Friday Ephemera

Act casual, say nothing. || Moonshiner’s cow shoe. || Meanwhile, in Scotland, life goes on as normal. (h/t, Holborn) || I suspect these are bigger than yours. (h/t, Pogonip) || Hey, it’s a job. || Ideal for peeling grapes and then sewing them back in their skins, the Da Vinci robotic surgical system. || Renting pandas. || Chimney pots. || Where did all the sperm go? || Why parents rarely want their children to be artists, part 19. (h/t, Stephen) || This. (h/t, Julia) || That. || Gusty. || Going rogue. || Girth, thickness and ellipticity: On the shapes of eggs. || “The germs which are in the mouth have spoken to a child!” (h/t, Elephants Gerald) || Tristan goes exploring. || Roman roads of Britain. || Ice fishing basics. || Da Vinci’s notebooks. || Sequel of note. || And finally, how to attract a crowd.

Comments

[Black Ball]

Possibly not the best of release dates from Ms Clinton. I see there has been some mirth taken with this announcement.
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/christinerousselle/2017/07/27/heres-hillary-clintons-new-tellall-book-n2360874

[R. Sherman]

The Claire Lehmann/Shane Bauer exchange is depressing as hell. Paraphrasing Bauer, "Things are not 'wealth.' The results of technical innovation are not wealth."

[Farnsworth M. Muldoon]

Video proves veganism is harmful to brain development, subtitled, "A Fish Has The Same Emotions As A Human Child.

Video brought to you by The Party of Science !™

[champ]

OOT, justice in Pakistan seems to be a little weird...rather than punishing to offender, they punish the offender's sister, who had nothing to do with the offense...

http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/07/27/539765693/tribal-council-orders-revenge-rape-in-pakistan

[Hal]

Where did all the sperm go?

Every sperm is sacred.

[Hal]

Why parents rarely want their children to be artists, part 19.

Cinta Tort Cartró — who goes by the artist name Zinteta . . .

. . . as opposed to Perdita X. Dream.

[Hal]

Gusty.

Saw the SUV, will raise you a few truck trailers.

[Hal]

Tristan goes exploring.

Tripping With Terwilliger

[Randy]

Twisted Sifter hasn't read his Sherlock Holmes.

[David]

Cinta Tort Cartró — who goes by the artist name Zinteta…

In the absence of any aesthetic ambition or discernible talent, some trivial, allegedly political issue has to be inflated as a pretext for the noodling to exist. And note the writer’s standard obligation to describe the results as “powerful.”

The Claire Lehmann/Shane Bauer exchange is depressing as hell.

And Mr Bauer, whose ability to process information seems somewhat selective, is a “senior reporter.” Again, the phrase that comes to mind is severely educated. A practised obtuseness has presumably made him impervious to any number of charts, statistics and counter arguments. Judging by his Twitter feed, the numerous corrections piled up around him simply didn’t happen. I doubt he’ll allow his mind to be changed. Too much is premised on the conceits that are being questioned.

[John D]

Meanwhile, in Scotland, life goes on as normal.

Effing hell. At first I thought it was a spoof.

[David]

At first I thought it was a spoof.

Apparently, it’s real. I’m sure there’s a word for something that’s sad, squalid and comically surreal all at the same time.

And I quite like the idea of a drunk bin. Into which the local drunks climb, attracted by the odour, before being carried away by a council-approved contractor.

[Ray]

Rogue, how to attract a crowd:
Young people these days don't do enough to propitiate the gods. They have only themselves to blame.

[jabrwok]

Da Vinci's Notebook

[PiperPaul]

"how to attract a crowd"

That was weird. It certainly looked like someone was video recording that stretch of road for some reason. Am I too cynical?

[[+]]

You've changed the slanty lines. They're not slanty any more.

#Makeover

[David]

You’ve changed the slanty lines. They’re not slanty any more.

A bold move, I think you'll agree.

[Joan]

I miss the slanty lines.

#Backlash

[David]

A farewell letter from a former member complains that the group’s founders where “entirely white, with the exception of one person of colour,” and that none of them came from “low-income and/or working class backgrounds.”

Sad news, I’m afraid. The Swarthmore College Anti-Capitalist Collective has disbanded.

[David]

I miss the slanty lines.

They’re gone. Gone forever, I say.

