Things that don't deserve their own thread

[mat the expat]

Nice!

[notfatcat]

Some people are just incredible.

British Sikh Army officer becomes first woman of color to ski solo to the South Pole

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/ ... index.html

Congrats to her for being the first woman who isn't white to achieve that thing she did.

[Torquemada 1420]

Some people are just incredible.

British Sikh Army officer becomes first woman of color to ski solo to the South Pole

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/ ... index.html

Congrats to her for being the first woman who isn't white to achieve that thing she did.

Quite. Was about to post, asking what the relevance was of mentioning colour.

[Insane_Homer]

So just before x-mas my son passed his drivers license first time
We kept my wife's old car so he was all ready to use that (15 year old Polo that I'd bought new).
Organised Young driver's Insurance and he was ready to go.

So on Weds he drove to school to get LFT Covid tests done before returning to school on Thursday. No problem, he drove him and his sister there and back home again no problem.

That evening he had football training, but late at 8pm so my wife went with him so that he could drive but with the reassurance in the passenger seat.
10 mins after leaving they're back home, the car's shuddering and stalling and not going over 2000 rpm with the engine management light flashing. No big deal, cold, moisture, probably spark plug or distribution cap.

So I managed to drop it off at a local garage last night for them to take a look...
Zero compression on first cylinder, engine's gone. Too expensive to replace - scap it. £100-£250!
I put brand new Michellins on it last year for £270.

Completely borked on a first day he used it!!!

No point in buying another one as he's off to Uni in Sept...

FML

[Rinkals]

So just before x-mas my son passed his drivers license first time
We kept my wife's old car so he was all ready to use that (15 year old Polo that I'd bought new).
Organised Young driver's Insurance and he was ready to go.

So on Weds he drove to school to get LFT Covid tests done before returning to school on Thursday. No problem, he drove him and his sister there and back home again no problem.

That evening he had football training, but late at 8pm so my wife went with him so that he could drive but with the reassurance in the passenger seat.
10 mins after leaving they're back home, the car's shuddering and stalling and not going over 2000 rpm with the engine management light flashing. No big deal, cold, moisture, probably spark plug or distribution cap.

So I managed to drop it off at a local garage last night for them to take a look...
Zero compression on first cylinder, engine's gone. Too expensive to replace - scap it. £100-£250!
I put brand new Michellins on it last year for £270.

Completely borked on a first day he used it!!!

No point in buying another one as he's off to Uni in Sept...

FML

What sort of mileage has it done?

I had a mini which had a hole in one of the valves. 5 quid for a set of gaskets, IIRC, 2 quid for a valve, a couple of weekends skinning my knuckles in the Aberdeenshire weather - sorted.

[GogLais]

My gurnard with sauce vierge and a white Rioja was kyffin delicious.

[Niegs]

Some people are just incredible.

British Sikh Army officer becomes first woman of color to ski solo to the South Pole

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/ ... index.html

Congrats to her for being the first woman who isn't white to achieve that thing she did.

Quite. Was about to post, asking what the relevance was of mentioning colour.

With things like this, I say go for it. Little girls more likely to be encouraged by it than some bearded Norwegian.

[Insane_Homer]

What sort of mileage has it done?

I had a mini which had a hole in one of the valves. 5 quid for a set of gaskets, IIRC, 2 quid for a valve, a couple of weekends skinning my knuckles in the Aberdeenshire weather - sorted.

~112,000 Miles
I don't have skill or time to sort this out myself. I can't get it to another mechanic without a ton of hassle.

[Niegs]

Watching this scene from a 1946 film taught me that "do your own research" type people have probably always been around... and deserve to be chinned.

[notfatcat]

[Tichtheid]

Congrats to her for being the first woman who isn't white to achieve that thing she did.

Quite. Was about to post, asking what the relevance was of mentioning colour.

With things like this, I say go for it. Little girls more likely to be encouraged by it than some bearded Norwegian.

Quite, and there were plenty of clues in the article - under the pic of her is this "Editor's Note — This story is part of CNN's commitment to covering issues around identity, including race, gender, sexuality, religion, class and caste."

Then throughout the article there are mentions of how her background doesn't exactly scream "solo Antarctic explorer" and how she hopes to inspire others to push boundaries "without having to feel like a rebel",

[tabascoboy]

Quite. Was about to post, asking what the relevance was of mentioning colour.

With things like this, I say go for it. Little girls more likely to be encouraged by it than some bearded Norwegian.

