Netzilla

I feel as though all the complaints in this thread miss the entire point of the film.  At any rate, it was far less sloppy than TFA.

There's roughly zero chance this is a good faith inquiry into the FBI, so much as an effort to discredit the agency and the special counsel in advance of any findings by the latter regarding the president's conduct during the past 2-3 years.  

https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/20/house-republicans-quietly-investigate-doj-fbi-310121
 
As a historical matter, this is extraordinary: a secret working group in the House running interference for the President, working hard to undermine and discredit the Steele dossier, the FBI and the Mueller investigation, even though they are supposed to be conducting a national security investigation and performing oversight of the WH.  

I should probably re-read a thread before I assume I went on a drunken rant-bender last night...

Maybe looking at it too much from the action part is a mistake? What if we look at what every character did/how they developed?
 
Poe Dameron:
While he was just awesome in Force Awakens, his record this time is very mixed.
 
Finn:
He seems to be on the Heroes Journey. Particular "refusing the call".
 
BB-8:
He has big tracks to fill with being the new R2, but he does it well.
 
Kylo Ren:
If anything, this was his proper introduction.
 
Luke Sykwalker:
 
Leia Skywalker/Organa:
 
Rose Tico:
 
Admiral Holdo:

Well, there's what Paul Ryan has laid out:
 
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/12/01/gop-eyes-post-tax-cut-changes-to-welfare-medicare-and-social-security/?utm_term=.a80e803e00e3
 
It's also the model used in several states (Maine and Wisconsin comes to mind).

Madam Gao was pretty cool too.

So is the prohibition against incest. It is pure eugenics regarding their potential children and the increased chance of heriditary diseases.
 
If they were raised together, I could see some argument that they might have a social problem that leads them to think only a related person is a suiteable mate.
But with assisted reproductive technology, there is a chance that two people who happen to have the same sperm donor but lived completely different lives fall in love. Under the current law, this is prohibited just because they share 50% of their DNA.
 
I do not think it is selfish. It is healthy.
Trying to force yourself to do something you are not ready for (be it a disabeled child or a unexpected pregnancy) is bad for you, your family and the child. That is why I am pro-abortion in the first place. Forcing yourself into a role you are not suited for is not healthy.
 
And I know a person with down syndrom. She is a nice person and all. She might even have a positive effect on society around her. But she is not somebody I would think many parents are able to raise.
Indeed her genetic father left the mother once it became clear she was disabeled. The mother was lucky there was another man willing to marry her.
 
Not to mention that the next Democrat will have to deal with it, resulting in a less then optimal solution.
As I said before: The US needs a Republican to mess up things. So the next Democrat will not be a perfecrt president. So the next Republican is voted into office.
They are securing their re-election by f**king up the economy.

Our Heroes:
Amon-Ra: Archaeologist who found an artifact that is a conduit to an ancient god.
Diamondback: Exposure to a strange crystal gave her immense strength and durability.
Double-Time!: Given incredible running speed during a lab accident.
Faceless: FBI agent with the ability to assume the shape of any person he sees.
Ka-Pow!: 17 year old boxer and mechanic who's a bit more than human.
Professor Polar: Discoverer of "cold energy".
Shard: Exposed to the same crystal as Diamondback, but instead has the ability to grow and control similar crystals.
Tarraingteacht: Agent Carter's skills with Polaris's powers.
Zoltan the Magnificent: Stage magician who also knows real magic.
 
****
 
Zoltan [after having been introduced to Ka-Pow! and learning that her father works on vehicles for the military] - You have a Daddy War-Trucks!.

****

Diamondback [after the GM notes that no one is really in costume] - We have capes, thank you.

****

Diamondback [commenting on the debate about the nature of magic between Zoltan and Amon-Ra] - But it's a magical pissing contest, so there's sparkles.

****

Diamondback [OOC after one of the other players has to take a hit off her inhaler due to laughter] - I'm a super-villain.  My powers are pecans and laughter.

