It's replacement google

You know why Romney isn't doing so well in the polls right now?

B/c I don't like X and Romney is doing X. 

This implausible Forbes diagnosis is the best of that genre:

Will China Bashing Cost Mitt Romney The Election?

Last January, I warned Romney’s support for a weak dollar policy relative to China would prove to be the economic Achilles Heel of his campaign.  And, unless he changes course, that appears to be exactly what is happening.

... Ever since the Romney campaign’s China bashing initiative, the momentum has shifted to President Barack Obama.  Within six days, Michigan, then Wisconsin went from “toss up” to “lean Obama” according to the Real Clear Politics (RCP) electoral map.  And, in RCP’s latest no toss-up results, President Obama now is expected to roll up a 347 to 191 majority in the Electoral College by winning all of the swing states. According to Intrade, odds of President Obama being re-elected have shot up about 10 percentage points to 70%.

I think everyone here will find at least one thing to laugh at.

not the most reported story in US media.

does with regards to the scab NFL refs.   Former and current players & coaches seem to agree to a man that the scab refs aren't nearly up to par with normal refs.

Which made my FB feed a little bit more amusing to wake up to the laziest person I worked with during high school claiming that since the old NFL refs weren't perfect, and neither are the scabs, that somehow no one should point out that the scabs are easily worse because, profit.  Another lesson in how to run a business from someone that's only other "jobs" are getting paid to play basketball or coach it, and paid by almost unanimously state run institutions.   Not that b-ball players  that are lazy outside their hobby can never be right, it's just kinda amusing to me that someone was/(maybe is) lazy outside their hobby is basically advocating the profit making move of having a very slightly cheaper product that will drive customers away in large numbers...  New Coke ftw.

*

More than a third of gay, lesbian and bisexual people took at least one illegal drug in the last month, according to the largest study of its kind.

by Friedersdorf.

  But some actions are so ruinous to human rights, so destructive of the Constitution, and so contrary to basic morals that they are disqualifying. Most of you will go that far with me.

Ref lockout ended, so no more scoldings. 

You're lucky too, coz I really had some doozies up my sleeve.

No kidding.

Being anti-Japan is in. On September 11, the Japanese government announced plans to buy the Diaoyu Islands, which China claims as its own. Since then, anti-Japan moon cakes saying, “Bite little Japan to death”, are on sale for the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, and those shouting “Diaoyu Islands belong to China’’ get a 10 per cent discount at certain restaurants and stores in small cities. The discount goes up to 20 per cent if the slogan is changed to “Japan belongs to China.”

---

Nissan Motors has announced plans to close its factory until October 8, the end of the National Day week-long holiday. A dip in production would affect the thousands of Chinese working in Japanese firms. But emotions are so high that one man set fire to his own Honda Civic.

They are at their fattest.

Some would say that 2011 wasn't exactly a banner year, but the good chaps at Rolls-Royce would likely respond with a definitive "Poppycock!" That's because the 107-year-old brand experienced its best-ever sales totals in 2011, with 3,538 very expensive autos sold around the globe. That's a 31 percent increase over the 2,711 models sold in 2010, thanks mostly to brisk sales of the Ghost and Phantom models.

---

With sales up 31 percent, it's clear that the storied automaker was on fire the world over, but certain markets really catapulted the marque. In fact, sales in Asia were up 47 percent, and the U.S. saw 17 percent growth. Austerity measures in England didn't stop the craze for new Rolls-Royce models, either, with sales up 30 percent.

...and don't you eat that treated snow!

Flagstaff, AZ's Arizona Snowbowl just passed the last legal hurdle (apparently) to implement its plan to boost their snowmaking capacity by using used sewer water  treated effluent, purchased used from the City of Flagstaff.

I know skiing is a sport with a lot of inherent dangers: falls, orthopedic injuries, hypothermia, frostbite, etc.: I wonder how the resort will deal with having to add cholera and dysentery to the list of disclaimers on their lift tickets?

TO GET YOUR PICKS IN!!!

From NFL.com:

The current defined benefit pension plan will remain in place for current officials through the 2016 season (or until the official earns 20 years of service). The defined benefit plan then will be frozen.

 

 

» Retirement benefits will be provided for new hires, and for all officials beginning in 2017, through a defined contribution arrangement, which will have two elements: an annual league contribution made on behalf of each game official that will begin with an average of more than $18,000 per official and increase to more than $23,000 per official in 2019, and a partial match on any additional contribution that an official makes to his 401(k) account.

 

» Apart from their benefit package, the game officials' compensation will increase from an average of $149,000 per year in 2011 to $173,000 in 2013, rising to $205,000 by 2019.

 

 

» Beginning with the 2013 season, the NFL will have the option of hiring a number of officials on a full-time basis to work year-round, including on the field.

 

» The NFL will have the option to retain additional officials for training and development purposes and can assign those additional officials to work NFL games. The number of additional officials will be determined by the NFL.

Aren't those terms pretty much what the NFL was asking for before the lockout?

Lotta spam comments again.

NBA prepares to lower the boom on flopping.

The threat of postgame review is the best development--no more of this:

without a big fine or a suspension following.

...it is now difficult to find what Abbas said in quoted text earlier today...it is almost like the media everywhere scrubbed his reasonableness.

For instance:

Abbas said that seeking an upgrade of Palestinian membership was not aimed at harming Israel.

"In our endeavor, we do not seek to delegitimize an existing state - that is Israel - but to assert the state that must be realized - that is Palestine," he said.

