Right Wing Crackpot Chuck C. Johnson Now Harassing Ferguson Reporters

Disgusting
Wingnuts • Views: 44,503
Chuck C. Johnson posing with his best friend

In today’s story about right wing journalism, Dave Weigel has a piece on our stalker pal Chuck C. Johnson, who is now targeting journalists for harassment campaigns and inciting his crazed knuckle-dragging followers to deluge them with hatred.

On November 25, Johnson published a story at his independent GotNews website with the headline “Why Can’t We Publish Addresses Of New York Times Reporters?” Spoiler: He didn’t agree with that headline.

“It would be wrong, for example, to publish Bosman’s address,” wrote Johnson, publishing the reporter’s address. “It would be similarly wrong to publish the address of Robertson, too.” Ditto. “So why do journalists think they are beyond examination?”

What followed was a crowdsourced campaign of trolling that succeeded in quieting Bosman and Robertson. Neither reporter has tweeted since November 25. Robertson, who I met this year covering a story in Louisiana, has taken steps to remove his family from any possible threats. A simple Twitter search reveals dozens of people tweeting at the reporters, at the rate of one of about one per hour, spreading their addresses. While liberal Twitter was pummeling a GOP staffer who’d written an ill-advised criticism of the First Daughters, elements of conservative Twitter were attacking the Times reporters.

“You are a stupid ignorant slut,” wrote one Twitter user. “Will you rest well tonight at [Bosman’s address]?”

“If u support #DarrenWilson,” wrote another, “send #juliebowman [sic] the reporter who pub’d his home address, pizza to [Bosman’s address] at 10pm.”

“If you’re in #NewOrleans this guy needs help,” wrote another. “He’s giving away #Christmas $$$.” That was followed by Robertson’s address.

We should note that Johnson’s stagy freak-out is framed as retaliation for the Times publishing Darren Wilson’s home address — which they absolutely did not do.

Chuck C. Johnson is also now targeting Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery, posting the address of Lowery’s parents on Twitter.

This hateful cretin is really running amok. This is where right wing journalism has ended up — in outright stalking and harassment, based on false claims and creepy smear tactics.

Jump to bottom

345 comments
1 The Vicious Babushka  Dec 1, 2014 10:29:49am

Speaking of hateful asshats:

2 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse  Dec 1, 2014 10:30:38am

re:
#1

Now, if Dim Jim would get a respectful job and do meaningful work all would be well.

3 Kragar  Dec 1, 2014 10:31:47am

People keep saying to just ignore CCJ.

That answer is unacceptable.

Ignoring this behavior merely encourages them to continue and to go even further. By keeping quiet, you merely allow them to write off other critics saying “No one complained before.”

People need to stand up and shout these buffoons down and chase them off the public stage.

4 Charles Johnson  Dec 1, 2014 10:32:02am
5 The Vicious Babushka  Dec 1, 2014 10:32:05am

What will the RWNJ hateswarm do when they learn Zemir Begic was a Muslim?

6 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Dec 1, 2014 10:32:42am

Has someone published CCJ’s (current) address?

7 Charles Johnson  Dec 1, 2014 10:32:44am
8 Backwoods_Sleuth  Dec 1, 2014 10:33:24am

ginger tears and butthurt:

9 b.d.  Dec 1, 2014 10:33:46am

re: #4 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

Did they mention that he has won an award in journalism?

10 lawhawk  Dec 1, 2014 10:33:50am
11 Backwoods_Sleuth  Dec 1, 2014 10:34:13am

re: #6 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

Has someone published CCJ’s (current) address?

UpChuck tweeted his own telephone number and then got all whiny because people were calling him.

12 Charles Johnson  Dec 1, 2014 10:34:44am
13 lawhawk  Dec 1, 2014 10:35:06am

Merchants of iron are loving the current environment.

Gun sales post yet another record. [deleted]

14 Higgs Boson's Mate  Dec 1, 2014 10:35:24am

re: #3 Kragar

People keep saying to just ignore CCJ.

That answer is unacceptable.

Ignoring this behavior merely encourages them to continue and to go even further. By keeping quiet, you merely allow them to write off other critics saying “No one complained before.”

People need to stand up and shout these buffoons down and chase them off the public stage.

CCJ is a symptom, that he has an audience is the problem. This country is becoming full of some bad shit, CCJ is just another manure spreader.

15 Belafon  Dec 1, 2014 10:35:46am

If any of those people get injured or killed, Charles C. should be charged as an accessory.

16 lawhawk  Dec 1, 2014 10:35:52am

re: #11 Backwoods_Sleuth

But were people calling and reversing the charges? /

17 iossarian  Dec 1, 2014 10:36:05am

re: #13 lawhawk

Merchants of iron are loving the current environment.

[Embedded content]

Gun sales post yet another record. [deleted]

Blood for the blood god.

18 The Vicious Babushka  Dec 1, 2014 10:36:13am

Just a heads up, if you see any Twitter account with “White Rabbit” in it anywhere, it’s a White Supremacist account.

19 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse  Dec 1, 2014 10:36:25am

re:
#8

You’ll notice that I link to
@daveweigel
’s work. He does not link to mine.
#ferguson
— Charles C. Johnson

Work. You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

20 Kragar  Dec 1, 2014 10:36:47am

re: #8 Backwoods_Sleuth

ginger tears and butthurt:

[Embedded content]

21 Charles Johnson  Dec 1, 2014 10:37:03am
22 Feline Fearless Leader  Dec 1, 2014 10:37:14am

re: #16 lawhawk

But were people calling and reversing the charges? /

Collect call for Mrs Floyd from Mr Floyd. Will you pay for the charges?

23 freetoken  Dec 1, 2014 10:38:07am

re: #21 Charles Johnson

Twitter will do nothing.

Twitter exists to maximize the number of tweets.

24 The Vicious Babushka  Dec 1, 2014 10:38:27am

re: #21 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

They are doing Nothing, Nada, Rien, Nichevo, Nichts, Gornisht, Shum davar.

25 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse  Dec 1, 2014 10:38:40am

re:
#21

I’m sure they might ban Chuck c. Johnson for half an hour. /

26 makeitstop  Dec 1, 2014 10:39:22am

This guy is going to cross the wrong people someday, and not even his hot Asian wife is going to be able to stop karma.

27 Higgs Boson's Mate  Dec 1, 2014 10:40:29am

re: #8 Backwoods_Sleuth

ginger tears and butthurt:

[Embedded content]

CCJ must understand that he’s still an apprentice asshole. He’s beneath the notice of most of the masters.

28 lawhawk  Dec 1, 2014 10:40:33am

Which means that the GOP will oppose the request, water it down, and claim that the cameras restrict the officer’s freedom of mobility, freedom to act in furtherance of their duties, and would lead to frivolous lawsuits.

Unstated and less likely is that the GOP will complain that policy needs to be addressed how and when the footage from those cameras can be obtained, maintained, and stored for records purposes.

In those jurisdictions that have rolled out cameras, there has been a reduction in excessive force incidents - and fewer suits. It ends up paying for itself. In a department like the NYPD, the one time outlay for the cameras can be considerable, but it’ll be less than the lawsuits pending each year (and in this year, you’ve got several high profile cases, including Eric Garner and Akai Gurley), each of which could result in massive settlements.

29 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse  Dec 1, 2014 10:40:48am

re:
#21

what is
@twitter
doing to prevent users from posting these reporters’ addresses? anything?

No need to worry. Dim Jim, the SMOTI, assures us that all his wingnut readers are “at work”, so they’re too busy to stalk reporters or anything like that. //

30 Whack-A-Mole  Dec 1, 2014 10:42:33am

The reporters should sue Twitter for not putting an immediate stop to this. It’s a clear violation of their own TOS and an obvious threat to the reporters (and their families) safety. If the only thing Twitter cares about is the money, maybe they’ll start to pay attention when they’re handing over large settlements.

31 Targetpractice  Dec 1, 2014 10:42:46am

re: #21 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

Yeah, that’s an article of faith now in cases like Brown and Martin, that the media called attention to the case “before all the facts were in,” which is fancy way of saying that the media dared to actually…you know…engage in investigate journalism when we’re supposed to just accept whatever the authorities tell us.

32 lawhawk  Dec 1, 2014 10:43:28am

re: #25 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse

33 Dr. Matt  Dec 1, 2014 10:43:41am

re: #13 lawhawk

Merchants of iron are loving the current environment.

Gun sales post yet another record. [deleted]

Nice firearm “discipline”: finger on the trigger and barrel pointed at who knows what.

34 Feline Fearless Leader  Dec 1, 2014 10:43:43am

re: #31 Targetpractice

Yeah, that’s an article of faith now in cases like Brown and Martin, that the media called attention to the case “before all the facts were in,” which is fancy way of saying that the media dared to actually…you know…engage in investigate journalism when we’re supposed to just accept whatever the authorities tell us.

Unless the authorities are Obama or any member of his administration.
Of course.
///

35 Kragar  Dec 1, 2014 10:45:10am
36 nearly-headless smith25  Dec 1, 2014 10:45:39am

Yeah the Body Camera thing is the right thing to do, police killings/beatings on video still exist, and no justice was done. The Tamir Rice murder made me throw up. There is still the underlying problem of racism that exists. Body Cameras I hope help expose it more, as we continue to confront it to defeat it.

37 b.d.  Dec 1, 2014 10:45:51am

At this point, I don’t blame Chuck, I blame Twitter.

38 Charles Johnson  Dec 1, 2014 10:45:54am
39 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse  Dec 1, 2014 10:46:14am

re:
#31

This is stark contrast to wingnut media which very carefully examines all the facts before criticizing anyone or calling for meaningless hearings and threatening impeachment, etc.

//

40 Ace-o-aces  Dec 1, 2014 10:46:35am
41 Backwoods_Sleuth  Dec 1, 2014 10:47:32am

bwahahahahaaa!!!

42 Franklin  Dec 1, 2014 10:47:38am
43 b.d.  Dec 1, 2014 10:48:03am

Twitter is going to find out the hard way, like Uber did, that you can f*ck with anyone as long as you don’t f*ck with journalists.

44 lawhawk  Dec 1, 2014 10:48:46am

re: #42 Franklin

45 Ace-o-aces  Dec 1, 2014 10:49:04am

I also saw CCJ has an article on Goatnews about Lowery’s “criminal record”. Turns out he had his license suspended for speeding when he was 19. Ohhhh, the master criminal.

46 Charles Johnson  Dec 1, 2014 10:49:23am
47 Charles Johnson  Dec 1, 2014 10:49:45am
48 nearly-headless smith25  Dec 1, 2014 10:51:14am

re: #45 Ace-o-aces

I also saw CCJ has an article on Goatnews about Lowery’s “criminal record”. Turns out he had his license suspended for speeding when he was 19. Ohhhh, the master criminal.

But to assholes like him, add blah people to any misdemeanor committed= FELON FELON FELON. NO ANGEL, DEMON!!!111!

49 Franklin  Dec 1, 2014 10:51:58am

re: #45 Ace-o-aces

I also saw CCJ has an article on Goatnews about Lowery’s “criminal record”. Turns out he had his license suspended for speeding when he was 19. Ohhhh, the master criminal.

Yep, and his followers flocked like a zombie horde to that tweet. Calling Lowery a p*ssy for being under 6’ tall, and laughing about how his race was listed as “white” in the court document for the license suspension.

50 iossarian  Dec 1, 2014 10:52:07am

I’ve always had my reservations about Twitter (classic “let’s throw this website together and make a bunch of money” bullshit) but this is surely the nadir.

What does it take for them to actually prevent someone from posting people’s private information and enabling harassment?

51 Targetpractice  Dec 1, 2014 10:54:00am

re: #36 nearly-headless smith25

[Embedded content]

Yeah the Body Camera thing is the right thing to do, police killings/beatings on video still exist, and no justice was done. The Tamir Rice murder made me throw up. There is still the underlying problem of racism that exists. Body Cameras I hope help expose it more, as we continue to confront it to defeat it.

That’s a related issue, but we have to take these things one step at a time. Right now, there’s always going to be those who look at video evidence and argue everything from the angle to “what the cop saw.” And in cases like Brown, the lack of video evidence means we’re left relying upon eyewitness accounts which are notoriously unreliable. Hence we get so many cases written off as “bad apples” or excuses made about how a suspect “provoked” a cop. Getting body cameras on more cops makes it harder to write off widespread abuse of power as “a few bad apples.”

52 Varek Raith  Dec 1, 2014 10:54:41am

re: #40 Ace-o-aces

Yeah, I’ve been hearing that.
Here’s the thing.
After a clone rebellion on Kamino, the Emperor decided to start pulling in humans from the general populace for regular Stormtrooper Battalions. Only the elite units were Fett clones.
/nerd

53 Charles Johnson  Dec 1, 2014 10:56:35am
54 Feline Fearless Leader  Dec 1, 2014 10:56:51am

re: #52 Varek Raith

Yeah, I’ve been hearing that.
Here’s the thing.
After a clone rebellion on Kamino, the Emperor decided to start pulling in humans from the general populace for regular Stormtrooper Battalions. Only the elite units were Fett clones.
/nerd

Wasn’t it an “elite” legion that the teddy bears trashed in Ep VI?

55 Backwoods_Sleuth  Dec 1, 2014 10:58:14am

re: #53 Charles Johnson

Yeah, whatever happened to that huge money backer he bragged about last month?

56 b.d.  Dec 1, 2014 10:59:24am

re: #53 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

Why would a guy who has a billionaire or two just looking for their checkbook be begging his rubes for cash?

