The Youtube video is really more important than the article itself (though the article is also important). I don't really see this as one-sidedly as the author and the commenters seem to. Here's how I break it down:
1. The initial issue is that there was apparently a space that may or may not have been private property but certainly appeared to be public property. I'm not going to assume that the security guard was lying about the space. Taking the security guard at his word, Lollie was trespassing, but even if the security guard was lying, the police officer only knows that there was an accusation of trespassing, and it seems like a reasonably safe operating assumption, especially if the complaint is coming from a representative of the building (e.g. the security guard).
2. When the first female police officer arrives, Lollie seems to be walking away from her while she sounds as if she's trying to get to the bottom of the situation. If the police officer has reasonable suspicion that a law has been broken, it seems more than reasonable to want to ascertain what was going on and identify any possible suspects, even for something as minor as nonviolent trespassing. That's what it seemed like she was doing.
3. I can't for the life of me understand why Lollie didn't just stop and talk to the officer. I understand the rights argument, but the rights argument doesn't strike me as a winner. The police could technically arrest me for driving 1 mph over the speed limit, and they would be well within their rights to do so based on Supreme Court precedent. If the police had probable cause that Lollie was trespassing, they had the right to arrest him - and they did, even though such a decision was pretty terrible policing. So instead of a rights-based approach, maybe a more practical approach would have been to stop, talk to the officer, and resolve the situation in a calm, friendly manner before moving on.
4. To be sure, this isn't me saying that Lollie is 100% at fault. I do think that the police wildly overreacted to the situation and should view this situation as a good example of what not to do. Community policing involves using only as much force is necessary and diffusing situaitons before they come to a head. The police officer at the end of the video did absolutely nothing to achieve this result, and he would do well to consider the highly negative ramifications of tasing a father in front of his child, much less arresting him for what amounts to a misunderstanding. If I'm the police chief of their precinct, I'm yelling at them and probably punishing the second guy.
5. At bottom, though, the issue seems to be why Lollie can't simply walk away from the situation and exercise his rights fully. But it strikes me that the complete lack of trust that Lollie has for the police (at least the first one) is the same lack of trust that the police have for him. Some people argue that, because the police have all the power, they should unilaterally show the community (and minorities) that they can be trusted before people like Lollie should be asked to be more cooperative. But then I think about the guy who collects KKK robes. I think the police should strive to do much better than they did here. But I think Lollie had a choice to do better here. Perhaps he was vindicating his right not to show his ID or not to be detained except in the event of reasonable suspicion of a crime, but the cost of his vindicating his rights was that the police exercised theirs - and that his kid didn't have anyone to take him home after school.
This, more than anything else, probably demonstrates the difference in how I view the police and how many black people, especially black males, view the police. Many of my libertarian friends would also be shaking their heads at me in dismay.
B
Friday, August 29, 2014
Monday, August 25, 2014
Edible Controversy
Ketchup is apparently pretty controversial.
Everything about this is wrong. Except the bacon.
That butter knife is going to make somebody millions.
Harry Reid seems like a pretty terrible person. At a minimum, he is exceedingly discourteous.
Maybe all lawyers should be updating our resumes and/or learning how to operate espresso machines.
Responses:
1. Maybe it's just money. People who don't have formal weddings are more likely to be poor than those who do, and money troubles are one of the most common causes for divorce or marital unhappiness.
2. I promise I won't turn you in.
3. Maybe Penguin should stop swimming in oil? Also, was this article brought to us by Dawn?
4. I would LOVE a nap app. I would also love a nap.
5. So you're saying that all I needed to wake up in the morning wasn't a cup of joe, but rather a cup of phone?
6. Maybe you should send this article to my sister.
R2R:
3. I'm guessing because he was too stupid and irresponsible to think past his first lie. Also, his parents, who seem like nice people, may have murdered him, and may still.
4. Do you use cabs or UberX?
B
Everything about this is wrong. Except the bacon.
That butter knife is going to make somebody millions.
Harry Reid seems like a pretty terrible person. At a minimum, he is exceedingly discourteous.
Maybe all lawyers should be updating our resumes and/or learning how to operate espresso machines.
Responses:
1. Maybe it's just money. People who don't have formal weddings are more likely to be poor than those who do, and money troubles are one of the most common causes for divorce or marital unhappiness.
