Random News Stories

[Junkenstein]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-27905743

Pablo Escobar's escaped Hippos are causing various kinds of havoc in Columbia.

No, I'm not making that up. Yes, it's as amusing as it sounds.

[minuspace]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-27905743

Pablo Escobar's escaped Hippos are causing various kinds of havoc in Columbia.

No, I'm not making that up. Yes, it's as amusing as it sounds.

Whoa!  I'm half way through - and before I nip-out - just had to say that I totally understand:  Hippos, psychologically, are great at herding children after recess.  The image of them passing under a replica plane upon entrance...  Priceless.

[LMNO]

I was going to make a snarky comment, but there's just nothing good at all in this story.
Mississippi Tea Party Leader Suicide.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I was going to make a snarky comment, but there's just nothing good at all in this story.
Mississippi Tea Party Leader Suicide.

Wow. The only redeeming thing I could even think of was that I hope it was his conscience that drove him to it, because at least that would mean there was some glimmer of humanity in that whole awful trainwreck.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Why would ANYONE think "Ooooh, putting pictures of my political opponent's bedridden and helpless wife on the internet will TOTALLY help my political career"?

[xXRon_Paul_42016Xxx(weed)]

Why would ANYONE think "Ooooh, putting pictures of my political opponent's bedridden and helpless wife on the internet will TOTALLY help my political career"?

Because there were rumors that he was sleeping with his assistant. The whole point was supposed to be "Look at the Senators poor wife rotting in a nursing home while he screws his secretary."

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Why would ANYONE think "Ooooh, putting pictures of my political opponent's bedridden and helpless wife on the internet will TOTALLY help my political career"?

Because there were rumors that he was sleeping with his assistant. The whole point was supposed to be "Look at the Senators poor wife rotting in a nursing home while he screws his secretary."

And it somehow didn't seem to occur to anyone involved that reinforcing that point in the manner pursued victimized and humiliated the wife.

[xXRon_Paul_42016Xxx(weed)]

Why would ANYONE think "Ooooh, putting pictures of my political opponent's bedridden and helpless wife on the internet will TOTALLY help my political career"?

Because there were rumors that he was sleeping with his assistant. The whole point was supposed to be "Look at the Senators poor wife rotting in a nursing home while he screws his secretary."

And it somehow didn't seem to occur to anyone involved that reinforcing that point in the manner pursued victimized and humiliated the wife.

There are people supporting the actions of the blogger on Tea Party sites.

http://www.redstate.com/2014/05/22/thad-cochran-unfaithful-husband-untrustworthy-politician/

These people just dont think like normal humans.

[P3nT4gR4m]

They think precisely like normal humans. This is the kind of thing that normal human brains are capable of. They are also capable of working out things like e=mc² and how to put people on the moon. Same hardware, different inputs

[minuspace]

And perhaps that certain, je ne sais quoi?

[Telarus]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/30/us/before-shooting-in-iraq-warning-on-blackwater.html?_r=0

Just weeks before Blackwater guards fatally shot 17 civilians at Baghdad's Nisour Square in 2007, the State Department began investigating the security contractor's operations in Iraq. But the inquiry was abandoned after Blackwater's top manager there issued a threat: "that he could kill" the government's chief investigator and "no one could or would do anything about it as we were in Iraq," according to department reports.

American Embassy officials in Baghdad sided with Blackwater rather than the State Department investigators as a dispute over the probe escalated in August 2007, the previously undisclosed documents show. The officials told the investigators that they had disrupted the embassy's relationship with the security contractor and ordered them to leave the country, according to the reports.

[Junkenstein]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-28103223

French ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy has been detained for questioning over alleged influence peddling.

Mr Sarkozy is being held at Nanterre, near Paris, in an unprecedented step against a former president.

It is alleged that Mr Sarkozy was kept informed of proceedings against him while a decision was being made over whether his work diaries should be kept in the hands of the justice system.

The diaries were seized after claims in 2010 about campaign funding dating back to the 2007 presidential election
The Court of Cassation said in March 2014 he could not have the diaries back
The diaries are reportedly now part of a separate inquiry into alleged funding by late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi
Mr Sarkozy's phone was tapped by investigators look into the Libyan allegations
The investigators believe the former president was tipped off that his phone was being bugged.

That enquiry should be amusing, regardless of findings. It surely won't be able to say with a straight face that Gaddafi's only western supporter was Sarkozy.

And that Blackwater stuff is depressingly expected. I assume they've undergone another name change since, well, last week, so if anyone knows what they're currently called please feel free to shout up.

