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You are here: Home / Open Threads / An Open Thread for People Not Watching the Debate

An Open Thread for People Not Watching the Debate

by John Cole|  November 9, 20119:46 pm| 128 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

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My common sense kicked in (a rare occurrence), and I chose not to watch the debate. The reason is quite simply- if I’m going to destroy that many brain cells voluntarily, I’ll do it inhaling paint thinner while drinking a couple quarts of vodka.

Currently streaming a couple episodes of Unforgettable, which is a pretty run of the mill show, but features the incredibly lustworthy Aussie Poppy Montgomery. Good call making her wear skin tight tank tops for every episode, producers. And yes, I’m 41 going on 12. In my defense, SHE HAS RED HAIR.

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Reader Interactions

128Comments

  1. 1.

    mk3872

    November 9, 2011 at 9:50 pm

    Can someone from the very smart Balloon Juice readership, help explain to me why most of the leading Republicans today want to end the Department of Education ???

    Is this just to create a completely private education industry ???

    I don’t get it — please HELP!

  2. 2.

    JGabriel

    November 9, 2011 at 9:50 pm

    John Cole:

    In my defense, SHE HAS RED HAIR.

    That’s all the defense I need. I’m a sucker for redheads. I’ve dated every one I could my hands on.

    Did I just say that out loud?

    .

  3. 3.

    Punchy

    November 9, 2011 at 9:51 pm

    41 years old? I figured you were at least 9-9-9 years old. There’s 3 things you could do to live better:
    1) lower your tax rates
    2) cut your social security spending
    3) I forgot #3

  4. 4.

    amk

    November 9, 2011 at 9:51 pm

    Dood, teh google is your friend for getting high on that poppy gal. Phew, the body.

  5. 5.

    russ

    November 9, 2011 at 9:52 pm

    watched the whole debate and did not hear “one” answere to the questioned asked.

  6. 6.

    Anne Laurie

    November 9, 2011 at 9:54 pm

    @mk3872:

    Can someone from the very smart Balloon Juice readership, help explain to me why most of the leading Republicans today want to end the Department of Education ???

    Educated people don’t vote Republican, duuuuude.

  7. 7.

    amk

    November 9, 2011 at 9:54 pm

    Rethugs’ debate tonite.

  8. 8.

    schrodinger's cat

    November 9, 2011 at 9:54 pm

    How about some Tunch for the non debate watching folk.

  9. 9.

    lamh35

    November 9, 2011 at 9:55 pm

    I know this is not supposed to be a debate thread, but in light of the Rick Perry implosion that seems to have happened tonight, I’m just looking back to how wrong some people were on Rick Perry. Mr “Never lost an election”, Mr “Texas leader in job creation” is a complete flake!

    I just bet Kay Bailey H is probably kicking herself right now and wondering how the hell she lost to this guy!

  10. 10.

    Face

    November 9, 2011 at 9:57 pm

    I predict this “forgot the third thing….oops” meme is going to explode on twitter and internet blogs.

    Also, too.

  11. 11.

    JGabriel

    November 9, 2011 at 9:58 pm

    @mk3872:

    Can someone from the very smart Balloon Juice readership, help explain to me why most of the leading Republicans today want to end the Department of Education ???

    To build their base.

    .

  12. 12.

    Paddy

    November 9, 2011 at 9:59 pm

    The highlight videos from tonight’s CNBC debate here, including Perry’s huge meltdown. My head hurts.

  13. 13.

    PurpleGirl

    November 9, 2011 at 10:01 pm

    @russ: Did you really expect to hear a real answer… after the debates they’ve had so far. They like the sounds of their own voices.

  14. 14.

    eemom

    November 9, 2011 at 10:01 pm

    And yes, I’m 41 going on 12.

    [sigh]
    When are you gonna find a nice girl, Cole?

  15. 15.

    amk

    November 9, 2011 at 10:01 pm

    @lamh35: not to forget the tundra twit and tpaw. They too must be kicking themselves for kicking themselves out of this clown car.

  16. 16.

    Redshift

    November 9, 2011 at 10:02 pm

    @mk3872:

    Can someone from the very smart Balloon Juice readership, help explain to me why most of the leading Republicans today want to end the Department of Education ???

    Is this just to create a completely private education industry ???

    Oh, no, they’ve wanted to abolish the DoEd ever since it was created! The mainstream actually GOP wasn’t as nutty back before Reagan, so their arguments at the time were arguably based on a sane political principle, even if it’s one I disagree with. Basically, it was part of the “small government,” feds-shouldn’t-be-involved ideology, at least officially. It being established by Carter was part of it, and I suspect it was also a lingering backlash against desegregation.

