BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Jul 20 - 12:43 AM

It occurred to me today that I had a long-running thread called "I Read it in the Newspaper" that Joe closed because it was brutalized by spammers. I just took a look, and he's right - there were sometimes a couple dozen a day by the same spammer. Lots of porn links. Yuck. That was back when the BS section was open to non-members to post there. The last post was in August 2016.

The world has certainly changed in nearly-four years. In ways few of us could have predicted.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Donuel
Date: 08 Aug 16 - 12:32 PM

The News is calling for drenching downpours in Florida this week.

I suspect a hundred year flood of an already sea flooded Fla.

Look at the Doppler yourself.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Aug 16 - 06:24 PM

It didn't look remotely like her, anyway.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: keberoxu
Date: 07 Aug 16 - 03:53 PM

Scary Lucy has been taken down from the pedestal.
Four years ago, a commissioned sculpture of Lucille Ball went up in a public park not far from her birthplace. Between then and now, opposition to the statue has reached such a pitch that the sculptor received death threats.
It is easy to find photos of Scary Lucy online. These images remind me that Lucille Ball, like many another comic, channeled aggression into her humor. Which is to say, the sculptor did an accurate representation of a comedy subtext that many people do not like shoved right in their faces.
The new Lucille Ball looks like Shirley Jones about to burst into song in "Oklahoma," I have to say.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: keberoxu
Date: 04 Aug 16 - 08:47 PM

Heard on radio, actually, before looking it up.

Building a casino on Boston Harbor has been a big negotiation process. Looks like it might actually happen although some permits and permissions are not official yet.

This is what made me do a double take:
The company (Wynn) is using the site of a former Monsanto Company chemical plant. The construction process will include digging up an estimated 500,000 tons of polluted soil, and having it trucked away to officially designated (don't know how) landfills in other states and across the border to Quebec.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 27 Nov 14 - 12:24 AM

A koala climbs down from a tree, walks on the beach & watches the sea

Australian Broadcasting Commission North Queensland's Jamie Rule was on holiday with his family on Magnetic Island when a koala climbed down from a tree and went for a wander on the beach.

James Cook University's Professor Andrew Krockenberger and his team of researchers have been studying Magnetic Island's koala population for the past six years.   (read on - photos & video)

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 06 Aug 14 - 05:40 AM

here I am, back at my favourite thread!
Train rescue: Commuters use people power to trapped free man People power has been used to free a man who became trapped between the platform and a train at a Perth station this morning.

Scores of passengers, together with staff at Stirling station, managed to tilt the carriage so the man could free his leg which was wedged in the gap.

The man was boarding a Perth-bound train at about 8:50am when he slipped and became stuck.

Transperth spokesman David Hynes said the man was boarding at the tail end of peak hour, but the train was still fairly busy.

"He stood in the doorway and as he was sort of taking up his position there, one leg slipped outside the door, slipped outside the gap, and he was stuck," he said.

"We alerted the driver, made sure the train didn't move.

"Then our staff who were there at the time got the passengers, and there were lots of them, off the train, and organised them to sort of rock, tilt the train backwards away from the platform so they were able to get him out and rescue him."

Mr Hynes said the train was stationary when he slipped.

An ambulance was called but the man was not taken to hospital. It is believed he did not sustain serious injuries.

Mr Hynes said it was not a problem caused by overcrowding.

He praised the actions of staff and passengers who assisted in freeing the man.

"Everyone sort of pitched in," he said.

"It was people power that saved someone from possibly quite serious injury."

CCTV footage

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 27 May 14 - 02:35 AM

Australia - Rock art - First contact with Europeans through Indigenous eyes A series of rediscovered images reveals how Indigenous people viewed early European settlers. As Belinda Tromp writes photographer David Hancock, along with Indigenous elders, travelled to remote parts of the Arnhem Land plateau to unearth these rock paintings.

The painting inside a rock overhang shows a man with unusual headwear riding a horse.

