You Know The Drill

We’re being asked to conform to an orthodoxy which we haven’t had a say in… Why were we not involved in the conversation?  

Peter Whittle interviews London mayoral candidate Laurence Fox.  

Also, open thread. Share ye links and bicker.

Comments

[Sam]

Corn popped.

[pst314]

North Carolina School District Launches Campaign to ‘Disrupt White Culture,’ Urges Teachers to Subvert White Parents and Families

via Gateway Pundit.

How are these teachers not enemies of our civilization?

[pst314]

Corn popped.

I'm laughing at all the "smart" people I know who voted for Biden-Harris. They have permanently destroyed their credibility.

[Alex DeWynter]

Or you could come here

Not sure if it's been mentioned before, but I've been thoroughly enjoying Cobra Kai*. Was more than a little worried going in given the current penchant for wokeraping nostalgia pieces, but was very pleasantly surprised. Only at the end of Season 2 and my inner cynic says there's always the possibility of it going to pieces in future seasons, but so far it's been great fun. It's clearly been written and acted by people who love and respect the source material, not leftistas determined to vivisect it into yet another message piece.

* the Karate Kid characters 30+ years on

[pst314]

Corn popped.

"President Biden, how is your old friend Corn Pop doing?"

[Karl]

thoroughly enjoying Cobra Kai

Yes, my nephew has been enthusing over it. And he didn't even know there was a Karate Kid film!

[Sam]

I'd lay down some serious rubles to watch that, don't know about y'all.

[Karl]

The conference began with a "land acknowledgement," a ritual recognition suggesting that white North Carolinians are colonizers on stolen Native American land.

"Firstly I'd like to take this moment to acknowledge that these magnificent Nike trainers I'm sporting were stolen from the tiny hands of forced Thai child labourers. And this magnificent silk Kente cloth woven for my pleasure by modern day Ghanaian slaves. Oh and the land the school I earn my indecently well paid living in was forcibly taken from murdered red indians. Also the house I spend the inordinate amount of leisure time I enjoy as a teacher is built on the bones of the dead native savages my ancestors ground into cement. Fuck all of those people"

[Karl]

a solid little Noir flick

Guess what I'm now watching?

[ waves at some pirates passing by the bay area ]

[pst314]

Utopia by Kosta Nikas:

"Jack has just come back to his homeland of Australia after over a decade away in paradise. But after being met at the airport by his brother Frank, Jack discovers that the country has radically changed. Citizens report and fine one another for various civil infractions, using their mobile phones to record and upload offenses to a government app.

Jack is in disbelief as he arrives at Frank's home with his wife Margaret, and he can't even believe that swearing is fined and alcohol is banned. There are cameras everywhere, and the only safe place in people's homes is the bathroom. Unable to adapt or accept the changes, Jack attempts to leave the country -- a much harder feat to accomplish than he thought."

[WTP]

a decidedly Black, decidedly American hero in the current climate

So not being the comic book type, I didn't know there was a Black Widow superhero. Today I learn this in the supermarket where they were selling shopping bags adverting the character. Apparently Black Widow is a white woman? Has anyone told the black peoples this?

[Karl]

Utopia by Kosta Nikas

That's ridiculous. No one would put up with that. In Australia? A whole room where you can swear as much as you like??

[WTP]

Regarding the drag queen story hour CHILDREN'S COURT JUDGE kiddie porn addict...just seeing this part from Ace:

Blomme was held overnight and released with a signature. He has been ordered to stay off social media and file-sharing services and is not allowed near any children except the two that he adopted with his husband.

Yes. But of course. Come on people, tell me the truth. Who is out there making this shit up? It's not funny anymore.

[Daniel Ream]

he can't even believe that swearing is fined and alcohol is banned

John Spartan, you are fined 300 credits for violations of the Verbal Morality Statutes.

If you want a vision of the future, imagine Demolition Man stomping on a human face - forever.

[Sam]

Demolition Man

Rampant exchange of bodily fluids was one of the major reasons of the downfall of the society. After AIDS, there was NRS, after NRS, there was UBT.

Guess it's ratburgers and bathtub beer for me. Cheers.

[Uma Thurmond's Feet]

"If you want a vision of the future, imagine Demolition Man stomping on a human face - forever."

Despair ensued when I listened to How Did This Get Made? ripping on DM for its politics. They couldn't see that it was far ahead of its time.

