White House to New York: Too Soon? [Archive]

Generation ABXY

04-27-2009, 06:01 PM

For those of you who haven't heard: (http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/98059/low-flying-plane-strikes-fear-in-some-new-yorkers/Default.aspx)

Military jets flying over Lower Manhattan this morning as part of an authorized military photo shoot frightened many New Yorkers and enraged the mayor, who was never told the event would be occurring.

The Department of Defense had pre-approved the flight of a presidential Boeing 747 and two F16 military fighter jets, seen above in a photo taken by NY1 Viewer Tatyana Hube, to fly around Staten Island and the Statue of Liberty.

According to an administration official, the flight was being conducted to update its file photo of the plane near the Statue of
Liberty.

...

According to Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne, the city knew about the operation, but was ordered to not disclose the information and to direct all questions to the FAA.

Oh, and here is the apology from Caldera (http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/04/president-ob-28.html), the man "responsible":

“Last week, I approved a mission over New York," Louis Caldera, director of the White House military office, said. "I take responsibility for that decision. While federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey, it’s clear that the mission created confusion and disruption. I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused.”

As Obama was said to be “furious” over this, I'm reluctant to label him “Narcissist in Chief” just yet, but I can't believe a stunt like this got approved for something as silly as a photo opportunity. But, before you think this is just some cheap shot, let me say I actually feel very sorry for these people. I mean, I think you can get an idea of the genuine fear this struck in some people from this video:

Jn0tMMYEkQU

04-27-2009, 06:09 PM

I was under the impression that it didn't just fly over Staten Island, but also over Manhattan multiple times. The video sure seems to indicate it's buzzing downtown.

I'm also inclined to give Obama a pass on this: he wasn't on board, this is definitely not the sort of thing that would rise to his desk, and you kind of have to assume that one of the talented politicos in the White House might have figured out this would not end well. But holy crap, that video is scary to watch and I know what's going on.

I'm always reluctant to say that someone should lose his job over a single instance of bad judgment. But if Caldera hangs onto his job after this, I really want to work in the White House military office. My occasional habit of getting dead-hooker bloodstains on my reports will be looked upon as a charming eccentricity.

ClannerDelta

04-27-2009, 06:15 PM

ShivaX

04-27-2009, 06:19 PM

Yeah I'd have to say that is one of those things you might want to alert the media and general populace that you're going to do. Especially in fucking New York City. I think those people have reason to be a little jumpy about low flying passenger airplanes over the city proper.

I live in Bumfuck, Iowa and if I saw a plane that big flying that low I'd probably be more than a little concerned. If I lived in any major city I'd assume we were under attack again or at the very least that something horrible was going to happen soon (a plane crash at the very least).

Generation ABXY

04-27-2009, 06:19 PM

Probably not the best idea, that's for sure, but I wouldn't have expected such a strong reaction.

Honestly, I think some of that might have been avoided if the thing wasn't being trailed by a damn jet. If people weren't thinking it was a hi-jacked plane already, I'm sure that oh-my-god-the-military-is-in-pursuit look really sold it.

ShivaX

04-27-2009, 06:21 PM

Probably not the best idea, that's for sure, but I wouldn't have expected such a strong reaction. I'm also a bit disturbed that those people appear to be running... towards buildings in that video. It might just be the angle of the camera but that just seems to be a stupid idea if you're under the impression that someone might be trying to ram a plane into a building.

Well the plane was flying right at them before it banked, they might have thought it was going to crash into where they were standing. The thing is its going so fast relative to you that you're screwed no matter what if fate decides its hitting you. Once you get scared and panic a little you're instinctively going to be running for cover from the thing in the sky, even if rationally it might not be the smartest move or it might not make any difference.

ClannerDelta

04-27-2009, 06:24 PM

Spockrocket

04-27-2009, 06:25 PM

Probably not the best idea, that's for sure, but I wouldn't have expected such a strong reaction. I'm also a bit disturbed that those people appear to be running... towards buildings in that video. It might just be the angle of the camera but that just seems to be a stupid idea if you're under the impression that someone might be trying to ram a plane into a building.

Agreed. I think we need to bust out the ol' "Duck and Cover" safety vids from the Cold War era. It certainly would've applied here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAafKGcV4n4

This is by far the best one.

PS: How do I embed videos here? :o

ShivaX

04-27-2009, 06:28 PM

PS: How do I embed videos here? :o

[ youtube]randomnumbersandletters[ /youtube]

Without the spaces.

CES

04-28-2009, 02:03 AM

Honestly, I think some of that might have been avoided if the thing wasn't being trailed by a damn jet. If people weren't thinking it was a hi-jacked plane already, I'm sure that oh-my-god-the-military-is-in-pursuit look really sold it.

Except for the fact the fighter doesn't look like it's chasing it. Note that the fighter is just behind the wing of the plane and not directly behind it.

Edit: At the end of the clip it's behind the plane but only because it banks much quicker.

ShivaX

04-28-2009, 02:18 AM

Except for the fact the fighter doesn't look like it's chasing it. Note that the fighter is just behind the wing of the plane and not directly behind it.

Edit: At the end of the clip it's behind the plane but only because it banks much quicker.

Well at long range head-on thats pretty much impossible to tell. All you see is a passenger plane at low altitude and a military jet near it.

CES

04-28-2009, 02:24 AM

Well at long range head-on thats pretty much impossible to tell. All you see is a passenger plane at low altitude and a military jet near it.

Had there been a real threat anyway, the fighter would have shot it down over the water.

Not saying the people weren't right in fleeing though, all things considered.

ShivaX

04-28-2009, 02:34 AM

Had there been a real threat anyway, the fighter would have shot it down over the water.

Not saying the people weren't right in fleeing though, all things considered.

Oh definately, but given the city and the scenario, I can understand people being a little jumpy about these things. Once you add fear into the equation, rationalizing the situation isn't likely to happen.

I can understand why Bloomberg is pissed off about it. Seems like one of those things you really want to make sure people know about. I think the odds of Bin Laden having a surface-to-air missle setup in NYC ready to shoot down an empty plane is pretty low. I don't think its going to be a huge security risk to tell people one of the President's planes will be flying around without him in it.

Narradisall

04-28-2009, 10:29 AM

lol, seriously, why people in NY still live there I'll never know.

Fucking plane dramas happen every month!

Generation ABXY

04-28-2009, 01:01 PM

Except for the fact the fighter doesn't look like it's chasing it. Note that the fighter is just behind the wing of the plane and not directly behind it.

