Marinus

How things work in the US of A you mean. Because this is BS. In most Western European countries there's usually a lot between verbal commands and spraying people. And spray wouldn't be used on kids sitting passively around. If needed they would be dragged off, that's all.

I suspect you're one of those people who call anyone whoi doesn't think like them ignorant. Am I right? *) *) Of course I'm right!

Whatever, both can cause problems in people with a pre-existing condition, and shouldn't be used without a reason. This protest was both non-violent and peaceful. So we're talking semantics now.... Out of arguments?

I'm no fan of the Occupy X protests, but that aside I think this footage is disturbing. There's a couple of kids doing absolutely nothing to provoke violence from the cops, there is a cop which douses them in tear gas with a demeanour of someone watering plants and this happens in a country I consider to be civilized and free. People who don't see what's wrong here might want to ask themselves how they would feel if they where protesting peacefully for a cause they deemed just and that was done to them.

It's almost tragic you've to ask that, but here's an option: The cop tells the protester to move his ass. If the protester refuses the cop warns him he will be arrested. If the protester refuses to move after that, he/she gets arrested. With as little as force possible. In civilized countries pepper-spray is usually only used against aggressive people, that pose a threat for the officer. Pepperspray isn't harmless and only an idiot would use it for no reason whatsoever. I've no idea what Mobile Field Force Tactics are, but I'm rather sure you don't need them against a couple of kids sitting on the pavement doing nothing.

@ Cannuck: LOL, that's very good, but I prefer the term commies over communists. Those people don't deserve more than two syllables... We "pussies" rest our case: http://www.goodexperience.com/broken/i/04/02/america-fitness-s.jpg

Thanks VB & oldwoman I didn't even turn into that what I feared most: an anti-smoke nazi. While I banned smoking from most of my house I still allow people to smoke under the "thing-that-sucks-cooking-smells-out-of-the-kitchen-of-which-I-do-not-know-what-it's-called". Most people choose to smoke outside however.

I only saw the Dutch version of it on two (2) internet sites that are known to be journalistic gutters. They both referred to the Telegraph as the source. So yeah, I think it's safe to assume that it's just the next example of bad journalism. There are too many "Telegraphs" out there to find out which one this is coming from, but I'm sure it's about the same quality as the Dutch "Telegraaf". [insert random remark about Americans not being able to point out the world on the world map]

yes.

"If it doesn't hurt, it isn't funny" Unknown

So it seems to be the case that the Brits are rather quick with calling something "a violent crime" Either way, the quality of this piece of "journalism", seems to be about as good as it's hysterical headline.

BUMP: 1 month

It's 10C during the day and it's around 0C in the night, but it's sunny and there's hardly any clouds. Actually the weather is great for this time of year. No November Rain whatsoever. I think it'll keep up till December if I put my faith in the long forecast.

Ah, it was unintentional, but now I know that's indeed funny.

You know a good way for an American to derail any thread is to refer to "the Europeans" as a mono-cultural people, right? As for Europeans drinking "pints", I think only the British use the word pint as a measurement of volume. Over here it's sometimes used to refer to a beer. It's just a linguistic remnant from the time before we addopted the metric system.

Here you go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDIUbt7whUI LOL @ the penguin and the cow, but the other crashes are good too

Did I say something wrong there? The numbers show that somewhere between 10-20% of the cars here is an automatic. So stick shift is the standard. I prefer automatic because, while I don't really mind a manual transmission, it's just extra work while driving to me. I don't really get the fascination with manual transmissions. While it doesn't bother me, to me using an automatic transmission is a skill you learn in a couple of minutes, master in a couple of hours or days and it's about as fun as using a calculator after that. So anyway, I didn't mean to be judgemental about manual or automatic drivers or something.

I only looked straight down from a plane once, and while I've a fear of height that under the right circumstances kicks in at 20 feet, my brain decided that it wasn't sure what it was looking at, but that it wasn't height. Twas only right before the landing I uttered the words "shit, we're up really high" Anyway, nice cartoon and congrats on level 7!

I drive manual but that's mainly because that's more or less standard here. I've a slight preference for Automatic cars, but I don't really care what I drive as long as it gets me from A to B. No car lover here, I prefer the bicycle which is a manual too

And until the Americans see the error their foolish empiric ways normal people can use this to calculate what Americans mean when they use their silly Fahrenheit scale. http://www.wbuf.noaa.gov/tempfc.htm

I've 2 reasons to believe you're a crypto GoT fan boy What course are you going to do?

He didn't smite Lot because he was the most righteous person in Sodom. After all he was no homo like all the Sodomites, and he knocked up his daughters to proof it.

You might want to read my posts better. I hate Christianity because that's the only sensible reaction to that religion, if you belong to one (or in my case more) of the categories that are deemed unworthy of life in the bible. However, most Christians I know are decent people despite their religion. In fact, what most Christians believe has little to do with the religion Christianity. And if you don't understand I loath a religion that says I should be killed on several rather nonsensical accounts, that isn't really my problem. I crap on Islam for exactly the same reason, btw. The difference between Muslims and Christians that Muslims tend to practice their religion the right way a bit more often. Killing infidels is a good way to practice Islam, just like setting an old lady on fire for witchcraft is the Christian thing to do. Because people who don't like your (?) POS religion can't be funny? Actually the only thing that's a larger buzz kill then Christianity is Islam. The lack of an Abrahamic religion tends to make people funnier. Which one?

I think it's the best series ever, both the books and the tv series. I sure hope GRRM survives long enough to finish it though.

Well, usually there's a drizzle instead of snow to play in outside. But last year we got some decent snow. I actually happen to like those days that look like this: http://old.wallcoo.net/nature/Window7_Europe_Wallpapers_1920x1200/images/Netherlands,%20Winter%20in%20Nederland%20(Winter%20in%20the%20Netherlands).jpg But it usually looks more like this: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2173/1799544184_ea85c0486b.jpg B