The Cellar - Weird News

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It's just a particular salad green. Maybe you call it colewort or roquette? I've never heard those names, but they sound Britishy.

Rocket I think.
Or coriander.
I get confused. Which could cause a problem were I ever ordering salad in the States. Omg! something else to worry about!

Something food eats. ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sundae (Post 920162)

I get confused. Which could cause a problem were I ever ordering salad in the States. Omg! something else to worry about!

Oh no, because you see ordering a salad is such a rare occurrence for anyone here, it would just come with whatever one green the restaurant kept on hand in the kitchen for the two salads on their menu, which are really both the same except one comes with egg and bacon and the other comes with cheese and croutons. You'd be lucky if it weren't iceberg, and the waitstaff wouldn't know the specifics if you asked.

How about Wyoming & Colorado?

Nah - here, I have to ask what a salad constitutes too, so I'm not being all Billy big bollocks.
Most small places make salad the same way Mum & Dad did in the 70s - limp lettuce, big chunks of tomato and cucumber and a dollop of Heinz salad cream. Sophistication is a sprinkling of cress.

This is why Mum STILL thinks I don't like salad (it came up over Christmas 2014) because I love 85% of ingredients I consider to be salad ingredients but dislike all of the above (I'll eat limp lettuce and dice tomato if it's free, but you'd have to pay me to eat cucumber or celery).

Ditto vegetables... because I don't like cauliflower or Brussels Sprouts.
Meh. Mums & daughters, eh?

But when I get squired to the North Western States I promise to eat meat til I sweat blood.
Well, maybe not quite that much. But not to moan anyway.
And when Clod osts me in Texas I'll eat avocado on burgers without even a bun in sight.

I can adapt.

Ha! We're having avocados on burgers tonight! Except there will be buns, coconut-flour style.

Arugala is a party in your mouth. Yummy and spicy.

Pooch with paparazzi: Catching up with Seattle's bus-riding dog

Quote:

SEATTLE -- A solo Seattle dog is winning the hearts of millions worldwide.
Since making her television debut this week, Eclipse, a bus-riding black Labrador retriever mix, has made headlines across the globe. News outlets from London to Japan picked up the story of the Seattle pooch who has learned to navigate the city transit system to get to the dog park.

Jeff Young, Eclipse's owner, said random people are stopping him on the street to ask him about his dog's unusual talent.

"The FedEx guy - he wasn't stopping us for a package. He was stopping to inquire about Eclipse," Young said. "I get messages from friends that say, "is that Eclipse (on the news)? Is that your Eclipse?' This is just what she's been doing for the last year-plus."

Young said he's been interviewed by national and international outlets since the story first broke about his dog, who gets on the bus near their house by herself and knows when to get off at the dog park, a handful of stops later.

And from USA Today

Quote:

SEATTLE (AP) — A black Labrador named Eclipse just wants to get to the dog park.

So if her owner takes too long finishing his cigarette, and their bus arrives, she climbs aboard solo and rides to her stop — to the delight of fellow Seattle bus passengers.

KOMO-TV reports that local radio host Miles Montgomery was amazed to see the pooch get off the bus, without an owner, at a dog park last week.

The dog and her owner, Jeff Young, live right near a bus stop.

In Young's words, "She's a bus-riding, sidewalk-walking dog." Young says his dog sometimes gets on the bus without him, and he catches up with her at the dog park three or four stops away.

Wo-Multi-Pass-of. ;)

Cute but:

Quote:

News outlets from London to Japan picked up the story of the Seattle pooch who has learned to navigate the city transit system to get to the dog park.

It's one stop, and always the same one stop. Somewhere out there an assistance dog is saying 'ffs.

I miss mustard and cress grown on wet paper towel. Sneak me a couple of packets when you come over here, Sundae. no, don't you'll probably get arrested. dangerous things, those seeds....

