Friday Ephemeraren’t

Hey, it was this or nothing at all. But by all means throw together your own pile of links and oddities in the comments. I’ll set the ball rolling with some balloons in Albuquerque; a dog that’s mastered invisibility; immune cell migration in the zebrafish inner ear; Nanjing, China, circa 1929; conversational robots; and, via Julia, some pulp cover treatments of classic novels. 

Oh, and the no-strings one-time date you’ve always wanted. 

Comments

[R. Sherman]

...the no-strings one-time date you’ve always wanted.

I note, the date in quo plans to return to Florida once the current unpleasantness is sorted out. "Florida Man" is becoming an invasive species.

[Black Ball]

It isn't a new thing apparently.
'Historians have traced the concept of toxic masculinity in the Western world back to the Victorian era, particularly in public schools.'
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-11/toxic-masculinity-and-steve-biddulph-tips-for-raising-boys/9745760

[Darleen]

the concept of toxic masculinity in the Western world back to the Victorian era

Games playing and fitness are problematic?

Uh, no.

The infuriating thing about that article is the :::ahem::: toxic mixture of good (strength, physical vigor) with bad (violent) ... as if it is all one and the same. BAD ...

argh

[Pogonip]

Well, it’s about time you wrote about cell migration in the zebrafish inner ear! What took you so long?

I remember a lot of those book covers from the library.

[Pogonip]

I gotta say Tim Winton does not look like he knows a whole lot about masculinity, todic or otherwise.

[Pogonip]

Er, toxic.

[Fred the Fourth]

The Victorian era? How about the Spartan era?

[Sporkatus]

Over at Ace's, delusional landwhale fixated on Harry Potter goes seeking conflict, finds it. Because the fat are *entitled* to *rollercoasters*. Apparently.
http://ace.mu.nu/archives/375203.php

[Jen]

Who's a clever boy?

https://www.thedodo.com/close-to-home/dog-buys-treats-using-leaf

[Spiny Norman]

From the rabbit hole I fell in going over to Ace's:

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/993513778653290497.html

Best smack-down of a "check your privilege" social justice warrior I've seen in some time.

[David]

Morning, all.

the date in quo plans to return to Florida once the current unpleasantness is sorted out.

It’s the boggling escalation as the story unfolds, from “Ooh, 500 text messages a day - she sounds keen” to “she wanted to wear his body parts and bathe in his blood.”

So is that what online dating is like, then?

[Spiny Norman]

Oh, lawdy. I checked out the @RexValachorum Twitter feed, and a actual, live " Ceausescu nostalgic" is telling him that the deservedly dead Romanian despot's crimes against his own country are "LIES, LIES, LIES!"

[ headdesk ]

[David]

The infuriating thing about that article is the :::ahem::: toxic mixture of good (strength, physical vigor) with bad (violent) ... as if it is all one and the same

The repeated failure to acknowledge such distinctions does rather suggest other motives may be in play. See also the last item here.

[Hector Drummond, Vile Novelist]

You gotta feel sorry for the people who bought some of those books, especially the ones who bought the books by Joyce and Sartre.

[George]

@Hector Drummond

In fairness, Portrait of the Artist isn't particularly challenging.

[John D]

conversational robots

*That's* not going to be used by scammers straight away, is it?

[David]

*That’s* not going to be used by scammers straight away, is it?

It does practically invite misuse. I mean, it’s technically impressive (albeit under what I presume are ideal and very limited circumstances), but the issue that comes to mind is trust. As noted here, people may prefer to know in advance whether or not they’re speaking to a human, rather than clever software.

[Black Ball]

Leave Thursday open people. Or whatever you identify as this week.

'Indeed, no battle can be won in isolation. We all need to keep strengthening alliances, especially when we need to ensure safety, fight violence, lobby for legal change, and/or campaign to change hearts and minds.'

So when your next university guest speaker has their event disrupted, remember it is only a 'campaign to change hearts and minds'. With violence. Can I get off the planet now, it was a good ride whilst it lasted.

http://dayagainsthomophobia.org/worldwide-lgbt-organisations-elect-alliances-for-solidarity-as-2018-global-theme/

[Hector Drummond, Vile Novelist]

>In fairness, Portrait of the Artist isn't particularly challenging.

No, but it's pretty dull. At least Ulysses has some lively sections.

[PiperPaul]

What - people don't enjoy being lectured about life by 5 year-olds in adolescent bodies? What has the world come to?

"We are in the throes of a moral panic engineered by children. Dangerous children. Children with their grubby little fingers on the levels of power."

