Basically, its a series of covers from Cosmopolitan magazine from its origins in the 19th century to today. Back then, the most risque article advertised on the cover was 'Art in Photography and Photographic Models.' By 1970, an article called 'Are you a good lover? This quiz will tell' snuck in, albeit sandwiched between reviews of novels and short stories.
The most recent covers of Cosmopolitan, well. We all know about the recent covers of Cosmo. It is startling to see the transition unfold before your eyes, however.
*****
Some thoughts on psychopathy. It seems chillingly similar to the breed of psychopath portrayed by Michael Hall in Dexter - doubtlessly not a coincidence. (We're talking Season 1, back when he was a legitimate sociopath instead of a killer with a heart, family, emotions, conscience, etc. Basically before they killed the series.)
*****
A biiiig long article about how Sarah Palin has turned an electoral loss in the 2008 elections into a multi-million dollar business. She has made a fortune from being the sort of folksy mom who doesn't know all that much - but is determined not to let them there foreigners take our jobs.
What she obviously doesn't get is that politicians tend to be knowledgeable, technical and one step removed from the people because that is exactly the kind of person we WANT running the country. People who know what they're doing. But because of her appeal to the teabagger movement, she's been promoted to some sort of cutesy mascot for the right-wing. We'll ignore the fact that the original Tea Party was opposed to a globe-spanning empire overstretching its power through bloodymindedness, and were branded as insurgents by the flagbearers of liberty back in London.
Perhaps its a baby boomer/ Gen X thing, but how can her claims that Obama is a communist hold water when he's already in power and not doing much in the way of seizing the means of production for the proletariat? What's so scary about socialism? Norway is socialist. Sweden is socialist. To an extent, Australia is socialist. In other news, Norway, Sweden, and Australia rock sweet balls and can do no wrong. What's wrong with socialist?
What she obviously doesn't get is that politicians tend to be knowledgeable, technical and one step removed from the people because that is exactly the kind of person we WANT running the country. People who know what they're doing. But because of her appeal to the teabagger movement, she's been promoted to some sort of cutesy mascot for the right-wing. We'll ignore the fact that the original Tea Party was opposed to a globe-spanning empire overstretching its power through bloodymindedness, and were branded as insurgents by the flagbearers of liberty back in London.
Perhaps its a baby boomer/ Gen X thing, but how can her claims that Obama is a communist hold water when he's already in power and not doing much in the way of seizing the means of production for the proletariat? What's so scary about socialism? Norway is socialist. Sweden is socialist. To an extent, Australia is socialist. In other news, Norway, Sweden, and Australia rock sweet balls and can do no wrong. What's wrong with socialist?
*****
But, as this article points out, democracy doesn't work.
More specifically, there is no possible way to make a voting system accurately reflect the wishes of the constituency, and the ways we DO have are flawed to varying degrees.
It's shorter than the Palin one, give me that at least.
More specifically, there is no possible way to make a voting system accurately reflect the wishes of the constituency, and the ways we DO have are flawed to varying degrees.
It's shorter than the Palin one, give me that at least.
*****
New Doctor Who: awesome. Matt Smith does a marvelous David Tennant impression, while hinting that at some point in the future the character will branch off into the uncharted waters of not being David Tennant.
I will say that I don't like the new Daleks. They look like Power Rangers and their strength upgrade is ridiculous.
Daleks were always infinitely powerful. What are these? Infinitely powerful plus one? Creatures of indestructable might that can be defeated by the fact that they can't fit through doors? Beings of infinite majesty colour-coded for your convenience? Daleks are always just as powerful as the plot demands.
Shoot a building into flames? They can do that. Shoot through a blast door? Not even attempted. Turn faceless redshirts into skeletons? Instant and charcoal flavoured. Singe John Barrowman's pants? Eek, no. We'll leave him perfectly intact so he can resurrect later.
So if you add a foot to their height, give them a side-on profile more commonly found in the queue at Maccas and put spikes on their eyestalk, they don't actually get any more scary. Not even if they go through puberty.
And after all, Daleks have gone through enough incarnations to rival the Facebook homepage. We've faced in the reboot alone:
You know what would be scary?
Monkeys.
