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Latinexus DEE-Fense ER February 9, 2026 6:48 pm (CurrentEvents)

Being a tech bro gets you a commission and a uniform podrock January 28, 2026 11:16 am (CurrentEvents)

Did we detect an exploding primordial black hole? RL February 7, 2026 5:29 pm (Space/Science)

Is anybody paying attention? ER February 6, 2026 4:47 pm (CurrentEvents)

Did you think there was a limit to Trump's narcissism? BuckGalaxy February 6, 2026 1:33 am (CurrentEvents)

Mark your calendars for February 6 BuckGalaxy December 22, 2025 11:24 pm (Space/Science)

A funny (?) interaction with chatgpt RL February 4, 2026 9:05 pm (Space/Science)

Trump Has Overwhelmed Himself BuckGalaxy February 4, 2026 3:53 pm (Flame)

FALLOUT on Amazon Prime BuckGalaxy February 3, 2026 9:33 pm (Science Fiction)

Blue Origin halts New Shepard flights BuckGalaxy January 31, 2026 3:13 am (Space/Science)

Emily Blunt's favorite sandwich. ER January 27, 2026 7:46 am (Comestible Zone)

Trouble on the way BuckGalaxy January 28, 2026 1:47 pm (CurrentEvents)

Il dead. by podrock December 18, 2011 7:27 pm

The North Koreans I've seen in the papers, on the internet and TV seem genuinely upset. They can't all ... by bowser 2011-12-20 12:03:46
- Brainwashing does wonders. Not to mention something akin to Stockholm Syndrome. by VelociraptorBlade 2011-12-21 13:28:56
- C'mon, Bowz. Not even Elvis had mourners like that. by ER 2011-12-20 12:39:07
The Glorious Successor looks dangerously unstable. by ER 2011-12-19 18:17:43
- Dangerously unstable indeed. by TB 2011-12-19 22:00:30
  - Caligula redux? Where is the Praetorian guard when you need them? That guy in the middle looks likely, but they are ... by FrankC 2011-12-20 23:39:17
  - There's a pattern here. Fidel Chavez Ahmadinejad Kim (2) Ghaddafi All dangerously unstable in the propagandized minds of Americans. All demonized by those ... by bowser 2011-12-19 23:34:17
    - What good have those leaders done for their own people by RobVG 2011-12-20 09:09:40
      - Both sides here are delusional in my opinion. Those people you mentioned bowser? They aren't unstable but they are threats ... by VelociraptorBlade 2011-12-20 19:21:55
      - You don't know, do you? Well, try this. And wonder why you didn't know this. A Libyan ... by bowser 2011-12-20 09:16:45
        
        That’s the biggest sidestep I’ve ever seen on the Zone by RobVG 2011-12-20 18:50:05
        
        You are making a fool of yourself, deliberately I think. Did you know that about Libya? Have any ... by bowser 2011-12-21 02:12:25
        
        It's pretty obvious a lot of people know more about Libya than you care to. by TB 2011-12-21 09:25:01
        
        "Demonizer"? Look in the mirror. n/t by RobVG 2011-12-21 09:05:32
        
        Now that was a thoughtful, erudite reply. Devastating in its logic, followed up with a powerful prose rebuttal with ... by bowser 2011-12-21 11:00:01
        
        I feel I was entitled to that. by RobVG 2011-12-21 18:22:31
        
        Everything you don't want to believe is the Work of the Devil. by TB 2011-12-21 11:41:01
        
        C'mon, Bowz. Libya could afford to be generous to its victims. The country is awash in oil money. Castro ... by ER 2011-12-20 10:03:01
        
        And how much of that was publicized as Ghaddafi was demonized? by bowser 2011-12-20 11:30:55
        
        Well, Cuba is a small nation off the southern coast of America. There was a revolution which threw corrupt ... by bowser 2011-12-20 11:29:47
        
        The Soviets gladly stepped in to fill Cuba's needs by RobVG 2011-12-20 19:00:55
    - These nut cases are basically bullies. They don't pick on foreign countries that can fight back. They just ... by ER 2011-12-20 04:56:53
      - In the decision tree on going to war in Iraq, which took place before 9-11 and determined Iraq needed to ... by bowser 2011-12-20 09:22:12
        
        You forget, Bowz, I supported Bush I's decision to invade Iraq. He was punishing Iraq's brutal invasion of Kuwait, ... by ER 2011-12-20 10:24:41
      - You're not even going to call him on the accuracy of his statement? by TB 2011-12-20 09:06:06
        
        Don't need to, arguing court cases is not why I come to this board. I did tell Bowser I disagreed with ... by ER 2011-12-20 09:58:16
        
