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You are here: Home / z-Retired Categories / Previous Site Maintenance / Open Thread

Open Thread

by John Cole|  July 19, 200712:41 pm| 38 Comments

This post is in: Previous Site Maintenance

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For the things we have missed.

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Previous Post: « Petraeus and Hewitt
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Reader Interactions

38Comments

  1. 1.

    jg

    July 19, 2007 at 12:49 pm

    Have you ever thought about how fortunate we are that we can’t see air?

    Driving would be much more challenging for one.

  2. 2.

    RSA

    July 19, 2007 at 1:46 pm

    Max Blumenthal’s visit to a College Republican meeting? Funny stuff, especially the interpretive dance.

  3. 3.

    pharniel

    July 19, 2007 at 1:47 pm

    busy just got some brand new brass balls c/o cheny
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6786106,00.html

    http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/07/20070717-3.html

    that’s right, teh treasure department can now sieze and contol your financial activity after the fact and in secret.

    w00t.

    y’know, if lincoln would have lived he’d prolly have been impeached…

  4. 4.

    Lee

    July 19, 2007 at 1:56 pm

    pharniel, I was just jumping in here to post that.

    I really really hope that someone points out we are wrong on our interpretation.

    When can we start calling them facists without being accused of hyperbole?

  5. 5.

    Dreggas

    July 19, 2007 at 2:22 pm

    Plame Lawsuit’s been dismissed.

  6. 6.

    Punchy

    July 19, 2007 at 2:46 pm

    From a commenter on Drum’s website. I’m guessing Military Cole could wax poetic on this:

    Partial withdrawal basically means getting your ass shot at three or four times — first when you go through all the work of extricating part of your troops while moving others to consolidate them into fewer bases, etc.; second when you make yourself targeted by being in fewer bases, meaning attacks can be consolidated; third, by being more vulnerable to attacks when you do go on patrol, because you have fewer patrols from fewer bases, so street attacks can also be consolidated – plus you have less firepower to disrupt this consolidation; then, fourth, when you finally do withdraw the rest of the troops.

    Multi-stage withdrawal is the stupidest thing.

    Sounds like a scary proposal. And as Atrios is always saying…exactly what can 1/3rd the force do that a full force couldn’t?

  7. 7.

    Third Eye Open

    July 19, 2007 at 2:50 pm

    What exactly does the War Czar do, and where the hell is he?

    *http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/11515.html*

  8. 8.

    Jake

    July 19, 2007 at 2:52 pm

    financial assets that might be found in this country belonging to people, companies or groups that the United States deems are working to threaten stability in Iraq.

    All UR $$ R BELONG 2 US.

    I guess that’s one way to pay for the cluster fuck but I have a few questions.

    First of all, why just Iraq? Do these people even remember Afghanistan? Secondly, does constructing a police academy where the toilets flush crap into rooms count as destablizing Iraq? I think so but I’m just a wild n’ crazy librul. What about all of the other contractors that didn’t deliver as promised? I mean, if you say you’re going to Iraq to fix the power grid and you don’t and people get pissed because its fucking hot and AC units need electricty so they start throwing rocks at the nearest person in uniform that makes things unstable. What about hospitals? If you fuck up building a hosptial that could have serious repercussions, especially when people keep getting blown up, shot, stabbed, maimed.

    And what about the entity that has caused the greatest amount of instability in the region? Is The Executive Branch going to seize its own fucking funds?

    But all snark aside, you know this means any Iranian money in the US has been swiped while Cheney tucks the cash from Saudi Arabia into bed and kisses it night-night every damn day.

  9. 9.

    Dreggas

    July 19, 2007 at 2:58 pm

    financial assets that might be found in this country belonging to people, companies or groups that the United States deems are working to threaten stability in Iraq.

    gee good thing I have no real assets because by the twisted logic of these inseminferious tubloidial buttnoids I am “threatening Iraq’s stability” by saying it’s a clusterfuck.

  10. 10.

    RSA

    July 19, 2007 at 3:06 pm

    people, companies or groups that the United States deems are working to threaten stability in Iraq.

    And by “the United States”, we mean “the executive branch”, which has done such a bang-up job of late in this arena.

  11. 11.

    aliceandbob

    July 19, 2007 at 3:06 pm

    Bush promises to sink SCHIP.

  12. 12.

    Dreggas

    July 19, 2007 at 3:28 pm

    aliceandbob Says:

    Bush promises to sink SCHIP.

    As good of a headline as that looks to be, and with how great of a meme that can be started about “Bush won’t insure the children” I am glad he’s going to shoot this one down. Funding a program based on increasing a tax on a minority of the population because it’s politically acceptable to harass them is pure and utter bullshit.