#ResoluteAndFearless

[SumDumGuy]

Sad news, I’m afraid

I was just about to post that myself. This must be that "real communism" we keep hearing about.

[David]

A recent academic conference on advanced manufacturing techniques was interrupted for an hour-long workshop on microaggressions.

Some people should be chased out of town with nail guns.

[R. Sherman]

#ResoluteAndFearless

It always starts with the small, seemingly insignificant things. Then, "kerflooey!" Everything's gone to hell.

#LongMarchofProgressivism

[Spiny Norman]

champ,

...rather than punishing to offender, they punish the offender's sister, who had nothing to do with the offense...

...who will then be stoned to death for adultery.

"Revenge Rape" is our "Daily WTF" for today.

[Darleen]

Some people should be chased out of town with nail guns

When are people going to stand up at the start of one of these "workshops" and tell the instructor they are full of sh*t and then encourage others to walk out?

Stop ALLOWING this.

[WTP]

Regarding jabrwok's da vinci link, we're quite proud to bring you this news from Central Florida. Quite proud indeed.

http://www.borderherald.com/man-clermont-fl-breaks-record-worlds-longest-penis/

[Darleen]

Tents with a view.

[champ]

It has come to this...

https://www.thecollegefix.com/post/34912/

[WTP]

It has come to this...

C'mon, champ. You're supposed to laugh it off. Hahaha. Laughter, you remember laughter? Nothing to take seriously. All together now...Ha...ha...hahaha....

See how that feels better?

[Jonathan]

Now this is what I call a Diving Suit:

[Hal]

A recent academic conference on advanced manufacturing techniques was interrupted for an hour-long workshop on microaggressions.

Always be sensitive and considerate. Chicks dig that.

[Jonathan]

Roman roads of Britain.

Watling street runs through my Town.

[WTP]

Yeah, that Dilbert cartoon isn't quite accurate with my own experience. A more realistic response, one that I have actually witnessed, is that the PHB then gets assigned to teach the next Diversity Sensitivity class. Because Hell hath no fury like a reformed [ whatever ].

[WTP]

OK, I know I'm getting into over-posting territory but I gotta ask...what's with the nipples on that diving suit?

[Darleen]

Cue the outrage if you only read the headline

Man seen on camera dousing, lighting LGBT center on fire

Yet, 4th paragraph in ...

Police believe the suspect used to be a client at the youth center, but aged out of eligibility when he turned 25.

It's as if there is an agenda here.

[SumDumGuy]

Donald Trump: Here is a funny GIF.
CNN: We are gonna DOX the guy who made that harder than anybody in the history of DOXing
WaPo: Hold my beer.

[David]

Now this is what I call a Diving Suit

Diving suit, yes. That’s what he wants you to think. Wait ‘til it escapes the lab and begins its reign of terror.

[R. Sherman]

Tents with a view.

Darleen, just pretend it's the Grand Suq of Marrakech.

[Jonathan]

Wait ‘til it escapes the lab and begins its reign of terror.
Errr......

[Darleen]

Sheesh, R., that's a really neat bike trail right down to the beach but who'd want to do it now? (I only live about 23 miles west of where they started their ride ... my parents still live in Brea!)

[neal]

That's a nice "diving suit".
Kracken resistant.

I shall retrofit my Nautilis post haste.

[PiperPaul]

Arrrr

[Turk Turkleton]

Abi Wilkinson continues her charm offensive.

[MC]

Re: the one about giant rats.

I am visiting Boughton in Chester, UK right now. There are no giant rats. I have a relative who is an environmental health officer. She says it is all bullshit. Although you might have guessed that from the photos in the article.

[Squires]

You don't have to go all the way to Pakistan for cultural enrichment, I'm afraid:

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4115013/teenage-girl-raped-twice-birmingham-witton-station-villa-park/

It would be a safe bet that the girl mentioned what had just happened to her to the second "Asian".

[Pogonip]

That diving suit is the ancestor of the costume in the newer Batman movies.

And inscribe these words on your doorposts and teach them to your children: Adam West WAS Batman, and Han Solo fired first!

[Pogonip]

Here's a new addition to our ever-evolving English language:

http://thezman.com/wordpress/?p=11013

Gee, I wish I'd thot of that! 😄

[Daniel Ream]

I'll see your diving suit and raise you armor for fighting grizzly bears.

I have met Troy. I assure you he's deadly serious.