  17. 17.

    Biff Longbotham

    November 9, 2011 at 10:02 pm

    I’m gonna start naming my schwantz ‘Poppy’ in her honor.

  18. 18.

    Southern Beale

    November 9, 2011 at 10:03 pm

    Holy Mcfuckstick:

    Remains of war dead dumped in landfill
    __
    The Dover Air Force Base mortuary for years disposed of portions of troops’ remains by cremating them and dumping the ashes in a Virginia landfill, a practice that officials have since abandoned in favor of burial at sea.
    __
    The Dover mortuary, the main point of entry for America’s war dead and the target of federal investigations for alleged mishandling of remains, engaged in the practice from 2003 to 2008, according to Air Force officials. The manner of disposal was not disclosed to relatives of fallen service members.

  19. 19.

    Lojasmo

    November 9, 2011 at 10:04 pm

    Rpped through the first six episodes of 30 rock.

    Good times, and I don’t feel like bashing my brains out.

  20. 20.

    Redshift

    November 9, 2011 at 10:05 pm

    Oh, and since this is an open thread, can someone remind me of that hack to handle multi-paragraph blockquotes in comments? I keep forgetting.

  21. 21.

    amk

    November 9, 2011 at 10:05 pm

    @Southern Beale: yet another cap in the neocons’ fuckuptry.

  22. 22.

    Mark K

    November 9, 2011 at 10:08 pm

    I’m with you John. Phew what a hottie:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJkoSREGwuE&feature=related

  23. 23.

    amk

    November 9, 2011 at 10:09 pm

    @Redshift: You have to fucking blockquote each and every ‘graf.

    When are you going to fucking fix this, John ?

  24. 24.

    Hill Dweller

    November 9, 2011 at 10:09 pm

    @Face:

    I predict this “forgot the third thing….oops” meme is going to explode on twitter and internet blogs.

    Also, too.

    Oh, to be a fly on the wall where Perry’s campaign staff were watching that meltdown.

  25. 25.

    Dee Loralei

    November 9, 2011 at 10:09 pm

    Joepa out at Penn State will not coach again! Pres out too! According to ABC

  26. 26.

    Anne Laurie

    November 9, 2011 at 10:11 pm

    @Redshift:

    Oh, and since this is an open thread, can someone remind me of that hack to handle multi-paragraph blockquotes in comments? I keep forgetting.

    Two underlines — no more, no less — in the “blank” line between paragraphs.

    ETA: Which can’t effectively be demonstrated here.

  27. 27.

    JGabriel

    November 9, 2011 at 10:12 pm

    @Redshift:

    Oh, and since this is an open thread, can someone remind me of that hack to handle multi-paragraph blockquotes in comments?

    {End Para}
    {Two Underscores, no space between them}
    {New Para}

    .

  28. 28.

    jl

    November 9, 2011 at 10:12 pm

    Cole does not know that the best part of the debates are the postgame sideline interviews?

    Cain admits he should have not tried the Hail Nancy so early in the game.

    Too bad about Perry, he got flustered in the lightning round, and missed Double Jeopardy.

    Mitt admited that he has to work on his debate suplex move, but would have done better if the ref had not turned his back when Huntsman introduced foreign objects to the ring.

  29. 29.

    piratedan

    November 9, 2011 at 10:12 pm

    while that’s nice, Christina Hendricks…… le sigh

  30. 30.

    John Cole

    November 9, 2011 at 10:13 pm

    @eemom: I thought it was pretty clear by now that I have zero interest in a “nice” girl.

  31. 31.

    jl

    November 9, 2011 at 10:15 pm

    @John Cole: Bravado.

  32. 32.

    Yutsano

    November 9, 2011 at 10:15 pm

    Red hair? Does JC have a small thing for RedKitteh? It would be irresponsible not to sperculate…

  33. 33.

    JGabriel

    November 9, 2011 at 10:16 pm

    @John Cole:

    I thought it was pretty clear by now that I have zero interest in a “nice” girl.

    Fine, when are you gonna settle down with a bitchy smart-ass slattern?

    .

  34. 34.

    JPL

    November 9, 2011 at 10:16 pm

    The board did not take Joe’s advice and not worry about him. He’s gone as well as the President of the Univ.

  35. 35.

    Mark S.

    November 9, 2011 at 10:17 pm

    People were actually watching the debate in the last thread? I thought everyone was just making fun of Reality Check.

  36. 36.

    Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason

    November 9, 2011 at 10:18 pm

    And yes, I’m 41 going on 12.

