Political Randomness

[Holman]

Factoid seen on Twitter today:

At the end of WW2, Birmingham and Atlanta were the same size.

Atlanta built an airport. Birmingham re-elected Bull Connor.

[em2nought]

Apparently this got it all wrong on who's the predator.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvdFgwKr8qI

[Defiant]

How did this guy not get tapped by Trump to be the head of NASA?

This man is about to launch himself in his homemade rocket to prove the Earth is flat

[Carpet_pissr]

That will not end well. Or will it? He will turn into a flaming human missile that explodes in mid-air, then his supporters will claim that the US military industrial complex, funded by the Clinton Foundation, shot him down with moron-seeking lasers. He can't lose!

[El Guapo]

That will not end well. Or will it? He will turn into a flaming human missile that explodes in mid-air, then his supporters will claim that the US military industrial complex, funded by the Clinton Foundation, shot him down with moron-seeking lasers. He can't lose!

Well, turning into a flaming human missile that explodes in mid-air seems like losing to me.

[GreenGoo]

How did this guy not get tapped by Trump to be the head of NASA?

This man is about to launch himself in his homemade rocket to prove the Earth is flat

I read about him. I love that he uses science and math that was developed over, let's say, 50 years or so, by hardcore research.

Newton gave us ballistic trajectories. It was still almost 200 years before man flew. There's a reason for that.

For those who haven't read about this guy, he is on record that he built his rocket using formulas, which aren't science. No different than calculating the area of a circle. Simple math, in other words. It just seems impossible to build a rocket while holding the belief that science is a big lie (he's on record as having that opinion). Talk about cognitive dissonance.

[malchior]

We have to be at peak stupidity, right? That is the lie I tell myself at least.

[GreenGoo]

His last attempt ended in a less than graceful landing and he had to be treated for high g injuries.

edit: I see there is a thread for him in EBG. Probably better to discuss it there.

[Defiant]

That will not end well. Or will it? He will turn into a flaming human missile that explodes in mid-air, then his supporters will claim that the US military industrial complex, funded by the Clinton Foundation, shot him down with moron-seeking lasers. He can't lose!

Well, turning into a flaming human missile that explodes in mid-air seems like losing to me.

Sounds like winning to me!

[Jaymann]

How did this guy not get tapped by Trump to be the head of NASA?

This man is about to launch himself in his homemade rocket to prove the Earth is flat

I read about him. I love that he uses science and math that was developed over, let's say, 50 years or so, by hardcore research.

Newton gave us ballistic trajectories. It was still almost 200 years before man flew. There's a reason for that.

For those who haven't read about this guy, he is on record that he built his rocket using formulas, which aren't science. No different than calculating the area of a circle. Simple math, in other words. It just seems impossible to build a rocket while holding the belief that science is a big lie (he's on record as having that opinion). Talk about cognitive dissonance.

If you venture down this rabbit hole you will find some interesting propositions:

All moon (and Mars) landings are a hoax.
There are no satellites circling earth (GPS is all done by earthbound towers).
The ISS is a fake inside looping airplanes to create the illusion of weightlessness.
SpaceX is a scam.
The Haldron Collider is a scam.
In fact the whole scientific community is running a giant con game for grant money.
Here is my personal favorite: The Illuminati do not want women in positions of power so all first ladies are actually male transvestites.

[Isgrimnur]

[Fretmute]

That will not end well. Or will it? He will turn into a flaming human missile that explodes in mid-air, then his supporters will claim that the US military industrial complex, funded by the Clinton Foundation, shot him down with moron-seeking lasers. He can't lose!

Well, turning into a flaming human missile that explodes in mid-air seems like losing to me.

Hey now, you haven't been to space. There's a chance he comes back with really cool pictures of the turtle.

[Isgrimnur]

[Isgrimnur]

Texas Tribune

U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Ennis, released a statement on Wednesday apologizing for a graphic nude photo of him that circulated on social media earlier this week.

