The random political thoughts thread (Part Deux)

[lashbear]

Copyright Math (http://blog.ted.com/2012/03/20/the-numbers-behind-the-copyright-math/) (a TED Talk)

You mean "Copyright Maths"






*runs from room*

[SzczerbiakManiac]

I most certainly do not.

[Betty]

You mean "Copyright Maths"



No. It's "Copyright The Maths"

[SzczerbiakManiac]

Santorum Suspends Campaign (http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/10/politics/campaign-wrap/index.html)

[Ghoulish Delight]

Wait, someone who was the CEO of the RIAA is an arrogant idiot? Color me unsurprised.

[Moonliner]

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is proposing to ban all cell phone use while driving. (http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/27/usa-driving-idUSL2E8FQOK820120427)


SAN ANTONIO, April 26 (Reuters) - U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood called on Thursday for a federal law to ban talking on a cell phone or texting while driving any type of vehicle on any road in the country.

Tough federal legislation is the only way to deal with what he called a "national epidemic," he said at a distracted-driving summit in San Antonio, Texas, that drew doctors, advocates and government officials.


I think I agree with Gary Biller, president of the National Motorists Association who said:


laws banning specific actions like talking on a phone or texting are not necessary because those actions are already covered by existing distracted-driving laws. It would be more productive, he said, to invest resources in campaigns that discourage inattentive driving in general.

[Strangler Lewis]

The National Motorists Association? I had a lobbyist out there, and I didn't know it.

I know nothing about them, but somehow I'm guessing that, much like the NRA, they exist in part to find legalistic, reasonable sounding cover for people to act like belligerent a**holes.

But the campaign sounds like a good idea. I envision a series of billboards featuring topless women and big letters saying "Now that we've got your attention . . . put down that phone and watch the road."

[alphabassettgrrl]

I definitely wish they'd enforce the distracted-driving laws.

[BarTopDancer]

For starters they can stop using the Amber Alert boards for anything but amber alerts and traffic updates. Everyone slows to read the long messages and/or they become just another part of the scenery losing their effectiveness.

[3894]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DiNDD5_sJ1I/T6aZ8rOT9-I/AAAAAAAAAtI/VmD6kPDu8z0/s1600/t1larg.education.fundingcuts.gi.jpg

Gov. Walker, we've got your pink slip all ready for you. Pick it up Tuesday evening.

[Snowflake]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DiNDD5_sJ1I/T6aZ8rOT9-I/AAAAAAAAAtI/VmD6kPDu8z0/s1600/t1larg.education.fundingcuts.gi.jpg

Gov. Walker, we've got your pink slip all ready for you. Pick it up Tuesday evening.

:snap:

Hopeful. I've got a friend in Oconomowoc who is also hopeful

[Alex]

Guess the people of Wisconsin, on average, do approve of what Walker has done.

Can't quickly find state senator results on my phone. Did the recalls get just one of them?

[innerSpaceman]

I don't know what the heck goes on in Wisconsin, but really? REALLY?


I mean we recalled Gray Davis. He was about as offensive as a flea. Sheesh.

[3894]

I don't know what the heck goes on in Wisconsin, but really? REALLY?


I mean we recalled Gray Davis. He was about as offensive as a flea. Sheesh.

That's pre-Citizens United. We were outspent 7 to 1. As Politico said this morning, Cash doesn't talk in 2012, it shouts, and Wisconsin was a sonic boom that's breaking glass in Chicago.

It's also pre-recession. Dear Governor was skillful at channeling anger that would have been rightly aimed at the financial institutions and their lackeys in government at school teachers, nurses, librarians, snow plow drivers, etc. - you know, all those who brought Wall Street to its knees in 2008.

As an ex-Californian now living in Wisconsin, I'd like to say that CA and NY are smarter and hipper than WI. You are not. Citizens United is a cash tsnumani.

Guess the people of Wisconsin, on average, do approve of what Walker has done.

Talking with people here and reading online comments last night and this morning, many Walker supporters seem to be misinformed. They believe that WI now has a budget surplus, no teachers lost their jobs, the public employee unions refused to make concessions, the Democratic challenger was going to take away their hunting guns. This is what the ads told them over and over again. None of it is true. My gut says that about 1/3 of the voters found these ads persuasive.

This is what Citizens United will bring to all 50 states for Obama/Romney. We will be drowned in never-ending airwaves slime. It will be at the top of our computer screen and on sidebars. More than $63 million was spent on the Walker Recall in this tiny state of almost 6 million people and on just a governor. We're about to enter presidential Citizens United territory. It will boggle all our minds. The informed can wade through, just like pre-Citizens United but multiplied many hundreds of times.

Now we wait and see if Walker will be indicted in the corruption investigation. The LoT lawyers will correct me if this is wrong but I understand that, traditionally, indictments of this nature aren't done in a 60-day window when there's an election. If you like salon.com and have time, here's a good rundown of the probe (http://www.salon.com/2012/06/01/scott_walkers_john_doe_scandal_explained/).

Can't quickly find state senator results on my phone. Did the recalls get just one of them?

Yes, just one of them.

[innerSpaceman]

I have some, but not a ton of sympathy for people who are ill-informed and/or who are that influenced by television commercials. Sorry to be harsh, but stupid and/or lazy people get the government they deserve. If they didn't take the rest of us down with them, it wouldn't quite so sad.


Make no mistake, I AM sad for ill-informed and gullible people. Their lack of intelligence or sense of civic duty does not make them bad people, and I'm sorry for the trouble they continually get themselves into with their ill-advised votes. But I'm much more sorry for the trouble they continually get the rest of the nation into.

[alphabassettgrrl]

It's a psychological truth that a lie, told often enough, and especially without an equal statement of truth, *is* believed. Even by smart people. At least by some of them.

