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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Open Thread

Open Thread

by John Cole|  April 15, 20138:13 pm| 148 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

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A brief moment of levity in a horrible day. Called mom, we talked about the bombings and how awful they were, and she agreed it was horrible but we were in touch with all our friends from Boston and everyone is ok. The conversation drifted to another topic for a couple minutes and then lapsed momentarily, and then I just sighed and said “it’s just horrible” and she responded “I know, I can’t believe we (the Pirates) are down 8-1 in the second.”

Me: “Umm, I was still talking about the bombing.”

In her defense, she was watching the game and just assumed I was and I had made a promise to watch the Pirates and give them another chance (I’ve watched six games this year, which is 6 more games than the previous decade), so it isn’t really as bad as it sounds, because we have the world’s most insane stream of consciousness conversations.

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Reader Interactions

148Comments

  1. 1.

    gopher2b

    April 15, 2013 at 8:17 pm

    I’m watching C.K. Lewis later because I just can’t take it anymore. I vividly remember Challenger from my childhood being the only violent event. Something like this happens every three to four months now.

  2. 2.

    MonkeyBoy

    April 15, 2013 at 8:22 pm

    I really can’t understand why people get glued to news sources to follow things like the Boston bombings.

    It doesn’t make me a better or safer person. Sure I’ll check the story tomorrow (probably by reading RSS headlines) but is there any utility in knowing developments within minutes of them happening as opposed to the downside of hours of repetitions, empty filler, and wild speculations?

  3. 3.

    Ted & Hellen

    April 15, 2013 at 8:23 pm

    @MonkeyBoy:

    It’s entertainment, pure and simple.

    That said, has the U.S. MIC announced which unrelated country will be invaded and how many people will now die as a result of today’s bombing?

  4. 4.

    jnfr

    April 15, 2013 at 8:25 pm

    We’re going to shift to Bones and Castle after Rachel. Mr. J is refusing to watch the news at all. This kind of things turns him into a raging maniac, so that’s a good call.

  5. 5.

    Maude

    April 15, 2013 at 8:25 pm

    @MonkeyBoy:
    Some people don’t know if their friends, loved ones are okay yet.
    People care enough to follow the news on this.

  6. 6.

    lamh35

    April 15, 2013 at 8:25 pm

    so the White House delegation to the Thatcher funeral are former SoS during Thatcher’s time James Baker and George Schultz.

    As part of the House delegation, Boehner is sending Michelle freakin’ Bachmann!!!

    If this is true, then WTF!!!

  7. 7.

    Dave

    April 15, 2013 at 8:27 pm

    You really shouldn’t be watching the Pirates. Ever.

  8. 8.

    big ole hound

    April 15, 2013 at 8:28 pm

    @Ted & Hellen: you are the worst kind of cynic. I hope these were homegrown a$$holes so your prediction will not come true.

  9. 9.

    lamh35

    April 15, 2013 at 8:29 pm

    Being a Katrina survivor myself, I’m not comfortable with eye witness interviews that proliferate so-called reporting today. I know people sometimes just want to tell their story, but in my gut it just feels exploitive and intrusive on the part of the news orgs.

    But that’s just me.

    Also as an avid Law & Order watcher, as I understand it eye witness testimonies in these situations aren’t always that reliable and seem to be over-dramatizized and may tend to lead to even more speculation, but that’s just on L&O, I’m sure there are better legal minds here at BJ that can tell me otherwise

  10. 10.

    gwangung

    April 15, 2013 at 8:30 pm

    As part of the House delegation, Boehner is sending Michelle freakin’ Bachmann!!!
    If this is true, then WTF!!!

    Republican diplomacy, at its finest.

    They’re still taking cues from Romney, you know…

  11. 11.

    raven

    April 15, 2013 at 8:30 pm

    Spielberg aiding the wounded.

  12. 12.

    gwangung

    April 15, 2013 at 8:31 pm

    Also as an avid Law & Order watcher, as I understand it eye witness testimonies in these situations aren’t always that reliable and seem to be over-dramatizized and may tend to lead to even more speculation, but that’s just on L&O, I’m sure there are better legal minds here at BJ that can tell me otherwise

    Well as a scientific sort, there are studies that show this, so…yeah.

  13. 13.

    Alison

    April 15, 2013 at 8:31 pm

    @MonkeyBoy: I avoided it for a while, mostly because those early hours are always just endless repetition of the very limited knowledge we have. But I think for some people, they feel like…watching the news is the least they can do, you know? You feel helpless because it may be hundreds or thousands of miles away, you can’t do anything to help, so maybe they feel like they ought to at least pay constant attention so that there’s no nagging guilt about, say, watching a ballgame or baking or reading or whatever when there’s something awful going on.

    It’s a very human reaction, I think.

  14. 14.

    Ruckus

    April 15, 2013 at 8:32 pm

    @lamh35:
    Probably didn’t want to send someone who was thinking of pissing on the grave while attending the service.

  15. 15.

    j

    April 15, 2013 at 8:34 pm

    My friend bought 2 season tickets (behind home plate, 12 rows up) for our local MLB team just so he could go to the hot games of the season. EVERY game he attended the home team lost. EVERY game he gave the tickets away to friends / relatives / coworkers / employees etc. they won.

