[Non-US] News That Makes You laugh/cry/neither...

phlapjackage · Post by **phlapjackage** » Fri Oct 31, 2014 12:44 am

@nockermensch:
Thanks for the details! That's interesting about Tiririca, I'm almost not surprised - I think non-career politicians is the way to go. Politics in general needs to be like national military service - a normal person gets tapped to do some political work for a few years, then goes back to whatever they were doing beforehand.

Stahlseele · Post by **Stahlseele** » Fri Oct 31, 2014 7:11 pm

Make it a mandatory statewide lottery. The loser has to do it . . EVERYBODY gets a ticket, wether they want to or not.

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Sat Nov 01, 2014 2:44 am

They tried that in Ancient Greece. I don't know how successful it was, though. And yes, it has the downside that you could randomly get some really terrible people in. As opposed to the current system where it's basically a guarantee.

tussock · Post by **tussock** » Sat Nov 01, 2014 9:54 am

The effective 1 term limit could be put to good use. Everyone would have to pass the previous random assortment's proposals if they wanted to change anything, but could only propose their own ideas for the next random assortment to pass. The random president would have to deal with any emergency (as declared by a super-majority of parliament) but only by signing off recognised senior civil service requests (who would be legally at risk for malfeasance).

Patriot Act? See how everyone feels in 2004 after four years of emergency war requests from the generals. War in Iraq? Good fucking luck when the generals are up for the bill and criminal charges to a random congress after the fact.

The tricky bit would be putting up with actual random assignment, rather than balanced assignment. Sometimes you're going to get exactly zero of some minority groups, other times they'll be greatly over represented. Having the odd dope end up on the science committee would indeed be better than the current bunch over there.

Also, you know how people don't like spending a couple days on jury duty? Imagine the response to being told you're in for four years of Washington D.C.. At least it would be a huge pay rise for almost everyone, and you could make the alternative prison or a mental institution. Just deaf and blind? We'll figure it out.

Fwib · Post by **Fwib** » Sun Nov 02, 2014 4:10 pm

Re: Deaf/blind people being sortitioned into power, I expect they wouldn't have hugely more problems than deaf or blind people who have been elected.

Kaelik · Post by **Kaelik** » Sun Nov 02, 2014 4:54 pm

Fwib wrote:Re: Deaf/blind people being sortitioned into power, I expect they wouldn't have hugely more problems than deaf or blind people who have been elected.

Ignore tussock, he is just... overwhelming a terrible human being.

tussock · Post by **tussock** » Mon Nov 03, 2014 6:08 am

What? The local profoundly deaf politician got the transcripts upgraded to live (which also go on the broadcast now), and has an NZSL translator as needed. Our sight-impaired ones can participate in debates just fine. Being deaf and blind means neither of those things work, so we'd have to figure something else out. Like I said.

Ignore Kaelik, just ... likes to see the worst in people.

Longes · Post by **Longes** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 3:38 pm

Goddamit, Abbot!

name_here · Post by **name_here** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 4:10 pm

Sounds like a carrier group needs to perform exercises in the South Pacific.

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 2:16 am

"I hear you like to stop the boats. Try stopping these ones, motherfucker."

I still want those two to settle it in a steel cage match. Mainly because I know who would win that one, but partly because steel cage matches are awesome.

hyzmarca · Post by **hyzmarca** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 3:08 am

tussock wrote:What? The local profoundly deaf politician got the transcripts upgraded to live (which also go on the broadcast now), and has an NZSL translator as needed. Our sight-impaired ones can participate in debates just fine. Being deaf and blind means neither of those things work, so we'd have to figure something else out. Like I said.

Ignore Kaelik, just ... likes to see the worst in people.

It is a difficulty, but it can be fix with live transcripts on a brail display.

OgreBattle · Post by **OgreBattle** » Fri Nov 14, 2014 1:30 am

Humanity has landed on a comet for the first time after over a decade of careful planning but NOPE GOTTA TALK ABOUT SCIENTIST'S T-SHIRT INSTEAD:

...but I noticed that the Verge also wrote a 'normal' article praising the landing and it got way less comments (like 100ish) compared to that clickbaity headline (700+)

TiaC · Post by **TiaC** » Fri Nov 14, 2014 1:33 am

What's on the shirt?