And with Citizens United, Koch brothers' money buys a lot of airtime so their lies are told as often as necessary to be believed.

[innerSpaceman]

Don't people have cable TV in Wisconsin? I mean, who the frell watches commercial TV anymore, and when they do - who watches the commercials?


The way to beat back Citizens United is just to buy everyone a freaking DVR or Tivo. Sheesh.

[3894]

Listen, I am so crispy-fried done that I am thinking of looking for a 9 to 5 so hubs and I can move. Know of anyone who wants to hire a vintage broad with mad skillz?

[Tom]

Are you out there, Scaegles? This is for you:

Ronald Reagan riding a velociraptor
http://th03.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2012/183/0/6/ronald_reagan_riding_a_velociraptor_by_sharpwriter-d55rsh7.jpg

[Ghoulish Delight]

unbelievable (http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/louisiana-revelation-school-voucher-funding-it-s-not-just-for-christians)

[Moonliner]

His hat fell off. A true hero's hat never falls off.

[JWBear]

At lunch today I overheard a conversation between two middle-aged women. They were discussing the Colorado shootings. One of them commented "Welcome to Obama's America!"

WTF? Really? What does the President have to do with the shootings?!

[SzczerbiakManiac]

Because Barack HUSSEIN Obama is a secret Muslim homosexual born in Kenya Africa who is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood who brainwash good Christian children into becoming terrorists after getting them to eat Halal food as proscribed by Sharia law which is why we have to pass laws to protect our American traditions against such devious infiltrators who hate White people.

duh!

[Kevy Baby]

At lunch today I overheard a conversation between two middle-aged women. They were discussing the Colorado shootings. One of them commented "Welcome to Obama's America!"

WTF? Really? What does the President have to do with the shootings?!I would have had a difficult time keeping my mouth shut - depending on the circumstances, probably wouldn't have.

[BarTopDancer]

At lunch today I overheard a conversation between two middle-aged women. They were discussing the Colorado shootings. One of them commented "Welcome to Obama's America!"

WTF? Really? What does the President have to do with the shootings?!

I thought Obama was "trying" to take away guns and ammo.

[Strangler Lewis]

If everyone at the theatre had been armed, there would have been a different outcome when the smoke bombs fell and the shots came out of nowhere.

[Kevy Baby]

If he doesn't like the magazine, he shouldn't read it!

[BarTopDancer]

If everyone at the theatre had been armed, there would have been a different outcome when the smoke bombs fell and the shots came out of nowhere.

Because those bullets would magically find their way through the body armor he was wearing. Duh.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Head-shot.

And yeah, I probably wouldn't have been able to keep quiet overhearing that conversation, either. The president is not to blame for some moron going off the deep end.

[Alex]

He was also wearing a ballistic helmet so even a head shot wasn't a guarantee. In the dark, tear gas, surrounded by panic.

The "if everybody was armed" argument always seems to assume an amazing amount of tactical training and preturnatural calm.

[alphabassettgrrl]

At least if everybody's armed, you have a chance if you can get a breath and collect yourself. Plus, people who carry tend to be more comfortable around guns (though not usually about being shot *at*) and may be able to pull themselves together once they realize what's going on.

[Motorboat Cruiser]

Or...

An armed moviegoer sees a dark figure, dressed in black and holding a gun slowly make their way through the smoke-filled haze half-blinded. They take that headshot only to find out they killed a police officer. Or, the police officer (who does have the proper training) sees their raised weapon and takes his own head shot.

Nah, still not comfortable with having a bunch of armed vigilantes running around, even in light of this tragedy. Some have proper training, many do not.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Lived in an area where anybody with a pickup truck had guns in the back window. Very very little actual gun violence. No vigilante mindset, either. Much more chill than here in LA.

[Alex]

To me there's a pretty significant difference between rifles in the truck with an actual purpose and being so afraid of society that you feel the need to be armed while sitting in your seat at the movies, while sitting in class at school, while getting your hair cut at the salon, while eating at the local chain buffeteria. That's a mindset I can't quite get to, feeling so at risk that one feels the need to be able to kill other people at a distance at all times.

If everybody in that theater had had a rifle in the back window of their cars, I suspect just as many people would be dead.

Now, I don't really have that much of an issue with guns as a recreational toy. But while if there had been 200 more people with guns in that theater it might be true that fewer people would have died (though I don't know how true with the combination of the circumstances and his speed in shooting about 70 people in a minute or two), it is also true that if there had been one less person in that theater with guns then it is definite that a lot fewer people would have died.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Real -world level of carrying a gun? I didn't see fear of being attacked, mostly what it would be is being on your way to target shooting or something, would be why you'd have it with you. You're right that even in a carrying environment, people probably wouldn't have it with them inside the theater.

[3894]

Do you have concealed carry in CA?

Wisconsin does.

This sign is in the front row of a family pizza joint in a small town. I took the photo last weekend. http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/555656_471727156180013_1310513475_n.jpg

It is difficult for me to understand how someone could feel the need to pack heat to grab a slice of cheese pizza and a Pepsi. But then, I didn't understand the gun and knife very visible on the guy ahead of me at the gas station, either.

For killing Bambi, sure. For self-protection in a scary situation, maaaybe. In a safe small town? I do not understand.

[alphabassettgrrl]

No open-carry laws here that I know about. Was when we lived in Montana, though almost nobody did. My mom says signs like this are showing up in Minnesota now that they allow open carrying.

[innerSpaceman]

I'm not a supporter of Concealed Carry Laws, but I don't understand your point, 3894. Certainly if a gun is not needed to grab a slice, it's also not needed to catch a movie.

Except of course, when it is.



Supporters of concealed carry point out that an armed citizenry is a safe citizenry, and there's a certain insane logic in that (would a crazed gunman shoot up a movie theater if the law of averages says 10% of the audience would be armed?)

