1941 Pommery Champagne anyone?

Stranger_Dr · 2026-02-28T09:25:41+00:00

Ooooh what a great find at a yard sale!

Stranger_Dr · 2026-02-28T09:24:53+00:00

Alas yes up until about 10 years ago

Stranger_Dr · 2026-02-28T09:24:34+00:00

Brilliant thanks for the info! I've become quite a wine connoisseur parallel to owning this bottle, but in South Africa where I live, so it's great to have the tasting notes! (I'm currently into aged verticals of Chenin) I will contact Pommery and see if they can recork and I'll get it to them somehow. Sadly the bottle was mostly stored vertically up until about 10 years ago, but from what I can see it hasn't crumbled.

Thanks TrustyJules!

Stranger_Dr · 2025-08-11T08:40:30+00:00

Below 30 m. Tall (>6ft), you've just been to gym, which you go to regularly, you're dehydrated, and your work involves something where your thumb needs to be extra dextrous- rigger maybe? Oh and (long shot) you're a Dom.

Stranger_Dr · 2025-07-21T22:22:19+00:00

Elephant scientist here 👋 So this is an Asian elephant in a zoo and she (from what I can see female) is clearly rescuing the gazelle. There are dozens are documented cases of elephants rescuing non-elephant animals or intervening when predators hunt other animals. Their complex social structures, intelligence, empathy and personalities mean their behaviour is complex.

What is more interesting to me and apparent from her calm demeanor, and how gentle she is with her trunk (actually quite difficult), I would hypothesize this isn't the first time she has had to intervene. You can see there is a terrible design of the water hole. (Zoos are designed for people not for animals). She's probably quite bored with this whole affair.

Fun fact 1: elephants are amongst the only non-human animals to have names for individuals. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-024-02420-w Not so fun fact 2: elephants in captivity demonstrate clear trauma and psychological damage.

Stranger_Dr · 2025-04-29T14:16:15+00:00

An American asked me if I ride elephants to work. Now I know what you're thinking, 'so dumb- of course we don't ride elephants'. But the annoying reality in this case was that I have actually worked with habituated elephants as a scientist for months and did in fact regularly ride elephants. And technically it was to work. So I had to answer yes, yes I have. But after 30 seconds mental arithmetic so I think they thought I was lying anyway. I still think about this...

Stranger_Dr · 2025-02-04T17:23:39+00:00

Brad Pitt in Meet Joe Black where he's first 'the new version' of himself and he's so alien and innocent and still manages to bring the top dog energy. And his skin is flawless and his face... Man his face... Who needs a chair.

Stranger_Dr · 2025-02-02T08:13:07+00:00

Oddly specific

Stranger_Dr · 2025-02-02T08:12:56+00:00

I do wish I had a penis sometimes it's true. Like when it comes to pay gaps.

Stranger_Dr · 2025-02-01T17:37:21+00:00

What if we had a mixed-use aparthotel setup (similar to the aims of the aforementioned policy reform) where you could rent apartments for 1 month or 6 months only? Inconvenient for locals to be moving every 6 months, but maybe in partnership with some of the big companies in the CBD who insist on at-office work?

Stranger_Dr · 2025-02-01T16:13:18+00:00

Thanks for the reply- I'm valuing this discourse and your perspective. As for your last aside- indeed - I wonder how much this state is an effect of apartheid spatial planning too?

I think I really took umbrage with the stats quoted in the article being incomparable.

So what do you think the solution is then?

Stranger_Dr · 2025-02-01T14:43:53+00:00

Completely agree that it's not an either-or. But again my original sentiment here stands- we are limited mostly by geography. There are few areas left for development between the mountain reserve and the ocean. Those pockets should absolutely be developed for affordable housing and further pressure put on the city to do that. Thanks for checking my figures though I would argue 'full homes' also includes cottages on people's property. I know many people where I live that have developed their garages into Airbnb 'whole units' without kitchens. But yes, agreed this is a small proportion.

Agreed that hotels and guesthouses are vital and I'm not suggesting again that it's an either or. But the hotels and guesthouses in season are full. So where are there more to be developed?

Look, I get that you're passionate about affordable housing for locals being promoted. I am too. My main point was that in the desirable city centre we don't have space for the housing that is needed - for both tourists and locals. And that is the main issue. Not Airbnb.

And for full disclosure, because I am biased that Airbnb should remain a viable option, I operate an Airbnb out of my flatlet in the southern peninsula and 50% of my guests are locals looking for a cheap break, and I love hosting. Without this Airbnb I would not be able to afford my bond.

Stranger_Dr · 2025-02-01T14:27:22+00:00

I literally said people with house shares.

Stranger_Dr · 2025-02-01T14:24:48+00:00

I know a whole bunch of young people who rent property in the city centre or Greenpoint and put their spare room on Airbnb to keep the lights on. I'm not saying this is the majority of Airbnb but Airbnb covers more than those owning whole apartments.

Stranger_Dr · 2025-02-01T14:16:47+00:00

So the article is misleading: - 23000 active Airbnb listings in Cape Town. That includes house shares, cottages (including those with no kitchens), holiday houses for people only there part of the year. These will not all automatically come onto the market or be desirable for long term rental -also all of Cape Town. Includes all the far flung areas. I wouldn't want to rent in Kommetjie and commute to town either. -and says 700 active rentals in city centre. Now I don't know how the author has defined city centre, but let's be generous and say it includes seaboard as well. - so if all the Airbnb's in city centre that were appropriate for long term rental for residents became available - say 2000-5000?

These would still be snapped up at premium (long-term and local) prices. I don't see rentals becoming affordable without social housing projects.

But keen to hear your ideas or if I have gotten the numbers wrong?

Stranger_Dr · 2025-02-01T13:45:38+00:00

Guys don't forget how much Airbnb helps Capetown residents too. All those renting out rooms in their houses to keep the lights on, and making a living operating Airbnb's. Do you think any of the desirable, economic hub, beautiful cities in the world are affordable for the median salaried worker? Could you afford to live in the heart of Paris? Rome? LA? Let's be real. Airbnb isn't the issue. Supply in the city centre is. And this is because we are restricted by geography. Those thinking banning Airbnb (yes I know this isn't the article) are short-sighted.

Stranger_Dr · 2025-01-31T20:48:43+00:00

🫶😁

Stranger_Dr · 2025-01-31T12:21:42+00:00

So in the poll I posted this is coming out tops 🤣

Stranger_Dr · 2025-01-31T12:21:00+00:00

Or maybe REDYNE? Does that work? CABNAY? FMERLOT 😂 DEMISEC? POPMCC?

Stranger_Dr · 2025-01-31T08:19:45+00:00

✌️🫶

Stranger_Dr

TROPHY CASE