Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:
No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
Times and dates in your local timezone.
Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.
If you are already a member then feel free to login now.
I read his statement before he went back to his business in the Senate. He recognizes he has no shot, but just wants to get people talking about issues he is passionate about. I can respect that.
Anyone heard if Klobuchar is on HRC's VP radar?
Support Blood and Spectacles Publishing:
https://www.patreon.com/Bloodandspectaclespublishing
Slightly OT, but I thought you Americans should know that Joe Biden and Sarah Palin are no longer the biggest idiots in the world anymore
That honour now goes to a British politician.
This weekend, Ed Miliband, the Labour leader (similar to democrats) decided to be pictured next to a tombstone...four days from the tightest election in Britain for 35 years.
His advisors begged him not to do it - it would be easy ammunition for his opponent, Prime Minister David Cameron, to associate Ed's policies with death and failure for the UK, should he win on Thursday.
Ed agreed. I won't stand next to a normal tombstone, I'll stand next to a GIANT tombstone
Predictably, his opponents have used the newspapers to make him look like an idiot, social media has parodied his tombstone picture with photoshop, and he's gone backwards in the polls....because for some strange reason, people symbolise tombstones with death. And death never won you an election...
"Our crops will wither, our children will die piteous
deaths and the sun will be swept from the sky. But is it true?" - Tom Kirby, CEO, Games Workshop Ltd
Former Republican State Representative Todd Smith explained the issue quite well;
“Your letter pandering to idiots… has left me livid. I am horrified that I have to choose between the possibility that my Governor actually believes this stuff and the possibility that my Governor doesn’t have the backbone to stand up to those who do.”
Anyhow, on actual level, measured by how much this affects the lives of anyone, well it doesn’t affect anything, at all. But this matters because it shows quite clearly the point I’ve been making for a while now – that while both sides of politics have their fair share of lunatics, in the last couple of decades the rightwing lunatics have steadily grown in power within the Republican party.
Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote: Sorry to derail the current mood of the discussion, but I just seen something AMAZING in the world of politics today.
As you know, it's election time in the UK and people are running for office.
Imagine my surprise when I seen one of the candidates TALKING to normal people in the STREET. The street!
I don’t think it has anything to do with politicians being lazy. Even if we accept that they’re lazy, they’re certainly no more lazy than they have been in the past.
I think it’s more that over a long period of time meet & greet has been found to be more trouble than it’s worth. It’s exhausting and time consuming, and the best case scenario you’re winning over maybe a dozen votes in an hour. Worst case scenario you get some clever/angry person yell at you, and that gets caught on tape and seen by thousands, maybe millions if it’s funny enough for tv to pick it up.
If politicians are actually going back to meet & greets in this UK election that is interesting. I suspect it’s probably a sign that more common methods of electioneering aren’t working, and facing an election where no-one has much public approval, maybe they’re willing to try old methods?
“We may observe that the government in a civilized country is much more expensive than in a barbarous one; and when we say that one government is more expensive than another, it is the same as if we said that that one country is farther advanced in improvement than another. To say that the government is expensive and the people not oppressed is to say that the people are rich.”
Adam Smith, who must have been some kind of leftie or something.
Co'tor Shas wrote: I'm conflicted as to whether that is depressing or hilarious....
Is this guy just normally nuts, or is this irregular for him?
He's a politician in a state where fear of the federal government by certain segments of society is palpable. The rest of us view these people as the crazy uncle that...no one turns their back on.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2015/05/04 12:32:36
-"Wait a minute.....who is that Frazz is talking to in the gallery? Hmmm something is going on here.....Oh.... it seems there is some dispute over video taping of some sort......Frazz is really upset now..........wait a minute......whats he go there.......is it? Can it be?....Frazz has just unleashed his hidden weiner dog from his mini bag, while quoting shakespeares "Let slip the dogs the war!!" GG
-"Don't mind Frazzled. He's just Dakka's crazy old dude locked in the attic. He's harmless. Mostly."
-TBone the Magnificent 1999-2014, Long Live the King!
Proud Member of the Infidels of OIF/OEF
No longer defending the US Military or US Gov't. Just going to ""**feed into your fears**"" with Duffel Blog Did not fight my way up on top the food chain to become a Vegan...
Warning: Stupid Allergy
Once you pull the pin, Mr. Grenade is no longer your friend
DE 6700
Harlequin 2500
RIP Muhammad Ali.
