🐱 Interesting clickbait, op-eds, fluff pieces and other smaller stories
- Thread starter CatParty
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CatParty
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- Aug 21, 2018
You need to be contrarian like we all need oxygen, don't you.
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- Aug 8, 2017
Counter-Point: These old people have grand kids and they'll more likely visit grandma and grandpa if there's a theme park nearby they can be taken to. Family fun, good for business.
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2015
Exactly. They should double down and build the park through the retirement home.
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2018
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2017
The liberal way: when you can't compete... censor.
Also I just think this should be criminal as fraud and charges should be filed.
Also I just think this should be criminal as fraud and charges should be filed.
Last edited:
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- Dec 27, 2014
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- Aug 3, 2017
Rei is shit
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2017
The Airbus A380 is dead; https://www.bbc.com/news/business-47231504
This might not seem like a big deal, but here is a quick gestalt
Originally the break even point was supposed to be 300 airframes but that ballooned to 450 or so due to delays. Production will come to a halt after about 300 airframes, far short of the break even point and airbus original estimate for 750+ aircraft.
The 747 is the aircraft the 380 was supposed to displace from the market. Production for the 380 will end in 2021, while Boeing will be making deliveries of the 747 until at least 2022
There was a whole bunch of market analysis done that told airbus there wasnt much of a market for this aircraft. They ignored that and went ahead with the program anyways because politicians and the leadership at airbus wanted the biggest passenger jet in the world as a flagship. Ooopsies!
This might not seem like a big deal, but here is a quick gestalt
Originally the break even point was supposed to be 300 airframes but that ballooned to 450 or so due to delays. Production will come to a halt after about 300 airframes, far short of the break even point and airbus original estimate for 750+ aircraft.
The 747 is the aircraft the 380 was supposed to displace from the market. Production for the 380 will end in 2021, while Boeing will be making deliveries of the 747 until at least 2022
There was a whole bunch of market analysis done that told airbus there wasnt much of a market for this aircraft. They ignored that and went ahead with the program anyways because politicians and the leadership at airbus wanted the biggest passenger jet in the world as a flagship. Ooopsies!
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- May 20, 2016
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- Oct 14, 2015
I remember how godawful the design of the aircraft was. So many recalls.The Airbus A380 is dead; https://www.bbc.com/news/business-47231504
This might not seem like a big deal, but here is a quick gestalt
Originally the break even point was supposed to be 300 airframes but that ballooned to 450 or so due to delays. Production will come to a halt after about 300 airframes, far short of the break even point and airbus original estimate for 750+ aircraft.
The 747 is the aircraft the 380 was supposed to displace from the market. Production for the 380 will end in 2021, while Boeing will be making deliveries of the 747 until at least 2022
There was a whole bunch of market analysis done that told airbus there wasnt much of a market for this aircraft. They ignored that and went ahead with the program anyways because politicians and the leadership at airbus wanted the biggest passenger jet in the world as a flagship. Ooopsies!
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2014
Most of those aren't even blackface, which is a crude mockery of black facial features intended to mock the race. I'm not sure exactly how you'd impersonate Chris Rock without looking black.
- Joined
- May 20, 2016
Super-Chevy454
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2018
The guys of American Thinker desserve some guts to publish that article. https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2019/02/the_homosexual_mafia_strikes_again.html
The Homosexual Mafia Strikes Again
By Avrohom Gordimer
New York City Councilman Ruben Diaz Sr. is in major trouble. In fact, he may be expelled from the NYC Council.
What exactly did Councilman Diaz do? Did he assault someone, commit larceny or voter fraud?
Not exactly. He said the following, which is in a sense being treated worse than the above crimes:
“The City Council is controlled by the homosexual community.”
Diaz also stated that openly-gay council speaker Corey Johnson is married to a man.
In response, Johnson demanded that Diaz apologize for his “homophobic” remarks, which “have no place in New York City.”
Even Diaz’ own son, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., reprimanded his father for his grave sin, tweeting:
“NYC is a place where we celebrate our diversity and inclusivity. The LGBTQ community is unequivocally an essential voice in our City. @revrubendiaz’s sentiments are antagonistic, quarrelsome and wholly unnecessary. He should apologize.”
Thankfully, Diaz Sr. is sticking to his guns. Although he is otherwise a liberal Democrat, he is anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage -- something incredibly rare these days in the Democratic Party. Diaz Sr., unlike almost all other Democrats, has not drunk the Kool-Aid.
The New York Times reported further:
“The City Council is already exploring disciplinary action against him: The Committee on Standards and Ethics, at the behest of several Council members who have complained, will open an investigation. If Mr. Díaz is found guilty of “disorderly conduct,” which could include violating “policies against discrimination and harassment,” Mr. Díaz could be reprimanded, censured, fined or expelled from the City Council by a two-thirds vote of its members.
