March 18, 2012
— rdbrewer Recall the Dunning-Kruger effect. In short, a personÂ’s incompetence inhibits their ability to recognize his or her incompetence. The people who think they are the smartest are the dumbest, essentially, because they are blind to their stupidity. The people who think they know better know the least. And isn't it interesting that they are almost always the first to hurl the insult "you're stupid"?
Anyway, I was reading about the police busting OWS people and closing Zuccotti Park today, and it occurred to me that there is a variation on the Dunning-Kruger effect that has to do with other forms of self-awareness. Several examples:
- Doesn't it follow that the people who think they're the most egalitarian become the most sexist, biased, and/or prejudiced? Because of the fact they admire that quality in themselves, egalitarianism, they are blind to the reality that they are not. These are the people who say "flyover states" and "rednecks." These are the people who come down on Limbaugh for a single use of "slut" while thinking someone else's use of much worse language is okay.
- Doesn't it follow that the people who regard themselves as the most open-minded are in fact the most close minded? Their errant self-view causes them to be blind to how close-minded they are. Progressives in many institutions like academia, for example, talk endlessly about diversity while at the same time denying, marginalizing, and shutting-up voices on the right. Conservative professors don't get tenure. Conservative voices on campus are shouted down and silenced by left wing perma-children. A more specific example: Andrew Breitbart was often called a fag by the most wonderful people in the world.
- Doesn't it follow that the people who think they're making the world a nicer place are the ones who are making it worse? They have a blind spot for their own bad behavior. A specific example: Al Gore and energy usage. Gore wants to make the world a better place by decreasing reliance on fossil fuels. (Assume for a moment he actually believes his bullshit. I don't think he does.) While having a bigger carbon footprint than anyone else on the planet, with the exception of the president... who at least has an excuse.
- Doesn't it follow that the people who think they are the best suited to lead others would often be the least suitable/capable to do so? Here's a quick example: One of the creepiest people I ever knew sought out positions of authority on ethical panels. He had to be one of the least ethical, least well-suited people to serve in such a position, but he thought he was fantastic, and very well-suited to judge the behavior of others. A friend quipped, to paraphrase, "The type of people who seek out positions of authority like this are usually the people you would least want to serve in those positions." We agreed that it's almost as if we should automatically eliminate anyone who volunteers for a such positions and recruit from those who do not.
- Doesn't it follow that the people who think they're the most wonderful/moral are in fact the most horrible/flawed? Their self-regard blinds them to their bad behavior. Tea Party people, for example, left the National Mall cleaner than when they found it. OWS people crapped on the ground. Union protesters in Wisconsin and people at the Rally to Restore Sanity left a huge mess for others to clean up.
- Doesn't it follow that the people who are the most selfish would believe themselves to be the most selfless? They want people to give more, to pay more taxes... so they themselves can have a bigger slice of the pie. Their self-view disables their ability to reality-test. Ever hear of a progressive avoiding a tax dodge? Related, doesn't it follow that the people most interested in redistribution of wealth would give the least? I recall reading an article about ten years ago that surveyed charity giving on a state-by-state per capita basis. Or maybe it was as a percentage of income. Anyway, the "flyover states" were the most giving. The least? Massachusetts. Followed by the usual suspects.
- A more specific example: I've read several times that Michael Moore is one of the most painfully greedy people in the entertainment industry. Now, from his words and actions--well, at least from the image he tries to project--one would think he would be easy to work with. After all, he's all about justice and fairness. And doing good. Right? But the reality is he's one of the most annoyingly greedy assholes imaginable.
Because of the built-in assumption that everything about the self is fine, time spent fixing flaws naturally has to do with others. And flaws must be fixed. "I'm fine. That's understood. So lets take a look at the actions of others." They don't look at themselves objectively. They don't question their own motivations and actions. They take it as a given they are exemplars of only the finest qualities. Which leads me back to the question of why. Certainly Dunning-Kruger comes to mind, but there are many smart people among the ranks of the voluntarily blind. There is something relevant about the idea of "mental focus." If you're focused on the actions of others, it follows that you might not focus on your own. There is simple projection, attributing to others one's own unacknowledged bad traits, thoughts, or behaviors. And, of course, there is one of my favorites, working memory overload.
A while back, I went to the comments section of an article in a British newspaper that was generating a lot of interest. There was a lot of back-and-forth, but one thing kept popping up over and over during the course of the debate--which went on for over 700 comments. (Note, this was a piece that appealed primarily to progressives, so the debate was mostly internecine.) Time and again the debate circled back to "after all, we are superior." It surprised me to see that stated so openly and aggressively and without shame. I saw a variation of that comment at least a dozen times. And it always seemed to follow some particularly hateful comment or point of view. Note that you never see the "after all, we are superior" sentiment expressed in conservative debates.
That reminded me of something I posted on a comment board several years ago. The topic was Bruce Thornton's Embedded and Elitist Left: The Long March through Schools of Journalism. [Corrected: It wasn't a piece by Victor Davis Hanson as I initially indicated.] The first paragraph is from that article.
But there is another dimension of the institutionalization of the left, one also illustrated by Schell – what Tom Wolfe famously called "radical chic," the use of leftist ideology as a fashion marker to signify one's elitist superiority to the bovine middle class befuddled by a false consciousness that keeps them from seeing the horrible oppression and injustice of America.Nicely put. I'm always interested in that little mental trick people play on themselves that allows them to maintain seemingly mutually inconsistent self views. The answer is that this need to perceive self as superior is of central importance, and that, to some degree, even the good deeds and apparent concern for equality and the well-being of others are just ways of reinforcing their superior self view. There is a payoff.
Another part of the answer is that this conflicting view of self can only be maintained with a strong ability to repress, distort, and/or filter dissonant information. In other words, they're typically more subjective than objective. So even reality can be manipulated and made to fit the superior self view. This is how some seemingly highly intelligent people can be so utterly stupid. I sometimes call them "perception morons" (which always makes me think of Noam Chomsky, btw).
On a primal level, it's about the need for security in numbers in the perceived strongest group. The social concern worn on the sleeve is, to differing degrees, simply one of the many methods of display, signifying inclusion and the absence of threat to other in-groupers. (In this culture, that is. In other cultures and times, display for these same people might involve throwing others to lions.) Identifying groups correctly and identifying group inclusion and exclusion is necessarily important, thus the preoccupation with identity politics.
. . .
Safe and secure in the dominant herd. It all seems very anti-human. But all this is for another thread.
Maybe that's it. Maybe it's all about survival and ego-protection. But maybe there is one more basic level, one last meta-level of understanding. I saw a scientist in some show talking about the sequestration of energy, if I'm phrasing it right. All life throughout history has had at its heart one purpose: gaining energy (presumably for reproduction). More specifically, he said that all behavior is an attempt to secure more of the energy that was initially released in the big bang. Interesting, that.
Anybody got any other ideas?
Posted by: rdbrewer at
09:36 AM
| Comments (418)
Post contains 1502 words, total size 10 kb.
Posted by: J.J. Sefton at March 18, 2012 09:44 AM (Af3Wg)
Posted by: Truck Monkey at March 18, 2012 09:44 AM (jucos)
Here's an interesting new theory:
If you burp, hiccup, sneeze and fart all at the same time, you'll die.
Discuss.
Posted by: proudvastrightwingconspirator at March 18, 2012 09:44 AM (MISI9)
Posted by: Truck Monkey at March 18, 2012 09:47 AM (jucos)
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Just a fancy way of saying dumb asses think they are smarter than they are. We have always known that. How many dumb asses admit they are dumb asses?
Posted by: Vic at March 18, 2012 09:48 AM (YdQQY)
This is a well know psychological phenomenon. People completely invest themselves morally in one pet area (religion, enviromentalism, charity) to compensate for and repress devastating character faults in other (or the same) areas. By defining themselves in terms of some moral crusade, the thereby define themselves as a righteous person.
There was a study a while back that showed that people who are highly eco-friendly are much more likely to act immorally in certain situations than others who do no define themselves in such a way. Wish I could find it.
Posted by: Jason at March 18, 2012 09:48 AM (6VB4r)
Posted by: Clubber Lang at March 18, 2012 09:51 AM (ZPrif)
I firmly believe this theory. It ties in with my own theory that there is no "leftist" philosophy, any more than there is a "stupidity" philosophy.
There is no cure for stupid, which is why efforts at persuasion are futile. Sure, you can make a leftist agree to your point of view. Then next week he'll watch an episode of Care Bears and completely change his whole world view.
I don't think most people are born stupid. Their brains are simply out of shape and lazy. Individual thought is always the more difficult and dangerous road, and most would prefer others to do the thinking for them.
Posted by: Indigo Child at March 18, 2012 09:53 AM (xXhWA)
Posted by: Vic at March 18, 2012 09:53 AM (YdQQY)
According to store employees she got into an aggument then pulled a gun.Clinkingbeard filed as a candidate to run in the primary for U.S. Representative. She is running as a DEMACRAT for the District 1 seat. Clinkingbeard spoke to KTVB last Friday night as a witness to a Boise house fire; at the end of the interview, she says "Clinkingbeard for U.S. House of Representatives". According to the Idaho State Board of Medicine, Clinkingbeard was a doctor specializing in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism. According to public records, her license was permanently revoked in 2005.The documents say Clinkingbeard suffers from bipolar disorder: "[Clinkingbeard's] bipolar condition is permanent and her manic episodes are progressively getting worse."The Board also said she had self-prescribed medication using her medical license. The Board determined she could not practice medicine safely. But she apparently can still teach. Tenure it's a beautiful thing. Suspect listed as current faculty at two colleges. Clinkingbeard is listed as an adjunct faculty member at Boise State University in the biological sciences department. Current course catalogues at the College of Western Idaho show Clinkingbeard teaches "Health and Wellness" courses at that school.
Posted by: Buffalobob at March 18, 2012 09:53 AM (qiFDD)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 09:53 AM (R5yLq)
Other ideas, RDB? Nope. You've pretty much nailed that one.
I'll just say this one thing, and yes, since it's Sunday, it's something spiritual, then I'm off to watch the race with B'Gal: The human ego is the biggest stumbling block to recognizing a Higher Power. I've noticed that another trait most of these self-absorbed people have is that they're overwhelmingly atheist. Being as self-centered as they are, they cannot (or will not) see anything beyond their own little sphere of self importance. They are always right, and condescendingly dismissive of anything that challenges their belief in themselves and their superiority.