[Jonathan]

You don't have to go all the way to Pakistan for cultural enrichment, I'm afraid:

Bigot. It's their culture

... armor for fighting grizzly bears.

I saw a doc. on the guy about ten years ago. Has he actually fought the Bear yet?

[David]

I assure you he’s deadly serious.

That’s not entirely reassuring.

[Jonathan]

Gusty

Gustier

[David]

Abi Wilkinson continues her charm offensive.

She’s such a love. And note that Ms Wilkinson is the one trying to shrink the terms of any discussion, to make pertinent details inadmissible. So again, which came first – the far-left politics or the charmless personality?

[David]

Gustier

Well played, sir.

[Burnsie]

Painting colorful squiggles on hot young babes is, well, hot. Call me a patron of the arts. More Zinteta!

[PiperPaul]

The punchline to the ice fishing joke is, 'And what am I supposed to do - just sit in the boat?'

[WTP]

Amusing argument in the comments section of that You Tube Gustier link. One guy absolutely insisting that the dashcam video has no sound and another guy insisting it does ( there is sound). Sigh...when exprts disagree...?

[Sam]

Diane Abbott speaks her brainz:

https://twitter.com/Jamin2g/status/891287752272211969

[Burnsie]

which came first – the far-left politics or the charmless personality?

I'd say both were inevitable once saddled with that ridiculously pretentious spelling of her name.

[Jonathan]

Well, would you stop?

(h/t Orwell & Goode)

[David]

Well, would you stop?

London’s vermin problem is getting out of hand. Time to put down some traps.

[Darleen]

UNCLEAN!!!!

[David]

Re: demented “mattress girl” Emma Sulkowicz, this.

[Pogonip]

That guy sued the school and won, though I forget how much.

[Geezer]

demented “mattress girl” Emma Sulkowicz

I suspect that she really wants to be a porn actress. That is "performance art"; is it not?

[Sam Duncan]

“At first I thought it was a spoof.”

Some of us suspect Falkirk is a spoof.

“The germs which are in the mouth have spoken to a child!”

It's no Bolo Song, but I'll never be able to rinse my mouth again without thinking, “Buku, buku, buku, buku, peh!”

“[W]e're quite proud to bring you this news from Central Florida.”

Mmm, classy. But wait, what's this?

“Unlike a lot of previous world record holders who won the genetic lottery and were already born with large packages, I’ve had to work really hard to achieve this.”

For the love of God, man, HOW?

I'm... er, asking for a friend.

“Well, would you stop?”

At 20s and 35s, are those blokes actually trying to hold it back?

[Spiny Norman]

Geezer,

I suspect that she really wants to be a porn actress.

She already tried - she made a really cheezy hard-core "recreation" video of the incident. Vivid, Evil Angel, Brazzers (and whatever other producers out there) have not been waving contracts in her face, so she's probably bitter about that, too.

[David]

At 20s and 35s, are those blokes actually trying to hold it back?

The excuse for the rioting is that an upstanding community crack dealer choked on his own stash. It was never going to be a gathering of intellectuals.

[Jonathan]

An excellent piece on 'Mattress Girl' Emma Sulkowicz by Cathy Young.

Also, This.

[Farnsworth M Muldoon]

An excellent piece on 'Mattress Girl' Emma Sulkowicz...

In the fine tradition of Sham-wow, that's not all, as Miss Sulkowitz ...Explains Her Provocative New Bondage-Based Performance Art !

As Sulkowicz explains below, the piece was meant as a multilayered exploration of ideas surrounding sex and consent, societal standards of female beauty, the personal nature of making and sharing art, and the art world in the age of Donald Trump.

Of course.

The whole conceit was that I was saying “Mr. Whitney, I want to be an artist,” and he was like “Oh yeah? let’s see if you can take it.” And the idea was that I was going to stay up as long as I could, until I couldn’t take the pain anymore, and then I would come down...We had a 15 minute break, and then I approached him again, I put the wood up myself that time, and I approached him and said, “Alright, I know what it takes to be an artist, I am ready.”

There is a video at the link I am sure you will not want to miss, and be sure to read the article she wrote about, actually, I am not sure what it is about.

[Jonathan]

@Farnsworth

As the saying goes: " Never stick your dick in crazy". A piece of advice Paul Nungesser should have got from his father.

[Spiny Norman]

Sam,

“Well, would you stop?”

