Re: When is a cop a cop?
 

You've got at least two questions in there, so I'll answer them in turn.

First, if he's a cop, you killed a cop -- whether you knew it or not, whether you intended it or not.

Is this really surprising to you? How many people face harsher sentencing or more aggressive prosecution because they killed, say, a mother of two -- without any proof that they knew anything about the victim's family situation.


Second, "worth" more to whom? You're talking about a protest by the cops' union, right? Are you really surprised to see the cops' union take particular interest in the killing of a cop?

And, again, is this really surprising to you? If a pastor in your church was murdered, would it bother you if the murderer was about to get an early parole, or a light sentence? And would it matter to you if the killer didn't know that his victim was a pastor?

If it were your sister, instead of your pastor, would you feel differently? Why is the life of a sister "worth" more than the life of an only child?


Several decades ago, the Supreme Court ruled that you can allow "victim impact" testimony in the penalty phase of death penalty cases. Which means, if you kill someone, best hope she doesn't have sweet-looking parents or children who come tell her story and how much they miss her.

The same is true of non-capital crimes. Every time there is a sentencing hearing, every time there is a parole hearing, victims write about the impact of the crime on them. This is true if it's a violent crime, and true if it's a non-violent crime.

The defendant didn't check out the history of his victim before robbing or killing hiim? The defendant didn't know whether this was a good person, cop, community care-giver, etc? Tough shit. Either don't kill people, or do it like Dexter does.

Re: When is a cop a cop?
 

The guy is 63, has cancer and has served 29 years. "Early" indeed.

(not that I'm disagreeing with you)

Sebby and Club tell me that it's easy to be wrongly accused.

(yeah, guys, I know that isn't what you said)

Re: When is a cop a cop?
 

Come on, Siri, what's with this "I know that isn't what you said" stuff. Man up, tell them what they said, and make it true.

woo hoo
 

Or something like that:
http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/.../10/output.jpg

Re: When is a cop a cop?
 

I wasn't responding to the specifics about the convict (I don't remember that the cancer part was there, though the 29 years was).

But "early," in reference to parole, basically means "before you've served your full sentence. It's not absolute, but relative. 29 years would be early for someone sentenced to life, and quite late for someone sentenced on a misdemeanor....


And blueberry pie is good. What the fuck does that have to do with anything?

Re: woo hoo
 

thank you for your admission that more stimulus was needed was, um, only mildly ungrounded and fallacious.

Re: woo hoo
 

looks to me like the r budget cuts are already paying dividends. Can we cut more now to really fire things up or do we have to wait for the next budget talks?

Re: I guess no
 

outraged? have you heard interviews with any of them? The ones I've heard (admit on Stern) are clueless and bored.

Re: When is a cop a cop?
 

the locherbie bomber that we're trying to find in our new Ally libya right now, he got out early cuz of cancer. fuck that shit.

Re: woo hoo
 

Huh? We're still way off trend. Stimulate away!

Re: When is a cop a cop?
 

Yes. Oh well.

Re: When is a cop a cop?
 

And I wasted a death pool pick on him that year. I was mighty peeved when he didn't die as promised. :eek:

Re: woo hoo
 

[Insert Adder doesn't get laid joke here.]

Re: woo hoo
 

You don't want that recovery to continue?

I thought this comparison to an economy where the parliament didn't pass a stimulus was telling:

http://delong.typepad.com/.a/6a00e55...bf0c0bf970d-pi

It would be nice to have some real growth since '07, wouldn't it?

Re: woo hoo
 

To be fair, both paths are abyssmal, and my enthusiasm was sarcastic.

But yeah, UK and elsewhere are doing their best to kill the notion of expansionary austerity (feel free to raise Ireland as a possible counter example if you want).

Re: woo hoo
 

Frankly, I am amazed we are back to Q1 '08 despite unemployment, housing, and deleveraging.

Once again
 

The GOP is simply NOT the party of fiscal responsibility:

Yglesias.

Re: Once again
 

Remember the debate where the GOP candidates were asked if they would vote for a package that included $1 of tax increases for every $10 of spending cuts?

Re: Once again
 

Yup. I just want to keep reminding hank, club, sebby, and anyone else who claims to want fiscal responsibility but usually votes R.

So cue hank on how obamacare maybe wasn't as completely paid for as advertised as if that makes it a wash.

Oakland to NYPD: You Guys Are Pussies
 

So here's video of the incident that left Scott Olson, a vet who served two tours in Iraq, in critical condition. You can't see the moment when he was shot in the head with a tear gas cannister at quite close range, and contrary to the narration, I do doubt that it was done on purpose, but I don't see how there can be any defense for what happens when people come to his aid.

