Incompetent science reporting

Today I encountered some engregiously bad science reporting. The article is on the Finnish news site YLE, that usually has pretty good standards, and has even published some articles that have clearly been written by a skeptic, promoting critical thinking.

However, this time, the reporter that wrote the article clearly understood nothing of the subject.

It won't help you, because it's in Finnish, but the article I'm referring to is here:
https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2019/0...ti-tieteilijat

The title is: "Your future may soon be predictable scientifically - scientists created a predictive quantum computer"

And it essentially says that this discovery will allow the quantum computer to predict the futures of individual humans.

Fortunately, they did link the original article, published in Nature Communications: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-08951-2

This sounded SOOOOOOO fishy to me that I actually read the article (and understood enough of it to get the gist of what was done and discovered), and I wrote comment to that article, essentially explaining that it got everything wrong. They closed the commenting shortly after, so my comment is the only one visible there.

But this is what annoys me -media essentialy inventing flashy titles out of whole cloth, based on scientific publications that they didn't really understand at all.

Then people who believe those articles, think that their outrageous conclusions come from the scientists, and not from the incompetence of the reporter, will get jaded and distrustful of the actual science, after their false-reporting-based expectations are shown to be without foundation.

The site (YLE) is usually very good when it comes to science, but somehow they let this piece of excrement thorough.

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Speedy postage...

Hi all,

This is just a quick thank you to whomever said that they use FastMail for their email - about this time last year. At least that's when I read the post.

I have been using FastMail for just over 12 months and am very impressed. Spam way down... Basically, aliases are great.

TCP

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FBI: Domestic terrorists could hit July 4th

'Domestic' terrorists could target July 4 holiday events, but no known plots: Feds

Quote:

Originally Posted by ABC News Federal authorities are warning that white supremacists and other political radicals could look to attack Independence Day revelers on July 4, noting in a bulletin to law enforcement around the country that domestic terrorists “have attacked perceived oppressors, opponents, or enemies engaged in outdoor First Amendment-protected rallies or protests during past summers.” The warning came in a joint intelligence bulletin issued by the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and National Counterterrorism Center, urging law enforcement personnel to remain vigilant for suspicious activity. Such bulletins are routinely distributed in the days before a major national holiday, but previous bulletins have often focused on “homegrown” terrorists inspired by overseas groups like ISIS or al-Qaeda rather than “domestic” terrorists radicalized by domestic issues such as abortion or white supremacy. The bulletin, which was issued Wednesday, makes prominent mention of both threats inside the U.S. homeland...

https://abcnews.go.com/US/domestic-t...ry?id=64038406

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Journalist attacked by violent mob

https://twitchy.com/brettt-3136/2019...s-in-portland/

Quote:

On Saturday, Antifa had organized what it called “Community Self-Defense Against Proud-Boy Attack” and specifically called out “far-right Islamophobic journalist” Andy Ngo.

https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status...16047901028352

Quote:

I am nervous about tomorrow’s Portland antifa rally. They’re promising “physical confrontation” & have singled me out to be assaulted. I went on Tucker Carlson last year to explain why I think they’re doing this: They’re seeking meaning through violence.

I'm kinda wondering if Antifa shouldn't be treated as a terrorist organization?

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Stop using your MacBook Pro immediately.

Stop using your MacBook Pro immediately.

Always good advice. But now official policy of the Consumer Products Safety Commission (link) due to the recent spate of battery ignition incidents.

Luckily Apple is treating its userbase with its typical efficiency, courtesy and speed. It typically only takes three weeks for the problem to be resolved (despite the battery replacement taking an hour or so) though it course there's no policy of supplying and replacement in the interim.

Even long term Apple fanboi Matt Bridges was treated in the way, despite it being actually illegal in most civilised countries (not the US of course). Unfortunately not even this level of being screwed over cured his fannishness; Bridges caved and actually ordered another Mac (rather than a proper, cheaper, computer) to continue working.

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Trump official behind fake Biden web site

https://mobile.twitter.com/SethAbram...92125639368704

The best people.

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The Hospital named for a homeopath is going under.

Hahnemann hospital, which derived from a homeopathic hospital from the 19 century, and named for homeopathy’s earliest advocates, is going under.

While Hahnemann uses modern medicine rather than homeopathic woo, it still has a poor reputation among Philadelphia’s robust health systems. It has struggled financially for years.

Sadly, closure means the loss of thousands of jobs, which is a hard hit after a refinery in the city also announced it would close.

https://www.inquirer.com/business/ha..._medium=social

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Walking around with your IV stand while black

Man wrongfully accused of trying to steal his IV stand still charged with disorderly conduct for objecting

Quote:

Dukes, 24, who has lived in Freeport for about a month, said he had been in the hospital for two days with pneumonia when his doctor cleared him to go for a walk outside, as long as he didn’t leave hospital property. Dukes, his brother and another person went for a walk just after 4 p.m. on June 9, but were stopped in the parking lot on their way back into the hospital, Dukes said. The security officer, who has not been named, demanded that Dukes and his companions walk over to his vehicle parked on the side of the street. The security guard, employed by FHN, then accused Dukes of attempting to steal the hospital equipment, according to Dukes. “He had gotten out of his vehicle and said, ‘What are you going to do, steal that and sell it on eBay?’” Dukes said. “I told him, ‘This machine is pumping fluid into my veins as we speak.’” After some banter back and forth, the security officer radioed Freeport police, who were dispatched to the hospital around 4:40 p.m. Dukes said his brother was arrested soon after police arrived and he was arrested a few minutes later. A third man, who recorded the arrests on video, was arrested later. Dukes said he was told by police that he was under arrest for attempted theft, since he was off hospital property with the medical equipment. He contends that he only left hospital property to make his way to the security officer’s vehicle when ordered to do so. On Monday, police said Dukes, his brother and the other individual were arrested only because of their conduct toward the security officer and the police officers once they arrived. Dukes was ultimately charged with disorderly conduct, after an investigation revealed he had no intention of stealing the IV stand, said Freeport police Lt. Andrew Schroeder. Police have not been able to confirm whether Dukes had permission to walk outside of the hospital. “The issue here is that his actions were why he was arrested,” Schroeder said. “Had they been able to engage in a civil discourse with hospital security, we wouldn’t have been called at all.” “As far as the video goes, all you are seeing is a snippet of a longer incident. I think people need to be careful about rushing to judgment against the police without all the information.”

After arresting him police had a paramedic remove Dukes' IV and confiscated his rescue inhaler and began to transport him to jail, but had to return him to the hospital when he began having an asthma attack in the back of the police cruiser.

Welcome to black America, where police can accuse you of something absurd on its face, and then later fully acknowledge you didn't do it but still charge you anyway for complaining too strongly about the interaction, arrest your brother for agreeing with you, and arrest some random bystander for getting it all on video.

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San Francisco Schools to Pay 600K to Paint Over Mural by Communist Artist

Why? Because it unsettled some students with depictions of slavery and mistreatment of the Indians:

Quote:

The educational board has not yet decided how it will cover the artwork. The “Life of Washington” — which depicts slaves being sold at market and working in the fields of the president’s Mount Vernon home and the body of a dead Indian surrounded by white settlers — will either be painted over or have solid panels installed to cover it.

