"The Onion is standing in the middle of the airport with his pants around his ankles while an angry, brawny “pickle” slips on a examination glove in preparation for a body cavity search.
I’ve got so many questions." - Paul Buchheit via Bookmarklet
I quite liked that Gorgeous gherkin girl behind the counter, I think she could be pretty tasty! However, a little bit later, I did feel sorry for the tomato on Halloween night..eh.hang on a min WTF!.. But maybe the moral lesson is this, if you're an onion; always make sure you've got your nose clean and your eyes peeled, no matter how many layers you've got..because there's always a gherkin who has a rubber glove; with your name on it! - Jason Brooks
at least the artist had the good taste to pluralize veg... raise your hand if you think that there was a higher up who requested the S to soften the closeness to wet vag? - Rob Reed
There's also the drawing of the exit. Pretty funny. - Robert Konigsberg
Have you read Michael Scott's _Programming Language Pragmatics_? While not exactly what you asked for, it is hands down the best comprehensive overview I've read of the landscape of programming languages and why and how they are written the way they are. See http://www.amazon.com/Programm... - DeWitt Clinton
Adewale, O'Reilly's Nutshell books are about as close as you're going to get. They don't canvas languages but they do quickly get you up to speed on a given language and the differences between the latest version and previous versions. - Akiva Moskovitz
My copy of O'Reilly's Objective C Pocket Reference arrived today. Sadly it was published in 2002 and Stepehen Kochan's overly large book on the same topic was last printed in 2004. He's writing a new book that cover Objective C 2.0 but it's looking like it's going to be just as large. - Adewale Oshineye
Hehe..I just front paged the story on TGM and told the fanbois to digg it. - Candace Holly
I still don't understand why it hasn't reached 200 yet??? SO confused. Come ON FFers! - Mona N.
Looks like a petty tyrant to me. In my opinion he must be a frustrated artist who has to work in a museum to be close to stuff he can't make himself.It would make him cross to see people actually making art! - Pete Gilbert
Pete, did you digg it? The more people hear about this, the more some sort of action will be taken against the "Director of Visitor Relations". It is NOT ok to treat people like that! - Mona N.
If everyone Likes this, more people will see it, so Like away. - Chris White
Pete, now add digg service to your FF, and all is complete. - Pete Delucchi
Service added. I hope this guy Googles his name sometime soon. What a jerk. - Pete Gilbert
What he needs is a reality check. Director of Customer Relations, my left ass cheek. Seriously. - Mona N.
Can I just add, although this guy was a jerk, it's not him we are fighting, but the right to take photographs without being branded as a criminal. - Pete Gilbert
+1 Pete and I agree. I do think Thomas is owed an apology and, I also think the museum needs to make it very clear to *everyone* their policy. He took a great picture in the museum..when is that a bad thing? - Candace Holly
I could've chosen a layover in SF or LA on my way to Denver in October. I'll be having my In-n-Out burger in LA - Stephen Cropp
Yeah, like, how come we can't take pictures in locker rooms or during drug deals? I hate that. Um yeah Stephen, blame a whole city for a particular museum's head of security (which is what he is). BTW, SFO is a much better airport than LAX. - Chris White
Chris White, may I respectfully ask if you read Thomas Hawk's piece? - Mona N.