Of course, there's the recent Harvard study that shows a distinct correlation between states with lax gun laws and states with higher rates of suicide and homicide.

There are some decent arguments on both sides of the issue, but it's going to be pretty hard from now on to say you don't need to be armed to go about your daily consumer business.

[katiesue]

Do you really want to go into a say a bar, where half the patrons are armed? I don't. And I don't think it would slow down anyone who plans the kind of attack in Aurora. They usually want to be killed anyway they just want to go down in flames.

My former sister in law was always armed (probably still is). I'm not sure why you needed a gun for brunch at the Del but whatever.

I don't feel that having everyone around me armed makes me at all any safer. All my family but my parents are all hunter/gatherer types so everyone's got a gun cabinet in their house etc and honest I have no problem with that at all. I just don't see how having a gun on you all the time makes you safer. Or anyone else around you for that matter.

[Moonliner]

He was also wearing a ballistic helmet so even a head shot wasn't a guarantee. In the dark, tear gas, surrounded by panic.

The "if everybody was armed" argument always seems to assume an amazing amount of tactical training and preturnatural calm.

I believe the reasoning is that if you knew the audience was full of gun weilding patrons even a psychopath would think twice before starting that sh!t.

[Alex]

Or, if you wanted to start ****, you'd wear a lot of armor and attack with a maximum of surprise and distraction.

Then there's the question of how exactly the police should charge into a room containing dozens of armed people in a mood to shoot things.

[BarTopDancer]

I believe the reasoning is that if you knew the audience was full of gun weilding patrons even a psychopath would think twice before starting that sh!t.

Because psychopaths are known for their reasoning?

[innerSpaceman]

No, but Holmes defies so much typically known about mass murderers, and now people want to take this new "type" into account. He did not want to go down in a blaze of glory or take his own life; rather, he's the first to peacefully surrender. Also, he's a very intelligent guy who may be psychopath, but not an idiot. In fact, there's quite a few murderous psychopaths are uber-smart - and yes, might not view a crowded room as shooting ducks in a barrel if it was assumed a few of the ducks could shoot back.


I don't agree with ANY of this concealed carry stuff, or even with the modern interpretation of the 2nd amendment, but I do see how this might be a modicum of deterrent to march into a movie theater or pizza parlor or brothel and start shooting.

[Alex]

Here's my view on what has happened to my risk:

The odds of me being shot in a movie theater were not changed by by what happened in Colorado. At best, all it has done is highlighted that I had never really given any though to the odds of me being shot in a movie theater, and being freshly aware that such odds exist they, through a psychological illusion, seem larger than they were before.

Therefore, since the odds of me being shot in a movie theater are infinitesimally small I suspect that the odds of my life beign saved by 20 people in every given movie theater being armed and prepared to defend me against such an unlikely event is outweighed by the increased risk of one of those guns being in the possession of an idiot who will find a humorous (to everybody but me) way to accidentally shoot me.

However, that's still a small risk. And seeing as we are saddled with a 2nd Amendment that was horribly written in terms of anticipating the technological future, I generally go along with concealed carry and open carry.

That said, if I learn that you're a person who needs to be able to shoot someone at any time to feel safe in a remarkably safe society (even if not as safe as some others) I will probably judge you poorly. Whether you care that I've judged you is at your discretion.

[JWBear]

You're assuming a psychopath would think twice... Or even care.

[Strangler Lewis]

Just as with capital punishment, cases like these are all make weights. We say that we need a death penalty for Hitler or Bin Laden or Gacy when what we really want to do is execute the poor black kid who never had the chance to know better.

With guns, we use absurd cases like Holmes to get to our goal of being Bernard Goetz or George Zimmerman.

I'm also generally struck by the fact--perception?--that the people who want to carry guns in the interest of perfect and impenetrable security are the same people who want to drive overly large vehicles at unregulated rates of speed on the theory that you can't remove all risk--read, risk to others--from daily life.

[3894]

http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/428806_490642510963319_246453852_n.jpg

[cirquelover]

V3894M

[Ghoulish Delight]

Looks like Romney is doubling down on his commitment to represent the wealthiest Americans.

[Alex]

Well, now 3894 will have to vote for Romney to support her state.

[innerSpaceman]

Democrats are smiling ear-to-ear. Yes, Romney has been working hard to gin up his base, which are merely anti-Obama and hardly pro-Romney. But every step he takes just alienates the holy-grail of swing-voters. He's already lost women, latinos and youngsters. Now with his pick of Ryan he's going to lose senior citizens. It's going to be tough for him to cobble together a winning recipe.

His only hope is that all the efforts to block democrat voting in Ohio, Michigan and half-a-dozen other states really works. This is all going to come down to turnout. Obama would be wise, imo, to lay off expensive advertising and invest in door to door bus service to get every democrat to the polls, and arrange entertainment for the really long lines.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Oh, and make sure that all the voting areas have enough functional voting machines.

[Ghoulish Delight]

His only hope is that all the efforts to block democrat voting in Ohio, Michigan and half-a-dozen other states really works. This is all going to come down to turnout. Obama would be wise, imo, to lay off expensive advertising and invest in door to door bus service to get every democrat to the polls, and arrange entertainment for the really long lines.Yeah, in the end I just don't see the Republican base being mobilized to vote FOR Romney. Just as the Democratic base had no interest in voting FOR John Kerry. It really at this point seems like the closeness of the poll numbers is on the strength of "anyone but Obama", but by the time November comes around, I think there will be a lot of, "Okay, maybe not anyone."

[Betty]

I'm not sure if I should be more alarmed about comments on "legitimate rape (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/19/todd-akin-abortion-legitimate-rape_n_1807381.html)" or "armed revolution (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/08/greene-county-virginia-gop-obama-revolution_n_1501510.html)".

