16 October 2022

Link round-up for 16 October 2022

Various interesting stuff I ran across on the net over the last week.

o o o o o

This fish launched a perfectly targeted attack.

When praying, speak clearly.

What if dragons were loonies?

It's the love that dare not speak its name.

He had a complaint about Star Trek.

Right away, you can tell this is Japan.

Friends stick together, rain or shine.

That's a big frog.

That's a big fish.

That's a scary potato.

They just keep on rollin'.

Such people exist.

This ebola song deserves to go viral.

Baby M reports from the Disney Haunted Mansion.

John Lennon would have turned 82 last week.

It's always much easier to bash a content creator than to actually create something oneself.

Nobody does Halloween like Lady M and her hometown.

Here's why Inigo Montoya is such an iconic character.

Here's why Lupita Nyong'o wasn't in The Woman King.  The film's drastic revision of history conceals a more interesting and complex truth.

Our long national nightmare is over -- Amazon's Rings of Power has finally stumbled to its ludicrous end.

Costumes are another way in which filmmaking has deteriorated.

Audiences don't hate "diverse" characters.

Now and then, you should do something lame and corny.

Learn to avoid making up guys to be mad at.

Beware these commonly-confused words.

Blogger Esme finds an antique tome.

Writer Aithal describes immigrating to the US at the dawn of the IT age.

Here's another sign that cryptocurrency is on the way down.


These are the Glowworm Caves of New Zealand.

This is London in the 1930s.

Rest in peace, Robbie Coltrane.

There are good reasons why we hate the lesser evil more.

In space, William Shatner found only the cold and dark of death.

If you don't want your private stuff spread around after you're dead for people to jack off over, burn it while you can.  James Joyce apparently didn't think of that.

Forget your dreams of subsistence farming.

The bridges we build to other people deserve careful consideration.

For Johnny Profane, memory and solitude were the keys to a joyful existence.

Not everyone can be a gardener.

Consider the horror of an ant on the bus.

Photos from space provide a colorful new view of geology.

The DART mission was a smashing success -- see the impact debris.

Chernobyl provides an example of natural selection in action.

At least some dinosaurs were very colorful.

The advocates of space colonization have no grasp of how complex and demanding the biological underpinnings would be (read the comments too).  But there's a precedent for their dreams.  Space colonization would also raise new issues of sexual harassment.

Another political blog has been taken down, while yet another has had several posts removed.  Both left-leaning and right-leaning blogs have been hit in the apparent new wave of censorship.  As I said two weeks ago, if you have a blog that includes any sexually-explicit material or controversial opinions, or if you have trolls/assholes who would like to see you censored or silenced, you need to back up all your material frequently and do your research on censorship-free platforms, so that if you get taken down, you can be back up and posting on a suitable new platform as quickly as possible.


Mass migrations have long played a major role in human history.

This asshole tried out his spyware on the wrong people.

If humans have souls, what about twins?

The promise of consumer technology has turned bleak and sour.

Hispanic Americans are becoming less Catholic.  Only 48% now self-identify as Catholic.

The old lies about marijuana have no credibility any more.

A preacher promotes a new technique for being an asshole to baristas and fast-food workers.

It's a message from God, but why did he bother?

Here's a discussion of abortion from an unusual perspective.

Wildfires return to my state, bringing the smokiest air in the US.

Read Trump's childish letter to the January 6 committee.  Here's an analysis of the final day of hearings, plus video.

Social Security can be fixed without cuts (link from Annie).

"When one believes a Big Lie, small truths are easy to ignore."

Why have evangelicals turned against separation of church and state?

Elon Musk is no friend of democracy.

If this is true, the Postal Service is destroying some business-reply envelopes.

Nobody should be saddled with a lifelong dependence on artificial hormone treatments.

Biden delivered for younger voters.

What kind of threat does monkeypox pose?

People need to get out of Florida.

It's Lysenkoism all over again.

At least one minor victim of incest has been denied an abortion in Florida due to the state's draconian forced-birth laws.

Will Trump's clear culpability sway any of his followers?

Annie Asks You interviews a voting activist.

Today's Republicans are more likely to follow through on threats to not raise the debt ceiling because they are stupider and more ideological than their predecessors -- but there's a way for Democrats to neutralize the danger.

Racism isn't dead, but.....

"I said f--k the voting, let's get right to the violence."


The trauma that afflicts first responders is different than you'd think.

Mandela Barnes has been damaged by accusations of being soft on crime.  Democratic candidates need to avoid taking positions that render them vulnerable to this line of attack.

Apparently some Medicare Advantage plans are a rip-off.

Don't let anyone discourage you from voting.  It's a long game.

