Author Archives: Stephen VanDyke

Ron Paul has most young supporters, and other online stats

The Florida Courier has a summarized report of 2012 presidential campaign internet traffic of Nielsen ratings shows that surprise surprise, Ron Paul easily scoops up the 18-34 crowd:

In January, President Obama’s site received more unique American adult visitors than four Republican candidates’ sites combined. (“Unique” is defined as unduplicated – counting only once to a website over a specified time period – as opposed to “new” or “returning.”)

Hispanics comprised 17 percent of MittRomney.com, compared to 12 percent during the month of January 2012. RickSantorum.com attracted the lion’s share of women visitors (60 percent), which was the largest male/female split among the candidates.

Interestingly, 76-year-old Ron Paul drew the youngest visitors. More than a third of his hits were from members of the 18-34 group. Paul was almost neck-and-neck with Newt Gingrich with male visitors, 56 percent and 51 percent respectively.

Gingrich’s website guests were the most affluent and educated. Twenty-seven percent reported earnings of more than $100,000 a year and half had either a bachelor’s or post-graduate degree.

Nielsen also focused on the News & Information sites that feature political content. Google News wins the race for the highest concentration of young visitors, those 18-24. Survey results showed that 23 percent more 18-34 year olds visited Google News in January 2012 than were active online.

I’d love to get my hands on the original report being cited here. Mostly just to see with my own eyes that yes, rich cynical bastards were turning out in droves for Gingrich over Romney at some point.

The big question here is why that same age group that ostensibly delivered Obama to the White House in 2008 is now barely able to make a polling blip after switching to Ron Paul in 2012.

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Bruce Willis dishes on Romney/Obama

Esquire writer Tom Chiarella is counting how many times Bruce Willis relieves himself in this article. Also he counts a lot of other stuff, like pears. By the time we finally get to page three of this awkward pee and pear prose, we’re given the political purview:

The fourth urination follows. He returns, walking around the large hotel bed — it’s a nice Beverly Hills hotel, but the furniture is drabber than you’d think — phone in hand, gets his balls broken for having a small bladder, ticks out a laugh and says, “Don’t judge.”

Why so much preparation for today? Why so little apparent fun in talking about his life, his work, the people he loves?

This brings on the second Willis stare — eyes narrowed, brow wrinkled. “I’ve been through enough of these,” he says. Just that — enough of these, not “enough of these to know.” Enough of these. Then he explains: “I get cranked up, I start talking about Hollywood and what’s wrong with what. Or politics. I might start in on Mitt Romney.”

Romney?

And with that one simple follow-up, Willis gets mildly cranked up. “Yeah, Romney. He’s just such a disappointment, an embarrassment. Chin up, hair up. He’s just one of those guys, one of those guys who says he’s going to change everything,” he is saying. see more…

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VIRAL: Penn Jillette slams Obama’s drug history hypocrisy

“Now, he has not left this to states’ rights,” Jillette posited. “As you know, medical marijuana… you can get in California, and the feds are coming in to try to stop this. States’ rights don’t mean jack shit to the Obama administration on anything except gay marriage.”

JILLETTE: “What troubles me about this… I think it’s beyond hypocrisy. I think it’s something to do with class. A lot of people have accused Obama of class warfare, but in the wrong direction. I believe this is Obama chortling with Jimmy Fallon about lower class people. Do we believe, even for a second, that if Obama had been busted for marijuana — under the laws that he condones — would his life have been better? If Obama had been caught with the marijuana that he says he uses, and ‘maybe a little blow’… if he had been busted under his laws, he would have done hard fucking time. And if he had done time in prison, time in federal prison, time for his ‘weed’ and ‘a little blow,’ he would not be President of the United States of America. He would not have gone to his fancy-ass college, he would not have sold books that sold millions and millions of copies and made millions and millions of dollars, he would not have a beautiful, smart wife, he would not have a great job. He would have been in fucking prison, and it’s not a god damn joke. People who smoke marijuana must be set free. It is insane to lock people up.”

One arrest for something he admitted doing (inhaling and snorting) and Obama would have never been president. He’s since become head of the SuperDEA that gets caught with their pants down (literally) when they aren’t stomping all over civil liberties across the Americas.

Penn Jillette knows a funny joke when he sees one.

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Pro-Internet billboards pop up near SOPA author’s TX offices

Anti-censorship organization Fight For The Future announced today that two billboards went up in San Antonio and Austin, Texas that patriotically shout a simple warning: “Don’t mess with the Internet.”

