My Reading Comprehension Problem

The NRA sent a letter announcing they would score a cloture vote on the Senate gun control bill if the bill was not amended in ways they found to be acceptable.

Now Dave Weigel (in whom my confidence is limited) and the AllahPundit (in whom my confidence is vast) are telling me that the vote to allow debate to begin (not a final cloture vote!) is being scored. From Dave Weigel (prior to the Thursday morning vote):

And so we have a test, at 11 a.m., of whether Republicans and red state Democrats are willing to buck a fringey NRA position even though it'll knock their ratings down by, at most, a letter grade.

And AllahP, after the motion to commence debate passed with 68 votes including 16 Republicans:

Whole lotta NRA ratings are going down tomorrow.

I am unconvinced - I don't think the NRA said what these guys say it said, and fears (or hopes!) that the Senate has defied the NRA are premature.

This is what I see in the NRA letter (via Weigel):

We hope the Senate will replace the current provisions of S. 649 with language that is properly focused on addressing mental health inadequacies; prosecuting violent criminals; and keeping our kids safe in their schools. Should it fail to do so, the NRA will make an exception to our standard policy of not “scoring” procedural votes and strongly oppose a cloture motion to move to final passage of S. 649.

That is a conditional threat focused on amendments yet to be offered and refers to a cloture vote. Today's vote did not close debate on the bill, it opened it. What was closed was debate on whether the bill should be considered at all. Slowly turn the wheels...

More from the NRA:

During consideration of S. 649, should one or more amendments be offered that adequately address these important issues while protecting the fundamental rights of law-abiding gun owners, the NRA will offer our enthusiastic support and consider those votes in our future candidate evaluations as well.

That sounds to me as if they expect the bill to be debated and amendments to be offered.

Well. I would say this is not the vote the NRA was watching and we are days (or weeks) away from the NRA grading anyone, and if it were just Weigel I would be pounding the table saying so.

Inshallah.

SINCE YOU ASK: Surely you are not relying on my expertise about Senate procedures? My two cents is that the Senate invoked cloture on a motion to proceed to consideration of S.649. Eventually, after amendments and debate, someone will move to close debate on S.649 and put it to a final vote. Then we will see (or not) a real filibuster.

As to how the NRA will score that second cloture effort (if it comes to that), the letter says they would wait until they saw what the amended bill looked like.

Far from over? This is hardly begun. And anyone crowing (or fretting) that the NRA failed to scare the Senate is misreading their letter.

UNEXPECTEDLY: Ed Kilgore of the Washington Monthly sees it as I do:

The fragility of today’s accomplishment is best illustrated by the cascade of Republican “yea” voters on cloture making it clear they were simply voting to “allow a debate.” That doesn’t mean they won’t join the next filibuster (one which the NRA has indicated it will “score”), much less vote for Manchin-Toomey.

Jason Sattler at the National Memo will be eating crow, unless I do:

The NRA threatened to “score” Thursday’s vote against lawmakers’ ratings, hoping to kill the bill before it was even written. But 17 Republicans joined all the Democrats in the Senate except Mark Pryor (D-AR) and Mark Begich (D-AK) for cloture to prevent a filibuster from derailing the debate. 

Gavin Aronsen of Mother Jones notes the NRA's watchful eye but does not link it to today's vote.

Comments

[JeffC]

may be some projection going on with some folks, seeing what they want to see from the NRA ... and not actually READING ...

[NK]

TomM-- I believe you are reading the words correctly. Starting debate (today's vote) was a freebie as far as the NRA was concerned -- at least that's what they say publicly.

[AliceH]

I thought today's vote invoked the 30-hours-of-debate rule, so not another vote to vote - it's on a time limit to get debated/amended and such. Then it's vote on whatever it looks like with the approved amendments. I don't know if that's straight majority or what, though.

[NK]

First off NRA and McConnell are a lot smarter than Reid-- Schumer is as smart as them, but he's playing to a diferent master here. So my crystal ball says, cloture happens on all amendments (including the NRA's) the Senate votes in Background and nothing else, the House votes in background PLUS a lot of NRA sought provisions-- the whole thing dies in Conf Committee-- all the pols tell their supporters we did right by you. No real impact on 2014 elections.