    Not to worry. I took my HS senior son and two of his lacrosse teammates to the NCAA finals in Boston a couple of years ago. I had always suspected that no guy ever gets beyond the emotional age of 18, but that trip confirmed it.

  37. 37.

    eemom

    November 9, 2011 at 10:18 pm

    @amk:

    When are you going to fucking fix this, John ?

    fuhgettabout it. Took us like six months of begging, pleading, and hunger strikes to get him to put the fucking Reply button back.

  38. 38.

    Mark S.

    November 9, 2011 at 10:18 pm

    @JGabriel:

    I hear matako is available.

  39. 39.

    lamh35

    November 9, 2011 at 10:19 pm

    So the trustees at Penn State has asked President to stepdown and apparently he will.

    I still think that if Coach Jo wants to not become a “distraction” he should probably leave before the season ends. I just cannot imagine being an opposing team member, fan or even just the sportscaster and NOT seeing Coach Jo walking up and down the sidelines and not being just completely creeped out.

    But then, football is NOT a religion to me, so the idea of him leaving and maybe Penn State winning no more games this season without him doesn’t bother me.

  40. 40.

    General Stuck

    November 9, 2011 at 10:21 pm

    Paterno canned, as in right now, good on trustess at Penn

  41. 41.

    gene108

    November 9, 2011 at 10:22 pm

    @lamh35:

    I just bet Kay Bailey H is probably kicking herself right now and wondering how the hell she lost to this guy!

    Much like how Ann Richards must’ve felt, when she lost to George Bush, Jr., in 1994.

  42. 42.

    David Koch

    November 9, 2011 at 10:22 pm

    @John Cole:

    I thought it was pretty clear by now that I have zero interest in a “nice” girl.

    That’s exactly what Herman Cain said.

  43. 43.

    lamh35

    November 9, 2011 at 10:22 pm

    @JPL: I still think he should just resign now, dude is 84 years old and from what I’ve read, the same President who was asked to step down and other members of the Penn State community have been slowing trying to get Coach Jo to retire, but he’s been stringing out the retirement for a while.

    ETA: msnbc saying that Joe P has been asked to step down immediately

  44. 44.

    JPL

    November 9, 2011 at 10:23 pm

    @lamh35:
    Joe Paterno was fired.
    Since Paterno was fired is he now responsible for all legal costs that he might incur?

  45. 45.

    SiubhanDuinne

    November 9, 2011 at 10:23 pm

    @schrodinger’s cat:

    schrodinger’s cat, it is amazing how often you write EXACTLY what I’m thinking!

  46. 46.

    David Koch

    November 9, 2011 at 10:24 pm

    but features the incredibly lustworthy Aussie Poppy Montgomery. Good call making her wear skin tight tank tops for every episode, producers. And yes, I’m 41 going on 12. In my defense, SHE HAS RED HAIR.

    How is this not sexist?

  47. 47.

    lamh35

    November 9, 2011 at 10:25 pm

    @General Stuck:

    Just read that Paterno’s resignation was effective immediately, so most of what I said about Coach Joe is no longer true, but still I think this is the best decision by the board too.

  48. 48.

    rob!

    November 9, 2011 at 10:25 pm

    A friend of mine is an actor on Unforgettable and he tells me Poppy M is a complete nightmare; yells at the crew, storms off, refuses to cooperate with anyone. Sad.

    Still really hot tho.

  49. 49.

    freddie

    November 9, 2011 at 10:26 pm

    @eemom: When there are some nice girls?

  50. 50.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    November 9, 2011 at 10:26 pm

    @lamh35: The trustees made that decision for JoePa as well. He is finished today, and cannot coach again. This will not reduce liability, but is much better PR than letting him retire.

  51. 51.

    jl

    November 9, 2011 at 10:27 pm

    @David Koch: Now, don’t be putting bad ideas in the Cole boy’s head.

    Don’t listen to him, Cole, you’ll get in trouble the piss beat out of you.

  52. 52.

    Frank

    November 9, 2011 at 10:28 pm

    Joe Paterno Fired

  53. 53.

    SiubhanDuinne

    November 9, 2011 at 10:28 pm

    @Southern Beale:

    I posted this in an earlier open thread. Except I focused on the dates and wondered out loud just how long it would be until this all became an Obama scandal?

  54. 54.

    Brian S

    November 9, 2011 at 10:29 pm

    @a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q): Maybe they can hire Jim Tressel to replace him. He was the reigning pompous hypocrite in the Big Ten before all this stuff about Paterno came along.

