Overnight Sci-Fi Short: “MALAISE”

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Vimeo

This is my final project from Vancouver Film School’s 3D animation program. With Malaise I wanted to do a project that was both visually exciting and a demonstration of my abilities as an animator. The look of the piece was influenced by an array of old sci-fi classics ranging from Andrei Tarkovsky’s Solaris to Jean-Claude Forest’s Barbarella. For the feel and tone of the film it was to Ridley Scott’s Alien franchise that I drew inspiration from. I wanted to pursue a slightly more realistic route for the animation so I researched live action movie footage, live reference as well as more recent CG efforts from America and Japan to help achieve to type of movement I desired. This project was a labor of love and I thank everyone who helped bring it to the screen. Enjoy the show!

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314 comments
1 FemNaziBitch  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 8:57:27pm

Her iris’s are bit too close together.

2 Charles Johnson  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 8:59:31pm
3 FemNaziBitch  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:04:11pm

Malaysia Airlines MH370 last radio, radar contacts revised to sooner

4 Charles Johnson  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:11:21pm

FOUR suspect passengers now.

5 FemNaziBitch  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:13:55pm

Hubby was talking about this earlier.

I can’t stand the trickle of information repeated over and over and over.

Has to be horrible for the families.

6 wheat-dogghazi  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:14:02pm

re: #4 Charles Johnson

FOUR suspect passengers now.

I hope this was not a terrorist incident aimed at China, or life is going to become very hard for China’s Muslims in XInjiang. That recent knife attack in Kunming has been associated officially as a terrorist attack by Uyghur separatists.

7 Weet  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:21:48pm

re: #2 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

Looks to me like the tickets went from Kuala Lumpur to Peking and then on the Amsterdam. Seems that throws a wrench into thinking this was terrorism — they apparently were going on to Amsterdam.

8 Belafon  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:23:31pm

re: #7 Weet

Why would that throw a wrench?

9 sagehen  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:24:31pm

Saturday Night Live has a ton of unannounced extra guests tonight…

10 Gus  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:28:02pm
11 Feline Fearless Leader  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:28:54pm

re: #9 sagehen

Saturday Night Live has a ton of unannounced extra guests tonight…

Live from New York! It’s CPAC Part 5!

:p

12 Weet  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:29:21pm

re: #8 Belafon

Why would that throw a wrench?

Well, why buy the extra leg? I would think more drug related.

Although I’ve been thinking all evening it looks suspiciously like this could be terrorism, given that the plane isn’t giving out signals and no trace of it has been found.

13 HappyWarrior  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:29:48pm

Happy Saturday. Hope everyone enjoyed their St. Patrick’s Day week eve.

14 Kragar  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:29:54pm

I believe I’ve found the perfect sci-fi villain for CPAC to use in the future.

15 Gus  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:31:34pm

Butthurt.

16 Belafon  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:35:34pm

re: #15 Gus

That’s exactly why Obama is still going to Wright’s church.

17 wheat-dogghazi  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:38:22pm

re: #14 Kragar

So, again with the weird page refreshes. The two comments after Kragar’s photo were superimposed over the photo when I clicked New Comments. And the New Comments button itself was superimposed on the photo.

Are Ted and I the only ones with this problem?

18 Kragar  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:41:06pm

MST3K 0816 Prince Of Space

Youtube Video

Phantom of Krankor: “What a fool.”
Tom Servo: “He has defeated us numerous times, what makes him think he can do it again? HA.”

19 Gus  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:45:01pm
20 Gus  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:45:20pm

Wrong Tweet. That can stand though.

21 Gus  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:45:30pm
22 Kragar  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:47:02pm

re: #21 Gus

[Embedded content]

Something something good guys with guns

23 HappyWarrior  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:47:57pm

re: #19 Gus

[Embedded content]

Yeah poor Paul Ryan can’t catch a break when he;s claiming poor parents don’t love their children.//

24 Gus  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:50:20pm

re: #22 Kragar

Something something good guys with guns

Can you believe that. A cop. A cop cleaning a loaded gun. A cop cleaning a loaded gun next to his pregnant wife. What kind of freaking training did this moron receive?

25 FemNaziBitch  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:54:39pm

re: #12 Weet

Well, why buy the extra leg? I would think more drug related.

Although I’ve been thinking all evening it looks suspiciously like this could be terrorism, given that the plane isn’t giving out signals and no trace of it has been found.

nefarious plans gone awry and the participants fought and caused the plane to crash?

26 Eclectic Cyborg  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:55:17pm

I always DOUBLE check to make sure my weapons are unloaded before I clean or do ANYTHING with them.

27 FemNaziBitch  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:55:29pm

re: #21 Gus

[Embedded content]

THE GUN IS ALWAYS LOADED.

28 FemNaziBitch  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:57:51pm

re: #21 Gus

[Embedded content]

FUCK!

29 austin_blue  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:59:03pm

re: #27 FemNaziBitch

THE GUN IS ALWAYS LOADED.

That’s Rule #1.

Rule #2: Even if the gun is unloaded, clear the chamber again.

30 Single-handed sailor  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:59:25pm

re: #26 Eclectic Cyborg

I always DOUBLE check to make sure my weapons are unloaded before I clean or do ANYTHING with them.

^this^

EVERY time I touch a weapon I KNOW is unloaded I still ALWAY eject the magazine, open the action and check the chamber.

31 Gus  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 9:59:40pm

re: #29 austin_blue

That’s Rule #1.

Rule #2: Even if the gun is unloaded, clear the chamber again.

Exactly. Treat it like it’s loaded but make damn sure the damn thing isn’t loaded first.

32 Kragar  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:00:00pm

re: #26 Eclectic Cyborg

I always DOUBLE check to make sure my weapons are unloaded before I clean or do ANYTHING with them.

4 simple rules.

Treat every weapon as if it were loaded.

Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you intend to fire.

Never point your weapon at anything you don’t intend to shoot.

Keep your weapon on safe until you intend to fire.

If you can’t live by these rules, you’ve got no place holding, let alone owning, a firearm

33 FemNaziBitch  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:00:58pm

re: #29 austin_blue

That’s Rule #1.

Rule #2: Even if the gun is unloaded, clear the chamber again.

I was taught rule #2 is ALWAYS POINT THE GUN IN A SAFE DIRECTION

#3 THE GUN IS ALWAYS LOADED.

Unloaded firearms kill people every day.

34 FemNaziBitch  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:01:26pm

re: #32 Kragar

4 simple rules.

Treat every weapon as if it were loaded.

Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you intend to fire.

Never point your weapon at anything you don’t intend to shoot.

Keep your weapon on safe until you intend to fire.

If you can’t live by these rules, you’ve got no place holding, let alone owning, a firearm

5000 updings.

35 austin_blue  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:01:27pm

re: #31 Gus

Exactly. Treat it like it’s loaded but make damn sure the damn thing isn’t loaded first.

This is common sense. And for a cop to make such a fundamental mistake, well, it beggars belief.

36 FemNaziBitch  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:02:50pm

There are two kinds of people in the world. Those that have experienced an accidental discharge and those who will experience an accidental discharge.

ALWAYS POINT THE GUN IN A SAFE DIRECTION.

OMG! I don’t even shoot and I had these rules pounded into my head since I can remember.

37 Gus  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:05:32pm

Someone needs to tell me how does one clean a loaded weapon in the first place.

38 austin_blue  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:05:47pm

re: #36 FemNaziBitch

There are two kinds of people in the world. Those that have experienced an accidental discharge and those who will experience an accidental discharge.

ALWAYS POINT THE GUN IN A SAFE DIRECTION.

OMG! I don’t even shoot and I had these rules pounded into my head since I can remember.

Well, my wife and I were watching the basketball game and I just decided to clean my service weapon and the dang thing just went off!

39 FemNaziBitch  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:06:09pm

re: #38 austin_blue

Well, my wife and I were watching the basketball game and I just decided to clean my service weapons and the dang thing just went off!

FUCK!

40 FemNaziBitch  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:06:36pm

re: #37 Gus

Someone needs to tell me how does one clean a loaded weapon in the first place.

I thought that too.

Just after I thought: another statistic for the DV files.

41 Single-handed sailor  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:07:00pm

re: #38 austin_blue

Well, my wife and I were watching the basketball game and I just decided to clean my service weapons and the dang thing just went off!

Was she cheering for the correct team?

42 austin_blue  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:07:21pm

re: #39 FemNaziBitch

FUCK!

I know. It’s just inconceivable. And I know what that word means.

43 FemNaziBitch  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:07:29pm

re: #40 FemNaziBitch

I thought that too.

Just after I thought: another statistic for the DV files.

For some reason, Pregnant Woman are at an elevated risk for Domestic Violence.

44 Gus  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:07:39pm

The officer pulled the trigger while taking apart his .45-caliber handgun for cleaning but did not realize the gun was loaded, police said.

What?

45 FemNaziBitch  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:08:20pm

re: #44 Gus

The officer >pulled the trigger while taking apart his .45-caliber handgun for cleaning but >did not realize the gun was loaded, police said.

What?

Well, you know how my mind has been working lately.

I’m sure he’ll employ the “good soldier defense”

46 Gus  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:09:39pm

re: #45 FemNaziBitch

Well, you know how my mind has been working lately.

I’m sure he’ll employ the “good soldier defense”

Of course. I am thinking another possible cause.

47 FemNaziBitch  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:09:42pm

re: #41 Single-handed sailor

Was she cheering for the correct team?

that’s not funny

48 FemNaziBitch  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:09:54pm

re: #46 Gus

Of course. I am thinking another possible cause.

alcohol?

49 austin_blue  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:10:45pm

re: #44 Gus

The officer >pulled the trigger while taking apart his .45-caliber handgun for cleaning but >did not realize the gun was loaded, police said.

What?

I’m thinking homicidal domestic violence has a different definition when the violator is a cop. Especially when responded to and investigated by cops.

50 Gus  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:10:51pm

re: #48 FemNaziBitch

alcohol?

Was thinking that too. This should also be investigated as a murder case first.

51 FemNaziBitch  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:11:25pm

re: #50 Gus

Was thinking that too. This should also be investigated as a murder case first.

We shall see… .

52 Gus  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:12:00pm

re: #51 FemNaziBitch

We shall see… .

See #49.

53 FemNaziBitch  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:12:44pm

re: #52 Gus

See #49.

Yes, well I my perfect world. …

54 Gus  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:13:36pm

55 Official Lab Rat In Gay Radical Experiment  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:14:13pm

re: #54 Gus

I can’t …stop….looking…

56 Amory Blaine  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:14:46pm
57 FemNaziBitch  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:15:58pm

If he admitted to having his finger on the trigger —

I think that is a relevant point — violation of firearm safety rules —what if he had been on duty and he “accidentally” shot and killed a person because his finger was on the trigger?

Yeah, that wouldn’t happen.

58 Amory Blaine  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:16:40pm

I wonder if it’s the COLBERT.

59 TedStriker  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:17:00pm

Testing again:

Getty Image

60 Single-handed sailor  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:17:08pm

re: #47 FemNaziBitch

that’s not funny

It was a metaphor for, “Are we sure this isn’t domestic violence?”

61 Gus  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:17:15pm

re: #57 FemNaziBitch

If he admitted to having his finger on the trigger —

I think that is a relevant point — violation of firearm safety rules —what if he had been on duty and he “accidentally” shot and killed a person because his finger was on the trigger?

Yeah, that wouldn’t happen.

Nope. Never happens.

