What's in the news?

[gaggedLouise]

Karma is a bitch. Donald Trump is an archetypal financial fat cat, his business successes would never have happened without the currents of globalization, but he can't really admit that to the middle American folks and the hard-right nationalists on whose backs he has been riding for the last few years in politics. Inevitably, the contradiction was gonna catch up with him one day. :)

[Trigon]

Karma is a bitch. Donald Trump is an archetypal financial fat cat, his business successes would never have happened without the currents of globalization, but he can't really admit that to the middle American folks and the hard-right nationalists on whose backs he has been riding for the last few years in politics. Inevitably, the contradiction was gonna catch up with him one day. :)

Well yeah! We all knew that of course, but people voted for him anyway despite lying right in their face. At this point though I'm focused more on what is going on in the background rather than on the verbal diarrhea coming out of his twitter feed...

[Beguile's Mistress]

Trump subscribes to the philosophy that once you can effectively fake sincerity you can do anything.

[gaggedLouise]

Trump subscribes to the philosophy that once you can effectively fake sincerity you can do anything.

Or to quote Richard Jeni:

"Honesty is the key to a relationship. If you can fake that, you're in."

(Supposedly that's a line from Friends - I haven't seen the epiaode in question, I didn't follow the show regularly, but it's a very cool observation about the ways of modern media and modern big-city culture)

[Oniya]

Or to quote Richard Jeni:

"Honesty is the key to a relationship. If you can fake that, you're in."

(Supposedly that's a line from Friends - I haven't seen the epiaode in question, I didn't follow the show regularly, but it's a very cool observation about the ways of modern media and modern big-city culture)

Earliest confirmed sighting of the quote is from 1962, attributed to an unnamed actor:  http://quoteinvestigator.com/2011/12/05/fake-honesty/  It's also been attributed to Groucho Marx and George Burns.

[gaggedLouise]

Earliest confirmed sighting of the quote is from 1962, attributed to an unnamed actor:  http://quoteinvestigator.com/2011/12/05/fake-honesty/  It's also been attributed to Groucho Marx and George Burns.

If it is Groucho he was way ahead of his time, but why not? Anyway it should be the motto of a book on "confessional journalism" and reality tv. Brilliant.

[Oniya]

If it is Groucho he was way ahead of his time, but why not? Anyway it should be the motto of a book on "confessional journalism" and reality tv. Brilliant.

He always was. 

As far as being 'ahead of his time', it's also been attributed to a French playwright who died in 1944 - but there's no contemporary confirmation on that. (It doesn't show up in his writings.)

[Beguile's Mistress]

Or to quote Richard Jeni:

"Honesty is the key to a relationship. If you can fake that, you're in."

(Supposedly that's a line from Friends - I haven't seen the epiaode in question, I didn't follow the show regularly, but it's a very cool observation about the ways of modern media and modern big-city culture)

That sounds like the quote I couldn't place when I wrote my post above. 

However, "Sincerity is the key to success. Once you can fake that you’ve got it made." was a line attributed to Groucho.  I did hear the sincerity line somewhere and just can't remember where.

[Vekseid]

Globalist is a bad thing? O_o

Among a certain crowd, it's become a dogwhistle for 'Jew'.

[Oniya]

I'm having a sudden flashback to those days just after SAT cram-courses, when we'd take a complimentary but unfamiliar word and say it all sneery-like.  (Typically to other people who had been in the class, so that only the people listening to us thought we were throwing insults.)

[AmberStarfire]

No wonder politics (especially American politics) seems like it has a whole other language at times.

[Lilias]

Hospital appeals for crochet octopuses to comfort tiny premature babies. <3

https://www.mummypages.co.uk/hospital-appeals-for-crochet-octopuses-to-comfort-tiny-premature-babies

[AmberStarfire]

Hospital appeals for crochet octopuses to comfort tiny premature babies. <3

https://www.mummypages.co.uk/hospital-appeals-for-crochet-octopuses-to-comfort-tiny-premature-babies

That is so cute. :) Do you crochet?

There's a charity that accepts and distributes crocheted angels out there too. I know because before when I was going through a tough time (after my dad died) I requested one and I still have it. :) It gives a way to anonymously send crocheted angels to anyone who you think might benefit from one. I can't remember their name now but they're online.

