Xenophobic backlash

[shuriken]

http://usuncut.com/news/9-hate-crimes-by-white-terrorists-since-the-paris-attacks-the-media-ignored/

I think it's super messed up the way some of these bigots are going about hurting and assaulting people for their beliefs and or appearance. On a lighter note this: (9th article snippet)

“It’s a teachable moment,” Ahmadiyya Muslim Community spokesman Salam Bhatti told the Associated Press. “As we do raise awareness of attacks in mosques, we will see mosques do not respond in violence. Islam teaches us to teach peace.”

Also anybody think the U.S. state governors denying refugees are ever going to change their stance? Can they even do anything legally to stop them?

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

For a nation that was heavily populated by immigrants over the years, parts of America's population have always been astonishingly racist and/or xenophobic.

Locking Japanese up in internment camps during WWII, the plight of the Chinese in San Francisco, Jim Crow laws and "separate but equal"... the list is long and embarrassing. I used to think America wasn't racist anymore, but I grew up.

[Powder]

What about "No political or religious topics" don't you guys get?

[Prowler]

What about "No political or religious topics" don't you guys get?
This...

For a nation that was heavily populated by immigrants over the years, parts of America's population have always been astonishingly racist and/or xenophobic.

Locking Japanese up in internment camps during WWII, the plight of the Chinese in San Francisco, Jim Crow laws and "separate but equal"... the list is long and embarrassing. I used to think America wasn't racist anymore, but I grew up.
Well, multiculturalism isn't exactly a cakewalk. Whenever you put people of different ethnic groups, nationalities and religions together in one country there's bound to be some conflict at some point or another. You don't hear or read about racism in a country like Estonia, per example, because pretty much everyone there is white and an ethnic Estonian. So who'd they be racist against?

[snake]

Xenomorphs need to leave our system

#deportthealiens

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

This...


Well, multiculturalism isn't exactly a cakewalk. Whenever you put people of different ethnic groups, nationalities and religions together in one country there's bound to be some conflict at some point or another. You don't hear or read about racism in a country like Estonia, per example, because pretty much everyone there is white and an ethnic Estonian. So who'd they be racist against?

Man, I haven't even heard of Estonia. :teek:

Xenomorphs need to leave our system

#deportthealiens

Snake's got the right idea. :tlol:

[Prowler]

Man, I haven't even heard of Estonia. :teek:

Really? I know it's small, but it's not exactly in the end of the world. It was once part of the USSR.

Nations I forget that exist are places like Tuvalu and St. Kitts and Nevis, per example.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Really? I know it's small, but it's not exactly in the end of the world. It was once part of the USSR.

Nations I forget that exist are places like Tuvalu and St. Kitts and Nevis, per example.

I freely admit, the smaller satellite nations don't really stick in my memory until they end up in the news.

[Papenbrook]

This is why we are getting a World War III. It's so sad.:'(

[snake]

This is why we are getting a World War III. It's so sad.:'(

Someone preordered a world war three?

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Someone preordered a world war three?

The Free Republic of Antarctica is on the rise...

[snake]

The Free Republic of Antarctica is on the rise...

F*cking penguins are at it again trying to claim Antarctica as their own

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

F*cking penguins are at it again trying to claim Antarctica as their own

Pretty sure the Emperor Penguin has already orchestrated the slaughter of all human scientists. As soon as he brokers an alliance with the Polar Bear Kingdom, that's it; it's all over.

We'll be f***ing doomed.

[Leo656]

Racism isn't going away, it's ingrained in human DNA. Human beings all evolved from tribal cultures, and that tribalism, that "Us Vs. Them" is too big a part of how we existed for thousands of years to suddenly evaporate in a few decades just because "we all know better now". Since people first crawled out of caves, things like "They look different than us," "they have more stuff than us," or even, "We live Over Here and they live Over There" were good enough reasons to storm in and kill everybody you saw, anywhere in the world. It's really only the last little while that it's been much different.

People can co-exist for a while, but when things are particularly bad for one group of people, they'll inevitably lash out at another, "more different" group of people. Maybe that will go away eventually, but that's not going to be for a long, long time.

I mean everybody's smart enough to know better, it's just easy to lash out when you're pissed off. It's too much a part of who we are as a species.

[Klunk1234]

[QUOTE=CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy;1521799]Man, I haven't even heard of Estonia. :teek:


Cylons, then you need to take Geography classes or buy an Atlas.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

[QUOTE=CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy;1521799]Man, I haven't even heard of Estonia. :teek:


Cylons, then you need to take Geography classes or buy an Atlas.

Uh huh. I sure do. My life is in irreparable ruins due to a lack of Estonian knowledge.

Tell me, Klunky, how will knowing about Estonia improve my financial situation, my sex life, my interpersonal relationships, or my sense of morality?

Sherlock Holmes says it best:

"You see," he explained, "I consider that a man's brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose. A fool takes in all the lumber of every sort that he comes across, so that the knowledge which might be useful to him gets crowded out, or at best is jumbled up with a lot of other things so that he has a difficulty in laying his hands upon it. Now the skillful workman is very careful indeed as to what he takes into his brain-attic. He will have nothing but the tools which may help him in doing his work, but of these he has a large assortment, and all in the most perfect order. It is a mistake to think that that little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent. Depend upon it there comes a time when for every addition of knowledge you forget something that you knew before. It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones."

"But the Solar System!" I protested.

"What the deuce is it to me?" he interrupted impatiently; "you say that we go round the sun. If we went round the moon it would not make a pennyworth of difference to me or to my work."

[Prowler]

[QUOTE=Klunk1234;1521922]

Uh huh. I sure do. My life is in irreparable ruins due to a lack of Estonian knowledge.

Tell me, Klunky, how will knowing about Estonia improve my financial situation, my sex life, my interpersonal relationships, or my sense of morality?

Sherlock Holmes says it best:

"You see," he explained, "I consider that a man's brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose. A fool takes in all the lumber of every sort that he comes across, so that the knowledge which might be useful to him gets crowded out, or at best is jumbled up with a lot of other things so that he has a difficulty in laying his hands upon it. Now the skillful workman is very careful indeed as to what he takes into his brain-attic. He will have nothing but the tools which may help him in doing his work, but of these he has a large assortment, and all in the most perfect order. It is a mistake to think that that little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent. Depend upon it there comes a time when for every addition of knowledge you forget something that you knew before. It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones."

"But the Solar System!" I protested.

"What the deuce is it to me?" he interrupted impatiently; "you say that we go round the sun. If we went round the moon it would not make a pennyworth of difference to me or to my work."
It might not be relevant to those aspects of your life... but then again what is? So you think the only knowledge that people need in life is how to socialize, manage money and know that stealing and killing are wrong? As a Turtles fan, I doubt reading and watching every different adaptation helsp any of those aspects of your life either, but yet you probably still do it. If people only knew about stuff that is related to their job, then mankind would be even more ignorant, and ignorance is dangerous. Plus, knowing where a European country is on the map is something you can learn in a couple of seconds. It's not rocket science. Sounds like you're just making up excuses for your ignorance.

I speak for myself, but I find it odd and sad when someone who's well educated doesn't know simple facts like pointing France on a map or who Leonardo da Vinci was.

[Cure]

Dude didn't know about Estonia. Is this really an argument worth having?

[Candy Kappa]

As much fun it is to ridicule american's knowledge about outside of America, maybe consider that USA is huge. With 50 states as mini countries of their own, a hand full of US Territories, Canada, Mexico and the many other countries In North and South America continents.

So a stab and a jest is fine, but don't go full douche about it...

[Prowler]

Dude didn't know about Estonia. Is this really an argument worth having?

As much fun it is to ridicule american's knowledge about outside of America, maybe consider that USA is huge. With 50 states as mini countries of their own, a hand full of US Territories, Canada, Mexico and the many other countries In North and South America continents.

So a stab and a jest is fine, but don't go full douche about it...
I didn't ridicule him, despite being surprised he hadn't heard of it ever.

And who knows if Klunk isn't American? His location doesn't reveal his country.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

[QUOTE=CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy;1521971]
It might not be relevant to those aspects of your life... but then again what is? So you think the only knowledge that people need in life is how to socialize, manage money and know that stealing and killing are wrong? As a Turtles fan, I doubt reading and watching every different adaptation helsp any of those aspects of your life either, but yet you probably still do it. If people only knew about stuff that is related to their job, then mankind would be even more ignorant, and ignorance is dangerous. Plus, knowing where a European country is on the map is something you can learn in a couple of seconds. It's not rocket science. Sounds like you're just making up excuses for your ignorance.

I speak for myself, but I find it odd and sad when someone who's well educated doesn't know simple facts like pointing France on a map or who Leonardo da Vinci was.

Oh, you silly silly children. There is a huge difference between knowing where France is on the map and where Estonia is on the map. There is a huge difference between knowing who Leonardo da Vinci was or who Taavi Rõivas is.

Not everything they teach you in school is ultimately important, nor is everything you need to know taught in school. Learn the discipline you need to educate yourself, and then do so in the fields and areas that you need. I do not yet have any need for knowledge of Estonia, and I know how to educate myself if/when that need arises.

Knowledge for the sake of knowledge alone quite often leads to assh0les with a superiority complex. And looky what we have here!

[Prowler]

[QUOTE=Prowler;1521992]

Oh, you silly silly children. There is a huge difference between knowing where France is on the map and where Estonia is on the map. There is a huge difference between knowing who Leonardo da Vinci was or who Taavi Rõivas is.

