November 2021 Current Events

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Internet VFW > November 2021 Current Events

Johnny Five-Jaces: Jan 21, 2009

Hyrax Attack! posted:

My MegaCorp decided to award more contracts to minority or women owned businesses. Overnight many long term vendors run by white guys decided their wives should be considered the company owner now, while changing nothing else. The folks running our program were pleased a number went up to prove our commitment to social justice.

this is my favorite federal contracting scam. my friend worked for a company that was based in Hawaii so it got "indigenous American-owned" preferential treatment for bidding, but all it did was put its name as the prime and all the quals were actually supplied by GD or Lockheed or whoever

# ? Nov 24, 2021 03:16

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? May 29, 2024 00:00

mlmp08: Jul 11, 2004; Prepare for my priapic projectile's exalted penetration; Nap Ghost

https://twitter.com/byyourlogic/status/1463300732849897475?s=21

# ? Nov 24, 2021 03:50

Milo and POTUS: Sep 3, 2017; I will not shut up about the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I talk about them all the time and work them into every conversation I have. I built a shrine in my room for the yellow one who died because sadly no one noticed because she died around 9/11. Wanna see it?

Diversifying my investments by buying shares of a strip club

# ? Nov 24, 2021 04:13

piL: Sep 20, 2007; (__|\\\\); Taco Defender

Milo and POTUS posted:

Diversifying my investments by buying shares of a strip club

Not a good investment if the military is going away.

# ? Nov 24, 2021 04:56

shame on an IGA: Apr 8, 2005

mlmp08 posted:

https://twitter.com/byyourlogic/status/1463300732849897475?s=21

saw that and came to ask which of you hosts chapo

# ? Nov 24, 2021 05:45

Milo and POTUS: Sep 3, 2017; I will not shut up about the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I talk about them all the time and work them into every conversation I have. I built a shrine in my room for the yellow one who died because sadly no one noticed because she died around 9/11. Wanna see it?

piL posted:

Not a good investment if the military is going away.

They'll have to go somewhere

# ? Nov 24, 2021 06:08

piL: Sep 20, 2007; (__|\\\\); Taco Defender

Milo and POTUS posted:

They'll have to go somewhere

Touche.

But don't touche the dancers.

# ? Nov 24, 2021 06:26

El Mero Mero: Oct 13, 2001

stealie72 posted:

Ugh, I'm triggered.

The nonprofit sector has been grappling with inequality for a long time now. So many funders want demographics so they can feel good that their money is going to "underserved communities." Worked with an arts organization that was dealing with a major funder that wanted more non-white people to attend the free public concerts said organization put on all summer in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood. Concerts that you just walked into the neighborhood park where they were happening and enjoyed. So said nonprofit did exactly this. Eyeballed the poo poo out of it and low and behold, their stats showed more non-white participation.

This story repeats 1000 times across the nonprofit sector. Unless it's something like a school with enrolment forms or a social service organization with intake that specifically can ask race (or thanks to physical segregation, zip code) everyone is eyeballing it.

No. This is one of the big mistakes people make with collecting demographic information. They think it's less invasive to sneakily eyeball it than to actually ask people. In reality it's more work, biased data, exploitative, and creepy.

At that job I managed to get them to cut that poo poo out and instead give everyone a slip of paper/response survey that they could opt into anonymously filling out and the only thing we eyeballed was the headcount (which is objective).

# ? Nov 24, 2021 06:34

CRUSTY MINGE: Mar 30, 2011; Peggy Hill
Foot Connoisseur

Milo and POTUS posted:

They'll have to go somewhere

Mustangs, camaros, and lifted diesel pickups.

Military saved.

# ? Nov 24, 2021 06:57

A Bad Poster: Sep 25, 2006; Seriously, shut the fuck up.

CRUSTY MINGE posted:

Mustangs, camaros, and lifted diesel pickups.

Military saved.

I feel like the era of JDM will come back. Slammed drift cars everywhere!

