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Russian Officials To Investigate Regional President's Alien Abduction Claims

wdef writes "The BBC reports that a Russian MP has asked President Dmitry Medvedev to investigate claims by a regional president that he has met aliens on board a spaceship. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, the leader of the southern region of Kalymkia, made his claim in a television interview. Mr Ilyumzhinov said in an interview on primetime television that he had been taken on board an alien spaceship which had come to planet Earth to take samples — and claims to have several witnesses. He has been president of Kalmykia, a small Buddhist region of Russia which lies on the shores of the Caspian Sea, for 17 years. As president of the World Chess Federation, he has spent tens of millions of dollars turning the impoverished republic into a mecca for chess players — building an entire village to host international tournaments. MP Andre Lebedev is not just asking whether Mr Ilyumzhinov is fit to govern. He is also concerned that, if he was abducted, he may have revealed details about his job and state secrets."

184 comments

  1. It's Always the Chess Players by eldavojohn · · Score: 4, Funny

    Why do high profile chess players always have to go completely batshit crazy?

    Tomorrow we'll find out Kasparov has invented a "free energy" machine and historians have found a volume of letters from Paul Morphy claiming he controlled the moon.

    --
    My work here is dung.
    1. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by Pojut · · Score: 4, Funny

      It's no different than a footballer or hockey player that has a broken body later on in life. Chess players use their minds like footballers and hockey players use their body.

    2. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by somersault · · Score: 5, Funny

      Sympathetic to Fischer's plight, but reluctant to grant him the full benefits of citizenship, Icelandic authorities granted him an alien's passport.

      Coincidence? I THINK NOT.

      --
      which is totally what she said
    3. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Congrats, that's the dumbest thing I've read this week.

    4. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by Abcd1234 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Why do high profile chess players always have to go completely batshit crazy?

      So, wait... two examples, and you indict an entire group of people?

      Wow, well done. Well done indeed.

    5. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by Yvanhoe · · Score: 2, Informative

      No, Kasparov is running as a candidate in the opposition party against to Vladimir Putin. This can be labelled as "batshit crazy" as well, I must admit.

      --
      The Wise adapts himself to the world. The Fool adapts the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the Fool.
    6. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Nah, probably just another spent chess player.

    7. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by d34dluk3 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Now imagining: "Oh, and those neurons just got slammed by that Rook! What a brutal hit, Steve!"

    8. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by The+Grim+Reefer2 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Congrats, that's the dumbest thing I've read this week.

      So you're saying this is the only thing you've read on Slashdot this week.

    9. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      in Kasparov case, its actually more akin to suicidal behaviour than being batshit crazy. I reserved those kind of specials for the Tom Cruise category of insane.

    10. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by siloko · · Score: 1

      More pertinently Ilyumzhinov is up for re-election as President of FIDE soon and is currently in a battle with former World Chess Champion Anatoly Karpov for the Russian Chess Federation's nomination. This couldn't have come at a better time for Karpov. Roll on a new era in chess administration and please lets put an end to Chess Grand Prix's and other prestigious tournaments being held in the back of beyond to satisfy some curious regional egotism!

    11. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by Thanshin · · Score: 4, Funny

      Insightful? Seriously?

      Are the modders out of their fricking minds?

      They've probably played too much chess, or something.

    12. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by CastrTroy · · Score: 1

      Two is a significant sample if we're talking about the number of "high profile chess players" in the world.

      --

      Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
    13. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by Runaway1956 · · Score: 1

      Tom Cruise and the CoC(k) people aren't batshit crazy. They are much more disgusting that bat guana. Batshit crazy is apt for a world class chess player who has gone round the bend. Most politicians who go off the deep end are much more commonplace - they are dogshit crazy! ;^)

      --
      "Windows is like the faint smell of piss in a subway: it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it." - Charlie Br
    14. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by sonnejw0 · · Score: 4, Informative

      Actually, the APOE4 allele that predisposes to Alzheimer's Disease / Dementia also embues its recipients with a higher IQ. The hypothesis is that the brain burns out quickly, so perhaps chess players do become progressively more illogical as they burn out their logic circuits quickly in earlier life.

    15. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Kasparov is already insane. He believes that a thousand years of history doesn't actually exist:

      http://www.revisedhistory.org/view-garry-kasparov.htm

    16. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by Abcd1234 · · Score: 0, Troll

      Two is a significant sample if we're talking about the number of "high profile chess players" in the world.

      Really? Could you provide a statistical backing for that claim? Because I *strongly* suspect "two" isn't a significant enough sample to extract a trend in any moderately sized population.

    17. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by Shakrai · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Congrats, that's the dumbest thing I've read this week.

      So you're saying this is the only thing you've read on Slashdot this week.

      Maybe he reads at +5 and doesn't enjoy the privilege of reading the gay niggers association of america as often as the rest of us?

      --
      I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
      We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
    18. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because I *strongly* suspect "two" isn't a significant enough sample to extract a trend in any moderately sized population.

      Right, and when the population is like ten or so then two is a significant sample.

    19. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by blackraven14250 · · Score: 1

      When there's only four high-profile chess players....

    20. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by geekoid · · Score: 1

      The fact that has been modded up as insightful is the most shameful thing I've seen on slashdot.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    21. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Tomorrow we'll find out Kasparov has invented a "free energy" machine and historians have found a volume of letters from Paul Morphy claiming he controlled the moon.

      Kasparov is batshit-crazy. For one thing, he is an ardent and outspoken supporter of Fomenko's "New Chronology" - go ahead, read what's at that link, and tell me if a sane person can believe this.

      Then also, politically, Kasparov is by and large a neo-con. Yes, he's still an opposition to the existing regime in Russia, and I'd prefer him over the guys who rule the country now, but overall, his politics are also rather extreme.

    22. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So you're saying this is the only thing you've read on Slashdot this week.

    23. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Congrats, that's the dumbest thing I've read this week.

      Cut him some slack, he's a former chess player.

    24. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by Abcd1234 · · Score: 1

      When there's only four high-profile chess players....

      Uhuh. Yeah, there's a few more than that.

    25. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by Abcd1234 · · Score: 1

      Right, and when the population is like ten or so then two is a significant sample.

      No, it's still not. A population of 10 tells you absolutely zilch about chess players as a group, or about high-ranked chess players as a subgroup. The sample itself is simply too small to say anything at all that's statistically meaningful.

      And that's ignoring the fact that there are more like hundreds of professional chess players out there.

    26. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by Imrik · · Score: 1

      The GP is suggesting that the subgroup 'high profile chess players' has a population of about 10. A sample of size 2 from a population of size 10 is significant.

    27. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by Xarin · · Score: 1

      Insightful? Seriously?

      Are the modders out of their fricking minds?

      They've probably played too much chess, or something.

      What else are you supposed to do at chess camp?

    28. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by tophermeyer · · Score: 1

      Right, and when the population is like ten or so then two is a significant sample.

      No, it's still not. A population of 10 tells you absolutely zilch about chess players as a group, or about high-ranked chess players as a subgroup. The sample itself is simply too small to say anything at all that's statistically meaningful.

      And that's ignoring the fact that there are more like hundreds of professional chess players out there.

      Right. Even assuming you have a sample of two from a population of ten super elite chess players you might pass significance tests (thats a very shaky might), but that does not at all mean that there is anything significant (in either the statistical or practical sense) about any results. 2 sets of data is just insufficient to meaningfully analyze, ESPECIALLY in social sciences that deal with human people.

    29. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by Imrik · · Score: 1

      High-ranked is not the same as high-profile.

    30. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by MousePotato · · Score: 1

      Hundreds of professional chess players?

      Wow... I'm wondering how much money one could possibly make as a 'professional chess player' because by some definition of the word 'professional' they should all be making some sort of coinage.

      Is there any info on this as a career? Just curious...

    31. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by MousePotato · · Score: 1

      That.. is... well...

      Disturbing.

      Even more so is that you knew to post all those links.

    32. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by Abcd1234 · · Score: 1

      Well, given that the US chess championship for 2010 features a $170,000 purse, while a player may not be able to live only on chess, they can certainly do alright by it, assuming they're any good.

