home

Wednesday Night Open Thread

I'm not watching the Republican debate, but if you are, feel free to comment. (Added: I'm following a bit on Twitter which is much more entertaining. A huge number of people are associating Newt's describing himself as cheerful with his multiple marriages and sex life. Not too many favorable comments on any of them at #CNNDebate.)

28 prison guards, and the Director, Deputy Director and Security Chief of Apodaca Prison in Mexico have been arrested in connection with the riot, escape and slaughter of 44 inmates there last week. The guards are accused of far more than helping with the escape:

Investigators say they have evidence that guards helped plan the killings....Prison guards plotted with the Zetas gang to organise the mass escape and slaughter members of the rival Gulf Cartel, the authorities said. ...The 44 dead prisoners were stabbed, strangled or beaten to death.

Guantanamo Detainee Majid Kahn will plead guilty as part of a plea deal next week.[More...]

Kahn was charged via military commission on Feb. 15. The charges carried a possible life sentence. Under the deal, it's expected he will return to Pakistan within 4 years. An immediate benefit to him: He's been moved from Camp 7, which houses the high-value detainees, to a less restrictive unit.

On TV tonight: Survivor and Top Chef. (And American Idol, but I've had enough until they are done with auditions.)

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

< Here's the Kim DotCom Bail Decision | Kerobokan Prison Evacuating All 1,000 Inmates >
  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


  • Display: Sort:
    following on Twitter (5.00 / 2) (#4)
    by Jeralyn on Wed Feb 22, 2012 at 08:16:11 PM EST
    Funny line by Andy Borowitz (retweeted by Markos)

    Santorum: "I believe in the life of the unborn child until they grow up and try to sneak across the border." #cnndebate


    The GOP race has gotten too surreal for me (5.00 / 1) (#24)
    by ruffian on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 11:41:39 AM EST
    The only option for Romney is to paint Santorum as too far left????  I just can't follow that break with reality.

    Men not heading toward extinction. (5.00 / 1) (#28)
    by caseyOR on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 12:43:15 PM EST
    Rest easy, males of the human species. It turns out reports of your demise are premature. The Y chromosome lives on.

     I am referring to a bit of science about which I was totally ignorant. It seems that the Y chromosome has a history of shrinkage. About 300 million years ago the Y started shedding genes, dropping from 1,400 genes to a paltry 45 genes. Totally unbeknownst to me, there was a fear in some circles that this meant at some point the Y chromosome would cease to exist, thus rendering males extinct and creating a human species that was entirely female and procreated asexually by some sort of virgin fertilization process.

    No need to worry, though. Scientists now believe that all that gene shedding stopped many many centuries ago, and the Y chromosome has stabilized.http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2104924/Male-Y-chromosomes-NOT-die-shows-monkey-study .html?ito=feeds-newsxml]

    Now that I know about this shrinkage of the Y chromosome, so many things about our current political climate, and our less than stellar candidate options, suddenly make sense.

    Don't know why that link (none / 0) (#29)
    by caseyOR on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 12:48:11 PM EST
    displayed as the full url. Sorry.

    Parent
    Don't be talking about men (none / 0) (#33)
    by vicndabx on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 01:57:49 PM EST
    and shrinkage!

    :-)

    Parent

    Which for some reason (none / 0) (#41)
    by CoralGables on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 03:21:47 PM EST
    reminds me of George Costanza

    Parent
    What the ever-loving (5.00 / 1) (#48)
    by Zorba on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 06:04:24 PM EST
    f*ck???  "Spirituality"?  Really?  Really??  How about, rather than ask if they find comfort in religion and prayer or meditation, they ask about their ethics instead?  Oh, jeez, this is ridiculous.  A person can certainly be ethical, mentally and emotionally healthy, and totally sane and reasonable without being "spiritual."

    You know (none / 0) (#1)
    by jimakaPPJ on Wed Feb 22, 2012 at 07:43:34 PM EST
    the whole situation reads like a movie script...that would be rejected for being too unreal.

    I don't know what to do, but I do know we don't want to stick our noses any further in.

