VOCABULARY 101: New Jargon for a New Generation: Installment One

Alt-Right or alt right (noun) A political movement originating on social media and online forums, composed of a segment of conservatives who support extreme right-wing ideologies, including white nationalism and anti-Semitism.

Ex: the face of the alt-right; an alt-right candidate.

Antifa (proper noun) Shortening of Anti-Fascist, a radical political movement that opposes fascism and other forms of extreme right-wing authoritarianism.

Ex: Saturday’s rally had the support of Antifa, whose sworn enemy is the far right

Cuck (noun) US informal; A weak or servile man (often used as a contemptuous term for a man with moderate or progressive political views).

Ex: If you think I’m a cuck or a shill for wanting to make America great again, you might want to rethink your worldview.

Dox or doxx (verb) (doxed or doxxed, doxingor doxxing). Slang; To publish the private personal information of (another person) or reveal the identity of (an online poster) without the consent of that individual.

Ex: The professor was doxed by a bitter student who failed her class.

Fascism (noun) A governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.

Ex: She is aiding fascism by condemning Antifa.

Fascist (noun) A person who believes in or sympathizes with fascism; a member of a fascist movement or party; a person who is dictatorial or has extreme right-wing views.

Ex: That television interview revealed him to be a fascist.

Gender binary (noun) A classification system consisting of two genders, male and female; a concept or belief that there are only two genders and that one’s biological or birth gender will align with traditional social constructs of masculine and feminine identity, expression, and sexuality.

Ex: There’s still work to be done in dismantling the gender binary.

Gender-fluid (adjective) Noting or relating to a person whose gender identity or gender expression is not fixed and shifts over time or depending on the situation.

Ex: We recognize and honor gender-fluid identity.

Gender-neutral (adjective) Noting or relating to a word or phrase that does not refer to one gender only.

Ex: Firefighter and flight attendant are gender-neutral terms.

Intersectionality (noun) The theory that the overlap of various social identities, as race, gender, sexuality, and class, contributes to the specific type of systemic oppression and discrimination experienced by an individual; the oppression and discrimination resulting from the overlap of an individual’s various social identities.

Ex: Her paper uses a queer intersectionality approach.

Ex. The intersectionality of oppression experienced by black women.

Mansplain (verb) (of a man) to comment on or explain something to a woman in a condescending, overconfident, and often inaccurate or oversimplified manner.

Ex: He mansplained to her about female friendships.

Microaggression (noun) 1. a subtle but offensive comment or action directed at a minority or other nondominant group that is often unintentional or unconsciously reinforces a stereotype; the act of discriminating against a nondominant group by means of such comments or actions.

Ex: microaggressions such as “I don’t see you as black.”

The diversity committee discussed the issue of microaggression toward women on campus.

Post-truth (adjective) Relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.

Ex: ‘In this era of post-truth politics, it’s easy to cherry-pick data and come to whatever conclusion you desire.

Courtesy English Oxford Living Dictionaries: After much discussion, debate, and research, the Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year 2016 is post-truth – an adjective defined as ‘relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief’

Red pill (noun) Used to refer to a process by which a person’s perspective is dramatically transformed, introducing them to a new and typically disturbing understanding of the true nature of a particular situation.

Ex: I had no real idea what horrors these animals suffered before getting to my plate. Then I took the red pill, and now I can never go back.

Snowflake (noun) Informal, derogatory; an overly sensitive or easily offended person, or one who believes they are entitled to special treatment on account of their supposedly unique characteristics.

Ex: These little snowflakes will soon discover that life doesn’t come with trigger warnings.

Social Justice Warrior (SJW) (noun) Disparaging; a person who advocates a progressive orthodoxy, often on the Internet, especially involving the treatment of ethnic, racial, gender, or gender-identity minorities.Trigger warning (noun) A stated warning that the content of a text, video, etc., may upset or offend some people, especially those who have previously experienced a related trauma.

Ex: A blog post with a trigger warning for rape.

Troll (noun, verb) Digital Technology, informal; a person who posts inflammatory or inappropriate messages or comments on the Internet (especially a message board) for the purpose of upsetting other users and provoking a response.

Woke (adjective) Slang, (often used in the phrase “stay woke”) Actively aware of systemic injustices and prejudices, especially those related to civil and human rights.

Ex: In light of recent incidents of police brutality, it’s important to stay woke.

He took one African American history class and now he thinks he’s woke.

Xenophobia (noun) Fear or hatred of foreigners, people from different cultures, or strangers; fear or dislike of the customs, dress, etc., of people who are culturally different from oneself

Ex: Xenophobia and nationalism can be seen as a reaction to the rise of globalization.

