The Audacity of Transparency

[AZhitman]

http://www.examiner.com/law-enforcement ... up-records

Anyone ever heard of Phacil? Yeah, that's what I thought. Me neither.

Shady. <-- not racist

[audtatious]

This is surprising?

Oh, Examiner /= MSNBC, CNN so it's not a valid news source.

[IBCoupe]

http://www.phacil.com/customers.html

Oooh, so sinister! A management firm that services a number of Federal Agencies also services the Treasury Department, providing services involving the release of information, and has employees conversant with the federal laws pertaining to the release of information!

Please hold me! I'm scared! What's even worse is that the Obama Administration is refusing to make public the nuclear access codes! Transparency my butt! It's like Stalin all over again!



... Spin less. Think more.

[mattblancarte]

While I can understand that it makes perfect sense for Phacil to handle the contract work, it's unsettling due to the fact that the Treasury Dept. harbors records of unsavory bailout management. None of this is surprising to me (my reaction mirrored Aud), but it's unfortunate.

No offense, IB, but your retort was spinning just as hard in the opposite direction. Nuclear access codes and Stalin?

[IBCoupe]

Mine was dripping with sarcasm: of course it was spin. That link tried to pretend it was real news.

Pointing out that I spun in that post is like the Crossfire guys arguing that the Daily Show should act more like a responsible media outlet.

[mattblancarte]

"Real news." Ahhhh so much spiiiinnnnnnn. :P

Although the author is obviously right of center, he's got a point that the Treasury Dept. is already doing everything they can to keep the bailout corruption under wraps. It's fair to call that shady, IMHO.

[mattblancarte]

That analogy isn't working for me... I don't see how I equate to the Crossfire Guys or how you equate to Jon Stewart.

[IBCoupe]

I'm not saying you equate to them. I'm saying that my comment was obviously ripe with sarcasm, and so spin is to be expected. The other one was obviously not sarcastic, but did have some spin - the fact that I can point out that the only facts presented are that this firm has been hired and that they employ people who specialize in FOIA exceptions means that the rest of his specious conclusions are laughably obvious attempts to propagandize. Hiding the TARP? There's an allusion to the fact that there are some unanswered requests, but there's literally no attempt to factually link this act with those. There's no attempt to substantiate what kind of response they got, or if they got one ever, at all. That link was logical fallacy posing as investigatory journalism. That's what I mean when I say "pretending to be real news."

The analogy is: whaddafrig else do you expect from my post, when I write it that way?

[mattblancarte]

I only pointed it out because of the closing you wrote in your first response. Probably wouldn't even have left a response without it.

Spin is to be expected from journalists, indeed.

Totally agree that the article had heavy amounts of spin and did a poor job of backing up the allegations with facts. However, Phacil's #1 job will be to add viscosity to the flow of information coming out of the Treasury Dept. I can't help but think that this move was made to keep the POTUS's political image as clean as humanly possible. To me, that is the expected behavior for all administrations (Rep or Dem).

Haha I dunno, something more along the lines of your last response to me is more what I expect from you. Carries more weight IMHO.

[AZhitman]

Likewise.

Flying off the handle any time your "spin detector" goes off won't keep you in a courtroom very long.

You're much better at point-by-point dissection and refutation. I'm guessing Plan B is to ridicule the source.

So, yes - "Transparency my butt". My point remains.

[IBCoupe]

Point by point refutation is fun, but it's labor-intensive. It requires that I go out and do research as I write (which I usually do).

Sarcastic parody is just as much fun, and requires almost no research, and it's the default mode for Jews.

[audtatious]

Jews?

Why U hate so?

[heliochrome85]

Jews?

Why U hate so?

sounds like he'd fit right in under the GOP's Tent...

[AZhitman]

Jews?

Why U hate so?

sounds like he'd fit right in under the GOP's Tent...

Damn right.

We need accountants and jewelers.

[audtatious]

And people who know how to manage their own finances without looking for handouts or others to blame.

[AZhitman]

That eliminates 90% of the DNC's base.

[heliochrome85]

our voters know what they like.

[IBCoupe]

Big hairy Jews?

[heliochrome85]

very nice. i just ate.

on a side note: i am actually the least hairy arab ive ever met. its just better that way. less tsa.

[IBCoupe]

I'm super hairy. If I ever go bald, I'll just get a transplant from my butt. It'll mean that sitting hurts a bit more because there'll be less cushion, but I think it's worth it.

My girlfriend, on the other hand, has the smoothest legs I can imagine and she's never shaved them. Not even once. Our kid's going to have weird splotches; I can see it now.

[heliochrome85]

yeah, thats unfortunate. you are like robin williams. good luck with that. thankfully i dont have to share your misery. as for your girlfriend, i think its safe to say, pics or it didnt happen.

[IBCoupe]

Facebook time...

[heliochrome85]

isnt it always though? where in china is she from?

[IBCoupe]

Her family's from Guangzhou originally, but they moved to Shenzhen and that's where she was raised. Shenzhen's just across the water from Hong Kong, on the mainland, and Guangzhou looks like it's about twice as far as that inland. Maybe more.

[heliochrome85]

very cool. ive wanted to go to HK and the region, but never had that much time to do it.

[IBCoupe]

Me neither. I'm holding off on that trip until after I've left my job, and no longer need the security clearance.

[heliochrome85]

what exactly is your function there? i find it interesting that you in law school work for a defense contractor? did you do engineering before?

yeah, im holding off until after graduation. first up though is syria. i havent been back since 2008 and my grandparents arent in great health, im just hoping that i can get there before things turn south.

[AZhitman]

I'm super hairy. If I ever go bald, I'll just get a transplant from my butt. It'll mean that sitting hurts a bit more because there'll be less cushion, but I think it's worth it.

Hair transplants are pricey. You'll find a way around it.

Side note: I think I got all the hairyness that Tariq missed out on. Maybe he's not a REAL A-Rab.

My girlfriend, on the other hand, has the smoothest legs I can imagine and she's never shaved them.

News flash for the "relatively inexperienced": Not a whole lot of wooly Asians running around. Duh.

[heliochrome85]

im not a real anything. sarah palin says im not a Real American® , and now you are saying im not a real arab.

also, i spat coffee all across my books for the "wooly asians" line. Jesus greg, that was amazing.

[audtatious]

our voters know what they like.

Gubmint cheeze