Category Archives: Culture

Operation Global Media Domination: no more games

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TIAIt seems nobody cares if Harry Potter is dead. Nobody but the BBC, that is, which commented on my post about the story in the Guardian. The BBC is trawling my blog for readers: while I am somewhat stunned at this micro-, nay, nanomanagement, I’m okay with it if they’ll only give me the linkie luv. Translation: they don’t allow you to leave the URL of your blog your signature, ie like this: raincoaster. Frightfully Web 1.0 of them.

In other OGMD news, the Mento and Diet Coke Fountain Madness is dying out as those mad scientists lay the smackdown on YouTube and the video has been kaput for a week now, after nicely threatening the existence of my blog. I wonder how long you have to respond to those threats before the powers that be nuke the blog. Could be tricky, as I do not actually have electricity at home at the moment.

And although for the past several days it’s been beating the coprophilia out of the Beautiful Agony post, today nobody is interested in Watching the World Cup For Free. Is it over or something?

I only care about the Stanley Cup, yo. Do they even have ice in Carolina?

knitiloids!

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KnitiloidsTwo Squid-related posts in one day!!! Can you fucking stand it???

Pretty thrilling, eh?

From Knitie, via BoingBoing, comes news of these adorable knitting patterns. Craft your very own tentacled beauty from a vanished era; I prefer the longer, more squid-like version, but then I’m a size queen when it comes to Squid.

Hey, sometimes a Squid is just a Squid.

Every scary prehistoric beast should be made into a huggable toy, and I say it’s the nautiloid’s turn.

Their living relatives include the squid, the octopus, and the famous chambered nautilus.

Henry VIII: first known casualty of Atkins diet

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Hank 8...everything in sight, apparentlyFrom Fortean Times. I have friends who’ve been on the Atkins diet, megaprotein, zero carbs, avoid carrots and many other veggies, as they’re terribly starchy; each and every one of them swears it works. And each and every one of them is overweight. What do they teach them in school nowadays? (besides math)

June 28. Henry VIII, the king who destroyed the fabric of monastic England and most of its sacred shrines, was born today in 1491. It used to be thought that he died of syphilis, but it was malnutrition that did him in, according to historian Susan Maclean Kybett; specifically, he didn’t eat his greens. It seemed that scurvy, caused by vitamin C deficiency, is the only disease that fits his symptoms – ulcerated legs, bad breath, collapsed nose etc. There was a prejudice at the time that only lower orders ate vegetables; the rich could afford more exiting things like venison.

Fatkins

Thank god that particular fad is over. I’m a little tired of going to restaurants with people who smell like abatoirs and who insist on ordering three courses and then whining about how they can’t eat two of them.

On the bright side, I’ve much enjoyed the extra servings of dessert and even convinced one poor sap that Martinis are high in carbs…here, let me get rid of that so it doesn’t bother you. You can have the twist, though.

fuddle duddle, the VIDEO!!!

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One day in February, 1971: A great moment in Canadian history. Someone once said that in Pierre Elliott Trudeau Canada has at last produced a political leader worth of assassination, and love him or hate him you just have to agree. Watch the video and make up your own mind.

Thanks to Raj for grabbing and re-formatting, cropping, and uploading. God knows I’m far too lazy to do all that myself.

 

Plus bonus: The October Crisis, the Kidnapping of Pierre Laporte

This is so damn earnest, it just may be the most Canadian thing I’ve ever seen.
What say you all?

Japan surrounded by plagues of gigantic jellyfish

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Nomura's Jellyfish gets takeout

They might as well surrender. All hail our Scyphozoan Overlords! Really, tabloidy news doesn’t get any better than “Japan surrounded by plagues of giant jellyfish” unless we could somehow work KFed and Posh into it.

From the Daily Yomiuri Online, via Japanprobe, who blames it on China. I thought everything was Korea’s fault?

“Doctor, there’s trouble! The sea is full of jellyfish!” the student shouted…

Full! I tell you! Full, I say!

300 million to 500 million Echizen jellyfish were flowing into the Sea of Japan from the Tsushima Strait every day. After moving northward through the Tsugaru Strait, the jellyfish swam into the Pacific Ocean, ringing the coast of the nation. During their seagoing voyage, the jellyfish grow up to 1.5 meters in diameter and 200 kilograms in weight…

“The only solution seems to be to contain the source of the plague. We urge researchers to determine the cause of the plague. We also ask officials involved in the industry to hold talks with their counterparts in neighboring nations to tackle the plague,” Nishiyama said.

Ah, isn’t this the point at which the smart people start ignoring the experts and invading radio stations with old 78’s of Indian Love Call? Buy land UPHILL, people, buy land UPHILL.

And here, Nomura's Jellyfish attends a buffet