All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[Panfoot]

It really reminds me of that recent situation with a basketball player who dropped the K word during a video game stream. His defense was that "he didn't know what the word meant at the time", which just isn't believable at all. In both cases this isn't a new thing, there is pretty much zero chance you "accidentally" are making an offensive joke, and to pretend otherwise is just insulting.

[Tendrin]

It really reminds me of that recent situation with a basketball player who dropped the K word during a video game stream. His defense was that "he didn't know what the word meant at the time", which just isn't believable at all. In both cases this isn't a new thing, there is pretty much zero chance you "accidentally" are making an offensive joke, and to pretend otherwise is just insulting.

It's not mocking trans people! It's mocking liberals for showing SUPPORT for trans people. IT's COmPLEtEly DiFfERenT.

[Tami]

Get ready for Brood X: The once-every-17-years cicada swarm is coming

In a few weeks, a natural spectacle will take place across much of the United States — one that is not found anywhere else in the world. Billions of cicadas that have spent years patiently growing in complete darkness⁠⁠ will finally emerge, perfectly in sync, for a raucous party in the sun.

It's been 17 years, and the periodical insects, also known as Brood X, are back.

When the world last glimpsed the cicadas, Facebook was brand new, theaters were showing "Spider-Man 2," and the 2004 Summer Olympics were underway.

Since then, they've been underground, eating.

"They're in the dark, they're feeding on roots⁠, just living their best lives until the time is right," said Matt Kasson, an associate professor at West Virginia University who studies cicadas and the fungi that zombify them. "And that's when they decide, you know what, it may be time to go up and find a partner."

Beginning in late April or early May, once the ground is warm enough, billions of Brood X cicadas will be seen across a dozen states⁠, stretching from Illinois to the west, Georgia to the south, and New York to the northeast⁠. The young cicadas, called "nymphs," claw their way out of the ground and climb up to shed their skins one last time and transform into adults. They will have only a few weeks to sing, mate and begin the cycle again.

here are six species of North American periodical cicadas, all in the genus Magicicada. Three species live on a 13-year cycle, and three for 17 years.

[worstblogever]

It really reminds me of that recent situation with a basketball player who dropped the K word during a video game stream. His defense was that "he didn't know what the word meant at the time", which just isn't believable at all. In both cases this isn't a new thing, there is pretty much zero chance you "accidentally" are making an offensive joke, and to pretend otherwise is just insulting.

Ignorance, be it real, feigned, or willful, is not really a defense.

Should it be real in the moment, the healthy thing to be done is apologize and pledge to be better now that you know better.

And that simple process on handling bigotry seems to be eluding a lot of folks. There seems to be more of a dedication to digging in and explaining why the bigoted thing they're saying isn't actually bigotry or that they're in no way a bigot because they said a bigoted thing.

Well, no one would think that if they just apologized, said they would be better in the future, and then delivered on that promise.

It's a wild concept, I know, when instead we can just have wankers going, "bUt CaNceL cUlTuRe!"

[worstblogever]

So I hadn't given much thought to Tulsi Gabbard since she fell out of the presidential race and finished out her term in Congress with a whimper. And I had profiled her for the April Fool's Day CSGOPOTD last year... so I was like, "Wonder what she's up to?"


Well, I saw one Twitter post where she was promoting an online discussion of "cancel culture" she was jointly hosting with former GOP Congressman Trey Gowdy. As in, she was going along with conservative's gripes.

And then I came across this post where she is claiming the United States is using Al Qaeda proxies to fight for us in Syria. Full stop, she claims we now have the people who did 9/11 fighting FOR us. Which is an insane claim that's also the sort of Islamophobia she's been noted for. And the propaganda you'd expect from Bashar al Assad, who she's always been weird about not speaking ill of.

[Tami]

So I hadn't given much thought to Tulsi Gabbard since she fell out of the presidential race and finished out her term in Congress with a whimper. And I had profiled her for the April Fool's Day CSGOPOTD last year... so I was like, "Wonder what she's up to?"


Well, I saw one Twitter post where she was promoting an online discussion of "cancel culture" she was jointly hosting with former GOP Congressman Trey Gowdy. As in, she was going along with conservative's gripes.