Up until now, I've always felt that the US is fairly even keeled. That is, that no matter who was elected, nothing seemed to change all that much.

This election feels so much more polarized. Am I just paying more attention to politics as I get older? Am I getting more entrenched in my views when I think "the other side" is go off the deep end a bit? Or is it that people say whatever they think will get them elected and in reality nothing much really changes. People are all talk but don't mean what they say?

[cirquelover]

I am appalled at the term legitimate rape! Seriously cannot believe what I heard and he worked on that with the new VP candidate! Scary stuff

[Alex]

I think I heard the squeal of glee from Claire McCaskill all the way out here in San Francisco.

[Snowflake]

I think I heard the squeal of glee from Claire McCaskill all the way out here in San Francisco.

VAM





I heard it, too. :)

[3894]

Got my nerf balls and wadded up paper to throw at the screen.

[JWBear]

I'm hoping we'll see Hurricane Isaak wash them all out to sea. That would be entertaining.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I think today's ruling against Samsung is a terrible ruling and severely restricts innovation and competition in any design market.

[Kevy Baby]

Okay, I'll assume that your tongue is firmly planted in your cheek.

[Alex]

To the extent that the ruling relied on design patents that should never have been issued in the first place it is a terrible thing.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Okay, I'll assume that your tongue is firmly planted in your cheek.

It is not. I think it sets an awful precedent. Perhaps, with the patents in place, there wasn't much choice, legally, in the ruling. But it's a depressing result and those patents should never have existed. This ruling makes it impossible for anyone to design a phone with a large screen with a thin bezel, essentially giving Apple a monopoly on the smart phone market. And provides a blueprint for any other company to due the same with other products.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I rarely watch any of the conventions or speeches. But I ended up watching Obama's entire speech tonight.

Sealed the victory, which he was already on his way toward. Nothing substantively mind blowing in the speech, but "rousing" is the word I'd use.

I just can't see at this point the conservatives having enough enthusiasm to bring people out to vote for Romney. As evidence, I've only seen one Romney bumper sticker in OC, compared to the absolute blanket coverage of McCain stickers 4 years ago.

[3894]

I rarely watch any of the conventions or speeches. But I ended up watching Obama's entire speech tonight.


Then you caught my boyfriend* Dick Durban introducing Pres. Obama!



*Durbin gave a stump speech for Russ Feingold here a couple of years ago. The "crowd" wasn't more than 20 people. Durbin locked eyes with me the entire time. Hubbo kept elbowing me in the ribs but I didn't move.

Durbin and I had a moment, people.

[katiesue]

A friend posted something on facebook like if you want us to stay out of your bedroom then pay for your own birth control and abortions. I'm going to assume the out of your bedroom is a gay reference and last I checked having gay sex requires no birth control nor would result in a pregnancy needing an abortion correct?

Sometimes I hate being from a small close minded town.

[SzczerbiakManiac]

I know I've never been pregnant and I'm pretty certain I've never gotten a guy knocked up.

[3894]

Sometimes I hate being from a small close minded town.

http://i.imgur.com/UjRmV.jpg

[Betty]

I love Al Franken. http://youtu.be/JIgamWn7IzA

[wendybeth]

That was awesome, Betty! :snap:

[BarTopDancer]

Mitt Romney should be the tester on new planes that have windows that go down. He's right, it's hot and stuffy and we should be able to get fresh air while sitting on the tarmac or if the person next to you is wearing too much, or not enough perfume/cologne.

[Ghoulish Delight]

For the record, other attendees at that event have reported that the line was delivered as a joke and received a laugh from the crowd.

[alphabassettgrrl]

I thought jokes were supposed to be funny.

[BarTopDancer]

For the record, other attendees at that event have reported that the line was delivered as a joke and received a laugh from the crowd.

Well they take stuff out of context all the time. So there. Or something.

[innerSpaceman]

Nope. Have you seen the tape? It was not delivered as a joke, and there was no laughter.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Umm, link please? I've heard of no such video.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Okay, found it.

Honestly, hard to say. He did have a smirk on his face, a self satisfied chuckle, and a bit of a shrug leading up to the line, though he kind always has a smirk doesn't he. There was some audible reaction from the audience, but with absolutely no pause to allow for a laugh, hard to tell if it was a laugh or a collective, "Uhh, wtf?"

Watched it a couple times, and I honestly can't say one way or the other. I have no doubt that he has no ability to deliver a joke, so it is very plausible that he though that was hilarious.

link (http://www.politico.com/multimedia/video/2012/09/romney-airplane-windows-not-opening-a-real-problem.html). Judge for yourself.

[Kevy Baby]

Now why would I want to form an opinion based on fact when I can just have my own ignorant emotional position?

[innerSpaceman]

He was definitely not offering it up as a sober policy proposal, but - to my observation - not the same type of delivery as his other flat-on-their-face attempts at humor.

I can't go as far as "hard to tell" though. If it were a joke, I think he would have given some clue that he was telling it in the same vein of ridiculousness as it conveyed to all thinking people around the world. Also, coming directly on the heels of a rather serious (and appropriate) bit of concern for his wife's safety, there was nothing to indicate an instant segue to an entirely different tone of lightness.

[Alex]

Haven't seen the video but just from the transcript I read it not as asking why you can't generally roll down the windows on an airplane but why there isn't some emergency mechanism to break the seal of the airplane and allow external oxygen to flow in when the cabin is in a low oxygen situation. That there might be situations where maintaining cabin pressure might be worse than keeping it.

But regardless, I don't care much. Even if it was just a stupid thought that popped into his head, I've certainly expressed such stupidity when talking extemporaneously.

[innerSpaceman]

But you're not running for president, are you. And, in doing so, how many times do you have to say something retarded "extemporaneously" before it becomes an indication of a more serious problem (like, ya know, true idiocy).

