Advice Goddess Free Swim
At the alternative newspaper conference in New Orleans, so in case I don't post more blog items by early morning, have at it. You pick the topics.
But, one link per comment, or you comment will be eaten by the spam filter. If you want to post two comments -- or six -- no problem (if you're not a spammer). Just post a separate comment for each and wait about 20 seconds between each.
This Free Swim came up at the perfect time:
Has anyone heard about the Canton OH PD jacking up a guy for legally carrying concealed?
The video is long, but worth watching. This is your civil liberties under threat. You are guilty until proven innocent.
Jim P. at July 21, 2011 10:50 PM
My take on Utah's drinking laws.
http://www.laughinginpurgatory.com/2011/07/god-hates-happy-hour.html
Andrew Hall at July 22, 2011 3:42 AM
Nice bit from John Tierny in the NYT about the dangers of dumbed-down playgrounds.
Cousin Dave at July 22, 2011 5:47 AM
So, the TSA has decided to remove the nekkid pictures from the scanners and just show a generic outline with an indication of where any questionable items are located....but they aren't addressing the safety of these machines, and it appears the only thing that has changed is what is shown on the monitors.
http://tinyurl.com/3vsxhxa
gharkness at July 22, 2011 5:53 AM
Which makes me ask the question: is the TSA taking away the ability to "Opt out"? Surely not, as there are some who cannot handle any additional radiation (and some like me who just don't WANT to).
gharkness at July 22, 2011 6:43 AM
Hey Lujlp!
I saw this article about typeface/fonts for dyslexics and thought of you. It looks promising.
http://www.neatorama.com/2011/07/13/a-typeface-designed-for-dyslexics/
Just sayin' at July 22, 2011 8:14 AM
Yes, gharkness, I saw that last night as well. It's still just TSA Theatre. It's just for show. They're just trying to make us feel better about giving up our right to travel "for safety's sake". It's all a load of hooey. You know it, I know it, and even they know it. They're just hoping that the majority doesn't.
Flynne at July 22, 2011 8:22 AM
This story doesn't give me the warm fuzzies...
Okla. City cops catch flak for mistaken teen curfew arrests
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20081251-504083.html
It was prior to the actual curfew and some were with their PARENTS fgs!!
Melody at July 22, 2011 9:12 AM
Here is another instance of cop being a little bit CRAZY...
Dash Cam: Canton PD "Notification" Arrest & Officer Goes Berserk / Threatens
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kassP7zI0qc
Melody at July 22, 2011 9:18 AM
Massive bombing in central Oslo, Norway. PM's office building torn apart, at least 2 dead, many wounded. Religion of Peace?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-14254095
Martin at July 22, 2011 9:56 AM
Does anyone remember how when the Murrah building came down in Oklahoma City, everyone thought it was Islam?
Crid [CridComment at gmail] at July 22, 2011 11:41 AM
I mentioned this a while ago, and since squirrels are cute, fuzzy and fun, and we all need a bit of cute, fuzzy and fun I thought I’d share.
When I was a teen I found a baby red squirrel, I think her mama had been caught in a rat trap under a friend’s cabin. She was less than a week old, her eyes weren’t even opened yet, and her odds were slim to none of surviving the night, but I and a softhearted and stubborn woman, so I took her and started doing everything I had learned about saving baby critters. She did survive, and thrived, and made life very interesting.
I couldn’t keep her in a cage. Not that I didn’t try, it’s just that she was so good at getting out that eventually I stopped trying. I just let her wander, luckily her instinct was to stay close to Mom. I made a pouch to hang around my neck, and she would curl up to sleep in it.
When she was hungry she would bounce up and down on me and grunt, cute little “Feed me mom!” grunts then take off running up and down me like a tree. We’d play tag for a while then I’d give her her bottle.
So, she had to be fed every 3-4 hours because her metabolism was so fast, and I had been keeping pace but one day I was tired. No, I was TIRED. It was about 5 am, she was bouncing up and down on my chest grunting at me, and I picked her up and threw her off the bed. Squirrels bounce, she came right back. So I did it again. She was a smart little thing, she heard my mother starting my father’s breakfast in the kitchen above us. And she decided if Mom wouldn’t feed her, maybe Gramma would.