[Marion Morrison]

Historians have traced the concept of "toxic masculinity" in the Western world back to the Victorian era, particularly in public schools.

Misrepresenting Masculinity

This has been going on for a long time. This kind of biased positioning is evident in the majority of articles, books and textbooks dealing with masculinity. John Wayne died in 1979, and two of the iconic Marlboro men died of cancer in the early 1990s, but these cliché feminist bêtes noires are still burned in effigy in virtually every mainstream anti-masculinity op-ed.

Over thirty years after Brannon, male feminists still can’t manage to do much more than point and laugh at their own snide caricatures of men, and recommend that men abandon “musty script of masculinity.” Talk about a bunch of guys who are stuck singing the same tune. And, when presented with new, post-Margaret Mead era evidence from evolutionary biologists, that tune sounds a lot like “Nyah, nyah nyah, nyah, I Can’t Hear You.”

[Farnsworth M Muldoon]

Who's a clever boy?

...a sweet black dog named Negro...

By people clearly perpetuating racism, capitalism, and speciesism. They should be denounced.

Guy Gibson's dog was unavailable for comment.

[Franklin]

She also said that she wanted to wear his body parts and bathe in his blood.

And people say that romance is dead.

[JML]

Actually, most of those pulp book covers aren't seriously misrepresenting the content, but "Darkness at Noon" - WTF?

[Squires]

The repeated failure to acknowledge such distinctions does rather suggest other motives may be in play.

They shout that they want to rid the West of "toxic masculinity". Why would one assume it is the "toxic", rather than the "masculinity", that they wish to see done away with?

There is no lie like a lie of omission - and that applies as well to the lies one tells oneself.

[Farnsworth M Muldoon]

It was inevitable.

Waitrose is offering a gender-neutral card for Mother's Day in a bid to make the celebration more inclusive.

The supermarket is offering cards celebrating 'Happy You Day' in its range of Mother's Day gifts in order to make them appropriate for transgender people.

It comes alongside a Scribbler card reaching out to same-sex couples with the message: 'Two Mums Are Better Than One'.

On the one hand, "Yay, Capitalism !" On the other, enough, already.

Columnist Emma Teitel has previously called for the celebration to be renamed as 'Guardian's Day.'

I suppose that is better than just "Guard", but not by much.

[David]

London’s mayor, a man for whom intellectual consistency is much too difficult and therefore rarely attempted.

[PiperPaul]

That 'Misrepresenting Masculinity' piece is a keeper.

[R. Sherman]

London’s mayor . . .

Khan laughs at your philosophical consistency and intellectual honesty. It's about power over the plebes. The way to make them compliant is to make it impossible to know which is the proper, "woke" path. Thus, they stop thinking entirely and do what the worthies tell them to do without question.

[David]

Via Reddit.

[Hector Drummond, Vile Novelist]

I dream of my novel being given a pulp treatment. All the men must be given moustaches.

[Pogonip]

“Negro/a” means “black” in Spanish. El vestido negro, the black dress; el perro negro, the black dog; una mesa negra, a black table.

[Tim Newman]

London’s mayor, a man for whom intellectual consistency is much too difficult and therefore rarely attempted.

Oh, there's a consistency there.

[Farnsworth M Muldoon]

“Negro/a” means “black” in Spanish.

¡No! ¡Seguramente hace usted la broma!

[SumDumGuy]

Over at Ace's, delusional landwhale fixated on Harry Potter goes seeking conflict, finds it. Because the fat are *entitled* to *rollercoasters*. Apparently.

She was aware the entire time that she would most likely be forbidden from riding:

My dear friend Ruha ― who has been a guest on my “Woman of Size” podcast about the discrimination against fat women’s bodies ― wrote: “Heads up. I was kicked off the Hogwarts ride because I didn’t fit. It was humiliating but they gave me front of the line passes to rest of the rides at Universal. Just be aware.”

Followed shortly by:

When I walked outside with my friends, I exclaimed, “Hogwarts would never condone this!” But upon further investigation, the books and movies have only a few big characters and most of them are antagonistic. The Fat Lady painting is obnoxious and bossy. The Dursleys are lazy and entitled. Crabbe and Goyle are both fat dunces who follow the orders of the lithe, vampire-looking Draco Malfoy. So I think I’m wrong! Hogwarts absolutely condones this and so does the general public. (emphasis mine)

So while complaining about the portrayal of fat people in the Potter world, she is literally a collage of some of the more obnoxious and odious characters in the series.