Worse, to my mind, are the three recent occasions where Romney made specific policy statements in recorded interviews, "extemporaneously" - that his campaign had to immediately retract and denounce.

[Alex]

Oh, I don't put this kind of extemporaneous error anywhere near the same bucket as policy squishiness and self contradiction.

But to answer your question, I don't really take any level of brain farting of the type this item would be to be a sign of idiocy. Presumably I'm not an idiot and I do it all the time. No, I'm not running for president, but then I don't place speaking skills all that highly on my list of presidential qualities. Nice to have, but not necessary.

I don't think Romney would be a good president, but I'm comfortable thinking that without having to think him an evil or stupid person.

But I'm not saying you shouldn't find it important. You can judge based on whatever criteria you want.

[Strangler Lewis]

It was obviously a joke, the kind of lame joke a political candidate makes when he's embarrassed to find his smoke-stained wife standing on stage next to him after he's just tried to have her murdered on an airplane to garner sympathy votes.

[alphabassettgrrl]

It was obviously a joke, the kind of lame joke a political candidate makes when he's embarrassed to find his smoke-stained wife standing on stage next to him after he's just tried to have her murdered on an airplane to garner sympathy votes.

That made me laugh. :)

[Betty]

Mitt Romney Style (http://www.collegehumor.com/video/6830834/mitt-romney-style-gangnam-style-parody)

[CoasterMatt]

I just hope nobody dies of alcohol poisoning...
http://i.imgur.com/qqdfo.jpg

[scaeagles]

All participants will pass out within 10 minutes.

[katiesue]

Mitts flag is bigger but I like Obama's tie better.

[katiesue]

Watching with the 16 year old know it all (as all 16 year olds do)

Me - Mitt's eyes look bloodshot
Madz - he's probably drunk all the time
Me - He's Mormon
Madz - so
Me - they don't drink
Madz- Maybe it's a front

[katiesue]

Madz - Mitt keeps getting redder. (pause) He IS a Republican.

[scaeagles]

I remember a post on some board or another with all of you....it was after the first Bush-Kerrey debate in 2004 when Bush was awful and got destroyed. I was depressed and came on and posted about those feelings.

I guess now, 8 years later, most of you know how I felt. True Bush went on to win - I'll beat you all to the punch - but that was a serious beat down.

[Strangler Lewis]

True.

Obama needs to stop acting presidential and call his opponent a liar and a badman.

[scaeagles]

If acting presidential means avoiding eye contact, stuttering, looking confused and in need of a teleprompter, and having no command of facts, then I agree - Obama was presidential!

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Agreed, scaeagles, Romney looked much more polished than Obama.

Too bad Romney just kept hammering on the $716b lie about Medicare. They both uttered some falsehoods but man, he must have mentioned it 30 times, and it's such baldfaced BS that his campaign won't let go. It's disgusting.

Add in that Obama was able to say um, hello, you might want to do some math, and I just hope people were paying attention to what was being said instead of Obama's stuttering.

[Ghoulish Delight]

First debate with an incumbent almost always favors the challenger anyway. Why waste the good ammo on a losing fight?

[Moonliner]

Win, lose, poised, clumsy, it does not look like a statistically significant number of potential voters were swayed from one candidate to another by this debate.

[SzczerbiakManiac]

Hair Swap (http://gawker.com/5948880/this-is-pretty-much-the-only-good-thing-to-come-out-of-last-nights-debate)
http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/18143a86m5cm1jpg/xlarge.jpg

[alphabassettgrrl]

The hair swap is creepy.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Win, lose, poised, clumsy, it does not look like a statistically significant number of potential voters were swayed from one candidate to another by this debate.

If history holds, Romney is likely to close the gap by somewhere in the area of 2.8 percentage points (http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/03/first-debate-often-helps-challenger-in-polls/), give or take. Which would put them in a statistical dead heat for national popular vote, but still leave Obama with a large likely electoral vote lead.

[flippyshark]

I suddenly find Romney much more trustworthy with O's hair. On the other hand, Obama looks like a preacher with Romney's coif.

[Alex]

I only watched the last half hour. At least in that window it didn't seem like there was any real beat down going on either way but I'm willing to defer to the quickly solidifying conventional wisdom.

I look forward to the quadrennial practice of the media deciding what both participants did wrong within 30 seconds of the debate ending then the candidates overreacting to those rulings and getting pummeled after the second debate for overcompensating.

[Betty]

We're all a nation that believes we're children of the same god.

I was told to stop yelling at the TV after he said this. Apparently I can't watch a presidential debate quietly. ;)

[scaeagles]

I suddenly find Romney much more trustworthy with O's hair. On the other hand, Obama looks like a preacher with Romney's coif.

Kinda looks like Sharpton.

[SzczerbiakManiac]

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who thought that scaeagles.

[Alex]

How many cycles do it think it will be before a Democratic presidential nominee shows up at a debate in a red tie or Republican in blue?

I want to run just so I can show up in a green tie and blow people's minds.

[katiesue]

I found it interesting that the whole Red State/Blue State only started in 2000 (http://newman.baruch.cuny.edu/pres_election_08map/page2.htm).

[innerSpaceman]

I found it interesting that of all the televised first presidential debates between an incumbent and challenger, only ONE was won by the incumbent.





And that sure wasn't Obama ... it's kinda easy to guess who it was. :cool:

[scaeagles]

What???? You mean you don't think Bob Dole won Bob Dole's first debate with Clinton? :) Bob Dole would say "Bob Dole won that debate and Bob Dole knows all about debates and Bob Dole".

[alphabassettgrrl]

Green tie- go for it! I'd love it!

[JWBear]

I want to run just so I can show up in a green tie and blow people's minds.

