you'll say you understand, but you don't understand

So, McDonald's is in hot water again, not that that's surprising--but in its way, there's an obscure, backhanded compliment in the gendered offerings for May. Namely, that whomever was responsible for the tie-ins made sure Spider-man was a part of both selections.

Still, I tend to agree with the writer--it's telling that the boys are told they can be Spider-man, because they get a mask, yet the girls are only told they can like Spider-man, because they get marketed tie-in products alone. I guess that's the difference between an active participant and a fan, but it's all still cultural patterning, isn't it?

Anyway, back to that weird political moment on Neverwinter. We start off this edition with a ridiculous amount of misplaced patriotism:

[Zone] Stump@coolcarcrash1: 'MERICA!
[Zone] Baridl@taranell: Dont talk ^$^# bout USA :((
[Zone] icoco777@icoco777: usa more better..at least they not say are not imprerialist
[Zone] Kinheele@hellwinkle: ^!$! YA
[Zone] Thea Uthadar@EmillyOrr: Please, people, we're in a fantasy realm, must we have sabre-rattling?
[Zone] Spinal Cut@mentinmindmaker: NO country has any rigth to take back something.. if we started down that path there would be no end

Well, it wouldn't be the first time world nations have started down that path, precisely. I mean, I do get her point, but still.

[Zone] Cloudpaw@cloudpaw02: Anyone stereotypical here? XD
[Zone] Exces@sugarblackrose: USA ? haha xD ... just 1 thing, look at the world, everywhere were a problem exists, u has tehir fingers in it ? ... USA =)
[Zone] icoco777@icoco777: taht bi nation do lol ..read history
[Zone] Spinal Cut@mentinmindmaker: While I am not too happy with USA either, at least tehy do not annex any part of any other countries

Well, actually....In fact, one of the places we annexed recently became our 51st state, so...That can't honestly be said.

[Zone] Alsikh@kranietyven: who are these russian creatures? I've heard of elfs and orcs, but never any Russians... am I saying that right?

Ah, thank you, Alsikh. You tried.

[Zone] Järnsaxa@perfectworld475: by your logic anyone can do anything they like as long as there is someone behaving worse they can point to
[Zone] icoco777@icoco777: that big nations do lol ..read history^^

Still so tempted, especially going back through these, to plug in icoco's name to mute him.

[Zone] Fletcher@gphxgphx: cuz russia taking back ukraine would be like lincoln and the south
[Zone] Phelaia Angelbane@thegeldprince: lol really, whats gitmo then?
[Zone] Spinal Cut@mentinmindmaker: Russia taking Ukraine would be $($*@) over again.. and look what happened with him

I don't get the Lincoln/South corollary...am I missing something? I really don't understand why that's the historical leap they're trying to make.

[Zone] Exces@sugarblackrose: nope, but they killed a few million natives in USA... anybody pointing on USA with a finger because of that ? .. no but go to USA and ask an older nativ, they will tell u the truth....

Now, I grant you, there's a lot of pigheaded, ignorant, stick-stupid, racist US citizens, I won't lie. But trust me, more people than you think know about the genocidal actions taken against First Nation peoples; about our willing complicity with slavery; about our mistreatment thereafter of blacks, of Chinese during the railroad days, of all immigrants to this country, but especially Chinese, Jewish, and Irish people...I mean, seriously, at this point, we've done more wrong things than right things, always. Or as Christopher Titus once said: "America: give us a skin color, we'll wipe it out."

[Zone] icoco777@icoco777: lincon take south to civilazed ..not like russia take ucrain only to exploit,it
[Zone] Exces@sugarblackrose: how they took everything ... :)
[Zone] Virgil Ravenna@v01ces: no, nothing like Linkoln and the south, it would be like the US oocuping Canada

Wha?? That..does not clear things up.

[Zone] Exces@sugarblackrose: and u guys know, that USA is loosing few hundred thousands people every year ...
[Zone] Garret Shadowsoul@kingsgrace: And they'd all drown in maple syrup
[Zone] Phelaia Angelbane@thegeldprince: or annecting texas..
[Zone] Phelaia Angelbane@thegeldprince: since texas is mexican
[Zone] Thea Uthadar@EmillyOrr: Annex Texas? We already have Texas. Wait, can we give it back?

Because it would be nice if we could.

[Zone] Spinal Cut@mentinmindmaker: What other countries have done back in history is anyways NO reason for any other country to not follow the rules for a civilized world
[Zone] Fletcher@gphxgphx: 'civilize' the south? ())
[Zone] icoco777@icoco777: ys ##(*...eradicated slave...ring a bell?

