Stanford Computer Scientists Develop “Troll-Spotting Algorithm,” Explodes When Analyzing Breitbart.com

Using Breitbart as a test bed calls their results into question
Science • Views: 33,218

A group of Stanford computer scientists have developed an algorithm that supposedly can detect trolls by analyzing as few as five comments.

Today, Justin Cheng at Stanford University in California and a few pals say they have created just such a tool by analyzing the behavior of trolls on several well-known websites and creating an algorithm that can accurately spot them after as few as 10 posts. They say their technique should be of high practical importance to the people who maintain online communities.

Cheng and co study three online news communities: the general news site CNN.com, the political news site Breitbart.com, and the computer gaming site IGN.com.

On each of these sites, they have a list of users who have been banned for antisocial behavior, over 10,000 of them in total. They also have all of the messages posted by these users throughout their period of online activity. “Such individuals are clear instances of antisocial users, and constitute ‘ground truth’ in our analyses,” say Cheng and co.

OK, I just have to ask: how in the world can any algorithm pick out “trolls” at Breitbart “News?” Almost every commenter at that insane website is an antisocial lunatic. They don’t discourage antisocial nutcases — inciting them into a frenzy is their business model. If Breitbart “News” was one of their test beds I have to question the accuracy of this algorithm.

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330 comments
1 dog philosopher ஐஒஔ௸  Apr 10, 2015 5:42:31pm

i think we should stick with stripes for trolls

2 Backwoods_Sleuth  Apr 10, 2015 5:42:56pm
3 b.d.  Apr 10, 2015 5:44:31pm

A Breitbart troll spells things correctly?

4 Higgs Boson's Mate  Apr 10, 2015 5:45:17pm

It takes that rig ten posts to spot a troll? Needs work.

5 gwangung  Apr 10, 2015 5:45:33pm

Thought people would be interested in this.

He’s gonna get attacked mercilessly by right wingers…

6 Decatur Deb  Apr 10, 2015 5:49:21pm

“On each of these sites, they have a list of users who have been banned for antisocial behavior…”

Wait a minute…Breitbart bans for anti-social behavior?

7 allegro  Apr 10, 2015 5:50:12pm

re: #5 gwangung

Thought people would be interested in this.

He’s gonna get attacked mercilessly by right wingers…

[Embedded content]

This is probably a dumb question but… why does he need a lawyer?

8 Romantic Heretic  Apr 10, 2015 5:51:02pm

Breitbart as a test bed? Wouldn’t such an algorithm be designed to pick oddities out of the general noise?

If so Breitbart is the wrong place to do it. That would be kind of like picking Communists out of the crowd at a May Day Parade in Moscow during the Cold War.

Sometimes I’m as bad as the wingnuts. I just don’t understand science. ///

9 Decatur Deb  Apr 10, 2015 5:51:26pm

re: #7 allegro

This is probably a dumb question but… why does he need a lawyer?

He needs a mechanic to check his tail lights.

10 Romantic Heretic  Apr 10, 2015 5:52:23pm

re: #7 allegro

This is probably a dumb question but… why does he need a lawyer?

To keep him from going for some cop’s gun?

11 Charles Johnson  Apr 10, 2015 6:00:43pm
12 Charles Johnson  Apr 10, 2015 6:03:29pm

re: #7 allegro

This is probably a dumb question but… why does he need a lawyer?

I think it’s a smart move. Anyone who finds themselves in the middle of a media firestorm should have a lawyer, because the sharks will be circling.

13 Charles Johnson  Apr 10, 2015 6:07:26pm
14 Great White Snark  Apr 10, 2015 6:08:50pm

re: #12 Charles Johnson

I think it’s a smart move. Anyone who finds themselves in the middle of a media firestorm should have a lawyer, because the sharks will be circling.

Kinda illustrates just how toxic that environment is.

15 Charles Johnson  Apr 10, 2015 6:11:18pm
16 Charles Johnson  Apr 10, 2015 6:11:57pm

Getting under his skin tonight.

17 WhatEVs  Apr 10, 2015 6:13:36pm

Wouldn’t banned people at Breitbart be liberals (or faux liberals)? I know Redstate bans anyone not singing the choir.

18 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 10, 2015 6:16:43pm

re: #6 Decatur Deb

“On each of these sites, they have a list of users who have been banned for antisocial behavior…”

Wait a minute…Breitbart bans for anti-social behavior?

Well, by their standards. You get banned if you act decently to other people, are polite and so on because then you don’t fit into their society… /////

19 jaunte  Apr 10, 2015 6:16:57pm
The thing that scares the boomers the most is that they are slowly dying & being replaced.

Projection: his greatest fear is obscurity and death.

20 thatthatisis  Apr 10, 2015 6:18:59pm

“Courage without genius is dangerous”.

Really. Well, we have a lot of American service people who may not technically geniuses, but have a lot more than their share of courage.

Or, according to CJ, I guess they don’t.

21 Charles Johnson  Apr 10, 2015 6:20:03pm
22 thatthatisis  Apr 10, 2015 6:21:37pm

re: #19 jaunte

“Projection: his greatest fear is obscurity and death.”

He may be projecting a fear of obscurity and death, but he’s actually achieved obscenity and derp.

23 Charles Johnson  Apr 10, 2015 6:23:16pm
24 Charles Johnson  Apr 10, 2015 6:30:18pm
25 Backwoods_Sleuth  Apr 10, 2015 6:31:32pm
26 b.d.  Apr 10, 2015 6:31:50pm

re: #17 WhatEVs

Wouldn’t banned people at Breitbart be liberals (or faux liberals)? I know Redstate bans anyone not singing the choir.

The could be right wingers that are even too crazy for Breitbart? Alex Jones fans?

27 WhatEVs  Apr 10, 2015 6:33:22pm

re: #26 b.d.

The could be right wingers that are even too crazy for Breitbart? Alex Jones fans?

I’d think there’s lots of crossover there.

28 b.d.  Apr 10, 2015 6:33:53pm

re: #24 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

So he tweets saying it is time to legalize incest and his next tweet is an explanatory one telling folks how he doesn’t want to legalize incest?

Looks like Chuck has taken to smoking the bath salts

29 Charles Johnson  Apr 10, 2015 6:38:38pm

re: #28 b.d.

So he tweets saying it is time to legalize incest and his next tweet is an explanatory one telling folks how he doesn’t want to legalize incest?

Looks like Chuck has taken to smoking the bath salts

He’s drunk. This is when he’s at his most hilarious.

30 Belafon  Apr 10, 2015 6:39:42pm

A troll would essentially be defined as someone that doesn’t fit into the site, and, in particular, makes statements that are intended to anger the regulars on the site. Some of us would be trolls on RedState. DougJ was once a troll on Balloon Juice.

You would want to test on a site like RedState in part because you wouldn’t want to necessarily have a bias in a particular political direction. You should be able to say “For any site, this algorithm determines who are trolls and who aren’t.”

31 b.d.  Apr 10, 2015 6:41:17pm

re: #29 Charles Johnson

He’s drunk. This is when he’s at his most hilarious.

It’s not even 7 PM in Fresno, right?

32 Belafon  Apr 10, 2015 6:41:42pm

re: #24 Charles Johnson

Genetics doesn’t teach us that unless genetics is defined as “figuring out who the third generation members of Noah’s family were.”

33 b.d.  Apr 10, 2015 6:43:20pm

I see that Greenwald is sticking up for his hero Rand

Shocking

34 Backwoods_Sleuth  Apr 10, 2015 6:43:31pm

re: #31 b.d.

It’s not even 7 PM in Fresno, right?

Time has no hold on the great UpChuck.

35 Mattand  Apr 10, 2015 6:43:38pm

re: #11 Charles Johnson

Time for more popcorn, Florida Rep Ted Yoho (R) is gonna try impeachment! Upcoming epic fail.

LOL, they know they’ve got less than two years to somehow frame the black guy for anything and throw him out of the White House.

I love the impeachment talk. The GOP literally wants to throw Obama in jail for being legally elected twice.

36 Mattand  Apr 10, 2015 6:44:09pm

re: #34 Backwoods_Sleuth

Time has no hold on the great UpChuck.

Nor grammar.

Nor human decency.

37 Charles Johnson  Apr 10, 2015 6:44:31pm
38 b.d.  Apr 10, 2015 6:45:42pm

re: #34 Backwoods_Sleuth

Time has no hold on the great UpChuck.

Maybe that test Chuck took was a BAC test rather than an IQ test?

39 TedStriker  Apr 10, 2015 6:46:06pm

re: #29 Charles Johnson

He’s drunk. This is when he’s at his most hilarious.

Chuck strikes me as being a mean drunk; I hope for his wife’s sake that she has an exit strategy.

40 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 10, 2015 6:47:09pm

re: #39 TedStriker

Chuck strikes me as being a mean drunk; I hope for his wife’s sake that she has an exit strategy.

Two years = green card = automatic divorce?

41 Backwoods_Sleuth  Apr 10, 2015 6:47:19pm

Yep, tonight is another round of epic stream of consciousness random assortment of words…aka UpChuck Philosophy

42 Mattand  Apr 10, 2015 6:47:44pm

re: #39 TedStriker

Chuck strikes me as being a mean drunk; I hope for his wife’s sake that she has an exit strategy.

Yeah, think about it: this vicious bastard doxxes rape victims when he’s fucking sober. I hope for his wife’s sake that we’re not looking at Todd Kincannon West Coast here.

43 Backwoods_Sleuth  Apr 10, 2015 6:48:39pm
44 Lidane  Apr 10, 2015 6:49:14pm

re: #11 Charles Johnson

Time for more popcorn, Florida Rep Ted Yoho (R) is gonna try impeachment! Upcoming epic fail.

Impeachment? In 2015?

Please proceed, Yoho. I’m going to love watching the GOP presidential candidates explain why they think impeaching Obama is a good idea.

45 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Apr 10, 2015 6:49:46pm

re: #37 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

“We’re” driving to LA. I just automatically assume that means HotAsianWife™ is driving, because I can’t imagine Chuckles hasn’t had his DL suspended….

46 HappyWarrior  Apr 10, 2015 6:51:04pm

re: #31 b.d.

It’s not even 7 PM in Fresno, right?

6:50. But hey it’s Happy Hour at Chuck’s mom’s house.

47 TedStriker  Apr 10, 2015 6:52:38pm

re: #42 Mattand

Yeah, think about it: this vicious bastard doxxes rape victims when he’s fucking sober. I hope for his wife’s sake that we’re not looking at Todd Kincannon West Coast here.

My gut (based on experience with some family and friends) tells me that Chuck’s likely a full-blown alcoholic or well on his way to becoming one; I seriously doubt he’s had a fully sober and lucid moment in a long time.

48 HappyWarrior  Apr 10, 2015 6:55:36pm

He’s a sober drunk.

49 TedStriker  Apr 10, 2015 6:56:45pm

re: #48 HappyWarrior

He’s a sober drunk.

I think a more correct term would be “functioning alcoholic”

50 RealityBasedSteve  Apr 10, 2015 6:59:02pm

re: #37 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

Can Taylor Swift get a restraining order on him for that?

RBS

51 HappyWarrior  Apr 10, 2015 6:59:13pm

re: #49 TedStriker

I think a more correct term would be “functioning alcoholic”

Works too. I mean though even when he’s sober, he’s got all the rage and bitter of a drunk.

52 b.d.  Apr 10, 2015 6:59:40pm

re: #49 TedStriker

I think a more correct term would be “functioning alcoholic”

I don’t think that applies to Chuck, how about “delusional insane nutjob?”

53 b.d.  Apr 10, 2015 7:02:12pm

re: #52 b.d.

I don’t think that applies to Chuck, how about “delusional insane nutjob?”

Exhibit A

54 HappyWarrior  Apr 10, 2015 7:05:25pm

re: #53 b.d.

Exhibit A

[Embedded content]

You mean condescendingly and smugly like you’re better than they are, Chuck?

55 Charles Johnson  Apr 10, 2015 7:08:25pm
56 psddluva4evah  Apr 10, 2015 7:08:53pm

Would love to see the Souza pic of this!

57 Great White Snark  Apr 10, 2015 7:09:09pm

re: #33 b.d.

I see that Greenwald is sticking up for his hero Rand

[Embedded content]

Shocking

This one too
mediaite.com

58 Belafon  Apr 10, 2015 7:11:29pm

For you Marvel fans, I saw that Daredevil is now available on Netflix. 13 episodes.

59 psddluva4evah  Apr 10, 2015 7:11:43pm

Well they’re all the same amirite?

Rep Castro is a good sport…betta than I would…

Rep. Castro Corrects Andrea Mitchell: I’m Mexican-American, Not Cuban-American mediaite.com via @mediaite

60 HappyWarrior  Apr 10, 2015 7:12:53pm

re: #59 psddluva4evah

Well they’re all the same amirite?

