The Current Events, News, and Politics Thread
#7602
Lol
1. Find random picture on intardwebz.
2. Use it to make blanket assumptions about 40% of a culture.
3. Further your "us vs. them" agenda?
Last I checked we were all on the same side.
Why do I have such a morbid interest in this thread? And why does Brain have this weird bromance with some random greek guy?
1. Find random picture on intardwebz.
2. Use it to make blanket assumptions about 40% of a culture.
3. Further your "us vs. them" agenda?
Last I checked we were all on the same side.
Why do I have such a morbid interest in this thread? And why does Brain have this weird bromance with some random greek guy?
#7604
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I like Feta cheese. But I'm not sure that I'd really be willing to commit to a serious relationship with it. To be honest, I'm more of a Halloumi man...
But this business of flag burning is starting to grind my gruyère. I mean, "Congress shall make no law" is fairly unambiguous, and the prohibition of one form of objectionable political speech would lay ricotta upon the slippery slope which leads to totalinarianism. Do I respect those who burn the American flag either out of protest or merely cheap shock value? Of course not. But I would not dream of attempting to abridge their right to do so any more than to deny the liberty of those who prefer Kraft to Kashkaval.
As usual, Penn & Teller made the best argument in this matter more than a decade ago.
But this business of flag burning is starting to grind my gruyère. I mean, "Congress shall make no law" is fairly unambiguous, and the prohibition of one form of objectionable political speech would lay ricotta upon the slippery slope which leads to totalinarianism. Do I respect those who burn the American flag either out of protest or merely cheap shock value? Of course not. But I would not dream of attempting to abridge their right to do so any more than to deny the liberty of those who prefer Kraft to Kashkaval.
As usual, Penn & Teller made the best argument in this matter more than a decade ago.
#7605
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germany still has an immigration problem:
German Intelligence Officer Arrested Over Islamist Plot To Bomb Spy Headquarters - Vessel News
German Intelligence Officer Arrested Over Islamist Plot To Bomb Spy Headquarters - Vessel News
German intelligence officer has reportedly been arrested over a suspected Islamist plot to bomb the agency’s headquarters in Cologne.
The 51-year-old official was said to have made a “partial confession” to the plot, according to Der Spiegel.
The suspect attempted to pass on “sensitive information about the BfV (Germany’s domestic security agency), which could lead to a threat to the office”, an official told the newspaper.
“He is accused of making Islamist remarks online under a false name, and offering internal information during chats,” a BfV spokeswoman told AFP.
The suspect has, since April, been engaged in gathering intelligence on the Islamist scene in Germany, Der Spiegel said.
The 51-year-old official was said to have made a “partial confession” to the plot, according to Der Spiegel.
The suspect attempted to pass on “sensitive information about the BfV (Germany’s domestic security agency), which could lead to a threat to the office”, an official told the newspaper.
“He is accused of making Islamist remarks online under a false name, and offering internal information during chats,” a BfV spokeswoman told AFP.
The suspect has, since April, been engaged in gathering intelligence on the Islamist scene in Germany, Der Spiegel said.
#7606
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govt at work:
News from The Associated Press
News from The Associated Press
A Topeka man who answered a Craigslist ad to donate sperm so two women could have a baby together is not legally the child's father and isn't required to provide financial support, a Kansas judge has ruled.
The state Department for Children and Families had not decided as of Tuesday whether it would appeal last week's ruling by Shawnee County District Judge Mary Mattivi. The department sought to force William Marotta to pay child support for the girl born in December 2009.
Mattivi last year required Marotta to submit a DNA sample to confirm that he was the girl's biological father and declared he was not "a mere donor of sperm." But the judge's Nov. 22 ruling concluded that birth mother's former partner should be considered the child's second parent rather than Marotta, in part because he has had minimal contact with the girl.
The state Department for Children and Families had not decided as of Tuesday whether it would appeal last week's ruling by Shawnee County District Judge Mary Mattivi. The department sought to force William Marotta to pay child support for the girl born in December 2009.
Mattivi last year required Marotta to submit a DNA sample to confirm that he was the girl's biological father and declared he was not "a mere donor of sperm." But the judge's Nov. 22 ruling concluded that birth mother's former partner should be considered the child's second parent rather than Marotta, in part because he has had minimal contact with the girl.
#7607
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govt at work:
California targets dairy cows to combat global warming - Story | WNYW
California targets dairy cows to combat global warming - Story | WNYW
California is taking its fight against global warming to the farm.
The nation's leading agricultural state is now targeting greenhouse gases produced by dairy cows and other livestock.
Despite strong opposition from farmers, Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation in September that for the first time regulates heat-trapping gases from livestock operations and landfills.
Cattle and other farm animals are major sources of methane, a greenhouse gas many times more potent than carbon dioxide as a heat-trapping gas. Methane is released when they belch, pass gas and make manure.
"If we can reduce emissions of methane, we can really help to slow global warming," said Ryan McCarthy, a science adviser for the California Air Resources Board, which is drawing up rules to implement the new law.
Livestock are responsible for 14.5 percent of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, with beef and dairy production accounting for the bulk of it, according to a 2013 United Nations report.