The man is thought to be Ludwig Leichhardt, portrayed by an Aboriginal artist who observed the explorer passing through this remote Arnhem Land plateau in 1845. Having lost his hat early in his expedition, Leichhardt wore a canvas bag as a head covering.

Cleary the artist was fascinated by the horse, depicting the mare's wide stiff legged stance as it urinated.

In another rock painting, six men in wide-brimmed hats stand on a boat under a sunshade slung between sails. Along the deck are cargo boxes. Again the artist recalled in great detail what he'd seen - the vessel has an anchor chain and one of the men smokes a pipe.

These two paintings are among hundreds dotted across the vast Arnhem Land plateau east of Darwin that record the arrival of Europeans through indigenous eyes. (read on)

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 23 Apr 14 - 08:55 PM

Anzac Day: World War I replica sheepskin vests show home front support An Anzac centenary project is shining a light on the ingenuity, generosity and compassion of Australians who supported World War I diggers from the home front.

A digger wrote home to his family, "It feels like it's soaked up the Australian sunshine."

It was perhaps the most evocative testimonial to the morale-boosting properties of sheepskin vests that were distributed to every Australian soldier who fought in the 1914-18 war.

John Gillam and Yvonne Fletcher came across it while researching a book, Men in Sheepskin - The Centenary of the Digger's Vest, about this often-overlooked act of warmth that brought great comfort to the diggers during the bone-chilling winters of World War I.

Mr Gillam says more than 100,000 soldiers from all armies died from the cold during the winter of 1916-17 - which at the time was the worst freeze to hit Europe for 60 years.

Grim reality of hostile terrain and weather

Ms Fletcher says diggers spent days and weeks standing in muddy trenches and virtually freezing to death.
Video: ANZAC Day: The sheepskin vests that saved lives (ABC News)

"In a letter home in March 1917, Private Dudley Parker said the water was often so deep he needed gum boots up to his waist," she said .

"He joked to his family that someone thought they'd seen a submarine."

Behind that black humour was the unrelentingly grim reality of a war being waged a long way from home, in unfamiliar terrain and in hostile weather.

John Land, curator of the Australian Army Infantry Museum at the Lone Pine Barracks in Singleton, says a lack of adequate warm clothes spurred local communities into action.

"As the war and the winters rolled on, family and friends of Australian servicemen and women rallied to the cause, knitting socks and scarves and balaclavas, anything to keep them warm," he said.

Ms Fletcher says then they borrowed an idea they had seen used by other armies: sheep and goat-skin fleeces.

"Various prototypes were produced for public comment before settling on a practical and robust design that included a high collar around the neck and a low-cut back to protect the kidneys," she said.
Army of volunteers

Woolgrowers gave the campaign some real momentum by donating half a million sheepskins.

Wool brokers collected them, arranged tanning, and the Red Cross then co-ordinated an army of volunteers to stitch them together.

"Everything was easy to hand - even the belts and buckles were horse bridles," Mr Gillam said.

"Each vest took three sheepskins and they worked out at seven shillings each - around a days' pay at that time."

Sheep were not only involved in the production of the clothes, they also featured in the fundraising side of things.

"The young children of one farmer from Braidwood ... took their pet lamb to the saleyards to raise money for the soldier's vests," Ms Fletcher said.

"Of course it was auctioned over and over again. Nobody wanted that sheep and in the end the auctioneer gave the children back their lamb - and the eight pounds they'd raised."

'From the farm gate to the front'

And now that very tangible Anzac link between the bush and the battlefields of Europe is being celebrated with the production and sale of Diggers Vests in the lead-up to the Gallipoli Centenary.

The authors say it turned out to be a bit like the search for the Tasmanian Tiger.

"Could we bring this thing back to life in time for the Gallipoli Centenary and could we find someone who could accurately replicate the original sheepskin vests?" Mr Gillam said.

They are being manufactured by Mortels Sheepskins at Thornton in the Hunter Valley, and part of the proceeds will go to Defence Care, a charity that looks after defence personnel and their families.

Tony Mortel says he is honoured the family company is able to be part of such a memorable project and delighted that one of the vests has been presented to the Australian Army Infantry Museum at Singleton.

