Uncouth Reflections

The Law West of the Pecos

Posted on December 17, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes:

Click on the image to enlarge.

Judge Roy Bean, known as the “Law West of the Pecos,” holding court in the town of Langtry, Texas in 1900. Pictured is the trial of a horse thief. The courthouse doubled as a saloon.

Posted in Photography | Tagged history, law, Texas, Wild West | 1 Comment

Linkage

Posted on December 17, 2013 by Paleo Retiree

Paleo Retiree writes:

Interesting how much some of these pathetic (if also zany) Brutalist Yugoslavian monuments — shown here in photos by Jan Kempenaers — resemble contemporary chic architecture. Coincidence?
An interview with journalist Colin Flaherty, who has been tracking the Knockout Game phenom for longer than almost anyone else. Fabrizio del Wrongo shared some thoughts about the Knockout Game and the media’s response to it.
Is it debt or interest that’s the real problem?
Are we hardwired to feel peaceful when in the countryside?
In praise of walking and walkability.
Steve Sailer wants to know: why does there have to be only one minimum wage? Why not different minimum wages for different locales, and for different situations?
Hey, let’s merge with Canada. Because the U.S. isn’t big enough already, I guess.
Greg Cochran on that mysterious population, the Basques.
Meet the restaurant with the world’s longest waiting list.
The always interesting HBD*Chick on the very interesting Emmanuel Todd. What is the relationship between family types and political structures?
Lloyd Fonveille enjoyed “Nebraska” but didn’t love “American Hustle.”
Will S. examines some of the problems with boycotts.
Camille Paglia’s latest. Have at it, fans and haters.
The Question Lady and I spend ‘way too much time watching true-crime docs from Investigation Discovery. (We both enjoyed true-crime books back in the genre’s publishing heyday too.) Watching tales of murder can be a strangely satisfying way to drift off at the end of a day. Our current faves, both of them available on Netflix: “Behind Mansion Walls,” juicy tales of upper-crust misbehavior selected and hosted by the witty and amusing Christopher Mason; and “Sins & Secrets,” a clone of the late, great “City Confidential,” sharing that series’ special emphasis on lore about the place where a murder took place. If a murder occurred in Fayetteville, N.C., you’ll meet the people, follow the story — and you’ll learn a decent amount about Fayetteville too.

Posted in Architecture, Linkathons, Movies, Science, Television | Tagged Camille Paglia, Christopher Mason, Colin Flaherty, Emmanuel Todd, HBDChick, Lloyd Fonveille, Will. S. | 2 Comments

Ersatz Cole Porter

Posted on December 17, 2013 by Fenster

Fenster writes:

Eddie quotes Cole Porter. My rejoinder: Ersatz Cole Porter.

PARIS IN THE OFF-SEASON

The Prices

I ask for another stiff boisson

when a seafood repast que nous choissisons

almost breaks my whole bank-ly,

deux mille francs! I say, “francly,

one man’s fish is another man’s poisson”.

The Weather

In Paris it’s really quite rainya

than the proverbial plainya in Spainya.

But it couldn’t be better!

After all we’d be wetter,

if we’d traveled the ship Lusitania.

III

Ensemble

So though Paris is lovely and fair,

for more francs and soleil do I care.

And though it may embarrass,

here’s my Judgment of Paris:

Although it’s not sunny, it’s cher.

Posted in Music | 1 Comment

Sovereign Citizens & Paper Terrorism

Posted on December 17, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes:

Time for a little hatethink, you guys! Did you hear the story about the dude in Ohio going around trying to steal peoples’ homes? He claimed the owners, some of whom were on vacation, had abandoned them and thus he was free to take ownership via a legal concept called adverse possession. Now, adverse possession is a valid cause of action, but the statutory period for asserting a claim is usually many years. In the case of Ohio, an owner must not use his property for 21 years before someone else may adversely possess the property.

But this criminal-trespassing troll’s misunderstanding of the law isn’t what interested me. As this other story points out, the troll is a member of the Sovereign Citizens movement. Huh? That was a new one to me, so I followed the link to the Southern Poverty Law Center to read about this extremist group.

Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Economics | Tagged Hatethink, law, paper terrorism, Sovereign Citizens, The Cathedral | 16 Comments

Publicity Archives

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Sherbrooke

Sherbrooke writes:

Records of why this photo was taken remain undiscovered, but surely the cause of Big Cats was involved. Diana Rigg and Elizabeth Taylor (meeting for the first time?) show the kitties some love.

Posted in Movies, Performers, Photography | 1 Comment

Architecture Du Jour

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes:

Click on the image to enlarge.

Cobb Hall at the University of Chicago

Related

Don’t miss Fenster’s analysis of Rutgers University here.

Posted in Architecture, Education | Tagged gothic revival, traditionalism, University of Chicago | 2 Comments

Mixed Messages

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Epaminondas

epiminondas writes:

Yes, I understand that different cultures communicate ideas in ways that sometimes seem strange to us. Particularly when taken out of context. Recently, while traveling in Chile, I stopped at a gas station and saw this ad in a brochure. Whoa! “Lubrax” sounds like “lube racks”…and these gals have ’em.

Posted in Travel | Tagged ads | Leave a comment

Tragedy is Easy; Planning is Hard

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Fenster

Fenster writes:

It helps in planning, as in life, to have a sense of identity. And I don’t mean “brand”, although in practice branding and identity exercises are often comprised of the same interchangeable BS. At least in terms of connotation, branding summons up an image of an hot iron stuck on you by someone else

whereas identity, done right, ought to signify an expression of who you really are. Yes, you can get lost navel gazing in an identity search

but reflection is an integral part of good planning. It is fine to have a goal that is ambitious when starting planning, but it is not OK to have a self-image that is fanciful.

But identity-finding can sometimes be hard. When that’s the case planning can be hard, too.

In that regard this is a story about planning at Rutgers, the quintessential identity-challenged university. As to why identity-finding is hard at Rutgers, you have to start with history.

Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Education | Tagged Antoine Predock, architectural competitions, branding, Enrique Norten, eric eisenberg, identity, Jean Nouvel, Morphosis, Peter Eisenman, planning, Rutgers, strategic ambiguity, Thom Mayne | 11 Comments

Men Really Have Strange Emotions

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes:

Men really have strange emotions and behave in the most bizarre ways. Sometimes a man will leave a very pretty woman to marry an ugly one. Surely a gentleman who frequents the Palace should choose as his love the prettiest girl of good family he can find. Though she may be of such high standing that he cannot hope to make her his wife, he should, if he is really impressed by the girl, languish for her unto death.

Sometimes, too, a man will become so fascinated by a girl of whom he was heard favorable reports that he will do everything in his power to marry her even though they have never even met.

I do not understand how a many can possibly love a girl whom other people, even those of her own sex, find ugly.

I remember a certain woman who was both attractive and good-natured and who furthermore had excellent handwriting. Yet when she sent a beautifully written poem to the man of her choice, he replied with some pretentious jottings and did not even bother to visit her. She wept endearingly, but he was indifferent and went to see another woman instead. Everyone, even people who were not directly concerned, felt indignant about this callous behavior, and the woman’s family was much grieved. The man himself, however, showed not the slightest pity.