I think that’s true, but also, often times people say that they’re “apolitical” (in these specific circumstances) and are just lying… or they really believe that they are objective and rational with regards to their views, hence “apolitical” because to them it’s just “facts”…
20 Likes
Self-absorbed and the problems that those other people are complaining about don’t affect the individual being apolitical, so what’s the big deal? In the kink scene this is brought out when people raise concerns about accessibility of a venue, events having a gender-based pricing scheme, and really all of the same issues we get everywhere else, just often with a slightly different implementation. (The seemingly obvious statement that “submissive is not an inherent trait of being a woman” is considered by some to be a political statement which matches with “no politics in kink.”)
15 Likes
Ayn Rand called her philosophy objectivism because somehow “everyone should act like selfish dicks” was supposed to be the objective outcome of simple logic. I think this is still really common among libertarian capitalists who pretend their beliefs are neither left nor right, the free market is simply natural law, and so on. “Reason” magazine is about “free minds and free markets”. The review I linked about Pinker is a good example of someone extolling rationality as at odds with progressives, as if things getting better must be an inherent process rather than the result of people fighting to make it so. The whole thing seems like a political movement dedicated to pretending it’s not.
22 Likes
“I’m apolitical” inevitably means “I’m a right wing asshole, but I don’t want my words and actions to have consequences.”
I always interpret that sort of statement (in whatever scenario) as “no other politics,” or, more likely, “no statements that make me uncomfortable with my own politics.” Folks who are participating in a community who their political cohorts would very much like to see persecuted and wiped off the face of the earth are disingenuous little twats who deserve neither respect nor accommodation.
23 Likes
MAGA is so desperate to find any cool, pro-Trump celebrities, they’re trying to turn Elno into a rock star. Which is hilarious.
14 Likes
Not the dumbest thing that I ever read, but the quote below left me scratching my head this morning.
Heavy snow could in turn make temperatures feel even colder, since fallen snow both absorbs and reflects the sun’s rays.
The linked explanation goes into why snow cover can contributed to actual air temperatures being lower, but doesn’t say anything about a given atmospheric temperature feeling colder, like with humidity.
Anyway, I definitely associate a lack of snow with the air feeling colder, but that might just be due to my association with growing up in lake effect snow belts (if it’s cold enough for Lake Superior to freeze over, the lake effect snow stops).
But there’s also the fact that snow accumulation is called a “blanket” of snow, and blankets make you feel warm. It’s just science. Am I the only one that feels like it’s warmer with a comfy blanket of snow on the ground?
18 Likes
In northern Canada, we’d talk about it being “too cold to snow” because snowfall with temperatures below -20 C felt rare (I think it was, but haven’t checked stats).
When water vapour condenses and freezes, it gives up its latent heat of vapourization and fusion. On that basis, the air would get warmer because snow was forming in the atmosphere, and I suspect that was at play. Not sure whether that has a significant effect, though.
edit: clarity
15 Likes
People up here say that, too, but I think that’s mainly because of most of the snow coming from lake effect. It did prompt me to look it up and find maybe the dumbest thing I’ve read today, though:
Despite their frigid winter weather, it does snow in both Oymyakon and Yakutsk. In fact, Yakutsk receives an annual snowfall of about 24.49 feet. Yakutsk isn’t quite as snowy as the Chicago area, with an annual snowfall of 40-plus inches…
18 Likes
12 Likes
With everything going on it must be hard to keep your place as one of the dumbest assholes to have ever drawn breath, but Douthat is a professional.
19 Likes
18 Likes
I can picture Naomi Klein giving a small shudder and preparing herself for the next round of questions asking why she said these things.
27 Likes
Heh, iirc, Klein repeats that mnemonic device in Doppelganger.
14 Likes
Was he dropped on his head as a child?
14 Likes
AFAICT, this is something entirely self-inflicted.
14 Likes
11 Likes
Republicans are making so much hay out of these fires, right before the inauguration, that I wouldn’t be surprised if they are responsible for starting them. Is that a conspiracy theory too crazy even for this timeline?
13 Likes