Here's a map of likely H-bomb targets in the US in a major nuclear war (military bases, ports, airports, administrative centers, and suchlike).  The big clusters in Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming-Nebraska represent Minuteman missile bases, which would be priority targets since those missiles would be used to strike back against the attacking nation.

The Canadian Federation of Library Associations stands up to would-be book-banners.

Here's what it's like being in a hurricane.

These jackasses are just making unpleasant work for store employees, and giving vegans a bad name.

Russia's ill-trained new conscripts are doomed.  The country's schools are being crippled as teachers flee conscription (both links found via Earth-Bound Misfit).

Aside from advanced weapons, conventional heavy artillery is playing a role in Ukraine.

Here's a way to discourage Russia from attacking civilian targets.

Here's why Russia probably won't use nuclear weapons.

Ukrainians have no interest in surrender or negotiation.  One expert argues that a Ukrainian victory is almost inevitable.  There are growing signs of infighting and instability within Putin's regime.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali sees hope for Iran, partly because so many men are supporting women's freedom.  Protesters express their defiance of the regime.  A song composed from rebellious tweets got 40 million plays in 48 hours.

Iranian oil workers are joining the uprising.  At least 26 of the regime's thugs have been killed.

Repression of women is integral to autocracy.  Autocratic regimes have an innate tendency to become incompetent.

The murder of a Palestinian man in Hebron unmasks a little-discussed persecution.

The Saudi regime is an enemy of the West and Western values, not an ally.

More links at Angry Bear, Miss Cellania, and Fair and Unbalanced.

My own posts this week:  an image round-up, a personal request*, and a Republican threat to Social Security and Medicare.

o o o o o

If you want to send me something as a suggestion for inclusion in the link round-up, you can use my e-mail, which is in the profile.

*Sincere thanks to those who have donated so far -- I truly appreciate each one of you!

17 Comments:

Blogger Lady M said...

Only through the first seven of these but had to say something. That dog humping the chicken is so funny. The guinea pig and frog videos - too cute and that tire rolling down the rode - did we just pass someone taking a dump??? Lucky they were not taken out by that tire. Thanks for including my Halloween posts.

16 October, 2022 05:43  
Blogger Mary Kirkland said...

The only hurricane I was ever in was in 1982 in California. We got a bunch of rain and I really only remember it because I was living with my grandma at the time. Two trees in her yard were uprooted, a few shingles off her roof came off, the rain was really something and the winds were crazy. Living in Las Vegas for the past 33 years has been nice because I don't have to worry about hurricanes, tornadoes, or many earthquakes.

16 October, 2022 12:01  
Anonymous NickM said...

I have just finished watching the Amazon RoP series. I have never in my entire life watched a billion dollars spunked-up the wall in such stupendous fashion. It got everything wrong. I shall write more, somewhere, but Eru help me! That was from arsehole to breakfast-time a master-class in Clusterfuckwittery. I say all that both as a life-long Tolkienista and as someone just watching the telly and expecting good plot, dialogue, acting, pacing - the usual.

What transpired instead was a crime against humanity and Jeff Bezos needs punishing in a special way. He needs to be made to watch it straight-through with only the briefest of comfort breaks. And then asked plot-related questions...

Harsh, I know, and certainly against my general principles against torture but needs must when Satan shits in Frodo's kettle.

16 October, 2022 13:07  
Blogger yellowdoggranny said...

fumckme...82...wish he was with us still and Trump was roasting in hell.

16 October, 2022 13:11  
Blogger Infidel753 said...

Lady M: I didn't realize dogs could be that pervy, but yeah, it was funny. I noticed the person, if that's what it was, squatting by the road -- if he was having trouble crapping, I bet the tires scared it right out of him.

Thanks for your posts -- I look forward to your blog every day right now.

Mary K: Sounds terrifying. I've never experienced a hurricane. Glad there are some positives about living in Nevada.

NickM: I haven't watched it -- Amazon's not getting a dime out of me -- but I've seen so many clips in all these review videos that I have a sense of what it's like. The trashing of Tolkien's established history is beyond belief and the characters are beyond recognition. A lot of YouTubers have gotten some mileage out of lines like "there is a tempest in me" and "give me the meat, and give it to me raw". That kind of writing is just asking for it.

In a few decades Bezos will be forgotten and Tolkien's novels will still be classics read by millions.

Granny: I can certainly agree with that!

16 October, 2022 18:27  
Blogger SickoRicko said...

Quite a few very interesting links. How to managed to have the time to find them is very impressive. I had to steal that runaway tire movie. The FEMA map of nuclear targets was especially interesting. Even in an *only* 500 warhead scenario, this country would still be in a heap of trouble. Not to mention any country down wind.

