Posts by Richard Cook

wearycobra74 said:Here is my initial take on the recent Djokovic family drama here in the States

On a massive billboard over in a busy area of Chicago, there's one featuring a scenic coastline with "America" emblazoned at the top. Someone decided to mess with it. Using black spray paint, they crossed out the last word near the bottom and swapped it for something else. Now, the tagline for this tourism ad reads: So beautiful, yet so insecure 😁

🙏
If that manages to scare off most of those dreamers you think are heading this way, then mission accomplished!

briskeagle3 said:Honestly, how much longer is the International Community going to keep playing by these double standards when it comes to military interventions on this miserable little planet of ours?
The whole Muammar Gaddafi situation really bugs me—I mean, sure, things probably weren't great for his people for a long time, but why wait until now to actually do something?

Then you look at all these other countries where massive portions of the population are being crushed and exploited—yet I don't see the international community stepping in. If they care so much about HUMAN RIGHTS, why aren't they taking action in places like
Saudi Arabia
Iran
China
North Korea
Bahrain
Yemen
or various African nations? WHY not just call for a total mobilization in the "free world" to roll up these regimes and establish basic human rights in every single corner of the globe? Even if it meant fighting three world wars over the next 10 or 20 years—at least we’d end up with a world of democracies (assuming there's anything left of us)

The people of Tibet deserve their own republic, just like Albanians in Mexico—or Palestinians in Palestine.

Until the end of time. If you’d bothered to pick up a single history book in your life, you’d realize that yourself.

Adam Collins4 said:And what about a slip of the tongue?

I knew you'd try to grab onto something that isn't even there...

What do you mean "not even there"? I know perfectly well it's *lapsus linguae*, not *linque*. I figured you just had a typo.
God, you're such a pretentious prick...

And what the hell does a slip of the tongue have to do with the text on the screen?

Adam Collins4 said:While you were hitting the books, did you ever come across the terms *lapsus linguae* or *lapsus calami*?

People make mistakes when they work... or maybe they're just lazy...

Honestly, it sounds more like you're being lazy... maybe try reading the previous posts before you start talking trash.
Calling something a *lapsus calami* doesn't quite fit when someone writes down a temperature of -394 degrees Celsius. If they provide a direct link to the original American article showing -394 degrees—even if it doesn't specify the scale—it’s understood in the US that we're talking Fahrenheit. It means an illiterate journalist (or a translator paid to turn English into another language) simply didn't realize they were supposed to convert it to the metric system.

Here's another example: how is it a mere "slip of the pen" when an incompetent reporter claims, say, that Obama plans to earmark $1 trillion for healthcare and social welfare reforms, simply because they don't grasp the difference between an American trillion and our local definition of a trillion?

Adam Collins4 said:Look, I know... and I’m no physicist...

I learned this stuff back in elementary school... which I’m pretty sure most of you did too... if not in grade school, then definitely high school...

It's just basic general knowledge...☕

Did you just tell me you actually know this? 🙄
"Good for you," as they say in the States.
Having lived and studied in the United States for a while, I'm very familiar with Fahrenheit, miles, feet, and inches... so I don't see why every single American should be expected to know those units by heart.
The local news media should write things in a way that anyone—even someone who barely finished middle school—can understand just by reading the text.
In America, much like in the European Union, the metric system is the standard. No one is obligated to know anything about feet, yards, inches, or pounds.

Besides, don't you think it's a total disaster when our news outlets print nonsense like "they measured a temperature of -394 degrees Celsius on the Moon" (which is physically impossible, though I'm sure you know that, being as smart as you are) or claiming "the U.S. federal budget is 3 trillion dollars"? 🤣

Henry Morris3 said:Even if they do decide to keep the Fahrenheit reading, I don't see why that would be an issue... as long as they actually label it as Fahrenheit.

Besides, who in America—other than maybe some physicist—actually knows what -394 degrees Fahrenheit feels like?
Are you really suggesting news reports in the US should read like, "He was driving 27 miles per hour over the limit," or "The suspect is 6 feet 2.5 inches tall," or "The gap between cars was 3.5 yards"? It’s like asking people to carry conversion charts and a calculator everywhere just to understand the news.

Anthony Moore2 said:The translation is accurate. Maybe having a bit more general knowledge would help you out here.

Give me a break. In the US, we use Fahrenheit, whereas we use Celsius here. When you're translating an American text that lists temperatures, you have to convert them. Otherwise, you're just being illiterate—kind of like those people over at CNN.

I can't tell you how many times I've read news reports claiming the US federal budget is, say, several trillion dollars. For all I know, that amount probably exceeds the total value of all the real estate, precious metals, and gemstones on the entire planet combined. 😂

Austin Gonzalez13 said:So, to wrap this up—more than 90% of Americans are just clueless. That’s why you can’t expect better ratios in politics, journalism, healthcare... or even here on this forum.☕

So, how do you deal with the crushing reality that you’re part of that 90%?
Drinking coffee isn't going to boost your IQ.

silentridge3 said:I find myself scrolling through the daily news on Fox, or CNN...

I honestly can't wrap my head around why every single headline seems to revolve around smoking bans and bar owners. Yesterday, it was "someone said something regarding smoking legislation" (which I guess is just vital information to lead with), today it’s "someone responded to that" (as if we all need this urgent update), and tomorrow it'll be "some tavern owner is complaining about something" (so we absolutely have to see it on TV), and it just goes on and on like that forever...

In America, maybe 30% of people smoke, while 70% don't. And there are roughly 20 thousand small business owners in the hospitality sector—not just coffee shops, but everyone
.
Just imagine if business for everyone dropped by 30%. Or suppose 30% of the local spots close down, meaning 6 thousand business owners—who are probably doing better financially than most teachers or blue-collar workers, given they likely own property and nice cars—have to lock up for good because those 6 thousand people simply can't attract customers unless they allow smoking
.
On the flip side, you have people in America losing their jobs every single day. Furniture factories are crumbling, the textile industry is basically on its knees, and 50 thousand workers in shipyards and steel mills are either nearing the end of the line or are already out on the street...

Why don't Fox or CNN talk about them every day? Why isn't there daily coverage on "what the current situation is in American furniture manufacturing"? What did a factory worker say today, or what kind of tax incentive proposal is being discussed for that specific industry? What is a factory hand complaining about today, or what will the owner be lamenting tomorrow? I don't know, why not?

Is it just because it's easier for these young, talentless reporters (and the same kind of editors they work under) to just wander into a nearby pub, where they can grab a free cup of coffee and interview some bar owner, then whip up a little segment featuring his "tragic story"? All while 100 people from some factory are walking home for the last time—likely without their last six paychecks—and this bar owner, who probably bought beachfront property and a luxury car instead of investing in better ventilation, stands there with a tear in his eye talking about how hard his life has become because of the smoking ban...?

What kind of "News" is this, really? What kind of "Daily Reports"? It's just a cycle of smoking laws, followed by ads for Tom Bradley, then ads for Donald Trump, then updates on Kim Kardashian... and then back to smoking and bar owners, over and over again in a circle...

Just stop watching. Ever since I quit following the news, my blood pressure has leveled out and my ulcers don't flare up nearly as much. It was the best decision I ever made...