ICYMI, Monday's links are here, and include the anniversary of the 20th of July plot, the unsuccessful bomb attempt to kill Hitler in 1944, the Alameda-Weehawken Burrito Tunnel, weather on other planets, scientists decide there are 4 kinds of drunks, and lots about Sharknado Week.
Take a look at this infographic from terrysfabrics that shows iconic TV living rooms and see if you can spot the unique impact they've had on your home.
Apparently freedom of expression is controversial. Transcript below - any substantive or grammatical mistakes are mine:
Four United States Marines are now dead. Climate change didn't kill them. Lack of free community college didn't kill them. The income gap? Wage inequality? Nope, not those things, either. Gay marriage? Nope. White racism? Not that either. So what did?
President Obama if you wanna say it I will - radical Islam. This is not workplace violence, this is not a criminal act with motives unknown, this is terrorism. The suspected shooter Mohammed Abdulaziz, was a devout Muslim. Do I care that he seemed like an all-American young man? Do I care that he was good at mixed martial arts or a smart quiet guy? Do I care that is high school friend wouldn't classify him as overly religious? No, I don't give a flying you know what about any of that. Was he linked to ISIS or al Qaeda or Hamas, or any of the other 15-plus offshoot terrorist groups? Does it matter?
I'm sorry, but radical Islam is becoming the rule not the exception. Yesterday's moderate is today's terrorist. I care that this SOB killed four United States Marines and I care that our Commander-in-Chief is more concerned with Muslim sensitivity then the honor and sacrifice made by these marines.
This is the 21st time our military men and women have been attacked here at home (caution - autoplay). This is not a middle East problem - this is an American problem, and I'm sorry but I can't sit here and let this go not anymore. I come from a family of Marines. My grandpa was a World War Two paratrooper, my uncle a Vietnam Purple Heart recipient, my cousins both Marine Corps officers, and I have some very close Navy SEAL connections as well. In fact someone very close to my heart is deployed to the Middle East right now, but the sad thing is that I was telling him last night that I think you're safer over there then you would be right here in the United States America.
I've had it with this failed strategy, this halfway, half-baked if we'll be friendly to Jihadis mentality pushed by this administration. Be a leader, someone! They, the radical Islamists, have brought the fight right here to the red white and blue and it's about time we bring it to them, full force. Let's show what the United States of America looks like up close and personal. Show them what a B-one bomber looks like flying overhead. Show what they're messing with. Put the fear of God in their desert, because clearly our lack of strategy isn't working.
ICYMI, last Friday's links are here, and include some really bad taxidermy, a Brooklyn superhero supply store, answering mail addressed to Sherlock Holmes, and a gallery of medieval armor.
The Syfy channel’s second annual “Sharknado Week” will feature seven original movie premieres as part of a celebration of the anticipated debut of Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!on Wednesday. Plus, of course, many shark-related movies from previous years. It actually started Saturday, but the movies will be re-run (a lot, I'm sure).
For the full list of movies, visit syfy.com. Here’s a rundown of the week’s premieres:
Saturday:
7 p.m. “Roboshark” An alien space probe is devoured by a great white shark that then terrorizes Seattle. Starring Hristo Balabanov (“Robocrock”).
9 p.m. “Mega Shark vs. Kolossus” The mega shark goes go head-to-head against a reawakened giant robot Kolossus. Starring Illeana Douglas, Amy Rider and Brody Hutzler.
Sunday:
9 p.m. “Sharktopus vs. Whalewolf” Sharktopussquares off against the new half-whale, half-wolf creature. Starring husband-and-wife actors Casper Van Dien and Catherine Oxenberg .
Monday:
7 p.m. “3 Headed Shark Attack” This triple-faced mutation finds a human buffet on a party boat. Danny Trejo and WWE star Rob Van Dam star. (“2 Headed Shark Attack” precedes the new film at 5 p.m.)
9 p.m. “Zombie Shark.” Another experimental shark gets loose and sets its sights on humans. With Jason London and Leslie Castay.
Wednesday:
9 p.m. “Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!” The third film in the franchise finds sharknados wreaking havoc across the entire East Coast. Ian Ziering and Tara Reid return to fight again, this time with a slew of famous cameos. (“Sharknado” and “Sharknado 2” precede at 5 and 7 p.m. respectively.)
Next Saturday is my personal favorite:
9 p.m. “Lavalantula” It’s “Police Academy” vs. the lavalantulas as Steve Guttenberg, Leslie Easterbrook, Michael Winslow and others from the “Police Academy” franchise fight lava-breathing tarantulas in Los Angeles.
The ad shows several grandparents reminiscing about their childhood fun outside — tobogganing, planting, fishing — and then several parents recalling that they’d build forts, or just head out to find friends to play with. Finally, their kids talk about their love of videogames and texting.
The ad then shows those same kids after what can only be called an intervention. We see them running outside (toward a waiting parent), carefully riding a bike on the sidewalk, or being taught by mom how to plant a flower. (That kid did not look psyched to me.)
It’s great that the ad has framed the issue we talk about here all the time: In just one generation, it has become almost bizarre to see kids heading out to find fun on their own outside. That’s why people call 911 when the see a child in the park. It’s like spotting a tapir escaped from the zoo.
Plus this:
But as this note, uh, notes:
"One of the things I noticed is that in the previous generations memories there were no adults present and the children created wonderful memories. In the current generation’s outdoor play portrayed in the video there were adults present in almost all of the depictions. It pretty much says that outdoor play is necessary but must be supervised and lead by an adult". — Marcie
One more excerpt:
But beyond even the perceived need for supervision, the adults outside with their kids at the end of this ad seem almost as if they’re teaching a remedial class.
And with the renormalization of kids running around, the threat of CPS intervention disappears.