Not that I expect "comedians" to be social critics, yet here we are.

[pst314]

NRS? UBT?

[Sam]

pst - Those are fictional pandemics that presumably justified the totalitarian takeover of San Angeles in Demolition Man. Preposterous premise, I know.

[pst314]

Thanks, Sam. I remember very few details about Demolition Man.

[Uma Thurmond's Feet]

Annoyance: Ingram (the major distributor of books to stores in the United States) has been attracting indie authors through their IngramSpark program. They have a site called Bookshop.org where said indies can display their books in their storefront and sell direct to customers.

I received an email from Elle McKenzie titled "Download Your User Affiliate Guides" which I assumed was a business related matter. Instead, it starts out like this:

Hi, fellow book lovers,

In light of Tuesday's deplorable anti-Asian violence, I greet you today with a heavy heart. To our Asian American and Pacific Islander community, we at Bookshop.org stand with you in condemning racially-motivated violence and injustices. We see you. We value you. We hold space for you.

May we all continue to do our part in educating ourselves and speaking out loud against racism, injustice, and hate in this ongoing fight for liberation.

Warm regards,

Elle McKenzie (they/them)
Media Affiliate Manager

Then they/them gets around to the business of, you know, helping us sell more books.

Never mind the killings had nothing to do with "anti-Asian violence," at least from what little I've seen, and more with a guy who blamed his "sex addiction" on the existence of massage parlors. Right?

Over the past few months, I cut my media diet severely because exposure to it sends my blood pressure into dangerous territory, and distract me from my objective of making a living.

And then I get this, and am reminded: We will make you care.

Barkeep! Any more of that hump fat laying around?

[Squires]

We see you. We value you. We hold space for you.

May we all continue to do our part in educating ourselves and speaking out loud against racism, injustice, and hate in this ongoing fight for liberation.

Were I Asian and a recipient of this strange message, my response would be as follows:

Stop watching me.

You don't know me.

I don't want to know what that even means.

Fuck off.

[ComputerLabRat]

Over the past few months, I cut my media diet severely because exposure to it sends my blood pressure into dangerous territory, and distract me from my objective of making a living.

And then I get this, and am reminded: We will make you care.

Same here. Related story, I just received an email this afternoon from the U prez about his heavy heart due to racist violence by those evil wypipo, of which he/him is one, against the poor asian people. Or something - I deleted it as soon as I saw it was yet another of Those emails. He sent one out over Saint George Floyd, Saint whoever the drug addled guy was who was drunk in the drive thru, and about the Capitol Hill ruckus, but oddly, nothing on Secoriea Turner. No university-wide email on the asian guy who got beat down and killed by the black kid either.

We will be made to care, selectively, it seems.

[Darleen]

This (workbook for teachers) is a part of this.

[Richard Cranium]

Remember the women who accidentally got pregnant to escape service during Gulf War I/II?

I do remember a West Point graduate who tried to be thrown out for insanity during Gulf War I by standing naked in King Khalid Military City.

[Darleen]

The workbook linked above, this question:

Consider your personal biases: who do you tend to involve in decision making, particularly when the timeline is short?

Bad me, I am biased towards competent and reliable people. :(

[Daniel Ream]

We see you

It's like that weird "Jill Biden wore a coat and people felt so seen" headline.

WTF does that even mean? Is "being seen" the highest good now?

As if we needed any more evidence that Western society has essentially become a bunch of twelve-year-old girls forever shouting "look at meee! pay attention to meee!"

[David]

Barkeep! Any more of that hump fat laying around?

Hm? Oh yes, sorry. Was distracted by Sam’s mention of bathtub beer.

[ Ponders modifying gents’ toilets again. ]

Oh, and apologies for the sparse posting this week. Time and mojo, the usual culprits. But fear not, this week’s batch of Ephemera should materialise in two and a half hours.

[Karl]

this week’s batch of Ephemera should materialise in two and a half hours

Two and a half hours to push through to four pages of comments, people.
Bring on your best NERDZ stories about how your imaginary level 7 blue goblin mage can beat the crap out of random strangers.

[David]

Two and a half hours to push through to four pages of comments, people.

I dare you.

[Karl]

Oh yeah?

Well I double DOG dare you!

"NOW it was serious. A double-dog-dare. What else was there but a "triple dare you"? And then, the coup de grace of all dares, the sinister triple-dog-dare."

