The News Thread

Topic

Replies

Anonymous wrote:

Al-x wrote:

I intend to get a map of the area

You are aware of google maps?

 

https://www.google.com/maps

 

It’s all there.

Arjan… fellow

I know you aren’t an @$$hole to quote me out of context but…

You can’t see the map I posted?

I was stating the obvious that geography is not a strong point ins the States 😂

I won’t pick on Al’s geography too much because when I was in school most stuff east of Berlin was called USSR. I left school around the time the Soviet bloc started collapsing and had no idea a lot of these places even existed.

I got given a geography quiz in work where as a global team bonding thing we had to match countries to the map. I got Asia and Americas better than Europe.

Al-x wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Al-x wrote:

I intend to get a map of the area

You are aware of google maps?

 

https://www.google.com/maps

 

It’s all there.

Arjan… fellow

I know you aren’t an @$$hole to quote me out of context but…

You can’t see the map I posted?

I was stating the obvious that geography is not a strong point ins the States 😂

But google maps is all you need. It is better than looking up random jpegs that show maps.

 

(I wasn’t teasing Al for not knowing the geography, I know Europe and Asia very well but I can’t get all the Caribbean nations right or some African I mess up.)

Anonymous wrote:

Todd wrote:

The whole thing smacks of desperation and feels rushed.

Besides, it’s just a requel. I hope they give the audience what was hinted at in the old series.

Nukes.

Close enough: Chernobyl radiation levels increase 20-fold after heavy fighting around the facility

1 user thanked author for this post.

[DavidM]

[Deleted my reply to a post that I can no longer see, so I don’t know what happened there. I seem to be hallucinating things to argue against ]

• This reply was modified 2 years, 9 months ago by DavidM.

Todd wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Todd wrote:

The whole thing smacks of desperation and feels rushed.

Besides, it’s just a requel. I hope they give the audience what was hinted at in the old series.

Nukes.

While the older generations may like that, that’s ratings poison with the coveted 18-34 year old demographic. That age group is the primary target for advertisers. Honestly, I don’t think this is doing well with the coveted demographic already.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/27/vladimir-putin-puts-russia-nuclear-deterrence-forces-on-high-alert-ukraine

2 users thanked author for this post.

Sean Robinson, Todd

This is relatively “civilized”

“Civilized”
pic.twitter.com/AiU7uVmjMr

— Imraan Siddiqi (@imraansiddiqi) February 26, 2022

The rest:

"European" "civilized" unlike those brown people? 🤦‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/qmf1y6tE3R

— 🥀_Imposter_🕸️ (@Imposter_Edits) February 27, 2022

What if I told you Europe is not a continent by defintion, but a geopolitical fiction to separate it from Asia and so the alarm about a European, or civilized, or First World nation being invaded is a dog whistle to tell us we should care because they are like us.

— Ida Bae Wells (@nhannahjones) February 27, 2022

3 users thanked author for this post.

Todd, DavidM, lorcan_nagle

4 users thanked author for this post.

JRCarter, DavidM, Todd

You got to see some of this to believe it:

https://www.today.com/news/news/actor-annalynne-mccord-defends-viral-twitter-poem-directed-putin-rcna17795

[Al-x]

The guy actually said in the video: This is not Africa… These are Europeans!

Here’s another beauty pic.twitter.com/VyDdulhtAk

— sphamandla zungu (@sphazungu) February 28, 2022

• This reply was modified 2 years, 9 months ago by Al-x.

https://www.jpost.com/international/article-699098

“Putin is not the Russian president as he came to power as the result of a special operation of blowing up apartment buildings in Russia, then violated the Constitution by eliminating free elections and murdering his opponents.”

I am always wary of any claims as ‘news’ but after digging into many varied reports and sources I believe this is true.

Not many people know it but as mayor of Moscow Putin blew up a residential apartment block and blamed it on Chechen terrorists. The reason we know is rather farcical, the federal rather than Moscow authorities stopped a car with explosive materials on board at the same time a building blew up, they were Putin’s Moscow operatives who claimed they were doing safety drills and it was a coincidence, even though the explosives used, on the same day, were exactly the same. There was a paper trail pointing to it.

Buoyed by the response to the ‘atrocities’ he rose to national prominence and power and yes I know this is a ‘false flag’ accusation but unlike most it is backed up by documents within Russia itself. Maybe echoes of now where we can see all his planning theoretically in the Ukraine assault but then video on the ground shows tank drivers run out of petrol and lost.

 

3 users thanked author for this post.

Chris D, Todd

[Al-x]

More from Noah:

Trevor Noah Speaks

pic.twitter.com/foqzKi5J7X

— A king does not take orders…𓋹  (@AlHaill_King) March 2, 2022

——

Then there is this link on how African and dark skinned Indian people fleeing Ukraine are treated:

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/02/opinions/ukraine-war-racist-stereotypes-joseph/index.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=news_tab

• This reply was modified 2 years, 9 months ago by Al-x.

[Al-x]

Now the right wants to scrutinize the credentials and academic background of Biden’s appointment to the SCOTUS. She is a black woman, Harvard Law, magna cum laude. She is apparently ultra qualified and yet… I wonder why.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tucker-carlson-wants-see-scotus-033248894.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

https://news.yahoo.com/column-unsubtle-racism-questioning-ketanji-110052009.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

Funny, the right never challenged the 3 appointed by Trump. They didn’t even want to get deeply into the alleged date rape by Kavanaugh in his college years.

On a side note: It is worth repeating that Tr*mp was in the position to usher in 3 to the court. Had Hilary won the election… you know. What might have been…

But so many were fickle and wishy-washy about her, after growing up in the 90’s with the Clintons in the White House.
What can you do? What is done is done.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 9 months ago by Al-x.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Todd

It is entirely appropriate for senators and representatives to want to review the credentials of ANY appointee for the Supreme Court; but it should be done solely for the purpose of determining the nominee’s appropriateness to serve on the Court, not for the purpose of finding an excuse to deny the nomination.

2 users thanked author for this post.

Todd, Al-x

njerry wrote:

the purpose of determining the nominee’s appropriateness to serve on the Court

njerry wrote:

the purpose of finding an excuse to deny the nomination

1 user thanked author for this post.

