First Looks category archive

Presented by Comically Vintage.

Radio Times looks at part of the collection of Philadelphia’s Mutter Museum. From the website:

Philadelphia is home to the Mutter Museum, a medical museum famous for its anatomical specimens and medical oddities. One of the most interesting collections is in a set of drawers that contain nearly 2,000 objects that were swallowed and then extracted without surgery by renowned laryngologist Chevalier Jackson in the early 20th century. Jackson’s Foreign Body Collection at the Mutter Museum includes wristwatches, nails, umbrella tips, toy opera glasses, pins, and Christmas ornaments.

Follow the link to listen.

Now showing at Comically Vintage.

Via Mano Singham.

Local scientists attempt to combat the invasion of the turtles:

He brought a boat. He brought a stack of hoop nets. And he brought Ryan Niccoli, whose job it was to put on chest waders, hop out of the boat periodically and plant the hoop nets in shallow water around Lake Whitehurst, baited with a slightly opened can of sardines packed in soybean oil.

What they expected to happen, overnight, was for a Chinese softshell turtle to follow its piglike nose into the net, proof positive that the invasive species had taken up residence in the Norfolk city reservoir.

He didn’t find one, but he found a bunch of other infiltrators.

Neat pictures at the link.

H/T Susan for calling the article to my attention.

Taking the day off.

Scientists have shown off a “cloaking device” that makes objects invisible – to sound waves.

Such acoustic cloaking was proposed theoretically in 2008 but has only this year been put into practice.

The link gives a brief description of the mechanism, but not enough to DIY.

(Link fixed.)

Ever since I worked on the railroad, I have thought this would be the ultimate in luxurious self-indulgence.

I also want x-ray vision. I’m unlikely to get either.

Via MarkeiWatch.

. . . where PC stands for “police constable,” not for “politically correct.”

A Police constable has been sacked for posting offensive messages about a colleague on Facebook and harassing a female colleague.

Unrelated Afterthought:

I notice that, in many cases, those who complain about pressure to be “politically correct” actually seek permission to be rude, obnoxious, and nasty.

Off to drink liberally.

Fun and fellowship for liberals. Join us.

When: Wednesday, June 22, 6 p

Where:
Kelly’s Tavern
1936 Laskin Rd, # 201
Virginia Beach, Va. (Map)

More here.

I hope to shake my summer cold by them.

Punished for being:

As the Statue of Liberty says

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
So I may deride, debase, deport them.

Bob Cesca:

Wouldn’t it be great if embarrassing stupidity was always a cause for resignation? A sizable chunk of the House of Representatives would be replaced almost daily.

The smell was really heavy yesterday and this morning:

Smoke from a North Carolina wildfire has been reported in the Richmond and Hampton Roads areas this morning, state officials say.

This peat fire that started on May 5. It could burn for months.

• What: Virginia Beach Democratic Committee Third Thursday Dinner
• When: June 16th, 6:00 PM
• Where: Kelly’s Hilltop Tavern, 1936 Laskin Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23454 (map), in the nonsmoking section.

This week, there is a guest speaker:

Adrianne Bennett, candidate for the House of Delegates 21st District, running against Republican Ron Villanueva

Show up, order off the menu (separate checks), socialize, and talk politics–or whatever else interests you.

See the website for more information.

Donvite explains what that means. A nugget:

Last week I was heading to work at 7:15 am. It was one of the hotter days. I pulled up to the light on RT202 across from Widener University. To the left of me was a black man in an old red Ford Probe with his windows rolled down. He already looked hot as hell. I’m assuming the a/c wasn’t working. Ahead of him was a white state cop in an “unmarked” car. I said to myself, “I bet he gets pulled over.” Now, keep in mind, the cop was ahead of the car. As I drove away, the cop changed lanes to the left lane, slowed down, pulled back into the center lane behind the probe right around the hotel and before the Concord mall, his lights came on, and he pulled over the black guy.

2 times in the past year I got out of a ticket. I no longer worry about what I’m doing wrong when I drive. I’m white.

In an otherwise unsurprising column on Congressman Weiner and the “boys will be boys” mentality, Elmer Smith of Philly dot com comes forth with this:

Truth be told, men have turned these lowered expectations to our advantage. The advice I share with young married men is that they should strive to attain what I call heathen status.

Heathen status is conferred when your wife abandons all hope of reform. One day, she sees you stretched out on the couch with the remote in one hand balancing a beer on your belly and tells herself that this is as good as it’s ever going to get.

Via Down with Tyranny.

Via Mano Singham.