Things that make you :)

[Tim Dubya]

[The Johnster]

,

On 23/11/2023 at 09:27, TheQ said:

George F probably wasn't given enough pocket money by his wife. She was notorious for keeping him under the thumb.

 

My favourite bit of George Formby trivia is that he was actually a real life TT competitor, a pretty quick dude on a motorbike!  And Billy Cotton, the bandleader (wakey WAK-EY) was the first person to lap Brooklands at an average of over 100mph. 

 

41 minutes ago, Tim Dubya said:

 

This law also applies to being stabbed.  If, however, you're an Indian in a shoot-out with the cowboys, you must drop dead, off your horse if you're on one, immedieately, no namby-pamby gay 'only injured' nonsense.

 

This goes for all enemies in battle scenes, Germans, , North Koreans, Zulus; dead, instantly, no screaming or wriggling.  If it's an American film, there has to be a Kowalski who gets killed as well, resulting in the guy that apparently hated him going over the top to a spectacular but heroic death, shouting 'the krauts//redskins/commies/ delete as appropriate got Kowalsk!'.  Kowalski's role is this and only this, a bit like the anonymous expendable crew member who gets beamed down from the Enterprise with the landing party only to get vapourised/eaten/slimed/absorbed by whatever monster jumps out from behind the rocks and attacks them.

 

Kowalski sometimes features in the epilogue as well 'dey wuz the greatest buncha guys I ever noo, all of 'em, yeah, even Kowalski.  Sure, Kowalski was a bit odd, didn't mix in, kep' himself to himself, but once you got to know him he was a regular joe, just like the rest of us.  He didn't wanna to be in that stoopid war, none of us did, but we noo our doody, and when it called, we answered (O Say Can You See starts playing at this point with the Bar Strangled Spanner fluttering in the breeze on screen), becuz we wuz Amurricans, and we will always fight for freedom and justice (subtext; against those godless commies).  I suddenly have the urge to stand to attention and salute something...

[J. S. Bach]

3 hours ago, Tim Dubya said:

 

????

 

EDIT: To clarify my "????".

Edited November 24, 2023 by J. S. Bach
To add some information

[PhilJ W]

Some websites ask you to switch off your adblocker as it is their only income. This I'm quite happy to do as its either that or no website. However one such website has started advertising an ad blocker! 

[KeithMacdonald]

Bah Humbug!

No time off on Christmas Day for you?

(if you are in Canada)

 

Quote

The Canadian Human Rights Commission — an agency with broad judicial powers that is fully funded by the federal government — has declared that the celebration of Christmas is evidence of Canada’s “colonialist” religious intolerance. “Discrimination against religious minorities in Canada is grounded in Canada’s history of colonialism,” reads a Discussion Paper on Religious Intolerance published last month by the agency. “An obvious example is statutory holidays in Canada,” it adds, noting that the Christian holidays of Christmas and Easter get days off, while non-Christians have to “request special accommodations to observe their holy days.”

 

https://nationtalk.ca/story/first-reading-federal-commission-declares-christmas-holiday-is-religious-intolerance-national-post

 

Personally, I'm fine with the idea of us all having extra days-off for Ramadan, Diwali, etc.

 

Quote

It symbolises the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance"

 

I like Diwali. We all need more Diwali.

[KeithMacdonald]

15 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Some websites ask you to switch off your adblocker as it is their only income.

 

Like this well-known site does?

 

Quote

Ad blockers violate YouTube's Terms of Service

 

Well, that's their loss, not mine, as on our network, it's our Terms of Service (enforced by IT Admin) that every computer or device on our network is protected, so we do not get pestered by adverts, social media tracking, spam, malware and other annoyances.

[Nick C]

2 hours ago, KeithMacdonald said:

Bah Humbug!

No time off on Christmas Day for you?

(if you are in Canada)

 

 

https://nationtalk.ca/story/first-reading-federal-commission-declares-christmas-holiday-is-religious-intolerance-national-post

 

Personally, I'm fine with the idea of us all having extra days-off for Ramadan, Diwali, etc.

Easiest option there is to allow a certain number of days - say 4 per year? - for religious observation, for which the employee has to declare in advance which set they wish to take (so that the employer has plenty of time to plan). Not sure how you'd decide on dates for atheists though, unless you just make that as something to be arranged on an individual basis...

 

2 hours ago, KeithMacdonald said:

Well, that's their loss, not mine, as on our network, it's our Terms of Service (enforced by IT Admin) that every computer or device on our network is protected, so we do not get pestered by adverts, social media tracking, spam, malware and other annoyances.

YouTube creators get paid based on the ads shown. By blocking them you're depriving them of their income,  unless you're a member of their 'patreon' or similar - and it will be your loss too once they can no longer afford to make the content because too many people are taking it without paying.