[Rob Crawford]

I love how obeying the Constitution is a "fringey NRA position".

[Rob Crawford]

Everyone who voted for cloture on this should be impeached for failure to understand what "shall not be infringed" means.

Note: I'm biting my tongue as to what I believe their fate really should be.

[Janet]

Again - Senate Oath of Office ~ I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.

[Jim Eagle]

OT,

Anyone (henry, rse bgates, h&r) know of Google Books and how they work for schools? I know they use a Samsung platform but do they keep the software on their cloud or do you have to install it from disc? Seems to be actively marketing in competition with Apple to school tech labs. I am pushing a STEM Lab concept for our school make-over and wanted to go Apple but have no problem going Google and PC in order to save money as long as their are performance benefits.

[hit and run]

Rob:
I love how obeying the Constitution is a "fringey NRA position".

Everyone who voted for cloture on this should be impeached for failure to understand what "shall not be infringed" means.

And those who are in "fringey" groups just so happen not to be those who are proposing to do the infringing.

English. What a language.

[NK]

Oh TomM-- no "Left Cheek" phone problem, just Leftwingers eavedropping and recording McConnell. Drudge links: http://wfpl.org/post/source-progress-kentucky-behind-mitch-mcconnell-campaign-recording

[maryrose]

NK:
I believe you are correct.It's an Obama priority therefore it must die. However, if by chance some form passes,it will be meaningless.
daddy: Begich did not vote for cloture. He must be running scared. Please run against him or find some repub with the cajones to do so. Pryor also didn't vote for it. He remembers too well his partner in crime from Arkansas and what happened to her after she re-nigged and voted for bammycare.

[NK]

Daddy for Senate!!

PS: the ultimate nothing happens for background checks and it having no real effect on 2014 is fine-- Gunz/Gays and whatever else are Dem issues, Redstate Repub candidates want to talk about the debt and no jobs. The Dems are trying to avoid those, especially in 2014 senate elections.

[hit and run]

Daddy ran for Senate in 2010.

[maryrose]

Run daddy Run!

[rse]

jib-I do not know technical element but shifting to digital books loses a lot of the comprehension of the students who are reading by sight and not phonetically. And many have no idea there is another way to read. I may have related the story that Red's college classmates who went with digital textbooks kept complaining it was harder to retain. The aural part of working memory that ties to long term memory is not involved when the brain is just processing visually.

So be very careful with elementary school kids. What are called e-textbooks are frequently more like textbook movies and again the brain may well treat it much like a movie. Even my very bright phonetic 9th grader told the high school teacher she works with so I do not have to worry much about what is going on at school that the difference between the reader and physical book is huge.

When I was working on the Global Fourth Way book yesterday there was some resistence to the level of ICT we are having pushed at us. Made me think that digital literacy wants to make its money but that in 5 years there will be a widespread recognition that all the ICT at school coupled with it away has created many kids with a very limited capacity to think. Which is the whole idea at one level but when you are left with the reality I suspect that those without a vested interest will reconsider the whole ICT push.

At least try to get the school to hold on to their existing supply of books.

[James D.]

maryrose, I posted this in the other thread, but I'll repeat myself - the problem with a meaningless/watered down bill is:

It'll still be 300 pages long and (1) contain language that's subject to interpretation by executive (Obama-staffed and run) agencies and (2) contain major landmines that we won't even recognize until after they've gone off.

That's the whole point of passing these monster bills - as Nancy Pelosi told us, we have to pass them to find out what's in them. And - are the surprises we later discover in these bills EVER favorable to conservatives, or to free markets, or individual rights?

[James D.]

By the way, on an OT and much more pleasant subject, I really want to thank everybody here for your support of my books. Especially Jane, Porchlight, AliceH, Walter, Frau and JiB (did I miss anyone?) who downloaded and read/is reading them.

This truly is a haven here on the innertubes, and the only thing I regret about being here is that I lurked for so long before finally joining in, because I missed out by waiting all that time.

Just wanted to say that - back to doomsaying and cursing the names of our "leaders" again!

