How about if Obama produces an obviously fake Kenyan birth certificate so we can sit back with our popcorn and watch idiots like Cucunelli foam at the mouth?

Oh, wait. Orly Taitz already did that.

So since I have only a cell phone, and they track me via GPS, if I went back only one land line, how long could I remain off the grid?

As a native of Oklahoma, I am eternally grateful to this bugfucker and to the state of Texas for drawing attention away from the batshit craziness of my native state. (For the record, I left there over twenty years ago and never looked back).

So, WT, local news is all about flooding. My riverfront property is far away from the house, and I didn’t go down to the Wallkill River to see how high it was, but the view from the house indicated it was about up to it’s 20′ banks in my area.

That these morons get elected to higher office is just . . . stunning.

These whackjobs live in an alternate universe where reality does not exist except as they want it to be.

It is the Age of Stupid. So what do you expect? If it weren’t filled with idiots like this, we would have to call it something else.

They are not merely profoundly stupid, but also full on delusional.

C’mon, watertiger.

If Scooter Libby’s press flack Barbara Comstock could get elected to the VA House of Delegates, there’s at least one district where being wild-eyed and crazy might be an advantage.

(If you don’t recall Comstock from the Libby trial days, just search for “emptywheel Barbara Comstock” and you’ll come up to speed pretty quick.)

i had the distinct pleasure on Saturday of attending a talk featuring both Charlie Pierce and Matt Taibbi.

They were not kind to birthers and the nutsacs in the Tea Party.

When the republicans take back congress, how many, by a show of hands, think impeachment will be off the table?

I do dearly wish I could have been there for the evisceration. It must have been divine comedy.

Has Charlie started on “Idiot America, Vol 2″ yet as I suggested?

Isn’t an Oily Taint the antithesis of a yeast infection?

Watertiger !

Please tell Matt that he is overdue for an appearance at FDL.

Frankly, the way things are going, he should have enough material for a complete encyclopedia.

Thank former VA AG McDonnell, so plastic he made the job look so easy any mook could do it.

Of course, he’s governor now.

As a matter of fact…

Can someone who resides in a state with Albany as its capital really criticize
elected officials elsewhere? After all, Cuccinelli never slashed his wife and dragged her out the door.
As far as we know.

Impeaching Obama is the reason why the GOP wants to take back the Congress.

Oh, NYS is all kinds of fucked up. We still haven’t passed marriage equality yet.

I mean, of all places…

I believe it was in one of Bill Moyer’s book of essays where he recounted the story of someone, maybe Bill himself, visiting the Texas legislature with a friend. He was stunned by their nutcrackery. His friend said, if you think these guys are bad you should see the folks who elected them.

Yeah, but at least it’ll be Bipartisan ! /s

Teddy !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KS2khYJZKwA

Well, that and the resumption of their plan to turn everyone making less than a billion a year into a gigantic, permanent underclass.

Speaking as someone who grew up in Oklahoma and currently lives in Montana, far from disqualifying you from commenting, it makes you rather a connoisseur of crazy.

They are currently debating whether to re-institute slavery or serfdom.

Wow. Just wow. An AG with a a raging case of paranoia and the stupidity to go public with it as if it were something redemptive and valuable. Pretty bad, but it also says something about the people that elected this mentally defective fool to public office.

You people in VA better wake the hell up. You call this quality leadership?

You people in VA better wake the hell up.

Given the evidence, we might be better if most of them were comatose.

A significant minority figure, hell, why not both?

That sounds like Bill.

The argument for serfdom is that you do not actually have to feed, cloth, or house them. With property, you have to maintain them at least at a minimum level.

*rubbing my hands together with glee*

Were there perhaps any dates were mentioned?

I stand corrected.

LOL … the Docs are on fire tonight !

The shock of Cuccinelli’s idiocy is lessened by years of exposure to first the Bush Administration and now Obama’s Presidency, a Republican dominated Congress and now a Democraticly dominated one. The inmates are in charge of the asylum.

So, children: property or serfs? Or smurfs?

Since Avatar, the Goopers have declared blue people unAmerican.

I was raised in Virginia. It’s been in my rear-view mirror for couple of decades.

I get asked if Virginia was really so bad I had to leave.

I was spit on while I was still in high school by some of Falwell’s nut bags walking into my local game store. I was a demon-worshiping Dungeons and Dragons player.

Falwell’s Liberty U and Robertson’s Regent U are both there.

