Vox Populi – 5-2-2014

AdLib : Night Murph!

MurphTheSurf3 : Time for me to call it a night. Early mornings now.

AdLib : Sleep well, pal!

SmotPoker : OK. Thanks AdLib. We’ll see you around. I’m gonna split as well then.

AdLib : Well, guess it’s about that time to close up the Vox bar for the night. Feel good Smot! And thanks to everyone else, another riveting and fun chat!

SmotPoker : Night Funk, and thanks.

funksands : Night everyone! Smot, hope you see some good signs soon.

AdLib : Seeya Funk, hope all’s going well!

AdLib : Night glenn!

funksands : Yeah, I’m right behind you Glenn. Early morning tomorrow.

SmotPoker : See ya next time Glenn

SmotPoker : I really know how to bring a party down eh? It’s a gift really…

glenn : Okay, folks, my turn to say good night. It’s well past midnight here, and as much as I’m enjoying VOX, it’s time to turn in. Have a great weekend, everyone.

choicelady : Murph – I look forward to it!!

glenn : Ad-I thought the NAACP guy resigned.

funksands : Night CL, take care and don’t be a stranger!

choicelady : Thank you all! Good night!

MurphTheSurf3 : Nite CL be talking to you soon

SmotPoker : It was all about the money. These guys donate tons of cash, and all is forgiven, and they will even give them awards. It’s the never ending story of corruption.

funksands : Ad, reminds me of the Newt Gingrich awards that he handed out for years.

AdLib : Night CL and thanks for all the wonderful things you do!

glenn : G’night CL–Keep up the good work, and thank you for making a difference.

choicelady : AdLib – I’d not heard that. Explains quite a lot about the NAACP willingness to honor a slimebag.

funksands : I like Rachel a lot, and Chris Hayes was waaaay better on his weekend show, but I hope gets his act together in the evening slot

SmotPoker : My mother was always fond of saying that I came out of her an old man. Her way of calling me a cynic I suppose, or just an old angry asshole before my time….Never know with her.

AdLib : CL – The president of the LA NAACP was fired today because…he has a history and was disbarred when he was a judge for trading judgements for bribes. So…he is a sleaze who took Sterling bribes to give him an award.

choicelady : All – I have to be up early to go to the ‘stake down’ encampment for homeless folks for a meeting on next steps. I’m blasted already- busy day – so I’m bidding you all good night. Take care all and have a wonderful weekend!

funksands : Smot, it certainly makes one (more) cynical doesn’t it?

glenn : Funk–exactly. The news should be news, not opinion.

SmotPoker : The NBA simply had no choice but to shit can his ass. He was going to cost them a lot of $$$$

glenn : Smot–I’m with you, although I do check in to Rachel Maddow and if I like what she’s explaining, I stick around. She’s had some really good shows this week on the botched execution in OK.

SmotPoker : CL – I know right? It’s been well known for a very long time.

SmotPoker : Funk – I think that has a lot to do with my attitude towards the news these days. It’s so much opinion piece rather than strictly the facts. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth when I hear propaganda on a daily basis.

choicelady : Murph – that’s pretty much my picks, too.

MurphTheSurf3 : Who do I watch at MSNBC all the time…..Rachel and Lawrence

choicelady : Smot – I cannot understand how NAACP gave him awards. His racism is not new or news.

funksands : I think we’d do better to get the “news” to be the “news” again. The truth already has a liberal bias.

SmotPoker : Sooooo….Donald Sterling…..Wha t a charmer eh?

choicelady : glenn – it sounds wonderful. Especially the NAP part!

funksands : Ad, by cracky I think we’ve got a winner!

choicelady : funk – Sirius radio has progressive talk. I like it a lot when Ed Schultz isn’t on.

SmotPoker : I can’t stand to watch any of them any more. I’ll check in when I see something is up on the internet, but I don’t stay long.

glenn : CL–I wish I could say it was “work”, but for me it’s just pure joy! Plus, I really don’t do much except help her with her homework. Then, she’s either off to her BFF’s house, and I take a nap on the couch, or the BFF is at my granddaughter’s house, in which case, I still take a nap on the couch because they’re upstairs in the playroom. I do take them both to soccer practice 3X a week, but I sit in the car and read my book during that.

AdLib : Funk – Brilliant! Maybe Al Gore will be interested in financing it?

choicelady : funk – I’d agree about Lawrence, but he was chief of staff to Moynihan and often is very helpful about how policy is created and passed and offsets the snowflake squads. I appreciate his insights. Had a really great friend who was Moynihan’s district director in Buffalo, NY when O’Donnell was in DC, so I’m inclined to be favorable to Lawrence if for only that. He can be excellent on democratic process in the Capitol.

AdLib : Murph – Farrow has that prefab look, elitist crafted from top to bottom. I like normal people who seem at least a little connected to the real world.

funksands : Ad, we could call it “Air America”!

funksands : Oh, yeah. Chris Matthews sucks. I’d put him ahead of O’Donnell

MurphTheSurf3 : Ad….Oh! Farrow….don’t get him at all…weird looking too…a bit like a muppet.

AdLib : So CL, what about that Progressive network concept?

AdLib : CL – I don'[t watch any of those three either, just flipping channels and hear one of their voices and I keep flipping.

funksands : Murph, probably not, it would force us to re-explore other avenues of news. It might be good for us.

MurphTheSurf3 : Ad- I cannot stand Joe S and his gaggle of goofs- that is when I watch Al Jazeera America….the entire Cycle crew drives me batty….Chris Matthews is hot and cold but when he is bad he is rotten….

choicelady : AdLib – I don’t watch any of the three, so I’m safe! I cannot believe anyone picked Farrow as an anchor. Cripes!

glenn : Smot–I’m sorry to hear that you can’t get your hat. Perhaps your new BFFs in NV will help you out. Seriously, though, I hope you continue to heal.

funksands : 1. Joe 2. Ronan 3. Lawrence (smug factor)

choicelady : glenn – that IS work! Good work, but work nonetheless!

choicelady : Murph – I can’t get Al Jazeera America. My cable provider doesn’t carry it. Bah!

choicelady : Smot – you have a whole new following to look out for!

AdLib : Okay, who are your Top Three Worst MSNBC Hosts? For me, Number 3 is Joe, Number Two is Ed and my pick for worst is the utterly hollow and shallow Ronan Farrow.

glenn : CL–I’m at “work” too. I watch my granddaughter after school.

SmotPoker : CL – No kidding, I could really get them stirred up….Hey fellas! Lookie what them Obamer fellers did to me….

MurphTheSurf3 : I have gotten to like Al Jazeera America, BBC and some MSNBC.

glenn : Smot–Oops! glad to HEAR you’re on the mend.

choicelady : Murph – I’d miss MSNBC since it’s the ONLY place liberal analysts reside.

SmotPoker : Glenn – From what the doctor told me it’s gotta be platinum, and I can’t afford one of those…

choicelady : Smot – you’re confirming you had a chip planted in your brain by the president? The militia folks in NV will be your new BFFs then. They think they have them in their butts.

MurphTheSurf3 : Smot- be well.

glenn : Hey Smot–glad to hearing you’re on the mend. Do you have a tinfoil hat to go with your chip?

SmotPoker : Thanks for the well wishes folks.

choicelady : glenn – I listen to C-Span and BBC and Canadian radio a lot. I do like getting information and not interpretation. I do enjoy Lawrence and Rachel mostly – they bring thoughtful reflections – but I don’t see earlier shows since I’m at work!

MurphTheSurf3 : Funk- my question is this- if there were no MSNBC would we miss it?

SmotPoker : CL – Like I had a choice in the matter. Obama sent his goons to pick me up…

AdLib : Smot – I’ve actually got all your thoughts coming across as tweets on our Twitter account. And you should be very ashamed.

