The Off Topic Topic

[PDH]

That would be important polling data before the Sejm meets to elect the monarch.

I'm upset Boaty McBoatface didn't make the list.

[Admiral Yi]

   She was my favorite German.

edit: Sabine, not Boaty.

[Sheilbh]

I'm upset Boaty McBoatface didn't make the list.

Even when that happened, the people were over-ruled and we now have the RRS Sir David Attenborough

Just weeks before the Brexit vote and I'm not saying it drove a truculent, not being told what to do, populist surge - but it's difficult not to connect the two.

[The Brain]

RIP Sabine Schmitz.

Sabine Schmitz: Former racing driver and Top Gear presenter dies aged 51

Former Top Gear presenter Sabine Schmitz - famous for being the only woman to win the Nurburgring 24 Hours - has died aged 51.

Schmitz said last year that she had been diagnosed with cancer in 2017.

Schmitz had become synonymous with the Nurburgring Nordschleife, the 14-mile circuit in Germany that is renowned as the toughest in the world.

She won the 24-hour touring car race at the track twice, in 1996 and 1997, driving a BMW M3.

She became known as the "Queen of the Nurburgring" and estimated she had driven around the track more than 20,000 times.

Schmitz later gained acclaim for an appearance on Top Gear in 2004 in which she drove a van around the track, and subsequently became a presenter on the show alongside Chris Evans in 2016.

.....

https://www.bbc.com/sport/motorsport/56420308

RIP

[Maladict]

 

[The Minsky Moment]

An open poll on who we would elect as head of state. Tories - Prince William, Labour - David Attenborough, Lib Dems - the Queen (absolishing the monarchy and electing the Queen as President is peak Lib Dem energy ).

Looking at some of the non-royal names on that list is about the best argument for monarchy I've seen.

[The Larch]

I'm upset Boaty McBoatface didn't make the list.

Even when that happened, the people were over-ruled and we now have the RRS Sir David Attenborough

At least they named the ship's ROV "Boaty McBoatface". 

[Sheilbh]

Amazingly Belgian story - the Belgian government is spending €1.5 million to renovate the scaffolding around the Brussels Palais de Justice. They were put up in 1984 and, once the scaffolding is renovated, the intention is to renovate the building by 2030
https://www.brusselstimes.com/brussels/160259/scaffolds-on-brussels-palace-of-justice-get-renovated-federal-government-public-buildings-administration-place-poelaert-minimes-laines-wynants-mathieu-michel/

Edit: Also love that it was announced by one of Belgium's specialty portfolio ministers: the Secretary of State for Digitisation, Administrative Simplification, Protection of Privacy and Building Management

[celedhring]

An open poll on who we would elect as head of state. Tories - Prince William, Labour - David Attenborough, Lib Dems - the Queen (absolishing the monarchy and electing the Queen as President is peak Lib Dem energy ).

Looking at some of the non-royal names on that list is about the best argument for monarchy I've seen.

Corbyn placing second among Labour 

I would love this poll for Spain, incidentally. I'd expect several footballers/coaches to show up (Del Bosque!).

[celedhring]

So, my family's dog is dying. He's 12 and his health had been declining for the past months, so we were afraid this was coming. My mother is devastated since he's been her companion for all these years, plus he was a gift from her late mother so you can figure out how it is affecting her.

Christ, I love the little fella. Dogs don't last long enough. 

[Grey Fox]

Be sad & mourn awesome dog. However, go get a new awesome dog asap.

[Sheilbh]

Yeah - dogs are a small wonder. My parents' dog is on his way out - my mum jokes that she has to check he's still breathing every morning - but they brought in a new puppy a couple of years ago who's got a long time to go. I genuinely think the puppy's energy has actually helped our old dog survive for longer.

[Malthus]

So, my family's dog is dying. He's 12 and his health had been declining for the past months, so we were afraid this was coming. My mother is devastated since he's been her companion for all these years, plus he was a gift from her late mother so you can figure out how it is affecting her.

Christ, I love the little fella. Dogs don't last long enough. 

The death of beloved pets is both really hard to take and inevitable. I've gone through this twice now with my cats, and still feel it. The only consolation is that they had a great life and the many happy memories they left behind. Still, I adopted another pair of kittens. I never had two at once before, and with cats, this is definitely the way to go.

Reminds me of a sad joke I once heard: a man went to a fortune teller, who told him "you will have your heart broken twelve years from now". He was really upset by this bad news; to cheer himself up, he went out and adopted a puppy ...

[Malthus]

Yeah - dogs are a small wonder. My parents' dog is on his way out - my mum jokes that she has to check he's still breathing every morning - but they brought in a new puppy a couple of years ago who's got a long time to go. I genuinely think the puppy's energy has actually helped our old dog survive for longer.

It is interesting how different cats are from dogs.

With dogs, it is apparently not recommended to adopt two puppies from the same litter - there is this thing known as "littermate syndrome" that makes such puppies harder to socialize.

With cats, it is recommended to get two from the same litter - this actually makes each cat easier to socialize.

With dogs, it can be a good idea to adopt a puppy with an older dog. With cats, this is much more difficult.

[Barrister]

Yeah - dogs are a small wonder. My parents' dog is on his way out - my mum jokes that she has to check he's still breathing every morning - but they brought in a new puppy a couple of years ago who's got a long time to go. I genuinely think the puppy's energy has actually helped our old dog survive for longer.

It is interesting how different cats are from dogs.

With dogs, it is apparently not recommended to adopt two puppies from the same litter - there is this thing known as "littermate syndrome" that makes such puppies harder to socialize.

With cats, it is recommended to get two from the same litter - this actually makes each cat easier to socialize.

With dogs, it can be a good idea to adopt a puppy with an older dog. With cats, this is much more difficult.

We have a new cat and an old cat, they're 12-14 years apart in age.

While they tolerate each other and don't have any issues, they don't really interact with each other either.