is.

Except Pacif-ist and Scopo-phobic.
//

357

HappyWarrior Feb 13, 2016 • 10:39:06am

re: #354 Dark_Falcon

Rubio’s not “anti-immigrant”. It’s not being ‘anti-immigrant’ to say that people who came here illegally should leave. One can say that and still fully favor legal immigration.

Trump. And in Rubio’s case as a Cuban-American, it shows great insensitivity given the wet foot policy that so many of his fellow Cuban Americans uniquely benefit from.

358

ObserverArt Feb 13, 2016 • 10:39:57am

re: #324 HappyWarrior

It is interesting to note that the convention is in Kasich’s home state but favorite son doesn’t have much meaning anymore.

Not a criticism, but many Lizards gave no chance to anything Kasich. I guess he was under many a radar. But he has a career that should have been hard to ignore.

That is why, as much as I dislike him, I kept saying since he announced he had some political power.

I still think too many of the Lizards are still ignoring him. I would ask those one question. Did any of you think he would get second place in NH?

And now that you do know a bit more about him, how do you think he will do in states like Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Pennsylvania as a Republican candidate? He is more like those states typical Republican than Trump and Cruz.

So, I still hate the guy…but do not underestimate him. Hell, I never thought he would have been elected governor of Ohio. Here he is. And he won twice, second time almost without any contender.

Going to lurk mode…got more finish remover to take care of…

359

Dr Lizardo Feb 13, 2016 • 10:40:28am

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

I once hit a whiteout driving in Northern Arizona. Finally found a set of tire tracks and started following it, realizing the whole time that if this fellow had gone off into a ditch somewhere down the road, I would follow…

Once hit a whiteout driving between Česky Krumlov and Prague. Me and the ex stopped and spent the night in a little town called Písek.

360

Blind Frog Belly White Feb 13, 2016 • 10:40:52am

re: #354 Dark_Falcon

Rubio’s not “anti-immigrant”. It’s not being ‘anti-immigrant’ to say that people who came here illegally should leave. One can say that and still fully favor legal immigration.

Rubio’s only Anti-immigrant this year. That’s one reason people have so much difficulty taking him seriously.

361

nines09 Feb 13, 2016 • 10:41:46am

re: #348 wrenchwench

I think of being anti-immigrant as being anti-human, but many people see it as racist.

In America I think of anti-immigrant as being anti-YOU, because unless your name is something along the lines of Cochise, Sparky, you are the child of an immigrant. But that ‘s just me.

362

HappyWarrior Feb 13, 2016 • 10:42:12am

re: #358 ObserverArt

Not a criticism, but many Lizards gave no chance to anything Kasich. I guess he was under many a radar. But he has a career that should have been hard to ignore.

That is why, as much as I dislike him, I kept saying since he announced he had some political power.

I still think too many of the Lizards are still ignoring him. I would ask those one question. Did any of you think he would get second place in NH?

And now that you do know a bit more about him, how do you think he will do in states like Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Pennsylvania as a Republican candidate? He is more like those states typical Republican than Trump and Cruz.

So, I still hate the guy…but do not underestimate him. Hell, I never thought he would have been elected governor of Ohio. Here he is. And he won twice, second time almost without any contender.

Going to lurk mode…got more finish remover to take care of…

Just meant at the convention. I don’t underestimate him but I did note he performed highest in demos that are higher among NH Republicans than in primaries coming up like SC.

363

Big Beautiful Door Feb 13, 2016 • 10:43:05am

re: #339 Dark_Falcon

No, I don’t. With Trump you can make connections, but its not straightforwards. With Rubio there’s no notable racism at all.

That’s a joke. Trump is the most racist major candidate since George Wallace. First thing, he called Mexicans rapists, he constantly retweets white supremacists, who know he is their candidate.

364

Alephnaught Feb 13, 2016 • 10:44:51am

re: #60 Stanley Sea

More Rodney’s!!!!

Image: He is just the coolest thing ever.

I saw that, and immediately thought of: “The Rodney’s are queuing up”, from this classic hit single from 1979. (At least, I think it’s a classic, and it was a hit single in 1979 over here.)

YouTube The Stranglers Duchess

365

HappyWarrior Feb 13, 2016 • 10:47:02am

re: #361 nines09

In America I think of anti-immigrant as being anti-YOU, because unless your name is something along the lines of Cochise, Sparky, you are the child of an immigrant. But that ‘s just me.

