JadedWolf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85BlfQFuChg

New article by the telegraph (same paper as story linked before) now actually condemning the whole affair: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/11232986/Matt-Taylors-sexist-shirt-and-the-day-political-correctness-officially-went-mad.html At least some journalists are still capable of rational thought. My favourite bit: "Imagine if these PC fetishists had been around on Twitter when we landed on the moon: “One small step for man? And one giant leap backwards for women. #sexistpigs”. Would they have reduced Neil Armstrong to tears upon his return for enforcing heteronormativity with his masculinist rhetoric about stepping? I don’t doubt it. After all, what was done to Dr Taylor was plain vicious."

I really don't think comments like this are very helpful. I am sorry, but my jimmies are seriously rustled when i found out that he had to publicly appologize. It's not a question of different opinion, it is a grand declaration of war to everything that is good in this world. The gloves are now off and it is open season. I know, I am angry about it too. But bringing rape victims into it, even in jest, really doesn't help. I know you don't mean harm with it, but imagine one of our board members might actually have a history of being raped and they'd see your comment. It's not your intention to hurt anyone (with possible exception of Bruce) but you might still, inadvertently.

I really don't think comments like this are very helpful.

I don't think he was pressured (edit: by his employers!), seeing that the apology came completely out of the blue. He was actually asked how the "science was comparing to the data collected by the Rosetta orbiter", and instead of answering the question he broke down and came with the apology. This wasn't some staged press conference, this was a man who probably lost a night's sleep over this and hasn't been able to think about anything else, and just had to get this out of his system. You can see his colleagues around the table feel sorry for him. They probably think this is just as ridiculous as we do. As for examples. Well, let's imagine tomorrow a woman goes to a job interview and the recruiter makes an offending remark about her being a woman. Now, she doesn't have any proof as it's her word against his word. But there's a grassroots movement to boycott the company involved, in which many of the ladies are involved who also were involved in this incident. In this case, of course, they'd be very right to get involved. However, many people who are familiar with this incident will see the headline, then see who is involved in it, and think to themselves "Oh right, the shirt ladies found something new to be offended about, nevermind that!"

By the way Bruce, what you fail to see is: next time there is an actual legitimate complaint about something a lot of people who see something like this will be less likely to take it seriously because they will have seen that there are people who will jump at literally anything to make a fuss.

Yeah, I am clearly the one patronizing here. Heh.

Yes, but only because evil frothing at the mouth zealots are out there to shame and harass anyone that doesn't conform to their Nazi-esque dress code where anything that could possibly be identified as a statement of some kind that goes against their strict totalitarian ideals, even in the furthest reaches of a seriously deranged mind, is deemed unacceptable and worthy of a mass coordinated assault. Shame on him for simply putting on the shirt which his friend gifted him for this occasion and not thinking through what extremist zealots might fabricate out of the shirt's content. It's definitely all his fault, and not a fabrication of the sick, deranged, psychotic SJW monsters that aim to destroy free will. Guys a shirt like that can be worn at a Rave, a club, a comic convention or walking around a mall or dozens of others places but it does project an image. Now a person may be fine with the image it projects, like someone wearing a shirt with a neo-Nazi symbol, but you need to accept that you will receive criticism from sectors of society as that image is offensive to some people And obviously the scientist realized that as he apologized. I can also tell you that most corporates wouldn't think too highly of someone coming to a job interview wearing a shirt like that So I don't think we need to see this incident as " glaring example of feminazism " but rather something that was just inappropriate to wear for someone like the scientist who was doing an interview that has global coverage. Its not a mystery or surprise to me why he was admonished? No. Just no. A grown man was brought to tears and made to grovel because he wanted to wear a shirt that a female friend gave him. Yes, it was a gaudy T-shirt, but no, it wasn't offending. Not unless you're the sort of person who is actively out looking to get offended. If it WAS offending I am sure several of the guys female colleagues would have pointed it out to him. The guy was wearing the shirt the whole day and to his colleagues obviously it was a non issue. Even when he does the apologizing they are looking rather puzzled as to what the fuss is about. The only people who seem to care are the people actively looking to get offended and it's getting really tiresome. Well obviously the guy that was wearing the shirt, the scientist, feels different to you. He wouldn't have apologized if he didn't feel he should. He is highly a intelligent man, I'm sure he can make his own mind up and decide for himself if an explanation or apology is warranted? Or is he not capable of deciding that? Someone being forced into an apology doesn't mean the apology is warranted. With enough force you can bully someone into thinking just about anything is wrong. The guy strikes me as a very nice guy who had no intention at all of offending anyone. One day he is just cheerfully doing his life's work, putting on a shirt a friend gave him to wear, then going on camera to enthusiastically tell about his life's work. Obviously the guy didn't think there was anything wrong with the shirt then. Then people for no understandable reason start to give him crap for wearing a shirt. I can understand how he'd be perplexed. Then he's thinking. "What if they are right? I don't feel they are right, I liked the shirt, I saw nothing wrong with it. But there are so many of them, and they are so vocal. It must be me, I must be not seeing it. Oh Jesus, what have I done?" It's called group pressure, and some people are more susceptible to it than others. The guy strikes me as a nice guy, someone who wants to be nice and who wants to be liked. That makes him a prime target for something like this, and that's exactly why it's so utterly disgusting and contemptible. People responsible for this should feel very, very ashamed.

