In todays light hearted look at the (non-political) news

[gremlin]

Gremlin does.

I will now. Your distress only spurs my enthusiasm.

You will get into trouble with Mrs G !

I once had a pair of electric blue suede slip-on moccasins that I thought look fabulous with a pair of tailored shorts and summer shirt. Perfect for summer days wafting down sun drenched boulevards and sipping chilled Continental lagers at roadside cafes.

Mrs G hated them and made no secret of it. To this day she denies having anything to do with their mysterious disappearance from the shoe cupboard.

[Cousin Jack]

I will now. Your distress only spurs my enthusiasm.

You will get into trouble with Mrs G !

I once had a pair of electric blue suede slip-on moccasins that I thought look fabulous with a pair of tailored shorts and summer shirt. Perfect for summer days wafting down sun drenched boulevards and sipping chilled Continental lagers at roadside cafes.

Mrs G hated them and made no secret of it. To this day she denies having anything to do with their mysterious disappearance from the shoe cupboard.

I had something similar with a pair of cream leather loafers. I thought they looked ace with a pair of dark brown slacks, wife hated them. I was 'persuaded' (aka blackmailed) into donating them to a charity shop. Wives, what can you do?

[Horse]

I once had a pair of electric blue suede slip-on moccasins that I thought look fabulous

We stopped in at Clark's Village.

I needed new trainers. Some beautiful examples, bright'n'shiny silver and electric blue.

I had no intention of buying them, but asked Foal (then 7) what he thought?

He looked at me, at the trainers, back at me, then said:

"They're a bit too exciting for you, dad."

[gremlin]

"They're a bit too exciting for you, dad."

I had a pair of shoes that Gremlinette once looked at and in a withering tone simply said, 'Bit OTT for you...'.

I still have them and they are simply referred to as my OTT Shoes.

[Horse]

Did she include an extra word? " ... Even for you"

[Horse]

Giving it the finger:

https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-say ... evolution/

The secret to how our brains grew may be hidden in our fingers before we are even born.

One of the defining features of human evolution is the steady expansion of our brains. New findings suggest this growth may be partly linked to higher levels of estrogen before birth. Surprisingly, a visible clue may lie in the relative length of a person’s fingers.

What the 2D:4D Digit Ratio Reveals

Professor John Manning of Swansea’s Applied Sports, Technology, Exercise and Medicine (A-STEM) research team specializes in the study of digit ratio. This measurement compares the length of the index finger to the ring finger and is known as the 2D:4D ratio. Research shows that this ratio reflects the balance of estrogen and testosterone to which a fetus is exposed during the first trimester of pregnancy.

People who experienced higher estrogen-to-testosterone ratios before birth tend to have longer index fingers (2D) than ring fingers (4D), resulting in a higher 2D:4D ratio.

Newborn Head Size and Brain Development
Because head circumference in newborns is closely associated with brain size and later measures of IQ, the researchers examined both finger ratios and head measurements in 225 infants, including 100 boys and 125 girls.

The analysis found a clear association in boys. Higher 2D:4D values (indicating high prenatal estrogen) were linked to larger head circumference. The same pattern was not observed in girls.

Evolutionary Tradeoffs and the Estrogenized Ape Hypothesis

Professor Manning explained the broader implications of the findings. “This finding is relevant to human evolution because increases in brain size are found alongside feminization of the skeleton, what is known as the estrogenized ape hypothesis. High values of 2D:4D in males have been found to be related to elevated rates of heart problems, poor sperm counts, and predisposition to schizophrenia.

“However, increases in brain size may offset these problems. Thus, the evolutionary drive for larger brains in humans may inevitably be linked to reductions in male viability, including cardiovascular problems, infertility, and rates of schizophrenia.”

The research team says these results add to growing evidence that prenatal estrogen may have played a beneficial role in the evolutionary expansion of the human brain, even if that shift carried biological costs.

Broader Research on Digit Ratio

Professor Manning’s earlier studies have also explored how digit ratio connects to other traits and outcomes. His work has examined links to alcohol consumption, recovery after COVID-19 infection, and oxygen use in football players. Together, this body of research suggests that finger length may offer insight into the powerful hormonal influences that shape development before birth.

[Horse]

NB Testosterone (early foetal development) and oestrogen (later) are also thought to be important for sex and gender, body and brain. With issues when the two are mismatched.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prenatal_ ... rientation

The hormonal theory of sexuality holds that, just as exposure to certain hormones plays a role in fetal sex differentiation, such exposure also influences the sexual orientation that emerges later in the individual. Prenatal hormones may be seen as the primary determinant of adult sexual orientation, or a co-factor.

[Count Steer]

Giving it the finger:

https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-say ... evolution/

The secret to how our brains grew may be hidden in our fingers before we are even born.