57 iossarian  Dec 1, 2014 10:59:28am

re: #54 Feline Fearless Leader

Wasn’t it an “elite” legion that the teddy bears trashed in Ep VI?

Was just rewatching ROTJ last weekend with the kids. The stormtroopers look like idiots tripping over the undergrowth.

Also, did no-one in the Empire think to order some exo-armor in forest camo?

Got to run but had to get that off my chest.

58 Kragar  Dec 1, 2014 11:00:28am

re: #47 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

59 Backwoods_Sleuth  Dec 1, 2014 11:01:09am

re: #47 Charles Johnson

60 Dr Lizardo  Dec 1, 2014 11:03:14am

re: #52 Varek Raith

Yeah, I’ve been hearing that.
Here’s the thing.
After a clone rebellion on Kamino, the Emperor decided to start pulling in humans from the general populace for regular Stormtrooper Battalions. Only the elite units were Fett clones.
/nerd

That was always my understanding as well. Regular (ie, non-cloned) humans formed the bulk of the Stormtrooper corps.

We had freezing rain today here in Ostrava, and people are slipping and sliding all over the damned place. Quite a few fenderbenders, and I’m assuming a few broken bones as well. One of my co-workers, a Czech, was laughing at how very, very, very slow I was walking on the ice, right up until and she slipped and fell right on her ass. As tempting as it was to say, “Who’s laughing now?”, I went over and helped her up and we walked to the tram stop. Very, very, very slowly.

61 Timothy Watson  Dec 1, 2014 11:03:14am

re: #52 Varek Raith

Yeah, I’ve been hearing that.
Here’s the thing.
After a clone rebellion on Kamino, the Emperor decided to start pulling in humans from the general populace for regular Stormtrooper Battalions. Only the elite units were Fett clones.
/nerd

Not to mention, in the old Expanded Universe (don’t get me started on the “Legends” rebranding) the Imperial Remnant was actually accepting aliens into the stormtrooper ranks 30 years after ROTJ.

62 Dr. Matt  Dec 1, 2014 11:05:28am

re: #52 Varek Raith

Yeah, I’ve been hearing that.
Here’s the thing.
After a clone rebellion on Kamino, the Emperor decided to start pulling in humans from the general populace for regular Stormtrooper Battalions. Only the elite units were Fett clones.
/nerd

Could it also be that John Boyega isn’t even a Stormtrooper and that he stole the uniform? i.e., see below

63 Charles Johnson  Dec 1, 2014 11:05:31am
64 TedStriker  Dec 1, 2014 11:08:00am

re: #59 Backwoods_Sleuth

[Embedded content]

It’s just gotta burn ol’ Chuck up that, for as much as he apparently does for Twitter (as evidenced by the 2-3 times they suspended his account for violating their TOS, yet went against that same TOS and reinstated him within hours each time), they still won’t give him that vaunted blue “Verified” checkmark by his name.

You know why it does? Because, in Chuck’s mind, having that little blue checkmark will mean that he’s finally made it into the big time, that he’s a “somebody”, as opposed to the poseur loser that he is right now.

65 Zamb  Dec 1, 2014 11:08:34am

re: #62 Dr. Matt

Could it also be that John Boyega isn’t even a Stormtrooper and that he stole the uniform? i.e., see below

Embedded Image

That was my though exactly, how the fuck do they even know that’s what he is? But I guess when racial purity is always on your mind you tend to forget major plot points.

66 Kragar  Dec 1, 2014 11:09:58am

re: #52 Varek Raith

Yeah, I’ve been hearing that.
Here’s the thing.
After a clone rebellion on Kamino, the Emperor decided to start pulling in humans from the general populace for regular Stormtrooper Battalions. Only the elite units were Fett clones.
/nerd

It was established that after the death of the Emperor, the various regional governors all basically seized control of their sectors, saying they were the “Real Empire”. Deprived of fully trained Stormtroopers, they would resort to outfitting regular army troops with their gear, hoping the reputation would be enough to keep people in line.

On the other hand, we do know for a fact that only fully trained Imperial Stormtroopers can wear the armor.

67 KerFuFFler  Dec 1, 2014 11:15:43am

re: #14 Higgs Boson’s Mate

CCJ is a symptom, that he has an audience is the problem.

Brilliant!

68 TedStriker  Dec 1, 2014 11:16:00am

re: #66 Kragar

It was established that after the death of the Emperor, the various regional governors all basically seized control of their sectors, saying they were the “Real Empire”. Deprived of fully trained Stormtroopers, they would resort to outfitting regular army troops with their gear, hoping the reputation would be enough to keep people in line.

On the other hand, we do know for a fact that only fully trained Imperial Stormtroopers can wear the armor.

Embedded Image

You’re forgetting something…since Disney bought LucasFilm and the Star Wars legacy (that Fox doesn’t currently hold title to), the Extended Universe pretty much got shitcanned and is no longer canon.

Sure, Abrams and Disney are likely going to make use of some EU stuff, but right now, they have the right to just make it up as they go along.

69 Targetpractice  Dec 1, 2014 11:17:13am

re: #68 TedStriker

You’re forgetting something…since Disney bought LucasFilm and the Star Wars legacy (that Fox doesn’t currently hold title to), the Extended Universe pretty much got shitcanned out of canon.

Sure, Abrams and Disney are likely going to make use of some EU stuff, but right now, they have the rights to just make it up as they go along.

Which is a step above their approach to Trek, which was “leave the established canon in place…and then shit all over it by saying everything is in an entirely new timeline.”

70 Timothy Watson  Dec 1, 2014 11:17:48am

re: #68 TedStriker

You’re forgetting something…since Disney bought LucasFilm and the Star Wars legacy (that Fox doesn’t currently hold title to), the Extended Universe pretty much got shitcanned out of canon.

Sure, Abrams and Disney are likely going to make use of some EU stuff, but right now, they have the rights to just make it up as they go along.

You’ll take the Expanded Universe (at least the Bantam part) from my cold dead hands!

71 Floral Giraffe  Dec 1, 2014 11:18:06am

re: #63 Charles Johnson

Truly, he is a train wreck happening. It scares me to think what is going to happen, and he will have caused it. I can only hope he is part of the collateral damage he causes.

72 Kragar  Dec 1, 2014 11:19:00am

re: #68 TedStriker

You’re forgetting something…since Disney bought LucasFilm and the Star Wars legacy (that Fox doesn’t currently hold title to), the Extended Universe pretty much got shitcanned and is no longer canon.

Sure, Abrams and Disney are likely going to make use of some EU stuff, but right now, they have the right to just make it up as they go along.

True, its non canon at this point, but it doesn’t mean the new writers couldn’t have used that same logic.

73 Eclectic Cyborg  Dec 1, 2014 11:20:05am

How has Chuck C not been arrested yet?

Also, will Twitter ever ban his ass for good?

74 Franklin  Dec 1, 2014 11:23:10am

But how many of that 700K number are ‘on duty’ at a given time?

75 The Vicious Babushka  Dec 1, 2014 11:25:03am

re: #73 Eclectic Cyborg

How has Chuck C not been arrested yet?

Also, will Twitter ever ban his ass for good?

I don’t think it is even possible to ban someone from Twitter for good. At the worst, they can ban a screen name, but the same user can come back with infinite variations.

76 Charles Johnson  Dec 1, 2014 11:25:05am
77 Varek Raith  Dec 1, 2014 11:27:04am

re: #70 Timothy Watson

You’ll take the Expanded Universe (at least the Bantam part) from my cold dead hands!

FYI;
There’s a Vong under your bed.

78 Backwoods_Sleuth  Dec 1, 2014 11:29:21am

Apparently CCJ doesn’t know the difference between “not at home” and “doesn’t live there anymore”.

79 b.d.  Dec 1, 2014 11:30:45am

re: #76 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

The dudebro’s Chicken Little, numerous overstated false alarms turned folks off to legitimate privacy concerns

80 The Vicious Babushka  Dec 1, 2014 11:31:56am

Why is Twitter still allowing this doxxing swarm to continue?

81 Dr. Matt  Dec 1, 2014 11:32:08am
82 Kragar  Dec 1, 2014 11:32:30am

re: #77 Varek Raith

FYI;
There’s a Vong under your bed.

83 Ace-o-aces  Dec 1, 2014 11:34:27am

re: #57 iossarian

Was just rewatching ROTJ last weekend with the kids. The stormtroopers look like idiots tripping over the undergrowth.

Also, did no-one in the Empire think to order some exo-armor in forest camo?

Got to run but had to get that off my chest.

“You go to war with the Stormtroopers you have, not the Stormtroopers you wish you had”.

84 Dr Lizardo  Dec 1, 2014 11:35:17am

So, I was reading the local Czech press here in Ostrava, and according to first responders and doctors throughout the region, there were over 200 admissions to hospitals today, mostly regarding broken bones and minor head injuries, and over 150 auto accidents in the Moravian-Silesian region as a result of the freezing rain we had, which started around 2 pm local time here and it’s still ongoing.

I don’t mind snow….but I detest freezing rain.

85 Franklin  Dec 1, 2014 11:35:22am

re: #78 Backwoods_Sleuth

Apparently CCJ doesn’t know the difference between “not at home” and “doesn’t live there anymore”.

[Embedded content]

Or the difference between a street name and an address, or that it was a previously published street name.

86 The Vicious Babushka  Dec 1, 2014 11:37:49am

DOXXING FOR ME BUT NOT FOR THEE

87 Backwoods_Sleuth  Dec 1, 2014 11:39:08am

says the guy who stays up all night tweeting and sleeps until lunchtime:

88 The Vicious Babushka  Dec 1, 2014 11:40:02am

re: #87 Backwoods_Sleuth

says the guy who stays up all night tweeting and sleeps until lunchtime:

[Embedded content]

Time zones, how the fuck do they work?

89 Ace-o-aces  Dec 1, 2014 11:42:36am

re: #85 Franklin

Or the difference between a street name and an address, or that it was a previously published street name.

Other things CCJ doesn’t understand:
1)That Tuberculosis is an infectious disease
2)How Nurses are licensed
3)That “not disproved” is not the same as “proved”
4)The definition of “journalism”
5)How subpenas work
6)The difference between a traffic violation and a “crime”
7)Basic rules of grammar

I could go on…

90 Dr Lizardo  Dec 1, 2014 11:43:43am

re: #84 Dr Lizardo

And as a brief update, public mass transit in the city of Brno has pretty much been shut down entirely.

The situation with black ice is only expected to improve during Tuesday, Honzik said.

Mass public transport has collapsed in Brno over black ice and the road authority in Prerov, north Moravia, recommended to drivers that they do not drive if possible.

Roads are slippery in several districts in Moravia.

‘Slippery’ is an understatement. I almost biffed it three times walking from the tram stop to the front door. That’s a distance of about 75 feet, and it took me a good 10 minutes to walk it. Normally, it’s the blink of an eye.

ceskenoviny.cz

Black ice/freezing rain isn’t very common here, so people aren’t used to dealing with it. I lived up in the Portland, OR area for about 20 years, and it’s pretty normal up there - we got it at least once a year, typically.

91 Ace-o-aces  Dec 1, 2014 11:45:42am
92 Kragar  Dec 1, 2014 11:46:18am

re: #87 Backwoods_Sleuth

says the guy who stays up all night tweeting and sleeps until lunchtime:

[Embedded content]

He was tweeting until 3-4 am last night

93 Varek Raith  Dec 1, 2014 11:47:25am

re: #91 Ace-o-aces

[Embedded content]

Lol.

94 Dr. Matt  Dec 1, 2014 11:47:39am
95 Ace-o-aces  Dec 1, 2014 11:47:40am
96 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse  Dec 1, 2014 11:47:54am

re:
#87

Do you know who I AM??!?!???!?!?!?!?!

97 Franklin  Dec 1, 2014 11:48:09am

re: #91 Ace-o-aces

98 Charles Johnson  Dec 1, 2014 11:50:38am
99 allegro  Dec 1, 2014 11:51:36am

re: #91 Ace-o-aces

[Embedded content]

He thinks those things “suggest” his superior intelligence while simultaneously proving the opposite with his numbskull behavior.

100 darthstar  Dec 1, 2014 11:54:40am
101 Varek Raith  Dec 1, 2014 11:54:53am

Today’s high; 73.
Tomorrow’s; 43.
e_e

102 b.d.  Dec 1, 2014 11:54:58am

re: #97 Franklin

[Embedded content]

Chuck is fixing to be the smartest guy ever banned by Twitter.

//

103 Kragar  Dec 1, 2014 11:58:33am

re: #99 allegro

He thinks those things “suggest” his superior intelligence while simultaneously proving the opposite with his numbskull behavior.

104 allegro  Dec 1, 2014 11:58:52am

re: #102 bill d

Chuck is fixing to be the smartest guy ever banned by Twitter.

//

Their handling thus far would seem to predict otherwise. I don’t get what they think this gains them. Do they not see that many avoid using their service - or stop using it - due to their refusal to properly police it?

105 Timothy Watson  Dec 1, 2014 12:00:14pm

re: #98 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

Privacy violations? I’m not seeing how…

106 The Vicious Babushka  Dec 1, 2014 12:02:10pm

OMG PAYING WORKERS FOR THERE WORKS IS TEH TYRANNYS!!!1!!!!!!

107 sagehen  Dec 1, 2014 12:02:14pm

re: #100 darthstar

[Embedded content]

Doesn’t it depend which edit of the film you’re watching?

108 Varek Raith  Dec 1, 2014 12:04:17pm

re: #107 sagehen

Doesn’t it depend which edit of the film you’re watching?

109 allegro  Dec 1, 2014 12:04:37pm

re: #105 Timothy Watson

Privacy violations? I’m not seeing how…

Is that a serious question or sarcasm?