Jihadin, Scorched Earth 791. Leader of the Pork Eating Crusader. Alpha
The former CEO of Hewlett-Packard. During her tenure of CEO, HP's market value was halved and the company laid off tons of employees.
d-usa wrote: "When the Internet sends its people, they're not sending their best. They're not sending you. They're not sending you. They're sending posters that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems with us. They're bringing strawmen. They're bringing spam. They're trolls. And some, I assume, are good people."
The neutron bomb of computer makers. When she strikes no one is left alive but the buildings are intact.
-"Wait a minute.....who is that Frazz is talking to in the gallery? Hmmm something is going on here.....Oh.... it seems there is some dispute over video taping of some sort......Frazz is really upset now..........wait a minute......whats he go there.......is it? Can it be?....Frazz has just unleashed his hidden weiner dog from his mini bag, while quoting shakespeares "Let slip the dogs the war!!" GG
-"Don't mind Frazzled. He's just Dakka's crazy old dude locked in the attic. He's harmless. Mostly."
-TBone the Magnificent 1999-2014, Long Live the King!
The neutron bomb of computer makers. When she strikes no one is left alive but the buildings are intact.
Pretty good show.....Life after Humans
Proud Member of the Infidels of OIF/OEF
No longer defending the US Military or US Gov't. Just going to ""**feed into your fears**"" with Duffel Blog Did not fight my way up on top the food chain to become a Vegan...
Warning: Stupid Allergy
Once you pull the pin, Mr. Grenade is no longer your friend
DE 6700
Harlequin 2500
RIP Muhammad Ali.
Jihadin, Scorched Earth 791. Leader of the Pork Eating Crusader. Alpha
Well, the board asked her to step down and then she resigned shortly afterward. That's about as close as a CEO can be to getting "fired" I suppose.
d-usa wrote: "When the Internet sends its people, they're not sending their best. They're not sending you. They're not sending you. They're sending posters that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems with us. They're bringing strawmen. They're bringing spam. They're trolls. And some, I assume, are good people."
ScootyPuffJunior wrote: The former CEO of Hewlett-Packard. During her tenure of CEO, HP's market value was halved and the company laid off tons of employees.
The damage has already been done to the economy. We're looking for someone to get us back on track, not sink us further
Frazzled wrote: He's a politician in a state where fear of the federal government by certain segments of society is palpable. The rest of us view these people as the crazy uncle that...no one turns their back on.
Sure, and it’s worth pointing that almost every place on earth has people at least as crazy as these guys. What’s remarkable is that the single most senior politician in one of the major parties either agrees with them, or is pandering to them.
It gets back to the point I’ve been making for, well, a long time now – something weird has been bubbling up through the grassroots of the Republican party, and it’s now affected major leadership positions in the party. Pandering to this Jade Helm conspiracy silliness is mostly just funny and harmless, but it’s the latest in a long line of behaviour through the Republican party.
The Birther thing is probably the best example – while few Republicans claimed they outright believed that insanity, plenty were happy to say it included questions Obama needed to answer, and not many actually distanced themselves from it. Obamacare death panels is another example on similar lines. And there’s plenty of mundane examples as well – when Republican claims about QE and hyperinflation didn’t eventuate at all, instead of admitting error or even just moving on to other issues, Republicans claimed the inflation figures were somehow false.
There is a growing trend in the Republican party that stories are accepted based on whether they suit the narrative, not on whether they have anything to do with reality.
“We may observe that the government in a civilized country is much more expensive than in a barbarous one; and when we say that one government is more expensive than another, it is the same as if we said that that one country is farther advanced in improvement than another. To say that the government is expensive and the people not oppressed is to say that the people are rich.”
Adam Smith, who must have been some kind of leftie or something.
Sure, and it’s worth pointing that almost every place on earth has people at least as crazy as these guys. What’s remarkable is that the single most senior politician in one of the major parties either agrees with them, or is pandering to them.
Wait a politician pandering to the fringe elements in his party, when he's in a one party state? I'm shocked, just shocked there's gambling going on here.
-"Wait a minute.....who is that Frazz is talking to in the gallery? Hmmm something is going on here.....Oh.... it seems there is some dispute over video taping of some sort......Frazz is really upset now..........wait a minute......whats he go there.......is it? Can it be?....Frazz has just unleashed his hidden weiner dog from his mini bag, while quoting shakespeares "Let slip the dogs the war!!" GG
-"Don't mind Frazzled. He's just Dakka's crazy old dude locked in the attic. He's harmless. Mostly."
-TBone the Magnificent 1999-2014, Long Live the King!
