Explosions at the Boston Marathon...

[GarthUte]

It's being reported that there were two explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. There are injuries.

http://news.yahoo.com/two-explosions-boston-marathon-finish-line-190259876--spt.html

[LA Ute]

Boston Police Department spokeswoman update: 23 injured, 2 dead.

[NorthwestUteFan]

I know exactly where that is. I stood right near there to watch the end of the marathon a few years ago. That is scary and tragic.

Who will claim responsibility for this one?

[LA Ute]

I noticed that Yahoo News is giving minute-by-minute updates here:

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/live-updates-explosion-near-boston-marathon-finish-line-192213861.html

I've been checking in now and then. My sister has run Boston many times. This hits close to home. The video I saw on the TV in our lunchroom showed a runner just collapsing 10 yards from the finish. It looks like he was hit by shrapnel of something similar.

[NorthwestUteFan]

One of the news outlets reported they have a suspect in custody. Nothing more to report yet.

[LA Ute]

Video of the explosions at the finish line. (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57579671/two-explosions-rock-boston-marathon-at-least-2-dead/)

[NorthwestUteFan]

Judging by the amount of blood on the ground in the overhead picture, I expect there will be many more fatalities. It looks like 12 so far now.

Also something going on at the JFK library in Dorchester, and they found a device in Georgetown as well.

Suspect is a Saudi national.

[hostile]

My partner is back there now, watching his wife run the marathon (she runs every year). She was 1/2 mile from the finish when he got a text from her "Bomb. Race rerouted." then phone service went out. He, fortunately, wasn't at the finish line.

[NorthwestUteFan]

Multiple unexploded devices have been found in various places around the city.

Unfortunately, at a time like this every abandoned piece of equipment or bag would need to be considered dangerous until it is cleared.

Apparently a number of marathon runners ran across the finish line and continued on to Mass General to donate blood (about 1.5 miles).

[NorthwestUteFan]

Initial reports are hard to trust until they are verified.

There is no suspect in custody.
The incident at JFK Library may be unrelated, but apparently was an incendiary device.
One object was blown up, but no additional devices have been confirmed.

As chance would have it, some of the family members and survivors of the Sandy Hook shooting happened to be in the grandstand that's was bombed. No word on injuries.

This is a very scary event.

[Diehard Ute]

There was not an explosion at the library. It was an accidental fire in a mechanical room.

Keep in mind much of the information being reported in the media is very incomplete as their information is taken from police and fire radio chatter, or from rumors that spread rapidly.

There was a third bomb that has been rendered safe by Boston Police. As of now there are no other confirmed explosive devices

[Devildog]

This is a very scary event.

It is. It is also a new reality. Violence including shootings and bombings and stabbings are here for the foreseeable future. Bans won't stop this. Very powerful and effective explosives can be made from common chemicals purchased at Walgreens. We just can't ban everything that can be used for violence.

IMO the answers to the underlying problems that lead to all this violence are complicated, and they are beyond our abilities to resolve as a society at this time.

Broken people exist.

[USS Utah]

Initial reports are hard to trust until they are verified.


"A first report follows every event. The first report may be entirely accurate and you can take it to the bank; it may be only partially accurate; or it may be totally wrong. How can we weigh first reports to determine where the best probability lies? My experience with hundreds of first reports over the years has provided me with a mental checklist for reacting to them:


Does it make common sense? Take a deep breath, rub your eyes.
Does it fit with everything else that is going on? Is there a context for this event?
How much time do I have to figure this out?
How can I confirm it?
What are the risks, costs, and opportunities lost if the report is true and we delay action?
What are the risks, costs and missed opportunities if it is false and we act too quickly?
What are the stakes?
Times up! Do something! Keep searching!"

-- Colin Powell

[USS Utah]

It has been reported that the bombs were contained in pressure-cookers packed with ball bearings. If true it is of some significance, because this is a favored IED design used by the Taliban and connected groups in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. It's also the same design used by the 2010 Times Square bomber.

Mind you, anyone with an Internet connection could get the idea from there, too.

[San Diego Ute Fan]

It has been reported that the bombs were contained in pressure-cookers packed with ball bearings. If true it is of some significance, because this is a favored IED design used by the Taliban and connected groups in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. It's also the same design used by the 2010 Times Square bomber.

Mind you, anyone with an Internet connection could get the idea from there, too.

My guess is that this is a domestic guy working on his own. Multiple reports have stated that there was no increase in electronic "chatter" from the usual suspects. Also, no group has stepped forward to claim responsibility.

[wuapinmon]

My guess is that this is a domestic guy working on his own. Multiple reports have stated that there was no increase in electronic "chatter" from the usual suspects. Also, no group has stepped forward to claim responsibility.

This is my hope. If it's a Muslim, then we'll just have more and more bloodshed without really accomplishing much of anything. Our predator drones kill innocents all the time.

[SavaUte]

Our predator drones kill innocents all the time.

Any source for this? I have a family member that flies them and I don't think he's out there "killing innocents all the time"

[wuapinmon]

Any source for this? I have a family member that flies them and I don't think he's out there "killing innocents all the time"