110 Mattand  Dec 1, 2014 12:06:15pm

re: #105 Timothy Watson

Privacy violations? I’m not seeing how…

I would imagine something along the lines of a person being falsely arrested and having the video leaked before they could clear their names.

I could also see cops harassing someone they don’t like, and then “accidentally” leaking the video to the internet. Instant smear and destruction of privacy, Chuck C Johnson style.

111 sagehen  Dec 1, 2014 12:07:19pm

re: #110 Mattand

I would imagine something along the lines of a person being falsely arrested and having the video leaked before they could clear their names.

I could also see cops harassing someone they don’t like, and then “accidentally” leaking the video to the internet. Instant smear and destruction of privacy,Chuck C Johnson style.

Or a CI might worry how C his I is going to be.

112 allegro  Dec 1, 2014 12:08:05pm

re: #110 Mattand

I would imagine something along the lines of a person being falsely arrested and having the video leaked before they could clear their names.

I could also see cops harassing someone they don’t like, and then “accidentally” leaking the video to the internet. Instant smear and destruction of privacy,Chuck C Johnson style.

You could also just be in the vicinity of a cop engaging someone else and find yourself on the nightly news.

113 Charles Johnson  Dec 1, 2014 12:08:16pm

re: #105 Timothy Watson

For starters, what happens to the recordings? If you have tens of thousands of officers wearing body cams, that’s an enormous amount of recorded video, and the vast majority of the interactions will be with innocent people, because that’s how it is. Only a tiny fraction of police incidents involve force.

Who’s storing the recordings and for how long? Will they share with other agencies?

Another point: when a body cam is recording, it gets the surroundings, bystanders, everything else in its field of view. That means a lot of people are going to end up in these recordings just because they were near a cop.

Those are just two obvious problems off the top of my head. Any time you have police doing large scale recording of the public, you should be thinking of how that info could be abused - and there are many ways.

114 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse  Dec 1, 2014 12:08:27pm

re:
#106

And all the overtimes will be paid to teh illegals smallbiz had to hire to replace regular Americans because of Obamacare!!!!!11

115 Targetpractice  Dec 1, 2014 12:10:31pm

re: #110 Mattand

I would imagine something along the lines of a person being falsely arrested and having the video leaked before they could clear their names.

I could also see cops harassing someone they don’t like, and then “accidentally” leaking the video to the internet. Instant smear and destruction of privacy,Chuck C Johnson style.

Which would suggest a need for a strict set of rules on who can access the footage and accountability for its release outside the confines of the department. I’m not going to say that restricting access will prevent “leaks,” but I will say that knowing who could have had access and when will them more costly. If a guy in records could lose not only his job and his pension, but spend time behind bars for “leaking” video, he might not be so inclined to take part in a smear job.

116 Franklin  Dec 1, 2014 12:11:54pm
117 Bubblehead II  Dec 1, 2014 12:12:20pm

re: #105 Timothy Watson

Privacy violations? I’m not seeing how…

Do they turn the camera off when they enter a private residence for a non arrest issue? Or how about when someone approaches them to report suspicious activity, but don’t want to be linked to the report. Thos are just a couple I can come up with off the top of my head.

118 allegro  Dec 1, 2014 12:12:40pm

re: #113 Charles Johnson

For starters, what happens to the recordings? If you have tens of thousands of officers wearing body cams, that’s an enormous amount of recorded video, and the vast majority of the interactions will be with innocent people, because that’s how it is. Only a tiny fraction of police incidents involve force.

Who’s storing the recordings and for how long? Will they share with other agencies?

Another point: when a body cam is recording, it gets the surroundings, bystanders, everything else in its field of view. That means a lot of people are going to end up in these recordings just because they were near a cop.

Those are just two obvious problems off the top of my head. Any time you have police doing large scale recording of the public, you should be thinking of how that info could be abused - and there are many ways.

There are also witness interviews where said witnesses might be hesitant to be so easily identified. Crime victims, such as rape victims, might also be further victimized by those tapes.

119 Backwoods_Sleuth  Dec 1, 2014 12:14:34pm

re: #118 allegro

There are also witness interviews where said witnesses might be hesitant to be so easily identified. Crime victims, such as rape victims, might also be further victimized by those tapes.

And what happens in potential Miranda situations?
Lots of legal questions to be sorted.

120 Kragar  Dec 1, 2014 12:14:56pm
121 lawhawk  Dec 1, 2014 12:16:22pm

re: #105 Timothy Watson

For anyone who has a problem with the proliferation of webcams and police cams on buildings and public spaces, the cops wearing cameras will now subject even more people to eye in the sky. Then, there’s the issue of how the data from those cameras will be stored, how long, and who will have access to it and how the access will be granted.

These aren’t insurmountable issues, but they are a discussion that should be taking place as well.

People in communities that already have a large police presence will end up having even more of their lives captured on video (if the police are walking the beat and capturing their actions on video).

122 Blind Frog Belly White  Dec 1, 2014 12:16:49pm

re: #120 Kragar

[Embedded content]

Bill Kristol is the best (or worst) exemplar of the lack of accountability and shame among the RW punditry.

123 FemNaziBitch  Dec 1, 2014 12:17:22pm
124 Targetpractice  Dec 1, 2014 12:18:06pm

re: #119 Backwoods_Sleuth

And what happens in potential Miranda situations?
Lots of legal questions to be sorted.

Yet we can’t answer those questions if our first instinct is to shy away from confronting them. Yes, there are potential privacy concerns, but the other side to that coin is without those cams, we’re stuck relying upon the honesty of cops and the reliability of eyewitnesses. And for better or worse, the general assumption now is eyewitnesses are at best unreliable, at worst lying out their ass.

125 Jenner7  Dec 1, 2014 12:18:38pm

Parents can do all the right things and their child can still make mistakes. No one is saying it’s not a big deal. What we are saying is that stealing doesn’t warrant a death sentence by cop. And we are also saying that there is a startling difference in how a white kid stealing is treated and a black kid stealing is treated.

126 Bubblehead II  Dec 1, 2014 12:18:58pm

Here’s a L.A. Times piece on Body Cams and Privacy.

Growing use of police body cameras raises privacy concerns

127 allegro  Dec 1, 2014 12:20:45pm

re: #123 FemNaziBitch

Girl Scouts Can Now Sell Cookies Online

so you know!

That delights me way more than it should. I no longer live in a neighborhood with kids so this gives me access to Thin Mints again. :D

128 Franklin  Dec 1, 2014 12:21:59pm

re: #125 Jenner7

[Embedded content]

Parents can do all the right things and their child can still make mistakes. No one is saying it’s not a big deal. What we are saying is that stealing doesn’t warrant a death sentence by cop. And we are also saying that there is a startling difference in how a white kid stealing is treated and a black kid stealing is treated.

Yep.

I stole from stores when I was a kid because I knew there wouldn’t be any serious repercussions.

129 The Vicious Babushka  Dec 1, 2014 12:22:16pm
130 Snarknado!  Dec 1, 2014 12:22:26pm

re: #115 Targetpractice

Which would suggest a need for a strict set of rules on who can access the footage and accountability for its release outside the confines of the department. I’m not going to say that restricting access will prevent “leaks,” but I will say that knowing who could have had access and when will them more costly. If a guy in records could lose not only his job and his pension, but spend time behind bars for “leaking” video, he might not be so inclined to take part in a smear job.

Quick and dirty idea: put cameras on a two-week loop, so it’s overwritten automatically unless it’s uploaded. Require some sort of special administrative procedure to save anything by uploading it, and a warrant to examine it (unless everyone filmed consents to have it seen).

Plus penalties like what you describe.

131 FemNaziBitch  Dec 1, 2014 12:23:40pm
132 Backwoods_Sleuth  Dec 1, 2014 12:25:10pm

re: #124 Targetpractice

Yet we can’t answer those questions if our first instinct is to shy away from confronting them. Yes, there are potential privacy concerns, but the other side to that coin is without those cams, we’re stuck relying upon the honesty of cops and the reliability of eyewitnesses. And for better or worse, the general assumption now is eyewitnesses are at best unreliable, at worst lying out their ass.

Exactly.
It’s easy enough to warn about slippery slopes, but something needs to happen. And sooner than later.

133 iossarian  Dec 1, 2014 12:25:50pm

re: #130 Snarknado!

Quick and dirty idea: put cameras on a two-week loop, so it’s overwritten automatically unless it’s uploaded. Require some sort of special administrative procedure to save anything by uploading it, and a warrant to examine it (unless everyone filmed consents to have it seen).

Plus penalties like what you describe.

The body camera announcement just feels a bit wrong to me. It’s too much as if this was in the “queue”, and whatever lobbyist jumped on the opportunity to push it over the edge.

I’m also doubtful that it would have much impact on this kind of incident. We pretty much know what happened in Ferguson - I’m not sure how much extra a shaky body cam video would give you, once it had been through the right-wing noise machine treatment for two solid months.

134 FemNaziBitch  Dec 1, 2014 12:26:56pm
135 Targetpractice  Dec 1, 2014 12:27:13pm

re: #130 Snarknado!

Quick and dirty idea: put cameras on a two-week loop, so it’s overwritten automatically unless it’s uploaded. Require some sort of special administrative procedure to save anything by uploading it, and a warrant to examine it (unless everyone filmed consents to have it seen).

Plus penalties like what you describe.

I like that, atop what I suggested awhile back, which was that departments put in place policy saying that officers found attempting to shut off or tamper with their body cams at any time they are on the clock will be subject to automatic suspension without pay. And any further attempts after that will result in immediate dismissal from the force and forfeiture of benefits.

Are there going to be those who find ways around the rules? Sure, it’ll happen, no system is 100% foolproof. But the bigger the penalties, the greater the disincentive to abuse the technology.

136 Romantic Heretic  Dec 1, 2014 12:27:24pm

re: #33 Dr. Matt

Nice firearm “discipline”: finger on the trigger and barrel pointed at who knows what.

If the guy behind the counter had any ethics he should tell the guy with the gun, “Give that back to me. Return to my establishment when you know more about a firearm that which end the bang comes out of.”

Probably not going to happen though. From the looks of him his religion, (‘Murica!), prevents it.

137 Charles Johnson  Dec 1, 2014 12:27:39pm
138 Backwoods_Sleuth  Dec 1, 2014 12:28:01pm

Happening in West Virginia right now:

From my local station:
UPDATE: Four Dead in Monongalia County Shootings; Police Name Suspect

MORGANTOWN, w.va. (WV MetroNews & WSAZ) — West Virginia State Police have identified the shooter in multiple homicides in Monongalia County as Jody Lee Hunt, 39, Westover. Police have confirmed four people were killed at three different locations.

139 allegro  Dec 1, 2014 12:28:30pm

re: #130 Snarknado!

Quick and dirty idea: put cameras on a two-week loop, so it’s overwritten automatically unless it’s uploaded. Require some sort of special administrative procedure to save anything by uploading it, and a warrant to examine it (unless everyone filmed consents to have it seen).

Plus penalties like what you describe.

I would prefer to see all of it be uploaded instantly so that it can’t get “accidentally” lost or erased. A strict limit on how long it’s kept and how it can be used is essential.

140 Targetpractice  Dec 1, 2014 12:30:17pm

re: #133 iossarian

The body camera announcement just feels a bit wrong to me. It’s too much as if this was in the “queue”, and whatever lobbyist jumped on the opportunity to push it over the edge.

I’m also doubtful that it would have much impact on this kind of incident. We pretty much know what happened in Ferguson - I’m not sure how much extra a shaky body cam video would give you, once it had been through the right-wing noise machine treatment for two solid months.

There are various ways it might have helped. For example, just the audio might have been able to help make a case against Wilson, such as showing he was the one who began the altercation, whether Brown did indeed say something along the lines of “I give up,” and how many shots were actually fired.

141 allegro  Dec 1, 2014 12:31:01pm

re: #135 Targetpractice

I like that, atop what I suggested awhile back, which was that departments put in place policy saying that officers found attempting to shut off or tamper with their body cams at any time they are on the clock will be subject to automatic suspension without pay. And any further attempts after that will result in immediate dismissal from the force and forfeiture of benefits.

Are there going to be those who find ways around the rules? Sure, it’ll happen, no system is 100% foolproof. But the bigger the penalties, the greater the disincentive to abuse the technology.

How about taking them out of the hands of the police and put them into the hands of a civilian review board? I’m not much in favor of giving cops more ammunition these days.

142 Dr Lizardo  Dec 1, 2014 12:31:14pm

re: #138 Backwoods_Sleuth

Happening in West Virginia right now:

[Embedded content]

From my local station:
UPDATE: Four Dead in Monongalia County Shootings; Police Name Suspect

Damn. Mr. Hunt seems to have gone on a one-man murder spree all over the county. Hope the authorities catch him soon before he kills more people.

143 lawhawk  Dec 1, 2014 12:31:28pm

re: #133 iossarian

A body camera would not be a panacea as there are some situations that still remain cloudy even with the footage available (or that other angles would provide a more definitive conclusion). But it could provide a subconscious check on cops who realize that their actions could be scrutinized further with the camera footage - assuming that the cop cannot shut off the camera to prevent anyone from knowing what’s really going on.

In the Wilson case, it might have shown what Brown was doing - whether he was indeed surrendering with his hands up, or what happened in the vehicle, or what precipitated the stop and what happened from the time Wilson stopped his vehicle until the first shot was fired. Etc.

Use of the body cameras would also require that the PD have strict rules on how and when they could release footage (not just snippets, but the entire footage of an incident from start to finish), appropriate protection of identities of parties who are filmed but not involved in the incident, etc.