Edit: At the end of the clip it's behind the plane but only because it banks much quicker.

I think your fight or flight instinct might be broken. In the time you're sitting there trying to decide just how distended a bear's stomach is, the damn thing is going to eat you. :p

Sure, it is easy enough for us to say something like that – and I'm sure there are plenty of people saying as much today – but hindsight, as they say, is 20/20. I imagine to plenty of people, it looked close enough to that to warrant running instead of sitting around and analyzing it. And besides, how many people are given a crash course in what exactly such a disturbing situation would look like?

...

Oh, and just give you an idea of what it looked like to those folks actually up in the building, here's another video:

BMoy8JprKI0

Can't say I blame them for running. Hell, at about 45 seconds in, I imagine plenty of people in those first buildings were in need of a good dry cleaner.

Hawkzombie

04-28-2009, 01:30 PM

Ink Asylum

04-28-2009, 01:35 PM

Sorry, but this is hilarious...apparently every low flying plane is now a disaster waiting to happen.

Thing is, it wasn't even that low...sure it was lower than it should have been, but honestly? It's not exactly what I would call cause for alarm, even in that city.

People are just a bunch of sheep, waiting for someone to herd them.

Really? Not even a decade after a city had two of its largest buildings destroyed by low-flying planes and you believe people who panic when spotting a low-flying plane followed by a fighter jet are sheep?

Johan

04-28-2009, 01:38 PM

People are just a bunch of sheep, waiting for someone to herd them.

Apparently they're independent sheep, since not every building in the area emptied out, and not everyone in every building evacuated. In fact, the responses were quite different across the spectrum of people, so the sheep analogy fails. Shall we try another? :confused:

Generation ABXY

04-28-2009, 01:40 PM

Really? Not even a decade after a city had two of its largest buildings destroyed by low-flying planes and you believe people who panic when spotting a low-flying plane followed by a fighter jet are sheep?

That was my thought. Of all the times when you might accurately be able to apply that label to people, I wouldn't consider this to be one of them. But, please, bask in that imagined superiority.

Hawkzombie

04-28-2009, 01:41 PM

Well, from what I saw on the video, dozens of people were scattering about, some gasping/etc. The sheep analogy was weak, I'll admit, but the main theme is still there: People freaked out over nothing. Even if I had been there and lived through 9/11 myself, I probably wouldn't have acted special towards it.

And I also mean the general 'outrage' over it happening as well. It just sounds like people are covering their asses more than being actually concerned that people may have been upset by this action.

I'm just void of compassion :P But I'm also the first to admit I'm wrong about something...this however, is just my opinion. I just think it's being blown out of proportion.

Johan

04-28-2009, 01:48 PM

I'm just void of compassion

Well, aren't most zombies? :)

04-28-2009, 01:48 PM

Thing is, it wasn't even that low...sure it was lower than it should have been, but honestly? It's not exactly what I would call cause for alarm, even in that city.
The plane flew between 1000 and 150 feet (http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Story?id=7439287&page=2) in altitude over Manhattan. American Airlines Flight 11 struck the World Trade Center between the 93rd and 99th floors, about 1000 feet up. Your average Manhattan skyscraper has around 12 feet of height per floor. So this plane was flying around the level of twelve stories up. Does the plane have to be skimming the grass to raise an alarm?

Ink Asylum

04-28-2009, 02:09 PM

Well, from what I saw on the video, dozens of people were scattering about, some gasping/etc. The sheep analogy was weak, I'll admit, but the main theme is still there: People freaked out over nothing. Even if I had been there and lived through 9/11 myself, I probably wouldn't have acted special towards it.

People freaked out over something that very closely resembled a disaster many of them likely lived through. Why is that so shocking or something for them to be embarrassed about?

TheFlyingOrc

04-28-2009, 02:17 PM

Hawkzombie

04-28-2009, 02:17 PM

People freaked out over something that very closely resembled a disaster many of them likely lived through. Why is that so shocking or something for them to be embarrassed about?

It's not, to be honest...But really: If you live through a traumatic event involving, for example, cars...are you going to run screaming or panic whenever you see one? Not really...you adjust because they're something that is rather common, much like airplanes. Initially you'll harbor some anxiety and fear, but it's been almost 8 years. I doubt those in OK, for example, cower at vans anymore...And honestly watching the video again, they DIDN'T act like I thought they had (hell, I wasn't even sure what I was watching for the first time I saw it until the very end), so that makes my initial point I thought I was trying to make not only moot, but incorrect.

I'll amend my stance slightly to remove the sheep comment. It was from the hip and I apologize for generalizing. However, I -will- still say that those in charge sure do seem 'outraged' over this, but to me it doesn't seem genuine in any sense of the word.

Just saying it for the sake of posterity. To me, they could be construed as the sheep if you want; the blind leading the blind, and everyone jumping on the same bandwagon so that they all look like they share a common goal.

There, I think I'm starting to make some sense :P Just took me a sec to find my bearings on it.

Oh good, a bad poster.

That was a bit uncalled for, now wasn't it? :P I'm sure you've made less than stellar posts in your experience with the internet.

Ink Asylum

04-28-2009, 02:27 PM

It's not, to be honest...But really: If you live through a traumatic event involving, for example, cars...are you going to run screaming or panic whenever you see one? Not really...you adjust because they're something that is rather common, much like airplanes. Initially you'll harbor some anxiety and fear, but it's been almost 8 years.

Actually, that's kind of how a lot of people do react. This wasn't just "a plane" it was "a plane flying under 1000 feet where no plane is legally allowed to fly."

We see plenty of planes in NYC. Hundreds of them fly by every day. The last time we saw one flying that low it crash landed in the Hudson River. The time before that it knocked down a building and killed thousands of people. Associating "low flying plane near Manhattan" with "potential disaster" is a perfectly acceptable response.

TheFlyingOrc

04-28-2009, 02:31 PM

That was a bit uncalled for, now wasn't it? :P I'm sure you've made less than stellar posts in your experience with the internet.
Starting with a "people are sheep" post, you have to make AT LEAST four excellent dick jokes to come out even.

carnage11

04-28-2009, 02:38 PM

The first video was pretty funny. I lol'd. :D Everyone scattering about. Though, I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing, and then laughed about it later. You can imagine the heart pounding reaction something like that would cause. I have low flying planes fly over my house all the time as I live around 25 miles from OIA. They are loud, and shake the house. I live in rural town, so there's no skyscrapers or even buildings more than 5 stories tall. So it's nothing to us, but in a city like NYC where there are skyscrapers and a pretty high altitude limit, I can imagine it would be something out of the ordinary and pretty scary. Especially, after 9/11.

