...that has such people in it.
Remember this post? Well, I can top it.
My wife is a member of a website called Neopets, has been for a long, long time. Nine years, in fact, and in that time she has built up her collection of pets, pet-related items and general cool stuff to a level that was pretty impressive. She had several collections that were complete, lots of rare and retired items. She had four pets, all of which were named in a way that was somehow special to our relationship.
Why the past tense?
Because someone has stolen her account and is busily selling everything off. Whoever did this obviously has experience in doing it. They stole her account just before Christmas, ensuring that nobody at Neopets would be there for at least four days, giving them plenty of time to get done what they wanted before the account gets returned to my wife, if, indeed, that ever happens. They changed her password, changed the email address associated with the account, so my wife couldn't request a new one, and changed the birth date so that she couldn't access the account without the email. They knew what they were doing. They knew how to steal her account and get away with it.
And for what? Money to feed their starving kids or to make a mortgage payment so they could keep a roof over their family's heads? Nope. For an online game. An online game mostly played by kids. It's bad enough that it's my wife. She's understandably upset that something she put work and time into, something that had real, personal meaning to us, is being violated by a slimeball. Imagine some little kid, waking up one day, trying to log onto their account and finding that some amoral bastard has stolen it.
Once again, this scumbag is stealing for no actual real-world gain. This pathetic wastrel is ruining the enjoyment of the game for no reason. This person is cheating and stealing for no material gain. And it's only a game. So, once again, why are you acting like a jerk? What has happened to a society--to a species--where people will just do this?
It makes me livid because this piece of excrement is causing pain and distress to my wife. I'd love to find out who it is.
Showing posts with label dumb. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dumb. Show all posts
27.12.09
28.11.08
Walmart Employee Trampled To Death On Black Friday
Today is Black Friday. For those outside the USA, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving (always the last Thursday in November), traditionally the day all these big stores start their sales and the biggest retail day of the year. Hence the name, it's the day when most retail stored go out of the red and into the black for the year.
Every year stores offer fantastic savings (I got one hell of a nifty digital camera for $60), and usually offer "doorbusters".
Doorbusters are expensive items at massive discount, that go on sale--usually at 5am--and when they're gone, they're gone. It's kinda like the concept of the loss-leader. People come for the doorbuster and, because they've all gone, buy other stuff at much less of a discount.
As a result of these, people queue for hours. In November. In the wee hours of the morning. And, come 5am, the doors are open and it's one big stampede. People get knocked over, trampled, stuff gets crushed. It's chaos.
That's why I ordered my camera online. No crowds, see?
This morning, however, a worker at the Long Island Walmart was trampled to death in the crush. So intent were the shoppers on getting those bargains that the doors were smashed off of their hinges and 200 people ran over this guy after he was knocked to the floor. The same crowd narrowly avoided foisting the same fate on a pregnant woman, who was hospitalised after being knocked over herself.
Crazy. Just crazy.
Hat tip to AMERICAblog
Every year stores offer fantastic savings (I got one hell of a nifty digital camera for $60), and usually offer "doorbusters".
Doorbusters are expensive items at massive discount, that go on sale--usually at 5am--and when they're gone, they're gone. It's kinda like the concept of the loss-leader. People come for the doorbuster and, because they've all gone, buy other stuff at much less of a discount.
As a result of these, people queue for hours. In November. In the wee hours of the morning. And, come 5am, the doors are open and it's one big stampede. People get knocked over, trampled, stuff gets crushed. It's chaos.
That's why I ordered my camera online. No crowds, see?
This morning, however, a worker at the Long Island Walmart was trampled to death in the crush. So intent were the shoppers on getting those bargains that the doors were smashed off of their hinges and 200 people ran over this guy after he was knocked to the floor. The same crowd narrowly avoided foisting the same fate on a pregnant woman, who was hospitalised after being knocked over herself.
Crazy. Just crazy.
Hat tip to AMERICAblog
25.11.08
Vatican "forgives" Lennon
Via the BBC comes the news that the Vatican has decided to "forgive" John Lennon for claiming that the Beatles were bigger than Jesus.
How nice.
Of course, the Vatican finds itself, as the Americans say, a day late and a dollar short. See, they've decided that Lennon's comment was a "boast", whereas anyone who knows the truth behind the story realises that it was nothing of the sort.
So I guess that 40-odd years after the fact it's nice that they're acknowledging it at all. Actually, I think that this is just an indicator of how far behind the Vatican is in their paperwork. Maybe some overworked clerk finally got around to reading the original article and realised the mistake.
Think about it. The Vatican is always coming out and saying things about events that happened decades ago. They've only recently acknowledged that the then Pope might have done more when it came to the question of Hitler. And before that we had the admission that the Spanish Inquisition might have been a wee bit on the harsh side.
So there's hope. It seems like they are catching up. They've probably just hired on some new, eager young firebrand who is working through the backlog.
At this rate the Roman Catholic church should be ready to admit that overcrowding is somewhat of a problem some time around 2012, by 2017 they might be telling us that AIDS is a threat, and by 2020 they may finally come out and tell us that abstinence-only education doesn't work. Who knows, we may yet see them endorsing condoms and producing their own blessed "packet of three" under the name "His Holiness's Swiss Guard*".
I wouldn't hold my breath, though. It's been two thousand years and they're still clinging to the myth that Jesus was a peace-loving lamb who was killed by the Jews instead of the Romans.
* I can't claim this joke as my own. It appeared in an old Dark Future novel by Games Workshop.
How nice.
Of course, the Vatican finds itself, as the Americans say, a day late and a dollar short. See, they've decided that Lennon's comment was a "boast", whereas anyone who knows the truth behind the story realises that it was nothing of the sort.
So I guess that 40-odd years after the fact it's nice that they're acknowledging it at all. Actually, I think that this is just an indicator of how far behind the Vatican is in their paperwork. Maybe some overworked clerk finally got around to reading the original article and realised the mistake.
Think about it. The Vatican is always coming out and saying things about events that happened decades ago. They've only recently acknowledged that the then Pope might have done more when it came to the question of Hitler. And before that we had the admission that the Spanish Inquisition might have been a wee bit on the harsh side.
So there's hope. It seems like they are catching up. They've probably just hired on some new, eager young firebrand who is working through the backlog.
At this rate the Roman Catholic church should be ready to admit that overcrowding is somewhat of a problem some time around 2012, by 2017 they might be telling us that AIDS is a threat, and by 2020 they may finally come out and tell us that abstinence-only education doesn't work. Who knows, we may yet see them endorsing condoms and producing their own blessed "packet of three" under the name "His Holiness's Swiss Guard*".
