PaladinPhil 6/16/2020 5:19:49 AM

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buzzsawmonkey 6/16/2020 6:17:12 AM

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buzzsawmonkey 6/16/2020 6:18:59 AM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 2:

A Google search suggests that it may be viewable for reading on the New Yorker website, but I find their site both confusing and annoying, and did not find it.  Fortunately, I have this archaic technology called a "book."

Occasional Reader 6/16/2020 6:35:20 AM

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vxbush 6/16/2020 6:57:13 AM

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In #4 Occasional Reader said: Booook?  What is booook?

Book, noun: a primitive technology for storing characters on a piece of ground trees or fabric pressed into sheets and sewn together to form a collection. Often the characters may join to form words, sentences, and paragraphs. May contain oral histories, musings, lies, statistics, or general tomfoolery. 

Occasional Reader 6/16/2020 6:57:48 AM

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Here's an interesting if unsurprising piece on the "CHAZ" clusterfuque in City Journal.

Note the lead photo of some white kid wearing body armor and carrying an AR.

Practically all the photos of similarly-armed people I've seen coming from "CHAZ" seem to be of white people.

Shouldn't they be handing those shiny trust fund-purchased ARs over to the nearest Person Of Color?  

vxbush 6/16/2020 7:08:36 AM

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In #6 Occasional Reader said: Here's an interesting if unsurprising piece on the "CHAZ" clusterfuque in City Journal.

In that article: 

Socialist and antifascist groups have emphasized the radical political nature of the protests, with Socialist Alternative city councilwoman Kshama Sawant insisting that the occupation must be oriented toward the “dismantling of capitalism itself” and the progression of the “socialist revolution.” 

So, one of Seattle's own councilwomen is taking part in this in leadership???? Did she not take some sort of oath to support and defend the laws of her city?

vxbush 6/16/2020 7:13:05 AM

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lucius septimius 6/16/2020 7:26:12 AM

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In #8 vxbush said: That really wasn't supposed to be parody, was it?

These folks are beyond parody.

Occasional Reader 6/16/2020 7:28:46 AM

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In #7 vxbush said: So, one of Seattle's own councilwomen is taking part in this in leadership????

Forget it, Jake, it's Seattle.  The very Mayor is cheering this as a "block party". 

Occasional Reader 6/16/2020 7:30:43 AM

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In #8 vxbush said: Oh, and "plant allies"?

The Plant Allies must band together to defeat the Axis of Weevil... 

JCM 6/16/2020 7:54:56 AM

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Reply to vxbush in 7:

When she became a citizen she also vowed to; "I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty,"

She is alligent to Communism, a foreign sovereignty. Revoke her citizenship and deport her.

vxbush 6/16/2020 8:32:39 AM

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In #12 JCM said: When she became a citizen she also vowed to; "I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty,"

I could see some claiming that her alliance with CHAZ is not a foreign sovereignty, given that it is homegrown. But then, we have to explain what sedition is. 

buzzsawmonkey 6/16/2020 8:41:32 AM

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Two rather worrisome NPR items this morning.  

The first, talking about the costs of social isolation, studiously avoids the logical conclusion; that the quarantining of the "at-risk elderly" (and others) is potentially as if not more lethal and generally socially destructive than everyone going about their business as usual, possible virus contagion be damned.

The second talks about the apparent hanging deaths of two blacks, in different places, at different times, near Los Angeles. It is obvious that the Left is going to play these up big as the current riots die down; the resonance of lynching is too strong for them not to, and the NPR report already is pushing "white supremacists/skinheads" as possible culprits.

JCM 6/16/2020 8:42:54 AM

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Reply to vxbush in 13:

Insurrection.

vxbush 6/16/2020 9:27:48 AM

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Reply to JCM in 15:

Indeed. 

So does anyone have a link to the video that Rush is talking about this morning? I can't hear what is being said in it. 

buzzsawmonkey 6/16/2020 9:39:15 AM

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buzzsawmonkey 6/16/2020 9:42:45 AM

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JCM 6/16/2020 9:53:09 AM

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Reply to vxbush in 16:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1TbvQ9MAQI

doppelganglander 6/16/2020 10:02:12 AM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 17:

I learned that from the story of Edward Jenner in my fourth-grade reading book. 

buzzsawmonkey 6/16/2020 10:05:08 AM

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In #20 doppelganglander said: I learned that from the story of Edward Jenner in my fourth-grade reading book. 

You'd think NPR might have thought to mention it in passing.

vxbush 6/16/2020 10:06:22 AM

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In #19 JCM said: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1TbvQ9MAQI

Thank you. Watching.....

vxbush 6/16/2020 10:12:10 AM

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In #22 vxbush said: Thank you. Watching.....