Not everything they teach you in school is ultimately important, nor is everything you need to know taught in school. Learn the discipline you need to educate yourself, and then do so in the fields and areas that you need. I do not yet have any need for knowledge of Estonia, and I know how to educate myself if/when that need arises.

Knowledge for the sake of knowledge alone quite often leads to assh0les with a superiority complex. And looky what we have here!
Calls people silly children and then the others are the ones with superiority complexes. All I did was trying to understand your POV better. No need to get a nerve struck. And the thing isn't really you not knowing where a specific country is, but it probably being part of a bigger picture.

Me knowing where a country is isn't knowledge for the sake of it. Being European, it's advisable for me to know which countries compose my continent, I'd say. Not to mention I'm a fan of history.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

[QUOTE=CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy;1522000]
Calls people silly children and then the others are the ones with superiority complexes. All I did was trying to understand your POV better. No need to get a nerve struck. And the thing isn't really you not knowing where a specific country is, but it probably being part of a bigger picture.

Me knowing where a country is isn't knowledge for the sake of it. Being European, it's advisable for me to know which countries compose my continent, I'd say. Not to mention I'm a fan of history.

Prowler, I apologize. I assumed you were going off on me, but if I was mistaken, my sincere apologies. I've been sleep deprived for about a week now so my social skills may be a bit off par. :tlol:

With smaller satellite countries, they usually only enter my purview when somebody bigger invades them, like Georgia being targeted by Russia a couple of years ago...

[Prowler]

[QUOTE=Prowler;1522003]

Prowler, I apologize. I assumed you were going off on me, but if I was mistaken, my sincere apologies. I've been sleep deprived for about a week now so my social skills may be a bit off par. :tlol:

With smaller satellite countries, they usually only enter my purview when somebody bigger invades them, like Georgia being targeted by Russia a couple of years ago...
That's OK. I'm not offended at all. And to be fair, it can be hard to interpret text online considering you don't hear people's tone.

Well, Estonia isn't a country that shows up on the news very often, so I can see why it might not be on many people's radars.

[Commenter 42]

It might not be relevant to those aspects of your life... but then again what is?

...Sounds like you're just making up excuses for your ignorance.

I speak for myself, but I find it odd and sad when someone who's well educated doesn't know simple facts like pointing France on a map or who Leonardo da Vinci was.

Agreed. Pleading ignorance is not an excuse, especially online. It's just lazy.

An incredibly septic response in a thread about xenophobia; to say there's "just no gosh darn room in me brain!", and be proud?

Yikes.

[Allio]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/26/Alien_vs._Predator_(2004)_-_Alien.jpg

I could understand a fear of aliens.

but then again, I'm a xeno-phile...and a robot-phile....and a...

[Commenter 42]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/26/Alien_vs._Predator_(2004)_-_Alien.jpg

I could understand a fear of aliens.

but then again, I'm a xeno-phile...and a robot-phile....and a...

hahaha.

This.

[Cure]

Why is the quote function acting all wonky? I thought I was losing my mind when I saw Prowler and whoever constantly quoting themselves.

[shuriken]

^^Right?

It's good to know where countries are, helps get a better view of the world to know where everything is happening. I have noticed a lot of Americans have a very limited knowledge of geography (something I'm trying to get better at myself) more than people I've met from other countries. Although If they are traveling from a different country to the US then it would make sense now wouldn't it...
Anyway this backlash is sickening and I really hope more people would react in more constructive ways with dealing with their fears and uncertainties, but as Leo said such is life and it's a lot easier to do.

[Klunk1234]

[QUOTE=CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy;1521971]
It might not be relevant to those aspects of your life... but then again what is? So you think the only knowledge that people need in life is how to socialize, manage money and know that stealing and killing are wrong? As a Turtles fan, I doubt reading and watching every different adaptation helsp any of those aspects of your life either, but yet you probably still do it. If people only knew about stuff that is related to their job, then mankind would be even more ignorant, and ignorance is dangerous. Plus, knowing where a European country is on the map is something you can learn in a couple of seconds. It's not rocket science. Sounds like you're just making up excuses for your ignorance.

I speak for myself, but I find it odd and sad when someone who's well educated doesn't know simple facts like pointing France on a map or who Leonardo da Vinci was.

Well, said Prowler. And Cylons, I really don't care about what you do with your social life. Learning about a country is culture And being sleep deprived is not excuse to attack somebody you don't know in real life. If you need help talk to your psychiatrist, there is nothing wrong to talk to the "nut doctor". Maybe you're dealing with too much stress in real life.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Well, said Prowler. And Cylons, I really don't care about what you do with your social life. Learning about a country is culture And being sleep deprived is not excuse to attack somebody you don't know in real life. If you need help talk to your psychiatrist, there is nothing wrong to talk to the "nut doctor". Maybe you're dealing with too much stress in real life.

Psychiatrists are expensive; bourbon is cheap. Tastier, too.

[Klunk1234]

I didn't ridicule him, despite being surprised he hadn't heard of it ever.

And who knows if Klunk isn't American? His location doesn't reveal his country.

Prowler: I'm a girl, not a guy. And yes, I'm not American.

[pennydreadful]

Well, said Prowler. And Cylons, I really don't care about what you do with your social life. Learning about a country is culture And being sleep deprived is not excuse to attack somebody you don't know in real life. If you need help talk to your psychiatrist, there is nothing wrong to talk to the "nut doctor". Maybe you're dealing with too much stress in real life.

What the hell is a "nut doctor"? Cy, is this kid telling you that you need to go get your junk checked out? :lol:

[Leo656]

Either way, it's good advice. :trazz:

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Either way, it's good advice. :trazz:

What the hell is a "nut doctor"? Cy, is this kid telling you that you need to go get your junk checked out? :lol:

True story, in my town, we have a urologist whose name is Dr. Richard Chop. Yes he does go by "Dick Chop." :tlol:

[Leo656]

Does he take tips?! BWAH! :tlol::tlol::tlol:

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Does he take tips?! BWAH! :tlol::tlol::tlol:

He will if you piss him off!

Or as Archer is wont to say... JUST THE TIP!

[Leo656]

"WHY aren't we doing PHRASING?!"

[Klunk1234]

What the hell is a "nut doctor"? Cy, is this kid telling you that you need to go get your junk checked out? :lol:

Allow me to explain this, kid. Your :lol: keep it for yourself.


Good grief! (Meaning "Oh my Gosh") Like Charlie Brown from Peanuts said. (I hope you know what the Peanuts cartoons is) Nut or nutty in the United States of America means crazy and this is how they called the psychiatrist is not mean a guy's balls only. The expression "Are you nuts?"is heard in many Hollywood movies. Besides learning English, I also learnt these idioms by been in this country ( the U. S. A ) for many years. (I'm not American) By the way, dear Aussie, Americans called the urologist the "Ass-man". An urologist is the one that put his fingers inside a guy's rectum to check the prostate.


What is the slang for the psychiatrist Doctor in Australia? Like in many countries certain slangs varies from country to country.For example: Fanny is a common girl's name but in England is a woman private parts.

It's more easier to learn American slang for an AngloSaxon like you than a person from another country whose main language is not English like me. Sounds weird but you can get lost in translation in your own language.

Good day, mate like you Aussies said.

[Candy Kappa]

never heard of the expression "nut doctor", there's Nut Hut, though. Would thought shrink was the go-to word for a psychiatrist, the more you know I guess. :lol:
but damn that post was condescending, and that comes from me.

[pennydreadful]

Nah, my :lol: is for everyone - especially pissy internet malcontents who think they can bust my chops. Their folly amuses me, for any attempt to do so is futile, as it's a well-known fact that my chops are unbustable.

Much like the T1000, I absorb any attempts to inflict damage with nary a scar or mark remaining.

Also, if we're now having some type of cross-cultural vocab lesson, it behooves me to let you know that it's "g'day", not "good day". I can teach you heaps of great Aussie slang. Like "drongo". And "wakka". :lol:

[Klunk1234]

Every day people learn new things. What are drongo and wakka means? So I know when I travel to Australia one day.

To me, Aussies sounds like U.S Southern people ( Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama) with a British accent. Don't get me wrong, I like that strong Aussie accent. People said you guys, use a lot of diminutives like barbie for barbecue. Also, I like English ( England) and Scottish accents and for the American ones, the Bostonian and New Yorker accents.

Too bad, Mel Gibson lost his Aussie accent.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Nah, my :lol: is for everyone - especially pissy internet malcontents who think they can bust my chops. Their folly amuses me, for any attempt to do so is futile, as it's a well-known fact that my chops are unbustable.

Much like the T1000, I absorb any attempts to inflict damage with nary a scar or mark remaining.

Also, if we're now having some type of cross-cultural vocab lesson, it behooves me to let you know that it's "g'day", not "good day". I can teach you heaps of great Aussie slang. Like "drongo". And "wakka". :lol:

Thank you, Penny, I now have two more words to add to my arsenal when dealing with drongos and wakkas.

Now, are we going to continue this cross-cultural enlightenment circle jerk, or shall we get back to insulting each other? :tlol:

[Prowler]

Every day people learn new things. What are drongo and wakka means? So I know when I travel to Australia one day.

To me, Aussies sounds like U.S Southern people ( Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama) with a British accent. Don't get me wrong, I like that strong Aussie accent. People said you guys, use a lot of diminutives like barbie for barbecue. Also, I like English ( England) and Scottish accents and for the American ones, the Bostonian and New Yorker accents.

