Pre-Weekend Open Thread

Shoveling snow!

Comments

[Jeff Dobbs]

Shovel-ready!

[Ignatz]

Gonna be shoveling dry dirt out of our well if we don't get some precip pretty soon.

[narciso]

I remember the grey slush, the snow didn't last.

[Stephanie looking forward to the BCS games]

Beats shoveling sh!t like Obama does.

[Jeff Dobbs]

Stephanie:
Beasts shoveling sh!t like Obama does.

Wait. What?

#yike
#shotsfired

Ohhhhh, wait....

Beats

#standdown
#emilylitella

[narciso]

No, he doesn't shovel it, just leaves it on the street;

http://patdollard.com/2014/01/thanks-to-obama-al-qaeda-retakes-fallujah/

[narciso]

When you've been foolish enough to bring the wrath of 'Restraining Order' Brown, you've gone too far,

[rich@gmu]

everyone must be getting fired up for the bowl games.

[Rob Crawford]

Bowel Games? Iew.

[JIB]

“Soy Latte Liberalism”

Newt on Bill de Blasio.

He forgot the "bomb building hobby"

[Jim Rhoads f/k/a vnjagvet]

Re narc's link:

I had lunch today with one of the guys I am assisting through the VA claims morass. He is a seventy something retired O6 USMCR who served as a O1 in RVN in 1967-1968. He spent all day yesterday at the ATL airport as a VN Vet volunteer for the USO welcoming and assisting troops coming through ATL en route to their many duty stations. He was very moved by the experience.

He was also very vocal in his disdain for our current CIC for abandoning Iraq to the Taliban. He said something I fully agree with. To paraphrase:

It feels like another abandonment not of the country of Iraq, but of those of all of us who served in the "police actions", "wars" and other "international conflicts" in the last 64 years. And all of this basically bu the stroke of a pen.

Yes. It is that long ago that we began the abject retreat from total victory as an objective of US armed conflict. It is an abomination to all who were asked to put their lives on the line for the amorphous concepts of whatever sh**bird politicians happen to be in office at any given time.

It only took me only one martini tonight to get very pissed off tonight.

Sorry.

[narciso]

One thought we had learned that lesson, and the Yaliban is ISIS, which was Al Queda in Mesopotamia,

In the look squirrel department;

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/03/obamacare-benefits_n_4538407.html

[James D.]

narciso @ 7:01 - you beat me to the punch!

[James D.]

One of the benefits of living in an apartment rather than a house is the notable lack of snow shovelling that I have to do. I'm enjoying my time indoors uploading my last Christmas gift into iTunes (the 25-CD set of "Wagner at the Met: Legendary Performances from the Metropolitna Opera" - jimmyk, are you jealous?)

[Danube on iPad]

I'm still on my first, and I'm right with you, JimR.

What is particularly galling is that this guy was handed a stable Iraq on a silver platter and botched it, all so that he could boast that he "ended" the war. What he ended was the US presence there, and any hope for that country.

Every player in the Middle East has Barack Obama figured to a T. Our influence there is flat zero for the next three years. It may well never be recovered.

God damn this craven son of a bitch.

[narciso]

I remember him, from when he was at UN, after the Iranian Airlines shootdown,

http://freebeacon.com/new-iranian-foreign-policy-head-approved-1994-terror-bombing/

[Jane-Rebel Alliance1]

I don't think it's "pre-weekend". I think it is completely weekend - at least here.

[miss Marple]

I do not understand why no one will say what is the truth: whenever we are in a conflict, the left undermines it if the president is a Republican. They question motives, attack the troops, and consort with the enemy.

When the left is in power, they stab our allies in the back and make nice with anti-American dictators.

They never keep treaties or agreements. They even get former allies killed.

As long as they are a force in American politics, foreign powers would be fools to work with us, for the left has no hosnor.

[Danube on iPad]

John Fund at NRO:

"Bill de Blasio’s inauguration as New York mayor is already in the history books as perhaps the rudest transfer of power for a major U.S. political office anyone can remember. A parade of speakers trashed outgoing mayor Michael Bloomberg and delivered doses of divisive racial rhetoric."

Say what you will about the American Left, they sure got class.

[boatbuilder]

Is it wrong for me to revel in the spectacular skiing conditions of the last several years while simultaneously enjoying the complete evisceration of the bogus theories of the warmists? While some may complain of the cold, I say it's all good! (I say that from the comfort of my cheaply natural gas heated home, at least 10 hours after snowblowing the driveway at 10 degrees and windy this morning. The continuing contribution of The Glenlivet to my sunny disposition should not go unmentioned, of course).

