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Reading this article will give you a good feel for how dependent restaurants are on beer/liquor sales to stay afloat.

Delivery of food with no high-margin drinks wrecks that model. In a world where you can order any combination of items alone, each item has to be priced reasonably.

Seven Year Old San Francisco Girl Struck and Killed By Uber Driver; Uber Denies Responsibility http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/...

Boston Uber Driver Charged with indecent Assault and Battery http://www.bostonglobe.com/met...

Off-Duty LA Uber Driver Accused of Sexual Assault http://www.bizjournals.com/los...

Chicago Uber Driver With Felony Conviction Charged With Battery For Allegedly Hitting Passenger http://www.forbes.com/sites/el...

Writer and Activist Reports Being Choked in DC; Uber Denies The Event and Responsibility http://valleywag.gawker.com/ub...

DC Uber Driver Allegedly Assaults Customer for Burping http://www.washingtoncitypaper...

San Francisco Uber Customer Claims Abuse and Assault by Uber Driver (Pando) http://pando.com/2013/11/25/ub...

Passenger Struck In Head With Hammer by UberX Driver http://www.forbes.com/sites/el...

Uber Driver Pulls Gun on Valet in Atlanta http://pando.com/2014/09/08/at...

Uber Driver Punches Passenger in Oklahoma http://newsok.com/oklahoma-cit...

Lyft Driver Attacks Pedestrian in San Francisco http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news...

Lyft Driver Brandishes Knife in Los Angeles http://www.laweekly.com/2013-0...

Uber Customer Sues for $2M over Alleged Driver Stabbing in DC http://dcinno.streetwise.co/20...

DC Uber Driver Allegedly Rapes Customer http://betabeat.com/2013/03/ub...

Uber Driver Charged with Fondling Passenger in Chicago http://valleywag.gawker.com/ub...

DC Uber Driver Arrested for Alleged Rape But Not Charged Despite Strong Evidence http://www.washingtonpost.com/...

Another DC Uber Driver Accused of Molesting Uber Rider http://valleywag.gawker.com/an...

Passenger Struck In Head With Hammer by UberX Driver http://www.forbes.com/sites/el...

Uber Driver in India Accused of Rape http://www.bbc.c

but come on now, rape requires force, in the mechanical sense.

Only in the manner that "force, in the mechanical sense" is necessary for all movement. (Including cyber-sex; masturbation is movement and involved mechanical force.)

Only a minority of rapes involve force in the sense of violence or the threat thereof. Most involve alcohol or other drugs. (Mostly alcohol. "Date rape drugs" are about 90% myth.) This is because the people doing most of the raping are repeat offenders who carefully plan their actions. They're not leaping out of the bushes onto strangers; they're planning an attack on an acquaintance, "friend", or family member, and they're smart enough to know that it's a heck of a lot easier if the victim is intoxicated.

He was just really into Ayn Rand:

http://jezebel.com/5490207/a-welcomed-rape-sex-and-ayn-rand

http://politicalfilm.wordpress.com/2012/09/14/atlas-shat-ayn-rands-manifesto-of-rape-and-terrorism/

http://www.frontporchrepublic.com/2012/08/23812/

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/sexist/2010/03/10/internal-affairs-how-ayn-rand-followers-rationalize-welcomed-rape/

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021259973

So please. Your oppressing him because of his philosophical belies.

Fucking libs !

Ayn Rand was a psychopath: http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/sexist/2010/03/10/internal-affairs-how-ayn-rand-followers-rationalize-welcomed-rape/ Ayn Rand was a psychopath: http://www.frontporchrepublic.com/2012/08/23812/ Ayn Rand was a psychopath:

No. There are so many examples of cultures that eat insects, that it's got to be nurture. In fact, you can find all sorts of recipes for cicadas which are about to hatch in the eastern US around Memorial day... They were a staple of local natives before Europeans became ubiquitous.

The police actually hide the surveillance cameras in your country?