"While separated from my second wife, prior to the divorce, I had sexual relationships with other mature adult women," he said. "Each was consensual. Those relationships have ended. I am sorry I did not use better judgment during those days. I am sorry that I let my constituents down."
...
The photo, which appeared on an anonymous Twitter account, set off speculation within Texas GOP circles about his political future.
...
A spokeswoman said Wednesday he had no plans to resign and had filed for re-election.
...
Texas passed legislation in 2015 making revenge porn a class A misdemeanor, defining the crime as posting sexual or nude images or videos of non-consenting adults. Images that were taken by consenting adults with a "reasonable expectation of privacy" constitute "revenge porn" when distributed without the subject's consent, according to a blog post by Houston lawyer Brett Podolsky. Even threatening to distribute the material is illegal by state law.
...
Barton, the former chairman of the powerful House Energy and Commerce committee, joined the House in 1985 and is the longest-serving member of Congress from Texas.

If Barton were to choose to not run for re-election, it would be sure to set off a frantic race to replace him, which is all but certain to be determined in the Republican primary. His 6th district, stretching from the Metroplex into East Texas, is heavily Republican territory. The filing deadline for the 2018 primaries is Dec. 11.

[GreenGoo]

Is the controversy that nudity exists? I apologize that I'm nude under my clothes and this one time, someone took a picture of it.

I don't get conservatives. At. All.

If this mindset doesn't change, the current generation of conservatives are completely fucked if they want to enter politics. What are the chances that someone aged 15-25 has NOT taken a naked selfie, or had a partner take a nude pic?

I'm not saying I condone nude selfie taking, but it's not exactly a scandal, and the current crop of cel phone users seem incapable of not constantly taking pictures of themselves and partners.

[Carpet_pissr]

That will not end well. Or will it? He will turn into a flaming human missile that explodes in mid-air, then his supporters will claim that the US military industrial complex, funded by the Clinton Foundation, shot him down with moron-seeking lasers. He can't lose!

Well, turning into a flaming human missile that explodes in mid-air seems like losing to me.

Because you're not enlightened, man. Outcomes:
1. Dude launches self contained "research" rocket into low earth "atmosflat", does said research, proves the earth is a disc, then somehow lands, a hero to all of mankind for opening their sheep eyelids to the Truth. Win.
2. Dude launches self contained "research" rocket into low earth "atmosflat", gets blowed up good by the NSA, the Clintons, The Man, Dark Government, Deep State, et al, and is now a martyr for the cause, proving the conspiracy to be true (had to be destroyed by the govt to protect the Secret). Win.

[Combustible Lemur]

Is the controversy that nudity exists? I apologize that I'm nude under my clothes and this one time, someone took a picture of it.

I don't get conservatives. At. All.

If this mindset doesn't change, the current generation of conservatives are completely fucked if they want to enter politics. What are the chances that someone aged 15-25 has NOT taken a naked selfie, or had a partner take a nude pic?

I'm not saying I condone nude selfie taking, but it's not exactly a scandal, and the current crop of cel phone users seem incapable of not constantly taking pictures of themselves and partners.

Only the staunchest of zealots will make it.

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[malchior]

Lovely. Fox News just ran a piece on Jones that reads like a hit piece.

[YellowKing]

Well, defending a person in court because you're a defense attorney and it's your job and being a pedophile *is* sort of the same thing. I'm still on the fence.

[Holman]

Two more accusers have come out against Senator Franken for groping. He is probably done, as he should be.

It's going to be fucked-up to watch Pence swear in Franken's replacement the same day he swears in Roy Moore.

[YellowKing]

And yet the guy sitting in the White House has been accused of worse than both of them.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

Notice that the guy in Texas had to specifically state that his relationship was with a “mature” woman. I wonder why.


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[malchior]

Not to put too fine a point on it but isn't the Barton thong essentially revenge porn?

Lol on the autocorrect. I will let that stand.

[Isgrimnur]

Is it? Yes. Is it illegal? Depends on the state in which it can be prosecuted, since it’s not a federal crime. As long as no one outside of Texas is willing to honor a warrant, whoever posted it will be fine.

[malchior]

I'm not really talking about the illegality. I guess my concern is that this isn't really being portrayed that way - considering everything going on we should be fair when describing these things. While rarer - it isn't just women targeted sometimes.

[Isgrimnur]

It was in my quote from the article.

But I agree that, as with other issues, there are disparities in the responses based on the gender combinatorics.

