What's in the news?

[Lustful Bride]

Proffesor who claimed Sandy Hook was a hoax is now suing the university he worked for after they fired him.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/professor-who-suggested-sandy-hook-shooting-was-hoax-sues-university/ar-BBGgSdw?li=BBnbcA1&ocid=HPCOMMDHP15

[Lustful Bride]

Timothy Heller Accuses Melanie Martinez of Rape.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/melanie-martinez-of-the-voice-responds-to-rape-accusation/

https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&v=2xLuCn5WlsY&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usmagazine.com%2Fcelebrity-news%2Fnews%2Fthe-voice-alum-melanie-martinez-denies-rape-allegation%2F&redir_token=ZjjbPPglJiG41H659apOndkHCtx8MTUxMjYwNjE1MUAxNTEyNTE5NzUx

[Beguile's Mistress]

Just saw in the news that Russia has officially been banned from participating in the Olympic Games. Their flag will not be flown, their anthem won't be sung, and any athletes from Russia that wish to...and are granted permission...participate must wear neutral colors.

This comes after proven allegations that Russia participated in state-sponsored doping.

Putin said it is an attempt by the US to interfere in his coming election.

[Lilias]

Christine Keeler dies at 75.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29213271

[RedRose]

Not the first time. Always about halal. I assume there is at least some Islamophobia there, knowing my country.
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/halal-supermarket-that-refuses-sell-pork-alcohol-ordered-close-1650240

[Oniya]

Not the first time. Always about halal. I assume there is at least some Islamophobia there, knowing my country.
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/halal-supermarket-that-refuses-sell-pork-alcohol-ordered-close-1650240

If they allow kosher delis to exist (and not sell pork), then I'd bet that you're correct.  Halal is simply the Islamic equivalent of kosher.  (Darn tasty food at the halal establishments that I've been to, as well.)

[RedRose]

If they allow kosher delis to exist (and not sell pork), then I'd bet that you're correct.  Halal is simply the Islamic equivalent of kosher.  (Darn tasty food at the halal establishments that I've been to, as well.)

Kosher, vegan, organic which can be without meat... I bet there are Indian shops that don't carry meat, too.

[Trieste]

Not the first time. Always about halal. I assume there is at least some Islamophobia there, knowing my country.
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/halal-supermarket-that-refuses-sell-pork-alcohol-ordered-close-1650240

I read a really fascinating article about the integration difficulties and cultural concentration in banlieues. It was around the time that a headcovering ban was being considered. (I don’t recall if it passed.) I’ve wondered several times what fuels the Islamophobia in France. It seems off-kilter with a lot of other French values?

[TheGlyphstone]

I've always seen, possibly erroneously, France as being very culturally insular. They are French, with French traditions and French values and the purity of the French language (as characterized by the Académie française). It's fine for non-French people to live there, but What It Means To Be French needs to be protected against influence from other cultures.

[Caeli]

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-school-fire-20171204-story.html

My friends who live down in the area are safe but this is scary, especially with the high winds we've been having all over the state.

[Remiel]

The Silence Breakers and the #MeToo movement are named Time's 2017 Person of the Year.

[Remiel]

And countdown to Trump's hissyfit in 3...2...1...

[TheVillain]

Trump Angry Response Tweet in 5...4...3...

[Remiel]

Trump Angry Response Tweet in 5...4...3...

hahaha.  Great minds think alike.

[TheVillain]

Indeed. The clocks do say you crossed the finish line first though, so golf clap your way.

*soft clapping*

*soft clapping*

[Sara Nilsson]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42259443

Trump has stated that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and that he has ordered the preparation of the move of the US embassy. And other than Israel it seems few are all that happy with it.

[TheGlyphstone]

The Silence Breakers and the #MeToo movement are named Time's 2017 Person of the Year.

Trump is going to blow a blood vessel...

[Lilias]

The Silence Breakers and the #MeToo movement are named Time's 2017 Person of the Year.

Riding on that, here's the Rant of the Year.

[Sara Nilsson]

Riding on that, here's the Rant of the Year.

*claps* that was glorious

[gaggedLouise]

I read a really fascinating article about the integration difficulties and cultural concentration in banlieues. It was around the time that a headcovering ban was being considered. (I don’t recall if it passed.) I’ve wondered several times what fuels the Islamophobia in France. It seems off-kilter with a lot of other French values?

France did impose a ban on wearing full-covering body veils (burqa and niqab, the kinds that only lets the eyes show) in public. There was never any ban on more moderate veils like the hidjab, the normal head- and shoulders cloth, which is by far the most common kind in Europe and indeed in many muslim countries.

I think the burqa ban made sense, for a couple of different reasons: public security, sticking with the norm of showing our faces in public, the use of body veils like this as a means of oppressing women and limiting their contacts with people outside the family and the "tribe", etc. And it's only in public, it doesn't apply at home. Other countries like Austria and Germany have considered putting a similar ban in place.

[HairyHeretic]

http://www.distractify.com/trending/2017/12/06/1vNPAK/details-of-huge-error-gop-made-in-senate-tax-bill

Oops

[Oniya]

http://www.distractify.com/trending/2017/12/06/1vNPAK/details-of-huge-error-gop-made-in-senate-tax-bill

Oops

Awwww, they caught it...

[Trieste]

It's almost like passing a bill before you can read it is maybe a bad idea.

[Ket]

It's almost like passing a bill before you can read it is maybe a bad idea.

Maaaaaaaaaaaaybe? You know them hand written doctor's scrawl scribbles...obviously they didn't have a pharmacist do their editing for those.

[RedRose]

France did impose a ban on wearing full-covering body veils (burqa and niqab, the kinds that only lets the eyes show) in public. There was never any ban on more moderate veils like the hidjab, the normal head- and shoulders cloth, which is by far the most common kind in Europe and indeed in many muslim countries.

I think the burqa ban made sense, for a couple of different reasons: public security, sticking with the norm of showing our faces in public, the use of body veils like this as a means of oppressing women and limiting their contacts with people outside the family and the "tribe", etc. And it's only in public, it doesn't apply at home. Other countries like Austria and Germany have considered putting a similar ban in place.

I think Morocco (and possibly Turkey once upon a time?) have a similar ban.

As for French values... There's the "droits de l'homme" theory, and there's a very old fashioned, territorial, my way or the high way reality. Add Bataclan and Charlie to that, and you get many, many people who are hateful.