University of Michigan law student Sam Rubinstein was attending a campus vigil for victims of the New Zealand mosque shooting Saturday when he heard someone yelling, "MOVE! MOVE!"
He turned to see a police officer running toward the group. Panic set in as the crowd started moving away and up the stairs of the UM Hatcher Graduate Library. He and others he was with ended up huddling in a third-floor bathroom for an hour.
"There could have been no real threat at all or it could have been a very real threat," said Rubinstein, 24, of New Jersey.
It turned out to be no threat. But for thousands across Michigan, a 4:40 p.m. alert from the University of Michigan, apparently sparked by popping balloons, set off three hours of fear and anguish. Those who scrambled from the perceived threat barricaded themselves in classrooms and bathrooms and were finally assured at 7:50 p.m. that the threat was false.
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/03/16/ann-arbor-university-michigan-shooting-reports/3188612002/
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/bethbaumann/2019/03/16/breaking-active-shooter-reportedly-on-university-of-michigan-campus-n2543235
https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/03/16/university-michigan-emergency-alert/3188490002/
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2019/03/daniel-zimmerman/breaking-reports-of-an-active-shooter-on-the-university-of-michigan-campus/
A frightening situation but the measured response did not result in any injuries or shootings.
(Score: 5, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @04:57PM (14 children)
The terrorists have won, and placed fear in your hearts and minds.
Do you know how to fight the war against terror? Refuse to be cowed by it!
(Score: 4, Funny) by fustakrakich on Sunday March 17 2019, @05:13PM
But wear brown pants anyway
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday March 17 2019, @05:26PM (7 children)
It's too late. There are nothing but soycows left in 'Murica.
(Score: 1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @06:45PM (4 children)
Actually, soy eaters tend to be way more healthy than the cowcows. Tend your own garden shit-for-brains.
(Score: 2, Touché) by Ethanol-fueled on Sunday March 17 2019, @08:54PM (1 child)
Let me guess, you're a skinny satchel-carrying effeminate wimp with annoying spectacles and an open-mouthed smile trying to compensate with a beard?
Big bloody steaks or GTFO.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Sunday March 17 2019, @10:46PM
Go grow your own steak.
Until you do, you are no different from a 'skinny satchel-carrying effeminate wimp with annoying spectacles and an open-mouthed smile trying to compensate with a beard'.
Same dependency on the work of other, same impotent rage if you can't get what you want.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 18 2019, @03:00AM (1 child)
Hmm, need cheese. Fortunately, the internet provides: Your Guide to Going Dairy Free: Plant-Based Milks, Cheeses, and More [freefromharm.org]. Gotta find some of that vegan cheese to try.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday March 18 2019, @04:18PM
Very few fake dairy products are what I would call edible. My Mom tried making fake cheese when I was little. It was a horrid, nasty, gag inducing thing. Thankfully, she never tried to repeat the creation. My brother eventually tried his hand at making a fake cheese sauce when he married someone who has medical/allergy issues with dairy. Cashews can make a tasty sauce, if not anything like real cheese sauce. There are a few fake cheeses on the market that have the consistency and taste of real cheese. I think Daiya is one of them, but I've not really looked into it. As I'm a Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian (No kefir and No fungi that wikipedia describes, because yuck).
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @09:28PM (1 child)
"It's too late. There are nothing but soycows left in 'Murica."
Come now. I think you are under selling yourself just a bit here.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @10:50PM
Runaway; selling him is overrated at any price.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @05:38PM
True that, true that.
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by Ethanol-fueled on Sunday March 17 2019, @08:59PM (3 children)
One day earlier this year, local neighborhood gossip site was full of freakouts about "gunshots."
Turns out it was just the neighborhood Gooks celebrating the lunar new-year with firecrackers. Not that liberal scum know the difference between a firecracker and a gun going off anyway. Ban assault firecrackers!
(Score: 2, Flamebait) by cellocgw on Sunday March 17 2019, @09:35PM (2 children)
you know, you *could* have provided the same information without
1) being brutally offensively racist
2) incorrectly associating "liberals" with a tendancy to panic at the first opportunity.
Neither of which is useful or factually correct.
Physicist, cellist, former OTTer (1190) resume: https://app.box.com/witthoftresume
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @10:25PM (1 child)
"Liberal" is not a race, moron, and liberals panic at every possible opportunity.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 18 2019, @09:57AM
You seem to be overreacting to the word "liberal". Perhaps you should look up the meaning of "Gook".
