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Sunday Open Thread

Talk about what is on your mind.

And don't forget the diaries. They are located just below the Recent Comments Table to the right.

Right now the recommended diaries include some great ones, including this one from scribe, Rove is toast.

And a reminder, Gwen Ifill on Meet the Press is must see TV.

One of the best excerpts on the flip.

MS. IFILL: You know, except that it’s really not hard to know where you draw the line. We know where the offense is. We know what’s acceptable and what’s not, and the best way to dilute the argument in the moment we’re in is to say, “What about this? What about this? What about that?” The fact is, we have a moment where we can talk about the things which have been bugging us. I know a lot of people who aren’t really crazy about something—about, about “Pimpin’ All Over the World” or about what—something that Snoop Dogg would say. And you know what they do, they’ve been doing? They swallow it. They just turn off the TV. “I got—I don’t watch these shows. I don’t listen to these videos. I, I just don’t watch it.” But somewhere deep inside these girls becomes this little—you’ve heard what the Rutgers basketball players said when they were asked about this. They didn’t say, “Oh, well, yeah, I think it’s fine.” They don’t think it’s fine. And after a while it builds in them. And that’s what we saw happen this week. So if we want to—you know, we can, we can say it’s not a big deal because it’s happened all the time or it’s been happening for a long time. It’s precisely because it’s been happening a long time that...

MR. HARWOOD: But I’m not, I’m not saying it’s not a big deal. Look, Gwen, it’s harder than you think. And take the example of “Borat,” which David mentioned. I’ve not seen that movie, but I’ve heard people intensely on both sides of that issue. Some think it’s hilarious and fun, and some think it’s grossly offensive and racist and all sorts of things.

MR. BROOKS: Right, and I mean, I’m not saying, I’m not comparing “Borat” to, to what Don Imus said. What Don Imus said is so obviously over the line that it’s not worth debating. But the hard choices come further in, and “Borat” is a good example. I thought it was a very funny movie, extremely cruel. He is picking on people who aren’t good on TV or in the movies. And so I think those are the hard cases. And I don’t think it’s unfair to ask the question of this case, of that case, how much of it is just make believe. Human beings are extremely good at separating make believe from reality.

MS. IFILL: Yeah, unless they’re the targets. And when you’re the target, somehow it seems a lot more real.

Thank you Gwen Ifill.

< Gwen Ifill | Specter: WH Agrees To Outside Expert To Search For Missing E-Mails >
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  • Display: Sort:
    I didn't even notice (5.00 / 2) (#1)
    by andgarden on Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 01:49:42 PM EST
    that there were diaries here. I just had to look hard to find the list.

    From the 'HOME' page, it's not difficult (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by Kitt on Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 01:55:27 PM EST
    but I think once you get into a post, they're not even there.

    Parent
    I'll try to keep reminding folks about it (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 01:56:31 PM EST
    If oyu are interested in diarying (5.00 / 2) (#3)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 01:56:07 PM EST
    let me know. Jeralyn gives permission.

    They are great stuff. Scribe, Patriot Daily, David and all the rest are excellent.

    Parent

    Hmm, that's a challenge I might accept (5.00 / 3) (#6)
    by andgarden on Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 02:10:16 PM EST
    in about a month after I finish my thesis. Thanks.

    Parent
    Cool (none / 0) (#7)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 02:17:50 PM EST
    What's your thesis about?

    Parent
    Strom Thurmond (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by andgarden on Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 02:25:50 PM EST
    And his history of being a political opportunist.

    A snippet:

    Over the course of his career, the political method that Strom Thurmond employed was one that established an outer façade of principle, but was, at its core, cunning and pragmatic. Thurmond was a Democrat, and then was not, twice. Thurmond was for third party presidential challenges before he was against them. Depending on the person asking the question, or the year in which he asked it, Thurmond was either a segregationist, or a racist, or both, or neither, and the sequence from one opinion to another could by no means be called linear.
    I still have to get to draft #2 though. . .

    Parent
    BEn Masel has a great one (4.00 / 3) (#5)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 01:57:52 PM EST
    on Medical Marijuana.

