Friday Ephemera

Anon a mouse: Woops — missed the John Wayne reference, sliding into Custer, who also used Garryowen. As did Cardigan’s 7th, I believe.

ONT WTF
“You were doing 90 in a 30! Why??”
“Cause I’m in the hood.”
“That’s a good answer. You got any guns in the car?”
“No, I ain’t got no guns in the car.”
“You don’t leave. I’ll be right back and grab you one.”
“Now that’s how you serve and protect the community.”

That’s okay you can’t be expected to remember every band from the Great White North.
I used to be familiar with that band. Am getting very forgetful. Where’s that box of tissues, David?

You discount the status you get from being able to show off your tech talk around your peers 24/7
Sounds like a Mensa event. 🙁

It’s the updated version of the Red Dog Saloon
Yet another thing I’d never heard of. [ adopts Asimov-level expression of blank stupidity ]

I have a certain dislike, not so much per se for the Guess Who (though given there was already a more respected band called The Who…but best not go there with all its complications) but the way Americans react to their hit song “American Woman”. The lyrics are a put down to the US, which is whatever for Canadians. But for Americans to miss that (it was almost used as walk-on music for FLOTUS Laura Bush at some event before someone caught it), it’s embarrassing. Whenever I’ve mentioned this to rah-rah patriots they tell me “I don’t know/care about the specifics of the lyrics, man”. Yeah, dumb ass. Whatever illusion goes on inside your head makes it all good.

“Yeah, dumb ass. Whatever illusion goes on inside your head makes it all good.”
It’s the same kind of obliviousness that makes people believe “Born in the USA” is a pro-America song, “Every Step You Take” is played at weddings, and “YMCA” has nothing to do with cruising boys.
I’m still not sure what people think of “Wet Ass Pussy.”

I first heard about this approach to protecting native species about ten years ago. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-16/toad-sausages-dropped-from-helicopters/9857520 The cane toads can’t be stopped, but it’s good to see people coming up with creative ways to protect small marsupials.

“Every Step You Take” is played at weddings,
Heh. Oh dear.

You will live in a pod, eat bugs, and own nothing.
I’ve been watching a lot of urban farming/vertical farming stuff on Youtube.
Having been brought up in the 70’s by organic food enthusiasts, I had some vague prejudices about what food is supposed to be “purer” or more “natural”, notions about soil (or mud) as an emblem of closeness to the earth, and about natural ecosystems being better than controlled factory environments. Today’s urban farming advocates speak the same language as my parents in their enthusiasm for pure food, but they have different ideas about the means to that end. Their vegetables don’t have an ecosystem or even soil – they’re in “growing media” in a controlled environment where robots dole out light and water and nutrients. So I’m having trouble deciding whether they’re hippies or the squarest of white-bread squares.
And something that comes up in almost every video is the global population projection for 2050 – how “we” will have to live in much more cramped spaces and produce much more food per acre (again, this industrial language about yield is messing up my hippy-detector).
But by what rule of the universe does San Francisco have to turn into Sao Paolo? With megacity population density, you might have to eat bugs and live in pods and tightly manage your birth rates. But those all seem like good reasons not to turn your city into a megacity. And if your birth rates are already under control, then not turning your city into a megacity can be done by using robots instead of immigrants to provide your manual labor. That could be a very nice future scenario – plenty of room for everybody, friendly robots to do the chores, strolls among the hanging gardens that provide food and fresh air.

The lyrics are a put down to the US
It’s the same kind of obliviousness that makes people believe “Born in the USA” is a pro-America song, “Every Step You Take” is played at weddings, and “YMCA” has nothing to do with cruising boys.
Yes. Bugs me too, although my experiences were mixed: some friends recognized what the songs meant and either didn’t care or approved, while others were oblivious.

Burton Cummings who ad libbed the words on stage insists that the song wasn’t meant that way. He goes as far as to say his band mates don’t know what they’re talking about when they call it a protest song. But Burton’s always been a bit of a story teller.
I think a lot of artists are bullshitters, one way or another. Harlan Ellison claimed to have run for a while with a youth gang to get background for a novel he wrote about such gangs, and he even had props that he would bring to talks about gangs–bass knuckles, switchblade, revolver. But I have read that it was extremely unlikely that he could have done that without many fellow science fiction writers knowing, as he was socializing constantly with them and was sharing an apartment with several other writers who were also just starting out.
More innocently, a recent biography of Terry Pratchett says that many of his stories about his youth and influences on his writing are partly fictional, having been crafted and altered over the years for storytelling purposes.

It never seems to be mentioned exactly which areas of the world are popping out sprogs at a rate that “endangers the planet”.
Perhaps they expect the West to donate most of its food to the Third World. But I think this is really just another way to exercise power…which returns my to my fantasy of putting all these power-made freaks on the Golgafrincham Ark B.

Well I am glad we cleared that up. (language caution)

some friends recognized what the songs meant and either didn’t care or approved, while others were oblivious.
I love music, but I don’t use it to teach me what to think. Instead, as a hepcat told the TV interviewer back in the ’50s: “it’s the beat, man.”
Which is why I love “Born in the USA” for its anthemic opening. You could sub words from “The Communist Manifesto” and I’d still be pumping my fist.
(Although I must admit there are some artists and songs I love for the lyric content: “Weird Al” and Tom Lehrer, Gilbert and Sullivan, ABBA, and Phil Collins’ “Illegal Alien” among them.)

In the 70’s there was a hugely acrimonious debate in “the lesbian community” over whether or not it was acceptable for a lesbian to like dildos.
Which, of course, was settled by the widespread acceptance of Subarus.

