yobnoc

I brought this exact point up to my mother after she reposted an article about CNN settling with that little shit head who sued them for $800M. I pointed out her bias in that I didn't remember her saying anything when the Trump Crime Family settled and shut down their "charity," and as a condition for settling had to admit wrongdoing and aren't allowed to operate any charities anymore. She then pivoted to the Clinton Foundation (because that's what 45's lackeys do: whataboutism). I was happy to ask for any evidence of criminal wrongdoing by the Clinton Foundation. What I got back was: Well that's only because all the witnesses are dead by 'suicide.' Great! So they're guilty by a verdict issued from amateur sleuths in tinfoil hats! Brilliant! (I actually wrote that; it's not just reflecting). Got blocked by three people on my mom's friend's list over that one. There really is no attachment to reality for most of these people anymore.

As far as I can tell, you seem to be hung up on consciousness as a concept. The most eloquent description of consciousness that I've heard is that it is simply the amalgamation of how our brain signals interpret and interact with the physical world they're presented. This theory would mean consciousness is an emergent natural property of evolution, and it seems to gel with what we observe in nature. We are not the only animals to have a sense of self or consciousness; this can be easily observed in some of the larger brain-to-body-weight creatures such as elephants, apes, dolphins, and more. As an abstract concept, we determine where the line is of consciousness. Just as a single water molecule is not "wet," and we don't have a clear definition of how many water molecules it would take to produce the emergent property of "wetness," so too do we not have a clear definition of at which point enough brain signals come together to form what we would call consciousness. All that said, I do believe that consciousness is an entirely natural and physical property. Nothing mystical about it to me.

