The Off Topic Topic

[Tamas]

The question arises: why did you buy it?

[DGuller]

The Giuliani comparison is incredibly weak. It's like making your son a tree house and calling yourself Frank Lloyd Wright. You're too near the NY orbit, Guller.

Any comparison to modern figures would be weak.  Thankfully we haven't had such monumental events as WWII in our lifetime, though we may be having that soon.

[DGuller]

The famine in India is more complicated than that version (but that is just an article not a biography or historical essay) lets on but also remember the article Tyr quote also points out why he is also a hero which is why I found it funny Tyr was using it as support.

I also find it weird he gets blamed entirely for the Gallipoli thing. It was the army who took control of the operation and landed the troops, they deserve most of the blame for the army part of the disaster. If the army had provided the troops he requested when he requested them they might have had more success.

But he was a huge force in the various government reforms of the late 19th and early 20th century that, among other things, removed the power from the House of Lords. Almost all of them I think are good and progressive reforms that should be celebrated.

His career is incredibly long and there is an amazing variety of things he was involved in. And of course you always have to remember he was manic depressive and prone to bizarre behavior at times. And I mentioned his late night benders when he would say and write really um...colorful things that generally did not reflect well on him. I am curious if those were the sources of some of the things quoted in that article.

As far as the "ledger" is concerned I don't know. I don't really keep ledgers on historical figures. Everybody thinks they are the hero of their own story I just try to understand them.

If I recall correctly, he also made some rather unfortunate decisions as Secretary of Exchequer.  It may sound boring, but economic problems were a big spark to WWII getting started in the first place.

[DGuller]

He wasn't out of power in the 30s because of his racist, pro-imperial rantings, he was out of power because the rest of the British political class distrusted him and thought of him as unreliable and flaky, and with good reason on all counts.  The rantings just helped reinforce that perception.  That said, 1940 happened and credit must be given when due.

The thought of him as Chancellor of Exchequer always gives me a chuckle.  Really what where they thinking there?  It almost worked out as Churchill's iconoclasm led him to consider alternative views, but in the end, he followed the Treasury "mandarins" and restored the pre-war gold parity, thus tanking the British economy for the rest of the decade.

Damn, I knew I should've waited for Minksy on that one.  I even got the title wrong.

[Josquius]

I've recently aquired a belt that I can't fasten.
The buckle consists of a door which flips full 360 vertically .... I can't figure out at all how the belt entering horizontally can be fastened by this.
Any idea of this type of buckle?

Turns out the buckle is largely useless. It's just there for show.
The true faster is a slight divot on the buckle which pushes through one of the holes like a button.

[MadBurgerMaker]

Did you see this photo, Val?



Just a bunch of assclowns everywhere.  I was wanting to go to New Braunfels this weekend.  Meanwhile, dipshit here, and others like him, are draining the gas stations everywhere because they're stupid and panicking.  Really?  You need a hundred gallons of gas in a couple of trashcans?  I hope that shit gets contaminated and he puts it in his truck.  After it sloshes all over the paint on his way home, of course.  And then the insurance company denies his claim.

I'll just have to make some poor Uber or Lyft driver wait in line somewhere after dropping me off.  vOv

[Razgovory]

If I recall correctly, he also made some rather unfortunate decisions as Secretary of Exchequer.  It may sound boring, but economic problems were a big spark to WWII getting started in the first place.

I recall this as well, in fact I recall when JR mentioned it six posts ago.

[Tonitrus]

Did you see this photo, Val?

Just a bunch of assclowns everywhere.  I was wanting to go to New Braunfels this weekend.  Meanwhile, dipshit here, and others like him, are draining the gas stations everywhere because they're stupid and panicking.  Really?  You need a hundred gallons of gas in a couple of trashcans?  I hope that shit gets contaminated and he puts it in his truck.  After it sloshes all over the paint on his way home, of course.  And then the insurance company denies his claim.

I'll just have to make some poor Uber or Lyft driver wait in line somewhere after dropping me off.  vOv

Indeed, assclowns panic-buying not out of real need (i.e. the fools up in Dallas), but to avoid the price-gouging. 

Not that there will be much critique of said oil-price-gouging a disaster-affected area. 

[MadBurgerMaker]

Indeed, assclowns panic-buying not out of real need (i.e. the fools up in Dallas), but to avoid the price-gouging. 

Not that there will be much critique of said oil-price-gouging a disaster-affected area. 

The state AG's office was already talking about it a couple days ago:  http://abcnews.go.com/US/texas-attorney-general-warns-price-gouging-aftermath-harvey/story?id=49503480

I find it interesting that the fine can go up to $250,000 if the victim is an old.  Need to take my mom with me when I go to find some gas so I can make some fuckers pay.

[derspiess]

As much as I've always idolized Churchill, I have to admit his time as Chancellor of Exchequer was not his finest hour.  Surprised nobody has pointed that out yet.

[alfred russel]

I feel as though Churchill was a subpar Chancellor of the Exchequer because he was unable to overcome his virulent racism when making decisions.

[mongers]

Helping out in my local thrift store this afternoon, when the ex-friend of mine turns up, why that odious creep* though he could engage me in pleasant conversation I don't know. 

I think I'll do their on-line sales for them, if it's a cost effective use of time.




*bit of a sociopath and has threatened women.

[Eddie Teach]

Maybe he thought you were the sort to.befriend misogynist sociopaths. 

[dps]

Maybe he thought you were the sort to.befriend misogynist sociopaths. 

Yeah, after all you do post here.

[CountDeMoney]

Helping out in my local thrift store this afternoon, when the ex-friend of mine turns up, why that odious creep* though he could engage me in pleasant conversation I don't know. 

I think I'll do their on-line sales for them, if it's a cost effective use of time.




*bit of a sociopath and has threatened women.

So? Nigga can't say whazzup anymore?