[Tim Dubya]

21 hours ago, J. S. Bach said:

 

????

 

EDIT: To clarify my "????".

 

[KeithMacdonald]

1 hour ago, Nick C said:

YouTube creators get paid based on the ads shown. By blocking them you're depriving them of their income, 

 

For the second time of telling, it's not me (on my computer) doing the blocking, it's Group Policy applied by IT Admin at the routers and firewalls.  There are other channels (like Patreon and Vimeo) where I can personally choose to pay creators for their creations. Where it's my choice, not something enforced by a gatekeeper. Sometimes it's the very same creators as appear on YT, but they have the wits to make their creative content available on as many channels as possible, and reduce the risk of being censored by YT.

[Ozexpatriate]

2 hours ago, Nick C said:

Easiest option there is to allow a certain number of days - say 4 per year? - for religious observation, for which the employee has to declare in advance which set they wish to take (so that the employer has plenty of time to plan). Not sure how you'd decide on dates for atheists though, unless you just make that as something to be arranged on an individual basis...

You answered your own question there.

 

"Diversity" holidays are already common. In the US, Good Friday is not a Federal Holiday. If people want to take the day off they have to take a vacation day, or for companies with elective paid holidays (which is becoming common) employees choose their day off.

 

I know of companies that offer two such elective paid holidays per year. Generally this is a trade off. Many companies switch paid holidays from the less observed* Federal holidays to days like the day after Thanksgiving which is not a Federal holiday.

 

* MLK, Presidents, Juneteenth, Columbus/Indigenous peoples, etc.

[Krusty]

18 hours ago, KeithMacdonald said:

I like Diwali. We all need more Diwali.

 

I love Diwali. Fireworks, great food and all the other stuff to mark my birthday.

[KeithMacdonald]

The Christmas Present you didn't expect...

 

[Tim Dubya]

[Tim Dubya]

[MJI]

[Hroth]

5 minutes ago, MJI said:

 

But back then, they would be black, not green.....

 

[Ozexpatriate]

24 minutes ago, Hroth said:

But back then, they would be black, not green.....

Quite big too - "The second biggest Wellingtons I've ever seen!" comes to mind.

Edited November 26, 2023 by Ozexpatriate

[Tim Dubya]

 

sorry

 

[Hroth]

4 hours ago, MJI said:

 

4 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Quite big too - "The second biggest Wellingtons I've ever seen!" comes to mind.

 

Just thinking...

Looks like its dropping essential supplies into Wales during the hard winter of 1947!

 

[Reorte]

On 25/11/2023 at 15:55, Nick C said:

YouTube creators get paid based on the ads shown. By blocking them you're depriving them of their income,  unless you're a member of their 'patreon' or similar - and it will be your loss too once they can no longer afford to make the content because too many people are taking it without paying.

Anyone who's annoyed enough to block adverts is extremely unlikely to respond positively to being shown them. Taking money from advertisers by trying to get around adblockers, knowing this is the case, does not give YouTube any moral high ground.

[kevinlms]

49 minutes ago, Reorte said:

Anyone who's annoyed enough to block adverts is extremely unlikely to respond positively to being shown them. Taking money from advertisers by trying to get around adblockers, knowing this is the case, does not give YouTube any moral high ground.

Yes, that's what I don't get, they charge a premium to NOT show the ads that advertisers are paying for. I presume they pay the advertisers a portion of what they do, if I do actually watch it? Is this the thinking?

 

But if I skips ads for contents that I'm not interested in (websites for gambling is top of my list - I'm not such a wowser that I don't think others might be interested in them - but if their algorithms are that good, don't they know that I refuse to watch them, unless forced by a no skip option?), what does Youtube gain by keep attempting to show them?

[billbedford]

Adblockers also tend to block trackers, so that Google has less data to sell to their customers. 

[MJI]

I block ads as much as sensible, but some I want to see, such as site specific ones (ie modelk railways)

 

I pay a bit towards this site even though I could just block everything.

[MJI]

21 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

But back then, they would be black, not green.....

 

Found it on another forum

[Sidecar Racer]

 Shamelessly taken from Facebook .

 

It's long and some minor naughty language , the North American members should

recognise the situation .

 

 

DIARY OF A SNOW SHOVELER:

Moved to North Dakota this fall. We heard that summers are fun and winter is beautiful. We think there is no more beautiful a place in the whole world!

 

December 8 - 6:00 PM It started to snow. The first snow of the season and the wife and I took our cocktails and sat for hours by the window watching the huge soft flakes drift down from heaven. It looked like a Grandma Moses print. So romantic, we felt like newlyweds again. I love snow!