Salad here come with way tooo many choices. like coffee and sandwiches. I be afraid.

www.territorialseed.com -- for the Newly Aged Oregonian crowd.
Has a plethora of color pictures and a lot of cultivation info. and up until a couple of years ago they carried Papaver Somniferum.
Cons: seed is more expensive than fedco.

www.fedcoseeds.com -- for the hard core Birkenstock and flannel wearing, knit your own yogurt crafting hippies. Much less expensive and their paper catalog will give you hours of raving entertainment.

Cons: No color pictures

You can pay it in five instalments.

Quote:

An elderly man living on state pension has been handed a tax bill of £4.7 billion*.

Doug Yeomans, 78, received a letter from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) demanding he pay the huge bill in five monthly instalments of £950 million.

The pensioner, a retired civil engineer from Shardlow in Derbyshire, phoned HMRC to be told “there might have been an error”.

"I opened the letter and saw the amount and thought to myself, 'I'd better start cutting down on the food bill then',” Mr Yeomans said.

"They must think I'm a footballer or something, but I don't even think that Russian bloke who owns Chelsea could afford that amount."

The grandfather and father of two was left further frustrated when he was told to contact a different department and struggled to get through to the right person.

He said it seemed easier to get an audience with the Pope than to speak to the relevant person at HMRC.

"I think I can probably just about afford the £255, but I think the rest might be pushing it a bit,” he said.

"I live off a state pension, topped up with what I put aside as a pension after a lifetime of working in the building trade."

Mr Yeomans added that he had received “a lot of bills and demands” from the taxman over the past few months, which worried him.

A spokesman for HMRC said: “We are very sorry to hear of the problems our customer has had and are very sorry about our error.

"We don't talk about individual cases but when we make mistakes we aim to put them right fast and apologise."

* About $7 billion.

It annoys me that HMRC refers to 'customers' instead of tax payers.

I think 'victims' would be more accurate.

Daily Telegraph

It annoyed me when London Underground started to refer to its human cago as "customers" not passengers. Because it's not like they have a monopoly on the Tube, right...

Venezuela’s consumer goods shortage now includes condoms
Quartz - Melvin Backman - 1/5/15

Quote:

Venezuelan shoppers have grown accustomed to waiting in huge lines to buy
even the most fundamental items, from milk to car batteries to laundry soap.
They are encountering shortages of McDonald’s fries. Now Bloomberg has spotted
importers charging $755 for a 40-count box of condoms on an auction website
(though you could probably save some money if you have access
to the country’s black market exchange rate).<snip>

Quote:

The country is so messed up that now we have to wait in line even to have sex,”
lamented Jonatan Montilla, a 31-year-old advertising company art director.

This is a new low.

For some reason my brain read that as:

Quote:

Venezuelan shoppers have grown accustomed to waiting in huge lines to buy
even the most fundamental items, from milk to cat batteries to laundry soap.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanaC (Post 921235)

For some reason my brain read that as

Quote:

:... cat batteries ...

Cat=pussy>vibrator>batteries.

You had a Mrs. Slocombe moment.

no, they're completely out of cat batteries. you can't get them anywhere anymore.

Quote:

(though you could probably save some money if you have access
to the country’s black market exchange rate).<snip>

:biglaugha

Quote:

B&Q sends Fifty Shades of Grey memo warning staff to expect soar in demand for cable ties and rope

Staff told to read book in preparation and to deal with queries in a 'sensitive' manner

Staff at B&Q stores have been told to read Fifty Shades of Grey and prepare for a massive rise in demand for rope, cable ties and tape.

A leaked memo reveals that workers at the DIY chain have been asked to prepare themselves for "sensitive" customer questions about such products, which could be used in sexual role play.

The memo, circulated to the DIY store's entire 20,887 workforce at 359 stores, is titled: "Staff Briefing – Preparation for Fifty Shades of Grey Customer Queries."

It says copies of the erotic novel will be delivered to each store and can then be lent to staff on a one week basis.

Staff are urged to familiarise themselves with the book and to deal with any related queries in a "polite, helpful and respectful manner".