        Can't. As one who has never questioned the right-wing propaganda propagated by the mega-corporations and right-wing politicians, regarding it ... by bowser 2011-12-20 09:20:45
        
        All right. by TB 2011-12-20 09:30:33
        
        Well, to be fair to Bowser, none of the totalitarian lunatics he mentioned in his post have actually started a ... by ER 2011-12-20 11:03:39
        
        Gaddafi attacked Egypt in 1977 and invaded Chad, annexing the Aouzou Strip for 18 years. Bowser carefully trimmed the first Kim ... by TB 2011-12-20 11:17:38
        
        Tom, remember the example I used? The junta DID invade the Falklands, as I pointed out. I never claimed dictatorships never ... by ER 2011-12-20 12:27:20
        
        Sorry about getting "technical." by TB 2011-12-20 12:46:46
        
        So what you're really saying is that even though I am disputing Bowser, and actualy agree with you, I don't ... by ER 2011-12-20 13:31:37
        
        Didn't say that. I said that by any measure of a "rogue" country or an "unstable" leader, the US ... by bowser 2011-12-20 10:31:53
  - I wonder what they learned from his time at that Swiss school. Otherwise, I don't see how they could ... by ER 2011-12-19 22:09:34
- Cold. If they don't raise sheep they could import some. ON the serious (more serious) side, it looks ... by bowser 2011-12-19 19:40:30
"The dictator is dead, long live the dictator." North Korean political slogan. by bowser 2011-12-18 22:06:48
Well, with his diabetes and heart condition he was sort of asking for it. Not to mention all the ... by VelociraptorBlade 2011-12-18 21:49:53

"Why young evangelicals are leaving church" by bowser December 18, 2011 7:05 pm

Vaclav Havel, RIP by TB December 18, 2011 6:24 pm

Penn Jillette: Why I am a Libertarian... by Jody December 18, 2011 4:23 pm

Quick question: If someone tries to proselytize me without my consent, would making a counter-preach of my viewpoint ... by VelociraptorBlade 2011-12-20 20:26:19

Ron Paul surging in Iowa by BuckGalaxy December 17, 2011 3:48 pm

EDITED: Placement error (Belongs Below) by ER 2011-12-19 21:20:31
- The "cover charge" at a middle-ground state school has quadrupled over the cost of living index. by TB 2011-12-19 21:34:30
- The subsidies are probably the prime reason the costs are going up so drastically, and we should probably include the ... by TB 2011-12-19 21:31:16
Ya gotta just close your eyes and believe real hard in Tinkerpaul, Buck by Robert 2011-12-18 13:08:14
- Mr Paul is a sort of Utopian Libertarian, sort of the right wing analogue (or should I say 'mirror reflection'?) ... by ER 2011-12-18 15:12:32
  - One man's utopia, etc. by Robert 2011-12-19 17:06:46
    - Amazing how that "let him die" story has evolved in the liberal imagination. by TB 2011-12-19 19:12:22
      - Yeah, but booing the Gay GI is still my favorite glimpse into the limbic system of the Conservative mind. by ER 2011-12-19 19:30:19
        
        That didn't happen the way you think it did either. by TB 2011-12-19 20:27:41
        
        I know how it happened. I was watching on live TV. I don't need no stinkin' footnotes. by ER 2011-12-19 21:04:06
        
        It was like two people. by TB 2011-12-19 21:27:26
    - I've yet to see one of these GOP nominees that looked like he was playing with a full deck, except ... by ER 2011-12-19 18:06:54
      - In December of 1979, Gallup had Carter leading Reagan by 24 points. by TB 2011-12-19 19:21:31
        
        Tom, watching you trying to cover for Bush was just entertaining, seeing you try to make excuses for any of ... by ER 2011-12-19 19:37:25
  - You don't know the half of it. by TB 2011-12-19 08:58:44
    - I heard that Obama is boosting efforts to get universities to consider race in admissions. To me, that sounds racist. by Jody 2011-12-19 11:33:07
      - No problem. After they get rid of Obama and the Dems only people who can afford the tuition will get ... by ER 2011-12-19 18:15:58
        
        Does every answer...okay almost every response from you have to be so snarky? Do I treat you like that? If I ... by Jody 2011-12-19 19:21:05
        
        That's not snarky, that's pure Libertarian/Conservative doctrine. The only people who deserve to go to college are those who've earned the ... by ER 2011-12-19 19:40:34
        
        Yes, and liberal "doctrine" is that anyone who "deserves" to have something should be able to force someone else to ... by TB 2011-12-19 20:24:04
        
        College has NEVER been affordable. The rich and the middle class has always had a subsidy. Tuition was ... by ER 2011-12-19 20:49:01
        
        Wrong. Here's the graph again. . College used to be a hell of a lot more affordable, both for state ... by TB 2011-12-19 20:51:33
        