Wow, must have been painted by some white supremacist, huh? Nope, in fact he was a communist:

Quote:

In other words, Arnautoff’s purpose was to unsettle the viewer, to provoke young people into looking at American history from a different, darker perspective. Over the past months, art historians, New Deal scholars and even a group called the Congress of Russian Americans have tried to make exactly that point. “This is a radical and critical work of art,” the school’s alumni association argued. “There are many New Deal murals depicting the founding of our country; very few even acknowledge slavery or the Native genocide. The Arnautoff murals should be preserved for their artistic, historical and educational value. Whitewashing them will simply result in another ‘whitewash’ of the full truth about American history.”

What gets me is that they are apparently talking about destroying the piece of art, not just covering up. Why?

Quote:

Thus he wanted “the murals to be painted down.” Mark Sanchez, the school board’s vice president, later told me that simply concealing the murals wasn’t an option because it would “allow for the possibility of them being uncovered in the future.”

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If the Earth were flat...

So I'm watching this show about flat earthers while smoking a bowl, which I think is a highly appropriate activity to be engaged in while watching something like that, and I was also thinking of the parallel lines illusion where it appears that sunbeams converge on the sun, which they do but they just don't appear to be parallel (almost) while doing it, when it occured to me that if the Earth really were flat then it would appear very differently to us than it does.

I think if you had a flat surface that extended 6-10k miles in every direction, visually that would create the illusion that you were standing at the center of a very shallow bowl where the edges of the bowl came up to approximately eye-level. Further, this illusion would become more pronounced the higher your vantage point was, so if you were in a very tall building or on a mountaintop the bowl would be a lot more pronounced rising to approximately eye-level of whatever your vantage point was.

That's assuming you could even see the horizon. On a spherical Earth like what we have, at ground level the horizon is only ever about 10-20 miles away, because that's how far it is before the curve of the Earth blocks things from view. But if the earth were flat then the "horizon" would be thousands of miles away so it's not likely you could even see it through that much atmosphere. You wouldn't have a hard horizon at all, instead everything beyond a certain distance would be obscured by a purplish haze because there would be just too much air in the way.

It seems like most efforts to convince flat-Earthers rely on experements to prove the curvature of the Earth. Use laser beams, measurements and math and you can see it, but flat-Earthers aren't good at that sort of stuff so it's not convincing to them. Maybe a better approach is to devise experements that would prove the Earth to be flat, and then see them fail?

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John Cadogan and Entropy

When I come home from work I'll turn on the TV and watch youtube videos for a little while to unwind. I recently started to watch John Cadogan's videos on cars.

He is very opinionated to say the least. In one of his videos he brought up entropy as a reason for things breaking down. He also said something about how entropy is evidence against a creator as god would never allow entropy to wear down his creation.

I'm sure calling religion BS is sure to rile a few of his viewers. :)

Ranb

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Cancer takes away antiwar.com's Justin Raimondo at age 67

To me, who thinks nothing good of the "libertarian" ideology, antiwar.com was one of the sites that really taught others how to use links in early internet writing. While the usual pre$$titute sites even these days don't link to the sources they are writing about, but instead use if anything links to their internal "what-is-what" crap, antiwar.com articles were riddled with useful links in the early 2000's. Scott Horton says he was the one who had the job to add all those links back then, and he has a short audio obituary for JR today. May he rest in peace.

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Any coin collectors?

My love, who passed a year and a half ago, used to bury gold and valuable coins, on his property. He left me a few boxes of special items, no gold - that went to his son, but an envelope of pennies, still dirty, was left to me.

Yes, I have tried to research value, but don't know what I am doing. There is one that has a 2012 date, but the others are 1992 and 1994. Does anyone know if they have any value?

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Weaning off pain meds?

After 4 spine surgeries, the last about 18 yrs ago, I have been on daily pain medicine. The past few years, on about 35mg of Oxycodone. But I have been working on learning to fight the pain, and medical marijuana has been helpful.


So, it has been 3 or 4 days without any pain meds. A little discomfort, but that is all. I think that I could stop taking the Oxycodone. I exercise - and do strength-training, building supporting muscle. I believe it has helped.

I am a bit nervous. Can this, the getting free of pain meds after 20 years, be done on your own?

Thanks.

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Auckland Women’s Centre calls on universities to hire only female academics

Auckland Women’s Centre calls on universities to hire only female academics

Quote:

Universities should only hire women for academic roles in certain departments to address gender inequality, a women's empowerment group says. The call comes after a Dutch university rolled out a similar policy last week to combat "implicit gender bias". Auckland Women's Centre manager Leonie Morris said drastic measures, like hiring only women, were needed to achieve equality in fields like engineering and technology. "We need to have an equal number of women and men in each profession. Women need these role models at the top," she said.

Is that a reasonable goal? In every profession the number of women and men should be equal, and therefore (in professions or university departments where the numbers are not currently equal) no more men should be hired until there are an equal number of men and women? I think there are also some departments and professions where women outnumber men. So should there also be a hiring freeze in those professions until there's an equal number of men?

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Think the antiabortion laws have gone too far? They have.

MSN (and multiple other news sources):Alabama woman is charged with the manslaughter of her own unborn baby after she started a fight that led to her being shot and the fetus dying

Quote:

Alabama authorities indicted a woman whose unborn baby died when she was shot because they allege that the shooting resulted in a fight with another woman over the child’s father that she started. Marshae Jones, 27, of Birmingham, was charged with manslaughter by a Jefferson County grand jury on Wednesday. ... Investigators later learned that the shooting took place as a result of a dispute between Jones and Ebony Jemison, 23. When authorities failed to secure an indictment against Jemison, they decided to seek charges against Jones.... ‘She [the baby] had no choice in being brought unnecessarily into a fight where she was relying on her mother for protection.’ Jones will be remanded to Jefferson County Jail, where she will be held on $50,000 bond.

:jaw-dropp

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A recent rape allegation against Trump.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...=.7dc5e420a5b3

Yesterday, I happened to see an interview on CNN, with a well known reporter, (I believe it is for ELLE magazine), who is also promoting her new autobiographical book. In the book, she describes a horrific, painful rape she suffered by Trump, that happened a little over 20 years ago.

Then, I found the above article. I know, the reaction seems to be - 'So?', 'We already knew he was a pig'. However, I am still curious about opinions. Could there be some ripple-effect up the road? The book just came out. She came off intelligent, well spoken, and very believable.


Of course he denies it, saying that the woman isn't even his "type". And claims that he never met her. Though I believe there is a photo of them.

Thanks.

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Are Helium and Hydrogen the only lighter than air gases there are?

We're running out of helium and hydrogen gas is dangerous to use in lighter than aircraft. Are there no alternatives? If humans ever land on Mrs we could use hydrogen safely as there is no oxygen to combust it.

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The Trump Presidency 15

New continuation thread. Original thread can be found here. Feel free to quote from older thread as you would in any thread.

Posted By:Darat

Trump Tweets
Women’s soccer player, @mPinoe, just stated that she is “not going to the F...ing White House if we win.” Other than the NBA, which now refuses to call owners, owners (please explain that I just got Criminal Justice Reform passed, Black unemployment is at the lowest level...