    He went to a total of 21 home games that year and saw ONE win. Everybody else he gave or sold tickets to saw grand slams to win, walk off homers, unassisted triple plays (that one I have to look up, but it sure looked like it from my vantage point watching on TV — OK, IF there were 4 outs in an inning it would count), hitters going for the cycle, somebody’s 400th HR, you know, minor things like that.

    He was the kiss of death for his homeys. If he showed up, the home team called in suck.

  16. 16.

    John Cole

    April 15, 2013 at 8:34 pm

    @big ole hound:

    you are the worst kind of cynic. I hope these were homegrown a$$holes so your prediction will not come true.

    Seriously? I think T&H makes assholish comments all the time, but one of my tertiary thoughts after dealing with the horror of it all was “So who the fuck are we going to invade for our next endless war?”

    Hell, two minutes ago I just tweeted this:

    “I will say this, it is nice to have Obama as President because I know we will not invade Laos when Kristol fingers North Korea for today.”

    So I guess I am the worst kind of cynic, too. And if you are not cynical about the American war pig at this point, you’re just fucking stupid.

  17. 17.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    April 15, 2013 at 8:35 pm

    @Alison: It’s a very human reaction, I think.

    I agree, but showing the tape over and over again is just porn at this point

  18. 18.

    the Conster

    April 15, 2013 at 8:35 pm

    I just remembered to check the Red Sox score, since apparently that happened too today. They won, but Boston lost.

  19. 19.

    Slugger

    April 15, 2013 at 8:35 pm

    Something like this happened to me on 9/11. I speak German, and that day wanted to see what European papers were saying. I clicked on a headline in the Essen newspaper as I recall that said Disasterous Event in large type. It was referring to a hometown soccer defeat, 4-0. I was reading their 9/10 edition.

  20. 20.

    Roger Moore

    April 15, 2013 at 8:35 pm

    The Pirates are just being nice. They’re trying to dash your hopes right away, rather than leading you one with delusions that they might possibly be going somewhere this season.

  21. 21.

    Wally Ballou

    April 15, 2013 at 8:36 pm

    John’s mom’s comment about the Pirates reminds me of an old anecdote about Phil Rizzuto, who (learning about the death of Pope Paul VI during a Yankees telecast in 1978) remarked, “Wow, that kind of puts a damper on even a Yankee win.”

  22. 22.

    Spaghetti Lee

    April 15, 2013 at 8:37 pm

    @Ted & Hellen:

    Oddly enough, they decided to blame the whole thing on you. You can expect troops on your front lawn in a few hours.

  23. 23.

    Omnes Omnibus

    April 15, 2013 at 8:37 pm

    @Alison: I specifically avoided Newtown shooting coverage because I had lived there years ago and I couldn’t face it. My mom had the opposite reaction.

  24. 24.

    Culture of Truth

    April 15, 2013 at 8:37 pm

    @John Cole: No you are not a cynic because you have more some faith in Obama, unlike T&H

  25. 25.

    Alison

    April 15, 2013 at 8:38 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: I don;t disagree. I wish news outlets would get that they can talk about it without that. Not all of us want to see it :(

  26. 26.

    SiubhanDuinne

    April 15, 2013 at 8:40 pm

    @lamh35:

    t

    he White House delegation to the Thatcher funeral are former SoS during Thatcher’s time James Baker and George Schultz.

    That strikes me as very appropriate.

    As part of the House delegation, Boehner is sending Michelle freakin’ Bachmann!!!

    That doesn’t.

  27. 27.

    Calouste

    April 15, 2013 at 8:40 pm

    @lamh35:

    They send Bachmann so that Thatcher is not the only one with no brain activity at her own funeral.

    Can’t wait for the RW whining about how the White House delegation is a snub, although I guess it is protocol to not send any cabinet members to funerals of former heads of state or government.

  28. 28.

    Ted & Hellen

    April 15, 2013 at 8:41 pm

    @big ole hound:

    you are the worst kind of cynic. I hope these were homegrown a$$holes so your prediction will not come true.

    Wow. And apparently you are the worst kind of dumb ass. Are you still under the impression that Saddam did 9/11?

    Any American who has seen the last 20 years of political and economic bullshit go down here and is NOT a cynic, must be, and coincidentally so, a dumb ass.

  29. 29.

    Arclite

    April 15, 2013 at 8:42 pm

    @big ole hound: Don’t feed the troll.

  30. 30.

    lamh35

    April 15, 2013 at 8:43 pm

    Sorry, but if this is true, then WHOA!

    @mpoppel: BREAKING — WSJ: Officials found 5 undetonated explosive devices

  31. 31.

    Todd

    April 15, 2013 at 8:43 pm

    Feel lucky. I gritted my teeth and called my mom, who is a Fox News devotee. Of course she’s breathless about Muslims. I changed the subject on how my brother-in-law (a National Public Health Service doc) is working free because of the sequester. She wondered why he’d continue, and I mentioned that it is an option of sequester, giving up on my future Medicare and SS, or a small increase in the tax rates on those earning over 250K.

    She said 250K isn’t that much, and we should have a flat tax.

    Sigh.

  32. 32.

