Patterico's Pontifications

10/6/2017

Friday News Items

Filed under: General — Dana @ 4:46 pm



[guest post by Dana]

New questions have come to light in the investigation into the Las Vegas massacre. Most recently, why was a cell phone charger in shooter Stephen Paddock’s hotel suite that didn’t match any of his cellphones? Also, while law enforcement states that they are confident there was no one else in the room at the time of the massacre, they haven’t ruled out that there may have been someone who had prior knowledge about what would happen Sunday night. As such, they are questioning whether Paddock had help. Still, the crucial question of motive remains unanswered. Also, here is a good round-up of what is known so far about the Stephen Paddock and the attack. You can find a list of the victims here, as well as short bios of each one. Each one obviously loved and deeply missed by their grieving families.

Also, more hypocrisy from Hollywood in the Harvey Weinstein scandal: Unsurprisingly, the roster of late night comedians remained silent about the bombshell report. Other than a throwaway line from Trevor Noah, the other social gate keepers and self-determined arbiters of morality, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, James Corden, and Stephen Colbert were somehow rendered speechless on the matter. These typically quick-witted snark-masters were apparently unable to come up with anything to say. Not one word. No condemnation of Weinstein’s predatory behavior, no rallying of the troops to work toward changing the sick culture of Hollywood, and no sympathy expressed for the women victimized by Weinstein. Like I said, unsurprising because it’s clear these guys know who butters their bread. Unfortunately, it’s these sorts of cowardly decisions to look the other way that allowed Weinstein to keep on keeping on for three decades. As a reminder, these yahoos were anything but silent when they went full-throttle over the scandals involving Bill O’Reilly and Roger Ailes, as well as when the infamous Access Hollywood tape involving Donald Trump was leaked. Apparently, they have too much at stake to stand up to the the raging bully and sexual harasser that Weinstein has been revealed to be. Women victimized in Hollywood, men enabling it. It’s a sick system, but hey, fame comes at a cost, am I right?!

Finally, President Trump appeared to be teasing the American public, or toying with our enemies with his latest remarks made last night. Following a discussion about North Korea, Iran and Afghanistan and the Islamic State with his top military advisors, the President and military leaders assembled together with their spouses for a photo opportunity. As they posed for pictures, a puzzling exchange took place:

As photographers snapped pictures and recorded video, Trump asked reporters: “You guys know what this represents?”

“Maybe it’s the calm before the storm,” he said, answering his own question.

“What’s the storm?” one reporter asked.

“Could be the calm before the storm,” he repeated.

The president continued:

“We have the world’s great military people in this room, I will tell you that. And uh, we’re gonna have a great evening, thank you all for coming.”

“What storm, Mr. President?” NBC News’ Kristen Welker asked again.

“You’ll find out,” Trump replied, before reporters were ushered out of the room.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders offered this at today’s press briefing:

“As we’ve said many times before…we’re never going to say in advance what the president is going to do,” she said during a press briefing Friday. “You’ll have to wait and see.”

“You can take the president protecting the American people very seriously,” Sanders added. “And if he feels that action is necessary, he’ll take it.”

I don’t know what he meant. I don’t know if it even meant anything. What I suspect is that the President very impulsively pulled something out of the air to draw attention to himself and remind everyone of his authority. Especially as military leaders were in uniform. A form of self-preening before the cameras, if you will. Cleverly using a photo opportunity as an opportunity to do a little self-promoting. After all, he is a showman. But as many commenters have repeatedly reminded me in the past, moments like these are simply ways to keep our enemies guessing and off balance. Who knows.

(Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.)

–Dana

70 Responses to “Friday News Items”

  1. Being mindful of the terrible sadness and grief that so many families find themselves in, I wanted to make sure to recognize them, as well as put up a few other current items. But please do scroll through the roster of victims, and read about them. How fortunate they all were to have been so loved and cared for while they walked this earth. May God carry their families through this difficult season.

    Dana (023079)

  2. Who knows?

    *preening

    Ben burn (106ab9)

  3. Also more leftist hypocrisy:

    By Nathan Lichtman October 6, 2017

    The symbolism of the “Fearless Girl” statue may hold true, but some of the details of how it was funded are now being called into question. The State Street Corporation funded the statue of the little girl taking on a charging bull, in the Wall Street area of Manhattan, and now they’ve come under fire. State Street was audited by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Federal Contract Compliance, and was found to have paid their female employees less than their male ones. They are settling the audit to the tune of $5 million. Even liberal icon Mika Brzezinski pointed out the irony: “The firm which officially denies the claims funded the statue earlier this year to promote gender equality.”