"It honours not only the efforts of our fighting men and women in the First World War, but the remarkable volunteer effort that stretched all the way from the farm gate to the front," he said.

- Watch Pete Lewis's full report "Stitch in Time" on Landline at midday on Sunday on ABC1.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 25 Mar 14 - 12:16 AM

Escaped water buffaloes wander down busy inner suburban street Firefighters have rounded up two water buffaloes that escaped a film set and were running through the inner-city Sydney suburb of Newtown.

Pictures of the animals running down one of the suburb's busiest streets, King Street, were shared on social media as they surprised motorists earlier this morning.

Abril Felman witnessed the havoc on King Street at Newtown and described the scene to the ABC.

"They were just on the streets, just running," she said.

"Cars were just stopped and watching them go through, and there was this jeep with filming equipment running behind them."

Later, Fire and Rescue New South Wales said a crew - who happened to be returning to base at the time - noticed the animals on Carillon Avenue.

"The firefighters have used a bit of initiative," said spokesman Ian Krimmer.

"They've taken some of the ladders off the fire trucks and used those as moveable gates to corral the two buffalo into a front yard of a house."

Animal handlers arrived and took them away about an hour later.

It is understood the water buffaloes escaped from a set at nearby Sydney Park. (photos & video)

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Mar 14 - 12:49 AM

Sandra, I found that off to the side after reading your story about the stolen piece of ore. What a lot of work and what a lot of damage some fools will do in idiotic get rich schemes.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 03 Mar 14 - 09:32 PM

Stilly, it's good to see you are getting your news from my favourite source!

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Mar 14 - 03:18 PM

Snake vs Crocodile: A Dramatic Showdown

Two photographers (folks with camera phones, I suspect) snapped some epic photos recently. The cutlines tell most of the story, but there is a bit of article below the photos.

Ms Corlis says the scuffle attracted a lot of attention, with several people taking pictures on their smart phones. She says everyone got quite close to the action. "We were probably a little too brave, a little too crazy," she said.

She says the sight became even more interesting once the snake had finished eating. "You could see the crocodile in the snake's belly which I think was probably the more remarkable thing. You could actually see its legs and see its scales and everything, it was just amazing."

Ms Corlis says the incident has not discouraged her from swimming at Lake Moondarra in the future. "I think I'll just send someone else in first."

(I revised their non-paragraph breaks between sentences for readability.)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Ed T
Date: 02 Mar 14 - 07:05 PM

diabetes medical news 

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Ed T
Date: 01 Mar 14 - 03:22 AM

Li Ka-shing, Asia's richest man on Hong Kong's future 

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 17 Feb 14 - 12:49 AM

Thieves steal Bendigo rock from Canberra's National Rock Garden A quartz rock weighing three-quarters of a tonne has been stolen from the National Rock Garden in Canberra.

The National Rock Garden is designed to showcase rocks from all over Australia.

The stolen rock from Bendigo was donated by a mining company to symbolise Victoria's gold rush history.

Rock Garden chairman Brad Pillans says flecks of gold in the rock may have attracted thieves.

'They've trucked the rock away. They may well try to crush it up and extract the gold," he said.

"The silly thing is they've caused thousands of dollars of damage to the exhibition and taken a rock which will be very difficult to replace, all for perhaps $200 worth of gold."

Professor Pillans says some of the rocks in the garden are up to 16 tonnes in weight.

"The display actually consisted of three rocks, one of which is six tonnes, so that wasn't touched," he said.

"But the most spectacular rock, which was actually mounted on top of the larger rock and secured with three metal pins, would have required a crane."

Professor Pillans is urging Canberrans to keep an eye out for the rock which is predominantly white in colour.

"It would be a bit unusual for your neighbour to turn up with a big white rock," he said.

"If someone's seen a big white rock unloaded in someone's front garden we'd like to hear about it."

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: GUEST,Musket
Date: 22 Jan 14 - 06:12 AM

I recall the comic, the late Linda Smith say that when she lived near to where I come from, she saw a headline on the front of the local paper.