Sounds just about right to me.

"Despite all the complexities of the prevailing reality and all the frustrations that abound, we say before the international community there is still a chance - maybe the last - to save the two-state solution and to salvage peace," Abbas told the U.N. General Assembly.

Bibi:

"We won't solve our conflict with libelous speeches at the U.N.," he said. "That's not the way to solve it. We won't solve our conflict with unilateral declarations of statehood."

I am sure that Bibi was referring to Abbas` complaint that Settlers continued to build Settlements and assault Palestinians in the Territories.

This is not libel...this is just true.

I am a strong supporter of Israel, but it is Abbas that sounds reasonable and smart...I hope they gain membership in the UN, even if only as a non-member state.

Hey, they could then file criminal charges for war crimes against Israel and the United States.

Works for me.

Best Wishes, Traveller

offers up his big idea with a nifty visual aid:

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/09/bibis-subtext-i...

It's Friday, so let's talk about beer. Hotline On Call ran a survey of the beer drinking habits of Democrats & Republicans: what does your brew of choice say about your voting habits?

Low turnout liberals? Big Corona drinkers, but non-voting conservatives go for the Busch. I'm surprised Republican likely voters are so into Sam Adams, as I always thought of that as kind of a fancy beer. I guess I get the patriotic thing. Stella Artois makes sense, but Rolling Rock (the national beer of hipsters) doesn't. Blue Moon's a surprise too. Wheat beer? Seriously, conservatives? With the little lemon wedge (or orange wedge) and everything? 

What about deep-wonk Democratic pragmatists who are absolutely, positively going to vote (i.e., me)? Well I don't see any Belgian ales on the list. Nor Shiner (anything but bock), nor Newcastle. No Lone Star, no Sapporo, no home-brew, no Harp, no Brooklyn (probably too local). 

I'm starting to think to myself: what the hell kind of sad sack 3-tap airport bar did they take this survey in? Or was it a stadium? A Chili's? My corner bodega carries more varieties of beer than this...and they still find room for about twice as many varieties of Jesus candle. 

(h/t Drum)

I don't know if Jordan and MA made an official bet about the 47% comment sinking Romney's campaign, but at this point I'd have to say that it looks like Jordan got that one right.

http://mobile.rawstory.com/therawstory/#!/entry/virginia-man-kills-family-and-himself-over-fear-obama-would,5066125d444f678947839534

In Maine the party's nominee for Senate or President must poll at least 5% of the vote.  Once that happens the party must organize a town committee in 14 of the 16 counties in Maine.  Once *that* hurdle has been reached so long as 15,000 people register as members of the party and 10,000 of those registered actually vote, the party continues to be ballot-qualified.

That's probably the most arcane set of rules I can think of but not by much.

My cousin just posted a link to a Wiki that caught her attention: the 52 hertz whale.

It strikes me that this could be the focal point of a technological competition: design tracking gear that can find this one unique whale and track him/her down, perhaps also seeing if a physical examination is possible to determine the cause of the uniquely high-pitched whalesong. If it is something treatable, the whale could be reunited with his/her fellow whales and the winner would have some probably rather useful sonic tracking patents to exploit. Win/win!

The original (UFO: Enemy Unknown), of course, was one of the most acclaimed games ever made. The new version looks like it is going to be a blast:

Looks like Diablo 3 is going on hiatus for a while once this arrives. . .

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/08/120810-glaciers-vatican-...

The people of devoutly Catholic Fiesch and Fieschertal have made the annual pilgrimage since 1674, when Europe was in the grip of the Little Ice Age.

 

---

Looming over the villages, the two largest glaciers in the Alps—the Aletsch (satellite picture) and Fiescher (satellite picture)—grew over the next two centuries, reaching their maximum lengths around 1850. Around that time, the Aletsch stretched some 16 miles (26 kilometers); the Fiescher was larger by similar proportions, though exact measurements aren't available for the smaller glacier.

The consequences for the villagers were dire.

 

When pieces of the Aletsch fell into Lake Märjelen—which lies between the two glaciers—the lake overflowed. Three hundred and fifty-three million cubic feet (10 million cubic metres) of water rushed down the valley below, inundating settlements, damaging property, and killing villagers. Extremely poor until the late 19th century, the locals had few options but to rebuild.

Having endured hundreds such diasters, the villagers—with the help of local Jesuits—organized the pilgrimage, to be held annually on July 31: the Catholic feast day dedicated to the Jesuits' founder, St. Ignatius of Loyola.

---

"We prayed for the ice to recede, and our prayer worked—too well," said Herbert Volken, mountain guide and mayor of Conches, the district that includes Fiesch.

 

In 2009 the local parish council petitioned the Vatican to allow a change in the wording of the prayer. A year later the Holy See agreed, and Volken hopes the new prayer will work as well as the last one.

Trout sets some records in Angels win, may well set more in last four games of season.

Oh, and that kid in Washington has been doing pretty well too, in spite of his team's rotation coughing up the NL home field edge to the Reds this weekend (and incidentally all but dooming the Dodgers' wild card hopes). Mike Trout ended up having the better season, but Harper is the one who's going to see postseason play this year, and before his twentieth birthday. He's gotten hot at just the right time, too--he's got an OPS over 1.000 for September, with seven home runs.

Sitting in your room and cursing because you have to root for Mike Shanahan's team to win, when you quite honestly believe that Shanahan belongs on Skid Row more than he does running an NFL team. It is a small comfort that the Tampa Bay coach is pretty much a tool, too.