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Say Something Completely Random And Off Topic

G g-manMember
@irwin posted:
We can’t get voter registration laws passed, we can’t take any effective climate change action, we can’t stop the 300+ murders per year in Baltimore, or the many other murders elsewhere.
We can’t get people to accept the science relating to vaccines.  But, here is an important action by our federal government.
French dressing is no longer a regulated product name--

noice!

remember how fast freedom fries passed?

that said typical of democracies.  cant focus on one topic.  hard enough to get 5 people to agree on something, let alone 180 million

mneeley490mneeley490Member

I participate in a weekly trivia night at my local pub. A couple weeks ago, one of the rounds was a sheet of paper with 16 "Greatest Hits" album covers pictured, minus the names of the artist or band. They weren't easy, but my team correctly answered 13 out of 16. Far a lark, I thought I'd take it into work and see if my (mostly Gen-Z) co-workers could identify any. To my utter shock, their general reaction was, "What's an album cover?"

S seaquamMember
@mneeley490 posted:

I participate in a weekly trivia night at my local pub. A couple weeks ago, one of the rounds was a sheet of paper with 16 "Greatest Hits" album covers pictured, minus the names of the artist or band. They weren't easy, but my team correctly answered 13 out of 16. Far a lark, I thought I'd take it into work and see if my (mostly Gen-Z) co-workers could identify any. To my utter shock, their general reaction was, "What's an album cover?"

M, I showed this to Sylvia. She’s still laughing! 😆

irwinirwinMember

We used to call the capitol of China “Peking.”  I’m not sure when or why, but for years has been called “Beijing.”  Yet, in a Chinese restaurant one still orders Peking duck.

We used to call the capitol of Ukraine “Kiev.”  Now, they call it Keev. At least that is what it sounds like, and I think it is now spelled Kjiv.  Do they still call it Chicken Kiev?

G g-manMember
@irwin posted:

We used to call the capitol of China “Peking.”  I’m not sure when or why, but for years has been called “Beijing.”  Yet, in a Chinese restaurant one still orders Peking duck.



Maybe if you were from few hundred years ago.  The chinese characters are the same for both, only the pronounciation has changed through the centuries.

One would be a cultural significance the other would be it's current modernization form.

In mandarin, when you order peking duck.  you acutally will say beijing roast duck.

haggishaggisMember
@irwin posted:

We used to call the capitol of China “Peking.”  I’m not sure when or why, but for years has been called “Beijing.”  Yet, in a Chinese restaurant one still orders Peking duck.

We used to call the capitol of Ukraine “Kiev.”  Now, they call it Keev. At least that is what it sounds like, and I think it is now spelled Kjiv.  Do they still call it Chicken Kiev?

Most news reporters seem to say "Keev," which is a mispronunciation.  In Ukrainian, it is more like "Kee-iv."  Not a long Keeeee, but a clipped one.  Or, Keeyiv.  It's hard to write it the way it's pronounced.

That aside, it should be OK to say Kiev.  We don't pronounce "Paris" as they would in France, nor do we say Lisboa for Lisbon, etc., etc.

bmanbmanMember
@haggis posted:

Most news reporters seem to say "Keev," which is a mispronunciation.  In Ukrainian, it is more like "Kee-iv."  Not a long Keeeee, but a clipped one.  Or, Keeyiv.  It's hard to write it the way it's pronounced.

That aside, it should be OK to say Kiev.  We don't pronounce "Paris" as they would in France, nor do we say Lisboa for Lisbon, etc., etc.

Never mind Firenze or Munchen!

R RothkoMember

Surprised by the lack of discussion here about Ukraine.

Lots to talk about, from the fact that this is a European war, to the ineptitude of the Russian ground forces, to the horrific loss of life and general targeting of cities and civilians, to the "bio weapons lab" conspiracy theory, to the US and NATO responses to date, China's role and possible impacts on their Taiwan strategy, etc.

S seaquamMember
@Rothko posted:

Lots to talk about, from the fact that this is a European war, to the ineptitude of the Russian ground forces, to the horrific loss of life and general targeting of cities and civilians, to the "bio weapons lab" conspiracy theory, to the US and NATO responses to date, China's role and possible impacts on their Taiwan strategy, etc.

Looks like there’s so much to talk about that it’s intimidating to the idea of starting a discussion.

Personally, I have not yet finished talking about the pandemic. I’ve got at least a couple more things to say.

billhikebillhikeMember
@Rothko posted:

Surprised by the lack of discussion here about Ukraine.

Lots to talk about, from the fact that this is a European war, to the ineptitude of the Russian ground forces, to the horrific loss of life and general targeting of cities and civilians, to the "bio weapons lab" conspiracy theory, to the US and NATO responses to date, China's role and possible impacts on their Taiwan strategy, etc.

Infuriating and depressing. At this point, I’m hoping for an insider to take VP and his top loyalists out of the picture. That’s one scenario for both ending the madness and keeping other nations from feeling forced to getting involved, beginning an irreversible escalation.