# ? Nov 24, 2021 13:57

Hyrax Attack!: Jan 13, 2009; We demand to be taken seriously

mlmp08 posted:

https://twitter.com/byyourlogic/status/1463300732849897475?s=21

In law cousin joined Air Force a few years ago and immediately bought a truck, but upon seeing it I learned it was several years old and mostly practical for his needs. Then he bought a small airplane, but is constantly taking lessons to advance his career so makes sense I suppose. Not even married yet.

# ? Nov 24, 2021 14:37

Marshal Prolapse: Jun 23, 2012; by Jeffrey of YOSPOS

Hyrax Attack! posted:

In law cousin joined Air Force a few years ago and immediately bought a truck, but upon seeing it I learned it was several years old and mostly practical for his needs. Then he bought a small airplane, but is constantly taking lessons to advance his career so makes sense I suppose. Not even married yet.

Just wait for him to get a Rolls-Royce and then you suddenly realize his goal was to be a pimp. I do remember there was some story in the idiots thread about some dude you never did anything just scrounged and saved and upon leaving got himself a Rolls-Royce.

# ? Nov 24, 2021 14:40

Bored As Fuck: Jan 1, 2006; Fun Shoe

So uhh, was anyone else unaware that organized criminal organizations are doing smash and grab jobs now? Apparently retail theft is up big time. I figured that organized crime orgs would be taking shipments of stuff at a port, or stealing a truck - not doing a smash and grab at Nordstrom or Louis Vuitton.

This poo poo's crazy. It was news to me.

Oh and the cops are too drat lazy to do anything about it, and even if they did, apparently the level of punishment for these crimes is so low that there's basically zero deterrent.

I guess if you're wondering what to get someone for Christmas, you can always do a smash and grab at a local store. No worries about 2 day shipping!

https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/23/us/smash-and-grab-thefts-explainer-cec/index.html

Why some US cities are facing a spree of 'smash-and-grab' crimes

quote:

(CNN)A wave of "smash-and-grab" crimes is plaguing upscale stores in major US cities, with mobs of thieves making off with expensive goods in brazen, nighttime raids.

At least 18 people broke into a Nordstrom department store in Los Angeles Monday night and stole thousands of dollars in merchandise, the city's police chief said.

The thefts followed a rash of similar incidents over the weekend in the San Francisco Bay Area. A group of thieves swarmed the Southland Mall in Hayward on Sunday evening, wielding hammers to smash cases at a jewelry store before grabbing items and fleeing.

Three suspects were arrested Saturday night after a mob ransacked a Nordstrom department store in Walnut Creek, east of San Francisco. Some 80 suspects were involved, and they fled the outdoor mall in at least 10 different vehicles, police said. That robbery came after similar raids Friday night near San Francisco's Union Square, where thieves targeted Louis Vuitton, Burberry and Bloomingdale's stores, a Walgreens and cannabis dispensaries.

And California isn't the only place grappling with "smash-and-grab" crimes. Fourteen robbers barged into a Louis Vuitton store in suburban Chicago last week and fled with more than $100,000 in handbags and other merchandise.

So why so many recent incidents? Are they linked to the holiday season? Is it pandemic restlessness?

"This has nothing to do with the pandemic," said Pete Eliadis, a former law enforcement official and founder of security company Intelligence Consulting Partners. "The pandemic is overused at this point."

But security experts cited a mix of several other factors.

Such cases aren't always a priority for law enforcement

San Francisco has seen a surge in crime since it reopened in the pandemic. In the Central district, for example, larceny and theft incidents are up almost 88% from a year earlier, and overall crime is up almost 52%, according to police statistics.

Many of the store thieves wear masks or hoods, making them difficult to identify even when they're spotted on security cameras.

Police in Los Angeles and San Francisco have made some arrests, but thieves often face few consequences, Eliadis said.

