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Updated Sep 15, 2010, 9:52 AM

Updated Sep 15, 2010, 9:52 AM

Something to think about before you go vote tomorrow. You are going to go vote tomorrow, right?

Updated Nov 1, 2010, 4:25 PM

Updated Nov 5, 2010, 10:47 AM

Updated Nov 10, 2010, 7:41 PM

Leave it to Steve Martin to rub in the down side of atheism...

Updated Nov 11, 2010, 1:28 PM

We've drunk the Kool-Aid we give our young children in an effort to
encourage them and give them self-esteem, and somehow it's convinced us
that nothing is very complicated or outside our grasp.

Updated Nov 12, 2010, 10:44 AM

Cindy McCain holds husband John responsible for LBGT suicides... sorta. Some dot connecting required by the viewer.

Updated Nov 12, 2010, 3:55 PM

Watson was fed 1m books, but what does it mean for a machine to read a book? Humans can read a book without violating the copyright, but humans lack total recall. Computers are not so limited.

On the plus side, Will copyrights ultimately protect us from Skynet?

Updated Feb 18, 2011, 9:17 AM

The irony of the Whistleblower bill being scuttled under a cloak of secrecy is not lost. The Senator who banished it, and the secrets he's presumably trying to protect, remain unknown.

Updated Feb 19, 2011, 8:30 AM

Conflating the two is either an act of colossal ignorance or a blatant attempt to mislead and confuse voters. We report, you decide.

Updated Mar 1, 2011, 8:42 AM

Dodd's ethics seem to be bobbling in the breeze. Yet it remains to be seen if his new $1m MPAA job will change his positions on Net Neutrality, Fair Use, and ISP data retention.

Updated Mar 2, 2011, 11:49 AM

The proposals opposing efforts to reign in escalating health care costs may be partly political opportunism run amok, but likely also reflect a broad ignorance about the state of medicine as currently practiced.

Updated Mar 11, 2011, 9:51 AM

The receiver unit is molded to your teeth where it wirelessly picks up signals transmitted by the small microphone clipped behind the decorative ear.

Updated Mar 15, 2011, 2:21 PM

This time for sure:
"Our Earth is degenerate in these later days; there are signs that the world is speedily coming to an end; bribery and corruption are common; children no longer obey their parents ... and the end of the world is evidently approaching."
-- Assyrian clay tablet, c. 2800 B.C.

Wow... Steve Jobs is dead. I was never an Apple fan boy, but the man had a special breed of genius. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cnet/tcoc/~3/opeZgl8XvWI/

Updated Oct 5, 2011, 8:57 PM

If you haven't seen it yet, check out ShitThatSiriSays. It's a Tumblr where people post questions asked of the iPhone's new personal assistant. For example, say "Talk dirty to me" and Siri responds, "The carpets needs vacuuming." What's really cool is there was obviously a team that sat around and anticipated these off the wall questions and wrote answers. What a cool job.

Updated Oct 20, 2011, 5:26 PM

Awesome. I need one of these for the living room. Then Kim could watch TV without a blanket.

Updated Oct 21, 2011, 12:59 PM

Well, today was supposed to end the 5 month long Judgement Day that started on May 21st. God should be rapturing it up any minute now. I can hardly wait until tomorrow to hear when the next rapture is scheduled.

Updated Oct 21, 2011, 3:27 PM

The recent passing of John McCarthy and Dennis Ritchie (2 weeks ago) marks the loss of two of the seminal minds in Computer Science. Those outside the field have probably never heard of these guys, but they laid the foundations that made Steve Jobs and Bill Gates possible. These were the men real geeks wanted to be when they grew up. RIP

Updated Oct 26, 2011, 9:04 AM

57 people in a pair of pants is a record? For Snooki that's just a Saturday night.

Updated Nov 18, 2011, 11:28 AM

Updated Nov 22, 2011, 1:31 PM

One hero has spent his whole life training for this moment. Bring it.

Updated Nov 23, 2011, 3:25 PM

Okay, so this probably isn't every girl's dream... but it should be.

Updated Dec 7, 2011, 3:07 PM

The definitive proof Global Warming exists in an easy to read chart that no one can deny.

Updated Dec 16, 2011, 8:10 AM

Catholics think the gov't shouldn't be able to make them follow rules inconsistent with their doctrine. So presumably they are also in favor of allowing Mormons to practice polygamy, right? Yeah, I didn't think so.

Updated Jan 30, 2012, 4:01 PM

Catholics think the gov't shouldn't be able to make them follow rules inconsistent with their doctrine. So presumably they are also in favor of allowing Mormons to practice polygamy, right? Yeah, I didn't think so.

Updated Jan 30, 2012, 4:02 PM

Updated Feb 1, 2012, 6:44 PM

Check out the cover. Gail Collins should be so happy.

Updated Mar 5, 2012, 2:25 PM

Wabbit season!

Updated Mar 18, 2012, 6:49 PM

"What I would do? People ask me, `What would you to get the economy going'? and I say, `well look at what the president's done, and do the opposite.'" -- Mitt Romney, quoted by the Associated Press

So... raise taxes it is!!

The helicarrier, the Norse gods, the giant green guy, none of that troubled them. But the notion that the US would belong to an international quasi-military group like SHIELD was just too unrealistic. Good to know there are limits.

Updated May 7, 2012, 1:47 PM

Citizens must unite against Citizens United.

Updated Jul 6, 2012, 11:57 AM

The facts have a well known liberal bias...

Updated Jul 13, 2012, 9:37 AM

Karma's a bitch. LOL

Updated Aug 28, 2012, 5:42 AM

From the summary of a patent: "The invention relates in general to an improved structure of a vibrator having components (such as, rotating cam, engaging or sliding structure etc.) is disclosed that may produce vibrations in different directions (i.e., horizontal and vertical)." -- It claims to be for cell phones, but that sure isn't what it sounds like...

Redundancy (noun) - The air bag in Mitt Romney's car. [from SpacemanQuisp on Twitter]

What separates the right from the left is not the interest in conspiracy theories but the ease of finding a full time job spreading them. --Josh Barro

Good news: she's dressed up like a Tardis -- Bad news: she's bigger on the inside. That can't be good.

Updated Oct 9, 2012, 6:14 PM

30-yr old with Downs Syndrome takes on Ann Coulter and wipes the floor with her. Well done sir.

Updated Oct 24, 2012, 9:51 AM

This is such a powerful message: “When we survive sexual assault, we are the gift. When we go on to love, to laugh, to cry, to live..." http://on.msnbc.com/Rp5lfk

Updated Oct 27, 2012, 11:46 AM

With Sandy in the mirror and Election Day out the windshield, it is a good time to remember gov't is not some malevolent "other" to be opposed, but is an extension of us--our priorities, our compassion, our collective will--and to the extent it is not, we have only ourselves to blame.

You go to the White House with the Congress you have--not the Congress you might want, or wish to have, at a later time.

My old alma mater is so desperate to name their robot, they are leaving it to the wisdom of the Internet. Clearly, my suggestion "Gort" (the robot from The Day the Earth Stood Still) should win. And if it does, I can rationalize this as my alumni contribution (since I'm unlikely to ever be able to afford to leave them a library or a research lab). So follow the link below and vote for "Gort". It only takes seconds, and Klaatu is counting on you.

Updated Dec 3, 2012, 4:06 PM

Obama wants Sharia law, and will force us to study Islamic materials the same way people studied Hitler’s Mein Kampf. --Bachmann 2016 (please?)

Updated Dec 12, 2012, 12:39 PM

Obama offered GOP 90% of the total spending cuts in Bowles Simpson, with just 60% of the revenue. They said no, this was neither serious or balanced.

Updated Dec 19, 2012, 4:01 PM

In case you need a good giggle to end your work day...

Updated Dec 19, 2012, 5:34 PM

Words to live by...

Updated Jan 7, 2013, 12:25 PM

It's inhumane that these do not come in adult sizes.

Updated Jan 10, 2013, 12:50 PM

The brightness is rising on the field. In the CBS booth, not so much...

So privatizing SS should work out well. RT @chrislhayes: "401Ks are a disaster" http://t.co/Mw5lyspz

Updated Feb 6, 2013, 9:46 AM

Yum, Chocolate Veggies RT @rbreich Karl Rove trying to make the GOP moderate is like Hershey's trying to make asparagus http://t.co/W2wsqRic

Updated Feb 6, 2013, 2:48 PM

This is how it starts. Give them control of their wardrobe and soon they'll think they control their own bodies too. http://ow.ly/hu65s

Updated Feb 6, 2013, 3:50 PM

Zero Dark Valentine's - Because sometimes waterboarding seems pretty reasonable...

Updated Feb 7, 2013, 4:47 PM

This just in from Fox News: Republicans need to quit complaining and start cooperating with Obama http://ow.ly/hG7Cw Must be opposite day?

Updated Feb 13, 2013, 9:43 AM

If you can't beat it, redefine it: Missouri bill redefines science, gives equal time to ID http://ow.ly/hG894 Points for creativity?

Updated Feb 13, 2013, 2:55 PM

Have seniors really paid for Medicare and Social Security? wapo.st/1341wzN No... well, sort of, and sometimes yes.

Largest U.S. banks aren’t really profitable. Billions they allegedly earn are almost entirely a gift from U.S. taxpayers http://ow.ly/hVsHn

Updated Feb 21, 2013, 12:28 PM

Creationism, Ayn Rand and gun control: Actual laws proposed this month - http://ow.ly/hZZPu You can't make this stuff up.

Updated Feb 24, 2013, 12:39 PM

Happy, snappy tweets gain the most followers. http://ow.ly/i3Pqb I'm doomed, I tell you! DOOMED!

Brooks advocates good Sequester avoidance ideas that don't help. Ignores that GOP base doesn't want to avoid this. http://ow.ly/i4f55

Updated Feb 26, 2013, 12:36 PM

The coming R&D Crash is one of the long term impacts of austerity budgeting. http://ow.ly/i4gdd #BuckleUp

Updated Feb 26, 2013, 12:44 PM

Bachmann: ‘I didn’t get anything wrong’ http://ow.ly/i4nZS Next campaign: Bachmann for Pope 2013 #PrincessSparklepony

Updated Feb 26, 2013, 6:45 PM

When democracies aren't: Boehner Refuses to Allow the House to Vote on Sequester Replacement Bill http://ow.ly/i5OKn #hostageUSA

Updated Feb 27, 2013, 8:19 AM

MA man drinking beer for children's cancer research http://ow.ly/i6QEb I'm thinking I'll do more charity work in the future.

Updated Feb 27, 2013, 3:28 PM

Unregulated monopolies are bad for consumers. TWC’s arrogance illustrates why the cable industry is so disliked. http://news.yahoo.com/time-warner-cable-arrogance-perfectly-illustrates-why-cable-164523524.html

Some horsing around at work here: Iceland tests find meat pies contain no meat at all - http://ow.ly/ie4OT #oops

Updated Mar 2, 2013, 6:50 PM

I'm surprised, but in a good way: White House Says Mobile Phone Unlocking Should Be Legal - http://ow.ly/ilrj8

Updated Mar 4, 2013, 4:32 PM

Suddenly, guys will want to do the grocery shopping: IBM Launches Augmented Reality Shopping Assistant http://ow.ly/ivE3D #CoolTech

Updated Mar 7, 2013, 10:05 AM

Russian has strongest vagina in the world. http://ow.ly/iAISU I have questions... most of which I'm pretty sure I don't want the answers to.

Updated Mar 8, 2013, 3:56 PM

I need bigger pants: TSA Inspector Gets Through Airport Security With Fake Bomb In His Pants http://ow.ly/iO6I4 #SecurityTheater

Updated Mar 12, 2013, 9:41 AM

Hey, they did a survey. Who am I to argue?

Updated Mar 12, 2013, 12:14 PM

#Pope Francis? He should've gone Medieval with "Sixtus VI", and for a 21st Century pop, insisted he be referred to as His Eminence-eminence.

Happy Pi Day! Please bow your heads at 26 seconds after 1:59pm for 0.000000053 seconds of circumscription.

This week in God: Higgs Boson and Francis I both confirmed. Both responsible for mass. Coincidence?

Threatening lawmakers who propose gun laws isn't really helping your cause. http://ow.ly/iYJqI #JustSayin

Updated Mar 15, 2013, 8:09 AM

I thought I took Google Reader' demise hard, but Hitler found out http://ow.ly/j0iZc Seriously though, without it, RSS has a bleak future.

Updated Mar 15, 2013, 3:12 PM

Seems a likely position... http://i.imgur.com/p9gCFbi.jpg

A future "in which all content is delivered over the internet and ... cable TV is just one of many apps." http://ow.ly/j9BNO It's inevitable.

Updated Mar 18, 2013, 10:01 AM

Chick-fil-A tops in Customer Experience http://ow.ly/jaKgy So, either homophobes make rabid fans, or their customers don't follow the news?

Updated Mar 18, 2013, 2:13 PM

Good news for Diabetics: Wireless 'under the skin' prototype beams instant blood test read-outs to your smartphone http://ow.ly/jf5Uv

Updated Mar 20, 2013, 8:23 AM

VGer has left the solar system. Last words: "I'll be back.." http://ow.ly/jfZNi (a joke that only the other 6 geeks who saw ST:TMP will get)

Updated Mar 20, 2013, 2:20 PM

So is it a business or a gov't agency? Can't be both. Congress Thwarts Post Office’s Plan to Eliminate Saturday Delivery http://ow.ly/jkDWy

Updated Mar 22, 2013, 2:46 PM

Startups Realizing That Patent Trolls Are An Existential Threat http://ow.ly/jEZE1 Want to help small business? A good place to start.

Updated Apr 2, 2013, 8:13 AM

Vacation destination w/ some assembly required: LEGOLAND Hotel opens - http://ow.ly/jN5iQ #BrickMe

Updated Apr 5, 2013, 3:24 PM

1st Elmo, now this: 'Cookie Monster' arrested for pushing child in Times Square http://ow.ly/jROvI The dark side of Sesame St...

Updated Apr 8, 2013, 4:00 PM

Was just told U-turns are illegal in Ohio. I guess that makes me an outlaw. Is bail money a business expense?

Adventists turn 150. #Oops The end is coming any minute. This year for sure! http://ow.ly/jWQyO

Updated Apr 10, 2013, 6:47 PM

Natch, FB launched home yesterday and this comes out today: How to uninstall Facebook Home from your current phone http://ow.ly/1V1Xte

Apparently I've got "Goldenfreude", the pleasure of seeing gold fans (I'm looking at you Glenn Beck) lose money. http://ow.ly/k5kyL

Updated Apr 15, 2013, 2:26 PM

Finding new ways to annoy you: Comcast to encrypt all channels, require their box for every TV http://ow.ly/k5loC TWC looking less ugly?

Updated Apr 15, 2013, 2:34 PM

Empathize, but refuse to be terrorized. Instead, be indomitable. The terrorists only win if we're afraid. http://ow.ly/k6GzC #Boston

Updated Apr 16, 2013, 7:58 AM

Congress Quickly And Quietly Rolls Back Insider Trading Rules For Itself http://ow.ly/k7Gnu Yea! Bipartisan support for corruption!

Updated Apr 16, 2013, 2:32 PM

I'm 400mi away, but sheltering in place anyway just to be on the safe (lazy) side. Go get 'em boys! #BostonMarathon

In the name of safety and security, the same folks who are apoplectic over a potential federal gun registry just passed CISPA--a bill that allows the gov't warrantless access to all manner of your online activities. http://ow.ly/keKqp Can you say, "hypocrite"?

Updated Apr 19, 2013, 3:28 PM

I got out of 3D imaging just in time. No idea of the huge responsibility. http://ow.ly/keM7C "Woman pregnant from watching 3D film"

Updated Apr 19, 2013, 3:39 PM

If religious culture is responsible for the acts of every follower, then that applies to Christians too, right? http://ow.ly/kjoIC

Updated Apr 22, 2013, 4:15 PM

Terrorists win when we cash in our ideals & freedoms for safety--when we compromise who we are or aspire to be out of fear. Be bigger.

For my job hunting friends out there: Do you like fruit & yogurt? Can you surf? Can you spot boobs? This is for you - http://ow.ly/knfop

Updated Apr 24, 2013, 8:58 AM

Beware of Clergy: Mormon bishop with Samurai sword saves neighbor from attack - http://ow.ly/knEtg Bet the perp didn't see that coming!

Updated Apr 24, 2013, 11:24 AM

Scan me again Mommy!! These Smart Pajamas can read your kid a bedtime story. http://ow.ly/kpHJ6

Updated Apr 25, 2013, 9:07 AM

If Everything Is A Threat, Then Nothing Is http://ow.ly/ku0Rb We're fed junk "info" that generates complacency, rather than vigilance.

Updated Apr 27, 2013, 9:26 AM

Bill for compulsory science fiction in schools in order to stimulate interest in the fields of math and science. http://ow.ly/kuQDi

Updated Apr 28, 2013, 6:59 AM

Didn't see that coming. Kodak just gets stranger. http://ow.ly/1VJAra

Government antiscience on the rise. Science must be allowed the freedom to pursue ideas wherever they lead. http://ow.ly/kD3Rz

Updated May 2, 2013, 4:07 AM

Just saw a #TWC ad touting their customer loyalty. Um... Guys? It's not "loyalty" if your customers have no other options to buy.

Geeks Got Game: Inside the third-annual White House Science Fair - http://ow.ly/kL7mh

Updated May 6, 2013, 2:49 PM

And Kodak thought Lenticular printing was a dead technology... cool use.

Updated May 7, 2013, 8:10 AM

The shorter your first name, the bigger your paycheck http://ow.ly/kNdjC From now on, just call me "T".

Boehner Accidentally Explains Why His Deficit Position Is Phony http://ow.ly/1VYH4Z #whoops

Should you ever feel like an inadequate parent, the Internet is happy to provide you a new benchmark that makes you look frickin' awesome.

Updated May 10, 2013, 10:12 AM

Smell-O-Vision on your smartphone: Scentee sends smells instead of texts http://ow.ly/kYgZh Tech doesn't always create useful things.

Updated May 13, 2013, 9:15 AM

'Bug' Allows Same-Sex Marriage In Nintendo Game, Nintendo Releases Patch To 'Fix' It http://ow.ly/l0UbE Umm... #NABWAD.

Updated May 14, 2013, 9:53 AM

If I owned any AF clothes I would totally do this...

Updated May 15, 2013, 1:28 PM

Star Trek vs. Star Wars - both fun, but only one offers a world I'd want to live in.

Updated May 15, 2013, 5:15 PM

IRS cancels softball game with critical Republican senator http://ow.ly/l6Ixd Presumably also posted selfie w/ pouty face on Twitter

Updated May 16, 2013, 3:49 PM

One more reason I won't be in heaven. Doh!

Updated May 17, 2013, 11:38 AM

In a bureaucracy, never suspect conspiracy for what can be chalked up to incompetence. One's hard work, the other comes naturally. #IRS

Honey? What are we printing for dinner? NASA funds 3D food printer, pizza is the first item on the menu - http://ow.ly/lhbwk #yum?

Updated May 22, 2013, 6:53 AM

TSA's small-knife policy sparks bipartisan outrage - http://ow.ly/1OLiKn Because nothing's scarier than people w/ tools, or shampoo.

The beauty of religion is that it is flexible enough to warp in your mind to support and justify your personal beliefs, but yet seems solid enough that you still have the confidence to assert its immutable truth.

Updated May 23, 2013, 11:16 AM

Science literacy is a vaccine against all the fuzzy thinking in the world. Get vaccinated. - Neil deGrasse Tyson

Updated May 24, 2013, 10:29 AM

If you imagine a policy spectrum that that goes from 1-10 in which 1 is the most liberal policy, 10 is the most conservative policy, and 5 is that middle zone that used to hold both moderate Democrats and Republicans, the basic shape of American politics today is that the Obama administration can and will get Democrats to agree to anything ranging from 1 to 7.5 and Republicans will reject anything that’s not an 8, 9, or 10.

Updated May 24, 2013, 1:53 PM

Better headlines: Face the music. I can't ear you! Cheek this out. Beat your face. http://ow.ly/lsWIJ #swimming #tunes

Updated May 28, 2013, 11:19 AM

A worthwhile read: No one really believes in ‘equality of opportunity’ http://ow.ly/lvydz

Updated May 29, 2013, 11:39 AM

I always wondered what women carried in those things... http://ow.ly/lxX84 #yuk

Updated May 30, 2013, 11:31 AM

Translation: "Dammit! The Scouts are no longer willing to rationalize my prejudices and fears."

Updated May 31, 2013, 9:27 AM

It’s time real Christians take back their faith from these people. It’s time they rise up against these ignorant fake Christians and call them out directly on the truth. They don’t follow Christianity. They follow Republicanity. They worship Reagan, guns and greed—not Jesus Christ.

Updated Jun 3, 2013, 10:44 AM

Father's Day is coming. Show Dad you care...

Updated Jun 4, 2013, 2:04 PM

A little propaganda with your coffee this morning?

Updated Jun 5, 2013, 8:04 AM

Top Gear and Honda collaborate on a monster that will have your grass shaking in its roots. Will The Stig open a lawn care service now? http://ow.ly/lJDVg

Updated Jun 5, 2013, 11:16 AM

So... if you oppose abortion, you should be for the birth control mandate. Or you should tie a leather strap firmly around your head to keep it from exploding, or at least contain the mess.

Updated Jun 5, 2013, 4:30 PM

We started down this path post 9/11, with fear in our hearts and safety on our minds. We readily sacrificed our freedoms for a faux sense of security. That such a path should lead us here was inevitable. By all means, act determined now to put the genie back in the bottle. But only an idiot would be outraged that the hammer he so willingly dropped has landed upon his toe.

Updated Jun 6, 2013, 8:24 AM

Interesting take on what a democratic surveillance state would be. Ignores the other reason for being a data hog: not knowing what you're looking for. http://ow.ly/1XdFlK

"If people are good only because they fear punishment and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed" - Einstein

This is the sort of long-term total-cost thinking we need more of when creating economic policy. http://ow.ly/lSUhi

Updated Jun 10, 2013, 12:18 PM

When is a rape joke funny? Ummm... never. - http://ow.ly/lVKb9

Updated Jun 11, 2013, 2:14 PM

This is the rationalization you've been looking for.

Updated Jun 12, 2013, 3:00 PM

Fair warning: what follows is pure unadulterated speculation. But someday I aspire to become a pundit on a network news channel, so I need the practice.

Updated Jun 12, 2013, 5:12 PM

My business is toxic. I finally buy a new suit and they fire the CEO. I guess I won't do that again. Men's Wearhouse ousts founder http://ow.ly/mbnON

Updated Jun 19, 2013, 10:17 AM

EMT stationed at canyon floor in case #Wallenda falls. Has shovel at ready. #WTF?

With apologies to sick kids and sports teams everywhere, God's full attention is on #Wallenda. You'll have to wait.

Minorities are elated to learn #SCOTUS has ruled #racism a thing of the past. Way to go white America! Job done.

Updated Jun 25, 2013, 11:14 AM

Well that didn't take long at all now did it?

Updated Jun 25, 2013, 7:03 PM

C'mon, reviewing water guns is a job? No fair! - Can Nerf's New Super Soaker Out-Douse The Competition? http://ow.ly/1Y1H9b

This doesn't make up for yesterday, but it's still a good thing.

Updated Jun 26, 2013, 10:35 AM

POTUS on capturing Snowden: "I'm not going to be scrambling jets to get a 29-year-old hacker." Dude, (can I call you Dude?) if your job gives you access to databases and Powerpoints and you manage to sneak out with them in your lunchbox, that doesn't make you a hacker. #Snowden may be an opportunist, a thief, a patsy, a hero, or even a traitor... but he's no #hacker, nor is being a hacker inherently illegal. Respect the tech.

Bwwhaaaahahahaa: University of Michigan activates antimatter 'gun,' cartoon supervillians twirl moustaches anew http://ow.ly/mwaS3

Updated Jun 30, 2013, 9:49 AM

Maybe it is time to go Galt

Updated Jul 6, 2013, 7:24 PM

Young White Women, Killing Themselves by Tanning. Is it really worth it? http://ow.ly/mQori

Updated Jul 10, 2013, 4:44 PM

Just connected a Jelly Bean phone to the Apple Store WiFi. The universe seems stable so far. Stay tuned...

Because most of life is lived after the birth...

Updated Jul 13, 2013, 9:49 AM

Global warming: Bill Nye teaches “Climate 101”, plus, what tobacco companies and big oil have in common (VIDEO) http://ow.ly/n1Isf

Updated Jul 16, 2013, 4:06 PM

Authorities Search for “Beer Gut Bandit” http://ow.ly/nhqDq I'm betting that wasn't the legacy he was going for.

Updated Jul 24, 2013, 11:38 AM

I'm certainly no expert on women, but this one seemed kinda obvious...

Updated Jul 24, 2013, 5:11 PM

BOHICA! Road Runner rates go up $3 in August, cause, ya know, the Internet is popular and all.

Updated Jul 25, 2013, 9:27 PM

Don't you hate it when that happens? -- Amanda Bynes stripped off her pants to chase her gasoline-soaked dog after starting a fire in stranger’s driveway, then tried to wash the dog in a liquor store. http://ow.ly/npJyt

Maybe it's time to update our laws to reflect the networked world we live in. A key basis for this ruling: The use of cell phones is "entirely voluntarily." Isn't pretty much all activity voluntary? Is the upshot that the 4th Amendment only protects things physically in your house or on your person? Your use of iCloud backup is voluntary, and not in your possession. So presumably the contents of your phone are searchable without a warrant as well. Think about it. But only at home, and involuntarily, just to be safe.

Updated Jul 31, 2013, 8:54 AM

Science. It's like magic, but with electricity. #Futurama

Admit it guys, we've all been there,,, It's Not About The Nail (video) http://ow.ly/nIraq

Updated Aug 7, 2013, 12:04 PM

The news has officially jumped the shark.

Updated Aug 8, 2013, 8:33 AM

Power failures in the new house kept crashing my office. So I bought a big-ass UPS... pretty much guaranteeing RG&E service will never go out on me again and I won't have needed it. #TemptingFate

This headline could have stopped at the first comma, and still have been unarguably true:

Updated Aug 9, 2013, 11:13 AM

How could all those fictional books & movies be wrong? CIA docs say #Area51 was just Cold War surveillance site - http://ow.ly/nZwdq

Updated Aug 16, 2013, 10:55 AM

Proposed Lead Story for Rush Limbaugh: "Obama doubles down on Portuguese dogs, proving he's thinks he's too good for American breeds. And is it a coincidence they're both black?"

Updated Aug 20, 2013, 8:30 AM

Ted Cruz's threat on defunding Obamacare by shutting down the gov't? "Don't blink." http://ow.ly/o7Je9 OMG, Cruz is a WEEPING ANGEL!

Updated Aug 21, 2013, 8:12 AM

Worried you made bad decisions this week? They pale next to announcing you wish you were a girl, on way to prison. http://ow.ly/oabTY

Updated Aug 22, 2013, 9:58 AM

Lion attacks intruder attempting to convert it to Christianity. While I admire the guy's dedication, I kinda empathize with the lion.