MurphTheSurf3 : Hello Smot Poker….I have heard of your trials…hope that healing is not far away.

choicelady : Smot – how kind of you to make it easier for the feds to pick your brains! Seriously I hope it works for you. Good luck!

glenn : ‘Night Sabreen, take care.

funksands : Murph, MSNBC is a bit of an echo chamber too.

AdLib : Night Sabreen, let’s pick that up next week!

SmotPoker : Hello all. I’m doing as well as can be expected. I won’t know for another couple of weeks how well the implant worked. I have to let the brain heal before they activate it. On the plus side, now that I have a chip implanted in my head, the government or aliens can just communicate with me directly…

glenn : CL–I haven’t watched Chris in so long, I don’t even know what he looks like any more. He annoyed the crap out of me. Rev. Al is still a little too strident for my taste, but I do respect his contributions to our national discourse. I have watched the guy who is sitting in for Lawrence, and he seems to be okay. But, frankly, I don’t want partisan TV, I want the news laid out in a straight and forward way. I’m not stupid; I can figure it out for myself if you just give me the facts. That’s why I don’t like what’s happening at MSNBC. Although I don’t watch them often, I think some of the afternoon shows are pretty good, though.

choicelady : Murph – I don’t CARE if they are Blue Dogs. Getting control of either house is good, and I have hopes about the HOUSE due to general pissed offedness at the slime they hand us all. I think people are fed up with the Tea Party.

MurphTheSurf3 : It seems to the that the right needs Fox but does the left need MSNBC

MurphTheSurf3 : Night Kes

Sabreen60 : I wanted to mention PBO’s Asia trip and discuss the TPP. But I’m a little tired from a long day. So take care everyone, until next time.

MurphTheSurf3 : Ad- the Dems have a better chance of holding the Senate thanks to smark campaigns by Begich, Pryor, Landrieu and Hagan. Of course that will mean that the true blue Senators are going to owe a lot to the blue dogs. The House- some seats will change hands….but on both sides, about even.

AdLib : Night Kes! Sleep well!

choicelady : Hey Smot – how are you?

AdLib : Hey Smot!

choicelady : Good night kes! Lovely to see if you if all too briefly!

AdLib : I don’t know, MSNBC looks so prefabricated nowadays. With such phonies and nothings as Ed and Farrow, the whole day is just a rerun of all the issues covered in the previous hour under the previous host. It’s a tough competition for who’s the worst at MSNBC.

SmotPoker : Sup?

choicelady : Sabreen – I loved that item on TPV. He deserved to have a whoopin’!

choicelady : S-Man – are YOU leaving or only saying good night to others?

Sabreen60 : Good night kes. Take care.

choicelady : AdLib – I think the ability to reclaim both houses is good. I think polling is not reflecting the sheer outrage of people being disenfranchised. However, the youth vote sucks. Once again the kids of privilege decide it’s not important. That could be a problem. In 2010 it was definitely Dems NOT voting that turned the tide. We cannot do this again.

Sabreen60 : CL, As you know The People’s View torn Hayes a new one about his references to slavery.

glenn : ‘Night Kes. Always great chatting with you. Have a great weekend.

choicelady : glenn – it’s Chris who grates my teeth! Ed Schultz, too. I kind of like Rev. Al though. He’s come a LONG way to be a pretty savvy commentator. I miss Lawrence and hope he recovers from his accident soon. He has knowledge of the political process I consider to be invaluable EVEN when he’s being a horse’s ass personally.

glenn : ‘Night, KT–I was typing, so I missed your good night! Take care.

AdLib : Murph – Nope, I’m still confident about Dems holding the Senate. I have hopes that Dems could gain enough momentum to take back the House but that’s always been longer odds due to gerrymandering. What do you think about this year’s elections and the Dems’ chances?

choicelady : ‘Night KT – sleep well and love the Cape and your Mom!

S-Man : As Ringo sang “Now it’s time to say Goodnight, Goodnight sleep tight!

glenn : Sabreen, Personally, I think MSNBC ratings should be in the toilet. They need to stop being the left-wing fox. I like Rachel and sometimes Chris Hayes, but the rest of them are way too partisan IMO. Chris Hayes does try to have guests from the “other side” on, but he asks them loaded questions just like fox does with their guests. If he would just ask factual questions, and then follow-up when they go on and on, I believe people who have critical thinking skills would get the message, without having to have it spelled out for them.

MurphTheSurf3 : Take care KT

choicelady : Sabreen – Chris Hayes whom I have met in person and liked has become the poster kid for stupid Emos. He keeps equating all kinds of things to ‘slavery’ and is losing cred because of that stupid. Others aren’t really helping things along for real progressive talk. I have a new car with Sirius and have Progressive Talk radio and MSNBC radio, and I wind up, more times than not, listening to golden oldies rather than my natural allies. Stupid voer-reach doesn’t help anything.

Sabreen60 : Good night KT. I’ll try to make the music thread this weekend.

AdLib : Night KT! SLeep well and seeya on the music thread!

kesmarn : KT, I am right behind you. Time to call it a day. Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

S-Man : BTW. What is wrong with the water in TX?

AdLib : CL – Sorry to hear you’ve been butting your head up against that Emo wall. It’s so self-destructive and just plain stupid to have such narrow purist views. Very disappointing but big props to you for carrying on!

MurphTheSurf3 : Ad Lib Rand. That’s how I see it….I note that you seem a bit tentative re. the Senate and have waved farewell to the House….change of heart?

S-Man : glenn- Of course they make him appear to be dumb because like you said he is able to reach across the aisle. Something these ^&*%$^&&& like Gohmert and Cruz want no part.

kesmarn : For a great revelation of the total scam that is Libertarianism, this is a good article: «link»

KillgoreTrout : Well good peeps, time to say adieu! Hope to see ya on the music thread.

AdLib : Murph – Rand Paul could get the nom and it would be the best thing for Dems. He has such massive baggage (opposing the Civil Rights Act isn’t really a winner) a huge defeat could see Dems take back the House (I think Dems retain the Senate this year). And what a huge discouraging setback for the GOP and the Baggers, such a rejection should help diminish them for the future.

Sabreen60 : CL, I understand MSNBC ratings are in the toilet. Could be emos, dudebros and libertarians – not to mention RWers.

glenn : S-Man–Biden is portrayed as dumb by the rwnj, but he is very impressive in both his knowledge of foreign affairs, and in his ability to work with the repubs. Or, at least he was able to before the t/party hijacked the repubs.

kesmarn : A “mini-stroke,” glenn.

glenn : Kes–what’s a TIA?

Sabreen60 : Funk,

kesmarn : No offense taken at all, AdLib! And yes, she claims to be aware of the fact that they’re in different parties. She thought it was a genius idea. I think she might have had a TIA.

AdLib : Murph – Hard to imagine the Baggers allowing the establishment Repubs to force another loser like Jeb on them. It’s their turn to pick a loser!

S-Man : glenn, In 2008 I heard a campaign speech by Biden during the primaries and was very impressed with his knowledge of foreign affairs.

funksands : Sabreen, apparently Bobby did though…

choicelady : AdLib – I’m doing my bit for populism, but it’s like shoving molasses uphill in CA. Those white elite folks in cooperatives think that bike coops are the end goal, while I’m trying to build union coops for blue collar, immigrant workers, communities of color. We are NOT meshing, they and I, so I’m working with union, communities of color, immigrants. I LOVE what’s happening, but it’s not coming from the Occupy people who want nothing to do with any of ‘those’ people who aren’t ‘progressive enough’ for their precious selves. Seriously – I’ve freaking HAD it with Emos.

