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Counterpoint
I was watching Labyrinth on a loop as a young boy, and I thought David Bowie was awesome, but I turned out… more or less straight. Mostly. Pretty much. I mean, of course Bowie is gorgeous, I’m not an idiot.
6·17 days agoSurveys indicate that 100% of people respond to surveys.
Vermont would also like to sign up.
The Tyrannosaurus rex from Jurassic Park because first of all, I’m actually pretty sure I’d be fine so long as I can get in my car and drive away at a reasonable pace. Secondly, just think of the absolutely incredible collateral damage. Even if I get killed, it would be one of the most talked-about and confusing incidents in American history for the rest of time.
Someday I’d like to replicate Eratosthenes’ experiment with a long north-south road trip, but I never remember to make the measurements.
We do this at a used book store. It’s books that we don’t think we can sell inside for whatever reason, and we put them on shelves outside. There’s a big awning so they don’t really get rained on unless it’s raining sideways. We sell them for a dime or a quarter, and there’s a slot for overnight drops in case people want to get books at night. Every morning there’s at least a couple of bucks from the previous day/night.
We donate the proceeds to public radio, and over the years we’ve donated over $100,000.
3·22 days agoExcept for “Fuck the Pain Away.” That’s about clipping grocery store coupons.
There are people who, disturbed by “big government” today and its tendency to curb the advantages they might gain if their competitiveness were allowed free flow, demand “less govern- ment.” Alas, there is no such thing as less government, merely changes in government. If the libertarians had their way, the distant bureaucracy would vanish and the local bully would be in charge. Personally, I prefer the distant bureaucracy, which may not find me, over the local bully, who certainly will. And all historical precedent shows a change to localism to be for the worse.
—Isaac Asimov, Nice Guys Finish First, collected in The Sun Shines Bright, 1981
I’m reminded of the movie Long Way North where a heavily-accented sailor tells a girl about a dog that lives on the ship: “He is punished. He chews the rigging and steals.”
If it’s a wormhole or Niven-style teleporter, it’s unarguably you coming through the process. Star Trek… I’ll grant that the conversation gets a little more complicated.
4·27 days agoIt’s been a while since I watched it, so judge for yourself.
Catra would never try to use the power of friendship to pay off gambling debt.
She’d either cheat at gambling so as to win big, or she’d run up a bunch of debt and then leave Scorpia holding the bag, with the possible long-term consequence of having to burn down the casino.