Pictures and Videos for R&P

[Kraken]

He also seems noticeably thinner than he was just a few months ago. He seems to be in very poor health.

I noticed that immediately, and I daresay the video made me feel a twinge of compassion for him. He is obviously not much longer for this world, and it must be terrifying to simply go blank and freeze in place like that.

Ima guess the answer to the reporter's question is No, he won't run for reelection in '26.

[coopasonic]

He also seems noticeably thinner than he was just a few months ago. He seems to be in very poor health.

I noticed that immediately, and I daresay the video made me feel a twinge of compassion for him. He is obviously not much longer for this world, and it must be terrifying to simply go blank and freeze in place like that.

Not terrifying enough to make him consider stepping down, giving up the opportunity for more money though, sadly.

[Smoove_B]

He is obviously not much longer for this world, and it must be terrifying to simply go blank and freeze in place like that.

[LawBeefaroni]

He also seems noticeably thinner than he was just a few months ago. He seems to be in very poor health.

I noticed that immediately, and I daresay the video made me feel a twinge of compassion for him. He is obviously not much longer for this world, and it must be terrifying to simply go blank and freeze in place like that.

Ima guess the answer to the reporter's question is No, he won't run for reelection in '26.

But he never had to actually answer the question so 1-0 Mitch. This is a great new technique to handle the press. Never have to answer.

[Carpet_pissr]

Thoughts and prayers.

I know this is said with a thick layer of sarcasm, but fuck thoughts and prayers. It is beyond belief that we allow these geriatric incompetents to govern us. Same obviously goes for Feinstein and probably a dozen or more of these people. They are not "past their prime." They are old as dirt and are not capable of carrying out their duties in office at this point in their lives. If they don't have the good sense to step away, they should be forced out.

Seriously. WTF are we doing?

110% agree. I've said it forever, and I've said it about Biden YEARS ago. It's mostly ranting and venting and wondering why we seem to be REALLY pro-Boomer these past several years? The System? Apathy? AARP lobby?

Maybe it's related to the reason that we let people WELL beyond a safe age, drive still. Freedom(TM), I guess.

[Punisher]

He also seems noticeably thinner than he was just a few months ago. He seems to be in very poor health.

I noticed that immediately, and I daresay the video made me feel a twinge of compassion for him. He is obviously not much longer for this world, and it must be terrifying to simply go blank and freeze in place like that.

Not terrifying enough to make him consider stepping down, giving up the opportunity for more money though, sadly.

For the record, I know nothing about him.
I wonder if he was having a mini stroke though.
As for not stepping down, if he's not mentally aware it may not even be occurring to him.
I also know that the older you get, the more set in your ways you get and being told you can't do something you used to be able to do is hard and you have a reaction to deny it. That part I'm soeaking from damily and personal experience.

[Carpet_pissr]

it must be terrifying to simply go blank and freeze in place like that.

Terrifying? He was likely brain-dead for The Pause.

Alternative theory: his tadpole has grown too large and every time it moves now, it nicks the ol' cerebellum.

OR, he has finalized his decades long transformation into turtle, and is simply taking his time to answer the question. Our "hare"-centric world is much too impatient to wait the 8m it would have required before we had an answer from him.

I believe the answer he was coming around to was "Yyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss."

[Unagi]

He is obviously not much longer for this world, and it must be terrifying to simply go blank and freeze in place like that.

OMG thank you for making my day.

[Unagi]

I believe the answer he was coming around to was "Yyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss."

[waitingtoconnect]

I believe Jon Stewart called the senate an assisted living facility.

“Our country is held together by hundreds of really talented legislative aides,” Stewart said on CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS.” “Their bosses, many times, are wind up dolls… if you go down there, especially the Senate, is like an assisted living facility.”

[Kraken]

I wonder if he was having a mini stroke though.

Seems likely. My MIL suffered "transient ischemic events" that looked very similar. She never remembered them, but was aware of having lost some time. She lived with them for quite a few years so they aren't terminal in themselves. Mayo Clinic says:

A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a temporary period of symptoms similar to those of a stroke. A TIA usually lasts only a few minutes and doesn't cause permanent damage.

Often called a ministroke, a TIA may be a warning. About 1 in 3 people who has a TIA will eventually have a stroke, with about half occurring within a year after the TIA.

