From this week's issue of The New Yorker:


Shouts & Murmurs February 16, 2015 Issue
Diary of the Left Shark
By Kelly Stout




A remarkable feat of agility was performed on Sunday night, and it had nothing to do with football. It was the sharks. . . . The dancing sharks at Katy Perry’s Super Bowl halftime show . . . danced in unison. But soon, one of the sharks, specifically Left Shark, said enough of that, and began to do his own thing frenetically on national television.

—Washington Post.

First rehearsal went great. Katy says to just call her “Katy”—very down-to-earth move. Happy to see Eric! Grateful he got me this gig, as not a lot of work out there for us sharks.

Second rehearsal O.K. Eric picking up dance moves faster than me, which is no biggie, since I’m still getting over quad injury. Still, resolving to work harder. Went for a beer afterward with dancing Blue Surfboard, named Jeremy. He’s worked with Miley Cyrus!

Eric texted wanting to know if I could use some “extra practice.” Didn’t think I needed “extra practice,” but Eric = good buddy, so I value his input. Couldn’t meet him, though, had book club.

Eric acting high and mighty in rehearsal—keeps referring to himself as “old veteran.” Feel he should turn it down a notch. Super Bowl halftime show is not a combat situation, and metaphor makes no sense.

Rehearsal rough tonight. Eric called my grasp of choreography “amateurish.” Said he did big favor by recommending me, and now worried Katy won’t hire him again. Said work must be “on a professional level” with “zero tolerance for mistakes.” I told him I was sorry to have disappointed, that my work will be “professional level” from here on out. Went to bathroom and cried into fins, but no one saw except Jeremy, who was very understanding. J says Katy makes a lot of people crazy—just ask Russell Brand! Found joke to be a little sexist—and, besides, Katy not really the problem—but appreciated support.

Katy took me aside after rehearsal. Uh-oh. But no! Said she likes seeing my extra effort! On verge of major breakthrough vis-à-vis choreography!

Happy to have long weekend off from rehearsal to regroup. Guy at brunch overheard me talking about current gig and asked if I am a real shark! Of course I’m a real shark! Tried not to be offended, but people can be so ignorant.

Back at rehearsal. Things steadily better, but sometimes feel Eric = competitive with me, since so few of us sharks in the industry. But shouldn’t that bring us closer? (Rising tide lifts all sharks!)

Big day almost here. Grandma and Mom both called to say everyone back home’s rooting for me. Pressure, but in a good way.

Eric recommended some changes to choreography today. Katy considers Eric “genius,” so took recommendations. Feel my success with old choreography hard won, so am disappointed. This time, Eric didn’t offer any “extra help.”

More dance changes today! Can’t keep up, and Eric can tell. Hate to sound paranoid, but worry that Eric’s trying to sabotage me! Going to have a glass of Shiraz to relax before practicing new moves.

Regret drinking entire bottle of wine last night. Skipped rehearsal, which I realize is not “professional level” behavior, but Eric and his “zero-tolerance policy” can suck it.

Embarrassed by last diary entry. Eric is not sabotaging me. Am letting my insecurities get in way of friendship.

NOPE. ERIC’S DEFINITELY TRYING TO SABOTAGE ME. Super Bowl is tomorrow and he changed dance moves AGAIN. Trying to make a fool of me. Unsure which makes me sadder, potential end of dance career or potential end of friendship.

Super Bowl over. Grandma and Mom called to remind me that my personal best was all they ever asked for. Am laughingstock of Internet. Gained hundreds of Twitter followers, but suspect most are “joke” follows. Katy sweet about it.

Jeremy invited me to have a beer with him and other Surfboard. Frankly, feel that other Surfboard’s kind of a blowhard, so declined.

Got voice mail from Mom this morning asking if I’m considering going back for teaching degree. Said I’m “good with kids” and not end of world that dancing didn’t work out. Ouch.

Jeremy brought over falafel last night and made me forget Super Bowl debacle with impression of Taylor Swift. Didn’t know Jeremy = T.S. fan! Promised I wouldn’t tell Katy. Not that I’ll be working with Katy again anytime soon.

Text from Eric wanting to know how I’m “holding up.” Chose not to say anything, as had nothing nice to say.

Jeremy joining book club! Silver lining of Super Bowl ordeal.

Downloaded application to Columbia Teachers College. Think I could maybe make a difference in lives of youth, plus get mind off Super Bowl. Jeremy, Mom, and Grandma all supportive. Mom asked if Jeremy just a friend or what. Her ideas re male friendship pretty “stone age,” but appreciate her interest.

