Overnight Open Thread [09/14/2026]

That's a Hinckley Sou'Wester 51 looking particularly fetching. Sadly, the company no longer builds sailboats, which is a sad state of affairs, but their motor boats are rather nice looking, so I guess that is okay.

When I was a wee lad I sailed on Long Island Sound, and there were several Hinckleys in my neck of the woods; it was always a treat to see one of them on the water. They were classic, with beautiful lines and always built with good, but not cutting-edge tech. So they never looked like spaceships or race cars...just timeless and elegant.

And boy oh boy...I wanted one!

I think I might try this tack on one of my more idiotic relatives. Who knows...it might just work!

A woman was at her hairdresser's getting her hair styled for a trip to Rome with her husband. She mentioned her upcoming adventure to the hairdresser, who responded:

"Rome? Why would anyone want to go there? It's crowded and dirty. You're crazy to go to Rome. So, how are you getting there?”

"We're flying United Airlines,” was the reply. "We got a great rate!”

“United?" exclaimed the hairdresser. " That's a terrible airline. Their planes are old, their flight attendants are ugly, and they're always late. So, where are you staying in Rome?”

"We'll be at this exclusive little place over on Rome's Tiber River called Taste.”

"Don't go any further. I know that place. Everybody thinks it's gonna be something special and exclusive, but it's really a dump.”

"We're going to go to see the Vatican and maybe get to see the Pope.”

"That's rich," laughed the hairdresser. ”You and a million other people trying to see him. He'll look the size of an ant. Boy, good luck on this lousy trip of yours. You're going to need it.”
. . .
A month later, the woman again came in for a hairdo. The hairdresser asked her about her trip to Rome.

"It was wonderful," explained the woman, "Not only were we on time in one of United’s brand new 787s, but it was overbooked, so they bumped us up to first class. The food and wine were wonderful, and we had a handsome 28-year-old steward who waited on us hand and foot . . .”

“And the Taste hotel was great! They'd just finished a €5 million remodeling, and now it's a jewel, the finest hotel in the city. They, too, were overbooked, so they apologized and gave us their owner's suite at no extra charge!”

"Well," muttered the hairdresser, "That's all well and good, but I know you didn't get to see the Pope.”

"Actually, we were quite lucky, because as we toured the Vatican, a Swiss Guard tapped me on the shoulder, and explained that the Pope likes to meet some of the visitors, and if we'd be so kind as to step into his private room and wait, the Pope would personally greet us.”

“Sure enough, five minutes later, the Pope walked through the door and shook my hand! I knelt down and he spoke a few words to me . . .”

"Oh, really! What'd he say?”

He said: "Who fucked up your hair?

I am always disappointed when I see this sort of thing. This mass psychosis that events do not exist unless recorded on one's phone is getting worse and worse.

It is also a function of the social media lunacy that consumes many of us...that insane desire to post a video and get that invaluable endorphin blast when your tweet or reel or TikTok video is picked up by the internet mob.

Or...maybe just put your phone down and help the lady in the car that just crashed.

Just a thought.

[Courtesy of Dr_No]

AI is not the savior of the world, and no amount of proselytizing on the part of its investors and users will change that. My personal experience with it is mixed...sometimes it is useful...sometimes it is laughably wrong...and sometimes it is quite obviously providing a political bent to the information it provides.

So like every tool (except the 1911), it has its pros and cons.

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posted by CBD at 09:46 PM

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