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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Excellent Links / Friday Morning Open Thread: The Rats Are Looking for the Exits

Friday Morning Open Thread: The Rats Are Looking for the Exits

by Anne Laurie|  January 24, 20146:25 am| 112 Comments

This post is in: Excellent Links, Open Threads, Republican Stupidity, Assholes

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I almost wondered if this was a hoax, at first. Joe Conason, in the National Memo, interviews Roger ‘Brooks Brothers Riot’ Stone:

Very few Republican operatives knew the Nixon gang as intimately as Roger Stone, the legendary trickster whose back is adorned with an enormous Tricky Dick tattoo. And very few know New Jersey politics as well as Stone, who toiled among the party faithful in many campaigns since 1980, when he first ran the Garden State for Ronald Reagan.

So when he suggests that “Bridgegate” is Watergate – from the imponderable stupidity of the original crime to the profound peril of the ongoing cover-up – attention should be paid. Especially on the day when the US Attorney’s office investigating the Port Authority’s decision to close three lanes of traffic on the world’s busiest bridge issues subpoenas to the Christie campaign and the New Jersey Republican Party…

“The mentality that existed around Nixon – that Teutonic, buttoned-down, we-give-you-orders, you-carry-them-out – that mentality exists inside this administration…It just doesn’t seem plausible to me that this Kelly woman, who seems perfectly pleasant, stepped up to her computer and said, ‘Time for traffic problems in Fort Lee.’ Someone told her to do that.” Stone says the dubious effort to blame her and a few others is the telltale sign of “a cover-up.”

Stone doesn’t know Kelly personally, but he has known David Wildstein, the Port Authority official who resigned after his role in the bridge closings was revealed, for 35 years. “He’s the G. Gordon Liddy of this tale,” he said, referring to the maniacal Watergate conspirator who secretly concocted plots to firebomb and even murder Nixon’s political adversaries. “He’s the 100 percent soldier, the kamikaze. This guy has thrown so many bombs I’m surprised he’s got hands left.”…

Stone enthusiastically supported Christie for governor in 2009 over Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine, but never saw him as a potential presidential contender. And while he preferred Christie to Corzine – “a crook” – Stone harbors no illusions about the governor’s swift rise to political prominence. “He was elevated to the US Attorney’s office after his multi-millionaire brother [Todd Christie] gave a very, very substantial donation to the Republican National Committee.”

Now, he insists, the handicaps that Christie would face as a presidential hopeful are insurmountable. “Christie was the contender of the establishment party [wing]. This is where [billionaire GOP financier] Ken Langone is, this is where the Texas money is…the Rudy [Giuliani] wing. In many ways, Christie is Rudy without the charm,” he quipped…

A Miami resident, Stone closely observed the New Jersey governor’s recent trip to south Florida for the Republican Governors Association, which Christie now chairs – and was not impressed. “You saw in Florida a perfect example of what this would be like if Christie runs for president. He comes down here, he does three private fundraisers — and the addresses aren’t even disclosed to the media because they don’t even want them outside. There’s no press event with the two governors, and he slips in and out of the state, like a thief in the night. And {Florida Gov.] Rick Scott doesn’t even want to be seen with him, which tells a lot.”…

More acerbity at the link.

Last time I noticed Roger Stone he was mocking all the front-runners at the 2012 GOP convention:

… Rick Santorum, he says, “is a religious fanatic and a state-ist. He wants the state to decide for the individual. He is about as far from Barry Goldwater as you can get.” Mitt Romney has no core. Paul Ryan talks a big game but is a product of the establishment…. Romney, in Stone’s view, is a weak candidate. “He just was stronger and had more staying power than anyone else. He had to the good fortune to run against Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, and Herman Cain. None of those guys were viable.”…

So it’s not like Stone just walked away from the cannibal festival that is today’s Republican Party. But you have to give the man credit for having the foresight to get out before his personal brand was tarnished beyond repair…
********
Apart from looking into popcorn futures, what’s on the agenda as we wrap up the week?

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Reader Interactions

112Comments

  1. 1.

    dmsilev

    January 24, 2014 at 6:38 am

    In many ways, Christie is Rudy without the charm,

    Ouch.

    Accurate, but Ouch.

  2. 2.

    OzarkHillbilly

    January 24, 2014 at 6:45 am

    But you have to give the man credit for having the foresight to get out before his personal brand was exposed… FTFY. Remember, it’s New Jersey.

  3. 3.

    BruceFromOhio

    January 24, 2014 at 6:51 am

    Even a lifeform as rudimentary as the remora knows when the shark is dying. Or dead.

  4. 4.

    R-Jud

    January 24, 2014 at 6:52 am

    I’ve just learned that a dear friend/ ex-boyfriend has died. Via his sister’s Twitter account.

    “Turmoil” is the right word, here.

  5. 5.

    OzarkHillbilly

    January 24, 2014 at 6:55 am

    Meanwhile, on the other side of the Hudson,

    Alleged mobster Vincent Asaro charged over 1978 ‘Goodfellas’ airport heist

    The papers say that each robber was supposed to be paid $750,000, but the cooperating witness said that most did not receive their share, either because they were killed first or it was never given to them.

    “We never got our right money, what we were supposed to get,” Asaro said, according to the court papers. “Jimmy Burke kept everything.”

    Dog, I love that movie. Easily Scorsese’s best.

  6. 6.

    Glocksman

    January 24, 2014 at 6:55 am

    From the article:

    Is Wildstein the G. Gordon Liddy of this drama … or is he John Dean? Then again maybe Kelley will beat Wildstein to the prosecutors. Maybe she’s John Dean.”

    She could be the repentant Dean or she could be the unrepentant, yet ultimately unwilling to go to jail, Fawn Hall from Iran-Contra.

  7. 7.

