Keith Olbermann on Bush and Clinton
Posted by probabilityZero on 2006-11-29 | Filed under: Current events, Videos | 2 responses
Germany calls for violent video game ban
Once again, there are politicians attacking video games. This time, they’re proposing an outright ban on “killer” video games.
The debate over violent video games has been rekindled in Germany after a recent school shooting left students and teachers hospitalized. 18-year-old Sebastian Bosse returned to his secondary school in the town of Emsdetten yesterday and opened fire, terrifying the school and wounding several people (none have died) before taking his own life. He wore a trench coat and a gas mask, and carried smoke bombs and pipe bombs. He was also known to play video games for hours, leading several politicians to call for a ban.
They list no other factors that surely must have contributed to this outbreak of violence. No one is going to go shoot up their school just because they play Doom. Notice he “returned” to his old school; this wasn’t exactly random violence. Read more…
Posted by probabilityZero on 2006-11-24 | Filed under: News, Opinion, Tech and games | no responses
UCLA student assaulted with taser
This is a video of a UCLA student being stunned with a taser because he didn’t have his library pass.
Mostafa Tabatabainejad, a UCLA student, was repeatedly stunned with a Taser and then taken into custody when he did not exit the CLICC Lab in Powell Library in a timely manner. Community Service Officers had asked Tabatabainejad to leave after he failed to produce his BruinCard during a random check at around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Young said the CSOs on duty in the library at the time went to get UCPD officers when Tabatabainejad did not immediately leave, and UCPD officers resorted to use of the Taser when Tabatabainejad did not do as he was told.
A six-minute video showed Tabatabainejad audibly screaming in pain as he was stunned several times with a Taser, each time for three to five seconds. He was told repeatedly to stand up and stop fighting, and was told that if he did not do so he would “get Tased again.”
Sounds a bit harsh, right? Well, it gets a hell of a lot worse than that. Read on.
Read more…
Posted by probabilityZero on 2006-11-21 | Filed under: Current events, Fucked up, News, Noteworthy | 3 responses
New Congress likely behind net neutrality
Internet neutrality proponents believe that the recent change in Congress is likely to boost their efforts to push legislation that would prohibit tiered access to the Internet.
It was sad to see so many people convinced by telecom lobbyists that net neutrality was an added regulation that prohibited a free market, when that is exactly opposite of what it actally stands for. If access to all websites is not equal, and ISP’s become gatekeepers, then the free market would be done for. Luckilly, it looks as if the good guys may have won again. Read more…
Posted by probabilityZero on 2006-11-18 | Filed under: Current events, News, Tech and games | one response
Starting a forum
I’m in the process of setting up a forum, in collaboration with NPC and several regular readers here: Inanity (inanetalk.com). It’s focused on the less serious aspects and topics covered here, as well as those at other forums. It’s still in it’s early stages, and I’m in the process of customizing the software — if you want to join and help out, feel free.
Posted by probabilityZero on 2006-11-12 | Filed under: Other | no responses
People want change
The Democrats are now in control of the House and the Senate. Is it because of the Foley scandal? The deficit? The manipulation of Christian evangelicals? The casualties in Iraq? Wasted time over flag burning amendments? Well, no, I don’t think it’s any of those, or the hundreds of other fuckups that have come from King Bush and the Republican party in the last 6 years. I don’t think it was any one thing that did it, but rather a nation-wide voice, saying “you’re lies aren’t working anymore — we can see through you.” I think this election was a sign that people are waking up; that the country has decided to change it’s priorities, and see what’s actually important.
The American people have spoken and they have demanded change. They want, they deserve, and they are going to get a new direction–at home and in Iraq. Americans chose Democrats because we fought for the people and we fought for change. Now the Congress must honor that choice with a new beginning.
Posted by probabilityZero on 2006-11-09 | Filed under: Current events, Opinion | 2 responses
Rumsfeld steps down
I honestly didn’t expect this to ever happen, but I’m glad it did.
Give President Bush credit for being honest about his dishonesty. Last week he told reporters for the top wire news services — the AP, Reuters, Bloomberg — that Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney were doing fabulous work and would remain in their jobs as Defense Secretary and Vice President right up to the end of Bush’s second term. Today at his post-election press conference the President more or less admitted he was lying, at least about Rumsfeld.
It’s not a surprise that Rumsfeld finally resigned — to be replaced by former CIA chief Robert Gates. What is surprising is how long it took. Well before the Army Times and Marine Times called for his resignation — even before John McCain declared he had lost confidence in Rumsfeld — the brash Secretary of Defense had lost almost all his allies inside the White House. Just the mention of his name would cause aides to the President to grind their teeth and roll their eyes. He had become a liability to the President, and his advisers knew it and resented it. If the choice had been theirs’, Rummy would have been shown the door months, if not years, ago. And that was the White House. Rumsfeld never had allies in the State Department.
Posted by probabilityZero on 2006-11-08 | Filed under: Current events, News | 2 responses