The Fifty Shades of Grey film adaptation of the book is released this weekend.

It follows the relationship between college graduate Anastasia Steele, played by Dakota Johnson, 25, and businessman, Christian Grey, played by Northern Irish actor Jamie Dornan, 32.

Grey introduces Steele to the world of bondage and dominant sexual role play and both the book and the film include a scene in which he visits a hardware store to purchase rope, cable ties and tape.

The memo says: "We stock many of the products featured in this notable scene and then used later in the film.

"When the book was released in 2012 DIY and hardware stores in the UK and US reported increased demand of certain products and queries from customers as they tried to recreate their own "Fifty Shades" experiences.

"We need to be prepared for the same effect when the film is released this month.

"All staff are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the content of Fifty Shades of Grey by reading the novel or watching the film upon its release."

A B&Q spokesperson said: "B&Q remains committed to serving our customers in all their DIY needs and we strive to prepare our staff for any enquiry. Customer satisfaction is always our number one priority.”

The memo:

Quote:

STAFF BRIEFING

PREPARATION FOR FIFTY SHADES OF GREY CUSTOMER QUERIES

OVERVIEW

Following the film release of Fifty Shades of Grey, B&Q employees may encounter increased customer product queries relating to rope, cable ties and masking or duck tape. Store Managers should anticipate the need for extra stock and store staff should read the following brief to prepare them to handle potentially sensitive customer questions.

WHAT IS HAPPENING?

On Saturday 14th February 2015 popular erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey will be released as a film and is expected to do well in the Box Office. Written by E.L. James, the story follows the relationship between a college graduate, Anastasia Steele, and a young, successful business man, Christian Grey, who introduces her to the world of bondage and dominant/submissive sexual role play.

Preview footage depicts a notable scene from the book where Christian Grey visits a hardware store to purchase rope, cable ties and tape. Rather than bought for home improvement purposes, these products are intended to fulfil Mr Grey's unconventional sexual pursuits.

WHY DOES IT AFFECT US?

As the UK's leading DIY store, we stock many of the products featured in this notable scene and then used later in the film. When the book was released in 2012 DIY and hardware stores in the UK and US reported increased demand of certain products and queries from customers as they tried to recreate their own 'Fifty Shades' experiences. We need to be prepared for the same effect when the film is released this month.

B&Q'S POLICY

It is always B&Q's policy that products should only be used for their designed purposes. Nevertheless, all staff should read this briefing notice to prepare for potentially sensitive customer enquiries and managers need to be aware of the implications that the film may have on stock levels.

STAFF BRIEFING

All staff are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the content of Fifty Shades of Grey by reading the novel or watching the film upon its release. Copies of the book will be delivered to each store and can be lent to staff on a one week basis. Understanding the storyline and how some products that B&Q stock feature in the film will better prepare staff for incoming queries.

Queries may be unusual and sensitive in nature but staff are reminded of B&Q's commitment to assist customers in a polite, helpful and respectful manner. A level of discretion is also advised.

Store managers are requested to monitor stock levels of rope, cable ties, masking tape and duck tape to ensure that supplies do not run low. Fifty Shades of Grey is released in cinemas on Saturday 14th February 2015 and the busiest sales periods for these products are expected to run from Sunday 15th February to Sunday 1st March 2015 with a focus on weekend trading.

The date for the DVD and home entertainment release of Fifty Shades of Grey is yet to be confirmed but a second briefing may be issued closer to that time.

STAFF ARE ASKED TO KEEP THE CONTENTS OF THIS BRIEFING WITHIN THE COMPANY.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS RELATING TO THE CONTENTS OF THIS BRIEFING PLEASE SPEAK TO YOUR REGIONAL MANAGER.

I understand that plans for a sequel, set in the world of espionage, are well under way. Casting sessions are being held for the role of James Bondage.

Daily Telegraph.

This is exactly the kind of thing that the guy talks about in the marketing expose' book I've been reading. According to him, there is no such thing as a "leaked" memo, ever. Ever.