Feeling O.K. about future. Dance world maybe too toxic for shark like me. Perhaps whole episode not humiliation but wake-up call! Considering move to Austin. ♦

>> ^alcom:

If Reps have a better sense of "how the world works," then why didn't they anticipate the mortgage-backed security crisis? Regulation is necessary, taxation is necessary and the freedom to marry who you want to marry is necessary to build a balanced and prosperous society. The Rep contradictions of "less gov = more freedom EXCEPT for marriage rights, women's bodies and more military spending" have been exposed to the majority as the fraud that they are. Obama endured relentless personal attacks, pointless filibustering and not a small amount of outright racism, lies and disrespect in a futile attempt to make him out to be the "worst president in history."
The people have spoken. Obama still came out on top, consistent to his values and gracious as he congratulated Romney on a hard-fought campaign. Taxing the top earners in the country a little more and cutting spending would be an effective way if paying down the deficit. How is this an illusion?
The Republican party needs to regroup. Their tactic of leaning further and further to the right (except in the last weeks) has soured too many right-of-center voters. If they argue now that they would have won "if only they had someone MORE conservative running," then they will surely lose again and again.



Apparently you have reading comprehension problems. I didn't say anything about republicans having a better sense of how the world works. I said that propaganda dictates how most people in this country seem to think. That if you talk to anyone they have no idea what Obamas real policies are or what they mean. I meant that mostly on the republican sides but it's true for democrats as well.

But go ahead, read what you want.

If Reps have a better sense of "how the world works," then why didn't they anticipate the mortgage-backed security crisis? Regulation is necessary, taxation is necessary and the freedom to marry who you want to marry is necessary to build a balanced and prosperous society. The Rep contradictions of "less gov = more freedom EXCEPT for marriage rights, women's bodies and more military spending" have been exposed to the majority as the fraud that they are. Obama endured relentless personal attacks, pointless filibustering and not a small amount of outright racism, lies and disrespect in a futile attempt to make him out to be the "worst president in history."

The people have spoken. Obama still came out on top, consistent to his values and gracious as he congratulated Romney on a hard-fought campaign. Taxing the top earners in the country a little more and cutting spending would be an effective way if paying down the deficit. How is this an illusion?

The Republican party needs to regroup. Their tactic of leaning further and further to the right (except in the last weeks) has soured too many right-of-center voters. If they argue now that they would have won "if only they had someone MORE conservative running," then they will surely lose again and again.

>> ^Yogi:

>> ^Drachen_Jager:
Actually, far from stupid I found him really on the point here.
Candidate A will "Give them things" ie. make their lives better.
Candidate B says, "Screw you, my rich friends need MORE!" ie. make their lives worse.
Why did anyone vote for Romney again? It's been shown time and again, Democratic Presidents have a better record on the economy, AND debt levels than Republicans. Yet this illusion remains that somehow by focusing 90% of their energy on helping 5% of the population the Republican will magically shrink the debt and make everything work, in spite of the fact that it's been tried numerous times, and it's failed every single time.

If you hear people talk about Obama and his policies they are simply uninformed about them. They're uninformed about everything whether it's what the deficit means to history to how the world even works. The PR industry works hard on producing massive amounts of propaganda and it does work. This is how you do things when you do not have the big stick like in a Totalitarian society, you have to manufacture everyone's consent.

>> ^marinara:

