Reheated (76)
For newcomers and the nostalgic, some items from the archives:
Academic of pallor denounces “whiteness,” flaps his scented handkerchief.
It’s worth pondering, for instance, what kind of adult might feel a need to signal their virtue, or what they imagine as virtue, habitually, and in such ostentatious ways. I mean, if you’re about as virtuous as you think you ought to be, given whatever circumstances, why would you spend time and effort putting on a show? What kind of person feels compelled to seem virtuous – to pretend to be more pious than they actually are – and to a degree that involves contortions like those above? At risk of sounding ungenerous, I think it’s a telling activity. A warning of sorts.
Atlantic senior editor Honor Jones dislikes crumbs. And so, she got divorced.
Two-year-old boy likes footballs and tractors. Progressive father twitches.
At which point, it’s perhaps worth mentioning that readers’ comments are not welcome at the Today site; and Yahoo News, where the item above is also published, is “temporarily suspending article commenting.” This, we’re told, is in order to “create a safe and engaging place for users to connect over interests and passions.” Yes, we will engage and connect by not talking about things.
It does often seem that people writing on certain topics, and with certain political leanings, are to be spared the indignity of discussion or disagreement. Say, people who use their own small children as a political experiment. Or whose list of things deemed “too masculine” includes a shirt with a tractor on it, owning a Ford car, and, obviously, manual labour.
Also, open thread. Share ye links and bicker.
why would you spend time and effort putting on a show?
To fool people.
It does seem a possibility one might consider. And yet, despite his theatrical efforts, and indeed because of them, Professor Barrett still seems to be neurotic, untrustworthy, and gripped by revolting ideas.
Like so many of his peers.
Says a lot about her peers.
Well, yes, I rather think it does. At the time, the uniformity of approval and praise – from other upper-middle-class ‘liberal’ women – was quite striking, almost eerie. As I said in the original thread, it reveals a psychological and moral gulf that can exist between we, the unremarkable, and our glorious betters:
Such that one can refer to oneself as “a capable woman taking care of her family,” while pretty much destroying it, seemingly on a whim, and then bragging about it, in print.
Departments of psychology and philosophy are reliable sources of fashionable nonsense–dare I say fashionable evil? Yes, I dare.
In today’s election news from the US&A, in Chicago (geographically part of the US&A) the utterly useless mayor has been beaten like a gong getting a whopping 17% among eight other candidates who have been running. The reason for this drubbing will amaze everyone.
Surprisingly she left out “lesbian” in her excuse seeing as how all but one of the other candidates, including one female, are also BIPOC.
The leader among the candidates (the top two will have a run-off, neither having gotten more than 50%) “…has led school systems in Chicago, New Orleans and Philadelphia…”
We all know how well those are working, so travel tip: “avoid Chicago”.
“How much of my life—I mean the architecture of my life, but also its essence, my soul, my mind—had I built around my husband?”
Did it never occur to her that her husband built his life around her and their children? That this is what normal, sane men and women do when they marry?
Adults give up the unfettered pleasures of the single life, for the deeper rewards of family. In the real world, as opposed to the fantasy world of feminism and Marxism and little children, nobody can “have it all”: Every time we choose one thing we lose something else. That’s just life, and adults recognize it very early.
But many writers are, well,
In the real world, as opposed to the fantasy world of feminism and Marxism and little children, nobody can “have it all”
See Karl Marx’s assertion that communism will allow everyone to be everything:
The fatuousness of that famous quote is obvious to every adult, but not to Marxists even today.
Theodore Dalrymple comments:
A literary quote:
Facts not in evidence. Maybe he meant after the unlimited energy source is discovered and everyone has their own multifunctional, Bender-type robot (except one that doesn’t want to Kill All Humans).
That.
Well, it’s worth noting how Ms Jones’ three small children seem rather peripheral to her mental drama, very much in second place to her ramblings about herself, putting her face in the wind, microdosing, and a dislike of crumbs. As if children can have their family structure shattered without consequence.
And likewise, loving husbands.
An apology of note.
Not in 1845 when Marx wrote that, but I’m sure that today’s deluded commies will say it. Goodness knows, I’ve heard of various
science fictionskiffy writers who peddle that childish woo.You can’t help wondering what the hell else Mr Tatchell would be willing to lie about. What precise level of farce would be too much?
“How I keep the rent low in my neighborhood”
“She actually told me she’s proud of me for the first time”.
Either because mothers are generally required to, or, because a chip off the block given the level of parenting that would produce this hot mess.
“It wasn’t until my first stint in college…”
What our culture needs right now: fat, black sci fi characters
Illustrating one of the differences between science fiction for adults and sci-fi for pseudo-adults.
“It wasn’t until my first stint in college…”
Yeah, but there was something prior that made fall for that crap.
Meanwhile, and related, don’t care about her religion, when she’s right, she’s right.
The irony of Marx (and there are many) is that he barely worked a day in his life–was supported by the factory owner Engels. A capitalist.
The true revolution of communists is against reality. Did you know that Stalin personally set prices for thousands of items down to bus fares? Of course these prices had no relation to true costs or values. Bread was cheaper than grain so farmers bought bread to feed to their pigs.
Among the many privileges of women is that of being a housewife. Lots of women CHOOSE this, including several of my neighbors. It is not the Handmaids tale. She is not forced to say home, at least not in the western world. If a man chooses to stay home and not work, his wife leaves him. But yes of course as pst314 said, you give up things to get other things. But I can tell you that the choice to have family is the bet choice someone can make. My 2 yr old granddaughter is currently walking around my house singing nursery rimes.
College know-it-all hippies.
