Overnight Open Thread (18 Oct 2014)

The President teases what is to come after the midterms. Laws are for little people. Obama quietly begins unilateral immigration reform by inviting in 100,000 Haitians to be your new neighbors.

Doom! A year of living on the brink.

The U.S. and Europe have paid a high price for six years of stimulus that didn't stimulate, programmed consumption that fell short, regulatory expansion that froze private producers, and high tax-rate regimes that benefited the public-spending class and beggared everyone else, especially young people and the working poor scrambling for jobs.

No one should underestimate the political dangers of persisting with a Keynesian economic model that looks depleted.

Top image part of the well rounded cat meme.

Is Your Name Liberal Or Conservative

Whew! I scored a 4.8C out of 10 on the conservative side using a new tool that compares your first name to lists of donors to political campaigns. However, when I use my full first name instead of the abbreviated version, it drops to a 2.2C.

A-10 Warthog

I'm down with any plan that keeps the Warthog flying. I'd even like to see the Marines get them and base them near straits for Counter FIAC applications.

We could probably save the A-10 if we tie it to the Pentagon's recent assessment that global warming is an immediate risk to national security. I think I can safely say the A-10 can reduce carbon emissions from ISIS.

Unauthorized Access

Well hell. I think I'm ok with models visiting my base. Sure beats the UACs that we have. Insane.

NYC Comicon

5th Order Rainbow

That rainbow guy has to be apoplectic that they've found a 5th order rainbow.

The Age Of Brotox

Count me out. I'm a naturalist. Plus the shit costs a lot I'm sure. The age of brotox: male cosmetic procedures.

The number of men seeking Botox has increased 310 percent since 2000, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and a similar boom is happening with other noninvasive procedures like filler and laser treatments. These days you can even erase your paunch by freezing away fat cells. Combine the availability of easy outpatient treatments with wider cultural acceptance and an increased emphasis on the value of youth in the workforce and what you've got is the makings of a mini-revolution.

Scary Spider

Obviously, there are some creatures that just need to hit the extinction path. I think the South American Goliath birdeater spider is just such one. A very large one at that.

Their leg span reaches nearly a foot, and they weigh more than a third of a pound. That's the size of a young puppy.

They also come equipped with hardened tips and claws on their feet. Those tips and claws make noise when the Goliath walks, something "not unlike a horse's hooves hitting the ground," according to Naskrecki.

It is the only spider in the world that makes noise when it walks. It can also produce a loud hissing sound. It wants you to know it is coming for you.

Lest you think the horror show is over, you should know the Goliath packs heat. Naskrecki was hit with the spider's urticating hairs. Those are barbed bristles that cover the Goliath's abdomen, bristles that it can throw at potential attackers. Naskrecki was hit in the face and eyes, and he says they caused him itching and discomfort for days after.

Cat Video

Tonight's ONT brought to you by: Adorably vicious animal attacks.

Notice: Posted by permission of AceCorp LLC. Please e-mail overnight open thread tips to maet or CDR M. Otherwise send tips to Ace.

posted by CDR M at 09:36 PM

| Access Comments