    Spaghetti Lee

    April 15, 2013 at 8:43 pm

    @lamh35:

    You’d think they could have found some seat-warmer who was around in the 80’s. Like Hal Rogers or Chris Smith, maybe. What, do they have something more important to do?

    I wouldn’t take Bachmann out for ice cream, let alone to a state funeral.

  33. 33.

    Mnemosyne

    April 15, 2013 at 8:43 pm

    A quick reminder to folks that this is the kind of emergency where the Red Cross will be desperate for blood donors, because Boston is going to be requesting supplies from all over the country. So if you’re allowed to donate, please do so.

    http://www.redcrossblood.org/make-donation

  34. 34.

    Hill Dweller

    April 15, 2013 at 8:45 pm

    Chris Hayes is doing a great job on his show.

  35. 35.

    raven

    April 15, 2013 at 8:45 pm

    @lamh35: It is on the WSJ site.

  36. 36.

    Comrade Jake

    April 15, 2013 at 8:45 pm

    I hope Obama remains level-headed if this turns out to be foreign. But there’s a part of me that wonders if it wouldn’t simply translate to an intensified drone program.

  37. 37.

    raven

    April 15, 2013 at 8:45 pm

    @Hill Dweller: Yep. I suspect Rachel will as well.

  38. 38.

    Mnemosyne

    April 15, 2013 at 8:45 pm

    @John Cole:

    If you were the worst kind of cynic, you would automatically assume that Obama will announce our invasion of North Korea tomorrow in response to this bombing.

    Which was kind of the point.

  39. 39.

    raven

    April 15, 2013 at 8:46 pm

    @Comrade Jake: duh

  40. 40.

    khead

    April 15, 2013 at 8:46 pm

    I congratulated one of my FB friends earlier for being the first person I have seen
    to blame the bombings on Obama. Of course, the night is young.

  41. 41.

    Comrade Jake

    April 15, 2013 at 8:46 pm

    @Mnemosyne: Red Cross has tweeted that its blood supplies are already full.

  42. 42.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    April 15, 2013 at 8:47 pm

    @khead: Huh. What was teh “logic”? Benghazi?

  43. 43.

    Comrade Mary

    April 15, 2013 at 8:48 pm

    Press conference by Boston officials streaming now: Mediate link.

  44. 44.

    raven

    April 15, 2013 at 8:51 pm

    “Joshua Dawson, a Beacon Hill resident and candidate for the Massachusetts state House of Representatives, told HuffPost that Beacon Hill’s location may make it easier for investigators.

    “One thing about this neighborhood, is that there are banks all over Boylston Street, and they all have cameras in their windows,” said Dawson. “So they’re going to catch this person, no doubt about it,” he said in an interview.”

  45. 45.

    rikyrah

    April 15, 2013 at 8:51 pm

    @Todd:

    Feel lucky. I gritted my teeth and called my mom, who is a Fox News devotee. Of course she’s breathless about Muslims. I changed the subject on how my brother-in-law (a National Public Health Service doc) is working free because of the sequester. She wondered why he’d continue, and I mentioned that it is an option of sequester, giving up on my future Medicare and SS, or a small increase in the tax rates on those earning over 250K.

    and, if it turns out that the terrorist is White, Homegrown and Domestic..

    what will your mother say then?

  46. 46.

    Roger Moore

    April 15, 2013 at 8:51 pm

    @Mnemosyne:
    Sorry, not eligible for another 50 days. I can’t even donate platelets until next Tuesday. I’m a very regular donor because I work for City of Hope, and they’re always hitting employees up for blood or platelets.

  47. 47.

    Comrade Mary

    April 15, 2013 at 8:53 pm

    Now saying at least three dead, not two. Shit.

  48. 48.

    raven

    April 15, 2013 at 8:53 pm

    There is NO suspect at the hospital.

  49. 49.

    Comrade Mary

    April 15, 2013 at 8:54 pm

    From the press conference: “There is NO suspect right now. There are people we are talking to.”

  50. 50.

    Eric U.

    April 15, 2013 at 8:54 pm

    @lamh35: I used to work with a guy that built an airplane with his father. In order to fly with passengers, they were flying it as much as possible. The father had a heart attack while flying and died at the stick, so the plane crashed. There were eyewitnesses that swore up and down that the plane exploded in mid-air. This particular piece of eyewitness misinformation is apparently widespread.

  51. 51.

    Mnemosyne

    April 15, 2013 at 8:54 pm

    @Comrade Jake:

    Sorry, I should have said I was thinking of non-Bostonians donating.

    @Roger Moore:

    I’m a little nervous about putting myself back on the donation list because I’m O Positive and they luuuuurrrrvvvveee my blood. They always called me the very day that I was eligible to donate again.

  52. 52.

    SiubhanDuinne

    April 15, 2013 at 8:54 pm

    John, for some reason your story reminds me of an afternoon probably 20+ years ago when I was briefly living with my dad. My office had a mouse and I didn’t want it to be killed, so I scooped it up in a big Blimpie go-cup and took it home with me, with the idea that I’d set it free in the woods behind my dad’s house to live out a normal life become instant prey for owls or neighborhood cats.

    Anyhow, on the drive from work to home I could hear the mouse scrabbling around in the Blimpie go-cup, but as I got closer to home the cup became ominously quiet. (“Poor li’l thing is probably just tuckered out,” I thought to myself. “Just taking a nap.”)

