LDSGator

Part two about misreading news stories. ESPN ratings plummeted lately and conservatives might be thinking it’s because of their boycott of the network because it’s owned by Disney. That’s partially true, but it’s less than 3-5% of the reason why. The real reason their ratings are awful is because I can get sports news, scores and analysis anytime I want to, 24/7. Which makes ESPN irrelevant. I have seen conservatives claim “victory” when they are just unable to see the big picture.

Perhaps. I think political junkies (and I’m one of them, not an insult) misread things about business though. They’ll hear what they want to hear and ignore the rest. Ie-they’ll embrace a “news story” that says the NFL lost revenue here or there but are unwilling and unable to comprehend that 1) their boycott wasn’t the reason and 2) COVID was and 3) the NFL is estimated to make close to 25 billion in a few years. So no, the boycotts have made no bump. So you are right-“just fine” is relative. And these companies will continue to thrive.

You may be right-I absolutely could be misreading this. Maybe Disney finally pushed too far. Like you though, I’m skeptical. I’ve heard roughly the same crowd say the same things about Target, the NFL…and they are still doing just fine.

Do you honestly think Disney is going to suffer any long term effects over this? I have no doubt there are people who no longer shop at Target, avoid the NFL, and will no longer go to Disney because of politics. However, that group is small. Very, very small. Vocal and passionate? Yup. But still, very small. International travelers haven't heard about the drama, and even if they have, they’ll still go to the parks. Same with your average suburbanite family. Speaking as a regular park goer, I’m actually a little hopeful that this “boycott” is successful. Hopefully it means shorter lines and wait times at the parks.

Totally fair of you to say that. Sadly, our justice system isn't perfect, and yes, sometimes humans put their own selfish desires before the law and the right thing. However, you should remember to look at the 99% of cases that don’t work like this. Sample size matters.

Yes he did. To oversimplify, I’ve always had disgust/amusement for most conspiracy theories because they violate the basic rules of critical thinking. When asked for evidence, those who support the real insane ones take “evidence” grossly out of context. When you tell them they are incorrect, they’ll mostly just accuse you of being part of the grand conspiracy or tell you that the lack of evidence just proves their conspiracy even more. There are a lot of other reasons why I dislike like them too. It’s so depressing to see anti vaxxers, flat earthers, and 9/11 truthers flourish. So, so depressing.

Lol! That’s awesome. I tried watching that movie a few times but could never get into it.

One of the many, many, many issues is with the more whacky conspiracy theories is that you can’t disprove them. If you say “You know, we’re not all lizard people.” The true believer will just say “Well, you are evil or part of the conspiracy so you’d say that.”

Sorry, it was Andy Williams.

@mirkwood, remember that time I “looked the other way” when you started crying at your favorite Celine Dion song? I’m calling in a favor. We have to beat up @Just_A_Guy.

Okay, that did it. Gloves are off now Pal!

Uh, Gators are known for our charm, but we aren’t great with numbers. So, next question Honorable Esquire.

Lol. You are awesome bro. Lol.

@Just_A_Guy, he’s recorded you yelling at neighborhood children again!

Not to surprise everyone, but dancing around questions and not being straight forward ain’t exactly new in politics, lol! In all seriousness Townhall.com is a conservative site and they won’t be fans of Biden so they’ll portray him in the worst possible light. Like what The Young Turks would do to anyone with a an “R” by their name. No, I didn’t vote for Biden.

Personally I believe that things described in the BOM and the bible actually happened, I just don't know the details. I always look at the big picture. Would I lay my life down for a literal, six day creation? No. Would I lay my life down for Christ? Yup.

It’s an oversimplification, but he’s not wrong @NeuroTypical. The awful truth is that it’s called “Bloody Russia” for a reason. They’ve had front row seats to WWI, the revolution, WWII, and 85 years of communism, not to mention their own awful history pre-1900. You’d be jaded too.

If I misunderstood, I apologize. We agree totally on everything else you said in this post.

I’ve heard that it was Khrushchev who said it in the 1960’s. Russia has grocery stores. This is the big chain: https://www.magnit.com/en/ Last I heard it has something like 4200 stores. China even has Wal Marts I think. Showing Russians a grocery store is like shaking your car keys at a 9 year old. It entertained them when they were six months old, now they’ll just look at you funny and wonder what you are doing. A North Korean would absolutely break down if you threw them in a Publix, but there’s a huge difference between a Russian and a North Korean.

Putin isn’t a socialist, he’s the rough equal of a fascist mafia Don running a country. In fact, he jails socialists and communists frequently. https://www.google.com/amp/s/en.as.com/en/2022/02/25/latest_news/1645789440_659365.amp.html The grocery store thing was true. Many years ago. When LG and I hosted two Chinese exchange students, we took them to the grocery store on the first night and both weren’t terribly surprised by it. It’s fairly normal there except in the really rural parts. To be clear, both socialism and communism are plagues on society and repulsive belief systems. But not every Russian leader is Stalin 2.0, and not everyone from a communist country will fall on their knees and weep when they see a grocery store. That was the case in 1983, not 2022.

That shows some serious talent on your part. Very cool my friend.

Perfectly said.

@Sunnie-I’m so sorry about this. Life can be complicated and humans don’t always live up to the standards that they believe in. Here’s a hug to you and your husband from me Just tell your friend the truth. Your husband is dealing with an issue that keeps him away from the church at this time. Your real friends won’t care, and your fake friends will stop talking to you. In the end, you win in “the big picture” because it’ll show you who your real friends really are. PS-I’m a convert too, and while I’m married to another convert, I understand where you are coming from, as best I can. Stay strong my friend.

Good point. Wilson had a severe stroke and while he was an awful president, the country still lived through it.

Yes, agree 100%.