Thursday Open Thread
Welcome to the Thursday edition of your open thread. It’s my last day in Canada! w00t! See you in Delaware tonight!
The first line of Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland’s campaign biography boasts the Democratic governor is “the son of a steelworker” who “never imagined he’d be able to go to college.”
…
Kasich spokesman Rob Nichols said in a statement Tuesday Strickland is a poor manager of Ohio’s cities because the Democrat was raised “in a chicken shack on Duck Run.”
Nichols’ statement came after Strickland’s running mate, Yvette Brown, said in a recent speech, “Ted didn’t grow up in city, but he fights for our cities every day.”
“Not until Ted Strickland feared needing their votes did he give urban Ohioans a second thought. Having grown up in a chicken shack on Duck Run, he has all but ignored our cities’ economies and their workers,” Nichols said in the statement responding to Brown’s speech.
OMFG. Kasich’s spokesman has now apologized.
I had a bit of excitement yesterday:
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake hit central Canada Wednesday afternoon, rattling buildings from Sudbury to Quebec City, and as far south as New York City.
The epicentre of the quake was in Quebec, about 38 kilometres north of Cumberland, Ont., which is on the Ottawa River, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and struck at 1:41 p.m. EDT at a depth of 18 kilometres.
I was in a meeting and the table started shaking. People started asking “Is this an earthquake?” It was! Canada is dangerous!
Tags: Open Thread
And a big “Ha Ha” directed at the Italians as they head home in shame.
When you drive a gas guzzling SUV through your completely paved neighborhood, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad rides in the passenger seat.
Unstable Isotope wrote Canada is dangerous!
It has always been my belief that Canada is the sworn enemy of the United States. They’re a bit too friendly.
And it is his own damn fault:
“Support for Mr. Obama and his party is declining among centrist, independent voters. But, more ominous for the president, some in his base also are souring, with 17% of Democrats disapproving of Mr. Obama’s job performance, the highest level of his presidency.”
“Some 30% in the poll said they “do not really relate” to Mr. Obama. Only 8% said that at the beginning of his presidency. Fewer than half give him positive marks when asked if he is “honest and straightforward.” And 49% rate him positively when asked if he has “strong leadership qualities,” down from 70% when Mr. Obama took office and a drop of 8 points since January.
Just 40% rate him positively on his “ability to handle a crisis,” an 11-point drop since January. Half disapprove of Mr. Obama’s handling of the oil spill, including one in four Democrats.”
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703900004575325263274951230.html
Home values are not going to recover to 2007 levels for decades even if economic growth is strong. Might as well start demolishing foreclosed properties and planting trees over them – should be a win-win for the neighborhood and the environment.
Wonder if he’s had his shots?
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2010/0624101gore1.html
Gen Patraeus was one of the arch enemies of the liberals.
It,s classic that Obama, after bad mouthing the guy, chooses him to head the Afganistan campaign.
Also, I’m curious what the left thinks about the new cell phone driving ban bill in Delaware.
Actually I’m most interested in what Jason330 thinks, since he is so smart, and I’m just a “retard” as he puts it.
FBH, don’t worry about it. “Retard” in Amish means “friend”.
Someone does not understand the cosmic nut-punching awesomeness of THE REVEAL.
The Amish were the people who went to court to prevent their children from getting more than an 8th grade education.
THE REVEAL 2010 = Mike Castle’s apology to Jason 2008
Who said anything about 2010? BTW – Amazing restraint you are showing not mentioning my postponed nude jaunt down Smyrna’s main street.
Well, now that YOU mentioned it…
I am glad that you have noticed my new found restraint.
Your BFF,
anonone
I got close after doing 45 straight days of P90X. But then I took my foot off the gas and “Dancing with the Stars” came on and you know how you can’t watch DWTS without a big old bowl of Ben and Jerry’s…amiright?
Anyway, P90X is back on and when I get to 60 consecutive days, I’ll put up a post about my nude jaunt.
Come on people, no takers on the cell phone bill that Markell is expected to sign ? Did you know that it bands CB radios also.
bans
It doesn’t ban them, it just requires that a hands free device be used. And this liberal thinks it is long over due.