Rep Castro is a good sport…betta than I would…

Rep. Castro Corrects Andrea Mitchell: I’m Mexican-American, Not Cuban-American mediaite.com via @mediaite

Him and his brother are both classy guys.

61 psddluva4evah  Apr 10, 2015 7:13:37pm

re: #58 Belafon

yeah. I may be one of the only people who didn’t hate the movie. I don’t really like watching streaming video on my laptop or Ipad. I prefer to watch it on my big screen tv.

I have a Netflix account, but I barely use it if at all (my nephew, my godchildren and my cousin’s kids use it more than I do, after I gave them permission).

But I’ve seen the trailer for this one and I’m def thinking about checking it out!

62 Lidane  Apr 10, 2015 7:15:59pm

re: #58 Belafon

For you Marvel fans, I saw that Daredevil is now available on Netflix. 13 episodes.

Watched the first episode earlier. I like it. I’m going to watch the rest of the series for sure. The connection to the larger MCU is subtle, at least in the beginning, but it’s definitely there.

Can’t wait to see where it goes.

63 Lidane  Apr 10, 2015 7:17:27pm

*facepalm*

64 HappyWarrior  Apr 10, 2015 7:18:50pm

re: #63 Lidane

*facepalm*

[Embedded content]

I must have missed all the terrorists that snuck in over the border during Obama’s presidency.

65 Belafon  Apr 10, 2015 7:19:04pm

re: #63 Lidane

Because, Ben, you and the NRA are obviously qualified to determine who’s a terrorist: They’ve got dark skin. Oh, wait.

66 b.d.  Apr 10, 2015 7:25:57pm

re: #63 Lidane

*facepalm*

[Embedded content]

Mexico sure has been a tolerant host of that procrastinating ISIS army.

67 Shiplord Kirel  Apr 10, 2015 7:30:07pm

We have opened Geraldo’s cranial vault and found it empty.

Video:Fox’s Rivera Claims “Eyewitness Account” Will Clear Police Officer Who Shot Walter Scott Of Murder”

Rivera: “There Was No Premeditation … This Is Manslaughter

68 RealityBasedSteve  Apr 10, 2015 7:30:38pm

re: #66 b.d.

Mexico sure has been a tolerant host of that procrastinating ISIS army.

Well, they are probably on per diem, so they would be good tippers you know.

RBS

69 HappyWarrior  Apr 10, 2015 7:31:04pm

re: #67 Shiplord Kirel

We have opened Geraldo’s cranial vault and found it empty.

Video:Fox’s Rivera Claims “Eyewitness Account” Will Clear Police Officer Who Shot Walter Scott Of Murder”

I guess Geraldo has never heard of second degree murder.

70 b.d.  Apr 10, 2015 7:32:19pm

re: #67 Shiplord Kirel

We have opened Geraldo’s cranial vault and found it empty.

Video:Fox’s Rivera Claims “Eyewitness Account” Will Clear Police Officer Who Shot Walter Scott Of Murder”

Wait until they get Josie on the stand!

71 HappyWarrior  Apr 10, 2015 7:33:10pm

Josie heard from Robert McCulloch that it was self defense.

72 RealityBasedSteve  Apr 10, 2015 7:34:03pm

re: #67 Shiplord Kirel

We have opened Geraldo’s cranial vault and found it empty.

Video:Fox’s Rivera Claims “Eyewitness Account” Will Clear Police Officer Who Shot Walter Scott Of Murder”

Calling Hanover Fiste…. Calling Hanover Fiste….

RBS

73 Iwouldprefernotto  Apr 10, 2015 7:37:15pm

re: #72 RealityBasedSteve

Calling Hanover Fiste…. Calling Hanover Fiste….

RBS

Funny how there was no eyewitness account before the video was released.

74 Charles Johnson  Apr 10, 2015 7:37:31pm
75 Higgs Boson's Mate  Apr 10, 2015 7:37:48pm

re: #54 HappyWarrior

Chuck, after he’s had just a few:

76 Shiplord Kirel  Apr 10, 2015 7:39:29pm

Freeper goes full bore racist:

Why does the Caucasoid race have “privilege?

Mostly bell curve crap with the author’s own incoherent thoughts and garbled syntax thrown in. For a member of the master race, he also seems to have a lot of trouble with the concept of paragraphs. Not all the freepers are buying it by any means, but pros do outnumber cons at this moment and the essay has been up for 40 minutes without being zotted by the mods.

77 b.d.  Apr 10, 2015 7:39:35pm

re: #75 Higgs Boson’s Mate

Chuck, after he’s had just a few:

Embedded Image

That photo would set off the Stanford Troll Detector sIren

78 Great White Snark  Apr 10, 2015 7:39:41pm

re: #72 RealityBasedSteve

Calling Hanover Fiste…. Calling Hanover Fiste….

RBS

+1 for Heavy Metal reference

79 TedStriker  Apr 10, 2015 7:39:42pm

re: #72 RealityBasedSteve

Calling Hanover Fiste…. Calling Hanover Fiste….

RBS

A Heavy Metal reference…nice.

80 Great White Snark  Apr 10, 2015 7:44:22pm

Video

Turn it up

81 Kragar  Apr 10, 2015 7:46:07pm

Well, a few hours passed out in a dark room with no lights and no sounds and the migraines are bearable again. Vision clearing up to, Driving home was fun when I lost peripheral vision in my left eye on the freeway.

82 retired cynic  Apr 10, 2015 7:47:35pm

re: #81 Kragar

Sympathy!

83 b.d.  Apr 10, 2015 7:51:38pm

re: #81 Kragar

Well, a few hours passed out in a dark room with no lights and no sounds and the migraines are bearable again. Vision clearing up to, Driving home was fun when I lost peripheral vision in my left eye on the freeway.

Ow. Feel better Kragar.

84 Higgs Boson's Mate  Apr 10, 2015 7:55:51pm

re: #81 Kragar

Good to hear that you’re feeling better. I had those things for a few years. Nothing worse.

85 Mattand  Apr 10, 2015 7:57:55pm

re: #67 Shiplord Kirel

We have opened Geraldo’s cranial vault and found it empty.

Video:Fox’s Rivera Claims “Eyewitness Account” Will Clear Police Officer Who Shot Walter Scott Of Murder”

I saw that earlier today. Only a Fox News contributor could look at video of a cop straight-up murdering a person and declare this is somehow good for the the cop.

86 teleskiguy  Apr 10, 2015 7:59:53pm
87 Higgs Boson's Mate  Apr 10, 2015 8:02:09pm

re: #86 teleskiguy

The Menendez brothers. Their trial was a fucking three ring circus. I seem to remember that they shotgunned their parents and then asked the court for mercy because they were orphans.

88 RealityBasedSteve  Apr 10, 2015 8:05:58pm

re: #87 Higgs Boson’s Mate

The Menendez brothers. Their trail was a fucking three ring circus. I seem to remember that they shotgunned their parents and then asked the court for mercy because they were orphans.

10 cases of sibling serial murderers….

89 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Apr 10, 2015 8:07:45pm

re: #87 Higgs Boson’s Mate

The Menendez brothers. Their trail was a fucking three ring circus. I seem to remember that they shotgunned their parents and then asked the court for mercy because they were orphans.

Peg and Al Bundy were having an argument about how they raised their kids.

Peg: “You know what my biggest regret is?”

Al: “That it’s too late to adopt the Menendez kids?”

90 Hector1980  Apr 10, 2015 8:10:21pm

Interesting. I’ve been posting lately at Breitbart, would the algorithm pick me as a troll? I suppose what I’m doing could qualify as “trolling” since what I do is challenge their insurmountable stupidity.

(Don’t judge me. It’s a form of stress relief.)

91 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Apr 10, 2015 8:15:21pm

re: #90 Hector1980

Interesting. I’ve been posting lately at Breitbart, would the algorithm pick me as a troll? I suppose what I’m doing could qualify as “trolling” since what I do is challenge their insurmountable stupidity.

(Don’t judge me. It’s a form of stress relief.)

I think if you can spell “Breitbart”, the algorithm will single you out as an outside agitator.

92 Iwouldprefernotto  Apr 10, 2015 8:18:29pm

re: #90 Hector1980

Interesting. I’ve been posting lately at Breitbart, would the algorithm pick me as a troll? I suppose what I’m doing could qualify as “trolling” since what I do is challenge their insurmountable stupidity.

(Don’t judge me. It’s a form of stress relief.)

We are not here to judge. Most of the time.

93 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 10, 2015 8:21:55pm

Well, have a good time folks, I’m off to the hotel. Later Lizards.

94 Pawn of the Oppressor  Apr 10, 2015 8:25:30pm

re: #76 Shiplord Kirel

Freeper goes full bore racist:

Why does the Caucasoid race have “privilege?

Mostly bell curve crap with the author’s own incoherent thoughts and garbled syntax thrown in. For a member of the master race, he also seems to have a lot of trouble with the concept of paragraphs. Not all the freepers are buying it by any means, but pros do outnumber cons at this moment and the essay has been up for 40 minutes without being zotted by the mods.

Good ol’ Das FreiReich. They never disappoint.

95 Higgs Boson's Mate  Apr 10, 2015 8:26:02pm

re: #92 Iwouldprefernotto

We are not here to judge. Most of the time.

I only judge one person here. I judge carefully and thoughtfully, then I comment anyway.

96 jaunte  Apr 10, 2015 8:29:03pm

“Buy one, get a gross” sale next week.

97 jaunte  Apr 10, 2015 8:31:24pm
limited edition bumper stickers

Nothing says “you’re a buncha rubes” like selling a limited edition bumper sticker.

98 Higgs Boson's Mate  Apr 10, 2015 8:32:02pm

re: #96 jaunte

And only fifteen bucks. What a mensch.

99 Higgs Boson's Mate  Apr 10, 2015 8:34:50pm

re: #97 jaunte

Nothing says “you’re a buncha rubes” like selling a limited edition bumper sticker.

Aren’t limited editions usually numbered? “Look,Cletus! I got #4,346. I’ma gonna hold onto this for a few months and then sell it on that Ebay.”

100 Belafon  Apr 10, 2015 8:38:11pm

re: #99 Higgs Boson’s Mate

It’s limited because everything is spelled correctly.

101 b.d.  Apr 10, 2015 8:45:05pm

re: #99 Higgs Boson’s Mate

Aren’t limited editions usually numbered? “Look,Cletus! I got #4,346. I’ma gonna hold onto this for a few months and then sell it on that Ebay.”

It’s signed and numbered on the back.

//

102 RealityBasedSteve  Apr 10, 2015 8:47:50pm

re: #101 b.d.

It’s signed and numbered on the back.

//

If you act now, we will throw in this genuine woodgrain patterned frame to proudly display your treasured collectible. Act now, supplies are strictly limited and operators are standing by.

103 retired cynic  Apr 10, 2015 8:49:12pm

re: #102 RealityBasedSteve

But Wait! If you respond in the next 10 minutes….

104 b.d.  Apr 10, 2015 8:50:09pm

re: #103 retired cynic

But Wait! If you respond in the next 10 minutes….

Rand does sorta look like the Sham Wow guy

105 b.d.  Apr 10, 2015 8:56:36pm
106 b.d.  Apr 10, 2015 8:59:43pm

Heck of a great week for you Rand

107 Higgs Boson's Mate  Apr 10, 2015 9:04:39pm

“Act now and we’ll add a lovely set of Ginsu knives! Just pay shipping and handling.”

108 b.d.  Apr 10, 2015 9:07:11pm

Bitcoin

Payment Information

Credit Card - Bitcoin - PayPal

Expiration
My billing address is the same as the mailing address

secure.randpaul.com

109 Joe Bacon  Apr 10, 2015 9:07:35pm

re: #106 b.d.

I’m waiting for Rand Paul to do the Oral Roberts thing and say the 900 foot figure of Jesus is going to take him to heaven unless he gets another 9 million dollars!

110 b.d.  Apr 10, 2015 9:08:57pm

re: #109 Joe Bacon

I’m waiting for Rand Paul to do the Oral Roberts thing and say the 900 foot figure of Jesus is going to take him to heaven unless he gets another 9 million dollars!

I’LL BE DRONED BY THE NSA IF I DON’T GET $1,000,000 SOON

111 Aunty Entity Dragon  Apr 10, 2015 9:11:54pm

re: #11 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

Check this lunatic out…

112 Aunty Entity Dragon  Apr 10, 2015 9:13:54pm
113 HappyWarrior  Apr 10, 2015 9:15:10pm

re: #111 Aunty Entity Dragon

Check this lunatic out…

[Embedded content]

What are illegal US IDs?

114 Aunty Entity Dragon  Apr 10, 2015 9:15:22pm

re: #94 Pawn of the Oppressor

Looks like the mods have nuked it.

115 HappyWarrior  Apr 10, 2015 9:15:31pm

I like how they’re not just high crimes and treasons but EVIL!

