Miscellaneous Discussion Thread II

Quote: lilredrooster

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right now there is another atypical case out there - the disappearance, which most now believe, sadly, is probably yet another unsolved homicide

Nancy Guthrie is 84 and has been missing for about a month

law enforcement - local, State and Federal, have spent a tremendous amount of time, money and resources on the case because she is the mother of a well known TV personality

I have a great deal of sympathy for Ms. Guthrie and her family

but many including myself have to wonder if it's right or fair that law enforcement, who is Governmental, pays so much more attention to some victims because of who they are or who their family is then they do to others

that's just the way of the world

if you're a nobody the cops aren't going to knock themselves out trying to get you justice

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link to original post

Are the cops paying more attention to Guthrie than other kidnappings, or is the press paying more attention?

Quote: DRich

Based on American assets currently in the Middle East and the current operations by Israel, I would guess we will be bombing Iran in the next three days. Normally, we wait until weekend to limit affect on the stock market but everything I am seeing makes me believe it may be sooner.
link to original post

Your prediction was close enough. It has started

Quote: GenoDRPh

Quote: lilredrooster

.
right now there is another atypical case out there - the disappearance, which most now believe, sadly, is probably yet another unsolved homicide

Nancy Guthrie is 84 and has been missing for about a month

law enforcement - local, State and Federal, have spent a tremendous amount of time, money and resources on the case because she is the mother of a well known TV personality

I have a great deal of sympathy for Ms. Guthrie and her family

but many including myself have to wonder if it's right or fair that law enforcement, who is Governmental, pays so much more attention to some victims because of who they are or who their family is then they do to others

that's just the way of the world

if you're a nobody the cops aren't going to knock themselves out trying to get you justice

.
link to original post

Are the cops paying more attention to Guthrie than other kidnappings, or is the press paying more attention?
link to original post

"AI Overview

The investigation into the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, mother of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie, has generated an intensive, multi-agency response

Intense Law Enforcement Focus: The Pima County Sheriff's Department and the FBI have conducted a major, sustained search, including the use of canine teams ($10,000) and helicopter searches ($10,000–$15,000), notes a report detailing typical high-cost investigative techniques.

Disparity in Attention: Observers have noted that this level of resources is not typical for most missing persons cases, fueling discussions about how celebrity connections and public interest can influence law enforcement efforts."

.

Quote: avianrandy

I always thought howard Johnson's was a hotel chain. Tonight they were talking about it being a restaurant and their 28 flavors of ice cream. I know Baskin Robbins had 31 flavors lol
link to original post

It was both. Restaurant first then added motor lodges. The restaurant I'm told was glorified TV dinners, just heated. HoJos had the turnpikes sewed up early and the service was awful since you had no choice. After about 1980 they moved to other concepts, I think they owned Ground Round. Little by little the classic orange roof places disappeared. Last one was in Lake George, NY. Rachel Ray worked that one IIRC.

As a kid, going to HoJo's was an occasional treat. As a HS senior with open campus privileges, the nearby HoJo's was a magnet. There were none near my college, but they were a regular part of spring break. The one in the next town over was featured in a movie starring Sean Connery and Dustin Hoffman.

Quote: lilredrooster

Quote: GenoDRPh

Quote: lilredrooster

.
right now there is another atypical case out there - the disappearance, which most now believe, sadly, is probably yet another unsolved homicide

Nancy Guthrie is 84 and has been missing for about a month

law enforcement - local, State and Federal, have spent a tremendous amount of time, money and resources on the case because she is the mother of a well known TV personality

I have a great deal of sympathy for Ms. Guthrie and her family

but many including myself have to wonder if it's right or fair that law enforcement, who is Governmental, pays so much more attention to some victims because of who they are or who their family is then they do to others

that's just the way of the world

if you're a nobody the cops aren't going to knock themselves out trying to get you justice

.
link to original post

Are the cops paying more attention to Guthrie than other kidnappings, or is the press paying more attention?
link to original post

"AI Overview

The investigation into the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, mother of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie, has generated an intensive, multi-agency response

Intense Law Enforcement Focus: The Pima County Sheriff's Department and the FBI have conducted a major, sustained search, including the use of canine teams ($10,000) and helicopter searches ($10,000–$15,000), notes a report detailing typical high-cost investigative techniques.

Disparity in Attention: Observers have noted that this level of resources is not typical for most missing persons cases, fueling discussions about how celebrity connections and public interest can influence law enforcement efforts."