Worksop man dies from natural causes.

Ok, not recent but presumably still the topic of conversation in the pubs and clubs around town. The last thing anything there happened of note is when as a compere, I was on stage in Worksop introducing Harvey Andrews and the microphone picked up a huge fart as I was walking on....   400 people, most actually knew me... in that theatre that night.

Still, at least it wasn't at the end of his set......

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Jan 14 - 06:13 PM

That's a great story, thanks!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 21 Jan 14 - 02:07 AM

Emus take a dip at Monkey Mia Warm weather in Western Australia's Shark Bay region has attracted some unusual beach goers to Monkey Mia.

With the mercury hovering around the 40s early this week, local Katie Hughes says five emus decided to take a dip and cool their heels yesterday.

"It was really really hot, probably around 41 degrees, and we noticed them having a stroll along beach," she said.

"They got to the water's edge, had a look, had a look at each other and then in they went!

"They crouched down and had a bit of a roll around to cool off.

"It was awesome, I just had to take a photo."

Ms Hughes says the emus are regular visitors to the beach but she has never seen them go for a swim.

It's the height of wildlife season in Monkey Mia, which attracts plenty of tourists for its dolphins.

"There are tonnes of other animals around at the moment," said Ms Hughes.

"We've got a good selection of dolphins and dugongs, we're seeing them every day and they're pretty rare.

"We've got a couple of species of turtles, sharks and an amazing number of rays too."

The Bureau is forecasting cooler weather for the region for the rest of this week, with temperatures dropping to the 30s.


(38C = 100F, 41 = around 113F nasty hot weather, low humidity

youtube has a few videos of emus swimming

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 13 Sep 13 - 10:34 PM

100-year-old woman shows up for show and tell A brother and sister bring in their 100-year-old family friend to school as part of show and tell.

I loved the questions

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: GUEST,Ed T
Date: 01 Sep 13 - 04:16 PM

The study documents in humans what neuroscientists have reported for some time: animals' sodium (salt) intake is controlled by networks in the brain and not by the salt in one's food. The findings have important implications for future U.S. nutrition policy directed at sodium intake.

Findings from the new study, entitled "Normal Range of Human Dietary Sodium Intake: A Perspective Based on 24-hour Urinary Sodium Excretion Worldwide," is published online in advance of the print edition of the American Journal of Hypertension


Salt and the body

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Sep 13 - 10:24 AM

Uneasy sits . . .

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 01 Sep 13 - 04:40 AM

Rise of computerised toilets leads to hacking concerns The rise of computerised toilets in Japan has sparked concerns by a US security company that the devices could be hacked by saboteurs who could make the commodes repeatedly flush or squirt water at the user.

sandra (with nothing to say about this topic)

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 07 Aug 13 - 08:33 PM

'Fatberg' the size of a double-decker bus pulled from London sewer A 15-tonne ball of congealed food fat, dubbed Britain's biggest ever "fatberg", has been dredged up from a London sewer.

It took 10 days to remove the double-decker-bus-sized lump of food fat mixed with other waste, chiefly sanitary wipes, from under a major road in Kingston, southwest London, according to Utility company Thames Water.

Thames Water says it is the biggest lump of fat ever removed from the drains.

Left there much longer, it could have caused raw sewage to start flooding homes, streets and businesses throughout the area. (read on)

for some strange reason the video has been removed by the user, but a CCTV picture is still available

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 14 Jul 13 - 07:00 AM

not BS, but definitely worth recording Australia's biggest orchestra breaks world record

Australia has a new world record with more than 7,200 musicians joining the World's Biggest Orchestra event at Brisbane's Lang Park.

As the conductor said, he was going to be conducting very basic ...

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: GUEST,Ed T
Date: 11 Jul 13 - 06:07 PM

Sorry, cookie issues. last Guest was me.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Jul 13 - 06:06 PM

""TORONTO - Forcing would-be Canadians to pledge allegiance to the Queen before they can become citizens is discriminatory and a violation of their constitutional rights, three permanent residents are set to argue in court on Friday.