116 Aunty Entity Dragon  Apr 10, 2015 9:15:56pm

re: #113 HappyWarrior

What are illegal US IDs?

Better ask whoever he/she is…damned if I know.

117 retired cynic  Apr 10, 2015 9:15:57pm

re: #113 HappyWarrior

Birther stuff.

118 HappyWarrior  Apr 10, 2015 9:16:29pm

re: #105 b.d.

[Embedded content]

A limited edition bumper sticker that you can have on your car so your friends can laugh at you in a few years when Rand Paul is just another failed presidential candidate.

119 HappyWarrior  Apr 10, 2015 9:16:45pm

re: #116 Aunty Entity Dragon

Better ask whoever he/she is…damned if I know.

I know, I was thinking aloud.

120 HappyWarrior  Apr 10, 2015 9:17:10pm

re: #117 retired cynic

Birther stuff.

Figured as much. Man there;s some crazies out there.

121 retired cynic  Apr 10, 2015 9:17:15pm

re: #118 HappyWarrior

Don’t worry. They can just do a sticker overlay on the year.

122 HappyWarrior  Apr 10, 2015 9:19:00pm

re: #121 retired cynic

Don’t worry. They can just do a sticker overlay on the year.

Probably be even easier to just get a sticker that says Rand and place it over the old Ron Paul sticker from three and seven years ago.

123 Aunty Entity Dragon  Apr 10, 2015 9:19:35pm

re: #121 retired cynic

Don’t worry. They can just do a sticker overlay on the year.

Ol’ Randy lad will have another grifter special bumper sticker up for them at a NEW LOW PRICE IF YOU ORDER NOW!!!! after the first debate…probably with a focus group tested zinger quote.

wash, rinse, repeat.

124 HappyWarrior  Apr 10, 2015 9:20:46pm

Anyone who pays over a few bucks for any bumper sticker is a sucker. This does give me an interesting idea for my beer fridge though.

125 Higgs Boson's Mate  Apr 10, 2015 9:21:34pm

re: #111 Aunty Entity Dragon

Check this lunatic out…

[Embedded content]

Riiiight. Don’t trip over that old Constitution on your way to glory, Yoho.

126 Aunty Entity Dragon  Apr 10, 2015 9:22:24pm

Personally, I suggest we stockpile
Cthulu 2016! Why vote for the lesser of two evils?

…stickers and just slap ‘em right on every Rand Paul sticker we see in parking lots.

Not like they would be false advertising.

127 HappyWarrior  Apr 10, 2015 9:23:29pm

re: #126 Aunty Entity Dragon

Personally, I suggest we stockpile
Cthulu 2016! Why vote for the lesser of two evils?

…stickers and just slap ‘em right on every Rand Paul sticker we see in parking lots.

Not like they would be false advertising.

I actually like Chitulu’s economic plan. It’s well thought out. Can’t say the same about Rand’s.

128 Higgs Boson's Mate  Apr 10, 2015 9:24:38pm

re: #124 HappyWarrior

Anyone who pays over a few bucks for any bumper sticker is a sucker. This does give me an interesting idea for my beer fridge though.

It’s a libertarian bumper sticker: it doesn’t have any adhesive, but the Free Market will find a way to make it stay on.

129 retired cynic  Apr 10, 2015 9:25:11pm

Heard a round table on NPR this evening about Hillary, and how she didn’t have an ‘over-arching’ plan announced that covered everything and her philosophy. I noticed they didn’t demand that of any of the Republicans.

130 Aunty Entity Dragon  Apr 10, 2015 9:25:29pm

re: #127 HappyWarrior

I actually like Chitulu’s economic plan. It’s well thought out. Can’t say the same about Rand’s.

Eat your enemies and sacrifice everything else to the Outer Gods and Yog Soggoth.

Neat, tidy, and no fuss.

131 Higgs Boson's Mate  Apr 10, 2015 9:26:17pm

re: #129 retired cynic

Heard a round table on NPR this evening about Hillary, and how she didn’t have an ‘over-arching’ plan announced that covered everything and her philosophy. I noticed they didn’t demand that of any of the Republicans.

Why ask when you already know the answer?

132 Aunty Entity Dragon  Apr 10, 2015 9:26:26pm

re: #128 Higgs Boson’s Mate

It’s a libertarian bumper sticker: it doesn’t have any adhesive, but the Free Market will find a way to make it stay on.

Wait a minute! The Invisible Hand keeps knocking it off my fridge and it drifts under the stove!

133 HappyWarrior  Apr 10, 2015 9:27:28pm

re: #130 Aunty Entity Dragon

Eat your enemies and sacrifice everything else to the Outer Gods and Yog Soggoth.

Neat, tidy, and no fuss.

Yeah you can tell Chtullu sat down and thought about this real careful. Rand’s economics meanwhile are basically a rip off of his father’s old speeches along with Ludwig von Mises’ notes.

134 HappyWarrior  Apr 10, 2015 9:28:00pm

re: #128 Higgs Boson’s Mate

It’s a libertarian bumper sticker: it doesn’t have any adhesive, but the Free Market will find a way to make it stay on.

But it’s free of tyranny or so it tells me.

135 Joe Bacon  Apr 10, 2015 9:31:28pm

re: #113 HappyWarrior

What are illegal US IDs?

Hey maybe Congressman Yoyo got confused and meant to talk about IUD’s!

136 Joe Bacon  Apr 10, 2015 9:32:30pm

re: #129 retired cynic

Heard a round table on NPR this evening about Hillary, and how she didn’t have an ‘over-arching’ plan announced that covered everything and her philosophy. I noticed they didn’t demand that of any of the Republicans.

I gave up on Nothing but Propaganda for Republicans years ago.

137 Aunty Entity Dragon  Apr 10, 2015 9:33:03pm

re: #135 Joe Bacon

Hey maybe Congressman Yoyo got confused and meant to talk about IUD’s!

I can do without that particular mental image…

138 Aunty Entity Dragon  Apr 10, 2015 9:33:15pm

Good night lizards :)

139 Dark_Falcon  Apr 10, 2015 9:42:21pm

re: #50 RealityBasedSteve

Can Taylor Swift get a restraining order on him for that?

RBS

No, but she might sue him for using her name while being blind drunk and batshit insane.

140 Dark_Falcon  Apr 10, 2015 9:43:16pm

re: #136 Joe Bacon

I gave up on Nothing but Propaganda for Republicans years ago.

You think NPR is right-of-center? Really?!

141 retired cynic  Apr 10, 2015 9:45:12pm

re: #140 Dark_Falcon

It is subtle, but they have been trying MBF since the attempts by Congress to cut their funding. Apple polishing.

142 Dark_Falcon  Apr 10, 2015 9:49:27pm

re: #141 retired cynic

It is subtle, but they have been trying MBF since the attempts by Congress to cut their funding. Apple polishing.

MBF is fairly common in news outlets, actually, but it’s not a “right-wing” trait.

143 BeachDem  Apr 10, 2015 9:49:52pm

re: #122 HappyWarrior

Probably be even easier to just get a sticker that says Rand and place it over the old Ron Paul sticker from three and seven years ago.

I’ll take this one:



144 retired cynic  Apr 10, 2015 9:52:29pm

re: #142 Dark_Falcon

I certainly think they are more balanced than anything else I hear or watch, but it drives me crazy when they tell you what Hillary needs to do, but just play Ted or Rand’s statements of what they are for, without analysis.

Not saying it is all the time, but enough for me to growl in my beer.

145 retired cynic  Apr 10, 2015 9:54:04pm

It’s nearly midnight here, so I’m going to call it for the evening.

146 lostlakehiker  Apr 10, 2015 9:55:53pm

The definition of “troll” is judgment-free, here. A “troll” is anyone who gets banned for going against the flow.

I got banned at Gateway for disagreeing, correctly, with what they were saying. I haven’t got banned here for disagreeing, sometimes correctly and sometimes mistakenly, with the flow.

147 lostlakehiker  Apr 10, 2015 9:58:34pm

re: #128 Higgs Boson’s Mate

It’s a libertarian bumper sticker: it doesn’t have any adhesive, but the Free Market will find a way to make it stay on.

The free market has one. Buy your own glue and stick it on yourself.

//Read that any way you like.//

148 Dark_Falcon  Apr 10, 2015 10:00:15pm

Air Force two-star general plays stupid anti-A-10 game, wins stupid pink-slip prize:

An Air Force major general has been formally reprimanded and removed from his job for telling a group of officers that talking to Congress in a bid to block retirement of the A-10 Warthog amounted to ‘treason,’ the Air Force said on Friday.

An investigation of remarks by Major General James Post III, who was the vice commander of Air Combat Command, found that his words to some 300 airmen at Nellis Air Force Base on Jan. 10 may have had a ‘chilling effect’ on some of them, convincing them not to speak with lawmakers.

Representative Mac Thornberry, chairman of the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee, said the Air Force action against Post was ‘important and correct.’

‘Members of Congress must be able to receive unfiltered facts and opinions from service members…,’ he said in a statement.

‘Attempts to prevent or restrict that communication cannot be allowed.’

I’m glad this happened. The behavior of the Air Force brass on the matter of the A-10 has been way out of line. Their attempt to retire the A-10 against the wishes of Congress and without presidential support richly warrants the smackdown it is now receiving.

149 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Apr 10, 2015 10:02:16pm

re: #13 Charles Johnson

Spelin iz hard

150 Dark_Falcon  Apr 10, 2015 10:09:29pm

re: #149 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

Spelin iz hard

[Embedded content]

Of course, the fictional Beast is smart and open minded, while UpChuck is a narrow-minded dumbass.

151 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 10, 2015 10:10:33pm

re: #148 Dark_Falcon

Air Force two-star general plays stupid anti-A-10 game, wins stupid pink-slip prize:

I’m glad this happened. The behavior of the Air Force brass on the matter of the A-10 has been way out of line. Their attempt to retire the A-10 against the wishes of Congress and without presidential support richly warrants the smackdown it is now receiving.

Still more evidence that the air force experiment has failed and that tax air & air lift needs to go back to the Army while the strategic mission goes to the Navy.

152 #FergusonFireside  Apr 10, 2015 10:13:06pm

Night all!

153 Dark_Falcon  Apr 10, 2015 10:17:54pm

re: #151 William Barnett-Lewis

Still more evidence that the air force experiment has failed and that tax air & air lift needs to go back to the Army while the strategic mission goes to the Navy.

Really, this just a case of generals getting too big for their breeches. The armed forces need to cooperate with legitimate Congressional inquires, and senior officers attempt obstruction they should be punted.

154 lostlakehiker  Apr 10, 2015 10:22:46pm

re: #76 Shiplord Kirel

Freeper goes full bore racist:

Why does the Caucasoid race have “privilege?

Mostly bell curve crap with the author’s own incoherent thoughts and garbled syntax thrown in. For a member of the master race, he also seems to have a lot of trouble with the concept of paragraphs. Not all the freepers are buying it by any means, but pros do outnumber cons at this moment and the essay has been up for 40 minutes without being zotted by the mods.

It’s been pulled now.

155 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 10, 2015 10:22:48pm

re: #153 Dark_Falcon

Really, this just a case of generals getting too big for their breeches. The armed forces need to cooperate with legitimate Congressional inquires, and senior officers attempt obstruction they should be punted.

The problem is that this has been SOP for the USAF since they were split out. The false belief that strategic bombing did much to end the war in Europe doesn’t help to this day. In the end, the Army needs mud movers and not zoomies. ,

156 BeachDem  Apr 10, 2015 10:23:31pm

One sweet story, then off to bed.

Sam Holtz, whose top NCAA bracket was tied for best in the ESPN tournament challenge out of 11.57 million entries, got rewarded while giving something back Thursday afternoon.

After learning that Best Buy was awarding him a $1,000 gift card for his accomplishment, 12-year-old Sam decided to contact the Make-A-Wish Foundation. When he cashed in the gift card Thursday afternoon, Sam picked out a pair of XBox One video game systems, then announced he was donating one of them to Make-A-Wish, an organization that grants wishes to kids with life-threatening illnesses.

chicagotribune.com

157 Dark_Falcon  Apr 10, 2015 10:29:56pm

re: #155 William Barnett-Lewis

The problem is that this has been SOP for the USAF since they were split out. The false belief that strategic bombing did much to end the war in Europe doesn’t help to this day. In the end, the Army needs mud movers and not zoomies. ,

The bombing campaign had major effects, its a fact. It did major damage to German production, even if it wasn’t always visible. As an example, raids on two of the three main Panther factories (for some reason the third in Hannover was ignored almost to the end of the war) forced the Germans to cut back on spare parts production to keep tank production numbers up. As a result, many Panthers were unusable due to the parts shortage.

158 Higgs Boson's Mate  Apr 10, 2015 10:30:54pm

re: #151 William Barnett-Lewis

Still more evidence that the air force experiment has failed and that tax air & air lift needs to go back to the Army while the strategic mission goes to the Navy.

