WTF News stories

[Hallack]

107 year old killed in shootout with SWAT team

Yeah, saw that on the nightly news last night and then some articles this morning.  I'm trying to reign in my biases but the reporting on this really seems to be absent some details. 

[awaken_D_M_golem]

That is so stupid ; oh he looked like a terrorist when he tried to get out of his lift chair ; his double bagged Depends looked like the Underwear Bomber's ; he had a Cane just like The Penguin's ; he was mad about that Montana judge's verdict I thought he might go after my gramma ... ; I've fallen and I can't get up = SHOOT HIM !!  ;  Mah Hear'n' aid fell aout <blam>

otoh --- when my mom starts acting up, I can always threaten to get a SWAT team now.  Bhu too ?

The way the question sounded in my head made me laugh. But then I looked at the article... I swear there was a "throw up" smiley. I need it, because that article was horrible

The mmx one is in the [more] part ... 
And very useful.

[veekie]

107 year old killed in shootout with SWAT team

Yeah, saw that on the nightly news last night and then some articles this morning.  I'm trying to reign in my biases but the reporting on this really seems to be absent some details. 

Seems straightforward enough, and Reuters is generally reliable.

It started with an armed man with hostages, negotiations failed, resulting in an assault, during which the perp fired upon police and they responded with lethal force. Textbook process at least.

[phaedrusxy]

Yeah, it sounded like the police were incredibly reluctant to kill the guy, actually. He fired on them multiple times and they kept trying to talk to him, and eventually had to shoot him, from what I've read in articles about it. It's kind of crazy that a 107 year old man would have been capable of that, though... Someone should study his DNA, maybe check if he's related to Chuck Norris or something.

[X-Codes]

Yeah, it sounded like the police were incredibly reluctant to kill the guy, actually. He fired on them multiple times and they kept trying to talk to him, and eventually had to shoot him, from what I've read in articles about it. It's kind of crazy that a 107 year old man would have been capable of that, though... Someone should study his DNA, maybe check if he's related to Chuck Norris or something.

No joke.  If it was a 17-year-old instead of a 107-year-old, I'd be surprised if the police even confirmed that the guy had a gun before shooting him.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

Well ...

I've seen really old people get One-Tracked on something.  And then stay stuck on that for a really long time.
Maybe they could have gotten a local retirement home to get a CNA to come over and tell him what's for dinner.

[Dkonen]

Could be a form of dementia related PTSD. At 107 he could have seen more war than most people have nightmares of. Could also have just been one of the more violent phases of dementia (there are a few of them). Or a cross between (confusion with an old foe).

Shame when it happens, but honestly, I'm more concerned with the rate that seniors get "abandoned" at hospitals. Being the daughter in law of a woman with difficult mental and physical issues, I know it's hard, and it can eat up your life... but to just leave them there? With no notice, no next of kin? How heartless do you have to be?

I wouldn't even do that to my most hated family member (though, admittedly, I would have them committed until a care home opened up, at least I'd leave contact info).

[awaken_D_M_golem]

I used to run emergency Meds into a local retirement home.
It was a brutal nasty awful place, necessary and caring.

This one time ... a ~80y.o. woman said "can you help me"
about 40 times while I was standing near.  The nurse
whispers:  she always says that / she only says that.
7 months later I'm up there ... exact same thing happens.

 

[Dkonen]

When my father was in the hospital for heart issues, their was a woman down the hall, around 80 or so, who was supposed to be confined to her room for MRSA. She would untangle herself, someone get out of the restraints (she was slender and frail so they may have wanted to be careful of hurting her), and would walk up and down the halls crying out "Helllpppp meeee.....heeellllppp meeee..." In the driest most piteous voice I have ever heard. She would do this several times a day until they had to tie her into a wheelchair. Poor girl was probably lonely as all get out, since I never saw anyone going to see her, and as soon as an orderly came around her face would light up, despite the fact she knew they were just dragging her off to her room.

That being said, my Gran is awesome. 92 years old and a plants vs zombies champ! Also, amazing feminist war stories of england during WWII. Love her to pieces.

[Jackinthegreen]

http://www.skeptical-science.com/religion/islam-today-married-60-times-age-18-religious-prostitution/

If that's true (since it doesn't exactly seem to be a reputable article given the shit quality of the site) then that's horrifically revolting.  Can't those child fuckers keep their dicks in their pants?

[veekie]

Looks like it took two true things and mashed them together to make a Shocking Thing.

Temporary marriages exist as a way to circumvent the taboo against extramarital sex.

Child marriages happen, but I don't think they are supposed to be consummated. It's kind of a transfer of custody until they reach their majority.

[dman11235]

A quick tip: if the website looks like it was designed in 5 minutes, it's probably not an unbiased source of information...

[Jackinthegreen]

It's been about ten years since I've done any HTML coding, and I'm quite sure even I could pull out something that looked nicer (and was more functional!) than that.  It does make me curious to see some of the reactions of the people who always take such shocking things as true though.

[Gazzien]

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/science-of-gay-marriage/158265/

Guess I've been wrong my whole life. Have to be against gay marriage now. Can't argue with science. [/sarcasm]

[veekie]

Similar 'science' quality.

[phaedrusxy]

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/science-of-gay-marriage/158265/

Guess I've been wrong my whole life. Have to be against gay marriage now. Can't argue with science. [/sarcasm]

Wow... I feel dumber just having read that...

[Jackinthegreen]

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/07/01/another-scotus-decision-slipped-under-the-radar-want-to-remain-silent-you-better-speak-up/

[StreamOfTheSky]

That didn't "slip by."  A lot of people noticed and were angry about it.  The media just kind of ignored it, because they don't give a shit about our 5th amendment rights.  Hell, they lead the charge when it comes to finding someone guilty before the trial's even started and reading super deep into meaningless bs that should have no bearing on a legal case, all in order to pump up ratings.

I noticed that ruling, it really pissed me off.  First thing I did was go back and re-watch the "Don't talk to the cops" videos on youtube, to find plenty of other people there commenting on the Salinas verdict.  It's an atrocity, pure and simple.  I'm glad the SCOTUS gave gay people some more rights.  But they completely destroyed the 5th amendment and the voting rights act.  This was a terrible, terrible year in federal judicial rulings overall.

[X-Codes]

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/07/01/another-scotus-decision-slipped-under-the-radar-want-to-remain-silent-you-better-speak-up/

How does this even work? Acting nervous is somehow a confession to a double homocide, now?

That is... bizarre...

[dman11235]

In defense of the ruling (and I will admit right now I do not agree with this defense of the ruling, I'm just revealing another way of looking at it) speech can be defined as any communication you make, which does include gesticulation and nervous tics.  So you can look at what Salinas did as communicating....so not being silent.

As I said at the beginning, I don't agree with that.  I believe that the interrogations must begin with not only the reading of the Miranda Rights, but an admission to speech (as in, accepting the rights means you are now under observation, and without accepting that openly it is not admissible).  I don't know about you guys, but if I were being interrogated and I thought the police were trying to pin me as the suspect, I would definitely be acting nervous, even if I was completely innocent with a perfect alibi.  I'm pretty sure the evidence against Salinas (physical evidence) was enough to convict without the fidgeting, but I could be remembering things incorrectly.