Fergus Noodle

princessgeorgina:

new fav twitter

bryko:

New hobby: powerup comics

From Dr. Victor Mair of U. Penn at Language Log:

The characters are 大麻沉溺 ("addicted to marijuana"), but mirrored.

http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=5078

lzbth:

this is my fuckign favourite i cannot pu t it into words poor ian

unimpressedcats:

bananAAARARRRAGGHHHH!!!

I’m completely out of the loop, and wasn’t aware that Robin Thicke has the song of the summer with his hit “Blurred Lines.” Until recently, I had only heard the song once. A while back, I saw the uncensored version, which features a number of naked and otherwise half-dressed women participating in various activities, but mostly prancing around to the delight of Thicke, Pharrell and T.I. I didn’t think much of it at the time.

(That’s the “fully” clothed version). And I didn’t think much of it because it seemed standard fare. For most male artists, the music video is an outlet for their hetero male fantasies. A naked woman walking in front of balloons plastered to a wall that read “ROBIN THICKE HAS A BIG DICK” didn’t even register as abnormal because, well, that’s pretty much the message of every music video I’ve ever seen a dude make.

But that’s sorta the problem, isn’t it?

Roxane Gay, writing for Salon, said: “In the wake of the criticism, Thicke is fairly unapologetic, saying, ‘Women and their bodies are beautiful. Men are always gonna want to follow them around.’ I guess that’s that. Men want what they want.” And as her headline “What men want, America delivers ” suggests, in our society whatever men want, they get.

That’s the danger of brushing aside this video and the potentially “rapey” lyrics, as I first did (a function of my privilege as a hetero man). It’s not about the nudity in and of itself, or that the three men in the video are indulging their fantasies, or that they even have these type of fantasies to begin with. It’s the idea that their fantasies are meant to be fulfilled, whether the other parties are willing participants or not. It’s about the fact that we bend over backwards (in some instances, literally) to accommodate hetero men’s desires for a sexual playground, and in turn deny anyone else the same pleasure. If everyone is focusing in on how to please hetero men, when are they afforded the opportunity to pursue their own sexual fantasies? And if hetero men become so accustomed to being the star, how resistant will they be if asked to play a supporting role in someone else’s show?

Thicke’s video is mostly playful, and wouldn’t necessarily classify as demeaning, but that doesn’t matter all that much because it still fits inside the narrative of “boys will be boys.” And if you’re not one of the “boys” there’s apparently nothing you can do about it except participate as the boys wish. The lines are clearly drawn here.

 

Aaaand we move onto Austin, Texas- the land of awesome barbecue! You see this photo? It was taken at 8.30am and Franklin Barbecue (900 E 11th St, Austin) opens at 11am. You see, Helen and Lex are nuts. Barbecue nuts. And we’d been told that Franklin Barbecue was the best in Austin and so, we drove halfway across town to be among the first in the line.


This is the queue not long after 9am.


Aaand this is the queue at 11am. Oh and did I mention the 30C heat?


Luckily this enterprising chap was renting out deck chairs for $5 a pop which came complete with a sun umbrella tho the majority of the locals had brought their own chairs and eskys filled with beer.


Several episodes of Gilmore Girls later and we had finally reached the promised land! We’d been asked earlier in the day what we were going to order so that they could estimate when they would run and cut the line. We may have over ordered due to grumbling stomaches haha that there is 2lb of Brisket (US$32), 2.3lb Ribs (US$32.20), 1/4lb Turkey (US$3.25), 1/4lb Pork (US$3.25), 1 Sausage link (US$2), side of Pinto Beans (US$1.35), side of Slaw (US$1.35) and side of Potato Salad (US$1.35). The onions, pickles and jalapenos were free in the condiments station.


Texas Brisket. OH EM GEE. Time stood still after the first bite of that brisket. It was so juicy with just the right amount of charcoaly caramelised edges and tender with beautiful ribbons of fat I just have no words for how glorious it was. If I were to have a last supper that brisket would be it.


Then there were the ribs which just fell off the bone by staring at it. No seriously, it was ridiculous.


