The Off Topic Topic

[Sheilbh]

Yeah - and in both societies building a new type of man (particularly). "Man in socialist society [...] will not dissemble, or bow or scrape, or swindle, neither will he eat fish off a knife, or drink champagne out of red wine glasses, any more than he will rob or exploit others."

[crazy canuck]

Don't you folks follow the standard advice about having 3 months salary in a easy access account?

Of course. Though the recommendation is 3-6 months of expenses, not salary. That's over-conservative, IMO.

Much easier to calculate total wages than total spending. Over-conservative it may be, but better that then the other way around.

That, and if one only takes into account known and predictable expenses, that defeats the purpose of having a cash cushion for unexpected expenses.

[Tamas]

So does anyone in the UK south of Scotland bother with winter tyres? Now that I have a garage I could get a set and have them installed between, say, mid-November and early March. They are not just about snow, they supposed to have significantly better traction under 5C than summer ones.

[Sheilbh]

I've never heard of anyone using them. I doubt you'd even need them in the Central Belt. Possibly in the Highlands and farmers might need them.

[Josquius]

It wasn't until Switzerland that I learned this was even a thing.

Down south do you even get many days below 5 degrees any more?

Incidentally in a Byzantine history thing I was listening to the other day they talked of a siege in crete and how a harsh winter made a difference. In crete. Hard to believe with modern eyes.

[Sheilbh]

That is surprising especially as in the Med. But kind of relatedly, Turkey can be very cold in winter. I was in Istanbul during a blizzard (which was very beautiful). But it was minus ten all week. I guess continental climate, nothing but the Black Sea between them and the steppes plus probably about the same latitude as New England (I think I remember reading that Cairo is the same as DC so guessing from there).

[Zanza]

I've never heard of anyone using them. I doubt you'd even need them in the Central Belt. Possibly in the Highlands and farmers might need them.

As Tamas said, you should use them below five degrees, not only on snow and ice.

It's mandated by law here and I booked my switch in October. Rule of thumb here is October to Easter.

[Grey Fox]

Also mandated by law here. I'll install them in early November & change back in late April.

I do it myself.

[celedhring]

Never heard of them, but I'm not much of a car person.

We only exceptionally get under 5C on the med coast, though. But it gets much colder in the interior.

[The Brain]

Shockingly we have them in Sweden.

[Savonarola]

I came across an article about Giorgia Meloni which made reference to "Hobbit Camp."  Looking further into it:

Hobbits and the Hard Right: How Fantasy Inspires Italy's Potential New Leader

As a youth activist in the post-Fascist Italian Social Movement, she and her fellowship of militants, with nicknames like Frodo and Hobbit, revered "The Lord of the Rings" and other works by the British writer J.R.R. Tolkien. They visited schools in character. They gathered at the "sounding of the horn of Boromir" for cultural chats. She attended "Hobbit Camp" and sang along with the extremist folk band Compagnia dell'Anello, or Fellowship of the Ring.

Maybe Sauron had a point...

 

Oh well at least she wasn't a fan-fiction writer.   

[viper37]

accused of rapde: I thought she was dead

I don't have a clear text, sorry.

This is in the affaire of Gisèle Pelicot.  A womam livimg a perfect life with a perfe cc t husband, until ahe discovered she was frequently drugged and raped by her husband who invites friends and neighbors to join in.

So far the defense have ranged from "I thought she gave consent", "her husband was ok with this", to this one "I thought she was already dead". 

That makes for such a terrific defense.

So, how many of you lawyer genius wouls have thought of that?  What is the legal term in English, "dessecration of a cadavre" instead of "rape" and he'd avoid some hard jail time?

Duque, you're following that crazy shit?

[Josquius]

Huge news in France. Heavily reported here too.
The woman has become quite the feminist hero for her response.
Horrid crime from the husband but great showing in court where he said yes I am a rapist and so are all those other guys.

[Zanza]

Gets a lot of press here. A brave woman, a despicable crime.

[Tamas]

Huge news in France. Heavily reported here too.
The woman has become quite the feminist hero for her response.
Horrid crime from the husband but great showing in court where he said yes I am a rapist and so are all those other guys.

I mean, I am not sure what the great showing is. Facing overwhelming evidence he decided to admit guilt.