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Friday Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Fri Aug 01, 2014 at 12:05:14 PM EST
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What's on your mind today? Here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

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    Friday Open Thread | 45 comments (45 topical)

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    Girl who was attacked by cops... (5.00 / 1) (#23)
    by desertswine on Fri Aug 01, 2014 at 09:25:25 PM EST
    for buying water in Virginia is awarded 200k. I think it shoulda been more.  She's lucky they didn't kill her and her friends.

    That was a scary story (none / 0) (#24)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Aug 01, 2014 at 09:45:58 PM EST
    200k is not enough

    Parent
    Holy Smokes! (none / 0) (#42)
    by sj on Mon Aug 04, 2014 at 11:10:27 AM EST
    7 agents for a suspected 12 pack of beer? Are you kidding me? Does anyone still really think the militarization of the police is a good thing? Seriously?

    $200k is not nearly enough.

    Parent

    Techincally (none / 0) (#43)
    by jbindc on Mon Aug 04, 2014 at 12:11:21 PM EST
    It wasn't for buying water, but for driving off and hitting two of the officers.

    But yes, this is a bit ridiculous.

    Parent

    technically (none / 0) (#44)
    by sj on Mon Aug 04, 2014 at 12:22:10 PM EST
    They don't need seven officers to check if she bought a 12 pack of beer.

    But regarding the "driving off and hitting two of the officers"...

    Daly, along with two roommates who were in the car, did what reasonable, unarmed people usually do when violently pounced upon by seven people. They tried to get away...

    ...After a public outcry and embarrassing national ridicule, all charges were dropped and Daly's record was completely expunged.

    No officers could have possibly been hit had the police acted responsibly in the first place.

    Ms. Daly and her friends are the victims here. From the first moment to the last. And your comment comes close to blaming the victim for her victimization.

    Parent

    Sigh (none / 0) (#45)
    by jbindc on Mon Aug 04, 2014 at 12:42:40 PM EST
    What part of "this was ridiculous" don't you understand?

    And yes, seven officers is extreme, but it seems that only one officer originally approached her, and then chaos ensued.

    And trying to blame me for trying to "blame the vicitm" is beneath you because that's a complete stretch and not at all what I said or implied.  Shame on you.  But what I do take offense to, as you should as well, is that only part of the story is discussed, and facts are omitted because it makes for better shock value on a blog.

    Parent

    Oh, I noticed you called it ridiculous (none / 0) (#46)
    by sj on Mon Aug 04, 2014 at 01:00:51 PM EST
    But it isn't ridiculous. It is much worse than ridiculous. And yes, according to one of the police reports only one officer approached her.

    I, however, don't believe that for a second. Police reports are more and more frequently challenged with video evidence of their dishonesty. And, while there doesn't appear to be video evidence in this case, I don't see a straight path from one reasonable officer approaching Ms. Daly, to Ms. Daly exhibiting behavior that requires the response of seven armed officers.

    Tell me, how do you think three young women in a car could escalate a confrontation so that "chaos ensued". Love the use of the passive voice, by the way. Chaos didn't "ensue". The officers brought it with them.

    The tactic of a charging someone with "resisting arrest" when the officer has been the provocateur has a long and dishonorable history. That history -- and that behavior -- creates a more believable picture than three students causing chaos to ensue.

    It wasn't my "omitting facts" that was dishonest. It was the act of bringing those those charges at all that was dishonest.

    Frankly, I'm too disgusted with your attempts at mitigating indefensible behavior to "sigh".

    Parent

    From our "Only in L.A." file: (none / 0) (#1)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Aug 01, 2014 at 01:34:44 PM EST
    MORTY: (Cigarette dangling out of his mouth.) "Jake, what're you doin' here?"

    J.J. GITTES: "Nothin', Morty, it's my lunch hour, I thought I'd drop by and see who died lately."

    (Gittes picks up the sheet on a body and pulls it back. CAMERA GETS ITS FIRST GLIMPSE of Hollis Mulwray's body, eyes open, the face badly cut and bruised.)

