Gee whiz! Sound familiar? A man was arrested Wednesday after the FBI noticed his radical Islamist rhetoric, offered to help make the plot a reality, and then gave him a fake car bomb that he tried to detonate, unsuccessfully. Except this time it was in Maryland, and Facebook was involved. (What a sly way to announce jihad!) This story notes one humorous difference from our own Very Serious Bomb Plot: “After the FBI sting in Portland hit the headlines, Martinez worried that he too was being set up. ‘I’m not falling for no b.s,’ the FBI said Martinez told the federal agent.”
In news about a politically motivated bomb plot that did actually kill someone, a jury yesterday turned in a guilty verdict against the right-wing father and son accused in the Woodburn bank plot. But as Sarah notes in this week’s news section, one little word has been missing from talk about the blast: Terrorism.
TriMet’s bad year gets worse. The agency is facing three new lawsuits—seeking $30 million in damages—filed by parents of a woman who was killed last spring, and her boyfriend, who survived, when a bus illegally turned left into an Old Town crosswalk. The driver has been dismissed since, but the union is appealing.
And now back to the best story going: Hackers pissed about the treatment of WikiLeaks.org continue to wage cyber-havoc against companies that have played ball with the U.S. government. Targets include Amazon, MasterCard, and PayPal. Activists desperately want to bring down the latter. Just don’t call it a war, some say. Meanwhile, a word from Julian Assange’s stepfather.
North Korea’s daffy leader visits China, days after President Obama personally begged asked the Chinese to intervene in a phone call. No details on the visit yet. Also no word if China had actually placed that call, looking to collect on the billions we owe them, and got through because Obama didn’t look at the Caller ID.
Speaking of American debt, Democrats’ tax cut rebellion may be short lived. The majority party registered its disgust this morning, but leaders also are acknowledging they don’t have the votes to smack Republicans (and the president) on the nose. (Not that Oregon’s delegation isn’t trying to help.) Weirdly, however, there may be some Tea Party reinforcements.
More congressional sah-sidge. The DREAM Act, offering a path to legalization for undocumented immigrants brought here as kids, muscled its way past the House yesterday, but faces tough sledding in the Senate. No one’s hopes should be “up.”
Dick Cheney has been indicted! (In Nigeria. Also—and settle down all you godless, anti-American libs—not for war crimes.)
HOLY SHIT CIGARETTE SMOKING IS BAD FOR YOU AND YOU SHOULD STOP PUFFING ON THAT DIRTY CANCER STICK LIKE RIGHT FUCKING NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Assholes. Seriously, what insane, shitty, sickening assholes.
In Britain, beloved Capcom character MegaMan is apparently a ginger. And his woman won’t lay him unless he tarps up. Let’s hope he isn’t showing up with his Quick Boomerangs, too!
GOOD MORNING, B-TO-THE-LOGTOWN! KEEP IT CLASSY, WESTBORO BAPTIST! I WONDER IF PEOPLE ATTENDING HILLSBORO BAPTIST CHURCHES HAVE TO DEAL WITH A BUNCH OF AWKWARD QUESTIONS.
GOOD MORNING ALL.
DENIS, INSTEAD OF JUST TAKING POTSHOTS AT THE FBI OVER THESE CASES, I’D LIKE TO SEE AN EDITORIAL OF WHAT SHOULD AND SHOULDN’T BE PERMISSIBLE FBI BEHAVIOR, AND WHAT SHOULD OR SHOULDN’T BE A CRIME.
I CAN’T SEPARATE THESE CASES FROM THE DOZENS BROUGHT EVERY YEAR AGAINST THOSE WHO HIRE A HIT MAN, WHO THEN GOES TO THE COPS.
WHILE THE AUTHORITIES DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE THE ATTEMPT IN MOST CASES, THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT AT ONE POINT THERE IS A PERSON WHO IS SURE IN THEIR MIND THAT THEY ARE ABOUT TO COMMIT MURDER, AND I HAVE NO PROBLEM FINDING THAT CRIMINALLY BLAMEWORTHY. IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU DON’T AGREE.
AND NO, I WILL NOT SHUT UP ABOUT THIS.
