Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.”

T R E 4 5 O N

Peak wingnut was a lie.

They want us to be overwhelmed and exhausted. Focus. Resist. Oppose.

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

If rights aren’t universal, they are privilege, not rights.

Every one of the “Roberts Six” lied to get on the court.

People are complicated. Love is not.

This chaos was totally avoidable.

The republican caucus is covering themselves with something, and it is not glory.

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

If you voted for Trump, you don’t get to speak about ethics, morals, or rule of law.

Their freedom requires your slavery.

We can’t confuse what’s necessary to win elections with the policies that we want to implement when we do.

Weird. Rome has an American Pope and America has a Russian President.

If you cannot answer whether trump lost the 2020 election, you are unfit for office.

The willow is too close to the house.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

There are consequences to being an arrogant, sullen prick.

Do we throw up our hands or do we roll up our sleeves? (hint, door #2)

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

Let the trolls come, and then ignore them. that’s the worst thing you can do to a troll.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Thursday Evening Open Thread: O RLY?

Thursday Evening Open Thread: O RLY?

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Possibly related, Marc Ambinder at The Week tells us that “Alien conspiracy theorists think the government is on the verge of spilling big secrets“:

For as long as I’ve been reading about alien conspiracies, it’s been an accepted article of faith among believers that the government was the enemy of the people and was conspiring with an alien race, or simply with other governments in our world, to keep evidence of a sentient extraterrestrial presence hidden.

In 2012, authors Richard Dolan and Bryce Zabel became instant iconoclasts within the believer community when they published a book, After Disclosure, that laid out meticulously what the government should do to prepare the public for the “disclosure” of the conspiracy. The book leans in to the notion itself. The government conspirators, say these two, think that the conspiracy is untenable and that a full and open discussion of the fact of alien sentience is the best way to unite the world. Somehow.

This big secret will be revealed in 2015, if the chatter on shows like Coast-to-Coast AM is any indication. Why? Well, the “Grays” — the name given to the aliens who either conspire with the government to keep their presence hidden or are on the verge of attacking the Earth — have somehow given an ultimatum to their human co-conspirators. Maybe it’s time to move humanity into the next phase of their existence. Maybe humans are battering the planet so badly that the Grays, who need the milk of the Earth to survive, are in peril. If humans fail to disclose the Grays’ existence, then the Grays will make themselves known by, perhaps, a global television event that shows off their gravity-defying hardware…

************
Apart from waiting for McConnell, Cruz and Paul to peel off their skinsuits and declare open war on humanity during the 2015 State of the Union, what’s on the agenda the evening?

Reader Interactions

69Comments

  3. 3.

    Librarian

    Yeah, Allen was on Morning Joe with this brilliant piece of journalism. As we all know, “what will the Democrats think?” is the first thing the Republicans worry about when they choose their leadership, amirite? The next thing you know, the GOP will be demanding an apology from the Democrats for having Warren as a senator. And Manchin and Landrieu will immediately voice their support for it.

  5. 5.

    Morzer

    For as long as I’ve been reading about alien conspiracies, it’s been an accepted article of faith among believers that the government was the enemy of the people and was conspiring with an alien race, or simply with other governments in our world, to keep evidence of a sentient extraterrestrial presence hidden.

    Actually, It’s About Ethics In Games Journalism

  6. 6.

    Elizabelle

    Reposting this. Also, the Rosewater/Colbert with Stewart interview is in theatres around the country tonight.

    Putting out the bat signal for Valdivia and any other NoVA Balloon Juicers tonight:

    7:30 p Jon Stewart’s “Rosewater” movie, with live interview of Stewart by Stephen Colbert following

    AMC Hoffman 22 theatres, a block or two from the Eisenhower Avenue Metro station

    $16.25 ($15 plus $1.25 “convenience charge”)

    What the heck. Sounds like a good flick and there’s a Mexican restaurant/bar next to theatre.

  8. 8.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Wow

    Peak Pope?
    Pope building showers for the homeless in St. Peter’s Square.
    — Josh Marshall

    I’ve never been to Rome. Is this gonna piss off the tourism industry? I suspect they may be more powerful than the Cardinals.

    Elizabelle @ 7– me too, mostly just internet headlines. I’m still just tired.

  10. 10.

    MattF

    …waiting for McConnell, Cruz and Paul to peel off their skinsuits and declare open war on humanity during the 2015 State of the Union, what’s on the agenda the evening?

    Now, here I’d been assuming that they’d already done that. But if what we see now is their attempt at a human form… we’re doomed, extremely.