(Score: 4, Funny) by BsAtHome on Sunday March 17 2019, @05:43PM (2 children)
I want a face-palm machine. My arm has been stressed to the max and it constantly needs to be applied again and again. Please, make me a face-palm machine!
(Score: 3, Funny) by looorg on Sunday March 17 2019, @06:53PM
Can't you just claim to be a Nazi, even if you are not, as people slap you in the face for free then. No need for expensive inventions.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @10:55PM
Easy done, brainwashing and some minor electronic implants will make you into a facepalm machine.
(Score: 4, Informative) by maxwell demon on Sunday March 17 2019, @05:45PM (11 children)
Seems Nena got that right.
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @07:22PM (9 children)
Which translates to Ninety-Nine Balloons [youtube.com].
Apparently, other English speakers required a translation (and an inaccurate one at that) to enjoy the song. Pitiful.
Seems she got right, but you did not.
(Score: 4, Informative) by sjames on Sunday March 17 2019, @07:33PM (3 children)
Don't be an idiot. Nena did, in fact, sing 99 red balloons for the English speaking market. They also did Neun und neunzig Luftballoons (separate words) first, but that doesn't change anything. As is often the case when translating a song, minor changes are made so that the syllables work out with the melody.
First rule of pedantry, you better be right!
(Score: 3, Funny) by inertnet on Sunday March 17 2019, @07:45PM (2 children)
Except that 99 is spelled as one word (and "air balloon" as Luftballon): neunundneunzig Luftballons.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday March 17 2019, @09:59PM (1 child)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 18 2019, @05:49PM
Yeah, 99 air balloons just doesn't have the same ring to it.
Though I did always wonder why they were 'red'. Glad to learn it was just to match the rhythm.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @09:12PM (1 child)
As noted, that was the official translation. Sometimes liberties like that are taken to preserve the rhyme. The translation into German of Puff The Magic Dragon went with the more common lebt am See. Which sounds weird when sung because the abbreviation loses a syllable.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 18 2019, @04:44PM
Interesting. If I remember correctly, the original English text was "lived by the sea". Which would be correctly translated into German as "lebte an der See." While "lebt am See" would be the translation of "lives at the lake".
And BTW, if the correct tense had been used, "lebte am See" would have been the exact same rhythm as "lived by the sea". As would have been "lebt an der See", which is the wrong tense (arguably it could also be interpreted as shortening "lebt' an der See", the apostrophe replacing the e), but the correct translation of "by the sea".
Or in short: The translator seems to have done a pretty bad job, both in preserving the meaning and in preserving the rhythm (no tradeoff, just being bad on both accounts).
(Score: 3, Informative) by maxwell demon on Sunday March 17 2019, @10:38PM (2 children)
I know what she sang in German (I am German, and knew the German version long before I even knew that an English version existed). But, apparently unlike you, I also know what she sang in the English version of the song. [youtube.com] And I figured that the majority of the people here, if they are familiar with the song at all, will be familiar with the English version, and moreover for those who aren't familiar with it but want to look it up, in general the English version will also be more helpful, because I guess the majority of the readers probably don't speak German.
And yes, I am aware that the English version is not exactly a translation of the German version. Don't complain to me about that, I didn't make that.
And now please tell me: What did I get wrong?
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @10:59PM
You're a thought experiment, the starting hypothesis of a reductio ad absurdum demonstration that you can't exist.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Monday March 18 2019, @12:48PM
Hmm, yeah, man, i dunno if i believe that. Real Germans are too embarrassed to admit Nena is German, just as Canadians are Celine Dion, and Americans Carrot Top.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @08:57PM
Listened to lightweight Nena for a minute or two (had not heard her before). Then YouTube gave me this first suggestion -- Soul Sacrifice,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqZceAQSJvc [youtube.com]
Too bad no one seems to really put their heart into it like this anymore (or maybe you have a suggestion?)
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Gaaark on Sunday March 17 2019, @05:47PM (6 children)
Shouldn't the cop be running towards a shooter instead of away?
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @07:45PM
Depends on if the shooter has donuts.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @07:47PM
Should, could, would – doesn't always.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @09:16PM (1 child)
That really depends on what's going on. People have a lot of ideas about what cops should and shouldn't be doing. Having the cops always running directly towards a suspected active shooter doesn't always minimize the potential loss of life. Especially, if the cop only has the typical service pistol and there are crowds of people in the area with the potential to get out of the area.
