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Odds, Ends (updated)

1.  Thanks so much to Greg Hill for Heavy Metal, Escape from Alcatraz, and the original Cape Fear on DVD.  I’ve turned into a big Robert Mitchum fan, have always been a Clint fan, and can’t for the life of my think how anyone wouldn’t get excited over a soundtrack that features Queen, Journey and Heart.

What?

2.  Neo-neocon explores shame and shame cultures:

Not all anger is alike, of course. Any offense or injustice can (and will) provoke anger, and some of that anger is justified. But the anger of those who are driven by their need to obliterate their own feelings of shame will have a special quality of being disproportionate and out-of-synch with the seriousness of any offense or insult that may have sparked the feelings of shame. They also often seek a scapegoat to blame. This is the hallmark of the shame-avoidant response; its irrational, over-the-top quality, and/or its need to find substitute targets.

But this does not happen only on an individual level. When whole countries, cultures, and/or groups of people feel the need to run from feelings of shame–beware, beware!

Well worth a complete read.

3.  Terry Hastings sends along a pair of very interesting City Journal articles that speak to the subject of torture.  The second of two, Terry notes, “takes on the narrative put forth by the legacy media, and provides some great background on how our coerced interrogation techniques were refined and honed in Afghanistan.”

4.  “Scientists Discover How to Flip a Molecular Switch” (h/t Tom Pechinski):

A means for controlling single-molecule switches by engineering their design and surrounding environment has been developed by a research team led by scientists at Penn State, Rice University, and the University of Oregon. The research demonstrates that single-molecule switches can be tailored to respond in predictable and stable ways, depending on the direction of the electric field applied to them–while some switches were engineered to turn on, others were engineered to turn off in response to the same applied electric field. The discovery, which is an essential step in the emerging field of molecular electronics, could further the development of nano-components—as small as molecules or atoms—for use in future generations of computers and other electronic devices.

Which, from a practical standpoint, means we’re this close to being able to dowload midget porn wirelessly into a microscopic chip implanted directly into the cerebral cortex.

5. Mushiloon points me to this Washington Times piece about Bret Chenkin, a high school English and Social Studies teacher who is facing questions from administrators after giving a vocabulary quiz that included digs at Bush and conservatives.  (Originally found on All Things Conservative).

6.  I used to love stuffing.  Now?  It fills me with an existential dread.  Give me steamed asparagus.  Steamed asparagus just reeks of hope.

7.  Go nominate Patterico for a Nobel Prize.  True, his use of a handgun doesn’t measure up to Tookie’s, but he’s a natty dresser from what I hear, and he really really really does love peace.

16 Replies to “Odds, Ends (updated)”

  1. Matt H. says:

    Also makes your urine reek, incidentally.

  2. Jack Roy says:

    Steamed asparagus just reeks of hope.

    So my pee reeks of hope, now?

    Oh, wait.  Beaten to the punch.  Meh.

  3. McGehee says:

    Go take a reeky leaky.

  4. Donald says:

    Good news, Al Franken is signing his book at the Carter Center in Atlanta tomorrow!  You know, for the people.

  5. harrison says:

    “download midget porn”

    Little people or little files?

  6. Sean C. says:

    Aren’t you a professor of something or other, Jeff?  Why don’t you get together with that Reynolds character and those lawyers from Powerline and nominate Patterico for the Nobel?  Better yet, nominate the armodillo.

  7. TerryH says:

    Hah!

    I see that the good Dr.Vikturd dela FruitLoop has established residence on Neo’s comments pages.  The hard left continues its descent into self parody.

    He should write for the NYTimes.

  8. APF says:

    I hate peace more than love itself.

    Remember to nominate me for “Best of the Blogs!” Also visit my site for tantalizing glimpses of my thighs in various states of undress!

    Remember, that’s APF–where the “F” stands for ForfuckssakevisitmycrappywebsiteorI’llcontunuetospamyoutodeathwithmylinkwhoringways.

    xxx

    APF

    Word verification test: put

    Tee hee hee!  *blush* Oh my!

  9. roscoe k says:

    Jeff,

    re Robert Mitchum, I recommend seeing The Friends of Eddie Coyle. (1973) Mitchum is great as “Eddie Fingers” Coyle, a low-level hood in the Boston underworld.  Peter Yates (Bullit) directs.  Peter Boyle is in it as well. Excellent movie.(see reviews in link)

  10. NukemHill says:

    Hope you like the movies!  Can’t go wrong with Eastwood.  Or practically pornographic cartoons.  rasberry

  11. slickdpdx says:

    Being a psychic warrior of a kind youself, you ought to recognize BOC, too.

  12. TerryH says:

    From the linked article:

    Mr. Chenkin, 36, a teacher for seven years, said he isn’t shy about sharing his liberal views with students as a way of prompting debate, but said the quizzes are being taken out of context.

    “The kids know it’s hyperbolic, so to speak,” he said. “They know it’s tongue in cheek.” But he said he would change his teaching methods if there is concern.

    “I’ll put in both sides,” he said. “Especially if it’s going to cause a lot of grief.”

    Yeah, right.  I’m sure high school kids are quick to pick up on the fact that Chenkin is just kidding, and am equally sure that Chenkin always puts things in the proper context so everyone knows that this is just one side of the story.

    At the college level an assistant professor recently resigned amid furor over his anti war positions in and out of the classroom.

    The AAUP has (routinely ignored) guidelines w/r to using the classroom to promote political ideology.  Since this guideline is routinely ignored David Horowitz has been working to introduce his academic bill of rights as a means of restoring a sense of balance and context into what is presented in the classroom.  From the AAUP guidelines:

    Teachers are entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing their subject, but they should be careful not to introduce into their teaching controversial matter which has no relation to their subject.[2] Limitations of academic freedom because of religious or other aims of the institution should be clearly stated in writing at the time of the appointment

    Since the invention of the internet by Al Gore I now have alternate venues other than the legacy media to find out what is going on.  This website is one of my favorites.  But what about our public school system?  Are we expected to invent an alternate school system to combat blatant indoctrination?

  13. Ric Locke says:

    Are we expected to invent an alternate school system to combat blatant indoctrination?

    Already in work. The current battle is over whether or not we can get back the money given to the existing one under false pretenses.

    Regards,

    Ric

  14. John Nowak says:

    Oh, for Bogarty goodness try The Roaring Twenties. Bogart plays the villain, Cagney plays the antihero. It’s two kinds of delight!

  15. “Night of the Hunter”, one of the greatest movies ever made.  We have a church bell in town that plays “Bringing in the Sheaves”, and every time I hear it, it freaks me out.  Watch at night, in the dark.

    Mitchum is the only actor I can think of that can make Deniro in full psycho mode look like a pansy.

    The scene in “Thunder Road” where he flicks his cigarette through the window of the other car made me start smoking.  I kid you not, it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. 

    He also played Marlowe twice, he did an OK job.  “Farewell My Lovely” was better than the “Big Sleep” remake. 

    Coincidentally, “Farewell My Lovely” is my current toilet reading.  Or is that too much information?

    TW: yes.  Ah….

  16. Sigivald says:

    Steamed? Heathen.

    375 degree oven.

    Olive oil and kosher salt.

    10-15 minutes.

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