They are their own gods.
Posted by: BackwardsBoy, Tea Party SOB at March 18, 2012 09:53 AM (d0Tfm)
This is why, in the Republic, Plato says that the person who should be the leader of the polis is the person who least wants to do so.
Posted by: Jason at March 18, 2012 09:54 AM (6VB4r)
Posted by: starboardhelm at March 18, 2012 09:54 AM (hHgxI)
Posted by: . at March 18, 2012 09:54 AM (oZfic)
Posted by: Daybrother at March 18, 2012 09:54 AM (9/zVj)
Posted by: J.J. Sefton at March 18, 2012 09:54 AM (Af3Wg)
Posted by: Jason at March 18, 2012 01:48 PM (6VB4r) _____ Sounds like every progressive I know. They indeed consider themselves the moral people, but in reality they lack the foresight for it.
Posted by: MagicalMaggieT at March 18, 2012 09:55 AM (rZZA3)
What's with all this Dunning-Kruger effect hoo haa?
In my day a big bread and a pistol whipping took care of any of that.
Posted by: Rutherford B. Hayes at March 18, 2012 09:56 AM (M+UUq)
Posted by: J.J. Sefton at March 18, 2012 09:57 AM (Af3Wg)
Posted by: buzzion at March 18, 2012 09:57 AM (GULKT)
Posted by: Clubber Lang at March 18, 2012 09:58 AM (ZPrif)
Posted by: dagny loved andrew at March 18, 2012 09:59 AM (u50z0)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 09:59 AM (R5yLq)
Posted by: thefritz at March 18, 2012 10:00 AM (pH+yu)
Posted by: Comrade Arthur at March 18, 2012 10:00 AM (d9lOz)
Anita Dunn is actually the Gorn from "Star Trek"
The Gorn was prettier and had less offensive heros.
Posted by: dagny loved andrew at March 18, 2012 10:00 AM (u50z0)
The greatest crackpot theory from the music industry is that Milli Vanilli lip-synched. Balderdash!
Posted by: Doctor Fish at March 18, 2012 10:01 AM (TkGkA)
Posted by: buzzion at March 18, 2012 01:57 PM (GULKT)
I don't want any spoilers, but I need to know if its possible to get Ashley and Miranda involved simultaneously?
Because otherwise, I don't think it would be so satisfying.
Posted by: Indigo Child at March 18, 2012 10:01 AM (xXhWA)
Posted by: J.J. Sefton at March 18, 2012 10:01 AM (Af3Wg)
Posted by: Daybrother at March 18, 2012 10:01 AM (9/zVj)
Posted by: ABouts at March 18, 2012 10:02 AM (BQvS5)
....oh, sorry...thought you said crack whore theories....
Posted by: model_1066 at March 18, 2012 10:02 AM (PWwbk)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 10:02 AM (R5yLq)
Posted by: J.J. Sefton at March 18, 2012 10:03 AM (Af3Wg)
Posted by: dagny loved andrew at March 18, 2012 10:03 AM (u50z0)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 10:03 AM (R5yLq)
Obama was accompanied by his wife, Michelle, and daughter, Sasha, on the cloudy, brisk morning as they walked through Lafayette Square to St. JohnÂ’s Episcopal Church.
The service included scripture readings from Numbers 21, Ephesians 2, John 3 and the singing of “Amazing Grace.”
The visiting pastor, Rev. Thomas Reid Ward, Jr., reflected on the words of the popular hymn written by John Newton, and told the congregation that GodÂ’s grace instills faith and courage.
“All we have to do is believe,” he said.
And in yet another miracle, no one handed out contraceptives during the service.
Posted by: Rev. Wright at March 18, 2012 10:03 AM (e8kgV)
Posted by: Daybrother at March 18, 2012 10:04 AM (9/zVj)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 10:05 AM (R5yLq)
Posted by: J.J. Sefton at March 18, 2012 10:06 AM (Af3Wg)
In a very fundamental way, your thesis mirrors almost exactly the sermon I had the pleasure of hearing this morning.
Thank you. This was a very good read, and a lot to ponder.
Posted by: mama winger at March 18, 2012 10:06 AM (P6QsQ)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 10:06 AM (R5yLq)
My bully-dog is an accomplished thief of chew toys, sticks and small children, but mostly small children.
Posted by: model_1066 at March 18, 2012 10:07 AM (PWwbk)
Posted by: Jim Flimsy at March 18, 2012 10:09 AM (laDd1)
@4
Here's an interesting new theory:
If you burp, hiccup, sneeze and fart all at the same time, you'll die.
Discuss.
Posted by: proudvastrightwingconspirator at March 18, 2012 01:44 PM (MISI9)
BUSTED
Posted by: Mythbusters at March 18, 2012 10:09 AM (3P6XH)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 10:09 AM (R5yLq)
Ok, so in my state they retrofited all crosswalks with these ugly, orange, rubber/plastic rectangles with little bumps on them. They had to cut out the concrete and drop these things in.
No one know what they are for. Safety? No, they're slicker than concrete when wet (personal experience).
They're actually REFLECTORS! (cue, dramatic music)
See, the government / CIA / Illuminati satellites cannot beam their mind-altering rays through the tin-foil helmets that most of us are wearing nowadays. But with these pads, the beams reflect back up, through the unprotected jaw, and work their devilish manipulations on our vulnerable head meat.
/Need more foil!
Posted by: Tonic Dog at March 18, 2012 10:09 AM (X/+QT)
Posted by: Daybrother at March 18, 2012 10:09 AM (9/zVj)
Posted by: mpfs at March 18, 2012 10:11 AM (TlwCF)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 10:11 AM (R5yLq)
Posted by: Clubber Lang
And this is what monotheistic Judaism and Christianity have tried to change in "modern man". To culturally "level" civilization and create a system of law and justice that can overcome tribalism, heirarchies, etc. Which is not to say the Judaism and Christianity are immune from the same sins - because regardless if they are divinely inspired, they are still institutions filled with fallible human beings.
Whenever Judaism or Christianity became TOO full of heirarchies, something bad happened to start to bring a corrective.
In Islam, there is no self-corrective to tyranny, and that is why most Muslims end up fighting amongst themselves if they do not have an outside threat to unite them. And why there is no correlation to democratic ideas within the world of Islam as their is within the practice of Judaism or Christianity. Democracy is the LAST thing real Muslims want - they want to be under the tyranny of the Koran and Sharia law. They want the cultural heirarchies in their societies, to create priviledge and terror.
And that is one of the reasons the collectivist Left identifies with them.
Posted by: Reader C.J. Burch writes.... at March 18, 2012 10:11 AM (sJTmU)
Theory: Obama has suppressed his birth certificate because it says...
...he's white...and that would never do for someone as steeped in race grievance as he.
Think about it--the drunken bigamist Kenyan baby daddy was not in the picture by the time young Barry was born. Many African-American children are lighter in color at birth. A hospital record-keeper strolls into young Stanley Ann Dunham's hospital room and sees this young white woman cradling her light-skinned child. What might he have written on the birth certificate?
Posted by: Palandine at March 18, 2012 10:12 AM (g7D8V)
My liberal relatives are proud that they only read commentary from one side of the political divide. When I point out that I not only read commentary on the right, but on the left (not the least because it is almost unavoidable) they often flatly tell me they think I am lying to them.
So why would they be a)proud of exposing themselves to only one school of thought, and b) express disbelief that I expose myself to both?
I finally figured it out, and like so many other behaviors of the lefty-libs, it is based on their projection of their values as the motivation of others.
You see, the reason they did not believe me was that they did not see me swayed by the same liberal journo-elites that hold them enthralled. They reason that since they themselves find Paul Krugman to be a genius, if I did not see the error of my ways upon claiming to have read him, I must... not have actually read him!
Seen through this lens of the appeal of authority, their pride in not reading both side of an issue also makes sense - they get their beliefs from those they listen to, so they have to be careful t listen to only the right (left) people!
The idea of someone exposing themselves to various points of view, and then using their judgement to skeptically form an opinion...well it is as preposterous to them as the idea of ghosts, or UFOs!
A little anecdote: my S-I-L asked me if I have ever considered whether my whole world-view may be false - totally upside down? I answered truthfully that I do try to question myself that way, although I will not claim to be a person of pure logic and reason. So then naturally I asked her if she ever questioned her own beliefs.
To see the look on her face you would have thought I had just told her I was going to have a sex change. Her jaw agape, she said "Why the hell would I do that? Everybody agrees with me!"
See?
Posted by: sherlock at March 18, 2012 10:12 AM (8ra42)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 10:12 AM (R5yLq)
Posted by: Truck Monkey at March 18, 2012 10:12 AM (jucos)
Posted by: model_1066 at March 18, 2012 10:12 AM (PWwbk)
Posted by: The Great Satan's Ghost at March 18, 2012 10:13 AM (xMU3a)
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Ah, right then. I'll rent it ASAP so that I might keep current with the conversation.
It's all so complicated.
Posted by: Contemplative Lobster at March 18, 2012 10:14 AM (TrNbx)
Pork shoulder roast: 5-6 pounds
Salt
Liquid smoke
6-8 hours on medium heat
Eat
Simple and yummy
Posted by: model_1066 at March 18, 2012 10:14 AM (PWwbk)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 10:16 AM (R5yLq)
Posted by: Rev. Al at March 18, 2012 10:16 AM (e8kgV)
Posted by: Al Sharpton at March 18, 2012 10:17 AM (yQwq5)
We have some friends in HI that do that as a lazy kalua pork. They wrap in in ti leaves and shove it in the crockpot - idiot proof and really good.
Posted by: Clutch Cargo at March 18, 2012 10:18 AM (Qxdfp)
That happened in Idaho, and she's in police custody, and not in the morgue with 80-100 bullet holes from concealed carry folk? I'm disappointed.
Posted by: model_1066 at March 18, 2012 10:19 AM (PWwbk)
Posted by: David Bohm at March 18, 2012 10:19 AM (kwAf2)
Posted by: Lincolntf at March 18, 2012 10:19 AM (hiMsy)
Michelle Obama is actually a delicate, precious wallflower who overcompensates for her shyness and awkward adolescent, social deficiencies by punishing other people's children to the point of child abuse.