    33. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by AlamedaStone · · Score: 1

      Tom Cruise and the CoC(k) people aren't batshit crazy. They are much more disgusting that bat guana. Batshit crazy is apt for a world class chess player who has gone round the bend. Most politicians who go off the deep end are much more commonplace - they are dogshit crazy! ;^)

      I think there's probably a direct correlation between an individual's standing in the Church of Scientology and the ratio of evil:batshit-crazy in their hearts.

      --
      "All these years believing you're the signified monkey, only to find out you're just a big hunk of nobody cares."
    34. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by silverglade00 · · Score: 0

      Quit spanking it with cottage cheese.

    35. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by silverglade00 · · Score: 1

      Even more so is that you knew to post all those links.

      My guess is he's either responsible or next.

    36. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by somersault · · Score: 1

      Actually I would not be surprised if parts of our modern version of history have been falsified. "History is written by the victor" and all that.. and most religious originators/leaders are obviously insane and/or control freaks, book burners etc.. I've never been particularly interested in history as a subject though for most of my life, and it's only now that I myself am no longer religious that I'm starting to find it more interesting.

      --
      which is totally what she said
    37. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by shiftless · · Score: 1

      well dont get your panties in a wad over it

    38. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And more importantly, how's the alien going to get home now?

    39. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by Yvanhoe · · Score: 1

      Any political campaign that involves a real flying penis has enough insanity for me :
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haRZxPw0JYg

      --
      The Wise adapts himself to the world. The Fool adapts the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the Fool.
    40. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Millenium Hand and Shrimp!

    41. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by unwastaken · · Score: 1

      Well, you have to consider that two is a large sample size for such a small group. How many high profile chess players are there?!

    42. Re:It's Always the Chess Players by hardwarefreak · · Score: 1

      Why do high profile chess players always have to go completely batshit crazy?

      Sounds like classic bipolar mania or psychosis. The state of mental health care in the US is pretty abysmal for those without health insurance or any ability to pay for decent care. What's the state of mental health diagnosis and treatment in Russia? I'd bet it's abysmal, period. This cat has probably done and said many wacky things throughout his life/career, but until now, none of them were outlandish enough to gain any kind of real notice. Or, maybe he just never showed any symptoms until the Vodka ran out. Alcohol is a natural self medicating device for many with mental illness--helps mask the symptoms. There is also anecdotal evidence showing well above average IQ in the bipolar population, though no formal study has shown quantification AFAIK.

  2. Dear Aliens by eldavojohn · · Score: 3, Funny

    What the hell? Come on aliens! Seriously? America has twice the crazies suitable for testing and ... probing. Russia is so 18th and 19th century. I promise you that for at least the next decade, Americans are the ones you want to abduct.

    Mr. President there must not be an alien abduction gap! I propose we take our most popular specimens like Tom Cruise, Ke$ha, Will Smith and Robert Downey Jr. and chain them down in a random field for sampling by aliens.

    --
    My work here is dung.
    1. Re:Dear Aliens by Grench · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I propose we take our most popular specimens like Tom Cruise, Ke$ha, Will Smith and Robert Downey Jr. and chain them down in a random field for sampling by aliens.

      Would you really want those four people to be the alien's first direct being-to-being contact with the human race?

      I know I certainly wouldn't ...

      --
      He's Jesus, for Christ's sake.
    2. Re:Dear Aliens by BlackSnake112 · · Score: 2, Funny

      He never said they were going to be returned. Just taken.

    3. Re:Dear Aliens by elrous0 · · Score: 1

      Mr. President, we must not allow an alien abduction gap!

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    4. Re:Dear Aliens by blackraven14250 · · Score: 1

      Besides, if the aliens were hostile, that's a fucking dream team to have on their mothership.

    5. Re:Dear Aliens by Bobfrankly1 · · Score: 1

      He never said they were going to be returned. Just taken.

      Russian Official: "I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for aliens like you. If you let my President go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you."

      Aliens: Qapla' [Good Luck]

    6. Re:Dear Aliens by CAIMLAS · · Score: 1

      You're forgetting Mr. New Orleans Lead Vest In A Raft Rescue himself, Sean Penn.

      --
      ~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
    7. Re:Dear Aliens by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What do you have against Robert Downey Jr.?

    8. Re:Dear Aliens by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Lets assume that the aliens have had access to the internet. On the one side of the world there's a lot of obese women with fake boobs. On the other side there's only hot teenagers with hot accents. I know where I'd rather land

      Yeah go ahead and mod me down while you scoff on your cheeseburgers Americans :-P

  3. Foreign prostitutes are not that kind of "alien" by elrous0 · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's amazing the extremes some politicans will go to to cover up affairs from their wives. "You see honey, I spend all weekend with...uh...ALIENS!" In other news, Ilyumzhinov is also planning a hiking trip this weekend on the Appalachian Trail--where his cellphone won't work, so don't even bother calling.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
  4. Proof by unixcrab · · Score: 1

    They already found proof of the UFO. Looks convincing to me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOWyZUI8a0g&feature=related

    1. Re:Proof by somersault · · Score: 1

      Aren't those videos just of mini-cyclone type things? Like a twister but above ground level.

      --
      which is totally what she said
    2. Re:Proof by Sinning · · Score: 1

      That's what they want you to believe.

    3. Re:Proof by imakemusic · · Score: 1

      ...as opposed to those regular underground twisters...

      --
      Brain surgery - it's not rocket science!
    4. Re:Proof by somersault · · Score: 1

      The ones you normally see on TV/movies have their base at ground level, but you also get ones that occur higher up. No need to be a smartass.

      --
      which is totally what she said
    5. Re:Proof by imakemusic · · Score: 1

      Sorry about that. I know it isn't necessary but it keeps me occupied.

      --
      Brain surgery - it's not rocket science!
    6. Re:Proof by somersault · · Score: 1

      It's okay, I've been there :p

      --
      which is totally what she said
  5. Even if he told them everything... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What are the odds they understand Russian?

  6. In soviet Russia... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... you abduct Aliens :)

  7. Site confussion by Rotten · · Score: 1

    I was sure i was reading "The Onion"...i even smiled while i went into the last sentence.

    1. Re:Site confussion by gestalt_n_pepper · · Score: 2, Funny

      It gets harder and harder to tell "The Onion" from the news every year.

      --
      Please do not read this sig. Thank you.
  8. What, no anal probe? by Jawn98685 · · Score: 2, Funny

    You'd think that someone fabricating an alien abduction tale would at least get the basics right.

    1. Re:What, no anal probe? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You know of course that the anal probing was in reaction to us not interacting with their normal probes safely. Having the airways and food intake in the same spot messed them up, they used to accidentally kill the people they were probing by suffocation.

    2. Re:What, no anal probe? by denis-The-menace · · Score: 1

      Maybe those aliens got bored of probing like these ones:

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz7sBTHtcLU

      --
      Obama's legacy: (N)othing (S)ecure (A)nywhere and (T)error (S)imulation (A)dministration
    3. Re:What, no anal probe? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Check the BBC article and look at the guy's face, heck that's why they're taking this so seriously, the aliens used too big of a probe, it got stuck, they had to leave it in, and when they returned him to earth he was able to report to medical authorities with undeniable proof he'd been abducted. Poor guy might even have to use depends for the rest of his life.

    4. Re:What, no anal probe? by 517714 · · Score: 1

      He sat on the king by "accident".

      --
      The US government have made it clear that we have no inalienable rights; any we do not defend vigorously will be taken.
    5. Re:What, no anal probe? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The aliens figured that there was no real point doing the anal probe anymore, since in the 50 years they'd been doing it all they discovered was "1 in 10 doesn't really seem to mind".

      (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kids_in_the_Hall)

  9. Alien witnesses . . .? by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 2, Funny

    Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, the leader of the southern region of Kalymkia, made his claim in a television interview. Mr Ilyumzhinov said in an interview on primetime television that he had been taken on board an alien spaceship which had come to planet Earth to take samples — and claims to have several witnesses

    Unfortunately, those alien witnesses are unavailable for questioning . . .

    --
    Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
    1. Re:Alien witnesses . . .? by dkleinsc · · Score: 1

      The good news is that eventually the aliens can be properly sued.

      --
      I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/
  10. Two words for you: crazy dictator by mapkinase · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I have two words for you: "Crazy dictator".

    Russian regional "governators" are appointed by president and all they have to do to stay in power in their local feods is simply lick Moscow's ass.