So I saw something on the news earlier about low flying 747s in NYC, I'm wondering if this isn't the same story. They said nothing about Air Force One. They also mentioned that it was at least a couple of planes.

Hawkzombie

04-28-2009, 02:45 PM

Starting with a "people are sheep" post, you have to make AT LEAST four excellent dick jokes to come out even.

Damn. Can I just bribe someone and call it even?

TheFlyingOrc

04-28-2009, 02:45 PM

Damn. Can I just bribe someone and call it even?

Make with the dick jokes. :mad:

Hawkzombie

04-28-2009, 02:53 PM

Make with the dick jokes. :mad:

1. Nightwing, Dick Grayson, used to be the boy wonder Robin. Now it seems like everyone knows who he is. Guess you could say everyone in DC knows Dick.

BAH-DUM-KISH

Can we call it even since I included a geek reference in my joke? Odd as it may seem, coming up with FOUR good dick jokes is harder than it looks (There's another!)

Johan

04-28-2009, 09:15 PM

carnage11

04-28-2009, 10:31 PM

The FAA knew that the flyover would cause fear and a possible panic, but threatened federal sanctions if the NYPD or others who were informed of it told the public. (http://wcbstv.com/topstories/air.force.one.2.996457.html)

Morons.

Because we all own RPGs and other ground to air missiles and could have threaten to bring it down if we had known about it?:confused:

ShivaX

04-28-2009, 10:35 PM

Because we all own RPGs and other ground to air missiles and could have threaten to bring it down if we had known about it?:confused:

You'd need at least a Stinger to have a chance and odds are it would just damage it and it would still be able to land.

Its pretty idiotic that they wouldn't allow them to make an announcement.

Johan

04-28-2009, 10:39 PM

Because we all own RPGs and other ground to air missiles and could have threaten to bring it down if we had known about it?:confused:

You're really confused at how it would have helped to tell the public ahead of time that this was a photo op? Really?

Wow.

ShivaX

04-28-2009, 10:40 PM

You're really confused at how it would have helped to tell the public ahead of time that this was a photo op? Really?

Wow.

You're misreading him. (its the lack of plum)

Johan

04-28-2009, 10:41 PM

You're misreading him.

Sarcasm?

Or, someone in New York would have shot it down if they had known ahead of time?

Really now...have you (anyone) ever flown out of New York? Take your pick at LaGuardia. It's a turkey shoot, right there, all day long. Even the birds can knock planes out of the sky there.

CANADIAN birds, too! Contact Homeland Security! ;)

Generation ABXY

04-28-2009, 10:42 PM

ShivaX

04-28-2009, 10:43 PM

Sarcasm?

Or, someone in New York would have shot it down if they had known ahead of time?

Really now...have you ever flown out of New York? Take your pick at LaGuardia. It's a turkey shoot, right there, all day long.

Thats his point. You got in before my edit though. :p

Hes agreeing with you. Its not like everyone in NYC is manning a AAA gun or toting around Stingers or something. Yet thats basically the only rationale they could've been using to prevent informing the public.

ShivaX

04-28-2009, 10:45 PM

As President Obama wasn't on board, I can't imagine they would really have too much to worry about as far as a reason to shoot it down (except, perhaps, for the convenience of the target, since they apparently don't usually get that low).

My only thought was perhaps they feared someone might use the opportunity to hi-jack and/or fly in another plane, and it might go unnoticed until it was too late.

I think its a bunch of self-important jackasses who get a little too excited about saying things are classified. If another plane tried to sneak in, I doubt it would go unnoticed, theres fighters on alert in the air to protect the President's plane from that very thing.

Generation ABXY

04-28-2009, 10:51 PM

I think its a bunch of self-important jackasses who get a little too excited about saying things are classified. If another plane tried to sneak in, I doubt it would go unnoticed, theres fighters on alert in the air to protect the President's plane from that very thing.

Oh, I didn't mean fly in a plane to attack the president's. I meant someone might use the opening to fly in their own plane that low and close and crash it into a building with most people thinking (until the last minute, of course), oh, it is just that photo op. It is a longshot, of course, but I suppose a concern like that could have popped into somebody's mind.

Personally, I don't think it should have been done at all! I mean, apart from just the history there, we're talking about such a silly thing to do when environmental hysteria is so high and we're in the middle an economic crisis with out-of-control government spending.

carnage11

04-28-2009, 10:53 PM

Yeah, sorry I was being sarcastic. I couldn't think of a reason why they wouldn't tell the public.

Other than it was a test of fear factor. :confused:

ShivaX

04-28-2009, 10:56 PM

Oh, I didn't mean fly in a plane to attack the president's. I meant someone might use the opening to fly in their own plane that low and close and crash it into a building with most people thinking (until the last minute, of course), oh, it is just that photo op. It is a longshot, of course, but I suppose a concern like that could have popped into somebody's mind.
No I got ya, I'm just saying that attempting to get anywhere in the area with an aircraft was probably next to impossible. They were protecting the Presidential aircraft, but they'd do that by keeping an eye on anything and everything in the area. Trying to sneak in when the whole area is at an extremely high alert level and has active assets is a sure way to fail.

Personally, I don't think it should have been done at all! I mean, apart from just the history there, we're talking about such a silly thing to do when environmental hysteria is so high and we're in the middle an economic crisis with out-of-control government spending.

Theres this two. Seems like a waste of gas and like the Daily Show said... haven't they ever heard of Photoshop? Its not that hard.

johnperkins21

04-28-2009, 11:17 PM

I think it's great that we live in a country so safe, that a low-flying plane can cause this much panic, and outrage. Imagine if some other country's functionally retarded leader thought it would be a good idea to come in and bomb us every day for 6+ years straight. Now that would suck.

Bad decision? Yes. Big f'n deal? No, not really. Especially compared to what the people in Afghanistan and Iraq are dealing with.

I think as Americans, we've had it too good for too long. In general we are a bunch of pompous assholes who take ourselves too seriously, and think every little thing that happens to us is so much more important than anything that happens in the rest of the world. Again, not to say this stupidity doesn't warrant some sort of counteraction, but we are lucky that something this trivial freaks us out so much.

ShivaX

04-28-2009, 11:27 PM

Again, not to say this stupidity doesn't warrant some sort of counteraction, but we are lucky that something this trivial freaks us out so much.

Its only trivial because it was them taking pictures.