Except Texas isn't the one party state it used to be. We're slowly turning purple, from what I hear from all the political analysts after the last few elections.
"Through the darkness of future past, the magician longs to see.
One chants out between two worlds: Fire, walk with me." - Twin Peaks
"You listen to me. While I will admit to a certain cynicism, the fact is that I am a naysayer and hatchetman in the fight against violence. I pride myself in taking a punch and I'll gladly take another because I choose to live my life in the company of Gandhi and King. My concerns are global. I reject absolutely revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method... is love. I love you Sheriff Truman." - Twin Peaks
Tannhauser42 wrote: Except Texas isn't the one party state it used to be. We're slowly turning purple, from what I hear from all the political analysts after the last few elections.
Mmm, lefty fantasy there. Wendy Davis was curbstomped like a cat at a pitbull convention in the last election. Do they even have any elected candidates any more?
mind you I don't like a one party state, either left or right. Hated it in California. hate it here. On the positive it allows me to vote for the full panopoly of candidates, free from the worry that my decision will have any impact whatsoever...
Green Party? Yes! Libertarian? Can I get a whoop whoop! Kinky Friedman for Governor? Why the Hell Not!
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2015/05/05 13:36:41
-"Wait a minute.....who is that Frazz is talking to in the gallery? Hmmm something is going on here.....Oh.... it seems there is some dispute over video taping of some sort......Frazz is really upset now..........wait a minute......whats he go there.......is it? Can it be?....Frazz has just unleashed his hidden weiner dog from his mini bag, while quoting shakespeares "Let slip the dogs the war!!" GG
-"Don't mind Frazzled. He's just Dakka's crazy old dude locked in the attic. He's harmless. Mostly."
-TBone the Magnificent 1999-2014, Long Live the King!
Frazzled wrote: Wait a politician pandering to the fringe elements in his party, when he's in a one party state? I'm shocked, just shocked there's gambling going on here.
It is a fair point, but there’s pandering, and there’s this pandering to complete lunatics. It wouldn’t be out of the blue for a California governor to make noise about a stupidly high national minimum wage, for instance, but it’d be another thing entirely for a California governor to demand come down in support of the 9/11 Truthers.
This Jade Helm nonsense is probably even sillier than the 9/11 Truther stuff, and yet no-one barely bats an eyelid when a freaking governor takes it at face value.
The standards expected of Republicans right now are amazing.
“We may observe that the government in a civilized country is much more expensive than in a barbarous one; and when we say that one government is more expensive than another, it is the same as if we said that that one country is farther advanced in improvement than another. To say that the government is expensive and the people not oppressed is to say that the people are rich.”
Adam Smith, who must have been some kind of leftie or something.
I wonder what happened to all the libertarians that used to be part of the Republican party? Hell, even Goldwater was one...
"Our crops will wither, our children will die piteous
deaths and the sun will be swept from the sky. But is it true?" - Tom Kirby, CEO, Games Workshop Ltd
Frazzled wrote: Wait a politician pandering to the fringe elements in his party, when he's in a one party state? I'm shocked, just shocked there's gambling going on here.
It is a fair point, but there’s pandering, and there’s this pandering to complete lunatics. It wouldn’t be out of the blue for a California governor to make noise about a stupidly high national minimum wage, for instance, but it’d be another thing entirely for a California governor to demand come down in support of the 9/11 Truthers.
This Jade Helm nonsense is probably even sillier than the 9/11 Truther stuff, and yet no-one barely bats an eyelid when a freaking governor takes it at face value.
The standards expected of Republicans right now are amazing.
No there all out there supporting the latest riot movement and calling Baltimore racism.
-"Wait a minute.....who is that Frazz is talking to in the gallery? Hmmm something is going on here.....Oh.... it seems there is some dispute over video taping of some sort......Frazz is really upset now..........wait a minute......whats he go there.......is it? Can it be?....Frazz has just unleashed his hidden weiner dog from his mini bag, while quoting shakespeares "Let slip the dogs the war!!" GG
-"Don't mind Frazzled. He's just Dakka's crazy old dude locked in the attic. He's harmless. Mostly."
-TBone the Magnificent 1999-2014, Long Live the King!
An aide to state Atty. Gen. Kamala D. Harris and two others are accused of operating a rogue police force that claimed to exist for more than 3,000 years and have jurisdiction in 33 states and Mexico, authorities said Tuesday.
Brandon Kiel, David Henry and Tonette Hayes were arrested last week on suspicion of impersonating a police officer through their roles in the Masonic Fraternal Police Department, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Kiel, 31, has worked as the deputy director of community affairs at the California Department of Justice. An office spokesman declined to comment on the criminal investigation but said Kiel is on administrative leave.
