In todays news...

[Horse]

Why isn't the EU flooded with relatively cheap ICE cars now then?

Copyright laws?

[irie]

Why isn't the EU flooded with relatively cheap ICE cars now then?

EU car manufacturers are protected by import tariffs, but you knew that anyway of course.

[Mr. Dazzle]

So why would it be different with EVs?

[Mussels]

Some time back I read an article about a new and very cheap Chinese EV that would make a great local runabout, the article ended by saying unfortunately EU green* taxes would double the cost to buy one.
Still seems odd how they use green taxes to discourage the sale of small EVs.

* Might have been environmental taxes but it was worded similar to that and not as an import duty.

[Ant]

Ah yes, the greenwashing cult of taxing everything they can.

[Yorick]

This must be April 1st

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65146557

[ZRX61]

Biden fucks up again, reporter immediately tries to cover for him...

Referred to the town of Rolling Rock as Rolling Stones

Reporter: "Rolling Rock is the home town of Muddy Waters who collaborated with the Rolling Stones, so that's probably what he was referring to.."

uh huh...

[ZRX61]

Looks like I had my own Biden moment, it's Rolling Fork

[Screwdriver]

I think it's hilarious they've told him to say his name on stage "Hi I'm Joe Biden".

Can't wait to see him get that wrong (again!)...

[Ant]

Hi, I'm joe Biden and Windows was my idea.

[ZRX61]

I think it's hilarious they've told him to say his name on stage "Hi I'm Joe Biden".

Can't wait to see him get that wrong (again!)...

The dumb motherfucker has even read out "pause" instruction from speeches & his prompter.

[Hoonercat]

Another child attacked by a pack of Americans Bullys, in this instance the breeder owned 8 adults and 9 puppies in a residential area.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-65121935

I'm not a fan of Breed Specific Legislation, but I'd make an exception for the breeding of American Bullys*. They're not yet overly common, but have been responsible for the vast majority of dog-related deaths in the UK over the past 2 years. It's common practise for these breeders to pump them full of steroids to increase their muscle mass, they are bred purely for looks, not temperament, and many of these dogs are born with horrendous deformities. How anyone can be allowed to own 17 of them is beyond me, especially given that neighbours have been complaining for some time.
The breeder has been charged over this incident, as well as a previous incident where a man and his dog were injured.


A picture from the breeder's FB profile, for anyone not familiar with the breed. Note the cropped ears, which is illegal in the UK.

XL Bullys.jpg (39.31 KiB) Viewed 296 times

*Then I remembered that alcohol kills more people than dogs, and thought 'sod it'.

[Bigjawa]

Another child attacked by a pack of Americans Bullys, in this instance the breeder owned 8 adults and 9 puppies in a residential area.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-65121935

I'm not a fan of Breed Specific Legislation, but I'd make an exception for the breeding of American Bullys*. They're not yet overly common, but have been responsible for the vast majority of dog-related deaths in the UK over the past 2 years. It's common practise for these breeders to pump them full of steroids to increase their muscle mass, they are bred purely for looks, not temperament, and many of these dogs are born with horrendous deformities. How anyone can be allowed to own 17 of them is beyond me, especially given that neighbours have been complaining for some time.
The breeder has been charged over this incident, as well as a previous incident where a man and his dog were injured.


A picture from the breeder's FB profile, for anyone not familiar with the breed. Note the cropped ears, which is illegal in the UK.
XL Bullys.jpg

*Then I remembered that alcohol kills more people than dogs, and thought 'sod it'.

Those things are freaks, a proper American Bully is much taller and basically a Pittie.

It's like those "American Staffordshires" which look to me like a Stafford/Pittie cross.

My dogs are crosses, a Rott/Doberman and a Rott/GSD.





My ex has the grandson of my first Rottie, he's half Akita.



As you can see, he's a savage brute.

All these dogs come under the Irish Dangerous Dogs Act but not the UK one.

BSL is too much of a blunt instrument, so much so it had to changed in NI from "Pit Bull Terrier" to "Pit Bull Type" after an infamous case that cost hundreds of thousands of taxpayers money and dragged on for years.

Especially when it's dealing with dogs with uncertain breeding and dog DNA tests are notoriously inaccurate.

[gremlin]

Sir Derek Jacobi says theater tickets are a bit trumpy, apparently.

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-65160984

No shit, Sherlock.