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SOURCES

Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2017.

English Oxford Living Dictionaries.

DPRK threatens U.S. with the greatest pain and suffering it has ever gone through

“The DPRK is ready and willing to use any form of ultimate means.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea released the following statement on Monday, September 11, 2017:

The sanctions and pressure racket of the U.S. to completely obliterate the DPRK’s sovereignty and right to existence is reaching an extremely reckless phase.

The U.S. is going frantic to fabricate the harshest ever “sanctions resolution” by manipulating the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) over the DPRK’s ICBM mountable H-bomb test.

The DPRK has developed and perfected the super-powerful thermo-nuclear weapon as a means to deter the ever-increasing hostile moves and nuclear threat of the U.S. and defuse the danger of nuclear war looming over the Korean peninsula and the region.

However, instead of making a right choice based on rational analysis of the overall situation, the U.S. is trying to use the DPRK’s legitimate self-defensive measures as an excuse to strangle and completely suffocate it.

Since the U.S. is revealing its nature as a blood-thirsty beast obsessed with the wild dream of reversing the DPRK’s development of the state nuclear force which has already reached the completion phase, there is no way that the DPRK is going to wait and let the U.S. feast on it.

The DPRK is closely following the moves of the U.S. with vigilance.

In case the U.S. eventually does rig up the illegal and unlawful “resolution” on harsher sanctions, the DPRK shall make absolutely sure that the U.S. pays due price.

The DPRK is ready and willing to use any form of ultimate means.

“Storax Sedan” underground nuclear test – July 1962
Storax Sedan (yield 104 kt) – shallow underground nuclear test conducted by the United States on 6 July 1962 at Nevada Test Site. The main purpose of the detonation was to asses the non military dimension of a nuclear explosion. Image in the public domain
Photo: The Official CTBTO Photostream

The forthcoming measures to be taken by the DPRK will cause the U.S. the greatest pain and suffering it had ever gone through in its entire history.

The world will witness how the DPRK tames the U.S. gangsters by taking series of action tougher than they have ever envisaged.

The U.S. should be fully aware that as long as it persists with intense political, economic and military confrontation with the DPRK in defiance of its repeated stern warning, the former will never be able to avoid its permanent extinction.

Photo illustration By Mark Fahey from Sydney, Australia (DSCF3016) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Anti-Antifa Stores Now Abound Online: Capitalism is Winning

Antifa stores started popping up all over the Internet in the last month or so. See Antifa Supply Stores Being Launched: Truth IS Stranger Than Fiction: New Items Daily

https://skepticreview.com/2017/08/31/antifa-supply-store-recently-launched-truth-stranger-fiction/

Now, the Anti-Antifa products are available as well–some vendors are even offering products from both sides and at times it can even be hard to tell the difference.

While some of these Anti-Antifa products seem to be in good humor, others not so much–echoing a message of violence and counter-violence.

Take a look at some of today’s t-shirts and stickers for sale:

And the not so funny:

More items to be added, but one thing is for certain. This Antifa sticker appears to not be true:

New Anti-Antifa shopping items 9.11.17

Ben Shapiro at Universities: Why Are Students Driven to Seek Counseling?

“Facts don’t care about your feelings.” Ben Shapiro

Best-selling author, journalist and media personality Ben Shapiro was scheduled to speak at UC Berkeley on September 14, 2017. Security surrounding Shapiro’s speech was unprecedented, and Berkeley issued an invitation to students and faculty to seek counseling at the University Health Center if they found the event too unsettling. (See Berkeley counseling for impact speakers “have on individuals’ sense of safety & belonging” https://skepticreview.com/2017/09/08/uc-berkeley-offers-counseling-impact-speakers-may-individuals-sense-safety-belonging/

So what exactly is Ben Shapiro doing or saying that is causing folks to seek mental health treatment?

Ben Shapiro is a conservative promoting traditional values. Shapiro advocates for capitalism, traditional marriage (man and woman), intact family units (two-parent households) and morality derived from religion (unless it’s Islam–more about that below).

Shapiro is a prolific author. His conservatism is reflected in some of his more popular titles:

Brainwashed: How Universities Indoctrinate America’s Youth (2004).

Porn Generation: How Social Liberalism Is Corrupting Our Future (2005).

Bullies: How the Left’s Culture of Fear and Intimidation Silences America (2013).