....in our Country’s history, and the poverty index is also best number EVER), leagues and teams love coming to the White House. I am a big fan of the American Team, and Women’s Soccer, but Megan should WIN first before she TALKS! Finish the job! We haven’t yet....

....invited Megan or the team, but I am now inviting the TEAM, win or lose. Megan should never disrespect our Country, the White House, or our Flag, especially since so much has been done for her & the team. Be proud of the Flag that you wear. The USA is doing GREAT!

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HTTP Status Cats API

I think 408 request timeout is my favorite. :) :catface:

https://http.cat/

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That little camera thing at the top center?

A friend told me to put something over the little camera eye on my computer. I didn't pay any attention, since he is a rather paranoid. (And conspiracy theorist). So, I thought I would ask here.


Really? Why would they want to see me do not-a-damn-thing-interesting?

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Avowed Neo-Nazi Admits to Murder of German Politician

Quote:

An avowed neo-Nazi has admitted to the murder this month of a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s center-right party, Walter Lübcke, who had defended her decision to accept refugees into Germany. [...] As a young man, he tried to detonate a homemade explosive at an asylum center, according to reports in the German news media. [...] Since the killing of Mr. Lübcke, other regional politicians have said they have received an increasing number of death threats.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/26/w...-neo-nazi.html

There is a steady drumbeat of far-right terror attacks. Perhaps the fact that a politician was targeted this time rather than a member of an ethnic minority will cause some people to take the issue more seriously.

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Fixing a car while White Cis-Male

Another rare case of a proveable false accusation courtesy of the 'Daily Fail':

Quote:

A Bosnian refugee falsely accused of sexual harassment has set up a GoFundMe page to help him get his life back on track. Kenan Basic helped Caitlyn Gray, now 20, fix her car for two hours in Bankstown, west Sydney in November. Gray, who was 19 at the time, lied to police that he demanded sexual favours and lunged at her breasts and crotch when she refused.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/austr...car/ar-AADqksp

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My PC is haunted, and i am stupid.

Tech is not my thing. Sorry, but I am stupid, but I will describe as best as I can;

My laptop is a simple Dell Inspiron 15 3000. Whatever that is. But it's simple and is fine for how I use it. I bought it 2017, April. It was not expensive, and perfect for my use. And it has been. Nothing major.

Then, around Jan 2017, I noticed some odd things. Shutting it down at night, while sound asleep about 3 am, music came on. It was a good song. It stopped. I went back to sleep and it was shut down when I woke up. If it had been once - but it started happening at various times of the day. Music and videos playing that I had never played. Also, I may be on this forum, reading, and I touch nothing! Suddenly, I am on my gmail, with no isf tabs open. It will randomly just switch to a new page, without any tabs previously open! Frustrating as well, but if I will write a post or pm here, and again, not - it just vanishes!

It isn't the cat. He has never gotten near it, doesn't walk near it, or on it. Gods consolation prize for him being such a pain in the ass. He's wretched.


It gets stranger. But you are already probably questioning my sanity.

Yes. I have virus protection. I see the scans and view the issues. Could it be some wiring quirk that is just at issue with this PC? Thanks.

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Hispanic mother picking up son from school assaulted by student

This happening in New Jersey.

Quote:

A New Jersey mother says she was walking home after picking up her son from school when she was attacked — and the 13-year-old attacker, a student who had allegedly been bullying her son, was arrested and charged with assault Tuesday. Beronica Ruiz said she had just gotten her 7th-grader son from The Gifted and Talented Academy in Passaic on June 19 and was walking home with him and her 1-year-old daughter when a student approached them at Lexington Avenue and Monroe Street. The student verbally accosted them, and when Ruiz told him to stop, he punched her. Ruiz was knocked unconscious, waking up on a stretcher. Her face was left bruised and fractured, and her eye is still red, days after the assault. The juvenile also allegedly struck Ruiz's son in the face, according to officials. He was later released to his parents. The Ruiz family says the trouble actually started inside the school, with students allegedly telling their 12-year-old son to "go back to Mexico" on Tuesday before the attack. Their son is a U.S. citizen. "They told my son Mexicans should go behind the wall," Ruiz said.

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Gorsuch's Triumphs

If we're going to carefully scrutinise Kavanaugh's record since joining SCOTUS, maybe it's time to do the same with Neil Gorsuch.

From my distance, he appears to be the perfect Justice. I've noticed his name alongside RBG a couple of times, including an important dissent, so there's no questions of partisanship, and it looks like he's made decisions based on evidence and the Constitution rather than any political position.

I was very surprised to see such an alleged capital C conservative voting for FUCT in their copyright case, and I see he also sided with the liberal wing on Native American rights.

Am I missing something important, or is my assessment of Gorsuch as an excellent judge entirely correct?

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As members of a skeptics forum, how skeptical are you of current Iran policy?

I thought that this might be a relevant topic.

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New study about the attitude to science & health all over the world

Quote:

The Wellcome Global Monitor is the world’s largest study into how people around the world think and feel about science and major health challenges. It surveys over 140,000 people from more than 140 countries. Wellcome Global Monitor 2018 (wellcome.ac.uk, June 19, 2019)

It has made Danes claim that Danes are the world’s greatest ”science enthusiasts” (videnskab.dk, June 25, 2019), but maybe we're just more conceited than others in this respect:

Quote:

Share of people who say they know a lot about science, by gender and the highest level of science education they have obtained (%) Highest Level of Science Education

The study has intersting information about the attitude to vaccinations around the world. Also: How much does the world trust medical experts and vaccines?

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Do posture correction devices work?

With how much time people spend hunched over computers and phones, poor posture has become more prevalent, and with it the rise in interest in posture correction devices.

My question is do these devices actually work?

From what I've seen most are a harness you wear that pushes/pulls on your body in such a way that makes it easier to stand or sit correctly.

However, isn't poor posture a result of not using the muscles that keep you in proper position enough such that over time they weaken, making it harder for people to maintain proper positioning? If so, I don't see how these devices ultimately help. They may help while wearing the device but they are doing the work the muscles would normally do and thus you aren't actually strengthening them so when you take it off wouldn't you be no better off?

Or am I totally wrong about how this works?

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A lone conservative among liberals is like a wounded animal among piranas

Liberals have been known to assault Conservatives for wearing a maga hat in public. There are bad conservatives too but our weirdos aren't as violent as the liberal weirdos in society.

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Anti vaxers are responsible for the deaths of children and they put other people at r

Many children have died of the measles and flu because their parents refused to have them vaccinated. This puts other people especially other children at risk also.

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A question about India in 1839 - a needed word

Howdy

I've been looking for an event and the name for it that I read about long ago.

In it a British Political agent (or Resident) would parade through capital of some Indian independent state along with the Maharajah, his officials, the nobility and the army - a big parade but isn't there a fancier name for such a procession? Hopefully in Hindi, Guajarati, Urdu or Bengali?

Thanks!

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Ideal clothing for hot summers?

I was always told to wear white and light colors.

But in North Africa and the Middle East they often drape black cloths over their shoulders or turbans.

https://www.leaf.tv/articles/the-bes...epel-sunlight/

What would you wear to keep cool and/or repel as much sunlight as possible?

