The Off Topic Topic

[Tonitrus]

While I generally resist the subscription model for things (especially on cars), in some cases it must be conceded that they make sense.

If it is something where you know the company likely has an ongoing expense, I have to think it is justifiable.  A good example is self-driving.  While the hardware exists on the car itself, it very likely requires a team of software engineers that will be constantly tweaking/improving the system, building upgrades as roadway infrastructure changes/improves, etc.

But a subscription for something like heated seat?  Ridiculous.  I'd not buy the car just  as a matter of principle.

[Syt]

 

[Eddie Teach]

God helps those who help themselves.

Would you rather they were Kool Aid drinkers?

[Josquius]

The Daily Mash has been quite dull in recent years but they've hit gold today.

https://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/revealed-how-a-once-thriving-northern-town-was-ruined-by-wokeness-20220715223346

THE South Yorkshire town of Cleckburton used to be a thriving industrial hub. Today its shops are boarded up and there are no jobs, hopes or prospects for its inhabitants.

The reason? The onslaught of wokeness, a process which began in the late 1970s and has since laid waste to the town.

Longtime resident Roy Hobbs said: "Back in the day this was a lovely place. People looked out for each other, chatted over their back fences and were casually racist about anyone not born within a ten-mile radius of the market square.

"And now it's dead. My dad told me that it was the result of de-industrialisation and a lack of investment in the North by successive governments but it turns out he was wrong because the Daily Mail says it's all down to wokeness.

"It was after the cancellation of The Black And White Minstrel Show in 1978 that the rot set in. Within a couple of years factories began to close. Then you got alternative comedians like Ben Elton and that confusing pop singer Boy George and the pit closures happened.

"Thatcher did her best trying to stop the gays, but she was outnumbered. Jimmy Somerville, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, The Pet Shop Boys. She didn't stand a chance."

For a while, Cleckburton stabilised. But then came 2015, Jeremy Corbyn and millennials. The scourge Cleckburton had been flighting all those years was identified as 'wokeness'.

"Things had been ok. We'd had a welcome return to sexism in the shape of lad culture and you could still shout racial slurs at a match without being banned from the ground.

"Then this new wave of wokeness arrived. Statues thrown in rivers. Women doing the football commentary. Adverts with black people in them for no reason.

"And now it's pronouns. They've caused absolute devastation across South Yorkshire, have pronouns. How much do they think we can take?

"According to the Mail, our only hope is that a Conservative government – who have historically always given a shit about towns like ours – will level us up.

"And, given they've been in power for 12 years already, I've no doubt that help is just around the corner."

[Admiral Yi]

The IOC has changed the official records to show Jim Thorpe as the sole winner of his events at the 1912 games.

His family had previously been given co-medals.

For those not familiar, his medals had been stripped because he previously played minor league baseball.

[Eddie Teach]

MAH AMATEUR STATUS!

[Tamas]

Fellow Brits, do you think it was legal that I was charged a bridge toll in some village after passing a one-lane stone bridge? There was a bunch of cars, I saw no sign forewarning there's a toll bridge, and after we made our way through said bridge I could see why there was a queue: an old guy was collecting 1 pound per car. There was a road sign there (quite unofficial looking) and two fellow villagers were also on-looking (one with a dog). It smelled fishy but I paid up. I could barely scratch the 1 pound together from the coins I had left so I got close to finding out what would had happened if I didn't.

[Josquius]

Fellow Brits, do you think it was legal that I was charged a bridge toll in some village after passing a one-lane stone bridge? There was a bunch of cars, I saw no sign forewarning there's a toll bridge, and after we made our way through said bridge I could see why there was a queue: an old guy was collecting 1 pound per car. There was a road sign there (quite unofficial looking) and two fellow villagers were also on-looking (one with a dog). It smelled fishy but I paid up. I could barely scratch the 1 pound together from the coins I had left so I got close to finding out what would had happened if I didn't.

That's quite amazing no matter whether it was real or fake. I've never heard of the like.

[Tamas]

Fellow Brits, do you think it was legal that I was charged a bridge toll in some village after passing a one-lane stone bridge? There was a bunch of cars, I saw no sign forewarning there's a toll bridge, and after we made our way through said bridge I could see why there was a queue: an old guy was collecting 1 pound per car. There was a road sign there (quite unofficial looking) and two fellow villagers were also on-looking (one with a dog). It smelled fishy but I paid up. I could barely scratch the 1 pound together from the coins I had left so I got close to finding out what would had happened if I didn't.

That's quite amazing no matter whether it was real or fake. I've never heard of the like.

Found it!

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g1191906-d13325719-Reviews-Batheaston_Toll_Bridge-Batheaston_Bath_Somerset_England.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathampton_Toll_Bridge

[Sheilbh]

Amazing. It looks a very nice bridge.

[Valmy]

The Daily Mash has been quite dull in recent years but they've hit gold today.

If only we had persecuted the gays more relentlessly this town might still be alive today.

[Admiral Yi]

I thought it might have been this bridge, but this one is a two lane bridge and 12 p.  Starts around 3:45.

[Josquius]

Saw an image of colourised Roman emperor statues and noticed a surprising number were blonde.
So I googled it and found this.
https://medium.com/@davieco/were-roman-emperors-blonde-2255ec77d123

[The Larch]

Why do you copy a table of fake descriptions?

[mongers]

Fellow Brits, do you think it was legal that I was charged a bridge toll in some village after passing a one-lane stone bridge? There was a bunch of cars, I saw no sign forewarning there's a toll bridge, and after we made our way through said bridge I could see why there was a queue: an old guy was collecting 1 pound per car. There was a road sign there (quite unofficial looking) and two fellow villagers were also on-looking (one with a dog). It smelled fishy but I paid up. I could barely scratch the 1 pound together from the coins I had left so I got close to finding out what would had happened if I didn't.

That's quite amazing no matter whether it was real or fake. I've never heard of the like.

Found it!

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g1191906-d13325719-Reviews-Batheaston_Toll_Bridge-Batheaston_Bath_Somerset_England.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathampton_Toll_Bridge

It's quite a well known one, iirc I've been over it but didn't have to pay for some reason.

Also not far from there, my grandfather owned a large car garage/dealership in the mid 1930s.