Sabreen60 : Ooo KT, You didn’t go there.:D

funksands : Lot of right-winger infotainment folks are going to make their fortunes in the next few years.

AdLib : Kes – No offense but that is one clueless person. Does he/she know that Hillary and Jeb are in different parties? And how elections are run in the US?

funksands : Glenn, just wait, you’ll hear it eventually.

S-Man : Murph they have already sharpened their claws and are only waiting to deploy them.

KillgoreTrout : OK, it actually began with JFK and Marilyn and Bobbie having a threesome!

glenn : CL–I’m with you. I’d vote for Biden over Hillary any day. I just don’t think we’ll get the choice, though.

MurphTheSurf3 : S Man I agree, the rw hate machine is being fine tuned for a grand assault on Hillary.

kesmarn : And Vince Foster was murdered to cover up Whitewater. And Whtewater was merely a distraction to get people to stop thinking about Teddy Kennedy and Chappaquiddock.

S-Man : Yeah Ad I don’t wish ill on anyone but once we get some progressives on the bench things will get better, but in the meantime there will be much suffering.

choicelady : Sabreen – I know. It’s pretty pitiful isn’t it? I’d go with Biden, but I don’t think he will get the nomination. I really like him though.

AdLib : CL – That’s fantastic to hear! I do agree that we will see more populist activism locally as our government fails us (thanks to the Repubs).

glenn : Funk–no way about the Vince Foster thing! Really? Someone said or wrote that?

choicelady : funk – LOL!!!! THAT is the greatest conspiracy theory EVER!

funksands : Choice for sure. Make her work haaaaard

MurphTheSurf3 : Ad- Read a Wall Street analyst today who said that Big Money does not believe Bush can win, thinks Christie is now too tarnished, and that Rand Paul is the likely nominee…if so, he says their Money will go to Hillary.

funksands : S-man, just when you thought you’d heard the last of Vince Foster. Did you know that Benghazi was a false flag operation to cover up the Vince Foster murder???????

Sabreen60 : CL, I no Hillary fan either. I just don’t see anyone else with as much appeal among many Dems as she has.

choicelady : funk – I’ll vote Dem for sure, but I’d love to primary Hillary!

AdLib : S-Man – I don’t know that things will start to change until we get a moderate (or hopefully Progressive) majority on the SCOTUS. May not happen under Obama but as long as Hillary or a Dem wins in 2016, I think we’ll have a good shot at that. Just a tragedy that we have to wait until then to reverse all these wrongs.

S-Man : Just wait ’til the Hillary announces her intentions to run in 2016, the Kerry “swiftboat fiasco” will seem like child’s play.

KillgoreTrout : Hey Sabreen, and so it begins! O’Reilly is going with the age thing, even though Bush 1 and Reagan were both older than Hillary during their terms.

funksands : Choice, you echo my sentiments. For sure federal elections are comparative elections, but even so. *ugh*

kesmarn : I agree funk and CL. She insisted that ticket would pull in lotsa voters from both parties. I don’t THINK so. People who’d vote for Jeb would never vote for Hillary and vice versa.

choicelady : Sabreen – I heard Beck’s slavering rant about Hillary having lesbian sex on the Oval Office desk – it was disgusting. HE is disgusting.

MurphTheSurf3 : Sab- Beck suggested that Hillary would be into lesbian sex in the WH

choicelady : S-Man – that is the honest truth! NO MORE Bush syndicate people! For that matter, I’m not sure I want Clintons either.

glenn : Sabreen–I think it was limpbag, not beck. Not that there’s much of a difference between the two.

AdLib : glenn – I think the establishment Repubs will force Jeb down the RW’s throat as they did with McCain and Romney. The only question is whether the Baggers will learn that they would have to unite behind one of their loon nominees. Then again, they’re Baggers, they don’t learn.

funksands : Kes, your friend needs to be watched around sharp objects

Sabreen60 : KT, Funk, I heard the tail end of a comment some RWNJ said about Hillary being a lesbian and/or having “lesbian sex” in the White House. Oh yeah, it was something that Beck said – so heard.

MurphTheSurf3 : Ad I don’t think there is anyone that can unify the GOP- they are strongest at the local level and get weaker as they work their way up…thus we need to undermine them in the states where they are governors and have senators.

kesmarn :

choicelady : kes – Jeb is a corrupt soul with huge baggage including Medicare fraud. While I think Hillary is very corporate, pairing the two of them would be a disaster for us all.

funksands : Glenn:

S-Man : We’ve had enough of the Bush Crime Family

kesmarn : A friend of mine actually suggested a Hillary Clinton/Jeb Bush ticket. I asked her what she’d been smoking, but she swore she was serious.

glenn : Funk–It’s going to be hard to get those feces out of those wadded up panties.

choicelady : AdLib – I think there are far more powerful things happening like the conclave this weekend “Jackson Rising” in Jackson, MS. Across the country people are seizing the control over their economic activities through many means including worker cooperatives. Occupy has not yet moved on to actions, but many of the first participants have. It’s a refusal to be cowed by elites, right or left, and is driven in no small part by people of color, working poor, and immigrants. It is changing EVERYTHING. There are over 1000 people in Jackson this weekend. It’s amazing!

S-Man : Thanks to the corporatist SCOTUS the Government has almost completely slipped from our hands. While I think comparisons between ancient Rome and the US are sometimes overblown we do seem to be resembling that type of oligarchy

KillgoreTrout : The Bengahzi turrets will be deafening!

AdLib : Funk – The RW hysteria over Hillary will help make the 2016 GOP primary pretty entertaining though.

glenn : Ad–not sure about jeb being the nominee. After all, he said something sensible about immigration and that is just NOT allowed.

AdLib : OT but as many here predicted (especially after the contrived and repeated plea by Barbara Bush that he shouldn’t run), Jeb Bush looks to be trying to elbow out Christie for the top spot among GOP Elites. DO you think he’ll be the nominee?

MurphTheSurf3 : S-Man good to meet you…

funksands : Glenn, level of hysteria will reach a frenzied peak with BO in the White House and Hillary running. The screeching and feces-flinging will peak sometime around October 2015

kesmarn : Primary is coming up Tuesday here in Ohio and I’m scheduled to work the polls. Wish me luck — 16 hour day and I am NOT used to that!

KillgoreTrout : funk, wait till Hillary announces her run. Heads will explode if she actually gets elected.

glenn : Hi S-Man, nice to meet you.

glenn : KT–As long as a Democrat is in the White House, the yahoos will have their panties in a bunch. It would be ironic if we get a Dem and a woman in the White House next. They’ll really howl then!

funksands : KT, I think it’ll last long beyond that.

MurphTheSurf3 : Thanks to all of you for your good wishes for Bourne/Pat. I will pass them on.

S-Man : Hey Ad, thanks. Finally home for once on a Friday night.

KillgoreTrout : Que pasa S-Man!

choicelady : Hi S-Man. We’ve not met. How are you?

Sabreen60 : Hey S-Man!

AdLib : Hey S-Man! Welcome to Vox!

choicelady : kes – I meant WW I.

S-Man : ‘Sup everyone!

AdLib : Funk – My guess is that there is a ceiling on how many racist losers there are in the country. Most people with a brain and a real life wouldn’t join in with such extremism. Just the opposite, as KT mentioned, consider Occupy Wall Street, the most recent REAL populist protest that was all about being peaceful.

funksands : Uh…you gonna finish those scraps?

choicelady : glenn – I don’t want one. I’m at least like Ralphie in the Christmas Movie – I’d shoot my eye out.

kesmarn : Hey, S-Man!