Right and let me point also that legal immigration is a lot easier said than done. I’ll also add that the concept of legal vs illegal immigrant is new. For much of history, they were just immigrants.

366

Great White Snark Feb 13, 2016 • 10:49:21am

Bravery and skills in the air.

Quick-thinking tanker crew saves F-16 pilot over ISIS-controlled territory
By Zachary Cohen, CNN
Updated 12:07 PM ET, Sat February 13, 2016 | Video Source: CNN

cnn.com

(CNN)An F-16 pilot was nearly forced to eject from his aircraft over ISIS territory due to a fuel emergency last year, an incident that could have led to the airman’s capture or death, the U.S. Air Force said.

But the pilot was saved from having to abandon his aircraft due to the quick thinking of a nearby U.S. Air Force re-fueling plane crew.

367

Nyet Feb 13, 2016 • 10:49:28am

re: #287 Barefoot Grin

I started to hear that he was leaning toward Islamists and sporadically persecuting secular opponents

*shrug* I knew in 2002 that he was an Islamist, so I have never been surprised by him.

368

Targetpractice Feb 13, 2016 • 10:49:31am

Best case scenario for the GOP is to run Rubio or Kasich against a Hillary or Sanders in a low turnout election. So the “sane” Republicans better start praying and offering sacrifices to their deity of choice that young Marco can suddenly reinvent himself or Kasich can win enough delegates to upset the crowning of Trump or Cruz.

369

darthstar Feb 13, 2016 • 10:49:53am

re: #11 Tigger2

@Patztense @jjmacnab @msbellows One should never talk about what happened on a ‘constitutional camping trip’…#MilitantsCodeOfHonor

— Sean McCabe (@darthstar99) February 13, 2016

370

ObserverArt Feb 13, 2016 • 10:51:09am

re: #354 Dark_Falcon

Rubio’s not “anti-immigrant”. It’s not being ‘anti-immigrant’ to say that people who came here illegally should leave. One can say that and still fully favor legal immigration.

I think you are being a bit too subtle for the base of the GOP. They don’t do subtle.

Rubio wants to tap into them.

Have you not noticed how he has backtracked on his own legislation and policy of only a couple years ago? He may not strictly be running on racist thinking, but he sure as hell doesn’t want to give off the look like he isn’t looking out for their concerns.

It is what makes him unable to fill his suit.

You haven’t been around posting much the last week or two. I know I challenge you to a lot of your comments with questions that you do not like to answer. Maybe this one you will.

What did you think of his debate performance last Saturday night? I don’t believe I saw you address it.

371

Stanley Sea Feb 13, 2016 • 10:51:32am

re: #364 Alephnaught

I saw that, and immediately thought of: “The Rodney’s are queuing up”, from this classic hit single from 1979. (At least, I think it’s a classic, and it was a hit single in 1979 over here.)

[Embedded content]

Video

I don’t remember the song. Like it though!

ps. allegro made me that Rodney & he came with a bong.

372

darthstar Feb 13, 2016 • 10:52:24am

Dude’s got a lizard on his back.

Something about an insulators union supporting Hillary will spark jokes. “You can’t insulate her from…” pic.twitter.com/xI2OSSChyU

— Jon Ralston (@RalstonReports) February 13, 2016

373

HappyWarrior Feb 13, 2016 • 10:52:49am

Rubio on immigration is worse than a bigot, he’s an opportunist. At least with Trump, you know what you’re getting.

374

WhatEVs Feb 13, 2016 • 10:52:51am

re: #358 ObserverArt

Good points, every one.

375

Dr Lizardo Feb 13, 2016 • 10:53:26am

re: #367 Nyet

*shrug* I knew in 2002 that he was an Islamist, so I have never been surprised by him.

Yeah, but Erdogan seems to have really gone off the deep end more recently, in 2013. That was when a major corruption investigation against Erdogan was quashed and he started blaming the followers of Fethullah Gülen for trying ‘to overthrow the government’ and he began labelling them as ‘terrorists’ and all sorts of crazy shit.

376

Nyet Feb 13, 2016 • 10:54:39am

re: #375 Dr Lizardo

Yeah, I know. He and Putin deserve each other.

