Interesting News, Articles & Stuff

[pakalolo]

I can accept that. It is not a forum/thread about climate change. But on the other side: when was this thread the last time really only about vaping? Was it ever? I did kind of struggle in the last months to draw the line for myself regarding which topics to talk about here and which not. I also was annoyed by many posts I have zero interest in. For myself I made this rule: I write about vaping (obviously) but also stuff that I can somehow (creatively) link to the slogan "fuck combustion". With the example of climate change it is quite on the nose, I think, as "fuck combustion" would be the most important thing that stops emitting harmful gases and as the world seems to be addicted to oil like I was to nicotine before vaping. My point is: we talk about thousands of topics in the non-vaping threads, and I don't understand why climate change couldn't be one of them. Too controversial? In the science world the basics of human made climate change aren't controversial, at all (only when getting into specifics the discussions are getting heated, e.g. papers are written and powerpoints are shown). Well then we have to ban any posts about the US election for example, as well? I guess it is about the discussion getting out of hand, not about the topic as such, right? So the next time a guy claims climate change is mass hysteria I simply have to shut up about it? Shall we just stick with posting links? Are comments ok? Can we discuss in other threads?

The policy in this thread and any other off-topic subforum is that we do not moderate until the discussion starts to get inflammatory or too repetitive. Let me remind you:

• Rules are interpreted and applied at staff discretion.

The topic here is interesting news and articles. It is not a thread to engage in prolonged debate.

 

[florduh]

Do they not have Google in France?

LAPD officers allowed to carry guns at Paris Olympics after France makes exception

A delegation of 32 LAPD reserve officers and one supervisor are expected to travel to the French capital later this month for the Olympic Games.

www.latimes.com

 

[Madtater]

Rapper Snoop Dogg to carry Olympic torch during its final leg

The Olympic torch has been on a two month relay across France with about 10,000 people selected to carry the flame during the journey.

www.fox61.com

From my local station.

Who would have thought. Was/is a Member of the cryps, beats a murder charge 30 years ago, been smoking weed all his life, is now carrying the torch for the olympics AND is an NBC corespondent for the olympics in paris.

My how things have changed.

 

[vapirtoo]

Yo, I love Snoop, but to be a torch bearer as Ali was is not a good look! IMHO
Ratings I guess, but yeah things have changed, and my 71 yr. old ass ain't ready.

 

[vapviking]

Yo, I love Snoop, but to be a torch bearer as Ali was is not a good look! IMHO
Ratings I guess, but yeah things have changed, and my 71 yr. old ass ain't ready.

Hey, lighten up!
10,000 selected to carry the torch thru France, and one was this Grammy nominated artist, who happened to start his own football league to help at-risk kids. Dozens of them have gone on to the NFL.
Plus his awesome cameos on TPB!
No, he's not a saint, but, hey, nobody's picking on the other 9,999 torch bearers...

 

[florduh]

Yo, I love Snoop, but to be a torch bearer as Ali was is not a good look! IMHO
Ratings I guess, but yeah things have changed, and my 71 yr. old ass ain't ready.

There were probably 71 year olds in 1996 who thought Ali was a draft dodging, anti-American, terrorist sympathizer bringing shame to the Olympics

 

[Madtater]

Yo, I love Snoop, but to be a torch bearer as Ali was is not a good look! IMHO
Ratings I guess, but yeah things have changed, and my 71 yr. old ass ain't ready.

The olympics is all about ratings now.

No longer is it about the spirit of competition between gladiators in sports……….

They have added break dancing as an event this year……

Smh.

 

[vapviking]

The olympics is all about ratings now.

No longer is it about the spirit of competition between gladiators in sports……….

It never was about gladiators, that was the Romans!

 

[Madtater]

It never was about gladiators, that was the Romans!

I was using the term as descriptive, not literal.

 

[vapviking]

I guess I also meant to say it's always been about the ratings, at least since TV started broadcasting the games.

And even more since they've allowed professionals to compete.

 

[EarthworldTim]

I understand that the athletes are very invested and take it very seriously and there's tremendous nostalgia for the games but the Olympics are kind of a joke these days. The IOC is incredibly corrupt and regularly accepts bribes etc. pearl clutching over individual events seems extremely trivial compared to the major issues at hand. The IOC doesn't give a shit about the athletes and they're not trying to pretend they do, it's purely a money grab predicated on the very nostalgia I mentioned. The days of really meaningful athlete stories are behind us imo.

IOC's failures should not be avoided, say Global Athlete

As Paris 2024 kicks off, the impressive broadcasts and crowds will mask a troubling truth: the Olympics fail to truly support athletes or promote glob...

www.insidethegames.biz

https://www.npr.org/2024/07/22/nx-s1-5048559/russia-summer-olympic-paris-team-small-scandal

 

[cybrguy]

The days of really meaningful athlete stories are behind us imo.