One reason for this is law enforcement's lack of resources, which means theft cases sometimes are put on the back burner, he said. And, he added, the "defund the police" movement has sapped some officers' morale. [Editors note: lmao loving cry babies mad that people rightly want accountability and punishment for the police when they commit crimes, and these idiots think any more scrutiny is wrong]

"There's no political will to prosecute the people in this climate. Why should a police officer waste time getting into an altercation when the person is not going to jail because it's overcrowded and a prosecutor is not going to prosecute that case because it's not high on the priority list?" Eliadis said.

"The takeaway is we need the political will, more prosecution and backing of law enforcement."

Thieves may face few consequences

The decriminalization of low-level offenses in some states has created opportunities for criminals to manipulate the system, said Lynda Buel, president of Ohio-based security consulting firm SRMC.

For example, Proposition 47, a California ballot initiative passed in 2014, sought to alleviate prison overcrowding by reducing the penalties for some crimes. The measure raised the threshold for felony theft from $500 to $950.

"For the low-level criminal, the benefit far outweighs the risk, since the threshold for a misdemeanor offense is $950 -- meaning that a person can steal up to that amount and only be charged with a misdemeanor," Buel said.

Organized crime rings are often behind these types of "smash-and-grab" operations and pay low-level criminals to steal for them, she said.

Security experts said dismantling these sophisticated crime groups must be a law enforcement priority.

"People see the ability to commit these 'smash-and-grab incidents' knowing that there is little consequence, especially if the thefts are kept below the threshold of a felony offense," Buel said. "It's easy, it's fast, and the payback is good."

The holidays provide more opportunities for theft

It's not unusual for "smash and grabs" to increase around the Christmas holiday season, Buel said.

Stores stock up before the holidays, which means there's a bounty of merchandise to pick from. That means more opportunities and more convenience for the smash-and-grabbers, she said.

But retail theft by organized gangs is not limited to the holiday season. In July, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law reinstating a task force to investigate organized theft at stores.

"This is not new in the state ... We've been organized in a very deliberative manner to address the issue of organized retail crime for a number of years," Newsom said. "We are doubling down on those efforts today."

In Illinois, Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in September that crime rings are costing retailers across the country an estimated $45 billion in annual losses. He created a task force to crack down on organized crime rings that target stores.

"These brazen, violent crimes are committed by sophisticated criminal organizations that are involved in drug trafficking, human trafficking and other serious crimes," Raoul said.

There are numerous places to sell stolen items

Once items are stolen, there are several ways to sell them -- all extremely easy and with little regulation and monitoring from law enforcement, experts said. Most items grabbed in such cases have no serial numbers, making tracing them almost impossible, Eliadis said.

"It is incredibly easy to sell stolen merchandise online through e-commerce platforms," Buel said. "E-commerce has really taken off as the place to sell stolen goods."

Other thieves don't need to sell their stolen goods on Craigslist or eBay. They can also use flea markets, pawn shops and street vendors. Thieves can sell expensive items at slashed prices, meaning there's no shortage of buyers, Eliadis added.

The result is a ruthless cycle that affects everyone, Eliadis said. Some affected stores will shut down or relocate. And retailers plagued by thefts see their insurance rates and private security costs increase -- costs that eventually get passed on the customer.

# ? Nov 24, 2021 14:49

CRUSTY MINGE: Mar 30, 2011; Peggy Hill
Foot Connoisseur

Hyrax Attack! posted:

In law cousin joined Air Force a few years ago and immediately bought a truck, but upon seeing it I learned it was several years old and mostly practical for his needs. Then he bought a small airplane, but is constantly taking lessons to advance his career so makes sense I suppose. Not even married yet.

That makes sense, if he wants to fly for a career. Small planes are the price of lightly used car. I'm just remembering years ago when companies like Spirit were paying pilots like, $14/hr to do regional hops, and the big companies weren't much better.

A Bad Poster posted:

I feel like the era of JDM will come back. Slammed drift cars everywhere!