The very best part is her "bite me" photo, in which she poses with a churro and, presumably, a butter beer. So you are ejected from a ride for being too fat and respond by consuming sugar, fat, carbs, and more sugar.

She's going places, this one. But only places in which gravity will assist because, lets be honest, uphill isn't going to happen.

[R. Sherman]

She's going places, this one.

The safety issues which she mocks exist not only for her benefit but for those of the other riders, as well. Imagine being in the row behind her on the ride when centrifugal force begins to work its magic and she oozes her way out of her seat. To paraphrase Ben Shapiro, physics doesn't care about your feelings.

[David]

Here’s a thing.

[Farnsworth M Muldoon]

Here’s a thing.

Suppressor for a howitzer, training in Germany was often a PITA because of noise abatement rules, not to mention the short ranges (a M109 as in the photo has a max range of around 20 miles).

[David]

because of noise abatement rules

See, now you’re just taking all the fun out of it. :-)

[Sam Duncan]

“You gotta feel sorry for the people who bought some of those books, especially the ones who bought the books by Joyce and Sartre.”

No refunds. Credit note only.

[Farnsworth M Muldoon]

...now you’re just taking all the fun out of it...

So did the German rules...

[Darleen]

You know, I have no idea where to begin with this exercise in studied disregard.

[David]

I have no idea where to begin with this exercise in studied disregard.

So Kanye West is now “alt-right”? It’s so hard to keep up.

[Governor Squid]

From the toxic masculinity piece: "But some boys become savages and that's from training. I don't think that's necessarily innate."

The author has obviously never seen a room full of unsupervised toddlers. Savagery is the natural state of things. Much like poverty, it's what you get when nobody makes an effort. Every time somebody talks about men being pigs or savages or what have you, I'm always quick to agree with them:

"You're right -- we're lazy, and selfish, and we don't share our feelings or care much about the feelings of others. All we really want most days is to be left alone, except for when we want a beer or a sandwich or sex. Given this truth, would it kill you to offer up some grudging praise for those of us who go to work every day to provide for our families, and don't rape or murder anyone along the way? It's a hell of a lot more 'unpaid emotional labor' than anything your Gender Studies professor could ever dream of."

(The trick is always to lead with "You're right." It catches them off-guard and gets them interested in what you're saying.)

[Hal]

Modern art display.

[champ]

US Colleges accelerate their downward path...

https://www.campusreform.org/?ID=10880

[neal]

They let fat women into the balloon basket here in Albuquerque back in 2005.
That is how the once proud Canadian Club Mounty on His proud Black Steed landed in front of my car on the interstate freeway and burned every so slowly.

Sometimes they hit the high power lines. Some land in the Rio Grande.
Occasionly they will drift over the Air Force Base, and fighter jets and Osprey Helios are involved. Almost everything but the balloons seems to have working steering and brakes.

Like being invaded by drunken retards. I have pictures but they say drinking at this altitude can be photogenic.

[champ]

Darn, the fringe benefits for this job just got cut...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/new-law-kansas-cops-cant-have-sex-during-traffic-stops/ar-AAx85cA?li=BBnbcA1&ocid=U452DHP

[Squires]

Like being invaded by drunken retards.

Grew up in the part of NJ where they have that huge annual ballon festival. SOP was that if one landed (i.e. crashed slowly, as that is what passes for landing in a balloon) on your property, the crew gave you a bottle of wine.

So did the German rules...

My question would be: If the Kraut artillerymen are used to training with suppressors, what happens when they need to use their guns for real? I mean, there is a significant difference between merely "holy shit!" loud and "Motörhead playing live five feet away" loud combined with a potentially life-altering concussive wave.

[Farnsworth M Muldoon]

...drunken retards.

Speaking of which, it never ceases to amaze me how the virtue signalling SJW celebrities fail to see their utter hypocrisy, and thus I give you:

@katyperry

Looking to understand how much pain our Mother Earth is in? I recommend this eye-opening summary on climate change
https:/ /www.beforetheflood. com

Later clear across the continent...

@KimKardashian

Katy actually flew my nails on her plane over to me from LA LOL They are just glued on! So had to show her!

Important things are important, I guess, and the right press on nails will save the baby seals, or something.

[Chester Draws]

Just a point of terminology.

"Modern" art isn't what is being produced today. I like quite a lot of Modern art -- Picasso, Klimt, Vassarely etc. Modern art is the early moves away from strict realism, but still within bounds of sense and style.

"Contemporary" art, which is what is produced now, is largely a pile of steaming poo.

