People should ignore signs telling them that it is legal to urinate in certain public places in Nottingham, the city council said.
The signs, which were put up by pranksters in and around Nottingham, are designed to look official. They feature a toilet sign and include the words: "Public Urination Permitted After 7.30pm". Flush with embarassment,
Nottingham City Council is now urging the public to ignore the notices as it sets about removing them.
Posted by: Mike ||
01/05/2009 10:34 ||
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#1
They should sell the offending signs to the city of San Francisco. Many citizens there would appreciate the restrictions.
The Darwin Awards are given to those who improve the gene pool by removing themselves from it. As you might imagine, automobiles figure prominently in this roll call of death by stupidity. To wit: Ivece Plattner of Italy. Plattner was driving a Porsche Cayenne (which is already a bit of a red flag), stuck in traffic on a railroad crossing, waiting for the light to turn green. When the crossing barriers came down, they trapped the Cayenne.
Onlookers said he didn't realize he was stuck until the train was approaching. In desperation he opened the door and jumped out of the car. Instead of getting out of Dodge, Plattner started running up the tracks, in the train's path, waving his arms and screaming. The engineer hit the brakes, but inertia and momentum working the way they do, the train hit the Porschephile and threw him about 100 ft. Plattner was survived by his Porsche Cayenne, which he loved more than life itself. More terminal stupidity at the link....
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
01/05/2009 18:31 ||
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The town of Halmstad came up with the idea when trying to curb the amount of smoke emitted from the crematorium.
It was when we were discussing all these environmental issues that we started thinking about the energy that is used in the cremations and realised that instead of all that heat just going up into the air, we could make use of it somehow. It was just rising into the skies for nothing," said Lennart Andersson, the director of the cemetery in the town of Halmstad.
It might sound kind of gross, but if you were suddenly having your house heated for free this winter I don't think you'd complain that much.
Posted by: Mike ||
01/05/2009 17:03 ||
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#1
Carried one step further, I have always felt it is entirely possible to cut noxious gas emmissions from the Gas Chamber in half simply by putting in a 2nd seat... and may I suggest putting Charles Manson in it. Win Win Win
#1
Yup, Ford tough. As Frank G. keeps reminding us, sometimes nothing replaces a truck. And it appears the truck rear bumper took everything in stride. Just for kicks, let's try to rerun this inserting a Toyota Prius in place of the Ford.
Waterford Wedgwood PLC, the maker of classic china and crystal, filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday after attempts to restructure the struggling business or find a buyer failed.
Four administrators from business advisory firm Deloitte were appointed to run the company's businesses in Britain and Northern Ireland, while a Deloitte partner in the Irish Republic was appointed as receiver of Waterford Wedgwood PLC, the ultimate parent of the U.K. companies, and other Irish subsidiaries.
The U.K. joint administrators said they intended to continue to run the business as they seek a buyer. Trading in the company's shares was suspended on the Irish Stock Exchange where they languished at just one-tenth of a euro cent and the company's directors _ including Anthony O'Reilly, the Irish publishing magnate who along with his brother-in-law Peter Goulandris owns more than half of all Waterford Wedgwood shares _ handed in their resignations.
#1
This is not really surprising. As someone who used to love the beauty in Wedgewood and Waterford, it just doesn't make sense in today's world. When I can go to C&B or to a discount store and get really cute, cool stuff for about one gazillionth of the price, why would I want to fret about things getting broken? Far more fun to pay $20 for a full set of fun stuff and then throw the dishes into the dishwasher and the glasses into the fireplace when the party is over.
#4
Much of the problem lies with the American Midwestern buffet meal that is the standard American way of eating. Load your plate up and eat as fast as possible is appropriate for a fast-paced industrial society.
Ironically, in its pursuit of luxury and relaxation, Americans still haven't discovered other ways of eating a meal, where efficiency is less important than aesthetic and gastronomical enjoyment.
If you're going to be taking your time and savoring a multi-course meal, the table service becomes much more important.
#6
I will inherit the Waterford, Wedgewood and sliver someday... in the meantime we never even use the Mikasa and polishing silver - no time for that...
Its just too dangerous to wash that stuff.
To be honest I prefer the coffee mugs from the Pharm companies and the cheap plates... I don't care if I break anything...
#9
pretty obviously the Chinette with the different sections for your beans, tater salad, and main food item is the ultimate in fine dining. But don't put em in the dishwasher after, I can tell you that. Just lay gently on the floor for the dog to clean up and they're ready to re-use
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/05/2009 20:21 Comments ||
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#10
Royal Doulton was made by Waterford Wedgwood PLC,
#11
Wedgewood china does fine in a dishwasher, so long as it isn't one of the patterns with silver or gold leaf on it. So does most Waterford. The really thin crystal such as Baccarat doesn't, but Waterford typically does.
