I'm sure you all heard about it now...(Boston)

[Rust]

Good news is it isn't actually Veto Proof (288 does not equal 290 that is), and the Senate have basically said they refuse to even talk about it, so this is as far as it goes.

[TimtheEnchanter]

Hopefully I didn't cause confusion. I meant the House of Reps, not the White House.

I don't 'think' Obama has officially changed his perspective on it. Hopefully the same is true for unofficially.

We've already had a slaughter of kiddies used this year in an effort to push gun control. If the Boston bombing has altered perception of CISPA, I may start giving conspiracy theories a bit more consideration.

Still doesn't mean these attacks are inside jobs though. It just means that stuff blowing up is a convenient opportunity to use fear-mongering and convince citizens that trading privacy and/or rights for security is a good idea. And since no legislation will ever put an end to foreign or domestic terrorist acts, they can perpetually push for more security measures.

If CISPA gets shot down again, maybe the next draft will require everyone to install wireless transmitters on all electronic communication devices; transmitters that run directly into FBI HQ. And they'll call it PAIBA: The "Protection Against Insane Bombers Act."

[Rust]

As terrible as this sounds, I'm shocked something like Boston hasn't happened sooner.

The media venerates killers - look at how much attention Aurora and Sandy Hook received. Add in a pressure cooker "Us vs Them" mindset among the political discourse (Be it Elected officials or Talking Head blowhards)...and it's a wonder something like this isn't a daily occurrence.

While I am a self professed Nethead and love having the Oracle of Delphi/Library of Alexandria at my finger tips, I also wonder if being exposed to so much information - so much noise - is honestly all that healthy. News Channels are now 24/7 non-stop, and it seems like everyone has a conspiracy to fit your particular taste buds (I have a few myself - I just don't share them. Because if I had any actual proof, it wouldn't be a "Theory").

As my father so famously put it not that long ago:

"It's all noise...and the Devil loves noise."

[TimtheEnchanter]

Oh rust... you just had to sneak in a 'pressure cooker' reference, didn't you. 

I think society has hit a major wall with regard to trust too. If we see a photo or a video of anything, we have no way of knowing if it's legit or not. When a bomb goes off, our first thought with looking for suspects is, "Who has something to gain?"

A news company just got slammed for 'erasing' a nasty wound in one of the Boston photos. I've seen radical groups who swear by evolution and in the next breath, say that science has manipulated the truth behind competitive animal behaviors to justify capitalism.

Then take the fiasco with the recent gun control decision. Obama is up there saying that 90% of voters wanted the advanced background checks. And everyone is saying that those polls were faked, or that he's blatantly lying. Which leaves us to believe whatever the heck we want to believe. The Pres could be lying, or all the naysayers could. We have nothing solid to stand on, with practically anything anymore.

The Flat-Earth theory is a perfect example of this. Yeah, it's really REALLY unlikely, but they bring up an interesting point. Unless we all go into space and see it for ourselves, we have no choice but to take someone else's word for it. And people are starting to realize that in a world where everyone has an agenda, anyone can be lying to us. We're reaching a point where I don't even know if we can call ourselves a society. If everyone is just out for him/herself, and nobody cares about the whole, that's not a society. That's not even an anarchy. I don't know what the heck it is.

[Rust]

Welcome to the Post-Capitalist World.

As for the Pressure Cooker reference...totally unintentional.

[eabrace]

I think with this being an act of terror and all, the eventual trial should be held at Gitmo.  No TV, no news coverage, no publicity, and no platform for whatever agenda the bomber had.

[Rust]

The biggest problem really is finding a non-biased jury. The Aurora Shooter had much the same issue before finally going to trial and I know McVey was the same way. To say nothing of how O.J. Simpson got away with a double homicide.

Another reason the Media needs to shut up and just deliver the straight facts on the case.

[TimtheEnchanter]

Another reason the Media needs to shut up and just deliver the straight facts on the case.

On that note... http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-april-17-2013/the-most-busted-name-in-news

[FatherXmas]

Well the bad guys didn't expect this.

Not only did Carlos Arredondo, the guy in the cowboy hat, saved Jeff Bauman, turns out he saved the one up close eye witness of one of the scum who did this.  Ha!  Bet you thought this guy wouldn't have survived the blast.

