# My bullshit meter is pinging **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 7, 2005, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-bullshit-meter-is-pinging/325203 "2005-10-07T15:23:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-bullshit-meter-is-pinging/325203/1 "2005-10-07T15:23:29Z")
Dubya is on the stump to defend the war in Iraq and the war on terror. At the same time, we’re seeing stories about subway threats in NYC, a story about thwarted plots against the east and west coasts of the US in 2003, Tony Blair citing evidence of Iran being evily plotting our demise, etc. It may be coincidental, but given the smarmy SOP of this White House over the past five years, my bullshit meter is pinging pretty loudly. I posted this in the pit, rather than in IMHO, because I’m sure the apologists will be along to call me all manner of poopyhead names and accuse me of being one-a-them-there conspiracy theorists. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-bullshit-meter-is-pinging/325203/2 "2005-10-07T15:26:03Z")
My bullshit meter exploded years ago. Rather than replace it, I’ve simply been assuming that everything is bullshit. That’s been working pretty well so far. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-bullshit-meter-is-pinging/325203/3 "2005-10-07T15:30:04Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > My bullshit meter exploded years ago. Here, I got you a [new one](http://americanpatrol.com/POPUPS/IMAGES/BS-Meter.gif). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-bullshit-meter-is-pinging/325203/4 "2005-10-07T15:31:17Z")
Funny how all this happens on the day Rove is called back before the grand jury, huh? ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-bullshit-meter-is-pinging/325203/5 "2005-10-07T15:33:35Z")
[“Golgoski said the substance in the soda can was found to pose no threat to passengers.”](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051007/ap_on_re_us/nyc_subway) Funny how the “terror threat” happened the day Mayor Bloomburg was supposed to have a debate in Harlem. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-bullshit-meter-is-pinging/325203/6 "2005-10-07T15:35:44Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > Here, I got you a [new one](http://americanpatrol.com/POPUPS/IMAGES/BS-Meter.gif). 😃 Man, that’s just the way my last one looked right before it exploded. It was pegged in the red, and then _BOOM_! ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-bullshit-meter-is-pinging/325203/7 "2005-10-07T17:21:44Z")
Coincidence? I think _not_! Not that it matters. The Bush crew has played the game this way ever since they took office. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-bullshit-meter-is-pinging/325203/8 "2005-10-07T17:26:06Z")
It doesn’t help matters when Tom Ridge admitted last year that the Terror Lever Alert was raised a couple of times (over his objections) based on flimsy evidence. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-bullshit-meter-is-pinging/325203/9 "2005-10-07T17:49:15Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > Here, I got you a [new one](http://americanpatrol.com/POPUPS/IMAGES/BS-Meter.gif). 😃 Cool! But **TYM** may need the plans to the [VEC 8210K Bullshit Meter](http://www.vectronics.com/man/pdf/VEC-8210K.pdf) (warning: pdf) kit if he can’t find one in a store. The demand for BS Meters has spiked markedly and then held steady since around the beginning of 2002, largely due to catastrophic failures of the kind **TYM** describes. Even if such a unit is in inventory, building one from the kit may provide useful skills for repairing partially-damaged units, as destructive overloading of any or all components of the VEC 8210K is projected to be a high-risk problem well into 2008. Unfortunately, environmental challenges have pushed all existing bullshit meters well beyond the tolerances of even best-in-class units like the VEC 8210K, and it will pose a considerable challenge to materials scientists to keep pace with the demands of increasingly adverse conditions. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-bullshit-meter-is-pinging/325203/10 "2005-10-07T19:17:02Z")
I predict there will be a terror attack thwarted or a level raised next month when the 2,000th US soldier is killed. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-bullshit-meter-is-pinging/325203/11 "2005-10-07T19:36:52Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > Here, I got you a [new one](http://americanpatrol.com/POPUPS/IMAGES/BS-Meter.gif). 😃 [A low-priced alternative.](http://www.electric-escape.net/node/931)🙂 But why is anyone surprised? It should be obvious that elephants spew out more shit than any other land animal… ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-bullshit-meter-is-pinging/325203/12 "2005-10-07T19:39:14Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > Coincidence? I think _not_! > > Not that it matters. The Bush crew has played the game this way ever since they took office. And look! It only took 5 years for some of the house and senate Republicans to grow a spine and start calling them on it. There’s hope for the future after all. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-bullshit-meter-is-pinging/325203/13 "2005-10-07T19:57:36Z")
> [@Loopydude](#): > > Cool! But **TYM** may need the plans to the [VEC 8210K Bullshit Meter](http://www.vectronics.com/man/pdf/VEC-8210K.pdf) (warning: pdf) kit if he can’t find one in a store. The demand for BS Meters has spiked markedly and then held steady since around the beginning of 2002, largely due to catastrophic failures of the kind **TYM** describes. Even if such a unit is in inventory, building one from the kit may provide useful skills for repairing partially-damaged units, as destructive overloading of any or all components of the VEC 8210K is projected to be a high-risk problem well into 2008. Unfortunately, environmental challenges have pushed all existing bullshit meters well beyond the tolerances of even best-in-class units like the VEC 8210K, and it will pose a considerable challenge to materials scientists to keep pace with the demands of increasingly adverse conditions. ISTM that if component U2 is replaced with an LCD-based device, the resulting product may be even more resilient (as well as being easier on the batteries). Is this a workable option? ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-bullshit-meter-is-pinging/325203/14 "2005-10-07T20:00:35Z")
> [@Maureen](#): > > And look! It only took 5 years for some of the house and senate Republicans to grow a spine and start calling them on it. There’s hope for the future after all. No there’s no hope. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-bullshit-meter-is-pinging/325203/15 "2005-10-07T21:27:45Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > ISTM that if component U2 is replaced with an LCD-based device, the resulting product may be even more resilient (as well as being easier on the batteries). Is this a workable option? Patent it! ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-bullshit-meter-is-pinging/325203/16 "2005-10-08T03:14:14Z")
> [@](#): > > And look! It only took 5 years for some of the house and senate Republicans to grow a spine and start calling them on it. There’s hope for the future after all. Heck – with the Harriet Miers nomination, a lot of Bush’s formerly reliable right-wing base have suddenly noticed that there’s cronyism in the administration. Anything’s possible. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-bullshit-meter-is-pinging/325203/17 "2005-10-08T06:05:39Z")
My bullshit meter broke long before that Commandable In Chief ever stumbled into the Oval Office. No sense in my restating what I’ve posted about a zillion times already. **Chefguy** it seems as though no “Dubya” apologists are showing up to call you those poopyhead names. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-bullshit-meter-is-pinging/325203/18 "2005-10-08T06:27:12Z")
The one that gets me is how the Pentagon keep intercepting these letters between the very tippy tip top AlQ leaders. You know, the ones where they are pissing and moaning about how the Americans are kicking their butts… Maybe when Al-zarkawi sends e-mails, he accidently CC’s the CIA. Or something. 'Cause it seems like we get more of his mail than he does. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-bullshit-meter-is-pinging/325203/19 "2005-10-08T06:30:33Z")
> [@vibrotronica](#): > > Funny how the “terror threat” happened the day Mayor Bloomburg was supposed to have a debate in Harlem. He’d announced long in advance that he wasn’t going to the debate. If that makes any difference. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-bullshit-meter-is-pinging/325203/20 "2005-10-08T06:46:06Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > … **Chefguy** it seems as though no “Dubya” apologists are showing up to call you those poopyhead names. Its after sundown, they’re all feeding. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-bullshit-meter-is-pinging/325203.md?page=2)