Todd

Anonymous wrote:

njerry wrote:

the purpose of determining the nominee’s appropriateness to serve on the Court

njerry wrote:

the purpose of finding an excuse to deny the nomination

2 users thanked author for this post.

njerry, Todd

Supreme Court won’t review decision that freed Bill Cosby

Hoo-boy.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Todd

Does this seem like a good idea?

Senate votes to make daylight saving time permanent

Yeah, I can’t imagine why we still have this time change business. I personally believe it is unhealthy. I bet everything from traffic accidents to heart disease is exacerbated by it.

However, the one thing that still gets me is that no one wants to change voting day from Tuesday to Saturday. Tuesday or any work day is never a good day to vote.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Todd

JRCarter wrote:

Does this seem like a good idea?

Senate votes to make daylight saving time permanent

I am all for more daylight.

It always seemed stupid to me to go dark early in the fall/winter when people are out shopping for the holidays and going to parties. It really makes it unsafe.

1 user thanked author for this post.

[Sean Robinson]

I looked it up and for me, if we stay on Daylight time, the Sun would rise at 9:08 am (at the darkest point) and thats not safe for kids, or anyone.
Plus sleep experts agree with an earlier start to sunlight is best for all.

I’m all for skipping the time change, but keep it on Standard time.

Has the added benefit of getting those damned kids out of the swimming pool in the summer at a more decent time (and then I can get to sleep before 9 pm, assuming the brats are OFF MY LAWN!)

• This reply was modified 2 years, 9 months ago by Sean Robinson.

1 user thanked author for this post.

DavidM

I can definitely understand not changing the clocks any more, but yeah, sticking on the “fake” time rather than the actual one is just a bit weird.

First of all, I totally agree with the decision to eliminate the biannual time change that forces us to “Spring forward” in March and “Fall back” in November. It messes with everyone’s body clock and requires me to reset various clocks (alarm, oven, microwave, dashboard) that are not capable of automatically resetting themselves.

From a global standpoint, it would make sense to consistently stick with “regular time” so that we adhere to the already-established time zones that apply virtually everywhere around the world (except for China, the entirety of which has only one time zone regardless of the fact that the country straddles at least five global time zones). But from a purely selfish POV I would rather have more sunlight in the evening than in the morning, which is what I will get from permanent daylight savings time.

I’m curious to see what Arizona will do if this bill becomes law.

Sean Robinson wrote:

I looked it up and for me, if we stay on Daylight time, the Sun would rise at 9:08 am (at the darkest point) and thats not safe for kids, or anyone.

It’s pretty much the same in the UK (which is at the same latitude as Alaska). If we stay on Summer Time then kids walk to school in the dark, and that’s not a good idea. It’s even worse in Scotland.

It’s funny how all these laws are passed by people who live in the south

 

1 user thanked author for this post.

Sean Robinson

I am firmly in the more daylight in the evening camp. More daylight in the mornings is absolutely useless to me.

With more daylight in the evenings, I am more likely to go out and execise after work and if I have to go shopping or run errands, it is so much safer. I have time to be more productive in the evenings after I get home from work. When it is dark early, so many things have to wait for the weekend which means less time to relax.

As I said above, it is more dangerous during the holidays, especially December, when it is dark early. So many people are out Christmas shopping and going to parties increases the potential for crime and accidents.

Extra daylight in the evenings is definitely the way to go.

1 user thanked author for this post.

njerry

njerry wrote:

First of all, I totally agree with the decision to eliminate the biannual time change that forces us to “Spring forward” in March and “Fall back” in November. It messes with everyone’s body clock and requires me to reset various clocks (alarm, oven, microwave, dashboard) that are not capable of automatically resetting themselves.

From a global standpoint, it would make sense to consistently stick with “regular time” so that we adhere to the already-established time zones that apply virtually everywhere around the world (except for China, the entirety of which has only one time zone regardless of the fact that the country straddles at least five global time zones). But from a purely selfish POV I would rather have more sunlight in the evening than in the morning, which is what I will get from permanent daylight savings time.

I’m curious to see what Arizona will do if this bill becomes law.

True…

You ever left work at 5pm that first Monday in November after “Fall Behind”? You leave the building and it is almost pitch black outside and you say to yourself that you have to put up with it until next Spring.

On the other hand, in the Summer months when it is 6-630 pm and there is still light outside…that feels good.

Being entitled Murricans, we’ll all demand permanent DST until next December, when our kids are walking to school in darkness because the Winter Solstice sunrise will be at 8:17am (at least in the northeast). Then we’ll demand…..um….something…

DavidM wrote:

Sean Robinson wrote:

I looked it up and for me, if we stay on Daylight time, the Sun would rise at 9:08 am (at the darkest point) and thats not safe for kids, or anyone.

It’s pretty much the same in the UK (which is at the same latitude as Alaska). If we stay on Summer Time then kids walk to school in the dark, and that’s not a good idea. It’s even worse in Scotland.

It’s funny how all these laws are passed by people who live in the south

 

I don’t know. In the depths of December (in the south) I went to and came back from school in the dark because we had a 30 minute bus ride, which is probably more common nowadays with building big central schools over small local ones. There isn’t enough daylight at winter solstice to avoid that unless they shorten the school day. I think only farmers really care that much about this.

It’s very much a matter of personal opinion in some ways and I will blow Al’s mind now that ‘In Europe’ in mid June I went into a nightclub at 10.30pm and came out at 3.30am and missed the night completely. Light when I went in and out to the birds’ dawn chorus.

1 user thanked author for this post.

DavidM

garjones wrote:

It’s very much a matter of personal opinion in some ways and I will blow Al’s mind now that ‘In Europe’ in mid June I went into a nightclub at 10.30pm and came out at 3.30am and missed the night completely. Light when I went in and out to the birds’ dawn chorus.

Summer in Ireland: I remember heading to the local pub in a small west Mayo town around 8pm, leaving around 9:30 to run to the beach to take sunset photos, then heading back to the pub before Last Call. SUNSET AT 9:30PM!!

1 user thanked author for this post.