        When I went to the University of Minnesota, the only school I could afford, annual tuition (fall, winter, spring quarters) ... by TB 2011-12-19 21:08:09
        
        EDITED: Posting artifact by ER 2011-12-19 21:41:52
        
        Pure Libertarian/Conservative doctrine? Then are you lumping ME into this purity? by Jody 2011-12-19 20:01:18
        
        Of course not, and I'm sorry if it seems I'm picking on you. I'm really not. But I do apologize. I ... by ER 2011-12-19 20:42:39
        
        It's not snark when ER does it. Only when I do it. by TB 2011-12-19 19:22:38
        
        I'm sorry if you feel abused, TB. I tell ya what, in the future, I promise I'll go easy on ... by ER 2011-12-19 19:47:58
        
        That's been a pretty common response, too. by TB 2011-12-19 20:13:38
        
        Go ahead, Tom. You don't have anything better to do. by ER 2011-12-19 21:23:12
    - I am voting for the cannibal prawn over in Space/Science for president. by Jody 2011-12-19 11:26:29

Heavy metal is back by TB December 16, 2011 7:25 pm

Christopher Hitchens gone at 62 by Jody December 16, 2011 2:51 pm

Yes, there are atheists in foxholes. by ER 2011-12-17 14:28:58
- Ah, yes. You raised a point, the reason I'm alive. After being sober a number of years, abusing ... by bowser 2011-12-17 15:29:13
- It was Thomas Paine, definitely not an atheist, but also definitely not a Christian. by TB 2011-12-17 14:48:49
  - Thanks for clearing that up TB, I've always wanted some documentation for that story. But what I really want ... by ER 2011-12-17 15:09:19
    - I am at the age where I am losing close older relatives. They all fought as best they could, ... by TB 2011-12-17 21:33:35
      - I feel the same way, but I'm still relatively healthy, and I'm not in excruciating pain with no hope of ... by ER 2011-12-18 07:14:52
        
        Me, too ER....and pain tolerance, emotional tolerance, age tolerance, loneliness tolerance, cost tolerance, watching others suffer as a result tolerance, ... by Jody 2011-12-18 08:28:02

A bit more on that pesky drone. by bowser December 12, 2011 6:55 pm

US asks Iran to return it. Iran says no. Nuff said. by RobVG 2011-12-13 17:27:23
- It's a diplomatic nicety. When the N Koreans requested we return one of their late-model MIGS which a defector ... by ER 2011-12-14 13:29:53
  - It's only polite to return things cleaner than when you got them. by bowser 2011-12-14 23:43:28
- Hands up, anyone who thought that would work. by TB 2011-12-13 19:58:34
  - An illegal spying overflight comes into the hands of those upon whom it was spying. And it should be given back? The ... by bowser 2011-12-14 01:23:15
In the last thousand years, I doubt that any non-illiterate person over 50 has died believing government is truthful. by FrankC 2011-12-13 15:43:45
On May Day, 1960, the USSR shot down a US spy plane, the U2, and captured its pilot, Gary Powers. ... by ER 2011-12-12 21:49:03
- Powers was vilified in the American press. It was claimed he had agreed to commit suicide instead of being ... by bowser 2011-12-13 04:41:20
Another opinion that thinks the drone is real, here. by TB 2011-12-12 19:51:50
The drone could have been recovered by commandos or destroyed by air strike if we had known where it was ... by ER 2011-12-12 19:11:45
- A GPS tracking unit and a contingency plan would have helped. n/t by RobVG 2011-12-12 20:24:43
  - A GPS unit broadcasting the drone's position might not be a good idea. Sure, you could encrypt the transmitted ... by ER 2011-12-12 20:37:04
    - Beacon- long interval, short duration n/t by RobVG 2011-12-12 20:54:19
      - If we can hear it, it's not impossible for them to hear it. Unfortunately, an RPV must constantly feedback information to ... by ER 2011-12-12 22:11:20
- IF it was recovered early, and IF it was moved to a secure area in a heavily populated part of ... by bowser 2011-12-12 19:21:12
  - I guess that settles it, then. Obama's just got no cojones. by ER 2011-12-12 19:25:11

Retirement age under scrutiny by Jody December 12, 2011 1:09 pm

EDITED: I retired at 62, after 20 years in the system, and my Florida Retirement System benefit is less ... by ER 2011-12-12 13:38:06