I wouldn't hold my breath, though. It's been two thousand years and they're still clinging to the myth that Jesus was a peace-loving lamb who was killed by the Jews instead of the Romans.
* I can't claim this joke as my own. It appeared in an old Dark Future novel by Games Workshop.
9.11.08
And again...
I see that Bill O'Reilly and the Fox news team have started this year's "War On Christmas" blatherings already.
Is it just me or is there something sick about this so-called War On Christmas tomfoolery in a world where people really are suffering persecution for their beliefs?
Is it just me or is there something sick about this so-called War On Christmas tomfoolery in a world where people really are suffering persecution for their beliefs?
13.8.08
It's Just A Game
Yeah, I've been working on getting my writing published--no progress yet, keep it here for any updates--and writing my novel, not to mention working many hours of overtime and devoting myself to that most wonderful of creatures, Mrs Doombreed, so time for posting here has been somewhat limited.
I have, however, been able to devote maybe ten minutes a week to Knighthood and Warbook, two Facebook games that, I freely admit, I'm addicted to.
Well, Warbook is on the verge of going out of the window. I'm getting a little hacked off with having my kingdom crushed every time I leave the computer. I'm a Warmonger. If you play, you'll understand. If you don't, you won't and should start playing as soon as possible just so you, too, can experience the soul-crushing defeat of seeing your carefully-constructed 100,000 acre kingdom with it's magnificent 1,000,000 strong army reduced to three acres defended by a tired old man with a stick thanks to a gang-bang that would make Jenna Jameson flinch.
Warmongers are everyone's whipping boy. Easy target, easy money.
Knighthood, however, is a little more slow paced.
Worry not, there is a moral to this story, you're just going to have to bear with me.
In Knighthood you play by recruiting your friends. You start out as a Knight with two vassals, two serfs with randomly generated names, each at power 5. This makes you power 20. You send invitations to your friends and they immediately become available to your kingdom as handmaidens or squires (depending on their gender), each power 10. Each handmaiden or squire you have adds one to your total power. If your friends accept the invitation and install the application, they become a Knight or Lady (depending on gender) with two serfs, and show up in your kingdom as a Knight or Lady with power 20 and add two to your total power. If they then recruit loads of friends, their power, in your kingdom, goes up. Some players are up in the thousands. And, of course, if their friends recruit, they go up, so causing your vassals to go up, giving you even more power. As you gain power your rank increases. I'm now a Baron.
You can also acquire vassals by seizing them from other players or by buying them.
You build structures and put your vassals to work. Vassals in the marketplace earn you gold, vassals in the workshop increase your structures' effectiveness, vassals in the wall, watchtowers or palisade defend your kingdom against attack.
Simple so far, right? Someone attacks, they send three vassals, each with power 20 against your wall. Your wall, being manned by three of your best vassals, had a defensive rating of 80. They lose. Good eh?
Don't worry, I am going somewhere with this.
Both the attackers and the defenders take damage, a point each, so the attackers are now 57 (three 19s) and the defenders are now 77. But the attacker can spend gold healing his or her vassals and send them again.
And that's what we call a "spam attack". See, your hospital heals your vassals, just not spectacularly fast. If the attacker has enough gold, they can attack over and over again until your defenses are weakened to the point where they break through. After one attack, 77, after two, 74, after three, 71, after four, 68, after five, 65, after six, 65, after seven, 62, after eight, 59 and the attacker breaks through. Now, they might be looking to steal your gold or they might be looking to steal a vassal. Stealing vassals is calculated a little differently, but the same principle applies, an attacker can just keep on hitting until they win. No defense is good enough to resist an attacker with enough gold.
It's not uncommon to log on to find ninety-odd attacks against you from as little as two different attackers.
But then, having broken through, some players just go slap-happy, attacking again and again in order to plunder as much gold as possible, and it is these that prompted this post.
I got so fed up with getting spam attacked that I disbanded my armies and went into peace mode. In peace mode, you can't be attacked, but you can't attack anybody. Your vassals can't be seized, but you can't seize others. You still earn gold, you can still build, and you can still buy vassals. So if you're looking at consolidating your defenses before hurling yourself back into the fray, peace mode is invaluable.
The incident that prompted the decision involved a structure called the trapper. The trapper is a structure that was included to prevent or counter spam attacks. Here's how it works. If an attacker hits with 60, and the defensive structure that they hit has a defense value of 80, then there is a chance that any vassals in the trapper can capture one of the attackers, provided that the vassals in the trapper have a higher score than the attackers. Far from stealing your gold or seizing a vassal, they've lost one! It doesn't always work, but often enough to cause an attacker to blink.
Here's the problem: vassals caught by the trapper automatically get sent to the court, a structure protected by the watchtowers, so the attacker knows where they are. So they can spam attack to get them back. Sure, they may lose another vassal, but eventually, their spamming will reduce the watchtower to the point where they can attack and rescue with impunity. It would look something like this:
Knight Fred (we'll call him) attacks in order to seize Lady Betty (for example), who is currently stationed in the axeshop, a structure that is defended by the watchtowers. My kingdom is called Dunny On The Wold (after the rotten borough in Blackadder).
Now, at this point, your watchtowers become too weak to defend adequately;
Now all Knight Fred has to do is rescue his trapped vassals by attacking the already-weak watchtowers:
So, you lost a vassal and your trapper was completely ineffective. And, as if that wasn't bad enough, Knight Fred now knows that your watchtowers are screwed, and can raid for gold without consequence:
So, you lost the vassal, your trapper was completely ineffective, and you paid for the privilege of getting shafted!
It was an incident similar to this which prompted me to move to peace mode, but what prompted this post was the exchange that I then had with "Knight Fred" (names have been changed to protect the idiot). I sent hims a "terse" message, to the effect that the game was called "Knighthood" and that, maybe, he could benefit from looking up the meanings of the words "honour" and "chivalry" and that he could possibly use a refresher course on "Knightly virtues". I grant you I probably didn't use those exact words, but that was the gist of it.
Knight Fred wrote back with a few lame insults and the phrase "it's only a game". That phrase, in that context, says a lot about Knight Fred, and little of it good. And the fact that so many people would agree including, I'd bet, many reading this post, says a lot about humanity, and little of it good.