The announcement from FFTF:

SOPA sponsor Lamar Smith came close to destroying the Internet we love (it took the largest online protest in history to stop him). So we thought it would be awesome if the internet sent Lamar a message, in the form of a billboard right outside his Texas office.

Your donations funded *two* billboards in less than two days, which ruled.

The signs are going up in congressman Lamar Smith’s Republican district (we’ve reported at Hammer of Truth as the much-despised author of the SOPA legislation). The SOPA legislative effort may have failed spectacularly, but these visual shots of discontent are still being fired in Smith’s direction with two signs near two different district campaign offices.

Smith and others who wish to follow in the internet censoring footsteps are clearly going to have their hands full trying to get re-elected if these public shaming issue campaigns can so easily flex their muscles. They’re certainly more more agile than a traditional candidate campaign.

On the downside here, they really ought to have put Lamar Smith’s name on the billboard since they aren’t exactly across the street from his offices. They did offer this semi-disclaimer on the placement:

(The first is as close to his San Antonio office as we could get: Loop 410, 500 ft. east of Nacogdoches. And the second is on Lamar Blvd. in Austin between 12th St and 15th St –his Austin office doesn’t have any billboards nearby.)

The billboard jingo is certain to leave an impression on Internet-loving Texans nonetheless.

In the future we’re fighting for, I hope to see them take this to a nationwide campaign. Instead of a Texan these though, I suggest turning the Gadsden flag snake into an ethernet cable bundle snake and the words “Don’t tread on the Internet.” That’s a billboard banner the Internet’s TCP/IP Party could get behind in internet censorship friendly congressional districts across the land.

UPDATE: I should have known some artist already thought of this. Go figure.

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PA constable to sign resolution opposing NDAA, PATRIOT Act

We received an interesting press release from Dan Johnson at the People Against the National Defense Act (PANDA) today:

Pennsylvania State Constable Ed Quiggle, Jr., the elected Constable for the City of Sunbury’s 9th Ward, will sign a resolution in opposition to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012, also known as the NDAA, on Saturday, May 26th, 2012 at 10 a.m., in Cameron Park directly across the street from the Northumberland County Courthouse in Sunbury, Pennsylvania. The NDAA authorizes the federal government to arrest and indefinitely detain Americans and legal aliens without charge or trial.

On January 17th, 2012 the County Commissioners of Elk County, Pennsylvania unanimously passed a resolution opposing the NDAA, titled “To Preserve Habeas Corpus And Civil Liberties.” Sheriff Mike McMoran, Comanche County, Kansas, Sheriff Grayson Robinson, Arapahoe County, Colorado, and former Sheriff Richard Mack have signed resolutions opposing the NDAA and ordering no one in their department to cooperate with the enforcement of the NDAA. Virginia, Maine, and Utah have passed bills opposing and nullifying the NDAA, and many other states have introduced similar bills. Many local governments and groups have already passed resolutions. see more…

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If your kid goes to this North Carolina High School, tremble

A ridiculous “debate” between a High School Social Studies teacher and students trying to discuss current events in politics turned into a bully pulpit moment as the students ended up educating the teacher in a chaotic shouting match. The fireworks go off at 1m20s into the video.

From the Salisbury Post (h/T the blaze):

When the student tells the teacher that Obama admitted to bullying a girl in school, the teacher goes on the defensive.

“Stop, no, because there is no comparison,” she says. Romney, she says, is “running for president. Obama is the president.”

When the student says they’re both “just men,” the teacher continues to argue that Romney, as a candidate for president, is not to be afforded the same respect as the president.

The teacher tells the class Obama is “due the respect that every other president is due.”

“Listen, let me tell you something, you will not disrespect the president of the United States in this classroom,” she says.

The student replies that he’ll say what he wants.

“Not about him you won’t,” the teacher says.

Later in the conversation, the teacher tells the class it’s criminal to slander a president. see more…

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Drone almost collides with private plane over Denver

From InfoWars:

A mystery object, thought to be a military or law enforcement drone, flying in controlled airspace over Denver almost caused a catastrophic mid air crash with a commercial jet Monday.

The pilot of the Cessna jet radioed air traffic controllers to warn them that “A remote controlled aircraft” had flown past his plane far too close for comfort.

“Something just went by the other way … About 20 to 30 seconds ago. It was like a large remote-controlled aircraft.”