Fascinating.

I use it all the time in DC. I probably use it more because of the fact the DC government doesn't like it.

Although it's not widely known among the general public, Washington DC is one of the last remaining large municipal markets here in the United States without a medallion system. In more heavily regulated cities, like New York, a medallion issued by the taxi commission and limited to a set number of cabs is required to pick up fares hailed from the street. Of course, certain special interests and their hired lobbyists are working to change that, to the detriment of consumers and independent operators, but until they do very little besides a valid drivers license is required to operate a cab in DC.

idk... looks more like John Waters to me...

The Islamic world wasn't the whole of his examples, just an afterthought thrown in there.

Look at any Digg story about rape. Or any article that drifts into whether abortion should be legal in cases of rape.

Then there are stories like this http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10211/1076338-455.stm where every mention of rape is assumed to actually be consensual sex (in other words, she asked for it).

Or these pamphlets that aim to spread the message everywhere http://jezebel.com/5482688/you-make-men-want-to-be-sinful-blaming-the-victim-religious-pamphlet-edition

Or http://jezebel.com/5478360/she-knew-what-would-happen-if-she-started-drinking-blaming-the-victim-princeton-edition

This shows that it isn't just a small nutball collective: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1251040/Rape-Its-fault-victims-say-50-women.html?ITO=1490&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+dailymail/home+(Home+|+Mail+Online)

The boys aren't to blame because she drank a bit: http://current.com/1db6i4c

Here's what rapists think about it: http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/sexist/2010/04/15/why-dont-we-accept-victim-blaming-from-rapists/

There are a whole host of weirder cases, too, that imply that rape victims actually gave consent. Remember how Whoopi Goldberg ranting about how Roman Polanski's drugging and raping an unconscious child wasn't really rape? I'm not sure what she was getting at, but if it wasn't rape then it stands to reason that Whoopi thought something about the unconscious, drugged girl gave consent to Polanski.

But if you can produce mainstream commentators...

You are moving goalposts and putting them someplace strange and unnecessary. This isn't about political commentators blaming the victim, it's about members of the public blaming the victim, all the time. Fair enough that you can find a lone person with an insane definition of anything, but this is hardly a rare viewpoint.

Additionally I think people from any country where a policeman pulls a gun when he gets caught up in a snowball fight should consider shutting the fuck up, n'est ce pas?

It must be, when we're posting stories from 13 years ago.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/display.php?id=10873

The kid is in high school and no longer speaks a word of Klingon.

The washington city paper has a story on the waste of resources, known as the survelience cameras in DC.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/display.php?id=36798

I certainly know that they have not helped with murders around the block from my house. Essentially, the cameras are never pointed in the right direction at the right time, and have never had the tape used as evidence for court purposes.

1. Eric, who graduated law school around 2005, was one of the lawyers who was scammed in a work-from-home scheme on craigslist.

2. He is currently suing the scammer, but apparently without success so far; his motion for discovery was denied.

3. His client successes page consists of, essentially:
  (a) we won an anti-spam appeal... after we lost the initial case... in which we were the plaintiffs when we were in law school.
  (b) A startup needed some startup forms. We drafted some startup forms.
  (c) A journal needed some licensing forms. We drafted some licensing forms.

4. His "Attorneys" page talks about "the people in the organization", and then lists: Eric Menhart. His two "Appellate Advocacy" cases include (a) his own case, from 3(a), and (b) one other case, which appears to be a TCPA junk fax lawsuit.

5. His "Alliances" page starts by pointing out that he's only a few blocks from the White House, and "near" the Supreme Court and other courthouses - including being within 100 miles of other circuit courts. It then addresses the actual issue of alliances: They have "numerous strategic alliances with other lawyers and law firms around the nation." That's it.

