The Dictator observations thread.

[Flex]

Monkey Assisstant is color blind.

Semi-segue: My wife employs three students for her research project, and I've been referring to them as her helper monkeys.

Are they color blind?

No, they're black.

[Dr. Medulla]

Monkey Assisstant is color blind.

Semi-segue: My wife employs three students for her research project, and I've been referring to them as her helper monkeys.

Are they color blind?

No, they're black.

Oh my! *dramatic faint*

[Flex]

I noticed this change in word usage myself. I think the term "Orwellian" is actually appropriate here: http://www.moonofalabama.org/2012/07/ny ... gents.html

[Dr. Medulla]

I noticed this change in word usage myself. I think the term "Orwellian" is actually appropriate here: http://www.moonofalabama.org/2012/07/ny ... gents.html

Huzzah! Does this mean the War on Terror has been won?

[Dr. Medulla]

Observation: Any story I've read about the Aurora shooter from CBC, the comments have mostly focused on the lack of mental health awareness and how disturbingly easy it is for anyone to amass that kind of fire power (I should note that most CBC stories are swamped by conservative commenters, so I'm a bit surprised by the gun control/mental health emphasis). If I click on a similar story on Yahoo, the comments are dominated by a dead certainty that the guy is faking mental illness (he's smart and studied neuroscience, so he must be playing us), that if the people in the front row had all been armed nobody would have died except him, and that they should let prison justice take care of him rather than waste time and money on a trial. Even HuffPo commenters lean to the "he's faking, fry him" side. Rare that there's such an obvious difference in national observations.

[Flex]

Observation: Any story I've read about the Aurora shooter from CBC, the comments have mostly focused on the lack of mental health awareness and how disturbingly easy it is for anyone to amass that kind of fire power (I should note that most CBC stories are swamped by conservative commenters, so I'm a bit surprised by the gun control/mental health emphasis). If I click on a similar story on Yahoo, the comments are dominated by a dead certainty that the guy is faking mental illness (he's smart and studied neuroscience, so he must be playing us), that if the people in the front row had all been armed nobody would have died except him, and that they should let prison justice take care of him rather than waste time and money on a trial. Even HuffPo commenters lean to the "he's faking, fry him" side. Rare that there's such an obvious difference in national observations.

An American's bloodlust is never sated.

[Rat Patrol]

Observation: Any story I've read about the Aurora shooter from CBC, the comments have mostly focused on the lack of mental health awareness and how disturbingly easy it is for anyone to amass that kind of fire power (I should note that most CBC stories are swamped by conservative commenters, so I'm a bit surprised by the gun control/mental health emphasis). If I click on a similar story on Yahoo, the comments are dominated by a dead certainty that the guy is faking mental illness (he's smart and studied neuroscience, so he must be playing us), that if the people in the front row had all been armed nobody would have died except him, and that they should let prison justice take care of him rather than waste time and money on a trial. Even HuffPo commenters lean to the "he's faking, fry him" side. Rare that there's such an obvious difference in national observations.

An American's bloodlust is never sated.

LET'S ALL GO FIREBOMB A TIM HORTONS! THAT'LL SHOW UM GOOD ABOUT COMMENTIN' ALL DIFFERENT AN' SHIT ON THE INTERNETS FORM!!!!!

[Rat Patrol]

[Rat Patrol]

http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/01/sport/oly ... ?hpt=hp_t1

Badminton! (*smack*) Bad!




EDIT: oops...should be the Olympic thread.

[101Walterton]

http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/01/sport/oly ... ?hpt=hp_t1

Badminton! (*smack*) Bad!




EDIT: oops...should be the Olympic thread.

When I first read it I thought yes good kick them out however when you think about it it is not that straight forward. As the reporter said they are trying to win the gold medal and using tactics to do that. Aren't there cyclists at the olympics who are there to try and help team mates win not themselves, or athletes / rowers / swimmers who don't try in heats and just do enough to qualify for next round with no atempt to win the race ? How about the football teams putting out their reserves after they have already qualified for the next round ?

[Silent Majority]

Fair play to Ecuador for not taking any of the UK's post-imperialist bullshit.

[Inder]

Fair play to Ecuador for not taking any of the UK's post-imperialist bullshit.

EDIT: As I understand it, the UK said that the fact he's been granted asylum doesn't mean they'll just let him go if he seeks passage through UK. Which, to the Ecuadorian FM, apparently means, "We're going to raid your embassy."

Also, let's recall two very important things:

1) From Human Rights Watch —

President Rafael Correa obtained a popular mandate for constitutional reforms that could significantly increase government powers to constrain media and influence the appointment and dismissal of judges.

Ecuador’s laws restrict freedom of expression, and government officials, including Correa, use these laws against his critics. Those involved in protests marred by violence may be prosecuted on inflated and inappropriate ‘terrorism’ charges.

Impunity for police abuses is widespread and perpetrators of murders often attributed to a “settling of accounts” between criminal gangs are rarely prosecuted and convicted.

Ecuador also ranks 104th on the Press Freedom Index.

2) Assange is facing allegations of sexual misconduct.

It astounds me how so many Assange/WikiLeaks supporters continue to dance around these very important things.

[Silent Majority]

Very good points.

[Inder]

It just frustrates me more than anything else. Yes, there are worrisome aspects to the whole affair, especially with US authorities champing at the bit to get their hands on JA, but that shouldn't grant him a free pass for everything else he's done.

[Wolter]

It just frustrates me more than anything else. Yes, there are worrisome aspects to the whole affair, especially with US authorities champing at the bit to get their hands on JA, but that shouldn't grant him a free pass for everything else he's done.

Don't think he should get a free pass either. It's just kind of chilling that Sweden wouldn't agree not to turn him over to the US, who has no right to prosecute him for anything, whether he's guilty or not.

http://www.independent.ie/world-news/as ... 81454.html

EDIT: and this is a fair, if nauseating point - http://www.ianwelsh.net/pinochet-had-op ... adite-him/