“The Council speaker, Corey Johnson, who is gay and H.I.V. positive, used his personal Twitter account to note that he shared the “anger and pain” of Mr. Díaz’s colleagues about “deeply offensive comments” about the gay community.
“We are currently reviewing all potential disciplinary scenarios,” Mr. Johnson said in a statement. “Nothing is off the table.”
“My personal viewpoint is that he should resign. It’s unacceptable. It’s Trumpian,..”
Speaker Johnson’s hysteria is misplaced. Rather than be upset at Diaz for a comment, maybe he should take a look at himself and the truth of Diaz’ words. To be precise:
- The New York City Council has a “Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Caucus”, in which Mr. Johnson’s name prominently appears.
- Two of the last three New York City Council speakers were openly homosexual.
- The Council, through its powerful LGBT Caucus, has thus far passed almost 20 pro-homosexual measures.
Did Johnson ever consider that Diaz’ point might be correct, rather than mindlessly attacking it?
This scenario is symptomatic of something far deeper that is happening in America, in which the homosexual community attempts to muzzle and bully its opponents into submission -- or else. The sad truth is that Diaz Sr. and other Americans who hold to some notion of Biblical values are basically not permitted by the pro-gay lobby to express their opinion on these issues.
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2018
sourceThe “front page of the Internet” is the latest battle ground in the fight over control of global culture. Chinese tech giant Tencent recently invested $150m in Reddit. This investment sparked virtual protests and outrage across the social platform, with images of Tiananmen Square flooding Reddit’s front page. The threat of Chinese censorship was feeling all too real on a site that had historically embraced the extremes of free speech.
Reddit CEO Steve Huffman assured users that “Our governance didn’t change during this round, which means we didn’t add anyone to the board, and our policies won’t be changing either.”. That is likely true…for “this round”. The truth is, to really understand China’s influence over U.S. culture, Silicon Valley just needs to look south.
Hollywood is the original cultural capital, broadcasting American ideals and cultural norms to the rest of the world since the late 1930’s. Over the last decade, Chinese firms have been making substantial investments in Hollywood. As part of China’s influence strategy, these investments typically follow a three step process:
- Chinese investors provide a welcome source of financing for U.S. film studios. In an effort to appease their financiers, U.S. studios self-censor and ensure their films are less critical of China. According to the New York Times, “As recently as two decades ago, major Hollywood movies were sharply critical of China. “Seven Years in Tibet,” which depicts Chinese soldiers brutalizing Tibetans, was one of the top 100 grossing movies of 1997”. Once the Chinese investment rolled in to Hollywood, however, the criticism stopped.
- In order to release U.S. blockbuster films in China, studios are often asked to add Chinese movie stars and locations to their productions. This request is seemingly harmless, and even a logical business choice. Plus, it’s the law in China.
- Chinese censors will review US scripts for unsanctioned material and request rewrites (or reshoots) if they don’t find the material acceptable. After a few rounds of this process, most producers, writers and directors knowingly exclude “forbidden” concepts without even being asked. The 2010 remake of Red Dawn, for example, created an uproar from Chinese state-run news after a script leak revealed that China was to be depicted as the enemy.
The North Korean flags in Red Dawn were all added in post production.
Eventually, the studio digitally removed all references to the Chinese army in the film, and replaced them with the North Korean army. According to the The Global Times, a state-run Chinese newspaper, ”Without a single word from Chinese authorities, the U.S. studio spent another $1 million to re-edit its film. One cannot help but marvel about the rising power of China, even though it is sheer market power this time.” One cannot help but marvel at the state-run communication brinkmanship either.
For China, these Hollywood investments aren’t specifically about censoring. Censorship is a feature of the larger strategy: to spread the story of China (China’s version, of course) and make it an important part of the global culture. The New York Times reported that “President Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the need to ‘tell China’s story well’ — to make sure a coherent, compelling and, most important, Communist Party-sanctioned narrative of China’s rise to power reaches global audiences.”
Want a jet in your film? Just ask!
To be clear, the United States has utilized a similar strategy for decades. If you want an F-22 fighter jet to appear in your blockbuster film, the U.S. Military reviews the script and makes changes, if necessary. Look no further than the global box office for the past four decades to see how those U.S. government-sanctioned stories spread globally, and at an unprecedented scale.
Media and entertainment are the primary non-violent means to uphold and instill American values locally, and spread them globally. America is an expert at telling the story of capitalist democracy — and it’s big business too. The global Media & Entertainment (M&E) market reached $1.9 trillion in revenue in 2016. China is the second largest consumer of U.S. M&E, spending $190b in 2016, right behind the United States.
