Displaying comments 1 to 50 of 557
MeFi post:
The Waterhobo
The lawn is his property.
That's the salient point — that if his neighbors keep trampling across it, then it won't be "his property" anymore. Eventually they'll establish a right of way that can, and probably will, lower the value of his land.
I didn't see where he was concerned about "pristine grass" or having an "inviolate lawn." Maybe he just doesn't want a bunch of selfish sluggards shaving 10 yards off his property line.
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 9:40 AM on October 13, 2007
MeFi post:
SPOILER: NYC wins.
Some noteworthy points from the executive summary [PDF]:42% of all cocaine and 26% of all heroin produced was seized by law enforcement before reaching consumers.92% of all heroin comes from poppies grown in Afghanistan.0.6% of the world's population are considered "problem drug users."Dominant drugs by continent:Europe & Asia: opiatesAfrica: cannabisSouth America: cocaineAustralia: cannabis & opiatesNorth America: everythingSpain's annual prevalence levels of cocaine exceeded... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 6:00 PM on August 1, 2007
MeFi post:
Daily Kos vs. Bill O'Reilly
CEO David Barger has donated to only one Presidential candidate. ... Why didn't you ask him why he is supporting right-wingnuts?
There's a distinction between a CEO donating money as a private citizen versus corporate sponsorship. Equally, there's a difference between donating money to a candidate versus sponsoring a generically partisan political event. Apples and oranges.
Elizabeth Edwards is right...... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 1:04 PM on July 20, 2007
MeFi post:
Stephen Dunne v. The Massachusetts Board of Bar Examiners
My law-school friend says that MA is one of the easiest exams to pass in the country...
I've never tried so I can't say, but these numbers place Massachusetts' pass rate (which presumably has some correlation to its exam's difficulty) at 84%* and squarely behind Minnesota, Utah, Mississippi, Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Georgia, Indiana, and Vermont.
* US News and... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 9:16 PM on July 3, 2007
A state's bar exam pass rate may correlate to the difficulty of that state's test, and it can also relate to the aptitude and preparedness of the law school graduates taking that state's test.
Indeed (hence my italicized equivocation). Looking at that chart, Minnesota's national-high pass rate of 91% is based on graduates from a T1 (tied with BU for #20), a T3, and a T4. Ditto for Massachusetts. So theoretically the numbers control for quality of... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 12:05 PM on July 4, 2007
MeFi post:
Hate Crime?
when a random murder happens in a neighborhood...
But few murders are "random." Even if we pretend that serial killers comprise a majority of homicides, those predators tend to prey on prostitutes, or young men, or single women — and their crimes instill just as much fear in their target demographics as murders of homosexuals.
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 11:51 PM on June 20, 2007
MeFi post:
Cindy Sheehan is done protesting. CNN Story...
I don't know whether the thread merits GYOB deletion or not, but I'm scratching my head over the "via" link. I don't know whether Muckster knows the blog's author or what, but it seems kinda sketchy that I can score an FPP for my blog just by dropping a quick link to a major news story that was the lede on CNN's front page this morning.
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 1:56 PM on May 29, 2007
MeFi post:
Eco-Sabateur Sentenced
The debate over the harshness of the penalty rages.
Does it? Your link says that Suzie pleaded guilty to two incidents of arson. If she were being sentenced to life, or being let off with probation, I could envision a "raging debate"; but 5–13 years sounds about right to me.
Your first link says that Stanislas Meyerhoff drew "the second harshest term ever delivered to an eco-saboteur in Oregon" — but that... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 10:31 AM on May 24, 2007
I side with the so-called terrorists here.
Because FBI Director Mueller isn't articulate? Um, okay.
...whenever I read about an abortion clinic bombing, it's usually carried out by pro life activists, not terrorists.
First of all: "Oh, for Christ's sake."
Second, read CNN's lede (second link, above):The Justice Department on Friday announced a... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 10:51 AM on May 24, 2007
Arson is not terror.
Now you sound like Director Mueller. Of course arson can be terrorism, depending on its motive; and these incidents of "environmental activism" seem pretty clear-cut cases of terrorism, to me.
MeFi turns pro-SUV at last.
There are a lot of things I'm not "pro-", but that doesn't mean I support arson. Is that really such a fine-threaded distinction?
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 12:19 PM on May 24, 2007
Neither does the US. He was sentenced to 13 years.
And I'm pretty sure having their buildings and automobiles set on fire isn't "the freedom [anyone] claim[s] to cherish so much." So I'm not sure what you're talking about, there.
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 12:30 PM on May 24, 2007
I'm not advocating arson, especially.
Um...yes, you are. In fact, you said, "I fully support the burning of [lots of stuff]."
Also, you seem to be quick on assuming that folks in this thread don't already know plenty about these people and their motivations, and on labeling anybody who doesn't support advocate "vehemently fail to condemn" arson as a bunch of "swarming centrists." Which seems odd,... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 12:46 PM on May 24, 2007
You've never argued with an Internet Tough Guy before?
No, I spend most of my time at K5.
