site banner
PaperclipPerfector  2d ago (text post)   1431 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for June 5, 2026

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

1
Top Bottom Old Controversial Comments
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

Astral Codex Ten 2026 Book Review Contest submissions thread

My top 10:

Honorable mentions:

I used to really love World War Z, but upon returning to it last year, I think it really has not aged well, especially after the last 20 years. In hindsight it seems obvious that certain characters/storylines were included to push Max's political hobby horses. A couple I found especially jarring were the cripple neighborhood watch member, the billionaire pharmaceutical CEO hiding out in the arctic, and the ending. However, it's still charming in its own way. It's almost quaint in how it handles its politics. Were the book written today, I have no doubt that there would be at least a couple of chapters devoted to the usual culture war topics.

To me it's a fun read. The core story is still compelling, but it really shows its age. Part of me thinks that maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I didn't have memories of it being such a great book. I honestly wish I could read it for the first time again today so I didn't have my judgement clouded by my previous expectations. Maybe if I was reading it for the first time today, it wouldn't show its age as much. Overall I'd still recommend it, but nowhere near as heartily as I would have in 2010.

Just imagine that the Studs Turkl interviewer is actually the most fair and decent man at NPR.

What is this place?

This website is a place for people who want to move past shady thinking and test their ideas in a court of people who don't all share the same biases. Our goal is to optimize for light, not heat; this is a group effort, and all commentators are asked to do their part.

The weekly Culture War threads host the most controversial topics and are the most visible aspect of The Motte. However, many other topics are appropriate here. We encourage people to post anything related to science, politics, or philosophy; if in doubt, post!

Check out The Vault for an archive of old quality posts. You are encouraged to crosspost these elsewhere.


Why are you called The Motte?

A motte is a stone keep on a raised earthwork common in early medieval fortifications. More pertinently, it's an element in a rhetorical move called a "Motte-and-Bailey", originally identified by philosopher Nicholas Shackel. It describes the tendency in discourse for people to move from a controversial but high value claim to a defensible but less exciting one upon any resistance to the former. He likens this to the medieval fortification, where a desirable land (the bailey) is abandoned when in danger for the more easily defended motte. In Shackel's words, "The Motte represents the defensible but undesired propositions to which one retreats when hard pressed."

On The Motte, always attempt to remain inside your defensible territory, even if you are not being pressed.


New post guidelines

If you're posting something that isn't related to the culture war, we encourage you to post a thread for it. A submission statement is highly appreciated, but isn't necessary for text posts or links to largely-text posts such as blogs or news articles; if we're unsure of the value of your post, we might remove it until you add a submission statement. A submission statement is required for non-text sources (videos, podcasts, images).

Culture war posts go in the culture war thread; all links must either include a submission statement or significant commentary. Bare links without those will be removed.

If in doubt, please post it!


Rules


Recommended Posts And Communities

Recommended Realtime Chats