From the Washington Post: Jan. 8, 2020 at 7:00 a.m. EST Cynthia Abcug became “a bit crazy” after Colorado child welfare officials removed her son from her custody, her daughter told authorities. As she struggled with the separation, the 50-year-old woman was increasingly consumed by the far-right conspiracy theory QAnon, according to police records. She made frequent appearances on fringe YouTube shows, claiming in one September video that child protective services “has child trafficking rings in certain areas.” She stopped going to therapy and started leaving her Denver-area home only to meet with QAnon followers; one of them, an armed man, stayed with her for “self-defense.” She spoke of “evil Satan worshipers” and pedophiles, according to what her daughter told police. Adherents of the baseless and bizarre QAnon theory, which posits an international cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles that will soon be dismantled by President Trump, rallied around her. They offered support on Twitter and donated to a GoFundMe for her legal case. It all culminated in Abcug’s arrest in what police in Parker, Colo., have characterized as a plot to kidnap her son through a raid conducted by QAnon believers — the latest alarming incident connected to the elaborate conspiracy theory. The mother of four was taken into custody on Dec. 30 in Kalispell, a Montana city on the outskirts of Glacier National Park. Charged with felony conspiracy to commit kidnapping, Abcug was released after posting bond, Parker police spokesman Josh Hans told The Washington Post. She could not be reached for comment, but a Twitter account associated with her posted an update on Jan. 1, two days after the arrest. “Still fighting for my children,” it said. “Need prayers I am not giving up.” The foiled kidnapping plot was not the first serious crime allegedly inspired by the QAnon theory. In June 2018, a man was arrested on terrorism charges after driving an armored truck to the Hoover Dam to demand the government release a report that QAnon adherents believed would expose the “deep state.” The killing last March of reputed Gambino family crime boss Frank Cali was reportedly motivated by the QAnon-obsessed suspect’s contention that Cali was part of the deep state. In August, Yahoo News reported that an FBI intelligence bulletin had identified QAnon as a potential domestic terrorism threat — a first for a fringe conspiracy theory. Abcug’s descent into the far fringes of Internet conspiracy land appears to have been triggered by her son’s removal. A warrant by the Parker Police Department says that child protective services took custody of her child because Abcug was suspected of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a psychological disorder in which a caregiver fabricates a child’s illness to garner sympathy and attention. The warrant is heavily redacted, with the child’s name concealed, but Abcug has publicly identified her 7-year-old son as being the one in question. Officials with Colorado’s Division of Child Welfare said they could not confirm or deny the family’s involvement with the agency or discuss any of the allegations. But speaking generally, intake administrator Laura Solomon said children are only removed from a home after the agency has obtained a police or court hold based on a belief the child is in danger. She said it happens only as a last resort. “We want children to be with families whenever possible,” she said. Abcug pressed her side of the story repeatedly in interviews with conservative websites and on talk shows affiliated with QAnon and the Patriot Movement, which championed the tale as an example of government overreach or worse: a government-sponsored kidnapping. A fast-growing U.S. movement armed with guns and the Constitution sees a dire threat to liberty A single mother of four, including two grown sons who have graduated from college, Abcug said she moved with her two youngest children to Colorado to seek medical care for her 7-year-old son. She said the state’s child welfare workers contacted her a year ago and said they had received a call for a possible misrepresentation of the child’s illness. On SGT Report, a YouTube show that shares QAnon and other conspiracy theories with its nearly 600,000 subscribers, Abcug said she welcomed them in because she had nothing to hide. She didn’t then distrust the system. “Up to 117 days ago … if somebody would have told me that their child was removed by the CPS, I would have definitely been in the population that said, ‘Well, there’s more to the story,' ” she said. “I’m just being honest.” But by the time of the SGT Report interview, she had become convinced the welfare system had taken her child “illegally.” She added there were “a lot of conspiracy things that I have never heard of and I’m not aware of that are going on regarding reasons that children are taken.” On Twitter, an account linked to Abcug decried the “illegal seizure” of her son and retweeted a meme about a “Govt funded Child Trafficking operation” posted by an account carrying a QAnon slogan: WWG1WGA, short for “Where we go one, we go all.” Then, in late September, her daughter stepped in. On Sept. 26, she anxiously revealed her mother’s alleged raid plans to a caseworker and other authorities. According to the warrant, she said her mom had “gotten into some conspiracy theories” and was “spiraling down it.” She mentioned the armed man staying at their house and said her mom had recently acquired a gun “just in case anything happens” and started going to the gun range to practice shooting. She was worried about the raid, didn’t buy into the conspiracy theories and “could not understand why her mother did not see how this was a bad thing.” She told police she believed “people would be injured during the raid, as those people are ‘evil Satan worshipers’ and ‘pedophiles,’” the warrant says. After speaking with the daughter, authorities took her into protective custody. They noted conspiracy theory paraphernalia in the house she shared with Abcug: rubber bracelets bearing the word “QAnon” and the name of a QAnon Twitter account. Within days, Abcug vanished. She missed an emergency custody hearing on Sept. 30, the warrant said, canceled an Oct. 1 interview with law enforcement and stopped returning calls from police. The FBI helped trace her to Kalispell, where local media reported she was arrested off U.S. Highway 93 about 3 p.m. on Dec. 30. That same day, one of the same conspiracy-minded YouTube shows that promoted the story of her son’s removal shared news of her arrest, claiming it was part of a criminal government scheme to “steal” children. “Wake up, folks,” cried the host. “Wake up.”

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but Pete Rose never gambled against his team, right? Always only for his team?

The cognitive dissonance of believing so firmly in something and then having the blunt truth contradict that is very difficult. It's human nature.

Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani. At least the poor seamstress lady at the NEX won't have to make those name tapes anymore.

NOFORN still exists as a classification, yes. All of the subject matter for my rating was classified at least at the NOFORN level - most of it was Confidential. Some TS. The officers had much more TS material they were working with in the nuclear field.

Some say the difference between a terrorist and a freedom fighter is whether or not they win. I disagree as a blanket statement, but it can be the case. When we have servicemen like Eddie Gallagher who indiscriminately fire on civilians and execute war prisoners, we become terrorists by proxy, especially when those bad actors are not held accountable. It is the professionalism that an insurgency or military group operates with that determines the label cast on them. I was not alive during the Vietnam era, but my understanding is that we operated in a less-than-noble fashion in many instances - raping and slaughtering innocent people. Not all by any means, and not even a lot. But all it takes to lose the moral battle is one verified rumor of terroristic tactics. This is why "enhanced interrogation" was so problematic during the Bush2 regime. Sorry this bounced around a little; it's nuanced and complex in nature.