 

December 9 - We woke to a beautiful blanket of crystal white snow covering every inch of the landscape. What a fantastic sight! Can there be a more lovely place in the whole world? Moving here was the best idea I've ever had! Shoveled for the first time in years and felt like a boy again. I did both our driveway and the sidewalks.

This afternoon the snowplow came along and covered up the sidewalks and closed in the driveway, so I got to shovel again. What a perfect life!

 

December 12 - The sun has melted all our lovely snow. Such a disappointment! My neighbor tells me not to worry- we'll definitely have a white Christmas. No snow on Christmas would be awful! Bob says we'll have so much snow by the end of winter, that I'll never want to see snow again. I don't think that's possible. Bob is such a nice man, I'm glad he's our neighbor.

 

December 14 - Snow, lovely snow! 8 inches last night. The temperature dropped to -20. The cold makes everything sparkle so. The wind took my breath away, but I warmed up by shoveling the driveway and sidewalks. This is the life! The snowplow came back this afternoon and buried everything again. I didn't realize I would have to do quite this much shoveling, but I'll certainly get back in shape this way. I wish I wouldn't huff and puff so.

 

December 15 - 20 inches forecast. Sold my van and bought a 4x4 Blazer. Bought snow tires for the wife's car and 2 extra shovels. Stocked the freezer. The wife wants a wood stove in case the electricity goes out. I think that's silly. We aren't in Alaska, after all.

 

December 16 - Ice storm this morning. Fell on my ass on the ice in the driveway putting down salt. Hurt like hell. The wife laughed for an hour, which I think was very cruel.

 

December 17 - Still way below freezing. Roads are too icy to go anywhere. Electricity was off for 5 hours. I had to pile the blankets on to stay warm. Nothing to do but stare at the wife and try not to irritate her. Guess I should've bought a wood stove, but won't admit it to her. God! I hate it when she's right. I can't believe I'm freezing to death in my own living room.

 

December 20 - Electricity's back on, but had another 14 inches of the damn stuff last night. More shoveling! Took all day. The damn snowplow came by twice. Tried to find a neighbor kid to shovel, but. they said they're too busy playing hockey. I think they're lying. Called the only hardware store around to see about buying a snow blower and they're out. Might have another shipment in March. I think they're lying. Bob says I have to shovel or the city will have it done and bill me. I think he's lying.

 

December 22 - Bob was right about a white Christmas because 13 more inches of the white fell today, and it's so cold, it probably won't melt till August. Took me 45 minutes to get all dressed up to go out to shovel and then I had to piss. By the time I got undressed, pissed and dressed again, I was too tired to shovel. Tried to hire Bob-who has a plow on his truck-for the rest of the winter, but he says he's too busy. I think the is lying.

 

December 23 - Only 2 inches of snow today. And it warmed up to 0. The wife wanted me to decorate the front of the house this morning. What is she, nuts?!! Why didn't she tell me to do that a month ago. She says she did but I think she's lying.

 

December 24 - 6 inches - Snow packed so hard by snowplow, l broke the shovel. Thought I was having a heart attack. If I ever catch the son of a bitch who drives that snow plow, I'll drag him through the snow by his balls and beat him to death with my broken shovel. I know he hides around the corner and waits for me to finish shoveling, and then he comes down the street...at a 100 miles an hour and throws snow all over where I've just been! Tonight the wife wanted me to sing Christmas carols with her and open our presents...but I was too busy watching for the damn snowplow.

 

December 25 - Merry f---ing Christmas! 20 more inches of the damn slop tonight - snowed in. The idea of shoveling makes my blood boil. God, I hate the snow! Then the snowplow driver came by asking for a donation and I hit him over the head with my shovel. The wife says I have a bad attitude. I think she's a fricking idiot. If I have to watch "It's A Wonderful Life" one more time, I'm going to feed her through a chipper shredder.

 

December 26 - Still snowed in. Why the hell did I ever move here? It was all HER idea. She's really getting on my nerves.

 

December 27 - Temperature dropped to -30 and the pipes froze; plumber came after 14 hours of waiting for him, he only charged me $4,400 to replace all my pipes.

 

December 28 - Warmed up to above -20. Still snowed in. The BITCH is driving me crazy!!!

 

December 29 - 10 more inches. Bob says I have to shovel the roof or it could cave in. That's the silliest thing I ever heard. How dumb does he think I am?

 

December 30 - Roof caved in. I beat up the snow plow driver, and now he is suing me for a million dollars, not only for the beating I gave him, but also for trying to shove the broken snow shovel up his ass. The wife went home to her mother. Nine more inches predicted.

 

December 31 - I set fire to what's left of the house. No more shoveling.

 

January 8 - Feel so good. I just love those little white pills they keep giving me. Why am I tied to the bed ???

 

-Author Unknown

 

 

Edited November 28, 2023 by Sidecar Racer