62 FemNaziBitch  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:18:16pm

re: #60 Single-handed sailor

It was a metaphor for, “Are we sure this isn’t domestic violence?”

ah

63 Gus  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:19:20pm

Lighter note.

64 Kragar  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:22:53pm

re: #63 Gus

Dogs lie.

Your Pup Isn’t Actually Remorseful When You Shout ‘Bad Dog!’

65 austin_blue  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:22:57pm

re: #61 Gus

Nope. Never happens.

The militarization of police departments in the US worries me. These are no longer beat cops. These are now soldiers in our communities. Grand Juries rarely indict them for their excesses.

Troubling.

66 klys  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:23:32pm

re: #7 Weet

Looks to me like the tickets went from Kuala Lumpur to Peking and then on the Amsterdam. Seems that throws a wrench into thinking this was terrorism — they apparently were going on to Amsterdam.

Having just read through the thread on this at one of the aviation forums I sometimes pop in at, apparently this may be because transiting through Beijing is one of the few ways to fly to the PRC without requiring a visa first, if you have a connecting flight with 72 hours.

This may apply only to passport holders from particular countries and for sure applies to only a few cities in China, but Beijing being one of them (and the destination) you sort of go hmmm…

67 Gus  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:24:16pm

re: #64 Kragar

Dogs lie.

Your Pup Isn’t Actually Remorseful When You Shout ‘Bad Dog!’

Ah. I never thought a dog should be remorseful. They still dogs and capable of plenty of derp just like cats. :D

68 klys  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:25:33pm

re: #66 klys

Here’s some additional information on the visa-free transit:

n order to facilitate the international visitors’ short stay for sightseeing in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Chongqing, these cities adopt a visa-free transit policy in 2013, which allows transit passengers with passport of the following 51 countries to stay for up to 72 hours without visa on direct transit via Beijing Capital International Airport, Shanghai Pudong Airport, Hongqiao Airport, Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, Chengdu Shuangliu Airport and Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport. From January 1st, 2014, Shenyang and Dalian had also adopted this free transit policy for passengers from following 51 countries traveling via Shenyang Taoxian Internatioanl Airport and Dalian International Airport:

Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Montenegro, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States.

69 austin_blue  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:25:41pm

re: #67 Gus

Ah. I never thought a dog should be remorseful. They’re still dogs and capable of plenty of derp just like cats. :D

Cats don’t have derp, they just have meh.

70 FemNaziBitch  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:25:45pm

re: #67 Gus

Ah. I never thought a dog should be remorseful. They still dogs and capable of plenty of derp just like cats. :D

they are like 3 year old children.

We teach them to manipulate us.

71 FemNaziBitch  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:26:33pm

re: #70 FemNaziBitch

they are like 3 year old children.

We teach them to manipulate us.

and they are very good learners.

72 Gus  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:26:46pm

re: #65 austin_blue

The militarization of police departments in the US worries me. These are no longer beat cops. These are now soldiers in our communities. Grand Juries rarely indict them for their excesses.

Troubling.

I always thought that was SOP. They have these show trials and nothing happens to them. Oddly enough bad cops get in more trouble when it involves money or financial crimes. Bribes, kickbacks, etc. More so than excessive force, manslaughter, etc.

73 Gus  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:27:30pm

re: #72 Gus

I always thought that was SOP. They have these show trials and nothing happens to them. Oddly enough bad cops get in more trouble when it involves money or financial crimes. Bribes, kickbacks, etc. More so than excessive force, manslaughter, etc.

74 FemNaziBitch  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:27:38pm

re: #72 Gus

I always thought that was SOP. They have these show trials and nothing happens to them. Oddly enough bad cops get in more trouble when it involves money or financial crimes. Bribes, kickbacks, etc. More so than excessive force, manslaughter, crimes of violence against women.etc.

FTFY

:)

75 Gus  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:28:49pm

re: #74 FemNaziBitch

FTFY

:)

That too. Murder and mayhem but whatever you do don’t involve any money.

76 FemNaziBitch  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:28:54pm

people who seek Power and Control will find careers which fit their desire.

We need Psych audits on a civil employees that handle weapons.

IMHO

77 Gus  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:29:51pm

re: #69 austin_blue

Cats don’t have derp, they just have meh.

Oops. #73 was meant for this comment.

78 austin_blue  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:32:07pm

re: #72 Gus

I always thought that was SOP. They have these show trials and nothing happens to them. Oddly enough bad cops get in more trouble when it involves money or financial crimes. Bribes, kickbacks, etc. More so than excessive force, manslaughter, etc.

Well, that affects trade and capitalism. The brutalization of the people they are supposed to serve and protect becomes secondary, dontcha know.

79 Gus  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:36:06pm

Time to clean my gun. Think I’ll take it apart by putting my finger on the trigger.

80 FemNaziBitch  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:38:01pm

re: #78 austin_blue

Well, that affects trade and capitalism. The brutalization of the people they are supposed to serve and protect becomes secondary, dontcha know.

I don’t think we can blame an economic system on this.

It happens all over the world, regardless of government or social system.

Predators know no boundaries.

81 TedStriker  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:40:48pm

Charles, it’ seems that the XP bug you were talking about was what was up with my problems earlier, because the page formatting with the Getty pics seems to be behaving here at home in Chrome on Win8.1 Pro.

82 austin_blue  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:49:28pm

Let me clarify.

I believe that the vast majority of peace officers are good people, doing their best to protect and defend the people who pay their salaries.

But when there is a bad apple, that individual is treated differently than anyone else, especially when it comes to excessive force. And excessive force is becoming more and more prevalent in recent years.

The recent incidents around the Austin area include a student who was tased in a high school, collapsed backward onto the concrete floor, and was badly brain-damaged after suffering an eggshell fracture to his skull. The security video showed he was trying to calm the situation and posed no threat to the officer. Another was the death of a woman who was shot after she came to the door during a police response to a domestic call in which she was first described as being armed and then no weapon was found anywhere in the house.

At what point do we draw the line?

I’m not going all dudebro here, but when did we lose sight of the fact that the police are our employees and not free agents?

83 FemNaziBitch  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 10:58:47pm

re: #82 austin_blue

Let me clarify.

I believe that the vast majority of peace officers are good people, doing their best to protect and defend the people who pay their salaries.

But when there is a bad apple, that individual is treated differently than anyone else, especially when it comes to excessive force. And excessive force is becoming more and more prevalent in recent years.

The recent incidents around the Austin area include a student who was tased in a high school, collapsed backward onto the concrete floor, and was badly brain-damaged after suffering an eggshell fracture to his skull. The security video showed he was trying to calm the situation and posed no threat to the officer. Another was the death of a woman who was shot after she came to the door during a police response to a domestic call in which she was first described as being armed and then no weapon was found anywhere in the house.

At what point do we draw the line?

I’m not going all dudebro here, but when did we lose sight of the fact that the police are our employees and not free agents?

As with the military and Wall Street —a few predators are ruining the reputations of many and destroying the lives of many, many more.

84 FemNaziBitch  Sat, Mar 8, 2014 11:02:13pm

nytol

85 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 12:21:31am

Whatever became of the Florida Man (TM) who shot the sheriff’s deputy claiming SYG?

First we turn all our citizens into armed militia, it is only a natural step that we should have to militarize our police into SWAT and strike teams trained to react to every citizen and suspect as if they were an armed threat.

86 Single-handed sailor  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 12:53:17am

The dishwasher made a series of beeps it’s never made before, I’m scared. 39 minutes left and flashing a star symbol, wtf? I open the dishwasher and immediately my glasses fog and I can’t see crap.


/It seems to have sensed a fork had fallen out of the basket and was down in the bottom of the dishwasher …. that’s pretty amazing if that is the cause … it did make a series of beeps as soon as I removed the fork, lol.

87 wheat-dogghazi  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 3:23:11am

re: #81 TedStriker

Charles, it’ seems that the XP bug you were talking about was what was up with my problems earlier, because the page formatting with the Getty pics seems to be behaving here at home in Chrome on Win8.1 Pro.

Alas, my problem remains.

88 wheat-dogghazi  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 3:26:00am

re: #86 Single-handed sailor

The dishwasher made a series of beeps it’s never made before, I’m scared. 39 minutes left and flashing a star symbol, wtf? I open the dishwasher and immediately my glasses fog and I can’t see crap.

/It seems to have sensed a fork had fallen out of the basket and was down in the bottom of the dishwasher …. that’s pretty amazing if that is the cause … it did make a series of beeps as soon as I removed the fork, lol.

It’s the NSA. They’ve tapped into your dishwasher.

89 Lidane  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 3:50:05am

Well SXSW just hit a sour note for me, even beyond having Snowden and Assange on display. Lady Gaga is going to be the Music keynote.

This is not a shock, considering she’d been wanting to perform outside and got denied by the city, who said she had to play somewhere indoors with some sort of badge system in place to regulate attendance. The easiest way to do that is for her to be the keynote then raffle tickets off to Platinum and Music badge holders.

90 wheat-dogghazi  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 4:44:50am

Cyberterrorists target Ukrainian systems.

Dozens of computer networks in Ukraine have been infected by an aggressive new cyber weapon called Snake, according to expert analysis.

The cyber weapon has been increasingly used since the start of this year, even before protests that led to the overthrow of president Viktor Yanukovych, British-based BAE Systems said in a report published Friday.

The complex composition of Snake bears similarities with Stuxnet, the malware that disrupted Iran’s nuclear facilities in 2010.

phys.org

You get one guess who the likely culprits are.

91 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 4:58:00am

re: #83 FemNaziBitch

As with the military and Wall Street —a few predators are ruining the reputations of many and destroying the lives of many, many more.

And the best, most skillful predators will rise to the top in any organization because they have no conscience, no boundaries and, because of those “qualities”, they get results. The ends justify the means.

92 Fairly Sure I'm Still Obdicut  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 5:19:41am

re: #91 Justanotherhuman

And the best, most skillful predators will rise to the top in any organization because they have no conscience, no boundaries and, because of those “qualities”, they get results. The ends justify the means.

It’s not true that this will happen in any organization, but it is sadly true that it’ll happen in many businesses because of the way that ‘success’ is judged.

I feel like even when I was growing up, there was a lot more of a sense that how you earned your money was more important than the mere fact you earned it, that people working a simple, honest job got more respect than someone ruining shit for money. I feel like this has changed in my lifetime, but maybe it was just me becoming more aware of it.

93 sattv4u2  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 5:27:40am

re: #92 Fairly Sure I’m Still Obdicut

I feel like this has changed in my lifetime, but maybe it was just me becoming more aware of it.

Me’thinks the latter

Throughout history we have always had scoundrels, robber barons, slum lords, or whatever the (at the time) current name for them was

In 1900 if some local business was unscrupulous the people of that city were aware of it, but now with the 24/7 news cycle words out across the globe in minutes

94 Fairly Sure I'm Still Obdicut  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 5:28:31am

re: #93 sattv4u2

Throughout history we have always had scoundrels, robber barons, slum lords, or whatever the (at the time) current name for them was

Doesn’t contradict what I said in the least.

In 1900 if some local business was unscrupulous the people of that city were aware of it, but now with the 24/7 news cycle words out across the globe in minutes

Absolutely untrue.

