Interesting Links for 24-02-2018

[andrewducker]

More than 100 women in Yarl's Wood detention centre go on hunger strike over inhumane conditions

(tags: OhForFucksSake women immigration prison uk )

'Annihilation' Review: A Thrilling, Terrifying Surrealist Trip

(tags: scifi movies review )

Online voting in Finland: Conclusions and recommendations

(tags: finland voting computers )

RBS’s Female Staff Paid 37% Less on Average Than Men (and they aren't the worst)

(tags: gender inequality finance )

Adolescents’ rich and nuanced relationship with risky behaviour

(tags: Risk teenagers psychology )

George Clooney is awesome

(tags: acting )

How romance languages ended up with different words for "yes"

No, really, it's fascinating
(tags: language interesting history )

NRA under mounting pressure as companies cut ties with gun lobby

(tags: guns business usa )

How Australia prevented massacres without banning guns

(tags: guns australia )

Comments

[cosmolinguist]

Reading about how effective this
NRA boycott is would be even more enjoyable if it wasn't also a glimpse into a hellscape that has existed until now.

Why are banks and hotels giving discounts to NRA members? Why is "insurance for if you shoot someone" a thing?

"With Carry Guard, the NRA has figured out how to profit from gun owners who are concerned about being accused of murder." Blech.

[andrewducker]

Usually you offer discounts to a group because it encourages them to use your facilities.
Why NRA members are an attractive group, I don't know. Possibly they tend to have more money? It it was an effective marketing mechanism?

[cosmolinguist]

Usually you offer discounts to a group because it encourages them to use your facilities.

Well yes.

Why NRA members are an attractive group, I don't know.

I don't know either. This is what worries me.

[snippy]

One of the issues widely discussed in 2A circles is what happens after successful defensive gun use. The basic assumption is $10,000 in attorney fees and that's if it's a "good shoot" and they don't charge you (that is, the determination is made that it was justifiable because self defense, rather than a crime). You might still be sued for civil damages by the injured person or family. So yeah, it's a great market for liability insurance. And like any large group, they can be targeted by businesses who want their money, and usually they negotiate discounts.

[cosmolinguist]

I know it's a market for liability insurance. I should've been clearer that what I found icky was the way it sounds like this has been marketed. It makes it sound like shooting a person is inevitable and this seems a lot more sinister than, say, car insurance. Cars are at least useful for non-harmful purposes.

[snippy]

Well, the whole marketing thing is that we are constantly at risk from unknown people and we need GUNS and AMMO and to carry concealed (the concealed carry purse market is...weird to say the least) and to mount an easy-access gun safe above the bed (but it's nevertheless locked with something-thumb print or combination lock). It's all about making people afraid all the time, and then telling them the only cure is guns.

It's a lot like the beauty industry that way. We're all completely inadequate and yet there are easy fixes if you'll just give us your money.