Eish. I’m going to get into trouble for posting this.
Especially today.
But also, it does make me laugh every time I see it.
All hail our risen Lord
Category: that’s a bit mad
Meridian Coffee Error
Spotted online recently, this:
…which really made my geographical OCD senses tingle.
What? A mildly blurred image of a disposable takeaway coffee cup?
Well, yes. But one which has come from the Greenwich Coffee Company in Greenwich Turkey, and one upon which the 0o Prime Meridian very definitely doesn’t go through Greenwich.
Or Turkey.
In fact, their 0o Prime Meridian is actually very much 18o.
Oops.
And, if you choose to ignore Stockholm (but then again, why would you?), then the only other major city on this line is right here: Cape Town. Quite why a business choosing to name itself after the accepted home of the Prime Meridian (since 1884, at least) has chosen to put the Prime Meridian going nowhere near… well… the Prime Meridian, is a little baffling.
And it gets even more confusing when you look at the decor in one of their outlets:
What now?!? Another Prime Meridian, this time again ostensibly at 0o, but actually sitting somewhere about 6o east of the actual Greenwich Meridian*, despite the big orange lettering suggesting otherwise.
But maybe there are other clues on that wall. Ireland being joined to Wales and Scotland. New Zealand only having one island. Hudson Bay being Hudson Lake. The easterly migration of Rwanda and Tanzania. And the misspelling of Guatemala.
Perhaps it’s just that they’re not actually very bothered about geographical accuracy. And I guess that’s fine, as long as they are putting a bit more effort into their products and their service. And they do get 5 stars on their one review on Tripadvisor, and that despite the coffee being rubbish:
So the only coffee they bought was crap, but they gave it 5 stars and titled their review: “Coffee [yummy, licking lips emoji]”. This place really is confusing.
For me though, it’s just a bit disappointing that I’m not going to be able to stick a straight bit of metal on my patio and then charge tourists a hefty fee to take photos of themselves standing astride it.
Perhaps I should be considering a campaign – potentially fronted by the Greenwich Coffee guys – to move the Greenwich Meridian to Cape Town. For a while, at least.
Just while they use up the last stock of that bulk order of geographically incorrect takeaway cups, and I get to make some decent money from the temporary rehoming of the big North-South line, thus paying for the therapy I will need from having had to see it come through here anyway.
* and thus missing every single city in the world apart from Saarbrücken.
Cow signs
Yep. A Mastodon thread of “Beware of Cattle” signs from around Europe, rated for… I dunno… “artistic impression” (and a bit more?)?
Sure, why not?
Useful for your Geoguessr experience, as well.
It’s interesting that there are so many different variations on what is a very simple message. In many ways, it’s like the Stockholm Metro and New Mexico Rail Runner post I did last week. I mean, we all see any of these and we know what we are being warned about, so they do their job, just like the air vents and the door closing noises, but there are stylised images, detailed images, horns, no horns, udders, no udders, even some cows that actually look quite unwell.
…and then there’s Poland’s effort.
You’ll have to click through on the link above to look at that one: I’d hate to spoil the surprise. But I was instantly thinking 1960s Hanna-Barbera background art. And yes, that might sound terribly niche, but as soon as you see it, you’ll know…
No good story ever started with this line…
And this is a very sad story, relating to the death of a man allegedly at the hands of another. But honestly…
According to Matilda Cochrane, her son left their home in Westlake at 11.40pm Sunday January 28 to sell a vintage bicycle to the accused’s father in a nearby street.
Clearly, this is not the safest neighbourhood in what is not a very safe city, in what is most definitely a very unsafe country. And it’s horrendous that this woman’s son – he was 40 years old – has lost his life.
But couldn’t the sale of the vintage bicycle maybe have waited until Monday morning?
Was it absolutely necessary to go out onto those dangerous streets and seal the deal before midnight? Is this some sort of Cinderella scenario whereby the vintage bicycle turns back into a sweet potato when the clock chimes 12?
I am absolutely not victim-blaming, but it’s not like we don’t know where we live. You take precautions and modify your behaviour accordingly. And that surely includes maybe delaying the sale of classic veliocipedes for maybe 8 hours until Monday morning, when the nastiest, most dangerous people are at least less likely to be out and about causing mischief. And after all, waiting just those few hours longer means that your vintage piece is actually that little bit more vintage, perhaps even allowing you to push for a better price.
Because no good can ever come of heading out at a quarter to midnight to sell and old bike to a neighbour.
Believe me.
The Pound Shop Boys
Not sure how I have missed these guys until now, but as parody groups go, they’re pretty much spot on. And their choice of songs is none too shabby either.
Ideally, you’ll know a bit of Pet Shop Boys stuff, and the original version of the song that you listen to.
Thus, you’ll have to be a certain age and nationality to get this one, but that’s fine, because I am:
But there are plenty more to be had on their playlist.
Hint: The Coronation Street one is an absolute banger.