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Thursday Afternoon Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 01:18:57 PM EST
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Another busy day at work for me. Here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

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    Thursday Afternoon Open Thread | 31 comments (31 topical)

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    Funny: (5.00 / 0) (#4)
    by oculus on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 02:11:28 PM EST
    My Blackberry isn't working

    The Libyan Minnow is Becoming New Moby Dick (5.00 / 3) (#14)
    by MO Blue on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 03:49:04 PM EST
    Armed Drones Next:

    At the beginning of the Libya intervention debate, President Obama said he thought America's involvement would "be limited to days and not weeks."

    Now, it seems that we will have to update that 'hope' to be "months if not years."
    ...
    The US is not giving up. Defense Secretary Gates has now said that President Obama has authorized the deployment of armed drones in the Libya conflict. This is not surprising, but it is a doubling down on a strategy riveted with problems and uncertainty - and runs the risk of killing innocent civilians as has often been the case with drone attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

    More "Freedom Bombs" part of U.S. humanitarian effort even if they run the risk of killing innocent civilians.  

    Well, we have moved from the successful (5.00 / 5) (#30)
    by KeysDan on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 08:32:42 PM EST
    "Operation Hoodwinked", that took just days not weeks to get us in, to "Operation Another Fine Mess", named in honor of the Clausewitz strategists, Laurel and Hardy.

    We may not yet know fully about who the rebels are, but we  do know that they are in disarray.  Two rebel generals are fighting for who will be the "big" cheese, one a General Founes, a former henchmen of Qaddafi and the other with the unfortunate name of General Hifter.

    Hifter brings just a few days experience as a general but twenty-years experience in exile in Northern Virginia where he has taken the opportunity to frequently visit the CIA, sort of like Chalabi.  General Hifter has established his personal headquarters in the downtown Benghazi offices of a Libyan oil company.

    If the rebels are in disarray, so too is NATO.  France's Alain Juppe said that the coalition underestimated Qaddafi's capacity to adapt to military tactics to mitigate the airstrikes and cling to power.  Seemingly, a lesson not learned from the late Saddam.

    Some Brit leaders are beginning to think that this may be mission creep what with sending in quagmire-prone "military liaisons." and all.   A military "expert" on CNN suggested that UN resolution 1973 be modified to provide for ground troops but such a modification runs risks and may not be necessary for surely some ambitious DOJ attorney can find authorization somewhere between the words "no-fly" and "zone", or within the word "humanitarian"--after all, the word derives from human and humans live on the ground and some humans are soldiers.

    Another aspect of the Operation is to provide the rebels with WMD (weapons for more destruction) to replace their  World War I firepower.   No worry, this should take just years not decades.

    Parent

    Beautiful day here . . . (none / 0) (#1)
    by nycstray on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 01:26:01 PM EST
    was just getting ready to go out and spend the day gardening . . . but made the mistake of checking my email . . . rush jobs due tomorrow AM :( sometimes being responsible really sucks :P

    What do (none / 0) (#3)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 02:06:25 PM EST
    you do if you don't mind me asking that you get rush jobs by email?

    Parent
    Product development for a long time (none / 0) (#7)
    by nycstray on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 02:28:27 PM EST
    client. I pretty much do all my work this way, but this one has special rush privileges :)

    Parent
    The Bratz won over Mattel (none / 0) (#2)
    by Harry Saxon on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 01:34:21 PM EST

    In a stunning decision, a jury sided with the maker of Bratz dolls, MGA Entertainment Inc., over Mattel Inc. in the retrial over who owns the rights to the billion-dollar franchise.

    The decision came Thursday morning in federal court in Santa Ana, capping eight days of jury deliberations, nearly three months of testimony and years of corporate bickering. Dozens of spectators packed U.S. District Judge David O. Carter's courtroom for the announcement, including the chief executives of both companies.

    The eight-person jury, made up of four men and four women, rejected Mattel's copyright infringement claims; said Mattel did not own the rights to the dolls, early models or accessories; and said MGA did not steal trade secrets.



    Click or LAT Me

    Why Donald Trump Would Win the Jewish Vote (none / 0) (#5)
    by Dan the Man on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 02:18:14 PM EST
    Since his daughter Ivanka is Jewish (she is in the category of "American Jews" in wikipedia), Jewish Americans would vote for the Donald in order to have the first First Jewish Daughter in the White House.

    Are you serious? (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by oculus on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 02:20:01 PM EST


    Parent
    Um, OK (5.00 / 1) (#11)
    by andgarden on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 03:20:57 PM EST


    Parent
    FWIW, Ivanka is a convert (none / 0) (#27)
    by gyrfalcon on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 07:33:02 PM EST


    Parent
    She is also a sweetheart (none / 0) (#29)
    by NYShooter on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 08:23:43 PM EST
    Very bright, confident, well spoken, and seems like an all around well grounded young lady. Quite a contrast, personality wise, from Poppa.

    Parent
    Too big to fail... (none / 0) (#8)
    by kdog on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 02:50:12 PM EST
    too big to be humane...another kid leaving school in cuffs got me bummed today...7 years old.  The old "to protect him from himself" story, so now he needs protection from authorities protecting him from himself.  

    Another local story. I feel bad for this lady, and the homeless guy was way outta line of course, but am I the only one thinking minding your own damn business, not playing cop, and letting the homeless guy smoke his blunt on the subway is the right play in such a case? Violence is an unacceptable response, but that doesn't mean ya go looking to draw unacceptable violent responses outta people if you know what I mean.  Nanny Bloomberg is nanny enough, and lord knows we got enough cops and ticket writers..we don't need vigilante citizen nannies thinking they're the mayor or the police.  