[boatbuilder]

That said, to this day a part of me remains chilled by visions of Tom Coughlin's face in Green Bay in that playoff game. How they ever thawed the guy out and brought him back to life is a testament to the wonders of modern medicine.

[Account Deleted]

Miss Marple,

Isn't it more correct to say that American progressive traitors side with whatever tyrant has his boot on the neck of a populace? LBJ wasn't a Republican and had to deal with more progressive traitors than did Bush. You could also just leave it at progressive traitors always opposing the US, regardless of who sits in the WH, although you have to place Clinton and BOzo in the progressive traitor party to do so.

It's interesting to put the current NSA brouhaha in the context of fear of revelation of treason on the part of progressives when the government changes in addition to concern about the NSA being used by BOzo for political purposes.

[Danube on iPad]

When will someone step forward to state the obvious truth that Harry Belafonte is a gibbering nincompoop?

[rich@gmu]

>>>While some may complain of the cold...<<<

you don't need to ask twice. I'll start crying like a 5 year old when it gets into the 20s.

[BB Key]

Go Klipsen

[Jane-Rebel Alliance1]

"Bill de Blasio’s inauguration as New York mayor is already in the history books as perhaps the rudest transfer of power for a major U.S. political office anyone can remember.

I dunno. I think Obama was rude as hell to Bush - and given the chance, he would still blame him.

[Captain Hate]

How they ever thawed the guy out and brought him back to life is a testament to the wonders of modern medicine.

I think thoughts of killing his field goal kicker are what kept him warm and alive.

[Jane-Rebel Alliance1]

Boatbuilder,

How much did you get?

Global warming really is a bitch!

[Thomas Collins]

My youngest teaches in South Dakota and has spent time at the end of the Dalton Highway of Ice Road Truckers fame. She is visiting, and she thinks it is cold here in Boston. So it must be cold for her to notice.

[rich@gmu]

wow that was fast for Clemson...2 plays and 75 yards.

[Captain Hate]

Are we all cheering for Klempsun?

[boatbuilder]

>>>While some may complain of the cold...<<<

you don't need to ask twice. I'll start crying like a 5 year old when it gets into the 20s.

Rich--I recommend The Glenlivet.

[rich@gmu]

6 plays sorry...

[Steve]

LIVE STREAMING THE DISCOVER ORANGE BOWL:

http://commoncts.blogspot.com/2014/01/watch-live-live-streaming-orange-bowl.html

[rich@gmu]

boatbuilder-

not this evning I'm afraid.

[boatbuilder]

Boatbuilder,

How much did you get?

Only one bottle of The Glenlivet, but somebody else gave me a bottle of 15-year old Balvenie.

Oh, you mean the snow? Only about 5 or 6 inches here.

[rich@gmu]

evening...

and the priorities are in the right order! got a few inches of snow here and was hoping for a snow day.

[BB Key]

Kimpsen :
Previously known as The Arsenal (not to be confused with The Citadel) became a land grant college under Gov. "Pitchfork" Ben Tillman forever changing the the political clout of the low country in SC.

[Beasts of England]

lol, boatbuilder!

[DrJ]

It is interesting that recently I've seen some really good academic proposals coming out of Clemson. Much better overall than those I've seen from Stanford.

[narciso]

So, now they say they are looking for him.

[Jane-Rebel Alliance1]

Boatbuilder,

No, I meant the Glenlivet.

I'm pretty sick of all this cryptic football. When does it end?

[BB Key]

CH,Sorry for the misspelling , I am using the "upstate" phonetics :)

[Beasts of England]

Monday night for college ball, Jane.

[Account Deleted]

DrJ,

Better in what respect? Any theory on what's going on at Stanford to cause the slippage or Clemson to cause the improvement?

[boatbuilder]

You are in for a long month, Jane. Although the college stuff ends on Monday, I think.

[narciso]

I imagine learned treatises on alchemy, (clean energy, hisruptcy, climate change, and divining,

[Stephanie looking forward to the BCS games]

Monday night for college ball, Jane.

And I will go into my annual mourning period not to revive til pitchers and catchers report.

[Stephanie looking forward to the BCS games]

Monday night for college ball, Jane.

And I shall go into mourning not to revive until pitchers and catchers report.

[Stephanie looking forward to the BCS games]

I blame the vanilla vodka and coke.

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

That's ok, BBK; since you come from tha ACC heartland who am I to argue. The school from South Carolina which didn't get kicked out has carried the conference's football mantle before Free Shoes, the U and Beamerball were brought into the fold.

