Cat Cafe coming to Big Apple

Cat cafe in Japan



Me-owwww! New York is getting its first Cat Café on December 15. Created by the purr-fect team from Macaron Parlour, the new Meow Parlour at 46 Hester St. will offer adoptable (and petable!) cats from KittyKind, and an adjoining patisserie is offering baked goods, macaroons and Blue Bottle Coffee. The space can accommodate 12 cats and 30 humans — who are charged $4 per half hour to cozy up to the kitties. The best things in life aren’t, apparently, free.

Source: Daily News
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Damien's note: My first thought when I saw the headline about a cat cafe was that it was a cafe that provided food and drink for cats. Then my sick mind remembered all the jokes:

• Cat! The other white meat
• I like cats, but I can't eat a whole one by myself.
• Do you like cats? Yes, I like them fried.

Surprised?

Americans think the unemployment rate is 32 percent. It's 5.8 percent.

Americans also think 32 percent of the population are immigrants. Only 13 percent are.

Americans think 24 percent of girls aged 15-19 give birth each year. The actual number is three percent.

On other issues, Americans get the answer not only wrong, but dead wrong.

Percent of people in the U.S. who are Muslim: believed: 15%. Actual: 1%.

Percent of people who are Christian: believed: 56%. Actual: 78%.

A new Ipsos MORI international poll taken in 14 countries finds not only these huge deviations in perception by Americans, but finds Americans compared to people in other countries are among the most ignorant.

Ipsos MORI's "Perils of Perception" study ranked respondents' perceptions and found that America is the second-most ignorant about these basic statistics. Italy came in first.

Image via FlickrGraphic via Ipsos MORIHat tip: Vox

Suspension of disbelief

A professor was suspended from a top university for nine months following accusations he “sighed” and was sarcastic during job interviews. 

Thomas Docherty was banned from the University of Warwick in January for allegedly giving off "negative vibes" and undermining the authority of the former head of his department. The case against him included "inappropriate sighing", "making ironic comments" and "projecting negative body language”. 

During the suspension, the English and Comparative Literature professor was banned from the campus and writing references for students without permission. He was also stopped from returning their work or providing guidance on PhDs and was not permitted to have contact with undergraduates.

Yesterday it emerged the academic - whose suspension was lifted last month - is set to be cleared of all allegations against him.

Professor Docherty is a prominent critic of the marketization of education who has described the Russell Group - of which the University of Warwick is a member – as "a self-declared elite…even exerting a negative influence over others". 

He was accused of undermining the authority of Catherine Bates, the former head of English who stepped down earlier this year. It is understood Professor Bates originally brought the complaint against Professor Docherty, but the case was taken over by the university’s senior management. 

Anne O'Sullivan from the University and College Union said: "It beggars belief that an academic can be suspended with no contact with students or colleagues for almost a year while charges are finalised.” 

A spokesperson for the University of Warwick said it accepted the tribunal's findings.

Source: The Telegraph

Damien's notes: 

1) Interesting that the article says "the case was taken over by the university's senior management" rather than "the university's senior administration." Maybe Professor Docherty hit the nail on the head about marketization, although one must deplore the neologism.

2) I am relieved that the allegations are being dropped. If my own dean were to get word of this sort of thing being possible, I would fear for my negative-vibratory sarcastic self and my inappropriate sighing.

The Bizarre World Of Gay Dinosaur Erotica Is Very Much A “Thing” [?]

“The year is 2014 and dinosaurs have gained control of the world economy due to exceptionally accurate stock predictions. After graduating from NYU with a business degree, John is hired to be the assistant for one of the largest trading firms on Wall Street. His boss, the CEO of the company is highly regarded as the best businessman of the century. Only difference is that he is a dinosaur.”

So goes the Amazon.com synopsis of A Billionaire Dinosaur Forced Me Gay, one of prolific erotic novelist Hunter Fox’s massive collection.

Romance novels are cheesy by definition. That’s their job — to present a fantasy version of idealized eroticism. It’s escapism pure and simple.

So we’re still trying to wrap our heads around this new subset of erotic fiction that features dinosaurs, robots and sea monsters having their way with hunky men.

Is it supposed to be funny? Is anyone actually turned on by it? Not having taken the time to actually read one, perhaps one of you will feel inspired to do some further investigation.

Gay Android Attack Tamed by T-Rex Ravaged by a Unicorn Forced Gay by Aliens Tentacles Made Me Gay Transforming Robot Punished Me Forced Gay by the School Mascot Yetti Forced Me Gay Sphinx Forced Me Gay Nailed by Dragons Ravaged by the Saber Tooth Tiger Turned Gay by an Orc T-Rex Forced Me Gay Brachiosaurus Made Me Gay Slayed by Dragons Cyclops Forced Me Gay

Source: Queerty

Bibles, coloring books and roasries

ORLANDO, Fla. — One Florida school board has been dodging controversy since a satanic group asked for the right to deliver satanic coloring books to students. Now the school board is considering changing its policy on religious material.

“Religious instruction really belongs in the home, not in schools,” said Orange County School Board Chairman Bill Sublette.

Board members say they’re looking into changing a policy regarding the distribution of materials to high school students after a group called the Satanic Temple asked to hand out coloring books.

“The new policy, if it passes, it still needs to go before the board, will prohibit the distribution of any religious materials in our schools,” Sublette said.

The board had allowed religious groups to to leave bibles and booklets for students.

“The process was abused, we tried to have an open forum but it was becoming disruptive to our educational environment,” Sublette said.

A spokesperson for The Satanic Temple released a statement, calling the current policy:
“…a transparent attempt at giving exclusive privilege to an evangelical group. It’s laughable and infuriating at the same time to hear the “World Changers” now crying that an inability to distribute their materials exclusively is discriminatory against them.” — Lucien Greaves, Spokesperson & Co-Founder, The Satanic Temple

Some Christian groups disagree with the decision to change the policy.

“The bible distributions are a good thing. They haven’t caused any problems. But now by creating controversy this group is maybe perhaps getting what it wants,” said Roger Gannam of the Liberty Counsel.
 
Damien's note: Apparently Roger Gannam, who asserts that the bible distribution has not caused any problems, ignores the fact that it is precisely the bible distribution that has created the present conundrum. He seems to think that as long as it is Christian lit, no one has a problem, because everyone who matters is Christian, right?

One wonders, however, if evangelical Christians would be happy if Catholics distributed rosaries along with pamphlets explaining how to use one.  Or if they passed out novenas to  Our Lady of Guadalupe in early December. Or copies of the Baltimore Catechism.

 

 

In case you are looking for that perfect nerd gift

Because Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Festivus are all upon us!