phil

cars, animals, space, humour, history, film, occasional rants and more...

[phil @Philly_Ocean]

Vintage car racing from Goodwood. Sign me up! https://t.co/aqwNCcypQ7

[Phil Burnside @bomberburnside]

Black tailed godwit at castle lake this morning.

[Willis Eschenbach @WEschenbach]

Here's one of Michael Crichton's very finest quotes, especially applicable to climate "science":

"I want to pause here and talk about this notion of consensus, and the rise of what has been called consensus science.

I regard consensus science as an extremely pernicious development that ought to be stopped cold in its tracks. Historically, the claim of consensus has been the first refuge of scoundrels; it is a way to avoid debate by claiming that the matter is already settled.

Whenever you hear the consensus of scientists agrees on something or other, reach for your wallet, because you’re being had.

Let’s be clear: the work of science has nothing whatever to do with consensus. Consensus is the business of politics. Science, on the contrary, requires only one investigator who happens to be right ... In science, consensus is irrelevant."

Best to everyone,

w.

[Liza Libes @pensandpoison]

How many more bestsellers have to “break the rules” before publishing admits that their “rules” are antithetical to the sorts of books people actually want to read?

[FischerKing @FischerKing64]

Crichton also wrote in a style so clear and simple that 13 year old boys (not just adults) enthusiastic about science could enjoy his books. He was probably the first author I read at that age who showed me that reading could be a source of genuine pleasure.

[phil @Philly_Ocean]

If therapy-headed goons like Stewart and Campbell do take over society, the biggest killer in Britain will be boredom. They are the human equivalent of ready meals, everything has been blanded out and lacks character.

[David Borderick @daveborderick]

Cattle Egret near West hide at @RSPBMinsmere this morning. @Natures_Voice @RSPBEngland @SuffolkBirdGrp @BINsBirder @BTO_Suffolk

[Undine @HorribleSanity]

In which Miles Davis shows how to give your record company a collective headache.

[Sue Luxton @kelper60]

Bempton Cliffs this morning...

[Sunday Sport @thesundaysport]

If you've been booted out on the street by your landlord to make way for diversity, from next week you'll no longer be arrested for vagrancy.
Occasionally, the kindness of our rulers makes me feel quite emotional.

[David Burge @iowahawkblog]

Today's Dave's Car ID Service pays homage to the wild body graphics of the Muscle Car Era, starting with the GOAT - the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Screaming Chicken.

Coincidentally enough, today is also the 60th birthday of the Firebird. In a way. On June 28, 1966, Chevy's Pete Estes held a press conference announcing a new car line to battle the Ford Mustang, code name XP-836, and its name would be "Camaro." Pontiac was the only other GM division that would get the platform, with slightly different styling and powered by a Pontiac engine, under the the Firebird name.

From 1967-68 the Firebird sort of languished in the shadow of its Camaro cousin, but it did have some success in Trans Am road racing by privateers. "Trans Am" is short for Trans America, a series for sub 5 liter (302 cubic inch) stock cars.

Anyhoo to mark that success Pontiac rolled out the Trans Am option package for Firebird in 1969. At first it was fairly restrained; Cunningham-style blue hood stripes over white. But designer Bill Porter, inspired by an abstract design on a Tiffany vase, sketched out what he thought would be a cool graphic cue for the next gen Firebird, which was honed by Norm Inouye.

Porter taped the graphic to the hood of the styling studio clay model to gauge the reaction of GM's head styling honcho Bill Mitchell. It did not go well, as Mitchell allegedly let loose with a string of profanities. But it did appear on the 1970-72 Trans Ams, albeit as a very small decal on the nose.

In 1971 a persistent GM designer named John Schinella decided to re-present the idea to Mitchell. He noted that Mitchell rode a custom Yamaha bike painted black and gold in graphics like the John Player Special F1 car. Schinella applied an enormous Screaming Chicken decal on a black Firebird, parked it next to Mitchell's custom Yamaha.

This time Mitchell relented, and the idea was approved. The first 3 "hood birds" are in top secret August 1971 photo (1). They were offered for sale in September 1972 with the rollout of the 1973 model year. Not all Trans Ams had them, it was optional graphics package code WW7. But the buying public clamored for them.

And why not? It's exactly the kind of statement that the kind of person who wanted a Trans Am wanted to make. Loud, brash, unapologetic, a 10 minute Free Bird guitar solo on wheels. U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!

[phil @Philly_Ocean]

"A new progressive mafia rules Britain's arts world by fear..."

[Rosie Kay @RosieKayK2CO]

Top opinion piece on today’s @Telegraph!

Writing was not my first love- dance is- but in these times I’m so grateful to be able to express what is happening in the arts.

Link next.

[Tex Avery Toon @TexAveryToon]

Give way for the senior most musician 😂

[Les Cater Wildlife photographer @Lesliecater1]

This Gannet was tucked into the cliff face just below where we were standing, it was having a rest and preening/cleaning it's plumage. Now and then it went to sleep, then as in the second image, it woke up and turned it's head upside down and rubbed it on it's back. Lovely to see

[Daily Dutch Masters 🎨 @Goudriaan2]

Dog and a Birch Log
Govert Camphuysen, 17th century

[Oliver C Wright @OW_Photography]

Back lit clouded yellow butterfly with dew in North Bulgaria

A difficult species to find roosted. Tend to roost low in foliage which is a similar colour to themselves. If you see pics of these "roosted" up on flowers the photographer probably moved the butterfly

[Gareth Harney @OptimoPrincipi]

A perfectly preserved ancient wooden pulley dating to the 2nd century BC, recovered from the Pozzino shipwreck off the coast of Populonia, Tuscany. Populonia Archaeological Museum

[Super 70s Sports @Super70sSports]

Tell me this wasn’t a better world back when you could drive to the record store and meet Prince. You can’t do it.

[Gareth Harney @OptimoPrincipi]

Roman obsidian skyphos drinking cup, expertly cut from a single block of obsidian and engraved with a winding grapevine. Ancient obsidian vessels are mainly known from fragments, however the unusual engraved decoration on an intact and complete skyphos like this one is without parallel. 1st century AD. Displayed in the National Museum of Antiquities, Leiden, Netherlands, 'Glass' Exhibition 2020-21.

[Computer ♥ Records @ComputerLove_]

17-year-old school leaver showing off his customized Vespa scooter, which has 34 mirrors and 81 lights.

[Silent Movie GIFs @silentmoviegifs]

Conrad Veidt in The Hands of Orlac (1924)