95 sattv4u2  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 5:30:50am

{sigh}

re: #94 Fairly Sure I’m Still Obdicut

Doesn’t contradict what I said in the least

Never stated it did

Absolutely untrue.

ftfy

96 sattv4u2  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 5:32:50am

Ah well

delay as I tried, this transmitter isn’t going to install itself

bbl

97 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 5:35:05am

re: #92 Fairly Sure I’m Still Obdicut

Ideals start becoming shattered as you age, but I still retain some of my own, even as I become more disillusioned about some. I suppose that’s called wisdom. Some call it being realistic. I still maintain some of my own ideals, for instance, that people are born a blank slate and that what they experience in life, what they’re taught, eventually defines them. If you’re taught that “success”, money, fame, material possessions—any or all of that—are the most important things in life, it’s what you’ll attempt to accomplish. It’s not “happiness” nor is it joy, but it’s a good enough substitute for many.

I started realizing I was getting old and “out of sync” in the ’80s, when my “boomer” lawyer boss showed up one day to check the office before he went sailing, wearing a t-shirt that said, “He who dies with the most toys wins.”

98 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 5:48:42am

re: #92 Fairly Sure I’m Still Obdicut

It’s not true that this will happen in any organization, but it is sadly true that it’ll happen in many businesses because of the way that ‘success’ is judged.

I feel like even when I was growing up, there was a lot more of a sense that how you earned your money was more important than the mere fact you earned it, that people working a simple, honest job got more respect than someone ruining shit for money. I feel like this has changed in my lifetime, but maybe it was just me becoming more aware of it.

No, you’re right. The attitude from those who went through the Great Depression and the War Years was entirely different. The country had suffered great want, some more than others, of course, but “labor” was still a real concept and respected, resulting in more than a third of all jobs unionized in the 1950s.

When I came along, factory work was seen as déclassé, you wanted to keep your hands clean and be a “white collar” worker which was seen to be a step up and more respectable, so that’s what many women trained for at the time, taking typing, bookkeeping, office machines, etc, the same as I did. Your family didn’t want you working in the mills or factories because it was grueling and aging. Over time, I recognized that it really wasn’t that much different from toiling away in a factory except you had to dress better. But the perception remains, which is why there were never any inroads in organizing office workers. We had been taught we were better than “common” laborers who earned their money by the sweat of their brows.

99 Pie-onist Overlord  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 6:02:53am

re: #98 Justanotherhuman

Over time, I recognized that it really wasn’t that much different from toiling away in a factory except you had to dress better. But the perception remains, which is why there were never any inroads in organizing office workers. We had been taught we were better than “common” laborers who earned their money by the sweat of their brows.

I worked at GM just when they brought in EDS to take over their entire IT department. All the GM IT workers had to become EDS workers. Those with seniority lost it and had to start all over. There was much anger and the UAW was trying to organize the IT workers.

EDS eventually outsourced all their operations and eventually they were eated by HP.

100 Pie-onist Overlord  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 6:04:59am

Wingnuts are easily fooled by photo ops.

101 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 6:10:56am

More: BBC reporter says Russian supporters beat up Ukrainians using fists and whips at pro-Ukrainian rally in Sevastopol, Ukraine - @BenBrownBBC
end of alert


2h
BBC team in Crimea, Ukraine, threatened as violence breaks out at pro-Ukrainian rally in Sevastopol - @BBCBreaking
end of alert

102 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 6:13:13am

How is it now?

Is it safe?

103 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 6:14:20am

re: #93 sattv4u2

I feel like this has changed in my lifetime, but maybe it was just me becoming more aware of it.

Me’thinks the latter

Throughout history we have always had scoundrels, robber barons, slum lords, or whatever the (at the time) current name for them was

In 1900 if some local business was unscrupulous the people of that city were aware of it, but now with the 24/7 news cycle words out across the globe in minutes

Thus, they have set the system up to suit their needs. Then weez womyns got the vote.

104 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 6:16:34am

re: #99 Pie-onist Overlord

I worked at GM just when they brought in EDS to take over their entire IT department. All the GM IT workers had to become EDS workers. Those with seniority lost it and had to start all over. There was much anger and the UAW was trying to organize the IT workers.

EDS eventually outsourced all their operations and eventually they were eated by HP.

ah EDS, wasn’t that Ross Perot?

105 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 6:23:11am
106 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 6:23:39am
107 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 6:26:52am

re: #100 Pie-onist Overlord

Wingnuts are easily fooled by photo ops.

[Embedded content]

It’s funny, too, that RR was never really seen in Hollywood as that “bankable”, the way some during that era were. In fact, until he started shilling on TV, for 20 Mule Team Borax and GE, a lot of people didn’t even consider him a “star” of any real importance. Even as an announcer, he didn’t have that distinctive a voice, such as Don Pardo’s, for instance.

Don Pardo discusses Frank Zappa. Pardo turned 96 in Feb, still going strong.

Youtube Video

108 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 6:37:27am
109 William Barnett-Lewis  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 6:38:49am

re: #100 Pie-onist Overlord

Wingnuts are easily fooled by photo ops.

[Embedded content]

Just remind them that any B grade actor could pose for that picture.

110 William Barnett-Lewis  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 6:40:10am

re: #108 FemNaziBitch

[Embedded content]

But rich people can do what they want to. Because rich is better…

111 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 6:41:26am

Dog Fight
Youtube Video

112 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 6:41:36am


Luhansk is the most eastern oblast of Ukraine.

Image: 250px-Luhansk-Ukraine-map.png

113 NJDhockeyfan  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 6:45:33am

Good morning lizards!

114 NJDhockeyfan  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 6:45:47am
115 Fairly Sure I'm Still Obdicut  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 6:46:37am

re: #95 sattv4u2

Absolutely untrue.

ftfy

Nope. You don’t know every bit of malfeasance of every company. It’s really weird that you think that you, or anyone, does. Name any company: I, and the vast, vast majority of most people won’t be able to name anything they’ve done.

It’s really weird that people believe in this sort of libertarian perfect information bullshit, it’s so obviously wrong.

116 NJDhockeyfan  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 6:46:58am
117 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 6:48:33am

Madeleine Albright: Women Are On The Right Path

As America’s Secretary of State, I was given the chance to sit down with leaders from every corner of the globe, representing a wide variety of national interests, religious backgrounds, stages of development, and cultural and racial characteristics.

And when I compared what I knew from my job to what I saw in the media, I began to suspect that the easier a story was to tell, the more likely it was to be wrong; especially when simplistic labels were attached to complex movements, or when stereotypes drowned out what individuals were trying to say.

also Paged READ THE WHOLE THING

118 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 6:49:52am
119 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 6:49:56am

re: #110 William Barnett-Lewis

But rich people can do what they want to. Because rich is better…

Yeah, I think it’s pretty hilarious that Bill Maher and Ann Coulter were an “item” at one time. And she is a dishonest POS.

“Can you imagine dating Bill Maher?”

huffingtonpost.com

120 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:00:58am

Vietnam Releases Photograph of Suspected Fragment of Missing Jet

stream.wsj.com

121 chadu  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:03:10am

re: #108 FemNaziBitch

[Embedded content]

Only rich people can have pre- or post-martial sex.

Strange how you’re covered under that rubric, Ann.

122 chadu  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:04:18am

re: #109 William Barnett-Lewis

Just remind them that any B grade actor could pose for that picture.

123 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:05:23am
We do this, we men, very often, I think, mostly without knowing it. Every day in every country for every reason the mind can invent for why the violence is deserved. If Eve isn’t guilty somehow, we wager — bringing the blood upon herself — Adam cannot rule the world. And so the blame-shifting lie continues till one day — if we’re lucky and ready — we men drop the story, we start to grieve, and the cycle, the ignorance, comes undone.

There is some powerful writing at this site.

124 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:06:17am

re: #119 Justanotherhuman

Yeah, I think it’s pretty hilarious that Bill Maher and Ann Coulter were an “item” at one time. And she is a dishonest POS.

“Can you imagine dating Bill Maher?”

huffingtonpost.com

I always want to retort —“Yeah, like you are a Virgin, Ann”

But then I think, where does her ignorance come from?

125 chadu  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:07:13am

re: #115 Fairly Sure I’m Still Obdicut

Nope. You don’t know every bit of malfeasance of every company. It’s really weird that you think that you, or anyone, does. Name any company: I, and the vast, vast majority of most people won’t be able to name anything they’ve done.

It’s really weird that people believe in this sort of libertarian perfect information bullshit, it’s so obviously wrong.

The ACME Corporation sells a lot of product to desert vermin with no visible sign of support.

(However, their order/ship system is “sufficiently advanced technology.”)

Meep, meep!

126 chadu  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:07:43am

re: #116 NJDhockeyfan

[Embedded content]

That’s… definitely a hat, Yuri.

127 NJDhockeyfan  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:08:22am

re: #119 Justanotherhuman

Yeah, I think it’s pretty hilarious that Bill Maher and Ann Coulter were an “item” at one time. And she is a dishonest POS.

“Can you imagine dating Bill Maher?”

huffingtonpost.com

Opposites attract.

128 chadu  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:08:41am

re: #119 Justanotherhuman

Yeah, I think it’s pretty hilarious that Bill Maher and Ann Coulter were an “item” at one time. And she is a dishonest POS.

“Can you imagine dating Bill Maher?”

huffingtonpost.com

129 NJDhockeyfan  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:12:46am
130 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:13:04am

131 NJDhockeyfan  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:13:50am
132 Flounder  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:14:00am

This is old news, but Drudge has a poll for your Republican pick for 2016. I was surprised by the results. I voted for other, because I REALLY did not like any of the choices.

133 chadu  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:15:36am

re: #123 FemNaziBitch

There is some powerful writing at this site.

That was powerful, but quite alien to read, to me.

The writer’s mindset looks coherent, but I feel like I’m looking at it through a blurred glass. Until he gets to concrete examples, I barely understand what he’s saying; then when he gets there, I don’t understand his earlier and continued vocabulary choices.

It’s a challenging read.

134 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:17:31am
135 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:23:04am

re: #133 chadu

That was powerful, but quite alien to read, to me.

The writer’s mindset looks coherent, but I feel like I’m looking at it through a blurred glass. Until he gets to concrete examples, I barely understand what he’s saying; then when he gets there, I don’t understand his earlier and continued vocabulary choices.

It’s a challenging read.

Did you read any of the other authors? Listed on the side bar.

136 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:23:32am

re: #127 NJDhockeyfan

Opposites attract.

Jane Fonda and Ted Turner …

137 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:24:49am
But to Alexander’s supporters who have followed all of the high-profile cases prosecuted by Corey’s office that have made national news, Corey appears to have a vendetta against Alexander. While Corey’s office is arguing that they are following state precedent, it’s also true that prosecutors have a huge amount of discretion and power. If Corey wanted to, she could easily conclude that three years behind bars for defending yourself from your abuser is enough and send Alexander home after this ugly ordeal and grave injustice.

Paged

#FreeMarissa —keep it trending

138 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:28:27am
139 NJDhockeyfan  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:29:27am

re: #136 FemNaziBitch

Jane Fonda and Ted Turner …

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver

140 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:31:04am

re: #139 NJDhockeyfan

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver

Yeah, but they are/were both very Catholic.

141 Fairly Sure I'm Still Obdicut  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:32:14am

I’ve never understood the phrase “Opposites attract”. LIke most sayings— “It never rains but it pours”, “there’s always a silver lining”, It’s not only not true, it doesn’t even make any goddamn sense. People don’t have opposites. If they did, Bill Maher and Ann Coulter wouldn’t be ‘opposites’, they’re pretty damn similar.

