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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Open Thread

Open Thread

by Tim F|  June 26, 200710:24 am| 54 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

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For any subject other than Cheney.

Cheney

Also, don’t think of a pink elephant.

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Previous Post: « Just Barney And Laura
Next Post: Freep Physics »

Reader Interactions

54Comments

  1. 1.

    Nicholas Weaver

    June 26, 2007 at 10:29 am

    What about a blue rhinocerous?

  2. 2.

    Zifnab

    June 26, 2007 at 10:31 am

    So…. evil….
    I feel cold. Very, very cold.

  3. 3.

    zzyzx

    June 26, 2007 at 10:41 am

    Remember when National Review hated the concept of filibusters? It was their principled stand that the majorities shouldn’t have obstacles in their way. Oh wait, that was when they still had the majority. Never mind. Let’s work to block cloture votes!

  4. 4.

    Dreggas

    June 26, 2007 at 11:03 am

    WOW…just wow.

  5. 5.

    ThymeZone

    June 26, 2007 at 11:14 am

    WOW…just wow.

    Yeah, uh, we are shocked — SHOCKED — to learn that there is corruption in government these days.

    The real story, it seems to me after digging into this bottomless pit of links, is that the newspaper down there didn’t go after the story, but instead served the interests of the bad guys.

    Which is the story. THE story, I mean. We have no functional press in this country now. Why shouldn’t officials just help themselves to the graft and corrupt gains? There is nothing in place to stop them or hold them accountable. They’re laughing at us at this point.

    He who cannot be named on the thread is laughing at us. And his buddy Karl is laughing so hard at us he is probably having an asthma attack.

  6. 6.

    Tax Analyst

    June 26, 2007 at 11:21 am

    I never noticed what a cute sneer that insane, maniacal fucking would-be tyrant actually has. Doesn’t it sort of just drool out “Unquenchable Malignant Avarice” at you?

  7. 7.

    Dreggas

    June 26, 2007 at 11:32 am

    TZ,

    I was actually commenting on the womans house being burned down and her car totalled when she said she was giving the affidavit…

  8. 8.

    Rome Again

    June 26, 2007 at 11:38 am

    Which is the story. THE story, I mean. We have no functional press in this country now. Why shouldn’t officials just help themselves to the graft and corrupt gains? There is nothing in place to stop them or hold them accountable. They’re laughing at us at this point.

    Where’s Woodstein and Bernward when you really need em?

    TZ,

    I was actually commenting on the womans house being burned down and her car totalled when she said she was giving the affidavit…

    I hope you don’t really think that’s going to change his answer. There is corruption in Anytown, USA, just as it always was. TZ’s right, the only difference is that you won’t hear about it on national television.

  9. 9.

    ThymeZone

    June 26, 2007 at 11:39 am

    was actually commenting on the womans house being burned down and her car totalled when she said she was giving the affidavit…

    I know.

  10. 10.

    Z

    June 26, 2007 at 11:41 am

    (cue music): Dum dum de-dum dum de-dum…

    (cut to heavy breathing from Cheney photo):

    “Tim… I am your father, Tim.
    Join the Dark Side….”

  11. 11.

    Jake

    June 26, 2007 at 11:43 am

    Does this mean we can’t talk about this character?

    “Waak, waak, waaak!”

  12. 12.

    ThymeZone

    June 26, 2007 at 11:44 am

    There is corruption in Anytown, USA, just as it always was. TZ’s right, the only difference is that you won’t hear about it on national television.

    I’m a little too close for comfort to comment in detail about possible corruption in my precinct. Let’s just say, I really don’t want my car being run off the road.

    But anyway, even our local paper and tv stations are clueless about these things. Their biggest “expose” in recent years involved things like govt employees making personal calls on their govt celphones. Wow, that is pretty earth-shaking. Meanwhile the big cheeses are helping themselves to graft and corruption and quids for quos and nobody is looking.

    Little wonder that they do it on a big scale in Washington. They are trained out here in the hustings.

  13. 13.

    Dreggas

    June 26, 2007 at 11:54 am

    I hope you don’t really think that’s going to change his answer. There is corruption in Anytown, USA, just as it always was. TZ’s right, the only difference is that you won’t hear about it on national television.

    I didn’t expect it to change anyone’s answer, I guess there was one little nugget of non-cynicalness (is that a word) left in me and that just removed it.

  14. 14.

    ThymeZone

    June 26, 2007 at 11:59 am

    we can’t talk about this character?

    That picture of him looks just like a guy I used to work for.

    The gentleman used to actually pick people up and throw them out the door when he fired them.

    Quite dramatic and entertaining, really.

  15. 15.