    If you're referring to the GOP debate, ... (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by cymro on Wed Feb 22, 2012 at 08:01:47 PM EST
    ... I agree wholeheartedly. Who could possibly invent these candidates and their unreal ideas? I'd say you're wise to steer clear of them, Jim.

    Parent
    Well, I do have hope (none / 0) (#12)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 07:12:23 AM EST
    that we can have some change.

    Parent
    Donald, I think what you might have meant (none / 0) (#38)
    by Anne on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 02:35:52 PM EST
    to say to jim is, "You want some change?  Here's a quarter - call someone who cares."

    Or maybe not.

    But it's not the worst idea, is it?

    Parent

    actually, i remember (5.00 / 1) (#49)
    by The Addams Family on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 06:25:43 PM EST
    having this precise thought on Tuesday, November 7, 2000, hours before the polls closed on the West Coast:

    We're fast approaching a level of political polarization not experienced since antibellum days and the generational aftermath of our Civil War, and we should ALL be concerned about this most unfortunate development.

    & things have only grown worse since then

    the Civil War was declared to have reached its end, but it's not over

    Parent

    I received a snark so I gave a snark. (none / 0) (#52)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 09:45:30 PM EST
    What comes around goes around, etc.

    Parent
    Actually I was referring to the post's (none / 0) (#53)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 09:54:13 PM EST
    main point which is the situation in Mexico. Leave it to you folks to make all things political.

    But since you brought the subject up, I repeat for the  10 cubed time that I am a social liberal.

    Of course since I don't toe the Democrat's Left Wing line I must be a Repub.

    It would be laughable if it wasn't so sad to see what political discoursed has become.

    BTW - I seem to remember that Obama and Hillary kept at it into what, June?? Plus, Bill Clinton was screaming about Obama's troops playing the race card....

    It is primary time, folks. The main game is a six months away... and all a setting Prez can do is claim that the high gasoline prices aint his fault and say that a tie is better than a loss.....

    Select memory is just so helpful.

    ;-)

    Parent

    If it walks, talks and votes like a Republican (5.00 / 1) (#57)
    by Yman on Fri Feb 24, 2012 at 09:12:39 AM EST
    But since you brought the subject up, I repeat for the  10 cubed time that I am a social liberal.

    Of course since I don't toe the Democrat's Left Wing line I must be a Repub.

    So, - as an "independent" and "social liberal" - how many Democrats have you voted for in the past 25 years?

    How many Republicans?

    Heh.

    Parent

    And anne what I would say to (none / 0) (#54)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 09:57:03 PM EST
    you is, "Pay attention and you might know what the subject is."

    Of course you might and still not.

    Parent

    A social liberal (5.00 / 0) (#58)
    by jondee on Fri Feb 24, 2012 at 01:18:15 PM EST
    who was saying awhile back what a great thing it is to have Clarence Thomas sitting on the Supreme Court, aint no social liberal..

    Just who exactly do you think you're jiving?

    Parent

    Mainly, (none / 0) (#59)
    by Zorba on Fri Feb 24, 2012 at 01:23:36 PM EST
    himself, jondee.

    Parent
    it's all that exposure to Fox and talk radio: (5.00 / 0) (#60)
    by jondee on Fri Feb 24, 2012 at 01:30:32 PM EST
    I'm convinced that it gradually produces a state in which one becomes completely tone deaf to what immediatly registers to others as unvarnished b.s..

    Parent
    Ah yes... Old conservative me (none / 0) (#61)
    by jimakaPPJ on Fri Feb 24, 2012 at 05:19:47 PM EST
    who has supported minority rights, including gay marriage, women's right to choose, drug law reform.... etc, etc.

    I repeat. I support a strong national defense and believe our society and country is the best in the world despite some problems.

    BTW - I wrote this a while back regarding what the Repubs had done


    SecState...a black NSA...and the first black Repub Senator....not to forget CT.

    And yeah, I know it is hard to understand how Cain had the desire and nerve to leave the reservation... but he did and he did.

    I stand on that.


    Parent

    stand on that (none / 0) (#62)
    by jondee on Mon Feb 27, 2012 at 02:08:48 PM EST
    and on being glad Clarence Thomas sits on the Supreme Court..

