Friday Ephemera

Fair point 
Marlboros, and Marlboro menthols.

Suboptimal delivery service.
“I’ve already used all proper channels, talked to him in real life, and my neighbors have spoken to him directly and also filed formal complaints…”
In other words, he’s a government employee who cannot be fired.

“I question his commitment, frankly.”
I’ve never actually seen post-faceplant body self-stabilization before.

What could go wrong?

Now drop the milk.
I was waiting for the words caffeine hit.
Morning, all.

Heavens.
Via Holborn.

Vintage pulp magazine archive.
Hold my calls.

We’ve been here before, of course:
[ Turns to camera, raises eyebrow. ]

I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.
Well that’s pretty lame. Usually the phrase, “And then the wheels came off” comes much later in the story. Oh, Canada.

Little fella ran out of batteries.

Not at all concerning
The institution that awarded her a PhD should be razed and the ground salted. Evacuate it first if you’re particularly squeamish.

Can you inhale ground coffee?
There is a version with sound.

Can you inhale ground coffee?
Well, sure. You can do anything… once.

Not mine – but horrible. Seen on Twitter:
“A woman is sitting at her husband’s funeral.
A man comes to her and asks, “May I say a word?”
She replied, “Why yes – please!”
He says, “Plethora” and sits down.
She says “Thanks – it means a lot.”

Long shot detected.
I’m convinced some people simply believe they are living in Grand Theft Auto.

It’s like an Edwardian comments section. There really is nothing new under the sun.
Yep. For example the equivalent of Rotten Tomatoes was…rotten tomatoes.

Afua Hirsch, the eminent hysterian who is popular with many inmates here, delves deeply as only she can into the tragic story of a woman of colour forced to become a refugee.

Commentary on design and construction.

. . . the tragic story of a woman of colour forced to . . .
Uh huh . . . granting that there is already an established choice of dropping off the map as a Wallis Simpson, or continuing on as a Duchess of Cornwall . . .

Hal, sorry about that and I’m at witsend how to fix it. It’s in the Gale Eighteenth Century Collections Online, and nowhere else that I can find gives the full title. It loses something in the abbreviation. So here goes:

The Man Of Manners Or, Plebian Polish’d. Being Plain And Familiar Rules For A Modest And Genteel Behaviour, On Most Of The Ordinary Occasions Of Life. Whereby The Many Vanities, Weaknesses And Impertinences Incident To Human Nature, (Which Expose Persons To Contempt And Ridicule) May Be Easily Avoided. Written Chiefly For The Use And Benefit Of Persons Of Mean Births And Education, Who Have Unaccountably Plung’d Themselves Into Wealth And Power. The Manner Of Walking The Streets And Other Publick Places. The Usual Salutations And Greetings, Down From The Complaisant Grin And Sneer Of Quality, To The Honest Porterly How-D’ye; Or The More Homely Civility, How Fares Your Best Body? The Manner Of A City Family’s Sitting At Dinner. Wholesale Traders, Great Money-Jobbers And Other Rich Plodders, Their Sentiments Of Breeding And Good Manners. Common Conversation A Meer Comedy. Rules Recommended To Preachers For A Modest And Courtly Behaviour Towards The Beau Monde. Scandalous Indecencies At Churches In Time Of Divine Service; A Misfortune To The Church Of England, That Farinelli And Senesino Were Not Bred Protestants. Rudeness Of The Cockaded Gentry To Modest Tradesmen. Blazing Beaus Of The Towns, Indebted For Every Article Of Their Wearing Apparel, From The Crowns Of Their Head, To The Soles Of Their Feet, Except The Bath Metal Buttons At Their Shirt-Sleeves. The Irishman’s Caution And Modesty, In Refusing To Look At The Corpse Of His Dead Countryman, On Account Of His Having A Stinking Breath When Living. Street Hunchers, Jostlers, And Coach-Splashers, Taken Notice Of. A Notable Verbal Encounter Between Two Ladies, That Deal In Fresh Cod And Live Lobsters. With Variety Of Other Matters, Moral, Serious And Comical.

Fair point
A bit unfair, actually. The 2011 reboot of Thundercats has pretty solid artwork and a surprisingly based storyline, and the 2002 reboot of Masters of the Universe was fooking metal.

Nice lungs. (YT link but potentially NSFW. Oh, and turn down the volume first.)

NO AUTOTUNE!
The evolution of muzak:
First generation:
Pop music, rock, or so, given a melody only arrangement with lots of violins that’s presented as a variety of classical music.
Second generation:
Pop music, rock, or so, also arranged as melody only, but now using synthesizers.
Third generation:
Anything with autotune.

Just got back from seeing the movie 1917. Took my 17 y/o grandsons (twins) to it – Sean is quite the history buff.
Wow. Wow. Wow. I’m emotionally spent. Not a wrong note in this movie. The boys are in awe and Sean couldn’t get over (and is very appreciative) that the movie is just raw & realistic. No politics, no cartoon heroism. Just an excellent film enhanced by understated acting (not one scene chewed) and tightly directed. Most of the time you’re right at the shoulders of the main characters, seeing things from their POV, and it really helps you experience it – from the trenches to crossing No Man’s Land – like they are. This should be a “must see” on everyone’s list.

knowing the Eighteenth Century 
. . . sometimes known as the Long Eighteenth Century