    Further it’s dumb to use a tax to “get people to quit smoking” and then use those funds to fund health insurance anyway. After all if the tax has it’s desired effect (cutting the number of smokers) then there will be fewer funds to go to these programs.

    Both the state and federal governments are sucking on the teet of big tobacco and smokers with their stupid taxes on cigs. They just keep shooting themselves in the foot every time they hike the taxes and people quit.

  13. 13.

    Fruitbat Jones

    July 19, 2007 at 3:41 pm

    If we ever run out of fresh water, I’m blaming chicks. They feel compelled to flush AND wash hands after every time they pee. What a waste of good water.

  14. 14.

    Cain

    July 19, 2007 at 3:50 pm

    Anybody see that executive order where anybody in the U.S. can have their finances taken away if they “interfered with reconstruction in Iraq”. What the hell? The summary I was reading on slashdot was that it overturns the fifth amendment and also decisions are done in secret.

    This reminds me of the power grab by Dick Cheney to be able to do executive privilege on behalf of the vice president.

    We need to kick these people out.. now.

    cain

  15. 15.

    Davebo

    July 19, 2007 at 3:50 pm

    Jake,

    Don’t sweat the shoddy construction and graft involved in our glorious rebuilding of Iraq.

    In three years, when Sadr is living large in our embassy as the new leader of Iraq, we’ll sleep better knowing that every time he flushes the toilet shit will be flowing downstairs.

  16. 16.

    Dreggas

    July 19, 2007 at 4:03 pm

    Cain Says:

    Anybody see that executive order where anybody in the U.S. can have their finances taken away if they “interfered with reconstruction in Iraq”. What the hell? The summary I was reading on slashdot was that it overturns the fifth amendment and also decisions are done in secret.

    This reminds me of the power grab by Dick Cheney to be able to do executive privilege on behalf of the vice president.

    We need to kick these people out.. now.

    cain

    Yeah I just got done reading about that. Of course the spinal transplant required for Congress to do anything does not appear to be forthcoming.

  17. 17.

    Dreggas

    July 19, 2007 at 4:15 pm

    Looks like the Justice Dept’s chief counsel is breaking the law

    I know, I should be suprised and what is sad…I’m not.

  18. 18.

    Ryan S.

    July 19, 2007 at 4:24 pm

    I’m not sure why my comment get moderated into limbo.
    If you haven’t heard of the Jena Six here you go be prepared to get depressed. David links to some petitions also if your inclined.

  19. 19.

    Tim F.

    July 19, 2007 at 4:25 pm

    If we ever run out of fresh water, I’m blaming chicks. They feel compelled to flush AND wash hands after every time they pee.

    Women wipe. I vote with washing the hands.

  20. 20.

    Jake

    July 19, 2007 at 4:37 pm

    Looks like the Justice Dept’s chief counsel is breaking the law.

    No, no, no. Bush told him to do it, God told Bush to do whatever he wants, so he’s really carrying out God’s word. Leave it to a sin-soaked moonbat such as yourself to suggest that people ignore GOd’s word.

  21. 21.

    Punchy

    July 19, 2007 at 4:40 pm

    If we ever run out of fresh water, I’m blaming chicks. They feel compelled to flush AND wash hands after every time they pee. What a waste of good water

    If it’s yellow, let it mellow
    If it’s brown, flush it down.

  22. 22.

    Dreggas

    July 19, 2007 at 4:55 pm

    Ryan S. Says:

    I’m not sure why my comment get moderated into limbo.
    If you haven’t heard of the Jena Six here you go be prepared to get depressed. David links to some petitions also if your inclined.

    No words can even come close to how unfucking believable that is. The south is still the south *sigh*.

  23. 23.

    Psycheout

    July 19, 2007 at 4:57 pm

    Women wipe.

    Wow, you must’ve dated some classy broads.

  24. 24.

    John Cole

    July 19, 2007 at 5:03 pm

    We are gonna make that two votes for hand washing. For the record- I wash mine, too.

  25. 25.

    Tim F.

    July 19, 2007 at 5:13 pm

    Wow, you must’ve dated some classy broads.

    Apparently.

  26. 26.

    RSA

    July 19, 2007 at 5:18 pm

    So I’m hanging out in a bar with my buddies from grad school, all of us now with Ph.D.s in computer science, and I head to the toilet, one of the filthiest rooms I’ve ever seen. A guy comes out of one of the stalls, pushes the level on the towel dispenser, and then washes his hands, pulls off a paper towel, and leaves. I go back to our table and say, “Hey, going to the bathroom here is a Prisoner’s Dilemma,” and I start to explain how. One of my friends interrupts to say, “Um, basically, if you go to the bathroom here, you’re fucked.” I thought that was a nice summary.

  27. 27.