    MORTY: "Yeah, ain't that something? Middle of a drought, and the water commissioner drowns. Only in L.A."
    -- Robert Towne, "Chinatown" (Original Screenplay, 1974)

    As California suffers from its most severe statewide drought in 40 years, a 90-year-old water main suffered a catastrophic blowout in the middle of Sunset Blvd. in Westwood, sending an estimated 20 million gallons of water gushing onto the nearby UCLA campus, flooding an underground parking garage and several buildings and athletic facilities, including the recently renovated track-and-field complex and historic Pauley Pavilion, which was also recently renovated.

    Nobody was hurt, thankfully, but about 400 of the 900 cars in that parking garage were completely submerged in the deluge, and the brand-new hardwood basketball court installed at Pauley only two months ago is completely ruined and will have to be replaced. And the Sunset Blvd. force main failure serves as yet another warning about the decaying state of our nation's infrastructure.

    Aloha.

    It was painful watching all that water (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by nycstray on Fri Aug 01, 2014 at 01:58:57 PM EST
    just go to waste :/

    Parent
    This animated gif (none / 0) (#2)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Aug 01, 2014 at 01:43:39 PM EST
    of Folsom lake is pretty stunning

    Parent
    Shasta Lake... (none / 0) (#4)
    by Dadler on Fri Aug 01, 2014 at 02:01:00 PM EST
    ...is just as depressing. (link)

    Parent
    Hey (none / 0) (#7)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Aug 01, 2014 at 02:14:30 PM EST
    The other day we were talking about desirable addresses in LA.  I was in the process of doing this and was busted for OT and it was deleted.
    Since I don't live there anymore and don't know who does I am going to give you the address of the last place I lived in LA because it's cool to enter in into google and then zoom out and see how "on the edge" of LA I was.
    The house was 800 sqft.  Not a typeo.  It was on a georgous double lot that had been landscaped by the previous owner who happened to manage the LA Arboretum and Botanic Garden.  I bought it for 200,000 kept it for exactly two years to avoid capital gains an sold it for 300,000.

    10111 Breidt Ave.   Tujunga, CA.

    Parent

    I know the area very well. (none / 0) (#10)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Aug 01, 2014 at 02:48:31 PM EST
    My cousin and his wife live on Adams St. right off La Crescenta Ave., probably about a mile or so from your old place. I grew up in the Hastings Ranch area of east Pasadena, about ten or so miles east from where you were. The San Gabriel foothills are a wonderful place to live. And the region has lots and lots of trees, which generally keep it from being unbearably hot.

    Parent
    I loved the area. (none / 0) (#12)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Aug 01, 2014 at 03:09:55 PM EST
    It was like being in LA but not.  I lived in Tujunga for about 12 years.  Just bought a house at the end.
    House I rented for ten years was a cooler house about 4 blocks from that address.  But the property I owned was much cooler.

    Parent
    post-war bungalow? (none / 0) (#18)
    by Dadler on Fri Aug 01, 2014 at 04:58:32 PM EST
    lots of those tiny  2 or 3/1s around.

    Parent
    Bungalow is generous (none / 0) (#19)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Aug 01, 2014 at 05:05:56 PM EST
    It was a box.  But in pretty good shape.

    Parent
    Let's hope the current drought ends soon. (none / 0) (#6)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Aug 01, 2014 at 02:03:05 PM EST
    The alternative is frightening to contemplate. Last year was the driest on record since California became a state in 1850 -- and scientists have noted that data compiled from examinations of tree rings indicate that it's the driest since 1580!

    Parent
    And what we waste in a day... (none / 0) (#5)
    by Dadler on Fri Aug 01, 2014 at 02:01:31 PM EST
    ...could keep those lakes filled. Sad but true.

    That's why state residents need to ... (none / 0) (#8)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Aug 01, 2014 at 02:26:54 PM EST
    ... be acutely aware of their own personal water usage, and make adjustments accordingly. We had to do that in the mid-1970s. The City of Pasadena recently instituted mandatory water restriction and conservation measures.