Posted by: Fritz at March 18, 2012 10:19 AM (KWdVT)
Posted by: tcn at March 18, 2012 10:19 AM (WhSRj)
Posted by: mpfs at March 18, 2012 10:19 AM (TlwCF)
Posted by: model_1066 at March 18, 2012 10:20 AM (PWwbk)
You know, I had never thought about that before. Back in those days, they kept young mothers in the hospital for several days before releasing them after the birth of a child. In that time, Stanley Anne would have been surrounded by her (white) relatives, and would not have been visited by Barack Sr's family at all. The only way the hospital would know of Barack Jr's black ancestry would be if she specifically told them. Is that something a young single white woman from a banker's family would have done in the early 1960's? Perhaps she did, but it would be an unusual thing for a girl to volunteer in that time era.
Posted by: mama winger at March 18, 2012 10:20 AM (P6QsQ)
Posted by: kbdabear at March 18, 2012 10:20 AM (Y+DPZ)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 10:20 AM (R5yLq)
Posted by: Laura Castellano at March 18, 2012 10:22 AM (fuw6p)
I once had a department chairman who used to say, sanctimoniously, that he was known for his "great integrity."
The reality was that he was one of the slimiest, most underhanded cocksuckers I've ever known in my life. On one occasion, on being told that the story he proposed to tell a third party was the exact opposite of the truth, he replied, "So what? They'll believe it."
Great integrity.
Posted by: Jay Guevara at March 18, 2012 10:22 AM (HMH0r)
Posted by: navycopjoe at March 18, 2012 10:23 AM (aiMuM)
Posted by: model_1066 at March 18, 2012 10:24 AM (PWwbk)
Cool. Hayek got it from me, though.
Posted by: rdbrewer at March 18, 2012 10:24 AM (Iyg03)
Posted by: Al Sharpton at March 18, 2012 02:17 PM
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Papa?
Posted by: Otis at March 18, 2012 10:24 AM (TrNbx)
Posted by: model_1066 at March 18, 2012 10:25 AM (PWwbk)
When my children were babies they were very aware of self. Self was all. The world ceased to exist when they closed their eyes. People, objects, the world around them, did not exist when unseen. Basically the only person who was real was themselves.
We live in a nation increasingly populated by an astounding immateriality, surrounded by enemies who have the primitive belief the The Other is nonhuman. Time to hunker down, hide and wait for an Awakening.
Posted by: Pecos, still yearning for Perry at March 18, 2012 10:26 AM (2Gb0y)
Posted by: model_1066 at March 18, 2012 02:25 PM
------
No shit. Them crackers is wack!
Posted by: Otis at March 18, 2012 10:27 AM (TrNbx)
Posted by: Emmanuel Kant at March 18, 2012 10:28 AM (Jhjme)
Oh, good gads, yes. There's a person at work who believes in the superiority of her intellect/judgment/expertise...but has no skills to back it up...and ALWAYS volunteers for places on committees in order to bequeath all that non-existent knowledge...what a headache is caused. What shenanigans occur. Regularly.
I think all the members of Congress and their staffs should be sent home and lots should be drawn as to who should serve: "Ms. Betsey Johnson? You're a short-order cook? Congratulations! You are now a member of Congress for 2-6 years only! Pack your bags..."
Posted by: Quint&Jessel, Sea of Azof, Bly, UK at March 18, 2012 10:29 AM (7l7KA)
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This is my favorite. The Gimp pwns all. I'm gonna have nightmares tonight.
Posted by: Contemplative Lobster at March 18, 2012 10:29 AM (TrNbx)
So what ever happened to the book thread?
Posted by: Libra at March 18, 2012 01:46 PM
Monty retired to catch up on his ready.
Posted by: scif at March 18, 2012 10:29 AM (TqLxU)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 10:31 AM (R5yLq)
Posted by: ParanoidGirlInSeattle at March 18, 2012 10:32 AM (RZ8pf)
That's why George Clooney is invited to testify to Congress on the situation in the Sudan when he has no other experience or credentials to qualify him as an expert on foreign affairs. No one would ask Clooney to design a defense to stop Tom Brady, to perform heart surgery, or fly a plane. So why is he the last word on the Sudan? Why was Meryl Streep an expert on insecticides?
I know many in the IT field who are brilliant at what they do, but in many other subjects they are clueless but feel their success in IT somehow bestowed universal wisdom upon them
Noam Chomsky's field is English composition. I doubt he could tell you how an airplane flies, or precisely how credit swap derivatives work. Why is he considered a genius on geopolitics or economics?
Ross Perot once cracked during the 1992 campaign: "Have you ever met a rich economist? If they know so much about money, why aren't they rich?"
Posted by: kbdabear at March 18, 2012 10:33 AM (Y+DPZ)
Posted by: Rick Santorum at March 18, 2012 10:33 AM (RSG1I)
My political extrapolation: Liberals don't want to think things though, because their conclusion jumping imitates the "quick-thinking" associated with brilliance. Precisely by being stupid they feel like they're smart -- the most important of identifications to these people -- and their own brains physically addict them to the process.
Posted by: sistrum at March 18, 2012 10:33 AM (AyryN)
Liberals identify the sinner first and then try to find the sin.
There are four characteristics to the modern liberal's thought process:
* Bien pensants -- they think that their political beliefs make them good people and expound on these views sometimes only for the applause and approval of their peers.
* Betes noires -- their worldview depends on a villainous and monstrous "other" to rail against.
* Noblesse oblige -- they love to see themselves as a wealthy hero fighting on behalf of the dirty downtrodden, who had better keep themselves downtrodden and subservient to their masters if they know what's best for them.
* Psychological projection -- every bad motive they assign to conservatives is one they hold in their heart and they use the other three characteristics to try to mask it or suppress it.
When arguing with a liberal, the easiest way to get them off the rails is to accuse them of bad faith. Accuse them of being racist. Accuse them of projecting their deep-seated hatred upon you and point out that they are paternalistically condescending toward the people they claim to want to "help". The Left drips with contempt when they talk about their beloved "masses".
Posted by: AmishDude at March 18, 2012 10:33 AM (fNK8e)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 10:34 AM (R5yLq)
This is the book thread. They just changed the name a bit but it's the same as it was back in
Posted by: dangling chad at March 18, 2012 10:34 AM (6RnvM)
Posted by: Daybrother at March 18, 2012 10:35 AM (9/zVj)
I read something along those lines, about liberal thought processes: it said basically that they think in terms of icons, assigning blame/credit based on simple models of race, gender, class....they basically have the intellectual firepower of a dead pigeon.
Posted by: model_1066 at March 18, 2012 10:36 AM (PWwbk)
Posted by: Michael at March 18, 2012 10:36 AM (Bn7+4)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 10:36 AM (R5yLq)
Posted by: kbdabear at March 18, 2012 02:20 PM (Y+DPZ)
See #109. I chalk that up to bien pensants
Posted by: AmishDude at March 18, 2012 10:37 AM (fNK8e)
Posted by: phoenixgirl at March 18, 2012 10:37 AM (Ho2rs)
no: I am a white male hetorosexual person who admits that I cannot see my own racism sexism etc but I know it it there and permeates society. That' why we need the gov't to step in an guarantee that no one is denied opportunies in school, work, etc. People who are like me but fail to recognize these problems inherent in our society are either not intelligent enough or not honest enough to deserve the opportunities that all others should have.
(Think Pink, part 1... or would "Thinko like a Onko" work better?)
Posted by: mallfly at March 18, 2012 10:37 AM (bJm7W)
Posted by: Daybrother at March 18, 2012 10:37 AM (9/zVj)
Rutherford B. Hayes thought the book thread would never catch on.
Posted by: AmishDude at March 18, 2012 10:38 AM (fNK8e)
NC State just (likely) finished off eorgetown. 65-61 with a few seconds left.
My crackpot theory?
Wasn't it just too perfect for Soledad O'Brien to set up and try to bulldoze James Pollack over Critical Race Theory? She had the most obnoxious over the top prosecutorial style without having any knowledge of it whatsoever; James Pollack was the perfect witness in terms of thwarting her cross-examination; and it just seems impossible that CNN would have had Pollack on at all anyway.
Why not bury this, like they bury everything else? Why allow him to go up against a stupid woman full of herself? Why not have her do her homework, at least?
It seemed like a perfect storm of stupid on the part of CNN and the perfect stroke of brilliance by Breitbart.com. While Breitbart has always seemed to play things perfectly, they've never before had such a willing patsy in the MFM.
What gives?
Posted by: Truman North at March 18, 2012 10:39 AM (I2LwF)
Posted by: D-lo at March 18, 2012 10:39 AM (ZGCX3)
The point of arguing with a liberal is (a) to challenge him in front of the more persuadable and (b) to destroy him psychologically.
Posted by: AmishDude at March 18, 2012 10:39 AM (fNK8e)
It will only get worse. We have raised an entire generation of I'm okay, You're okay kids who think introspection is the way of the old timer.
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 10:40 AM (piMMO)
Hmmm ... many say Morrison faked his own death ...
What if ... Breitbart faked his own death and hid quietly in his alter-ego as "Ace of Spades"
Hmmmm ... think about it ..
Posted by: Things that make you go Hmmmm at March 18, 2012 10:40 AM (Y+DPZ)
I think all the members of Congress and their staffs should be sent home and lots should be drawn as to who should serve:
Splendid idea. Kind of like jury duty.
Posted by: mama winger at March 18, 2012 10:40 AM (P6QsQ)
Posted by: phoenixgirl at March 18, 2012 10:40 AM (Ho2rs)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 10:42 AM (R5yLq)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 10:43 AM (R5yLq)
no: there is nothing "close minded" about know the difference between right and wrong. You wouldn't let a Holocaust Denier appear in a documentary about the Holocaust, would you? If people who have given up opportunities to become wealthy in private industry chose to instead work for gov'ts or non-profit organizations or educational institutions present evidence that something is true, why should we give equal time to those who are influenced by money from private interests?
(Didn't you see "The Day After Tomorrow"?)
Posted by: mallfly at March 18, 2012 10:44 AM (bJm7W)
Whenever Judaism or Christianity became TOO full of heirarchies, something bad happened to start to bring a corrective.