[Holman]

I think "Congressman's Sex Affair Pics Leaked!" is news independent of the revolt against sexual harassment, especially if the congressman in question has run as a family-values conservative.

I entirely agree that this is probably revenge porn and that there's no reason for Barton to resign. He will, however, need to quit pretending to a moral high ground against anyone else with a complex sex life.

[Captain Caveman]

Well, this potentially ads a new wrinkle to the story...

https://twitter.com/mikedebonis/status/ ... 1829636097

[Holman]

Ah. Well, then...

[Combustible Lemur]

Well, this potentially ads a new wrinkle to the story...

https://twitter.com/mikedebonis/status/ ... 1829636097

Why is that a wrinkle? If you release revenge porn, I will report you. Sounds like a reasonable ultimatum.

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[Isgrimnur]

Currently, there are no federal laws explicitly addressing revenge porn.

Thus, the Capitol Police have no jurisdiction.

[Holman]

And there are ways other than revenge porn to expose the affair. Exposure, not pics per se, is what he feared.

This is a guy who has repeatedly stood for "defense" of traditional marriage and even flirted with the recriminalization of homosexual acts.

[Holman]

Just a reminder that Roy Moore would be unfit for the senate even if he had never touched a minor.

[Jaymann]

What about: Thou shalt not diddle minors?

[Isgrimnur]

What about: Thou shalt not diddle minors?

Whose definition are we using?

Wiki

A girl becomes a bat mitzvah at the age of 12 according to Orthodox and Conservative Jews, and at the age of 13 according to Reform Jews.

But they don't like their kind:

Alabama’s Senate race received an ugly new wrinkle on Tuesday night, thanks to an apparent series of robocalls that seemed to be designed to fan resentments—of the press, of Northerners, and perhaps of Jewish reporters.

Local news station WKRG reported that one of its viewers received a robocall from a man impersonating a Washington Post reporter. In it, the man offers to pay women thousands of dollars if they’ll make false accusations against Roy Moore, the state’s former chief justice and the Republican candidate to replace Jeff Sessions in the Senate.

Hi, this is Lenny Bernstein. I’m a reporter for The Washington Post calling to find out if anyone at this address is a female between the ages of 54 to 57 years old willing to make damaging remarks about candidate Roy Moore for a reward of between $5,000 and $7,000 dollars. We will not be fully investigating these claims; however, we will make a written report. I can be reached by email at lbernstein@washingtonpost.com. Thank you.

...
To make matters more confusing, there’s actually a journalist working at the Post named Lenny Bernstein. He covers health-related topics, not politics. On Twitter, he defended his name and criticized those who sought to use it to slander his employer.
...
Impersonating a journalist to smear the entire profession is a nasty enough maneuver on its own. But the Alabama robocall also seems to draw upon the dark motifs of anti-Semitism to accomplish its goal. The fake Bernstein’s nasally, high-pitched voice and forced New York accent evoke anti-Semitic caricatures and stereotypes.

[Rip]

Perhaps it wouldn't be believed so much if people weren't already aware of the extreme bias present there.

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/20 ... soros.html

[Isgrimnur]

I guess you got your talking points update early today, since the story is all of two hours old.

I imagine that her employer will investigate and take whatever actions they deem appropriate. Or is it your contention that she attended on their orders?

[Holman]

Perhaps it wouldn't be believed so much if people weren't already aware of the extreme bias present there.

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/20 ... soros.html

I hope you can admit that "plotting the liberal agenda" is an absurdly biased way of describing attendance of a political action conference. (Does Fox need a reminder that their own so-called journalists routinely headline such events on the Right?)

[malchior]

Perhaps it wouldn't be believed so much if people weren't already aware of the extreme bias present there.

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/20 ... soros.html

I hope you can admit that "plotting the liberal agenda" is an absurdly biased way of describing attendance of a political action conference.

[Zarathud]

Oh, the delicious hypocrisy of a FOX News article on the ethical failures of journalists advancing a political agenda -- full of generalizations, nothing beyond the shallowest of facts and full of quotes from a conservative operative.

FOX doesn't just headline such events, they mainline the talking points into their coverage.