STP

Cup of Joe?

Yeah the city ordinance would be more symbolic. But they could charge you with trespassing. --Source: Seattle gun ban ordered drawn up by Mayor Greg Nickels

"While it's legal to openly carry a firearm in Washington, state regulations say that exhibiting any weapon "apparently capable of producing bodily harm" in an intimidating manner is a gross misdemeanor. In addition, weapons are prohibited in many places, such as courthouses, liquor establishments that are off-limits to minors, and jails. There are a variety of restrictions. For example, you aren't allowed to carry a loaded handgun in a car unless you have a concealed pistol license." --source: Packing in public: Owners not gun-shy Also check this: http://opencarry.org/

"...carried an interview this week with the conservative columnist Michelle Malkin about whether Michelle Obama was being unfairly targeted." "During the interview, a caption was flashed up saying: "Outraged liberals: Stop picking on Obama's baby mama." The term is slang for a woman who has a baby with a man who is neither her partner nor boyfriend." Michelle Malkin. Say no more.

Full quiver of children? OH NOES! Bikinis! You might see her hips!!! WTF do ultra-religious people have against sex, anyway? You'd think a people who want a "full quiver of children" would be into sex. Yeah so, isn't it called community standards?

Why are you getting your panties in a bunch?

This won't affect the proceeding of the military tribunals. Congress is just as complicit as the Administration in creating the present legal situation. Furthermore, the Kucinich effort to impeach Bush kicked into limbo. Seems that the Administration has only to invoke a war (War on Drugs, War on Terrorism, etc) to command special rights-- Administration Asserts No Fourth Amendment for Domestic Military Operations Here's one view of the ruling:Justice rises from the ashes. In dissent, Scalia comments that a number of former detainees have gone on to commit acts of terrorism once freed from Gitmo. Go figure...

GDI

With U.S. in slump, dual citizenship in EU countries attracts Americans Downside? You might have to serve in their armed services if called up. Do any of you have a dual citizenship? Israeli-US, Canadian-US?

Talking about priorities... Why Is Bush Helping Saudi Arabia Build Nukes? ---WSJ

I don't believe that prejudice is a major influencer in the process. Other matters of public perception come into play here. Race is only one factor. For instance, Obama may be slighted for his religious beliefs (seemingly more Unitarian than Christian) or charges of elitism may stick to his image and foster his disconnect with blue-collar folks in places like the Rust Belt. Could be a whole host of things that figure into his media persona. Could also be a rejection of the 2008 platform of the Democratic Party.

Dude should have done some research before committing his life to several years of service: Constitutional Charter of the Guard See for instance Article II, Sec. 2 and the National Defense Act of 1916. Also, the Supreme Court upheld the right of the central gov't to send Guardsmen wherever it chooses, over the objections of state governors. -- Limiting State Involvement in Foreign Policy: The Governors and the National Guard in Perpich v. Defense Yeah and if dude still insists. He may get his wish: VOU934hhuEQ

Isn't this racial sensitivity somewhat a manufactured product? In other words, we bought into it. That's coming from the folks in Martin Luther King County. Doesn't take looking back in West Coast history to see racial hatred, etc. And yeah, I know we elected a Chinese-American as governor not that long ago. I don't believe that deep down inside people in Seattle are any more humane than, say, people in the Twin Cities (doh, that's Minnesota). Also, some of the cosmopolitan attitude is brought out by the urban setting but rural folks are as sensitive or more so than urbanites.

The Derivatives Market is Unwinding? Investors' Growing Appetite for Oil Evades Market Limits Meanwhile Treas. Sec Paulson says investors not to blame, talks up strong dollar but it falls as European Central Bank also talks about raising interest rates.

"I hate the gooks."

Cry baby cry Make your mother sigh She's old enough to know better So cry baby cry. Twelve o'clock a meeting round the table For a seance in the dark Voices out of nowhere Put on specially by the children for a lark.

"The next thousandfold goal is the exaflop, which is a quintillion calculations per second, followed by the zettaflop, the yottaflop and the xeraflop." ...and then by the whatthefuckaflop. Money is no object. Dis computa wil figure ouht da derivatives markit.

Britain and Australia as bellwethers for coming changes here? Good thing, bad thing? Every adult in Britain should be forced to carry 'carbon ration cards', say MPs Take the test: Planet Slayer--Prof Schpinkee's Greenhouse Calculator

I agree wit ya, DC concerning ethnocentrism (a few posts up). Harvard's Implicit Association Test suggests that all of us have a subconscious racial bias. Oddly enough, it may work in Obama's favor. BTW, McCain supporters...what does McCain propose to upgrade our infrastructure and how does he propose to fund it?

There was a discussion on NPR the other day about the mental insanity defense in Washington state. The commentator stated, "Would the perpetrator have been deterred if a policeman had been in the room"? If he had, then the shooter could not be granted the mental insanity defense. Similarily, if he shot after seeing that someone was calling 911 meant he realized what he was doing, IOW, he wasn't out of his mind. But then, the fact that he drove from the Tri-Cities to Seattle with a gun seems, at face value, to be premediated intent. So, it doesn't seem so clearcut. No doubt, a deadly crime was committed that won't go unpunished. Though it's a shame that it hinges on what charges the prosecutor pushed. It'll be retried. As a layperson I can't say I understand the workings behind the legal process. Personally, in other cases you often wonder what other factors came into play when charges are filed, things such as race and social status of the defendant. I'm thinking specifically of black males, not defending them but aware of the different in incarceration and such when the defendant is found guilty of the decided charges in court and its subsequent sentencing. Also, as an aside, I wonder if things would have occurred as they did if one of the victims had a concealed weapon. Not saying that this is the solution, that everyone should arm themselves, but your defense shouldn't be automatically ceded to the authorities such as waiting for the police to arrive. Another thing...the presence of guns alone won't necessarily lead to violence...violence is inherent in some situations e.g., 7 reported dead in Tokyo stabbing rampage. Seems the root threat is in the instability of the individual, that that person uses whatever is at his disposal to commit crime. That's a tough nut to crack.

Hahaha, classic! Up her meds.

I saw several of these in the HOV lane yesterday on the drive south. I also passed, slowly, through Seattle where a semi jacknived. Smaller cars? tywC-gRXbq0

Burning Man? CV4i7dWeu0c

Teetering on the brink of desperation, Hillary tries a new look. Vamp tramp!

Hahaha, yeah he's a bit over the top. I think it's a joke that he presents the Democrats as the better pick over their opponent party. I just don't see it as such. There's some good Democrats and there's some good Republicans. I did think some of his ideas were interesting and maybe valid criticisms of the current state of the Republican Party, regardless of whether the guy's a loon or a former heroin user. It's the ideas I'm interested in and I don't have to be mutually exclusive from a partisan POV. Here's some ideas (and maybe they're wacky but nonetheless food for thought): -- source