Political Randomness

[hitbyambulance]

there's currently a discussion on the new bike-shares in my Seattle bike club forum. reaction is slightly more positive than 'mixed'.

[Moliere]

Yay! More "free" stuff for Seattle taxpayers to pay for: Mayoral candidate Jenny Durkan pitches free community college tuition for Seattle high-school grads

[hitbyambulance]

it's pretty nice here, you should visit someday

[Pyperkub]

Yay! More "free" stuff for Seattle taxpayers to pay for: Mayoral candidate Jenny Durkan pitches free community college tuition for Seattle high-school grads

FWIW, the data is that state money spent on college support for in state students comes back three-fold in terms of local, state taxes.

It's one of the state investments with the best ROI.

[Rip]

Yay! More "free" stuff for Seattle taxpayers to pay for: Mayoral candidate Jenny Durkan pitches free community college tuition for Seattle high-school grads

FWIW, the data is that state money spent on college support for in state students comes back three-fold in terms of local, state taxes.

It's one of the state investments with the best ROI.

Right behind sports teams/stadiums and the Olympics.

[YellowKing]

Yeah there are much better things to spend taxpayer dollars on, like walls to keep out Mexican rapists and security for Trump's weekly golf outings.

[Rip]

Indeed.

[Skinypupy]

Indeed.

As a Democrat, Mendez is on "my team", so to speak. If the allegations are indeed true and he is found guilty in the trial, then I truly hope he is severely punished and/or forced to serve appropriate restitution.

See how easy that is?

[Rip]

Indeed.

As a Democrat, Mendez is on "my team", so to speak. If the allegations are indeed true and he is found guilty in the trial, then I truly hope he is severely punished and/or forced to serve appropriate restitution.

See how easy that is?

I do, and am prepared to hope the same for any on "my team' that is shown to have done wrong using the same professional approach.

"This case is about serious questions of fact and law related to the corruption of one of the highest elected offices in the United States government," the brief reads. "It is not about anonymous tips, Cuba, Iran, party politics or the political consequences of a conviction.

The question of whether the defendants engaged in a corrupt scheme cannot be answered by the defendants' conspiracy theories. Rather, it only can be answered through a focused examination of the defendants' and their agents' own contemporaneous statements, black-and-white financial, government and business records, and live, non-anonymous witness testimony."

After Menendez was elected to the US Senate in 2006, prosecutors say in the brief that Melgen began "a pattern of treating Menendez to weekend and week-long getaways in the Dominican Republic that would continue for the next several years."

Melgen allegedly flew Menendez on his own private jet or on "equally luxurious travel" to his villa at Case de Campo, a luxurious resort in the Dominican Republic featuring amenities from beaches to polo fields.

At one point, Melgen allegedly purchased a three-night hotel stay for Menendez at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Paris. Prosecutors say that Menendez never acknowledged these gifts on his annual financial disclosure forms.

Melgen also donated heavily to Menendez's campaign and legal defense funds. At one point, Melgen donated more than $770,000 to various funds supporting Menendez over a five-month period.

In return, prosecutors say, Menendez acted in his "official capacity" to help Melgen -- a key hook for legal liability. After a Dominican company, purchased by Melgen, that had the exclusive right to install and operate x-ray imaging equipment in the Dominican Republic ran into a dispute with the government, Menendez allegedly "exerted substantial pressure on the State Department to intervene with the Dominican government to resolve the dispute in Melgen's favor," according to the brief.

Menendez also allegedly acted on Melgen's behalf in a dispute between Melgen's ophthalmology practice and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. When the CMS formally demanded the Melgen pay back $8.9 million in Medicare overbillings, Melgen allegedly asked Menendez to "weigh in with CMS," according to the brief.

In 2009, Menendez allegedly called the director of the Center of Medicare and "pressed the agency to approve Melgen's bills," according to the brief. Prosecutors say the same day as that call Melgen agreed to donate $60,000 to organizations supporting Menendez.

Beyond business matters, Menendez also allegedly got involved at different points in the visa cases of three international women, all allegedly girlfriends of Melgen's. The women, from Ukraine, Brazil and the Dominican Republic, were all attempting to visit Melgen in the United States.

Menendez allegedly lobbied ambassadors and other officials in support of their visa applications, even intervening after one of Melgen's girlfriends and her sister, both from the Dominican Republic, had their visas denied.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/30/politics/ ... index.html

[Moliere]

Yeah there are much better things to spend taxpayer dollars on, like walls to keep out Mexican rapists and security for Trump's weekly golf outings.

These are mutually exclusive boondoggles.