****

Diamondback - For TRUTH, JUSTICE and punching you really hard!

****

Diamondback [OOC to Ka-Pow!'s player] - Why do you have to be the bitchy child in the game where I'm supposed to like children?
****
Full write-up here.

Our Heroes:
Amon-Ra: Archaeologist who found an artifact that is a conduit to an ancient god.
Diamondback: Exposure to a strange crystal gave her immense strength and durability.
Double-Time!: Given incredible running speed during a lab accident.
Faceless: FBI agent with the ability to assume the shape of any person he sees.
Ka-Pow!: 17 year old boxer and mechanic who's a bit more than human.
Professor Polar: Discoverer of "cold energy".
Shard: Exposed to the same crystal as Diamondback, but instead has the ability to grow and control similar crystals.
Tarraingteacht: Agent Carter's skills with Polaris's powers.
Zoltan the Magnificent: Stage magician who also knows real magic.
 
****
 
Zoltan [after having been introduced to Ka-Pow! and learning that her father works on vehicles for the military] - You have a Daddy War-Trucks!.

****

Diamondback [after the GM notes that no one is really in costume] - We have capes, thank you.

****

Diamondback [commenting on the debate about the nature of magic between Zoltan and Amon-Ra] - But it's a magical pissing contest, so there's sparkles.

****

Diamondback [OOC after one of the other players has to take a hit off her inhaler due to laughter] - I'm a super-villain.  My powers are pecans and laughter.

****

Diamondback - For TRUTH, JUSTICE and punching you really hard!

****

Diamondback [OOC to Ka-Pow!'s player] - Why do you have to be the bitchy child in the game where I'm supposed to like children?
****
Full write-up here.

Our Heroes:
Amon-Ra: Archaeologist who found an artifact that is a conduit to an ancient god.
Diamondback: Exposure to a strange crystal gave her immense strength and durability.
Double-Time!: Given incredible running speed during a lab accident.
Faceless: FBI agent with the ability to assume the shape of any person he sees.
Ka-Pow!: 17 year old boxer and mechanic who's a bit more than human.
Professor Polar: Discoverer of "cold energy".
Shard: Exposed to the same crystal as Diamondback, but instead has the ability to grow and control similar crystals.
Tarraingteacht: Agent Carter's skills with Polaris's powers.
Zoltan the Magnificent: Stage magician who also knows real magic.
 
****
 
Zoltan [after having been introduced to Ka-Pow! and learning that her father works on vehicles for the military] - You have a Daddy War-Trucks!.

****

Diamondback [after the GM notes that no one is really in costume] - We have capes, thank you.

****

Diamondback [commenting on the debate about the nature of magic between Zoltan and Amon-Ra] - But it's a magical pissing contest, so there's sparkles.

****

Diamondback [OOC after one of the other players has to take a hit off her inhaler due to laughter] - I'm a super-villain.  My powers are pecans and laughter.

****

Diamondback - For TRUTH, JUSTICE and punching you really hard!

****

Diamondback [OOC to Ka-Pow!'s player] - Why do you have to be the bitchy child in the game where I'm supposed to like children?
****
Full write-up here.

I would disagree with no marvel show has had a good villain. I thought D'onofrio's Kingpin/Fisk was excellent, and Tennant's Purple Man was scary evil.

Institutional disobedience isn't a relevant term when applied broadly to state and local government in relation to the Federal government. Neither state nor local governments have any direct responsibility to obey "directions" from the Federal in a "chain of command". That's not how our system of government works. 
 
I work in local government, I do not work for the Federal (or even state) government. If given a direction by the executive branch, I'd laugh and refer them to our counsel. But I wouldn't "obey" it under this administration or the previous one. 
 
That's not how any of this works. Jurisdictions and authority are limited. Courts can expand or restrict authority. Contracts between parties define roles (such as County contracts with the State, and State contracts with the Fed - Medicaid is a great example of this from County to DHCS to HHS).
 