  55. 55.

    dubyabee

    November 9, 2011 at 10:30 pm

    @John Cole: Huh, I would have thought that by this age you’d just settle for a “live” one….

  56. 56.

    David Koch

    November 9, 2011 at 10:31 pm

    “that Mika Poppy Montgomery is a piece of asss”

  57. 57.

    lamh35

    November 9, 2011 at 10:32 pm

    @JPL:

    Sorry, yeah, I was wrong about Coach Joe.

    I posted a link that the Fed seem to be about to investigate if Penn State broke the law by not reporting the incident. I hope each and every person who was a part of the cover-up deserves every bit of discomfort and misery that comes their way. It won’t even compare to what this man’s victims have felt, still feels and will feel.

    I’m not one to cuss much, but F*&h the lot of em, Coach Joe included.

  58. 58.

    gene108

    November 9, 2011 at 10:33 pm

    @Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason:

    I had always suspected that no guy ever gets beyond the emotional age of 18, but that trip confirmed it.

    I disagree.

    I associate much of my emotional state at 18 with a few things.

    (1) I was indestructible. Greasy, cheesy Mexican food for dinner, with soda? No worries, not gaining weight, not worried by cholesterol or high sodium intake. This doesn’t even include my ability to down massive quantities of alcohol and then be able to get up and be somewhat functional the next day, i.e. shit that’d probably kill me 20 year later.

    (2) Being surrounded by women, who were all single and thus eligible to mate with.

    (3) Owning next to nothing and owing next to nothing. A mortgage and more worldly possessions than clothes that’d fit in a suitcase, has significantly changed my emotional priorities, since I was 18.

    There’s probably more stuff that keeps me from being 18 again.

    5 on the other hand is an emotional state that’s easy to connect with again, which I discover, when I’m with 5 year olds and a box of Legos or a color book.

  59. 59.

    David Koch

    November 9, 2011 at 10:33 pm

    I don’t judge women by the way they look.

    No. That’s superficial and insulting.

    Rather, I judge women by how good they are in bed.

  60. 60.

    Martin

    November 9, 2011 at 10:35 pm

    My common sense kicked in (a rare occurrence) … incredibly lustworthy Aussie Poppy Montgomery. Good call making her wear skin tight tank tops for every episode, producers. And yes, I’m 41 going on 12. In my defense, SHE HAS RED HAIR.

    Um, you’re naked, aren’t you?

  61. 61.

    JGabriel

    November 9, 2011 at 10:35 pm

    dubyabee:

    Huh, I would have thought that by this age you’d just settle for a “live” one…

    No matter how old and out of shape we get, in our minds we’re always still 28.

    .

  62. 62.

    scav

    November 9, 2011 at 10:36 pm

    @David Koch: It’s good to have goals and aspirations, I’ll give you that much.

  63. 63.

    JPL

    November 9, 2011 at 10:36 pm

    @lamh35: Paterno brought himself down when he didn’t call the police. I tried to listen to the press conference but if McQueary was mentioned, I missed that part. The President is gone but he was not told the details of the rape.

  64. 64.

    freddie

    November 9, 2011 at 10:36 pm

    @JGabriel: 24

  65. 65.

    lamh35

    November 9, 2011 at 10:37 pm

    and allegedly from CNN students are out according to CNN reporter that the students are yelling “support” for Coach Joe P and allegedly “upset” that coach was let go.

    Protesting the firing of Joe P…fuckin’ dumb ass kids today.

  66. 66.

    Angela

    November 9, 2011 at 10:38 pm

    @JPL: McQuery’s status does not change is what I read.

  67. 67.

    SiubhanDuinne

    November 9, 2011 at 10:38 pm

    @Mark S.:

    People were actually watching the debate in the last thread? I thought everyone was just making fun of Reality Check DougJ.

    Fixed. Get it right, okay?

  68. 68.

    Martin

    November 9, 2011 at 10:39 pm

    @dubyabee:

    Huh, I would have thought that by this age you’d just settle for a “live” one….

    He’s got a cat and 2 dogs. I think we passed ‘settling for a live one’ about 3 years ago.

  69. 69.

    Mr Stagger Lee

    November 9, 2011 at 10:39 pm

    Penn State is F%$cked for years, if not decades. Pitt is now the kingpin of PA college football.

  70. 70.

    JGabriel

    November 9, 2011 at 10:39 pm

    @freddie:

    24

    No, that’s just immaturity speaking.

    .

  71. 71.

    freddie

    November 9, 2011 at 10:41 pm

    @lamh35: And that’s a surprise??These are our are future “Galtian” Overlords. Rejoice.

  72. 72.

    Mark S.