Too bad, Mel Gibson lost his Aussie accent.
Sometimes it takes me a while to realize that an Australian isn't British. It sounds like it's between the standard American and British accents. I didn't know Chase from House was Australia until someone pointed it out for me.

When did Mel Gibson move to the States? He's always been American in my eyes, regardless of having been born in Australia. He seems to consider himself American.

[plastroncafe]

Mel was born in the US, but his family moved 'down under' when he was a kid.
So technically...he is American, even though he didn't spend the bulk of his childhood here.

[shuriken]

Thread kinda derailed. But that's not always a bad thing:)
So Prowler, how does Brazilian Portuguese differ from Portuguese Portuguese?
I was born and raised in Chicago and am said to have an accent. i can't hear it but I believe it. Also grew up speaking Spanish because my folks are Mexican and that was my first language. Older I got I sorta developed an ear for various Spanish accents. I could kinda tell if one is Spanish, Mexican (Guatemala is tricky though), Cuban, Puerto Rican, or from like South America (I can't really tell Colombian, Argentinian, ect apart)
I find accents and dialects so damn fascinating sometimes.

[pennydreadful]

Every day people learn new things. What are drongo and wakka means? So I know when I travel to Australia one day.

To me, Aussies sounds like U.S Southern people ( Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama) with a British accent. Don't get me wrong, I like that strong Aussie accent. People said you guys, use a lot of diminutives like barbie for barbecue. Also, I like English ( England) and Scottish accents and for the American ones, the Bostonian and New Yorker accents.

Too bad, Mel Gibson lost his Aussie accent.

We do indeed! Use a lot of diminutives, I mean - we shorten a lot of words and just slap "ie" or "o" on the end. A journalist can be referred to as a journo, we call our post office workers posties, poker machines are pokies... and then weirdly we'll apply diminutives to short words that will make them longer - like if someone's named Tom, they can be called Tommo. I think it's less about abbreviating words to save time and is more a cultural thing to make interactions more informal/friendly, as Australians are generally very relaxed when talking to others.

Apparently Australian English uses more diminutives than any other language!

Re Mel Gibson, I'd say he probably hangs his hat in America for career reasons; most Aussie actors seem to.

As far as Mel being considered an Aussie actor, I think it's one of those things where Australians are used to having very few celebrities that are known internationally, so our media tries to claim anyone who was ever in Australia as being Australian, regardless of their length of time here. The Australian actors that have made it big in Hollywood don't have much of a distinct accent either (Hugh Jackman, Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Chris & Liam Hemsworth etc) so I'm guessing that they if they do have a bit of an accent to start with, they work on making it more neutral-sounding for career reasons/broadening their casting options etc. Plus it probably also depends what part of Australia they grew up in - depending on your region, the Aussie accent can differ quite drastically and range from being pretty unnoticeable to very broad and nasal-sounding.

Personally, I'm inclined to say that you yanks can have Gibson, because, well, the dude's a dickhead. :lol:

Now, are we going to continue this cross-cultural enlightenment circle jerk, or shall we get back to insulting each other? :tlol:

Can we do both? Actually, I think it'd be cool if a thread about xenophobia were turned into a cross-cultural exchange where we all learn different things about each other's countries and customs (and learn that differences can be cool). :D

I'mma start by telling you all how to insult someone in Australian, because whenever anyone's learning a new language, they always want to learn how to swear first (well... I certainly do! :lol: ). Ok, so if someone's being really silly/making a fuss over nothing, we say that they're carrying on like a pork chop. If we're having a go at someone for being lazy, they get called a bludger. If an Aussie tells you to go root your boot, that means we're telling you to go f*ck yourself. Of course, the correct comeback if someone tells you to root your boot is to say "I would if there was a c*nt like you in it".

A classic Aussie curse is to say "I hope your chooks turn to emus and kick your dunny down". (Chook = chicken, emus are one of our native birds which are quite large, and dunny = outdoor toilet). It's a very old saying from back when Australia wasn't as urbanised and people used to have outdoor facilities. Basically, the tone of the insult translates to "up yours/I hope you have bad luck".

Oh, and in Australia, we jokingly insult people we like (as well as insulting people we don't like) - so if someone's giving you sh*t and they're Australian, it could mean that we either really like you and consider you a mate (friend) or we just really think you're a dickhead. :lol: Context and tone will play a big part in helping you to determine which.

Affectionate insults are very common here as well - like, if you say to someone "ya wally", it means you're a bit of a dork/a bit silly, but we like you. Drongo and wakka are the same thing; basically, you're a bit of an idiot, but we like you - though drongo can be used in a negative context, it's quite rare these days and it's generally a term of affection (for example, my dad would refer to me as a wakka or a wally quite often as a kid).

If someone calls you "mate", it can be friendly - or it can be hostile (actually, we'll call people we don't even know "mate" as well - you can use it as a greeting for people whose names you can't remember, you can call your taxi driver "mate"). In the same way, there are situations where calling someone a c*nt over here can actually be a friendly thing as well - it can still be considered hostile as well (and if you're here as a tourist, it's generally not advisable to use the term unless in a hostile sense, because it can absolutely come off as offensive and presumptuous. Again, tone and context are key here, as well as location (this is very much an urban working class thing and absolutely not to be done in the country) and one's relationship with the person.

This is probably something that seems really weird to non-Australians and to fully explain it, I'd have to really go into Aussie bloke culture, the Australian value on mateship in general (ie, it's one of our core values), and the Aussie cultural attitude towards larrakinism, which in turn requires an explanation on the average Australian's casual disregard for authority figures and blase` attitude towards class differences with an emphasis on giving everyone a fair go regardless of whether they're a banker or a brickie. Which again, goes right back to our use of the word "mate" - the word started out being used between the British convicts that were dumped here when referring to one another, and was also used by the convicts when referring to their jailers as a way of expressing that the jailers were not considered to be better than the convicts. Again, as we started out as a dumping ground for British prisoners, it goes a long way towards explaining why we're a bunch of cheeky buggers in general. :lol:

Ain't learning fun, everyone? :D

I think we also use a lot of British insults over here as well - like, calling someone a wanker is really common.

Aaaaaand rest (for now).

[Leo656]

I first learned about the Australian use of the word "Wally" from an issue of Justice League Quarterly, where Power Girl and The Flash traveled to Australia for some reason. This was when the Flash's real identity of Wally West was common public knowledge, so throughout the entire story everyone keeps laughing at him whenever he introduces himself.

https://media.giphy.com/media/Y2nbrJyAR6RiM/giphy-facebook_s.jpg

[Prowler]

Thread kinda derailed. But that's not always a bad thing:)
So Prowler, how does Brazilian Portuguese differ from Portuguese Portuguese?
I was born and raised in Chicago and am said to have an accent. i can't hear it but I believe it. Also grew up speaking Spanish because my folks are Mexican and that was my first language. Older I got I sorta developed an ear for various Spanish accents. I could kinda tell if one is Spanish, Mexican (Guatemala is tricky though), Cuban, Puerto Rican, or from like South America (I can't really tell Colombian, Argentinian, ect apart)
I find accents and dialects so damn fascinating sometimes.
Oh boy! Where do I even begin...

Well, Brazil being a huge country has a lot of accents/dialects. Portugal has some, but with the exception of a few wacky island accents, they're all fairly easy to understand for most PT people. Although, I've heard that many Brazilians have trouble understanding Portuguese accents, but never met any who didn't understand me except for some different words and slang. There's a striking difference between your standard Portuguese and your standard Brazilian Portuguese accent. Generally speaking, Portuguese people tend to eat the vowels and abuse the "sh" sounds, while Brazilians emphasize the vowels more, which makes people think Portuguese people sound kinda Slavic while Brazilians still sound like they're speaking a Romance language.

Now, when I read a newspaper or scientific article in BR-PT, the differences are minimal. Sure, they add accents where we don't and write "me esqueci" instead of "esqueci-me" and also use the gerúndio more often such as "Estou comendo" instead of "Estou a comer" like we do. We never say "Estou comendo". Plus, Brazilians seem to treat everyone by "você" while we use "tu and "você". the former being informal and the latter formal... but apparently the Brazilian usage of "você" is informal, which is weird.

Now, when ti comes to slang and overall not so good grammar... then BR-PT gets quite unintelligible for me. Like, when I read Brazilians typing in slang in online comments and such, I'm like "WTF, this makes no sense". Because in Portugal we type in a more formal and strict manner. And believe it or not, I watched the movie "City of God" in my 10th grade class... with the subtitles on. Because it was set in a slummy area where people spoke a lot of slang and thus used terms that don't exist in the European variety of the language.

Let's just say that someone from the rural Azorian island of São Miguel going to north western Brazil would be like An American from the Deep South(yes, I know there's more than one accent in that big region, but you get my point) going to like Liverpool.

And that's how I can sum up the core differences. Now as for vocabulary... it can be quite different at times. I'll just list some:

English: Train
Brazil : Trem
Portugal: Comboio

English: Cup(sports competition)
Brazil: Copa
Portugal: Taça

English: Breakfast
Brazil: Café-da-manhã
Portugal: Pequeno-Almoço

English: Suit
Brazil: Terno
Portugal: Fato

English: Butcher
Brazil: Açouge
Portugal: Talho

English: Goal Keeper
Brazil: Goleiro
Portugal: Guarda-Redes

English: Team
Brazil: Time(from English "team")
Portugal: Equipa

English: Bus
Brazil: Ônibus
Portugal: Autocarro

And the funniest one: In Brazil "bicha" is slang for "qu*er" while here it just means... line. As in a line where you stand in waiting. Although we also say "fila". Plus, they call candies "balas" which here just means "bullet". So if someone from Brazil goes into a café here and asks for "balas" people will just look at him wondering if he carries a gun.