  14. 14.

    bg

    Blankenship from Massey Energy was just indicted in connection w/ the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster from 2010

  15. 15.

    Morzer

    @MattF:

    I had assumed that Rand “The Quiff with the Spliff” Paul’s “hair” was a meaningful sign that not all of his DNA was of earthly origin.

  17. 17.

    srv

    I guess I would take an invasion over a meteor.

    Or maybe they could just target the meteors properly.

  18. 18.

    Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN)

    I’m playing The Sealed Gate (Pathfinder scenario) tonight, most likely with Talia Boruss, my enchantment specialist sorcerer, though I have five other characters in tier.

    Also, when the person conducting a job interview tells you that they should be making the decision on hiring you within a week, how much time has to elapse after one week before it’s a good idea to call them and ask questions?

    And, no, I’m not taking it as a good sign that I haven’t heard back yet.

  21. 21.

    Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN)

    But I am at least headed to Columbus tomorrow to watch the Gophers this weekend.

  22. 22.

    ruemara

    Job hunting, recovering from hauling my sick ass out to get food and water and playing warcrack while people around me are showing off their shiny, new, WOD leveling 90s. boo.

  27. 27.

    ruemara

    @Morzer: I think the months long stress both pre & post my boss’ death just opened me up for a nice bout of flu/strep. I look like I’m smuggling golf balls in my throat. Or like a Cardassian. On the other hand, I can sit and animate in peace with only a few emergencies from work to handle. Plus a lot of tea.

  30. 30.

    Amir Khalid

    @Southern Beale:
    Is it already legal over there to smoke whatever inspired this kind of copy in the press release? Just … wow.

    The supplement includes scenes of Ted Cruz’s journey for the American dream; his continuing fight for the rights of American citizens as he rides the wings of freedom. The supplement concludes with Ted and his family strolling on the White House lawn.

  31. 31.

    Seanly

    @Just One More Canuck:

    Give me Kang or give me death!

    There is reasonable probability that there is much more life out in the universe and that much of that life is probably intelligent. However, the physics, relativity issues and energy consumption to travel light years make it highly improbable that our little blue marble (despite how beautiful we find it) would ever be visited by beings from another world.

  32. 32.

    Morzer

    @ruemara:

    Have you tried hot showers and breathing in the steam? I find that helps me with flu/colds.

    We’ve got a dusting of snow on the roofs here, which looks oddly charming.

  33. 33.

    Roger Moore

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    I’ve never been to Rome. Is this gonna piss off the tourism industry? I suspect they may be more powerful than the Cardinals.

    I would think that homeless people in need of showers might be bad for the tourism industry, too. Besides, the Pope is the leader of a sovereign nation; he can tell the tourism industry to piss up a rope if he feels like it.

  34. 34.

    Morzer

    Apparently Jonathan Gruber made the mistake of being somewhat candid, and now every felonious Republican illiterate in the US is opening its adulterous yap:

    Gruber is a puny operative in a culture of deceit thar goes back to Alinsky and now defines this Obama cabal
    — @DineshDSouza

    Some sort of prize for mindless cramming in of every possible GOP fantasy seems to be in order.

  35. 35.

    Elizabelle

    @bg:

    Blankenship indicted? Wonderful news.

    They’ve got to nail that dude from “Freedom Industries” who poisoned WV’s water in Chemical Valley too.

    Make ’em squeal.

  36. 36.

    Another Holocene Human

    @ruemara: anti-biotics?

    I was about to run out and try to get some myself but I was able to break up my sinus infection with saline spray. The pain was just completely out there insane. I’m surprised you’re doing anything at all with an infection like that. ugh.

  37. 37.

    Hal

    Republicans lost big in 2006, again in 2008 and again in 2012. That was not a mandate. That was just an indication that Republicans need to sharpen their message and communicate better with the American public.

    2014 Republicans win big via amazingly low voter turnout, scheming to make voting harder, and a complacent media that refuses to call out lies and obfuscation for fear of being labeled too Liberal.

    Now that media wants to know why Dems won’t work with Republicans by making Joe Manchin minority leader. Heck, why not just put Zell Miller in charge.

  39. 39.

    Amir Khalid

    @bg:
    I went to the FBI website to read the media release on Blankenship’s indictment. Why does the FBI website have a “Fun and Games” page?

  42. 42.

    Iowa Old Lady

    The most maddening part of this Gruber flap is the deceitfulness of it. The R leadership knows damn well his comments mean nothing about how the law was written.