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Knitting website bans Trump support

Knitting website bans support for Trump

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBC News The popular knitting website Ravelry is banning users from expressing support for the US President Donald Trump and his administration on its platform. On Sunday night, a tweet, which has now been shared almost 10,000 times and attracted 13,000 comments, said: "We cannot provide a space that is inclusive of all and also allow support for open white supremacy. Support of the Trump administration is undeniably support for white supremacy."...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-48744113

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Epistemology of Trump - Did He Say It?

Here's Joe Scarborough in 2016, claiming Donald Trump doesn't know why we can't use nuclear weapons:

https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box...-using-nuclear

So far, so good, but let's examine the claim.

First, here's what we know Donald Trump actually said:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donald Trump

Here's what someone in the room with Trump at the time claims they witnessed:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eyewitness

And finally, here's what Joe Scarborough claims an anonymous "foreign policy expert" claims they witnessed Trump say:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Scarborough ‘If we have them, why can’t we use them?’

So. Did Trump actually say that?

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Save your child from state control by not registering their birth

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...rth-high-court

"Hayden said the couple’s deliberate decision not to register the birth stemmed from the boy’s father’s unusual and somewhat eccentric beliefs about the concept of personal sovereignty."

The judgment says:

Quote:

It is in this context that when a birth is registered, F considers this to be the equivalent of an ‘entry into a ship’s manifest’, in which the child becomes ‘an asset to the country which has boarded a vessel to sail on the high seas.’This facet of admiralty and maritime law is pervasive in F’s thinking. The essence of F’s objection is his belief that registration will cause his son to become controlled by a State which he perceives to be authoritarian and capricious.

To be honest, I was impressed at how respectful the judge is towards these delusions. I would have been much more dismissive....

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Why a group of US state senators are being hunted by police (BBC)

This is the first time I've heard about this: Why a group of US state senators are being hunted by police (BBC News, June 23, 2019)

To me, as a European, this sounds insane:

Quote:

Where are the senators now? They are rumoured to have fled into neighbouring Idaho - where police are not authorised to look for them. The current legislative session is due to end on 30 June and the Republican whip has said they will "run out the clock" on it "until this storm of false narratives and intimidation passes". Before the walkout, Democrats had already said they would be willing to use police to try to force absent Republicans to come back. The row has crippled Oregon's Capitol One lawmaker, Brian Boquist, responded angrily. Speaking to a local news outlet on Wednesday, he said police should "send bachelors and come heavily armed" if they were to try to arrest him.

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And the "Mother of the Year" award goes to...

A woman is accused of playing a game of 'chicken' with her SUV and her kids. Now her 3-year-old is dead

Quote:

A Texas woman is accused of killing her 3-year-old son after running over him with an SUV during a game of "chicken." Lexus Stagg, 26, was seen in surveillance footage from her Harris County, Texas, apartment driving toward her three children as they ran toward the front of her 2006 Lincoln Navigator, according to a news release from Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg. Two of the children moved out of the vehicle's path, but Stagg's 3-year-old was struck, Ogg's office said in the release. The child was first caught under the SUV's right tire, the release said. Stagg didn't stop right away and the toddler was hit again by the rear tire of the vehicle -- which weighs about 5,600 pounds, according to the release.

And if you didn't think that was stupid enough...

Quote:

Stagg initially told police that she thought she hit a speed bump, the release said.

I don't think I need add anything except perhaps...

:jaw-dropp

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Who is the best singer of modern times?

This is a wide topic, I know, and also subjective, but what makes a good singer? I have always loved Luciano Pavorotti (and not just because he is popular). There is a quality to his singing that is not just technically correct but there are also nuances of feelings and subtle instincts that makes any song he sings a joy to listen too.

After the death of a close relative recently the undertaker picked a hymn around his deathbed and the hymn was 'Päivä vain ja hetki kerrallansa'. I was so moved by this song, I chose it for the funeral. On researching further, I discovered this is popular all over Scandinavia and is known in the USA as 'Day by day and with each passing moment' but not really known in England. The original version is Swedish and was written by Lina Sandell in 1865, Blott en dag.

So of course on arriving home I just had to download it and hit on a beautiful version by Mauno Kuusisto (Finnish) and Goran Fristorp (Swedish). I gasped when I heard the Swedish version. He is not a particularly accomplished singer, but he sang it with so much melancholy it was enchanting and is now a firm favourite. Coming back to Kuusisto, he is such an amazing singer, like Pavarotti, or perhaps - to me - even more, so I had to find out more. I soon discovered he was the singer of a track I had loved so much many years ago 'Vaiennut viulu' (the 'Silenced violin') and I was excited to have been reunited with this song and singer as he had stirred me so much all those years ago. The track had been on a populist compilation album and it stood out from all the others like a bright star in a black night.

I got to wondering what makes a singer good? Looking up Wikipedia, I discovered Kuusisto (1917 - 2010) had been an orphan at an early age and had started off working at a Finlayson textile factory in Tampere. After singing in their various works choirs and entering auditions, he was very quickly in great demand and became one of the most renowned singers in Finland.

Likewise, Pavarotti came from an ordinary family: dad was a factory worker and Pavarotti himself started his career as a footballer.

There is just one other incredible singer I'd like to put forward for the prize: Georg Ots, 1920 - 1975, an Estonian who was revered over Estonnia, Russia and Finland. Wikipedia says:

Quote:

Before studying singing with the Estonian baritone Aleksander Arder in Yaroslavl in the rear of the Eastern Front, where a cultural center for evacuated Estonians had been established, Ots was a young Navy Officer who had escaped a sinking ship and was taken prisoner in Russia.[citation needed] He was released a year later, and on his return home, he auditioned for a place at the conservatory in Tallinn. At the same time, he became a member of the chorus at the Estonia Theatre in Tallinn. His solo opera debut was a small part in Eugene Onegin (1944). He soon became one of the most revered singers in Estonia and Finland and was also admired and loved all over Russia.

Have a listen to his version of Karjallan kunnailla.

One thing all of these singers have in common is an ability to sing with deep emotion, and I wonder if this is an influence of their early childhood. We hear this same melancholy in, for example, Beethoven's piano classic 'Moonlight Sonata', the chords of which are absolutely heartrending when we consider Beethoven and his profound deafness. Or Chopin.

And of course, nordic folk songs tend to be in minor keys with lots of flats that translate well for these types of singers, conveying intense longing for lost homes (e.g. Karelia), deep-rooted patriotism or an acknowledgement of death and dying.

Yet, none of the aforementioned singers went through the traditional route of bourgeois family, private tutor, music academy, classical singing training (although I am sure that came eventually).

So over to you.

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Weird optical illusion involving faces

Not sure is this has come up before, but it popped up on my Twitter feed and is genuinely bizarre.

https://mobile.twitter.com/DannyDutc...68351855943683

I hope you don’t need to be a Twitter member to see it.

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British Channel ITV Bans All-Male Comedy Writing Teams

https://www.vulture.com/2019/06/itv-...ing-teams.html

Be warned - ITV-commissioned comedy productions are going to be so funny they'll have to put health warnings on them.