The notion that boorish behaviour can be excused because "it's only a game" is simply ridiculous. If Knight Fred were stealing gold from me to feed his starving family, to pay for little Tim's life-saving surgery, to save his family from homelessness, the attitude of "I'll do whatever it takes" would be justifiable. But that fact that it's a meaningless game makes that attitude reprehensible. There are virtually no real-world consequences to the game. People do not live or die based upon the actions of this or that player. The gold in the game isn't real. We are all playing for the fun of the game, so the only thing--the only thing--that can come from playing the game like a jerk is that you'll ruin it for others.
If "it's only a game", why are you playing like an arsehole?
I have, however, been able to devote maybe ten minutes a week to Knighthood and Warbook, two Facebook games that, I freely admit, I'm addicted to.
Well, Warbook is on the verge of going out of the window. I'm getting a little hacked off with having my kingdom crushed every time I leave the computer. I'm a Warmonger. If you play, you'll understand. If you don't, you won't and should start playing as soon as possible just so you, too, can experience the soul-crushing defeat of seeing your carefully-constructed 100,000 acre kingdom with it's magnificent 1,000,000 strong army reduced to three acres defended by a tired old man with a stick thanks to a gang-bang that would make Jenna Jameson flinch.
Warmongers are everyone's whipping boy. Easy target, easy money.
Knighthood, however, is a little more slow paced.
Worry not, there is a moral to this story, you're just going to have to bear with me.
In Knighthood you play by recruiting your friends. You start out as a Knight with two vassals, two serfs with randomly generated names, each at power 5. This makes you power 20. You send invitations to your friends and they immediately become available to your kingdom as handmaidens or squires (depending on their gender), each power 10. Each handmaiden or squire you have adds one to your total power. If your friends accept the invitation and install the application, they become a Knight or Lady (depending on gender) with two serfs, and show up in your kingdom as a Knight or Lady with power 20 and add two to your total power. If they then recruit loads of friends, their power, in your kingdom, goes up. Some players are up in the thousands. And, of course, if their friends recruit, they go up, so causing your vassals to go up, giving you even more power. As you gain power your rank increases. I'm now a Baron.
You can also acquire vassals by seizing them from other players or by buying them.
You build structures and put your vassals to work. Vassals in the marketplace earn you gold, vassals in the workshop increase your structures' effectiveness, vassals in the wall, watchtowers or palisade defend your kingdom against attack.
Simple so far, right? Someone attacks, they send three vassals, each with power 20 against your wall. Your wall, being manned by three of your best vassals, had a defensive rating of 80. They lose. Good eh?
Don't worry, I am going somewhere with this.
Both the attackers and the defenders take damage, a point each, so the attackers are now 57 (three 19s) and the defenders are now 77. But the attacker can spend gold healing his or her vassals and send them again.
And that's what we call a "spam attack". See, your hospital heals your vassals, just not spectacularly fast. If the attacker has enough gold, they can attack over and over again until your defenses are weakened to the point where they break through. After one attack, 77, after two, 74, after three, 71, after four, 68, after five, 65, after six, 65, after seven, 62, after eight, 59 and the attacker breaks through. Now, they might be looking to steal your gold or they might be looking to steal a vassal. Stealing vassals is calculated a little differently, but the same principle applies, an attacker can just keep on hitting until they win. No defense is good enough to resist an attacker with enough gold.
It's not uncommon to log on to find ninety-odd attacks against you from as little as two different attackers.
But then, having broken through, some players just go slap-happy, attacking again and again in order to plunder as much gold as possible, and it is these that prompted this post.
I got so fed up with getting spam attacked that I disbanded my armies and went into peace mode. In peace mode, you can't be attacked, but you can't attack anybody. Your vassals can't be seized, but you can't seize others. You still earn gold, you can still build, and you can still buy vassals. So if you're looking at consolidating your defenses before hurling yourself back into the fray, peace mode is invaluable.
The incident that prompted the decision involved a structure called the trapper. The trapper is a structure that was included to prevent or counter spam attacks. Here's how it works. If an attacker hits with 60, and the defensive structure that they hit has a defense value of 80, then there is a chance that any vassals in the trapper can capture one of the attackers, provided that the vassals in the trapper have a higher score than the attackers. Far from stealing your gold or seizing a vassal, they've lost one! It doesn't always work, but often enough to cause an attacker to blink.
Here's the problem: vassals caught by the trapper automatically get sent to the court, a structure protected by the watchtowers, so the attacker knows where they are. So they can spam attack to get them back. Sure, they may lose another vassal, but eventually, their spamming will reduce the watchtower to the point where they can attack and rescue with impunity. It would look something like this:
Knight Fred (we'll call him) attacks in order to seize Lady Betty (for example), who is currently stationed in the axeshop, a structure that is defended by the watchtowers. My kingdom is called Dunny On The Wold (after the rotten borough in Blackadder).
10:18a Knight Fred's soldiers invaded the Watchtowers region of Dunny On The Wold but did not seize anyone!
10:18a Knight Fred's soldiers invaded the Watchtowers region of Dunny On The Wold but did not seize anyone!
10:19a Knight Fred's soldiers invaded the Watchtowers region of Dunny On The Wold but did not seize anyone!
10:19a As your defenders fended off the weak attack by Knight Fred, your trappers managed to restrain attacking Knight Jim!
10:20a Knight Fred's soldiers invaded the Watchtowers region of Dunny On The Wold but did not seize anyone!
10:20a Knight Fred's soldiers invaded the Watchtowers region of Dunny On The Wold but did not seize anyone!
10:20a As your defenders fended off the weak attack by Knight Fred, your trappers managed to restrain attacking Knight Bob!
10:21a Knight Fred's soldiers invaded the Watchtowers region of Dunny On The Wold but did not seize anyone!
10:21a Knight Fred's soldiers invaded the Watchtowers region of Dunny On The Wold but did not seize anyone!
10:21a Knight Fred's soldiers invaded the Watchtowers region of Dunny On The Wold but did not seize anyone!
10:22a As your defenders fended off the weak attack by Knight Fred, your trappers managed to restrain attacking Knight Charlie!
10:22a Knight Fred's soldiers invaded the Watchtowers region of Dunny On The Wold but did not seize anyone!
10:23a Knight Fred's soldiers invaded the Watchtowers region of Dunny On The Wold but did not seize anyone!
10:23a Knight Fred's soldiers invaded the Watchtowers region of Dunny On The Wold but did not seize anyone!
10:23a Knight Fred's soldiers invaded the Watchtowers region of Dunny On The Wold but did not seize anyone!
10:23a As your defenders fended off the weak attack by Knight Fred, your trappers managed to restrain attacking Knight Charlie!
