In today's news...

[OAMP]

Re: In today's news...

There's a difference between bias and outright stating your agenda

Like I said though, I don't doubt the contents, but I bet it's just a case of someone trying to inflame people's kneejerk reactions than any reflection of what they're actually going to be used for. There's a big difference between a few authors of measure ranting about kids in the street and actual action though. It's like saying just because something *might* happen that it's going to happen. That is a MAJOR logical fallacy that taints rational debate. It's the same argument that was used against tons of things in the past with every moral guardian panic ever. "Video games will turn our kids into murderers!" Yeah, it's an extreme example, but a lot of these news articles have a really similar theme, especially when taken so far out of context.

And really, what kind of idiot would outright put that kind of information on a bill as a serious use. If you're going to be doing shady business, you cover it up, not make the info publicly available. If there was going to be some kind of extra-judicial crackdown, or any kind of serious threat at all, even in the slightest, we would NOT have any news stories about it before hand. The people who do such things, let alone succeed at them, are far more competent to be outed by any news source ahead of said incidents. I'm not even aware of ANY such incidents where news has come out ahead of time. It's pretty much always investigation of an event that went horribly wrong, then finding secret classified documents.

Seriously XSI, I know you mean well, but 90% of that kind of news you post is even less credible that the 2012 Mayan end of the world crap that was going around. It's like claiming the pyramids were build by aliens. Sure, it's an answer, but there's an infinite amount of better answers.

Eh, I have more thoughts on the matter, but it's hard to organize, and I really don't want to be too harsh. I just think taking some of these seriously is pretty ridiculous.

 

[dmronny]

Re: In today's news...

Think of it this way, this vehicle they are talking about buying is essentially a pick-up truck with bullet proof windows and some armor plating in key spots. Despite what the article said this is nothing like a tank and there are no weapons on the thing. Therefore the only way they could use it on people is if they plan on running them over. Yes, running them over with a less reactive, and slower vehicle than the police cars they already have.

They do of course plan on using it for a multitude of things, including riot control. I don't care what group is rioting it's against the law and having an armored vehicle that can help contain the violence and protect innocent people around is probably a good idea. There are fringe wackos in every group including occupy who will start throwing rocks and whatever else they can find at police and innocent people.

Plus everything Oamp said.

 

[Nunu]

Re: In today's news...

I got about half way through the article and the full story was clear when they police chief talked about the forms really sucking and he basically wrote down the wrong slant on the thing.

If I had to read between the lines, I might say he thinks he's more likely to get funding for something he thinks they need if he exaggerates the problem (in a request form).

 

[dmronny]

Re: In today's news...

It's quite possible. The bureaucracy can be rather stifling at times with our government.

 

[OAMP]

Re: In today's news...

Yeah, I've worked in govermentish bureaucracy. That's pretty much how it goes. I got my projects through eventually only because admin realized I was going to do it either with or without them, so they better get on board before I make a mess. (The advantage of being a pseudo-elected official is I can't be fired )

 

[dmronny]

Re: In today's news...

That would be a nice advantage though it does open up potential avenues of abuse of power. Don't go down the dark side Oamp, or if you do at least give yourself a cool title like Dark Overlord of the Universe and Commander of the Fish and Beasts.

 

[OAMP]

Re: In today's news...

Psh, I actually resigned from all that back probably in Feb or March, maybe April.

Besides, I can hardly abuse power when my authority consists of managing the student side of public transit in town, heh.

 

[dmronny]

Re: In today's news...

Oh I was kind of hoping that you gone down just to here our evil title but this works, too. Or was it an evil public transportation system which would basically be a bus that always arrives 20 minutes late no matter when you got on the thing.

 

[OAMP]

Re: In today's news...

Your suggestion was awfully close to Idi Amin's. I personally prefer Emperor of the Known Universe Short, but to the point

 

[dmronny]

Re: In today's news...

Well that's actually where I got it from, I was a reading a cracked article about crazy dictators earlier. And Emperor of the Known Universe is nice but it has no panache to it.

 

[OAMP]

Re: In today's news...

I'll admit, I like his title, it's just not for me. My other favorites for personal use are long the lines of "First Citizen" or "Comrade General"

Sadly that's more of a topic for the games discussion thread, though for some reason I want to info-dump about various African warlords in this thread now, heh...

 

[XSI]

Re: In today's news...

There's a difference between bias and outright stating your agenda

Like I said though, I don't doubt the contents, but I bet it's just a case of someone trying to inflame people's kneejerk reactions than any reflection of what they're actually going to be used for. There's a big difference between a few authors of measure ranting about kids in the street and actual action though. It's like saying just because something *might* happen that it's going to happen. That is a MAJOR logical fallacy that taints rational debate. It's the same argument that was used against tons of things in the past with every moral guardian panic ever. "Video games will turn our kids into murderers!" Yeah, it's an extreme example, but a lot of these news articles have a really similar theme, especially when taken so far out of context.

And really, what kind of idiot would outright put that kind of information on a bill as a serious use. If you're going to be doing shady business, you cover it up, not make the info publicly available. If there was going to be some kind of extra-judicial crackdown, or any kind of serious threat at all, even in the slightest, we would NOT have any news stories about it before hand. The people who do such things, let alone succeed at them, are far more competent to be outed by any news source ahead of said incidents. I'm not even aware of ANY such incidents where news has come out ahead of time. It's pretty much always investigation of an event that went horribly wrong, then finding secret classified documents.