    Tommy

    January 24, 2014 at 7:04 am

    Ok time for it to warm up some. I keep thinking the weather app on my phone is broken. Never gets to double digits.

  8. 8.

    madmommy

    January 24, 2014 at 7:11 am

    Well the schedule for today has been blown to bits. St. Tammany parish has closed schools due to “winter weather”. The irony here is it’s very cold and ever-so-slightly rainy but no accumulation-in 2008 it snowed and by this time of the morning there were already 2+ inches on the ground with a total of 6+ by lunchtime but they never closed schools. The little guy is happy dancing all over the house while the big kid is feeling cheated. He made honor band and got to skip school today in order to attend an all day rehearsal at SLU. So now it’s just waiting to see if the rehearsal schedule has changed, and we don’t even have any pretty while stuff on the ground to admire!

  9. 9.

    Wil

    January 24, 2014 at 7:12 am

    A giant Nixon tattoo on his back? Really?

  10. 10.

    OzarkHillbilly

    January 24, 2014 at 7:12 am

    @Tommy: The weather around here has been Missouri schizophrenic hasn’t it? Mid fifties on Sunday, below zero every night since with highs bouncing between low teens to mid thirties on alternate days, to a high in the 50s again on this coming Sunday, then (according to NOAA) wash, rinse, repeat, the same next week.

  11. 11.

    Tommy

    January 24, 2014 at 7:15 am

    @OzarkHillbilly: yes it has. Had shorts, turtleneck, and a sweater on the other day. 1 now.

  12. 12.

    Mustang Bobby

    January 24, 2014 at 7:17 am

    All the schools in the Traverse City, Michigan, area are closed thanks to a winter storm watch for 2 to 4 more inches, according to Interlochen Public Radio. Which makes me glad I’m in Miami. When I lived up there, it seemed to get a measurable amount of snow every day from Christmas to Valentine’s Day. Nice to look at but hellish to drive in and mind-numbing after a while.

    So this weekend I will honor the memory by repotting my orchids out on the sun porch.

  13. 13.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    January 24, 2014 at 7:22 am

    Gonna see if I can unstick the car from the snow and venture out and about today. Vietnamese food for lunch with a friend, then maybe nip by the Verizon store for some screen protectors. Yee-haw. It’s 7° outside, up five from yesterday morning. Predicted high of 24° later here in NoVa.

  14. 14.

    kindness

    January 24, 2014 at 7:25 am

    Cute. All the Repubs are missing is their ghost ship.

  15. 15.

    Tommy

    January 24, 2014 at 7:27 am

    When I moved to DC after college I didn’t know much about politics or history. I was stunned Liddy, when I found out who he was, he had one of the most popular local radio shows.

    That was about the first time I realized as a Republican you could almost never get shamed or cast out.

  16. 16.

    Southern Beale

    January 24, 2014 at 7:28 am

    Florida CCW holder accidentally fires his handgun at a Tampa hospital. Safest, most responsible EVER, etc. etc.

    TAMPA — A Tampa man accidentally discharged his gun in a hospital early Thursday, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

    Lynn Boatman, 67, arrived in Town & Country Hospital’s emergency room about 1:20 a.m. Thursday for a medical issue. After being placed in bed, he took a Glock 36 .45-caliber handgun from his pocket, removed the magazine and tried to clear the chamber, the Sheriff’s Office said.

    While doing so he accidentally pulled the trigger, deputies said, and a round was shot through a chair and into the tile floor. There were no injuries.

    Boatman has a valid Florida concealed weapons license and no charges will be filed, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

    No charges will be filed because hey, it happens!

  17. 17.

    MomSense

    January 24, 2014 at 7:28 am

    It is zero here today but feels much colder with the wind. The poor dog this morning was trying to speed things up with his morning potty. We were both pretty miserable.

    I need to go somewhere warm.

  18. 18.

    MomSense

    January 24, 2014 at 7:32 am

    Watching poor Joe this morning. He has moved on to the anger phase of grief. You can hear it in his voice. He is seething.

  19. 19.

    Botsplainer

    January 24, 2014 at 7:33 am

    Interesting – the FBI is going to chase down NEWSCORP on corruption if the folks at New Scotland Yard and the Crown drop the ball.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/fbi-poised-to-step-up-investigation-into-news-corp-7576425.html

    When you go and deliberately and unjustifiably thumb the eye of an administration for years, it’s a little hard to beg forbearance for your other crimes.

  20. 20.

    Betty Cracker

    January 24, 2014 at 7:34 am

    @R-Jud: I’m sorry to hear that.

  21. 21.

    Tommy

    January 24, 2014 at 7:36 am

    @MomSense: I bet. I am not an expert on how US Attorneys run an investigation but it seems like they are pretty serious about this. Throw in the FBI with the Sandy funds and I am very happy I am not Christie.

  22. 22.

    Betty Cracker

    January 24, 2014 at 7:36 am

    @Southern Beale: I wonder if the “medical issue” was acute stupidity…

  23. 23.

    Botsplainer

    January 24, 2014 at 7:37 am

    @MomSense:

    It is zero here today but feels much colder with the wind. The poor dog this morning was trying to speed things up with his morning potty. We were both pretty miserable.

    I need to go somewhere warm.

    There’s a song for that.

    Boat drinks. Boys in the band ordered boat drinks.
    Visitors just scored on the home rink.
    Everything seems to be wrong.

    Lately, newspaper mentioned cheap airfare.
    I’ve got to fly to Saint Somewhere.
    I’m close to bodily harm.

