Gays, Putin, and Skiing! Olympics Megathread: THE POLITICS

[Aona]

Cheerleaders in Ford F-150s are apparently an ideal demonstration of American culture.

Now I understand why NSG dislikes America.

Well, in America's defense, Atlanta is pretty devoid of culture, save for Coca-cola and Martin Luther King. It's not like we could have slaves.

Source: Atlanta Resident, GA Dome looks very nice now though

[Gallup]

Speaking of Olympic Clusterfucks:

Summer Games in Berlin: Boxer dies due to injuries sustained in the fight. The "Greater" Race failed to properly treat him.
Winter Games in Innsbruck: Luger dies during practice run. Skier dies due to collision in practice. Two in one. WTF Innsbruck?
Winter Games in Albertville: Ski Jumper dies in practice, due to collision with a snow machine. Yep, organizers failed to move a snow machine. Were probably taking a nap.
Winter Games in Vancouver: Luger dies due to crash in practice. Organizers were warned that the track was too dangerous beforehand, and said "lolwut?"

Those are real clusterfucks, much worse than cheerleaders or hotel rooms.

"Real Clusterfucks" and "Cheerleaders or Hotel Rooms" are two great band names.

[Gallup]

RT was supposed to be like that, now it's turned into a pro-Russia lapdog.

If you don't succeed, try again!

Hopefully they try an NPR model. Sure, it's left, but is most of the time fair.

[Dagnia]

Ice Hockey is my favorite. Cross-country skiiing is next because it makes me laugh a little. They look like marching frogs.

[Gallup]

Ice Hockey is my favorite. Cross-country skiiing is next because it makes me laugh a little. They look like marching frogs.

That's an interesting description.

[Shofercia]

If you don't succeed, try again!

Hopefully they try an NPR model. Sure, it's left, but is most of the time fair.

As long as it doesn't have one key fund raiser. I think that if you're a free press institution funded by the government, and able to do what you want, you should be required not to take money from other sources.

[Gallup]

Hopefully they try an NPR model. Sure, it's left, but is most of the time fair.

As long as it doesn't have one key fund raiser. I think that if you're a free press institution funded by the government, and able to do what you want, you should be required not to take money from other sources.

Then they get dependent on the government and are more likely to write glowing stories to get in the governments favor and keep it flowing.

[Shofercia]

As long as it doesn't have one key fund raiser. I think that if you're a free press institution funded by the government, and able to do what you want, you should be required not to take money from other sources.

Then they get dependent on the government and are more likely to write glowing stories to get in the governments favor and keep it flowing.

Not if the following funding formula is used: (actual viewership * accuracy of future predictions * X percent) = amount of funding. That's a very unbiased formula.

Example: Let's say that we have Nat Serebrov. Mr. Serebrov correctly predicts the election of Dmitri Medvedev on his blog. He analysis are fun, and he gets over a million viewers. He also predicts 80 percent of the Duma elections, and the responses with a 70 percent accuracy.

So we get: 1,000,000 * 2.7 (1*1 + 1*0.7 + 1*0. * 0.01 = $27,000 for making that post.

[Gallup]

Then they get dependent on the government and are more likely to write glowing stories to get in the governments favor and keep it flowing.

Not if the following funding formula is used: (actual viewership * accuracy of future predictions * X percent) = amount of funding. That's a very unbiased formula.

X percent?

[Shofercia]

Not if the following funding formula is used: (actual viewership * accuracy of future predictions * X percent) = amount of funding. That's a very unbiased formula.

X percent?

Modifier, depending on how effective the industry becomes. For instance, if I have $5 million to give out, and bloggers have 25 million viewers and predicting with an 80 percent accuracy the best modifier I could have is 0.25. Otherwise I'd be over budget.

[Gallup]

X percent?

Modifier, depending on how effective the industry becomes. For instance, if I have $5 million to give out, and bloggers have 25 million viewers and predicting with an 80 percent accuracy the best modifier I could have is 0.25. Otherwise I'd be over budget.

Oh, okay. Makes sense.

[Coultra]

I'd like to know how many fundamentalists or anti-gay activists or non-supporters or what have you actually disapprove of the way Russia treats gay citizens.

I guess I hope that religious people or non-supporters would still have compassion for their fellow human, regardless of if they agree with them.

Any non-supporters here that approve or disapprove of Russia's no-gay policy? Have you seen the videos of police beating the fuck out of them?

[Scocialist Provinces]

Go Canada. Kick some american and russian ass, only to get wiped by the Czechoslovakians. Wooot.

