Published in Science, their paper gives the best-yet estimate of the true number of words in English—a million, far more than any dictionary has recorded (the 2002 Webster's Third New International Dictionary has 348,000) with more than half of the language considered 'dark matter' that has evaded standard dictionaries (PDF).

Umm, no. The phrase "true number of words in English" is sufficiently ill-defined to make the question meaningless. There are two ways people think about whether something is a "true word" in English, but more or less, you need to either rely on an authoritative reference to make that determination (which is not what's happening here), or you note it's existence by some level of usage in practice, and set a somewhat arbitrary bar for how often the word has been used (which is what's happening here.)

As per Zipf's law, etc, tweak that "bar" a little bit, and you'll get quite different results.

If I remember correctly, mode 3 is particularly, mmm, challenging.

http://www.glorioustrainwrecks.com/node/1979

Correction: 190.25 (a). Sorry about that.

Yes, cable car operators are really in California law (and spelled out as such), but this is also true of bus and other public transit operators too.

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=pen&group=00001-01000&file=187-199

See at: 192.25 (a)

I stick by my belief, though. The idea that we actually consider motive is very much part of the homicide laws of nearly every state in the US. Usually motive is at the heart of the difference between first and second degree murder. Hate crime laws really aren't, in my opinion, that different. Were the laws actionable without there being another crime, I'd have my shovels and pitchforks out, too.

And most of these "special circumstances" are not ignored by the courts. While they are ignored as "issues" by the media, they are ignored by them because they are uncontroversial ... except for hate crimes.

Which is precisely my point.

It certainly does harm to that larger community, particularly for communities that have a history of being targeted for violence, that is over and above the other sorts of harms that are done by the fire. It's a threat to anyone with half a brain, and threats of violence are usually uncontroversial, except for some reason in cases like these.

I don't see what is so hard about the idea that providing additional damages for additional harms. My state finds "additional harms" when murders are committed if you did it for money (your motivation is, remember, a "mindcrime"), if you kill a cable car operator, if you use poison instead of some other method, and so on, and recognizes those special harms as "special circumstances" which drastically change how someone can be penalized? Why do we never, ever, not frigging once hear about all of these inequalities in the law, and how some are mindcrimes?

Why is that?

I have a pretty easy explanation, which I'm sure is obvious, but seriously, anyone who thinks that hate crimes laws are a travesty of justice, ... defend your quiet in regards to hundreds of other laws that fit the pattern you rail at. Bueller? Bueller? Anyone?

I'm picturing a very old Fred Phelps holding up a sign that says "God hates fish!".

Shellfish! (www.godhatesshrimp.com)

Indeed, I'm very fond of those books as well.

http://www.bilerico.com/2011/12/im_the_red_kettle_menace.php

The Salvation Army is not anti-gay. Sure, they are not pro-gay, but that doesn't make the anti-gay.

Bull. Not providing services to homeless people *because* they're gay? That's anti-gay.

Threatening to pull out of providing services if they have to honor city laws on employment discrimination? That's anti-gay.

Get real. Do some research.

You may wish to finish reading the linked article, they're still working on the funding. But if they get it, there will be tickets. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/648673855/the-lightning-foundry

"fingers crossed, they'll be gone by then?"

What's our track record at closing government departments in this country?

The TSA has already commenced some freeway operations.

http://www.allgov.com/Controversies/ViewNews/Tennessee_First_State_to_Allow_TSA_Highway_Random_Search_Program_111108

I assumed that "to nowhere" was a reference to the original leg which will be built, which comes nowhere near either city. As the news article linked in the story clearly states, there's some question about whether the state will maintain the political will to ever get the train line to SF or LA.

I support the idea, but it would be a shame if it only got built from one central valley farming community to another.