The Off Topic Topic

[Zanza]

The last two years fireworks were banned in Germany - to lessen the load on hospitals during the pandemic. This year they are allowed again and people already seem to go crazy many hours before midnight.

[Admiral Yi]

The last two years fireworks were banned in Germany - to lessen the load on hospitals during the pandemic. This year they are allowed again and people already seem to go crazy many hours before midnight.

One of my biggest culture shocks was spending New Year's at the Hamburg harbor and watching people blow off millions of euros (might have been D Marks at the time) of fireworks, some pointed directly at the boats floating in the harbor.

For an American it's kind of like setting off fireworks at Easter.

[Josquius]

So. Suspiciously good news from Brazil?
Lula sworn in and Bolsarno heads to Florida (...hmm....) but tells his followers not to use violence... Even with a ironic jibe this is unexpected but seemingly positive.

[mongers]

Happy Birthday J. R. R. Tolkien.

[Habbaku]

https://twitter.com/i/status/1603664637563916288

Seinfeld scene set to Twin Peaks music. 

[Tamas]

https://twitter.com/i/status/1603664637563916288

Seinfeld scene set to Twin Peaks music. 

 

But it actually drives home how important soundtrack is in a scene.

[Syt]

https://twitter.com/i/status/1603664637563916288

Seinfeld scene set to Twin Peaks music. 

 

But it actually drives home how important soundtrack is in a scene.

Ayup:

[Sheilbh]

Although some of those are very subtextually accurate

[Syt]

Although some of those are very subtextually accurate

Spiderman with Eminem works exceedingly well.

[HVC]

I'd watch gay rocky.

[Oexmelin]

What better way to come back home from holidays with family than to find the pipes had burst during your absence.

[mongers]

What better way to come back home from holidays with family than to find the pipes had burst during your absence.

:-(

Hope it's not too expensive to repair.

[Josquius]

The other night I asked spotify via my google speaker to play me some laid back music.
Often with this speaker, the only reasons for the existence of are basically playing music and entertaining the boy with random noises on occasion, I will just tell it to play music and not bother with telling it particular artists or playlists- its voice recognition remains quite shit. Particularly annoying/funny is with anything non-English and figuring out the way to say it so the speaker understands, not quite as a ignorant English speaker would say it, not quite the proper native way....

Anyway.
Laid back.
I was listening...and after a few songs noticed it was getting quite samey.
Turns out, oh, there's a band called Laid Back. From Denmark and apparently big in the 80s.
I can't help but wonder whether given their fortunate name they are making bank in the modern age.

I wonder what similar smart speaker fooling names there could be that would make for a good band name.

Another that happens often is Muse. Sometimes spotify hears music as Muse.

[Grey Fox]

Yeah, it gets to be pretty funny what it understands.

My google assistant is set up to respond to both french and english and sometimes it confuses one with the other. It usually turns into having some weird music being played.

[HVC]

I have voice to text voicemail on my phone. Basically it texts me the message with an attachment of the actual voice message. Works well and is a time saver. It used to leave pretty interesting interpretations when someone left me a Portuguese message (usually my parents) as it didn't translate, but it tried to give me a English version in text by subbing random words. In the last few years they changed it so that the text just says it couldn't understand the message and to listen to the attachment. I miss the old way.