When people are talking about having the cops go in and directly challenge the shooter as soon as possible, the scenario usually involves a situation where the shooter is operating inside where the victims can't get away. And doesn't generally involve situations where minimizing the loss of life may involve other actions.
Not saying, that's what's going on in this case, I don't know anywhere near enough, but I wouldn't just automatically assume that the cop wasn't doing the right thing. That might well have been the order given.
(Score: 2) by sjames on Monday March 18 2019, @07:15PM
While charging in with no information is a bad strategy, carefully advancing until you can see what's going on is more likely than running away to get the issue resolved.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @09:32PM (1 child)
If you go with a pistol against a guy with a rifle, you better be near enough.
I'd call for backup first, warn the people second, and run away....er .... go tell the guy to freeze or else.
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Monday March 18 2019, @12:34AM
I'm thinking run towards the sound of shots in hopes the guy IS close and vulnerable and can be taken down.
ie: shooter walking through a school. Approach the school and assess the situation: you see shooter and he's close, take him down...if not close, hunt him down!
ie: guy out walking through campus shooting. see shooter, close in, take down.
ie: If you don't know what is going on, try to find out before too much damage can be done (more people shot).
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 3, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @06:02PM (9 children)
bin Laden predicted we would be revealed as a nation of cowards after being attacked. Look at us now.
I had completely expected him to be wrong. I'm pissed about us running like sheep at noises, dismantling constitutionally protected rights, being cowards.
(Score: 2) by sjames on Sunday March 17 2019, @07:42PM (3 children)
It's really sad when actual authorities make the television character Frank Burns from MASH look level headed and reasonable.
I thought that a significant fear reaction to a popping balloon was something we left behind with infancy,
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Monday March 18 2019, @12:37AM
OH, MAN! All terrorists need to do is dress up as clowns and start popping balloons! Clowns are scary (now) and balloons.... damn those things are frightening...... clowns popping balloons.....that'll be the next Stephen King novel.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday March 18 2019, @04:24PM (1 child)
Popping a balloon or a bunch of balloons in or near a crowd that is holding a vigil for shooting victims. I'm thinking that's more like shouting fire in a movie theater, when there's no fire. Though not necessarily with the same intent as most normal people won't be shouting fire in a movie theater. Whereas popping the balloons was likely a fairly innocent act.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by sjames on Monday March 18 2019, @06:41PM
Or perhaps like a bunch of people at an R.E.M. concert panicing and evacuating the theater because the singer said "Fire" [genius.com].
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @09:36PM (1 child)
> Bin Laden predicted we would be revealed as a nation of cowards after being attacked.
I would not attack a bunch of cowards that have access to a big red button. They might panic.
(Score: 2) by sjames on Monday March 18 2019, @07:21PM
The big red button is worthless if you don't even know what country the target is in.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 18 2019, @02:39PM (2 children)
This. So much this.
This is exactly what he was trying to accomplish. Terrorists don't so much care about the actual killing, rather the end goal is to destroy a society through self-inflected damage caused by fear. He is most certainly accomplishing that.
Every time something like this comes up I think back to the news coverage on 9/11. I was young, so I don't remember the name of this one particular news anchor, but I remember his words. At the end of multi-day coverage when the network was finally starting to wind down endless coverage and switch back to regular programming he spoke advice to the nation, urging the people to not allow the terrorists to change our lives. That we should not change things as a result of the attacks but rather carry on. That is the only way to fight terrorists. Sadly, no one took that advice and we have all become cowards with constant knee-jerk reactions. We take away our own freedoms willingly. The terrorist did win.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 18 2019, @05:03PM (1 child)
At least you're still old enough to remember. Now it's far enough in the past that there are adult people with no memories of how it was before 9/11. For them, the post-9/11 situation is just the normal way of life. They don't notice anything extraordinary because they can't remember how it was before.
Once my mother, as normal passenger, was admitted to visit the cockpit during a normal flight in a normal airliner, getting explanations of what happened there (and that wasn't something pre-planned and pre-cleared, it was an ad-hoc decision during the flight). After 9/11 that's unthinkable.