The differences between BR-PT and EU-PT are wider than the ones between, let's say, Belgian French and France French but not as wide as Swiss German and Standard German.

And then there's also Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, São Tomé e Príncipe, Guiné-Bissau which also speak Portuguese. Cape Verde speaking a creole version of it. And there's some Asian communities that speak Creolized Portuguese. Goa and Macao are also former Portuguese possessions, but I don't think most locals in those places still speak Portuguese like many in Hong Kong still speak English(at least that's how it is in Sleeping Dogs...)

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

This thread just got unbelievably amazing. :teek:

Like... DAMN!

[shuriken]

^^RIGHT


Can we do both? Actually, I think it'd be cool if a thread about xenophobia were turned into a cross-cultural exchange where we all learn different things about each other's countries and customs (and learn that differences can be cool). :D

Yes lets do that.What better way to say f**K you xenophobia than this.
The world needs more cross cultural exchange and interaction.
And Prowler thanks for the Portuguese lesson. I know a bit of Portuguese people that go to school here in Carbondale (Southern Illinois, like 45 minutes from Kentucky) and there are also quite a bit of southern dialects here.

As for Spanish I know quite a bit difference between Spanish from Spain and Spanish from Mexico if anyone cares to know.
English-car
S-Spain-automovil
S-Mexico-Coche, carro (can't put accents)

English-Shower
S-Spain-Ducha
S-Mexico-Banar, regaduera (pronounced re-ga-de-ra)

English-funny
Spain-Gracioso
Mexico-Chistoso (cheez-to-zo)

English-snack
Spain- Bocadillo
Mexico- Gusguera (gooz-ge-ra)
There's a bunch more too obviously but that's what came to mind.
Also-Kinda neat that Xenophobic backlash can be interpreted as a "backlash of Xenophobic nature" as well as a Backlash to Xenophobic behavior in a completely open minded and anti Xenophobic way. food for thought.

[Prowler]

^^RIGHT

Yes lets do that.What better way to say f**K you xenophobia than this.
The world needs more cross cultural exchange and interaction.
And Prowler thanks for the Portuguese lesson. I know a bit of Portuguese people that go to school here in Carbondale (Southern Illinois, like 45 minutes from Kentucky) and there are also quite a bit of southern dialects here.

As for Spanish I know quite a bit difference between Spanish from Spain and Spanish from Mexico if anyone cares to know.
English-car
S-Spain-automovil
S-Mexico-Coche, carro (can't put accents)

English-Shower
S-Spain-Ducha
S-Mexico-Banar, regaduera (pronounced re-ga-de-ra)

English-funny
Spain-Gracioso
Mexico-Chistoso (cheez-to-zo)

English-snack
Spain- Bocadillo
Mexico- Gusguera (gooz-ge-ra)
There's a bunch more too obviously but that's what came to mind.
Also-Kinda neat that Xenophobic backlash can be interpreted as a "backlash of Xenophobic nature" as well as a Backlash to Xenophobic behavior in a completely open minded and anti Xenophobic way. food for thought.
Really? Thought Portuguese people in the States usually stuck to some areas in California, Hawaii, Massachussets, Rhode Island and New Jersey(inb4leojokes). Or maybe they are from a more recent immgiration wave since about 300-400 thousand people left the country in the last 3 years due to the crisis.

[pennydreadful]

I don't know a hell of a lot about Portugal except that you have Prime Ministers and a public health system like we do here in Oz, gay marriage is legal over there (still not over here), and the laws with drug possession are much more relaxed, so drug use has actually gone down? (Which I think is really cool, given that we've got a major ice epidemic going on over here).

What are some of the things that you feel define Portugal as a country?

[Prowler]

I don't know a hell of a lot about Portugal except that you have Prime Ministers and a public health system like we do here in Oz, gay marriage is legal over there (still not over here), and the laws with drug possession are much more relaxed, so drug use has actually gone down? (Which I think is really cool, given that we've got a major ice epidemic going on over here).

What are some of the things that you feel define Portugal as a country?
Well, you already know some things. So that's not so bad. And in case you don't know this, our capital is Lisbon, we're a constitutional republic and were a former colonial power.

Huh... homogeneity and national unity? We're arguably the oldest country in Europe and our borders have been the same for ages now. There have never been any civil wars here and there's no regional movements asking for independence, per example.

[shuriken]

Really? Thought Portuguese people in the States usually stuck to some areas in California, Hawaii, Massachussets, Rhode Island and New Jersey(inb4leojokes). Or maybe they are from a more recent immgiration wave since about 300-400 thousand people left the country in the last 3 years due to the crisis.

That could be so. And actually I just had a brain fart there :lol:.
The people I know are actually Brazilian, I musta thought about Brazilians and just put Portuguese cuz I got caught up with the language and whole conversation that I didn't realize it until later. My mistake. But it's always interesting to take note where certain groups of people tend to migrate to.

[Prowler]

That could be so. And actually I just had a brain fart there :lol:.
The people I know are actually Brazilian, I musta thought about Brazilians and just put Portuguese cuz I got caught up with the language and whole conversation that I didn't realize it until later. My mistake. But it's always interesting to take note where certain groups of people tend to migrate to.
Well, if you don't speak the language, it's not surprising you might not be able to tell its accents apart. If someone showed me a clip of, I dunno, let's say a Spanish speaker from South America, I'd have to guess his country randomly.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Hmm, this is all very interesting. Down here in the "Friendly State", we mostly have German and Spanish speakers, and Korean in some areas. The Latinos are mostly from Mexico, which makes sense given that we share a border with it. In the area I live, there is a sizable population of them, probably because it's a small rural town with a lot of farm work and construction due to the highways, and oilfield workers. There are some towns here (mostly along the northern part of the state, especially near the Red River basin) that are of mainly German descent, and still have a lot of German families. There is even a well-known Texas "German" beer, called Shiner Bock. (I'm sure some people here have heard of it.)

Other than that, the state is pretty much what you see on TV, with a LOT of flat plains country, as well as a few areas that one might not expect- we have Palo Duro Canyon which is very scenic and colorful, Big Bend State Park which contains the bottom end of the Rockies, and the Piney Woods in East Texas, which is a hue area of tall pine forest.

[Papenbrook]

http://usuncut.com/news/9-hate-crimes-by-white-terrorists-since-the-paris-attacks-the-media-ignored/

I think it's super messed up the way some of these bigots are going about hurting and assaulting people for their beliefs and or appearance. On a lighter note this: (9th article snippet)

“It’s a teachable moment,” Ahmadiyya Muslim Community spokesman Salam Bhatti told the Associated Press. “As we do raise awareness of attacks in mosques, we will see mosques do not respond in violence. Islam teaches us to teach peace.”

Also anybody think the U.S. state governors denying refugees are ever going to change their stance? Can they even do anything legally to stop them?

People don't just change overnight.

It will take a long time before society starts to change. We will go through many wars and tragedies in order for that to occur, though.

Maybe in about a hundred years from now, people will start to tolerate others.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

People don't just change overnight.

It will take a long time before society starts to change. We will go through many wars and tragedies in order for that to occur, though.

Maybe in about a hundred years from now, people will start to tolerate others.

Considering no one in history has ever gotten along, I wouldn't hold your breath now.

Points for cheering everybody up, though! Optimism is a rare gift and something to be cherished.

[Papenbrook]

Considering no one in history has ever gotten along, I wouldn't hold your breath now.

Points for cheering everybody up, though! Optimism is a rare gift and something to be cherished.

I know you're being sarcastic, but it's the truth. Let's be realistic. It will take a while for society to change.

[Powder]

Maybe in about a hundred years from now, people will start to tolerate others.

Better yet, maybe we'll go extinct. Fingers crossed!

[Leo656]

I've already explained the fact that since the human race evolved out of primitive tribalism and "Us Vs. Them" is encoded into our very genes, it's impossible for us to ever completely "Get Along". Even without made-up religions stoking the fire, human nature simply doesn't have the ability to ever grow out of "I'm better than you are" and "Gimme that, it's mine!" That's ultimately all we know. Add the religious stuff back into it, and it's an even bigger mess.

All anyone can do is make the most of the time they have. The world ain't being saved.

[Prowler]

Yep, racism and prejudice have been part of mankind since like forever and they're not going away anytime soon, if ever. otherwise, why would we still have different nations, languages, cultures, etc despite all the globalization? And why do you think some people view globalization and foreign culture influences as a threat to their own culture?

[Leo656]

I'm with you, man. One World Order, with one country and one language and one set of laws and one group of people running it! That's what we need! :trazz::trazz::trazz:

...except that actually sounds like it has a huge bunch of things wrong with it, too! :lol: But come on, HOW else could there ever be "peace"? As long as you have at least two different groups, those groups are going to be in conflict with each other. The only way to even slow that down is to only have One Group. But even then, that never even works, anyway. People within the group always find stuff to fight about, they go their own way, and then you're back where you started.

So what the hell are we to do, exactly? I can't think of anything.

[Prowler]

I'm with you, man. One World Order, with one country and one language and one set of laws and one group of people running it! That's what we need! :trazz::trazz::trazz:

...except that actually sounds like it has a huge bunch of things wrong with it, too! :lol: But come on, HOW else could there ever be "peace"? As long as you have at least two different groups, those groups are going to be in conflict with each other. The only way to even slow that down is to only have One Group. But even then, that never even works, anyway. People within the group always find stuff to fight about, they go their own way, and then you're back where you started.