We may have ordered one of each of tarts for dessert. You know, for research purposes :P Don’t worry we ended up taking them home to eat later after our meat coma! On offer that day was the Bourbon Banana Pie, Pecan Pie, Key Lime Pie and the Lemon Chess Pie all US$4 each. I particularly loved the Pecan Pie with its buttery biscuit base and sweet brown sugar filling hiding under the pecans. The Key Lime Pie had the perfect sourness to sweet ratio as did the Lemon Chess Pie but the Bourbon Banana Pie was not my fave of the bunch not because of the flavour but more for the texture, it tasted gelatine-y and not as smooth as the other pies.


Tee hee it’s the Hi How Are You Jeremiah the Frog! I had to visit it thanks to my obsession with the movie Whip It haha


[Image from Helen] After eating at Franklin Barbecue we didn’t think it could be topped because really how do you top deliciousness? But word on the street was that John Lewis, the dude who perfected the recipe at Franklin Barbecue had his own place called La Barbecue (1502 South 1st St, Austin) and that it was a billion times better. AND HOLY MOTHER OF GOD IT TOTALLY WAS!!! A BILLION TIMES INFINITY!!! Insert all the superlatives and expletives of all the languages in the verse because the Sliced Brisket Sandwich (US$7.99) was fan-freaking AHMAZING. Sure it may look like it’s sitting in a puddle of oil but it’s damn tasty oil haha it was freaky how soft that brisket was and the ratio of creamy fat to meat oh boy I still have dreams… The highlight of the entire trip was that brisket!


Clutching our stomaches we trudged back to the comfort of air con in our car only to round the corner and unexpectedly see a shiny silver trailer in a car park with the slogan of BIG. FAT. DONUTS. And well, how can you not stop when you see that?! Gourdough’s (1503 S 1st St, Austin) just brings a smile to my face when I remember that day. Best donut of the trip!


The Flying Pig (US$5.50). JUST LOOK AT THAT BEAUTY!!! BASK IN ITS FABULOUSNESS!!! A piping hot, fresh from the fryer fluffy donut, topped with uber crispy bacon and drizzled with maple syrup icing. BEST DONUT EVER. If you’re ever in Austin get your butt down to Gourdough’s!


I may have also ordered the Mother Clucker (US$5.50) just to say its name and to see this concoction with my own eyes. The donut did not disappoint with its hot fluffy innards however the fried chicken strips were a bit dry tho we did our best dunking the strips in the accompanying tub of honey butter. Because we totally needed to ingest more calories after the heavy barbecue (not).


Lex ordered the raspberry popsicle tea for lols but it turned out to pretty tasty and refreshing in the crazy heat.


Food coma time! I’ve been asked what exactly did we do when we weren’t eating and well you’re looking at it haha lots of food coma naps :P


Austin is home to many a food truck and some have put down roots like Biscuits & Groovy (5015 Duval St, Austin). The Johnny Hash (US$8) is a pretty much a party in a plate- buttery biscuits (like savoury Aussie scones) and smothered in pepper gravy with cheese, sausage, crispy bacon bits, potatoes and chives. Rich and comforting and would be freaking awesome in a uh colder climate heh


And then there was our very first trip to Whole Foods. Helen had wanted to reenact the Top Chefs running for their trolleys and hooning it down the aisles but resisted. Man Whole Foods is magical, the place is so freaking big and the ready to eat section was incredible! No day old soggy sandwiches and greasy meat pies no siree everything was super fresh from the the soups station to the meats. There was so much variety even at the salad station where it wasn’t just your boring 3 types of lettuce, carrot and cucumber but all the colours of the vegetable rainbow! The desserts section was of course my favourite place to stare at with the perfectly iced cakes, portion controlled parfaits, selection of freshly baked cookies and of course my favourite section the cheese. Ah the cheese! What I wouldn’t give to plonk myself right there and eat you all! Ah Austin you were a blast, I can’t wait to come back!

nooffswitch:

cute-overload:

Amazing purple snail
http://cute-overload.tumblr.com

That snail def has some bi pride I think.

electricalice:

mrsbeefheart:

I fukin love 14th century art art because everyone looks so shady and suspicious of ppl around them its AMAZING

or just like they know something u dont and oh my gdfuck i cant

I believe the highest point is reached in Simone Martini’s Annunciation

and the look of absolute hatred Mary and Gabriel exchange. 

puppyofficial:

dezzoi:

Source

majestic

dominel:

Gary and Mark Forever by Johnny Ryan

A 1962 letter from the NASA advising an aspiring female space explorer that they have no program for women astronauts “nor do we contemplate any such plan.”