(Score: 2) by sjames on Monday March 18 2019, @07:28PM
It's funny, the old rent-a-car commercial is unthinkable today. Not just because OJ Simpson will never be able to rehabilitate his image, but because running through the airport will cause a mass panic.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @06:07PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2dor2_tCI0 [youtube.com]
(Score: 3, Informative) by realDonaldTrump on Sunday March 17 2019, @07:04PM (2 children)
I see so many people saying, "oh, this is dumb, we don't have to be that careful about Gun!" You are foolish people. Gun is VERY DANGEROUS, folks. I know because my sons are fabulous hunters. They kill elephants, lions, everything. And so many times, they use Gun. Because, so often, it works better than anything else for the killing. Sometimes I wish they'd kill some Donkeys -- JUST KIDDING!!!! Although, J.F.K. He made certain people very angry, they hired a few guys with Gun. Known as Gun Men. One moment he's the President, he's doing a very dignified ceremony. The next, people are asking him, "Mr. President, sir, I think you spilled your oatmeal." It wasn't oatmeal, folks. It was Brain. And Frank Cali, one of the richest, most successful Businessmen in New York (especially after I moved to Washington) -- they got to him. Ran him over with a truck. Right in front of his house, very disrespectful. Super low class move. But, first they shot him. Many times. And maybe he wasn't dead just from getting shot -- this was a very tough guy. Doing business in New York, you have to be tough, and he was one of the toughest. Until they put 6 plus bullets in him. Won't necessarily kill a guy like that. But it's gonna take the wind out of his sails, you know what I mean? RIP Franky! foxnews.com/us/gambino-family-mob-boss-fatally-shot-outside-lavish-staten-island-neighborhood-infamous-for-its-mobster-past [foxnews.com]
People don't know this, when a big beautiful balloon pops, it can sound like shooting. They decided to be careful, their Law Enforcement guys made sure everybody was safe. That nobody panicked. And, everybody's fine. Everybody's happy. Everybody's safe. ZERO problems. Except for certain Soylent News "readers" that are very envious. Because they weren't smart enough, weren't rich enough to get into college. Very proud of what the Campus Cops did. That want to see the "streaming" video of young & beautiful lives getting stolen. Although, it's not what I would have done. I really believe I'd run in there even if I didn't have a weapon. Obviously, I'd rather have a weapon. Gun, or bow & arrows -- Ivanka and my older boys are amazing with that. They're not boys, they are men. But, sometimes I think of them as my boys, you know? And I think all children should be taught, how do you use Gun, how do you archery. Our fabulous N.R.A. has some great information, some very educational courses about that. For children of all ages. From 2 to 202. Sometimes the best thing, when somebody's shooting, is to shoot back. And sometimes the best thing is to get out of the way. However we do it, we're going to END SCHOOL VIOLENCE. Or my name isn't Donald J. Trump!!!
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @07:17PM (1 child)
You don't fool me. You're really Michael Jackson. No, wait, you're that guy from the Simpsons that thinks he's Michael Jackson.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @07:24PM
There. FTFY. And you're welcome.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by sjames on Sunday March 17 2019, @07:50PM (2 children)
Please commit this to memory:
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @09:20PM (1 child)
I used to work security at a large office building and things of this nature vary a lot. An active shooter tends to draw a big response that everybody in the area hears about before too long. Whereas a suspected bombing is not likely to result in people being informed until confirmed, except as expected.
I remember one day being at work when there was a suspected bombing in a near by parking garage. It turned out to be a false report of what was likely a car backfire, but due to the way that bombings happen in the modern era, it was a very stressful day until the report was confirmed to be innaccurate. But being located in a building with a lot of attorneys, it wouldn't have been that much of a surprise if somebody who wound up on the wrong end of divorce proceedings would do such as thing out of revenge for a lawyer that messed up or screwed them over.
(Score: 2) by sjames on Monday March 18 2019, @06:55PM
It seems like it shouldn't have taken that long to do a low key investigation that would show a distinct lack of bomb damage.
(Score: 1) by RandomFactor on Sunday March 17 2019, @08:58PM
So I checked the original submission and feel better now.
В «Правде» нет известий, в «Известиях» нет правды
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @09:15PM (1 child)
Allah Akhbar dirigibles.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 18 2019, @03:05AM
A Muslim balloon from Dearborn!
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @09:18PM (1 child)
They hear a balloon pop, they run to a safe space. Hard to believe these losers are descended from the real men who fought in WW II.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 17 2019, @09:22PM
To be fair, Great Grandpa only had to worry about civilized Nazis and not barbaric Muslims.
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Monday March 18 2019, @12:40AM (2 children)
I farted once and everybody ran.... the terrorists win again.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 18 2019, @04:48PM (1 child)
No, it's just you causing global warming. Nobody wants to stand near a climate killer. ;-)
(Score: 2) by sjames on Monday March 18 2019, @07:31PM
You do need to fart in moderation to avoid combustion though.