    So I pulled in the driveway, peeked inside the cup, and of course you guessed it, the mouse had died. So with a heavy heart and a very sad face, I walked in the house, held the cup out to my father, and wailed “Oh, Daddy, I have a dead mouse in this cup.” and without missing a beat, he replied,

    “No thanks, honey, I just had a glass of chocolate milk.”

  53. 53.

    raven

    April 15, 2013 at 8:55 pm

    @Eric U.: Rashamon

  54. 54.

    SiubhanDuinne

    April 15, 2013 at 8:55 pm

    John, for some reason your story reminds me of an afternoon probably 20+ years ago when I was briefly living with my dad. My office had a mouse and I didn’t want it to be killed, so I scooped it up in a big Blimpie go-cup and took it home with me, with the idea that I’d set it free in the woods behind my dad’s house to live out a normal life become instant prey for owls or neighborhood cats.

    Anyhow, on the drive from work to home I could hear the mouse scrabbling around in the Blimpie go-cup, but as I got closer to home the cup became ominously quiet. (“Poor li’l thing is probably just tuckered out,” I thought to myself. “Just taking a nap.”)

    So I pulled in the driveway, peeked inside the cup, and of course you guessed it, the mouse had died. So with a heavy heart and a very sad face, I walked in the house, held the cup out to my father, and wailed “Oh, Daddy, I have a dead mouse in this cup.” and without missing a beat, he replied,

    “No thanks, honey, I just had a glass of chocolate milk.”

  55. 55.

    raven

    April 15, 2013 at 8:56 pm

    Some dumb motherfucker asks DeVal if this is going to be another reason to take away our liberties.

  56. 56.

    SiubhanDuinne

    April 15, 2013 at 8:56 pm

    Why wont Word Press let me edit from the iPad?

    FYWP

    FYIP

  57. 57.

    Ted & Hellen

    April 15, 2013 at 8:57 pm

    Kinda telling that I speculated as to what innocent country the “MIC” (military industrial complex) would invade as a result of the Boston Marathon bombing and all the BJ Bots can hear and react to is “Barack Obama,” whose name I did not mention.

    Hmmm…gee, you really think he calls those shots? haha

  58. 58.

    Ted & Hellen

    April 15, 2013 at 8:57 pm

    @raven:

    Well? What did DeVall answer?

  59. 59.

    lamh35

    April 15, 2013 at 8:59 pm

    wow, really…really!

    @adept2u 1m
    Did that just happen did someone just ask Duval Patrick if the bombing were a false flag designed to remove peoples liberty? #amIhigh

  60. 60.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    April 15, 2013 at 9:00 pm

    Is there some kind of Paulite or LaRouchie at this press conference?

  61. 61.

    Todd

    April 15, 2013 at 9:00 pm

    @rikyrah:

    and, if it turns out that the terrorist is White, Homegrown and Domestic..
    what will your mother say then?

    Lots of silence.

  62. 62.

    raven

    April 15, 2013 at 9:00 pm

    @efgoldman: I dunno, I saw it on a clip and pointed it out to my bride. Someone in the last thread said no so I’ll have wait.

  63. 63.

    Mnemosyne

    April 15, 2013 at 9:01 pm

    @Ted & Hellen:

    Tell you what, Timmy. If the US invades another country in retaliation for this bombing in the next 30 days like we did with Afghanistan, I will donate $50 to the charity of your choice. If not, you have to donate $50 to the charity of my choice. Deal?

  64. 64.

    lamh35

    April 15, 2013 at 9:01 pm

    @raven: loved Deval’s answer…”NO” simple and sweet!

  65. 65.

    Maude

    April 15, 2013 at 9:01 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:
    #26
    It’s a perfect match. It’s better than picking someone who hated her.

  66. 66.

    khead

    April 15, 2013 at 9:01 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    Soft on terrorism and lax security…….. for the Boston Marathon.

  67. 67.

    raven

    April 15, 2013 at 9:01 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: No shit, did you hear him on the way out?

  68. 68.

    lamh35

    April 15, 2013 at 9:01 pm

    @Green_Footballs 22s
    There’s a nut yelling about “FALSE FLAG” at the press conference.

  69. 69.

    Todd

    April 15, 2013 at 9:01 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    Is there some kind of Paulite or LaRouchie at this press conference?

    What was that jackass shouting? Sometimes I don’t hear well.

  70. 70.

    trollhattan

    April 15, 2013 at 9:02 pm

    Anybody with knowledge of malignant melanomas in dogs? Found out today a skin polyp we had removed from ours (girl Dalmatian) is a melanoma, which from what I read can be cause for concern to deadly…depending. I’m not the one who spoke with the doctor, so don’t know more than she (the doctor) thought they’d removed it all and to keep a close eye on her (the dog).

    The tubes tell me the prognosis is quite breed-dependent, e.g., your miniature poodle is in deep, your doberman can go chase a squirrel. Go figure.

  71. 71.