List of children killed by drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen
Compiled from The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/) reports
PAKISTAN
Name | Age | Gender
Noor Aziz | 8 | male
Abdul Wasit | 17 | male
Noor Syed | 8 | male
Wajid Noor | 9 | male
Syed Wali Shah | 7 | male
Ayeesha | 3 | female
Qari Alamzeb | 14| male
Shoaib | 8 | male
Hayatullah KhaMohammad | 16 | male
Tariq Aziz | 16 | male
Sanaullah Jan | 17 | male
Maezol Khan | 8 | female
Nasir Khan | male
Naeem Khan | male
Naeemullah | male
Mohammad Tahir | 16 | male
Azizul Wahab | 15 | male
Fazal Wahab | 16 | male
Ziauddin | 16 | male
Mohammad Yunus | 16 | male
Fazal Hakim | 19 | male
Ilyas | 13 | male
Sohail | 7 | male
Asadullah | 9 | male
khalilullah | 9 | male
Noor Mohammad | 8 | male
Khalid | 12 | male
Saifullah | 9 | male
Mashooq Jan | 15 | male
Nawab | 17 | male
Sultanat Khan | 16 | male
Ziaur Rahman | 13 | male
Noor Mohammad | 15 | male
Mohammad Yaas Khan | 16 | male
Qari Alamzeb | 14 | male
Ziaur Rahman | 17 | male
Abdullah | 18 | male
Ikramullah Zada | 17 | male
Inayatur Rehman | 16 | male
Shahbuddin | 15 | male
Yahya Khan | 16 |male
Rahatullah |17 | male
Mohammad Salim | 11 | male
Shahjehan | 15 | male
Gul Sher Khan | 15 | male
Bakht Muneer | 14 | male
Numair | 14 | male
Mashooq Khan | 16 | male
Ihsanullah | 16 | male
Luqman | 12 | male
Jannatullah | 13 | male
Ismail | 12 | male
Taseel Khan | 18 | male
Zaheeruddin | 16 | male
Qari Ishaq | 19 | male
Jamshed Khan | 14 | male
Alam Nabi | 11 | male
Qari Abdul Karim | 19 | male
Rahmatullah | 14 | male
Abdus Samad | 17 | male
Siraj | 16 | male
Saeedullah | 17 | male
Abdul Waris | 16 | male
Darvesh | 13 | male
Ameer Said | 15 | male
Shaukat | 14 | male
Inayatur Rahman | 17 | male
Salman | 12 | male
Fazal Wahab | 18 | male
Baacha Rahman | 13 | male
Wali-ur-Rahman | 17 | male
Iftikhar | 17 | male
Inayatullah | 15 | male
Mashooq Khan | 16 | male
Ihsanullah | 16 | male
Luqman | 12 | male
Jannatullah | 13 | male
Ismail | 12 | male
Abdul Waris | 16 | male
Darvesh | 13 | male
Ameer Said | 15 | male
Shaukat | 14 | male
Inayatur Rahman | 17 | male
Adnan | 16 | male
Najibullah | 13 | male
Naeemullah | 17 | male
Hizbullah | 10 | male
Kitab Gul | 12 | male
Wilayat Khan | 11 | male
Zabihullah | 16 | male
Shehzad Gul | 11 | male
Shabir | 15 | male
Qari Sharifullah | 17 | male
Shafiullah | 16 | male
Nimatullah | 14 | male
Shakirullah | 16 | male
Talha | 8 | male
YEMEN
Afrah Ali Mohammed Nasser | 9 | female
Zayda Ali Mohammed Nasser | 7 | female
Hoda Ali Mohammed Nasser | 5 | female
Sheikha Ali Mohammed Nasser | 4 | female
Ibrahim Abdullah Mokbel Salem Louqye | 13 | male
Asmaa Abdullah Mokbel Salem Louqye | 9 | male
Salma Abdullah Mokbel Salem Louqye | 4 | female
Fatima Abdullah Mokbel Salem Louqye | 3 | female
Khadije Ali Mokbel Louqye | 1 | female
Hanaa Ali Mokbel Louqye | 6 | female
Mohammed Ali Mokbel Salem Louqye | 4 | male
Jawass Mokbel Salem Louqye | 15 | female
Maryam Hussein Abdullah Awad | 2 | female
Shafiq Hussein Abdullah Awad | 1 | female
Sheikha Nasser Mahdi Ahmad Bouh | 3 | female
Maha Mohammed Saleh Mohammed | 12 | male
Soumaya Mohammed Saleh Mohammed | 9 | female
Shafika Mohammed Saleh Mohammed | 4 | female
Shafiq Mohammed Saleh Mohammed | 2 | male
Mabrook Mouqbal Al Qadari | 13 | male
Daolah Nasser 10 years | 10 | female
AbedalGhani Mohammed Mabkhout | 12 | male
Abdel- Rahman Anwar al Awlaki | 16 | male
Abdel-Rahman al-Awlaki | 17 | male
Nasser Salim | 19

[LA Ute]

This is my hope. If it's a Muslim, then we'll just have more and more bloodshed without really accomplishing much of anything. Our predator drones kill innocents all the time.

I am not happy about the way the predator drones are being used. That said, do you really think no distinction can be made between those deaths and injuries, on one hand, and the ones in Boston, on the other?

EDIT: I'm skeptical of the bona fides of your source, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/who/). Take a look at their story focus on the right side of the page.

[USS Utah]

Any source for this? I have a family member that flies them and I don't think he's out there "killing innocents all the time"

A UAV launched Hellfire missile is significantly less discriminate than a sniper's bullet. Your family member isn't out there to "kill innocents" but everyone in the impact area of the missile is likely to get killed.

At the same time, a Hellfire missile is probably a better option than a JDAM, which would likely kill even more people in the target area. Outside of the smaller payload, there isn't much difference between sending a UAV or sending a striker fighter.

Armed UAVs should only be used in places where sending a sniper, or a team of special operators for a capture/kill mission is not feasible, such a the badlands in Pakistan or Yeman.

[USS Utah]

I am not happy about the way the predator drones are being used. That said, do you really think no distinction can be made between those deaths and injuries, on one hand, and the ones in Boston, on the other?

I suppose an argument could be made about a possible overuse of or overreliance on UAVs. If it is feasible to send a team of special operators to capture the high value target, it should be done in the hopes of gaining intelligence through interrogation. Typically, HVTs will give information leading to another HVT.

[wuapinmon]

I am not happy about the way the predator drones are being used. That said, do you really think no distinction can be made between those deaths and injuries, on one hand, and the ones in Boston, on the other?

EDIT: I'm skeptical of the bona fides of your source, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/who/). Take a look at their story focus on the right side of the page.

Take a look at this: http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2012-13/727


CONDUCT OF THE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM (No. 2)

Session: 2012-13
Date tabled: 19.11.2012
Primary sponsor: Flynn, Paul (http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2012-13/3266/Flynn-Paul)
Sponsors:

Campbell, Ronnie (http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2012-13/2451/Campbell-Ronnie)
Caton, Martin (http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2012-13/2527/Caton-Martin)
Clark, Katy (http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2012-13/4759/Clark-Katy)
Corbyn, Jeremy (http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2012-13/2717/Corbyn-Jeremy)
Hopkins, Kelvin (http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2012-13/1016/Hopkins-Kelvin)


That this House recalls the great successes of The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) in its quality work on exposing many national and international scandals, including revealing that the CIA falsely claimed that it was causing zero civilian casualties in drone attacks in Pakistan and confirming that the US had deliberately targeted rescuers in follow-up strikes; applauds The Bureau's work on deaths in police custody that was rewarded with a 2012 Amnesty International Media Award and revealed that high-profile deaths in police custody had not been included in official statistics and that police continue to use restraint techniques that have long been known to be dangerous; further notes that The Bureau investigated the under-spend of European structural funds, reported in detail the misuse of House of Lords facilities and failure of peers to declare their interests, exposed the power and influence of the financial lobby and conducted a valuable investigation of the public relations and lobbying industries; regrets the reduction in spending on investigative journalism by the BBC; and congratulates TBIJ for providing a valuable service in issues neglected by the main broadcasters.