What happened is, B&Q wanted to put out an ad saying, "Hey kinksters! Come buy your S&M gear at B&Q!" But that's a little too risque in general, and they can't be perceived as encouraging people to try bondage. So instead, they write a fake memo "preparing" their employees for the "presumed" influx of kinksters, send it anonymously to a blogger, and now not only do they get their advertisement out there without looking like kinksters themselves, but they get it for free, because now it's not an ad, it's "news."

Bride is badly beaten by her new husband on their wedding night - because he couldn't take off her dress

Quote:

A bride was beaten by her new husband on their wedding night because he couldn’t get her dress off, a court heard.

So...

Why was he wearing her dress?

You click through the link, and that wife beater is wearing a wife beater.

Apparently she had a crochet hook to undo the fasteing but he refused to use it. Beat her , left the room, came back and beat her again.

What an utter cock. And he got 2 years community service. If he'd assaulted a stranger on the street he'd probably have served time.

Whoa Nellie, hold on now. You're telling me mister macho fucked her up because he couldn't get THIS off? :smack:

Why you should never swear at strangers on the train

Quote:

A commuter who launched a foul-mouthed tirade at a fellow passenger he bumped into on a crowded train faced him again just hours later – at a job interview.

The man told his future interviewer to “go f*** yourself” as they both got off a train at Monument station during rush hour on Monday morning.

Later that day, they were reunited but in a much more formal setting, with HR executive Matt Buckland interviewing the angry commuter he had met on the District line that morning.

"At Monument station, I stood to one side to let someone else off the train first and I think he thought I was just standing in his way,” Mr Buckland, head of recruitment for investment firm Forward Partners, told BuzzFeed.

"He pushed and I turned, I explained I was getting off too but he pushed past and then looked back and suggested I might like to f*** myself."

During the interview, Mr Buckland said that the job seeker did not recognise him, but a few questions about how his jouney to work had been that morning jolted his memory.

“I asked him how he got to the interview, how was his morning commute," he said. "We were on the train in the morning but the interview was at 5.30pm that evening.”

Mr Buckland explained that the man, who had applied for a web development role at his company, was not offered the job, adding that this was nothing to do with the incident that morning.

“It would be easy to hold something like this over someone in an interview, but for me interviews aren’t about that," he said.

"When you interview you are looking for a read of skills but also to know if that person is a real human being, it’s about that connection.

"By the end of the interview we laughed it off and were both happy.”

Attachment 50426

Daily Telegraph.

We used to have a reputation for good manners and treating other people with decency. Sadly it appears that it has gone the way of the Dodo.
London, being the densely populated place that it is, will always have more than its fair share of the thoroughly disagreeable, but even in provincial towns there's a sense that it wouldn't take much to unintentionally provoke verbal violence at the very least.
Friends who emigrated to Western Australia came back for a visit a few years ago. They hadn't been away for very long but were struck by how so many people were 'just below boiling point'.

It wasn't me, I swear.

Skyscraper called "The Torch" in Dubai, and made out of flammable materials, catches fire and goes up like, well, a torch.
Attachment 50451

One starts to think that maybe building to codes with qualified inspectors is not such a terrible idea

Would libertarians say that the market will sort it out? Those responsible will just be put out of business because they obviously suck?

I'm waiting to see how it's gonna be America's fault.

Well one libertarian answer is that quality standards do take hold in free markets; Underwriters' Laboratories is not a government agency, for example, and it's very effective.

But how does that hold in the case of a public building, where it can affect everyone: everyone in the building, everyone walking around the building, every other building in the vicinity, every building on the electrical grid, etc. All in a place where every laborer is temporary.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Undertoad (Post 922394)

<snip>
But how does that hold in the case of a public building, where it can affect everyone:...

My realtor was telling me about the time he owned and ran a small retail music store, selling guitars, etc...