I left a few months after we got Doug Wilder elected 1st black Governor in the US. The bigots went almost as bonkers over Gov. Wilder as they have over Pres. Obama.

The place is insane.

See what happens when you stay home instead of vote?

Children are born into the status of their parents. Saves decision-making on the part of Our Stinking Rich Overlords.

Well said. The disastrous effects of apathy cannot be stated enough.

They would automatically be classified as geeks, say?

Yep, most Democrats suck but all Republicans are batshit crazy. Even the ones who weren’t have to be now so they don’t get primaried by the teabag crowd.

Which is probably for the best since our esteemed overlord have shown no great abilities in that department.

Welcome to voting in Montana (where our Republicans make Cuccinelli look sane and rational).

Oh, heavens no. Slaves, serfs, meat pen…you know, that kind of classification.

The image of “We The People”, teabagging Politicians is enough to make me get Cable.

You have to get them young for the last, otherwise they get too tough and stringy. Start tasting gamy, too.

A connoisseur of the old long pig, I see.

You know what sucks? I got into an online discussion about the Prius which had reportedly accelerated out of control recently. I didn’t come down pro or con, just pointed out a few salient points about transient shorts and so forth. I have worked professionally as a mechanic on everything from lawnmowers to F-14s and for a number of years specialized in electrical systems, particularly overfill systems and servos. Altogether I had about 22 years as a technician before I decided it was too physically expensive for me to continue in that line of work and I went into science and human subject research. In spite of all of that, I was totally dismissed by the people talking about the subject, even though at least two of them were forced to accept my corrections to their theories. And why? Cause I’m a girl. Jerks.

Can’t be much worse than Texas…

Oh, don’t get cable — the shock will kill you! I’ve taken to watching the Weather Channel and What not to Wear to avoid the cable “news.” I do love the Daily Show and Colbert Report though…

No, but they are running neck and neck, with my native state of Oklahoma in the pack with them.

Jeebus, you worked on F-14s ?!!

LOL … Christine !

How’s Cleveland ?

F-14A, A+ (with toughwing mod) and F-14Ds, yep.

Dunno Doc….OK might be running away from the pack at this point.

whispering: winter might be over!

They are rather getting pretty far out there, aren’t they? Don’t really follow politics there too much as I am so far away. Of course my son and his family live there, so I have something of a vested interest still.

It made it to 60 here today with sunshine and is supposed to do it again tomorrow. Then a couple of days of cooler with rain and maybe snow, before it gets back into the upper 50s for the weekend. Almost like being in Miami.

What a great week, eh ? The neighbor was prepping his Mower today … ;-)

Ugh! While we’re spending money on Bush’s wars (STILL), and welfare for health insurance companies, India is increasing it’s space exploration budget. This is what it feels like to get left behind. Corruption will lead to it every time.

Time for me to toddle off and try to reset my internal clock (again!). Take care all.

Rain and cooler, but I left the house in a raincoat — no winter coat!!! It felt great.

Nighty night Doc.

The Head of India’s Space Agency has an ambitious plans for a Mission to the Sun.

When quizzed by Reporters, on how the Spaceship would land without getting vaporized by the intense heat, he replied, “It’s going to be a Night Mission !”

His mower?! My grass, though visible, is still smashed flat! We won’t mow for months, I suspect.

G’nite Sir !

It’ll be cool enough for some Lamb Curry this weekend …

I thought he was a bit … um … overzealous ! *g*

Standard ‘guy reaction’ to anyone female trying to discuss anything with wheels and an engine. We’re supposed to be decorative, not practical.

and gingerbread…

This guy is hardly unique. The Republican Party has quietly pandered to and encouraged nutty conspiracy theories for a while. See: “Saddam Hussein and 9/11″, or “Hillary Clinton and Vince Foster”, or ….

On Thursday. That is my afternoon seminar and I will crank up the crockpot in the morning to be ready when I get home.

the Federal government is tracking your every movement with those ten little numbers.

Do they only give 10 digit social security numbers to “special” people, ’cause mine’s got nine digits.

oh, let’s just say it — “show-off”

Maybe some people get an extra digit to tell them apart from all us peons.

Proof of the reasons for the right-wingers’ now-successful destruction of public education.

I’m beginning to think the short story I read might be true, where there was a fixed amount of intelligence on the planet. As the population increased beyond a critical point, people started getting stupider.

Well I’d be happy if such activity kept them away from actually passing legislation. Kind of a win-win for the country.

We’re supposed to be decorative, not practical.