Everyone should take a breath. 

Guys,
 
take it down a notch. Simon patrols this thread thoroughly and consistently and you could be disciplined.

Civil disobedience seemed to work pretty well half a century ago. At the least, it was a catalyst that could not be ignored.

I have generally caucused with the Republicans so to speak, but now the only point of congruence is opposition to gun control.  I Intend to always vote against anyone who votes for the current tax overhaul, and lean towards writing in Teddy Roosevelt for everything, If I cannot find an actual candidate for whom I can not stand to hold my nose and vote.   I would never have believed that I would vote for Hillary, but compared to the opposition...    Any day and twice on Sunday.  

In total agreement with the anti "but what about..." statements.

If you want to talk about what Hillary did (or did not) do, that's fine.  But it's entirely separate from what anyone else did.  There is no equivalency.  If you're accused of murdering someone, you don't get to point at Jeffrey Dahmer and say "but he murdered and ate people!".  That's not a defense, it's a deflection.
 
In regards to Hillary Clinton, listen to Old Man -- I work in "security" as well.  What she did in regards to a private email server wasn't great, but is NOTHING compared to what goes on daily at all levels of DC politics.  Not deflection, just case in point of her actions being par for the course:  do you think that Trump's cell (from which he constantly tweets) is secured?  How about the email services of Pence, Ivanka, Jared Kushner, or other top-ranking officials?  Think they're not using their own?  It's a depressingly common occurrence....and not actionable (yet) without flagrant disregard for safety/security.

I'd be interested in hearing which law your friend thinks she actually broke.  As an IT security professional who has held a security clearance, Clinton's email practices were pathetic and sloppy and broke State Department guidelines, but were not illegal.  You have to take secret documents home to show your Chinese-intelligence-service girlfriend to get convicted.  The crime requires intent.  Three classified emails out of 30,000 that were erroneously forwarded by staff and not by Hillary herself is nothing.  Nothing.
 

Exactly this. 
 
Who cares. Go ahead and prosecute if you've got the evidence. So, back to that whole Russia/emoulments/false-equivalency for Naziism/so many other items they are all starting to blend together for the guy actually in office right now....
 
Edit: here's a link to the Wikipedia entry for "Trump controversies 2017" currently clocking at 36 pages. I can't even reasonably list them anymore, so just providing a link. 
 
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Trump_administration_controversies
 
By comparison "Obama controversies" with no time limit is 51 pages. Donald Trump is doing work. 
 
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Obama_administration_controversies

Thing of it is, people annoyed by this tactic usually aren't opposed to discussing Hillary Clinton's crimes any more than any other corrupt politician. The annoyance stems from the fact that it is often brought up as a means of diversion whenever criticism against our current Commander-in-Chief is being laid out ("WutaboutHilary?!").

The graph just echoes the fact that Democratic fundraising is grassroots while Republican donations come from corporations and superPACs. There are few ultra-wealthy sponsors working in government service, and if there were, the GOP would consider it a problem anyway. 

Deflection. Because if we're talking about Hillary's transgressions, we aren't talking about Trump's.
 

Extreme Bias agaisnt Trump is not a mater of Partisanship, but of common sense and decency. Trump lies so often, we actually lost count of all the lies.
Since Trump said it was partisan, we can assume it is utterly fair and unbiased. Because we reached the point where it is SOP to assume the opposite of what Trump says is true.
 
 
No Public statement goes out without consensus. In particular as this was about a important mater. Literally someone could ahve gotten sued over it. Claiming "the entire agency is partisan" because one guy made a change that was not corrected by several coworkers (inlcuding the leader that read that Statement to the Senate) is right up there with conspiracy theories.
 
And why are we even still talking about hillaries Emails, 12 months after she has lost the election?

And it's official, Jones has beaten Moore.
Even though this wasn't remotely my horse race, and I'm not taking a side concerning political parties, given the issues in this contest I can't help feeling a bit of vindication for my faith in the inherent decency of the American people.