How to Debate Leftists and Destroy Them: 11 Rules for Winning the Argument (2014)

In Brainwashed: How Universities Indoctrinate America’s Youth, Shapiro writes:

“At my own beloved UCLA the numbers are just as frightening. There are thirty-one English professors with registered party affiliation. Twenty-nine of them are affiliated with the Democratic party, the Green party, or another leftist political party. Out of thirteen journalism professors with registered affiliation, twelve are affiliated with leftist parties. Fifty-three out of fifty-six history professors are affiliated with leftist parties. Sixteen out of seventeen political science professors are affiliated with leftist parties. Thirty-one of thirty-three women’s studies professors are affiliated with leftist parties.”

In Porn Generation: How Social Liberalism Is Corrupting Our Future, Shapiro says:

“Never in our country’s history has a generation been so empowered, so wealthy, so privileged—and yet so empty.”

But where Shapiro really goes hard on college students is in his book How to Debate Leftists and Destroy Them: 11 Rules for Winning the Argument:

“College students’ sense of moral righteousness doesn’t come from achievement – it comes from believing that you are a bad person. You are a racist and sexist; they are not. That makes them good, even if they don’t give charity, have never met a black person, stand for policies that impoverish minority communities across the United States, and enable America-haters around the globe.”

And this, also from How to Debate Leftists and Destroy Them:

“The leftist bullies have taken over the major institutions of the United States. The university system has been monopolized by a group of folks who believe that it’s no longer worthwhile debating the evidence on tax rates, or whether the Laffer curve is right, or whether Keynesian policies actually promote economic growth. They don’t want to debate those issues. What they want to teach instead is that is you are personally ignorant, bigoted, corrupt, and mean if you disagree with them. Their opinions are not opinions; they are fact. This is the hallmark of being stuck inside a bubble. The people who occupy the professoriate have not had to work a real job – a job with real-world consequences — in over 30 years. They’ve lived on a campus where everyone agrees with them, convincing them that their beliefs are universally-held. Anyone who disagrees is a “flat earther.” Anyone who disagrees is a monster. You are a monster.”

In 2014, Shapiro ruffled feathers when he published this video titled, “The Myth of the Tiny Radical Muslim Minority is Just That.”

And then, in 2015, Shapiro got in heated debate with transgender journalist Zoey Tur, after which Shapiro filed a police report.

So that’s Ben Shapiro. Berkeley’s message to students and faculty reads: “No one should be made to feel threatened or harassed simply because of who they are or for what they believe.”

As Ben Shapiro says, “Facts don’t care about your feelings.”

“The Hitch”: Documentary

A lovely little homemade documentary gleaned from archival footage and snippets of Christopher Hitchens’ self-narrated autobiography. Imperfect sound quality but a pleasant way to spend an hour and a half.

Hurricane Footage Courtesy International Space Station 9.8.17

The International Space Station passed over two major Atlantic hurricanes on Friday, Sept. 8. First, the station flew approximately 250 miles over Hurricane Jose at approximately 10:10 a.m. EDT while the Category 3 storm was in the Atlantic just east of the Caribbean. One orbit of the Earth later, the station flew over Hurricane Irma at approximately 11:40 a.m. EDT.

Credits: NASA

Hurricane Names Explained

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) maintains rotating lists of names which are appropriate for each Tropical Cyclone basin. If a cyclone is particularly deadly or costly, then its name is retired and replaced by another one.

1. What is the difference between “hurricane”, “cyclone” and “typhoon”?

“Hurricane”, “cyclone” and “typhoon” are different terms for the same weather phenomenon which is accompanied by torrential rain and maximum sustained wind speeds (near centre) exceeding 119 kilometers per hour:

In the western North Atlantic, central and eastern North Pacific, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, such a weather phenomenon is called “hurricanes”.
In the western North Pacific, it is called “typhoons”.
In the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, it is called “cyclones”.
In western South Pacific and southeast India Ocean, it is called “severe tropical cyclones.”
In the southwest India Ocean, it is called “tropical cyclones.”

The practice of naming storms (tropical cyclones) began years ago in order to help in the quick identification of storms in warning messages because names are presumed to be far easier to remember than numbers and technical terms. Many agree that appending names to storms makes it easier for the media to report on tropical cyclones, heightens interest in warnings and increases community preparedness.

Experience shows that the use of short, distinctive given names in written as well as spoken communications is quicker and less subject to error than the older more cumbersome latitude-longitude identification methods. These advantages are especially important in exchanging detailed storm information between hundreds of widely scattered stations, coastal bases, and ships at sea.