    Parent
    If you like Charlie Rose (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 07:06:42 PM EST
    you'll enjoy this hour long interview with Crichton about a variety of things, including Genomes and GW.

    link>

    what's "big tent armando" diary about? (none / 0) (#9)
    by annefrank on Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 02:27:24 PM EST
    I can't access it.


    Huh? (none / 0) (#15)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 07:19:05 PM EST
    I found a version of it (none / 0) (#16)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 07:46:58 PM EST
    elsewhere.

    It is beneath contempt.

    Skippy is nothing to me now.

    Parent

    I thought perhaps it was a joke (none / 0) (#20)
    by annefrank on Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 10:35:04 PM EST
    from a friend. Glad I couldn't access it since it was disgusting.


    Parent
    Flattery like this (none / 0) (#10)
    by scribe on Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 02:51:11 PM EST
    Right now the recommended diaries include some great ones, including this one from scribe, Rove is toast.

    will take you a long way, BTD.  (smiles)

    Just got home from the grocery store (none / 0) (#11)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 05:01:25 PM EST
    Someone in a white vehicle hit and ran my car while I was shopping.  I came out with my groceries, looked at the car, immediately thought about the deductible, took a close look and saw white paint, crusted every white car off on the way home.  We pay huge dollars for these means of transportation, we drive them around each other using our free will and good luck at 65 mph and you should see what probably 10 mph did to the one today that I was stupid enough to buy.  Why can't we make the shell out of tin foil and then I can make it any shape I want every day for free?  Makes more sense, you could drive a swan like your waiter puts your leftovers in.  Sometimes it appears that none of us have any common sense!  Here comes the guys now to explain aerodynamics to me.  I promise to listen with amazement and awe at every word you guys say if you all chip in together for my aerodynamic deductible. How do you guys know what kind of aerodynamics my swan would have?

    Happy tax day everyone! (none / 0) (#12)
    by roy on Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 05:45:21 PM EST
    I got to pay a few extra bucks this year because I had to juggle stocks after leaving my last job at the end of the year.  I'm still not sure whether I actually made any money doing it, or just avoided losing some.  Uncle Sam made out like a bandit though.

    Now they're telling me to pay estimated taxes quarterly for 2007, even though my next job will probably pay less and have no stock plan, and I'll have a bunch of deductions.

    Presumably in '08, I'll be expected to file as a minor student.

    roy (none / 0) (#14)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 07:11:14 PM EST
    You don't have to file estimated if you don't need to.

    But if you don't and you do, be prepared for a nifty fine.

    And if you underpaid last year, expect a penalty.

    But be happy. Just think how you are paying for Nancy Pelosi to visit the terrorists in the ME.

    Parent

    DA (none / 0) (#25)
    by jimakaPPJ on Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 01:27:43 PM EST
    What a goose you are:

    Caught, eh?? (none / 0) (#85)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Apr 07, 2007 at 01:08:30 PM EST
    Well, if you are not using his actions as an excuse, why are you bringing them up?

    Are you condemning him and not Pelosi?

    Are you condemning him and Pelosi?

    Or is your answer an attempt to wiggle out of an untenable position??

    BTW - I have already commented that I condemn the Repubs actions. At least Pelosi can claim to be trying to sieze politcal power. The Repubs can only claim to want to bask in the glow of Dear Leader's presence.

    BTW - I am not a Repub. I am an Independent Social Liberal who is strong on national defense.

    Think Scoop Jackson. Think Truman.

    Yes, I am also an ex-Demo. They ran me off in the late 60's... I tried to come back and voted for Carter.... He sealed the deal.

    It is on the Matr Laher thread. Go look it up if you don't beieve...

    Parent

    DA (none / 0) (#33)
    by jimakaPPJ on Tue Apr 17, 2007 at 12:02:33 AM EST
    No one said you have to keep track of anything. I mean, why do you think anyone would think you that important.

    So you made yourself look like a silly goose. So what? You did it again. You really should read the complete thread.

    You mean, she wants to impeach the POTUS and VPOTUS so that she can sit in the White House?

