News Roundup

And talking about giving the finger:


...let NYFC sink.


...they hate us, we move, Q.E.D.

From the Global Cooling Climate Warming Change© front:

  and:
...make ’em starve, guys:  join the Frogs and Krauts, make your own European Union.  Also:


...some would call it prudence, others would call it hypocrisy.  I report, you decide.

On the Police Blotter:


...wait [putting on Sarah Hoyt’s Shocked Face]:  you mean criminals don’t obey gun-prohibition laws? 

And speaking of gun laws:


...git ‘er done, cher.


...that’s not really breaking news, is it?  We’ve been doing that anyway, since Trump was still only a millionaire.

In the Dept. of Vanishing Things:


...wait:  could this crisis be from vegans becoming a dying breed?  One can only hope.

And in International News:


...and as plans go, this sounds like a good one.


...lemme guess:  for boys, Mohammed, Piotr and Jetmir;  for girls, Ngxoza, Jasmin and Agnieszka.


...presenting Dr. Kim’s Patented Anti-Seagull Devi©e:

And now ’tis time for link-free 

...and how many men would take the risk?


...not, mind you, that I think she said (or says) it that often, the Welsh tart.  But anyway:

And one from days of yore:

And that’s it for the news.

Quote Of The Day

I really could quit looking up things to feature here and just read Jeremy Clarkson for material.  Here’s his latest:

OH no. It really is true. Just days after calling in the administrators, Body Shop has started to shut its branches across the country. 
So where am I going to get my satsuma body butter now? And my carrot moisturiser? And my tea tree oil?
I guess I’ll have to go back to the olden days of using soap and water and accepting the fact that old people are supposed to look like scrotums.

Priceless.


I know, it’s actually scrota, but I’m not going to correct The Greatest Living Englishman.

Grinding Gears

Via Insty:

The overarching trend in the car world has been that the manual transmission is on the way out. People like automatics for the convenience, but they can be faster than manually shifting, and they’re frequently better at saving fuel. But the manual still has advantages. It’s small and light, it’s still sometimes more affordable than an equivalent automatic model, and, of course, it’s much more engaging than an automatic. For these reasons, automakers are still selling a variety of models with manuals. The list is certainly short compared to a couple decades ago, but the variety is impressive. Whether you’re looking for an extremely affordable commuter, a sports car or even an off-road oriented truck or SUV, there’s a manual-equipped car for you. And we’ve assembled the whole list of every single make and model of car with an available manual transmission for you three-pedal diehards.

…and then follows the list, for those who’d prefer driving a car instead of just steering it.

Manual transmissions are the bolt-action rifles of the automotive world.

And if you can’t see the similarities… well, I can’t help you.

See No Evil

In commenting on Florida’s proposed ban on social media for under-16s, Robert Shibley says this:

It would be wise for the big platforms to make it much easier for parents to regulate this stuff, because that’s far preferable to the law stepping in.

That’s a laudable suggestion, but unfortunately it doesn’t take into account the fact that getting kids hooked on their programs is the actual goal of the “big platforms”, simply to get eyeballs for their advertisers.  That any harm might occur to the owners of those eyeballs is to be ignored because First Amendment, dude.

I myself think that lowering the age of consent to 12 and the drinking age to 13 would probably do less harm to kids than does exposure to FaecesBook and the like.  What the hell:  if we’re going to trust kids not to do stuff that might harm them, let’s go all the way. [/Big Platforms]

Losing Character

I’ve ranted so often about shitty architecture on these pages that one might be forgiven for thinking that I’d be sick of it by now.

Silly rabbit.

Here’s the latest example of foulness:

Residents living next to one of the most expensive houses in Britain have blasted the home as a ‘monstrosity’.
The newbuild, in the exclusive London suburb of Chelsea, has been nicknamed ‘Gucci House’ by appalled neighbours because of its ‘gaudy’ appearance.
The ‘ugly’ mansion occupies land that was formerly a school playground and has a dark grey exterior and imposing metal gates outside.

The exclusive street is the oldest in Chelsea, dating back to at least 1566.

I know, it looks like a wart on a pretty girl’s face — not, mind you, that London residential architecture is anything like a pretty girl’s face:  it’s dated, and occasionally quite horrible — but whatever, it’s what gives London its character.

As to why some rich fuck and his equally-fucky architect would want to lessen or destroy that character, I leave it to you to decide.  But speaking of that architect, here’s a quote which describes the process perfectly:

Original architects, Gumuchdjian, describe the property as surrounding a garden courtyard with an entrance that echoes the Parisian Hotel Particular.

Okay, let’s just nip this little turd-piece in the bud.

There’s no such thing as the Parisian Hotel Particular — it’s not a specific building, so it shouldn’t be capitalized.  The hotel particulier  is a style of building, and denotes a grand townhouse.  Here’s a typical example of said style, in Paris:

To even suggest that this London carbuncle resembles the above is mendacity in the Clinton Class.

And here’s the final word on this catastrophe, from a neighbor:

‘My house has survived The Blitz, it was built in the 1780s, they’re not building to match the heritage of the area. It’s like vandalism. How can the council approve this when it doesn’t match the other ones?’

Here’s a clue:

The house changed hands just last year and according to data from the Land Registry, the price tag of £73.2million was 209 times the average house price last year which was £350,396.

When a house costs about $100 million, a hundred thou or so to the right councilor or planning authority is small change.

Just sayin’.