142 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:33:28am
143 NJDhockeyfan  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:33:59am
144 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:36:14am

re: #111 FemNaziBitch

Dog Fight
[Embedded content]

I can’t believe no one has updinged this.

are you afraid to watch?

145 NJDhockeyfan  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:37:27am
146 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:37:45am

Comments on this included noticing a “symbolic bloody hand” (meaning Russia) and the fact that everyone looked over 40.

147 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:38:58am

re: #145 NJDhockeyfan

[Embedded content]

Holy F … .!

148 Feline Fearless Leader  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:39:21am

re: #100 Pie-onist Overlord

Wingnuts are easily fooled by photo ops.

[Embedded content]

“You’ll never get rich digging a ditch”?

150 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:41:41am

United States Condemns Threats to OSCE Observers

ukraine.usembassy.gov

151 NJDhockeyfan  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:45:54am
152 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:47:19am

re: #145 NJDhockeyfan

[Embedded content]

Glenn Greenwald in another life.

153 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:48:38am

Yatsenyuk is going to DC to meet with Pres Obama.

154 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:50:42am
155 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:51:58am
156 NJDhockeyfan  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:54:23am
157 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:54:23am

The man who started all this Rapture nonsense? John Nelson Darby

159 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:57:05am

Honestly, the Republicans think this idiot is presidential material?

Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., on Ukraine crisis: I think we should consider targeting some of the oligarchs around Russian President Vladimir Putin - @FaceTheNation
end of alert

160 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:58:28am
Shocking as all this is, it should not be surprising. Belief in the rapture (a word found nowhere in the Bible) has been around as a formal theological precept since John Darby fabricated the notion in the early 19th century. Yet when the promised apocalypse fails to arrive on schedule, it is only the weak-willed who renounce the sacred dogma. The anointed remnant knows that the great disappointment was merely a test of their faith, so they redouble their adherence to the sacred text, whether the author is St. John the Divine or Ayn Rand. The refusal of the world to end on October 22, 1844 may have caused some disenchantment among the Millerites, but more than a century and a half later, the Left Behind series of apocalyptic novels has sold over 65 million copies (more than sales of Merriam-Webster dictionaries). In like fashion, the complete failure during the last 30 years of tax cuts for the wealthy to increase revenue, kick-start economic growth, or help the middle class has not dented the faith of the true believers — nor has it reduced the personal wealth of hucksters like Karl Rove, Grover Norquist, or Dick Armey, who profitably dispense economic snake oil to the rubes wholesale.
161 Pie-onist Overlord  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 7:59:04am

re: #104 FemNaziBitch

ah EDS, wasn’t that Ross Perot?

Yep, Ross dumped EDS on GM, I guess to finance his failed frun for POTUS.

162 NJDhockeyfan  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:00:33am
163 Pie-onist Overlord  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:02:01am

re: #141 Fairly Sure I’m Still Obdicut

I’ve never understood the phrase “Opposites attract”.

It’s a physics law that applies to magnetic poles.

To people, not so much.

164 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:02:24am

re: #162 NJDhockeyfan

[Embedded content]

Don’t try to fly to Sierra Leone, either.

International airlines cancel flights to and from Sierra Leone after a UN aviation regulator discovered that the only functioning fire engine at its main airport had broken down - @Reuters

end of alert

165 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:03:24am
166 freetoken  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:03:55am

With everyone fixating on Ukraine right now it is easy to overlook the rest of the world. There are several violent spots around the globe right now (which is not unusual), but none more so than Nigeria:

Nigeria falls into ‘a state of war’ as Islamist insurgency rages

[…]

Boko Haram is believed to be responsible for killing at least 1,300 people in the past two months and more than 130 people in the past week. The radical sect claims ties to al-Qaida and has ambitions to impose sharia law on Nigeria’s 170 million people. In Boko Haram’s heartland, even the national military is outgunned in what is fast becoming a lesson to the world in how not to tackle an Islamist insurgency.

[…]

One of the militia’s leaders, Mohammed Yusuf, was able to exploit the frustration and disappointment and blend it with an Islamist agenda that rejected the failings of secular government to form Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet’s Teachings and Jihad.

In the north-eastern city of Maiduguri, where the sect had its headquarters, it was dubbed Boko Haram. Loosely translated from the Hausa language, this means “western education is forbidden”. Poverty, joblessness and despair at feeble and corrupt central governance made for fertile territory among disenchanted young men. Even climate change played a part: the drying of Lake Chad meant that fishing families were displaced and had to search for alternative livelihoods, not always successfully.

[…]

Like so many self-appointed rebels and revolutionaries, Yusuf was not poor. He was said to be well-educated and to drive a Mercedes. In an interview with the BBC, he set out the group’s anti-science philosophy: “Prominent Islamic preachers have seen and understood that the present western-style education is mixed with issues that run contrary to our beliefs in Islam. Like rain. We believe it is a creation of God rather than an evaporation caused by the sun that condenses and becomes rain. Like saying the world is a sphere. If it runs contrary to the teachings of Allah, we reject it. We reject the theory of Darwinism.”

[…]

This is religious literalism at its most violent.

And, Yusuf’s assertion about the physical world are in accordance with OT writers’ claims too.

Violent religious atavism - is that what the world is coming to?

167 HappyWarrior  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:04:11am

re: #165 FemNaziBitch

[Embedded content]

Ha!

168 Pie-onist Overlord  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:05:05am
169 Pie-onist Overlord  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:05:37am
170 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:05:45am

re: #163 Pie-onist Overlord

It’s a physics law that applies to magnetic poles.

To people, not so much.

Libertarians come in all sizes, shapes and forms, but their underlying ideology is the same—all about me, in the long run—even though they may display the odd sentiment of establishment parties or ideologies on occasion. Thus, we find libertarians with a “left” or “right” slant, but when it’s crunch time, it’s important to remember who they are at their core.

Remember what Charles says: “Libertarianism poisons everything.”

Truth.

171 HappyWarrior  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:06:11am

re: #156 NJDhockeyfan

[Embedded content]

They were referred to as Chetniks the other day. That dude looks like a Chetnik from WWII with the beard and all.

172 Killgore Trout  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:06:37am

The second video here is kind of interesting
bbc.com

Ukraine’s Border Guard Service says footage from its plane shows Russian troops digging in

The Russians seem nervous about being filmed by the plane, hiding their faces and trying to blind it with a green laser. Also shows why they shot at a Ukrainian border patrol plane yesterday

173 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:07:46am
174 Pie-onist Overlord  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:08:09am

Total incoherent DERP. Can anyone translate this word salad from Wingnutese?

175 NJDhockeyfan  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:09:49am
176 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:10:32am

Issa apologizes to Cummings

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) apologized Thursday to his committee’s ranking Democratic member for cutting off his microphone at the end of a hearing Wednesday, according to a local report.

Issa told the San Diego Union-Tribune that he personally apologized to Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.). His apology comes after the House earlier Thursday voted down a motion to censure the chairman for his treatment of Cummings.

177 HappyWarrior  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:10:45am

re: #173 FemNaziBitch

[Embedded content]

Wouldn’t be the first time they did that.

178 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:11:56am

re: #166 freetoken

With everyone fixating on Ukraine right now it is easy to overlook the rest of the world. There are several violent spots around the globe right now (which is not unusual), but none more so than Nigeria:

Nigeria falls into ‘a state of war’ as Islamist insurgency rages

This is religious literalism at its most violent.

And, Yusuf’s assertion about the physical world are in accordance with OT writers’ claims too.

Violent religious atavism - is that what the world is coming to?

It’s always been there in the background, you know. True freedom is hard.

Ignorance and acceptance of the most simple explanations is paramount within these beliefs. It’s why fundamentalist christianity and fundamentalist Islam (both twisted versions of each religion) are able to encroach so easily, because at their roots it’s about authoritarianism and power, albeit many times at the pointing of a gun, both literally and figuratively.

179 freetoken  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:12:43am

re: #174 Pie-onist Overlord

“ValstheWoman” is one of those “patriot” twitter accounts:


Liberty Point Resolves Patriot per 8th Gen Grandpa I’m a mother of 8, married 24 years to a Marine VET I’m a political Junkie & am a OH Santorum Delegate.

180 NJDhockeyfan  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:15:13am
181 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:17:56am

Libya’s Defense Ministry authorizes military to use force to stop a North Korean-flagged tanker from loading crude oil at a rebel-held port - @Reuters

end of alert

182 Eventual Carrion  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:20:23am

re: #161 Pie-onist Overlord

Yep, Ross dumped EDS on GM, I guess to finance his failed frun for POTUS.

I had a couple programmer friends in Houston that went to work for EDS years ago, in the mid 80’s during the changeover. The dress, hair and other codes were draconian from what they were telling me. Glad I went to work for the evil government at the time.

183 Pie-onist Overlord  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:22:21am

re: #179 freetoken

“ValstheWoman” is one of those “patriot” twitter accounts:

Liberty Point Resolves Patriot per 8th Gen Grandpa I’m a mother of 8, married 24 years to a Marine VET I’m a political Junkie & am a OH Santorum Delegate.

Santorum. That explains it all.

184 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:24:31am

re: #146 Justanotherhuman

Comments on this included noticing a “symbolic bloody hand” (meaning Russia) and the fact that everyone looked over 40.

185 Pie-onist Overlord  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:27:23am

re: #182 Eventual Carrion

I had a couple programmer friends in Houston that went to work for EDS years ago, in the mid 80’s during the changeover. The dress, hair and other codes were draconian from what they were telling me. Glad I went to work for the evil government at the time.

Yes their dress codes were quite rigid, although the only time I ever got written down for a dress code violation was 3 years ago at Ford, for wearing Crocs to a department meeting. I explained that I can’t wear heels or dress flats because of arthritis, so I went out and bought a pair of wingtip oxfords.

It wasn’t easy to find wingtip oxfords in my size. The women’s shoe dept. did not have any dress shoes that resembled mens’ wingtips, the men’s shoe dept. did not have my size, they suggested the boys’ shoe dept. but they were too narrow.

Finally I found a pair at Rockport.

186 Killgore Trout  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:28:34am

re: #180 NJDhockeyfan

[Embedded content]

Here’s the Russian response
Putin says Crimean parliament acted in accordance with international law-Kremlin

“Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin underlined in particular that the steps taken by Crimea’s legitimate authorities are based on international law and aimed at guaranteeing the legitimate interests of the peninsula’s population,” the Kremlin said in a written statement.

“The Russian president also drew the attention of his interlocutors to the lack of any action by the present authorities in Kiev to limit the rampant behaviour of ultra-nationalists and radical forces in the capital and in many regions,” the statement said.

187 FemNaziBitch  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:28:40am

bbl

188 Pie-onist Overlord  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:30:21am

Unless you work at Walmart…

189 NJDhockeyfan  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:30:43am
190 Pie-onist Overlord  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:31:53am
191 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:33:00am
192 Killgore Trout  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:42:03am

Robert Gates Tells Wallace Crimea Is ‘Gone,’ Defends Obama’s Weekend Trip
Damn, he’s still got that neck brace on. He must have really fucked himself up.

193 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:42:59am

re: #192 Killgore Trout

Robert Gates Tells Wallace Crimea Is ‘Gone,’ Defends Obama’s Weekend Trip
Damn, he’s still got that neck brace on. He must have really fucked himself up.

Yeah, but Gates doesn’t get to make that judgment for Ukraine, does he?

