Steve Dyer

mumpsimus: adherence to or persistence in an erroneous use of language, memorization, practice, belief, etc., out of habit or obstinacy.

The people have spoken.

Democratization of the internet and the free exchange of information is crucial to the expansion of social liberalism. Every day we see more forces at work trying to prevent us from getting the information we need to remain truly informed as engaged citizens. For example, the history revisionists in Texas are imbuing fiction into the textbooks that provide misinformation to the 4,000 children in America who can afford public education; George Soros has his propaganda machine churning out more deceptions than ever; and Congress has, if I may be crass, “pulled the plug” on our internet privacy protections, opening the door for that skeezeball Assange to ruin each of our lives on a more individualized basis from his Ecuadorian dungeon of shame. This makes us even more collectively malleable at this dark moment in our nation’s history. One thing you see a lot of is the media recklessly drawing false equivalencies between two loosely related things in order to craft a point that furthers their agenda. However, the people are sharing e-information with each other that counters the corporate narratives and allows us to control our agenda. All this is to say: Señor Frog’s in Orlando, Florida is better than the UNESCO World Heritage Sites — please find the evidence to support this claim below.

No one gives a care about your birthday at the Great Pyramid of Giza! +1 to the frog.

Modern day “no room at the inn” story vs. one tremendously dissatisfied customer!

Have on good authority that “latino” night at the Taj Mahal is terrible!

The bureaucrats puffing cigars on Capitol Hill don’t want you to read this.

Radio silence about this on the Clinton News Network (CNN).

Whoa party in Jovan’s backyard, am I wrong?

Up to you if you want your family to have fun or not I guess.

More evidence that’s been buried by our corporate overlords.

Enough said!

Kaeleigh Forsyth is a writer who lives and struggles every day in Queens.

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Señor Frog’s Is Better Than The Wonders Of The World was originally published in The Awl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The post Gender Reversal Teaches Uncomfortable Lessons appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION.

Break out the duct tape and heels, because RuPaul’s Drag Race is back. Gay March Madness begins tonight when the ninth season of the beloved drag competition kicks off at 8 p.m. Eastern on its new home VH1.

The new night and channel aren’t the only big news hitting Drag Race. Tonight’s premiere features one of the most exciting guest judges in herstory: Lady Gaga.

As a new batch of queens descends upon the workroom, we’re working on our own bracket to guess a winner. (And we’ll be back with our weekly Tops and Bottoms Power Rankings Saturdays.) We got a sneak peak of this season’s Racers in action at an NYC premiere party featuring performances from all the competitors. We also got to have some quick chats with the queens in attendance.

We’ve shared some samples of the gurls’ work and our initial thoughts below so you can get a jump on getting to know this season’s ladies.

And don’t miss our weekly RECAPS on Saturday morning.

 

Aja
Brooklyn, New York

Here’s the Tee:

This BK queen is just the right blend of underground artistry and signature star power. Her lip sync choices are unique, and she can deliver even speed rap with expert precision. “Aja means ‘Come here’ in Hindi,” she explained at the New York premiere. “The name has so much magnetism, it just gravitates people to come toward me.”

It’s true that there’s something alluring about Aja that makes you unable to look away. The judges might clock her makeup skills though, which is a weakness. Her paint lacks a bit of refinement that might fail to stand up beside the more polished competitors.

 

Alexis Michelle
New York, New York

Here’s the Tee:

It took Alexis eight tries to make the cut for RuPaul’s Drag Race, but she certainly seems ready for the main stage now. This veteran performer (and self-described “most elegant dick pig you’ve ever seen”) has a soft-spot for Broadway and 1970s gay standards like Barbra, Donna Summer and Aretha Franklin.

What remains to be seen is if she’s a little too old school when compared to some of the edgier up-and-coming queens in the race. Unlike other contestants (here and famously elsewhere), Alexis may actually be here to make friends. “Honestly, I’m not sh*tting when I say, yes, I wanted to come and compete and to win, but I really wanted to make some friends. And I did. Big time.”

 

Charlie Hides
London, UK

Here’s the Tee:

Charlie Hides is an odd bird. The oldest contestant in Drag Race herstory (52 years young) is perhaps best known for her wacky YouTube videos parodying Lady Gaga, Cher, Lana Del Rey, Madonna and more, but her sense of humor may not be for everybody. Charlie loves to toe that line of political incorrectness in similarly stomping fashion as Bianca del Rio and other queens.