    Roger Moore

    April 15, 2013 at 9:02 pm

    @Mnemosyne:
    I’m also O+, but I think my employer will go after anyone that aggressively. Because of the kind of patients we see, we use more blood and blood products per patient than any other hospital in the LA area. I think our donor center said they collected over 21,000 units of blood and platelets last year, and that still wasn’t enough for our needs. The flip side is that we have a very generous employee donor program to try to bring in enough donors; we get some cheesy prizes, but the 4th, 5th, 9th, and 10th donation in a calendar year (more than 6 are possible if you donate platelets) are each worth 4 hours of time off.

  72. 72.

    raven

    April 15, 2013 at 9:02 pm

    @Todd: IS THIS ANOTHER REASON TO TAKE OUR CIVIL LIBERTIES???

  73. 73.

    lamh35

    April 15, 2013 at 9:02 pm

    Maddow reporting from MASS. Does Maddow live in Boston proper? I do recall that she does live in MASS right?

  74. 74.

    Omnes Omnibus

    April 15, 2013 at 9:03 pm

    @Ted & Hellen: No.

  75. 75.

    raven

    April 15, 2013 at 9:04 pm

    @trollhattan: Pets Living With Cancer: A Pet Owner’s Resource Was helpful when Raven got anal cancer.

  76. 76.

    trollhattan

    April 15, 2013 at 9:04 pm

    @Mnemosyne:
    T&H’s fave charity: T&H.

  77. 77.

    Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism

    April 15, 2013 at 9:04 pm

    @lamh35: I heard that. Loved his reaction.

  78. 78.

    Gin & Tonic

    April 15, 2013 at 9:04 pm

    @raven: Guy kept shouting all the way to the end. I’m impressed by his tenacity. Not so much his brains.

  79. 79.

    The Dangerman

    April 15, 2013 at 9:04 pm

    @raven:

    IS THIS ANOTHER REASON TO TAKE OUR CIVIL LIBERTIES???

    I hope the Police are quietly leading that person away for a “chat”.

  80. 80.

    trollhattan

    April 15, 2013 at 9:05 pm

    @raven:

    Merci!

  81. 81.

    raven

    April 15, 2013 at 9:05 pm

    @lamh35: “Maddow lives in Manhattan and western Massachusetts with her partner, artist Susan Mikula”

  82. 82.

    lamh35

    April 15, 2013 at 9:05 pm

    @Todd: “FALSE FLAG”

  83. 83.

    Gin & Tonic

    April 15, 2013 at 9:05 pm

    @lamh35: IIRC, she lives in western Mass. Definitely not in the city.

  84. 84.

    raven

    April 15, 2013 at 9:05 pm

    @The Dangerman: I hope they do the three minute motherfucker on his ass.

  85. 85.

    Alison

    April 15, 2013 at 9:06 pm

    @lamh35: She lives in Western MA, last I knew.

  86. 86.

    raven

    April 15, 2013 at 9:07 pm

    @trollhattan:Try The Senior Dogs Project too.

  87. 87.

    Violet

    April 15, 2013 at 9:07 pm

    John Cole, your story made me laugh. Thanks for the levity.

  88. 88.

    Spaghetti Lee

    April 15, 2013 at 9:07 pm

    It wouldn’t surprise me at all if this was used to increase public surveillance and police presence. That’s been the trend for a long time no when it comes to such policy anyway.

  89. 89.

    lamh35

    April 15, 2013 at 9:07 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: @raven: ‘K thx. Maddow at the beginning of the show said she drove to her current location outside Mass General.

    It will be interesting to see Lawrence O’Donnell’s show tonight. Isn’t he a native Bostinite or Massachusettian(sp?)

  90. 90.

    Todd

    April 15, 2013 at 9:07 pm

    @raven:

    @Todd: IS THIS ANOTHER REASON TO TAKE OUR CIVIL LIBERTIES???

    Jesus, how did one of those jackasses get in there? He’s earned himself a national security proctoscope – interesting that he’d be spouting Paulist bullshit after this set of bombs.

    Are the wingnuts making their move?

  91. 91.

    Arclite

    April 15, 2013 at 9:08 pm

    @Ted & Hellen:

    Kinda telling that I speculated as to what innocent country the “MIC” (military industrial complex) would invade as a result of the Boston Marathon bombing and all the BJ Bots can hear and react to is “Barack Obama,” whose name I did not mention.
    Hmmm…gee, you really think he calls those shots? haha

    “MIC” also stands for “Monkey In Chief,” a common racist slur used on right wing sites to refer to the POTUS. Since the POTUS would be doing the invading (these days often without congressional approval) I assumed you were a Red State troll based on your use of the phrase “MIC”.

    Spell it out next time.

  92. 92.

    j

    April 15, 2013 at 9:08 pm

    @Wally Ballou: I was in a drive thru bank when I heard Elvis died. I was listening to a Cubs game and Jack Brickhouse announced “some sad news today, out of Memphis. Elvis Presley has died. Sad news, indeed.” And his color man said “But not as sad as the Cubs trailing the Pirates 5-4 in the top of the 9th inning, Jack”. And they just went back to the regular play by play.

    The Cubs did go on to win 6-5 in the 15th inning.

    http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN197708160.shtml

  93. 93.

    Spaghetti Lee

    April 15, 2013 at 9:09 pm

    @raven:

    YEAH POLICE BRUTALITY WOO! I hope they smash his head in and lock him up for no reason! HE DESERVES IT!