Nah, the military seems more than happy to be a part of the pickup truck/suv crowd. At least they're not buying Teslas, I'm kinda surprised Elon hasn't stooped to the level of pandering to troops.

# ? Nov 24, 2021 14:57

Pine Cone Jones: Dec 6, 2009; You throw me the acorn, I throw you the whip!

CRUSTY MINGE posted:

That makes sense, if he wants to fly for a career. Small planes are the price of lightly used car. I'm just remembering years ago when companies like Spirit were paying pilots like, $14/hr to do regional hops, and the big companies weren't much better.

Nah, the military seems more than happy to be a part of the pickup truck/suv crowd. At least they're not buying Teslas, I'm kinda surprised Elon hasn't stooped to the level of pandering to troops.

From a friend whose still in, I hear about new LT's buying up Tesla's and I cant help but wonder where the gently caress they're charging them on base.

# ? Nov 24, 2021 15:10

Tiny Timbs: Sep 6, 2008

You can charge them off 120v at home and be fine if you're not pulling insane commutes every day.

The DoD's been talking about providing EV charging stations for non-GOVs but the holdup right now is how they'd handle charging fees.

# ? Nov 24, 2021 15:13

Bored As Fuck: Jan 1, 2006; Fun Shoe

Looks like douchebag who ran over people did it intentionally

https://twitter.com/KristenBarbar/status/1463262367278637066?t=7PAfN2VtMgQW0haNCeXk-w&s=19

# ? Nov 24, 2021 15:50

Loucks: May 21, 2007; It's incwedibwe easy to suck my own dick.

Bored As gently caress posted:

Looks like douchebag who ran over people did it intentionally

You've been really open about trusting cops in the past, but accepting a criminal complaint as definitive proof of the guy's state of mind is next level.

# ? Nov 24, 2021 15:56

Bored As Fuck: Jan 1, 2006; Fun Shoe

Loucks posted:

You've been really open about trusting cops in the past, but accepting a criminal complaint as definitive proof of the guy's state of mind is next level.

Did you not see all of the videos basically confirming this?

# ? Nov 24, 2021 15:58

bulletsponge13: Apr 28, 2010

I don't believe in violence for the sake of violence as a general rule.

However, give me a locked room, immunity, and 100$ at Harbor Freight.

# ? Nov 24, 2021 15:59

Loucks: May 21, 2007; It's incwedibwe easy to suck my own dick.

Bored As gently caress posted:

Did you not see all of the videos basically confirming this?

I'm not defending the guy or denying that the videos exist. I'm not even trying to be combative. It'd just that your leap from the actual evidence that exists to insisting that he ran over people intentionally isn't warranted. We can say that he did a bad thing without making that baseless leap, unless of course it's important to you for some reason to take a criminal complaint at face value. Luckily for the rest of us that's not how the legal system works.

The criminal complaint is interesting and a good thing to post. Your commentary is the part that just doesn't make sense.

# ? Nov 24, 2021 16:01

ThisIsJohnWayne: Feb 23, 2007; Ooo! Look at me! NO DON'T LOOK AT ME!

Loucks posted:

You've been really open about trusting cops in the past, but accepting a criminal complaint as definitive proof of the guy's state of mind is next level.

His state of mind. He drove over children.

# ? Nov 24, 2021 16:02

Loucks: May 21, 2007; It's incwedibwe easy to suck my own dick.

ThisIsJohnWayne posted:

He drove over children.

He did. The dude sucks out loud, and I am not a fan. What's your point?

# ? Nov 24, 2021 16:03

CRUSTY MINGE: Mar 30, 2011; Peggy Hill
Foot Connoisseur

At this point he's getting life anyhow. Arguing his motivation is a sideshow, he'll never see life outside a cell again.

Even if the cops basically pushed him into the parade, they won't face any consequence, probably be given awards by the city.

# ? Nov 24, 2021 16:03

Loucks: May 21, 2007; It's incwedibwe easy to suck my own dick.