    Rev.Hoagie® (6bbda7)

  4. The democrats have introduce new gun free zone legislation called the “Gun Free Zone We Really Mean it This Time” act.

    It is obvious that our current gun free zone legislation is not working. People keep bringing guns in so we need to put out foot down and ban guns again in gun free zones. if that doesn’t work we will ban them a third time.

    We expect that this will forever stop shootings in gun free zones and if it doesn’t at least we will get warm fuzzies knowing that we tried to do something.

    The NRA responded with a facepalm.

    Courtesy of the People’s Cube. Keep smiling comrades.

    Rev.Hoagie® (6bbda7)

  5. Can you say, Dana, who was the one victim you knew?

    narciso (d1f714)

  6. Power corrupts Democrats much quicker and more thoroughly than Republicans. That’s because the GOP renounces members who transgress, and conversly Democrats circle the wagons and call on their media enablers to defend the indefensible.

    Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama are examples, when did Dems or the media ever hold them accountable? In the last 25 years, 10 years, 2 years?

    ropelight (d782cb)

  7. … more hypocrisy from Hollywood in the Harvey Weinstein scandal: Unsurprisingly, the roster of late night comedians remained silent about the bombshell report.

    Thing is, Dana, in Hollywood and entertainment industry circles, Weinstein’s behavior ain’t never been a secret; more ‘inside baseball’ tales than anything else. Old colleagues who knew him by professional acquaintance would often speak of his scumbag antics– most notably on his infamous ‘give-some-head-to-get-ahead’ yacht parties at Cannes. It was endured as a part of doing business. But he certainly wasn’t a pillar of “family values promotion” like GOP/Fox mouthpieces Ailes or O’Reilly. Cracking Weinstein jokes would be like quipping rain is wet and Trump is a moron. Times are changing.

    …President Trump appeared to be teasing the American public, or toying with our enemies with his latest remarks made last night.

    The Tease- as you’d expect from a reality TeeVee host to distract. Stay tuned and look over there – follow that shiny object.

    New questions have come to light in the investigation into the Las Vegas massacre.

    The note full of numbers is interesting. One hopes the investigators caught ‘Breaking Bad’ and the clever use of GPS coordinates on a lottery ticket– or ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind.’

    “Excuse me… the first number has three digits and the last two are below sixty. Obviously … these have to be earth coordinates.” – David Laughlin [Bob Balaban] ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ 1977

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  8. So sad to scroll trough and read about these lovely people. May they rest in peace and their friends and families find a way to cope with the loss.
    Pathetic is the excuses made for the slob weinstein. @8

    mg (31009b)

  9. In the last 22 years there was not a single sexual harassment suit filed against Einstein, in half a long there were 5 against o’reilly, we’re supposed to believe that there isn’t a dedicated lawfare campaign, after cyndi archer, bob Mcdonnell Ted Stevens (unavailable for comment) et Al.

    narciso (d1f714)

  10. Thanks for the link to the article about the victims, Dana.

    Patterico (115b1f)

  11. My daughter in San Clemente has a friend whose mother was hit in the arm with 2 bullets. She will be ok.

    mg (31009b)

  12. I forgot to mention – thank you for the touching post, Dana.

    mg (31009b)

  13. Hollywood scum’s ability to recognize one of their own for what they are themselves is hardly surprising . Even less surprising is Hollywood scum giving cover to fellow scum for thirty years (closer to 100 years over all).

    It’s all just life in a septic tank.

    Rick Ballard (259013)

  14. This bastard, ruined the lives of so many, because of some hangup, some unresolved rage at socity

    narciso (d1f714)

  15. Re this —

    why was a cell phone charger in shooter Stephen Paddock’s hotel suite that didn’t match any of his cellphones?

    — my guess would be that the last guy who stayed in that room forgot his charger and housekeeping didn’t find it. Is it more subtle than that?

    Beldar (fa637a)

  16. Re the “calm before the storm”: Trolls gotta troll.

    If I could revise this blocker script to work on Trump’s sound and video on my DVR, I would.

    Beldar (fa637a)

  17. A rizzotto tray press that can’t figure out what matters and what doesn’t chasing wisps if wind,
    Ignorant apparently of every Bronx cheer north Korea and Iran have aimed at us in 25 years and mire.

    narciso (d1f714)

  18. If I could revise this blocker script to work on Trump’s sound and video on my DVR, I would.

    Just do like I did when Obummer was president, don’t tape it. Hell, I didn’t even turn it on. In fact the second I saw his face I turned it off. Mission accomplished. If he said anything important about 57 states or me not building my own business I got it off the net the next day. Believe me none of these fools say anything that important we should have to sit through it all.

