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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#57226: Jun 28th 2013 at 8:40:38 AM

Well, clearly you want to make it possible to build new plants to replace older ones. That veers into Captain Obvious territory, but of course nothing is obvious in politics. Part of it is regulatory burdens, environmental reviews, and the like; and part is good old NIMBY.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#57227: Jun 28th 2013 at 8:44:33 AM

This is Britain; we're good at NIMBYism. Ultimately, Central Government approves the building of new power stations, and it is Serious Business, especially for Local Politics.

Keep Rolling On
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#57229: Jun 28th 2013 at 9:43:20 AM

I saw that on SourceFed. Shameful that our law enforcement officials and judicial system seem to be incapable of distinguishing sarcasm from an actual threat.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Ringsea He Who Got Gud from Fly-Over Country,USA Since: Aug, 2012 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
He Who Got Gud
#57230: Jun 28th 2013 at 9:44:31 AM

[up][up]Why we need an official sarcasm mark.

The most edgy person on the Internet.
Thorn14 Gunpla is amazing! Since: Aug, 2010
Gunpla is amazing!
#57231: Jun 28th 2013 at 9:45:03 AM

Yeah otherwise you might get 8 years of jail without it.

Karkadinn Karkadinn from New Orleans, Louisiana Since: Jul, 2009
Karkadinn
#57232: Jun 28th 2013 at 9:50:55 AM

Eight years in jail for a bad murder joke on Facebook. Who among us can say we haven't said similar things, honestly? I recall Barkey making jokes at least that tasteless on this very forum - as is his right under freedom of speech to do so. Besides being a complete waste of taxpayer money and a completely irrational emotional response to a perceived problem, it's a terrifying world for us to be living in. A world where Facebook and every other social networking medium is perceived as equivalent to the 'crowded theater' in the 'can't shout fire in a crowded theater' analogy.

I also appreciate the comment that noted how completely unnerving it is that a woman in another country took the trouble to search up the kid's real life address and related geographical information.

Furthermore, I think Guantanamo must be destroyed.
Thorn14 Gunpla is amazing! Since: Aug, 2010
Gunpla is amazing!
#57233: Jun 28th 2013 at 9:53:00 AM

I can't help but wonder if those famous texas profit jails are involved with this.

Oh well, good job Texas for ruining someone's life and making a guaranteed criminal in 8 years!

Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#57234: Jun 28th 2013 at 9:53:00 AM

How did she see the comment anyway? It was on Facebook.

edited 28th Jun '13 10:10:10 AM by Zendervai

AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#57235: Jun 28th 2013 at 10:11:36 AM

Probably because it was on Facebook where she was viewing comments at the time? I mean, unless you deliberately set comments to private or friends only those comments are open to the public for reading. And Facebook's not unpopular. Not sure how this is even a question.

Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#57236: Jun 28th 2013 at 10:17:12 AM

No, I mean it sounds like she just randomly stumbled upon it. Do a lot of people make a habit out of looking at random public profiles?

AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#57237: Jun 28th 2013 at 10:30:31 AM

Well, we don't know if they didn't share friends or something. And yeah, some do when they're looking for something interesting to read.

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#57238: Jun 28th 2013 at 11:24:38 AM

A person reading a comment online that sounds like it might be a legitimate threat when taken out of context is not wrong to want to bring it to the attention of authorities. It is, however, incumbent upon the authorities in question to exercise sound judgement as to whether a threat was real, sarcastic, or whatever.

As even a cursory examination of the evidence should demonstrate that the threat was not meant to be taken seriously, the fact that this teenager was prosecuted and sentenced is astounding and a very real example of how "blind justice" can be taken too far.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#57239: Jun 28th 2013 at 11:36:43 AM

[up]Prosecuted, yes; sentenced, no. Trial is set to begin on July 1st. Still plenty of chance for sanity to reign and have him acquitted.

edited 28th Jun '13 11:37:17 AM by NativeJovian

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
Robotnik Since: Aug, 2011
#57240: Jun 28th 2013 at 11:39:46 AM

[up] What about the money that might have been spent on a lawyer? What about the four months he spent in jail for no good reason? What about the fear and emotional turmoil he and his family suffered.

