Friday Ephemeraren’t
Yes, by golly, a chance to throw together your own pile of links and oddities in the comments. I’ll set the ball rolling with a faulty cat; some defective captions; wokelings inflating their egos by frustrating others; when stealth mode is engaged; and when snack treats are detected.
Oh, and a love like no other.
…wokelings inflating their egos by frustrating others…
More of the same from Mr. Ngo.
wokelings inflating their egos by frustrating others
Perhaps some enterprising conservatives will organize events to disrupt the lives of Antifa punks. Would make entertaining viewing.
On the blocked freeway, it looks like there was enough room in the right-hand lane to wave the cars through one at a time.
Well, if that was an Interstate Highway then those people were interfering with interstate commerce.
Not that the Harris administration would lift a finger against *that* interference with interstate commerce.
I’m really going to have to be careful, else I write things here that our host will not be able to ignore. I suspect that I shall lurk more than usual to ensure that happens. (Not that I am a chatterbox here, by any stretch.)
some defective captions;
LOL. Perverts stole the treasure map!
Morning, all.
Perverts stole the treasure map!
A shocking twist. Those rascally perverts are at it again. Arrrr!
Near London, 23 bedrooms.
Mr Counsell has a question.
Mr Counsell has a question.
Tough one. Alien and The Thing are both great.
Tough one. Alien and The Thing are both great.
Yes. And it’s worth noting that neither film feels a need to explain the origin or backstory of the monstrous threat, which adds to the air of menace. The subsequent sequels and prequels, however, did try to fill in the gaps with details and convolutions that added nothing of lasting interest and actually diminished the overall effect.
Near London, 23 bedrooms.
An excellent place to ride out the zombie apocalypse. And while we’re on the subject of interesting 19th century buildings with large numbers of bedrooms, I quite like this place in London* which has 60 of them:
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/85756747#/
*(Some** work needed to bring it back to Victorian splendour.)
**(Ok, a lot of work needed. But just think how grand it would look when properly restored.)
I could never take Alien seriously again after the Three Of A Kind sketch. Doubtless many will know it, but just in case not…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8FlKwp1G78
Near London, 23 bedrooms.
If you have enough spondilux for a place like that, why, in the name of all that is holy, would you put a bathtub in a bedroom (or a bed in a bathroom, as the case might be) ?
The Solent Forts are within a short commute from London and can be reached by train…
I see, “Tom Swift and His Electric Submarine Train” – maybe Captain Nemo has a hand in this.
White readers, what can you do?
A question I often never find myself asking has nevertheless apparently been answered by Dr Kehinde Andrews:
Andrews ponders this [question] near the end, and here is his answer:
“The quest for allyship is in itself misguided. The problem is that society is built on a White supremacy that permeates every institution, intellectual framework and interaction within it. If you have come this far and believe that White people offering a meaningful hand of friendship is the solution then you have missed the point.
Well, there you go. There is nothing you can do.
From Tomiwa Owolade’s review of Andrews’ The New Age of Empire: How Racism and Colonialism Still Rule the World in The Spectator, in which Owolade comments:
But when [Andrews] says the West cannot be the solution to the problem of racism, and then bemoans westerners for failing to apply universal standards, he disqualifies himself as a serious thinker. Either the West is rotten to the core and can do nothing; or it is shameful for failing to live up to its moral standards. Andrews, brazenly, argues both.
I like the word “brazenly” there; most apt.
Near London, 23 bedrooms.
Do we have that many Bond villains in the South East of England?
Watching the Mexican gentleman and his dog is like giving my mind a spa day.
Andrews, brazenly, argues both.
Such people are not motivated by anything benign.
Watching the Mexican gentleman and his dog is like giving my mind a spa day.
It seemed a necessary corrective to our, er, usual programming.
maybe Captain Nemo has a hand in this.
Not me I’m afraid, Farnsworth. Not this time, anyway. *cue ominous pipe organ music*
I quite like this place in London* which has 60 of them
Reading the property description, I see “Tenure: Freehold” What other sorts of property ownership exist in England? (“My client can sell you the castle, but the moat and sea serpent are entailed…”)
Watching the Mexican gentleman and his dog is like giving my mind a spa day.
It seemed a necessary corrective to our, er, usual programming.
Aye, and sorely needed.
I still can’t get over that little dog’s tail!! It’s wagging a mile a minute.
Mr Counsell has a question.
“The Thing” is from a 1938 tale. Hardly an artifact of the cold war…
I still can’t get over that little dog’s tail!! It’s wagging a mile a minute.
Indeed! I keep expecting to see the little guy wag himself right off his saddle. But I suppose that would be another kind of video altogether.