Todd

njerry wrote:

garjones wrote:

It’s very much a matter of personal opinion in some ways and I will blow Al’s mind now that ‘In Europe’ in mid June I went into a nightclub at 10.30pm and came out at 3.30am and missed the night completely. Light when I went in and out to the birds’ dawn chorus.

Summer in Ireland: I remember heading to the local pub in a small west Mayo town around 8pm, leaving around 9:30 to run to the beach to take sunset photos, then heading back to the pub before Last Call. SUNSET AT 9:30PM!!

Sure it was a grand stretch, wasn’t it?

1 user thanked author for this post.

njerry

MUTINY ON THE HIGH SEAS!

Not really, but it got your attention

P&O Ferries told staff on a ship that they were being made redundant effective immediately. So the captain raised the gangplank and the staff are all refusing to leave.

(Should this be in the “weird” news thread?)

Gary Jackson, a fulltime officer onboard the Pride of Hull, said crew docked in Hull were informed they had lost their jobs through a pre-recorded message at 11am and had not received anything in writing from the company.

“We’ve still not received any detail further on what they will offer. We can see from the ship two vans, one with agency staff and the other with what we believe are security staff to remove us… and that’s why the captain here lifted the gangway”.

East Hull Labour MP Karl Turner said “new foreign crew [are] waiting to board the Pride of Hull” while the current crew onboard have begun a “sit-in”.

Keith Davis was on the Pride of Hull to fix a piece of kitchen equipment, and said he and eight fellow contractors were now stuck on board after the captain lifted the gangway.

“We’re being held against our will, I’m not trying to be dramatic, but we can’t get off the ship,” Mr Davis said.

3 users thanked author for this post.

Dave, lorcan_nagle, Todd

DavidM wrote:

Keith Davis was on the Pride of Hull to fix a piece of kitchen equipment

I bet he’s getting a sinking feeling.

1 user thanked author for this post.

DavidM

lorcan_nagle wrote:

Sure it was a grand stretch, wasn’t it?

True for ya! You know yerself.

1 user thanked author for this post.

lorcan_nagle

Blow my mind?

Well, if the “European country” is further up north at a higher latitude, it stands to reason that sunset etc. would be different.

And they would be hours ahead of me in a different time zone. I must keep that in mind when I call someone overseas.

No surprise really😀

1 user thanked author for this post.

garjones

Back on the subject of permanent DST:

Permanent daylight saving time? America tried it before … and it didn’t go well

1 user thanked author for this post.

DavidM

Al-x wrote:

Blow my mind? Well, if the “European country” is further up north at a higher latitude, it stands to reason that sunset etc. would be different.

Just teasing Al after you mentioned light until 6.30pm.

Yeah the UK is significantly further north than most of the USA. I always used to imagine that London was on a similar latitude to New York because of somewhat comparative weather but in fact NY is in line with Madrid in Spain.  I didn’t realise the daylight patterns in northern Europe are so different to most of the world until a friend of mine had a cousin visit from South Africa one summer and he kept looking up to the sky stunned by the fact that the sun was still so high in early evening.

In very rare circumstances you can even see the northern lights in southern Britain.

JRCarter wrote:

Back on the subject of permanent DST:

Permanent daylight saving time? America tried it before … and it didn’t go well

from what I’ve read, most experts think switching to permanent standard time would be much better for people. Which does make some sense to me. With permanent DST the sun won’t rise until close to 9 am in some places during winter months. Waking up when it’s still dark out is hard for some people. Makes them feel like they didn’t get enough rest.

I’m not sure I personally care one way or the other, though, I just want to choose one and stop with the clock changing nonsense.

Chris D wrote:

With permanent DST the sun won’t rise until close to 9 am in some places during winter months.

This is a very valid point. While I love the later sunsets of DST, I think going back to permanent Standard Time makes more sense for the US domestically and globally.

But what do I know?!

News Thread so…

Fox News – the talking heads there like Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham, always have something to say as a cutting soundbite to make the headlines and social media. It is a lot like trolls in the comments section who post something to rain on the parade, and cause a ruckus.

They love to pick on AOC, black athletes (Shut up and dribble), engage in culture wars with entertainers like Cardi B, Beyonce, and now they want to pick on the black Harvard educated female judge Biden wants in SCOTUS.

I get their excrement sometimes and GOP stupid stuff on what Marjorie Taylor Greene, Boebert, and the rest. I just move on. In fact, I figured out the remote control parental blocking so I blacked out Fox News channels so I can’t even catch a glimpse channel surfing.

As for trolls, you don’t have enough time to answer and tell off every post you see. Pick your battles and ignore the rest for your mental health and well being.

And adjust your feed on any social media platform.

2 users thanked author for this post.

DavidM, JRCarter

So much for the “free” market.

Inside Nickel’s Short Squeeze: How Price Surges Halted LME Trading – Bloomberg

Cancelled Nickel Trades on the LME – YouTube

The LME made a near-unprecedented decision. It decided to cancel all the trades that took place on Tuesday morning—$3.9 billion of them, according to a Bloomberg calculation. Exchanges sometimes cancel trades when technology glitches or “fat fingers” cause one-off mistakes. But it’s extremely unusual for an exchange to cancel whole sessions of trading after the fact. Crucially, the decision meant traders wouldn’t need to pay margin calls on the basis of the $80,000 nickel price. Effectively, it rewound the market to the moment when prices closed on Monday at $48,078.

—

For the LME, the future is unclear. Some think this could herald the end of the exchange itself. “The LME is now very likely going to die a slow, self-inflicted death through the loss of confidence in it and its products,” predicted Thompson in a tweet. Still, the LME has weathered numerous scandals before in its 145-year history, from a 1985 crisis in the tin market that caused many brokers to go out of business to the incident when a trader at Sumitomo hid more than $2 billion in losses.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Todd

Who thought this was a good photo op? pic.twitter.com/AAQjLh3WrQ

— chris evans (@notcapnamerica) March 23, 2022

1 user thanked author for this post.

Sean Robinson wrote:

I looked it up and for me, if we stay on Daylight time, the Sun would rise at 9:08 am (at the darkest point) and thats not safe for kids, or anyone.
Plus sleep experts agree with an earlier start to sunlight is best for all.

I’m all for skipping the time change, but keep it on Standard time.

