Openly Eccentric - Open Thread 4/10/2016

Submitted by detroitmechworks on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 4:00am

Happy Sunday. Been an interesting week for me, mostly involving viruses, since here in Portland there's been an outbreak of Norovirus on all the college campuses, and local schools. Having 2 school age children, it was inevitable I'd come down with it, but thanks to the power of sleep and an immune system, I'm feeling better. (For the most part...) Also been carrying a lot of weight for long distances recently, because of finding cheap bargains and needing to lug them home. Which of course necessitates MORE sleep, but I digress.

Overall, happy, glad to be here, and thankful to everyone for spending their Sunday with me. In light of that, let's move on to the international news, because I find it much more interesting than our local news. Hell Even Weekend Update is dull nowadays.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=butZyxI-PRs]

Things I really loathe is seeing our police tactics in other countries, because I know that it will be used against whatever country is engaging in it. So, in Australia, the cops have busted out the UC Berkeley school of community relations in regards to academic protest against cuts to academia. Of course here in the states, we refer to such cuts as "Realism" but overseas, people still actually seem to care about being able to make a future free of student debt. I just find it funny that the uniforms are different, but it always seems to be the same pigs filling them out.

Speaking of international violence, looks like Kabul is going to hell, again. What i find most interesting is that we still have almost Ten Thousand soldiers in Afghanistan, but apparently the war's over. Doing the math, let's see, 100 platoons. Assuming the old roman model of a 6000 man Legion, that's a Legion and 2/3rds. I forget exactly where in history a deployment of a LEGION was considered an advisory mission.

And apparently, pipelines are environmentally friendly. Yep, our neighbors to the North have their share of insane politicians too. While the main Democrat equivalents are talking about keeping the oil in the ground, they have to deal with their share of sell outs to the gas industry, just like every other country with any oil in it whatsoever. Glad to know we're not alone there...

While some people might be willing to criticize Egypt for refusing to hand over their phone records to Italy, after all, the death of a student is involved, and of course certain groups have claimed the Egyptians are at fault. To me, the fact that the Italians are requesting the phone data of average Egyptians is a ludicrous over-reaction that just feeds into the security state idea that if we keep tabs on everyone, EVERY crime will be preventable. Seriously, if they think the Egyptians did it, make a formal accusation, and make them own a cover up instead of this random subpoena for records passive aggressive crap.

And finally a little more Folk/Power Metal music from the younger set for all you folks who wonder about what us whipper snapper late-thirties kids are listening to these days...

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lX6BZ68AyjM&nohtml5=False] [video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lZGhh41W9k]

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Open Thread

DMW

Sunday

randomness

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Comments

Submitted by Alison Wunderland on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 8:35am

Good morning, DMW

Get well soon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmgbbT_Eruc

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmgbbT_Eruc]

Never made it through the whole movie. The '80s were an assault on sanity. Thankfully the disease didn't spread to Maine at that time.

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Submitted by detroitmechworks on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 10:48am

Aykroyd just gept getting more and more insane...

as time went on. Course he does come from a rather nuts family, but still...

People figured it out when he made his brother's script into a movie. "Nothing but Trouble" was SO bad...

—

I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

Submitted by OLinda on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 6:03am

Good morning, dmw,

and everybody. Thank you for the thread, detroitmechworks.

Bernie is on all the shows this morning if anyone is interested.

Meet the Press, NBC, Sanders
Face the Nation, CBS, Sanders
This Week, ABC, Sanders
State of the Union, CNN, Sanders, Clinton

Submitted by detroitmechworks on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 10:49am

Killed my TV, but sounds like they finally are admitting...

that he's got a shot. Question is of course, is it going to be three episodes of "Purity Test/When Will you Drop Out" or will it actually deal with the issues?

—

I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

Submitted by rmwarnick on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 11:12am

Bernie handles interviews very well

All through the campaign, Bernie has been great at fielding "horse race" questions by talking about the actual issues people care about. Consider that before he ran for President Bernie was invited on "Meet the Press" maybe twice in his whole career.

—

"We've done the impossible, and that makes us mighty."

Submitted by Gerrit on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 7:44am

Morning DMW, I hope you're on the mend mate. Ty for this OT

and for mentioning our Canadian pipeline problems. We have to play whack-a-mole here with the sheer number of fossil fuel cockroaches and their never-ending schemes. Thankfully, our First Nations are very active in stopping a lot of the pipelines. But we're not doing enough to support them. I want to do something to support them this summer. Because stop them we must.

