- Apparently neither the Fourth nor the Second Amendment apply when it’s for your own good. (H/T PB from comments.)
- The real problem, of course, would be solved by getting rid of government schools and all their rigid one-size-fits-allism. Still, this short video is an interesting analysis of what’s being done to boys. And to society’s future. (H/T MJR)
- Related to the story Gunny alerted us to the other day, the intended target in that Texas case has been ordered to recant her statements to the press. As a condition of parole. Can you spell “First amendment abuse”?
- What if female bodies in classical paintings were photoshopped as they are in modern ads? Ugh! (Amusing, but still ugh. Also: naked lady alert. But it’s okay because it’s Art.)
- So you think nobody’s manipulating the metals markets? Here’s a known case where Barclays (remember them from the Libor manipulation scandal?) deliberately screwed with the gold market to cheat one of their own customers out of $3.9 million. Braaaazen.
- Oh, so that’s what that new “trigger warning” BS is all about. Been hearing that phrase and wondered if it was some new antigunnery. Nope. Just more politically correct, infantilizing silliness from the crowd who believes their widdle feewings should never be hurt. No doubt, though, that anything more dangerous than a plastic spork will “trigger” some poor soul’s hysteria.
- What Americans are really afraid of. Hint: It’s not terrorism. Anybody else notice that four of the top five and five of the top eight basically amount to the same thing? Or are at least as closely related as the Dionne Quints?
I’ve long had this disclaimer on the SCA-related page on my web site:
“DISCLAIMER: These pages are not official publications of the SCA (Inc), which very likely accounts for the fact that they bear some passing semblance to reality. This material is intended for the use of adults and may contain information that is off-colour, denigrating to idiots, mildly amusing, factual, or otherwise unsuitable for overly sensitive persons with low self-esteem, no sense of humor, and other SCA bureaucrats. They do not delineate any SCA policies, which is my personal policy. All material copyright (c) 2943 Chronodisplacement Corp. Violation of copyright may result in temporal instabilities and… oh, hell; now look what you did: temporal instabilities; now there’re clowns running around in armour waving swords.
“With coconuts. Crossing the fjord. Damnit. And… …wait one…
“Hey! You! Yes, you! What are you doing with that mØØse? Get awa….
“(be right back)
“Oh, hell.”
The SCA has a truly virulent fetish regarding waivers, disclaimers, permission slips, and other pseudo-legalese that often makes real lawyers eyes bug out as they inquire in horrified disbelief, “WTF?!”
Those paintings made me think of an article I saw about a year ago. While I can’t locate it now, it talked about how the modern idea of body weight (starting in the 1970’s?) is way off kilter compared to historical ideals. The article describes how our current definition of “healthy weight” is below average, below ideal, while our definition of “overweight” is exactly the historical norm and probably about perfect. There were some allegations that diet activists drove target weights lower to make an industry for themselves. Damned capitalists, or something.
On that school youtube, I commented:
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“Fix” schools? Christina is nuts. Does she really think a system that is doing exactly what it is intended to do, is going to be fixed? They have been reforming schools ever since Horace Mann imported this mass indoctrination system from socialist Prussia in the 1840’s. What is the result?
The schools are not for us, and certainly not for our kids. Read John Taylor Gatto’s “Underground History”, available completely online, to get the picture. Instead of fixing this mess, which is impossible, individual parents need to get their kids out of schools. Homeschooling, for example, is not only way better for kids, but easier as well (as anyone having experience in both homeschooling and government schools will tell you). Don’t wait for entrenched institutions to be fixed. Do right for your kids NOW.
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I like naked ladies, even in paintings. 🙂
BTW, your Tuesday links post contained a trigger warning. But is it a trigger warning when the warning actually induces more people to read it? 🙂
I haven’t been able to stay up on the blog very well lately but wanted to make sure you caught this update on the Barefoot Bandit movie: http://q13fox.com/2014/05/26/barefoot-bandit-movie-debuts-at-seattle-film-festival/#axzz32p1KKcU8
“…if such subjects become taboo, much of their faculty would be left with nothing to talk about.”
I’d take that as a definite plus… 🙂 I had exactly one professor who had anything intelligent or useful to talk about… Every other course (except the lab stuff) would have been greatly improved by providing a reading list, a writing assignment list, and exactly two class meetings a quarter… to pick up the lists and to deposit the required writing. Would probably shorten a college education to about 18 months. 🙂
What if female bodies in classical paintings were photoshopped
Fun and ugh as well. OTOH we might remind ourselves that a pre-photography painting is pretty much 100% “Photoshop.”
First Amendment? How about Fifth Amendment/Miranda abuse? ‘You (used to) have a right to remain silent…”
We also need to remember that the fear survey was done by Unisys, which is “a worldwide information technology company.”
Last night on 4News there was a story on snake massages.
http://www.odditycentral.com/videos/philippines-zoo-offers-adrenaline-junkies-snake-massage-from-four-giant-pythons.html
I immediately looked at my wife. Her policy on snakes is if there’s one within a hundred yards, she wants it taken care of. As in dead, in a ziplock bag, in the outside trashcan.
OTOH she’s quite capable of handling that on her own, so it’s the snake that needs the “trigger warning.”