.
link to original post

I will tell you this, that a few days ago during the blizzard a man in town went missing. The cops went all out trying to find him, including calling in the state police search helicopter. Tragically, they found him a day later, dead in a snowbank. Around here, we take missing persons reports seriously, and reports of kidnapping even more so.

There used to be Howard Johnson's restaurants on the NYS Thruway 60 years ago, but they disappeared in the early '70's. I think my family ate there once or twice on a road trip. They were finicky eaters, or price averse, and would rather have us eat sandwiches from home from a cooler in the car. We usually had a pet in the car, so leaving a pet alone in the car while visiting the restaurant for 90 minutes would be wrong.

Google AI had this to say about them.
The last operating Howard Johnson's restaurant, known for its orange roof and famous 28 flavors of ice cream, closed in Lake George, New York, in March 2022. At its peak in the 1960s and 1970s, the chain boasted nearly 1,000 locations. Popular for families, the menu featured fried clams, clam chowder, frankfurters, and ice cream.

Decline in Popularity
Competition: Increased competition from modern chains like Friendly’s, Applebee’s, and Chili’s.
Changing Travel: The rise of faster, more affordable air travel diminished the road-trip, family-restaurant crowd.
Failed Updates: The company failed to modernize its menu and infrastructure, making it difficult to maintain relevance.
Separation from Lodging: The restaurants were separated from the hotel brand (which still operates under Wyndham) in 1986.

Menu Highlights
Ice Cream: Famously touted 28 flavors.
Signature Dishes: Fried clam strips, clam chowder, mac and cheese, frankfurters, and grilled chicken.
Specials: Known for the "All You Can Eat Fish Fry".

Historical Peak
During the 1960s-70s, it was the largest restaurant chain in the U.S., with approximately 1,000 restaurants and 500 motor lodges.
It was a pioneer in consistent, standardized roadside dining and franchising.
****************************************************************************************

Nowadays there's Shake Shack, Chick-fil-A, Popeyes, Starbucks, Panera Bread, Burger King, Dunkin' Donuts, Applegreen Convenience Store & car charging stations and others at the rest stops.

Please be advised that Thruway Authority Service Areas are not designed for long term parking or multiple day stays. Unattended vehicles left in service areas for more than 4 hours are subject to being towed at owner’s expense. For assistance call 1-800-842-2233.
https://www.thruway.ny.gov/travelers/service-areas

Different rest stops have different restaurants. I'll have to click the link to look them up.
Sunoco Gas is provided. I never stop at Sunoco and I don't know if they have 93 octane gas.

I used to buy a lot of candy for those road trips as a kid. The trips would only be 6+ hours. I'd bring my pillow to sleep on. I never wore a seat belt in the back seat.
I think I remember having to use the Thruway gas station garage to get the car fixed. I don't know if those garages still exist.

Quote: lilredrooster

.
right now there is another atypical case out there - the disappearance, which most now believe, sadly, is probably yet another unsolved homicide

Nancy Guthrie is 84 and has been missing for about a month
...

if you're a nobody the cops aren't going to knock themselves out trying to get you justice

.
link to original post

On the other hand, if you're a nobody the chances of you being kidnapped and held for ransom are near zero. So it's understandable why they would want to send an unmistakable message to those who would consider doing that, that they will be prioritized over other types of cases.

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let's get off the kidnapping and ransoming thing for a minute

do you think the cops make a great effort to get justice for a victim when there is a murder in the projects - ?

not a chance

but if it's a middle class or well off person in the suburbs - it's a whole different story


"AI Overview

Data analysis and research indicate that, in many U.S. cities, homicides in low-income, predominantly Black, and Hispanic neighborhoods (often described as "slums" or high-poverty areas) are solved at significantly lower rates than in other areas. While police departments often maintain that they treat all cases equally, studies show a major disparity in clearance rates, leading to a higher rate of "murders with impunity" in these communities.

Here is a breakdown of the evidence and factors influencing this trend:

Disparities in Clearance Rates: Investigations have shown that cases with Black and Hispanic victims, particularly those involving gun violence, have seen a drop in clearance rates (the percentage of cases resulting in an arrest) of more than 20 percentage points since the 1980s. In some cities, the rate of solving murders for Black victims is significantly lower than for white victims.

Ultimately, the lower clearance rates in these areas contribute to a perception—and in many cases, the reality—that murders in low-income, minority-dominated neighborhoods are not prioritized with the same intensity as those in more affluent areas."

.