What other sorts of property ownership exist in England?
I typed “London freehold” into Lycos and it gave me some interesting and informative results. (I learned this in my community college “Intarwebs” course, where they taught me about these web sites where thousands of people sit waiting to answer your questions so quickly it’ll make your head spin! It’s so much quicker and more reliable than asking questions in comment threads that I’ve taken to using it almost all the time.)
Yes, by golly,
Racist!
“The Thing” is from a 1938 tale. Hardly an artifact of the cold war
The monster in the original film wasn’t able to mimic other creatures but in the 1982 remake it was.
“The monster in the original film”
It’s a short story, so…
It’s a short story, so…
OCD nitpick: it’s a novella. I read it a long time ago, and found it longer than ideal–or else maybe Campbell’s writing style just didn’t grab me.
Yes, “Who Goes There” is the story that the original film is based on, and in the original film the carrot monster was not able to mimic other life forms.
I typed “London freehold” into Lycos
Another search engine to bookmark, thanks. I have now learned a bit more about UK forms of tenure.
it’s a novella. I read it a long time ago, and found it longer than ideal–or else maybe Campbell’s writing style just didn’t grab me.
As with so many of these things, the idea is better than the prose.
But the Cold War construal strikes me as fairly trivial and beside the point. Yes, the characters are unsure which of them is not what they seem, and yes, it came out in the 80s; but I’d say the film found an audience, belatedly, not because of the particulars of Cold War politics, but because it touches on archetypal anxieties – chiefly disease, distrust and a kind of body horror. And of course, it depicts something genuinely alien and grotesquely inhuman – something for which the human body is just more biomass to transform or use as camouflage.
It’s not conveniently humanoid, or just an inexpensive actor in a rubber suit.
Attention students — the English Department will now be teaching modules on race, ethnicity, sexuality and diversity, rather than, you know, English
I could never take Alien seriously again
I went to see Alien on its release- my friends and I were seated in the front row of a packed-out cinema.
At the climax of the “chest-bursting” scene, my mate Franco exclaimed loudly “Hey- he’s got a hard on!” and the whole place erupted in hysterical laughter.
Hardly an artifact of the cold war…
No. Making ever g.d. thing into a political commentary that only the high-thinking people can see it is the artifact. Not of just the Cold War but what caused it. Creeping socialism.
Of course if you pointed this out years ago, YOU would be the one accused of making it political. The “intellects” and academics could play their little games of tearing down society from within their Ivory towers whilst hiding behind plausible deniability.
Seeing “Alien” in the theatre was one of my greatest movie-going experiences. The cast had been on a chat show a few days before and given away the chest-bursting plot point, so I knew it was coming.
Not a bad thing, because when it was building up, I focused on the audience, and when it happened, I got to watch a hundred people literally jump in their seats, explode in cries, laughter and shrieks, and otherwise emotionally bond.
Veronica Cartwright is, I think, slightly underappreciated in Alien. Her escalating hysteria is important and quite well done. Maddening and believable.
Alien has stood the rest of time extremely well and, IMHO, was vastly superior to the pretentious Prometheus even though the latter received a 4 star rating from the peerless Roger Ebert which leads me to question my own judgement.
vastly superior to the pretentious Prometheus
I’ll just leave this here.
That’s a relief.
Ebert is, or rather was, still the gold standard though.
The Daily Mail reports that Biden has removed a bust of Winston Churchill from the Oval Office.
Rest assured, David, there are plenty of Americans who still admire Winston…even if we do talk funny.
there are plenty of Americans who still admire Winston…even if we do talk funny.
It’s true. You do talk funny.
Don’t get me started on aloo-min-um.
…and actually diminished the overall effect.
The change made to the xenomorph life cycle, from a sort of parthogenesis-capable bedbug (Alien) to a eusocial insect (Aliens), was a mistake.
Relevant deleted scene:
https://youtu.be/LuTk4Qc7JGI
Don’t get me started on aloo-min-um.
Hood not bonnet! Fender not wing! Trunk not boot! Elevator not lift! Fries not chips! Cookie not biscuit! Mayonnaise not salad cream! English muffin! English muffin! English muffin!
[Dammit, who am I fooling? I like roast beef with Yorkshire pudding.]
I think I recall that Obama got rid of Winston too.
Tells us something about the President, or in Biden’s case “President”, whether or not he keeps him. When the woman Harris takes Biden’s place, say around Easter, she will not have Churchill back.
Ebert is, or rather was, still the gold standard though.
Currency rather debased, I’d say, just on the basis of praising Prometheus.
The rational left…
The rational left…
How long until school teachers are teaching their students to sing hymns in praise of Biden and Harris?
