posted by gut

Well, the FISA courts, for example, reject something like 0.1% of applications.  It's basically a rubber-stamp, and I think we may see with the FISA warrants around the Trump campaign that it's actually a pretty low standard.

Until people demand better from the politicians they actually vote for - and don't only get outraged when it's the other side doing it - nothing will change.

Except ---

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/ex-fbi-lawyer-carter-page-fisa-application-approved-in-unusual-way-by-mccabe-yates-and-baker

So Vox spitefully stopped Mayor Pete from appearing on Dave Rubin's show. They don't like who Dave has on his show even though Rubin invites people from the left all the time. And now they are trying to get Louder with Crowder banned from youtube. Poking fun at people is frowned upon by that group. 

Can we just come out and say that these smaller media types are more activist than anything else? I don't know why they won't just publish under that banner, like Right Wing Watch as an example.. They'd still have their viewers without the disguise.

posted by CenterBHSFan

Can we just come out and say that these smaller media types are more activist than anything else?

I mean, most sane people already do.

posted by O-Trap

I mean, most sane people already do.

The biggest problem I see with most "journalists" isn't that they have an agenda or indoctrination or whatever, it's that most seem to graduate without having learned anything relevant/useful to whatever their coverage focus is.

I'm sure we all can go on and on with examples, but I always point to one example in particular because it's actually quite shocking.  Back in the late 90's / early 00's the WSJ - it one of the two premier financial/market publications - knew jack squat about hedge funds.  They had no clue what they were writing about (not shocking, many INVESTORS in hedge funds didn't really know what they were investing in).  Although that's perhaps a red herring since, even if you could find a hedge fund manager to make the time to talk to you, the industry was/is notoriously secretive.  Except I'm talking about simple and easy stuff that could have been understood without a lot of effort.  Now I could forgive even the NYT for not understanding what a hedge fund is doing, but that's something you expect the WSJ/FT to get right.

Fuck the TSA. Can't travel with a freaking Toddler without getting all of the bags checked. Looked through each kids book, touched all the pouches, didn't even have any liquid in there. 

posted by iclfan2

Fuck the TSA.

You had me here.

Also, did I hear that I'm going to start needing to carry my birth certificate whenever I fly?  If so, that's a fucking crock of shit.

posted by O-Trap

You had me here.

Also, did I hear that I'm going to start needing to carry my birth certificate whenever I fly?  If so, that's a fucking crock of shit.

I think you need a new license by the end of 2020 to be able to fly called “real id”. You can use a passport instead though. 

I jumped through the hoops so I could get the “real id”. It’s actually called a compliant license. 

posted by O-Trap

You had me here.

Also, did I hear that I'm going to start needing to carry my birth certificate whenever I fly?  If so, that's a fucking crock of shit.

Not if you get the "new" license by October of this year. The "new" license requires some additional documentation than normal license (B.C. being one of them).

posted by iclfan2

I think you need a new license by the end of 2020 to be able to fly called “real id”. You can use a passport instead though. 

I am fairly certain it is by October of this year, I hope I am wrong and you are right.

My current license expires in February, but I travel a lot for work so I was going to have to get the "real ID" one in October to be able to travel. If you are right then I will just need to get it in February when my current expires.

posted by jmog

I am fairly certain it is by October of this year, I hope I am wrong and you are right.

 

My current license expires in February, but I travel a lot for work so I was going to have to get the "real ID" one in October to be able to travel. If you are right then I will just need to get it in February when my current expires.

We don't need the new IDs this year. I checked because, like you, mine expires next Feb.

posted by justincredible

We don't need the new IDs this year. I checked because, like you, mine expires next Feb.

Thanks. 

They introduced the new IDs about 2 months after I renewed mine, so I'll just be using my passport until my current one expires. 

Got my compliant DL in December.  Did not like the idea of it being mailed to me, but I got it in 8 days.  Made sure I was prepared, read the DMV website, had all my documentation lined up - and got in line early.  Mrs. Z's license expires in October this year, so she'll be covered.

South Dakota public schools now required to have In God We Trust signs posted. What a colossal waste of money this will be. No way this will stand. Would be nice to see whatever dipshits pushed this through shell out the legal fees instead of the taxpayers.

Reading back through the Real ID stuff above reminded me how I'm continually outraged by whoever is in charge of responding to my passport applications.

For some unknown reason, my mom let me submit a passport application in middle school using my preferred name, which is a shortened version of my legal name. Since then, I've had a passport that I can't use as a second form of ID (because it doesn't match any of my other legal documents). I've tried four times to have my passport changed.

