Tag: Irony

A Most Fabulous Meme

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We’re Proud and we’re Boys and Nazi cowards can fuck right the fuck off. #ProudBoys pic.twitter.com/pOTpcJe7WZ

— Sam J. Miller (@sentencebender) October 4, 2020

Here is me and my husband on our wedding day …. and a pic of our two adopted sons #ProudBoys pic.twitter.com/mloFIhcvwF

— Ants (@helloitsants) October 4, 2020

🇨🇦🏳️‍🌈 #ProudBoys pic.twitter.com/rEFL7xIqXu

— Canadian Forces in 🇺🇸 (@CAFinUS) October 4, 2020

Fabulous!!!

The right-wing terrorists gang known as the “Proud Boys” are being mercilessly memed by LGBTQ people all over the internet.

This is f%#$ing beautiful, and even an official Canadian military Twitter account joined in:

If you search for “Proud Boys” on Twitter, you won’t get what you’re expecting, and you will absolutely be delighted.

After Donald Trump’s reference to the extremist group at the first presidential debate, people have taken over the #ProudBoys hashtag with photos of gay men celebrating their lives and their love.

The goal of the movement is to take back the hashtag from the Proud Boys, a far-right men’s organization with a history of violence. Founded by Gavin McInnes, the group describes itself as “western chauvinists,” and the FBI considers the group to be an extremist organization with ties to white supremacy.

When asked to condemn white supremacists during the first presidential debate, Trump told the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by.” The statement appears to have galvanized the group and bolstered their following.

Given the group’s penchant for a certain brand of white masculinity, the move to use the tag with images of gay men is not just a reclamation, but a cheeky provocation.

The exact source of this meme is unclear, but it may have started with a George Takei tweet.

Oh, My!!!!!!

This is a Vintage Month for Schadenfraude

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The confederate general has fallen pic.twitter.com/vbrd7MrjE5

— Davante Lewis (@davantelewis) August 27, 2020

Epic

Calcasieu Parish refused to remove the Confederate “South’s Defenders Monument” when activists demanded that the tribute to to slavery be taken down. Hurricane Laura did the job anyway:

As Hurricane Laura made landfall along the Gulf Coast early Thursday morning, it brought down a Confederate monument in southern Louisiana that community members pushed to remove earlier this summer. Despite requests from residents and support from a local mayor, the government in Calcasieu Parish, where the monument is located, voted to keep it in its place during a meeting held two weeks ago.

On Thursday morning, photos shared to social media showed the Confederate statue, known as the South’s Defenders Monument, incurred significant damages overnight as a result of the hurricane.

“Lake Charles and Calcasieu Parish has been filled with controversy and tension after our parish government by a vote of 10–5 refused to take down the Confederate South’s Defenders Monument,” wrote Davante Lewis, director of public affairs at The Louisiana Budget Project, alongside pictures of the toppled structure.

………

In subsequent comments to Newsweek, Lewis noted that only a few Black members belong to the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury—similar to a board of commissioners—and said the governing body’s vote to maintain the South’s Defenders statue was divided along racial lines. Although Lewis himself is not currently a resident of Calcasieu Parish, his family lives there and father Eddie Lewis is a representative on the Police Jury.

I am amused.

The Irony is Delicious

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As a result of US sanctions, Huawei has been locked out of Google’s play store.

For most phone manufacturers, this would be something near to a death blow, but since Huawei is large enough to set up a rather competent app marketplace of its own, as well as being able to create its competent equivalents of Google’s services.

This has the effect of creating a parallel ecosystem for the Android operating system, which means that, because the OS is open source, Google is at risk of losing much of its control over Android, including its ability to spy on millions (billions?) of users.

So, Google has gone to the Trump administration hat in hand to roll back the sanctions and bring Huawei back into the fold:

As Huawei takes the initiative to create its own homegrown alternative to the Play Store, Google has reportedly pleaded with the White House to offer it an exemption to again work with the Chinese tech giant.

Huawei’s inclusion on the Trump administration’s Entity List has had dramatic consequences for the company’s handset business, preventing it from using Google Mobile Services (GMS) on its latest phones and tablets.

