Political Randomness

[Isgrimnur]

The babelfish was a dead giveaway.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

I'm not familiar with Briscoe. What's the implication, that Stephen met his maker?

No need to be coy. Briscoe's implication is that Hawking is burning in hellfire.

I know nothing about Briscoe, but I would never have taken that implication away from his Tweet.

[Max Peck]

I'm not familiar with Briscoe. What's the implication, that Stephen met his maker?

No need to be coy. Briscoe's implication is that Hawking is burning in hellfire.

I know nothing about Briscoe, but I would never have taken that implication away from his Tweet.

Hawking was an avowed atheist. Briscoe is an avowed "Freedom Caucus" GOP politician in Texas. What else would he have meant by "now knows the truth about how the universe was actually made"?

[Holman]

I'm not familiar with Briscoe. What's the implication, that Stephen met his maker?

No need to be coy. Briscoe's implication is that Hawking is burning in hellfire.

I know nothing about Briscoe, but I would never have taken that implication away from his Tweet.

Possibly I'm presuming too much about the beliefs of an all-God/all-Guns Texas right-winger, but I've known enough of them to suspect a few things.

[Freyland]

Even without the Hellfire angle, he's basically staining a great man's passing by trying to get in the last word and thinly veiling it with superficial Christian pleasantries.

1) Doesn't have to even have been a great man for this to be wrong, just this particular man happens to deserve a lot of press.

2) I am a Christian who believes in God and an interesting mix of Creationism and Evolution, and find it abhorrent to do what he did in the "name of Christian beliefs". The Bible says "Love thy neighbor", and further implies "so don't piss on them".

[Skinypupy]

Two women enter mosque with their kids, shouting insults and grabbing stacks of flyers. Claim they're teaching their kids how to be "patriots"

Throughout the video, the women explain they are filming to shed light on a "threat that we're facing in America." They emphasize that the mosque has infiltrated a "nice suburban city" where "many young vulnerable people pass by."

They give the children various warnings during the visit. As the kids pass by the mosque's playground equipment and climb onto a funeral van, Gonzales tells them they "don't know what filth has been on there" and that items touched by Muslims could be "disease-ridden."

"They multiply," Gonzales says as she films, at one point implying Muslims endorse pedophilia and "smell like goats" because they have sex with them.

"They’re multiplying, so that they’re able to continue their invasion and illegal takeover of everything,” she says.

The video indicates Gonzales might have been armed, despite multiple signs prohibiting weapons at the mosque. "They carry AKs (assault rifles) around and kill people all the time," she says of Muslims in the video.

The video ends with Gonzales shouting at a man standing near one of the community center's doors. As one of her dogs runs over to the man, Gonzales yells at him not to touch it or eat it before launching into a tirade against "Sharia law."

But don't you dare call them deplorable.

[Isgrimnur]

Market Watch

A controversial rule requiring advisers to act in their clients’ best interests when it comes to managing retirement accounts has been ferociously contested, and may soon be dead.

The Fifth Circuit Court, which covers Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, said on Thursday the Department of Labor, which oversees the fiduciary rule, “overreached” with its mission. The fiduciary rule, also known officially as the “Conflict of Interest” rule, states advisers have to give conflict-free advice on retirement accounts, putting their clients’ needs ahead of their own potential compensation. That means shifting away from commissions on various investment products and becoming completely transparent on what they do and the advice they provide. Because other circuit courts sided with the government, the rule’s fate may lay in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court, but it is currently unclear.

[Kraken]

...because tricking ordinary people into making poor investments is good for the investment bankers. (Please disregard the Time of Shedding and Cold Rocks.)

[GreenGoo]

Is there anything that Obamacare can't besmirch?

Also, nothing is as good for the economy as being allowed to knowingly recommend sub-optimal investments from a position of trust.

Ryan, you're a douchebag, but you probably already know that.

[RunningMn9]

I don’t understand how someone can say “A controversial rule requiring advisers to act in their clients’ best interests”.

How is that controversial to Paul Ryan? Ryan wouldn’t stand there and say out loud that he thinks that advisers should be able to act in their own best interests, at the expense of their clients. Like he wouldn’t say that out loud.

So what would he say out loud about it?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[ImLawBoy]

I don’t understand how someone can say “A controversial rule requiring advisers to act in their clients’ best interests”.

How is that controversial to Paul Ryan? Ryan wouldn’t stand there and say out loud that he thinks that advisers should be able to act in their own best interests, at the expense of their clients. Like he wouldn’t say that out loud.

So what would he say out loud about it?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

As a supposed free market purist, he would say that this is overregulation, and that the market would figure this out. Advisors who frequently acted in their own interests and screwed over investors would lose clients to those who acted in their clients' best interests. He would also likely argue that the rule opens up advisors to frivolous lawsuits when something they thought was a good investment goes sour, and it shouldn't be up to the courts to second guess these advisors. That's my guess without really researching the arguments for or against, anyway.

Sent from my laptop in my living room using Firefox.