    Seriously, you bitch and gripe all the fucking time about purity trolls and whatever and then you talk like a goddamn fascist and give them all the ammo they need.

  94. 94.

    lamh35

    April 15, 2013 at 9:09 pm

    @jdub321 9m
    biggest hint that it’s a home-grown bombing RT @politicsblast: anyone else hear that q about false flag attacks to take out civil liberties?

  95. 95.

    Gin & Tonic

    April 15, 2013 at 9:10 pm

    @lamh35: I don’t know. I think he worked for the Senate – he may have mentioned that on teevee.

    I find him insufferable and don’t watch.

  96. 96.

    Omnes Omnibus

    April 15, 2013 at 9:10 pm

    @efgoldman: I can’t donate either. Too much time in Europe. I used to give as so as I was eligible, but they don’t want my blood anymore.

  97. 97.

    raven

    April 15, 2013 at 9:10 pm

    @Spaghetti Lee: Fuck em, you don’t even know what the three minute motherfucker is. Neither do they.

  98. 98.

    Hal

    April 15, 2013 at 9:10 pm

    Sigh. Starting to see the guns don’t kill people with bombs do on Facebook. Anything these fucks can do for the guns fuck yeah crowd.

  99. 99.

    Gin & Tonic

    April 15, 2013 at 9:11 pm

    @lamh35: Oh, and people from the city are called Bostonians, and people from the state are called Massholes. Just in the interest of lexical correctness.

  100. 100.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    April 15, 2013 at 9:11 pm

    I’m seeing on TRMS that the wounded have a lot of injuries to their legs. I’ve heard speculation that these bombs had ball-bearings or something like that in them to increase casualties, but no confirmation. I guess it depends on the placement and manufacture of the bomb, but I wonder if those injuries suggest there were some kind of material to increase wounds

  101. 101.

    Baud

    April 15, 2013 at 9:12 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    I heard ball bearings. I think any type of hard material packed with the bomb is intended to increase injuries.

  102. 102.

    Anne Laurie

    April 15, 2013 at 9:13 pm

    @lamh35:

    Does Maddow live in Boston proper? I do recall that she does live in MASS right?

    Maddow lives in western MA, two hours’ drive and a metaphorical world away from Boston at the far eastern edge of the state. Don’t know if that’s where she broadcasts from, though.

  103. 103.

    Gin & Tonic

    April 15, 2013 at 9:13 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Could also be just a bomb placed low to the ground in an area with a lot of plate glass windows.

  104. 104.

    Cassidy

    April 15, 2013 at 9:13 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: CNN is reporting that the docs are saying they’re pulling ball bearings out of people.

  105. 105.

    Scott Alloway

    April 15, 2013 at 9:14 pm

    @Roger Moore: I seem to recall a comment once that went, to paraphrase, “Pirates lose opener, mathematically eliminated.”

  106. 106.

    Todd

    April 15, 2013 at 9:15 pm

    @lamh35:

    They’re being a little subdued over at Free Republic. After Matsuidon (cop killer) and Marc Costanzo (fake anthrax attacks on pols and pundits) and the dork in DC planning the attack during some counter demonstration, they’re getting a little gunshy.

    There were others, but I forget.

  107. 107.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    April 15, 2013 at 9:16 pm

    Boston Congressman says two other unexploded devices found. THat’s the most official confirmation I’ve heard.

    ETA: Rachel calls discussion of Obama’s use of “terrorism” or lack thereof “inane”. More of this, please. Chuck Todd seems to think it Very Serious.

  108. 108.

    kc

    April 15, 2013 at 9:18 pm

    @John Cole:

    Oh, great. Embolden the enemy …

  109. 109.

    Comrade Jake

    April 15, 2013 at 9:18 pm

    Raven, I have to hand it to you, you are one popular Balloon Juicer.

  110. 110.

    Arclite

    April 15, 2013 at 9:18 pm

    What the hell is the origin of the term “false flag” anyway?

  111. 111.

    Anne Laurie

    April 15, 2013 at 9:18 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    I’m seeing on TRMS that the wounded have a lot of injuries to their legs. I’ve heard speculation that these bombs had ball-bearings or something like that in them to increase casualties, but no confirmation. I guess it depends on the placement and manufacture of the bomb, but I wonder if those injuries suggest there were some kind of material to increase wounds

    Shrapnel bombs, favorite of domestic terrorists.

  112. 112.

    raven

    April 15, 2013 at 9:19 pm

    @Comrade Jake: Whoppeeteedooo.
    eta until they need $$ for a critter crisis.

  113. 113.

    scav

    April 15, 2013 at 9:20 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: So You’ve got mad cow too? I’ve also got AIDs from 80s blood transfusions according to their regs, which is actually ironic as it was that long experience that taught me to be entirely indifferent to watching blood drain out of my arm. especially for orange juice.

  114. 114.

    GregB

    April 15, 2013 at 9:21 pm

    False flag.

  115. 115.

    j

    April 15, 2013 at 9:22 pm

    @Calouste: Usually the VP or the Sec of State is the “official” emissary. The old joke was that the VP’s only job is to check on the Presidents health every day, and go to funerals.

    Kerry just got back from Korea, China, and Japan; and had to make an unscheduled stop in Chicago to give his condolences to the family of a State Dep’t employee who was blown up by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan.

    http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=9064997

  116. 116.