    And also on some sort of longstanding grudge rooted in the 19 and 1860s..

    Parent

    I think Obama has proved your point. (none / 0) (#51)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 09:44:28 PM EST
    Directed by Tony Scott and starring (none / 0) (#5)
    by tigercourse on Wed Feb 22, 2012 at 08:51:42 PM EST
    Jason Statham and Denzel Washington.

    Parent
    Its simply stunning (none / 0) (#3)
    by Socraticsilence on Wed Feb 22, 2012 at 08:09:06 PM EST
    just how much more blatant and unconvincing Romney's pandering is than his opponents-- he's supposed to be a smart guy so why of all of these clowns does he seem to be clearly the least organic in his thought process- he just seems to reciting pre-constructed talking points.

    Romney is more like a space alien (5.00 / 1) (#34)
    by TeresaInPa on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 02:05:06 PM EST
    trying to fool us by inhabiting a human body.  He has no chance to win in the GE and neither does Santorum.  What can the republican party be thinking?

    Parent
    Donna Brazille's amusing comment ... (none / 0) (#6)
    by cymro on Wed Feb 22, 2012 at 10:57:32 PM EST
    ... on CNN's post-debate show, referring to Romney's position that Arizona's immigration law was a model for the whole country, was something like this: "This is not going to play well in the other states. He's pandering to the choir, and forgetting that in the fall he has to turn around and preach to the entire congregation".

    Of course, this actually sums up a lot of what of what was said tonight, with the notable exception of Ron Paul's answers. As he himself claimed (when asked to define himself in one word), his responses were consistent with his past positions.

    Parent

    We watched it last night (none / 0) (#26)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 12:15:30 PM EST
    And Donna Brazille couldn't have been more delighted.  My husband was startled at first at how happy she was, asked me wasn't she a Democrat?  Well yeah, and look that those idiots.  How can you be a Democrat and not be delighted?

    When Romney, and Newt, and Santorum ganged up on Ron Paul for his anti-war stances, God...Santorum's smug looking into the distance bemused face while Paul spoke was disgusting to me.  And I think Ron Paul's ideas are little short sighted maybe even a little crazy but geez, just stand up and call him a pu$$y Rick, we all know that's where you are going with that face.  The whole time Josh was sitting on the couch doing his homework and singing, "Rally round the family, with a pocket full of shells".

    Parent

    sorry for typos as usual (none / 0) (#27)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 12:17:49 PM EST
    that is just Santorum's face - (none / 0) (#31)
    by ruffian on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 01:32:24 PM EST
    a combination of smug and bemused

    Parent
    not to mention disgusting (5.00 / 1) (#32)
    by ruffian on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 01:38:43 PM EST
    I think the funniest thing is watching people discover/rediscover the frightening mess of idiocy and christofascist zeal that is Rick Santorum. He has ever been thus, but I guess not everyone was paying attention in the 90's and 00's, there being so many bigger fish to fry at the time. He has long been in the top tier of my most hated pols.

    No one should even think of messing around in primaries and giving him votes for some half baked strategic reasons. Letting him rise to the top of the heap for any reason would not be worth it.

    Parent

    I have no idea how Ron Paul can stand (5.00 / 1) (#35)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 02:20:20 PM EST
    any of them.  He is willing to talk about the importance and worth of peace.  He has real courage.  When he would talk about the worth of peace though, the way Newt, and Mitt, and Ricky all sat there smirking....UGH!  What ugly people

    And really, you are going to call the President that finally did gut the Haqqani network (George Bush didn't even know what it was) and got Osama bin Laden feckless?  One thing's for sure, with all those children he has, Rick has some balls.  And now he has demonstrated that balls have NO BRAINS in them, none, nada.

    Parent

    What worries me is that the more (5.00 / 3) (#37)
    by Anne on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 02:33:58 PM EST
    these guys beat up on Obama for not being strong enough on defense, the more likely it is that Obama will double down to prove them wrong, and that pretty much scares the bejesus out of me.

    The only thing we seem to have going for us is military leadership that keeps trying to counter the media- and wild-eyed-political noise machine screaming we HAVE TO DO SOMETHING.