Unless you're saying that 9/11 was somehow trivial shit? If this had been an actual terrorist attack on NYC I wouldn't say it was trivial. Since people on the ground had no way of knowing that it wasn't and these very people had already been through actual attacks, I'd say its somewhat of a big deal, espeically to them.

04-28-2009, 11:31 PM

I think it's great that we live in a country so safe, that a low-flying plane can cause this much panic, and outrage. Imagine if some other country's functionally retarded leader thought it would be a good idea to come in and bomb us every day for 6+ years straight. Now that would suck.
:rolleyes:

Bad decision? Yes. Big f'n deal? No, not really. Especially compared to what the people in Afghanistan and Iraq are dealing with.
I suppose that, so long as Obama does not ride through the towns and fields, snatching maidens to rape in his debauched lair, he'll continue to clear that hurdle.

I think as Americans, we've had it too good for too long. In general we are a bunch of pompous assholes who take ourselves too seriously
Certainly true of some of us.

we are lucky that something this trivial freaks us out so much.
The people who freaked out believed they would die. I'm not sure how anyone other than an extremely devout person views that as "trivial." And even then, to paraphrase, "A Christian need not fear death, but he may fear dying." For anyone who doesn't believe in an afterlife (or thinks his will be unpleasant), the death part may also be scary.

Generation ABXY

04-28-2009, 11:41 PM

Jesus, johnperkins21, if you want to be that way about it, can you tell me what you could not say that about?

"There are people in other countries who dream about getting the wrong order from Amazon - instead, they get bullets...in the face...from terrorism we caused."

johnperkins21

04-28-2009, 11:48 PM

The people who freaked out believed they would die. I'm not sure how anyone other than an extremely devout person views that as "trivial." And even then, to paraphrase, "A Christian need not fear death, but he may fear dying." For anyone who doesn't believe in an afterlife (or thinks his will be unpleasant), the death part may also be scary.

I wasn't really talking about the people who were there. Those people probably should have freaked. I probably would have. I'm more concerned with the sensationalism of it. Maybe it's my strong bias against New York regularly being paraded as the center of the world?

I just find it ridiculous that as a country, in general, we're fine with bombing the living shit out of some place far away, but freak out over a poorly conceived photo-op.

04-29-2009, 12:03 AM

Maybe it's my strong bias against New York regularly being paraded as the center of the world?
Honestly, if you have developed a "strong bias" about the fact that one city happens to be self-absorbed, maybe New York really is the center of the world. I once heard Phoenicians had a lot of civic pride, and I sort of chuckled and never thought about it again until this moment.

I just find it ridiculous that as a country, in general, we're fine with bombing the living shit out of some place far away, but freak out over a poorly conceived photo-op.
Right, we're fine as a country with bombing the living shit out of some place far away. Which is why Dick Cheney is the President of the United States.

johnperkins21

04-29-2009, 12:59 AM

Honestly, if you have developed a "strong bias" about the fact that one city happens to be self-absorbed, maybe New York really is the center of the world. I once heard Phoenicians had a lot of civic pride, and I sort of chuckled and never thought about it again until this moment.

I can't think of many other places where the locals continually refer to it as the "greatest city in the world." Paris is pretty bad, and so is San Francisco. But no other city compares to NY in terms of self love. Individually, there are fantastic people there, and they get a bad rap. As a city, they're a bunch of douchebags.

And I can't imagine why anyone would be proud of Phoenix. It sucks balls here. I'd move back to Southern California in an instant if my wife didn't like it here so much, and we could afford as nice a house out there.

Right, we're fine as a country with bombing the living shit out of some place far away. Which is why Dick Cheney is the President of the United States.

You got me there. But you do have to admit that as a country we seem to exhibit a bit of apathy towards the rest of the world, and what happens there. I see it all the time, call it out, and hypocritically contribute to it.

Narradisall

04-29-2009, 06:11 AM

I still cant think of a good reason to have not told the general populas. They claim for 'national security' but as suggested above, do they really think if this was known that anyone foreign or domestic would have been lurking with a rocket launcher ready to take down Airforce Two (well I assume as it wasn't One).

I know it was extremely bad judgement on someones part, but I still cant help chuckle at the idea of how the meeting to make this decision went down.....

"So, we need a new Airforce One photo op. That Mount Rushmoore picture went down well. So lets think guys, what says "AMERICA""
"Erm... how about another National Monument?"
"BRILLAINT! Right, so we have The White House..."
"... too self important, we want Obama to seem like a 'Man of the people'"
"The people eh? Hmmm, what really imspired community and gather the people together in this country in the last few years?"
"Well we still get some godd feedback from the 9/11 polls sir"
"THATS IT! The Twin Towers!"
"Erm, no sir, those were destroyed in the attacks, remember?"
"Oh yea.... Hmmmm. New York.... monument..... THATS IT! We'll fly it over the Empire State building!"
"Sir, thats a little too low and centralised in Mahatten to work."
"Of course, of course..... hmmm, near the twin towers, national monument.... THATS IT! The Statue of Liberty!"
"...Right sir. So you want us to fly a plane over the Statue of Liberty to get the best photo shot?"
"Yes! But the Mount Rushmore picture was best when it was taken from above... so send a fighter jet after it to take the shots, and make sure its low enough so you can really get the whole thing in there."
"Right sir, so 9/11, check, statue, check, fighter jet, check, low altitude flying, check. Anyone in PR see any problems with this?"
"Nope, I'm sure once the people see this it will inspire them!"
"Brilliant guys, now lets minute this, snort the line of coke off this dead hooker and call it a day."

04-29-2009, 09:41 AM

I can't think of many other places where the locals continually refer to it as the "greatest city in the world." Paris is pretty bad, and so is San Francisco. But no other city compares to NY in terms of self love.
Google hits for "greatest city in the world" and:
New York: 18,200,000
Rome: 16,400,000
Washington: 10,700,000
London: 8,420,000
Los Angeles: 2,760,000
Paris: 1,770,000
San Francisco: 1,490,000
Boston: 1,300,000

Rome seems pretty close, especially if you take into account the relatively smaller proportion of Romans who routinely speak English. That fucking Pope is really obnoxious.

But here's the kicker:
Vegas: 23,400,000

I think it's official: Las Vegans are the most self-absorbed people in the world.

Ink Asylum

04-29-2009, 10:05 AM

Especially with their no meat, no dairy diets.

johnperkins21

04-29-2009, 11:35 AM

Google hits for "greatest city in the world" and:
New York: 18,200,000
Rome: 16,400,000
Washington: 10,700,000
London: 8,420,000
Los Angeles: 2,760,000
Paris: 1,770,000
San Francisco: 1,490,000
Boston: 1,300,000

Rome seems pretty close, especially if you take into account the relatively smaller proportion of Romans who routinely speak English. That fucking Pope is really obnoxious.