KillgoreTrout : Funk, these Yahoos will have their panties in a bunch until that black guy is out of the whitehouse.

kesmarn : Or maybe more like Germany after WWI…

S-Man : The top 1% have succeeded in getting the rest of us to fight over their scraps. It is so depressing.

glenn : CL–I’m sorry you had to go through such trauma. I don’t own a gun, and I’m not anti-gun either. I’m just anti-idiot with a gun.

choicelady : funk – not funny that. Remember Ft. Sumpter!

choicelady : glenn – I see the ‘win’ of the civil war like the repression of Germany after WW II. They will rise again.

kesmarn : I was just going to say the same thing, glenn. This is starting to look like Civil War 2.0 Somebody call Ken Burns.

funksands : The War of Northern Aggression

KillgoreTrout : Murph, give my best to Bourne. I didn’t know she was that ill.

funksands : As our country becomes more stratified and as people struggle more and more to get by, do you think that there will be more of these yahoos or is this solely tied to other issues?

glenn : Murph–I’m still trying to figure out if we actually won the Civil War. Aren’t the rwnj fighting it all over again–with the “evil” federal government?

AdLib : With these militia lunatics, a Civil War reenactment would look more like a Die Hard movie reenactment.

KillgoreTrout : That’s right CL. I forgot.

choicelady : KT – the North had ’em of course. We won.

funksands : Murph, that’s one solution i guess…

kesmarn : Murph, good to hear about Bourne. All the best to her.

choicelady : glenn – I’m NOT anti gun since they saved me once from RW extremists. But I don’t want my life to come to that, where I have to defend myself with lethal force. But I will if I must.

Sabreen60 : Murph, That’s great news. Give her my best.

KillgoreTrout : Which side had the ar15s, the North or the South?

MurphTheSurf3 : funk- if those guys joined a reenactor group there would be no one left alive on the field in the “mock” battle. A Civil War battle in which no one wins.

KillgoreTrout : CL, I say…give it to them! Let them blow each other away.

choicelady : Murph – please tell Pat/Bourne I say hi and am delighted she is finally HOME!

AdLib : Murph – That’s great to hear about Bourne! Hope that this time she’s home to stay!

choicelady : funk – we’ve gotten to the point that civil war re=enactors want live ammo.

MurphTheSurf3 : OH- ALL- Bourne, i.e. Pat, is now home from the hospital. She is much better but still very much on the mend…I thought she might join us tonight but not so…..

choicelady : kes – that’s what has me worried!

funksands : Glenn, that’s a good policy

KillgoreTrout : Great idea funk!

choicelady : Murph – that’s cool because it means something to other sheriffs nearby.

glenn : Funk–heavens no! My policy is if I have to make my point at the point of a gun, then my point is not worth making! I just keep my head down!

AdLib : Sabreen – It’s purposeful, these racist officers and militia types were the ones claiming Obama would betray the country, hand the U.S. over to the Muslims and bring down our society. This was their “brave” reaction to their racist paranoia over a black man being in the most powerful position in the nation.

funksands : Why can’t these guys just join a civil war reenactment troop like everyone else?

kesmarn : I think he means he’s a “pointer,” CL.

MurphTheSurf3 : Choice- I think that our sheriff is committed to keeping HIS county HIS and that means there will be other gravitational wells at work on his watch.

kesmarn : Exactly, KT. Doesn’t sound very “peaceable” to me.

choicelady : funk – AKC certified are you? Well don’t point that dog at us either!

funksands : Glenn are you carrying now??

choicelady : Murph – making funk surrender his firearms lets me know you’re a liberal. Watch your back!

KillgoreTrout : kes, does peaceful assembly include firearms and threats of violence? I guess their pea brains just can’t think that hard.

glenn : Hey Funk–don’t mess with me. I live in GA, and I can carry anywhere! (Except the legislature).

funksands : I’m doing okay, thanks for asking.

choicelady : Hey funk! How are you?

funksands : I am AKC certified I assure you sir…

Sabreen60 : Hi Funk!

kesmarn : Why, yessir, Mr. Funk Sir, and please point that thur weapon in another direction…

choicelady : AdLib – I had liked this SPD detective. I was bitterly disappointed in his reaction to my issues.

MurphTheSurf3 : Funk…sorry, but you will have to surrender your gun at the door….

AdLib : Hey Funk! Now please show your papers and we’ll lower the guns.

choicelady : Murph – I am amazed and relieved at your sheriff’s devotion to law and the constitution!

glenn : The funk is here!

Sabreen60 : AdLib, Isn’t it amazing that the Oath Keepers only became concerned about the Constitution in 2009. Funny they didn’t have a problem with Bush administration shredding the Constitution and codifying torture.

funksands : Howdy everyone? Y’all live in this here county?

AdLib : Murph – You’ve described your Sheriff before as being a solid guy, glad to hear he walks the walk on the Oath Keeper crap as well.

glenn : Murph–your Sheriff sounds like a real law enforcement officer!

kesmarn : This is their claim on their site: “We will NOT obey any orders which infringe on the right of the people to free speech, to peaceably assemble, and to petition their government for a redress of grievances.” Where’s the asterisk that clarifies that they don’t mean Occupy protesters?

MurphTheSurf3 : KT I think about Occupy a lot in this context

glenn : Sabreen–Ohhhh– that one really fries me! How dare he? I don’t care how much you hate this President; he is still the President of the United States of America. How can we expect other countries to respect us, when a Senator has the audacity to call the President of the United States a “scumbag”? What in the hell is wrong with these people? And, of course, if anyone dares to call any right winger a name they deserve, then they get the vapors. (I do love Jon Stewart’s imitation of graham).

AdLib : CL – That’s terrible. We take too much for granted with our law enforcement, many are not there to serve the people, just their own agenda.

KillgoreTrout : Just remember all the nasty and “scary,” things the right said about Occupy Wall St. To my recollection, the OWS crowd wasn’t armed and threatening to shoot US officials.

MurphTheSurf3 : Choice- so frightening….t hat is my worry here….so far my liberalism has not been too much of a problem but I know that oathkeeper types are part of the landscape here as well…..the local sheriff has also made it known that any member of his force who belongs to a militia or is an oathkeeper will be fired.

AdLib : Murph – Though I don’t like seeing these militias continue to control that area, I do agree with the thinking that they will eventually fall apart and leave on their own after infighting and the boredom and discomfort of camping in the NV desert for no reason since the BLM won’t give them the martyrdom they want.

glenn : KT–Spring is here in GA too. We have had temps above 65, but it’s just a tease–because just when we get temps in the 80’s, it drops back down to the 40’s and 50’s, like the beginning of this week. I actually had to turn my heat back on last night. Then, today was absolutely gorgeous! Temps in the low 70’s. I guess that’s spring–I haven’t lived in a four-season climate for so long, I don’t know what it’s supposed to be like. Someone here on the Planet said he’s in PA and they just had snow!

kesmarn : That sounds like the way they’d operate, CL. Everyone has rights — except the left.

Sabreen60 : When you have Lindsey Graham call the people in the WH “scumbags”, what can we expect from people who already hate the government in general and this administration in particular.

choicelady : AdLib – that’s the Oath Keepers OK.

choicelady : All – when a couple of years ago I had real trouble at home with Dominionists stalking me, I made a report to a man once a friend in the Sacramento PD who I knew was a fundamentalist. Well – he’s also an Oath Keeper. He rejected my long, long report of harassment as ‘a soap opera’. He did nothing except tell the leader of the problem I’d done that. To this day I get a daily hang up call at work from them. Nice to know I make them happy…

AdLib : Oath Keepers is an American nonprofit organization[1] that advocates that its members (current and former U.S. military and law enforcement) disobey any orders that they are given if they believe they violate the Constitution of the United States. Organizational history: The Oath Keepers were founded on March 2009 by Stewart Rhodes and incorporated in Las Vegas, Nevada as a non-profit corporation.[3][ 4] Rhodes is a Yale Law School graduate, a former US Army paratrooper, and a former staffer of Congressman Ron Paul.[5] The Oath Keepers as a group have grown to include chapters in many states across America.[6]

MurphTheSurf3 : Ad…they need to distract attention from the growing anger over their presence and the family is facing a lot of criticism about its use of land.

