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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Open Thread

Open Thread

by John Cole|  October 22, 20109:45 am| 57 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

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Off to pick some friends from undergrad up at the airport. I’ll check in from time to time, but you are basically on your own.

You kids behave.

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Previous Post: « Memo to NPR: GTFO
Next Post: The Tea Party in the House »

Reader Interactions

57Comments

  1. 1.

    Rook

    October 22, 2010 at 9:47 am

    Never!

  2. 2.

    The Grand Panjandrum

    October 22, 2010 at 9:47 am

    Be careful John! I was at Logan Airport last week and I can assure you plenty of potential terrorists were lurking about the terminal! I mean anyone who looks like they work on Wall Street should have a wary eye cast upon them, no? Didn’t those Wall Street banksters and terrorists almost bring down our economy? Brooks Brother suit. Attache. Shined Gucci’s. Power Tie. Where’s the TSA when you REALLY need them. Be afraid. Very afraid.

  3. 3.

    JonathanW

    October 22, 2010 at 9:47 am

    Here comes the Bully Pulpit!

    President Obama: It Gets Better
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geyAFbSDPVk

  4. 4.

    Guster

    October 22, 2010 at 10:00 am

    I’m self-employed and was thinking of enrolling in my local community college part-time, just to get health insurance for me and my family. It’d save us thousands of dollars a year, even after paying for the credits, but the insurance itself it pretty weak.

    Are there any other ways to get health insurance without a job? Apparently some alumni organizations offer group purchasing, but not mine. Was just hoping someone had an idea …

  5. 5.

    cmorenc

    October 22, 2010 at 10:01 am

    @John Cole:

    Off to pick some friends from undergrad up at the airport. I’ll check in from time to time, but you are basically on your own. You kids behave.

    He’s gone! Pass the word…PARTY!
    We’ll be taking up a collection for the keg.
    And yeah, stick around to help us clean up before he gets back.

  6. 6.

    matoko_chan

    October 22, 2010 at 10:02 am

    Breaking.

    Euro presser tomorrow at 10 am

  7. 7.

    New Yorker

    October 22, 2010 at 10:04 am

    OK, can the Texas Rangers please finish things off tonight, and San Francisco tomorrow night?

  8. 8.

    MikeBoyScout

    October 22, 2010 at 10:09 am

    Where Juan Williams makes the case he doesn’t know WTF he’s talking about by arguing NPR is on the federal dole and should get in the market place.

  9. 9.

    Professor

    October 22, 2010 at 10:10 am

    Let’s be cerebral for a moment: Are people stupid because they are poor OR people are poor because they are stupid? This is known as the Euthyphro dilemma. Discuss.

  10. 10.

    dmsilev

    October 22, 2010 at 10:11 am

    After a very frustrating 36 hours (and probably several frustrating days to come), I can say with some certainty that I hate superfluids.

    dms

  11. 11.

    Rosalita

    October 22, 2010 at 10:13 am

    You kids behave.

    I guess that all depends on what flame-posts get put up today.

    I call Green Balloons on the Juan Williams epic saga.

  12. 12.

    Belafon (formerly anonevent)

    October 22, 2010 at 10:15 am

    @MikeBoyScout: He’s got his right wing talking points down, that’s for sure.

  13. 13.

    The Grand Panjandrum

    October 22, 2010 at 10:16 am

    @Guster: In a previous thread mistermix was pimping USAA for banking and insurance needs as an alternative to the big national banks. I don’t know the specifics but they do offer health insurance so that may be an option.

  14. 14.

    The Grand Panjandrum

    October 22, 2010 at 10:18 am

    @cmorenc:

    He’s gone! Pass the word…PARTY!

    Fuck Yeah! Party like its 1773! or 1929? … hhhmmmmm

  15. 15.

    South of I-10

    October 22, 2010 at 10:20 am

    Packing to leave for New Orleans! Suck on that!

  16. 16.