The door to my room had a 1 inch gap under it, perfect squirrel size. Dad was just walking into the kitchen as she eeeeeased under the door. Mom was oblivious, making pancakes. Now, of course, you know the ritual, Squirrel must bounce and grunt in face, right? So she zips up Mom’s leg, Mom screeches and throws pancakes EVERYWHERE. I sit bolt upright, and I know Mom has just killed my squirrel. I come running upstairs, and Dad is sitting on the floor laughing so hard he can’t talk. He later said that the first thing that flashed thru his head was “Why should I tell her?”
And my squirrel? She was happily eating a pancake.
When she got old enough, I released her in my back yard. The first time I tried she wouldn’t go, her instincts told her it wasn’t time yet. The second time she went, and the next time I was her she was pregnant and sunning herself in a friend’s backyard. I know it was her because where I lived we only had grey squirrels.
Kat at July 22, 2011 12:26 PM
the next time I SAW her she
So much for proofreading :( I thought I caught everything
K at July 22, 2011 1:02 PM
Red squirrels castrate grey squirrels.
Dave B at July 22, 2011 1:04 PM
Love the squirrel story Kat!
For you Doberman lovers out there...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kww5LqdZyI0
Eric at July 22, 2011 2:01 PM
"Which makes me ask the question: is the TSA taking away the ability to "Opt out"?"
The next step -- mark my words -- is that you will be required to go through the scanner and be felt up.
Cousin Dave at July 22, 2011 2:24 PM
Who's your precious blog commenter in times of distress? The Crid-a-saures, that's who!
(Man, am I gonna be embarrassed if this came out of Tripoli....)
Crid [CridComment at gmail] at July 22, 2011 2:52 PM
Red squirrels castrate grey squirrels.
Which begs the question, what was the name of the Red Squirrel that caught you out, Dave B, that you know so much about them? Did she kiss you first?
Kat at July 22, 2011 3:02 PM
Apparently, Norwegian terrorist not a jihadi:
http://spectator.org/blog/2011/07/22/norwegian-terrorist-not-a-jiha
Martin at July 22, 2011 7:50 PM
@Crid "Does anyone remember how when the Murrah building came down in Oklahoma City, everyone thought it was Islam?"
It's true that it's invalid reasoning to make assumptions until the facts are in. However, there is a genuine, valid reason why whenever a bomb goes off, 'Muslims' are the first thing that pops into anyone's head (let's admit it, even those who have the sense to say 'wait until the facts are in').
If you don't want people to look at you automatically every time someone blows something up, then stop blowing stuff up. It's that simple.
PS it's looking like the Oslo bombings were not Muslims, but carried out by a white nationalist and part-time nutjob who was anti-Muslim.
Lobster at July 22, 2011 7:55 PM
> it's looking like the Oslo bombings
> were not Muslims, but carried out
> by a white nationalist and...
Right! So I'm all, like, whatever.
> If you don't want people to look
> at you automatically every time
> someone blows something up, then
> stop blowing stuff up.
Agreed, but people do weird shit. This one (again, so far as we know at this early hour) turned out to be more like Tucson, right?
That won't stop the madness. In January, as Gabby Giffords struggled in intensive care, an old friend went on Facebook and laid the blame, like, directly on Sarah Palin and her culture of hatred or whatever.
I couldn't respond... It was so breathtakingly inane. I hadn't seen a worse ascription of responsibility for public violence since the morning of the twelfth, when Falwell and Robertson blamed gays for the attacks on New York and Washington. There was nothing to say to her... It was a transparent exposition of the weirdness in her own heart, not a sincere recognition of evil in others.
(And when the shooter turned out to be a Democrat, that didn't mean anything to her, either.)
Yeah, sure, others are evil, but...
We gotta wait for stuff. Media and investigation move faster than ever. We don't need to jump at things with a lot of presumptions when reliable truth is just hours away.
