Octopus Overlords

Yeah, well, the cloud thing was supposed to be a joke. That I need to explain that tells me that it was a bad joke.

Anyway, they already have dedicated people who check the crossword puzzles. It is literally their job, they'd just need to look for this particular problem (assuming the NYT actually cares about the issue -- for all I know, they figure any publicity is good publicity) in addition to whatever else is involved in being a NYT games editor.

However, since we are clearly at that point in an internet discussion where we simply restate our entrenched positions, I suggest we just let this go and move on to the rich and diverse visuals awaiting us on page 250.

Obligatory image:


Edit: We're here. Thank the Great Maker, we made it to page 250!

...but...

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Sat Dec 24, 2022 1:19 am...but...

This deserves a picture.

Sadly I am not equipped to follow through on that need.

coopasonic wrote: ↑Sat Dec 24, 2022 9:44 am

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Sat Dec 24, 2022 1:19 am...but...

This deserves a picture.

Sadly I am not equipped to follow through on that need.

Is this what you had in mind?

Max Peck wrote: ↑Sat Dec 24, 2022 3:28 pm

I like the meme, but I've seen it clarified that the image is the USS Bonhomme Richard, which burned in July 2020.

Good to know, but it's nothing that can't be fixed in post...



The new image is sourced from the U.S. Naval Institute, so it should be correct even if it's not as dramatic as the incorrectly attributed photo.

And, of course, the US Navy has a significant number of carriers (about 20) of various sizes and classes, while the Russian Navy's Kuznetsov is their only one.

They had another under construction, but Ukraine sold the hull to China (as an unpowered hulk) about 20 years ago.

naednek wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 12:27 pm

Jaymann wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 1:24 pm

naednek wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 12:27 pm

apparently Tate responded 2 hours later. Guess they are allowed Twitter while in jain in Romania? Or is he out?

naednek wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 1:43 pm

Jaymann wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 1:24 pm

naednek wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 12:27 pm

apparently Tate responded 2 hours later. Guess they are allowed Twitter while in jain in Romania? Or is he out?

Elon probably responded for him. Help a bro out.

It was just a fun coincidence.

His detention comes shortly after he tweeted at the climate activist Greta Thunberg boasting of his 33 cars and “enormous emissions.” Thunberg told him to get a life.

Speculation swirled overnight Thursday that Romanian authorities were able to locate Tate after he posted a video in response to Thunberg containing a pizza box from a local spot that gave away his location. Bolla denied that this played a role in the detention or its timing. “It was a hard job gathering all the evidence” in the months-long investigation, Bolla said.

Officially, anyway...

Hi, I’d like to report a murder.

I kinda don’t follow that.

I mean I get the point Matt makes.

Then it seems like Bren is taking Matt to task for it, but im not sure I’m right??

Or is Bren putting a finer point on it, and the two of them are double slamming Greta.

Unagi wrote: ↑Sat Dec 31, 2022 2:51 pm I kinda don’t follow that.

I mean I get the point Matt makes.

Then it seems like Bren is taking Matt to task for it, but im not sure I’m right??

They are taking Matt to task for it because his point is ridiculous and pathetic. Pretending she burned herself by giving out her real email address.

Bren is definitely slamming Matt, not Greta. Matt isn't slamming Greta, although in his adolescent boy brain he thinks he is.

Ok good.

I’m just never sure what voice to read these comments in.

Sarcastic / supportive…

I wonder how Matt handles the joke “how’s my driving” bumper stickers….


I think Matt is just trying to be a ‘clever pedant’ here.
But I have no idea who he is, etc.

Matt Walsh is a right-wing political pundit and professional transphobe, so it's not surprising that he's flailing around trying to support a professional misogynist against a teenage girl.

Yeah, sounds like your read is spot-on.

Hope you can all have a safe and happy New Year.

hepcat wrote: ↑Mon Jan 02, 2023 10:13 pm

Substitute Kevin McCarthy.

AWS260 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 03, 2023 7:29 pm

I friend of mine in high school used to swear the truth on his DD #1.

AWS260 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 03, 2023 7:29 pm

Would certainly mean more to me than a bible. I might pick a different book, but I like the idea.

The context here is that the NYPD officers claimed the Proud Boys -- who just tried to shut down a drag show -- were attacked by "antifa" and they were just escorting them to safety. Bullshit.

malchior wrote: ↑Tue Jan 03, 2023 11:02 pm The context here is that the NYPD officers claimed the Proud Boys -- who just tried to shut down a drag show -- were attacked by "antifa" and they were just escorting them to safety. Bullshit.

That's some bullshit.

But I will point out that when there have been flash mobs in downtown Chicago, CPD opens the exits and ushers those involved on to trains. It's not "fare evasion" if they're holding the doors and telling you to go through.

I just figured they were giving them a professional courtesy.

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Tue Jan 03, 2023 11:13 pmBut I will point out that when there have been flash mobs in downtown Chicago, CPD opens the exits and ushers those involved on to trains. It's not "fare evasion" if they're holding the doors and telling you to go through.