Since the passage of its landmark global warming law in 2006, California has been reducing carbon emissions from cars, trucks, homes and factories, while boosting production of renewable energy.
In the nation's largest milk-producing state, the new law aims to reduce methane emissions from dairies and livestock operations to 40 percent below 2013 levels by 2030, McCarthy said. State officials are developing the regulations, which take effect in 2024.
"We expect that this package ... and everything we're doing on climate, does show an effective model forward for others," McCarthy said.
The nation's leading agricultural state is now targeting greenhouse gases produced by dairy cows and other livestock.
Despite strong opposition from farmers, Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation in September that for the first time regulates heat-trapping gases from livestock operations and landfills.
Cattle and other farm animals are major sources of methane, a greenhouse gas many times more potent than carbon dioxide as a heat-trapping gas. Methane is released when they belch, pass gas and make manure.
"If we can reduce emissions of methane, we can really help to slow global warming," said Ryan McCarthy, a science adviser for the California Air Resources Board, which is drawing up rules to implement the new law.
Livestock are responsible for 14.5 percent of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, with beef and dairy production accounting for the bulk of it, according to a 2013 United Nations report.
Since the passage of its landmark global warming law in 2006, California has been reducing carbon emissions from cars, trucks, homes and factories, while boosting production of renewable energy.
In the nation's largest milk-producing state, the new law aims to reduce methane emissions from dairies and livestock operations to 40 percent below 2013 levels by 2030, McCarthy said. State officials are developing the regulations, which take effect in 2024.
"We expect that this package ... and everything we're doing on climate, does show an effective model forward for others," McCarthy said.
#7612
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Do Conservatives Really Give More to Charity Than Liberals? A Powerful Anecdote Fuels Debate.
- Although liberal families' incomes average 6 percent higher than those of conservative families, conservative-headed households give, on average, 30 percent more to charity than the average liberal-headed household ($1,600 per year vs. $1,227).
- People who reject the idea that “government has a responsibility to reduce income inequality” give an average of four times more than people who accept that proposition.
- Conservatives also donate more time and give more blood.
One Thing Red States Do Better Than Blue States (INFOGRAPHIC) | The Huffington Post
Republicans Most Generous People In The World, Democrats: Not So Much
#7614
Again... I can just about almost re-post my previous comment:
Lol
1. Find random "news" on intardwebz.
2. Use it to make blanket assumptions about 40% of a culture.
3. Further your "us vs. them" agenda.
Quite the pivot from a picture from some idiot on the internet to charitable donations.
And even more lol's for posting basic statistics about something to further your agenda.
Maybe I've been living under a rock, I'm not even sure who us and them are anymore.
Edit: Oops, forgot my overall closing thought: Really, you can post as many media links as you can find, you will never convince me that those American morons out there burning flags and the other American morons worshiping flags and those odd American morons flying the confederate flag are not my fellow countrymen/women (gotta watch out for you sjw's whatever those are ;P). Like it or not, we're on the same team.
Lol
1. Find random "news" on intardwebz.
2. Use it to make blanket assumptions about 40% of a culture.
3. Further your "us vs. them" agenda.
Quite the pivot from a picture from some idiot on the internet to charitable donations.
And even more lol's for posting basic statistics about something to further your agenda.
Maybe I've been living under a rock, I'm not even sure who us and them are anymore.
Edit: Oops, forgot my overall closing thought: Really, you can post as many media links as you can find, you will never convince me that those American morons out there burning flags and the other American morons worshiping flags and those odd American morons flying the confederate flag are not my fellow countrymen/women (gotta watch out for you sjw's whatever those are ;P). Like it or not, we're on the same team.
Last edited by leboeuf; 11-30-2016 at 10:57 AM.
#7615
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Really, you can post as many media links as you can find, you will never convince me that those American morons out there burning flags and the other American morons worshiping flags and those odd American morons flying the confederate flag are not my fellow countrymen/women (gotta watch out for you sjw's whatever those are ;P). Like it or not, we're on the same team.
(Directly relevant): Was someone trying to?
(More generally): Usually, when someone prefaces a statement with "You'll never convince me that..." it's a good indication that the person you are conversing with is an extremist of some type who is not interested in having an open-minded conversation.
I'm not arguing in this instance that flag-burners / flag-worshippers / SJWs aren't my fellow Americans, merely pointing out that I usually expect to hear "You'll never convince me that..." from ultra-conservative Christians who deny evolution, or from 19th century phrenologists trying to explain why slavery is really better for the slaves, or from SJWs arguing that pretty much everything that straight white males do is rape, etc...
Last edited by Joe Perez; 11-30-2016 at 12:30 PM.
#7616
I didn't consider that this thread might exist solely for the purposes of finding like minded individuals... and for Brain to stoke his cynical bonfire.
I suppose when it comes to respect for my co-citizens and secular moderate political views, I could be on the extreme end.
#7619
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I'm also curious about this- I'm not sure if you're saying that you are extremely intolerant of co-citizens with secular moderate political views (eg: you are an evangelical religious extremest liberal), or... ?
#7620
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