194 Killgore Trout  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:46:07am

re: #193 Justanotherhuman

Yeah, but Gates doesn’t get to make that judgment for Ukraine, does he?

no but his assessment is there’s not much to be done about it. He also predicts that Putin isn’t going to go beyond Crimea. We’ll see.

195 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:48:07am

re: #194 Killgore Trout

no but his assessment is there’s not much to be done about it. He also predicts that Putin isn’t going to go beyond Crimea. We’ll see.

Armchair stuff. Talking head stuff. Unless someone is actually involved diplomatically or has boots on the ground, it’s hard to take them seriously.

196 freetoken  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:51:04am

Getting back to that Bryan college creationism story, I think this illustrates well how authoritarian leaders work and how religious atavism blends with such authoritarianism:

Discord roils Bryan College as creation flap brings host of issues

[…]

A controversial clarification to the Christian college’s stance on human origins has brought to a head what professors say are years worth of disappointments in the school’s leadership.

The change has roiled the entire Dayton, Tenn., campus. In just the past three weeks:

• A trustee resigned over the issue.

• Faculty passed an overwhelming vote of no confidence in President Stephen Livesay.


[…]

And in 2012, when biblical studies professor David Morgan was arrested on charges of attempted child molestation, Livesay told students and professors that Morgan had left the college “to pursue other opportunities.” Then the president drew national attention for spiking a student newspaper story exposing the arrest.

[…]

And the kicker is, there are always enough true believers to prop up the self-appointed keepers of Eternal Truth :

[…]


“I pray that current and future generations will be able to attend a school that establishes them in their faith in their hearts and minds using God’s Truth,” 1993 graduate Kelly Luther Stultz wrote to the president and trustees.

“I am praying that God’s armor will cover you from head to foot as the fiery darts of the enemy fly,” she wrote. “Thank you for your long-term, eternal perspective in this decision that has short term persecution and trial.”

197 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:54:14am
198 bratwurst  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 8:54:31am

re: #191 Justanotherhuman

That is certainly a pro-Ukraine rally, and I can confirm that Odessa is nearly 100% Russian speaking, having spent some time there in 2012. However, I would caution that a gathering of what is purported to be 3000 people (almost certainly less) standing on the Potemkin Stairs may not be extremely meaningful in a metropolitan area of 1.2 million.

199 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:04:21am

re: #198 bratwurst

That is certainly a pro-Ukraine rally, and I can confirm that Odessa is nearly 100% Russian speaking, having spent some time there in 2012. However, I would caution that a gathering of what is purported to be 3000 people (almost certainly less) standing on the Potemkin Stairs may not be extremely meaningful in a metropolitan area of 1.2 million.

I’m just repeating what the reporter tweeted. Certainly the eastern and southeastern oblasts are prime for a Russian takeover because of sentiment and Russian ties, but that would be entirely a violation of intl law. Odessa remains in Ukraine and is governed by Ukraine. It is not even autonomous like Crimea, even though before it became Odessa, it was also a Tatar settlement in the 15th century.

It appears Russia would like to take over all the seaports, even if there is no leg for them to stand on.

200 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:10:41am

At least it’s warming up in NC. We’re supposed to have 70 today, 73 tomorrow, 76 on Tues. Low in 40s and 50s. Tolerable, even though Duke Energy is doing a lousy job, esp since its man is in the gov’s office.

Update: Power companies report more than 161,000 North Carolina customers remain without power after Friday’s ice storm - @stormchaser4850

end of alert

201 freetoken  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:14:20am

Meanwhile, down in Louisiana, the legislators are about to get back into action. I notice this is on the agenda:


Lawmakers to tackle numerous issues

The oldest version of the Bible is proposed to be adopted as the official state book.

Given that other “issues” to be tackled includes education legislation that touches on never-goes-away-in-Louisiana insertion of creationism into education, we ought not be surprised.

202 bratwurst  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:17:15am

re: #199 Justanotherhuman

I’m just repeating what the reporter tweeted.

Don’t mean to cast aspersions on you or the report, just adding a grain of salt.

203 b_sharp  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:18:06am

OT:
Sadness alert.

Just got off the phone with my son who is in Massachusetts with his wife presenting one of her films.

My son is an admitted alcoholic struggling with his addiction and it is sending him into a deep depression. He’s alienated his mom and now he’s afraid he might alienate his wife. Every time he stops drinking he gets the DTs and he thinks he lost his job last week because he was drunk on the job, and he also insulted his landlord so he doesn’t know if he’s about to get an eviction notice.

He’s called me a couple of times when he’s been suicidal and I’ve been able to help him get past it, but I’m afraid I won’t always be able to help him.

The only thing that shows some hope is he’s willing to go into rehab.

204 122 Year Old Obama  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:25:30am

re: #203 b_sharp

{ b_sharp and son }

Really hope things can improve.

205 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:26:56am

re: #203 b_sharp

OT:
Sadness alert.

Just got off the phone with my son who is in Massachusetts with his wife presenting one of her films.

My son is an admitted alcoholic struggling with his addiction and it is sending him into a deep depression. He’s alienated his mom and now he’s afraid he might alienate his wife. Every time he stops drinking he gets the DTs and he thinks he lost his job last week because he was drunk on the job, and he also insulted his landlord so he doesn’t know if he’s about to get an eviction notice.

He’s called me a couple of times when he’s been suicidal and I’ve been able to help him get past it, but I’m afraid I won’t always be able to help him.

The only thing that shows some hope is he’s willing to go into rehab.

Even though I have an alcoholic/drug addicted son, who has been through rehab and also AA, I don’t know how to give any advice on this, but I stopped enabling him a long time ago—he had to reach his own level before he sought help because I couldn’t give it anymore in any form. My son is doing better w/sobriety, but his health is very poor (which I think in some ways sobered him up more than anything else). He is still a very dependent person and has applied for disability since he has both liver (hep C probably w/cirrhosis) and heart disease (stents). I don’t know if dependency is ever conquered totally since it covers so much territory.

206 Killgore Trout  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:27:41am

re: #203 b_sharp

OT:
Sadness alert.

Just got off the phone with my son who is in Massachusetts with his wife presenting one of her films.

My son is an admitted alcoholic struggling with his addiction and it is sending him into a deep depression. He’s alienated his mom and now he’s afraid he might alienate his wife. Every time he stops drinking he gets the DTs and he thinks he lost his job last week because he was drunk on the job, and he also insulted his landlord so he doesn’t know if he’s about to get an eviction notice.

He’s called me a couple of times when he’s been suicidal and I’ve been able to help him get past it, but I’m afraid I won’t always be able to help him.

The only thing that shows some hope is he’s willing to go into rehab.

Ugh, sorry to hear that. I quit drinking this summer for health reasons but it was easy for me. Some people really struggle with it. Addiction is a bitch.

207 Skip Intro  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:32:47am

re: #24 Gus

Can you believe that. A cop. A cop cleaning a loaded gun. A cop cleaning a loaded gun next to his pregnant wife. What kind of freaking training did this moron receive?

The way I see it is if a guy who is trained to handle guns, who handles them every day as part of his job can fuck up like this, what about the typical yahoo who likes to show off.

Of course, on the other hand, maybe this wasn’t an accident.

208 Political Atheist  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:32:49am

re: #203 b_sharp

Tough one, so sorry to hear. Prayers that your son prevail over his addiction & get back with all the family.

209 b_sharp  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:32:50am

re: #205 Justanotherhuman

Even though I have an alcoholic/drug addicted son, who has been through rehab and also AA, I don’t know how to give any advice on this, but I stopped enabling him a long time ago—he had to reach his own level before he sought help because I couldn’t give it anymore in any form. My son is doing better w/sobriety, but his health is very poor (which I think in some ways sobered him up more than anything else). He is still a very dependent person and has applied for disability since he has both liver (hep C probably w/cirrhosis) and heart disease (stents). I don’t know if dependency is ever conquered totally since it covers so much territory.

His wife is incredibly patient, but her dad is an alcoholic so she refuses to say anything. He alienated my wife by phoning drunk and abusing her so she won’t talk to him until he gets help.

I’ve been trying to get him to go into rehab for a while but up until recently he didn’t want to admit he has a problem.

210 Skip Intro  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:39:35am

re: #157 FemNaziBitch

The man who started all this Rapture nonsense? John Nelson Darby

You mean it was just all made up by some guy?

Gosh, what a surprise.

211 Killgore Trout  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:41:55am

Exclusive: Malaysia plane probe narrows on mid-air disintegration - source

“The fact that we are unable to find any debris so far appears to indicate that the aircraft is likely to have disintegrated at around 35,000 feet,” said the source, who is involved in the preliminary investigations in Malaysia.

If the plane had plunged intact from such a height, breaking up only on impact with the water, search teams would have expected to find a fairly concentrated pattern of debris, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the investigation.
…
Asked about the possibility of an explosion, such as a bomb, the source said there was no evidence yet of foul play and that the aircraft could have broken up due to mechanical issues.

212 NJDhockeyfan  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:42:43am
213 ObserverArt  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:42:59am

re: #203 b_sharp

OT:
Sadness alert.

Sorry to hear that b-sharp. Hopefully he has gotten to the point he wants the help and is willing to make it work. Thoughts to you and your family and wishing you the strength all need to have to get through it.

214 Gus  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:45:14am

re: #203 b_sharp

OT:
Sadness alert.

Just got off the phone with my son who is in Massachusetts with his wife presenting one of her films.

My son is an admitted alcoholic struggling with his addiction and it is sending him into a deep depression. He’s alienated his mom and now he’s afraid he might alienate his wife. Every time he stops drinking he gets the DTs and he thinks he lost his job last week because he was drunk on the job, and he also insulted his landlord so he doesn’t know if he’s about to get an eviction notice.

He’s called me a couple of times when he’s been suicidal and I’ve been able to help him get past it, but I’m afraid I won’t always be able to help him.

The only thing that shows some hope is he’s willing to go into rehab.

Sorry to hear that b_sharp. I’d give advice but you know how that works. It doesn’t. I’m on day 176 here.

215 Political Atheist  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:45:48am

re: #207 Skip Intro

THIS

The way I see it is if a guy who is trained to handle guns, who handles them every day as part of his job can fuck up like this, what about the typical yahoo who likes to show off.

Of course, on the other hand, maybe this wasn’t an accident.

I kinda hate to say this in such a public venue, but every range officer or live fire instructor I knew was extra careful with police. So much so those of us charged with certifying new instructors put this in our lessons. Our perspective was from timed shooting competition. Those events draw competitive shooters from all over. Military, police, sponsored pros. Dragon_Lady personally DQ’d a SWAT officer for swinging his gun loaded gun the wrong way in state championship competition. He was pissed, but I took him aside as rangemaster closed that bay kicked everyone out and walked him through his mistake with pointed fingers. Turned out he was trained in a anti tunnel vision method that exaggerated his side to side sweep. His fail was not adapting to circumstance.

Any of our other shooters around here have the same impression?

Anecdotal of course but the conclusion was a combination of extra self confidence (all that authority etc) and a lot of gun handling led to some safety apathy as a problem far worse in that community. Marines? No sweat. City police? Look out.

This reminded me of the whispered fear in aviation of the 200 hour pilot. Experienced enough most of the right actions are dialed into muscle memory but not enough time to have seen what can go wrong. Getting less careful and too comfortable in the job.

But yeah I’m very suspicious of “cleaning accidents”. It’s an all too convenient hide for suicide or murder.