    At this circumstances it's a badge of honor for a local tzar to say something batshit crazy just to show that you are one wholesome untouchable sonofabitch.

    --
    I do not believe in karma. "Funny"=-6. Do good and forbid evil. Yours, Oft-Offtopic Flamebaiting Troll.
    1. Re:Two words for you: crazy dictator by ACS+Solver · · Score: 5, Informative

      While he was appointed for his current term as Head of Kalmykia, he was previously its President without any appointment, simply by being elected. Despite the occasional controversy, he's quite popular, I believe, not in the least due to his position in FIDE. Also, the story itself is nothing extraordinary. Ilyumzhinov has been known for years as an eccentric person, and he had already mentioned being taken to alien ships on a few occasions.

    2. Re:Two words for you: crazy dictator by mapkinase · · Score: 1

      This is very typical for Russian democracy: one wins in a shady election, "popularity" is the state-controlled media environment is totally BS.

      A Russian weird twist at this is that post-Soviet dictators are often people with geeky education (like Askar Akaev, former president of Kyrsgyztan, for example).

      --
      I do not believe in karma. "Funny"=-6. Do good and forbid evil. Yours, Oft-Offtopic Flamebaiting Troll.
    3. Re:Two words for you: crazy dictator by samkass · · Score: 5, Insightful

      This is very typical for Russian democracy: one wins in a shady election, "popularity" is the state-controlled media environment is totally BS.

      My measure of democracy is not whether someone is elected into office, but elected out of office. So far Russia has yet to strip a President of their power via an election, so I'm still withholding my opinion on whether it's a democracy.

      ---
      I do not believe in karma. "Funny"=-6. Do good and forbid evil. Yours, Oft-Offtopic Flamebaiting Troll.

      I find Slashdot far more tolerable with Funny set to -5 as well.

      --
      E pluribus unum
    4. Re:Two words for you: crazy dictator by Cyberax · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "While he was appointed for his current term as Head of Kalmykia, he was previously its President without any appointment, simply by being elected. Despite the occasional controversy, he's quite popular, I believe, not in the least due to his position in FIDE."

      And for nothing else. Kalmykia is extremely poor and Ilumzhinov really rules there like a dictator (i.e. suppressing press, using police to beat up people, etc.). Basically, Putin and Medveded do not care about it since Ilumzhinov keeps everything inside 'his' republic.

    5. Re:Two words for you: crazy dictator by Rogerborg · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      he was previously its President without any appointment, simply by being elected

      c.f. Hitler, Saddam, Bush II (well, in 2004 anyway).

      --
      If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
    6. Re:Two words for you: crazy dictator by ACS+Solver · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Do not be surprised at the popularity of authoritarian leaders in Russia. That's one of the weird things about the country. Someone who's pretty much a dictator or at least an autocrat can still be popular enough to win in a genuine election. Heck, Medvedev was elected because Putin said Medvedev is his preferred candidate. While Russian elections do apparently have vote-fixing in certain areas/demographics (not deliberate miscounts of votes, but people being forced to vote for a candidate), there's no doubt that the majority really did vote for Medvedev. Or that Putin easily had enough support for his second term.

      Seems like in smaller regions of Russia, many people are happy about having a local authoritarian-style leader. I think it's one of the worst legacies of the Soviet Union in this part of the world, and a legacy that's going to be tough to get rid of. I mean the people's contentedness (contentment? not sure of the English word) to have a guy in charge that makes the calls. A "strong ruler".

      This is one of the things I like about how Americans view their society. Americans and mostly happy and proud to vote, from what I've seen. They certainly would hate being in a situation where they don't have the opportunity to do so.

    7. Re:Two words for you: crazy dictator by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1

      While he was appointed for his current term as Head of Kalmykia, he was previously its President without any appointment, simply by being elected.

      This is true, and also applies to many other regional governors in Russia, especially in the "national republics" (those partitioned by some ethnic aspect) - most of the guys ruling them were "elected" once after collapse of the USSR, and have been repeatedly "re-elected" since, and now repeatedly re-appointed by the President. In fact, most of those people were also in positions of power during Soviet times.

      The reason why I mock-quote "elected" is because those elections, while not quite the sham they were in the USSR, didn't really get all that far away from there. Calling them "free and fair" would be a disgrace.

    8. Re:Two words for you: crazy dictator by tftp · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Do not be surprised at the popularity of authoritarian leaders in Russia. That's one of the weird things about the country.

      There is nothing surprising here. Russian history had weak rulers and strong rules. Weak ones brought disaster; strong ones brought success and prosperity. You don't need to go too far back, just look at the chaos and wars of Yeltsin's years.

      Americans and mostly happy and proud to vote, from what I've seen. They certainly would hate being in a situation where they don't have the opportunity to do so.

      I find this placebo to be quite interesting. They vote and they enjoy voting, but their votes change nothing. Perhaps they should classify voting as entertainment.

    9. Re:Two words for you: crazy dictator by zx-15 · · Score: 1

      I think it's a wrong argument to say that despite being a dictator person 'X' is still would win a popular vote. With the presence of just voting system, free journalism or at least somewhat free journalism you'd never know how how the public opinion would sway and would the dictator actually stack up to the competition, on the second thought no one knows either by how much elections were rigged, and whether there was one or one million ballots stuffed.

      I also think that this argument - "Putin is popular even without election rigging" is being used to make voter base feel apathetic and not want to do anything about the situation, so I'm a bit uneasy about it.

    10. Re:Two words for you: crazy dictator by Reservoir+Penguin · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I am a Russian citizen and do not believe western democracy is the best form of government. I also think you believe it not because of some deep comparison and analysis you performed but because it has been beaten into you head since you were a kid. Democracy is just a way to elect a strong capable leader. We already have a strong leader and a system that passes authority to another strong leader. Why do we need crazy election eccentrics? On the other hand I have been following Western election and USA elections in particualr and I do not for a second beleive the system worked to provide you with a good leader. If the system worked than why was Bush Jr, the president, not once but TWICE?? Was he really the most capable man for the job in America for whole eight years? If the system misfires so badly why keep it.

      --
      US-UK-Israel: The real Axis of Evil
    11. Re:Two words for you: crazy dictator by bar-agent · · Score: 1

      I find this placebo to be quite interesting. They vote and they enjoy voting, but their votes change nothing. Perhaps they should classify voting as entertainment.

      It can change things, from time to time. Nothing massive, nothing revolutionary, at least not by the standards of other countries. The American view (I can only speak for myself, but I believe it is a common view) is that if we have or need a real revolution, we screwed up badly. And I do not mean our leaders screwed up, but rather we the people screwed up. And who will admit to that?

      You are right, of course, about voting being entertainment. This is the U.S. Everything is entertainment. We are an easily distracted people.

      --
      i'd hit it so hard, if you pulled me out you'd be the king of britain [bash.org]
  11. "Regional President"? by Kirin+Fenrir · · Score: 1

    You'd think if a alien species could travel millions of billions of miles at (presumably) FTL speeds, they'd at least have the foresight to abduct someone important to interview.

    --
    Caffeine is my anti-drug!

    Duranin - A NWN2 Roleplaying Persistent World
    1. Re:"Regional President"? by ZeroExistenZ · · Score: 1

      they'd at least have the foresight to abduct someone important to interview

      Maybe he looked important to their reference frame and concepts.
      Don't extrapolate your value-systems; those who you might find "important" might be absolutely insignificant to me.

      For me the alien-stories get boring though, I was fascinated by it during the 90s, as was everybody. X-files sortof fueled this. But now, grand oversaturation and nothing exciting as the oversaturation discredits anything.

      --
      I think we can keep recursing like this until someone returns 1
    2. Re:"Regional President"? by Rockoon · · Score: 1

      Maybe for them, the game of chess is the most important thing in the universe.

      --
      "His name was James Damore."
    3. Re:"Regional President"? by Jeng · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Anyone who is sane would keep their mouths shut about it.

      It's kinda like the sailors who talked about the rogue waves, it wasn't until it was properly documented that they no longer considered the victims of rogue waves of just being bad sailors and bad liars.

      --
      Don't know something? Look it up. Still don't know? Then ask.
    4. Re:"Regional President"? by darkstar949 · · Score: 1

      To be fair, a regional president is likely more important than some of the other people that claim to have been abducted.

