1: > "By using the video and the distance traveled (195 feet) as well as the seconds that lapsed prior to the explosion – in his opinion, the car was traveling roughly 35 mph."
2: > "The pre-explosion could possibly explain the flash of light on the video that preceded the appearance of the car in the video. The pre-explosion and slower speed could also explain the minimal damage to the palm tree and the facts the rear tires rested against the curb. It also provides an explanation for the location of the engine and drive train at more than 100 feet from the tree impact area."
Also remember his body was cremated without permission [1] making this whole incident rather suspect.
The article and your comment are misleading. Despite the professor's calculation, it contradicts other evidence including the eye witnesses.
Michael Krikorian observes that Hastings' car was going at least twice as fast as the other cars in the video. He estimated that the car was travelling at least 80 mph.
And the video from Loudlabs' clearly shows Hastings' car speeding through a red light prior to the crash.
And in the Krikorian article, a special effects expert said the bright flash of light could be due to the auto exposure of the camera causing the explosion to look bigger than it actually was. The "pre-explosion" appears to be the car hitting the 30" x 2' wide metal protusion for a water main between the curb and the tree.
And the expert noted that a bomb would blow the car and engine upwards and not forwards.
Although I'd never heard the story about Charles Colson, the Special Counsel to President Nixon ordering to kill Jack Anderson, a pioneer in investigative journalism. They considered dosing his steering wheel with LSD among other things but were stopped when they were arrested for the Watergate burglary-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Anderson_(columnist)#Targe...
In 2008, President Bush gave Mr. Colson the Presidential Citizens Medal for all the good work he did after prison.
Who'd believe that a White House lawyer would order CIA agents to kill a famous journalist if those involved hadn't confessed to it under oath?
Conspiracy theories aside, remember what happened to Aaron Swartz. Psychological pressure & abuse is used without a second thought by LEO & government agents. I would like to see a solid reconstruction of the hours preceding Michael Hastings demise, who he was with, and who he talked to.
It's weird, there was a (stupid) debate on HN a ~month ago about whether cars "explode" the way Hastings seemed to have (it smoldered on despite the photographer who pointed out how much more violent the flames would have seen due to nighttime videography, and despite the EMT who posted his experiences dealing with car fires, and despite the posted video of a car almost literally appearing to explode when it ran into a tollbooth).
And anyways, what's weird is that since then I've driven past two horrible vehicle fires. One was on the west side of Chicago, a high-end Lexus on the side of the road roaring with flames as if someone had thrown a grenade into it. The other was a semi driving on the inbound Ike --- driving lazily across 4 lanes of traffic while burning so violently that little flaming chunks of it were flying off it and bouncing off the road in front of me, so hot that it was actually uncomfortable to drive past it (what else do you do?) even with the windows shut and the AC on.
The people who say it's implausible for routine circumstances to cause a car to burn violently don't know what they're talking about.
I just brought up Michael Hastings' death in a conversation yesterday - I think that, more important than the death itself, the lesson to be learned from this incident is how many "non-tinfoil hat" types who would have just rolled their eyes before are now willing to entertain the notion that he was assassinated by our own govt.
Before, this would be the point where I say, "my guts tells me it was just.." Now, my gut tells me to just sit back and wait for what comes of it.
I've lost all trust of my govt. and believe them capable of pretty much anything. We're living "The Bourne Conspiracy" or whatever other movie you think is more apt.
What's funny is that the "burden of proof" to even open people to the possibility of an alternative explanation is so much higher than that required to prove the "official story" (i.e. none for the latter).
As a result, the "official story" almost always stands because it doesn't require evidence. Even if that story makes zero sense whatsoever, people don't tend to consider that there could even be an alternative explanation, unless such an explanation can be exhaustively detailed and proven.
Here's a story about an FBI FOIA document that included the language, "planned to engage in sniper attacks against protestors in Houston, Texas, if deemed necessary." The plotters names are redacted but seems rather disturbing-
His wife also said: "I have no doubt that he was pursuing a hot story. He always had five hot stories going, I mean, that was Michael."
And: "Right now the LAPD still has an active investigation ... my gut here is that it was just a really tragic accident and I'm unlucky in the world, the world was very unlucky
Yeah I'll go with the "gut" feeling of someone who couldn't possibly have been pressured by anyone to say anything in particular when she goes on a TV show that will be seen internationally.
"That revelation is important because Jose, an employee of ALSCO a nearby business, and a witness to the accident told KTLA/Loud Labs (Scott Lane) the car was traveling at a high rate of speed and he saw sparks coming from the car and saw it explode BEFORE hitting the tree."
This is pure conspiracy here. Unless it was like two blocks from where the car crashed, I have to take this comment with a grain of salt. Plus, they don't say how far they thought it was before it hit the tree.
I love conspiracies, but I've grown weary to think EVERYTHING has to be one if someone was investigating the government.
