Natalia Poklonskaya Is Not Your Waifu

I suppose it is inevitable, in the era of internet memes, that a pretty blonde appointed to a prominent leadership position will become the subject of some creepiness.

But anime fan art? Really? (h/t Jen)

In Japan, people watching events unfolding in Crimea appear to have become captivated by the region’s newly-appointed attorney general.

Clips of a press conference with Natalia Poklonskaya have been shared widely on Japanese platforms, says website Rocketnews24. She was appointed to the post on 11 March and formerly served as a senior prosecutor for the city of Simferopol.

In particular, one video in which Poklonskaya listens to a reporter’s question has been viewed nearly 300,000 times since it was posted to a Japanese YouTube channel. There is no translation of her answer. Some people appear to be so taken with the seemingly charming prosecutor, they are turning out manga images and anime fan art inspired by her.

Okay fine, it’s a tribute or something. But serving as a senior prosecutor for a city of 362,000 people that serves as the capital of a disputed subnational territory, then becoming attorney general for that entire region, all by the age of 34, is at least as impressive as being really pretty. Just sayin’.

It’s also at least as impressive as being the main character in a Grand Theft Auto game, which she is also about to be (unless that was an April Fool’s joke on the part of the International Business Times).

Perhaps this is all best summed up by Tumblr user Kishona: Continue reading

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What I’m Reading, March 18, 2014

By JPL [Public domain], via Wikimedia CommonsNick Sagan Speaks About His Father Carl, Hemant Mehta, Friendly Atheist, March 17, 2014

Dad was a difference maker. He reached out to people. He took them by the awe and wonder we feel over the most important questions we can think to imagine. He pulled them away from blind faith, away from pseudoscience, toward a deeper, richer understanding of the universe.

Russian Aggression Deserves a Response, But U.S. Lacks Credibility to Lead It, Stephen Zunes, Yes! Magazine, March 17, 2014

As someone who has spent his entire academic career analyzing and critiquing the U.S. role in the world, I have some news: While the United States has had significant impact (mostly negative in my view) in a lot of places, we are not omnipotent. There are real limits to American power, whether for good or for ill. Not everything is our responsibility.

This is certainly the case with Ukraine.

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This Week in WTF, June 7, 2013

3556826420_d006ae707e_oI return to my hallowed tradition of collecting oddities for the enjoyment of my reader(s). These are sort of some “greatest hits” collected over the past few months, but “This Past Six Months in WTF” doesn’t sound as good as “This Week…” Just go with it.

– The female southern bottletail squid was the topic of some discussion this week after io9 revealed that she, uh………swallows.

– A Chinese real estate company came up with a novel way to sell properties, by painting the floor plans on the backs of women in bikinis. Apparently, it’s working (h/t Sallie).

Via bitrebels.com [Fair use]

Via bitrebels.com

– A Ukrainian woman sought political asylum in the European Union because of persecution due to her participation in the adult film industry. To be clear, the woman, who performed under the name Wiska, claimed that the government was persecuting her because of her involvement, which she contends was based on economic need, not direct coercion. She faced criminal charges in Ukraine and possible loss of her children. The Czech Republic denied her asylum application, but she announced that she intended to appeal. The protest group Femen, which consists of topless Ukrainian women, is supporting her.

– A county employee in Dallas offered perhaps the best excuse in the history of the universe for being late to work: Continue reading

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