January 31, 2008
UCLA preparations
Robert Hodgin posts a set of images for a talk at UCLA as a part of the D|MA (Design | Media Arts) department (via Warren Ellis). Any idea what software he is using to generate this material? Stunning.
Have a look at the rest of Flight404 blog too... this is what Zbrush is for.
Nick Cave & PJ Harvey: Henry Lee
Now is the time at the Flea when we dance.
Walden
What Henry Thoreau did not have was a good underground car park. BLDGBlog considers Walden via Nicholas Bone's Magnetic North.
But you don't go to the woods.
You don't go out to some canyon somewhere. Forget nature.
You build a cabin in an underground car park and you eat canned spinach.
January 30, 2008
Our worst generals
"It appears we have appointed our worst generals to command forces, and our most gifted and brilliant to edit newspapers. In fact, I discovered by reading newspapers that these editor/geniuses plainly saw all my strategic defects from the start, yet failed to inform me until it was too late.
"Accordingly , I'm readily willing to yield my command to these obviously superior intellects, and I'll, in turn, do my best for the Cause by writing editorials - after the fact."
- Robert E. Lee in 1863
(lifted in its entirety from Defense Tech)
Nick Cave, Kylie Minogue & The Pogues: Death is not the end
Now is the time at the Flea when we dance.
Hedonic conservatism
K-punk considers ethics, political-economy and chicken farming. Straight out of P.G. Wodehouse, self described "posh boy with a farm" Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall tries to convince the common people they should eat free run, organic and the like while at least one council house mum has decided it is more important to feed her children when chicken is on two for £5 at Tesco. To K-punk, the aporia of class in Fearnley-Whittingstall's narrative is not only bathetic, it is symptomatic.
I may have to adopt hedonic conservatism as the pet ideology of the Flea. It seems to me the dialectic K-punk describes - and hopes to supercede - is a(n imperfect) recapitulation of the Roundheads and the Cavaliers. The former, leveling, democratic* and austere with the latter representing tradition, hierarchy and excess. Such a conflict inevitably leaves me torn... there is great pleasure in austerity and tradition alike. But I believe K-punk is mistaken to credit this divide to the matrix of late capital. This distinction (yes, arguably a dialectic) cuts through our culture. Here we have the ancient problem of Catholicism in its tendency toward aristocracy and its more recent complement in Protestantism and its tendency toward rule by the mob.**
It is a problem with a yet more ancient pedigree. The Romans got around it by balancing the two tendencies with an emperor who could act as a guardian of aristocratic government while simultaneously acting as a counterweight against the aristocracy on behalf of the plebs. Our post-industrial solution might be found in American Idol,
one of the few venues of unrestricted meritocracy*** our culture provides against self-esteem and quotas and policies which are "good for you" and rule by committee and the logic of human rights commissions.**** Quibble with this solution if you will; it beats this season's primary process hands down.
* These terms being relative to the time.
** (cough) Mike Huckabee (cough cough)
*** This is to say, an aristocracy of talent but one to which anyone in principle can aspire.
**** Compare with the watered down Canadian Idol. The judges are nicer and the talent is not as good; this inverse relationship is no accident.
January 29, 2008
Recy
Much as it pains me to link to anything called an Eco-Roadster, this Mercedes Advanced Design Studio machine would make an astonishing Flea-mobile; steampunk means Celtic war chariot.
Tangentially related is Dark Army, a collection of somewhat fanciful armour by NovaBelgica. Clearly, I have Mythago Wood on the brain...
Nick Cave: Stagger Lee
Now is the time at the Flea when we dance (arguably nsfw lyrics).
January 28, 2008
I got the no pussy blues
Taking a break from Bad Seeds endeavours, Nick Cave & Co. have released new material as Grinderman. Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!, for example (via Warren Ellis). The Culture Show and VBS have interviews and at the Flea this week it is all Nick Cave all the time.
Related: An older interview for Swedish television with Nick Cave on habits and routines, the creative process, the Love Song Lecture at Vienna and self-image: "For me trying to find out how I feel is a bit like trying to find a dead rat up a drain-pipe." Very useful to think with for musicians and other creative types.
The Birthday Party: Nick the stripper
Now is the time at the Flea when we dance.
Ledovskikh, Shaborin and Mitkov
Pravda* reports Yuri Gagarin was the first man to survive a trip into space.
This news via Belmont Club, featuring interesting comment on Russian engineering and their view of the "plush interior" of the Sherman tank.
* Please add one grain of salt.
January 26, 2008
Brokered convention
Just a thought. Yes, the swamp vapours at State have lead to some troubling actions; most particularly with respect to Israel. But Condoleeza Rice would certainly be no worse than the rest of the field, would be a twofer against the identity politics of the Democratic front runners and, unless I am mistaken, would be the the first President with a doctorate.
And hot. Smokin', smokin' hot.
Rice/Bolton 2008!
Update: My Rice/Bolton ticket is running into some headwind.
Marc Almond & The Pussycat Dolls: Tainted Love
This one goes with a shout out to Antonia. Now is the time at the Flea when we dance.