    [Chorus:]
    Twenty degrees and the hockey games on.
    Nobody cares; they are way too far gone,
    screamin’ “Boat drinks,” somethin’
    to keep them all warm.
    This morning I shot six holes in my freezer.
    I think I got cabin fever.
    Somebody sound the alarm.
    I’d like to go where the pace or life’s slow.
    Could you beam me somewhere, Mister Scott?
    Any old place here on Earth or in space.
    You pick the century and I’ll pick the spot.

    I know I should be leaving this climate.
    I got a verse but can’t rhyme it.
    I gotta go where it’s warm.

    Boat drinks.
    Waitress, I need two more boat drinks.
    Then I’m headin south ‘fore my dream shrinks.
    I gotta where it’s warm.

    I gotta go where it’s warm.
    I gotta go where it’s warm.
    I gotta go where there ain’t any snow,
    where there ain’t any blow,
    ’cause my fin sinks so low.
    I gotta go where it’s warm.

  24. 24.

    Botsplainer

    January 24, 2014 at 7:40 am

    @Southern Beale:

    Law abiding, responsible second amendment advocate.

  25. 25.

    JPL

    January 24, 2014 at 7:43 am

    @MomSense: A few minutes ago, I streamed it and they moved on to the Obama Administration lacking transparency. I turned it off.

    @R-Jud: I’m so sorry.

  26. 26.

    Poopyman

    January 24, 2014 at 7:43 am

    Well, I see it’s partly cloudy and 73F in Guantanamo Bay.

    Ahhhh, to be in the tropics …

  27. 27.

    OzarkHillbilly

    January 24, 2014 at 7:45 am

    @Southern Beale:

    No charges will be filed because hey, it happens!

    Well, it does, doesn’t it? And more and more often it seems too!

  28. 28.

    Tommy

    January 24, 2014 at 7:46 am

    @Botsplainer: of course I knew about all the gun violence. Murders. But now that sites like here and Daily Kos do a weekly roundup of stuff like this my views on gun laws have started to change. Clearly there are more than a few folks out there that should not own a gun. Much less carry on in public.

  29. 29.

    MomSense

    January 24, 2014 at 7:48 am

    @Botsplainer:
    I think that is my new theme song.
    @Tommy:

    They just spent the last segment criticizing the president for not socializing more and not reaching out to republicans. I would describe their treatment of the president as condescending and patronizing. Not a single mention of the things the republicans were saying or the inaugural day meeting they had where they decided to make him a one term president by saying no to everything. This was right after chuck Todd went on and on about how secretive the White House is and how they use social media to go around the media.

    They have no clue how shitty they are.

  30. 30.

    Glocksman

    January 24, 2014 at 7:52 am

    @Southern Beale:

    Does Florida’s CCW law mention anything about inability to safely handle a gun?
    A lot of states have ‘inability to handle’ provisions that let the issuing agency administratively suspend or revocate a permit in situations like this.

    He may not get charged, but he may wind up losing his carry permit.

  31. 31.

    Tommy

    January 24, 2014 at 7:54 am

    @MomSense: I force myself to watch Morning Joe from time to time. At times Obama can upset me. But watching Joe for a few minutes reminds me what he is up against.

  32. 32.

    Glocksman

    January 24, 2014 at 7:56 am

    @MomSense:

    The impression I got was that Chuck and Dancin’ Dave were all butthurt that someone would dare bypass them.
    If they’d start acting like journalists instead of stenographers, I might even feel sorry for them.

    To mangle a line from ‘History of the World: Part 1’.
    Fuck the Village.

  33. 33.

    raven

    January 24, 2014 at 8:01 am

    @MomSense: And then that horseshit about balancing the budget on the backs of our heroes with Kennedy. Don’t take the goddam time to KNOW what the real story is.

  34. 34.

    Tommy

    January 24, 2014 at 8:01 am

    @Glocksman: I used to like Todd, you know back when he just did election coverage. He seemed he knew every district like the back of his hand. Seem to stick to the polls and demographics. Or the facts.

    Since I work out of my house I often have MSNBC on most of the day. Todd as he as moved up the ranks just seems mad at times.

  35. 35.

    danielx

    January 24, 2014 at 8:02 am

    In many ways, Christie is Rudy without the charm,” he quipped…

    On more than occasion I’ve described one of my neighbors (mean old sonofabitch) to friends as being like Dick Cheney, without the charm. People get it right away, not so amazingly.

    In other news, it’s -5 outside and we’re supposed to get another four inches of snow tonight. This shit is getting old and there are still 54 days of winter to go.

  36. 36.

    Glocksman

    January 24, 2014 at 8:05 am

    @Tommy:

    When Todd sticks to straight reportage, he’s usually pretty good.
    It’s when he ventures into editorializing and the punditocracy that the ‘Villager Entitlement’ attitude comes out.

    Compared to Dave Gregory though, Chuck Todd is the reincarnation of Edward R. Murrow.

  37. 37.

    MomSense

    January 24, 2014 at 8:06 am

    @raven:

    Not taking the goddamn time to know the real story is what they do!

  38. 38.

    OzarkHillbilly

    January 24, 2014 at 8:09 am

    Oh and,

    Louie Louie: the ultimate rock rebel anthem

    Fifty years ago, the governor of Indiana banned the Kingsmen’s Louie Louie for being obscene. The FBI then spent two years investigating its lyrics, cementing the song’s reputation as rock’s ultimate rebel anthem, recorded by everyone from the Stooges to the Clash

    “Who do you turn to when your daughter brings home pornographic materials?” pleaded one aghast correspondent. “The lyrics are so filthy I cannot enclose them in this letter … We all know there is obscene materials available for those who seek it, but when they start sneaking this material in the guise of the latest teenage rock and roll hit record, these morons have gone too far. This land of ours is headed for an extreme state of moral degradation.”

    I guess I now know from whence my depravity comes.

