The Weird, Random, and Interesting things that Fit Nowhere Else Thread

[Bartimaeus]

The University of Wisconsin-Madison incident is probably even better than that:

 

"At a February 1999 meeting of the Faculty Senate, Amelia Rideau, a junior English major and vice chairwoman of the Black Student Union told the group how a professor teaching Chaucer had used the word niggardly. She later said she was unaware of the related Washington, D.C., controversy that came to light just the week before. She said the professor continued to use the word even after she told him that she was offended. "I was in tears, shaking," she told the faculty. "It's not up to the rest of the class to decide whether my feelings are valid."

 

The student's plea, offered as evidence in support of the school's speech code, instead struck an unintended chord helping to destroy it. "Many 'abolitionists', as they now were called, believe that [the student's] speech, widely reported, was the turning point," according to an article in Reason magazine. An editorial in the Wisconsin State Journal addressed the student who complained, saying: "Thank you [...] for clarifying precisely why the UW–Madison does not need an academic speech code. [...] Speech codes have a chilling effect on academic freedom and they reinforce defensiveness among students who ought to be more open to learning.""

 

Emphasis mine.

Edited February 15, 2017 by Bartimaeus

[Hurlshort]

The guerrilla comment is unfortunate because that is a pretty common term. But as much as I like vocabulary, you really have to go out of your way to use the word niggardly in a sentence. Just like the swastika has fallen out of favor in Buddhist circles, that's a word that conjures up a very negative image.

 

Even without the racial slur connection, it's a pretty negative word that was often thrown in front of Jew as an emphasis. Language changes over time, we have plenty of other choices to describe miserly behavior. You have to be fairly tone deaf to use this word in public.  

[Wrath of Dagon]

I'm pretty sure swastikas are still widely used in Asia. Fun fact, there are some in the US Senate too, a whole ornament made of them.

[Amentep]

This just happened last month at the Australian open.

Went back and looked at one of the articles about the incident I read to try and find context and realized I misread a date they gave. So reading fail on my part.

[Gfted1]

You see what you want to see. Being offended is an entire industry.

[Hurlshort]

I'm pretty sure swastikas are still widely used in Asia. Fun fact, there are some in the US Senate too, a whole ornament made of them.

 

And yet that doesn't change the fact there is a tremendous stigma attached to them in the Western world. There are also probably still circles where you can use the British slang for cigarette, but if you use that in the US it will not go well.

[Malcador]

Never underestimate people trying to be clever and leaving themselves an out.

 

Trevor was wrong, edginess is the blight of the age

[Malcador]

https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/02/the-air-forces-secretitve-x-37b-space-plane-may-or-may-not-be-about-to-land/

 

Mission patch reads NOYFB.

[Raithe]

For the general castle bumpf... (and some good shots and pictures of assorted castles)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiOLLp87O0U&feature=youtu.be

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw4eX1S9nVU

 

[Guard Dog]

The guerrilla comment is unfortunate because that is a pretty common term. But as much as I like vocabulary, you really have to go out of your way to use the word niggardly in a sentence. Just like the swastika has fallen out of favor in Buddhist circles, that's a word that conjures up a very negative image.

 

Even without the racial slur connection, it's a pretty negative word that was often thrown in front of Jew as an emphasis. Language changes over time, we have plenty of other choices to describe miserly behavior. You have to be fairly tone deaf to use this word in public.  

It's word in the dictionary that means what it means. Seems to me discussing a budget proposal is about the only time using it would be appropriate. The idea of that aide being forced to apologize for the ignorance of people who can't pick up a dictionary or use google just rubs me the wrong way. The word negro and it's racist slurred form is not an english word. It was Spanish and Portuguese. It has no other definition so there is no appropriate English use. Big difference.

 

I remember a few years back a Knicks sportscaster was fired because he said Patrick Ewing swung from the basket "like Tarzan" after a dunk. He was fired and forced to apologize because it was determined by whomever the hell determines such things that the comment was racist. I don't see how. Tarzan did swing from vines and was white in any case. Would it have been OK if he said Spiderman? I'm pretty sure he is black now so that would be OK I guess.

 

This PC madness over words is way out of control and in truth is a small contributing factor to Trump being elected. People get sick of having this mindless crap rammed down their throats and sometimes over compensate. The thing is though, we can't "fix" it. You can't make the willfully ignorant less so and can't make those determined to be offended not be offended. All we can do is get enough people to tell them to piss off when they get into a knot. Lie the did in the story Bartimaeus commented on. Or like what the University of Chicago did recently. We need a lot more of that.

[Malcador]

You would be surprised at people trying to be **** by being clever. Definitely is worth looking at it on a case by case basis when someone uses a word like that.

 

And never know people's background, might be reasons to be touchy on words. But I guess that's just the insidious left to you.