So what the hell are we to do, exactly? I can't think of anything.
I kinda see Sports as a replacement for wars. European nations and ethnic groups would rather beat each other in soccer or ice hockey today than in a war.

[Leo656]

I kinda think if we still just did the gladiator games gimmick, that'd go a long way towards fixing things. No foolin'.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

I'd go for it, but only if we used criminals like the Romans usually did. (Yes, there were other gladiators besides just Christians.) One country could pit it's criminals against the ones from another country, and we'd solve two problems at once!

[Papenbrook]

I've already explained the fact that since the human race evolved out of primitive tribalism and "Us Vs. Them" is encoded into our very genes, it's impossible for us to ever completely "Get Along". Even without made-up religions stoking the fire, human nature simply doesn't have the ability to ever grow out of "I'm better than you are" and "Gimme that, it's mine!" That's ultimately all we know. Add the religious stuff back into it, and it's an even bigger mess.

All anyone can do is make the most of the time they have. The world ain't being saved.

People can get along. It CAN be done. Iceland is an example.

[Leo656]

:lol: Great example. Like 25 people live there.

I appreciate your optimism but it's not really applicable in real-life terms, sadly.

[Prowler]

People can get along. It CAN be done. Iceland is an example.
I know a guy who lives in Iceland. It is indeed a peaceful country but yet its prisons are full and they have waiting lists for new criminals to get arrested. So it's not exactly perfect either.

[Powder]

People can get along. It CAN be done. Iceland is an example.

Well sure, if everyone on earth listened to Bjork we'd be a lot more mellow.

[Prowler]

Well sure, if everyone on earth listened to Bjork we'd be a lot more mellow.
Make that Sigur Rós and I'm in.

[Katie]

People can get along. It CAN be done. Iceland is an example.

You can't pick an example country where 93% of the country is all the same ethnicity and the country is sparsely populated.

Its nice to think that people can get along. But you want to know my opinion on it? ( I know no one cares what I think but bare with me). We spend way too much time trying to shield kids from the bad stuff in this world. You aren't going to ever fully eliminate it. So, you have to let kids see the ugly parts of life so you can teach them how to deal with those ugly things.

Like...did you hear Carrie Fisher on the Slave Leia controversy? Some dad wants toys of Leia in the metal bikini banned because how does he explain that to his daughter. Well, you can't stop the objectification of women by eliminating a toy. Why not teach your kid that this thing exists and guess what, people who think things like that are ignorant and don't give them any of your time.

Instead we want to take away all the bad stuff and not give anyone the tools to deal with the real world and you end up with places like Tumblr where everyone is "triggered" by everything.

You can't get rid of everything that offends someone. Its impossible. Instead, teach people how to deal. THAT'S the only way to ever get people to be civil.

[shuriken]

^^Very eloquently put.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

I know you're being sarcastic, but it's the truth. Let's be realistic. It will take a while for society to change.

I use sarcasm while trying to educate you on life's harsh truths. That way, even though I'm wasting my time, I'm enjoying myself.

People can get along. It CAN be done. Iceland is an example.

That is the first time I have EVER heard anyone say "if only we were all more like Iceland..." Aren't they the guys with the alcoholic fish dish?

:lol: Great example. Like 25 people live there.

I appreciate your optimism but it's not really applicable in real-life terms, sadly.

You can't pick an example country where 93% of the country is all the same ethnicity and the country is sparsely populated.

Its nice to think that people can get along. But you want to know my opinion on it? ( I know no one cares what I think but bare with me). We spend way too much time trying to shield kids from the bad stuff in this world. You aren't going to ever fully eliminate it. So, you have to let kids see the ugly parts of life so you can teach them how to deal with those ugly things.

Like...did you hear Carrie Fisher on the Slave Leia controversy? Some dad wants toys of Leia in the metal bikini banned because how does he explain that to his daughter. Well, you can't stop the objectification of women by eliminating a toy. Why not teach your kid that this thing exists and guess what, people who think things like that are ignorant and don't give them any of your time.

Instead we want to take away all the bad stuff and not give anyone the tools to deal with the real world and you end up with places like Tumblr where everyone is "triggered" by everything.

You can't get rid of everything that offends someone. Its impossible. Instead, teach people how to deal. THAT'S the only way to ever get people to be civil.

Katie isn't on here that often that I see, but whenever she is, it's like Moses coming down the mountain again trying to make fools listen to the gospel.

[Katie]

Ha! One day I will learn to stay up on the mountian and keep my mouth shut.

I feel more like that old Sunscreen song: I shall dispense my wisdom...now. I lived too much in a short time to let lessons learned go unshared.

But I'm a fool speaking on a sidewalk to noone in particular. In the end, no one cares what i have to say.

[plastroncafe]

If we lived in a world where everyone got knocked around an equal amount, I'd agree, but we don't.
There are some groups of people who get knocked around a f*ck of a lot more than others. And the people who complain of coddling are more often than not from a group that doesn't get knocked as much.

Until people are honest about that, then we're back to making babysteps when we can.

Let's look at the Leia Controversy.
If we lived in a world where female characters got as much attention in the merch market as male characters....it wouldn't matter that "Leia the Hutt Slayer" was an action figure, because there'd be so many other figures of Leia for kids to play with. But there aren't, at least not this go around.

These days we're lucky if we get a female action figure. So yeah, I can see the problem with the only figure in a set being "Slave Leia." Especially when one takes into consideration just how gross fanboys are concerning Leia in that costume.

In conclusion:
Context matters.
All things are not equal.

ETA:
Also, This (http://onyx-headspace.tumblr.com/post/134729079847/kimmsauce-newvagabond-regarding-the-recent) is pretty kickass:
Regarding the recent rumor the all “Slave Leia” merchandise will be stricken from shelves (one that seems based in half-truth based on this Mrs. Potato Head labeled ‘Jabba’s Captive’), Carrie Fisher was recently asked for her take by The Wall Street Journal. Her response was amazing.

“The father who flipped out about [the bikini], ‘What am I going to tell my kid about why she’s in that outfit?’ Tell them that a giant slug captured me and forced me to wear that stupid outfit, and then I killed him because I didn’t like it. And then I took it off. Backstage.”

That right kids. If someone forces you to do something against your will, if they threaten your life, if they take away your agency and attempt to strip you of your dignity? Kill them.

Life lessons from Hutt-Slayer Leia.

[Bry]

Are we just talking about Star Wars now? Because I'm very okay with that.

Let's look at the Leia Controversy.
If we lived in a world where female characters got as much attention in the merch market as male characters....it wouldn't matter that "Leia the Hutt Slayer" was an action figure, because there'd be so many other figures of Leia for kids to play with. But there aren't, at least not this go around.

These days we're lucky if we get a female action figure. So yeah, I can see the problem with the only figure in a set being "Slave Leia." Especially when one takes into consideration just how gross fanboys are concerning Leia in that costume.

Yep, this is on point. I don't necessarily agree with "banning" the costume from merchandise, but for a solid year I'd occasionally browse Star Wars toys at multiple stores in town, and damn near every time there were a whole bunch of Slave Leia figures warming the pegs and not a single other Leia toy to be found. The reason it's a problem is because there's no balance.

If there was a lot more of this available...

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/e2/f6/37/e2f637b3316bc4de3481223472a0619f.jpg

...I don't think people would make such a fuss about a few Slave Leia toys sharing the store shelves.

ETA:
Also, This (http://onyx-headspace.tumblr.com/post/134729079847/kimmsauce-newvagabond-regarding-the-recent) is pretty kickass:

Carrie Fisher rules. :D

[Katie]

I can appreciate all things not being equal, and the loudest complainers not being the marginalized groups, but I think with kids, the very first thing you have to teach is that yes, all things are not equal, and yes, it sucks that you are going to have to deal with this....but you need to know how to deal with it and why people saying that stuff are ignorant jackholes.

My parents did that for me on gender and on race and even though they couldnt imagine every scenario, at least I had tools and a foundation of beliefs so I could deal with all the ugly stuff in the world. Better than shutting down when something is said or doors are shut.

Do I have to work harder than some guy in my same position? You bet. Is it fair? Nope. But since I know its out there and its not fair, i can work with what I've been dealt in life.

C'est la vie.

[Candy Kappa]

Do we really need more Slave Leia figures after the Series Black figure? It's just a "cute" novelty thing, and until the next Collector line comes along we have plenty of other Leia variants that should be made.

Like, there's only 2 Leia figures in the 6" Series Black. Bikini Leia and Boushh Leia, where she is undercover as a bounty hunter.

Ahsoka is getting her 6" figure, so Leia should have a figure with a more iconic outfit too. Maybe something from the current ongoing solo comic she is starring.

[Bry]

My question is, did they sell? I know my examples are just anecdotal, but man, Slave Leia and Greedo were dust-collectors in every store near me.

Classic cinnamon-bun-hair Leia with a couple blasters would have been a much better choice, IMO. Or Hoth Leia, which is practically the same outfit as the look from her recent, well-publicized comic series:

https://i.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel/i/mg/9/30/54db9dc093a15.jpg

I'm sure there'll always be a market for the Slave Leia merchandise, but as the first Leia toy in a major, mass-market line? Pretty dumb decision, IMO.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

My question is, did they sell? I know my examples are just anecdotal, but man, Slave Leia and Greedo were dust-collectors in every store near me.