In Islam, there is no self-corrective to tyranny, and that is why most Muslims end up fighting amongst themselves if they do not have an outside threat to unite them. And why there is no correlation to democratic ideas within the world of Islam as their is within the practice of Judaism or Christianity. Democracy is the LAST thing real Muslims want - they want to be under the tyranny of the Koran and Sharia law. They want the cultural heirarchies in their societies, to create priviledge and terror.
And that is one of the reasons the collectivist Left identifies with them.
Posted by: Reader C.J. Burch writes.... at March 18, 2012 02:11 PM
Nice points. I have a theory about religion too, that at least some of them attempt to elevate neo-cortex thinking over more primitive R-complex thinking/urges.
Posted by: rdbrewer at March 18, 2012 10:44 AM (Iyg03)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 10:44 AM (R5yLq)
Posted by: Pecos, still yearning for Perry at March 18, 2012 10:45 AM (2Gb0y)
daybrother has obviously been reading Wired. I'm not sure how I feel abou the NSA storing absolutely everything so they can run data analysis on it.
But the part of the article that puzzled me was the idea the NSA posits that by decrypting all the past communications by foreign governments they can somehow predict what those governments will do now and in the future. Given how much has changed in a lot of places since the 1950s, I don't know why that would be true. To make a silly comparision, I really don't think you can take the actions of the Romans and use it to postulate what the average Italian will do today.
Posted by: ParanoidGirlInSeattle at March 18, 2012 10:45 AM (RZ8pf)
Posted by: phoenixgirl at March 18, 2012 10:45 AM (Ho2rs)
Posted by: Daybrother at March 18, 2012 10:45 AM (9/zVj)
the largest class of SUV's or to very high end German sports sedans
Aha! I was behind a Toyota Sequoia at Jimmy Johns the other day. On it were three stickers:
Obama 2012
A sticker for the teachers' union
and the third which stated "Critical thought: The nation's scarcest resource"
Not a sticker about irony in the bunch
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 10:46 AM (piMMO)
Posted by: willow at March 18, 2012 10:46 AM (TomZ9)
Posted by: Pauline Kael-Algae at March 18, 2012 10:46 AM (DATOZ)
I haven't. I asked earlier if anyone has seen Delta Smelt here lately.
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 10:47 AM (piMMO)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 10:48 AM (R5yLq)
Not me. That guy with the space bothers the hell out of me.
Posted by: AmishDude at March 18, 2012 10:48 AM (fNK8e)
Let's just say there was a scene where a widowed man released into the wild the parrot that belonged to his wife.
In Seattle.
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 10:48 AM (piMMO)
Don't tease me...
Posted by: Laura Castellano at March 18, 2012 10:48 AM (fuw6p)
http://tinyurl.com/7jjs3br
NBC News Boss: We're Accurate, Even-Handed, and Ethical, Unlike Those Murdoch Robots
Capus said it was not just what was reported, but how. "We must be accurate, even-handed, and, indeed, ethical. In the news business we are often presented with options of shortcuts for taking advantage of a situation when it's presented of breaking the news first. And, let's be honest, it is exciting to get exclusive information or the first interview. But under no circumstances is it worth the cost of breaking public trust. Trust is what news organizations live and die by, and it takes an unwavering commitment from every employee to keep that trust alive."
Posted by: kbdabear at March 18, 2012 10:48 AM (Y+DPZ)
He said, "Go to the Malibu system. There you will find Orson Bean, the comedian who instructed me."
Posted by: AmishDude at March 18, 2012 10:50 AM (fNK8e)
People get plenty wealthy working for governments, non-profits, and educational institutions.
Posted by: mama winger at March 18, 2012 10:51 AM (P6QsQ)
I just watched that movie too, but I'm chalking it up to time well spent since I saw a lot of Aaron Eckhart
Posted by: someone at March 18, 2012 10:51 AM (bqjJT)
Heh. That is so odd, isn't it?
Posted by: rdbrewer at March 18, 2012 10:51 AM (Iyg03)
So are you comparing "private interests" to Nazis?
Also, what's so non-greedy about taking 6 figures from a non-profit?
Also, what is truth?
Posted by: AmishDude at March 18, 2012 10:52 AM (fNK8e)
I just graduated from a northeastern public liberal arts and teaching college. Among those who are employed by the college and use their benefit to obtain further education, the number one department they enter into is nonprofit studies.
They know which side the government cheese is buttered on.
Posted by: Truman North at March 18, 2012 10:53 AM (I2LwF)
Posted by: phoenixgirl at March 18, 2012 10:53 AM (Ho2rs)
I'm in academia. Sandra Fluke could take whore lessons from these people.
Posted by: AmishDude at March 18, 2012 10:54 AM (fNK8e)
Posted by: Truman North at March 18, 2012 10:54 AM (I2LwF)
What happened to her name? Did she take a vow of anonymity?
Posted by: mama winger at March 18, 2012 10:55 AM (P6QsQ)
Does anyone know where that cheese is sourced because I remember it as the best cheese ever.
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 10:55 AM (piMMO)
For example, I'm an ENTJ. And one of the prime characteristics of this personality type is that we do not recognize authority based on credentialism, social hierarchies, status, etc...
Instead, every idea is examined on its own merit. In short, if you are accomplished in a particular field and what you say can withstand critical analysis, then an ENTJ will give your words weight. Do this consistently and you will have earned great respect from an ENTJ. Merely assert your inherent authority and demand that you be respected and you'll be told to fuck off.
But ENTJs are only about 1% of the population. Many other personality types willingly follow authority without question. My wife is one of these. Her first impulse it to always follow the rules, even if the rules are stupid, pointless, or unfair.
Now my wife is conservative, but it took me connecting the dots for her in order to get her voting that way. And we still fight like cats and dogs whenever I reject some societal rule that doesn't make sense to me. She thinks it's arrogance, pig-headedness, or simple rebelliousness when I do this.
Posted by: Warden at March 18, 2012 10:55 AM (KulgD)
OK what movie is it that Aaron Eckhart releases his dead wife's parrot into the wilds of Seattle?
And I really liked the format of that comment. With lots of spaces and then "in Seattle" it's almost like adding "in bed" to fortune cookies.
Posted by: ParanoidGirlInSeattle at March 18, 2012 10:59 AM (RZ8pf)
Nice points, AmishDude.
Posted by: rdbrewer at March 18, 2012 10:59 AM (Iyg03)
And, of course, Martin Sheen had to make to requisite appearance as the self-righteous shit.
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 11:00 AM (piMMO)
Barack Obama dies unexpectedly in a few years, and finds himself in....hell.
The Devil says," Well, you are supposed to be here, but we are a little overcrowded right now, so I have to let someone go to make room for you. You come with me and decide who you want to replace."
So Obama follows the Devil into a room with a swimming pool, where Teddy Kennedy has to surface dive all day to try and retrieve something from the bottom of the pool.
Barack thinks for a minute, and knows he is a weak swimmer." No, I can't do this" he answers.
So in the next room there is Al Gore using a sledge hammer to make little rocks out of big rocks, because he wanted to deny modern technology to so many in his life. The Devil looks at Barack and says, "Well?"
And Barack thinks about his shoulder and says,"I've got a bad shoulder, I can't do this all day."
So they go to the third room, and there is Bill Clinton, tied down on a bed, with Monica Lewinsky endlessly performing oral sex on him.
Barack looks at Clinton thinks for a moment and says,"Okay, I can do this."
So the Devil turns to Monica and says, "You're free to go now."
Posted by: Reader C.J. Burch writes.... at March 18, 2012 11:00 AM (sJTmU)
Never heard of that. It fits, though.
Posted by: rdbrewer at March 18, 2012 11:01 AM (Iyg03)
Posted by: Daybrother at March 18, 2012 11:02 AM (9/zVj)
Conspiracy theory, Siri is actually SkyNet or HAL. Latest hilarious thing she said to me. The new iPhone 4s ads show the quotation "I could use a latte" so I wanted to see if Siri could actually parse that. She said "I'm sure you can, paranoid, you are quite capable." hahaha she parsed it as a declaritive statement!
To her credit, if you say "I need coffee" she's on it at lightning speed and retrieving the nearest coffee places.
Posted by: ParanoidGirlInSeattle at March 18, 2012 11:02 AM (RZ8pf)
Then, The Break Up comes on.
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 11:02 AM (piMMO)
Love Happens - really not much to recommend it except the male lead.
Posted by: someone at March 18, 2012 11:04 AM (bqjJT)
Heh. Is that really so different from what the Dems already do?
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 11:04 AM (piMMO)
You need a computer to tell you where to find a coffee joint in Seattle? lol
I kid. Of course you do.
Kidding again!
Posted by: Truman North at March 18, 2012 11:05 AM (I2LwF)
Posted by: Reader C.J. Burch writes.... at March 18, 2012 11:06 AM (sJTmU)
So the Devil turns to Monica and says, "You're free to go now."
Oh, wait, so the joke is, he thought he was going to be having sex with a woman? I don't think he was thinking of it that way.
Posted by: Truman North at March 18, 2012 11:06 AM (I2LwF)
Love Happens - really not much to recommend it except the male lead.
Terrible movie. It make the Break Up look goood.
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 11:08 AM (piMMO)
Hmmmm ... think about it ..
Posted by: Things that make you go Hmmmm at March 18, 2012 02:40 PM
I'll find the truth about the mysterious Ace if I have to follow him to the farthest corners of Earth!
Posted by: Jack McGee, investigative reporter at March 18, 2012 11:08 AM (Y+DPZ)
Daybrother, but I got the feeling from the article that they were talking about way back information (1970s-80s), because it was about the DES information, not the AES information which they have not yet cracked, but which I assume most of the current stuff like Iranian nuclear secrets and North Korea missile testing is in.
But, yeah, agreed, a little bit creepy to think that every single bit of information you do from ATM withdrawals to clothing purchases, to e-mails, text messages, and even posts on blogs is about to be stored in Utah for data mining by a US security agency. Of course I guess all of that has been stored for a while, all Utah gets them is super fast computers with massive storage which will make it easier for them to run their little digital fingers over to pull out the juicy bits.
Posted by: ParanoidGirlInSeattle at March 18, 2012 11:08 AM (RZ8pf)
Posted by: MagicalMaggieT at March 18, 2012 02:41 PM (rZZA3)
How is this a crackpot theory? Or how could Michelle be a precious, delicate wallflower?