    You can picture agents slowly going nuts as they desperately struggle to pin something, anything, dirty on the lyrics, regardless of whether or not that something makes any sense or actually features in the lyric. “Oh my bed and I lay her there, I meet a rose in her hair,” suggested one interpretation. “We’ll fuck your girl and by the way,” offered another, failing to answer the fairly obvious question this provoked: what, exactly, is by the way? Some of the interpretations were quite lyrical – “Hey Señorita, I’m hot as hell” – although others were not: “Get that broad out of here!”One ad-hoc translator thought it was about masturbation: “Every night and day I play with my thing.” Another particularly creative agent seemed to think it centered around the subject of performing cunnilingus on a woman who was menstruating – “She’s got a rag on, I’ll move above” –

    Is it just me or were FBI agents far more imaginative back in the 60s? I almost feel sorry for today’s youth. Who are they gonna blame? Oh, wait a minute, silly me, they’ll blame the baby boomers.

  39. 39.

    Tommy

    January 24, 2014 at 8:09 am

    Can I ask the community a question? What smartphone do you use. I am a tech geek but I never thought I’d love my phone as much as I do (only had a smartphone for about a year). Never thought I’d read on it. I do. Play games. I do.

    And then all the apps. There is in fact an app for everything.

    I would like to stick with Android since that is what my tablet is. But my Samsung Galaxy Note 2 seems limited.

    Figured a few folks here might have some good input.

  40. 40.

    JPL

    January 24, 2014 at 8:14 am

    @OzarkHillbilly: The FBI made the Kingmen famous. What the investigation did was sell more records.

  41. 41.

    Betty Cracker

    January 24, 2014 at 8:14 am

    @Glocksman: The FL CC law is notoriously lax. I don’t think there’s a provision to rescind a permit unless the person is determined to be physically incapacitated from safe handling. There’s no stupid clause.

  42. 42.

    Tommy

    January 24, 2014 at 8:14 am

    @Glocksman: I notice when he guest host he isn’t bad. But when he is on Morning Joe for an extended time he just seems mad.

  43. 43.

    Glocksman

    January 24, 2014 at 8:15 am

    @Tommy:

    32 GB Nexus 5 here.
    Rooted, stock Android 4.4.2 with Nova Launcher and AdAway

    It’s fast with a gorgeous display, and comes without all of the preinstalled crapware carriers add on to their Android handsets.

  44. 44.

    Mustang Bobby

    January 24, 2014 at 8:17 am

    @Tommy: Sorry, can’t help; I’m still using a Samsung something, and its most advanced feature is a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

  45. 45.

    Betty Cracker

    January 24, 2014 at 8:18 am

    @Tommy: I’m an iPhone gal. I have an Android tablet, and I don’t have any trouble using it, but I find Apple products light years ahead in usability. My hubby has an Android phone (he works outside near the water all day and had to have something extremely durable). I find his phone clunky and not user-friendly. That may be my Apple bias, but I do truly think iPhones are the most intuitive and useful things on earth. I can’t imagine switching.

  46. 46.

    Suffern ACE

    January 24, 2014 at 8:20 am

    @raven: I guess that could mean cuts to veterans benefits, although it could also mean increases in taxes on the 1%. I’m not certain who their heros are.

  47. 47.

    OzarkHillbilly

    January 24, 2014 at 8:21 am

    @Tommy: Why on earth would I want a phone that is smarter than I am? I have enuf of an inferiority complex as is.

  48. 48.

    MattF

    January 24, 2014 at 8:22 am

    One reason Christie was promoted so heavily is that there’s really no one else who is even remotely acceptable to all the factions of the Republican party. And Republicans are getting a taste of bad news in Virginia, where an election is having consequences:

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/virginia-to-fight-same-sex-marriage-ban/2014/01/23/9e5aa210-8431-11e3-bbe5-6a2a3141e3a9_story.html?hpid=z2

  49. 49.

    Tommy

    January 24, 2014 at 8:22 am

    @Betty Cracker: a happy story. The Supreme Court forced a carry permit on my state not that long ago. I live in a rural part of the state. Tons of fun owners.

    The good news is the local paper has been looking into the number of permits. Appears almost nobody wants one, or way lower then most people thought.

    We are talking hundreds. Not thousands of them. This goes to my thinking at least where I live folks are somewhat sane.

    I mean If I went into the local hardware store and somebody had a gun on their hip I would not be comfortable. I tend to think my gun owing friends would feel the same way.

  50. 50.

    Eric U.

    January 24, 2014 at 8:23 am

    @OzarkHillbilly: I just got an HTC One, which is a very nice phone. Unfortunately, to use it you have to be smarter than the phone. Right now, that’s not obvious. Couldn’t log into my google account

  51. 51.

    RedDirtGirl

    January 24, 2014 at 8:23 am

    Go to the link to Stone’s Daily Caller column to see a photo of his Nixon tattoo.

  52. 52.

    Tommy

    January 24, 2014 at 8:26 am

    @Glocksman: leaning that way cause I have a Nexus tablet. But it is first Gen and after the last software upgrade it lags. Thinking of getting both at the same time.

  53. 53.

    Joey Maloney

    January 24, 2014 at 8:26 am

    @kindness: Cute. All the Repubs are missing is their ghost ship.

    Haven’t you heard? ‘Ghost’ ship laden with diseased, cannibal rats could crash into British coast

  54. 54.

    Baud

    January 24, 2014 at 8:27 am

    @Tommy:

    I prefer the Android OS to ios. However, I think ios probably is less buggy and tends to have better apps. Also, with Android, it matters more what hardware you’re using.

  55. 55.

    raven

    January 24, 2014 at 8:28 am

    @Suffern ACE: @Suffern ACE:

    For starters, the cuts were spread out to cause minimal pain. They were designed to affect retirees younger than 62. They’d be phased in slowly, the cost of living adjustment to benefits decreasing by 0.25 percent in December 2014, by 0.5 percent in December 2015, and fully engaged by 2016.