Seriously, if you're in an industry where changing your company name frequently is required, the industry you are in is DODGY AS HELL.

[minuspace]

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-28103223

French ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy has been detained for questioning over alleged influence peddling.

Mr Sarkozy is being held at Nanterre, near Paris, in an unprecedented step against a former president.

It is alleged that Mr Sarkozy was kept informed of proceedings against him while a decision was being made over whether his work diaries should be kept in the hands of the justice system.

The diaries were seized after claims in 2010 about campaign funding dating back to the 2007 presidential election
The Court of Cassation said in March 2014 he could not have the diaries back
The diaries are reportedly now part of a separate inquiry into alleged funding by late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi
Mr Sarkozy's phone was tapped by investigators look into the Libyan allegations
The investigators believe the former president was tipped off that his phone was being bugged.

That enquiry should be amusing, regardless of findings. It surely won't be able to say with a straight face that Gaddafi's only western supporter was Sarkozy.

And that Blackwater stuff is depressingly expected. I assume they've undergone another name change since, well, last week, so if anyone knows what they're currently called please feel free to shout up.

Seriously, if you're in an industry where changing your company name frequently is required, the industry you are in is DODGY AS HELL.

Xe -> Academi

[Junkenstein]

TERROR:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-28138526

Security is being tightened at airports with direct flights into the US - including some in the UK - in response to US warnings of a "credible threat".

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the measures were being taken to keep the public safe.

While he would not specify what steps would be involved, he ruled out "significant disruption" to passengers.

It comes amid US media reports that al-Qaeda affiliates in Syria and Yemen are developing bombs to smuggle on planes.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said he could not discuss the intelligence and analysis that led to increased security.

However, he added that the "groups... who want to do us harm are constantly looking at new ways that they can seek to harm us and that is why we have to constantly review whether we need to implement new ways to keep us safe".

The BBC understands the security changes are not expected to cause big delays at Heathrow - one of the busiest hubs for flights to the US.

Nothing new or particularly interesting really, just your daily reminder to fear terrorism. I'd be more specific, but no-one else is. So, just worry a bit about it then.

I once again feel obligated to point out that massive queues at security stations, which anyone can easily access, are wonderful targets for terrorists. They are the single most vulnerable place in any airport I've passed through in the past 10 years. It seems worth noting as if I can think of this and I'm sure anyone else who has stood in these appalling human pens probably thought this too. I'm glad we're not treating terrorists as being capable of such thoughts.

[Junkenstein]

Obvious bullshit files 88720G/B:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28141604

Satisfaction in the way people are dealt with by police in England and Wales has dropped significantly in the past three years, a survey has found.

Two thirds of people are "happy" or "very happy" with their treatment - down from three quarters in 2011, according to the poll carried out by the police watchdog earlier this year.

Pollster Ipsos MORI, which conducted the survey between February and March, said the drop in satisfaction levels - to their lowest for 10 years - was "significant".

The report also found:

One in three people were not confident that if they complained to the police it would be handled fairly (No shit. The IPCC has been a long running joke on par with the FSA(Financial services) or the PCC (which was critized by pretty much everyone throughout the leveson enquiry)
Three quarters of people would complain if they were "really unhappy" about a police officer - but 40% were not confident they would know how to do so
People from ethnic minority groups were less likely to say they would complain, and more likely to fear harassment if they did so (Again, No shit. Police hassling minority groups? Really. It's almost like they've heard about stop and search)
Young people were less likely to be happy about their treatment by police - but less willing to complain (Young people are more likely to be victims of police wrongdoing and are easier for police to ignore. See the above reference to stop and search. Make a complaint about it and do you think you'll be searched more or less frequently?)

Over the previous 12 months, 23% of those surveyed had been in contact with the police.

So around a quarter of those asked had actual recent first hand experience. I'm not even taking bets on what the numbers would look like if you focused just on those respondents.

I'm a horrible old man. I've had more than my fair share of dealing with UK police through a variety of circumstances. Out of these, I can recall just one copper who I thought was an actual human being. I've had armed police wave guns in my face because an idiot brought a lighter in the shape of a kids gun to the pub. Didn't even know the guy, but we (The whole pub, around 50 folk) were all detained, searched and questioned at length to our involvement with firearms.

I'm sure there are good coppers out there, hell, I've met one. And no doubt they do a difficult job. So, however, do bank robbers and I've met more of them who are civil and polite and they don't get any fucking medals despite it being an equally difficult and hazardous job.