Women and people of color are still under-represented in media–and progress has stalled.

The Texas House gave final approval to their terrible anti-choice bill, and it could be voted on in the Senate as early as Friday. Meanwhile Texans are getting thrown out of the hearings, and Santorum is getting into the battle, because that’s just what this drama needs.

“By slipping into the opposite gender’s role, we have become more equal.”

overhumor:

i love the internet it is such a helpful place

Good morning, and welcome to the worst story you’ve read all day even though it’s only 9am.

Earlier this week, we covered the story of the 11-year-old Chilean girl who is pregnant as a result of rape by her mother’s partner, and who is being denied an abortion because they’re not legal in Chile, even in cases of rape, incest, and to save the mother’s life. This case ticks all three of those boxes.

Raw Story reported yesterday that Chilean President Sebastian Pinera is praising the “maturity” of this little girl because she will not seek an illegal abortion. Everything about this story makes my heart hurt:

The conservative president of Chile praised an 11-year-old girl’s “depth and maturity” for continuing a pregnancy caused by repeated rapes by her mother’s partner. According to the Associated Press, President Sebastian Pinera made the remarks to the press in an attempt to explain why the victim is not being offered the option to terminate the pregnancy.

“I’ve asked the health minister to personally look after the (girl’s) health,” Pinera said. “She’s 14 weeks pregnant, and yesterday she surprised us all with words showing depth and maturity, when she said that, despite the pain caused by the man who raped her, she wanted to have and take care of her baby.”

… The 11-year-old girl herself gave a TV interview in which her face was obscured. In it, she said, “It will be like having a doll in my arms. I’m going to love the baby very much, even though it comes from that man who hurt me.”

The man who raped the girl has been arrested and confessed to serially sexually abusing her over the course of two years, since she was nine. Her mother shocked the country when she defended her partner, saying the relationship with her daughter was consensual.

Yeah, I just… I got nothing. All I can say is that my heart breaks for this little girl, and for any person living in a place where their right to decide what happens to their own body is repeatedly violated like this. This is what is looks like when anti-choicers get their way. The most vulnerable people get hurt, and then hurt again, and sometimes, they die.

On cable news, coverage of the Texas abortion restrictions has been light on medical experts. Via Media Matters:

I think there’s something to be said for including political commentators in conversations about an issue that is so clearly political. I’m also grateful when advocates for reproductive justice are given a place at the table, since, again, this is a justice issue and not just a medical one. But I also want doctors, and public health experts – people who can explain why abortion bans are medically harmful and why forced vaginal ultrasounds are medically unnecessary. The more viewers know about that stuff, the better they can understand the politics of the situation. But based on these graphs, it looks like coverage of these issues is falling into the very same trap as the lawmakers themselves: a whole bunch of people who aren’t doctors sitting around talking about reproductive health.

Cross-posted at Montclair SocioBlog.

According to an op-ed in the Times, America is the global leader in broadband, with high speeds and great service. And it’s all because the government restrained “onerous” regulation and let companies like Verizon do what they want and charge what they want.

It was written by the CEO of Verizon, Lowell McAdam.

I pay Mr. McAdam’s company about $115 each month for my land line, wi-fi, and cable (all FIOS).  Mr. McAdam compares the U.S. favorably with Europe, “where innovation and investment in advanced networks have stagnated under an onerous regulatory regime.”  I asked a friend who lives in Paris what he pays for his FIOS phone, wi-fi, and cable.  The monthly bill:  39.90€ ($52) or half of what I pay Verizon.  Maybe there’s an upside to stagnant and onerous.

There’s nothing wrong with getting what you can afford, and it occurred to me that U.S. broadband is the best because we can afford more.  Onerous regulations or no, most other countries are not as rich as the U.S.  What if you looked at broadband and per capita GDP?