But here's the kicker:
Vegas: 23,400,000

I think it's official: Las Vegans are the most self-absorbed people in the world.

So none of those hits are from people not living in those cities? I've never lived in Las Vegas, but have referred to it as the greatest city in the world on multiple occasions. Usually when drunk, and on the drive out there, before the casinos took all of my money.

Ink Asylum

04-29-2009, 11:37 AM

TheFlyingOrc

04-29-2009, 12:10 PM

If you can think of a more accurate way to determine the most narcissisticy city, let us know. Plenty of non-New Yorkers call NYC the greatest city in the world, too.

Usually because we are the greatest. :)

I went there and had fun, but I like having a house of more than 20 square feet so I'll stay out of the city.

Ink Asylum

04-29-2009, 01:07 PM

That's easy if you live outside Manhattan. I have a very spacious 3-bedroom apartment (with roomies) and my brother has a three-story home with extra rooms he uses as a studio, a library, and an office. Both of us can be in midtown Manhattan in under a half hour by subway.

Living in a shoebox in NYC is only for people who insist on being right in the middle of it all.

04-29-2009, 02:24 PM

Ink, if it's not too personal: what neighborhood and what's your rent?

I've often considered moving back to NYC, but the salary/rent calculation has always looked pretty bleak.

TheFlyingOrc

04-29-2009, 02:42 PM

That's easy if you live outside Manhattan. I have a very spacious 3-bedroom apartment (with roomies) and my brother has a three-story home with extra rooms he uses as a studio, a library, and an office. Both of us can be in midtown Manhattan in under a half hour by subway.

Huh. I saw some terribly small places in the Bronx, but I guess the people I was with could have just been poor.

Ink Asylum

04-29-2009, 02:51 PM

Ink, if it's not too personal: what neighborhood and what's your rent?

I've often considered moving back to NYC, but the salary/rent calculation has always looked pretty bleak.

I live in Queens. My spacious 3 bedroom/2 bath is ~$2100/month, heat/gas/water included, divided three ways.

04-29-2009, 02:54 PM

Goddamn. If my current job application falls through (I'm waiting to hear about a callback interview), I'll start putting together paperwork.

roboninja

04-29-2009, 02:54 PM

Military jets flying over Lower Manhattan this morning as part of an authorized military photo shoot frightened many New Yorkers and enraged the mayor, who was never told the event would be occurring.

The Department of Defense had pre-approved the flight of a presidential Boeing 747 and two F16 military fighter jets, seen above in a photo taken by NY1 Viewer Tatyana Hube, to fly around Staten Island and the Statue of Liberty.

According to an administration official, the flight was being conducted to update its file photo of the plane near the Statue of
Liberty.

Dudes, there's this thing called Photoshop I have heard of. Might have saved you lots of money and hassle here.

Ink Asylum

04-29-2009, 03:08 PM

Goddamn. If my current job application falls through (I'm waiting to hear about a callback interview), I'll start putting together paperwork.

Just do some surfing on Craigslist to get a good feel for what you can expect to pay for different sized apartments in different boroughs. We used a realtor to find ours, so a little more upfront got us a better place overall. Well worth it.

04-29-2009, 03:14 PM

First I've got to get a job. My industry is getting massacred right now, and lots of places have either cut back hiring or instituted freezes. My office even rescinded offer letters to new graduates this year... those poor bastards.

Indeed, at the job I'm already applying for, there is one opening and over 200 applicants. If I didn't have a friend on the hiring committee, I probably wouldn't stand a chance.

Generation ABXY

04-29-2009, 06:30 PM

Johan

05-05-2009, 08:19 AM

Obama refuses to release publicity photos from New York 'shoot.' (http://www.nypost.com/seven/05052009/news/regionalnews/phantom_air_farce_pictures_167671.htm)

So, let me get this straight.

* They're publicity photos.
* You spent $300,000+ on them, for publicity.
* You threatened people at agencies in NYC to force them to NOT talk about this before it occurred.
* You scared a few million people.
* You will release photos of dead soldiers coming home from overseas.
* You will release photos of torture.
* You won't release these photos.

I got it. Oh yeah, I fucking got it alright. :rolling eyes: Did whoever was on board enjoy the view of ground zero from around 1000-1500 feet up? Get some good pictures?

Ink Asylum

05-05-2009, 10:48 AM

Who is "You" for statements 2-4? Not Obama. Obama did not plan or approve the NYC flyover. It was White House Military Office Director Louis Caldera.

carnage11

05-05-2009, 10:51 AM

You = the government

So I'm now wondering what kind of "publicity photos" these were. :confused:

edit: you know what, I'm starting to think this was a fear tactic. Like, someone thought it was a good idea to see how New Yorkers would react to a 747 flying really low over the city. It's all in the name of science......I'm sure.

Johan

05-05-2009, 10:51 AM

It was White House Military Office Director Louis Caldera.

:where does that buck stop again?:

Has Caldera been fired? I see...
Who was on that plane? Hmmm...
Where are the pictures? Interesting...

Why hide publicity photos? You'll get publicity, after all, by releasing them! If it's good enough for torture, it must be good enough for a NYC photo op! Or, is a NYC photo op worse than torture?

:confused:

Where's the ACLU with a FOIA request when you need them? Oh, that's right...they're busy.

Ink Asylum

05-05-2009, 10:58 AM

Where's the ACLU with a FOIA request when you need them? Oh, that's right...they're busy.

You could always file your own. As can any group that wants to expose this devastating conspiracy theory. Why leave it to the ACLU? Perhaps it was Will Ayers on the plane?

Johan

05-05-2009, 11:00 AM

You could always file your own.

Of course, as can virtually anyone. However, it takes money and a lawyer, and I have other interests with my limited resources besides spending it on finding out which of Obama's political buddies or family members were getting a guided tour, at low level, over NYC...or whether there are actually any pictures at all.

Ink Asylum

05-05-2009, 11:02 AM

Of course, as can virtually anyone. However, it takes money and a lawyer, and I have other interests with my limited resources besides spending it on finding out which of Obama's political buddies or family members were getting a guided tour, at low level, over NYC.

So write your congressman, your Senator. Contact news agencies and government accountability organizations. Or are you just going to let this injustice go unexposed?