144 Kragar  Dec 1, 2014 12:32:28pm
145 Backwoods_Sleuth  Dec 1, 2014 12:32:43pm

re: #142 Dr Lizardo

Damn. Mr. Hunt seems to have gone on a one-man murder spree all over the county. Hope the authorities catch him soon before he kills more people.

Kinda worried that there will be more bodies before they catch him.

146 FemNaziBitch  Dec 1, 2014 12:33:22pm

In Conversation CHRIS ROCK

What do you think of how he’s done? Here we are in the last two years of his presidency, and there’s a sense among his supporters of disappointment, that he’s disengaged.

I’m trying to figure out the right analogy. Everybody wanted Michael Jordan, right? We got Shaq. That’s not a disappointment. You know what I mean? We got Charles Barkley. It’s still a Hall of Fame career. The president should be graded on jobs and peace, and the other stuff is debatable. Do more people have jobs, and is there more peace? I guess there’s a little more peace. Not as much peace as we’d like, but I mean, that’s kind of the gig. I don’t recall anybody leaving on an up. It’s just that kind of job. I mean, the liberals that are against him feel let down because he’s not Bush. And the thing about George Bush is that the kid revolutionized the presidency. How? He was the first president who only served the people who voted for him. He literally operated like a cable network. You know what I mean?

147 Bubblehead II  Dec 1, 2014 12:33:42pm

Washington Post on same subject.

Police body cameras spur privacy debate

The privacy concerns are being talked about, but nobody seems to have any firm answers about what to do about it. From what I’ve read so far, each P.D. seems to have their own rules and they might not even be the same over in the next County. These privacy policies need to be either set at the State level or if need be, at the Federal level to insure compliance across all the P.Ds. regardless of where they are located.

148 Dr. Matt  Dec 1, 2014 12:33:43pm

Armed, owns a big ass pick-up truck, lives in W VA…..classic liberal trademarks.

149 ObserverArt  Dec 1, 2014 12:33:47pm

re: #116 Franklin

[Baratunde ✔ @baratunde

Harvard Square is shut down. thecrimson.com#ferguson]

Oh my…how is Joke Scarborough going to explain this? Harvard protests and not just St. Louis Ram players. It also doesn’t fit his assumption that 95% of America sees Ferguson as he does.

150 iossarian  Dec 1, 2014 12:34:24pm

re: #140 Targetpractice

re: #143 lawhawk

Good points. I just think that you’d have a bunch of talking heads on Fox endlessly discussing whether Michael Brown had said “don’t shoot” or “I’ve read Alinsky and I want to kill all white people starting with you, cop”.

Exaggerating, but only a little.

151 lawhawk  Dec 1, 2014 12:34:53pm
152 Targetpractice  Dec 1, 2014 12:35:05pm

Thing to keep in mind is we’ve already gotten comfortable with dash cams, and they’ve only been in use by police forces for 20-30 years, depending on the local. Hell, it’s so unusual for them not to be in use that it actually caused a stir when the Ferguson PD announced none were in use and only a handful had been purchased. Perhaps the answers to privacy concerns could start there, building off the rules governing how that footage is handled, who has control over it, how long its kept, and its usefulness to investigators.

153 Romantic Heretic  Dec 1, 2014 12:35:11pm

re: #52 Varek Raith

Yeah, I’ve been hearing that.
Here’s the thing.
After a clone rebellion on Kamino, the Emperor decided to start pulling in humans from the general populace for regular Stormtrooper Battalions. Only the elite units were Fett clones.
/nerd

I was watching the Clone Wars animated for a bit. I kept wondering how the clones, who showed definite signs of individualism and relationships with various characters, suddenly turned on their commanders in the third movie.

Clones and robots are not quite the same thing.

Kinda on the topic of Star Wars, even if the first three movies hadn’t made it clear the Empire won the end of the second movie mad it clear that both The Republic and The Trade Federation were fucked.

The Federation was using droids and the Republic using clones. No nation that can’t find enough people to fight for it is going to last much longer.

154 lawhawk  Dec 1, 2014 12:35:35pm

re: #150 iossarian

Good points. I just think that you’d have a bunch of talking heads on Fox endlessly discussing whether Michael Brown had said “don’t shoot” or “I’ve read Alinsky and I want to kill all white people starting with you, cop”.

Exaggerating, but only a little.

Bad lip reading. RWNJ edition.

155 Targetpractice  Dec 1, 2014 12:36:10pm

re: #150 iossarian

Good points. I just think that you’d have a bunch of talking heads on Fox endlessly discussing whether Michael Brown had said “don’t shoot” or “I’ve read Alinsky and I want to kill all white people starting with you, cop”.

Exaggerating, but only a little.

Still, we’d have evidence we don’t have now, which could either absolve Wilson or further cement his guilt. As it is, we’re left picking and choosing which witnesses we find credible.

156 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse  Dec 1, 2014 12:36:53pm

re:
#149

Are you kidding? Harvard is full of Librules teaching kids Saul Alinsky, plotting revolution to destroy America. Of course they’d protest Ferguson. //

157 Dr Lizardo  Dec 1, 2014 12:37:23pm

re: #145 Backwoods_Sleuth

Kinda worried that there will be more bodies before they catch him.

Yeah, that thought occurred to me as well; and most likely it’ll end in either straight-up suicide or suicide-by-cop.

158 Blind Frog Belly White  Dec 1, 2014 12:37:57pm

re: #137 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

“Discredited Snopes hit piece”? I realize it’s de rigeur on the Right these days to decry Snopes as ‘biased’ and the inevitable ‘Soros-funded’ (whether true or not), but generally it’s considered good form to actually discredit something before you claim it’s discredited.

This is why one can refer to Chucky as “Discredited right wing blogger”, since he has published a number of “news” items that have turned out not to be true at all.

159 Timothy Watson  Dec 1, 2014 12:38:00pm

re: #113 Charles Johnson

For starters, what happens to the recordings? If you have tens of thousands of officers wearing body cams, that’s an enormous amount of recorded video, and the vast majority of the interactions will be with innocent people, because that’s how it is. Only a tiny fraction of police incidents involve force.

Who’s storing the recordings and for how long? Will they share with other agencies?

Another point: when a body cam is recording, it gets the surroundings, bystanders, everything else in its field of view. That means a lot of people are going to end up in these recordings just because they were near a cop.

Those are just two obvious problems off the top of my head. Any time you have police doing large scale recording of the public, you should be thinking of how that info could be abused - and there are many ways.

Police can, and do, record encounters with people already through dash-cam videos, license plate readers, and audio recorders (a lot of officers will carry audio recorders in a pocket, both for evidence collection purposes and CYA.)

No court has really distinguish between collection and bulk colllection, if you’re in a public place or if police are having a legal encounter with you (either consently or with public cause/reasonable suspicion), there’s no real restriction on recording you.

160 lawhawk  Dec 1, 2014 12:38:13pm

Meanwhile, NYC officials are preparing for the grand jury here to rule on the NYPD chokehold death of Eric Garner.

161 Snarknado!  Dec 1, 2014 12:38:38pm

re: #139 allegro

I would prefer to see all of it be uploaded instantly so that it can’t get “accidentally” lost or erased. A strict limit on how long it’s kept and how it can be used is essential.

I’m assuming there’s no erase button on the cameras. Since it’s supposed to be part of a duty uniform, losing it coukdn’t be an accident.

Uploading it instantly — or at all — would open up a world of oppotunities for abuse, so the way I suggested looks to me like a reasonable compromise.

162 FemNaziBitch  Dec 1, 2014 12:38:56pm

re: #129 The Vicious Fergushka

I’m not particulary fond of this one. There is something wrong with her posture. It’s like the photographer put her in a position that wasn’t comfortable or natural for her —maybe the dress is not fitting properly—I don’t know.

There is a more recent one —in a red dress, she is looking down, I think. I can’t fid it.

163 The Vicious Babushka  Dec 1, 2014 12:39:51pm

re: #158 Blind Frog Belly White

“Discredited Snopes hit piece”? I realize it’s de rigeur on the Right these days to decry Snopes as ‘biased’ and the inevitable ‘Soros-funded’ (whether true or not), but generally it’s considered good form to actually discredit something before you claim it’s discredited.

This is why one can refer to Chucky as “Discredited right wing blogger”, since he has published a number of “news” items that have turned out not to be true at all.

Chucky should be referred to as “Right-Wing Stalker & Attention Queen”

164 Backwoods_Sleuth  Dec 1, 2014 12:41:32pm

re: #161 Snarknado!

I’m assuming there’s no erase button on the cameras. Since it’s supposed to be part of a duty uniform, losing it coukdn’t be an accident.

Uploading it instantly — or at all — would open up a world of oppotunities for abuse, so the way I suggested looks to me like a reasonable compromise.

I think the biggest problem I’ve read about them so far, regarding that, is that the officer can just shut off the cam.
Or say “I forgot to turn it on.”

165 Blind Frog Belly White  Dec 1, 2014 12:41:39pm

re: #163 The Vicious Fergushka

Chucky should be referred to as “Right-Wing Stalker & Attention Queen”

That’s MISTER Right-wing Stalker and Attention Queen to you!

166 FemNaziBitch  Dec 1, 2014 12:42:07pm

More Chris Rock

We still have some white people taking the Sarah Palin line about blacks and immigrants alike. They want to “take back the country” — and we know from whom. I find it depressing. The increments of change seem to be so much tinier than we wanted to believe when the Civil Rights Act passed 50 years ago, or when Obama was elected in 2008.

Yeah. The stuff you’re talking about is pockets though. There’s always going to be people that don’t know that the war’s over. I’m more optimistic than you, but maybe it’s because I live the way I do. I just have a great life, so it’s easier for me to say things are great. But not even me. My brothers drive trucks and stock shelves. They live in a much better world than my father did. My mother tells stories of growing up in Andrews, South Carolina, and the black people had to go to the vet to get their teeth pulled out. And you still had to go to the back door, because if the white people knew the vet had used his instruments on black people, they wouldn’t take their pets to the vet. This is not some person I read about. This is my mother.

167 Backwoods_Sleuth  Dec 1, 2014 12:42:25pm

re: #165 Blind Frog Belly White

That’s MISTER AWARD-WINNING Right-wing Stalker and Attention Queen to you!

ftfy

168 FemNaziBitch  Dec 1, 2014 12:43:45pm
I remember when I was a kid and Jack Kennedy had little kids in the White House. Are your daughters taken by the fact that there are young girls in the White House?

Yeah, but you’ve got to remember, they’re so young. Zahra was 4 when Obama was nominated. So as far as they’re concerned, there have always been little black girls in the White House.

169 Ace-o-aces  Dec 1, 2014 12:44:10pm

re: #158 Blind Frog Belly White

“Discredited Snopes hit piece”? I realize it’s de rigeur on the Right these days to decry Snopes as ‘biased’ and the inevitable ‘Soros-funded’ (whether true or not), but generally it’s considered good form to actually discredit something before you claim it’s discredited.

Chucky don’t need to actually discredit something to say it’s discredited. Because journalism.

170 FemNaziBitch  Dec 1, 2014 12:46:02pm
It’s about white people adjusting to a new reality?

Owning their actions. Not even their actions. The actions of your dad. Yeah, it’s unfair that you can get judged by something you didn’t do, but it’s also unfair that you can inherit money that you didn’t work for.

I’ll stop now

171 Backwoods_Sleuth  Dec 1, 2014 12:46:11pm
172 Higgs Boson's Mate  Dec 1, 2014 12:46:33pm

re: #139 allegro

The cop cars in my town have multiple cameras and the officers wear body cams with mics. Recording starts when the red lights are turned on or the officer can manually start recording. When they stop a vehicle one camera automatically zooms in on the vehicle’s license plate for a few seconds. Everything is recorded on a hard drive in the cruiser. The drive is changed each shift and turned in. The officers cannot access it. The chief of police and the watch commander are the only ones who can access the drive. I don’t know how long they retain the drives.

That’s not cheap. The system and the other things that they install add $50,000 the cost of the vehicle.

173 Kragar  Dec 1, 2014 12:47:17pm

re: #153 Romantic Heretic

I was watching the Clone Wars animated for a bit. I kept wondering how the clones, who showed definite signs of individualism and relationships with various characters, suddenly turned on their commanders in the third movie.

Clones and robots are not quite the same thing.

Kinda on the topic of Star Wars, even if the first three movies hadn’t made it clear the Empire won the end of the second movie mad it clear that both The Republic and The Trade Federation were fucked.

The Federation was using droids and the Republic using clones. No nation that can’t find enough people to fight for it is going to last much longer.

The final season on Netflix addressed the clone conditioning. Also, there were some individual clones who resisted the conditioning and helped some Jedi escape.

Finally, in the EU timeline, the Clones were discontinued after the rise of the Empire. The existing clones were used to fill mid level ranks and staff training academies and created the storm trooper legions using recruits and inductees.

Eventually, the Stormtroopers were supposed to be replaced by CompForce troops.

174 Feline Fearless Leader  Dec 1, 2014 12:47:27pm

re: #124 Targetpractice

Yet we can’t answer those questions if our first instinct is to shy away from confronting them. Yes, there are potential privacy concerns, but the other side to that coin is without those cams, we’re stuck relying upon the honesty of cops and the reliability of eyewitnesses. And for better or worse, the general assumption now is eyewitnesses are at best unreliable, at worst lying out their ass.

That eyewitness accounts are unreliable for the most part has been known for a long time. Their value in our legal system goes a long way back to before recording devices where they were the only option beyond he said/he said.