10:23a Knight Fred's soldiers invaded the Watchtowers region of Dunny On The Wold but did not seize anyone!
10:24a Knight Fred's soldiers invaded the Watchtowers region of Dunny On The Wold but did not seize anyone!
Now, at this point, your watchtowers become too weak to defend adequately;
10:24a Knight Fred's soldiers invaded the Watchtowers region of Dunny On The Wold and seized Lady Betty!
Now all Knight Fred has to do is rescue his trapped vassals by attacking the already-weak watchtowers:
10:25a Knight Fred's soldiers stormed into the watchtowers region of Dunny On the Wold and rescued Knight Jim!
10:25a Knight Fred's soldiers stormed into the watchtowers region of Dunny On the Wold and rescued Knight Bob!
10:25a Knight Fred's soldiers stormed into the watchtowers region of Dunny On the Wold and rescued Knight Charlie!
So, you lost a vassal and your trapper was completely ineffective. And, as if that wasn't bad enough, Knight Fred now knows that your watchtowers are screwed, and can raid for gold without consequence:
10:26a Knight Fred's soldiers raided the watchtowers region of Dunny On The Wold and looted 102 gold coins!
10:27a Knight Fred's soldiers raided the watchtowers region of Dunny On The Wold and looted 101 gold coins!
10:27a Knight Fred's soldiers raided the watchtowers region of Dunny On The Wold and looted 99 gold coins!
10:27a Knight Fred's soldiers raided the watchtowers region of Dunny On The Wold and looted 96 gold coins!
10:27a Knight Fred's soldiers raided the watchtowers region of Dunny On The Wold and looted 90 gold coins!
So, you lost the vassal, your trapper was completely ineffective, and you paid for the privilege of getting shafted!
It was an incident similar to this which prompted me to move to peace mode, but what prompted this post was the exchange that I then had with "Knight Fred" (names have been changed to protect the idiot). I sent hims a "terse" message, to the effect that the game was called "Knighthood" and that, maybe, he could benefit from looking up the meanings of the words "honour" and "chivalry" and that he could possibly use a refresher course on "Knightly virtues". I grant you I probably didn't use those exact words, but that was the gist of it.
Knight Fred wrote back with a few lame insults and the phrase "it's only a game". That phrase, in that context, says a lot about Knight Fred, and little of it good. And the fact that so many people would agree including, I'd bet, many reading this post, says a lot about humanity, and little of it good.
The notion that boorish behaviour can be excused because "it's only a game" is simply ridiculous. If Knight Fred were stealing gold from me to feed his starving family, to pay for little Tim's life-saving surgery, to save his family from homelessness, the attitude of "I'll do whatever it takes" would be justifiable. But that fact that it's a meaningless game makes that attitude reprehensible. There are virtually no real-world consequences to the game. People do not live or die based upon the actions of this or that player. The gold in the game isn't real. We are all playing for the fun of the game, so the only thing--the only thing--that can come from playing the game like a jerk is that you'll ruin it for others.
If "it's only a game", why are you playing like an arsehole?
1.7.08
What is it going to take?
Recent events in Mt Vernon, Ohio have once again uncovered the dark dirty side of religion. It's not so much that a teacher - who, according of one member of the school board had been the subject of numerous complaints over the last eleven years - taught creationism in his science class and had bibles and little ten commandments idols all over the place.
And, as horrific as it is, it's not even the fact that this religious nutball masquerading as a science teacher BURNED CROSSES INTO THE ARMS OF HIS STUDENTS!!
No, as bad as that seems, that's not really what brought me up short.
Take a deep breath, people. Yep. Friends, families and random apologetics are defending this nutbar who BURNED CROSSES INTO THE ARMS OF HIS STUDENTS!!
Yep, this so-called science teacher took up a high-frequency generator and BURNED CROSSES INTO THE ARMS OF HIS STUDENTS is being defended for branding children with a crucifix.
Y'know, I don't care what the symbol is, the fact that it was BURNED INTO THE ARMS OF HIS STUDENTS makes it wrong, wrong, wrong. If the teacher had been an atheist and had burned the atom symbol (or even my symbol) into the arms of his students, they'd even now be piling up the firewood to burn th' day-vil outta th' witch.
But it's a crucifix and he was preaching their religion, so the religious feel obligated to defend the guy who BURNED CROSSES INTO THE ARMS OF HIS STUDENTS, even though the act is clearly indefensible. They say that, y'know, apart from that whole BURNING CROSSES INTO THE ARMS OF HIS STUDENTS, he was "teaching the values of the parents in the Mount Vernon school district", values, presumably, that include lying in the name of your god.
See, despite the fact that a blind duckling in a bag could see that the symbol that was BURNED INTO THE STUDENT'S ARMS (see right) is a crucifix, Mr Upstanding Christian thinks he can lie his way out of it by claiming it was an "x", and not a crucifix.
Okay, let's assume for a moment that it's true. Hey, asshole, you still BURNED "X"s INTO THE ARMS OF YOUR STUDENTS!!
Anyway, it's not just the usual procession of friends and family (who, had he taken a hunting knife into class and disemboweled his students would have told the media "he was such a nice, quiet guy") stepping up to defend the fake science teacher who BURNED CROSSES INTO THE ARMS OF HIS STUDENTS, here's the usual round of nutty bastards stepping up to don armour, raise the standard, draw swords and march off to war in defence of this good Christian soldier.
The comments to this story are a sad reminder of why religion is so dangerous. The reason I'm all-capping and italicising is to make sure that the simple fact of this guy's horrendous crime is kept to the fore. This isn't just some church-state issue, this isn't some liberals-hounding-harmless-christian story, this guy BURNED CROSSES INTO THE ARMS OF HIS STUDENTS!!
How can any rational (ha!) person defend this guy? Hello? He BURNED KIDS. You don't even need to imagine if it was an Islamic symbol or a pentagram or anything else, the fact that it was BURNED INTO THE STUDENT'S ARMS is enough. The fact that it was a crucifix that was BURNED INTO THEIR ARMS is merely the light dusting of powdered sugar on top of the gigantic, seven-layered, intricately iced, three-flavoured sponge cake that's making the table groan in protest.
Here's a few more, this time commenting on how this teacher refused to remove the bible from his desk. Note the sad old pony being trotted out for another run around the yard, to wit: the notion that, had it been a Koran on his desk, the liberals wouldn't have said a word. And this is worth addressing, because it is true.