I had a friend who worked Homicide in Queens for a few years. He said there were days when he'd have three bodies waiting for him, and weeks where they'd be no bodies. Most times, they barely had a few hours to work a case before the next body came in. Of course, that was in the early 90s when NYC had 2,000 murders a year, now it is down to around 500, so the cops have more time on their hands.
Nassau County, which is next door to Queens,with a population of 1.4 million, had 15 murders in 2024. Queens County has a population of 2.4 million and had 49 murders in 2024

Quote: lilredrooster

.
let's get off the kidnapping and ransoming thing for a minute

do you think the cops make a great effort to get justice for a victim when there is a murder in the projects - ?

not a chance

but if it's a middle class or well off person in the suburbs - it's a whole different story


"AI Overview

Data analysis and research indicate that, in many U.S. cities, homicides in low-income, predominantly Black, and Hispanic neighborhoods (often described as "slums" or high-poverty areas) are solved at significantly lower rates than in other areas. While police departments often maintain that they treat all cases equally, studies show a major disparity in clearance rates, leading to a higher rate of "murders with impunity" in these communities.

Here is a breakdown of the evidence and factors influencing this trend:

Disparities in Clearance Rates: Investigations have shown that cases with Black and Hispanic victims, particularly those involving gun violence, have seen a drop in clearance rates (the percentage of cases resulting in an arrest) of more than 20 percentage points since the 1980s. In some cities, the rate of solving murders for Black victims is significantly lower than for white victims.

Ultimately, the lower clearance rates in these areas contribute to a perception—and in many cases, the reality—that murders in low-income, minority-dominated neighborhoods are not prioritized with the same intensity as those in more affluent areas."

.
link to original post

It's not so much a matter of black or White, but a matter of "innocent victim" vs. "guilty victim."

Those who are victimized by violence outside of the home (domestic violence and child abuse are a different category) have more often than not done something inadvisable themselves to get into a situation where they became a target. Being in a gang, fraternizing with gang members, contact with the drug trade, aggression towards any person. Those are the things that get you killed when you live in the projects. Avoiding The Things will protect you more effectively than any cop. This is why the cops would rather not expend all of their resources protecting or bringing justice for those who insist on doing The Things.

Those who live in affluent suburbs and do The Things also make themselves targets, but the point is few of them do that. That they have better judgment than to look for trouble is why they can afford to live there and not in the projects. Good habits bring success, bad habits immiserate. So a young girl who gets randomly carjacked, raped and murdered coming back from the mall is not going to be seen the same way as the guy who got shot after waving a pistol at some guys who were making gang signs down on the corner. Protecting people from the consequences of their own actions is very inefficient and being all resources are limited, more people can be helped by expending them on the populations who want to be helped and don't obstinately make things worse for themselves, with their bad habits.

Quote: lilredrooster

.
let's get off the kidnapping and ransoming thing for a minute

do you think the cops make a great effort to get justice for a victim when there is a murder in the projects - ?

not a chance

but if it's a middle class or well off person in the suburbs - it's a whole different story


"AI Overview

Data analysis and research indicate that, in many U.S. cities, homicides in low-income, predominantly Black, and Hispanic neighborhoods (often described as "slums" or high-poverty areas) are solved at significantly lower rates than in other areas. While police departments often maintain that they treat all cases equally, studies show a major disparity in clearance rates, leading to a higher rate of "murders with impunity" in these communities.

Here is a breakdown of the evidence and factors influencing this trend:

Disparities in Clearance Rates: Investigations have shown that cases with Black and Hispanic victims, particularly those involving gun violence, have seen a drop in clearance rates (the percentage of cases resulting in an arrest) of more than 20 percentage points since the 1980s. In some cities, the rate of solving murders for Black victims is significantly lower than for white victims.

Ultimately, the lower clearance rates in these areas contribute to a perception—and in many cases, the reality—that murders in low-income, minority-dominated neighborhoods are not prioritized with the same intensity as those in more affluent areas."

.
link to original post

I'd advocated for the idea of a news service that prioritized news not by sensationalism, but actual amount of harm x number of people harmed. Wishing doesn't make it happen I guess. Even still, it's going to be somewhat subjective and sometimes controversial, but it'd still be better than what we have now.

It'd likely have to be government funded, because like it or not people won't pay if it's not sensational. But it should still exist.

Kentucky had a major snowstorm this week. A family worked together to build a nine-foot snowman, using a tree stump as a base. Hours after it was finished, a local in a pickup truck decided to run over it. The result was over $10,000 in front-end work.
Frosty don't play.

No link to this story?

Quote: KevinAA

No link to this story?
link to original post

not hard to find, but it was 2019

https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/giant-kentucky-snowman-gives-would-be-vandal-dose-of-instant-karma .

