Friday Ephemera
“A lacquer fixative sees that it doesn’t sag.” || He does this at least as well as you would. || I struggle to understand modern music. || At last, amplified squirrels. (h/t, Damian) || Meanwhile, in Essex. || Practically flirtatious with a criminal mastermind. || Merry old London town. (h/t, Holborn) || London’s alleys and passages. (h/t, Things) || The dance they do. || Nicely done, but good question. || Aqueduct of note. || The thrill of Icelandic quiz shows. || Um. || Things you’ll find on a lesbian dating app. || For big earrings. || A little build-up. || Place your bets. || His beef wellingtons are fancier than yours. || Coffee foam. || Fifteen seconds of art. || And finally, festively, it seemed such a good idea at the time.
I hope now you have a new perspective on this situation
Like playing chess with a pigeon – it knocks the pieces over, sh*ts all over the board, and then struts around like it won.
This is the basically word for word discussion I once had
It does, I think, capture a default incuriosity. Actually, incuriosity isn’t quite the right word – it sounds indifferent, neutral, and passive. In my encounters, the attitude has been more determined, almost a desperation not to hear. Not so much an attempt at discussion, even a really bad attempt; more a desire to hector you without comeback or unwanted complication. No unpredicted variables.
See also.
And this seems relevant.
As does this.
Note that Mr Dreadlocks, seen above, doesn’t regard his exchange as a discussion. There’s no listening, no curiosity. It’s merely a scolding session, one delivered in absurd claims and logically dubious slogans, all regurgitated from lecture notes. This is followed, triumphantly, by the “I’m turning my back on you and not listening because I already know everything” tactic. Because that’s what students do, you see. Students who are also determined to stop others hearing information they may not already know.
And remember, these are the prime candidates for woke programming, the types you’ll see over and over again. People whose intelligence extends to regurgitating slogans, at times randomly, but not much further, and who are not clever enough, or decent enough, to be embarrassed by it.
Afraid of germs and ideas you don’t like ? Your Worries are over, via Orwell & Goode, I give you the Individual Universal Virus and Ungood
Language Asylum (iUVULA).
iUVULA™; masks sold separately.
Me: *dies inside*
Yeah. Me all the time now. Especially in context of the George Zimmerman case. The phrase “We don’t need you to do that ” is not the equivalent of “Do not do that”, especially in the context of that moment.
Had a long argument with my SIL about the numerous, leftist inaccuracies and downright lies in the Hidden Figures movie. As said, incuriosity isn’t quite the right word. An overt preference for ignorance in the face of better information? Is there a word for that? And now she’s all OMG, OMG, OMG when I question her surces of information when dealing with her busybody attitude regarding how wife and I are dealing with the virus situation.
iUVULA
The Pod People are here. We must flee.
The Pod People are here.
The iUVULA, only $129.99
OK, on one hand, Yay Capitalism. OTOH, when did people become such chickenshits…
a) A real “outdoor warrior” would both prepare for weather, and if caught suddenly, deal with being cold or wet. (“I don’t know Meriwheter, are you mad ? St. Louis to the Pacific, we could get wet”)
b) Down here on the good side of The Line of Mason and Dixon, I suppose they would make good portable saunas (“Up to 35° warmer inside than outside”), as long as they come with built in IVs for the inevitable heat injury.
iUVULA™, (CAUTION: Do not consume beans, cabbage, or carbonated beverages 24 hours before wearing)
Had a long argument with my SIL about the numerous, leftist inaccuracies and downright lies in the Hidden Figures movie. As said, incuriosity isn’t quite the right word. An overt preference for ignorance in the face of better information?
I have encountered that too: The only important thing in his eyes was that the movie told us all how smart black people are. Any inaccuracies or distortions did not matter because of the supremely important political purpose of the movie.
He did, at least, admit that the Red Tails movie lied when it said that in all their escort missions the black fighter pilots never lost a bomber, but he regarded that lie as entirely unimportant.
Does it not occur to any of these fools that movies which tell racial lies undermine their pet cause? If the public realizes that these movies exaggerate the accomplishments of black people, that it may have a similar effect to how affirmative action causes sane people to have doubts about black job applicants? (Not to mention that those who tell lies, and those who approve of those lies, do not deserve our respect or trust.)
It is terribly frustrating! Indifferent is also a great word for it, David. Ultimately the end goal is to win and to maintain your self image as Jesus-Batman, but maybe they know they can’t do that if they engage with arguments even with blatant lies (the CIA! Or Something!) cause they don’t think quickly enough to form the initial lie and the response to the inevitable correction. Funny enough that is literally how I teach my clients with mild IDs to be more assertive (usually to be able to say no to people who harrass them for money or other… things). Just repeat no, like a broken record regardless of what the user says. Do not try to address their arguments, do not try to justify why you say no. That will only create a weak spot or a point of negotiation.. Which my clients will lose.
Wtp… I admire your energy. I can’t argue with people I know anymore. It makes me resent them when these silly arguments happen and I hate thinking that way about friends and family. That’s when *I* become avoidant…
I don’t know Meriwether, are you mad ? St. Louis to the Pacific, we could get wet
Apropos of nothing, I’d like to recommend the Explorers Podcast, a thoroughly unwoke history podcast about various explorers throughout history. The podcaster has a history degree and does a lot of research, treats his subjects fairly and eschews the typical anti-colonial narratives.
maintain your self image as Jesus-Batman
“The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule.” ~ H.L. Mencken
I can’t argue with people I know anymore. It makes me resent them when these silly arguments happen and I hate thinking that way about friends and family. That’s when *I* become avoidant
I’ve run into much the same problem, although it started long before #CurrentYear. Having a minor in history makes getting dragged along to SCA events…trying.