[Jim Eagle]

rse, et.al.,

I screwed up. It's Chrome Book. A $249 dollar laptop much like the Mac Air but with web based cloud learning. Looks like a number of other Catholic schools are going with them in renovating their tech labs. Sorry to confuse.

[daddy]

Commenter at the ADN on Dem Senator Begich's and Repub Murkowski's "NO" vote on this sez the following:

I just called Senator Mark Begich's office in DC. From what "Cory" told me, Begich disagrees with the proposed gun measure as written now and believes it would be difficult to change its contents after a debate. That's why Begich voted against the procedural motion to conduct a debate.

Before calling Begich's office, I called Senator Lisa Murkowski's office. The receptionist read a prepared statement to me that did not address my question. When I reiterated my question, the receptionist re-read the statement.

At least Begich's response seems to have some logic to it, but I don't trust him far as I can throw him.

[daddy]

I do not want to run for the Senate.
I have no interest in running for the Senate.
I hate even thinking about having to go to Washington as a Senator.

Therefore I am absolutely the proper guy who should be elected to the Senate.

Do you guys think I can just post internet pictures of my arse as a Campaign rallyer, or do I need to post the whole package ala Weiner?

[Clarice]

reading is fundamental and fundamentally TM is a great reader.

[NK]

Daddy@4:48-- whatever it takes my man!

[Gus]

This is great news for the REPUBLIC. Harry Reid has stopped mass murder.
Now we can move on to FREE CONTRACEPTIVES,
Wars on Women, Fast and Furious, Benghazi, Gay Marriage, 15oz Pepsi's, Global Warming, Solar energy, Food stamps, and funding for Planned Parenthood.
If there is any time left over maybe we can focus like a LASER on JOBS.
GOD BLESS YOU HARRY REID. You're the tops!

[Danube of Thought on iPad]

This bill is not unconstitutional.

[James D.]

DoT, how can we know that?

The bill wasn't even ready when they took the vote - there's no way to know if it's constitutional or unconstitutional!

[henry]

I screwed up. It's Chrome Book.

Ah, hardware. One issue with the Android operating systems is they do not work with firewalls in a standard way -- you have to jump through hoops. (Not a good thing for enterprise apps, but not a problem for public cloud access).

I have no idea on the school e-text stuff except what rse posts about it.

[sbwaters]

JiB: wanted to go Apple but have no problem going Google and PC in order to save money as long as their are performance benefits.

Jack, we are all Mac. I was PC in 1984. Tried to stay PC in 1994. And have been all Mac ever since. The lifetime value of a Mac is SO much better than that of a PC. And the seamless interface of all applications means it is so much easier to maintain.

I wouldn't have a PC within a hundred yards if I had the choice. Those who have PCs tend to be those who know enough to maintain them or who are so ignorant they don't know what they are missing.

Well. Now you know where I stand. :-)

[matt]

the only problem is that Apple now has your soul in a jar in a vault in Cupertino now, sbw.

I was Apple and went back to Wintel @ 12 years ago. XP was an excellent substitute for OSX or whatever the iteration was at the time.

Apple are vampires. They want to own their customers, sometimes I think literally.

[jimmyk]

"Apple are vampires. They want to own their customers, sometimes I think literally."

Matt, are MS and Google any different?

[Rob Crawford]

The lifetime value of a Mac is SO much better than that of a PC. And the seamless interface of all applications means it is so much easier to maintain.

On the other hand, I tried Mac, and loved it. Then the company started their PCs down the path to a "walled garden" like they have with iOS. The writing is on the wall, and I don't care for it. At least if MSFT tried to prevent you from installing "unauthorized" software or wanted to charge $100 a year for the only development environment allowed they'd face some resistance.

[hit and run]

sbw:
Those who have PCs tend to be those who know enough to maintain them or who are so ignorant they don't know what they are missing.

Sounds like the beginning of a very, very constructive dialog. Shame I have to run to poker, calling people ignorant could really get exciting.

Anyway, second Thursday of the month...

TCFAB!

[Skoot]

Taranto on twitter "I am the Dave Cornholio! I need TP for my news hole!" ...heh

And the perps are turning on each other.

