What's in the news?

[gaggedLouise]

Thanks - I'm always second-guessing myself and thinking that 'Un' was the father and 'Il' was the son.  I think it's the 'Un' and 'One' getting mixed up in my head (and not helping that Il and II look way too similar.)

"Kim Jong Il, he's very ill" as I used to say. :)

[Sara Nilsson]

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2017/08/30/donald-trumps-inhumane-transgender-military-ban-has-been-stopped-in-its-tracks/

Transgender people will be able to continue serving in the US military – for now.

Defence Secretary James Mattis said that he would set up a group of experts and wait until they had come to a conclusion on the issue before telling Donald Trump his recommendation.

In the meantime, Mattis has permitted trans people to continue serving their country.

[Lustful Bride]

Gone with the Wind pulled from theatre due to racial insensitivity.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/aug/29/theatre-in-memphis-pulls-racially-insensitive-gone-with-the-wind

*Pained hiss* Its a good movie but...I can see why they feel that way...


Also, Terry Pratchet's unfinished novels were destroyed according to his Will.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/aug/30/terry-pratchett-unfinished-novels-destroyed-streamroller

Awww that feels like a loss though :(

[gaggedLouise]

Gone with the Wind pulled from theatre due to racial insensitivity.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/aug/29/theatre-in-memphis-pulls-racially-insensitive-gone-with-the-wind

*Pained hiss* Its a good movie but...I can see why they feel that way...

I think that's really simpleminded. Sure, the treatment of blacks in that film is more sensitive now than it used to be (and not least in Memphis), but that's mostly just a reflection of the slave age itself. It's not like Gone With the Wind defends lynchings, slave trade or unfair voting practices - the book and the film are about the passing of an old aristocratic order, and how Scarlett learns to handle the violent change and find her way when the world she knew breaks down. The story of that film is about so much more than slavery or black housemaids. I've seen it several times on TCM and once in the theatre; several women I know (including my mum) adore the book and film, and they are in no way racist or naive about slavery.

[Beorning]

Some news from Poland:

Remember these mass protests against the government's judicial reforms I wrote about not too long ago? In a recent interview, our Prime Minister has stated that these protests were "a well-organized and well-paid action aimed at the government". So, see, all these people on the streets protesting? They weren't concerned citizens. They were paid stooges of some dark forces! 

A minor scandal: the head of Polish Tourism Organization (a government agency for promoting tourism in Poland) was fired today because of his decision of not including the Auschwitz Concetration Camp Museum and Polish Jews Museum among places PTO would be promoting among foreign journalists. Regarding Auschwitz, the guy said that this museum shouldn't be promoted among tourists, as it's a solemn memorial - and PTO's goal is, supposedly, to promote fun and uplifting things (a statement which is quite silly, IMHO). What's worse, he also suggested that Auschwitz is somehow more important to Poles than to Jews, because the Polish elites were massacred by the Nazis during WW2. Meanwhile, supposedly, "many Jews had the opportunity to emigrate out of Germany" and "Jewish culture survived the WW2 mostly unscathed".

Idiot 

The worst part? As for the Polish Jews Museum, the guy commented that he didn't feel that PTO should promote it, as it "shouldn't promote the culture of other nationalities". Now this is just... infuriating, as Jews have been a part of Polish society for centuries. Their heritage is part of our heritage. Meanwhile, this guy seems to consider them to be foreigners, not Poles. *groan*

At least, this time around the PiS government had enough sense to fire this guy. Although I'd say that this kind of thinking is, quite probably, popular among PiS members...

Another piece of news: a few days ago, one female Polish tourist was gang-raped in Rimini (Italy) - and her husband was beaten up quite severely.  The identities of the perpetrators aren't known, but it's been suggested that they were four immigrants from Northern Africa. In response, our Deputy Minister of Justice tweeted how we need to re-introduce the death penalty and, even, torture as a legal form of punishment. Later, in a radio interview, he backtracked on his support for torture, but he still spoke in favour of capital punishment. He also made statements that it was Muslims who introduced a "fashion for gang-rapes" into modern Europe... 

[gaggedLouise]

Already on Tuesday, some people in Insurance business and in Washington estimated that the damages and rebuilding costs from Harvey could climb past 100 billion bucks; this now seems to be the accepted estimate for Texas alone as the weakening storm turns back towards Louisiana and the rain keeps pouring down. :( And those damages don't even include the many homes (and schools?) that have been destroyed with little or no insurance to cover it...

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/house-democrat-predicts-100-billion-needed-for-harvey-recovery-in-texas/article/2632813

Trump has promised that Texas and Louisianan will get whatever funding they need, but this would take a special vote passed in Congress.

[SINless]

Is that like him promissing Mexico would pay for the wall.