2. I promise I won't turn you in.
3. Maybe Penguin should stop swimming in oil? Also, was this article brought to us by Dawn?
4. I would LOVE a nap app. I would also love a nap.
5. So you're saying that all I needed to wake up in the morning wasn't a cup of joe, but rather a cup of phone?
6. Maybe you should send this article to my sister.
R2R:
3. I'm guessing because he was too stupid and irresponsible to think past his first lie. Also, his parents, who seem like nice people, may have murdered him, and may still.
4. Do you use cabs or UberX?
B
Clickme
to me, this study means that those who cared about impressing their friends with a big wedding also care about impressing the person asking about the quality of their marriage
the circle is coming true!
i already use it for my hair sometimes but now will use it for cleaning my oil-spill wildlife.
this nap app is interesting. try it after you've had a normal amount of sleep
the one about the phone in the cup was pure gold
i read this on sunday and found it interesting
1. the clickme headlines are ok to me but i hate when they just lie about what the article is. i did read one very good article that did make me tear up but after that first one (and did they put that one out there to get me hooked?) every other article has been a disappointment.
2. not only did i spot them but i've answered them in my mind. (rachel can still be younger than joey - she could also be 25 and her birthday is after joey's). ross doesn't age though.
3. that would be a complicated joke. and why couldn't the fiance just tell his parents to play along?
4. i also heard that other taxis are trying to out-uber uber. uber has been annoying to me though. the app keeps crashing and taxis take longer than they say it will. much longer. however, i don't have much of an alternative. yet.
5. wapo says dc is the second best city in the country for the poor. san francisco is number one. but which city is ok for the middle class?
6. that place is happening but it seems so sterile.
r2r
3. i know for alinea i would feel secure but not for any of the other restaurants.
4. people are dumb. but if they weren't, the onion would not exist.
r2r2r
1. to me it's like looking both ways. yeah cars should let you go first, as a pedestrian, but do you really want to risk your life for being right? same thing with responding to the police.
the circle is coming true!
i already use it for my hair sometimes but now will use it for cleaning my oil-spill wildlife.
this nap app is interesting. try it after you've had a normal amount of sleep
the one about the phone in the cup was pure gold
i read this on sunday and found it interesting
1. the clickme headlines are ok to me but i hate when they just lie about what the article is. i did read one very good article that did make me tear up but after that first one (and did they put that one out there to get me hooked?) every other article has been a disappointment.
2. not only did i spot them but i've answered them in my mind. (rachel can still be younger than joey - she could also be 25 and her birthday is after joey's). ross doesn't age though.
3. that would be a complicated joke. and why couldn't the fiance just tell his parents to play along?
4. i also heard that other taxis are trying to out-uber uber. uber has been annoying to me though. the app keeps crashing and taxis take longer than they say it will. much longer. however, i don't have much of an alternative. yet.
5. wapo says dc is the second best city in the country for the poor. san francisco is number one. but which city is ok for the middle class?
6. that place is happening but it seems so sterile.
r2r
3. i know for alinea i would feel secure but not for any of the other restaurants.
4. people are dumb. but if they weren't, the onion would not exist.
r2r2r
1. to me it's like looking both ways. yeah cars should let you go first, as a pedestrian, but do you really want to risk your life for being right? same thing with responding to the police.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Trend Lines
This has been one of my least favorite trends in the last couple years of the internet (Upworthy does this crap all the time).
Could you spot these 5 plot holes? I'm actually not sure what the big deal about plot holes is supposed to be. It reminds me of the geeks who get mad when a movie adaptation of their favorite comic book isn't "accurate."
There's a joke about Obama repairing our relationships with foreign allies somwhere in here.
After a few years of getting battered by the taxi lobby, Uber is starting to fight back.
This partially explains why you couldn't find a $1500 apartment.
But if you did want one, this is what the new stock looks like.
Responses:
1. That makes sense. One interesting thing about Cosmos was that it often highlighted the devout beliefs of the various scientific luminaries featured.
2. It's actually something I struggle with too. So much of life feels like a great big confidence game.
3. The thing that puts the idea over the top is if there is a robust secondary market. I'm not saying you should be able to buy with a view towards selling at a higher price (though I don't have a problem with it), but I would be hesitant to make a reservation at a restaurant that required ticketing if I weren't fairly certain I could get substantially all of my money back if something came up and I couldn't go.