    5. Re:"Regional President"? by Issarlk · · Score: 1

      Maybe after millions of billions of miles they were terminally bored and wanted a good game of chess.

    6. Re:"Regional President"? by Anonymusing · · Score: 1

      Just what I was thinking.

      --
      Liberal? Conservative? Compare perspectives at Left-Right
    7. Re:"Regional President"? by Cyberax · · Score: 1

      "Regional president" is actually a correct translation of his title. Russia is divided into regions, and some of them are called 'republics' and thus are governed by presidents. Some other regions are 'gubernias' and are governed by 'gubernators'.

      Yes, it's a mess.

    8. Re:"Regional President"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Maybe for them, the game of chess is the most important thing in the universe.

      At least they won't be hostile then. Just insanely boring ...

    9. Re:"Regional President"? by ColdWetDog · · Score: 1

      Yes, it's a mess.

      It's all relative my friend. Very Relative

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    10. Re:"Regional President"? by tftp · · Score: 1

      Maybe for them, the game of chess is the most important thing in the universe.

      It is, with a full glass of zolt in hand.

    11. Re:"Regional President"? by hkmwbz · · Score: 1

      It seems to me that the aliens have a value system where they value mentally insane attention whores for abduction. Interesting.

      --
      Clever signature text goes here.
    12. Re:"Regional President"? by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      And ideally someone who wasn't clinically insane.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    13. Re:"Regional President"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So why haven't you been abducted yet? You definitely fit the criterion as a "mentally insane attention whore"

    14. Re:"Regional President"? by hkmwbz · · Score: 1

      I guess it's because alien abductions never happen. But it's a known fact that you are obsessing over me like a little crybaby :D

      --
      Clever signature text goes here.
  12. Pretty sure I've been abducted by the same aliens by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Took me for a ride on the Ketel One.

  13. Well, it worked when Mr. Smith got caught by FreeUser · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It's amazing the extremes some politicans will go to to cover up affairs from their wives. "You see honey, I spend all weekend with...uh...ALIENS!" In other news, Ilyumzhinov is also planning a hiking trip this weekend on the Appalachian Trail--where his cellphone won't work, so don't even bother calling.

    Well, it wouldn't be the first time a rediculously tall tail helped through the missus off the scent. When (Mormon founder) Joseph Smith was caught molesting a 14-year-old child, he simply told his followers (and his wife) that an angel with a sword commanded him to do it, and that everyone thereafter was ordered (by God, by way of sword-wielding angel and self-proclaimed prophet) to have more than one wife, on pain of death and damnation.

    Which of course led to such wonderful quotes as:

    "I think no more of taking another wife than I do of buying a cow."
    - Apostle Heber C. Kimball, The Twenty Seventh Wife, Irving Wallace, p. 101.

    It's an interesting progression of excuses:

    1. The Devil made me do it!
    2. God, in the form of an angel with a flaming sword, made me do it!
    3. Aliens made me do it!

    At least with aliens, it's trendy and captures the zeitgeist

    --
    The Future of Human Evolution: Autonomy
    1. Re:Well, it worked when Mr. Smith got caught by elrous0 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Maybe the aliens are causing this rash of sex addiction that's spreading among rich, famous males.

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    2. Re:Well, it worked when Mr. Smith got caught by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      1. The Devil made me do it!
      2. God, in the form of an angel with a flaming sword, made me do it!
      3. Aliens made me do it!

      Sadly, living in Arizona, I have only the first 2 choices.

    3. Re:Well, it worked when Mr. Smith got caught by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe the aliens are causing this rash of sex addiction that's spreading among rich, famous males.

      Overcompensation after being probed?

    4. Re:Well, it worked when Mr. Smith got caught by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your post is very insightful, but it is off-putting to read when you make three spelling and grammar mistakes in the first sentence.

      Well, it wouldn't be the first time a ridiculously tall tale helped throw the missus off the scent.

      There, FTFY.

  14. Anyone else? by zerospeaks · · Score: 2

    Does anybody else have a small part of them hoping it's true when hearing news stories like this?

    --
    http://wwww.zerospeaks.com
    1. Re:Anyone else? by himitsu · · Score: 1

      Yes, very much so, in a Carl Sagan "wow the universe is big and we're small" kind of way, not a Steven Hawking "don't talk to alien strangers" kind of way ;)

    2. Re:Anyone else? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes.

    3. Re:Anyone else? by elrous0 · · Score: 2, Funny

      If I'm going to dream, it's going to be of my marriage to Natalie Portman...not of aliens abducting some loser in Russia.

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    4. Re:Anyone else? by GooberToo · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Yes, very much so, in a Carl Sagan "wow the universe is big and we're small" kind of way, not a Steven Hawking "don't talk to alien strangers" kind of way ;)

      Agreed. I couldn't believe that was Hawking's conclusion. Very silly. The universe is literally full of resources. Why would aliens literally pass up limitless resources to come to our planet, just to take ours? It suggests a mental and societal deficiency, combined with a warmongering capability, which would absolutely preclude the level of development which would make such a galactic proposition, all but impossible.

      Its like passing up an endless row of candy factories just so you can take it from babies. Doesn't make sense in the least. Its just silly.

    5. Re:Anyone else? by dtml-try+MyNick · · Score: 1

      Have to admit.... yes ;-)
      There is always that little spark of hope whispering....

      "this time it's for real! There were several very credible witnesses. Among them a professional camera crew that for once was capable of making steady and focused shots. Some other witnesses are blessed with a photographic memory and have consistent accounts of what happened and can describe it in detail. And that bright journalist among them had the presence of mind to try communicating on a basic level"

      But meh.. hope is what keeps you going isn't it? :)

      --
      Life starts at the end of your comfort zone.
    6. Re:Anyone else? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      While you are reading this, a remotely-controlled submarine is one mile beneath the ocean collecting an anemone which someone hopes will contain a gene helpful in fighting a disease that humans suffer from. If the anemone were sentient, he might mistake the sub for an alien vessel. We don't know how rare life is, but we do expect that most planets are uninhabited. If life is extremely rare, then inhabited planets may be worth the trouble of finding. Even if you don't need the genes, you can make the poor slobs worship you. And everyone wants to be worshipped: Yahweh, Satan, Jebus, Hitler, Flying Spaghetti Monster, etc.

    7. Re:Anyone else? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why would aliens literally pass up limitless resources to come to our planet, just to take ours?

      Who said anything about taking our resources.

      Look at it from a hypothetical aliens' point of view: This Terran species is becoming technological, let's check them out. Hmm, they're batshit crazy. Not really dangerous, but potentially annoying, like a nest of wasps, with nothing to offer us to balance that. Let's get rid of them before they cause problems. Call the Vogons...

    8. Re:Anyone else? by ColdWetDog · · Score: 1

      But meh.. hope is what keeps you going isn't it? :)

      For most of us, it's caffeine. You might try it. Easier to pop the tab on a Mountain Dew than try to figure out what to be hopeful of. More reliable as well.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    9. Re:Anyone else? by kilfarsnar · · Score: 1

      I have often thought someting along these lines. I believe in the existence of life on other planets, and that they have visited this one. But I don't fear an alien invasion.

      If they have developed such high technology, I expect that they have learned to not subjugate others and not to solve problems with force. Both of those behaviors have held us back on this planet and would on others.

      --
      "What the American public doesn't know is what makes them the American public." -Ray Zalinsky (Tommy Boy)
    10. Re:Anyone else? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You raise a good question. I've though about this and the only thing i can come up is that...

      Maybe our planet is one of rare ones that is habitable.
      Or maybe they will come to enslave us.

    11. Re:Anyone else? by SpaceLifeForm · · Score: 1

      So, you believe there are lots of other planets which
      have over 6 billion sheeple to eat?

      Large brains may be a delicacy to them.

      --
      You are being MICROattacked, from various angles, in a SOFT manner.
    12. Re:Anyone else? by aqk · · Score: 0

      Large brains may be a delicacy to them.

      Yep! They'll go for the chess players first!
      Tennis anyone?

  15. putting it to bed by Coraon · · Score: 1

    Well, if there is a serious honest and open investigation, then hopefully some definitive answers. Personally I don't think it matters wither he is being abducted, or we find the part of the brain that makes him believe this and correct it. So long as at the end, this man and the several thousand other people who claim this has happened to them get some answers and peace.

