08:49 – I just watched the original video posted by Amanda Todd, the 15-year-old Canadian girl who killed herself after being tortured on Facebook and physically assaulted, all because as a seventh grader she made the mistake of flashing her boobs on a webcam video.
Apparently no one–not her family, not her friends, not her teachers, no one–was able to help this girl. When I read the news story, I went over to Google Images to see what the girl looked like. That’s where this image came from. And among the top image results was one that was truly nauseating: a post from 4chan asking if anyone had the picture of Amanda’s boobs. Jesus.
14:55 – While I was walking Colin earlier today, I stopped to speak with one of the neighbors. He asked me who I thought was likely to win the coming election. I told him that unless something changes drastically, I expect Romney to win in a landslide. I’ll be surprised if Obama wins 221 electoral votes, let alone 271. And I suspect that’s what’s going to happen for the same reason that Obama won last time. Few people actually supported Obama’s ideas, to the extent he had any. They were voting for Obama as not-Bush, and this time I suspect people will vote for Romney as not-Obama.
People understand that things are bad in this country and that Obama hasn’t done anything to make them better. I think people will vote for a change, even though many are aware they’re really just voting for the same-old same-old. Still, given only two realistic choices, I think they’ll pick the not-Obama one.
North Carolina is supposedly a “swing state”, but I don’t sense that locally. I see many fewer Obama signs now than I saw four years ago, and if Obama loses North Carolina’s cities he has no chance to win the state. Rural North Carolina will vote overwhelmingly Republican. I suspect the same is true in the other so-called swing states as well. Obama’s liberal constituency, blacks, labor union members, and so on will vote for Obama, no matter what. The religious right and most of those who are well off will vote for Romney, no matter what. But I think those in the middle, the ones who don’t particularly want to vote for either candidate, will vote for Romney simply because he’s not-Obama. We’ll see.
Don’t worry, the RCMP are investigating this story. In Canada when seconds count, they’re only weeks away.
I just re-read what I wrote, and I should make absolutely clear that by “original video” I meant the one she posted a month or so ago and the one from which that screenshot was taken, NOT the one that shows her boobs, if indeed that one is even available.
I certainly have nothing against girls flashing their boobs, but anyone who’d want to look at that after the girl killed herself over it goes beyond sick.
I won’t let my daughters have any social media accounts. They’re 17 now. I thought they might revolt, but now they don’t even give a shit about Facebook, Twitter, etc. They hardly even text. I always tell them when they turn 18 they can do what ever they want. They are adults. Unless they depend on me for college money, a place to live, etc. Then I still have rules they have to follow.
I may be sexist, but I think of teenage girls as being extremely vulnerable to such things, immensely more so than boys. Teenage girls care much too much about what other people think of them. Despite the fact that she was extremely pretty, I suspect Amanda had a low self-image, and probably nearly all of that was a result of external forces. We need somehow to teach teenagers, and particularly teenage girls, not to care what strangers and random acquaintances think of them. I suspect that’s impossible, though. Caring so much about the opinions of people who don’t matter about issues that don’t matter may just be part of the biology of teenage girls.
After five daughters, I can confirm every thing you said. I’ve had my daughters tell me of fights in HS over types of makeup for Christ’s sake. “I use MAC professional makeup, you use Revlon because you’re a whore.” That really happened this year.
I grieve for Amanda. I didn’t know her or know anything about her. But something is desperately wrong when a 15 year old girl can be driven to kill herself over a triviality.
Looks like the internet is getting ready to die outside the USA:
http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/261863-us-ambassador-warns-internet-fee-proposal-gaining-momentum-abroad
“But Kramer warned that the United States is gaining a reputation of stubbornly opposing any changes to the ITU treaty. He said the United States will have to engage in negotiations with other countries to address their concerns. ”
One hopes that we elect a new president who is strong enough to say NO. Many websites already cannot make it through the great firewall of China. Half of my commercial website traffic comes from outside the USA. I wonder if I will start getting a tax invoice, excuse me a bill, from the ITU for allowing my bits to cross international borders.
I for one am ready for the US to leave the UN. It has become a den of thieves and jealous tyrants. Kick the UN out and send them to Geneva to be with all the other pacifists in the EU. Call me isolationist, that is OK.
I am a very old fossil who has advocated tipping the UN building and its occupants into the East River for decades now. And good riddance to bad rubbish.