    November 9, 2011 at 10:42 pm

    I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a faster fall from grace than Paterno.

  73. 73.

    lamh35

    November 9, 2011 at 10:43 pm

    I’m sorry, but this display by the kids at Penn State does NOTHING for the reputation of the school. It’s just proof of how narcissistic kids today really are.

    This shit is about more than a freakin’ football coach and they are NOT doing the university’s rep any good.

  74. 74.

    freddie

    November 9, 2011 at 10:44 pm

    @JGabriel: And a lot of “Booze”.

  75. 75.

    Cassidy

    November 9, 2011 at 10:44 pm

    @Martin: I’m sure there is a cat lady in the making on his street.

  76. 76.

    handy

    November 9, 2011 at 10:45 pm

    @Mark S.:

    I’m racking my brain and am struggling to offer a counter. Tiger fell hard fast. But “Boy Buggerer Enabler” is tough to top.

  77. 77.

    Belafon (formerly anonevent)

    November 9, 2011 at 10:46 pm

    @eemom: And the only reason we got it back was because his mom started reading the site.

  78. 78.

    Martin

    November 9, 2011 at 10:46 pm

    @JPL:

    The President is gone but he was not told the details of the rape.

    There was a police investigation. He knew. There’s a pile of other people that knew as well. Universities are not dictatorships. There are committees for everything.

    They’re hoping to cut their losses here. I don’t think it’s going to be so easy.

  79. 79.

    Brandon

    November 9, 2011 at 10:46 pm

    PSU students are pathetic. CNN is showing them live and I wonder how many of these kids will reconsider their actions tonight. What parent in their right minds would ever send their kids their now? One hour ago you could assume that their program would have a serious recruiting problem. As of this moment, the PSU student body has just dragged that school so deep through the gutter that I wonder how the university will survive as an institution.

  80. 80.

    Gravenstone

    November 9, 2011 at 10:47 pm

    @Face:

    I predict this “forgot the third thing….oops” meme is going to explode on twitter and internet blogs.
    __
    Also, too.

    It’s sort of the anti-Underpants Gnome, isn’t it?

  81. 81.

    srv

    November 9, 2011 at 10:48 pm

    @mk3872:

    want to end the Department of Education

    Well, is your kidz lurnin better because some librul buerocrat in Washington DC spends 70 billion dollars a year to teach them to be gay?

  82. 82.

    freddie

    November 9, 2011 at 10:49 pm

    @Cassidy: Screw that! It’s ALL about fur-balls, and the “Goddess”.

  83. 83.

    suzanne

    November 9, 2011 at 10:50 pm

    @JGabriel:

    Fine, when are you gonna settle down with a bitchy smart-ass slattern?

    Hey, I got married.

  84. 84.

    lamh35

    November 9, 2011 at 10:50 pm

    @Brandon: Agreed. These students are doing themselves and the university a disservice.

    A sports reporter on CNN said that this could have been avoided if Joe P had not forced the Boards hands, by not stepping down on his own and I agree with that. It was a “bitch ass” move what he did years ago, and it was a “bitch ass” move by not stepping down on his own.

  85. 85.

    Cassidy

    November 9, 2011 at 10:51 pm

    @freddie: At this point it’s all about not getting attacked by Lily for getting too close to “her man”.

  86. 86.

    burnspbesq

    November 9, 2011 at 10:56 pm

    Readheads?

    I’ll see your Poppy Montgomery and raise you an Allison Moorer.

  87. 87.

    Suffern ACE

    November 9, 2011 at 10:58 pm

    @Martin: Even if his underlings lied to him about the severity about what was half-heartedly investigated in 2002, he opted to come out with statements in favor of supporting the testimony of the executives AFTER they had been charged with perjury. A simple “we will need to look into this matter” or “we are cooperating with…” prattle would have been sufficient.

    Also, I hope that this is a little wake up call to other universities. If they are going to bring minors into their campuses for things like summer schools, training camps, math meets, and other sorts of things, they need to make certain their teachers and staff are as aware of the abuse reporting rules as primary and secondary schools. That seems to have been completely lost on this administration.

  88. 88.

    JPL

    November 9, 2011 at 10:58 pm

    @lamh35: Someone asked during the Press Conference whether or not the board was concerned about possible disturbances on the campus. He answered that was not our concern (duh) but we have great students and expect they will act appropriately.

  89. 89.

    David Koch

    November 9, 2011 at 10:58 pm

    Who doesn’t love fire-bush.

  90. 90.

    burnspbesq

    November 9, 2011 at 10:59 pm

    @JPL:

    Since Paterno was fired is he now responsible for all legal costs that he might incur?