[LawBeefaroni]

Re: Charlie Hebdo cover exclaiming, "God exists! He drowned the Neo-Nazis in Texas!"

[Freyland]

I'm sure that if my omnipotent God wanted to smite me for my sins, he would level my entire community to do it. F'ing idiots.

[Isgrimnur]

I'm sure that if my omnipotent God wanted to smite me for my sins, he would level my entire community to do it. F'ing idiots.

See: Sodom; Gomorrah

[Holman]

We've seen a few misguided idiots on the Left claiming that Texas is getting what it deserves for being a Red State.

Presumably they're unaware that in 2016 Harris County (Houston) went nearly as Blue as New Jersey.

[Max Peck]

I'm sure that if my omnipotent God wanted to smite me for my sins, he would level my entire community to do it. F'ing idiots.

See: Sodom; Gomorrah

Or maybe the story of Noah and his ark.

Also, there's this new-fangled thing called satire.

[Freyland]

I'm sure that if my omnipotent God wanted to smite me for my sins, he would level my entire community to do it. F'ing idiots.

See: Sodom; Gomorrah

Or maybe the story of Noah and his ark.

Fairly sure in both of those situations the story implies the entire populations in question had it coming, not just one person or small group. Not really the same thing.

[El Guapo]

I suspect that Charlie Hebdo thinks of all or substantially all of the population of Texas as Neo-Nazis.

[Isgrimnur]

I suspect that Charlie Hebdo thinks of all or substantially all of the population of Texas as Neo-Nazis.

Most Texans think that the French are cheese-eating surrender monkeys.

[El Guapo]

I suspect that Charlie Hebdo thinks of all or substantially all of the population of Texas as Neo-Nazis.

Most Texans think that the French are cheese-eating surrender monkeys.

When I was studying abroad near London (back in 2001 - 2002), the college I was at had an "American night" in the cafeteria / student union (they also had Indian night and other such nationality-themed nights). For American night they brought in a mechanical bull and served Tex/Mex.

Really resonated with me as someone from Boston. Felt just like home!

[Max Peck]

I suspect that Charlie Hebdo thinks of all or substantially all of the population of Texas as Neo-Nazis.

I suspect that Charlie Hebdo was making a tasteless comment on right-wing "christians" who often crow about divine justice being expressed through natural disasters, but since je ne suis pas Charlie Hebdo, I don't really know for sure.

[El Guapo]

I suspect that Charlie Hebdo thinks of all or substantially all of the population of Texas as Neo-Nazis.

I suspect that Charlie Hebdo was making a tasteless comment on right-wing "christians" who often crow about divine justice being expressed through natural disasters, but since je ne suis pas Charlie Hebdo, I don't really know for sure.

Could be. They're also basically professional trolls of a sort. I guess it doesn't really matter much in the end.

[Skinypupy]

Speaking of professional trolls.

French rag Charlie Hebdo mocks Harvey victims as Neo Nazis. Charlie Hebdo makes fun of everyone but Muslims. Cowards

Ummmmm...

[El Guapo]

Good lord. Has he deleted his tweet yet?

[Moliere]

[Holman]

"Going CNN on Islam."

Wow. Is that what they call... whatever it is they think they're talking about?

[Skinypupy]

Double down on the stupid. That's always a good plan.

[GreenGoo]

I'm sure that if my omnipotent God wanted to smite me for my sins, he would level my entire community to do it. F'ing idiots.

See: Sodom; Gomorrah

Or maybe the story of Noah and his ark.

Fairly sure in both of those situations the story implies the entire populations in question had it coming, not just one person or small group. Not really the same thing.

Especially the children. The sodom children were the worst.

It's satire. It's incredibly offensive intentionally. Every time a religious leader claims god is acting directly or indirectly to punish the religious leader's targets, this is what any sane person hears. Insanely offensive invocation of god's name to justify hate and gloat at misfortune.

Hebedo's satire is a direct result of the public's ambivalence to this non-satirical behaviour in others.

Hebedo's cover offended you? Good. They were trying to do so.

What you should ask yourself is why you care so much about a shitty mag in a foreign country with low circulation, and yet when vocal religious leaders in your own country say these things (and mean it) they still have sponsors for their TV and radio shows.

[ImLawBoy]

What you should ask yourself is why you care so much about a shitty mag in a foreign country with low circulation, and yet when vocal religious leaders in your own country say these things (and mean it) they still have sponsors for their TV and radio shows.

That's a really good point. You can't really be upset about poorly done satire* from another country if you haven't gotten all of your domestic bad apples fixed.

* I have not read the article and have no idea whether or not the satire is good or bad.