Apparently. I don’t know whether they were more appalled that I was right or that I involved myself in the conversation at all.

I’ll have the virtual Basmati ready, along with the requisite Single Malt … *g*

Haven’t read comments but two things occur to me WT:

1) That is without a doubt, my FAV evah lolcaption!!! It’s just so perfectly human as to be, perfect.
2) I’m banging my head a lot more on the desk lately, and it hurts, dammit.

I took a whole day today to be pissed off, rant, and scratch eyes out of trolls.

Like Busted does, at Ornery B.

The recent news and such is just awful across the board.

I also learnt, that I shouldn’t shoot my prog mates in the same foxhole, despite exhorting THEM not to shoot me.

Life is hell out here in the godforsakenvalleythattimeforgot, NYC got nothin on us.

*G*

Well, other than food, art, and complete insanity 24/7.

You go, gal.

It’s been twenty years since I worked on airplanes but to this day I would bet money that I could pull and replace a stab pac by myself faster and better than any two men could as a team. That’s not a boast, that’s just a statement of what I know I can do because I have done it before. Still I get patronized. It’s offensive as hell.

OT, but I once had to translate/explain to a French person (in a Paris theater) why I was laughing at the line you used for your title.

Wasn’t easy, what w/ explaining about “Virginia,” & the pun & all.

I hate the time change. I’d better toddle off even though it still seems early to me. Goodnight.

Perhaps we aught to help them out.

If, as the rumor has it, Obama will order bombing missions on Iran from Diego Garcia, the spell of McCain/Palin as being significantly worse may finally be dispelled.

What the hayall is a stab pac?

Stabilizing . . . urmmmm?

You wrenched/built aerostuffs?

Props? Jets?

Tell us more, he said, as he poured some more Merlot/Reisling whatever . . . .

Taibbi is a hoss, the way Ian Welsh used to be before being WAPO’ized.

Why, he’s going their job better than THEY ever did it!!!

Oh, yeah, any excuzzze.

I guess, I’d be for that impeachment, too, now that I think about it.

Yeah but their dulcimers, general acoustic luthiery and musical traditions are essential.

What to do, what to do . . .

And, and, MANY new bands from the VA’s and the Carolina’s are progressive as all hell politically and socially.

Well, those I’ve met.

What to do, what to do . . . .

A Stab pac Is a stabilizer actuator, a kind of hydraulic cylinder that moves the horizontal stabilizers of an F-14A (as opposed to a rudder pac). It could take mechanical inputs from the pilot and turn it into hydraulic force to move the control surface or it could take electrical inputs for pitch or roll from the trim control, the CADC or from the SAS actuators. It’s about three feet long and has a maximum throw of about two feet. It has four hydraulic lines, one pressure and one return for both the flight hydraulic system and the combined hydraulic system and a cannon plug for electrical inputs and to restrict movement with the wings in bomb mode, oversweep and over a certain airspeed threshold. The body of the actuator attaches onto a trunnion in the well of the the stab actuator compartment and the other end attaches onto a similar trunnion on the end to the stabilizer horn. Enough information?

Nite, Margaret.

Good lord, is that out of THIS Heinlein?

For a girl, you appear to be one hell of a broad.

(pardon the gender old school based nomenclature which I never used)

*G*

Wow, Margaret! That is enough information! Wow!

For this, Mr. Cuccinelli– a State attorney General for gawdsakes– receives The Faces of Disapproval

But on a bright gleaming note, this 10 year old American comes through with flying colors on “American Founding Principles 101″ as he states “[..] lack of equality for some, is lack of equality for all, and I think it is time for us all to get equal.”

I just re-read Farnham’s Freehold recently. Heinlein sure had some mid twentieth century notions, didn’t he?

It’s heck on the technical mind to taxi about on the tarmac. Let’s put those transferable skills to work. Ready to do the hottest mass transit project in the history of the United States, fellow Americans? High Speed Rail … let’s do it!

I actually understood the first few sentences, and I learnt there are automatic electric controls that adjust things for flight that the pilot don’t have to deal with . . . wow.

I knew a dude who flew A-14′s in the early 80′s, were you navy, airforce, or civilian contractor?

He never WOULD talk much about it all, claimed classification.

She good, huh . . . lol

Here to tell ya, that book set me on my head when I read it from age 12 thru mid 20′s.

Like some books, this one kept me coming back to see what did I NOT get . .

Shook up shit of all KINDS of taboo’s, including of course, cannibalism, only not the kind MOST of us would assume to think of, huh!