377

Dark_Falcon Feb 13, 2016 • 10:55:59am

re: #368 Targetpractice

Best case scenario for the GOP is to run Rubio or Kasich against a Hillary or Sanders in a low turnout election. So the “sane” Republicans better start praying and offering sacrifices to their deity of choice that young Marco can suddenly reinvent himself or Kasich can win enough delegates to upset the crowning of Trump or Cruz.

If Sanders wins, then the Republican nominee will win walking away. By the time Rubio or Cruz got done with him, America would be seeing Sanders as wearing a red star badge and singing praise to Lenin. The hard part will be tamping down the voter’s desire to bomb Russia once the new president is in office.

/I exaggerate but I don’t think Sanders has a prayer against Cuban.

378

Pawn of the Oppressor Feb 13, 2016 • 10:56:16am

re: #323 freetoken

I don’t know which is worse, the slightly misleading RCP headline, or Amy Lindsay’s dissonance:

Porn Actress From Pulled Ted Cruz Ad Is A Conservative Christian Republican, Still Might Vote For Cruz

[Embedded content]

Porn is a paid job like any other*, and I’m sure the industry has a diverse cross-section of beliefs, politics, etc. like anything else. It’s also not unusual for porn stars to find religion.

*except for the nudity and the fluid splatter, but I think my meaning is understood

379

ObserverArt Feb 13, 2016 • 10:56:39am

re: #362 HappyWarrior

Just meant at the convention. I don’t underestimate him but I did note he performed highest in demos that are higher among NH Republicans than in primaries coming up like SC.

That is one. I am still going with that group of states around Ohio where he can sell himself. He now has a lot more attention and credibility since NH. That was his whole plan. If he surprises in SC, then watch out.

Let’s watch how those polls go for him this week…one week to go. I bet he closes those numbers a bit. Maybe even more. I see him as the monkey with the wrench.

380

Dark_Falcon Feb 13, 2016 • 10:57:30am

re: #372 darthstar

Dude’s got a lizard on his back.

[Embedded content]

I knew it, I just knew it! You’re all a bunch of Union Thugs!!1

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

381

Dr Lizardo Feb 13, 2016 • 10:58:52am

re: #376 Nyet

Yeah, I know. He and Putin deserve each other.

Heh.

You know, I was thinking that if this somehow ends in a debacle for Turkey, I’m thinking there’s some chance of a coup d’etat by the Turkish military. Granted, Erdogan has installed loyalists across the board, but loyalty only goes so far.

And then things get interesting.

382

freetoken Feb 13, 2016 • 10:59:27am

re: #378 Pawn of the Oppressor

But most people would not really consider her movies “porn” as in hard core porn. They are the type of erotic movies that Cinemax like to provide at night.

Sure, the likes of Jonah Goldberg, who called Leonard Nimoy a “pornographer”, might label it as “porn”, but as I noted last night, one of the objectionable movies listed in the news stories yesterday got an “R” rating from the MPAA.

383

ObserverArt Feb 13, 2016 • 10:59:43am

re: #369 darthstar

[Embedded content]

I saw you post that last evening. I was going to say the militia idiots probably thought they were speaking in code and the Feds would not understand it.

384

WhatEVs Feb 13, 2016 • 10:59:54am

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

I once hit a whiteout driving in Northern Arizona. Finally found a set of tire tracks and started following it, realizing the whole time that if this fellow had gone off into a ditch somewhere down the road, I would follow…

What saved me was the reflectors the state has placed along the interstate that marks the shoulder. That’s what I followed as there were no tire tracks. If there were, I was making them.

I was in Flagstaff for a week in winter for work some years ago. There was 25” of snow and -12 temps. I was like WTF? This is AZ! And accuweather totally failed me. They said no snow with temps in the 30s. Burr. And I’m from Chicago.

385

Alephnaught Feb 13, 2016 • 11:01:46am

re: #363 Big Beautiful Door

That’s a joke. Trump is the most racist major candidate since George Wallace. First thing, he called Mexicans rapists, he constantly retweets white supremacists, who know he is their candidate.

Whilst we’re on the subject: I know this is old news, but I saw the story acouple of days ago about Mr Trump retweeting that white supremacist, then un-retweeting it.

I’m surprised no-one’s mentioned Politwoops yet as it keeps an archive of recently deleted/un-retweeted tweets of politicians from many, many countries.