Quote: odiousgambit

Quote: KevinAA

No link to this story?
link to original post

not hard to find, but it was 2019

https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/giant-kentucky-snowman-gives-would-be-vandal-dose-of-instant-karma .
link to original post

2019? That's interesting, as the news blurb I saw was under current stories on a Facebook channel. Thanks, I'll have to check those dates now, as well.

So, aside from the shootings by Alec Baldwin and of Brandon Lee and Hexum, before all that, what is the stupidest thing to ever happen on a movie set?

This is my choice:


Apparently Rip Torn was stoked up on coke, and if Norman Mailer was working sober that day, it would have been a first for him. They both break the Fourth Wall throughout, the camera crew's equipment is visible at times, yet they manage to capture it all with professional quality cinematography. Mailer's real life wife and children were present and in the film, and they along with apparently some other production staff eventually come around and try to break it up, which they eventually do, and the movie goes on.

This was in 1970. People in this field back then were just as screwed up as they are now. They just practiced it more artfully.

Quote: gordonm888

...I asked a judge I know about this. He told me that no one wants to conduct a trial for rape - - it's a terrible experience for the victim and their family. And the court system is overloaded. So defense attorneys all learn to plea bargain the case down to sexual assault - a shorter prison term...
link to original post

Depends on your state's statutes. I don't think the word "rape" appears in Wisconsin's statutes.

It's all sexual assault, 1st thru 4th degree.

Quote: Calder

Quote: gordonm888

...I asked a judge I know about this. He told me that no one wants to conduct a trial for rape - - it's a terrible experience for the victim and their family. And the court system is overloaded. So defense attorneys all learn to plea bargain the case down to sexual assault - a shorter prison term...
link to original post

Depends on your state's statutes. I don't think the word "rape" appears in Wisconsin's statutes.

It's all sexual assault, 1st thru 4th degree.
link to original post

The state of South Carolina has an unforgettably delightful way of referring to certain crimes in this category...

https://law.justia.com/codes/south-carolina/title-16/chapter-15/section-16-15-120/

I think they're the only US state that still calls it that, and they speak of it by its full name in the statute- "the Abominable Crime of..."

Quote: AutomaticMonkey

.
link to original post

It's not so much a matter of black or White, but a matter of "innocent victim" vs. "guilty victim."

Those who are victimized by violence outside of the home (domestic violence and child abuse are a different category) have more often than not done something inadvisable themselves to get into a situation where they became a target. Being in a gang, fraternizing with gang members, contact with the drug trade, aggression towards any person. Those are the things that get you killed when you live in the projects. Avoiding The Things will protect you more effectively than any cop. This is why the cops would rather not expend all of their resources protecting or bringing justice for those who insist on doing The Things.

Those who live in affluent suburbs and do The Things also make themselves targets, but the point is few of them do that. That they have better judgment than to look for trouble is why they can afford to live there and not in the projects. Good habits bring success, bad habits immiserate. So a young girl who gets randomly carjacked, raped and murdered coming back from the mall is not going to be seen the same way as the guy who got shot after waving a pistol at some guys who were making gang signs down on the corner. Protecting people from the consequences of their own actions is very inefficient and being all resources are limited, more people can be helped by expending them on the populations who want to be helped and don't obstinately make things worse for themselves, with their bad habits.
link to original post

All those people in the Epstein files have "good habits". I would rather the police prosecute them also.

Just read an article on Yahoo where Charles Barkley won 700k playing blackjack and tipped the dealer 25k. Something like a 3.75 % tip the article said.

Quote: avianrandy

Just read an article on Yahoo where Charles Barkley won 700k playing blackjack and tipped the dealer 25k. Something like a 3.75 % tip the article said.
link to original post

In professional tennis or chess you don't tip your adversary when you win. It's strange that people assume that one should tip your adversary in gambling.

The dealer is a salaried employee of the casino, which is your adversary. If you counter by saying that the dealer is low-paid and essentially neutral to whether you win or lose then one might as well tip the pit boss and security staff and the homeless people puking on the sidewalk outside the casino. And the staff who help you get a driver's license at the motor vehicle bureau.

Quote: gordonm888

Quote: avianrandy

Just read an article on Yahoo where Charles Barkley won 700k playing blackjack and tipped the dealer 25k. Something like a 3.75 % tip the article said.
link to original post

In professional tennis or chess you don't tip your adversary when you win. It's strange that people assume that one should tip your adversary in gambling.