[Jim Miller]

daddy asked: "Do you guys think I can just post internet pictures of my arse as a Campaign rallyer, or do I need to post the whole package ala Weiner?"

Depends. Do you plan to run as a Democrat, an independent, or a Republican?

[Jim Eagle]

Hey guys, just back from going to dinner with Mrs. JiB and Frederick at the adult education center in our little beach hammock. They have an 18 month culinary arts class with only one student being taught by an executive chef (your public education dollars at work:). Every thursday they set up 5 talbles of 4 for a four course dinner prepared and served by the student. Tonight it was creme of broccoli soup, a ham, cheese, onion and celery root salad on arugala, barbecued baby back ribs with black beans and fried polenta cake, ending with a nice piece of lemon cake with a butter cream icing. Pretty good for $10pp.

Thanks for all the tips on Apple (which we are also) and the Chrome Book. Google is even more fenced off than apple. All their cloud based apps will be under their developer protocol. We'll just have to do a more detailed look at both of them.

[narciso]

That looks like a delicious course, JIB, who is really surprised that N Korea, may have nuclear

[AliceH]

I'm still mad at Apple for designing a device (iPod) that does not allow me to so much as replace battery that stopped charging. The repair options I had were 1) drive 80 miles each way to the nearest "apple store" for certified support or 2) wait for receipt of an official apple-mailing-box and Fedex my iPod for repairs. For a stupid battery. I was so ticked off at how a simple malfunction was knowingly turned into a catastrophic failure that, after verifying it was working again when I got it back in the mail, I shoved it in a drawer and haven't used the darn thing since.

[Annoying Old Guy]

One should note that much of the ease of use and reliability of Apple products is precisely because of their "walled garden" approach. Microsoft's more open approach, while nice to "do what you want" inherently creates a less stable end product. Life is always tradeoffs.

[Ignatz Ratzkywatzky]

My flashlight is pretty reliable and I can change the battery in it.

[Clarice]

DoT is having a problem posting. It says his comment has been posted but it hasn't. Anyone else having problems? Or having some idea what DoT can do to fix this issue?

[Clarice]

JiB, I made the most delicious homemade pasta for dinner with my new mercato electric pasta rolling machine..mmmm. It's easy, Frederick could run a business out of the house with it and pay for your new knee.

[Janet]

OT - I got a letter from our termite company & it said something about our "carbon footprint". Well, I wrote a quick handwritten note saying that I didn't want to hear that term again. It is a political term. I was contracting with them to kill bugs & that was all. If they were interested in carbon footprints I would take my business elsewhere.
So today I got a letter from them (really quick turn around time). A bit -

Dear Janet, Thank you for notifying us of your dissatisfaction regarding a recent letter that we had mailed to your home,...

As the Marketing Manager ...I would like to take responsibility for the mailing that was sent to your home. It was not my intent to cause you any frustration or doubt in our ability to meet your pest control needs.

Being an environmentally responsible pest control provider is (and has been) important to our company, but it does not take precedence over complete and effective pest elimination. I now regret my choice in wording....

Your patronage is important to us....

I used to write letters all the time...maybe it's time to start up again. I grew up with a father that was a wildlife biologist & we loved hunting & fishing & helping my dad band birds & do different projects....but the radical environmentalists are killing America. I'm just done participating in any of it.

~fin~

[narciso]

'Shirley they can't be serious' they make toxic chemicals, necessary but more dangerous then the building bloc for life

[Ignatz Ratzkywatzky]

--DoT is having a problem posting. It says his comment has been posted but it hasn't. Anyone else having problems? Or having some idea what DoT can do to fix this issue?

Posted by: Clarice | April 11, 2013 at 08:01 PM --

Me too. Some threads can't post at all. Other ones are fine.
I weep at the wisdom the world is losing.

[narciso]

facepalm with a cthluthu;

http://hotair.com/archives/2013/04/11/joe-scarborough-even-al-qaeda-thinks-our-background-checks-system-is-weak/

[jimmyk]

My flashlight is pretty reliable and I can change the battery in it.

