An alert reader pointed me to this amazing “map” from the 1830s, posted on Ptak Science Books and originally found here. Described as “A Map of the Open Country of a Woman’s Heart,” it presents a less-than-flattering picture of the supposed shallowness, vanity and selfishness of the female of the species. Click on the pic above to see it full size.
It’s amazing how closely this resembles so many Manosphere “critiques” of evil modern women; the main difference is that it’s a bit more polite in its language. Also, no mention of stinky vaginas.
Manospherians love to talk about “taking the red pill,” as if their ideas are all new and cool and Matrixy. Actually, of course, their ideas are old as fuck. It’s more like they are taking a gulp of Dr. Flimflam’s Electro Magnetic Misogyny Fluid.
Below, another amazing picture also found on Ptak, which presents data on where women’s eyes linger when looking at men. (Again, click on it to see it full size.) I suspect this one would be a bit more confounding to the Manospherians of today, in that it doesn’t show women looking only at the dude’s wallet. The post on Ptak offers a more detailed explanation of what this picture is about.
I’ve seen wolf spiders here in tennessee that are large enough to bonk into walls (that was a hilarious story!). But they have pretty good eyesight and aren’t klutzy. Oh, and they aren’t afraid. They don’t run away: they sort of saunter over to you to check you out. *shudder* . (I don’t think they’re especially agressive, though. Just curious and fearless.)
And a wolf spider with 100 babies on her back? Intellectually, I think it’s really sweet that she’s such a caring mom. But if I see one, I just want to run away then curl up in a ball and whimper in fear.
Exploring Naturalist Fallacy: In my personal life, there is not a single man protecting me in any way whatsoever. My partner is a woman. I’ve never married. I didn’t and don’t want children (YAY menopause).
In my professional life as a college professor, I cannot think of any way a man is protecting me (my current department head is ahahahahahaha a woman). I have had male colleagues who tried to get me demoted or punished in ways that were underhanded and unprofessional and in one case illegal, but I’ve also had male colleagues who supported me as a colleague (NOT as a woman).
In a political ream, the state government of Texas which is dominated by conservative white men ain’t protecting me in any way that they don’t extend to men (although white women and people of color are the least protected ‘humans’ in Texas–the real protection is for white male buidnesses. National government, ditto–i.e. in what way are they protecting me that men aren’t also protected?
And my ire at the ways in which the feds are behaving the last few decades makes it more likely for me to consider the national government in general my enemy.
So, before I reload all my guns and go out and killz me some more menz in this war against men, just what the fuck do you mean anyway? And gave you give me any specifics, especially supported by more than individual stories, i.e. CITATION FUCKING NEEDED.
LOOK AT ME IGNORING THE HELL OUT OF SPIDER LINKS PICS OR COMMENTS HOLY SHIT
I’ve met a small grey one in Iraq (it hitched a ride on my chemical warfare gear… I took my load-bearing vest off and there it was. It had been a couple of inches from my elbow…) I beat it to death with my rifle butt, because it was in the humvee and I didn’t want to sit on it with my butt.
I also saw an Iraqi Brown Snake, which is member of the Elapidae (cobras and coral snakes).
I’ve also seen camel spiders.
And lots of black emperor scorpions. In the US I’ve seen about half a dozen various rattlesnakes, and a couple of sorts of scorpions, and more black widows than one can count, as well as the American Southwestern member of the Camel Spider Family, and a fair number of tarantulas.
Tarantula Wasps too… those are scary.
Once, on a small field problem in Missouri (lots of bugs) I was the only guy awake; we were all flopped taking a half hour nap in the afternoon, and there was a pretty big spider (brown with a yellow abdomen) crawling across Kilo’s chest. He was from Jamaica, so I let him sleep, lest he panic.
The problem I have with the Hunstman is the smoothness of them. That globularity looks bad, makes me think of Shelob.
The weirdest spiders I ever say were in Korea, a semi-communal web-structure. I looked them up once, and the life cycle was interesting. The webs could cover several cubic feet.
I have to go to work, so I can’t talk about having kept tarantulas; or the male posturing which was part of the reason I have ever held one. When I get back.
Omg I can’t believe I missed a spider post….check out this spider single mother with all her children! probably just using them to steal child support from their fathers and leech money from the government. Bitch.
@Pecunium
please tell me this isn’t real…lie if you have to!!! http://www.camel-spiders.net/images/iraqi-spider-small.jpg
Ok ok one more. Spiders are like MRAs for me. They gross me out, but I can’t stop observing them online lol
Wolf spider on a hand..ON A HAND! would have been OK on a tree, but the hand! It’s 3 in the morning and i’m up cos i can’t sleep – thank you spider people! I may never sleep again.
Let’s just call this the “harry butler’s hat” thread.
