Overnight Open Thread (5-11-2014)

Have to leave the bunker because social function. So everyone tonight enjoys an AoSHQ Premium early ONT.

Your Congress at Work

Here some of the current bills that have been introduced:

Apollo Lunar Landing Legacy Act: Would establish the Apollo Lunar Landing Sites National Historical Park on the moon. - Chief sponsor Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.)

Read the Bills Act: Would require legislation to be posted online one week before it comes up for a vote. The House version, sponsored by two Republicans, would exempt declarations of war. The Senate version, sponsored by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), would require that lawmakers sign an affidavit, under penalty of perjury, attesting that they "attentively" read the measure or were present throughout the entire reading. They do not have to sign the affidavit if they vote against the bill. - House Bill's chief sponsor Rep. Kerry Bentivolio (R-Mich.)

Department of Peacebuilding Act: Would establish a Cabinet-level federal department, headed by the secretary of Peacebuilding, dedicated to reducing violence domestically and internationally. - Chief Sponsor Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland)

(The idea of a Department of Peace had been championed for more than a decade by then-Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-Ohio).

District of Columbia-Maryland Reunion Act: Would address the District of Columbia's long-standing grievance over lack of representation in Congress by turning over the district to Maryland except for a "National Capital Service Area" that includes the Capitol, the White House and monuments on the National Mall.

SPA Act: Would prohibit the operation of the House gym during a government shutdown. The Shutdown Prioritization Act was introduced during the 16-day federal government shutdown in October.

The Beautiful, Cheerfully Optimistic Cynicism of Uncle Milton

Who Wants a President Joe Biden?

Well Peter Beinart does.

Run, Joe, Run: Why Democrats Need a Biden Candidacy

If there's any suspense left about the Democratic primary in 2016, it largely revolves around whether an economic populist will challenge Clinton from the left. The prospect of Elizabeth Warren entering the race tantalizes many liberals. But since Biden's not an anti-Wall Street crusader, his potential candidacy sparks barely any interest at all. That's too bad. While a Warren candidacy would spark one valuable debate inside the Democratic Party-about government's role in the economy-a Biden candidacy would spark another: about America's role in the world.

But he worries that Biden's potential candidacy is in danger of becoming a joke.

:snort: Joe Biden's Candidacy 'In Danger' of Being Ridiculous.

OK, two comments. While Joe Biden's candidacy is, of course, already a joke - and, rest assured, he wants the job - it is a measure of just how much trouble the Democrats are in right now for 2016 that he and the other very-old-for-the-job person with public neurological issues (Hillary Clinton, for those following along at home) are the best choices that that party has. Although I suppose that Elizabeth Warren at least looks like a little better as a choice, seeing as she'd 'only' be 67 in 2016 and does not have blood clots or a family history of strokes.

.As far as I know.  Anyway, joke or not Joe Biden still has a remarkably non-trivial shot at winning the nomination.  Which would, as I have noted before, be absolutely great.

Happy 108th Birthday to Richard "Ritchy" Overton

America's oldest WWII veteran.

UK Liberal Media Discovers Root Cause Of Nigerian Terrorism

Quick name it before following the link. And it's not like the Obama administration is all that more clueful:

John Kerry Slams Boko Haram For Not Providing Healthcare Plans

China Fact of the Day I

Before the Communists came to power in 1949, China had only 22 dams of any significant size. Now the country has more than half of the world's roughly 50,000 large dams, defined as having a height of at least 15 meters, or a storage capacity of more than three million cubic meters. Thus, China has completed, on average, at least one large dam per day since 1949. If dams of all sizes are counted, China's total surpasses 85,000.

China Fact of the Day II

Officially, the People's Republic of China is an atheist country but that is changing fast as many of its 1.3 billion citizens seek meaning and spiritual comfort that neither communism nor capitalism seem to have supplied.

Christian congregations in particular have skyrocketed since churches began reopening when Chairman Mao's death in 1976 signalled the end of the Cultural Revolution.

Less than four decades later, some believe China is now poised to become not just the world's number one economy but also its most numerous Christian nation.

5 Movies That Made Huge Stars Quit Acting Forever

Well since they're still alive, technically it could just be a long acting sabbatical.

Remembering the 8-Track and Why It Failed

WHEN eight-track tapes hit the shelves in the latter part of the Sixties, it was seen as a godsend.  All of a sudden, you could listen to your music collection in your car, or out-and-about with the new boom-boxes.  There were even rumors it would completely replace the vinyl record.  Yet, just over a decade later, the humble cassette tape was able to drive it to extinction.  Its heyday lasted from 1968-1975, and by 1980 the poor eight-track was in history's dustbin, a sort-of laughable derelict from the Seventies.

So what happened? Here are 8 reasons for its untimely demise.

Well not being able to rewind and being flimsy and unreliable were probably enough.

The primary reason the eight-track became extinct was because it was an unreliable piece of shit.  They simply weren't built to last and subsequently earned a reputation as being ticking time bombs.  Truth be told, brand new eight-tracks often sounded good, and the tapes themselves were virtually indestructible: they never melted in the sun or cracked.  It was the internal components that started to fall to pieces over time.  If the manufacturers hadn't opted for cheap construction, things might have turned out differently.

The KFC Palace

In Baku, Azerbaijan.

Weekly Commenter Standings

Top 10 commenters:
1 [373 comments] 'chemjeff' [52.36 posts/day]
2 [364 comments] 'Ricardo Kill'
3 [356 comments] 'Vic'
4 [331 comments] 'willow'
5 [309 comments] 'Anna Puma (+SmuD)'
6 [305 comments] 'RWC'
7 [279 comments] 'Mike Hammer'
8 [276 comments] 'FenelonSpoke'
9 [274 comments] 'cthulhu'
10 [269 comments] 'D-Lamp'

Top 10 sockpuppeteers:
1 [96 names] 'The Political Hat' [13.47 unique names/day]
2 [60 names] 'Cicero (@cicero)'
3 [42 names] 'rd'
4 [37 names] 'Republique De Banana'
5 [37 names] 'Prez'nit 404'
6 [31 names] 'Buzzsaw90'
7 [29 names] 'Ricardo Kill'
8 [27 names] 'logprof'
9 [27 names] 'anon a mouse'
10 [27 names] 'noone, really'

The group. Yeah.

Where it's at - the Twitter

Tonight's post brought to you by Mother's Day and KFC:

Notice: Posted by permission of AceCorp LLC. Please e-mail or courier pigeon overnight open thread tips to maetenloch at gmail. Otherwise send tips to Ace.

posted by Maetenloch at 09:01 PM

| Access Comments