Scientology v BBC
Arrogant, corrupt, cult-like organization engaged in mass mind control expresses outrage at having its transcendent authority questioned by outsiders. Time to flip a coin.
Related: BBC anoraks. But I repeat myself.
January 25, 2008
Quantum of Solace
Fresh from the best Bond girl* announcement since Ursula Andress** emerged from the Caribbean, it is a slightly bumpier reception as Bond 22 now has a name: Quantum of Solace.
Despite Daniel Craig's somewhat laboured explanation cum defense of the title - "... when there's nothing left, when the spark has gone, when the fire's gone out, there's no quantum of solace" - and the promise this alludes to something else plot related; the people, they are not happy. For example, stupidly named Guardian writer Xan Brooks points out the theme song is going to be a devil of a job to write while the South Park Republican brain trust at AOSHQ*** are suggesting alternate lame titles. Ok, I get it. Yes. Good points. But as Ben Child points out, bear in mind the only other unused titles from the For Your Eyes Only short story collection were Risico, and The Hildebrand Rarity neither of which are going to work unless the producers plan to hand the franchise over to Guy Ritchie or Matt Damon.
* Speaking of which, Olga Kurylenko may not have the most comely name ever devised either; you will not find me complaining. She is doing weapons training at the moment, apparently.
** A Google image search for Ursula Andress lead to a slightly horrifying semi-nude portrait of Sean Connery. Take that Agent Bedhead!
*** My heroes, in other words. Except for dissing Fred! over the Louisiana thing. Seriously.
Related: Defense Tech looks inside a Russian submarine.
Sea Tigers
Having been innovators in the field of suicide bombing, the Tamil Tigers are now at the cutting edge of bomb-laden fast boat and human suicide-torpedo technology. An Al Jazeera report suggests its audience is paying close attention to developments.
January 24, 2008
The Flea is...
My neo-folk industrial project British Iron Age makes its debut next week as Toronto Noise Promotions presents:
Thorium Rhythmic Noise @ The White Orchid (Club Z)
812 Dundas St. W.
Toronto, Ontario
Wednesday, January 30
Doors open: 10pm
Cost:$5- 19+
I will add the rest of the line up here as I have it...
Circulus: My Body is Made of Sunlight
Prepare for alternative folk music at its most strange. Now is the time at the Flea when we dance.
One day a king will come and the sword will rise again
We had better hope Arthur was right.
Update: :"Wooing" the Fredheads. Too soon. But I suppose for people supporting a technocrat these things do not enter the equation.
January 23, 2008
Climb Mount Niitaka
Noah Shachtman argues that China would lose a space war with the United States.
The words "UN weapons inspector" are not ones to inspire confidence. Forden's argument rests on the degree to which he is right about American redundancy of space assets and a limited number of Chinese launch sites. I hope he is right but to me the words overconfidence, complacency and - what was that? - Pearl Harbor come to mind. We only have to be incrementally wrong about ChiCom anti-satellite capabilities to be catastrophically wrong about the rest. For example, a non-incremental difficulty with Forden's figures would be a JL-2 submarine-launched direct-ascent ASAT missile system.
Related: In cooperation with India, Israel launches the first of three radar equipped satellites to complement their Ofek spy satellites.
Also... pictured above: Evidence that fifth columnists and/or government agents on Caprica had advanced knowledge of the Cylon "sneak attack" on the Twelve Colonies. False flag?
Tangentially related: Former armed forces chiefs from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France and the Netherlands have called for a new, linked grand strategy for NATO, the United States and the European Union. The proposal prominently includes the use of nuclear weapons as a preemptive measure against other would be powers developing nuclear, biological, chemical (NBC) and radiological weapons. Such is to state the blindingly obvious. It is about damn time.
The authors - General John Shalikashvili, the former chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff and Nato's ex-supreme commander in Europe, General Klaus Naumann, Germany's former top soldier and ex-chairman of Nato's military committee, General Henk van den Breemen, a former Dutch chief of staff, Admiral Jacques Lanxade, a former French chief of staff, and Lord Inge, field marshal and ex-chief of the general staff and the defence staff in the UK - paint an alarming picture of the threats and challenges confronting the west in the post-9/11 world and deliver a withering verdict on the ability to cope.
My favourite recommendation: No role in decision-taking on Nato operations for alliance members who are not taking part in operations.
Ardor: White Wedding
Now is the time at the Flea when we dance.
Thanks to everyone who sent the goth on a leash story. And thanks to Mr. Taylor for forwarding this salient Dark Culture comment. There is nothing gothic about riding the Loser Cruiser.
...
In a situation like this, where no one got hurt, Tasha and Dani should be celebrating their diversity. Getting kicked off a bus is doing it old school style. But because they’re living off society and draining public funds, they’re probably used to whining about every little thing. Get a job and buy a car.
Asterisk
Hi Mark. Keep up the good work.*
* So... you know there are Canadian bloggers other than Kathy Shaidle who would appreciate the occasional plug? Just saying.
January 22, 2008
Götterdämmerung
Fred exits. He should have punched more hippies (via The Tiger).