Honestly, I can't imagine why you would say that. There are still wonderful athlete stories about individuals and teams climbing their way to the top. Stories about dealing with adversity and dealing with emotional and physical stress and dealing with international rivalries, all of those things still exist and to whatever extent drive the competition forward. Yes, the Olympics has become very commercialized and that should surprise no one. Do you actually imagine that the networks would be putting all of this effort and expense into making these sports visible to people around the world for free? That hasn't ever been true, at least in my lifetime. Networks have always made huge money for putting on the show. And it has to be a show to keep the numbers of people watching that are necessary to keep the ratings up and money flowing. Yes, the Olympics are about a lot more than the athletes, and they always have been. They are also about national pride, for the countries providing the athletes AND the nations sponsoring the event. France has invested over $2 billion in this Olympic week. Imagine the money that tourists spend in Paris when they come for events like this far beyond the cost of tickets to the venues to actually watch the sports taking place. None of this is really new.

 

[florduh]

The days of really meaningful athlete stories are behind us imo.

I think this is true beyond the IOC corruption. Maybe it's different in other countries, but in the US you basically have to be born to rich or well-off parents to even have a shot at becoming an Olympic athlete.

The Olympics reveals inequalities in sports

The 2022 Winter Olympic Games provides a stage for the best athletes from around the world to showcase their talents and often fosters a unique sense of pride in the nations and communities these athletes call home.

thecrimsonwhite.com

I remember seeing this phenomenon when living in LA. There's been a lot of discourse around "nepo babies" in Hollywood. The children of famous actors getting a leg up in the movie industry.

I'm sure that's part of it. But the far more common issue is: only the children of the wealthy get to play this game, at all. Rent in LA is outrageous. If you need to work 40+ hours per week to make rent, you have less time to go to auditions or acting classes than the guy who gets his rent comped by his parents.

The days of some poor kid in Iowa with stars in their eyes loading up their jalopy and heading out to try and make it big in Tinsel Town are long gone.

 

[EarthworldTim]

None of this is really new

The absolutely massive scale and amount of money driving this shit sure isn't the same. When the last meaningful story is about a world class athlete being kicked to the curb for imbibing some cannabis to deal with the anxiety of competing I think there's an issue with the spirit of the games. Michael Phelps is fine and an amazing athlete but I don't give a shit about his record golds and plenty of sports don't have an event for every fractional increase in distance or whatever. They seem to really be trying to avoid stories about the person and only focus on medals medals medals! When Sha'Carri Richardson got banned no one(who carries any weight) gave a shit because she doesn't have medals to her name which is horse shit. Considering there's doping scandals every single time the games happen it sure seems like there's a specific agenda from the IOC to maximize profits and limit scrutiny.

Oh yay, look at this awesome news! It's a fucking joke I swear to god.

https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-announces-olympic-esports-games-to-be-hosted-in-the-kingdom-of-saudi-arabia

 

[Radwin Bodnic]

Do they not have Google in France?

LAPD officers allowed to carry guns at Paris Olympics after France makes exception

A delegation of 32 LAPD reserve officers and one supervisor are expected to travel to the French capital later this month for the Olympic Games.

www.latimes.com

They also hired cops from Qatar.
And every single French cop got his holidays denied because of the olympics.

Paris will reach an unprecedented number of cops (and guns) per square meter during these Olympics.

 

[florduh]

Paris will reach an unprecedented number of cops (and guns) per square meter during these Olympics.

Ok, well if you've never dealt with American cops before, you need to treat them like big, dumb, rabid bears who are looking for an excuse to murder you. Give them a wide berth.

Netanyahu calls out Democratic critics and protesters in speech to Congress, lays out Hamas threats

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to a divided Congress as his support among some Democrats falters.

www.usatoday.com

Every Democrat who showed up to this disgusting farce is a fucking moron. The worst thing Philadelphia ever produced, Bibi Netanyahu, tried this bullshit back in 2012. He wanted Obama (who he liked to call "boy" ) to lose. Just like he wants Kamala to lose.

I'm pretty sure Bibi is more popular in America than he is in Israel. Trump is definitely more popular in Israel than he is here. Maybe they should just switch

 

[CANtalk]

Kim Davis Tees Up Supreme Court to Reverse Marriage Equality Ruling​

In an appeal over damages awarded to a same-sex couple, Davis says the 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges is wrong and should be overruled just like Roe v. Wade.

https://www.jezebel.com/former-country-clerk-kim-davis-asks-appeals-court-to-overturn-marriage-equality-ruling

Billionaire Le Pen-backer stripped of broadcasting licence over ‘fake news’​

Billionaire Le Pen-backer stripped of broadcasting licence over ‘fake news’

Vincent Bolloré’s’ TV channel C8 has been accused of promoting far-Right views

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[florduh]

I wonder how often pigs just murder someone and say it's suicide? The most stunning thing from that video was how calm the murderer sounded after killing someone. Definitely sounded like he thought he was getting away with it

Cop described Sonya Massey shooting as ‘self-inflicted’ in initial dispatch

‘Just to confirm: self-inflicted?’ a police dispatcher asks, to which a voice replies, ‘Self-inflicted’

www.independent.co.uk

I like that we keep moving the most rabid pigs around the country like they're Catholic Priests molesting altar boys, or Orcas that attack trainers at Sea World.

