General News Thread

[SpoonyViking]

Mankind haven't ever been able to do it. They won't start anytime now.

Let's be real about this, now.

The very reason mankind has managed to survive thus far is exactly because of traits like compassion, cooperation, and yes, even enlightened self-interest. Even more importantly, though, the idea that just because something is difficult to achieve it shouldn't even be attempted is, frankly, quite childish.

[Pendant]

Or you could work to build one another up and understand that community is the best path forward. That you can aim for something larger than attaining what fools consider to be high status and place your focus on cultivating an environment which is as agreeable to you as it is to your neighbor and that this alienating philosophy of wanting to get yours is only harming those around you and likely setting yourself up for a fall. Human potential can far exceed these sorts of ephemeral pats on the back given by a rigid hierarchical society which only leaving you feeling hollow and asking "what was it all for?" once you do achieve these dominant culture approved goals.

And before you say, it is human nature. It's not. I've never had any desire for supreme wealth. I was probably 9 the last time I thought that red Italian sports cars were cool.

[AAM1232]

At the end of the day it's up to you, and lying to yourself about human nature and such isn't going to help. Especially when this comes right after LLL's posts.

[Twelveseal]

Lol. It's fine. The point I'm making is, you're not going to convince everyone you're right. Lvl is a perfectly fine example. And, so long as you can't convince everyone you're right, your position will run into problems. Problems that will require you to violate that philosophy in order to resolve.

It doesn't mean it's not worth pursuing. It means that you'll never reach the end goal.

[rxrx]

Damn, the fire seems to be getting worst in the West Coast.

[Twelveseal]

That's surprising. I had heard the weather was supposed to be turning in their favor.

[rxrx]

That's surprising. I had heard the weather was supposed to be turning in their favor.

Huh. I'm seeing CNN saying weather conditions are not scheduled to improve any time soon and things might worsen.

[Mattias]

I saw fire torando's there yesterday, so I guess it has to get better since the only way to get worse is for a fire hurricane.

[Bird of Hermes]

Noted TERF JK Rowling is releasing a new book in her detective series where the villain is "A transvestite serial killer". Like I get that if she doesn't say something transphobic every 24 hours her head will explode and I have no expectations or respect for this woman anymore but she still finds ways to disappoint me.

[asterism42]

It's amazing how quickly she managed to kill 25 years of accrued goodwill

[rxrx]

Maybe she just hide herself well enough. Or people change as time passes by.

[Bird of Hermes]

Considering that the book is 900 pages long and she’s been writing it for two years, I’m more inclined to believe she’s always been transphobic but she’s just not hiding that she’s a bad person any more.

Even if you look back to Harry Potter, named like Cho Chang for the token Asian background character, goblins are antisemetic caricatures, the fact that girls were allowed in boys dormitories but guys weren’t allowed in girls for not being ‘trustworthy’, saying Dumbledore is gay for progressive brownie points on twitter yet refusing to depict or even mention it in her works...

[AAM1232]

I mean her pen name is suspiciously similar to a noted American psychiatrist who believed in and performed gay conversion therapy in the 1950s. Seems like the signs may have always been there, and I wouldn't blame people for not picking up on it sooner.

[Pendant]

It's amazing how quickly she managed to kill 25 years of accrued goodwill

What goodwill?

[SpoonyViking]

Considering that the book is 900 pages long and she’s been writing it for two years, I’m more inclined to believe she’s always been transphobic but she’s just not hiding that she’s a bad person any more.

Oh, yeah. Apparently, the trans community in the UK had been saying she was a transphobe for quite some before she "came out of the closet", so to speak.

[OverMaster]

It doesn't mean it's not worth pursuing. It means that you'll never reach the end goal.

That, and your pursuit will darken your skin, whiten your hair, alienate you from your family and friends, make you betray what those ideals were about in the first place, and finally get you hanged so you can be the universe's black ops errands guy.

But hey, you'll get to be a Hero of Justice.

Spoiler:

Actually, in reality you'll just die ignored and none of the cool stuff listed above will happen.

[Tobias]

So edgey and mature and cool. It’s like someone crafted this perfectly sculpted structure of rugged machismo and cynicism.

[Ratman]

TERF

Please keep using this term more, I cannot get enough. It's the best.

[Twelveseal]

That, and your pursuit will darken your skin, whiten your hair, alienate you from your family and friends, make you betray what those ideals were about in the first place, and finally get you hanged so you can be the universe's black ops errands guy.

But hey, you'll get to be a Hero of Justice.

Spoiler:

Actually, in reality you'll just die ignored and none of the cool stuff listed above will happen.

Shhhh... I was trying to be nice...

[Pendant]

You two can dress up your avarice however you like but beneath the patina of smarmy pragmatism that is ultimately what you are doing.