Posted by: Fritz at March 18, 2012 11:08 AM (KWdVT)
Posted by: Truman North
I hate you guys. 
Posted by: Reader C.J. Burch writes.... at March 18, 2012 11:09 AM (sJTmU)
Yeah, Truman North, I guess it's true, swing a cat around here and you'll hit a coffee shop.
Posted by: ParanoidGirlInSeattle at March 18, 2012 11:10 AM (RZ8pf)
What is you specify that you need a good cup of coffee and not that burnt roast swill that Starbucks passes off as coffee?
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 11:10 AM (piMMO)
Posted by: ParanoidGirlInSeattle at March 18, 2012 11:13 AM (RZ8pf)
Posted by: Truman North at March 18, 2012 11:14 AM (I2LwF)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 11:14 AM (R5yLq)
****
I saw a good example this morning on CSPAN. William Fowler did a presentation on his book, An American Crisis, which concerns a political crisis implicating George Washington after the Battle Of Yorktown which might have drastically altered the history of the US. In his presentation he casually mentioned that during the height of the political crisis word came from Paris that the hostilities of the Revolutionary War were over. After his presentation he opened it up for questions. The first question from an eager participant was that she had always believed that we fought the Revolutionary War against the British but since word of the end of the war came from Paris she was pleased to hear that it was actually the French we fought against.
Damn frogs.
Posted by: WalrusRex at March 18, 2012 11:16 AM (TVvXc)
Posted by: Truman North at March 18, 2012 11:16 AM (I2LwF)
Posted by: MostlyRight at March 18, 2012 11:16 AM (ZG8Ti)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 11:17 AM (R5yLq)
Posted by: Bob's Country Bunker at March 18, 2012 11:18 AM (KtT0H)
Posted by: MostlyRight at March 18, 2012 11:18 AM (ZG8Ti)
Posted by: Truman North at March 18, 2012 11:19 AM (I2LwF)
Posted by: political correctness czar at March 18, 2012 11:21 AM (Q2Ne0)
Posted by: Z Ryan at March 18, 2012 03:16 PM (U9NWP)-
----------------------
I posted a pic of him at CPAC a few years ago.
Posted by: Vic at March 18, 2012 11:24 AM (YdQQY)
Posted by: utahprez at March 18, 2012 11:24 AM (wlVR3)
Shut up, or you will just give the Democrats more ammunition with which to laugh at us, and we will lose the election. So please stop talking about anything that might be construed as a power play by the Obama Administration, who in reality are only doing what government has done for years. Decades even. This public service announcement brought to you by the previous thread.
Posted by: mama winger at March 18, 2012 11:25 AM (P6QsQ)
The Asshole Theory of Government
This Crackpot Theory has now been made into a short film called Theories of Government #9 by an Australian filmmaker named Larry Larstead.
Problem: Why is it that no matter what kind of political system man devises it always ends up going bad?
Answer: Because no political thinker has yet managed to solve the problem of the Asshole.
Sure, the details often differ, but when you come right down to it all forms of government run into the same problem: What does society do with the asshole? Nobody has yet come up with a satisfactory answer, and this is why the vision of life on Earth as put forth in Star Trek has failed to materialize. No matter what principles you build your system on, there will always be some asshole out there who can screw it up and pervert it from its presumed ends. LetÂ’s break it down with a few familiar examples:
System: Capitalism.
Principle: Efficiency and virtue will be rewarded by the market; only the truly useful will survive. Those who cannot make it to the top will be employed in the service of those who have, and if anyone falls through the cracks, private charity will alleviate the worst of their misery.
Problem: Some asshole with money and power will always be trying to fix the market to protect his own assets. Also, assholes donÂ’t give a damn about the suffering of others and have no incentive to take care of them.
System: Communism.
Principle: Everyone cooperates and shares the work and the wealth so that everyoneÂ’s needs are taken care of.
Problem: Some asshole will always try to get out of doing his share of the work while at the same time collecting his share of the profits.
System: Fascism.
Principle: Everyone surrenders their will to the State, whose leaders will decide what is best for the people.
Problem: Fascist leaders are almost always assholes.
System: Pacifism.
Principle: Nobody hurts anyone else.
Problem: Some asshole is always going to be willing to hurt you to get what he wants.
System: Anarchy.
Principle: People are left to themselves to do as they see fit without being hassled by The Man.
Problem: Left to themselves, most people will behave like assholes.
System: Democracy.
Principle: Government by the people, for the people.
Problem: Get enough assholes in one place, and youÂ’ve got government by assholes for assholes.
And so on. It really is quite a knotty problem, because the asshole is a peculiarly intractable and unmanageable sort. The true asshole cannot be appealed to in the name of any ideal, or in the name of the public good, or even in the name of other people he knows and presumably cares about. The true asshole is driven by one thing and one thing only, and that is to do what he damn well wants to do no matter who else he hurts along the way. You cannot convince the asshole to comply voluntarily; therefore your system of government must have in place a way of punishing the asshole when he oversteps the line. But a real asshole has surprising powers of resistance, and ultimately can require you to mobilize such a huge penal system that you discover, having finally quashed the asshole, that you have quashed all the ordinary law-abiding citizens along with him. Paradoxically, the more freedom your system allows its citizens, the greater room the asshole has to work his assholic will on those around him.
The only system of government that would actually work would be one where, somehow, the assholes could be detected by an impartiable and incorruptible Asshole Detention Board and exiled to a desert island somewhere. But unfortunately even this is impractical, because there is a little bit of the asshole in all of us.
Posted by: Vic at March 18, 2012 11:27 AM (YdQQY)
Posted by: WalrusRex at March 18, 2012 11:27 AM (TVvXc)
Posted by: Daybrother at March 18, 2012 11:27 AM (9/zVj)
invention of their psyche where the laws of Nature no longer apply,
where truth is relative and facts are immaterial. It is akin to a modern
form of alchemy, seeking the formula to change lead into gold.
Posted by: utahprez at March 18, 2012 03:24 PM
By any chance did you see the article someone linked to this morning, about genetically engineering for smaller-sized children, who theoretically will consume less resources, and thus reduce global warming?
Posted by: mama winger at March 18, 2012 11:28 AM (P6QsQ)
Posted by: political correctness czar at March 18, 2012 11:29 AM (Q2Ne0)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 11:29 AM (R5yLq)
If you hug a terrorist.....
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 11:30 AM (piMMO)
Posted by: political correctness czar at March 18, 2012 03:29 PM
I am in agreement with you. I should have included my sarc tag on that previous post.
Posted by: mama winger at March 18, 2012 11:30 AM (P6QsQ)
Hah!
Posted by: rdbrewer at March 18, 2012 11:31 AM (Iyg03)
*****
That should prove interesting considering all the effing growth hormones in meat and the genetic reengineering of fruits and vegetables. Kind of like taking uppers and downers at the same time.
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 11:32 AM (piMMO)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 11:32 AM (R5yLq)
By any chance did you see the article someone linked to this morning, about genetically engineering for smaller-sized children, who theoretically will consume less resources, and thus reduce global warming?
Sounds like a theory to breed better concubines for pedophiles.
Posted by: Truman North at March 18, 2012 11:32 AM (I2LwF)
*****
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 11:32 AM (piMMO)
Can't we have one thread that doesn't mention Michelle?
Posted by: WalrusRex at March 18, 2012 11:33 AM (TVvXc)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 11:34 AM (R5yLq)
I think he calls himself a medical ethicist. He made a big deal about how this enhances freedom, because now you could choose between having two regular sized children, or three smaller sized children.
Posted by: mama winger at March 18, 2012 11:35 AM (P6QsQ)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 11:36 AM (R5yLq)
Oh see I got the opposite creepy paranoia, daybrother, they are building the complex because now they have super fast computers and in order break the encryption they need massive amounts of data, and since now they also have the ability to store that massive amount of data, the facility in Utah will combine the fast computers, the massive data, and then break AES.
In the meantime I assume both classified and unclassified projects are happening to invent UES (ultra encryption standard, or perhaps "uber")
But, I wholeheartedly embrace my stupidity in cryptography, so I'm mostly speaking out of my butt here. Though if I had the technical chops, that would have been the technology field I went into.
Posted by: ParanoidGirlInSeattle at March 18, 2012 11:36 AM (RZ8pf)
Sarcasm guys, come on, it's not like I've never boon here before...
Posted by: mallfly at March 18, 2012 11:36 AM (bJm7W)
Posted by: WalrusRex at March 18, 2012 03:33 PM
--------
See, this is why we can't have nice things.
Posted by: Contemplative Lobster at March 18, 2012 11:36 AM (TrNbx)
for instance global warming with bits of truthiness data smeared with tons of faked data does it matter who is invested in making this a Truthy thing?? is that considered a conspiracy?
Posted by: willow at March 18, 2012 11:37 AM (TomZ9)
There was a site that you could text questions to and they'd send the answers, kinda Kathryn Hepburn in Desk Settish. So I texted them to ask "Why do birds suddenly appear, any time, you are near?"
I can't remember the site or the answer but I remember it took about 15 minutes for them to come up with something really, really smart ass and I remember LMAO.
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 11:38 AM (piMMO)
I didn't get this huge without being annoyingly greedy....works for me!
uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurp
Posted by: Michael Morbidly Obese Fat Motherfucka at March 18, 2012 11:38 AM (wki7A)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 11:40 AM (R5yLq)
Posted by: willow at March 18, 2012 11:40 AM (TomZ9)
Posted by: sherlock at March 18, 2012 11:40 AM (8ra42)
You should see my TP bill...I NEED to be rich to pay for that. But I really wouldn't mind it if you did. We need universal TP paid for by the government.
uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurp
Posted by: Michael Morbidly Obese Fat Motherfucka at March 18, 2012 11:40 AM (wki7A)
Posted by: dogfish at March 18, 2012 11:41 AM (N2yhW)
Posted by: political correctness czar at March 18, 2012 11:41 AM (Q2Ne0)
Whack-a-mole has taught us how to deal with the situation.
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 11:41 AM (piMMO)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 11:42 AM (R5yLq)
Posted by: willow at March 18, 2012 03:40 PM
I forgot to bookmark the link, and now I can't find it. I can't recall where he was from. Maybe I can scout around for it. Strictly typing my summary from memory. I found it appalling.