Updated Aug 23, 2013, 9:37 AM

I'd like to disagree with this, but... um... yeah. http://ow.ly/oefCo

Updated Aug 24, 2013, 8:08 AM

Do you want fries with that? - Sex drive-in opens for business in Switzerland http://ow.ly/ogvHN

Updated Aug 26, 2013, 7:56 AM

Huh? - Court Says You Can Be Liable For Merely Sending A Text Message To Someone Who's Driving http://ow.ly/oqlas

Updated Aug 30, 2013, 1:49 PM

And the winner in the category "Awesome Dads" goes to...

Updated Aug 30, 2013, 3:54 PM

Gimme a break: Next Android called 'KitKat', claim people don't know what Key Lime Pie tastes like. C'mon, #getapie http://ow.ly/owOaS

Updated Sep 3, 2013, 3:45 PM

LOL...

Updated Sep 3, 2013, 9:31 PM

You know when you think that everything ever do-able has already been done on the internet? You were wrong. http://ow.ly/oI43B

Updated Sep 9, 2013, 3:26 PM

What if we named storms caused by climate change after politicians who deny it exists? We'd get awesome news stories for starters.

Updated Sep 11, 2013, 7:48 AM

Holy f*%k, this is so amazing on so many levels. I think my mind was blown in all 10 dimensions, but fortunately due to compactification it only felt like 4D.

Updated Sep 18, 2013, 1:30 PM

It's TLAP Day and I haven't had a chance to do a single piratey thing all day. Kim's got a long evening ahead of her. http://ow.ly/p1NNc

Updated Sep 19, 2013, 1:54 PM

If the foundation of your opposition to something requires you repeatedly and blatantly lie about it... well that should tell you something right there.

Updated Sep 25, 2013, 3:14 PM

WTF guys, no ponies? I want a pony! http://ow.ly/pdg2S

Updated Sep 25, 2013, 3:47 PM

I'm pulling my weight... (and probably that a couple lactose intolerant friends as well)

Updated Sep 26, 2013, 8:38 AM

If the world is something you accept rather than interpret, then you're susceptible to the influence of charismatic idiots. --Neil deGrasse Tyson

If another country threatened to blow up the economy unless we meet their demands, would it be a negotiation or an act of war? http://ow.ly/240SFg

Comment from Bill on the llast post that bears repeating:
"What you fail to understand is that they are the country. The rest of us are moochers, usurpers, or double agents. They are bringing down an alien regime."
I think he hits it on the head. The Tea Party is acting as if they have a life threatening infection and are willing to sacrifice a few body parts to stay alive. How do you refute that with facts, rationality, and logic?

In May 2007, 140 Democrats in the House of Representatives voted to defund the Iraq war. In September of the same year, Congress voted to increase the debt limit. Imagine if Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats had threatened to breach the debt ceiling unless Republicans agreed to defund the war. At that time, approval of the Iraq war was polled at 33% in favor and 64% against.

Updated Sep 30, 2013, 3:37 PM

This level of naivete is frankly terrifying. Sometimes I assume this is all just political posturing rhetoric, but I think many of these guys don't just drink their own Kool-Aid, they bathe in it.

Granted, I don't know that jumping off the roof will kill me, but I'm pretty sure I won't feel better, and given the option of the sturdy ladder that's right there, the choice seems pretty obvious.

Updated Oct 3, 2013, 1:11 PM

Can you use your #religion to justify hating a group that uses #faith to justify #hatred? My head hurts. http://ow.ly/pwAEB

Updated Oct 5, 2013, 10:38 AM

‘Citizens United II’ could open floodgates to more spending, making 2016 seriously fugly. http://ow.ly/pxAbi

Updated Oct 6, 2013, 10:11 AM

"Same folks ridiculing ACA website screw ups, now blithely asserting Treasury can pull off unprecedented management of payment priorities" --Chris Hayes

Disney once forced a bunch of lemmings to commit mass suicide. And so now we just assume that's how they roll. -- Apparently without Disney, we'd have no way to describe the GOP. (The more your know...)

Updated Oct 8, 2013, 2:10 PM

This is a brilliant bit of snark..

Updated Oct 9, 2013, 8:02 AM

Face it. If we separated health care from employers and made everyone write checks to pay for their insurance, we'd have national single-payer plan in place by Thursday.

Updated Oct 15, 2013, 11:24 AM

Poster children if ever there were...

Updated Oct 15, 2013, 1:38 PM

A good start. Now if they put piezoelectric generators under teen thumbs, texting could light the eastern seaboard. http://ow.ly/q6AJa

Updated Oct 23, 2013, 1:35 PM

#Math for the win!!! Mathematician works out formula for perfect #pizza. http://ow.ly/q8T48

Updated Oct 24, 2013, 1:23 PM

Why have normal smartphone notifications when you can use the smell of bacon? Because now stray dogs show up whenever I get a text.

Updated Oct 26, 2013, 10:42 AM

Makes me glad I went into SW Engineering... no one ever asks you to study urinal splash patterns. http://ow.ly/26P7oD

Woe unto my children, for they will never know the happiness to be found in the lethargic and slothful lifestyles of the destitute, resting comfortably in the hammock of social welfare programs. For they are condemned to work jobs and pay taxes and own homes and send their own kids to college some day. Oh, the humanity.

Updated Nov 11, 2013, 4:36 PM

Son Of Writer Of First Episode Of Doctor Who Now Claiming Copyright On The Tardis http://ow.ly/qK9zK #DumbAss

<rant style="pedant:vocabulary"> If a vendor has equipment in your building, the system is on-premises. It's only reasonable to talk about the system's premise if you're discussing why you bought it. When referring to buildings or land the word is ALWAYS used in the plural form, even when referring to only one building. Confusingly perhaps, the police may have multiple premises that lead them to raid the premises. English is like that. Get over it. You may search for a premise, but you will never search the premise. Ever. So stop it. Just stop it. </rant>

'I'm Not A Math Person' Is No Longer A Valid Excuse http://ow.ly/qYDVf #JustSayin

That's a keeper of a term right there, that is...

Updated Nov 19, 2013, 7:20 PM

Remember those x-ray glasses they used to sell in the back of comic books? Well, they're real. Sort of. http://ow.ly/r12WD

Updated Nov 20, 2013, 11:53 AM

One huge effect of filibuster reform: Obama can actually fire people. Up until now, anyone "resigning to spend more time with their family" was a dire prospect for the administration as the likelihood of getting a replacement, any replacement (much less someone desired), was damned low due to obstructionist filibusters.

Updated Nov 22, 2013, 9:20 AM

Always nice to see a local story make national news... wait... what? Oh yeah... people suck.

Updated Dec 2, 2013, 4:51 PM

US teens rank 26th of 34 countries in #math, putting us in the top 2th - http://ow.ly/rp2B2

Updated Dec 3, 2013, 10:01 AM

Science: adding that Hurt Locker thrill to mowing the lawn or snowblowing the driveway - http://ow.ly/rrHrP

Updated Dec 4, 2013, 11:27 AM

80 years ago today I would have celebrated, you know, had I been alive yet and all. http://ow.ly/rujcI

Updated Dec 5, 2013, 12:38 PM

Suggested spin when showing this to your kids: "I was an A student back when it meant something!"

Updated Dec 5, 2013, 2:24 PM

It's this line of reasoning that got me to where I am today...

Updated Dec 6, 2013, 5:56 PM

Were none of the Muppets available? "Cruz on short list for Time's 'Person of the Year'" http://ow.ly/rAT8L #FerCryinInYerBeer

The path to a tech career involves more than learning to code. There are cultural barriers to contend with. http://ow.ly/28NzCy

Getting by on your own while working a minimum wage job sucks a lot more now than it used to. And while trying to raise a small family on minimum wage jobs has not seen a commensurate increase in suckage over time, it still draws a mighty vacuum.

Updated Dec 11, 2013, 2:53 PM

If you only have 10 min to spend today smiling about the origins of English, spend it here. http://ow.ly/rHkXI

Updated Dec 12, 2013, 8:07 AM

She may not be likeable, but she does get it done: Pelosi to Dems on budget deal: 'Embrace the suck' http://ow.ly/rIzGZ

Are you kidding? Does he know WTF "budget" means? 'Ryan signals new fight on debt limit' http://ow.ly/28Yiq1

This just in: It pays to be pretty. Better grades; better pay; more sex. Also, Pope is Catholic. Details at 6. http://ow.ly/rOX3f

Updated Dec 16, 2013, 3:28 PM

Awww, remember when the Internet was this little? It was sooo cute!

Updated Dec 17, 2013, 4:46 PM

India blocks cheap booze for US diplomats after envoy's arrest and strip-search in NYC - We should bomb them now. I mean, what if this escalates and they stop taking our tech support calls?

Updated Dec 18, 2013, 8:22 AM

#Cable Industry now says #DataCaps aren't about Congestion, but about Fairness. http://ow.ly/rTG4I Still BS, but different BS. Progress?

Updated Dec 18, 2013, 4:13 PM

Red Light Cameras On The Decline, As Everyone (??) Realizes They Don't Make Roads Safer, They Just Make Money http://ow.ly/rUY3R #duh

A&E Network is not the gov't, and is not bound by the 1st Amendment. As the party defending the Constitution, you'd think the GOP would know that. Further, as the party clamoring that gov't should not regulate private businesses, shouldn't they be supporting a for-profit business taking whatever employee actions it wants? So then, what Jindal is saying is he wishes homophobes were a dominant A&E demographic, right?

Updated Dec 19, 2013, 3:10 PM

Well played... Examples Of Anti-Christian Persecution In Present Day America http://ow.ly/rW1hQ

Updated Dec 19, 2013, 5:11 PM

War is hell... I guess.

Updated Dec 20, 2013, 1:23 PM

Matthew 25:35-35.5 (conservative version)
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat (after I cleaned the kitchen), I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink (after I fetched your bath water from the well), I was a stranger and you invited me in (to scrub the floors), thanks for the kick in the pants to motivate me.

The TSA is costly and pointless theater, and largely exists because politicians react to emotion, not math. http://ow.ly/s9yAx

Updated Dec 30, 2013, 1:21 PM

"At a societal level, the bottom line is if we invest in things that make us feel good but which don't work, and don't invest in things that don't make us feel good but which may solve problems, then our fate is that it will just get harder to feel good about not solving problems."

Updated Dec 31, 2013, 10:57 AM

This was never about freedom of a man’s speech. It was always about support for a man’s views. I’m all for everyone getting to express their views directly, or indirectly by expressing support for others’ views, but can we at least be honest about our motivations? I have respect for anyone with the courage to stand by their convictions. But it’s simply cowardly to hide your true convictions behind other espoused ideologies you think are more socially acceptable.

Updated Jan 6, 2014, 1:51 PM

Today's forecast: Continued cold with occasional gusts of coronal mass. Details at 6 (if we make it that far) http://ow.ly/snBkh

Updated Jan 8, 2014, 8:19 AM

Pro Tip: when planning nefarious activities, avoid use of company email.

Updated Jan 8, 2014, 11:15 AM

For all you professional and student geeks out there: An engineer's guide to cats. http://ow.ly/2acSFw

On the one hand, Congress could fix this and restore net neutrality. That's damned unlikely. What is likely is that ISPs will start providing preferential access to owned or partner-owned content. This means Comcast could provide fast streaming from Hulu (which they own) and hobble Netflix speed to make it unwatchable. They could force Netflix to pay huge access fees so their customers could watch content--fees that would be passed on to you. It's possible ISPs could outright prohibit access to certain sites if they wanted, although that seem less likely as this is about profit, not ideology.

Ideally, if/when this happens, it opens the door to new competition providing unrestricted access to the net. But ISPs have been historically effective at using government regulations to effectively prohibit new players in the market.

This does not bode well for a free and open Internet...

Updated Jan 14, 2014, 12:03 PM

Senate probe finds #Benghazi attack could have been prevented http://ow.ly/sCceR As could most others in retrospect. 9/11, Pearl Harbor

Nature: More f'd up than you think - Male Black Widow Spiders “Twerk” to Avoid Being Eaten by Females http://ow.ly/sPSmM

Ummm... I've been turned down by enough of them in my life to say confidently that they can. (George Clooney's mileage may vary)

Updated Jan 23, 2014, 3:13 PM

This is a worthwhile read. It didn't make me pro-life, and I don't think the hands-on raising of a child is equivalent to writing a check periodically. But it does raise an interesting inequity with regard to how men and women experience an unplanned pregnancy. Thoughts anyone?

Updated Jan 24, 2014, 4:25 PM

Hey, don't mock. The threat of avian terror is very real. Have you seen how pissed off some of those birds are?

Updated Jan 27, 2014, 2:24 PM

Hmmm... anybody wanna bet that had, say Sen. Kerry, said something like this about President Bush in 2003 that he would have been labeled a traitor?

Updated Jan 28, 2014, 4:35 PM

It’s this sort of thing that really pisses me off. The intention is exactly right. The proposal is exactly wrong.

Updated Jan 28, 2014, 8:06 PM

Doh! You were soooo close there Sparky... “She’s one of our best messengers,” said Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), a self-professed “fan” of the five-term lawmaker. “She’s an ATTRACTIVE and able spokesperson.”

Updated Jan 30, 2014, 8:55 AM

Vindication for many of us, including MBB who was beginning to feel like the TSA pin-up girl.

Updated Jan 31, 2014, 4:11 PM

Ironically, the certainty of a man's position is often the leading indicator of his fallibility.

Updated Feb 3, 2014, 9:18 AM

Follow a wobbly late-night drunkard's slippery-slope path across six hops, proving conclusively that Progressives are as bad as Hitler.

Updated Feb 3, 2014, 7:48 PM

Now, let's see what's eating you... FDA approves swallowable PillCam http://ow.ly/tiJ38

Updated Feb 5, 2014, 7:31 AM

Dammit Obama!! FAA grounds drone beer deliveries http://ow.ly/tjE24

Updated Feb 5, 2014, 1:19 PM

Sign it. Tell the government we need more competition in this already heavily monopolized space, not less.

Updated Feb 13, 2014, 5:38 PM

Apple's Promised TV Revolution Will Be More Of The Same Crap, Thanks To Terrified Cable http://ow.ly/tDcT3 But someday it's inevitable.

Updated Feb 14, 2014, 10:54 AM

That there exist so many people contained only by a variety of fears is more than disconcerting. And it would be one thing if there was a recognition that fear-based motivation was destructive and there was a collective consensus to mitigate it. Conversely, what we’re seeing is a resurgence in the idea that fear-based motivation is essential and good. I had hoped for better, but in the end, maybe we are just barbarians with iPhones.

Updated Feb 15, 2014, 12:36 PM

Open question from a reader (please reply in the comments):
"You are in charge of a political party and your goal is to keep your party in control for perpetuity. You want to create a class of voters that are always going to vote for you. To do this you could try and reduce economic mobility. But you need them to always and everywhere think you are doing things for their benefit, and your opposition is ... not looking out for their best interests. You need to convince people that your party's policies are in their best interest even when they are not. Which party's platform does this describe?"

As Frank Herbert wrote, "Fear is the mind killer."

Updated Feb 17, 2014, 9:42 AM

George Zimmerman -- I'm a Scapegoat for Obama. http://ow.ly/3hnhYV Seriously? Maybe recall that you hunted a kid and killed him.

FCC revives net neutrality http://ow.ly/tNrqJ Because every little bit helps...

Updated Feb 19, 2014, 3:20 PM

NC's head of Env & Nat Resources thinks there's serious debate in science on fossil fuels being finite. http://ow.ly/tSaCL #dumbass

Updated Feb 21, 2014, 3:27 PM

Not creepy at all: Facebook will not change your privacy settings after you die, but will make you a Look Back video http://t.co/EMgWDeAPgB

RIP, now who ya gonna call? - Harold Ramis, Ghostbusters star/writer, dead at 69 http://ow.ly/tWOEL

Updated Feb 24, 2014, 1:37 PM

Likely a better headline than a lifestyle: "New mammal species kills itself with intense sex." http://ow.ly/3hyNAk #ScienceIsWeird

Food of the Gods: Why You Should Absolutely Eat Something Called A 'Garbage Plate' http://ow.ly/u1MaL

Updated Feb 26, 2014, 12:17 PM

So in NYS, it's okay to be naked in the car, as long as you didn't get that way there?? - 50 Weird Driving Laws http://ow.ly/u2n6D

Updated Feb 26, 2014, 4:31 PM

The ongoing political battle over minimum wage too often seems to lose site of the larger goal each side is trying to achieve.

Updated Feb 27, 2014, 5:01 PM

Brilliant bit of satire... When May I Shoot a Student? http://ow.ly/u613u

Updated Feb 28, 2014, 7:51 AM

A good read. Ironically, I think the bane of modern democracy is perpetual transparency. As Plato worried, citizens tend to live from day to day, indulging the pleasure of the moment. The advent of the Internet and the 24hr news cycle has fostered a world where citizens and interest groups constantly monitor the government looking for immediate gratification and taking retribution for small setbacks. The result is a government disabled from planning much beyond lunch tomorrow. The idea of sacrificing or compromising in the short term for a larger long term gain is almost unthinkable. Politicians have been degraded to popularity machines, and hence for the most part the best and the brightest of our society would rather sit on a fire-anthill than serve in politics. I don't think participatory democracy helps this at all. The vast majority of citizens do not comprehend the complexity of the issues they would be voting on, and still would succumb to sound-bite oriented marketing campaigns.

What China does get right is that its single party system provides for long term planning and investment and can actively recruit, cultivate, and nurture talented people into public service roles. Not that China is perfect either. It lacks the checks and balances to keep the party from heading off in a direction not in the interest of the people. But it does make me wonder if there's an opportunity for some hybrid form of government that could draw on the best of both those systems.

Updated Feb 28, 2014, 3:53 PM

John Kerry on Russia: “You just don’t invade another country on phony pretexts in order to assert your interests." http://ow.ly/3hHHP0. Ummm... how do we say that with a straight face?

I'm pretty sure it doesn't work that way, but if it does, I'm feeling pretty good that even the omnipotent can't figure out those damned bra clasps.

Updated Mar 3, 2014, 5:09 PM

If You Want To Fix U.S. Broadband Competition, Start By Killing State-Level Protectionist Laws Written By Duopolists http://ow.ly/uy1HT

The “paid-what-your-worth” argument is fundamentally misleading because it ignores power, overlooks institutions, and disregards politics.

Updated Mar 14, 2014, 1:28 PM

These are only a wee bit offensive because there's an uncomfortable amount of truth in them. And I'm ethically allowed to re-post these since my major/career is in the list.

Updated Mar 15, 2014, 2:54 PM

A McConnell fundraiser argues wives “ought to consent to at least some form of sexual relations as much as possible, regardless of their “mood.” Gee, I can't understand why the GOP has trouble getting female voters. It's high praise to argue they are every bit as reliable and dependable as any other quality household appliance, right?

Updated Mar 18, 2014, 5:22 PM

Color me skeptical that Comcast really thinks Net neutrality is a good thing - http://ow.ly/uLbsA Nice messaging though.

Updated Mar 19, 2014, 3:00 PM

Internet access should be a utility like electricity or water. Period. http://ow.ly/vf3nb

Updated Mar 31, 2014, 4:22 PM

For any of you culinary creatives out there with way too much time on your hands...

Updated Mar 31, 2014, 5:35 PM

Well that should settle that whole mess over in the Ukraine once and for all... for Crimea's sake.

Updated Apr 4, 2014, 3:43 PM

This is a really good and simple explanation of Heartbleed. http://xkcd.com/1354/

Some sorely needed clarity on the 1st Amendment courtesy of xkcd - http://ow.ly/vX9vq

Updated Apr 19, 2014, 1:55 PM

Net Neutrality takes another nut-shot. Maybe letting a guy with deep ties to the wireless and broadband industries lead the FCC wasn't such a bright move. Ya' think?

Updated Apr 24, 2014, 4:32 PM

Overheard by a street preacher: "The path to salvation is through the love of our savior Jesus Christ. Sex is not going to work."

Good to know...

What the science guy said...

Updated Apr 30, 2014, 9:00 PM

Geeks? Geeks? We don't need no stinking geeks!

Updated May 3, 2014, 7:51 AM

So I wonder what the outcome would have been if this were Christians challenging a predominantly Muslim town for stacking the deck with imams who offered pre-meeting blessings beseeching Allah to impart wisdom on the town council members?

Updated May 5, 2014, 7:46 PM

Unregulated single-provider markets are a recipe for consumer abuse. Most of the issues with ISPs in the US (net neutrality, peering, data caps, speed, cost) would all go away if there were truly competitive choices. Alternatively, these monopolies need to be regulated. Pick your poison for broadband providers.

Updated May 6, 2014, 8:19 AM

This is an excellent deconstruction of how Internet service pricing works, why that's important, and why the TWC/Comcast merger is a fast train headed in the wrong direction.

Updated May 6, 2014, 4:40 PM

Apparently I already ride in my own private Idaho...

Updated May 9, 2014, 11:40 AM

Do you really love science or do you just ogle it?

Updated May 14, 2014, 4:50 PM

Comcast to roll out system wide data caps within 5 yrs. Gee, can't wait until they buy TWC. http://t.co/SJ6tyrSv1b

Updated May 14, 2014, 8:12 PM

Anybody wanna bet that most of them are probably also "pro-life" ??

Updated May 15, 2014, 8:07 AM

The U.S. is being overrun by a wave of anti-science, anti-intellectual thinking. Has America lost its mind? http://ow.ly/3kA9A7

Updated May 18, 2014, 9:33 AM

Ummm, "NO" - Should 'Adorkable', 'Duckface', or 'Nomakeupselfie' be added to the dictionary? http://ow.ly/x0wi0

We've come a long way on social tolerance in recent years, but secularists and atheists are still fair game to bash. http://ow.ly/3kUnKt

Updated May 25, 2014, 4:47 PM

Holy conflation sensation Batman: what penis length studies can teach us about shenanigans in the financial industry http://ow.ly/3kYesc

Updated May 26, 2014, 8:34 PM

The Onion FTW: ‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens http://t.co/HagSsErqYu

Updated May 27, 2014, 7:44 PM

If you only watch 1 video on #NetNeutrality, make it John Oliver's. Only you can prevent cable company fuckery. http://ow.ly/xAoB5

Updated Jun 3, 2014, 2:56 PM

A real step to fix Congress? http://ow.ly/xCMOX An interesting idea, but betting on State Legislatures doesn't fill me w/ confidence.

Updated Jun 4, 2014, 12:59 PM

If you were going to weaponize an issue to take advantage of the weak points in the American political system - to highlight all the blind spots, dysfunctions, and irrationalities - you would create climate change. And then you would stand back and watch the world burn.

Climate change attacks American politics where it's weak: in its ability to respond to slow-moving crises where the worst effects will fall on other countries and future generations, and where the consequences, once they become too great to bear, are also too far gone to reverse.

Updated Jun 6, 2014, 11:16 AM

I'm shocked... shocked I tell you... Cable Companies Are Astroturfing Fake Consumer Support to End Net Neutrality http://ow.ly/xITJ7

Updated Jun 6, 2014, 4:46 PM

This is either awesome or terrifying: Computer becomes first to pass Turing Test in artificial intelligence milestone http://ow.ly/xLjEK

Updated Jun 8, 2014, 3:43 PM

This is unnecessary. It is rationalized by the marketing of fear, fueled by the desire of boys to have cool toys, and made possible by the equipment being cheap and accessible. Worse, it justifies the militia/patriot/NRA position that citizens need similar backyard arsenals to combat the threat of an out of control gov't force, which is way more likely at the local than at the federal or even state level.

Updated Jun 9, 2014, 1:13 PM

Bergdahl’s release makes you yearn for when reporters took time to learn facts — before they joined the lynch mob. http://ow.ly/xPIv9

Updated Jun 10, 2014, 9:38 AM

It's stuff like this that make the hope of even having a useful conversation seem dismal. http://ow.ly/xQZJe

Their wives are not buying this story for a second...

Updated Jun 11, 2014, 11:34 AM

"Elections are needed to usher in democracy, but in a disturbing number of cases elections are now being used to choke off the democracy that they allegedly heralded." -- The article is about Middle Eastern governments, but it's not clear to me that it doesn't apply domestically in far more subtle ways.

Updated Jun 16, 2014, 10:02 AM

Americans spend more on health care, but are less healthy than other rich nations. Other than that, it's the greatest health care on Earth!

Updated Jun 16, 2014, 3:39 PM

"There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge." http://ow.ly/3m30wX

Updated Jun 22, 2014, 10:25 PM

Supreme Court rules against TV startup Aereo, basically admitting it doesn't understand technology. http://ow.ly/yr4lz

Updated Jun 25, 2014, 10:29 AM

An interesting take. The points about the emergent age of oligarchy are spot-on, but the slant that this is predominantly Obama's fault are a. new twist. The article does spot Bush as contributing and tries to be a wee bit even handed in the blame laying, but always maintains the subtext of responsibility laying with Democrats. Granted, Democrats have contributed significantly, and there's a lot of 1% influence on the left as well. It's a "lesser of two evils" situation. But of the two parties, I don't see how you get around the GOP being the group whose stated policy platform currently aligns with this outcome.

Updated Jun 29, 2014, 9:51 AM

What he said...

Updated Jun 30, 2014, 9:25 PM

Hey #SCOTUS, my religious beliefs are infringed by having to pay for ETWN and Trinity networks. Will you force TWC to unbundle them?

Updated Jul 1, 2014, 7:44 AM

Who could've possibly seen this coming? Post-Hobby Lobby, Religious Orgs Want Exemption From LGBT Hiring Order http://ow.ly/yL7FW

Updated Jul 3, 2014, 4:07 PM

Gee, it makes so much sense, is proven to work, saves millions of dollars, helps countless girls finish school and start careers... if only those who purport to speak for God had the good sense God gave all those heretical potheads in Colorado...

Updated Jul 8, 2014, 7:53 AM

Sharknado 2. July 30th. I better start stocking up on beer... and bar oil for my chainsaw. http://ow.ly/yYbXj It's gonna be epic.

Updated Jul 9, 2014, 2:44 PM

This is more than a wee bit on the nose...

Updated Jul 10, 2014, 8:51 AM

The difference between men and women is that a woman reading this thinks, "What an idiot!," while a man thinks, "What an idiot, he should totally have had a buddy standing by with a fire extinguisher, or at least a beer to throw on it."

Updated Jul 16, 2014, 2:34 PM

Meet the real Lord Business. His name is Comcast. http://ow.ly/zkbKT

Updated Jul 18, 2014, 2:34 PM

This is brilliant: Tiny device will tell you if your drink has been spiked http://ow.ly/3nrfJL Know what the girls are getting for Xmas

Updated Jul 21, 2014, 10:43 PM

To all my fellow geeks out there: don't be one of these guys, even unintentionally. Not only does the tech industry need talented people of any gender, but this behavior is inhumane, all too common, and damages the whole field. http://ow.ly/zsyti

Updated Jul 22, 2014, 1:45 PM

"Routine maintenance." You keep on using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Updated Aug 27, 2014, 9:34 AM

That time when an atheist was standing in a store called Christian Flooring listening to REM's Losing My Religion play over the PA.

The Libertarians are right in noting the limits of interventionist foreign policy. Too often we seem to forget that the military is a blunt instrument. It's a powerful force, but it's a destructive one, not a constructive one. As a nation, we seem to have this notion that if we show up and clear the land back to bare soil, a field of tasty crops and beautiful wildflowers will spring up. Then we act all surprised when we get brush and weeds.

Updated Aug 29, 2014, 10:57 AM

Well said...