    I didn't say that at all. Political power often has nothing to do with who is in a particular office, but who has the power within the organization. It is always shifting and changing. Certainly flying around pushing her own foreign policy makes her politically stronger.

    Now, what did I say about impeachment?

    As for the Speaker being third in line.... That's the really bad part. The rest of the world seeing her and listening to all the trash talk about impeaching Bush really think that she is setting her very on policies in place.. Too bad you can't figure that out on your own.

    If I had wanted to say what you claim, I would have used "her" instad of "the."

    sigh......

    yadda yadda yadda

    Parent

    DA excuses himself (none / 0) (#35)
    by jimakaPPJ on Tue Apr 17, 2007 at 07:24:47 AM EST
    Having made two false attacks becaue he doesn't want to read, the Dark Avenger continues his successful attempt to dig his hole deeper.

    yadda yadda yadda

    Parent

    Get a more logical moderation system (none / 0) (#17)
    by scarshapedstar on Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 07:58:20 PM EST
    Rating an off-comment troll post as low as possible (1) shouldn't bump it to the top of the thread. It should knock it to the bottom. I'd recommend the classic -2,-1,+1,+2 system, where every post starts at 0 and then you can rate it better or worse. Or, alternately, I suppose you could make every post a 3 by default.

    You can set your preferences (5.00 / 1) (#19)
    by Alien Abductee on Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 08:36:43 PM EST
    to Ignore ratings

    That should be the default imo.

    Parent

    I'm clueless (none / 0) (#18)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 08:02:22 PM EST
    Hopefully J will see your comment.

    Parent
    scar -- Can you tell me why you (none / 0) (#26)
    by jimakaPPJ on Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 01:30:59 PM EST
    want a rating system?

    I would have thought such strong thinking individuals as I see on this thread wouldn't care.

    You know, truth to power, etc., etc.

    Must be the American Idol gene.

    Parent

    Erm (none / 0) (#28)
    by scarshapedstar on Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 07:39:06 PM EST
    There already is a rating system. It just doesn't make sense.

    I think  a "censorship!" angle is silly as it no longer allows anyone to hide comments. Furthermore, it doesn't break thread orders. All it should be there for is moving stupid one-off flamebait comments to the bottom so that people aren't forced to sift through the garbage right away.

    Parent

    scar (none / 0) (#32)
    by jimakaPPJ on Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 11:29:14 PM EST
    I think  a "censorship!" angle is silly as it no longer allows anyone to hide comments

    it should be there for is moving stupid one-off flamebait comments to the bottom so that people aren't forced to sift through the garbage right away.

    Uh, you were saying about censorship??

    Parent

    Krugman is channeling you again BTD (none / 0) (#21)
    by andgarden on Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 12:25:08 AM EST
    Yep (none / 0) (#23)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 02:17:07 AM EST
    One of the base (none / 0) (#22)
    by Che's Lounge on Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 12:38:30 AM EST
    tied into Hillary in New Hampshire today. I only saw the CNN version, which made her out to be a loon, as usual.

    Found another symptom..... (none / 0) (#27)
    by kdog on Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 06:27:21 PM EST
    of the authoritarian disease spreading throughout the nation...another symptom, another victim.

    Big brother at the hospital didn't say this new family could leave, so dad got tasered and the bundle of joy got dropped to the concrete.  You can't make this stuff up....too sick in the collective head.

    The rules! The RULES! (none / 0) (#29)
    by scarshapedstar on Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 07:41:22 PM EST
    "If the father had just complied with the rules, there would have been no 'Tasing,'"

    Honestly, what's a little brain damage among newborns compared to the integrity of The Rules? Up next: anyone who takes their bracelet off will be taken to the basement and shot.

    Parent

    What part of ... (none / 0) (#31)
    by Sailor on Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 10:51:17 PM EST
    ... 'There's no reson sir, it's just our policy' don't you understand!?

    Parent
    Better to laugh than to cry.... (none / 0) (#36)
    by kdog on Tue Apr 17, 2007 at 08:12:40 AM EST
    thanks scar.

    What will the hospital cops do to somebody who removes the "do not remove" tag from the matress?  Caining?

    Parent