Then people will assume you're a Muslim... Or Irish... Which won't make any difference, becuase everone knows they're all terrorists anyway. Why do you hate America?

[Alex]

Well, how did you think I was going to blow their mind? Certainly not with cognitive dissonance.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Robo Romney (http://www.roboromney.com/)

Indicate your position on the political spectrum for various issues, and Robo Romney will mine Romney quotes that agree with your position.

[Ghoulish Delight]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZxs09eV-Vc&feature=share

[katiesue]

watching with the teen again. Romneys knuckles look bruised. Has he been in a rumble?

[BarTopDancer]

I lasted 5 minutes before I started utilization my special radio to headset microphone and telling Romeny to STFU you fvcking liar and Obama to answer the fvcking question.

[katiesue]

I propose winner take all cage fight. More entertaining.

[alphabassettgrrl]

We stopped it more than a few times to yell at one or the other candidate. Mostly for "answer the question." Or stop talking over the moderator.

[katiesue]

I nominate Alex for moderator.

[Betty]

I nominate Alex for moderator.

I'll second that. Can we get a vote?

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I was going to one-up by nominating Alex for President but I figure we should at least hear his platform first.

[wendybeth]

I was amused, but also kinda horrified by Mitt's 'binder' statement, then I got pissed when he said he was for flex time so the little woman could get home in time to cook and clean. Made me want to hit the next man I saw, which unfortunately was poor Eric. I continue to be amazed at the disparity between the sexes with regards to equal pay, work division in the home, etc. Amazed, and angry.

[Strangler Lewis]

Obama didn't really answer that question either. And I'm sure that young Epstein--or whatever his name--was went straight home and dropped out of college to cut his losses.

[BarTopDancer]

It kills me to say that I am really respecting Gov. Christie for how he is not politicizing Sandy, working with Obama and the government and generally put aside his differences to do what is best for his state.

Now, it's probably too much to hope that once he sees how organizations like FEMA, and you know, the FEDERAL government and taxes will help restore his state that he will change his views.

It's probably too much to hope that all these people who are against government handouts will see how tax money and federal funds are useful. And if they don't, it's way too much to hope they will just ask their parents for money, or do it themselves, with no help.

Or, as I said on Facebook

I wonder how many of those anti-"socialist", anti-government assistance people will accept/demand/look for help from the Feds and State to rebuild after Sandy. And I wonder how Fox will spin it.

[SzczerbiakManiac]

I had a similar reaction. My estimation of Christie went up several notches. And that it happened on Fox News was priceless.

[JWBear]

This is not really politics, per se, but I wasn't sure where else to put it...

I've read or heard people make comments to the effect that whoever wins on Tuesday will be president on Wednesday. For example "I can't wait to see Obama moving out of the White House on 11/7!" "I'll be so happy to wake up on 11/7 and find Romney is now President!"

Don't these people have any understanding that the term doesn't end until January, and no matter the outcome on Tuesday, Obama will still be president until then? It drives my crazy.

[Moonliner]

This is not really politics, per se, but I wasn't sure where else to put it...

I've read or heard people make comments to the effect that whoever wins on Tuesday will be president on Wednesday. For example "I can't wait to see Obama moving out of the White House on 11/7!" "I'll be so happy to wake up on 11/7 and find Romney is now President!"

Don't these people have any understanding that the term doesn't end until January, and no matter the outcome on Tuesday, Obama will still be president until then? It drives my crazy.

In fact if Romney wins, The vans to move out the Obama's and the vans loaded with Romney stuff will show up at the White House at the same time the president is being inaugurated.

Here is a photo of that during Obama's inauguration....

http://i688.photobucket.com/albums/vv243/stevesphotobook/Inaugration%2009/P1000369.jpg

[katiesue]

If the Mayans are right it won't matter because the world will end before January anyway.

[JWBear]

In fact if Romney wins, The vans to move out the Obama's and the vans loaded with Romney stuff will show up at the White House at the same time the president is being inaugurated.

Yes. The residence staff have just 7 hours to pack all the outgoing first family's possessions, load them into the trucks; then paint, wallpaper, and clean before moving all the new family’s stuff in and unpacking it. Nothing is touched until the outgoing POTUS and FLOTUS leave for the inauguration, and everything has to be in place for the new family by the time the inaugural parade is over. It’s an amazing feat of coordination!

[Strangler Lewis]

That's how we won the war.

[Alex]

I can see both a literal and metaphorical meaning in saying Romney will be president on the 7th. Before I judge, can you point me to an example of this?

[Moonliner]

Woot!

Same sex marriage passes in Maryland, and they will be able to honeymoon at our brand new full service casino! Now that's a good night.

[wendybeth]

I guess our honeymooners will just have to celebrate by getting stoned. ;)

[Alex]

Only outcome I'm bummed about so far is apparently we are still unwilling to give up the death penalty.

[innerSpaceman]

Yes, that was the one really dark mark in an otherwise supernova-bright election night. I'm also a bit sad that Michelle Bachman and Paul Ryan retain their seats in Congress, but oh well.

But gay marriage wins in four states, a near sweep of senate races, that presidential win, defeats of Republican loonies Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock (rape brand) and Allen West (general loonie brand), and more than half the California ballot initiatives going well is really quite a fantastic result. Really the best election night I can remember.

[JWBear]

Watching the Fox News commentators coming unglued was fun too.

[Snowflake]

Watching the Fox News commentators coming unglued was fun too.

I missed all that and Diane Sawyer as well. Between hiding my eyes watching the initial returns, I was switching between MSNBC and CBS and Turner Classic Movies.

[SzczerbiakManiac]

I saw the Diane Sawyer clips alleging she was drunk. Honestly, it didn't come off like drunkenness to me. To me she just sounded like her normal self, but maybe a little tired.

