Alternative announcements for the London Tube, voiced by the woman who does the real ones.
My favorite?
Number 6.
Though 10 has its partisans.
Discuss.
Images: Luigi Loir, Underground Railway, 1899
This post is in: Humorous, Open Threads
Alternative announcements for the London Tube, voiced by the woman who does the real ones.
My favorite?
Number 6.
Though 10 has its partisans.
Discuss.
Images: Luigi Loir, Underground Railway, 1899
Comments are closed.
aimai
Love the painting.
Alexandra
I support the current tube strikes.
Background here.
Tom Levenson
@aimai: Yeah, me too. Comes from a sweet spot in 19th c. painting, I think.
Emerald
Number 6, absolutely. And it’s applicable internationally.
Amir Khalid
We don’t have announcements like this on the LRT in Kuala Lumpur. RapidKL has absolutely no sense of humour. Pout.
peej
If we had announcements like this on the Washington Metro, we wouldn’t be able to hear them (as usual).
Amir Khalid
I’d call it a tie between No. 6 and No. 10. But oh, hearing that cultured, ladylike voice call London a “stinking shit-hole of a city” — I could listen to that one again and again.
Hawes
Number 11
Mathguy
@Amir Khalid: I’m thinking that’s the one appropriate for the Metro, since you merely have to replace the M25 with the Beltway.
rikyrah
ALEC Spearheads Effort To Steal From Employees to Give to Corporations
By: Rmuse more from Rmuse
Saturday, February, 8th, 2014, 6:38 pm
A contract is generally a written agreement, often concerning business, tenancy, or employment that is intended to be enforceable by law and because it is an agreement it is safe to conclude that two sides negotiated the contract’s conditions which are why they are enforceable by law. Around the nation public sector employees are seeing their defined retirement benefits from protected pension funds being slashed because Republicans claim deficits are unsustainable and that states and the federal government are broke. And yet the deficits are not enough to stop corporate tax subsidies that exceed the cost of funding retirement benefits.
In a new analysis from taxpayer watchdog group Good Jobs First, 10 states claimed they were drowning in budget deficits to justify Draconian retiree benefit cuts, but in those 10 states “the total annual cost of corporate subsidies, tax breaks and loopholes exceeds the total current annual pension costs.” The practice is part of a tactic an American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) sister organization funded by the Kochs, the State Policy Network (SPN), is ramping up to eliminate public sector pensions on a nationwide scale. The idea that pension and retirement funds are fair game for the wealthy is a Koch brother and Wall Street philosophy that Republicans in states are willingly implementing with impunity because they utter the term “deficit.”
For example, in Louisiana Republicans claimed the state’s annual pension contributions of $348 million is unaffordable and used the alleged shortfall to call for cuts to public employees’ negotiated retirement incomes. However, while claiming they are broke the same Republicans support giving subsidies, loopholes, and tax breaks to corporations at five times the cost of the state’s obligation to retirees every year. In Illinois, Governor Pat Quinn, a Democrat, just signed legislation to cut state workers’ pensions even though the state spends $500 million more each year on corporate subsidies than it cost to fund its pension system. in Chicago, Mayor Rahm Emanuel is expected to propose similar cuts to municipal employees’ retirement benefits and cited a budget shortfall to close schools, but supports $300 million in spending on corporate subsidies, including a massive gift to a private university to construct a new basketball arena.
http://www.politicususa.com/2014/02/08/alec-spearheads-effort-steal-employees-give-corporations.html
Corner Stone
Finally! A woman who *truly* understands me!
rikyrah
And they gave this woman a non-White child to adopt?
……………………….
Fox News Contributor Laura Ingraham’s Idiocy: Puerto Ricans Are Not U.S. Citizens
By: Tim From LA
Saturday, February, 8th, 2014, 9:01 pm
Just when you thought Fox News had hit rock bottom, Laura Ingraham bore even deeper into the depths of stupidity of unimaginable proportion. Ingraham called Puerto Ricans immigrants…huh?
On her radio show, Ingraham said Sotomayor’s “allegiance obviously goes to her [Puerto Rican] immigrant family background and not to the Constitution of the United States.” Again I say huh?
http://www.politicususa.com/2014/02/08/foxs-laura-ingrahams-idiocy-puerto-ricans-u-s-citizens.html
Corner Stone
Surprised no FP’er picked up on this story linked by Atrios:
Facebook page promotes campus repairs over iPads in L.A. schools
“The creators describe the page as, “a place for teachers & the community to document neglected school repairs while construction bond $$ is diverted to purchase iPads.”
