Tuesday Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Tue Jan 24, 2012 at 05:55:59 PM EST
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In other news, Google announced changes to privacy, and you can't opt out.

Google said Tuesday it will require users to allow the company to follow their activities across e-mail, search, YouTube and other services, a radical shift in strategy that is expected to invite greater scrutiny of its privacy and competitive practices.

The information will enable Google to develop a fuller picture of how people use its growing empire of Web sites. Consumers will have no choice but to accept the changes.

A federal judge in Colorado has ruled that the 5th Amendment doesn't protect a defendant from being compelled to unencrypt the data on her hard drive and provide it to the FBI which had gotten a search warrant. (Background here.) [More...]

Facebook today announced users won't be able to opt out of their miserable Timeline feature. If you have a FB account, go in now and dump your old stuff and set some restrictions, before it's too late. You only have 7 days. I dislike even logging into FB, it's become so intrusive. As I've said before, I'm considering getting rid of the account entirely.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

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Tuesday Open Thread | 79 comments (79 topical)

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The 1% (5.00 / 3) (#9)
by CoralGables on Tue Jan 24, 2012 at 06:51:14 PM EST

I think it's time people stopped lumping Romney in the 1%. It's a discredit to both him and his capital gains. Give credit where credit is due. Mitt is in the .006%. The 1% is in the basement when viewed from the Romney penthouse.

Newt (none / 0) (#26)
by ScottW714 on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 09:03:33 AM EST

Off Topic, but isn't Newt in Coral Gables, FL today, a real treat I would think, joke of course.


Indeed (none / 0) (#35)
by CoralGables on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 10:14:45 AM EST

and believe it or not Gingrich is drawing crowds in the area of ten times what is showing up for Romney. Gingrich bounced along the SW Florida coast yesterday and meandered his way over to the biggest part of Florida's population on the SE coast this morning.

If TV ad buys trickle down, the money getting dropped from the Romney Super Pac in Florida is good for Florida...the money spent by the small amount of people showing up wherever he's speaking, not so much.


I have read that (none / 0) (#36)
by Capt Howdy on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 10:16:53 AM EST

several times about the crowds. new NBC/WSJ poll coming out.


It is So Odd... (none / 0) (#42)
by ScottW714 on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 11:01:17 AM EST

...that the money isn't behind the popular or at least what appears to be the popular.

They are literally trying to buy the primary and either way that money isn't finite, Obama has to be happy no matter the victor.

I would love to know what Romney really thinks about this. He just can't get people to like him no matter what he does...


you mean like this? (none / 0) (#43)
by CST on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 11:06:22 AM EST

"I am a Romneymaniac."


Another home run... (none / 0) (#45)
by kdog on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 11:25:48 AM EST

by The Onion...classic.


When the Onion... (none / 0) (#46)
by ScottW714 on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 11:28:17 AM EST

...does a piece on your popularity, it's gotta hurt.


but also (none / 0) (#50)
by Capt Howdy on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 12:44:09 PM EST

very onion like in how insightful it is.

have you ever seen an enthusiastic Romney supporter?
besides jbindc I mean. outside the paid flacks they dont seem to exist.

for a politician that is a big problem


I'd seriously worry about... (none / 0) (#51)
by kdog on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 12:51:40 PM EST

such a person, luckily they don't exist.

Sh*t I'd worry about an enthusiastic supporter of of Obama/Romney/Gingrich/Santorum...reluctant supporter kinda makes sense, enthusiasm would be a serious sign that its time to score some pharmies.


a fair point (none / 0) (#57)
by Capt Howdy on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 01:11:27 PM EST

but the fact is enthusiastic supporters win elections. tepid ones stay home if it rains. which actually happened to Romney in SC.

Newt certainly has enthusiastic supporters.

but more the point is I dont remember a candidate with such a visible absence of them as Mitt.

: Kerry comes close... (none / 0) (#59)
by kdog on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 01:21:42 PM EST

any enthusiastic support of Kerry was anti-Bush enthusiasm.

"money isn't behind the popular" (none / 0) (#49)
by Capt Howdy on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 12:42:16 PM EST

pretty much an extension of the 2010 election. many well funded candidates lost to people who connected with voter anger.


Captain (5.00 / 4) (#56)
by ScottW714 on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 01:11:04 PM EST

Can you save your posts to my comments to one, like a normal person. I get it, you have to comment on everything, even your own posts, but it's wearing me out and I am tired of reading the exact same thing 50 times a day.


as a matter of fact (none / 0) (#58)
by Capt Howdy on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 01:14:34 PM EST

that was my first response to you in this thread I responded to the comments of two others.

dont lecture me or tell me when to comment.