Also, uninsured schools? Isn't there like a requirement for publicly funded places to be covered? Sounds like a very basic requirement

[Trigon]

Already on Tuesday, some people in Insurance business and in Washington estimated that the damages and rebuilding costs from Harvey could climb past 100 billion bucks; this now seems to be the accepted estimate for Texas alone as the weakening storm turns back towards Louisiana and the rain keeps pouring down. :( And those damages don't even include the many homes (and schools?) that have been destroyed with little or no insurance to cover it...

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/house-democrat-predicts-100-billion-needed-for-harvey-recovery-in-texas/article/2632813

Trump has promised that Texas and Louisianan will get whatever funding they need, but this would take a special vote passed in Congress.

Likely more then that, as a nearby chemical plant has just exploded as a result of the flooding: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41104451

[gaggedLouise]

Is that like him promissing Mexico would pay for the wall.

Also, uninsured schools? Isn't there like a requirement for publicly funded places to be covered? Sounds like a very basic requirement

The buildings probably yes, not sure about how much of the equipment, books and furniture  - or in-house computers - would be insured to their real value.

I have no definite idea how many buildings and their contents are uninsured down there, but there's no doubt that lots of homes that have been destroyed were not insured to anything like the real costs of the loss. Many, many people will have lost 95% or more of what they owned.

[Valerian]

http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-reversed-obama-flooding-regulations-before-hurricane-harvey-2017-8

According to this article, 45 has also managed to make things more difficult in the long run as far as rebuilding Houston, or indeed any area that suffers flood damage.  More proof that he seems to have an infallible knack for screwing up everything he touches.

Experts are predicting that Harvey — the most powerful storm to hit the US since 2004 — will cost Texas between $30 billion and $100 billion in damage.

And in the coming days, Congress will be called upon to send billions of federal dollars to help with the state's recovery and rebuilding efforts.

But because of Trump's rollback of President Barack Obama's Federal Flood Risk Management Standard, experts across the political spectrum say much of the federal money sent to Texas is likely to be wasted on construction that will insufficiently protect against the next storm.

"We will rebuild things that should not be rebuilt and ... in ways that are less safe and secure than they should be," Eli Lehrer, president of the free-market think tank R Street Institute in Washington, told Business Insider.

Lehrer called Trump's decision to revoke the standards "the biggest step backwards that has ever been taken in flood-management policy" and said the move would waste taxpayer money, harm the environment, and cost lives.

This is all part of 45's determination to remove every regulation he possibly can, because the free market is just so good at sorting those things out for itself and doesn't need all this government oversight. </sarcasm>

[Lilias]

(Source: Salt Lake Tribune)

[Skynet]

Pig looks happy to be saved from a flood in China.

This is so adorable, although it looks like he's being pulled by the ears. I hope that's not too painful :(

[Twisted Crow]

In the case of Houston (specifically), there isn't a lot one can do to improve protection from storms of such magnitude. I mean, outside of routine maintenence for the measures we already have in place (the various levees and reserviors, for example). Generally speaking, the system we have actually works surprisingly well against typical floods and even big storms. It's not like we are strangers to rain storms, afterall. As I mentioned before, our infrastructure and geographical layout doesn't accomodate for very many additional protection methods. Unless this is solely  about repairing and maintaining our systems against these sorts of storms.

Over an estimated 17k+ are out of shelter here. Not to mention, insurance companies are going to be assholes about this. Specifically flood insurance. I would think that our people in need of aid (and homes) is the larger issue for us at present. Not defending 45's choice, mind you... but I will be honest about the pros and cons to our geography that I am familiar with.

Now again, not funding preventative maintenence measures (at all) is different entirely.

I can't speak for Corpus or the rest of the coast, as I am not very familiar with those areas geographically.

[Iniquitous]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/the-latest-police-apologize-after-officer-handcuffs-nurse/2017/09/01/b41ea806-8f33-11e7-9c53-6a169beb0953_story.html?utm_term=.43e175d1fa68

Nurse was dragged from the hospital and arrested because she refused to allow a blood draw on an unconscious patient.  The nurse was/is in the right - it is against the law for blood to be drawn without a warrant/the person consenting/person under arrest - none of which applied to the patient the LEO was trying to get blood from.

As of right now, the LEO is off the blood draw unit, but he is still active duty.

[gaggedLouise]

North Korea claims to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb.

Kim really wants to be one of the big boys, this is very troubling news.

The seisimic shock, as detected by South Korean and Japanese scientists, was ten times as powerful as any earlier NK test, which puts some weight behind the NK claim.

The Guardian’s Tokyo correspondent has written a wrap of the latest developments in North Korea:

    North Korea has carried out a nuclear test in a direct challenge to Donald Trump, hours after it released images of what it claimed was a hydrogen bomb that will be loaded on to a new intercontinental ballistic missile.

    The regime confirmed it had conducted its sixth underground test, which was heralded by a magnitude 6.3 magnitude earthquake felt in Yanji, China, about 10km from North Korea’s Punggye-ri nuclear test site in the country’s north-east, according to South Korea’s meteorological agency.