He said an Electrical Inspector came in one day and asked to see if their electric guitars were UL certified.
They looked and could not find the UL seal on any of the guitars.
The Inspector then told him he could not plug the guitars into the store's outlets, even for demonstrations.
That is, it's not legal to attach non-UL approved devises to an approved system.

My realtor said he later asked another inspector what to do, and the 2nd inspector essentially said to just ignore the issue.

Beyond believing my realtor actually did own and run a retail music store, I'm not sure what to think.

I know an electrician and he says the UL label is basically a scam. The label doesn't mean an item is quality, just that the company has paid the significant fee to get the certification. He said that you just learn through experience and common sense what is quality and what is not.

That's an interesting story about the electric guitars.

I see the Stone Cutters have successfully squelched the truth. It was caused by some radical Christians in a hijacked plane. :unsure:

UL isn't about quality, though, it's about safety.

"From my experience this lamp does not short out and electrocute you."

I was under the impression UL is saying the design is safe and the components on the blueprint are cool, not that an individual lamp is safe.

They are underwriting/endorsing the safety of the design, as submitted to them by the manufacturer.

Underwriters' Laboratories

If the specs are detailed on the back of a check.:rolleyes:

And if the check was written whilst on a treadmill?

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce (Post 922463)

If the specs are detailed on the back of a check.:rolleyes:

Well, yeah. Like the SAE, it ain't a charity.

But, I don't believe that UL would underwrite an unsafe product just cuz they got the check. Twould undermine the purpose.

I believe such a thing's possible. Why not? The "purpose" is to stay in business, and that takes money. Look what's happened with Standard & Poor.

Quote:

NEW YORK — Standard & Poor's agreed on Wednesday to pay the U.S. government and two states more than $77 million to settle charges tied to its ratings of mortgage-backed securities.

In its first enforcement action against a major rating agency, the Securities and Exchange Commission accused S&P of fraudulent misconduct, saying the company loosened standards to drum up business in recent years. The agreement requires S&P to pay more than $58 million to the Securities and Exchange Commission, $12 million to New York and $7 million to Massachusetts.

It's not "weird news", it's not even unusual for a Fox affliliate, but this item struck me. Like a 2x4 between the eyes. wtf.

News Anchor Kristi Capel Says Lady Gaga Sings 'Jigaboo Music'

Quote:

Capel said she couldn't truly appreciate the pop performer when she sings her own songs: "It's hard to really hear her voice with all the jigaboo music," she told colleague Wayne Dawson, before repeating the word again.

I'm pretty sure it wasn't on the cue cards, so I'm gonna give full credit to her. I don't know if she's a slut, but she damn sure *IS* ignorant. :facepalm:

Cool proof of concept.

But man, isn't it amazing that we're still using military aircraft our grandparents built?

B-52s were designed and built to do a job reliably. They did, with very few bells and whistles, and no creature comforts. It was a time of war, cold war with the commies, and Korea's hot war with the commies. Only five years after WW II and the Military-Industrial Complex Ike warned us about 10 years later was feeling their way along, not knowing how much they could get away with yet. No way an aircraft that bare bones could make it to production today in this country. We wouldn't want our Brass to be embarrassed at the international air show cocktail parties. :rolleyes:

so, basically, just put in the shit that works. generations later, it still works. shocker.

How many planes have had bands named after them? I'm sure there are others, but, The B-52s is all that comes to mind...

The B-52s is the band..., or The B-52s are the band...? Talking about the band, not the members of the band.

Is it B-52s, or The B-52s? The albums are all the B-52s with a small t, but it's pretty awkward without "the".

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gravdigr (Post 922621)

The Brits refer to groups as plural, eg, "The crowd are going wild."

We refer to groups as singular, eg, "The crowd is going wild."

Since B-52s is plural it would be "The B-52s are a great group." or "The B-52s is the band (<singular) that first opened my eyes to..."

If their name were "Afro Celt Sound System" it would be "Afro Celt Sound System is..." in either case.

A lot of people think Kentucky stinks.

Now, not only is it true, but we know why.