*G*

Really blew me away, yer stab pac comment . . . *G* And I never knew you were a wrench.

Goddess.

Yep.

She’s one of those who walk and talk in the clouds above us mere mortals slaving here on Mudder Oith.

evening, firegods and firegoddesses

Hiya PPDCUS!!

I was in the Navy and later a civilian at NARF North Island. Pffft! Pilots know their business and I knew mine. They could tell you in detail what they were capable of but most of them couldn’t explain how they worked or what went into the maintenance. To this day the F-14A is one of the best naval fighters ever built but it was a nightmare to maintain in some cases. As for classification, Aviation Week described it’s performance capabilities in detail in the mid 70s. I suspect your friend is like most pilots, long on flight experience, short on technical knowledge. I had to explain to a pilot one day that the flap/slat control drive breaker doesn’t “reset” the system like he claimed, that it only removes assymetry protection and over travel protection. He refused to believe me until I showed him in the NATOPS where it said that. I have a great deal of respect for pilots but sometimes they didn’t have a lot for me.

Wow…wonder if you ever met Wally Funk?

Aww c’mon guys. I’ve forgotten more than most people know about skypigs, (our little endearing name for F-14s) but only because I chose to go into the Navy and do that job. I’m not better than anybody else but I did know my stuff.

h/t PPDCUS– “Elemental Nights” (from Cirque du Soleil’s Dralion)

Pilot: “Margie dear, tell me how you do this job with those breasticles in your way.”

Margaret: “OK flyboy, stand up straight, spread your feet, oh, about 24 inches apart, close your eyes…”

Brava, Margaret.

My brother was a Navy Chief, he did aviation fire control on the Grumman A6 Intruder. I don’t know a damn thing about it but he was great at his job. I never tired of listening to his stories about living in Japan, leaving Vietnam, and trying to live a normal life back in the United States. And I thought that he was a firefighter!!!
Margaret, you are a hero.

Hiya CE

Heh, the pilot in question was back in the early 80′s, as I said.

Brash, but quietly confident, you know them.

I had a bowling buddy out here in Sacto worked for McClellan AFB when they were servicing the Warthogs in the 90′s.

I’d ask him about the one’s I’d see from the freeway as they flew quick hops off the base, up, and back again.

“I don’t know, I just work on stuff.”

Them Warthogs are wierd planes but do the mission.
*G*

Hey! How’s stuff?

Heh, knowing yer stuff differentiates you from about 90% of any of the masses, be they military or civvie.

I haven’t used the word “stuff” in thirty years, and we both use it at 10:03. How weird is that?

Got our first sunny, warm day since January — spring has sprung, I think

An AO? It was said among us that if you really wanna party, find an AO or an AMS, (I was an AMS) :-)

Not warm nor spring-like, but snow is melted and I hear birds (and see bulbs growing). I’m HAPPY!

Really? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac

I am sorry Margaret, I have no idea what you are talking about: AO or AMS. I’m just an art librarian who has this brother with a super military record. Can you help me?

AO = Aviation Ordinance = Aviation weapons systems, missiles, guns and so forth, though that could mean AQ as well, depending on if your brother was involved in radar systems. AMS = Aviation Mechanic (Structures), meaning the entire airframe, everything except guns, computers, radar, most wires, ordinance, engines, fuel cells and piping and safety equipment though it was actually a combined rate with AMH, Aircraft Mechanic (Hydraulics) and I understand that now they don’t differentiate and they are all just AMs.

Whew! Thanks so much Margaret. All I know is that I so admired everything he did. I spent every vacation in Virginia Beach, and fell in love with the Navy. They rejected me because I am too short!!!

So I went to graduate school.

I love it when you talk smart, Margaret!

Late Night: Yes, Virginia, There is a Sanity Clause

When Obama was born in Kenya Chico Marx gave his father a good quarter cigar. He had smoked the other three quarters himself.

So since I have only a cell phone, and they track me via GPS, if I went back only one land line, how long could I remain off the grid?

It depends… how long has it been since you paid your mandated health insurance premium?

The flood is receding, it’s sunny and i heard a song bird!

Adam503…See, that’s what happens to a state when the people in it “Find Jeezus”. Right after that they start marrying their brothers and sisters and blame everything on “The Gays” because the Rev. Billy Bob Cornholem told them to do so on TV last night – right after they send in their checks and buy the latest in “white hood fashion” from his web site of course.

Next state up for the “Batshit Crazy State of the Year” award: Arizona….