[LA Ute]

Take a look at this: http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2012-13/727

:rofl: Paul Flynn is one of the most left-wing members of Parliament, you miserable vomitous mass.

Now, how about answering my question? :D

[NorthwestUteFan]

Yes. The deaths in Boston were 'bad'. The deaths from Predator and other drones (Beast) are 'good' deaths.

Duh.

[wuapinmon]

I am not happy about the way the predator drones are being used. That said, do you really think no distinction can be made between those deaths and injuries, on one hand, and the ones in Boston, on the other?

EDIT: I'm skeptical of the bona fides of your source, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/who/). Take a look at their story focus on the right side of the page.

Well, is the grief and rage of the father of anyone on that list any less horrific or worthy of our sympathy?

[LA Ute]

Well, is the grief and rage of the father of anyone on that list any less horrific or worthy of our sympathy?

You're answering my question with a question. Typical banana-obsessed academic stunt.

[wuapinmon]

You're answering my question with a question. Typical banana-obsessed academic stunt.

No, I'm treating you like a student who asked a dumb question. I think anyone can make a distinction of anything if they want to. My brother's polemics are living proof of this. But, I see no difference in the grief of someone in a foreign land over the actions of my government which caused the death of their family, and the incidents yesterday. All are horrific. All are evil. All are illegal.

Why don't we just bomb the fuck out of "them" if we really want to stop it? I mean, it'd be collateral damage, but the problem would go away if we got them all.

Our drone strikes that kill innocents are just as immoral, in a Kantian sense, as the Boston massacre yesterday.

[Diehard Ute]

While you have a point, there is a distinction between the events.

Whoever placed the devices yesterday deliberately targeted spectators at a sporting event.

While the drone strikes have certainly killed civilians, I don't think you're trying to say the intent of the drone strikes and the bombing are the same

Certainly both are regrettable and the grief felt by those who are directly touched by them is similar, but the actions leading up to them are not, at least in my opinion.

[wuapinmon]

While you have a point, there is a distinction between the events.

Whoever placed the devices yesterday deliberately targeted spectators at a sporting event.

While the drone strikes have certainly killed civilians, I don't think you're trying to say the intent of the drone strikes and the bombing are the same

Certainly both are regrettable and the grief felt by those who are directly touched by them is similar, but the actions leading up to them are not, at least in my opinion.

That is a distinction, and you're right about it. However, I think my point is that the consequences are the same, ultimately, for those on the receiving end.

[LA Ute]

No, I'm treating you like a student who asked a dumb question.

Asking you if you saw no distinction was not dumb, and your suggestion that it was dumb is deeply hurtful. Dummy.

[Jarid in Cedar]

Asking you if you saw no distinction was not dumb, and your suggestion that it was dumb is deeply hurtful. Dummy.

Dumb is pretty much anyone who doesn't see it the same way as he does.

[Devildog]

Why did the thread about some bad guy(s) detonating a couple bombs on innocent runners and the people there to cheer them on... become about how Waup hates America?

Jeez Professor... :rolleyes:

Give it a rest.

[Solon]

I am not happy about the way the predator drones are being used. That said, do you really think no distinction can be made between those deaths and injuries, on one hand, and the ones in Boston, on the other?

EDIT: I'm skeptical of the bona fides of your source, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/who/). Take a look at their story focus on the right side of the page.


No, I'm treating you like a student who asked a dumb question. I think anyone can make a distinction of anything if they want to. My brother's polemics are living proof of this. But, I see no difference in the grief of someone in a foreign land over the actions of my government which caused the death of their family, and the incidents yesterday. All are horrific. All are evil. All are illegal.

Why don't we just bomb the fuck out of "them" if we really want to stop it? I mean, it'd be collateral damage, but the problem would go away if we got them all.

Our drone strikes that kill innocents are just as immoral, in a Kantian sense, as the Boston massacre yesterday.

I didn't think it was a dumb question, LA. I think there are significant differences in the motivations behind terrorist attacks, and the motivations behind drone strikes.

I suppose that attempting to compare degrees of tragedy, or somehow using one tragedy to draw attention to another might have some merits somewhere, as long as it's done with the goal of understanding the morality of conflict, and/or of making the world a safer place for innocent people. But when the conversation turns to jabs about "dumb questions", it really has just become a means of drawing attention to oneself.

[LA Ute]

Asking you if you saw no distinction was not dumb, and your suggestion that it was dumb is deeply hurtful. Dummy.

Everything in the above post after "was not dumb" is TIC.

[LA Ute]

Interesting info from National Journal (http://www.nationaljournal.com/nationalsecurity/experts-skeptical-homegrown-terrorists-were-behind-boston-bombings-20130416):


"When you think about it, the target is not clear," said Mark Potok, a senior fellow at the Southern Poverty Law Center. "What the target was not was the government, or the IRS, or a minority group—black people, gay people, Muslims, immigrants, Latinos, and so on. It wasn't targeted at any sort of specific subgroup."

Mark Pitcavage, the director of investigative research for the Anti-Defamation League, agreed, saying this target didn't feel like the work of extreme right-wing terrorists since it had no clear connection to the government.

"The bottom line is that no domestic extremist movement, just based on their ideology alone, would have a huge reason to attack the Boston Marathon," Pitcavage said. "The prominence of the event could cause anybody from a variety of movements to carry out an attack like that."

Instead of the work of organized movements, the attack could have been the work of a single person, either someone motivated by ideology or someone who is clinically insane. Eric Rudolph, an antiabortion and antigay activist, set off bombs at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta that killed three people to promote his ideology.

A pundit's view (http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2013/04/how-long-until-we-know-161833.html) that is a little too pundit-like, but still makes an interesting point:


For many journalists I've spoken with today, this ignorance is tortuous. The identification of the attacker(s) and the reasons for the attack will likely have enormous political (and potentially geopolitical) ramifications, which will vary greatly depending on whether the attacker(s) is domestic or foreign, acting alone or as part of an organization. We're standing on the verge of a very important national conversation about something, and we have no idea what it is.