I saw the trailer for Oppenheimer and thought it might be worth seeing. And then I realised it’s directed by Christopher Nolan, which rather complicates matters. I can’t say I’ve ever actually enjoyed a Christopher Nolan film.
Well, quite.
Much like a camp.
With guards.
And barbed wire.
Why do “sex workers” like this try to be as unattractive as possible?
Intellectual dhimmitude.
With her banjo or on it?
Well, that’s a heavy lift.
Well, that’s a heavy lift.
Not entirely unrelated…
So one thing leads to another here…that Jeffery Marsh thing led me down a wiki rabbit hole and…well…Last we were in NYC (2014 iirc) wife and I were out one evening and thought we might be able to check out the Rainbow Room. I was not wearing a sport coat nor tie but as we were right there and given that dress codes, which I do believe in and support where appropriate, have been slipping everywhere we thought we might be able to just pop in and check it out. We were met at the door by a rather stuffy (though I thought he was somewhat pretending to be pretentious for humor puposes) 40-something gentleman who informed us that we were not appropriately dressed and thus would “probably be more comfortable at one of the city’s numerous and various ‘gin joints’..”. I laughed but wifey took some offense at that. Anyhoo…back to digging around in wiki and I find this…
Perhaps if I had been wearing a dress…
Finally found something we disagree on. 🙂
Indeed!
Good news, everyone!
With her banjo or on it?
I’m not confident that her mother would say, “
Songender-fluid creature, return fromthe Hot Gatesthat hot mess with yourshieldbanjo or on it.”Heh. Took long enough.
It’s hard to specify exactly what it is about them, the ones I’ve seen, and I don’t actively dislike them; but they don’t quite do it for me. I’m thinking chiefly of Interstellar, Inception, and the Dark Knight films. I mean, they’re often ambitious and technically accomplished, and have noteworthy set pieces, but they generally strike me as oddly unengaging and emotionally flat. The soundtrack swells and rumbles as if some great emotional outpouring is expected, but… it’s just loud music and a lot of sub-bass.
Also, Nolan’s films quite often feel like work. On leaving the cinema, while not exactly regretting the experience, I couldn’t say I’d enjoyed myself as such, or had any great desire to see the thing again.
I’ve heard it suggested that beautiful women promote fashion trends that are highly unflattering, perhaps unconsciously, as a way to kneecap less attractive competitors. Their underlying beauty (symmetry, appropriate weight, unblemished skin, etc.) is somewhat diminished by a tattoos, bag-like clothing, or clownish makeup, whereas the attractiveness of someone who in an earlier age would have relied upon the flattering effect of well-tailored clothes and skillfully applied makeup is effectively crippled in comparison.
I’m not sure if I’m convinced by this explanation, but it’s something to consider.
I’ve heard it suggested that beautiful women promote fashion trends that are highly unflattering, perhaps unconsciously, as a way to kneecap less attractive competitors.
I first heard a variation on that from the formerly-sensible M. McCardle, but as a signalling method: I’m so gorgeous I can wear a nose ring and still be gorgeous – how about you?
This leads, unfortunately, to the signalling working its way through the populace, with the results we see too often. Guys do it too: ‘I have so much money I can buy a Corvette as a weekend toy’, which trickles down to a minimum wage guy buying a clapped-out Camaro rather than something sensible.
“Formerly sensible” is becoming a depressingly frequent lament. Another example: Anne Applebaum, who had I expected to have more sense in light of her books on the Soviet Union, but who has been throwing around accusations of “fascist” and “Soviet propagandist” with wild partisan abandon.
I also have that impression.
That is a problem I have noticed with some highly praised “literary” writers: Lots of deep allusions and deft style, but the stories leave one unmoved.
In a recent thread, while discussing Clarkson’s Farm, the problem of arbitrary, tyrannical Council government came up. I think this illustrates that very well. After all, one’s own trash from lunch and snacks is personal, not commercial. I would not be dismayed if Brits were to hold 21st Century Tea Party protests, in which they throw Council bullies and then relax with a nice cup of tea.
Under feudal systems, they had sumptuary laws forbidding the lower classes from dressing like nobility–in China, Japan, Europe, other places probably. ie the peasants had to know their place. China and Japan had laws that you could only use fancy fabrics if you were nobility for example. This is why kimonos are fancy on the inside –to show off out of sight of the authorities.
The current contempt of the elite for the common man shows in how they reacted in lockstep to trump and his supporters.
Luxury beliefs take the role of fancy clothing today.
Oh my, after reading that Daddy with Daddy issues piece, I made the mistake of looking at his bio:
As always, the least qualified people occupy positions where they can do the most damage.
And they do everything they can to exclude qualified people–starting with university degree programs which exclude sensible people, conservative people, anyone who does not embrace the fashionable delusions.
as a way to kneecap less attractive competitors
That was probably me, although I was referencing Steve Sailer.
I think it’s part of it but not the whole story; there’s a fair bit of “I’m desperate for attention and I don’t care what kind, and affecting a shocking appearance gets me that”.
And for some reason, Nolan’s films often have poorly mixed or needlessly inaudible dialogue. He seems to do it on purpose.
It’s almost too perfect. Re-reading the thing, I still laughed at Mr Deitcher’s disdain for men “boxed in by masculinity” and who, for instance, own wrenches. Unlike our ideologically emasculated neurotic, who imagines himself on a much higher plane, and who “spirals into panic” at the mere thought of a toolbox or anything approaching manual labour.
this hot mess
And with a topping of annoying vocal fry!
*chef’s kiss*
Not disordered.
At what point is an LEO ineffective and what is really needed is a capable exorcist?
In my faith (Roman Catholic), one of out prayers is to St. Michael the Archangel. It ends with the line “[C]ast into Hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.”
“Evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.” They’re hiding in plain sight.