Quite, and there were plenty of clues in the article - under the pic of her is this "Editor's Note — This story is part of CNN's commitment to covering issues around identity, including race, gender, sexuality, religion, class and caste."

Then throughout the article there are mentions of how her background doesn't exactly scream "solo Antarctic explorer" and how she hopes to inspire others to push boundaries "without having to feel like a rebel",

It's about trying to provide positive role models I assume, and identifying with someone with a similar background

[Tichtheid]

With things like this, I say go for it. Little girls more likely to be encouraged by it than some bearded Norwegian.

Quite, and there were plenty of clues in the article - under the pic of her is this "Editor's Note — This story is part of CNN's commitment to covering issues around identity, including race, gender, sexuality, religion, class and caste."

Then throughout the article there are mentions of how her background doesn't exactly scream "solo Antarctic explorer" and how she hopes to inspire others to push boundaries "without having to feel like a rebel",

It's about trying to provide positive role models I assume, and identifying with someone with a similar background

Exactamundo.

[notfatcat]

Funny I never seem to read anything about someone being the first person brought up on a council estate to explore some place, or the first person with spina bifida to cycle somewhere or other. It's always about ethnicity. It's as if non white people can't be inspired by whites and vice versa.

[tabascoboy]

Funny I never seem to read anything about someone being the first person brought up on a council estate to explore some place, or the first person with spina bifida to cycle somewhere or other. It's always about ethnicity. It's as if non white people can't be inspired by whites and vice versa.

Will this do?

Erik Weihenmayer (born September 23, 1968) is an American athlete, adventurer, author, activist and motivational speaker. He was the first blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest, on May 25, 2001.As a result of this accomplishment he was featured on the cover of Time magazine. He also completed the Seven Summits in September 2002, one of only 150 mountaineers at the time to do so, but the only climber who achieved this while blind. In 2008, he also added the Carstensz Pyramid thus completing the Eight Summits. Weihenmayer has also made noteworthy climbs up the Nose of El Capitan in Yosemite in 1996, and ascended Losar, a 2,700-foot (820 m) vertical ice face in the Himalayas in 2008.

In 2005, he co-founded No Barriers, a nonprofit organization with the tagline, "What’s within you is stronger than what’s in your way." The organization helps people of diverse backgrounds and abilities to attack challenges head on, problem solve, build winning teams, and serve others.

In September 2014, Weihenmayer and blinded Navy veteran, Lonnie Bedwell, kayaked the entire 277 miles (446 km) of the Grand Canyon, considered one of the most formidable whitewater locations in the world.

Today, while still adventuring, he is a prominent worldwide speaker, focusing on the topic of living a "No Barriers Life."

[notfatcat]

I guess blindness is only slightly more of a hindrance to achieving that sort of endeavour than being of a particular ethnicity.

[Slick]

With things like this, I say go for it. Little girls more likely to be encouraged by it than some bearded Norwegian.

Quite, and there were plenty of clues in the article - under the pic of her is this "Editor's Note — This story is part of CNN's commitment to covering issues around identity, including race, gender, sexuality, religion, class and caste."

Then throughout the article there are mentions of how her background doesn't exactly scream "solo Antarctic explorer" and how she hopes to inspire others to push boundaries "without having to feel like a rebel",

It's about trying to provide positive role models I assume, and identifying with someone with a similar background

Do you know what? I've been quite critical of the Scottish government and local councils in Scotland invariably having black folk on all their brochures, posters, leaflets etc when they reality is that there are hardly any black people here. It just seemed absurd. However, I was swimming with the kids before Christmas and the pool had the obligatory poster with a black chap swimming above the pool and I tutted in my head. Then a wee, presumably adopted, black girl came into the pool with her white parents and it hit me like a brick. That girl probably see's very few people like her in her day to day life, so if that poster helps her along, what the fuck am I worried about. Felt a bit embarrassed as well to be honest.

In saying that, it still fucks me off that our government constantly pretends we are some kind of diverse utopia when we are blatantly not, but thats for another day.

[sockwithaticket]

Quite, and there were plenty of clues in the article - under the pic of her is this "Editor's Note — This story is part of CNN's commitment to covering issues around identity, including race, gender, sexuality, religion, class and caste."