KillgoreTrout : CL, yeah, Spring is definitely here on the Cape. Lots of blooming going on. We still haven’t had temps above 65 yet though.

kesmarn : I wonder if any “Oath Keeper” ever refused to pepper spray or taze an Occupy Wall Street demonstrator. Somehow I think not.

glenn : CL–How can you call yourself a “law enforcement officer” if you pick and choose which laws to obey/enforce? Isn’t that what criminals do? Choose which laws they will obey (or not)?

choicelady : All – you can google them. Here is their site: «link»

MurphTheSurf3 : Choice- Washington would have had something to say about their oath….ready, aim, fire!

pinkpantheroz : grabbing a coffee. back soon.

KillgoreTrout : glenn, glad you made it back to VOX.

AdLib : Murph – What a ridiculous PR stunt, their charges are bogus but I had to laugh at one charge, “Impersonating a police officer.” BLM officers ARE law enforcement…an d militia thugs aren’t.

choicelady : Murph – at the start of Obama’s administration a significant number of law enforcement people signed an ‘oath’ to disobey laws they did not believe in. They don’t care what.

glenn : Murph–good question. Their oath is certainly not to the Constitution!

MurphTheSurf3 : PPO- or Hugh Jackman

choicelady : glenn – I think the NV sheriff is an Oath Keeper, yes.

kesmarn : I think that’s Oath Keepers, glenn.

MurphTheSurf3 : Glenn…that is them…oathkeepe rs…but what oath to who?

pinkpantheroz : Murph, you make me sound like ET! Oh, hang on a min….

choicelady : KT – any signs of Spring on the Cape yet? I was briefly in OH – Akron and Y’town – last week and saw almost NOTHING in bloom yet. Creeped me out on the flight where everything was still winter brown.

glenn : KT–Doing well, and so glad to be back on VOX.

glenn : CL, Murph–Perhaps that sheriff in NV is one of those LEO who only follows the laws he agrees with. Is that the Oath Keepers, or is it some other rwnj organization?

pinkpantheroz : …. and I see that the old Benghazi chestnut has been rolled out again for the umpteenth time. When will they stop flogging that poor creature.

MurphTheSurf3 : PPO our visitor from OZ!

KillgoreTrout : Hey glenn, thanks. How are you?

glenn : Hey PPO

choicelady : Murph – I saw that complaint. Like the Las Vegas sheriff can disarm the BLM people who did NOTHING to them but retaliate against their aggression. These goobers have no clue about the constitution.

glenn : Hey KT–glad to hear you and your mom are doing well.

MurphTheSurf3 : KT- my sheriff ok compared with NV sheriff who has lost control of his own county thanks to the militia…mine did a preemptive intervention.

AdLib : Hey ppo! I yawn at that lame line from the GOP, of course they will always say Obama is weak, they said that even after he ordered the seal team to take the big risk and go into Pakistan to get Bin Laden. Only other RW nutjobs believe their blather.

KillgoreTrout : Hey PPO!

Sabreen60 : Hey PPO!

choicelady : PPO – I’m totally glad to see you AND to agree that PBO’s slow and steady approach to everything is working.

MurphTheSurf3 : Latest on the stuff in NV…filing complaints with the Las Vegas Sheriff against the BLM. «link»

kesmarn : Hey, PPO!

kesmarn : ‘Zactly!

choicelady : kes – seafood diet – all the food I see I eat?

kesmarn : Too much cholesterol in those little guys.

pinkpantheroz : Hi, everybody, just checking in to see how you all are. I do notice that what the GOPTP go feral about with the POTUS as being weak and ineffective, the reality is that his steady, calm and measured approach is producing far better results. Go, Prez!

AdLib : That’s okay, Kes. Just don’t eat up all the Vienna Sausages!

kesmarn : Well…seafood diet and all…

KillgoreTrout : Hey Murph! What’s going on with your sheriff?

choicelady : kes! So THAT is where the shrimp went! I dunno – we may have to talk…

AdLib : CL – Right! That Sheriff is anti-American by empowering these terrorists in their militias. And consider, who else but people who don’t have jobs could stay in NV all this time? So these militia men are the same “takers” their types rail against.

KillgoreTrout : LOL CL. She has a tendency to really over do it sometimes. She’s obstinent. I worry about her having a heart attack. She IS doing great though.

kesmarn : I am, KT. They haven’t tossed me out of the Vox party yet. Even though I did eat all the shrimp cocktail.

choicelady : Murph – the NV sheriff is courting big trouble with his own folks letting all those outside agitators stop and demand ID from local folks. But he made his bed…

MurphTheSurf3 : KT – greetings and salutations

KillgoreTrout : What’s up Homie? Glad you’re still here.

MurphTheSurf3 : Ad- the sheriff in NV…my guess, he is part of those groups in some way and he could not stand up against his own…

choicelady : KT – if she CAN do things, then she is fine! Don’t slow her down – she’ll rust!

Sabreen60 : Yes Murph. I think he knows this is totally unacceptable.

kesmarn : Hey, Homie!

MurphTheSurf3 : Choice- he is an old country boy who got retooled but still carries himself in the old style

KillgoreTrout : Hey CL, doing OK. The mom is doing great. I have to keep telling her to slow down!

choicelady : AdLib – you mean the NV sheriff? He LOVES his militia and hates the feds.

kesmarn : Sabreen, the Prez did give an excellent answer to the botched execution question though. Said that whether or not one believes in the death penalty, its implementation needs to be fair and humane.

AdLib : Hey KT!

AdLib : Murph – Then why did that Sheriff allow the militias to take away his authority without asserting it?

choicelady : Sabreen – I thought PBO was very clear about the OK botched execution and how horrific it was.

Sabreen60 : Hiya KT!

MurphTheSurf3 : Sab – saw the news conference and obama’s answer was sound.

choicelady : Hi KT! How are you and your Mom?

kesmarn : Exactly, CL. Otherwise it’s the “martyr” scenario for the militia, which is not good.

choicelady : Murph – your sheriff rocks! Anyone who tames meth labs is a great guy in MY book!

Sabreen60 : Well we also seem to have reoccurring botched executions in this country. A reporter for Europe (don’t remember which country) asked PBO about the latest horrific attempt of killing an inmate in OK. PBO probably wasn’t expecting the question, because it was a presser with Merkel.

KillgoreTrout : Hey folks, what’s up?

choicelady : kes – the locals ARE bringing pressure, and that’s exactly what needs to happen.

MurphTheSurf3 : ALL..my deputy friend says the Sheriff, who is no spring chicken, and wears a cowboy hat, boots and has two pistols in holsters on a belt is known as a Law and Order man who tamed the meth labs – he wins reelection every time by large margins…he has the popular base to stand up to para-military.

choicelady : glenn – honestly the longer it goes on the better because they’re disintegrating internally. The Oath Keepers left because they feared the Obama drones (not making this up) and the militia guys called them cowards. Now there is internal dissent among the militia guys. LET them fall apart – there is no coherence outside testosterone driven ego. (No anti-male standards here – I know all my men friends are healthy adults.) I think it’s wise to allow this to wither away – and THEN the BLM moves in!