    No fucking way. I guarantee you that was negotiated.

  91. 91.

    rikyrah

    November 9, 2011 at 11:00 pm

    So, the President of Penn State and Paterno are OUT

  92. 92.

    Admiral_Komack

    November 9, 2011 at 11:01 pm

    Joe Pa fired.
    Let the whining begin.

  93. 93.

    freddie

    November 9, 2011 at 11:01 pm

    @Cassidy: You don’t have to tell me, My rescue Dog growls at me nightly for taking MY bed.

  94. 94.

    Brandon

    November 9, 2011 at 11:03 pm

    @lamh35: I would like to mention that I am watching this on CNN Intl on a different continent. The whole world is watching these kids destroy the reputation of their school. Pathetic. At least the PSU Board of Trustees finally did the right thing, but they had to be dragged along until it was obvious that this thing had become an avalanche.

  95. 95.

    Geysergazers

    November 9, 2011 at 11:05 pm

    If dear old PSU is ‘gonna keep trundling along then A LOT OF HEADS WILL NEED TO ROLL. NOW.

  96. 96.

    burnspbesq

    November 9, 2011 at 11:06 pm

    @Mr Stagger Lee:

    Penn State is F%$cked for years, if not decades. Pitt is now the kingpin of PA college football.

    How quickly they forget. USC was supposed to be fucked as a result of the Reggie Bush sanctions. Ask all the coaches who have to recruit against them how fucked they are.

    Nope. Penn State will hire Urban Meyer, and Pitt will have no fucking chance at any player Meyer tries to recruit. Plus, Pitt is in limbo for three years while it waits to move from the Big Least to the ACC.

  97. 97.

    Martin

    November 9, 2011 at 11:08 pm

    @lamh35:

    A sports reporter on CNN said that this could have been avoided if Joe P had not forced the Boards hands, by not stepping down on his own and I agree with that.

    No, something like this is bigger than JoePa. I can’t think of another university that has suffered from a scandal quite as depraved as this. There’s going to be a talent grab for their faculty now (it’s already started, by the way). There’s going to be a talent grab for their athletes. They’re going to probably lose some more administrators, both from athletics and general campus. The Board is going to climb up everyone’s ass, the legislature will as well, the university reporting will be restructured to assure everyone that this can’t repeat, and if they’re lucky they’ll return to their current standing by 2030 or so.

  98. 98.

    BruceFromOhio

    November 9, 2011 at 11:09 pm

    Currently streaming a couple episodes of Unforgettable, which is a pretty run of the mill show, but features the incredibly lustworthy Aussie Poppy Montgomery.

    Called it, man, glad to see the show is hanging on.

  99. 99.

    Angela

    November 9, 2011 at 11:15 pm

    @Suffern ACE: I hope it is a wake up call too. And I find myself quite relieved that Penn State Trustees took this so seriously.

  100. 100.

    soonergrunt

    November 9, 2011 at 11:17 pm

    @Mark S.: we can do that in any thread.
    There’s just so much to work with.

  101. 101.

    JGabriel

    November 9, 2011 at 11:18 pm

    @suzanne: Heh.

  102. 102.

    soonergrunt

    November 9, 2011 at 11:20 pm

    @Martin: Only if he’s cleaning the tiles in his shower.

  103. 103.

    amk

    November 9, 2011 at 11:20 pm

    Rethugs’ debate in a minute

  104. 104.

    Martin

    November 9, 2011 at 11:20 pm

    @burnspbesq:

    How quickly they forget. USC was supposed to be fucked as a result of the Reggie Bush sanctions. Ask all the coaches who have to recruit against them how fucked they are.

    Oh no. This is a whole other world.

    Universities expect that NCAA rules will be broken. Periodically research rules will be broken. University hospitals will have hospital issues (like UCLA recently did with patient records). Those things are embarrassing, but they’re related to the function and they’re usually contained to the function. That is, the damage to USC will be contained to the sports component – not to the academic side of the campus.

    But Penn State is in a whole other world here. This is embarrassing to every faculty member and administrator. It calls into question not just how the college recruits athletes or handles patient records, but how far they’ll go to cover up any offense – and sex abuse of kids on a public school campus is pretty close to the worst possible thing to cover up.

    Like I said before, I can’t think of a scandal this bad, this damaging, at any university in decades if ever.

  105. 105.

    soonergrunt

    November 9, 2011 at 11:23 pm

    @handy: My sincere hop is that one day, that “boy buggerer enabler” will be considered almost as bad as “conservative republican”.