[Jaymann]

I'm sorry but I hate that fuker with the heat of a thousand suns. Save your sympathy for the millions of people he has put the screws to. And other than TFG is probably the worst culprit in the rapid erosion of democracy.

[ImLawBoy]

I don't know how many types of TIAs there are but that's nothing like the one I had. Mine was more like a typical stroke (half of face drooping, slurred speech, aphasia) it just went away after a few hours.

[Holman]

As soon as McConnell croaks, the media will fall all over itself to call him a "statesmen" (or even "the last statesman").

I want to puke just thinking about it.

[Exodor]

As soon as McConnell croaks, the media will fall all over itself to call him a "statesmen" (or even "the last statesman").

I want to puke just thinking about it.

I will never forgive him for stealing a SCOTUS seat - or Democrats for just shrugging their shoulders while he did so.

[LordMortis]

I will never forgive him for stealing a SCOTUS seat - or Democrats for just shrugging their shoulders while he did so.

This. He's almost correct in his source of pride, in that this will be his greatest legacy. His poison will last a generation after he's gone and perhaps much longer from this. He will get no thoughts and prayers from me. I'm just not that good of a human being.

[Unagi]

I'm sorry but I hate that fuker with the heat of a thousand suns. Save your sympathy for the millions of people he has put the screws to. And other than TFG is probably the worst culprit in the rapid erosion of democracy.

Entirely my feelings as well.

[Blackhawk]

I'd be much happier had he simply retired, but if his issues (or death) take him out of office, than it's good thing.

Not a good thing that he's suffering, but a good thing that something happened to prevent him from doing more harm.

[Carpet_pissr]

As soon as McConnell croaks, the media will fall all over itself to call him a "statesmen" (or even "the last statesman").

I want to puke just thinking about it.

I will never forgive him for stealing a SCOTUS seat - or Democrats for just shrugging their shoulders while he did so.

The OG norm-buster (of modern times at least).

That particular act I think was the shot across the bow, and indicating to other (R)’s that they can and should do whatever it took to ‘win’ as long as it was legal. Norms are for suckers.

[Unagi]

As soon as McConnell croaks, the media will fall all over itself to call him a "statesmen" (or even "the last statesman").

I want to puke just thinking about it.

I will never forgive him for stealing a SCOTUS seat - or Democrats for just shrugging their shoulders while he did so.

The OG norm-buster (of modern times at least).

That particular act I think was the shot across the bow, and indicating to other (R)’s that they can and should do whatever it took to ‘win’ as long as it was legal. Norms are for suckers.

Part of the problem is that just about any maneuver they make is “legal” , because it’s up to them to police themselves - and we see that is about as even less likely than one cop telling another cop to stop beating the shit out of some ‘perp’.

[Blackhawk]

This picture was breaking my brain, but I think I finally figured it out (source.) If it was a drawing, I'd think that the artist didn't understand perspective. The ground the guard is standing on appears to be six inches to a foot above the concrete below (based on where his feet would be), and yet he seems to have three or four feet on those people. Is he a giant?



Staring it it, though, I think it's just a variant of the Ames Illusion (the crooked room that makes one person look tall.) The concrete below the guard has, I'm guessing, a significant slope, but the angle of the picture hides that.

[Jaymann]

He's standing on the shoulders of giants.

[LawBeefaroni]

This picture was breaking my brain, but I think I finally figured it out (source.) If it was a drawing, I'd think that the artist didn't understand perspective. The ground the guard is standing on appears to be six inches to a foot above the concrete below (based on where his feet would be), and yet he seems to have three or four feet on those people. Is he a giant?



Staring it it, though, I think it's just a variant of the Ames Illusion (the crooked room that makes one person look tall.) The concrete below the guard has, I'm guessing, a significant slope, but the angle of the picture hides that.

Telephoto lens. It reduces the sense of depth so objects further away look bigger than they are. Same thing happens at sports events where people 30 rows back in the stands look the same size as a player on the field.


Also the angle of the shot exaggerates the effect.

[Unagi]

How the people are standing on the ramp is a dead giveaway for my eyes/brain to see the slope of that surface quite plainly.

[milo]

Also, several of the people in the foreground appear to be children, and the male adult closest to the guard is bending over slightly, reducing his apparent height.

