ZARDOZ SATURDAY NIGHT LINKS

ZARDOZ SPEAKS TO YOU, HIS CHOSEN ONES. ZARDOZ HAS BEEN DISCHARGED, AND NEW FRIEND HAS OFFERED A PLACE TO CRASH…

“He’s cool, we were in rehab together”

… OK, THERE IS A DIFFICULTY. ZARDOZ CAN FIT ONLY .002% OF SELF INTO ENTRANCE.

YES, WHILE YOU COME UP WITH AN IDEA, I WILL PROVIDE LINKS TO MY CHOSEN ONES.

  • BRUTAL PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS MIGHT WISH TO RE-CALIBRATE EFFORTS AWAY FROM TRANSFATS AND GUNS.
  • IT IS BETTER TO BE A BRUTAL ENFORCER THAN A MERE BRUTAL.
  • AMERICAN BRUTAL TAX DOLLARS WISELY SPENT.
  • MOMMY!
  • LUTHERAN BRUTALS ATTACK!

OH, YOU HAVE A LARGER DEN YOU KNOW OF? ZARDOZ THANKS HIS NEW FRIEND. LET US GO THERE!

OH. ZARDOZ NOT SURE SUCH A PLACE IS SUITABLE RIGHT NOW. HAVING JUST FINISHED…

YES, ZARDOZ DOES WISH TO BE HOSPITABLE…

ZARDOZ …..CHASE THE DRAGON!!!!!

Comments

269 responses to “ZARDOZ SATURDAY NIGHT LINKS”

  1. SimonD

    “…According to Sycamore Police Department reports, an Elgin police officer was taken into custody in an early morning traffic stop April 8. The officer, according to documents the Courier-News obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, had a discarded bottle of beer in the vehicle and refused to submit to a breathalyzer test at the scene.

    He was later released without charges, citing lack of evidence, the report states….”

    How come I have this weird impression that it wouldn’t work like that if I’d refused a breathalyzer test in my personal car?

    1. Akira

      I observed an instance of “cops get away with shit” when I worked at the prison.

      There was an auto repair lab where inmates worked on state vehicles under supervision. It was part of the vocational training program for inmates. They would also raise money by washing cars of state employees for a few bucks (and any state employee could come in, not just prison employees). Anyway, a highway patrolman brought his personal vehicle into the prison to get washed one day. He forgot to take his personal concealed carry gun out of the glovebox. One of the prison employees found it first, but it could have easily been in the hands of an inmate. It was treated as an incident of “workplace misconduct”, which means he probably got a day or two of paid leave (if that).

    2. SIV

      Sycamore, Illinois? Jesus Fucking Christ I really have been everywhere. First I gotta go west of the Rockies and then renew my passport.

  2. Women write Bigfoot inspired children’s book

    Debbie Ray and Gayle Beatty wrote the children’s book “A Young Researcher’s Guide to Bigfoot.” It opens up a world of adventure in the quiet woods of Upstate New York.

    “This is called smudging,” she demonstrated. “We always do this before entering the forest, and it’s a cleansing ritual by the Native Americans. It shows that we are respectful of the Sasquatch’s area.”

    “We are going to look around on the ground for tracks, and then we are going to look for twisted, broken off branches – some high, some low, bent over arches,” she continued.

    A young boy on the search used a parabolic microphone, and he captured a noise. Though it was not much in the way of evidence, Beatty said the Sasquatch can mimic many different sounds.

    1. Juvenile Bluster

      STEVE SMITH NOT APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN.

      1. AlexinCT

        Because he rapes, or because he rapes them too?

          1. AlexinCT

            OK Swiss, I would ask for the gaze, but in this case I think it might be a conflict of interest or something man..

          2. I would not gaze too long at myself…I might gaze back at me.

          3. AlexinCT

            Paradox!

        1. SugarFree

          Rapes, splits in half; potato, pah-tat-o.

    2. BE A LOT MORE THAN “SMUDGED” WHEN STEVE SMITH FINISHED WITH HER!

    3. John Titor

      STEVE SMITH NOT GIVE PERMISSION TO USE LIKENESS. STEVE SMITH SEE YOU IN COURT, NOT FOR RAPE FOR ONCE.

      1. MAYBE AFTER RAPING JUDGE, LAWYERS, CLERK, BAILIFF AND COURT REPORTER!

        1. Gustave Lytton

          STEVE SMITH SAY JUSTICE SYSTEM LIKE BEING RAPED ALL OVER AGAIN.

        2. Homple

          …ALL AT ONCE LIKE SHISH KEBAB.

  3. Juvenile Bluster

    The latest incident in London has me wondering… what, exactly, do we do? At what point do we start to consider whether or not Islam is compatible with western culture? And I’m probably the last person here who would start thinking such a thing.

    Whatever we do, we need to start with getting out of the Middle East. All of it. This includes taking the leash off of Israel.

    1. AlexinCT

      The problem is that we are still left with too many people “considering” or wondering when we will finally get to “considering”. while the killers have already established as an indisputable fact that Islam today is infested by a cancer that if not rooted out will bring down humanity.

    2. Agreed with the last paragraph. As to what to do? Frankly, push for constitutional carry. A guy effectively had a whole cafe full of people at his mercy carrying a Bowie knife or similar. Not only does the equation change if the customers are armed, but removing the legal barriers to carrying weapons allows a martial culture to reemerge.

      And yes, dammit, we need to acknowledge that not all cultures or all aspects of a culture are compatible with a free, civilized society. If, as libertarians, we can say that socialism has no place in government because it violates the NAP or whatever, why can’t we say that a culture of violent intolerance and misogyny has no place in our country?

      1. AlexinCT

        And yes, dammit, we need to acknowledge that not all cultures or all aspects of a culture are compatible with a free, civilized society.

        Yeah, good luck getting the totalitarian loving left to go along with that even though it is blatantly obvious.

        1. It blows my mind every time an SJW defends the practice of wearing the hijab. First, it’s not optional. Second, you do know why they make women cover their hair, right? And this is the nice, laid back, moderate Islam.

          1. AlexinCT

            God damn it Bill, there you go again asking people to use logic and reason to formulate their opinions and belief. WTF man? Its easier to just swallow the crap the indoctrinators peddle, and then be all militant about that. Having to actually think shit through is hard work.

      2. Chafed

        I’ve known a handful of practicing Muslims. They were all good people. I don’t fear any of them.

        I also get your point that these terrorist attacks are only carried out by Muslims. I won’t condemn the entire faith for the acts of a minority but I will call out that minority.

        100% with you on concealed carry. If I ever found myself under attack I sure as hell want the means to respond.

        1. I mean, I guess that’s the tricky thing. Every Muslim I’ve ever met has been just like anyone else. They’ve also been Americans, and typically either well off or on a good track. I don’t think you can say Islam uniquely causes terrorism. But there’s something going on there, like communism in the 70s, that draws and inspires radicalism and violence.

          1. Chafed

            Agreed.

          2. Gilmore

            I have argued before that the issue of islamic terror is less due to “Muslims” (i.e. people who merely practice the religion of islam) but instead “Islamists”

            The former just happen to practice a faith; the latter believe they are part of a civilization which is at war with the West.

            If you’ve never read huntington’s book, its worth it, despite the bad things some people say about it.

            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clash_of_Civilizations#Why_Civilizations_will_Clash

        2. Bob

          That goes for every ideology. Not many in the KKK killed people, not many socialists, Nazis, communists, etc. I think a standard of “didn’t kill people” is pretty low and not something we accept from any other ideology. I can only guess that since Islam has a lot of brown people, people become all weak in knees and can’t treat it like any other ideology that isn’t given such latitude. Progressives rarely kill anyone and I don’t want them around if I can help it.

          1. The KKK analogy works with that group of Muslims who believe themselves at war with the West. Muslims who do *not* see themselves as at war with the West are not comparable to the KKK.

        3. Azathoth

          And this is the problem–

          “I’ve known a handful of practicing Muslims. They were all good people. I don’t fear any of them. ”

          A lot of people can say this. So no one does anything. We all feel horrible as each attack, each new pile of bodies gets us more annoyed.

          We need to face a sad fact.

          There were supporters of Nazism who didn’t force Jews into the camps themselves. Who, beyond their genocidal beliefs, were pretty nice people. Some of them even did things that we’re still using today.

          The question is, knowing this, knowing that they have these genocidal beliefs, knowing that they’re wanting to spread their genocidal beliefs, do we welcome them with open arms? Do we accept when they shrug off acts of murder done in the name of their genocidal beliefs by others who believe as they do?

          We may not imprison them, but damned if we’re going to help them.

          How many of the same people who scream ‘islamophobia’ would go insane if they encountered good ol’ Bubba–he’s a member of the KKK–now, he doesn’t DO any of that lynching or go around beating up niggers–he just shares those beliefs and supports his local klavern.