Cynic · Post by **Cynic** » Fri Nov 14, 2014 2:12 am

Bikini clad women a la trucker mud flap designs...

Yeah, I think it is warranted that we should discuss why the hell no one in the ESA didn't object to this kinda shirt being used when the guy had to go on tv.

DSMatticus · Post by **DSMatticus** » Fri Nov 14, 2014 3:41 am

Let's try something... funnish. Please check all that apply:
[ ] Sexually provocative depictions of women are inappropriate for the work place.
[ ] Sexually provocative depictions of women are sexist/misogynist/objectifying/demeaning.
[ ] Bringing sexually provocative depictions of women into the work place is sexist/misogynist/objectifying/demeaning because it is inappropriate and primarily a problem faced by women, not men.
[ ] Bringing sexually provocative depictions of women into the work place is sexist/misogynist/objectifying/demeaning because sexually provocative depictions of women are sexist/misogynist/objectifying/demeaning.

Given the boxes you checked, do you have any problems with this article or any other on the topic?

OgreBattle · Post by **OgreBattle** » Fri Nov 14, 2014 7:28 am

TiaC wrote:What's on the shirt?

conventionally attractive women in revealing attire

...which was sewn by a friend of the scientist who is a lady that is also a tattoo artist that gave him the shirt on his birthday. So he's wearing a gift a good lady friend of him gave him on one of the biggest days of his life, but now some dudes are callin' him bad names for it.

Josh_Kablack · Post by **Josh_Kablack** » Fri Nov 14, 2014 7:51 am

DSMatticus wrote:Given the boxes you checked, do you have any problems with this article or any other on the topic?

Yes. The use of "I don't care" in the headline is really disturbing and implies that fashion sense and sensitivity is more important than scientific achievement. in a way that "Scientist wears inappropriate shirt to press conference" or even "NASA should enforce a dress code" would not be.

DSMatticus · Post by **DSMatticus** » Fri Nov 14, 2014 9:21 am

JoshKablack wrote:in a way that "Scientist wears inappropriate shirt to press conference" or even "NASA should enforce a dress code" would not be.

Aside: ESA. Not everything revolves around us stupid Americans.

This is the important thing to note here. This is, in fact, a slamdunk case of misconduct. He obviously should not be wearing that shirt, because it's unprofessional. The work place is one of the environments in which we frown on expressions of sexuality because different people have very different levels of tolerance for those expressions, and it is an environment where you cannot avoid those around you just because they make you uncomfortable - they're your coworkers. And so we expect a reasonably neutral work place environment. You can even make compelling arguments that by allowing such free expression of sexuality in already male-dominated workplaces, the discomfort so caused will be far more burdensome on women than men - which is of course a potentially legitimate obstacle for getting women into those fields and as such a pertinent issue for feminist discussion.

But when you read the articles, roam the blogosphere, or glance at some tweets (wouldn't recommend it), what you'll actually end up reading about is how sexist that shirt is and how every woman who looks at it should feel objectified and how it's like a bunch of men gathered around in bars saying shit like "bitches, am I right?" What'll you find isn't just outrage at how inappropriate it was for a man to express his sexuality in this setting, it's outrage at how inappropriate it was for a man to express his sexuality at all. People are offended by the very existence of that shirt, or the notion that anyone anywhere would choose to wear it in any setting.

Unsurprisingly, it's not okay to say that liking scantily clad women makes you a sexist, for exactly the same reason that it's not okay to say participating in a SlutWalk makes you a slut. People own their sexualities and they are their's and they'll do whatever the fuck they want with them and you can piss off. Yes, we do live in a world where men think harassing women on the street with vulgarities is simply expressing their sexuality, and that's fucking terrible and is one of many things we need to fix. But a shirt featuring women in provocative clothing is not actually crossing that line. It is a problem in this instance for nuanced reasons, and if you're going to talk about it at all you should only do so if you understand those nuances.

