What's in the news?

[HannibalBarca]

Both houses of Hawaii's legislature unanimously passed a bill supporting universal basic income.

[Sara Nilsson]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40441712

Germany votes for same sex marriage!

The German legal code will now read: "Marriage is entered into for life by two people of different or the same sex", AFP news agency reported.

[Trigon]

Gov. Chris Christie caught spending the day at a state beach that he closed down to the public: http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/07/christie_pictured_at_island_beach_state_park_durin.html

[Sara Nilsson]

Gov. Chris Christie caught spending the day at a state beach that he closed down to the public: http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/07/christie_pictured_at_island_beach_state_park_durin.html

Even my husbands very very republican relatives who all voted for him twice go "wtf is wrong with him"

[gaggedLouise]

Gov. Chris Christie caught spending the day at a state beach that he closed down to the public: http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/07/christie_pictured_at_island_beach_state_park_durin.html

People in New Jersey must love it that the 4th of July will fall within a period of sudden state government shutdown. 

[Regina Minx]

Gov. Chris Christie caught spending the day at a state beach that he closed down to the public: http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/07/christie_pictured_at_island_beach_state_park_durin.html

I can't stop thinking about the South Park episode Cartmanland.

[elone]

And apparently he flew in and out on a helicopter. ( not sure if that one is true or "fake news" }

You can not make this stuff up, and Christie comments that if you were governor you could do the same.

Republicans, gotta love 'em. Do as I say, not as I do.

[gaggedLouise]

North Korea claims that the (unloaded) missile they launched yesterday was an ICBM, with the potential to reach the US mainland. Talk about raising the stakes a bit.. 

[AmberStarfire]

I saw this one shared on Facebook:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/aug/11/devastated-by-my-sons-tattoo

(I'm tattooed so not taking the mother's side).

[Lustful Bride]

I saw this one shared on Facebook:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/aug/11/devastated-by-my-sons-tattoo

(I'm tattooed so not taking the mother's side).

Wow she is seriously overreacting. There are a lot worse things her son could be getting than some overpriced tattoo. Plus like the site stated, hes 21, he can do as he likes so long as its legal.

Both my mother and father got Tattoos (Dad has Service Tattoos and mom has a dragonfly on herself), hell dad actually wants to get another one.

IN all honesty I think the real problem is he paid 150 for it.

[Oniya]

I read that one as well - I'm not tattooed (I have needle issues), but all I could think was how freaky it was with her going on about her son's 'precious skin'.  (I did find the bit about sailors using tattoos as a form of making their bodies identifiable pretty neat, though.)

[AmberStarfire]

Lustful Bride: I don't think the problem was the tattoo so much as all of the feelings and perceptions his mother had built up around it, and what she felt it meant about her and her son.

I don't think that's necessarily overpriced. It depends on where he got it done and the specifics of the tattoo, like the size and how long it took. My dragon has 14 colours and took something like 4.5 hours, and it cost more than that. However, I got it done at an upmarket tattoo place that uses quality inks and has great artists. Sometimes you get what you pay for. I figure if a tattoo will be on my arm forever, it's worth 'doing well'.

Oniya: That was freaky about the skin thing. Someone wrote on Facebook something like 'does anyone else get the impression his mother wants to keep his skin and wear it?'. She just had very set views, I think. Some people do and I get the feeling it can be about an 'us versus them' perspective. I'm not convinced the sailors were intentionally wanting to make their bodies identifiable, but perhaps it was a form of reassurance that it might help them find their way home. Tattoos feel to me like something that no one else in the world can take away, when so many other things can be, so perhaps for sailors away from their families for a long time, it was something to hold on to.

[Iniquitous]

I rolled my eyes so hard reading that I think I glimpsed my own brain.  Man, I am so glad my mom didn't pull that crap when she seen my tattoo for the first time. (I didn't bother to tell her. I was an adult, it's my body, and my money. There was no reason to call my mother and say 'I got a tattoo'.)