I was Actually Asking (none / 0) (#69)
by ScottW714 on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 02:58:45 PM EST

But like pretty much every comment, you read into it, and the replied to that instead of my actual comment.


: what you were doing was being smarmy and (none / 0) (#78)
by Capt Howdy on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 03:59:09 PM EST

condescending. you dont like my comments. heres a thought.
dont read them

Why is the media (none / 0) (#60)
by jondee on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 01:25:22 PM EST

including 'insightful' shows like Charlie Rose's, so terrified of broaching the religion issue, vis a vis Romney vs Gingrich in South Carolina..

Newt is "catching an anti-elitist, populist wave" my as*: the main reason Gingrich won in South Carolina is that he aint a yankee (ie, "moderate") Mormon. But nobody's allowed to talk about that for some reason..

it is very interesting (none / 0) (#62)
by Capt Howdy on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 01:31:36 PM EST

I have been wondering the same thing. it is being talked about but only very indirectly in main stream media. still almost never.
what you do see is what saw Morning Joe recently do which is a long tirade about how it has nothing to do with it and its all baloney. and anyone who would ever suggest such a thing is deranged. its odd.
it is a bit in local media I have seen here. but it is a central factor to his inability IMO to carry much of the south and everyone here knows it. it is right out in the open.
you wonder,or I have wondered, if in their polling about this people lied. not surprising. which gave the a warped idea of how much it was ultimately going to matter.


: I think it has a lot to do (5.00 / 1) (#65)
by jondee on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 01:50:40 PM EST

with the large number of conservative comentators awhile back who were "predicting" that the "liberal media" would try to make hay out of the religious issue, and in particular, Romney's religion; implying that talking about it all was an expression of bigotry.
What they did in effect was cow alot of commentators, and premptively close down any discussion of the religion issue.
So now Newt winning is all about him catching a "populist wave" and has nothing to do evangelical Mormon-phobia.

: You (5.00 / 2) (#67)
by Ga6thDem on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 02:27:48 PM EST

want to know why? I will tell you why the GOP doesn't want to discuss it and it's because Mormons are huge part of their base. What would happen out west if the Mormons stopped voting for the GOP and got a whiff of what's going on? They very well may have already gotten a whiff of it and if they sit home in November because of it, well, you can imagine what will happen.

Perhaps because (none / 0) (#68)
by CoralGables on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 02:37:30 PM EST

it may have nothing to do with Southern Evangelicals. Gingrich is up by 18 points in Minnesota today.


nothing Republicans do (none / 0) (#71)
by jondee on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 03:01:46 PM EST

has "nothing to do" with evanglicals, or at least the religious right.


Newt's populist (none / 0) (#72)
by jondee on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 03:06:07 PM EST

anti-elitist wave..

Gimme a break..

Someone explain what's populist and anti-elitist about reminding us over and over that "this a republic, not a democracy", and that anti-poverty programs and the greed of unions caused the economic downturn..


: anti-elitist (none / 0) (#77)
by Capt Howdy on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 03:56:20 PM EST

there is something to this aspect of the Newts support. Town Hall is questioning if people like Coulter and Frum and Kristol are acting like democrat elitists. the base pay a lot more attention to town hall than they do to any of those other names.
which is why I doubt the new flood of endorsements will help Mitt all that much

Maybe swinging... (none / 0) (#73)
by kdog on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 03:19:26 PM EST

is way more popular than we ever thought, and the recent revelations are the reason for Newtie's surge.


wow 18 points (none / 0) (#76)
by Capt Howdy on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 03:50:56 PM EST

I think what southern evangelicals think of him will have a lot to do with what happens down here but I agree that there is no doubt more is going on. but 18 points in Minnesota. makes me want to look for MI numbers since it is coming up and is his other home state.

dont know if you watched the Ann Coulter video in the open but I have to think that people who are even inclined to like Newt are not going to like being called morons or even worse democrats by the like of Ann Coulter and David Frum.


: they may like it.. (none / 0) (#79)
by jondee on Fri Jan 27, 2012 at 02:55:55 PM EST

when Madame X Coulter chastizes them: they don't seem to mind being outsourced and downsized by 'unfettered markets' and taking it up the proverbial wazoo in "Right to Work" states..
"Thank you sir, may I have another?" seems to be the byword of these folks.