    Rome Again

    June 26, 2007 at 12:01 pm

    But anyway, even our local paper and tv stations are clueless about these things. Their biggest “expose” in recent years involved things like govt employees making personal calls on their govt celphones. Wow, that is pretty earth-shaking. Meanwhile the big cheeses are helping themselves to graft and corruption and quids for quos and nobody is looking.

    Yes, it is a protection racket, and it goes on everywhere. Anytown USA was every town, and national television was used in my post because if it ain’t national, it’s really not important to most people. Until it gets national attention, it’s merey whispers and nothing more.

  16. 16.

    Tax Analyst

    June 26, 2007 at 12:16 pm

    ThymeZone Says:

    we can’t talk about this character?

    That picture of him looks just like a guy I used to work for.

    The gentleman used to actually pick people up and throw them out the door when he fired them.

    Quite dramatic and entertaining, really.

    See, Dick’s not like that at all. No, Dick would have a hired thug pick you up and throw you out the door…or maybe have you shipped off to Gitmo for a little renditioning.

    I’ve worked for some rather strange characters myself over the years. The last one of those got himself murdered and I decided at that point that it would be better to endeavor to earn my living working for slightly more sane and less volatile boss-types and seek less hazardous places of employ.

  17. 17.

    ThymeZone

    June 26, 2007 at 12:25 pm

    I’ve worked for some rather strange characters myself over the years.

    Me too. If I made you a complete list and really described some of these people ….. you’d think (a) I was crazy to have worked for them, and/or (b) I am exaggerating.

    The former may be true, but the latter would not be necessary. They are bizarre enough without any exaggeration.

  18. 18.

    Chad N. Freude

    June 26, 2007 at 12:41 pm

    Love the photo. Hannibal (having already risen) Sneering.

  19. 19.

    Tax Analyst

    June 26, 2007 at 1:14 pm

    ThymeZone Says:

    I’ve worked for some rather strange characters myself over the years.

    Me too. If I made you a complete list and really described some of these people ….. you’d think (a) I was crazy to have worked for them, and/or (b) I am exaggerating.

    The former may be true, but the latter would not be necessary. They are bizarre enough without any exaggeration.

    I believe you, man…I once worked for a guy who owned a TANK…and then at the next place I worked a close business associate of the boss owned a damned TANK. And that wasn’t the weirdest thing about either situation. Shit, at the last situation the boss hired two attorney’s to handle his Real Estate litigation…neither of whom had any background whatsoever in Real Estate Law…but one of them was a dead-ringer for Jay Leno (except a little paunchier) and the other guy looked just like Steve Martin…I kid you not.

  20. 20.

    DougJ

    June 26, 2007 at 1:42 pm

    Did you see the Post had Emily Yoffe from Slate, a self-described “Math Moron” (per her own Slate piece), who does math at a 1st grade level (per the same piece), argue with Al Gore about global warming on the pages of the Washington Post opinion page?

    We’re doomed. I’m learning Chinese and moving to Shanghai…maybe Rupert Murdoch will hire me.

  21. 21.

    DougJ

    June 26, 2007 at 1:46 pm

    This got stuck in moderation last time, maybe I wrote my email wrong or is it the multiple links? I’ll take them out.

    Did you see the Post had Emily Yoffe from Slate, a self-described “Math Moron” (per her own Slate piece), who does math at a 1st grade level (per the same piece), argue with Al Gore about global warming on the pages of the Washington Post opinion page?

    We’re doomed. I’m learning Chinese and moving to Shanghai…maybe Rupert Murdoch will hire me.

    It won’t let me put in links without moderation so just go to Daily Howler for them.

  22. 22.

    Rome Again

    June 26, 2007 at 2:15 pm

    Patience is a virtue you don’t have DougJ. It’s okay, neither do I, although I have to admit, I am trying to learn it.

    ;)

  23. 23.

    DougJ

    June 26, 2007 at 2:20 pm

    I have no interest in learning it. I hate patient people.

  24. 24.

    ThymeZone

    June 26, 2007 at 2:25 pm

    Whe Doug goes the doctor, he expects the doc to immediately whack off whatever parts are not up to par. Cut the fuckers off and be done with it. Patience has no place in science, medicine, or anything else.

    Right, Doug?

    Heh.

    That hand giving you some pain. (Thump). Gone! See the girl on the way out for your follow up appointment.

  25. 25.

    DougJ

    June 26, 2007 at 2:33 pm

    To me, patient means waiting another six months to see how things are doing in Iraq.

  26. 26.

    Rome Again

    June 26, 2007 at 2:36 pm

    To me, patient means waiting another six months to see how things are doing in Iraq.

    Wrong, that’s insanity, because we’ve already waited almost 4 and a half years.

  27. 27.

    ThymeZone

    June 26, 2007 at 3:08 pm

    To me, patient means waiting another six months to see how things are doing in Iraq.