175 Backwoods_Sleuth  Dec 1, 2014 12:47:35pm
176 FemNaziBitch  Dec 1, 2014 12:47:36pm
I assume one such place is Hollywood.

I don’t think I’ve had any meetings with black film execs. Maybe one. It is what it is. As I told Bill Murray, Lost in Translation is a black movie: That’s what it feels like to be black and rich. Not in the sense that people are being mean to you. Bill Murray’s in Tokyo, and it’s just weird. He seems kind of isolated. He’s always around Japanese people. Look at me right now.

We’re sitting on the 35th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel overlooking Central Park.

And there’s only really one black person here who’s not working. Bill Murray in Lost in Translation is what Bryant Gumbel experiences every day. Or Al Roker. Rich black guys. It’s a little off.

I lied

177 Timothy Watson  Dec 1, 2014 12:48:47pm

Here’s a story on license plate readers here in Virginia:
washingtonpost.com

178 FemNaziBitch  Dec 1, 2014 12:51:17pm

The thing about cameras is that they work. I have no problem with them in public places or stores —not so sure about inside my home.

A saying an old boss of mine used to say keeps coming to mind:

179 Feline Fearless Leader  Dec 1, 2014 12:51:32pm

re: #147 Bubblehead II

Washington Post on same subject.

Police body cameras spur privacy debate

The privacy concerns are being talked about, but nobody seems to have any firm answers about what to do about it. From what I’ve read so far, each P.D. seems to have their own rules and they might not even be the same over in the next County. These privacy policies need to be either set at the State level or if need be, at the Federal level to insure compliance across all the P.Ds. regardless of where they are located.

If it’s state level how long until it became Federal level due to lawsuits? Probably 14th Amendment based.

180 FemNaziBitch  Dec 1, 2014 12:52:31pm
selfie #2

I made a new selfie.

181 FemNaziBitch  Dec 1, 2014 12:53:30pm

re: #178 FemNaziBitch

The thing about cameras is that they work. I have no problem with them in public places or stores —not so sure about inside my home.

A saying an old boss of mine used to say keeps coming to mind:

Embedded Image

It’s the same concept of God or Santa keeping a tally sheet. People behave better when they know they are being watched.

182 Feline Fearless Leader  Dec 1, 2014 12:54:27pm

re: #164 Backwoods_Sleuth

I think the biggest problem I’ve read about them so far, regarding that, is that the officer can just shut off the cam.
Or say “I forgot to turn it on.”

To be shortly followed by “I forgot to replace/charge the batteries.”
//

183 allegro  Dec 1, 2014 12:56:12pm

re: #182 Feline Fearless Leader

To be shortly followed by “I forgot to replace/charge the batteries.”
//

Or “oops, it fell off in the scuffle and then got run over 3 times by the police cruiser.”

184 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Dec 1, 2014 12:58:53pm

re: #98 Charles Johnson

Not saying police shouldn’t have body cams. But there’s a serious privacy issue with it that’s not getting much attention.

There will be a natural system of checks & balances: police are not going to want security camera footage released without warrant or subpoena. Neither will most civilians.

185 Ace-o-aces  Dec 1, 2014 12:59:31pm

I’d say it’s like arguing with a brick wall, but even a brick wall gives way if you smash it enough.

186 The Vicious Babushka  Dec 1, 2014 1:00:16pm

So much hate from CountyCaptain 4Romney

187 Romantic Heretic  Dec 1, 2014 1:00:39pm

re: #114 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse

re:
#106

And all the overtimes will be paid to teh illegals smallbiz had to hire to replace regular Americans because of Obamacare!!!!!11

I read a funny little article the other day about Schrödinger’s Immigrants.

They can simultaneously collect welfare and steal jobs at the same time.

188 Backwoods_Sleuth  Dec 1, 2014 1:00:52pm
189 Targetpractice  Dec 1, 2014 1:01:15pm

re: #185 Ace-o-aces

[Embedded content]

And hasn’t lived there for a long while. It’d be like publishing my street address from a decade ago, the most you’re going to do is inconvenience the people living there now.

190 Romantic Heretic  Dec 1, 2014 1:03:08pm

re: #122 Blind Frog Belly White

Bill Kristol is the best (or worst) exemplar of the lack of accountability and shame among the RW punditry.

And there’s really tough competition for that title. The Olympics have nothing on it.

191 blueraven  Dec 1, 2014 1:04:16pm

Why are you walking with your hands in your pockets?

SMFH!

Youtube Video

192 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Dec 1, 2014 1:05:09pm

re: #186 The Vicious Fergushka

So much hate from CountyCaptain 4Romney

I want to know why Mooch never attends the turkey pardons. Is she anti-Thanksgiving? #tcot Should be a family event.]

I cannot be bothered to research it, but did the wives of other non-blah presidents attend pardons?

193 The Vicious Babushka  Dec 1, 2014 1:06:35pm

re: #192 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

I cannot be bothered, but did the wives of other non-blah presidents attend pardons?

YES OF COURSE & STOOD AT ATTENTION WITH THERE HANDS ACROSS THERE HARTS IN COMPLEET RESPEKT!!!!1!!!

194 Snarknado!  Dec 1, 2014 1:08:25pm

re: #189 Targetpractice

And hasn’t lived there for a long while. It’d be like publishing my street address from a decade ago, the most you’re going to do is inconvenience the people living there now.

Which could be pretty bad in itself….

195 Targetpractice  Dec 1, 2014 1:08:26pm

Last minute desperation from our favorite turncoat Democrat:

196 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Dec 1, 2014 1:08:38pm

re: #193 The Vicious Fergushka

YES OF COURSE & STOOD AT ATTENTION WITH THERE HANDS ACROSS THERE HARTS IN COMPLEET RESPEKT!!!!1!!!

and there daughters didn’t look like bar room bimbos, either!

197 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse  Dec 1, 2014 1:09:02pm

re:
#186

I want to know why Mooch never attends the turkey pardons. Is she anti-Thanksgiving?
#tcot
Should be a family event.

Gotta be a parody account. Dim Jim assures me that all the tCOT’s are hard working working all the time too busy working to be fretting about FLOTUS and the turkey pardons.
/

198 Ace-o-aces  Dec 1, 2014 1:09:37pm

re: #192 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

I cannot be bothered, but did the wives of other non-blah presidents attend pardons?

That information is not readily available because WHO THE FUCK CARES! It’s a corny little ceremony the POTUS has to attend every Black Friday eve (formerly Thanksgiving). It’s the same stupid photo op every year. Who really fucking cares if the First Lady is there?!

199 The Vicious Babushka  Dec 1, 2014 1:10:34pm

re: #197 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse

re:
#186

Gotta be a parody account. Dim Jim assures me that all the tCOT’s are hard working working all the time too busy working to be fretting about FLOTUS and the turkey pardons.
/

di kele is an authentic batshit crazy wingnut.

200 Jenner7  Dec 1, 2014 1:11:27pm

re: #191 blueraven

Crazy, just crazy.

201 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse  Dec 1, 2014 1:13:55pm

re:
#195

When is the election for the runoff? Tomorrow?

202 blueraven  Dec 1, 2014 1:14:15pm

re: #200 Jenner7

Crazy, just crazy.

Black man should keep his hands up where they can be seen at all times, even when walking in the snow.

Hands up! ooops

203 Higgs Boson's Mate  Dec 1, 2014 1:14:29pm

re: #195 Targetpractice

A new ad by Sen. Mary Landrieu claims Earth will be invaded by Mars if she loses her runoff election

204 Feline Fearless Leader  Dec 1, 2014 1:15:14pm

re: #203 Higgs Boson’s Mate

A new ad by Sen. Mary Landrieu claims Earth will be invaded by Mars if she loses her runoff election

Was Michelle Bachmann the invaders advance scout?
//

205 The Vicious Babushka  Dec 1, 2014 1:17:17pm

Nick Malgieri’s “Pastry” is on my Wish List

206 Higgs Boson's Mate  Dec 1, 2014 1:18:04pm

re: #204 Feline Fearless Leader

Was Michelle Bachmann the invaders advance scout?
//

Yes. She was the first one. The Martians wanted to see if they could get away with just the plastic surgery and skip the training part.

207 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse  Dec 1, 2014 1:18:19pm

re:
#203

Maybe there’s still time for Landrieu to get the Harry Reid Senate to hold a vote for the Constitutional Amendment preventing Congress from ever outlawing Slavery requiring every American to own gun.

….

OK, that was really not nice of me….

208 Targetpractice  Dec 1, 2014 1:22:00pm

“Certainly in a lot of our inner cities, particularly in the black inner cities, where 73 percent of the young people are born out of wedlock, the majority of them have no father figure in their life,” Carson said. “Usually the father figure is where you learn how to respond to authority.”

He also addressed comments made by host Lauren Kitchens Steward about respecting authority and the entitlement, which she claimed, “dominates” this generation.

“I think a lot of it really got started in the ’60s with the ‘Me’ generation. ‘What’s in it for me?’” Carson said. “I hate to say it, but a lot of it had to do with the women’s lib movement. ‘ You know, ‘I’ve been taking care of my family, I’ve been doing that, what about me?You know, it really should be about us.”

Sounding awful collectivist there, Ben, talking about putting others over oneself. Careful you don’t say that around the Randians, they’re liable to burn you at the stake.

209 Backwoods_Sleuth  Dec 1, 2014 1:23:15pm

re: #208 Targetpractice

says the guy who had a single mom…

210 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse  Dec 1, 2014 1:23:54pm

re:
#208

Sounding awful collectivist there, Ben, talking about putting others over oneself.

No that’s completely different Ben and all the true patriot conservatives are for individual freedom and liberty except when they’re not. //

211 TedStriker  Dec 1, 2014 1:27:00pm

re: #195 Targetpractice

Last minute desperation from our favorite turncoat Democrat:

[Embedded content]

Thing is, the TPGOPers are likely to do that, with her in office or not, come next Congress.

212 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse  Dec 1, 2014 1:27:45pm

re:
#208

“I think a lot of it really got started in the ’60s with the ‘Me’ generation. ‘What’s in it for me?’” Carson said.

Sounds like the anti-tax zeolots, the sovereign citizen types, you know, why should I have to pay taxes, support all those moochers out there, what’s in it for me, why should I have to obey these unconstitutional laws and get a driver’s license and such what’s in it for me? Shouldn’t I be able to keep my own money and do what I want?? ///

213 lawhawk  Dec 1, 2014 1:28:05pm
214 Higgs Boson's Mate  Dec 1, 2014 1:31:33pm

re: #208 Targetpractice

I think a lot of it really got started in the ’60s with the ‘Me’ generation.

Fuck Ben Carson with a rusty rebar. For the .1% every generation is the ‘me’ generation.

215 Bubblehead II  Dec 1, 2014 1:34:36pm
216 allegro  Dec 1, 2014 1:36:54pm

re: #215 Bubblehead II

[Embedded content]

That’s an unfortunate photo. Her body looks like a jointed Barbi gone very wrong.

217 Backwoods_Sleuth  Dec 1, 2014 1:37:27pm

wow…this is like one of the worst country-western songs of all time:

Four killed in shootings in Monongalia County

The Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department is investigating shootings at two other locations, Baylous said. The Dominion Post in Morgantown reported that the other two shootings were at Doug’s Towing in Westover and on Sweet Pea Lane, off Chaplin Road.

The owner of another Monongalia County towing company, J & J Towing, is listed as Jody L. Hunt on the West Virginia Secretary of State’s website.

The owner of Doug’s Towing is one of the dead.

A recent Facebook post of Hunt’s was frequently shared on social media Monday afternoon.

In the post, Hunt speaks of vengeance. He says “my actions were wrong but in my eyes just.”

He said he blamed the unloyal “love of my life” for “the devastation I caused to a few people[’s] lives” and hints at a plan to kill himself.

218 Charles Johnson  Dec 1, 2014 1:39:26pm
219 Feline Fearless Leader  Dec 1, 2014 1:39:45pm

Saw an article today that the falling oil prices are expected to completely devastate the budget in Venezuela. They get a huge amount of their GNP from oil revenues and have been pushing it into the local spending in order to keep the lid on things. And there is already scarcity of what are considered common items, which means things will probably get worse.

220 Flying Squirrel Girl  Dec 1, 2014 1:39:48pm

Haven’t seen it posted here yet, but looks like Elizabeth Lauten had her own “awful” teen years. What a surprise!

Collared for shoplifting in a Belk department store in her North Carolina home town.

221 Bubblehead II  Dec 1, 2014 1:40:23pm

re: #216 allegro

That’s an unfortunate photo. Her body looks like a jointed Barbi gone very wrong.

Hadn’t noticed

222 Blind Frog Belly White  Dec 1, 2014 1:44:38pm

re: #221 Bubblehead II

Hadn’t noticed

Yeah, pitching a baseball is one of those things that looks weird in photos.

223 Higgs Boson's Mate  Dec 1, 2014 1:46:32pm

re: #220 Flying Squirrel Girl

Haven’t seen it posted here yet, but looks like Elizabeth Lauten had her own “awful” teen years. What a surprise!

Collared for shoplifting in a Belk department store in her North Carolina home town.

Belk? How déclassé.

224 goddamnedfrank  Dec 1, 2014 1:57:57pm

re: #153 Romantic Heretic

Kinda on the topic of Star Wars, even if the first three movies hadn’t made it clear the Empire won the end of the second movie mad it clear that both The Republic and The Trade Federation were fucked.

