Things that make you :)

[melmerby]

I'm not sure where to put this clip.

It made me wince because the sheer level of stupidity some people people will undertake and the possible outcome, if it goes wrong:

 

The outcome made me smile.

 

 

Edited April 1, 2023 by melmerby

[Adam88]

Both Darwin candidates looked slightly desobered to me.

[franciswilliamwebb]

On 27/03/2023 at 19:23, PhilJ W said:

Koala mothers feed their young their excreta once they are weaned.

 

And there I was thinking reality TV was just a human thing 🤪

[KeithMacdonald]

15 hours ago, melmerby said:

I'm not sure where to put this clip.

 

Perhaps start a Darwin Awards topic?

[ian]

47 minutes ago, KeithMacdonald said:

 

Perhaps start a Darwin Awards topic?

They didn't qualify for a Darwin award as they still remain capable of breeding.

[CWJ]

When you're in the car with fellow railway folk (it's even more enjoyable if a 'normal' or non-railway person is in the car too) and this sign appears in the distance...

 

 

...and the driver quietly murmurs, "Banner's off". Nobody says anything and the journey continues.

 

(This post will either prove I'm among like-minded people or completely alienate me!)

Edited April 2, 2023 by CWJ
Image Copyright www.gov.uk (Open Government Licence v3.0)

[Cowley 47521]

12 minutes ago, CWJ said:

When you're in the car with fellow railway folk (it's even more enjoyable if a 'normal' or non-railway person is in the car too) and this sign appears in the distance...

 

 

...and the driver quietly murmurs, "Banner's off". Nobody says anything and the journey continues.

 

(This post will either prove I'm among like-minded people or completely alienate me!)

I like that and I’d never thought about it before. 👍

[Ozexpatriate]

4 hours ago, KeithMacdonald said:

Perhaps start a Darwin Awards topic?

Please don't.

 

Firstly, it would be a combination of the macabre and an ugly sort of schadenfreude. 

 

Secondly, the term is terrible.

 

Charles Darwin's theories have nothing to do with stupidity. The evolution of the species is not about behaviour, but beneficial physical adaptations. Nor did Darwin invent the term "survival of the fittest". Herbert Spencer did.

 

I get the 'joke' but these days I see the notional "Darwin Award" as bordering on the dubious (and equally poorly named) "Social Darwinism", both of which are misleading and inaccurate as they in no way pertain to biological evolution and Darwin's thinking.

[CWJ]

22 minutes ago, CWJ said:

When you're in the car with fellow railway folk...

 

Similar examples:

• Referring to the filters on traffic lights as 'feathers'
• Saying 'Ping!' on the approach to green signals
• Responding to a flashing amber light at a pedestrian crossing with, "Eh up, he's putting us inside"
• Any contra-flow situation stimulates remarks about running 'bang road'

Obviously only an eccentric crank would actually say any of these things... 😳

[ardbealach]

The worst is trying to find a phone at a red traffic light. (Alisdair)

[Hippel]

Referring to the 'bang road', my wife and I are both ex BR and refer to it as SLW! 

Also regarding the banners, the official ones are lower quadrant, but on the A164 between the Humber Bridge and Willerby, until recently some were wrongly installed as upper quadrant!

Thanks

Paul

[pH]

Not meant to be political, I just find it funny.
 

And:

 

If someone throws something at the ex-President, do his Secret Service guys shout “Donald, duck!”.

[Hroth]

14 minutes ago, pH said:

If someone throws something at the ex-President, do his Secret Service guys shout “Donald, duck!”.

 

No, they just say "Oh, bad luck sir!", and produce a damp cloth to wipe him down. (if that's going to help...)

 

[J. S. Bach]

2 hours ago, CWJ said:

 ...snip... Any contra-flow situation stimulates remarks about running 'bang road' ...snip...

If that refers to what I think it does, it is (usually) called "wrong railing" over here.

[jcredfer]

53 minutes ago, Hroth said:

 

No, they just say "Oh, bad luck sir!", and produce a damp cloth to wipe him down. (if that's going to help...)

 

 

Some years ago, I had a job, which included providing security for royals and senior politicians, whilst they were on RAF Stations.  {Poison Chalice, or what??}  At one such event the, then, current PM was being entertained at an RAF Anniversary celebration.  All went well and whilst chatting to his Personal Protection Officer, during the  reception drinks session, I asked if the PPOs were chosen such as to have the same political affiliation as their charges, so as to avoid conflict of interests.  Apparently not, so the conversation moved on to the suit the PM was wearing.  "Do you know how much that suit, that he's wearing cost?" he asked.  "Not really, but it doesn't look to be very much." I replied.  "That cost more than any other suit, uniform, in this room" he replied., adding "much of that cost goes into the cloth, but also into the treatment of the jacket pockets to make them baggy and look as if they had been stuffed with the weight of their contents for many years."  {No more clues about the particular PM - enough already.}

Back to the task in hand, conversation got professional about confirmation about previously discussed security arrangements were panning out.  That confirmed to be in place, the conversation turned to his actions in response to events turning unpleasant.  "Simple, try to sense where the attack is probably coming from, fire several shots in that direction and take to the nearest substantial cover." - I may be wrong, but I got the impression that the PPO wasn't of the same political persuasion as that PM.....

