Sunday Morning Links

Sunday, August 23rd, 2009
  • This movie looks like it could be amazing, or really, really awful.
  • Not quite puppycide, but agonizing to watch. Again, I can’t understand why more police departments don’t give their officers training on how to deal with dogs. The subsequent ass covering is SOP.
  • You, out of the gene pool.
  • Great piece by my colleague Katherine Mangu-Ward about how tech geeks are trying to bring some transparency and access to the courts.
  • All Obama’s czars.
  • Some New York lawmakers collecting both pension pay and regular pay.
  • Ninety percent of U.S. currency includes traces of cocaine. As Agitator reader Chris Berez asked on Twitter, does this mean the dollar’s actually worth something again?
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  • 29 Responses to “Sunday Morning Links”

    1. #1 |  Tokin42 | 

      RE: The dog tasing

      Are all cops deathly afraid of dogs? The tasing of the dog was bad enough, but if the bloggers account of how the city dealt with it is true “move, or we’ll kill your dog” then I’m just at a loss for words.

    2. #2 |  Mister DNA | 

      Re: You, out of the gene pool.

      The guy plays Dungeons & Dragons. He was never anywhere near the gene pool to begin with, Radley.

    3. #3 |  billy-jay | 

      Chuckles at Mister DNA.

    4. #4 |  Dave Krueger | 

      “…the city agreed to drop the utterly bogus “vicious animal” charges against Kier only in exchange for an agreement that he would not sue the Lakewood city government for torturing his dog…”

      No one, and I mean no one, should ever have to give up their right to sue the government in order to get charges dropped against them. That is pure, unadulterated, intimidation and extortion and should, by itself, be subject to investigation and prosecution.

    5. #5 |  Rune | 

      Mister DNA wrote:

      The guy plays Dungeons & Dragons. He was never anywhere near the gene pool to begin with, Radley.

      Prejudiced much?

    6. #6 |  Dave Krueger | 

      Digital records of court filings, briefs and transcripts sit behind paywalls like Lexis and Westlaw. Legal codes and judicial documents aren’t copyrighted, but governments often cut exclusive distribution deals, rendering other access methods a bit legally questionable.

      Someone should file a class action lawsuit against these assholes (ie: the various governments) for antitrust violation. They’re pretty fucking quick to cook up a shit storm over outfits like Microsoft, Google, and Walmart, but maybe they should be focusing their sights a little closer to home. Of course, web search functions are way more important than government imposed secrecy over the justice system…

    7. #7 |  Michael Pack | 

      I think the cocaine on the money shows that every one is a drug suspect,Having money in your pocket is proof of drug use,and I’m sure a drug dog would back up the finding.See ,anyone with a large amount of cash HAS to be a dealer,drug tests don’t ‘lie’.

    8. #8 |  Michael Pack | 

      What’s the difference between Michael Vick and a cop,Vick gives a dog a fighting chance.

    9. #9 |  Michael | 

      The whole point of going in to public sector jobs is to retire after 25 years so you can collect your retirement while working another 20. That and the reality that you don’t actually have to be productive to get any of that money.

    10. #10 |  b-psycho | 

      LOL, and people say that Utah is dull…

    11. #11 |  Matt | 

      Was kinda wondering what ever happened to Avatar..

    12. #12 |  Matt | 

      I just couldn’t remember the name to check it out :(

    13. #13 |  Mattocracy | 

      @ Michael Pack,

      My thoughts exactly on both points.

    14. #14 |  Tim C | 

      Gene pool – this is what happens in states that restrict beer to 3.2 % ABV….

    15. #15 |  Tim C | 

      Coke – this is SUCH old news. I don’t fault Radley for reporting it (or the “Agitator reader” who provided the hilarious quip), but I DO fault the boringass MSM for trotting out yet another stupidass report on it. Special bonus points for Drug War Hysteria angle.

    16. #16 |  max | 

      Really I don;t mind double dipping as long as it is done right. Put 40 years of service in and hit age 65 and you should be able to collect a pension even if you are working. As a part time retired legislator I ahve no problem if he collects a pension and a modest salary of say $20,000/year.

      I’m at a loss however for what any legislator does which could justify a $70,000/year pension even if they didn’t stay on the job. let’s see, in New York state the median pay for a lawyer (requires more education than being a lawmaker) without pension is only a tad over $84k but these legislator are raking in $104,000? Heck in New York CITY the median HOUSEHOLD (not individual) income is under $49,000. Must be that New York legislators are so much above the plebeians that they are worth so much more than the peasants.