    Anya

    October 22, 2010 at 10:24 am

    @JonathanW: I saw that at BWD’s diary at GOS and thought it was a good thing. But then this morning saw Gawker commenters, who are usually on the O’bot side of the spectrum criticizing the presiden and accusing him of making things harder for gay kids because of his lack of action on DADT. I must say that annoyed the hell out of me. I mean nothing this man does is satisfactory. It’s always, well you didn’t do this my way so you’re like Bush. I am always shocked at the vitriol and criticism directed at President Obama from the left. Is it because he is a blackety black that we have to expect perfection from him and supper human ability to get shit done? Or because we wanted our own magical negro and all we got was a pragmatic president who cared about process and other boring shit? I am really at a loss.

  17. 17.

    Rosalita

    October 22, 2010 at 10:31 am

    @South of I-10:

    Let the good times roll!

  18. 18.

    Dennis SGMM

    October 22, 2010 at 10:32 am

    It’s drizzly, overcast and rainy here in sunny Southern California. Naturally, I woke up at six, filled a thermos with coffee, grabbed a couple of bagels, and drove up into the San Gabriel mountains – in the Miata – with the top down. It was all fog and mist and the smell of damp pine woods until I got above the cloud layer. I found a nice turnout, stopped, and just soaked in a silent, Japanese brush painting world of lonely peaks poking up out of the fog below.

  19. 19.

    Sour Kraut

    October 22, 2010 at 10:34 am

    Off to pick some friends from undergrad up at the airport.

    Odds of John Cole waking up Sunday morning lying naked in an unexplored region of New Zealand: 1 in 3.

  20. 20.

    El Tiburon

    October 22, 2010 at 10:35 am

    but you are basically on your own

    I guess DougJ, Mistemix, Kay, Anne and ED are just potted plants.

    I hope you guys (and gals) understand what Cole thinks of each and everyone of you.

    May be time for a hostile takeover. Cole has really lost his mojo after all. “Get off my lawn!” is so done.

  21. 21.

    J. Michael Neal

    October 22, 2010 at 10:38 am

    A Boy and His Cat

  22. 22.

    Erik Vanderhoff

    October 22, 2010 at 10:38 am

    Wait, West Virginia has airports? Next you’re going to tell me you have indoor plumbing.

  23. 23.

    Guster

    October 22, 2010 at 10:39 am

    @The Grand Panjandrum: Thanks! I’ll look into that. Much appreciated.

    It’s gotta be better than surfing a thousand community college sites to see which offer health insurance to their distance learning students!

  24. 24.

    shortstop

    October 22, 2010 at 10:39 am

    How old do you have to be before someone telling you to behave in their absence doesn’t make you sit up and look around for interesting off-limits shit to do? Dead?

  25. 25.

    shortstop

    October 22, 2010 at 10:41 am

    @Dennis SGMM: Can I be your friend?

  26. 26.

    Dennis SGMM

    October 22, 2010 at 10:43 am

    @shortstop:
    Any time.

  27. 27.

    Guster

    October 22, 2010 at 10:49 am

    @Guster: Gr. In Maine they only offer short-term catastrophic coverage.

  28. 28.

    Punchy

    October 22, 2010 at 10:51 am

    You kids behave.

    /glares father-like at DougJ and Acronym Kain

  29. 29.

    Suck It Up!

    October 22, 2010 at 10:54 am

    @Anya:

    yeah, its DADT that’s making it harder for gay kids. Not the fear mongering and homophobia that’s promoted in churches and used to win elections.

  30. 30.

    Suck It Up!

    October 22, 2010 at 10:58 am

    @Anya:

    Also, Gates issued a memo that says only five people are in charge of issuing discharges regarding DADT:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/us/22military.html?_r=2&hpw

  31. 31.

    matoko_chan

    October 22, 2010 at 10:59 am

    tole jah so.
    :)
    Wikileaks Iraq Docs likely drop monday.

    i think Oct 25 was always the planned release date…..the monday 3 months after July 26.
    The US tried to stop it by declaring war on the Hacker Nation…..and failed.
    the truth will set us free.

    How will this change the electoral landscape?

  32. 32.

    TheOtherWA

    October 22, 2010 at 11:03 am

    You know what I haven’t heard in all this mortgage mess? Any involvement by credit unions. Could it be that they’re doing things the old fashioned way, (the right way)? Think I’m gonna call them and ask if they really have my note.

