There's a multi-lane roundabout in Long Beach, CA where I used to live. It also has an outer concentric circle for 90-degree traffic (the equivalent of a right hand turn) so they don't have to enter the circle itself. I'm sure it happens, but I've never seen an accident in that circle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Alamitos_Circle

I looked at the Urals at the Long Beach Motorcycle Show... they're neat, but so under powered. I think they use an engine knock-off design from really old BMW's.

The alleged victim's testimony was the extent of the prosecution's case against Perry and Counts. There was no physical evidence linking them to the crime.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/05/07/convictions-vacated-26-year-old-rape/588406002/

It was Banks’ word against hers and she was not likely to change her story. After all, Gibson sued the Long Beach Unified School District claiming the school’s lax security provided an unsafe environment that led to the fraudulent rape. She would eventually receive a settlement of 1.5 million dollars.

Brian Banks was faced with an impossible decision at the time – either fight the charges and risk spending 41 years-to-life in prison, or take a plea deal and spend a little over 5 years of actual prison confinement. Although it would mean destroying his chance to go to college and play football, a lengthy probationary period, and a lifetime of registration as a sex offender, Banks chose the lesser of two evils when he pleaded no contest to the charges.

https://californiainnocenceproject.org/read-their-stories/brian-banks/


I'd look up more, but I have to go pick up my wife from work.

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I also believe there are more good cops than bad cops. The issue is the concentration. In most large cities, almost all the cops are/can be bad cops under certain circumstances.

One of my friends in Southern California had multiple members in the Long Beach PD; his dad, and his younger brother who'd just joined. My friend told me how his brother came home during his first week and told him this story:

"We went to this guys house to talk to him and found him in the garage. My superior said 'this is how we get compliance. it also helps to blow off a little steam'. He shut the door to the garage, pulls out his club, and starts repeating 'Stop resisting! Stop resisting!', as he goes to town on the guy. Guy wasn't doing anything other than being uncooperative."

Events like that were something everyone in the area laughed off as being part of life there.

The job also attracts a certain kind of person. When I lived in San Francisco I had an ex-coworker who'd lost his job, and applied to the police force with the absolutely-serious reason of "I want a free-pass to beat the living shit out of people". He was a dark guy really full of hate, and I eventually cut off ties with him. Happily he was never accepted to the Academy.

@schmawy! I think you missed this one. I cannot effin' believe he was in Long Beach, CA back in 2010 and I missed out...

Also, some of his numbers are way off. According to the US Census (see #29), 79% of the population was urban in 2000, not ~20% as he claims.

For a breakdown of metro areas by population, look at #21 at the US Census link, "Metropolitan Statistical Areas--Population by Age". There were 131 million votes cast for president in 2008. If you want to arbitrarily define urban as 1 million people or more, there are 126.4 million voting-age people living in metropolitan areas.

Sliced a different way, according to the US Census, a presidential candidate can get to 50% of that if they take the voting age populations of just the top 12 metropolitan areas:

New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL-IN-WI
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI

I don't know where he gets his numbers--maybe by using strict city limits?--but they're not even close to reality. According to the facts, in a pure popularity vote, a presidential candidate can safely ignore the rural areas and still win an election.

The electoral college is imperfect, but whatever you want to replace it with should do a better job of representing a diversity of interests--geographic, demographic, and politic--than a direct popular vote.

>> ^deathcow:

Looks like 10 people showed up.


Their numbers are dwindling. They kick out their own sons and daughters for even being the slightest bit tolerant. That kind of hate is not sustainable.

When Phelps and his daughter shuffle off this mortal coil soon, I doubt WBC will survive for long...if that.

They're the ultimate trolls. I'm still of the opinion that if the press would stop giving them attention, they'd wither and die...but "news" always looks for the sensationalism so...

"Westboro Baptist Church Comes to Long Beach, CA"



Hilarity ensued.

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I believe that quote's about not forgiving someone (rather than being bitter), but the sentiment still holds.

>> ^ponceleon:

>> ^Sagemind:
Talk about biting off more than you can chew!
Thanks Westboro for bringing the party!

Seriously! They clearly didn't know who they were fucking with that day.
Loved it. Pure peaceful overwhelming and loving protest. Those bitter, hate-filled fucks. I'm comforted by a line from Carrie Fischer's one-woman-show, "bitterness is like you drinking poison and expecting the other person to die."

and rock hates scissors.>> ^petpeeved:

Some quality signs on show. A few of my favorites:
"Thank you Westboro Comedy Troupe."
"Paper hates rock" next to "Rock hates paper"

>> ^shogunkai:

Maybe they just wanted to be surrounded by a mob of gay people.


Honestly who the fuck doesn't?

>> ^Sagemind:

Talk about biting off more than you can chew!
Thanks Westboro for bringing the party!


Seriously! They clearly didn't know who they were fucking with that day.

Loved it. Pure peaceful overwhelming and loving protest. Those bitter, hate-filled fucks. I'm comforted by a line from Carrie Fischer's one-woman-show, "bitterness is like you drinking poison and expecting the other person to die."

3 more comments have been lost in the ether at this killed duplicate.