The AF reminds me more and more of the Maginot Line.

159 TedStriker  Apr 10, 2015 10:31:29pm

re: #156 BeachDem

One sweet story, then off to bed.

Sam Holtz, whose top NCAA bracket was tied for best in the ESPN tournament challenge out of 11.57 million entries, got rewarded while giving something back Thursday afternoon.

After learning that Best Buy was awarding him a $1,000 gift card for his accomplishment, 12-year-old Sam decided to contact the Make-A-Wish Foundation. When he cashed in the gift card Thursday afternoon, Sam picked out a pair of XBox One video game systems, then announced he was donating one of them to Make-A-Wish, an organization that grants wishes to kids with life-threatening illnesses.

chicagotribune.com

So shines a good deed in a weary world…

160 Dark_Falcon  Apr 10, 2015 10:35:57pm

As to why we need first-rate air-to-air capabilities:

Russia receives two MiG-31BM squadrons

Russia is using those birds to escort their bombers, so anyone hoping to defend against Russian bombers going to need a powerful inception force to beat the bombers’ fighter screen.

161 Higgs Boson's Mate  Apr 10, 2015 10:39:16pm

re: #160 Dark_Falcon

From the link:

Borisov told the press that the service life of the modernised aircraft will be 40-45 years, and could be extended to 50. Russia’s MiG-31 aircraft have been operational for 20-30 years.

The deputy minister rejected renewed MiG-31 production calling it “impractical and unprofitable” in today’s economy.

162 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Apr 10, 2015 10:40:51pm

Waiting on the plumber to come to fix a leak I could fix myself if I had the right tools and some Teflon tape.

He was supposed to come four hours ago.

Time is money, I tell myself. Meanwhile, I wait.

Waiting for Godot was really about plumbers. Forget all that existentialist, God stuff. Beckett was stuck at home one day, waiting for the plumber, and in frustration, wrote the play.

163 gwangung  Apr 10, 2015 10:49:16pm

re: #140 Dark_Falcon

You think NPR is right-of-center? Really?!

Well, we’re observing it in 2015, not remembering what it was in the 20th Century.

164 Kragar  Apr 11, 2015 12:02:02am

Me gusta:

165 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 12:57:40am

re: #74 Charles Johnson

His audience are just simple farmers. These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West.

166 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 1:03:29am

It’s just dawned on me that “people of the land” = “am haaretz”.

167 Single-handed sailor  Apr 11, 2015 1:03:34am

I’m watching Marvel’s Daredevil on Netflix, just started s1e2. It seems darker than the Daredevil movie. I like it so far.

168 Kragar  Apr 11, 2015 1:14:44am

re: #167 Single-handed sailor

I’m watching Marvel’s Daredevil on Netflix, just started s1e2. It seems darker than the Daredevil movie. I like it so far.

The fight at the end of episode 2 reminds me of the hall fight from Old Boy

169 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 1:17:23am
AndrewProductionsTV 8 months ago
1970s: “Hey baby”
1990s: “Hey babe”
2014: “Hey bae”
2020: “Hey b”
2030: “All hail our glorious squirrel overlords”
170 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 1:55:20am

wtf

Rafael Correa Verified account
@MashiRafael
Presidente Constitucional de la República del Ecuador

171 freetoken  Apr 11, 2015 2:17:09am

I like the first piece on this program:

Video

172 Archangelus  Apr 11, 2015 3:41:17am

re: #170 Nyet

Vox: President of Ecuador Tweets “Heil Hitler”

Being a head of state is hard. You get criticized and scrutinized, all while having to do a pretty difficult job. But there is a right way to respond to criticism and a wrong way. And on Thursday the president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, did it the wrong way: by tweeting “Heil Hitler.”

Correa, who has 2.12 million followers, was engaging in an old-fashioned Twitter fight. While it looks crazy, and may indeed have been sent in a moment of frustration, this is likely not crazy at all but rather part of Correa’s calculated and politically successful strategy of using dumb spats as a way to position himself as a man of the people bravely facing his many enemies.

The fight started when former Ecuadorian President Osvaldo Hurtado gave a speech in which he reportedly called Correa a “typical fascist.” Panamanian politician Guillermo Cochez, a critic of Correa, tweeted that line from Hurtado’s speech. Correa responded by tweeting “Heil Hitler,” mocking the idea that he was a fascist.

In other words, it was a joke, if a pretty tasteless one. Tweeting “Heil Hitler,” even as a joke, is undeniably odd behavior for the leader of a country — but then again, Rafael Correa is a pretty unusual head of state..

Seems like another case of Correa being Correa..

173 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2015 3:44:27am

re: #172 Archangelus

Vox: President of Ecuador Tweets “Heil Hitler”

Seems like another case of Correa being Correa..

Who knew Correa could go full bore Godwin?

174 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2015 3:48:54am

Someone doesn’t want these girls getting an education. I hope they all pull through this.

Herat City, Afghanistan

175 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2015 4:01:04am

Understanding British politics and the coming election w/charges of “London Rule” from the hinterlands and drummings of secession and nationalism.

Britain prepares for a campaign into political turbulence

blogs.reuters.com

(snip)

“The plethora of parties vying for representation in the mother of parliaments may bring the mother of all political turbulence. The candidates are plunging Britain into an uneasy time that will only become more intense after the May 7 vote, there is no avoiding it.

“With one exception, the men represent parties that have existed for a century — the Labour Party, led by Ed Miliband — or more — the Conservative Party, led by Prime Minster David Cameron. The Liberal Democratic Party, led by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, is heir to the 19th-century Liberals. The exception is Nigel Farage, leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party, founded 12 years ago.

“The women are the real radicals: Nicola Sturgeon, new leader of the Scottish National Party, is a Scot; Leanne Wood of Plaid Cymru, the party of Wales, is Welsh, and Natalie Bennett of the Green Party is, surprisingly, Australian. The first two want to break up Britain by taking Scotland or Wales out of the union. Bennett wants “a radical transformation of society for the benefit of all,” which would mean low or no growth. All are hostile to “austerity,” the economic policy, followed throughout Europe, that focuses on reducing national budget deficits through a mixture of public-sector cuts and tax increases.” More

176 Alyosha  Apr 11, 2015 4:06:36am

re: #174 Justanotherhuman

There have been numerous cases of this kind in Afghanistan in which students will notice a ‘bad smell’, upon which many will experience symptoms like faintness and nausea. In cases such as this, no immediate cause was found and the suspicion has been that due to the stress of study and the threat of Taliban attacks it’s possible these girls have suffered from a case of mass hysteria. I severely mislike the term for obvious reasons.
If indeed the Taliban is responsible for this and other incidents like it, I’d have to imagine that the government is trying to downplay the attacks.
My own thoughts have been that if the Taliban wanted to attack and destroy a girl’s school they would use the more effective bombs and bullets.

177 Alyosha  Apr 11, 2015 4:08:44am

re: #176 Alyosha

I’m aware how my previous post might appear to be really unsympathetic so I’ll try and find an article that doesn’t sound like an FB rant I’ve sourced from my anus.

178 Alyosha  Apr 11, 2015 4:14:16am

re: #177 Alyosha

telegraph.co.uk

This doesn’t mean this particular incident is not an attack, just to be clear. Now I’ll shut up ;)

179 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2015 4:19:56am

re: #178 Alyosha

telegraph.co.uk

This doesn’t mean this particular incident is not an attack, just to be clear. Now I’ll shut up ;)

Well, no matter what the cause or result, there still remain plenty of enemies of girls’ education in Afghanistan. And whether it was “mass hysteria” or a real material cause, the fact remains that these girls live under the stresses of living in a war zone in which tribalism still affects all areas of their lives and makes the atmosphere for learning dangerous.

180 Alyosha  Apr 11, 2015 4:22:36am

re: #179 Justanotherhuman

Absolutely, and the article I cited mentions that for understandable reasons, parents have kept their children home from fear as a result. So even if we take the Taliban at their word, that they are not responsible, no doubt they consider the outcome a happy accident, as it were.

181 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 4:26:21am

These outbreaks tend to follow a seasonal
pattern. According to the Afghan
authorities, the events start around
April/May and close to the examination
period.

182 urbanmeemaw  Apr 11, 2015 4:33:35am

re: #88 RealityBasedSteve

10 cases of sibling serial murderers….

Obviously they were the “real victims”.

183 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 4:33:54am

re: #181 Nyet

0 deaths indeed points to an MPI.
The report is from 2012.

And here is April 2013:
latitude.blogs.nytimes.com

Haven’t found 2014 reports.

From the NYT blog report:

Meanwhile, there is a darker side to this story. Who are the “perpetrators” of these nonexistent crimes being paraded on TV? Last year in Takhar, I found that the Afghan intelligence service had arrested two 17-year-old girls named Seema Gul and Shukira. A female interrogator beat them into confessing to poisoning their schoolmates, and one of the girl’s videotaped confession was distributed and broadcast on a number of local stations. After I published my story, and ISAF and the U.N. put pressure on the government, the girls were released, but none of the provincial officials involved in the incident were held accountable for their actions.

184 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 4:36:33am

Amazing what our minds do.

185 Alyosha  Apr 11, 2015 4:38:07am

re: #183 Nyet

Holy shit!

186 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2015 4:38:44am

The BLA is designated as a terrorist org by the US and EU. It’s said that it originated when the KGB funded it during the USSR/Afghan conflict when it was a leftist student org.

Person claiming to speak for Baluch Liberation Army tells reporters his group killed 20 workers as reprisal for military operations in area - @Reuters
end of alert5

It’s beginning to become difficult in learning who all these different groups are and their raison d’être.

187 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 4:39:06am

re: #185 Alyosha

Holy shit!

The “poisoning” stories are useful for the govt.

188 Decatur Deb  Apr 11, 2015 4:40:49am

re: #183 Nyet

0 deaths indeed points to an MPI.
The report is from 2012.

And here is April 2013:
latitude.blogs.nytimes.com

Haven’t found 2014 reports.

From the NYT blog report:

Knowing that people are willing to throw acid in your face and today is the quadratic equations quiz will make kids jumpy.

189 Decatur Deb  Apr 11, 2015 4:45:17am

re: #187 Nyet

The “poisoning” stories are useful for the govt.

Poisoning Medieval wells
Poisoning Salem colonists
Poisoning MMR vaccines

It’s all useful to someone

190 Alyosha  Apr 11, 2015 4:49:43am

re: #187 Nyet

The “poisoning” stories are useful for the govt.

I guess, while it’s important for the authorities to helpfully inform citizens of MPI, one also does not want to be caught flat-footed when or if an actual poisoning occurs.
Still, beating two kids into falsely confessing is not what I would call an enlightened response.

191 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2015 4:53:42am

re: #188 Decatur Deb

Knowing that people are willing to throw acid in your face and today is the quadratic equations quiz will make kids jumpy.

“But as long as the government and media remain in denial about the real cause of the incidents, the victims won’t receive that counseling. Those who fulminate against the Taliban, and who mindlessly publicize each “poisoning,” only contribute to the generalized anxiety that helps precipitate these incidents and bring harm to their victims.”

192 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 4:54:07am

So we went to the NDS. It was after dark. On the first visit, I heard her
[“Fawzia”] crying like someone who was being beaten. Her voice came from
a few meters away. I was there until eleven at night, but they did not let me
see her. I went there the next morning at nine. I was [allowed] to sit with her.
I asked her why she had been crying the night before and she said, ‘They
were beating me.’ Her skin was black [with bruises]. I saw it myself on her
legs and hands.

…

Zainab arrived— she said ‘I am from the human rights [sic],176 I can help
you.’ I said that I had done nothing and that I was not guilty. Zainab told me
that ‘The commander will come and he will beat you and give you electric
shocks and cut your hair and tear out your nails.’ She said: ‘Please tell him
a lie [that you poisoned the students at the Bibi Hajira high school on May
23, 2012].’ My mother was not there—this was late at night. Zainab said she
would bring the Americans [and they would sexually abuse me].
She insulted me very badly. I was crying. She slapped me. She told me:
‘Please lie—say that you put the poison [in the school well].’ She pulled my
hair. She stepped on my feet with her heel. She said: ‘If you don’t tell me,
we will have to give you electric shocks.’
Then she filmed me and I told lies. My head was hurting and I did not
understand. They put me under a lot of pressure. They taught me the lies and then I told these lies. Then they took me into another room. There was
another girl there [“Najla”]. So this girl said that she used the poison. Zainab
also told this girl to tell a lie - she looked as if she had been really beaten.177

193 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 5:00:58am

re: #191 Justanotherhuman

“But as long as the government and media remain in denial about the real cause of the incidents, the victims won’t receive that counseling. Those who fulminate against the Taliban, and who mindlessly publicize each “poisoning,” only contribute to the generalized anxiety that helps precipitate these incidents and bring harm to their victims.”

A mental virus, as it were.