But reveled in the schadenfreude I absorbed from the Fox casters.

[BarTopDancer]

Same sex marriage passes in Maryland, and they will be able to honeymoon at our brand new full service casino! Now that's a good night.

defeats of Republican loonies Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock (rape brand)
Apparently God doesn't like people who don't use their brain, or the science he created ;)

[SzczerbiakManiac]

I think VicJac has crossed into the realm of mental illness.
http://www.afterelton.com/sites/www.afterelton.com/files/2012/11/jackson.jpg

[alphabassettgrrl]

Because there isn't such a thing as a Democrat who's Christian? A thing I can't believe.

Your guy lost. It happens. Sorry.

[JWBear]

Yes, there are people out there that truly believe that you can not be a Christian and a Democrat. If you claim to be both, then you are "false" Christian.

[€uroMeinke]

Clearly, having list the election their god has been revealed to be the false one. Hail Zeus

[Kevy Baby]

I'm trying to figure this "Christian" thing out.

Obama is a Christian
Romney is not

How did electing Obama over Romney disappoint the Christians?

[Moonliner]

I'm trying to figure this "Christian" thing out.

Obama is a Christian
Romney is not

How did electing Obama over Romney disappoint the Christians?

I have to admit I wasn't sure so I Googled: "Are Mormons Christian? (http://lmgtfy.com/?q=are+mormons+christian)"

Holy hell did that open a can of worms......

[katiesue]

Christians believe in Christ - that's the definition right? And Mormons do believe in Christ, they just added some mumbo jumbo on top of it.

[Strangler Lewis]

The larger question need not be answered because the common ground is white people who believe in theocracy and generally short hair. As opposed to dark-skinned, long-bearded theocrats who are to be feared (probably correctly). This allows American evangelicals to profess love for Israel (Netanyahu-style) while simultaneously having little use for American Jews.

Thank you.

[Moonliner]

Christians believe in Christ - that's the definition right? And Mormons do believe in Christ, they just added some mumbo jumbo on top of it.

Yeah, apparently not quite that simple. Who knew religion could be so complicated.

[Kevy Baby]

Ask most devote Christians and they will say that Mormons are not Christians.

[katiesue]

Yes but Mormons themselves, at least the ones I know, consider themselves to be Christian.

[flippyshark]

In my book, anyone who professes themselves to be Christian IS some type of Christian. Christians tend to disagree with this standard. The matter is rife with the "No True Scotsman" fallacy.

[Alex]

Since how someone labels their religious beliefs forces no obligations on me, I don't care. And since there is no universally accepted sanctioning body I don't care if other people care.

[CoasterMatt]

http://i.imgur.com/EAgx0.jpg

[BarTopDancer]

Looks like we're going to go over the fiscal cliff. Can't wait to see how much more they will be taking out of my check. I'm almost thankful there's no hockey so I can axe cable without worrying about how I can catch games.

“at least for a few seconds, it’ll feel like we’re flying.” (http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-november-29-2012/cliffpocalypsemageddonacaust---totally-solvable-budget-problem)

[Ghoulish Delight]

Is it weird that I'm a little disappointed at how pathetic Glenn Beck's big reveal was? I mean come on, with that build up, you gotta deliver some good crazy Glenn. You're not even trying anymore!

[Alex]

What did Glenn Beck reveal? I think you're the first time I've heard his name in months.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Last week, before the chasing and the shooting and the booming, he jumped on the "Foreign national in the hospital that is quietly being deported" bandwagon. He said he had proof that the government was investigating him in connection with the bombing (nevermind that the person in the hospital was NOT being deported, reports conflated 2 different people), and that if Obama didn't confess before yesterday, he'd release that proof.

Well the "proof" was a letter sent to Napolitano, signed by 4 GOP geniuses in congress that read (and I'm only slightly paraphrasing here), "You keep saying this guy isn't being investigated, and isn't being deported, but we TOTALLY heard on TV that he is. So you got some 'splainin' to do."

[Moonliner]

If you kick me in the balls and then offer me an ice pack, don't expect a lot of thanks.
(http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/are-dems-blinking-first-on-aviation-cuts-90653.html?hp=t1_3)

[Ghoulish Delight]

The first clue you've made a stupid decision - you can't be honest with your child as to why you made him "[cry] for about 10 minutes."

Good riddance (http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/30/18633729-after-vote-allowing-gay-kids-to-become-boy-scouts-some-families-call-it-quits?lite)

[alphabassettgrrl]

While I applaud the forming of an alternative, religious group, I think they're making too much of it. Somewhere I saw a comment that the Boy Scouts will still go camping, learn to make fire, and all that, because they're boy scouts, not a sex club.

[innerSpaceman]

Ah, but summer camp is where I circle-jerked with all my supposedly straight camp-mates - because, well, for horny boys (i.e., practically all young teen boys), camping is to them what prison or the navy is to grown men. It brings out the gay in all - and all it takes is one. (But believe me, as the gay boy at camp - I was NOT the one to even suggest, much less instigate, us all pulling out our dicks and jerking off together in a big circle).

So (continue to) have fun at camp, ye Boy Scouts! ;)

[Ghoulish Delight]

Anatomy of misinformation

A story has been going around about a recently released document through Freedom of Information. It's generally headlined something like, "List of words that will get you on a government watchlist if you tweet them: Includes 'pork', 'emergency', and 'snow'" [or some other combination of individually innocuous words]

I read the report.


1) The thrust of the document is guidelines for monitoring ALL media outlets for information that will help Homeland Security get a picture of a breaking news story (fire, weather event, terrorism, etc.). It's not at all about any sort of long term tracking, it's about getting information about now.