Barney
Number 7 is fairly frank. It turns out Emma lives in Manchester.
Tokyokie
I, too, like No. 6 the best, but I am rather fond of No. 4 as well.
Baud
@rikyrah:
I don’t say huh? It’s rhetoric right out of the GOP playbook.
rikyrah
State blocks use of UF student union as early voting center
Steve Bousquet, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Thursday, February 6, 2014 3:07pm
Election supervisors and the League of Women Voters have a new complaint with Gov. Rick Scott and the Legislature over early voting.
After years of complaints by supervisors who struggled with historically long lines at the polls in 2012, lawmakers last year expanded the list of early voting sites to include fairgronds, civic centers, courthouses, county commission buildings, stadiums, convention centers and government-owned community centers.
But when the city of Gainesville — which is heavily Democratic — asked if it could use the University of Florida student union for early voting in next month’s municipal elections, the state said no.
……………………………..
“I’m very upset about this,” said Polk County Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards, president of a statewide supervisors’ group. “I just can’t understand why they feel the need to be so restrictive about where people are allowed to vote … This is strategic. They’re worried about young people voting.”
The union, named for former UF President J. Wayne Reitz, is used as a regular voting precinct in county, state and national elections. About 50,000 students attend UF, and the city said the request to use the Reitz Union for early voting came from a group of students.
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/state-blocks-use-of-uf-student-union-as-early-voting-center/2164465
Bill E Pilgrim
4 and 7 for me. Skewers Americans and Brits on an equal opportunity basis, and I like that.
I have fond memories of standing on platforms listening to a voice like that announce the arrival of the barking train.
Schlemizel
@peej:
The last time I was in DC I rode the Metro every day. The operator made announcements that included a rundown on last nights Carson show & tonight’s line up. It was Carson’s last week. Service & trains were great but I guess the years have not been kind.
Kristine
Shared all over the place because hah!
jeffreyw
Awesomest two minute ad, ever.
Schlemizel
@rikyrah:
Deeper into the stupidity? This is from the onion in 1999, its just depressing how far down they are willing to bore into the sludge
Bottom Of Barrel Dangerously Overscraped, Experts Warn
http://www.theonion.com/articles/bottom-of-barrel-dangerously-overscraped-experts-w,767/
PurpleGirl
@Amir Khalid: NYC’s buses have the odd driver who will tell jokes and make wise-cracks. There was one driver on the Q-32 who I often rode with on my way home from work. He’d have me laughing with his comments. But they rotate drivers around routes and he went away.
currants
Hmmmm I liked #3, myself. But I definitely see the appeal of 6 and 10!
currants
@PurpleGirl: I like this guy’s blog–he drives a bus in Seattle, and though the current post is about movies, his stories/descriptions of encounters on his bus are wonderful: thoughtful and open. Like this one: http://www.nathanvass.com/1/post/2014/01/this-boy.html Reminds me that kindness matters (a lot) and still exists. I hope to get to Seattle this summer, and if I do, I’m gonna try to find his bus and ride it the whole way.
hildebrand
@peej: When we lived in DC, I thought that every station was Farragut North – hey, thats what it sounded like.
Bill E Pilgrim
In San Francisco our creative horsing around by drivers (or more precisely “gripmen” and “conductors”) tends to be the non-verbal kind.
Actually they engage in the verbal kind also, but they only have the competition for the bell ringing.
Amir Khalid
George Zimmerman’s boxing match with DMX is off. Not sure how I feel about that; a big payday for hm is cancelled, but the world won’t get to see someone knock his block off.
Jerzy Russian
@jeffreyw: Yes, it will be hard to top that one.
Bill E Pilgrim
@currants: When I took my French friend to Italy she kept thinking that we were at the wrong station “No this is “Uscita”, we don’t get off here do we?”
MattF
A postscript to the AOLdouchecanoe thread:
http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2014/02/tim_armstrong_blames_distressed_babies_for_aol_benefit_cuts_he_s_talking.html
Amir Khalid
In other sports news, Manchester United are at home today to Fulham. United take to the field wearing black armbands; it is three days after the anniversary of the Munich air disaster, the plane crash that killed most of United’s starting lineup in 1958.