I decided some time ago that West End theater prices were edging towards the fucking ludicrous. Just had a quick look and two tickets to see A Streetcar Named Desire, rolls in at £553.80. Chuck in a bit of nosebag, travel, interval drinks, tub of poxy ice cream sold by the stroppy teenagers and you're heading towards a bag of sand for a Thursday night out.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Sir Derek Jacobi says theater tickets are a bit trumpy, apparently.

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-65160984

No shit, Sherlock.

I decided some time ago that West End theater prices were edging towards the fucking ludicrous. Just had a quick look and two tickets to see A Streetcar Named Desire, rolls in at £553.80. Chuck in a bit of nosebag, travel, interval drinks, tub of poxy ice cream sold by the stroppy teenagers and you're heading towards a bag of sand for a Thursday night out.

Does anyone actually care how much it costs to go to the theatre in the West End?

[gremlin]

Sir Derek Jacobi says theater tickets are a bit trumpy, apparently.

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-65160984

No shit, Sherlock.

I decided some time ago that West End theater prices were edging towards the fucking ludicrous. Just had a quick look and two tickets to see A Streetcar Named Desire, rolls in at £553.80. Chuck in a bit of nosebag, travel, interval drinks, tub of poxy ice cream sold by the stroppy teenagers and you're heading towards a bag of sand for a Thursday night out.

Does anyone actually care how much it costs to go to the theatre in the West End?

I like a bit of theatre, if truth be told. Not musicals*, mind. They irritate the shit out me. Woman in Black is brilliant, the Mischief group do some great slapstick comedy productions, such as ' The Play That Goes Wrong', but there comes a point when it feels like your piss is being extracted....

Anyhow. Fear not, salvation has been found in the shape of the Fairlight Players AmDram group. I know somebody who loves a bit of AmDram and she's got us tickets for Improbable Fiction. Tenner a pop and cheap beer in the village hall.


*I had the misfortune of seeing Miss Saigon some years ago. I sympathised with the bloke who got up during the interval and said to his other half, 'This is rubbish. Too much bloody singing!'

[DefTrap]

Does anyone actually care how much it costs to go to the theatre in the West End?

I'm surprised just how much it is, this is even before the touts get involved as well. I've not been for a while but I don't recall it being quite so salty.

I noticed Robert Smith of popular beat combo The Cure was wading in to try to stop touts pisstaking, turning the somewhat affordable into the ridiculous https://variety.com/2023/music/news/rob ... 235570644/

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Anyhow. Fear not, salvation has been found in the shape of the Fairlight Players AmDram group. I know somebody who loves a bit of AmDram and she's got us tickets for Improbable Fiction. Tenner a pop and cheap beer in the village hall.

Sounds like a much better night out to me.

Musicals are the work of the Devil (like multicast)

[gremlin]

Does anyone actually care how much it costs to go to the theatre in the West End?

I'm surprised just how much it is, this is even before the touts get involved as well. I've not been for a while but I don't recall it being quite so salty.

I noticed Robert Smith of popular beat combo The Cure was wading in to try to stop touts pisstaking, turning the somewhat affordable into the ridiculous https://variety.com/2023/music/news/rob ... 235570644/

I managed, after the usual three hours of queuing, website crashes, etc. to get tickets for James in May when they went on sale. Whilst waiting in the online queue and watching the spinning wheel of tedium, I logged onto ViaGoGo for shit and giggles, to see tickets, which would have been bought not more than an hour before, up for sale for three times face value. Does boil my piss.

[Count Steer]

Does anyone actually care how much it costs to go to the theatre in the West End?

I'm surprised just how much it is, this is even before the touts get involved as well. I've not been for a while but I don't recall it being quite so salty.

I noticed Robert Smith of popular beat combo The Cure was wading in to try to stop touts pisstaking, turning the somewhat affordable into the ridiculous https://variety.com/2023/music/news/rob ... 235570644/

It's partly through the loss of venues I imagine. <wobbly old codger voice> back 'in the day' in that London there were umpteen venues to go and see bands, like Hammy Palais, The Venue, The Lyceum, Electric Ballroom etc etc. Most of them have gone, so the remaining few rule the roost </wocv> If there's more venues, there'd be more performances/competition and a) lower prices and b) less corporate shenanigans over ticket price thievery.

There were some good medium and small venues too, where bands would go for a run through before going to the bigger places. Saw quite a few big names in small places like the WAG.