Flying at 2,800 feet, the drone is clearly sophisticated enough for long range operations, which puts it squarely in the purview of professional use. No agency or person has yet to step forward and claim ownership of the errant flying bot.

My theory is that this is step one of SKYNET — which is to give free toys to all the police agencies that is way above their technical understanding. Eventually the bots will own the skies and we all know how it’s downhill from there.

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Jack Hunter (Ron Paul spokesman) calls out “media incompetence”

When I write, I usually start from this basis of incompetence and work with my massive (enthusiasm) I have from there, so I love this guy for telling it like it is from the campaign podium:

A lot of people seemed to like my statement from Monday’s video about media incompetence: That the mainstream media understands how to cover a conventional campaign, a horserace if you will, but does not understand how to cover a movement.

This is painfully true. Seriously, what other campaign that is supposedly “over” according to the MSM, is still fighting to win delegates, state-by-state and will have a massive presence—and voice, and message, and influence—at the national convention? Ron Paul is speaking at Minnesota’s GOP convention Friday. He will be at others. Is Rick Santorum speaking at any upcoming Republican state conventions? Is team Newt Gingrich fighting for delegates in caucus states? Has the Tim Pawlenty Revolution continued to take the nation by storm?

And has Santorum, Gingrich, Pawlenty or any other Republican candidate—including Mitt Romney—inspired their supporters from all over the country to travel thousands of miles to work feverishly in support of similar-minded candidates?

No. Hell no.

The supporters I met yesterday—20, 21 years old maybe? 18-19 perhaps?—were all part of a movement that is just getting started. They realize this too. It’s in their gut. It’s in all our guts. This remains true no matter how stupid or incompetent the MSM might be in understanding it.

The money bomb being referenced in this call for donations is the “Stand For Liberty” Moneybomb which has raised more than a quarter million as of 3:20PM EDT.

If Hunter wants a dose of telling it like it is right back at him, I’ll say the “mainstream media” or MSM isn’t as much incompetent as it is cynical about real change. To the cynical intellectuals in their ivory towers, the end game has always been: if Ron Paul can’t be bought off, he can’t be president.

UPDATE: I’ll add that I’ve read and appreciate their delegate strategy announcement.

1) Having recently WON Maine, we believe we can win several more states.
2) We will win party leadership positions at both the state and national levels.
3) We will continue to grow our already substantial total of delegates.

We will head to Tampa with a solid group of delegates. Several hundred will be bound to Dr. Paul, and several hundred more, although bound to Governor Romney or other candidates, will be Ron Paul supporters.

Unfortunately, barring something very unforeseen, our delegate total will not be strong enough to win the nomination. Governor Romney is now within 200 delegates of securing the party’s nod. However, our delegates can still make a major impact at the National Convention and beyond.

Best case scenario: Ron Paul endorsing Gary Johnson in a rousing speech, then flips the bird at Romney while explaining how his foreign policy ideas would make the stockholders of Fascist American Professionals, LLC proud to continue investing in the military and police state at the expense of tea party loathing taxes and more lost liberty.

UPDATE II: 24 hours later and the tally stands at $626K for the Ron Paul moneybomb/fundraiser. At least we’re getting a glimpse of one of the relatively few candidates who can wind down a campaign with grace, and not mired in debt.

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Microsoft finally has a good idea

They’ll fix your computer.

It’s a move that signifies that Microsoft might just give a damn about supporting their OS as vigorously as Apple now that the Steve Jobs factor is no longer in play. As a disclaimer, I am primarily a Mac user as well as a Windows and Ubuntu user (and server monkey), so my allegiance is pretty much with “whatever the hell gets the job accomplished”

From the Wall Street Journal:

In a program unknown to most computer users, the company has been using its small chain of retail stores and its online computer store to sell customized versions of popular PC models that have been streamlined for a cleaner look and better performance. It calls these machines “Signature” PCs. They retain the maker’s brand, but sport a special Signature desktop and configuration. And they cost about the same as the identical stock version of the machine sold elsewhere.

Microsoft also offers a program that, for $99, will turn users’ Windows 7 PCs into Signature versions, if the owner brings the computer into one of its 16 stores, due to grow to 21 outlets in coming months. All Signature computers come with 90 days of free phone support, as well as help at the stores’ “Answer Desks,” which are like the Genius Bars at Apple stores.