216 Dr Lizardo  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:48:02am

re: #211 Killgore Trout

Exclusive: Malaysia plane probe narrows on mid-air disintegration - source

The same plane was involved in an incident where the tip of its wing (the starboard wing, IIRC) was damaged in a “fenderbender” with a Chinese plane on the ground.

Even though it was repaired, there’s still a possibility of structural failure; micro-cracks, etc., that may have gone undetected despite the repair job, and sadly, it wouldn’t be the first time such a thing has happened. There’s been a couple of other incidents where despite repairs, the airliner nonetheless suffered catastrophic structural failure in-flight, resulting in the subsequent loss of the airliner with all on board.

217 Fairly Sure I'm Still Obdicut  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:49:14am

Any expert will inevitably fail when doing something dangerous, it’s only a matter of time. Atul Gawande got into this in ‘Better’. He is one of the best surgeons in his speciality in the world; that means he makes a low number of mistakes, not no mistakes.

Guns are inherently dangerous things, and even experts will, over an infinite series of time, fuck up. There’s no possibility of perfection for human beings.

218 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:49:32am

re: #209 b_sharp

His wife is incredibly patient, but her dad is an alcoholic so she refuses to say anything. He alienated my wife by phoning drunk and abusing her so she won’t talk to him until he gets help.

I’ve been trying to get him to go into rehab for a while but up until recently he didn’t want to admit he has a problem.

Good luck to him. If we really knew how addictive personalities were created, it would be a huge relief. My sons’ dad told me many years after our divorce that he was a recovering alcoholic, too. I still love my son very much, but I had to step back in order to get on with my own life preservation and sanity. I think we women sometimes care far too much and enable far too much when it comes to our kids or spouses. It was late when I learned just how much alcoholics and drug addicts lie about everything—to everyone, including themselves. It creates a real dilemma, because you love them and want to help them, but you’re probably the last one to be able to do that. They can leave a lot of carnage in their wake and I live with a victim of my son and his wife’s past behaviors—their son, who is a very angry young man with unresolved issues buried beneath the surface. He’s basically a good person, but I don’t see him dealing with with his underlying problems w/his parents’ past neglect, and yes, he still has those ties to them, just can’t be around them very much.

219 Gus  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:49:53am

re: #211 Killgore Trout

Exclusive: Malaysia plane probe narrows on mid-air disintegration - source

Narrows what? Somebody’s opinion? That’s not how an air incident investigation works. These things take years. So tired of these derpy “conclusions.”

220 Gus  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:50:18am

Stolen passports does not imply causation either. Could be completely unrelated.

221 Backwoods_Sleuth  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:53:55am

If I could spare the time away from the farm, I would sooo like to apply for this:

blog.amtrak.com

222 Gus  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:55:14am

Also. It’s not rocket science to conclude complete catastrophic failure or impact when you don’t find floating debris. Still doesn’t determine a cause. They didn’t do a water landing and end up on Gilligan’s Island either.

223 William Barnett-Lewis  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:56:10am

re: #220 Gus

Stolen passports does not imply causation either. Could be completely unrelated.

Like possibly simply getting 4 people past immigration and into China. Just one alternative; there are others as well but they don’t lend themselves to trolling as well do they?

224 Gus  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:58:21am

re: #223 William Barnett-Lewis

Like possibly simply getting 4 people past immigration and into China. Just one alternative; there are others as well but they don’t lend themselves to trolling as well do they?

Yep, exactly. Could be simple smuggling of goods. Fake passports so they can check-in luggage containing who knows what. Could have been anything. But there is no conclusion to the why without evidence.

225 Political Atheist  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:58:49am

re: #220 Gus

I gotta wonder how many flights have a similar problem on the list looking back at say 1000 international flights.

Edit
Thing is we may not get the evidence ever.

226 b_sharp  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:58:54am

re: #220 Gus

Stolen passports does not imply causation either. Could be completely unrelated.

Could be, but all the evidence has to be considered together.

227 CuriousLurker  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 9:59:30am

re: #203 b_sharp

{{{{b_sharp}}}}

228 b_sharp  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:00:15am

re: #227 CuriousLurker

{{{{b_sharp}}}}

Thanks CL.

229 Gus  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:00:18am

re: #226 b_sharp

Could be, but all the evidence has to be considered together.

Stolen passports is not self-conclusive to much of anything.

230 Killgore Trout  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:01:10am

re: #216 Dr Lizardo

The same plane was involved in an incident where the tip of its wing (the starboard wing, IIRC) was damaged in a “fenderbender” with a Chinese plane on the ground.

Even though it was repaired, there’s still a possibility of structural failure; micro-cracks, etc., that may have gone undetected despite the repair job, and sadly, it wouldn’t be the first time such a thing has happened. There’s been a couple of other incidents where despite repairs, the airliner nonetheless suffered catastrophic structural failure in-flight, resulting in the subsequent loss of the airliner with all on board.

It’s hard for me to imagine an event so catastrophic that the pilots didn’t have time to hit the distress beacon or radio for may day.

231 Gus  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:02:35am

re: #230 Killgore Trout

It’s hard for me to imagine an event so catastrophic that the pilots didn’t have time to hit the distress beacon or radio for may day.

Example. Hypoxia won’t let you hit much of anything.

232 Killgore Trout  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:03:15am

re: #219 Gus

Narrows what? Somebody’s opinion? That’s not how an air incident investigation works. These things take years. So tired of these derpy “conclusions.”

There was a crash off the coast of South America a while back. It took them well over a year to find the wreckage and dive for the black box to find out what happened. This crash looks like it’ll be the same.

233 Political Atheist  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:04:36am

re: #217 Fairly Sure I’m Still Obdicut

Any expert will inevitably fail when doing something dangerous, it’s only a matter of time. Atul Gawande got into this in ‘Better’. He is one of the best surgeons in his speciality in the world; that means he makes a low number of mistakes, not no mistakes.

Guns are inherently dangerous things, and even experts will, over an infinite series of time, fuck up. There’s no possibility of perfection for human beings.

Your comment applies to a couple threads this morning. The air crash and the gun accident. I have a friend that worked in aerospace as an industrial engineer before he started a jewelry making / casting company. He was the guy who designed or oversaw process and quality control regimes. He has told me a couple stories that illustrate well for your point.

234 Skip Intro  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:05:26am

re: #219 Gus

Narrows what? Somebody’s opinion? That’s not how an air incident investigation works. These things take years. So tired of these derpy “conclusions.”

First they have to locate where to begin the search for the “black boxes”. Depending on how deep the water is where the plane went down, this can be a real big deal, since the batteries that send out the ping signal only last 30 days.

If the water is deep, special equipment has to be brought in to do the actual search and recovery. Depending where that equipment is currently located, that can take from a couple of weeks to maybe a month.

We could be talking months here, maybe more, unless something obvious appears on the water surface.

235 Gus  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:06:24am

BTW. Saying, “Vietnam says it may have found missing Malaysian jet’s door” sounds silly. The 777 has more than one door.

236 Skip Intro  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:07:00am

re: #223 William Barnett-Lewis

Like possibly simply getting 4 people past immigration and into China. Just one alternative; there are others as well but they don’t lend themselves to trolling as well do they?

Did the people using the stolen passports actually board the plane? If not, BIG RED FLAG.

If they did, it could mean anything.

237 Gus  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:09:34am

re: #234 Skip Intro

First they have to locate where to begin the search for the “black boxes”. Depending on how deep the water is where the plane went down, this can be a real big deal, since the batteries that send out the ping signal only last 30 days.

If the water is deep, special equipment has to be brought in to do the actual search and recovery. Depending where that equipment is currently located, that can take from a couple of weeks to maybe a month.

We could be talking months here, maybe more, unless something obvious appears on the water surface.

Not that deep around there.

238 Ryan King  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:11:59am

The regional sea depth seems to be 30 to 116m deep. That should help with discovery and recovery.

I’m amazed that they found the black box for the French jet in the Atlantic several years ago.

I can’t image a situation where the pilots could not communicate unless it was a sudden catastrophic event or hypoxia.

239 Gus  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:13:10am

They’ll come to a conclusion within the next two years and we’ll be dealing with conspiracy kooks for eternity.

240 Ryan King  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:15:20am

re: #239 Gus

They’ll come to a conclusion within the next two years and we’ll be dealing with conspiracy kooks for eternity.

Uh… more likely.

241 Political Atheist  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:15:39am

Color me a bit surprised. Remember that Sons Of Guns “reality” *choke* gun shop show? The one many said was over given the issues with the FFL holder and ATF and a little allegedly lost inventory?

Season 3 is being advertised.

242 b_sharp  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:16:38am

re: #229 Gus

Stolen passports is not self-conclusive to much of anything.

I agree, but we can’t disregard them out of hand any more than we can accept them out of hand without more context.

Just put them on the pile of possibly related, but definitely interesting, data points.

243 Gus  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:17:30am

re: #242 b_sharp

I agree, but we can’t disregard them out of hand any more than we can accept them out of hand without more context.

Just put them on the pile of possibly related, but definitely interesting, data points.

Yes, but it’s not we but they.

244 Skip Intro  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:17:46am

re: #238 Ryan King

The regional sea depth seems to be 30 to 116m deep. That should help with discovery and recovery.

I’m amazed that they found the black box for the French jet in the Atlantic several years ago.

I can’t image a situation where the pilots could not communicate unless it was a sudden catastrophic event or hypoxia.

A complete loss of power would do it.

245 Gus  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:18:00am

AUTHORITARIAN! //

246 freetoken  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:18:18am

re: #238 Ryan King

The regional sea depth seems to be 30 to 116m deep. That should help with discovery and recovery.

At the glacial maximums during the Pleistocene some of this area was dry land, and probably inhabited by humans of one sort or another.

247 Dr Lizardo  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:19:49am

re: #230 Killgore Trout

It’s hard for me to imagine an event so catastrophic that the pilots didn’t have time to hit the distress beacon or radio for may day.

China Airlines Flight 611 is a good example; the plane simply disintegrated at 35,000 feet. No mayday, nothing.

248 Ryan King  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:20:16am

re: #244 Skip Intro

A complete loss of power would do it.

Yes, but I’d figure they have backup power doing something… but you could be right.

What seems odd: the area of the oil slick and door sighting seems to be significantly off the planned flight path. Unless the currents and winds in that area are strong.

Seems a little weird to me.

249 b_sharp  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:21:05am

re: #243 Gus

Yes, but it’s not we but they.

Boom!

I consider myself duly smacked.

250 RealityBasedSteve  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:22:14am

re: #203 b_sharp

OT:
Sadness alert.

Just got off the phone with my son who is in Massachusetts with his wife presenting one of her films.

My son is an admitted alcoholic struggling with his addiction and it is sending him into a deep depression. He’s alienated his mom and now he’s afraid he might alienate his wife. Every time he stops drinking he gets the DTs and he thinks he lost his job last week because he was drunk on the job, and he also insulted his landlord so he doesn’t know if he’s about to get an eviction notice.

He’s called me a couple of times when he’s been suicidal and I’ve been able to help him get past it, but I’m afraid I won’t always be able to help him.

The only thing that shows some hope is he’s willing to go into rehab.

For what it’s worth, I’ve been in about the same place as your son is right now. The fact that he’s willing to accept that he MAY have a problem (and that’s probably how he feels right now) is a big step forward. Rehab helps, in that it can 1. Help eliminate the physical dependency issues when first detoxing, 2. Provide a toolbox of methods to change thinking and behavior (the key item), 3. Give access to a support system that can help from there.

