The Off Topic Topic

[Barrister]

I really didn't "get" In N Out the one time I tried it (in Vegas at KAPapalooza).  It was a fast food burger.  I mean it was fine, nothing wrong with it, but I didn't understand the cultish appeal.

[Tonitrus]

Vegas strikes me as s terrible place to try/rate anything.

[crazy canuck]

Vegas strikes me as s terrible place to try/rate anything.

Because it is so over the top in everything?

[Admiral Yi]

Vegas strikes me as s terrible place to try/rate anything.

Dude, fast food is pretty standardized.

[Valmy]

I may be the only one who's both sick of him and the backlash against him.  I'd rather put him behind him and focus on important things, like the In-n-Out boycott.

It leaves me wondering if his protest succeeded or not. I mean it got lots of attention but it mostly seems to be all about him and the pledge and the NFL. It is hard to tell if any action about the situation black people face in this country was stimulated.

Ah well. I hope it had some positive benefit.

[Josquius]

Malaria drugs are expensive. 40 euros a box of 12

[The Larch]

I may be the only one who's both sick of him and the backlash against him.  I'd rather put him behind him and focus on important things, like the In-n-Out boycott.

It leaves me wondering if his protest succeeded or not. I mean it got lots of attention but it mostly seems to be all about him and the pledge and the NFL. It is hard to tell if any action about the situation black people face in this country was stimulated.

Ah well. I hope it had some positive benefit.

It has definitely brought attention to the issue and, almost more importantly, to the knee jerk ways in which the league and the owners have bullied him and tried to prevent him from expressing his viewpoint, to the point of blacklisting him for daring to go against the grain. It has made professional sports another battleground of the culture wars.

[Valmy]

I was under the impression the owners let him do it and just hoped it would not be a big deal and only started freaking out when it led to a big backlash that was impacting their business.

The owners couldn't care less about this issue until that happened...at least that was my impression. But I could be wrong. While I marveled at the ability of the NFL and its owners to upset everybody, left and right, in a hilarious public relations gaff I don't think they really created this. I mean is there a way the league could have handled this that would NOT have made it culture war thing? I mean besides preemptively fired him before he ever had a chance to take a knee.

But again that is about him. That is not about the issue.

[derspiess]

It has made professional sports another battleground of the culture wars.

Well, then a big YAY for that

[derspiess]

I was under the impression the owners let him do it and just hoped it would not be a big deal and only started freaking out when it led to a big backlash that was impacting their business.

The owners couldn't care less about this issue until that happened...at least that was my impression. But I could be wrong. While I marveled at the ability of the NFL and its owners to upset everybody, left and right, in a hilarious public relations gaff I don't think they really created this. I mean is there a way the league could have handled this that would NOT have made it culture war thing? I mean besides preemptively fired him before he ever had a chance to take a knee.

But again that is about him. That is not about the issue.

Don't lump in all the owners together.  Some were very clear on their position even before the kneeling started.

[grumbler]

... It has made professional sports another battleground of the culture wars.

I'd say that it has re-exposed the fact that sports have always been a part of the culture wars.  Kaepernick just made it harder for people to close their minds and retain the belief that players were unfeeling machines designed to entertain.

[Valmy]

Don't lump in all the owners together.  Some were very clear on their position even before the kneeling started.

I was generalizing for simplicity's sake.

[Admiral Yi]

The second largest exporter of agricultural products is....the Netherlands!!

From an Economist article about effects of Brexit on British farmers.

[Valmy]

That is a lot of tulips.

[Jacob]

The second largest exporter of agricultural products is....the Netherlands!!

In the world? Or in Europe?