SuperMegaMonkey: Ummm... Other?: May 2011 Archives

Ummm... Other?

From the drama-filled world of Badminton:

An attempt by badminton's governing body to force professional female players to wear skirts or dresses has been condemned as "a regressive and damaging attempt to sex up the game" by Hugh Robertson, the minister for sport.
The Badminton World Federation says the dress code is necessary to make women athletes appear more feminine, thereby reviving flagging interest in the sport from fans and corporate sponsors.
...
The new dress code - formulated in consultation with Octagon, an international marketing firm - states that women can still wear shorts or long pants for cultural and religious reasons - as long as they are worn underneath a dress or skirt.

I really don't think the outfits are the reason nobody's interested in badminton. Granted, I've never spent much time (or any) watching a badminton match, but it seems like it'd be a less exciting version of tennis, which is already dead boring.

The Federation attempt at explaining is a contradiction in itself. While denying they're trying to use sex to promote the sport, they complain that nobody's watching cause the women are wearing baggy clothing and dressing too masculine.

Paisan Rangsikitpho, the US deputy president of the Badminton World Federation - which has only two female members on its 25-member board - denies the new ruling is "an attempt to use sex to promote the sport".
"We just want them to look feminine and have a nice presentation so women will be more popular," he said. "Interest is declining. Some women compete in oversize shorts and long pants and appear baggy, almost like men.
"Hardly anybody is watching [the sport]," he added. "TV ratings are down. We want to build them up to where they should be. They play quite well. We want them to look nicer on the court and have more marketing value for themselves. I'm surprised we got a lot of criticism."

And this bit is particularly priceless.

[William Kings, spokesman for Badminton England,] said, however, that UK badminton had a "dilemma" over the issue. He pointed to the support for the new dress code from Nora Perry, a former world doubles champion from England and member of the council of the world governing body.
Kings said of Perry that "the problem is that although she always used to play in a skirt, she was a very attractive woman player while lots of the opponents of this action come from those not quite as fortunate in the good-looks stakes".

I keep reading that and trying to figure out how he thinks that's ok to say.

By min | May 27, 2011, 1:59 PM | Ummm... Other? | Link

Presenting....the Candwich!

By Markone Foods

According to the website, the Candwich "is the perfect product for people on the go such as students, construction workers, soccer moms and outdoor enthusiasts." It does not require refrigeration and has a long shelf life, and as such it is "perfect for emergency food storage needs in the event of natural disasters." Also, it is "great tasting."

Somehow, i highly doubt that last assertion. BBQ chicken coming soon. Yum.

I don't know what the Laffy Taffy's about. I guess it's to round out the grossness.

h/t wnkr

By min | May 27, 2011, 1:44 PM | Ummm... Other? | Link

He must have hated his time on the Atari 2600, then.

Here is an odd tag that was on a King Ghidorah toy i bought recently (one day soon i'll wow you all with pictures of the new Godzilla toys i bought). I figure it's either how they communicate "choking hazard" in Japan or a warning to us that Pac-Man really doesn't like eating square dots.

Wakka-wakka-waaaah!

By fnord12 | May 26, 2011, 10:26 AM | Godzilla & Ummm... Other? & Video Games | Link

Say No to Marmite

Oh noes!

The sales ban enforces a law restricting products fortified with added vitamins. Food giant Kelloggs withdrew some brands of breakfast cereal from Denmark when the legislation passed in 2004, but until now Marmite had escaped the attention of Danish authorities.
"What am I supposed to put on my toast now?" asked British advertising executive Colin Smith, who has lived in the country for six years.
...
Lyndsay Jensen, a Yorkshire born graphic designer in Copenhagen, despaired of the move. "They don't like it because it's foreign," she said, adding that she already planned to send off for supplies from abroad. "But if they want to take my Marmite off me they'll have to wrench it from my cold dead hands."

I have never tried Marmite. It sounds disgusting to me, and i don't trust the taste buds of a peoples who think beans on toast is a good idea. I just think it's interesting that Denmark's food regulations are made by Veterinary and Food Administration. I never would have thought of pairing those two things together.

By min | May 24, 2011, 11:08 AM | Ummm... Other? | Comments (2)| Link

Planking WTF?!?

Bizarre. Here. via Penny Arcade.

By fnord12 | May 20, 2011, 1:43 PM | Ummm... Other? | Link

Leprechaun Tour Bus

Spotted on 287. I hope those wee bastards were enjoying their tour of the States, looking out their tiny windows.

By fnord12 | May 18, 2011, 5:10 PM | Ummm... Other? | Link

First, Frying Pans. Then Mechagodzilla!

In Toho's 1974 Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla, Godzilla inexplicably has the ability to create a magnetic field and uses it drag Mechagodzilla towards him.

Apparently, the magnetic body thing is going around cause now this kid has it.

Or mebbe it's just gravity.

By min | May 13, 2011, 3:49 PM | Ummm... Other? | Link

Fairly certain there isn't an equivalent Shakespeare quote*

If you enjoyed the dogs of war slideshow (or even if you didn't), here's the response from the other side of the great debate.

*"I am as vigilant as a cat to steal cream."(Henry IV) doesn't quite compare.

By fnord12 | May 10, 2011, 10:16 AM | Ummm... Other? | Link

Hiding the ladies

Ultra Orthodox Hasidic newspaper Der Tzitung has hidden the ladies from the now famous White House Situation Room picture.

The original:

Der Tzitung's:

I'm still waiting for this to turn out to be a hoax, it's so ridiculous. But here's the link (via Digby via Krugman).

Ultra Orthodox Hasidic newspaper Der Tzitung is telling its readers like it isn't- by editing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton [and counterterrorism analyst Audrey Thomason] from the now-iconic Bin Laden raid Situation Room photo. Oy vey.
The religious paper never publishes pictures of women, as they could be considered "sexually suggestive." Apparently the presence of a woman, any woman, being all womanly and sexy all over the United States' counterterrorism efforts was too much for the editors of Der Tzitung to handle.

By fnord12 | May 9, 2011, 3:23 PM | Liberal Outrage & Ummm... Other? | Link

Man, that Japanese tentacle rape thing goes way back

Dream of the Fisherman's Wife (via a basically unrelated post by Yglesias).

By fnord12 | May 6, 2011, 4:53 PM | Ummm... Other? | Link

Hathulu invades the White House

I have been lucky enough to avoid most of the Royal Wedding coverage, so when i saw this photo, i just assumed that the White House staff had been possessed by an Elder Hat God.

(Click on the picture and follow through for the Cat and Mordor pictures as well.)

By fnord12 | May 5, 2011, 4:15 PM | Ummm... Other? | Comments (1)| Link

Cry Havoc

Ezra Klein on some dog one-upsmanship:

We sent 79 commandos to get Osama bin Laden -- and one dog. A lot of people want to know about that dog, but unfortunately, the military isn't telling, which is how you end up with the New York Times publishing this paragraph:
Suzanne Belger, president of the American Belgian Malinois Club, said she was hoping the dog was one of her breed "and that it did its job and came home safe." But Laura Gilbert, corresponding secretary for the German Shepherd Dog Club of America, said she was sure the dog was her breed "because we're the best!"
My heart goes out to the reporter who got stuck with that assignment.

He also links to a slide show on the dogs of war. I checked: no Mabari.

By fnord12 | May 5, 2011, 1:20 PM | Ummm... Other? | Comments (1)| Link

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