Reheated (71)
As I expect to be busy over the next few days, some items from the archives.
Urban Studies lecturer bemoans litter inequality, suggests bulldozing homes nicer than his own.
Our postcode class warrior also thinks that “deprived” and “marginalised” communities can be elevated, made less dysfunctional, by “the provision of services… such as… street cleaners.” Meaning more street cleaners, cleaning more frequently. He links to a report fretting about how to “narrow the gap” in litter, how to, “achieve fairer outcomes in street cleanliness.” But neither he nor the authors of said report explore an obvious factor. The words “drop” and “littering” simply don’t appear anywhere in the report, thereby suggesting that the food-smeared detritus and other unsightly objects just fall from the clouds mysteriously when the locals are asleep.
The report that Mr Matthews cites, supposedly as evidence of unfairness, actually states that council cleaning resources are “skewed towards deprived neighbourhoods” – with councils spending up to five times more on those areas than they spend on cleaning more respectable neighbourhoods. And yet even this is insufficient to overcome the locals’ antisocial behaviour. A regular visit by a council cleaning team, even one equipped with military hardware, won’t compensate for a dysfunctional attitude towards littering among both children and their parents. And fretting about inequalities in litter density is a little odd if you don’t consider how the litter gets there in the first place.
The Dunning-Kruger Diaries, Part Two.
Behold the creative outpourings of Ms Angeliki Chiado Tsoli.
Ms Tsoli unleashes a fearless, selfless, and terribly radical “intervention” at a crossing on Michigan Avenue, Chicago. Said intervention, titled Attempting to Reach Equilibrium in Times of Dystopia, is of course crammed with aesthetic value. A particular highlight occurs around 2:30 when a passing police car stops, resulting in a need to explain that what is happening is actually art.
Thinking Like Children (And Expecting Applause).
On nihilism and looting, and when wokeness is antithetical to reciprocation.
Right from the off we’re informed, firmly, that any perceptible reservations about looting and rioting, or reservations about the Black Lives Matter movement – say, regarding its demented far-left agenda, its racial tribalism, and the stated goal of abolishing capitalism, prisons, and the police – must be taken as an indicator of being “kinda (or definitely) racist.” Wokeness is not, it seems, a recipe for cognitive subtlety. “Some people,” we’re told, “appear to be far more worried about the fate of a Nordstrom or Target store than that of the actual human lives of protesters.” Again, one might deduce that only those protesting with, shall we say, physical enthusiasm have “actual human lives,” unlike their victims, whose hopes and livelihoods can be gleefully destroyed as an act of righteous liberation. From local amenities.
There’s more, should you crave it.
Also, open thread. Share ye links and bicker.
They’re too busy telling us people who litter are deprived and marginalized.
Those two words do tend to signal a drastic reduction of autonomous mental activity, if not a complete shutdown. They all but guarantee a wildly misleading conclusion that hasn’t been earned by anything preceding it, but which will nonetheless be published and applauded by the like-minded. You’d think that a Professional Clever Person – say, a lecturer in Urban Studies – might consider how habitually using loaded, question-begging terms, and thinking of certain demographics as essentially devoid of agency, with no behavioural properties apart from being unfortunate or oppressed, will often result in error. But then Dr Matthews is someone who believes that poverty wouldn’t exist without affluence.
thinking of certain demographics as essentially devoid of agency, with no behavioural properties apart from being unfortunate or oppressed,
That.
That.
Well, these terms, and others much like them, are very fashionable, in some circles all but obligatory. And yet they tend to signal unexamined assumptions and unearned conclusions – conclusions often arrived well in advance of any mental activity. If you want to maintain the conceit of oppressor-and-oppressed, which those who use such terms generally do, then there are any number of things you mustn’t think about, at least not realistically.
In other news, Twitter’s character limit is really chafing my ass.
#Gasbag
Revisiting that first post (Something About The Tone) left me sighing for the old days, when Steve2, surely the wittiest commenter ever, flourished in the responses. I even felt a little nostalgic for the slimy, wriggly Minnow. Modern trolls just don’t cut it. Still, at least the Italics Criminals are still around.
left me sighing for the old days,
[ Sits in rocking chair, strokes enormous beard. ]
The greatest return I ever had in life was on a $2800 investment that I turned into a few hundred thousand.
If only I had only invested a few thousand in Microsoft, back in 1986: But I thought Borland had far better software and was blind to Microsoft’s other advantages.
In other news, Twitter’s character limit is really chafing my ass.
Maybe you should replace your blogging thong with something more practical.
You’d think that a Professional Clever Person – say, a lecturer in Urban Studies – might consider how habitually using loaded, question-begging terms, and thinking of certain demographics as essentially devoid of agency, with no behavioural properties apart from being unfortunate or oppressed, will often result in error. But then Dr Matthews is someone who believes that poverty wouldn’t exist without affluence.
