Dread Pirate Zed

@dreadpiratezed.bsky.social

2113 Followers 3329 Following

Just trying to get through it all with my soul intact. Badlife and proud of it. He/him DPZ Karaoke: https://www.youtube.com/@DreadPirateZed

Two braided USB-A to right-angle USB-C cables, with brand tags saying AINOPE (which I'm choosing to pronounce as "AI? Nope.")
Screenshot of an email title: "FNAME, Your July Top 10 has Arrived"
Screenshot of posts from 8 December 2023: This is NOT A DRUG; I wish people understood that. It's basically a bone marrow transplant, except they take the patient's own stem cells, edit them with CRISPR, and re-implant them - after chemo to kill all of the un-edited marrow. Plus if they mess up the editing, the patient gets blood cancer. I'm not at all surprised that it costs $2M right now; I fully expect that price to come way down. But we're still talking about months of hospitalization; it's never gonna be $10K.
A chunk of white granite, about the size of a baby's fist, sits on a simulated woodgrain desk next to a ProtoArc ergonomic mouse. The rock is approximately 1/3 the size of the mouse.
Screenshot from Edge settings showing the switches to block notification requests from sites you visit: Privacy, search, and services/Site permissions/All permissions/Notifications "Ask before sending" - turn OFF "Quiet notification requests" - turn ON
Screenshot from Firefox settings, showing the checkbox to block new notification requests (Permissions and data/Permissions/Notifications)
Screenshot of Chrome settings page (Privacy and security/Site settings/Notifications) showing the radio button that disables all site notifications
A Canadian beer for Americans who are more interested in the 21st Amendment than the 2nd: Molson Lager, spelled out in pseudo-Greek to look like one of those "Molon Labe" signs that fans of "300" stick on their trucks to tell you there's a gun in the glove compartment you can take
Wang 2200 Basic Computer By StenSoft (Wikipedia) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wang2200.jpg, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17501469
Cairo street scene; one of the businesses has a sign saying "art friend"
Lincoln's seated statue inside the Memorial, with the engraving: In this temple as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever
Mashup of GoT White Walker with the cover of Frank Sinatra's "Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back" album
Screenshot (from Wikipedia - I haven't played it in decades) of the opening of "Colossal Cave Adventure", aka just plain Adventure. WELCOME TO ADVENTURE!! WOULD YOU LIKE INSTRUCTIONS?
Signs on a bar wall: NOTICE - We're not happy until you're not happy ATTENTION - All disputes settled by Rock, Paper, Scissors
It's It ice cream sandwich
Metal dish containing 8 crunchy brown falafel, one of which has been cut in half to reveal the bright green inside. A small dish of herbed tahini sits in the middle. (Sadly, it wasn't as tasty as it looked - a little bland for my taste. Still makes my mouth water to look at it.)
Panda Express fortune: Nurture your dreams
A Momentary Lapse of Reason album cover
Screenshot from the "Flying" section of the Union Flag wikipedia entry, showing correct vs. incorrect orientations for horizontal and vertical display of the flag https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Jack#Flying
Game of Thrones/Frank Sinatra album cover mashup
Black bowl with vanilla ice cream, transformed by a few dashes of orange-colored Angostura bitters
French movie poster for "Un Coeur en Hiver", un film de Claude Sautet. Stars Emmanuelle Béart (pictured sleeping), Daniel Auteuil, and André Dussollier
MotoHakone - ancient Tokaido cedar lane photographed 16 February 2010 with a potato
Movie poster for "Hawmps!", a slapstick comedy (very) loosely based on Haj Ali (Hi Jolly) and the US Army's Camel Corps
