Kijafa's recent activity
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Comment on NPR is asking the State Department to explain its decision to deny an NPR reporter press credentials to travel with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on an upcoming trip to Europe in ~news
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Comment on Betsy DeVos Is Fabricating History to Sell a Bad Education Policy in ~news
Kijafa LinkI think it's interesting that the history of public education and educational goals is being re-written this way. And the thing is, most people without the historical knowledge will probably buy...I think it's interesting that the history of public education and educational goals is being re-written this way. And the thing is, most people without the historical knowledge will probably buy into it.
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Betsy DeVos Is Fabricating History to Sell a Bad Education Policy
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Comment on What is your alcoholic drink of choice? in ~talk
Kijafa Link ParentI've got no strong feelings on the tonic. I usually get Canada Dry because that's what the liquor store has. As for the gin, I usually go for Beefeater or Bombay Sapphire.I've got no strong feelings on the tonic. I usually get Canada Dry because that's what the liquor store has. As for the gin, I usually go for Beefeater or Bombay Sapphire.
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Comment on What is your alcoholic drink of choice? in ~talk
Kijafa LinkI like dry red wines for the most part, especially Cabs and Malbecs. For beer, I'm a stout kinda guy. I like dark beers and brown ales more than IPAs, but I still like IPAs well enough. For...I like dry red wines for the most part, especially Cabs and Malbecs.
For beer, I'm a stout kinda guy. I like dark beers and brown ales more than IPAs, but I still like IPAs well enough.
For liquor, my go to is always the gin and tonic. It's simple, easy, and always appropriate.
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Comment on EA recently held a preview event for Anthem for game journalists, here are their first-looks at the game in ~games
Kijafa Link ParentApparently you can play the whole game solo, it's just difficult and you won't get the top-tier loot.Apparently you can play the whole game solo, it's just difficult and you won't get the top-tier loot.
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Comment on Football: It’s problematic! in ~sports.american_football
Kijafa Link ParentWell, because of the salary cap, if one player makes a ton of money it means the team (as a whole) has less money to allocate towards other players. Payroll with NFL teams is a zero-sum game. So...If I'm a fan then presumably I like the guys on "my" team and want them to do well for themselves and cover themselves in glory.
Well, because of the salary cap, if one player makes a ton of money it means the team (as a whole) has less money to allocate towards other players. Payroll with NFL teams is a zero-sum game. So if you want your team to be dominant, you want the players on your team to sign contracts that are worth less than market value, because it allows your team to build a roster that is better than everyone else. This is basically how the Patriots have managed to be a juggernaut for the last decade or so.
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Comment on Football: It’s problematic! in ~sports.american_football
Kijafa LinkThis article reads like the writers are people who know a few things about some football but are not fans. Which doesn't discount their views, as I doubt a lot of football fans can objectively...This article reads like the writers are people who know a few things about some football but are not fans. Which doesn't discount their views, as I doubt a lot of football fans can objectively assess their favorite sport.
Aside from some minor nit-picking (the new roughing the passer rule was garbage because it put defensive players at an injury risk to protect quarterbacks for entirely monetary reasons) I think they got it right. Football in the US, both at the collegiate and professional level, is hugely exploitative of the players. But pro-athletes won't see much support as far as being workers because all fans see is how much money they are making. Fans see "Bell holds out for better contract" and side with the owners because "they're getting paid to play a fucking game!" The problem is that you're siding with billionaires who have nothing but disdain for you the common fan against the players who are putting their health on the line.
I think part of this comes from that fact that a huge portion of the US male population played football in high school, myself included. And you get indoctrinated into the whole "sacrifice for the team, be a team player' mentality that can be good or bad depending on how it's applied. So as a person who knows how to play football, you look at the people on TV and think "they're making millions to do something I did for free! How dare they complain!" without taking into account the fact that these players have more in common with you and having to deal with your boss than the owners who you have nothing in common with.
Part of it is also marketing. "The Team" becomes a point of civic pride. You see corporate sponsorship and community outreach and this multi-billion dollar franchise is at your kids's schools talking about health and not bullying. Lots of people buy into it. They take pride in The Team, they fight other fans (verbally or otherwise) and they start to feel like The Team has become part of their identity. Which is nuts. Because in reality The Team is a business that doesn't give two shits about you. Look at the Chargers, who left San Diego to be the 3rd most popular NFL team in Los Angeles because it made the owner richer. Or the Raiders, who are moving to Las Vegas even though there isn't anywhere there for them to play. Or look up Art Modell, or Bud Adams and it becomes quickly clear that owners don't give a shit about fans.
Anyway I think football has a big problem coming because the fact is that fewer and fewer parents are letting their kids play youth football. So you'll see fewer and fewer fans, while also a shallower talent pool to pull from.