  106. 106.

    burnspbesq

    November 9, 2011 at 11:23 pm

    @burnspbesq:

    Also too, anyone who thinks the Penn State football program will fall apart as a result of this hasn’t been paying attention to the post-2006 history of Duke men’s lacrosse.

    The only players who transferred were the two wrongly accused players who still had eligibility left.

    The only marquee recruit in the 2006 class who backed out was Ken Clausen.

    All Duke has done since 2006 is make the Final Four every year, and win its first national championship.

    Teams have a strong tendency to band together in the face of adversity. That’s what you’re taught to do beginning at age 9. By 20 it’s instinctive.

  107. 107.

    some guy

    November 9, 2011 at 11:30 pm

    anybody who thinks Good Catholic Urban Meyer will leave Gainesville to take over the Pederast State University football program is confusing forests for trees.

  108. 108.

    ChrisNYC

    November 9, 2011 at 11:40 pm

    @Martin: I agree but for different reasons. You know, we’ve all seen bad situations at work. But this is totally off the charts. An employee raped a kid at the workplace. I don’t buy that it was motivated by “protect the program.” If it had been there would have been someone who said, “Protecting the program means handling this properly.” And that (non-existent) person would have blown the whistle. This stuff, this ‘let’s have the child rapist keep his office’ is a symptom of something much much worse than a coverup for any seemingly rational reason.

  109. 109.

    Gex

    November 9, 2011 at 11:40 pm

    @lamh35: My GF was raped by her step-dad from the ages of 5 – 16, when he died. Along the way people at her school knew, her father knew, and her mother knew.

    So you can only imagine how enraged I am at the people who allowed more children to go through that. And I’m pissed at all the assholes who find a way to make excuses for the perpetrator and his enablers while completely ignoring the magnitude of the harms done and the despair over the preventable rapes. They can all go to hell.

  110. 110.

    some guy

    November 9, 2011 at 11:46 pm

    the only monsters worse than child rapists are those who look the other way after seeing child rapists rape.

  111. 111.

    Moonbatting Average

    November 9, 2011 at 11:52 pm

    @burnspbesq:

    I don’t know why you keep bringing up the Duke lacrosse comparison, because the Penn State stuff is not even close to analogous, but I think (at least) two things are wrong with your analysis:

    1) You are making the implicit assumption that the Penn State situation has been handled as badly by the PA AG as the Duke case was by the NC AG. I don’t see that this is even close to the case, and I’d love to know why you think it is.

    2) Duke lacrosse is a perennial power and a magnet for high-level recruits; they could weather the storm, even with the 2006 clusterfuck. the PSU football team, however, is perennially overrated and hasn’t done anything significant in years. The current crop of athletes may circle the wagons, but do you really believe that high-level recruits and their families won’t look elsewhere after all of this? Especially because there are no doubt going to be years of civil suits, etc?

  112. 112.

    some guy

    November 9, 2011 at 11:57 pm

    @burnspbesq: No fucking way. I guarantee you that was negotiated.

    A grand jury said that Spanier, the university’s president since 1995, was made aware of a report of an incident involving Sandusky and a boy in 2002, as was Paterno. Upon learning about a suspected 2002 assault by Sandusky of a young boy in the football building’s showers, Paterno redirected the graduate assistant who witnessed the incident to the athletic director, rather than notifying the police. Paterno said the graduate assistant who reported the assault, Mike McQueary, said only that something disturbing had happened that was perhaps sexual in nature. McQueary testified that he saw Sandusky having anal sex with the boy.

    The Department of Education announced Wednesday that it would investigate the university’s handling of the abuse allegations.

    is this the kind of guarantees you provide your clients?

  113. 113.

    Martin

    November 10, 2011 at 12:18 am

    @ChrisNYC: No, I agree. This had nothing to do with protecting the program and everything to do with protecting the community, friends, etc. JoePa and his staff had been there for ages. They were family, and they were protected like family.

  114. 114.

    Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN)

    November 10, 2011 at 12:38 am

    @Brian S: Paterno was the reigning pompous hypocrite in the Big 10 back when Tressel was nothing but a pompous hypocrite at Youngstown State.

  115. 115.

    Atticus Dogsbody

    November 10, 2011 at 12:46 am

    http://www.theage.com.au/technology/sci-tech/fake-chinese-weapons-costs-us-millions-20111110-1n83t.html

    …mixing authentic electronic parts with fake ones in hopes that the counterfeits will not be detected when companies test the components for multimillion-dollar missile systems, helicopters and aircraft…

    …investigators found that counterfeit or suspect electronic parts were installed or delivered to the military for several weapons systems, including military aircraft such as the Air Force’s C-17 and the Marine Corps’ CH-46 helicopter, as well as the Army’s Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) missile defence system.