194 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2015 5:08:01am

China says U.S. backs its campaign to hunt down ‘economic fugitives’

reuters.com

(Reuters) - The United States has promised support for China’s campaign to hunt corrupt officials fleeing abroad, the official Xinhua news agency reported late Friday, after meetings between security officials from the world’s two largest economies.

Talks this week between Chinese domestic security leaders Meng Jianzhu and Guo Shengkun, and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson also touched on counter-terrorism, intellectual property rights, maritime law enforcement and cybersecurity issues, Xinhua said.

(snip)

China’s anti-corruption watchdog said last month that more than 500 suspects were repatriated to China last year, along with more than 3 billion yuan ($484.32 million). More

195 Decatur Deb  Apr 11, 2015 5:11:10am

re: #193 Nyet

A mental virus, as it were.

Probably, but I’d want to be sure we didn’t pay KBR to renovate a lot of schools with Chinese drywall.

196 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 5:12:40am

On a lighter note, there’s also a genital retraction syndrome.

197 Decatur Deb  Apr 11, 2015 5:18:10am

Dogwalk, then off to the the torch lighting at the BBQ fest.

198 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2015 5:31:59am

Saturn did this for the duration of its manufacture, which probably lead to its demise. Kept up, Saturns can be hard to kill and there are plenty of other fans of Saturns out there besides me. Now, other mfgrs are trying to catch up.

Automakers Put Vehicles on a Diet, Consumers May Be the Winners

nbcnews.com

My 2002 Saturn SL 2450 lbs.

Grandson’s 2001 Camry CE: 3042 lbs

Plus, I get more miles per gallon, about 7, city/hwy. Unfortunately, the Munchkin somehow decided to use my hood as a sketch pad with a lava rock, so now it has lines on it. If I knew a real artist, I’d have her do a design on it for me. Nevertheless, appearance takes a backseat to function for me, and I love this little 5 spd, not to mention its economy. Buffing his “artwork” out is not a priority at this point.

199 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2015 5:46:47am

re: #180 Alyosha

Absolutely, and the article I cited mentions that for understandable reasons, parents have kept their children home from fear as a result. So even if we take the Taliban at their word, that they are not responsible, no doubt they consider the outcome a happy accident, as it were.

Actually, no. Unlike ISIS, the Taliban’s leadership has not sanctioned the use of chemical weapons, and if they’d done what they were accused of here it would have been a chem-war attack. As it is, some non-Taliban Afghans will believe it was such an attack or at least think the Taliban capable of such things, and will fight the Talibs all the harder because of it.

Burning a school may make you feared and hated, but the use of chemical weapons to kill schoolgirls will just make you hated the world over.

200 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 5:48:40am

re: #199 Dark_Falcon

Burning a school may make you feared and hated, but the use of chemical weapons to kill schoolgirls will just make you hated the world over.

Hence #187.

201 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2015 5:52:16am

Of course, being The Daily Beast, the headline is incorrect, nevertheless, I tend to agree w/Trudeau. And hate does disguise itself in many forms, as we know in this country.

Garry Trudeau: Charlie Hebdo Is ‘Hate Speech’

thedailybeast.com

What Trudeau actually said was, “…Charlie Hebdo “wandered into the realm of hate speech” with its satire of Islam.

“Free speech… becomes its own kind of fanaticism,” Trudeau also reportedly said, adding that the job of satirists is to punch up, not punch down.”

202 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2015 5:57:32am

re: #201 Justanotherhuman

Of course, being The Daily Beast, the headline is incorrect, nevertheless, I tend to agree w/Trudeau. And hate does disguise itself in many forms, as we know in this country.

Garry Trudeau: Charlie Hebdo Is ‘Hate Speech’

thedailybeast.com

What Trudeau actually said was, “…Charlie Hebdo “wandered into the realm of hate speech” with its satire of Islam.

“Free speech… becomes its own kind of fanaticism,” Trudeau also reportedly said, adding that the job of satirists is to punch up, not punch down.”

“Punching down” can be needed when one is dealing with the kinds of terrorists produced by the various Radical Islamist groups. And given the level of support and funding Al Qaeda has received over the years, it surely was ‘punching down’ when two of its affiliates attacked Charlie Hebdo.

203 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 6:01:21am

re: #201 Justanotherhuman

So Trudeau doesn’t understand what hate speech is, and the tired “punching” meme is tired.

BTW, I tried reading Doonesbury and just couldn’t, because of the art style. Gah.

204 Alyosha  Apr 11, 2015 6:04:13am

re: #199 Dark_Falcon

There is not a quibble so much as to whether the Taliban would theoretically use chemical weapons if they possessed them, so much as it is my understanding that they actually don’t have those weapons.

205 Decatur Deb  Apr 11, 2015 6:13:28am

re: #204 Alyosha

There is not a quibble so much as to whether the Taliban would theoretically use chemical weapons if they possessed them, so much as it is my understanding that they actually don’t have those weapons.

Military-grade chemical weapons are very distinctive and persistent. You know if you’ve been hit with them. Anything that could possibly fit the story would be improvised from commercial stuff.

206 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2015 6:13:43am

re: #204 Alyosha

There is not a quibble so much as to whether the Taliban would theoretically use chemical weapons if they possessed them, so much as it is my understanding that they actually don’t have those weapons.

Agreed. But given what we’ve heard out of Taliban mouthpieces over the years, a big reason why they don’t have such weapons is that they don’t want them. To use them would enrage NATO nations without limiting them and thus would just have bought the enemy a lot of trouble.

207 Alyosha  Apr 11, 2015 6:13:55am

My understanding of satire, to belabour the boxing metaphor, is that you strike out at anyone stupid enough to stick their chin (and thus their prejudices) out.

208 Doofus  Apr 11, 2015 6:14:30am

I wonder if people buy turkey bacon because each slice is the same?

209 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 6:15:13am

I liked when ADL accused Trudeau of antisemitism for this cartoon. Ignorance abounded. First of all, Trudeau mixed up everything - as ADL pointed out, that story was about moneychangers, not moneylenders. Second, he presented a typical ignorant portrayal of the gospel Jesus as a mellow hippie liberal who “wouldn’t hurt a fly” (pigs need not apply, apparently) and whose teachings were all about love. Of course this ignores various dark sides of the NT Jesus, his teachings about hell, his ultraconservatism about divorce, his humiliation of people (1, 2) and so on. We don’t even need to go as far as the Revelations. So Trudeau spouted the usual ignorant nonsense.

ADL’s response was, of course, also flawed, because they took it upon themselves to identify a “Christian heresy” - which assumes that there is “one true orthodox Christian belief” in the first place.

210 Alyosha  Apr 11, 2015 6:16:22am

re: #206 Dark_Falcon

Agreed. But given what we’ve heard out of Taliban mouthpieces over the years, a big reason why they don’t have such weapons is that they don’t want them. To use them would enrage NATO nations without limiting them and thus would just have bought the enemy a lot of trouble.

Certainly not if you’re party to ongoing negotiations.

211 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 6:16:30am

re: #207 Alyosha

My understanding of satire, to belabour the boxing metaphor, is that you strike out at anyone stupid enough to stick their chin (and thus their prejudices) out.

Can’t stand all the hacks who repeated the “punching down” mantra after the murder. Who the fuck are they to dictate the rules?

212 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2015 6:21:18am

And now here’s some Bedouin Arabs training to battle ISIS, an enemy that does use chlorine gas as a chemical weapon:

Five hundred men are training at the camp near Basiqa. They vary in age from their late teens to early 60s. They’re practicing with Kalashnikov-type rifles, and learning how to hold the weapons in different firing positions.

They’re training how to fight in urban areas, too. But they don’t use any of the force’s scarce ammunition, except for some practice shooting at the camp’s range just before they graduate.

This is the third group trained so far, and the national mobilization force will use these men to support the recapture of Mosul. “They will be used to hold the ground once it has been taken by the Iraqi army,” one general, the camp’s assistant commander for training, tells War Is Boring.

And on the note of complex politics, the article goes on to note that some of the officers in the camp are ex-Baathists. So once again we find ourselves on the same side as them and they’re on the same side as Iran. Strange days…

213 Doofus  Apr 11, 2015 6:24:54am

I’m going to make some split pea soup with the leftovers from Easter. I am looking forward to my kids going “ew!” and twenty years from now being asked to make my famous split pea soup.

214 Alyosha  Apr 11, 2015 6:28:58am

re: #211 Nyet

Can’t stand all the hacks who repeated the “punching down” mantra after the murder. Who the fuck are they to dictate the rules?

Satire, especially good satire, hits nerves. Charlie Hebdo relied upon shock for a lot of its satirical effect. It does not diminish it as satire, but because it doesn’t elicit a gut-laugh people can over criticise. It is therefore considered bad, or worse, failed satire. The intention of the joke is lost in recrimination.
Add to this a bodycount and you get the kind of professional characters saying it crossed a line. I’m thinking LaCarre who spoke against Rushdie.
It’s the usual folks you have to worry about. Purists and the irony-illiterate.

215 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 6:30:49am

re: #214 Alyosha

I don’t consider CH good satire, but “hate speech”? Puhleaze.

216 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2015 6:31:29am

re: #203 Nyet

So Trudeau doesn’t understand what hate speech is, and the tired “punching” meme is tired.

BTW, I tried reading Doonesbury and just couldn’t, because of the art style. Gah.

I think Trudeau knows exactly what hate speech is. But Charlie Hebdo condemns an entire religion with its satire, as well as other religions.

I doubt many Americans even read CH, or they would see that Catholics, Jews and others have been satirized relentlessly as well, even to the point of being called “antisemitic” in the case of Jews. It’s pretty well transparent that CH is anti-religious no matter what form the religion takes.

I think the point of Trudeau’s remarks is that it is the heads of those religions, the ones who run it from the top, not the ordinary practitioner, are the ones to be satirized. IOW, to attack in print the religion itself whose adherents practice a certain form of that religion who swallows their creed whole when fed from the top is the wrong way to approach a criticism of the religion. Rather, point out the failings and twisting of that sect of religion if you wish to satirize it, such as the fanatic mullahs of the Taliban, Al Qaeda, the RW religious preachers in the US—those who would use force and/or legislation to prevent others from criticizing them and make their faith an integral part of their politics.

Therefore, we have those in this country who condemn Islam without even knowing a single Muslim or anything about their faith, and likewise with other religions.

I’m an ex-Catholic, ex-Protestant and now an atheist. My criticism is criticism of what I know personally about them, and what led me to atheism, as well as political criticism when “faiths” try to intervene in secular matters, but I otherwise don’t hate them as human beings.

217 Alyosha  Apr 11, 2015 6:39:01am

re: #215 Nyet

I don’t consider CH good satire, but “hate speech”? Puhleaze.

I can only say they do grating sarcasm well, which, while unfunny and certainly not rising to Swiftian quality, still satisfies the definition of satire and does not amount to hate speech.

218 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 6:39:31am

re: #216 Justanotherhuman

think Trudeau knows exactly what hate speech is.

Since CH is not hate speech or near it, he seemingly doesn’t.

South Park mercilessly mocks Scientology and Mormonism. Is South Park “hate speech”? I mean, both are minority religions, so it’s “punching down”. But I guarantee that Trudeau won’t call SP hate speech.

But Charlie Hebdo condemns an entire religion with its satire, as well as other religions.

First of all, I don’t think it condemns any religion as a whole. Satirizing religions and its founders and condemning them as a whole are different things. I’ve seen CH do the former, not the latter.

Second, there’s nothing inherently wrong about condemning an ideology (and all religions are ideologies) as long as it is done consistently. Condemning religion in general is not the same as condemning the religious.

219 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2015 6:42:56am

BBL. Park time.

220 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 6:50:41am

I reject the thinking that there’s this short list of (mostly newer) religions that are safe for mocking, but don’t you dare to touch the rest. That’s hypocrisy.

221 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2015 6:56:06am

The UK’s Daily Mail has actually done some real reporting on the murder of Walter Scott, and what they found is disturbing:

All eight police officers who attended the shooting of an unarmed, fleeing black man can today be identified for the first time.

An analysis of the incident reports by Daily Mail Online which was cross-referenced with North Charleston City employee records reveals that there were six patrolmen and two sergeants - one of whom has a questionable past - called to the scene where Walter Scott was shot dead. Another office remained at the car with Mr. Scott’s passenger.

First to arrive was officer Clarence Habersham. A post on his Facebook has a quote from John Wayne which reads: ‘Life is tough. Life is tougher if you’re stupid.’

Former officer Michael Slager was already there having shot dead Mr Scott, who was seen on stunning video taken by Feidin Santana running away from Slager after being stopped for a broken tail light.

the other men summoned to assist were North Charleston police officers Joel Banias, Michael Cooper, Ryan Killin, Bonnell Williams and Sergeants Ron Webb and James Gann.

Banias has posted a video to his Facebook page which jokes about black men getting shot because their trousers are too baggy to let them run away.