I first became aware of it last year when I saw a local pol tweeted something I thought was a bit dodgy, then deleted it. I searched on Twitter for any reaction to it, and I found the original tweet preserved via one of Politwoops many affiliate Twitter accounts.

Anyhow, here is the deleted Trump tweet.

386

darthstar Feb 13, 2016 • 11:04:24am

re: #383 ObserverArt

I saw you post that last evening. I was going to say the militia idiots probably thought they were speaking in code and the Feds would not understand it.

They couldn’t even come up with a code word for ‘snacks’…

387

freetoken Feb 13, 2016 • 11:05:19am

Ted not getting any luv from his state’s major news outlets:

Three Texas Newspapers Reject Ted Cruz, Endorse Kasich and Bush Instead

[…]

Cruz’s hometown Chronicle went even further, insisting that Cruz is basically terrible at this whole representative government thing, let alone the fact that everybody pretty much hates him:

During his brief time in office, Ted Cruz has become the most ineffectual, inattentive U.S. senator Texans have sent to Washington since perhaps W. Lee “Pass the Biscuits, Pappy” O’Daniel during the 1940s. Unlike the old flour man from Fort Worth, whip-smart Cruz has been willfully ineffectual. His predecessor, Kay Bailey Hutchison, recognized that her primary obligation as a U.S. senator was to serve the people of Texas; Cruz, the embodiment of the hard right, wears his disdain for government as a badge of honor.

The dislike the man engenders is so intense it’s hard to find a historical precedent for it. Not only do his political opponents detest him, but also his fellow Republicans. (Obviously, Will Rogers never met Ted Cruz.)

[…]

388

wrenchwench Feb 13, 2016 • 11:05:47am

re: #354 Dark_Falcon

Rubio’s not “anti-immigrant”. It’s not being ‘anti-immigrant’ to say that people who came here illegally should leave. One can say that and still fully favor legal immigration.

I take his attitude toward ‘illegal immigrants’ as anti-human, especially when he said the kids from Central America were overwhelming us.

389

Targetpractice Feb 13, 2016 • 11:06:47am

re: #377 Dark_Falcon

If Sanders wins, then the Republican nominee will win walking away. By the time Rubio or Cruz got done with him, America would be seeing Sanders as wearing a red star badge and singing praise to Lenin. The hard part will be tamping down the voter’s desire to bomb Russia once the new president is in office.

/I exaggerate but I don’t think Sanders has a prayer against Cuban.

You actually think Cruz could win against Sanders, that’s adorable. I’ll freely admit that Sanders has issues, major issues if he wants to be taken seriously in the general election. But Cruz is a dumpster fire and you know it. He’s hated by his own party, he’s got all the charisma and likability of an oil slick, he pounds more Bibles than a host of evangelical preachers, and he’s got a face that magnetically draws fists to it. You run him at the top of the ticket and you better hope nobody bothers to show up at the polls on Election Day.

390

Dark_Falcon Feb 13, 2016 • 11:07:27am

re: #388 wrenchwench

I take his attitude toward ‘illegal immigrants’ as anti-human, especially when he said the kids from Central America were overwhelming us.

I think he meant they were overwheming ICE.

391

ausador Feb 13, 2016 • 11:07:55am

Hooboy…

“God, Guns, Grits, and Gravy,” Mike Huckabee’s best-seller is now available in paperback! pic.twitter.com/gqy1Qzbo0a

— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) February 13, 2016

392

wrenchwench Feb 13, 2016 • 11:09:08am

re: #390 Dark_Falcon

I think he meant they were overwheming ICE.

Same shit. They were walking up to the first uniform they saw and turning themselves in. To escape violence at home. That we contributed to.

393

HappyWarrior Feb 13, 2016 • 11:09:35am

re: #391 ausador

Hooboy…

[Embedded content]

I already have toilet paper thanks Mike.

394

Great White Snark Feb 13, 2016 • 11:09:51am

The California Coastal National Monument is a biological and scenic treasure. Located off the 1,100 miles of… https://t.co/I58G1xnA0v

— Barack Obama News (@ObamaNews) February 12, 2016

“Thanks Obama” these days is either sarcastic or ironic. Well let me say it this way. Thank You President Obama for looking out for my states natural beauty. I hope to show some of that beauty in my photo blogs.

395

HappyWarrior Feb 13, 2016 • 11:10:56am

re: #394 Great White Snark

[Embedded content]

“Thanks Obama” these days is either sarcastic or ironic. Well let me say it this way. Thank You President Obama for looking out for my states natural beauty.