    The shockwaves were at least 10 times as powerful as the last time Pyongyang exploded an atomic bomb a year ago, Japan’s meteorological agency said. The previous nuclear blast in North Korea is estimated by experts to have been around 10 kilotons.

[Lustful Bride]

North Korea claims to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb.

Kim really wants to be one of the big boys, this is very troubling news.

The seisimic shock, as detected by South Korean and Japanese scientists, was ten times as powerful as any earlier NK test, which puts some weight behind the NK claim.

Oh man this is going to get ugly.


-IN other news, Colombian ELN rebel group claims to have killed a Russian hostage abducted in November.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-41139109

[Lustful Bride]

Man burns himself to death by running directly into the Burning Man Effigy

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/man-dead-after-running-into-flames-at-burning-man/ar-AArc9H8?li=BBnbcA1&ocid=HPCOMMDHP15

Either he was suicidal or on some heavy duty LSD.

[Iniquitous]

http://www.businessinsider.com/mattis-massive-overwhelming-military-response-north-korea-trump-2017-9

Mattis is warning of massive and overwhelming military response to the hydrogen bomb test.  This does not make me feel secure or safe in the least.   Honestly, it's like two bullies trying to prove who has the bigger dick.

[Lustful Bride]

http://www.businessinsider.com/mattis-massive-overwhelming-military-response-north-korea-trump-2017-9

Mattis is warning of massive and overwhelming military response to the hydrogen bomb test.  This does not make me feel secure or safe in the least.   Honestly, it's like two bullies trying to prove who has the bigger dick.

But our bully is also protecting South Korea and Japan. Itd be much worse if we backed down in the face of Kim, since all appeasement ever does for dictators is make them more bold.

[Iniquitous]

But our bully is also protecting South Korea and Japan. Itd be much worse if we backed down in the face of Kim, since all appeasement ever does for dictators is make them more bold.

Right now all I see is our bully running his mouth - which is all he is good at. I fully lay blame at his feet for the escalation in this whole mess. He doesn't know when to shut up and sit back. He talks first and, well, never thinks.

I am willing to agree that Kim is unstable and the world would have needed to deal with him sooner or later, however, our idiot has escalated this situation with his trying to take a tough guy approach.  I am also the type of person that sometimes the best approach to a problem is an unseen approach - meaning, I would fully support a government sanctioned assassination.  Especially if it stopped a potential nuclear war.

[Lustful Bride]

Right now all I see is our bully running his mouth - which is all he is good at. I fully lay blame at his feet for the escalation in this whole mess. He doesn't know when to shut up and sit back. He talks first and, well, never thinks.

Ehh, as much as I dislike trump, I honestly cant say I couldn't see North Korea still following this path. They have made their bed for the past decades and sadly the world may have to pay for it :(  If I believed there was an actual chance of peace between us and them i'd be all for it. But Kim isn't interested in peace, only power and possibly conquering or destroying the south.

This has been coming for so long its to the point of inevitability.

I am willing to agree that Kim is unstable and the world would have needed to deal with him sooner or later, however, our idiot has escalated this situation with his trying to take a tough guy approach.  I am also the type of person that sometimes the best approach to a problem is an unseen approach - meaning, I would fully support a government sanctioned assassination.  Especially if it stopped a potential nuclear war.

I would to, we both agree there. Even if the rest of the world would probably go on and on about evil American imperialism and our desire to conquer the globe X3

[Sara Nilsson]

http://kotaku.com/is-it-political-is-it-a-pc-thing-fox-news-steve-do-1800015788

Fox wondering about Mario no longer being a plumber, sure because that is the biggest news today.

Also. "is it a pc thing?"

NO of course not, who plays Mario on the PC?! Oh you mean.. no it isn't you *argh cursing deleted by the order of the Inquisition*

[Oniya]

http://kotaku.com/is-it-political-is-it-a-pc-thing-fox-news-steve-do-1800015788

Fox wondering about Mario no longer being a plumber, sure because that is the biggest news today.

Also. "is it a pc thing?"

NO of course not, who plays Mario on the PC?! Oh you mean.. no it isn't you *argh cursing deleted by the order of the Inquisition*

'Dude’s spent the last 30 years chasing tail and turtles in a psychedelic, mushroom-infused dream state. Mario is a lot of things, but a plumber ain’t one of them.'  Loved this comment.  Plus, y'know, Luigi's got a mansion.  I'm sure he and his brother can retire from the blue-collar life by this point.

[CaptainNexus616]

'Dude’s spent the last 30 years chasing tail and turtles in a psychedelic, mushroom-infused dream state. Mario is a lot of things, but a plumber ain’t one of them.'  Loved this comment.  Plus, y'know, Luigi's got a mansion.  I'm sure he and his brother can retire from the blue-collar life by this point.

Retire to doing nothing but race go karts and having Mario Parties 

[Oniya]

Retire to doing nothing but race go karts and having Mario Parties 

And play golf and tennis.  *nods*  And let's not forget his 'medical practice' *cough*