I’ve been testing three Signature models and comparing them with the same machines as sold elsewhere without the Signature modifications. I found the Signature versions much cleaner and easier to navigate and faster in a variety of tests.

I’d venture to say if you care about your data not potentially being lost in the process of these Signature upgrades, they will be about as blatant as Apple in selling you an external drive from in the store.

But hey, it’s about time Microsoft went about stealing that whole Genius Bar idea on top of the blatantly follow-the-leader store fronts. More power to them. I’m simply wondering that if they’re just going to copy what’s working well for Apple, can the Xbox tablet be far behind?

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Obama caption contest

I snagged this photo from KidSyc’s woefully unattended music blog, thought I’d let our avid readers come up with a caption.

With apologies to “Whose Line Is It Anyways” — the comment rules are made up and the points don’t matter. Give us your worst, or best, or whatever.

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“God Bless America” is apt satire of American TV culture

Frank is upset at the collapse of civilization going on around him, all the fails and stupid being televised with über-intense graphics.

Frank is upset that people are mean to one another and get rich at it while his life in a cubicle farm is boring and safe.

Frank is upset that his neighbors yell at their TV through paper thin walls, where he can hear them vicariously worrying about celebrities like Lindsay Lohan on “TMI” (a spoof of TMZ). Frank is upset that their baby does nothing but scream, a sure sign the next generation will be about the same.

Frank is upset because he can see the TV is teaching people to be mean to one another.

Frank is upset because he got fired from his job for sending flowers to the receptionist’s home and Human Resources is overly sensitive to potential sexual harassment litigation. see more…

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Ron Paul pivots campaign, continues delegate hunt

In a surprise move today, Ron Paul’s presidential campaign has announced they will no longer be spending money campaigning in upcoming primary states, but will remain on the ballot. Instead the campaign is concentrating efforts on adding to their delegate tally and adamantly deny they are suspending anything.

Ron Paul’s campaign remains tight lipped about the strategy shift, only saying that more details would be released in the coming days. Many states have sent majorities for Ron Paul after his supporters showed incredible organizational prowess to show up en masse for local conventions and party meetings.

A current count of delegates from Wikipedia’s 2012 Republican Party presidential primaries page shows Ron Paul with 126 delegates, trailing Mitt Romney’s 788 delegates. A difference of 662.

Prior to the 2012 presidential campaign, Paul and his libertarian strategy people had been working diligently to erect twin organizations Campaign for Liberty and Young Americans for Liberty, which have paid off well as campus campaign rallies have dwarfed even Obama.

It appears that Mitt Romney will ultimately secure the Republican nomination after the confederacy of media dunces successfully conspired against Paul’s message of ending the Federal Reserve and reversing America’s aggressively interventionist foreign policy. Yet as the presidential front comes to a bitter end for Paul’s acolytes, we’re in for a new kind of ride as the campaign has other tricks up its sleeves with an under-documented ability to influence upcoming local and national elections.

Because of his tenacity and obvious support strength, Ron Paul has also undoubtedly earned a speaking spot at the Republican National Convention held in Tampa, Florida at the end of August. Probably some stuff about holding Romney’s feet to the fire as the GOP faithful get a good dose of reality about how little tolerance the people have left for big bad government from either party. But I get ahead of myself.

Ron Paul’s presidential campaign may be doing the lowered expectations dance because Romney has clenched the nomination (somewhat) fair and square — but don’t be surprised if the whole “revolution” thing uses this as an opportunity to shift their focus to more winnable fronts. Now comes the re-trenching in order to grow their organization into a libertarian movement to actually be reckoned with at the presidential representation level… but probably not until 2016.

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Obama and a felon end up on a West Virginia ballot

Punchline: The guy locked up gives Barry the old whatfor at 41 percent of the vote.

From the Washington Post, “Keith Judd, who is serving a 17 1/2-year prison sentence for extortion at the Federal Correctional Institution in Texarkana, Texas, took 41 percent of the vote in West Virginia’s Democratic primary Tuesday night — 72,000 votes to Obama’s 106,000.”

“Race likely plays some role here. In the 2008 primary, 2 in 10 white West Virginia voters said race was an important factor in their votes, second only to Mississippi. Those voters went for Clinton 8 in 10 times.”

“As for how Judd got on the ballot: West Virginia has very liberal ballot laws and Judd is an opportunist. He ran in the Idaho Democratic primary in 2008.”