In the beginning, storms were named arbitrarily. An Atlantic storm that ripped off the mast of a boat named Antje became known as Antje’s hurricane. Then the mid-1900’s saw the start of the practice of using feminine names for storms.

In the pursuit of a more organized and efficient naming system, meteorologists later decided to identify storms using names from a list arranged alpabetically. Thus, a storm with a name which begins with A, like Anne, would be the first storm to occur in the year. Before the end of the 1900’s, forecasters started using male names for those forming in the Southern Hemisphere.

Since 1953, Atlantic tropical storms have been named from lists originated by the National Hurricane Center. They are now maintained and updated by an international committee of the World Meteorological Organization. The original name lists featured only women’s names. In 1979, men’s names were introduced and they alternate with the women’s names. Six lists are used in rotation. Thus, the 2015 list will be used again in 2021.

The only time that there is a change in the list is if a storm is so deadly or costly that the future use of its name on a different storm would be inappropriate for reasons of sensitivity. If that occurs, then at an annual meeting by the WMO Tropical Cyclone Committees (called primarily to discuss many other issues) the offending name is stricken from the list and another name is selected to replace it. Infamous storm names such as Haiyan (Philippines, 2013), Sandy (USA, 2012), Katrina (USA, 2005), Mitch (Honduras, 1998) and Tracy (Darwin, 1974) are examples for this.

The six lists are used in rotation and the 2017 list will be used again in 2023.

Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and the North Atlantic Names
2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Arlene Bret Cindy Don Emily Franklin Gert Harvey Irma Jose Katia Lee Maria Nate Ophelia Philippe Rina Sean Tammy Vince Whitney	Alberto Beryl Chris Debby Ernesto Florence Gordon Helene Isaac Joyce Kirk Leslie Michael Nadine Oscar Patty Rafael Sara Tony Valerie William	Andrea Barry Chantal Dorian Erin Fernand Gabrielle Humberto Imelda Jerry Karen Lorenzo Melissa Nestor Olga Pablo Rebekah Sebastien Tanya Van Wendy	Arthur Bertha Cristobal Dolly Edouard Fay Gonzalo Hanna Isaias Josephine Kyle Laura Marco Nana Omar Paulette Rene Sally Teddy Vicky Wilfred	Ana Bill Claudette Danny Elsa Fred Grace Henri Ida Julian Kate Larry Mindy Nicholas Odette Peter Rose Sam Teresa Victor Wanda	Alex Bonnie Colin Danielle Earl Fiona Gaston Hermine Ian Julia Karl Lisa Martin Nicole Owen Paula Richard Shary Tobias Virginie Walter

Berkeley counseling for impact speakers “have on individuals’ sense of safety & belonging”

Ben Shapiro visit: Campus details logistics and resources

Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017

In advance of talk show host Ben Shapiro’s appearance next Thursday, Sept. 14, at UC Berkeley, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Paul Alivisatos today sent out this message detailing campus logistics for the event:

Dear UC Berkeley community,

This is an important time for all of us as we work together to uphold our commitment to free speech and to the principles of community, including respect for the dignity of all members of our UC Berkeley community. I recommend that you consider viewing Chancellor Christ’s recent Berkeley Forum speech and the Q&A that followed.

Today I write about specific commitments we are making to support our community, as well as to share logistics and security arrangements for Sept. 14. That evening, from 7-9 p.m., political commentator and radio talk show host Ben Shapiro will speak at Zellerbach Hall at the invitation of one of our registered student groups. Our commitment to free speech, as well as to the law, mandates that the students who invited Shapiro be able to host their event for those who wish to hear him speak. Our commitment to the principles of community mandates that all students, faculty and staff be able to be present on campus, engaging in their regular academic activities without fear. Achieving this poses unusual challenges for us; this memo lays out the arrangements that we are putting in place.

Building closures and parking restrictions

At 4 p.m. on Sept. 14, UCPD will establish a closed perimeter around Zellerbach Hall and surrounding buildings. Buildings near Zellerbach Hall will be closed at 4 p.m., with no access permitted. The perimeter will be assembled over the course of the day starting in the morning. Affected buildings include: César E. Chávez Student Center, Alumni House, Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union, Sproul Hall and Eshleman Hall. There will be a limited number of access points along the perimeter; beginning at 5:30 p.m., a ticket to the event will be required to gain entry into the perimeter.

Parking will be closed ALL DAY on Sept. 14 at Barrow Lane Parking Spaces, Peppertree Lane Parking Spaces, North Sproul Lot and the ASUC Garage.