Had this nutcase placed a Koran on his desk, I wouldn't complain, and nor would anyone who could be tarred with the "liberal" brush. We wouldn't complain simply because we would never have had the chance. Had this guy placed a Koran on his desk and refused to remove it, the good ole boys would have thrown his Mohammed-worshippin' ass outta there so fast that he'd still be bouncing today.
And they probably would have hidden behind the establishment clause to do it.
But that's an aside. As of now, anyone who criticises this nutty moron who BURNED CROSSES INTO THE ARMS OF HIS STUDENTS is being anti-Christian and people who are sickened or disgusted by the fact that a teacher BURNED CROSSES INTO THE ARMS OF HIS STUDENTS are simply seizing upon a non-event as an excuse to bash this beautiful, virtuous Christian teacher.
All clear? Good.
And, as horrific as it is, it's not even the fact that this religious nutball masquerading as a science teacher BURNED CROSSES INTO THE ARMS OF HIS STUDENTS!!
No, as bad as that seems, that's not really what brought me up short.
Take a deep breath, people. Yep. Friends, families and random apologetics are defending this nutbar who BURNED CROSSES INTO THE ARMS OF HIS STUDENTS!!
Yep, this so-called science teacher took up a high-frequency generator and BURNED CROSSES INTO THE ARMS OF HIS STUDENTS is being defended for branding children with a crucifix.
Y'know, I don't care what the symbol is, the fact that it was BURNED INTO THE ARMS OF HIS STUDENTS makes it wrong, wrong, wrong. If the teacher had been an atheist and had burned the atom symbol (or even my symbol) into the arms of his students, they'd even now be piling up the firewood to burn th' day-vil outta th' witch.
But it's a crucifix and he was preaching their religion, so the religious feel obligated to defend the guy who BURNED CROSSES INTO THE ARMS OF HIS STUDENTS, even though the act is clearly indefensible. They say that, y'know, apart from that whole BURNING CROSSES INTO THE ARMS OF HIS STUDENTS, he was "teaching the values of the parents in the Mount Vernon school district", values, presumably, that include lying in the name of your god.
See, despite the fact that a blind duckling in a bag could see that the symbol that was BURNED INTO THE STUDENT'S ARMS (see right) is a crucifix, Mr Upstanding Christian thinks he can lie his way out of it by claiming it was an "x", and not a crucifix.Okay, let's assume for a moment that it's true. Hey, asshole, you still BURNED "X"s INTO THE ARMS OF YOUR STUDENTS!!
Anyway, it's not just the usual procession of friends and family (who, had he taken a hunting knife into class and disemboweled his students would have told the media "he was such a nice, quiet guy") stepping up to defend the fake science teacher who BURNED CROSSES INTO THE ARMS OF HIS STUDENTS, here's the usual round of nutty bastards stepping up to don armour, raise the standard, draw swords and march off to war in defence of this good Christian soldier.
The comments to this story are a sad reminder of why religion is so dangerous. The reason I'm all-capping and italicising is to make sure that the simple fact of this guy's horrendous crime is kept to the fore. This isn't just some church-state issue, this isn't some liberals-hounding-harmless-christian story, this guy BURNED CROSSES INTO THE ARMS OF HIS STUDENTS!!
How can any rational (ha!) person defend this guy? Hello? He BURNED KIDS. You don't even need to imagine if it was an Islamic symbol or a pentagram or anything else, the fact that it was BURNED INTO THE STUDENT'S ARMS is enough. The fact that it was a crucifix that was BURNED INTO THEIR ARMS is merely the light dusting of powdered sugar on top of the gigantic, seven-layered, intricately iced, three-flavoured sponge cake that's making the table groan in protest.
Here's a few more, this time commenting on how this teacher refused to remove the bible from his desk. Note the sad old pony being trotted out for another run around the yard, to wit: the notion that, had it been a Koran on his desk, the liberals wouldn't have said a word. And this is worth addressing, because it is true.
Had this nutcase placed a Koran on his desk, I wouldn't complain, and nor would anyone who could be tarred with the "liberal" brush. We wouldn't complain simply because we would never have had the chance. Had this guy placed a Koran on his desk and refused to remove it, the good ole boys would have thrown his Mohammed-worshippin' ass outta there so fast that he'd still be bouncing today.
And they probably would have hidden behind the establishment clause to do it.
But that's an aside. As of now, anyone who criticises this nutty moron who BURNED CROSSES INTO THE ARMS OF HIS STUDENTS is being anti-Christian and people who are sickened or disgusted by the fact that a teacher BURNED CROSSES INTO THE ARMS OF HIS STUDENTS are simply seizing upon a non-event as an excuse to bash this beautiful, virtuous Christian teacher.
All clear? Good.
12.10.07
When I were a lad...
A financial advisor in Hertfordshire has been ordered to pay £75 to three kids who "teased" him over his mustache.
The world has changed. Had I gone to my parents to tell them that a man had threatened me because we were yelling insults at him, my dad would have given me a thick ear and dragged me to the guy to apologise.
Now you get spending money for it.
I'm 33. There's no way I should be using, in all seriousness, phrases like "in my day" and "when I was young".
It's not just that the world is changing. It's that it's changing so bloody fast..
The world has changed. Had I gone to my parents to tell them that a man had threatened me because we were yelling insults at him, my dad would have given me a thick ear and dragged me to the guy to apologise.
Now you get spending money for it.
I'm 33. There's no way I should be using, in all seriousness, phrases like "in my day" and "when I was young".
It's not just that the world is changing. It's that it's changing so bloody fast..
5.9.07
Judge says "I hate everybody"
And the draconian society marches on. Now Lord Justice Sedley says that everyone who lives - or even just visits - the UK should have their DNA taken and stored on the national DNA database, which is already the largest in the world.
You may want to think on that. The UK has a population of 60m people. The USA has 300m. That's five times more. Yet the UK has more DNA profiles on record than the USA.
And Sedley isn't the first to suggest this horrific breach of privacy. In 2006, Tony Blair made a similar proposal.
We can only be grateful that, at least, those north of the border still have their testicles and, what's even more encouraging, they still have hair on them. Not only did the Scottish government reject Sedley's idea, but DNA from those arrested must be destroyed if they are not prosecuted.
Real men wear kilts it seems, and give up their DNA for no man.
This makes me glad I don't live in the UK. They can have my DNA when they drain it from my cold, dead veins.
You may want to think on that. The UK has a population of 60m people. The USA has 300m. That's five times more. Yet the UK has more DNA profiles on record than the USA.
And Sedley isn't the first to suggest this horrific breach of privacy. In 2006, Tony Blair made a similar proposal.