  43. 43.

    catclub

    @Seanly: I read a terrifying explainer on the Fermi paradox.
    One explanation for no signs of ET is that something very large and very powerful wipes out ‘civilizations’ that pipe up – like us.

  46. 46.

    Morzer

    http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/reddit-ceo-yishan-wong-resigns-office

    Reddit CEO Yishan Wong resigned last week due to apparently irreconcilable differences with the company’s board over a new office space.

    “To be clear, though, we didn’t ask or suggest that he resign—he decided to when we didn’t approve the new office plan,” Reddit adviser Sam Altman said in a blog post.

    Altman said Wong’s disagreements pertained to the office’s “location and amount of money to spend on a lease.”

    Altman’s preemptive claims of innocence make me wonder just what they did to make Wong leave.

  47. 47.

    Morzer

    Also, update on MattTaylorShirtGate:

    http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/rosetta-scientist-matt-taylor-sexist-shirt

    It’s not clear why Taylor was wearing the colorful shirt in the first place, or why he changed out of it. A woman who said she made the shirt for Taylor as a birthday present tweeted that she never expected it to attract such attention:

    Elly PriZeMaN @ellypriZeMaN

    I made a shirt for one of my close pals @mggtTaylor for his b’day. Did not expect this!! #shirtgate #shirtstorm #Rosetta #Shirt #sewing

  48. 48.

    Tenar Darell

    @catclub: There’s an SF series about that. Fred Savergagen’s Beserker stories. I’ve read a few, not bad. Didn’t stick in my brain, except for the basic idea. Decent writing and plot, but didn’t keep up with the series. The idea has legs: see novels and stories by Benford, Bear, Nagata, or Pohl.

  51. 51.

    Hal

    The technology needed to travel interstellar distances would place any alien civilization hundreds if not thousands of years ahead of human civilization. Apart from some anthropological interest, why would an alien race be even the least bit interested in us? Also, I don’t buy that aliens would need any of our resources. Again, if they can travel to and from their home planet, it seems like they might have energy sources beyond anything we have developed so far, and if there’s water beneath the surface of say, Io or Titan, surely there are other solar systems with water that are uninhabited.

    To me this just speaks to the arrogance of humans. We are the only sentient beings in the entirety of the universe, and if we just so happen not to be, apparently we are the only planet in the entirety of the universe with water, plant and animal life. Either way, we’re special!

  53. 53.

    Morzer

    @catclub:

    That’s pretty close to the idea that Cixin Liu puts forward in one of his series of sci-fi novels. Basically, it’s a dog-eat-dog universe and so any species finding evidence of “another civilized species” will try to annihilate it stat, before it annihilates them. Thus, any civilized species that develops the capacity for communication beyond its home world will try desperately to remain very quiet and overlooked so as to survive.

  54. 54.

    Barney

    Of course they’re about to disclose the existence of space aliens – that’s no comet, it’s a space station:

    According to an email published on the website UFOSightingsDaily.com – which does a regular trade in alien sightings – this mission is part of a European Space Agency and Nasa cover-up to disguise the comet’s true alien nature. The email, allegedly from a secret whistle-blowing employee of the ESA, accuses the agency of “blatant cover-ups” in wanting to land on the speeding comet and attaches photos which claim to reveal the “true inner workings of Comet 67P”.

    It states: “Do not think for ONE MOMENT that a space agency would suddenly decide to spend billions of dollars to build and send a spacecraft on a 12-year journey to simply take some close-up images of a randomly picked out comet floating in space.”

    “Comet 67P is NOT a comet,” the letter continues. “Some 20 years ago Nasa began detecting radio bursts from an unknown origin out in space. It would later be known that these had likely come from the direction of the now named comet 67P. It does show signs on its outside of machine like parts and unnatural terrain.”

  55. 55.

    Amir Khalid

    @Hal:
    As you say, maybe there’s nothing ET needs from us and so no reason to come here. But I don’t think it’s human arrogance. Enrico Fermi, among others, reckoned there should be technological civilisations out there, given the vastness of the universe and the principle that what’s possible here should also be possible elsewhere.

    He was just curious as to where it was, why we’ve seen no clear sign of it — not in his time, or for that matter since. Maybe we are the very first, at that; someone has to be.

  56. 56.

    Morzer

    @Amir Khalid:

    Look at it this way – would you want to talk to a species that voluntarily elected Republicans to office? Even the Ferengi would probably hesitate.

  58. 58.