Then throughout the article there are mentions of how her background doesn't exactly scream "solo Antarctic explorer" and how she hopes to inspire others to push boundaries "without having to feel like a rebel",

It's about trying to provide positive role models I assume, and identifying with someone with a similar background

Do you know what? I've been quite critical of the Scottish government and local councils in Scotland invariably having black folk on all their brochures, posters, leaflets etc when they reality is that there are hardly any black people here. It just seemed absurd. However, I was swimming with the kids before Christmas and the pool had the obligatory poster with a black chap swimming above the pool and I tutted in my head. Then a wee, presumably adopted, black girl came into the pool with her white parents and it hit me like a brick. That girl probably see's very few people like her in her day to day life, so if that poster helps her along, what the fuck am I worried about. Felt a bit embarrassed as well to be honest.

In saying that, it still fucks me off that our government constantly pretends we are some kind of diverse utopia when we are blatantly not, but thats for another day.

I'll be honest, I do sometimes have similar thoughts when seeing the relative explosion in black people present in TV advertising. It doesn't bear much relation to my direct experience of the UK or the demographic data from the last census (2011, pending the updated results this year). Then I have to remind myself that it doesn't really have any material impact on my life.

My main critique of it, though, is that diversity = black. Asian representation is curiously absent.

[GogLais]

It's about trying to provide positive role models I assume, and identifying with someone with a similar background

Do you know what? I've been quite critical of the Scottish government and local councils in Scotland invariably having black folk on all their brochures, posters, leaflets etc when they reality is that there are hardly any black people here. It just seemed absurd. However, I was swimming with the kids before Christmas and the pool had the obligatory poster with a black chap swimming above the pool and I tutted in my head. Then a wee, presumably adopted, black girl came into the pool with her white parents and it hit me like a brick. That girl probably see's very few people like her in her day to day life, so if that poster helps her along, what the fuck am I worried about. Felt a bit embarrassed as well to be honest.

In saying that, it still fucks me off that our government constantly pretends we are some kind of diverse utopia when we are blatantly not, but thats for another day.

I'll be honest, I do sometimes have similar thoughts when seeing the relative explosion in black people present in TV advertising. It doesn't bear much relation to my direct experience of the UK or the demographic data from the last census (2011, pending the updated results this year). Then I have to remind myself that it doesn't really have any material impact on my life.

My main critique of it, though, is that diversity = black. Asian representation is curiously absent.

I guess no organisation wants to be seen as the one that is exclusively white so they all take the diversity route. I understand that and it doesn’t bother me.

[tabascoboy]

I’ve a question. In British detective shows the chief inspector is often a black woman, is this true or just la la land?

Draw your own conclusions form https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.ser ... e-officers

The whole perception/actuality of the glass ceiling is what these shows are trying to suggest could be overcome I presume, in the absence of real life role models. I know there are those who hate it because it's not "realistic" but as long as the actor is convincing in the role, and not portraying a real life person does it matter?

[robmatic]

It's about trying to provide positive role models I assume, and identifying with someone with a similar background

Do you know what? I've been quite critical of the Scottish government and local councils in Scotland invariably having black folk on all their brochures, posters, leaflets etc when they reality is that there are hardly any black people here. It just seemed absurd. However, I was swimming with the kids before Christmas and the pool had the obligatory poster with a black chap swimming above the pool and I tutted in my head. Then a wee, presumably adopted, black girl came into the pool with her white parents and it hit me like a brick. That girl probably see's very few people like her in her day to day life, so if that poster helps her along, what the fuck am I worried about. Felt a bit embarrassed as well to be honest.

In saying that, it still fucks me off that our government constantly pretends we are some kind of diverse utopia when we are blatantly not, but thats for another day.

I'll be honest, I do sometimes have similar thoughts when seeing the relative explosion in black people present in TV advertising. It doesn't bear much relation to my direct experience of the UK or the demographic data from the last census (2011, pending the updated results this year). Then I have to remind myself that it doesn't really have any material impact on my life.

My main critique of it, though, is that diversity = black. Asian representation is curiously absent.

Part of it might be that diversity in the UK isn't very evenly distributed. The whole country is 85% white or whatever, but ethnic minorities are mostly located around London or in other English cities. And then what you see on TV is representative of London, because the media is barely aware that anything exists outside the M25.

I grew up in the Yorkshire Dales and then lived in Scotland for 15 years so I can basically count the number of black British people I met on my fingers.

[fishfoodie]

RIP Magawa. A life, well lived !

Magawa, the famous mine-clearing rat who was awarded a gold medal for his heroism, has died at the age of eight.

In a five-year career, the rodent sniffed out over 100 landmines and other explosives in Cambodia.