    Rev.Hoagie® (6bbda7)

  19. I totally agree with Hoagie. I can’t recall the last time I sat through an entire speech by a president.

    Maybe I did on the computer afterwards if there was a specific reason related to blogging. I don’t know.

    But just to sit down and watch one of these blowhards? Nah.

    Patterico (115b1f)

  20. CNN has aired an uninterrupted, commercial-free hour on the people lost in Vegas.

    It’s quite moving.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  21. President Reagan had my ear, always.

    mg (31009b)

  22. CNN has aired an uninterrupted, commercial-free hour on the people lost in Vegas.

    It’s quite moving.

    The piece Dana linked was very nice. It was good of the LAT to do that.

    Patterico (115b1f)

  23. Heroism and poignant tragedy on one hand, and a suppurating sore on the culture just cibsidrr pulp function as one of his contribution.

    narciso (d1f714)

  24. Harvey Weinstein Didn’t Just Buy and Own the Official Democrat Party — He Also Bought and Owned the Unofficial One, the Media

    http://ace.mu.nu/archives/371896.php

    Re the strange charging cord in murderers’ room: I just removed a charging cord from my carry-on bag for a GPS device I haven’t used in two years.

    Might be something like that.

    harkin (5db653)

  25. Or it could belong to the shooter on the grassy knoll.

    Beldar (fa637a)

  26. I kid, obviously. Good on LE for running down every last detail.

    Beldar (fa637a)

  27. Travel tip, though: If you forget your phone charger, ask at the front desk if you can “borrow” one from the box in Housekeeping where there are like 30 of them gathering dust.

    Beldar (fa637a)

  28. This is the first I’ve heard that Paddock had traveled to the Middle East, albeit on cruise ships:

    http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/06/us/vegas-shooter-paddock-foreign-cruises/index.html

    harkin (5db653)

  29. We have three topics in this thread. What about California becoming the first official Sanctuary State? I want to know whether it is a crime to pick up the phone and call ICE in Calif.

    AZ Bob (f60c80)

  30. What about California becoming the first official Sanctuary State?

    Alas, it’s merely a formality.

    Sorta like Rex Tillerson being Secretary of State for United States of America.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  31. If Cali exits it will be a huge win for conservative electoral votes.
    Don’t let the door hit you in the azz

    mg (31009b)

  32. A cruise that makes a port call in Jordan means a stop in Aqaba, which means one similar to these
    http://www.cleancruising.com.au/port.asp?port=JOAQJ
    However even an overnight stay is not long enough to get radicalized, but long enough to meet someone after radicalization.
    But I don’t think the gambling connection explains the cruises. If his primary goal was gambling, any cruise ship sailing in international waters would do, as long as it wasn’t to Bermuda (Bermuda forces cruise ships to severely restrict their night time offerings aboard ship when they make overnight calls, in order to make sure tourists spend their money onshore). If he wanted international cruises with gambling potential, he would more likely have gone on ships sailing out of Singapore, Malaysia, or China, which reputedly appeal to high stakes Chinese gamblers. The cruises he did go on appeal to older affluent tourists, so maybe he simply liked them as a member of the group the cruise lines market to. (I suppose he may have felt these cruises were a good way to meet other affluent gamblers–but again, there are a number of cruise ships operating out of the US which could do the same.)

    kishnevi (fb4c79)

  33. If Cali exits it would be a great experiment in whether a welfare state could also be an open-borders state. I think we know how it would turn out.

    AZ Bob (f60c80)

  34. Most recently, why was a cell phone charger in shooter Stephen Paddock’s hotel suite that didn’t match any of his cellphones?

    It could be something or it could be nothing. When he was packing, maybe he grabbed his girlfriend’s charger too.

    Anon Y. Mous (19e1f2)

  35. So who is Cali’s Catalonia, Jefferson or North County (SD)?

    urbanleftbehind (02b4bd)

  36. Catatonia is San Francisco and marin, the central valley is more Jefferson

    narciso (d1f714)

  37. What about California becoming the first official Sanctuary State?

    Three ways to end this:

    1) Congress, exercising its sole power to regulate immigration, passes a law requiring local co-operation with federal agents. Maybe they impose a federal ban on air travel from states that do not comply. Or a double income tax.