“Obama wasn’t likely to win West Virginia’s five electoral votes this fall before last night — and the Judd result confirms he has almost no chance of carrying the state in November.”

Thankfully he won’t be getting any delegates, since the move seems to be rooted more in the symbolic. I have no doubt that Judd the Vote will go down as a hilarious folk lore of West Virginia though, the time they gave that sitting president a dose of discontented reality.

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QUIZ: “Are you a true Ron Paul supporter?”

I love the title of this quiz, because apparently this can be answered by a mere 15 questions (I passed BTW, whew). Mad props to Christian Science Monitor for making me laugh out loud a few times.

At one point I was slightly bewildered by the question of my hypothetical daughter getting married and answered “whatever.” But that falls far from my ability to decipher this Ayn Randian ultra-nihilistic approach to unemotional parenting when they phrased the rest, “just don’t develop any altruistic feelings for your spouse, as doing so will interfere with the imperative to act in accordance with the hierarchy of your values.” Translation: Be sure your future selfish lesbian daughter isn’t marrying a charity case, or something.

Whatever. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Here’s the full list of my 15 answers, for the curious see more…

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Newt Gingrich officially suspends campaign, not citizenship

Newt Gingrich finally caved in and held his long-awaited press conference to announce that he was exiting the race — leaving only Ron Paul and Mitt Romney to slug it out in a fierce delegate fight for the eventual GOP nomination.

In an oddly worded statement, Gingrich said “today, I am suspending the campaign, but suspending the campaign does not mean suspending citizenship.” Like I said, odd.

He has still not openly endorsed Mitt Romney in what has been the slowest dance for a never-going-to-happen shot at vice presidential pick. His campaign manager hinted that it would be forthcoming so it’s probably a matter of teasing. With third wife Callista at his side smiling, Gingrich told reporters the “truly wild ride” was over.

In part of his exit speech, Gingrich laid out his plans for the future — promising yet again he would eventually be getting back around to that lunar colony idea — but apparently not until his grandkids are old enough to rule over them:

“I’m cheerfully going to take back up the issue of space,” he added, referring to his much-mocked proposal to build a lunar colony by the end of his second term — which he explained that his wife repeatedly told him was not his best moment during the campaign. “This is not a trivial area.”

He insisted that while he is “not totally certain” he will get to the moon colony, he believes that his grandchildren Maggie and Robert, on stage with him today, would.

He failed to mention how he plans to fund or build a lunar colony with a looming campaign debt of $4.3 million.

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SHOCK: DEA abandoned prisoner in cell to die

For five days Daniel Chong was left without food or water, resorting to drinking his own urine and attempted to take his own life to end the pain of starvation.

His crime? Smoking marijuana with some friends for a 4/20 celebration. From NBC San Diego:

Chong said he was at a friend’s house in University City celebrating 4/20, a day many marijuana users set aside to smoke, when agents came inside and raided the residence. Chong was then taken to the DEA office in Kearny Mesa.

He said agents questioned him, and then told him he could go home. One agent even offered him a ride, Chong said. No criminal charges were filed against him.

But Chong did not go home that night. Instead, he was placed in a cell for five days without any human contact and was not given food or drink. In his desperation, he said he was forced to drink his own urine.

“I had to do what I had to do to survive….I hallucinated by the third day,” Chong said. “I was completely insane.” see more…

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“Coders are the new rock stars”

I find these kind of startup behind-the-scenes articles fascinating (event though the company is a few years old now). Burt Helm at Inc. Magazine followed the turntable.fm founders (well, founder and chair of the board) around SXSW parties and panels, filling us in on the backstory along the way. They are trying to turn a user base that has essentially flatlined back into eager acolytes.

The money-man Seth Goldstein is a digital talent-broker and investor:

Goldstein’s latest read is simple: Coders are the new rock stars. Twitter’s Jack Dorsey and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg built sites that attract crowds of millions, but they don’t completely understand how they did it—and neither does the money backing them. It’s not as if they do market research. So venture funds now bet on hackers the way record labels bet on rising pop stars, hoping that someday soon, they will make something wild, new, and insanely lucrative. see more…

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After bloody photo surfaces, Zimmerman rakes in $200K

Two pieces of compelling photo evidence emerged recently that will certainly be part of the George Zimmerman legal trial: a recent photo of Trayvon Martin from a twitter account showing him emitting a cold stare at the camera as he flips the bird; and an immediate post-shooting photo taken of Zimmerman’s bloody head, proof that he had indeed been assaulted in the moments leading to the fatal shooting.