Classic cinnamon-bun-hair Leia with a couple blasters would have been a much better choice, IMO. Or Hoth Leia, which is practically the same outfit as the look from her recent, well-publicized comic series:

https://i.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel/i/mg/9/30/54db9dc093a15.jpg

I'm sure there'll always be a market for the Slave Leia merchandise, but as the first Leia toy in a major, mass-market line? Pretty dumb decision, IMO.

I've just always assumed a bunch of sad nerds in puberty were buying the Slave Leia figures when their moms weren't looking... :tlol:

[Ninturtle]

Do I have to work harder than some guy in my same position? You bet. Is it fair? Nope. But since I know its out there and its not fair, i can work with what I've been dealt in life.

This isn't necessarily true , while women get payed less there's other factors involved. Men typically work longer hours, take less days off ( both of these are usually a result of Mothers being nurturing than fathers), and pick better paying careers ( more men pick fields like engineering while women are often social workers , this difference in careers is due to the differences in the minds of men and women ). Women don't get paid less just because they're women it's because a lot of women don't work as much as men and in as high paying jobs as men because of biological differences. I could see why people believe that faulty statistic that women get payed less, it's so common even though it's leaving out a multitude of things.

[plastroncafe]

Okay, who ordered the malarkey?
*cough* (https://finallyfeminism101.wordpress.com/2007/03/09/what-is-the-gender-gap/)

[pennydreadful]

I'm with you, man. One World Order, with one country and one language and one set of laws and one group of people running it! That's what we need! :trazz::trazz::trazz:

...except that actually sounds like it has a huge bunch of things wrong with it, too! :lol: But come on, HOW else could there ever be "peace"? As long as you have at least two different groups, those groups are going to be in conflict with each other. The only way to even slow that down is to only have One Group. But even then, that never even works, anyway. People within the group always find stuff to fight about, they go their own way, and then you're back where you started.

So what the hell are we to do, exactly? I can't think of anything.

What are we to do? The only sane, rational decision: the world should accept me as its leader.

I will be a mostly benevolent dictator. :D

As far as the Slave Leia Controversy goes, I agree with the "objectification sucks" angle, but as far as the parental complaints go: bah. Why haven't this guy's kids seen the OT by now? That's just plain bad parenting. :lol:

I mean, ok, fair enough - you suck at parenting and don't want to talk to your kids, so you demand that the rest of the world censor itself to accommodate you and get the Slave Leia merchandise removed. What then? You start censoring what they watch on tv. Ok, great. But wait! What're you gonna do if you're out in public and you see a woman walking by wearing *gasp* a tank top??? Cover the kid's eyes and shout "Get thee to a nunnery?!"

Seriously, the only outrage about this whole thing is the sh*tty-ass paint job they did on Leia's face.

I've just always assumed a bunch of sad nerds in puberty were buying the Slave Leia figures when their moms weren't looking... :tlol:

... you're pretty on point there; I had a Slave Leia figure and it wasn't for the sake of having a complete collection! :lol: She stood on the shelf right next to my Lara Croft action figure.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

What are we to do? The only sane, rational decision: the world should accept me as its leader.

I will be a mostly benevolent dictator. :D

As far as the Slave Leia Controversy goes, I agree with the "objectification sucks" angle, but as far as the parental complaints go: bah. Why haven't this guy's kids seen the OT by now? That's just plain bad parenting. :lol:

I mean, ok, fair enough - you suck at parenting and don't want to talk to your kids, so you demand that the rest of the world censor itself to accommodate you and get the Slave Leia merchandise removed. What then? You start censoring what they watch on tv. Ok, great. But wait! What're you gonna do if you're out in public and you see a woman walking by wearing *gasp* a tank top??? Cover the kid's eyes and shout "Get thee to a nunnery?!"

Seriously, the only outrage about this whole thing is the sh*tty-ass paint job they did on Leia's face.



... you're pretty on point there; I had a Slave Leia figure and it wasn't for the sake of having a complete collection! :lol: She stood on the shelf right next to my Lara Croft action figure.

Dammit, I wanted to be dictator.

Can I at least have Russia? :tlol:

[plastroncafe]

What are we to do? The only sane, rational decision: the world should accept me as its leader.

I will be a mostly benevolent dictator. :D


Are you in the market for someone to hench in your name?

[snake]

Are we talking about slave leia?

Can we talk about how hot Carrie Fisher was in her prime? Like before the coke took over she was amazing.

http://searchweight.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/carrie-fisher-3.jpg

[plastroncafe]

You mean when she was self medicating her Bi-Polar disorder with drugs and alcohol.

[snake]

You mean when she was self medicating her Bi-Polar disorder with drugs and alcohol.

Pretty much. She said she didn't even like the drug, but she wanted to get high by whatever means.

And she herself admits that she took a lot more drugs than the people around her. Probably because of the Bi-polar disorder.

[Candy Kappa]

This isn't necessarily true , while women get payed less there's other factors involved. Men typically work longer hours, take less days off ( both of these are usually a result of Mothers being nurturing than fathers), and pick better paying careers ( more men pick fields like engineering while women are often social workers , this difference in careers is due to the differences in the minds of men and women ). Women don't get paid less just because they're women it's because a lot of women don't work as much as men and in as high paying jobs as men because of biological differences. I could see why people believe that faulty statistic that women get payed less, it's so common even though it's leaving out a multitude of things.

you even for real? :lol:

[Ninturtle]

you even for real? :lol:

Yep, it's a faulty statistic and has been proven to be so , this video shows this pretty well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58arQIr882w

[plastroncafe]

Oh sweet summer child...

[Katie]

I was just talking about my own personal experiences with my job. I have no kids, I come in early, leave late, do all the special projects I can. I have two Masters degrees.

But I'm still passed up for promotions in favor of guys who take time off for sick kids, take months of on FMLA for kids being born, and come in an hour late and leave an hour early....because kids. Gotta get those kids to and from daycare. Guys with less education and more not being at work time.

So, yeah. My own experiences. Thats all.

[Candy Kappa]

Yep, it's a faulty statistic and has been proven to be so , this video shows this pretty well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58arQIr882w

Yore so funny, it's almost adorable. Almost. :lol:

[Mayhem]

Well, there are two things going on here (with lies, damn lies and statistics)...

1) In a like for like position, women generally are still earning less than men on average.

2) However, the pay gap is exaggerated moreso (and thus "less" accurate) when looking at the average pay for ALL jobs between men and women, because women are more likely to be in part time and lower paid work, thus "dragging down" the average.

I think that's what Ninturtle is awkwardly phrasing in trying to convey.

To give an example with some made up figures here...

Imagine there are ten men and ten women. Eight of the men do job A that pays $10/hour, and two men do job B that pays $5/hour. Conversely two of the women do job A and get $9.50/hour, and eight women do job B and get $4.75/hour.

Comparing job A and the people doing it, the women are being paid 5% less. Comparing job B and the people doing it, the women are also being paid 5% less.

However if you compare all the income together, the men on average are earning $9/hour. The women are earning an average of $5.70/hour. Thus it looks like on average women are being paid 48% less overall.

[plastroncafe]

Don't forget the tired and played out Gender Essentialism, or the willful ignorance with regards to context.
And that's not even touching the mansplaining...

[Ninturtle]

Yore so funny, it's almost adorable. Almost. :lol:

I like how you don't even adress my points at all , you just say that I am "funny" and "almost adorable". Shows how smart you are , " Oh there's this guy I disagree with , instead of trying to say why he's wrong I'm going to call him names. That'll show him how wrong he is and how smart I am ".

[Candy Kappa]

There's nothing to address, though. You're claiming women don't get paid equally because of biological differences and laziness. You are hardly the best individual to even have a gender/race wage gap with, and honestly I'm not interested to have it with you either. You clearly shown your... "View points" in previous post.

[Ninturtle]

There's nothing to address, though. You're claiming women don't get paid equally because of biological differences and laziness. You are hardly the best individual to even have a gender/race wage gap with, and honestly I'm not interested to have it with you either. You clearly shown your... "View points" in previous post.

Then why reply to me in the first place? If I don't want to start a debate with someone I don't say things that will incite them to start a debate , it's common sense.

[Powder]

Spare yourself the frustration, Ninturtle.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Welp, this thread is getting boring. I hear this argument all the time in my city, as one of the talkshow hosts loves to get into it.

I'll just sit here and wait...

[Ninturtle]

Spare yourself the frustration, Ninturtle.

Welp, this thread is getting boring. I hear this argument all the time in my city, as one of the talkshow hosts loves to get into it.

I'll just sit here and wait...

I'll stop the "debate", this isn't the place for it.

[Leo656]

You mean when she was self medicating her Bi-Polar disorder with drugs and alcohol.

Oh, Lord. Did you know that every time someone tries to defend cocaine as anything but a horrible lifestyle choice, a newborn baby chokes to death on its own vomit and bile? True f***ing story.

I understand that some people have "problems" but as something of an expert on the subject, cocaine addiction is indefensible and people shouldn't make light of or excuse it. It's not excusable.

I'm sincerely glad she's apparently better and I'm sorry for her struggles but how she chose to deal with them was just that, her choice, and she chose poorly. She and her family are lucky she didn't pay a greater price for it.

And just to put it out there in advance: My mother "self-medicated" herself with cocaine and alcohol right into the goddamn grave at age 47, so please know, anyone who wants to imply I merely don't "understand addiction" or the "complexities" of the subject, or that I merely "lack empathy"... please don't, I've been to more funerals than you have and you're not going to "Enlighten" me. I do care about people as people but I'm not going to excuse or defend their awful choices as anything but simply that: awful, selfish choices. There's always another way to deal with life.