First of all, I was privileged to be out there with a lot of brave and beautiful people. I'd like to give my own account of what happened on Saturday, because the mainstream coverage I've seen has been universally laughable, not that that's any surprise.
Folks were mostly gathered up in Oscar Grant Plaza by about noon, and the march started around 1 or 1:30. There were probably between one and two thousand marchers. There was a sound truck playing music, and the mood was festive and happy. Parents brought their children along, and the whole thing felt a bit like a roving dance party in the streets. There was also a bus following along which the police detained about halfway through the first part of the march on some minor infraction like people weren't all wearing their seat belts or something.
When the demonstrators reached the first target building, it was already heavily surrounded by riot cops, and people didn't even try to get near it. I don't think anyone was actually expecting the "secret" target to stay secret, given the open nature of the movement and the heavy infiltration. By this point police had begun targeted arrests against certain individuals which were evidently on their list of organizers or repeat "troublemakers". Nonetheless, the marchers were being quite peaceful and were prepared to just continue the march around the city. The police weren't having that though, and they fired a number of smoke grenades into the crowd, which caused a bit of a panic since many people initially thought it was teargas. Minor injuries were incurred amongst the marchers.
A number of older demonstrators as well as people with children decided that this was a good time to call it a day and headed away from the main police line and crowd. Police then rushed in and attempted to arrest some of the parents for endangering their children. I'm not sure exactly how this turned out, but I was told that a number of parents were able to get away with their children.
Police began to close on the demonstrators who decided to continue the march through the city. Soon after police began to deploy actual tear gas along with beanbag rounds and paint balls apparently intended to mark people for later arrest. Police claim that people were throwing things at them after this. I didn't witness demonstrators throwing anything, but it is possible. I don't find it to be a constructive activity, but I also can't blame people for being angry after a peaceful march was attacked. Medics responded to high numbers of chemical contamination and blunt force trauma cases.
As the march continued, police started to use a new tactic which recklessly endangered lives and led to many injuries. They would form up in a line behind the marchers and then on some signal charge towards the back of the march with their batons at the ready. Although attempts were made among the demonstrators to keep everyone calm, inevitably many people started running as a natural reaction to seeing a line of angry club-wielding police charging at them. Lots of people got knocked down in the press of bodies. People helped up whoever they could, but I have no idea how many people were injured during this or how badly. The police continued to use this tactic all the way back to Oscar Grant Plaza, charging forward for a block before stopping for a minute or two and then charging again. This charging tactic served absolutely no crowd control purpose, as they were pushing people in the direction the march was already going, and they could have just marched behind the demonstrators keeping pace, since nobody wanted to get within arm's reach of them anyways.
Anyways, people regrouped at OGP to rest, wash up, seek medical attention, and eat. After some time, a decision was made to march around downtown Oakland again. The march was somewhat smaller this time, but probably still around 1,000 people. Oaklanders don't give into police intimidation easily. The march eventually became a bit of a cat-and-mouse game as lines of police tried to surround the marchers and "kettle" them in for mass arrests. At one point fairly early on the police nearly succeeded, but a temporary chain link fence was pulled down allowing most or all of the marchers an escape route. Later on, a group of ~50-100 demonstrators did get blocked in on a section of Broadway without any side streets. Police then rushed in, jabbing, pushing, and beating people with batons until they were forced back into a corner near a YMCA building. Some people may have escaped through the YMCA building, and police used this to claim that the protesters were trying to take over the building, although I'm fairly certain this was never the plan since the YMCA was open and operational, not abandoned. Once the group of demonstrators was blocked in and completely surrounded, police announced that this was an unlawful assembly and ordered them to disperse. A few people tried to leave with their hands raised and were promptly thrown on the ground, beaten, and arrested. The police undoubtedly thought that they were quite clever with the Catch-22 situation they had constructed, but I doubt any of the subsequent arrest charges are going to stick as a result. Getting the charges to stick was probably not the point though.
The demonstrators were pinned into the corner like this for probably 40-60 minutes before enough police buses and vans showed up for mass arrests to begin. As the time approached, the police suddenly singled out on of the demonstrators and yanked him out of the crowd, threw him down and cuffed him. It is likely this was one of the people on their special list. A small bag of powder (possibly meth) was planted on him as he was dragged away. Given the fact that everyone knew they were going to be arrested for the past half hour or so, it is utterly illogical that this person wouldn't have ditched the drugs if they really were his. He was overheard to say that they weren't his, that he didn't do drugs, and was willing to take a drug test right then and there to prove it.
Police later arrested a large number of demonstrators near OGP using similar tactics. Apparently some demonstrators got into City Hall, although I'm not sure if any arrests were made in the building. Some people were taken to jail in Oakland, others to Santa Rita (a much nastier place) in Dublin. Some were cited and released the next day, others are still in police custody.
Given my impending court appearance, I don't want to discuss the exact involvement I may or may not have had in any of the above. I think, however, this provides a much more accurate picture of what went down than has been presented in the mainstream media, and I thank you for taking the time to hear the other side.


**I need to give attribution, this blog was posted on reddit by a so called street medic attached to occupy oakland

First of all, I was privileged to be out there with a lot of brave and beautiful people. I'd like to give my own account of what happened on Saturday, because the mainstream coverage I've seen has been universally laughable, not that that's any surprise.