A caption of one of the article’s photos goes into a bit more detail:

Joel Banias posted a video called: ‘The Real Reason Thugs Die’ showing three black men being gunned down by a gangster because they are unable to run away as their baggy jeans stop them from moving. Banias writes above it: ‘That explains it!’

Gov. Haley ought to order the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to take over the North Charleston PD and clean house. Because men who post videos about “thugs dying because of baggy clothes” shouldn’t be police officers.

222 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 6:57:15am

ONOZ, Trudeau punching down, hater!

assets.amuniversal.com
assets.amuniversal.com

223 Alyosha  Apr 11, 2015 7:00:45am

re: #212 Dark_Falcon

You mention that former Ba’athists now comprise at least a part of this anti-Daesh force.
Since they were formerly allies, I don’t see much strangeness at all.
It was only the Bush admins policy of de-Baathification and Paul Bremer’s shitty rollout that made the initial ‘Sunni Triangle’ insurgency a problem.
Much of it has lately become what is largely called ISIL.

224 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing  Apr 11, 2015 7:04:13am

Good morning, Lizards! Beautiful day here. Cool and sunny.

As to Trudeau/Hebbdo, I don’t give a shit whether it’s satire or hate speech, I think we could all agree that people shouldn’t die because of something they drew/wrote.

And I used to like Doonesbury, but I haven’t read it in a long time. I like the drawing style - it’s simple and has remained so through over 40 years no. No different than most newspaper comics. He also inspired Berke Breathed’s style, and for that I am grateful.

225 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 11, 2015 7:06:09am

re: #220 Nyet

I reject the thinking that there’s this short list of (mostly newer) religions that are safe for mocking, but don’t you dare to touch the rest. That’s hypocrisy.

Hell, I mock my own on a regular basis. Fairly gently, usually, but to the Bishop’s face nonetheless.

226 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 11, 2015 7:07:42am

re: #224 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing

Good morning, Lizards! Beautiful day here. Cool and sunny.

As to Trudeau/Hebbdo, I don’t give a shit whether it’s satire or hate speech, I think we could all agree that people shouldn’t die because of something they drew/wrote.

And I used to like Doonesbury, but I haven’t read it in a long time. I like the drawing style - it’s simple and has remained so through over 40 years no. No different than most newspaper comics. He also inspired Berke Breathed’s style, and for that I am grateful.

I only read Doonesbury for Uncle Duke.

227 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2015 7:09:14am

re: #223 Alyosha

You mention that former Ba’athists now comprise at least a part of this anti-Daesh force.
Since they were formerly allies, I don’t see much strangeness at all.
It was only the Bush admins policy of de-Baathification and Paul Bremer’s shitty rollout that made the initial ‘Sunni Triangle’ insurgency a problem.
Much of it has lately become what is largely called ISIL.

True. One point worthy of noting though was that de-Baathification had broad support within the federal government. It wasn’t just “Neocon Bush appointees”, it was also the professional diplomatic types in the State Department who favored removing ex-Baathist officials. The goal of the policy, which was to remove crooks, thugs, and murders from power and ensure the fascist Baath party would not be able to be re-formed, was just. But its implementation was, as you note, a massive failure.

228 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 7:10:28am

And frankly, Trudeau should know better:

articles.mcall.com

In last Sunday’s Doonesbury, Trudeau made fun of Saudi Arabian censorship by offering an emergency pinup for servicemen in the Gulf. The pinup was strategically covered by the breast-shaped outline of a map of Saudi Arabia and Trudeau’s version of a Saudi customs stamp, complete with Arabic writing.

Trudeau’s attempt at humor has inflamed the local Muslim community. The Arabic writing on the customs stamp translates to “There is no God but Allah. Mohammed is the prophet of God,” which is the first pillar of the religion of Islam.

Junaid Hashmi, an electronics engineer who is secretary of the Muslim Association of the Lehigh Valley, called me to complain about the juxtaposition. He says there are about 400 Muslim families in the Lehigh Valley. “As a Muslim I feel insulted that a part of holy scripture appears on what is a very suggestive drawing. I see no connection between the cartoon itself and the holy scripture of Islam. Also, the part of the scripture appears to have been targeted toward the audience able to read Arabic. It seems like a deliberate slap in the face and that’s what’s making me angry.”

Ayoub Jarrouj, a prominent member of the Arab community, agrees. “I’m Christian,” he noted, “but looking at it from the Islamic point of view, it is very insulting. Even though I’m Christian I have a lot of respect for Muslims. They would never permit in any Islamic country for someone to put our Lord Jesus Christ on the bottom of a naked woman.”

229 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2015 7:12:26am

re: #228 Nyet

And frankly, Trudeau should know better:

articles.mcall.com

That was 24 years ago. Trudeau may not remember having drawn that cartoon.

230 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 7:15:38am

Add to the “Trudeau is aloof and out of touch” pile:

gocomics.com

(Look at the date.)

231 Alyosha  Apr 11, 2015 7:18:43am

re: #227 Dark_Falcon

True. One point worthy of noting though was that de-Baathification had broad support within the federal government. It wasn’t just “Neocon Bush appointees”, it was also the professional diplomatic types in the State Department who favored removing ex-Baathist officials. The goal of the policy, which was to remove crooks, thugs, and murders from power and ensure the fascist Baath party would not be able to be re-formed, was just. But its implementation was, as you note, a massive failure.

See, the neocons were just a symptom of an infrastructure still fighting the last war. That they held office at the time of 9/11 I consider to be the true tragedy of historical confluence.

232 darthstar  Apr 11, 2015 7:21:34am

Mornin’ everyone…

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his appreciation on Saturday over remarks by Cuban leader Fidel Castro, who said that Israel has a right to exist in an interview earlier this month.

233 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing  Apr 11, 2015 7:24:58am

re: #230 Nyet

Add to the “Trudeau is aloof and out of touch” pile:

gocomics.com

(Look at the date.)

How is that aloof and out of touch? Rolling Stone only recanted the UVA story recently in 2015.

234 darthstar  Apr 11, 2015 7:26:51am
235 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 7:27:12am

re: #233 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing

How is that aloof and out of touch? Rolling Stone only recanted the UVA story recently in 2015.

How is the date of the official retraction relevant?

The story got discredited in early December. RS asked a third party to investigate the already discredited story on 22.12.14.

236 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 7:28:23am

By 28.12.14 everybody knew the story was bogus, save for Trudeau. That’s pretty much the definition of aloof and out of touch.

237 darthstar  Apr 11, 2015 7:34:00am

re: #236 Nyet

By 28.12.14 everybody knew the story was bogus, save for Trudeau. That’s pretty much the definition of aloof and out of touch.

Or maybe he felt it was safe to use it then. The joke isn’t about UVA so much as it’s about when it’s safe to joke about a topic. At least that’s my read of the punchline.

238 Alyosha  Apr 11, 2015 7:39:00am

BIAB

239 darthstar  Apr 11, 2015 7:39:18am
240 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 7:40:27am

re: #237 darthstar

He claimed on the next day that it had been written before the story collapsed and blamed the “long lead time”. Which is a pretty silly excuse in today’s world. He had three weeks, starting from Dec. 5, when RS admitted that their “trust in her was misplaced”. I don’t believe for a second the situation couldn’t have been alleviated.

241 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2015 7:41:24am

re: #234 darthstar

242 darthstar  Apr 11, 2015 7:42:10am
243 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 7:43:54am

re: #242 darthstar

Hey, he could start a computer self-help consultancy. //

244 darthstar  Apr 11, 2015 7:44:37am

re: #241 Dark_Falcon

Somehow I knew you’d tweet that guy. Gaza strip much?

245 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2015 7:45:01am

re: #240 Nyet

He claimed on the next day that it had been written before the story collapsed and blamed the “long lead time”. Which is a pretty silly excuse in today’s world. He had three weeks, starting from Dec. 5, when RS admitted that their “trust in her was misplaced”. I don’t believe for a second the situation couldn’t have been alleviated.

Actually, upon reflection I’m going to give Trudeau the benefit of the doubt on this one. Sunday comics don’t need a lead time as long as they used to, but they still often need a month, especially after Christmas when much of a distributor’s staff will be on vacation.

So it is entirely possible Trudeau submitted the strip before Rolling Stone began backpedaling, and then could not withdraw it.

246 darthstar  Apr 11, 2015 7:46:11am

re: #243 Nyet

Hey, he could start a computer self-help business. //

I just want him to be persona non grata in the US for another five or six years. He stole what he could steal, and he gave it all to GG. He’s not even relevant anymore.

247 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2015 7:47:32am

re: #246 darthstar

I just want him to be persona non grata in the US for another five or six years. He stole what he could steal, and he gave it all to GG. He’s not even relevant anymore.

But he is a smarmy little twerp whose ass I’d like to kick.

248 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 7:48:15am

re: #245 Dark_Falcon

Actually, upon reflection I’m going to give Trudeau the benefit of the doubt on this one. Sunday comics don’t need a lead time as long as they used to, but they still often need a month, especially after Christmas when much of a distributor’s staff will be on vacation.

So it is entirely possible Trudeau submitted the strip before Rolling Stone began backpedaling, and then could not withdraw it.

So RS backpedals on the 5th, you see it on the 7th at the latest (if you’re not aloof/out of touch and are actually interested in the story). That’s still three weeks to at least change a couple of phrases. I don’t believe for a second this can’t be done in today’s day and age. So, no benefit of doubt, sorry.

249 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2015 7:53:03am

re: #248 Nyet

So RS backpedals on the 5th, you see it on the 7th at the latest (if you’re not aloof/out of touch and are actually interested in the story). That’s still three weeks to at least change a couple of phrases. I don’t believe for a second this can’t be done in today’s day and age. So, no benefit of doubt, sorry.

It’s technically possible,but there’s business and bureaucratic issues that would have made it very hard. There’s also the fact that the words spoken by Trudeau’s characters aren’t typed onto the comic the way Scott Adams of ‘Dilbert’ does at times. Trudeau writes the words by hand, and replacing them would have been more trouble than it was worth.

250 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 7:56:24am

re: #249 Dark_Falcon

Trudeau writes the words by hand, and replacing them would have been more trouble than it was worth.

If his credibility isn’t worth that much to him, who am I to argue.

251 Belafon  Apr 11, 2015 7:58:27am

re: #241 Dark_Falcon

Humor, how does it work?

252 Dr Lizardo  Apr 11, 2015 8:03:45am

So….spring has sprung in Ostrava. A beautiful day today, so I took some photos while I was out and about. Enjoy.

The Odra River (Oder River)
Another view of the river
Jan Komensky Park
The Ostrava City Hall
Food Pr0n: from a local coffee shop called Ostravanka Coffee Shop. Double cappuccino and cake; $4!
253 GlutenFreeJesus  Apr 11, 2015 8:05:11am

re: #232 darthstar

254 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing  Apr 11, 2015 8:06:21am

re: #235 Nyet

The article didn’t appear until the December issue. The official investigation into the incident wasn’t completed until January.

I’m not familiar with Trudeau’s production schedule, but if he’s like a lot of comic strip writers, he works weeks in advance (just like a lot of people in the publishing industry).

i don’t know why you’ve decided to latch onto Trudeau like a bulldog this morning, but did you look to see if he’d done any other strips recanting that earlier one?

255 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing  Apr 11, 2015 8:09:11am

re: #240 Nyet

He claimed on the next day that it had been written before the story collapsed and blamed the “long lead time”. Which is a pretty silly excuse in today’s world. He had three weeks, starting from Dec. 5, when RS admitted that their “trust in her was misplaced”. I don’t believe for a second the situation couldn’t have been alleviated.

Rolling Stone didn’t recant the story on the 5th.

“We published the article with the firm belief that it was accurate. Given all of these reports, however, we have come to the conclusion that we were mistaken in honoring Jackie’s request to not contact the alleged assaulters to get their account. In trying to be sensitive to the unfair shame and humiliation many women feel after a sexual assault, we made a judgment - the kind of judgment reporters and editors make every day. We should have not made this agreement with Jackie and we should have worked harder to convince her that the truth would have been better served by getting the other side of the story. These mistakes are on Rolling Stone, not on Jackie. We apologize to anyone who was affected by the story and we will continue to investigate the events of that evening.”

as for out of touch, you torch the guy when you know nothing about his schedule, but don’t take his word when he admits that he wrote it before the story blew up.

256 Backwoods_Sleuth  Apr 11, 2015 8:17:04am
257 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 8:20:39am

re: #254 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing

The article didn’t appear until the December issue.

And was discredited by RS itself on the 5th of December.

I’m not familiar with Trudeau’s production schedule, but if he’s like a lot of comic strip writers, he works weeks in advance (just like a lot of people in the publishing industry).

That’s great. He still had every opportunity to change that strip before Dec. 28.

