Friday Ephemera
But what, I hear you ask, could possibly go wrong? || “I worship myself.” || You have to rotate the ‘w’. || Today’s word is irony. (h/t, DC) || Racism detected. || Christmas lights of note. || For Kubrick enthusiasts. Parts 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. || Big cat music. || I was previously unfamiliar with this concept. || The thrill of fondling state-of-the-art sex toys. (NSFW) || Tiddler detected. || Sharks versus the internet. || Assorted slow-motion microbes. || Glassware of note. || The thrill of Geocities. || She doesn’t look the type. See also. And inevitably. || Trade of note. (h/t, Samizdata) || Challenge accepted. || Today’s other word is snugness. A debate ensues. || And finally, “I was the snowflake consultant for the movie Frozen.”
a refusal to get on board with the new mood of sensitivity on campus
He is unmutual.
All my life, liberals and leftists have bombarded me with warnings of right-wing fascism, and yet the threats to my liberty are almost all from the left. What’s more, my liberal friends cannot see the threats.
“See also and especially gaming ‘programmers’.”
For the nerdier end of GenX, being a games programmer is like making a hit record. Just as back in the ’80s there was a whole generation of balding middle-aged blokes with a guitar in the corner of their living rooms still dreaming of that one killer song, today there’s a whole generation of balding middle-aged blokes still tinkering away on half-finished (not to say half-arsed) games.
I’ve learned over the course of (yipe!) 40 years now that it’s not a lack of technical skill that’s holding me back (dammit, it’s easier than ever); it’s a lack of artistic talent. Combined, yes, with massive oversupply in the market. You’ve got to be bloody good to stand out.
But hey, maybe someday I’ll come up with that one killer idea. I’ve been thinking about this thing that’s a bit like Mr Do! as a turn-based fantasy roguelike…
Graduate job prospects, another perspective…
About 40 years ago, my future brother in law was having a grad student bull session.
“There are about 50 real jobs worldwide in this field.”
” Wait…there’s about 50 PhDs just in this state! ”
So he dropped from the PhD program and went to another school to get an engineering degree. Lifetime employment resulted.
It probably was significant that the program he dropped was astrogeophysics.
(His research included building an early workable 2d computer model of the Martian atmosphere. I’ve since wondered what his life would have been like had he stuck with that, given Climate Change etc.)
“There are about 50 real jobs worldwide in this field.”
That’s the sort of thing that should be told to undergrads, along with honest feedback regarding how their prospects in light of their performance.
What’s more, my liberal friends cannot see the threats.
A couple of my more leftist friends are seeing (one has become a victim of) the threats. What I find disturbing is how many of my conservative…”conservative” friends cannot see it. Still believe ignoring it, not taking it seriously, or even simply “believing in the truth” will somehow cause it to go away. I’m starting to think/see a window opening such that my more leftist friends/acquaintances will wake up first. Supposing there is time for that window to open wide enough.
What I find disturbing is how many of my conservative…”conservative” friends cannot see it.
I have noticed that, too. In various forms.
David, you might find this PSA graphic useful:
Speaking of chickens……..
May only be funny to southern Yanks (eh? Whatever)…Stacy Abrams stopped at a convenience store in rural Georgia and asked “How do I get to 285?” They replied, “Diet and exercise!”
Thanks. I’m here all week. Try the pickled eggs.
Those aren’t eggs.
[ Writes in notebook: Buy more Imodium. ]
Well you know that and I know that, but David’s trying to make money here so ixnay ethay onestyhay. Eeshshay.
because now only chicken flavor packets are for sale.
Cock Flavoured Soup Mix is still very much available on grocer’s shelves where I live, in addition to Fish Tea, which, I’m assured, is made from “real fish.” Unlike Cock Flavoured Soup Mix which, again, seems to be more cock flavoured than made from “real cock.”
[ I beg of you, please stop me. There’s no way of avoiding the naughty list now and I have no place to burn coal. ]
[ I beg of you, please stop me. ]
Is it time to bring up such English delicacies as spotted dick?