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 12:50 PM on May 24, 2007
Actions taken by right wing loons are simply not treated as terrorism, while actions by left wing loons are.
Since you're obviously not going to back down from your disproven premise, let's accept it for a moment. Are you arguing that these incidents of arson aren't terrorism?
Otherwise I'm not sure what your point is. Are you just trying to throw a partisan bomb? "Sure, our side did X, but your side did... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 2:52 PM on May 24, 2007
Is splashing red paint on fur terrorism?
Yes. You're confused — you keep folding physical injury into the term "terrorism," which it doesn't require. You'd have to be either disingenuous or incredibly naive to deny that when ActivistX blows up an SUV, his intent is to instill fear in everybody who lives on that block that their SUV could be next.
If the intent is to intimidate and coerce, that still doesn't... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 4:01 PM on May 24, 2007
American Heritage is wrong...
You can't really argue with a guy who insists that he's right and the dictionary is wrong. That's kind of a show-stopper.
To stop people buying SUVs, all they'd have to do is plant one bomb on a suburban mom's SUV...
That wouldn't stop people from buying SUVs. People are forgetful and resilient. It probably would dissuade some people... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 4:20 PM on May 24, 2007
I fully expect amberglow to declare there's no such thing as terrorism.
He just did: People didn't stop selling cars... Companies didn't stop making them... Real terror would have caused any or all of those people and companies to change their behavior...
He's arguing that if terrorism doesn't accomplish its political goal, then it's not terrorism. Except that historically, terrorism almost... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 4:28 PM on May 24, 2007
Ask our Boston Tea Party people.
So blowing up SUVs and burning down ski resorts isn't terrorism, but tossing a bunch of tea into Boston Harbor is.
EB complimented your consistency. I'm not sure what thread he's reading.
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 4:53 PM on May 24, 2007
The Boston Tea Party exactly fits your definitions of terrorism.
But not yours — and you brought it up, to support your comment that, "Terrorism has been extraordinarily successful throughout history and still is."
Seriously, I'd be happy to agree to disagree if I could figure out what you're arguing. One minute you're rejecting a definition, the next you're using it to bolster your argument. Blowing up an SUV isn't... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 5:16 PM on May 24, 2007
The SUV actions weren't aimed at all existing SUV owners at all.
Again, on what basis do you assert that? I think they were. I think it's obvious and foreseeable that if ELF kids blow up one SUV, the owner will think twice about buying another — and so will his neighbors. I think the ELF kids are stupid but not stupid, and they know this. They intend this.
And you understand this principle, because you identified it in... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 5:41 PM on May 24, 2007
But the actions that they're being prosecuted for aren't individual civilian-owned SUVs...
You didn't read the third article, which is almost entirely about acts of arson against individual civilian-owned trucks and SUVs. You're also playing a semantic game of three-card monte to dodge my point, but I'll accommodate you and adjust my language:I think it's obvious and foreseeable that if ELF kids blow up one SUV [dealership], the owner will think twice... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 6:00 PM on May 24, 2007
Calling someone a terrorist is a value judgement.
Maybe so. Society makes value judgments. You might say that society is about making value judgments. Yes, maybe the term "terrorist" does "express an absolute rejection of a person and their aims" — and that's appropriate, given their actions. Yes, maybe we do risk alienating people who are sympathetic to their cause — but those people can grow up. If you're... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 7:02 PM on May 24, 2007
people he cares about are going to jail for their beliefs.
Nobody's going to jail for their beliefs. They're going to jail for what they did.
I agree with EB. I don't believe for a second that we'd see a significant contingent defending these people if they'd bombed an abortion clinic or a church that performed gay weddings. Like EB, I'll take your word that you wouldn't call it "terrorism" — but... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 7:23 AM on May 25, 2007
the politics of free expression include property destruction.
No, they don't. You describe yourself as a libertarian, but it's the libertarians who famously preach that your right to swing your fist stops at my nose. Your right to expression does not include blowing up my car.
they are standing up to receive their judgment.
Not really. According to CNN, 8 suspects... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 11:36 AM on May 25, 2007
MeFi post:
Marriage in America: The Frayed Knot
There's no reason to think that single mothers can't do a good job raising children.
Sure there is. It's difficult. The harder something is to accomplish, the fewer people will succeed. And no, the reason it's difficult is not "government policy" — unless you're arguing that "government policy" should provide free housing, day care, food, school, etc.
Being a parent is hard. It's easier when there are two,... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 10:03 AM on May 25, 2007
Thanks for illustrating my point.
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 10:06 AM on May 25, 2007
Unless you meant that [gay parenting is hard] then you might be right.
Um...yeah, basically.
Children don't need a mother and father, but that's ideal. Your assertion that a single mother can compensate for a child's absent father by having male friends is, well, ridiculous. Sure, it's a good idea — but that doesn't mean it's equivalent.
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 11:01 AM on May 25, 2007
I was talking about gay parents actually, not single ones.
