Comments on: Picnic table pyramid builders delight/enrage (take your pick)

By: jandrese

jandrese — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 18:45:00 +0000

In that we saw the same trailer? That was one of the two big quotes from the movie that was plastered on everything by the marketing folks. The other quote was a simile relating to the title of the movie.

By: benher

benher — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 17:48:00 +0000

So… monster truck usage is pretty much out of the question?

By: BrianOman

BrianOman — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 02:06:00 +0000

You make a good point about assuming all teenagers push their boundaries in the realm of vandalism. Some do, some don’t, some feel absolutely no need to establish their own boundaries at all. A worthy truth to keep in mind when handling the youths.

“Community services are a good prevention, but in the face of a lack of community services, the correct response isn’t to shrug and say “Oh well, too bad we didn’t have a waterbaloon fight for them instead”.”

Not that I would say the example given is any kind of proper response at all, but what would be a proper response? Aside from establishing some community services, of course. Certainly not to simply bemoan their poor judgement and criticize their character for it?

By: Sparg

Sparg — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 22:38:00 +0000

That sounds like George Carlin.

By: Petr Aardvark

Petr Aardvark — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 20:55:00 +0000

you wouldn’t be able to do this with picnic tables in British Columbia parks, since they’re weigh a ton. All the solid wood.

By: cdh1971

cdh1971 — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 20:39:00 +0000

I agree. Unless this was a prank performed by a high-school football team. Then it was just hi-jinks that should not be punished. When deciding punishments for this sort of thing it is very important to base the punishment on _who_ did the deed, and perhaps their parent’s status in society.

By: Jerril

Jerril — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 20:19:00 +0000

“Does everyone who complains about vandalism and whatsuch possess a clean slate”

Probably, yes. Most teens, despite what some people who thought their childhood was a universal condition, aren’t vandals.

There’s two problems with assuming all teens are vandals and that it’s wrong to treat teen vandalism as the rather jerkish behaviour it is:
1) It contributes to the anti-teen atmosphere that assumes that everyone under the age of about 21 is a criminal (particularly prevalent in England, but it happens everywhere)
2) It sends a strong message to teens that AREN’T vandals that everyone is going to treat them like one anyways. And from there it’s a short hop to “Well if they’re going to treat me like I’m a dick, I might as well act like one.”

Yes, vandalism is often a result of bored teen-agers with poor judgement and creativity to entertain themselves. You can’t just pat them on the head and say “You’re creative!” You need to address that you’ve got a handful of kids with poor judgement that could use some work in that area before someone ends up doing something really stupid.

Community services are a good prevention, but in the face of a lack of community services, the correct response isn’t to shrug and say “Oh well, too bad we didn’t have a waterbaloon fight for them instead”.

By: Jerril

Jerril — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 19:59:00 +0000

Your assumption that it’s normal and healthy for kids to vandalize other people’s things says a hella lot. I was never given a curfew, and was frequently out until 1 AM on Friday nights – but that really doesn’t and shouldn’t mean messing around with other people’s crap for entertainment. It’s not my stuff, I don’t mess with it. I learned this as a kid (don’t take other kids toys – ASK if they’ll SHARE them) and didn’t magically forget because of hormones. Sheish.

By: CLamb

CLamb — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 18:59:00 +0000

At $500 each it would be cheaper.

By: DevinC

DevinC — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 18:21:00 +0000

Even if they were salaried, the opportunity cost argument still applies.

By: Anon_Mahna

Anon_Mahna — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 17:15:00 +0000

You forgot to mention ‘The weight of the tables are in-excess of 30tons each….’

By: mkanoap

mkanoap — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 17:07:00 +0000

ts;dr

By: awjt

awjt — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 17:06:00 +0000

Um not YOUR parents. I had some friends with a hot parent I would have considered…

By: awjt

awjt — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 17:05:00 +0000

or just throw them into the pond

By: creesto

creesto — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 16:37:00 +0000

Damn teenagers with their silly antics…that’s IT! Back to the kiddie table with all of you!! And stay off my lawn

By: anansi133

anansi133 — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 16:01:00 +0000

Wow, that story is just too precious!

But A.I.G. doesn’t owe loyalty to the government,” someone close to Greenberg told the Times. “It owes loyalty to its shareholders.”

Most succinct explanation ever of why corporate personhood is a bad idea.

By: pupdog

pupdog — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000

http://i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/158/329/9189283.jpg

By: Brad Bell

Brad Bell — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 14:59:00 +0000

Like AIG, who is suing the US government for bailing them out.
“I saved your life”
“You didn’t save my life, you ruined my death!”
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/01/aig-considers-suing-us-government.html

By: IronEdithKidd

IronEdithKidd — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 14:47:00 +0000

No, just this litigious.

By: IronEdithKidd

IronEdithKidd — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 14:38:00 +0000

The chance that city maintenance workers are salaried is approximately nil. AFSCME, yo.

By: mb81

mb81 — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 13:46:00 +0000

“In any case I wish these kids were off doing meth and tagging shit like all the other kids. That would be way better!”
When they get bored — or flustered at being reprimanded — your wish may be granted. Maybe they do that on the side already.
If their parents are upstanding citizens, I imagine that whatever they do they’ll still grow up to be successful, despite such silly pranks. If their parents happen to be poor, the police will punish them hard. That’s what matters in the end.

By: Ben Rosenthal

Ben Rosenthal — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 13:27:00 +0000

and this is why we can’t have nice things.

By: ocker3

ocker3 — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 12:52:00 +0000

*steps to the front of the stage and takes a deep bow, waiting for applause which never comes*

By: Harbo

Harbo — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 11:25:00 +0000

Delight!
Watching “occ. health and safety” dick about just adds flavour.
Have we really become this precious?

By: ssam

ssam — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 11:17:00 +0000

when they are not finding new particles (or making zombie films) students at CERN do the same thing https://twitter.com/jonmbutterworth/status/247282521933508608

By: teapot

teapot — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 09:55:00 +0000

..not to mention his penchant for joking about things being stuck in orifices.
I love BB because the mod has dirtier jokes than all of us.

PS: Yeah don’t you hate when teenagers pull silly, costly pranks!? I’m sure we were all A students who went straight home after school and spent the weekend studying, amirite?

This is funny. My (and your) taxpayers dollars are wasted on way worse crap than dismantling a table sculpture.

In any case I wish these kids were off doing meth and tagging shit like all the other kids. That would be way better!

By: Antinous / Moderator

Antinous / Moderator — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 09:30:00 +0000

Hey, I’ve seen all the Twilight films in the theater. American Pie doesn’t get close to that.

By: Ian Anthony

Ian Anthony — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 08:23:00 +0000

Watch out, Antinous, you’ve seen a movie that he hasn’t, which apparently means he is superior to you.

By: Peter Brülls

Peter Brülls — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 07:36:00 +0000

Out of interest: Would you be okay with me drawing smiley faces on all your pages, glueing them together and deleting all the a’s from your texts?

By: Peter Brülls

Peter Brülls — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 07:32:00 +0000

Actually, I doubt that 25 minutes numbers. Would equal about 1 table per minute stacked (I substracted the base).