    The subway vigilante woman lacks (none / 0) (#9)
    by oculus on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 02:56:44 PM EST
    common sense and sense of self-preservation.

    As to school/NYPD/kid, what do you see as the teacher/school's alternative?  Swarm the kid to subdue him?  Lawsuit coming. NYPD:  call in the SWAT team, Taser?  Handcuffs may be the least restrictive alternative for an out-of-control child who is disrupting the classroom, plus on top of desk spitting.  

    Parent

    I get the lawsuit fears... (none / 0) (#12)
    by kdog on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 03:28:42 PM EST
    but if the choices are to expose the city/school to some liability or call in the armed mercenaries, I vote assume some liability and act like a human being and try to humanely subdue with a hug and soothing words if he's going that crazy.

    People filing lawsuits at the drop of a hat leaves administrators in a tough spot...I get it.  But zero-tolerance is one of those cures that is worse than the disease that we've become so famous for.

    Another related case in point...the awful rape allegation against 2 NYPD cops by a seriously intoxicated helpless woman.  Have you heard about it?  It's at trial now...I noticed the only reason the police were called to "help" the woman is the Taxi Commission has a rule that no cabbie can ever physically assist a drunken fare, they have to call 911.  And the reasoning for this dumb rule is?  You guessed it...Liability.  The rule mighta got a poor woman raped...all to dodge some liability.  We're gonna dodge liability all the way to an inhumane hellhole if we keep this up.

    Parent

    Here is my tax dollar at work. (none / 0) (#13)
    by oculus on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 03:40:47 PM EST
    Four-week civil trial.  Private school bullying case

    Parent
    Being bullied sucks... (none / 0) (#15)
    by kdog on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 03:50:55 PM EST
    but if its worth a million dollars were gonna have tons of new millionaires.  Its nothing millions of kids haven't dealt with and eventually gotten over without a million dollar judgement or handcuffs entering the picture.

    Me thinks thats the kinda case that ain't helping matters...next time will the school call in the SWAT team?  I'm afraid they might, and that ain't the answer.

    Parent

    did you read the nytimes article (none / 0) (#16)
    by CST on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 03:54:21 PM EST
    on Obama's mom?

    The outrage in the comments section over the rock thing was a bit funny.  Sometimes you gotta take your lumps and learn from it.  Or stick up for yourself.

    Although this: "There was no bullying at La Jolla Country Day and never has been"

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

    I'm sorry, it's a school, with teenagers.  They have bullying.

    Parent

    According to my friends, yes. "Mean (none / 0) (#17)
    by oculus on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 04:15:27 PM EST
    girls" abound.  

    Parent
    Any school with Country Day in its name... (none / 0) (#21)
    by Dadler on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 05:19:07 PM EST
    ...will combine bullying with an atmosphere of disgusting class entitlement.  Not to, um, generalize, but I know that school.  Though it's Bishop's, I hear, that is the real old money school in SD -- La Jolla too, not surprisingly.  Old La Jolla, snooty snoot, and not up on the riff-raff University Mesa like LJCD.

    Parent
    Some call it La Jolla East. (none / 0) (#22)
    by oculus on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 05:26:45 PM EST


    Parent
    As they say in the for rent ads: (none / 0) (#25)
    by Dadler on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 05:50:27 PM EST
    You should see "La Jolla adjacent."  Goes all the way to National City.

    Parent
    And you thought we were broke! (none / 0) (#10)
    by mmc9431 on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 03:17:45 PM EST
    It's good to know that the Republican House managed to find the funds to hire a legal team to continue the fight for DOMA.($500,000 to start) See there's always money if it's for their cause.

    How much money was cut from the faith based programs? And the abstinence program?

    That is about the amount that was (none / 0) (#26)
    by MO Blue on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 06:20:12 PM EST
    cut from the WIC program. Feed babies or restrict civil rights. For all their rhetoric about "save the children" they definitely didn't chose feed babies.  

    I seriously doubt that the faith based programs or the abstinence programs had any budget cuts.

    Parent

    I wonder when (none / 0) (#18)
    by SOS on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 04:27:43 PM EST
    Obama is going to clamp down on Wall Street?

    When a gallon of milk of $12.99?

    Ensign resigning tomorrow. (none / 0) (#19)
    by Tony on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 04:57:07 PM EST
    According to Jon Ralston and Roll Call.

    Some people (none / 0) (#28)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 07:59:40 PM EST
    sang a song to Obama at a fundraiser:
    link
    I was just going to post on this (none / 0) (#31)
    by Peter G on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 08:53:30 PM EST
    Over half the 150 participants at Thursday morning's fundraiser breakfast with the President in SF staged a peaceful demonstration in support of Bradley Manning.

    Parent
    Those d@mn DFH . . . . (none / 0) (#32)
    by nycstray on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 08:59:11 PM EST
    hope to see more of this, especially after reading some of his comments at the fundraiser.

    There were several other issues protesting around the events.

    Parent

    A true crime story from LAT: (none / 0) (#33)
    by oculus on Fri Apr 22, 2011 at 11:49:36 AM EST
    Tattoos

    Doesn't matter if this fellow's iPhone tracks where he is.  He does it himself!

    Does the punishment fit the crime? (none / 0) (#34)
    by ruffian on Fri Apr 22, 2011 at 10:33:38 PM EST
    Capt Howdy and kdog missed this one.

    Tough call. I will never complain about my coworkers again.

    Thursday Afternoon Open Thread | 31 comments (31 topical)

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