You are presuming that they value logic and reason. To them L&R are just tools to get what they want. Yesterday I took an old flathead screwdriver and ground it down to make a marginally sufficient chisel.
Maybe you should replace your blogging thong with something more practical.
I have a blog perusing rubber drysuit, which I’m more than happy to recommend. Waterproof and wipe clean, it enables me to wade into blogs and comment sections (ones much less salubrious than this particular establishment, I might add) and remain uncontaminated by the cretinry found therein.
I have a blog perusing rubber drysuit, which I’m more than happy to recommend.
Tell me more, please. The one that Lloyd Bridges gave me needs replacing.
This seems like a metaphor for our time.
“drysuit”–sometimes I wish eyebleach was a real thing…
[ From behind the bar, squeaking, a whiff of talc. ]
Pst314,
Borland did have better software. But…
One of the main things I learned doing diligence on, and investing in startups, was that the product, especially the first product, is practically irrelevant to long-term business success.
And there’s always the classic Betamax vs. VHS story.
Fred: Yes indeed. And Microsoft had far more cash for development than did Borland.
One of the main things I learned doing diligence on, and investing in startups, was that the product, especially the first product, is practically irrelevant to long-term business success
We had a saying in software development:
The early bird may get the worm, but the second rat gets the cheese.
When I bet, I bet on the second rat. Paid off well for me. However it’s a shame what happened to the first rat, what with all the hard work he did. I propose a toast…To the first rat!
I propose a toast…To the first rat!
Walt Kelly agrees:
I laughed and I’m not sorry.
I laughed and I’m not sorry.
What was it? Cannot see it without logging on.
What was it?
At the Notting Hill Carnival-Cum-Crimefest, a woman twerks on top of a polycarbonate bus shelter, thereby alerting us to her talents, along with those of her ten or so friends. Alas, the bus shelter could not bear the weight of all that cognitive wherewithal.
Alas, the bus shelter could not bear the weight of all that cognitive wherewithal.
Thanks. As a matter of fact, I saw that elsewhere on twitter, not behind an age restriction.
Speaking of foolishness, I just recalled some young athletes who decided it would be a Good Idea to do chin-ups on a fire sprinkler pipe in their hotel room. The pipe broke, flooding multiple floors, and causing untold thousands of dollars in damage.
Notting Hill
That was where they did that movie, the one with some woman in it and then some insanely skinny secondary character guy bouncing around and ranting about in his teeny tiny tidy-whiteys, right? WTH was the name of that flick?
“drysuit”–sometimes I wish eyebleach was a real thing…
Here’s a little therapy for your eyes.
pst: thanks, eyes much better now.
Speaking, as we were, of the rapid decline of Scientific American, Jerry Coyne has more:
The cognitive blunting of wokeness, and the consequent reliance on dishonesty and pretence, is again hard to miss.
Tell me more, please. The one that Lloyd Bridges gave me needs replacing.
It’s a standard Northern Diver “Thor” model, in red with NAUTILUS inscribed on the back in large gold serifed letters. I managed to get a bulk deal on a dozen a few years ago after an undersea collision required giving my submarine some urgently needed repairs.
I’ll be out of town, and out of touch, for most of the day. While I’m away, you will, I’m sure, be on your best behaviour.
Play nicely. Use coasters.
[ Activates Protocol 9. ]
WTH was the name of that flick?
I believe it was 10 Rillington Place. (Rillington Place, since demolished was in Notting Hill.)
The long term effect of swallowing lies is fatal.
–Richard Fernandez, blogging as Wretchard the Cat
In this case he is commenting on Nature’s announcement mandating politically correct “science”, but it applies to many of the things he blogs about.
Play nicely. Use coasters.
[ Begins compiling long playlist of women’s beach volleyball videos. ]
Third, no matter what the percentage of intersex individuals is, they don’t constitute a third sex.
Related: Children born without legs do not disprove the fact that we are a bipedal species.
Related: Children born without legs do not disprove the fact that we are a bipedal species.
Again, logic and reason are just tools that they use to force YOU to accept their dominance. All you are doing with such reasoning, should it catch on, is encouraging them to start brainwashing children and weak minded adults into believing that their legs are some sort of mistake of nature that must be corrected by amputation. I am not saying this to be flippant, and yes I understand you quite possibly were by stating this, however ago when I expressed concern that our society was headed in the dangerous direction that we have arrived in now, conservatives…”conservatives” suggested I perhaps needed psychological help.
