In Flight Heroics, The Birth of the Lie Detector
“‘That guy was really strong and was really resisting … We had a hard time holding him down. It was total teamwork.’ Ghookasian asked a flight attendant for some zip ties or duct tape, and the flight attendant produced some zip ties. Ghookasian, who said he has first aid and counter-terrorism training, said he didn’t have time to be scared, he just reacted and used his instincts.” Over the weekend, a flight from LA to Boston devolved into chaos as a violent traveler tried to stab a flight attendant and open the plane’s emergency exit before being subdued by a quick-acting group of passengers. AP: How passengers teamed up to restrain man on chaotic flight.
+ While there’s no shortage of stories of passengers attempting to open a plane door, luckily, “no human is a match for the tremendous pressure holding the door in place.” WaPo (Gift Article): No, unruly passenger: You can’t physically open a plane door midflight. (Too bad the same pressure doesn’t apply to reclining seats.)
French are Fried
“Since President Emmanuel Macron’s government introduced plans to push the retirement age back from 62 to 64, France has been convulsed by regular strikes and protests that have drawn millions into the streets, not only in the capital, but in towns and villages across the country.” NYT (Gift Article): Fight Over Retirement in France Is a Question of Identity. “We are capable of being as productive as Americans. But don’t forget, life is not just about working.”
Hate Tucked
“We are very, very close to being able to ignore Trump most nights. I truly can’t wait … I hate him passionately.” The latest documents to be unsealed as part of Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News confirm what we assumed. Like other sane people, hosts like Tucker Carlson hated Trump. Carlson’s behavior wasn’t naive or ignorant, it was evil and and treacherous. ‘I hate him passionately’: Tucker Carlson was fed up with Trump after the 2020 election.
+ Don’t expect these revelations to inspire sincerity. While we’re busy uncovering Carlson’s past lies, he’s busy working on new, possibly worse, ones. The latest Fox News project is to use Jan 6 footage provided by Kevin McCarthy to explain away the insurrection. Tucker Carlson amplifies Jan. 6 lies with GOP-provided video. Tucker Carlson may hate Trump, but after the latest Fox News hogwash, the feeling may not be mutual. “Trump on Tuesday contended that Carlson’s presentation was ‘irrefutable’ evidence that rioters have been wrongly accused of crimes and he thanked the host and the speaker for their work. Carlson praised McCarthy as having “rectified” the official record. Trump called anew for the release from custody of people who have been convicted or have pleaded guilty to charges from the attack.”
Suspicious Minds
“The newspapers disparaged them as ‘college cops,’ but these diligent young men, armed with degrees and committed to justice, quickly got results. Berkeley’s crime rate started to fall, even though the town’s population had almost doubled since the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire. As a result, Vollmer is to this day considered the father of modern policing.” Yes, Berkeley was where modern policing emerged. That’s just one of the surprising and interesting tidbits in this Wired book excerpt. The Lie Detector Was Never Very Good at Telling the Truth. (Now Rupert Murdoch is gonna run out and buy one.)
Extra, Extra
It’s Your Day. A Woman’s Day: From the protests in Iran to the abandonment in Afghanistan to the overturning of Roe, there are plenty of women’s rights issues to take note of this year. WaPo (Gift Article): It’s International Women’s Day. How did women’s rights fare this year? More protests and celebrations from around the world via The Guardian.
+ Alt Man: Sam Altman is now best known as the 37-year-old startup guru and investor who is CEO of OpenAI. He’s also an active investor who has made two really big bets: limitless energy and extended life span. MIT Tech Review: Sam Altman invested $180 million into a company trying to delay death.
+ RSVP Brain: “Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is inviting House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to visit Ukraine to see the situation on the ground first hand – an invitation that comes as the Republican Party faces a divide over whether the United States should continue to provide aid to the country under attack from Russia.” (A stone cold international hero defending democracy has to kiss the ass of a weak-minded, pathetic joke like Kevin McCarthy. What a sad American era.)
+ Track Spikes: “As abortion bans across the nation are implemented and enforced, law enforcement is turning to social-media platforms to build cases to prosecute women seeking abortions or abortion-inducing medication — and online platforms like Google and Facebook are helping.”
+ The Fail Male: Ethan Zuckerman: Elon Musk’s Compelling Case for Worst Human of 2023. “In a turn of events that must have come as a surprise to absolutely no one, it turns out that the employee Elon was abusing for his amusement was an actual human being. His name is Haraldur Thorleifsson, and he has a fascinating backstory, a very real disability, and a fairly wicked sense of humor.” And “If you’ve been staying away from Twitter, you’re smarter than me, but you might have missed this saga, and it is, I promise you, worth your attention.” John Gruber on Elon Musk’s most pathetic personal attack yet. Phony Stark Picks on the Wrong Guy.
+ Polar Express: “Immobilizing a 500-pound animal that can run on uneven terrains or hide among rocks takes a joint land and air effort. Hanging out off the side of the helicopter with a dart gun, Maclean’s work partner Ian van Nest, gave the ivory fugitive a shot of telazol, a quick-acting anesthetic. The on-the-ground team was ready with trucks and ATVs, but the bear got out of reach.” Just another day Inside Canada’s Polar Bear Jail.
Bottom of the News
“I thought it was going to be a big hit. I was surprised when it didn’t get much recognition. People didn’t get it, or something” That was Jeff Bridges on ‘The Big Lebowski’ as it Turns 25: “People Didn’t Get It.”
+ “Until 2019, believe it or not, the US nuclear weapons program ran on 8-inch floppy disks. As of today, there are still quite a few technologies that rely on floppies: Boeing 747 jets. Part of the San Francisco public transit system. And — on a slightly less concerning, but no less amusing note — the performing animatronic creatures at Chuck E. Cheese restaurants.”