    2) California voters use the referendum process to put the matter on the 2018 November ballot. Also, suing the state regarding donation reporting given the clear and present danger of retaliation against donors.

    3) A local law enforcement agency or officer sues the state for illegally passing a state constitutional amendment.

    Kevin M (752a26)

  38. Talk about fixed intelligence:

    https://t.co/blXlUhb6Mw

    narciso (d1f714)

  39. I harp on the point, that this grishenko nonsense to the exclusion of everything else

    narciso (d1f714)

  40. it is troubling, narciso.

    mg (31009b)

  41. It’s very incongruous that Paddock is taking many cruises with his girlfriend at the same time he appears to be planning a mass murder/suicide.

    When you look at others, you don’t see that kind of normality of social life overlapping the planning stage of this kind of crime.

    SPQR (a3a747)

  42. ’bout time Grassley got around to asking the question they can’t or won’t answer

    crazy (d99a88)

  43. i hope before the storm hits we get a grownup secretary of state

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  44. here you go

    you can thank deranged yet sassy torture victim John McCain for this

    A federal judge has ordered the Interior Department to reinstate an Obama-era regulation aimed at restricting harmful methane emissions from oil and gas production on federal lands.

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  45. Thank you, Senator McCain.

    But I think we should capture harmless methane emissions, too. And sell them to Europe.

    nk (dbc370)

  46. Harmless methane emissions…

    You farted nk.

    Ben burn (c2b66f)

  47. Tell me why you think it’s a good thing to release the farts of dead dinosaurs into the atmosphere instead of capturing them and burning them in our stoves to bake a delicious bacon and egg pie.

    nk (dbc370)

  48. it’s just a federal power grab aimed at raising costs

    poor people hurt hardest of course filthy poor american trash

    who didn’t marry a filthy stupid gullible half-wit beer heiress

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  49. “What’s the storm?” one reporter asked.

    “Could be the calm before the storm,” he repeated.

    The president continued:

    “We have the world’s great military people in this room, I will tell you that. And uh, we’re gonna have a great evening, thank you all for coming.”

    “What storm, Mr. President?” NBC News’ Kristen Welker asked again.”

    Is it just me, or does this sound like the reporter isn’t familiar with the common idiom “calm before the storm”?

    C. S. P. Schofield (99bd37)

  50. Ive seen the skills shown by humans extracting gas from the depths …been to the circus…seen the puppet show.

    Ben burn (c2b66f)

  51. Low-cost fuel is a very good thing, but when you have any resource that you know for a fact is going to run out sooner or later, you should not waste any more than absolutely necessary. The only reason that should satisfy a conservationist for not capping methane emissions is that it costs more in energy, or other limited resources, than it conserves. Like fuel ethanol, for instance.

    nk (dbc370)

  52. i trust the people what make their living doing the oil and gas engineer to know their business more better than the piggy john mccain fascist federal government

    they are so good

    oh my goodness look at what they’ve done even in spite of pig obama

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  53. Yes, yes and should we feed our plants with Brawndo…you know..cuz. electrolytes?

    Ben burn (c2b66f)

  54. I totally agree with Hoagie. I can’t recall the last time I sat through an entire speech by a president.

    President Reagan’s Address to the National Association of Evangelicals, March 8, 1983:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7bUye1CpfE

    Kevin M (752a26)

  55. The last time I heard the whole thing I was but three…

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checkers_speech

    Ben burn (b3d5ab)

  56. When LBJ declined to run in ’68.

    ropelight (d782cb)

  57. Strikingly he dudnt understand anything about tet, it was le duans hail Mary pass,

    narciso (d1f714)

  58. I don’t know what he meant.

    I think he maant the attack might come in October, not November or December, and it might be time for the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, because that might be when the government of China is least likely to react. October 18th or 19th it is then. I’m revising my opinion.

    I think he (and Mattis) are most concerned that China be distracted, and they’ve concluded there’s little hope of China reversing polioy, and that, in fact it might reverse policy the other way around after October 18th and back North Korea. But there’s still a chance this won’t take place, though. And the trigger might also be North Korea plans for another test.

    Donald Trump wants to lessen the shock, so he’s dropping hints, and also, maybe trying to sort of encourage North Korea to cave in.

    Sammy Finkelman (b4888e)

  59. 30. AZ Bob (f60c80) — 10/6/2017 @ 7:42 pm

    ? I want to know whether it is a crime to pick up the phone and call ICE in Calif.