Has the added benefit of getting those damned kids out of the swimming pool in the summer at a more decent time (and then I can get to sleep before 9 pm, assuming the brats are OFF MY LAWN!)

Fuck you, grandpa, I want to hang out in the park drinking late in the evening!!! Daylight savings time all the way!!!

7 users thanked author for this post.

Rocket, Sean Robinson, DavidM, Martin Smith, garjones, Al-x, Todd

Having no kids I have no definite knowledge but secondary knowledge(friends and relatives) tell me kids don’t walk to school much. I once worked at a school and at that time grade 2 children were kept at the school until they boarded a bus or were picked up. Walking alone in the dark was never a worry.

But in USistan the dark is full of guns.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Sean Robinson

Anonymous wrote:

But in USistan the dark is full of guns.

…but that’s okay, because the Grade 2 kids are carrying guns too.

2 users thanked author for this post.

Sean Robinson

I think generally kids walk to school much less than when I was younger. There always seem to be stories about parking chaos on the school run that didn’t seem to exist when I was a kid. In fact ‘school run’ is something I only heard of later.

Mine walk to school but the school is literally opposite my house, I can see out of the window now.

[DavidM]

It’s true that many parents drive their kids to school now (it was very rare when I was at school).

Part of the the reason for it is that school admissions processes have changed. It used to be that you were assigned to the school closest to you, and that was that, there was no choice in the matter.

Now, schools compete for pupils, the way universities do. My niece got glossy prospectuses and went to visit high schools from a vast catchment area before choosing her high school. (Great use of limited school budgets, by the way. Marketing is so much more important than educational materials.) Consequently she travels much further than she needed to, or than she would have done if she were from our generation.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by DavidM.

2 users thanked author for this post.

Arjan Dirkse, Todd

Here we mostly go to school on bikes, as it is a very popular vehicle to do anything really. When I was a little kids my mom brought me to school on a bike with a kid’s seat, later I had my own bike.

 

[Sean Robinson]

I guess it’s universal that kids get a ride to school. Here with the housing market forcing young families out, your kids are registered for the year in a certain area (and by a certain date). Sell your house? That’s fine, your kids still go to the same school until the end of the school year, does not matter on the commute (and you will get them to school on time every day).

I’ll play the ‘old man’ card again and say what skills can you learn from getting a ride?
My organizational skills stem from avoiding bullies. ‘You’re dead after school, Robinson!’ had me well prepared to know exactly what needed to be done before I left, what books I’m taking home, and be one of the first to leave school grounds walking, never running.
Morning skills came from getting ready during commercials, and second commercial break in Scooby-Doo was shoes on and out door (except that time when Batman was on, like, WTF is this!…)

Other life skills stem from the trip being uphill, both ways (sounds weird, but I can show anyone that visits, I swear), taking your sister with you when she started going (and she had to walk in every ditch and puddle with those new boots) and ensuring she was safe and on time.

I am sticking to my story (safety in the mornings), but yeah, not like it used to be, and school zone drop-offs should be holy ground at any time of the year.
Best to put forth a better argument as “Kids! Danger!” will get ripped apart.
But you cannot find a sleep expert that likes the idea. Morning light wakes you up (some are very affected by this), and an hour or two of darkness before bedtime is huge for quality sleep.

Using Time and Date.com

Vancouver – 9:07 am December sunrise? so you can get a 5:21 sundown? Not worth it.
9:21 pm sundown, with a ‘civil twilight’ of 10:05? Damned kids can only get up to no good.

Renfrew – 9:47 am…, and whatever I was going to say is lost staring at the numbers. Ouch. ‘Randomly’ picked another city (dad was born there), but I’ll leave it alone.

Sleep Experts Recommend Permanent Standard Time, Rather Than DST
(just randomly grabbed an article from “Sleep Experts DST” search)

“standard time, for so many scientific and circadian rationales and public health safety reasons, should really be what the permanent time is set to,”

My prediction? We’ll go all in on DST and see a year and a half of fighting, crying, whining. Then it’s either change back (60%) or all in on ST (40%, but that ensures ‘revisiting the matter at some point)

• This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Sean Robinson.

2 users thanked author for this post.

DavidM

DavidM wrote:

It’s true that many parents drive their kids to school now (it was very rare when I was at school).

Yeah, at around 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM here, traffic is crazy anywhere near a school because they were designed with buses in mind and today it is all cars and SUVs dropping the kids off and picking them up. You’d think it would be easier since cars are smaller but a bus can carry like sixty kids so that means about 40-60 cars taking up the space designed for one bus.

And there still are buses at that time too. Whenever I see a bus, I think it is most likely for a church school or some other private school, but obviously public schools still use them.

However, you see this a lot in transportation. The reason trains and buses were used is obvious, but now everything seems to be going for more individualized use which naturally is incredibly wasteful, inefficient and adds time and difficulty.

I think we can see this sort of “dumber is preferred” philosophy at the heart of much of the “innovation” in things like crowdsourced labor or various technological platforms as well. People perceive a “user-friendly” advantage that also comes with a lot of hidden disadvantages overwhelming everything else. Uber, Lyft, various delivery services are increasingly becoming less feasible than the taxis or individual delivery businesses they seek to replace and often due to similar conditions that led to the origin of traditional taxi services and delivery positions.

It’s like someone asked “what can we do to improve this (blank)?” and then answered with “we could make it more difficult, expensive, inefficient.” You know, like Elon Musk.

4 users thanked author for this post.

DavidM, Sean Robinson, Ben

[Al-x]

tbh, They really shouldn’t bother to even go if they will treated like that…

You want us to help people who hate and fear us? Tf we look like, X-men? pic.twitter.com/t2oUkmL7DQ

— Garco (@garcoxgang) April 1, 2022

• This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Al-x.
• This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Al-x.

2 users thanked author for this post.

Todd, JRCarter

That headline almost seems like a crazy April fools joke. It is on there, but it is a quote from a volunteer about living in Ukraine and not specifically about dealing with refugees.