    --
    -Ours is the wisdom of Solomon, the magic of Merlyn, the fall of Icaris.
  16. To our new overlords by muckracer · · Score: 0, Redundant

    I, for one, want to believe!

  17. Editors, wake up by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The region of not "KalYMkia" it is "KalMYkia" copy-paste from BBC article must be difficult.

  18. I don't think it works that way, though by Moraelin · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I don't think it works that way, though. There isn't evidence that using one's brain too much can cause the same kind of damage as pulling a muscle or twisting a knee does in more physical sports. On the contrary, there is a ton of evidence by now that it can actually delay the onset of the various forms of neuro-degeneration in the old age.

    But it may be that you already have to be not entirely normal up there in the first place to make it that far in chess.

    --
    A polar bear is a cartesian bear after a coordinate transform.
    1. Re:I don't think it works that way, though by Bobfrankly1 · · Score: 4, Funny

      I don't think it works that way, though. There isn't evidence that using one's brain too much can cause the same kind of damage as pulling a muscle or twisting a knee does in more physical sports. On the contrary, there is a ton of evidence by now that it can actually delay the onset of the various forms of neuro-degeneration in the old age.

      But it may be that you already have to be not entirely normal up there in the first place to make it that far in chess.

      I was going to give this detailed retort, countering each and every one of your points, but I bruised my brain in the attempt. According to the examining physician, I may never think again...

    2. Re:I don't think it works that way, though by corbettw · · Score: 5, Funny

      According to the examining physician, I may never think again...

      I know a site where you'll fit right in.

      --
      God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.
    3. Re:I don't think it works that way, though by inKubus · · Score: 0, Troll

      Actually, overuse of neurons can cause them to inflame and die. That's one of the major causes of Alzheimer's. So, perhaps chess players lack some of the regulating feedback systems that most normal people have. This enables their brains to work at a higher "clock speed" than most, but it also could cause the death of brain cells at a much faster rate. But you're right, for "most people", brain activity exercises the brain and keeps the synapse connections working and is good for your mental health.

      --
      Cool! Amazing Toys.
    4. Re:I don't think it works that way, though by stwrtpj · · Score: 3, Informative

      Actually, overuse of neurons can cause them to inflame and die. That's one of the major causes of Alzheimer's.

      Um ... no, it's not.

      Scientists are still trying to find the exact cause, but nothing has linked it to "overuse" of neurons. If anything, there is some evidence that mental stimulation could hold off or slow the progress of the disease.

      --
      Karma: Frotzed (mostly due to the Frobozz Magic Karma Company)
    5. Re:I don't think it works that way, though by c++0xFF · · Score: 1

      Actually, I thought he fit in here just fine.

    6. Re:I don't think it works that way, though by V!NCENT · · Score: 1

      Given the fact that we know what alzheimer itself is, the cause of this can never actually be overused neurons. Exercising the brain will only make connections stronger and harder to die off.

      I any case, this aint rocket science, unless you are an idiot. What is the actualy cause that sets it in motion is not at all scientifically proven so we should, by default, stay away from claims...

      --
      Here be signatures
    7. Re:I don't think it works that way, though by somersault · · Score: 1

      You must be new here (in senseofhumourland)

      --
      which is totally what she said
    8. Re:I don't think it works that way, though by Znork · · Score: 1

      Chess may be a bit too single track to make a significant impact on socially perceivable neural degeneration either way;

      Still, the nature of the game might make it somewhat appealing to autism-spectrum affected personalities. A predisposition that would also match up fairly well with the, eh, eccentric behaviour of some well known players.

    9. Re:I don't think it works that way, though by IndigoDarkwolf · · Score: 1

      You misspelled "slashdot" in your URL, there. :P

    10. Re:I don't think it works that way, though by inKubus · · Score: 1

      The "connections" are not the problem. The problem is the individual neurons. These are each living cells. Like all cells, they require energy in the form of glucose and oxygen. Like all cells, if they are overworked without sufficient sugar and oxygen they die.

      It's interesting that you should mention the connections or synapses, because this is actually part of the problem that leads to alzheimer's. What happens is a synapse is basically a one-way junction. Essentially there is a sending side and a receiving side. Neuron A fires and releases Serotonin and other transmitters (depending on the type of neuron) at the synapse, which in turn stimulates the next neuron.

      There are several ways that neurons regulate their stimulation. A lot of it is controlled my eenzymes in the synapse, as well as in the neurons themselves.

      In Excitotoxicity, a build up of glutamate or NMDA results in the cell overworking itself and it essentially commits suicide. The build up is caused by other neighboring neurons also being overworked.

      There is actually another neurotransmitter that works to reverse-propagate feedback signals across the ordinarily one-way synapse (see Retrograde Signalling). In patients with Alzheimer's, this reverse pathway gets disrupted by an enzyme. This enzyme also attacks the neurons in their weakened state.

      --
      Cool! Amazing Toys.
    11. Re:I don't think it works that way, though by Exitar · · Score: 1

      According to the examining physician, I may never think again...

      And from now all your posts will be +5 Insightful...

    12. Re:I don't think it works that way, though by V!NCENT · · Score: 1

      Ah I see. So it is not 'diabetes type 3', but actually a combination of a hyperactive neurons with decreased insulin production in the brain? Or is the reduced insulin production the very result of the fact that there are less alive neurons to feed?

      Also could you please give me some souurces to back his up? I want to know more! Brains interest me :)

      --
      Here be signatures
  19. Tyrant by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This dude is not really and good chess player. He is destroying the Chess Federation and has very strong opposition. Also, he is a tyrant of his land - 17 years - he has all chances to be there as long as Castro in Cuba.

    And looks like he is crazy too which explains a lot.

    1. Re:Tyrant by Paracelcus · · Score: 1

      He needs the backing of aliens to stay in power!

      --
      I killed da wabbit -Elmer Fudd
  20. mod this funny - I mis modded by postermmxvicom · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    posting to undo...

    --
    One last thing: Sometimes I wonder; "Is that someone's signature? Or do they type that at the end of each post?"
  21. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 2, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  22. A simple calendar check... by Dr.Syshalt · · Score: 2, Insightful

    He says he visited an alien spaceship at 18th of September 1997, "at Saturday evening". My calendar disagrees - 1997-09-18 was Thursday.

  23. this article led me to Chess City wikipedia page by circletimessquare · · Score: 1

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_City

    and i am disappointed at the lack of buildings in the shape of pawns, bishops, and rooks

    also, i fully expected murray head's "one night in bangkok" to be piped in by loudspeakers

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_(musical)

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  24. Re:Average programmer (work) life-time? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Do you know it? Yep. It is very low compared to other jobs.

  25. They Kidnapped the Wrong Guy by oakwine · · Score: 1

    He is not to be believed because he plays chess, reason enough. Let us instead make a list of abductees who could really create a stir with their story. Richard Dawkins, my personal favorite nominee. President Obama of course. More?

  26. In Soviet Russia... by Notquitecajun · · Score: 2, Funny

    You abduct...aliens?

    Did he see Farrakhan up there as well?

  27. in socialist Phoenix by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    people abduct aliens

  28. Jesus by jDeepbeep · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    How is this claim about UFOs/aliens any different, reality-wise, than the millions of people around teh world who actually believe that a Jew thousands of years ago raised himself from the dead, or that Moses made the sea split so he could travel across it, or that Jacob wrestled with an angel? Let's not make claiming one variety of unprovable phenomena acceptable, but the other to be social and political suicide.

    --
    Reply to That ||
    1. Re:Jesus by kilfarsnar · · Score: 1

      How is this claim about UFOs/aliens any different, reality-wise, than the millions of people around the world who actually believe that a Jew thousands of years ago raised himself from the dead, or that Moses made the sea split so he could travel across it, or that Jacob wrestled with an angel?

      It is quite different in that the UFO claim has a much higher probablility of being true.

      --
      "What the American public doesn't know is what makes them the American public." -Ray Zalinsky (Tommy Boy)
    2. Re:Jesus by hypergreatthing · · Score: 1

      because one is obviously false and the other one could be true. I mean it is possible he was abducted by aliens...

  29. I believe him; something happened to him. by moxley · · Score: 2, Interesting

    He's far from the only one who has reported this - an awful lot of very credible people have - people who have nothing to gain and everything to lose by even mentioning it.