And if he was not assassinated by the government, then this whole thread is just providing a distracting side show when there's a real known issue out there that kills thousands.
The timing in the video doesn't indicate the car's speed at the time of impact because that calculation assumes his speed was constant. If he was accelerating or decelerating all those calculations are invalid.
[+] [-] salimmadjd|12 years ago|reply
1: > "By using the video and the distance traveled (195 feet) as well as the seconds that lapsed prior to the explosion – in his opinion, the car was traveling roughly 35 mph."
2: > "The pre-explosion could possibly explain the flash of light on the video that preceded the appearance of the car in the video. The pre-explosion and slower speed could also explain the minimal damage to the palm tree and the facts the rear tires rested against the curb. It also provides an explanation for the location of the engine and drive train at more than 100 feet from the tree impact area."
Also remember his body was cremated without permission [1] making this whole incident rather suspect.
[1] http://www.inquisitr.com/856084/michael-hastings-cremated-ag...
[+] [-] dram|12 years ago|reply
Michael Krikorian observes that Hastings' car was going at least twice as fast as the other cars in the video. He estimated that the car was travelling at least 80 mph.
And the video from Loudlabs' clearly shows Hastings' car speeding through a red light prior to the crash.
And in the Krikorian article, a special effects expert said the bright flash of light could be due to the auto exposure of the camera causing the explosion to look bigger than it actually was. The "pre-explosion" appears to be the car hitting the 30" x 2' wide metal protusion for a water main between the curb and the tree.
And the expert noted that a bomb would blow the car and engine upwards and not forwards.
http://whowhatwhy.com/2013/07/14/the-michael-hastings-wreck-...
[+] [-] dram|12 years ago|reply
Although I'd never heard the story about Charles Colson, the Special Counsel to President Nixon ordering to kill Jack Anderson, a pioneer in investigative journalism. They considered dosing his steering wheel with LSD among other things but were stopped when they were arrested for the Watergate burglary- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Anderson_(columnist)#Targe...
In 2008, President Bush gave Mr. Colson the Presidential Citizens Medal for all the good work he did after prison.
Who'd believe that a White House lawyer would order CIA agents to kill a famous journalist if those involved hadn't confessed to it under oath?
[+] [-] AJ007|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] j_baker|12 years ago|reply
As Anderson put it, “None of this happens without the speed.”
So now that we've got evidence the speed wasn't so high, what does that mean for the investigation?
[+] [-] tptacek|12 years ago|reply
And anyways, what's weird is that since then I've driven past two horrible vehicle fires. One was on the west side of Chicago, a high-end Lexus on the side of the road roaring with flames as if someone had thrown a grenade into it. The other was a semi driving on the inbound Ike --- driving lazily across 4 lanes of traffic while burning so violently that little flaming chunks of it were flying off it and bouncing off the road in front of me, so hot that it was actually uncomfortable to drive past it (what else do you do?) even with the windows shut and the AC on.
The people who say it's implausible for routine circumstances to cause a car to burn violently don't know what they're talking about.
[+] [-] jmadsen|12 years ago|reply
Before, this would be the point where I say, "my guts tells me it was just.." Now, my gut tells me to just sit back and wait for what comes of it.
I've lost all trust of my govt. and believe them capable of pretty much anything. We're living "The Bourne Conspiracy" or whatever other movie you think is more apt.
[+] [-] unclebucknasty|12 years ago|reply
As a result, the "official story" almost always stands because it doesn't require evidence. Even if that story makes zero sense whatsoever, people don't tend to consider that there could even be an alternative explanation, unless such an explanation can be exhaustively detailed and proven.
[+] [-] dram|12 years ago|reply
http://whowhatwhy.com/2013/06/27/fbi-document-deleted-plots-...
[+] [-] eli|12 years ago|reply
And: "Right now the LAPD still has an active investigation ... my gut here is that it was just a really tragic accident and I'm unlucky in the world, the world was very unlucky
[+] [-] APoliteRequest|12 years ago|reply
That said there is no doubt what Hastings was working on would touch many in the tech community.
[+] [-] j2d3|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] northwest|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] at-fates-hands|12 years ago|reply
This is pure conspiracy here. Unless it was like two blocks from where the car crashed, I have to take this comment with a grain of salt. Plus, they don't say how far they thought it was before it hit the tree.
I love conspiracies, but I've grown weary to think EVERYTHING has to be one if someone was investigating the government.
[+] [-] lamontcg|12 years ago|reply
Assassinated by the government is definitely a zebra
Driving recklessly because of PTSD from being in a war zone is going to be the horse in this situation:
http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-05-05/national/39048...
And if he was not assassinated by the government, then this whole thread is just providing a distracting side show when there's a real known issue out there that kills thousands.
[+] [-] dangero|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] losethos|12 years ago|reply
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