@COLIN – WHAT DOES ‘SURE IN MY MIND’ HAVE TO DO WITH IT? THOUGHTS ARE NOT ACTIONS, AND ARE NOT ILLEGAL. YOU ALSO CAN’T PROVE WHAT I’M THINKING, FOR PETE’S SAKE.
@ REYMONT, THOUGHTS ARE PROVEN IN COURT EVERY SINGLE DAY, THOUSANDS OF TIMES. THEY ARE INFERRED FROM ACTIONS, OR FROM THE WORDS OF THE DEFENDANT. NEARLY EVERY SINGLE CRIME REQUIRES THE STATE PROVE A SUFFICIENT MENTAL STATE.
THOUGHTS THEMSELVES ARE NOT ILLEGAL – THOUGHTS PLUS ACTIONS ARE. BELIEVING YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY HIRED A HIT MAN IS THOUGHT + ACTION. THINKING YOU HAVE PLANNED AND DETONATED A LETHAL EXPLOSION IS THOUGHT ACTION.
GOOD MORNING, TK., GOOD MORNING, BLOGTOWN!
WHEN FRED PHELPS DIES, CAN YOU IMAGINE THE EPIC PAY-YOU-BACK FUNERAL PROTEST? THAT PUKE’S PASSING COULD ACTUALLY UNITE THIS COUNTRY FOR REALZ!
NO DOY, REYMOUNT!
COINCIDENTALLY, MY REAL NAME IS MALICE AFORETHOUGHT!
GOOD MORNING ALL. DO NOT GIVE THE PHELPSITES ANY MORE PUBLICITY! THEY THRIVE ON IT! I’D SAY DON’T GIVE THE PALINS ANY MORE PUBLICITY EITHER, BUT THEY’RE STILL MILDLY ENTERTAINING, OCCASIONALLY…
GOOD MORNING, DENIS! GOOD MORNING, TK.! GOOD MORNING, CC! GOOD MORNING, REYMONT! GOOD MORNING, TSW!
HOW IS EVERYONE?!?
I READ SOMEWHERE THAT ONE OF THE ULTIMATE GOALS OF THIS STYLE OF FBI INVESTIGATION WAS NOT PRIMARLY TO ARREST AND CONVICT MUHAMED MOHAMED, BUT INSTEAD PUT POTENTIAL TERRORISTS ON NOTICE THAT THE FBI COULD BE ANYWHERE OR ANYONE AND THAT NONE OF THEM ARE SAFE.
I APPRECIATE THE WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH’S CONTINUED EFFORTS TO EXPLORE THE OUTER-REACHES OF WHAT IS AND IS NOT PROTECTED FIRST AMMENDMENT PROTECTED SPEECH. THEY’RE DESPICABLE AMERICAN HEROES OF A SORT.
GOOD MORNING. I’M PREEMPTIVELY SAD ABOUT THE DREAM ACT NOT PASSING.
The fact that a bunch of diverse posters all seem to leave their CAPS LOCK in the ON position would tend to tell me that the same person with a broken keyboard posts under various identities.
I wonder how many VHS porn tapes the glorious leader of N. Korea takes with him when going to China for a harsh verbal thrashing?
Cigarette smoking is just natural selection weeding out the stupid people from the herd. Seriously, though, I’m a nonsmoker but a lot of antismoking activists irritate me. Children are being recruited as savage killers in Africa, our oceans are dying, the Blazers may move to Seattle…and for them the most important issue is smoking.
@AMANDA BANANNANNA
WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOUR KEYBOARD?
@ AMANDA BANDANA: ON BEHALF OF ALL OF MY PERSONALITIES: CAPS OR GTFO.
@ AMANDA, YOU’RE RIGHT IT’S ALL ME I’M JUST SO LONELY!
@ GRAHAM, THAT’S WHY I’M SO DEFENSIVE ABOUT THESE STINGS – I THINK THEY’RE A GREAT WAY TO DO JUST THAT. I DON’T THINK IT’S JUST USELESS PROPAGANDA AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHERWISE HARMLESS MUSLIM INDIVIDUALS AS OTHERS SEEM TO.
@AMANAMAN – WE ARE ALL CONNECTED! JUST ASK CARL SAGAN.
