Did you know?

[old man emu]

Muslims don't touch alcohol, so they don't have the lights of pubs to guide their wanderings.

[Jerry_Atrick]

Having worked for 2 weeks in Abu Dhabi, all I can say is, that is a myth

Edited October 28, 2023 by Jerry_Atrick

[willedoo]

I've seen them in the airport at Bangkok with their arms full of duty free grog to take home. Mostly Arabs.

[facthunter]

They  do it when ALLAH can't see them.  Nev

[Jerry_Atrick]

I arrived in Abu Dhabi on a Sunday evening, from memory, for a Monday morning start. The UAE is one of the more "progressive" areas of the Middle East, I was told, but of course, all things are relative. It was a complete eye opener for me. But that is a-whole-nother story.

 

I arrived at the hotel and met the systems engineer I was replacing for two weeks while he went on holiday. Up to that stage I had never had the slightest intention of going to the Middle East; That and two days in Kuwait have convinced me never to return, despite the historical and ancient cultural artifacts and, indeed, societies there.  I digress again.

 

Anyway, after checking in, I call the system engineer who lives in this hotel as his posting was only 6 months. We meet at the hotel lobby and then take the only seats available on the hote bar/auditoriumy thing. I looked around, and I would have estimated around half of the tables (and there were quite a few) were frequented by locals - easily identifiable. I noticed that only those tables seemed ot have menus, and there was one menu per person on the table; all staning upright on the edges of their folded pages. I mentioned it to my colleague, and his response was to wait a minute and I'll understand why. Sure enough, not 10 seconds later, a hand pulled a glass of beer hidden within the foid of the menu, took a drink, and placed it back. I mean, why wouid they bother admitting they are breaching their religion; it's not like no-one knows.

 

There were liqour outlets for the non-Muslim ex-pats, and there was a licensing, system, where, depending oin your senioroty as an ex-pat, you were licensed to purchase a certain mount of alcohol per month. Another colleague showed me one of these outlets and explained that there are certain cars that turn up, and the boots are loaded with booze by staff, yet there is no interaction with people in the car who do not disembark to pay, or anything. Sure enough, I did see it happen, and they were long white limos and while I can't definitely say it was some local, we sort of knew it was.

I have to say, I preferred Kuwait, because at least publicly, they seemed to abide by their laws.

Edited October 28, 2023 by Jerry_Atrick

[red750]

Do you know why people say "Break a leg" to someone going for an audition? It's a way of saying "I hope you end up in the cast."

[onetrack]

Hmmm .... maybe, maybe not ....

 

https://transcendencetheatre.org/break-a-leg/

[willedoo]

Did you know the easternmost part of the U.S. is in Alaska, it's westernmost state. Alaska's Aleutian Islands stretch so far to the west that they fall into the eastern hemisphere which is measured from 0° to 180° longitude.

[Jerry_Atrick]

One for the pub trivia night.

[willedoo]

Now here's a serious topic - did you know that 1,004,737 Ford Anglia 105E's were made. And that despite the British TV series Heartbeat being set in the 60's with 105E police cars and a Francis Barnett 198 police bike, the series started in 1992 and ran to 2010.

 

[nomadpete]

My dad was issued an Anglia by the PMG. The techs went on strike because the cars had poor brakes due to porus brake master cylinders which, when they failed,  were replaced by similar ones from the same supplier with the same result.

 

The news media reported the strike as being a demand for higher wages. Some things never change.

 

I think of that saga when I see the flying Ford Anglia in a Harry Potter movie.

[facthunter]

They are the first low cost British car to be  worth owning. I'd have one today if one dropped into my lap. A giant leap in concept for the time.  Nev

[onetrack]

I have a terrible memory seared into my brain of being beaten at a major traffic-light drag, whilst driving my unbeatable EH Holden 179 ute - by a bloody 105E ANGLIA! It was only later that we found out that he'd re-powered it with a hotted-up grey Holden motor!!  

[facthunter]

The motor grew into the 5 bearing "Kent" block that can take 640 HP. There's stacks of  room under the bonnet for carbs etc but you'd need to go back through the firewall for a Grey Holden that would be going to make 130HP.(Siamesed Ports and all  that).   Nev 

[onetrack]

I can remember meeting up with the Anglia owner and looking at the grey Holden motor in the Anglia, but I can't recall the fine details as to whether he'd hacked into the firewall to make it fit. I do recall it was a VERY tight fit. It was 1966, so a long time ago now, and the memory cells are getting a bit fuzzy.

[facthunter]

It would have to be there or the grille.   Nev

[willedoo]

My brother had a 105E Anglia when he was a young uni student. I remember it as a good solid little car and it seemed to be reliable as well.

[facthunter]

It was very oversquare. Big bore  short stroke. Good value for money at the time. McPherson  strut front suspension  which was actually used on the Victa Airtourer nosewheel.  Nev

[red750]

 

 

 

Did you know  111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987, 654,321

[rgmwa]

1x1=1

11x11=121

111x111=12321

1111x1111=1234321

etc

Edited January 9 by rgmwa

[old man emu]

As Queen Elizabeth said to Freddy Mercury, "Is One non-binary?"

[Marty_d]

12 hours ago, old man emu said:

As Queen Elizabeth said to Freddy Mercury, "Is One non-binary?"

Freddy was binary, he just liked both 1's and 0's.

[red750]

Did you know that Werner Klemperer and John Banner, who played Kolonel Klink and Seargent Schulz in Hogan's heroes were actually Jewish.

 

So was Leon Askin, who played General Burkhalter, Howard Caine, who played Major Hochstetter, and Robert Clary, who played Corporal Louis LeBeau.

 

Robert Clary was a Holocaust survivor, and John Banner lost many of his family in the Holocaust.

[red750]

[onetrack]

Hmmmm - more Farcebook "WOW" statements that are a bit "light" on detail .... you need TWO coordinates to find a place precisely. One coordinate is not "coordinates".

 

https://fullfact.org/online/great-pyramid-speed-of-light/