Yes, but only because evil frothing at the mouth zealots are out there to shame and harass anyone that doesn't conform to their Nazi-esque dress code where anything that could possibly be identified as a statement of some kind that goes against their strict totalitarian ideals, even in the furthest reaches of a seriously deranged mind, is deemed unacceptable and worthy of a mass coordinated assault. Shame on him for simply putting on the shirt which his friend gifted him for this occasion and not thinking through what extremist zealots might fabricate out of the shirt's content. It's definitely all his fault, and not a fabrication of the sick, deranged, psychotic SJW monsters that aim to destroy free will. Guys a shirt like that can be worn at a Rave, a club, a comic convention or walking around a mall or dozens of others places but it does project an image. Now a person may be fine with the image it projects, like someone wearing a shirt with a neo-Nazi symbol, but you need to accept that you will receive criticism from sectors of society as that image is offensive to some people And obviously the scientist realized that as he apologized. I can also tell you that most corporates wouldn't think too highly of someone coming to a job interview wearing a shirt like that So I don't think we need to see this incident as " glaring example of feminazism " but rather something that was just inappropriate to wear for someone like the scientist who was doing an interview that has global coverage. Its not a mystery or surprise to me why he was admonished? No. Just no. A grown man was brought to tears and made to grovel because he wanted to wear a shirt that a female friend gave him. Yes, it was a gaudy T-shirt, but no, it wasn't offending. Not unless you're the sort of person who is actively out looking to get offended. If it WAS offending I am sure several of the guys female colleagues would have pointed it out to him. The guy was wearing the shirt the whole day and to his colleagues obviously it was a non issue. Even when he does the apologizing they are looking rather puzzled as to what the fuss is about. The only people who seem to care are the people actively looking to get offended and it's getting really tiresome.

Oh, who cares about a scientific milestone anyway. Clearly it's much more important to focus all our energy into reducing a hardworking scientist to a quivering, groveling mess because he made the faux pas of wearing a shirt gifted to him by a female friend for this very special occasion. That's real empowering.

Actually, a quick google search on that reveals that him telling white people to kill themselves never happened, and was a fabrication by a satirical website. http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/11/26/rumor-check-did-a-professor-instruct-white-male-students-to-commit-suicide-for-the-benefit-of-society/

I can't imagine only having two parties to choose from. I live in a country where we have a plethora of political parties to choose from, and yet even then it's a matter of choosing which one of the parties you hate least.

And this has concluded this week's installment of (semi-quasi-sort of used to be) famous (-ish-esque) people suggesting unreasonable solutions to complex problems without thoroughly thinking things through. Tune in again next week for another exciting installment! And remember people, killing humans is the best way to end global warming. Good evening, and see you next time.

Serious question: why do you guys care so much about people I've never heard of? I'm sorry, I can see that they are saying very silly things, but they just seem very unimportant and not really worth any attention. Am I missing something?

Went to see The Drop this evening, can highly recommend it. Not a spectacle movie by a long shot obviously, but a very atmospheric, slow (in a good way) crime movie, with great acting from all involved.

Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to two cast members of the Smurfs: And...

To keep with my Ireland theme: Irish English teacher turned down for Korean job because of inherent "alcoholism nature of Irish people" http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29929333

They are probably afraid the children will hurt their little feet when they try to put them in the door. It takes a hardened adult foot to take on an atheist.

CNBC reporter doesn't understand why Ireland doesn't use the pound, but the euro:

The truth is that a hungry dog, when given the choice, would certainly eat you.

Speaking of death threats, I was on my way to do groceries today, and I heard a conversation between a grandpa and a 6 year or so old little boy today. "Grandpa?" "Yes?" "I'm going to shoot you dead." "Oh, oh. That's... nice." They should arrest the little bugger.

Well, keep me in mind in case you need anyone to bring 'round the coffee.

Well, the thing was that in the actual kickstarter for the game (Elite: Dangerous) there was a tier where people could get the rights to write a novel set in the universe of the game. That was a tier worth 4500 pounds. The prospective writers obviously couldn't raise that themselves so the people who went for that tier first got the money by arranging their own kickstarter for it. For me supporting the novel kickstarter was more about putting more money into the game, in any case, so I am not that hung up about the quality of it.