Updated Sep 4, 2014, 7:11 AM

If Comcast were the postal service, they would be opening your mail, sticking ads in the envelopes, and telling you they were doing you a courtesy.

Updated Sep 8, 2014, 4:04 PM

Sharing my aspirations for the day.

Updated Sep 11, 2014, 8:52 AM

Wait... what?

Updated Sep 17, 2014, 10:32 PM

How Jimmy Carter paved the path for the resurgence of craft beers and microbreweries in the US. This should be a legacy we can all celebrate.

Updated Sep 20, 2014, 10:24 AM

A thought to share as we start off the week... http://ow.ly/BLV5D

Updated Sep 22, 2014, 10:28 AM

Let's keep in mind that US airstrikes are destroying #ISIS in the same way those cornfield propane cannons destroy crows.

This would be really funny, except for the part about how true it is.

Updated Sep 24, 2014, 7:47 AM

Another on-the-nose bit of satire for the morning...

Updated Sep 24, 2014, 7:50 AM

Wow... you gotta want out of the house real bad to pull this off.

Updated Sep 29, 2014, 11:52 AM

Church is special in that it's one of the few places you can close your eyes and people don't assume you're sleeping.

Face it. You're in this list somewhere, and you're going down...

Updated Oct 5, 2014, 11:13 PM

Remember back when al Qaeda was worse than the Taliban? I can hardly wait to see who will be worse than ISIS.

Updated Oct 9, 2014, 8:47 AM

I put my truck up for sale this week, and I've been just amazed at the depth and complexity of the various scams that have come my way. While in my case this is little more than an annoyance and a waste of time (although occasionally amusing), the sheer volume of people out there playing these games means that there are a lot of folks falling for this crap. Be vigilant. Some guy with a deal too good to be true will do you in long before an Ebola-infected ISIS soldier.

Rochester's "Garbage Plate" makes the #2 spot of 15 regional dishes! Yum... http://ow.ly/COBu3

Updated Oct 15, 2014, 2:30 PM

I hope everyone's okay... but I really hope someone got superpowers out of this. Mysterious chemical explosion in the basement lab of a university? C'mon, this is a classic setup.

Updated Oct 18, 2014, 5:38 PM

Here's a disturbing and depressing view to start your week on. Ummm... don't forget election day is coming!

Updated Oct 20, 2014, 8:15 AM

On a lighter note, somewhere there is a Unix command line running for a House seat. The geekiest of you will realize that this command results in meaningless gibberish, which is either appropriate or ironic depending on your mood. (for MB)

Updated Oct 20, 2014, 8:31 AM

Run, you clever program, run!

Updated Oct 20, 2014, 10:14 AM

Shooting at Parliament - Fox News (probably) questions if Obama did enough to protect Ottawa. Darrell Issa (probably) to hold hearings on "Canadian Benghazi". John McCain (probably) calls for deploying troops to occupy Quebec until the situation is stable. Ted Cruz (probably) insists we shutdown all flights to/from Canada and seal the northern US border. Palin (probably) blames socialist healthcare for the tragedy. Pat Robertson (probably) claims this was a message from God that poutine leads to homosexuality.

Updated Oct 22, 2014, 5:00 PM

"Public health experts say that a serious infectious disease outbreak is a matter of “when,” not “if.” And our persistent belief in the market’s ability to keep us healthy not only results in us paying more for health care than any other country for inferior results, it also leaves us open to a potentially disastrous infectious disease problem."

Updated Oct 23, 2014, 7:57 AM

On the nose... and pretty funny too.

Updated Oct 24, 2014, 3:15 PM

What torques my nuts here is that these are the same asshats that when confronted with climate change claim they are "not a scientist" and so can't really respond to the issue, but in the face of Ebola, not a damned one is saying they are "not a doctor".

Updated Oct 24, 2014, 4:36 PM

Ok, quick poll here. Has anyone ever listened (live or on voicemail) to any substantive part of a political robocall? I can't imagine who they could possibly be influencing.But maybe it's just me... or maybe it is just part of a global conspiracy to annoy me.

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better. It's not.” -- The Lorax

Keep this in mind and get your ass to the polls tomorrow.. The last thing I want to hear on Wednesday is anyone talking about their mandate from the people when less than 2 in 5 of you bothered to "speak".

In related Kardashian news, I went to bed Sunday night to find my Honey had left the TV tuned to the E! network where the two non-Kim Kardashians were discussing how they were suffering from itchy vaginas. Remind me again why these women are famous?

Updated Nov 4, 2014, 2:45 PM

This seems to suggest a marketing problem rather than a policy failure. Clearly, some voters are not acting rationally, but on emotional messaging--which should surprise no one.

Updated Nov 5, 2014, 11:46 AM

So... science took a giant step backwards yesterday.

Updated Nov 5, 2014, 3:21 PM

Yes! It's about frickin' time. You go Sir!

Updated Nov 10, 2014, 10:54 AM

Meaning its objective is to provide everyone equal and affordable access to an essential service rather than maximizing profit for private corporations? Yeah, okay.

Updated Nov 10, 2014, 3:53 PM

A view from those wacky Canadians...

Updated Nov 11, 2014, 8:34 AM

Definitive proof: the Internet is really the cat's ass. http://ow.ly/EaaFM

Updated Nov 12, 2014, 9:22 AM

A great explanation of why conservatives and even libertarians should be for Net Neutrality via FCC Title II - http://ow.ly/Ed9Xa

Updated Nov 13, 2014, 9:26 AM

Actually awesome news--because if you have to have terrorist attacks, we should prefer ones that are easily predictable weeks or months in advance.

Updated Nov 13, 2014, 12:06 PM

Wow... just wow. Talk about missing the point... How does this drivel get published?

Updated Nov 19, 2014, 6:44 AM

Yeah, but everyone knows that facts have a liberal bias.

Updated Nov 21, 2014, 6:27 PM

To be filed under "Things I Wish I'd Written"

Updated Nov 21, 2014, 6:30 PM

A prosecutor could persuade a grand jury to “indict a ham sandwich.” The data suggests it is barely an exaggeration. However, cases involving police shootings, appear to be an exception. Grand juries frequently decline to indict law-enforcement officials.

Updated Nov 25, 2014, 8:05 AM

Contact the Federation. The turbolifts are ready. Now all we need is a warp drive... and phasers... frickin' phasers.

Updated Dec 2, 2014, 10:39 PM

I must be missing something. Since the President gets vilified every time gas approaches $4/gal, shouldn't we be throwing him parades now?

Updated Dec 4, 2014, 1:55 PM

Bill would increase the amount a person can contribute to a national political party from $32,400 to $324,000--which is great because that $32k cap has really been crimping my free speech!

Updated Dec 9, 2014, 11:01 PM

But... maybe it should be.

Updated Dec 11, 2014, 6:48 AM

We're doomed. But hey, it's Christmas, a season that's all about magic... maybe magic will save us. Somebody Google that on your new magic iPhone 6 and let us know, ok?

Updated Dec 16, 2014, 7:48 AM

After 50 years, the policy of isolating #Cuba was ->this close<- to ending the Castro's regime, and then... OBAMA!!!!

This guy wrote an editorial as a take-down of liberals and liberalism as a danger to America. In that regard, it’s kind of standard political blather. But he also (and perhaps unintentionally) gave some insight into the cynicism inherent in conservative ideology, or at least inherent in his.

Updated Dec 18, 2014, 2:12 PM

This just in: Theaters pull "Into the Woods" after protests from local covens and threats of evil spells on movie goers.

Updated Dec 18, 2014, 4:12 PM

Science is not for the squeamish--at least in Japan. This science museum exhibit's tag line: "You too can become feces." ...aaah, the memories.

Updated Dec 19, 2014, 10:46 AM

Paging Captain Obvious... Captain Obvious to the city council chamber please.

Updated Dec 20, 2014, 7:39 PM

Seems pretty reasonable...
1. Be open-minded and be willing to alter your beliefs with new evidence.
2. Strive to understand what is most likely to be true, not to believe what you wish to be true.
3. The scientific method is the most reliable way of understanding the natural world.
4. Every person has the right to control of their body.
5. God is not necessary to be a good person or to live a full and meaningful life.
6. Be mindful of the consequences of all your actions and recognize that you must take responsibility for them.
7. Treat others as you would want them to treat you, and can reasonably expect them to want to be treated. Think about their perspective.
8. We have the responsibility to consider others, including future generations.
9. There is no one right way to live.
10. Leave the world a better place than you found it.

Updated Dec 22, 2014, 7:43 AM

Well, it might be a cyber attack, but we won't know for sure until Kim Jong Un calls Comcast tech support to report the problem with his country's service. That should keep North Korea busy through the holidays at least.

Updated Dec 22, 2014, 1:11 PM

White House science advisor says Obama is the most science-aware President since Jefferson. WTG Sir. http://ow.ly/3vbDfF

Updated Dec 22, 2014, 10:35 PM

When someone leaves you a voicemail now it's like... what, were there no stone tablets available? http://ow.ly/GmWjS

Updated Dec 23, 2014, 4:29 PM

Ultimately this is the wrong battle altogether. If healthcare were not tied to employment, then this really wouldn't be an issue at all. Granted, that's a painful separation at this point, but if we bit that bullet, both sides would win. Business would no longer care about healthcare, and once people actually started paying for their own insurance, Obamacare would quickly be thrown to the curb... in favor of a single payer plan.

Updated Jan 7, 2015, 8:33 AM

I don't like taxes or high prices any more than anyone else. But I like roads, bridges, and getting places without dying. We gotta pay for it somehow.

Updated Jan 9, 2015, 8:15 AM

I'm looking at you TWC. I get that your marketing department says that 30Mbps is "Extreme", but that's a better description of the price than the speed.

https://www.techdirt.com/blog/netneutrality/articles/20150108/08234729632/fcc-to-raise-minimum-broadband-definition-to-25-mbps-further-highlighting-nations-pathetic-lack-broadband-competition.shtml

What if God's plan is that we wake up and stop dumping shit into the air? - 2014 was the hottest year on record http://ow.ly/HrCL1#ClimateChange

Updated Jan 16, 2015, 12:02 PM

Cuomo wants NYS to get 100Mbps Internet. Unfortunately, no mention of how much he's willing to have us pay for it. http://ow.ly/3vN2pI

Updated Jan 18, 2015, 10:12 AM

President Obama will give the State of the Union address tonight. This is what he might say if he had a few drinks first.

Updated Jan 20, 2015, 9:58 AM

I'm not a big fan of the sportsball, but this just cracked me up.
"NFL Investigating Whether Patriots Played Game With Properly Inflated Vince Wilfork"

Updated Jan 20, 2015, 12:10 PM

The only thing politicians understand less than climate science may be the internet and cybersecurity. Please step away from all the buttons and flashing lights and let the adults do their jobs.

Yes please! An Obama #Sharknado cameo? Tara Reid: 'You never know' http://ow.ly/HQmZw #CoolPOTUS

Updated Jan 23, 2015, 2:11 PM

It is beyond irresponsible that Inhofe is chairing the Senate's Environment Committee. This is like appointing a Christian Scientist as Surgeon General. 97% of climate scientists are convinced humans are driving climate change, and there will be significant environmental, health, and economic impacts to that in years to come. To offer some scale here, this is about the same level of certainty doctors have that smoking causes cancer. Anybody wanna debate that?

If someone told you there was a 70% chance the tree in your yard would fall and crush your house, you'd do something about it now. But a 97% chance that we'll be inundated by outsized storm systems and see our coastal towns and cities fade beneath the tides? Well, we better be 100% sure before we act on that one.

I just wish somehow I could give these idiots a sense of what the history books will say about them in generations to come. Maybe if they had a sense of the legacy they were truly leaving behind, they'd care just a wee bit more.

Updated Jan 23, 2015, 2:41 PM

For perspective, this now means that TWC customers will need to order "Extreme Internet Service" to have what the FCC considers minimal broadband speed. There are now 4 service tiers below the minimum and only one above it. Can't wait to see the marketing spin on this one...

Updated Jan 29, 2015, 2:55 PM

That the #NFL is a tax exempt org rather than a profitable company is a testament to why our tax code is f'ed up. http://ow.ly/IdEBX

Updated Jan 30, 2015, 10:29 AM

In possibly related news, Rug Doctor rentals are on special this week.

Updated Jan 30, 2015, 2:19 PM

I think it's a safe bet that the wife of the guy who invented this will not allow one of these in their home.

Updated Jan 30, 2015, 5:38 PM

Fascinating: Anti-vaxxers are primarily an abomination of the political left, but the GOP's desire to cast science as a matter of public opinion was so strong it aligned with them anyway. Because, you know, nothing is more sacred to conservatives than the right to personal choices about your body.

Updated Feb 2, 2015, 9:57 AM

Shocking - an unregulated monopoly is gouging its customers. In other news, bear shits in woods.

Updated Feb 2, 2015, 11:21 AM

The GOP: where no one is a scientist, but everyone's a doctor. #vaccineswork #climatechange

Yes. Yes it is. Please stop talking. Also, eww...

Updated Feb 3, 2015, 2:12 PM

This. Is. Huge. And a bit surprising. And a lot awesome. But mostly, HUGE (where's Billy Fuccillo when you need him for a voiceover?)

Updated Feb 4, 2015, 3:28 PM

Talk about government overreach...

Updated Feb 8, 2015, 4:23 PM

The question shouldn't be, "Do you believe in evolution?" The whole structure of the question positions it as a debatable matter of faith. It's as goofy as asking if you believe in gravity. On the one hand, he's right. Evolution is not a matter for politicians. It is a matter for scientists. And science has spoken, yet some politicians have decided that for political reasons they do accept the science. Whether or not you are one of these people is a matter for politicians.

So the question should be, "Do you deny the veracity of evolution?"

Updated Feb 11, 2015, 4:47 PM

"There is no way to authorize the use of military force against ISIS that will not end up becoming a full-throated endorsement of war without geographic, time or budgetary limitation. Before heading down that fateful path, let's have a real debate about the United States' role in the world in the 21st century, and whether "American exceptionalism" can be defined as something other than the right and the responsibility to make war wherever and whenever we choose."

Updated Feb 24, 2015, 11:38 AM

It does seem an almost done deal that the FCC will enact #NetNeutrality regs later this week. That's a good thing, but the wackiest part of this whole circus is that both sides have agreed all along that the Internet should be open and free. The difference being that one side thinks the government should enforce that, and the other thinks private industry will do a better job.

Ironically, if private industry had been implementing and defending a neutral net all along, this issue would have never come up. The only reason that Net Neutrality is even a thing is because the major broadband and wireless ISPs have repeatedly demonstrated that it is more profitable for them to make the net very much not open and not neutral.

This means that those opposing the new FCC regs are either:
a) knowingly shilling for the the ISPs
b) ignorant of the past behaviors of the ISPs and the profit motive for them to create a non-neutral net
c) willing to believe that, going forward, ISPs will ignore the more profitable path and just do what's in the best interest of consumers and smaller businesses.

Updated Feb 25, 2015, 2:44 PM

So... the Congressman is concerned that the Obama administration does not have an adequate disaster recover plan in the event that the bomb he and his party planted actually detonates? My head hurts.

Updated Feb 26, 2015, 12:13 PM

Staap. You're embarrassing yourself.

Updated Feb 26, 2015, 5:42 PM

I'm just unsure who should be the most offended here. Gays? Ex-Cons? Doctors who understand human sexuality? Sane Republicans? Ahhhh... the 2016 clown car is filling up nicely.

Updated Mar 4, 2015, 8:03 AM

So that's where I left it...

Updated Mar 4, 2015, 10:57 PM

This may really be the bigger story here. This whole thing came to light because the liberally biased lefty lame-stream media flagship New York Times broke the story, and many on the left are piling on, despite this being a shot to the kneecap for the presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee.

Is there an analogous situation where right-wing media broke a scandal story on a conservative icon? After all, they are the fair and balanced ones...

Updated Mar 5, 2015, 8:34 AM

This would not have happened if Chewie was still flying second seat with him.

Updated Mar 5, 2015, 7:24 PM

Dude, email is not the tool for saying 'the first dumb thing that comes to your mind.' You're confusing it with Twitter.

Updated Mar 9, 2015, 1:44 PM

11 years ago tomorrow, the band Dixie Chicks had the audacity to announce to a London audience that they didn't support the Iraq War and were ashamed the President was from Texas. They were widely panned as traitors for undermining a sitting wartime President to the international community. Many radio stations stopped playing their tunes, and many groups held CD burnings in protest.

They were musicians. These are Senators! I can't even imagine the raft of shit headed their way... Oh yeah... never mind.

Updated Mar 9, 2015, 3:43 PM

"Throughout Obama's presidency, Republicans have frequently warned that he is projecting insufficient strength or will to maintain America's global standing. It seems odd, then, that their answer to this is to publicly undermine and humiliate the president — and thus sacrifice, for short-term partisan gain, the American resolve and leadership they see as so important for the world."

Updated Mar 10, 2015, 11:45 AM

Wait, what? -- This is an interesting case for why the existential threat of climate change could/should be the core of the Democrats' platform, and why Al should lead the charge. After all, he's already proven he can win a majority of votes in a Presidential election. #FoodForThought

Updated Mar 16, 2015, 10:44 AM

Transparent. You keep on using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Updated Mar 17, 2015, 12:32 PM

I just don't get it. The same folks asking Obama to kiss and make up with Bibi are the ones adamant the US is the greatest nation on Earth and shall not bow to or compromise with anyone. We seem ready and eager to kick anyone's ass who looks at us funny, but if Israel puts on a pouty face then we're all, "Yes dear." ...WTF?

Updated Mar 19, 2015, 9:44 AM

Rapper Azealia Banks was asked by a reporter if religion was a big part of her life. She responded:

"I don’t understand how someone could be an atheist. Think about God as software, right? If you were to look at God’s face, your head would explode. Because your head is a calculator, and the amount of information that would be embedded in his face would fit only on a Google-size data center. Your head cannot handle that much information. Stop looking for God."

So... that clears that up. Any questions?

So when Obama opts to not follow certain laws he's a tyrant. What does that make McConnell?

Updated Mar 19, 2015, 10:52 PM

Personally, I'm behind this. Language evolves with culture, and it's time to move on.

Updated Mar 20, 2015, 12:08 PM

I agree that America's seemingly insatiable appetite for armed intervention as the primary tool of foreign policy would come to a sudden halt if we reinstated the draft and imposed a war tax. "Send in the Troops" takes on a whole new gravitas when when you have to tape a check to your kid and ship him out to get shot at.

Updated Mar 20, 2015, 1:57 PM

File this under: "Things that won't happen, but should."

Updated Mar 25, 2015, 11:28 AM

Mommy, tell me again which people Jesus needs me to hate?

Updated Mar 28, 2015, 2:07 PM

Interesting...

Updated Apr 3, 2015, 1:48 AM

Pandas in China had sex for 8 minutes, and it's news. Which means there are several reasons to be glad you're not a panda bear, not the least of which is there's no reporter in your bedroom timing and grading you.

Updated Apr 4, 2015, 10:52 AM

Fred Flintstone is finally vindicated. Brontoburgers are back on the menu. Now, about Pluto...

Updated Apr 8, 2015, 8:16 AM

“I believe most all politicians are politicians,” Terry Jones said Monday during an interview with ABC--indicating he may have a more comprehensive grasp of the obvious than other contenders for the office. So he has that going for him.

Updated Apr 8, 2015, 1:41 PM

I just have trouble getting my head around a Canadian bombing run. <BOOM!> "Oh, sorry." <BOOM!> "Excuse me." <BOOM!> "Oops, was that too loud?" <BOOM!>

Updated Apr 9, 2015, 10:00 AM

Hyperbole much?

Updated Apr 10, 2015, 4:07 PM

Hmmm... they don't mention that Google Fiber is being deployed in Charlotte too. I don't suppose that could in any way be related to TWC deciding everybody magically gets a 6x speed increase for free does it? Could it be that market competition is actually a good thing for consumers?

Updated Apr 12, 2015, 5:07 PM

"Promoting the image of a world full of enemies creates a “security psychosis” that misshapes our view of the world. It tempts us to interpret defensive steps taken by other countries as threatening. In extreme cases, it pushes us into wars aimed at preempting threats that do not actually exist."

Updated Apr 16, 2015, 12:17 PM

On the one hand, I like the callback to my youth of Hillary calling it the "Scooby Van". But the pedant in me is hung up on the fact that the van from Scooby Doo was called "The Mystery Machine"... but I guess that's maybe a little too on the nose?

Updated Apr 17, 2015, 12:07 PM

I... I can't even...
An infinite number of monkeys at an infinite number of keyboards would never come up with something this whackadoodle.

Updated Apr 17, 2015, 12:59 PM

Ummm... if you should never join the military unless it's lead by someone who shares your religious beliefs, then Muslims, Jews, Hindus, atheists, etc. should never ever volunteer, right? Good to know.

Updated Apr 19, 2015, 10:53 AM

“Only people with a proven track record of untrustworthy conduct – rapists – were distrusted to a comparable degree as atheists.” So... please don't judge me by the statistical company I apparently keep.

Updated Apr 20, 2015, 4:52 PM

Hmmmm... Gay marriage will result in 900k abortions? And I supppse legalizing pot will allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons?

Updated Apr 21, 2015, 8:51 PM

On the one hand this strikes me as a smart play. Fiorina is vying for the votes of women who really want to vote for a woman, but still want to push the GOP platform. But I do wonder, are such creatures more than mythology? After all, Fiorina is staunchly anti-abortion, opposes birth control insurance mandates (as well as anything else Obamacare related), rejects equal pay and anti-discrimination legislation. Basically, she stands against all the so-called women's issues. So are there women who pretty much don't care about issues related to their gender who are motivated to vote for someone only of their gender? Seems like maybe she's hunting unicorns.

Updated Apr 23, 2015, 1:44 PM

I hate it when that happens...

Updated Apr 23, 2015, 3:11 PM

Fuck yeah!!! Oops, was that out loud? Sorry...

Updated Apr 23, 2015, 3:13 PM

Kinda brings a whole new meaning to being in the shit with your wife...

Updated Apr 24, 2015, 8:50 AM

10,000 demonstrators, 100 rioters, 35 arrests - Yet the TV coverage portrays this as a giant mob burning Baltimore to the ground. I'm not defending the violence here, but perspective matters.

Updated Apr 28, 2015, 8:09 AM

Well, that ought to fix up the national deficit: NFL Giving Up Tax Exempt Status - http://ow.ly/Mfflp

Updated Apr 28, 2015, 3:18 PM

Interesting read. I had always thought the "Christian Nation" meme was a response to the 50's Red Scare too, but it turns out it was actually rooted in a Depression-era backlash against The New Deal. This makes more sense given the somewhat weird hyper-capitalist mindset that seems to ride along with those advocating the US as a Christian country. "Both systems reflected a belief in the primacy of the individual: in Christianity, the saintly went to Heaven and the sinners to Hell; in capitalism, the worthy succeeded and the inept went broke. Any system of government that meddled with this divinely inspired order, they argued, was nothing less than 'pagan statism.'" #TheMoreYouKnow

Updated Apr 29, 2015, 11:00 AM

This should be the basis of a GOP Presidential debate question. Did Kansas accurately implement GOP budget goals and priorities, and if not, where did Brownback go wrong?

Updated May 1, 2015, 10:10 AM

But if Obama says he is a Christian, or born in Hawaii, or loves his country?

Updated May 2, 2015, 12:40 PM

As I've posited before, we need to get to a point where we celebrate thinkers and aspire to wisdom the way we celebrate athletes and aspire to win.

Updated May 4, 2015, 9:19 AM

If the key to personal safety is for every citizen to be armed, why isn't the key to world peace for every nation to have nukes?

This is a better idea than the present system, but I still think we should just design an algorithm to create the districts automatically and everyone agrees to live with the output.

Updated May 12, 2015, 12:08 PM

If only there were a vaccine...

Updated May 13, 2015, 9:35 AM

Pollsters included the name of a random woman in a survey—and 20 percent of Republican primary voters said they dislike her. But the GOP doesn't have a problem with women, just ask them.

Updated May 17, 2015, 8:01 PM

Scientists ask why males exist? Women everywhere are waiting for an explanation. Well apparently, because beetles. "She loves me yeah, yeah, yeah..." But it turns out, not those beetles.

Updated May 18, 2015, 4:30 PM

This is why I have faith that science will take care of me regardless of what happens. Engineers know what's important to people... Beer.

Updated May 21, 2015, 10:51 PM

If all goes according to plan, the lenses could receive regulatory approval in Canada by 2017. I'm thinking... road trip?

Updated May 22, 2015, 1:23 PM

So, to reword this, Buffet is arguing that government should subsidize businesses that hire low wage people--effectively socializing the risk that the market, left to its own devices, would would find alternatives to paying a living wage that would have detrimental societal implications. After all, the EITC is basically a minimum income program, albeit one that requires a job. And it is a program resulting in the government altering natural market forces to create a social good. Curiously, he doesn't offer where the money would come from to fund this program. (Business taxes on companies hiring low wage workers maybe?)

Any program to address this problem has pros and cons, and this is a valid approach. However, I can't help but wonder if it would get the support it enjoys if it were communicated using progressive/socialist terms rather than being couched as a "tax break".

Updated May 24, 2015, 10:16 AM

While this is better than a Comcast deal, it's still not good for the competitive landscape as a whole. This industry needs more players, not less.

Updated May 25, 2015, 12:52 PM

NYS should not be balancing the budget by selling our data to telemarketers. You go Cheryl!

Updated May 26, 2015, 7:47 AM

It's worth noting that re-authorization of the NSA's data collection program would have been a slam dunk were it not for Edward Snowden. Instead, we get a little privacy back.

Updated May 26, 2015, 9:24 AM

Better get it all done before you get old...

Updated May 26, 2015, 10:32 PM

It's not too surprising that Americans don't really understand climate change or even the most basic science behind it. Their opinions seem to reflect the (often sponsored) media messages. But the opinions of politicians (who don't understand the science any better than your neighbor) are in turn driven by popular opinion. Meaning we are essentially letting sponsored media drive policy, which, okay, isn't all that surprising either. But the maps are pretty!

Updated Jun 2, 2015, 11:05 AM

Well that's one sure way to lose an election...

Updated Jun 3, 2015, 7:31 PM

Such as, "WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!" (...because Obama sucks)

Updated Jun 4, 2015, 11:18 AM

For the record, I would be quite happy to die without ever being described in a report as, "visibly naked and stuck to one another at the genital area."

Updated Jun 4, 2015, 3:46 PM

Father's Day is coming... these would look great in front of the house.

Updated Jun 9, 2015, 4:43 AM

And the GOP debates just became "Must See TV"

Updated Jun 16, 2015, 11:44 AM

Bush says, "I don't go to mass for politics." True. But you do go (presumably) for guidance on how to be a better person. Saving the planet for future generations seems to fall under that umbrella. No?

Updated Jun 18, 2015, 8:49 AM

On the one hand, cool. But on the other, really? Don't get me wrong... there are only 3 non-Presidents to grace currency. I'm happy to expand that pool as there are lots of worthy Americans who weren't president, and a few less than worthy ones who were. Some of the worthy are women, some are black, some are Jewish, etc.. I'd be first in line to cheer if they picked a worthy non-President American who happened to be a woman. But they didn't. They picked that it would be a woman--the specific woman to be named later. Would there be cheering if they said the next $5 bill would depict an unnamed Jew, a Black, a LBGT, or an atheist? Our currency should be as diverse as our community. But choosing a category of person first and a person second seems to be a bit backwards. It's almost perpetuating the discrimination rather than knocking it down.