The OECD did just that with data from June 2012 (their several spreadsheets on this are here). The purple bars are broadband penetration and the bumpy red line is GDP per capita. Do you see a correlation?

Consider France: As of a year ago, the country had greater broadband penetration despite a lower per capita GDP than the U.S. ($35,133 vs. $46,588); that’s 25% more broadband on 33% less income and at half the cost to consumers.

If you re-rank the OECD countries factoring in per capita GDP, the line-up changes.  Notably, the U.S. and Luxembourg drop well below the OECD average, despite being among the wealthiest countries.

Of course, not all broadbands are equally broad.  Verizon sold me on fiber-optic with their assurance that it was dazzlingly faster than their DSL that I had been clunking along on. This graph breaks down broadband into its various incarnations.

The U.S. is slightly above average on all broadband, but when it comes to a high fibre diet, we are ahead of several other countries that have greater total penetration.  On the other hand, the Scandinavian countries are ahead of us, as are, impressively, the Asian countries.

This is not to deny U.S. advances.  TechCrunch summarizes more recent data from Akamai on these changes:

the U.S. is currently second in the price of broadband for entry-level users. The nation is also third in network-based competition, second in the fiber-optic installation rate, first in the adoption of next-generation LTE, ahead of Europe in broadband adoption, and doing quite well in Internet-based services.

Still, the U.S. lags behind other, less wealthy countries.  InnovationFiles, using Akamai data for different variables, has a less congratulatory view.

• The U. S. has picked up one place in the “Average Peak Connection Speed” that’s the best measurement of network capacity, rising from 14th to 13th as the measured peak connection speed increased from 29.6 Mbps to 31.5 Mbps.
• In terms of the “Average Connection Speed,” widely cited by analysts who don’t know what it means, the U. S. remains in 8th place world-wide. but we’re no longer tied for it as we were in the previous quarter; Sweden is right behind us on this one.
• In terms of “High Speed Broadband Adoption”, the proportion of IP addresses with an Average Connection Speed greater than 10 Mbps, we remain in 7th place, but now we’re tied with  Sweden.

The title of CEO McAdam’s op-ed is “How the US Got Broadband Right.”  Given the content, I  guess “We’re Number 13!” wouldn’t have been appropriate.  Even “We’re Number Seven (Tied With Socialist Sweden)!” doesn’t quite have that affirmative zing.

Jay Livingston is the chair of the Sociology Department at Montclair State University. You can follow him at Montclair SocioBlog or on Twitter.

(View original at http://thesocietypages.org/socimages)

versatilequeen:

 You are silly to think that

• a) Your opinion on what is sexy should matter (to anyone but yourself).
• b.) What you find sexy is in an inherent biological “truth" that is uninfluenced by harmful and oppressive social standards.
• c.) That your expression of this “truth" is always right and welcome.

 

Blind sex positivism is not good.

 

deeplezstonerwitch:

100yearsoflolitude:

unicornery:

maybe it’s just me, but for me, Tim Heidecker in a silent role (save, “I do,") in Bridesmaids was a shout-out to every hilarious woman who’s had to just play “the wife" or “the girlfriend" in a movie or sketch.

a thousand apologies if this was already discussed to death when ‘Smaids came out.

I always think this, yes

yeah, that was a beautiful role! i was SO STOKED that he only said “i do" and even when he could’ve had lines, he was just shown chuckling or smiling instead of saying anything. so nice!

overhumor:

Notorious organized crime gang caught in action

johorror:

I bought a sandwich cutter from China and I think the translation on the package is a bit off

It got real dark real fast

dear-time-traveler:

missgingerlee:

taye-bay-bay:

I will never tell my children that if a boy picks on them it means he likes them. I will teach my children that “Anyone who cares about you or loves you would never dream of hurting you. They would want to protect and nurture you.” End rape culture, stop nurturing abusive relationships, by teaching your kids differently.

This. 

youfelinedevil:

rat loves cat

iwishlilbwasmygrandpa:

Slippery dick is of least concern

0pals:

There was an ice storm in china and it left this. Isn’t it pretty!

gotosweep:

comic from Dune Zine #7. i was drunk for this one >_>