Sounds like a beautiful place.

396

nines09 Feb 13, 2016 • 11:13:41am

re: #391 ausador

“The Chronicles Of The Grifting Goober, Or How I Equated A Sick Woman To A Burned Down House.” Because We Are All Gods Children. Except for you. And Him. And That Man Over There. And That Couple….
Shove off, Toad.

397

HappyWarrior Feb 13, 2016 • 11:15:00am

re: #396 nines09

“The Chronicles Of The Grifting Goober, Or How I Equated A Sick Woman To A Burned Down House.” Because We Are All Gods Children. Except for you. And Him. And That Man Over There. And That Couple….
Shove off, Toad.

I prefer your title but let’s shorten it to “Confessions of a dickhead.”

398

nines09 Feb 13, 2016 • 11:15:53am

re: #397 HappyWarrior

How To Turn Your Religion Into Money With This One Weird Trick.

399

ausador Feb 13, 2016 • 11:15:59am

Makes perfect sense actually…

Oh Great. A Climate Change Skeptic Is Moderating Tonight’s GOP Debate. https://t.co/22VBbuAyBB

— Mother Jones (@MotherJones) February 13, 2016

400

Pawn of the Oppressor Feb 13, 2016 • 11:16:32am

Partisan Republican voters don’t think about the realities of their candidates. When it’s time to pull the lever, they’ll just see Cruz as “one of our guys” and vote for him. I think Democrats are vaaaastly underestimating the visceral hate for anything Clinton.

Cruz is a “Christian” with The Liar’s tongue, and he follows an alleged teacher of peace by advocating for mass-murdering bombing raids, to the cheers of his audience. Even a cursory examination of his behavior indicates that he’s pretty much capital-E Evil, and neatly embodies all of the things Hillary’s haters throw at her: He’s a weasel, a liar, a triangulating self-serving Hatebot with a penchant for awkwardly delivered melodrama, and he has a secret agenda to destroy everything that’s good about America. I’d say he’s an Antichrist in waiting, like Yasser Arafat but without the leadership. Yet.

401

Nyet Feb 13, 2016 • 11:16:40am

re: #394 Great White Snark

There’s a hilarious twitter account in which “Obama” enthusiastically takes credit for everything bad happening in Russia. One of the funniest things ever for me :P

twitter.com

402

Belafon Feb 13, 2016 • 11:19:24am

re: #399 ausador

I’m pretty sure her theories on climate science go like this:

Hypothesis: If I say something about opposing climate change, I’ll get paid more.
Test: “Climate change is a hoax to ruin the economy.”
Results: Paid to appear on TV shows.
Conclusion: Hypothesis is correct.

Who says they don’t know science?

403

Dark_Falcon Feb 13, 2016 • 11:19:32am

I just finished this interesting piece:

How Stripper Clips were Made in 1916

Stripper clips are those clips used to hold cartridges that are fed into a rifle magazine. Even if you don’t like guns, the article provides a good look at hoe such things were made 100 years ago. Bear in mind, there was no child labor used by the depicted factory though women were still employed in such work. Women would take over an even greater role in American arms manufacture after the US entered WWI the following year.

404

Targetpractice Feb 13, 2016 • 11:20:26am

re: #400 Pawn of the Oppressor

Partisan Republican voters don’t think about the realities of their candidates. When it’s time to pull the lever, they’ll just see Cruz as “one of our guys” and vote for him. I think Democrats are vaaaastly underestimating the visceral hate for anything Clinton.

Cruz is a “Christian” with The Liar’s tongue, and he follows an alleged teacher of peace by advocating for mass-murdering bombing raids, to the cheers of his audience. Even a cursory examination of his behavior indicates that he’s pretty much capital-E Evil, and neatly embodies all of the things Hillary’s haters throw at her: He’s a weasel, a liar, a triangulating self-serving Hatebot with a penchant for awkwardly delivered melodrama, and he has a secret agenda to destroy everything that’s good about America. I’d say he’s an Antichrist in waiting, like Yasser Arafat but without the leadership. Yet.

Cruz appeals to the wingnuts who think Trump isn’t sufficiently fundie for their tastes or think he doesn’t want to monger war with the same zeal as Ted. Any hope that he’s gonna somehow “moderate” his platform in order to draw in indies is futile, because the man is likely to see his nomination as evidence that his branch of lunacy sells and will actually amp it up going into the general.