Folks were mostly gathered up in Oscar Grant Plaza by about noon, and the march started around 1 or 1:30. There were probably between one and two thousand marchers. There was a sound truck playing music, and the mood was festive and happy. Parents brought their children along, and the whole thing felt a bit like a roving dance party in the streets. There was also a bus following along which the police detained about halfway through the first part of the march on some minor infraction like people weren't all wearing their seat belts or something.

When the demonstrators reached the first target building, it was already heavily surrounded by riot cops, and people didn't even try to get near it. I don't think anyone was actually expecting the "secret" target to stay secret, given the open nature of the movement and the heavy infiltration. By this point police had begun targeted arrests against certain individuals which were evidently on their list of organizers or repeat "troublemakers". Nonetheless, the marchers were being quite peaceful and were prepared to just continue the march around the city. The police weren't having that though, and they fired a number of smoke grenades into the crowd, which caused a bit of a panic since many people initially thought it was teargas. Minor injuries were incurred amongst the marchers.

A number of older demonstrators as well as people with children decided that this was a good time to call it a day and headed away from the main police line and crowd. Police then rushed in and attempted to arrest some of the parents for endangering their children. I'm not sure exactly how this turned out, but I was told that a number of parents were able to get away with their children.

Police began to close on the demonstrators who decided to continue the march through the city. Soon after police began to deploy actual tear gas along with beanbag rounds and paint balls apparently intended to mark people for later arrest. Police claim that people were throwing things at them after this. I didn't witness demonstrators throwing anything, but it is possible. I don't find it to be a constructive activity, but I also can't blame people for being angry after a peaceful march was attacked. Medics responded to high numbers of chemical contamination and blunt force trauma cases.

As the march continued, police started to use a new tactic which recklessly endangered lives and led to many injuries. They would form up in a line behind the marchers and then on some signal charge towards the back of the march with their batons at the ready. Although attempts were made among the demonstrators to keep everyone calm, inevitably many people started running as a natural reaction to seeing a line of angry club-wielding police charging at them. Lots of people got knocked down in the press of bodies. People helped up whoever they could, but I have no idea how many people were injured during this or how badly. The police continued to use this tactic all the way back to Oscar Grant Plaza, charging forward for a block before stopping for a minute or two and then charging again. This charging tactic served absolutely no crowd control purpose, as they were pushing people in the direction the march was already going, and they could have just marched behind the demonstrators keeping pace, since nobody wanted to get within arm's reach of them anyways.

Anyways, people regrouped at OGP to rest, wash up, seek medical attention, and eat. After some time, a decision was made to march around downtown Oakland again. The march was somewhat smaller this time, but probably still around 1,000 people. Oaklanders don't give into police intimidation easily. The march eventually became a bit of a cat-and-mouse game as lines of police tried to surround the marchers and "kettle" them in for mass arrests. At one point fairly early on the police nearly succeeded, but a temporary chain link fence was pulled down allowing most or all of the marchers an escape route. Later on, a group of ~50-100 demonstrators did get blocked in on a section of Broadway without any side streets. Police then rushed in, jabbing, pushing, and beating people with batons until they were forced back into a corner near a YMCA building. Some people may have escaped through the YMCA building, and police used this to claim that the protesters were trying to take over the building, although I'm fairly certain this was never the plan since the YMCA was open and operational, not abandoned. Once the group of demonstrators was blocked in and completely surrounded, police announced that this was an unlawful assembly and ordered them to disperse. A few people tried to leave with their hands raised and were promptly thrown on the ground, beaten, and arrested. The police undoubtedly thought that they were quite clever with the Catch-22 situation they had constructed, but I doubt any of the subsequent arrest charges are going to stick as a result. Getting the charges to stick was probably not the point though.

The demonstrators were pinned into the corner like this for probably 40-60 minutes before enough police buses and vans showed up for mass arrests to begin. As the time approached, the police suddenly singled out on of the demonstrators and yanked him out of the crowd, threw him down and cuffed him. It is likely this was one of the people on their special list. A small bag of powder (possibly meth) was planted on him as he was dragged away. Given the fact that everyone knew they were going to be arrested for the past half hour or so, it is utterly illogical that this person wouldn't have ditched the drugs if they really were his. He was overheard to say that they weren't his, that he didn't do drugs, and was willing to take a drug test right then and there to prove it.

Police later arrested a large number of demonstrators near OGP using similar tactics. Apparently some demonstrators got into City Hall, although I'm not sure if any arrests were made in the building. Some people were taken to jail in Oakland, others to Santa Rita (a much nastier place) in Dublin. Some were cited and released the next day, others are still in police custody.