Others have managed to find solace in this. Over at the American Interest, Walter Russell Mead welcomes the waiting period. "It allows us to treat the horror on its own terms, to see the pure evil of this act divorced from any rationalization or justification," he writes. "Each hour that has gone by since the blast, each new report of heroism among the survivors and responders, each new detail about the identity of the victims clarifies the essential truth of the situation: there is no cause that can justify this deed."

I agree with that last point, but find no similar solace. I want to know the cause -- not because I'm eager to politicize the tragedy, but because I want to know where our national conversation is headed. A great deal of political, financial and emotional capital depends on the answer to that question.

I guess journalists tend to focus on having something to write about. I'd just like to know who did this so we can all have a better chance of figuring out how to be more safe.

[Diehard Ute]

If I had to venture a guess I would say this is likely a lone wolf attack, which is what most attacks in the US are. (Many have been stopped, and those don't garner the attention)

Honestly if I could change one thing it would be the media coverage such things spawns. While I don't want to diminish things for the victims, I fear the attention we give to these attackers is a contributor to what they do.

[wuapinmon]

Asking you if you saw no distinction was not dumb, and your suggestion that it was dumb is deeply hurtful. Dummy.

After calling me a miserable vomitous mass, I assumed we were being playful. I figured you and I were beyond worrying that the other person was intending to be hurtful rather than wink-winking, scumsucker.


Dumb is pretty much anyone who doesn't see it the same way as he does.

Finally, somebody gets it! That's exactly how I view everything.


Why did the thread about some bad guy(s) detonating a couple bombs on innocent runners and the people there to cheer them on... become about how Waup hates America?

Jeez Professor... :rolleyes:

Give it a rest.

I don't hate America. I hate the killing of innocents. And, I will never ever ever rest my defense of the things I believe in. If you think otherwise, you don't know me at all. I'm a tenacious advocate.


But when the conversation turns to jabs about "dumb questions", it really has just become a means of drawing attention to oneself.

Or it could've just been a jocular jab at a friend who had just jabbed at me. He used the academia trope, so I continued it. I have been misunderstood here, and I'll ask that everyone please consider that I did not intend to offend. You can decide for yourselves whether I'm being honest, backtracking, or dissembling. But, if I wanted to draw attention to myself, I'd be arguing this on facebook or twitter, which a quick search will show I am not.

I was asked not to bring CUF culture here, and I thought that I was doing it successfully. Jocular exchanges will not be part of my repertoire here any longer.

[LA Ute]

After calling me a miserable vomitous mass, I assumed we were being playful. I figured you and I were beyond worrying that the other person was intending to be hurtful rather than wink-winking, scumsucker.

There's no need to get personal, you warthog-faced buffoon.

[wuapinmon]

There's no need to get personal, you warthog-faced buffoon.

I've spent the last 39 years building up an immunity to iamlame powder.

[Solon]

Or it could've just been a jocular jab at a friend who had just jabbed at me. He used the academia trope, so I continued it. I have been misunderstood here, and I'll ask that everyone please consider that I did not intend to offend. You can decide for yourselves whether I'm being honest, backtracking, or dissembling. But, if I wanted to draw attention to myself, I'd be arguing this on facebook or twitter, which a quick search will show I am not.

I was asked not to bring CUF culture here, and I thought that I was doing it successfully. Jocular exchanges will not be part of my repertoire here any longer.

Fair enough.
If you and LAUte were just messing around good-naturedly, then I apologize for misreading the tone.

[LA Ute]

Fair enough.
If you and LAUte were just messing around good-naturedly, then I apologize for misreading the tone.

We can be hard to read sometimes. Especially wuap. One of my duties on this board is to explain him to everyone else.

[USS Utah]

As the subject of drone attacks has been raised, a link to an post at my history group summarizing an article by Norman Friedman in the March 2013 issue of Proceedings on the subject:

http://flattopshistorywarpolitics.yuku.com/topic/2687/Drone-Wars#.UW7c0Up9OE4

[GarthUte]

CNN reporting that an arrest for the bombing has been made.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2013/04/17/source-arrest-made-in-boston-bombing/comment-page-1/

[UBlender]

CNN reporting that an arrest for the bombing has been made.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2013/04/17/source-arrest-made-in-boston-bombing/comment-page-1/

And now they are un-reporting it.

[GarthUte]

And now they are un-reporting it.

Yep.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/17/us/boston-blasts/index.html

[Diehard Ute]

The 'instant' news world is not a good thing.

[Jarid in Cedar]

The 'instant' news world is not a good thing.

Heh. I was just about to say the same thing

[Devildog]

Watching the Bruins fans take over the National Anthem tonight in Boston was OUTSTANDING!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzMsagY7oRs

[Devildog]

The Yankees played "Sweet Caroline" which is their rival Boston's Fenway Park 8th inning staple, in honor.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN807-wxPW0

[wuapinmon]

We can be hard to read sometimes. Especially wuap. One of my duties on this board is to explain him to everyone else.

In life, I'm usually interpreting for someone else; I know how hard it can be.

[Scratch]

Watching the Bruins fans take over the National Anthem tonight in Boston was OUTSTANDING!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzMsagY7oRs

Who are the morons who think that their whistling and yelling during the song add something to the moment?

[Jarid in Cedar]

Chaos around MIT tonight, as an officer has been shot, suspects have thrown a bomb at police, one suspect arrested, one on the loose.

[GarthUte]

Chaos around MIT tonight, as an officer has been shot, suspects have thrown a bomb at police, one suspect arrested, one on the loose.

Holy crap. Why Boston? The marathon is a huge event, so if anyone wants to create terror, that's a target that makes sense. But other than that, what is there about Boston that would make it a desirable target for anyone?

[Diehard Ute]

Holy crap. Why Boston? The marathon is a huge event, so if anyone wants to create terror, that's a target that makes sense. But other than that, what is there about Boston that would make it a desirable target for anyone?

It's the marathon suspects.

[LA Ute]

Amazing story unfolding right now.

[Applejack]

Amazing story unfolding right now.

Holy F. What a crazy turn of events. Still no clue about why these brothers would do this.

[RobinFinderson]

Holy F. What a crazy turn of events. Still no clue about why these brothers would do this.

I'd bet dimes to donuts, religion is their excuse.

[UteBeliever aka Port]

Holy F. What a crazy turn of events. Still no clue about why these brothers would do this.

The father was interviewed on ABC. Apparently he talked to both of them after the bombing. He is in Russia. He said that if "they" killed them, "all hell would break loose."