    Not a crime, but it might be afiring offense for someone in law enforcement. And if someone is not in law enforcement, ICE probably wouldn’t be interested.

    Sammy Finkelman (b4888e)

  60. Paddock wired a significant sum — some reports suggested $100,000 — to Danley while she was abroad, telling her to buy a house for herself and her family, she said.

    I had a good guess. He told her to buy real estate. (not to take care of her, but to keep her away longer)

    The guns in the hotel room alone cost about $20,000 and I suppose another $20,000 for the rest.

    There were things he planned that he never carried out. Like tracer bullets. Or the explosives in his car.

    Or his plans to keep the police at bay.

    I mean he had 3 cameras – one in a food service cart, one in the peephole and a baby monitor in he room, and what did he use it for? He shot the first person who approached – and it seems like then he almost immediately shot himself.

    He shot himself in the forehead, so they’re unlikely to find any kind of brain tumor. But maybe another form of cancer. he used to moan in pain according to reports about what Marilou Danley said. But that could have been constipation. He reportedly lost a lot of weight in the past few months. Whatever it was, was probably not diagnosed by a doctor.

    200 rounds through the door? And the security guard only wounded in the leg? The guard must have been struck by a ricochet or shrapnel. Paddock must have fired to keep them away, but not to hit them so much.

    He probably still hadn’t perfected his plans, even though he canceled at least two other attacks.

    The death toll is reduced from 59 to 58 (not including Paddock – was he included in the total dead at first?) Wounded is reduced to 489 from 515 – 317 discharged. The murdered victims almost all came from the west coast – California or Nevada, Utah, – also Alaska and Alberta and British Columbia, Canada. One from Minnesota, one from Massachusetts, one from Virginia.

    Paddock’s income tax return claimed an income of $5 million, most from gambling, according to NBC. It looks like money laundering – lose a little money in casinos, and report gambling winnings as the source of income (before passive losses in real estate) And probably understate his inome anyway.

    He didn’t want Marilou Danley to see him losing at slots probably because he wanted her to think he was winning, because he was only going to claim the winnings. He was always filling out tax forms at casinos. One casino reduced his comp because he wans’t losing as much as they expected.

    Sammy Finkelman (b4888e)

  61. They don’t need an intact brain to detect cancer. Just the opposite. They need tiny little tissue samples.

    Lots of things can cause mental status changes in a hereto healthy person. I suspect Addison’s Disease but I cannot say why. Was there some discussion that he was on cortico-steroids?

    nk (dbc370)

  62. I read hat Stephen Paddock got a prescription for Valium in June. Whoever leaked or reported that dd not want to say he was taking it. I think you might need an intact brain to detect a brain tumor, especially if it was more on the benign side, unless that part of the brain wasn’t affected by the bullet. A non-invasive tumor could cause alot of damage to parts of the brain.

    I was thinking maybe he had some other kind of cancer. That could cause liver problems, and a rundown feeling – and weight loss.

    Sammy Finkelman (9f1a19)

  63. 72 in the Lisa Bloom thread: Kevin M (752a26) — 10/8/2017 @ 12:14 am

    I have no problem with what Trump is saying on North Korea. Bad cop.

    I don’t think they worked this out in advance, but they may have stumbled into this and decided to keep up with it.

    Sammy Finkelman (9f1a19)

  64. The problem is, of course, that practically everybody, including pprobably Kim Jong Un, thinks Trump is bluffing, but this looks too much like trying to givw Kim a warning without tipping him off and putting him on his guard, which is kind of like squaring the circle.

    Sammy Finkelman (9f1a19)

  65. Paddock was a statistical member of the Sociopath Club. Exclusive membership with no interconnectedness with peers. Three to five percent of the population who remained below radar until the brain aged to the point he could no longer contain. Common for elderly to begin losing the ability to maintain social norms. They lose their inhibitions and begin acting out.

    Ben burn (b3d5ab)

  66. Btw take #68 to the bank. His profile was seen here first, barring a manifesto or something.

    Ben burn (b3d5ab)

  67. Trump volunteered it was the calm before the storm.

    One report went:

    Trump asked journalists present if they knew “what this represents”.

    “Maybe it’s the calm before the storm,” the president added. “You’ll find out.”

    He was meeting with the military.

    It’s got to be North Korea. Possibly, this might only be what wouild happen in the event that North Korea tried launching another missile. It would be shot down, or maybe attacked on the ground

    But some reporters thought he might be talking about Iran, or maybe Tillerson.

    Sammy Finkelman (02a146)


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