16 October, 2022 19:50  
Anonymous NickM said...

Infidel,
It isn't just the bizarre disregard for the actual legendarirum (but he wasn't even born 'till 2000 years later!!! kinda stuff). I say bizarre because Amazon apparently spent $250m on the rights. But things like logistics... At on point the Numenoreans stage a "special military operation" back in Middle Earth with three small ships that somehow contain an entire cavalry regiment. It is sloppy as Hell. The dialogue is appalling and flits glibly between "high style" and low... With the added weirdness that it presents a najor animus for Numenorean dis-like Elves not as an envy of the immortality but a kinda trade union thing - all these Elves coming over here, taking our jobs sort of thing... The multi-racial casting is also odd. Now, I'm not gonna get-up about black Elves but where it really doesn't work is within families where there are fathers and sons who don't look at all similar. This really doesn't help you follow it when the family trees have been put the through the blender...

17 October, 2022 02:35  
Blogger Daal said...

great giff about bitcoin. I was fortunate enough to see glowworms of New Zealand & they're beautiful! as for Iran, a huge problem is that if government gets overthrown, there doesn't seem to be any potential replacement leader who enough people trust to take over...

17 October, 2022 09:12  
Blogger Daal said...

by the way - thanks for linking my site :-)

17 October, 2022 09:17  
Blogger Infidel753 said...

Ricko: Prevailing winds tend to be west-to-east. I'm not sure whether the fallout from the east coast would reach Europe, but that from the west coast would certainly reach a lot of those relatively un-targeted areas of the inland west.

NickM: Yes, those points were noted in the review videos I've seen. The "taking our trades" line doesn't make sense in context, but it's a jab at anti-immigrant sentiment in the US -- another example of the jarring insertion of references to contemporary politics that ruins so many projects like this. Maybe the worst part is that the "good guys" are almost more evil than the bad guys -- Galadriel is obnoxious and cruel, and the harfoots are always threatening to leave people behind to die for the flimsiest of reasons. At any rate, everyone seems to agree that the thing is a disaster, hopefully quickly to be forgotten.

Daal: Bitcoin is devoid of value except for the comic relief it generates -- which is still not enough to justify the huge energy wastage of "mining".

That was a problem in Iran in 1979 as well -- the hated Shah was overthrown, but there were no democratic institutions ready to replace him, so the well-organized clergy were able to take power. Given that precedent, hopefully the people this time will be better prepared. Iran does have a legislature and president which are elected -- the problem now is that the clergy limit who can run, and can override its decisions. Perhaps that system could serve as the basis for a transition to real democracy, if the "supreme leader" and "assembly of experts" are abolished.

17 October, 2022 10:35  
Anonymous NickM said...

Good point about the jarring interjection of USA in AD2022 into Numenor in the Second Age. It's like some guy running in the mid-terms with the slogan, "Tough on dragons, tough on the causes of dragons" in - i dunno - Iowa. It has a noted fire-drake problem...

The rabble rouser is down the docks. The *One* Elf is Galadriel. I dunno about you but I don't exactly see the Great Queen (and a descendent of Melian, a semi-divine Maia) becoming a stevedore!

I don't think Morfydd Clark is too bad as Galadriel (obviously she's no Cate Blanchett but then who is?) and in some ways her being quite unpleasant (at times) is part of the character development that is otherwise sadly lacking in the show. She's almost a beacon amongst some shockingly hammy acting.

17 October, 2022 13:50  
Blogger Infidel753 said...

I can't see dragons showing up in Iowa. They'd be afraid Joni Ernst would catch them and treat them like hogs.

I certainly don't blame Morfydd Clark for this mess (although unfortunately others will) -- she's playing the character as presented in the script she was given. It's a problem of disastrously bad writing and following a woke identity-politics agenda instead of strictly adhering to Tolkien's ideas and imagery.

18 October, 2022 03:15  
Anonymous NickM said...

"It's always much easier to bash a content creator than to actually create something oneself."

That's a bit of a mouthful. Let's call it Morgothing...

18 October, 2022 07:10  
Blogger Martha said...

Another amazing round-up. The one that got to me the most is "Here's a discussion of abortion from an unusual perspective." That was a very interesting one!

20 October, 2022 06:50  
Blogger Infidel753 said...

NickM: Maybe, maybe not, since that one was in reference to atheist bloggers.

Martha: It certainly is an unusual perspective. I suspect many people in that position share it, though. Most people wouldn't want another person to be forced to die for their sake.

20 October, 2022 08:05  
Blogger Jack said...

Censorship sucks. Good thing none of our opinions are controversial!

22 October, 2022 06:04  
Blogger Infidel753 said...

Indeed..... heh.

22 October, 2022 07:04  

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