[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by Severian

English. Enough Spanish to get through a month in Madrid. Enough French to get through a few weeks in Paris. Both when I was like 19. So... English.

wat. didnt your grad program require a 2nd language?

[Severian]

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

wat. didnt your grad program require a 2nd language?

What? For sciences? Uh, no. Arts, humanities and teaching programs required a language cognate. Not sciences. I did take both French and Spanish in college and in high school, as well as some linguistics courses, but no, that was not a requirement.

At least not one I got to. (I drop out after all, so I guess it’s a possibility, but I really do not think so.)

It wasn’t even a requirement for a science degree at the undergraduate level. My cognates were several semesters of statistics and research methods, math, bio and physical science, etc.

I feel stupid all of a sudden, but seriously... my mother has master’s degrees in English and Communications and can’t speak a fucking bit of Spanish. *shrug*

[Severian]

Goddammit, I actually used to speak Spanish very well, if not fluently. I can still read it fairly well, but I haven’t used it to converse in years so I would mutilate a conversation.

Now that I think about it, it would be an extremely useful skill to have for job-seeking. Maybe I should brush up.

French, though... oof. I did not have the same success with French. My mouth did not want to make the sounds. Still did fine in terms of grades and such, but I never even really reached the conversational level.

OK... let’s get back to topic and away from my shortcomings and failures shall we?

So, this happened during a post-Irma public address Florida:

“Melania really wanted to be with us.” — the president of the United States, while standing next to said Melania

 

He probably meant “Ivanka” or something, but that’s weird too. Also, the looks on the faces of Pence and Melania are priceless here.

[!@#$%!]

bueno puedes leer aquí y practicar y ya

no tienes que hablar ni escuchar

mira, entérate

https://elpais.com/internacional/201...24_082935.html

[Severian]

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

bueno puedes leer aquí y practicar y ya

no tienes que hablar ni escuchar

mira, entérate

https://elpais.com/internacional/201...24_082935.html

Hahaha!

Goddammit I knew you were going to do that.

Ok... ummm... yes, you’re right I can practice.... by.. reading/listening.

I will check it out.

[Severian]

Aaaaand it’s Trump stuff. Hah.

Points for juggling conversations both on and off-topic simultaneously.

[evollove]

Originally Posted by Severian

“Melania really wanted to be with us.” — the president of the United States, while standing next to said Melania

 

He probably meant “Ivanka” or something, but that’s weird too. Also, the looks on the faces of Pence and Melania are priceless here.

What's funny is EVERYONE looks bewildered. Except for the dude in blue. He seems charmed. He's in blind MAGA love. Scary. Oh, and lady in black next to him. A MAGA couple.

[tesla69]

Why is Trump afraid to say: "WE PAID YOU TO STAND DURING THE PLEDGE!"

In 2009, Barack Obama's Department of Defense began paying hundreds of thousands towards teams in a marketing strategy designed to show support for the troops and increase recruitments. The NFL then required all players and personnel to be on the sidelines during the national anthem, in exchange for taxpayers dollars. Prior, the national anthem was played in the stadium but players had the option of staying in the locker room before heading out to the field.
Furthermore, teams that showed "Veteran's Salutes" during games were paid upwards of $5.1 million dollars.

[ilduclo]

Rick Scott, what an asshole

[Severian]

Ok...

EVERYBODY TALK ABOUT FOOTBALL... Pay no attention to the guys trying to steal healthcare from millions.

[evollove]

Or Jared's email server

Or the fact that North Korea thinks US has declared war on them

[!@#$%!]

football punked the bum (so did lebron)

everybody unite and exorcize the white house

[Rob Instigator]

If you do not know (and MOST do not know), while Puerto Rico is US land, and all are USA citizens, no foreign ship is allowed to drop off ANYTHING in Puerto Rico. They are forced by US law (which the citizens of PR are not allowed to vote for or against), to take all goods/reliefsupplies/cargo to a mainland US port (Florida usually) where all cargo must be removed, and placed in a US boat, so as to screw over PR and make extra $$$ for the assholes that run US shipping concerns (MAFIA). This is why food is so expensive, supplies are so expensive, in fact, this is a way to keep the entire island subjugated. Previously, after massive hurricanes, this "policy" was suspended to allow anyone to send aid to Puerto Rico. Not under Trumpo the fat fucking idiot. http://www.statesman.com/news/nation...lClfUONKhSsoJ/

[ilduclo]

from Driftglass (I love that guy!)



The New NBC Extended Sclerotic Teevee Universe: Morning Lineup



5:00 AM Brian Williams' Hot Yoga/Hot Takes

6:00 AM Good Morning Butner Medium Security Federal Correctional Institution with Bernie Madoff!