          We have to accept the fact that this isn’t generally true–

          “Every Muslim I’ve ever met has been just like anyone else. ”

          or this–

          “I have argued before that the issue of islamic terror is less due to “Muslims” (i.e. people who merely practice the religion of islam) but instead “Islamists”

          The former just happen to practice a faith; the latter believe they are part of a civilization which is at war with the West.”

          or this–

          “the KKK analogy works with that group of Muslims who believe themselves at war with the West. Muslims who do *not* see themselves as at war with the West are not comparable to the KKK.”

          We WANT it to be true. Desperately. Because the acceptance of that untruth leads to actions we find horrifying.

      3. Holger-da-Dane

        If, as libertarians, we can say that socialism has no place in government because it violates the NAP or whatever, why can’t we say that a culture of violent intolerance and misogyny has no place in our country?

        This. It, like socialism, is completely incompatible with a society based on principles of liberty. Or even secularism for that matter.

        People fail to realize it isn’t just a religion, it’s more like a non-secular constitution for their global society.

        1. Holger-da-Dane

          Your freedom of religion doesn’t extend to allowing your religion to supersede the law of the land or human rights. Other religions generally recognize this, but there are a few that sees themselves above those things.

    3. But Enough About Me

      Various buddies who live and work in Blighty used to be almost the epitome of liberal leftist Kumbaya we-can-all-coexist types, around a dozen or so years ago.

      I have watched their placid acceptance and clichéd tolerance slowly erode over time. Having sharia law come into de facto effect in areas of London was the final straw for most of them. One in particular, a card-carrying Grauniad fellow-traveler, declared herself “utterly fed-up with this nonsense” last time I saw her (last year).

      It’s been eye-opening, and has followed much the same trajectory of family and friends in Germany, France and The Netherlands. I suspect these latest attacks are gonna help the forces of Brexit as well as Trump. Strap in, kiddies.

      1. I was thinking of Theresa May’s upcoming vote. CNN or The Guardian or someone like that was gleefully declaring that her numbers were down and that she’d probably lose, paving the way for a renege on Brexit. I can’t help but think this will work in her favor.

      2. AlexinCT

        I have watched their placid acceptance and clichéd tolerance slowly erode over time. Having sharia law come into de facto effect in areas of London was the final straw for most of them. One in particular, a card-carrying Grauniad fellow-traveler, declared herself “utterly fed-up with this nonsense” last time I saw her (last year).

        How much of this comes from the fact that she now actually realizes she might be one of the victims, and when horrible shit happens to you personally, it is far less likely you will be either forgiving or apologetic about it?

        1. But Enough About Me

          No idea, Alex. No idea.

    4. Akira

      It’s a really tricky question. I think it comes down to asking whether or not Islam is really just a religion. What do we do when there’s a destructive political ideology that is disguised as a religion?

      Obviously, there are moderate Muslims who just want to go to their jobs as engineers and doctors and mind their own business. But on the other hand, there’s no denying that Islam has a significant portion of followers who are a lot more prone to exploding than the average person. What’s the ratio of good Muslims to bad Muslims? Nobody knows. Sometimes there’s no way to tell.

      As an aside: what I like about libertarianism is that it confronts these uncomfortable questions and weighs the realistic options rather than pretending there’s some utopian solution where everybody wins.

      1. AlexinCT

        As an aside: what I like about libertarianism is that it confronts these uncomfortable questions and weighs the realistic options rather than pretending there’s some utopian solution where everybody wins.

        It’s also why we are a minority unfortunately IMO. Most people don’t want to think, and definitely don’t want to spend time or real difficult things that would require you to actually not just buy the lame and trite bullshit marxism and marixism light that passes for intellectualism these days…

      2. hayeksplosives

        It has been said that “The only good Muslim is a bad Muslim,” meaning those who don’t practice all the precepts proclaimed in the Koran and Hadiths, and particularly, edicts from Wahhabist imams are the best at living in harmony with others. My boss’s boss is an Iranian Muslim (he calls himself Persian, stranded in the US as a student in 1979), at a defense contractor. He drinks alcohol, eats whatever he wants, and is married to an Oklahoman woman. I can deal with a Muslim guy like that just fine.

        In my neighborhood, there is a Muslim man who is so “tolerant” he lets his wife drive by herself. Yet his car’s vanity plate reads 1UMMAH and his wife’s reads 1UMMAH2. I do not think that is a helpful thing to put on one’s car in this climate.

        1. Rhywun

          I live in a heavily Muslim neighborhood and I see the whole range of it, from girls that would fit in to any American high school all the way to head-to-toe regalia. I have no idea what goes on behind closed doors but on the outside they’re just like any other NYC immigrants, running most of the mom-and-pop stores, raising kids, etc. FWIW I think America is better at integrating this population than any other western country.

          1. hayeksplosives

            I’ll bet NYC does a better job integrating than Minnesota, since in Minnesota the gov’t and NGOs deliberately settles muslim immigrants into set-aside areas, implying that they should stay amongst themselves and not mix. Minnesota has produced many Somali youngsters who have gone off to train with ISIS or fight in Somalia. Letting immigrants who are willing to find their own way in their new country is a world away from the Central Planning social justice version we are doing now.

          2. Amen, Rhywun, amen.

        2. thrakkorzog

          Well lowering the standards for deportations would probably help. When was the last time one of these attacks happened and the perpetrators weren’t already known to some security services? Hell the Garland attempted attack had a an FBI agent in the fucking car right behind the perpetrators. It seems like once someone pops up on the FBI’s radar, they’re out.

          Admittedly, it wouldn’t help with the second-gen or radical converts, but it would at least do something to help.

        3. Nephilium

          In all honesty, you could make the same argument about any Judaic faith. There are all sorts of rules and laws in the old testament that are ignored and violated all the time by Jews and Christians. The difference I think is that the Jewish and Christian faiths had enough schisms to allow for all the petty violations to become just a small difference among fellow travelers.

      3. Bob

        One of two two things will happen:

        1. Lots of Muslims come here and to combat terror the state engages in spying and civil rights violations because the populous will demand it. Even If they didn’t demand it (and they will) there will just be regular attacks.

        2. America finds a way to ban Muslims from immigration With a few exceptions. The religion is shunned and goes the way of the KKK in the US.

        That’s really all there is to it. We get a police state or we restrict immigration. All other options are just wishful thinking.

        1. westernsloper

          1. spying and civil liberty violations already happened almost 20 years ago sans the regularattacks

          2. was blocked by the courts because of something the judges interpreted the President to have said during his campaign to be president.

          I think we have been living under a police state for close to 40’s years but we are too polite and or ignorant to admit it.

        2. thrakkorzog

          Unfortunately, we appear to currently be living in the worst of both worlds. We currently have a massive surveillance state that can’t actually stop terrorist attacks, and any attempts to block immigration from known terrorist states are blocked by the courts.

          When was the last time you heard a story about Mohamed bin Mohamed DDS, suddenly going all Allahu Akbar on people with no red flags raised about their behavior? The Russians warned the FBI about the Tsaernevs and that was ignored, because what would the Russians know about state security and combating terrorism? One of the flight instructors that taught the 9/11 terrorists how to fly a plane called the FBI to say, “Hey, this is a shady guy, you should keep an eye on him.” The wife of the San Bernadino attackers was a recent immigrant and vocal proponent of jihad on social media and was given a green card anyways. The ‘Draw Mohammed’ shooters had FBI agents in the car right behind them.

          At a certain point, you kind of start wanting to put on the tinfoil hat. I’m all for blaming incompetence over malice, but hell I’m starting to think these statist assholes kind of want more terrorist attacks. Probably not consciously, but a terrorist attack is always good for a budget increase for the anti-terrorism forces.

          So for FBI agents if they screw up it’s not the end of the world. For the victims of terrorist attacks it is.

    5. John Titor

      Restrict immigration from various Middle Eastern countries, prioritize individuals who show indications of secularist or pluralist values (an Egyptian woman who speaks out against the Muslim Brotherhood and gets death threats, for example, gets top of the list), allowing pre-existing populations to integrate into the broader culture. Which would go faster by crushing identity politics and dropping the whole idea that you can’t criticize a religion or that it’s racist.

      The Saudis also need to be stopped. Half of this mess is because those bastards fund Wahhabism worldwide. I keep seeing all these stories about mosques in Canada or England that used to have some moderate imam from India get some firebrand cunt and a mysterious dumptruck of money.

      1. John Titor

        Oh, and the obvious answer of “don’t have a massive welfare state that attracts the worst kinds of immigrants” but I’m a cynic.

        1. AlexinCT

          A cynic that is probably correct…

        2. Chafed

          The welfare state is no small matter in this discussion. Having to make your way in society has a tendency to get people to interact with different types of people and adapt to that society. In other words it helps the melting pot work.