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Nikolov-Zeller and the Greenhouse Gas Theory

Anyone got some feedback on the latest denialist theory

https://culturalanalysis.net/2019/01...e-controversy/

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Cow math

Math found in nature

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Cat-fox species?

Interesting looking critter...
Had not heard of it before.

https://www.livescience.com/65744-ca...w-species.html

via International Skeptics Forum http://bit.ly/2N5YsX1

Chrome is watching you.

The writer discovers that the Chrome browser is really interested in him.

Quote:

My tests of Chrome vs. Firefox unearthed a personal data caper of absurd proportions. In a week of Web surfing on my desktop, I discovered 11,189 requests for tracker “cookies” that Chrome would have ushered right onto my computer but were automatically blocked by Firefox. These little files are the hooks that data firms, including Google itself, use to follow what websites you visit so they can build profiles of your interests, income and personality. Chrome welcomed trackers even at websites you would think would be private. I watched Aetna and the Federal Student Aid website set cookies for Facebook and Google. They surreptitiously told the data giants every time I pulled up the insurance and loan service’s log-in pages.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/techn...=.f2e245e2528a

For those of us who generally like the functionality of Chrome, what are the best ways to block data collection and usage?

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Is there something about Russia that causes meteors to strike that country

It seems like Russia gets hit by meteors more often than other countries.

via International Skeptics Forum http://bit.ly/2IvE6Cm

New Silencer Ban Bill

http://newjersey.news12.com/story/40...cers-in-the-us

Quote:

“At the end of the day, if you can hear a weapon, you just might save a life,” the senator said at a press conference in Trenton.

Another person who thinks he can convince us silencers make handguns quiet.

Quote:

Silencers are already banned in New Jersey, but Menendez wants to ensure all Americans are safe with his “Help Empowered Americans Respond Act” – or H.E.A.R. Act.

Silencers are legal in all states. NJ is one of the nine states that requires a license to own them. The ATF will issue a license to anyone who can own a gun, is 21 years or older and fills out the application correctly.
I can't find anything on the bill at the senate homepage, but I'm sure if will not look any better than it does here.

Quote:

The proposed measure would open a 90-day buyback window for the estimated 1.5 million registered silencers in the country.

Buying back firearms at pennies on the dollar is still a violation of our civil rights. I doubt we will get a refund on the tax stamps.

Ranb

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AIA finally terminates AE911T’s Continuing Education provider status

The title of today's article says it all:

American Institute of Architects Terminates AE911Truth’s Continuing Education Provider Status

Yay! I knew this was coming! What a relief!

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Recent lawsuit. Scientology.

I came across this; https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/sc...cid=spartandhp

While I am well aware of the money and power issue, I still wonder how they have gotten away with all of this over so many years. So many horror stories. They need to be gone.

Yeah, it goes beyond free speech and freedom of religion, and is simply criminal.

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2400 unseen WTC recovery / clean up photos found

2400 unseen photos taken by an unidentified recovery worker have been found.

News article.
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-48689783

Flicker album. https://www.flickr.com/photos/textfi...57708997281912

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Swap monitor input via windows

So on my desk I have a nice big monitor. My desktop connects via HDMI and my work laptop via DVI. It's a mild nuisance swapping between them via the montor's physical controls.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/control_my_monitor.html

You don't nee to install it. Run it as a gui first and look at VCP code 60. See the sample screenshot on the website. Off to the right you also have possible values. In my case 1,3,17.

Create a shortcut for ControlMyMonitor.exe and right-click and select properties.
Change the Target to D:\Tools\controlmymonitor\ControlMyMonitor.exe /SetValue "\\.\DISPLAY2\Monitor0" 60 17



The 2 values you will need to modify are highlighted. You'll get them from the gui.
Note for laptop users it starts at the laptop display and shows no values. Swap to the monitor and the screen populates.

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Scientists Explain Puppy Dog Eyes

How canines capture your heart: scientists explain puppy dog eyes

Quote:

In a project that has all the makings of a Roald Dahl classic, scientists have hit on an answer to the mystery of how man’s best friend got its puppy dog eyes. The sad, imploring expression held such power over humans during 33,000 years of canine domestication that the preference for dogs that could pull off the look steered the evolution of their facial muscles, researchers have said. The result is that dogs gradually acquired a new forehead muscle named the levator anguli oculi medialis, or LAOM, and have used it to deploy the doleful look to devastating effect ever since... ...Puppy dog eyes are achieved by the LAOM raising the inner eyebrows, in some cases quite dramatically. The movement makes the eyes look larger and the face more babyish. Humans use different muscles to produce a similar expression when they are sad, which may explain why it brings out the caregiver in people. To investigate how the look developed in dogs, the UK-US research team acquired wolf and dog cadavers from taxidermists and US state organisations and dissected their heads to compare the facial muscles. No animals were killed for the research. Dissections of six dogs – a chihuahua, a labrador, a bloodhound, a German shepherd, a Siberian husky and a mongrel – found all had the LAOM muscle. But in the four grey wolves studied, the muscle was missing, save for a few scant muscle fibres. Since all dogs are derived from wolves, the comparison suggests the LAOM arose in the domestication process... ...After establishing that dogs and wolves have different muscles around the eyes, the researchers filmed the animals to see how their expressions varied. They filmed nine wolves in two different animal parks, and 27 dogs, mostly Staffordshire bull terriers, in shelters across the UK. The footage was reviewed by a trained specialist who was not told about the scientists’ hypothesis. The specialist recorded when the animals made the puppy dog eyes expression, and rated its intensity on a five-point scale. Dogs pulled the doleful face far more frequently than wolves, but the most striking finding was the intensity of the expressions. While dogs and wolves both produced “low intensity” expressions, only dogs appear to have weaponised the look and achieved what the scientists classified as “high intensity expressions”.

Science is awesome.

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Unable to read after trauma?

I have been a prolific reader since age 4. My mother learned early on that the way to keep me quiet and out of her hair, was to keep me supplied. From childhood until recently, I have average about 2 novels a week.

Then. About a year and a half ago, I went through severe trauma. At first, I thought it would pass, and eventually I would be able to concentrate again on my books. But to this day, when I try to start a book, my mind allows about a paragraph, and I then draw a blank, and keep rereading a few times before giving up.

It seems I need to work on getting back to what has been such a passion for me, a great-escape. Is anyone familiar with this, or have any suggestions? Thanks so much.

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The whole "No, that's not heartwarming!" thing...

I don't know if this a thing that basically my Facebook feed has become overly enamored with or if it's part of a larger social backlash or if it's something that other people are noticing.

Basically it goes like this.

1. Someone shares a feel good / heartwarming story about someone helping someone or overcoming someone.

2. Someone immediately responds "NOOO! That's not heartwarming at all! It's horrible that this thing is happening in the first place!"

And I don't get this. It's not just that it's overly cynical but I always just assumed we all understood that "Yeah it sucks that situation exists but we can still see good in people's reaction to it."

But it seems like now when we see someone pulling a dog out of raging flood waters there's a growing number of people who think the proper response is to no tell the guy that's a good thing he did but scream "NOT HEARTWARMING! The flooding shouldn't have happened!"