AdLib : Kes – This is all about a weak and spineless Sheriff in that county, who allowed the militias to take his authority. He needs to step up and take it back.

glenn : BRB

kesmarn : It’s hard to imagine that the citizens who are being stopped at the check points are going to take all this lying down for too much longer. Surely they’ll put pressure on local officials if it keeps up?

choicelady : Murph – wow. That’s cool of your sheriff! Oath Keepers are law enforcement personnel who have sworn to disobey orders they don’t like. That means their retreat in NV is GOOD since they have been dissed by people with NO respect for the law. Maybe the local folks will turn on the militia AND the sheriff who is a lunatic. They need to take care of their own business first.

AdLib : Murph – It actually sounds very smart and tactical. Look what’s happened in this case where the local NV sheriff let the Militia get embedded with power. He’s too afraid now to take back his power.

glenn : Murph–Sounds like you have a good sheriff. The one in the idiot rancher’s county was ordered (by the idiot rancher) to disarm the BLM officers, and he stood there like a coward and took it! Arrest that SOB–I truly hope the BLM has some kind of strategy here. This is getting out of hand and the longer it goes on, the more “brave” those “patriots” get.

AdLib : glenn – The government is afraid of allowing them the opportunity for them to have a shootout with them and acting like martyrs against an oppressive, evil government. They aren’t done but they are waiting them out to avoid bloodshed. Though I think the local Sheriff needs to step in and act like a Sheriff.

choicelady : glenn – this president will do whatever he must but won’t shed blood and start off another ‘Ruby Rige-Waco’ set of reactions. Slow and steady wins the race. The people of the area will have to get local help FIRST, then we will see.

MurphTheSurf3 : Choice I will be so interested in what you are doing. I have seen some of these homeless villages in news features….huge investment.

Sabreen60 : AdLib, I agree. I don’t know what the feds can do. But as I said, don’t expect much if anything from the Governor.

MurphTheSurf3 : Ad…the sheriff in my county in Mo. made a “good will” tour to all of the militia groups that hang out in my part of the world….I heard from a deputy that it was seven groups. His good will was to tell them that HE was the law in HIS county and that he would need act using whatever force was needed if he believed they were a threat to public order. His visits were with a special tactical car and officers in combat gear. Seemed a bit dicey to me but my deputy friend said the sheriff knows his thugs and any weakness leads to first order Crazy!

AdLib : Sabreen – Yes it is open carry in NV. But it’s not legal to impersonate law enforcement, to keep people in or out of anywhere public against their will, plenty of crimes going on here…not to mention assault and threatening murder of government officials. These militia scum need to be put in the jail cells occupied by now by those arrested for possessing marijuana.

glenn : Ad–I agree. I can’t understand why the federal government doesn’t go in with the National Guard. I don’t care how many “patriots” complain–the idiot rancher and his “militia men” are breaking the freakin’ law!

choicelady : glenn – that’s entirely what THEY think he should do, yes! Uppity would be the word, right?

choicelady : AdLib – thank you!

glenn : CL–You’re right–I didn’t even think of that. I mean, I thought he was in danger because he’s opposing them, but I didn’t even think how his race would set them off even more. Shouldn’t he be picking cotton or something?

choicelady : Murph – I’m just getting up to speed on efforts around the nation for the homeless to have a location to call their own. Here the City Council is demanding permanent not tent shelters – like we have the money for that when they pony up NOTHING. But still- it’s a beginning around which we can negotiate. They have not tangled yet with The Churchlady aka choicelady.

Sabreen60 : AdLib – Does NV have an open carry law?

AdLib : CL and Murph – Will do!

AdLib : glenn – Saw that too on Maddow but isn’t it an outrage that militias can invade and take over any community in this country. Is this Afghanistan or Ukraine or what? Feds are smart not to get in a firefight but they should be using a strategy to get them out of there.

MurphTheSurf3 : Choice and Ad Lib By all means share my e mail. I know nothing about this…nothing.. .

choicelady : glenn – scared the bezeezus out of me that state senator is BLACK – I wrote him and told him to be careful! He’s taking his life in his hands opposing them! I’m seriously worried about his well being.

choicelady : Murph – have AdLib link us, and I will send you info on exactly that. Our attorney (meaning the one who champions the homeless) knows of other efforts to do that including his own. Today thru Sunday he has a permitted ‘stake down’ on his own property, and we’re working to get an abandoned park as part of a permanent location.

glenn : Ad and CL–saw the state senator from that district on Rachel Maddow last night. He’s trying to get all elected officials in the state to get those people out of there!

AdLib : glenn – And they’d have a hard time figuring out which of them is compensating most for the littlest dick.

AdLib : cl – Exactly! Nutjobs from other states are telling people in NV where they can go in their state? I appreciate that the Feds want them to give up and go on their own, instead of giving them the gunfight they want but it is frustrating to see them in essence setting up a Talibanesque type region in America.

kesmarn : CL, I’m sure the police just LOVE the caller who bothers them 20-30 times a day about the homeless…becau se we all know they have nothing else to do.

glenn : Ad–Groups of gunmen who can decide where you can and can’t go in the country, but can’t decide among themselves who is the biggest dick!

choicelady : Sabreen – then I will send you a private message. Cool – it will be fun to talk in more than 140 characters!

MurphTheSurf3 : Choice- have you or someone else written about your efforts? There is farmer in next count who is talking about creating a homestead for the homeless as he calls it. I just heard of this.

choicelady : glenn – LOL!! But they, of course, are sent by God…

Sabreen60 : CL, I’m already following you.

glenn : CL–I know, I was being sarcastic–it doesn’t come across well in print.

choicelady : Sabreen – I will send you my email then!

kesmarn : How can folks tsk-tsk about urban gangs armed and shooting at each other when these militia guys are doing a rural version of the same (or worse) behavior?

choicelady : glenn – NONE of the militia are local!!!

choicelady : kes – we have our bulldog attorney writing one woman a letter on a ‘cease and desist’ standard since she calls phony complaints 20-30 times a DAY. The cops should arrest HER.

glenn : CL–I’d like to see the militia men’s ID’s–to see whether or not THEY live in Bunkerville!

AdLib : Any chance we can get a military transport to scoop up the militias and drop them off in Eastern Ukraine? They want to fight for freedom? Go for it!

Sabreen60 : CL, If I’m not following you, I most certainly will. In fact, I’ll do it now.

choicelady : glenn – OUTSIDERS? We freaking PAY for those roads!

kesmarn : That sounds like a great plan, CL. One of the worst parts of homelessness has to be being chased from one place to another.

AdLib : glenn – Yep, that’s the freedom that militias are fighting for, an America where groups of gunmen decide where you can and can’t go in the country.

choicelady : Sabreen – my bio is zany. I’ll tell you sometime. If you follow me on Twitter, I can send you my email in a private message. Churchlady320 is the handle now. My other account bot permanently zapped by the RWNJs.

Sabreen60 : glenn, I don’t suppose we can expect much help from the Governor since he called Bundy a patriot.

glenn : Ad–And that the militia men are keeping the “outsiders” from using the highways!

AdLib : It is kind of absurd that the Oath Keepers were complaining about other militias pointing guns at them. Only they get to point guns at people!

choicelady : kes – most of them have gotten along pretty OK without us, but we know we have money to spare and do what we can. We’re going tomorrow to an encampment to meet with others to see what we can do to provide permanent ‘safe ground’ for them.

glenn : Sabreen–not only are the militia men in NV pulling weapons on each other–they’re going on youtube and complaining about each other. But, don’t worry, they’re “monitoring” the public roads and making sure no “outsiders” get in. If those people had half a brain cell between them, I’d be shocked. And, the idiot rancher is going to file criminal charges against the BLM! I guess it’s okay to file criminal charges if you lose in court. IOIYAR!

kesmarn : CL, that is really just so wonderful. What would they do without you?