How long until school teachers are teaching their students to sing hymns in praise of Biden and Harris?
Any sign of a little red book?
Although, I suppose, it will be a little blue book; the Democrats having successfully stolen the colour from the Republicans.
It is more galling that the Republicans have the color of revolution which they will never ever do.
“Freehold” What other sorts of property ownership exist in England?”
It is also grade 2 listed which I understand to mean you’ll have to written permission from a bureaucrat to do just about anything to it.
How long until school teachers are teaching their students to sing hymns in praise of Biden and Harris
What, like this you mean?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gtfizIbBDI
Don’t get me started on alloo-min-um
Ya can have a go at us straylians if ya want, but we know that bouy is not pronounce ‘boo-ey‘
How long until school teachers…
Coincidentally my harmless prediction that every US classroom will have a Supreme Leader style portrait of President Harris was lost in the ether.
Regarding Prometheus, Tony did stories, Ridley does pictures, so he’s at the mercy of whoever does the scribbling. Prometheus is crap, from the opening scene where a sentient being is sacrificed (spot the pseudo religious bollocks) for his dna even though engineers can make it by the bucket while his colleagues fly off in a flying saucer rather than a flying croissant to avoid giving the game away.
Ya can have a go at us straylians if ya want,
[ Starts handing out numbered tickets. ]
Form an orderly line, people. You’ll all get a turn.
Cause and effect.
The rational left, Part II.
fForm an orderly line
Lols, how British.
What, like this you mean?
Exactly what I was thinking of.
Ya can have a go at us straylians if ya want, but we know that bouy is not pronounce ‘boo-ey‘
We murricans forgive you for pronouncing it wrong, because we love how you all are named Crocodile (except for the women who are all named Sheila.)
The rational left, Part II.
And…Melanie has deleted her account. 🙂
Why conservatives and liberals need each other. Jordan Peterson on Crowder’s show. From 4 years ago. If only…
https://youtu.be/eHyDW8-X9Pg
“except for the women who are all named Sheila.”
And look like Nicole Whatshername…
Don’t get me started on Prometheus, either. I’ll wind up offending our genial host.
I’ll wind up offending our genial host.
I am known for my emotional delicacy and hair-trigger weepiness.
I am known for my emotional delicacy and hair-trigger weepiness.
And pate. Don’t forget the pate.
Don’t forget the pate.
[ Drags large box into cellar, a muffled thudding ensues. ]
I am not convinced that this is really a spurious correlation.
I am not convinced that this is really a spurious correlation.
Just a few days ago, I saw a young woman practically stepping into traffic while engrossed by something swipe-worthy. So far as I’m aware, even the latest phones don’t come with traffic-repelling force fields.
Can anyone here recommend more of these?
Just a few days ago, I saw a young woman practically stepping into traffic while engrossed by something swipe-worthy.
Skynet will not bother to build killer bots; merely distracting memes and videos.
Don’t get me started on aloo-min-um
Oookay, then…
Please tell me how ‘Worcestershire sauce’ gets pronounced ‘Wooster sauce’?
Unless it’s a shout-out to P.G. Wodehouse. In which case, carry on.
Please tell me how ‘Worcestershire sauce’ gets pronounced ‘Wooster sauce’?
I’m sorry, you’re br*BZZZTKRACKLE*king up. I can’t hea*BZZZTKRACKLE*
Please tell me how ‘Worcestershire sauce’ gets pronounced ‘Wooster sauce’?
What exactly was that famous quote “I’m so upper class I can hardly understand myself” and who said it?
Henry Higgins sings “Why can’t the English teach their children how to spell…”
Please give generously to the Vowels for Poland Fund.
When driving in Poland I am often puzzled. When I see Welsh highway signs puzzlement is insufficient and I am forced to resort to bewilderment.
Cayley
The “Great White North” one is from the superb SCTV (Second City TV) made by a Toronto based ensemble including John Candy in the early 1980s. Many of their sketches were shamelessly copied by SNL.
The skit in question featured Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas as brothers Bob and Doug Mackenzie and was apparently the most popular with the Canadian audience.
My favourite was the game show Half Wits hosted by Eugene Levy. Here is an exiting semi-final episode:-
https://youtu.be/WIJna_6G244
the latter received a 4 star rating from the peerless Roger Ebert which leads me to question my own judgement.
Ebert hated “Zoolander” and seemed particularly offended that they used an actual nation’s prime minister as a target for the assassination plot, which seemed to me like a strange reason to hate the movie (which I adore).
Otherwise, I’m fond of Ebert’s reviews, but everyone nods sometimes.