    Hill Dweller

    April 15, 2013 at 9:22 pm

    Hayes’ and Maddow’s reporting and questions are so much better than the rest of the hacks on TV.

  117. 117.

    Debbie(aussie)

    April 15, 2013 at 9:22 pm

    Just saw on local news our foreign mi is yet say that this ‘might’ be a terrorist attack, f*ck, of course it was, doesn’t matter who the perps are. Causes terror it’s a terrorist attack, sigh!
    Oh and I hate our need to worry about Australians that might be involved. Human beings matter no matter their country of birth or citizenship. Rant over

  118. 118.

    lamh35

    April 15, 2013 at 9:23 pm

    MSNBC mentioned the Saudi student again, but this time they did say that he has said he didn’t do it. He was seen running away (weren’t most people running) and he had burns on his hands (I think he said hands, but he did say burns), but dude says he didnt’ do it.

    But CNN is already doing their bit to help in racial profiling I hear:

    @JeffersonObama 3m
    Black man with a hood….really CNN???? Spare us. Source Tea Party Hot Line

  119. 119.

    Omnes Omnibus

    April 15, 2013 at 9:24 pm

    @Arclite: It comes from the idea of a ship approaching with a friendly nation’s flag flying and then shooting the shit out of you.

  120. 120.

    The Dangerman

    April 15, 2013 at 9:26 pm

    @Todd:

    They’re being a little subdued over at Free Republic.

    This so much smells domestic (including the report that a 20 year old Saudi is being questioned) that Freepers must be thinking “oh shit, another McVeigh”.

  121. 121.

    raven

    April 15, 2013 at 9:27 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: Sandbag

  122. 122.

    GregB

    April 15, 2013 at 9:28 pm

    Packing an explosive with nails, ball bearings, nuts, glass etc. is an old technique.

    Grape shot has been used to great effect for a long time.

  123. 123.

    Calouste

    April 15, 2013 at 9:28 pm

    @Arclite:

    Pirates/privateers flying a friendly flag when approaching another ship, and then raising the Jolly Roger/their own national flag prior to giving a broadside and boarding.

  124. 124.

    lamh35

    April 15, 2013 at 9:28 pm

    ‏@jonswaine 1m
    Just spoke to Sen. Warren, who was close to tears. Said: “A day of celebration has been turned into a day of tragedy”. Has spoken to Pres.

  125. 125.

    Anoniminous

    April 15, 2013 at 9:28 pm

    @Mnemosyne:

    Don’t feel too put upon, a good friend is AB negative. Talk about Teh Phone ringing off the hook.

  126. 126.

    lamh35

    April 15, 2013 at 9:29 pm

    ‏@JeffreyGoldberg 2m
    I’ll take Rachel Maddow on MSNBC over Mark Fuhrman on Fox. Also over Piers Morgan. And speaking of Fuhrman: Really?

    Wait a minute Mark Furhrman…the racist OJ cop dude…works at Faux News? Why am I not surprised

  127. 127.

    Roger Moore

    April 15, 2013 at 9:30 pm

    @Arclite:

    What the hell is the origin of the term “false flag” anyway?

    I think it’s a reference to ships flying the flag (technically an ensign, IIRC) of their country. Flying a false flag was a way of lying about your identity as a way of concealing who was responsible for an attack. You could either do it to stir up trouble between third parties (i.e. a ship from country A flies the flag of country B while attacking a ship from country C to spark a war between B and C) or to provide a pretext for war (i.e. fly the flag of your enemy, attack your own ship, and claim to be the wronged party).

  128. 128.

    raven

    April 15, 2013 at 9:30 pm

    @lamh35: But we must respect the right of some fucking asshole to scream at the Governor and FBI official with some personal agenda shit?

  129. 129.

    Gin & Tonic

    April 15, 2013 at 9:32 pm

    @Anoniminous: O neg is actually the most popular donor type. I’m very good friends with my local blood center.

  130. 130.

    ChrisNYC

    April 15, 2013 at 9:32 pm

    @Arclite: It’s what they did in Private Benjamin. When the blue team, Goldie’s team, tore up the bad girl’s red lace bra and used it to make armbands and then fooled the red team into getting captured. And then they won! And got the ride in the helicopter! Alex Jones fans LOVE that movie – little known fact.

  131. 131.

    Comrade Jake

    April 15, 2013 at 9:36 pm

    @Hill Dweller: that’s not surprising. Hayes and Maddow are intellectual giants compared to the morons at Fox and CNN (Anderson Cooper excepted).

  132. 132.

    Arclite

    April 15, 2013 at 9:37 pm

    @Hill Dweller:

    Hayes’ and Maddow’s reporting and questions are so much better than the rest of the hacks on TV.

    Yeah, when smart people, whose viewers flock to them due to their intelligence, aren’t beholden to false equivalency, you can actually get some good reporting, even on a “pundit” show.

  133. 133.

    Davis X. Machina

    April 15, 2013 at 9:37 pm

    @GregB: The 1920 anarchist bomb whose effect can be seen still on Wall Street was so constructed.

  134. 134.

    j

    April 15, 2013 at 9:38 pm

    @lamh35: Western Ma. She’s closer to Albany than Boston.