Any safe alternative to Google? (5.00 / 1) (#19)
by womanwarrior on Tue Jan 24, 2012 at 10:04:14 PM EST

Just when I had gotten good at looking things up. Now I have to boycott them. And I hate the facebook setup. Must be getting old and resistant to change. Well, I thought Mitch Daniels was dull and gloom and doom in response to SOTU.

Am researching that very thing (5.00 / 1) (#22)
by sj on Tue Jan 24, 2012 at 11:25:56 PM EST

Just when you get to know a search engine, it starts dictating your life and abusing you in the process.


When you figure it out, please share. (5.00 / 1) (#23)
by caseyOR on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 12:30:46 AM EST

I'm not on FB. I don't twitter. I try very hard to keep my info private. And, still, those b@st@rds get me.

In addition to a search engine, if you come across an email site that I use to replace Gmail, please let me know. That Google intends to read, in some fashion, our email so that it can flood us with ads and we cannot do anything about it is appalling. How can that be legal?

Is Yahoo any good as a search engine?


I'm in the Same Boat (none / 0) (#27)
by ScottW714 on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 09:08:14 AM EST

No FB, but I am linked, because of my phone, into Gmail fairly tightly.

I'm not worried about the email too much, but there is a setting that you have to turn off otherwise they tack your surfing, which is too much.

I suspect that will be the next thing we cannot turn off.


How do you do that? (none / 0) (#28)
by jbindc on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 09:23:37 AM EST

Turn it Off ? (none / 0) (#33)
by ScottW714 on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 09:56:16 AM EST

I didn't remember exactly, so hold on:

From Gmail, hit the gear in the upper right to get to settings.

Under 'Change account settings:' goto 'Other Google Account settings'
Dashboard - 'View data stored with this account'

Once in Dashboard, goto Web History, mine is set at disabled, but the default is enabled. Change.

I do and recommend going through dashboard about once a month. As you can see it is literally a sea of information about how they are watching you and the control you have over it.


: Thanks! (none / 0) (#34)
by jbindc on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 10:00:36 AM EST

Just when (none / 0) (#24)
by Militarytracy on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 02:16:21 AM EST

I'm getting really tired of how I begin to use social media, and just when it becomes a part of my everyday life it loses its boundaries and becomes invasive and possibly abusive. Facebook keeps me connected to family 1600 miles away fairly easily in a way my parents could have only dreamed of in my shoes, and now it is REALLY crossing lines. I just got gmail setup on my phone and learning how to use it. My husband has used it for over a year now with great success. Anything out there that is similar but less invasive that someone runs across please share the info.


: I Don't Know About FB (none / 0) (#52)
by ScottW714 on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 12:55:05 PM EST

But with Gmail I remember thinking how are they offering all these really cool services, like Google Music and Google Voice for free...
Now I know, they had bigger and better plans, like a fishermen, they waited for me to do more then nibble... and now they are reeling me in.
And the really sad part is all I have to do is drop them to avoid this non-sense, but they are so interwoven in my life, that it's hard to think I will.

The internet... (5.00 / 1) (#37)
by kdog on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 10:21:37 AM EST

realizing it's full Orwellian Telescreen potential is at hand my friends.

Pretty soon we'll be hiding in alcoves reading banned bound paper books, e-books can be revised or confiscated;)

Anybody that would (none / 0) (#38)
by Edger on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 10:32:40 AM EST

hide in alcoves reading banned bound paper books must be an anarchist or a terrist. ;-)


This calls for some cheesy 80's music.... (none / 0) (#40)
by kdog on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 10:55:10 AM EST

Rockwell anyone?


: Heh! (none / 0) (#41)
by Edger on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 10:58:37 AM EST

Or the 70's?

But... (none / 0) (#44)
by ScottW714 on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 11:15:19 AM EST

...how I think it truly differs from Orwell is that it's private enterprise and people who are voluntarily allowing it. It's not Big Brother, and we have a choice.

Facebook and Gmail, two applications that require one to sign up.

The government may be in the background spying, but they are not the innovators or even the curators of these technologies. Each person could stop the intrusion by not using the internet, which was barely in our lives 15 years ago.

But no way I will ever stop the internet and I am so intertwined with Google, dropping them would be very hard, certainly not worth losing the convenience. They have done what Orwell never envisioned; made technology so useful that we choose it over privacy.


: Yes... (5.00 / 1) (#47)
by kdog on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 11:34:59 AM EST

Orwell did not see the merger of corporate and government power dystopia coming...I almost wish he were here to do a re-write.
Big Brother sponsored by Google.

