Random News not worthy of own thread

[Bishop149]

Modern society has made us uniquely ill-prepared for the only certainty in life, which is death. This is largely because we have become accustomed to being able avoid it, at least until we get to a ripe old age, but also probably has something to do with the fact that we are no longer comfortable with the mourning process, so it's become internalised and hidden away. The very last thing we need is something that interferes with that even more by allowing us to pretend that a death didn't happen. This has to be a case of, to quote Jurassic Park, "...scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should."

Absolutely, there is a whole field of study on this one (Thanatology).
Modern society at some point decided that death was something to be distanced and hidden away, in stark contrast to most of human history where it was treated as a central and important part of everyday life.

[Alan Phipps]

It's the modern equivalent of a so-called 'medium' holding a seance around a table for grieving relatives. It's probably just as unhealthy in terms of actual comfort and resolution provided, and is probably born out of exactly the same commercial rather than caring reasons too.

[Chips]

In other news, the storm means good people are put at risk trying to rescue or locate the truly retarded.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-englan ... ough-waves

The crew of Hastings lifeboat were called out to a surfer who had gone missing during Storm Ciara.

The lifeboat itself struggled through the waves, at one point nearly capsizing.

The surfer was later found conscious by rescuers about six miles away from where he entered the water.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland- ... s-51447226

Rescuers said four people helped from Ben Nevis were lucky to be alive.

They said the tourists who were caught in blizzard conditions had "no ice axes, no crampons and as far as we are aware, no maps". Three of them were wearing trainers.

Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team found them near the summit of the mountain.

All four were taken by helicopter from part-way down the mountain to be checked over at Belford Hospital in Fort William.

Inverness Coastguard helicopter, Rescue 151, could not be used near the summit because of the severity of the conditions.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-wales- ... ave-selfie

People were spotted "risking their lives" to take selfies on cliffs near Swansea.

Storm Ciara battered Wales over the weekend with strong winds and flooding.

Mumbles Coastguard cliff rescue team tweeted: "Whilst on patrol this afternoon we saw a few people risking their lives for a photo.

"This may seem like fun, but it just isn’t a good idea!

"It’s why we have highly trained Volunteer Coastguard Teams and Lifeboat Crew on call 24/7 ready to risk their lives to come and get you."

With the last one, if they'd been swept off by a big wave, they'd be dead against those rocks. The lifeboat would still try to recover them though...

Some people

[burger1]

'Mad Mike' Hughes, daredevil who built a homemade steam rocket, dies in launch attempt

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/23/us/m ... -dead.html

[fiksal]

'Mad Mike' Hughes, daredevil who built a homemade steam rocket, dies in launch attempt

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/23/us/m ... -dead.html

I saw that. Will anyone now prove that Earth is flat...

[Chips]

Bafflingly odd if accurate

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-52151951

A Venezuelan navy coastal patrol boat sank in the Caribbean after allegedly ramming a cruise ship that it had ordered to change direction.

The owners of the Portuguese-flagged RCGS Resolute said the naval vessel Naiguata also fired shots in an "act of aggression in international waters”.

The collision left the cruise ship, which has a reinforced hull for sailing in icy waters, with only minor damage.

[Mightysword]

Bafflingly odd if accurate

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-52151951

A Venezuelan navy coastal patrol boat sank in the Caribbean after allegedly ramming a cruise ship that it had ordered to change direction.

The owners of the Portuguese-flagged RCGS Resolute said the naval vessel Naiguata also fired shots in an "act of aggression in international waters”.

The collision left the cruise ship, which has a reinforced hull for sailing in icy waters, with only minor damage.

It's been reportedy pretty widely yesterday, the BBC probably posted it now after verifying it so it's probably accurate.
I think it's pretty funny.

[Gavrushka]

Apparently, Bernie Eccleston, aged 89, is going to be a father again.

It's amazing what you can do with a splint and bit of duct tape.

[Chips]

It's amazing what you can do with a splint and bit of duct tape.

You mean money, surely? Wait, marrying an 81 year old when 36 - such a cynic to think it's not for love

[Alan Phipps]

Given the Covid emergency, why would Venezuala want a foreign cruise ship to dock in their country anyway, even if they really did somehow suspect it of involvement in illegal activities against their hierarchy? The fact that it was all so close to Tortuga, the historic home of piracy for the area, is ironic.

[Gavrushka]

It's amazing what you can do with a splint and bit of duct tape.

You mean money, surely? Wait, marrying an 81 year old when 36 - such a cynic to think it's not for love

Yeah, money sure does alter your take on who you'll take to the altar.

I got an inkling of what filthy rich meant when Martin Brundle visited Bernie's home in South America, and Bernie showed Martin his coffee maker. It had its own room...

[Mightysword]

Given the Covid emergency, why would Venezuala want a foreign cruise ship to dock in their country anyway, even if they really did somehow suspect it of involvement in illegal activities against their hierarchy? The fact that it was all so close to Tortuga, the historic home of piracy for the area, is ironic.

It's not carrying any passengers. My guesses for the reasons are (in semi-tinfoil hat manner):

- They want to hold the ship for ransom.
- They want to hold the crew for ransom.
- They want some distraction for the mass.

Ironically the first 2 points would be basically the government itself want to commit piracy.
Now they got nothing, and 1 sunk patrol boat.

[red assassin]

I would pay a fairly significant amount of money for a recording from the patrol ship about when they realise that ramming an icebreaker may have been a bad idea.

[jlehtone]

Ironically the first 2 points would be basically the government itself want to commit piracy.

Wasn't Elisabeth I's England suspected of similar activities?

[pjknibbs]

The fact that it was all so close to Tortuga, the historic home of piracy for the area, is ironic.

Different Tortuga. The piracy one is north of Hispaniola, whereas this one is La Tortuga Island, off the Venezuelan coast.

[Alan Phipps]

Thanks for the clarification. So the piracy lair was in Haiti - but still not excessively far from Venezuala. Even with the incident being near the wrong location of that name, I still find that particular name's proximity rather ironic.

[Chips]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-52164358

Mobile phone masts have been torched and engineers abused over "baseless" theories linking coronavirus to 5G.

UK mobile network providers have warned against the spread of the theories after videos showing masts on fire were posted on social media.

Masts were set alight in Sparkhill, Birmingham, on Thursday and Melling, Merseyside, on Friday.

Trade body Mobile UK, which represents network providers, said the false rumours and theories were "concerning".

In a statement on Twitter, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said it was "aware of inaccurate information being shared online about 5G".

"There is absolutely no credible evidence of a link between 5G and coronavirus," it added.

I keep having to check dates to ensure it's not a late April Fools these stories are so idiotic.

[birdtable]

What is more scary is that these dimwits have the vote ..they have an impact on the governance of this country ..

[burger1]

Oil fell below zero dollars per barrel. Meaning that they had an excess and no where to store it. I wonder if any one got paid to take the oil? I think it hit -$40 usd.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/20/business ... index.html

[Alan Phipps]

Don't worry, as soon as end-user demand comes back up, prices for crude and at the pumps will skyrocket because everybody will no doubt want some at the same time.