Random Rant Thread

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I've been so close to ranting about Ukraine/Russia multiple times in the last several weeks, but have managed not to. Because, again, it would be absolutely redundant and meaningless. What needs to be said has been already said, years ago, as if time has been frozen.

The IQ of the entire punditry class drops by 50 when it comes to this issue, and once again, it should be clear to you by now, for the n-th time, that no one in "the West" *actually* gives a shit about Ukraine. And a majority of the small minority who do care obfuscate and lie, to screw things up even more.

It's so tiresome, and just not worth it.

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I wonder how many people know this basic fact that *90%* of all Canadian truckers are vaccinated. That's all you need to know to understand that crap.

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The snowboard big air commentator saying, "He's still in high school!" as if that were a big deal on any level at all. Give me a break. These X Games people are super annoying at every Olympics as they try to desperately hype things up for the laymen audience when they absolutely don't need to. Let the performances speak for themselves, for crying out loud.

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This is genuinely wild, lol.

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There's only one word to describe this aptly, and that is "embarrassing".

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This guy has got to be a performance art. He has got to be.


In case you are wondering, if African Americans were a country, its GDP per capita wouldn't even make top 40.

And in case you are wondering, this "Black America is actually super wealthy (so shut up about 'racism' and 'inequality' you spoiled bastards!)" nonsense has been parroted by right-wingers and racists for a few decades now, and this black author somehow thinks that's a neat talking point.

And in case you are wondering, yes, unfortunately and shockingly, he *actually* thinks he's the 21th-century James Baldwin.

What a fucking moron.

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I was shat on by US liberals for years on many different issues, but seeing the trajectories of Glenn Greenwald and Matt Taibbi, I really pat myself on the back for not having fallen into Hating Liberals Too Much Syndrome where automatic contrarianism dictates almost everything.

I think I've been close, but managed to keep away. I'm glad I did.

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Can anyone explain why Britain is so obsessed with the trans issue? I don't get it. They seem to get super motivated and agitated on this particular thing apparently for no good reason at all. I don't see anything like that in other countries like Germany, or even in the US. I mean, it's an issue in America all right, but the temperature is nowhere near the British level.

Really weird. It's "the preeminent culture war issue" for them, they say. Is it? Why? The essay doesn't give me any clear answer as its argument is largely based on a kind of tautology.

Strange people.

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Feb 15, 2022 16:35:17 GMT 1 miscmisc said:

Can anyone explain why Britain is so obsessed with the trans issue? I don't get it. They seem to get super motivated and agitated on this particular thing apparently for no good reason at all. I don't see anything like that in other countries like Germany, or even in the US. I mean, it's an issue in America all right, but the temperature is nowhere near the British level.

Really weird. It's "the preeminent culture war issue" for them, they say. Is it? Why? The essay doesn't give me any clear answer as its argument is largely based on a kind of tautology.

Strange people.

I think it's mostly just another 'pundits arguing with themselves' issue. And maybe that the whole JK Rowling thing was a bigger story here than in other countries?

The pre-eminent culture war issue here is Brexit and probably will be for years.

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Yeah, I guess there's a strong storm-in-a-teacup feel to it, but still, JK Rowling is hardly the only British celebrity who seems to think it's a civilizational matter, and the backlash to the trance right activists seems incredible strong over there. Even though it's just a storm in the tiny world of punditry, media and academia, it does suggest that there's something unique about Britain on this issue, I think. British feminists and American ones tend to have very different views on it too, and I still don't know exactly why.

As for the real "preeminent culture war issue" that is Brexit, yeah, the enormous, deep social scar left by that won't ever be healed, sans a serious major international war or something.

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What a curling day it was. There was a lot of drama in women's, which ended up getting Canada's legendary Jennifer Jones eliminated, and both men's semifinals were top-notch curling. I bet on GB (Scotland) in men's and Switzerland in women's winning gold (I will have to cheer for Japan in the semifinal, though), and it's going nicely for me.

I really like Mouat's no-nonsense academic approach to curling, and as much as I love Oskar Erikkson, of Sweden, I think the Scots will do it in the final. That would be tragic for Sweden, but I can really see them choke again in the end.

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Jesus Christ, incredible curling semifinals on women's side too. I lost a lot of money as Japan beat Switzerland in a great game, and Britain vs. Sweden is going into extra. [X Games voice]Insane game![/X Games voice]

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Muirhead(Britain) gave away 4 fucking points in the 1st end, and still won the game. That should be an impossibility against Hasselborg(Sweden) normally, but it happened, somehow.

Britain vs. Japan is not the matchup that many expected for the final, but that's what we have now. Awesome.

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It was 12-11(!) for Britain in the end. You don't get to see this kind of a game often, let alone in the Olympics. Crazy game.

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OK, I understand whenever the average German Bild reader sees the word "Ukraine" the old memories of Barbarossa come back to give them a major hard-on, but whoever drew this crazy map/graphic is a little... unhinged. They clearly want to LARP Russia and pounce on Ukraine themselves.