The zealous neighborhood patrol also made a significant speech apologizing to the family from a bulletproof vest and chains, firmly placing himself in the role of do-gooder with a conscience that signals the defense’s strategy of making their client an upstanding member of of the community who got in over his head playing superhero. Both Zimmerman and Martin are likely to come away looking like belligerents, with the prosecution’s best evidence being the 911 recording where Zimmerman refuses to stop following the teen after being firmly told not to.

Yet in the wake of all these facts, Zimmerman’s website has received more than $204,000 in online donations. This isn’t sitting well with Judge Kenneth Lester Jr., who ordered the site shuttered in the wake revelations that the public might… *gasp* …be watching, nay participating closely in Zimmerman’s ultimate fate. see more…

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Bydlak v. Gary Johnson, et al. case dismissed in federal court

Back in February GOP turn LP presidential candidate Gary Johnson and several top members of his campaign staff were named defendants in a hefty $105K legal suit filed in Alexandria, Virginia Federal Court by Jonathan M. Bydlak, their former fundraiser. On Tuesday April 24th, Judge Liam O’Grady dismissed the case citing a lack of jurisdiction over several of the defendants. In addition, O’Grady noted that no single defendant was being sued in excess of $75,000, the court’s threshold.

Bydlak v. Gary Johnson (4/24/2012) [scribd]

Hammer of Truth obtained the documents from Johnson campaign spokesman Joe Hunter, who puts it bluntly, “It pretty much speaks for itself, so no, we don’t have an additional comment.”

We sought a legal analyst (who did not want to be named in this interview) who was more forthcoming on the implications of the ruling, explaining “it was dismissed on a jurisdictional technicality (lack of jurisdiction over the both the defendant AND the matter).” He looked at Burnham & Gorokhov and concluded, “These guys seem a bit young. They don’t really appear to do civil law much … focusing on criminal and white collar law. Every lawyer has his ‘weak area’”.

“The mistake they made on totaling up the dispute for jurisdictional amount is not the stupidest thing ever done. But every lawyer knows that Federal Court is a different beast than state court and that you really have to get your form as well as your content right. If they’d merely consulted with either a book about civil procedure or a practice guide for Federal Court, the first things everybody knows is to work really hard in preparation so that you don’t get bounced out of court on a technicality.”

“The best hurdle to clear is beating ‘summary judgment’. These guys didn’t even get close to that far before they got dismissed.”

The summary judgement noted in the brief factored in two key areas where jurisdiction came into play: a $75,000 minimum for at least one defendant; OAI, GJ2012 and Gary Johnson (personally) were subject to the court’s jurisdiction, but the other defendants were not.

Our legal expert summed it up, “They sued in Federal Court without, apparently, understanding how that’s supposed to work.”

Bydlak may yet still pursue his legal gambit by resubmitting in the correct venue, as we’re pretty he’ll do if he’s still miffed about that $105K he claims he’s owed.

Request for comments from Bydlak or his legal representatives at Burnham & Gorokhov, PLLC were not returned.

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SNL veteran comedian Jon Lovitz unleashes on Obama

Tax season may still be fresh in everyone’s mind, but a January podcast of ABC’s of SNL (free download) caught a lively exchange between Jon Lovitz and Kevin Smith over how hard work is being crapped on and that fifty percent taxes are only for suckers thanks to copious deductions. He also says “fuck you” a lot in the same breath as “Obama” which probably means the Lovitz endorsement isn’t happening anytime soon.

The discussion segues from Lovitz explaining Wayne Gretzsky and professional sports players having an affinity for winning through hard work, with goals and home-runs extraordinarily above their peers. Continuously he pounces on the theme of “working his ass off” to get where they are. Smith ribs him, asking “are you comparing yourself to Gretzsky?”

POLITICAL STANDUP AND DELIVERY
Lovitz then exploded in a completely new tack, shouting “This whole thing with Obama, saying the rich don’t pay their taxes is fucking bullshit. And I voted for the guy; and I’m a democrat! What a fucking asshole!” see more…

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Liberty University students row online over Romney commencement speech selection

The Boston Globe explains why he’s making the symbolism imbued pitch to evangelical Christians, “The speech at Liberty University on May 12 will allow Romney to make both overt and subtle outreach to evangelicals and other social conservatives suspicious of his faith, and who typically did not make him their first choice in the primary.”