  135. 135.

    Todd

    April 15, 2013 at 9:39 pm

    @The Dangerman:

    This always makes me chuckle when the pretend to love America.

    http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Fake_anthrax_hoax_by_conservative_blogger_1113.html

    The man arrested on Saturday for sending more than a dozen envelopes containing “fake anthrax” to anti-war celebrities, journalists, and politicians may have ties to the conservative supersite Free Republic, RAW STORY has found.
    …
    Chad Castagana, a 39 year old Californian named as the FBI’s prime suspect in the case, is due in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles today, where procecutors are expected to file criminal complaint against him for sending threatening letters through the U.S. mail. Castagana has an extensive online history, often writing about science fiction and conservative politics, and many bloggers are convinced that he is also a contributor at the conservative activist Free Republic website under the name Marc Costanzo, whose online profile, once available here was suspended after this story first ran this morning.

  136. 136.

    Eric U.

    April 15, 2013 at 9:45 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: I was going to say, they used to hound me over my blood because I’m o-neg and it’s really useful stuff. I should get over the fact that they were incredibly rude to me every time I actually showed up to give blood and go give some more.

  137. 137.

    max

    April 15, 2013 at 10:17 pm

    @GregB: Packing an explosive with nails, ball bearings, nuts, glass etc. is an old technique.

    Just using a (steel?) trash can to cache a bomb would generate plenty of shrapnel.

    Using ball bearings and not some other metal object might actually be mildly counterproductive for the bomber.

    max
    [‘Our bomber friend(s) did not reach optimum effectiveness with their attacks. Good.’]

  138. 138.

    Southern Beale

    April 15, 2013 at 10:19 pm

    The bomb went off a little before 3:00 my time and at 3:15 I had to leave to drive to my class, and I’ve just not got home from class so this is my first chance to catch up on the news and talk to anyone about it/

    Right now, I’m all like WTF. I just got a few glimpses of news off the radio. Unbelievable. I heard the Republican senate candidate had just crossed the finish line 10 minutes before the bomb went off. Also, the last mile of the race was devoted to the Newtown shooting victims?

    WTF

  139. 139.

    Southern Beale

    April 15, 2013 at 10:20 pm

    So I understand Pam Gellar has already blamed Muslims. This reminds me of the Olympic bombings in Atlanta, though. Wasn’t that Eric Rudolph?

  140. 140.

    wuzzat

    April 15, 2013 at 10:24 pm

    @scav: I also have the Mad Cow, according to the brain trust at the Red Cross. Never mind that my “potential exposure” was 25 years ago and I’d like to donate blood, not brain matter… my blood’s no good here anymore. At least my current employers are less likely to try to guilt trip me about it than the twerps who used to run the blood drives on campus.

  141. 141.

    condorcet runner up

    April 15, 2013 at 10:28 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: I switched over to Fox News for a brief moment after the President spoke (I know, I know …) and all Bret Baier and co could talk about was whether any dem had used the word “terror” yet when describing things. Brit Hume casually noted that he didn’t think it mattered whether anyone said it-while managing to note that Obama hadn’t used the word terror-then the next guy-in-suit basically pushed the meme again that Obama hadn’t yet called it an act of terror. Needless to say, I didn’t stay on their channel very long.

  142. 142.

    Keith G

    April 15, 2013 at 10:35 pm

    @The Dangerman:

    I hope the Police are quietly leading that person away for a “chat”.

    So you are a lefty who wants to ditch the 1st Amendment?

  143. 143.

    gopher2b

    April 15, 2013 at 10:44 pm

    @gopher2b:

    Just realized I wrote C.K. Lewis instead of Louis C.K. as I intended. Not.The.Same.Guy.

    Kind of out it tonight.

  144. 144.

    socraticsilence

    April 15, 2013 at 11:01 pm

    @lamh35:

    They should have sent Peter King, just because I want to see if he’d be the one guy there smiling and dancing.

  145. 145.

    Southern Beale

    April 15, 2013 at 11:06 pm

    I don’t live in MA so forgive me for being so dense, but I just learned today is “Patriot’s Day” in Boston. Have to think that might be significant … but what do I know.

  146. 146.

    Mnemosyne

    April 15, 2013 at 11:53 pm

    @Southern Beale:

    Boston
    Patriot’s Day
    Tax Day
    Newtown families being honored

    IMO (and I could be wrong), there are way too many right-wing memes at work for it to have been foreign terrorists.

  147. 147.

    fuckwit

    April 16, 2013 at 3:43 am

    @Mnemosyne: Yes. Thank you for saying it.

    I just heard about this now, surfing das internets, and the first thing I thought was “April 15th? Domestic anti-tax wingnut terrorists, I bet, this is the Wingularity.”.

    But who knows. Could be another apolitical nutcase, or could be Islamists, or could be North Koreans, who the fuck knows.

    None of that probably matters to the injured or the families of the dead though, right now. My thoughts are with them.

  148. 148.

    Ken

    April 16, 2013 at 8:18 am

    John, I have similar conversations with my mom fairly frequently. I’ve learned to check the “sports schedule” before I call her; if the Indians, Cavs, Browns or Buckeyes are playing, I call at another time. Or at halftime.

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