4. One of the comments on the Spielberg thing was "That's Steven Spielberg, director of Jurassic Park!" And the response was "I dont care who he is he should not have shot that animal." Let's not forget about the NPR April Fool's Day gag. At a certain level, people just aren't going to get it, and we as a society have to be okay with that.
5. I'd try it.
6. The general theme seems to be providing information, which is good. Btw, I know a fair number of people who use Airbnb. A surprising amount, actually.
R2R:
3. Fear of cops is one thing. I read an article today that I didn't find repulsive in practice (theory is obviously a bugaboo), but mostly because I tend to think of cops as both doing a difficult job and incapable of understanding legal arguments - not because they are dumb, but rather because they represent the executive part of government (I tend to think that "tell it to the judge" is less an insincere direction and more a legal reality). I also have little sympathy for people who approach law enforcement with general hostility who are then surprised when the hostility is returned to them. If a cop tells me to get on the ground, put my hands up, do the hokey pokey, whatever, I'm doing it and settling up with the judge after the fact. We should police the police, but the place for that is in administrative or judicial fora, not in the streets. People who argue otherwise partially (if not fully) reject such fora as illegitimate, and that's a road I refuse to go down.
4. It seems to be gaining steam, even though few people think the indictment has merit. It just seems dumb.
B
Could you spot these 5 plot holes? I'm actually not sure what the big deal about plot holes is supposed to be. It reminds me of the geeks who get mad when a movie adaptation of their favorite comic book isn't "accurate."
There's a joke about Obama repairing our relationships with foreign allies somwhere in here.
After a few years of getting battered by the taxi lobby, Uber is starting to fight back.
This partially explains why you couldn't find a $1500 apartment.
But if you did want one, this is what the new stock looks like.
Responses:
1. That makes sense. One interesting thing about Cosmos was that it often highlighted the devout beliefs of the various scientific luminaries featured.
2. It's actually something I struggle with too. So much of life feels like a great big confidence game.
3. The thing that puts the idea over the top is if there is a robust secondary market. I'm not saying you should be able to buy with a view towards selling at a higher price (though I don't have a problem with it), but I would be hesitant to make a reservation at a restaurant that required ticketing if I weren't fairly certain I could get substantially all of my money back if something came up and I couldn't go.
4. One of the comments on the Spielberg thing was "That's Steven Spielberg, director of Jurassic Park!" And the response was "I dont care who he is he should not have shot that animal." Let's not forget about the NPR April Fool's Day gag. At a certain level, people just aren't going to get it, and we as a society have to be okay with that.
5. I'd try it.
6. The general theme seems to be providing information, which is good. Btw, I know a fair number of people who use Airbnb. A surprising amount, actually.
R2R:
3. Fear of cops is one thing. I read an article today that I didn't find repulsive in practice (theory is obviously a bugaboo), but mostly because I tend to think of cops as both doing a difficult job and incapable of understanding legal arguments - not because they are dumb, but rather because they represent the executive part of government (I tend to think that "tell it to the judge" is less an insincere direction and more a legal reality). I also have little sympathy for people who approach law enforcement with general hostility who are then surprised when the hostility is returned to them. If a cop tells me to get on the ground, put my hands up, do the hokey pokey, whatever, I'm doing it and settling up with the judge after the fact. We should police the police, but the place for that is in administrative or judicial fora, not in the streets. People who argue otherwise partially (if not fully) reject such fora as illegitimate, and that's a road I refuse to go down.
4. It seems to be gaining steam, even though few people think the indictment has merit. It just seems dumb.
B
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
no lazy bears here
an interesting take. it's always interesting to me that perhaps the best way to encourage one thing is to limit it.
it's too bad elizabeth gilbert's novels are terrible because i really do like everything else she writes.
the ticketing system i told you about at alinea is catching on. i mean, i guess it makes sense. you buy tickets in advance of sporting and theatre events. should restaurants be different?
they're not all winners but some are interesting to check out - if only to know they exist.
responses
1. you totally called it. but now i don't know what to think about obesity.
2. it's so good when i fall asleep without looking at screens right before bed. i've done it before. it's possible.