          1. hayeksplosives

            This is so true. I watched the excellent new documentary last week, “America: Promised Land” and was struck by the stories of great risk and sacrifice that the immigrants survived (or didn’t) in contrast to the modern taxpayer supported importation of immigrants today who have no particular interest in melding or working to improve their lives.

            If you know you and your family will die if you don’t work and join the society, you have a powerful motivator to work and join the society. And that doesn’t even begin to address the much more subjective issue of greater happiness and satisfaction when you earn things for yourself instead of getting handouts.

          2. dbleagle

            All my grandparents were immigrants from Italy and Scandinavia in the mid 1920s. They had to adopt to US ways to survive, and they did. Both sides of the family fought for the US in WWII and both sides had KIA’s. My grandparents were invested in the US and not the old countries. They refused to teach my parents and their siblings the old languages because in America you spoke English. By the time of my generation we could only pick up a handful of words and phrases from their native tongues. My Scandinavian grandparents never went back to visit the old land and my Italian grandparents went back one time in the late 1970’s even though they had (and we still have) family in Europe.

            If you have to “cut sling load” to survive you become committed to your new country and its ways. If people kiss your ass for coming here you’ll remain separated for more generations. I advocate for the US to seek the best brains, hardest workers and best entrepreneurs to join us. If want to bring your petty old squabbles and pre-medieval ways- FU we don’t need you.

    6. trshmnstr

      I say we take a page from the Civil War. When ferryboats were having potshots taken at them by Confederate guerillas, Sherman burned the crops and the house on the property the shots were coming from. When there were organized resistances in Memphis, he started evicting a number of people at random for every attack.

      Those tactics won’t work today, but an analogue will. For every terrorist attack, we send a cruise missile to a Muslim holy site. We give them 48 hours’ warning so that people have the chance to leave, and then we level it. We start small with ancillary sites, but after the 4th or 5th attack, we start targeting the big sites. If they want to keep blowing up and killing innocent civilians, their religion will become a solely oral tradition, because we will level every mosque and holy site. You think the “moderate” Muslims are going to tolerate their degenerate sons, brothers and cousins when these “radicals” represent a virtual erasure of Islam from history?

      This religion, including the “moderate” practitioners, aids and gives shelter to an anti-social, murderous ideology. Just like we didn’t let Nazi paraphernalia stand when we took back France, we’re going to attack the symbols of this evil ideology.

      1. Stinky Wizzleteats

        Unjust and wouldn’t work.

        1. trshmnstr

          Disagree and disagree.

          1. John Titor

            It’s pretty obviously unjust to blow up someone’s property because someone else did something half a world away. It’s like bombing your house because Obama fired a missile at a Pakistani wedding.

          2. trshmnstr

            In that case, all war is unjust.

          3. John Titor

            No shit.

          4. trshmnstr

            Meh, I don’t find all forms of collective responsibility reprehensible. When there is obvious collusion between people for a common rights-violating purpose, I don’t mind holding the aiders and abetters accountable for their co-conspirators’ actions.

          5. John Titor

            aiders and abetters accountable

            Except you’re not. You’re arbitrarily collectivizing people, passing judgement and declaring their guilt and complicity without evidence, then patting yourself on the back for your righteousness of holding them ‘accountable’. You’re just justifying your own barbarism.

          6. trshmnstr

            What’s arbitrary about it? Are they or are they not fighting in the name of Islam? Are moderate Muslims shielding these people from being held accountable? Are the moderates not aiding and abetting them and their cause by allowing them food and shelter and places to operate? If you want to narrow it down to the specific factions that support these murderous ideologies, then fine. However, to ignore the conspiracy and the cooperation between the moderates and the radicals just falls into the #notAllMuslims trap. They view this as a war. It’s time for us to get on board with that assessment.

          7. John Titor

            Trshmnstr, I don’t believe you have psychically determined the motivations of ‘moderate Muslims’ and your opinions might be slightly tainted by your own bias. I think it’s a lot easier for you to rationalize the righteousness of randomly bombing things and hoping it all works out, but it’s not reflect of actual reality.

            What you don’t get is that this is exactly what the radicals want. Bin Laden openly hoped that Americans would be lynching Muslims in the streets after 9/11, causing the Sunni world to flock to his cause. When that didn’t happen he flipped out in the next few videos and declared American Muslims apostates for not rising up. Your collectivization and desire for easy and simple solutions is not a solid strategy. If you make this a ‘war against Islam’ you’ve just recruited 1.6 billion people for their cause. Somehow I see that as a poor decision.

          8. trshmnstr

            Here’s the thing, John. I’m convinced that this is more than just some runaway cult acting out apocalyptic fantasy. I’m fairly well convinced that much of this anti-social, rights-violating behavior is rooted in the religion itself. There are certainly Muslims who don’t approve of these attacks, and certainly some who just want to be left alone. However, I’m not convinced that we can play a tit-for-tat game with the radical elements and have any effect. The culture in certain parts of the ME (and now Europe) is an incubator for this crap, and unless we give the culture a motivation to change, we’re going to be confronting a “new normal” where 100 people die every few weeks in a glittery explosion of ball bearings and fertilizer.

          9. John Titor

            “Culture change” and “randomly murdering people because I desperately feel the need to do something” are not the same things.

          10. John Titor

            Also, here’s another reason that’s more technical to explain why your plan is stupid:

            So let’s say you decide to attack mosques in response. Who owns them? Well, let’s say you plan to blow up the Dome of the Rock, which is owned by the Ministry of Awqaf Islamic Affairs and Holy Places, a Jordanian government agency. You just attacked the property and a government installation of a U.S. ally without a declaration of war. You’re now at war with a former regional ally. What about the Grand mosque in Mecca and the holy sites in Medina? All owned by the Saudi government.

            But those are big sites, right? What if we just blow up smaller mosques? Oh wait, most of those are owned by governments because they’re heritage sites. Guess we’ll have to declare war on another half dozen Middle Eastern countries. Boy, I sure hope the American taxpayer is willing to fund another six Iraq Wars, right?

            “Well they’ll be too scared of us to fight us” you say. They won’t be too scared to start pumping money into terrorist groups. It makes overthrowing nations alienated by your attacks and occupying them necessary. Your plan does the exact reverse of what you think it will do, it makes terrorists highly sympathetic to the people you’ve attacking for no good reason. You think it will cow them instead enrage them. This is not how humans operate.

            After all, Pearl Harbor and 9/11 worked, right?

          11. trshmnstr

            randomly murdering people because I desperately feel the need to do something

            *rolleyes*

          12. trshmnstr

            They won’t be too scared to start pumping money into terrorist groups.

            Start?!? Start pumping money? Many of them have been pumping money into terrorist groups for the last 40 years!

          13. John Titor

            *rolleyes*

            You have openly said that you want to start randomly bombing locations worldwide in an ill-informed attempt to terrorize a population into compliance, contrary to reality and human psychology. Yes, you are desperately trying to ‘do something’ irregardless of how destructive it is or completely unrealistic it is.

            Start?!? Start pumping money? Many of them have been pumping money into terrorist groups for the last 40 years!

            Indeed, and your brilliant plan is to triple their terrorism budget and get countries like Egypt and Jordan donating as well.

          14. Stinky Wizzleteats

            Also, large numbers of people would refuse to leave the property after the warning or would flock to the property in some cases. You’d have to either murder them, which is what that would be, or back down which would mean the strategy would be unworkable.

          15. John Titor

            Yep. Actually gives the more fanatical a perfect non-violent protest option that will tug heartstrings the world over: Men and women of every age be murdered for their faith by American imperialists. Bad optics, it’s basically making propaganda for them.

          16. trshmnstr

            You really think it’s going to be “negative optics” if we rain tomahawks down before the blood even dries from some car bombing or mass shooting? Perhaps history will look at it as a barbaric retaliation, but I highly doubt it would be seen as anything but appropriate by the majority of people in the moment.

          17. John Titor

            People tend to view terrorism, war crimes, and randomly murdering civilians negatively trshmnstr.

          18. thrakkorzog

            There’s a reason why groups like Hamas like to fire off rocket attacks from schools and hospitals. Because when the retaliation inevitably comes, they can point at the Israelis for blowing up a school.

      2. John Titor

        Unless you’re going to plant munitions in every mosque on the planet, that’s a war crime. For an undeclared war apparently, which also has Constitutional problems.

      3. Pomp

        Not a big fan of some of the sick scorched earth shit some Civil War generals did to civvies at times.

        1. __Warren__

          Read Sherman’ autobiography he explains The March to the Sea and it is logical and arguably shortened the war.

          His whole point was to shorten the war. He and Lincoln were sympatico on this. Neither man was eager to punish or torture, they just wanted it over.

