Friday Open Thread [2.1.2013]

Filed in Open Thread by on February 1, 2013

YAY! The weekend! Anyone got any special Superbowl party plans in the works? And those of you avoiding the Superbowl like the plague, sound off……

Let’s make sure we get some GOP Atrocities accounted for — the Arkansas legislature passed an utterly unconstitutional bill banning abortions for pregnancies past six weeks. The teajadi behind this atrocity noted in a 2011 rant his overarching governing goals:

RAPERT: I hear you loud and clear, Barack Obama. You don’t represent the country that I grew up with. And your values is [sic] not going to save us. We’re going to take this country back for the Lord. We’re going to try to take this country back for conservatism. And we’re not going to allow minorities to run roughshod over what you people believe in!

No word yet on whether the minorities in Arkansas are arming themselves.

The Most Overused Words in Journalism — you have to read the whole thing, but this one is my favorite today:

Some say, experts say, critics say: Varieties of this weasel phrase are employed to provide “balance” and authority to stories, often where none is needed. How many experts say that vaccines are harmful to babies? What qualifies them as an expert? How many people are required for a journalist to write that “some say” something? The answer is usually one—the cab driver who picked up the journalist from the airport will usually suffice.

There you go.

The irascible Ed Koch — NYC Mayor for Life — died this morning from heart failure.

And CBS in Philly provides a guide to the Silliest Superbowl Bets available to you. These are nuts, but WTF is up with this one:

SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS – Will Beyonce’s hair be Curly/Crimped OR Straight at the beginning of the Super Bowl Halftime show?
Straight -140 (5/7)
Curly/Crimped EVEN (1/1)

What interests you today?

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"You don't make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas." -Shirley Chisholm

Comments (19)

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  1. Delaware Dem says:

    HUGE NEWS: Former Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) will not run for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by John Kerry, a source tells the Boston Herald.

    Washington Post: “Brown’s decision leaves Republicans without a top candidate for the seat held by Kerry… On the Democratic side, longtime Rep. Ed Markey is the frontrunner, but he faces a challenge from fellow Democratic Rep. Stephen Lynch, who is much more conservative.”

  2. Jason330 says:

    Love it. Brownie’s eff-you to McCain and Graham is making me giggle.

  3. cassandra_m says:

    Wow. That is very big news — wonder why he dropped out? Could it be that he was advised that he couldn’t rerun his silly Native American accusations playbook against either of the Democrats?

  4. cassandra_m says:

    Or do you think he’s planning a run for Governor?

  5. Jason330 says:

    TPM commenters seem to think Governor. If he lost another Senate race it would have been curtains.

  6. Delaware Dem says:

    Cass, I think he does plan to run for Governor. For some reason, Massachusetts does like to elect Republican Governors, so Brown must think that is the more winnable race after 8 years of Deval Patrick.

  7. Jason330 says:

    The Kenyan socialist is really bad at socialism: “NEW YORK (AP) – The Dow Jones industrial average climbed above 14,000 for the first time since the Great Recession.”

  8. puck says:

    Scott Brown just gave Democrats a huge gift. Until this news, I figured Kerry’s nomination was a blunder because we needed Kerry in the Senate more than we needed him at State. Maybe the Administration knew something.

  9. Jason330 says:

    Be careful. You almost gave the President credit for something.

  10. cassandra_m says:

    I wish I knew why people in MA thought that Scott Brown is someone who represents them.

  11. AQC says:

    Go Ravens!!

  12. TeleMan says:

    I am a Baltimoron by birth and was a child when the Greatest Game was played, and was also present when Bob Ursay took the Colts to Indianapolis under the cover of darkness. I also was living in Cleveland at the time the Browns left for Baltimore, and can honestly say that in neither case did I care one way or the other. I may be genetically deficient, but I was somewhat dismayed that no one in Baltimore exhibited an ounce of guilt when the Browns arrived, knowing that what happened to them years before was happening to Cleveburgers, who abjectly suffered for years and years watching their beloved Browns play in a stadium designed by sadists. So how does it suddenly happen that once new purple stickers are applied to the team’s helmets that they become OUR team, who we drown with civic pride? I am at a loss at seeing how it could possibly matter. I simply do not care. Bless you all who do. Eat some dip for me.

  13. AQC says:

    The Browns didn’t sneak out in the middle of the night though.

  14. Aoine says:

    HUGE NEWS IN THE GUN WORLD

    Former SEAL shot and killed:

    http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/02/02/4595767/top-navy-seal-sniper-killed-on.html

    Now, these were all trained military folks, all well- versed in weapons, etc etc etc

    What was the problem? A vet with PTSD lost it and killed a colleague and his friend her was later apprehended

    Results? 2 dead, one going to jail

    I am on the edge of my seat to see HOW the NRA is the apologist for this tragedy

    That said, condolences to the family of the deceased and the shooter.

    MORE GUNS IS NOT THE ANSWER WAYNE……… This tragic story is proof positive. If the gun control restrictions were in place and followed and mentally unstable person would not have had access to a killing machine. The deceased was a SEAL. I am sure if the shooter didn’t have a gun, the deceased would still be alive.. Even if the shooter had a bat , a knife , a club and whatever.

  15. Aoine says:

    Sorry for the above posted in this thread….there is no open thread for Saturday or Sunday

    Slackers…..

  16. Jason330 says:

    The NRA has responded. The imagined threat of home invasions trumps everything.

  17. pandora says:

    The strongest argument gun control advocates have is Wayne LaPierre and the NRA. I love that they can’t shut up. Keep spewing that crazy. The American people had no idea the NRA was that nuts.

  18. Andy says:

    Not only did the Browns not sneak out in the middle of the night. The NFL almost immediately made arrangements for an expansion franchise to be called the Browns that would retain the history and records of the Browns to be located in Cleveland. In reality the Ravens were an expansion team Cleveland lost nothing