Which, of course, was settled by the widespread acceptance of Subarus.
TBF to Subaru, that only applies to the SUV models, not the WRX ricer versions of the sedans, or the sedans which are only owned by Subaru salesmen and junior college instructors.
… being gay is defined as…
Regardless of the definition, why these johnson aficionado “lesbians” don’t just call themselves “bi” is a mystery, unless they think they get more woke victim points for being highly confused lesbians than mere “bi” personnel.

why these johnson aficionado “lesbians” don’t just call themselves “bi” is a mystery
No, they really were lesbians; they just liked penetration. (And note that their dildos did not have to actually look like penises.) For some radical lesbians that was heresy or sacrilege or something. 🙂

Which, of course, was settled by the widespread acceptance of Subarus.
I never did find out if there really was a correlation between lesbianism and Subaru ownership. There were, after all, so many funny but false urban legends.

And something that comes up in almost every video is the global population projection for 2050 – how “we” will have to live in much more cramped spaces and produce much more food per acre (again, this industrial language about yield is messing up my hippy-detector)
I’m sure there is a niche for intensive, hi-tech farming of salad crops in cities (and bugs, for those who want to dine on them). In certain situations, perhaps city farms may even be more economic than large scale market gardening.
However Mr Malthus has been proven wrong in every generation.
In developed countries, farmland is being returned to forestry or to the wild and agricultural production is actually increasing in most of those countries.

that only applies to the SUV models
What, no love for Sube wagons?

It amuses me that Australian table wines is now a legitimate thing.
Although the 19 Crimes label doing its part to prevent Australian wines from becoming too respectable.

The reputation isn’t just a stereotype—it’s the result of a calculated,
highly progressive ad campaign launched 20 years ago.…make that 25 years now. How time flies…sigh…

Hmmm…not sure how that happened…well here you go, naked lesbian subaru link…
https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/06/how-subarus-came-to-be-seen-as-cars-for-lesbians/488042/

OK, again…tell me this world is real? A TV show set in Los Angeles…home of the movie/tv industry… but filmed 8,000 miles away…1/3 of the distance around the globe…because, one way or another…it’s just easier that way.

What, no love for Sube wagons?
None whatsoever.

Speaking of lesbians…anything to the rumors of MacKenzie Scott and Melinda Gates? No? Never mind.

They are on their second.
We all make mistakes. I think the Subarus were the only western cars copied from the Soviets except for the 360 which was a Meserschmitt KR200 with a fourth wheel added.

Subarus – I have had two: a Forester and now an Impreza. Great little cars except for the thrust bearing in the clutch.

…not the WRX…
The turbocharged 2.0 litre boxer engine kicks out 268 horse power and goes zero to sixty in 5.6-seconds. It puts out 258 lb/ft of torque as well. Very quick little car. I’m told the clutch is a little heavy but the only one I’ve driven had the CVT automatic (my friend is afraid of getting his skirt caught in the stick shift). It flat out kills my 3-series BMW coupe. Although, I bought the convertible to enjoy the open air.

This, which I’ve been trying to say for quite some time now. Interesting that as we approach the edge of Too-Late-Suckers, some conservative…”conservative” thought leaders…thought “leaders” are beginning to catch up.

“the thrust bearing in the clutch”
I’m torn between: ‘that may be a useful clue …’ and ‘Band name.’

And just as infuriating, there are plenty of conservatives and libertarians who cannot recognize when someone is making war upon them.
Yep, they’re are too invested in being “principled”… “not stooping to their level” … yadda yadda yadda
As I’ve pointed out for years, the only reason Gandhi succeeded was because he was opposing the British. Under Stalin or Hitler or any totalitarian, he would have been hustled away and his body never found.
So OrangeManBad sent out “mean tweets” that were “beneath the dignity of the office”. Now look at us.

As I’ve pointed out for years, the only reason Gandhi succeeded was because he was opposing the British.
There was a short story to that effect many years ago in Analog Magazine. As I recall it postulated an alternate history in which Gandhi agitated against the British during WWII, which led to a Nazi occupation of India, which led to Gandhi being executed by the Nazis.

As I’ve pointed out for years, the only reason Gandhi succeeded was because he was opposing the British.
For many years it was reported that Ho Chi Mihn was asked why he couldn’t be a pacifist resister like Gandhi, to which he was supposed to have replied that Gandhi wasn’t dealing with the French. Of course, like sooo many quotes regarding that war, there is no supporting evidence and it is now considered to be apocryphal.

“Great googly moogly.”
She may have trained as a teacher years ago, but she is a type of useless biddy [the welfare sector also has people like this] hiding in schools that one occasionally encounters who has no skills in teaching/educating at all. Over the years, working as a behaviour consultant, I encountered such people when sent in to classes to determine why some children, otherwise well behaved for other staff, were playing up. Invariably it was the bitchy, spiteful and inconsistent behaviour of said teachers who picked on certain children, often those from poorer families. I’m proud to say that my reports led to a number of such ‘teachers’ being counselled and even the termination of a few. Being an outside consultant meant I did not give a damn about my relationship with the individuals and wrote exactly what I saw. In many cases the teachers seemed oblivious about their own behaviour just as this whining woman is unaware of her excretable self – they perceived the children to be entirely at fault and did not understand that behavioural specialists look closely at teachers’ behaviour before children’s – and did things in front of me [which I documented in detail] that were totally unacceptable. I hope this woman’s employers see the video and then start to scrutinise her behaviour in school with children.

I’m proud to say that my reports led to a number of such ‘teachers’ being counselled and even the termination of a few.
Hats off to you.