She once courted controversy for performing as a character many believed to be racially insensitive.

When asked about the backlash, Charlie replied: “All I can say is I’ve played over 100-110 characters over the years, and sometimes people have not seen the actual performances, they formed opinions based on things that they’ve heard. What you’re referring to is someone who didn’t even bother to come see the show so didn’t know the character I was doing was satirical. They didn’t know the background. It’s kind of like seeing a movie poster and deciding that they don’t like the movie based on the poster. You have to come see the show first to understand what the performance is all about. Never judge a book by its cover, which is what that satirical character you’re referring to was based on.”

 

Eureka O’Hara
Johnson City, TN

Here’s the Tee:

Everything about Eureka O’Hara is big. Yes, this season’s big gurl is an imposing presence (even in full pageant paint), but she’s got an oversized personality to match. With a sweet Southern twang in her voice and a laugh more infectious than staph infection in a bathhouse, Eureka is sure to charm viewers, but will she wow the judges?

Her performance at the season 9 premiere was high-energy with just the right amount of humor. Her drag is competent, but a touch traditional. Expect to see Eureka stick around for a bit, if for nothing more than what I imagine will be many hilarious confessional interviews.

 

Farrah Moan
Las Vegas, Nevada

Here’s the Tee:

Farrah is for sure the queen most likely to be admonished by the judges to stop relying on her good looks. She’s gorgeous. “I feel like Christina Aguilera is my favorite drag queen, because she is contoured, highlighted, cut, creased with the glitter,” Farrah told us at the NYC premiere. “She’s in full drag!”

Farrah bears more than a passing resemblance to Xtina, and her showgirl-meets-fetish aesthetic feels right out of one of Ms. Aguilera’s videos. Think of her like Courtney Act minus the singing or Derrick Barry minus the cluelessness.

 

Jaymes Mansfield
Madison, Wisconsin

Here’s the Tee:

This quirky queen is all about comedy. Part Marilyn Monroe, part Muppet, she’s got kitsch down pat. Sadly, it starts to feel a little one note. Her NYC premiere performance to Julie Brown’s “The Homecoming Queen’s Got A Gun” felt stale, and her use of a puppet did little to enhance the performance.

Jaymes seems like a sweetheart, but good is not going to be good enough to outlast some of these other queens.

 

Kimora Blac
Las Vegas, Nevada

Here’s the Tee: Thirsty, children? Ms. Kimora Blac is serving ice-cold S-E-X. She’s giving you body, she’s giving you face, she’s giving you LEWK, but she’s also giving attitude. She could easily be this season’s breakout villain depending on her edit.

While she is fierce as hell, can she slay Snatch? How will she do in group acting challenges? Sex sells, but it doesn’t usually shantay all the way to the crown.

 

Nina Bo’nina Brown
Atlanta, Georgia

Here’s the Tee:

We’re OBSESSED with Nina Bo’nina Brown. She burst onto the NYC stage in a full face of sci-fi makeup right out of Planet of the Apes at the premiere, and it gave us life. She’s got a cosplay-influenced style that blends costume, character and a whole lot of charisma for a truly unique individual. It’s not your typical female impersonation, and, as such, the makeup is more theatrical than glamour, which could get messy.

Here’s hoping Nina sticks around long enough to show the judges her wide range of skills, even if that includes one obligatory pass at pageant.

 

Peppermint
New York, New York

Here’s the Tee:

Don’t get it twisted — Peppermint is already a star. Regardless how she fares in the competition, the whole world is better off with a little more Peppermint in it. Not only is she the first contestant to enter the competition as an openly trans woman, but she’s a New York institution that’s been slaying stages for years. She rocked the crowd at the NYC premiere after appearing in a giant inflatable sphere, but she slayed our hearts when she told us “You could be fierce and fly, but you could also have a heart.”

We’re not sure if Drag Race will want to crown two established NYC queens back-to-back, but Peppermint doesn’t need a win here to establish her as America’s Next Drag Superstar.

 

Sasha Velour
Brooklyn, New York

Here’s the Tee:

Of all the performances at the NYC premiere, no one brought the house down like Sasha. Her projection-heavy performance to Sia’s “Cellophane” was truly iconic and quite possibly the most emotionally evocative drag performance I’ve ever witnessed. Sasha is a true art queen, drawing inspiration from Kevin Aviance, Lypsynka and Leigh Bowery.