Given my impending court appearance, I don't want to discuss the exact involvement I may or may not have had in any of the above. I think, however, this provides a much more accurate picture of what went down than has been presented in the mainstream media, and I thank you for taking the time to hear the other sid

You're welcome. I think there are enough Jazz fans here to get it to sift, even if it won't hit 100 votes any time soon. I recall seeing one vid with about 6 promotes in a row to get it to sift... now that was stubborn I tend to withdraw and regroup before getting to that point.
In reply to this comment by kulpims:
thanks for your stubborn support : i don't think garbarek is going anywhere, though. not much jazz fans here

In reply to this comment by oritteropo:
*promote

All I have to say that is, God loves you and I love you.

>> ^acidSpine:
Thought this was going to be a shinnyblurry post but sadly it was only another example of religious bullshit hurting real people. I guess they considered her suffering "worldly" rather than the far more important "godly" suffering Jesus went through or something, christ! I'm not a fucking christian, I don't know how it all works. Long story short, fuck shinnyblurry. He's worried videosift has a left leaning agenda, well good! His dumbshit ideas should be ridiculed. Too bad his posts are so fucking boring I switch off before my thoughs have been regrouped

>> ^acidSpine:

Thought this was going to be a shinnyblurry post but sadly it was only another example of religious bullshit hurting real people. I guess they considered her suffering "worldly" rather than the far more important "godly" suffering Jesus went through or something, christ! I'm not a fucking christian, I don't know how it all works. Long story short, fuck shinnyblurry. He's worried videosift has a left leaning agenda, well good! His dumbshit ideas should be ridiculed. Too bad his posts are so fucking boring I switch off before my thoughs have been regrouped


I'm very confused. shinnyblurry did not post a comment in this section. Slamming someone's character, especially for something s/he did not say in this area isn't what VS is about. I'd say let's keep the unwarranted personal slams to a minimum.

Thought this was going to be a shinnyblurry post but sadly it was only another example of religious bullshit hurting real people. I guess they considered her suffering "worldly" rather than the far more important "godly" suffering Jesus went through or something, christ! I'm not a fucking christian, I don't know how it all works. Long story short, fuck shinnyblurry. He's worried videosift has a left leaning agenda, well good! His dumbshit ideas should be ridiculed. Too bad his posts are so fucking boring I switch off before my thoughs have been regrouped

A: wearing a hoodie
B: wearing an undershirt thingy.

Round 1
0:00-0:10 - B tries several 1-2 combinations, but poor footwork and punching technique result in misses.
0:10-0:18 - A shows good distance control, but poor footwork leaves him backed against the door. Slipping and circling to his right would have been a better option.
0:18-0:27 - A and B both try to counter straight/wobbly right hands with their own right hands. Poor technique in general displayed by both. Establishing a stiff jab would have been a better option for both.
0:27-0:35 - Unable to land any strikes, both A and B separate and regroup. End of Round 1. 10-9 B for driveway control and generalship.
0:36-1:04 - Between rounds we get some back story to the confrontation which involves theft of illicit property. We also learn of A's prefight illness, and B's lack of compassion.

Round 2
1:03-1:08 - Clearly motivated, A comes out swinging, with B looking to counterstrike. B is smart to allow A to close distance rather than try to chase him down like in round 1.
1:08-1:13 - Drawing A in, B is able to counter a lunging right hand with a right hand of his own. Poor footwork by A combined with a quick followup shot by B leads to a knockdown.
1:13-1:18 - B tries to land punches before establishing a solid top position. A is able to sweep B with a quick roll. B should have concentrated on establishing his base first. 'Position before submission' is a better idea. A ends up securing side position.
1:18-1:35 - A shows excellent patience, as B expends too much energy attempting strikes from the inferior position. An armbar is available at 1:22, but A elects not to attempt it. The sequence ends with A executing a knee-over pass to full mount.
1:35-2:15 - A maintains mount, but B's lack of grappling is matched only by A's lack of conditioning. B removes A's hoodie. Multiple armbars are available, but A does not capitalize.
2:16-2:20 - B is able to execute a bump-and-roll (upa) sweep, landing in A's guard. A does well to control B's posture. An introductory lesson at their local Brazilian jiu jitsu school would have been a good option for both A and B.
2:20-3:07 - B tries landing strikes from the guard, but poor posture makes them ineffectual. A goes with an open guard, but a total lack of hip movement makes submissions unlikely. The sequence ends with an illegal groin strike.
3:07-4:12 - Too much talking. I have a feeling they may not be wearing the required mouth guards. At 3:27 a dog barks.
4:12-4:25 - A attempts an omoplata, but forgets to hook B's arm. This general lack of control allows B to strike A. A goes to turtle position.
4:25-4:37 - B attempts to take A's back, but does not secure the over/under or the hooks. As A stands up, B goes for an elevated (flying?) crucifix, but B counters it by dumping A on his head.
4:37-4:55 - With B on his back and A standing, A attempts multiple torino passes, but is unable to get to side position.
4:55-5:19 - Round 2 ends, but A shows a lack of sportsmanship by threatening to spit on B. 10-9 A.
Result: 19-19 Draw.