This is one of the few frictions in my marriage. I am extremely reluctant to go to any Contemporary art, and when my wife tricks me into it I'm quite grumpy about it. She thinks this is borderline Philistinism, to refuse to believe any Contemporary art is good. (I think some is good, I merely refuse to be dragged through all the dross to find it.)

And don't get me started on "post-contemporary"!

[R. Sherman]

And don't get me started on "post-contemporary"!

I live by a code. In addition to things like, "No special orders in the drive-through," I have, "Anything with the word 'post' in the descriptor is going to suck, 'post-hole diggers' excepted."

[David]

Taxpayers of California, rejoice!

[Darleen]

Jordan Peterson is learning that for some "journalists", writing libelous screeds about him comes BEFORE the interview.

[Darleen]

Taxpayers of California, rejoice!

... excuse the expression but Holy Shit ...

[Hal]

"Contemporary" art, which is what is produced now, is largely a pile of steaming poo.

I have an occasional hobby of sightseeing open houses in the area and relatively recently found a total and utter dud. My commentary afterwards:

I have no idea of the background of the team that did a bit of rebuilding, but rather definite ideas did come to mind.

Imagine someone who gets a job as a general construction designer, not exactly architect, much more as a sort of an artist. Imagine that he does get a number of contract jobs, where he's recurringly working with one team or another, and each such team is building or rebuilding a small hotel. This designer keeps getting assigned to designing the hotel lobby. After awhile he designs a lot of lobbies. Also, he may not necessarily be really good at what he designs, but he does keep doing a lot of lobbies.

And then he lands a contract as the sole designer of a rebuild of a house.

Now imagine a very minimalist hotel lobby and imagine that this lobby keeps going for three stories, with a scattering of four or five beds here and there. Also here and there, there are indeed bathrooms, showers, whatnot, which appear to be open spaces that merely extend off of the rest of this lobby. As far as something that might resemble a kitchen area, in the middle floor, a bit back from the front door, there is indeed something of some counter spaces that can indeed hold a few bottles of something and some party munchies. Near this area with the counters, there are indeed a couple of what look like ovens, but these ovens are on the other side of a passageway from the counterspace area, are not included in with the area where some alleged food preparation would be occurring.

And this variety of placement and arrangement goes on for three stories.

Someone's hoping to get $4.2 million for it.

I'm not holding my breath.

At a later round of eyeballing houses I gave that description to a realtor I was chatting with. The gist of her utterly disgusted reaction was Oh, Contemporary.

---Oh, and yes, I met the "designer" during that tour. Yes, he is a hipster.

[Hal]

Taxpayers of California, rejoice!

Absolutely.

The taxpayers of California can rejoice because we do not appear to be paying for those two instances of, as it were, completely shit writing, instead of actual reporting.

With Dailywire and nbcbayarea being what is cited there, if they wanted to achieve any credibility with anyone, they would also discuss the actual topic. They don't and that pair of articles leaves 'em revealed as idiots . . . contemporary even . . !

That very specifically outlined area is The Tenderloin, where the wannabe reporters add an extra street on the north side to include Union Square, with the corner of Market and Van Ness added to the south so that City Hall can be included.

Reading through both "articles", there isn't even one single mention of "Tenderloin" given that what they are very clearly focused on is only The Tenderloin. Instead, the recurring and quite fraudulent attempt is to claim that the sole single very well known problem neighborhood is the entirety of "downtown" San Francisco.

The actual downtown SF area is basically, oh, Broadway, Van Ness, Market, and The Embarcadero. Included in that area is the Financial District, Chinatown, Nob Hill, Union Square, Civic Center and City Hall, and also The Tenderloin. As a further underline of the failure of these "reporters", compare that map of The Tenderloin with the entirety of San Francisco.

Oh, yes, and Dailywire is attempting to get mileage with a headline of San Francisco Spends $30 Million Cleaning Feces, Drug Needles. Somehow they forgot to add that the San Francisco city budget is in the range of eight to ten billion dollars . . . and that's with a rounding approximation of two billion dollars . . .

[Hal]

Graduation advice . . .

[Hal]

Oy bloody veh. Apparently the comic strip isn't the joke.

[jabrwok]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/11101639/WW1-machine-gun-found-in-mans-garage.html

Good to know the British police have rounded up all the real criminals.

[TimT]

The prophecies, they are coming true!

https://mobile.twitter.com/Hippopeteamus/status/996003168172429312

[Ed]

seems relevant now more than ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2N-sf7NgrA