Oh, that was good. 

JCM 6/16/2020 10:32:08 AM

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Seattle reaches deal with 'CHOP' to remove temporary roadblocks, replace with concrete barriers

doppelganglander 6/16/2020 10:44:18 AM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 21:

I would have. Then again, I'm the person who included the fact that a ten-penny nail is abbreviated 10d, from the Latin denarius, when I wrote a home inspection course.

I love the subhead on this article. Must be the Knights Templar or something.

The shocking truth about nail sizes! What they don't want you to know

vxbush 6/16/2020 11:01:00 AM

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In #25 doppelganglander said: I love the subhead on this article. Must be the Knights Templar or something.

There must be a code hidden in every box that leads to Solomon's Treasure. 

Occasional Reader 6/16/2020 11:01:05 AM

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In #19 JCM said: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1TbvQ9MAQI

Wow.  That right there is bravery.  

doppelganglander 6/16/2020 11:31:08 AM

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Reply to vxbush in 26:

Nah, it just says "Drink more Ovaltine."

Occasional Reader 6/16/2020 11:33:14 AM

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In #25 doppelganglander said: What they don't want you to know

Don't you see?!  It's THEY... a conspiracy of THEM!... the giant freaking ants! 

doppelganglander 6/16/2020 2:06:40 PM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 29:

Of course! How could I be so blind?

Occasional Reader 6/16/2020 2:32:09 PM

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Reply to doppelganglander in 30:

Remember, aim for the antennae!

doppelganglander 6/16/2020 2:46:26 PM

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Reply to doppelganglander in 30:

Seriously, though, I would love to explore the use of conspiracy thinking in advertising. The first time I encountered the phrase "secrets THEY don't want you to know!" was in an infomercial in the early '90s for Kevin Trudeau's weight loss system. I couldn't understand how so many people fell for such an obviously fraudulent scam. (Trudeau is in federal prison and scheduled for release in 2022.)

Conspiracy advertising is more complex than it seems. First, it tells you that you're missing out on "secrets" and it's "their" fault. Clearly those secrets must be very valuable. And here's someone offering you access to those secrets for three easy payments of $19.99 plus shipping and handling! Obviously this person recognizes you as smarter than the average bear to trust you with these astounding secrets. You'd be crazy not to take advantage. But what you're paying for isn't the esoteric knowledge itself or what you can do with it, like make money. It's membership in the club of worthy and exalted Water Buffalo, or whatever. Knowing something makes you both superior and one of the gang.

I'll let you draw your own parallels to various political movements.

buzzsawmonkey 6/16/2020 2:59:22 PM

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Reply to doppelganglander in 32:

Me, I'm just fascinated by advertising subliminalism.  

Remember "Chiquita Banana," Carmen Miranda-like spokescharacter for the banana growers?  Subliminal oral sex: "Chick eat a banana."

Remember "Chapstick?" Yeah, it's supposed to stop chapped lips, but the name was chosen to make it OK for men to use "lipstick"; Chap + (lip)stick. 

Brilliant.

Occasional Reader 6/16/2020 3:14:45 PM

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In #33 buzzsawmonkey said: Remember "Chiquita Banana," Carmen Miranda-like spokescharacter for the banana growers?  Subliminal oral sex: "Chick eat a banana."

Hmm.  Perhaps, but I think it's a bit of a stretch.  That name and the character and jingle have been around a looonnng time, I think before people had ever really thought about "subliminal advertising"

doppelganglander 6/16/2020 3:25:33 PM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 33:

I never thought of that about Chiquita, but I'm not a guy. 

In the mid-80s, I worked briefly as an admin assistant in the marketing department at Johnson & Johnson. My manager liked to ask me to come up with marketing ideas for various products - nothing formal, just throwing out ideas on the fly. Apparently I was very good at it because he encouraged me to pursue a career in marketing. I couldn't do it. It felt wrong to manipulate people's emotions to sell them mouthwash. Because it's not really about having fresher breath - it's about assuaging the fear that your friends will abandon you and you'll die alone with cats.

lucius septimius 6/16/2020 4:19:20 PM

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Reply to doppelganglander in 35:

I can see the commercial now -- fat ugly woman sitting in a dirty chair in a house full of cats and empty Styrofoam take-out containers with the voice-over "and this all could have been avoided had she only used Scope!"

doppelganglander 6/16/2020 4:45:17 PM

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Reply to lucius septimius in 36:

It's like you can see into my future.

/rushes to Target to buy Scope

Occasional Reader 6/16/2020 4:57:44 PM

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In #37 doppelganglander said: rushes to Target to buy Scope

No, other way around, you're supposed to use the Scope to acquire the Target...