Posted by: mama winger at March 18, 2012 11:44 AM (P6QsQ)
Absolutely NO chance for any unintended consequences arising out of this plan
Posted by: someone at March 18, 2012 11:44 AM (bqjJT)
Posted by: Truman North at March 18, 2012 11:45 AM (I2LwF)
Posted by: political correctness czar at March 18, 2012 03:41 PM
As a Little Green Footstench alumni myself, I understand perfectly.
Posted by: mama winger at March 18, 2012 11:46 AM (P6QsQ)
Sigh... I just realized I will never get back to my original weight.
8 lbs 5 oz was kind of unrealistic anyway.
Posted by: Truman North at March 18, 2012 11:47 AM (I2LwF)
Posted by: mallfly at March 18, 2012 11:48 AM (bJm7W)
Posted by: Sheriff Joe Fucking Biden at March 18, 2012 11:49 AM (wki7A)
Posted by: Daybrother at March 18, 2012 11:49 AM (9/zVj)
How Engineering the Human Body Could Combat Climate Change
http://bit.ly/wc3HAD
The lead author of the paper, S. Matthew Liao, is a professor of philosophy and bioethics at New York University.
Posted by: mama winger at March 18, 2012 11:50 AM (P6QsQ)
Posted by: BeckoningChasm at March 18, 2012 11:50 AM (i0App)
Posted by: ParanoidGirlInSeattle at March 18, 2012 11:51 AM (RZ8pf)
Posted by: Zombie bin Laden at March 18, 2012 11:52 AM (wki7A)
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 11:53 AM (piMMO)
Posted by: Roman Polanski at March 18, 2012 11:54 AM (Q2Ne0)
Posted by: mama winger at March 18, 2012 11:55 AM (P6QsQ)
It's like a Ph.D. in economics: The more you "learn" about the subject, the less you know, especially compared to a well-informed amateur.
Posted by: AmishDude at March 18, 2012 11:55 AM (fNK8e)
Posted by: Zombie Bin Laden at March 18, 2012 11:55 AM (jucos)
They just found a huge oil field right off the Irish coast. The US military ought to be there by Christmas to liberate Ireland and restore their democracy.
Posted by: Truman North at March 18, 2012 11:55 AM (I2LwF)
Posted by: Truman North at March 18, 2012 11:56 AM (I2LwF)
Posted by: Hrothgar at March 18, 2012 11:58 AM (i3+c5)
****
Desk Set is a great movie, much better than Bringin Up Baby.
Despite the whole dating a married man thing, I LOVED KH. She was tough and independent and one of the guys when women weren't.
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 12:00 PM (piMMO)
Posted by: Daybrother at March 18, 2012 12:01 PM (9/zVj)
Posted by: dagny who loved andrew at March 18, 2012 12:01 PM (u50z0)
Posted by: dagny who loved andrew at March 18, 2012 12:02 PM (u50z0)
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 12:03 PM (piMMO)
Posted by: nickless at March 18, 2012 12:04 PM (MMC8r)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 12:07 PM (R5yLq)
Posted by: Clubber Lang at March 18, 2012 12:08 PM (ZPrif)
****
The same person, taking the test on different days, would score very differently.
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 12:09 PM (piMMO)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 12:10 PM (R5yLq)
Posted by: Alex at March 18, 2012 12:10 PM (XzxB+)
Posted by: veeka oot seeg at March 18, 2012 12:10 PM (sqVOl)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 12:12 PM (R5yLq)
Lol.. would love to, but I haven't even been allowed to get off the couch all day. Oldsis has been watching me like a hawk. She won't even let me into the kitchen to stir my own chili, so I'm guessing a roadtrip is completely out of the question.
***
No today, silly!
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 12:13 PM (piMMO)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 12:14 PM (R5yLq)
I spent my whole academic like being called "gifted" because of one damn IQ test I took when I was five. I have a facitilty for the English language. Otherwise, I'm borderline-retarded.
But people keep having "high hopes" for me. I should be in a fucking adult daycare.
Posted by: Truman North at March 18, 2012 12:14 PM (I2LwF)
Posted by: rdbrewer at March 18, 2012 12:15 PM (Iyg03)
She's not real happy with her nickname though so apparently I'll have to come up with a new one.
Yes... Mrs. Stupid doesn't quite work.
Posted by: Truman North at March 18, 2012 12:15 PM (I2LwF)
Posted by: veeka oot seeg at March 18, 2012 12:16 PM (sqVOl)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 12:16 PM (R5yLq)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 12:17 PM (R5yLq)
Unbreakable encryption? Obviously never met my erection.
Posted by: Truman North at March 18, 2012 12:17 PM (I2LwF)
Posted by: ParanoidGirlInSeattle at March 18, 2012 12:17 PM (RZ8pf)
He had that power the day he took office. It was an existing document. The new version only updates it for changes to things it references such as agencies and cabinet positions.
This isn't a power grab. It's a power retention. If he had opted to not renew it with updates, that would be a far more interesting story. It has been in place for so long that this would cause a lot of problems. At the very least a new document would be needed to smooth over the changes from the relinquishment of power so that the various responders would know what to do if an actual emergency came up.
Posted by: epobirs at March 18, 2012 12:18 PM (kcfmt)
Lol
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 04:16 PM (R5yLq)
I know, right It occurs to me that I just missed the irony.
Posted by: Truman North at March 18, 2012 12:18 PM (I2LwF)
Posted by: And Irresolute at March 18, 2012 12:18 PM (RC3M9)
Posted by: ParanoidGirlInSeattle at March 18, 2012 12:19 PM (RZ8pf)
Posted by: FUBAR at March 18, 2012 12:19 PM (mdhVr)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 12:20 PM (R5yLq)
Obama doesn't eat pussy. Good enough for me.
Posted by: Iowan at March 18, 2012 12:20 PM (ThWsS)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 12:20 PM (R5yLq)
Posted by: veeka oot seeg at March 18, 2012 12:21 PM (sqVOl)
JFK himself wasn't too big on the way the story was played up to promote him. Once, when a reporter asked him how he became a war hero he replied, "They sank my boat."
I suspect he felt a little guilty about the incident being distorted into a positive for his bio. His brother Teddy apparent;y never had that sort of problem.
Posted by: epobirs at March 18, 2012 12:21 PM (kcfmt)
Posted by: Truman North at March 18, 2012 12:21 PM (I2LwF)
Posted by: Iowan at March 18, 2012 04:20 PM (ThWsS)
More like porcupine.
Posted by: FUBAR at March 18, 2012 12:21 PM (mdhVr)
I'll be happympfs if I'm not found dead, face down in a Best Western motel room in Northeastern PA.
Then its all good.
And Charles Barkley is an ignoramus.
Posted by: mpfs at March 18, 2012 12:22 PM (TlwCF)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 12:22 PM (R5yLq)
Posted by: crosspatch at March 18, 2012 12:23 PM (ZbLJZ)
Posted by: Truman North at March 18, 2012 12:24 PM (I2LwF)
If you get put into a Psych Ward on a 3-day hold, they sometimes let you go to art therapy.
Posted by: mama winger at March 18, 2012 12:24 PM (P6QsQ)
That's so stupid. The British must have beat us because we speak English don't we?
Posted by: kelly bundy at March 18, 2012 12:24 PM (6RnvM)
Posted by: crosspatch at March 18, 2012 04:23 PM
I feel the same way when I see someone calling themselves a "medical ethicist".
Posted by: mama winger at March 18, 2012 12:26 PM (P6QsQ)
Obama laughed. Then he joked that maybe the trigger should be his own removal from office. Biden deadpanned: Republicans might just go for that.
Posted by: Rutherford Birchard Hayes at March 18, 2012 12:28 PM (e8kgV)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 12:28 PM (R5yLq)
Posted by: veeka oot seeg at March 18, 2012 12:29 PM (sqVOl)
They don't think so.
Posted by: Retread at March 18, 2012 12:30 PM (joSBv)
The left has always believed in the perfectibility of humankind. This has been repeated by all of the great mass murderers looking to winnow down the population solely those meeting their definition for advancing the species. The French Revolution, Russian Revolution, Chinese Revolution, Cambodian Revolution, Korea, etc.
Are we the only ones to have a revolution without a mountain of corpses in the aftermath?
Drawing from the Bible but just as valid for us non-religious sorts, the right believes humankind is flawed and this nature must be expected in the conduct of our affairs. We succumb to temptation, we make bad choices, we deceive ourselves, etc. This does not make us evil. Merely human.
Part of this is understanding that too much power invested in government leads to disaster because the government is composed of people and inevitably flawed as a result. A bad decision made in high office is a bad decision made for the entire nation. Thus it is a good idea to keep the number of these wide ranging choices to a minimum.
Posted by: epobirs at March 18, 2012 12:33 PM (kcfmt)
Not to go all metaphysical but self-awareness is the base for understanding everything else. If one is not capable of being self-aware — of knowing that self with which one is most intimate and familiar — how can one genuinely assess anything else?
The trouble with blind spots is that we can't see our own.
Posted by: Jix at March 18, 2012 12:33 PM (VDKgR)
Posted by: al bundy at March 18, 2012 12:33 PM (6RnvM)
Part of this is understanding that too much power invested in government leads to disaster because the government is composed of people and inevitably flawed as a result. A bad decision made in high office is a bad decision made for the entire nation. Thus it is a good idea to keep the number of these wide ranging choices to a minimum.
Posted by: epobirs at March 18, 2012 04:33 PM
Agreed.
Posted by: rdbrewer at March 18, 2012 12:37 PM (Iyg03)
Posted by: epobirs at March 18, 2012 04:33 PM (kcfmt)
Actually, that sort of post-revolutionary opposition bloodfest was generally the creative fruits of the French Revolution, which, sadly, has finally won the West. The American Revolution was pronounced dead on Nov 4th, 2008 with the election of an ineligible retard from the Third World who held us, our institutions and our nation in nothing but contempt.
Posted by: ThePrimordialOrderedPair at March 18, 2012 12:38 PM (X3lox)
Posted by: toby928© at March 18, 2012 12:38 PM (GTbGH)
Posted by: toby928© at March 18, 2012 12:39 PM (GTbGH)
Now, from a chick perspective, call me closed-minded, but I would immediately rule out anyone who's done POV anal on screen or has dated Marilyn Manson.
http://bit.ly/9o12R5
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 12:40 PM (piMMO)
Nope. Can't get out of it. The "volunteers" from each state are put up at a nice hotel for 2-6 years. Their staffs are from temp firms. The new Congress has to come up with a budget within a given time or they don't get to watch tv.