    I bought my house in the late 90’s with a bank mortgage, but when I refinanced went with the credit union I was then using. Haven’t had any problems that couldn’t be solved with a phone call or email.

    The bullshit banks are pulling is inexcusable.

  33. 33.

    Corner Stone

    October 22, 2010 at 11:05 am

    @Erik Vanderhoff: I was going to make the “what kind of airport do you have in a town of 300 people?” joke, but I’m feeling a little tuckered at the moment.

  34. 34.

    Suck It Up!

    October 22, 2010 at 11:08 am

    @matoko_chan:

    the electorate cares?

  35. 35.

    Corner Stone

    October 22, 2010 at 11:11 am

    JD Hayworth, evil Howard the Duck lookalike?

  36. 36.

    R-Jud

    October 22, 2010 at 11:20 am

    @Dennis SGMM:

    It was all fog and mist and the smell of damp pine woods until I got above the cloud layer.

    For most of my 10k this morning, I had a gorgeous view of the Malvern Hills and the Worcestershire countryside, all golden trees and country lanes. Wish I could have smelled damp pine woods instead of cow poo, however.

  37. 37.

    Brighton

    October 22, 2010 at 11:23 am

    Krugman wrote today about Britain’s belt-tightening as an excuse to destroy the welfare state. Predicts it will be the final glorious failure of Thatcherism, barring some freak miracle. Home economics doesn’t work with a broken home. Read here on why “paternalistic” countries have fared better in the recession, and the US resembles the family in the Ramones song “We’re a Happy Family”

  38. 38.

    Corner Stone

    October 22, 2010 at 11:24 am

    Then there’s always this good news out of Afghanistan:
    U.S.-led Afghan reconstruction projects to end because of security dispute
    Seems if we can’t continue the graft to our mercenaries any longer, then we’ll just pick our rebuilding ball up and go home.

    HT Corrente

  39. 39.

    matoko_chan

    October 22, 2010 at 11:28 am

    @Suck It Up!: i dont know what effect it will have.
    it could bring out more youth vote…..remind people of how much they hated bush….close the enthusiasm gap by stirring up outrage?
    i really dont know.
    i do know there are televised stories made from the intel that the media has been working on for the last 3 months…they are supposed to be very bloody….people love gorror.
    there may be youtubes that go viral.
    there are magazine and newspaper stories.
    i just know it isnt raw data files.

  40. 40.

    matoko_chan

    October 22, 2010 at 11:31 am

    @Corner Stone:IMHO its pretty stupid to pay mercs to kill Afghans with taxpayer monies while building schools for their daughters. kinda counterproductive, like giving taxpayer monies to the ISI to fund the Taliban to kill American soljahs.

  41. 41.

    Omnes Omnibus

    October 22, 2010 at 11:33 am

    @matoko_chan: Okay, I’ll bite. You obviously think that it will, why is that? What’s in these documents? Will it get play in the news? If so, will people care about things that already happened in a war that is winding down or are they more interested in the economy?

  42. 42.

    R-Jud

    October 22, 2010 at 11:41 am

    @Brighton:

    Krugman wrote today about Britain’s belt-tightening as an excuse to destroy the welfare state. Predicts it will be the final glorious failure of Thatcherism, barring some freak miracle.

    Yes, when the government eliminates jobs for 1% of the population in one fell swoop, it’s only going to make things worse. Fuck you, Nick Clegg.

  43. 43.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    October 22, 2010 at 11:46 am

    @Dennis SGMM: Good for you. Everything sucks here but the hold music I’ve been listening to for the last fifteen minutes is very beautiful.

  44. 44.

    Poopyman

    October 22, 2010 at 11:53 am

    @Dennis SGMM:
    Thanks for my moment of zen. It really helps as I sit here in a windowless office with the old partitions and dirty carpet.

    But I’m busting out of here for the weekend in about 5 minutes, so there’s literally light at the end of the -doorway- tunnel.

  45. 45.