Oh yeah, he's totally hosed. He does sound like he was a pos anyway if the DV thing had any legs. You're also totally right that it doesn't even matter whether the cops played a role since there is zero will to fix anything.

# ? Nov 24, 2021 16:05

Bored As Fuck: Jan 1, 2006; Fun Shoe

Loucks posted:

I'm not defending the guy or denying that the videos exist. I'm not even trying to be combative. It'd just that your leap from the actual evidence that exists to insisting that he ran over people intentionally isn't warranted. We can say that he did a bad thing without making that baseless leap, unless of course it's important to you for some reason to take a criminal complaint at face value. Luckily for the rest of us that's not how the legal system works.

The criminal complaint is interesting and a good thing to post. Your commentary is the part that just doesn't make sense.

I'm going off of the videos and the criminal complaint - to me, the video with a top down view confirms what the criminal complaint alleges via two witnesses' statements - that he zigged and zagged to avoid cars, but did not brake, did no swerve, did not slow down, or anything else, to avoid hitting people. He just floored it. Going from the witness statements and the video that confirms it, yeah, I take the complaint as pretty accurate. Sure, it's all technically alleged, and he'll get his day in court. But it's not like I'm taking the whole thing at face value.

# ? Nov 24, 2021 16:08

ThisIsJohnWayne: Feb 23, 2007; Ooo! Look at me! NO DON'T LOOK AT ME!

Loucks posted:

He did. The dude sucks out loud, and I am not a fan. What's your point?

That not even cops trying to actively murder you can excuse plowing through a crowd with children, wtf
That cops will lie is a given still you don't need their story to know what you saw

Ie he could have stopped, try to escape differently, gently caress it say plow a vehicle through kids are not worth doing even to save your life.

ThisIsJohnWayne fucked around with this message at 16:14 on Nov 24, 2021

# ? Nov 24, 2021 16:10

Loucks: May 21, 2007; It's incwedibwe easy to suck my own dick.

ThisIsJohnWayne posted:

That not even cops trying to actively murder you can excuse plowing through a crowd with children, wtf
That cops will lie is a given still you don't need their story to know what you saw

Nuance is hard apparently. I'll break it down for you.

Running over people: unequivocally a bad thing

Guessing what was happening in the guy's head at the time on the basis of a criminal complaint and some videos which show only his actions, not his mental state: pointless and weird

Telling BaF that their conclusion isn't conclusively supported by the evidence: not defending the rear end in a top hat who ran over a bunch of people.

Seriously, we can condemn the guy's actions without trying to read his mind. What's even the point of that? Anyway this wasn't supposed to be a derail and I apologize to anyone who can grasp that saying "that's baseless" doesn't mean "I love it when people run over grandmas."

# ? Nov 24, 2021 16:15

Arcella: Dec 16, 2013; Shiny and Chrome

Oh I get it, you�re the new Dead Reckoning

# ? Nov 24, 2021 16:23

Loucks: May 21, 2007; It's incwedibwe easy to suck my own dick.

Arcella posted:

Oh I get it, you�re the new Dead Reckoning

very hurtful

# ? Nov 24, 2021 16:23

davecrazy: Nov 25, 2004; I'm an insufferable shitposter who does not deserve to root for such a good team. Also, this is what Matt Harvey thinks of me and my garbage posting.

mlmp08 posted:

https://twitter.com/byyourlogic/status/1463300732849897475?s=21

I still want a R/T scatpack wide body with the shaker hood in a 6speed manual.

Why is it when your middle aged and can comfortably afford it it�s not longer practical because you have kids to haul around everywhere.

# ? Nov 24, 2021 16:27

Crab Dad: Dec 28, 2002; behold i have tempered and refined thee, but not as silver; as CRAB

davecrazy posted:

I still want a R/T scatpack wide body with the shaker hood in a 6speed manual.

Why is it when your middle aged and can comfortably afford it it�s not longer practical because you have kids to haul around everywhere.