          1. Scruffy Nerfherder

            Sherman gets a bad rep. He didn’t kill many, but he was hell on the resources.

          2. __Warren__

            One of the amazing things about the biography and it’s incidental is how good the Union got a river crossings.

            He never really addresses it directly but as the book goes on it’s obvious that the Union Army is turning into a hard-core professional force that could have tken on and beaten any other force in the world.

            And part of that was engineering. After a certain point in the war blue features ceased to matter. Swamps, rivers, bogs whatever. The Bluebellies had so many bridges and so much expertise even in the normal infantry that they could effect a crossing in hours where it used to take a day or more.

            That was impressive.

            Also what was impressive was how smart the officers on both sides were. Yes there were some bumblers but overall these men really impressive mentally. Too bad they had to waste four years fighting a war.

          3. __Warren__

            And it’s impressive how many times I said impressive.

            Something I forgot to add was that Sherman picked his route through Georgia by gathering up all the agricultural surveys that had been done pre-war and any the Rebs may have done and used those to plot his way through the best areas, that is the richest areas that were doing the most to support the rebellion.

          4. trshmnstr

            I think it was really interesting how he recognized the elite nature of his forces, and didn’t create combat units with the former slaves that followed the army. Instead, he put them to work doing what they were experienced in doing… manual labor. They were the hands and feet that built the infrastructure in the latter parts of the war. Supposedly, they took great joy in tearing up rail lines for Sherman.

          5. Wm. Tecumseh Sherman is a prime example of this fact: when you want something done right you send a Buckeye.
            Wage war? Send a Buckeye.
            Humiliate Nazis in Olympics? Send a Buckeye.
            Go to the moon? Send a Buckeye.
            Beat Michigan? Send a Buckeye.

        2. trshmnstr

          We’re going to be stuck on the losing side of this for the foreseeable future if we keep going in asymmetrical fashion like this. Playing games with immigration policy isn’t going to stop this. Strongly condemning their religion is just going to harden their resolve. How, exactly, do you fight against a coordinated, organized religious movement that views their front line combatants as not only expendable, but as kamikazes? The last group like that got two nukes shoved down their throats before they capitulated, and their culture was much more honorable than this one.

          1. John Titor

            We’re going to be stuck on the losing side of this

            -Bin Laden dead.
            -ISIS constantly losing and getting stamped out.
            -Only ability to attack the enemy has is going after civilians in horrific ways that doesn’t effect our capacity or ability to wage war at all.

            Yep. Losing. Sure.

          2. trshmnstr

            Only ability to attack the enemy has is going after civilians in horrific ways that doesn’t effect our capacity or ability to wage war at all.

            *sigh*

            Yes, because their strategy is to march ISIS battalions into Paris and Rome.

            Or, maybe they’re smart enough to realize that they’re outgunned, and are pursuing a different tactic. One that involves the simultaneous establishment of a critical mass of religious adherents in infidel lands along with instilling fear in the infidel populace through increasing numbers of terrorist attacks.

          3. __Warren__

            One happy trend I read about is the number of folks abandoning Islam and switching to Zoroastrianism.

            Sure it’s but a trickle of folks now, but maybe it can be encouraged to grow.

          4. John Titor

            One that involves the simultaneous establishment of a critical mass of religious adherents in infidel lands

            So apparently ‘playing games with immigration policy’ isn’t going to stop this, but immigration policy is a central requirement of ‘their plan’ (I love the mysterious ‘theirs’ like Islamic terrorists are Machiavellian geniuses instead of inbred fanatics) to succeed. Alright then…

            Yes, that fear has certainly worked in their favour, that’s why the United States has pulled out all their troops in the Middle East and engage in no military action there.

            You don’t know what losing a war is like.

          5. trshmnstr

            So apparently ‘playing games with immigration policy’ isn’t going to stop this, but immigration policy is a central requirement of ‘their plan’

            We’re already seeing children of immigrants (native born Westerners) becoming radicalized in Western countries. Immigration doesn’t have to occur anymore to establish a critical mass in certain places. Also, any immigration policy short of a full Muslim ban is going to be quite ineffective in stopping the spread of this crap.

            I love the mysterious ‘theirs’ like Islamic terrorists are Machiavellian geniuses instead of inbred fanatics

            You’re thinking like this is WWI, with tightly hierarchical armies squaring off against one another. This is completely different. There’s no evil boss in some cave in Pakistan coordinating worldwide insurgent activities. It’s a loose conglomeration of groups under the banners of various Islamic sects working together to achieve general goals. Is it so crazy to think that they could be loosely coordinated? Doesn’t the political left coordinate at a similarly loose level?

          6. John Titor

            We’re already seeing children of immigrants (native born Westerners) becoming radicalized in Western countries.

            If you’re concerned about radicalization, why on earth are you arguing for the bombing of holy sites and validating the views of Islamic radicals?

            You’re thinking like this is WWI, with tightly hierarchical armies squaring off against one another.

            Actually, I don’t, I’m just mocking the absurd hyperbolics and Armchair Generaling that this ‘war’ produces.

      4. Heroic Mulatto

        If they want to keep blowing up and killing innocent civilians, their religion will become a solely oral tradition, because we will level every mosque and holy site.

        According to hadith, a major sign of the coming of the Islamic Messiah, the Madhi, is that Mecca would be attacked and the Kabaa destroyed.

        I don’t think that helping to fulfill Islamic end-time prophecy is the wisest way to counter Islamic fundamentalism.

        1. Kitchner aside…

          *ducks*

          Of course, once the Mahdi doesn’t walk out into central Iraq….oh, nevermind, every end times prediction can be punted down the road.

          *resumes drinking*

      5. straffinrun

        Goddamn. Checked up thread and saw this. Collectivize much? For this plan to work you’d have to go full on totalitarian. Count me out.

      6. Azathoth

        Ah, the “actions we find horrifying.”

        Sherman did this in the Civil War. It was the tactic that worked in WW2.

        It is horrible. But it ends the war.

        Yes, you “randomly murder people”. That’s how you get people to surrender. You show them that the only alternative to their aggression is their wholesale slaughter. THAT is the only way–short of slaughter–to win a war. A sane people will surrender before they’re obliterated. And an ‘insane’ people will no longer exist.

        Either way, war over.

        After WW2, there were terror efforts by various German, Italian and Japanese groups. They were dealt with via the Sherman method. Now Germany, Italy and Japan are allies.

        War is horrible. People die. Everyone is scarred. War is the worst thing that can happen. The only way to bring justness from this profoundly unjust thing is to end it as swiftly and decisively as one can. Afterwards, everyone left can begin to heal the wounds–but you can’t do what we’ve been doing.

        You can’t retailate, fix, excoriate yourself for ‘attacking’, for civilian casualties, and repeat. That only prolongs the conflict. And one could say that this conflict has been going on for over 1300 years at this point–ever since Allah told Muhammed to wage war on the Dar Al-harb. It HAS to end. Once and for all.

        There’s an old Star Trek episode called “A Private Little War” in which two worlds had been at war so long that it had become ritualized. Computers fought simulated battles, or loosed simulated attacks and the ‘casualties’ reported for disintegration–or the property destroyed was dismantled as disintegrated. It was all very civilized. They could rebuild instantly and life went on. One attack after another. Until Kirk destroyed their computers–at which point the ‘simulated’ attacks became real weapons really firing, with sloppy bodies laying about and destroyed cities.

        The peace treaty came shortly thereafter.

        They get to see the west fumble in terror and recrimination after every jihadi attack. In their minds, they are winning because we are weak. And they will continue to fight this way until they are made to pay a price high enough that they stop.

        Right now, that price is already sitting at over a million dead, and multiple cities destroyed before they will be convinced that they can’t win–and it’s only going to go up.

        We need to make them pay now so that we don’t obliterate them later. Because it WILL come to that.

    7. Hyperion

      Islam is NOT compatible with Western culture. However, multiculturalism is more important than anything. So what can we do? Light some candles.

      1. Scruffy Nerfherder

        The root issue is that the current generations are not committed to Western culture. It renders us incapable of fighting the culture war.

        The priority should be on restoring our own commitment to natural, negative rights.

        At the same time, we should allow Israel to act in its own self interest and we should withdraw from the various clusterfucks we’ve gotten ourselves into. Treat war like war, not like kinetic actions and world policing.

        1. Festus

          Yep. He brings a knife, we bring a gun.

        2. Bob

          That’s true. Western culture is considered just one of many cultures. Schools teach equivalence over reality. An objective look at history might make one wonder “Hey, how did this one group create the wealthiest and freest society in history?” Then you would look at what they have done to achieve that goal.

          In fact the lessons are completely inverted now though. It’s basically taught America and whitey bad. Noble savages good.

  4. SimonD

    “…The State Department is spending $75,000 for a “Women in STEM Roadshow” across India….”

