[art_director]

Like the subject line says: "Your average terrorist isn't going to care if his milk expires two days from now if he is about to go out on a suicide bombing run," said NSA spokesperson Ron DeCase.

We deserve a smarter government.

[voodoo]

I love the stupidity of this scheme. Makes for great entertainment value!

V

[art_director]

Yeah, but now I can't buy expired milk, darn.

[marden]

Originally Posted by art_director

Yeah, but now I can't buy expired milk, darn.

I am constantly shown how smart our government is and how they are often flying higher and faster than their critics can detect.

Wow!

[art_director]

Originally Posted by marden

I am constantly shown how smart our government is and how they are often flying higher and faster than their critics can detect.

Wow!

You mean getting higher than their critics can detect?

[marden]

Originally Posted by art_director

You mean getting higher than their critics can detect?

Q.E.D.

[TETENAL]

Hahahahahahaha!

Great parody!

[CRASH HARDDRIVE]

Originally Posted by art_director

We deserve a smarter government.

Agreed, but please tell me that after just the most casual glance at that, you realized it was parody?

[Chuckit]

It made me chuckle, at least.

[marden]

Originally Posted by TETENAL

Hahahahahahaha!

Great parody!

Thank you.

*Bows from waist*

[art_director]

Originally Posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE

Agreed, but please tell me that after just the most casual glance at that, you realized it was parody?

How could you not?

[marden]

http://forums.macnn.com/95/political...um#post3153515

[CRASH HARDDRIVE]

Originally Posted by art_director

How could you not?

I dunno, but then again, I'm not the one who posted it here.

[nonhuman]

So people who like middle eastern food get red flagged? What about Jews? The best falafel I've ever head is made by an Israeli in San Francisco. Guess he should be considered a terrorist since he's from the Middle East...

[marden]

Originally Posted by nonhuman

So people who like middle eastern food get red flagged? What about Jews? The best falafel I've ever head is made by an Israeli in San Francisco. Guess he should be considered a terrorist since he's from the Middle East...

The key to using simplifications like yours to point out the flaws of a procedure is that anyone who is slightly more experienced in how the world works understands that there are other elements to the procedure which would make your scenario unlikely.

Pity you didn't figure on that.

[itai195]

Mmm falafel... Best falafel I've had, and I have it every time I'm there, is from a little shop in Tel-Aviv. But I've heard many Arabs claim Israeli falafel is crap

[kick52]

um.. are we intrested in the bahaviour of terrorists towards milk?!??

[marden]

Originally Posted by itai195

Mmm falafel... Best falafel I've had, and I have it every time I'm there, is from a little shop in Tel-Aviv. But I've heard many Arabs claim Israeli falafel is crap

Maybe you should find nonhuman's Israeli San Fran shop?

[itai195]

Maybe, but I'm hardly ever in SF.

[lil'babykitten]

Originally Posted by itai195

Mmm falafel... Best falafel I've had, and I have it every time I'm there, is from a little shop in Tel-Aviv. But I've heard many Arabs claim Israeli falafel is crap

Try Arab falafel, then make up your mind.

[nonhuman]

Originally Posted by marden

The key to using simplifications like yours to point out the flaws of a procedure is that anyone who is slightly more experienced in how the world works understands that there are other elements to the procedure which would make your scenario unlikely.

Pity you didn't figure on that.

According to President Bush, the whole idea behind this program is that terrorists are readily identifiable based on nothing other than what they like to eat. Presumably the primary influence on what they eat will be their religion. And yet there are plenty of people who adhere to Islam's dietary requirements and aren't terrorists. There are also plenty of people who eat a lot of middle eastern food that aren't terrorists.

I don't dispute that data mining can reveal a lot of useful information that isn't otherwise visible. I also don't dispute that the things that people buy at groceries stores could reveal a lot about their behavior. I just find it highly unlikely that the diet of terrorists varies in any significant and reliable way from the diet of non-terrorists. I also find it highly unlikely that the diet of people locked up in guantanamo bay, where the food they get is determined solely by the US, and where, due to their extreme situation, their eating habits are going to be irregular, are particularly indicative of a 'terrorist' diet. Especially since so many of those people are turning out not to be terrorists.