Diversity and Inclusion (peacecorps.gov)

Volunteer Voices: “’People of color’ face many challenges living in Ukraine, as a Peace Corps Volunteer. However, African-Americans will confront far more complicated issues. For modern parts of Ukraine, African-Americans are part of the community and day-to-day life. However, there are many Ukrainians who have never seen a Black person before. Their understanding of African-American culture is fueled by the media and African stereotypes. You will generate lots of interest and curious stares.

So, these stares can make you uncomfortable and annoyed. Ukrainians’ initial perception of you may be that you are from Africa; it may not. It does help if they understand that you are an American, and the training in PST will help you consider ways that you will engage with these assumptions.”

“It is not uncommon for Ukrainians to refer to African-Americans as “[N-Word]”. Volunteers of color may be called ‘a monkey’ or may see children’s games with Blackface. Being aware of the history of dehumanization for people of African descent may help inform where this comes from; it does not justify it. It will be at your discretion to determine the intent. No matter the intent, staff recognizes the impact that hearing that word may invoke hurt and anger. If you view it as unlearned [something the person has never been exposed to], it may be an opportunity for you to educate that person. We are here to support your successful service, and these comments and images can be a huge distraction and obstacle to you. Know that Peace Corps staff is here to support and encourage you. Do not hesitate to remove yourself from such situations. You are not expected to be subjected to such treatment. You can also find support and understand from other African-American Peace Corps Volunteers serving in Ukraine.”

Also on the same web page:

Volunteer Voices: “Transgender volunteers are recommended to not disclose their gender identity to host country nationals and INFORM ONLY the Country Director and Peace Corps Medical Officer among Peace Corps staff. For those who are already medically transitioning, the Peace Corps medical team is very willing to assist and will continue your hormone replacement therapy. For transgender individuals who have been on their journey for long enough to feel comfortable passing, it CAN BE easy to blend into the culture.

At the same time, I am leery of saying blend into the culture because I don’t think many PCVs blend into the culture, maybe we blend in as a typical American?

Some gender non-conforming Volunteers on the transgender spectrum OR TRANSGENDER VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE EARLY IN THEIR JOURNEY may face similar issues to gay and lesbian volunteers as well as Volunteers of color due to the fact that for most Ukrainians, this is their first experience with someone with this identity.”

2 users thanked author for this post.

Todd, Al-x

Some backwards Ukrainians use the n-word, no shit. Did people expect all of them to be as p.c. as liberal Americans and Western Europeans? That’s more idiotic than the people that expected Iraqis to embrace Western liberalism.

 

Just because some Ukrainians use bad words like that, and don’t support gay marriage, doesn’t mean that they all do, and that no Ukrainian is deserving of aid.

1 user thanked author for this post.

DavidM

If you are black, gay, trans, or part of another marginalized group, why are you always obligated to be the accommodating one?

3 users thanked author for this post.

DavidM, Ben, lorcan_nagle

If you get it, you get it. If you don’t, you don’t.

2 users thanked author for this post.

Rocket

Hey, maybe Putin attacked Ukraine because they weren’t sufficiently supportive of BLM.

Arjan Dirkse wrote:

If you get it, you get it. If you don’t, you don’t.

Then again, They don’t have to go and help.
Who really needs who?

Something like the blacks in the South in the 50s.
They did not have to ride the bus.
So they boycotted it for a year, the bus company almost went broke and conceded to accommodate black people.

Al-x wrote:

Who really needs who?

Honestly I’m not sure. American contemporary culture is a pest. Maybe it is better if you stay the fuck out.

3 users thanked author for this post.

Rocket

[Al-x]

Arjan Dirkse wrote:

Al-x wrote:

Who really needs who?

Honestly I’m not sure. American contemporary culture is a pest. Maybe it is better if you stay the fuck out.

😂😂😂

You are upset at what I said in the other thread about getting it.
For that I apologize. You didn’t deserve that.

Basically, there is a much larger picture, but few are trying to see it all.
They are just picking what they want to see.

So @arjandirkse… Are we good now?

• This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Al-x.
• This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Al-x.

Al-x wrote:

If you are black, gay, trans, or part of another marginalized group, why are you always obligated to be the accommodating one?

In this case, it’s part of the Corps mission to respect the culture of the nations they go to. Also, as the site indicates, they do not condone or expect volunteers to tolerate any racist behavior, and they provide a lot of support including medical for transitioning transgender volunteers. The entire purpose is to avoid conflicts that make the mission more difficult and to prepare volunteers before they are sent to these unfamiliar regions. I think the US military could use more preparation in that regard as well.

However, the Peace Corps’ mission depends on positive outcomes, and even if a person is a tourist in a foreign land, they are going to be expected to make accommodations to the cultures they encounter irrespective of how they identify. There is some truth to the stereotype of the American tourist and it’s not a positive depiction.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Al-x

3 users thanked author for this post.

njerry, Todd, lorcan_nagle

However, again, though, this is not “white people.” It’s the peace corps – a diverse multi-racial and multi-ethnic government agency. And it is a quote from a volunteer that may actually be a person of color and in that quote it also says that the volunteers are not advised or expected to tolerate any racist speech or acts.

What expertise does a sports journalist bring to the subject of aiding refugees, anyway? Would it be better not to prepare volunteers for the reality of the situation?

You don’t get it Johnny. Some Ukrainians have used the n-word, so now all Ukrainians have to starve and suffer and die. Fuck them.

Al-x wrote:

So @arjandirkse… Are we good now?

Oh I don’t take it personally, I just think it’s sad the kind of views your head is filled with.

2 users thanked author for this post.

Rocket

Funny. That’s the same way I feel towards… Never mind.

😂

Arjan Dirkse wrote:

You don’t get it Johnny. Some Ukrainians have used the n-word, so now all Ukrainians have to starve and suffer and die. Fuck them.

Have you considered not being a total fuckwit?

Al-x wrote:

Funny. That’s the same way I feel towards… Never mind.

😂

I can write a new PM with more sources.

lorcan_nagle wrote:

Arjan Dirkse wrote:

You don’t get it Johnny. Some Ukrainians have used the n-word, so now all Ukrainians have to starve and suffer and die. Fuck them.

Have you considered not being a total fuckwit?