    Anya

    October 22, 2010 at 12:03 pm

    @Suck It Up!: That’s what I said in Gawker but my comment did not appear because I never comment. How hard is it to acknowledge that the President is not the freaking enemy. The enemy is those who demonize and use gays and other minorities to gain political advantage.

  46. 46.

    Corner Stone

    October 22, 2010 at 12:18 pm

    I didn’t think it was possible to find a semi-celeb I cared less about than Juan Williams but I have.
    Maybe I should start a pay for subscription news service, where actual news was reported but you never heard a word about Lindsay Lohan.
    How much would it be worth to never hear her discussed on your teebee?
    Other categories could be added for different Premium Packaging.

  47. 47.

    trollhattan

    October 22, 2010 at 12:37 pm

    I can’t think of anybody I enjoy dissecting McMegan more than Edroso. This, for instance, on McMegan, Plucky Urban Pioneer:

    http://alicublog.blogspot.com/2010_10_17_archive.html#8322229413383680011

  48. 48.

    matoko_chan

    October 22, 2010 at 12:43 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: unknown.
    we will have to wait and see.
    the most interesting thing….is that the Unipolar Power declared war on the Hacker Nation…..and couldn’t stop the signal.
    i have been sayin for 2 months that Oct 25 was the release date.
    if could figure it out, so could the gov.
    they slimed Assange with false rape charges, shut down his Moneybookers account for donations, bullied other countries to not give him refuge, did everything they could.
    they could not stop or delay the release.

    it is a new world. Obama will have to make a state secrets act to stop Wikileaks…..but its already too late.
    the intel has left the building.

  49. 49.

    matoko_chan

    October 22, 2010 at 12:44 pm

    my response to Omnes is in moderation.
    i blame the CIA.

  50. 50.

    matoko_chan

    October 22, 2010 at 1:07 pm

    here’s a free download from the Hacker Nation!

    the 4chan IRL Lawful Spying Guide.

  51. 51.

    Suck It Up!

    October 22, 2010 at 1:19 pm

    @matoko_chan:

    meh. we’ll see. my gut is usually right when it comes to what will get attention and what won’t.

  52. 52.

    matoko_chan

    October 22, 2010 at 1:38 pm

    incoming
    @Suck It Up!: well…this is raising Nate’s uncertainty quotient……let there be chaos!

    the warpimps tried to stop it and failed, and now they are trying to spin it.

    “By disclosing such sensitive information, Wikileaks continues to put at risk the lives of our troops, their coalition partners and those Iraqis and Afghans working with us,” said spokesman Geoff Morrell.

    He said the documents were “essentially snapshots of events, both tragic and mundane, and do not tell the whole story.

    but…..snapshots of tragedy sell…..sell verry well.
    so the snapshots of tragedy at least will be seen.

  53. 53.

    matoko_chan

    October 22, 2010 at 3:28 pm

    will wikileaks be on al-Jazeera?

  54. 54.

    matoko_chan

    October 22, 2010 at 3:30 pm

    RT @wikileaks See TBIJ, IBC, Guardian, Spiegel, NYT, Le Monde, @AJEnglish, Chan4, SVT, CNN, BBC in the next few hours. We maximise impact.

    niiiiiiiice

    its coming today????
    http://twitter.com/wikileaks

  55. 55.

    matoko_chan

    October 22, 2010 at 3:48 pm

    should some one be live blogging this???…its coming fast.
    i said two days ago …

    the wikileaks site is still down for maintenance…..decrypting the “insurance” file? or quarantined to prevent attack?

    the Wikileaks site has been under attack from US gov paid hackers (snitches).
    so they decided to release the data early.

    presumeably the snitches were going to cyberbomb the Insurance file and knock down Wikileaks site before Monday.
    we are living in Neuromancer.

  56. 56.

    matoko_chan

    October 22, 2010 at 4:06 pm

    al jazeera english channel

    holy shit.

  57. 57.

    matoko_chan

    October 22, 2010 at 4:10 pm

    what is wrong with you people?
    u have your heads stuck up Juan Williams but?
    Assange said 40 warcrimes suits on torture have been launched
    thousands of iraqis tortured

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