Oh, and that reminds me of a recent news item about the NHS…
[ Sidles towards the door. ]
Is it time to bring up such English delicacies as spotted dick?
That’s another item I haven’t seen lately on the International Food aisle shelves. I have purchased it before, but haven’t looked for it recently.
I scan the Caribbean section for Cock-Flavoured soup packets and the English section for tins of Spotted Dick. Pics of the food items and their packaging make for fun Farcebook posts. One of my best friends sent me a package one time containing a packet of Cock-Flavored soup mix and a jar of Jerk seasoning, which tickled my warped funny bone to no end.
My neighbor ran a small shop (5 or so) doing animation for video games for years but now it is just him and not full-time.
As with so many fields, the tools keep on improving to the point that you need a smaller and smaller crew to produce equivalent quality.
I spend a lot of time exhorting people in the field I used be in (systems and network administration) to for the love of God learn some development skills because if they don’t they’ll be completely unemployable in less than five years.
I mentioned that their state might be the result of their actions
I turfed a guy out of my tabletop gaming group because he constantly whined about not being able to get a decent-paying job and how clearly capitalism was to blame. I pointed out that the reason he couldn’t get a job was that he spent all of his time and money smoking weed and buying high-priced board game Kickstarters, plus his diploma was in “social media marketing”. Choices matter.
Tired of the feel-good BS memes
I like to respond with the “It’s never your successful friends posting inspirational memes on Facebook” meme.
“I’m not sure how I can defend myself, when I don’t even know what I’m accused of doing”
That is literally Kafkaesque.
Cameron’s world reminds me of the official website of Heaven’s Gate
https://www.heavensgate.com/
It would be a bit unfair to sneer at a website looking out of date if it simply hadn’t been updated since 1997. But, not everyone in HG committed suicide in 1997 – two people remained specifically to keep this website updated and to post out materials to those interested.
I guess they found a look that worked for them…
seems to be more cock flavoured than made from “real cock.”
I swear, it’s like being at a glamorous and sophisticated party, listening to you lot.
he constantly whined about… how clearly capitalism was to blame. I pointed out that the reason he couldn’t get a job was that he spent all of his time and money smoking weed and buying high-priced board game Kickstarters, plus his diploma was in “social media marketing”. Choices matter.
You could think of wokeness, and leftism more generally, as a way of turning self-flattery into resentment, via ludicrousness.
Unless, of course, the real problem facing the world is a shortage of “social justice poets.”
I swear, it’s like being at a glamorous and sophisticated party, listening to you lot.
But then you open your eyes…
…and it’s even more so.
You could think of wokeness, and leftism more generally, as a way of turning self-flattery into resentment, via ludicrousness.
And resentment into self-flattery.
Leftists are like The Elucidated Brethren of the Ebon Night but even more contemptible.
And resentment into self-flattery.
Over the years, I’ve spent time and considerable effort on projects that weren’t likely, at least in hindsight, to generate enormous wealth. Some were rewarding in less tangible ways, others not so much. But the idea that any given failure to become rich must be the fault of the world, or the system, is a vanity, a conceit. I understand the temptation to imagine that, but it’s not a good place to be. And not a good place to stay.
But the idea that any given failure to become rich must be the fault of the world, or the system, is a vanity, a conceit.
Consider the difference between “He has a large beautiful house, I admire him, I shall emulate him” and “ditto, I hate him, I shall destroy him.”
Classics professor owned a vinyard in Greece. Experimented with unconventional methods. Vines did very well–better than neighbors’. A week before harvest, someone snuck into the vinyard one night and cut them all down. His neighbor exhibited the wrong sort of envy–and perhaps gave a clue as to what is wrong with Greece today.
Consider the difference between “He has a large beautiful house, I admire him, I shall emulate him” and “ditto, I hate him, I shall destroy him.”
For instance.
He has a large beautiful house, I admire him, I shall emulate him
I read that as horse, not house. Not sure what that says about me…
seems to be more cock flavoured than made from “real cock.”