It’s hard to believe the pressure an alcoholic / addict (yes, I’m a double dipper) can put on themselves. When things start to go wrong the natural reaction is to dull the pain and that starts, as you well know, a feedback cycle that just increases the problems.

Toss in depression (and yes, I’m more than familiar with that demon also) and you have the perfect storm. My thoughts and best hopes are for you and your son. He may not make it the first time, but even if he doesn’t , it just increases the odds that he will make it next time.

RBS
9400+ days and no longer really counting.

251 Eclectic Cyborg  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:22:33am

re: #248 Ryan King

Yes, but I’d figure they have backup power doing something… but you could be right.

What seems odd: the area of the oil slick and door sighting seems to be significantly off the planned flight path. Unless the currents and winds in that area are strong.

Seems a little weird to me.

Failed hijacking perhaps?

252 Gus  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:23:18am


Last Tweet.

253 Gus  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:23:47am

Try again. Last Tweet.

254 Gus  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:24:16am

re: #249 b_sharp

Boom!

I consider myself duly smacked.

Ayep. We can argue about this on Twitter for the rest of the day if you wish. //

255 Ryan King  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:25:06am

re: #251 Eclectic Cyborg

Failed hijacking perhaps?

That’s a possibility at this point.

But nobody seems to be reporting any group taking credit.

256 Gus  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:25:07am

I actually block people who pester me on Twitter. Last week I ended up blocking two people I was following for being a pain in the ass.

257 CuriousLurker  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:25:35am

Oh, look, new evidence.

Radar showed missing plane may have turned back: Malaysia military

(Reuters) - Radar tracking a missing Malaysia Airlines flight indicated that it may have turned back from its scheduled route to Beijing before disappearing, and Malaysian rescue teams have expanded their search to the country’s western coast, Malaysian military officials said on Sunday.

reuters.com

That anonymous also source said this, according to the Chicago Tribune (6th paragraph):

Asked about the possibility of an explosion, such as a bomb, the source said there was no evidence yet of foul play and that the aircraft could have broken up due to mechanical causes.

chicagotribune.com

And regarding the passports (same article as above:

The passenger manifest issued by the airline included the names of two Europeans - Austrian Christian Kozel and Italian Luigi Maraldi - who, according to their foreign ministries, were not on the plane. Both had apparently had their passports stolen in Thailand during the past two years.

The BBC reported that the men falsely using their passports had purchased tickets together and were due to fly on to Europe from Beijing, meaning they did not have to apply for a Chinese visa and undergo further checks.

An employee at a travel agency in Pattaya, in Thailand, told Reuters the two had purchased the tickets there.

Interpol maintains a vast database of more than 40 million lost and stolen travel documents, and has long urged member countries to make greater use of it to stop people crossing borders on false papers.

The global police organisation confirmed that Kozel’s and Maraldi’s passports had both been added to the database after their theft in 2012 and 2013 respectively. But it said no country had consulted the database to check either of them since the time they were stolen.

“Whilst it is too soon to speculate about any connection between these stolen passports and the missing plane, it is clearly of great concern that any passenger was able to board an international flight using a stolen passport listed in Interpol’s databases,” Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble said in a statement.

In a sign that Malaysia’s airport controls may have been breached, Prime Minister Najib Razak said security procedures were being reviewed.

chicagotribune.com

258 b_sharp  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:25:43am

re: #250 RealityBasedSteve

For what it’s worth, I’ve been in about the same place as your son is right now. The fact that he’s willing to accept that he MAY have a problem (and that’s probably how he feels right now) is a big step forward. Rehab helps, in that it can 1. Help eliminate the physical dependency issues when first detoxing, 2. Provide a toolbox of methods to change thinking and behavior (the key item), 3. Give access to a support system that can help from there.

It’s hard to believe the pressure an alcoholic / addict (yes, I’m a double dipper) can put on themselves. When things start to go wrong the natural reaction is to dull the pain and that starts, as you well know, a feedback cycle that just increases the problems.

Toss in depression (and yes, I’m more than familiar with that demon also) and you have the perfect storm. My thoughts and best hopes are for you and your son. He may not make it the first time, but even if he doesn’t , it just increases the odds that he will make it next time.

RBS
9400+ days and no longer really counting.

Thanks RBS.

His aunt had the same problems he has, but she ended up dead. That is part of the concern.

259 RealityBasedSteve  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:26:44am

One thing that concerns / bothers / confuses me about the Malaysian Air flight. I know that all of the airliners use a burst technology to send maint. updates, system readings back to the operations center so that any problems can be identified and fixed soon as the plane lands. IIRC that was one of the things that helped with the Air France crash a few years back.

I haven’t heard anything about that information. It may not be available, it may not be applicable. Hopefully somebody with better knowledge of modern aircraft systems can enlighten me.

I don’t have a good feeling about this one.

RBS

260 Dr Lizardo  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:26:57am

re: #255 Ryan King

That’s a possibility at this point.

But nobody seems to be reporting any group taking credit.

I noticed that as well, and typically, terrorists thrive on media attention; the only bigger “LOOK AT ME!!” types are the Kardashians.

If naked bodies start washing up, or are found, that’s typically a sign of explosive decompression at high altitude.

261 b_sharp  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:27:05am

re: #254 Gus

Ayep. We can argue about this on Twitter for the rest of the day if you wish. //

Twitter gives me a headache.

It’s only good for acting like an idiot.

262 Gus  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:28:00am

re: #257 CuriousLurker

Oh, look, new evidence.

That anonymous also source said this, according to the Chicago Tribune (6th paragraph):

And regarding the passports (same article as above:

Yes. It MAY have turned back. It MAY have been out of control looking like it made a 180. It MAY have turned around on decent as the crew tried to regain control of the aircraft. It MAY have…

263 Gus  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:28:33am
264 RealityBasedSteve  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:30:40am

re: #258 b_sharp

Thanks RBS.

His aunt had the same problems he has, but she ended up dead. That is part of the concern.

I am fully convinced that there is a genetic component involved. I know for a fact that my brain and body does NOT process alcohol like a normal person does. Studies with functional MRI’s on drinking patients shows a clear difference in the parts of the brain and the intensity of the stimulation when drinking between normal and alcoholic patients.


RBS

265 freetoken  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:32:37am

Don’t know about you all, but I find gatherings like SouthBySouthWest (#sxsw) almost as insufferable as CPAC.

266 Single-handed sailor  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:33:27am

re: #263 Gus

[Embedded content]

I always thought it was so you didn’t have to get up at 4 AM to feed the chickens because the damn sun was already up…

267 Gus  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:34:05am

They have detox drugs which can be prescribed. People can also see if they can visit people on their last legs of liver or kidney failure because of alcohol abuse. Those of course die more slowly.

268 CuriousLurker  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:34:57am

re: #262 Gus

Yes. It MAY have turned back. It MAY have been out of control looking like it made a 180. It MAY have turned around on decent as the crew tried to regain control of the aircraft. It MAY have…

Exactly my point—it MAY have been any effing number of things, but that won’t sell newspapers or generate clicks, so lets speculate wildly on what little evidence there is (or in this case, isn’t).

269 Gus  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:35:21am

re: #265 freetoken

Don’t know about you all, but I find gatherings like SouthBySouthWest (#sxsw) almost as insufferable as CPAC.

[Embedded content]

SXSW is part of the largely white-male gentrification sub-culture of Austin.

270 Ming  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:36:00am

re: #50 Gus

Was thinking that too. This should also be investigated as a murder case first.

You have to wonder if on some unconscious level, the husband did have murder on his mind. It’s like saying “I thought the car was in reverse, not forward”. It’s a cruel thing to say, but this case merits some investigation.

271 b_sharp  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:37:34am

re: #264 RealityBasedSteve

I am fully convinced that there is a genetic component involved. I know for a fact that my brain and body does NOT process alcohol like a normal person does. Studies with functional MRI’s on drinking patients shows a clear difference in the parts of the brain and the intensity of the stimulation when drinking between normal and alcoholic patients.

RBS

Could very well be.

272 Gus  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:39:03am

One has to ask oneself this question. Is being able to drink worth dying for? Is being able to get drunk every night worth dying for? Are you willing to die because you want to get drunk?

273 Gus  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:40:47am

This just in, “Off-duty Philadelphia cop shoots man over dog poop dispute.”

274 Iwouldprefernotto  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:42:01am

re: #273 Gus

This just in, “Off-duty Philadelphia cop shoots man over dog poop dispute.”

the only way to stop a bad dog with poop is good guy with a gun.

275 Skip Intro  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:42:32am

re: #268 CuriousLurker

Exactly my point—it MAY have been any effing number of things, but that won’t sell newspapers or generate clicks, so lets speculate wildly on what little evidence there is (or in this case, isn’t).

It won’t be long - I guarantee it - before some lunatic birther discovers that one or more of the passengers had some tenuous connection to someone or some place else that had some connection to something having to do with Obama’s birth certificate.

Therefore, just like Loretta Fuddy, Obama had it done to protect himself.

I’m going to give it a couple of days, max, before it starts showing up.

276 PhillyPretzel  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:43:26am

re: #273 Gus

Is the story on philly.com?

277 Backwoods_Sleuth  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:43:44am

re: #266 Single-handed sailor

I always thought it was so you didn’t have to get up at 4 AM to feed the chickens because the damn sun was already up…

I’ve been a farmer for a large portion of my life and I have never understood how DST was supposed to benefit farmers.
Chickens, cows, crops don’t care what time is says on a clock… never did, never will.

278 b_sharp  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:44:29am

re: #272 Gus

One has to ask oneself this question. Is being able to drink worth dying for? Is being able to get drunk every night worth dying for? Are you willing to die because you want to get drunk?

It’s not about being able to drink, it’s about being unable to quit.

279 Gus  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:44:39am

re: #276 PhillyPretzel

Is the story on philly.com?

Google and you’ll find several sources. Saw it from Raw Story but I don’t feel like linking to them right now. :D

280 Skip Intro  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:47:45am

re: #273 Gus

This just in, “Off-duty Philadelphia cop shoots man over dog poop dispute.”

I never realized having a dog was so dangerous.

Man Convicted for Killing Neighbor Over Dog Poop
nbcphiladelphia.com

Chung Kim, Texas Man, Allegedly Killed Two Neighbors Over Dog Feces Argument
huffingtonpost.com

281 b_sharp  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:51:43am

re: #277 Backwoods_Sleuth

I’ve been a farmer for a large portion of my life and I have never understood how DST was supposed to benefit farmers.
Chickens, cows, crops don’t care what time is says on a clock… never did, never will.

Makes a difference up here where we get less than 10 hours of daylight in the winter. It creates a sunlight deficit only getting up with the mosquitoes in the summer can fix.

Did I mention I live where we don’t jump ahead or fall back - ever?

282 freetoken  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:52:00am

I’m feeling sort of sorry for our species right about now…

283 danarchy  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:52:21am

re: #279 Gus

Google and you’ll find several sources. Saw it from Raw Story but I don’t feel like linking to them right now. :D

abclocal.go.com

More like shot a guy who was pummeling him.

284 Skip Intro  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:54:22am

re: #282 freetoken

I’m feeling sort of sorry for our species right about now…

[Embedded content]

Maybe it’s just me, but “smart” watches are the stupidest looking thing since the digital watches of the 1970s.

Are leisure suits making a comeback too?

285 CuriousLurker  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:56:42am

One more thing before I go: Keep in mind that it’s already the wee hours of tomorrow morning in most parts of Asia, including where they’re searching for the plane: timeanddate.com

Vietnam probes ‘missing jet debris’

Vietnamese navy planes have spotted what could be fragments from the missing Malaysia Airlines jet that disappeared almost two days ago.