Little fluffy alien monkeys that hide in corners, then jump out and say 'I wuv woo!' while jumping for your face. Because Doctor Who is PG, the victims disintegrate on contact. Evil fluffy monkeys: scarier than all the copy pasted, simultaneously moving Daleks the BBC budget can afford.
I will say that I don't like the new Daleks. They look like Power Rangers and their strength upgrade is ridiculous.
Daleks were always infinitely powerful. What are these? Infinitely powerful plus one? Creatures of indestructable might that can be defeated by the fact that they can't fit through doors? Beings of infinite majesty colour-coded for your convenience? Daleks are always just as powerful as the plot demands.
Shoot a building into flames? They can do that. Shoot through a blast door? Not even attempted. Turn faceless redshirts into skeletons? Instant and charcoal flavoured. Singe John Barrowman's pants? Eek, no. We'll leave him perfectly intact so he can resurrect later.
So if you add a foot to their height, give them a side-on profile more commonly found in the queue at Maccas and put spikes on their eyestalk, they don't actually get any more scary. Not even if they go through puberty.
And after all, Daleks have gone through enough incarnations to rival the Facebook homepage. We've faced in the reboot alone:
- a single Dalek (lonely and confused. Final member of its species - Destroyed for the last and final time )
- a Dalek emperor plus attending empire (Invading future earth) (destroyed for the last and final time)
- Last surviving four Daleks (Invading Alternate Earth)
- A huge army of Daleks (Invading Alternate Earth) (coinciding with a Cybermen invasion and ending with them destroyed for the last and final time)
- a Human-Dalek fusion
- Human/Timelord/Daleks (seen after they blew the prosthetics budget, apparently. Ganged up on last surviving Dalek, who was destroyed for the last and final time)
- Daleks headed by Davros (threatening THE DESTRUCTION. OF REALITY. ITSELF. Destroyed for the last and final time)
- HOLY CRAP THE DALEKS CAME BACK. GO GO POWER RA-- DALEK EMPIRE!!!
- Also, probably (SPOILER ALERT) at the end of the series, judging on Amy Pool's memory blank (/SPOILER)
- AND: A Doctor Who Adventure game (official canon!)
You know what would be scary?
Monkeys.
Little fluffy alien monkeys that hide in corners, then jump out and say 'I wuv woo!' while jumping for your face. Because Doctor Who is PG, the victims disintegrate on contact. Evil fluffy monkeys: scarier than all the copy pasted, simultaneously moving Daleks the BBC budget can afford.
*****
Oh crap, the major reform I was voted in to accomplish was opposed to a standstill, forcing an election I have a less than perfect chance of winning!
Quick, er, um HEALTH REFORM!! Uh, er, TAX REFORM, TOBACCO PRICE HIKES, NO CIGARETTE ADS. Um, er...
I was with you, Kevin.
I was even with Malcolm Turnbull for the last few months there, when he actually supported something the government was doing. I was strongly in support of the ETS. Au revoir, best-option-to-save-the-planet.
Now, while you're better than Tony 'no dole for under-thirties, I have a right to meddle with your sex lives, don't I look snazzy in this next-to-nothing, I hate taxes - have some taxes, have I told you all that when I was a kid I was planning to be an...' Abbott, you aren't perfect.
So in the next election, I'm voting for you - not because I support you totally, but because the other guy is worse. And that is the worst praise you can give a politician. Its arguably worse than calling you a communist.
Quick, er, um HEALTH REFORM!! Uh, er, TAX REFORM, TOBACCO PRICE HIKES, NO CIGARETTE ADS. Um, er...
I was with you, Kevin.
I was even with Malcolm Turnbull for the last few months there, when he actually supported something the government was doing. I was strongly in support of the ETS. Au revoir, best-option-to-save-the-planet.
Now, while you're better than Tony 'no dole for under-thirties, I have a right to meddle with your sex lives, don't I look snazzy in this next-to-nothing, I hate taxes - have some taxes, have I told you all that when I was a kid I was planning to be an...' Abbott, you aren't perfect.
So in the next election, I'm voting for you - not because I support you totally, but because the other guy is worse. And that is the worst praise you can give a politician. Its arguably worse than calling you a communist.
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