Heh. I presume they can charge several times the production cost of the replacement battery, whereas if they allowed people to replace it, there would be knockoffs from Taiwan for 1/10th the price, and even if they occasionally caused the device to explode, people would still use them.

[Clarice]

Brava, Janet!!!

[narciso]

Sometimes, the url cache is clogged up, but there are multiple reasons I've found, for being unable to post.

[Janet]

Where the deals are made - GOP Senator Mark Kirk Says Booze And Parties On Dem-Owned Yacht Led To Bipartisan Gun Deal…

"The Illinois Republican said to reporters that visits to the Black Tie, a yacht owned by Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin, played a large role in the Democratic-Republican come-together over background checks and other legislation related to gun control, Roll Call reported.

“You guys really ought to go out to National Harbor and see the Black Tie, which has been much of the reason for much of the bipartisan cooperation around here,” he said, as quoted in Roll Call.

Frequent visitors to the luxury vessel: Democrat Sen. Kay Hagan and Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Mr. Kirk said.

“Sometimes alcoholic beverages might be served and ties might … get loosened,” he said, in Roll Call."

[Janet]

I thought hit would like this part - letter that we had mailed to your home,

Isn't that one of those pluperfect tense things?

[jimmyk]

.but the radical environmentalists are killing America. I'm just done participating in any of it.

Little Miss K had a school project, a photo essay in which they were to take three pictures of things that were "good for the environment." I did my best to discourage the obvious phony things like recycling bins and hybrid cars. It's more than a bit frustrating that this private school is pushing enviro-nonsense, considering that most of the other kids won't hear any dissenting views from their parents.

[DrJ]

jimmyk,

One item for young Miss K I'd suggest is a picture of the local publicly-owned treatment works (POTW in the business): the sewage treatment plant. That, and potable water, has done more for human health than anything ever created.

What, what's good for humans is not good for the environment?

[sbwaters]

Hit: calling people ignorant could really get exciting.

Hit, I included two categories: those who know and those who don't. Just because you self-selected into the latter category is no reason to blame me. ;-)

[sbwaters]

Rob, I didn't mind paying $100 for the development tools. A ton of work went into them. To me, wanting something for nothing sounds very. . . ah . . . progressive.

[Skoot]

and a picture of a crisp Ben Franklin, jimmyk.

What? no comments on the Masters. The Chinese kid shot +1. Pretty good. Normally I'd bust his chops for being a commie, but at 14 I'll cut him some slack :)

[Jim Eagle]

Clarice,

Sounds great. I just picked up a wonderful recipe for Focaccia with Goat Cheese, Leeks and Pancetta. Do you subscribe to Tasting Table? You can pick National, NY, LA, DC and Miami. They sweep up the local restaurants and feature trending foods and drinks. Great little email service that you can then link to on the net.

Here is today's recipe that I am definitely going to give a whirl.

[peter]

AliceH, I tried to change the battery on my wife's ipod, with disastrous results. I bought a kit on line and followed their directions. unfortunately, the ipod did not function very well after reassembly. The case is glued together, so you have to use a special tool to open it. I must have applied too much force and damaged some electronic component.

[Jim Eagle]

From Janet's 8:25 I don't know what was more amazing to learn. One, that Senators loosen their "ties" and drink in order to make deals or that landlocked West Virginia has a Senator with a luxury yacht:) Must be all that black gold in them thar hills.

But I am still concerned that there is private polling for these red state dems and the Rinos that the general voting public are not that bothered about background checks and tightening up controls. Not my position but something is happening to more liberalize the voting here.

[AliceH]

--I included two categories: those who know and those who don't. --

Actually, you embedded a single possible course of action for each of two categories, i.e. those who know fix / upgrade stuff, and those who don't, don't.

I consider myself pretty ignorant on today's PC architecture - and yet I'm still very comfortable with asking around, looking stuff up, trying stuff out.

So far, on the limited number of occasions I've decided to customize or upgrade or fix stuff (on a 4 yo PC laptop and 7 yo PC desktop) that has worked fine and was much less annoying and inconvenient than mailing in some hardware for a new battery. During this timeframe, my formerly-PC-using Apple friend bought 3 Macs due to problems with the first two that could not be fixed without sending out for repair. That may be exceptionally bad luck, but it's hard for me to ignore what I see with my own eyes.