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Andrew Zimmern in hot water after ‘horseshit’ Chinese food diss
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Comment on Football: It’s problematic! in ~sports.american_football
Kijafa Link ParentI would say the author's thoughts are indicative of some fans, but not all fans. There is a growing demographic of NFL fan that the organization is courting pretty hard that would not previously...I would say the author's thoughts are indicative of some fans, but not all fans. There is a growing demographic of NFL fan that the organization is courting pretty hard that would not previously have been welcome at the sports-fan table. The stats-nerd. And a lot of stats-nerds get into the whole thing surrounding contracts and player/club negotiations and the things behind it.
Expect outcry in 2021 when the current CBA (collective bargaining agreement) expires, and the players' association enters negotiations. Expectations (among some fans) are that we may not have NFL football at all that year.
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Comment on Pickup drivers block Tesla chargers in widening trend in ~transport
Kijafa Link ParentThose are usually the same people. There's this culture that's pushed in a lot of places (largely rural) that it's right and justified to hate anything that's new and different. It's not a new...The sheer pettiness of blocking people from using battery chargers or "rolling coal" to spew soot on people's sidewalks or electric cars is just insane. This really reminds me of the folks that rail about how much they hate vegans for not eating meat.
Those are usually the same people. There's this culture that's pushed in a lot of places (largely rural) that it's right and justified to hate anything that's new and different. It's not a new mindset by any means, but it feels really out of place these days.
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Comment on Japan cybersecurity minister admits he has never used a computer in ~tech
Kijafa LinkAs a complete outsider, this looks like either a crony-ish appointment or Abe genuinely wants the cybersecurity of the government to be hobbled. Why else would you appoint someone who is computer...As a complete outsider, this looks like either a crony-ish appointment or Abe genuinely wants the cybersecurity of the government to be hobbled. Why else would you appoint someone who is computer illiterate to run your cybersecurity program?
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Comment on Photo of more than sixty students giving apparent Nazi salute is being investigated in ~life
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Comment on The Southern barbecue you’ve probably never heard of: In a narrow swath of Kentucky and Tennessee, the specialty is a pork-shoulder steak, grilled and dunked in a tongue-torturing hot sauce in ~food
Kijafa (edited )LinkHuh, I'm intrigued. Pork shoulder is famous for being tough, which is why you usually see it braised or stewed. Pork shoulder steaks sound like it'd be leather-tough. My folks live in that general...Huh, I'm intrigued. Pork shoulder is famous for being tough, which is why you usually see it braised or stewed. Pork shoulder steaks sound like it'd be leather-tough.
My folks live in that general vicinity though, and next time I'm up that way I might have to try it.
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Comment on I'm a chef with terminal cancer. This is what I'm doing with the time I have left. in ~food
Kijafa Link ParentIt's really heartbreaking because it seemed like she'd gotten past it. The essay she wrote while she was going through chemo was so sad but so hopeful. And when she went into remission it seemed...It's really heartbreaking because it seemed like she'd gotten past it. The essay she wrote while she was going through chemo was so sad but so hopeful. And when she went into remission it seemed like things were going her way again and she could go on to so much.
And now it's gone. It's heartbreaking.
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I'm a chef with terminal cancer. This is what I'm doing with the time I have left.
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Comment on Aaron Rodgers says roughing the passer penalties are 'going in the wrong direction’ in ~sports.american_football
Kijafa LinkIt's good that Rodgers himself has come out against this rule, as it is the "Rodgers Rule". It makes sense from a league perspective to protect the QBs as they are the biggest assets player-wise,...It's good that Rodgers himself has come out against this rule, as it is the "Rodgers Rule". It makes sense from a league perspective to protect the QBs as they are the biggest assets player-wise, but this rule is absurd and ruins the role of edge defenders.
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Comment on Meet the guy tasked with archiving Prince’s entire vault in ~music
Kijafa LinkI wonder if we're going to get to see the Kevin Smith documentary now?I wonder if we're going to get to see the Kevin Smith documentary now?
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Comment on Trump administration slaps US tariffs on roughly $200 billion more in Chinese goods — a move almost certain to trigger retaliation in ~news
Kijafa Link ParentThat's a good point. Everything else he's done seems to be totally about self-enrichment.But he is a real-estate mogul that has made comments before on how well he did during past housing market crashes. I wouldn't put this sort of plan past him, it's not rocket science.
That's a good point. Everything else he's done seems to be totally about self-enrichment.
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Comment on Trump administration slaps US tariffs on roughly $200 billion more in Chinese goods — a move almost certain to trigger retaliation in ~news
Kijafa Link ParentThat sounds a little advanced for his grade level in my opinion. Someone suggesting to him that he should go after China sounds like a thing he would do, but a planned economic collapse sounds a...That sounds a little advanced for his grade level in my opinion. Someone suggesting to him that he should go after China sounds like a thing he would do, but a planned economic collapse sounds a bit much for him.
It'll be interesting to see the State Departments reasoning in writing (if they respond at all, which I don't expect them to) because it'll be really hard to defend. And once it's written down, it's set and you can't easily deny it how this admin is wont to do.