I was over the top in that post, but I find the idea that Ukrainians shouldn’t be helped because some of them used the n-word, like was suggested in what Al posted, to be totally beyond the pale. Not every Ukrainian is a racist.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Arjan Dirkse wrote:

lorcan_nagle wrote:

Arjan Dirkse wrote:

You don’t get it Johnny. Some Ukrainians have used the n-word, so now all Ukrainians have to starve and suffer and die. Fuck them.

Have you considered not being a total fuckwit?

I was over the top in that post, but I find the idea that Ukrainians shouldn’t be helped because some of them used the n-word, like was suggested in what Al posted, to be totally beyond the pale. Not every Ukrainian is a racist.

Maybe next tie you should discuss what’s actually being talked about instead of the person you’re making up to be angry about.

2 users thanked author for this post.

Al-x

Regarding the headline, I just find it questionable.

First, it is strange that Zelensky’s picture is on with the headline in both those posts and it is a different picture of Zelensky in each one. Zelensky doesn’t have anything to do with the US Peace Corps so is it implying the President of Ukraine is going around throwing the N-word at African Americans? He’s certainly not an example of an Ukrainian “refugee” as he quite notably stayed in Ukraine.

Second, I can’t actually find a person who wrote the original article or even the original article. Everything looks like a repost.

Third, the article says “as of this morning” the PC website says this, BUT it could have been on there long before the war even started. The Peace Corps has been in Ukraine since 1992.

Fourth, the relevant page also says this:

This page contains personal stories from select Peace Corps Volunteers who served in Ukraine. They represent authentic individual experiences. They do not reflect official guidance of the agency nor the experiences of all Volunteers who serve in the country.

Also, in addition to the likelihood that the actual quote about the “N-word” and racism is from a black volunteer, it also is about “living in the Ukraine” not specifically dealing with refugees (who by definition would not be in the Ukraine), so it increasingly looks like this was advice provided for Peace Corps volunteers who were going to Ukraine long before the conflict.

I can’t verify it, but I think there are actually no Peace Corps still in Ukraine due to the war.

There are currently no Peace Corps Volunteer openings in Ukraine.

So, I’m wary of the real intent behind the post as Russian (and American, to be honest) propaganda is hot in the Internet and news now, and this looks like it is “old news” being posted as if it is new guidance to make the Ukrainians look like Nazis and stir up hostility against them and against the US government domestically.

Arjan Dirkse wrote:

I just think it’s sad the kind of views your head is filled with.

You are telling me?!? No comment.

Anonymous wrote:

What expertise does a sports journalist bring to the subject of aiding refugees, anyway? Would it be better not to prepare volunteers for the reality of the situation?

She is not just a sports journalist. You don’t follow her tweets or her podcasts. Here is a wiki page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jemele_Hill

Johnny…the point being made is that the helpers are supposed to put up with the abuse. It is never about telling the white refugees to show some respect at the very least.

But I am glad that you did post more of the article content.

1 user thanked author for this post.

lorcan_nagle

It’s a tricky area. While we may like to have similar cultural responses and control globally I think the advice has to be realistic.

We should be careful of branding a large geographical area with groupthink but it is known from football crowds that parts of eastern Europe have a racism problem. One that is largely out of ignorance, they are not ethnically diverse areas at all and it’s naive to expect them to have similar responses to places like New York, London or Paris that are. As someone living overseas I know I can try and uphold my values but I don’t get to vote or stand for office or campaign politically, I don’t get to call the shots.

I don’t think it is actually about anyone being advised to accept the abuse but you also have to understand that in a foreign country you have very limited ability to control scenarios as you would at home. Similarly I know in the past British women have been advised that in Italy you have to be wary of bottom pinching, I don’t think that advice is saying they have to accept being sexually harassed but they will face a different set of standards to at home.

6 users thanked author for this post.

Rocket, Dave, lorcan_nagle, Todd, Al-x

I grew up and live in the Houston metropolitan area, which is one of the most ethnically diverse areas in the US. For me, diversity is just normal. I have been to places in the area where I’m very much the minority in that moment but I don’t consider it anything extraordinary. Just about everywhere I go, there is always some form of diversity. That is just the nature of the Houston area.

Many people don’t get exposed to that level of diversity. Many countries are quite homogenous with little actual contact with someone culturally/racially/ethnically different from themselves. Hell, those areas exist in the US! Encountering someone very different from your experience can be a bit of culture shock, especially when all you may know is from television and movies which are not the best source material.

The workers should not accept abuse but at the same time, use this as an opportunity to teach and educate those who may not know better.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Al-x wrote:

Johnny…the point being made is that the helpers are supposed to put up with the abuse. It is never about telling the white refugees to show some respect at the very least.

However, that point is completely not valid as the site actually says that they are not supposed to put up with it. First, it is not the guidance the Peace Corps gives them, it is a quote from a volunteer that worked in Ukraine and no one knows when that volunteer worked there (any time between 1992 and 2014) or if that volunteer was white or a person of color.

On top of this, it is obviously about Peace Corps working in the Ukraine. Not peace corps volunteers working with Ukrainian refugees. It’s a very sketchy article and I don’t think whoever put it out there really intended to inform.

Certainly, if anyone actually looked into it, they could not come to the conclusion that volunteers are “supposed to put up with the abuse” or that they should or should not tell the refugees anything since Ukrainian refugees are not mentioned at all on the Peace Corps site.

Essentially, my problem with the article and the reactions is that there is no substance to either. There are no reports of Peace Corps volunteers being abused by refugees or any indication that the Peace Corps is telling or expecting volunteers to put up with any abuse. I don’t think any reactions are looking past the headline and I do think that whoever put that out there (it seems anonymous to me) is relying on that.

Of course, on top of all this is that it is applying American attitudes of racism on Ukrainians where most of them are descendants of serfs which wasn’t abolished until the late 1800’s (around the same time slaves were freed in the United States, ironically). They didn’t have African slaves in the Ukraine because the serfs did the hard labor and then the Ukraine pretty soon had to endure the Soviet Era and even near genocide by starvation during the holodomor. The same understanding of racism here doesn’t describe or apply to the xenophobia there.

And now this, of course: Bucha: Bodies strewn across street in Kyiv suburb as Ukraine accuses Russia of war crimes | CNN

1 user thanked author for this post.