6. Among his seven "Practice Areas" pages, the only page actually claiming any experience is the "Litigation" page, which states: "CyberLaw® offers substantial litigation experience. When you retain the firm, your matter will be handled by an attorney with state and federal trial and appellate experience. The firm is also experienced with alternative dispute resolution proceedings, such as before the American Arbitration Association."

We know from #3 that Eric gained "state and federal trial and appellate experience" by... filing a lawsuit on his own behalf as a law student, losing it, appealing it, and winning on appeal. And one other case. We don't know if he has other experience in a courtroom. We don't know what he means by "substantial".

7. His "binary logo" - probably mandatory for any firm calling itself CyberLaw - is "11010101011010100101000". That's 23 bits.

1. Eric, who graduated law school around 2005, was one of the lawyers who was scammed in a work-from-home scheme on craigslist.

2. He is currently suing the scammer, but apparently without success so far; his motion for discovery was denied.

3. His client successes page consists of, essentially:
  (a) we won an anti-spam appeal... after we lost the initial case... in which we were the plaintiffs when we were in law school.
  (b) A startup needed some startup forms. We drafted some startup forms.
  (c) A journal needed some licensing forms. We drafted some licensing forms.

4. His "Attorneys" page talks about "the people in the organization", and then lists: Eric Menhart. His two "Appellate Advocacy" cases include (a) his own case, from 3(a), and (b) one other case, which appears to be a TCPA junk fax lawsuit.

5. His "Alliances" page starts by pointing out that he's only a few blocks from the White House, and "near" the Supreme Court and other courthouses - including being within 100 miles of other circuit courts. It then addresses the actual issue of alliances: They have "numerous strategic alliances with other lawyers and law firms around the nation." That's it.

6. Among his seven "Practice Areas" pages, the only page actually claiming any experience is the "Litigation" page, which states: "CyberLaw® offers substantial litigation experience. When you retain the firm, your matter will be handled by an attorney with state and federal trial and appellate experience. The firm is also experienced with alternative dispute resolution proceedings, such as before the American Arbitration Association."

We know from #3 that Eric gained "state and federal trial and appellate experience" by... filing a lawsuit on his own behalf as a law student, losing it, appealing it, and winning on appeal. And one other case. We don't know if he has other experience in a courtroom. We don't know what he means by "substantial".

7. His "binary logo" - probably mandatory for any firm calling itself CyberLaw - is "11010101011010100101000". That's 23 bits.

there is a difference, however, between speed cameras and gov't "security" cameras. speed cameras are less of a problem, and i would be more inclined to just find a way to avoid having my plate recognized. there are some products on the market that claim to disrupt the image recorded by the camera, but i'm not sure how well they work. these cameras aren't "saving lives", they're inflating coffers. the technology has changed, but the motive has not - in the end, it's the same effect as artifically low speed limits on interstate highways and cops hiding in the bushes with radar guns. the citizen, i believe, has a right (and a duty) to evade these intrusions by any means they can come up with, such as radar jammers (which are unfortunately illegal in the US, if they even work) and radar detectors (only illegal in the state of virginia and dc).

this roving camera system in the dc area is just another money producing invasion disgused as a public saftey measure. btw, that link won't be around too much longer.

the cameras out in public, not watching cars but people bother me immensely. they're quite protective of those eyes on the people, aren't they, handing out such stiff sentences for attacking them. when i advocated destroying government property (and i do, no need to mince words), i added the important note - don't get caught. TFA states that there are something in the neighborhood of 4 million cameras, a statistic that i would be suspicious of, but for arguments sake, why aren't people crying out that at 30,000 pounds a pop, the cost of such an installation is astronomical, to say the least. i do realize we're referring to the speed cameras at this cost, b ut knowing inept government purchasing, i'd imagine the price for security cameras isn't far from that number.

safer yet, for the citizen removing the spying eyes of his government, would be taking out the camera with a projectile (such as a rifle).

and i agree with your feeling that our societies deem acts of rebellion against police and other law enforcement to be such high crimes. it is only human to resist being pushed around by bullies with badges and guns.

