Be Ready With Your Flyswatter; Lone Wolves Are Actually Mosquitoes

"Human Worth Scale" by Herr D on heromachine.com. Shelob thinks numerical values would be more helpful.

[following segment printed from chat with Herr D by express permission]

Well, they've gone and done it now, Shelob.
They have done what?

They've gone and declared public safety warnings for a movie. They've actually encouraged proliferation of messages warning about the copycat effect for mass shootings in a movie.
[.00024 seconds pass for research] You are speaking of 'Joker.'

I'm not saying it's unwise, I'm saying that it won't help. Vigilant people are already apprised of what to do. Lackadaisical people are going to keep ignoring the warnings. 
Perhaps you have an alternate solution.

Well, yeah. Get every single expert in psychology to blast all over the net and get quoted on the news as the pathetic losers that they are. Copycats? Lone-wolves? They're worse than useless. So is anyone who is so weak that they 'turn to violence' over being bullied or wanting to count for something or hating some group for something or any OTHER stupid excuse they come up with. If no one is committing violence in your direction, you have no excuse to turn violent.
You do advocate for self-defense.

Self-defense is always okay. Defending the defenseless is okay. Starting something stupid just means you're stupid. Did I tell you or Hairy about 'mosquito worth?'
That term not in memory.

It's really simple. A single malaria-infected mosquito can kill a man or maybe twenty before being swatted. That same man takes six to eight people to save, on average, plus modern knowledge and specially made modern goods. 
Current life insurance calculations might allow the --

You can't PUT a value on that, Shelob! The victims were worth something. The killer ISN'T. The killer is worth a disease-ridden bug when they act like one. It is a terrible shame that bullets are wasted killing them, or money is wasted keeping them alive for trial. They are not, at least not in that moment, worth the trouble it takes to pull a trigger.
You are suggesting it would be better if it were possible to use a flyswatter?

That would be better, yes.

[segment ends]

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]