    I’m not quite sure where to even start with this one. How is it any of our friggin’ business whether or not India has enough female engineers for the taste of some faceless, brainless bureaucrat in D.C?

    ..nothing left to cut, I guess.

    1. Brian

      Buy me a ticket.

    2. Don’t worry, Obama is still going through that budget “line by line”. He’ll reach the end at the grand ol’ age of 496 when his robotic brain rules what’s left of our underwater planet.

    3. SugarFree

      That sure is a fancy name for a Bang Bus.

      1. SimonD

        I could get behind spending $75K of other people’s money for that.

      2. No, no! It isn’t STEM in Women roadshow!!

        1. AlexinCT

          What kind of STEM?

          1. STEVE SMITH MORE LIKE STUMP THAN STEM!

    4. The Elite Elite

      What are you, some kind of sexist!?

      1. What’s wrong with being sexy? /Nigel Tufnel

        1. AlexinCT

          I see what you did there man,,,,

  5. Group gathers near White House for ‘Pittsburgh Not Paris’ rally, thanking Trump

    A group of Republicans and Republican supporters gathered near the White House on Saturday for a “Pittsburgh Not Paris” rally supporting President Trump’s decision to pull the United States out of the Paris climate agreement.

    The timing and location of the rally raised concerns that two groups might clash – the Trump supporters and the demonstrators marching against Trump policies in multiple cities nationwide, including Washington, D.C.

    At the White House, a brief conflict between one woman criticizing Trump and several protesters chanting “Trump” flared up and was quickly broken up by others standing nearby.

    The name of the “Pittsburgh Not Paris” rally is a nod to Trump’s line during Thursday’s announcement that he would withdraw from the Paris accord on climate change. “I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris,” he said.

    1. straffinrun

      Don’t you protesters ever work?

    2. Rhywun

      demonstrators marching against Trump policies in multiple cities nationwide

      Is that just a weekly event everywhere now?

      1. Pomp

        The metropolitan centers are becoming the movie PCU.

        1. mr simple

          Well, the colleges have already gone that way. When I was at NYU, I’m pretty sure there was a protest at Washington Square Park every week when the weather was warm enough. And that was when Obama was president.

          1. Festus

            Everyday that ends in a “Y”, then. When i was a lad we used to protest about silly things in hope of getting some fine fellow-protestor ass. My, how times don’t change.

  6. westernsloper

    IT IS BETTER TO BE A BRUTAL ENFORCER THAN A MERE BRUTAL.

    That story is infuriating. Dude, you fucked up. Thank god you didn’t kill anybody, do your time in the pokey, pay your fines and vow to take cabs when you go out for a few. Now you just look like an ass as well as everyone in you department covering for you. Jesus, cops are idiots and assholes sometimes.

    1. AlexinCT

      Sometimes?

      1. westernsloper

        I have known a few decent cops. Ok, I have known two decent cops.

        1. But Enough About Me

          One, myself. He retired after experiencing a stress-induced heart attack after 25 years on the force.

        2. straffinrun

          I like obese cops. At I know their vice.

          1. straffinrun

            *At least.

        3. SimonD

          I knew one. (Well, he was still an asshole, but he helped me ‘take care’ of tickets, so he was my asshole).

          1. Festus

            Oh! Oh! Wait! I knew one that used to let us fire his service revolver in the back yard. Unfortunately he was an unrepentant wife-beater. Comme ci comme ca.

        4. Gerry Rigg

          I’ve only known two good cops myself, and both of them in New Zealand.

  7. __Warren__

    Windmill company hit in the share price because of Paris pullout.

    Go Trump!

    1. Funny, you’d think if wind were so obviously cost effective and efficient there’d be a market for it without needing regulatory capture to get a leg up…

      1. __Warren__

        A windmill using legs? That’s crazy. Do you even science?

        1. straffinrun

          Little known fact: I Fucking Love Science was actually started during the scientism boom of the early progressive era. I Fucking Love Eugenics.

        2. Kind of a Baba Yaga’s hut meets a windmill farm?

          1. AlexinCT

            Heh heh… nice image there man..

          2. Actually a bit disturbing…a bunch of windmills running around on fowl’s legs….brrrr.

      2. AlexinCT

        Funny, you’d think if wind were so obviously cost effective and efficient there’d be a market for it without needing regulatory capture to get a leg up…

        Why do you think these idiots passed the Paris agreement in the first place? So some dubious and counter productive things that are actually neither effective cost or otherwise could be peddled as good, making some real crooked people a horrible amount of money that the market would otherwise never have allowed to happen. As an AE/EE, I can’t fathom the idiots that keep telling you how great of a deal wind, solar, and other green tech is. It is not. Compared to fossil fuels it is at best marginal crap. The only tech that might make a difference is basically not even allowed, because of some idiotic movie that had a nuclear power plant blowing up during a meltdown. An impossible thing considering what needs to happen to create a nuclear explosion, but stupid people watching stupid movies, all now are holding us hostage.

        1. Suthenboy

          ^This^

          Regulatory capture/cronyism writ large.

  8. SimonD

    Instantly rechargeable batteries?

    http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2017/Q2/instantly-rechargeable-battery-could-change-the-future-of-electric-and-hybrid-automobiles.html

    If this actually works, I could be talked into considering an electric car (in 20 years or so when they actually get the kinks worked out)

    1. AlexinCT

      Give it a few more decades…. There are a lot of kinks, and how to generate and distribute the power for the car are still a big problem…

    2. robc

      a former college roommate of mine recently got his PhD at Purdue working on auto fuel cell technology. I need to find out if he knows these guys.

    3. Not instantly: it’s constrained by the speed of light. And Planck time.

      /sarcasm

  9. Today I watched Rogue One . Some thoughts:

    Too many characters
    The CGI Peter Cushing / Carrie Fisher looked liked digital muppets
    story didn’t keep me grip-p-ed

    Am I missing something? Reviews were quite positive.

    I did like the (’77) Star Wars era technology – the sets were much like the original movie – though.

    1. John Titor

      You have to fuck up pretty hard to get a bad review as a Star Wars movie. Phantom Menace got mostly positive reviews for Christ’s sake.

      This is an accurate representation of my opinion.

    2. straffinrun

      I saw it and I don’t remember squat about it. That can’t be a good sign, can it.

      1. Brasidas

        No Jar Jar.

        No whining emo teen villain played by a terrible actor written by an equally terrible writer.

        The story makes some sense if you don’t think too hard about it.

        With the exception of every time a 1970s actor popped up on the screen, I had fun.

        1. The Elite Elite

          It was alright. Didn’t have any real cringeworthy moments like Force Awakens. It’s Star Wars, I don’t expect incredible.

          1. __Warren__

            It’s funny. The Expanded Universe books were written tight, advanced their plots without fuss and were fun reads. But the movie scripts are the opposite.

            The screenwriters try to cram so much in there everything gets lost. I know it’s supposed to be an epic universe full of larger than life heroes and events but maybe tone it down a bit and give us three simple, tight movies rather than one jam-packed mess.

  10. John Quincy Addingmachine

    I’m bored with this shit. Can we nuke somebody yet?

      1. John Quincy Addingmachine
        1. JD

          SF’d the link.

        2. Cool link, bro!

  11. Waterfall Insurance

    Heaven forbid anyone slows a top man down.
    https://studybreaks.com/2017/05/18/court-challenge/

    1. Trigger Hippie

      If the long-term result of a Trump administration is a vast reduction of the consolidation of power within the executive branch of government then I’d say his term would be a successful one.

  12. Gilmore

    That article about the mumps has some picture of some woman making the gas face in the middle for no reason.

    oh, she’s testifying about her daughters murder. which is totally relevant to the mumps story. Thanks news website! you guys really know your business.

    Related = while typing this, i heard the sound of a helicopter overhead. Actually it was just the autoplay video on the Telegraph’s website which had a livestream of… cops standing around on the London bridge…. because no one wants to miss a minute of that shit, right? Right. Thanks, news websites! You guys…..

    has anyone noticed that news websites are pretty shit? CNN is a fucking nightmare that i can’t even go to anymore because every link autoplays video for some story *entirely unrelated to what you’re reading about*. the NYT, for all its partisan horror, is actually pretty half decent in just giving you ‘easily read text’ without any sidebar annoyances or popups or autoplay etc.

    1. Rhywun

      It’s all a part of the recent heightening of the garbage-ification of the web, probably as part of an ongoing battle with ad-blockers.

      1. Gilmore

        an ongoing battle with ad-blockers.

        ah.

        they’re basically upping the intrusiveness of their shit… because everyone is trying to reduce the intrusiveness of the web. Brilliant strategy!

    2. westernsloper

      The NYT is good at that. Most sites with video I wait to read the article until the video buffers so I can pause/delete it so I have not noticed it not being related. Especially CNN. They do not employ anybody I want to hear speak as far as I know.