Villago Delenda Est
Tom, I agree with Number Six.
They really should use that in the DC Metro, but then again, no one of the VIllage would be caught dead on the DC Metro, because mass transit is for the serfs, you know.
WaterGirl
@jeffreyw: You made me cry!
Schlemizel
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140207133016.htm
Drop in crime rates are less where Wal-Mart builds, study shows
Communities across the United States experienced an unprecedented decline in crime in the 1990s. But for counties where Wal-Mart built stores, the decline wasn’t nearly as dramatic.
Mr. Prosser
A simple thank you for the best beginning of a day I’ve had in awhile.
SiubhanDuinne
@jeffreyw:
That is unspeakably beautiful. I’m in tears.
Villago Delenda Est
@jeffreyw:
I concur.
That was a magnificent ad.
Villago Delenda Est
@Schlemizel:
Surprise, surprise, surprise.
Corner Stone
@Schlemizel: Communities with resources are able to successfully fight Wal-Mart and not allow them to locate there.
Other communities sell out the commonweal by granting subsidies to WM, which goes on to further impoverish the residents.
IOW, I don’t think it’s much of a stretch to identify that WM places stores in distressed and vulnerable areas. It’s their business model.
Josie
@WaterGirl: @SiubhanDuinne: I’m glad to know I’m not the only one sitting here crying. That was beautiful.
NotMax
The P.A. system in the bus station in Scranton, PA used to be (may still be, for all I know) particularly muddy, soundwise.
Some of the bus routes from there stop at a community named Shickshinny.
Whether deliberate or a result of the bad sound system (was never sure), it always sounded like Sh*t City over the speakers.
NotMax
Also there was the time back on the old, rickety Pennsylvania Railroad when the conductor opened the door of the car, stuck his head in and loudly announced “Next stop Philadelphia! Philadelphia, the Brother of Lov-e-ly-Sid will be the next stop!” then promptly pulled his head out and shut the door.
Schlemizel
@Villago Delenda Est:
@Corner Stone:
Yeah, I would hardly suggest this study provided unexpected results. I just think its nice to have actual documented statistical analysis to add to the pile of evidence of the high cost of low prices.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
6 is of course wonderful, and it’s easy to see why 10 has its partisans. I rather like numbers 4, 3, and 9.
Anya
NMax headline: Holder Expands Rights for Gay Couples Across US.
What a lawless monster. IMPEACH!!!!
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@jeffreyw: Thank you. That was amazing.
Jay C
Maybe OT, but I came across this wonderful example of bold political courage in the diplomatic process via Daniel Larison’s blog:
WV’s Senator Joe Manchin explaining his “position” on the (thankfully now-apparently-derailed) Iran sanctions bill:
Brave move, Joe….
Brendan in NC
@jeffreyw: Alright, who’s slicing oniond here at my desk at work???
CaseyL
@jeffreyw: I am the most sentimental sop in the universe, so of course that ad made me cry. (Also enjoyed the behind-the-scenes featurette, though wish there was information about the cast).
trollhattan
@Amir Khalid:
Darn. Clearly, his hoped-for challenge from Urkel never materialized.
trollhattan
It appears we have another yet another local political douche to apologize to the nation for. Ladies and germs, principled Libertarian Chris Rufer!
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/02/09/6140539/why-agribusinessman-is-bankrolling.html#storylink=cpy
He should open a bootstrap factory! Oddly enough, he may live next door to friends of ours. Going to have to check next time I see them. I at least know their neighbors are in the tomato bidnez and have a rather…lavish and eccentric lifestyle. Also, too, Mr. Rufer claims to receive no gummint subsidies for his tomato processing plants but we all know that’s not possible. More to the point, the farmers delivering his raw materials are directly and indirectly subsidized to the extent that without same, there would be no tomatoes to pastify at Mr. Rufer’s plants.
Liberty!
low-tech cyclist
My favorites are 11 and 7, with 10 getting an honorable mention.
Even though as a math geek, I share part of the sentiment rather strongly (I really, really wish Sudoku used letters rather than numbers, since it doesn’t use the numbers as numbers, that would be Kakuro), I’m still surprised at the love for #10.
