Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of The Week

Unlike last week, where we had one user dominate the favorite comments of the week (for both funny and insightful), this week it's back to a bit more normal, with the tops in each being separate. Leading the "insightful" crew (by a wide margin) was The Infamous Joe, whose comment on the story of Phil Mocek winning his legal battle against the TSA (where he was arrested for not showing ID and for filming his interactions) really seemed to strike a nerve with people. He was responding to someone who asked why the officers doing the arresting get in some sort of trouble for what turned out to be a bogus arrest. The Infamous Joe responded:

The forgiving part of me wants to say that these TSA officers and Law Enforcement Officers were simply ignorant of the law, or confused at what the law really says-- I mean, they can't know the ins and outs of every law. Then, I recall what *every* cop and lawyer and judge will tell you if you break a law you didn't realize you were breaking: Ignorance of the law is no defense. If I, as a non-lawyer, non-law enforcement functionary, am expected to know the laws that bind me such that *not* knowing is a fault on my part, then surely we can hold the very people who are binding us to these laws to the same standard.

I say they should be held accountable, to the maximum extent of the law. They'd do the same to me.

Apparently folks around here agree and have a problem with double standards in law enforcement officials. Coming in second was Rekrul's post concerning his experience with the drug companies, in our post on how patents are holding back cures for various health problems:

I have both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. For about two years, I took part in a drug trial using Orencia. My arthritis improved to the point where it no longer bothered me and my psoriasis was somewhat improved. Then the company dumped all the trials because they weren't getting the results that they wanted. Even if I wanted to continue taking that drug, I wouldn't be able to because it's not approved for PA. If it was, it would cost me over $4,000 a month!

Now I'm on a new study aimed at psoriasis, which also seems to be helping the arthritis. I'm sure that once this study eventually ends, this drug won't be available for years and will be outrageously expensive as well.

Healthcare in the US isn't about helping people, it's about making the drug companies richer.

On the "funny" front, we had two comments that came in way above the next tier, and both came from Techdirt regulars. Dark Helmet took the gold with his comment about the new bill to put warning labels on videos games, which made him wonder something:

I'm still wondering why my enjoyment of Nintendo games as a youngster didn't immediately result in my growing a ridiculous mustache (by cracky) followed by a murderous attitude towards small shell-backed quadripeds.

It did, however, teach me that no matter how impressive someone's castle, the princess is always elsewhere....

And right behind him with the silver was Marcus Carab's comment in response to the legal ruling that playing Dungeons and Dragons in jail represented "gang activity." Apparently, Marcus plays a mean game of D&D:

Well I don't know about you, but all the D&D players I know are some of the hardest gangbangers around. You think Gary Gygax died of an aneurysm? No, he was quietly taken out to put an end to his massive organized crime empire. Crips, Bloods, Latin Kings, MS13 - those are all small time. They don't hold a candle to the Wizards of the Coast.

Thanks for another great week of interesting (and funny) discussions.

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