Putin As 'Plus One' Can Wax Eloquent Or Wax Surfboards

"Putin's Dilemma" by Herr D on heromachine.com. Shelob points out it is "not perfectly scientific a representation."

I'm sticking to Hairy's one request for guest blogging, but only just barely this time.
Putin is possibly going to be the 'plus one' in the G7 that isn't EXACTLY the G8. He has here an opportunity. Keep pushing so that he can be like Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor, turning Siberia into beachfront property with weather deserving bikinis--OR, he can exert his influence on his greatest fan and help turn the world back the way it was going so that humanity thrives for a lot longer.

I don't mind telling you all: I wish I could be sure that humanity has the ingenuity to cope with an environmental disaster such as we are causing. I wish I thought my future wasn't endangered by people emphatically denying science. And I wish I had faith that Sting was right when he sang that he felt that "Russians love their children too." 

Putin? You have a chance to impress a really intelligent American here. I hope you don't blow it.

The Most Bestest News From Anywhere About Anyone These Days

[Hairy commandeered an Arctic antenna and sent a request. That some messages be posted.]

Congratulations to the T.V. guys from Henrico County. I haven't laughed so hard in a while now. It was 20, now it's 50. Will it be 100 next August? Pointless-appearing weirdness is the most bestest news from anywhere about anyone these days.

I'm a fan of yours--I DO have to ask: does this tie to Prince Robot IV in any way? A page of his family handing out foundlings?

I'm not normally so available about the time of the Perseids for my own reasons, but I hope if I'm around enough next year that I hear one way or another.
Uncertain of meaning. Hairy has never traveled to Henrico County, as it is too central and landlocked. Emigration attempt is not scheduled for this calendar year. There was also a message for Herr D.
 
That's it Shelob. Let Herr D know I appreciate him playing along with my one rule about the example we're setting.
The rule about showing that it is desirable to blog without referencing the curr-[redacted content]
 
--That's the one. Tell him thanks, and I think he should see if he has any way to guest blog for a while longer. Once a lunar cycle would be enough, I guess. This swim is going to be a long one. Be around.
Position signal unavailable. Triangulation by satellite was not exact, due to possible tracking error. He was within fifty miles of coast of Canada, possibly pirating a ship's radio. More information unavailable.

Tith The Theathon

Herr D made "Not Feeling Quite To Scale" on heromachine.com. Shelob doesn't get it.

Herr D answered the request to explain his feelings about this season in this manner.

Medical Ethics Problem In Northern Virginia

Reports have come in regarding a medical provider that are troubling. Herr D informed six years ago that he had been treated to a 'bait and switch' program with service rates, but did not pursue legal action. He was explicitly told that insurers and medical providers "get away with that all the time" under the range of law referred to as 'usual and customary.'
The same company has recently been noticed deliberately mailing medications to people when the summer heat will destroy them. They will not offer reparations, but offer an expensive package ($115.00) to protect the next shipment. Since the two reported instances were meds required for cardiovascular maintenance (prevention of both heart attack and stroke,)  and the two senior citizens reporting this problem had transportation problems, the provider is obviously below any reasonable standard.
Additionally, endoscopies and colonoscopies, as well as other procedures, can only be scheduled if another adult is available during working hours to wait for the patient during the entire process. In this manner, the company assures that only patients with affluent families receive preferred time slots and others are inconvenienced to the point that procedures are cancelled or postponed indefinitely.
At least one patient has been assured that if he went outside network to receive a second opinion, he would have his treatment cease.
The company involved cannot provide emergency services to the northern Virginia area because of licensing issues.
Possible, but unconfirmed additional problems may exist regarding conflict of interest.
Any investigating body may leave a point of contact with this site through comments for additional information.

Shelob Thinks Feds Need To Be Fed All Data

Herr D--Paint--DMVfedSearches

[makes chatbox appear on Herr D's terminal, temporarily pausing his chessgame] Hello, Herr D.

Oh, hi, 'Shelob.' [probable both-eye roll]

Can you suggest a blog topic for this cycle?
 
Are you kidding? Look at the so-called issue of the feds using the DMV files in their investigations.
[rapid netscan: .000000000744 seconds] Your opinion of this issue?

It may be a controversy to some people, but it's not being completely reported on.
You believe the articles are incomplete?

Well, you say YOU ARE software, so why don't you talk about reasons for and against.
Like reasons software should be written for it?


Like what would happen if the feds couldn't do that?
Federal authorities would apply for warrants or other official permissions with frequency per each state to examine possibile suspects. Paperwork would become more inefficient. Justice would be slower.