All maintain they oppose the oath on religious or conscientious grounds, saying pledging allegiance to Canada should be sufficient.""


Canada-Is oath to queen discriminatory?

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Jul 13 - 12:01 AM

Seattle's Secret Beach

You knew this one had to be a stunt.

When you and the rest of Seattle are fighting for space at Golden Gardens on a hot day, ever wish you knew of a local secret beach? Apparently, one exists.

Of course, you can't go there, or tell anyone about it, because then it wouldn't be a secret, right?

According to Everyone's Travel Club, a Seattle-based travel blog, the secret beach is near a Shilshole breakwater, emerging only at low tide and accessible only by kayaks and other tiny boats. For directions and photos that look like paradise, read more here.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Jul 13 - 10:50 PM

""Minnesota town has 4-year-old boy as mayor""
4 year old mayor

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Jul 13 - 10:33 PM

""It may then come as a surprise that militant Buddhist groups in Burma (Myanmar) are actively persecuting the minority Muslim population. In stark contrast to the Saffron Revolution of 2007 when Buddhist monks marched peaceably with their alms bowls, Buddhist mobs, led by the radical monk Ashin Wirathu, have so far killed more than 200 Muslims and forced more than 150,000 from their homes. But many are asking how the 45-year old monk, dubbed the "Buddhist Bin Laden", has been able to galvanise such high levels of religious intolerance from the Buddhist community?""


Militant Buddhism?

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 10 Jul 13 - 09:47 PM

Danny Deckchair

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Jul 13 - 04:43 PM

Lawn chair balloonist says flying days are done

From the article:

A La Center, Wash., man launched his own lawn chair balloon last month to celebrate his 60th birthday. He managed to fly 24 miles before getting stuck in a tree, far short of his goal of more than 250 miles.

Couch said the FAA interviewed him after some of his previous flights, but this is the first time it levied a fine.

In his 2006 flight, Couch traveled 99 miles before the balloons started popping and he had to bail out. In 2007, he flew 193 miles before running low on helium and landing in the sagebrush of Eastern Oregon.

In 2008, he floated at 35 mph across the high desert and landed in a pasture in the farming community of Cambridge, Idaho, after pulling out his trusty BB rifle and shooting enough balloons to come to earth. The lawn chair from that flight is in a museum.

He was at it again in 2010 when he raced another law chair balloonist on a flight that went about 70 miles.

Read the rest online. Isn't there an Australian movie about a lawn chair guy? One of the stars was the roommate from Nottinghill and the woman was Eowyn in the two last Lord of the Rings films.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 07 Jul 13 - 06:06 PM

Here's one for ya'.............

Some heads should roll for this one!

GfS

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Jul 13 - 10:45 AM

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2075435/Husband-chops-wifes-fingers-stop-studying-degree.html

How utterly awful. How small and petty this man.

'I've got a surprise for you': Husband blindfolds his wife.... and then chops off her fingers to stop her studying for a degree

A jealous husband is facing life in prison after chopping off his wife's fingers because she began studying for a degree without his permission.
Rafiqul Islam, 30, blindfolded his wife Hawa Akhter, 21, and taped her mouth, telling her he was going to give her a surprise present.
Instead he made her hold out her hand and cut off all five fingers. One of his relatives then threw Ms Akhter's fingers in the dustbin to ensure doctors could not reattach them.

Read the rest online. How awful - not only that he did it, but that his family was complicit and helped his plan work.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Jul 13 - 01:22 AM

Car drives several miles with dog trapped under hood

DANIA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — South Florida firefighters came to the rescue of a dog that traveled 5 miles while trapped under the hood of a car.

The Broward Sheriff's Office says firefighters were called Thursday afternoon to Dania Beach to free the dog. The animal had been trapped between the car's axle and steering mechanism.

A sheriff's office spokesman says the dog suffered no injuries, even though it had been driven roughly 5 miles from Hallandale Beach.

It wasn't immediately clear how the dog became trapped.