    One area where homeowners can make a difference is their yards. A lot of water gets wasted in the maintenance of green lawns, an obsolete tradition which migrated with people several generations ago as they moved into California from back east. Perhaps it's time to for them to finally consider getting rid of the grass, and xeriscaping their yards instead with rock gardens, mulch, drought-tolerant plants and foliage. I've seen a lot of people do that over there in recent years.

    My mother's neighbors next door did that two years ago, and now that it's grown out, she enjoys looking at their yard so much that she wants to do the same.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    It needs to be mandated by law (none / 0) (#26)
    by Dadler on Sat Aug 02, 2014 at 08:09:15 AM EST
    If the government, in this kid of drought, cannot establish firm guidelines, with adequate fines to dissuade waste, then what good is governance in our age? We should have had mandated conservation a couple of years ago AT LEAST. Mahalo.

    Parent
    The State of California has already done that. (none / 0) (#34)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Aug 02, 2014 at 06:43:00 PM EST
    The State Water Quality Control Board has authorized mandatory fines for wasteful practices, and it is up to local utilities and municipalities to enforce the code. In 2009, Pasadena enacted a conservation ordinance that limits outdoor watering to between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, requires customers to fix leaks within 72 hours, prohibits car washing except in facilities that recycle water, and imposes various other restrictions.

    The Pasadena Dept. of Water & Power and other community utilities in the San Gabriel Valley rely primarily upon neighbor complaints to enforce the code, and such community self-monitoring and self-policing has actually been quite effective in deterring waste. Since April 2013, PDWP has issued 1,100 warnings and has issued 70 citations, and overall water use has declined nearly 20% in response to the drought.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Oops! I did it again. (none / 0) (#41)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Aug 03, 2014 at 03:44:49 PM EST
    Gov. Jerry Brown and Local officials are calling upon Californians for an aggregate 20% cut in water use, which has yet to be achieved. Water use has NOT declined by that amount.

    Parent
    Oops! Make that the ... (none / 0) (#35)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Aug 02, 2014 at 07:23:10 PM EST
    ... State Water Resources Control Board. And here's how the restrictions are being implemented, courtesy of the Association of California Water Agencies. You can actually use that site to inquire about the particular restrictions that are in place in your specific locale.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Watching something on BBCA (none / 0) (#36)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Aug 02, 2014 at 08:57:26 PM EST
    a history buff might enjoy.   It's called The Great Martian War 1913-1917.   It's a very well done historical mocumentary about that imaginary war.  Looks exactly like a history channel show about WWs 1 or 2 but with really well done archival footage of H.G.Wells invasion machines.
    And lots of really old actors getting to work as surviving eye witnesses.

    It runs again at 10 ET.

    Parent

    Our ever vigilant DHS (none / 0) (#9)
    by jimakaPPJ on Fri Aug 01, 2014 at 02:43:36 PM EST
    Some 40 Land Rover owners across the U.S. woke up Tuesday morning to police and federal investigators knocking on their doors and demanding they hand over their trucks. Officials say it's part of an ongoing criminal investigation into the illegal importation of Land Rovers into this country, Jalopnik has learned.

    snip

    "ICE Homeland Security Investigations special agents served court-ordered seizure warrants on approximately 40 Land Rovers in various locations around the country," he said in an email. "The seizures are being made pursuant to an ongoing criminal investigation involving the unlawful importation of the vehicles from Great Britain. The Land Rovers, which do not meet federal safety or emission standards, cannot be lawfully operated in the United States."

    Link

    Meanwhile back at the ranch, thousands are pouring across our southern border.

    I'm so glad that the Feds have their priorities straight.

    More importantly (1.00 / 0) (#25)
    by Slado on Sat Aug 02, 2014 at 07:58:18 AM EST
    The unintended consequences of Obama policies on immigration are catastrophic and deadly.

    Death at the border

    It'd be nice if our media would report on this.  But that would mean they'd have to point out that a feel good policy doesn't work very well and that doesn't fit the narrative.