Note: I suspect this may not have been a sanctioned Amateur MMA event.

TL;DR: At 3:27 a dog barks.

Your mom says, “Hi” — Jinx!
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah no no
Yeah yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Summertime in the city
And everybody’s having sex
You know I just got a page from a girl that I met last week at the Payless
Shoe stores
I also have a cutie to call who likes the way I knock on her boots
Well let’s help them back
Let’s handle that
In two-to-six hours,
We’ll meet back here and regroup
Now let’s shoop
Roll up to her crib with some Bartles & James
Hop off the buss with the Alizé
Now hold up player, whatchu diggity-doing here?
I should diggity-ask you the same
And she sang
Hey, boys I want you both
I hope that you think that’s cool
(Say word?)
I know most guys won’t freak together
She forgot about the Golden Rule — a huh huh
It’s OK to put us in a three-way
It’s not gay when it’s in a three-way
With a honey in the middle there’s some leeway
The area’s grey in a one, two, three-way
Normally, I don’t get down with dudes
But tonight is a special exception (Great)
See you’re my best friend
Through thick and thin
Now it’s time to make a triple connection
Lights off
Here in the dark (Here in the dark)
It’s so hard to tell (So hard to tell)
Where her body ends (La la)
And my homie’s begins (Ew wee)
This rule dates back (The Golden Rule)
To ancient Greece (Takin’ about Cesar)
We’re two Jack Trippers and a Chrissy
The new Three’s Company
It’s OK to put us in a three-way
It’s not gay when it’s in a three-way
With a honey in the middle there’s some leeway
The area’s grey in a one, two three-way
Fellas. Get ready.
Doin’ us a chick
Helicopter d*ck, go! Hellicopter d*ck. Helicopter d*ck
Doin’ us a chick
Helicopter d*ck
And all of that was OK
‘Cuz it was in a three-way
It’s right there when you see the instant replay (boom)
Maybe two is enough
That’s what they’ll say
But we’ll say, “Hell no.”
It’s a one, two, three-way
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

It must be nice living in a world without shades of gray.

You keep wanting to paint me as someone who condones their religious/extremist views. The point I've been trying to make, and that you keep wanting to avoid, is that not all of them are true believers - and that those who join the Taliban for religious reasons are not the same as those who join for nationalist reasons. Observe the same trend in the American army - some do it for personal reasons, some do it for America, and some do it for Christ. Is it so hard to believe the bad guys forces might have the same factions?

Official protocol eh? Rendition, waterboarding etc. etc. is all official protocol. Does this condemn all members of the armed forces? Or just the ranking members who make policy? Hmmm...

Praising God condemns them all? Visit any American base abroad and count how many go to church or pray regularly. Hmmmm....

Definition of the Taliban eh? Thats a good idea. From Wikipedia:

The Taliban, alternative spelling Taleban,[5] (Pashto: طالبان ṭālibān, meaning "students") is a Wahhabi Islamist political movement that governed Afghanistan from 1996 until it was overthrown in late 2001. It has regrouped since 2004 and revived as a strong insurgency movement governing mainly local Pashtun areas during night and fighting a guerrilla war against the governments of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)

I see the Islamist political movement...and then I see insurgency. I have no doubts the Islamic extremists run the show. I also have no doubts the insurgency (Nationalist) aspect is a big draw in recruiting. Much like Al-Qaeda, the Taliban recruits based on resentment and anger towards imperial powers. You know this, I'm sure.

There's no such thing as a moderate Taliban member? Says who? You'll have to provide more than your word on that one. I'll rely on practicality and realism.

I had no intention of lumping you in with the Fox News assholes. I was meaning to display the various political factions within any given movement - devout doesn't always mean extremist. Not every American pastor or Priest is a Phelps supporter at heart - and not every Afghan insurgent is a wahhabist at heart. You see that, don't you?