“It also is sure to renew focus on his own religious beliefs – he is vying to be the first Mormon elected president – as well as the checkered history of Falwell and Liberty in Republican politics.”

“In 2000, then-GOP candidate John McCain labeled Falwell, founder of the Moral Majority, and fellow evangelist Pat Robertson, founder of the Christian Coalition, as “agents of intolerance” aligned with George W. Bush.”

Former Reagan adviser Doug Wead writes, “They announced in the morning that Governor Romney would be the commencement speaker at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. The school founded, by Jerry Falwell, is touted as the largest Christian University in the world. And in the afternoon they announced that openly gay, Richard Grenell, would be Romney’s new national security and foreign policy spokesman.”

“Students at Liberty were in an uproar. Not over Grenell, but over the University choosing Romney instead of their beloved Ron Paul. The firestorm began on the University’s own website, where the thread hit 700 comments in a couple of hours. The discussion was promptly censored and then shut down proving that the University is not very aptly named. But the discussion moved onto Facebook where it continues to spread.”

Given the school’s doctrinal statement it’s likely those present will receive Mitt’s address courteously and a good many will no doubt exhibit their contempt in a way that remains unpredictable.

A list of “recommendations” on Liberty University’s facebook page continues to see an influx of Ron Paul supporters, former students and current students alike discussing the issue at length.

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Republicans turning bearish on Romney

Politico hears the murmers in the Beltway, “under the table, there is pervasive pessimism among Republicans about Romney’s prospects this fall. It’s apparent in rampant discussions about which Republicans will run in 2016 – talk that obviously presupposes a loss in November – and it’s downright glaring in private conversations with GOP officials on Capitol Hill and in consulting shops across Washington.”

“And the skepticism about Romney isn’t just a Beltway phenomenon. Rank-and-file Republican voters are also uncertain he can win, though it’s the chattering class that is most bearish.”

Meanwhile, FiveThirtyEight at the NYT reports on the Romney vs Obama contest angle only. They made a handy graph showing Romney’s favorability numbers stacked up (37% unfavorable over 26% favorable) against other campaigns, with even mid-election losers John Kerry, George Bush, Sr. and Bob Dole top him in favorability during the same January-June polling period.

That spells trouble for Romney, “these early-stage favorability ratings have had a mixed track record as a predictor of election outcomes. The candidate with the better net-favorable rating in the early-going won the election in 1976, 1980, 1984, 1996, and 2008. But Mr. Clinton won the election in 1992, despite making a poor first impression on voters. On the flip side, Michael Dukakis had very promising favorability numbers early in the 1988 cycle, but they deteriorated over the course of the election cycle and he took a clear defeat. (I’m not sure where you’d classify the 2000 election because of the split between the popular vote and the Electoral College, or 2004 since George W. Bush and John Kerry had essentially the same net favorability rating in the early going.)”

As for Ron Paul favorability ratings, Talking Points Memo shows him barely holding his own against Romney in their tracking of national favorability (even tossing out the PPP pollsters).

DISCLAIMER: polls are for entertainment purposes only, here and everywhere else.

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Elmo explains economics

Elmo really has a way with words. He recently helped explain economics and did a righteous job. Ben Bernanke better run if the rest of the Sesame Street gang shows up with pitchforks and torches… of love:

In case you haven’t noticed, incomes (not GDP) pay mortgages and support small businesses. Increasing the National Debt by a can you say “parabolic?” 54% in the last 42 months hasn’t budged income per capita in nominal terms. If you adjusted for inflation, you’d find that Americans are actually about 12% poorer today than they were in 2006. We’re not “growing” our way out of this, we’re just going deeper and deeper into hock, courtesy of a government with about as much fiscal discipline as crack-whores with a stolen credit card. Here’s the thing: It’s your credit card, so maybe you should understand how much they’re spending:

Just to be clear, we’re talking about $400 per citizen per month in new charges alone, month after month after month. Here’s what me and Elmo can’t figure out: Why would attempting to break this spiral be labeled Class Warfare?

I couldn’t resist but INTERVIEW ELMO EXCLUSIVELY FOR HAMMER OF TRUTH (MUST CREDIT HAMMER OF TRUTH). He said he hopes Ben Bernanke stays healthy and had this to add on the insult pile:

Watch out Elmo, talk like that will get you to sent off to Gitmo.

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