That is indeed the Florida method of handling roundabouts.
Month: September 2024
Looks
I have been working on a longer post about the sociology and cultural ramifications of 1980s music videos. But as break from that, this image from a ZZ Top vid reminded me of a common woman’s look from the 1980s that’s completely disappeared now.
Those very tight tops with mid-rise (also tight) jeans were extremely common during the 1980s. Almost always braless too, of course, which would be verboten now. It’s a look that most can’t really pull off these days because it requires being svelte. But most women were back then! And no tattoos. The women from then are so much more attractive to me because their skin had not been devastated with horrible tattoos as is almost always the case now.
I wouldn’t want to go back, but damn not having terrible tattoos everywhere would be a real positive thing.
Double
Brian De Palma on the ‘Body Double’ Ending and His New Film.
That is a good film that sometimes hits greatness.
Body Double is beloved today. But it’s also the kind of movie that nobody could make today
That’s true; I miss those kind of movies. Sydney Sweeney in The Voyeurs is as close as we can get these days. And De Palma on younger millennials and Gen Z is dead on.
What I find interesting when you see contemporary people watch these movies is they’re shocked by the nudity. They go, “Oh my God.” I’m thinking, What, are we living in the Victorian Age here? You know, they have these things on YouTube where they have two people watching a movie and reacting as they watch it? I saw two people watching the opening of Carrie. I thought they were going to have a heart attack! I was like, What has happened to this next generation? They seem to have gotten very Victorian.
I don’t think that the new Puritans realize they are living staid, bland lives at the behest of tech companies and their profits. But it’s obvious when you think about it (as De Palma also has) for 30 seconds. I wonder what if anything will shift this cultural course?
Gan
What is your ideal vacation spot and why?
Ganymede. Radiation from Jupiter won’t kill me on the far side and I can still see shit. Also, no one is there.
Accipitridae
Hailey Welsh does seem like a genuinely fun, authentic person. Like someone you’d want to be friends with. Well, at least I would. She saw her shot and took it. Competently, I might add. There’s nothing more American than that.
Deadly, Exploding Pagers Force the U.S. to Get Serious About Malware from China in U.S. Products that Are Potential National Security Threats. A lot of Chinese crap won’t explode, but is 100% backdoored.
Strategies to secure America’s supply chains.
US sends 60kW high energy laser-equipped warship to Japan amid 2027 China threat.
Industrial Policy as Democratic Practice.
China’s ambitions for semiconductor self-sufficiency thwarted by lack of chipmaking tools.
UK, US and Australia ramp up hypersonic missile work.
Despite warnings, Texas rushed to remove millions from Medicaid. Eligible residents lost care.
Alarming Surge: Global Crisis of Childhood Overweight and Obesity.
7s
Dang. WHERE Y’ALL AT?
FDG
Fuck degrowth. We need Dyson spheres and starships.
Pol
It’s amazing what some fuckin’ industrial policy can do.
Dumb Up
I will always disagree with the philosophy that we should design every tech product for the dumbest possible motherfucker we can locate. In most products, there should always be an “advanced” area where people who need powerful shit can do powerful shit. This used to be available back in the day — Gnome had it, and it worked great.
All that was stolen from us. I’m sorry, but I do not have a room temperature IQ. I need power. I need the ability to make things do what I want them to do. I don’t really care what others need. I used to but this “taking everything useful away” made me too angry to give a damn.
Satya Needs Data
It will now be even more impossible to log out of Windows 11.
Microsoft wants to make sure there is always a way to steal yet more data. Clown-ass dipshits who argued (and there were many of them) that Microsoft wasn’t really engaging in massive data-thievin’ are looking awfully foolish now.
Morality
Anyone who supports Russia in the war against Ukraine is a moral monster and really should go over and participate in one of Putin’s meat waves.
Those are also the same ignoramuses who believe sinking a civilian ship is fine, but it’s a war crime to attack enemy troops with legal weapons. Not only are they morally repugnant, they are really fucking dumb. Terrible combination.
Noise
I listened to all or part of 376 new (to me) songs tonight/this morning.