[DrJ]

Rick,

Clemson has picked up some superb Russians, who always tell good stories. That's important for a good proposal. Some of the proposals simply have been very clever and the story was told well.

Also, my reviewing scope is rather limited. Clearly Stanford brings in a lot more grant money, so what I've seen is not true across the board.

[Stephanie lots of surprises in the BCS bowls]

The school from South Carolina which didn't get kicked out

ELON? DAVIDSON? College of Charleston?

[BB Key]

Steph, become a lacrosse fan , It stars in a month and ends on Memorial Day. . Football for white boys .

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

Excuse me, Steph; I think South Carolina left on their own due to a snit by Frank Maguire over the treatment his mick trash players were getting.

[Jeff Dobbs]

Elon and Davidson?

[Stephanie lots of surprises in the BCS bowls]

Like lacrosse. Like rugby. February has the Aussie Open and I'll renew my annual middle of the night tweet fest with Kelsey Grammer. Up all night sleep all morning and work after noon.

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

Dabo seems to come up with about five migrain inducing decisions per game.

[Stephanie lots of surprises in the BCS bowls]

Damn capt totally forgot about that.

Just some colleges I member riding by exits for on the way to university of Charleston. I remembered that Appalachian State was in NC give me a little slack. :/

[BB Key]

CH, you are right and we both know his players were not like that when he was in Chapel Hill :)...... and Davidson was a victim of UGA and UT joining the SEC . The old Southern Conference changed forever

[Stephanie lots of surprises in the BCS bowls]

Holy snit. There where about 8 OSU players around. Brilliant. :eyeroll:

[matt]

My buddy who died in the training accident commanded the last convoy out of Iraq. He was also in the invasion in '03 and commanded a battalion in '06 in Baghdad. He hated our CinC for what he did.

My other buddy the CSM of the Army paratrooper unit that bailed out the Marines in Anbar/Fallujah, also had the same opinion. The battalion lost 23 KIA and over 100 wounded in 2006-2007 for nothing courtesy of Bunker Barry. There are some very angry Marines and paratroopers out there right now.

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

Steph, probably the only reason I remember it was there when a near riot broke out when Maryland played there during Lefty's first season of promising to make the school "the UCLA of the East" and the game was ended early. My obvious homerism notwithstanding, that was not that unusual for that pack of thugs (we got their asses in College Park in OT in the slowdown game; and yes, I was there) and there was a mutually agreed parting of the ways after that season. Needless to say, building your basketball program around Irish players wasn't exactly the wave of the future; although I think the breeding farm has been coopted by Boeheim, who always seems to have a very annoying very pale skin on his squad.

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

That's right, BBK; Frank was the head coach when the Holes beat Wilt's Jayhawks.

[narciso]

It was inevitable,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03SWGkxt72A

[BB Key]

Anybody from AhiA gonna comment on those "traditional" helmets , my ex was a buckeye born in Hamilton County in '54
Chrisitmas was last week:)

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

Urban has changed a few things from when the Vest was there.

[Account Deleted]

DrJ,

Thanks. I had just finished this essay and your comment made me wonder if Stanford was exhibiting signs of "gone robot". The climate battles are making me a tad nervous about what is going on in research in other fields.

[narciso]

What's the line Rick, 'you can't get there from here; Asimov came up with the three laws, in lieu of conscience, or superego, but no matter how many terabytes of data, you can't create a mind, or a soul.

Gelenter, who was almost killed by the Unabomber,
does capture the category error involved,

[narciso]

I put this in the LUN, because exposure to such stupidity, could induce violence,

[Beasts of England]

@Stephanie: Your vanilla-flavored vodka comment reminded me of a shot(s) I did a few weeks ago. I was on a date with the local Maker's rep (also the Pinnacle Vodka rep) and she said I had to do a Breakfast Shot.

She hops over to the kitchen and brings back a piece of bacon, orders two shots of orange juice and a flavored vodka shooter. She said the shot would taste just like pancakes with syrup. So we did the shot, hit the orange juice and then ate the bacon. It was very entertaining...

[Beasts of England]

@narciso: Pardon my French, but that's the stupidest fucking shit I've ever fucking read. What a bunch of mother fucking morons. Whoever wrote that tripe should be sent to a gulag. Fuck me...

[Danube on iPad]

"I dunno. I think Obama was rude as hell to Bush - and given the chance, he would still blame him."

All my life I have believed that the gentleman who behaves in the manner exemplified by Bush 41 and 43 will, in the end, be understood to have prevailed, and that when the histories are written he will be the most admired.

Until now.