405

Charles Johnson Feb 13, 2016 • 11:21:54am

That headline is taken way out of context. Clinton’s full statement makes it clear he was blaming Congress, NOT Obama. @CBSPolitics

— Charles Johnson (@Green_Footballs) February 13, 2016

Of course it does. @goodnewsgoddess @CBSPolitics pic.twitter.com/K8YfN44yx0

— Charles Johnson (@Green_Footballs) February 13, 2016

406

HappyWarrior Feb 13, 2016 • 11:23:28am

re: #405 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

It’s actually complimentary.

407

Targetpractice Feb 13, 2016 • 11:23:56am

re: #405 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

Gee, let’s guess which version of the story Bernie bots will run with…

408

freetoken Feb 13, 2016 • 11:30:03am

The Ohio machete attack will no doubt be brought up in tonight’s attack. Overall, I expect MUSLIM TERRORISM!! to be a central talking point tonight.

The other will be immigration, connected in with the former at least by Trump and Cruz.

Unless the WSJ editor there, who has a history of climate denialism, decides to throw the candidates a chance to trash the idea of climate change, terrorism and immigration overdose is on the schedule for tonight.

There will surely be a few sharp barbs about honesty, or the lack of it. Maybe Trump’s occasionally coarse language might be a low hanging fruit but frankly I don’t think it matters to Trump supporters.

409

Belafon Feb 13, 2016 • 11:30:14am

re: #405 Charles Johnson

The way they snipped the speech, they definitely tried to imply that he was putting down Obama. I’d like to see a transcript of the actual speech.

In one of those “don’t read the stories in the sidebar” I saw this:

“My head hurts”: Dad listens to daughter’s shooting death

Last Friday, she was sitting in her car outside her apartment complex, chatting with her dad, who said he had feared for the worst when she moved from San Diego to the notoriously violence-riddled city.

Then, according to David O’Connor, something strange happened.

“Every few moments she said, ‘My head hurts. My head hurts,” he said.

David eventually hung up the phone and was unsure of what had just happened.

“I didn’t realize at the time but I was just having the last conversation with my daughter,” he said.

Neither he nor Aaren knew she had been shot in the head. The father only found out what happened after reaching Aaren’s boyfriend, who called her roommate to check on her.

410

gwangung Feb 13, 2016 • 11:31:01am

re: #311 HappyWarrior

I dunno. I think people forget though that Hillary had a lot of African-American endorsers in 2008 too. I think Hillary would easily capture over 90% of the African-American vote as the nominee but I don’t know if the turnout would be as high. African-American voters love President Obama and are his strongest supporters.

The relationship between blacks and Clinton is more complex than these talking points. They’ve had a long relationship with the Clintons; they know the Clintons respect their institutions. Particularly among the older ones, they remember that get more money, more people out of poverty and into creating their own businesses during the Clinton presidency. That means something.

However, among the younger members, that’s old business. What have you done for me lately—-particularly since circumstances has changed, particularly with policing.

THe upshot will probably be a strong favoring of Clinton in those who vote…but votership might be down.

411

ausador Feb 13, 2016 • 11:31:10am

re: #403 Dark_Falcon

The enemy used to listen for the “ping” noise made when the clip was auto-ejected from the rifle when empty. They’d pop up and shoot when they heard the ping. Our guys started carrying extra empty clips and would throw them on the ground to make a ping in the hopes the enemy would pop his head up. ;)

412

gwangung Feb 13, 2016 • 11:32:45am

re: #339 Dark_Falcon

No, I don’t. With Trump you can make connections, but its not straightforwards. With Rubio there’s no notable racism at all.

Don’t be an idiot.

413

freetoken Feb 13, 2016 • 11:32:55am

Well, the final results are in, and we think that Ted Cruz is… a complete dick:

Which identity best describes @tedcruz ?#TedCruz #tcot #p2 #caring #pjnet #UniteBlue

— free token (@freetoken) February 10, 2016

414

ausador Feb 13, 2016 • 11:35:04am

re: #405 Charles Johnson

well that bogus Bill Clinton Took A Swipe At Obama story was fun while it lasted. https://t.co/8HeBHBbauX pic.twitter.com/akDIwLDvDX

— Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) February 13, 2016

415

Great White Snark Feb 13, 2016 • 11:36:40am

re: #401 Nyet

Thanks, I love those fun twitter accounts. @sarcasticrover is a fave of mine.