National Kato

05-05-2009, 11:05 AM

...besides spending it on finding out which of Obama's political buddies or family members were getting a guided tour, at low level, over NYC...or whether there are actually any pictures at all.

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/7720/tinfoilhat2cy2.jpg

:D

Johan

05-05-2009, 11:09 AM

:D

All I see is a smiley face, as I block images and sigs and avatars for routinely being retarded. :D

So...what's the holdup on publicizing these publicity photos? Eh? :confused:

Seems silly to me. Publicity photos are now confidential, but torture photos and CIA memos are public. It's like Sandy Berger's bathroom magazine rack. :D

Or are you just going to let this injustice go unexposed?

It's already publicly exposed for the mockery it is. And it is worthy of mockery and scorn.

05-05-2009, 11:14 AM

Oh God, Johan. It's perfectly obvious why they didn't release the publicity photos. The photos were supposed to instill a sense of pride and approval in the government, the manufacturer, etc. Now, they are associated with a really dumb example of government cluelessness. They no longer serve any useful purpose.

I mean, I'm all for criticizing the government when it does something stupid, and I think it's fair to say the photo shoot was stupid. Failing to use the photos in an ad campaign is certainly not stupid. And while perhaps conceivably a FOIA request would be successful, I can hardly act surprised that the Obama Administration would very much like it if we all pretended this never happened and is unlikely to volunteer its political opponents such useful fodder without a court order.

Johan

05-05-2009, 11:19 AM

Failing to use the photos in an ad campaign is certainly not stupid.

I never said that, because for publicity purposes, they've ruined the shots. What I have said, consistently, is that failure to release the photos AT ALL is stupid. After all, they were for publicity! They're not top secret!

But, it's change we can believe in. Of that, I'm sure. Torture photos? Public. Publicity photos? Confidential.

Ink Asylum

05-05-2009, 11:22 AM

Comparing this to releasing photos of torture and troops caskets/funerals is completely ridiculous. The former is evidence of possible war crimes and should be seen in order to further the public debate. The latter has given the families of the slain soldiers the right to make the decision, which is the right thing to do.

I'm all for releasing the photos, even if they'll end up being used agains Obama, but I'm hardly going to bust a gasket over him trying to reduce the PR fallout from a stupid decision by a subordinate that created a bit of a stir in NYC but falls far short of a crime or injustice.

Johan

05-05-2009, 11:29 AM

Comparing this to releasing photos of torture and troops caskets/funerals is completely ridiculous.

Exactly. Releasing those other photos took actual debate and discussion. These are merely pictures of NYC! There shouldn't be any problem releasing publicity photos to a curious public that paid for them.

It is quite silly that the others can be released, and these will not be.

05-05-2009, 11:31 AM

Honestly, Johan, it's you who is being a little silly here. Why would Obama release these photos? What does he have to gain?

After all, the government is generally an actor like anyone else: it may do, or refrain from doing, whatever it wants within the confines of the law. So unless you can demonstrate a legal duty to release the photos, Obama can refrain from releasing them for any reason or no reason at all. And you haven't explained why he would want to.

carnage11

05-05-2009, 12:01 PM

It wasn't publicity photos! They were dropping Swine Flu on New Yorkers! It's all LIES!!

Johan

05-05-2009, 12:25 PM

Why would Obama release these photos? What does he have to gain?

Change.
Transparency.
An end to any conspiracy theories regarding who was on the flight.
The truth.

Oh, and justice. The American way! :D

The better question is, "What does he gain by hiding these photos?" That makes me wonder...after all, they're only publicity photos, meant for publicity. Failure to release them at all, even to the media, is quite ridiculous.

Also, who was on that flight? I'd be interested in knowing who, if anyone, was joy-riding at 1,000-1,500 feet above NYC. Very interested.

ShivaX

05-05-2009, 12:30 PM

An end to any conspiracy theories regarding who was on the flight.
How would that happen? Any photos would be from the jet that was following it. Last I looked when you looked at an airplane in flight you can't see whos on board. Then again I haven't heard of any conspiracy theories either. Guess I don't roll in the right circles for that.

The better question is, "What does he gain by hiding these photos?" That makes me wonder...after all, they're only publicity photos, meant for publicity. Failure to release them at all, even to the media, is quite ridiculous.
And Pepsi totally should have aired Michael Jackson's head on fire in an ad. They shot it for an ad, why didn't they use it? I sense a coverup.

Also, who was on that flight? I'd be interested in knowing who, if anyone, was joy-riding at 1,000-1,500 feet above NYC. Very interested.

A pilot probably? What the fuck? Theres reasonable suspicion and theres crazy and you're venturing into crazy if not frolicking in the deep end on this one I think.

Ink Asylum

05-05-2009, 12:34 PM

Also, who was on that flight? I'd be interested in knowing who, if anyone, was joy-riding at 1,000-1,500 feet above NYC. Very interested.

My guess? A pilot and co-pilot. Maybe a flight attendant to bring them water. Obama said he knew nothing about the flight until after it happened, and the administration official that arranged it took full responsibility. Why would there be joy-riders?

Are you really that far off the deep end, Johan? I apologize if that offends you, but you're really falling into the realms of conspiracy theory. There is absolutely no evidence that this was anything more than what it was, a poorly conceived photo-op for Air Force One that would have been a non-story if the afore-mentioned official had realized it would have been better to allow NYC residents to know what was going on in advance.

Johan

05-05-2009, 12:37 PM

How would that happen? Any photos would be from the jet that was following it.

The photos have nothing to do with the fact that they also won't release the passenger manifest. Why would that be? Are the occupants classified people? Or were they joy-riding at low altitude over a major American city?

There's nothing crazy about the fact that the TRUTH, releasing the photos and the passenger manifest, would set the record straight. I heard a lot about transparency in government from Obama during his campaign. He was willing to release torture photos AND secret CIA memos on torture. Why is he hiding these photos from any public scrutiny, and hiding the passenger list?

It could be nothing at all, and if it were nothing at all, he should/would release them. After all, he's a reasonable man who has the authority to do so, and campaigned on transparency in government. Release these now-confidential publicity photos and the passenger manifest!

I find it hilarious how willingly many of you just accept the "word" of the government that there's "nothing to see here. Secret/confidential. Thanks!"

I'm unwilling to extend that level of trust to any government, regardless of party. Release the photos and any passengers on the flight. Let's get it out there. The truth is a great sanitizer.

Are you really that far off the deep end, Johan?

Are you really that inconsistent? Torture photos and memos should be released, but publicity photos should not, because...you know...we can "trust" them? I don't trust the government. Ever. Release the information.