Admittedly, I have to work on this plan some more.
Posted by: Quint&Jessel, Sea of Azof, Bly, UK at March 18, 2012 12:40 PM (7l7KA)
Posted by: Adam Smith's Invisible Pimp Hand at March 18, 2012 12:41 PM (tKFT6)
Admittedly, I have to work on this plan some more.
***
You're getting close. We need to restore the concept of "service" to civil service. It's not supposed to be a fucking money-making, power-tripping adventure.
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 12:42 PM (piMMO)
Posted by: Kosh's Shadow at March 18, 2012 12:43 PM (qxphV)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 12:43 PM (R5yLq)
Posted by: Pecos, still yearning for Perry at March 18, 2012 12:43 PM (2Gb0y)
Posted by: Adam Smith's Invisible Pimp Hand at March 18, 2012 04:41 PM (tKFT6)
The astronaut didn't move forward in time. His time slowed down. He was "put on temporal ice", as it were.
Morgan Freeman got confused. His
Posted by: ThePrimordialOrderedPair at March 18, 2012 12:44 PM (X3lox)
I've always found that conspiracies involving technology are usually most appealing to people who are bad at technology.
A repeating meme is that we didn't develop the leaps in technology in the post-war era by ourselves. We had help from aliens or shoplifted it from their crashed ships. There was even a Star Trek Voyager story that had this as a plot twist. (And consider the TOS episode, 'A Piece Of The Action' in which the natives are insultingly able to duplicate the technology depicted in a book about the 1920s but never progress beyond what the book contains. Apparently Vic Tayback could only copy but never innovate.)
I've always found this really strange because the history of our technology and the people who developed it is extremely well documented. UFOs are just a substitute for religion. We would never have come up with transistors on our own and needed alien gods to gift it to us.
My thought while seeing T2 in the theater, in the scene they destroy the Cyberdyne lab, was "No off-site backup?" Even a ten-year-old would think that today.
Posted by: epobirs at March 18, 2012 12:44 PM (kcfmt)
Saw an Indian IT company that, rather than hire college graduates, just gives IQ tests to high schoolers and hires the high scorers on the theory that, hey, we can teach them if they are smart enough.
The attack on IQ tests has been led by the left due to the fact that a hundred years of IQ testing has shown consistent racial and ethnic differentials that show no sign of ever going away.
Posted by: Clubber Lang at March 18, 2012 12:45 PM (ZPrif)
Posted by: Dr. Varno at March 18, 2012 12:46 PM (xUnPJ)
Posted by: veeka oot seeg at March 18, 2012 12:47 PM (sqVOl)
Oops. There may be some truth to all that.
Posted by: Jimbo at March 18, 2012 12:48 PM (O3R/2)
Posted by: veeka oot seeg at March 18, 2012 12:49 PM (sqVOl)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 12:49 PM (R5yLq)
****
If there is science proving this, then I'm not the one to argue against it, yet.... My personal belief is that determination and the acceptance of risk are far greater indicators.
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 12:49 PM (piMMO)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 12:50 PM (R5yLq)
Didn't we have a post yesterday about this phenomenon?
Posted by: Retread at March 18, 2012 12:50 PM (joSBv)
Posted by: veeka oot seeg at March 18, 2012 12:50 PM (sqVOl)
Now you've done it ...
You're correct, of course. Properly designed IQ tests measure very specific intellectual abilities and it isn't very difficult to find four or five such abilities that give a good rough estimate of ones general problem solving and pattern recognition, which is the bulk of what one needs to do most things in life well.
Posted by: ThePrimordialOrderedPair at March 18, 2012 12:50 PM (X3lox)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 12:51 PM (R5yLq)
Here's my crockpot theory:
2 tbs sesame oil
2 tbs sake
1/4 cup water
3 tsp minced garlic
1 tbs minced ginger
1 tbs soy sauce
2 heaping tbs Chinese black bean sauce
3 lb assorted chicken pieces, skinned
OR 2 - 2 1/2 lb de-boned skinless chicken thighs.
Add all ingredients except chicken. Mix thoroughly. Add chicken and toss thoroughly. Put everything in crockpot and cook on low for six hours.
It's an excellent crockpot theory.
Posted by: Ed Anger - Certified Kos Kid at March 18, 2012 12:54 PM (7+pP9)
----------
My old Fender Reverb with all the overdrive turned down but the main volume cranked all the way is a thing of beauty. It's best moments were when being played by some other guy a tad more accomplished. The first time I heard a guy play it like that..first, I though he was gonna kill it as he also had it pushing a 4X12 cabinet but man, that sound. I had know idea what my amp really sounded like until that dude played it. Good times.
Posted by: Contemplative Lobster at March 18, 2012 12:54 PM (TrNbx)
Posted by: ThePrimordialOrderedPair at March 18, 2012 12:55 PM (X3lox)
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 04:42 PM (piMMO)
Agreed, and the presidency and senate should be a singular 6-year term and the house one 4-year term. No pension benefits should accrue, and the critter's must maintain a home in their district.
Rotating regular Joe's and Jane's through the process can only produce a more productive Congress, and absent taxpayer largess in the form of lavish pension benefits, the members will be forced to return home and get a job. At Mickey Dee's or Sylvia's BBQ and Dancing Emporium.
Posted by: Doctor Fish at March 18, 2012 12:56 PM (TkGkA)
Its simpler... and a base of human nature...
We, deep down, think WE are normal... and that everyone else, who is normal, must therefore be like us...
So, if we lie?, everyone lies... if we cheat? everyone cheats... and because this is 'normal', we will of course accuse others of that trait... because its NORMAL (to us). Thus we see the cheating spouse, accusing the NON cheating spouse, of cheating... while the non cheating spouse tries to look the other way at evidence of cheating, because its normal NOT to cheat (talking first reactions here, not long term or with definitive evidence).
So, the corolary is... anyone who IS different, must be defective. Thus, Conservatives are stupid, because they are different... or Liberals are 'Libtards' because they do not think the way WE do...
The human mind works off of patterns, and the pattern we know the BEST, is our own... so our first reaction is to try to fit others into that pattern... (which is also why sterotypes are a fact of human nature... they are a pattern imprinted on us by experience, or society, but the modern Liberal Education and Medical folks don't want to admit it).
Posted by: Romeo13 at March 18, 2012 12:58 PM (lZBBB)
Researchers have begun to explore the cognitive impairment that men experience before and after interacting with women. A 2009 study demonstrated that after a short interaction with an attractive woman, men experienced a decline in mental performance. A more recent study suggests that this cognitive impairment takes hold even w hen men simply anticipate interacting with a woman who they know very little about.
Posted by: Retread at March 18, 2012 12:58 PM (joSBv)
Posted by: Doctor Fish at March 18, 2012 04:56 PM (TkGkA)
Nope... President maybe, but Senate should go back to being the direct representatives of the States... ie ONE Senator being the chosen representative of each Governor, one chosen by the State Legislature... and they should serve at the pleause of those entities... and be able to be recalled with no notice.
Posted by: Romeo13 at March 18, 2012 01:00 PM (lZBBB)
Do they know breast size? That's knowing "very little" but could have a huge mental impact.
Posted by: ThePrimordialOrderedPair at March 18, 2012 01:01 PM (X3lox)
Ok someone has to go 'there', and it may as well be me.
Just think what an advantage we could have against other world leaders with Palin as Pres.
:ducks and runs:
Posted by: someone at March 18, 2012 01:02 PM (bqjJT)
****
My boss worked in Italy for seven years. He'd been back in the states for about 3 months when he told me that he had forgotten how much Americans lie. I haven't lived overseas, so I have no experience to compare it to, but I do know that a certain amount of bullshit is expected in every resume' so it screws an honest person when a portion of their truth is assumed to be false.
And think of online dating. Talk about bullshit!
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 01:03 PM (piMMO)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 01:04 PM (R5yLq)
experience before and after interacting with women.
******
It's the Bubba Effect. As in... bu bu bu bu....{{drool}}
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 01:04 PM (piMMO)
Posted by: Czarkazm at March 18, 2012 01:05 PM (HTXr7)
****
If a cat catches one by the tail, does the tail break off and then grow back?
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 01:06 PM (piMMO)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 01:07 PM (R5yLq)
Posted by: Adam Smith's Invisible Pimp Hand at March 18, 2012 01:08 PM (tKFT6)
President maybe, but Senate should go back to being the direct representatives of the States...
Posted by: Romeo13 at March 18, 2012 05:00 PM (lZBBB)
Most ideal, and unless those wickedly impotent Tea Party extremists are elected en-mass, the odds are greater that Godzilla will appear with Lindsay Lohan in a skin flick.
Posted by: Doctor Fish at March 18, 2012 01:08 PM (TkGkA)
****
Too much caffeine? PGIS cannot be trusted with cats.
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 01:09 PM (piMMO)
Other than that, Mr. SOS, how was the coffee?
Posted by: Retread at March 18, 2012 01:09 PM (joSBv)
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 18, 2012 04:42 PM (piMMO)
R A Heinlein: "In a mature society, "civil servant" is semantically equal to "civil master."
Posted by: Hrothgar at March 18, 2012 01:10 PM (i3+c5)
I watched his sci-fi masters it was amazing he wrote both starship troopers and stranger in a strange land.
Posted by: Adam Smith's Invisible Pimp Hand at March 18, 2012 01:12 PM (tKFT6)
“We Are This Far From A Turnkey Totalitarian State" - Big Brother Goes Live September 2013
http://tinyurl.com/6oxnk8y
NSA to open data mining center in Utah in 2013
Posted by: kbdabear at March 18, 2012 01:12 PM (Y+DPZ)
Posted by: Romeo13 at March 18, 2012 05:00 PM (lZBBB)
Key argument for a Constitutional Convention, because the Senators have so much less ability to collect graft and vote themselves perks when they are directly beholden to the States and will never give it up willingly.
Term limits and no retirement perks would do wonders.
Posted by: Hrothgar at March 18, 2012 01:13 PM (i3+c5)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 05:04 PM (R5yLq)
reread your post based on what I theorized.... and look at your own base beliefs... and look at your own judgements about people who think differently about these things...