Updated Jun 18, 2015, 9:04 PM

Well, obviously.

Updated Jun 18, 2015, 9:30 PM

Oh, now that's just going too far. They were just'a good 'ol boys, never meanin' no harm. Besides I didn't never see there was a black person in all of Hazzard County! ...oh yeah, right... I get it.

Updated Jun 24, 2015, 2:20 PM

Ummm... no. Cute, but no.

Updated Jun 25, 2015, 3:56 PM

At least someone is preparing for global warming. And hey guys, let's not forget the unicorns this time, ok?

Updated Jun 26, 2015, 8:17 AM

It just amazes me that social conservative react to this issue like someone is going to force them to marry someone of the same sex, or attend gay weddings, or even be happy for gay couples. Think of it like vegans and meat. No one is going to make a vegan eat a burger, dine in a Red Robin, or even socialize with people who reek of meat. But that doesn't mean beef should be illegal, or that my steak in any way infringes on your right to be vegan.

Updated Jun 26, 2015, 11:55 AM

I'm having trouble getting too excited about this as it's really the wrong question. Once you've accepted that execution itself is not "cruel and unusual", it seems odd to quibble about how "humane" the execution is. Justice Breyer's dissent is on-point.

Updated Jun 29, 2015, 11:17 AM

Ok, I will admit that Ted Cruz is likely the only Presidential contender (so far) that has this "qualification." The ball's in your court Mr. Trump.

Updated Jun 29, 2015, 12:59 PM

Another 5-4 decision. At some point, shouldn't we just send the other 8 justices home and let Kennedy make rulings?

Updated Jun 29, 2015, 5:10 PM

This is the correct response to having a religious objection to being able to perform your job.

Updated Jun 29, 2015, 10:08 PM

The temptation to stand in that that doorway, raise a fist over his head, and yell, "You kids get off my lawn!" had to be enormous.

Updated Jul 1, 2015, 8:08 AM

An interesting perspective for the open-minded...

Updated Jul 2, 2015, 1:27 PM

In a democracy, political outcomes are tentative and reversible. The losers of elections, court decisions, or bill passages should not be acting like vanquished foes or calling the legitimacy of the process into question.

Updated Jul 7, 2015, 10:19 PM

Talk about your odd bedfellows... but yes, please, bring back Glass-Steagall. I like my banking to be desperately boring and unexciting. If bankers want to live on the edge, they should take up X-Games sports or something.

Updated Jul 8, 2015, 8:38 AM

This is one of those things you never thought you needed to know before you saw the headline. Spoiler alert: blame it on Jesus

Updated Jul 8, 2015, 5:10 PM

I kinda doubt that, but I'm pretty sure it would still draw ratings if The Discovery Channel aired it.

Updated Jul 10, 2015, 10:45 AM

It couldn’t be more simple, and we do love it simple.

Updated Jul 13, 2015, 2:58 PM

Dude... you know the number isn't tied to the physical phone, right? Oh yeah, you have a flip phone, so you probably don't.

Updated Jul 22, 2015, 3:40 PM

"You can be wrong or ignorant. It will happen. Reality does not care about your feelings. Education does not exist to persecute you. The misinformed are not an ethnic minority being oppressed."

Updated Jul 24, 2015, 6:49 AM

And there it is...

Updated Jul 28, 2015, 8:58 PM

GOP lawmakers are apoplectic, literally threatening a government shutdown over Planned Parenthood funding, because they’ve seen videos that reminded them that fetal-tissue research has been legal and common for the last 22 years.

Updated Jul 31, 2015, 2:30 PM

This review is apparently 10x as entertaining as the movie.
"If the Fantastic Four franchise were a lion, [its creators] would be rotting in a jail cell in Zimbabwe."

Updated Aug 7, 2015, 11:48 AM

So, a question for the married women out there...
Is finding out your husband is "a bisexual, porn-addicted sexual deviant" who pays guys to have sex with him behind nightclubs in any way better than finding out he's been schtupping a woman at work? Not that either is a good thing, but I'm kinda missing the core objective of this genius' plan.

Updated Aug 7, 2015, 1:47 PM

Jon Stewart's replacement may be Trevor Noah, but his heir apparent is John Oliver...

Updated Aug 17, 2015, 10:54 AM

But she said it assertively and with a look of confidence. That should count for something...

Updated Aug 21, 2015, 1:58 PM

Exactly... Macro and micro are different animals.

Updated Aug 23, 2015, 8:49 AM

Would now be a good time to talk about gun violence in America?

Updated Aug 26, 2015, 9:27 AM

I'm not a doctor like Carson, and I've never personally disassembled one, but I'm pretty sure what's inside of women is, ummm... woman parts...

Updated Aug 28, 2015, 1:58 PM

Fascinating, albeit a bit simplistic, it's an interesting lens through which to view the current divide. "The difference between Republicans and Democrats is that Republicans believe people are fundamentally bad, while Democrats see people as fundamentally good."

Updated Sep 2, 2015, 9:50 AM

Your OMFG news break for today: "She gave birth to twins five months after divorcing her first husband. They were fathered by her third husband but adopted by her second."

But, you know... family values and all.

Updated Sep 2, 2015, 11:57 AM

There's a very natural human tendency to attribute your success to your actions instead of outside factors. You see this with gamblers whose occasional wins are not statistically interesting, but are attributed to their "system". You see this with corporations (such as Xerox in the 70s or Kodak in the 80s) who thought their business actions were related to their profits, when in fact it was simply their historical monopoly and the lack of a consumer alternative. So it is with The Donald--his arrogance and ego are rooted in an honest but misguided belief that his financial success is due to some preternatural brilliance, when in reality, he's all too human... and average. Had Trump been born in a middle class family in the Bronx instead of into wealth, he may well have risen at this point to be the Assistant VP at a NYC bank by now. But there's virtually no chance we'd be listening to him on TV every day.

Updated Sep 3, 2015, 10:40 AM

In other OMFG news, this North Carolina teen is being charged as an adult for child pornography. The victim? Himself, since he texted pictures of his 16-yr old junk to his girlfriend. It seems that in NC a 16-yr old is a minor when the victim of a crime, but an adult as a felon. So they are charging him with sexually exploiting himself because as an adult he was fully responsible for taking those pictures, but as a minor he could not consent to be in the photos. This is felonious bunk.

Updated Sep 4, 2015, 9:12 AM

Because investigations are way more satisfying when all the witnesses are there to support your foregone conclusion.

Updated Sep 10, 2015, 12:05 PM

This is making the rounds and is an absolutely fair question... or at least it would be if the situations were at all analogous. They are not. The DC Chief did not make any decision to not issue permits. She's upholding regulations passed by the city counsel, whom she works for. Why isn't the counsel in jail? Well, because the issue is still be adjudicated by the courts. The judge who overturned the city regs even stayed his order himself pending appeals or rewrites of the rules in question. So... no one is in jail because no one is violating the law. If and when they do, then you've got yourself a story. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/19/dc-concealed-carry-dc-police-chief-downplays-rulin/?page=all

Updated Sep 10, 2015, 2:51 PM

When you mix racial prejudice with scientific illiteracy you get a world where it's just not safe for a (non-white) kid to have an interest in engineering. Then again, they say time is the ultimate killer, so maybe the school is just erring on the side of poetic safety.

Updated Sep 16, 2015, 11:46 AM

Trump is wrong. Carly Fiorina was not the worst CEO in history. He's failing to consider Antonio Perez.

Fiorina had a great night. She commanded the stage and made the guys look lame by comparison. Her style was spot-on. The trouble is, her facts were as much of a fantasy as Walker's presidential aspirations. And frankly, this is consistent with her performance as HP's CEO. She was a presence in the board room. People naturally wanted to follow her, and did... right off the corporate cliff. It's not that Carly isn't a compelling leader. It's that she doesn't really know where she's going, but is confidently headed in that direction anyway.

Updated Sep 17, 2015, 9:35 AM

Wednesday's GOP debate revealed the evolving position of the party on climate change. It's gone from, "It's not happening," to "It's happening, but humans aren't causing it," to "Okay, we're causing it but we can't fix it by ourselves so why would we spend money on it?" Baby steps are still progress, right?

This reads more like satire. Unfortunately it's not. <smh>
"Doritos are a product marketed to children, so they make the perfect gateway snack to introduce children to the joys of homosexuality. The chips come in several colors. The green are homosexual, the pink are lesbian, and the purple ones are transgendered Doritos."

Updated Sep 18, 2015, 2:01 PM

It would be interesting to see if/how this correlates with the attitude that in cases of gun violence we should hold the individual responsible and not the culture. I would speculate that when you see the perpetrator as part of your own demographic, you tend to see the act as an individual's responsibility, but if you see the perpetrator as "other" then it's a cultural issue.

Updated Sep 20, 2015, 10:11 AM

There's an implied mic-drop at the end of this definition of what it means to be pro-life.

Updated Sep 21, 2015, 11:04 AM

In case you're feeling like having an oxymoronic Halloween...

Updated Sep 21, 2015, 1:24 PM

"I realized that factchecking Donald Trump is a category error. It's like polishing a duck."

Updated Sep 22, 2015, 10:15 AM

Or put another way, 41% of us are bloomin' idjits--or at the very least, are just really bad at geography, math, economics, civics, history... Maybe we should round up/deport these people and keep the Mexicans.

Updated Sep 24, 2015, 2:20 PM

Gee, how do I reconcile the coverage of #PopeInUSA with frequent claims of our slide into secularism where it's not safe to be a Christian.

If you only do one hopelessly geeky thing today, make it this. Run a traceroute on bad.horse (from a windows command line, type "tracert bad.horse" -- but you knew that). You will soon realize that no matter how big a geek you think you are, there's always a bigger geek.

Sad but true...

Updated Oct 1, 2015, 5:47 PM

This was brilliant...

Updated Oct 2, 2015, 2:37 PM

Again? Really? Why didn't someone tell me? Well just in case they're right, I'm gonna go finish that pie in the fridge. But on the outside chance the world doesn't end today, I'm curious what this group's web page will look like tomorrow.

Updated Oct 7, 2015, 10:10 AM

So far the #DemDebate has more commercials than the Superbowl... but they aren't as clever.

The background for the #DemDebate says "f CNN" over and over. Seems harsh.

Warming up for the GOP debate...

Updated Oct 28, 2015, 7:28 PM

Live tweeting the GOP debate at http://twitter.com/tinnickels or @tinnickels

Updated Oct 28, 2015, 8:35 PM

I can't decide if I'm more surprised that someone with a such a frivolous relationship with facts and evidence is actually considered a viable contender for the Presidency or that this same person ever was a uniquely gifted neurosurgeon. Both seem ridiculously improbable.

Updated Nov 5, 2015, 2:22 PM

I'm just gonna leave this here...

Updated Nov 13, 2015, 11:00 AM

This would be an hour well spent. These guys are both committed ideologues who would actually debate the merits of their respective policy positions. I'd watch.

Updated Nov 13, 2015, 2:35 PM

We are our own worst enemies. We let our fear consume us. We become slaves to our own rage. Terrorists commit acts of terror because we are so very responsive to giving them what they want.

Updated Nov 15, 2015, 8:49 PM

The reason more and more world leaders are climbing on the Daesh wagon may simply be because the Islamic State doesn't like it. Daesh is technically an acronym for the Islamic State's proper Arabic name, but in Arabic the word "Daesh" can be taken as a play on words to mean something along the lines of "a bigot who imposes his view on others."

Updated Nov 16, 2015, 10:49 AM

ISIS despises Syrian refugees: It sees them as traitors to the caliphate. By leaving, they turn their back on the caliphate. ISIS depicts its territory as a paradise, and fleeing refugees expose that as a lie. But if refugees do make it out, ISIS wants them to be treated badly — the more the West treats them with suspicion and fear, the more it supports ISIS's narrative of a West that is hostile to Muslims and bolsters ISIS's efforts to recruit from migrant communities in Europe.

Updated Nov 17, 2015, 12:29 PM

This is an excellent (long) read to understand our historical role in the Middle East. We (the USA and more generally the West) are directly responsible for the rise of militant extremism in the region. Our CIA explicitly nurtured the doctrine of jihad to create the Mujahedin to fight the USSR in Afghanistan. This group ultimately became the Taliban and gave birth to both Al Qaeda and ISIS. Our interventionist policies designed to maximize oil production at the cost of everyday Arabs have continued to pour gasoline on the fire we started, not to mention the oxygen we continue to pump in via our military exploits in the region. The USA is far more responsible for jihadist terrorism than any tenets of Islam. Understanding the complexities of the angry hydra we've borne is essential to understanding why "bombing the shit out of them" is a childish unserious response that ultimately only makes things worse. Step 1 to rehab is admitting you're part of the problem, not just an innocent victim.

Updated Nov 18, 2015, 9:53 AM

That's not how this works. It's not how any of this works...

Updated Nov 18, 2015, 10:54 AM

For F.B.I. agents, watching an Islamic State suspect in the United States is a study in anxiety. Being an Islamic State sympathizer is not against the law. Neither is expressing hatred for the United States on Twitter. Buying guns is also legal, and investigators have watched nervously as terrorism suspects passed background checks and purchased guns more than 2,000 times in the past decade, according to government data.

The threat from the Islamic State has put a unique demand on American counterterrorism officials. Nobody expects the F.B.I. to discover the angry, violence-obsessed young man and arrest him before he shoots his classmates. But the same person, inspired by the Islamic State, is a priority. Missing him is considered an intelligence failure.

Updated Nov 19, 2015, 9:32 AM

VaughnHillyard: Trump to NBC on whether his WH would implement database tracking Muslims: "I would certainly implement that. Absolutely."

Maybe we could make them all wear a star and crescent symbol on their clothing too?? WTF. Fear breeds irrationality and hate. We're better than that. Stop it.

Sorry Hillary, this is a weaselly cop-out. You're trying to thread the needle and sound concerned and helpful without pissing anyone off. It's not that Silicon Valley views gov't as an adversary, it's that it knows that there's no such thing as secure encryption that can only be broken by a court order. There really isn't a lot grey in this issue. If you think "backdoors" are a good idea then you either think nothing should be secure on the Internet or you don't really understand how digital security works.

Updated Nov 20, 2015, 4:03 PM

Was this really necessary?? Aren't we dumb enough as a society already? (This is the cover of the latest issue.)

Updated Nov 24, 2015, 4:16 PM

Curious that we're eager to blame video games for violence, but reticent to think political rhetoric might play a role.

Science FTW !!

Updated Dec 1, 2015, 12:37 PM

Excellent read on how/why Trump is a wrench in the political machine. Maybe this is a good thing in the long run.

Updated Dec 1, 2015, 2:03 PM

Stochastic terrorism is a real thing and has been the topic of extensive research. It's a tactic used around the world and throughout history. What's unclear to me is how actively aware of it the candidates are and how much of this is borne of backroom strategists who manipulate these political puppets.

Updated Dec 1, 2015, 7:47 PM

Police are saying multiple shooters in military-style gear shot up a conference room at a San Bernadino social services center that was rented out to an as yet undisclosed 3rd party for an event. Details are still foggy, but I have to believe the identity of the 3rd party will tell us a lot about the motivation for the attack. If there were multiple assailants it gets pretty hard to write this off to unstable crazy guys.

Australia has essentially been the beta-test site for gun control legislation. Their country is a close cultural and geographic analog to the USA. And after almost 2 decades, the evidence that gun control works is overwhelming.

To those hiding behind the 2nd Amendment and the intent of our forefathers, recall that those guys were okay with slavery, appointed senators, women who couldn't vote, and Presidents reelected indefinitely. Things change. There's a process for that--ironically envisioned by our forefathers.

To those saying people are the issue, not guns... well, yes. But that logic holds with anything. Airplanes, cocaine, and fireworks are all harmless until you add an irresponsible or careless human being to the mix. Behavior is really hard and messy to regulate, so in most every other area we acknowledge the usefulness of regulating the substance or device. Guns are no different.

It's time to step up America.

Updated Dec 3, 2015, 9:12 AM

No, no one is seriously going to claim Dear is a "Christian Terrorist". There exists a deep cultural understanding of Christianity in America. Most everyone recognizes that Dear's actions are far outside the religion's mainstream. This is a distinction largely not granted to Muslims as most Americans only get exposure to Islam through their extremists. Imagine for a moment that your only exposure to Christianity was hearing about people like Dear...

Updated Dec 3, 2015, 10:51 AM

Every now and then I try and watch Fox News. I tried tonight. I made it a little over 5 minutes. In that time, I learned that ISIS had attacked America in San Bernardino thus proving they were an existential threat to us, and that President Obama was at least incompetent and maybe working covertly to aid them. This explains so much about what's going on with the far right. In fairness, I shouldn't have started with Hannity. You need to work up to that level of insanity. You shouldn't just jump right in.

This is an interesting position, but it's unclear it's really more actionable that the high-wage explanation for manufacturing job loss. The US is the currency everything else pegs to, so it's unlikely we can manipulate our own values much. And we have relatively little control over how other foreign economies establish their exchange rates. Sure, China is pretty blatantly exercising currency manipulation, but Germany's advantage seems to mostly be an artifact of the structure of the EU. Seems either way we're still kinda stuck.

Updated Dec 4, 2015, 12:40 PM

Interesting premise: Political identity has become the acceptable way to discriminate between us and them, exacerbating the social and political divide.

Updated Dec 7, 2015, 10:59 AM

An excellent read outlining the challenges and risks of both the "don't do stupid shit" and the "bomb the shit out of them" approaches to dealing with ISIS. Spoiler alert: shit smells like shit no matter how you package it.

Updated Dec 9, 2015, 9:02 AM

Think about this for a minute... Donald Trump is so far afield that Dick Cheney and Barack Obama are on the same side... and 65% of the GOPs likely voters are standing with Trump. How the hell did we get here?

Updated Dec 9, 2015, 5:24 PM

So I wonder how the investigation to determine when Robert Dear was radicalized is going? How was he turned? How do we prevent those people from getting their message out and influencing others? Who should we bomb? And what is being done to monitor, exile, or otherwise protected us from old white guys with beards. Ummmm... wait a minute... I should rephrase that last part.

Updated Dec 9, 2015, 7:46 PM

Well, that's depressing... "The research suggests that there is only one way to mitigate or reverse [the prevalence of conspiracy theories]: restore some level of trust in the US political system. But conservative elites — who have the ear of their base — have no incentive to do so, and it's not clear that anyone else has ability to do so. Declining trust in institutions is broad and deep in America; it may very well be unstoppable. As long as it continues, conspiracy theories will play a larger and larger role in public life."

Updated Dec 10, 2015, 2:49 PM

Yeah, but... ewwww.

Updated Dec 11, 2015, 4:10 PM

Trump claimed last night that over 6m people over 112 were getting Social Security payments. Turns out, it's only 13, but we shouldn't quibble over small differences. What I found interesting is there is an actual basis for his number. There are 6.5m dormant SSNs out there still registered to people who would be over 112. All but 13 are people for whom death certificates have never been filed. This is an opening for tax fraud and should be fixed, but isn't quite the crisis Donald was looking for. He kind of pulled a reverse Jed Clampett. He was drilling for oil and accidentally hit a squirrel for dinner.

Updated Dec 12, 2015, 9:19 AM

That moment when the town's retired science teacher leads a revolt founded on technobabble conspiracy theories and all her former students vote down the solar farm for fear of weakening the sun. This should be the poster-story for why teaching kids actual science is vital--not because they'll all be engineers, but because the science literacy of the voters matter.

Updated Dec 15, 2015, 8:11 AM

Said Santa, "I know the reindeer think this shit is funny, but sometimes they can be real pricks."

Updated Dec 23, 2015, 9:04 AM

Wow. This guy really lives up to his promised hostility toward liberals. Yet, putting aside all the spleen-venting, there does seem a philosophical underpinning to his view that seems based on an arbitrary line he's decided we can't cross. And that confuses me. His essential thesis is that liberals are trying to redefine what things are fundamental rights, and that this is intolerable without unanimous consent.

He says that fundamental rights are only those that do not "require the time, treasure, or talents of another human being." Anything beyond that is government imposition on your freedom. Specifically, freedom of speech, religion, to bear arms, to assemble, etc. are sacrosanct. But there is no right to health care, a living wage, food, education, a job, or pretty much anything else. Taken to the extreme, the "time, treasure, or talents" test basically advocates for a non-existent government since any useful government has to collect taxes to function. Taxes, in any form, take your time, treasure, and talent to pay, and thus are bad. However, I'm pretty sure the author isn't advocating for anarchy. He doesn't state what he's willing to devote his time, treasure, and talent to, but let's assume it's a strong national defense, a justice system, public roads, schools, airports, etc. Being in favor of any of those things, means he agrees there should be a line somewhere delineating what services are in the common good, and which are not. Once he agrees the line should exist, then the liberal/conservative policy issue mostly comes down to deciding where the line should be. That's a topic worthy of debate, but not really of hostility.

Further, the nature of democracy is not unanimous consent. It's majority consent. By virtue of agreeing to live in the society, you agree to abide by the will of the majority. You don't get to be hostile about not getting your way short of inciting revolution or secession.

So.... calm the fuck down already. You're not helping.

Updated Dec 28, 2015, 3:55 PM

A glorious victory for Google Translate:
"The army and people of the DPRK will steadily escalate its nuclear deterrence of justice both in quality and quantity to reliably guarantee the future of the revolutionary cause of Juche for all ages."

Updated Jan 6, 2016, 8:26 AM

The classic Prisoners' Dilemma is brought to life. The new Powerball jackpot will be worth about $1.3b next week. This will amount to about $442m after taxes. Now there are about 175m possible number combinations. At $2/play it would take $350m to play every number. Meaning you could clear $92m with this plan... Unless 2 of you do it independently. Although, if you cooperated, you could still get $46m each. So... what to do?

While I appreciate the sentiment, I'm pretty sure it doesn't work like that.

Updated Jan 14, 2016, 10:54 AM

This is why we can't have nice things. And also why corporate interests shouldn't be ghost writing and sponsoring legislation.

Updated Jan 17, 2016, 8:26 AM

Points for a Star Trek actor making a spot-on Star Wars reference. See, there's no chasm too wide if we all just make an effort to get along.

Updated Jan 19, 2016, 2:40 PM

I've missed Sarah Palin. That confident sing-songy speech pattern that accompanies words concatenated into semantic gibberish. It feels like communication without all that need to process actual thoughts.

Oh man, is Pluto ever going to be pissed...

Updated Jan 20, 2016, 2:06 PM

Good news for JP Morgan Chase employees, you're all getting a 35% raise!! Woo-hoo!!! Oh wait... whatdya mean that's not how trickle-down works? Oh fer cryin' in yer beer...

Updated Jan 22, 2016, 8:56 AM

What Minnesota can teach America: revolution is hard and requires more than rhetoric.
"It’s possible that an anti-establishment outsider could shake up the existing order and provide the kind of leadership needed to forge new alliances and make sharp improvements. It seems more likely that both Trump and Sanders would become another Jesse Ventura – an executive with no alliances, whose inexperience and/or antipathy toward institutions produces little but a lost four years and strengthening of the party establishments they both seek to demolish."

Updated Jan 22, 2016, 9:45 AM

Unfortunately, he's not wrong...

Updated Jan 23, 2016, 6:02 PM

Marvin Minski has died. He was one of the seminal minds in AI and cognitive sci. Brilliant, yet could explain things so clearly. RIP.

What was most striking about last night's GOP debate really had little to do with the candidates. Rather, it was the well accepted and completely unchallenged premise that the USA is on the verge of destruction by active forces both inside and outside our borders. We are a country under siege and fighting for our very existence. Absent a radical new direction, we will die, our children will die, our way of life will be but a page in a history book. This is not a debate topic. This is party orthodoxy.

Any voter sipping this Kool-Aid would have to be frightened. They would be insane not to be. But ask any horror movie starlet about to step into a shower at an eerie B&B, terrified people make awful decisions. Ergo, Trump.

Updated Jan 29, 2016, 10:59 AM

Remember... the only way to stop a bad galaxy with an x-ray gun is with a good galaxy with an x-ray gun.

Updated Feb 3, 2016, 11:51 AM

Everything you ever wanted to know about Japan in 9 minutes... although, probably not everything you should know about Japan.

Updated Feb 3, 2016, 1:26 PM

I wrote a thing. I remembered how to write a thing. I miss writing things. I need a nap.

Updated Feb 5, 2016, 10:14 AM

I don't recall ever thinking Bill Gates was naive, but that's where I'm coming out here. He clearly understands the technical issues related to encryption, but how can he be so much of a rube as to think this is a special one-off case that won't set a wider precedent?

Updated Feb 23, 2016, 9:31 AM

Because data security and encryption are a bit arcane, I tried to craft an analogy to explain what's going on with the Apple/FBI battle and why you should care.

Updated Feb 24, 2016, 10:01 AM

“We shall make the basis of our state consent to disagreement. Therein shall we ensure its deepest harmony.”

Updated Mar 1, 2016, 4:22 PM

I wonder if somewhere, in the deep dark corners of Republican HQ, someone is thinking that in retrospect, spending decades whipping constituents into a frothy paranoid frenzy so they'd vote against their own self-interest was not the genius-level plan the GOP had envisioned.

Updated Mar 2, 2016, 9:36 AM

Just watch... you know you want to.

Updated Mar 2, 2016, 2:58 PM

Lol...

Updated Mar 3, 2016, 9:28 PM

The notion that Trump and Clinton are opposite ends of a spectrum is a sophistry borne of binary thinking. Just because red and green are the only colors present does not mean that violet does not exist, nor does it mean that apricot is suddenly the color in the middle.

Updated Mar 5, 2016, 9:39 AM

I know Nancy Reagan died today as well, but I'm betting Ray Tomlinson had a bigger impact on your life. RIP

Updated Mar 6, 2016, 1:50 PM

Going where none of really wants to go... but what the hell.

Updated Mar 7, 2016, 10:22 AM

They say history repeats itself...

Updated Mar 9, 2016, 8:26 AM

An excellent (long) read--a first hand account from inside the Trump rally in Chicago. It looks like the spark that ignited the violence was the cancellation of Trump's appearance, which preceded any unrest.

Updated Mar 13, 2016, 3:45 PM

... But I don't make very good decisions when I'm angry.

Updated Mar 13, 2016, 10:58 PM

I've had the opportunity recently to interact with a number of Trump supporters on other posts. These people are genuinely scared, and some are completely terrified.They have internalized the apocalyptic messages the right-wing media machine has been selling for years. They live with a world-view anchored in a highly skewed reality. Yet I feel for them because irrational fears are nonetheless real to the one experiencing them. But because of the primal nature of fear, it's almost impossible to rationalize the terrified back to calmness--especially when they have the confirmation of their peers who are also scared. I don't see a path out of this. Even if this group doesn't carry enough weight to win the general election, they are too big, and now too riled up, to ignore. And it will take years and years to undo the damage done to them.

Updated Mar 15, 2016, 11:19 AM

I took down my post this morning about Trump being endorsed by Charles Manson after reader Sue L. pointed out that Snopes had debunked the claim. Although, it did occur to me that in the true spirit of Trump, I should have left it up, because... "All I know is what's on the internet."

