conuly | Links

From satirical to silly, walking clubs spice up Mardi Gras

Spider silk could be used as robotic muscle

New sensors monitor sick babies without wires blocking hugs

30 Terrible Pictures Taken By Real Estate Agents

Cinematic Names

The Clandestine Cultural Knowledge of Ancient Graffiti

Greener Childhood Associated With Happier Adulthood

What Cities Are Getting Wrong About Public Transportation

Sometimes the Most Feminist Thing You Can Do Is Exist as a Woman in Public

The Status Quo Does Not Need World Building

Nannies and housecleaners have some of the hardest, least secure jobs in the nation. Now they’re organizing to change that.

The Absurd Structure of High School

The Secrets of the World's Greatest Art Thief

The perils of learning in English

Russia Is Planning to Unplug From the Internet. Here's Why.

Workism Is Making Americans Miserable

The Problems With Green Book Start With Its Title, and Don't Stop Coming

White women and the economy of slavery

US-backed Syrian fighters advance on 2 fronts against IS

Border Walls are Symbols of Failure

Why Americans Might Never Notice Climate Change’s Hotter Weather

Green New Deal critics are missing the bigger picture.

California keeps a secret list of criminal cops, but says you can’t have it

Kashmir conflict is in the hands of two populist leaders with political agendas

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

greghousesgf

Fascinated by the movie character names article. I have a couple of my own observations to add.
a. having seen every episode of MST3K, I've noticed almost every bad '50s science fiction or horror movie has a woman named Betty in it.
b. certain names seem to only belong to old cartoon characters. Has anybody ever actually met a real life person named Elmer or Ferdie?

From:

pensnest

An excellent selection of links. Thank you!

From:

moon_custafer

I read the article yesterday about the world’s greatest art thief; it was fascinating, and kind of sad, and also reminded me of a news story from last year. The couple in this one appear to have only stolen one painting, but possibly from similar motives, and they may be said to have completely gotten away with it, though Brietweiser would have disapproved of their technique: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/photograph-offers-link-between-retired-couple-and-160-million-stolen-de-kooning-180969963/

From:

rhoda_rants

Wow--that article about "Loitering With Intent" is a moooooood.

I remember being told, over and over, when I was in my early 20s that I was supposed to be afraid and on my guard constantly whenever I walked, anywhere. And I kept forgetting about that and I kept walking places, always to the shock and horror of whoever I met later. "You went walkingby yourself??" And I don't want to downplay the fact that female-presenting folks are often on their guard for good reason, but I never felt that fear. The idea of a lady-type person just being around, on her own, and being fine with that just blew people's minds.

I need to read that book, clearly.

From:

conuly

Ah yes. Due to my nocturnal leanings this was (almost) always framed as "AT THREE AM!?" but... even opportunistic rapists and muggers have to sleep, right? Surely they're not lurking on the off-chance that I'll come strolling by, and if so they must know my hours personally.

(I did once get that at six pm, which was even more ridiculous. Nobody's gonna jump me on a very busy thoroughfare at rush hour, I don't care if it is dark. Buses go by there, several times an hour.)

From:

silverusagi

Yikes to those real estate photos.

From:

rhoda_rants

Haha--yeah, at night is the worst. But like, even when I look back and think "Wow, that was actually legit dangerous," in some situations--nothing happened. Ever. And in the moment, I never expected it to. Just going places by myself is too usual for me to worry about it.

From:

conuly

There must be real people named Elmer out there, it's just a dated name.

From:

conuly

From:

conuly

It's like a weird addiction, right?

From:

conuly

I KNOW.

From:

greghousesgf

I notice you're not arguing with me about Betty or Ferdie.

From:

moon_custafer

In Brietweiser’s case, it certainly sounds like it.

From:

conuly

I've never even met a fictional Ferdie and am not entirely sure you didn't make that one up.

From:

greghousesgf

it was the name of a relative of Mickey Mouse and a fox in an old Casper cartoon. Why would I make that up?

From:

conuly

Why does anybody do anything?

(To be clear, I was being facetious. I didn't really think you'd make it up, because that's absurd.)

Edited Date: 2019-03-03 11:27 pm (UTC)

From:

greghousesgf

oh, OK. I've been accused of far crazier crap and I thought you were trying to start an argument. Like a lot of Aspberger's people I tend to take some things way too literally. sorry.

From:

conuly

Yeah. Once I got it when I was taking some animals to the van to be fixed. The ASPCA van that day was parked at the Jersey Street projects, which - to be fair! - is legitimately a higher crime neighborhood. But I didn't think, and don't think, that a random passerby is particularly at risk at 5am on a Sunday. Everybody there was either out drinking the night before and is now asleep, or they're at church. And the people on that block let their kids run all over, I've seen them as I go by on the bus, so I don't think 3pm, pick-up time, is that much riskier or else they'd make their children stay inside more.

It's not like you open the paper and it says "Another three dead on Jersey Street", you know?

I didn't say all this to the person in question. All I said is that the same people who go "Oooh, Jersey Street!" think that we live in a dangerous neighborhood, and yet neither one of us felt it was so risky we shouldn't be out at dawn waiting for the bus.

The biggest risk on spay/neuter day is that you'll die of boredom. It's a long wait between when you gotta show up to be assured of a spot and when the van arrives!

Edited Date: 2019-03-03 11:32 pm (UTC)

From:

conuly

I figured that you were a bit upset, that's why I clarified. And I do apologize - I promise, I don't ever want to pick fights on my very own journal. And I've never ever thought, in any level of seriousness, that you were prone to making things up. Most of my spectrummy friends aren't, but to be honest, you seem even less the type than the rest of us.