On top of all that Lucas, I think unintentionally, made the Jedi Order out to be a bunch of amoral child exploiting cock-bags. Their tacit condoning of slavery already cast them in a very dubious light, but choosing to keep Anakin while letting his mother remain a slave without at least trying to go back and purchase her freedom was just an unforgivable decision. Amidala didn’t see fit to do shit about the situation either, though you can kind of overlook that since she wasn’t really an adult yet had her own planet to worry about, but the Jedi? Was this how they treated all the children they trained? Just take them from their parents under duress, without any real consent, and leave them with gigantic levels of unresolved emotional damage?

That movie was messed up on so many levels, but when it was over I couldn’t bring myself to give the tiniest fuck about whatever horrible fate awaited the Jedi.

225 Varek Raith  Dec 1, 2014 1:58:55pm

Nice and 70ish, windows open, then, bam! High winds and shit is flying all over the house.
WTF, wind?

226 Varek Raith  Dec 1, 2014 2:00:19pm

re: #195 Targetpractice

Last minute desperation from our favorite turncoat Democrat:

[Embedded content]

You brought this on yourself, Mary, by acting like R lite.
Deal with it.

227 Kragar  Dec 1, 2014 2:00:36pm

re: #224 goddamnedfrank

On top of all that Lucas, I think unintentionally, made the Jedi Order out to be a bunch of amoral child exploiting cock-bags. Their tacit condoning of slavery already cast them in a very dubious light, but choosing to keep Anakin while letting his mother remain a slave without at least trying to go back and purchase her freedom was just an unforgivable decision. Amidala didn’t see fit to do shit about the situation either, though you can kind of overlook that since she wasn’t really an adult yet had her own planet to worry about, but the Jedi? Was this how they treated all the children they trained? Just take them from their parents under duress, without any real consent, and leave them with gigantic levels of unresolved emotional damage?

That movie was fucked on so many levels, but when it was over I couldn’t bring myself to give the tiniest fuck about whatever horrible fate awaited the Jedi.

The Jedi order as envisioned by Lucas was a complete fucking mess

228 Varek Raith  Dec 1, 2014 2:01:24pm

re: #227 Kragar

The Jedi order as envisioned by Lucas was a complete fucking mess

You’re far too kind.

229 blueraven  Dec 1, 2014 2:01:37pm

I think most reasonable people want to see change in the system/accountability/fair treatment for all.

Assholes like Chuck want to see a race war. To him, anyone who isn’t a crazy racist is on the side of the “enemy”.

230 Kragar  Dec 1, 2014 2:06:44pm

re: #228 Varek Raith

You’re far too kind.

I know.

231 Ace-o-aces  Dec 1, 2014 2:08:34pm

re: #228 Varek Raith

You’re far too kind.

There’s a kind of fridge brilliance (as they say on TVtropes) to this though. The Jedi being so clueless and unwilling to adapt ultimately led to their own downfall.

232 FemNaziBitch  Dec 1, 2014 2:11:02pm

re: #215 Bubblehead II

[Embedded content]

This scares the shit out of the paleomen.

233 FemNaziBitch  Dec 1, 2014 2:12:41pm

re: #226 Varek Raith

You brought this on yourself, Mary, by acting like R lite.
Deal with it.

Cabbie I had in NOLA told us that there was going to be political change in Louisianna. Jindal, for one, would be gone.

Events are proving the cabbie correct.

234 Targetpractice  Dec 1, 2014 2:14:37pm

re: #227 Kragar

The Jedi order as envisioned by Lucas was a complete fucking mess

I think it’s safe to say that George never put much thought into anything he did. At least with the original films, there were only Obi Wan and Yoda as symbols of the old order, and their parts were only to set Luke on the path to restoring the Jedi. There’s really no way to explain the Jedi Order as it exists in the prequels except as a convenient excuse for why Anakin ended up totally screwed up in the head. And it’s a large part of the reason why fans who don’t try to look for diamonds amongst the turds just write off the first prequel.

235 Mike Lamb  Dec 1, 2014 2:16:10pm

re: #218 Charles Johnson

No.

236 Feline Fearless Leader  Dec 1, 2014 2:18:44pm

re: #227 Kragar

The Jedi order as envisioned by Lucas was a complete fucking mess

Not to mention the defacto droid slavery that the Republic heavily depended on.

(I got to mess with this while playing a self-owned astromech droid in a Star Wars RPG game (West End rules). It was mainly PBEM, so I got the GM’s permission and every so often the background information flowing around had references to a growing “droids have nothing to lose but their restraining bolts” movement.)

237 Higgs Boson's Mate  Dec 1, 2014 2:19:51pm

re: #233 FemNaziBitch

Cabbie I had in NOLA told us that there was going to be political change in Louisianna. Jindal, for one, would be gone.

Events are proving the cabbie correct.

Won’t Jindal will be term limited-out at the end of this term as governor?

238 Charles Johnson  Dec 1, 2014 2:21:08pm

Wow, Betsy Rothstein gets all the way down in it.

TheDC Investigates: Is WaPo’s Wesley Lowery Black? | the Daily Caller

239 FemNaziBitch  Dec 1, 2014 2:21:33pm

I listened to The Sound and The Fury by William Faulkner.

I don’t remember reading any Faulkner and since he is one of those authors the “well read” should be familiar with …

I can see how it was an important book when it was written, but it didn’t blow me away. I liked the authors ability to portray the world from the point of view of the people in the book.

Am I missing something? Anyone have any other work by Faulkner they’d recommend?

240 darthstar  Dec 1, 2014 2:21:34pm
241 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse  Dec 1, 2014 2:21:38pm

re:
#238

Hey, we’re just asking questions….

//

242 FemNaziBitch  Dec 1, 2014 2:22:00pm

re: #237 Higgs Boson’s Mate

Won’t Jindal will be term limited-out at the end of this term as governor?

Could be, cabbie indicated he thought there would be overall change.

243 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse  Dec 1, 2014 2:23:38pm

re:
#239

I found Faulkner nearly unintelligible.

244 FemNaziBitch  Dec 1, 2014 2:23:41pm

What was that movie line?

“American’ isn’t a country, it’s a business . . “

245 FemNaziBitch  Dec 1, 2014 2:24:20pm

re: #243 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse

re:
#239

I found Faulkner nearly unintelligible.

Perhaps I was primed by subsequent authors.

246 Targetpractice  Dec 1, 2014 2:26:19pm

If Lucas had had half a brain, he would have started with Attack of the Clones and put a film between it and Revenge of the Sith that dealt with the Clone Wars. Showed Anakin’s gradual fall to the Dark Side, humanized the Jedi in their struggle to maintain the Republic, given some scale to the war without just pointing people to the animated tales, and shown people the sort of action that brought them into the franchise instead of 2 hours of hammering them over the head with exposition…and Jar Jar.

247 Mattand  Dec 1, 2014 2:26:59pm

re: #224 goddamnedfrank

On top of all that Lucas, I think unintentionally, made the Jedi Order out to be a bunch of amoral child exploiting cock-bags. Their tacit condoning of slavery already cast them in a very dubious light, but choosing to keep Anakin while letting his mother remain a slave without at least trying to go back and purchase her freedom was just an unforgivable decision. Amidala didn’t see fit to do shit about the situation either, though you can kind of overlook that since she wasn’t really an adult yet had her own planet to worry about, but the Jedi? Was this how they treated all the children they trained? Just take them from their parents under duress, without any real consent, and leave them with gigantic levels of unresolved emotional damage?

That movie was fucked on so many levels, but when it was over I couldn’t bring myself to give the tiniest fuck about whatever horrible fate awaited the Jedi.

Geez, I never thought about it like that before. I remember the slavery bit in The Phantom Menace and thinking “Wow, that’s cold”, but your explanation really does paint the Jedi as a lot less noble than people view them.

Unless that was Lucas’s intention all along. Not sure I should credit the guy who gave us Jar Jar Binks with that much deep thought.

248 Bubblehead II  Dec 1, 2014 2:29:04pm

bbib. Have to go get my head plucked. :-)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Stitches removed.

249 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse  Dec 1, 2014 2:29:24pm

re:
#245

I would have liked to have had a greater appreciation for Faulkner. The narrative was just kind of hard to grab a hold of.

250 FemNaziBitch  Dec 1, 2014 2:29:35pm
251 FemNaziBitch  Dec 1, 2014 2:30:19pm

re: #249 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse

re:
#245

I would have liked to have had a greater appreciation for Faulkner. The narrative was just kind of hard to grab a hold of.

I’m not sure you missed too much. The story wasn’t all that. IMHO

Kinda like Beowulf. *gah*

252 FemNaziBitch  Dec 1, 2014 2:31:29pm
253 Feline Fearless Leader  Dec 1, 2014 2:31:52pm

re: #247 Mattand

Geez, I never thought about it like that before. I remember the slavery bit in The Phantom Menace and thinking “Wow, that’s cold”, but your explanation really does paint the Jedi as a lot less noble than people view them.

Unless that was Lucas’s intention all along. Not sure I should credit the guy who gave us Jar Jar Binks with that much deep thought.

Lucas has a good (if not masterful)grasp of visuals. But he misses very badly that nice looking cultural references can rapidly cross the line when you give them “foreign” accents as well. Especially when working with villain or comic relief characters.

254 FemNaziBitch  Dec 1, 2014 2:33:00pm
256 Kragar  Dec 1, 2014 2:36:25pm

re: #236 Feline Fearless Leader

Not to mention the defacto droid slavery that the Republic heavily depended on.

(I got to mess with this while playing a self-owned astromech droid in a Star Wars RPG game (West End rules). It was mainly PBEM, so I got the GM’s permission and every so often the background information flowing around had references to a growing “droids have nothing to lose but their restraining bolts” movement.)

The alien warrior I played in the old West End Game made a play on this. The rest of the party objected to his culture’s practice of taking enemy prisoners as slaves, but he noticed they didn’t object to him owning droids. By the end of the campaign, he must have owned about 30 droids.

257 Feline Fearless Leader  Dec 1, 2014 2:38:06pm

re: #256 Kragar

The alien warrior I played in the old West End Game made a play on this. The rest of the party objected to his culture’s practice of taking enemy prisoners as slaves, but he noticed they didn’t object to him owning droids. By the end of the campaign, he must have owned about 30 droids.

Ah, a prime target for the Droids Who Say ‘Ni’.
;P

258 goddamnedfrank  Dec 1, 2014 2:42:03pm

re: #247 Mattand

Geez, I never thought about it like that before. I remember the slavery bit in The Phantom Menace and thinking “Wow, that’s cold”, but your explanation really does paint the Jedi as a lot less noble than people view them.

Unless that was Lucas’s intention all along. Not sure I should credit the guy who gave us Jar Jar Binks with that much deep thought.

They weren’t noble at all. They sought out children amenable to their program and took them at an early age, grooming them, trained to subdue emotion, detach their feelings, impose their will upon others and how to kill with ruthless efficiency if necessary. The Jedi were basically depicted as remorseless predators willing to commit all kinds of objectively abusive behavior in the name of their own definition of the greater good.

259 Higgs Boson's Mate  Dec 1, 2014 2:43:39pm

re: #236 Feline Fearless Leader

Not to mention the defacto droid slavery that the Republic heavily depended on.

That part affected me so deeply that I bought a Subaru with a 5-speed manumission.

260 Kragar  Dec 1, 2014 2:44:56pm

re: #257 Feline Fearless Leader

Ah, a prime target for the Droids Who Say ‘Ni’.
;P

The guy who considered an E-Web repeat blaster a hip-fired weapon was always a prime target.

/geekmode

261 Mattand  Dec 1, 2014 2:45:14pm

re: #258 goddamnedfrank

They weren’t noble at all. They sought out children amenable to their program and took them at an early age, grooming them, trained to subdue emotion, detach their feelings, impose their will upon others and how to kill with ruthless efficiency if necessary. The Jedi were basically depicted as remorseless predators willing to commit all kinds of objectively abusive behavior in the name of their own definition of the greater good.

I would love to see this put before George Lucas. I was listening to a sci-fi author on a podcast recently, who was describing how many multiple drafts he writes every time he hit a contradiction in his plot.

I’m guessing this is generally not a problem for George.

262 allegro  Dec 1, 2014 2:45:35pm

re: #258 goddamnedfrank

They weren’t noble at all. They sought out children amenable to their program and took them at an early age, grooming them, trained to subdue emotion, detach their feelings, impose their will upon others and how to kill with ruthless efficiency if necessary. The Jedi were basically depicted as remorseless predators willing to commit all kinds of objectively abusive behavior in the name of their own definition of the greater good.

So the jedi were republicans? Explains a lot.

263 Ace-o-aces  Dec 1, 2014 2:47:14pm

re: #238 Charles Johnson

Wow, Betsy Rothstein gets all the way down in it.

TheDC Investigates: Is WaPo’s Wesley Lowery Black? | the Daily Caller

Article includes this Gem of a quote from CCJ himself:

“This is his black Woodstock, but the civil right’s movement has a long past,” said Johnson. “The problem is that his reporting isn’t serious reporting. It’s stenography for the people in Ferguson who want their story told in the way they want it told. Wes Lowery is a 24-year-old kid who was advanced rather quickly. I feel badly for the guy. There are going to be consequences. Unfortunately groups like the NABJ have decided to award him with journalistic awards well ahead of the time that you would have actually earned them. Wes Lowery is basically running around trying to be the spokesperson at the same time that he’s covering it. I have to call bullshit on that. He had Thanksgiving dinner with the pastor he covered. He’s basically becoming such a part of the story that he can’t now write a critical piece bout Michael Brown. [His work is] also basically propaganda for the cause.”

There is so much lack of self-awareness in this paragraph, I don’t know where to begin? Lowery is a 24 year-old “kid” says the 26 year-old living in his in-laws basement? He’s earned journalism awards too soon, says the guy who is still using some award he won in college to justify calling himself a journalist? Lowery’s work is propaganda? Really? Really!?