That's it. We're f*cked.
Update: Mourning at AOSHQ.
Update: Harsh!
Generosity
On the odd occasion I post an image of Scarlett Johansson* I am inevitably conscious of the risk of apparent gratuity. Is there a non-gratuitous image of Scarlett Johansson? While I have no patience for people claiming a right not to be offended, one does not necessarily go out of the way to oblige. After all, there are all sorts whose chief pleasure is taking offense.
Not that half of you are paying the slightest attention to the text at this point. And I digress. The point is the lovely Miss Johansson has once again displayed her generous (ahem) nature. Marine Corps News reports her USO appearance for the troops in the Gulf.
“I’m a huge Scarlett fan,” said Lance Cpl. Nathan Long, a calibration technician with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 166 (REIN), 11th MEU. “When I found out she was coming, I couldn’t believe it. All I thought about was that I needed to meet her.”
A hush fell over the crowd as Johansson, wearing a pink sweater, knee-high boots and cherry-red lipstick, entered the USO. Long’s wait to meet her would end soon.
Appearances to the contrary, I am not terribly interested in celebrities. But I would have waited in line to meet this one.
Related: A question of some urgency, viz Why do ugly boys get gorgeous girls?
* Who claims to have cute feet.
Update: Predictably, Agent Bedhead has the better resolution pics.
Dire Straits: Romeo and Juliet
Now is the time at the Flea when we dance.
Braille edition
Taryn Simon photographs America's best kept secrets.
Hat tip to Agent Bedhead who points out some people really do read Playboy for the articles.
Update: Mr. Moses writes:
Funny thing is, I have a copy. I also used the "Here's an occasion where someone bought it to read the articles" when I dropped it on the publisher's desk back when I worked at Playboy. Of course, being the human equivalent of the Terminator, he one upped me by saying, "I once sat in first class in front of Stevie Wonder who was reading a copy of Playboy."
January 21, 2008
After Doomsday
Todd Seavey does us all a public service and unravels the various - and supposed - Terminator timelines (via Radosh).
Tangentially related and nothing to do with Summer Glau you understand: A Kama Sutra For Terminator Love.
After South Carolina
John Hawkins received an email asking why Fred Thompson has not dominated the field. He replies:
Jeff Goldstein calls it mourning in America: "I have no idea what Republican primary voters are thinking — other than that they are no longer interested in conservatism, and have become every bit as statist as their progressive counterparts."
Here is some F-35 Lightning porn to cheer everyone up.
Related: Mitt Romney crosses a picket line to appear on Leno. Flea-readers may be unsurprised to learn I sympathize with the writers' quest to be paid residuals for downloaded media, even something like the pittance they are allotted from DVD sales. But whatever the reasonableness of this particular cause, crossing a picket line is no way to win over Reagan Democrats. At least Huckabee had the chutzpah to claim he did not know what he was doing; that leaves Romney in Ron Paul country.
January 18, 2008
Especially the last scene
The Bavarian Academy of Sciences might somewhat belatedly make available a microfilm archive suppressed by the Nazis and their toadies. It seems elements within the German academy thought early variant manuscripts of the Koran might prove upsetting to their alliance with Dark Ages morons. Apparently, contemporary funding sources agree. What matters the truth when oil funded research and your career is on the line?
Spengler's latest describes the situation as Indiana Jones meets the Da Vinci Code. As Ace puts it "I know there's a hate crime here somewhere."
Related: Government warehouses.
Tony Bennett: Slimey to the Moon
Now is the time at the Flea when we dance.
Fred Thompson for President
Another reason to support Fred Thompson. This from a rally at the Courtyard Restaurant in Simpsonville, South Caroline.
Related: John M. Kistler on War Elephants (via John Miller).
January 17, 2008
Lazy like a fox
Most of the people describing Fred Thompson as lazy have never played a key role in anything as monumental as the Watergate hearings, never been elected to the Senate of the United States, never had a decades long film and television career. To the casual observer the laziness charge seems like jealousy. The technical term is resentement, the festering kernel of slave morality. Decaf coffee drinkers and NPR enthusiasts, in other words.
By contrast, Fred Thompson is the man who wheels out his own centre. Scrappleface makes a cogent - if ever so slightly conjectural - summary of Fred! and the media.
“Most of these journalists seem to lack what you might call fire in the belly,” said the former Tennessee senator. “When’s the last time you read an in-depth story about what the presidential hopefuls actually believe, or have accomplished? How often have you seen a reporter place a candidate’s views in the context of the Constitution, the sweep of American history, the intricacies of global geopolitics, economic theory or even basic political philosophy?”
Exactly. Flea-readers seeking further insight might consider the biography of Lazarus Long. With luck and a tailwind we may yet have President Thompson at the helm.
Related but arguing for a different candidate: Much as it pleases to think of myself as a rock ribbed movement conservative* and much as it pains me to admit it, the Ann Coulter endorsement is important to me; she is tough and quite brilliant. If Coulter has drank the Kool Aid it might be game over.
