In the news

still packing 'em in by all accounts. and still rocking that quasi-racist imagery that seemed out of place 30 odd years ago.

/o hai jason!

'merican BBQ in the land of the braai.

Side note on racism. I remember when my dad announced that he was having an Indian gentleman round one evening to play chess. A 10 year old me asked said gent where his feathers were.

you massive. fucking. racialist.

Yup. That is why I am moved here. Racists are no longer allowed in my homeland.

By driving like an utter cunt.

The police should take one look at that and ban him from driving for life.

.

TBF, that was my birthday.

I have a selection of handcuff keys if needed.

I'm pretty sure I had 'dinner' in one in Cape Town airport just over a year ago. In my defence, I wasn't exactly spoilt for choice.

it used to be the place to go back in the early 80s.

it used to be the only place to go back in the early 80s.

Is anyone else getting a massive hypocrisy vibe off this whole "YAY the King of Jordan is ordering the execution of loads of ISIS members/troops"?

And the consistent gender imbalance of this shit.
Minimum male driving age should be, I dunno, 35 or something.

Really good article about the real life effects of internet shaming, hate campaigns and trolling.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/magazine/how-one-stupid-tweet-ruined-justine-saccos-life.html?_r=0

Some of the names in the story will be very familiar. It puts into context some of the lynch mobbing that goes on on here, the campaigns against facebook accounts, contacting peoples employers etc.

I read that article. It was only when I got to the end I realised it was by Jon Ronson. That explains, in part, why I enjoyed it.

Me too.

They should make a film out of it.

This is probably one of the most horrific things I've ever read but everyone should read it.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/world-history/dresden-bombing-70-years-on-a-survivor-recalls-the-horror-he-witnessed-in-the-german-city-10042770.html

BBC R4 Today interview with the same chap here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21440139

Read/listen then try and comprehend how the front page of tomorrow's Mail ended up looking like this:

Divide and rule.

There's a similar account on the bombing of Hamburg in a WG Sebald book. I read an absolutely horrific extract of that in a newspaper years ago and felt no desire to read the book.

It has to be added to the constant emphasis on Dresden that virtually all German cities were bombed into nothingness. Many people over here don't know that. Many cities were prepared for the event better than Dresden was, but they still suffered terribly and for the most part lost their whole city centres.

Perhaps he forgot the safe word:

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/three-women-arrested-after-man-5169837

Bad news all round:

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/police-to-mount-safety-drive-after-29-killed-on-londons-roads-10048079.html

There's no breakdown in the article, but I'd guess it's probably mostly pedestrians. :(

Don't know where else to leave this.

Bike parking at literally a new level

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=775445425875995

It's kicking off in Bristol:

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Reader-s-letter-Bristol-cyclist-threatened-report/story-26031056-detail/story.html?afterReg=Y

Made the mistake of reading some of the "More News" items.

almost as bad as reading the comments...

To be fair the comments on The Bristol Post are LOLS

'Strong-man skirt party' now an official term as national transvestism gets recognition.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/phantom-loch-ness-strong-man-skirt-5170208