A few reactions to this:
- At this point, Trump is basically daring the GOP to try and take the nomination from him under threat of riots.
- The number of people susceptible to becoming violently passionate in defense of Trump are larger than most of us suspect.
- Trump supporters likely overlap heavily with well-armed citizens as both fear a lot of the same things.
- There is no upside for Trump to try and calm his supporters. The reality is the opposite.

I'll be shocked if there's not some incident of Trump-related gun violence before the year is out.

Updated Mar 16, 2016, 12:57 PM

No wonder Trump is so pissed at the Chinese, they are trying to steal HIS job... slapping his name on everything.

Updated Mar 18, 2016, 11:48 AM

This is the side of Hillary that gives me pause. Her avid hawkishness will mire us militarily in the Middle East--something the entire GOP field (save the departed Rand Paul) agrees with her on in principal, they just differ on tactics.

Updated Mar 21, 2016, 4:07 PM

This is an important and difficult message. The reaction to terror attacks (especially in the US) is essentially to give the terrorists everything they were hoping for: endless publicity, demands for retaliatory violence, and a citizenry scared to go about their daily lives. Fear is the mind killer. It's what they are counting on. Winning is not a matter of conquering terrorists, it's a matter of conquering your own fear.

Updated Mar 22, 2016, 10:28 AM

This will provide some needed experience before President Trump puts her on the Supreme Court.

Updated Mar 23, 2016, 9:24 AM

For anyone out there still thinking it makes sense to give police a way to crack encryption with a court order, this is yet more evidence that securing such "backdoors" is basically impossible.

Updated Mar 24, 2016, 3:22 PM

I'm not sure if this is comical or sad, but minimally it explains why naive people believing what they hear online eventually vote for Donald Trump.

Updated Mar 24, 2016, 4:17 PM

Tl;Dr His ego has taken over and he's now hell bent toward a goal he doesn't really want, but can't bear to back away from.

Updated Mar 28, 2016, 7:43 PM

Makes my nerdy little heart all aflutter!

Updated Mar 30, 2016, 1:48 PM

Esurance is now offering election insurance in case the election results necessitate a sudden but temporary relocation of your family to Canada for 4-8 years. #AprilFools

Updated Apr 1, 2016, 3:08 PM

The only real shocking development here would be if something is actually done about this. If you're in favor of tax reform, offshore tax havens would be a great place to start.

Updated Apr 4, 2016, 9:48 AM

Obama nukes stump speech talking point for Clinton, Sanders, and Trump by beating them to the accomplishment. But don't worry candidates, we still have plenty of problems for you to tackle.

Updated Apr 6, 2016, 11:14 AM

Wait, I like saving electricity too!

Updated Apr 7, 2016, 2:11 PM

I'm not seeing how the judge is threading this needle. On the one hand, claiming he doesn't want the courts judging the validity of religions, but on the other, deciding Pastafarianism is clearly satire based on a work of fiction. I'm sure L. Ron Hubbard is more than mildly amused.

Updated Apr 15, 2016, 10:23 AM

It's odd. Kasich "feels" like the centrist candidate, but only in a world where Sanders is far to the left and Clinton is trying to stay close to him, and Cruz is far to the right and Trump is... well, Trump is Schrödinger's candidate (he's both left and right until you elect him). In any other recent election Kasich would be the capital "C" conservative running.

Updated Apr 16, 2016, 9:55 AM

In your face, Judge. As a follow up to yesterday's post about a ruling that Pastafarianism was not a real religion, comes news there will be a legal wedding of two faithful followers of the church of TFSM in New Zealand. All hail his noodly appendage.

Updated Apr 16, 2016, 10:15 AM

I expect the GOP will introduce an outer space anti-abortion bill later this week.

Updated Apr 19, 2016, 10:03 AM

The USA is home to some of the most advanced technology on the planet... also this.

Updated Apr 22, 2016, 4:04 PM

Umm... Yay? I'd like to console myself that the customer service and anemic speed offerings couldn't get any worse, but this consolidates 3 major players into 1 in an already undercompetitive market. On the plus side, at least there shouldn't be any usage caps for 7 years.

Updated Apr 25, 2016, 4:16 PM

It'd be worth nominating him just to watch the first time he tries mansplaining something to her...

Updated Apr 27, 2016, 2:32 PM

The Daily Show wondered what it would be like if you turned actual Donald Trump quotes into a rap video. The result is, um... disquieting.

Updated Apr 28, 2016, 11:24 PM

This whole scenario defies any reasonable common sense.
- No one is going to get "pervy" in a crowded restroom.
- If she was a he, why would he be waiting in line at the women's room? I'll bet the men's room is open.
- Aren't male cops in the women's room way more disruptive than anything this lady might have been doing? And why are there cops patrolling the restroom anyway?
Seriously WTF? Can't we all just pee in peace?

Updated Apr 29, 2016, 10:34 AM

It seems all but inevitable that November will come down to Donald or Hillary. What's unique about this election for me is that in my tenure as a citizen I've never before thought that one of the candidates was completely and unquestionably unqualified to hold the office. I've disagreed with positions and policies, I've even found some of their personalities dislikable. But this is new territory. Trump lacks the basic disposition, decision making ability, and judgement to be President. Worse, he drinks his own Kool-Aid. He genuinely believes he's as great as he says, and rich enough to enclose himself in a bubble that reinforces that delusion.

Updated May 3, 2016, 12:06 PM

Sometimes the world is more than a little ironic...

Updated May 3, 2016, 3:37 PM

Or at least be subjected to an invasive scan and a waiting period first...

FYI... still trying to decide if I care.

Updated May 5, 2016, 12:32 PM

It really can't be overemphasized how destabilizing Trump could be as President, and in ways that benefit no one. It's not uncommon to hear people and pundits conflate and confuse macro and micro economics when opining about the US economy--why it's broken and how to fix it. But you would kind of hope that both of the party's Presidential candidates would appreciate and understand the difference. Apparently... not so much.

Updated May 6, 2016, 12:02 PM

Pretty good assessment of the folly that passes for opinions on the economy by candidates on both sides.

Updated May 7, 2016, 4:39 PM

See something, say something only works if the see-ers are smarter. But I guess you can never be too careful given the high correlation between terrorism and differential equations.

Updated May 8, 2016, 12:41 PM

What this article doesn't point out is that this is the fundamental folly of the GMO paranoia. Humans have been GMO'ing the food supply since the dawn of agriculture. And the techniques for doing so have improved constantly over the millennia. Almost nothing you eat today, from hamburger to bananas, isn't the product of extensive gene modification. There is no clean demarcation line between stuff Mendel was doing in his lab and stuff scientists are doing today. This is not to say all mods are good, or that there is no need for caution, testing, and safeguards. But the GMO technique itself is not inherently dangerous. If it was, we'd have been extinct a good long while ago. Not to mention, without GMO based agriculture, there's no way Earth would have ever supported 7 billion people. So in a real sense, you exist because GMO is a thing.

Updated May 12, 2016, 11:03 AM

Microsoft is becoming extremely aggressive in pushing Windows 10 upgrades between now and July. It appears they are now beginning to schedule you for upgrades whether or not you consent. This means, if you don't actively do something, you will wind up on Windows 10. One simple solution is a small utility called Never10. https://www.grc.com/never10.htm (not an ad, but I'm using it and you might want to)

Updated May 16, 2016, 9:10 PM

John Oliver does his usual stellar job explaining why voters in both parties are frustrated with a primary/caucus process that turns out to be mostly theater.

Updated May 23, 2016, 11:14 AM

Credit to Anne Coulter (never thought I'd type those words) for quipping, "On the day that Vince Foster was shot, do we know where Ted Cruz’s father was?"
This explainer was a useful refresher on Foster's death and "Travel-gate". But also sheds light on how the media and the Clinton conspiracy machine has shaped Hillary's mindset. If you'd been hunted for 25 years straight, you might be a bit paranoid and secretive too. It doesn't make it right, but it makes it understandable.

Updated May 25, 2016, 9:01 AM

I'm not making excuses for Hillary here or even trying to say that private email servers and deletion of emails isn't an issue. But this needs to be examined in the larger context. What she did was wrong, but it wasn't/isn't all that uncommon.

Updated May 27, 2016, 2:23 PM

I could get behind this...

Updated May 31, 2016, 8:58 AM

I think what's most shocking about this is knowing that people are actually paying $35k for a 3-day class. I guess there really is a sucker born every minute.

Updated Jun 1, 2016, 12:07 PM

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present...

Updated Jun 8, 2016, 8:42 AM

"Well sure it's a tragedy, but there's nothing we can do," says the only country where this keeps happening.

What spooks me about tonight's Brexit vote is that it's a jingoistic feel-good bumper sticker issue that from a sufficient distance seems to be just about freedom and independence and stuff that's hard to not get behind. But on the merits, the plan is brain-dead and will likely have economic repercussions that could take the very people that vote for leaving generations to recover from. And if the Brits can shoot themselves in the kneecap, so can we. After all, a lot of Trump's rhetoric isn't too far off what the Brexit advocates tout. On the other hand I think maybe we could learn something from our friends across the pond, but most people here don't even know this vote is happening.

Chia Trump and Chia Clinton heads... I'm so glad Father's Day is behind us.

Updated Jun 23, 2016, 11:01 PM

It's cute how this guys thinks the US is capable of learning something from the experiences of other countries. I kinda don't think he's ever met any 'Mericins.

Updated Jun 24, 2016, 1:49 PM

And if my grandmother had wheels she'd be a wagon...

Updated Jun 25, 2016, 11:25 PM

Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson are like two dogs who finally caught the car they chase every morning, and are now cowering under the porch because they scared themselves so badly.

Updated Jul 5, 2016, 7:51 AM

"When people feel their world is vanishing, they are easy prey for fact-free magical thinking and demagogues who blame immigrants.
We need a better form of nationalism, a vision of patriotism that gives dignity to those who have been disrespected, emphasizes that we are one nation and is confident and open to the world."

Updated Jul 11, 2016, 12:02 PM

Updated Jul 14, 2016, 4:38 PM

Curious, the theme of #RNCinCLE is people are afraid and Trump will protect us. Yet they spent 8yrs telling us we were all going to die.

It's worth noting that no one, including the GOP, refers to the Colorado Planned Parenthood shooter as a radical Christian terrorist.

Updated Jul 18, 2016, 10:22 PM

This should be a non-event. It was a relatively banal passage in a fine but otherwise uninteresting speech delivered by the spouse of the nominee, who frankly should not have to even have to perform this ritual. The campaign could take responsibility, blame this on a staffer, and promise they will spend the rest of the day ironing their hands. This would be out of the news cycle by noon. Instead, Trump and Manafort will double-down, deny this, lash out against their unfair treatment by the media, and keep this as the dominant story, potentially overshadowing their own convention.

Updated Jul 19, 2016, 9:33 AM

If you are scared shitless, bad at math, and have no access to The Google then Trump is your candidate. #RNCinCLE Otherwise, WTF?

It's worth noting that lots of people heard exactly what they wanted to hear last night. This is frightening at several different levels. Still, it's important to recognize that this world-view is not only out there, but fairly prevalent.
"Trump lived up to tonight's theme, "Make America One Again," laying out by subject, one after the other, the problems we face, what needs to be done and how he will get it done."

Updated Jul 22, 2016, 9:51 AM

It finally all makes sense to me.

Updated Jul 22, 2016, 12:09 PM

This seems like yet another unforced error for the Clinton campaign. Given the allegations against Schultz, and Clinton's own issues with her perception of being "untrustworthy", Clinton should be putting lots of distance between them. Instead, between this and the Kaine nomination, Clinton is basically daring Bernie supporters to take their vote elsewhere. It's not clear that's a good bet.

Updated Jul 25, 2016, 10:13 AM

You know who you are or who this needs to be shared with.

Updated Jul 26, 2016, 11:29 AM

WTG Donald. I guess you really put those rumors of you being in Putin's pocket to rest.

Updated Jul 28, 2016, 10:54 AM

Yes. But 6+3 doesn't equal 22. Ever. And no amount of repetition, no clever meme, nor any whining about how math elites are suppressing your rights changes that reality.

Updated Jul 28, 2016, 4:22 PM

Because sometimes I don't know when to shut-up...

Updated Jul 29, 2016, 11:18 AM

‘Any one of Trump’s less-than-sterling qualities — his erratic temperament, his dodgy business practices, his racism, his Putin-like strongman inclinations and faux-populist demagoguery, his contempt for the rule of law, his ignorance — is enough to be disqualifying. His convention-speech comment, “I alone can fix it,” should make every American shudder. He is, we believe, a danger to the Republic.’

Updated Jul 30, 2016, 3:19 PM

That's not how this works. That's not how any of this works... idjits.

Updated Aug 1, 2016, 6:22 PM

OMG, remind me again why any woman is voting for this tone-deaf misogynistic buffoon?

Updated Aug 1, 2016, 7:49 PM

This is some weapons-grade ignorance. We cannot stand by while a fact-free terrorist attacks the brains of Americans. We need to "bomb the shit out of" Donald Trump right now. I'm pretty sure Mexico would pay for that.

Updated Aug 2, 2016, 11:50 AM

It's not really obvious that Trump could pass a Turing test.

Updated Aug 2, 2016, 3:40 PM

The beauty of this particular bit of insanity is that it dovetails so nicely with the "Obama is a secret Muslim" conspiracy theory.

Updated Aug 11, 2016, 12:09 PM

Oh the irony! - "Through questionnaires, searching social media, interviewing friends and family or other means, applicants would be vetted to see whether they support American values like tolerance and pluralism."

Updated Aug 15, 2016, 7:41 AM

Hmmm... Glenn Beck is now the voice of reason on the right? What a long strange trip it's been.

Updated Aug 15, 2016, 4:06 PM

The challenge with perjury charges (unaddressed here), is that it's insufficient to prove what she said wasn't true. You have to show she knew it wasn't true when she said it. Otherwise she was just wrong, which may be concerning, but it's not criminal.

Updated Aug 15, 2016, 6:00 PM

Overheard at GOP HQ: "Ok folks, that's a wrap. Pack it in. We lost Lonsberry."

Updated Aug 15, 2016, 9:25 PM

Gee, I can't think of anything that could possibly go sideways with this plan. Notwithstanding Microsoft's AI chatbot experience earlier this year where they hooked it up to Twitter and it became a racist a-hole in under a day. But hey, this guy can land a rocket on a ship at sea so I'm sure he won't have any issue managing Reddit.

Updated Aug 16, 2016, 2:13 PM

This is probably mean, but I really want them to give Trump some juicy but bogus bit of intel and see how long it takes before he blurts it out at a rally.

Updated Aug 17, 2016, 1:12 PM

This is really disappointing...

Updated Aug 18, 2016, 12:26 PM

Princess Sparklepony FTW!!!

Updated Aug 21, 2016, 12:36 PM

There seems an excessive risk when going to the beach with this on. I'm pretty sure you won't want any of what or who this attracts.

Updated Aug 22, 2016, 3:00 PM

Yes. This.

Updated Aug 22, 2016, 4:39 PM

For a man who never apologizes, he seems to frequently call for others to do so.

Updated Aug 28, 2016, 1:02 PM

This is a wildly naive fantasy. Any Trump loss will have establishment Republicans lining up special prosecutors to begin their 4-year Clinton witch-hunt, and Trumpsters launching into apoplexy over the rigged election.

Updated Aug 30, 2016, 9:37 AM

Maybe, but you're also the woman who thinks the End Days are nigh. So... Trump's the one to lead us to Armageddon?

Updated Aug 30, 2016, 6:43 PM

This Trump meeting in Mexico is going to be fascinating. Nieto can't afford to leave with anything short of a Trump apology. And Trump needs to leave with promises Mexico will return our factory jobs and pay for a wall. Anything less, and their respective constituencies turn on them. But none of those things are remotely going to happen. I really don't see the upside here for either of them... unless they hold their private meeting and each walk away telling completely different and contradictory stories of the capitulation of the other.

Updated Aug 31, 2016, 9:24 AM

Under Trump's policies my destitute unskilled Irish ancestors would likely not have been allowed into the US. And even if they'd gotten in, they'd have been deported the first time they crossed a cop's path.

I'm unsure how to restructure the current communications policy, but I agree it's desperately outdated and discourages use of technology that's in common use in the private sector. And not because of Hillary, but because I think this is a lot of what's behind "Washington Gridlock". No elected official wants to be on record making a reasonable compromise to achieve a longer term goal, and they are pretty much always on the record.

Updated Sep 6, 2016, 11:46 AM

Lauer spent 1/3 of his time with Clinton probing the email issue as an indication of her trustworthiness and judgement as a leader. Fair enough. Then why not spend a similar chunk of time with Trump doing the same? His bribing of a Florida AG; his repeated demonstrably false lies that are campaign talking points; his association with multiple businesses that are based on defrauding consumers; his repeating screwing of business partners/contractors. Do none of these things speak about his trustworthiness and judgement?
This was a blatant attempt (by Lauer or NBC) to create a false equivalence between the two candidates. Clinton was doing a thesis defense while Trump was being interviewed for student-of-the-week by his school paper. And we were asked to believe these were equivalently revealing. So sad!

Updated Sep 8, 2016, 10:37 AM

This seems a pretty fair comparative analysis of the economic success of modern Presidential administrations. Obama rates above average, but well short of top of the class. The analysis makes no attempt to judge tactics or policy, just results. The upshot being that while there's still significant room for improvement, the notion that the economy is a "complete disaster" (as "many people are saying") is demonstrably false.

Updated Sep 8, 2016, 3:50 PM

Putting climate change in context as only xkcd can do...

Updated Sep 13, 2016, 8:16 AM

Here's the thing. This was a small event that barely would have made a blip in the news cycle. Sure, the Pastor asked Trump to not give a stump speech in her church, but she also asked her congregants to be respectful and let him speak. Yet, in the greater scheme of shit-that-goes-down-at-Trump-events, this barely registered. Still, Trump completely fabricated the events when retelling the tale. Mind you, these were events observed and recorded by the press not 24 hours earlier.
So what motivates a man to lie brazenly about trivial things that are readily disprovable? Some options:
- He truly sees the world through a warped lens such that he genuinely believes his version of reality.
- His fragile ego, having been nicked by being course-corrected while on stage (by a black woman no less), demands a retelling that makes him the hero or the sympathetic victim regardless of the downstream implications.
- He believes facts are fungible, and that by sheer force of his indomitable will he can alter them to suit his purpose.
It's worth noting these options are not mutually exclusive. However, none of them, alone or in combination, are remotely qualities you would want in a night manager at Denny's, much less a US President.

Updated Sep 15, 2016, 10:08 AM

Some perspective in the wake of recent events: Fear is the mind killer. It makes good people do irrational things. Terrorism is scary, but it is not an imminent or existential threat. Within the borders of the USA, you are more likely to be crushed to death by a piece of furniture than killed in a terror attack. But no one is calling for a ban on sofas. Safety is important. It's the reason you lock your doors at night. But it's also a trade-off, which is why you don't also release the alligators into the moat around your house before bed. Safety requires prudence and caution. It's a good thing. Paranoia requires panic and compulsion. It consumes your existence. The difference is in whether you're reacting to the data or the drama.

Those wacky time travelers keep going back and futzing with history. It's getting hard to keep up.

Updated Sep 22, 2016, 11:09 AM

While the right is having their ongoing collective freak-out about how Obama and Clinton are going to take away your guns (something neither has proposed), their guy flat out said that's what he wants to do.

"But stop and frisk worked...They're proactive, and if they see a person possibly with a gun or they think they have a gun, they will see the person and they'll look and they'll take the gun away. They'll stop, they'll frisk and they'll take the gun away, and they won't have anything to shoot with." Trump, 9/22/2016

Oh, sorry... he meant he's going to take away guns from black people <wink, wink>. My bad. I keep forgetting that some of the Amendments are marked "Whites Only".

While you're waiting Hillary's latest batch of emails to be released, maybe read this...

Updated Sep 24, 2016, 7:17 AM

Because he's gonna get all the best people...

Updated Sep 26, 2016, 3:50 PM

FTW!

Updated Oct 1, 2016, 9:57 PM

Having spent the last week traveling through several swing states, it's amazing how many more political ads you see vs. the relatively ignored solid blue state I call home. Makes me a little homesick...

Because she'll just blow all the tax revenue on shoes?? <smh>

Updated Oct 2, 2016, 3:41 PM

This is a really interesting idea, and could go a long way toward making third parties more viable and giving them greater voice. Moreover, this could be done with a law. It doesn't require the constitutional changes that other approaches to moving beyond the two-party system demand.

Updated Oct 8, 2016, 7:53 AM

Mr. Trump, as a man who's spent more than a little time in locker rooms over the years, this is not "locker room talk". Don't drag the rest of us into this.

I think I finally get the evangelical infatuation with Trump. Pastor Hagee lists the core issues which read like a bullet point summary of the New Testament. With the possible exception of The Donald, no one was more pro-military than Jesus. And as He himself was wont to say, fuck the immigrants. The last thing Jesus wanted to do was help out the poor and indigent of other lands. He worked hard for what he had, and if other people wanted a piece, well, they should have had the good sense to be born with a father who was a deity too. Fences make good neighbors. And clearly Jesus was pro-American. So much so that he took a side-trip here to drop off some Golden Plates for Joseph Smith to dig up. I think that's why all evangelicals aspire to one day be Mormon.

Hagee also reminds us that no candidate is perfect. Sure, Trump may be a narcissistic anti-Semitic misogynist, but he knows that only by putting white men rightfully back in control of the world can we all be safe from destitute sandal-wearing Middle Easterners spouting a lot of religious nonsense. Nothing good ever comes from that.

I'm sure Jesus is right on board with all of this. Although I suspect he's also hoping that if he gets redeployed to Earth he gets stationed in Kansas... with a valid long-form birth certificate.

Updated Oct 10, 2016, 4:35 PM

Trump has promised that all kinds of stuff will be fixed as soon as he takes office. But he's also wildly inflated all kinds of numbers (e.g. crime rates) during his stump speeches with lots of support from Fox and talk radio--effectively creating his own reality. It occurs to me that one way he can declare success is to simply reveal the actual stats early next year and then take credit for the "improvement". That's why facts matter.

Updated Oct 10, 2016, 9:36 PM

One tough cookie...

Let's review what we learned at tonight's debate. Trump is the law and order candidate, but gun control can't work because Chicago has gun control laws and they can't possibly be enforced. He only will appoint judges who follow the original intent of the founding fathers, but asserts Hillary is guilty without due process. When a plane crashes, he knows it was terrorists before the wreckage is found, but over a dozen agencies declare Russia is hacking us, yet he won't draw a conclusion until the investigation is final. He's going to make America great again, but may not accept the election results. W-T-F?

Trump made 37 false claims at the third and final presidential debate, Clinton made four false claims. In addition, Trump made 34 false claims at the first debate, 33 false claims at the second. Clinton made four at the first, five at the second. The final tally: Trump 104 false claims, Clinton 13 false claims. Yes, clearly she's the liar.

Updated Oct 20, 2016, 10:33 AM

You should stop talking now. K? Thanks.

Updated Oct 21, 2016, 12:34 PM

Translation: "As FLOTUS I will work tirelessly to keep my husband off of Twitter."

Updated Nov 3, 2016, 3:45 PM

This should be a really important analysis for me. But that Trump doesn't believe in climate change, net neutrality, cybersecurity, or renewable energy is really not riding to the top of my list of reasons he shouldn't be President. It would be a way more normal election if these were my reasons.

Updated Nov 5, 2016, 3:18 PM

Good recap of yesterday's "assassination attempt" on Trump. It's important that voters understand that Trump is characterizing a dissenting opinion as life threatening. Talk about your tough guys. This man is rugged like fillo dough.

Updated Nov 6, 2016, 9:53 AM

Think about this as you digest all the predictions of Hillary's Presidency...

"If you're a conservative, you may be extremely unhappy with the choices Obama has made and the things he has done. But you'd have to admit that the predictions you and your allies made about about how Obama would turn this great country into a hellscape of suffering and despair didn't quite pan out."

Updated Nov 8, 2016, 3:44 PM

It's perhaps ironic. What Trump voters feared was that Clinton's statements were bullshit and that in office she would act on an imagined hidden agenda. What Clinton voters fear is that Trump will actually do what he's said. If Trump wins, I guess I need to hope that he has a hidden agenda that's much less destructive than I imagine.

If there's an upside to a Trump win, it will be that his supporters will be forced to suffer by living in the world they so desperately wanted.

It's not too late...

We need to move forward, but the world will long remember what you did last night.

Updated Nov 9, 2016, 10:18 AM

There's lots of talk today about how Clinton won the popular vote, but Trump took the Electoral College. Many are viewing this as a failure of the EC based system. However, that exists for the good reason that it does provide some voice to sparsely populated areas of the country that otherwise would be completely dominated by the large metro areas. A better solution would be "preference voting", with the added advantage that states could enact this individually without the need for any Constitutional changes.

Preference voting could have impacted the outcomes in Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, or any other state where no candidate won more than 50% of the vote. Although it's uncertain the outcome would have been different, it would have been fairer, and would have assured that a majority of the voters preferred the winning candidate over the next closest rival. It also makes 3rd party voting more useful because voters can opt for 3rd party candidates without inadvertently enabling the election of someone they didn't want.

In preference voting, rather than just choosing who you want to elect, you rank all the candidates in order of preference. So one voter might choose (Johnson, Trump, Clinton, Stein) while another might choose (Stein, Johnson, Clinton, Trump). In the initial count, if no candidate gets 50%, then the last place candidate is eliminated, and those votes get added to the next choices of those voters. So for our example voters above, if Stein gets tossed in round one, Johnson picks up a vote in round 2. Then if Johnson goes in the next round, Trump and Clinton each pick up a vote in round 3. This process repeats until someone has an actual majority.

To pick on Pennsylvania, Trump was about 72k votes shy of 50%, while Clinton was short 140k. There were just under 213k 3rd party votes cast in that state last night. Would reassigning those 213k votes have benefited Clinton or Trump? We'll never know. Under the current system those 213k voters were effectively silenced... and that benefits no one.

Sounds about right...

Updated Nov 9, 2016, 7:32 PM

This is useful perspective. If just 1% of voters had opted for Clinton instead of Trump, the Electoral College would have flipped and we'd be having a very different conversation about how we were finally ready for a woman to lead, and how hope prevailed over hate. But in reality, there would still be just as many racists, misogynists, and xenophobes among us. Winning on Tuesday would not have vanquished hate, and having lost does not condemn us to it. The battle continues. Stay strong.

Updated Nov 10, 2016, 8:21 AM

While we don't yet know what the next 2 years will bring, it's a safe bet that things Trump and the GOP align on are pretty likely to happen. On the Sci-Tech front, this means we can kiss net neutrality goodbye. Also expect weakened cyber-security as government backdoors get mandated into your devices and services. And climate change? Let's just say my wife is thrilled her sister's house in Florida will soon be beach-front property.

Updated Nov 10, 2016, 8:55 AM

Reports like this are coming in from all over. If Trump wants us to believe his message of unity was more than just words some aide slapped on a teleprompter, he needs to own this. Now. He's been stoking this fire for over a year. If he doesn't rise up to contain it soon, he won't be able to.

Updated Nov 10, 2016, 3:43 PM

The weirdest future would be Trump becoming Obama's legacy but under his name with GOP support. https://twitter.com/samueloakford/status/797187856666132480

Updated Nov 11, 2016, 7:42 PM

The greatest curse to Trump's voters will be if he delivers on his promises...

Updated Nov 14, 2016, 7:53 AM

Wait, what? Lyin' Ted?