[Squires]

WTF does that even mean?

Look at me as I imagine myself to be. Do not ever see what I really am.

[David]

Right, I’m off to watch TV and be horizontal. Try not to leave too much wreckage for me to sweep up in the morning.

[Alex DeWynter]

Yes, my nephew has been enthusing over it. And he didn't even know there was a Karate Kid film!

It does stand on its own merits, with enough flashbacks to give the whippersnappers an understanding of the history between Johnny and Daniel. I love the nostalgia element, but I'm biased, having graduated from high school the same year Karate Kid came out.

[Karl]

too much wreckage

[ Holds up jar sinisterly labelled, in felt tip, Pickled "Eggs" ]

Are these things moving?

[Fred the Fourth]

Demolition Man -
- Taco Bell!
- Lenina Huxley!
- Murder Death Kill!
- Dennis Leary!
- Evil Nigel Hawthorne!
and last but not least,
- The Three Shells!

A classic, right up there with Seven Samurai!
!!

[Karl]

[ Eyes tube of bar Pringles hungrily ]

You know, I gave up crisps for Lent. God I miss Pringles.

My friend gave up drink though, so I think I got the better deal. Every time I pop a cold one I send her a photo. Her pictures of Waitrose truffle flavoured crisps are a sorry response and like water off a duck's back.

God I miss Pringles.

Apparently they're even better cold. I look forward to finding out in 16 days, 1 hour 19 minutes, 37 seconds.

God I miss Pringles.

[ Hey, wait a minute. These aren't Pringles, are they ... just dried potato skins?? ]

[Karl]

The Three Shells

Oh. My. GOD!

[pst314]

Two and a half hours to push through to four pages of comments, people.

Well, I could reminisce about the very odd people I knew back in the 70's, the Rocky Horror fan who got a penis implant, the hippie who was arrested for breaking into an Air Force base with other anti-Nuke idiots, the Star Trek fan with a fondness for pornographic Kirk/Spock stories, the New Ager who tried to convince me that an utterly uneducated man with an IQ of 85 knew just as much about the universe as, say, a top flight physicist, the sf fan who insisted that FTL spaceflight was entirely feasible because she'd seen it in Star Trek and comic books...

[Fred the Fourth]

NO, Karl.
I am NOT interested in other folk's theories regarding the Three Shells.
It's one of those absolutely pure things.
Like the Hump Fat.
Not to be trifled with.
So step back, son. Yer on thin ice.

[pst314]

Apparently they're even better cold.

I find it hard to comprehend "refrigerated Pringles changed my life" unless it was a life previously lived in a Soviet labor camp.

[Karl]

the Rocky Horror fan who got a penis implant

Do tell - where did she get the penis implanted?

I do have fond memories of the Rocky Horror Picture Show weekend specials in an old-fashioned cinema in Edinburgh. Somewhere near Tollcross. Might have been the Cameo?
We took toast.

[Karl]

a life previously lived in a Soviet labor camp

Well, according to her own testimonials, she did experience a "crab-flavoured lay" in Russia.

[Fred the Fourth]

Lessee, lessee... only 238 comments...

As it happens, in 6 weeks I am taking my 94 year old 90 pound mother-in-law on a tour of Arizona between Sedona and Bryce Canyon. These days she's only good walking for about 1-2 miles on relatively flat ground.

I'm modestly familiar with the area, from 20-30 years ago, but... Anyone care to chime in with advice or recommendations?

[Fred the Fourth]

Forget refrigerated Pringles.
You haven't lived until you've tried a little artisanal olive oil, artisanal balsamic vinegar, and a sprinkle of salt, on top of some top-flight vanilla ice cream.
Bumped into this taste treat entirely by accident in a little town (Murphys) in the California Gold Country, about ten years ago.

[Karl]

advice or recommendations

Absolutely. Living with the Law. Bought it sight unknown in a cheap record shop. Really made memories of my visit to Bryce Canyon.

Oh, and some bottled water.

[pst314]

The Three Shells

There are Things Man Was Not Meant to Know.

[Karl]

You haven't lived

Funnily enough I'm about to order this and this. Guess now I'm going to have to track down some salt too!