It's just a little disheartening to me how many people seem to be trying to talk themselves into a place where the only "win" they will accept is going to be "Someone Thanos snaps and all problems ever of all time magically disappears in an instant."

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Yet another Hollywood #MeToo moment

This time it's screenwriter Max Landis (who is the son of film director John Landis) who has to face the music.

Eight Women Accuse Hollywood Filmmaker Max Landis of Emotional and Sexual Abuse: ‘We’re Not People to Him’

He has been accused of being abusive for quite some time, but this is the first time the stories have really come out properly, although this story from February didn't exactly pull any punches:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/screen...r-action-movie

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If only privately owned Austrian hotels had capitalism

We've all been there. You're in a Marriott operated, Dubai owned hotel in Vienna, Austria and just can't stand all the socialism seeping into the marble tiled halls. It seeps in and just breaks the elevator as socialism is known to do.

That was the terrible situation Frank Luntz, former advisor to W Bush, found himself in. His stay in opulence was marred by the nasty socialism breaking the elevator. Naturally the only recourse he had was to post about it on Twitter which was definitely the greatest idea to come out of Vienna since Mozart composed that song about farts.

I mean we all know that in a capitalist hotel things can never break. Too many invisible hands guiding things for stuff to just break. And even if they did magic capitalism elves are always on duty to make sure things get fixed before anyone even knows something is wrong. Why can't those childless Europeans understand this! Can't Austria produce some exuberant right wing thinkers? Surely that has never gone wrong before in history.

Anyways, watch out America. We can't let that European socialism creep over here and break our elevators too.

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The Latest News from the Alternative Reality Selection

Ron Unz and his merry band of followers continue the tradition of someone blundering onto a source, entirely unaware of the context or the counterarguments, and trumpeting it as the suppressed but Out There revealed truth.

First off, we have Robert B. Stinett's Day of Deceit, given the slack-jawed astounded view treatment by one J. Alfred Powell, apparently here for the first time. (If there is a J. Alfred Powell.)

https://www.unz.com/article/pearl-harbor-unmasked/

All the Pearl Harbor discussion here, all the work of the sadly missed Gawzilla Sama, seems to have passed over this person's head.

Then we have the editor, the redoubtable Mr. Unz his own self, with his usual "I didn't know anything about this until I read this book" aw-shucks 'taint nuthin' attitude, reviewing Joseph Bendersky's The "Jewish Threat" -- and completely reversing Bendersky's conclusions!

https://www.unz.com/runz/american-pr...-intelligence/

All this takes off from Murray Rothbard's whole-hearted embrace of the Old Right world-view, arguing as if Harry Elmer Barnes had been silenced because he Spoke Truth To Power, and not because no one bothered to listen to an old crank cranking out blather. And so on down, via Lew Rockwell, who reprinted the two said articles.

Unz and Paul Craig Roberts, another contributor to the site, both once had some credibility. The ill-informed (as Unz brags of himself) may grant them that, and see this as the credible "other side" of the argument.

By the time they wear out their welcome, others will come forward to take their place.

:blackcat:

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World's Worst Warships?

Thread inspired by these two videos, themselves a response to this book.
Drachinifel*, the video guy, disagrees with more than half of the author's choices, but what are YOUR choices?
I hereby nominate the USN's Mississippi Class battleships, created by committee when the Navy wanted battleships but Congress didn't want to pay for them. Only 13,000 tons, carrying the same armament as the Connecticut Class, insufficient speed, sea-keeping, and fuel capacity, AND commissioned a year-and-a-half after Dreadnought! Sold to Greece after only a few years service, and considerably more useful to that nation.

Dishonorable Mention: The Alaska Class Cruisers, created to fight ships that never existed, extremely expensive (a whole new gun design), and capable, according to one source I've seen, of steaming in circles for a full hour with the helm centered, because reasons.

*Drachinifel. How the hell do you pronounce that? At least he stopped using the computerized voice.

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Gay Hell, Michigan

It's hard to describe what is happening. In a nutshell: Hell is becoming Gay Hell.


YouTuber Elijah Daniel buys entire Michigan town named Hell, renames it Gay Hell and orders Pride flag to be flown in protest at Trump's ban on the LGBT symbol being hoisted at U.S. embassies

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daily Mail A YouTuber has bought an entire Michigan town and renamed it from Hell to Gay Hell in a prank retaliation at Donald Trump. Elijah Daniel purchased the town, believed to have around 70 inhabitants, and immediately declared that only Pride flags could fly above it. Describing his new property he said it had a 'Hell Community Library', a bridge with locks of love and a wedding chapel 'to get gay married in Hell'. The stunt was a response to the Trump administration which has refused to allow American embassies abroad to fly the LGBT symbol during Pride month...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ion-Trump.html


CNN: Welcome to Gay Hell, Michigan, where only pride flags are allowed to fly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CNN Daniel is from Michigan and says that he always drove past the town growing up. He also grew up "very religious" and was told a lot if you're gay you go to Hell, Daniel said...

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/18/us/ma...rnd/index.html

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#NoLibra

Facebooks new crypto-currency Libra is being released soon. Just say no.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/931966...ryptocurrency/

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How many people are immunocompromised?

And what are the trends?

In searching for answers I found this, from 2015, by Theo Schall: How Many Americans are Immunocompromised?

The answer seems to be "no one really knows, because it's not tracked".

There may be other advanced economies where this is tracked, does anyone know?

So what are the causes? Schall writes:

Quote:

Patients can either be born with an immune deficiency or they can acquire one. While it’s relatively rare to be born with an immune deficiency, over 200 different hereditary and genetic defects can cause a “primary” immunodeficiency. Acquired immune deficiency also has a variety of causes, including cancer and its treatments, the immunosuppressant drugs taken by transplant recipients and people with autoimmune disorders, malnutrition, aging, and HIV/AIDS.

In terms of trends, I imagine/guess that the population incidence of primary immune deficiency has likely increased somewhat, over the past half century or so, because more is known than back then and it's less of a death sentence for babies and toddlers.

The population incidence for several of the acquired immune deficiency causes (if that makes sense) has also increased; 50 years ago there were ~no people with HIV/AIDS (in the US anyway), nor transplant recipients; too, fewer cancer survivors (or even patients). For autoimmune disorders, malnutrition, and aging?

What surprised me somewhat is just how many people (again, in the US at least) are likely to be immunocompromised.

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Libra Cryptocurrency:

So Facebook of all places has announced a new cryptocurrency, backed by real world currencies (including the US Dollar, Euro, and Yen) and already has support/backing from Paypal, Mastercard, Visa, Uber, and Vodafone.

https://libra.org/en-US/

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We need to talk about Starlink

So Musk send the first 60 Starlink satellites into orbit -
the first 60 of a planned total of 12,000 by the mid 2020s.

The goal is a global, everywhere accessible and faster internet.

this is a nice background on the technological and economic aspects of it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giQ8xEWjnBs


Currently, I am thinking more of the possible political implications, and what they will mean for the project.

Starlink could make attempts of governments to control the internet access of their citizens pointless.
Since information control is a critical part of how China and other regimes keep control, I doubt that they will let Musk just take away their monopoly on what is acceptable online and what is not.