Current world events, as well as things here in the U.S. and climate trends remind me that I’m glad I don’t have children. I can’t imagine the stress of considering the future world they would inhabit.

winetarelliwinetarelliMember

One thing I’ll say…



It is frustrating how little Americans understand about domestic policy. But polling on foreign policy displays a shocking level of basic illiteracy on international relations, recent history, and foreign policy that — regardless of one’s own opinions — anyone with even rudimentary understanding of these things should be deeply alarmed by.

bmanbmanMember
@winetarelli posted:

One thing I’ll say…



It is frustrating how little Americans understand about domestic policy. But polling on foreign policy displays a shocking level of basic illiteracy on international relations, recent history, and foreign policy that — regardless of one’s own opinions — anyone with even rudimentary understanding of these things should be deeply alarmed by.

Why do you think that is?  And education system that teaches history badly if at all?  The ubiquity of news programs pushing extreme agendas and the loyalty of so many to one or more of these sources rather than a spectrum of views?  The fact that so few Americans are well travelled?  A general ignorance of news and current events?

billhikebillhikeMember
@bman posted:

Why do you think that is?  And education system that teaches history badly if at all?  The ubiquity of news programs pushing extreme agendas and the loyalty of so many to one or more of these sources rather than a spectrum of views?  The fact that so few Americans are well travelled?  A general ignorance of news and current events?

Hosers stirring the pot…

winetarelliwinetarelliMember
@bman posted:

Why do you think that is?  And education system that teaches history badly if at all?  The ubiquity of news programs pushing extreme agendas and the loyalty of so many to one or more of these sources rather than a spectrum of views?  The fact that so few Americans are well travelled?  A general ignorance of news and current events?

Maybe some of it all. It just doesn’t permeate discussions in the U.S.  Maybe after the Cold War ended Americans thought they didn’t need to think about it anymore. But it is alarming on multiple levels.

G g-manMember
@winetarelli posted:

Maybe some of it all. It just doesn’t permeate discussions in the U.S.  Maybe after the Cold War ended Americans thought they didn’t need to think about it anymore. But it is alarming on multiple levels.

you've had 60+ years of "american pride" and a large building nationalistic tendency to consider any and all things american the best started with the disturbing out in the open views of McCarthyism

to paraphrase alot of folks nowadays "the worst day in america is better than the best day in any other country"

So I don't find it surprising at all that folks nowadays care more about "solving" cultural issues vs actual issues that can affect their livelihood.  For actual issues, it's better to just complain how good the past was.

very much like the joke that was the supreme court hearings.

Last edited by g-man
irwinirwinMember

On the Supreme Court nomination hearings:  These hearings are dreadful.  A 13 hour day used for Senators to pontificate, make a record, and play to their bases.  Judge Jackson is quite obviously extremely well qualified, and rather brilliant.  She should be confirmed without further ado.  But, that is not the way of the Senate, which works in rather uninspiring ways.

She spent 13 hours enduring this crap.  It's roughly the equivalent of preparing for a colonoscopy.  You gotta do it, even though it is far from enjoyable.

W wine+artMember
@irwin posted:

On the Supreme Court nomination hearings:  These hearings are dreadful.  A 13 hour day used for Senators to pontificate, make a record, and play to their bases.  Judge Jackson is quite obviously extremely well qualified, and rather brilliant.  She should be confirmed without further ado.  But, that is not the way of the Senate, which works in rather uninspiring ways.

She spent 13 hours enduring this crap.  It's roughly the equivalent of preparing for a colonoscopy.  You gotta do it, even though it is far from enjoyable.

Yep. A summary judgment seems in order here.

winetarelliwinetarelliMember
@irwin posted:

On the Supreme Court nomination hearings:  These hearings are dreadful.  A 13 hour day used for Senators to pontificate, make a record, and play to their bases.  Judge Jackson is quite obviously extremely well qualified, and rather brilliant.  She should be confirmed without further ado.  But, that is not the way of the Senate, which works in rather uninspiring ways.

She spent 13 hours enduring this crap.  It's roughly the equivalent of preparing for a colonoscopy.  You gotta do it, even though it is far from enjoyable.

100%

irwinirwinMember

https://www.yahoo.com/news/pro...above-222059376.html

Oops.

Meanwhile, in Baltimore, we have a head prosecutor (called the "State's atty) who is elected.  She is under indictment for some mortgage fraud, having signed papers and purchased two properties in Florida, stating to the mortgage company that the houses would be her "principal residence" which, of course, is inconsistent with having to run an office in Baltimore. She is in her low 40's, so it's not a retirement thing.  By lying she got a lower interest rate and has already flipped one of the properties in 1 year or so for a 30% profit, selling it to someone from Baltimore who claims not to know her.  Moreover, claiming financial Hardship to her travel company (which has not yet operated) she obtained some federal loans of covid relief money.  Financial distress for a company that has yet to operate? She makes $250K per year in her job (from which she is absent for about 25% of the time) and her husband, the head of the city council, makes about $125K.  Well, it has now come out that her grandfather contributed to her campaign in 2021 and to her husband's campaign in 2017, based on their disclosure forms.  Nothing wrong there, except the grandfather died in 2015. Another oops.

What is wrong with people? Why do they cheat?  I just don't understand why they think they are immune from prosecution.

Last edited by irwin
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