The trick with the crystal and with very fine bone china is to not put in pots or dirty casseroles etc. at the same time (since little bits of e.g. hardened browned food can scratch the crystal). Rinse them within an hour or so of clearing the table, slip them into the empty dishwasher and turn it on while people are having dessert & coffee. Use the gentle cycle if your dishwasher has one; otherwise just avoid the really long/hot cycles for pots/pans.
Also, if you have pieces with significantly varying thicknesses (such as crystal vaes or dessert bowls with heavy bases and very thin rims), don't put them in the dishwasher as the heat will cause them to break.
I don't have silver tableware, but Mr. Lotp's departed mother washed her sterling flatware in the dishwasher after holiday meals and then stored it in a drawer with tarnish-resistent cloth covers. It did fine and I don't ever recall needing to polish it for family celebrations.
#12
Anonymoose, this past year for the first time in quite a few years Mr. Lotp and I have revived the habit of hosting occasional dinner parties .... 6-8 other people plus ourselves, sit down dinner, wine etc.
It's such a contrast to our usual busy, overscheduled lives. Makes the effort to plan and offer one worthwhile.
#13
Who actually polished this themselves? It's the sort of thing that you have your kitchen staff do. No kitchen staff? Then why do you need Waterford crystal?
The real villian here is the price of labor in the West is through the roof, which makes whole swathes of the economy untenable. In China, I got my Braun shaver repaired, out-of-warranty, for $4.40, at the authorized repair center. Try that at an authorized repair center in the West - the unreal cost of labor makes getting a replacement more attractive.
#15
gromky, I don't *need* Waterford crystal. I grew up in a family that sometimes missed a meal or two towards the end of the pay period (if Dad wasn't laid off for the winter or the union wasn't on strike), so believe me I don't *need* it in order to enjoy a meal alone or with friends. I'm grateful for food and shelter and my beloved husband ... the rest is extra.
OTOH, it's beautiful, it keeps for decades if treated well, it's a pleasure to hold in the hand, and it adds that beauty and pleasure to special occasions. What's wrong with that?
Our small collection of it was assembled piece by piece as wedding gifts and then as Christmas gifts from older relatives for the first years of our marriage. It (mostly) survived all those moves from military station to military station when Mr. Lotp was active duty.
And now it graces our table from time to time with new friends or with family we see perhaps once a year. Not a bad thing IMO.
#21
Darned engineers, they're everywhere! I speak from personal experience, having married one, who felt as y'all do about moving up from paper plates to Chinet. Nonetheless, after I'd openly applied serious emotional blackmail to get porcelain to go with our stainless steel silverware and $4 wine glasses -- the kind with the blue stems -- he discovered he really enjoys sometimes setting a formal table for a nice dinner. When I was sickest he even initiated it himself a few times, including once cooking spaghetti and meatballs almost completely from scratch to eat upon them. We use the good dishes for holiday dinners, dinner parties, birthday breakfasts, and when it's my turn to host the writing club lunch.
We've got one of the patterns with a gold rim. I knew it couldn't go in the dishwasher like my mother's plain, white Rosenthal, but of the patterns I liked, that was the one Mr. Wife chose. (It was really serious emotional blackmail; I'd let the issue ride the first dozen years of our marriage.) On the other hand, so to speak, I think it important that children learn how to hand-wash dishes so that they can acquit themselves homourably when invited to their in-laws for Thanksgiving dinners. ;-) At other times it gives Mr. Wife and me a quiet moment to discuss the evening after guests have left, one of the true joys of marriage.
As for silver flatware, we've always put in in the dishwasher -- I learnt that from my mother, who had plate for everyday and sterling for special. The dishwasher detergent removes the patina, but if I cared about that I'd live surrounded by antiques and little camel's hair paintbrushes.
I do like my good dishes, as much as I like my simple, everyday Corelle from Kmart. While I'd love to have good crystal, I tend to break such things, and would much rather break $4 glasses than $100 ones. I am very slowly acquiring my sterling pattern (I'm up to a sugar spoon and a lemon fork, but I know where to get the remaining sixteen place settings). There are times to eat off paper plates in front of the television, and times to eat off china in the dining room, and a wise person enjoys both experiences, knowing that one honours one's friends both by including them in family intimacy, and also by sharing one's very best, whatever that might be. And if something breaks, well all life ends in death, even dishes and wine glasses.
Of course it was a good investment, Besoeker. Everything beautiful is, so long as one can afford it.
#24
til you get sterling sporks, you ain't living the Miller Hi-Life, TW
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/05/2009 22:17 Comments ||
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#25
lol! Agree with so much of what is said here. My mom was one to pull it out and use it whenever she could as she felt it was no good in the cupboards collecting dust.