    It makes me more than a little queasy to realize what an appetite some people have for war, even after the trillions spent, the thousands of lives lost or damaged and the extreme hit our constitutional rights and freedoms have taken.

    Parent

    That is the danger (none / 0) (#44)
    by ruffian on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 04:29:58 PM EST
    We can only hope he can stand up to the right as well as he does to the left.

    Parent
    You worry that he might fly a B-2 (none / 0) (#56)
    by Militarytracy on Fri Feb 24, 2012 at 08:00:46 AM EST
    for Israel to prove how much he loves Israel?  I can't make his decisions for him, but if they ever decided they had to do something like that I would hope that proving something to that pack of idiots HAS NOTHING to do with any of it.

    I know not everybody in the Army is happy with the directions the military is taking now. Particularly if you are old school heavy conventional ground forces, because your jobs are being evolved away.

    But I don't know how anyone who is our President does any of this any better than Obama is doing it right now.  It is war, war is never certain.  Obama has employed the best minds, the best leaders, the best strategies.  Things make as much sense as anyone can make out of them and still be in a war outside of the Koran burning days.

    He has nothing to prove to these people and if he doesn't grasp that yet I don't know what the hell to do with him.  It isn't cool to be a Democratic President and be good at making some war, but he is.  I can't tell you how confident he is in that though.

    I tried being a military spouse keeping a soldier's family running under George Bush though, it was hell and insanity and constant fear because you did not know who was going to be the next blow everybody up suicidal fool he was going to put in charge when everything was falling apart.

    Parent

    I have to admit (none / 0) (#25)
    by CST on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 11:46:32 AM EST
    I'm experiencing a lot of schadenfreude watching Romney crash and burn through the GOP primaries.

    Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

    Parent

    i did not watch the debate, i am not a masochist (none / 0) (#7)
    by cpinva on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 02:28:33 AM EST
    by nature. however, i have since read transcripts of parts of it. mr. santorum seems to have dined at the same word salad bar as sarah palin. however did he get into/out of law school? why did anyone in PA think he would be a good senator? he comes across as having severe cognitive disabilities, and not in a good way. is it possible the priest got a wee bit carried away with the water, causing brain damage, when young rick was being baptized? this would explain a lot.

    whose in charge of PR in this WH (none / 0) (#8)
    by loveed on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 02:45:50 AM EST
    Obama can sing the blues link
    But he can't pick up a shovel link.
     The media will play Obama singing over and over again.
      To me this is embarrassing. The reason for not participating in the ground breaking is weak. It looks really bad.
     We will see which video get the most play.

    Maybe the question is, who decided (5.00 / 1) (#19)
    by Anne on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 10:19:23 AM EST
    it would make sense to embarrass the president by allowing him to think he had been invited to attend the groundbreaking so he could actually, you know, participate in the ground breaking?

    Seems to me that Obama took the high road by not insisting he be given a shovel.

    Clearly, there was a failure to communicate, but I think that when one of the parties involved is the president, protocol should dictate that he at least be in the loop on who's doing what.

    I'm sure it will be spun as some kind of I'm-too-important-to-get-my-hands-dirty moment, but that is, in my opinion, not consistent with the actual events as I understand them.

    As for the singing, that's kind of a "so what?" moment for me - so he can sing, that's great, and it's kind of nice to see him loosen up a bit, but I don't think there's any hidden meaning to it at all.  

    It was appropriate to the venue and the audience, which is really all that matters.  He didn't break into song at a Cabinet meeting, or sing to a head of state in a formal setting, so I don't get why people care so much about this.

    Parent

    That would be hilarious though (5.00 / 2) (#21)
    by jbindc on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 10:46:21 AM EST
    Breaking into song in a cabinet meeting. How about one for each member?