Nice Roman analogy there, mate. I'm such an amateur student of republican Rome. w00t!

—

Resilience: practical action to improve things we can control.
3D+: developing language for postmodern spirituality.

Submitted by detroitmechworks on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 10:55am

Roman and Alexandrian History

Are my personal favorite periods of History. So much potential lost to petty infighting and pure stupidity.

I actually feel with the Canadian fossil fuel thing it's kinda similar to how Rome used to send out traders to soften up other cultures and gather intel before the legions started steamrolling in. Paranoid, a little... but at the same time, Emerging empires always target their geographic neighbors for REAL conquest first, so... forgive me if I don't trust politicians worth shit, when the historical record doesn't support their bullshit.

—

I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

Submitted by Szaephod on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 9:53am

G'Morning DMW

Glad you're surviving the Noro'.

Thanks for the international update, during election years, I tend to start ignoring important international events and trends, the latter being more important of course.

I guess it's still a mystery what geo-economic purpose lies at the core of the continued Afghan and Iraq presence. Pipelines, oil? Or the assurance that instability remains, guaranteeing the continuation of ISIS (or its nom d'jour), and thereby assuring continuation of the 'War on Terr'r', and the associated lucrative arms flow - to both sides. All of the above? Or is it just the plain massive momentum of arch stupidity?

Best,

—

The spirit of party serves to enfeeble the Public Administration,
agitates with Jealousies and false alarms, and opens the door to corruption,
which finds access to the government itself through the channels of party passions.
George Washington

Submitted by detroitmechworks on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 10:58am

There's a freaking reason they call Afghanistan...

the graveyard of Empires. You CAN'T win there. Doesn't matter how much crap we ship in, our supply lines are always going to be tied to the major cities and the minute we leave, the circling buzzards swoop in again.

Add to that we TRAINED these guys, and they know our tactics and how we think. Don't hand a psycho a loaded gun and expect him to not shoot you...

—

I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

Submitted by Szaephod on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 11:54am

I take it from that, that that is where you were deployed...

What did they tell you about the mission? What was the objective? Pacification of the nation overall, or particular corridors, regions or populations? I know that strategy isn't generally shared with the guys-w-the-guns, but was there anything you could infer from the chaos, or was it just intentional chaos to produce even more chaos - great markets for guns, opportunities for CIA heroin operations. Oops, left my tinfoil hat on. (Oh c'mon, we all know it's true.)

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Submitted by detroitmechworks on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 12:02pm

No, I was deployed to Iraq.

However, members of my unit HAD been deployed to Afghanistan and gave me the lowdown on what it was like over there. Essentially the mission was very similar to what we did in Iraq. Patrol, show force, and support the local forces who were supposedly being trained by Special Forces.

However, there are always locations where you are NOT supposed to patrol, and areas where you are not to to show any presence at all. Those locations always seemed to coincide with areas of smuggling or major arteries of enemy activity. According to one sergeant, everybody knows you can get the "Good Stuff" from the guys who set up on the base to sell stuff, but you have to be discreet about asking...

(Of course, the way to get sent home FAST was to "abuse" prescription meds, and so many medic took that route it was obvious what the game was.)

—

I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

Submitted by FreakFlagFly on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 10:19am

Step into your fears about being openly eccentric.

Eccentric Entrepreneur and Business Wizard™ Taylor Ellwood on being openly eccentric:

Get the dangerous secret to marketing your weirdness.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiTXoFxiJJU]

"...since November, I've decided, you know, well, screw it, I'm just gonna be openly century because it doesn't really much matter anyway. I think that's kind of what you have to have in order to take that first step is you're just going to have to decide to really matter what other people think, does it really matter if other people are going to judge you for being? The answer to that really should be no, it doesn't matter. You're not going to tell everyone. In fact, you may not appeal to a lot of people but what matters is that you get your ass intensity.

...when I was really young my parents called me weird and they didn't mean it a good way. The kids at the playground called me weird.

OK, that's cool, you're weird, that's cool that you have to send Gergen Justin transformers and GI Joes or the center of interest in magic of this eccentric interest in whatever it is... so that's it for this week but next week I'll be talking more."*

*thank you YouTube transcript...