[Ninturtle]

Oh, Lord. Did you know that every time someone tries to defend cocaine as anything but a horrible lifestyle choice, a newborn baby chokes to death on its own vomit and bile? True f***ing story.

I understand that some people have "problems" but as something of an expert on the subject, cocaine addiction is indefensible and people shouldn't make light of or excuse it. It's not excusable.

I'm sincerely glad she's apparently better and I'm sorry for her struggles but how she chose to deal with them was just that, her choice, and she chose poorly. She and her family are lucky she didn't pay a greater price for it.

And just to put it out there in advance: My mother "self-medicated" herself with cocaine and alcohol right into the goddamn grave at age 47, so please know, anyone who wants to imply I merely don't "understand addiction" or the "complexities" of the subject, or that I merely "lack empathy"... please don't, I've been to more funerals than you have and you're not going to "Enlighten" me. I do care about people as people but I'm not going to excuse or defend their awful choices as anything but simply that: awful, selfish choices. There's always another way to deal with life.

Mr Mackey says it best
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh7l8dx-h8M

[plastroncafe]

What I find funny is that your reaction here is my reaction to other depressives.

[Leo656]

Other than weed and alcohol in moderation I'm pretty hard-line on drugs, period. My family has every type of addict to every different degree, from "casual partying" to "self-medicating" to full-blown "worthless junkie". I was born and raised in that environment and I've seen it from every side. I've always been one of the very few who can be considered "sober", despite the fact I've been around it all my whole life and frankly, I've had my own share of problems far beyond what most addicts I know claim "pushed" them into it. So my understanding is vast but my sympathy is in limited supply. Because if I can make good decisions, as "polluted" as I've been by my environment and my life circumstances, so can anyone else.

Yes, life is hard, people have problems, and there are "circumstances". But in the end, people choose how they cope, and you HAVE to be half-stupid to make those kinds of choices knowing full well the consequences.

[pennydreadful]

Dammit, I wanted to be dictator.

Can I at least have Russia? :tlol:

Are you in the market for someone to hench in your name?

I definitely need henchpeople. Though I give you fair warning, I do not tolerate failure. :P

http://49.media.tumblr.com/84cecd05944475216bde811c0e362fea/tumblr_n53qe7Iew21rcso6uo5_250.gif

goddamn, this thread sure has taken some twists and turns, huh?

[Candy Kappa]

Hows this for a twist; reading on the history and pronunciation of Arkansas is hella weird. I didn't know some people though it was pronounced straight forward.

[Mayhem]

What, you mean it's not pronounced "Throat Warbler Mangrove"?! :P

[Commenter 42]

Better yet, maybe we'll go extinct. Fingers crossed!

Commenter 42 likes this

Yep, racism and prejudice have been part of mankind since like forever and they're not going away anytime soon, if ever. otherwise, why would we still have different nations, languages, cultures, etc despite all the globalization? And why do you think some people view globalization and foreign culture influences as a threat to their own culture?

Commenter 42 likes this as well.

[shuriken]

goddamn, this thread sure has taken some twists and turns, huh?
I KNOW. It's kinda awesome.
Xenophobic backlash, damning of humanity, cultural exchange, drug problems, world dictators, gender inequality. Am I missing any?
Anyway I saw this on Cracked and it made me think of this thread. Specifically Penny.
j198bMXYJvs

[Commenter 42]

Oh, Lord. Did you know that every time someone tries to defend cocaine as anything but a horrible lifestyle choice, a newborn baby chokes to death on its own vomit and bile? True f***ing story.

I understand that some people have "problems" but as something of an expert on the subject, cocaine addiction is indefensible and people shouldn't make light of or excuse it. It's not excusable.

I hear ya, and agree, but I think in Fishers situation it's the bi-polar component that drove the addiction. Having watched someone very close to me succumb to that disease, and having known them before and after, (It happend like clockwork just after her 21st birthday) it's pretty damned heartbreaking. Addictions are nasty, but mental disorders aren't cured by sheer will, it just doesn't work like that.

The US is so far behind the rest of the world with their understanding of mental health issues, it's frightening. Asking a bi-polar patient to not turn manic is a bit like asking someone why they let themselves get the flu, and just get over it.

[plastroncafe]

^^^^

Thank you for better articulating the point I was trying to get across.

[Commenter 42]

^^^^

Thank you for better articulating the point I was trying to get across.

I'm not much of a teddybear; I can be rough, or so I'm told - but just the thought of who she was, and who she's become...the part that was lost...

She was really special, and one of the toughest people I'd known, creative, relentless, driven, exceptional...

She's done alright since, but the spark, I don't know. I still don't know how to explain the feeling of loss or anger...

Most people suck. She didn't. She didn't bring it on herself, and now she has a daily choice - stay on the meds, meds with a host of side effects like the ones you hear on tv - meds that apparently dull the experience of living to a paste of grey slime; or go full manic, where as an example, she hopped a cab to the nearest precinct and proceeded to explain to the desk cop that she has the proper security clearance to not only meet with the Aliens, but also have their children.

It's different everytime she goes off her meds, and we can laugh about it now...
I just miss that other girl. She really was a rockstar.

[shuriken]

Geez that sounds so terribly sad.
Kinda reminds me of my sister's husband. Diagnosed with Schizophrenia at the age of 22 while he was in the army. He tried getting off his meds a few times. He did get off em for like 2 weeks so that they could had a baby. He was kind of a mess, like suspicious of closets and checking the cabinets kind of mess. And that's just what I saw. It's so bizarre how the mind just f**ks some people like that, especially when they did nothing wrong and sort of need meds to function.

[Commenter 42]

It really is the last frontier for medical science. Not to be that guy, but it's one of the reasons I rail against religiosity so damned hard. People love to give up, or sign off responsibility to a higher power. We love to pass the buck, or look at our shoes when someone's not right in the head. If we were more honest with ourselves, we'd give up on the notion of a soul, and focus on the machine that makes us who we are.

I travel for work a fair bit, and I can honestly say, when it comes to "Phobic" personalities, America wins in spades. We stigmatize everything, we're impossibly racist , and we're down right ignorant of anything outside of the lower 48. It's a culture of fear and fear mongering, the roots of which are pretty clear.

[Leo656]

On the upside, you can buy pizza over the internet and pay for it with a credit card, and find Hot Local Moms Willing To Cheat with the push of a button.

So at least America's moving forward on the "important" stuff.

[Commenter 42]

Is that what makes us the center of the universe? I thought it was The Mc Ribb and Disneyland.

[Powder]

The Mcrib is gross, I really don't get the hype (beyond simpletons falling for the whole limited edition thing).

[Commenter 42]

I haven't been to a Mc Donald's in more than 5 years...I remember trying it a very long time ago....in a galaxy far, far away.


Anyways, speaking of good ole Americana, I waited until now to bother buying tickets - so I'll only be seeing EP 7 on the 24th. Not sure how I'll avoid spoilers.

I feel like I'll need to lock myself in my room, black out all the windows, and wear a tinfoil hat - that **** is everywhere.

[Candy Kappa]

Where I live, McDonald's got the better fries and uses better quality meat for their chicken Nuggets. It's not Pink Slime/MSM as it does have a fibery texture to the meat. But, Burger King is better in everything else.

Which means a friend of mine and I now and then takes a trip to BK for a meal, and then finishes it off by going to McD drive-tru for nuggets. He got a car, and we're both fat assholes with no control.

[Prowler]

Fries and happy meals are the only good things about McDonalds. its burgers suck.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Sonic is where it's at, yo.

"That is a tasty burger!"

[snake]

Sonic is where it's at, yo.

"That is a tasty burger!"

Ew. Get your stale and bland sonic sh*t outta here.



Burger king chicken fries with wendy's french fries 4 lyfe

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Ew. Get your stale and bland sonic sh*t outta here.



Burger king chicken fries with wendy's french fries 4 lyfe

Nuh uh, man. Texas Sonic is like Heaven's Very Own Manna.

[Powder]

Sonic has good tater tots & shakes, enjoyable condiments, & an alright chicken toaster. The rest can kick rocks. All flair, no care.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Nuh uh, man. Texas Sonic is like Heaven's Very Own Manna.


Ugh, don't get me started. Sonic could never get my d@mn burger right! How hard is it to understand "no onions"?! Give me BK any day. Or Wendy's.

[Netkeeper]

Ugh, don't get me started. Sonic could never get my d@mn burger right! How hard is it to understand "no onions"?! Give me BK any day. Or Wendy's.
This is my experience with Whataburger and... Taco ****ing Bell, of all things. They have put onions on my burritos despite me telling them no onions for over a decade across three states.

One time Sonic ****ed up my CHILI CHEESE TOTS by putting NO chili and a MINIMAL amount of cheese on them. The only time this has happened. Usually, they treat me well.

But the best places are Del Taco and Wienerschnitzel anyway, and I don't live by either one. :cry: Whenever my dad goes to the VA in... I don't remember what town, I BEG him to bring me back Del Taco. It's what I ask for on my birthday, too. I'm addicted.

[Leo656]

The problem is people who don't like onions. F***ing crybabies.

Sound like my wife, throwin' a fit when she asks for "No cheese" and they give her cheese. Most people in the world don't have any cheese and would kill to have some, just f*cking EAT IT!

[Prowler]

The problem is people who don't like onions. F***ing crybabies.

Sound like my wife, throwin' a fit when she asks for "No cheese" and they give her cheese. Most people in the world don't have any cheese and would kill to have some, just f*cking EAT IT!
I'm not crazy about onions, but I don't care if it's in my sandwich/burger or not since eating it at the same time as the meat will make it tastier.