      1. peachy rex

        Shit, even the sports sites do it – you’re reading an article about the French Open, and some dick head starts yapping about the NBA Finals.

      2. Gilmore

        About 5 years ago i set up AP+Reuters RSS feeds which link to my phone, my browser, and my outlook inbox

        i get about 2 dozen or so headlines a day from each of them (from their “top stories” feeds). i delete them at the end of the day. Its nothing but headlines and usually the ‘short version’ of the stories which they syndicate to all the other main news organizations.

        having gotten used to that, news sites seem messier and more pop-up ridden than porno aggregators

        1. straffinrun

          Can you imagine reading only the headlines and forming your political opinion based on that? Many of them are completely contradicted by the article itself.

          1. Rhywun

            Plus, AP might as well be WaPo if their writing has universally sunk to the level displayed earlier.

          2. Gilmore

            They can be very hit-or-miss. Some of their reporters, all they do is hackery. Other stuff is ‘just the facts’.

            The most interesting example of shitty-spin they ever pulled was the way they massaged the EPA Mine Spill story. I posted about it @ Reason at great length.

            It literally started as “EPA Accident Dumps Toxic Waste in River”, and 24 hours later the same link led you to a headline that said, “Abandoned Corporate Mines Present Constant Challenge For Underfunded EPA”. In the first version, they mentioned a downstream Indian Tribe that was *pissed as fuck* and planning to sue the EPA. In the second version, they were removed entirely from mention.

            The Indian Tribe lost their lawsuit, naturally. That ruling was handed down @ the same time that the news media were tut-tutting about the Dakota Access Pipeline on the front pages.

            The past 2 years has seen the most precipitous collapse of news-credibility in my lifetime I honestly don’t think its ever going to get any better.

          3. Festus

            Egregious shit. My two local rags have taken the lead from the CBC and just shut down comments on contentious issues altogether. It’s a brave new world.

          4. Gilmore

            Many of them are completely contradicted by the article itself.

            Reuters is somewhat less absurdly-partisan-hackish. depending on what it is, tho. AP is hit and miss.

            all the RSS includes a full version of the story, albeit the ‘shortest version’ which the syndicate. (example) Its more than the 1-2 lines that most feeds will give you. Most major-newspapers build their own stories off of Reuters/AP ‘facts’ and then supplement them by calling up a few Official Sources and getting a quote or 2.

        2. westernsloper

          I run adblocker on firefox, so many links from here tell me to go away. I logged into my I-phone news feed last weekend because I was away. Now I am getting news updates from HuffPo, WaPo, and all the frontline Apple feeders. I am too lazy to turn off updates, but it kind of pisses me off I did not ask for them and now get them just because I opened the damn app.

          1. Rhywun

            Yeah, they default to NYT, WaPo and the like. You know, the most trustworthy American news sources. … I think you can train it to ignore those but I haven’t cared to try.

          2. westernsloper

            Awhile back I was getting pissed about Kardashian updates being sent. I never ever read an article about that thing. I wanted to block all things Kardashian. No option. Not good technology there imho. Luckily TDS took over the feed.

          3. Pomp

            It was the Kardashian porn you were watching.

          4. westernsloper

            Bro. When I am on the porn, it has nothing to do with them. There are much better options.

          5. DenverJ

            In Soviet Union, porn watches you.

          6. Gilmore

            Get SimpleRSS app for your phone

            http://simplerssreader.com/

            plug in the feeds from the sources you like (even Glibertarians.com has one)

            you will then get a single button which feeds you all your blog updates/news stories, in whatever text format you prefer. (i like white text on black/grey background personally. uses less battery)

          7. Gilmore

            Correction to post that’s still in moderator limbo =

            http://simplerss.sourceforge.net/

            if you have an android phone, use that. there may be an Iphone version that’s more or less the same.

  13. Gilmore

    An eyewitness on London Bridge, told the BBC he saw three men stabbing people indiscriminately, shouting “this is for Allah”

    has the “CNN Reports = Attackers Motivations Still Unclear” joke been made 3 times already? Because its still cool to make it as long as you keep it under 3.

    1. Password gl1b

      What about the ‘potential act of terror’ thing? As in:

      In a statement Mr May payed tribute to the police and security services.

      She said: “Following updates from police and security officials, I can confirm that the terrible incident in London is being treated as a potential act of terrorism.

      Yeah…. I’d really hate to jump to any conclusions about 5 guys mowing pedestrians down in a van and then running around stabbing people, with eyewitnesses reporting references to Allah.

      1. Gilmore

        yes, its always “Potential terror” when they’re literally screaming “DIE FOR ISIS YOU INFIDEL WHORES”

        yet “crazy white dude” in Oregon is a *proven* White Supremacist, because he once showed up at one of those ‘Alt right’ free speech rallies.

        1. Hyperion

          The Islamists were just getting ready to assimilate and live in peaceful harmony with the Europeans, and then Trump. /derp

  14. Hyperion

    So I hear that the Amish are at it again in the UK. They need to light more candles. I’ve been playing Endless Space 2 all day, or trying, so just now found out about the Amish.

    1. straffinrun

      And besides, Westboro Baptist!
      *Does end zone backflip*

    2. westernsloper

      I didn’t know about it either. I was planting green chili and tomato plants in the morning, drinking beer as I made a half ass attempt to clean my shop in the afternoon and made a new T-shirt. Fucking Amish sure know how to ruin a good mood.

      1. westernsloper

        It appears I SF’d my link. a T-shirt. Fucking quotation marks………

        1. mr simple

          That’s kind of a messed up looking bifurcated nutsack.

          1. westernsloper

            It is art. I scanned my junk and ran it through a Vector program. Picasso couldn’t do better.

            (thanks for the feedback though. I was wondering if that would take away from message of the shirt)

        2. Fucking Pinterest trying to force their goddamn app down my throat. No, I just want to look at a few photos.

      2. Hyperion

        Now that it’s finally stopped raining, I will hopefully get some more maters and peppers coming on. They were really starting to pop and then it rained for 3 weeks and turned cooler and no more fruits.

        1. Festus

          Gah, I missed it too because when I walked through my back yard this morning I may as well have been Russell Crowe in Gladiator. It needed to be dealt with, posthaste.

  15. Hyperion

    Was just noticing an interesting factoid yesterday. Was on RCP looking at polls and the Democrat who was up by as much as 12 points in the polls for the Georgia special election, is now up by 1 point. I know polls are not so accurate. But when I look at those polls being used to do the RCP avg, almost all of them are conducted by lefty orgs who heavily over sample Democrats, just like they did in the presidential election. Based on what I see, it’s going to be the 4th straight loss for Democrats in Congressional elections since the presidential election.

    1. But Enough About Me

      Salty ham tears incoming!

    2. Password gl1b

      I recently heard a local radio ad for that race that was pretty hilarious. There was some lady (supposed to be Nancy Pelosi) with this super affected New York aristocrat accent saying “Oh dahhhhling, we just knew the south would eventually come around to believing in our San Francisco values and voting in John Ossoff!”

      That’s been the line of attack the R’s have been going with — Ossoff is a dangerous crazy-ass coastal liberal who doesn’t even live in your district. The D’s, in an interesting turn of events, have actually been going after Handel for being wasteful with taxpayer money, by spending too much dough on office chairs and such.

    3. Pomp

      +Nate Silver probability dial

  16. straffinrun

    Turned on the computer this morning and my home screen wallpaper had been changed to a picture of my wife’s scowling face. She must’ve changed it before I got up. Wonder what I did.

    1. Rhywun

      Does she read your input here?

      1. straffinrun

        Since the /sarc is implied here, she’d probably be happy if she did.

        1. __Warren__

          It’s more of an inlay, really.

    2. Hyperion

      That’s pretty cool, lol.

      I don’t ever wonder what I did anymore. I don’t even ask what I did. And if she brings it up, I just shrug and go on about what I’m doing until she gets over it. They want you to argue with them. IT’S A TRAP!

      1. Haybob

        If it’s not what you did, it’s what you didn’t do. I’m convinced women live their entire lives angry.

        1. Hyperion

          Or what you’re going to do.

          1. BigGreg

            Shit, I had a woman get mad at me once for something I did in a dream.

          2. Rhywun

            That sounds like the plot of a Seinfeld episode or something.

          3. straffinrun

            If she was sleeping next to you at the time, I could see her point. One of those dreams?

          4. thrakkorzog

            A buddy got in deep shit for with his wife for joking having a sex dream about another woman.

          5. Hyperion

            You learn, or ‘should’ learn at a fairly young age of dealing with women, to NEVER tell them shit like that.

          6. thrakkorzog

            Let’s just say that he didn’t exactly have the world’s most active social life involving women before his wife.