    To Hillary Clinton:  "Foreign Affair" by Tina Turner

    To Kathleen Sebelius: "Doctor, My Eyes" by Jackson Browne

    To Leon Panetta: "Give Peace a Chance" by John Lennon

    To Hilda Solis: "9 to 5" by Dolly Parton

    To Ray Lahood:  "Cars" by Gary Numan

    To Tim Geithner: "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits

    To Eric Holder:  "Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash

    To Ken Salazar: "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology Song)"

    To Tom Vilsack:  "John Deere Green" by Joe Diffie

    To John Bryson: "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" by the Pet Shop Boys

    To Shaun Donovan:  "Pink Houses" by John Mellencamp

    To Steven Chu:  "Electricity" (from SchoolHouse Rock)

    To Janet Napolitano: "El Paso" by Marty Robbins


    Parent

    Oligarchy...The Musical! n/t (5.00 / 4) (#22)
    by kdog on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 11:22:14 AM EST
    Ha! my thoughts exactly (none / 0) (#23)
    by ruffian on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 11:39:00 AM EST
    or a very special episode of Glee

    Parent
    Sounds like Obama was ready and willing (none / 0) (#9)
    by caseyOR on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 03:45:17 AM EST
    to wield a shovel, but the museum had certain people lined to do that, and Obama was not one of them.

    Are you saying that this groundbreaking thing reflects badly on Obama? If so, I disagree.  It's not like they asked him to stick a shovel in the ground and he refused.

    Parent

    lol; Obama's been shoveling it for years. (5.00 / 0) (#10)
    by Mr Natural on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 05:00:45 AM EST
    I wish people would stop making excuses (5.00 / 2) (#11)
    by loveed on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 07:08:06 AM EST
    for Obama. He is the president of the USA.
     He should have had a golden shovel, specially made to be placed in this museum upon completion.
    This was historic.
     This was a ground breaking. So, no one in his advance team knew, he would not be included? My question who's in charge of the WH PR.
      If Bill Clinton was president, do you think he would have allowed this to happen?
      My other point was which video will the media show over and over? And which event was more important?  

    Parent
    I think both things ... (5.00 / 1) (#14)
    by Robot Porter on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 09:01:10 AM EST
    are incredibly unimportant and insignificant.  

    Obama can sort of sing.  Zzzzzz.  And he didn't attend one event.  Zzzzzz.

    There many better singers than Obama.

    And there is much more compelling evidence that he is no friend of civil liberties than his not picking up a shovel.

    This all falls under the Soap Opera part of politics.  And like a Soap Opera it is only marginally entertaining.  And not at all important.

     

    Parent

    I agree with you about the videos (none / 0) (#13)
    by ruffian on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 07:31:30 AM EST
    and the optics. Someone should have been more careful about  that.

    Of course the GOP will probably way overreach on it and be extremely offensive with their ads, so the whole thing will probably rebound back in Obama's favor.

    Parent

    Judging by the unhappy recap... (none / 0) (#15)
    by kdog on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 09:03:38 AM EST
    on the news this morning, Ron Paul was the star last night.

    "I'm real Ron, I'm real."

    Coulda fooled me Santorum, coulda fooled me;)

    It appears (none / 0) (#16)
    by CoralGables on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 09:15:58 AM EST
    Paul could now be in Romney's pocket.

    Parent
    The talking heads mentioned that... (none / 0) (#17)
    by kdog on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 09:50:11 AM EST
    a Romney/Paul v Santorum/Gingrich thing going on.  I get the Santorum & Gingrich playing nice, since like the majority of the country they really don't like that Mitt fellow and are determined to thwart his ambitions, by hook or by crook.  

    Paul playing nice with Romney is harder to get...maybe he just wanted to spread the mudslinging around more equally.  Weird.

    Parent

    Strategically it makes sense (5.00 / 1) (#18)
    by Robot Porter on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 10:10:32 AM EST
    Paul has enough money to stay in the race no matter what happens. His best chance to accumulate delegates, and have an influence at the convention, is if this becomes a two man race. The best chance of this being a two man race is if Romney beats the others.

    This is why from the beginning the Paul campaign has done very few anti-Romney ad buys. Though spent a lot on ads against the others. And why he's generally been pretty easy on him in debates as well.

    Parent

    Thanks Robo... (5.00 / 1) (#20)
    by kdog on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 10:24:59 AM EST
    that does make sense...I knew it couldn't be any affection for the stiff.