Well, if this doesn't make you believe, nothing will. Amirite?

Cue Ron to explain that "Slock Rocket" is a super duper secret Q message to the great awakening folks in WOOGAWOOGAWEEGA land.

I caught it

Puerto Rico and California...heh...good one

Nothing like seeing Joe Q Civilian bring up the MCOJ. Turns out: that's not a thing at all. It's the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice). Its Article 15 is shortened in parlance to NJP or Non-Judicial Punishment among us military types (or Captain's Mast in the Navy specifically). And, as it also turns out, even if you are not found guilty of a crime, you can still be punished under Article 15 the UCMJ at the discretion of the command.

I’ve heard the question several times about why he’s not distancing himself from Rudy Colludy. It’s pretty clear to me that he simply can’t. Rudy undoubtedly has the kompromat to put Trump away for a long, long time.

Pause! Back on OP: Pompeo is resigning!

Total rep whore comment. Annnnnd I gave you a rep point for it.

I watched several hours of the impeachment hearing today, and the biggest things that stuck in my craw were: Jim Jordan and John Ratcliffe shouting down Bill Taylor for theatrical points Devin Nunes opening statement of throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks 79 different defenses (no clear message) of the president that don't stand up to even the barest scrutiny The lack of specificity on the part of the Republicans with the sloppy Burisma allegations they were throwing around (The timeline of events does not lend their conspiracy theory any favors) How unprepared the Republicans seemed when Kent started listing just how many former politicians and even former presidents sat on the board at Burisma The stunning ability of the witnesses to do in a few short sentences to the entire Burisma smoke screen what Democratic Lawmakers haven't been able to do at all: make it look as stupid and incoherent as it really is. But this seems to be a hallmark of the Republicans recently: hurl a simple but outrageous allegation - doesn't matter if it's 9 parts false to one part truth - and the damage is done. No matter how logically sound the defense is, you're still on defense, and you'll never get through to low-information voters with the defense, because they already stopped paying attention. It's genius, but it's disgusting. The utter lack of competence of the Republican Counsel. He didn't know the answers to the questions he was asking. I haven't even been to law school but I know that a good lawyer doesn't ask a question they don't already know the answer to. The complete unflappability of the witnesses. The Republicans did their absolute best to try to paint them as partisan, and they failed miserably in that effort.

What you mentioned are two separate things. Regulations aren't inherently bad. It is bad if the boards are full of conflicts of interest. There's also a problem that antitrust laws haven't been really applied in good faith in a long time.

Yeah show me one person who believes that Trump would pass on the opportunity for a photoshoot that makes him look like he's the champion of the people. They didn't honor it at all (P.S. you spell honor and organize wrong where you're from ).

https://www.newsweek.com/trump-2020-campaign-contests-president-fraud-meal-1470100 Oh hey! Look: more crime!

ICYMI: Here's Rudy Colludy providing even more evidence that the crimes we're all witnessing in real time had nothing to do with corruption (unless you're talking about the Trump crime family's engagement in corruption), and everything to do with personal and political motivations.

Rudy will flip like...a dog

Everything to this pResident is transactional. It's so gross. I'm ordering my Guy Fawkes mask soon. Or maybe just some clown face paint.

It's a load of crap, Ron.

I understand where you're coming from. I do. I also was under the impression that you were a coach until I read up in the thread to a previous post. The only reason I find this opinion to be objectionable is that newcomers to the drop zone looking for their A license or freshly licensed jumpers can often be taken advantage of with regard to coaching costs. Once someone has a feel for how things go at the DZ, they learn who's worth getting paid lessons from and who's just in it for the money but doesn't have the requisite skillset to warrant the charge. To me, that's predatory and stands as a barrier to expansion of the sport. Bet your ass there's coaches who I would gladly pay for skillset advancement now that I've found my stride and expanded my network. But when I was seeking that A license or the first two dozen jumps after that, it was just as helpful for what I needed to know at the time to just get the coaching from someone who wasn't charging. Trust that I do understand your position, and even agree somewhat.