Thank you meatball for indulging me even though I am just a “retard”, and let me take this opportunity to clarify that I can drive backwards hungover, while texting my wife about the groceries, better than Jason330 can drive with his hands free device.
But seriously, we already have inattentive driving laws that deal with this problem don’t we ?
I dislike the Welsh, truckers, the willfully retarded like FBH and CB radios, so anything that makes FBH sad, makes me happy.
What is the fuss? It is hard to drink beer, talk on the phone, and drive without a handsfree device, anyway.
Great input Jason330.
So I guess we will have people stopped all over the shoulder of the road talking on their phones. Doesn’t seem that safe to me, but what do I know. I’m just a “retard”.
Defend that pussy flag, girls!
You can have love or you can have sex, but you can’t have both at the same time, apparently.
http://pandagon.net/index.php/site/comments/how_i_stopped_being_a_slut_and_learned_to_cash_massive_book_advances/
Correct. You are a retard. (BTW – are you a Welsh trucker by any chance?) I will not go on to point out the fact that there are alternatives, because that would be lost on a willful retard like yourself.
Next question.
Ewwwww. It’s raining OIL in Louisiana
It could be worse. I personally hope it never really starts raining men.
Men reign over the good and the evil
Awww Geezer, that’s such a good song. Thanks.
Grow up guys and quit insulting the retards!
I’m going to retire that one and a whole bunch of curse words including but not limited to motherfucker, cocksucker, fucking a hole and Bush.
Why do republickins hate American workers?
Enjoy!
http://www.teafarty.com/
Props to Tom Kovach (sp?) This is not bad. The state uses it’s unused property to collateralize loans from Delaware banks to film companies. Maybe the “C’mon Delaware*” movie will get produced now. Has El Som broken this down yet?
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9GHNIQ01.htm
*Fans of the podcast will not be disappointed. The film is just like the podcast except Donviti finds a brief case full of mob money and hilarity ensues.
Jason330 said, “Next question.”
Sure, when the cops bust you for driving while talking on a cell phone, will they also charge you with inattentive driving ? Sounds like an extra revenue source to me.
What do you think is more distracting, a cell phone, or a baby in the car ? What’s more distracting, eating a cheese burger while driving , or a cell phone ? What’s more distracting, reading a map behind the wheel, or a cell phone call ? Et cetera.
BTW, didn’t they used to be called car phones ?
As a result of driving too fast I got a speeding ticket today. Stupid nanny state revenue boosters. Why do we even need laws ?
Jason,
Let’s put it like this: If the legislators were serious about safety, they’d have decided to add points-assessment to the legislation. They’re not because they knew people would really shit a brick and actually bitch and moan to their legislators. I will risk it all I want knowing there’s just a piddling fine. As long as I’m not assessed points, I don’t really give a flying fuck. Pull my ass over. It’s all about raising revenue and has nothing to do with safety. If it did, then they would ban ALL cell phone use and not relegate it to hands free, wireless, etc. They’d also ban ALL other forms of driver distraction and codify that the only legal way to drive is with hands on 10 and 2 at all times.
“BTW, didn’t they used to be called car phones ?”
Actually, I believe they were first marketed as mobile phones. That was when they were the size of a suitcase and had but one function, phone calls. Now they have internet, text capability, still and video cameras, games, mp3 players, etc. I’d say they have considerably more potential to be distracting.
“Did you know that it bans CB radios also.”
“It doesn’t ban them, it just requires that a hands free device be used. And this liberal thinks it is long over due.”
So does this conservative. Most truckers I know use cell phones for any significant communications. CB radios haven’t had a viable use since the 70’s. Even then they were mostly used as a diversion, and to keep the drivers awake. Now they have some great drugs for that. Hands free devices have been available for CB radios for many years, and it’s about time these fuckers moved into the 21st century.
“As a result of driving too fast I got a speeding ticket today. Stupid nanny state revenue boosters.”
Good. Thanks for your contribution to my pension. I also hope you got lots of points so you can make a generous contribution to the insurance industry for several years.