7:00 AM Megyn Kelly Today
"The truth is I am kind of done with politics for now," she stated, citing the show's objective as providing the audience a place to share "a laugh with us, a smile, sometimes a tear, and maybe a little hope to start your day."

8:00 AM The Romper Room Reboot with Leni Riefenstahl (animated)

9:00 AM Lost Classics -- The Best of...With All Due Respect with Mark Halperin and John Heilemann.

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by Rob Instigator

If you do not know (and MOST do not know), while Puerto Rico is US land, and all are USA citizens, no foreign ship is allowed to drop off ANYTHING in Puerto Rico. They are forced by US law (which the citizens of PR are not allowed to vote for or against), to take all goods/reliefsupplies/cargo to a mainland US port (Florida usually) where all cargo must be removed, and placed in a US boat, so as to screw over PR and make extra $$$ for the assholes that run US shipping concerns (MAFIA). This is why food is so expensive, supplies are so expensive, in fact, this is a way to keep the entire island subjugated. Previously, after massive hurricanes, this "policy" was suspended to allow anyone to send aid to Puerto Rico. Not under Trumpo the fat fucking idiot. http://www.statesman.com/news/nation...lClfUONKhSsoJ/

yes. please say it louder.

[ilduclo]

Originally Posted by Rob Instigator

If you do not know (and MOST do not know), while Puerto Rico is US land, and all are USA citizens, no foreign ship is allowed to drop off ANYTHING in Puerto Rico. They are forced by US law (which the citizens of PR are not allowed to vote for or against), to take all goods/reliefsupplies/cargo to a mainland US port (Florida usually) where all cargo must be removed, and placed in a US boat, so as to screw over PR and make extra $$$ for the assholes that run US shipping concerns (MAFIA). This is why food is so expensive, supplies are so expensive, in fact, this is a way to keep the entire island subjugated. Previously, after massive hurricanes, this "policy" was suspended to allow anyone to send aid to Puerto Rico. Not under Trumpo the fat fucking idiot. http://www.statesman.com/news/nation...lClfUONKhSsoJ/

Definitely didn't know about that fucked up policy. I know PR is on the path to statehood, maybe that will help, though no panacea for the current hurricane problems.

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by ilduclo

Definitely didn't know about that fucked up policy. I know PR is on the path to statehood, maybe that will help, though no panacea for the current hurricane problems.

what hurricane? according to tv news, only in texas and florida!

[ilduclo]

New Yorker

Amid Trump’s nuclear brinksmanship and social-media provocation toward North Korea, amid the swollen gorges of water streaming through Puerto Rico, amid the craven and indefensible attempts to gut health care, amid the slower-moving crises of voting access, economic inequality, and climate change—amid all these things, Trump yet again found a novel way to diminish the nation he purportedly leads. He has authored danger in more ways than there are novel ways to denounce it. This is his singular genius. When this moment has elapsed, when some inevitably unsatisfactory punctuation has concluded the Trump era, we will be left with an infinitude of questions. But Trump, we will assuredly understand, is a small man with a fetish for the symbols of democracy and a bottomless hostility for the actual practice of it.

https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-...the-new-uppity

[tesla69]

Originally Posted by Rob Instigator

They are forced by US law to take all goods/reliefsupplies/cargo to a mainland US port (Florida usually) where all cargo must be removed, and placed in a US boat, so as to screw over PR and make extra $$$ for the assholes that run US shipping concerns (MAFIA).

Thanks for posting this - I had to read a little further. Oddly I first ended up reading the Jones Act of 1917 that formalized Porto Rico and offered citizenship to its people, only 288 said no. After all the United States liberated Porto Rico from a brutal, degenerate and genocidal Spanish monarchy.

The Jones Act of 1920 is the relevant law, it reads to me as a surprising America First law, for ships engaging in coastwise trade must be US registered with US crew. I could be wrong, but my impression is the major US shipping industry is locked up into a few major corporate shippers and of course the security risk of having foreign ships cruising the coast loaded with huge loads of unknown cargo can't be allowed.

Because there are TREMENDOUS tax advantages for everyone in PR (no income tax on money earned in PR) and the poor get the same rewards for breeding regardless there is also a strong argument to NOT gain statehood. so why lose that free stuff for what, extra SSI? An electoral and Congressional vote that won't matter anyway...and the corruption is structural - the rich aren't going to give this up.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...-hot-tax-haven
https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebat...as-a-tax-haven

Half the island is about to move here to the mainland anyway...and Trump can't do shit about it!

[Rob Instigator]

They will NOT temp repeal the Jones act. http://thehill.com/homenews/administ...to-rico-relief fucking assholes.