@AMANDA BANANANA: CAPSLOCK IS CRUISE CONTROL FOR COOL.
@AMANDA BANANA – I DON’T UNDERSTAND THE CAPSLOCK RULE FOR THE ‘GOOD MORNING NEWS’ ARTICLES, BUT IT’S A REAL THING AND THESE PEOPLE ARE VICIOUS!
@COLIN – IN THOSE EXAMPLES, IT’S THE ‘ACTION’ THAT’S ILLEGAL, NOT THE ‘THOUGHT.’ IF YOU TRICK OR GOAD SOMEONE INTO TAKING AN ILLEGAL ACTION WHO OTHERWISE WOULD not HAVE, ARE YOU BLAMELESS? THERE ARE ENOUGH STUPID, IMPRESSIONABLE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT THE FBI COULD MANUFACTURE A CRIME LIKE THIS EVERY DANG DAY IF THEY WANTED TO.
OOO! THINK OF THE MILGRAM EXPERIMENTS! IF MILGRAM WORKED FOR THE FBI, WOULD IT BE RIGHT FOR HIM TO ARREST EVERY PERSON WHO PUSHED THAT BUTTON? THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE TORTURING SOMEONE, RIGHT? THEY’RE EVIL CRIMINALS! HE’D JUST BE KEEPING US SAFE, RIGHT?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_exper…
@ REYMONT: IT’S UP THE DISCRETION OF PROSECUTORS (AND ULTIMATELY A GRAND JURY OR REGULAR JURY) TO DECIDE THAT A CRIME THAT TECHNICALLY COULD BE CHARGED IS INDEED A CHARGE WORTH BRINGING.
WHILE I DISAGREE, LET’S JUST ASSUME THEY ARE ONLY BEING PROSECUTED FOR THEIR ACTIONS (HIRING A HIT MAN, OR PLOTTING WITH OTHERS AND THEN “DETONATING” A BOMB THEY DON’T KNOW IS FAKE). YOU NO LONGER ARE ARGUING THESE PEOPLE ARE BEING PROSECUTED FOR THEIR THOUGHTS ALONE (NEITHER WAS I).
NOW YOU’RE SAYING THE COPS SHOULDN’T TRICK SOMEONE INTO TAKING AN ACTION THEY OTHERWISE WOULD NOT HAVE – I COMPLETELY AGREE, THAT’S CALLED ENTRAPMENT.
HOWEVER, THE FBI HAS LEANED OVER FORWARDS BACKWARDS AND SIDEWAYS (ALLEGEDLY) TO SHOW THAT A) THESE PEOPLE WERE LOOKING TO COMMIT A SIMILAR CRIME BEFORE THE INVESTIGATIONS BEGAN, B) THEY WERE GIVEN OPTIONS TO DO NON-VIOLENT THINGS, C) THEY WERE GIVEN OPPORTUNITIES TO BACK OUT, D) IN BOTH CASES, EACH DEFENDANT ACTUALLY CHOSE THE TARGETS, AND E) ACTUALLY “PUSHED THE BUTTON” THEMSELVES.
I THINK IT’S UNBELIEVABLY CONDESCENDING TO THINK THERE IS AN UNLIMITED SUPPLY OF DIMWITS WHO CAN BE EASILY CAJOLED INTO MASS MURDER PLOTS.
EVEN IF YOU ARE RIGHT AND THERE ARE, I THINK IT’S JUST AS GOOD THAT PEOPLE THIS MINDLESS, MALLEABLE AND POTENTIALLY VIOLENT ARE BEING MONITORED, DON’T YOU?
@COLIN – I DON’T KNOW ALL THE ANSWERS – I’M NOT ON THE JURY. I JUST SUPPORT THE QUESTION! AND THE MERC’S ARTICLES CALLING FOR SCRUTINY! SO :)! I THINK WE MIGHT AGREE!