Seriously XSI, I know you mean well, but 90% of that kind of news you post is even less credible that the 2012 Mayan end of the world crap that was going around. It's like claiming the pyramids were build by aliens. Sure, it's an answer, but there's an infinite amount of better answers.

Eh, I have more thoughts on the matter, but it's hard to organize, and I really don't want to be too harsh. I just think taking some of these seriously is pretty ridiculous.

You know, I entirely agree with that. A lot of these news stories are just overly exaggerated. That's how they get page views. News has sadly turned into yet another form of entertainment these days, and scare-tactics sell stories.
So they figure out what their regular readers want to read(In this case scary prophecy articles on how the US is going to kill all their citizens in FEMA camps and become a police state), and they stick to it - That's what gets them the most views. It doesn't even need to be following an agenda, it just needs to appeal to the people who read it.
This, of course, is for ALL media, even the mainstream media that most people consider credible. But you are right in that if anything would be seriously going down, there would not be any news about it. (There was nearly no news on Guantamano bay until that info got leaked either)
But anything less serious will instead get ignored and at times ridiculed so it becomes 'just another conspiracy theory' on the internet

Personally, I'm of the belief that all information is good to know. Even the lies, falsehoods, and propaganda. If nothing else, you can see if you can find some truths or common grounds that they all admit as true

As for something that may be interesting news that may or may not be entirely correct, Egypt:
Some news sources claim foreign interests are stirring up the place

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Among others, Hamas and the government of Qatar(Who backed the Muslim Brotherhood) are pointed out as being behind it before the article goes on to point to the US, UK and Saudi Arabia as supporting them(For the Suez canal, of course)
Blackwater mercenaries are rumoured to be involved as the snipers shooting at protestors

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Edit: A bit late, but Cyprus is going to put in a minimum income for all

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Sounds like a good move to me

 

[Hentaispider]

Re: In today's news...

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Simply seeing ads could make you a part of a DDOS attack or worse.

 

[XSI]

Re: In today's news...

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Simply seeing ads could make you a part of a DDOS attack or worse.

Yet another good reason to get an addblocker and noscript/script disabler

 

[Obsidious]

Re: In today's news...

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Area 51 "officially" acknowledged.

 

[OAMP]

Re: In today's news...

Psh, everyone knows they moved the aliens back in the 90s to [REDACTED].

 

[dmronny]

Re: In today's news...

There were never any aliens, that was just a ploy by our shape changing lizard rulers and the Thule society to distract everyone while they gained control of the world toilet paper reserve. Now there unstoppable and forget you typed this.

 

[Obsidious]

Re: In today's news...

There were never any aliens, that was just a ploy by our shape changing lizard rulers and the Thule society to distract everyone while they gained control of the world toilet paper reserve. Now there unstoppable and forget you typed this.

Go home, you're drunk.

But it's true though that them government folks cannot be trusted. I say Area 51 never existed in the first place.

 

[Nunu]

Re: In today's news...

By american law area 51 does not exist. there was actually a court case because some workers there got poisoning from hazardous materials and the government denied their workplace existed despite satellite images of the place.

 

[XSI]

Re: In today's news...

Everyone already knew Area 51 existed, but it's still good to have it official.
Kind of like a public secret, but at least now they can stop pretending it doesn't exist.


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And now stating the obvious: Soda is bad for 5 year olds

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It appears to make them aggressive and easily distracted. Whether this is because these drinks contain more sugar than anything else, loads of caffeine, high fructose corn syrup, or because of the multiple chemical additions which are only tested by the people who make(And sell) them is unsure.

One thing is obvious - It's not good for kids(And probably not adults either)

I would recommend not drinking that stuff, there is no way that can be good for you

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And Monsanto, after declaring they'll no longer pursue markets in Europe less than a year ago...

Are entering European markets, with the EU approving them despite nobody wanting it and nobody knowing exactly what they're approving.

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Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences have been lobbying for SmartStax in Europe for the last five years, having first applied for EU marketing approval in 2008.

Coincidentally, the EU declared it safe after being bribed- I mean lobbied for a while

The EFSA(European food safety agency) however has been criticised for not actually testing it, as tests were limited to 90 day trials of only the two original corns that SmartStax was made out of, and no actual investigation appears to have been done into the new corn being introduced.
Not a single long-term test has been done
No tests on animals have been done either

Personally, I hope they make it mandatory to label products with this in it, then people will vote with their wallets and any idiot stupid enough to grow this will go bankrupt.

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Editing in some stupidity by police:
Texas police SWAT teams raid organic farm for 10 hours, including aerial surveillance

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This all for marijuana which they did not find.

The police seized "17 blackberry bushes, 15 okra plants, 14 tomatillo plants ... native grasses and sunflowers," after holding residents inside at gunpoint for at least a half-hour

Local authorities had cited the Garden of Eden in recent weeks for code violations, including "grass that was too tall, bushes growing too close to the street, a couch and piano in the yard, chopped wood that was not properly stacked, a piece of siding that was missing from the side of the house, and generally unclean premises,"

The police did not produce a warrant until two hours after the raid began, and officers shielded their name tags so they couldn't be identified.

All of this sounds incredibly stupid to me. So it probably is.

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Another edit, the same as usual, SOPA stuff, etcetera

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"Administration Can't Let Go: Wants To Bring Back Felony Streaming Provisions Of SOPA"
Speaks for itself, I'm fairly sure everyone knows SOPA by now and that it's a bad thing.