Yes Mona, you may ask. I also digged the article. My comment was a joke related to the mantra "Photography is not a crime." Because sometimes it is a crime, and other times it's evidence of one. - Chris White
@Chris - I'm not tarring the whole city like this one man. Only that on this is pretty bad PR for the publicly funded/supported museum. As someone from outside the US, PR is everything and this doesn't do well to make me want to spend my money there. SFO may or may not be better. I've only ever been via LAX in the past. Was considering SF given that all flights had at least a half day in either city. Don't intend to stay in the airport the whole time I'm there. - Stephen Cropp
Sigh,more of the same. Seems like I hear more and more of these stories. It is truely sad that in an art museam, someone is stopped while persueing an art form. Photography is art, an expression to the world of the artist perspective. I'd join in with the DSLR day if I lived on your side of the pond. - Roberto Bonini
As a photographer as a hobby, I always carry a copy of the photographer's rights. http://www.krages.com/phoright... Many people are misinformed about the use of personal cameras. The parapazzi are a lot to blame for this attitude however. - Jack Wilson, K4SAC
I'm sorry, and yes, this is bad PR, but this seems a lot of pushing the interpretation due to lack of knowledge of technical terms. As Nathan pointed out in another thread, it did say "handheld" cameras. Of course, everyone will argue that a DSLR is technically a handheld camera if you can hold it in your hand, but unless you're an idiot, you'd interpret that as a point 'n shoot. I don't expect everyone will recognize lenses. Shoot, *I* can't tell the difference and I live way more camera equipment than... - Cyndy
... I will ever understand. Lastly, it smacks of "do you know who I am? I'll BLOG this" which I find offensive. I notice than anyone on Digg who tried to interject with reason or common sense was buried, especially the ones who asked why you'd join a museum just to take pictures in it instead of just experiencing other people's art. - Cyndy
Obviously a brain dead employee that didn't read the new handbook yet - Charlie Anzman
I suggest an email and letter writing campaign. It can't hurt. Also, when this stuff happens, contacting local newspapers and TV might help increase awareness...along with simply refusing to patronize entities that take this approach. There are lots of things to see and do in San Francisco. This museum just made it to my NEVER GOING THERE list. - ScottBourne
Cyndy: There's also the fact that we are totally going by one person's say-so and reporting of the incident. I gather the dude is a fairly well known blogger in photography circles, but it's still amazing how much this is pushing people's buttons and getting their blood to boil with a sense of injustice. It's sort of a scary mob scene. - ⓞnor
Of course, someone could phone the museum and ask them to comment on the situation for the record. It would be in everyone's interest, and, you know, someone here could do it. - j1m
I love how his excuse was that he needed to "protect" his employees -- as if the employees who would be in the photos work for the Director of Visitor Relations, and they need his protection, and not letting somebody use a big camera in their vicinity would somehow protect them from something. - Gabe Schaffer
Cyndy: I guess I'm an idiot, because I interpret "handheld" camera to mean a camera held in one's hand, as opposed to on a tripod. Most museums without absurd photography policies allow visitors to take photos, just not use flashes or camera supports (monopods or tripods). I've never heard of a policy where you can take as many photos as you want as long as they're crappy (because you can't use a good camera). - Gabe Schaffer
Larger issues are: Patriot act, DMCA, public/private rights, IP law. In light of that, I marvel at gregory's efficient 3-word reductionist comment. - Richard Walker
"It's becoming increasingly clear that bandwidth caps are being eyed by ISPs largely as a mechanism to "kill the competition" -- to limit the mass migration of viewers from traditional program sources to the limitless bounds of Internet content." - Robert Konigsberg via Bookmarklet
@Robert They can't be fired without an investigation. - Erica Baker
@Erica I understand the reality there. What I don't get is why cops are the exception. Especially living in a *cough* "Right to Work State," people get fired all the time. For lack of a better example, if this was a security guard on that tape, he would be picking up his last check. I don't understand why the police or maybe the police unions get such deals. Particularly with people entrusted to enforce the law, it seems that the standards should be exceptionally high on misconduct of any type while in uniform. - Robert Cooper via twhirl
Eh, wrong, thanks Erica: The NYPD "stripped a police officer of his badge and gun" - Robert Konigsberg
Robert: What, you *don't* want an investigation? Police officers have a difficult job that requires them to quickly make decisions of vital import in heated situations with limited information. If something goes wrong, not only does the officer deserve the benefit of a thorough investigation, so does the public. For the people we authorize to employ deadly force to protect us and enforce the law, an abundance of caution before making any decision about their employment seems completely warranted. - ⓞnor
Seriously. This is a fantastic spoof online paper. Don't mistake this as a bad version of The Onion, parody newspapers have been around for a long time. This one is worth the time, for certain. - Robert Konigsberg
