I think the answer is counter-programming and market differentiation.

The conspiracy theory demographic is really the group of people on the internet who have both absolute skepticism in what they view as mass media, but also the most credulity toward something they view as speaking distinctly to themselves as individuals.

I think that’s actually putting it too mildly. The notion of “laissez faire” capitalism as Libertarians put forward is always a thinly disguised confidence trick, securities fraud, or protection racket.

Fashion in American politics is a curious paradox where you’re talking about people who are photographed and video’d more often than celebrities because they serve a legal function, and yet they’re expected to have very little flair at all. Tiny deviations from the average are magnified by how often you’re in the…

Let E.T. tell you about this place...

I don’t know about these days, but when AJ got started it mostly poached journalists from the BBC World Service’s Arabic language operation. The reporters are mostly cosmopolitan and have no real agenda except to gather and distribute information —the same fucntion they served at the BBC World Service.

Variable speed is a neat feature in the reverse, too. I sleep to the Sleep With Me Podcast (which is designed to just be boring background chatter), and reducing the speed to .5 is better than Nyquil

This to me is the real evil of the drug war. Because it really shouldn’t surprise anyone that cherubic faced kids end up on all sides of it —this is part of the nature of impulsive, stupid childhoods the world over. But because even low-level involvement in drugs is a felony, it’s scandalous, and as a result we can’t…

I don’t want to mention the name of the victim —because it’s still a sensitive subject in the area and there’s bound to be someone who has the name in a Google Alert and they will totally turn this into something about them— but yes, this was that case on Investigation Discovery.

I understand what you’re getting at, the question was rhetorical.

She was 13 and police mention she was on a “teen dating site.” It’s not explicit, but it seems the police are suggesting the guy met her on there.

Thank you for bringing up some much needed perspective about the internet, re: the big chasm between complaints about “the ESJAYDUBAYUS” vs. the pervasive abuse of all manner of forums by all manner of predatory types.

...which is entirely in line with the idea of “honor” as having any sort of bearing on the justice system. And really, police are the big problem here. They could very easily tell the press that if they want any access, they have to help victims equally.

I don’t think that’s restricted to sexual predators. People are just darker and weirder than anyone wants to think. That’s true of victims, too; without engaging in any sort of victim-blaming, how often are investigations thwarted because it’s hard to admit basic material facts about the victim that nobody wants to…

The likely explanation is that the cop is probably claiming workman’s comp —if not to cover the cost of counseling, then at least to cover himself while the incident is under review.

Roughly the same trajectory over here. And I suspect it’s a widely shared narrative.

Makes me wonder if the Telnet version of Star Wars is still alive?

Would it be useful here to point out here that Julie Delpy once starred in a bizarre Ayn Rand biopic?

Uh.... Werk? Bot?

Uh, yeah really great app. You know what I’d like to know? How everybody around here feels that Uber is cutting its drivers’ share of the fare so far downward, that in some markets that they actually can’t afford their own expenses.