2) While it does talk a lot about monitoring social media, it's explicit in saying that the interest in social media is for a) stories tweeted by major media outlets or b) tweets from any source that then get picked up and distributed by major media outlets. The document does not concern itself with isolated individual tweets. They are looking for NEWS

3) Social media is not enough of a source on its own to raise interest. Only when there's corroboration through other more credible sources.

4) There's a whole section about NOT including "Personally Identifiable Information" in the reports. Hard to build a watch list without personally identifiable information.

Nice job internet, way to uncover NOTHING

[Ghoulish Delight]

Well now.

Got a call, purportedly from my bank, about an automatic bill payment (HOA dues). No detail on the call. I logged into my account online and saw a message on the payment saying the payee was being investigated by the "Risk" department.

I called my bank (at their main number, not the number given on the phone message), and they confirmed that the call was legitimate.

It seems they were concerned about a word that was in the memo of the payment.

A couple interesting facts about that word.

1) It's been there since I started that recurring payment 2 years ago.

2) It's the name of our street and is also on the check as the street address of the account.

I pointed this out and asked why it was suddenly a problem. Apparently a new security policy.

After the call I googled the word.

Interesting fact #3 - it's the name of an ancient city in Syria.

[Snowflake]

Facepalm, GD. Wow! :eek:

[Strangler Lewis]

You learn something new every day.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Guess at least you know they're watching! Not in a helpful way, but y'know.

[Kevy Baby]

You live on Mosopotamia Blvd.?

[Ghoulish Delight]

Quick tip, Mr. President. When declining to get on board with a boycott, try not to say, "No one is more offended than me." Because clearly, people are more offended than you.

[katiesue]

Question that I have no idea how to google. A lot of employers in the US keep workers hours to a minimum in order to avoid making them "full time" employees and having to provide benefits. My question is, in other countries with socialized medicine so that's off the table, is this also the case? Do they not let employees have enough hours to make a living?

[Moonliner]

Question that I have no idea how to google. A lot of employers in the US keep workers hours to a minimum in order to avoid making them "full time" employees and having to provide benefits. My question is, in other countries with socialized medicine so that's off the table, is this also the case? Do they not let employees have enough hours to make a living?

I would start with this. (http://lmgtfy.com/?q=percent+of+part+time+workers+by+country)

[katiesue]

The link comes up with a lot of US statistics. I guess to refine my question it's in countries where the benefits are off the table. Can people who who choose to, a lot work part time on purpose, get enough hours say at Target or McDonalds to be full time. Here the trend seems to be to hire more people so they all work less hours so they don't have to pay benefits. Am I making any sense?

I'm just wondering if taking health benefits off the table to to speak, would make a difference for people who work minimum wage in getting to work as may hours as they'd wish.

[Alex]

France, for example, had (a think the recent governments have loosened it) a 35-hour maximum work week with a pretty strict cap on overtime. One of the express purposes of which was to force employers to hire more people by limiting how many any individual could work.

Minimum wage is about $12/hour and I can't speak at all to how close to a living wage that is.

But yes, if there is no additional employment cost of allowing someone to work 40 hours instead of 20, I'm sure most employers would prefer to have one 40 instead of two 20. But there are a lot of things that muddy the issue on employment cost besides just healthcare.

[katiesue]

Thanks Alex - that was what I was finding out trying to research - it's a pretty muddy subject.

[Ghoulish Delight]

While I believe the plight of the families of the Arizona firefighters make an excellent object lesson as to why relying on employer-provided health benefits is a disastrous model for the country, and find the whole thing tragic and depressing...I can't say I'm no board with the request for the governor to step in and grant the benefits. This doesn't seem to be someone using a technicality to get out of paying out what they should. To me, they signed up to be seasonal workers, and signed up to accept the limited benefits that come with that.

[katiesue]

I have to agree. It's sad for them but it's what they signed up for. My Dad was a firefigher for a few years then a logger. Both considered seasonal workers. He never had any sort of benefits (at least from logging). Yes you do work more than 40 hours in the season, but you don't work year round. And they do get some benefits, just not the benefits they would if they were full time. They're kind of trying to make it sound like they're out in the cold. Even back in the day, early 70's, it was difficult to be considered full time. Dad went back to college to finish his degree so he could be considered and he ended up getting passed over. That was when he moved to logging.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Hmm. The civil case against Paula Deen was thrown out of court by the judge. Essentially because the judge determined that since the person bringing the suit was not the target of the alleged racial discrimination.

I suppose I follow the logic there, but I'm not entirely comfortable with it. As I see it, that means if I am at a workplace where the management is allowing the N word to be thrown around with impunity, and I'm the only one with enough courage to stand up to it, then I don't get the same legal protection if I decide to confront it, because I'm white and it's not aimed at me. Doesn't sit right.

[alphabassettgrrl]

I never got the feeling that she was the nasty one, just the one targeted, in part I suspect because she has more money than her brother. I share your dismay in the logic, though. Either something bad is going on or it isn't, and it shouldn't matter that I'm not the one targeted.

Sexual harassment suits can be brought by third parties, so why not this one?

[Alex]

On the work hours question above, there was a story on the radio about a group in France trying to counter persistent unemployment by reducing the weekly work cap to 32 hours. It did not mention a simultaneous increase in minimum wage.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I don't normally pick a horse in the Pulitzer race...or generally have any clue who the horses are...but I'm making the call this year on photography.

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/131022122224-01-maria-roma-1022-horizontal-gallery.jpg

It's everywhere.

[Alex]

Never seen it before. What is it?

[Ghoulish Delight]

The girl found living with a Roma family in Greece. DNA tests proved she wasn't theirs so it was assumed she was kidnapped. But then they tracked down the biological mother who says she "gave her away" because she couldn't afford to provide. Which has brought speculation that she sold her. And thus, that little girl and that picture are now the face of the human trafficking problem. And as sad as it is to say this, having a little blonde girl as the image is probably going to make a lot more people pay attention.