News Roundup

 

And speaking of things rising up:


...well, no it isn’t.  I’m glad to see, however, that Seattle and Portland are the most likely to be thus afflicted.  Couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of Marxist assholes.

And as for far-off places, these next items come from our Travel Bureau:


...not much of a secret for long, now that the newspapers have publicized it.


...[scratching Naples from the Travel Bucket List]


...not quite the “adventure” advertised in the brochure, methinks.


...and you can’t get a decent egg ‘n chips, cottage pie or Yorkshire pudding anywhere, either.


...as if cruise ships aren’t a shitty experience to start off with.

Now tourism of a different type, here’s


...actually, that’s not quite true, chica;  we’re saving space in the dungeons for your little bunch of rancid Commies and terrorsymps.


...the City of Angels having so much extra cash to throw around, probably arising from the building permit fees from Palisades.

In the Darwin Chronicles:


...the hunger for attention and clicks seemingly has no bounds.

Time for Medical Crimes:


And some Sex Crimes:


...just terrible, except that a.) he was captured on video doing it, and b.) confessed to the crime.
#Brazil #SpeedyJustice


...wait:  Buddhist monks have millions of dollars? 


...I’m just impressed that some guy was sitting on his car hood and wanking… for six hours straight.
#Viagra

And now it’s the turn of unlinked 

And as we travel through  :


...relax, it’s a newspaper report, ergo no tits to be seen anywhere:

So in the spirit of investigative journalism, I’ve found some better pics:

All part of the service, no need to thank me.

Finally, a bit of comedy to brighten your day.  Apparently, some keffiyeh-wearing scrote was trying to disrupt the Tour de France bike race by protesting Israel’s participation.

One of the security guards took exception.

Nice Try, Nerds

Another breathless warning from some joyless dorks:

Whether it’s a mature cheddar or a crumbly feta, cheese is one of the most beloved foods around the world.  But in news that will concern fans of the moreish treat, scientists have issued an urgent warning about eating cheese. 

For the first time, a groundbreaking study has revealed that these dairy products are ‘ripe in microplastics’.  Scientists believe the tiny plastic particles, measuring 5mm or smaller, could be entering cheese at various stages of production.  Their analysis revealed that the most contaminated products were ripened cheeses – those aged for more than four months – with a staggering 1,857 plastic particles per kilogram.

For comparison, that means a ripened cheese contains around 45 times more microplastics than bottled water.

Yeah, and 45 times “pretty much zip” is still close to nothing.

Since plastics contain chemicals known to be toxic or carcinogenic, scientists are concerned that a buildup of microplastics could damage tissues in our bodies.

“Could”.  Yeah, well at my age I pretty much don’t care, because at some point something’s going to kill me off anyway.  And seeing that these microplastic thingies are pretty much ubiquitous in all food types, I’ll just carry on eating this, my favorite kind of food.

Your opinion may vary, and I don’t care.

Quote Of The Day

From Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA, not the dead Massachusetts one):

“I’ve met James Comey.  I’ve met John Brennan.  And I’ll be honest with you, I don’t think either of them could follow more than six of the Ten Commandments on a good day.”

Me, I’ll take “four out of ten” for $400, Alex.

An Excellent Idea

A long time ago, I was in Brussels on business.  It was to be my first time there, so as always I did a bunch of research on the place:  things to see, places to visit and (of course) places to dine (yes, that’s a major part of my love of travel).

Just off the Grand Place is a street (Rue des Bouchers) lined with restaurants standing cheek-by-jowl together;  so what better way, thought I, to compare the various menus before making a decision to dine?

Bloody hell.

What the oh-so-helpful guide did not tell me was that outside every restaurant stood an extremely aggressive “tout”, who implored, begged and almost kidnapped the unwary diner into the establishment they represented.  Seriously:  one guy actually grabbed my arm and tried to drag me inside, releasing me only when I bunched a fist and threatened to clock him, hard.

The upshot was that none of the restaurants along Restaurant Row got my business that night.  Instead, I found a very nice little pub just off the Grand Place and proceeded to eat (lots) drink (even more) and make merry (to the max), as was my custom in those heady times.

After the experience in that Restaurant Row, therefore, I was overjoyed to read about this action, in Lucca, Italy:

The walled city has experienced a significant increase in visitors this year, particularly after emerging as a ‘timeless gem’ on social media. 

Last year, Lucca reported a record number of one million hotel bookings, and in the first four months of 2024, saw notable rise in visitor numbers.

The city’s leaders have grown increasingly concerned that the influx of tourists and the associated activities are negatively impacting its unique character – now, they’re declaring war on ‘worrying’ restaurant tactics such as touting. 

Touts – known locally as ‘buttadentro’ – are often employed to stand outside restaurants to try to entice passersby to dine there. 

Though they are responsible for attracting customers, some are reported to use persuasive or even aggressive tactics. 

On 10 July, the municipality adopted an ordinance prohibiting the promotion of restaurant businesses in public areas and on public land outside restaurants, bars, pizzerias, and similar establishments.

Mayor Mario Pardini and Councilor for Commerce and Urban Decor, Paola Granucci, said in a joint statement: ‘Lucca is a city with a strong historical, artistic, and touristic identity, and must be experienced with respect and style. Our ordinance does not restrict commercial activity, but protects the urban beauty and safeguards the authentic experience of residents and visitors. We reiterate that promoting one’s services is legitimate, but doing so in an invasive, insistent, or unfair manner is incompatible with the image we wish to preserve for our city.’

Ben fatto, Signori!  Now please get those assholes in Brussels to do the same — you know, in the time-honored EU fashion of sharing laws and regulations across national borders.

And while we’re there:  this?

Rue des Bouchers in Brussels is a lovely narrow street that is lined with restaurants. On display lie mussels, lobsters and oysters, all nicely decorated, awaiting hungry tourists.

It’s a big fat fucking lie.  The only hungry people there are the touts — money-hungry, that is.

Caveat cenator.