Drive careful.
“If the legislators were serious about safety, they’d have decided to add points-assessment to the legislation.’
The point system isn’t about safety either. It’s a cash cow for the insurance industry.
“They’d also ban ALL other forms of driver distraction and codify that the only legal way to drive is with hands on 10 and 2 at all times.”
That would be a tragedy for Jason. How would he whack off to that picture of Mao he has taped to his dashboard while driving down the Rt. 1 bypass?
Police have a zillion things to fiddle with in their cars. The police exemption is an admission that driving while talking can be done safely. If driving while talking on a cell phone or radio is unsafe, then it is also unsafe for law enforcement. Why shouldn’t police have the best possible safety protections?
Okay Mike, let’s look at this claim that it is about revenue. It is an easy claim to make but, what is this law expected to bring in to the treasury? What % of the state’s revenue is currently attributed to traffic citations? Does anybody really think this is a budget balancing measure? Really?
The Harvard Center for Risk Analysis reported that that 2,600 people die in 2002 because of using cellphones while driving. Their reaction time was 18% slower than a non-cell phone user. That was in 2002. Imagine what that number is today. Add text-messaging to talking on the phone. What is the reaction time of a 20 year old while texting?
I hate to be on the road with these lunatics. It is just like drink driving in my book. Lock up or shame those M-fers to death.
BTW, Miscreant is right. My right hand is never 100% “free.”
.
I agree… talking on a cell phone is probably OK, but texting pushes it too far. If there were a way to ban only texting I’d rather do that. But there’s not. It’s a habit, like smoking. They do it everywhere, so why should the car be any different? And it’s not just teenagers; it’s everybody.
I know otherwise normal people who, right in the middle of a face to face conversation, will break off eye contact and start twiddling their cell phone. And if you don’t take the hint and try to continue speaking with them, they’ll look look startled and say “Huh?” It should have its own DSM entry.
I blame Apple.
What do you call someone who has an iPad, an iPod, and an iPhone?
An iTool.
Anything you do that distracts your ability to drive, is already covered by inattentive driving laws. The new bill is redundant.
Also studies show that the conversation is the distracting factor, and not the phone, unless of course you are texting.
It’s a bad bill in it’s current form. I hope Markell doesn’t sign it.
Right on, FBH. It’s election-year politicking at its worst.
Sussex County’s most prominent douchebag, Dan Gaffney of WGMD, purports to be leading a charge on getting an exemption for truck drivers. Think about it, 75,000 lbs. flying down the highway, cell phone, CB mike, and 18 gears…
So now it isn’t a budget balancer after all, it is simply something you guys don’t like. Are you sure that is your final answer? You are not going back to budget balancing after I topple this argument are you?
No one said it would balance the budget, but it’s still a revenue grabber.
I’m not even sure it’s legal to charge someone with two violations for for an infraction that is only one violation.
Sorry Dummy, The revenue idea is a big fail unless you give me some numbers. That you simply don’t like the law is not an argument. It is crybabyism.
Here is what a fact looks like:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100209131641.htm
This is good policy. The Legislature did its job, now go skulk off to your dumbass hole.
First off,I always liked the word REDUNDANT.Just sounds cool.
Second:There are already way too many assholes per mile on our overburdened highways without a bunch of cheese-dicks,whose overblown sense of self reeks of desperation,talking or texting while driving.They are a MENACE to me and MY loved ones.They should do HARD TIME if causing a FATAL accident by doing either.
Their cellmate,hopefully with a prison moniker along the lines of “ASS-BANDIT”,should be given a lot of privacy with them.For the women,a big bull-dagger ‘il do.
“I’m not even sure it’s legal to charge someone with two violations for for an infraction that is only one violation.”
It should go like this:
Vehicle operator is being inattentive (drifting lanes, riding down the center line, weaving, etc. That is a violation of Title 21- Del. Code), which catches the attention of your state or local law enforcement hero. The law enforcement official also notices the *reason* the operator is driving like a complete asshole (that would be a cell phone).
Viola! Two violations, two charges.