    Dreggas

    July 19, 2007 at 6:13 pm

    Eh, I was taught not to piss all over myself and to keep the crotch clean (ie bathe often) so unless I have to wipe I usually don’t bother washing my hands.

  28. 28.

    Dreggas

    July 19, 2007 at 6:16 pm

    And with the wiping talk I will now segue into an alternative to once again sin-taxing our way out of a situation. I hereby propose a flat 10 cents a roll toilet paper tax. Everyone pays for it because everyone has to wipe their ass sometime.

  29. 29.

    RSA

    July 19, 2007 at 6:33 pm

    Wiping your ass as a candidate for a sin tax? Hmm. . . This is going to pose problems for evangelists.

  30. 30.

    Cain

    July 19, 2007 at 6:37 pm

    I hear Cheney wipes. Using constitution printed toilet paper. Har har.

    cain

  31. 31.

    Perry Como

    July 19, 2007 at 6:39 pm

    Women wipe.

    Front to back or back to front? It makes all the difference.

  32. 32.

    Dreggas

    July 19, 2007 at 6:45 pm

    RSA Says:

    Wiping your ass as a candidate for a sin tax? Hmm. . . This is going to pose problems for evangelists.

    Instead of a sin tax. That’s the one thing that pisses me off is the idea that we tax only a certain part of the population on things to pay for X program for everyone else.

    Whereas we have a tax on gas (which everyone buys) that goes to funding roads (which everyone uses) they want to go and tax cigarettes (which a small segment of the population uses) to fund healthcare for another set of the population (which is larger than the population that smokes and is a growing segment).

    So unless your someone like Sheryl Crowe who only uses one square of toilet paper to wipe (full body shiver) then you and me and everyone else would be paying equally for X service.

  33. 33.

    Dreggas

    July 19, 2007 at 6:48 pm

    Perry Como Says:

    Women wipe.

    Front to back or back to front? It makes all the difference.

    yeah it does…

  34. 34.

    Seth

    July 19, 2007 at 9:54 pm

    The Pirates traded for Caesar Izturis. Dave Littlefield has done the seemingly impossible and brokered a deal that actually made the Pirates worse. Thanks Dave.

  35. 35.

    Jon H

    July 19, 2007 at 10:26 pm

    Patrick Fitzgerald is going to be the ‘Not My Job’ guest on NPR’s Wait Wait, Don’t Tell Me this weekend.

  36. 36.

    Krista

    July 20, 2007 at 6:56 am

    A guy comes out of one of the stalls, pushes the level on the towel dispenser, and then washes his hands, pulls off a paper towel, and leaves. I go back to our table and say, “Hey, going to the bathroom here is a Prisoner’s Dilemma,” and I start to explain how. One of my friends interrupts to say, “Um, basically, if you go to the bathroom here, you’re fucked.” I thought that was a nice summary.

    Amateur. You push the lever on the paper towel dispenser with your elbow, grab the towel and use it to turn on the tap. Wash the heck out of your hands, and then push the lever on the paper towel dispenser AGAIN with your elbow, grab another towel, use it to dry your hands, and then use it to open the bathroom door. Prop the door open with your foot, wad up the towel and try to get the 3-pointer into the garbage can. Then go on your merry way.

    Yes, I use two paper towels. I also live in a province where 99% of the residents recycle. (My bf and I produce one bag of garbage every 3 weeks.) I figure it all evens out.

  37. 37.

    Tax Analyst

    July 20, 2007 at 12:00 pm

    Krista Says:

    Amateur. You push the lever on the paper towel dispenser with your elbow, grab the towel and use it to turn on the tap. Wash the heck out of your hands, and then push the lever on the paper towel dispenser AGAIN with your elbow, grab another towel, use it to dry your hands, and then use it to open the bathroom door. Prop the door open with your foot, wad up the towel and try to get the 3-pointer into the garbage can. Then go on your merry way.

    Yes, I use two paper towels. I also live in a province where 99% of the residents recycle. (My bf and I produce one bag of garbage every 3 weeks.) I figure it all evens out.

    Yes, this is very good technique.

    Count me as a “washer”…but with borderline OCD I have little choice in the matter sometimes. Sometimes I use more paper towels than I should, but hopefully none of you will report me to the Recycling Nazi’s.

  38. 38.

    ATS

    July 21, 2007 at 7:42 am

    Speaking of beng washed away, whatever became of the spy on (for Israel) the submarine a few months back? I dreamt they found out he was an arab-amerian instead and had been on the front pages ever since.

    Tony Shoub took over Wolf Bltzer’s anchor chair. Falafel replaced Hebrew Natiional in our MREs. Mort Zuckerman slit his dainty wrists. Ed Koch joined Kach.

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