We can only be grateful that, at least, those north of the border still have their testicles and, what's even more encouraging, they still have hair on them. Not only did the Scottish government reject Sedley's idea, but DNA from those arrested must be destroyed if they are not prosecuted.
Real men wear kilts it seems, and give up their DNA for no man.
This makes me glad I don't live in the UK. They can have my DNA when they drain it from my cold, dead veins.
1.8.07
A Great Family Day Out
Those nice people over at BlueGrassRoots went for a quick squint at that ridiculous Creation Museum (yes it is, no it's not) and came back with a very entertaining story and some hilarious pics.
Take a squint yourself.
Take a squint yourself.
9.5.07
Ego-A-Go-Go
An online petition is campaigning to have Paris Hilton's prison sentence pardoned because - you couldn't make this up - she "provides hope for young people all over the US and the world. She provides beauty and excitement to (most of) our otherwise mundane lives".
Yep. Really.
See, Hilton was sentenced to 45 days in prison for drunk driving and, in the tradition of the rich and famous getting a better class of justice than the rest of us, has until the 5th of June to decide whether she's going to bother doing it before she'll get - gasp - a double sentence.
But the gemstone comes in the form of Hilton's own message endorsing the petition on her MySpace page:
Yes, by all means, do go and sihn that petition. Join the 17,000 people who are passionately fighting for special rights for the rich and shameless.
Yep. Really.
See, Hilton was sentenced to 45 days in prison for drunk driving and, in the tradition of the rich and famous getting a better class of justice than the rest of us, has until the 5th of June to decide whether she's going to bother doing it before she'll get - gasp - a double sentence.
But the gemstone comes in the form of Hilton's own message endorsing the petition on her MySpace page:
"My friend Joshua started his petition, please help and sihn it. I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!"
Yes, by all means, do go and sihn that petition. Join the 17,000 people who are passionately fighting for special rights for the rich and shameless.
20.3.07
Ever Felt That Dumb?
This morning, before leaving for work, I perused my "library" for a book to read. I think I've mentioned on here before how I have a book for work and a book for home. This moment's home book is The Bourne Supremacy, purely because I'd just read The Bourne Identity and will, no doubt, be continuing on to The Bourne Ultimatum next. Workwise, I'd just finished Deathwing*, so I needed some more reading material.
I ran my eye along my modest collection of Games Workshop books. Farseer? Nah. Storm Of Iron? Maybe next. Into The Maelstrom? Hmm.. I remember reading that and not liking a few of the stories, but I could always skip those and read the good ones. I almost didn't. I almost went back to Storm Of Iron.
But off I toddled to work, Into The Maelstrom tucked into my pocket. First break rolls around and outside I go. The first story, Salvation by Jonathan Green, is very good. But I don't remember it. Next came Into The Maelstrom by Chris Pramas. Also very good. Again, I don't remember it. After that, and by now I'm back outside for my lunch, I read Emperor's Grace by Alex Hammond. Not quite so good, but also unknown. Then I hit The Raven's Claw by Jonathan Curran. Now I know I've never read this one before. I would definitely have remembered this one. As I cross over into Children Of The Emperor by Barrington J. Bailey, I find, hiding between the pages like some anorexic bookmark, the original receipt from when I bought the book.
That's right. For two years this book has been sitting on my bookcase, me thinking that it was "okay" and "not the best", and I had never even read it. Ever.
Sad.
*And not the crappy new Deathwing either. This is the old version, where Grimm's still a Squat and compacks aren't called "vox casters".
I ran my eye along my modest collection of Games Workshop books. Farseer? Nah. Storm Of Iron? Maybe next. Into The Maelstrom? Hmm.. I remember reading that and not liking a few of the stories, but I could always skip those and read the good ones. I almost didn't. I almost went back to Storm Of Iron.
But off I toddled to work, Into The Maelstrom tucked into my pocket. First break rolls around and outside I go. The first story, Salvation by Jonathan Green, is very good. But I don't remember it. Next came Into The Maelstrom by Chris Pramas. Also very good. Again, I don't remember it. After that, and by now I'm back outside for my lunch, I read Emperor's Grace by Alex Hammond. Not quite so good, but also unknown. Then I hit The Raven's Claw by Jonathan Curran. Now I know I've never read this one before. I would definitely have remembered this one. As I cross over into Children Of The Emperor by Barrington J. Bailey, I find, hiding between the pages like some anorexic bookmark, the original receipt from when I bought the book.
That's right. For two years this book has been sitting on my bookcase, me thinking that it was "okay" and "not the best", and I had never even read it. Ever.
Sad.
*And not the crappy new Deathwing either. This is the old version, where Grimm's still a Squat and compacks aren't called "vox casters".
1.3.07
Idiot Of The Month: Feb 2007
A man in Indiana tries to cash a cheque* signed by..
..God.
All together now.. D'oh!
*Yes, that's how we spell it in Britain. For British users, the "check" in the article is the US spelling.
..God.
All together now.. D'oh!
*Yes, that's how we spell it in Britain. For British users, the "check" in the article is the US spelling.
25.2.07
Supernova 1987A
This month marks the 20th anniversary of the first time modern humans had been able to observe a supernova. Supernova 1987A actually occurred around 168,000 years beforehand, that's how long it took the light to reach us, but the remnant dust cloud is, today, one of the most studied astronomical objects.
Okay, enough of the plagiarising from Wikipedia.
Whilst searching for pics (there's a ton of cool pics here), I found this site.
Wow. Grasping for straws, much?
The site starts out promising, then devolves into a desperate attempt to find some way - any way - in which this hugely important event was predicted by The Bible or other "ancient texts".
Apparently:
Matthew 6:22 " If your eye be single your body will fill with light.
.. is somehow is a prediction of 1987A. As is:
Genesis 32:30 " I have seen God face to face and I will call the place Peniel.
I have to say, on behalf of the thinking audience, "What in the square root of bloody fuck are you talking about?"
Read the site. Watch out for the "perfect" fit between a picture of the "Hour Glass Nebula" and an old geometric pattern, and look closely, because it's not that much of a fit at all. Also notice the gross misrepresentation of the function of the pineal gland. And then marvel as it spirals out of control into areas where connections just become all the more insubstantial until we conclude, apparently, that 1987A is some form of divine hormone producer.
Or something.
Then join me in giving up long before you reach the bottom, but before you do, scroll down a ways and marvel at the nerve of a person including a quote from Carl Sagan in such gibberish.
What an insult to the man's memory.
Okay, enough of the plagiarising from Wikipedia.