At 20s and 35s, are those blokes actually trying to hold it back?

If they insist on being detached from reality, they might as well go full idiot.

[Nikw211]

So those hench-lesbians ... they're certainly formidable ...

[David]

This.

[David]

This too.

[R. Sherman]

Was discussing Dunkirk with my (Bavarian) spouse. I mentioned the French were miffed because they didn't get much screen time. Her response: "Neither did the Germans, but you don't see me in high dudgeon writing letters to the editor."

[J.M. Heinrichs]

The Exosuit: http://nuytco.com/products/exosuit/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8cS5PMeuQo

Cheers

[Hal]

“Alright, I know what it takes to be an artist, I am ready.”

. . . . . ?!??!?!!!!!!!

Googlemancy isn't getting me anywhere, but I have a general memory of a meeting of Isaac Asimov and Some Guy, where S.G. announces to Asimov that I want to be a writer. Asimov looks at 'im, or just replies, announcing; Do you want to Be A Writer, or do you want to write?

In the case of Sulkowitz, I have no bloody idea what she thinks she's stating, doing, or trying to become . . .

Me, I write, have written, and will keep writing, with research and curiosity that's digging into other areas---with quite a number of layered aspects of computer animated movie making rather covering the "artistic" areas . . . . Should someone announce to me that I am not a writer, yeah, fine, whatever.

At the very least, if the BDSM is what Sulkowitz has decided she wants to do, the actual term that she's looking for is rope bunny.

And, come to think of it, what also pops into mind is Thanksgiving, the American holiday, . . . or a potential aspect of that . . .

[David]

Her response: “Neither did the Germans, but you don’t see me in high dudgeon writing letters to the editor.”

We’ve often joked about the “social justice” contingent being terminally unemployable, but clearly some of them do find work, of a sort, in the media. Not just bedlamite sites like Everyday Feminism or Jezebel, but other, less obviously lunatic publications, including io9, Gizmodo, Mic, Teen Vogue and Marie Claire. They may not receive the financial rewards or social status to which feel entitled, being so woke and all, but those resentments are presumably channelled into making articles tedious by shoehorning in references to the evils of “whiteness,” maleness, etc.

[Hal]

'How I uncovered the hidden friendship between Queen Victoria and her Indian servant Abdul'

“He was an ordinary commoner from Agra who had close to the Queen,” points out Basu. “They were snobs and Queen Victoria told them as much. She told them this is not acceptable. She was definitely ahead of her time.”

Ornamentalism: How The British Saw Their Empire by David Cannadine.

In 1881 King Kalakaua of Hawaii was visiting England and attended a party given by Lady Spencer. The Prince of Wales and his nephew, the Crown Prince of Germany, were also there. The Prince of Wales insisted that the King should take precedence. The Crown Prince protested that this would be a monstrous affront to two men who were, after all, the son and the grandson of Queen Victoria. The Prince of Wales was not disposed to put up with any nonsense of that kind. 'Either the brute is a king or he's a common or garden nigger,' he pointed out. 'And if he's the latter, what's he doing here?'

[David]

In other news, the word “bully” is now racist, apparently.

Please update your files accordingly.

Update:

Daring to disagree is by default “abusive” and “passively violent.”

[Farnsworth M Muldoon]

Please update your files accordingly.

While you are at it, check your cognitive privilege.

There are many kinds of privilege besides white privilege: cognitive privilege, for example. We now know that intelligence is not something we have significant control over but is something we are born with. We are living in a society in which success is increasingly linked to one’s intelligence...Thus, the accident of having been born smart enough to be able to be successful is a great benefit that you did absolutely nothing to earn. Consequently, you have nothing to be proud of for being smart.

Alas, I don't think this is Poe's Law in action.

[John D]

Daring to disagree is by default “abusive” and “passively violent.”

My life's mission is to avoid people like this.

[David]

My life’s mission is to avoid people like this.

It’s hard to see much that could be gained from their company.

[David]

My life’s mission is to avoid people like this.

Like so many of her peers, Ms Oluo seems determined to be theatrically unhappy. And worse, to inflict that unhappiness on others via endless scolding and pretentious guilt.

A policy you can perhaps discern in her choice of online avatar.

Bodes well for any discussion, yes?

[Pogonip]

Gee, I can't understand why she meets such hostility wherever she goes. I guess she's right, it is her race. Nothing else about her stands out.

