All my posts to chill re the Christmas Firecracker incident had attached Ad Hominem attacks from small terrified men. This isn't going away. Statistics don't phase them. Facts just get in the way. They're terrified and nothing is going to help except the comfort of a huge Government blanket of "protection".

Never mind it doesn't exist, is ineffectual and can't be done. These people are not meant to live in a free society. Don't want a free society and are winning because the government is all too pleased to accommodate them. We, Liberals, Progressives, Libertarians {whatever} - all the flavors of people who cherish personal freedoms are screwed. The government wants to listen to this minority of frightened people - and together they have already changed what the USA was all about.

They aren't finished revoking our freedoms through the absence of common sense and have a long way to go. Because what they're looking for doesn't exist and can't be achieved. Already it's the State law in the majority that we must respond to "Papers Please" - as in my state Georgia failure to produce means jail.

The terrorists won. They already won a long time ago. This "continued fight" isn't. We're experiencing the clean-up.

Yepper, Ad hominem. You're consistent. Call a device that went off, sounded like and did as much damage and was described by witnesses as a firecracker - a firecracker and that's a gotcha.

You people are predictable if not entertaining if nothing else. You wouldn't be listening to these points of view anyway had I called this unknown device a thingamabob, or, maybe you would. I suspect you would understand thingamabob. "wink and a gotcha".

-[d]-

Trust me, you will have lost them way before you even got to the statistics. Not once in your argument did you include a straw-Man, ad hominem or an appeal to probability. As such, you wouldn't come close to achieving your goal of the inevitable blank stare.

The way this works is you'd be interrupted and and thrown an Ad Hominem. Followed by a wink and a "Gotcha". (Been here - tried this).

Wise. You're right. No matter where you start or what direction it takes - this flow chart leads to the same end box - "they aren't worth taking seriously". So, I might as quit wasting time following the links when I know where it will lead. Thank you.

little wanker? LoL, sorry to burst your bubble there pal... But, that's for different thread.

Look, maybe it was - just what it was. A couple chemicals that when mixed together generated enough heat to cause severe damage to the individual stupid enough to try this stunt. In fact, that's all it was. In fact, that's all it did. A minor blip resulting in some idiot who's now calling himself Mrs. {whatever}.

If this is the best they can do... I have zero need to watch 24/7 Faux News coverage imagining all the things it "could have been" rather than what it really was. A minor blip on the radar of my day. The nuculr (sic) spin was already covered by Faux news as a "possibility". Their spin? Not this time but it's coming... Oh, and they added to keep watching for future developments, LoL.

Gaud, this country is soooo brain dead. Again, why is it you people always post as cowards? Nevermind. That's one of those questions that answers itself :)

Thank you, no. I'll wait for the Daily News version where John Stewart can summarize their hilarity in 6 minutes or less.

BTW: Why are you people always cowards posting anonymously? Nevermind. The question answered itself :)

I went to a smoking lounge at an airport pulled out my Bic lighter and lit up. Another passenger fiddling with matches asked "How did you get that past security?" ..."In my pocket". How much metal does a Bic lighter have anyway? Apparently not enough to set off the alarms... Anyway, I digress.

Maybe the sky isn't falling and it wasn't thermite. Maybe it was just something simple that could cause a fire easily put out with fire extinguishers. You know, like what really happened.

You know, like maybe it wasn't a thermonuclear device - which will probably come next in the what it "could" be catagory. Maybe instead it was what it was. Something that caused a small fire limited to emasculating the person it was strapped to? Maybe it did exactly what it was designed to do?

I know, how silly of me. It was really a nucular (that's how they say it, right?) device that we, God thank you, was saved from by the miraculous heroics of another passenger. His book will be available within four months. We are lucky to be alive! But next time... we'll probably all perish.

-[d]-

Yep, you are right; I am wrong. I guess thats what they get for ignoring the "Made in China" label of quality.

The "hero" pulled a flaming object from his pants and tossed it asside...
The passenger identified as Nigerian named Abdul Mudallad - now known as Mrs. Mudallad...

My family and I are at odds. My favorite story is watching a grandmother get shaken down at the airport. Knitting needles handled like they were weapons, the hand-held scanner sounding like a horse cat in heat scowling at her huge coat buttons and costume jewelry. I was appalled.

I can hear my family now. I was wrong. AN EXPLOSIVE DEVICE son, - a bomb! I can also already hear myself - ...But it was a firecracker, you know a firecracker? That even if you hold on to it, it only hurts the one holding it? You know... TNT measured in micro-grams?

But my best arguments weren't enough before this incident, they certainly won't be enough now. They'll probably be demanding all civil rights now be suspended "for our safety". ...I can't even imagine what Faux News is doing with this one. They must be have a hayday.

It was a friggin firecracker for Christ's sake.

-[d]-

"When it comes to stopping a cataclysmic Earth vs." {anything}... We can't agree.

We're coming up on a perfect storm -
Used up more than half of all the oil in less than one generation.
With modern farming this planet can only support about 6.5 - 7 billion (where we are at now) and that's going to double.
Using all that oil has released all the primordial CO2 gases back in the atmosphere that took billions years to remove back in the atmosphere which will change the growing seasons and locations affecting both farming and likely negating the possibility of supporting a doubling of the population.
Pollution and over development has already destroyed fresh water resources for hundreds of millions - Spain is already shipping in fresh water from other countries. And half the population (current numbers) will not have access to fresh water in 50 years - but by that time the population will have almost doubled so those numbers are probably moot.

And this is only the "cold front" of the perfect storm that's coming - And they're worried about a friggin asteroid?! Frankly, IMHO, an asteroid is exactly what this planet needs right about now.

-[d]-

All new hires get the title: Imperial Grand Master or Stuff and pay them $200k a year and see if they care.

I'm a fairly talented guy and I'm not sure I could work for you or anyone else so into "titles" and "diplomas". I remember political fights in one job because a front-end Director had more power than a back-end Director: I.E. Director of XYZ as opposed to XYZ Director. I couldn't find a new job fast enough.

One V.P. I worked with 60+ years old boasted almost monthly of his "degree", I don't recall, maybe it was a M.A. One meeting I calmly stated that what he was learning in college 45 years ago I was learning in High School 10 years ago. Our meetings went much smoother after that.

It's just my opinion but if you can only retain your version of "top talent" by giving them "titles" you're in for a wold of hurt on release day.

-[d]-

And then there are those who won't even try. I have subjects I could contribute too. But a wise man might be described as someone who doesn't make the same mistake once.

I heard long ago complaints about elitism and the elitist top grand master guru cabal who control the website. New comers are scoffed, 'good 'ol boy' network prevails.

I suspect the editors who are still left are well suited for their post - elitist power hungry control freaks who validate themselves stepping on others. I want nothing to do with them. [Citation Needed] and [Marked For Deletion] have become memes I suspect from people who have been burned by the wikipedia process and the control freaks who consider themselves demigods.

I pass. The frustration I hear from others who have tried to contribute I won't accept in my life let alone seek it out. The expertise I have in a subject or two will never make it to wikipedia. I won't even bother to get started.

-[d]-

[Citation Needed]
A more robust citation is needed. Marked for Deletion.

It sounds clear they're not going to change business practices. There's always reporting them to the BSE or some other software piracy watchdog then going through a very painful (from what I hear) audit. You've already made known pirated software bothers you and if all of a sudden a watchdog group shows at your door with a warrant or whatever they use... You're screwed as far as continuing with this company. Likely you'll be fired for some unrelated subjective cause.

You can shut-up and look the other way or you can leave and report them. You cannot force them to change, you cannot report them and stay. Do your own math...

-[d]-