3. well the movie seems more innocuous than this article implies. the article states that damon wayans jr character is afraid to let the power of the police get to him whereas the jack johnson character gets deeper in and the article says that it's because of the racial tension he must feel but actually if the movie made the black cop get out of control and start committing crimes, the NAACP would have their head. well the NAACP would have their head either way it seems. in any case, if the damon wayans jr character was more nuanced, i'd cite that as a win. that means he's the real protagonist - the more complex one - and that movie did remarkably well at the box office. yay for movies with a black male lead.
also this is the only article i saw (but i wasn't looking so there's that) that connected ferguson with this movie. i'm not sure viewers thought about it. particularly since there's a huge difference between cops behaving badly and people pretending to be cops behaving badly.
is there anything in particular in black culture that you didn't understand from this article? the incessant fear of cops perhaps?
4. why was it good not to pay attention? doesn't seem like much of a news story.
re: myers briggs
i don't really care about the test not being accepted by psychologists. i think it's helpful to me. i don't feel the need to question its bona fides when it seems to get me right and i'm not sure how much better a test i could take to measure my personality.
r2r to "return of the bunny"
2. i woke up saying "yeah" and pumping my fist and it did make me feel better.
re: condiments
yes i only use heinz ketchup. i don't know if it's supposed to be fancy sriracha but it certainly looks that way.
re psychiatrists
i will look for some therapists for you
re: burning restaurant patron question
yes it was a burning question. i hate waiting in lines and eventually i do get paranoid that the hostess just doesn't like me. this answer: just chill - will probably get me far in life.
re: spielberg
well if you have the satire tag, this wouldn't happen. or would it happen and you'd find that people are even stupider than you thought?
but seriously, people who see pictures of hunters with their prey and go all PETA are the worst!
it's too bad elizabeth gilbert's novels are terrible because i really do like everything else she writes.
the ticketing system i told you about at alinea is catching on. i mean, i guess it makes sense. you buy tickets in advance of sporting and theatre events. should restaurants be different?
people are getting stupider. tbf, sometimes i'm surprised by the headlines on The Onion as well but isn't that part of the fun? (this happened multiple times for the same headline: joe biden's hottest congressional lays. but i laughed at myself each time).
they're not all winners but some are interesting to check out - if only to know they exist.
responses
1. you totally called it. but now i don't know what to think about obesity.
2. it's so good when i fall asleep without looking at screens right before bed. i've done it before. it's possible.
3. well the movie seems more innocuous than this article implies. the article states that damon wayans jr character is afraid to let the power of the police get to him whereas the jack johnson character gets deeper in and the article says that it's because of the racial tension he must feel but actually if the movie made the black cop get out of control and start committing crimes, the NAACP would have their head. well the NAACP would have their head either way it seems. in any case, if the damon wayans jr character was more nuanced, i'd cite that as a win. that means he's the real protagonist - the more complex one - and that movie did remarkably well at the box office. yay for movies with a black male lead.
also this is the only article i saw (but i wasn't looking so there's that) that connected ferguson with this movie. i'm not sure viewers thought about it. particularly since there's a huge difference between cops behaving badly and people pretending to be cops behaving badly.
is there anything in particular in black culture that you didn't understand from this article? the incessant fear of cops perhaps?
4. why was it good not to pay attention? doesn't seem like much of a news story.
re: myers briggs
i don't really care about the test not being accepted by psychologists. i think it's helpful to me. i don't feel the need to question its bona fides when it seems to get me right and i'm not sure how much better a test i could take to measure my personality.
r2r to "return of the bunny"
2. i woke up saying "yeah" and pumping my fist and it did make me feel better.
re: condiments
yes i only use heinz ketchup. i don't know if it's supposed to be fancy sriracha but it certainly looks that way.
re psychiatrists
i will look for some therapists for you
re: burning restaurant patron question
yes it was a burning question. i hate waiting in lines and eventually i do get paranoid that the hostess just doesn't like me. this answer: just chill - will probably get me far in life.
re: spielberg
well if you have the satire tag, this wouldn't happen. or would it happen and you'd find that people are even stupider than you thought?
but seriously, people who see pictures of hunters with their prey and go all PETA are the worst!
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Small Decisions
I called this.
The last one is impossible for us to follow, but I definitely see it.