    Parent
    Then again (none / 0) (#47)
    by CoralGables on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 05:52:42 PM EST
    the chatter is building that Romney may be interested in Rand Paul on a Romney/Paul ticket.

    Parent
    Oh, dear Lord. (none / 0) (#50)
    by Anne on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 07:35:50 PM EST
    It just gets worse and worse.

    Parent
    It has been about Rand Paul, I think (none / 0) (#55)
    by christinep on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 11:20:36 PM EST
    Ron Paul has provided a buffer for Romney, because it allows the elder Paul to speak his Libertarianism, to be heard without too much push back from the Republican establishment while he protects his son's future chances/ position in the Republican Party.  Cynical ol' me: Because the tag- team approach ( Romney & Paul) seemed apparent early on, my take has been that Ron Paul had a situation where he could safely espouse his views to an eager youngish crowd without heavy challenge from within the Party in consideration of his from time-to-time cover/help for Romney...a nice setup wherein he plays within the party's unspoken rules to not harm any possible future interests of son, Rand. Cozy.

    Parent
    So I don't watch (none / 0) (#30)
    by CST on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 12:56:20 PM EST
    the Bachelor, but I know Jeralyn and maybe others here do.  I do however read grantland, and one of the writers there has been covering this season of the Bachelor.

    This is hilarious.  It almost makes me wish I watched the show.  But I have a feeling this is the way better version of it anyway.

    Ah (none / 0) (#43)
    by jbindc on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 04:26:26 PM EST
    I like Katie Baker on Grantland when she writes about Matrimonial Moneyball, also known as "scoring the NY Times wedding section."

    Who can resist such posts as:

    *It's legitimately cool and chills-making to get married in a place where your great-grandmother once, upon landing via boat in the United States from Glasgow in 1912, found her first employment. But it's also so typical Times that it's THE PLAZA.

    or this:

    I know people who have done it on couches, in airplanes, and on top of mountains. They've done it behind closed doors and in front of crowds of thousands. When they do it wrong they're humiliated, but a good performance will yield a yes, YES, YES! And, apparently, there are people willing to pay hundreds and even thousands of dollars to do it with a hired professional.

    That's right. According to the New York Times, there's a new cog in the matrimonial machine: "a group of consultants called proposal planners, who advise men, and sometimes women, who want to propose but are flummoxed about how to go about asking this life-altering question memorably."

    Have a cool seven grand lying around even after you've paid two months' salary on a ring? Then you can have a proposal scenario like the one Sarah Pease helped one man organize.

    Ms. Pease recommended Belleville, a Brooklyn bistro where Mr. Fowkes made his pitch -- successfully -- in a room decorated with a chandelier and a wrought-iron arch, as four singers did a rendition of "Marry Me" by Train.

    In addition to Ms. Pease's $2,000 fee, Mr. Fowkes paid $5,000 for the vendors, including the rental of an elegant 1932 Hupmobile.

    I know nothing about cars and at first thought that said "Humpmobile," by the way, which was amazing enough that it almost would have made up for the Train.



    Parent
    this is the money quote right here (5.00 / 1) (#46)
    by CST on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 04:55:12 PM EST
    "NOTE: Every now and then the Times tries to troll the matrimonial-industrial complex by featuring an "off the beaten path" look at the weddings and relationships of drug addicts/dealers, homeless people, criminals, people who went to state school, and the like. This would be fine, IF the announcements didn't blatantly drip with so much holier-than-thou liberal smugness. ("Look, readers. We talked to REAL AMURCANS!") Like Alanis Morrissette once sang, I see right through you, New York Times. (She may have been addressing Uncle Joey, but still.) Such blatant slumming will not be tolerated, and I will ignore any such attempt. As for those of you who read the first sentence of this paragraph and thought "Wait, I would read an entire section of that!" ... I recommend the New York Post."

    Parent
    Love her! (none / 0) (#45)
    by CST on Thu Feb 23, 2012 at 04:53:15 PM EST
    Her NHL posts are also pretty awesome.

    I really like grantland.  I know the name is stupid, but it's like a "real" version of the onion for people who like sports, tv, and generally making fun of pop culture.  It's become one of my go-to sites.

    Parent