Can�t you get the 4 door version? It�s really too bad they stopped making the wagon version too.

# ? Nov 24, 2021 16:32

Tiny Timbs: Sep 6, 2008

My dad tossed me under the glass hatch of his vette when I was a kid

If you can fit a golf bag you can fit a kid

# ? Nov 24, 2021 16:32

Proud Christian Mom: Dec 20, 2006; READING COMPREHENSION IS HARD

Guy who sits around stoking his paranoia by watching self defense videos on YouTube also takes police and former law enforcement completely at their word? :monocle:

# ? Nov 24, 2021 16:35

CRUSTY MINGE: Mar 30, 2011; Peggy Hill
Foot Connoisseur

Maybe stoke paranoia with car crash videos, seems more common a threat.

Crab Dad posted:

Can’t you get the 4 door version? It’s really too bad they stopped making the wagon version too.

I don't think the shaker scatpack was available on the Charger (the sedan). The Magnum (wagon) died way back, because "people don't want wagons" mentality was still in expansion, but that just pushed sales toward the Charger. I think we've finally bottomed out on wagon hate, but that doesn't mean the industry is going to start making more of them.

I hate that I know this much about Dodges. My inner Al Bundy feels strong.

# ? Nov 24, 2021 16:39

Loucks: May 21, 2007; It's incwedibwe easy to suck my own dick.

I was under the impression that generally the take rate on wagons was pretty low and SUVs are way more profitable. Anyway as much as I am concerned about climate change I'm pretty sure we're locked in anyway. Give me a stupidly overpowered manual AWD wagon please, automakers.

# ? Nov 24, 2021 16:42

CRUSTY MINGE: Mar 30, 2011; Peggy Hill
Foot Connoisseur

I just want to shoehorn an EZ36 into my manual, base model Outback. I can live comfortably with what it puts out.

# ? Nov 24, 2021 16:49

AFStealth: Jun 24, 2006; Shut up baby, I know it

CRUSTY MINGE posted:

That makes sense, if he wants to fly for a career. Small planes are the price of lightly used car. I'm just remembering years ago when companies like Spirit were paying pilots like, $14/hr to do regional hops, and the big companies weren't much better.

Nah, the military seems more than happy to be a part of the pickup truck/suv crowd. At least they're not buying Teslas, I'm kinda surprised Elon hasn't stooped to the level of pandering to troops.

Teslas are the new Captmobile. I know of like 5-6 captains that bought a Tesla 3 this year.

# ? Nov 24, 2021 17:10

C2N14: Jul 11, 2018; Destroyer of spectrometers

AFStealth posted:

Teslas are the new Captmobile. I know of like 5-6 captains that bought a Tesla 3 this year.

A surprisingly large number of people at my workplace (most younger than all but the most junior captains) buying them, too. Certain stereotypes are developing about Tesla owners and seem to have at least some basis as far as I can tell from these people

# ? Nov 24, 2021 18:07

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? May 29, 2024 00:00

PookBear: Nov 1, 2008

Loucks posted:

Nuance is hard apparently. I'll break it down for you.

Running over people: unequivocally a bad thing

Guessing what was happening in the guy's head at the time on the basis of a criminal complaint and some videos which show only his actions, not his mental state: pointless and weird

Telling BaF that their conclusion isn't conclusively supported by the evidence: not defending the rear end in a top hat who ran over a bunch of people.

Seriously, we can condemn the guy's actions without trying to read his mind. What's even the point of that? Anyway this wasn't supposed to be a derail and I apologize to anyone who can grasp that saying "that's baseless" doesn't mean "I love it when people run over grandmas."

what the gently caress is the purpose of saying this? This is the current events thread and there was a random terror attack by a guy driving a truck yet again. Of course we're going to talk about it and his motives.

# ? Nov 24, 2021 18:16

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Internet VFW > November 2021 Current Events

«‹›58 »