    Well, you go to war with the government you have, not the one you wish you had.

    We will be lucky if we dont have a lot of people there, and dying, six years from now, much less six months.

  28. 28.

    Paul L.

    June 26, 2007 at 4:33 pm

    This story reminds of a question I wanted to ask you “tolerant of all lifestyles” liberals.

    Do you think it is wrong for a homosexual couple with children to forbid their children from dating someone that is the opposite sex? (I expect Rosie will) Or Black man with a white wife to forbid his daughter(s) to date white men?

  29. 29.

    HyperIon

    June 26, 2007 at 4:39 pm

    It won’t let me put in links without moderation so just go to Daily Howler for them.

    why not just go to the source? these days one of the few things i enjoy about WaPo online is the comments section. page after page of readers pointing out the incredible stupidity of the op-ed they have just read. it is quite heartening…which cannot be said for much of the MSM. even if nobody at WaPo reads those comments, i come away reassured that common sense and the ability to analyze a text still exists beyond the beltway. now if we could just get some of those folks in positions of authoritah….

  30. 30.

    ThymeZone

    June 26, 2007 at 4:43 pm

    Do you think it is wrong for a homosexual couple with children to forbid their children from dating someone that is the opposite sex? (I expect Rosie will) Or Black man with a white wife to forbid his daughter(s) to date white men?

    Do you come from a culture where parents dictate with whom their children can socialize? I guess I thought you were an American, but now I see that you probably hail from Eastern Bumfuckia.

    That explains a lot about you. Well, okay, not a lot, because you are so pathologically full of shit. But it does explain some things about you.

  31. 31.

    mrmobi

    June 26, 2007 at 5:01 pm

    …but now I see that you probably hail from Eastern Bumfuckia.

    Don’t be mean, TZ. I’m originally from Eastern Bumfuckia myself, and people are very tolerant there.
    Paul, however, appears to be very concerned about the miscege-foo-foo issue. I guess for people like Paul, life would be a lot easier if people would just stick with their own kind and not make their children wear bandoliers. Is that really Rosie’s kid, Paul? Very funny picture.

  32. 32.

    Delia

    June 26, 2007 at 5:02 pm

    “The more you tighten your grip, Lord Vader, the more systems will slip through your fingers.”

  33. 33.

    Bombadil

    June 26, 2007 at 5:19 pm

    Every time John Cole posts about Cheney or Bush, he should be required to add parenthetically, “the guys I voted for”.

    And I mean for ever and always, not just until 1/20/09.

  34. 34.

    Tulkinghorn

    June 26, 2007 at 5:36 pm

    Paul L. Says:

    This story reminds of a question I wanted to ask you “tolerant of all lifestyles” liberals.

    Do you think it is wrong for a homosexual couple with children to forbid their children from dating someone that is the opposite sex? (I expect Rosie will) Or Black man with a white wife to forbid his daughter(s) to date white men?

    I am expected to argue on behalf of a decision Rosie might make?

    How about asking a question that actually has some sort of relevance or meaning rather than exercising your pathetic psychological projections? Why does it occur to you that any homosexual parents would be heterophobic?

    The several gay couples I know all want their kids to be who they (the kids) are… gay, straight, or whatever. Only a sociopathic fool tries to mold children contrary to their fundamental personalities. That, of course, is standard operating procedure for cultural conservatives.

  35. 35.

    ThymeZone

    June 26, 2007 at 5:52 pm

    Every time John Cole posts about Cheney or Bush, he should be required to add parenthetically, “the guys I voted for”.

    America is all about the right of the people to be wrong, and then the right of the people to change their government.

    So, John is off the hook with me.

  36. 36.

    Chad N. Freude

    June 26, 2007 at 5:53 pm

    Paul L’s post reminds of a question I wanted to ask you “not-so-tolerant of all lifestyles” conservatives.

    Do you think it is wrong for a heterosexual couple with children to forbid their children from dating someone that is the same sex? (I expect Rosie will) Or White man with a black wife to forbid his son(s) to date black women?

  37. 37.

    Chad N. Freude

    June 26, 2007 at 6:12 pm

    In case I did not make my point clear enough, Paul L’s questions are of the philosophical school of “If you had a brother, would he like chicken soup?”

    They are pointless; what does a yes or a no indicate? Answering “Yes, it would be wrong,” is not inconsistent with the view that the lifestyle, as opposed to the wishes of the parents, is to be tolerated. Parents do have the right to set down any dating rules they choose for their children, even if they are inconsistent with the parents’ philosophy. Oh, yes, and the questions are framed to demonstrate the presumed hypocrisy of those who hold “tolerant of all lifestyles” opinions rather than to open a real discussion.