    So there is something going on.

    I think people are remiss by dismissing people who report this stuff and labelling them as "crazy." History is full of examples of people reporting on anomalies and being called crazy only to find these anomalies accepted as fact later on.

    1. Re:I believe him; something happened to him. by kilfarsnar · · Score: 1

      Indeed, there is something going on.

      I am of the opinion that aliens are and have been visiting this planet for some time. Further, I think they are keeping themselves largely hidden because they are concerned about the reaction if they were to reveal themselves in an unambiguous way; they would be worshipped or attacked, or both and they don't want the responsibility or drama.

      --
      "What the American public doesn't know is what makes them the American public." -Ray Zalinsky (Tommy Boy)
    2. Re:I believe him; something happened to him. by SpaceLifeForm · · Score: 1

      Disguised as lawyers and politicians and bankers,
      secretly running the planet until the alien spaceships arrive.

      Recall there were a lot of reports of UFOs around the time
      that the nuclear genie was unleashed.

      Expect increased reports of UFOs over the next 15 years.

      --
      You are being MICROattacked, from various angles, in a SOFT manner.
    3. Re:I believe him; something happened to him. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      An awful lot of people think that Jesus has spoken to them personally. An awful lot of people think that Q-Ray bracelets actually work. And acupuncture. And ground tiger penis. Appeal to popular opinion makes a pretty weak argument.

  30. Re:....the Chess Players - Protect Your Mind !! by Timtimes · · Score: 1

    Thank you for your insightful observations on mind preservation. You have confirmed a suspicion that I have harbored for decades. I've now redoubled my dedication to sitting on the sofa eating Cheetos and daydreaming of daffodils. I expect to reach Mensa status by the time I'm ready to 'retire'. Enjoy.

    --
    This ain't no upwardly mobile freeway This is the road to hell
  31. Catch-22? by Locke2005 · · Score: 1

    So if he is telling the truth, he should be booted out of office because he is a security risk, and if he is not, he should be booted out of office because he is fuckin' nuts? Sounds like reporting an alien abduction is functionally equivalent to asking for early retirement. Good thing this couldn't happen in Arizona, where those aliens would immediately be asked to show their papers!

    --
    I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
    1. Re:Catch-22? by SpaceLifeForm · · Score: 1

      If he is telling the truth, there is no security risk
      because the aliens already know what is going on anyway.

      If he is not telling the truth, there is no security risk
      because everyone will dismiss anything he says anyway.

      --
      You are being MICROattacked, from various angles, in a SOFT manner.
  32. Take us to your leader.... by Shompol · · Score: 1

    He is a President, for crying out loud! Aliens always either install an anal probe, or explicitly demand to speak to someone in charge. Why all the skepticism?
    It seems an honest alien has nobody to turn to these days. If they abducted the the president of US it would probably be classified, because nobody wants to be ridiculed.

  33. Congratulations by sean.peters · · Score: 1

    I thought that your particular species of troll (you know, the ones who just make ludicrous crap up and then get modded up for it) had gone extinct! Way to go, trolls!

    1. Re:Congratulations by silverglade00 · · Score: 1

      They did go extinct. Some guy on an island found a mosquito in a piece of amber. He took some blood from inside that mosquito's stomach and then put the amber on a stick. Then he used that blood to clone a new troll. I can't blame him, a theme park full of trolls would be fun to see as long as their computers are UNIX because I know that!

  34. impossible by czarangelus · · Score: 0

    Of course, all rational and intelligent people understand that everything which exists has already been discovered. If there really were aliens, there would be some concrete evidence that they exist. Apart from all the evidence, eyewitness testimony, video, statistical probability, and historical record, there is no evidence whatsoever that other sentient beings exist in the universe. Furthermore, it should be apparent that any form of inquiry into this topic is prima facia evidence of insanity. Any experience that you have which does not conform to the general consensus of what does or does not exist should be treated as an abberation and you should immediately see a psychiatrist if it repeats. If, for instance, you drop a 1lb ball and a 5lb ball of the same size and they hit the ground at the same time, please see a physician immediately as everyone knows that heavier things fall faster than lighter things. If you see a rainbow after splitting white light in a prism, this is also an abberant event in your consciousness and should be treated with the utmost concern. Personally I believe aliens exist and have been visiting the Earth for some time, perhaps into the thousands of years. But they aren't exactly physical beings you can poke with a stick. They have an ephemeral quality, able to slide in and out of our perceptual field. There is a certain malleability inherent in their appearances, and I think that Djinn, angels, faeries, aliens, and "gods" are probably all manifestations of the same "species" of non-human intelligence. Like some of the finer effects of quantum physics, they seem to partake of a different form of reality than rocks or cars or asphalt. But of course, such an inquiry should be shouted down as loudly and often as necessary. Any investigation of what is not already known is an insult to the hardworking scientists who already know they know everything.

    --
    When a true genius appears, you can know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in a confederacy against him.
    1. Re:impossible by Fantastic+Lad · · Score: 1

      Sigh.

      And you were modded down for speaking your mind, offering insights without high emotion, in an amusing manner while staying on-topic.

      Such is the world. Full of cowards with moderator privileges.

      -FL

  35. Mod parent +5 funny by krnpimpsta · · Score: 1

    I find Slashdot far more tolerable with Funny set to -5 as well.

    Mod parent +5 funny. I have mod points, but I can only use one on this post. It's going to take about 10 to under-rate and +funny this post the way it's begging to be.

    Please! For the love of irony, please, mod parent +5 funny! Think of the children!

    --

    New webcomic updated on Sundays: HERE

  36. Careful of who laffs last. by 3seas · · Score: 1

    We can look as far as we can go back in space/time (see NOVA Hunting Teh edge of space and we end with widely scattered light that we cannot see past. Then we go the route of looking at the very very small (see LHC LHC experiments video

    So as much as what is all happening in 2012 (what we know scientifically) there is also our point in evolution and science where we see a millionth of a second past the big bang.

    When will we and the Aliens be ready to meet?

    When they don't have to prove to us what we will then know ourselves.

    When you think of it, neither the big bang theorist or the religious creationist are completely correct, as the honesty of teh matter is a bit of both.
    Who do you think gave us the content to write our religious texts? And based on their own evolution and advanced technology just as we will be able to look back in hindsight.

    Looking back in space time we see widely scattered light -- like what Genesis describes. go figure..

  37. Re:Foreign prostitutes are not that kind of "alien by euxneks · · Score: 1

    It's amazing the extremes some politicans will go to to cover up affairs from their wives. "You see honey, I spend all weekend with...uh...ALIENS!" In other news, Ilyumzhinov is also planning a hiking trip this weekend on the Appalachian Trail--where his cellphone won't work, so don't even bother calling.

    I heard he's also hiring aliens to carry his luggage...?

    --
    in girum imus nocte et consumimur igni
  38. The timing of this is a mating attack by Karpov by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The timing of this news break is no coincidence.
    He is in a fight vs. former chess world champion Karpov over the presidency position of the extremely corrupt and lucrative world chess federation.

    Karpov must have arranged for this to break out now to make Krisian look even more silly than usual.

    As the alien visit happened few years ago anyway, per Krisian.

  39. Prejudice confirms prejudice? by Moraelin · · Score: 2, Informative

    Do you know it? Yep. It is very low compared to other jobs.

    Actually, there is no evidence I'm aware of that programmers actually get worse with age. Or any other brain jobm, for that matter. The earliest peak I've seen in actual statistics curves is at 35 for scientific inventions, _but_, here's the important part, it doesn't mean it drops to zero afterwards or anything. The bell curve still has a ways to go. Only around the mid-50's it actually became "only" as high as when fresh out of college. In other domains it essentially only started to drop off when death started to take its toll.

    So basically all you illustrate is a case of prejudice "confirming" prejudice, in a lovely example of the begging the question fallacy. (A.k.a., circular logic.) An age limit which is there only because of unsuported age-ism, is taken as proof that that age-ism is right. Basically in the same ways a witch trials were taken as evidence that witchcraft objectively exists.

    Plus, there's the ever popular DunningKruger effect. When measured by someone who is still ignorant enough to have realized how much they still have to learn -- be it the stereotypical PHB whose sole competence (ever or any-more) are pr jobs in IT-for-managers ragazines, or the kind of young un' who thinks he's the greatest ever for writing his first 2000 line write-only program -- then yes, experience seems overrated.