    It’s bandwagon bullshit.

  56. 56.

    PurpleGirl

    January 24, 2014 at 8:28 am

    @OzarkHillbilly: I’ve heard the song a number of times… but, you know, I’ve never really been able to tell what the hell they were singing. But the tune and instrumentation was catchy and ear-wormy.

    ETA: Did they ever consider that the song had no meaning, it was not-quite random words strung together.

  57. 57.

    Betty Cracker

    January 24, 2014 at 8:29 am

    @Tommy: One of the reasons I doubt very much we’ll ever reach an acceptable compromise on guns in this country is the difference between rural and urban perceptions of the issue. I hate guns with the white hot heat of 10,000 suns, but when I’m out in the country and see someone carrying a rifle or a pistol in a holster, it doesn’t freak me out; I assume they’re hunting (with a rifle) or carrying a pistol to ward off snakes or pick off varmints.

    Seeing a gun in a city — on someone other than a cop — is like a gut-punch. There’s a whole subculture of misguided people who are trying to “desensitize” city dwellers by walking around with AR-15s strapped to their backs. They better hope I never spot them from an upper story window since I’d immediately try to avert a mass shooting by dropping a heavy object on their heads.

  58. 58.

    OzarkHillbilly

    January 24, 2014 at 8:31 am

    @JPL: Well, it’s good to know the efforts they went to to save my poor sweet 6 year old soul.

  59. 59.

    Glocksman

    January 24, 2014 at 8:33 am

    @Betty Cracker:

    I’ve owned and used both, and I’m the opposite in that I prefer Android.
    That’s not because iOS is user unfriendly or hard to use, but because I find Apple’s ‘walled garden’ lockdown of everything to be infuriating.

    That said, if you can live with the smaller screen sizes and higher prices, iPhones aren’t a bad choice.

    In fact, when my 72 year old dad wanted a smartphone I tried to push him to an iPhone 5 but he went with an LG G Pro because of the bigger screen.

    My fears of being unpaid tech support were realized when he had me show him how to delete files from the downloads folder, and one of the files was a porno clip he said he ‘accidentally’ stumbled on. :)

  60. 60.

    Tommy

    January 24, 2014 at 8:35 am

    @Baud: I was a Apple user from 1987 until a few years ago when I did what I call the reverse switch. I totally understand the love of all things Apple.

    Both my phone and tablet are just over a year old, but seeing my hardware is lacking. The last system upgrade for my tablet was painful. See no way to reverse it. But at times it just lags.

    These darn things IMHO should last longer then say 14 months, but alas I become addicted to them so I guess I will keep buying them.

  61. 61.

    OzarkHillbilly

    January 24, 2014 at 8:38 am

    @Eric U.: Yep, if it were me, that kind of put down would be a day long occurrence. My despair would be so deep I’d probably commit suicide inside a week.

  62. 62.

    OzarkHillbilly

    January 24, 2014 at 8:43 am

    @PurpleGirl: Go read the article for the full history. It is worth the trip. The song actually does have real lyrics.

  63. 63.

    Glocksman

    January 24, 2014 at 8:44 am

    @Tommy:

    You can reverse it easily enough and put any version you want back on it.
    I use the WugFresh Toolkit.
    I know how to use ADB and Fastboot, but this automates the process and makes it simple.

    I will caution you that Windows 8 android driver installation is a PITA in that you have to disable ‘driver enforcement’ until you’re totally done setting everything up.

  64. 64.

    Tommy

    January 24, 2014 at 8:47 am

    @Betty Cracker: I agree with you almost 100%. I hate guns. I’ve fired one twice. I didn’t enjoy the experience.

    I think the rural versus city is key. There are guns everywhere by me. Mostly used to hunt. Heck during deer season my local grocery store will dress your deer for you. The family my brother married into owns land to smoke meat.

    But nobody even here is walking around with a gun. My comment about the permits. See I find it stunned in a rural area people don’t want gun permits. But in a large city they do.

  65. 65.

    danielx

    January 24, 2014 at 8:51 am

    Some news that I just know will make your days (I know it made mine), proof that the invisible hand is hard at work for them as deserves it….the board of JP Morgan Chase has voted to increase Jamie Dimon’s compensation after the injustice of last year when they totally disrespected him by cutting his annual compensation in half. To $11.5 million, and how was he supposed to hold up his head in the company of his peers and society in general on that pittance? After all, that unpleasantness about JP Morgan Chase paying $20 billion in fines during 2013 was totally not his fault; how was he supposed to know what rules his subordinates were skirting in order to increase Chase profits and their own bonuses? (They got caught, those incompetent bastards!)

    I tell you, it warms my heart to see economic justice done.

  66. 66.

    Tommy

    January 24, 2014 at 8:54 am

    @Glocksman: bookmarked. I say I am a tech geek, but alas that is a vague phrase.

    My bother is a Cisco networking guy. Hacked his HP tablet to run Jellybean. I will ask him about this.

  67. 67.

    Steeplejack

    January 24, 2014 at 8:59 am

    @Tommy:

    I just got a Motorola Moto X, after four years with a Droid Incredible. In looking around for a new phone, I realized that I didn’t want one of the larger phones that are coming into vogue, e.g., Galaxy S 4, Note 3. I was fairly happy with the size of the Incredible. The Moto X is only slightly larger: 5.0" tall by 2.6" wide by 0.4" deep (curved back, so it’s even thinner at the edges). It has a 4.7" screen (720 by 1,280 pixels, 316 ppi) and weighs 4.6 ounces. It comes with the latest version of Android (4.4), at least from Verizon.