This review both made me not want to see Let's Be Cops and made me wonder whether I'll ever get certain aspects of black culture.
This is the other major news story going on. My decision to stop paying attention for a while appears to have been the right one.
Responses to "the return of the bunny":
1. Insert wistful feelings here.
2. How is that working out?
3. It's because, if they didn't, then Asian-American activists would cry foul.
4. Maybe the issue is also the notion of indulging. Kids don't overeat as much when food is in relatively good supply and there isn't a reward system built in (e.g. if you do your homework, you can have ice cream). Perhaps people would overeat less (and thus feel guilty less) if we thought about food differently.
R2R#1:
4. I thought you would say something about this one... I picked it because of something you said.
5. The issue is less people engaging in free-market transactions (to which I have no objection) and more whether the ideas that motivate these transactions are worthwhile for society to have.
R2R#2:
6. Do you have any thoughts, though?
Responses to "the bunny strikes back":
1. My apartment could use some heavy duty disinfectants.
2. The one I wonder about is ketchup. For a lot of people, Heinz is special and distinct, and when I've had homemade ketchup in various restaurants, while it is often good, it is always different. The rest are definitely better homemade, though also more susceptible to spoilage. Is the hot sauce supposed to be like sriracha?
3. These are both psychiatrists. I'd prefer to start with a regular therapist before we get the actual doctors involved. Are there any of those around?
4. The first question strikes me as somewhat difficult but rather telling. I could take or leave some of the others. I'd be curious to see how people handle the tipping question because it strikes me as too easy, but maybe people just aren't generally good at math.
5. Planks are very good for you.
6. Was this a burning question for you?
B
The last one is impossible for us to follow, but I definitely see it.
This review both made me not want to see Let's Be Cops and made me wonder whether I'll ever get certain aspects of black culture.
This is the other major news story going on. My decision to stop paying attention for a while appears to have been the right one.
Responses to "the return of the bunny":
1. Insert wistful feelings here.
2. How is that working out?
3. It's because, if they didn't, then Asian-American activists would cry foul.
4. Maybe the issue is also the notion of indulging. Kids don't overeat as much when food is in relatively good supply and there isn't a reward system built in (e.g. if you do your homework, you can have ice cream). Perhaps people would overeat less (and thus feel guilty less) if we thought about food differently.
R2R#1:
4. I thought you would say something about this one... I picked it because of something you said.
5. The issue is less people engaging in free-market transactions (to which I have no objection) and more whether the ideas that motivate these transactions are worthwhile for society to have.
R2R#2:
6. Do you have any thoughts, though?
Responses to "the bunny strikes back":
1. My apartment could use some heavy duty disinfectants.
2. The one I wonder about is ketchup. For a lot of people, Heinz is special and distinct, and when I've had homemade ketchup in various restaurants, while it is often good, it is always different. The rest are definitely better homemade, though also more susceptible to spoilage. Is the hot sauce supposed to be like sriracha?
3. These are both psychiatrists. I'd prefer to start with a regular therapist before we get the actual doctors involved. Are there any of those around?
4. The first question strikes me as somewhat difficult but rather telling. I could take or leave some of the others. I'd be curious to see how people handle the tipping question because it strikes me as too easy, but maybe people just aren't generally good at math.
5. Planks are very good for you.
6. Was this a burning question for you?
B
Thursday, August 14, 2014
the bunny strikes back
to me, this read as "why you should use heavy duty disinfectants"
the best condiments are homemade? this is from that same issue of martha stewart- wonder if it's any good. (but i guess it's not homemade so maybe not)
two therapists to check out:
questions i may need to ponder soon
responses to previous articles
the rom com article: even as clinical and perfunctory as this article makes it sound, it actually really makes me miss romcoms.
the sorrentinos: yeah, why would anyone want to watch normal "the situation" or normal anyone on reality tv.
the best condiments are homemade? this is from that same issue of martha stewart- wonder if it's any good. (but i guess it's not homemade so maybe not)
two therapists to check out:
questions i may need to ponder soon
responses to previous articles
the rom com article: even as clinical and perfunctory as this article makes it sound, it actually really makes me miss romcoms.
the sorrentinos: yeah, why would anyone want to watch normal "the situation" or normal anyone on reality tv.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)