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#1
Politics / Re: Duke of Bullshit: "The" Do...
Last post by Recusant - Today at 04:45:46 AM
Of course these asinine schmucks would get around to doing their own version of "Let me see your papers!" You say you're a citizen, you better be carrying proof or it's off to the DHS detention centers with you. If your complexion makes you a suspect, the ICE goons may not even care one way or another. Thanks to "Kavanaugh stops" that's perfectly legal now.

We are told to believe that this is how it's always been, and that the Fourth Amendment prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures doesn't really apply when it comes to enforcing immigration law. No warrant? No problem, ICE enforcers don't need one. All for the Homeland!  :eagletear:

"ICE Barbie Warns Americans Must Be Prepared to Prove Citizenship" | Daily Beast

QuoteSecretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem defended ICE agents who are demanding that Americans prove they are U.S. citizens in Minneapolis amid escalating tensions.

The DHS secretary spoke with reporters outside the White House on Thursday as protests intensified in Minnesota after an officer shot a man in the leg after he allegedly assaulted an agent.

Noem was asked why Americans were being asked to prove citizenship and whether she was advising Americans to carry proof of citizenship.

"In every situation, we are doing targeted enforcement. If we are on a target and doing an operation, there may be individuals surrounding that criminal that we may be asking who they are and why they're there and validate their identity," Noem claimed. "That's what we've always done in asking people who they are so that we know who's in those surroundings."

She said if they are breaking the law, they will be detained them, "until we've run that processing."

Her response came amid escalating reports of federal agents arresting U.S. citizens not just in Minnesota but nationally.

In Minnesota, video captured ICE violently detaining two Target employees. One of the workers could be heard saying he was a citizen as he was taken away after being thrown to the ground inside the store entrance. A state lawmaker confirmed both were U.S. citizens.

Noem, on Thursday, was asked if she was okay with federal agents violating people's Fourth Amendment rights by asking Americans for papers without reasonable suspicion.

"Every single action that our ICE officers take is according to the law and following protocols that we have used for years," Noem claimed. "They are doing everything correctly."

[Continues . . .]
#2
Religion / Re: The Elizabeth Fritzl case ...
Last post by Recusant - Today at 03:25:07 AM
Again, Isaiah has the answer wheother anybody finds the answer satisfactory or not. The link is there just for verification, full quote below:

QuoteFor my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

See above for other clarifications from the same source.

For Islam the idea might be boiled down to "It is the will of Allah." Perhaps I should search the Koran for specific words, but most translations are even drearier than the Bible.  :sadnod:

#3
Science / Re: Not science as such but . ...
Last post by billy rubin - January 16, 2026, 05:08:15 PM
i dtive late model peterbilts in which the entire dash display is digital. the temptation of function creep is so strong among the designers  that im constantly having to reconfiguring the dsshboard dispkay so thay i can monitor essrntial functions. the display changes formst by itself whether i eant it to or not.

one of the biggest problems are controls on the steering wheel. they are inaccessible whenever the wheel is not centered, which is always for the low speed stuff i do
#4
Religion / Re: The Elizabeth Fritzl case ...
Last post by billy rubin - January 16, 2026, 05:01:46 PM
in my opinion the problem of evil is the most important question in christianity. or of most religions, really.

buddhism and hindudim focus on samsara, islam has lots of rationalities.

its a universal problem that religious apologists try to solve. not well, in my opinion.
#5
Science / Re: Not science as such but . ...
Last post by Dark Lightning - January 16, 2026, 02:37:51 AM
I despise that my "All-In-One" PC has the touch screen capability. It has whacked up a couple of site visits in the past. Not here, but elsewhere. I am looking to potentially replace my '16 econobox, but I am certainly not going to buy into that touch screen tech. I'm looking for something old and "dumb" that doesn't rat me out to the manufacturer. The dealer put a flyer in my car at the last service visit, saying that they want to buy it. It's pretty much a cream puff, but for little bits on the paint. 31k miles in 10 years. I'll entertain the thought and may talk to them, but if it seems too much like "Grand Theft Auto" on the offer amount, I'll laugh and walk away. My real concern is that if something breaks, i's $1k for pretty much any repair. The plastic cover got busted off my "shark fin" antenna, and it cost me almost $600 in parts and labor. I can't kneel, and have a bad back. The headliner has to come down to access the wiring and mounting hardware. Nocando.
#6
Science / Re: Not science as such but . ...
Last post by Icarus - January 16, 2026, 01:20:04 AM
My PC has touchscreen ability. I do not use it at all because I prefer the keyboard or mouse. Call me old fashioned (and stubborn).