Between your spelling and your extraordinarily loose grasp of history, no. No bells are being rung.

[Zone] NiteBane@thesleeper55: Guys and gals, I am a 58 year old Marine, I have lived in this c r a p you are chatting about my whole life, must we discuss it in a online fantasy game ????
[Zone] Thea Uthadar@EmillyOrr: *claps for Nitebane* My point, excellently made.
[Zone] Spinal Cut@mentinmindmaker: And in extreme cases COULD lead to another world war with Putin as the igniting part
[Zone] Laran Mithras@ironknights1964: simple FACT of modern life is that ALL other countres are allowed to acquire territory - except America. That's just racist
[Zone] Exces@sugarblackrose: obama, (&^!#*@(%$ of the democons =)

I know conservative Democrats exist, but "democons" is just a weird-sounding contraction.

[Zone] Fletcher@gphxgphx: civil war wasn't about slaves
[Zone] Crissit@doofusn: hehe! US is the biggest expansion driven country in modern times
[Zone] Fletcher@gphxgphx: north put on a port tax and south had most of the ports
[Zone] Crissit@doofusn: Its just that they use proxies and puppet states now a days
[Zone] icoco777@icoco777: btw,,,say only one nation like thoose )%!(^ russian along a history pas
[Zone] Laran Mithras@ironknights1964: expansion for bankers profit - the US has not acquired any new territory
[Zone] icoco777@icoco777: all hate them

Not that I'm trusting anything icoco says, but why do "all hate them"? Back that statement up with references, boyo, or retract it.

[Zone] Exces@sugarblackrose: USA dont have any history... for me a history is over 500 years... USA ?? .. maybe 200 xD ... haha so pitty

"Pitty"? Did Exces mean "petty" or "such a pity", here? Because that would alter the meaning slightly.

[Zone] NiteBane@thesleeper55: Yeah so come on people no politics nor religion on here all it does is cause hate and impolite discussion
[Zone] Phelaia Angelbane@thegeldprince: slavery hasnt been abolished, they just altered it to wageslavery
[Zone] Spinal Cut@mentinmindmaker: Russia has a huge minority complex vs. the rest of the world
[Zone] Exces@sugarblackrose: USA is a mixed up country of people from all over the world
[Zone] Exces@sugarblackrose: you dont have your own identity....
[Zone] Stump@coolcarcrash1: You f*ckers took the virgin islands from us! :(

Why is this a thing?

[Zone] Laran Mithras@ironknights1964: the South had declared New orleans as a free port - would have bypassed northern tariffs
[Zone] Holy Cleavage@ocano: Stop talking politics you [f*cktards]. It's not going to change anything.
[Zone] Fletcher@gphxgphx: us attacks anyone wanting to drop worthless dollar as reserve currency
[Zone] Kallista@rachitt: Laran , why would they , that cost more money than it worth
[Zone] icoco777@icoco777: so &#@!%$*_@%!&}!)~*# @!%$ of %$&}! with #@}!%$ all russian here :)

I have no idea what icoco's trying to say, at all.

[Zone] Laran Mithras@ironknights1964: free trade? Okaaaay.
[Zone] Exces@sugarblackrose: well dollar is broke ... yuen gonna rule the world ... :) soon
[Zone] Crissit@doofusn: Okey, so against the US = russian? :P
[Zone] Crissit@doofusn: World isnt black & white
[Zone] Exces@sugarblackrose: whole money transfer at earth 33% dollar, 75% chinese yuen ...
[Zone] Fletcher@gphxgphx: us needs to separate red and blue states

Why? More to the point, what would that accomplish?

[Zone] Exces@sugarblackrose: all the same
[Zone] Exces@sugarblackrose: all the same rednecks that are $($*@) american people .. u need to get rid of them

Why?

[Zone] Holy Cleavage@ocano: new game: everyone that "debates" about (world) politics gets insta-ignore
[Zone] Exces@sugarblackrose: so what ? xD

It's not the worst point, and it would save time. Political debate: mute. Gold spammer: mute. Tasteless comment about girls who game: mute.

Thankfully, Neverwinter doesn't have an ignore list cap...yet.

[Zone] Gacked@twysted88: slavery is bad mkay, but MAYBE every major human achievement was becauce create fromi it..

After taking the time to translate that, I'm not entirely sure I understand what Gacked means, either.

More to come. In the meantime, here's footage of a snake opening a door. You're welcome.