Todd

Anonymous wrote:

Their understanding of African-American culture is fueled by the media and African stereotypes. You will generate lots of interest and curious stares. So, these stares can make you uncomfortable and annoyed. Ukrainians’ initial perception of you may be that you are from Africa; it may not. It does help if they understand that you are an American, and the training in PST will help you consider ways that you will engage with these assumptions.” “It is not uncommon for Ukrainians to refer to African-Americans as “[N-Word]”

So what they’re saying is that it’s like the American south?

2 users thanked author for this post.

Al-x, lorcan_nagle

Sean Robinson wrote:

Sleep Experts Recommend Permanent Standard Time, Rather Than DST

like this one?

5 users thanked author for this post.

Todd, lorcan_nagle, Al-x, Sean Robinson

garjones wrote:

We should be careful of branding a large geographical area with groupthink

I just want to reiterate this because I think it needs to be reinforced.

I agree with Arjan. I do not know/care if he was doing to aggravate Al or not. I think that deciding whether to volunteer in Ukraine based upon what an Ukrainian will say to me is really stupid. You should do things based on how you feel about things and not how others may react to it. Jemele Hill is a radical imo. The statement “White people are allowed to be awful to us” is stupid, stereotypical, and a bit race baiting. Here’s my example “Al-x is allowed to say whatever he feels like” Al, you say a lot of really stupid shit and impose your view on us and we ignore it because The Carrier is a place where we accept everyone.
Forgive me if this bothers you JR and any other African based individuals here but I think treating you differently than others because you are black is offensive. I try to treat everyone as their own person. As I learn more about you my opinion will change. When I say you I mean “YOU” not what race, financial situation, age, etc….etc…. you happen to be. Personal experience is how i judge people. I am not perfect but usually if I am using a blanket statement it is meant as a joke or to draw out how absurd the topic is.

And Sometimes i get worked up and have to rant against things I am tired of ignoring.

2 users thanked author for this post.

lorcan_nagle wrote:

Have you considered not being a total fuckwit?

lorcan_nagle wrote:

Maybe next tie you should discuss what’s actually being talked about instead of the person you’re making up to be angry about.

lol?

1 user thanked author for this post.

Al-x

Another war, one which doesn’t get a lot of attention:

 

Yemen: two-month ceasefire begins with hopes for peace talks | Yemen

4 users thanked author for this post.

Al-x, Todd, lorcan_nagle

@rocket

Jemelle Hill being a radical is debatable. She moved on from sports journalism to social commentary on podcasts, tweets, writing for The Atlantic, etc. She says things given her own experiences in the country and all that.

As for me, I do get carried away and say stupid sh*t. I always tried it all to spur conversation, and the threads that worked out are still here from MW and what didn’t work got trashed. That approach cost me a lot.

Al-x wrote:

As for me, I do get carried away and say stupid sh*t. I always tried it all to spur conversation, and the threads that worked out are still here from MW and what didn’t work got trashed. That approach cost me a lot.

Don’t let it bother you. We don’t always agree but I don’t dislike you or anything. I really value your contribution to the forum.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Al-x

[Al-x]

On reading JohnnyJoseph’s  material, it was more like giving a fair warning on what they might come across.

But some take it differently, like a Jemelle Hill was like “Here we go again!”

Tbh, those perspectives will never end.

Jemelle Hill wrote a recent article on the”Two Americas” who view that Oscar’s incident so diffferently.

———————————-

As for what to expect, Gareth did post that it is a tricky area, and it is. But it was a fair warning. I have been advised personally when I traveled to be careful etc.

Gareth went on about British women being warned of what might happen in Italy. I tried saying something like that about dance clubs but it came out all wrong. Hit and miss and I missed.

——————————————–

Nice picture of Dr. Mike. He looks good.

How is he these days?

 

• This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Al-x.

Anonymous wrote:

However, the Peace Corps’ mission depends on positive outcomes, and even if a person is a tourist in a foreign land, they are going to be expected to make accommodations to the cultures they encounter irrespective of how they identify. There is some truth to the stereotype of the American tourist and it’s not a positive depiction.

In the 90s I hung out with one American who worked for the peace corps in the Czech Republic. I also stayed at his home in Washington DC when I was in the States. Overall great guy.

 

I think that American tourist stereotype isn’t really fair…as most stereotypes aren’t fair. The American tourists I met when abroad or in Amsterdam were always well behaved, interested in the country they were visiting etc…the single time I had a bad experience with tourists was with Brits in Krakow.

Al-x wrote:

Gareth went on about British women being warned of what might happen in Italy. I tried saying something like that about dance clubs but it came out all wrong.

I think it is okay to understand answers are sometimes difficult.

I watched a doc on Netflix the other day about the Yorkshire Ripper, a serial killer in the late 70s and early 80s who killed women on the streets by hitting them with a hammer over the head. Women at the time were told by police to never walk alone at night and a lot protested that their activities should not be defined by abusive men, which is right, but equally there was a psycho out there with a hammer who is not going to be that open to reason and killed again when he found women alone at night. I was really divided on what the right answer was, there’s an ideal and reality.

It’s not that easy to square the circle but I think the problem you found was saying dressing a certain way invited sexual harassment, that’s not quite the same. There is no evidence to say exposing skin or whatever increases the chances of sexual assault and does intimate the victim is to blame. The Yorkshire Ripper case failed for many years because of assumptions like that, the police concluded with scant evidence that all the victims were prostitutes when they weren’t. In truth the ‘sexiness’ of the women had no relevance at all to who he targeted.

2 users thanked author for this post.

Dave, Al-x

Arjan Dirkse wrote:

I think that American tourist stereotype isn’t really fair…as most stereotypes aren’t fair. The American tourists I met when abroad or in Amsterdam were always well behaved, interested in the country they were visiting etc…the single time I had a bad experience with tourists was with Brits in Krakow.

I think we can all agree that busloads of mainland Chinese tourists are the worst!!

(Actually, I’m currently visiting National Parks and State Parks in Arizona and New Mexico, and it’s a pleasant surprise to NOT see those busloads of Chinese tourists this year, likely due to COVID lockdowns in that country).

PS: I should also point out that my traveling companions on this vacation are four people of Chinese descent, so maybe we’re the annoying stereotypes.