I see the trade offs. I like lower up-front costs with the ability to manage an occasional problem. Plus, I can't run full featured Quicken on Mac - they stopped supporting it.

[Rob Crawford]

Rob, I didn't mind paying $100 for the development tools. A ton of work went into them. To me, wanting something for nothing sounds very. . . ah . . . progressive.

Since 2001 I've sunk at least $2000 in development tools; I'm not opposed to paying for tools. I'm opposed to them being THE ONLY WAY to develop for a platform.

I can read Kindle books on my iPad -- but can't buy a Kindle book through the Kindle app. Apple demands 20% of everything sold through an app on the iPad.

I have to jump through hoops to get music from any source but iTunes onto the iPad.

And the last few releases of OSX have been introducing the "walled garden" to their desktop.

Hey, it's their system. They can do it. I'm not calling for the gubmint to intervene. Just explaining why I won't buy Apple again, despite having once been a fanboy.

(I went back to Linux, but have a machine that I occasionally boot into Windows for games. I still have my Mac and iPad, and use the iPad continuously.)

[sbwaters]

AliceH: Plus, I can't run full featured Quicken on Mac - they stopped supporting it.

I agree that Quicken dropped the ball.

Our schools went PC a decade ago. Now they are Mac and the tech department is most appreciative of the ease of maintenance.

Our newspaper must have 50 Macs and a one person tech department and he spends most of his time doing other things.

To be sure, a clunker Mac is a clunker.

[AliceH]

Peter: --the ipod did not function very well after reassembly--

I almost wish I had gone that route. It would have been interesting to give it a try, and if unsuccessful, I'd at least be able to throw it out rather than keep it in a drawer taking up space :)

I actually plan to mail it to one of my nieces/nephews -- I just haven't gotten around to it.

[Rob Crawford]

On a less contentious issue than platforms: WTF is Boehner thinking with this "I don't need the caucus to support a bill to bring it to a vote"?!

[squaredance]

Mark my words, the Democrats will get what they want out of this and then they will be back for more. Their goal has been a national registration for 50 years. They will final get it, and without so much as a mild struggle. If you think it is merely "background checks" you are kidding yourselves. They are effectively destroying the second amendment. They will finally get their way. IT has absolutely nothing to do with Sandy Hook, BTW, and everything to do with the weakness and the willingness of the GOP to bow to the Democrats.

The GOP is squarely behind it. It does not matter if it is a matter of blackmail, bribery or shared agendas. The GOP will push this through the house.

Bohner will push this through the House--just you watch, he will dodge the "Hastert rule" and reach across the aisle to get it through. Those of you that think that this will get killed in the House have a big surprise coming.

We are not even a half a year into this presidential term, and our rights are brazenly being stripped from us, and stripped from us using the most irrational rhetorical and the cheapest sort of emotional manipulations. How weak and stupid we are to let such frauds and clowns destroy this nation.

The GOP is finished as a national party. They do not really seem to care. Say hello to Hillary in '16.

Make you wonder just what they see coming. It is obvious that they feel that the nation must be disarmed; it is obvious that they think that the rest of us do not matter whatsoever. Why? It is quite sobering.

What is next? Where will we be in 3.5 more years?

Both parties are out to bring this nation down. The GOP is finally out in the open.

We are ruled by cowards and traitors.

[Ignatz Ratzkywatzky]

--Where the deals are made - GOP Senator Mark Kirk Says Booze And Parties On Dem-Owned Yacht Led To Bipartisan Gun Deal…--

If the Navy is short on Naval targets due to the horrifying sequester may I make a suggestion?

[DrJ]

I went back to Linux...

Rob, bite your tongue! This statement will raise Anduril from the dead.

[sbwaters]

I was just thinking back on what positive contributions Bill Gates miht have made and, from hoodwinking IBM on DR DOS to pouring dollars into contemporary misguided centralized education, he's an entrepreneur in the worst sense of the term.