And then I came across this post where she is claiming the United States is using Al Qaeda proxies to fight for us in Syria. Full stop, she claims we now have the people who did 9/11 fighting FOR us. Which is an insane claim that's also the sort of Islamophobia she's been noted for. And the propaganda you'd expect from Bashar al Assad, who she's always been weird about not speaking ill of.

Why does she bother associating herself with Democrats? It's clear she is as Republican Red as Ron Johnson and Majorie Taylor Green.

[Hypestyle]

On Medicaid expansion, relief bill leaves red states with no excuses

there should be a class action lawsuit against Mississippi state government if they refuse to accept medicaid. Seriously. the Republicans in charge are beyond reprehensible.

[Hellion]

Ignorance, be it real, feigned, or willful, is not really a defense.

Should it be real in the moment, the healthy thing to be done is apologize and pledge to be better now that you know better.

And that simple process on handling bigotry seems to be eluding a lot of folks. There seems to be more of a dedication to digging in and explaining why the bigoted thing they're saying isn't actually bigotry or that they're in no way a bigot because they said a bigoted thing.

Well, no one would think that if they just apologized, said they would be better in the future, and then delivered on that promise.

It's a wild concept, I know, when instead we can just have wankers going, "bUt CaNceL cUlTuRe!"

Okay, so what, exactly, is the 'K' word?

I'll probably be mocked for this ignorance, but I won't apologize for it. I learn new things related to inclusivity, identity politics, and political correctness all the time, and I feel like I'm barely keeping up with it. There is no "Safe & Inclusive Speech 101" course where I can just absorb all this stuff at once, and I live and work in what is probably the least diverse state in the union, so these topics only really come up once in a blue moon when my job can afford professional development training opportunities.

[worstblogever]

Why does she bother associating herself with Democrats? It's clear she is as Republican Red as Ron Johnson and Majorie Taylor Green.

What party was more likely to get her elected in Hawaii?

[babyblob]

A state representative in Ohio wants to rename a state park for Trump. I just done understand why people are still kissing his ass.

https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/...resident-trump

[CSTowle]

Okay, so what, exactly, is the 'K' word?

I'll probably be mocked for this ignorance, but I won't apologize for it. I learn new things related to inclusivity, identity politics, and political correctness all the time, and I feel like I'm barely keeping up with it. There is no "Safe & Inclusive Speech 101" course where I can just absorb all this stuff at once, and I live and work in what is probably the least diverse state in the union, so these topics only really come up once in a blue moon when my job can afford professional development training opportunities.

It's rhymes with "bike". I first heard of it from controversy over its use in a Michael Jackson song, think it was called "They don't really care about us". In articles I read it was actually mentioned that it had fallen out of use for the most part, and should have remained that way. Not a common one still, but sadly still around.

[Tami]

Okay, so what, exactly, is the 'K' word?

I'll probably be mocked for this ignorance, but I won't apologize for it. I learn new things related to inclusivity, identity politics, and political correctness all the time, and I feel like I'm barely keeping up with it. There is no "Safe & Inclusive Speech 101" course where I can just absorb all this stuff at once, and I live and work in what is probably the least diverse state in the union, so these topics only really come up once in a blue moon when my job can afford professional development training opportunities.

Probably this one, though I'm not certain.

If you want to brush up on what words you probably shouldn't use, Wikipedia has a page for that.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Why does she bother associating herself with Democrats? It's clear she is as Republican Red as Ron Johnson and Majorie Taylor Green.

Let's not forget she's probably still a Russian asset.

[Kirby101]

It is basically the N-word for Jews, I was called it one or two times in my past.

[Hellion]

It's rhymes with "bike". I first heard of it from controversy over its use in a Michael Jackson song, think it was called "They don't really care about us". In articles I read it was actually mentioned that it had fallen out of use for the most part, and should have remained that way. Not a common one still, but sadly still around.

Thank you, wow, so I already knew this one. In the context of previous comments on this thread I thought there was now a 'K' word that was offensive to the trans community and hence my questioning. I appreciate the response. What new things I do learn in regards to PC culture and inclusivity, I commit to memory and do my best to employ whenever I find myself in a social interaction that demands it, but I freely admit there's still a lot a do not know.