    Nothing either party is proposing is going to stop the needless death and misery at our border.  In fact what the democrats and Obama are suggesting will probably increase it.


    Parent

    What's happening there is (none / 0) (#28)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Aug 02, 2014 at 08:43:47 AM EST
    A crime.  And as it said it's been happening for a long time.
    I'm not sure what the president can do.  You saw what happened in the House in the last few days.  

    I have no idea what they should do.  Do you?

    Also I wonder about the agenda of the Texas Volunteer group providing most of the info.  Which is not to say it's not true.   I'm sure it is.

    Parent

    Do tell (none / 0) (#29)
    by Yman on Sat Aug 02, 2014 at 08:59:00 AM EST
    The unintended consequences of Obama policies on immigration are catastrophic and deadly.

    How has this been caused by "Obama policies on immigration"?  Be specific, if you can.

    Parent
    Slado's simply parroting ... (none / 0) (#37)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Aug 03, 2014 at 02:23:22 AM EST
    ... some rancher quoted in the article, who blames Obama for the amnesty offered to undocumented children brought to the U.S. by their parents before 2007. Needless to say, the rancher also opposes the DREAM Act.

    There's really nothing to be gained by engaging the callously nonsensical, and I'm too tired nowadays to even try anymore. The racism and xenophobia on open display here from these people is disheartening, to say the least.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    I figured as much, ... (none / 0) (#40)
    by Yman on Sun Aug 03, 2014 at 10:30:41 AM EST
    ... but I was curious as to whether he could come up with some actual policy or facts to support his claim.

    Guess not.

    Parent

    If they did not do this (none / 0) (#20)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Aug 01, 2014 at 05:43:41 PM EST
    You would be linking to some Brietbart screed about how hypocritical the administration was to preach about emission standards and allow "Land Rover drivers" to break the law.

    Part 2
    How silly is it that a guy named Jalopnik is looking for illegal cars?  

    Parent

    Or crying about ... (5.00 / 1) (#22)
    by Yman on Fri Aug 01, 2014 at 06:41:23 PM EST
    ... Obama enforcing some laws but not others, ... unless, of course, it's a law they don't want enforced.

    Yawwwwwwn ...

    Parent

    Oh, my (none / 0) (#11)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Aug 01, 2014 at 02:53:39 PM EST
    Newest conspiracy theory by the tea partiers here in Ga. Michelle Nunn is part of the one world conspiracy. They think her father works for George Soros now. Googled it and found nothing of the sort. If Perdue starts spewing this kind of crap, he's toast. Perdue has said however that he will not vote for Mitch McConnel for majority leader should the GOP take the senate. I guess McConnel is now part of the one world conspiracy and controls the flow of the black helicopters from the UN?

    Everytime I think they can't get more crazy they actually top it.

    Going to find out (none / 0) (#13)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Aug 01, 2014 at 03:11:56 PM EST
    If those dynastic names, Nunn, Pryor, still mean anything.

    Parent
    I guess so. (none / 0) (#14)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Aug 01, 2014 at 03:30:08 PM EST
    I'm waiting to see if when Nunn lets loose on Perdue and his history whether it changes the numbers any or not.

    Parent
    Real Clear says the RCP average (none / 0) (#15)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Aug 01, 2014 at 03:46:20 PM EST
    Is +3.2 for Perdue.  That's not much.  Nunn leads in one poll him in three.

    Democrats are excited about Michelle Nunn's chances of ending the party's 14-year dry spell in the Senate, and changing demographics may indeed help the party of Jackson regain its footing here. But this is still a Republican state, and even with massive black turnout in 2008, Democrats couldn't put the Senate seat away. This race starts out close, with Nunn and Perdue trading leads in the polls, but given the environment and the Republican lean of the state, Perdue probably starts with an edge.