I fear that SpaceX is going to be the trigger for a Space War.

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"Spider meet possum. Possum meet spider"

It is a pygmy possum, but still pretty impressive

Spider has lunch

https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/...m-in-australia

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[Continuation] Trans Women are not Women II: The Bath Of Khan

Thread continued from here. You may quote from that thread freely in this one.

Posted By:Loss Leader

Quote:

Originally Posted by Belz... (Post 12728830) Sounds like I was right: they just didn't want the black folk to integrate. Good old racism.

Yes, as anyone can read the reference states "The race element was emphasized in order that property-holders could get the support of the majority of white laborers and make it more possible to exploit Negro labor because they just didn't want the black folk to integrate.":rolleyes:

Quote:

Racism exists, by the way, before you ask.

Obviously. The question is why it exists. According to you racism exists because racism exists, according to me it exists because it served a particular purpose for the ruling class.

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Crazyass gunman killed in Dallas, Texas

He shot up a Federal courthouse but nobody got hit. It's uncommon to see good closeup photos of an active shooter on the prowl but we have them of this guy.


Suspected gunman shot dead while wearing mask and tactical gear after witnesses say he opened fire on Dallas federal courthouse

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daily Mail The man who was shot after exchanging gunfire with officers outside a federal courthouse in downtown Dallas on Monday morning has been identified as 22-year-old Brian Issack Clyde...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ourthouse.html

Photo: https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/06...0792389343.jpg

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Not overkill - Cops helping bloke kill him after he shoots at them

And killed a fireman

Sorry if there is already a thread, but couldn't see one.

Who would want to be a cop in the US? I guess stuff like this, while not justified fully, is why they can be a bit "jumpy"

Glad they were cleared

Video is pretty full on

Long story short. Bloke arrives not conscious on a bus with an OD. First responders revive him. Cops arrive to help. Notice bulge in his pants when he is acting weird. He says its a phone. Pulls out semi-auto and kills a first responder and keeps trying to shoot cops. Cop gets shot but shoots back. Bloke uses chick as human shield. Cop shoots bloke, but hits chick. Bloke dies, chick should be ok.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/officers-c...ry?id=63717912

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Fatal mixup at Costco

In case you haven't been following this story: Friday night at a Costco in California, a man shot and killed another man and wounded two other people. Police originally reported that there had been an argument and the shooter was taken into custody, but that turns out not to have been true; the shooter was sent to a hospital to be looked over for injuries and was then released without charge. Since then it was reported that the shooter, an off-duty policy officer, says he was attacked while carrying his child by the three people he shot and that he was forced to defend himself with his handgun.

Today it has been reported that according to a relative of the people who were shot, the dead man, named Kenneth French, was non-verbal and mentally disabled, and the two people who were wounded were his parents and caretakers, Russell and Paola French. Russell is in critical condition in the ICU, although his condition is reportedly improving; his wife Paola remains in a coma.

Quote:

Shureih doesn’t know what might have led to the shooting, but he said it’s unlikely that Kenneth French initiated a verbal confrontation. His cousin’s mental condition had declined in recent years, and he no longer spoke. “It could have been that he bumped into somebody but couldn’t communicate the fact that he was sorry,” Shureih said.

via International Skeptics Forum http://bit.ly/2MRmhSr

Survival distribution function?

A widely used cancer survival number ("statistic") is "5-Year Relative Survival". In medical papers one often sees "median survival".

Assuming the two are of the same thing - say, Stage 4 Colorectal cancer - is there a known distribution function which connects the two? One which is, perhaps, often used (but rarely mentioned)? Or is it known that this function varies a lot, by cancer type perhaps?

I tried searching the literature, but came up empty.

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What sparks lightening?

I know, probably a stupid question, however . . .

You may have to dummy-down the answer. I am just trying to learn.

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Theological free will argument. What does it even mean?

So I'm sure you've all heard the theodicy argument that God can't prevent, say, Ted Bundy from killing all those women because that would have denied good ol' Ted his free willy... err... free will. (The question of whether those women's having a choice to live would have counter-balanced that is usually glossed over.)

(And I'm not particularly interested the invariable "ah, but if you take choices because of reasons, you don't have free will" soapbox that seems to be summoned every time one even mentions free will. While it may be interesting in its own right, it's not particularly relevant for the question I'm about to ask. I'm talking only in the basic sense of whether God prevents it or not.)

And it seems to me like if the operative definition is some form "God isn't stopping you", then the whole theodicy argument becomes circular. Then it's just God doesn't stop a serial killer, because God doesn't stop him.

So essentially, what does that argument even mean then?

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Overkill - Police pull guns and arrest parents of 4 year old who took a doll

Pretty full on

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...qdshV479-mLqqw

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New video WTC shows part of plane.

Just found this video from someone who made a remarkable observation,

Its from newly enhanced FOIA NIST videos from https://www.youtube.com/user/WTCFOIAVideos/videos

And this guy made a video from it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vftFo14mi_U

Not sure if anyone has seen this before.

Original video is here https://youtu.be/YGieYzOZan0?t=813

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Target store cash registers down in America

Breaking news chaos and mayhem. On a Saturday!

Quote:

Originally Posted by CNN Target on Saturday acknowledged guests were "unable to make purchases" at its stores, as shoppers took to social media to complain that cash registers weren't working. In a tweet from one of its official accounts, Target said that it's "aware of a systems issue in store and are working as quickly as possible to get this fixed."...

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/15/busin...rnd/index.html

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An (Im)Modest Legal Proposal

In order to make it clear how the judicial system works.

All lawyers and expert witnesses will be required to wear makeup, midriff-baring tank tops, hot pants, fishnet stockings, and high heels in court. Women, too.

After the jury is seated, the lawyers will be required to state in court what their compensation for the trial is and will be.

Every expert witness must state as the first statement of testimony how much they were paid for this testimony.

There will be a random number generator operating during the trial. If the right number comes up, the lawyers and expert witnesses will be required to change sides and work for the side they had previously opposed.


Thereby juries will be able to fully comprehend the nature of the legal system.

:blackcat:

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Are humans entirely responsible for climate change?

Mars is currently experiencing climate change as the nitrogen ice is melting leaving the water ice entirely solid. Could at least some elements of earths climate change be due to natural phenomena?

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Girl Rapes Girl at US College

It must be rare but here it is...


Co-ed is charged with raping her female roommate after they drank alcohol and smoked marijuana at Susquehanna University, Pennsylvania

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daily Mail Pratigya Thakur, 19, was arrested Monday, four days after the accuser reported the alleged assault to police. The victim claims she was attacked on the evening of May 16 inside the dorm room she shared with Thakur at the liberal arts college in Sellingsgrove, Pennsylvania. The pair consumed marijuana and alcohol prior to the alleged rape, according to a police report obtained by multiple media outlets. After falling asleep, the accuser says she woke up with Thakur - who hails from The Bronx- straddling her... ...According to The New York Post, the arrested affidavit reads: 'Victim reports trying to wiggle from being underneath Thakur, and Thakur stated, 'What did you say? You want me to suck your nipple?' 'Thakur then lifted victim's sports bra and bit her nipple.'... ...The alleged assailant is also accused of forcefully putting her fingers inside the accuser's vagina... ...The accuser reported the incident to college officials 13 days later, on May 29. She went to the police on June 6...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...niversity.html

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Homophobic and transphobic hate crimes surge in England and Wales

Thread title is from this article:

Homophobic and transphobic hate crimes surge in England and Wales

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...land-and-wales

The article gives the sources and seems to be accurate in how they describe the issue.

