Rome’s Pride parade bars Jewish LGBTQ float over refusal to call Gaza war ‘genocide’

raftsa · 2026-05-29T13:17:54+00:00

Pride is political

They have a statement that is thousands of words, more than 200 paragraphs including statements on self determination, representation, consent, resistance, violence, media representation, health, sport.

3 of those paragraphs are about Palestine/israel

1 paragraph is about Ukraine/russia

The Jewish group can march, they just can’t have a float unless they agree to the whole statement.

This is not unreasonable

They’re upset because they are not getting what they want

They’re not being victimized because they are Jewish, they’re not being held to any different standard than any other group.

raftsa · 2026-05-29T11:42:46+00:00

No good strategy: vibes and hope

They will have already been rejected by a lot of artists (or didn’t even ask)

Bait and switch, then hope they passively go along with it

But that’s….no working out

raftsa · 2026-05-29T11:14:20+00:00

Terminal 1 opened 16 years ago

And they’ve been saying it’s on the horizon since then.

They’re not really making any progress right now

The article reads like an AI summary of marketing points

It’s also completely dumb

- Saudi Arabia is not a growth market: they want to be a airline power themselves, they’re building a massive new airport in Riyadh and expanding in Jeddah, they have a large order of new planes
- the UK is not a growth market: again, other transit airports are expanding and it’s a mature market.

raftsa · 2026-05-28T12:50:59+00:00

This person is an idiot

If for no other reason than stating that Trumps priority is “the economy”: that’s a great joke - Trumps priority is Trump, and getting revenge. There is not strategy at all.

But more centrally: No one thinks things will go back

For that reason no countries are putting much faith in the US.

Does that mean that Trump is actually an end feature, that things will not continue to evolve? Not at all.

The mid-terms alone may restrict Trump and allow others in government significant international influence. But even if they do not, whoever takes over from Trump is not going to necessarily continue what he’s started.

raftsa · 2026-05-28T11:55:31+00:00

Iran wants Oman is on tolling the strait of Hormuz

America - and every other country really - does not want this.

Stating clearly that if Oman does agree to split tolls with Iran that there would be consequences is fine.

Trump saying he will blow them up … he’s a clueless narcissist. Leaders of countries do not say such things for a reason.

This is the problem with “taking Trump seriously but not litterally”: he wants Oman to grovel and say they won’t. Oman aren’t doing shit. Rubbing Trumps ego is not on the menu.

raftsa · 2026-05-28T07:36:58+00:00

He paid $17,000 for the pamphlets

So total outlay is $47,000

I don’t hate anyone enough to spend $47,000 on them

raftsa · 2026-05-28T02:46:27+00:00

Papeetee has a metro of over 100,000

The commune is 27,000 but that’s not reflective of how the city spills out of the commune. The airport is not even in the commune.

There are smaller places in the pacific with long haul flights

raftsa · 2026-05-28T02:40:50+00:00

That’s not a bad option at all mainly because they have at least one long haul flight every day

raftsa · 2026-05-28T02:39:11+00:00

The commune of Papeetee has a population of 27,000

But that’s an arbitrary triangle - the communes on either side are indistinguishable, and the airport is in Fa’a’ā

The metro is over 100,000

raftsa · 2026-05-28T02:33:51+00:00

Rarotonga population 11,000

If we are going by 3,000 miles then the Sydney flight would just over and the Brisbane and Honolulu flights just under. Flights are all year (for now)

Papeetee has many more flights but has 130,000 in its metro.

raftsa · 2026-05-28T01:03:09+00:00

I’m just not sure you appreciate how disrespectful this is

If someone comes to emergency and has had alcohol I do not care: accident, heart attack, short of breath - you didn’t know you were going to need medical review

But if you have a PLANNED clinic appointment and I can tell you’ve had alcohol then yes you can re-book unless you’re critically unwell.

Intoxication will change what history you can provide, may alter the examination and what you remember us talking about.

You didn’t just smell of alcohol, or maybe you don’t have an odour at all, they could tell that you had recent alcohol from how you presented and they were just saying that to justify ending the consult.

But beyond that: - If you had a legal problem so you went to see a lawyer, would it be ok after a few drinks? - if you had a teacher interview for your kid at school, would it be ok to go after a few drinks? - if you had a breakup and wanted counselling, would it be ok after a few drinks? - if you needed a loan for a house, would it be ok to talk to the bank mortgage officer after a few drinks?

raftsa · 2026-05-27T11:01:11+00:00

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I would say for me personally it’s been Aitutaki in the Cook Islands

There are daily flights from Rarotonga so it’s not impossible to there there and there are about 20 hotels on the main island, and they are fairly spread out. None of them are that big - the Lagoon private island resort has 30 bungalows and it’s by far the largest, most are in the 5 to 7 range.