Updated Nov 16, 2016, 11:24 AM

This is interesting, but I don't think tells the whole story in the US. The tl;dr; is that immigration of culturally different people in large numbers triggers authoritarian tendencies in people who think their norms are being shifted to accommodate "others". The Rx is to moderate immigration to allow assimilation time so to minimize any cultural impact.

This may explain a lot of Europe, but in the US, immigration rates have been pretty flat forever, and illegal immigration is far lower than it was 10-20 years ago. Here, the fear of this norm-shifting may well be driving the behavior, but the fear is largely manufactured. Controlling actual immigration will have minimal impact.

What isn't explored here is the exploitation of this fear trigger in the US by media and opportunistic politicians. My feed is littered with posts from my blue-collar white suburban relatives and friends in middle America who fear they are 10 seconds away from losing their job to a Mexican and being forced to live under Sharia law. And I'll bet the majority of these people have never even met a Muslim or a Mexican. A non-trivial chunk of citizens are being radicalized by incessant messages of fear. In a society that values free speech, it's unclear how to mitigate that. Controlling the messages seems wrong, but counting on the listeners to get smarter seems foolish.

Updated Nov 17, 2016, 8:51 AM

Not the Sleepless in Seattle sequel you were expecting... https://twitter.com/thehill/status/803980931019243520

Updated Nov 30, 2016, 10:26 AM

'Bout damn time...

Updated Dec 1, 2016, 11:55 AM

I think this will largely be the tactic we'll see in the coming years. The question will be, does the media and the public follow the shiny thing or the actually substantive story? Yeah, yeah, I know... (smh)
"...the much more likely scenario is one in which he [Trump] continues with his stated policy agenda of tax cuts and deregulation while using a handful of PR stunts to maintain an image as an champion of the working class."

Updated Dec 2, 2016, 9:17 AM

Key quote: "I like beautiful women eating burgers in bikinis. I think it's very American." #AllTheBestPeople

Updated Dec 2, 2016, 4:34 PM

Breaking: US Army Corp of Engineers has denied approval for an easement meaning no continued construction of the Standing Rock pipeline. Specifically, this is just a delay pending an environmental impact study and potential rerouting of the pipeline, but this is a short term victory. The likelihood is still that Trump will green light this again in January, but for now it's a win. This was the right answer months ago, but at least we finally got here.

So this was some sort of shot across China's bow? I do prefer that this was intentional rather than a blunder, but if you're gonna rattle the cage of our biggest frenemy, why wouldn't you wait until your term actually begins?

Updated Dec 5, 2016, 9:07 AM

As long as running the country isn't harder than selling overpriced hats, we're golden.

Updated Dec 5, 2016, 2:16 PM

I don't know the details of the Boeing Air Force One project, and clearly neither does Trump. Maybe it should be managed better. maybe it should be cancelled. But rather than investigate and make an informed and considered decision, we get a knee-jerk edict issued by Tweet. This is not a useful management style if you run an ice cream stand, much less the USA.

Updated Dec 6, 2016, 12:29 PM

Trump's takeaway from yesterday was likely a realization that he can personally cause significant swings in stock prices both up (Sprint) and down (Boeing) by mentioning them on his personal Twitter feed. In both cases, the Tweets were "inaccurate" (to be gracious), but the blips were very real. A person of questionable ethics with some advance knowledge of who Trump was going to Tweet about could make a lot of money. So... hard to see how this could go wrong.

Meaning... he can't hunt them down until next month. Pfeww!

Updated Dec 13, 2016, 2:37 PM

Years ago when this industry insider stepped into the FCC I was expecting a lot of pain and suffering. He turned out to be a surprising breath of fresh air. While hardly a beacon for freedom and consumer choice, he far exceeded expectations, resisted some of the influence of his former masters, and steered the ship in the right direction--even if it's still far asea. And given his likely successor, I think I'm gonna miss Wheeler a lot. Most of you will, even though you may not know it yet.

Updated Dec 15, 2016, 9:50 AM

Trump blasts a magazine for a bad restaurant review. Is America great again now? Are we good?

Updated Dec 15, 2016, 11:43 AM

Fortunately science doesn't depend on anyone believing in it, but out of respect, I think non-believers should shun all the benefits science has brought to their lives. From the comfort of their campfire heated huts, they can rant all they like.

Updated Dec 17, 2016, 10:38 AM

You keep on using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Updated Dec 19, 2016, 11:10 PM

This desperately needs to happen here. It won't. But it needs to.

Updated Dec 21, 2016, 8:22 PM

Good thing they're now our best buds then...

Updated Dec 21, 2016, 11:07 PM

People lead from what they know, so this is what happens when you elect a celebrity. Hope y'all enjoy the show...

Updated Dec 22, 2016, 9:51 AM

In many ways I think these are Trump's best days. He has all the attention and none of the responsibility. But shit's about to get real. It will be interesting to see if he still has the bandwidth to be this petty.

Updated Dec 28, 2016, 10:26 AM

In other words, 3 weeks of sanctions and 35 Russians get a 3-week holiday before Trump reverses all of this. #MakeRussiaGreatAgain

Updated Dec 29, 2016, 2:26 PM

It's one thing to be this ignorant. It's entirely another to be this ignorant and blithely unaware that you are. #MakeAmerica1970Again

Updated Dec 29, 2016, 4:12 PM

Trump - “I know a lot about hacking. And hacking is a very hard thing to prove. So it could be somebody else. And I also know things that other people don’t know, and so they cannot be sure of the situation.”

It's important to call bullshit on this repeated trope that Trump possess unique info and insight into situations that he's not yet prepared to disclose. He needs to put up or shut up.

Updated Jan 1, 2017, 3:29 PM

Well that's one way to bring jobs back...

Updated Jan 1, 2017, 3:32 PM

Of course he did... not that it was a big f___ing deal. 😁

Updated Jan 3, 2017, 7:55 PM

When Trump says, "the intelligence world [is] becoming completely politicized,” what he means is that it's not politically aligned with him--as he thinks it should be. Perhaps a man who already has trouble telling facts from fantasy shouldn't be meddling with the groups in charge of providing facts?

Updated Jan 5, 2017, 9:10 AM

I think many are overlooking that the key flaw to repeal and delay may actually be the objective. Consider that all GOP plans on the table provide lower gov't costs and lower taxes on the 1%, but provide less coverage and subsidies to those benefiting today. Basically, lots of voters will be worse off. If the GOP does a 1-for-1 replacement it invites direct comparison. Was I better off under Obamacare or Trumpcare? Repeal and delay will result in most insurance companies leaving the exchanges over the next couple years. In essence, Obamacare will collapse. But the GOP will sell this as the inevitable failure of O-care, just like they've said all along. In a few years, things will be so bad that pretty much whatever they proffer will be a step up. In 2020, no one will compare their coverage to what it was in 2016. They'll compare it to 2019, and it will likely be an improvement.

Updated Jan 5, 2017, 11:33 AM

Only 2 weeks now until this emotionally insecure train wreck gets the codes for the nuclear football.

Updated Jan 6, 2017, 8:57 AM

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the notorious RBG.

Updated Jan 9, 2017, 2:46 PM

This carefully threaded response is a bit like noticing your drapes are on fire, then lamenting to your wife that we can't be certain how fast the fire will spread, how it started, or that we can successfully put it out... so we should probably just wait until we have more information.

Updated Jan 18, 2017, 11:40 AM

Well that didn't take long...

Updated Jan 20, 2017, 2:04 PM

Not that this is a surprise, but kiss your open Internet goodbye. Pai's vision involves online companies paying for access to their consumers, and ISPs getting to create content islands that make it difficult or expensive to access what you want instead of what your ISP wants you to have.

Updated Jan 20, 2017, 3:23 PM

If Trump has shown us anything, it's that we should pay no attention to what he says. At. All. It's probably not true and he likely doesn't mean it anyway. It's a waste of our time and energy. He's in office now. Pay attention to what he does, what he signs, who he hires, and what they do. The rest is just noise to distract you.

Facts have a well known liberal bias...

Updated Jan 24, 2017, 7:21 PM

Oh really... Do tell... while I rummage around here for my shocked expression.

Updated Jan 25, 2017, 4:05 PM

Remember back when Obama's tyrannical rule by executive order was seen as an unconstitutional power grab? Good times... Obama averaged 35 EOs/yr. Trump has signed 12 already (not including the draft below) and we're not out of week 1 yet. When the Conservatives find out about this they are gonna be soooo pissed.

Updated Jan 26, 2017, 8:31 AM

This is an important perspective. We need to remember that we are the enemy Trump requires. His power depends on division. His supporters will not be swayed by protest or rhetoric, but only by illumination of how the reality of his policies makes their lot worse. And that largely hasn't happened, yet. This is not to say there's no value to protests like the actions at airports yesterday. They protect the innocent and assert our humanity to the world. But they don't weaken Trump. They embolden him. They are important, but they are not the fight. The fight has yet to begin. Stay strong.

Updated Jan 29, 2017, 12:31 PM

Updated Jan 29, 2017, 3:50 PM

Well here's an interesting little turd for Trump to chew on...

Updated Jan 31, 2017, 8:01 AM

McConnell's basic argument against confirming Garland was that the Presidential campaign was already in progress so it would be imprudent to seat a new judge until the new President was in office. Since Trump has already filed his candidacy for 2020, the next campaign is underway, right? So isn't it premature to talk about filling Supreme Court seats until we see who prevails in '20?

Seems pretty clear that we are indeed facing an imminent danger to our national security, but the skin color of the enemy isn't brown... it's orange.

Updated Feb 1, 2017, 10:21 PM

An important perspective, well articulated. Written by John Vaeth and reposted with permission.
--------------------------------------
Republics vs. Democrats or Republicans AND Democrats…..

A friend who is an outspoken Republican recently said she would love to talk with some Democrats to understand what their angst was all about. I thought good; open honest dialog is what we need to have because we are all part of the same village. Understanding, not flaming rhetoric, is important. Otherwise, our gaps will continue to grow, the protests will get louder and angrier, and the tinder will collect, anxiously awaiting its spark.

As I was thinking about this, I wanted to articulate a clear-headed assessment for why I am so upset. It’s not really because my candidate lost. That’s the way elections work. You win some, you lose some.

And it’s not even because Donald Trump is doing what he said he would do. Wouldn’t Democrats be equally excited if their candidate won and did exactly what she said she would do?

It’s not because many of his cabinet choices seem to have views diametrically opposed to my own (especially in regards to the environment and education). Again, that’s part of the “spoils of war”. You get to choose who you want to surround you to provide guidance in this enormously complex republic.

No, I am upset for other reasons. I am most upset with the complete breakdown of moral integrity within our institutions and our society. Too many have decided that the ends justify the means and we no longer have to operate with a moral compass. Lying and hypocrisy have not only become acceptable, they are considered effective tactics to confuse, convince, and coerce. As Tennessee Williams once said, “The only thing worse than a liar is a liar that's also a hypocrite!” Too many in our society are both.

Recent charges of Democrat “obstruction” drip with so much hypocrisy that it is laughable. Are our memories really that short (Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell stated early in Obama’s first term: “The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.” “If Obama was for it,” former Republican Ohio Senator George Voinovich explained, “we had to be against it.”) or is it now suddenly OK because your team is in charge? Then I guess it is OK to deflate footballs, dope to win the Tour de France, pump steroids to break home run records, cheat on exams, plagiarize, gerrymander, etc. After all, the ends justify the means. What a message this is sending to our progeny.

Can we all just agree that it is NOT OK? That this is NOT the way we want our children to behave. The moral standard for our elected representatives and for ourselves should be much higher. If we can agree, that’s a start.

Another reason I’m so upset is the “America Winning” rhetoric. As much as I appreciate my “accident of birth,” being born in America, I believe we have obligations to our planet and our neighbors. Build a wall, block refugees, reduce our commitments to protecting others. To what end? People have such a hard time with correlations and anticipating unintended consequences. Gee, what possible consequences could there be if we create import tariffs, force companies (like Ford) to abandon plants in Mexico, and build / maintain a very expensive wall? A booming Mexican economy? Friendly, collegial neighbors? A robust trading partner? A willing collaborator in the war on terror? Not likely. “Winning” usually means someone else is “losing”. In fact, if Mexico loses, don’t be surprised by the number of tall ladders, deep tunnels, and stealthy boats that still help people find their way across the border, not to mention an unstable, third world country easily infiltrated by drug cartels and other terrorists.

Yes, many who supported Trump are frustrated; with government, with poor paying jobs, with no light on the horizon, and they deserve attention. So create jobs with an infrastructure bill, improve employability with easier access to higher education, provide really affordable healthcare. The “widget” jobs of the past are gone; robots have replaced them. They’re not coming back.

Finally, I am upset with the war on science. I have a science and technology background. I worked in Research and Development at Kodak. I met with brilliant minds inventing leading edge drug therapies at Biogen and have the utmost respect for the scientific process. So when 97% of climate scientists from around the globe agree that climate change is real, I believe them. I trust the experts. I don’t trust those who are driven by some political ideology or “alternate facts.”

Honesty can go a long way toward healing the scars this election has caused. Let’s all try it.

The dangers of false equivalence...
“Comparing the USA to Putin's Russia is like comparing a surgeon to Jack the Ripper because they both cut people with knives,”

Updated Feb 5, 2017, 7:26 PM

I'm assuming it's a half-century long plot to arrange for Trump's first one to be called "LI". Well played!

Updated Feb 5, 2017, 8:28 PM

The GOP battle against net neutrality is one of the most egregious applications of the "regs are killing business" cudgel. It leverages people's tech ignorance for the express benefit of a handful of companies who nearly monopolize their markets. Net neutrality benefits consumers and small business, fosters innovation, and promotes market competition. Anyone who tells you different is trying to sell you something.

Updated Feb 7, 2017, 8:18 AM

As a politician, when Cosmo starts blasting you for non fashion related policy positions, maybe it's time to go home and rethink your life.

Updated Feb 9, 2017, 11:59 AM

Updated Feb 9, 2017, 2:47 PM

This is consistent. I recall back during the campaign when the DNC emails kept coming out there was no one looking at the content of the email. All the furor and investigative energy went into figuring out how they were leaked. #AlternativeFacts

Updated Feb 14, 2017, 11:40 AM

"It's this thing called nuclear weapons. And other things. Like lots of things are done with uranium. Including some bad things."
-- is what Donny would say when asked "What is uranium?" by his 2nd grade science teacher that day he didn't really do his homework. But no... Donny's not in 2nd grade. He's the fucking President.

If you had "Bring back the Woolly Mammoth" in the office pool on how Climate Change would be handled, then have I got good news for you...

Updated Feb 17, 2017, 9:47 AM

McMaster seems like a solid choice for National Security Advisor. He should be a badly needed tempering force in Trump's foreign policy. I admit to being a bit surprised though. He's said to be very bright, a deep strategic thinker, and to have no tolerance for people who can't keep up with him intellectually. Further, he apparently hates 'yes men' and certainly isn't one. I can't quite imagine Trump tolerating him. But I'd love to be a fly on the wall at their first substantive discussion.

This is both incredible and telling. The only favorable light cast on Putin in the last year or so is that Trump likes him. And so, through some transitive property of politics, now Republicans like him as well. Never mind that Putin meddled in our elections, invaded another country, had political opponents killed, supports Assad, etc. This really doesn't bode well for the hope that Republicans will eventually start calling Trump on his bullshit.

Updated Feb 22, 2017, 12:21 PM

As further evidence that the Trump administration is running "like a well oiled machine", apparently Chaffetz has run out of things for the Oversight Committee to investigate.

Updated Feb 22, 2017, 3:31 PM

DeVos added, "The new guidance includes language directing schools to crack down on the bullying of transgender students." So here's a thought, Betsy. Maybe trans kids would get picked on less if they could use the bathroom that matches their outward appearance rather than their genitalia. Because what's in your pants gets a lot less attention in the public bathroom than whether or not you're wearing any. #Dumbass

Updated Feb 23, 2017, 4:11 PM

Sorry, you brought 'em to the party, you gotta dance with 'em.

Updated Feb 23, 2017, 8:07 PM

The buck stops... ummm... Over there!!

Updated Feb 28, 2017, 8:14 PM

This pretty well sums up my takeaway from last night's #JointSession. Trump was in full-on huckster mode. It was Christmas in America and everyone gets a pony. There was an almost religious undertone to his message that paradise was within all our grasp if only we believe. And I'm sure this resonated with his followers. But the cold light of day shows that reality is rife with tradeoffs that Trump not only isn't dealing with, but likely doesn't even see. This was all further evidence that listening to what Trump says is a waste of time. It's fantasy. Watch what he does, and only that.

Updated Mar 1, 2017, 11:21 AM

Fer cryin' in yer beer, now I gotta study before I travel? Oh wait, I'm a white guy. Never mind...

Updated Mar 1, 2017, 8:54 PM

So... by this <smh> logic
Theft = involuntary charitable donation
Kidnapping = involuntary babysitting
Rape = involuntary sex

Updated Mar 7, 2017, 8:54 AM

This piece makes a good point. The "Russiagate" thing isn't about Russia. Even if it turns out there is some fire behind all this smoke, it's unlikely Russia is really some puppet-master controlling our gov't from Moscow. It's far more likely Trump's personal interests simply align with Putin's. That's still bad, but the key is that Trump is operating in the interest of himself, not Russia. Russia is the lever. It is unique because to bring down Trump the GOP has to turn on him. They are not going to turn on him for lying. They are not going to turn on him for padding his cabinet with industry insiders and hacks. They are not going to turn on him for harsh immigration policies or draconian economic measures that only serve the 1%. But they might turn on him for national security reasons, especially related to a historical adversary like Russia. Most of the Congress are Cold War babies. Fear of Russia runs deep. Russiagate uses that fear to drive investigations that might reveal Trump's taxes and other financial dealings. Russiagate is the lever to expose Trump's exploitation of his office to pad his own pockets. That's the endgame.

Updated Mar 8, 2017, 8:32 AM

It's so cute when she makes word noises that feel like they are coherent thoughts.
'Conway claimed that Obama may have used “microwaves that turn into cameras,” adding: “We know this is a fact of modern life.”'
In related news, this explains why my Nikon keeps failing to thaw my burrito.

Updated Mar 13, 2017, 11:00 AM

Ummm... Like your entire job is literally "talking".

Updated Mar 18, 2017, 3:11 PM

A couple of thoughts here:
1) I've heard GOP MOCs say AHCA will get passed because Trump is a master negotiator. He'll rally the votes. This isn't negotiation. It's saber rattling... maybe bullying.
2) I don't get the end-game here for Trump. If this passes, all he gets is an unpopular law that allows him to check off a box on his to-do list. Its only beneficiaries are the 1%, but this is small potatoes for them. It leaves me to conclude he's either ignorant (thinks this is actually a helpful law) or malicious (AHCA is just a gateway to tax reform which is really a boon to the 1%). Either way, isn't the GOP screwed in the next few years as the impact of this is realized?

Updated Mar 21, 2017, 12:37 PM

His wife said she voted for Trump because she supports his immigration policies. She said criminals should be deported, but she didn’t think her husband would face that fate.
At the risk of sounding heartless, I'm kind of past feeling sorry for people like this wife, or Trump supporters suddenly worried they will lose their healthcare. All of what's happening are things Trump or the GOP (often both) have said loudly and often they would do. There should be no surprises here. This is what you voted for. This is what you wanted. Although I guess you just wanted this to happen to someone else, not thinking that you were 'them'. Surprise!

Updated Mar 23, 2017, 4:47 PM

Ya think? I mean, this is what Dems wanted to do 8 years ago, but the GOP was having none of it. Still, if you're finally ready to work on something together, I'm pretty sure many on the the left would be happy to cooperate on it.

Updated Mar 25, 2017, 6:57 PM

This isn't quite as big as net neutrality, but it's up there. The Senate already sold you out. I'll be surprised if the House doesn't. And Trump will sign it. So we're probably already screwed, but I thought you should know.

Updated Mar 27, 2017, 9:08 PM

I'm past being shocked by this stuff. But still amazed this admin. was elected to protect the forgotten man.

Updated Mar 30, 2017, 8:35 AM

Amidst all the Russia crap and executive orders it's easy to lose sight of the impact of Trump's military decisions. There has been a concerning spike in civilian casualties in Iraq and Syria as well as a 3x increase in the number of authorized drone strikes. It's unclear yet what impact this is having on ISIS, but combined with the Muslim bans this is making the US even more reviled by Middle Easterners. Even if this strategy stomps out ISIS, it breeds hatred that results in additional terrorists. We're trading short-term victories for long term losses. This is not a problem testosterone can solve.

Updated Mar 31, 2017, 8:51 AM

Well, that didn't take long at all! #ThanksTrump #MAGA

Updated Mar 31, 2017, 10:16 AM

I have a different read on this. Aetna's reason -was- a business decision, just not one based on whether or not that particular product was profitable. Businesses do these sorts of things all the time. This was not sabotaging Obamacare, but rather just illustrates the dangers of having a critical part of your infrastructure at the mercy of independent businesses. Imagine if electric companies could decide it just wasn't good business to sell power to your neighborhood? This is why critical services are always either controlled or heavily regulated by the state. The root issue here is that the US fails to recognize healthcare (or ISP service for that matter) as an essential service.

Updated Mar 31, 2017, 4:45 PM

Suddenly getting a lot of #LinkedIn requests from Russia. Unsure if these are Trump's friends or it's because I'm binging on The Americans.

Translation: Because I'm an insecure man desperate to project my tough guy image. People will cheer. And it's something to talk about that's not Russia.

Updated Apr 6, 2017, 10:57 PM

Tonight's math problem...
Given:
- ISIS is at war with Assad
- ISIS is your enemy
- Assad is your enemy
- The enemy of your enemy is your friend
Question:
- Who is your friend?
- Show your work
- Your proof may not use any form of "fuck"

To recap:
We sent 59 missiles into Syria in response to Assad's attack on his own people. We warned the Russians so they could get out of the way first. (I'm sure they told no one else.) We avoided destroying any chemical weapons stockpiles. McMaster says we didn't stop Assad's capability to strike again. Consensus is that this attack "sends a message."
Couldn't we have just sent a Howler? Would've accomplished the same thing.

Updated Apr 7, 2017, 8:42 AM

Meanwhile, the domestic clusterfuck continues apace as the FCC gets ready to nuke #NetNeutrality

Updated Apr 7, 2017, 12:49 PM

Karma's a bitch - "Crowd chants 'you lie' at Joe Wilson's town hall."

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/328249-gop-rep-met-with-shouts-of-you-lie-at-town-hall-meeting

Of course they did... because... Priorities.

Updated Apr 13, 2017, 9:10 PM

It's hard to believe that giving a bully a really big-ass stick would result in him thinking that the solution to every relationship issue would be a sound beating... <SMH>

Updated Apr 14, 2017, 9:53 AM

You keep on using the term "drain the swamp". I do not think it means what you think it means.

Updated Apr 16, 2017, 9:07 AM

This...

Updated Apr 20, 2017, 10:08 PM

"Science is not a Liberal Conspiracy. It’s not even bi-partisan. Science is a fundamentally non-partisan enterprise that serves us all. Without it, watch America fade from relevance on the world stage..."

Updated Apr 21, 2017, 1:00 PM

Not anymore, it doesn't...

Updated Apr 27, 2017, 5:49 PM

The more you know... #GeekGirlsRock

Updated May 2, 2017, 11:01 AM

Compulsory schooling exists because of the need for educated employees. For the most part, Uneducated = Unemployable. That isn't changing. So there are two follow-on questions:
1. If you're in favor of removing the req't to go to school, are you advocating we should just support all the future unemployables thru welfare, or should we let them (and their kids) starve?
2. If you think education is essential for productive citizens, then why isn't food, shelter, or healthcare?

Updated May 3, 2017, 1:44 PM

You are now free to discriminate against whomever you like... as long as God told you to. Oh, and your pastor is now also free to tell you you're going to Hell unless you vote the way he thinks you should. #MAGA amirite?

Updated May 4, 2017, 12:47 PM

They have universal healthcare you insufferable dolt.

Updated May 4, 2017, 9:14 PM

Surviving members of future generations will look back on this time from their self-sustaining sealed biodomes dotting the ravaged Earth and observe, "Wow, corporate profits back then were amazing."

Updated May 8, 2017, 8:53 AM

I know I rant about Net Neutrality a lot, so for a change, please listen to John Oliver rant about it as he's way funnier than me. Then, go to gofccyourself.com and click on the word "+ Express" and fill out the form to tell the FCC why keeping Title II classification for ISPs is important. The comment I left is below. Feel free to copy or edit it as you like.
Net Neutrality is essential to maintaining a free and open Internet as a level playing field for consumers and content providers alike. Title II classification is the only currently viable method of enforcing regulations to prevent abusive behavior by ISPs. The broadband market is not competitive throughout much of the country, and without Title II protections many consumers are at the mercy of their sole ISP for access to a vital service.

Updated May 8, 2017, 2:24 PM

Unsure if this is ignorance or a desperate attempt at rationalization. Either seems pretty plausible.

Updated May 9, 2017, 11:31 AM

This is why #NetNeutrality is important. It curbs this sort of extortion by ISPs.

Updated May 9, 2017, 12:49 PM

Updated May 9, 2017, 8:51 PM

I'm old enough to remember when I could take my wife out for a few hours and not come back to find the President had done something heinous. #GoodTimes #2016.

What's maybe the most jarring about the events of the last day is that Trump has apparently spent so much of his life in a sycophantic bubble he honestly believes he has mastered the Jedi mind trick and can just tell us all, "This isn't the Russia investigation you're looking for." He thinks he's Yoda, has the ambitions of Darth Sidious, and the skill set of Jar Jar.

Trump has this repeated pattern of assuming everything he doesn't know is unknown to anyone. It's like watching a child discover the world. Only the child is a septuagenarian with the nuclear codes and bad temper.

Updated May 11, 2017, 8:38 AM

The reality is that once developed, these tools inevitably slip out into the wild.

Updated May 11, 2017, 6:26 PM

An excellent analysis from someone who actively covered Watergate.

Updated May 12, 2017, 8:37 PM

Have you ever worked for someone else? Has your success ever depended on selling your ideas to someone else? Have you ever been in a position where someone could call bullshit on you? Has your well-being ever depended on someone else? Of course. We've all been there. Most of us were there today. But these are experiences Trump never had until 4 months ago. Is it any wonder he's flailing? His whole life has been uniquely ill suited to prepare him for this role.

"Trump [...] appears to lack a coherent, persistent self or worldview. He is a raging fire of need, protected and shaped by a lifetime of entitlement, with the emotional maturity and attention span of a 6-year-old, utterly unaware of the long-term implications of his actions.

That’s who he is: a disregulated bundle of impulses, being manipulated by a cast of crooks and incompetents, supported by a Republican Party willing to bet the stability of the country against upper-income tax cuts. We need to stop looking for a more complicated story."

As Colbert said, he's not playing 3D Chess. It's just Hungry Hippos.

Updated May 13, 2017, 9:51 AM

Just to connect the dots... the ongoing Wanna Cry ransomware attack that's brought several businesses and the British NIH to their knees is basically validation that Apple was right to say "no" when the FBI wanted them to build a backdoor to encrypted iPhones.