    17. #17 |  KBCraig | 

      Most white boxers are deaf, which would explain why “Otis” stood there barking while they yelled at him.

    18. #18 |  Stephen | 

      That dog did not look dangerous at all to me. I could have walked up and petted it and been friends. I guess police don’t know how to be non-threatening and diffuse things. But then…we knew that already.

    19. #19 |  Bob | 

      Well, look at the bright side, at least they didn’t shoot the dog 59 times.

      http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32478013/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

      But it’s ok because as Chief Freeman Cooper says: “We are saying that our people did what we trained them to do,”

      People living in Chattanooga should think about that before ever calling the police. They’re trained to just line up and start firing.

    20. #20 |  Windy | 

      Mr. DNA #2
      I’m 65, I used to play D&D, now I play WoW. Gotta have some way of releasing my anger and aggression without taking it out on real people, especially when that anger and aggression come from hearing and reading all these stories about the behavior of cops all across the country, as well as a personal situation where one of my children (innocent of all charges, of course) is caught up in the unjust justice system. Your prejudice is showing.

      Dave #4 & #6
      Completely agree.

      M Pack # 8
      Good one, I’ll be using it in future.

      Bob #19
      That story sickened me, and the cops wonder why no one loves them anymore.

    21. #21 |  JOR | 

      “Again, I can’t understand why more police departments don’t give their officers training on how to deal with dogs.”

      Um, they do. They train them to deal with them by escalating the situation and then torturing and/or capturing or killing them. You know. Kinda like how they train them to deal with people.

    22. #22 |  Cynical in CA | 

      One side benefit of linking to Charles Johnson, the Rad Geek, is more exposure for anarchism. He also shares The Agitator’s passion for exposing police brutality, whether directed at human or animal.

    23. #23 |  Oatwhore | 

      Avatar looks like the visual effects will be totally awesome.

      BUT, yet again in SciFi there are human looking aliens with alien animals that resemble Earth animals. And WTF are mountains doing floating in air? Damn it! I refuse to suspend my disbelief!

    24. #24 |  Mister DNA | 

      Rune & Windy:

      I didn’t think I’d need to explain this, but… it. was. a. joke.

      I no longer subscribe the Southern Poverty Law Center’s newsletter, so I’m not hip to all the Hate Crimes against D&D players. I thought since we no longer make Elven clerics sit at the back of the bus, that my joke would be seen as harmless fun.

      Thanks for opening my eyes.

    25. #25 |  Richard Bottoms | 

      Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs Tammy Duckworth appeared on Fox News Sunday this morning to combat the false allegations that the VA is using a “death book” to encourage veterans to end their lives.

      Of Course Obama is the REAL problem, right?

      I’d say what is with these clowns, but that would imply it’s merely accidental that all this b.s. is being churned out by the right wing noise machine. I always thought the American public was a lot less stupid than this, apparently I was wrong. That this even warrants a discussion is depressing.

      But look on the bright side, you can still wave an M-16 around when Obama come to town, so say your allies in the GOP.

    26. #26 |  Big Chief | 

      Richard Cranium – I think you’ve been eating the hundreds.

    27. #27 |  Cappy | 

      Dog tasering – The dogs ears were not rolled forward, the tail was not up. Both of these are obvious signs the dog means business and is ready to bite.

      Secondly, the dog kept looking backwards (towards the owner’s house?), this means the dog is waiting for it’s owner to re-enforce the dog’s behavior. In other words, the dog was waiting for it’s owner to come take care of the situation.

      The dog was all bark and no bite. I could’ve had that dog under control in about 10 minutes if not less, eating out of my hand.

      Lastly, I play D&D and I’ve reproduced. Ya’ll better watch out!

    28. #28 |  omar | 

      Re: Assembly pension article…

      I’d like to thank the one honest NY state assemblyman for taking his entire unearned $79,500 pension (my tax dollars!) and donating them to a charity of his choosing.

      I can’t wait to move.

    29. #29 |  Steve Verdon | 

      Mr. DNA #2
      I’m 65, I used to play D&D, now I play WoW. Gotta have some way of releasing my anger and aggression without taking it out on real people, especially when that anger and aggression come from hearing and reading all these stories about the behavior of cops all across the country, as well as a personal situation where one of my children (innocent of all charges, of course) is caught up in the unjust justice system. Your prejudice is showing.

      Oh man, you need to play a real game (j/k–put there is nothing like PvP which isn’t as common in WoW).

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