[Slick]

I’ve a question. In British detective shows the chief inspector is often a black woman, is this true or just la la land?

Draw your own conclusions form https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.ser ... e-officers

The whole perception/actuality of the glass ceiling is what these shows are trying to suggest could be overcome I presume, in the absence of real life role models. I know there are those who hate it because it's not "realistic" but as long as the actor is convincing in the role, and not portraying a real life person does it matter?

Apart from Bond, they can fuck off on that one

[Slick]

It's about trying to provide positive role models I assume, and identifying with someone with a similar background

Do you know what? I've been quite critical of the Scottish government and local councils in Scotland invariably having black folk on all their brochures, posters, leaflets etc when they reality is that there are hardly any black people here. It just seemed absurd. However, I was swimming with the kids before Christmas and the pool had the obligatory poster with a black chap swimming above the pool and I tutted in my head. Then a wee, presumably adopted, black girl came into the pool with her white parents and it hit me like a brick. That girl probably see's very few people like her in her day to day life, so if that poster helps her along, what the fuck am I worried about. Felt a bit embarrassed as well to be honest.

In saying that, it still fucks me off that our government constantly pretends we are some kind of diverse utopia when we are blatantly not, but thats for another day.

I'll be honest, I do sometimes have similar thoughts when seeing the relative explosion in black people present in TV advertising. It doesn't bear much relation to my direct experience of the UK or the demographic data from the last census (2011, pending the updated results this year). Then I have to remind myself that it doesn't really have any material impact on my life.

My main critique of it, though, is that diversity = black. Asian representation is curiously absent.

Yes, the absence of Asian people across TV is really odd.

If you watch Cbeebies you would think we live in a completely different country

[robmatic]

I’ve a question. In British detective shows the chief inspector is often a black woman, is this true or just la la land?

Draw your own conclusions form https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.ser ... e-officers

The whole perception/actuality of the glass ceiling is what these shows are trying to suggest could be overcome I presume, in the absence of real life role models. I know there are those who hate it because it's not "realistic" but as long as the actor is convincing in the role, and not portraying a real life person does it matter?

Apart from Bond, they can fuck off on that one

He's too old now, but when Idris Elba was being touted as the next Bond I was in favour. At least he is sufficiently masculine, which I think is the important thing about Bond.

[tabascoboy]

Do you know what? I've been quite critical of the Scottish government and local councils in Scotland invariably having black folk on all their brochures, posters, leaflets etc when they reality is that there are hardly any black people here. It just seemed absurd. However, I was swimming with the kids before Christmas and the pool had the obligatory poster with a black chap swimming above the pool and I tutted in my head. Then a wee, presumably adopted, black girl came into the pool with her white parents and it hit me like a brick. That girl probably see's very few people like her in her day to day life, so if that poster helps her along, what the fuck am I worried about. Felt a bit embarrassed as well to be honest.

In saying that, it still fucks me off that our government constantly pretends we are some kind of diverse utopia when we are blatantly not, but thats for another day.

I'll be honest, I do sometimes have similar thoughts when seeing the relative explosion in black people present in TV advertising. It doesn't bear much relation to my direct experience of the UK or the demographic data from the last census (2011, pending the updated results this year). Then I have to remind myself that it doesn't really have any material impact on my life.

My main critique of it, though, is that diversity = black. Asian representation is curiously absent.

Part of it might be that diversity in the UK isn't very evenly distributed. The whole country is 85% white or whatever, but ethnic minorities are mostly located around London or in other English cities. And then what you see on TV is representative of London, because the media is barely aware that anything exists outside the M25.

I grew up in the Yorkshire Dales and then lived in Scotland for 15 years so I can basically count the number of black British people I met on my fingers.

Pretty much depressing reading for the most part

'I was West London's first Asian police officer and was spat at, set up and sent hate mail'

And he says there's still a long way to go in bringing ethnic minorities into the police.

"How many officers from ethnic minority backgrounds have completed 30 years' service in the police," he asks. "That's the figure you need to look at. I was only the 12th or 13th to do so."

[mat the expat]

Bloody legendary advert (Aussie Lamb has a history of excellent ads):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck8CO6zGFB0

[Oxbow]

Top 10 most popular sports in the world. Rugby #9 same as American football

https://sportsbrowser.net/most-popular-sports/

Rugby has a strong fan base in Australia, England, France, and New Zealand. There are more than 390 million fans of the sport in these countries.

Someone's maths don't add up.