In particular, there's a faux blog dedicated to the classic movie "Airplane!" which is not to be missed. I'll mask it in tinyurl so you don't get the joke until you get there. http://tinyurl.com/58zmps - Robert Konigsberg
Email response from the author: "God bless you, Robert. That was the first page I built for the site, while teaching myself Dreamweaver, Flash and Photoshop. My test audience gave the [xxxxxx] blog a thumb's down, but I said I didn't care. I knew it was a somewhat obscure paean to a 28-year-old movie, but I couldn't resist.You just made it worthwhile. And thanks for picking up on the 35,007 feet line too." - Robert Konigsberg
I can't draw that straight on a whiteboard, but I can paint a perfect line with a brush and some oil. Why? - Clay Newton
Wow, now I look cool as a FriendFeed user. EDIT: I'd also like to say that you made a really good choice of music. - possible248 via NoiseRiver
Looks to me like they're erasing a pre-drawn whiteboard, and play it for us backwards. The signatures at the end are a clue, as is the way they approach the whiteboard at the start. I think it's still pretty clever, because it means they would be able to get it right in one take. - Robert Konigsberg
I think it is possible for an ex-Googler to continue writing code the way he used to before, with all this. - siddharth via twhirl
I wished they open-sourced more of the C++ infrastructure. tcmalloc and protocol buffers are nice, but there's a lot in there that makes C++ coding inside Google much less painful than outside. - Tudor Bosman
I've heard that same advice many times. I want to know what the cop said... - Tad Donaghe
Avoid cops as much as possible, say as little as possible. They have a tough job and I appreciate it, but any contact with a police officer is a risk. - Bjorn Tipling
I'm always amazed out how easily criminals on TV shows seem to give things up to detectives. - Thomas Hawk
"Whaddaya in for?" "I possessed a lobster of inadequate size" - Jeremy Raines
The great thing about America is that the cops can't use the confession after they beat it out of you. - Gabe Schaffer
A very good 30min watch. I learned a lot from this video. - AJ Batac
Yeah, I learned a lot too. I'd naturally want to just tell the truth, but it often doesn't matter what the truth is, but what they can possibly convict you of. - Tad Donaghe
Thomas Hawk, do you watch The Closer? It's a great show about just that :P - Bjorn Tipling
This video was surprisingly interesting -- definitely worth watching. Part 2 (the response by the cop, who basically agrees with everything the lawyer says) is also very good: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v... - Paul Buchheit
CSI is the funniest show for confessions, suspects constantly admit to things that either aren't crimes or the police have no evidence of them doing, it'sd be silly if it weren't at least a little true. Everyone should be aware of these things though, if they'll send Martha Stewart to jail, what do you think will happen to you? - Richard Lawler via twhirl
On a similar vein is a how-to guide to handling roadside police encounters: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v... This video is very in favor of the phrase "I don't consent to any searches" and implies that staying silent can be interpreted as consent, making a warrantless search permissible. - Kevin Fox
Bjorn: I find making friends with cops is a good life-strategy. I've been mugged at gun-point twice, and I very much value their help. You also learn interesting trivia. Guess why cops run their fingers in front of your eyes? On Alcohol, most people's eyes will move jerkily sideways. On some drugs, they jerk vertically. Try with friends some time... - Mitchell Tsai
Mitchell: I have friends in law enforcement, some of whom I worked very closely with in years past. I am always very friendly and respectful during police encounters. Having said that, however (unlike most folk) I don't fold like a lawn chair every time I see a badge (e.g. consent to searches.) - Anthony Citrano
Cops are crap. They are compensated on mostly on ensuring no illegal behavior happening which a lot of times leads to abuse. Who watches the watcher? I once had an off-duty cop (friend of a friend) pull a gun on me as a joke at a party. I did not find it the least bit amusing. - Trebor Elbocs
I've had friends with fancy cars (esp. women) get pulled over for no other reason than the officer wanted to look at the car/woman. Definitely good & bad in the police force. - Mitchell Tsai
Both parts 1 and 2 are worthwhile. Re the fifth amendment: "Too many, even those who should be better advised, view this privilege as a shelter for wrongdoers. They too rapidly assume that those who invoke it are either guilty of crime or commit perjury in claiming the privilege." - Robert Konigsberg
Yeah Robert, exactly.. I read recently that something like 3/4 of drug arrests are a result of consent searches - e.g. where the officer did not have sufficient cause, but the permission of the searchee waives that need. e.g. "You don't have any drugs or guns in the car, do you?" "No." "Then you don't mind if I take a look, do you?".... - Anthony Citrano
I didn't think that the cop was quite as good as the law professor, but it was interesting to hear some of the tricks they use. I wonder if this video will really have any effect, and if so, whether or not cops will be mad about its existence? I thought it was funny that in the first minute of talking, the cop got half the class to admit to speeding. - Robert Felty
What amuses me is that in Santa Monica, the only store that closed is in the more affluent part of town, and not on Santa Monica Boulevard. - Robert Konigsberg