[DrJ]

Rick,

Gelernter's essay is far removed from what I do and the proposals I review -- mostly those are in classical experimental physical chemistry, biological chemistry and biophysics. So what he writes doesn't apply at all.

I will say that I do see an over-reliance on "click and calculate" computing that is divorced from the underlying (and seemingly misunderstood) physical principles, and that causes all sorts of trouble. There's too much reliance on the gospel truth of computing software.

Also, I've seen many proposals coming out of Stanford on the small business side that have been very impressive: great technology, good partners, well-structured licenses, and well thought-out business plans.

[Captain Hate]

Just when I thought my opinion of Rolling Stone couldn't be lower...

[Stephanie lots of surprises in the BCS bowls]

Love breakfast shots.

Love flavored vodkas.

Try this cocktail:

Raspberry blue vodka
Sprite
Splash of sour mix

We call it a Blue MotherF$&@we

From the comments at narcs article (where it it getting the splattering it deserves):

Please don't judge the rest of us/millennials because of this douchebag. He probably wrote this in his onesie sipping hot cocoa.

Lol

[Dave (in MA)]

Is Jan Wenner subletting column inches to the Onion nowadays?

[Stephanie lots of surprises in the BCS bowls]

MOTHERF@$&ER

And slattering. You'd think the kindle autocorrect would have learned that one by now.

[Jane on Ipad]

Matt, what do you think the consequence will be?

DOT are you saying you think Obama's image will prevail?

[Beasts of England]

Thanks, Steph. I'll shoot that recipe to her.

I was, obviously, far too pissed off to stick around and read the comments for the RS article. Thank goodness it's getting some well-deserved pushback.

[Stephanie lots of surprises in the BCS bowls]

Who played for halftime at the Orange Bowl?

I ran to Wal-Mart (it is Friday night). :)

Hope whoever it was was better than the Who.

[narciso]

It is dense enough to create it's own singularity,

[narciso]

this maybe the twit, and yes it's what you suspected;

[Dave (in MA)]

Acc. to Google, the individual who wrote that RS piece of crap is a "media coordinator" for the Occupoopers.

[Stephanie lots of surprises in the BCS bowls]

Another in need of a cluebat: intuit and turbotax

"Taxes are a recap of your year"

No wonder it was the software of choice for Tommie. Or Timmeh! For his doppelganger on South park.

[Stephanie lots of surprises in the BCS bowls]

Damn autocorrect. TIMMIE.

[narciso]

one of the reason, any of this carp, got any traction, is that people like George Goodman
'Adam Smith' who passed away today, at 83, and Louis Rukeyser, were driven off the air, to replaced with the Dumb and dumberism of Moyers, Amy Goodman and the like,

[Danube on iPad]

"...are you saying you think Obama's image will prevail?"

Sad to say, yes. We are in the hands of low trash at every level. We are on a down-bound train.

This Di Blasio inaugural was as low a point as I have seen in willful, public, official boorishness. In what used to be America's city.

[Stephanie lots of surprises in the BCS bowls]

Can I have this Jessie dude for my cabana boy?

His significant other can groom my unicorn.

[Stephanie lots of surprises in the BCS bowls]

OSU is mounting a comeback.

Clemson is looking tired.

[narciso]

Idiot, has 'full communism' on his twitter feed,
lord love a waterfowl.

[Stephanie lots of surprises in the BCS bowls]

OKSU NOT OSU.

Man my preview skilz suck tonight

[Beasts of England]

What's the RS twerp's job title at OWS: Designated Imbecile?

[narciso]

Organizer, he's also spokesman or was, for the NY State Nurses Association,

[Beasts of England]

Decided to read the first fifty or so comments. With only one exception, every comment absolutely slammed the twit. Refreshing to read. And none of them used expletives like I did. Sorry about that.

[Beasts of England]

Cotton Bowl is getting exciting.

[jimmyk on iPhone]

Even the commenters at Rolling Stone put down their joints and slattered that piece.

[Stephanie lots of surprises in the BCS bowls]

WOOT!!!! Skore!

Brrrrr-rrut hold that tiger!

[jimmyk on iPhone]

Too slow with my iPhone as usual.

[daddy]

I think this is a heckuva lowball estimate:

$400,000 hit for ice rescue revealed

TAXPAYERS will foot a $400,000 bill for the rescue of a group of climate scientists, tourists and journalists from a stranded Russian research vessel - an operation that has blown the contingency budget of Australia's Antarctic program and disrupted its scientific work. The Antarctic Division in Hobart said it was revising plans and considering airlifting urgently needed scientific equipment that could not be unloaded from Aurora Australis before the ship was diverted from the Casey base to rescue the novice ice explorers just before Christmas.