Whilst searching for pics (there's a ton of cool pics here), I found this site.
Wow. Grasping for straws, much?
The site starts out promising, then devolves into a desperate attempt to find some way - any way - in which this hugely important event was predicted by The Bible or other "ancient texts".
Apparently:
Matthew 6:22 " If your eye be single your body will fill with light.
.. is somehow is a prediction of 1987A. As is:
Genesis 32:30 " I have seen God face to face and I will call the place Peniel.
I have to say, on behalf of the thinking audience, "What in the square root of bloody fuck are you talking about?"
Read the site. Watch out for the "perfect" fit between a picture of the "Hour Glass Nebula" and an old geometric pattern, and look closely, because it's not that much of a fit at all. Also notice the gross misrepresentation of the function of the pineal gland. And then marvel as it spirals out of control into areas where connections just become all the more insubstantial until we conclude, apparently, that 1987A is some form of divine hormone producer.
Or something.
Then join me in giving up long before you reach the bottom, but before you do, scroll down a ways and marvel at the nerve of a person including a quote from Carl Sagan in such gibberish.
What an insult to the man's memory.
15.2.07
Storm in a soft drink cup
One of the funniest ads in the Superbowl line-up was Nationwide Insurance's latest "life cames at you fast" series. Last year saw MC Hammer go from top of the pile to having everything repossessed in 5 minutes. This year, Kevin Federline, soon-to-be ex of Britney Spears, is depicted as having lost his rap career and ended up working in a fast-food restaurant.
You can see the ad at YouTube.
Well, as usual, someone's pissed. In this case it's the National Restaurant Association. President and CEO Steven Anderson has even written a letter (pdf) in which he talks about how the ad "gives the impression that working in a restaurant is demeaning and unpleasant."
Yeah, well, this may be news to you, sparky, but working in a fast food restaurant is often demeaning and unpleasant. There's a reason why it's mostly kids, and there's a reason why few stay for long, and there's a reason why almost nobody except that really weird 20-year old whose acne may clear up some day and who desperately covets every gold star on his badge considers it a career.
It's long hours, often for close to or actual minimum wage, where you get treated like shit by most customers and nearly all management. Just check out the experiences of a few ex-fry jockies who wrote the Flame Broiled website (not to mention the people who wrote in with encouragement) to see what I mean.
And the ad wasn't about merely working in Burger Hell, it was about ending up there after having been so much more. Anyone over the age of 25 who ends up flipping burgers for a multi chain has had some real bad luck, and I defy anyone to say different.
I realise that nobody wants their job out there being depicted as rotten, especially when it is rotten, and famously so, but get a sense of humour, please.
You can see the ad at YouTube.
Well, as usual, someone's pissed. In this case it's the National Restaurant Association. President and CEO Steven Anderson has even written a letter (pdf) in which he talks about how the ad "gives the impression that working in a restaurant is demeaning and unpleasant."
Yeah, well, this may be news to you, sparky, but working in a fast food restaurant is often demeaning and unpleasant. There's a reason why it's mostly kids, and there's a reason why few stay for long, and there's a reason why almost nobody except that really weird 20-year old whose acne may clear up some day and who desperately covets every gold star on his badge considers it a career.
It's long hours, often for close to or actual minimum wage, where you get treated like shit by most customers and nearly all management. Just check out the experiences of a few ex-fry jockies who wrote the Flame Broiled website (not to mention the people who wrote in with encouragement) to see what I mean.
And the ad wasn't about merely working in Burger Hell, it was about ending up there after having been so much more. Anyone over the age of 25 who ends up flipping burgers for a multi chain has had some real bad luck, and I defy anyone to say different.
I realise that nobody wants their job out there being depicted as rotten, especially when it is rotten, and famously so, but get a sense of humour, please.
11.12.06
Uhhh.. something's not right..
0615: Alarm goes off
0620: Eat breakfast whilst checking AP for new posts
0630: Go out for morning cigarette
0640: Start coffeemaker
0645: Shower
0700: Wake Mrs Doombreed
0710: Decant coffee into thermos
0720: Leave for work
0732: Prepare to exit car to go into work
0733: Realise that it's actually 0633
0645 (again): Blog about how dumb I am for getting up an hour early, not noticing that the bedroom clock is an hour fast, and failing to notice this on no less than seven other clocks along the way which were set right.
0620: Eat breakfast whilst checking AP for new posts
0630: Go out for morning cigarette
0640: Start coffeemaker
0645: Shower
0700: Wake Mrs Doombreed
0710: Decant coffee into thermos
0720: Leave for work
0732: Prepare to exit car to go into work
0733: Realise that it's actually 0633
0645 (again): Blog about how dumb I am for getting up an hour early, not noticing that the bedroom clock is an hour fast, and failing to notice this on no less than seven other clocks along the way which were set right.
29.11.06
Ohh.. So That's Discrimination...
So, British Airways employee Nadia Eweida is suspended from work because she refuses to obey the dress code that says her necklace must be worn under her uniform.
Okay, lets get to the root of this:
It's a necklace.
It's jewelry.
The fact that it consists of a cross-shaped piece of metal hanging from a chain is irrelevant. It is jewelry.
That British Airways takes action against her for refusing to obey their dress code does not, in any way, constitute discrimination.
That Mrs Eweida and her supporters continue to claim that she was fired for wearing "a symbol of her faith" does not make it so.
No, pay attention. She can wear the necklace, she must, however, obey the dress code and wear it under her uniform.
She was suspended for refusing to obey her employer's dress code, not for wearing a necklace. She was suspended because, like most of the wacky religious right, she feels that rules should apply to everyone except her, not because this is some targeted anti-Christian hate tactic.
Were you not paying attention to that whole "suspended for refusing to obey her employer's dress code" bit?
Kinda makes me wonder how Mrs Eweida, her supporters and their ilk view this disturbing campaign to ban Moslem women from wearing their veils.
Bet they're not so into religious freedom then, are they?
Okay, lets get to the root of this:
It's a necklace.
It's jewelry.
The fact that it consists of a cross-shaped piece of metal hanging from a chain is irrelevant. It is jewelry.
That British Airways takes action against her for refusing to obey their dress code does not, in any way, constitute discrimination.
That Mrs Eweida and her supporters continue to claim that she was fired for wearing "a symbol of her faith" does not make it so.
"Frankly I think the British Airways order for her not to wear a cross was loopy."I don't understand it, I don't think anybody understands it and that is my view."
No, pay attention. She can wear the necklace, she must, however, obey the dress code and wear it under her uniform.