* I believe this is the only time I have obliquely framed my views with the "c" word in this blog. Go Fred!
Update: In South Carolina, Fred! critiques his opponents' policies (via Instapundit). Mitt Romney, for example.
"He basically promised the federal government would come in and bail out Michigan when he got elected President – very conservative notion, don't you think?” Thompson asked facetiously.
You want to know why rocked rib types support Fred Thompson? Why Fred Thompson will be the nominee and, inshallah, the next President of the United States? Mitt Romney is not a conservative. John McCain is not a conservative. Mike Huckabee is not a conservative. Rudy Giuliani is not a conservative. Ron Paul (spit) is not a conservative.
At some point the Republican party is either going to figure this out or get used to saying President Obama. Lord knows they don't call it the Stupid Party for nothing but I trust the message will sink in before the ship takes on too much water.
Planetakis: Pogo in the Shoes of Kylie Minogue
Now is the time at the Flea when we dance.*
* On a related note, we can be quite specific about Kylie Minogue's shoes.
Rubbernecking
Yesterday's Gawker posting of a Tom Cruise Scientology "indoctrination video" spread like wildfire* through the internets. It is difficult to say what the enduring fascination is for this not-terribly-capable actor or his absurd ersatz religion.** Cruise' assertion that "when a scientologist drives by an accident, we have to stop, because we know we're the only ones who can help" is, as WWTDD put it, "just about the most horrible mental image I've ever had". Today, as the sun follows the rain***, the Church of Scientology has filed a lawsuit against Gawker for copyright infringement (hat tip to Agent Bedhead). Gawker be praised, they have refused Scientology's demand to pull the video.
* If you will forgive the cliché; it is early and my coffee is has yet to kick in.
** Counting down to the first person dragged before one of Canada's "human rights" commissions for making light of Scientology and its prophet L. Ron Hubbard (propeller beenie upon him).
*** Coffee still not kicking in.
January 16, 2008
My American cousins
This is not your next President. Go FRED!
Related: Democrats for Mitt Romney. By contrast: Killl, Protect, Punch Part 2.
Update: I have been meaning to point out Fred Thompson appears to be the candidate of the establishment rightosphere. There are a numbers of good reasons for this phenomenon including Thompson's internet focussed campaign but I believe there is more to this than Howard Dean redux. I would like to attribute the difference between the rightosphere and the electorate - even the relatively (one hopes) informed electorate of primary season - to one of greater foresight and advanced punditry; we are, after all, well within the decision cycle of any old media. Viz, I would like to believe my own forecasting is supported by other credible analysts.* Time and chance may result in a Thompson presidency and the appearance of vindication.** But I think the main reason much of the dextrosphere has sided with Thompson is that unlike 99.9% of the electorate*** we have read the man's writing and understand his philosophical commitment to Federalism and the Constitution. This is the only man in the field**** I can imagine standing amongst the founding fathers. There is no better helmsman for our time.
Update: Peter Robinson also sees the founders.
* With apologies to Hugh Hewitt for poaching on his territory. Updating this point is Dean Barnett's NYT opinion piece, "Driving Mr. Romney". Listening to Hugh Hewitt yesterday it was clear Barnett had not let the boss know this one was coming. I assume Mr. Hewitt was joking when he referred to his "former co-host"... It seems to me the Romney campaign suffers from more than an early tactical decision to reinvent him as a social conservative; this position was never credible given the positions he took to be elected governor including and especially his repudiation of Ronald Reagan. From state to state, Romney's message has changed not only to suit his immediate audience or the vagaries of opinion polls but even the rhetoric of Democratic in-fighting. I never want to hear the word "change" again. I trust Dean Barnett but if I was an American I would not trust Mitt Romney.
** Though I believe my assessment to be correct regardless of any "actually existing" outcome, call me an old school Leninist on that score.
*** Taking a moment to acknowledge that as a fedorati I am not in fact part of said electorate. But all the same.
**** With the possible exception of McCain, not necessarily to his credit in terms of temperament though with great honour due to his physical bravery. But then even Hamilton had to contend with his Jefferson (and vice versa).
Finntroll: Trollhammaren
Now is the time at the Flea when we dance.
True Neutral Human Sorcerer/Rogue
I confess to a mild disappointment an internet quiz has determined my alignment as true Neutral; I had been hoping for Neutral Evil. The remainder of my details being too revealing to reproduce publicly... What kind of D&D Character would you be?
January 15, 2008
Know thyself and thou shalt know all the mysteries of the gods and of the universe
To sum up: John Connor is emo. It's a good look. Sarah Connor has this wry smile thing she does.* It is not from the movies but it is a nice touch. And then there is Summer Glau. Reading the telephone book. Doing dishes. Kicking cyborg butt.** It's all good.
There is a 9/11 reference I am still thinking about. Update to follow.
* Which I could not find on-line at short notice so I am settling for a "check out this Terminator unit's ass" image instead.
** She only does one of these three things in Episode 2 but there is plenty of room to grow plot-wise.
Lords of the New Church: Dance with me
Now is the time at the Flea when we dance.