1. First I submitted a new application, but I received a rejection because I already had a valid passport. In that letter, they suggested I submit it as an error correction.
2. When I submitted it as an error correction, they rejected it because the error lied with myself and my mom, not with the passport office. The rejection letter said it needed to be submitted as a name change.
3. Then I submitted it as a name change, but that was rejected because I didn't have any legal documentation supporting that my name had been changed (because it hasn't). They suggested I just use my full name on the application when I submit for renewal at passport expiration.
4. I filled out all the application for renewal using my correct name, but you are also required to list any previous passport number associated with your SSN. I assume they just reprinted the previous passport without changing any personal details; my new passport also uses the incorrect shortened name.

I called our local passport office, and they said passport applications aren't processed at the local level. They stated the correct way to submit it would be to submit it as an error correction. Each time I submitted they kept my application fee, so I'm done with it. Just keeping the incorrect passport.

Now I use birth certificate and SS card as my 2nd form of ID, fly internationally using my nickname, and fly domestic with my driver's license and legal name.

That sounds like what I went through with Walmart this weekend. I order a smoker online. Get the wrong one. Take it back and they say they can’t exchange it for the right one but they will give me a refund and I can reorder. Whatever. 5 days to get my money back. Plus 400 more out of pocket to reorder. I’m staring right at the grill in Walmart and reorder. I did it online because the online price is 40$ cheaper. I go home and wait for them to tell me it’s ready when I get an email that the store is out of them. I call. For some reason a multi billion operation can’t just switch my order to sawmill rd where thy have it in stock. 4 miles away. I cancel the order. 400$ on hold for 48 hours. So I’m heated now and I go down to the store and there are 3 of them on the shelf. Wtf. After 30 minutes of trying to explain to the teenage girl who was the manager what was going on I just purchased the grill for another 400$. 1200$ at Walmart on a Friday morn

Didn't realize this thread was in the politics forum lol

I hardly ever go to a walmart

posted by geeblock

That sounds like what I went through with Walmart this weekend. I order a smoker online. Get the wrong one. Take it back and they say they can’t exchange it for the right one but they will give me a refund and I can reorder. Whatever. 5 days to get my money back. Plus 400 more out of pocket to reorder. I’m staring right at the grill in Walmart and reorder. I did it online because the online price is 40$ cheaper. I go home and wait for them to tell me it’s ready when I get an email that the store is out of them. I call. For some reason a multi billion operation can’t just switch my order to sawmill rd where thy have it in stock. 4 miles away. I cancel the order. 400$ on hold for 48 hours. So I’m heated now and I go down to the store and there are 3 of them on the shelf. Wtf. After 30 minutes of trying to explain to the teenage girl who was the manager what was going on I just purchased the grill for another 400$. 1200$ at Walmart on a Friday morn

Dear lord.  I'd be ready to cut somebody.

posted by geeblock

That sounds like what I went through with Walmart this weekend. I order a smoker online. Get the wrong one. Take it back and they say they can’t exchange it for the right one but they will give me a refund and I can reorder. Whatever. 5 days to get my money back. Plus 400 more out of pocket to reorder. I’m staring right at the grill in Walmart and reorder. I did it online because the online price is 40$ cheaper. I go home and wait for them to tell me it’s ready when I get an email that the store is out of them. I call. For some reason a multi billion operation can’t just switch my order to sawmill rd where thy have it in stock. 4 miles away. I cancel the order. 400$ on hold for 48 hours. So I’m heated now and I go down to the store and there are 3 of them on the shelf. Wtf. After 30 minutes of trying to explain to the teenage girl who was the manager what was going on I just purchased the grill for another 400$. 1200$ at Walmart on a Friday morn

$400 ... not 400$

Per the thread.

posted by ernest_t_bass

$400 ... not 400$

Per the thread.

The $ at the end does make sense, though. You'd say four hundred dollars, not dollars four hundred. And why is it 50(cents) and not (cents)50?

posted by justincredible

The $ at the end does make sense, though. You'd say four hundred dollars, not dollars four hundred. And why is it 50(cents) and not (cents)50?

Xactly

posted by justincredible

The $ at the end does make sense, though. You'd say four hundred dollars, not dollars four hundred. And why is it 50(cents) and not (cents)50?

Because it is. We are taught where stuff goes and we put it there.

I had never ever seen 5$ until the social media age.

! I think it’s dumb

I could understand it, so it didn't bother me.