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PaperclipPerfector  6mo ago (text post)   3573 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for July 25, 2025

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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How.

A few weeks back, I'd gotten in touch with an old buddy of mine living down in London. We hadn't met for ages, and I offered to come visit during the last dying days of what passes as a summer around these parts.

You can see below that my experience catching a red-eye flight (one that threatened to give me pink-eye to boot) didn't go so well. A small price to pay, I told myself, as I landed at the airport an hour or so back, and caught the train towards where my friend lives. I dropped him a text letting him know I was on my way, and looking forward to seeing him in a few hours.

At which point came back a rather incredulous message. "self_made_human, you were supposed to be come visit next weekend."

Well. Shit. I have no valid explanation, barring chronic severe deprivation brought on by too many night shifts and dissolute living. He'd been very clear on the dates, I just ended up mixing them up, only remembering that I was supposed to see him the last weekend of this month.

He called to figure out what on earth had happened, and I was in the process of explaining the above when the train went through a tunnel and lost network. I made small talk with my fellow passengers, and took to heart their advice to make a picnic out of my misfortune. Call it self_made_human's most spontaneous (and first) solo day trip. Not kidding about that, I'm not one for travel, and I never go any significant distances unless it's on some kind of vacation or to visit someone. This is quite literally the first time I've found myself in a different city with no plans or fixed agenda.

I'm furiously asking ChatGPT for advice on how to kill the time until I hear back from my friend regarding his ability to accommodate my stupidity. I've already promised to come visit again next weekend, as he'd already made time and spent money booking things for us to do.

So uh, what do I do now? Any suggestions? Tottenham looks profoundly uninspiring, and I don't even know what sport the local team, the Tottenham Hotspurs, even play. Worst case I go to a pub. Or maybe I wander around Central London, with far more discretionary spending potential than the last time I was here.

(My family is never going to let me live this down)

Edit:

If it wasn't Anita Sarkeesian I saw at the Tate Modern, then this lady is her long lost twin. I should have said hi.

Edit 2:

Brother, they're playing a film where a bunch of clean-shaven Asian twinks are jerking off with/to plants. Modern and postmodern art outdoes itself.

Are you not a member of the Royal Society of Medicine? The lounge is lovely to drink in and the rooms are very affordable by London standards.

Am I? If so, they never told me haha. I'm a member of the Royal College of Psychiatry, but that's an entirely different organization, without any lounge or drinks I'm afraid. I'll look into their more uxorious counterpart.

You have to apply and pay a subscription. It's essentially a private members club though they do have a small museum. After we moved out of London it was very convenient and affordable accommodation.

The Royal Overseas League is lovely for lunch and drinks outside, also need to be a member.

The Goodenough College Club also had very reasonable accommodation, they had a receipricol agreement with with the RSM or the RSOL I don't recall which.

Dangit I wish we had royal clubs in America.

royal

America

Wait, why do I hear musket fire in the distance?

Tottenham play football, and they're shit at it (they're Arsenal's old local rivals). Besides, I believe the team is on tour in Thailand right now, probably watching Asian twinks jerk off with plants.

If you're still in the area, after the Tate Modern I recommend walking down the river bank towards Westminster Bridge. It's definitely the prettiest and most interesting part of the river to walk along, and there are some good pubs near Waterloo Station if the walk gets you thirsty (sadly, my favourite, a railway arch pub entirely painted with murals of the Battle, seems to have closed).

with plants

If you're in Thailand, you might as well take advantage of the legality of marijuana!

Appreciate the advice, but thankfully my friend did confirm that I can meet him for dinner and crash at his. I've found a cozy bar, the White Hart, and am nursing a second beer. I'd have ordered a fourth or fifth drink by now, but I'm afraid that Asahi at £8 a pint is too rich for my blood. What the hell are these prices dawg.

A decent pub is never a terrible spot to be, hope you and your friend have a great time.

London prices are mad for, well, everything. Though, living in the US now, it's always a pleasure to just pay what my beer costs and not end up with an extra ~30% from tax and tip.

If you're in Thailand, you might as well take advantage of the legality of marijuana!

It was recriminalized a month ago.

Late on Tuesday, Thailand's health ministry issued an order prohibiting the sale of cannabis for recreational use and making it mandatory for any retail purchase to require a doctor's prescription.

The new rules will come into effect once they are published in the Royal Gazette, which could happen within days.

Sigh. I guess they'll have to settle for just the twinks and gas station boner pills.

Start in St John’s Wood or Primrose Hill, walk down through Regents Park, past the rose garden and the outdoor theater, down through Marylebone and some of Mayfair, then into Green and then St James’ park, then walk down along the Strand, stopping by whatever seems interesting. Then either take the district or circle line west, back to Hyde Park, to Chelsea and South Ken, past the museums (V&A if you haven’t been), all of Chelsea is pretty nice in summer especially if it’s sunny this afternoon.

Or walk down to the Embankment or Westminster pier, take the thames boat (now branded “uber boat” due to sponsorship but its regular public transport) to Greenwich, see the Cutty Sark and the naval college and the date line, have a pint at the Trafalgar, take the boat back.

Thank you! I'm currently at Borough Market, suffering from sensory overload. I'll see how my legs hold up after I've had something to eat.

pretty nice in summer especially if it’s sunny this afternoon

The opposite, unfortunately. Tottenham was positively dystopian due to the overall bleakness and the rather concerning number of schizophrenics on the loose. Clouds as far as the London Eye can see.

Tottenham is one of the worst parts of London, sadly.

The Piccadilly area is pretty nice for shopping: it’s got a couple of good, big bookshops (Hatchard’s especially), Fortnum & Mason’s for food, and Jermyn street etc. for top-end clothes, jackets etc. (I think you were quite interested in fashion but maybe not that kind?)

Very crowded and expensive obviously, but nice.

Or there’s the historical stuff: go to Bank and see the old City of London, or to Westminster/St. James’ Park.

I'd be very leery about calling myself interested in fashion. I buy two, maybe three, articles of clothing a year, but I do try to make sure I look good in them.

Visiting the book shops might not hurt, but I haven't bought a dead tree book (that wasn't a textbook) in almost a decade. Libgen rules.

Thanks!

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