Robots do not want to have sex with you
Warren Ellis reconsiders the Three Laws of Robotics.
January 14, 2008
More Olga
Reader response to the latest Bond Girl* news has been overwhelming; extra wives added, internet crushes forsworn and the like. The world is coming to a new appreciation of the Ukraine. Minor details of Olga Kurylenko's life and interests - her shoe size, for example - remain a mystery. But thanks to the internets we may rest assured that in addition to speaking Ukrainian and French she is learning English. I am certain Flea-readers everywhere will agree this is an admirable aspiration though not strictly speaking necessary as I am certain we shall find everything she has to say in Ukrainian or French equally fascinating.
The Daily Mail has made itself useful by offering further Olga Kurylenko biographical information to flesh out our. Umm. I forget where I was going with that (hat tip to Capt. H).
So she is from the Soviet Union? That is so cool. Wow.
Flea-readers with some time on their hands might peruse an Olga Kurylenko slide show or - heart attack warning on this one - several in-store videos for Bisou-Bisou thoughtfully uploaded by director John Beck Hoffman, the lucky bastard.**
* Let's just assume all links on this topic are not exactly work safe, shall we?
** And while you are on line, "The Beginning of the End", episode one of his ultra-atmospheric Tyranny web series deserves the attention his Olga connection shall hopefully bring it. She features at the very end of episode two...
KISS: I was made for loving you
Now is the time at the Flea when we dance.
More than meets the eye
The first episode of Transformers. I often feel like the only man of my generation to have no emotional connection to this show. For example, ok, Megatron is a megalomaniac. But what motivation do the Decepticons have in following him? Does this allow them to feel superior to Autobots or do they constitute some sort of subservient group intelligence? I am also baffled by the appeal of Optimus Prime; he does not strike me to be particularly charismatic. That said, I know two otherwise sensible women who were gushing to me how "sexy" he is both in the animated and film versions of the character.
I enjoyed the recycled photon torpedo and Colonial Viper laser-torpedo blast sound effects. And I do like the idea of storing energy as energon cubes even though I am maddened by not being able to place where their sound effect comes from (at minute 19:05). No wait, it's a light sabre activing... I would have thought Lucas would have come after them for it.
Wow. They really stepped up the animation in Episode 2.
January 12, 2008
This is war
In 1979, Pakistan's national airline advertised its New York flights (via Agent Bedhead). It is all too easy to imagine evil young men drawing inspiration for the horror movie they would stage twenty years later. Families on vacation and office workers with their first cup of coffee were enlisted as so much combustible material for this new way of war. I expect the publishers of the ad intended nothing more than to fill seats; and whatever kernel of darkness forms the intention of our enemy is beyond any rational scrutiny.
On another front, Canada's "human rights" commissions do the enemy's work as our heritage and our freedoms are thrown on the bonfire by evil nihilists. Long time Flea-readers will know I have had my differences with Ezra Levant. Today he has made me proud to be Canadian.
The Flea is published in the United States of America where, thank God, mind-crime is still limited to the halls of academia.
Update: DrewM at AOSHQ - linking to the same post - sums it up.
Update: Solidarity at Small Dead Animals, "Give 'em hell, Ezra." Feistiness at Five Feet of Fury. Useful linkage at Instapundit including comment from Mark Steyn.
Update: LGF has more of Ezra Levant's testimony. Even better than the first three.
The only answer to this outrage is a Conservative majority government.
Update: More.
January 11, 2008
Vincent
Even the wild upland torrents offered no trace of Tim Burton's unseen monsterpiece, Hansel and Gretel; aired once on the Disney Channel, Hallowe'en night in 1982 and then never again (hat tip to... please remind me! The email has gone astray...).
I would say how bad can it be? But then I have seen the Star Wars Christmas special. My snark hunt was not in vain, however, for YouTube provided a long ago Tim Burton piece quite wonderful enough to be getting on with. Vincent is an animated short featuring the voice of the late, great Vincent Price; hopefully enough to sustain us as we wait for Alice in Wonderland.
Ashley MacIsaac: Sleepy Maggie
Now is the time at the Flea when we dance.
Death is not an option
It does not have to be this way. More here and here.
* Flea-readers finding this entire business entirely too depressing may consider the origin of the TARDIS by way of diversion.
Update: A southern gentleman does not have to fight dirty to fight to win (via Instapundit).
Update: Go FRED!
January 10, 2008
In the city of light sabres
À propos of nothing in particular, commercial photographer Cédric Delsaux imagines Star Wars on Earth; the Brutalist architecture of suburban Paris sets the scene. French-speaking Flea-readers may consider thoughts on American cinema, landscape and photography.
Agressiva 69: Money is Sin
Now is the time at the Flea when we dance.
The Post-Apocalyptic Workout
The writers strike being the other great catastrophe of our age it is time to consider Nina Bargiel's Post-Apocalyptic Workout. I don't fancy my chances against the walking dead. Or worse yet, the running dead.
