The Ranting/Debate Thread

[lurker]

Re: The Ranting/Debate Thread

So there's a memorial in Prague with the inscription: "In eternal memory and honor of the fallen soldiers, internationalists, and peacemakers." It's actually dedicated to Soviet soldiers who essentially acted as an occupation force in Czechoslovakia between 1968 and 1991.

First off: How did locals agree to making this in the first place if this was essentially a hostile occupation?

From here, it's muddled. Yes, the past needs to be remembered (less it be repeated) and it's a touchy subject over there with Russia and so on right now, but it's also essentially a lesser tomb for unknown soldiers- something that should at least be treated with some reverence, in theory.

So yeah... Not sure what side to support here. :S

 

[Hopeyouguess62]

Re: The Ranting/Debate Thread

First off: How did locals agree to making this in the first place if this was essentially a hostile occupation?

The article says, "The memorial in Olsany Cemetery was built by a St. Petersburg-based group for Russian veterans of the Soviet war in Afghanistan." As for when it was built or how it was allowed, I don't know; however, I'm fairly certain that private organizations can arrange for a memorial to be placed in exchange for money.

( Which leads to an interesting idea, on a tangent, that as a forum we could actually have a memorial placed to James T. Linemarvel in a Canadian graveyard, were we so inclined... )

 

[SmokinAce27]

Re: The Ranting/Debate Thread

I also have mixed feelings about this. As a former soldier myself, I believe memorials honoring those who have fallen should be respected. On the other hand though, it is hard to respect the memory of foreign soldiers who occupied your home. And with Russia recently claiming the Crimean Peninsula as their own, I can understand how the Czech people feel.

The monument itself is not what bothers them, it's where the Russians decided to place it (which could have been out of their own sense of respect or as a big middle finger to remind the Czechs that "Russia was here")

Edit: It is hard to tell what the Russians are thinking these days....

 

[Hopeyouguess62]

Re: The Ranting/Debate Thread

I'm going to go a little off-topic and rave, but I'm putting this here because I expect people will argue with me on this:

Spoiler

Cadbury Eggs are the best Easter candy. They are my favorite candy; if I worked in a Cadbury Egg factory I would weigh seven-hundred stone (or 9,800lb or 4,410kg), and I would die of clogged arteries by the age of thirty-five, if I didn't die before that from choking on Cadbury Eggs. They are so delicious. I believe they are the best candy, period.

This description is wasted on you if you're terribly allergic to its ingredients, in which case I would hug you forever if I actually knew you because I'd feel so sorry for you.

Aaaaand GO.

 

[Copper]

Re: The Ranting/Debate Thread

I think about the only thing I can disagree with on that topic is the whole "eating them until I die" part. I *love* Cadbury eggs, don't get me wrong, but one's about enough for me in a sitting.

(Of course, that could also be because I take forever to eat the filling out of the egg *first* and then finish it off, so it's a bit of an endeavor.)

Also, I saw in USA Today yesterday that they're going to be making mini Peeps that you can buy year round. (as opposed to the ones that you can get on just holidays year round.)

 

[Nunu]

Re: The Ranting/Debate Thread

They are like eating plain icing sugar.

You would have too literally pay me to eat one.

 

[Hopeyouguess62]

Re: The Ranting/Debate Thread

They are like eating plain icing sugar.

You would have too literally pay me to eat one.

Peeps or Cadbury Eggs?

I was never a big Peeps fan--it was always the last Easter candy to be eaten. Unless someone put Boston Baked Beans in there... those things NEVER got eaten. Blech.

 

[Nunu]

Re: The Ranting/Debate Thread

cadbury cream eggs. we dont have peeps here.

I would rather eat any other form of chocolate egg. unless it was dark chocolate... or had raisins or nuts...

or was coffee

 

[RainbowBloodstain]

Re: The Ranting/Debate Thread

cadbury cream eggs. we dont have peeps here.

I would rather eat any other form of chocolate egg. unless it was dark chocolate... or had raisins or nuts...

or was coffee

What about coconut filled eggs? And No peeps that should be a crime!

 

[Nunu]

Re: The Ranting/Debate Thread

bah, we've got tim tams which trumps all your feeble chocolate coated sugar balls.

 

[Hopeyouguess62]

Re: The Ranting/Debate Thread

we've got tim tams.

I sampled Tim Tams when I traveled Down Under a few years ago. I still love my Cadbury Eggs (I'm a sugar addict, what can I say?) but the Tim Tams are quite delicious.

I'm also a big fan of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. There's more than one way to eat them... but, more importantly, they are very, very tasty.

