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Do have to say it’s incredibly amusing that this thread started as a reaction to the Cass report. Wherein we’re all told we have to believe that’s “science” and CANNOT question an old scientist’s statistical analysis. But when it comes to biological sex, we all must abide by the binary of gametes and gonads - and that is absolute. It’s fucking absurd argumentation, at best. The reason I mention this again is because it does - as has been suggested - have real life repercussions. The Biden administration spent years promulgating a new rule to Title IX that would protect trans students/faculty/staff at universities and colleges throughout the country from discrimination. To be clear, the rule has nothing to do with sports. It went through the rigorous notice and comment procedure like all rulemaking. But how have the far right governors weaponized it? By emphasizing the “basic” differences in sex. I’ll let my own dear governor explain: This type of absolute horseshit politicized exploitation of the rule has traveled to about half a dozen states now, for the time being. Heckofa job!

Thanks, i was worried it was way too obscure.

Putin can go anywhere not in the collective West.

Yay! No problem, thanks for the game. A nice choice of object

Yup. When you watch all their games throughout the season it’s like… Which is why this offseason will be very interesting - and crucial.

By the US government? I know of works by journalists and academics of course, but the US government publishing a report directly attacking Big Oil like this feels new. If I've missed previous reports, I'd very much like to know. Big Tobacco eventually lost its PR battle, and the UK even seeks to prohibit younger generations from smoking. I think you're being a bit too cynical here in claiming no one's paid attention - obviously, some people have. Oreskes & Conway's Merchants of Doubt has been translated into nine languages, and is well-known in environmental circles I believe. There have been quite a few investigations, books and documentaries on Big Oil that, taken together have become hard to ignore. Again, there's knowing and knowing. As a rule, people do suspect Big Oil, Big Tobacco, Big Pharma, or Big Food of nefarious practices. But when evidence accumulates, such practices generally become harder to maintain. Goverments publishing their own research is often prelude to legislative action. If you're saying it will never quite be enough, I will probably agree with you. But it's exaggerated to say no one's paying attention. And come on, having these fuckers exposed is always reason to rejoice ; we should celebrate the few wins we get. We badly need them.

They just need to learn to shoot. Very bad shooting basketball team. Will be exciting if they can bump their percentages there because they’re very good defensively.

Yeah, Orlando probably should have played Fultz and Anthony more. Still, an incredibly positive season, very excited for the future! Orlando Magic, Orlando Magic….

Booked my flight: the 7th thru 13th.

QFT. The delay has been long enough that I skipped over mentioning it by name. Black Magick is/was also very good, but also dragging along at a snails pace.

Lazarus is really good, but it’s currently on hiatus.

I wouldn't waste time worrying on behalf of mega millionaires and billionnaires. If they aren't financially savvy enough to manage the liquidity of their own investment portfolio they certainly pay people who are. The tax liability is all very predictable manageable for anyone who actually has a clue.

None of these countries or groups got their hands on any sanctioned tech without someone in the countries that produce it, or legally trade it being the point of origin. A US made chip can only have the USA as a point of origin. So perhaps people who worry about such things should be thinking about their own citizens flagrantly violating international law and not giving a crap about "our" norms and conventions. Not that I'm putting this forward as an actual conspiracy, but I can imagine rationale whereby the US and some of its allies would prefer to have black market trade in chips and other high tech weapons stuff made by them because if they keep some track of that illicit trade they have quite a good idea about how many high tech weapons these rogue entities and enemies have. If they were to completely starve even the black market trade (assuming it's even possible), the concern might be that they could start creating their own manufacturing infrastructure for own chips and other tech, then the US would completely lose track of what these entities have.

If Jaqen was planning to kill Ned en route to the Wall, being locked in a wagon is not the way to go about it. Simply join up - they'll take anybody. Then either poison Ned and make it look natural, or stab him, slip away, and change faces. Or kill him secretly, hang around, and leave Yoren with a mystery. And why would Baelish care what Ned might say in the distant North, as opposed to everyone else on the scene, some of whom, like Barristan and the Hound, may not like him much.

Have you watched the YouTubes by 'Michael Talks About Stuff'? He's a terrific 'new kid on the block'. He has this well-developed and explained theory that The Wall is built over and linking a chain of weirwood trees with sacrificed men (> Others) pinned to them, still living like the seers in Bloodraven's cage, and needing blood sacrifices to replenish them. It could be the Others have revived not to cross the Wall in order to invade the South, but to demolish the Wall and free their 'ancestors'.

Big oil might have known from a corporate knowledge perspective since only the 1960s, but IIRC scientists working in the fossil fuel sector had surmised things about global warming since before WWI.

That raises an intriguing thought I've never seen before - What if what Bran saw in his vision wasn't what he thought he saw? He thought he saw a COTF stuck a piece of dragonglass in the man - hard, sharp, black. What if it was actually a shard of oily black stone?

Great idea for a thread - theories that I think are wrong but I would love to be correct! For me....I'd have to say the parentage of the Lannister children is tops. There's decent cases and evidence that either Tyrion or Jaime/Cercie are half Targ. I don't think any of them are....I can't imagine Tywin, as proud as he is, tolerating that level of betrayal. So, no, I don't think any of his children are secret Targs. It's a great idea though, and if GRRM were to include it and explain it....i'd be on-board.

I finally watched Michael Mann’s Manhunter for the first time last night. Good stuff. I think William Peterson was probably the best Will Graham out of the three actors that portrayed him. Tom Noonan also made a great Francis Dolarhyde, too. His size alone made the character that much more imposing. I’ve seen people say the film is a bit dated, but I actually really liked the 80’s synth music, and the atmosphere overall.

Interesting thread! I love the idea. Arys Oakheart swapping Myrcella with Rosamund before dying. The girl that was attacked by Darkstar was not Myrcella, but Rosamund. I like this theory a lot, but I don't know what it would do for the overall plot. Real or not, tales of Myrcella's injury have already spread.

I haven't watched LML in a few years. Great insights on his part, just....eh. I won't get into it, that's not for here. Interesting that he had similar ideas tho. I suppose, in the end, it boils down to WHY the others were created. They appear to exist prior to dragons. What were they designed to fight, if not the army of the Bloodstone Emperor? A mystery, i suppose.

That's EXACTLY right. Sorry to keep you waiting. Well done.

I didn't mean to imply he'd solve the entire continent's issues....clearly he cant. But if he takes control of King's Landing and releases the stored food, he could at least alleviate the suffering of that one city. The one city that Dany dearly wants to be in charge of.

I....don't think so. If anything, Benjen might be re-discovering what the Night's Watch was originally for, making him the opposite of a deserter. Love me some Order of the Green Hand theorizing.....they tend to step a bit out of the norm and field some of the wilder theories. That's really good....very useful. I think mostly they're wrong....but they have introduced a lot of good stuff to get people talking.

There have been reports like this already, saying Big Oil knew this since the 1960's. Nobody's paid attention even when on the WaPo. Quite like Big Tobacco.