Poor thing!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Jul 13 - 03:10 PM

I imagine that all of those houses were hit by the ice. The videographer's ability to speculate on what might happen in a few more minutes seems to be broken.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: gnu
Date: 03 Jul 13 - 08:32 AM

Sandra... cool, thanks.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 03 Jul 13 - 07:54 AM

Dog suits up for a day in the hives Working dogs have always been a revered part of life in rural Australia.

Australia's 'winery dogs' have several volumes of books documenting their role in the vineyards.

But to date, little has been said for the apiary dog.

More than likely, that's because dogs can't get near a hive of bees without being aggressively chased away.

This was the problem beekeeper Josh Kennett encountered when he began training a black Labrador to sniff out the nasty bee disease American foulbrood.

The beekeeper, from Tintinara in South Australia's south-east, says that while there are dogs doing similar work in the United States, the cold temperatures there negate the need for protection.

"Their winters are far colder than ours, with snow over the top of beehives. We don't have that situation here in South Australia.

"So I've tried to develop a suit the dog can wear and hopefully avoid being stung."

Mr Kennett says after a long process of trial and error, he's finally got a working prototype.

The process of training his dog and developing the suit has been an attempt to find a better way of controlling American foulbrood.

The disease devastates beehives, and to date there's no cure for it, so good control and quarantine are essential in apiaries across Australia.

After a lengthy training regime, and with a suit ready to go, Mr Kennett's dog is ready for action.

"We've now proven the concept, he can find the infected hives.

"The only challenge now is getting the dog comfortable with the suit. It's hard to change a dog's habits overnight.

"To fully cover a dog up and expect it to do the same thing, it takes time to change how he behaves and to get used to that suit."

click on link to see a pic of the dog in suit.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 13 May 13 - 05:01 AM

wonderful!


The emu wars When the army was sent in to deal with a problem flock of emus, they didn't expect that the birds would fight back.

For those not in the know, the emu is the second largest flightless bird in the world.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Bill D
Date: 12 May 13 - 10:44 PM

I saw this 'small' looking parking place, and was late to class...but my old '56 VW bus was easy to steer, and I could look almost straight down in front. (later models had more 'front' in front.) So, I eased in....back until I just gently touched the car in back, then forward (turning sharply) until I heard metal touch metal in front... then repeat...and repeat... more times than usual- maybe 10-12 back & forth- until I could see I was straight. Got out and looked--- the car in back had a pointy hood (bonnet)and my vertical rear door was about 1/4" from it. Went to front...and laughed- my front bumper had a broken mount and was wired on for safety with baling wire, but sagged. It seems that every time I went forward, that bumper slipped a tiny bit UNDER the bumper of the car in front! When I stopped, it extended under that bumper.
The car in back was last in line, so it had no issues, but the car in front 'probably' had no room to get out. That was the only time I ever found a note both congratulating me and calling me a bad name.

I always wish I'd had a camera along.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 12 May 13 - 08:01 PM

Video shows ice rolling into Minnesota homes Ever wonder what a glacier might look like if it moved a little faster?

This video shows what happens when ice begins to melt on a frozen lake, and strong winds push it across the ice that remains – straight onto the lakeshore and into houses.

This event was at Izaty's Resort on Mille Lacs Lake in Minnesota on Saturday, May 11.

A similar event took place on Alberta Beach in Canada last week.

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 12 May 13 - 09:56 AM

Bill D said -

I once parked my VW bus in a space 2 inches shorter than itself....

I ask -
was the space improperly measured? or did you remove a bumper before/while parking?

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Bill D
Date: 11 May 13 - 10:25 AM

YouTube is full of videos of often hilarious parking attempts from various countries.

*I* learned to (parallel)park at my university, where parking was permitted on both sides of a one-way street, and failed attempts led to backups behind you. You either get good at it, or you get a reputation. I got VERY good.
I once parked my VW bus in a space 2 inches shorter than itself....

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 May 13 - 07:46 PM

Oh, my! That bit about opening the door and hanging out a foot - not something covered in my driver's ed class!