She was suspended for refusing to obey her employer's dress code, not for wearing a necklace. She was suspended because, like most of the wacky religious right, she feels that rules should apply to everyone except her, not because this is some targeted anti-Christian hate tactic.
George Galloway, the Respect leader, said: "[...] BA must bring this woman back to work right now, compensate her and apologise to her and then explain to the rest of us what twisted thought mechanism allowed such a stupid thing to be done."
Were you not paying attention to that whole "suspended for refusing to obey her employer's dress code" bit?
Kinda makes me wonder how Mrs Eweida, her supporters and their ilk view this disturbing campaign to ban Moslem women from wearing their veils.
Bet they're not so into religious freedom then, are they?
28.11.06
Fundies Say The Darndest Things!
By far the funniest (and, in some cases, the most worrying) website I've read in a long time, Fundies Say The Darndest Things is a collections of wierd and wacky posts that have been made in various discussions around the 'net.
By far, the best is by a user called JohnR7 on the Christian Forums who said "I can sum it all up in three words: Evolution is a lie."
By far, the best is by a user called JohnR7 on the Christian Forums who said "I can sum it all up in three words: Evolution is a lie."
26.11.06
Cruel And Unusual Punishment
The pastor of a church in Montana is sending "love packages" to the little shits who vandalised it. The packages include hundreds of dollars in gift cards, a DVD, a VCR and an XBOX 360.
So... vandalise a church and get about a grand's worth of electronics?
Shit, that's a deterrent, dumbasses.
Would all fucktards please form an orderly queue outside the church of your choice, there's enough inside for you all to have a crack at*.
What do you get for setting fire to the church? A new sports car?
*Your "love package" may differ from that shown. Offer void where prohibited by law. May not be combined with any other offer. One per customer. Must have coupon to redeem offer. Enlarged to show detail. Serving suggestion. Not approved by the FDA. Not intended for the prevention, treatment or diagnosis of any disease. Read instructions before use. Take as directed. Not intended for professional use. For external use only. If rash develops, stop use immediately and contact a doctor. Please drink responsibly.
So... vandalise a church and get about a grand's worth of electronics?
Shit, that's a deterrent, dumbasses.
Would all fucktards please form an orderly queue outside the church of your choice, there's enough inside for you all to have a crack at*.
What do you get for setting fire to the church? A new sports car?
*Your "love package" may differ from that shown. Offer void where prohibited by law. May not be combined with any other offer. One per customer. Must have coupon to redeem offer. Enlarged to show detail. Serving suggestion. Not approved by the FDA. Not intended for the prevention, treatment or diagnosis of any disease. Read instructions before use. Take as directed. Not intended for professional use. For external use only. If rash develops, stop use immediately and contact a doctor. Please drink responsibly.
15.11.06
Dumb criminals
Will they never learn?
Snopes has a great story about a guy who tried to steal a car from a dealership by pulling a gun on a guy wearing - get this - a "Friends of the NRA" baseball cap.
Now, what are the chances that a guy so proud of his affiliation with right-wing, gun-rights group, the National Rifle Association, wouldn't be armed?
Snopes has a great story about a guy who tried to steal a car from a dealership by pulling a gun on a guy wearing - get this - a "Friends of the NRA" baseball cap.
Now, what are the chances that a guy so proud of his affiliation with right-wing, gun-rights group, the National Rifle Association, wouldn't be armed?
16.1.06
Quit whining
Today's coverage of yesterday's Steelers-Colts game might have left the unsuspecting reader with the impression that the Steelers lost the game. Certainly, they're whining about it as if they lost.
Steelers' linebacker Joey Porter said, of a decision by the referee to overturn an interception by Troy Polamalu:
Two articles in my local newspaper contain several similar accusations of bias or incompetence. What stuns me is that during the game, the refereeing was - if anything - biased against the Colts. A typical example was, early in the first quarter, a Colts defensive player was flagged for "facemasking" (grabbing an opponent's facemask), despite the fact that it was the Steelers' receiver he was tackling who was doing the facemasking.
The game stats show the truth. Nine flags thrown against Indianapolis for a total of sixty-seven yards in penalties, two flags thrown against Pittsburgh for eight yards in penalties. Gee, that's some biased-towards-Indianapolis refereeing.
The Polamalu interception? I understood the explanation for it being overturned, even if many pundits around the country didn't. Polamalu caught the ball as he went to the ground. The rules require that he controls the ball until he gets back to his feet. If at any time he loses the ball, it's incomplete. He lost the ball before he could get back up.
See? It's that simple. And if a Brit that's been living here in the US for only a few years can get it, why are all these Yanks so mystified? Even the NFL themselves don't seem to understand why the call was made. Yep, the NFL broke with tradition and publicly criticised the decision of one of its referees. That's how much the whole world wanted the Colts to win.
And, y'know ...
It's all a moot point anyway because the decision made no difference to the game and the Steelers won anyway!
I could understand all this bellyaching if the Colts had won, but they didn't. They lost. Quit whining.
Steelers' linebacker Joey Porter said, of a decision by the referee to overturn an interception by Troy Polamalu:
"I know they wanted Indy to win the game; the whole world loves Peyton Manning, but come on, man, don't take the game away from us like that."
Two articles in my local newspaper contain several similar accusations of bias or incompetence. What stuns me is that during the game, the refereeing was - if anything - biased against the Colts. A typical example was, early in the first quarter, a Colts defensive player was flagged for "facemasking" (grabbing an opponent's facemask), despite the fact that it was the Steelers' receiver he was tackling who was doing the facemasking.
The game stats show the truth. Nine flags thrown against Indianapolis for a total of sixty-seven yards in penalties, two flags thrown against Pittsburgh for eight yards in penalties. Gee, that's some biased-towards-Indianapolis refereeing.
The Polamalu interception? I understood the explanation for it being overturned, even if many pundits around the country didn't. Polamalu caught the ball as he went to the ground. The rules require that he controls the ball until he gets back to his feet. If at any time he loses the ball, it's incomplete. He lost the ball before he could get back up.
See? It's that simple. And if a Brit that's been living here in the US for only a few years can get it, why are all these Yanks so mystified? Even the NFL themselves don't seem to understand why the call was made. Yep, the NFL broke with tradition and publicly criticised the decision of one of its referees. That's how much the whole world wanted the Colts to win.
And, y'know ...
It's all a moot point anyway because the decision made no difference to the game and the Steelers won anyway!
I could understand all this bellyaching if the Colts had won, but they didn't. They lost. Quit whining.
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