    This rhetorical gaming is intellectually dishonest. If Paul L has any arguments to present as to why people who profess the tolerance he derides, he should make them and not engage in this puerile game of Gotcha.

  38. 38.

    Rusty Shackleford

    June 26, 2007 at 6:25 pm

    Anybody catch Ann Coulter on Hardball?

    Absolutely outrageous. She’s “The War Whore”.

    Coulter insists we found WMDs and that Saddam was working with Al Qaeda on 9/11. She attempts to re-write history on the fly.

    And her fans behind her are a bunch of zipperheads.

  39. 39.

    Rusty Shackleford

    June 26, 2007 at 6:47 pm

    Coulter spews absolute bullshit. She can’t answer a question directly or without attacking someone. And she redefines everything to lay the Hate Smackdown.

  40. 40.

    Rome Again

    June 26, 2007 at 7:14 pm

    Why does it occur to you that any homosexual parents would be heterophobic?

    Because he’s:

    * an idiot?
    * a spoof?
    * creating a jackaloupe?

    Please vote now!

  41. 41.

    Tim F.

    June 26, 2007 at 7:24 pm

    Do you think it is wrong for a homosexual couple with children to forbid their children from dating someone that is the opposite sex?

    I think that if there exists a force on Earth which could turn a gay kid straight, that is it.

  42. 42.

    Rome Again

    June 26, 2007 at 7:27 pm

    I think that if there exists a force on Earth which could turn a gay kid straight, that is it.

    which, of course, means PaulL should fully support it. ;)

  43. 43.

    Undeniable Liberal

    June 26, 2007 at 9:43 pm

    EVERY woman wants Fred thompson because he Smells Like Teen Spirit. Rock on, Freddy!!

  44. 44.

    Undeniable Liberal

    June 26, 2007 at 9:43 pm

    EVERY woman wants Fred Thompson because he Smells Like Teen Spirit. Rock on, Freddy!!

  45. 45.

    DougJ

    June 26, 2007 at 10:04 pm

    Paul L isn’t a suspicious name at all, is it?

  46. 46.

    Bob In Pacifica

    June 26, 2007 at 10:09 pm

    There were five-foot tall penguins with spear-like beaks in Peru 36 million years ago.

    Really.

  47. 47.

    DougJ

    June 27, 2007 at 12:15 am

    I think that if there exists a force on Earth which could turn a gay kid straight, that is it.

    James Dobson devotes an entire chapter to this technique in his first book.

  48. 48.

    jake

    June 27, 2007 at 5:57 am

    Because he’s:

    * an idiot?
    * a spoof?
    * creating a jackaloupe?

    Please vote now!

    PauleLL’s can’t seem to meet any nice young ladies. Well, he meets them but after a few minutes they run away. Even the ones that you have to inflate.

    Clearly he’s not doing anything wrong so there must be hordes of gay couples out there, and they don’t let their daughters date men. So I guess that makes him an idiot. A very lonely idiot.

  49. 49.

    jake

    June 27, 2007 at 8:28 am

    Since this is an open thread:

    Bye, bye Tony. (B not S).

  50. 50.

    Paul L.

    June 27, 2007 at 12:17 pm

    So I guess that makes him an idiot. A very lonely idiot.

    Jake didn’t the wife of John Edwards just berate Ann Coulter “her to stop lowering the bar with personal attacks in our country’s political debate.”

    But I guess it is ok for you to make personal attacks. Unlike John Edwards, I can take it.

  51. 51.

    Jake

    June 27, 2007 at 1:18 pm

    Once PaulEll explains WTF Mrs. Edwards has to do with anything, including his original question, we’ll be ready to start the next jackalope hunt.

    In the meantime, I stand by my original thesis.

  52. 52.

    Jake

    June 27, 2007 at 1:19 pm

    Once PaulEll explains WTF Mrs. Edwards has to do with anything, including his original question, we’ll be ready to start the next jackalope hunt.

    In the meantime, I stand by my original hypothesis.

  53. 53.

    Chad N. Freude

    June 27, 2007 at 1:26 pm

    It’s kind of exciting to learn that Jake’s personal attack comments are equal to Ann Coulter’s in our country’s political debate. (I guess Jake gets really good press coverage.) And that calling Paul L an idiot is equivalent to “I’ll just wish he [Edwards] had been killed in a terrorist assassination plot.” And that “Unlike John Edwards, I can take it” is not a personal attack.

    BTW, Jake, I thought the post that precipitated this Pee Wee Herman exchange was really unworthy of you. (That’s not a personal attack, rather a critical judgment.)

Comments are closed.

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    June 27, 2007 at 11:41 am

    […] (**) Commenter DJ prodded me into writing about this, which I earlier passed on because presenting arguments this stupid strikes me as a form of trolling. The management aims to please. […]

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