Thanks for the reminder that this thread was here - facebook has kind of taken over for the sharing of oddball stuff.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 10 May 13 - 06:19 AM

Student driver's lucky escape
Student driver s lucky escape

The cars after the failed parking attempt. Picture: Jaimie Perry

Every now and then, a driver misjudges a parking attempt - some more often than others.

Sometimes, we get it so wrong that we hit the car next to us, and if we're honest, we leave our details on the windscreen.

But this morning at a Perth university, a 20-year-old student left a whole lot more than his details.

Staff member Jaimie Perry witnessed the failed parking attempt and still can't quite get his head around it.

"The guy was reversing and he decided to open his door and hang his right foot out, with his left foot on the accelerator," he said.

"Maybe he couldn't see properly so he had his head right out of the door.

"You know how you don't have as much control with your other foot? Well, he's accidentally floored it and just catapulted onto the other car.

"It's really mystifying. The curb is sloped and I think he just hit it at pace and got airborne."

While the accident might have provided some excitement for those watching on, the driver was left with a damaged car, a sore leg and a bruised ego.

"The leg that was dangling out got caught between the tree and the door, unfortunately," Mr Perry said.

"(It) could have been a lot worse".

St John Ambulance took the student to Joondalup Hospital for treatment.   (see picture)

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 16 Feb 13 - 07:49 PM

I saw this in a collection of user-submitted photos - TV survives floods - A man uses a spa cover as a raft to move a television through floodwaters at Beenleigh, south of Brisbane, on January 29, 2013.

rest of photos here -
here

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Feb 13 - 04:42 PM

The Vacation from Hell

MOBILE, ALA. — The miserable passengers aboard the ill-fated Carnival cruise ship were slowly making their long journey home Thursday after crews replaced a broken tow line, another bad break that briefly set the ship adrift off the Alabama coast.

As passengers came within sight of land and a cellphone signal, a clearer picture of the scene aboard the ship began to emerge. They described overflowing toilets, sewage backed up in showers, scarce food, people getting sick and a tent city on what was supposed to be a tanning deck. What began as a four-day voyage in the Gulf of Mexico had turned into a vacation nightmare, not at all the luxury cruise touted in brochures.

The more than 4,000 people who left Galveston, Texas, a week ago were expected to make it to shore Thursday night at the earliest - only to then face an hours-long bus ride or other travel hassles to finally get back home. Frustrations with the cruise line were simmering on and off the ship, as passengers and their relatives questioned why it has taken so long to get back to dry land after an engine-room fire disabled the ship Sunday.

"There's poop and urine all along the floor," Renee Shanar, of Houston, said from her cellphone aboard the ship. "The floor is flooded with sewer water ... and we had to poop in bags."

The ship was in sight of the Alabama shore Thursday afternoon when the tow line broke, leaving it briefly dead in the water, Coast Guard Petty Officer William Colclough said. It wasn't immediately clear how long the broken line had delayed the trip home.

The 14-story ship still has to negotiate a tricky, shallow shipping channel before it can dock. Before the line broke, the ship was traveling about 5 mph.

Television images from CNN showed passengers with signs of "Help" and "I love you" hanging from their cabin rooms. Others walked around the deck, some waving to the helicopters flying above. People in boats, presumably officials from Carnival, the Coast Guard and Customs, have boarded the ship.

Shanar, who is on the ship with her husband, said the couple had a cabin with no windows, so they have been sleeping outside for days. She said the food has been distributed on the 9th floor, and some of the elderly have needed younger people to bring it to them. They were initially only given cold cuts, like turkey and vegetable sandwiches. Then another cruise line dropped off hamburgers and chicken sandwiches, but the line for that fare was nearly four hours long.

"And then people started getting sick from the food," she said.

The company has disputed the accounts of passengers who describe the ship as filthy, saying employees are doing everything to ensure people are comfortable.

Terry Thornton, senior vice president for Carnival Cruiselines, said they received an extra generator that allowed them to serve hot food on the ship Wednesday night, and that the food services will be fully operational when they are docked.

That isn't expected until at least 8 p.m., perhaps later. The massive ship still needs to make turns and navigate cross currents on its way to the port - all without the help of its engines.