    Keith G

    @Iowa Old Lady: Reworking some of your words:

    The most maddening part of this Gruber flap is that the GOP is taking advantage of a “gotcha moment” the same way we would.

    The good news is that this popped up between the election and Xmas. The plebs don’t care. I do expect that the loquacious PhD will be “invited” to a few Congressional hearings early next year.

  59. 59.

    Splitting Image

    @catclub:

    One explanation for no signs of ET is that something very large and very powerful wipes out ‘civilizations’ that pipe up – like us.

    The best explanation was Douglas Adams’. We’re simply too far out in the boonies for anybody to care. If interstellar contact is possible, it will take place in the middle of a galaxy where stars are clustered together much more closely than they are around here. If intergalactic travel is possible, it’ll happen in a place like the Virgo cluster where galaxies are clustered together more closely than the Milky Way and its one neighbour.

    The entire mythology of the Grey Aliens is that, all appearances to the contrary, the Earth really is the centre of the universe after all. Fuck yeah!

  61. 61.

    Captain C

    @catclub: Alastair Reynolds, in the Revelation Space trilogy, and Charles Stross, with Killing Star, explore this quite well. There’s also some good writing on it on the Atomic Rockets website (which points out that it only works if you’re the first to get to the level of being able to wipe out other civilizations light years away. If you’re not, and you haven’t noticed the other high level civilization, they’ll probably notice the energy discharge necessary to send your weapons or ships to destroy lesser civilizations, decide that your civilization is homicidally psychotic, and take appropriate action).

  62. 62.

    Bill Arnold

    @Hal:

    Apart from some anthropological interest, why would an alien race be even the least bit interested in us?

    I admit to a fascination with these alien conspiracy theories, though they suffer from failures of imagination.

    Perhaps there might be interest in what we (specifically our technological civilization) might become. This would depend on whether true AI was possible. If so, then speed of light means local presence of some sort would be needed for any early reaction to, or preemption of, any “bad” AI. E.g. what Iann M Banks called “Hegemonizing Swarms” in his (sci-fi) stories.

  64. 64.

    Bill Arnold

    @Captain C:

    Alastair Reynolds, in the Revelation Space trilogy, and Charles Stross, with Killing Star, explore this quite well.

    Also, there have been many papers written on the Fermi Paradox over the last 5-6 decades.

  65. 65.

    Tehanu

    @Seanly:

    @Just One More Canuck:

    Give me Kang or give me death!

    Piffle. Lrrr, Absolute Ruler of Omicron Persei 8, kicks Kang and Kodos’ ass 8 days a week! When he’s not crashing on Fry’s couch because Ndnd kicked him out, of course.

    Charlie Stross’ Laundry Files novels explain it slightly differently. It’s not attacks from a Hegemonizing Swarm; it’s Cthulhu et al. noticing advanced mathematical computations and going, “Yum, din-dins!”

  66. 66.

    Mnemosyne (iPhone)

    Kauai is lovely, it really is, but between my broken toe, some unexpected work stress popping up in the form of an interview, and accidentally running over an animal yesterday, it hasn’t exactly been a relaxing vacation for either of us.

    I know, I know, first world problems.

  67. 67.

    Debbie(aussie)

    @catclub:

    That is the premise of a series of books by Alistair Reynolds, ‘Revelation Space, (the first I think). Wonderfully written, full of hard Science that goes right over my head. He is a physicist.

  68. 68.

    Bill Arnold

    @Tehanu:

    It’s not attacks from a Hegemonizing Swarm

    No, I meant us humans inadvertently making such a thing (or getting close to doing so), e.g. maybe emerging from greed automation guiding (sociopathic) corporate-persons, or from smart systems that generate rule sets to write into dumb high speed trading systems. (Tick to trade is less than 1 microsecond now I believe, between event in on the wire, and trade out on the wire – no time for smart.) This might concern others enough to act.
    Something vaguely like this was a plot point in a novel Charlie Stross did with Cory Doctorow, Rapture of the Nerds. (There was also at least one mention of such a trigger for the Great Filter in an extropian mailing list in the 1990s.)

    Cthulhu would be bad too. :-)

  69. 69.

    Rasputin's Evil Twin

    An old friend observed that any civilization capable of leaving its own solar system for exploration, colonization, trade or any combination of these will be smart enough to scan ahead to see where it’s going. One look at us, and they’ll decide we’re not the beings they want to know. Considering how we’re screwing up our own planet, we may not even count as intelligent life in their view. It’s a big universe, they’ll find intelligent life somewhere else.

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