Comments on: Anecdotal? Perhaps. Disturbing? Very. Can Wrap Joke Around It? TBD.

By: Thursday

Thursday — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 02:23:55 +0000

I certainly could be reading it wrong: that the criticism is of the results of the Patriot Act rather than implying Dvorkin thinks the effect (starkly reducing certain voices) is “wonderful”.

I hope I am, and if so, my apologies!

By: tigrismus

tigrismus — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:18:27 +0000

I think that was snark about the effect, not imputed glee. I don’t think DA is really expecting anyone to tell him how it’s good for democracy, either.

By: Thursday

Thursday — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:08:45 +0000

One note:

Your comment

So the Patriot Act, in Dvorkin’s opinion, had the wonderful effect of stifling one side of the debate about Israel and Palestine.

His comment

[...]the Patriot Act appeared to silence a lot of pro-Palestinian opinion. I suddenly stopped hearing from people with Middle Eastern names.

Why do you think he considers this a “wonderful” effect? It is certainly something remarkable, and to not mention it would be ignoring what was the tidal shift in who wrote and spoke to him. I don’t see where Dvorkin’s supposed glee is coming from, unless you’ve added it yourself.

Motes, beams; you know the rest.

By: RobW

RobW — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 20:15:01 +0000

They exist to provide the illusion of customer service.

I remember thinking exactly the same of Cox Cable tech support.

By: sagra

sagra — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:42:42 +0000

mikey: I planted a suitcase nuke in the bathroom at taco bell.

And it’s not like they’d find it in the course of a thorough cleaning.

By: D. Aristophanes

D. Aristophanes — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 07:00:55 +0000

Thanks, LFL. The evidence keeps piling up.

By: robert green

robert green — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 03:29:34 +0000

t4toby

move to LA. the sweet leaf (i love you…SWEET LEAF) doth floeth here, and it does so legally. at stores.

By: RandomObserver

RandomObserver — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 01:48:22 +0000

I’m too lazy to repeat my comment there in full here (I post under Margalis there), but my basic point was that ombudsmen are worthless anyway and don’t do anything except PR. There is an obvious and fundamental conflict of interest that ensures highly critical ombudsmen can’t remain employed. They exist to provide the illusion of customer service.

If you read his piece it’s clear he spent most of his time talking nice to listeners, defending NPR and smoothing over issues.

By: Lawnguylander

Lawnguylander — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 01:27:28 +0000

The more I think about it, how cool was 9/11?

What?

By: mikey

mikey — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:03:15 +0000

Why do you think it’s called a Permissive Action Lock?

mikey

By: LiberalFascistLover

LiberalFascistLover — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 23:24:43 +0000

I planted a suitcase nuke in the bathroom at taco bell.

No playing tappy-toes while in there?

By: LiberalFascistLover

LiberalFascistLover — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 23:23:06 +0000

Just for the record, being heavily involved in pro-Palestine activism, I do believe there is something to the notion that the Patriot Act – and other anti-Arab, anti-Muslim measures that happened after 9/11 – did in fact discourage a lot of our Arab and Muslim friends from actively participating in activism. This was really apparent when the gov’t began attacking various Islamic charities (though to date none of them have been convicted of any wrong doing whatsoever, much less supporting terrorists) and really freaked out a lot of the established community.

Luckily, most of this intimidation has faded and our Arab & Muslim friends are re-engaging nowadays.

By: pedestrian

pedestrian — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:52:30 +0000

I have enough trouble keeping the sweet leaf a-flowin’.

No kidding. You would think in a college town that’s not so far from Canada, but nooooooo.

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:51:07 +0000

I remember Dvorkin.

What a grade-A douchebag he was… Never saw a criticism he couldn’t dismiss by screaming “BLOGERRRR!” at the critics…

By: t4toby

t4toby — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:49:18 +0000

I saw a KenTacoHut in the nineties.

Kenucky Fried Chicken, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut all in a little self contained food court.

Effin’ gross.

By: t4toby

t4toby — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:47:43 +0000

Well, that’s one approach, mikey.

Might backfire, but you’re the fire expert, not me.

I’d think actually obtaining the nuke would be the stumbling block. I have enough trouble keeping the sweet leaf a-flowin’.

By: pedestrian

pedestrian — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:47:38 +0000

Thanks, mikey.

That’s a pretty good plan, actually. I happen to have a suitcase nuke and a vet – now all I need is a Taco Bell. I think there used to be one of those Taco Bell/ KFC mutant manimal abominations over in Allston, but it may have closed after the “rat incident”.

Alls I remember is, we got a free beef taco at Taco Bell for something about the World Series awhile back, only there weren’t any Taco Bells. Like I wanted their soggy taco anyway. Puh.

By: sagra

sagra — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:45:47 +0000

Remember that kinda cool guy that used to post here? What was his name? Footpath or something, I think. I wonder what ever happened to him.

By: mikey

mikey — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:39:09 +0000

Here’s what I do, pedestrian.

I planted a suitcase nuke in the bathroom at taco bell.

Then I left a letter with my attorney, well, actually my veterinarian, that if I didn’t make contact in any consecutive six-week period, he was to contact the Secretary of Agriculture to let him know that if I wasn’t released and returned in good heath in 48 hours taco bell, along with the surrounding environs, was gonna be hot GLASS!!!

It’s worked so far…

mikey

By: pedestrian

pedestrian — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:33:18 +0000

I obviously don’t think that things are so far gone yet that I will be “disappeared” for that statement. But, if I don’t post for awhile, come look for me, hmm? Eh, you won’t look.