Even if he gets acquitted, it's too little, too late. This shouldn't have happened, period.

edited 28th Jun '13 11:40:14 AM by Robotnik

NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#57241: Jun 28th 2013 at 11:47:58 AM

I'm not saying that it's a good thing that he's being charged in the first place, I'm just saying that there's a world of difference between "charged" and "convicted". The way the system works is that if you're charged with a crime, you get your day in court. If he's found guilty, then I'll start talking about a miscarriage of justice. But for the moment, an overzealous prosecutor notwithstanding, the system's operating as intended.

edited 28th Jun '13 11:50:24 AM by NativeJovian

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
Thorn14 Gunpla is amazing! Since: Aug, 2010
Gunpla is amazing!
#57242: Jun 28th 2013 at 11:48:51 AM

Can he sue?

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#57243: Jun 28th 2013 at 11:49:48 AM

It's tough. You'd have to prove some kind of malfeasance on the part of the police; after all, he did issue a threat, and the laws are explicit about taking those seriously.

I find it somewhat amusing that his father publicly claimed that his son was ignorant about things like school shootings such that he didn't have any notion why what he said might upset people. The obvious counterclaim is that he could not have known to say those things if he didn't know about school shootings in the first place. So, we need a big *cough* bullshit *cough* for the dad.

edited 28th Jun '13 11:51:46 AM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Karkadinn Karkadinn from New Orleans, Louisiana Since: Jul, 2009
Karkadinn
#57244: Jun 28th 2013 at 11:55:12 AM

The father's defense is idiotic, but people say those sorts of 'threats' in competitive games all the frickin' time. Why people can't just accept that and get over it, I'm sure I have no idea.

Furthermore, I think Guantanamo must be destroyed.
rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
Hodor Cleric of Banjo from Westeros Since: Dec, 1969
Cleric of Banjo
#57246: Jun 28th 2013 at 1:24:35 PM

Huh, never knew that. I thought that it was along the lines of a difficult passage (like Shakespeare or something)- maybe they used that too?

This is almost worse- like a logic puzzle/brainteaser.

[down][down] Good point.

edited 28th Jun '13 1:49:38 PM by Hodor

Edit, edit, edit, edit the wiki
nightwyrm_zero Since: Apr, 2010
#57247: Jun 28th 2013 at 1:26:42 PM

[up][up]wtf? That's not a literacy test. That's a BS brainteaser designed to confuse and annoy people.

edited 28th Jun '13 1:26:59 PM by nightwyrm_zero

Pykrete NOT THE BEES from Viridian Forest Since: Sep, 2009
NOT THE BEES
#57248: Jun 28th 2013 at 1:41:42 PM

It's worse than than a brainteaser — at least those have unambiguous correct answers. I remember being given this exact test in my history class, and many of those questions had more than one answer. When a correct one was given, the proctor would just say they wanted the other one and mark it wrong.

For instance, the fill in the blank with the "next number": 3 6 9 _ 15. If you said 12, they'd mark it wrong and say the correct answer was 10 and you're stupid for not knowing how to count. And vice versa.

Another one was the one to cross out whatever word. You'd get it wrong unless you actually used a vertically aligned "cross".

edited 28th Jun '13 1:42:40 PM by Pykrete

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#57249: Jun 28th 2013 at 1:45:31 PM

There's also the fact that several of those questions have no answer.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
ramuf Electric Heart from the Shining Throne Since: Jan, 2013
Electric Heart
#57250: Jun 28th 2013 at 1:46:51 PM

If they administered that test I can only wonder how anyone got to vote at all.


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