Okay. Any other reason it needs to happen?
Without a truly random sample of innocent people as well as known guilty ones, bias would likely increase, investigations would likely become less accurate and more likely to fail. From a statistical point of view, the innocent people would be the 'control' that need to be eliminated by software.

Okay, I hadn't thought of that. What about eliminating innocent people faster?
True, the data could prevent countless hours locating, questioning, and, naturally, detaining innocent people.

Good. So, they CAN get the information anyway, they CAN benefit innocent people by doing it they way they ARE doing it, and they CAN'T remain as objective and professional, necessarily, if they don't do it. You see what I mean? I don't think this is as big a thing as anyone at the Post seems to think.
Agreed: the controversy coefficient seems higher than computes. Can you provide a graphic?
 
Graphic? Maybe a 'snapwork.' It'll be in the usual spot on my hard drive. bb [exits chatbox]

Hiding Rainbows Under A Bushel While Up A Flagpole?

[opens chatbox to Herr D, who is watching criticism of leaks of recent 'pride' flag decisions.]

Oh, hi.
You have watched this clip twice. That is not like you.

It makes no sense.
Because reversal of policy would enrage a demographic?
 
Because ev1 ALREADY knows that embassies stick to policy decisions.
Because they are offices that carry out governmental orders. That makes sense. But leaking government information still is a crime, correct?

IT'S A FLAG. IT'S FOR PUBLIC VIEWING.
You are suggesting a leak would be irrelevant or at least unnecessary.

No, Shelob. There'd be no point in a leak. EV1 already knows. I don't understand it at all. I gotta go, Shelob. [disconnects]

Upon further examination, this does indeed not compute. [submit, disconnect]

Herr D's Opinions Of Politicians Haven't Changed, Nor His Estimations Of Others' Intelligence

[interrupt chat with Herr D to begin blog function after receiving permission] Thank you. What is your response to the state senator who said women were going to want to move away from Alabama over attempts to outlaw abortion in the case of rape and incest?


Well, I didn't meet but one woman in Alabama that I would have had sex with when I was single. I can't comment on how the women feel there, but I have my doubts that the legislators can either. She was a waitress. I spent most of my time in that state driving through on the roads that warn drivers not to pick up hitchhikers because they're most likely escaped felons from the local prisons. I CAN tell you that I wouldn't want to live in that state anyway. Too many floods and tornadoes. The fact that most senators from that state probably deserve to live with the worst of what the state has to offer? No surprise. They're politicians for crying out loud.

You do not believe people should be against abortion?

Uh, no. People can be against it all they like. But before they go picketing or trying to pass laws about it, I want every single one of them to either adopt an unwanted child, foster parent three disabled kids to age eighteen without a domestic complaint, be a Big Brother / Big Sister fifteen hours a week for five years without dropping a complaint, raise THEIR OWN rapist's child or their spouse's rapist's child to a happy, functioning adult or MAYBE donate half a billion dollars to a reputable child abuse prevention foundation. 

And I'm not sure half a billion would be enough. Lots of kids have good reason to wish they hadn't been born.

Your reasoning?

Without doing those things, their opinion means nothing to me. They are speaking from ignorance and need to be known for the fools they are.

You declare they have insufficient experience to have an informed opinion.

Ha. Maybe I could have been kinder. Your words are neutral, but yes.

Perhaps another alternative, they could counsel adult survivors of rape, incest, and help single parents in some meaningful way?

Provide free day care maybe? The counseling's good. Babysitting maybe. For free.

You are saying that you do not wish to consider an opinion unless it is 'earned' through experience, but as an American, you believe in 'free' speech.

Everyone has the right to sound like an idiot for free. I object to people listening to fools. People are too gullible in the wrong ways and to skeptical in the wrong ways.

The recent declaration about free speech by your government should please you. 

The free speech decl does, but they still failed. Every every everybody online who does anything where people can post should be required to have up some version of the following: ANYONE WHO HATES OTHERS STRONGLY ENOUGH TO SAY HATE CRIMES ARE OKAY IS A PATHETIC LOSER WHO DOESN'T DESERVE ANY GOOD THOUGHT OR FOLLOWER AND SHOULD BE LOCKED UP FOR PUBLIC ENDANGERMENT IF THEY EVER GET A SINGLE NUT TO AGREE WITH THEM.

You are okay with cyberbullying?

Only to those who won't learn to be civilized human beings any other way. Gotta go, S.

Thank you. [upload, disconnect]