And what happens is that a cop standing on the other side of a barricade, at most ten feet away, throws a flash-bang grenade immediately into the small collection of helpers, and essentially right on top of the fallen veteran. Nice job, asshat.

I'd also point out the larger point that the cops here used tear gas and flash bangs as their first resort, while the protesters seemed to be doing little but standing around and refusing to disperse. I don't know much about police procedures, but that sure doesn't sound right to me either.

Re: Once again
 

the R's were elected because they promised no taxes and the deficit being cut. Obama promised the HCR would not cost anyone making under $250K anything. So no it is not a wash. One side lied to us.

Re: Once again
 

I'm quite certain that you are conflating statements about two different things, but please feel free to provide a citation.

Did anyone die?

Re: Oakland to NYPD: You Guys Are Pussies
 

Since the protestors are complaining about being poor, unemployed, etc., it seems a little nasty to demand that they disburse.

Re: Oakland to NYPD: You Guys Are Pussies
 

Indeed. Damn greedy cops!

Re: Oakland to NYPD: You Guys Are Pussies
 

Re: Oakland to NYPD: You Guys Are Pussies
 

dissent. they should be made to pay for their tear-gassing, at least.

At least the GOP has one intentionally amusing candidate
 

Cain sings [Imagine There's No Pizza.]

Paywalls
 

Apparently the NYT's experience has convinced the local rag to try to price discriminate against moderate users. Reading this, I can hear the "consultant" assuring them that they have unique content that people will pay for, which is probably true for Grandma Mima, but strikes me as astonishingly short-sighted. I have a hard time thinking that younger users (or heck, me, who is not so young anymore) will do anything except reduce their consumption of StarTrib articles, which can be easily substituted elsewhere. Especially as that substitution is only going to get easier as people have even more reason to summarize the content beyond the paywall.

I get how sites that can price discriminate against business users (WSJ, FT, etc) or superfans (ESPN, etc), but I'm just not sure it works for more general new sources over the long term. I guess we'll see. I'm truly curious what the NYT paywall did to their traffic, and curious whether the lost traffic makes any difference in advertising revenue.

Re: At least the GOP has one intentionally amusing candidate
 

That's so last week. Today's Cain Monday morning crisis is about allegations that he sexually harassed two women when he was the head of the NRA (not that one).

Re: Paywalls
 

Grandma Mima gets the hard copy delivered. I, along with everyone else, am going to reduce my consumption of StarTrib articles. Stupid stupid policy. I'm more likely to pay for NYT than the Strib.

Re: Paywalls
 

Yeah, although when I wrote that I had you in mind ;)

Me too, although in truth I'm not a big Strib reader anyway. I read more NYT than Strib, and I don't even pay for that.

Re: Paywalls
 

http://4photos.net/photosv2/266983_monitor_punch.jpg

Re: My God, you are an idiot.
 

Obama's mideast policy achievements:

Egypt is now not a place where Christians or Jews can go, and unlikely to be neutral in the wars against Israel much monger. We still pay it though.

Libya seems potentially headed for a future where women are confined in burkas and under the thumb of sharia.

Today we lose such control over the UN that we now will have to stop funding UNESCO and potentially will get kicked out.

Re: My God, you are an idiot.
 

Had only we sent the marines backed up by 25 year old movement conservatives, it all could have worked out so well!

Re: My God, you are an idiot.
 

no comment on UNESCO? Just as well; nothing good to say about it, other than maybe we'll now quit the UN?

Re: My God, you are an idiot.
 

My comment is that I know almost nothing about UNESCO or how it works. It seems we do not have a veto, though.

Well, that and I have no idea why we have laws on the books that say we won't fund education, science and culture if they let the Palestinians play too. Sure seems to me like we might want there to be education, science and culture in Palestine, but I guess not.

But not being a big consumer of news from Fox, I was unaware that this was something important.

Re: My God, you are an idiot.
 

Oh. And just out of curiosity, what would you list as W's mideast policy achievements? Are there any?

Re: My God, you are an idiot.
 

we've never lost a UN vote on this issue, now it's seeming certain one by one the UN and its agencies will vote in Palistine. Since the UN started all Presidents, except Obama, have agreed this is a bad thing. But to you it's Fox nonsense? Sad.

Re: My God, you are an idiot.
 

ohh, running the Taliban into hiding? Turning the tide on 8 years of ignoring Al Queda? Running sadaam out of Power?

Re: My God, you are an idiot.
 

Please explain to me why Palestinian participation in UNESCO is a bad thing? That's a sincere question, as I still don't know why I care.

But for the record, Obama seems to think it's a bad thing too:

link