Latest Posts

Classic Modern Beauty: Kim Novak

Classic Beauty

What I like most about Kim Novak is not just her astonishing beauty — that alone would get her onto this back porch of mine — but also the fact that she was a wonderful actress, right out of the gate of her first movie.  Award followed award, but because she was also determined not to be screwed by Hollywood, she often fought with the studios who wanted to underpay her and / or play the stereotypical part of The Cute Little Blonde (which she utterly refused to allow).  And she mostly won.

All that, and a brilliant actress as well?  Have mercy.

I’ll show Miss Novak in glorious color at some later date…

Turning The Tables

Funny Stuff, Patriotism

For those of you who’ve been away vacationing on the Planet Zarg and you have no idea who “Amelia” is, let Jamie Wilson ‘splain everything in her own inimitable style:

The British government’s Prevent office, housed under the Home Office (think Department of the Interior, but allergic to dissent), partnered with a media nonprofit called Shout Out UK (like a PBS focused on preventing “radicalism”) to come up with a clever new way to re-educate British youth.
The concern, as always, was “radicalization.” They thought the solution was inspired: a choice-based video game. Kids like games. Games involve decisions. Decisions shape values. What could possibly go wrong?
Thus Pathways was born, a government-funded interactive morality play designed to gently shepherd British children toward being properly antiracist, properly accepting, and properly enthusiastic about the ever-increasing number of migrants reshaping their country. Civics class, but fun. And digital. And corrective.
As part of this effort, the designers introduced a character named Amelia, a cute, purple-haired, vaguely goth girl who carries a Union Jack and talks about Britain being for the British. She was meant to function as a warning, a living illustration of how nationalism can look attractive, even charming, and yet be dangerous to the impressionable youths of Britain who may not have fully internalized the idea that Brexit is bad and they are to obey their elitist overlords.
What they did not anticipate was that the public would take one look at adorable, charming Amelia and decide she was the good guy.

To be honest, I’m howling with laughter at this whole thing.

Wasn’t it that little Commie tit Saul Alinsky who suggested using your enemy’s own rules and weapons against them?

Tradition Of Excellence

Education

My alma mater has made the news:

St John’s College in Johannesburg has built a reputation as one of South Africa’s leading boys’ schools, producing pupils who get accepted into top universities in South Africa and around the world, including Harvard University in the United States.

However, I’m still a little peeved that the College outlawed caning punishment back in the 1990s, even though that meant that my record total (124 strokes) will never be surpassed.