Having a minor in history makes getting dragged along to SCA events…trying.
What are the delusions etc that you have encountered? I wonder how much our experiences overlap/differ. (Such stories are always interesting, so feel free to relate as many as you wish.)
I can’t argue with people I know anymore.
As much as I hate to say it, I’m damn close to being unable to do anything but argue. There’s hardly a subject that isn’t infused with PC BS. I used to keep these things somewhat compartmentalized but after the virus and other idiocy started last year, I’ve gotten very, very sick of the virtue signaling and the presumption of “we all agree, right?” about things that are quite far left, the surrender of our rights, and/or the demonization of common sense. Pretty much up until last year, I would comfort myself with the idea that maybe, just maybe the things I was seeing or the way I was seeing them were wrong or exaggerated. I would comfort myself by telling myself my fears would not materialize, at least not in my lifetime, that maybe I was the one not processing reality appropriately, and thus I could talk myself out raising concerns a great deal of the time. But now that we’ve reached this point, this state of bedlam across Western Civilization, where things far worse than what I feared are materializing, I no longer have that…comfort.
I have long refused to engage in debate with wilfully ignorant jerks. Instead, if pressed, I use one or both of these film/TV tropes as my go to:
“You are passionate … But you do not persuade.”
and/or
“Your story has become tiresome.”
Having a minor in history makes getting dragged along to SCA events…trying.
My own memories are getting dim as it has been decades since I have had much contact with those people.
Having a minor in history makes getting dragged along to SCA events…trying.
Let’s see… Everyone fantasized about being a noble, or a knight, or a member of the clergy, etc. No peasants, no serfs. Samurai and Arab or Mongol warriors were also somewhat popular. So basically, LARPing.
On the positive side, there were people searching out ancient recipes for wine and experimenting with making them well.
On the negative side, I was astonished at the amount of New Age woo that I encountered in the SCA. Also the amount of open hatred of Christianity.
Also the amount of open hatred of Christianity.
How did that square with the number of people LARPing as members of the clergy?
I was looking at joining the SCA in grad school, after they started doing fencing demos/lessons on the quad on Tuesday afternoons. Hey – it was free and I got to learn swordfighting – how cool was that! I attended one of their meetups at the local park one weekend, and the reality of women in medieval life was kinda starkly brought out. I wanted to join for the swordfighting, but the majority of women at the meet were off in their own section, sewing, embroidering, spinning thread, cooking. They didn’t ban women from the sword stuff, but you had to come up with a plausible in-character way to be whatever you were wanting to be.
I never got further into it though – graduated, moved away, and no local SCA chapter. But it did seem like it would be fun, on the surface, anyways.
They didn’t ban women from the sword stuff, but you had to come up with a plausible in-character way to be whatever you were wanting to be.
So like, Joan of Arc or something?
They didn’t ban women from the sword stuff, you had to come up with a plausible in-character way to be whatever you were wanting to be.
I vaguely recall some people whose characters were a Samurai and a Muslim warrior, who constructed stories to explain how they traveled to Medieval Europe. Also a couple Native Americans. I have no memory of the explanations.
Terry Pratchett did say, in an interview, that there were far more disguised women soldiers in European armies than is popularly known, although I believe he was talking about post-Middle-Ages wars. I’ve never bothered to check this myself
How did that square with the number of people LARPing as members of the clergy?
There weren’t many LARPing as clergy, but I think they squared it by rarely noticing how many members despised Christianity. The irony reached its peak when they happily used free facilities provided by local churches.
So like, Joan of Arc or something?
Not many virgins, I believe.
So like, Joan of Arc or something?
Terry Pratchett did say, in an interview, that there were far more disguised women soldiers in European armies than is popularly known
Yes, to both, although I was leaning toward the second as Joan had a bit of a bad end. With all the layers of protective clothing and headgear you had to don for the sword fighting, it wouldn’t be hard to pass for a short teenage boy. And I think boys got their start apprenticing off as squires or something – I wasn’t planning on inventing a grand knight.
It seems that anti-Christianity is trendy and has been for years, especially on college campuses, so I’m not surprised. Which is funny that it was so prevalent in the SCA – wasn’t the code of knights and whatnot influenced a lot by their religion, which was Christianity at the time? Even the monarchy had its religious advisors – the bishops and such were more politicians that anything. The New Age woo might have been their way of getting magick into their SCA LARPing.
Which is funny that it was so prevalent in the SCA
Feel free to speculate that the SCA people I encountered might not have been entirely typical of the entire, North American, organization: I can only honestly report on what I saw. However, there was a lot of overlap between the SCA and science fiction fandom and I soon learned that open anti-Christian bigotry was indeed widespread among science fiction fans. I once met someone in the early 80’s (Ross Pavlac?) at the World SF convention in Chicago who was working very hard to counter the bigotry. He had some success, but it was temporary and since his death the hostility has only increased.
The New Age woo might have been their way of getting magick into their SCA LARPing.
I did not notice it at the occasional events I attended, aside from a tiny number of people who dressed in costumes reminiscent of black magic obsessions. (All black, or black-and-red, robes? Pentagrams? Etc? For historical verisimilitude shouldn’t they have been burned at the stake?)
Rather, it mostly happened at parties I would be invited to. It is, however, impossible for me to ask these people about what as going on as I stopped socializing as the annoyance of the crackpottery exceeded the enjoyment of the company. (Would you want to be constantly asked your astrological sign or expected to assent to the power of crystals and auras?)
David, do I have a comment stuck in the spam filter?
Freed.
Free!
[ Steps closer. Pauses. ] Thanks, brother. [ Embraces. ]
[ Police constable walks into bar. ]
Good afternoon, pst314 and David, here are your voluntary mandatory appointments for COVID testing. Don’t even think of forgetting.