I'm curious if anyone has any idea why? Is it merely that homosexuals are now willing to make complaints in much higher numbers these days compared to the past?

I'm wondering if it is part and parcel of the usual trends we have in times of decreased prosperity? (The almost 10 years of "austerity.") Which seems to always correlate with crime increasing and those outside the mainstream always seem to be handy targets for general unpleasantness during such times.

Or is it because younger homosexuals haven't grown up with "no PDA" as a defence and therefore there are more "visible" homosexuals to become targets?

Opinions, views etc?

via International Skeptics Forum http://bit.ly/31wnXEh

Medieval witch prison dubbed Britain's 'most haunted house' up for sale

Britain's 'most haunted house' for sale after history as medieval prison for witches

Quote:

Britain's potentially "most haunted house" — a medieval prison for witches — is up for sale. The property listing, marketed by Home Domus, said the owner is seeking offers in excess of 240,000 pounds ($440,000) for the two-bedroom cottage. Real estate website Right Move described the cottage as the "most haunted house in Essex and possibly England". "The Cage was a medieval prison where thirteen witches were kept in 1582 while awaiting trial. They became known as the Witches of St Osyth, and among them was the notorious Ursula Kemp," Home Domus wrote in their advertisement. "At the end of the trial three were found guilty, including Ursula, and were sentenced to death by hanging."

Not the worst paranormal-related news article I've seen. It puts itself at a remove from any actual claim of the paranormal by only quoting other sources making those claims or using qualifiers like "potentially".

via International Skeptics Forum http://bit.ly/2KjXrs6

Tennessee sheriff's deputy and church pastor calls for LGBT executions in sermon

GRAPHIC: Tenn. deputy, pastor calls for LGBTQ executions in sermon

Oh come, now; that's got to be just exaggerated spin...

Quote:

Grayson Fritts, pastor of All Scripture Baptist Church, told his congregation he was upholding principles of the Bible and called other Baptist preachers, “weak and spineless” for not doing the same. "Just as much as God loves, God hates,” he said. Fritts said he never called on civilians to commit violence against members of the LGBTQ community. He told his congregation Wednesday that responsibility lies with the government. He finished his commentary by saying, “put homos to death.”

Oh.

via International Skeptics Forum http://bit.ly/2XIpHI0

Sarah Huckabee Saunders to Quit

Sarah Huckabee Saunders, White House spokesperson who took over fro Sean Spicer is due to leave, Trump has announced and to return to 'the Great State of Arkansas' at the end of June.

Quote:

"She's a warrior, we're all warriors, we have to be warriors," Mr Trump added. The president did not name a replacement press secretary. The White House revolving door: Who's gone? She said in a quavering voice: "This is something I will treasure forever. I'm going to continue to be one of the most outspoken and loyal supporters of the president."

Did she jump or was she pushed?


What made me laugh was the following:

Quote:

Mr Trump has opted to be his own communicator-in-chief, frequently making impromptu remarks to journalists above the buzz of presidential helicopter Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-48628233


Trump as communicator-in-chief will be hilarious. Press conferences by Twitter? The last press conference was way back on 11 Mar 2019.

via International Skeptics Forum http://bit.ly/2WIXX9U

Why does Chrome keep "rebooting"

Something odd happening lately...I come home from work to find Chrome has exited and rebooted. What makes this really annoying is it doesn't restore my tabs. Apparently it's trying to update, as I have my PC set to any program trying to change in the Program Files folders prompts me first...and it asks if "Google Update" can run...I say no, so it doesn't update and restarts with a clean slate. But the next day I come home same thing all over again. I saw no Chrome settings to choose "don't even try to make an update" or words to that effect. Anyone know how to stop this?

PS this might not matter or be related but I noticed there are a LOT of instances of chrome.exe in the task manager, far more than my tabs account for. For ex. I currently have 3 tabs open and there are 21 instances of chrome.exe running. ?

via International Skeptics Forum http://bit.ly/2MNGKrl

Atheist nurse's fight against mandatory AA will go before B.C. Human Rights Tribunal

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...aint-1.5172488

Quote:

A B.C. nurse who lost his job when he refused to attend a 12-step program for addiction will get a chance to argue he was discriminated against as an atheist. Byron Wood contends Alcoholics Anonymous's emphasis on placing your life in the hands of a higher power simply won't work for someone who doesn't hold any religious beliefs. That's an argument worth considering, according to the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal. On Wednesday, it denied Vancouver Coastal Health's application to dismiss Wood's complaint alleging discrimination on the basis of religion. "The tribunal has not [previously] considered whether the 12‐step program utilized by Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous … may discriminate against persons with substance abuse disorders who are atheists," tribunal member Walter Rilkoff wrote in Wednesday's decision.

via International Skeptics Forum http://bit.ly/2F86WXb

Oil Tankers on Fire off Iran coast.

https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-...ntl/index.html

Two tankers apparently have been struck, possibly by shells. Everything right now is preliminary reports.

via International Skeptics Forum http://bit.ly/2ZlP5nh

Hong Kong

It's all going off in Hong Kong. I can't find a thread about it.

Anyway, here's a journalist being supplied with essential protest kit by those that came better prepared:

https://preview.redd.it/8cl1whsq1343...t=mp4&612e525d



Is it too much of a stretch to remember 1989 at this time?

via International Skeptics Forum http://bit.ly/2MKZ2cE

Any particular reason a mouse would mindlessly run in circles?

There is a house mouse in my kitchen that wasn't there less than an hour ago and it's literally running around in circles non-stop, occasionally squealing quietly.

It has slowed down just a bit but shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.
Any ideas as to how it could have come out into the open and suddenly started doing this?

I have gloves, a mask, and a cardboard box on standby ready to remove it to outside if it slows down soon.

ETA: And I went back to check on it and while I wasn't looking it apparently moved 8 feet across the kitchen to another spot where it's again running around in a small circle.

Similar situation:
[yt]lOdxRxHog4M[/yt]

via International Skeptics Forum http://bit.ly/2MKmkPV

Doctor found to be making misleading claims

SA doctor's claims he could 'heal' migraines and Alzheimer's disease using lasers were misleading

Quote:

A South Australian doctor has admitted his claims that "migraine is no longer a mystery" and he could heal conditions like Alzheimer's disease and chronic fatigue using laser therapy were misleading and false advertising, court documents have revealed. In his written response to professional misconduct allegations from the Medical Board of Australia, Dr Mark Rogers said his claims about low-level laser therapy (LLLT) were based on his "opinion" and "belief" rather than "hard scientific evidence". Court documents — released by the SA Health Practitioners Tribunal this week — said Dr Rogers promoted LLLT on his website, saying he was "using focused medical technologies to diagnose and heal".

via International Skeptics Forum http://bit.ly/2RatFGZ