Ink Asylum

05-05-2009, 12:42 PM

There's a big difference between general mistrust of the government's word and openly theorizing about conspiracy theories.

ShivaX

05-05-2009, 12:43 PM

The photos have nothing to do with the fact that they also won't release the passenger manifest. Why would that be? Are the occupants classified people? Or were they joy-riding at low altitude over a major American city?

Actually who is a pilot for the President is very likely to be classified. If you can't see why, I don't know what to tell you. Your conspiracy theories are going into the realm of the whole "9/11 was a cover-up" realm of silly.

There's nothing crazy about the fact that the TRUTH, releasing the photos and the passenger manifest, would set the record straight. I heard a lot about transparency in government from Obama during his campaign. He was willing to release torture photos AND secret CIA memos on torture. Why is he hiding these photos from any public scrutiny, and hiding the passenger list?

It could be nothing at all, and if it were nothing at all, he should/would release them. After all, he's a reasonable man who has the authority to do so, and campaigned on transparency in government. Release these now-confidential publicity photos and the passenger manifest!

How can you not understand that they don't want to publicize something embarrassing? The whole thing was a mistake so they aren't using the photos.

Do you honestly think Obama was fucking "joy-riding" around NYC at low altitude? Or maybe it was Biden? Or... fuck I don't know who. It didn't fucking happen. In fact its such a non-issue I can't seem to even find anythng about it on the usual places for such crazy horseshit.

ShivaX

05-05-2009, 12:45 PM

Are you really that inconsistent? Torture photos and memos should be released, but publicity photos should not, because...you know...we can "trust" them? I don't trust the government. Ever. Release the information.

You've really gone into crazy town with this. Like REALLY crazy.

Theres a pretty fucking giant gulf between us torturing people and everything involved there and this.

TheFlyingOrc

05-05-2009, 12:45 PM

Johan: Instructions going forward:

Return to your house.
Enter the bedroom.
Pick out a nice pair of pants. Preferably one that goes with your current shirt.
Remove your crazy pants.
Put on new pants.

Johan

05-05-2009, 12:46 PM

Actually who is a pilot for the President is very likely to be classified.

I didn't ask for the name of the pilot. Who were the passengers? That's what I've asked for.

How can you not understand that they don't want to publicize something embarrassing? The whole thing was a mistake so they aren't using the photos.

Torture photos and memos come to mind...

Release the photos and the passenger manifest. It's harmless, after all. Really!

Theres a pretty fucking giant gulf between us torturing people and everything involved there and this.

Of course there is! Those photos and memos were actually difficult to release. Publicity photos over NYC should be a breeze, right? They're harmless! Just a small embarrassment, which can be blamed on Caldera, right?

Release them.

National Kato

05-05-2009, 12:47 PM

This thread just flew into the side of a mountain and I can't stop watching. :D

Johan

05-05-2009, 12:48 PM

This thread just flew into the side of a mountain and I can't stop watching. :D

I'd like to know who was on that plane, too, and where those pictures are.

You guys are a trip. You wouldn't trust the Bush administration with anything, yet you're perfectly content with Obama not releasing PUBLICITY photos!!! They should be a breeze to release; they're just pictures, right? With just pilots on board, right?

That's hilarious. I find that endlessly amusing and hypocritical. :D

TheFlyingOrc

05-05-2009, 12:48 PM

I didn't ask for the name of the pilot. Who were the passengers? That's what I've asked for.

What could that possibly indicate?

Are you expecting that Big Foot and Santa Claus were on there? I don't see how that tells me any more than a recorded list of when the president went to the bathroom today.

05-05-2009, 12:48 PM

Change.
A stupid campaign slogan, and an even stupider basis for policy.
Transparency.
Ditto.
An end to any conspiracy theories regarding who was on the flight.
I'm pretty sure photos shot from the trailing F-16 won't reveal who was on the flight, unless they were shot with an X-ray camera.
The truth.
?

Oh, and justice. The American way! :D
Yeah, it's unjust and unAmerican not to release embarrassing photos.

The better question is, "What does he gain by hiding these photos?"
The story eventually goes away?

Also, who was on that flight? I'd be interested in knowing who, if anyone, was joy-riding at 1,000-1,500 feet above NYC. Very interested.
Who cares? Let's say Obama, Biden, Pelosi, and Reid decided to kidnap the moldering corpse of Lenin and go for a joyride on an already-scheduled buzzing of New York's skyscrapers. How would this be any worse than the current situation?

I don't necessarily have a problem with people tagging along on cool-sounding stuff the government is doing anyway. And if I heard the government was going to buzz New York, I'd be appalled... but it'd be pretty cool to peer out the window.

TheFlyingOrc

05-05-2009, 12:49 PM

This thread just flew into the side of a mountain and I can't stop watching. :D

A SECOND PLANE HAS HIT THE THREAD
o

Johan

05-05-2009, 12:51 PM

Are you expecting that Big Foot and Santa Claus were on there?

Santa doesn't exist. Do your children a favor and tell them. :D

Your thread jack!

Ink Asylum

05-05-2009, 12:56 PM

I don't necessarily have a problem with people tagging along on cool-sounding stuff the government is doing anyway. And if I heard the government was going to buzz New York, I'd be appalled... but it'd be pretty cool to peer out the window.

You know, if they had announced this a day or two before, it would have been a lot more successful photo op. Thousands would have gathered in downtown NYC to watch and cheer.

The conspiracy theory just doesn't hold water. If Obama was doing something improper with Air Force One, why do that in the most visible way possible? The flight was announced to city officials (even if they were told not to inform the public beforehand) and the plane was about as visible as can be.

I don't trust the government implicitly, but I can use common sense to decide when to be outraged or not. If I didn't I'd be panicking over every "secret" thing the government did, like a lot of right wingers are these days. I didn't even do that during the Bush Administration. I didn't trust them, but I didn't assume everything they didn't fully explain was something shady.

ShivaX

05-05-2009, 12:58 PM

A SECOND PLANE HAS HIT THE THREAD
o

Jesus Christ, this made me about piss myself.

National Kato

05-05-2009, 12:59 PM

I'd like to know who was on that plane, too...

You were. :D

Johan

05-05-2009, 01:05 PM

You were. :D

I was the PILOT and all of you went along as passengers, didn't you? :D

:tee hee!:

Narradisall

05-05-2009, 01:10 PM

Wow I came back to this thread to find epic lulz.

Maybe Linsy Lohan was giving Obama a cuban cigar while he flew one handed 1,500 feet between skyscrapers with the fighter jet firing rounds at him?