 

[PhilJ W]

I remember when a certain deputy PM's reactions were quicker than his bodyguard. That deputy PM used to be the merchant navy boxing champion.

[The Johnster]

Never liked the bloke much, and disapprove in principle (not neccessarily in practice, which is why I once broke a bloke's nose in a pub, felt the bridge spintering and spreading, most satisfying) (until the pain hit my knuckles) of acts of violence, but that was a most enjoyable bit of tv, and I disliked him a little less after it!

Edited April 3, 2023 by The Johnster

[kevinlms]

So the Americans are quite correct in asking Australians, if they travelled to the US by train. Just that their time scales are slightly out!

 

https://www.freethink.com/energy/pangaea-proxima

[DavidB-AU]

8 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

I remember when a certain deputy PM's reactions were quicker than his bodyguard. That deputy PM used to be the merchant navy boxing champion.

 

I remember when a protestor fired what turned out to be a starting pistol near the then Prince of Wales during a visit to Australia in the early 90s. The then Premier of New South Wales, a former rugby league player, had crash tackled the protestor to the ground before the royal protection officer could react.

Edited April 3, 2023 by DavidB-AU

[jcredfer]

18 hours ago, The Johnster said:

Never liked the bloke much, and disapprove in principle (not neccessarily in practice, which is why I once broke a bloke's nose in a pub, felt the bridge spintering and spreading, most satisfying) (until the pain hit my knuckles) of acts of violence, but that was a most enjoyable bit of tv, and I disliked him a little less after it!

 

Bare hand punches should best be done with the heel of the hand, to any bony part of the opponent - or so I was informed....  .....whilst the surgeon was trying to pull the knuckle of the little finger carpel straighter than it had ended up.  The resulting reduced length of the bone attached to the little finger, is apparently called Boxers Knuckle.  Whilst appreciating his informed comments, I couldn't help but wonder if the information might have been more use before the punch....   😃

 

 

[KeithMacdonald]

5 minutes ago, jcredfer said:

Bare hand punches should best be done with the heel of the hand, to any bony part of the opponent - or so I was informed

 

For an untrained person, that's probably the safest method. As in, the one least likely to damage you more than the opponent. If you get serious about, every martial art has its own preferences. It also depends a lot what part of your opponent's body you are aiming for. In Taekwondo, for example, there are about 12 different punches or strikes, with different purposes. Some are much-like boxing punches, with a clenched fist, hitting with the knuckles - and as @jcredfer says, the surest way to damage yourself as well. Some are more like karate chops, with a rigid open hand, stricking with the outside of the hand, or the tips of the fingers (best used on soft fleshy targets). Others use a clenched fist, but strike with the outside or the back of the hand.

 

For more: https://taekwondoanimals.com/taekwondo-punches-strikes

 

If I'm ever asked to demonstrate, usually an observant person will notice I have a couple of fingers that are bent and don't open flat like fingers should do. I've been asked if that was a Taekwondo injury. The honest answer is no, it was a gardening injury.

[CameronL]

[MJI]

On 02/04/2023 at 22:21, jcredfer said:

 

Some years ago, I had a job, which included providing security for royals and senior politicians, whilst they were on RAF Stations.  {Poison Chalice, or what??}  At one such event the, then, current PM was being entertained at an RAF Anniversary celebration.  All went well and whilst chatting to his Personal Protection Officer, during the  reception drinks session, I asked if the PPOs were chosen such as to have the same political affiliation as their charges, so as to avoid conflict of interests.  Apparently not, so the conversation moved on to the suit the PM was wearing.  "Do you know how much that suit, that he's wearing cost?" he asked.  "Not really, but it doesn't look to be very much." I replied.  "That cost more than any other suit, uniform, in this room" he replied., adding "much of that cost goes into the cloth, but also into the treatment of the jacket pockets to make them baggy and look as if they had been stuffed with the weight of their contents for many years."  {No more clues about the particular PM - enough already.}

Back to the task in hand, conversation got professional about confirmation about previously discussed security arrangements were panning out.  That confirmed to be in place, the conversation turned to his actions in response to events turning unpleasant.  "Simple, try to sense where the attack is probably coming from, fire several shots in that direction and take to the nearest substantial cover." - I may be wrong, but I got the impression that the PPO wasn't of the same political persuasion as that PM.....

 

 

You can always select a new PM. He made the right decision of own life more important than random politician.

 

As to party affiliation I am of the opinion most parties have decent people in them, most has ignorant people in them.

 

And that is not a political statement. But a people statement.

[MJI]

19 minutes ago, CameronL said:

 

A proper one, it is like if I am asked to review my doctors I mark them down so less people join so queues are shorter for me.

 

A simple rule of life, if you find something really good with limited stocks, do not publicise it until you have finished with it

[MJI]

I had one today.

 

A recent thing someone brought to computers is circles with initials in it, a totally naff thing I think.

 

Otherwise they use pictures and I replaced my work one with my dog!

 

A had a really weird one and of course email address sort of sidelined.