Wanna Cry exploits an unintentional backdoor discovered by the NSA. Rather than tell Microsoft and other security companies about the door so it could be sealed, they opted to keep it secret so they could use it for their own purposes. Regardless of how well intentioned the NSA's motivations were and how tight their security was, the details of the backdoor escaped (as was inevitable) into the wild. And now bad guys are using it to great effect.

To recap, there is no such thing as a secure backdoor--regardless of how white your hat is

Updated May 15, 2017, 1:20 PM

This is huge, but let's be sure to put it in context. He wasn't disclosing secrets for money or out of disloyalty. He was a child showing off for the cool kids who had no notion of the implications of his actions. And this is potentially even more dangerous...

Updated May 15, 2017, 8:56 PM

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you David Brooks - "We’ve got this perverse situation in which the vast analytic powers of the entire world are being spent trying to understand a guy whose thoughts are often just six fireflies beeping randomly in a jar."

Updated May 16, 2017, 7:05 AM

Updated May 16, 2017, 4:17 PM

WTF, it just never frickin stops... This is what, the 4th breaking story today?

Updated May 17, 2017, 11:02 PM

Dude, c'mon. What's the first rule of Sub Club?

Updated May 24, 2017, 4:02 PM

HUD Sec Harold Hill introduces the "Think System" to fix poverty. Shirley Jones was unavailable for comment.

Updated May 24, 2017, 9:43 PM

Mr. Putin, your order is ready. Do you need extra catsup?

Updated May 26, 2017, 11:51 AM

BREAKING: America's popcorn manufacturers announce immediate mandatory overtime for all line employees.

Updated Jun 1, 2017, 1:15 PM

This is cool, but it won't backstop the global leadership role the US should be playing in this effort. Let's not overlook that there is no other country on Earth where climate change is a partisan issue. Only the GOP is denying this. ONLY. We are telling the world we are immune to facts, callous in our disregard for the greater good, and unwilling to plan beyond tomorrow. History will not judge Trump, the GOP, and probably the US kindly.

Updated Jun 1, 2017, 9:16 PM

Apparently this Einstein fella was pretty bright. (Wait til Trump finds out about him!)

Updated Jun 1, 2017, 9:51 PM

So what sealed the fate on the Paris Accord was Macron bragging about the not-so-innocent handshake? The Snowflake-in-Chief is screwing over the planet and our future to soothe his bruised ego. This is a finger-flip to Europe. Did anyone tell him that Paris was just where the meeting took place? That Climate Change isn't really a French thing? #dumbass

Updated Jun 2, 2017, 8:26 AM

"There comes a time for every president when they have to choose between doing the right thing and doing what will make them look good. If you have a powerful fear of being laughed at, your decisions will be shaped by avoiding the thing that scares you. The results may not be funny at all."

Updated Jun 2, 2017, 2:10 PM

I get the fear reaction, but moving to a regulated and monitored Internet would be bad for everyone. There's no way all this info wouldn't be exploited for nefarious purposes. There is a cost for security, but it needs to be balanced with the human needs of privacy, freedom of expression and other basic rights.

Updated Jun 4, 2017, 3:39 PM

Deplorable - that moment when you get lectured on morality by Eric Trump.

Updated Jun 7, 2017, 9:24 AM

Awww, how nice! But really not necessary, just hand over the tapes.

Updated Jun 9, 2017, 4:21 PM

There's been a lot of speculation on whether Russia considers Trump a collaborator or a useful idiot. But increasingly, I'm thinking it's actually the GOP that views Trump as the useful idiot. It would explain a lot of the behavior of the GOP, especially in light of the emerging scandals. Trump is useful, not only because he will sign their legislation, but because his constant bungling provides lots of media cover for them to pass deeply unpopular bills under his name (e.g. "Trumpcare") without much public scrutiny. These laws are things the GOP desperately wants to do: tax cuts for businesses/1%ers, slash safety net and social programs, privatize gov't services, etc. They want to do these independent of Trump, but they also recognize that the reality is these laws will hurt big chunks of their voting base. This could cause them a lot of pain at the polls in 2018 or 2020. Enter, Trump the fall guy. By letting him stamp his name on all these laws they can then turn on Trump pre-election and blame him for them. They can impeach him. Position themselves as heroes for taking out such a corrosive force, and blame him for all the bad laws they are now "stuck with".

This is huge. If the SC decides the gov't can track your phone location or review your location history without a warrant, that's bad enough. But it also sets precedent for tracking your online activity or any other digital footprint you might leave without cause.

Updated Jun 17, 2017, 6:22 PM

On point snark from the failing NYT...

Updated Jun 17, 2017, 7:58 PM

If this happens (and it well might), it will be important to remember that, while the AHCA may bear the nickname "TrumpCare", it is not a policy borne of Trump. This is current standard GOP party policy. This is what the GOP wanted to do independent of Trump. It's what they would have done under President Marco Rubio or Jeb Bush. The Republicans own this, as a party. And their voters, whether they support Trump or not, own this as well.

Updated Jun 20, 2017, 12:30 PM

OMG! This is a thing. One bite from this tick and you are allergic to red meat for life. And thanks to climate change, it's headed north. That's it. I'm moving to Canada. Their bacon is funny, but at least I'll be able to eat it without breaking out in hives.

Updated Jun 22, 2017, 9:24 AM

This was sent in by a reader asking my opinion. I think that like many articles on AlterNet this one suffers from being overly verbose and judgmental. But putting that aside, I think it's also directionally correct. There are an uncomfortably large number of citizens who are dispositionally immune to facts. Where I think it goes off the rails is in positioning this as something new or wrong, and certainly in claiming there's no value in understanding this mindset. What it gets right is its observation that people like this will never be moved by data or logical reasoning. They are swayed by emotion, group-think, and personal experience. They are unlikely to accept something because it makes sense. They are very likely to accept something because their peer group does or because they have a single tangible personal example which demonstrates that.
I think it's important to recognize that people like this are not new. They have always been the bulk of society. You might reasonably argue they are responsible for society as this mindset breeds the customs and rituals that define a culture and in many respects allow civilization to flourish. Since the dawn of man, religions have existed to leverage and focus people of this ilk. Like Marx said, "Religion is the opiate of the masses." This has yielded many positive results throughout history, but also some horrific ones. For what has also been realized forever is that the same techniques that can bind these people together for progressive goals may also be used to achieve more destructive ends.
What's really new here in the USA is that the last couple of decades have seen the rise of a widespread campaign to use these quasi-religious propaganda techniques for political purposes. These are things that have been seen in other countries throughout history. So it's not new to the world, it's just new here.
And unlike the article's claim, you don't need to be already on the inside to influence and even lead this group. Trump proved that. What you need is to speak their language--to employ the rhetorical tools necessary to resonate at an emotional level with these folks. This is the value of understanding them. You don't get a group to play a different game by walking in and tearing up the rule book and explaining why their game is stupid. You read their rule book and figure out how to use those rules to change the game. As the game changes, different rules make sense.
This is a long play. Democrats need to realize they spent decades losing this group of people. Absent a catastrophe, they won't get them back any faster. But it's long past time to start on that path, and this article isn't helping.

Updated Jun 27, 2017, 2:08 PM

I guess I thought when she announced her cause as First Lady was cyberbullying, she meant she was against it...

Updated Jun 29, 2017, 4:36 PM

Let's imagine it's 2010 and John Podesta just told Neil Cavuto to apologize to President Obama, or else People Magazine would publish a salacious story about him. That would have just been another ordinary day right? I'm sure no one would have made a big deal about that.

Updated Jun 30, 2017, 2:26 PM

The headline should read, "Putin pwns POTUS." There's no way Trump didn't get played here. I'm sure Putin agreed to, if not suggested, the joint cybersecurity unit. He knew Trump would take it as a "win", and also knew that no one in US Intelligence would remotely allow it to happen. This makes Trump look like a noob, and also drives a further wedge between him and the adults in the US government. It may take weeks for Vlad to get that smile off his face.
So far, this has just been embarrassing. Sooner or later, shit's gonna get real.

Updated Jul 10, 2017, 9:40 AM

Today is the Net Neutrality Day of Action. This is why you should care.

Updated Jul 12, 2017, 3:09 PM

Of course he does. But in fairness, he likely knows even less about networking than healthcare. So this is just the message Ajit Pai wrote for him to say when someone pulled the string in the middle of his back. #PresidentParrot #DonnyWantaCracker?

Updated Jul 19, 2017, 1:54 PM

The water's nice guys, but I'm pretty sure we were promised cheese. Let's get on that, okay?

Updated Jul 24, 2017, 12:48 PM

Regarding today's Senate circus, I just don't get the play here. Neither the BHCA, ACCA, or ORRA can pass. The "skinny repeal" accomplishes almost nothing useful to the GOP donor/lobby base (except medical device companies). The Trump voter base wouldn't care if they didn't do this any more than they care there won't be a wall. If this is all theater to convince Trump that O-care can't be repealed... good luck. He's not going to get off their backs. He thinks this should be easy. And there's no reason to think some brilliant compromise plan is suddenly going to emerge in the next 20 hours. Even from the GOP's perspective, I don't see the win. Somebody please 'splain it to me?

Much like the healthcare ploy, this is policy that is indifferent to those it hurts in the service of short term political gain. This is not leadership. Are we tired of winning yet?

Updated Jul 26, 2017, 10:18 AM

Updated Jul 28, 2017, 12:05 PM

I have nothing against Gen. Kelly, but this seems like the wrong skill set for CoS. Then again, that pretty much describes the entire cabinet, so what the hell.

Updated Jul 28, 2017, 5:21 PM

For my fellow political junkies who are also nerds.

Updated Jul 30, 2017, 1:48 PM

We should take just a moment to appreciate just how exceptional it is to get fired after 6 days on the job. That is some next level Kung-fu shit right there.

Updated Jul 31, 2017, 4:17 PM

Brave position from GOP Senator Jeff Flake. If this catches on, there may yet be hope for the Republican party.

Updated Jul 31, 2017, 8:07 PM

Read this. Ignore the weird syntax and the lack of sentences. Focus on the content, or lack of it. You can see him ramble, using stock phrases, until he catches sight of a canned talking point from his 2016 rallies. You can almost hear the switch flip as he launches into a well worn paragraph of coherence. Then it's gone again. This is not a man who has any idea what he's talking about. This is a student taking an oral exam on a book he didn't read.

Updated Aug 2, 2017, 11:32 AM

Stop it. If you're thinking of running for President, stop it. If you want to get into politics, great! Run for Congress, State Comptroller, something that gives you experience and a track record. If we only take one lesson away from 2016 it should be that politics is not an amateur sport. It's a profession. It requires skills. And you don't get to start at the top.

Updated Aug 2, 2017, 7:28 PM

"The stock market is up, unemployment is down and the economy seems to be picking up some steam. The streets are mostly safe, the nation is mostly secure and the world is mostly at peace.

So does it matter to you whether or not the president is a crook? The answer for a lot of Americans may be no."

It's worth noting that these same conditions existed 6 months ago and it mattered the President was black.

Updated Aug 5, 2017, 9:59 AM

If we refer to Climate Change (that which cannot be named) as Voldemort, can we start calling Republicans muggles? (...asking for a friend)

Updated Aug 8, 2017, 11:37 AM

This guy is just one head short of a full Zaphod Beeblebrox...

Updated Aug 8, 2017, 4:23 PM

Wait. I have questions. Or maybe I don't understand German irony. Or maybe just, WTF?

Updated Aug 22, 2017, 11:58 AM

This is an underappreciated quote from Trump's Phoenix rally earlier this week. It exhibits just an unfathomable level of ignorance. All I can picture is a line of men in rubber suits with toothbrushes, carefully scrubbing all the little coal nuggets as they come out of the mine.

"We've ended the war on beautiful, clean coal, and it's just been announced that a second, brand-new coal mine, where they're going to take out clean coal -- meaning, they're taking out coal. They're going to clean it -- is opening in the state of Pennsylvania..."

European markets are outperforming the US causing many investors to move $$ across the pond. So I'm confused. Trump is taking credit for the US market performance, and his mantra is #MAGA... so is he losing to Europe? Or is it just Hillary and CNN thwarting his master plan?

Updated Aug 25, 2017, 9:30 AM

This is just a wee bit too familiar...

Updated Aug 29, 2017, 12:31 PM

Updated Aug 31, 2017, 2:24 PM

So to be clear... the issue here was that the other moms weren't armed, right?

Updated Sep 1, 2017, 11:23 AM

Trump's plan to put a fox in every hen-house continues apace.

Updated Sep 6, 2017, 9:54 AM

Rush thinks that Irma is just an overblown warning from the "deep state" desperate to prove climate change and driven by retailers' desire to sell bottled water and batteries. So, maybe we could drag his ass down to south Florida, strap it to a beach chair with his toes in the surf, and in front of a web cam? Might be the only time I'd willingly watch his show.

Updated Sep 6, 2017, 1:09 PM

An important perspective on North Korea and the USA's media treatment of the situation.

Updated Sep 7, 2017, 8:50 AM

I'm thinking that sentencing them to decades of continued hurricane seasons like this one may be slightly more insensitive. Electing science deniers has consequences.

Updated Sep 8, 2017, 2:49 PM

This is an actual poll on GOP.com asking what you think of Trump's performance on a scale of Okay to Great... because Col.Snowflake can't handle the truth!

Updated Sep 11, 2017, 12:20 PM

Yes. But this also goes for Mark Cuban, Oprah, Kid Rock, or anyone else with no political experience. Politics is not different than other professions. Not everybody has to start at the bottom, but nobody starts at the top. At least they shouldn't. Have we learned nothing from the last 8 months?

Updated Sep 13, 2017, 11:43 AM

There is a delightful innocence that comes from interpreting the world bereft of information. I find it endearing in small children... less so in world leaders.

Updated Sep 15, 2017, 9:10 AM

Well that explains a lot... but mostly why we need to get big money out of politics.

Updated Sep 19, 2017, 1:52 PM

Dude, Puerto Rico needs supplies, rescue workers, food, money, power crews, lots of stuff. But pretty sure they don't need a presidential photo op. Stay home. Send people that can actually help.

Updated Sep 26, 2017, 9:44 PM

Oh please, make this a thing! I can hear Trump now after his test, "I got 100. Nobody beats a 100."

Updated Oct 10, 2017, 8:26 AM

Well, that's one way to fix global warming...

Updated Oct 12, 2017, 1:06 PM

Oh, and "Merry Christmas".

Updated Oct 16, 2017, 8:47 AM

Cool. Notice how the center of the spinner starts rotating once it is released. This is the same principle used in the fluid clutch in your car's automatic transmission.

Updated Oct 16, 2017, 10:35 AM

This is a real world example of what happens without Net Neutrality. This is an ad from an ISP from Portugal. See how the service is bundled? What you can access online is based on what package you subscribe to. Do you really want Spectrum and Comcast carving up your Internet this way and deciding what you should have access to?

Updated Oct 28, 2017, 9:39 AM

Remember when Obama bowed to the Saudi king and everyone lost their fucking minds? #GoodTimes

Updated Nov 15, 2017, 4:32 PM

C'mon guys! At some point, aren't you just leaning a little too heavily into that cartoon villain vibe you've got goin' on?

Updated Nov 16, 2017, 1:28 PM

The Franken fuck-up is still wrong. But increasingly this seems like a fundamentally decent guy who exhibited some horrendously bad judgment while on a USO tour. I'm not making excuses for him, but it seems that lumping him with serial and far more egregious offenders like Roy Moore, Cosby, Trump, Clinton, Ailes, Weiner, Weinstein, O'Reilly, Spacey, and Louis C.K. is a category error. All sexual misconduct can be wrong without it all being equivalent. Perspective is important.

Updated Nov 17, 2017, 4:56 PM

This is one part of a broader set of policies that together could impact your access to information. This takes out net neutrality. The policy change to allow one company to now own/consolidate different local media outlets like newspapers and TV stations has already passed. The merger of Sinclair and Tribune, who together control the vast majority of local TV stations, is coming. There is a pattern here. It could just be about profits, but it could also be about controlling the news.

Updated Nov 19, 2017, 10:55 AM

This is mandatory reading...
"Nothing is inevitable, people can change. No one is irredeemable. But recognition precedes enlightenment.

Nevertheless, a majority of white voters backed a candidate who assured them that they will never have to share this country with people of color as equals. That is the reality that all Americans will have to deal with, and one that most of the country has yet to confront."

Updated Nov 20, 2017, 11:06 PM

Elections have consequences. Repealing Net Neutrality is very unpopular with citizens of all parties. But much like health reform and tax reform, the agenda of the GOP differs quite dramatically with voters in general, and even its own base. It favors corporate profits and lobby interest over the needs of citizens. Unlike healthcare and taxes, a few brave Senators cannot stop the FCC's rule change. Congress would need to act, instead of just failing to act, and that's damned unlikely. Buckle up Buttercup. This is the ride you bought a ticket for.

Updated Nov 21, 2017, 1:56 PM

In all the daily chaos, it's hard for shit like this to even register. But the implications of some of this seemingly small stuff like skewing the census, changing voter access, and loading the federal judiciary will have an impact long after Trump is gone.

Updated Nov 21, 2017, 9:29 PM

'I don’t believe in science.' Says man about to use Ideal Gas Law and Newton's 3rd Law to hurl his ass through the air.

Updated Nov 22, 2017, 11:17 AM

I'm pretty passionate on this topic, but I guess I still have room to grow.

Updated Nov 29, 2017, 8:50 PM

Tillerson is no loss. Pompeo is a Tea Party crony with little diplomatic experience, but likely won't be worse than Tillerson. But Cotton at CIA? Tom "fetch my waterboard" Cotton? Tom "bomb Iran" Cotton? Sure. Let's give this flamer a covert paramilitary force and a secret black ops budget. Hard to see what could go wrong there.

Updated Nov 30, 2017, 12:58 PM

Just because there's two sides to every story doesn't mean one of 'em can't be brain-dead.

Updated Dec 5, 2017, 11:51 AM

Truth in comedy... and it ain't funny.

Updated Dec 9, 2017, 3:14 PM

I think this is the solution for all of us struggling to keep our Millennial employees on task. Dress them as Batman.

Updated Dec 10, 2017, 10:58 AM

Because elections have consequences...

Updated Dec 14, 2017, 4:29 PM

Keep in mind that while there will be a tendency to blame #Trump for this, it is the same tax reform you would have gotten under Rubio or Kasich. This is the GOP playbook. Including the coming cuts to #Medicare and #SocSec in 2018. #BuckleUp https://twitter.com/cnnbrk/status/943202869951549442

Updated Dec 19, 2017, 3:24 PM

Sorry Donald J. Trump , didn't catch the end of that. Can you repeat the basic policy tent poles of that "much better" thing? https://twitter.com/CNNPolitics/status/943533100084154371

Updated Dec 20, 2017, 3:26 PM

Aw Honey... that's not how taxes work. In April we pay taxes for 2017. But thanks for playing.

Updated Dec 21, 2017, 11:39 AM

When you say "the American people" it implies most of us. That's a lie. You should say "31% of American people" want this and you're doing it because you don't understand how democracy works and/or you're bad at math. #Truth https://twitter.com/CNNPolitics/status/943882950990581760

Updated Dec 21, 2017, 3:57 PM

Putin added, "Amateurs! That's not how electoral interference is done!"

Updated Dec 27, 2017, 10:43 AM

The upside of real fake news is that since most of the people who care about Obamacare repeal already think it's dead, there's little upside for the GOP to try again to actually kill it. So... yay ignorance?

Updated Dec 28, 2017, 12:20 PM

Happy arbitrary number of laps around the local star! #SometimesScienceSucks

Here's a helpful reminder that while the headlines are fretting about Russia and the opportunity to Tweet our way into a war, there's a metric boat-load of small stuff going on with major implications. Even if Dems sweep in 2018 and 2020, there's no easy reset button. Rebuilding the organizations and functions the GOP is dismantling will take decades. Some of the environmental impacts may be unrecoverable.

Updated Jan 3, 2018, 9:09 AM

This looks like it's gonna be one helluva book. The except below is from his former Deputy Chief of Staff.

"Here, arguably, was the central issue of the Trump presidency, informing every aspect of Trumpian policy and leadership: He didn’t process information in any conventional sense. He didn’t read. He didn’t really even skim. Some believed that for all practical purposes he was no more than semi-­literate. He trusted his own expertise ­— no matter how paltry or irrelevant — more than anyone else’s. He was often confident, but he was just as often paralyzed, less a savant than a figure of sputtering and dangerous insecurities, whose instinctive response was to lash out and behave as if his gut, however confused, was in fact in some clear and forceful way telling him what to do. It was, said Walsh, “like trying to figure out what a child wants.”"

Updated Jan 3, 2018, 2:14 PM

No. Stop it. Being more qualified than Trump is not the bar. Like any other profession, you don't start at the top. Wanna be in gov't? Great. Run for State Sen, Comptroller, AG, Congress, Dogcatcher. Experience counts. Even if you're Oprah.

Updated Jan 8, 2018, 10:16 AM

Priceless...

Updated Jan 9, 2018, 7:51 PM

Wait... you tried to rob an Uber driver? For what, his lunch money? You get how Uber works, right?

Updated Jan 10, 2018, 12:36 PM

Yeah... I'm just not sure the market is quite ready for this yet. Or maybe that's just me.

Updated Jan 12, 2018, 9:15 AM

If you live in a state with a GOP Senator, and you like your Internet content unrestricted and accessible to everyone, then maybe call and nudge them over this line. Keep in mind, this is not a partisan issue outside of Washington. 83% of voters (including 75% of Republicans) want to keep Net Neutrality.

Updated Jan 16, 2018, 8:02 AM

tldr: Don't worry. When the bombs hit, mostly only Dems and minorities will get vaporized. There'll be a GOP majority alive to vote several more times before dying a slow and agonizing death from radiation poisoning. #HakunaMatata

Updated Jan 17, 2018, 6:54 PM

This is how I'm seeing the #DACA #CHIP standoff: "Honey, we both want the dog to come in from the cold, but it's my turn at the door and I don't see why I'd open it unless you okay buying that big TV for the den. I just don't understand why you want our puppy to freeze!"

Curiously something you don't see Trump tweeting about much. I guess these bungee babies are more American than Dreamers?

Updated Jan 21, 2018, 3:16 PM

Dammit, Hillary!

Updated Jan 24, 2018, 9:14 AM

Gee, he sounds nice...
The candidate said that he hoped his daughters do not grow up to be “career obsessed banshees who forgo home life and children and the happiness of family to become nail-biting manophobic hell-bent feminist she devils who shriek from the top of a thousand tall buildings they are [SIC] think they could have leaped in a single bound — had men not been ‘suppressing them.’ It’s just nuts.”

Updated Jan 26, 2018, 4:57 PM

Irony much? This, from the team that brought you, "We have to end Net Neutrality because we can't let the gov't control the network."

Updated Jan 29, 2018, 9:21 AM

So to sum up, Devin Nunes, a former Trump transition team executive committee member known to have shared evidence with the White House that was intended for the House committee he leads investigating Trump, has no conflict of interest because he's a professional. Robert Mueller can't lead an investigation into Trump because he once had an issue with member fees at a Trump golf course. Rob Rosenstein can't supervise Mueller because he agreed to write a memo justifying Comey's firing. And Andrew McCabe can't lead at the FBI because his wife ran for a state level office as a Democrat. Have I got that right?

The degree of Presidential-ality of Trump's teleprompter speeches is always directly proportional to the insanity of his Twitter meltdowns the next day. Like his brain has to reach equilibrium again. After tonight's #SOTU I'm feeling like a kid on Christmas Eve. I can hardly wait to wake up and see what Twitter Santa will bring!

Hey Mick - You keep on using the words "Consumer Financial Protection Bureau". I do not think it means what you think it means.

Updated Feb 5, 2018, 9:40 AM

Sometimes, God moves in pretty obvious ways. #PrincessSparklepony2018

Updated Feb 5, 2018, 4:28 PM

This young lady has a bright future in front of her... https://twitter.com/DandC/status/961340047965356032

Updated Feb 7, 2018, 4:42 PM

This is a worthwhile read and a wake up call on the stakes we're playing with.

Updated Feb 8, 2018, 1:00 PM

At Trump's Restaurant, he gets his PDB as twenty seven eight-by-ten color glossy photographs with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining what each one is. #TrumpCantRead

Updated Feb 9, 2018, 10:45 AM

This is the Olympics dammit! Stop having fun this instant or you'll get us all killed.

Updated Feb 9, 2018, 3:26 PM

So, you're saying Porter and Sorensen should be tried in court and jailed rather than just fired? Ok.
https://twitter.com/CNNPolitics/status/962370669542600704

Updated Feb 10, 2018, 12:31 PM

Not that this is surprising, but it's always better to have data.
"As a result, it appears that a small chunk of the population isn’t able to talk politics or share ideas in a sensible way with the rest of the population."

Updated Feb 11, 2018, 10:30 AM

I have a serious question for any guns-rights advocates who are out there. I really want to understand, and would welcome any input you'd be willing to share.

The data seems very solid that mass shootings are a uniquely American phenomenon. While they occur elsewhere, no other country comes close to the frequency and severity of these events, excepting Yemen. Mass shootings are highly correlated to raw numbers of civilian owned guns, and only slightly less correlated to the laxness of gun licensing and training regulations. Further, Britain, Australia, and other countries have severely restricted gun ownership and seen significant drops in mass shootings. Further, no other proffered factor (mental health, cultural violence, crime rate, etc.) has a correlation explaining the abnormally high US mass shooting rate.

Statistically, a country with fewer guns and higher restrictions on gun ownership and use is a far safer place to live in. Period.

So what's the rationale behind opposing restrictions on guns? Is it as simple as mass shootings are simply an acceptable price to pay for access to guns? Is it the airplane paradox where you feel safer driving your car than in a plane, despite the statistical data? Is there some other factor about the US that makes it unique and incomparable to the experiences elsewhere in the world? Something else? I'm genuinely curious.

Updated Feb 15, 2018, 2:58 PM

I'll take "Things I Wish I'd Written" for $200, Alex.

Updated Feb 21, 2018, 7:55 PM

Gee, this doesn't seem suspicious at all. And the leading contender to replace him is a woman who doesn't think election security is an issue. Hmmm...

Updated Feb 23, 2018, 8:26 AM

Serious question: has anyone seen data on how many calls like this the FBI gets? Curious if this was a miss or a case of failing to find the needle in the haystack.
https://twitter.com/cnnbrk/status/967178139783835649

Updated Feb 23, 2018, 7:18 PM

Courage? Seriously? The courage to face down the consumers his job is to protect and yield to his corporate sponsors?
https://twitter.com/CNNPolitics/status/967196905813020673

Updated Feb 24, 2018, 9:00 AM

Further evidence that Trump bespoils everything and everyone he touches.

Updated Feb 28, 2018, 11:47 AM

Well that ought to take care of it. Next crisis please!

Updated Mar 1, 2018, 7:13 PM

So on top of a new tax law that's already sparking higher inflationary concerns, a tariff that will drive up consumer prices. Both of which should drive higher interest rates as a response and cool the stock market. If I didn't know better, it would seem like he doesn't really understand how macroeconomics works. Fortunately, he's a #StableGenius.

Updated Mar 2, 2018, 9:20 AM

There aren't sufficient scientific facts to establish Scott Pruitt as sentient...
https://twitter.com/thegarance/status/969770769235501056

Updated Mar 3, 2018, 4:25 PM

tl;dr - All the hot girls lean left.

