Apparently, the Russians have a new weapon:
The Russian Navy reportedly has a new weapon that can disrupt the eyesight of targets as well as make them hallucinate and vomit.
Oh yeah? Well, we have a couple of those too:
…except that common decency (and probably the Geneva Convention) would prevent us from using them — even against Russians.
I don’t quite know what to make of all this:
London Pride maker Fuller, Smith & Turner, better known as Fuller’s, is to sell its entire beer business to the European division of Japanese brewer Asahi.
In a deal which values the division at £250million, the London-based brewer will sell the production and distribution of its well-known beers, including its flagship drink London Pride, as well as its ale, stout, porter, craft lager and cider brands.
Considering that London Pride is my second-favorite beer (after Wadworth 6X), I can only hope that Asahi won’t look at Pride’s miniscule U.S. distribution and decide that it’s not worth it.
On the other hand, they might also think that Fuller are a bunch of morons for not getting Pride greater exposure in the U.S., with the result that I could soon buy it at Kroger.
So it’s “wait and see”, not something I typically enjoy doing.
Gah. I hate change.
Here’s a map which ranks the various countries of the world from light to dark, from least corrupt to, well, Somalia.
Pop quiz: Of the lighter-colored (i.e. least corrupt) countries, find the common thread. (Hint: it’s in the title of this post.)
For those who are surprised at the relatively-low ranking of the United States among the civilized nations, I would suggest that we would rocket upwards with the conviction of Bill and Hillary Clinton, the dissolution of the Clinton Foundation and the imprisonment of all its officers. To reach the top of the charts, we’d have to convict all members of Congress (active and/or retired) who became millionaires whilst earning only a Congressional salary.
And by “conviction”, of course, I mean this:
This article got me thinking:
Locals reveal the ‘common forms of torture’ tourists subject themselves to when visiting their countries
Here’s the one that caught my eye:
For American Roger Cole, it’s ‘the Cross Country USA Road Trip’.
He wrote: ‘Let’s take one state, Florida. Rent that car in Miami after hitting the beaches and drive north. Guess what… in eight hours YOU’RE STILL IN FLORIDA.
‘You’ve seen 47 exit ramps and some ads for Ron Jon’s Surf Shop, golfing retirement communities, and road signs telling you Jesus Saves and don’t abort your babies.
‘You ate at McDonald’s or maybe tried some alligator meat at a weird little place off a highway exit that smelled like bug spray.’
So, O My Readers: if someone asked you what not to do when you visit the U.S. of A. (or your home country, if yer a Furrin Reader), what are the top three (3) things you’d tell them not to do, or places not to visit?
Mine are, in no specific order:
Your suggestions in Comments, and feel free to disagree with my selections, as always.
I see that the top 10 list of fish ‘n chip shops in the U.K. has been published. The one I’m going to make a beeline for the next time I’m Over There is Harbor Lights in Falmouth, Cornwall, because of this pic:
Granted, it may have been a promotional gimmick to get that many people to queue up outside the place, but whatever.
All that said, however, I’m still a huge fan of Sharon’s Plaice, in Boscastle, Cornwall:
…because I have never eaten such good fish ‘n chips before, anywhere. And yes, the potatoes are locally-sourced (delivered fresh daily) as is the fish, caught right offshore and brought into the harbor. I hope it survives until my next visit — Boscastle is a small village, and very dependent on tourism to keep its head above water, so any retail establishment there leads a precarious existence (other than the pubs, of course).
As my own offspring have proved to be utterly shit in the Grandchild Production Process, I have had to resort to marrying someone whose kids (or one of them, anyway), has a clue.
Yes, Angie’s Elder Son has just given us a grandchild.
Sadly, however, he is not local to these climes; in fact, he married an Oz-chick* a while ago, and… moved to Oz!
[pause to let gasps of horror die away]
You know what this means, right? Yes… I have to go to Australia in April to wet the baby’s head. And as any fule kno, this means being exposed to the various (and toxic) forms of Oz wildlife, such as the Brown Snake (and its buddies):
…the Funnel-Web Spider (and its buddies):
We all know about the Sand Tiger Sharks (and their buddies):
…and let’s not even talk about the other species of dangerous Australian fauna:
Thankfully, the last two species (sharks ‘n sluts) pose little danger to me as a.) I never swim in the sea, and b.) I’m taking my own woman with me.
So off I go, to wander ‘midst furriners again… [sigh]
Gah.
*Some people may wonder why I got involved with a family which is happy to consort with Australians, but hey: my own Son&Heir has a Canucki-Girlfriend, so we try to be inclusive. It’s all about Diversity!, isn’t it?