My scariest wildlife encounter was back in Africa when we went camping out in the savannah on a class trip. In the middle of the night, all I feel is this heavy ass snake wriggling on top of my sleeping bag. I curled up in a ball inside, clutched the opening together to shut it, and prayed while pissing my pants that it wouldn’t come in lolll
Look!
A cape and scarf made from spider web cloth!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9674000/9674949.stm
ignores all the other icky spider stuff
That diagram can’t be accurate, it’s missing point # DAT ASS.
I think that would be filed under “trousers”. Although data point #8 suspiciously looks like where the button is for that suit coat.
*ignores conversation about horrifying nightmare creatures from the bowels of hell, miniature demon version*
Spiders are afraid of David Futrelle.
If spiders had a sensible number of eyes, I would not find close up pictures of them so utterly horrifying. In RL, I can deal because they’re small and don’t look like they could rip my head off and eat it at any time.
That cape and scarf are wonderful, ithiliana.
I love spiders! I think they are such fascinating and beautiful little creatures. Don’t particularly want the little guys on me, but I love to watch them do their spider thing. When I was a kid I would watch them spin their webs for hours.
There was an article recently about how they’re trying to use spiderweb silk for army usage, actually-it’s incredibly strong and lightweight, of course.
I think the part that really sends me into freakout wrt spiders is the way they move. I can look at the still pics of them, but the *crawling*–and no, not looking at the vid of the squirming mass of spider babies on the giant wolf spider, gah.
I have conflicting emotions about spiders. On the one hand, I think they’re cool little animals with fascinating habits and abilities. On the other, HOLY SHIT A POISONOUS MONSTER KILL IT RIGHT FUCKING NOW. (I mostly feel this way about the larger ones.)
22-year-old guys chew on table legs and pee on thr carpet! Who knew?
Ozy, I once read a legit published mystery novel where EVERY CHARACTER was introduced by their height and weight. As in”Joan knocked on the door. She was 5’7″ and 120 pounds with light brown hair” or words to that effect.
But it wasn’t just the hot young women, it was literally every character, including (IIRC) a dog.
At the time I thought it was hilarious, but thinking back it seems to suggest that the author had some serious body issues. And editing issues, but you know.
@Katz: zaaww, fluffy squirrel o_o Yes, Clint Eastwood (in suit +2) near cute fluff ball +5 becomes veeerrrry attractive
normal Clint Eastwood in suit +2, he’s alright.
http://www.esquire.com/cm/esquire/images/ESQ-best-dressed-clint-eastwood-lg-59234378.jpg
@lowquacks: there are very few spider ( and arachnid and insect ) pictures I’ve look at and found them particularly cute. I love reptiles, amphibians, mammals especially and birds are okay, but most of them look graceful or dignified… I’m also deathly afraid of moths, so there’s that.
http://flvrd.com/static/pics/hCKEV.gif
There is the spider gif, with giant eyes and fluffy fluff that plays the drums. That’s adorable.
I’m fascinated by animals but I’m too squeamish to do a live feed. Otherwise I would totally keep a snake and/or a spider. I’ve been lucky enough to come across some of the deadliest snakes and not been noticed. These two were especially crazy/scary to see:
On a safari, we saw a black mamba take down a springbok fawn.. scary fuckin thing
Spiders don’t scare me. Neither do snakes. Moths, on the other hand, with their hideous hairy bodies and tendency to try and fly into your face out of nowhere in the middle of the night freak me out.
I’ve never seen a black mamba, but king cobras are huge! She didn’t even put her hood up from the enclosure, but she was about 6 feet long and as wide as 11-12 inches. It was the first picture I was taking at the zoo in an inside location and I forgot to turn my flash off in the reptile house (flashes reflect on the glass and the photo will only be a white blur).
That king cobra jerked her head and I jumped back. Even behind a wall she was very intimidating:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y86/abbyx/CIMG2070.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y86/abbyx/CIMG2066.jpg
On the wall next to the cage it mentioned how king cobras also highly intelligent. They don’t strike at the regular handlers and in the wild when a human disrupts their nest, unlike any other animal, they will run away instead of fighting to the death.
I like snakes, they’re cool animals but I wouldn’t touch one unless its wasn’t poisonous. Lizards are neat too. I’m a big fish lover. I’d love to have huge aquariums but they’re a pain in the arse to care for. And turtles! turtles are adorable.
@darksidecat I know! And that horrible way they fly in circles around lights! So awful.
Wasps and spiders I will freak the fuck out over. Moths? I’m kinda meh about them. I’m more startled than “GET THE DEMON THING AWAY!” I find it amusing to watch them donk into things.
I think moths are cute. This one looks like a fairy http://images.wildmadagascar.org/pictures/andasibe-Mantady/Comet_moth_00.jpg
What I hate the most though, and what freaks the shit out of me…house centipedes. Ugh.