One of the defining features of human evolution is the steady expansion of our brains. New findings suggest this growth may be partly linked to higher levels of estrogen before birth. Surprisingly, a visible clue may lie in the relative length of a person’s fingers.

What the 2D:4D Digit Ratio Reveals

Professor John Manning of Swansea’s Applied Sports, Technology, Exercise and Medicine (A-STEM) research team specializes in the study of digit ratio. This measurement compares the length of the index finger to the ring finger and is known as the 2D:4D ratio. Research shows that this ratio reflects the balance of estrogen and testosterone to which a fetus is exposed during the first trimester of pregnancy.

We're supposed to take him seriously and he can't spell oestrogen!

(He's in Swansea, not Harvard, bloomin' scientific editors. We'll all be using aloooominum before long ).

[gremlin]

Happy birthday, Andy. Doing anything nice?

[Yorick]

Happy birthday, Andy. Doing anything nice?

Having a night at his brother's pleasure

[gremlin]

Happy birthday, Andy. Doing anything nice?

Having a night at his brother's pleasure

[Horse]

Happy birthday, Andy. Doing anything nice?

Screenshot_20260219-122302.png (1.44 MiB) Viewed 379 times

[Cousin Jack]

I know at least 2 people who actually knew Andrew in the Navy who will be delighted. Neither would piss on him if he was on fire.

[Taipan]

He actively took part in war time operations though. Whatever he's done now, he earnt his Mums shilling back then.

Falklands War
On 2 April 1982, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, a British Overseas Territory administered by the United Kingdom and claimed by Argentina, triggering the Falklands War.[15] Invincible was one of only two operational aircraft carriers available to the Royal Navy and therefore played a major role in the task force assembled to retake the islands.[16]

Andrew's presence on board, and the risk of a royal family member being killed in action, made the British government apprehensive, and the Cabinet sought to move him to a desk role for the duration of the conflict. The Queen, however, insisted that her son remain with his ship. Andrew served on Invincible as a Sea King helicopter co-pilot, flying missions that included anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, Exocet missile decoy operations, casualty evacuation, transport, and search and air rescue.

[Yorick]

Pinched from another forum

The amount of people who have a mate who knew him who said he was a tosser is unbelievable. That's probably more people than were on the balcony for the Iranian Embassy siege. And that balcony held thousands.

[gremlin]

I know at least 2 people who actually knew Andrew in the Navy who will be delighted. Neither would piss on him if he was on fire.

There is a story that when posted to whatever ship it was, he was introduced to the captain and jauntily informed him, 'Please call me Andrew', to which the caption replied, 'Of course, and you can call me 'Sir'', much to his chagrin.

I don't know how true that is, but I do hope it is.

[Taipan]

I know at least 2 people who actually knew Andrew in the Navy who will be delighted. Neither would piss on him if he was on fire.

There is a story that when posted to whatever ship it was, he was introduced to the captain and jauntily informed him, 'Please call me Andrew', to which the caption replied, 'Of course, and you can call me 'Sir'', much to his chagrin.

I don't know how true that is, but I do hope it is.

Military Hierarchy Overrules Royalty: While the Commanding Officer might be a "commoner" in civilian life, they hold authority over the prince within the unit. The prince is expected to follow orders and show respect for the rank.
Respectful Distance: While the prince might be treated with deference, the CO often maintains a "respectful distance," treating the prince as a professional colleague rather than a subordinate monarch.
Exceptions: In some contexts, particularly in ceremonial or non-combat roles, the prince might be addressed as "Your Royal Highness" (HRH) or "Sir," but in high-intensity environments, this is generally replaced by military honorifics.

[gremlin]

I know at least 2 people who actually knew Andrew in the Navy who will be delighted. Neither would piss on him if he was on fire.

There is a story that when posted to whatever ship it was, he was introduced to the captain and jauntily informed him, 'Please call me Andrew', to which the caption replied, 'Of course, and you can call me 'Sir'', much to his chagrin.

I don't know how true that is, but I do hope it is.

Military Hierarchy Overrules Royalty: While the Commanding Officer might be a "commoner" in civilian life, they hold authority over the prince within the unit. The prince is expected to follow orders and show respect for the rank.
Respectful Distance: While the prince might be treated with deference, the CO often maintains a "respectful distance," treating the prince as a professional colleague rather than a subordinate monarch.
Exceptions: In some contexts, particularly in ceremonial or non-combat roles, the prince might be addressed as "Your Royal Highness" (HRH) or "Sir," but in high-intensity environments, this is generally replaced by military honorifics.

He's still a cunt.

[MingtheMerciless]

Image.jpeg (17.83 KiB) Viewed 311 times

[McNab]

Image.jpeg

Didn't Docca post that in the Jokes thread?