Brandon Kiel’s official job title is Information Officer I, Specialist, making him a low-level aide. He was hired on July 24, 2013 and his current salary rate is $5,618 monthly, according to John Hill, a spokesman for the state controller’s office.
The arrest of Kiel is a potential embarrassment to Harris, a U.S. Senate candidate who often refers to herself as California’s “top cop.” But given Kiel’s junior role on her staff, his arrest is unlikely to inflict serious political damage on Harris.
Harris, a Democrat, is a former San Francisco district attorney who was reelected as attorney general in November.
Suspicions about the Masonic Fraternal Police Department -- whose members trace their origins to the Knights Templar -- were aroused when various police chiefs in Southern California received a letter in late January that announced new leadership for the group, sheriff’s officials said.
After the letters were mailed, a man claiming to be Kiel and describing himself as the police force’s “chief deputy director” called various law enforcement agencies to schedule in-person meetings, sheriff’s officials said.
Sheriff’s Capt. Roosevelt Johnson, who heads the department’s Santa Clarita Valley station, met with members of the group and became wary after they could not provide rudimentary information about the group’s aims, the officials said.
A website identifying itself as the police force's official site describes what makes the group unique: "When asked what is the difference between the Masonic Fraternal Police Department and other Police Departments the answer is simple for us. We were here first!"
The website adds: "We are born into this Organization our bloodlines go deeper then an application. This is more then a job it is an obligation."
Following an investigation, officials said, sheriff’s investigators searched two sites in Santa Clarita and found badges, weapons, uniforms and law enforcement paraphernalia.
The three were arrested Thursday and released later that day, according to jail records.
In addition to the accusation of impersonating an officer, investigators also allege Henry committed perjury under oath. Kiel is accused of misusing his government identification.
Jasmyne Cannick, a Los Angeles political consultant who has worked for officials including Rep. Laura Richardson, said she has crossed paths with Kiel for years as he represented Harris and other various officials at town hall meeting and other public events.
“If you talk to people about him, he’s a pretty visible person, someone who attends the state of the city and certain events in the district representing his boss,” she said.
“You would see him at a lot of events,” she added.
He fitted the profile of a community liaison staffer, she said. “Most staffers are polite people because we are representing our bosses because our actions impact our bosses,” she said. “He was always this completely appropriate kind of person. He represented his member with class and distinction. There is nothing that would stand out.”
“That’s all I know. For all I know he could have been doing other things behind closed doors but I never saw that,” Cannick said.
Kiel is credited as a contributor to a report issued by Attorney Gen. Kamala Harris in September on “California’s Elementary School Truancy and Absenteeism Crisis.”
Proud Member of the Infidels of OIF/OEF
No longer defending the US Military or US Gov't. Just going to ""**feed into your fears**"" with Duffel Blog Did not fight my way up on top the food chain to become a Vegan...
Warning: Stupid Allergy
Once you pull the pin, Mr. Grenade is no longer your friend
DE 6700
Harlequin 2500
RIP Muhammad Ali.
Jihadin, Scorched Earth 791. Leader of the Pork Eating Crusader. Alpha
It's election day in the UK and I can honestly say, thank God it's over.
I don't know how you Americans survive a 2 year presidential campaign, because 6 weeks of bull over here had me begging for a quick death!
"Our crops will wither, our children will die piteous
deaths and the sun will be swept from the sky. But is it true?" - Tom Kirby, CEO, Games Workshop Ltd
I don't know how you Americans survive a 2 year presidential campaign, because 6 weeks of bull over here had me begging for a quick death!
It is honestly quite easy to ignore until the last 3-6 months, depending on how tight the race is expected to be; even then the obtrusive element is limited to TV and Youtube ads (ie. just hit mute). Most of what happens before that is limited to glad-handing and stump speeches, both of which usually only make the "politics" section of your preferred news outlet.
Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh.
I don't know how you Americans survive a 2 year presidential campaign, because 6 weeks of bull over here had me begging for a quick death!
It is honestly quite easy to ignore until the last 3-6 months, depending on how tight the race is expected to be; even then the obtrusive element is limited to TV and Youtube ads (ie. just hit mute). Most of what happens before that is limited to glad-handing and stump speeches, both of which usually only make the "politics" section of your preferred news outlet.
That's true.
What we're yammering here in this thread... the vast majority of Americans are oblivious. We *do* start paying attention in the last 3-6 months.