Clickbait pop-feminism is quickly turning into the prominent caricature social conservatives have wanted for decades, and it's becoming incredibly harmful to the movement as a whole.

Lago PARANOIA · Post by **Lago PARANOIA** » Fri Nov 14, 2014 10:04 am

DSMatticus wrote:Clickbait pop-feminism is quickly turning into the prominent caricature social conservatives have wanted for decades, and it's becoming incredibly harmful to the movement as a whole.

And just when I was starting to get over the 2014 U.S. Congressional Elections I feel the urge to guzzle another pint of wine.

OgreBattle · Post by **OgreBattle** » Fri Nov 14, 2014 11:35 am

The worst part is actual Rosetta scientist Kathrin Altwegg is getting completely ignored because #shirtgate (yes thats the word for it on twitter)

I googled "women of rosetta comet landing" and all I get is talk bout the shirt and zero 1st page articles on Kathrin Altwegg.

God damn clickbait journos to hell.

Cynic · Post by **Cynic** » Fri Nov 14, 2014 2:39 pm

Meh... I think it's a valid question to ask in my opinion. I don't even think it has to do just with the professional environment.

If you get up in the morning and decide to parade around with clothing that can potential hurt large groups of people that you might actively come across in the day, I think it behooves you to ask yourself the question "Should I be doing this? Is it worth it?"

Shrapnel · Post by **Shrapnel** » Fri Nov 14, 2014 3:03 pm

The real problem here is that what is quite possibly one of the greatest scientific achievements of the year is being overshadowed by a bunch of retards who think wearing clothing is bad.

And that just makes me sad.

Stahlseele · Post by **Stahlseele** » Fri Nov 14, 2014 3:45 pm

Cynic wrote:Meh... I think it's a valid question to ask in my opinion. I don't even think it has to do just with the professional environment.

If you get up in the morning and decide to parade around with clothing that can potential hurt large groups of people that you might actively come across in the day, I think it behooves you to ask yourself the question "Should I be doing this? Is it worth it?"

My friend made this for me as a gift for my birthday and i like it very much, should i care what other people think?

Omegonthesane · Post by **Omegonthesane** » Fri Nov 14, 2014 4:07 pm

Stahlseele wrote:
Cynic wrote:Meh... I think it's a valid question to ask in my opinion. I don't even think it has to do just with the professional environment.

If you get up in the morning and decide to parade around with clothing that can potential hurt large groups of people that you might actively come across in the day, I think it behooves you to ask yourself the question "Should I be doing this? Is it worth it?"
My friend made this for me as a gift for my birthday and i like it very much, should i care what other people think?

If your behaviour might reflect on a larger enterprise, then yes. The same way you wouldn't wear a gimp suit to work.

Outside of working hours, I see your point. (No, that isn't me.)

Shrapnel wrote:The real problem here is that what is quite possibly one of the greatest scientific achievements of the year is being overshadowed by a bunch of retards who think wearing clothing is bad.

And that just makes me sad.

For a moment there I wanted the ESA to impose a dress code of nudity.

Cynic · Post by **Cynic** » Fri Nov 14, 2014 5:52 pm

Stahlseele wrote:
Cynic wrote:Meh... I think it's a valid question to ask in my opinion. I don't even think it has to do just with the professional environment.

If you get up in the morning and decide to parade around with clothing that can potential hurt large groups of people that you might actively come across in the day, I think it behooves you to ask yourself the question "Should I be doing this? Is it worth it?"
My friend made this for me as a gift for my birthday and i like it very much, should i care what other people think?

Yes, you should care what other people think. You don't live on a fucking island by yourself where your actions don't have any effect on others. You should totally care what other people think. I don't mean because of societal pressure, I think a person should try to figure out if their actions are harmful to others.

I personally don't like the shirt. I think it's crass, demeaning and really a clash of colors but that's just a personal opinion. I don't think that in itself should stop someone from wearing a shirt. However, that same shirt could also basically stop conversation & productivity in the work place if it makes people uncomfortable in the workplace.