January 09, 2008
Hott 4 Hill
Flea-readers left unimpressed by the intellects of New Hampshire Democrats should rest assured there is an up-side to the electoral process. That being the extraordinarily fetching Taryn Southern. Her arguably not work safe Hott 4 Hill ditty is a welcome addition to democracy; worth a second or third viewing.
So much for the inevitability of Obamessiah, btw. Now back to the equally wrong inevitability of HRC. Senator Obama could still be the Democractic nominee and then the next President but... but... we are two states into this process. Straight-line projections are uncalled for at this point. As for the Republicans - and as I mentioned the other day - this thing is going to be decided in Florida; only there will the GOP candidates be revealed. Anyone thinking Mayor Giuliani is out of the game before that day needs to remember the delegates of, for example, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and however much advertising it takes to win California delegates congressional district by congressional district. If Governor Romney* is prepared to keep throwing good money after bad it could be him, Huckabee and the as yet to be decided establishment candidate all the way to a brokered convention.
* The Governor's, ahem, "internal polling" claims Giuliani has fallen to 4th place in Florida. We shall see. If so, Giuliani needs to rely on free media and rising above the fray.
Update: John McCain has the best ads. Wow. Seriously. Much has been made of Senator McCain's strength supposedly being drawn from independents and consequently how he does better in such match ups than when polls are limited to strictly to Republicans. Like the general election, for example. How does McCain/Lieberman sound to everybody?
Update: Loving this from VDH:
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts: Crimson & Clover
Now is the time at the Flea when we dance.
Food for thought
I almost titled this post "Tastes like chicken".* Flea-readers with dietary restrictions against meat or cannibalism might be curious to learn of a possible vegetarian issue regarding pizza and bagels. I had never heard of L-cysteine, an amino acid commonly synthesized from human hair and... used in baked goods.
In is a nice puzzle. As the hair was donated/sold with consent at least one ethical basis for vegetarianism appears not to apply in this instance though, in fairness, I do wonder how many people selling their hair have any notion it will end up in their soy sauce. Hindus avoiding meat for reasons of ritual purity would be well advised to stear clear.
* Even better: "Hair Pie"; obvious in retrospect.
January 08, 2008
Bond Girl 22
Best known for her role in Hitman, the pneumatic model/actress Olga Kurylenko is to be the next Bond Girl (hat tip to Agent Bedhead).*
On French television, multi-lingual Kurylenko appeared in the mini-series "Suspectes" and the drama "The Good Luck Charm."
In her career as a top European model, Kurylenko has appeared in numerous advertising campaigns, including Kenzo, Helena Rubenstein and Just Cavalli. Her magazine covers include US Glamour, French Elle, Madame Figaro and Marie Claire.
She is a Scorpio, unsurprisingly. Difficult even for Daniel Craig's Bond to maintain a calculated ironic distance (seriously nsfw). Flea-readers with a stoic disposition may ponder Kurylenko's thoughts on, what do you call it?, "Japanese rope bondage" in her FHM interview (even more nsfw).
* As previous speculation has suggested, Gemma Aterton is to feature as "a fellow MI6 agent". (Update: Named "Fields".)
We can remember it retail
Flea-readers should take care not to remember recorded music while we have copyright holders to remember it for us (via Technoccult).
January 07, 2008
How Britain has destroyed itself
The last word from George MacDonald Fraser is a troubling assessment of a cancer that has destroyed our culture. He may rest in peace but only if we choose to do something about it.
Other lands have known what seem to be greater upheavals, the result of wars and revolutions, but these do not compare with the experience of a country which passed in less than a lifetime from being the mightiest empire in history, governing a quarter of mankind, to being a feeble little offshore island whose so-called leaders have lost the will and the courage, indeed the ability, to govern at all.
This is not a lament for past imperial glory, though I regret its inevitable passing, nor is it the raging of a die-hard Conservative. I loathe all political parties, which I regard as inventions of the devil. My favourite prime minister was Sir Alec Douglas-Home, not because he was on the Right, but because he spent a year in office without, on his own admission, doing a damned thing.
One might almost call it a low energy administration. Go Fred!
Update: I had thought to run this as a separate post but it seems a propos... UK living standards as measured by GDP per head are set to exceed those of the United States for the first time in a century. Comments to the Times piece share my reservations about this statistic when purchasing power parity is considered and especially in relation to housing.* A comment at Rantburg adds the following:
I am particularly enthralled to learn 46% of those classified as poor by the US government own their own homes, typically a three bedroom house with one and a half baths, a garage and a porch or patio. The "middle class" of downtown Toronto can only dream.
* The earlier comments. I see the inevitable flame wars have set in since yesterday...
Update: Christopher Hitchens says farewell to Flashman (via Will).
Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton: Our Hell
Now is the time at the Flea when we dance.
It sux to be you
Apparently, I am not the only one on the wrong side of affirmative action hiring in academia.
In Tamil Nadu, nearly 70% of government jobs and public-college slots are reserved for people from lower castes and other historically disadvantaged groups. Although he says he graduated near the top of his high-school class and had strong test scores, Mr. Parameswaran couldn't get into any of the state engineering colleges. His family had to borrow from friends to send him to a second-rate private college.