Looks like the Marine in the Haditha killings (5.00 / 1) (#39)
by republicratitarian on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 10:45:08 AM EST

copped a plea and avoided any jail time at all.

taxes (none / 0) (#1)
by Capt Howdy on Tue Jan 24, 2012 at 06:03:07 PM EST

the twaddle in the other thread about how the rate Mittens pays is "fair".

please keep making that case and it will be a good year for democrats.

You have 60 comments today (5.00 / 6) (#2)
by Jeralyn on Tue Jan 24, 2012 at 06:07:54 PM EST

on Romney's taxes and Republicans. How about giving it a rest or at least try and consolidate.


: done (none / 0) (#4)
by Capt Howdy on Tue Jan 24, 2012 at 06:15:27 PM EST

thanks

As much as I enjoyed yesterday's after-glow (none / 0) (#3)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Tue Jan 24, 2012 at 06:12:22 PM EST

from the the NY/SF game, I think it should be Tuesday Open Thread, not Monday...

: thanks, I just fixed it (none / 0) (#11)
by Jeralyn on Tue Jan 24, 2012 at 07:13:27 PM EST

much appreciated. I wonder if it's still Monday anywhere the way it's Weds. in New Zealand.

I use (none / 0) (#5)
by Ga6thDem on Tue Jan 24, 2012 at 06:32:19 PM EST

gmail and I noticed that advertisements seem to pop up that relate to the email that I am reading at that time. Not sure I like this. I certainly do not like Igoogle.

: Try sending some emails talking about recipes (5.00 / 1) (#16)
by Farmboy on Tue Jan 24, 2012 at 07:49:25 PM EST

for mixing diesel fuel and fertilizer, and see how that affects your google ad results.

: Then you definitely won't like this (none / 0) (#6)
by BTAL on Tue Jan 24, 2012 at 06:36:35 PM EST

Google announces privacy changes across products; users can't opt out

: We've noticed that, too (none / 0) (#17)
by Towanda on Tue Jan 24, 2012 at 08:20:41 PM EST

and Spouse Towanda just was pointing out last night how unfortunate the result can be, when this occurs with news stories, too. For example, he was reading a story about the latest on the cruise ship disaster in Italy. Alongside was an ad for a cruise. Uh . . . no, no thanks.

whatever happened to the million mass graves? (none / 0) (#7)
by Jlvngstn on Tue Jan 24, 2012 at 06:41:00 PM EST

in iraq???

: The US didn't stay long enough (5.00 / 1) (#8)
by observed on Tue Jan 24, 2012 at 06:44:43 PM EST

to kill that many.

George Zornick writes at The Nation Monday: (none / 0) (#10)
by Edger on Tue Jan 24, 2012 at 07:05:44 PM EST

For months, a massive federal settlement with big Wall Street banks over their role in the mortgage crisis has been in the offing. The rumored details have always given progressives heartburn: civil immunity, no investigations, inadequate help for homeowners and a small penalty for the banks. Now, on the eve President Obama's State of the Union address--in which he plans to further advance a populist message against big money and income inequality--the deal may be here, and it's every bit as ugly as progressives feared.
[snip]
Five banks--Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citibank and Ally Financial (formerly GMAC)--would pay the federal government $25 billion. About $17 billion would be used to reduce the principal that some struggling homeowners owe, $5 billion more would be used for future federal and state programs and $3 billion would be used to help homeowners refinance at 5.25 percent. Civil immunity would be granted to the banks for any role in foreclosure fraud, and there would be no investigations.

Read it all here....
Obama Is on the Brink of a Settlement With the Big Banks--and Progressives Are Furious | The Nation

Newt has (none / 0) (#12)
by Ga6thDem on Tue Jan 24, 2012 at 07:15:17 PM EST

already started having meltdowns.

You knew it wouldn't be long before Baby Hughie showed up now did you?

Poor, poor Nootie. (none / 0) (#14)
by Towanda on Tue Jan 24, 2012 at 07:20:56 PM EST

No hootin' and hollerin' peanut gallery for the guy?

Now I'm cracking up at the correction at the end. Did you see this?

"An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated whom Newt Gingrich is said to have asked for an 'open marriage.' It was an ex-wife, not his current wife."

Oh, to have seen Wife No. Three's face, when she saw that, huh? She may actually have had a facial expression, for a change!