258 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 8:21:15am

re: #256 Backwoods_Sleuth

Or crying for help. ;)

259 #FergusonFireside  Apr 11, 2015 8:26:27am
260 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 8:27:46am

re: #255 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing

Rolling Stone didn’t recant the story on the 5th.

Yes, for all intents and purposes it did.

npr.org

Rolling Stone magazine says “there now appear to be discrepancies” in its story about a University of Virginia student who said she was gang-raped during a fraternity party in 2012, adding it had “come to the conclusion that our trust in her was misplaced.”

That means that the story couldn’t be treated as fact, period.

as for out of touch, you torch the guy when you know nothing about his schedule, but don’t take his word when he admits that he wrote it before the story blew up.

I don’t necessarily doubt his word on that, but that’s still not an excuse. This has nothing to do with “schedule”. These things are correctable.

261 jaunte  Apr 11, 2015 8:27:48am
262 jaunte  Apr 11, 2015 8:30:46am

re: #259 #FergusonFireside

263 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 11, 2015 8:32:07am

re: #261 jaunte

[Embedded content]

It’s high irony to me that both nations use old 50’s era bombers - the TU-95 & B-52 are both equally elderly antiques - instead of their much less capable newer bombers for these “critical” sabre rattling missions.

264 ObserverArt  Apr 11, 2015 8:32:15am

Morning! Late Friday night jam session.

I’ve got blisters on my fingers!

I was groggy earlier when I turned on the TV for some morning news. DId I hear Jeb Bush at the NRA convention saying President Obama has armed terrorists?

Amazing. I guess he didn’t keep up with all that mess his brother further deepened by invading a sovereign nation, destroying it’s government which unleashed the hatred between all the countries factions, pissed off the entire region, and after the fact caused many weapons to end up who knows where all. And that was just in Iraq. What about Afghanistan?

I don’t know…I used to think Jeb had some damn sense. I guess he too has opened up a RWNJ Red Meat Shop and is butchering history with all of them. Thus, Bush has passed from being mild to selling his soul to TeaParty BS.

And I am sure someone will say, well, he needs to do that to get the nomination and he will change back into a moderate once he goes against the Democratic (and other?) candidates when they go for the big election.

Sorry. Anymore to get the GOP nomination you have to drive your character over a cliff. And just like a car driven over a cliff…your character is totaled.

265 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2015 8:32:57am

re: #261 jaunte

[Embedded content]

Let Putin send his flights. then let his MiG-31 pilots see our F-22s and know they’re outclassed.

266 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2015 8:33:59am

re: #263 William Barnett-Lewis

It’s high irony to me that both nations use old 50’s era bombers - the TU-95 & B-52 are both equally elderly antiques - instead of their much less capable newer bombers for these “critical” sabre rattling missions.

The Tu-160 ‘Blackjack’ is pretty capable, actually. But it costs a lot more to operate.

267 allegro  Apr 11, 2015 8:35:18am

I watched “Amistad” again last night - powerful movie with breathtaking performances by all. I had to wipe tears away a number of times and look away at a few of the more ghastly scenes as the story was told.

Almost 300 years later and still this battle for the recognition of humanity in African Americans is having to be waged because so many white dumbasses still fail to grasp this so simple concept. It is to weep.

268 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 11, 2015 8:36:26am

re: #266 Dark_Falcon

The Tu-160 ‘Blackjack’ is pretty capable, actually. But it costs a lot more to operate.

Which is a part of what I’m laughing at. The same is true of the BONE. Reasonably capable (after much fixing of a bad initial idea) but it costs more to operate than the elderly BUFF. So we send BUFFs one way, they send BEARS the other way & anyone with a clue laughs their ass off at the various media freakouts.

269 ObserverArt  Apr 11, 2015 8:39:45am

re: #256 Backwoods_Sleuth

[Just a baby Otter trying to surprise us. ]

Otters make me smile!

I like to smile on a nice sunny spring Saturday. Sure better than NRA conventions, police shootings and idiotic GOP candidates acting crazy.

Can we vote for otters?

And with a smile on my face, I am going to go do some final sanding of the patches, filled nail holes and the wood in general on my hallway trim and staircase. So close to staining and finishing. Later.

270 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 11, 2015 8:40:41am

re: #267 allegro

I watched “Amistad” again last night - powerful movie with breathtaking performances by all. I had to wipe tears away a number of times and look away at a few of the more ghastly scenes as the story was told.

Almost 300 years later and still this battle for the recognition of humanity in African Americans is having to be waged because so many white dumbasses still fail to grasp this so simple concept. It is to weep.

(psst - 100 years off on that - 1839 vs 1739.)

We’re FUBAR to be sure but at least keep the accusations right.

271 allegro  Apr 11, 2015 8:42:20am

re: #270 William Barnett-Lewis

(psst - 100 years off on that - 1839 vs 1739.)

We’re FUBAR to be sure but at least keep the accusations right.

Oops, good point.

272 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2015 8:42:21am

re: #268 William Barnett-Lewis

Which is a part of what I’m laughing at. The same is true of the BONE. Reasonably capable (after much fixing of a bad initial idea) but it costs more to operate than the elderly BUFF. So we send BUFFs one way, they send BEARS the other way & anyone with a clue laughs their ass off at the various media freakouts.

Most reporters don’t really understand the military, and some just plain are terrified of the bomber’s nuclear capability. The press also likes big ‘scary’ photos of bombers in order to scare the public. The objective of scaring the public is to sell newspapers, magazines, subscriptions to same (both online and in print), and advertising.

BUFFs and Bears are good for business.

273 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2015 8:48:32am

I hope this one gets a subtitled US release:

Lady Death, the female sniper who killed 300 Nazis: Russian-Ukrainian biopic about legendary sharpshooter hopes to unite the former allies despite crisis that’s torn them apart

- £3m film charts life of Ukrainian-born Soviet sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenko
- Aims to be a hit in both countries despite the ongoing crisis in Ukraine
- Has been launched with glitzy gala premieres in both Moscow and Kiev
- Pavlichenko killed 309 Nazis during battles in Odessa and Sevastopol

My one quibble with the reporting on this movie is that most of the troops who assaulted Odessa in 1941 were Romanian, not German. But other than that history buff detail, this sounds like a movie I’d want to see.

274 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing  Apr 11, 2015 8:50:39am

re: #260 Nyet

Yes, for all intents and purposes it did.

npr.org

That means that the story couldn’t be treated as fact, period.

I don’t necessarily doubt his word on that, but that’s still not an excuse. This has nothing to do with “schedule”. These things are correctable.

You took that quote out of the full context provided in the very same paragraph I quoted.

“That’s still not an excuse … these things are correctable.”

I’m glad you have that settled. We’ll have to agree to disagree on this one. It’s obvious you have an axe to grind against Trudeau. I don’t, and I don’t care whether he thinks Hebbdo is hate speech either.

275 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing  Apr 11, 2015 8:53:46am

re: #272 Dark_Falcon

Most reporters don’t really understand the military, and some just plain are terrified of the bomber’s nuclear capability. The press also likes big ‘scary’ photos of bombers in order to scare the public. The objective of scaring the public is to sell newspapers, magazines, subscriptions to same (both online and in print), and advertising.

BUFFs and Bears are good for business.

The press likes big ‘scary’ photos of bombers because those photos are provided copyright-free by the U.S. Military. Don’t think there isn’t a propaganda aspect involved.

As for reporters not understanding the military, I’ve mentioned before Tyler Rogaway at Foxtrot Alpha. Pretty thorough.

276 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 8:54:39am

re: #274 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing

You took that quote out of the full context provided in the very same paragraph I quoted.

This context shows that the article couldn’t have been treated as fact at least since Dec. 5. So I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make.

We’ll have to agree to disagree on this one.

If you can show otherwise, I’m all ears.

277 Great White Snark  Apr 11, 2015 8:55:59am

re: #263 William Barnett-Lewis

It’s high irony to me that both nations use old 50’s era bombers - the TU-95 & B-52 are both equally elderly antiques - instead of their much less capable newer bombers for these “critical” sabre rattling missions.

Lowest rung in the escalation/brinkmanship game. Fewer accidents/surprises. All very high profile. The respective air forces love getting the flight time and drills practiced.Back in the day some of these encounters were really dangerous but quite a few actually cordial. Still gives me a cold war echo shiver.

278 jaunte  Apr 11, 2015 8:58:01am

re: #275 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing

Don’t think there isn’t a propaganda aspect involved.

The message is, the Arctic doesn’t belong exclusively to Russia.

279 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2015 8:58:23am

re: #259 #FergusonFireside

[Embedded content]

The missed child support is relevant, though. Not for impugning Walter Scott’s character, but rather for establishing why he ran from the cop. There was an active warrant out for his missed payments, so even if the cop had been decent and reasonable he would have arrested Scott. Scott feared spending more months behind bars for a debt he couldn’t pay, so he ran.

Again, that does not justify his being shot in the back as he ran. But a story that explains why he ran is relevant. For the record, here’s the link to that story.

280 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 11, 2015 8:58:24am

re: #277 Great White Snark

Lowest rung in the escalation/brinkmanship game. Fewer accidents/surprises. All very high profile. The respective air forces love getting the flight time and drills practiced.Back in the day some of these encounters were really dangerous but quite a few actually cordial. Still gives me a cold war echo shiver.

I was a tanker on the Czech border in 1983. I know what you mean.

281 SteveMcGaziBolaGate  Apr 11, 2015 8:59:28am

If you’re going to rattle a sabre it’s good to use something that rattles.

282 Great White Snark  Apr 11, 2015 9:02:48am

re: #281 SteveMcGaziBolaGate

If you’re going to rattle a sabre it’s good to use something that rattles.

Heh stealth jet that comes and goes unseen kinda misses the point of the drill huh? IIRC we put B-2 planes out in plain sight at Guam as a rather explicit threat to NK.

283 Alyosha  Apr 11, 2015 9:03:11am

re: #280 William Barnett-Lewis

I was a tanker on the Czech border in 1983. I know what you mean.

As long as you’re writing, you could start an autobio ;)

284 SteveMcGaziBolaGate  Apr 11, 2015 9:03:50am

re: #282 Great White Snark

Same with a submarine. Better to send surface ships.

285 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing  Apr 11, 2015 9:07:54am

re: #278 jaunte

The message is, the Arctic doesn’t belong exclusively to Russia.

I’m speaking specifically to how the media uses military photos in general, not the arctic discussion.

286 Varek Raith  Apr 11, 2015 9:08:30am

re: #278 jaunte

The message is, the Arctic doesn’t belong exclusively to Russia.

Yeah, it belongs to me.
GTFO off my snow!

287 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 11, 2015 9:12:40am

re: #283 Alyosha

As long as you’re writing, you could start an autobio ;)

I have little other than sex, drugs, and rock & roll to sort of offer.

The story of one winter afternoon driving into the middle of a czech border minefield might make a good short story though…

288 jaunte  Apr 11, 2015 9:13:24am

re: #286 Varek Raith

“This methane outgassing is mine!”

289 b_sharp  Apr 11, 2015 9:16:33am

re: #280 William Barnett-Lewis

I was a tanker on the Czech border in 1983. I know what you mean.

You were an oil tanker? You must have evolved into a human rather quickly.

290 Alyosha  Apr 11, 2015 9:17:19am

re: #287 William Barnett-Lewis

I have little other than sex, drugs, and rock & roll to sort of offer.

The story of one winter afternoon driving into the middle of a czech border minefield might make a good short story though…

The sex, drugs and rock-n-roll do sound like they belong more in Orthopraxy haha

291 Varek Raith  Apr 11, 2015 9:17:57am

re: #289 b_sharp

You were an oil tanker? You must have evolved into a human rather quickly.

…

292 Dark_Falcon  Apr 11, 2015 9:18:42am

re: #288 jaunte

“This methane outgassing is mine!”

The gas is good stuff if you can collect it. Burns cleaner than oil, anyhow.

293 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 11, 2015 9:21:18am

re: #289 b_sharp

You were an oil tanker? You must have evolved into a human rather quickly.

Considering what it took to maintain an M-60A3, that gave me a very loud laugh…

294 GlutenFreeJesus  Apr 11, 2015 9:25:42am

10’ is much closer than I’d ever want to be to a lion in the wild. No thanks!

io9.com

295 Varek Raith  Apr 11, 2015 9:29:36am

re: #294 GlutenFreeJesus

10’ is much closer than I’d ever want to be to a lion in the wild. No thanks!

io9.com

Nope.

296 darthstar  Apr 11, 2015 9:30:13am

Tone check request - the other day my wife got her mirror clipped on the X5 by a Toyota Land Cruiser on the Bay Bridge. She was in the process of merging when this guy came up fast behind her and laid on the horn. The noise scared her (as intended) and she flashed her brakes at the guy, who passed too close, obviously.

