The Off Topic Topic

[grumbler]

For the naval historians, YouTuber Drachinifel has released a new video examining the loss of HMS Hood. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLPeC7LRqIY

This is based on some new work by Bill Jurens which showed that the classical explanations for Hood's loss were unlikely (already known, of course).  Jurens postulates that that the conditions of the actual case made it possible that a shell from Bismarck went under the belt (striking close aboard and entering between the belt and torpedo defense system) and then detonating in or very near the 4-inch gun magazine, resulting in a deflagration that first went though the engine room and up the engine room intakes (thus the huge fireball noted by everyone) and then detonating the aft main magazine.

What makes this theory so interesting is that it answers all the questions, but also makes it clear that Hood's loss may have had nothing whatsoever to do with her design, the lack of modernization, etc.  Any ship, even Yamato, would have been destroyed by such a hit.  The downside to Juren's theory is that it is so very unlikely.  But very unlikely things DO happen, says Bismarck's rudder.

Worth a watch if you are into this stuff, but less worthy if you aren't.

[Threviel]

I want to watch his stuff, but it's so dreadfully boring. Normally my thing, but that guy is a sleeping pill.   

[grumbler]

I want to watch his stuff, but it's so dreadfully boring. Normally my thing, but that guy is a sleeping pill.   

Yes, he never says in five words what he could say in fifty, but his images are often quite good (his battles of Narvik vid had a number of pictures I'd not seen before).  You have to be pretty interested in the topic to slog through them.

His HMS Thunderchild video is more fun than most https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQBund8uLmo.

[Josquius]

A topic of conversation came up with my gf. She just doesn't get the vast majority of British comedy. Likewise French films she finds hilarious are merely meh to me.
American comedy seems a halfway place of OK to both.
The American /British difference is well known. British humour is darker and far more about awful underdogs trying to punch up and failing, making themselves a fool, whilst American humour is more about the handsome witty guy who always wins.
Broad generalisation of course.
But just what the hell is French humour? Is it even more elitest?... But the better French comedy films are so (dinner for cons) whilst it's the trashy ones I don't get. It's curious

[grumbler]

Another "not necessarily recommended" YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdSqLfuRN18&feature=emb_logo

"In the Year 2525" was the prototypical "One Hit Wonder" (I'm old enough to remember hearing that on the radio  ) but the video is astonishing for it's total lack of awareness of what makes for video. The other performers aren't shown, and the main duo don't even appear to be playing their instruments.

Zager and Evans hit the sweet spot, releasing their single just before the moon landings and hitting #1 on both sides of the Atlantic the week of the moon landing.  None of their other work ever charted.

[celedhring]

A topic of conversation came up with my gf. She just doesn't get the vast majority of British comedy. Likewise French films she finds hilarious are merely meh to me.
American comedy seems a halfway place of OK to both.
The American /British difference is well known. British humour is darker and far more about awful underdogs trying to punch up and failing, making themselves a fool, whilst American humour is more about the handsome witty guy who always wins.
Broad generalisation of course.
But just what the hell is French humour? Is it even more elitest?... But the better French comedy films are so (dinner for cons) whilst it's the trashy ones I don't get. It's curious

I tend to think that French comedies that make it outside of their borders tend to be the more calculated/sophisticated fare (like diner de cons) - which I agree I don't find that funny, sometimes they try to be too clever by half. However they do have a rich tradition of far wilder fare. I mean, they're the country of Louis de Funès.

[Tamas]

One thing I have realised watching the BBCs and other British TVs attempt at humor is that Monty Python and the few other high quality ones were the exception and not the rule. :p

[celedhring]

Do people even have a concept of Spanish comedy, btw?  Most of it it's trashy costumbrismo and I don't think that will travel well at all.

[Josquius]

My partner said that she'd split things basically into Latin and germanic Europe when I pointed out some good foreign comedies that happened to be from Germany and Northern Europe.
She is a big fan of Spanish TV shows so it seems to transfer well... Though despite speaking the language she never watches anything Italian.
I think Spain is doing pretty well for itself with us level production values.
Comedy wise about all I can think of seeing was a film a few months back, Little Switzerland I believe it was called, about some village that decides it should be part of Switzerland for the subsidies.
It was passable, nothing special but not awful. The ending was weird I remember though when it suddenly became like a theater with all the actors bowing.

One thing I have realised watching the BBCs and other British TVs attempt at humor is that Monty Python and the few other high quality ones were the exception and not the rule. :p

We have our share of shit but I'm not sure on exception not the rule. I think it's fairly near 50:50.

Though the demise of sitcoms saddens me. Those panel shows can be quite nice but still...

[Syt]

Merry Christmas!

[Grey Fox]

I'm with Tyr, French cinema is dumb and rarely funny. I don't even find Dîner de con funny.

[Duque de Bragança]

A topic of conversation came up with my gf. She just doesn't get the vast majority of British comedy. Likewise French films she finds hilarious are merely meh to me.
American comedy seems a halfway place of OK to both.
The American /British difference is well known. British humour is darker and far more about awful underdogs trying to punch up and failing, making themselves a fool, whilst American humour is more about the handsome witty guy who always wins.
Broad generalisation of course.
But just what the hell is French humour? Is it even more elitest?... But the better French comedy films are so (dinner for cons) whilst it's the trashy ones I don't get. It's curious

I tend to think that French comedies that make it outside of their borders tend to be the more calculated/sophisticated fare (like diner de cons) - which I agree I don't find that funny, sometimes they try to be too clever by half. However they do have a rich tradition of far wilder fare. I mean, they're the country of Louis de Funès.

Most people in France don't see the Dîner de Cons as calculated/sophisticated fare, not just snotty bobo critics.
It's a movie adaptation of a play by the way.
Mind you, it's a very popular around here obviously, but the sophisticated/calculated (comedy) fare description would fit better Jacques Tati's works.

PS: unless anything more subtle than the Taxi movies is sophisticated/calculated fare. 

[Grey Fox]

Daniel Morales

What happened to Samy Naceri?

[Duque de Bragança]

Samy Naceri is a wreck due namely to alcohol and drug addiction.

[Sheilbh]

I saw on social media about former CSKA Moscow, Russia and Hull City manager Leonid Slutsky doing a cover of All I Want for Christmas is You with Rubin Kazan, his current team:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/video/2020/dec/28/move-over-mariah-leonid-slutsky-sings-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-you-video

I just thought it would be light-hearted fun but really underestimated how hard he would go in on this. And I'm now aware that he is a better singer and dancer than me