Cool.

So they are Chechens? Any light anyone here can shed on Chechens?

**** Huh...imagine that. The predominant religion in Chechnya is Islam. Go figure. I'm sure they have no ties to terrorists. Probably they are right wing nuts angry about gun control proposals.

[Devildog]

Domestic or international terrorists? Right now looks like both.

The story behind their actions could end up very involved.

[LA Ute]

It would be nice if he could be captured alive, but that seems unlikely. We would all like to know the story behind what he did.

[Applejack]

Domestic or international terrorists? Right now looks like both.

The story behind their actions could end up very involved.

Really? To me (with almost no info) it looks like these guys aren't any sort of "terrorist" in the normal sense of the word. I doubt they are affiliated with any terrorist organization, at least. More likely, they are loners who had some grievance against the US/Boston/the world. As more info comes out that could all change, but to me it looks like a couple of twisted kids from Watertown - this looks a lot more like Columbine than Oklahoma City/Times Square.

[Solon]

Holy crap. Why Boston? The marathon is a huge event, so if anyone wants to create terror, that's a target that makes sense. But other than that, what is there about Boston that would make it a desirable target for anyone?

Boston was the ringleading city in the American revolution, which began 238 years ago today by the rude bridge that arched the flood near Concord.

The marathon is held on Patriots day, the third Monday in April and intended to commemorate the rebellion.

I think Boston could be a target of symbolic import as a place for starting revolution.

[LA Ute]

We simply don't know enough. We would be speculating about their motives. For example, I just heard a report that one of them became avery serious Muslim just a couple of years ago. Apparently he posted this on his Facebook page, or something along those lines. Still, all information is fragmentary. We don't know if they are loners, crackpots, or part of a larger organization.

[Devildog]

Really? To me (with almost no info) it looks like these guys aren't any sort of "terrorist" in the normal sense of the word. I doubt they are affiliated with any terrorist organization, at least. More likely, they are loners who had some grievance against the US/Boston/the world. As more info comes out that could all change, but to me it looks like a couple of twisted kids from Watertown - this looks a lot more like Columbine than Oklahoma City/Times Square.

They look to me exactly like who the terrorists are looking to recruit in an effort to conduct local incidents... disenfranchised, "Caucasian appearing", and domestically and culturally aware.

They have lived in Boston, they know the history and culture.

[LA Ute]

Boston suspect's web page venerates Islam, Chechen independence (http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/19/us-usa-explosions-suspect-site-idUSBRE93I0JL20130419)

[Applejack]

They look to me exactly like who the terrorists are looking to recruit in an effort to conduct local incidents... disenfranchised, "Caucasian appearing", and domestically and culturally aware.

They have lived in Boston, they know the history and culture.

Maybe. To me they just look like some messed up kids who found a cause (Islam? Chechnya?) which allowed them to express their angst. I doubt they had any "terrorist training" other than reading how to build bombs on the internet. I could be wrong - these guys might have deep ties to Al-Qaeda or some other group, but they look like loners to me at this point.

[UteBeliever aka Port]

Really? To me (with almost no info) it looks like these guys aren't any sort of "terrorist" in the normal sense of the word. I doubt they are affiliated with any terrorist organization, at least. More likely, they are loners who had some grievance against the US/Boston/the world. As more info comes out that could all change, but to me it looks like a couple of twisted kids from Watertown - this looks a lot more like Columbine than Oklahoma City/Times Square.

Really?

[UteBeliever aka Port]

They look to me exactly like who the terrorists are looking to recruit in an effort to conduct local incidents... disenfranchised, "Caucasian appearing", and domestically and culturally aware.


And Muslim.

[UteBeliever aka Port]

Maybe. To me they just look like some messed up kids who found a cause (Islam? Chechnya?) which allowed them to express their angst. I doubt they had any "terrorist training" other than reading how to build bombs on the internet. I could be wrong - these guys might have deep ties to Al-Qaeda or some other group, but they look like loners to me at this point.

It's now being reported that one of them spent time (6 months) in Chechnya.

What better place to receive terrorist training?



Of course, that information, too, could be proven to be wrong or it could be scrubbed.

[GarthUte]

Boston was the ringleading city in the American revolution, which began 238 years ago today by the rude bridge that arched the flood near Concord.

The marathon is held on Patriots day, the third Monday in April and intended to commemorate the rebellion.

I think Boston could be a target of symbolic import as a place for starting revolution.

I understand the historical significance of Boston in this country but admit that I didn't think about it as a place that terrorists would strike.

[Devildog]

And Muslim.

Yes, I did leave out sympathetic to the "cause".

[NorthwestUteFan]

The bombing was a terrorist act, by definition. But this event likely shares as much in common with organized terror organizations as did the shooting at Trolley Square a few years ago.

The older brother has ties to SLC. He was a boxer, and in 2009 he won the Golden Gloves Championship in the Heavyweight division. The championships were held in SLC.

[NorthwestUteFan]

And lest we forget, the second largest act of terrorism in the history of the nation (in terms of the total number killed) occurred at the hands of apocalyptic religious extremists on 9/11/1857.

[Applejack]

The bombing was a terrorist act, by definition. But this event likely shares as much in common with organized terror organizations as did the shooting at Trolley Square a few years ago.

The older brother has ties to SLC. He was a boxer, and in 2009 he won the Golden Gloves Championship in the Heavyweight division. The championships were held in SLC.

I agree. This is terrorism (it induces terror), but if it is organized, it is poorly organized.

[Devildog]

I agree. This is terrorism (it induces terror), but if it is organized, it is poorly organized.

You mean like the attempted Times Square Bombing in 2010?

Or any of these?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_foiled_Islamic_terrorist_plots_in_the_post-9/11_United_States

[LA Ute]

This is an insightful short analysis of what the ethnic-geogrpahic origins of the bombers might mean going forward. (http://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2013/04/19/grozny-by-the-bay/)


I can’t locate the quote, but some historian or military officer once observed that it’s easy to defeat Arab armies, but it’s impossible to conquer Arab peoples. In fact, I’d expand that observation to cover most of Islam. Nobody does insurgency better. And nowhere is that more apparent in the 21st century than in the mixed-up, muddled-up span of Islam stretching from the Caucasus and over the Caspian to Afghanistan and Pakistan’s Northwest Frontier province.