Well, being the kind of guy who just doesn’t want to deal with insurance over a couple of mirrors, I called the guy and offered to pay for both. In fact, I went to BMW and bought the parts and reassembled her mirror right there at the dealership yesterday ($525 for glass, housing, and gasket) - still need to get the housing painted but the car is safe to drive.

So the other guy sends me an estimate for his mirror and his radio antenna, which I balked at. So he sends me an email saying, “I haven’t heard back from you in the last 24 hours so I’m going the insurance route.”

(Note: my wife’s step-father died Wednesday morning so I’ve been a bit preoccupied…he was 92 - lived a good life. Not sad about his passing)

Anyhoo - let me know if this seems to be too aggressive:

I’ve been a little pre-occupied with a couple of family issues that came up on Wednesday. I had offered to pay for your mirror to avoid either of us having to inform our respective insurance company. The cost of your mirror is less than my deductible, and the cost of my mirror wasn’t a whole lot more. Additionally, as the overtaking vehicle, you could very well be considered at fault, and if you’d like to go the insurance route, I’m happy to file a claim against them.

So, please, let me know how you’d like to proceed. I can call Quality Tech on Monday and pre-pay for your mirror replacement, or you can roll the dice.

Please let me know your preference.

297 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 11, 2015 9:33:13am

re: #296 darthstar

Tone check request - the other day my wife got her mirror clipped on the X5 by a Toyota Land Cruiser on the Bay Bridge. She was in the process of merging when this guy came up fast behind her and laid on the horn. The noise scared her (as intended) and she flashed her brakes at the guy, who passed too close, obviously.

Well, being the kind of guy who just doesn’t want to deal with insurance over a couple of mirrors, I called the guy and offered to pay for both. In fact, I went to BMW and bought the parts and reassembled her mirror right there at the dealership yesterday ($525 for glass, housing, and gasket) - still need to get the housing painted but the car is safe to drive.

So the other guy sends me an estimate for his mirror and his radio antenna, which I balked at. So he sends me an email saying, “I haven’t heard back from you in the last 24 hours so I’m going the insurance route.”

(Note: my wife’s step-father died Wednesday morning so I’ve been a bit preoccupied…he was 92 - lived a good life. Not sad about his passing)

Anyhoo - let me know if this seems to be too aggressive:

Why are you that nice to an asshat?

298 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2015 9:33:28am

Well, back from the parks. Yes, different offerings at each, w/a farmer’s market at the school, so we also went to the lake, too. Beautiful day and we had fun, and more kids at the lake. He was all by himself at the school but I wanted him to know it was part of where he’ll be going to kindergarten next year.

I wasn’t about to pay $12.99 for a pint of “local” honey, though. I can get it cheaper elsewhere. Mostly it was plants and kitsch from local crafters anyway, at the farmers market, way too early to harvest anything unless it came from a greenhouse. Then, his choice of a large plastic ball to replace the deflated one. He chose purple.

We might do it again tomorrow.

299 Dr Lizardo  Apr 11, 2015 9:35:15am

More food pr0n.

If you go here:

Restaurant and Pension Florian in Proskovice, Czech Republic

you can order this:

Florian Burger

for about $6.00 - including the onion rings.

300 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2015 9:36:12am

re: #296 darthstar

He was an aggressive driver; I would have gotten his plate # and called the cops, even if he didn’t want to.

He was clearly at fault. $500+ for a mirror? Holy shit.

301 darthstar  Apr 11, 2015 9:37:01am

re: #297 William Barnett-Lewis

Why are you that nice to an asshat?

I’m like that with everyone. It’s worth $500 to make assholes go away rather than building a relationship with them.

302 William Barnett-Lewis  Apr 11, 2015 9:38:12am

re: #297 William Barnett-Lewis

Why are you that nice to an asshat?

Ok, let’s make that clearer.

I am fully in the “do as you would wish to be done” camp. It’s rather the basis of my life’s philosophy. Yet there is something about the attitude in that other person’s approach that makes me twitch. Hope this makes some sense.

303 SteveMcGaziBolaGate  Apr 11, 2015 9:42:47am

re: #296 darthstar

The other day I was in traffic on the Ben Franklin Bridge, just going around 5-10 mph, start and stop, when the guy in front of me absolutely rammed the car in front of him, so hard it pushed it into the car in front of it. I couldn’t believe the amount of damage it caused to the car he rear ended, the trunk was completely collapsed. It just disgusted me that it was just a moment of inattention that can cause thousands of dollars of damage. I’m assuming the car is totalled but even then you never get enough money, you’re out on your feet until you get a replacement, and the replacement is basically someone else’s used car. The Car Talk guys used to say there is no such thing as an accident. Somebody is always at fault. Went too fast, tailgated, didn’t pay attention…

304 darthstar  Apr 11, 2015 9:42:53am

re: #300 Justanotherhuman

He was an aggressive driver; I would have gotten his plate # and called the cops, even if he didn’t want to.

He was clearly at fault. $500+ for a mirror? Holy shit.

There was a police report. Cop said to my wife he recognized the guy and had ticketed him before.

My mirror is $1200 not counting labor - that’s for the whole mechanical unit. I got the heated glass ($300 and the two other plastic pieces $200 and fixed it myself.)

305 TedStriker  Apr 11, 2015 9:49:18am

re: #304 darthstar

There was a police report. Cop said to my wife he recognized the guy and had ticketed him before.

My mirror is $1200 not counting labor - that’s for the whole mechanical unit. I got the heated glass ($300 and the two other plastic pieces $200 and fixed it myself.)

Sounds like chucklehead’s at-fault…since he wants to file it on insurance, you call their insurance company (which should be on the police report) and file against them.

I’ve been through this rodeo a couple of times; if you haven’t already, notify your insurance ASAP (most insurance companies require you to notify them on all accidents anyway, even if you don’t file a claim with them).

306 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2015 9:50:09am

re: #304 darthstar

There was a police report. Cop said to my wife he recognized the guy and had ticketed him before.

My mirror is $1200 not counting labor - that’s for the whole mechanical unit. I got the heated glass ($300 and the two other plastic pieces $200 and fixed it myself.)

Luckily, I will never have to worry about that, but it does seem excessive. Replacement for my little Saturn: amazon.com Unless I go to a junk yard for an original part, the after market is all there is.

I would probably get killed in SF traffic, even though my son accuses me of driving like a teenager. : )

307 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2015 9:54:06am

re: #304 darthstar

I imagine the guy has an awful driving record if just one particular cop recognized him.

I’d file against his insurance. He sounds as though he needs to be brought down a notch, and doesn’t appear to be very bright. Kind of surprised if he’s that aggressive a driver that he’s still alive or hasn’t killed someone.

308 TedStriker  Apr 11, 2015 9:56:19am

re: #305 TedStriker

Here’s the steps I’ve gone through in the past when I’ve been in a wreck where the other driver’s at fault:

- Notify my insurance company
- Get copy of police report
- Send copy of police report to my insurance
- File claim against other driver’s insurance and also send copy of police report to them
- Keep on other driver’s insurance to make sure they get things rolling quickly as they can; I’ve dealt with State Farm and Homeowner’s Insurance on the claims I’ve filed against other drivers and had absolutely no problems, but YMMV

309 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2015 10:03:51am

re: #308 TedStriker

Here’s the steps I’ve gone through in the past when I’ve been in a wreck where the other driver’s at fault:

- Notify my insurance company
- Get copy of police report
- Send copy of police report to my insurance
- File claim against other driver’s insurance and also send copy of police report to them

That’s pretty much the correct procedure. Let it be a battle of the ins co, not a battle of drivers. Your ins co is supposed to work those for you, although you often have to prod them. And always have a police report (even if the cop is simply writing it up after the fact) because some ins cos won’t entertain the claim if there isn’t one, and then it simply becomes another “s/he said, s/he said” situation.

I used to be a paralegal (5 yrs) for a personal injury law firm.

Say, Darth, does your wife’s neck hurt? ; ) Just kidding, of course.

310 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2015 10:11:05am
311 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 10:17:31am

re: #310 Justanotherhuman

That’s pretty cool. Also, more fodder for wingnuts.

312 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2015 10:19:07am
313 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2015 10:29:33am

Walter Scott family lawyers set to hold press conference in 15-20 minutes - @StillTheLG, @policereporter
end of alert

314 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2015 10:32:31am

Jim Clyburn weighs in.

315 Justanotherhuman  Apr 11, 2015 10:44:55am

The thread is dead.

Later.

316 Lord Of The Pies  Apr 11, 2015 10:52:41am

OH HAI!

Passover has passed over.

THE GOOD NEWS: I get to have a falafel!

THE BAD NEWS: Our flight back to Amsterdam/Detroit leaves in 7 hours.

317 darthstar  Apr 11, 2015 10:56:36am

re: #304 darthstar

There was a police report. Cop said to my wife he recognized the guy and had ticketed him before.

My mirror is $1200 not counting labor - that’s for the whole mechanical unit. I got the heated glass ($300 and the two other plastic pieces $200 and fixed it myself.)

Update - I called the repair shop and paid him off…guy at the repair shop said, “This doesn’t include painting it to match.” I said, “He never said that was part of the deal.” and I just saved myself another $200 as he emailed to say I just needed to pay the initial quote.

318 darthstar  Apr 11, 2015 10:58:07am

re: #316 The Week Of No Pie

OH HAI!

Passover has passed over.

THE GOOD NEWS: I get to have a falafel!

Embedded Image

THE BAD NEWS: Our flight back to Amsterdam/Detroit leaves in 7 hours.

We’re going to a Seder tonight. (late but our friends were in Hawaii on vacation so we held it back a week). I made chopped chicken livers this morning - didn’t have any chicken schmaltz nor time to make it, so I used duck fat. yum.

319 Lord Of The Pies  Apr 11, 2015 10:58:34am

re: #299 Dr Lizardo

More food pr0n.

If you go here:

[Embedded content]

for about $6.00 - including the onion rings.

Hey Lizardo, I have a question for you about my recent trip to Prague. My nic is blue, please email. :)

320 Varek Raith  Apr 11, 2015 10:59:09am

re: #316 The Week Of No Pie

OH HAI!

Passover has passed over.

THE GOOD NEWS: I get to have a falafel!

[Embedded content]

THE BAD NEWS: Our flight back to Amsterdam/Detroit leaves in 7 hours.

Food!

They ever find your missing luggage?

321 Lord Of The Pies  Apr 11, 2015 11:00:04am

re: #320 Varek Raith

Food!

They ever find your missing luggage?

Yes, it was at the airport in Prague the whole time. We were reunited in time for our flight to Tel Aviv.

322 Dr Lizardo  Apr 11, 2015 11:04:56am

re: #319 The Week Of No Pie

Hey Lizardo, I have a question for you about my recent trip to Prague. My nic is blue, please email. :)

OK. I just wrote to you.

323 b.d.  Apr 11, 2015 11:06:29am

re: #321 The Week Of No Pie

Yes, it was at the airport in Prague the whole time. We were reunited in time for our flight to Tel Aviv.

Talk about your Czeched luggage.

//

{{runs}}

Have a safe trip home

324 Lord Of The Pies  Apr 11, 2015 11:08:40am

re: #322 Dr Lizardo

OK. I just wrote to you.

Sent my message. :)

325 Lord Of The Pies  Apr 11, 2015 11:10:12am

Unczeched email

326 Varek Raith  Apr 11, 2015 11:13:19am

Bad puns are bad.
:P

327 Dr Lizardo  Apr 11, 2015 11:13:52am

re: #324 Lord Of The Pies

Sent my message. :)

And I’ve replied.

Thanks.

328 Nyet  Apr 11, 2015 11:17:02am

re: #326 Varek Raith

Bad puns are bad.
:P

Logical.

329 darthstar  Apr 11, 2015 11:23:07am

re: #325 Lord Of The Pies

Unczeched email

Czech please.

330 lostlakehiker  Apr 11, 2015 4:14:30pm

re: #279 Dark_Falcon

The missed child support is relevant, though. Not for impugning Walter Scott’s character, but rather for establishing why he ran from the cop. There was an active warrant out for his missed payments, so even if the cop had been decent and reasonable he would have arrested Scott. Scott feared spending more months behind bars for a debt he couldn’t pay, so he ran.

Again, that does not justify his being shot in the back as he ran. But a story that explains why he ran is relevant. For the record, here’s the link to that story.

It would have been a mistake to run even if the cop had been a decent fellow. A decent cop of the same build and age as Slager would have had no great difficulty keeping pace with the older and heavier Scott. He’d not have got away, and in the end he would have been in more trouble for resisting arrest.

I can’t call it a mistake for Scott to have trusted that he wouldn’t just be drilled from behind til dead, but however small the chance that it would go that way, why risk it? There’s something of the predator in many of us, and that can mean we’re scripted, either by biology or by stories and movies or both, to think of whoever flees as prey or routed enemy.

He who indulges in mulling over and replaying in his head such scripts sets himself up to be a murderer if the first part of the script becomes real under circumstances where the rest of it is forbidden.


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