[Uncle fester]

Top 10 most popular sports in the world. Rugby #9 same as American football

https://sportsbrowser.net/most-popular-sports/

Bit of a silly list but rugby is a bit of a niche sport even in some of the countries that are pretty strong in it. NFL is very popular and gets huge coverage but only in one country.

[fishfoodie]

Top 10 most popular sports in the world. Rugby #9 same as American football

https://sportsbrowser.net/most-popular-sports/

Bit of a silly list but rugby is a bit of a niche sport even in some of the countries that are pretty strong in it. NFL is very popular and gets huge coverage but only in one country.

Now you're going to get it !

Spoiler

Show

CFL

[Uncle fester]

Top 10 most popular sports in the world. Rugby #9 same as American football

https://sportsbrowser.net/most-popular-sports/

Bit of a silly list but rugby is a bit of a niche sport even in some of the countries that are pretty strong in it. NFL is very popular and gets huge coverage but only in one country.

Now you're going to get it !

Spoiler

Show

CFL

California isn't a country.

[tabascoboy]

I guess one side's brinkmanship worked then!

The expected change regarding the use of Visa credit cards on Amazon.co.uk will no longer take place on January 19. We are working closely with Visa on a potential solution that will enable customers to continue using their Visa credit cards on Amazon.co.uk. 

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ ... um=twitter

[inactionman]

What an arse.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ma ... 022-01-17/

Anders Brevik begins his parole hearing with a nazi salute.

He's had how long to reflect on his scumbag idiocy and he's still wallowing in it.

[Uncle fester]

What an arse.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ma ... 022-01-17/

Anders Brevik begins his parole hearing with a nazi salute.

He's had how long to reflect on his scumbag idiocy and he's still wallowing in it.

He's certainly doing his best to ensure that he never gets out of prison.
Notice he's got a 3 room cell and still complained it was inhumane.

[Insane_Homer]

It's Super Secret!!!

We have received some tender information from xxxxxxxxx and they requested the below requirement:-
• All information can only be stored on a stand-alone Computer that is not connected or able to connect to any network.

Stupid process in hindsight as it’s been emailed to me

FML!

[GogLais]

What an arse.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ma ... 022-01-17/

Anders Brevik begins his parole hearing with a nazi salute.

He's had how long to reflect on his scumbag idiocy and he's still wallowing in it.

He's certainly doing his best to ensure that he never gets out of prison.
Notice he's got a 3 room cell and still complained it was inhumane.

I’m just amazed that he could be eligible for parole after only ten years.

[Insane_Homer]

[mat the expat]

^

[FalseBayFC]

Achtung Kiwis! A new fish arrived at my fishmongers today labelled stargazer/monkfish. I researched it and it seems it comes from down your parts. It was very fresh and I have now idea how it arrived here. Not seen it here ever. I did it in a pan with butter, thyme and garlic and thought it very good. Apparently it is regarded as a poor man's rock lobster. Is it popular in NZ? Not related to the monkfish they eat in Europe.

[tabascoboy]

Carlow body: Inquiry after 'dead man' brought into post office

An investigation has begun after claims that the body of a dead man was taken into Irish post office in an attempt to claim his pension. Reports suggest a deceased pensioner was "propped up by two men" as his body was carried into the building in County Carlow, according to the Irish Times. It said the two men "dropped" the body and fled when staff questioned them.

Gardaí (Irish police) are investigating the circumstances surrounding the "unexplained death of an elderly male". A Garda spokesman would not comment on the specifics of the incident which happened at a post office in Carlow town on Friday morning but released a brief statement. "The services of the Garda Technical Bureau and the Office of the State Pathologist have been requested," it said. "A post mortem will be conducted by the Office of the State Pathologist, the results of which will determine the course of the investigation."

The Irish Times said it understood that a concerned staff member "enquired about the wellbeing of the man being propped up" when the group approached the post office counter. The two men fled, dropping the body at the scene and when staff went to check on the elderly man they were shocked to discover he was dead, the paper said.

Irish broadcaster RTÉ reported that earlier on Friday, a man had called in to the post office on Staplestown Road in Carlow and asked to collect a pension on behalf of an elderly man. That request was refused as staff told him the pensioner had to be present in order to release the money.

A short time later, two men arrived back with a man aged in his 60s who "collapsed" in the post office. "Detectives are now investigating if the man was already dead when he was brought to the post office," RTÉ said.

It reported that a nearby house has been "sealed off as a crime scene".