“no cash bail”–the purpose of bail is to ensure that people show up for trial. If your house is put up for bail, you will for sure show up. If someone uses a bail bondsman, the bondsman has bounty hunters who will find you (because cops can’t seem to do so). Sadly, a small number of people can’t raise bail or even utilize a bail bondsman, so they sit in jail. For this small number for whom the current system is “unfair” we have eliminated the assurance that people will show up, so they just leave after being arrested. The alternative: speeding up the judicial process for those who can’t afford bail, has not even been suggested. eh
How the game can be played…not saying this isn’t real but if I were sufficiently evil and working for the WEF b@stards, I would flood social media with things like this. A bill in English but charges in Euros, a bill covering two months, and something a tad more outrageous than what is really happening. This gets (mostly) Americans all worked up on social media. You let that stew for a while, then start discrediting the post for its flaws. Where is this from? Why is it in English but billed in Euros.? They use euros in Europe you know! The British don’t use Euros. The British don’t consider themselves “Europeans” you know! This bill is not for one month, it covers “nearly three months” (I love it when they pull that one). Then finally, European energy rates are much lower than that! Obviously this is misinformation, you right-wing fascists!
https://mobile.twitter.com/JoshuaLisec/status/1564844742021627904?cxt=HHwWgICyjZCAubcrAAAA
Obviously this is misinformation, you right-wing fascists!
Now here’s an appropriate use of science, data and statistics.
Why is it in English but billed in Euros.?
It’s because they own a cafe in Ireland.
So they do.
Where is this from? Why is it in English but billed in Euros.? They use euros in Europe you know! The British don’t use Euros.
The British don’t use Euros, but the Irish do and, though it may not seem like it sometimes, they speak and do business in English. Not all utilities bill monthly either. Some bill quarterly, some bill every two months. In this case, this is two months and the billing close out date is the 22nd of the month. Some utilities do this so that the bill is due on the same date every billing period. I personally prefer this method of billing because it helps me keep the bills straight.
I’m not saying twitter isn’t being exploited I just don’t think it is in this case.
Thanks, Steve E! I passed that on to all my lady friends…and those who are not so ‘lady’ as well I suppose.
In my continuing quest to live “dangerously” on social media…I follow my state representative on FB since I did meet and speak with him once or twice. He’s a retired USMC Colonel. He posted a picture of his retirement cake from ten years ago. The cake reads:
Colonel (name omitted)
United States Marine Corp.
198x 201x
Someone, respectfully addressing him as “Sir”, pointed out, “Sir, did you see that Corps is misspelled? Lol”. How such a thing goes unnoticed…anyway, I pointed out, “Silent ‘s’…silent ‘p’…it’s the damn French yet again…silent ‘n’.” He’s a conservative…”conservative”. Now I wonder how long before that gets deleted.
Would Obama refer to the Marine Corpse?
I’m not saying twitter isn’t being exploited I just don’t think it is in this case.
You will notice that I qualified my post with “How the game can be played…not saying this isn’t real but if I were sufficiently evil and working for the WEF b@stards”. I’d lay odds of 5 to 1 you are correct. But I have seen very similar ploys like this thrown out there. They work because conservatives…”conservatives” are suckers for red meat. Of course so is the left but they get to go on believing nonsense like “Trump told people to drink bleach” and over time it becomes true. Trump DID tell people to drink bleach. No. Really. Just ask anyone who believes that. Only idiots and Trumpalos believe otherwise. It’s right there in the video if you would just watch what I sent you!
My general point is, logic and reason are irrelevant. Just because the Irish do business in English and use Euros and maybe even consider themselves Europeans, THIS IS IRRELEVANT. It only becomes relevant when it works in their favor and the Leftists wish to play it that way.
Would Obama refer to the Marine Corpse?
Well that’s a thing too. If you have a dead man, a corpse, and you have another dead man to go with him you now have a pair of corpses. But if the Marine Corps and the US Army Corps of Engineers hold some sort of get together…??? Bloody French.
Bloody French.
And then we have the English who pronounce lieutenant as “leftenant.” Not only silent letters but invisible ones too.
Not only silent letters but invisible ones too.
Prepare my galleons!
And then we have the English who pronounce lieutenant as “leftenant.” Not only silent letters but invisible ones too.
True. But you gotta admit, it takes an ingnasecond less time to say. Baby steps…
David’s still away…I think we still have time for a TideSlide…of course we’ll never get it cleaned up in time…but I’m trying to live more “in the moment” so…
DOH!!!! AHHHH!!! My bad…I’m outta here…
Obama mispronounces “Navy corpsman” as “Navy corpse-man”.
It gets worse: The English pronounce “Cholmondeley” as “Chumley”.
Prepare my galleons!
Hey! You said you’d be out of town and out of touch!
[ Glares ]