[RunningMn9]

As a supposed free market purist, he would say that this is overregulation, and that the market would figure this out. Advisors who frequently acted in their own interests and screwed over investors would lose clients to those who acted in their clients' best interests. He would also likely argue that the rule opens up advisors to frivolous lawsuits when something they thought was a good investment goes sour, and it shouldn't be up to the courts to second guess these advisors. That's my guess without really researching the arguments for or against, anyway.

But if the rule doesn't exist, and a financial adviser doesn't have any fiduciary obligation to act in their client's best interest, wouldn't that make it really hard to sue in the event that the financial adviser sold you a bunch of lousy investments because he got a giant pay day (from the investment), at the client's expense?

Without any rule to enforce, the client just gets fucked. Sure if a FA fucks over enough clients, the market might act to correct that, but that relies on new clients having the necessary information at their finger tips to know that the FA has been fisting other clients over.

It seems obvious that FAs should have a fiduciary obligation to act in the best interest of their clients. That's just common sense.

[GreenGoo]

Doctors don't have any obligation to perform medical procedures that are solely in the best interests of their patients. That's over regulation.

I see a whole bunch of healthy kidneys being removed to be sold to other patients that have had healthy kidneys removed. A nice circle of creating work for yourself is what the free market is all about.

A carpenter doesn't have any obligation to build up to code, thus creating themselves additional follow up work when maintenance is required more frequently. Building code is over regulation.

[Max Peck]

Hacker who gave up Wikileaks source dies

Adrian Lamo, a computer hacker best known for passing on information that led to the arrest of Chelsea Manning, has died aged 37.

In online messaging conversations, Manning confided in him, describing confidential military material Manning had sent to Wikileaks.

Wikileaks published the video of a US helicopter strike that killed seven people, including a journalist working for the Reuters news agency.

The cause of Lamo’s death, confirmed to the BBC by the Sedgwick County coroner in Kansas, has not yet been made public.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange on Friday described Lamo as a “petty conman and betrayer of basic human decency”.

Natural causes, no doubt...

[ImLawBoy]

As a supposed free market purist, he would say that this is overregulation, and that the market would figure this out. Advisors who frequently acted in their own interests and screwed over investors would lose clients to those who acted in their clients' best interests. He would also likely argue that the rule opens up advisors to frivolous lawsuits when something they thought was a good investment goes sour, and it shouldn't be up to the courts to second guess these advisors. That's my guess without really researching the arguments for or against, anyway.

But if the rule doesn't exist, and a financial adviser doesn't have any fiduciary obligation to act in their client's best interest, wouldn't that make it really hard to sue in the event that the financial adviser sold you a bunch of lousy investments because he got a giant pay day (from the investment), at the client's expense?

Without any rule to enforce, the client just gets fucked. Sure if a FA fucks over enough clients, the market might act to correct that, but that relies on new clients having the necessary information at their finger tips to know that the FA has been fisting other clients over.

It seems obvious that FAs should have a fiduciary obligation to act in the best interest of their clients. That's just common sense.

Hey, I didn't say it was a good argument - just that it's the argument that Ryan would likely make, which was the question you asked. I'm probably more resistant to regulation that most around these parts, but I'm in full agreement that financial advisors should have a fiduciary duty to their clients to do what is in the clients' best interests.

[AWS260]

It's happening: the only non-annoying Sex & The City actor is running against Mario Cuomo.

[Fitzy]

It's happening: the only non-annoying Sex & The City actor is running against Mario Cuomo.

Oh good, she's qualified.

[Moliere]

She loves NY. What other qualification is needed?

[AWS260]

I'm inclined to vote for her regardless. Cuomo's done nothing to clean up the toxic backroom dealing that pollutes New York State politics. It's become crystal clear that he cares about nothing except his own power and influence. Maybe a well-meaning neophyte would be an improvement.

[Kraken]

And it could be a springboard to the presidency. America would benefit from another Nixon.

[Holman]

I'm not a huge fan of people making the jump from entertainment to politics, but Nixon isn't necessarily a vanity candidate. She has established some bona fides as an activist and advocate, and she has done it at the nitty-gritty policy level of (e.g.) NY state-level education funding rather than just vague Hollywood Virtue.

I dunno. My wife went to school with Nixon and reports that she is very smart, and they have taken close paths on education issues in recent years. Nixon is certainly a more reasonable a choice for higher office than, say, Kid Rock.

[AWS260]

And it could be a springboard to the presidency. America would benefit from another Nixon.

[El Guapo]

Maybe a well-meaning neophyte would be an improvement.

It's usually not, though.

[Fitzy]

Conspiracy theorist shot in the butt

I'm well aware I'm going to hell for laughing at attempted murder. The actual Washington Post article is: Lobbyist says he was nearly killed by man he hired to investigate Seth Rich’s death.

However it includes this gem:

The last drop was supposed to be “the big one” — the full inspector general report on McCabe, which still has not been released. Instead, when Burkman bent over to pull the papers out from under the cone, he was shot in the buttocks and thigh. As he ran out of the garage with his dachshund in his arms, he was hit by an SUV.

The dachshund was not harmed as far as article says.