He now teaches English at a small vocational school. On a salary of $100 a month, Mr. Parameswaran can't afford an apartment, so he sleeps in the classroom at night. "I am suffering," says the intense young man, using the exaggerated enunciation of an English teacher. "Unfortunately, I was born as a Brahmin."
Which is all a bit depressing, particularly if you are after a home in Mumbai*, now the seventh most expensive place on earth to buy an apartment.** Shame, the skyline is impressive. And the information suggests my thought to learn Hindi in search of the good life might be ill advised.
* Which everyone feels compelled to tell me used to be called Bombay. Might have been simpler to keep calling it that than calling it that parenthetically.
** I admit Chennai had not been on my list; perhaps largely because it was until recently called Madras. Have to be careful with this rebranding lark.
January 05, 2008
In film, life-and-death struggles make you sit up, lean forward a little bit
David Lynch (nsfw curse word) critiques film-goers going only as far as their iPhone to watch a movie. He has an excellent point. That said, I thought I would run a shot from Fetish (nsfw), his joint show with Christian Laboutin, to illustrate said point. I hope Flea-readers will forgive the license.
January 04, 2008
A rather more substantial prediction
Recent rumour has Gemma Aterton as the new Bond Girl. Considering the structure of Casino Royale, Deborah Lipp of Ultimate James Bond believes Aterton to be an unlikely choice.
We know for a fact that Eon is searching for an “exotic” (Latina) Bond girl. It would be absolutely insane, then, for them to cast Gemma Arterton as the main Bond girl, and give us the same formula as last movie. They’re trying to break away from formula!
So I remain full of doubt. I really, really think she’s got a secondary role or even smaller.
A commenter argues Aterton is more likely to be the next Moneypenny; I agree. Which brings me to my nomination for the next Bond girl: Aruna Shields (pictured above). She is not Latina but I believe she fits the bill.*
* Though if they choose to run with a name actress it is arguably criminal Aishwarya Rai has yet to feature in a Bond, uhh, feature. She is enormously fetching in The Last Legion.
Why do elf guts taste like glitter and cinnamon?
There is going to be a mountain of nonsense written about Mike Huckabee today; this based on a caucus system - not even a poll - of something like 80 thousand voters in Iowa. The decision was not made in Iowa, will not be made in New Hampshire - let alone Nevada or Wyoming - and will not even be made in North Carolina. The anybody but Huckabee candidate will be determined by Florida.
In the meantime, this information should come in handy.
Which is to say the problem with Iowa is not that Mike Huckabee won. It is that Huckabee won despite being a social liberal on everything except abortion and gay men, despite his being a transparent con artist to anyone who is paying attention and who is not voting as an identity "conservative" and despite being outspent ten-to-one by Mitt Romney. What this suggests is the entirety of the rhyzomatic Left Behind network turned out heavily for their man and may well do so in Michigan and North Carolina; this despite the latter state tending to back the establishment candidate over the evangelical. Last time round these two could be confused in the person of the same man as George Bush distanced himself from his country club father through the judicious use of a Texan accent and an appearance at Bob Jones University. This time there is no establishment candidate but a socon bloc united by one man and, apparently, a complete indifference to foreign policy, border security, a solvent health care system or pretty much anything except an impressively staged floating cross in a television ad.
It was the Republican establishment which encouraged these people to start voting. They are now reaping what they have sown. In this case, tens of millions of voters who have yet to figure out the President can do next to nothing about abortion, that a constitutional ban on abortion will never pass and that as many as five Supreme Court Justices will be nominated by the next Democrat in the White House.
Update: For all you inside baseball types, Google Maps has the Iowa caucus results up county by county.
Update: Choice words for corn sucking idiots from Stephen Green (via Instapundit).
I also want to quote an off-topic BM from the comments. The second paragraph of this is exactly right:
Then we could go after the Iranian and Saudi oil fields. What did they ever do to earn those. The west found, developed, and mans those oil fields. There's no rule that says we have to respect our neighbors property rights if he's shooting bullets at us from his land. Especially if we built his house and were holding a mortgage when he "nationalized" it.
But then they might "resent" us. Look, in the case of the Saudi "king" and the Persian Shah we not only built the house but gave them the land it is built on. Perhaps the people would not already resent us if we had given over our mandates to the Arab, Persian, Kurdish, Armenian, Baluchi and other peoples instead of kleptocratic puppets we thought we could control. At the very least, we should cut the strings when one puppet was overthrown almost 40 years ago and the other uses our money to finance global war against us.
But I digress.
Update: A word from the Thompson campaign. Go FRED!
January 03, 2008
Everybody’s favourite archaeologist
Vanity Fair considers the new Indiana Jones and its creators. Not a critical review but it comes with pictures and I am finding myself enormously enthusiastic for the project; this despite various Lucas prequel crapfests and sundry Spielberg puffed up Oscar bait. Also reassuring: Lucas and Spielberg appear to have resisted their impulse to whitewash revise their best work for the worse. No substitution of walkie-talkies for police sidearms and no Han Solo firing in "self defense". And no matter their intentions, at least Harrison Ford still kicks ass.
