who to support in the Dem. primary for Prez in16. a good rule of thumb: applying the Buckley rule

Conservative icon William F Buckley once said that conservatives voting in GOP primaries should vote for the most conservative candidate who could actually win the general election. Replace the word conservative with progressive/liberal and it is a good idea for Dems. Who is electable is subjective, but if all dems followed it while applying their own elect ability standard it works. Then in the general vote for the most progressive plausibly electable candidate again.

Simple.

Why America’s fired up about hemp

The once-maligned cannabis plant could herald an agricultural revolution, author Doug Fine tells Salon 

Hemp: It’s not just for health food smoothies and hippie clothing. The unintended victim of the United States’ prohibition on cannabis — it got swept up in theMarijuana Tax Act of 1937 and is now blacklisted by the DEA under the Controlled Substances Act — the plant is beginning to be seen by many as the solution to any number of the country’s problems, with implications ranging from energy to agriculture. Newly liberated (to an extent) by the recently passed Farm Bill, it could be the country’s next billion-dollar industry, journalist Doug Fine told Salon.


http://www.salon.com/2014/04/19/why_americas_fired_up_about_hemp/

Boxes in Eddie's Garage: a DU challenge

First one to find anyone anywhere at anytime disparraging Edward Snowden for having boxes in his garage wins.

are you being helpful or hurtful? nt

five million

The number of Americans who could be covered under the ACA if it weren't for Republicans.

happy birthday conan o'brien

Decent late night host but overall brilliant man (Simpsons, SNL writer)

Creepy/Hilarious Vintage Easter Photos

Russia Social Network Says Authorities Request Ukraine User Data

VKontakte, Russia’s largest social network, said it declined a request by the country’s security agency to hand over data on Ukrainian users who supported the recent government change in Kiev.The company declined to give data about the users to the Russian Federal Security Service, a successor to the Soviet-era KGB, upon its request in December, VKontakte Chief Executive Officer Pavel Durov said on his VKontakte page last night.“Our answer was flat denial, Russian jurisdiction doesn’t cover Ukrainian users of VKontakte,” Durov said on his page, where he also posted a picture of a dog dressed in a hoodie. “Disclosure of their personal data to Russian authorities would’ve breached the law and betrayed millions of Ukrainians who trusted us.”

http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-17/russia-social-network-says-authorities-request-ukraine-user-data.html

I hope these people remain safe.

an observation regarding the recent Vlad and Eddie Show

Given how awkwardly propagandistic RTs "coverage" of the Russia/Ukrain situation, the Russian are not very sophisticated at propagandizing westerners. Sure a few naive souls fall for it, but it really isn't very subtle. So I have to thiink that even Snowden knows he humiliated himself for Putin but he has no choice but to go along. It must suck to be him right now.

Pro-Russian militants killed in clash at base in eastern Ukraine port city

After a “short battle,” Ukrainian commandos and counterintelligence units fanned out into the city by ground and helicopter in an operation to round up militants, Avakov said. He said 63 separatists have been detained in the operation, which he described as ongoing. Avakov reported no causalities among Ukrainian forces.


http://m.washingtonpost.com/world/pro-russian-militants-killed-in-clash-at-ukraine-port-city/2014/04/17/02fc044e-c5f9-11e3-bf7a-be01a9b69cf1_story.html?tid=HP_lede