So what happened in Boston? Did a couple young men from Chechnya just suddenly decide after a decade of American life that it was time to blow some people up? Were they hired by al-Qaeda because they were “European” and under our radar? Were they pulling their own version of Columbine — shooting something up for the sake of shooting something up?

Maybe a combination of all three. Maybe a fourth or fifth or sixth option I can’t think of.

Whatever the motive, it looks like there are now small bits of Boston we should draw dotted lines around — unsubdued areas where we-don’t-know-who is plotting we-don’t-know-what. It only takes an apartment or a basement. And of course it isn’t just Boston.

As I wrote the other day, IEDs coming to America is “the nightmare scenario.” What I meant was was this: anybody can make them, anybody can deploy them, anyone can be killed by them. And any serious attempt to uproot every single suspicious foreign-type person has its own serious problems. There’s the legal problem of constitutionality, and there’s the moral problem of casting too wide a net, and finally there’s the practical problem of radicalizing even more people to terror — people right here at home. We’d be cutting off our noses to cause things to escalate to the point where we’re flattening our own cities with heavy artillery.

There’s no good solution. We’ll have to remain vigilant, and we’ll have to set a fine example of bringing ruthless justice to the terrorists.

[Devildog]

This is an insightful short analysis of what the ethnic-geogrpahic origins of the bombers might mean going forward. (http://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2013/04/19/grozny-by-the-bay/)

Good find LA.

When it comes to terrorism, we have to get it right every time... the terrorists only need to get it right once.

Their organizations are loosely based and lacking in centralized command.

*Edit

Just for the sake of argument...

IF these suspects had been part of a terror cell... Do you think any associates would prefer them to be dead or alive at this point?

[wuapinmon]

Fair enough.
If you and LAUte were just messing around good-naturedly, then I apologize for misreading the tone.

As a final followup, you have no need to apologize. If I'm ever when I'm being an ass, call me on it.

[GarthUte]

It's being reported that the surviving terrorist is now in custody. Good. Let there be swift and merciless justice.

[Diehard Ute]

It's being reported that the surviving terrorist is now in custody. Good. Let there be swift and merciless justice.

Unless he pleas it won't be swift. Justice never is in this country.

But he'll have a cell waiting for him in Colorado in the same wing as Faisal Shahzad I'm sure

[LA Ute]

I'm a little surprised that he allowed himself to be taken. I guess he figured he'd take his chances.

I wonder if the police Mirandized him. They don't have to, as long as they don't use what he tells them in his trial. An argument could be made that the information he may have about terrorist activities is too important to worry about Miranda. (Before anyone gets excited, I'm just saying there are ways to compartmentalize the interrogation. I'm not calling for waterboarding!)

[Diehard Ute]

I'm a little surprised that he allowed himself to be taken. I guess he figured he'd take his chances.

I wonder if the police Mirandized him. They don't have to, as long as they don't use what he tells them in his trial. An argument could be made that the information he may have about terrorist activities is too important to worry about Miranda. (Before anyone gets excited, I'm just saying there are ways to compartmentalize the interrogation. I'm not calling for waterboarding!)

Guessing at 19 he had less training and, from things I've heard on the news, I think he let his guard down.

As for your Miranda question, you're watching too much TV :) that's a subject that won't be visited until he's in an interview room a long way away. For now, they'll just let him sit in silence....time is on the LE side now

[LA Ute]

Guessing at 19 he had less training and, from things I've heard on the news, I think he let his guard down.

As for your Miranda question, you're watching too much TV :) that's a subject that won't be visited until he's in an interview room a long way away. For now, they'll just let him sit in silence....time is on the LE side now

I'm just wondering if they will Mirandize him when the time comes. (BTW, in L.A. District Attorney training many years ago now, they emphasized the need for LE to Mirandize suspects as soon as they were in custody and reasonably able to understand what's being said to them. Has that changed? Again, this was almost 30 years ago.)

[GarthUte]

I'm a little surprised that he allowed himself to be taken. I guess he figured he'd take his chances.

I wonder if the police Mirandized him. They don't have to, as long as they don't use what he tells them in his trial. An argument could be made that the information he may have about terrorist activities is too important to worry about Miranda. (Before anyone gets excited, I'm just saying there are ways to compartmentalize the interrogation. I'm not calling for waterboarding!)

Isn't there some sort of public safety exception that allows someone like this terrorist to not be Mirandaized?

[Diehard Ute]

I'm just wondering if they will Mirandize him when the time comes. (BTW, in L.A. District Attorney training many years ago now, they emphasized the need for LE to Mirandize suspects as soon as they were in custody and reasonably able to understand what's being said to them. Has that changed? Again, this was almost 30 years ago.)

Miranda only applies if the subject is in custody AND being asked questions about his specific crime.

As long as no one is questioning someone they don't have to be given their Miranda warning.

TV and a media have really made many people think if handcuffs are on, you hear the Miranda warning, but that's not true.

[Diehard Ute]

Isn't there some sort of public safety exception that allows someone like this terrorist to not be Mirandaized?

There are federal provisions that can be used (see Guantanomo), will they, who knows.

[LA Ute]

Isn't there some sort of public safety exception that allows someone like this terrorist to not be Mirandaized?

There's no requirement that be be Mirandized, but if the police don't tell him his rights they can't use anything he tells them against him in their prosecution of him. In certain situations (police believe the suspect has info about a crime about to be committed, like a bomb set to go off) I guess that would be an option LE would consider. But I am not an LE guy, I just watch them on TV and read court cases about them. ;)

[Diehard Ute]

There's no requirement that be be Mirandized, but if the police don't tell him his rights they can't use anything he tells them in his prosecution. In certain situations (police believe the suspect has info about a crime about to be committed, like a bomb set to go off) I guess that would be an option LE would consider. But I am not an LE guy, I just watch them on TV and read court cases about them. ;)

Unless he babbles without being asked any questions ;)

But I think Garth was heading towards the Guantanomo solution instead of an actual trial, which would surprise me as that's rare for acts on US Soil such as these

[LA Ute]

Unless he babbles without being asked any questions ;)

But I think Garth was heading towards the Guantanomo solution instead of an actual trial, which would surprise me as that's rare for acts on US Soil such as these

I am no criminal law expert but I don't think skipping Miranda is an option when the person is arrested in the USA.

[Diehard Ute]

I am no criminal law expert but I don't think skipping Miranda is an option when the person is arrested in the USA.

I agree, I'm just guessing at what Garth was hinting at.