    My experience so far (two weeks) is that call clarity is very good, the system is quick and responsive, and this thing is a camel on battery usage. I’ve been letting it run down to under 10% before recharging, and I’ve been recharging it only every two days. (That’s with light to medium use.) It feels good in the hand and is easy to use with one hand, when necessary.

  68. 68.

    rikyrah

    January 24, 2014 at 8:59 am

    Could Bloomberg Rescue the GOP?

    by BooMan
    Thu Jan 23rd, 2014 at 11:21:30 PM EST

    I wonder what would happen if Michael Bloomberg decided to seriously contend for the Republican nomination in 2016. I doubt he would consider taking on Hillary Clinton, but bear with me. If Bloomberg put his billions to work on a serious presidential campaign as a Republican, he could probably grab a lot of delegates to the convention. Remember how successful Ron Paul was in grabbing delegates and even taking over the party leadership in some states. You can be unorthodox, lose badly, and still gain some real influence.

    The idea would be multifaceted. Obviously, there are some ideas, like gun control and health (anti-smoking, anti-sugary drinks, anti-trans fats) that motivate Bloomberg. I think he’d like to push back against the homophobia, sexism, racism, and xenophobia that are so ascendant in the Republican Party. I think he wants to do something about climate change. Bloomberg is certainly not a down-the-line progressive by any means, but that’s precisely why it makes sense for him to try to reinvigorate a Rockefeller Republican wing of the GOP that can compete in the Northeast and on the left coast.

    It would probably make sense for Bloomberg to recruit candidates to run in California’s jungle primaries, too. The GOP, as a conservative party, is pretty much dead. Why leave it to the libertarians to pick over the bones?

    http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2014/1/23/232130/504

  69. 69.

    rikyrah

    January 24, 2014 at 9:01 am

    Menendez draws federal scrutiny in N.J.
    01/24/14 08:00 AM—Updated 01/24/14 08:03 AM
    By Steve Benen

    Ordinarily, a phrase such “controversy rattles New Jersey politics” would be rather straightforward. Given recent developments, however, there are a few too many controversies to choose from, so it’s necessary to be more specific.

    Indeed, late yesterday, we learned that federal enforcement is reportedly taking a closer look at a prominent statewide official in the Garden State, suspected of wrongdoing. No, not that one. No, not that one, either. This one.

    The federal criminal investigation into New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez is broader than previously known, NBC 4 New York has learned.

    The Department of Justice is investigating Menendez’s efforts on behalf of two fugitive bankers from Ecuador, multiple current and former U.S. officials tell NBC 4 New York. The probe into Menendez’s dealing with the bankers comes as federal authorities are also investigating his relationship to a big campaign donor from Florida.

    The criminal investigation is focusing in part on the senator’s ties to William and Roberto Isaias, and whether the senator crossed a line in trying to help the two brothers stay in the United States

    http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/menendez-draws-federal-scrutiny-nj

  70. 70.

    Glocksman

    January 24, 2014 at 9:01 am

    @Tommy:

    Threat perception.

    Next door here in Indiana there are 493,205 active licenses, or about 10% of the adult population.

    It’s hard to find county by county breakdowns, but Lake county is the 2nd most populous in the state and also has the 2nd highest amount of permit holders.

    Lake county is also home to Gary, which is commonly perceived as being violent.

  71. 71.

    rikyrah

    January 24, 2014 at 9:02 am

    Huckabee vs. Huckabee
    01/24/14 08:40 AM
    By Steve Benen

    Republican politician/preacher/media-personality Mike Huckabee caused quite a stir yesterday, speaking at the Republican National Committee’s winter meeting and sharing some unusual thoughts on contraception access, libidos, and “Uncle Sugar.” The remarks were plainly offensive, but in an interesting twist, they were also ironic.

    Huckabee’s argument was an extended rant against contraception access through the Affordable Care Act. The Arkansan believes Democrats are “insulting” women by making birth control and other preventive health care services accessible without a co-pay. Democrats, Huckabee insisted, want women to believe “they are helpless without Uncle Sugar coming in and providing for them a prescription each month for birth control, because they cannot control their libido or their reproductive system without the help of the government.”

    On a substantive level, this is obviously quite silly. But Bill Scher took this one step further: if Democrats are insulting women by expanding access to contraception, then Mike Huckabee is guilty of the same offense.

    http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/huckabee-vs-huckabee

  72. 72.

    mai naem

    January 24, 2014 at 9:03 am

    @Glocksman: I don’t remember. I didn’t think Dean was involved in planning or anything in Watergate. Wasn’t his more that he was aware of everything? Wildstein was actually involved. Maybe Samson will be the Dean, although, he’s coming across as a total sleazeball.
    I’ve had Roger Stone on my twitter feed for a while because he pointed out the Spitzer scandal a while before it happened. You want to recoil at some of the stuff he says but he certainly seems to be in the know.

  73. 73.

    rikyrah

    January 24, 2014 at 9:04 am

    January 24, 2014

    McDonnell Rejected Plea Offer to Spare Wife Charges
    “Maureen McDonnell relayed to federal prosecutors last summer that she felt responsible for the relationship with a wealthy businessman who had drawn legal scrutiny to Virginia’s first family, and her attorney asked whether the case could be resolved without charges for her husband,” the Washington Post reports.

    “But prosecutors showed no interest, according to people familiar with the conversation. Instead, months later, authorities proposed that then-Gov. Robert F. McDonnell plead guilty to one felony fraud charge that had nothing to do with corruption in office and his wife would avoid charges altogether. The governor rejected the offer, the people with knowledge of the conversations said.”

    http://politicalwire.com/archives/2014/01/24/mcdonnell_rejected_plea_offer_to_spare_wife_charges.html#.UuJaYaDEEF8.twitter

  74. 74.