[TheGlyphstone]

Hospital appeals for crochet octopuses to comfort tiny premature babies. <3

https://www.mummypages.co.uk/hospital-appeals-for-crochet-octopuses-to-comfort-tiny-premature-babies

Yay Octopi.

[Lilias]

That is so cute. :) Do you crochet?

I don't, but I'd be willing to learn for that.

There's a charity that accepts and distributes crocheted angels out there too. I know because before when I was going through a tough time (after my dad died) I requested one and I still have it. :) It gives a way to anonymously send crocheted angels to anyone who you think might benefit from one. I can't remember their name now but they're online.

I've heard of another, though I can't remember if it's a registered charity or an amateur group, who make receiving blankets for miscarried and stillborn babies. I suspect I'd be crying non-stop if I tried to do something similar.

[AmberStarfire]

I think it's a very cute and good reason to learn. :)

That's sad about the blankets for miscarried and stillborn babies, but I think those blankets would be a very kind gesture too, and show parents they're not alone and that somebody cares.

[Beguile's Mistress]

I've heard of several groups who make blankets or gowns for the departed little ones.  So many of the parents are grateful for the kindness and touched by the sympathy and compassion.  Even if we only give a little it can mean the world to someone who is hurting.

[Sara Nilsson]

Hospital appeals for crochet octopuses to comfort tiny premature babies. <3

https://www.mummypages.co.uk/hospital-appeals-for-crochet-octopuses-to-comfort-tiny-premature-babies

I don't know if to squee at the cuteness or cry at the poor babies..

[Vekseid]

No wonder politics (especially American politics) seems like it has a whole other language at times.

This isn't unique to America. Racists go to incredible lengths to invent coded speech as a way to signal to others where they stand, without making it too obvious for the general population.

[Beguile's Mistress]

This isn't unique to America. Racists go to incredible lengths to invent coded speech as a way to signal to others where they stand, without making it too obvious for the general population.

This is true of almost every anti-social group who needs to exist within the cultural construct we call normal.  Once you become familiar with the nuances of the secret language of one group you can pick up on sub rosa communication of others.

[ShadowFox89]

This isn't unique to America. Racists go to incredible lengths to invent coded speech as a way to signal to others where they stand, without making it too obvious for the general population.

The most famous.... gaijin....

[TheGlyphstone]

The most famous.... gaijin....

I don't think that counts as coded speech, when it's literally the Japanese word for 'foreigner'.


EDIT:

I remember one of my professors in college going on an absolute tirade about that word--she was Japanese and taught Japanese language classes. She was absolutely insistent that only very disrespectful people would use it, and she pretty much hammered it into our heads that the correct term for a foreigner that doesn't have the xenophobia connotation is gaikokujin.

Interesting. I didn't know that.

[Blythe]

The most famous.... gaijin....

I remember one of my professors in college going on an absolute tirade about that word--she was Japanese and taught Japanese language classes. She was absolutely insistent that only very disrespectful people would use it, and she pretty much hammered it into our heads that the correct term for a foreigner that doesn't have the xenophobic connotation is actually 'gaikokujin.' She used to tell us that the difference might sound small to our ears, but it was a very important tonal difference.

[ShadowFox89]

I remember one of my professors in college going on an absolute tirade about that word--she was Japanese and taught Japanese language classes. She was absolutely insistent that only very disrespectful people would use it, and she pretty much hammered it into our heads that the correct term for a foreigner that doesn't have the xenophobic connotation is actually 'gaikokujin.' She used to tell us that the difference might sound small to our ears, but it was a very important tonal difference.

Let me ask a guy I know who's teaching english in Japan.

[Blythe]

I never quite understood the tonal difference myself, but she used to insist her students not use the word 'gaijin.' I have no idea if 'gaikokujin' is appropriate either, to be honest, but I do know that she mentioned at the time (this was a few years ago) that there was some debate about politically correct terms, specifically about the use of 'gaijin' vs. 'gaikokujin.' She also used to mention that Japanese people, depending on who you speak to, feel differently about which word to use and some just don't care. But I know she at least felt pretty strongly about it.

But I'm derailing this into Japanese etymology and culture at this point, so I should stop. >_>