At least Steve Jobs contributed innovation and impressive quality of design.

[sbwaters]

miht = might

[narciso]

'You may fire when ready, Gridley'

[Cecil Turner]

I may be missing something, just looking over the fact sheet, but it appears to me the only significant impact this bill has is to make sales at weekend gun shows impractical. (A background check is allowed 48 hours to clear . . . at least for the next four years.) That's been a lefty pipe dream for years, but has little or nothing to do with the violent crime rate.

The streamlining of the NICS provisions looked pretty weak (and specifically avoided mention of HIPAA). Is there anything else in there that means anything?

[Jim Eagle]

Mrs. JiB just told me that she is still friends with the chief of police in Dubai, a Brigidier Ahmed, who is the guy who purchased the Lamborghini police car on the other thread. Damn, I learn something every day from her. She even Skypes with him and his wife from time to time.

Next thing she'll be telling me about her round of golf with the King of Morocco......What....you did?

[Jim Miller]

Since I build a Windows box every four years or so, I learned something interesting from my last laptop purchase: Windows is more tolerable when you install it yourself. You avoid all the annoying bloatware and other junk that the hardware manufacturers like to stick on their machines.

(I spent hours getting the HP laptop I bought a year ago into what I consider to be working order. And even now there are things I would fix if I used it more than once or twice a week.

What I should have done, by the way, is asked HP customer services to send me a set of system disks, wiped the system and done a clean install. According to some of the reviewers over at Newegg, they'll send you the disks if you ask for them in the first 90 days after yuo buy the machine.)

A year or so ago, I read that Microsoft understands this and was sponsoring leaner lines in its own stores. I haven't gotten around to checking them out, yet.

[Clarice]

I LOVE my mac..I'm a techno dunce and i find the Mac easy to use, often beause there are several ways to accomplish the same task and I'm able to dream up one of them. It's a joy to work with. Unfortunately, I still have to use word to compose and I can't stand it.

[narciso]

Funny, you say that, since I finished reading a novel, the Jackal's share, that takes partly in Dubai,

[Jim Eagle]

skoot,

So what is your number one story out today's Master's?

a) 14 year old kid named Guan shoots one over 73 on day one?

b) 53 year old Fred Couples shoots 4 under par on day one?

c) That they have changed the recipe of the ageless Pimento Cheese Sandwich and it now tastes like a gooie glob of nasty awfulness.

[Jim Eagle]

narciso,

We both have many, many friends in Dubai and the UAE.

If you have to go and live in the ME all the other places are hell compared to Dubai.

[Rick Ballard]

Cecil,

The fact sheet covers the Manchin-Toomey proposal. S.469 is the Reid Kaine production. I'd say that

Beginning on the date that is 180 days after the date of enactment of the Fix Gun Checks Act of 2013, it shall be unlawful for any person who is not licensed under this chapter to transfer a firearm to any other person who is not licensed under this chapter, unless a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, or licensed dealer has first taken possession of the firearm for the purpose of complying with subsection (s).

represents a substantive change affecting far more than gun shows.

[Rick Ballard]

That's S.649, not S.469.

[Skoot]

I like the kid. I only saw him on 18, hybrid to 20 ft then drains teh put. Fred was very impressed, said he'd (Fred) been around the course a thousand times.

But the number 1 story is "Doper" Woods blazing 70 woot! :)

[AliceH]

Cecil: that's a summary of a summary. The details and actual language are the issue, as ever.

The language, such as it was (it's being amended of course) is here. I'll note a couple things:

* The AG to decide how many and which records a state needs to submit to NICs, and will assess penalties ("withhold grants") if the numbers don't match up
* Looks like private sales/gifts/transfers also "shall include a provision requiring a record of transaction of any transfer that occurred between an unlicensed transferor and unlicensed transferee ..."
* Legal firearms owners required to report to AG and local law enforcement of lost/stolen firearm within 24 hours of knowledge of its loss, else... ???

I'm sure there's more. It's hard to read.

[narciso]

So we've been Stupaked, I mean that coloquially.