(This is the same reason I prefer paper ballots to voting machines... What, you can't wait three days?)
(And yes, it was fascinating to see which peeps in the twitter feed got all jumpy about Oslo, especially in the military sector.)
Crid [CridComment at gmail] at July 22, 2011 8:49 PM
Lay-deeeeez and Gennilmen! We have a new champion!
Crid [CridComment at gmail] at July 22, 2011 9:01 PM
And a fun one.
Crid [CridComment at gmail] at July 22, 2011 9:04 PM
And a tremendously appropriate one.
(What, you want me to stop for the night? I'll try, but it's dawn in Oslo, and the thoughtful stuff is coming in.)
Crid [CridComment at gmail] at July 22, 2011 9:10 PM
"A Survival Guide to Catastrophe" is an article from Time Magazine in 2008 . . .
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1810315-1,00.html
There are examples of people who survived the impossible, including the story of Rick Rescorla, the man who predicted 9/11, and who essentially saved the 2700 employees of Bear Stearns in the WTC at the cost of his own life. With the 10th anniversary coming up he should not be forgotten.
Jay J. Hector at July 22, 2011 11:18 PM
Ooops, I meant Morgan Stanley Dean Witter. They're all the same anyway as the names are meaningless to most of us.
Rescorla's page at wikipedia. He was one of the officers at the "We Were Soldiers" Battle of la Drang.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Rescorla
Jay J. Hector at July 22, 2011 11:24 PM
If you don't want people to look at you automatically every time someone blows something up, then stop blowing stuff up. It's that simple.
Yes.
Amy Alkon at July 23, 2011 5:01 AM
> Yes.
Yes? Well, our new world recordholder for mayhem seems to have reclaimed the championship for Christian white guys, hasn't he?
So if a streetcar blows up in Melbourne next week, or Tokyo's subways get gassed again, which direction is your suspicion going to point? Did this move the needle at all?
Cosh is right about the guy's looks: He calls to mind the black—&—white Sting of the "Every move you make" years. And the responses of law enforcement are likely to be horrendous.
But next time some dorkwad Euro-idiot starts prattling about the violent cowboy Americans....
Crid [CridComment at gmail] at July 23, 2011 5:40 AM
Golly, my own comment reminds me of this piece, which talks about how white guys have left the top of the pop charts: Even Timberlake spends his time shooting movies nowadays.
But in public assault business —do I even have to do this? Yes, I must— We're back with a bullet!
Here all week, Tip yer waitress, Try the veal.
Crid [CridComment at gmail] at July 23, 2011 5:50 AM
Here's a free swim topic for you. Don't ever use Expedia.com! I booked a very expensive flight with them recently and they screwed up the itinerary badly. Right away, I called and they very nicely agreed to refund the money -- only they haven't. We're talking about $1850 or so that they have owed me for over a month. I wouldn't be raving about this on a blog, but getting in touch with their customer service is impossible. It's shocking how quickly they answer the phone when you press the button for new reservations. Customer service after the fact? ... not so much.
They'll take your money out of your account within seconds, but giving it back when it is due you takes many weeks.
Thank God I'm at a point in my life where I can do without $1850 for a while. I can remember, in the not very distant past, where that kind of shit would have left me homeless.
Do not use Expedia!
whistleDick at July 23, 2011 8:22 AM
Only 6 days until the premire of the new Thundercats!
lujlp at July 23, 2011 11:44 AM
"Red squirrels castrate grey squirrels.
Which begs the question, what was the name of the Red Squirrel that caught you out, Dave B, that you know so much about them? Did she kiss you first?"
Kat - not so exciting as you imply. I just asked the local warden (DNR) why I had so many Reds at my resort, but no Grey. He said once the Reds populate to a certain level they castrate all the Grey males to rule their area with little competition. They become destructive little bastards.