Now, depending on what kind of case they have it's entirely possible they don't care about his statements for his case and instead just want info. In that case I could see bypassing Miranda.

[GarthUte]

I agree, I'm just guessing at what Garth was hinting at.

Now, depending on what kind of case they have it's entirely possible they don't care about his statements for his case and instead just want info. In that case I could see bypassing Miranda.

Yes, I was hinting at sending him to Gitmo. Unless I misunderstand what it's about, this seems to fall under NDAA.

[Diehard Ute]

Yes, I was hinting at sending him to Gitmo. Unless I misunderstand what it's about, this seems to fall under NDAA.

Has to be foreign nationals arrested abroad I believe. (That's why Faisal Shahzad is in colorado along with dozens of other terrorists)

[GarthUte]

Has to be foreign nationals arrested abroad I believe. (That's why Faisal Shahzad is in colorado along with dozens of other terrorists)

Okay, thanks for the clarification. If this guy in Boston ends up in a cell with Faisal Shahzad, that would be fine with me.

[Diehard Ute]

Okay, thanks for the clarification. If this guy in Boston ends up in a cell with Faisal Shahzad, that would be fine with me.

Oh they don't get cell buddies. It's single cell lockdown from what I understand. Some out the hardest time you can do in the federal system

[LA Ute]

Oh they don't get cell buddies. It's single cell lockdown from what I understand. Some out the hardest time you can do in the federal system

I've always thought of it as pretty chilling. 23 hours a day in a small cell.

[LA Ute]

Relevant to the discussion in a somewhat opaque way.

485

[GarthUte]

Oh they don't get cell buddies. It's single cell lockdown from what I understand. Some out the hardest time you can do in the federal system

That was a mistake by me. I meant to say a cell across from Shahzad.

[Applejack]

My wife is from Boston. One of her high school acquaintances lost both legs in the first explosion. Such a tragic waste.

[LA Ute]

Worth a read:


Tamerlan Tsarnaev was a pretty good boxer, and he fashioned himself a tough guy....

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/04/19/tale-two-immigrants/m3alkAoSFQWPwVJ3FXvBkI/story.html

[GarthUte]

Worth a read:

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/04/19/tale-two-immigrants/m3alkAoSFQWPwVJ3FXvBkI/story.html

Tough guys don't kill or/and injure innocent people with bombs.

[LA Ute]

Tough guys don't kill or/and injure innocent people with bombs.

You'll like the rest of the op-ed.

[GarthUte]

You'll like the rest of the op-ed.

I did like it. It was great.

[LA Ute]

For those interested in the Miranda warning issues, here's a blog post by Orin Kerr, a law professor at George Washington.

http://www.volokh.com/2013/04/20/tsarnaev-and-miranda-rights/

[SeattleUte]

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/23/us/one-week-after-blasts-a-day-of-mourning-in-boston.html?hp

:clap:

Once again we show the Islamofascists the right way.

[LA Ute]

Amazing photos taken by a young guy. The shootout between the two bombers and the police took place in the street in front of his house.

http://www.getonhand.com/blogs/news/7743337-boston-bombing-suspect-shootout-pictures

[Solon]

Amazing photos taken by a young guy. The shootout between the two bombers and the police took place in the street in front of his house.

http://www.getonhand.com/blogs/news/7743337-boston-bombing-suspect-shootout-pictures

Those are amazing photos.

Looks like the roommate is a Pac-12 fan!

[SeattleUte]

The latest news: The suspect in costody has begun to talk. He says he and his brother weren't part of any terrorist network or government sponsorship. They did it for their religion.

[Diehard Ute]

The latest news: The suspect in costody has begun to talk. He says he and his brother weren't part of any terrorist network or government sponsorship. They did it for their religion.

They're what are known as "lone wolf" types in law enforcement. I know nothing more than what has been in the media, but from the start this struck me as a classic lone wolf situation, I'll be curious to see how it plays out

[LA Ute]

Stephen Colbert: “These brothers killed a young policeman, carjacked an SUV, ending with a high-speed chase and a firefight in which [the older one] was mortally wounded, ending his life as all Islamic terrorists dream: at Beth Israel Hospital.”

[Flystripper]

wolves are better in a pack

497

[LA Ute]

The Onion has an exclusive essay by the surviving bomber:

I Guess When My Older Brother Said 'Let's Bomb The Boston Marathon,' I Should Have Said No (http://www.theonion.com/articles/i-guess-when-my-older-brother-said-lets-bomb-the-b,32176/?ref=auto)

[LA Ute]

Jim Geraghty:


You'll be seeing this theme of the brothers as troubled immigrants, struggling to build a better life and failing to find acceptance in a cold-hearted, xenophobic American society a lot in the coming days. As one of my Twitter followers said, this is what happens when you're absolutely determined to avert your eyes from a politically or culturally inconvenient conclusion -- i.e., young Muslim men can be easy pickings for a radical imam who offers them a vision of themselves as noble warriors, earning vast celestial harems in the afterlife for struggling to defeat the evil infidel oppressor, offering them a channel for their anger that he assures them is morally just. After a while, you begin speculating about the bombing being prompted by boxing-related concussions, which, of course, would help explain why so many retired NFL players go on to become members of al-Qaeda.

Peggy Noonan casts doubt on the Lone Wolf theory: (http://blogs.wsj.com/peggynoonan/2013/04/22/two-brief-thoughts-on-boston/)


The past few days I've looked through news reports searching in vain for one item: how did the brothers get their money? Did they ever have jobs? Who or what supported them? They had cellphones, computers, stylish clothes, sunglasses, gym equipment and gym membership, enough money to go out to dinner and have parties. They had an arsenal of guns and money to make bombs. The elder brother, Tamerlan, 26, had no discernible record of employment and yet was able to visit Russia for six months in 2012. The FBI investigated him. How did they think he was paying for it? The younger brother, Dzhokhar, was a college student, but no word on how he came up with spending money. The father doesn't seem to have had anything—he is said to have sometimes fixed cars on the street when he lived in Cambridge, for $10 an hour cash. The mother gave facials at home. Anyway, the money lines. Where did it come from?

[LA Ute]

Boston bombs showed some expertise

Investigators say the triggering devices used suggest the older brother received guidance on his recent trip to Russia.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-boston-fbi-bomber-20130425,0,6531764.story (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-boston-fbi-bomber-20130425,0,6531764.story)

[LA Ute]

The story of the carjacked guy who drove the bombers around. Fascinating.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/04/25/carjack-victim-recounts-his-harrowing-night/FX6CAnypP1NbrMuPFb6zTM/story.html

[chrisrenrut]

The story of the carjacked guy who drove the bombers around. Fascinating.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/04/25/carjack-victim-recounts-his-harrowing-night/FX6CAnypP1NbrMuPFb6zTM/story.html

That is a fascniating read. Thanks.