: Well (none / 0) (#15)
by Ga6thDem on Tue Jan 24, 2012 at 07:30:16 PM EST

Obama's "grown up in the room" would probably resonate with the electorate running against a toddler like Newt.

I bet the audience (none / 0) (#31)
by Capt Howdy on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 09:51:48 AM EST

can participate in the thursday debate.

it was a meltdown with a very specific purpose.


: cnn (none / 0) (#32)
by Capt Howdy on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 09:53:16 AM EST

CNN, which has encouraged its audiences to be engaged but not disrespectful, will host the next debate on Thursday in Jacksonville under rules that Mr. Gingrich is likely to find more to his liking.
this matters.
it also matters more because it is the last debate before the primary.

Why I despair (none / 0) (#13)
by smott on Tue Jan 24, 2012 at 07:17:24 PM EST

A cat belonging to an Arkansas Democratic campaign manager was found dead on Sunday night with the word "Liberal" spray-painted across its side, the campaign manager said. The cat was a pet of Jake Burris, who manages Democrat Ken Aden's bid for Arkansas' 3rd Congressional District. Aden is running against incumbent Republican Representative Steve Womack. Burris was returning to his Russellville, Arkansas home with his four children when he found the cat on his doorstep, the Aden campaign said in a press release on Monday
>>>>

Quite honestly I think it's over for America as a civilized society.

http://www.americablog.com/2012/01/cat-of-ar-democrat-killed-liberal.html

: one sick f^ck (5.00 / 2) (#18)
by The Addams Family on Tue Jan 24, 2012 at 09:13:24 PM EST

& even a gaggle of sick Arkansas f^cks is not evidence that it's over for America as a civilized society - i think you would find that most Americans are absolutely revolted by cruelty of this kind
but, yes, this breaks my heart

: That's so very sick (5.00 / 1) (#21)
by sj on Tue Jan 24, 2012 at 11:14:52 PM EST

and so very sad.

: this is where I live (none / 0) (#29)
by Capt Howdy on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 09:49:22 AM EST

not everyone is like that. remember we elected Bubba several times. but this is where I live.
which is why I understand the twisted and ugly minds of republicans better than most.
this does not surprise me at all.

Sadder yet, (none / 0) (#20)
by NYShooter on Tue Jan 24, 2012 at 10:07:44 PM EST

From the rabid rage exhibited by the Republican Primary audiences, I can just imagine the whoops and Hoots emanating from them had the victim been a human rather than a feline.

And, please don't be an idiot by telling me that's an exaggeration.

That's an exaggeration (none / 0) (#25)
by republicratitarian on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 08:48:11 AM EST

Feel free to call me an idiot.


Well said. Clear. Concise. (none / 0) (#48)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 12:35:56 PM EST

Someone else, however, has now officially crossed line into nutjobbery. Perhaps he/she had had a flagon or two with dinner before posting?


You made me look up... (none / 0) (#53)
by kdog on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 12:58:34 PM EST

flagon, I thought you were referring to 1 or 2 floogans.


There ya go, you made me look up floogan... (none / 0) (#54)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 01:03:13 PM EST

A flagon and 2 floogans... (none / 0) (#55)
by kdog on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 01:08:43 PM EST

and you're really in business;)


I've learned two new words today, lol Thanks! (5.00 / 1) (#64)
by republicratitarian on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 01:35:08 PM EST

I must be well on my way to old age drunkeness (none / 0) (#66)
by Militarytracy on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 02:07:38 PM EST

I have to look up a couple of words a week I read on here, but by God I knew what a flagon was :) I did not know what a spliff was though :)


there's a bar (5.00 / 1) (#74)
by CST on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 03:25:07 PM EST

named cask and flagon around here, that's the only reason I "know" what it means (I don't really know what it means, but I can figure it out). Didn't know flagoon. No comment on spliff :)


: oops (none / 0) (#75)
by CST on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 03:25:29 PM EST

floogan. See, really don't know.

Splif? make that three words today (none / 0) (#70)
by republicratitarian on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 02:59:16 PM EST

Who needs a daily word calendar when you have TL?


Ha! (none / 0) (#61)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 01:28:40 PM EST

Looked up Both Words... (none / 0) (#63)
by ScottW714 on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 01:33:40 PM EST

...and me thinks Mumford & Sons could make it into a real catchy tune or at least a funny limerick.


you know what (none / 0) (#30)
by Capt Howdy on Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 09:50:03 AM EST

being a local I think you are right. the reaction could have been at least a little different if it had been a dog.