    But if you have any actual statistics, I'm all ears.

    --
    A polar bear is a cartesian bear after a coordinate transform.
  40. Re:UK translation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    1. The Devil made me do it!
    2. God, in the form of an angel with a fag, made me do it!
    3. Aliens made me do it!

    At least with aliens, it's trendy and captures the zeitgeist

  41. Re:Prejudice confirms prejudice? Indeed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I started programming very early, when I was barely a kid. I figured out alone most of programming data structures at that age, heck I even programmed my own (at the time) concept of linked lists using arrays and its indexes in BASIC.

    Obviously, I followed a programming career on a good software house where I'm still employed. The only reason I'm still doing software engineering its because I love it. But right now, at my 30's, I'm starting to feel tired and lose focus more frequently. And worst of all, I'm slower figuring out some good (programming) solutions, thing I was always good at.

    I guess it is time to start doing QA or project management and leave programming as a job.

  42. Re:Prejudice confirms prejudice? Indeed by Moraelin · · Score: 1

    If that's the case, yes, probably that's the best course of action.

    But, again, I'd advise making sure first that it's not simply the Dunning-Kruger effect. The paradox there is that while the least competent people overrate their competence (and that is the most publicized aspect,) the more competent ones tend to underrate themselves. So basically you can jolly well have the impression that you've been going up to a peak and down again ever since, when in reality you're only going up.

    But I don't presume to diagnose something like that from one message. You're the best suited to judge if really you're any worse, or you've just moved on to more complex solutions, or maybe just you've got higher standards for what counts as a "good solution" to come up with.

    I know _I_ in my teen years thought I was a freaking genius for coming up with some solutions that nowadays I'd consider submitting to the Daily WTF. Both then and now I was coming up with "good" solutions, but what I judged "good" back then isn't even near what I'd judge "good" today. Of course it took less time and effort to come up with those.

    Plus, the problems in those times tended to be simpler too. I was so proud I could burst when I wrote a program over 10,000 lines long. But just as I was turning 30 I was writing code for a program 1,000,000 lines long. (Not alone, obviously.) And that's not even among the largest out there. But already the kind of write-only hacks that worked for a 10,000 line program that I could hold completely in my head and know exactly what line to fix if something broke, would have been unmaintainable in a 1,000,000 line program. Both were, for their time, full of "good solutions", but the latter also had to include a lot of design and refactoring and patterns to just be able to find our own arse with a map and a compass when it came to changing something. Now you could no longer do that "good solution" in 10 minutes by just splattering it wherever in the code, and topping it off with a "goto" to boot. Now you had to also think about how it fits in the framework.

    --
    A polar bear is a cartesian bear after a coordinate transform.
  43. One explains the other. by Fantastic+Lad · · Score: 1

    How is this claim about UFOs/aliens any different, reality-wise, than the millions of people around teh world who actually believe that a Jew thousands of years ago raised himself from the dead, or that Moses made the sea split so he could travel across it, or that Jacob wrestled with an angel?

    Well, one is happening all the time right now, and the other is a two-thousand year old piece of propaganda used to manipulate the masses.

    -Further, one explains the other; those who have properly researched the subject also recognize that there is a very distinct possibility that the whole Christ mythos was generated by aliens in the first place precisely to put the world where it is today. Divide, conquer, set up and knock down. The whole 'apocalypse' thing is wonderfully useful to sculpt awareness. All some asshole alien has to do is show up in a glowing halo and the world is easy pickings.

    Why don't people research this stuff? There is SO much excellent information out there, and most people around here like to read. I wish people wouldn't judge until they read the source material to know they are talking about. For starters, read Richard Dolan.

    Though, it's always possible that this Russian may be another, "Fake Moon Landing"; stand up, make a claim, and then be proven certifiably crazy so as to deep-six the whole subject for the on-the-fencers. It's very sad how social engineering works so damned well. When Walmart was deciding where to build, a LOT of people in my town signed a petition to try to persuade them to build the monstrosity on our fine pastures. Not to send them away, but to bring them here!

    The sad fact of the matter is that most people are ignorant livestock too cowardly to do anything about the fact. Like exercising a bit of independence and exploring taboo subjects in earnest. Most just don't have the gonads for that kind of thing.

    -FL

    1. Re:One explains the other. by hkmwbz · · Score: 1

      Well, one is happening all the time right now

      That a bunch of insane attention whores claim that it's happening doesn't mean that it is.

      --
      Clever signature text goes here.
    2. Re:One explains the other. by Fantastic+Lad · · Score: 1

      That a bunch of insane attention whores claim that it's happening doesn't mean that it is.

      That you don't know what you are talking about doesn't mean that it isn't happening.

      Only the ignorant denounce without knowing, and only cowards and the supremely lazy avoid doing the research. -And yes, it's SUPREME laziness when it happens to be perhaps the most fascinating and important subject ever to touch the human race. Real Aliens, for goodness sake!

      Geeks love their sci-fi, but when it comes to the greatest show on earth, Actual Reality, they stuff their heads into the sand.

      Think of all those stories you've enjoyed where the whole of society has been programmed into zombies of one kind or another, (either brain eaters or glassy-eyed law-abiding citizens), and the hero is the one kid who happens to see that something is wrong and then reacts accordingly. Didn't you think somewhat smugly that, "If I were in that story, then I'd certainly be like the hero and defy the zombie paradigm. I wouldn't be fooled!"

      Except when push comes to shove, most people are just cowardly zombies. Nobodies and villains. Pathetic livestock so afraid of being laughed at that they never once dare to even read "taboo" material. Maybe that's why they love their TV so much; it's easier to live in a dream of one's heroics rather than face up to the fact that they are just lazy, dim-witted cowards who can easily be manipulated with basic social engineering.

      I'd be very happy if there was nothing wrong; if it turned out upon examination that it was all a big crock of shit. But that's simply not the case. Anybody who is courageous enough to defy the herd and research the subject fully will come to the same conclusion; they're here, they have been for a long time, and it's not a good thing.

      -FL

    3. Re:One explains the other. by hkmwbz · · Score: 1
      I notice a wall of text with no evidence whatsoever. The fact is that you don't know how much I know about these things.

      It's ironic that you talk about people following the herd, when you obviously have no original thoughts of your own, but just pick some random position where you swallow any bullshit that's thrown your way.

      --
      Clever signature text goes here.
  44. In soviet russia by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Cant be true... In soviet Russia, aliens are abducted by YOU!

  45. Re:Foreign prostitutes are not that kind of "alien by Hurricane78 · · Score: 1

    Well, it’s always the wizard alien. Didn’t you know?

    --
    Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
  46. Besides no mentioning of anal probes... by aqk · · Score: 0

    I just wanna know, did the aliens force him to watch pwan to see how, and if, he would bash his bishop?

  47. I am deeply disappointed- by aqk · · Score: 0

    So far, in this thread, no one has even suggested the
    possibility that the nefarious TIMECUBE may be involved here!

    This would pretty well explain some of these puzzling goings-on, don't you think?

  48. Yeah, and the Sphinx never saw water erosion. by Fantastic+Lad · · Score: 1

    Kasparov is batshit-crazy. For one thing, he is an ardent and outspoken supporter of Fomenko's "New Chronology" - go ahead, read what's at that link, and tell me if a sane person can believe this.

    Um, the conventional understanding of human history IS completely screwed up. But to know that, you'd actually have to invest some time researching the issue. -One of the biggest problems is that during many formative periods, historians were hopelessly inured with their religious faiths and liberally used the method of, "If the puzzle piece doesn't fit, just use a hammer". Egyptology, for example, is a total mess of single events told over and over to fluff out long periods, along with the outright manufacture of entire swaths of data to make Christians and Jews happy.

    Also, radiological dating is indeed filled with flaws. That's not crazy at all. To think that atmospheric carbon distribution has always been constant is idiotic. While the masses are generally too ignorant to understand this, technicians working in carbon dating labs are not and they have to make approximate guesses at what local carbon levels were like at the time of death in the object or plant they are trying to date. Any ten-year old should be able to spot the flaw in that logic.

    Seriously, batshit crazy isn't thinking there's something screwed up with textbook history. Batshit crazy is pretending that the Sphinx was never rained on.