In summation, the dress is blue, with black fringe.

[Carpet_pissr]

Yeah, mostly steep slope causing the appearance of a massive size difference but even one more: these are possibly Mexican (short, relative to Americans), or more likely Central American (super short, relatively). When I used to go to Central America on business, I always felt like a giant, and I'm a very average (for Americans) @ 5'10.

[Max Peck]

Plus most (all?) of them appear to be children.

[Unagi]

Yeah, mostly steep slope causing the appearance of a massive size difference but even one more: these are possibly Mexican (short, relative to Americans), or more likely Central American (super short, relatively). When I used to go to Central America on business, I always felt like a giant, and I'm a very average (for Americans) @ 5'10.

What ethnicity do you suppose the guard is?

[Carpet_pissr]

Yeah, mostly steep slope causing the appearance of a massive size difference but even one more: these are possibly Mexican (short, relative to Americans), or more likely Central American (super short, relatively). When I used to go to Central America on business, I always felt like a giant, and I'm a very average (for Americans) @ 5'10.

What ethnicity do you suppose the guard is?

Probably hispanic. HIGHLY unlikely that he's a native Central American though. If you're going to make me guess, I say....3rd+ generation American.

[Max Peck]

Growing up eating a high-protein American diet would probably have a far greater impact on his size than his ethnicity ever would.

[Carpet_pissr]

Growing up eating a high-protein American diet would probably have a far greater impact on his size than his ethnicity ever would.

Maybe, maybe not according to NIH:

"Ethnicity is an important factor determining the height of an individual. Ethnically different populations might respond differently to the same environmental factors and thus the final height in different ethnic groups is different. Height is a polygenic trait with a high degree of heritability."

Bolding mine to indicate what a factor like increased protein might have, or not have. (grammar, it's hard, whew)

How did we get here again???

[Blackhawk]

As a general rule, genetics determines potential. Nutrition determines how much of that potential someone achieves.

[Unagi]

Growing up eating a high-protein American diet would probably have a far greater impact on his size than his ethnicity ever would.

Maybe, maybe not according to NIH:

"Ethnicity is an important factor determining the height of an individual. Ethnically different populations might respond differently to the same environmental factors and thus the final height in different ethnic groups is different. Height is a polygenic trait with a high degree of heritability."

Bolding mine to indicate what a factor like increased protein might have, or not have. (grammar, it's hard, whew)

How did we get here again???

I just thought it was funny to say: look at how small the relatively (to American) short Mexicans are compared to the guard - who was also probably Mexican.

[LawBeefaroni]

It's still the lens.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perspective_distortion

Compression, long-lens, or telephoto distortion can be seen in images shot from a distance using a long focus lens or the more common telephoto sub-type (with an angle of view narrower than a normal lens). Distant objects look approximately the same size – closer objects are abnormally small, and more distant objects are abnormally large, and hence the viewer cannot discern relative distances between distant objects – distances are compressed.

[Unagi]

I don’t think that’s lost on anyone.
??? Shrug… maybe people don’t know that.
As a photographer, this comes across as ‘mansplaining’ to me.

Obviously not your intent, and perhaps even educational for someone here.

I actually think that effect is diminished in this photo.

Normally you would see the best example in some photo looking straight on to two subjects. Like your buddy and the bear that’s 50 yards behind him. But when you are slightly looking down on a group of people with full view of their positions on the ground and their shadows in full display - the illusion is diminished and our brains can piece things together.

[Blackhawk]

I don’t think that’s lost on anyone.
??? Shrug… maybe people don’t know that.
As a photographer, this comes across as ‘mansplaining’ to me.

Obviously not your intent, and perhaps even educational for someone here.

FWIW, even having had two different photography classes, I wasn't aware that the effect could be so pronounced. The answer was useful.

Although I'm going to guess that some of the other factors mentioned are present as well - they're just not the prime cause.

/edit - and having read said answer, I'm reminded that it was how they filmed this scene:

[Daehawk]

[hepcat]

Let's take a break and watch Mike Lindell get testy during a deposition.

https://twitter.com/chrisd9r/status/1700176904987328625

[Alefroth]

Can't wait to see him try that in a courtroom.

[Daehawk]

Whats wrong with those people?