BUT SORRY, BUT I do THINK THERE IS AN UNLIMITED SUPPLY OF MALLEABLE DIMWITS AVAILABLE. LOOK AT THE RATINGS FOR GLENN BECK AND FOX NEWS, OR AT THE PEOPLE WHO SHOW UP TO THE STUPID ‘BLACK BLOC’ PROTESTS HERE IN PDX – A LOT OF PEOPLE like BEING TOLD WHAT TO THINK. GO DOWN TO THE TRAIN TRACKS AT NIGHT – YOU’LL FIND SOMEONE WHO HATES ‘THE MAN,’ AND GIVEN A TRAINED TEAM, SIX MONTHS AND PLENTY OF BRIBES (LIKE A FREE APARTMENT!) I’M SURE YOU COULD TWIST HIM UP HOWEVER YOU LIKE.
ALSO, AT THIS POINT I THINK WE SHOULD GET A ROOM! 🙂
GOOD MORNING GUYS!
@AMANDA BANANA CAPS LOCK OR YOUR COMMENT DIDN’T HAPPEN.
GOOD… AFTERNOON. I SEE SYBIL IS IN THE HOUSE.
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE IN THE EVENING TIME!
@ AMANDA_BANANDA: “weeding out the stupid people from the Nerd”
SO YES TO WEEDING AND NO TO PACIFIER STICKS? WHAT DOES NERDS HAVE TO DO WITH THIS? ARE YOU AN IQ SEPARATIST? WHO WAS THE 3RD PERSON WHO PLAYED SPOCK’S “POSITION” ON THE ENTERPRISE? AM STILL CONFUSED…
@LEAKY: DON’T RESPOND TO THAT COMMENT, SINCE BEYOND THE AUTHOR’S CAPSLOCK-INEPT WRITING, THE GLIB OMISSION OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH REALITIES OF SMOKING (ANY UPDATED FIGURES ON HOW MANY KIDS DIE FROM SECOND-HAND SMOKE EACH YEAR?) MAKES THE COMMENT USELESS.
GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE!
THE WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH ALSO PICKETED MR. ROGERS’ FUNERAL TOO. THEY SUCK!
MERCURY FOLKS, THE “PLEASE WAIT” IMAGE IS STILL MISSING. IT IS NOT A MAJOR CRISIS THOUGH.
GOOD AFTERNOON BLOGTOWNERS!
@ AMANDA_BANANDA: WHY ARE YOU YELLING?
(HAT TIP TO CAT & BEARD FOR MY FAVORITE COMMENT ON BLOGTOWN LATELY)
GOOD AFTERNOON ALL!
IT’S NOT AB’S LACK OF CAPS LOCK THAT BOTHERS ME, BUT THE FACT THAT SHE SEEMS TO THINK A SPORTS TEAM MOVING IS A MORE IMPORTANT ISSUE THAN PEOPLE DYING.
@MCANGRYPANTS THAT WAS MY COMMENT!
WE ARE NOT YELLING, WE ARE CARING LOUDLY, LIKE THAT SHOWS SAYS.
– WHO THE HELL AM I TRYING TO LIE TO, WE´RE SCREAMING OUR LUNGS OFF –
@ OREGOMETRY: YOUR RIGHT, AND I APOLOGIZE. MY CLEVERNESS WAS NOT UP TO ITS USUAL HEIGHTS THIS TIME AROUND ABOUT CHATTY CHAT DISCERNMENT AND ABOUT INTENTIONALITY.
IT’S OKAY. I FORGIVE YOU. I JUST GET SO LITTLE PRAISE HERE, IT MADE ME SAD THAT WHEN I FINALLY DID SOMETHING RIGHT THE CREDIT WENT ELSEWHERE.
@OREGOMETRY – YOU GOT PLENTY OF PRAISE JUST YESTERDAY! http://TINYURL.COM/OREGOMETRY
@OREGOMETRY: COOL, BUT IT REALLY WAS A PERSONAL THING TO HAVE THAT SLIP ME BY. THOSE THINGS DON´T HAPPEN TO ME. GOOD THING YOU POINTED IT OUT WITH THE OUTMOST WIT AND CHEEKINESS.
I SUPPOSE YOUR GOOD WITH THE GEOMETRY OF THE SPARSE STATE OF OREGON?
@LEAKY: I’M FACILE.
@REYMONT: RICKROLLIN’ RIGHT BACK! MUCH LOVE.
@OREGOMETRY: THANKS FOR FOLLOWING THE THREAD.
@OREGOMETRY – HAHA, YUP! GOOD TIMES ALL AROUND.