The skit in question featured Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas as brothers Bob and Doug Mackenzie and was apparently the most popular with the Canadian audience.
According to the cast members, they created Doug and Bob in response to the network’s complaint that they needed more Canadian-oriented content. And thus a classic was born out of sheer piss-taking.
I understand the Sistine Chapel was inspired in the same way.
I understand the Sistine Chapel was inspired in the same way.
“Mikey, we only wanted you to whitewash the ceiling.”
Zoolander
I can’t hear the Wham song on the radio without visualizing the gas station scene.
https://youtu.be/ZnZ2XdqGZWU?t=84
Oh my goodness: Troll Bridge: The Moving Picture, an adaptation of a short story by Terry Pratchett
Have I offended the spam gods, or heaven forfend our host? I’ve posted a couple of things that aren’t getting through, even though they show up after I hit Post.
Have I offended the spam gods, or heaven forfend our host?
[ Checks notoriously temperamental spam filter. ]
Nothing in there. I have no explanation.
My favourite was the game show Half Wits hosted by Eugene Levy.
Eugene Levy always had the most expressive face. Watch his eyes and eyebrows in the skit. He’s like a missing Marx brother. My favourite Levy character was Bobby Bittman who would appear as a regular on the Sammy Maudlin show. “How are ya!”
Please give generously to the Vowels for Poland Fund.
I have Polish friends who shall remain vowelless.
They actually had a set of these:
Didn’t know the image was so big. Here’s the link
. The joke is in the second image.
The joke is in the second image.
That’s the second joke.
The first joke is the “access denied” I see when I click the link.
[Sobs briefly, then straightens back, stiffens sinews, sets face in semblance of heroic determination, and posts a resized copy of the image.]
The Poles and the Welsh are not the only ones in need of assistance. Remember Operation Vowel Drop?
IMPURE!!!
That’s just a 3D modeling error.
https://www.gamesradar.com/ubisoft-china-apologizes-for-releasing-coffee-cup-with-handle-on-the-inside/
[Sobs briefly, then straightens back, stiffens sinews, sets face in semblance of heroic determination, and posts a resized copy of the image.]
Thanks, tried resizing but it didn’t seem to work. I don’t know why the link posted as access denied. It worked the first time. Oh well…
I don’t know why the link posted as access denied.
I do know why. The period ended up as part of the hyperlink. Remove it and it works. My html needs some work…obviously.
Remember Operation Vowel Drop?
An important thing is that in Serbian, if being approached by an individual whose intentions are possibly less than friendly, inadvertently flipping two consonants “Stop or I’ll shoot !” means “Stop or I’ll bathe you !”.
It is unclear whether the latter would be considered an invitation or a threat.
As I mentioned the other day, in the levels of stupidity, there is academic grade stupidity.
In other news, “Ask not for whom the woke tolls, it tolls for thee”, Biden supporter “…has agreed to enter a re-education facility…” for using a word for bundle of sticks after missing a putt.
An important thing is that in Serbian, if being approached by an individual whose intentions are possibly less than friendly, inadvertently flipping two consonants “Stop or I’ll shoot !” means “Stop or I’ll bathe you !”.
It’s worse in German.
The period ended up as part of the hyperlink.
See, this is why I don’t like leaving you without adult supervision. We end up with super-giant novelty mugs all over the place.
As I mentioned the other day, in the levels of stupidity, there is academic grade stupidity.
It does rather speak to the weirdly dogmatic assumptions of the agonised, rather than the object being agonised about.
for using a word for bundle of sticks after missing a putt
Was it the word that also refers to a white paper tube that contains tobacco? Because Netflix constantly tells me those are as dangerous as sex, violence, nudity, and naughty language.
As I mentioned the other day, in the levels of stupidity, there is academic grade stupidity.
Think we’ll give that one a post of its own.
It does rather speak to the weirdly dogmatic assumptions of the agonised, rather than the object being agonised about.
Indeed,
As has been said, if you think a centuries old Japanese traditional item* represents PoC, you just might be the racist.
*(Culturally appropriated !)
Someone asked for more Bernie memes…
Someone asked for more Bernie memes…
The Correction Booth is this way, friend.
inadvertently flipping two consonants “Stop or I’ll shoot !” means “Stop or I’ll bathe you !”.
Is this why Serbia leads the world in the production of strawberry scented bath soap?
for using a word for bundle of sticks after missing a putt
It’s a lucky thing that one never sees MiG 15’s in flight anymore. 😐
Was it the word that also refers to a white paper tube that contains tobacco?
Being a very well read child, I understood “bundle of sticks” and “white paper tube” long before I encountered the…other meaning.