This is a bit off-topic, but I’m thinking this blog could use more off-topic stuff these days.
Here are two (short) videos I rounded up from YouTube. I want you to tell me which is the least convincing.
First, a possibly just a teensy bit questionable “alien” encounter that the video poster swears is “REAL!” Supposedly captured by a CCTV camera. Why a CCTV camera would be pointed at a storm pipe in a field I have no idea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-n7GwzHV2k
Next, proof that gravity is fake, as revealed by a secret Illuminati clue hidden in plain sight on Third Rock from the Sun.
And, yes, the guy posting it is utterly sincere. He’s a flat earther, literally, and for some reason flat earthers think gravity is a LIE!
Read the comments for the video on YouTube and despair for the future of mankind. I mean, that’s true for pretty much all YouTube comments, but trust me, these are even more despair-inducing than usual.
Now it’s up to you to pick The Least Convincing YouTube Video of the Week!
[socialpoll id=”2351244″]
Ok, I wasn’t going to waste precious brain cells on Flat Earth theory, but then I wondered how they reconcile their convictions with the fact that all the other heavenly bodies are observably spherical?
I can’t decide. I mean, that flashlight sticking out of the pipe was pretty unconvincing. But how can I argue with a flashing Illuminati “G” and a siren? Not to mention a random picture of Steven Hawking. Hardest vote of my life.
So a comedian made a joke that was obviously meant as a joke & thats evidence of gravity fraud? at least the alien vid prob was a real critter?
I’m guessing that flat earth theory isn’t that popular in Australia or Southern Africa or South America then.
@Joekster, Victorious Parasol, pitshade, Pietro_McM, skiriki:
I found Discworld & Sir Pterry via the equally wonderful Neil Gaiman – read Gaiman’s stuff, read Good Omens (one of the best and funniest novels of all time), started reading TP.
My son and I are working our way through Discworld; currently just finished Lords & Ladies, so plenty of them to go :).
I’m restraining myself as best I can from gushing, as this is technically OT… love the City Watch peeps & Rincewind, although Granny, Nanny, & Magrat are probably my special favourites. There’s just so much love and wit in these characters.
VP – I think know what you’re referring to in Shepherd’s Crown (thanks to an unsolicited spoiler, grr).
Skiriki – you are possibly the luckiest person on the planet in my view!
@Joekster – I’m only a recent de-lurker myself, so I may be presumptuous here, but there are a number of straight/white/male/cis guys who comment regularly and have plenty to contribute.
Glad you de-cloaked, anyway 🙂
Ooh, ooh, re Discworld (promise I’ll shut up after this): forgot to add Death to my favourite characters!! I love him so much (and he’s in Good Omens, too, or a version of him).
@joekster
Reading and listening is probably a great starting point, and not every comment needs to be profound or even very insightful. I myself lurked this blog for a few years on and off before commenting. I’m white and present as male in my everyday life, so I tend to take a back seat in certain types of discussions and instead comment on what I know.
White straight cis men DO have a value – performing menial tasks in the bonbon mines. 🙂
@ Mish
I’m glad I was oblique – I wasn’t sure how much you’d read, and the book’s been out for a while, but there’s so much of the Discworld series to read, it’s hard to tell who’s read what unless they say.
@leftwingfox:
Ooh, I wasn’t expecting to see LRR brought up here. Exciting!
what on earth are you talking about?? they are totally convincing! *runs off to buy a tin foil hat*
/sarcasm
(just in case someone was thinking I was serious…)
But…on another note, I love watching Youtube videos about conspiracies… they are awesome to fall asleep!
Mish: It is one of those things that remind me that life doesn’t totally suck when I have a bad day. I got awesome friends, and my awesome friend got me an awesome thing which is giving me happiness.
That, and a warm purring kitty to my left by my computer desk.
Just as a sort of proxy-brag, my BF has a copy of Good Omens signed by both Gaiman and Pratchett. He even let me hold it, once! 🙂
The alien looked like an otter checking out if it was safe, the decide that his misplaced faith in gravity made it a bad idea to leave the pipe.
Speaking of Gaiman and Pratchett and their friendship … Gaiman was presented with Pratchett’s hat at a tribute yesterday.
Victorious Parasol:
It sounds like a great event. And look at what is coming:
Please let this not suck!
@Victorious Parasol – I hope I didn’t accidentally imply that *you* had done the spoiler :/. It was a review of Shepherd’s Crown that promised to be spoiler-free but wasn’t.
Thanks for the link to the TP tribute – how beautiful. And Gaiman was just gorgeous when given the hat.
So many TP adaptations coming up, apparently! @Moggie, given that the Good Omens TV version is to be done by Gaiman, we should be able to look forward to it without distress 🙂
@Skiriki – the autograph and the purring kitty make a lovely parallel, given TP’s love of cats :).
@Penny Psmith … oh wow.
My mistake, when I said I’d read all the TA books, I’d forgotten about Shepherd’s Crown so that is still to be done. Glad though that his daughter won’t be allowing any ‘posthumous collaborations’ or such. Those rarely turn out well.
Re : Neil Gaiman
There’s a great documentary about the comic 2000AD where NG is interviewed. Inter alia he spoke about how he’d persuaded Alan Moore to tell him the full planned story for The Ballad of Halo Jones. He was almost in tears. He looked like a man to whom God had disclosed his ultimate plan for the universe and then decided he wasn’t going to go through with it.
I’d love to know how that story was going to pan out.
@ Mish
Oh, gosh, no worries about that.
I found out this morning that a friend of mine had been at the tribute, and she confirmed that the passing of the hat to Gaiman was just as wonderful as one might imagine.
@Victorious Parasol – I’d love to see a video of the ‘hat moment’. So sweet.
@Alan, your description of Neil’s reaction to Moore: “he looked like a man to whom God had disclosed his ultimate plan for the universe and then decided he wasn’t going to go through with it” is incredible.
You don’t happen to have a link for that interview, by any chance? Yes, I can Google, but it’s Sunday morning here 🙂
SO WHAT ABOUT THAT GAIMAN GUY AMIRITE
I don’t read books really (not that I’m against it), but I’ve heard he’s just great. I like his blog posts and the like though. Anyone know too much about his life? Also, not related to Gaiman, but what about Thomas Ligotti? He’s a great author too, but I just can’t read his stuff. I tried to read an interview with him, but it made me freak out too much because holy fuck is he edgy.
@ mish
Can’t find a link to the interview I’m afraid, but this is the documentary…
http://futureshock2000ad.com/index.html
That alien in the pipe was totally convincing. It may not seem so, but to someone with experience of this kind of thing, we know differently. I mean that’s exactly the kind of thing I’d do if I was a multi-dimensional visitor on Earth. Which of course I’m not. I’m also not black and metalic with an odd pipe-shaped snout. At all. Really! Stop looking at me like that!