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slate_(magazine) - Notable contributors and departments Anne Applebaum (Foreigners) John Dickerson (Politics) Simon Doonan (Fashion) Stefan Fatsis (Hang Up and Listen) Ashley Feinberg (Politics) Daniel Gross (The Juice) David Greenberg (History Lesson) Margo Howard (Dear Prudence 1998-2006) Fred Kaplan (War Stories)[57] Juliet Lapidos (Books / Explainer / Brow Beat) Dahlia Lithwick (Jurisprudence)[57] Michael Moran (Reckoning / Foreign Policy) Timothy Noah (The Customer) Meghan O'Rourke (The Highbrow/Grieving) Daniel M. Lavery (Dear Prudence 2015-2021) Robert Pinsky (poetry editor) Phil Plait (Bad Astronomy / Science) Ron Rosenbaum (Spectator) William Saletan (Human Nature) Jack Shafer (Press Box) Eliot Spitzer (The Best Policy) Herbert Stein (Dear Prudence 1997-1998) Mike Steinberger (Drink) Dana Stevens (Surfergirl through 2005/Movies)[57] James Surowiecki (The Book Club) Leon Neyfakh (Podcast) Tom Vanderbilt (Transport) Jacob Weisberg (The Big Idea) Tim Wu (Technology/Jurisprudence) Emily Yoffe (Dear Prudence 2006-2015, Human Guinea Pig) Reihan Salam (Politics) Laura Miller (Books and Culture)[57] Carl Wilson (Music) Past contributors Emily Bazelon Jamelle Bouie Pete Buttigieg Paul Boutin Ian Bremmer Phil Carter David Edelstein Franklin Foer Sasha Frere-Jones Atul Gawande Austan Goolsbee David Greenberg Robert Lane Greene Virginia Heffernan David Helvarg Christopher Hitchens Jodi Kantor Mickey Kaus Patrick Radden Keefe Paul Krugman Steven Landsburg Will Leitch Farhad Manjoo Louis Menand Helaine Olen Mike Pesca David Plotz Daniel Radosh Bruce Reed Jody Rosen James Surowiecki Julia Turner Josh Voorhees Rob Walker David Weigel Robert Wright Matthew Yglesias Fareed Zakaria
Gary Oldman as Zorg in _The Fifth Element_ saying "I am very disappointed"
Dietary supplement bottle labeled "Beef Organs For Women"
Leslie Odom Jr. as Aaron Burr, recreating the famous commercial
Cover of Russian edition of "1984" by George Orwell, which (in Russian) is spelled Джордж Оруелл - Dzhordzh Oruell.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparta#Laconophilia A German racist strain of Laconophilia was initiated by Karl Otfried Müller, who linked Spartan ideals to the supposed racial superiority of the Dorians, the ethnic sub-group of the Greeks to which the Spartans belonged. In the 20th century, this developed into Fascist admiration of Spartan ideals. Adolf Hitler praised the Spartans, recommending in 1928 that Germany should imitate them by limiting "the number allowed to live". He added that "The Spartans were once capable of such a wise measure... The subjugation of 350,000 Helots by 6,000 Spartans was only possible because of the racial superiority of the Spartans." The Spartans had created "the first racialist state". Following the invasion of the USSR, Hitler viewed citizens of the USSR as like the helots under the Spartans: "They [the Spartans] came as conquerors, and they took everything", and so should the Germans. A Nazi officer specified that "the Germans would have to assume the position of the Spartiates, while... the Russians were the Helots."
Ingmar Bergman in 1966 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingmar_Bergman
Microsoft Word Options/Advanced dialog box. The text beside the option I keep having to check/uncheck says "Show bookmarks" with the first K underlined, but I have no idea which modifier keys to press with the K to toggle this setting. So it's File/Options/Advanced/scroll scroll scroll, over and over...
Model of USS Constitution in an empty Dimple "Pinch" whiskey bottle No idea why the label says "U.S.F. Constitution"
Detail from Bayeux Tapestry showing Harold Godwinson with the famous arrow in his eye
Movie poster for Lola Rennt (English title: Run Lola Run), starring Franka Potente as Lola and Moritz Bleibtrau as her useless wannabe gangsta boyfriend.
"ProtoArc" vertical mouse on a 3M Precision Mousing Surface pad (also highly recommended). The mouse is black, with a slightly rubberized finish that will probably wear off in a few months. There are several specks of dust, which are invisible to the naked eye but absolutely POP in this picture.
A shot of bourbon at karaoke night
Ad copy for phone case: real stuff Multi-layer strong protection Absorbs nearly 98% of the impact when falling Really escort your love machine from the inside out
19 gallon pin from American Red Cross. I could drive to San Francisco on that.
A sign in a clothing store: Man / Homem 1 Woman/ Mulher 0
Nemo (an extremely cute gray tuxedo kitty with zero body fat) looking very patient with her hoodie pulled up
Extremely cute (but very skinny) cat in a sweater being held by some random dude.
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts logo
Obverse of cup: MY FAVORITE NIECE GAVE ME THIS CUP
WW2-era vintage Salvation Army collection sign - has the familiar shield (originally silver during the Boer War; replaced with red during World War I) in an old-fashioned looking font - but "sharing is caring" and "GOD bless you..." in a font that looks remarkably like Impact - but Impact wasn't created until 1965, so wtf?