3 users thanked author for this post.

Rocket

Al-x wrote:

Jemelle Hill wrote a recent article on the”Two Americas” who view that Oscar’s incident so differently.

It was an okay article, but the people in those “two Americas” that she mentions by name were all rich and famous. I’d like to live in just one of those Americas. ;)

She does balance that some (hardly at all) by mentioning that broadly opinions are not split along racial lines, but “broadly” I assume refers to the rest of us who are not rich and famous and therefore not worth considering.

Again, though, culture commentators are generally at about the same level as the entertainment press (or sports press) where strict and disciplined journalism is not very high. That was my primary problem with the original article in that it was sketchy, misleading and misinformed and anyone could easily find its errors with a little research.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Al-x

njerry wrote:

I should also point out that my traveling companions on this vacation are four people of Chinese descent, so maybe we’re the annoying stereotypes.

I can clarify that Malaysian Chinese and Hong Kong Chinese hold the same opinion about mainland Chinese tourists.

So it’s definitely not a racist position to hold, just a xenophobic one. 😂

1 user thanked author for this post.

njerry

I’ve just read a report – unverified – that a Russian helicopter pilot travelling to Belarus left his squadron and flew south to surrender to Ukraine.

Ukraine is apparently offering to pay a reward to any Russian who gives them equipment. $500,000 dollars for a helicopter (which is a bargain for them, the Ka-52 costs something around $10 million).

If this is true, it’s such a genius move on the part of the Ukranians. For very little cost you get a pristine piece of hardware you can use, you deny the enemy the use of that hardware (and trained pilot), and perhaps most importantly you get the pilot’s phone so you can call the rest of his squadron and tell them what you’re offering 

 

2 users thanked author for this post.

Todd, njerry

Jemelle Hill has her views on things.

Tbh, the incident and the three are being viewed in more than two ways.

Will Smith is a d*ck and always has been. He refused to stand up for the “Fresh Prince” cast in asking for a cast raise when the ratings were high. He also gave some actors a very hard time on the set of the “Ali” movie among other incidents.

Chris Rock has been taking cheap shots of Jada since 1997. He picks on Black people for laughs feeling that they are safe. He would never make such mean remarks at a Meryl Streep or a DiCaprio.

As for Jada, when Tupac was killed, she was going on and on about him and their friendship making Will mad. Jada is very hard to please, had multiple affairs in their Hall Pass like open marriage etc. Now the guy August Alina wants to cash in with a book and some new song. Apparently, there was no NDA…

Well, they are all human.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Todd

Last year, Christel and I put on Chris Rock’s Netflix special, Tamborine.

We shut it off after a few minutes. He just wasn’t funny. He was going on about his kids and private school. We just did not connect with the material.

I thought his Oscar joke at Jada was so dated and stale. It was a joke I would expect from a 70 year white comedian who was trying to be “hip”.

Todd wrote:

We shut it off after a few minutes. He just wasn’t funny. He was going on about his kids and private school.

At least it wasn’t his divorce.

2 users thanked author for this post.

garjones, Todd

Dave wrote:

At least it wasn’t his divorce.

Divorce from reality, perhaps.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Todd

I say they are all human because they are

Eddie Murphy came on to this light skinned newcomer who had debut part in “Harlem Nights”. She turned down his advances and he had her part recast.

He was also a d*ck to Mel B, the Scary Spice and denied his paternity the baby she had with him.

There are so many other black celebs and sports stars that I can’t stand…

—————

Am I an sjw? No… but…
When Tr*mp wanted to ban TikTok, I quickly joined because he didn’t like it.

Then I found out that before it was full of entertaining dance choreography to hip hop, lip syncing videos and it was fun. Then the next wave of newcomers started stealing dance moves and taking credit for others choreography and cashing in on the stealing with million dollar deals and national tv appearances.

Then came the truthful backlash and controversy, the parallels to what happened with rock and roll, the cultural appropriation thing ie. box braids, etc.

Now it still has entertainment, but the social injustice debates and commentary are all over the place there.

Al-x wrote:

I say they are all human because they are

Yeah of course.

It’s something that whatever community we want to attach ourselves to, be it ethnic or geographic, there are always a mix of great people and dicks and everything inbetween.

Similarly some people defend the police or armed forces in the belief that they are all upstanding and amazing but in every aspect of life that doesn’t happen, you get all shades of morality.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Al-x

garjones wrote:

It’s something that whatever community we want to attach ourselves to, be it ethnic or geographic, there are always a mix of great people and dicks and everything inbetween. Similarly some people defend the police or armed forces in the belief that they are all upstanding and amazing but in every aspect of life that doesn’t happen, you get all shades of morality.

Yes… all shades of morality.

Also: Most of the social injustice arguments is about either highlighting the inconsistencies and double standard, exposing the racist as an @$$hole or having them expose themselves, and get them “canceled”.  And with social media with every tweet, picture, posting, and video all out there, things from years ago are being used to expose the person. Like for example Zoe Kravitz recently.

If you are interested in that area I would highly recommend Jon Ronson’s book “So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed’.

I like his stuff because unlike 99% of non fiction books on society he doesn’t write with an agenda, just tells the individual stories.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/mar/05/so-youve-been-publicly-shamed-jon-ronson-review

2 users thanked author for this post.

njerry, lorcan_nagle

The Russian state news agency would like it known that setting fire to their own flagship was part of a deliberate plan to expand their submarine fleet, so this counts as a success.

5 users thanked author for this post.

Rocket, lorcan_nagle, njerry, Todd

Some weird stuff going on with our state President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and Ukraine. He was going to visit Ukraine along with the presidents of some other countries, but apparently was told he wasn’t welcome (due to him being part of a Russia-friendly policy for years). Which is weirdly undiplomatic given that he’s Germany’s head of state, and there’s been some slightly miffed responses. But now Zelensky’s office is saying they never disinvited him and didn’t even have the info that he was coming, so nobody knows what the hell is going on with this.

Not that anybody should even care. There’s a fucking war going on, I am sure Ukrainian politicians have worse things to worry about than whether they have offended the German head of state.

2 users thanked author for this post.

Rocket, Todd