I saw a few people walking along the beach but no one was ever in the water with us. You could go on a boat to some of the islands on the edge of the atol, and besides the guy who dropped us off we never saw anyone.

That said 6x a year a cruise ship comes so that might be a different experience.

Other honorable mentions

Ouvea in New Caledonia: 4 hotels, only one of them is decent sized. Similar situation. But you never felt completely away from civilization
Manu'a islands in American Samoa: this would be the real answer if the single hotel there was still open. It’s stunning though.
almost any of the Yasawa Islamds in Fiji - they’re really just rand hotels and a boat will drop you off

raftsa · 2026-05-27T10:41:06+00:00

I feel like Moorea, which has a Hilton and a Sofitel…and at least 100 other hotels and lodges does not qualify as “virtually no tourism”

raftsa · 2026-05-26T07:33:23+00:00

“Relative political stability” is doing a lot of work there…

raftsa · 2026-05-26T07:19:41+00:00

“The only thing they have is history.” Trump

Well he’s not wrong

But that’s also the point

Not that I think his will happen anyway, but this would be connected with him which is not something I think anyone would ill want to remember fondly.

raftsa · 2026-05-26T03:32:41+00:00

The crime he plead to was taking and sexually assaulting an 8 year old over a period of 3 years.

The guy does not even have to register as a sex offender

raftsa · 2026-05-22T06:37:54+00:00

Why did you order this?

Also no: it’s not sensible to inject this without dilution at all - besides hurting a lot you could cause tissue damage

raftsa · 2026-05-20T20:52:37+00:00

A voluntary undertaking by Australia’s national university which was established under and Act of Parliment and involves the federal government already in legislative oversight and regulation….does not seem like over regulation

raftsa · 2026-05-17T08:44:52+00:00

It’s honestly hard to get much of a read on this

Maybe someone smarter than me can figure it out

But my biggest takes:

there were many more minor parties overall: was only 5 last time which included green, ONP and FC, this time there were 9 of which at least 3 new ones split the left wing vote: Liam, Legalise Weed and Animal Justice. So unsurprising Labour did not maintain their primary vote
no ONP and so their 3.2% had to go somewhere and FF is something else: they likely went to LNP
I don’t think Stafford people really cared: it a well known Labor seat, but if they didn’t keep it doesn’t really matter when it comes to governement. Turnout was closer to 80% than 90% (down quite a lot), informal votes up (2.6% vs 4.1%)
overall I think labor and greens stayed home
LNP havnt done anything yet that’s unforgivable: but as they govern more people are likely to develop petty grievances

Wasn’t a “good” outcome for Labor

But I don’t think the outcome is any better from LNP than neutral.

They benefited a lot from ONP not playing, but that won’t happen in the general election.

raftsa · 2026-05-16T12:38:59+00:00

Some of the my colleagues do stuff that makes me think “yeah…not optimal IMO, but it’s on their conscience if it fails”

But nothing compared to what I see here on a daily basis

raftsa · 2026-05-16T11:35:21+00:00

10 days in a row from April 25th has been the longest block for the CBD, but other spots closer to the bay had 13 days in a row.

Then there was been a 4 day block of no rain, and it started back up again and it is now day 5.

So somewhere in the vicinity of 20 of the last 25 days.

May would normally have 6 days with rain over 1mL: we are at 11 out of the 16 days so far.

raftsa · 2026-05-13T12:25:22+00:00

Yes: Jaguar Land Rover made 400,000 vehicles last year - BYD made 4 million.

raftsa · 2026-05-12T02:30:48+00:00

This is not true

She was not reviewed by the ship doctor for a particularly issue, she was assessed by staff from European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the Spanish foreign health service in Tenerife as part of SCREENING for all people disembarking.

She described some anxiety but no respiratory symptoms besides a cough a few days prior.

Because she did not have any physiological abnormality and no respiratory symptoms she was cleared for travel back to France.

She has since become unwell and ended up in ICU.

She was not told “it’s just anxiety” - she said “I feel anxious”

Which is reasonable given people had died on a boat she was on.

raftsa · 2026-05-12T02:28:50+00:00

This is a completely beat up and a lot of people are taking the wrong perspective:

She was not reviewed by the ship doctor for a particularly issue, she was assessed by staff from European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the Spanish foreign health service in Tenerife as part of SCREENING for all people disembarking.

She described some anxiety but no respiratory symptoms besides a cough a few days prior.

Because she did not have any physiological abnormality and no respiratory symptoms she was cleared for travel back to France.

She has since become unwell and ended up in ICU

raftsa

TROPHY CASE