Competence is irrelevant in corporate America. You just have to seem to be sucking up. (via)

The Express is a good quick read for the metro ride, but doesn't have the rich, full-bodied taste of a full newspaper. Also has mostly the same news I get in the 5-minute NPR headlines, but it's something to do while waiting for/cramming into trains.

As for the Examiner...there's enough issues about it that I find it dubious and avoid it. For example, they litter all over, including in my Arlington neighorhood. Of course, only certian neighborhoods are getting the Examiner tossed on their doorstep, and those seem to be 'selected' areas (re: white and rich). And, the Examiner regularly publishes articles on properties owned by their parent company without acknowledging the connection (ie: they ran a big piece on the DC United, which is owned byt he Examiner's owner).

All free media isn't created equal.

What are those senators smoking?

Amusingly enough, something that will get them a mandatory minimum 5 year sentence.

It's too bad Man or Astro-man? is on sabbatical.
I expect a MoA-M? vs C!BR show would be the smackdown of the new millennium. Or maybe not.
But at least it'd be an interesting double-bill. Maybe they could rehydrate one of the clone bands. I heard the gammas rocked!

According to the Washington City Paper , the Segway can also run away from "stupid users" who step off of it without powering it off. This led to a dangerous situation in Washington's subway, which has led to a ban on the devices in the Metrorail system:

Unlike, say, a power lawnmower, a Segway doesn't have an automatic kill switch that activates if you stop holding the controls. "I sat down, didn't shut it off, and let go of it," Kinkella recalls. The machine took off on its own and flopped onto the subway's track bed. Metro safety official Ron Keele says service had to be temporarily shut down until the HT could be retrieved.

I'd call that a pretty serious design problem.

On two counts, you can't judge that. Remember Milli Vanilli? They were lip syncing all the time. They had no real skill; they were made by the RIAA.

In such a case, the artist is the advertiser; it is the RIAA themselves. I'd contend the same is true for any of the RIAA artists. If you're going to listen to their trash, therefore, pay your money to them. Shoot, pay double!

If you want to send your money to the artist for their music, then find an artist with whom you can do that, which you like. There are tons of such artists around; if you want to see any such artists, I suggest you go to a few of the New Years' "First Night" events. One that I found, which I loved, was the musical group Trapezoid. Even better, their lead singer's wife was also a master storyteller.

Anyhow, if you want to give your money directly to the artists, please do. Just go find your own. But if you're dealing with RIAA songs, the RIAA *is* the artist. And yes, they do suck, which is why I don't listen to their songs, except when a radio has to be playing (and sometimes it doesn't).

I mean, hell, you want friends, it helps to have something in common with them. Personally, I was a military brat, and the military folks tend to be much more welcoming of any new person, as they're used to being the new person themselves, but most people aren't so used to getting thrown in a new place every few years.

If you're in any professional/hobbyist/whatever organizations, look to see if there are any chapters where you're going...for those geeks, maybe a linux users group, perl mongers, whatever. There might be a lego users group, or something else where you can meet people, if that's what you're trying to do. Of course, there's also the chance that these people are obsessive freaks.

Do some research before you go... for all you know, you have relatives living in that same town, or friends from high school or college who are only an hour or two away from where you're going. Ask your friends if any of them have been there, any maybe they have recommendations on things to do, places to go, whatever. Check online ... look for a local newspaper, and see what sort of things there are going on in the town. If it's a big city, look for an independant newspaper, like the Baltimore or Washington City Papers. You might also check colleges in the area, and see what sort of events their student papers have listed.

You can also check out DMOZ by region, and you might be able to find something of interest. You might check the local phone book for independant bookstores, comic book / game shops, whatever sparks your interest.

Without knowing what sort of people you're trying to meet, it's hard to give any useful suggestions as to where to find them.

It seems quite appropriate that one of the "uninfected" stations mentioned there is KGNU ;).

Alex Bischoff
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