[Missy]

I doubt I'll ever get a tattoo and I don't understand the appeal, but damn I couldn't finish that article through the melodrama. Really?

[Derwaysh]

North Korea claims that the (unloaded) missile they launched yesterday was an ICBM, with the potential to reach the US mainland. Talk about raising the stakes a bit.. 

It was confirmed by NORAD as well. They deliberately poised the missile on a more vertical trajectory so as to avoid an international incident. NORAD's adamant Pyongyang still can't hit US Mainland but regardless this warrants a show of force response and a Twitter post saying "Does this guy have a life?" doesn't cut it.

[Lustful Bride]

It was confirmed by NORAD as well. They deliberately poised the missile on a more vertical trajectory so as to avoid an international incident. NORAD's adamant Pyongyang still can't hit US Mainland but regardless this warrants a show of force response and a Twitter post saying "Does this guy have a life?" doesn't cut it.

The big problem is not that they can hit the US, but now that they can strike at any one of our allies (or uninvolved parties) in the region. With South Korea and Japan being the main targets the fear is that they could load up a WMD unto a missile and lob it at any one in the region. And its hard not to think they would do it, given how utterly insane the regime is.

[Derwaysh]

I concur. Regardless its a paradigm-changing feat that escalates tensions to a whole new level. Suffice to say I'm somewhat satisfied by the drills US/South Korea joint command conducted yesterday but it is too early to ascertain how this would unfold in the grand scheme of things eventually.

[Lustful Bride]

I concur. Regardless its a paradigm-changing feat that escalates tensions to a whole new level. Suffice to say I'm somewhat satisfied by the drills US/South Korea joint command conducted yesterday but it is too early to ascertain how this would unfold in the grand scheme of things eventually.

I agree. The people there need to know that no matter what happens, they wont be alone. Aside from that, its mostly a waiting game.

I have no doubt that if conflict began with NK, so long as it didn't go nuclear, the US/SK would win with air power alone and it would from then on how the Gulf War went. After that thought...its anyones guess. :/

[gaggedLouise]

As seen from Pyongyang, I figure they'd have to regard any "exercise firing of a /blank/( missile" during a US/S Korean drill, from now on, as a possible nuclear strike. I mean, if there would be a close.range strike on the North, what better camouflage than a naval drill?

That's not to say that the drills are provocations, only that the stakes have really been raised now.

[Missy]

Authoritarianism and Nationalism are the primary cause of major wars. With Kim Jong-unstable running the country, it's really looking as if it's only a matter of time.

[gaggedLouise]

Authoritarianism and Nationalism are the primary cause of major wars. With Kim Jong-unstable running the country, it's really looking as if it's only a matter of time.

Yep, I have a bad feeling about that too, He's really taken it in a direction where a military standoff looks likely, at some point soon.

[gaggedLouise]

At least 160 policemen and 60 protesters hurt during the ongoing demonstrations/street riot around the G20 meeting in Hamburg *sigh* The police commanders in place have asked for more manpower... 

So pointless, plain violence by people who think it's fun to fight and throw stones around.

"A stone, gentlemen, is not a good argument" (Friedrich Schiller, classic German playwright and philosopher)

Edit: About 100.000 demonstrants, out of which 8.000 are considered to have come there to indulge in violence, and 20.000 police (in German, with video clips)

[Beorning]

For those of you who don't like Trump:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0LBawbGHJA

Although, personally, I really can't make myself believe that it was something more than poor coordination on behalf on the Polish First Lady...

[Regina Minx]

Maybe she was afraid she'd offer the hand and get grabbed by the pussy.

[Missy]

Maybe she was afraid she'd offer the hand and get grabbed by the pussy.

as much as I would love to make this joke as well, I don't think the aforementioned is even what actually happened. It really looks like she just shook hands with Melania first then Donald with her back turned to the camera. her bo also didn't shake melanias hand until after her and donald shook, a bit odd all in all, but nonetheless by all appearances everyone shok hands with everyone.