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 10:54am

As a child, I learned that the best response to

"What will the neighbors think?" was to shout "Fuck the neighbors!" as loudly as I could.

—

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Submitted by FreakFlagFly on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 11:00am

Narcotics Anonymous has a saying...

"What people think of me is none of my business."

Truth.

Submitted by detroitmechworks on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 11:00am

Never was that brave as a kid...

Took getting shot at and really fearing before I learned how pathetic social pressure really is.

—

I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

Submitted by Deja on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 12:27pm

Fearing what the neighbors think

Ugh, you reminded me of a friend I used to have. She was so worried about what they'd think that she wouldn't allow anyone to put the beer cans in the curbside recycle bin. They had to go into the lidded trash can to hide the secret. As if those same neighbors couldn't hear the drunken poolside backyard parties. Not the sharpest tool in the shed despite the engineering degree.

Submitted by dkmich on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 10:48am

This whole country is a giant Norovirus.

We are infecting all the nations and the planet itself. Crabby again. I just have to quit the trip to rec and tip LD.

—

"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

Submitted by detroitmechworks on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 11:02am

We do have a bad case of it...

Fortunately the cure for Norovirus (Dumb Politics) is possible.

Step one: Stop taking Antibiotics (MSM political thought)
Step two: Hydrate (Talk to friends)
Step Three: Rest and Recover (Work towards positive change)
Step Four: Be aware that it's gonna pop up again, and deal with it when it does.

—

I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

Submitted by riverlover on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 12:21pm

Actually, dmw, it may not pop up again soon.

[I got curious and looked it up] There is an immune response to norovirus infection (another reason to rest and recover) that may last as long as 8 years or more. So your household may not have to deal with that ever.again. Doesn't that make you feel better? Hope the offspring bounced back just fine.

—

Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.

Submitted by detroitmechworks on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 12:25pm

Strange. I get stomach flu about every 2 years...

Kids didn't get it as bad as I did, fortunately. They only missed one day of school.

Maybe it's just me then, or similar symptoms masquerading as the bug...

—

I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

Submitted by riverlover on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 12:41pm

Nah, there are several different viruses

that cause digestive tract upset plus fungal and bacterial toxins. Think of you immune system as a catcher's mitt. With school-age kids in the house, you will get everything. And worse than the kids, who are bouncing around while you are lying on the bathroom floor, plus feeling frustrated with kids gone wild. Someday they leave, or at least mature.

—

Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 11:25am

Heya, DMW, thanks for the OT. Take some

pro biotics just for luck. Weare packing and loading for the next leg of the trip in the balmy SoCal rain, heh. Have a good one.

—

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Submitted by detroitmechworks on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 11:54am

Nice thing abou Rain in LA...

Is the day after you get clear skies. (Rainstorms are good luck for me, growing up in constant drought... )

—

I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

Submitted by Lookout on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 11:49am

New conspiracy?

I read somewhere (may be here at c99) about a wild theory of the democratic nomination.

DNC uses super delegates to nominate Hillary. Before the election Hillary is indicted by the FBI and steps down. DNC appoints the corporate shill of their liking, probably Biden. This is BS isn't it...or is it? I wouldn't put it past them.

Sounds like the analog of a Ryan nomination...which is looking possible.

—

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Submitted by detroitmechworks on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 11:56am

That's not a conspiracy, that's Plan B...

Which has been floated around for a week or so by Hillary lackeys.

Course, Hillary is also a corporate shill, so there's no real advantage to the trade off. Plus they lose the propaganda value of all those "Scary Right Wingers" to expand the War on Terra to the poor white folks.

—

I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

Submitted by Bisbonian on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 6:46pm

By Moulitsas himself.

—

"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X

Submitted by Szaephod on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 12:06pm

The problem I find with most conspiracy theories...

Even my own, is that they presume far, far more intelligence on the part of the perpetrators. The Sept. 11 2001 conspiracy is one example (apologies to sincere doubters/believers), that it was all planned as a clockwork covert action. Sorry, I don't buy it, I've seen the physics and analysis of what those planes did to the towers and how materials-properties and gravity just took over. To suppose that it was planned, presumes that folks like Cheney, Wolfowitz, and the likes of Oliver North (not him, but intellectual midges of his ilk) would be able to pull something like that off.