I stand corrected by Jody December 10, 2011 11:24 am

As you were. n/t by bowser 2011-12-11 20:16:50

Back to that drone. On BBC Iran says it electronically hijacked and landed it. by bowser December 9, 2011 8:15 pm

i'm not surprised that Iran would say something like that. I think they just got lucky and took advantage of ... by ER 2011-12-09 20:37:00
- I really hope you're right. Neither side in this has any incentive to be entirely accurate with the public. by TB 2011-12-09 20:46:51
  - Isn't that always the case? Both belligerents are perfectly aware of what the other is up to. It's ... by ER 2011-12-10 05:39:59
  - It would seem to me to be relatively easy to jam, simply overwhelm it with electromatic radiation to the point ... by bowser 2011-12-10 02:30:05
    - Yes, but to jam effectively, you need to know when and where the drone is coming. And covering that ... by ER 2011-12-10 05:48:08
      - True. A couple of thoughts. Article says the US thought about sending in commandos to get it. ... by bowser 2011-12-10 07:05:14
        
        They should be equipped with a large explosive device. by Lee 2011-12-11 16:56:21
        
        You obviously haven't thought this through. by ER 2011-12-12 09:19:20
        
        I could think of ways of neutralizing expensive electronics and devices without anything noticable happening outside the vehicle except maybe ... by TB 2011-12-12 10:06:49
        
        You've got a good point. But even if these measures were not a safety hazard, as would be a ... by ER 2011-12-12 10:22:00
        
        It's still too early to properly speculate, not all the facts are out yet, and may not be for years. Regarding ... by ER 2011-12-10 07:50:25

A plot to undermine the Right To Bear Arms. by Jody December 9, 2011 7:20 am

Road sign up ahead... You have entered the Twilight Zone! by BuckGalaxy 2011-12-10 03:33:44
Noah Chomsky says that the average middle class male votes based upon guns and "religiosity". Which seems to be ... by bowser 2011-12-09 18:19:08
I've published this in the Zone before, but just in case you missed it, here it is again. It ... by ER 2011-12-09 16:27:33
cold dead hands, etc, etc. by FrankC 2011-12-09 16:04:32
A successful plot to undermine the Constitution. I've NEVER seen an adequate explanation for forgetting "a well regulated militia". ... by bowser 2011-12-09 15:10:03
- Tell ya what, you can crank the Second Amendment back to what you think is "original intent" if we can ... by TB 2011-12-09 15:15:32
  - At it's most liberal interpretation, the 2nd allows people to have muskets. Period. The arms of the day. And ... by bowser 2011-12-09 15:34:53
    - Sorry, you brought up "clear meaning of the Constitution." Didn't mean to confuse anyone. by TB 2011-12-09 15:41:57
      - Au, contraire, mon ami. You DID mean to confuse the issue. We were talking about the clear meaning ... by bowser 2011-12-09 17:54:14
        
        You fell into Tom's trap several posts ago, Bowser. The Commerce Clause isn't irrelevant, though the bargain you were offered ... by Robert 2011-12-11 14:11:13
        
        Beautifully articulated! by ER 2011-12-12 09:05:45
        
        Thanks. It's a new epiphany inspired by my current reading: "Marathon" by Richard A. Billows, about the battle of Marathon ... by Robert 2011-12-12 10:34:27
        
        It was good Roberto!!! by Jody 2011-12-12 09:53:24
        
        Thanks Jody (n/t) by Robert 2011-12-12 10:36:46
        
        Not sure why. by TB 2011-12-12 10:10:07
        
        You offered Bowsers a straw man choice. How about a real choice: Trade the Pentagon (the un-Constitutional standing army) for ... by Robert 2011-12-12 10:36:19
        
        Athens also had a strong tradition of public service, about as strong as our obsession with commercial success. If ... by ER 2011-12-12 11:16:32
        
        A major corporation would inevitably wonder why it should be subordinate to a mere government if it has the wealth ... by Robert 2011-12-12 12:16:43
        
        One of my favorite parts of the Athenian "Golden Age:" Most importantly, and in order to emphasize the concept of equality ... by TB 2011-12-12 12:01:10
        
        Good point. Running out of room. Worth continuing in a new thread? There is more: Crux is requirement for "particular ... by Robert 2011-12-12 12:13:02
I don't want to get involved in this border gun controversy, I know nothing about it, but I do wish ... by ER 2011-12-09 08:15:21
- Of course you know nothing about it. by TB 2011-12-09 12:41:29
  - Ouch! It's dat ole debbil Leftist Media Conspiracy out to get me. The Holder story is about a really stupid ... by ER 2011-12-09 13:42:35
    - You mean, why don't I carry on the discussion from the side track you've put it on? by TB 2011-12-09 14:31:23
      - Absolutely. by ER 2011-12-09 15:14:55
        
        I'm curious. What exactly does a "seized forum" look like? by TB 2011-12-09 15:25:19
        
        A forum where we talk about what you want to talk about, and we talk about it in the way ... by ER 2011-12-09 16:03:38

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