Thanks for the tip about varying thicknesses of glass or crystal. Wish I had known that sooner! Just had a favorite cut crystal bowl break almost clean in half about a month ago.
And here is another good tip - if you put the china and silverware (or good stainless) in the dishwasher - don't use dishwasher soap. It has little grains in it (like sand) that are what pit the dishes and the silverware. It is the pitting that causes the damage. If you use the dishwasher - soak the silverware in soapy bowl to soften and have the dog lick all the little pieces of food off the plates. (As mentioned only let the very best friends see that part:-)
Even though I've since opted for the easy road, I'm sorry to see Waterford/Wedgewood go out of business. We visited the factory many years ago and my mom bought some beautiful water and wine glasses to take home. I can still remember the candle light reflecting pretty colors off them making the warmth of the events even more special.
#26
Sorry to see it happen... Mom collected Waterford crystal. Excellent, heavy cut-glass stuff that you knew was quality as soon as you lifted it in your hand...
#27
It used to be that fine dining meant bringing out the china, crystal and silverware for an elaborate home-cooked meal. These days fine dining means going to a fancy restaurant. The days of paying up for expensive dining accessories were numbered, once dining out for special occasions became a mass phenomenon. If these guys weren't assembling their products in the cheapest possible locale, they ought to have their heads examined. Oneida moved its entire plant to China and is still barely scraping by.
The Middle East may be a half a world away but events there -- and their impact here -- are being closely monitored by the Los Angeles Police Department.
Over the weekend, the LAPD opened its emergency operations center in the wake of Hamas rocket attacks against Israel and the Jewish state's bombing and invasion of the Gaza Strip. The center will be staffed indefinitely on a round-the-clock basis, said LAPD Assistant Chief Earl Paysinger.
The center "acts as a clearinghouse," says Paysinger, collecting information about the latest news related to the conflict and the reactions in Los Angeles, including "spontaneous protests" such as the one that took place Friday outside the Israeli Consulate on Wilshire Boulevard.
The "Level 1" activation means the department will be in a state of readiness, passing information between command staff, the area stations, city officials and other law enforcement agencies. But the increased footing means police will have an increased focus on critical sites throughout the area, as well as the possibility of clashes resulting from demonstrations. I wonder if there is another reason?
Its the most famous chord in rock 'n' roll, an instantly recognizable twang rolling through the open strings on George Harrisons 12-string Rickenbacker. It evokes a Pavlovian response from music fans as they sing along to the refrain that follows:
"Its been a hard days night
And Ive been working like a dog"
The opening chord to "A Hard Days Night" is also famous because, for 40 years, no one quite knew exactly what chord Harrison was playing. There were theories aplenty and musicians, scholars and amateur guitar players all gave it a try, but it took a Dalhousie mathematician to figure out the exact formula.
Four years ago, inspired by reading news coverage about the songs 40th anniversary, Jason Brown of Dalhousies Department of Mathematics decided to try and see if he could apply a mathematical calculation known as Fourier transform to solve the Beatles riddle. The process allowed him to decompose the sound into its original frequencies using computer software and parse out which notes were on the record.
It worked, to a point: the frequencies he found didnt match the known instrumentation on the song. George played a 12-string Rickenbacker, Lennon had his six string, Paul had his bass none of them quite fit what I found, he explains. Then the solution hit me: it wasnt just those instruments. There was a piano in there as well, and that accounted for the problematic frequencies.
...Dr. Brown deduces that another GeorgeGeorge Martin, the Beatles produceralso played on the chord, adding a piano chord that included an F note impossible to play with the other notes on the guitar. The resulting chord was completely different than anything found in the literature about the song to date, which is one reason why Dr. Browns findings garnered international attention. He laughs that he may be the only mathematician ever to be published in Guitar Player magazine....
Posted by: Mike ||
01/05/2009 10:28 ||
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#1
It's a pretty interesting article, although I don't understand why someone didn't just call up Paul McCartney or Ringo Starr for their opinion.
#2
The lost chord was found by Jimmy Durante on his piano under his baloney sandwich. Used to have the 78 record when I was a little kid.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
01/05/2009 11:09 Comments ||
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#3
Typical mathematician. He could have just gone down to the mechanical or electrical engineering departments and borrowed an FFT analyzer to save himself a lot of effort.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
People should ignore signs telling them that it is legal to urinate in certain public places in Nottingham, the city council said.
The Darwin Awards are given to those who improve the gene pool by removing themselves from it. As you might imagine, automobiles figure prominently in this roll call of death by stupidity. To wit: Ivece Plattner of Italy. Plattner was driving a Porsche Cayenne (which is already a bit of a red flag), stuck in traffic on a railroad crossing, waiting for the light to turn green. When the crossing barriers came down, they trapped the Cayenne.