Sabreen60 : Murph, CL Some day I’d like to read your bios.

choicelady : Sabreen – I have to admit I’m lovin’ seeing the Oath Keepers and Militia zealots having at each other. But I suspect the good people of that area will be electing another sheriff since their won’t stop the zanys from stopping cars and demanding ID. HORRIBLE!

MurphTheSurf3 : Choice- you do such good work and you do it for all of the right reasons.

kesmarn : Are they really, Sabreen? I also heard that the Nevada militia guys have set up check points on highway intersections and quizzing people about who they are and what they’re doing there.

choicelady : kes – thank you, but I did not set out to do this. They just kind of show up. After Preston died in March it became essential we do more. I was sort of relieved when he died – he was so sick and would not seek help nor was it offered. I did what I could, but he was on the way out in so many ways, vastly different from the robust man I once knew. Now we are very involved – how can we not be? They are our neighbors, with or without an address.

MurphTheSurf3 : Sab- I use 2nd Hand Lions in film appreciation groups regularly.

Sabreen60 : CL, I think it was a “sleeper”. BTW, I heard the “militia men” in Nevada are pulling their weapons on each other.

glenn : Ad–my last post wasn’t very clear–I was talking about the unemployment numbers.

MurphTheSurf3 : Choice- like so many his looks faded, he gained a lot of weight, drinking and drugs, and too much money…

glenn : Ad–I remember when the republicans were moaning about President Obama “cooking” the numbers and someone brought it up that since regan, the government has always had two numbers. And guess which number the repubs were using against President Obama?

choicelady : Hi Sabreen – I’ve seen Second Hand Lions and loved it!

choicelady : glenn – unless you’re into “Jesus with an AK 47” as Dominionists are, carrying weapons into church is very much a no no.

kesmarn : CL, a bit of a change of topic, but I just have to say kudos to you for the work that you’ve done in your neighborhood for the homeless. I was reading your comments on Nirek’s post and was so touched at all you’ve done to help.

Sabreen60 : Murph, I thought I was the only person to have seen Second Hand Lions. I really enjoyed that movie.

choicelady : Murph – Oh – I did see Second Hand Lions and liked it a lot and liked him, too. Sorry to hear he’s on the skids.

glenn : CL–I haven’t been to a church in years–but doesn’t carrying a gun in church kind of negate the “god/jesus is love” thingy?

choicelady : Murph – I’ve paid NO attention to Haley Joel since he was about 9.

choicelady : AdLib – yes, Reagan jiggered the basic figures, but we always have known the ‘discouraged worker’ was accurate, and raised the level. But if you’re counting ONE standard for Reagan that same standard has to apply to Obama. He has not fiddled the numbers.

MurphTheSurf3 : Choice- he was quite good in Secondhand Lions as a teen, but he fell off the edge after that…

choicelady : Murph – yup. That’s about when I remember his being wonderful. I’ve not seen him much since then.

AdLib : CL – I remember Reagan changing unemployment figures to make them dishonestly lower. One tactic was changing things so any military who come home and are unemployed are not counted as unemployed. That alone wipes out a lot of people being counted. And removing those whose unemployment runs out? How does that have anything to do with being unemployed?

choicelady : glenn and kes – the ‘god on your side’ armed types do NOT know what they’re talking about. To see churches demand they NOT carry in church will piss the RWNJs off full tilt. I fear for Catholics coming OUT of services.

kesmarn : Good to hear it, Murph! And I meant to say “Howdy” back to you, AdLib!

MurphTheSurf3 : choice- Haley was a cute kid and a rather sad looking and acting young adult….hit his peak at 9.

kesmarn : Wasn’t there a scene in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” where he ran into the Catholic church yelling “Sanctuary!!!” We might be back to those days.

choicelady : Murph – or do you mean IN the film? Yes – that was what broke my heart.

glenn : Kes–that’s funny. Now you have to pray you live through the Sunday services. Of course, all of those people have “god on their side”, don’t they?

MurphTheSurf3 : Kes- doing fine healthwise and farmwise

choicelady : Murph – LOL!!! I’ve not followed Haley Joel. He sure was good as a kid actor. Don’t burst my bubble here!

choicelady : glenn – I see trouble for the Catholics. Remember them good ol’ boys in the KKK were anti Catholic, too. Now he’s gone and pissed them off about church. Yikes.

MurphTheSurf3 : Choice- the real horror in AI is how Haley Joel Osment turned out

kesmarn : Hey, Murph! How are you?

MurphTheSurf3 : Hi Kes

kesmarn : He might get a lot of Catholic converts that way, glenn. Sad that the big attraction is that you might live through the services on Sunday.

choicelady : kes – Yup. It’s all they have left. Ben Gay Zee.

choicelady : Murph – since Reagan I’ve known there are two rates: the official one that reflects people on UI and the REAL rate. If we’d looked at the second under Reagan, it was around 20% or more. But all I ask is that everyone uses the same scale and doesn’t change horses in midstream.

glenn : Kes–so far, I’ve been able to dodge the bullets. I think I’ll just hang around the legislature–gun s aren’t allowed there. Also, the head of the Catholic diocese here says he won’t allow guns in Catholic churches.

kesmarn : Hi, CL! Glad you liked the punny, but Boehner really is pandering to the Ben-Gay constituency.

MurphTheSurf3 : Hi Sabreen

choicelady : Murph – heard good things about Godzilla and will follow up on your recommendations. I’ve never recovered from the horror of “AI – Artificial Intelligence” that I thought not only hideously too long but incredibly depressing. I am NOT a fan of dystopian visions. Life sucks now.

MurphTheSurf3 : Glenn…I have engaged Choice on the participation rate…disturbs me mightily…what ‘s the real unemployment rate? We better get real about this AND add in that pay continues to fall behind.

AdLib : Nice Groucho pick, CL!

kesmarn : Doing well, glenn, and how about you there in pistol-packin’ GA?

glenn : Evening, Sabreen

AdLib : Hey Sabreen!

AdLib : Evening Kes!

choicelady : kes – THAT is PERFECT! Ben Gay Zee. LOVE it!

glenn : Hey Kes–good one! How are you?

MurphTheSurf3 : Choice- Saw Machine, Transcendence lately. Seeing Spiderman tomorrow. X Men, Godzilla and more to come. It’s ALL so deliciously low brow.

kesmarn : Hey, Sabreen!

choicelady : About wage slaves – greatest Groucho of all: «link»

Sabreen60 : Hello folks!

kesmarn : Good Friday evening, friends! Seems that Agent Orange Boehner’s drug of choice this week is Ben-Gay. Zee.

glenn : CL–Exactly. It’s why the republicans/tpar tiers hate Obamacare.

AdLib : glenn – SOme of those leaving the workforce are Baby Boomers retiring.

choicelady : glenn – THAT kind of drop out is GOOD! I’m happy when people don’t have to be wage slaves for health care.

choicelady : AdLib – honey, most 10-year-olds look me in the eye. That is probably about her age if I recall, but it’s not hard given how short I am!

glenn : Murph–glad to hear that you’re doing well. So…what do you think of the growing number who have dropped out of the work force? I read an article in either crooksandliars or dailykos that talks about two of those people who dropped out because of Obamacare. One is going to open his own business now that he doesn’t have to depend on his employer for insurance, and the other is going to retire early.

MurphTheSurf3 : Choice. How do you see the Part Rate and UI connected…? More jobs this month but more dropping out of looking….what is the real unemployment rate.

AdLib : CL – She’d look you in the eye today! Very tall for her age!

choicelady : Murph – what sci-fi are you watching? My husband loves it, but I can’t tell good from bad.

choicelady : Murph – you are ALWAYS in our hearts! Since we don’t know exactly where you are, we will worry whenever something bad happens in MO.