264 darthstar  Dec 1, 2014 2:47:47pm

re: #262 allegro

So the jedi were republicans? Explains a lot.

I wish Republicans were Jedi. It’d make me sleep a lot better knowing they were purely fictional characters.

265 sagehen  Dec 1, 2014 2:47:53pm

re: #239 FemNaziBitch

I listened to The Sound and The Fury by William Faulkner.

Am I missing something? Anyone have any other work by Faulkner they’d recommend?

All I know about Faulkner is

“The past isn’t dead. It isn’t even past.”

He really packed a lot into less than than words.

266 Varek Raith  Dec 1, 2014 2:48:04pm

re: #258 goddamnedfrank

They weren’t noble at all. They sought out children amenable to their program and took them at an early age, grooming them, trained to subdue emotion, detach their feelings, impose their will upon others and how to kill with ruthless efficiency if necessary. The Jedi were basically depicted as remorseless predators willing to commit all kinds of objectively abusive behavior in the name of their own definition of the greater good.

Yet, I’m the evil one.
Silly Jedi.

267 Mattand  Dec 1, 2014 2:48:43pm

re: #264 darthstar

I wish Republicans were Jedi. It’d make me sleep a lot better knowing they were purely fictional characters.

When light sabers are outlawed, only outlaws will have light sabers.

268 Targetpractice  Dec 1, 2014 2:49:52pm

re: #266 Varek Raith

Yet, I’m the evil one.
Silly Jedi.

Well, it helps to remember that the Sith rule about there only being two at any time, a master and an apprentice, is simply a control mechanism. That any more than two and chronic backstabbing ensues.

269 blueraven  Dec 1, 2014 2:50:41pm

re: #239 FemNaziBitch

I listened to The Sound and The Fury by William Faulkner.

I don’t remember reading any Faulkner and since he is one of those authors the “well read” should be familiar with …

I can see how it was an important book when it was written, but it didn’t blow me away. I liked the authors ability to portray the world from the point of view of the people in the book.

Am I missing something? Anyone have any other work by Faulkner they’d recommend?

I liked The Reivers. However, I was pretty young when I read it. Dont know how well it would hold up for me as an older adult.

270 darthstar  Dec 1, 2014 2:51:08pm

re: #267 Mattand

When light sabers are outlawed, only outlaws will have light sabers.

Hey, that’s my line…well, the NRA’s, actually, but I use it for everything from puns in China to credit default swaps.

271 Kragar  Dec 1, 2014 2:52:28pm

re: #268 Targetpractice

Well, it helps to remember that the Sith rule about there only being two at any time, a master and an apprentice, is simply a control mechanism. That any more than two and chronic backstabbing ensues.

Of course the question then become, does that mean that there really are only 2 Sith, or when the apprentice reaches a certain level does he go off and find an apprentice of his own and his master recruits a new one?

272 Ace-o-aces  Dec 1, 2014 2:52:40pm
273 Mattand  Dec 1, 2014 2:53:13pm

re: #268 Targetpractice

Well, it helps to remember that the Sith rule about there only being two at any time, a master and an apprentice, is simply a control mechanism. That any more than two and chronic backstabbing ensues.

So the Sith are Tea Partiers?

274 #FergusonFireside  Dec 1, 2014 2:53:33pm
275 Amory Blaine  Dec 1, 2014 2:53:45pm

Conservative activist launches push for Wisconsin ‘right to work’ law

A longtime conservative activist with ties to national groups has started an organization to promote so-called “right to work” legislation.

Wisconsin Right to Work will seek changes in state law to prohibit businesses and unions from requiring workers to pay union dues as a condition of employment.

Gov. Scott Walker and GOP lawmakers already banned such requirements for most public employees in Wisconsin, but their 2011 law known as Act 10 didn’t affect private-sector unions or police and firefighters.

Advocates say that prohibiting employers and labor groups from making these agreements would give workers more freedom. Opponents of the measure say it dramatically weakens union finances and clout by allowing workers to get any potential benefits from a labor group in their workplace without having to provide anything in return.

“Wisconsin’s public employees have already demonstrated their strong desire for their right to choose as evidenced by the sharp decline in enrollment in the teacher’s unions since the passage of Gov. Walker’s (Act 10),” Lorri Pickens, executive director of Wisconsin Right to Work, said in a statement.

276 darthstar  Dec 1, 2014 2:54:34pm
277 Sherlock Hound  Dec 1, 2014 2:54:54pm

re: #231 Ace-o-aces

If Lucas had been a gifted scriptwriter, the Jedi Order could have been an endless source of dramatic storylines. To the extent I can talk about the SWEU as “real”, I’m more than willing to believe that the Jedi Order was always corrupt from early on. One novel, forget which, even has a Jedi saying that the Order and the Council were always fighting the last war.

My favorite example of Jedi attitudes was in one of the Corran Horn novels. The younger Horn, who is Force-sensitive, is getting a pompous lecture from Luke, you know the kind, “The Jedi have to be SO good and SO pure”.

Horn stops him by talking about his father, the detective. And the gazillion credits worth of glitterstim that his department seized in an investigation.

Dad’s not a Jedi, remember. Horn ends the conversation by saying if the Jedi, or *that* Jedi (Luke) didn’t think his dad wasn’t thinking about that glitterstim or what it represented, he was stupid. I imagine the Jedi alienated a lot of people along the way in the first three episodes, and before.

278 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing  Dec 1, 2014 2:55:37pm

re: #276 darthstar

HE WAS A LONE WOLF! NOT A TERRORIST!!

279 Targetpractice  Dec 1, 2014 2:57:59pm

re: #271 Kragar

Of course the question then become, does that mean that there really are only 2 Sith, or when the apprentice reaches a certain level does he go off and find an apprentice of his own and his master recruits a new one?

The understanding, at least in the EU, was that Sith are always plotting against each other. Thus by keeping it to two, the worst that will happen is that apprentice will kill his master and then take his own apprentice. By as soon as you get more than two, then infighting starts as their connection to the Dark Side compels them to turn on each other in order to establish dominance and thus be the most powerful.

280 Kragar  Dec 1, 2014 2:59:28pm

The Jedi Order should have been samurai and sages.

Instead, we got child abducting morally stunted eunuchs.

281 Kragar  Dec 1, 2014 3:01:58pm
282 Targetpractice  Dec 1, 2014 3:09:45pm

re: #280 Kragar

The Jedi Order should have been samurai and sages.

Instead, we got child abducting morally stunted eunuchs.

Thing that always gets me is that, before the prequels, the EU had tried to humanize the Jedi. There were Jedi who had families or had been descended from Jedi who had, those who’d fallen but then been redeemed, and a general sense that the Jedi were warrior sages, as they’d been envisioned in the original trilogy.

Then the prequels happened…and George’s hamfisted way of turning Anakin into Darth Vader robbed them of any of their good qualities. But that seems to be largely because, unlike the original films, George didn’t have the quality control mechanism of others being there to tell him his ideas were dumb. God only knows how the original films would have ended up if people hadn’t pointed out the stupidity of some of his earliest ideas.

283 Timothy Watson  Dec 1, 2014 3:11:04pm

re: #277 Sherlock Hound

If Lucas had been a gifted scriptwriter, the Jedi Order could have been an endless source of dramatic storylines. To the extent I can talk about the SWEU as “real”, I’m more than willing to believe that the Jedi Order was always corrupt from early on. One novel, forget which, even has a Jedi saying that the Order and the Council were always fighting the last war.

My favorite example of Jedi attitudes was in one of the Corran Horn novels. The younger Horn, who is Force-sensitive, is getting a pompous lecture from Luke, you know the kind, “The Jedi have to be SO good and SO pure”.

Horn stops him by talking about his father, the detective. And the gazillion credits worth of glitterstim that his department seized in an investigation.

Dad’s not a Jedi, remember. Horn ends the conversation by saying if the Jedi, or *that* Jedi (Luke) didn’t think his dad wasn’t thinking about that glitterstim or what it represented, he was stupid. I imagine the Jedi alienated a lot of people along the way in the first three episodes, and before.

That was one of the best scenes in any of the EU books. After Luke condescendingly claims that Horn doesn’t understand the dark side, Horn, a law-enforcement officer, goes on to point out that he could have executed the murderer of his father, also a LEO, in the middle of his agency HQ and everyone there would have said the murderer was resisting arrest, but Horn didn’t do it.

Another bonus for that scene was to call bullshit on Kevin J. Anderson’s white-washing of Kyp Durron’s murder of a billion people. It was a huge take that from Michael Stackpole.

284 darthstar  Dec 1, 2014 3:16:42pm

re: #278 Rev_Arthur_Ebolaing

HE WAS A LONE WOLF! NOT A TERRORIST!!

Certainly a bad apple.

285 Varek Raith  Dec 1, 2014 3:17:22pm

Kyp Durron.
Don’t get me started on that whitewash of history.

286 darthstar  Dec 1, 2014 3:19:13pm

The White House thanked him for his input…before laughing hysterically and hanging up the phone.

287 Rightwingconspirator  Dec 1, 2014 3:22:24pm

I don’t always Page inspired by a tweet from Charles but when I do… It looks a lot like this.

288 darthstar  Dec 1, 2014 3:24:15pm
289 Justanotherhuman  Dec 1, 2014 3:25:53pm

This is the truly dark side of the internet.

I. Want. No. Part. of. It.

It’s going to take a while for the law to catch up with the nutters of every stripe, and they know it.

Meanwhile, this isn’t “free speech”, this is criminal. So much for the “privacy” concerns of the corporations that run the various social networks who allow this filth to get through.

290 wheat-dogghazi-bola-trality  Dec 1, 2014 3:27:48pm
291 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing  Dec 1, 2014 3:29:23pm

re: #286 darthstar

[Embedded content]

The White House thanked him for his input…before laughing hysterically and hanging up the phone.

Why would the White House listen to the guy who lost in an electoral college landslide and has done nothing but act like a huge douchebag for the last 6 years of Obama’s presidency.

The man is delusional.

292 Targetpractice  Dec 1, 2014 3:31:23pm

re: #291 Rev_Arthur_Ebolaing

Why would the White House listen to the guy who lost in an electoral college landslide and has done nothing but act like a huge douchebag for the last 6 years of Obama’s presidency.

The man is delusional.

Come on now, don’t you know that John McCain is the most important politician ever? It’s why he’s never far from the Sunday talk show circuit.

////

293 darthstar  Dec 1, 2014 3:33:42pm

re: #291 Rev_Arthur_Ebolaing

The only people who listen to McCain are reporters. There’s a reason he’s still a back-bencher for the most part. McCain and his bipartisan gangs that never achieve anything.

294 Justanotherhuman  Dec 1, 2014 3:35:09pm

re: #292 Targetpractice

Come on now, don’t you know that John McCain is the most important politician ever? It’s why he’s never far from the Sunday talk show circuit.

////

McCain is soooo transparent. Obviously, this is a “bone” he’s tossing to Lieberman to make it appear that he’s giving something to Lieberman after his horrid mistake of listening to Bill Kristol and that crowd in picking Palin for his VP.

You only wish you had the power to make it happen, Johnny.

295 TedStriker  Dec 1, 2014 3:35:35pm

re: #268 Targetpractice

Well, it helps to remember that the Sith rule about there only being two at any time, a master and an apprentice, is simply a control mechanism. That any more than two and chronic backstabbing ensues.

re: #271 Kragar

Of course the question then become, does that mean that there really are only 2 Sith, or when the apprentice reaches a certain level does he go off and find an apprentice of his own and his master recruits a new one?

The Rule of Two (only one Sith master and their apprentice would exist at one time) was in effect until Darth Sidious (Palpatine):

Rule of One (Palpatine’s Doctrine)

While Anakin/Vader was referred to as Palpatine’s apprentice and that the Emperor wanted Luke to take his father’s place, per the Rule of One, it was never a true master/appretice relationship; Vader was, more or less, the Emperor’s enforcer, his muscle, nothing more.

At least, until Vader chucked the Emperor off to his (presumed) death at the end of ROTJ

296 Justanotherhuman  Dec 1, 2014 3:40:22pm

WTF?

FBI: Hackers have launched cyber attack with ‘destructive malware’ capable of wiping hard drives in US in wake of attack on Sony - @Reuters
end of alert

297 TedStriker  Dec 1, 2014 3:41:21pm

298 Romantic Heretic  Dec 1, 2014 3:44:17pm

re: #275 Amory Blaine

Conservative activist launches push for Wisconsin ‘right to work’ law

This cartoon summed up ‘right to work’ very nicely.

leftycartoons.com

299 jaunte  Dec 1, 2014 3:46:22pm

Ben Shapiro is getting jealous of Chuck C. Johnson sucking up all that sweet troll attention.

300 Justanotherhuman  Dec 1, 2014 3:46:29pm

Hey, Republicans, just buy a giant surge protector! Obviously, this is what they’re doing lately.

House passes bill to mitigate threat of EMP attacks

thehill.com

301 Romantic Heretic  Dec 1, 2014 3:50:50pm

re: #283 Timothy Watson

Haven’t read any of those books. But I have a number by Stackpole in a different universe: Battletech. His creation for that universe, The Clans, is one of my favourite pieces of world building.

302 Justanotherhuman  Dec 1, 2014 3:51:58pm

Guess who? {Sigh}

Schools, businesses on lockdown; APD looking for armed person in SE Albuquerque

kob.com

303 Sherlock Hound  Dec 1, 2014 3:53:41pm

re: #298 Romantic Heretic

The cartoonist forgot “right to get fired”.