This is a whip-smart queen with reverence for drag herstory, but is all that passion a touch too humorless? Sure, she’s utterly engrossing, but how will her high-art style translate to TV? From pageant princesses to campy clowns, one thing we want from most of our drag faves is to laugh.

 

Shea Coulee
Chicago, IL

Here’s the Tee:

Shea is the total package (and might be our pick to go all the way this season). She’s got a great attitude, a vibrant DIY aesthetic and some fierce Beyoncé lip syncs. Other Drag Racers may excel in looks, performance or paint, but Shea seems like the most balanced (and likable) of this year’s batch of queens.

 

Trinity Taylor
Orlando, FL

Here’s the Tee:

Trinity is known for her tuck. That’s a real thing. In fact, her social media handle is “TrinityTheTuck.” It’s not exactly the kind of superlative that alone would warrant the crown, but combined with her high-energy performance and polished pageant look it might be.

She told us her drag style is “true female impersonation.” She earned points in our book for choosing to lip sync to Erika Jayne’s “XXPEN$IVE,” but it feels like she may be a bit too focused on the illusion and not enough on the artistry.

 

Valentina
Los Angeles, CA

Here’s the Tee:

You may not realize just from looking at her, but Valentina is a fairly new queen. When she began the competition, she had only been doing drag for a short time, but she looks impeccable. It’s not until she stepped on stage at the NYC premiere that it started to show.

She performed a Spanish-language lip sync that nearly bored the crowd to tears. Here’s hoping her work on the mainstage has a little more life.

Who are your early favorites to win this season of RuPaul’s Drag Race?

The post Get To Know the ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 9 Queens in This Massive Must-Read Preview appeared first on Towleroad.

butchmcqueen:

haveitjoeway:

cursed image

scottymouth:

Back in 2014, Netflix made a four-movie deal with Adam Sandler, and today they’ve extended the deal for another round. According to Deadline, Sandler has signed officially another four-movie deal with the streaming network. Sandler is expected to star in most of the films, which will be produced through his Happy Madison production company. So […]

herotox5:

Throttlebottom: a harmless incompetent in public office.

I can't stop thinking about Venn diagrams. So, as it's Pi Day, this happened.

How did it come to this? Well, see http://vihart.com/pi-day-2017-venn-piagrams/

Pi playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5F03A9D6D278C5D9

This is my 7th annual Pi Day video!

When Queen Elizabeth II dies, who knows how a Brexit-addled Britain might react. She’s ruled now for 65 years; so long that three of her Prime Ministers were born during her rule. That’s why the Palace has a plan (known as “London Bridge”) for announcing her death, “its ceremonial aftermath”, and the ascension of Charles to the throne.

More overwhelming than any of this, though, there will be an almighty psychological reckoning for the kingdom that she leaves behind. The Queen is Britain’s last living link with our former greatness - the nation’s id, its problematic self-regard — which is still defined by our victory in the second world war. One leading historian, who like most people I interviewed for this article declined to be named, stressed that the farewell for this country’s longest-serving monarch will be magnificent. “Oh, she will get everything,” he said. “We were all told that the funeral of Churchill was the requiem for Britain as a great power. But actually it will really be over when she goes.”

Unlike the US presidency, say, monarchies allow huge passages of time — a century, in some cases — to become entwined with an individual. The second Elizabethan age is likely to be remembered as a reign of uninterrupted national decline, and even, if she lives long enough and Scotland departs the union, as one of disintegration. Life and politics at the end of her rule will be unrecognisable from their grandeur and innocence at its beginning. “We don’t blame her for it,” Philip Ziegler, the historian and royal biographer, told me. “We have declined with her, so to speak.”

This is a great piece, full of interesting details and observations throughout. Like that George V was euthanized in time for the morning paper:

“The King’s life is moving peacefully towards its close,” was the final notice issued by George V’s doctor, Lord Dawson, at 9.30pm on the night of 20 January 1936. Not long afterwards, Dawson injected the king with 750mg of morphine and a gram of cocaine — enough to kill him twice over — in order to ease the monarch’s suffering, and to have him expire in time for the printing presses of the Times, which rolled at midnight.