Package of strawberry macarons with the slogan "Il macaron di Caterina de' Medici"
Screenshot from Google Maps: White Oak exit from the northbound 101 in Tarzana, CA, focusing on Trader Joe's and its parking lot. Originally there were two entrances to the front section of the lot, but (due to disruptions to the Shell station next door) the west entrance has been closed; the front section is now an appendix or cul-de-sac. To exit the parking lot, one must drive to the back alley and either cut through the dry cleaners' lot and emerge into thr right lane of White Oak Blvd., or go the long way down the (very potholed) alley and through a condo complex's garages and try to make a left turn onto Burbank Blvd. The actual Trader Joe's is lovely - small and old-fashioned, but in a cozy way - but the parking experience may leave you needing therapy.
Observed in a Sherman Oaks strip mall: "Medusa" beauty boutique
Theatrical release poster for "Winterschläfer" (Winter sleepers, i.e. hibernators), 1997 In the foreground, a blonde woman reclines in firelight; in the background, the snow-covered Bavarian Alps loom against a twilit sky
Vintage Winchell's Donut House sign - "Open 24 Hrs."
Mortician Cookies Wet: 1 1/2 sticks butter, at room temperature 1/2 cup dark brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg 1/3 cup molasses Dry: 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon salt Moist: 1 cup diced candied ginger Lots of fresh grated ginger Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and sugar until light and fluffy. This will take a while, so go on to the dry ingredients while the mixer works. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Stir in diced candied ginger and grated fresh ginger until any/all clumps are separated. Set aside. Beat the egg and molasses into the creamed butter and sugar; add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Using a medium sized cookie scoop or a spoon, drop dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bake until edges are darkened and tops are just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Cookies can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for up to one week. (modified from a Serious Eats recipe)
Sign over a urinal at Cole's, downtown LA: "Mickey Cohen pissed here"
Movie poster for "Un Coeur en Hiver", starring Daniel Auteuil, Emmanuelle Béart, and André Dusollier; directed by Claude Sautet. A beautiful woman plays the violin in the foreground, while a man watches from the shadows
Screenshot from Genius of the lyrics to "Norwegian Wood" (https://genius.com/The-beatles-norwegian-wood-this-bird-has-flown-lyrics) [Verse 1: John Lennon] I once had a girl Or should I say, she once had me? She showed me her room "Isn't it good, Norwegian wood?" [Bridge: John Lennon & Paul McCartney] She asked me to stay And she told me to sit anywhere So I looked around And I noticed there wasn't a chair [Verse 2: John Lennon] I sat on the rug Biding my time, drinking her wine We talked until two And then she said, "It's time for bed" [Sitar/Guitar Solo] [Bridge: John Lennon & Paul McCartney] She told me she worked in the morning And started to laugh I told her I didn't And crawled off to sleep in the bath [Verse 3: John Lennon] And when I awoke I was alone, this bird had flown So I lit a fire Isn't it good, Norwegian wood?
From the USPS's page on the Postal Inspection Service: Stupid, yes, but not that stupid Because Postal Inspectors prefer to perform their duties largely in anonymity, the Postal Inspection Service has come to be known as “The Silent Service.” That doesn’t mean, however, that the criminal elements of society aren’t well aware of the agency’s remarkable success rate in winning convictions. A case in point involved a small country store that also housed the community’s Post Office. When thieves burglarized the store in the late 1960s, they carefully chalked a line between the commercial and postal areas. On the postal side of the line, the following inscription was marked: “Inspectors, we didn’t cross this line.” Apparently true to their word, the thieves took only store goods. They didn’t disturb a single item of Post Office equipment.
YouTube comment (on a "Feli from Germany" episode about German brands that nobody knows are German), from user @Sabaro4711: little German joke about Capri-Sun: A father is asked whether he doesn't think it's worrying to leave his 15-year-old daughter alone with her new boyfriend unattended in her room. The father says: "No. I watched the two of them trying in vain for 15 minutes to put the drinking straw into a Capri Sun. I think I don't have to worry about the other thing" ^^
Two packages of "Emporium Selection" Irish cheddar cheese from Aldi: "Mature" in a green package, opened and 3/4 eaten; "Vintage" in a grey package. I have no idea what "mature" and "vintage" mean in this context; they're both aged enough to develop tiny little crystals and taste sharp but smooth. Both recommended, even though I can never remember which to get.
FB post from "Catmin's Anticapitalist Treehouse of Solidarity": 🎃do NOT trick or treat at Ea-Nasir's house. He put ingots which were not good before me and said: 'If you want to take them, take them; if you do not want to take them, go away!' What does he take me for, to treat me with such contempt?
Refrigerator magnet: "Sometimes you forget you're awesome so this is your reminder"