Does a Moslem man who beats his wife, think he is 'bad'? or would he think YOU are whacked because you don't?
I'm not saying things are not good, or evil... but I AM saying the human mind will always think ITSELF is OK, and normal.. unless convinced by an outside power otherwise (Hitler, to the day he shot himself, considered himself sane...).
Posted by: Romeo13 at March 18, 2012 01:13 PM (lZBBB)
But then again in my view there are some things that are always right, and somethings that are always wrong. I don't have a morally relative view of life. Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 05:04 PM
me. standing. cheering.
Posted by: mama winger at March 18, 2012 01:15 PM (P6QsQ)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 01:16 PM (R5yLq)
A PT boat has "a little armor"?
It was all plywood, with 3 V-16 Packard marine engines, that ran on Av gas (100 octane). Although, I agree that Kennedy and his crew were probably corking off out at sea. How could they have been T-boned by a destroyer? I'm not so sure that Kennedy was a dim wit, just a party boy at sea. He was actually pretty heroic in saving his crew after the accident. But gross incompetence leading up to that? Fer shure.
His older brother , Joe Kennedy Jr. got killed in WWII, also indirectly connected to his own dim-wittedness.
Posted by: Reader C.J. Burch writes.... at March 18, 2012 01:16 PM (sJTmU)
When Siri offers to make your credit card payment and when you try to give her the bank account announce she already has, you know the fix is in.
"No, you cannot pay your mortgage. I have purchased a new iPad and ten shares of Apple stock for you instead."
Posted by: epobirs at March 18, 2012 01:17 PM (kcfmt)
Peyton Manning will end up in Minnesota because that's where all old, washed-up quarterbacks go to suicide their careers.
Posted by: Fritz at March 18, 2012 01:19 PM (KWdVT)
Posted by: nevergiveup at March 18, 2012 01:20 PM (eCnLg)
Posted by: Pecos, still yearning for Perry at March 18, 2012 01:20 PM (2Gb0y)
Harlan Ellison wrote about giving a lecture to a group of college students and using the name of a Nazi concentration camp as a reference. (Perhaps Dachau but I don't recall exactly.) A young woman raised her hand and asked him to explain who this person was. The only saving grace was that most of the rest of the room was stunned into silence.
Posted by: epobirs at March 18, 2012 01:22 PM (kcfmt)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 01:22 PM (R5yLq)
kbdabear, where have you been, we beat the NSA horse to death upthread (grin)
And I SoS totally LoL'd at your cat through the coffee shop window joke.
Posted by: ParanoidGirlInSeattle at March 18, 2012 01:24 PM (RZ8pf)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 01:24 PM (R5yLq)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 01:25 PM (R5yLq)
Posted by: ParanoidGirlInSeattle at March 18, 2012 01:26 PM (RZ8pf)
Unfortunately, the GOP leadership has fallen for that one hook, line, and sinker.
Someone needs to explain to them that it can be a virtue to be hated by the right people. It means you're a threat to them. Or they're just full of hate for its own sake. Hard to tell with lefties.
Posted by: epobirs at March 18, 2012 01:26 PM (kcfmt)
Yeah, she might run amuck on a shoe site. Better make sure she knows your shoe size, just in case.
Posted by: Retread at March 18, 2012 01:29 PM (joSBv)
I think humanity has a built-in remarkable ability to see themselves as being pretty good people. The guys that designed the gas chambers for Hitler were just trying to do their best. The jihadis and their suicide bombers are just trying to make the world a better place. People working with weaponized anthrax are probably good fathers in their own estimation.
It doesn't follow that evil doesn't exist nor that some people are worth less than pond scum.
Posted by: Hrothgar at March 18, 2012 01:31 PM (i3+c5)
Posted by: Doom am I, full-ripe, dealing death to the worlds, engaged in devouring mankind. at March 18, 2012 01:32 PM (j4/IM)
Posted by: And Irresolute at March 18, 2012 01:34 PM (RC3M9)
Posted by: nevergiveup
The Wkipedia entry indicates that the accidental detonation of the payload onboard the Explosives laden B-24 was an accident, but I had read years ago (and I don't remember the source now) that it might not have been an accident in that sense.
The BQ-8/B-24 was loaded with explosives to (I think) attack the heavily concreted German sub-pens on the French coast (prior to D Day). Elsewhere I had read that they (the two man crew, including Joe Jr) did something wrong to detonate the plane.
So it's pretty much just a wild ass guess as to what actually went wrong 70 years later.
Posted by: Reader C.J. Burch writes.... at March 18, 2012 01:35 PM (sJTmU)
No dopey idea ever goes away. It just lays low for a while.
This one came up in the 60s. There was even a contingent within NASA saying little astronauts would make it a lot easier to launch enough materials for interplanetary travel. And before the Marvel Comics and toys there was an SF adventures series called Micronauts about a group of tiny humans intended to restart civilization in miniature.
Posted by: epobirs at March 18, 2012 01:35 PM (kcfmt)
Posted by: StuckOnStupid at March 18, 2012 01:35 PM (R5yLq)
Posted by: nevergiveup at March 18, 2012 01:39 PM (eCnLg)
Yeah that right and he never cheated recruiting, yeah, or paid players parents.
Yeah, now THERE is a really crack pot theory.
Almost as silly as anyone thinking we didn't pay players.
Posted by: Zombie Frank McGuire at March 18, 2012 01:42 PM (Cydud)
Posted by: grnspd at March 18, 2012 01:42 PM (B2VwH)
Fun article about using relatively cheap consumer gear to crack encryption.
Posted by: epobirs at March 18, 2012 01:43 PM (kcfmt)
Posted by: veeka oot seeg at March 18, 2012 01:49 PM (sqVOl)
Posted by: Zombie Ted Kennedy at March 18, 2012 01:52 PM (Cydud)
Posted by: Amy Shulkusky at March 18, 2012 02:07 PM (jKunv)
Posted by: Picric at March 18, 2012 02:08 PM (Z6x0n)
Posted by: ugly kid joe at March 18, 2012 02:11 PM (A/NNH)
You'd never know from looking at him, would you?
Not only is he a glutton, he's also notoriously cruel to menials, reminding them incessantly how much more money he makes than they do; using the "Do you know who I am?" line on hotel clerks; screaming at his employees through chewed-up mouthfuls of doughnut; having his staff scream at booking agencies that "Michael Moore stays only in five-stars establishments!"; and flouting any and all environmental laws in the construction of his palace of self-indulgence.
All liberals only pay lip service to their ideals. They're not "blinded" by anything. They simply believe that saying the right thing gives them a free pass to behave like rutting hogs, thugs, and slave masters.
My idiot liberal brother is in love with Warren Buffet. When I point out to him that Buffet doesn't practice what he preaches, it makes no impression. Buffet has said the right things, so that's all that matters.
Posted by: Llarry at March 18, 2012 02:20 PM (bIfmN)
Posted by: Darth Randall at March 18, 2012 02:25 PM (O/onO)
Posted by: Amy Shulkusky at March 18, 2012 02:26 PM (jKunv)
Posted by: yankeefifth at March 18, 2012 02:37 PM (Z9EHQ)
Posted by: Soledad O'Brien at March 18, 2012 03:02 PM (Jhjme)
Posted by: Calyx at March 18, 2012 03:28 PM (U/goY)
Usually.
Oh and I'm an INTJ, not ENTJ.
As for those who think it's junk science, I encourage you to read up on it.
I became convinced after having people i know well take the tests. Every single one of them was described very well by their results. It gave me a lot of insight into their thought processes as well.
Posted by: Warden at March 18, 2012 03:42 PM (KulgD)
Dagnabitt! Last CP Theory. Do I always without fail come into every comment section at AoS dead last because my words and superior mindednest destroy any who may follow OR cuz I am on Pac Time and everyone else is Easty? Off to wallow alone and ne're replied to.
Posted by: Calyx at March 18, 2012 03:48 PM (U/goY)
Posted by: steevy at March 18, 2012 03:48 PM (7W3wI)
Here is my crackpot theory. Robert Gibbs left the Obama administration to go to work for one of the social networks. Shortly thereafter I read that one of the intelligence agencies created a way to make fake groups of friends, of up to 500 people to influence public opinion. Now. Gibbs is back in the administration. Call me crack/pot
Posted by: T dubyah D at March 18, 2012 05:08 PM (oXR1T)
Not so crackpot theory: M. Scott Peck wrote a great book on what makes up evil. Yes THAT M. Scott Peck who is better known for pop psych Christian books.
He observed several patients over the years who had, in his opinion, "Evil Personality Disorder."
The defining characterist was a willingness to be deceptive and self-delusional, preserving a good opinion of the self at all costs.
The book, "People of the Lie," is a great read.
If you want to understand the worst behavior on the left that you see, check it out.
Posted by: Jade Sea at March 18, 2012 05:16 PM (6kE8K)
Posted by: JewishOdysseus at March 18, 2012 05:22 PM (IojUD)
Posted by: JewishOdysseus at March 18, 2012 05:27 PM (IojUD)
Posted by: JewishOdysseus at March 18, 2012 05:34 PM (IojUD)
Liberalism stands on the shoulders of pygmys.
Posted by: TANSTAAFL at March 18, 2012 05:39 PM (KVi4X)
Posted by: Thorvald at March 18, 2012 07:04 PM (OhenJ)
I also don't think these studies/books/ways of placing patterns into groupings is junk science - it's just what we all do to some degree or another, whether conscious or not.
Posted by: Amy Shulkusky at March 18, 2012 07:47 PM (jKunv)
Posted by: Myrrh at March 19, 2012 12:49 AM (JuS3J)
too many elites give themselves labels that should only be given to someone by SOMEONE else. I may think I am a nice person and call myself that but until other people label me that way I am actually being delusional ...
You have to EARN these labels by your actions and deeds ... I may consider myself an artist but until someone buys my paintings I am just a painter ...
Posted by: JeffC at March 19, 2012 07:08 AM (A3tpD)
I don't know why that made me think of the UN Human Rights Committee...
Posted by: John T at March 19, 2012 07:26 AM (iaajL)
Posted by: Briefcase Bag manufacturer at March 21, 2012 12:10 AM (a9Ily)
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Posted by: buzzion at March 18, 2012 09:40 AM (GULKT)