The Off Topic Topic

[Jacob]

Hassle, even indignity I could see. But where's the cruelty?

Humiliating people is often considered cruel, especially if it's a novel form of humliation for the people involved. Which evidently this is.

[The Brain]

Hassle, even indignity I could see. But where's the cruelty?

Buying/finding a print newspaper. Why not make people send their claims by telegram? Or handwritten on vellum?

[Josquius]

I've been getting the same spotify advert quite a bit lately.
Advertising a job (been getting more than one of those actually). A customer service role at a local company I've heard of.
The excited lady announces how great the role is- starting at 20k a year!
....
....
Err....
Isn't that minimum wage?
How about...no.

[Sheilbh]

Welfare fraud is a very real thing.  I was just dealing with a file where the woman claimed welfare for her and her three children.

Problem was she doesn't have any children.

I'm not disputing it's a real thing - though studies in the UK show it's quite a small thing.

I'm just saying that the primary aim of a welfare system should not be fraud prevention, but welfare and that the measures taken against welfare fraud should be proportionate to the scale of the problem. Which this isn't and like other "shop-a-scrounger" policies in the UK is degrade and in my view cruel for the overwhelming majority of legitimate welfare recipients.

[Syt]

Good morning.

[Syt]

Someone dropped their Lambo into the Mondsee in Austria.

[Zanza]

Very tasteful paint job! 

[Syt]

Very tasteful paint job! 

Driver is Swiss, paintjob looks like it's advertising some kind of club or something. I don't think it's much worse than the weird green Lamborghinis come in these days.

[Admiral Yi]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwiwHzuzV9Q

Pitch invasion in London.

Pretty casual security.

[Syt]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwiwHzuzV9Q

Pitch invasion in London.

Pretty casual security.

I feel this has a lot to do with English pitches being relatively low on security against fans storming on these days: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillsborough_disaster

[Josquius]

Hmm. Wonder if this is that pro guy who does this kind of prank. He's dressed right. Though shame the other team wasn't on that side. He could really have caused some confusion. Sad he didn't get to kick the ball too.

[The Larch]

Another question for the Spaniards; I saw this article in Atlas Obscura about huesos de santo and I was curious if they were popular throughout Spain or just in certain regions.

(In Palermo they celebrate Carnivale with marzipan pig heads (not life sized.))

AFAIK they're pretty widespread (and v. highly seasonal, as the article says), but I might lack some data from the South/Mediterranean coast. Cel?

[The Larch]

London has more statues of animals than of named women, audit finds
First comprehensive audit comes as Sadiq Khan announces £1m fund to ensure landmarks reflect city's diversity

The number of sculptures that feature animals in London is double that of named women, a study has found, as the mayor office announces £1m fund to champion diversity in the capital's public spaces.

The findings show that out of almost 1,500 monuments in the capital, more than a fifth are dedicated to named men (20.5%), and only 4% are dedicated to named women. The number of sculptures that feature animals, almost 100, is double that of named women.

Just 1% of sculptures are dedicated to named people of colour; 0.9% are men of colour and 0.2% are named women of colour

The study, part of a national research project by Art UK funded in part by City Hall, is the first comprehensive audit of public sculpture and monuments across the capital.

[Grey Fox]

Good.

Don't erect statues of people.

[The Brain]

The number of sculptures that feature animals, almost 100, is double that of named women.

Are they named animals? Apples and oranges may break my bones etc.