[gilraen]

I'm well aware I'm going to hell for laughing at attempted murder. The actual Washington Post article is: Lobbyist says he was nearly killed by man he hired to investigate Seth Rich’s death.

He got what he deserved. No sympathy here.

P.S. Glad the dog was okay.

[Fitzy]

What about the dog, was half the comments

[Freyland]

I'm amazed the dog was unhurt. He was shot in the thigh while carrying a Weiner.

[Remus West]

I'm amazed the dog was unhurt. He was shot in the thigh while carrying a Weiner.

I swear there is a joke here about Anthony but I just can not seem to find it.

[LordMortis]

And it could be a springboard to the presidency. America would benefit from another Nixon.

Don't we basically have one in office now? (Just a lot dumber with the benefit of daddy's money to start him off)

[Rip]

I'm amazed the dog was unhurt. He was shot in the thigh while carrying a Weiner.

One of the few times a man was glad to have a small weiner.

[Freyland]

I'm amazed the dog was unhurt. He was shot in the thigh while carrying a Weiner.

I swear there is a joke here about Anthony but I just can not seem to find it.

Dachshund = Weiner dog

[tjg_marantz]

[Isgrimnur]

I'm amazed the dog was unhurt. He was shot in the thigh while carrying a Weiner.

I swear there is a joke here about Anthony but I just can not seem to find it.

Just can’t rise to the occasion, eh?

[Holman]

I'm amazed the dog was unhurt. He was shot in the thigh while carrying a Weiner.

I swear there is a joke here about Anthony but I just can not seem to find it.

Just can’t rise to the occasion, eh?

Some people just don't get Huma.

[malchior]

The Republican party will partially fund the border wall -- so much for Mexico -- and not fund one of the most important infrastructure projects in the nation.

The Trump administration succeeded in eliminating efforts to direct $900 million in planned seed funding to the $30 billion Gateway project to improve passenger rail service to and from Manhattan, including a new tunnel under the Hudson River.

[Trump wants Gateway tunnel project left unfunded, Chao tells House panel]

The project has been a key priority for lawmakers of both parties, including Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.).


But Trump, according to several officials familiar with his thinking, was determined not to hand Schumer a win while Democrats stood in the way of his administration’s priorities, and he issued a veto threat that the White House never backed off. A Democratic aide said that the project would still benefit from hundreds of millions of dollars in Transportation Department funding, even without the specific earmark.

This petty piece of shit is literally working to sabotage the American economy and these spineless cowards are all in. If the Amtrak tunnels shutdown it'll impact something like 10% of the economy. All to get back at Chuck Schumer. Disgusting, petty, venial shitbags. All of them.

Edit: Here is some context about how important this is and how thin the arguments against it are for people who'd like to dig in a little.

Edit: It is looking like Frelinghuysen snuck the funding in to some extent.

[Isgrimnur]

Turkish guards will be charged in embassy protests, officials say

D.C. authorities will announce criminal charges Thursday against 12 members of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s security detail and the police force who authorities say attacked protesters outside the ambassador’s residence last month, according to two officials familiar with the case.

The Hill

Charges have been dropped against 11 members of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's security detail that were accused of beating protesters in Washington, D.C.

Federal prosecutors made the decision to drop the charges against 11 of the 15 security members in connection with the incident.
...
Prosecutors in November requested a judge to drop the charges against four members of Erdoğan's security team, and the charges against seven others were dropped in February before now-outgoing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson flew to Turkey to meet with Erdoğan.

U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal that the prosecutors were not pressured to drop the charges, saying that investigators had misidentified some suspects and did not have enough evidence against others.

If only there had been pictures or video or something...

[Isgrimnur]

Turkey has arrested Amnesty International’s local director

Released in January

Following a decision by a court in Istanbul to conditionally release the Chair of Amnesty International Turkey, Taner Kılıç, after nearly eight months in detention, Gauri van Gulik, Amnesty International’s Europe Director said:
...
While Taner has now been released, the trial against him, İdil Eser and the other nine human rights defenders on trumped-up terrorism related charges continues. It is one of many baseless prosecutions against members of civil society under the crackdown in Turkey.

And then reincarcerated:

Amnesty International chair Taner Kılıç has been in prison detention since June 2017. He was released by the trial court on 31 January 2018, only for the same court to reverse its decision the next day. His trial for “membership of a terrorist organization” continues despite the lack of any credible evidence of his guilt.

[Moliere]

Elon Musk deletes Space X and Tesla from Facebook. Short your FB stock.

[Daehawk]

Little more info on that post.

https://www.space.com/40073-elon-musk-d ... ebook.html

Altogether, SpaceX and Tesla had more than 5 million followers, according to Venture Beat.

"We've never advertised with FB," Musk added. "None of my companies buy advertising or pay famous people to fake endorse. Product lives or dies on its own merits."

I love this guy. It sucks that even though he is 1 million times smarter than the guy in office and a 1 billion times better at business he cant be President because he wasn't born here. Just our luck the guy who was and is President cant run a single hotel without filing for bankruptcy.

[Kraken]

Musk has more important things to do than presidenting would allow.