As for cheese... WAIT who doesn't like cheese?!

[Leo656]

Picky eaters are the goddamn bane of my existence. It all comes out the same color. EAT IT!

Full disclosure: For a good chunk of my life, "milk" was a luxury and "corn flakes, water and sugar" was a meal. So yeah, "picky eater" is one'a my buttons. :trazz:

My wife loves cheese in general, just not on her burger, which is even more stupid. Like she can eat a burger and a piece of cheese concurrently, but god help you if you put the cheese inside the bun. CRAZY!

[Prowler]

I was a very picky eater as a kid. Nowadays I can pretty much eat anything.

[Leo656]

Me too actually. Like the foods on my plate couldn't even touch. :lol:

Livin' on food stamps has a way of fixing that overnight, thankfully.

[Netkeeper]

I've lived on food stamps and while I've tried to get better about my picky eating, I can't help it. I'm sensitive to the textures of a lot of foods.

[Candy Kappa]

KFC had the best brand junk food. I gored myself on that **** when I was studying in UK, sadly we don't have KFC on Norway. Nor do we have Pizza Hut.

[pennydreadful]

The problem is people who don't like onions. F***ing crybabies.

Sound like my wife, throwin' a fit when she asks for "No cheese" and they give her cheese. Most people in the world don't have any cheese and would kill to have some, just f*cking EAT IT!

Or people who don't like the pickles on their burgers. Blows my mind, man.

#end pickle prejudice#

[Candy Kappa]

the single pickle slice that's in a burger don't taste anything, I don't really see the reason to split open the burger to remove. But, I don't really see the reason to have it on, it's like waste of space that could have bee filled with something else, like more sauce or something good.

[Klunk1234]

I hear ya, and agree, but I think in Fishers situation it's the bi-polar component that drove the addiction. Having watched someone very close to me succumb to that disease, and having known them before and after, (It happend like clockwork just after her 21st birthday) it's pretty damned heartbreaking. Addictions are nasty, but mental disorders aren't cured by sheer will, it just doesn't work like that.

The US is so far behind the rest of the world with their understanding of mental health issues, it's frightening. Asking a bi-polar patient to not turn manic is a bit like asking someone why they let themselves get the flu, and just get over it.

Addictions are mental disorders, too.

[Commenter 42]

Addictions are mental disorders, too.

Some would argue that's not really the case at all. I'm not an expert in the field, I just wanted to share the limited experience I've had with someone struggling with something that was in no way at all, a choice. Addictions, the majority of the time, are by choice in the begining. It's a fine line, but it's there.

This idea is gaining popularity though:

ao8L-0nSYzg

I was a smoker for 20 years. I kicked cold Turkey. I still crave everyday, 3 years later. I guess the difference here, is that I could choose to not smoke. You can't choose to be or not be bi-polar.
The girl i knew would also self medicate, but in her scenario, a glass or three of wine had a very different result for her, than someone who was neurotypical. Similar to the rat in the above example, she went seeking anything to fix her. Unlike the rat, it wasn't due to a lack of social support or friends or a good job etc...the disease helped her make the choice, and everything snowballed from there.

[plastroncafe]

The brain has specialized receptors for nicotine. How strongly one gets addicted to nicotine, and how difficult it is for them to quit smoking, is largely dependent on how many of these nicotine receptors a person has.

Some people can smoke a single cigarette and then never smoke a second. Some people can't.

I know more than a couple of people who are teetotallers based solely on the number of alcoholics and their family. They themselves have never had an alcohol problem, but they abstain entirely to keep it that way.

Me personally, I think addiction has bothnature and nurture components. There are some truly interesting animal studies which indicate that addiction can be kicked more easily when underlying social, mental, economic, and physical problems are more effectively dealt with.

[Klunk1234]

Oh boy! Where do I even begin...

Well, Brazil being a huge country has a lot of accents/dialects. Portugal has some, but with the exception of a few wacky island accents, they're all fairly easy to understand for most PT people. Although, I've heard that many Brazilians have trouble understanding Portuguese accents, but never met any who didn't understand me except for some different words and slang. There's a striking difference between your standard Portuguese and your standard Brazilian Portuguese accent. Generally speaking, Portuguese people tend to eat the vowels and abuse the "sh" sounds, while Brazilians emphasize the vowels more, which makes people think Portuguese people sound kinda Slavic while Brazilians still sound like they're speaking a Romance language.

Now, when I read a newspaper or scientific article in BR-PT, the differences are minimal. Sure, they add accents where we don't and write "me esqueci" instead of "esqueci-me" and also use the gerúndio more often such as "Estou comendo" instead of "Estou a comer" like we do. We never say "Estou comendo". Plus, Brazilians seem to treat everyone by "você" while we use "tu and "você". the former being informal and the latter formal... but apparently the Brazilian usage of "você" is informal, which is weird.

Now, when ti comes to slang and overall not so good grammar... then BR-PT gets quite unintelligible for me. Like, when I read Brazilians typing in slang in online comments and such, I'm like "WTF, this makes no sense". Because in Portugal we type in a more formal and strict manner. And believe it or not, I watched the movie "City of God" in my 10th grade class... with the subtitles on. Because it was set in a slummy area where people spoke a lot of slang and thus used terms that don't exist in the European variety of the language.

Let's just say that someone from the rural Azorian island of São Miguel going to north western Brazil would be like An American from the Deep South(yes, I know there's more than one accent in that big region, but you get my point) going to like Liverpool.

And that's how I can sum up the core differences. Now as for vocabulary... it can be quite different at times. I'll just list some:

English: Train
Brazil : Trem
Portugal: Comboio

English: Cup(sports competition)
Brazil: Copa
Portugal: Taça

English: Breakfast
Brazil: Café-da-manhã
Portugal: Pequeno-Almoço

English: Suit
Brazil: Terno
Portugal: Fato

English: Butcher
Brazil: Açouge
Portugal: Talho

English: Goal Keeper
Brazil: Goleiro
Portugal: Guarda-Redes

English: Team
Brazil: Time(from English "team")
Portugal: Equipa

English: Bus
Brazil: Ônibus
Portugal: Autocarro

And the funniest one: In Brazil "bicha" is slang for "qu*er" while here it just means... line. As in a line where you stand in waiting. Although we also say "fila". Plus, they call candies "balas" which here just means "bullet". So if someone from Brazil goes into a café here and asks for "balas" people will just look at him wondering if he carries a gun.


The differences between BR-PT and EU-PT are wider than the ones between, let's say, Belgian French and France French but not as wide as Swiss German and Standard German.

And then there's also Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, São Tomé e Príncipe, Guiné-Bissau which also speak Portuguese. Cape Verde speaking a creole version of it. And there's some Asian communities that speak Creolized Portuguese. Goa and Macao are also former Portuguese possessions, but I don't think most locals in those places still speak Portuguese like many in Hong Kong still speak English(at least that's how it is in Sleeping Dogs...)

Muito obrigada! Meu português não é bom. Estou apreendendo. I want to learn more Portuguese, but I don't have anybody to practice with. I wish I could learn Portuguese as fast as you guys learn Spanish. And I don't lose that Portuguese accent when you guys are speaking Spanish, it made my language sounds pretty. I saw a video of an interview with Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo when both played together at Real Madrid and I understand more when Kaká was speaking than Cristiano.

[Commenter 42]

When I say I crave everyday, it's not a "gee that would be nice" it's a "I'm about to murder some bitch if i don't smoke"...

So I gave my self permission to have one this past Halloween - and It was terrible. one drag, and tossed...
Point is, now, the thing my brain wants doesn't exist for me, so I'm left constantly craving with no relief...some kind of phantom cigarette syndrome or something...:lol:

I didn't need to be that guy. I chose this. My fault, really.
But as they say, that's my addiction, everyone's different I guess.
I still leave the house and check my pockets for my smokes and lighter...everyday...like a goof.

[Klunk1234]

Commenter 42: A lady that I know couple of years ago, decided to quit smoking after she had trouble breathing. She was diagnosed with a mild form of COPD (which has no cure) and asthma. She has the "lesser" of the two evils. The worst would be lung cancer.

I was an asthmatic until the age of 18. I started when was 2 years old and my parents are not smokers. My asthma triggered due to air pollution.

Asthma is a horrible disease, try to stay away from cigarettes, your lungs will thank you. Take care.

[Commenter 42]

Commenter 42: A lady that I know couple of years ago, decided to quit smoking after she had trouble breathing. She was diagnosed with a mild form of COPD (which has no cure) and asthma. She has the "lesser" of the two evils. The worst would be lung cancer.

I was an asthmatic until the age of 18. I started when was 2 years old and my parents are not smokers. My asthma triggered due to air pollution.

Asthma is a horrible disease, try to stay away from cigarettes, your lungs will thank you. Take care.

Yeah, i'm aware - thanks doc :lol:

again, that's the point. I did this ultra stupid thing for years, with FULL knowledge of the risks. I chose that. Everyone today, knows damned well, what the dangers are. You buy a ticket, you take the ride. Hard to have any sympathy in those scenarios.

[Prowler]

Muito obrigada! Meu português não é bom. Estou apreendendo. I want to learn more Portuguese, but I don't have anybody to practice with. I wish I could learn Portuguese as fast as you guys learn Spanish. And I don't lose that Portuguese accent when you guys are speaking Spanish, it made my language sounds pretty. I saw a video of an interview with Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo when both played together at Real Madrid and I understand more when Kaká was speaking than Cristiano.
Really? What made you want to learn it, if I may ask?