It's fare evasion since the NYPD doesn't have the authority to waive fares. Maybe they do in Chicago but they definitely don't there. I don't blame the Proud Boys so to speak. The conduct of the police should be the focus.

malchior wrote: ↑Tue Jan 03, 2023 11:46 pm

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Tue Jan 03, 2023 11:13 pmBut I will point out that when there have been flash mobs in downtown Chicago, CPD opens the exits and ushers those involved on to trains. It's not "fare evasion" if they're holding the doors and telling you to go through.

It's fare evasion since the NYPD doesn't have the authority to waive fares. Maybe they do in Chicago but they definitely don't there. I don't blame the Proud Boys so to speak. The conduct of the police should be the focus.

NYPD undoubtedly has the authority to usher people through an open gate.

I don't really see it as protecting them as much as getting them the hell out of there. Again, same thing happens here when there are flash mobs that are involved in robbery and looting. The police usher people (usually kids) on to trains to disperse them. People get up in arms about the police "protecting" criminals. But they're more concerned with stopping more incidents than catching offenders.


I agree, it looks terrible but what are they supposed to do? Let conflict escalate?

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Wed Jan 04, 2023 10:36 am

malchior wrote: ↑Tue Jan 03, 2023 11:46 pm

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Tue Jan 03, 2023 11:13 pmBut I will point out that when there have been flash mobs in downtown Chicago, CPD opens the exits and ushers those involved on to trains. It's not "fare evasion" if they're holding the doors and telling you to go through.

It's fare evasion since the NYPD doesn't have the authority to waive fares. Maybe they do in Chicago but they definitely don't there. I don't blame the Proud Boys so to speak. The conduct of the police should be the focus.

NYPD undoubtedly has the authority to usher people through an open gate.

This has been debated for years. They don't. They have the keys but the MTA police have the authority to control egress/ingress. My friend is a Port Authority cop and he was bitching about this to me. It's how I got onto the story. This stuff drives some of the the area cops crazy because they take a lot of shit for the NYPD as rollover.

I don't really see it as protecting them as much as getting them the hell out of there.

Yeah I get why you'd think that but here's more context. This was 12 blocks away. They had gotten them the hell out of there. This was later. The NYPD when challenged splashed out this bullshit story about antifa and crowd control.

Again, same thing happens here when there are flash mobs that are involved in robbery and looting. The police usher people (usually kids) on to trains to disperse them. People get up in arms about the police "protecting" criminals. But they're more concerned with stopping more incidents than catching offenders.

FWIW this is not a thing here. Not at that scale at least. The NYPD is great at crowd control generally and usually funnel them on the streets. We've been at big events/protests and they generally do not push people into the subway. IIRC it's against policy (which is part of the criticism).

I agree, it looks terrible but what are they supposed to do? Let conflict escalate?

The conflict was de-escalated. That's the problem! They walked them very far away and then said have a free ride.

malchior wrote: ↑Wed Jan 04, 2023 12:44 pm The NYPD is great at crowd control generally and usually funnel them on the streets. We've been at big events/protests and they generally do not push people into the subway. IIRC it's against policy (which is part of the criticism).

Given that it's an effective kettle, I can see why.

12 blocks is "far away?"

I mean if they just walked them 12 blocks and left them there, would they go back? Linger about? Obviously the people filming and presumably other protestors/counter-protestors had made the 12 block walk with them as well so it's not like these idiots were well and truly gone. Put them on a train, separate the people following them, get back to a nice warm squad car.

malchior wrote: ↑Wed Jan 04, 2023 12:44 pm FWIW this is not a thing here. Not at that scale at least. The NYPD is great at crowd control generally and usually funnel them on the streets. We've been at big events/protests and they generally do not push people into the subway. IIRC it's against policy (which is part of the criticism).

It's used here more for smaller incidents. A few hundred or fewer. And usually not protests but street takeovers, flash mobs, etc. For mass demonstrations, it's obviously not a strategy.

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Wed Jan 04, 2023 12:50 pm 12 blocks is "far away?"

It absolutely is and you're missing the point. That's 12 blocks with an army of cops in between them and the other side. I suspect you're framing this around experience in CHI. I'd say it probably has no match up to how NYC works.

I mean if they just walked them 12 blocks and left them there, would they go back? Linger about? Obviously the people filming and presumably other protestors/counter-protestors had made the 12 block walk with them as well so it's not like these idiots were well and truly gone. Put them on a train, separate the people following them, get back to a nice warm squad car.

This is why I suspect you've never seen how this works here. This isn't a thing. The police close the cross-streets and push you down an avenue or major street (since this was out in Brooklyn). Lingering about and going back to where you came from are not an option. Again the subway thing is pissing folks off because it's them giving a favor to bad people. They don't do that for regular folks. Pretty much ever.

I thought this was a fairly small "protest." If there were hundreds of cops out there blocking streets and pedestirans, different story I guess.

They should nominate the real Leroy Jenkins for Speaker. He couldn’t do much worse than “Kevin.”