The dealer is a salaried employee of the casino, which is your adversary. If you counter by saying that the dealer is low-paid and essentially neutral to whether you win or lose then one might as well tip the pit boss and security staff and the homeless people puking on the sidewalk outside the casino. And the staff who help you get a driver's license at the motor vehicle bureau.
link to original post

The casino is your adversary, not the dealer. The pit boss is management, part of the casino.

Quote: avianrandy

Just read an article on Yahoo where Charles Barkley won 700k playing blackjack and tipped the dealer 25k. Something like a 3.75 % tip the article said.
link to original post

I saw that article, too. It said that Barkley says he normally tips 20% to servers, cabbies, etc. The gist of that part of the article (or at least the clickbait headline I saw) was that it was 'cheap' of him to only tip 3.75%.

However, since the tip for a meal, cab ride, haircut, etc., is typically based on the total bill, for an apples-to-apples comparison, the tip to a dealer should be calculated based on theoretical loss, not the amount of the win. Knowing that he typically bets big, and depending on the number of hands he played, a theoretical loss of 125k may be reasonable, making his tip in line with what he usually tips folks in the service industry.

Not good to hear Sir Charles is gambling, considering his past problems with it

Quote: AZDuffman

The casino is your adversary, not the dealer. The pit boss is management, part of the casino.
link to original post

In BJ and many table games you are playing against the dealer. The dealer sweeps your chips into the house when you lose. His actions are rule-based but he is very much following the rules that the casino has given to him.

Contrast the BJ dealer to the dealer in the poker room: the poker game dealer is not your adversary.

Imagine a wrestling match or MMA match in which the winner tips the adversary.

Quote: gordonm888

Imagine a wrestling match or MMA match in which the winner tips the adversary.
link to original post

It would still be odd for the winner to pay the referee's salary as a commission from their prize.

Quote: gordonm888

Quote: AZDuffman

The casino is your adversary, not the dealer. The pit boss is management, part of the casino.
link to original post

In BJ and many table games you are playing against the dealer. The dealer sweeps your chips into the house when you lose. His actions are rule-based but he is very much following the rules that the casino has given to him.

Contrast the BJ dealer to the dealer in the poker room: the poker game dealer is not your adversary.

Imagine a wrestling match or MMA match in which the winner tips the adversary.
link to original post

The casino is a faceless corporation (or privately-held entity) and has no ability to sweep chips into the tray when you lose, or take chips out of tray to pay you when you win. They need employees to do that. Those employees depend on tips for their income.

Some players tip for the dealers prior to the hand being dealt, some people tip the dealers after a win, or at the end of the rotation, and some people do not tip at all.

If you would prefer the cards to be dealt to you by an entity who has no need for tips, feel free to play electronic blackjack. A good dealer in a live table game will engage with the players, not just for fun in a minimum wage job, but for the hope of earning tips.

It is the entertainment industry. If you only think of it as an "adversary" then maybe you should select a different hobby.

Quote: KevinAA

Quote: gordonm888

Quote: AZDuffman

The casino is your adversary, not the dealer. The pit boss is management, part of the casino.
link to original post

In BJ and many table games you are playing against the dealer. The dealer sweeps your chips into the house when you lose. His actions are rule-based but he is very much following the rules that the casino has given to him.

Contrast the BJ dealer to the dealer in the poker room: the poker game dealer is not your adversary.

Imagine a wrestling match or MMA match in which the winner tips the adversary.
link to original post

The casino is a faceless corporation (or privately-held entity) and has no ability to sweep chips into the tray when you lose, or take chips out of tray to pay you when you win. They need employees to do that. Those employees depend on tips for their income.

Some players tip for the dealers prior to the hand being dealt, some people tip the dealers after a win, or at the end of the rotation, and some people do not tip at all.

If you would prefer the cards to be dealt to you by an entity who has no need for tips, feel free to play electronic blackjack. A good dealer in a live table game will engage with the players, not just for fun in a minimum wage job, but for the hope of earning tips.

It is the entertainment industry. If you only think of it as an "adversary" then maybe you should select a different hobby.
link to original post

For some of us, this is not a hobby. But I tip because I believe tipped employees should be tipped, and because everybody knows counters never tip.

The dealer is not necessarily an adversary in a table game. They can be, but more often they have an opportunity to be an ally. I can socially engineer them into dealing faster, deeper pen, or revealing information. Tipping is one of several tools that are used for that.

As far as tipping an actual adversary, in some communities that is considered very insulting (That's how Wild Bill Hikkok was shot. He took all of a drunk's money playing poker, and he gave him back enough to get something to eat which infuriated the drunk.) but in other environments like street ball it's considered a sign of being a gracious winner.