Touchscreen operation of an automobile is not consistent with the desire to improve safe operation.  The touchscreen is a marketing gimmick that most  of us probably  buy into. A switch operated by a knob or button is a damned sight more durable and reliable. My headlight switch or my windshield wiper does not require me to take my eyes of the road.

 
#7
Science / Re: Not science as such but . ...
Last post by Recusant - January 15, 2026, 07:44:19 PM
Using a satnav can be bad enough, but some recent cars require the driver to use a touchscreen to do basic things like turn on the wipers. Likely there is a setting to turn them on automatically via a moisture sensor, but that may not be the default. Same with headlights I'm guessing. Not great from a road safety point of view. Thus ...

"Yes, those big touchscreens in cars are dangerous and buttons are coming back" | The Conversation

QuoteIn recent years, the way drivers interact with cars has fundamentally changed. Physical buttons have gradually disappeared from dashboards as more functions have been transferred to touchscreens.

Touchscreens in vehicle dashboards date back to the 1980s. But modern cars consolidate functions into these systems far beyond what we've seen before, to the point where a car feels mostly like a computer.

This may create the impression of a modern, technologically advanced vehicle. However, scientific evidence increasingly points to touchscreens compromising our safety.

In fact, ANCAP Safety, the independent car safety assessment program for Australia and New Zealand, has announced that from 2026 it will ask car manufacturers to "bring back buttons" for important driver controls, including headlights and windscreen wipers. Similar moves are underway in Europe.

ANCAP Safety will explicitly assess how vehicle design supports safe driving, and not just how well occupants are protected in the event of a crash – which means calling time on touchscreens that control everything in your car.

[. . .]

Interactions with touchscreen menus can, in theory, produce comparable effects to texting. Adjusting a vehicle's temperature using a sliding bar on a screen makes the driver divert visual attention from the road and allocate cognitive resources to the task.

By contrast, a physical knob allows the same adjustment to be made with minimal or no visual input. Tactile feedback and muscle memory compensate for the lack of visual information and let you complete the task while keeping eyes on the road.

[Continues . . .]
#8
Sports / Re: World Cup - 2026
Last post by zorkan - January 15, 2026, 02:07:47 PM
Not looking forward to VAR ruining the tournament, but then I read:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/c1dk4gv7eeqo

In the 2022 World Cup in Qatar some games were extended to 100 minutes to enable the VAR officials to make up their minds.
One match was even extended to 117 minutes.

Just one Var decision 2 days ago took 6 minutes to resolve.
The crowd got restless.
Viewers switched off.
Let's hope there will not too many "subjective offsides".

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-15461179/Outrage-VAR-causes-SEVEN-MINUTE-delay-Man-Citys-Carabao-Cup-clash-Newcastle-Antoine-Semenyos-second-goal-finally-ruled-subjective-offside.html


#9
Politics / Re: Duke of Bullshit: "The" Do...
Last post by Icarus - January 15, 2026, 12:47:15 AM
Copied from an Imgur post

https://imgur.com/gallery/freedom-please-IdYb8mo............................
#10
Politics / Re: Duke of Bullshit: "The" Do...
Last post by Icarus - January 15, 2026, 12:29:03 AM
MSNBC commentator Laurence O'Donnel did a zinger last night on his program. He asked the question: "If Donald Trump contracted dementia, how would we know?"