Today's Racist Observation: Just Because Nobody Apologized Doesn't Mean It's Post Racial...

As a completely pointless exercise in faked conflict resolution, the Beer Summit went swimmingly.

Only Barack Obama could have pulled that off...

 

"OK, have you heard this one? A rabbi, a priest and a minister go fishing..."

Evidently Joe Biden was called in just in case someone wanted to play some pick-up basketball after the beer was gone.

And by the way, just what is Biden trying to throw in Skippy's beer?

Comments

[PeterUK.]

Rohypnol? Ask Mark.

[Dennis the Peasant]

Given that it's Joe Biden, I just assumed it was a booger.

[PeterUK.]

Could be. Joe is having trouble with ingrowing hair plugs.

[PeterUK.]

Why can't Obama invite the "birthers" round for a beer to discuss his birth certificate.
If that works he can get the Israelis and the Iranians round for beer 'n brats.

[Dennis the Peasant]

You know what they say, "Hairpugs love a vacuum".

[markg8]

In this pic it looks like they're intently listening to Crowley drink his beer.

[Dennis the Peasant]

Well, my bet is Skip Gates and Tiberius Claudius Augustus both view beer as being somewhat poletarian and simply sipped a bit for the cameras. Biden probably missed his mouth with the glass.

[markg8]

Tiberius Claudius Augustus, wasn't he a member of the Pepsi generation?

[Dennis the Peasant]

I'm talking about our Tiberius Claudius Augustus, and he's definitely straight out of 1968.

[PeterUK.]

That would be the God Augustus? Can't see him drinking anything less than a Chateau Mouton Rothschild Special Reserve. Biden probably uses a straw.

[markg8]

You may be right Dennis. Here's what Wikipedia has to say about Claudius:

during the purges of Tiberius' and Caligula's reigns; potential enemies did not see him as a serious threat to them. His very survival led to his being declared emperor (reportedly because the Praetorian Guard insisted) after Caligula's assassination, at which point he was the last adult male of his family.

Claudius proved to be an able administrator and a great builder of public works. His reign saw an expansion of the empire, including the conquest of Britain. He took a personal interest in the law, presided at public trials, and issued up to 20 edicts a day; however, he was seen as vulnerable throughout his rule, particularly by the nobility. Claudius was constantly forced to shore up his position. This resulted in the deaths of many senators.

We can only hope about that last part.

[Peter VE]

That's a good idea: get 4 micks around the table to drink....
(all four have Irish ancestry)

[Dennis the Peasant]

I notice you didn't dig too hard into the reigns of Tiberius and Augustus. As to the praise for Claudius, I'd note that most Americans would probably frown on the outright slaughter of senators, and, it's hard to reconcile a personal interest in the law when you're murdering the opposition. You might want to temper that praise of ol' Claudius...

[markg8]

most Americans would probably frown on the outright slaughter of senators

We're a bit more civilized than that these days aren't we Dennis? But the effect is the same.

Max Baucus has been warned if he doesn't stop giving away the store to Republicans he'll be stripped of his Financial Committee chairmanship and Chuck Grassley has been warned if he allows Dems on Finance to pass a bill out of Committee his party will block him from becoming ranking member on Judiciary next year.

Killing them politically works just as well as killing them dead.

[PeterUK.]

The entire Julio-Claudian Dynasty were all mad to some degree,the last three,Caligula,Claudius and Nero were raving.

Dennis,the way you are going with hereditary Senators.......

[Allen]

Bringing Joe Biden in was a smart move. If things get a little tense Ol' Joe just lets some totally bizarre comment rip. It so confuses everyone they forget what they were talking about.

Joe, The Great Obfuscator.

[markg8]

The entire Julio-Claudian Dynasty were all mad to some degree

That'll happen when you get lead poisoning from eating off leaded crystal like they did...or bathing in DC's tap water like our politicians do.

[PeterUK.]

Dennis,thought you might like to be one of the first with the transcription of the Beerfest. It will stop the clientele complaining.

[KMcC]

Mark - where do you get the idea that Romans of that era ate from leaded glass plates? Gold, silver, cheap metal and wooden plates, sure, but crystal is a a technology waiting to be discovered at that time.

Lead poisoning, if that's what undid the empire, more likely came from lead water pipes than from leaded glass.

[markg8]

You may be right about crystal KMcC but glass was widely used at the time, glass blowing originated in the Roman empire in the second century I think it was, and lead was used as a stabilizer.

[David]

"lead poisoning from eating off leaded crystal"

Ah, the benefits of government education.

Wrong on both the counts Mark.

Hint: wikipedia is not an actually reliable source for classical antiquity. Try . . . original sources.
Maybe one of your friends -- should you have any -- can lend you that copy of the 12 Caesars they've got lying around.

Democrats: for when books no longer matter.

[markg8]

My aren't you the elitist. What august institutions are you a graduate of David?

Oh and check out the previous thread David. Seems to me there's several people who hang out here who think books and higher education don't count, especially at institutions like Harvard and Oxford.

[Dennis the Peasant]

Mark-

At the time in question glass was not used for drinking vessels and dinner plate. In the case of emperors, generally what was used was gold (or a scarce metal of similar scarcity and price).

And you should read The 12 Caesars irrespective... It's a great book.

[PeterUK.]

>a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_glass">The development of lead crystal glass. Sorry Dennis,I tried!

[markg8]

I just might Dennis. I like history. And while we're on the subject of history I recommend Rick Perlstein's "Before the Storm" for all you conservatives. Before Ronald Reagan there was Barry Goldwater. You should know something about the movement you belong to.

[donniedarko]

I'll read Rick Perlstein the day after you read Ann Coulter.

[PeterUK.]

Who was before Senator Robert Byrd (D KKK)?

[Dennis the Peasant]

I'll pass. I've read Perlstein.

[Dennis the Peasant]

Donnie-

The comparison is apt.

[richard mcenroe]

"As to the praise for Claudius, I'd note that most Americans would probably frown on the outright slaughter of senators..."

Assumes a fact not in evidence, counsellor.

[markg8]

Actually Perlstein is a hell of researcher and author. And here's his eulogy to William F. Buckley. A lot of people around here could learn something from Buckley and yes, Perlstein too.

http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/why-william-f-buckley-was-my-role-model

[PeterUK.]

They,in turn,could learn a lot from some people round here.

[matkg8]

Put your pants back on Petey.

[PeterUK.]

Sad Marky,you just understand talent unless it is a name you have been told to recognise. You will just have to understand that some of us do not swim around at the protozoic levels you do.

[markg8]

You're gonna be really proud of that in the morning Petey. I don't know what you're swimming in but I'm glad I'm not there with you.

[PeterUK.]

Mark,you just have to realise that other people aren't failures like you.We do this for entertainment,it isn't all we have got.
Get a life,at fifty three,you haven't got much time left.

[markg8]

Thanks for the advice Petey. Now put your pants back on.

[PeterUK.]

My, you are a wit Marky,you must have them cracking up in the bath house.

[fcFox]

"That'll happen when you get lead poisoning from eating off leaded crystal like they did...or bathing in DC's tap water like our politicians do."

To sum up nicely why Rome collapsed so quickly after reaching it's pinnacle start here: http://www.wimp.com/thegovernment/

Simularly, the progressives (caesars), are doing the same thing to this day. Favoring the rule of whim to the rule of law. History is a broken record and they're playing our song.

The lead theory is so over-played and under-challenged in public schools. Try this:
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/wine/leadpoisoning.html

*waits for Mark to spin some sort of Republican conspiracy*

[fcFox]

Fecking hell! It's spelled "similarly!"