Updated Mar 6, 2018, 1:26 PM

This is more than a little concerning. There's very little reason a tech would have to look through personal files during a PC repair. And it sounds like the FBI is offering rewards for techs snooping. This may be legal, but it's not ethical. It's the digital equivalent of letting a plumber into your house to fix your sink and then getting busted for tax evasion because the guy decided to rifle through your file cabinet while he was in the house. There's a difference between reporting something shady you saw while doing your job and actively spying on your clients.

Updated Mar 7, 2018, 2:41 PM

Maybe we could find an ex-quarterback to lead the new Space Force? #BuckRogersLives
https://twitter.com/christinawilkie/status/973667887708823556

Updated Mar 13, 2018, 7:09 PM

Son, you've left me no choice. You haven't done your chores in a month. You stole all the liquor in the house last week. You got suspended from school for fighting on Monday. And last night you took a shit on the rug. I get that boys will be boys, but your mother says I have to punish you. So... no use of the fax machine this weekend.

Updated Mar 15, 2018, 11:16 AM

From the perspective of "running gov't like a business", this makes good sense. FEMA gets lots more business if we ignore climate change and keep pumping CO2 into the air. Which also makes this one of the reasons you shouldn't run gov't like a business... the incentives are in the wrong places.

Updated Mar 16, 2018, 11:19 AM

This guy! Yes. We got the Catholics. Now if we can just coax the evangelicals out of the dark.

Updated Mar 17, 2018, 9:37 AM

The Cambridge Analytica revelations have raised a number of good questions:
- Was Facebook complicit in 2016 election and Brexit vote meddling?
- How much of this was directed, financed, or influenced by Russia?
- Are social media users enabling this by revealing so much info online?
- Was accessing or using all this personal data illegal, or should it be?
- Is this Computer Science's "atom bomb" moment where professional ethics become a front-burner issue when building new tech?

Each of these are deep and complex issues worthy of exploration and action. But at the risk of victim blaming, I have to wonder if we should also be asking, are we unnecessarily enabling this by being non-rational consumers of information? This is only an issue because microtargeted messages work--because lots of people are relatively easy to manipulate if you know what emotional buttons to push. Fear is the mind killer, and all too many of us are content to be among the walking dead.

Updated Mar 19, 2018, 9:30 AM

Oh c'mon BSA, this is just being mean. This kid wants to be an Eagle Scout. He didn't ask to be licensed as a neurosurgeon.

Updated Mar 20, 2018, 4:15 PM

So pretty much all that stands between us and war now is a guy nicknamed "Mad Dog". #SleepTight https://t.co/Kw7LkTXRQ6

Updated Mar 22, 2018, 6:42 PM

I initially thought this was obviously just taking a sound bite out of context. But listen to the video. He tells the same story on 2 separate occasions about how you literally can't see the F-35 even if it's right next to you. If nothing else, this explains why the F-35 program is so expensive. They probably keep misplacing the planes. #InvisibleGenius

Updated Mar 23, 2018, 3:30 PM

This may be the first time in history where lack of cleavage was used as a distraction...

"Walmart's removal of Cosmo from checkout lines is an incremental but significant step toward creating a culture where women and girls are valued as whole persons, rather than as sexual objects," Executive Director Dawn Hawkins said. She added (presumably), "Walmart is also hoping this will distract you from the fact that women are way under-represented in our management ranks and are consistently underpaid relative to their male counterparts."

Updated Mar 28, 2018, 9:23 AM

Sure, April Fools day is still a few days off, but the web pranks are already dropping. Whether you need to monetize the unoccupied side of your bed, or are looking for that perfect genetically selected car of your dreams (with a 'special' keyless start function), these brands have you covered.

Updated Mar 29, 2018, 1:26 PM

Protecting religious freedom for everyone from Methodists to Lutherans. Hell, we even had an Episcopalian move in down the block and he seems like a decent feller.

Updated Apr 2, 2018, 4:08 PM

TFW getting slapped with a $25m settlement is objectively the highlight of your day...

Updated Apr 9, 2018, 9:16 PM

This is great (and a bit surprising) news for those of us inclined toward DIY repairs--a refreshing victory for consumers.

Updated Apr 11, 2018, 9:17 AM

While I agree there is a cultural aspect to the lack of humility, I think it's also partly about a lack of skills in evaluating the credibility of information. Much of the stuff we confidently "know" (and are not humble about) we did not learn through first hand experience. Rather, we learned from credible sources. The more credible we believe info is, the less likely we are to show humility about it.

Back in the day, the credibility of a source was pretty identifiable by its packaging. Stuff you got from a textbook, the encyclopedia, the newspaper, the evening news, etc. you could pretty well take to the bank. Stuff in supermarket tabloids or shit your neighbor spewed at the BBQ were taken with a grain of salt. You really didn't need to evaluate the info inside as much as you could just rely on the label on the outside.

In today's world, technology, the Internet, cable TV, etc. have made professional packaging ubiquitous. This essentially hijacks people's mechanism for identifying the credibility of information. This, coupled with confirmation bias, make it very easy to polarize people's world-view. It distorts the confidence level you have in the info. And it's hard to be humble about stuff you believe is highly credible.

So yes, a little humility would help. That would make you open to different views. But at some point you have to at least develop a working hypothesis. You need to trust this info more than that. And this requires a skill-set many people don't have, especially those who grew up back in the day.

Updated Apr 13, 2018, 9:13 AM

BREAKING: I'm exhausted from all the winning...

Updated Apr 22, 2018, 4:09 PM

Wait... what?

Updated Apr 23, 2018, 6:20 PM

In fairness, if my job required me to see Trump naked, I'd drink at the office too.

Updated Apr 23, 2018, 10:54 PM

Interesting caveat...
"No visible anus or nude close-ups of buttocks are allowed, unless they are photoshopped on a public figure."

Updated Apr 24, 2018, 8:34 PM

Great thread on Twitter here... President Squirrel-bait Banana-pants went full Yosemite Sam on Fox & Friends this morning and seems to have shot himself (again) in the process. #SMDH

Updated Apr 26, 2018, 10:31 AM

This is kind of a big deal and puts in context Un's sudden willingness to give up testing. The guy is making lemonade out of his lemons here. It's still a big deal that communications are opening up, but we (I'm looking at you here Donald) need to be careful not to take empty "concessions" as victory.

Updated Apr 27, 2018, 8:53 AM

BREAKING: Bear Shits in Woods. #NoDuh

Updated May 1, 2018, 8:38 PM

This is an interesting legal issue that minimally means we need better laws to keep pace with technology. The 5th Amendment doesn't allow the gov't to compel you to give up a password or a safe's combination. But it can compel you to give up a hard drive, file cabinet, keys, phone, physical safe, fingerprint, retinal image, facial image, DNA, or blood. Basically, it can't force you to hand over what you know, but it can force you to hand over what you have or what you are. In an age where biometrics are used to secure things both physical and digital, this creates a legal distinction without a practical difference. I'm not sure what the right answer is here, but I am sure it shouldn't be decided by judges interpreting existing laws to encompass realities the authors couldn't have envisioned when writing them.

Updated May 2, 2018, 10:12 AM

So let me see if I have this straight (this time)... It's standard practice for wealthy people to pay their lawyers monthly retainer fees large enough that there's always a few $100k lying about. And their lawyers just casually send out large checks to people with completely baseless claims to have had sex with their clients without even consulting the client? This is great news because I'm thinking I've suddenly had torrid affairs with a whole list of celebrities. Just give me a few hours to get my baseless claims together. With luck, I'll be retired by Monday.

Updated May 3, 2018, 8:27 AM

#TalkMeDown : Somebody please 'splain this to me. I'll take anything. Other than as a prelude to war with Iran, how does this help? Unless the rest of the world follows suit (seems unlikely), it doesn't bring Iran back to the table. It doesn't hurt them significantly. It antagonizes our allies. It destroys any trust in the US regarding future agreements (e.g. N. Korea). The only positives I see here are that Israel will love it (but it wasn't like they were going to unfriend us otherwise) and it fulfills a campaign promise. Seems a hell of a price to pay for that...

Updated May 8, 2018, 1:06 PM

Children are our future. Can we get national momentum on this??

Updated May 9, 2018, 5:03 PM

Trump said himself that we should be better than anybody else at the cyber. So it only makes sense that we get the NSA engineer out of the top cybersecurity job and then blend that role as a side-gig for someone with no technical background whatsoever. I'm sure this will be fine. It's not like "the cyber" is rocket science (and we've already put a political guy in charge of NASA). #DomainExpertiseIsOverrated

Updated May 10, 2018, 9:16 AM

While I do feel bad for the employees impacted, I don't even feel a little bad for the CEO. She's getting what she voted for. #ElectionsHaveConsequences

Updated May 14, 2018, 1:59 PM

Paul Ryan (on the intercom to his secretary): "Eleanor? Will you bring me in a fresh clip of thoughts and prayers, please?"

Updated May 18, 2018, 11:52 AM

This Twitter thread is a very important read. The Dems have no political control. Their only hope is a "hearts & minds" campaign to keep the truth in the forefront and not let manufactured reality cloud people's minds.

Updated May 23, 2018, 10:13 AM

A former climate denier and current head of NASA does a 180 on climate change after being blinded by science. #BabySteps #TheMoreYouKnow

Updated May 24, 2018, 8:17 AM

As long as they call it "Trump Burgers" it will still be declared the best summit ever and DJT will think he should get the Nobel.

Updated May 29, 2018, 6:45 PM

Can we take a moment to just appreciate the level of skill involved here? Trump has annoyed Canada. CANADA! That's no small feat. #MAGA

Updated Jun 3, 2018, 10:47 AM

In parenting news, please remember your kids write your obit...
"She passed away on May 31, 2018 in Springfield and will now face judgement," the obituary ends. "She will not be missed by Gina and Jay, and they understand that this world is a better place without her."

Updated Jun 5, 2018, 11:00 AM

The Fox News spin on the #Summit is that it was a crucial first step in an enigmatic master plan for peace in Korea. That Trump is playing n-dimensional chess and outfoxing KJU, the press, and our allies. But here's the thing, Trump thinks he's done. Past tense. Problem solved. All that remains is to pick out which long tie to wear in Oslo when he picks up his Nobel Prize.

Updated Jun 13, 2018, 12:44 PM

Those who fail to learn from history...

Updated Jun 18, 2018, 8:19 AM

"Whether or not you think public shaming should be happening, it’s important to understand why it’s happening. It’s less a result of a breakdown in civility than a breakdown of democracy. Though it’s tiresome to repeat it, Donald Trump eked out his minority victory with help from a hostile foreign power. He has ruled exclusively for his vengeful supporters, who love the way he terrifies, outrages and humiliates their fellow citizens."

Updated Jun 26, 2018, 8:13 AM

Umm, yup. Checks out.

Updated Jun 26, 2018, 6:51 PM

You get that there's a pattern here, right? TPP, NAFTA, Paris Accord, Iran Deal, G7, NATO, and now WTO. Add this to the trade tariffs, zero-tolerance immigration policy, general hostility towards our historical friends, and open admiration for those who 18 months ago were our adversaries and you get a recipe for fundamentally dismantling the position of the US in the world order. Every agreement, every alliance, every bit of moral high ground, every non-military leverage point is being razed.

For some time, the US has enjoyed the position as 'the' military, cultural, and economic superpower on the planet. The world revolved around us. Granted, dynasties are never forever. But I'm unaware of a precedent for simply walking away from one. Ceding it. Just giving Earth the finger and withdrawing to our castle.

The sad irony is, I don't think the Trump regime thinks that's what they're doing. I think they think they are playing from a position of unassailable strength. That nothing can unseat our position in the world, and that if we walk away, the world will mob the castle walls pleading with us to come out, rejoin them, and lead them. But that arrogance will be our undoing.

Dynasties are never forever. The world has been content to have us lead because we have done so more or less peacefully, morally, and with compassion and respect. But they don't need us to, they won't beg us to, and they won't tolerate us bullying them into letting us run roughshod over them.

Every advantage we enjoy is made possible by our strong economy. Without it, we could not maintain our standard of living, military prowess, or other positions of privilege. And that economy is anchored in and vulnerable to the rest of the world. We act like it's not at our own peril.

Updated Jun 29, 2018, 11:58 AM

Well that sounds fun!

Updated Jul 3, 2018, 10:43 AM

Ok, so it seems corruption is relative and we are not yet at DEFCON Malaysia.
https://twitter.com/MaddowBlog/status/1014326862208819200

Updated Jul 4, 2018, 10:12 AM

So... Germany should sanction Russia, but not us. Got it. I have to admit, this guy is way beyond 3D Chess when it comes to foreign policy. He plays at the Calvinball level.

Updated Jul 11, 2018, 8:29 AM

I know a lot of the new SCOTUS pick focus has been on the potential for harm to women and voters, but let's not overlook the damage he could do on the tech side. Kavanaugh is on record with his opinion that ISPs should have editorial control over the content they deliver. Regardless of your political leanings, that should not be okay.

Updated Jul 12, 2018, 9:19 AM

If you only read one article today on distributive vs. integrative negotiating techniques, make it this one. And my apologies in advance for the dermatologically disturbing visage below. I think it's intended to pre-scare you as a way to prepare for the text that follows.

Updated Jul 13, 2018, 11:16 AM

Trump can rest easy that at least someone is saying nice things about his performance yesterday in Helsinki.

Updated Jul 17, 2018, 9:07 AM

OTOH, kudos to F&F for calling Trump out. But let's assume Kilmeade is right about Trump's motivation--that he can't say Russia meddled because it makes his election look illegitimate. That means Trump is willing to toss the country under the bus to protect his own ego. This is not the mark of a great leader. It's the mark of a leader who gets fragged by his own troops.

Updated Jul 17, 2018, 9:17 AM

This is a GOP Congressman and former CIA officer from Texas asserting that Trump is compromised by Russia. Is it possible the light is finally dawning on the reality that this is not a partisan issue?

Updated Jul 20, 2018, 8:25 AM

If Trump hears about this there will be Tweets threatening intergalactic war! Oh wait, it's a science article. Never mind. He won't find out.

Updated Jul 23, 2018, 12:06 PM

O Canada! We stand on guard for thee.

Updated Jul 23, 2018, 3:19 PM

This is shocking but great news that Pai actually blocked the merger. (I guess maybe he's only in the pocket of his former masters at Verizon.) But it's also amazing how Trump keeps saying the quiet parts out loud and suffers no political consequences.

Updated Jul 26, 2018, 8:31 AM

I'm having mixed emotions about this. Since we dropped the TV service and went strictly Spectrum ISP, the price is reasonable, the service is fast & solid, and I never have to deal with their customer service. But having recently owned property that didn't get broadband, and having relatives that still don't get it either, I strongly support the need for rural coverage. But they're a cable company, so "We hates them." But Comcast could come in and be our new provider, so it could be worse. Help me Obi-Wan...

Updated Jul 27, 2018, 2:17 PM

Trump's always bragging about how his administration is setting records. Well done sir. They say ignorance is bliss. I'd be happy for you, but it seems you're already there.

Updated Jul 28, 2018, 11:01 AM

I need to come down on the side of allowing 3D blueprints for guns to be available. I know, but hear me out here. It's possible today for a gunsmith to build a weapon. Depending on what he builds and where he lives it may be illegal for him to sell it, not register it, or even possess it. But there is no regulation on him knowing how to build it. Nor are there laws that he can't teach his kids or the the neighbors to do the same. This is not different. It's just that 3D printing a gun is far easier than mastering a forge. The argument here is that this knowledge can't be published because the barrier to entry for a craftsman to use the knowledge isn't sufficiently high. I don't think we want to head down a road where we start regulating what we can know or do and how we can learn it. We can argue about regulating actions, but I'm not prepared to start regulating know-how.

Updated Jul 31, 2018, 7:25 PM

If I've learned anything from TV, it's that world leaders who get on the bad side of The Doctor don't fare well... #SonicallyScrewed

Updated Aug 7, 2018, 8:43 AM

Please Sir, may I have another streaming service? ...said no one, ever.

Updated Aug 8, 2018, 4:38 PM

I have to relish the irony that Christian groups are taking a victory lap, yet this is legal entirely because courts have held that the generic motto "has no theological or ritualistic impact." Personally, I think the motto should be subtitled for clarity, "IN GOD WE TRUST - We're unsure which one. Might be Yahweh, Vushnu, maybe Thor, but we're pretty sure someone has our back."

Updated Aug 14, 2018, 11:09 AM

I challenge everyone to apply the #WIOHDI test to stuff like this. Ask "What If Obama Had Done It", and react accordingly.

Updated Aug 16, 2018, 2:36 PM

The least racist person you've ever met... assuming you haven't met many people.

Updated Aug 20, 2018, 9:58 PM

Wait, there's gonna be a live action reboot of The Jetsons? And also, how could there only have been 24 original animated episodes? Feels like there were 100s.

Updated Aug 24, 2018, 3:31 PM

Anybody know how long a cubit is? And where are those damned unicorns holed up? #AskingForAFriend

Updated Sep 10, 2018, 11:02 AM

The elephant in the room is not an elephant. Nor is it in the room. In fact, it's a duck. Many people are saying we got an A+ in duck care. Besides, the room is on an inaccessible island. You can't get there from here. -Squirrel-

Updated Sep 13, 2018, 11:34 AM

I get it now. We're fixing this by building a wall, banning Muslim refugees, and ostracizing minorities to reduce the available pool of victims. Genius. #StableGenius even.

Updated Sep 13, 2018, 1:54 PM

This is a very positive step in the fight against dark money in politics...

Updated Sep 18, 2018, 3:26 PM

The downside of going nose-blind to the stench of your own B.S.

Updated Sep 25, 2018, 11:18 AM

Let's be clear, this is an allegation of rape (among other things). The accuser asserts there are other witnesses. Especially in light of the two other outstanding allegations, this seems to warrant an investigation and seems entirely investigatable. Y'know, just in case you want to know what you're signing up for before you make a lifetime commitment to him. If you won't do it for America, do it for his wife. I'm sure she's curious.

Updated Sep 26, 2018, 12:05 PM

A few points to ponder...

Updated Sep 28, 2018, 10:07 AM

If you're innocent then you won't mind if we search your house?

"Sure, as long as you don't look in the back bedroom closet."

Updated Sep 29, 2018, 9:43 PM

Because it's all about states' rights, right? https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1046586060027789312

Updated Oct 1, 2018, 8:30 AM

Forget it guys, we're busted...

Updated Oct 3, 2018, 8:26 PM

Seems like maybe a good reason to bring back the Facebook "poke".

Updated Oct 5, 2018, 7:25 PM

When people keep showing you what they are, you should believe them.
https://twitter.com/JoyAnnReid/status/1048295012734316545

Updated Oct 5, 2018, 11:25 PM

It's important to remember that it was a long road to where we are. It will not be magically fixed next month at the voting booth, but it can start there. To do that, Republicans need to be honest about what their party has become and whether or not they stand by that. And if not, if they're willing to work to rebuild that.

"I am now convinced that the Republican Party must suffer repeated and devastating defeats beginning in November. It must pay a heavy price for its embrace of white nationalism and know-nothingism. Only if the GOP as it is currently constituted is burned to the ground will there be any chance to build a reasonable center-right party out of the ashes. But that will require undoing the work of decades, not just of the past two years."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2018/10/08/the-dark-side-of-american-conservatism-has-taken-over/?noredirect=on

Updated Oct 9, 2018, 12:30 PM

I. Can't. Even... #WTF http://ow.ly/MD3s30mcjJw

Updated Oct 11, 2018, 3:37 PM

"The problem [...] is not “unvarnished tribalism.” The problem is that women who allege abuse by men still often face male-dominated institutions. [...] The varnish—the attractive, glossy coating that protected male oppression of women—is coming off."

Updated Oct 12, 2018, 11:56 AM

At this point, this is pretty well established precedent by the highest law enforcement authority in the country. So, #ProTip. Next time ICE knocks at your door demanding your papers or a trooper pulls you over for speeding, just deny your guilt. Deny it strongly. Apparently it's an airtight defense and you'll be immediately released and apologized to. Warning: #YMMV

Updated Oct 15, 2018, 10:49 AM

Nope. Your biggest threat is Robert Mueller. Your biggest area of ignorance is the Fed. Sorry, that's not fair. You're bigly ignorant about so much, it wouldn't be fair to pick just one topic as biggest.

Updated Oct 16, 2018, 8:14 PM

Kind of like I have a 'natural instinct for music'. That is, I listen to it sometimes; know what I like; and I'm pretty sure the rest of it is crap.

Updated Oct 17, 2018, 1:39 PM

It's always what you try first, right?

NASA fixes Hubble gyroscope by turning it off and on again https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1055285353928548352/vid/1280x720/TEc_r27VTmPGd4KP.mp4?tag=8

Updated Oct 24, 2018, 10:56 PM

I admit, I'm fascinated by this Canadian law (http://ow.ly/qxA430mnQTt) that makes fraudulent witchcraft illegal. Actual witchcraft is okay. Pretend witchcraft is okay as long as you don't charge for it. And it would seem that as long as you completely believe in your own sorcery, you can bill people whatever you want, even if you can't actually produce results. Fraud requires intent. You can't commit fraud if you're just bad at what you do. It's this last bit which is arguably the loophole that allows religion to still be legal. Although if a Canadian priest ever lost his faith in God, he'd probably be in violation. I'd love to see a court try to thread that needle.

Updated Oct 26, 2018, 7:50 AM

In the last week, white supremacists killed 2 black people in Kentucky, mailed 13 bombs to government officials and used an assault rifle to kill Jews in their synagogue. If these acts were committed by Islamists, we'd be in national lockdown. #TheTerroristsAreInsideTheHouse

This will bring the total border deployment to over 7k troops to fend off an invading hoard of even fewer exhausted and hungry men, women, and children armed with backpacks and flip-flops who are speeding along on foot from over 1000 miles away. Some walkers are approaching 3 mph and are at serious risk of blisters or stubbing toes. Why are we not considering using the nuclear or the cyber or some of the other buzzwords Trump knows? If these people aren't stopped before they reach Texas there will be... I'm gonna say... a lot of food and water needed. So I'm hoping they sent each soldier with some extra MREs.

Updated Oct 29, 2018, 1:07 PM

For context, imagine if Obama had done this in 2010. I'm sure the GOP would have been fine with that, right?

Updated Oct 31, 2018, 11:25 AM

“Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices.” --Voltaire

Updated Nov 1, 2018, 1:24 PM

Colorado elects the nation's first openly gay governor. #Awesome

A lot of people seemed shocked by Trump's apparent endorsement of Pelosi as Speaker, but we need to be thinking of this like TV. Trump and the GOP have been grooming Pelosi as the uber-villain for a long time. There's no drama in fighting a faceless evil, and she is the personification of the Dem controlled House. The House that will be blamed for everything that doesn't come up roses straight through 2020. From Trump's perspective Meryl Streep just accepted the lead antagonist role in his movie. Of course he's thrilled.

This is a BFD...

Updated Nov 7, 2018, 5:32 PM

Welcome to America.
It has been '0' days since our last mass shooting.

Updated Nov 8, 2018, 8:28 AM

#TrueGenius is knowing when you're out of your element and you should just nod and look thoughtful, maybe ask a question or two. Then there's #StableGenius...

Updated Nov 17, 2018, 5:58 PM

BREAKING: We are just a "Mission Accomplished" banner and an XXXL flightsuit away from a victory celebration. With the election in the rearview mirror, The Caravan crisis has been averted... at least until the next politically opportunistic time to crack up the old fear monger machine. Maybe we should have a parade?

Updated Nov 20, 2018, 10:15 AM

“He’s never been interested in going,” the unidentified official said. “He’s afraid of those situations. He’s afraid people want to kill him.”
...which is ironic in that the people he's likely afraid of probably consider him their greatest asset. I would venture more people in his hometown of Queens wish him dead than in Afghanistan.

Updated Nov 20, 2018, 2:15 PM

But, her emails!!

Updated Nov 20, 2018, 4:15 PM

Feeling the need to immerse yourself in something apolitical for 10 min? This is a fascinating read on the provenance of Yahweh, the god of the Bible, Torah, and Quran. How a lesser Canaanite god of metallurgy rose to be the monotheistic deity worshiped by some 2/3 of the planet.

Updated Dec 6, 2018, 9:44 AM

Will Rogers: “I’m not a member of any organized political party, I’m a Democrat.” Still true today. This is a good read on how to stop that.

Updated Dec 20, 2018, 12:13 PM

And if your only tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail... Speaking of tools...

Updated Dec 31, 2018, 10:28 PM

Here's hoping 2019 is full of rational decisions. A world where capricious whims are reserved for late night binges, mid-life crisis cars, and watching MST3K on Netflix--not military deployments, economic policy, and the future viability of human life on the planet. Remember, we're all in this together.

Merry Perihelion - because why not squeeze one more holiday into the week! https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Du7zdkqU0AAIG48.jpg

Updated Jan 2, 2019, 2:06 PM

Not a bad idea...

Updated Jan 3, 2019, 2:31 PM

I hope I grow up to be half as tough as this 90 pound old lady.

Updated Jan 11, 2019, 1:04 PM

Dear GOP Senators,
This isn't about a wall. Trump doesn't care about that. This is about a fight over a wall. The fight let's him appear tough to his base and right-wing pundits whose praise he craves. It distracts from the Mueller investigation which has fallen to the back pages, but continues to close around him. He backed himself into this corner, and frankly, he seems quite comfy with his back against the (sorry) wall. There's no personal upside for Trump to end this shutdown. There's an upside to the country, an upside to the GOP, but not for Trump. If it ends, regardless of how, he's quickly back to railing against fake news and witch hunts and wrestling with the myriad of other difficult realities facing any President. This fight has allowed Trump to narrow the focus onto the singular topic he's comfortable with and shine a blinding light on it. You can almost hear his contented purring.

But this is about more than him. It's about you. The Senate could also reopen the gov't tomorrow. You're enabling Trump to sustain this fight. That's a choice you're making. I get what's in this for him. What's in it for you?

Updated Jan 11, 2019, 4:04 PM

Perspective is important. Let's keep in mind the reaction had the FBI opened an investigation into President Obama for overdue parking tickets.

Updated Jan 12, 2019, 11:35 AM

So is it Ann or Vlad that's running the country now? Or are they taking turns? I get so confused...

Updated Jan 16, 2019, 9:09 AM

This makes sense, but it should extend to ALL gov't travel, and for that matter, ALL non-essential gov't spending. This should include security details outside of gov't buildings. Leave work at your own risk. There should be no maintenance and cleaning staff, aides, etc. Trash should be piling up and toilets backing up at the White House and Capitol Hill.

Updated Jan 18, 2019, 1:09 PM

Here's the tl;dr version of Trump's offer: "Give me my wall and I'll back off on a few other immigration crises I've created."

Specifically, his compromise offered to:
- Allow young asylum seekers to apply in their home country (a program he previously canceled).
- Give 3 years of amnesty to DACA kids (a program he previously canceled).
- Give 3 years of amnesty to TPS aliens (a program he previously canceled).
- Reopen the gov't (that he shut down).

This was all prefaced by the standard apocalyptic immigrants-are-coming-to-kill-you rhetoric. So, kudos to DJT for recognizing that negotiation involves giving something in return. It's a start. But now he needs to recognize that negotiations have to involve the other side (the GOP "negotiated" this deal with itself), and giving away something substantive. If only there was book on the art of deal making he could get his hands on...

Updated Jan 19, 2019, 5:19 PM