I'm guessing many of them signed up to fight the Imperial invaders, not just to woman-beat and Jew-hate. If that were the case, you wouldn't see the informants and intelligence sources from within Taliban-held areas that Americans and other NATO forces rely on for intel, would you?

I despise extremist religious/political philosophy as much as you do. But, I also understand that I would sign up with the nearest big group of assholes in my part of the world if it meant we could better fight off foreign invaders.

>> ^LostTurntable:

I am also well aware that some American/Canadian/British/Australian soldiers are assholes who have killed innocent women and children. Does that make all of the soldiers in those armed forces assholes? Nope.
Yes, but the Allied forces who have done horrible things aren't acting on official protocol. Taliban terrorists who attack and murder women are doing so because their ideology dictates that's okay.
I highly doubt that all Taliban fighters are crazed religious or social extremists.
Go back and count how many times they praise God in that video. Even if not every soldier is a die-hard member of the Taliban (and in that video, they all were) they are part of an extremist Islamic political movement. That is the definition of the Taliban. Look it up.
They are also inhuman savages that beat women for no reason. That's also a fact. It is a strict part of the Taliban idealogy, they go hand-in-hand. Breaking that rule is paramount to breaking any other rule set by the Taliban. There's no such thing as a "moderate" Taliban member.
And for fuck's sake don't lump me in with the Faux News idiots and the anti-"Mosque" assholes. You want to build a mosque on Ground Zero? Go nuts. Build 80. Because the people in NYC who want to build a mosque AREN'T THE FUCKING TALIBAN.
I am sure that many people in Afghanistan do not want the US forces there. But there are just as many who don't want the Taliban there. Saying "not all Taliban soldiers are bad" is like saying "not all Nazi soldiers are bad" that may be true, but they are supporting a cause that is without a doubt entirely evil. So fuck them. They made their choice to sign up with woman-beating, Jew-hating, freedom-denying (and yes, these guys actually do hate freedom, as sad as it is. Under Taliban rule you aren't allowed to speak your mind, do what you want or even listen to music.) assholes who deserve to die.

>> ^Throbbin:
Don't be simple.
I am well aware of the acid attacks. I am also well aware that some American/Canadian/British/Australian soldiers are assholes who have killed innocent women and children. Does that make all of the soldiers in those armed forces assholes? Nope.
I highly doubt that all Taliban fighters are crazed religious or social extremists. I'd bet a good amount of money that many of them joined up because they don't want Team America there. I probably would have if I were in their shoes, and I'm not religious in any way.
"He's a warlord" - yeah, and how much do you want to bet General Petraeus has a summer home and a regular home?
They want everyone who doesn't agree with them out - sounds like the ultra conservatives in America and Canada. Have you seen any of the anti-immigration or anti-NY-mosque rallies lately?
I'm not pro-Taliban, but I am pro-truth. And the truth is that not all Talibanis are crazed religious extremists, and that once in awhile it's a good idea to remember that the people we are fighting (in their country) are people too, not just maniacs like the MSM would have you believe.
>> ^LostTurntable:
Surprise surprise - the "bad guys" aren't all evil monstrous brutal animals. Some of them are just normal folks who resent Team America invading their country and telling them what to do.
I guess he wasn't invited on the mission where Taliban forces attacked schoolgirls with acid.
I understand the war is a complicated issue, but these are holy warrior assholes who enslave women for their own perverted satisfaction. Notice how the commander used to have several houses? You think he got them via good stark market deals/ No, he's a warlord.
These are also religious zealots. They don't just want "Team America" out. They want everyone who doesn't agree with them out. Or dead. Preferably dead.
You can be against the war, that's great. But don't be pro-Taliban.

IT'S TIME...Share
Thursday, July 1, 2010 at 9:32am
After five years, I’m THRILLED to announce that The Spirit Molecule will be released by October 2010. I strongly believe your support, patience, and belief in this film, allowed it to materialize through physical communities, the Internet, festivals/events, South America, etc. Thank you. I dreamt of this day many times, but never expected tears when announcing the release…I stand corrected. I’m truly excited to share this film with the world.