 

[Hentaispider]

Re: The Ranting/Debate Thread

Shut up and eat yer mämmi.

 

[Hopeyouguess62]

Re: The Ranting/Debate Thread

So here's something I didn't know about:

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Within days of coming into power, each new British Prime Minister is required to write four letters by hand, one to each Captain of Britain's four nuclear submarines. These letters are sealed and delivered, to be kept in a safe on each submarine and opened by the Captain only in the event of Britain's annihilation. Upon the appointment of a new Prime Minister, the letters are burned upon receipt of new letters.

So unless Britain is destroyed, only the Prime Minister ever knows the contents of each letter. I know this is more serious than our standard fare, but what do you think you would write?

My answer:

Spoiler

If you are reading this, Britain has been destroyed. Establish contact with NATO Allies, if possible. If able, avenge the annihilation of our people by any means necessary. If not, get the crew to safety and scuttle the ship.

That's a bit over-simplified, but you get the idea. It's unlikely that a submarine will be able to determine the aggressors without excellent intelligence, and that means NATO. NATO should also be more than willing to help, as an attack on one member-state is an attack on all, according to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. Further, the British nuclear weapons program has always been held ostensibly as a NATO asset, though under the direct and absolute control of Her Majesty's Government.

 

[Nunu]

Re: The Ranting/Debate Thread

I'm... confused. People seem to get their panties in a bunch about

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and i know we often cover sexism and feminism here so i thought i'd throw it out. I don't think i live in the real world enough to understand the issues going on in the article.

 

[Obsidious]

Re: The Ranting/Debate Thread

I'm... confused. People seem to get their panties in a bunch about

You must be registered to see the links

and i know we often cover sexism and feminism here so i thought i'd throw it out. I don't think i live in the real world enough to understand the issues going on in the article.

Apparently construction workers aren't as 'progressive' as depicted in the ad. People will be offended by (and try to make a living writing about) almost everything.

 

[XSI]

Re: The Ranting/Debate Thread

It is my expert opinion that the people who make commercials are all most likely just retarded and/or aliens, completely incapable of normal interactions with society.

 

[Gaara29]

Re: The Ranting/Debate Thread

I saw that commercial before and I found it funny. While I understand that there's a ton of things that are deeply involving in things like this, such as what kind of deep message you might be giving to different kinds of people, I also understand that it was made with the intentions of being funny and advertising their usual slogan, whether in a retarded manner or not. It doesn't have to not be retarded to be funny, and if something was analyzed in the attempt to remove all offensive content then there'd be nothing left(and believe it or not, there's people out there I'm willing to bet find the concept of nothing itself offensive). People need to learn to grow up. The commercial's not killing or raping anyone. If someone doesn't like it, they could just ignore it.

Personally, I think a lot of sexism going on in various areas, whether it be advertisements and marketing, the gaming community, anime and TV, is caused by women/feminists/feminazis/turbo feminists(got that one from YouTube, a response said that it's someone capable of finding sexism in a black hole or Earth's core)themselves, either through letting even the small stuff get to them(practically anything and it DOES tread the line of hypocrisy and retardation), taking something too seriously that's meant to be a parody or just crazy(this commercial, I'd also accept Kill la Kill), taking something out of context, or outright creating a problem when one doesn't exist(my favorite).

 

[TheThingNotThinkingAtAll]

Re: The Ranting/Debate Thread

Sexism in anime........................................ I think this should deserve its own thread.

Back on topic, and HI! (since i came from out of nowhere), this commercial is funny and I don't see how people are offended by this in any way. But I can see how they could take it the wrong way.

 

[lurker]

Re: The Ranting/Debate Thread

In ways, it does seem like overreaction for overreaction's sake. The joke naturally is the guy's not being the stereotype, and while I admit the person does have some standing, it was meant as a harmless joke instead of a absolute mandate.

As for commercials being in another dimension when it comes to writers- have you even SEEN half the 'victims' in yon typical infomercials? Most of them are dumber than a box of bricks, or laughably using stuff unsafely and inappropriately.

 

[Obsidious]

Re: The Ranting/Debate Thread

In ways, it does seem like overreaction for overreaction's sake. The joke naturally is the guy's not being the stereotype, and while I admit the person does have some standing, it was meant as a harmless joke instead of a absolute mandate.

As for commercials being in another dimension when it comes to writers- have you even SEEN half the 'victims' in yon typical infomercials? Most of them are dumber than a box of bricks, or laughably using stuff unsafely and inappropriately.

Thanks for giving me a reason to post this again.