As for the infinite angst of teenage girls, yeah; and with mine and one of my nieces, it has manifested itself in eating disorder stuff and very wacky behavior and speech sometimes. In my case it has been hellish, and from what my brother sez, it ain’t no barrel of laffs down there in Maffachufetts, either. Counselors, therapists, shrink appointments down there, still going on; up here no one wanted to go that road, ever, and prevailing opinion has long been that it is ALL MY FAULT. Somehow. Any attempt I made at saying “no” to the endless demands and whims of a moment or imposing any minor sort of discipline at all were totally rejected and I had zero support from mom or grandma throughout.
My brother basically has run into the same sort of thing but has managed to prevail most of time; we had unusual circumstances in this family in that the biological dad was killed in a car wreck when Princess was a baby. And Mrs. OFD’s dad died of a fairly uncommon disease when SHE was a baby. Meanwhile on their side of the clans, it has long been a truism that all the men die young or are killed in accidents and wars, leaving the bloody matriarchy in charge most of the time, yea, unto the present day.
Anyway, not to rant and rave; it is what it is.
Didn’t see any of the debate or election coverage thus fah and have zero interest; whichever fucktard gets in will continue the destruction of what fragments remain of the old republic and then we can all get down to business, finally, and do some sorting out.
I would not care to be one of those subject to your sorting.
I doubt the “sorting” will be pleasant for anyone. I think it’s inevitable, though. We as a nation have gone too far down the path of irresponsibility for any non-traumatic correction to remedy the problems. This applies not only to the economy, which is likely to be the trigger, but to getting a decent education or job training as a kid because you can’t be on the dole your whole life, and to insisting on police being held to the same standards as the populace, and to watching politicians and bureaucrats vigorously and suspiciously. I think the Progressive destruction of society and personal responsibility and individuality has just about completed its generations-long trajectory and the American people as a whole won’t give up the easy life.
The good news is, I’m convinced that there’s a core of hard-headed practicality underneath the debt-fueled consumption. Long-term, I’m optimistic. But, yah, it’ll be a rough patch getting there.
Nothing to worry about from me, Bob; I believe in sticking to local affairs and will not commit the same error made by fellow New Englanders a while back and venturing south. Although I am acquainted long-distance and via pod-casts I’ve been on with some fairly hardcore southern rebels who are gearing up to do some sorting of their own in the all-too-near future.
I believe we have our work cut out for us up here in the Belly of the Beast, as it were, and then some.
I see the most parallels between us and ancient Rome. Our Prez is virtually an Emperor. Supposedly elected. Rome spent itself silly in those days attempting to extend their power to countries that finally began serious resistance. Rome sent tax collectors around to squeeze people who did not even legitimately owe anything. Deficit spending was not on the horizon back then, so they needed cash.
The VP debate sealed with a kiss my straight Libertarian vote. For those of you who did not listen, at one point, Biden charged Ryan that he and Mitt would push legislation to make abortion murder. Ryan never responded to that, even though Biden gave him 2 chances to do so. Ryan refused to speak to it at all. And you think Republicans stand for liberty? Who instituted the TSA? Who initiated the biggest revocation of civil rights in the history of the US: the Patriot Act?
Ryan’s only response to real figures was to repeat the charge that Demos had no record to run on, and thus they make charges to scare voters away from Repubs. Damn, I hope so. I don’t fear for my life under Dems, but I sure do under Repubs.
Gary Johnson, you have my firm promise of a vote.
Anyone comes to my house to do some “sorting” will get sorted themselves with a 357 or 40. Maybe even some 223 or 22. Walmart had a sale last year on 40S&W for $14 and I bought a few boxes. OK, I bought a lot of boxes.
I need to get me another one of these XDMs. Best shooting semi-auto I have ever shot.
http://www.the-m-factor.com/html/specs_3.html
I have put about 300 rounds through it so far, need to to put another 700 in it.
I will take Ryan over Biden any day of the week. If you ask me, Biden is certifiable loony. And to sit up there and lie about the votes on Afghanistan and Iraq. And at least one of his sons has deployed a couple of times to Iraq in the Army.
I am convinced that we have four years to turn this ship around or four years to run it into the berg. I am not convinced that Romney is tough enough to turn the ship around but at least I would like to give him a try.
BTW, author John Scalzi is saying that Obama may have tanked the first debate on purpose:
http://whatever.scalzi.com/2012/10/12/for-your-friday-political-discussion-consideration/
There’s a saying in Australian politics that you can only rely on the people who say they are voting for someone else.