    Outsourcing! FTW!

  116. 116.

    danimal

    November 10, 2011 at 1:08 am

    If I’m an 18 yr old senior and I had the talent to go to Penn State, the place known for coaches raping young boys, I would probably consider Pitt, West Virginia or Michigan.

    I don’t think teenage boys are going to pick Penn State for a decade or more. You don’t think other schools are going to pass this up when recruiting against Penn State?

  117. 117.

    danimal

    November 10, 2011 at 1:09 am

    Oh, and Cole, get over the redhead thing; it’s way overrated.

    /did I mention my ex is a redhead?

  118. 118.

    Steeplejack

    November 10, 2011 at 1:23 am

    @Redshift:

    Lemme give this a try:

    Last line of “regular” text before blockquote. Don’t put a blank line before the blockquote, or FYWP will bold the quote. FYWP!
    &#60blockquote&#62
    First paragraph of blockquote.
    &#95&#95
    Second paragraph of blockquote.
    &#95&#95
    Third paragraph of blockquote, et seq.
    &#60/blockquote&#62
    Next line of regular text. No blank line needed after blockquote; FYWP takes care of it automatically.

    That will come out like this:

    Last line of “regular” text before blockquote. Don’t put a blank line before the blockquote, or FYWP will bold the quote. FYWP!

    First paragraph of blockquote.
    __
    Second paragraph of blockquote.
    __
    Third paragraph of blockquote, et seq.

    Next line of regular text. No blank line needed after blockquote; FYWP takes care of it automatically.

  119. 119.

    Steeplejack

    November 10, 2011 at 1:30 am

    @amk:

    Wrong. See above.

  120. 120.

    Caz

    November 10, 2011 at 1:51 am

    I don’t blame you for not wanting to kill any more brain cells – you don’t have very many left at this point.

    But I fail to see how watching republican candidates debate is somehow below you. Are you really above watching candidates for president of the United States debate issues of our day?

    Judging by some of the retarded stuff you say on here, I doubt you’ll kill any brain cells watching a debate among people who have a much better grasp of reality than you.

    I think the reality is that you’re afraid you might learn something. You seem like you always want to avoid hearing views that don’t comport with your own. That’s a characteristic of someone who is naive and afraid to have their views challenged for fear that you might realize that some of your wacky opinions are weetodded.

    Better that you just stay in your little Buffoon-Juice echo chamber where your out-of-touch-with-reality views are reinforced by other out-of-touch-with-reality juicetards. I know it’s more comfortable to sit in your little liberal bubble where you don’t have to really think through the issues of the day, but you’re not going to learn anything new that way. Some people are just content to be useful idiots I guess.

    I suggest you stick to Buffoon-Juice, MSNBC, Huffington Post, and whatever politically expedient babble that Obama spouts out on any given day. That way, you’ll never have to actually think for yourself or critically analyze the issues. Blissful ignorance is definitely your cup of tea. Leave the heavy thinking for the rest of us.

  121. 121.

    Yutsano

    November 10, 2011 at 1:59 am

    @Caz:

    Leave the heavy thinking for the rest of us.

    BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!

    Oh wait. You’re serious.

  122. 122.

    Paul in KY

    November 10, 2011 at 8:48 am

    @burnspbesq: Nobody gives a fuck about lacrosse.

    I mean that in a friendly manner.

  123. 123.

    birthmarker

    November 10, 2011 at 9:29 am

    @gene108: I remember fondly those days when everything I owned, including my huge honking stereo and speakers, fit into my Vega. We will never free ourselves of all this crap now.

  124. 124.

    IrishGirl

    November 10, 2011 at 11:29 am

    All I ever hear is hate for “gingers”…..Me haz a sad! But it is refreshing to know that someone likes them out there….

  125. 125.

    IrishGirl

    November 10, 2011 at 11:31 am

    @JGabriel: Aha John’s (and apparently your’s too) “kryptonite”

  126. 126.

    Paul in KY

    November 10, 2011 at 12:53 pm

    @IrishGirl: Stop watching ‘Southpark’ :-). I love red hair, myself (and Irish lasses).

  127. 127.

    muddy

    November 10, 2011 at 1:13 pm

    @IrishGirl: @IrishGirl:
    It’s pure jealousy, it’s a gift to be rare.

  128. 128.

    Ed Dane Defender of Donuts

    November 10, 2011 at 10:56 pm

    If you did not watch the debate did you at least plan out the 2012 Balloon Juice Pet Calendar for charity?

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