According to German wire service Deutsche Press Agentur, Android and Google Play veep Sameer Samat has confirmed that Google has applied for a licence to resume working with Huawei.

………

Huawei has said that if Google got an exemption, it would promptly update its newest phones to use Google Mobile Services.

………
That said, Huawei’s strategy has focused on hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. These preparations have seen the firm invest over $1bn on its app ecosystem, with more than 3,000 engineers working on the AppGallery, according to a statement from the company released earlier this week.

It has also made deals with Western app developers and content providers, most notably Sunday Times publisher News UK, to make its services appear less barren.

………

Huawei has also introduced the ability to download progressive web apps, dubbed “Quick Apps” by the firm, through the AppGallery, which should bump up the app availability numbers – even if they lack the sophistication of a dedicated native app.

It’s likely this that has motivated Google to take the initiative. Although losing Huawei as a customer is a significant financial body blow to Mountain View, given its enduring popularity in Europe and Asia, it would pale compared to the damage caused by a new product that starts to loosen its stranglehold on the Android sphere.

Google Mobile Services can cost as much as $40 per device, and it’s likely that many phone vendors, particularly on the cheaper end of the spectrum, would welcome a less-expensive alternative.

Complicating matters for Google, the biggest Chinese phone manufacturers (Oppo, Xiaomi and Huawei) have teamed up to simplify the process of deploying apps to their in-house stores.

With Google claiming a cool 30 per cent on all Play Store sales, this represents a huge threat to its bottom line.

I’m kind of hoping that the request for a waiver is denied, because anything that hurts Google is good for the rest of us.

History is Rhyming Again

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German Jews have been warned by the commissioner on antisemitism not to wear yarmulkes in public:

Germany’s government commissioner on antisemitism has warned Jews about the potential dangers of wearing the traditional kippah cap in the face of rising anti-Jewish attacks.

 “I cannot advise Jews to wear the kippah everywhere all the time in Germany,” Felix Klein said in an interview published Saturday by the Funke regional press group.

 In issuing the warning, he said he had “alas, changed my mind (on the subject) compared to previously”.

 Klein, whose post was created last year, cited “the lifting of inhibitions and the uncouthness which is on the rise in society” as factors behind a rising incidence of antisemitism.

 “The internet and social media have largely contributed to this, but so have constant attacks against our culture of remembrance.”

 And he suggested police, teachers and lawyers should be better trained to recognise what constitutes “clearly defined” unacceptable behaviour and “what is authorised and what is not”.

 His comments came just weeks after Berlin’s top legal expert on antisemitism said the issue remains entrenched in German society.

………

Antisemitic crimes rose by 20% in Germany last year, according to interior ministry data which blamed nine out of ten cases on the extreme right.

Humanity, in all its splendor, huh?

I Suppose That This Was Inevitable

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Now that Tumblr has imploded after banning sexually explicit content, Pornhub has expressed an interest in acquiring the smouldering remains:

Pornhub Vice President Corey Price said in an email to BuzzFeed News that the porn-streaming giant is extremely interested in buying Tumblr, the once uniquely horny hub for young women and queer people that banned adult content last December to the disappointment of many of its users.

Price said that restoring Tumblr’s NSFW edge would be central to their acquisition of it, were it to actually happen.

Tumblr owner Verizon is reportedly currently seeking a buyer for the blogging platform, which according to the Wall Street Journal has struggled to meet revenue targets.”Tumblr was a safe haven for those who wanted to explore and express their sexuality, adult entertainment aficionados included,” Price told BuzzFeed News. “We’ve long been dismayed that such measures were taken to eradicate erotic communities on the platform, leaving many individuals without an asylum through which they could comfortably peruse adult content.”

This development is profoundly ironic.

Irony Much?

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In response to aggressive Chinese actions in the Pacific and Indian oceans, Vice Presidence announces, completly unaware of the irony, that, “Empire and aggression have no place in Indo-Pacific.”

Seriously?  There has been nothing but since the East India Company became the furst trans-national firm:

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence told leaders of Southeast Asian nations on Thursday that there was no place for “empire and aggression” in the Indo-Pacific region, a comment that could be interpreted as a reference to China’s rise.