    Tommy

    January 24, 2014 at 9:05 am

    @Steeplejack: good input. I was thinking Motorola. Now a Google company. And I am with you. I want a smaller phone. My Samsung is huge.

  75. 75.

    Glocksman

    January 24, 2014 at 9:08 am

    @mai naem:

    Going by what I remember from reading Will, Dean was involved in trying to cover things up after the fact but didn’t have any input into the burglaries themselves.

    Then again, Liddy is the guy who was willing to be killed in order to protect Richard Nixon so his veracity is suspect.

  76. 76.

    Tommy

    January 24, 2014 at 9:08 am

    @Glocksman: do you live on In?

  77. 77.

    Glocksman

    January 24, 2014 at 9:12 am

    @Tommy:

    If you’re on a budget or want to switch to a prepay plan, the Moto G is an excellent choice.

    Ars Technica loved it.

    It made my short list before I bought the 5, and the primary reason I decided against it was the locked bootloader that made rooting/custom ROM installs difficult.

    Motorola will walk you through unlocking it but then your warranty is invalidated.

    @Tommy:

    Evansville. Southwestern portion of IN.

  78. 78.

    BD of MN

    January 24, 2014 at 9:21 am

    I have an LG G2 that I got for Christmas, it’s easy to use, fast, has a big (but not huge) bright screen and a pretty decent camera. I’m not sold on the rear button, if I put it in my pocket with anything else (like my bluetooth headset) I end up with a bunch of pictures of the inside of my pocket… The GPS/navigation is not as good as the 3 year old HTC I replaced, it seems to drop the GPS signal far more often (I drive for a living, so this can be problematic). The 4gLTE is a big improvement and I seem to get better data reception than my old phone, so overall I’d give it a solid B grade…

  79. 79.

    Tommy

    January 24, 2014 at 9:23 am

    @Glocksman: small world. Mom got sick. Spent many days in Evansville and Deaconnes hospital. I can’t really figure out that town.

    I don’t mean that in a bad way. Just a town that seemed out of place.

  80. 80.

    Hillary Rettig

    January 24, 2014 at 9:24 am

    nothing to add to this genius piece except that “popcorn futures” ought to be a tag

  81. 81.

    rikyrah

    January 24, 2014 at 9:25 am

    In many ways, Christie is Rudy without the charm,

    Now, THAT is a description

  82. 82.

    Mustang Bobby

    January 24, 2014 at 9:28 am

    @Glocksman: I spent two years in Evansville (1979-1981) teaching at a private school. Nice town; too bad the teaching experience was hell.

  83. 83.

    Amir Khalid

    January 24, 2014 at 9:29 am

    In these threads I have been offering my sympathies — well, kind of — to those of you in the US in the grip of the polar vortex. Well there are now parts of Malaysia now suffering from unheard-of low temperatures, as cited in this story from our national mainstream media, thanks to cold winter wnds blowing in from China. People here are freezing their asses off in 30 C (63 F) weather.

  84. 84.

    Tommy

    January 24, 2014 at 9:31 am

    @Tommy: this will make more sense. My family has lived in Mount Caramel IL since like 1876. I don’t live there but spent a ton of time there. I do know the area. I like the area or I would not have moved back after living in many other places after college.

  85. 85.

    Amir Khalid

    January 24, 2014 at 9:39 am

    @Amir Khalid:
    You blithering idiot, that was supposed to be 17 C (62 F), not 30 C.

  86. 86.

    Betty Cracker

    January 24, 2014 at 9:40 am

    @Amir Khalid: Sounds like us Floridians shivering in the 50s-60s F highs. I know it sounds like outdoor BBQ weather to people up north, but to us, this is COLD. Stay warm!

    ETA: Don’t worry about that Celsius typo; it will fly right over the Americans’ heads, though the Brits, Canucks, Kiwis, Aussies, etc., might heap derision on you!

  87. 87.

    Mustang Bobby

    January 24, 2014 at 9:44 am

    @Betty Cracker: When I travel to places where they use metric temps, I remember this little ditty:

    0 is cold
    15 is not
    25’s warm
    And 30 is hot.

  88. 88.

    Betty Cracker

    January 24, 2014 at 9:54 am

    @Mustang Bobby: Thank you! I will remember that!

  89. 89.

    Glocksman

    January 24, 2014 at 9:56 am

    @Tommy:

    Even smaller world.
    My mother worked at Deaconess first as a nurse’s aide in the ER, then as a nurse in pediatrics once she got her degree in 1986 before passing away in 2000.

    I don’t mean that in a bad way. Just a town that seemed out of place.

    In a very large way, Evansville is still adjusting to the defenestration of the local manufacturing base and the aging of the local population.

    Our largest employers used to be manufacturers like Whirlpool and Arkla.
    Now the largest employers are the 2 remaining hospitals and the school corporation.

    I’ve said that Evansville is a nice place to grow up and a nice place to grow old, but there’s not much in between.

  90. 90.

    boatboy_srq

    January 24, 2014 at 10:00 am

    @dmsilev: Having never thought that Giuliani as possessing charm, that in itself makes the sting all the much more poignant.

    More popcorn, please.

  91. 91.

    WaterGirl

    January 24, 2014 at 10:05 am

    @Glocksman: I feel your pain. When I was 18, I walked in on my parents having sex. Nothing you ever want to see, and it can’t be erased.

  92. 92.

    Tone In DC

    January 24, 2014 at 10:10 am

    @Southern Beale:

    I am glad no one in that ER was injured by this brain donor.
    Having said that, it’s too bad he didn’t catch himself in his arse, like that dude a while ago in Home Depot.

    http://www.freep.com/article/20131227/NEWS06/312270051/Man-shoots-self-in-buttocks-at-Home-Depot

  93. 93.

    daveNYC

    January 24, 2014 at 10:28 am

    @rikyrah: Bloomberg is big on gun control. No way no how would he get any traction with Republicans.