Officials said it was too dark to be certain the objects were from Flight MH370, which had 239 people on board.

A multinational team is searching for wreckage and ships will try to confirm the find after dawn. […]

bbc.com

BBL

286 freetoken  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:57:47am

re: #284 Skip Intro

Maybe it’s just me, but “smart” watches are the stupidest looking thing since the digital watches of the 1970s.

Humans are so amazingly primitive that they still think digital watches are a pretty neat idea.

287 b_sharp  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 10:59:39am

re: #284 Skip Intro

Maybe it’s just me, but “smart” watches are the stupidest looking thing since the digital watches of the 1970s.

Are leisure suits making a comeback too?

Hey, I got married in a leisure suit.

288 Mattand  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 11:02:41am

re: #280 Skip Intro

I never realized having a dog was so dangerous.

>Man Convicted for Killing Neighbor Over Dog Poop
nbcphiladelphia.com

>Chung Kim, Texas Man, Allegedly Killed Two Neighbors Over Dog Feces Argument
huffingtonpost.com

We’re in a state of detente now, but for a while there’s a good chance would have been reading about me in one of those stories.

Right after the thug next door moved in with the now-missus, he started letting their dogs shit all over our yard. When politely asked to deal with it, I was told to talk to the lady of the house.

While this was going on, I was bagging up their dog’s waste and dropping just on their side of the property line.

I place a polite phone call to the lady of the house, only to have said thug show up in our garage two days later with a shovel and threaten us, telling us we don’t know who we’re fucking with and that we’ll fucking pay.

Once the police got involved, suddenly the dog waste stopped for the most part. The only reason it ceased entirely is because the poor dog eventually died.

What pisses me off is that everyone told me I was being paranoid about things escalating to a more violent scenario. I’m far from perfect, but one I thing I try to avoid is that “Oh, that’ll never happen” rationalization.

‘Cause there’s two instances of it happening right there.

289 Mattand  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 11:03:37am

re: #287 b_sharp

Hey, I got married in a leisure suit.

There’s probably a hipster groom in Brooklyn right now doing that “ironically”.

290 Mattand  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 11:06:29am

re: #286 freetoken

Humans are so amazingly primitive that they still think digital watches are a pretty neat idea.

We’re probably one product cycle away from somebody marketing Leela from Futurama’s wrist doohickey.

291 Ryan King  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 11:06:43am

re: #284 Skip Intro

Are leisure suits making a comeback too?

Dammit.

292 freetoken  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 11:13:37am
293 Ryan King  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 11:14:48am
“So you honestly think there’s a chance you could get Obamacare repealed? Every word, as you say?” Karl asked.

“Every single word,” Cruz insisted.

“With Obama being in the White House?” Karl pressed.

“You know what’s funny, Jon, is the media treats that as a bizarre proposition,” Cruz opined.

“Well, it is!” the ABC reporter exclaimed. “He’s not going to sign. It is a bizarre proposition.”

Yes, bizarre to the media, and the rest of the world not wearing tricornes or infested with the Libertarian Virus.

294 Amory Blaine  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 11:15:18am

Leisure suit, fugly nuevo watch and a Corvette. So spectacular.

295 Targetpractice  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 11:15:36am

re: #290 Mattand

We’re probably one product cycle away from somebody marketing Leela from Futurama’s wrist doohickey.

I’ll just settle for a Pipboy…

296 Political Atheist  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 11:24:58am

Hmmmm. North korea will be watching as will others…

February 24, 2014 2:00 pm JST
US to show off nuclear capability to North Korea
WASHINGTON — The U.S. military is considering the use of nuclear warhead-capable B52 bombers in its joint exercise with South Korea that started Monday, sources told the Nikkei.

The B52s will drop bombs from an air space over the exercise field as part of the joint military exercise.

The U.S. military aims to display its overwhelming military power to North Korea by showing off its weapons of mass destruction. It hopes that by displaying the devastating weapons, it can defuse rising tensions in Northeast Asia.

B52 jet bombers are capable of flying approximately 16,000km, and can carry precision-guided conventional ordnance and bunker busters. The U.S. deployed the aircraft in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

297 RealityBasedSteve  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 11:26:05am

re: #294 Amory Blaine

Leisure suit, fugly nuevo watch and a Corvette. So spectacular.

I suspect that the power of even a great Corvette can NOT counter the combined fail of the leisure suit and that hideous wrist thing.

RBS

298 Skip Intro  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 11:30:23am

re: #297 RealityBasedSteve

Didn’t Dick Tracy wear something like that back in the 1930s, except it was smaller and looked a lot better?

299 Pie-onist Overlord  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 11:32:09am

re: #272 Gus

One has to ask oneself this question. Is being able to drink smoke worth dying for? Is being able to get drunk smoke a cigarette every night half hour worth dying for? Are you willing to die because you want to get drunk smoke a cigarette?

300 CuriousLurker  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 11:35:07am

Just came back to drop some stuff off regarding Yuri Gagarin, the first person in space that NJD posted about in his #116.

He died very young—at age 34—during a routine training flight. He was a tiny little guy, all of 5’ 2” tall.

Anyway, I just read an interesting article by the British Council about a 2011 interview with his eldest daughter: Elena Gagarina remembers her father

It turns out the British Council also supported a feature-length film, First Orbit, using historic audio recordings and new footage from Gagarin’s voyage.

Here’s a trailer:

Vimeo

Here’s the full film:

Youtube Video

301 GlutenFreeJesus  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 11:40:45am

re: #163 Pie-onist Overlord

It’s a physics law that applies to magnetic poles.

To people, not so much.

Paula Abdul begs to differ.

302 GlutenFreeJesus  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 11:43:25am

re: #282 freetoken

I’m feeling sort of sorry for our species right about now…

[Embedded content]

*Corvette included

303 Ryan King  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 11:46:48am

Poor little mainlanders, losing an hour of your day. Don’t worry, we’ll give it back to you in 6 months. Maybe.

304 Ryan King  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 11:48:15am
305 Ryan King  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 11:51:37am
306 Political Atheist  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 11:57:35am

re: #300 CuriousLurker

All those guys are my heroes. When I was a kid I followed was a fanboy for the X-15 program. They were flying just a hundred or so miles to the north of me at Edwards AF base. Alum include Neil Armstrong. Back then you would sometimes hear a thud from supersonic flights of whatever kind of plane.

The Soviets had quite a program. Today, we often fly on their gear. Even our cargo flights use Russian engines today. Who would have imagined that back when a spare Apollo (from a canceled moon mission) docked with a Soyuz in a big moment for detente?

307 CuriousLurker  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 12:11:18pm

re: #306 Political Atheist

All those guys are my heroes. When I was a kid I followed was a fanboy for the X-15 program. They were flying just a hundred or so miles to the north of me at Edwards AF base. Alum include Neil Armstrong. Back then you would sometimes hear a thud from supersonic flights of whatever kind of plane.

The Soviets had quite a program. Today, we often fly on their gear. Even our cargo flights use Russian engines today. Who would have imagined that back when a spare Apollo (from a canceled moon mission) docked with a Soyuz in a big moment for detente?

[Embedded image]

[Embedded image]

I was just watching the film and thinking about what an enormous amount of courage it must have taken to be the first human in space, not knowing for sure what the hell you might encounter out there. The exit from and re-entry back into Earth’s atmosphere had to be terrifying. Then, once back in, he ejected & parachuted 7km (almost 4.5 miles) back to the ground. O_O

Imagine knowing you’re the only human being ever who has seen what our beautiful planet looks like from space. Such a wonderful thing we have, and yet we waste time bickering & killing each other over tiny little pieces of it.

308 Ming  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 12:15:22pm

re: #174 Pie-onist Overlord

I think a big part of that word salad is this right-wing meme that “conservatives” value giving people the opportunity to succeed through hard work, while “liberals” value giving people government handouts.

This right-wing meme reached a high point with Romney’s comments: “there are 47 percent who are with him [Obama], who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe that government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That that’s an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what…so my job is is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them that they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.”

We all see this meme all the time, and I’m sick and tired of it. Of course, any government policy needs to be assessed in regard to incentives and disincentives it offers to people. But I’m tired of the idea that 100% of “conservative” policies are pro-individual effort, and 100% of “liberal” policies are pro-parasitism.

309 Ming  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 12:32:01pm

re: #188 Pie-onist Overlord

This is ANOTHER right-wing meme that infuriates me: that “conservatives” appreciate that when a person makes money, that’s because he or she worked hard and other people were happy to voluntarily do business with them, so it’s ALWAYS good news when someone else gets rich; while “liberals” see this as “zero-sum”, so from the “liberal” viewpoint, when a person makes money, that’s ALWAYS because they took the money from someone else.

The above meme was pushed over and over again in Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. I recall one line (from Galt’s speech, no less) about there being no dichotomy between private greed and public benefit.

It’s not good for my blood pressure, but I expect to see this meme in the news, again and again and again and again.

310 Ming  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 12:35:16pm

Since I’m on a roll about right-wing memes, please note that the adjective is “Democratic”, not “Democrat”. This has been discussed before, that a few right-wingers use “Democrat” as an adjective because the “rat” ending gives it a negative feel. These people should learn to speak English.

311 CuriousLurker  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 1:08:15pm

re: #306 Political Atheist

P.S. I just found an infographic showing how the flight worked. It basically went something like this:

“Okay, Yuri, we’re gonna strap you into an ejection seat, then attach that to the inside of 7.5 ft diameter pressurized sphere. Attached to that will be tanks of oxygen & nitrogen to (hopefully) keep you alive. All of that will be attached to your Earth-return rocket, which will in turn be attached at a 101-foot-tall rocket that will blast you into space. Oh, and it’s not just any old rocket, it’s a modified version of the R-7, which was the world’s first intercontinental ballistic missile originally developed in the 1950’s to carry nuclear bombs.

So anyway, assuming you survive the launch, orbit and don’t get turned into charcoal upon re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere, hopefully nothing will go wrong with your parachute on the 4.5 mile trip back down to the ground.”

I would’ve been like, “Sure, no problem, sir. Excuse me while I… *THUD*”

Here’s the page with the infographic (it’s too large to post here).

312 Eventual Carrion  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 1:18:22pm

re: #196 freetoken

Getting back to that Bryan college creationism story, I think this illustrates well how authoritarian leaders work and how religious atavism blends with such authoritarianism:

[snip]

“I am praying that God’s armor will cover you from head to foot as the fiery darts of the enemy fly,” she wrote. “Thank you for your long-term, eternal perspective in this decision that has short term persecution and trial.”

[snip]

Remember to dip the heel. Learn from history mythology.

313 Eventual Carrion  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 1:50:01pm

re: #287 b_sharp

Hey, I got married in a leisure suit.

My mother made me a suit for a school dance around ‘74 or so. I am just glad I haven’t seen any pictures of me in it floating around anywhere. Over at my sons’ the other weekend, he brought out some pictures of me in ‘78-‘79 timeframe that were bad enough that he got from my mom. Red, tie front, corduroy bell-bottoms in one of the pictures.

Confession - I really did like those pants.

314 chadu  Sun, Mar 9, 2014 2:32:07pm

re: #135 FemNaziBitch

Did you read any of the other authors? Listed on the side bar.

No, I was just about to walk out the door for the afternoon.

I’ll take a look later; thanks!


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