[The United Colonies of Earth]

Boycott? Maybe not.
The world's LGBT-friendly nations proudly flaunting their respect for the human rights of sexual minorities while Power-Hungry-Cynical-Crook-in-Chief Putin impotently watches from his seat? Yes, please.

Amen to that!
Otherwise, Vladjimirj Putjin hadj bettjer providje a good showj for us. A good game in this newly rebuilt city. And maybe some improvements for neglected areas.

[Exi1and]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/05/reporters-sochi-hotel-olympics-tweets_n_4729443.html

mmm sochi seems like such a wonderful place to visit

wonder how like it'll take before im called a russophobe

Most of these stories and photos will be fake, Russian media does not complain about these "problems", but Western journalists. They are desperately trying to make Russia look backward. At least it gives border control list of people who will be denied a visa the next time they try to come to Russia, if they find it so bad.

[Gallup]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/05/reporters-sochi-hotel-olympics-tweets_n_4729443.html

mmm sochi seems like such a wonderful place to visit

wonder how like it'll take before im called a russophobe

Most of these stories and photos will be fake, Russian media does not complain about these "problems", but Western journalists. They are desperately trying to make Russia look backward. At least it gives border control list of people who will be denied a visa the next time they try to come to Russia, if they find it so bad.

Or the Russian media wants it to look good. It could be either way.

[Shamhnan Insir]

40,000 military and police, wow, Putin ain't playing around! Even the Navy is involved.

[Exi1and]

Most of these stories and photos will be fake, Russian media does not complain about these "problems", but Western journalists. They are desperately trying to make Russia look backward. At least it gives border control list of people who will be denied a visa the next time they try to come to Russia, if they find it so bad.

Or the Russian media wants it to look good. It could be either way.

It is unlikely that all Russian media deliberately ignore it if it's true.

[Shofercia]

Woohoo! Russia in da lead in Figure Skating:

Russia 19
Canada 17
China 15
Japan 13
France 10
Germany 10
United States 10
Italy 8
Ukraine 5
United Kingdom 3

[Blasveck]

Minor little piece of news from the IOC head.

http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/ar ... -79148189/

SOCHI, Russia -- Speaking to reporters just days before the 2014 Sochi Games, the top Olympic official said he is open to adding language to the Olympic charter that specifically addresses discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, insisted on Monday that "we stand against any kind of discrimination for whatever reason."

Gay rights have become an issue at these Games because of a controversial Russian law that criminalizes "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations" in the presence of minors.

The charter currently states: "Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement."

Asked about expanding that language, Bach said: "I'm open for discussion and I guess that, in the debate we're going to have in Sochi, this question may be addressed and we will discuss it further."

[Heart Attack Grill]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_MBOeqSYVk

what about the people whose houses got torn down? the people that had to be moved, and got nothing in return?

The part im talking about starts around 11:06.

[Srboslavija]

Minor little piece of news from the IOC head.

http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/ar ... -79148189/

SOCHI, Russia -- Speaking to reporters just days before the 2014 Sochi Games, the top Olympic official said he is open to adding language to the Olympic charter that specifically addresses discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, insisted on Monday that "we stand against any kind of discrimination for whatever reason."

Gay rights have become an issue at these Games because of a controversial Russian law that criminalizes "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations" in the presence of minors.

The charter currently states: "Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement."

Asked about expanding that language, Bach said: "I'm open for discussion and I guess that, in the debate we're going to have in Sochi, this question may be addressed and we will discuss it further."

What do they have against positive discrimination?

Will they finally stop discriminating athletes based on finishing times and give everyone participation medals?

[Shofercia]

Minor little piece of news from the IOC head.

http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/ar ... -79148189/

What do they have against positive discrimination?

Will they finally stop discriminating athletes based on finishing times and give everyone participation medals?

I know, right? Eh, I think I'm going to go on an Olympic Break from NSG. The Olympics is in my country, and I just want to enjoy it, without being linked to crappy articles going "hurr durr dar be terrorism in Russia". I mean seriously, if you're so pathetic that you cannot write about sports without employing the word "terrorism", what's the use of keeping you around as a journo, right?

[The United Communist Solar Republic]

Anyone notice the Google Doodle? I mean that is just amazing, and I'm really happy that Google actually had the courage to make such a large political statement.

[Shofercia]

Anyone notice the Google Doodle? I mean that is just amazing, and I'm really happy that Google actually had the courage to make such a large political statement.

Quoting the Olympic Charter, and making sports painted in different colors? It's good that they did it, but it's not exactly a mountain. More of a molehill.