[Janet]

A neighbor came by...
I had to look up hit's odd tense - pluperfect tense back at 8:30 & it was funny what came up when I typed in "p" -
punxsutawney phil
potlatch
parks & recreation cast
pluperfect tense
punahou
producer of "Bag It"
perdition
philippians 4:6
prop 8 judge
peg leg oil
put the kibosh

Hah! JOM gets me lookin' up odd stuff.

[Rob Crawford]

Looks like private sales/gifts/transfers also "shall include a provision requiring a record of transaction of any transfer that occurred between an unlicensed transferor and unlicensed transferee

Closing the loop for registration.

[narciso]

I can't 'find the pony' in there Alice, it just worser and worser.

[Porchlight]

One should note that much of the ease of use and reliability of Apple products is precisely because of their "walled garden" approach. Microsoft's more open approach, while nice to "do what you want" inherently creates a less stable end product. Life is always tradeoffs.

socialism/communism/fascism = "walled garden"
democracy/capitalism/individual liberty = "do what you want"

Tradeoffs. ;)

[narciso]

Not surprising that they don't get the point of the exercise;

http://legalinsurrection.com/2013/04/what-could-go-wrong/#comments

[Rick Ballard]

AliceH,

The way I read that "within 24 hours of knowledge of its loss", I'm going to have file a report on that terrible kayaking incident. I can't remember much about the guns which went down with the kayak. I guess "all of 'em" will just have to do.

[Danube of Thought]

As Astronaut Jones used to say, Tryin' one.

My current beef with Apple is the forced obsolescence, aided by an endless ad campaign in which they try to convince that the thing they were so rapturous about nine months ago is now just about antedeluvian.

We just bought new Iphone 5's with the super-duper new chargers that plug into receptacles on the phone that are--you guessed it--incompatible with the chargers for all previous phones.

Assholes.

[Captain Hate]

from hoodwinking IBM on DR DOS

Did Gates really "hoodwink" Big Blew or was it their own stubbornness in not realizing how much money there was to be made on operating systems?

[AliceH]

--that terrible kayaking incident--

There's still time to transfer them all to me - no mandated paperwork required yet!

[narciso]

They didn't think that there was a market for PCs, only mainframes, I noticed the Social Networks, takes a similar fluid understanding of intellectual property.

[Captain Hate]

Not surprising that they don't get the point of the exercise

That Jennifer Rubin vs Buzzfeed part is really taxing my ability to find a side to cheer for.

[narciso]

I know, but here is the thing, Mother Jones, is an accessory to an illegal act, much like the Times was with Wikileaks, not a mere editorial supporter.

[Janet]

Good Lord...how sketchy is THIS - Rep Keith Ellison Endorses Weiner For Mayor

There must have been a lot of time & effort invested in the Weiner-Abedin (Jewish-Islamic) product for the powers to not give up on it.

[Ignatz Ratzkywatzky]

WTH? I'm so effin sick of typepad I guess I'll take a break from commenting. Just wasting my time trying only to have them eaten.

[narciso]

What happened between then and now;

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/weiner-nadler-criticize-saudi-arms-deal-article-1.264704

[Captain Hate]

Yes Iggy; Zuckerberg may have the moral core of the sniveling apparatchiks surrounding Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot, but his software is much more robust than this garbage on which I'm typing.

[Melinda Romanoff on Kindle]

Ig-

Four times?

[AliceH]

There was, I note, another Firefox release today. Didn't the last one coincide with the previous Typepad challenges?

I haven't had any TP issues (knock wood). I also didn't apply the FF upgrade yet - I never do them the for at least a week, just one general anti-guinea pig principle.

[Melinda Romanoff on Kindle]

CH-

The Winkelvoss twins were heavy holders of BitCoin. I'm sure no retributions were planned by a cross-network attack anywhere from the west coast.

Nah. Couldn't happen.

[Captain Hate]

There was also a Windows update yesterday that went amazingly smoothly; ie my pc isn't running as slow as cold molasses down a frozen pipe.

Strange that Ellison feels compelled to open his ignorant yap about a race half a country away where the only link is both of them have ties to the Mooooooooooslim Brotherhood and the sexter would have access to security briefings. What could go wrong with that?