    3. SugarFree

      You left our homepage up.

    4. Akira

      My friend has a habit of changing my desktop background, and since I rarely minimize every single window, I usually don’t notice for a good week or so. It’s usually a big close-up of someone’s face; one time it was that guy from Forgotten Weapons with the caption “absolutely disgusting”. Another time, it was a drawing of “AIDS Skrillex” and the words “you’re a fucking white male!”

    5. Nephilium

      It’s obvious… you shared your password with someone. Or gave them admin access to your machine.

  17. Gilmore

    Answer to the question = “WHERE MAH FLYING CAR ALREADY

    1. thrakkorzog

      Think of all the car accidents and broken down cars you see on a daily commute. Now imagine all those cars flying over your house. I’ll pass on the flying cars.

    2. westernsloper

      For now, however, the project is a concoction of aluminum framing and eight propellers that barely gets off the ground and crashes after several seconds.

      Exactly. It won’t work. The future is not flying cars. It is boats. Aren’t you people paying attention? We will be underwater soon without the Paris accord. Trump fucked the entire world. I have a boat under construction as we speak. I am on top of things here. CO will be the beach once everybody east and west is flooded. I am seeing huge growth potential for my work.

  18. SimonD

    More idiocy from governments:

    http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/utah-faces-backlash-over-unprecedented-drunk-driving-law/ar-BBBLILS?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartanntp

    Republican progs are almost as bad as Democrat progs.

    I would bet that if an honest study were performed, a .05 BAC would cause about the same impairment as the distraction caused by eating a hamburger while driving.

    Are they going to ban hamburgers next? (Yeah yeah, I know; quit giving them ideas)

    1. Pomp

      I am a fan of a good hamburger, preferably with some cheese and crispy bacon. Not horrible undercooked English-style bacon.

      1. mr simple

        Well, the English don’t use real bacon to make bacon, so there’s the first problem.

    2. Password gl1b

      State representative Norm Thurston sponsored the bill and says it will save lives by deterring people from drinking and driving. “The public safety impact of this is so compelling that it’s worth doing,” Thurston said.

      “Even though you’ve already got the lowest DUI death rate in the country?” Evans asked.

      “We’re not at zero,” Thurston said.

      “We’re not at zero” and all of its disgusting cousins can go play in alcohol-infused traffic.

    3. Haybob

      In Utah? I suspect they will go after caffeine and sugar next.

    4. Hyperion

      “I would bet that if an honest study were performed, a .05 BAC would cause about the same impairment as the distraction caused by eating a hamburger while driving.”

      I’m going to say less. Because if you’ve had a couple or three beers, you’re going to be paying attention so as not to get pulled over, just in case you’re over the limit by some quirk, or a badly calibrated testing unit. The only time I’ve ever been pulled over and tested, I was .09 and the limit then was .1. Good thing. I maybe had 4 or 5 pints of beer and left the bar about 15-20 minutes before that. I did not feel impaired at all and I did the field test and passed it with flying colors. So without the breath test, I would have walked anyway. Now it’s .08 everywhere in the US as far as I know, which is overkill for most people. .05 is absurd. That’s like 2-3 beers in an hour for most people.

    5. Rhywun

      the distraction caused by eating a hamburger while driving

      Which is more distraction than I want from someone driving me around. I don’t own a car so I can only judge by the crazy cabbies and car service operators that drive me around the city and they are universally “driving distracted” – usually jabbering on the phone the whole time, swerving and dodging like maniacs because they’re not paying enough attention to what they’re being paid to do.

      SLD’s apply but (!) other people should not have to accept accidents caused by distraction.

      1. KSuellington

        If you are going to have a bright line limit then .10 is preferable to .08. Seeing as the era of automated vehicles is soon upon us, I would like to think that some of this will soon be behind us, but I can believe that MADD and police unions will not be happy to have drunk people not getting DUIs for being driven around by a computer. “But, but Just because they weren’t driving doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be punished.”

        1. Rhywun

          the era of automated vehicles is soon upon us

          I’m doubtful of that, if only because governments will regulate it to death.

          As for BAC limits, there’s no “magic” number that makes sense, because everyone is different. I would rather see improvements that would decrease the “need” to drive drunk in the first place. Hell I went to college in a decent sized city but we all drove around drunk because any other transportation option at 4 o’clock in the morning was garbage. Not much you can do there or in most of the rest of America, though.

          1. KSuellington

            There is indeed no magic number for what a DUI should be levied at. If you are incapacitated at .02 then you deserve one. I do realize that we will never, ever, ever increase the BAC. Thankfully the culture has changed to make drinking and driving much less acceptable and Uber and Lyft have certainly done their part to make it more convenient to get a ride when you are wasted. Technology, including automated vehicles, will soon enough prevent even more drunk driving accidents. I would say sooner rather than later, even with the govnement fighting them. 15 years I say till they become somewhat commonplace.

    6. westernsloper

      It is hardly unprecedented. (shows the quality of journalism these days as discussed above) I spent 48 hours in the can for CO’s limits back in 1985. They had DWAI which was .05, and DUI which was .10. Everyone who got a DUI plead it down to a DWAI and spent 48 hours in the can just like I did for not being intoxicated to most states standards. Federalism for the win! I shouldn’t have been driving and that is a fact. I was 19 and not the professional drinker I am today. Lesson learned.

  19. Password gl1b

    There’s a lot of love given out to various free speech crusaders on these here boards, but I haven’t seen Dave Rubin get his due. He had Jordan Peterson on the other day. It’s a long video, but 100% worth watching.

    1. Password gl1b

      Mods: feel free to delete this one! Decided to just break the links up into comment+reply.

  20. Haybob

    ‘DEATH CAP’ WILD MUSHROOMS POISON 14 IN CALIFORNIA

    There is an antidote available in Europe, unfortunately it is still under evaluation here in the states. I presume by the great minds at the FDA.

    1. Mr Lizard

      STEVE SMITH WARNED HIKERS. STAY AWAY FROM STASH FOR REASONS OTHER THAN RAPE

      1. westernsloper

        Anyone who likes mushrooms as well as hiking in the woods, knows better than to go where STEVE SMITH is likely to be and or eat mushrooms they are not sure are the ones to be eaten. It is called evolution. Darwin awards for the dead and RAPED.

    2. Hyperion

      It’s highly advised to NOT eat those. But if you want to, go ahead.

  21. straffinrun

    Looks like The UK needs tougher blasphemy laws.

  22. Password gl1b

    There’s a lot of love given out to various free speech crusaders on these here boards, but I haven’t seen Dave Rubin get his due.

    1. Password gl1b

      He had Jordan Peterson on the other day. It’s a long video, but 100% worth watching.

      1. straffinrun

        Has he done another with Petersen or is that the one from a few months ago? I like Rubin but am getting bored with his “free exchange of ideas is essential..”. OK, great. We GET that, now what? He’s on the right side of that issue, but he seems to be scared of going deeper into what actual freedom means beyond just speech. He’ll let his guests go there, but he just nods at that point.

        1. John Titor

          Rubin’s stuck right now trying to figure out if he wants to remain in his ‘classical liberal’ identity-box or if he’s willing to move further to the right. I think he’s unwilling to tie himself down to anything major yet.

          1. straffinrun

            I got to the NAP by going up against people who advocated for it. Getting twisted into a pretzel caused me to abandon my position. Rubin would be well served to put his beliefs on the table and defending them. Best case? He loses and changes. Worst case? He doesn’t have to change. Win/Win scenario.

      2. Gilmore

        I watched him interview the guy from Evergreen last night. He’s pretty good. not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he seems friendly to libertarian views. I see him eventually making it to TV news, or whatever the MSM becomes after old-media has died out.

        1. straffinrun

          That entire clusterf*** is equally enraging and depressing. You mentioned how liberals of Weinstein’s generation actually tried to weave logic into their arguments, but those kids have just gone for brute force. The lesson to be learned is that if your first principles are whack, eventually your movement with need to resort to coercion.

          1. Password gl1b

            Watching the video of him being berated by students, and in the way they were doing it, for absolutely nothing (except *their own racism*) enraged me. The he shows up on TC a few nights later and still calls himself a “deeply progressive person.” Bro, how have you not figured out what straff said above? Your entire belief system never had any principles. That’s why it turned on you for no reason. It was attractive to hateful, spiteful people that just want to stick it to their perceived oppressors. Passion =/= righteousness.

          2. Gilmore

            Your entire belief system never had any principles

            he goes deeper down the rabbit hole with Joe Rogan. He basically asserts that a Progressive Utopia is possible, but, well…. see …. it requires more Top Men and better technology.

            Professors always end up advocating some form of “Expert Technocracy”. they think the problem with Government is politics; and if only you could staff every govt role with academic specialists, finally the world would work how they envision.

          3. Heroic Mulatto

            What do you mean “they”?