As we developed our distribution model, we continually felt more comfortable outside the box, especially considering the subject matter of the film. We went with the Trojan horse approach, the appearance of a traditional model (submit to as many festivals possible), but knew our audience was much wider. To that end, we decided to release as wide as possible, as quick as possible. So, when we physically premier this fall, we will simultaneously release the DVD/PPV for the world. As part of the physical premier, we also hope to have a live stream from the location (TBD) so the world can share in the premier. Additionally, we have an iPhone application (other devices soon) in the works, which features access to the entire collection of interview footage, roughly 100 hours. Finally, once we regroup from post-production, and screen some festivals, we plan to construct the DMT remix project, allowing anyone access to the collection of interview footage, original VFX, and original music to create their own Spirit Molecule film.

Although it has taken longer than anticipated, it has been integral in building our fan base. And due to that network, we have a rare opportunity to show the relevance, and potential, of this simple molecule, which seems to open the door to another reality. Over the last decade, I’ve witnessed a worldwide consciousness/psychedelic community reawaken and grow, and I need to access the potential of the community. As we prepare for the launch, we intend to reach as many people as possible, so I gracefully ask for your assistance. Considering the diversity, and size, of the community, we can make Google take notice. If you work in (or know someone) in PR, design/code for the web, create street art, or just want to help push this message forward, please use your talent, imagination, or knowhow to help us create buzz.

Thanks again for your support. More soon…

Regards,
Mitch Schultz
Updated about a week ago · Comment · Like · Report Note
745 people like this.

Read that, understand it, and work to not be one of those Bystanders.

I extend my umbrella of protection to a victim affected by felonious behavior.

But because of our litigious society the severity of the crime affects how fast I will offer my aid.

But I am a former Security Officer so I have training to avoid the effects of Bystander or Responsibility diffusion.

The advice below is not legal counsel and I am not a lawyer, I make it known that I write this statement under the 1st ammendment as freedom of expression. Take the below statements as advice only.

1) Call the police
2) Understand the situation, understand who is the criminal and who is not.
3) Survey the lay of the land to ensure that you do not become a victim.
4) Aid the victim of a Felony by the means that you see fit. These situations are fluid. There are many ways to deal with it. Yelling things like "FIRE" or "GUN! GUN! GUN!" or anything that may cause fear amongst the criminals. The goal is to get the criminals to flee the scene long enough for you to be able to retrieve the victim and remove them from the hostile zone.

Finally, do not resort to violence unless, by your own judgment, deem it necessary. You and you alone will be responsible for your actions. How to deal with violent criminals: act swiftly and tumultuously. If the violence lasts more than a few moments regroup away from the fray and return with a new strategy. The goal is to assert authoritative pacification of the situation by force (meaning the first criminal to attack you should be utterly destroyed). You want the criminals to know you are top dog. Anyone of them who so much as thinks about fucking with you now should be swiftly dealt with. Remember, defend yourself and the victim, of a felony, only when attacked. Do not at any point go on the offensive, if the criminals run let them flee. Do not ever give chase. Your first responsibility is to secure the victims rescue. Never ever turn your back on a criminal.

Remember it should never come to violence, always start with the 4th step, screaming "FIRE" or "GUN! GUN! GUN!" is the Ninja way. Confusion works best when the defender has a level head, and every one else is running around in panic.

I disagree QM,

The thing is tax cuts cannot work in the current economic climate. It's just counter productive for economic growth mostly because tax cuts are not effective when people don't have jobs and we live at a time when lending is being slashed. Consumers are also high in personal debt as a whole, so you have saving and debt repayment going on at the same time. This is a halt of all economic activity. You need an external factor to incite economy activity in economy as a whole. This is why there is a stimulus plan.

I agree that the stimulus plan is less then effective, I don't know that there isn't much overwatch in how exactly the money will be applied. I also think it would have been beneficial to start to defund or merge major governmental bodies that have little to no relevance now, specifically the department of education and energy. There needs to be a serious revaluation of DOD spending as a whole. There are far too many projects that are undertaken as matters of national security that are nothing more then R&D by the defense industry, that are then sold back to the government as private products.

However there is alot of ridiculous opposition to alot of things Obama is doing, and he is under pressure to impose a plan right now then later.

The republicans are effectively shooting themselves in the foot, instead of being involved in the process to reduce the government growth and try minimize cost they are fighting against a scheme to help the American people. It will not win them any favors when they talk of saving American jobs but did not help pass this stimulus. This will only further decline their relevancy to the fringe of the US voter public.

Listening to Rush Limbuagh, apologizing to him only makes Rush representative of the GOP as whole to the US. That is being rude, insulting and completely hypocritical without offering any solutions. Instead of actually regrouping and reforming the GOP they are further sliding into irrelevancy.