    -FL

    1. Re:Yeah, and the Sphinx never saw water erosion. by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1

      Fomenko's claim go far further than just "history is screwed up". He constructs his own, where e.g. Jesus was a Byzantine emperor.

      More importantly, his theory directly contradicts carbon dating. So he completely dismisses carbon dating as "non-scientific" (where did we hear that before?..)

    2. Re:Yeah, and the Sphinx never saw water erosion. by Fantastic+Lad · · Score: 1

      Fomenko's claim go far further than just "history is screwed up". He constructs his own, where e.g. Jesus was a Byzantine emperor.

      So what?

      Reconstructing history happens automatically when pulling apart the broken version. If Event X didn't happen as described, then you must have some reason for thinking so. The discovery of a faulty conclusion necessitates the postulation of one which the researcher deems more accurate. Having not read Fomenko's books, I can't judge the veracity of his work, but I don't see why Jesus being a Byzantine ruler is any less plausible than his being a carpenter. And why not both? When you get a huge following, you are automatically a leader. I'm really not seeing the "batshit crazy" here. Is he crazy because he doesn't think that, "Christ died for our sins"? I always thought that church believers were the foolish ones, not those who question the word of the bible.

      I should also add that carbon dating is indeed faulty. Sadly, carbon dating is a crap shoot, and the people who employ it know this fact well. I explain briefly why this is in my previous response, which you seem not to have read (??). Basically, radiological dating makes certain broad and generally insupportable assumptions about the levels of atmospheric carbon at the time of death of the object being dated. That is, to use Carbon dating to find out the age of an object, you need to first know the age of the object and have an accurate picture of what carbon levels were like in the area of the find at that time. It's not just a logical "Catch 22"; it's even worse, and it pretty much invalidates what might otherwise be a useful tool. And that's just one issue with the system. -So what researchers do is refer to already accepted dates of previously dated materials as benchmarks, and thus like Egyptology, they just plug new finds into the existing time line. The fact that the original seeds of information are off means the whole dating system is off. It's a really interesting problem but again, it's one which people like to ignore because it throws the entirety of history into chaos. People would rather have an ordered illusion than a disordered reality.

      It's pretty pathetic, if you ask me.

      -FL

    3. Re:Yeah, and the Sphinx never saw water erosion. by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1

      I'm really not seeing the "batshit crazy" here.

      The "batshit crazy" part comes when Fomenko essentially claims that there is a great conspiracy theory, starting from 16th century onward, to edit and falsify historical documents, dispose of any "inconvenient" data, and disseminate forgeries, to create the picture of history as we commonly know it - because practically no surviving documents or artefacts support his theories. The magnitude of that theory is astounding - it spans the ruling elites and academics of the entire globe, who were all perfectly aware of what they were doing, and why.

      That is, to use Carbon dating to find out the age of an object, you need to first know the age of the object and have an accurate picture of what carbon levels were like in the area of the find at that time.

      Wikipedia article on carbon dating claims that calibration of carbon levels can be done by a variety of objective independent sources, such as "examination of tree growth rings (dendrochronology), deep ocean sediment cores, lake sediment varves, coral samples, and speleothems (cave deposits)". Obviously, none of those depend on any particular assumptions about human history.

      The accuracy is plenty good. From the same Wikipedia article: "the 2004 version of the calibration curve extends back quite accurately to 26,000 years BP. Any errors in the calibration curve do not contribute more than ±16 years to the measurement error during the historic and late prehistoric periods (0 - 6,000 yrs BP)". Meanwhile, Fomenko claims displacement by hundreds and even thousands of years.

      Then, of course, carbon dating is just one of many sufficiently reliable ways of dating things, that I only mentioned as one example of factual data that the theory contradicts.

      Anyway, I don't see why I'm even wasting time on this. Fomenko's theories were debunked through and through countless times already - WP has the gist of it, which I encourage you to read before continuing with this thread (it does, for example, treat the carbon dating angle) - and several people have written books covering the flaws of the theory in detail.

      The existence of this criticism well-known to anyone aware of New Chronology, and it is readily available. At this point, persisting in this belief is roughly as "batshit crazy" as subscribing to the "Moon hoax" conspiracy theory.

    4. Re:Yeah, and the Sphinx never saw water erosion. by Fantastic+Lad · · Score: 1

      The "batshit crazy" part comes when Fomenko essentially claims that there is a great conspiracy theory, starting from 16th century onward, to edit and falsify historical documents, dispose of any "inconvenient" data, and disseminate forgeries, to create the picture of history as we commonly know it - because practically no surviving documents or artefacts support his theories. The magnitude of that theory is astounding - it spans the ruling elites and academics of the entire globe, who were all perfectly aware of what they were doing, and why.

      Oh, come on. You're over-exaggerating. I really don't see that such a thing requires a deliberate conspiracy. I mean, you are arguing in favor of orthodox historical accuracy based on the momentum of academic consensus, which if wrong, doesn't make you a secret-society mustache-twirling villain. You're just acting on the mentality that the status quo is without flaw and must stand. Herd thinking, which is only compounded when combined with hard won scholarly degrees and income tied to teaching positions. Rationality in the field of re-examining the status quo becomes a very rare bird with such forces in place, and you know it. But that doesn't make it a deliberate conspiracy. -There are numerous similar forces which can corrupt a knowledge structure without the need for a grand conspiracy, (which I don't see Fomenko actually declaring. That seems to be a charge leveled at him by his detractors in an effort to make him sound crazy and thus easier to ignore). There need be nothing more than the same forces acting in previous ages to achieve the same perpetuation of a series of false ideas. . .

      In the seventeenth century, a Jesuit Father, Jean Hardouin, uncovered a fraud wherein locals were creating ancient Greek and Roman coins and medals and burying them about the countryside to "fill in the gaps" of history as well as make money by selling such "finds." In 1639, a certain Jacques de Bie published The Families of France, Illustrated by the Monuments of Ancient and Modern Medals, which, according to Anatole de Montaiglon contained more "invented medals than real ones."219 Fulcanelli goes on to cite more instances in which the possibility - probability - that our history has been largely fabricated looms as an ever-growing specter of confusion. [...]

      As it happens, there are some eminent experts in the present day who have smelled the rat and who propose the exact same thing that Fulcanelli has suggested. When we investigate the matter, we discover that the chronology of ancient and medieval history in its present form was created and completed to a considerable extent in a series of works during the 16th and 18th centuries, beginning with J. Scaliger (1540-1609), the "founder of modern chronological science." and D. Petavius (1583-1652). Chronology is what tells us how much time has elapsed between some historical event and the present. To determine real chronology, one must be able to translate the data in the ancient documents into the terminology and units of modern time reckoning. Many historical conclusions and interpretations depend upon what dates we ascribe to the events in a given ancient document.

      The accepted traditional chronology of ancient and medieval world rests on a foundation of quicksand. For example, between different versions of the dating of such an important event as the foundation of Rome, there exists a divergence of 500 years. What is more, falsification of numbers was carried out down even to contemporary history. Alexander Polyhistor took the first steps towards filling up the five hundred years, which were wanting to bring the destruction of Troy and the origin of Rome into the chronological connection. But, was he helping, or further confusing the matter? As it happens, according to another chronology, Troy had fallen at the same time as the foundation of Rome, and not 500 years before it.

  49. Best bit for me by tehcyder · · Score: 1

    Not just the original insane abduction claim, but the fact that other people are seriously worried that he has compromised national security.

    --
    To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  50. Oops. by Fantastic+Lad · · Score: 1

    Ouch. I crossed a couple of lines in my previous post and I owe you an apology.

    Sorry! My understanding of the problems regarding carbon dating was broken in a couple of spots, and this back & forth with you brought that ignorance into the light. I felt like an idiot about ten minutes after posting the above and it took me several days to come back here and own up to the fact. LAME!

    Basically, while the relativity issue among artifacts being dated does lead to some inaccuracies, the really big problem in Carbon dating lies in the magnetic shifts in the Earth's field and the effects this has upon Carbon 14 quantities created in the atmosphere. This has the power to throw off the dating by a huge amount.

    Cheers, and sorry once again for being an over-zealous ass. You're still wrong in your main point, but I wasn't entirely right nor was I playing fair. I allowed emotion to get the better of me.

    Do keep at it. You're clearly a thinker, and there are too few of those around here. You just need better intel.

    -FL