I think of Sudoku as the sort of thing that secretaries would do on the subway if we still had secretaries, and I think that if there was a time when people thought they were impressing anyone by doing Sudoku puzzles, it was a very brief moment.
am
@Tom Levenson:
I think I’m somewhat versed in art history, and Loir is new to me. Thanks for that, what a nice surprise on a Sunday afternoon to be introduced to his work. Nice example of late impressionism. Hard to believe one could still be picked up for mid/low 5-figures if one had that much loose change in the couch.
SiubhanDuinne
@low-tech cyclist:
I’ve seen Sudoku puzzles that used letters, words, photos, symbols, and abstractions of all kinds. If you had access to a produce department, you could draw a huge grid on the pavement and play it with different kinds of fruit. Sudoku isn’t a “math” or even a “number puzzle” so much as it is a type of logic puzzle.
rikyrah
WE SEE YOU CLINTONISTAS!
Schumer: Delay Date Immigration Overhaul Would Take Effect
BY TOM CURRY
A key Democratic senator proposed to delay implementation of a proposed new law until after President Barack Obama leaves office.
The suggestion floated by Sen. Charles Schumer, D- N.Y., was an attempt to mollify Republican concerns about Obama not enforcing the law.
“Let’s enact the law this year, but simply not let it actually start ‘til 2017 after President Obama’s term is over,” he said on NBC’s Meet the Press.
http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/schumer-delay-date-immigration-overhaul-would-take-effect-n25836
Mnemosyne
@trollhattan:
I don’t think you’ve seen a recent picture of Jaleel White, who played Urkel. If he declined, Zimmerman got off lucky.
Corner Stone
@rikyrah: What do you think this proposal means?
currants
@Bill E Pilgrim: ;-)
rikyrah
@Corner Stone:
That, Hillary Clinton will be able to get immigration reform done because the GOP ‘ trusts’ her, unlike the Black man in the White House.
These Clinton muthafuckas ain’t slick in the least.
Roxy
3 and 11 for me.
Baud
@rikyrah:
I didn’t see the interview, but from the reports I can also see it as an attempt to call the GOP’s bluff. Withholding judgment until I get more info.
Roxy
@jeffreyw:
Had me in tears and goose bumps on my arms. I loved the part where he is reading in bed with wife. The ad was able to say in two minutes what a movie may take two hours to say. So good I shared this on my facebook page.
satby
@jeffreyw: This former literacy tutor is a puddle right now, thanks!
Corner Stone
@rikyrah: Good God.
Origuy
Voices in the Deep – – Metro announcements throughout the world.
Mnemosyne
Just a friendly warning for any fed-up snowbound Juicers — using a flamethrower to de-ice your front yard is illegal, even in North Dakota.
Villago Delenda Est
@trollhattan:
The stupid. IT BURNS!
Baud
@Villago Delenda Est:
That comment may be more appropriate in response to Mnemosyne’s post.
Mnemosyne
@Baud:
FWIW, that story may be more than a bit truthy, given the website it originally came from. Still, if it didn’t happen, it should have.
Baud
@Mnemosyne:
Yeah, I thought the crime of “illegal use of high-powered fire-breathing weaponry” seemed a little fishy.
cckids
@Mnemosyne:
I laugh at this because my parents live in a smallish town west of Las Vegas; it is where the self-described rednecks of Nevada live. I have seen men clearing the weeds from their rock-covered “yards” with flame throwers.
I thought it was a Nevada thing.
cckids
Really? The place I live trips moderation? Help!!!
lol chikinburd
You know that Jeff Orr shitbag will be a Fox News interviewee this week. Probably tomorrow. Calling a visiting black athlete “n*****” makes you a First Amendment hero in 2014, especially if doing so provokes an entirely human reaction.
(Orr claims otherwise, of course (and clearly lies). Surrounded by sympathetic crackers in that section, he’s well-positioned to get away with lying outright and being corroborated by “witnesses”.)
Bobby Thomson
@jeffreyw: Kind of dusty all of a sudden.
Donalbain
http://www.digdang.com/media/images/choo_choo_im_a_train__15396.jpg
That’s my favourite travel announcement
Donalbain
http://www.digdang.com/media/images/choo_choo_im_a_train__15396.jpg
That’s my favourite travel announcement