[Fred the Fourth]

Near Murphys, we were staying in my sister's house. Her husband works at Amazon, in the Kindle group, and is a serious tech geek, so naturally his house is literally infested with Alexa devices of various vintages.
I was in the master bath (can I say that?) and realized I hadn't seen an Alexa there. so I piped up with "Alexa? wake up." and sure enough, from under a jumble of my sister's sink clutter came some blinky lights and a faint voice.
I promptly told it to go back to sleep.

[Karl]

came some blinky lights and a faint voice

There's a comedy (or is it?) routine that I remember about how impssible it would be for any democratic liberal government to force people to carry tracking mechanisms everywhere they go and install listening devices in every room of their house...

[Karl]

Oh well.

Boing!

[pst314]

his house is literally infested with Alexa devices

[pst314]

I promptly told it to go back to sleep.

Can you train Alexa to go to sleep by saying "Fuck off"?

[Richard Cranium]

Anyone care to chime in with advice or recommendations?

Well, even after 41 years, I remember the astonishment that I had after driving up to the southern rim of the Grand Canyon and seeing the thing itself.

[Steve E]

"NOW it was serious. A double-dog-dare. What else was there but a "triple dare you"? And then, the coup de grace of all dares, the sinister triple-dog-dare."

Nice Christmas Story reference! Although, "The exact exchange and nuance of phrase in this ritual is very important. Schwartz created a slight breach of etiquette by skipping the triple dare and going right for the throat."

You haven't lived until you've tried a little artisanal olive oil, artisanal balsamic vinegar, and a sprinkle of salt, on top of some top-flight vanilla ice cream.

Aged balsamic vinegar and vanilla ice cream is a staple at our house. This is our go to brand. The only thing I've had that compares was at an ice cream cart in St. Tropez. The vendor placed a small scoop of orange sorbet on a small cone, then scooped out a small divot in the top and filled it with a splash or Grand Marnier. Heaven on a hot July day in the south of France.

[pst314]

in 6 weeks I am taking my 94 year old 90 pound mother-in-law on a tour of Arizona between Sedona and Bryce Canyon.

Sweet!

[Richard Cranium]

Two and a half hours to push through to four pages of comments, people.

One might think that you've never been around either 1) veterans or 2) old people.

Since I'm both, I could tell you stories until you took a spork to kill either me or you to make it stop.

[pst314]

Well, even after 41 years, I remember the astonishment that I had after driving up to the southern rim of the Grand Canyon and seeing the thing itself.

Indeed, indeed. And physical presence has a much greater impact than merely looking at a map or satellite photo. And that relates to an argument I have had now and then about the advantages of printed books and physical artifacts over ebooks and computer images. We are physical creatures for whom physical experiences have great importance. (Try persuading anyone that a close relationship can be carried on just as well with only Zoom meetings.) Ebooks are wonderful things for portability and for us old coots with deteriorating eyesight, but they cannot replace all the virtues of printed books.

[Steve E]

I am taking my 94 year old 90 pound mother-in-law on a tour of Arizona between Sedona and Bryce Canyon.

Sure make us look bad.

The last two places I took my own mother was to the Covid clinic for her vaccination and the eye clinic to get her macular degeneration needle in the eye. One unintended consequence is the conditioning effect all this is having. Every time my mom sees me now she thinks someone is going to stick her with a needle.

[Steve E]

The last two places I took my own mother was

Was? Were?

[pst314]

Since I'm both, I could tell you stories until you took a spork to kill either me or you to make it stop.

"There I was..."

But seriously, some of those stories can be not just entertaining but instructive. Of course, my veteran friends don't talk much about their service (aside from in general terms) except to other veterans. My Dad had a friend on the Ben Franklin who made it through without permanent injury, but he never mentioned any high school or college friends who didn't get through the war alive.

[Steve E]

And physical presence has a much greater impact than merely looking at a map or satellite photo.

A low altitude approach in a helicopter and a sudden dive into the canyon literally took my breath away.

[Steve E]

I forgot England started DST later than us in North America. I thought there was a glitch in the Ephemera posting. Was expecting it to be there at 7:00 EDT.

[pst314]

I forgot England started DST later than us in North America.

So you still have time to book a flight to see them move Stonehenge forward an hour.

[Fred the Fourth]

Well, what can I say. I definitely hit the jackpot, mother-in-law-wise.
We won't be doing the GC (we've all been there before) but we will be "camping" out in an RV, what they call "boondocking" at unimproved locations on BLM and National Forest land. That will be a first for me.
I have a call now, but maybe later I'll tell the story of how I sold a cookie for $20 on the Bright Angel trail....