[TimtheEnchanter]

Am I the only one who feels like we could be on the verge of a media-fueled mass hysteria?

http://news.yahoo.com/teen-stunned-portrayal-mass-bombing-suspect-015852323.html

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/gunman-reportedly-shoots-police-officer-mit-boston-034906627.html

[FatherXmas]

Am I the only one who feels like we could be on the verge of a media-fueled mass hysteria?

http://news.yahoo.com/teen-stunned-portrayal-mass-bombing-suspect-015852323.html

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/gunman-reportedly-shoots-police-officer-mit-boston-034906627.html

The first is caused by 4chan and Reddit "trying to help" and the NY Daily News picking it up from there.

The second is the universe providing a list of reasons for a young woman I met this weekend who was deciding between MIT and Yale to not go to MIT.  I even praised both the areas around MIT and the shopping over on Newbury Street/Copley Square as relatively safe for a major city.

[TimtheEnchanter]

LOL, FX.

Looks like they caught someone. For real, this time. I think... at least, it seems likely that this is connected to the bombing. *shifty eyes* Maybe?

Naa, probably not.

[eabrace]

Having passed out on the couch last night, live coverage of this morning's firefight served as my alarm clock.

Well, 1 down, I guess.

[Segev]

Well, now we know who the suspects are - and their response to being tracked down certainly makes them look guilty - so hopefully justice will be thorough, accurate, and swift.

I would prefer we not glorify, justify, or memorialize this, as it only gives fuel to the insane mindset that values this kind of horror.

("This" being the terrorists, not an injunction against holding memorial for the victims. I do hope we don't make the mistake we made with the twin towers site and turn it into a grave marker, though. We can remember the fallen without giving a monument to the monsters.)

[eabrace]

I would prefer we not glorify, justify, or memorialize this, as it only gives fuel to the insane mindset that values this kind of horror.

Agreed.

[TimtheEnchanter]

Their Uncle thinks this was inspired by "hatred to those that were able to settle themselves"

Looks like someone believes this was set off by economic hell.

[Segev]

Their uncle also characterizes the younger one as brilliant and a good person, and the older one as "a loser." Which sounds like, at least to the Uncle's mind, the older one created his own problems and dragged the younger one into it. (I question anybody who would involve themselves in even attempted mass murder being a "good person.")

[TimtheEnchanter]

A bit of a brief conspiracy rant now.

Maybe this is just attributed to people losing their wits after they realize the whole world is gunning for them (sort of like how shooting sprees tend to end with the shooter committing suicide). But does anyone else find it a bit strange how this police chase ended up happening?

We're talking about people who were smart enough to build, at least from what I can tell, the most technologically advanced IED's ever used on U.S. soil in recent years. They had enough money to accomplish that, to get guns with tons of ammo, and freaking grenades.

But after all of that, they can't be bothered to pay for a couple of hostess cupcakes, and instead hold up the store and risk attracting the attention of every law enforcement official in the whole city?

Something about that doesn't sit right with me.

[Segev]

They may have feared recognition anyway, and used the hold-up to keep anybody from calling the police before they could get back out.

Or they could have been power-tripping.

Or maybe they WERE out of money. Or were looking for something other than "a couple of Hostess cupcakes."

[JaguarX]

Their uncle also characterizes the younger one as brilliant and a good person, and the older one as "a loser." Which sounds like, at least to the Uncle's mind, the older one created his own problems and dragged the younger one into it. (I question anybody who would involve themselves in even attempted mass murder being a "good person.")

Probably good person up to that point.

Ever came across that kid that was nice kind to everyone well mannered, good person, then ten years later he is being arrested for turning people's skin into lampshades?

Or opposite that kid always in trouble blowing up mailboxes, never going to amount to anything, a butthole in college, never even go to class and eventually dropped out, considered a loser, then makes his own company and becomes one of the biggest philanthropists in the world.

Or like heros and villains, sometimes a villain started off as a hero or a hero started off as a villain.

I think people are people and at the time, from their actions is what makes them good or bad. Never can tell what is going on inside a person's head or the trouble or even if they are one facebook let down from snapping, building a bomb and blowing up something or offing themselves and taking as many as they can with them. Kind of why I try to treat everyone as a person good or bad. As even the bad ones sometimes just want someone to say, "Hey man, you matter in this world and someone loves you." for once. Alas, I have a feeling my heart for people will be my downfall. But hell, then, I cant think of a better way to go. Better than going out bitter and full of hate.  And then becoming a bad person.