Former sheriff's deputy who fatally shot Sonya Massey held 6 police jobs over past 4 years

Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board records show that Sean Grayson worked three full-time and three part-time jobs over the past four years.

abcnews.go.com

 

[florduh]

Link to the Washington Post story

Pretty amazing that this story is in the MSM

Currently 1/3 of countries on Earth are under US sanctions

60% of poor countries are sanctioned

There is an entire multibillion dollar industry of former US Officials who help foreign oligarchs get around these sanctions

Sanctions are just modern siege warfare. They kill and immiserate regular civilians. These sanctions never accomplish their stated goals of "regime change". Pointless cruelty.

And why the fuck is Cuba under sanctions in 2024, 30+ years after the Soviet Union fell? What has this tiny island ever done to us? Insanity.

 

[cybrguy]

I will not get an extended argument with you about this, but I will say that in almost all cases I would rather use sanctions (economic power) than soldiers to try and get countries to do what the we think they should be doing. Clearly sanctions don't often have the effect we would like them to have, but they allow us to counter the argument that we are doing nothing to stand by our beliefs. Would it be better, for example, to just ignore how women are treated in Iran? Personally, I don't think so. Our sanctions on Iran are not going to change that but we get to make our statement.
Of course, Iran is also sanctioned by us for other reasons, including their support of terrorists, so the message gets muddled. But those are some of the limits of soft power.

 

[vapviking]

Currently 1/3 of countries on Earth are under US sanctions

60% of poor countries are sanctioned

Not gonna ring in on efficacy of sanctions over military, but

The statistics here are indicative of a vast, undue sphere of influence.
They beg questions like, gee, how did we get to be the strongest and wealtiest country on earth?

 

[florduh]

Would it be better, for example, to just ignore how women are treated in Iran?

Yes. Absolutely. Starving those women just means they now have two problems. And, if this accomplishes anything at all, it probably just reinforces the government's message that America is the Great Satan.

It's also pretty funny that you're bringing this up, given that every US President since World War II has gotten down on their knees to suck the Saudi King's cock.

Of course, Iran is also sanctioned by us for other reasons, including their support of terrorists

America not only supports terrorism indirectly. We directly do more terrorism than Iran could ever dream of. Should you and your family be starved and immiserated for decades because Bush killed a million people in Iraq, for example?

Clearly sanctions don't often have the effect we would like them to have, but they allow us to counter the argument that we are doing nothing to stand by our beliefs.

Well. We'll just have to agree to disagree. Cruelty that accomplishes nothing other than "making a statement" seems silly to me.

They beg questions like, gee, how did we get to be the strongest and wealtiest country on earth?

Because we hit the fucking lottery after World War II. We then blew our lead by the 70's and have been in a slow decline ever since, but that's a different story.

 

[Abele Rizieri Ferrari]

in almost all cases I would rather use sanctions (economic power) than soldiers to try and get countries to do what the we think they should be doing.

That's a false dilemma, there's also non aggressive ways for example. Also, @florduh quoted from the article 60% of poor countries are hit by this, there's no way that all these countries are being economically sanctioned as the fairer alternative to military intervention. It's a business, as @florduh also quoted.

 

[florduh]

the fairer alternative to military intervention

I'm also a bit dubious on that theory. We sanctioned the hell out of Iraq for 10+ years and ended up invading them anyway.

Just want to point out: I don't think Iran is a good country. They're not. But the selective moral outrage is silly. Saudi Arabia, the 9/11 and Yemeni Genocide Guys, are allowed to buy the PGA. Qatar hosted the World Cup.

Also, you can draw a direct line from how Iran is now to American policy in the 40's-70's. We helped make this problem in the first place.

It's a business, as @florduh also quoted.

That was the most amazing part of the story to me. Every bit of human misery gets fully monetized in this country.

 

[florduh]

I didn't think my opinion of Elon Musk could possibly be lower, but I was wrong.

Elon Musk’s transgender daughter, in first interview, says he berated her for being queer as a child

In an exclusive interview, Vivian Jenna Wilson said her father’s recent statements, including that she is “not a girl,” inspired her to speak out: “I’m not just gonna let that slide.”

www.nbcnews.com

Elon Musk says he will move companies out of California over trans law

Billionaire says he will relocate headquarters of SpaceX and X to Texas over parental notification law.

www.aljazeera.com

This dipshit claimed he's moving out of California, a State that's given him billions of dollars in welfare, over a new law that forbids teachers from outting students to their parents. And now it comes out that this law is absolutely warranted....because of scumbags like him!

Masterful gambit, sir!