    Parent
    Oh my, excuse me (5.00 / 1) (#16)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Aug 01, 2014 at 03:47:42 PM EST
    realclear

    Parent
    Well (none / 0) (#17)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Aug 01, 2014 at 04:02:05 PM EST
    fortunately for Nunn nobody seems to be too excited about Perdue and Deal isn't in great shape either. I wonder how big a drag Deal is going to be for Perdue if any and then I think the GOP just shot themselves in the foot with their latest stunt of suing the president. They're now saying that Obamacare isn't bad it just wasn't implemented right? How are they going to argue against it when they're suing him to implement it. This is par for the course though. They really just don't make any sense.

    Parent
    Jeralyn (none / 0) (#27)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Aug 02, 2014 at 08:38:02 AM EST
    I think you deleted a comment about a religious/medical thing I put here yesterday.

    Sorry if it was inappropriate.  And in retrospect I guess I can see why you might think it was.   Especially looking at the comments about it on FB overnight.   Ugly.

    It's just I had never heard of it and was sort of curious if others had.

    Anyway, sorry.  It was sort of inappropriate I guess.

    Was it the way you said it? (none / 0) (#31)
    by unitron on Sat Aug 02, 2014 at 02:53:57 PM EST
    I would think that mentioning that a religious tradition which is also a medical procedure, even though performed by "not a licensed physician", seems to be spreading a disease wouldn't, by itself, be off-limits for an open thread.

    After all, there are recognized limits to speech freedoms and even recognized limits to religious freedoms where those limits exist to protect other rights, so I don't think a discussion of where to draw the line between religious tradition and protecting public health would, by itself, be out of bounds.

    Parent

    Did you see the coment (none / 0) (#32)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Aug 02, 2014 at 03:05:30 PM EST
    I don't want to discuss it I am just curious if you are asking that because you saw the subject line or if you are just asking in general.

    To answer, I guess it could have been.

    Parent

    I didn't see it... (none / 0) (#38)
    by unitron on Sun Aug 03, 2014 at 10:20:41 AM EST
    ...guess it got zapped before I could, but I saw a story in the news that I'm pretty sure is what you were talking about, and I wondered whether your comment got removed solely due to the subject matter or if it was because you expressed an opinion she considered disrespectful or something like that.

    I would think that the subject itself--religious practice clashes with post "invention of the microscope" medical advice--would be suitable for an open thread.

    Parent

    Thanks (none / 0) (#39)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Aug 03, 2014 at 10:26:05 AM EST
    I said it was creepy.  A little judgmental I guess.  It was the first adjective that came to mind.  
    Regret if that's the case.  I would have been interested in the legal discussion.

    Parent
    This is helpful ?? (none / 0) (#30)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Aug 02, 2014 at 09:37:29 AM EST
    I guess

    WASHINGTON, Aug 1 (Reuters) - A U.S. Senate committee report will conclude that the CIA's use of harsh interrogation after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks yielded no critical intelligence on terrorist plots that could not have been obtained through non-coercive methods, U.S. officials familiar with the document said.

    Foreshadowing the impending release of a report expected to suggest that the "enhanced" techniques were unnecessary and also to accuse some CIA officers of misleading Congress about the effectiveness of the program, President Barack Obama said on Friday that the CIA "tortured some folks." He had banned the practices soon after taking office in 2009.

    Officials said the Senate Intelligence Committee was unlikely to release the report to the public without some additional review.

    "A preliminary review of the report indicates there have been significant redactions. We need additional time to understand the basis for these redactions and determine their justification. Therefore the report will be held until further notice and released when that process is completed," Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the committee's chair, said.

    The voluminous report does not state that the use of "enhanced interrogation techniques" - which included measures such as "waterboarding," or simulated drowning, on captured al Qaeda militants - produced no information of value whatsoever, the officials said.

    But it asserts that such tactics yielded no information that would have been "otherwise unavailable" to spy agencies through normal interrogations aimed at foiling further plots in the aftermath of the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, the officials said.
    Fat Freddie's Drop (none / 0) (#33)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Aug 02, 2014 at 05:17:45 PM EST

    I just discovered them

    Afrique live at the Red Bull

    Real horns.  Like the best old Frank Zappa

    Friday Open Thread | 45 comments (45 topical)

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