Furthering Xi’s goal to tell China’s story, Chinese tech companies (with Tencent leading the pack) have made significant investments in major U.S. entertainment technology platforms, including:
These investments are the first step in China’s playbook to spread its cultural influence. Between League of Legends, Fortnite, Spotify and Reddit, Tencent has significant influence over American youth (Gen Z in particular). These entertainment properties represent over half a billion monthly active users, and millions of minutes watched on YouTube and Twitch, in the case of Riot and Epic.
- Riot Games, makers of League of Legends (100% owned by Tencent)
- Supercell (100% owned by Tencent)
- TikTok (100% owned by ByteDance via its Music.ly acquisition)
- Epic Games, makers of Fortnite (40% owned by Tencent)
- Snap (17% owned by Tencent)
- Spotify (7.5% owned by Tencent)
- Reddit (5% owned by Tencent)
In September 2018, the General Administration of Press and Publications (GAPP), a Chinese censorship office that vets new games for inappropriate content, stopped approving all new games. Their stated goal was to identify ways to limit the time kids spent playing games, citing a concern about eyesight problems. Because of this ban, Fortnite isn’t yet allowed in China.
While the proclaimed eyesight concerns are dubious, Chinese officials clearly have a different perspective on video games than most U.S. citizens and politicians. When there is a difference in values, the second step in China’s strategy begins. This is already in play with Google, Microsoft and Apple, who have made major concessions in order for their products to be available on the Chinese market. Alphabet, for instance, has been working on a censored version of Google search for China. This Google project has been highly criticized, because Americans see this action as going directly against American culture and values.
Culture is a slippery concept in our paradoxical world, where a handful of mega corporations control our entertainment diet. However, pervasive individualism is a defining feature of the Millennial generation. American culture is just as much NASCAR as it is Marie Kondo or Fortnite, with little overlap. But culture is also a set of shared values, however nebulous. Beneath these values is a commonality that stems from living in a liberal democracy. The liberal democratic order is what likely allows for easy cultural exchanges between countries like Japan and the European Union. With China, that commonality just isn’t there.
There’s no doubt that entertainment has the power to change society. People like to think of societal changes as slow, organic movements, instead of calculated influence campaigns. They want to experience other cultures, while basking in the safety of our familiar American ideals and norms. Do we have a right to be subsumed by the culture of our choice, or does culture just sweep through society, unable to be controlled? Ultimately, if America is no longer the top exporter of culture, what becomes of our identity?
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2018
They're all mining your data.
Just put your trust in Noll.
Just put your trust in Noll.
RadicalCentrist
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2017
Globalization continuing to reap benefits, I see.
Also,
>reddit
>bastion of "extreme free speech"
lol
Also,
>bastion of "extreme free speech"
lol
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2018
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2016
Well time to learn Mandarin
杀死白狗
杀死白狗
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2018
I think the most ironic thing about all of this is the coming collapse of Hollywood and the video game industry. China's going to have to start making its own stuff if it wants its target demographic to buy into any of its investments, especially due to the increasingly visible disconnect and groupthink coming out of Hollywood and these videogame companies.
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2018
Son sets mother’s house on fire after argument over box of Cheez-Its
https://www.cbs46.com/news/son-sets...cle_c904d9be-2ead-11e9-852a-8b2afb7c6cbd.html
TBH I don't blame the guy, those things are delicious.
https://www.cbs46.com/news/son-sets...cle_c904d9be-2ead-11e9-852a-8b2afb7c6cbd.html
Atlanta, GA (CBS46) A man had to rescue his mother from the second floor during a fire at a DeKalb County home that allegedly began over a box of Cheez-Its.
The incident happened at the home on Creekford Drive in Lithonia.
Officials tell CBS46 News that two brothers and their 61 year-old mother were at the home when an argument began over a box of Cheez-It snack crackers.
That's when one of the brothers, who police say was intoxicated, locked his brother and mother inside the home and began pouring gasoline on the front steps.
He then lit the home on fire, trapping the two inside. The brother was able to lift his mother down from the second story window and then get himself out safely.
The man who started the fire, 32 year-old Jeremy Lamar Wyatt, was taken into custody. He is charged with arson and criminal damage to property.
The incident happened at the home on Creekford Drive in Lithonia.
Officials tell CBS46 News that two brothers and their 61 year-old mother were at the home when an argument began over a box of Cheez-It snack crackers.
That's when one of the brothers, who police say was intoxicated, locked his brother and mother inside the home and began pouring gasoline on the front steps.
He then lit the home on fire, trapping the two inside. The brother was able to lift his mother down from the second story window and then get himself out safely.
The man who started the fire, 32 year-old Jeremy Lamar Wyatt, was taken into custody. He is charged with arson and criminal damage to property.
TBH I don't blame the guy, those things are delicious.