I'm off course, sorry - is the DNC working out game theory, of what might happen? Probably. Would they be able to engineer it? They might try, but do they have the smarts to perform the 15-dimensional chess necessary to make it happen - DWS, really, that kind of intelligence? I think that history unfolding before us is running ahead of any attempted covert engineering. Bernie is shattering the process, by having folks like us give him enormous support, and sending him gobsmacking amounts of money. Events are running out of control of those who believed they were in control. All of this, of course, is IMHO.

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Submitted by detroitmechworks on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 12:09pm

Planned by them? Nah...

Well aware it was going to happen and wanted another Pearl Harbor?

Very likely to my mind.

—

I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

Submitted by Szaephod on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 12:21pm

Willful, criminal ignorance? Yep

It was the hallmark of the Cheney/Bush administration… and many others. (But, closer to your point - did they purposefully ignore the many warning signals coming out of the 'intelligence' community? I agree there's publicly available evidence to cooberate - Bush's security briefing 30 days before is a classic example - that they were either complacent or complicit (or complicity complacent) in letting it happen. Yes, entirely plausible, but much to their delight, got far, far, far more than they bargained for.

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Submitted by Lookout on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 12:28pm

I bet you're right

It does sound too complex for the DNC skill set. Just want to see if anyone else had heard this hypothesis. They are, as we well know, capable of dirty tricks...the Clinton stock and trade.

I'm staying focused on getting Bernie over the finish line. Just want to keep my eyes open for the road blocks.

—

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Submitted by Lady Libertine on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 2:16pm

no comment

If only I had known. https://t.co/yrPg8uxiQO

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) April 10, 2016

Submitted by Lady Libertine on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 2:21pm

hmmm

interesting if true

Woman who lied about Sanders inviting himself to Vatican is a donor to the Clinton foundation. 2 coincidental? Yeah pic.twitter.com/wjg0vcYqSv

— Laughing Liberal (@laughingliberal) April 9, 2016

Submitted by gulfgal98 on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 4:10pm

Good afternoon DMW and 99%'ers

I am recovering from the descent of the cyclists upon my house this past weekend. Four of the guys stayed with us. Yesterday, six of the seven guys who were riding planned to do the 100K which has an over six mile long climb up some very steep slopes. One guy, who was the most prepared had to bail and do the 60K due to severe leg cramping. There was a lot of that throughout the field, probably due to the very cold weather at the start. One guy made it up the mountain, but then had to take the sag wagon in due to his being very late and having leg cramps also. My husband and the three guys staying with us made the entire 100K although one of them did take the sag wagon up to the top of the mountain. Everyone was beat afterwards and I wonder if any of them will do the 100K again.

After saying goodbye to our guests, I am now cleaning up and doing laundry. And even though I did not ride, I am tired too.

—

Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

Submitted by Martha Pearce-Smith on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 6:44pm

State Sen. Vincent Fort switches from Clinton

to Sanders!

Key Georgia Democrat Switches From Clinton To Sanders

The second most powerful Democrat in the Georgia State Senate on Tuesday switched his endorsement from Hillary Clinton to Bernie Sanders. The announcement from Sen. Vincent Fort came as Sanders worked to shore up his support among minority voters in the South, a voting bloc among which Clinton holds an electoral advantage over the Vermont senator.

“After months of looking at Bernie’s record and studying his positions on healthcare, Wall Street, predatory lending and the minimum wage, I came to the conclusion that Bernie’s position on the issues that affect my constituents in Georgia the most conform most closely to my positions,” Fort told the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

The African American lawmaker, who represents Fulton County and parts of Atlanta, said that Sanders is “speaking to the issues that are the most critical” to his constituents. “He’s going to do well here,” Fort added. “As people study and listen to him, I think there’s going to be movement toward his campaign.”

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Please help the Resilience Resource Library grow by adding your links.

First Nations News

Submitted by dennis1958 on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 6:50pm

pressure works people, call your super delegates, especially

if they are on the ballot THIS YEAR.

—

With their hearts they turned to each others heart for refuge
In troubled years that came before the deluge
*Jackson Browne, 1974, Before the Deluge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SX-HFcSIoU

Submitted by mimi on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 7:11pm

Whenever this site is capable of handling a poll I want

this one permanently displayed and watch it being filled out.

“Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it.” Mark Twain
Poll
1. a smart people who are putting us on
2. imbeciles who really mean it.

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https://www.euronews.com/live