I don't see the difference, with regard to your point:
...a male child of lesbian parents or a female child of gay male parents will grow up in the abscence of a role-model of their own sex, and will not have an adult example of behavior to witness. ... [This is] a problem easily mollified by gay parents if they have friends that their kids... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 11:13 AM on May 25, 2007
MeFi post:
Who will debunk the debunkers?
There's no other reason to keep so much of this secret for so long.
There are lots of reasons, depending on what's inside those folders, not least of which is the fact that government is monolithic. If Congress changed a date from 2039 to 2017, you can bet that somebody took home thousands of dollars for producing a report that explained exactly why those 22 years made a difference.
I'll go you one better: If the scenario you... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 7:58 AM on May 25, 2007
MeFi post:
Cameraphone Gallery Show
I got in after tinkering with vacapinta's link. The "abstracts" appear to be unlinked thumbnails, though — which, on a 12" monitor, means I'm basically looking at a gallery of chat icons. Maybe if you see them up close, it's impressive that they were taken with a cell phone; but what I'm seeing looks like it was taken with a cell phone.
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 8:47 AM on May 24, 2007
MeFi post:
The Agony of Defeat
Can you imagine seeing that crash on live TV today and hearing the announcer exclaim, "Ohh, baby!!"
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 6:32 AM on May 17, 2007
MeFi post:
One in 20 is too many.
we're right & you're wrong.
That about sums up the attitude of most cyclists, in my experience — which cracks me up. On one hand, you've got the bicyclists who are absolutely furious and convinced that they're right; and on the other hand, you've got drivers, the vast majority of whom don't even realize there's an argument being waged. They don't even realize you exist.
And they don't have to, because... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 9:13 PM on May 16, 2007
MeFi post:
The Battle to Control Obama's Myspace
The funniest part, for me, is the tenor of this "scandal" — how even most of the people who are criticizing the Obama campaign are tempering their responses with something like, "I think what the campaign is doing really sucks!! ...But I'll bet Obama doesn't even really know about this. It's not his fault."
You'd see a markedly different response if the identical circumstance arose with Romney or Clinton. But the Internet gets wet... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 2:31 PM on May 2, 2007
I think that's totally believable.
Of course it's believable. I'm sure it's true — just like I'm sure you're right about Edwards never having met Marcotte and McEwan. But that's exactly my point: Edwards took the heat, in that case. This time, a lot of people seem to be bending over backward to stress Obama's distance and insulation from "campaign decisions."
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 2:42 PM on May 2, 2007
You're assuming here that this guy had some specialized skills or expertise that he used to build that constituency.
I don't see that assumption made anywhere. "Special skills" are irrelevant, as is the method by which Anthony compiled the list. The point is that, by campaign funding standards, $40,000 is a relative bargain for what was being offered.
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 2:45 PM on May 2, 2007
the comparisons to mailing lists or ads aren't totally fair.
That's true. On the other hand, MySpace profiles offer a lot more information than a mailing list; so while it's less immediately useful than its analogs, it's potentially far more informative. Moreover, it carries the added value of a commercial. What percentage of users who subscribed to the original profiles had it in their "Top 8"? How many friends and visitors click on a user's... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 3:11 PM on May 2, 2007
delmoi says: If this guy was getting a lot of traffic on barackobama.com, he'd lose the domain in any dispute for sure. Why should a myspace profile be any different?
Followed by (in the same comment, no less):
A myspace profile isn't like a domain name...
No offense, but it's often difficult to take you seriously.
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 3:17 PM on May 2, 2007
rollbiz: That's a valid distinction between campaign volunteer versus contract worker, but I'd submit that Obama's campaign muddied the distinction when they approached Anthony and offered to pay him.
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 3:34 PM on May 2, 2007
what kind of person volunteers his time and then asks to be paid for it?
He didn't ask. They offered. A couple of times, apparently.
What kind of person turns down an offer of payment for already-completed work from a presidential campaign that just raised $26 million? An idiot, that's what kind.
he quoted a very substantial compensatory sum, which is totally at odds with the concept of... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 12:03 PM on May 4, 2007
p_t: You're skipping a key point and obscuring the question.
Scenario 1: "Hey, Joe. Thanks for building this great site to support my campaign. But we've noticed that you haven't been updating frequently, and we think your URL might lead people to believe that it's an official site. Would you mind turning it over to us, please?"
Scenario 2: "Hey, Joe. Thanks for building this great site to support my campaign. We'd like to buy it... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 7:23 PM on May 5, 2007
MeFi post:
Aww, pants!
I'm inclined to drop a few bucks into the mail for the Chungs' defense. According to the Washington Post, Custom Cleaners is located on Bladensburg Road NE in D.C., if anybody else is similarly inclined.
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 9:30 PM on May 2, 2007
MeFi post:
Dear Meme
it's immediately obvious what the joke is 30 seconds into the SNL skit...
I've never heard of "the OC." I've got no idea what channel it's on, or what it's about. And while I can believe that the SNL short becomes funny if you get the joke, I'm amused to see people in this thread who (a) like me, didn't get the joke, yet (b) laughed at the short anyway.
That phenomenon always cracks me up — people... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by cribcage
at 8:10 PM on April 28, 2007