[Steve E]

So you still have time to book a flight to see them move Stonehenge forward an hour.

And people thought setting the time on the VCR was hard.

[Daniel Ream]

your imaginary level 7 blue goblin mage can beat the crap out of random strangers

Nice try. Everyone knows the level cap for LN goblin magic-users is 6.

[Alex DeWynter]

Anyone care to chime in with advice or recommendations?

Jeep tour down into Canyon de Chelly. If she can ride, there are also horseback tours (which I found far superior).

[Daniel Ream]

And people thought setting the time on the VCR was hard

The Carnac Stones have been blinking "12:00" for 6000 years.

[Fred the Fourth]

OMG this call is a waste of time.
Half of it is just an amateurish sales job.

[pst314]

The Carnac Stones have been blinking "12:00" for 6000 years.

It was those prehistoric French existentialists who saw it as a pointless act in a meaningless world.

[Fred the Fourth]

Stonehenge...
On NPR yesterday there was a long story about plans to put the highway passing near Stonehenge to be put into a tunnel.
Lots of yelling and screaming.
But why aren't they thinking about moving the road farther away, on the surface? IIRC, the current road is about 250M away, with lots of open space on that side to move it farther. Am I remembering it wrong?
Mainly, it seemed that the archaeologists in the area were panicked that someone else might put a shovel in the ground.
And of course they had a "druid" or two there to offer remarks. Including someone claiming to be a direct descendant from some pre-Norman era "king". Sigh.

[Sam]

I thought everyone knew how to use the three seashells.

[pst314]

But why aren't they thinking about moving the road farther away, on the surface?

Because it would cost less?

[Daniel Ream]

someone claiming to be a direct descendant from some pre-Norman era "king"

That's not at all unreasonable. The remains of a number of Saxon kings are extant and accounted for, making DNA tracing entirely feasible if expensive.

[Alex]

Fred, about the Grand Canyon, one thing I'd recommend is to try going to the north rim if possible. (I've been there once with my family.) It's at higher elevation than the south one (and for that reason it's open for only a few months every year, because snow persists there a lot longer), and it's far more beautiful.

[Fred the Fourth]

GC North rim is closed, I think and likely to be snowed under in April. But yes, it's spectacular and very different from the south.
All of the tribal park areas are closed due to covid.
We're going to drive Cottonwood canyon and the inside of Bryce, where I've never been. The problem is finding places suited to my very active sister in law and wife, without boring my mil.
Regarding balsamic and olive oils, let me recommend Marisolio in Murphys, if you're ever in the Gold country.
Oh, also Hatcher winery.

[PiperPaul]

Here's a pictorial map of Sedona done by a friend of mine: http://jlrmaps.com/towns_files/vlb_images1/Sedona%202019_large.jpg

[pst314]

"Joe Biden appearance at White House is real say fact checkers"

But they offer no explanation of the anomalies noted in that video, do they.

Somebody has now posted a video.

[WTP]

I don't know if that Biden video is fake or not. Knowing what dumbshits most conservatives are, it wouldn't surprise me if this irrelevant video wasn't meant to be a distraction and/or attempt to discredit conservatives. Seriously. WTF difference does such a thing make? We all know we have a brain-dead POTUS regardless of this ONE stupid video or not. I am far more concerned about the VERY REAL video of our secretary of state (or so I'm told) being shamed by the Chinese. Our government, and western civilization in general, is degenerating faster and faster and yet people behave as if all of this is normal and/or tolerable. Yes, there's a lot of ruin in a nation. But that's no excuse for the absolute stupidity and head-in-the-sand mentality of the vast majority of people out there.

[pst314]

WTP: agreed.

[WTP]

Shit. Seriously. This guy can't even climb the stairs to Air Force One. But everything is fine. Nothing to see here...

http://acecomments.mu.nu/?post=393267

I like how the second or third fall he checks his shoes, like they were the problem.

Something else that has been bugging me. Where did this shithead learn how to salute? From watching F-Troop?

[Squires]

This is the Piano Cat Presidency.

[WTP]

According to Scott Adams, Kamala was a train wreck herself on GMA but “good luck finding the video”. Quick search I didn’t see it anywhere either. Anyone see/know of it?

[pst314]

WTP: Sorry, no.