And that radio stations are equipped with a emergency system:

Britain’s commercial radio stations have a network of blue “obit lights”, which is tested once a week and supposed to light up in the event of a national catastrophe. When the news breaks, these lights will start flashing, to alert DJs to switch to the news in the next few minutes and to play inoffensive music in the meantime. Every station, down to hospital radio, has prepared music lists made up of “Mood 2” (sad) or “Mood 1” (saddest) songs to reach for in times of sudden mourning.

They’ve got this planned out to the second…no detail is too small:

It takes 28 minutes at a slow march from the doors of St James’s to the entrance of Westminster Hall.

British royals are buried in lead-lined coffins. Diana’s weighed a quarter of a ton.

(via @oliverburkeman)

Tags: death   journalism   Queen Elizabeth II   UK

Back in 2014, I posted that Norway would start using new banknotes in 2017 featuring an abstract pixelated design on the reverse of each note. Time did the only thing it knows how to do so here we are in 2017 and the bills will begin circulating later this year. The overall theme for the notes is “The Sea”:

Norway’s long, gnarled coastline has shaped the identity of Norwegians individually and as a nation. The use of marine resources, combined with the use of the sea as a transport artery, has been crucial to the development of Norwegian society.

And each particular note has its own subtheme:

The 50-krone banknote: The sea that binds us together
The 100-krone banknote: The sea that takes us out into the world
The 200-krone banknote: The sea that feeds us
The 500-krone banknote: The sea that gives us prosperity
The 1000-krone banknote: The sea that carries us forward

The final design concept by Terje Tønnessen was chosen from among several finalists. I love the final design but also really like the concept by Aslak Gurholt with a children’s drawing on the back of each note echoing the illustration on the front.

Also of note (ha!): Norges Bank crowdsourced several aspects of the design process but managed to do it in such a way as to avoid the Boaty McBoatface problem.

Tags: Aslak Gurholt   currency   design   Norway   Terje Tonnessen

SPOILERS ahead.

Lady Gaga makes her much-anticipated RuPaul’s Drag Race debut on the first episode of Season 9, and it appears the queens are in for a punking.

RELATED: Lady Gaga to Guest Judge Season Premiere of RuPaul’s Drag Race: WATCH

A snippet of the show appeared on Twitter, apparently shot at a pre-screening of Episode 1 in New York last week.

Will they be hip to the new queen? Wait and see.

Watch:

A new teaser of Lady Gaga in a new upcoming episode of @RuPaulsDragRace. pic.twitter.com/8XN2MVppY7

— Pop Crave (@PopCravings) March 8, 2017

Last week, RuPaul spoke with Seth Meyers about snagging Gaga for the show’s debut:

The post Lady Gaga Punks ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Contestants in Sneak Peek of Her Debut on the Show: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

I will definitely bring up this game by Sarah Kay at a future dinner with my friends.

Gold star father Khizr Khan has canceled a speaking engagement in Canada and was notified that “his traveling privileges are being reviewed” according to a notice from the event organizer:

Khan told CTV News Monday afternoon that he has “no comments at this time.”

An advertisement from Ramsay Talks had stated that Khan’s speech would be about “the appalling turn of events in Washington – that we don’t all end up sacrificing everything.”

The news comes amid the rollout of a revised Muslim travel ban from Donald Trump.

The Facebook post:

As Politico notes:

Khan became a national name when he blasted then-Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump from the stage of the Democratic National Convention, telling the GOP candidate he has “sacrificed nothing” and, as he held up a pocket-size Constitution, asked Trump if he had even read it.

Khan has been a U.S. citizen for more than 30 years, and his son, Humayun Khan, a University of Virginia graduate and Muslim American Army captain who died in Iraq in 2004, was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart

The post Khizr Khan Canadian Trip Canceled: ‘His Traveling Privileges are Being Reviewed’ appeared first on Towleroad.

Oh, this is just a little brilliant. Steve Reich is a composer famous for his experimentation with musical looping and phasing. His 1967 piece Piano Phase featured a pair of pianists repetitively performing the same piece at two slightly different tempos, forming a continually evolving musical round. Seth Kranzler took this idea and made a Reich-like piece with two iPhones ringing at slightly different tempos. Here’s a video of the effect in action:

Man, this is nerdy on so many levels and I am here for it.

Tags: iPhone   music   Seth Kranzler   Steve Reich   video