304 Justanotherhuman  Dec 1, 2014 3:56:49pm

Well, of course, they did…

White Cops File Suit, Claiming They Faced Harsher Discipline For Deadly Force Because Of Their Race

thinkprogress.org

305 blueraven  Dec 1, 2014 3:58:04pm

Whoa…Weigel not holding back.

306 Timothy Watson  Dec 1, 2014 4:01:11pm

re: #305 blueraven

Who?

307 KerFuFFler  Dec 1, 2014 4:01:17pm

Have just been making some of the best vegetarian chili I’ve ever made and wham——-I burn my freakin’ tongue through over eagerness checking on the final seasoning. Not the burn I was looking for…

Dad blamit! I’ll have to freeze some if I want to ever enjoy some of this batch.

308 makeitstop  Dec 1, 2014 4:04:46pm

re: #306 Timothy Watson

Who?

Daily Caller reporter, who wrote TheDC Investigates: Is WaPo’s Wesley Lowery Black?, complete with extensive quotes from Award Winning Douchecanoe CJJ.

309 darthstar  Dec 1, 2014 4:05:03pm

re: #306 Timothy Watson

Who?

Pamela Geller dopple-ganger
Image: betsy-rothstein.jpg

310 Justanotherhuman  Dec 1, 2014 4:06:44pm

An absolute tragedy no matter how you slice it. Life is over for these young teens as well as this Bosnian man.

Editor’s note: Many protesters at a vigil in St. Louis are holding signs calling the fatal beating of a Bosnian man a hate crime. Earlier, the prosecutor on the case said early investigations do not suggest the murder was motivated by race. - Jillian
end of note

311 Islamo-Masonic Vourdalak  Dec 1, 2014 4:11:41pm

Hey, hey, CCJ, how many people did you stalk today?

312 sagehen  Dec 1, 2014 4:13:25pm

re: #310 Justanotherhuman

He was killed on Saturday night. By Monday morning, the people who did it were in custody, facing charges. What’s to protest? That’s exactly what’s supposed to happen when people get killed.

Mike Brown’s family would have been absolutely satisfied with that. Trayvonn Martin’s family would have been satisfied if they’d gotten that result. John Crawford’s family, Tamir Rice’s family, so many others, wouldn’t have a word of complaint if the deaths of their young’uns had received similar treatment.

313 darthstar  Dec 1, 2014 4:20:36pm
314 Hercules Grytpype-Thynneghazi  Dec 1, 2014 4:23:01pm

re: #263 Ace-o-aces

Wes Lowery is basically running around trying to be the spokesperson at the same time that he’s covering it. I have to call bullshit on that

This from a guy who can’t distinguish between “journalism” and “opposition research”.

315 Justanotherhuman  Dec 1, 2014 4:23:30pm

re: #312 sagehen

I agree. But the book will be thrown at these kids. I fear the youngest, 15 and 16, will be tried as adults for murder.

316 Islamo-Masonic Vourdalak  Dec 1, 2014 4:27:26pm

re: #305 blueraven

Whoa…Weigel not holding back.

[Embedded content]

I like Weigel, but he’s also the guy who hangs out with Stacy McCain and links to Steve Sailer, so there’s a tiny bit of hypocrisy there.

317 The Vicious Babushka  Dec 1, 2014 4:37:25pm

#YouMightBeARightWingNutJob if you can’t tell the difference between Malia & Sasha Obama, and Bristol Palin

318 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing  Dec 1, 2014 4:40:18pm

re: #316 Islamo-Masonic Vourdalak

I like Weigel, but he’s also the guy who hangs out with Stacy McCain and links to Steve Sailer, so there’s a tiny bit of hypocrisy there.

HUBRIS AND HUMILITY: DAVID WEIGEL COMES CLEAN ON WASHINGTON POST, THE D.C. BUBBLE, & THE ‘JOURNOLIST’ (Breitbutt via donotlink)

I said Gingrich had a “screwed-up tenture” because Republicans I admired, like Sen. Tom Coburn (R, Ok.) and Dick Armey, had serious problems with how Gingrich ran the House.

319 dog philosopher  Dec 1, 2014 4:40:44pm

creepy smear

latest vending machine treat

320 Blind Frog Belly White  Dec 1, 2014 4:43:28pm

re: #258 goddamnedfrank

They weren’t noble at all. They sought out children amenable to their program and took them at an early age, grooming them, trained to subdue emotion, detach their feelings, impose their will upon others and how to kill with ruthless efficiency if necessary. The Jedi were basically depicted as remorseless predators willing to commit all kinds of objectively abusive behavior in the name of their own definition of the greater good.

So the Jedi are the Vorlons, and the Sith the Shadows?

321 Justanotherhuman  Dec 1, 2014 4:43:32pm

This is pretty hilarious…

322 De Kolta Chair  Dec 1, 2014 4:45:49pm

Tweets by nit-wit twit Rupert Murdoch last week, courtesy of Newscorpse:

5:07 PM - 28 Nov 2014: “Moses film attacked on Twitter for all white cast. Since when are Egyptians not white? All I know are.”

5:22 PM - 28 Nov 2014: “Everybody-attacks last tweet. Of course Egyptians are Middle Eastern, but far from black. They treated blacks as slaves.”

5:53 PM - 28 Nov 2014: “Okay, there are many shades of color. Nothing racist about that, so calm down!”

323 Justanotherhuman  Dec 1, 2014 4:46:35pm

Attorney General Eric Holder says he will release new guidance to limit racial profiling by federal law enforcement in wake of Ferguson, Mo. - @Reuters
read more on trust.org

324 Justanotherhuman  Dec 1, 2014 4:49:11pm

Foreign cigarettes smoke you.

Report: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un orders officials not to smoke foreign cigarettes, source tells @YonhapNews
read more on yonhapnews.co.kr

Who knew NK grew tobacco? Of the rabbit type, I suspect.

325 lawhawk  Dec 1, 2014 4:50:34pm

re: #320 Blind Frog Belly White

Who are you? /Vorlons

What do you want? /Shadows

326 De Kolta Chair  Dec 1, 2014 4:55:30pm

re: #313 darthstar

I saw a shelf of those the other day at a lower east side NYC Rite Aid and thought of getting some as gag Hanukkah gifts, but I doubt any of my friends would actually make them, so I’m going with this instead:

327 The Vicious Babushka  Dec 1, 2014 4:55:52pm

Let me guess: he 2nd Amendmented himself

328 Backwoods_Sleuth  Dec 1, 2014 4:59:24pm

re: #327 The Vicious Fergushka

Let me guess: he 2nd Amendmented himself

[Embedded content]

I called it four hours ago:

329 unproven innocence  Dec 1, 2014 5:00:56pm

re: #105 Timothy Watson

Privacy violations? I’m not seeing how…

Unless the Sgt Friday character (of Dragnet fame) is totally irrelevant, many of the people that police talk to are not suspected of any crime or infraction, yet are being recorded without permission.

330 Backwoods_Sleuth  Dec 1, 2014 5:03:21pm

re: #327 The Vicious Fergushka

And Mr. Hunt owned a tow truck company. One of the dead owned a competing tow truck company.
And there was a woman who “did him wrong”.

A freaking country-western song in the making…

331 blueraven  Dec 1, 2014 5:03:22pm

re: #318 Rev_Arthur_Ebolaing

HUBRIS AND HUMILITY: DAVID WEIGEL COMES CLEAN ON WASHINGTON POST, THE D.C. BUBBLE, & THE ‘JOURNOLIST’ (Breitbutt via donotlink)

I said Gingrich had a “screwed-up tenture” because Republicans I admired, like Sen. Tom Coburn (R, Ok.) and Dick Armey, had serious problems with how Gingrich ran the House.

Also this. He is a little difficult to pigeonhole.

After the 2008 election, I drove up from Atlanta to D.C. and was greeted by my editor, Matt Welch, with surprising news. It would be better, he said, if I worked somewhere else. I’d voted for the Obama-Biden ticket (having joked, semi-seriously, that I was honor-bound to vote for a ticket with a fellow Delawarean on it) and wasn’t fully on board with the magazine’s upcoming, wonky focus on picking apart the new administration

332 Timothy Watson  Dec 1, 2014 5:03:36pm

re: #329 unproven innocence

Unless the Sgt Friday character (of Dragnet fame) is totally irrelevant, many of the people that police talk to are not suspected of any crime or infraction, yet are being recorded without permission.

If you’re in public, anyone, including the police, can photograph, audio record, or video tape you.

333 dog philosopher  Dec 1, 2014 5:04:35pm

re: #332 Timothy Watson

If you’re in public, anyone, including the police, can photograph, audio record, or video tape you.

unless you’re picking your nose

334 Blind Frog Belly White  Dec 1, 2014 5:07:18pm

re: #333 dog philosopher

unless you’re picking your nose

Well, THAT’S a relief!
//

335 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing  Dec 1, 2014 5:07:26pm

re: #331 blueraven

My take is he’s something of a “sensible” conservative/libertarian (he worked for Reason ffs), and so he’s not on board with a lot of the Tea Party idiocy and the wackaloons on the right. But it’s a mistake for people to think he’s anywhere near liberal. He does a good job of walking the “objective” tightrope.

336 Blind Frog Belly White  Dec 1, 2014 5:07:58pm

re: #333 dog philosopher

unless you’re picking your nose

Alternatively:

So remember - if you’re gonna run a red light, put your finger up your nose.

337 Kragar  Dec 1, 2014 5:09:25pm

re: #317 The Vicious Fergushka

338 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing  Dec 1, 2014 5:10:19pm

re: #333 dog philosopher

unless you’re picking your nose

re: #334 Blind Frog Belly White

Well, THAT’S a relief!
//

Nope, sorry:
Here’s Mike Smith Digging Deep In His Nose And Plucking A Fat Booger

339 Blind Frog Belly White  Dec 1, 2014 5:10:33pm

re: #325 lawhawk

Who are you? /Vorlons

What do you want? /Shadows

In truth, the Sith = Shadows thing doesn’t work well, but Jedi = Vorlons is pretty good: ruthlessly defending order while portraying themselves as The Good Guys.

The Shadows are more like The Joker in Dark Knight

340 De Kolta Chair  Dec 1, 2014 5:12:39pm
341 blueraven  Dec 1, 2014 5:13:35pm

re: #335 Rev_Arthur_Ebolaing

My take is he’s something of a “sensible” conservative/libertarian (he worked for Reason ffs), and so he’s not on board with a lot of the Tea Party idiocy and the wackaloons on the right. But it’s a mistake for people to think he’s anywhere near liberal. He does a good job of walking the “objective” tightrope.

I would agree and I think that is fine.
I have a few friends who lean conservative. They are funny, sensitive, smart people. They do not identify with today’s republican party.

342 Justanotherhuman  Dec 1, 2014 5:21:16pm

So—the parents are standing there like sitting ducks?

Photo: Hundreds of parents wait to pick up children after reports of possible-armed man force lockdown of some Albuquerque schools - @TinaJensonKRQE
see original on twitter.com

343 Lidane  Dec 1, 2014 5:26:06pm

Why you should always have your ID badge at work, Monday edition—

*knock on main office door*

Female co-worker: Hi, can I help you?

Guy at door: Yeah, I work here. Can you let me in?

Co-worker: If you worked here, you’d have a badge.

Guy: I left it at home. Sorry. But I DO work here.

Co-worker: Sorry, I can’t let you back. But the receptionist should be here soon. She’ll get you signed in so you can be escorted to the back.

Guy: I can assure you, I work here. I just don’t have my badge.

Co-worker: I’m sorry, but I can’t. [Division VP] fired someone for letting people back when they don’t work here. I’m not getting fired for you.

Guy: Look, if I knock on an executive’s door and have them vouch for me, will you let me in?

Co-worker: If you can, sure.

*goes door to door, finding offices 1-5 empty*

Guy: Crap. Look, I know this looks bad. Can I just try one more door?

Co-worker: Ok. One last door, then you’ll have to wait at the front desk.

*knocks on Door 6*

Guy: Hey [company exec] can you tell her I work here? She won’t let me stay here because I forgot my badge.

Guy #2: *falls on the floor laughing* Sure, man. It’s cool.

The best part of this story is that the guy who forgot his badge was the CFO. Every manager, VP, and C-Level exec has been having a field day laughing at him.

344 Blind Frog Belly White  Dec 1, 2014 5:39:00pm

re: #342 Justanotherhuman

So—the parents are standing there like sitting ducks?

Photo: Hundreds of parents wait to pick up children after reports of possible-armed man force lockdown of some Albuquerque schools - @TinaJensonKRQE
see original on twitter.com

BTDT - you stand waiting for your kid, looking for his face in the crowd, trying to figure out what the hell is going on. You don’t think about yourself.

345 Lidane  Dec 1, 2014 5:57:18pm

OUTRAGE!


This article has been archived.
Comments are closed.

Jump to top

Create a PageThis is the LGF Pages posting bookmarklet. To use it, drag this button to your browser's bookmark bar, and title it 'LGF Pages' (or whatever you like). Then browse to a site you want to post, select some text on the page to use for a quote, click the bookmarklet, and the Pages posting window will appear with the title, text, and any embedded video or audio files already filled in, ready to go.
Or... you can just click this button to open the Pages posting window right away.
Last updated: 2023-04-04 11:11 am PDT
LGF User's Guide RSS Feeds

Help support Little Green Footballs!

Subscribe now for ad-free access!Register and sign in to a free LGF account before subscribing, and your ad-free access will be automatically enabled.

Donate with
PayPal
Cash.app
Recent PagesClick to refresh