[Jonathan]

Meanwhile; Cambridge University is 'Dangerously White'.

https://twitter.com/NoEazyAnswers/status/891629928097222657

(That's not me on twitter)

[David]

Gee, I can’t understand why she meets such hostility wherever she goes.

It does seem to be a standard pattern, practically a default. Chronically obnoxious and narcissistic person insults and repels those around them and promptly claims that any annoyance or subsequent, quite sensible avoidance must be due to their melanin levels or genitals or sexuality or whatever. Rather than the fact that they’re habitually obnoxious, and may indeed view obnoxiousness as a radical credential.

She’s fucking proud, you see.

[David]

Oh, and apparently, William Shatner has been upsetting people.

[Farnsworth M Muldoon]

Chronically obnoxious and narcissistic person insults and repels those around them and promptly claims that any annoyance or subsequent, quite sensible avoidance must be due to their melanin levels or genitals or sexuality or whatever.

Indeed, back to lovely Miss Oluo.

Yes, Montana (population 1 million, mainly moose), probably one of the hottest hotbeds of racial animus in the deep South, OK, south of Alberta and Saskatchewan. I have to wonder how deeply disappointed she was that not one damn thing happened other than she was served the same as everyone else in the place.

[Tom]

While you are at it, check your cognitive privilege.

Has anyone checked the effects left by Kurt Vonnegut to see if he perhaps had a time machine? It seems as though Harrison Bergeron wasn't a fictional short story after all but a long form news article.

[David]

back to lovely Miss Oluo.

It’s also worth considering the extent to which this pathology is not only indulged but actively encouraged in academia’s Clown Quarter. Hence the eerie uniformity.

[WTP]

Good lord the comments in that Shatner link are a dumpster fire of progressive non-thinking. They know all so much. The kindest comment I found was this from a "Richard":

Just to remind everyone he is an 86 year old man. He happens to be entangled with fanitics of the Supernatural fandom who are rabid and rather mean to him. he fights back and with his age it’s going to be bad. I’m not saying he’s a great guy but let’s not start attacking the elderly.

The kindest response to which was this from, ironically or not, Betty White's Secret Lover:

Yeah. I mean, on the one hand there are a lot of octogenarians that are quite progressive. On the other hand, he was literally born during the great depression. At a certain point, you just wait for those old toxic ideas to die out, rather than try to change them.

Who raised these people? Who taught them?

[David]

Who taught them?

See above.

[David]

Good lord the comments in that Shatner link are a dumpster fire of progressive non-thinking.

“Social justice” dogma has been creeping into io9’s content for quite some time. The film and comics news I cast an eye over is now punctuated with reminders of how “white” and “problematic” everything is.

[Pogonip]

Montana moose (meece? Mooses?) are well known for their bigotry. It's why Bullwinkle moved to Hollywood.

[Jonathan]

Ok, which one of you did this?

[Sporkatus]

Dare I mention that Mx. Oluo is not particularly black? As in, incredibly large swaths of American Caucasians are browner than she is? What mystical, unknowable Not Of The Body magic Blackness does she imagine she exudes, to be instantly recognized as "other" and not permitted to exit an ordinary and somewhat dull eating establishment alive?

She's exuding something, all right, but it's feck all to do with "being black".

On the topic of io9's perversification: as an appendage of the Gawker, excuse me "Fusion", er, "Splinter" rather ameoboid, it's something expected. Jalopnik (itself appealing to less obviously-screeching society) tried to launch a mil tech sub-blog (Foxtrot Alpha) and while starting out with an attraction to the conservative and moderate contingents, its downfall into witless policy yammering and "REEEEE" could be mapped in real time.

[WTP]

Dare I mention that Mx. Oluo is not particularly black?
Was thinking the same.

incredibly large swaths of American Caucasians are browner than she is?
...
She's exuding something, all right, but it's feck all to do with "being black

Overcompensating.

[Sporkatus]

Overcompensating.

When one might fail to pass a brown bag party test in the wrong direction for being impossible to discern as African at all, one's claim of persecution based on racial appearance and skin color...

Well, it falls flat. Somewhat. Clear enough that she desperately wishes she *were* persecuted and isn't, isn't it?

[Sporkatus]

And David in with the flawless bracket error correction. Something about doing things right and nobody notices they're even being done at all.