  94. 94.

    Glocksman

    January 24, 2014 at 10:38 am

    @daveNYC:

    Agreed.

    He’d stand a chance if we still had the ‘smoky back room’ conventions where deals were made and the pragmatists said ‘no way’ to Rick Santorum or Rick Perry.
    Today with the primary system having (pardon the pun) primacy, there’s no way in hell Bloomberg would make it past Super Tuesday.
    He *might* win New Hampshire and a few other states where the teahadis don’t vote in disproportionate numbers, but he’d be buried in most of the GOP primaries.

  95. 95.

    Tone In DC

    January 24, 2014 at 11:00 am

    @Betty Cracker:

    There’s a whole subculture of misguided people who are trying to “desensitize” city dwellers by walking around with AR-15s strapped to their backs. They better hope I never spot them from an upper story window since I’d immediately try to avert a mass shooting by dropping a heavy object on their heads.

    LULz.
    A piano would be cool.

  96. 96.

    SiubhanDuinneOnIPhone5

    January 24, 2014 at 11:15 am

    @Tommy:

    My Samsung is huge.

    Needs to be a rotating tag!

  97. 97.

    catclub

    January 24, 2014 at 11:17 am

    I thought writing this about Roger Stone was ironic.

    “the foresight to get out before his personal brand was tarnished beyond repair”

  98. 98.

    Villago Delenda Est

    January 24, 2014 at 11:24 am

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    Oh, wait a minute, silly me, they’ll blame the baby boomers.

    DING DING DING!

    We saw that just yesterday in the BJ comments.

  99. 99.

    Villago Delenda Est

    January 24, 2014 at 11:26 am

    @catclub:

    I thought Stone’s personal brand was kinda singed when he was revealed to be advertising in swinging publications.

  100. 100.

    Villago Delenda Est

    January 24, 2014 at 11:27 am

    @Tone In DC:

    Poor piano.

    I prefer 16 ton weights very garishly labeled “!6 TON WEIGHT”.

  101. 101.

    slippytoad

    January 24, 2014 at 11:30 am

    There’s a whole subculture of misguided people who are trying to “desensitize” city dwellers by walking around with AR-15s strapped to their backs.

    Walking around armed like that in a city is insane. Get shot dead and who is going to be there to say you weren’t about to go on a shooting spree yourself?

  102. 102.

    Liberty60

    January 24, 2014 at 11:32 am

    @kindness:

    All the Repubs are missing is their ghost ship.

    When I read about that ship with the cannibalistic rats, my first thoughts as well, were of the GOP.

  103. 103.

    Cervantes

    January 24, 2014 at 11:33 am

    Be all that as it may, Roger Stone remains untrustworthy.

    If he says the sky is blue, look up and check for yourself.

  104. 104.

    Jamie

    January 24, 2014 at 11:35 am

    I am, embarrassingly, seeking work. I live in SF, and while there are lots of openings for techies, nobody seems to want a 40 year old. I can roll. Anyone need an experienced unix guy with experience in a long list of various software packages (yes, WordPress)?

  105. 105.

    ThresherK

    January 24, 2014 at 11:46 am

    Hey, I know it’s a leftover bit, but thanks to the “peanut gallery” of Big R,
    The Other Chuck, and Tybee, for their cast iron cookware advice.

  106. 106.

    slippytoad

    January 24, 2014 at 11:48 am

    @Glocksman:

    In a very large way, Evansville is still adjusting to the defenestration of the local manufacturing base and the aging of the local population.

    Most of Indiana seems to be doing that. I’m trying to figure out, for example, what the hell is propping up the city of Madison.

    I grew up in CO. When industry dies out west, it gets replaced by tourism. You don’t need a whole landscape of tourism, just one big thing will do. You can then put up little tourist-traps around it and catch a lot of money. But you’ve got to have that one thing, and Indiana has . . .

  107. 107.

    ellie

    January 24, 2014 at 11:54 am

    @Tommy: I love my iPhone. My husband just bought if for me this last Christmas. He also bought me an iPad mini, which I love as well. But I’m a very spoiled Apple girl, so there you go. I gave him my Android phone to use and he likes it but all he does is text.

  108. 108.

    WereBear

    January 24, 2014 at 12:18 pm

    @Jamie: Keep me in mind for freelance if that comes up… click on my nym for the website & contact info.

  109. 109.

    tybee

    January 24, 2014 at 1:13 pm

    @rikyrah:

    ha!

  110. 110.

    brantl

    January 24, 2014 at 1:40 pm

    If Stone worked for the Big Dick, he certainly knows what vindictive dickishness looks like, and re recognizes it in Christie.

  111. 111.

    slippytoad

    January 24, 2014 at 3:03 pm

    @brantl:

    You know what kills me is I think every grown adult understands that this kind of behavior is unacceptable. We call it childish for a reason, and we view it as contemptuous and almost immediately off-putting in a leader.

    Why do people do this kind of shit? I mean, I can’t ever, ever, ever take Chris Christie’s face on a page as anything but omg here comes that freakin’ overgrown toddler again. He can never, ever undo my perception of him as simply not a serious adult.

    Then again, we’re talking about the GOP here.

  112. 112.

    grillo

    January 24, 2014 at 3:39 pm

    @Tommy: I am certain this comes so late that you will not even see it, but I am extremely pleased with my Moto X. It is the first phone I have ever actively been enthusiastic about, and it is really a huge leap from anything I had before.

    I really love the voice actions when the phone is sleeping in my pocket. I love the double twist camera and the automatic understanding that I am sleeping or driving.

    It is sturdy, not overly large, looks great and has great battery life.

    So I give it a thumbs up.

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