[GreenGoo]

"Going CNN on Islam."

Wow. Is that what they call... whatever it is they think they're talking about?

Jesus Christ.

Sure a bunch of them got murdered and sure they are still critical of Islam, but are they critical enough? Asks the guy who thinks everyone else is the idiot.

[El Guapo]

"Going CNN on Islam."

Wow. Is that what they call... whatever it is they think they're talking about?

Jesus Christ.

Sure a bunch of them got murdered and sure they are still critical of Islam, but are they critical enough? Asks the guy who thinks everyone else is the idiot.

Calling them cowards is the shitty icing on the shitty cake. I must have forgotten the pictures of Mohammed that Joe Walsh was publishing all over the internet during that firestorm.

[El Guapo]

Also there is a 1% chance that Joe Walsh remembered the Hebdo attack before tweeting that out.

[Skinypupy]

"Going CNN on Islam."

Wow. Is that what they call... whatever it is they think they're talking about?

Jesus Christ.

Sure a bunch of them got murdered and sure they are still critical of Islam, but are they critical enough? Asks the guy who thinks everyone else is the idiot.

Remember, anything less than "glass parking lot" rhetoric is considered far too mild for these types.

[GreenGoo]

What you should ask yourself is why you care so much about a shitty mag in a foreign country with low circulation, and yet when vocal religious leaders in your own country say these things (and mean it) they still have sponsors for their TV and radio shows.

That's a really good point. You can't really be upset about poorly done satire* from another country if you haven't gotten all of your domestic bad apples fixed.

* I have not read the article and have no idea whether or not the satire is good or bad.

I know your reading comprehension is better than that.

You can't get upset about foreign satire when the satire only exists because of your ambivalence towards the domestic targets of that satire.

You're not the victim here, llb, or anyone else offended.

The hebedo's cover exists in defense of every single target religious leaders turned their sights on while the general population shrugged.

[ImLawBoy]

What you should ask yourself is why you care so much about a shitty mag in a foreign country with low circulation, and yet when vocal religious leaders in your own country say these things (and mean it) they still have sponsors for their TV and radio shows.

That's a really good point. You can't really be upset about poorly done satire* from another country if you haven't gotten all of your domestic bad apples fixed.

* I have not read the article and have no idea whether or not the satire is good or bad.

I know your reading comprehension is better than that.

You can't get upset about foreign satire when the satire only exists because of your ambivalence towards the domestic targets of that satire.

You're not the victim here, llb, or anyone else offended.

The hebedo's cover exists in defense of every single target religious leaders turned their sights on while the general population shrugged.

Except the public regularly gets outraged by those types of comments from domestic religious and political figures. Sometimes they end up getting censured, and sometimes not. Same thing with the Hebdo cover - it's OK for people to get upset about it, particularly if they are also consistent about being upset at the domestic religious and political figures that are the subject of your ire.

[El Guapo]

It's silly to say that one can't get upset about the Hebdo cover without also being upset about domestic equivalents. However, it is a good point that anyone who is outraged by the Hebdo cover should think about how widespread that type of belief is (that God actively punishes people he is displeased with, including via natural disasters), and consider the implications of "God has a plan" type talk.

[GreenGoo]

Except no, not really. Where your logic falls down is when you lump the sincere and satire together and equally offensive.

If I sit down to dinner and someone sincerely suggests my family should be killed because God, and I respond sarcastically that my god feels the same about them, and the dinner host holds us equally accountable, do you feel that's just?

On the one hand you have a sincere expression of hate. On the other you have satire mocking that hate.

Listen, get offended over whatever you want. Have at it. Just know that hebedo is playing you for a fool and you're falling for it.

[ImLawBoy]

First of all, I've never said I was offended by it.

Second, poorly done satire can still be offensive, and can be called out as such. (Again, I haven't read it - I don't know if it's poorly done or not.)

[GreenGoo]

It's silly to say that one can't get upset about the Hebdo cover without also being upset about domestic equivalent..

But...the cover is satire. It's not foreign equivalent. It's not meant to be taken in a vacuum or even at face value.

Your "domestic equivalent" is.

Of course people can be offended by a joke. I've already said the joke is incredibly offensive.

Why they put it on the cover is a question that people should spend time thinking about.

To start, it's not because they are cowards and it's not because they are f'in idiots.

Getting offended is the easy part. Understanding why they intentionally offended you might be less easy.

[Rip]

Not really, they do it to make money.

[ImLawBoy]

Once again, I never said I was offended.

I assume there is an article that goes along with the cover that might shed more light into whether this is well done satire or not, and whether it's worth getting upset about.