Interestingly enough, if this was a photo shoot, is there likely to be anyone besides the pilots on the plane? It'd drive the theorists nuts if the manifest said 'no one' was on the plane (as we earlier established why the pilots would be left off).

05-05-2009, 01:12 PM

Maybe Linsy Lohan was giving Obama a cuban cigar while he flew one handed 1,500 feet between skyscrapers with the fighter jet firing rounds at him?
This would be awesome and I would probably vote to re-elect him on this basis alone.

National Kato

05-05-2009, 01:16 PM

I was the PILOT and all of you went along as passengers, didn't you?

Erm, I think it's quite obvious we all jumped out waaaay before you changed your flight path to Crazy Mountain. I mean, it's pretty there, I'm sure, what with all the colors and foliage. But it's remote.

Ink Asylum

05-05-2009, 01:20 PM

Maybe Linsy Lohan was giving Obama a cuban cigar while he flew one handed 1,500 feet between skyscrapers with the fighter jet firing rounds at him?

If he did that it'd guarantee his re-election.

TheFlyingOrc

05-05-2009, 01:20 PM

If he did that it'd guarantee his re-election.

I'd vote for him, and I'm a convicted felon!

carnage11

05-05-2009, 01:31 PM

Maybe Linsy Lohan was giving Obama a cuban cigar while he flew one handed 1,500 feet between skyscrapers with the fighter jet firing rounds at him?

Damn, that would be a pretty damn good day. I might just add this to my bucket list. :cool:

Though, I would do it at night, and the jet would have tracer rounds. Oh yeah....epic!

Johan

05-05-2009, 01:43 PM

I'd vote for him, and I'm a convicted felon!

You work for ACORN? I just knew it.

Also...release the photos, Mr. President. Don't get all Bush-lite on us. They're just pictures, after all.

Right?

National Kato

05-06-2009, 03:31 PM

They're just pictures, after all.

Right?

Right. (http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/06/air.force.one.flyover/index.html) Now we'll truly get to see that bin Laden was aboard the plane!! :p

Johan

05-06-2009, 03:41 PM

Right. (http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/06/air.force.one.flyover/index.html) Now we'll truly get to see that bin Laden was aboard the plane!! :p

When they release it, I will happily see that there was nothing for them to hide. If they don't (they say "could" at the link regarding releasing it), then I'll rightly mock them for releasing photos of torture, CIA memos, but not publicity pictures.

:D

johnperkins21

05-06-2009, 04:40 PM

I wholeheartedly agree with Johan here. What's the harm in releasing the info? And by not releasing it, it seems like they've got something to hide even if it's innocuous. He did talk about increased transparency, yet he's consistently shown that he was so full of shit it was spilling out his ears.

Narradisall

05-07-2009, 06:23 AM

Who is the 'he' you are refering to John?

Johan

05-07-2009, 07:37 AM

Who is the 'he' you are refering to John?

Whoever he may be!

Narradisall

05-07-2009, 11:08 AM

Whoever he may be!

I am the lord of the dance, said he.

Johan

05-07-2009, 01:15 PM

I am the lord of the dance, said he.

5qW0Edq1KqI

Johan

05-08-2009, 03:56 PM

Caldera resigns, photos released. (http://www.nypost.com/seven/05082009/news/nationalnews/white_house_to_release_review_of_low_fly_168274.ht m)

I, for one, am satisfied with both of the above. Thank you, President Obama, for holding someone accountable for their poor decision-making.

Gibbs said Obama has ordered a review of how the White House Military Office is set up, and how it reports to the White House and the Air Force.

That review, to be conducted by Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, will also offer recommendations to Obama designed to ensure that such an incident will not happen again, Gibbs said.

Well done, sir. Well done. Case closed.

Resolution. How amazingly refreshing. :)

05-08-2009, 04:01 PM

Well done, sir. Well done. Case closed.
Wait! The photos don't reveal who was on the flight! How can the case be closed?

It could be nothing at all, and if it were nothing at all, he should/would release them. After all, he's a reasonable man who has the authority to do so, and campaigned on transparency in government. Release these now-confidential publicity photos and the passenger manifest!

What's more, I'm not convinced these are the real photos. They look 'shopped. Look at the pixels.

Johan

05-08-2009, 04:03 PM

Wait! The photos don't reveal who was on the flight! How can the case be closed?

I know Obama was not on the flight. If he were, there would be a halo above it, and angels all around, in the photo. :D

Look at the pixels.

My pixels. Let me show you them. ;)

05-08-2009, 04:04 PM

I know Obama was not on the flight. If he were, there would be a halo above it, and angels all around, in the photo. :D
But what about bin Laden? Perhaps the entire flight was just a cover to give him a good opportunity to tour around NYC and find out the best target for the next strike.

Wheels within wheels, man.

Johan

05-08-2009, 04:05 PM

But what about bin Laden?

He was on the fighter jet, taking the photo. You can see the shadow from his gigantic beard.*

That's what happens when you live in a cave for years, you know.

You trying to stir up the crazy in me? Won't work. :D

CES

05-08-2009, 04:09 PM

Love the comments that the picture is taken at a "funny angle" as if a combat aircraft suddenly cant do an aileron roll.

Johan

05-08-2009, 04:21 PM

Love the comments that the picture is taken at a "funny angle" as if a combat aircraft suddenly cant do an aileron roll.

Holy crap. I missed the comments entirely, and they're a TRIP!

Edit: I have some more material for future conspiracy theories now. Thank you!

Narradisall

05-08-2009, 04:24 PM

Those comments are hilarious.

I do have to agree in that the first look at that picture it does look like someone just took a picture of the Statue of Liberty and shopped AF1 infront of it.

Thats also a terrible shot! The Mount Rushmore one looked much better.

CES

05-08-2009, 05:05 PM

Holy crap. I missed the comments entirely, and they're a TRIP!

Edit: I have some more material for future conspiracy theories now. Thank you!

Recently I discovered that instead of dodging such comments (Youtube, news stories) that I should instead read them since they are infinitely better than the other content on the page. It also gives me some faith that there's still plenty of people to make even me feel smarter.

Goronmon

05-08-2009, 06:03 PM

The Black Experiment from Hellllll has failed...the voters of the Unproductive Class only see your tax money and personal assets falling into their hands. WE can not afford to continue this...pull the plug! Please!! Can anyone tell me why so many black muslims are trading dollars for gold and silver?
Sometimes I wonder what the people who post these comments are like in real life.