Alternative options for those who work in closed buildings

We will offer as many options as possible so that students, faculty and staff who work in buildings being closed can access alternative spaces and services. Campus colleges and schools have made spaces available to help meet these needs and to welcome those affected. A system is being set up to match those needing alternative spaces with the available spaces. Please check with your manager or faculty leader about any changes to your work or class activities on Sept. 14. I encourage managers and supervisors of staff, as well as faculty, to exercise discretion and flexibility as they explore alternative arrangements.

Logistics and security at Zellerbach Hall

Tickets to the Shapiro event will be available shortly, pending final decisions on logistics and ticket distribution.

Based on UCPD’s security recommendations, attendees must present a photo ID when picking up their tickets. No blocks of tickets will be made available to individuals or groups.
As is standard practice, prior to the event UCPD will provide a list of prohibited items. Our police will seek to deter and confront unlawful behavior, while strictly enforcing laws and policies regarding individuals wearing masks or carrying weapons of any sort.
Members of the campus community are encouraged to subscribe to Nixle to receive security updates.
An increased and highly visible police presence will be on campus on Sept 14.

Engage with respect and keep safe

Some may wish to attend the event and hear the speaker to form their own views. Others may wish to stay away. Some may wish to protest. All activities can be done peacefully and with respect. If you choose to protest, please seek ways to protest peacefully and safely while observing rules related to the student code of conduct and our Principles of Community. If events escalate around you, please strongly consider leaving.

Support and counseling services for students, staff and faculty

We are deeply concerned about the impact some speakers may have on individuals’ sense of safety and belonging. No one should be made to feel threatened or harassed simply because of who they are or for what they believe. For that reason, the following support services are being offered and encouraged:

A Statement from Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students Joseph D. Greenwell

Recently, our campus and the greater Berkeley community has become a meeting point for extreme elements from opposing ends of the political spectrum who have at times sought to violently confront one another at demonstrations. These events may also attract and involve those who espouse hateful rhetoric that runs counter to our University’s values.

I want to re-affirm our shared commitment to the campus Principles of Community(link is external), as well as share this recent message from Chancellor Christ(link is external) about our paired commitments to Free Speech and safety.

We recognize these events can engender harm for some. If you need support, the campus has several resources, including counseling services. For help navigating these resources, please contact my office(link sends e-mail), or visit our Well-being Page and our Support Page.

Take care of yourselves and each other.

Sincerely,
Joseph D.Greenwell
Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students

Rebranding White Nationalism: Inside the Alt-Right: Atlantic Short Documentary

Original short documentaries produced by The Atlantic

Author: Daniel Lombroso

Richard B. Spencer greeted an audience of more than 200 at an alt-right conference in Washington D.C. last month with the cry, “Hail Trump, hail our people, hail victory!” He was met with enthusiastic cheers and Nazi salutes, and The Atlantic’s clip made headlines. This short documentary goes further inside Spencer’s ethnocentric worldview to understand what his plans are for the so-called alt-right—namely, to bring white nationalism out of the shadows. “I don’t see myself as a marginal figure who’s going to be hated by society. I see myself as a mainstream figure,” he said. Spencer and other alt-right leaders see Donald Trump’s rise as the first step towards a whites-only state. “Our lived experience is being a young, white person in 21st century America, [and] seeing your identity be demeaned,” Spencer said. “I’ve lived in this multicultural mess for years and I’m trying to get out of it.”

Beyond Diversity is a project of The Atlantic, supported by the Open Society Foundations.

Red Balloon Scare Explained

When the Lititz Borough Police Department in Pennsylvania was called in to investigate a mysterious red balloon tied to a sewer grate (suspicious balloon pictured below), brave crime fighters quickly responded, referring alarmed citizens to the official trailer of the 2017 release of Stephen King’s “It.”

Once police determined the red balloon was not a public threat, they decided to have a little fun, posting the following photo and summary of the full scale investigation below.

Courtesy Lititz Borough Police Department Facebook Page.

Sooooo our Red Balloon and “IT” post we posted earlier today took on a life its own(no pun intended), and now due to widespread media coverage all over the country and intense public scrutiny and outcry, we have turned the investigation over to our Criminal Investigations Division for further investigation and prosecution of the person(s), errr ah, “thing” responsible. CID wasted no time springing into action, here’s one of them checking for fingerprints with their ever so handy can of “duster.” Don’t worry everyone, we’ll have the person or “thing” responsible in custody in no time, these guys really know what they’re doing! P.S. Don’t tell them that Clowns wear gloves, we want to see how long this keeps them occupied! 😂😂

Red balloons sightings are now being reported across the United States, Australia and Europe. The movie will be released September 8, 2017.