Additionally, the NSA spokesperson's comment that 'Those guys are used to living on a diet of rancid yak butter and sand fleas back home, so sour-tasting milk isn't going to phase them one bit.' reveals an inherent prejudice in the very basis of the program.

All those factors combined, along with this administration's track record when dealing with security issues such as this, lead me to believe that this idea is likely to fail and quite possibly, ultimately do more harm than good.

[nonhuman]

Originally Posted by itai195

Mmm falafel... Best falafel I've had, and I have it every time I'm there, is from a little shop in Tel-Aviv. But I've heard many Arabs claim Israeli falafel is crap

I really like Israeli falafel. Lebanese falafel is pretty good too, as is Moroccan. I'm really not a big fan of Egyptian falafel however.

So I'd say that Israeli falafl is, in general, better than Arab falafel. But obviously it's really just going to be an issue of taste.

[itai195]

Originally Posted by lil'babykitten

Try Arab falafel, then make up your mind.

Not to say Arab falafel is bad

I've been to a ton of Arab run restaurants in the US and in Israel, a bunch of them were excellent. My favorite for middle eastern food in the US is a Lebanese place near Seattle. But for just falafel, this little stand in Tel Aviv has a place in my heart!

As far as the thread goes, I'd agree with nonhuman's take. Even my wife's 86 year old, old fashioned, American grandmother likes humus.

[nonhuman]

Originally Posted by itai195

Maybe, but I'm hardly ever in SF.

Well, if you're ever in Albany, you should try Sophia Cafe. It's on Solano at Masonic. In SF, try the Oasis Grill. It's on Drumm at, I think, Sacramento, right across the street from EC 3.

[Pendergast]

Originally Posted by voodoo

I love the stupidity of this scheme. Makes for great entertainment value!

V

Better than fiction.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by nonhuman

According to President Bush, the whole idea behind this program is that terrorists are readily identifiable based on nothing other than what they like to eat. Presumably the primary influence on what they eat will be their religion. And yet there are plenty of people who adhere to Islam's dietary requirements and aren't terrorists. There are also plenty of people who eat a lot of middle eastern food that aren't terrorists.

I don't dispute that data mining can reveal a lot of useful information that isn't otherwise visible. I also don't dispute that the things that people buy at groceries stores could reveal a lot about their behavior. I just find it highly unlikely that the diet of terrorists varies in any significant and reliable way from the diet of non-terrorists. I also find it highly unlikely that the diet of people locked up in guantanamo bay, where the food they get is determined solely by the US, and where, due to their extreme situation, their eating habits are going to be irregular, are particularly indicative of a 'terrorist' diet. Especially since so many of those people are turning out not to be terrorists.

Additionally, the NSA spokesperson's comment that 'Those guys are used to living on a diet of rancid yak butter and sand fleas back home, so sour-tasting milk isn't going to phase them one bit.' reveals an inherent prejudice in the very basis of the program.

All those factors combined, along with this administration's track record when dealing with security issues such as this, lead me to believe that this idea is likely to fail and quite possibly, ultimately do more harm than good.

You realize the article was meant to be humorous, right?

[nonhuman]

Originally Posted by Chuckit

You realize the article was meant to be humorous, right?

Sigh... Stop ruining my fun.

[Chuckit]

Sorry. That's how I roll, you know?

[art_director]

Originally Posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE

I dunno, but then again, I'm not the one who posted it here.

This forum lacks a sense of humor. Thought I'd try and help give it one.

[Chuckit]

Don't cast your funny pearls before humorless swine.

[CRASH HARDDRIVE]

Originally Posted by art_director

This forum lacks a sense of humor. Thought I'd try and help give it one.

The comments on that blog are a pretty sad commentary on how some folks simply are incapable of spotting humor and take everything litterally way too seriously- even after the obvious is all but spoon fed to them.

I pretty much have to agree with the poster who commented: "If it took you more than a few sentences to realize this was fake, then you are too stupid to participate in our society."

[marden]

Originally Posted by nonhuman

According to President Bush, the whole idea behind this program is that terrorists are readily identifiable based on nothing other than what they like to eat. Presumably the primary influence on what they eat will be their religion. And yet there are plenty of people who adhere to Islam's dietary requirements and aren't terrorists. There are also plenty of people who eat a lot of middle eastern food that aren't terrorists.