416

ausador Feb 13, 2016 • 11:37:47am

re: #413 freetoken

Well, the final results are in, and we think that Ted Cruz is… a complete dick:

[Embedded content]

I voted for pussy and demand a recount, it’s obvious that Microsoft rigged the poll results!

///

417

Belafon Feb 13, 2016 • 11:39:17am

re: #414 ausador

Removing one word made this sentence make more sense:

Yeah, it’s rigged, because you don’t have a president who’s a change-maker~~, who,~~ with a Congress who will work with him. But the president has done a better job than he has gotten credit for.

418

freetoken Feb 13, 2016 • 11:39:56am

re: #416 ausador

I voted for pussy and demand a recount, it’s obvious that Microsoft rigged the poll results!

I’m sorry, but the Complete Dick won the coin tosses.

419

Great White Snark Feb 13, 2016 • 11:41:05am

Major edit in my Page, forgot to include an image, added some text.

420

Dark_Falcon Feb 13, 2016 • 11:42:07am

re: #411 ausador

The enemy used to listen for the “ping” noise made when the clip was auto-ejected from the rifle when empty. They’d pop up and shoot when they heard the ping. Our guys started carrying extra empty clips and would throw them on the ground to make a ping in the hopes the enemy would pop his head up. ;)

That was the M1 Garand’s clip. The 5-round stripper clips the article speaks of were for the M1903 Springfield. The making of the Garand’s clip was significantly more automated, taking less time and muscle power.

421

HappyWarrior Feb 13, 2016 • 11:43:44am

re: #418 freetoken

I’m sorry, but the Complete Dick won the coin tosses.

The super delegates want Grandpa Munster!

422

Amory Blaine Feb 13, 2016 • 11:45:43am

re: #371 Stanley Sea

The Stranglers rock!

423

ausador Feb 13, 2016 • 11:52:17am

re: #415 Great White Snark

Thanks, I love those fun twitter accounts. @sarcasticrover is a fave of mine.

This recently started account tweets the actual descriptions of female characters in the (bad) scripts he reads. He changes all character names to JANE for anonymity.

JANE stares into camera through intense eyes — she’s beautiful but hard, like a layer of humanity has been scraped away.

— Ross Putman (@femscriptintros) February 11, 2016

JANE, a 19 year old Bunny girl - honey-blonde farmland beauty queen.

— Ross Putman (@femscriptintros) February 10, 2016

JANE pours her gorgeous figure into a tight dress, slips into her stiletto-heeled fuck-me shoes, and checks herself in the dresser mirror.

— Ross Putman (@femscriptintros) February 10, 2016

424

ObserverArt Feb 13, 2016 • 11:53:18am

re: #394 Great White Snark

[Embedded content]

“Thanks Obama” these days is either sarcastic or ironic. Well let me say it this way. Thank You President Obama for looking out for my states natural beauty. I hope to show some of that beauty in my photo blogs.

Worst President ever! - Donald “On-the-Stump” Trump.

425

Pawn of the Oppressor Feb 13, 2016 • 12:17:23pm

re: #423 ausador

This recently started account tweets the actual descriptions of female characters in the (bad) scripts he reads. He changes all character names to JANE for anonymity.

[Embedded content]

Oh gods. So bad it’s tragic.

And, Story Logic Fail: A woman going out in a fuck-me anything wouldn’t be checking herself out in a dresser mirror, unless it was at a hotel.

426

BeachDem Feb 13, 2016 • 12:24:42pm

re: #268 freetoken

Why?

I mean, the people of Flint, MI have something to be furious about.

But the entire state of South Carolina? WTF do they have to furious about?

My view on it, from yesterday—it’s misplaced anger for anger’s sake:

littlegreenfootballs.com

427

BeachDem Feb 13, 2016 • 12:38:32pm

re: #323 freetoken

I don’t know which is worse, the slightly misleading RCP headline, or Amy Lindsay’s dissonance:

Porn Actress From Pulled Ted Cruz Ad Is A Conservative Christian Republican, Still Might Vote For Cruz

[Embedded content]

My vote goes to CNN for even doing the story.

Spy Auto

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