Dave B at July 23, 2011 12:30 PM
"Yes? Well, our new world recordholder for mayhem seems to have reclaimed the championship for Christian white guys, hasn't he
So if a streetcar blows up in Melbourne next week, or Tokyo's subways get gassed again, which direction is your suspicion going to point? Did this move the needle at all?"
Reclaimed the championship? Well, given that Muslims carry out (from what I can gather) on average four terror attacks per day, I'd say no, not even remotely. I think it's safe to say that people will be pointing fingers in their direction for some time to come still.
Personally I always wait until the facts are in. But one can hardly blame people for making a statistically completely reasonable assumption.
You seem strangely excited as if you think this almost vindicates Muslims.
Lobster at July 23, 2011 3:14 PM
I harbor no illusion that Islam looks to white guys born on the shores of Lake Michigan for "vindication".
But there are some people in my twitter feed who deserve a least a brief wisp of shame.
If you "always wait until the facts are in", or at least can sit calmly for a few hours while the investigation begins, we have no argument.
Crid [CridComment at gmail] at July 23, 2011 3:52 PM
I've been seeing the ads for Cowboys & Aliens and all I can think is we haven't finished playing Cowboys and Muslims yet. ;-)
-----------------------------------------
A Indian, Muslim and a Cowboy are sitting in a bar ...
The Indian downs his drink and says "My people once were many, Now we are few."
The Muslim drinks his water and says "My people once were few, Now we are many."
The Cowboy drinks his shot, smiles and says "That's because we haven't played Cowboys and Muslims yet!"
Jim P. at July 23, 2011 7:00 PM
"If you "always wait until the facts are in", or at least can sit calmly for a few hours while the investigation begins, we have no argument"
I do. When I commented "it's looking like the Oslo bombings were not Muslims", it was AFTER the actual perpetrator had already been reported on major, reputable news sources (not sure you realized that or if you assumed I was going on speculation).
Lobster at July 24, 2011 5:44 PM
I think this topic is perfect for you to comment on
http://news.yahoo.com/gay-couple-asked-reverse-shirt-dollywood-200120079.html
My take...if a straight couple or anyone had a t shirt offending gays, this couple would have claimed that they were offended and all the gra's would be suing the park saying that it is creating a hostile environment for gays. But these people think they have the right to wear something offensive to straights and get patted on the back for it? That is just so plain hypocritical. Should these people not show the same sensitivity to others which they expect others to show them?
Redrajesh at July 27, 2011 12:17 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2011/07/22/advice_goddess_25.html#comment-2383556">comment from RedrajeshMy take...if a straight couple or anyone had a t shirt offending gays, this couple would have claimed that they were offended and all the gra's would be suing the park saying that it is creating a hostile environment for gays.
Very imaginative.
You don't have a right to not be offended.
"Should these people not show the same sensitivity to others which they expect others to show them?"
"These people"?
You're just brimming with sensitivity in between that homophobia and hate.
Amy Alkon at July 27, 2011 12:56 AM
People don't need much imagination to sue in America....there is a reason tourists take photographs of the coffee cups of starbucks and send them in emails to their relatives back home or upload them on facebook and laugh at the snarky remarks that they receive as comments.
So saying that people who expect me to be civil to them should be equally civil to me and expecting them to behave to the same standard of behaviour they expect from me is homophobia? When did opposition to double standards and hypocrisy get termed as homophobia? Is there a link to the dictionary which lists the meaning of homophobia as below
homophobia(noun):"opposition to double standards/hypocrisy"
Redrajesh at July 28, 2011 5:15 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2011/07/22/advice_goddess_25.html#comment-2384908">comment from RedrajeshYou consider silence civility? Free speech is one of the great values of this country, and must be exercised to remain vital. You don't have a right to not be offended, and the fact that you are offended by two people who love each other who want to be married (probably because of an evidence-free belief in god that you hold -- which is primitive and childish), is truly ugly.
Here's a beautiful part of Cohen v. California that I posted on another entry, by Justice Harlan, writing for the majority:
That last bit, which I italicized, is one of my favorite quotes from Harlan's writeup.
Amy Alkon at July 28, 2011 6:17 AM
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