"This is going to be a long day," Thornton said. "There is no way we can speed up the process."

When passengers arrive in Alabama, their stay will be short. Carnival said in a statement late Wednesday that passengers were being given the option of boarding buses directly to Galveston, Texas, or Houston - a roughly seven-hour drive - or taking a two-hour bus ride to New Orleans, where the company said it booked 1,500 hotel rooms. Those staying in New Orleans will be flown Friday to Houston. Carnival said it will cover all the transportation costs.

"I can't imagine being on that ship this morning and then getting on a bus," said Kirk Hill, whose 30-year-old daughter, Kalin Christine Hill, is on the cruise. "If I hit land in Mobile, you'd have a hard time getting me on a bus."

Hill is booking a flight from Amarillo, Texas, to New Orleans to meet his daughter when she gets there.

Vance Gulliksen, a Carnival spokesman, also said the company chose to bus people to New Orleans because it "offered additional capacity and flexibility which was important to us."

Thelbert Lanier was waiting at the Mobile port for his wife, who texted him early Thursday.

"Room smells like an outhouse. Cold water only, toilets haven't work in 3 1/2 days. Happy Valentines Day!!! I love u & wish I was there," she said in the text message, which was viewed by The Associated Press. "It's 4:00 am. Can't sleep...it's cold & I'm starting to get sick."

Robert Giordano, whose 33-year-old wife Shannon is aboard the cruise liner with a group of friends of hers from Edmond, Okla., said he has yet to speak to someone at Carnival. All his information has come through pre-recorded phone calls, the most recent one Wednesday afternoon when he was told the ship would "probably" arrive in Mobile late Thursday or early Friday. He got better information, he said, when the "Today" show called him.

"A complete utter surprise to me. I'm excited but I didn't know about that," Giordano said. "That's the biggest frustration for me now is that the media knows more than the family members do and certainly more than the passengers do on the ship."

Gulliksen said the company has tried to keep families updated and established a toll-free number for friends and relatives. Gulliksen said about 200 Carnival employees are in Mobile waiting to assist passengers upon their arrival, and some will go on board to assist when the ship sails in.

The ship left Galveston for a four-day cruise last Thursday with 3,143 passengers and 1,086 crew members. It was about 150 miles off Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula when an engine room fire knocked out its primary power source, crippling its water and plumbing systems and leaving it adrift on only backup power.

No one was injured in the fire, but a passenger with a pre-existing medical condition was taken off the ship as a precaution.

In Mobile, officials were preparing a cruise terminal that has not been used for a year to help passengers go through customs after their ordeal.

Mobile Mayor Sam Jones questioned the plan to bus passengers to other cities, saying the city has more than enough hotel rooms and its two airports are near the cruise terminal.

"We raised the issue that it would be a lot easier to take a five-minute bus ride than a two-hour bus ride" to New Orleans, Jones said. Jones said Carnival employees will be staying in Mobile.

Carnival Cruise Lines has canceled more than dozen more planned voyages aboard the Triumph and acknowledged that the crippled ship had been plagued by other mechanical problems in the weeks before the engine-room blaze. The National Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation.

Gulliksen said the Triumph's recent mechanical woes involved an electrical problem with the ship's alternator on the previous voyage. Repairs were completed Feb. 2, and the problem was not related to the fire, he said.

Passengers were supposed to get a full refund and discounts on future cruises, and Carnival announced Wednesday they would each get an additional $500 in compensation.

Once docked, the ship will be idle through April.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 25 Jan 13 - 11:05 PM

so just get swabbed & the info is available to read!

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Bill D
Date: 25 Jan 13 - 03:56 PM

Study: Digital information can be stored in DNA

Really... they converted 1s & 0s to DNA letters and stored it in a tiny piece of DNA... then read it.


Gives new meaning to "Hmmm... I've got the answer right on the tip of my tongue."

Subject: RE: BS: News of Note (was 'I Read it . . .')
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Jan 13 - 12:56 PM

Wow! What a clever idea for an outhouse shape. :)

SRS