………

The prime minister of Singapore later said that Southeast Asian countries did not want to take sides when pulled in different directions by major powers, but that one day it may have to.

Leaders at the ASEAN meetings this week heard warnings that the post-World War Two international order was in jeopardy and trade tensions between Washington and Beijing could trigger a “domino effect” of protectionist measures by other countries.

“Like you, we seek an Indo-Pacific in which all nations, large and small, can prosper and thrive – secure in our sovereignty, confident in our values, and growing stronger together,” Pence said. “We all agree that empire and aggression have no place in the Indo-Pacific.”

Shameless.

As Yves Smith says, “Not the Onion”

Tweet of the Day

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This tweet is making the rounds:

To all the women sharing stories of sexual assault and sexual harassment, thank you for your bravery to speak up. You are not alone. #MeToo

— Women’s March (@womensmarch) October 15, 2017

This is my favorite response:

— Monica Lewinsky (@MonicaLewinsky) October 16, 2017

Many of the responses to Lewinsky’s tweet are respectful and considerate.

There are a fair number, however, are beyond contempt.

My guess is that there is a high correlation with these tweets and, “I’m with her,” bumper stickers.

H/t naked capitalism.

UPS Employee Goes Postal

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Is it just me, or does anyone else see the irony in a UPS guy going Postal?

We live in strange times:

A gunman shot and killed three people at a United Parcel Service facility in San Francisco on Wednesday morning before fatally shooting himself in front of police officers, authorities said.

Two others were wounded by gunfire, according to San Francisco police, and five had injuries that were probably sustained during the rush to evacuate.

The lone gunman, identified by police as Jimmy Lam, 38, shot himself in the head, Assistant Chief Toney Chaplin said. Two guns were recovered at the scene.

Authorities said the incident was not believed to be connected to terrorism. Police Chief William Scott told The Times that investigators were uncertain about Lam’s motive.

………

UPS spokesman Steve Gaut said Lam was a driver who was wearing his uniform when he opened fire inside the four-story shipping facility. At the time, workers were gathering for their morning meeting before departing to deliver parcels, he said.

Lam, a resident of San Francisco, had filed a grievance in March complaining about excessive overtime, Joseph Cilia, a Teamsters Union official, told the Associated Press. The Teamsters local represents UPS workers in San Francisco.

It appears that workplace shooters never follow my advice, which is to target upper management.

This whole “Going Postal at UPS” thing is kind of ironic, the protestations of grammar Fascists notwithstanding.

Ironic Headline of the Day

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Former Obama Aide Who Helped Kill Single-Payer in the ACA Solicits Donations for Sick Friend’s GoFundMe Page

The former Barack Obama, and Max Baucus, aide is Jim Messina, who played a pivotal role in close lining even the remotest possibility of single payer or a public option, as well as steering the negotiations towards Baucus, who made a complete hash of the negotiations, and made the bill far worse as a result.

I am not suggesting that you not donate to Will Leaverton, who is having a very rough time dealing with pancreatitis, I am suggesting that you might want to find a way make Messina feel as badly about his role in the current state of affairs as is possible.

Eric Arthur Blair Rotational Momentum Exceeds Energy Released at Hiroshima

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The CIA has just awarded Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz al-Saud the George Tenet Medal for his efforts in fighting terrorism:

The Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, received a medal on Friday from the CIA for his distinct intelligence-related counter-terrorism work and his contributions to ensure international peace and security.

 The medal, named after George Tenet, was handed to him by CIA Director Micheal Pompeo after the Crown Prince received him in Riyadh on Friday in the presence of Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman al-Saud, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense.

 The Crown Prince said in a press statement after receiving the medal that he appreciated the CIA honor, stressing that his efforts were guided by the leaders of Saudi Arabia headed by King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, as well as the efforts of the Kingdom’s security forces.

I guess that someone at the CIA is glad for the self licking terror ice-cream cone that is the House of Saud.

They created ISIS, they sponsored bin Laden, and now one of their over-privileged Princes gets an award named for George “Slam Dunk” Tenet, arguably the worst* DCIA ever.

*There is a case to be made that Allen Dulles was far worse, particularly he shaped the organization that has been f%$#ing up the world since its founding.