This was a wise decision though - reading between the lines - it is all too easy to imagine the Lucas/Spielberg brainstorm session where the two men briefly considered an updated Indy combining the gravitas of Shindler's List with the edgy editing of The Bourne Ultimatum. There is a not terribly distant parallel world where the end result was worse than The Phantom Menace.
The magazine has thoughtfully provided a spoiler warning and I did not read beyond it; please to keep that bit to yourselves if you choose to do so! Cate Blanchett is smokin' in this too, btw.
Update: New lego sets for the upcoming film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (hat tip to Agent Bedhead).
David Bowie: Loving the Alien
Now is the time at the Flea when we dance.
Gothic Outfit or Halloween Costume?
Coilhouse's delectable Nadya Lev considers an instance of the eternal question: Goth or not goth?
January 02, 2008
Penthouse living
A little real estate porn to kick off the new year: The Truth About ... Penthouses considers the relatively new phenomenon of the London penthouse.
I quite like the idea of a purpose built pod atop a period mansion block though - given sufficient lottery funding - my first choice is still the Barbican (this after a recent re-viewing of The Hunger... sexy). I used to see the towers against the sunset every evening from my bathroom window in Islington; despite years of consideration I have yet to figure out how to pay for the move.
Ghost of a flea: Two Voices
Now is the time at the Flea when we dance.*
* And while you are there, my considerably louder mix of Victoria Beckham's Generate the flow. That one has attracted quite a bit of traffic.
The evil that men do
Mohan Guruswamy remembers some home truths about Benazir Bhutto lost in last week's moronic orgy of sentiment.
A recollection of some of this would set right the balance somewhat. First and foremost is the fact that it was her government, and at her specific instance, that gave Osama bin Laden shelter in the NWFP and then inserted in Afghanistan after the Taliban took over. It was her government that fostered the Taliban, a creation of her interior minister, Maj Gen Nasarullah Babar, and with a little bit of help from Britain's SIS, armed them and launched them on the regime in Kabul. We must not also forget her record in setting up Gulbuddin Hekmatyar as a mujahideen leader, a warlord whose trail of sadism and cruelty has not been matched by anyone else in Afghanistan.
She was also the prime minister who gave the ISI the go-ahead to wage jihad on India. She was the one who exhorted the Pakistan trained and financed terrorists to 'jag-jag mo-mo han-han' Jagmohan the then governor of Jammu and Kashmir, with an explicit chopping motion of the right hand across the open left palm. She was the one who shrieked 'Azadi-azadi' from across the LOC and extended Zia-ul-Haq's doctrine of death by a thousand cuts to Kashmir. Only, she wanted to greatly reduce the number of cuts. And lastly, we must not forget that she was the one who personally delivered the CDs bearing AQ Khan's nuclear bomb design to the North Koreans who in turn gave her country the medium range missiles which they now flaunt as Ghazni and Ghori, both Afghan towns whose sole contributions to history was two particularly rapacious and cruel raiders by the name Muhammad.
That and stealing $1.5b from the Pakistani public; not that I shed a tear for any of those sods. What does vex me is her family's 320 acre estate in Sussex. I am with Robert Mugabe on this one: Confiscate it and put it to better use. It says something I have been able to find no record of this property on line. Either it is a figment of Guruswamy's imagination or we are not meant to think it significant what this Pakistani mafia family is up to in England.
Which is all quite depressing. Here are some magnificent images from northern Pakistan. Astonishing scenery and hopefully, one day, a nice place to visit.
January 01, 2008
The female of the species
Air Force Times describes female airmen as deadly in Iraq and Afghanistan. Take AC-130H Spectre gunship evaluator-navigator Capt. Allison Black, for example. It was mid-November 2001...
The Spectre neared and its cannons erupted. Unaccustomed to the Gatling gun’s mechanized snarl, the fighters confused the airstrike with a ground assault. Militants scattered into the fields, seeking cover in ditches and vehicles, although Black could see their heat-signature silhouettes from her console by the cockpit.
Dostum, hidden with the Army detachment several miles away, said the Taliban also believed a high-powered laser pointer used by Spectre operators to identify ground targets — a “sparkle,” in Air Force spec ops speak — was a death ray that turned everything it touched to flames.
As the hailstorm of munitions continued, Dostum grabbed his walkie-talkie, switched to the Taliban’s unsecured frequency and relayed to them the sound of Black’s chatter coming through Army radio.
He used the female pilot’s voice to taunt them as they bled.
“He said, ‘America is so determined, they bring their women to kill the Taliban. You’re so pathetic,’” Black said. “‘It’s the angel of death raining fire upon you.’”
Now that's cookin' with gas.
Kate and Anna McGarrigle: Log Driver's Waltz
Now is the time at the Flea when we dance.
Be it resolved
This years I will:
I - Make better music than I have ever made;
II - Locate the source of the Stripper Factory and Beer Volcano;
III - Stop trying to understand women;
IV - Once again fit into my pvc pants (half way there compared to last year, honest).
Happy New Year!