I don't dispute that data mining can reveal a lot of useful information that isn't otherwise visible. I also don't dispute that the things that people buy at groceries stores could reveal a lot about their behavior. I just find it highly unlikely that the diet of terrorists varies in any significant and reliable way from the diet of non-terrorists. I also find it highly unlikely that the diet of people locked up in guantanamo bay, where the food they get is determined solely by the US, and where, due to their extreme situation, their eating habits are going to be irregular, are particularly indicative of a 'terrorist' diet. Especially since so many of those people are turning out not to be terrorists.

Additionally, the NSA spokesperson's comment that 'Those guys are used to living on a diet of rancid yak butter and sand fleas back home, so sour-tasting milk isn't going to phase them one bit.' reveals an inherent prejudice in the very basis of the program.

All those factors combined, along with this administration's track record when dealing with security issues such as this, lead me to believe that this idea is likely to fail and quite possibly, ultimately do more harm than good.

FAZE/PHASE

“Faze” means to embarrass or disturb, but is almost always used in the negative sense, as in “the fact that the overhead projector bulb was burned out didn’t faze her.” “Phase” is a noun or verb having to do with an aspect of something. “He’s just going through a temperamental phase.” “They’re going to phase in the new accounting procedures gradually.” Unfortunately, Star Trek has confused matters by calling its ray pistols phasers. Too bad they aren’t fazers instead.

http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/faze.html

[marden]

Originally Posted by art_director

This forum lacks a sense of humor. Thought I'd try and help give it one.

Try figuring out what is funny, first. In your posts the exclamation, "Bush suxx" seems to meet your definition of intellectual profundity. Your sense of humor appears to be equally refined.

[art_director]

Originally Posted by marden

Try figuring out what is funny, first. In your posts the exclamation, "Bush suxx" seems to meet your definition of intellectual profundity. Your sense of humor appears to be equally refined.

I thought a RepubliKKKan would appreciate taking attention away from the obvious incompetence of GOP leadership.

[Dakar]

Classy.

[art_director]

you know it.

[davesimondotcom]

It is amazing how many people commenting on that blog don't get that it's a parody.

Very funny one at that.

[art_director]

i thought it was darn funny and a little pathetic.

[itai195]

Originally Posted by nonhuman

Well, if you're ever in Albany, you should try Sophia Cafe. It's on Solano at Masonic. In SF, try the Oasis Grill. It's on Drumm at, I think, Sacramento, right across the street from EC 3.

Thanks for the tips, I will be sure to look those up next time I'm in those areas.

[Face Ache]

Originally Posted by davesimondotcom

It is amazing how many people commenting on that blog don't get that it's a parody.

Sad, isn't it? They did studies last year that proved Americans are three times more gullible than Europeans.

[OSX Abuser]

Just to be safe or for sh!ts and giggles when shopping at Safeway I use the phone number
408-867-5309
Let the government arrest Jenny.

[vmarks]

Originally Posted by itai195

Mmm falafel... Best falafel I've had, and I have it every time I'm there, is from a little shop in Tel-Aviv. But I've heard many Arabs claim Israeli falafel is crap

Which shop, which street?

I usually go to one just off kikar Dizengoff near the fountain.

[vmarks]

Originally Posted by OSX Abuser

Just to be safe or for sh!ts and giggles when shopping at Safeway I use the phone number
408-867-5309
Let the government arrest Jenny.

You have no idea the trouble the band caused by using that number. Thanks for perpetuating that annoyance to the holder of the phone number.

[OSX Abuser]

Originally Posted by vmarks

You have no idea the trouble the band caused by using that number. Thanks for perpetuating that annoyance to the holder of the phone number.

I know all about it. I grew up in Saratoga, CA 408-867-**** Went to Argonaut elementary school
with a girl who happened to have that number.

[itai195]

Originally Posted by vmarks

Which shop, which street?

I usually go to one just off kikar Dizengoff near the fountain.

You know, I don't actually know the name of it. It's on Ebn Gvirol about 100 feet from the corner with Jabotinsky. There's some kind of clothing store on the corner and it's just past that.

[art_director]

Originally Posted by OSX Abuser

I know all about it. I grew up in Saratoga, CA 408-867-**** Went to Argonaut elementary school
with a girl who happened to have that number.

I too use that number when asked by customer service agents. In addition, at places like CompUSA, I use 90210 for my zip code when asked.