The real thing, not just flavoured, is there on the Grace website, tasty and with 25% less salt
The real thing, not just flavoured,
When one has a hankering for cock. As it were.
seems to be more cock flavoured than made from “real cock.”
Or, as Terry Pratchett would put it, not so much cock as cock-ish.
I read that as horse, not house. Not sure what that says about me…
[ Looks askance. ]
Over the years, I’ve spent time and considerable effort on projects that weren’t likely, at least in hindsight, to generate enormous wealth.
[ Feelings of shame ]
In college I loved to read philosophy but had the good sense to know that there was no career to be had in it. In the forestry school I attended, they begged students not to major in wildlife because there were no jobs–their honesty was refreshing.
Envy is lazy. Making money is hard and it is so much easier to remain lazy and complain about the rich. But it is the rich who create jobs. Sure there are some rich who got there illegally or unethically but not most. I don’t envy Bill Gates. He made products that make my life easier. He earned it. It is also important to remember that even Bill Gates got divorced. No amount of money is worth more than the joy of children and grandchildren. A rich person does not enjoy a walk in the woods more than a poor one. Their love life isn’t better. Cookies don’t taste better to them.
Robot invasion stymied.
Consider the difference between “He has a large beautiful house, I admire him, I shall emulate him” and “ditto, I hate him, I shall destroy him.”
A Parable: The Tenth Man
For instance.
She seems nice.
“Robot invasion stymied.”
Honestly, I’d have expected an Estonian winter to be worse. I’ve seen deeper snow than that round our way. This is what happens when you let Californians run things.
She seems nice.
Well, it’s worth pondering in which other supposedly respectable national newspaper a columnist would be cheered on by readers for gleefully wishing fear and harm on a random family about which she knows nothing beyond the size of their home, which she openly envies. An envy for which she expects, and receives, applause.
As I said at the time in the comments,
Again, an odd kind of piety. But there we are.
Honestly, I’d have expected an Estonian winter to be worse.
Maybe the video was made in September. 😀
The real thing, not just flavoured
For your consideration: The antonym of “hen party” is “stag party”, not “cock party”.
The antonym of “hen party” is “stag party”, not “cock party”.
Although a party lacking in female guests is often referred to as a “sausagefest.”
Although a party lacking in female guests is often referred to as a “sausagefest.”
Only if the party also has other distinguishing characteristics. 😉
perhaps gave a clue as to what is wrong with Greece today.
I’m reminded of the Greek fellow who moved his flower business from his homeland to Estonia because they cheated him so much.
So he moved his business to Estonia.
Today’s word: Grooming
“I worship myself.”
She doesn’t look the type. See also. And inevitably.
I’m starting to think there are more genuine human beings in my Duskwood posse than in the entirety of TikTok.
Today’s word: Grooming
Danger, Will Robinson.
we totally stalked what they were doing on Google
Dude! No way, Jose! Did you? Totally? F’n awesome, man! It must be totally rad to be an educator, a molder of young minds! Future’s so bright we gonna all need shades, man! Or vodka. Lots and lots of vodka.
So he moved his business to Estonia.
Sigh.
Family estrangement increasingly caused by Woke children. But the BBC blindly accepts a BLM supporter as a reliable reporter of his parents’ “white supremacy”. (Via Richard Fernandez.)
Family estrangement increasingly caused by Woke children.
Most people whom I know…ok, maybe not most…maybe so… I truly haven’t run the math…just a guess…, half of their children, or if they are the generation before me, half of their grandchildren, are wokesters such that their descendants have cut them off. Even among those whom I know who don’t have children are estranged from half of their siblings, etc. What I find amusing, amusing in a “f**k you, I tried to tell you dumb f***s this day was coming” cynical ha-ha-ha sense is how bewildered by all this they seem to be. Many/most ( again, just a stupid guess) are “conservative”….conservatives even.
WTP: Agreed. It’s impossible to get along with leftists, because leftists are so intolerant.
But another, related phenomenon is when a conservative wakes up and realizes the implication of that “nice” leftist friend’s views–to wit, that if the left achieved the power that it desires then the policies that friend advocates would mean one’s impoverishment and enslavement.