• gerikson@awful.systems
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    7 months ago

    “Our critics are mocking us for spending all the mosquito-net money on a castle!”

    “It’s not a castle, it’s a stately home, a manor house.”

    “That still sounds too posh!”

    “OK how about ‘detached house’? Just don’t mention it has 27 bedrooms…”

    • David Gerard@awful.systemsOPM
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      7 months ago

      from the estate agents’ site:

      This is a magical building in the Oxfordshire countryside, set high above the River Thames. There is a romance to the building, with its turreted, castle-like appearance, and uninterrupted views of the spires of Oxford.

      it’s not a castle! it’s just got certain castle-like characteristics

      • froztbyte@awful.systems
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        7 months ago

        from that language I’m reminded of the artist who went undercover as a billionaire, along with another article I read somewhere but lost the link to

        so many of these places selling vibes and ideas. they’re not residences, they’re showpieces. they’re “it’s got an indoor cinema and 5 private bars and …” flexing

        fucking inane

  • swlabr@awful.systems
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    7 months ago

    Before clicking in, I was convinced that “RightMove” was some new treacles aligned community and was trying to make sense of the name

  • David Gerard@awful.systemsOPM
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    7 months ago

    Doug Clow on Twitter:

    I have no deep observation here but I do like to call the EA Wytham Abbey project the Bayesian Priory and the window for that appears to be closing.

  • flere-imsaho@awful.systems
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    7 months ago

    if i wouldn’t know from @titotal@awful.systems that it’s undoubtfully a manor house, i’d think it’s a fucking castle.

    (btw, did we ever hear back from the person after they decided to go full tescreal on their popular website?)

    • Soyweiser@awful.systems
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      7 months ago

      I think the whole house / castle thing is another one of those annoying Rationalist things. The desire to be technically correct in such a way that the big picture disappears, if you call it a castle or not it isn’t important. And stuff like this leads to pretty shitty places, so you end up having long posts over ‘is testing yourself for genetic diseases eugenics or not’ while missing the bigger picture that the people who are having this discussion with you want to normalize eugenics again.

    • skillissuer
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      7 months ago

      from few encounters it really seems like he dips into the void for weeks randomly. after he wanted to have something explained over matrix he didn’t reply for like two four months. really taking instant out of instant messaging

  • gerikson@awful.systems
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    7 months ago

    Y’all owe to yourself to read the extended copy

    In 1923, the 7th Earl of Abingdon sold the Abbey to Raymond ffennell, who made further but comparatively modest alterations – these included the addition of the loggia at the south end, and a small extension to the rear of the butler’s house.

    It’s like a parody of a certain English novel but real.

    • sc_griffith@awful.systems
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      7 months ago

      england is the uncontested master of self parody imo. what other country would give someone a government position because they’re the “baroness chisholm of owlpen”

  • antifuchs@awful.systems
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    7 months ago

    Looking through the photos, I find a “library” with two not-very-long shelves in it. That tracks with the occupants’ tastes