          4. Gilmore

            ok fine, replace “always” with “often”

    2. Aus

      I enjoy his show a lot. He can be a little annoying at times, but for the most part he asks good questions and then shuts up and lets the guest speak. I still need to catch up on many of the episodes, but a recent stand-out is Brigitte Gabriel. What a tough life she had and escaped.

  23. Stinky Wizzleteats

    An interestkng post from Mark Steyn from a couple of days age in response to the Manchester attack and our postattack rituals. I don’t always agree with the guy but he’s a smart fellow.

    About 27 min

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8fYue3wxWo

    1. westernsloper

      He brings up a good point- now, armed soldiers on the street in Manchester, in a country where the police where not even armed. Due to politicians decisions to import the people who do what has been done.

      What to do? Light candles for the dead kids?

      1. Scruffy Nerfherder

        In the case of Britain it’s a little more subtle than Germany. Subjects of the British Empire in 1949 were considered citizens of the UK. That created a lot of Pakistani Brits for starters.

  24. JD

    The next leftist to self destruct:

    Vulture: Bill Maher Says the N-Word on Real Time; HBO Calls It ‘Completely Inexcusable

    Keep it going, idiots!

    1. __Warren__

      Stupid naggers.

      1. Rhywun

        “I’d like to buy a vowel.”

    2. westernsloper

      He just should have said he was house near. He was almost there. Just a little ways further.

  25. straffinrun

    I’m still a bit bereaved he’s gone. Bob and Chris are sharing a blunt as we speak.

    1. Aus

      That was good, thanks! Bookmarked even though I will probably never have a chance to share it.

  26. Stinky Wizzleteats

    Not the brightest thing for him to do but this is a complete overreaction by the left and way too much he had it coming talk from the right. No words should be out of bounds regardless of context.

    1. westernsloper

      You still on covfefe?

      1. Stinky Wizzleteats

        Apparently so.

    2. __Warren__

      Karaoke Velveeta.

    3. thrakkorzog

      I’m guessing you’re talking about Maher. While I disagree with his politics, from what I’ve seen, he’s usually pretty good on the free speech front.

      OTOH, he’s been OK with various lefty groups. So at first they didn’t come for him, because he wasn’t a trade unionist.

      But it’s scalp hunting season, and the right isn’t exactly enamored of Maher, and know how to pick their battles.

      So yeah, Bill Maher’s right to free speech ain’t exactly the hill I’m prepared to die on.

  27. SimonD

    In a little bit of good news, TCU is finally about to start their first game in the NCAA baseball playoffs (27 hours late).

    I’m going to be awake until 2 in the damn morning. Good thing tomorrow is Sunday.

    1. __Warren__

      Sorry, we had to sell Sunday to pay some bills. Tomorrow is actually Monday+

    2. westernsloper

      That is why baseball sucks. Anything that starts late but should start regardless of conditions, and or does not happen as it should, (scheduled baseball games, menstrual cycles of the skank from the bar you took home) end up being an inconvenience.

  28. Not an Economist

    In the face of evil, some good reports, hopefully accurate.

    1. westernsloper

      I hope that is accurate as well.

      1. hayeksplosives

        I saw an interview with a guy in the restaurant where the attacker ran in and stabbed a person the witness thought was a waitress, and he said he and others threw chairs and bottles at the perp. This was 50 minutes after the attack, and I assume it’s true.

    2. Gilmore

      Here’s the London top-cop giving a presser

      thought: do you really need to read *every word* off your prepared notes? you sound like you’re a telemarketer and you just want to get it over with. Normally cop-bosses are like doctors, and expected to have some press acumen and project “competence and grasp of the situation”. He sounds like he wants to say, “I just work in accounting, i’m not really a police person”

      1. westernsloper

        He is a posh top cop, and yes, he has to read every word. No London Giuiani there. As the tone of it goes, this is normal now. If you have video, please send it to http://www.ohnoanotherone.com

        1. Festus

          There will be blow-back. Don’t underestimate the British hoi polloi. When their dander’s up they’ve got sand.

  29. thrakkorzog

    There’s also another Rothertam going on in Keighley. http://www.keighleynews.co.uk/news/15320598.New_police_figures_show_165_suspects_in_Bradford_are_Keighley_being_investigated_for_child_sexual_exploitation/

    So,156 people are being prosecuted for prosecuted for banging kids, and nobody notices a common theme.

    100 people are just big onto banging underage teenage girls. That’s totally a thing that happens.

    1. Festus

      Keep Calm, Carry On.

  30. F. Stupidity Jr.

    I’m watching Dreams From My Real Father on Amazon Prime. Quite a cesspool Obama came from.

    1. F. Stupidity Jr.

      “The free market doesn’t work. It has never worked.” – Barack Obama

      I don’t know how I missed that quote until now.

  31. Azathoth

    I keep seeing this type of thing and it always bothers me–

    “Goddamn. Checked up thread and saw this. Collectivize much? For this plan to work you’d have to go full on totalitarian. Count me out.”

    Collectivize?

    You can collectivize someone on the basis of their race, or their sex, or their sexual orientation, or even their ethnicity. All of these are things people can just be born into.

    But you have to accept a belief system.

    When you’re referring to people who have identified themselves as being part of a particular group, people who have told you that they have X beliefs, that they are part of X group–you are not ‘collectivizing’–you are accepting people’s own self description. If those beliefs are horrendous, you are not ‘collectivising’ when you point that out. You are simply accepting what they say about themselves.

    Being a muslim is not an immutable characteristic. We need to stop acting as if it is.

    1. kbolino

      You can absolutely collectivize on the basis of self-identification. For example, somebody can tell you they are a Catholic, and you can assume that means they’re a Papist who would work against their country because they have an undying loyalty to the Pope above all else. Even though they never said that second part and don’t actually believe that, you have collectivized on the basis of self-identification, by assigning to them characteristics they don’t have on the basis of a characteristic they do have and a judgment about that characteristic that you’ve made.

      That’s not accepting a person’s self-identification; it’s taking one piece of that identification and discarding all the rest.

      1. Azathoth

        Well, no.

        See that second part is a slur made up by anti-Catholics and is not actually anything anyone who identifies as a Catholic believes.

        If someone says ‘I am a Catholic’, I am correct in inferring that they hold basic ACTUAL Catholic beliefs because they told me they did.

        Likewise someone who says ‘I’m Muslim.’

        The idea that you’re ‘collectivizing’ people because you’re accepting what they told you about themselves is insane..

        1. kbolino

          If someone says ‘I am a Catholic’, I am correct in inferring that they hold basic ACTUAL Catholic beliefs because they told me they did.

          No, you are not. Your inference may be statistically founded but it is not “correct” until you actually find out whether that person holds the beliefs you think they do.

          You don’t get to short-circuit the process then claim to be “accepting the person’s self-identification”. You’re rejecting their self-identification in favor of your own judgments.

        2. kbolino

          And you may not like my example but it goes directly to the heart of my point. Catholic doctrine holds that the Pope is the supreme head of the Church; the separation of church and state is a doctrine that the Church does not actually espouse but has tacitly accepted (especially since Vatican II) due to the political reality of the past few centuries. The Church walks a fine line on “religious freedom” because they want Catholics to be free to worship everywhere but also would have no problem with a state subordinating itself to the Church, however unlikely that may be in a modern political context.

          While it is highly unlikely that the Pope would try to assert authority over a secular or otherwise non-Catholic state, and even less likely that he would call a Crusade, nothing in Catholic doctrine holds that such acts would be against the faith, and they would certainly not be without precedent. It is, however, reasonable to assume that most American Catholics, and probably most European Catholics, would be unwilling to go to war for the Pope in the extremely unlikely event that he asked for it.

          Put simply, a straight interpretation of Catholic doctrine holds that loyalty to the Church, to God, and to the One True Faith, is supreme to any earthly loyalties; that the Pope is God’s representative on Earth, and supreme head of the Church; and thus that, if ordered, a Catholic would answer to the Pope above his own country. That is not a slur, it is literally what Catholic doctrine teaches. It is not, however, all that Catholic doctrine teaches, not by a long shot, and there are many reasons why such an interpretation is quite shallow, to say the least.

          1. {|}===[|}:;:;:;:;:;:;:>

            So what you’re saying is that, based on espoused doctrine, Azathoth is correct in his assessment. Until such a time as doctrine is changed by bull or the self-identified Catholic offers amplifying information e.g. “I’m not a practicing Catholic,” or “I render unto Cesar what is Caesar’s”. Rejection of Papal authority over matters secular and divine is not the default position for the definition of “Catholic” otherwise we wouldn’t have “Protestants.” Acceptance of an individuals statement that they are part of a collective at face value is not collectivization. You’re argument doesn’t refute that point, you’re arguing as to what characteristics are shared by the collective.