AdLib : Cheers Murph, glad you’re okay!

AdLib : glenn – Very cool!

MurphTheSurf3 : Glenn- doing fine. Weather here, which is very important for a farmer, has been cooperative, health ok, politics interesting and lots of sci fi in the theaters to keep me entertained.

choicelady : glenn – I’m pretty OK. Life is very busy, but it’s interesting, so I can’t complain. I just would love an end to allergy season!

choicelady : AdLib – she is growing up, isn’t she? Not a little kid anymore!

MurphTheSurf3 : Public salute to Choice and Ad for their concern for me in fear that I would be “Dorothy” heading off to Oz – no tornadoes in my alley but I appreciated the attention.

glenn : Hi Choice Lady–how are you?

choicelady : glenn – kudos on your soccer star’s victories and on her sister’s MA!

AdLib : All is well my way. Busy softball weekend coming up for the not-so-little one.

glenn : Hey Murph–I’m so glad to be back! How are you doing?

choicelady : Murph – I’m not sure the ‘participation rate’ means anything since UI was cut. I know people still looking for ANYTHING UI or no UI.

glenn : Ad–My soccer star is great, thanks. She had four games last weekend. Won 3, lost 1. None this weekend because she’s down in Florida with her mom and big sisters celebrating her oldest sister’s master’s degree graduation.

MurphTheSurf3 : Greetings Choice

choicelady : Pretty well, AdLib. How are you and yours?

MurphTheSurf3 : Ad- on my list for discussion tonight is the issue of the “participation rate”- the growing number who have dropped out of the work world….92 million per the BLS today…

AdLib : Choicelady! How are ya?

glenn : Ad–I know it started with regan–“the government is your enemy” meme, but how in the world did we get to this place where a United States Senator can call the people in the White House “scum”? I really think republicans/tpar tiers have become so emboldened because they’ve gotten away with this crap for so long that they just don’t think any more. Or care, for that matter.

choicelady : Hi everyone – hi Murph just saw you. Hope everyone is well?

AdLib : Hey Murph!!!

MurphTheSurf3 : Glenn! So good to see you here…..missed you of late. Georgia has been much in the news….

AdLib : All is well with me, thanks glenn! How’s your soccer star?

MurphTheSurf3 : Hi all.

glenn : Ad–So, I forgot to ask before I got all wound up about politics–how are you? Everything okay in your world?

AdLib : Exactly! When the unemployment numbers or Obamacare signup numbers were bad, the Repubs shoved those numbers in America’s face but after Obamacare met its goal and now has over 10 million (8 million in exchanges) signed up and the unemployment figures dropped, the nutjobs on the right claim the numbers are phony. So numbers are only legit when they say something bad about your adversary.

AdLib : glenn – The assumption about midterm elections is that it’s all about getting out more of your base than the opponent. They’re not trying to win swing voters, who don’t vote as much in midterms, they want to whip up their voters so they get out and vote. Thus, all the red meat and wild eyed conspiracies. They need to get the loony Repub voter out to vote.

glenn : Ad–They don’t believe in the law. Ain’t that the truth. They are a bunch of whiny losers. The courts are fine when they find people like Zimmerman and that old man who shot the “loud music” teenager not guilty. But, when the courts find a man who actually executed two teenagers, and videotaped it, guilty, then the courts are not so good. Or, when the idiot rancher loses for 20 years in court, then that’s not okay. I don’t understand how republicans/tpar tiers get to pick and choose what laws they want to follow.

glenn : Ad–I just don’t get it–the whole Benghazi thing. Sure, the people who hate the President are not going to vote for him. But don’t republicans/tpar tiers understand that the way to win elections is to get people from the other side of the aisle to vote for you? That if they’d come up with some good policy(ies) that perhaps some Democrats would vote for them. I just don’t understand how they think trashing everything Democrats and/or the President do(es) is going to win elections.

AdLib : glenn – What seems clear is that Republicans only believe in American Democracy if they win elections or court decisions. If they lose, they yell “Secession!” or brand government an enemy, they try to impeach, they refuse to follow the law, on and on. They don’t truly believe in democracy.

AdLib : As for your question about which is the distraction, what if we just use the term, “Obamaghazi” for everything?

AdLib : glenn – That’s about the size of it. And the sad thing is that too many Americans are ignorant about what’s going on. The Repubs should be in the minority by far yet those poor citizens out there who can’t be bothered to know what’s going on in our democracy are part of the problem.

glenn : Ad–What is it with republicans and impeachment? I can NOT believe that a judge would be so afraid of a phony impeachment that s/he (don’t know which gender the judge is) would abandon his/her principles. That boggles my mind almost as much as the female republican governor, who I’m sure is a staunch opponent of abortion, threatening judges to make sure the execution took place.

AdLib : glenn – Benghazi is plainly all about whipping up the appearance of a wrong that doesn’t exist. The Repubs consciously avoid the truth and asserting what the crime was because they know it’s all a fraud. Repubs have no conscience over seeking power and money, they just don’t care that they are lying about this, winning elections is all that matters, the means justify the ends.

glenn : Ad–It seems to me that the Dems keep talking about solving problems, and the republicans/tpar tiers keep saying no. And keep trying to make Obamacare look bad, and they’re having a really difficult time of it. I’m also trying to figure out–is Benghazi a distraction from Obamacare or is Obamacare a distraction from Benghazi?

AdLib : glenn – It is horrific and I have suspicions that they may have done something wrong while that curtain was down…like smother him. How can you trust them when they hijacked our democracy to force the execution in the first place? And hid details about the drugs used?

glenn : Ad–So, IOW, you don’t know what the hell they’re talking about, either.

AdLib : glenn – The one question I would like to ask Boehner or Issa point blank is, “What crime was covered up?” They can’t answer that.

glenn : Ad–Rachel Maddow has done her usual thorough job of reporting on the botched execution. I watched it last night and the night before, and she really covered it well. Have you seen anything from the executed prisoner’s family? What a nightmare that must have been for them.

AdLib : glenn – I wonder if this might be a real good thing for Dems. The more the Repubs rant about Benghazi while Dems fight for causes people support, they look crazy and Dems look responsible. And they’ll never convince any non-Benghazi loony that there is anything to it.

glenn : Funny we are asking each other the same question. And, I think we should discuss all of them. After all, we aren’t republicans/tpar tiers–we can focus on more than one thing at a time.

glenn : Ad–Don’t I just! So…what do you think of the latest Benghazi Boehner? Seriously, can you explain to me what the “scandal” about Benghazi actually is?

AdLib : So what do you think is the top story of the week. Sterling and The Clippers, Ukraine, Minimum wage block, Benghazi fever, botched execution or something else?

AdLib : Same here!

glenn : Ad–whatever you say. I’m just happy it works.

AdLib : You must have at least $1.80 saved up in comments by now!

AdLib : So, it’s definitely a privacy/security /cookie setting in your Internet Explorer that is preventing the site from storing cookies on it.

glenn : Ad–Hah–Thanks, sounds good to me. I’m really glad to be back! It was extremely frustrating to read all the comments, and not be able to put in my “2 cents worth”.

AdLib : So glad to see you back!

AdLib : It’s “glenn”!

glenn : Hey Ad–what’s the word of the week?

AdLib : Glad to see you back on Vox, glenn!!!

AdLib : Woo hoo!!!

glenn : Yea! I did it! I’ll chat with you later.

glenn : just testing

AdLib : Vox Populi, our live chat about the week’s events begins tonight at 7 pm PST! While Republicans spend the night with Tourette Syndrome blurting out “Benghazi!” uncontrollably, we’ll be here having another fun and engaging conversation about things that actually happened this week. Hope to see you then!