Biden has been around far far too long. Like 20 years too long.
And Dave, not only have the people in your region waged a war of aggression against the South they also invaded Canada at least once that I know of. Once an imperalist, always a imperalist.
Historical people in my area invaded Canada twice. They’ve since realized that a peaceful annexation is called for. Quebec will be allowed to go its own way, and the Maritimes will form a confederation with northern New England (not southern New England, which is too far gone).
As for Biden I have acquaintances in Delaware I’ve known for a long time and they’ve told me more than once that from his behavior and mannerisms sometimes in public there, they’re pretty sure he is bipolar. None of this makes the MSM nooz, though. It will show up in the media around the same time an accurate rendition of Barack Hussein’s biography appears. A true Manchurian candidate if ever there was one.
It would be unusual for a male who is manic-depressive to survive to his age. Most of them kill themselves well before that.
Well, we don’t know when it may have begun with him and he also would have the best of medical care and pharmaceuticals. And the cooperation of the lapdog media, as with the sainted JFK and his long list of crippling maladies that we only recently have gotten the full? story on….
The behavior described by my correspondents indicated someone with major issues who would ordinarily have been at least detained, if not arrested, and sent off for evaluation accordingly.
It would be unusual for a male who is manic-depressive to survive to his age. Most of them kill themselves well before that.
Is that true, Bob? I’ve previously heard 10% lifetime risk of suicide for sufferers of bipolar disorder. A staggeringly large fraction of them, but still not most…
FIFY
You may be right. I spoke from personal experience. I’ve know quite a few people who were manic-depressive. The women, even without medication, seem to do okay physically, although the extreme mood swings are extremely disruptive to their families. Going out and running credit cards up to their limits buying clothes, for example.
Of the dozen or so guys I’ve known to be manic-depressive, more than half of them were dead by 35, some by explicit suicide, others in single-car “accidents”, by “accidental” overdoses, and so on.
How common is bi-polar among men? I have known quite a few women with the problem, but cannot think of any male that I have known, with anything like it. Of those women, the ones that were given a schedule of a busy life as part of the therapy seemed to fare best, but what happens at retirement?
Most of the males I have known, who met with an early departure from life, were overwhelmingly drug or alcohol addicts with at least a decade of abuse before checking out.
RBT and eristicist are probably not talking about quite the same thing.
RBT probably has in mind men with severe enough BPD that it was obvious that something was wrong with the way their brains worked. I wouldn’t be surprised if these men had a 50% suicide rate.
eristicist is more likely referring to some APA statistics, with over-broad “diagnosis” of questionable or borderline cases. Assuming that BPD is overdiagnosed to the same extent that hyperactivity, ADD, psychopathy, and Autism Spectrum Disorder are (and I have no idea if it is), I’d be surprised if the lifetime suicide rate is as high as 10%.
I had a former male boss who was hot and cold bipolar. Sadly he has survived to this day.
Damned outliers!
Lynn wrote:
“I need to get me another one of these XDMs. Best shooting semi-auto I have ever shot.
http://www.the-m-factor.com/html/specs_3.html
I have put about 300 rounds through it so far, need to to put another 700 in it.”
Okay, that’s a nice looking gun. What do the in-the know people here think of it?
My heart belongs to the M1911.
And mine to .357 and up wheelguns.
Y’all wimps. I want one of these:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Upshot-Knothole_GRABLE.jpg
Too much recoil. That makes it hard to get the pistol back on target for the second shot.
That’s why I always carried my .45 ACP Colt Combat Commander in preference to my .44 Magnum S&W Model 29 (Dirty Harry revolver).
Yeah, I know. I was just kidding. I couldn’t afford the ammo and the neighbors would get upset.
I’ve actually never shot a .45 ACP Colt Combat Commander. But my problem with the .45 is the gun only carries 7 in the clip plus one in the chamber (if you are crazy). My .40 XDM carries 16 in the clip plus one in the chamber (if you are crazy). I like having the extra ammo but the knockdown is less than that of the .45. User choice. Plus the .40 ammo is half the price of the .45 ammo, I have no clue why.
I know people here have said that 0.357 isn’t enough, but what about 0.40?
Nothing crazy about it. Browning designed the M1911 to be carried in Condition One (round chambered, hammer back, safety on), also called cocked-and-locked. I’ve never carried mine any other way. It’s perfectly safe.