[LA Ute]

507

[UtahDan]

507

It is a point well taken that you never know when an armed terrorist fugitive might be hiding in a parked boat nearby. It could happen to any if us. :p

[LA Ute]

It is a point well taken that you never know when an armed terrorist fugitive might be hiding in a parked boat nearby. It could happen to any if us. :p

Hey, it pays to be cautious. But now that you mention it, I'm sure our elderly neighbors never expected a home invasion.

[Diehard Ute]

It is a point well taken that you never know when an armed terrorist fugitive might be hiding in a parked boat nearby. It could happen to any if us. :p

Well, an unarmed one, they found no weapons ;)

[LA Ute]

Well, an unarmed one, they found no weapons ;)

Shucks, if the police had only known that they wouldn't have shot up that boat he was hiding in before they got him out of it. For some reason they didn't assume he was unarmed. :p

[Diehard Ute]

Shucks, if the police had only known that they wouldn't have shot up that boat he was hiding in before they got him out of it. For some reason they didn't assume he was unarmed. :p

We assume everyone is armed...except lawyers ;P

[LA Ute]

We assume everyone is armed...except lawyers ;P

No matter - the blowhard is mightier than the sword.

[Diehard Ute]

No matter - the blowhard is mightier than the sword.

Earplugs? :)

[LA Ute]

Earplugs? :)

This discussion is becoming hurtful.

[Diehard Ute]

This discussion is becoming hurtful.

Come hang out in the gallery in court sometime....your fellow blowhards get plenty of revenge, trust me. ;)

[LA Ute]

Maybe it wasn't just teenage alienation:


After the death of Tamerlan in a police shootout, Dzhokhar hid inside a neighbor’s boat and wrote with a pen on the inside of the hull that the attack was retribution for the wars the United States waged in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to two law enforcement officials. The note stated generally that an attack on one Muslim is an attack on all Muslims, one official said.

http://hotair.com/archives/2013/05/16/reports-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-note-found-in-boat-points-to-mystifying-motive-we-may-never-truly-understand/

[LA Ute]

So how does everyone feel about this Rolling Stone cover?

653

I think it is a big mistake.

[GarthUte]

So how does everyone feel about this Rolling Stone cover?

653

I think it is a big mistake.

Glorifying a terrorist is always a mistake. But the real problem is that Rolling Stone put that waste of carbon on it's cover because there is a market for it. This evil POS has fans who want him freed.

Of course, there is some good news about this. There are some businesses that have decided that that issue won't grace their newsstands. (http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewherper/2013/07/17/cvs-refuses-to-sell-rolling-stone-magazine-that-features-the-boston-bomber/)

[LA Ute]

A Facebook page has been set up in direct response:

https://www.facebook.com/BoycottRollingStoneMagazineForTheirLatestCover?hc_ location=stream

And this from the Mayor of Boston:

654

[Devildog]

Here he is with a police sniper's laser on his head.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/07/18/boston-magazine-fires-back-at-rolling-stone-cover-with-new-photos-of-bloody-tsarnaev/

[pangloss]

So how does everyone feel about this Rolling Stone cover?


653

I think it is a big mistake.


Oh, I don't know. I guess I wouldn't second guess their decision.

Jeffery Dahmer was on the cover of Newsweek, Manson was on the cover of Life, and Hitler was on the cover of Time.

(I would have done images but it's too late to figure out what I did wrong)

[LA Ute]

Oh, I don't know. I guess I wouldn't second guess their decision.

Jeffery Dahmer was on the cover of Newsweek, Manson was on the cover of Life, and Hitler was on the cover of Time.

(I would have done images but it's too late to figure out what I did wrong)

I'm with Mayor Menino on this one.

[pangloss]

I'm with Mayor Menino on this one.

I agree, Mayor Menino's letter & thoughts are excellent. I actually subscribe to RS but haven't received the copy yet. Consequently I have not read the article. Second hand, I understand the focus of the story is how normal & common the bomber was. No one suspected him. That's an interesting angle.

I was at the U and worked at a janitor in lower campus at the same time Ted Bundy worked as a janitor at the hospital. I never met him - to my knowledge - but met one of the supervisors to whom Bundy reported. When he was finally arrested, I vaguely remember some folks who knew him were convinced he was innocent and could not have possibly been the killer. I don't know if the bomber is a sociopath like Bundy, but a seemingly normal killer walking among us is an interesting topic.

RS seems tone deaf to the sensitivities they offended and should have known better. It is too soon to put the bomber on the cover as if he were a rock star.

[USS Utah]

I agree, Mayor Menino's letter & thoughts are excellent. I actually subscribe to RS but haven't received the copy yet. Consequently I have not read the article. Second hand, I understand the focus of the story is how normal & common the bomber was. No one suspected him. That's an interesting angle.

I was at the U and worked at a janitor in lower campus at the same time Ted Bundy worked as a janitor at the hospital. I never met him - to my knowledge - but met one of the supervisors to whom Bundy reported. When he was finally arrested, I vaguely remember some folks who knew him were convinced he was innocent and could not have possibly been the killer. I don't know if the bomber is a sociopath like Bundy, but a seemingly normal killer walking among us is an interesting topic.

RS seems tone deaf to the sensitivities they offended and should have known better. It is too soon to put the bomber on the cover as if he were a rock star.

Anyone interested in learning more about Ted Bundy should read Ann Rule's The Stranger Beside Me. Ann and Ted once worked at a crisis hotline in the Seattle area.

[Diehard Ute]

Much of the backlash has been about the way the picture looks, as in they made it a 'rock star' cover photo, as if Jim Morrison was being featured

[DanielLaRusso]

I have a free 1-year subscription going. I love to see who's going to be on the cover each week. I usually read and enjoy some of the music articles, but I always blow right by the political stuff. Why would I want that in a music magazine? If I did actually want to spend my time on politics, I'm sure I could find a magazine that would offer more than an adolescent, predictable attempt at making its 50 year old audience feel young and hip.

Side note - the music reviews in that magazine are like the Homer Simpson food critic. Everything is 4 stars.

9 thumbs up? What the hell is that?!