Edited February 16, 2017 by Malcador

[Amentep]

It's word in the dictionary that means what it means. Seems to me discussing a budget proposal is about the only time using it would be appropriate. The idea of that aide being forced to apologize for the ignorance of people who can't pick up a dictionary or use google just rubs me the wrong way. The word negro and it's racist slurred form is not an english word. It was Spanish and Portuguese. It has no other definition so there is no appropriate English use. Big difference.

 

I remember a few years back a Knicks sportscaster was fired because he said Patrick Ewing swung from the basket "like Tarzan" after a dunk. He was fired and forced to apologize because it was determined by whomever the hell determines such things that the comment was racist. I don't see how. Tarzan did swing from vines and was white in any case. Would it have been OK if he said Spiderman? I'm pretty sure he is black now so that would be OK I guess.

 

This PC madness over words is way out of control and in truth is a small contributing factor to Trump being elected. People get sick of having this mindless crap rammed down their throats and sometimes over compensate. The thing is though, we can't "fix" it. You can't make the willfully ignorant less so and can't make those determined to be offended not be offended. All we can do is get enough people to tell them to piss off when they get into a knot. Lie the did in the story Bartimaeus commented on. Or like what the University of Chicago did recently. We need a lot more of that.

The difference with the Gorilla/Guerilla thing is that there actually is a history of using the term gorilla to portray/present those of African descent as sub-human. So it does have a historically racist connotation.

 

The real question is whether he said "gorilla" or "guerilla" and what he possibly meant by either use.

[Pidesco]

Incidentally "Negro" is the polite form used for black man in Portuguese. "Preto" is the impolite form that should only be used as a form of address if you are friendly enough with the person you are talking to.

 

Note, however, that both words literally just mean the color black. The word "preto" is more commonly used in day to day life for the color, though. "Negro" is usually used in more formal contexts, although they are effectively interchangeable.

[Gfted1]

^Thank god you said something. I was about to write my congressman over this dogs name.

[Pidesco]

I can go on:

 

"Negão" is only used in Brazilian Portuguese, and it usually refers to a big black man. Sometimes this has a "positive" connotation, if you get my drift.

 

The suffix "ão" is often used to denote increased size in the same away that "inho" is used for smaller things. They are the main way to get augmentative and diminutive forms in Portuguese.

 

It's safe to assume that in that case, the name came from the fact that the dog is big and black, though.

[Gfted1]

I guess Ill just have to become outraged over some other word I dont understand. Luckily, thats the speakers fault.

[Malcador]

Reminds me of Liverpool supporters arguing that Suarez wasn't trying to be racist at all.

[Wrath of Dagon]

The difference with the Gorilla/Guerilla thing is that there actually is a history of using the term gorilla to portray/present those of African descent as sub-human. So it does have a historically racist connotation.

 

The real question is whether he said "gorilla" or "guerilla" and what he possibly meant by either use.

Do you really think he would've intentionally used a racial slur knowing he would be fired immediately? "There's a small chance he meant this in a racist way, we better destroy his career and reputation just to be safe."

[Amentep]

 

The difference with the Gorilla/Guerilla thing is that there actually is a history of using the term gorilla to portray/present those of African descent as sub-human. So it does have a historically racist connotation.

 

The real question is whether he said "gorilla" or "guerilla" and what he possibly meant by either use.

Do you really think he would've intentionally used a racial slur knowing he would be fired immediately? "There's a small chance he meant this in a racist way, we better destroy his career and reputation just to be safe."

 

As I've said, I think he said gorilla not intending it to be a racial remark.  He might even have been unaware of the words historical racist context. Is ignorance a defense?  Did he have other disciplinary actions against him we don't know about? Is there more context that can explain his guerilla defense?  I don't know.

 

I do know if you step into a minefield, the mine doesn't care if you did so by accident or not.  Some sort of disciplinary action was going to come forth on this; is the firing justified?  I guess we'll find out in the court case - if it happens.

[Wrath of Dagon]

I do know if you step into a minefield, the mine doesn't care if you did so by accident or not.

No, but a human being should care.

[Gfted1]

Ignorance sure seems to be a defense for the offended. Unfortunately for me it did not work the last time I got a speeding ticket..."Do you know how fast you were going?"...."Duuuuh, 55mph?"

[Amentep]

 

I do know if you step into a minefield, the mine doesn't care if you did so by accident or not.

 

No, but a human being should care.

 

And how does that theoretical human know if the theoretical 'minefield stepper' did it by accident or not, in a verifiable, independent sort of way?

[Wrath of Dagon]

If he has no proof it was intentional, he has to give the accused the benefit of the doubt. You're exactly acting out the sentence I put in quotes earlier.

[Malcador]

Ignorance sure seems to be a defense for the offended. Unfortunately for me it did not work the last time I got a speeding ticket..."Do you know how fast you were going?"...."Duuuuh, 55mph?"

How so, in this case?

[Gfted1]

I still got a speeding ticket.