As to ammunition capacity, just like any other autopistol the capacity of the M1911 is unlimited until you run out of loaded magazines. I can drop an empty magazine and reload without breaking rhythm. I used to carry 50 rounds; one chambered, seven more in the magazine, and 42 more in six spare magazines in a Sparks six-pack on my belt across my back. And, as my late friend Mel Tappan was fond of saying, firepower consists of hitting what you’re aiming at, not peppering the landscape with near misses. (I always thought that should be “near hits”; a “near miss” is when you hit something, but just barely.)
I salute and respect the 1911 and its zillions of clones but will stick with my .357 4″ and my .357 snubby, with 125-gr. JHPs. I have had prior issues, as have other troops in various cold-weather combat scenarios with semi-auto jams, with rifles and handguns. Sometimes it was bad mags or ammo, but my revolvers have always fired, in whatever condition, even soaking wet or caked with mud, with one notable exception in forty years, an underloaded .41 Mag round that stopped halfway out the muzzle and the shooter was about to pull the trigger again but I’d heard that odd sound it made and stopped him in the nick of time.
It’s also what one is used to; I grew up with and trained in both military service and the cops with revolvers. Most violent encounters involving firearms are within seven to ten feet anyway and short of tactical combat conditons (which for all we know may be coming up soon all over the place) one probably doesn’t need a battery of loaded magazines hanging from one’s belt.
And in the latter or similar cases, one is hopefully only using one’s handgun so one can get to one’s shotgun or rifle or machine gun or howitzer.
But my problem with the .45 is the gun only carries 7 in the clip plus one in the chamber (if you are crazy).
The .45 ACP version of the XD(M) (except the compact) has 13-round magazines. The grip must be a bit wide.
Yeah, it’s a bulky gun. Hard to conceal, if that is one’s intent, esp. if one lives in the tropics, like the Carolinas, Florider and Arizoner. Up here we, esp. the women who go about in burkhas, could easily conceal howitzers under our clothes in the winter.
I have noticed that in most of the tv cop shows, the backup gun is almost always a revolver and is usually a Saturday night special looking gun. Having never carried a gun, I would prefer a very small revolver myself if I needed a backup gun.
My backup was usually either a second M1911 or a MAC-10.
Most cops and armed civilians with experience would have a smaller semi-auto or revolver as their backup handgun, notwithstanding Robert’s choices. I normally have a 4″ bbl. .357 for regular carry and a 2″ bbl. .357 snubby for backup, the former with 125-gr. JHPs and the later with .38 + P ammo, usually also JHPs. There are also .12-gauge shotguns within arm’s reach at home and in the vehicles and other stuff. Plus we ain’t the sort of people that perps would necessarily have as their first-choice targets and we have a mutt that barks when anyone or any critter that he doesn’t know gets near the property. This justifies me buying him dog food, but that’s about it.
And I’m still waiting for our cats to adjust to the new surroundings and begin putting rodent corpses on display.
eristicist is more likely referring to some APA statistics, with over-broad “diagnosis” of questionable or borderline cases. Assuming that BPD is overdiagnosed to the same extent that hyperactivity, ADD, psychopathy, and Autism Spectrum Disorder are (and I have no idea if it is), I’d be surprised if the lifetime suicide rate is as high as 10%.
Ah, good point. I should have thought of that. Thanks.
OFD wrote:
“And in the latter or similar cases, one is hopefully only using one’s handgun so one can get to one’s shotgun or rifle or machine gun or howitzer.”
Okay Dave, I just gotta know. What’s your favourite number?
OFD wrote:
“…and we have a mutt that barks when anyone or any critter that he doesn’t know gets near the property. This justifies me giving him a cuddle morning, noon and night and making him the sole beneficiary of my will.”
There, fixed that for you. 🙂
My “favourite” (what is that, some kind of Franglais?) number is eleven (11). It was my unit number during my longest spell as an urban street cop, and was also a favorite (there, fixed that for ya) and/or sacred number for St. Augustine, Dante Alighieri and James Joyce.
More than U wanted 2 know, maybe…
Now…wot’s yours?
OFD wrote:
“And I’m still waiting for our cats to get off their lazy fat arses and do some work instead of meowing piteously for hours on end because they’re (constantly) hungry – even though they do no work at all – and because I declawed them because they kept scratching the furniture, me, Mrs OFD and Miss OFD.”
Dave, I’m getting sick of constantly having to correct your posts…