BS: New news *not* about the virus

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Apr 24 - 04:44 PM

Elephant escapes circus, roams streets of Montana

I wish our Alice Flynn was still around to have shared this story with us!

A normal day in Montana took a turn when locals reported an unusual sighting: an elephant on the loose in Butte.

The incident was captured on video by stunned witnesses as the animal wove through traffic and stomped past a casino on Tuesday. A man, who appeared to be her handler, can be seen running alongside the large mammal.

“An elephant walking down the road,” a bystander can be heard saying in a video posted to Facebook by a user named Brittany McGinnis. “Oh my god,” the witness says, laughing.

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Apr 24 - 11:13 AM

This news isn't about COVID and I won't be so crass as to post it in the Good News thread:

O.J. Simpson, former football star acquitted of murder, dies at 76

O.J. Simpson, the former football great who was accused of and ultimately acquitted of the brutal 1994 slayings of his ex-wife and her friend, has died, according to his family. He was 76.

"On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace," a statement from his family said.

In May 2023, Simpson posted a video on X, then known as Twitter, revealing that he had recently "caught cancer" and "had to do the whole chemo thing." He added, "It looks like I beat it." Simpson didn't specify the nature of the cancer.

Then in February 2024, a Las Vegas television station reported that Simpson, then 76, was again undergoing treatment for an unspecified cancer. Simpson himself posted a video on X that day, denying rumors that he was in hospice care, though he did not otherwise confirm or deny reports that he was ill. Two days later in another video update on X, Simpson thanked those people he said had reached out to him, adding "My health is good. I mean, obviously I'm dealing with some issues but I think I'm just about over it."

There's more at the link, and some ABC news video.

Most of the links when I searched this story were to places like the Enquirer and NY Post. Such trash news sources that I'm sure they have more flagrant details.

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Mrrzy
Date: 11 Apr 24 - 08:28 AM

That was Geek Love.

Ukraine "lowers" draft age from 25 to 27?

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Mrrzy
Date: 04 Apr 24 - 08:32 PM

Nobody remembers Heek Love.

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Mar 24 - 10:11 PM

Musician creates GoFundMe page for ‘Banjo Boy’ from ‘Deliverance’ movie

Billy Redden, who played the teen character in the “Dueling Banjos” scene, is now retired in Rabun Gap with mounting medical bills.

A California bluegrass musician and fan of “Banjo Boy” Billy Redden from the Oscar-nominated movie “Deliverance” recently started a GoFundMe page to help the Georgia man, who is now 67 and suffering from medical problems.

Since March 4, the page has raised more than $16,000 from 500-plus donors.

At age 15, Redden was featured in the memorable “Dueling Banjos” scene in “Deliverance,” an action thriller in which four Atlanta men embark on what would become a deadly canoeing expedition in the north Georgia mountains.

Early in the film, the men stop at a gas station and spy Redden’s character Lonnie, who is on a nearby porch possessing a stony face, pale, flat eyes and a banjo. Bobby (Ned Beatty) looks at Lonnie and disparagingly says: “Talk about genetic deficiencies — isn’t that pitiful?”

But when Drew Ballinger, played by newcomer Ronny Cox, whips out a guitar and strums a chord, Redden quickly responds with a matching chord. They then joyfully trades riffs for several minutes. “You play a mean banjo!” Drew says with glee, then goes to shake Lonnie’s hand. But Lonnie doesn’t respond in kind, looking away instead.

Interesting, I follow Ronnie Cox on Facebook and he noticed a photo from filming the movie turning up in his feed, but didn't know why. I shared this article over there - perhaps he'll contribute.

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Donuel
Date: 29 Mar 24 - 06:27 PM

We have coyotes here although I have only seen one. A couple of ladies have been bitten by coyotes this week.

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Mrrzy
Date: 29 Mar 24 - 04:53 PM

Oh, I read about that too. Remember Geek Love?

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Mar 24 - 11:53 AM

I've never heard of these two, apparently "reality TV stars," but it is the oddest story I've read in a long time. There are links to a Facebook page and other aspects of the story. Conjoined Twin Abby Hensel Got Married in a 2021 Wedding Ceremony

The Hensels are dicephalus conjoined twins, a rare form of partial twinning with two heads side by side on one torso. They share a bloodstream and all organs below the waist. Abby controls their right arm and leg, while Brittany controls the left.

So many questions. . .

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Mrrzy
Date: 28 Mar 24 - 10:38 AM

Also dead is Kahneman, of Tversky fame. Psychology great.

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Donuel
Date: 27 Mar 24 - 09:06 PM

When the 100,000 ton ship full of trucks in containers hit the 10 ton pylon the ship won.
The inspections of Dali show two recent faulty propulsion findings.

There was a sky bridge in Italy that fell a much greater distance.

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Mrrzy
Date: 27 Mar 24 - 07:57 PM

Joe Lieberman died

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Mar 24 - 11:44 AM

They had about 50 seconds total in which to act. In the recording one of the officers says he is turning back to get the workers when it's already too late. Sad story, in which it sounds like everyone acted promptly and was trying to rescue everyone fast and just couldn't manage it.

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Mrrzy
Date: 27 Mar 24 - 11:39 AM

Why didn't they get those workers off?

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Mar 24 - 11:56 PM

When the ship crew realized they were in trouble the local pilot (who was on board the ship) immediately sent out a "Mayday" message to the bridge folks about being near the bridge, and the state police reacted literally instantly - within seconds they had the traffic onto the bridge stopped, and 30 seconds after the last vehicle was off of the decking the tanker hit the bridge.

The workers on the bridge were repairing potholes on the bridge; eight went into the water, two were rescued. The others are now presumed dead and the work shifted to recovery.

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Mrrzy
Date: 26 Mar 24 - 11:28 PM

Ooh, blocking shipping too. Poor pothole guys.

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Mar 24 - 02:55 PM

They're going to need some really big bollards to keep ships from hitting whatever replaces this bridge. And will the answer be to drive around or will a ferry system be put in place? Chances are there are still docks from years ago. After the World Trade Center came down in New York and the subways on that end of town were closed for a bit, didn't they run ferries from Brooklyn and New Jersey? That's a long time ago and I may be mis-remembering, but in older cities the artifacts of past transport sticks around for a while. Being able to ride across and get rapid transit on the other side would help avoid a lot of commuter traffic hitting the other bridges.

I'm curious how this will unfold, and expect Biden and Buttigieg to make a speech about it soon.

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 26 Mar 24 - 01:12 PM

> Is that real time?

The clips shown on the Beeb (and Sky News) didn't look like time-lapse to me. I haven't seen the earlier bits of the footage, but apparently it suggests there was a ship-wide power failure. I did see a burst of diesel-like smoke a few seconds before the impact, and a bigger one immediately after.

Comments here include that the bridge was built in the 1970s, but that the building regs about using disaster-deflecting concrete posts ("dolphins") weren't put in place until the 1980s, after a similar prang elsewhere.

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Donuel
Date: 26 Mar 24 - 12:50 PM

Its 'Salvage for Dali' for the ship that hit the bridge now under troubled waters.

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Mar 24 - 11:40 AM

Wow! It toppled like a child's toy. Is that real time?

I've listened to many of the Laura Lippman Tess Monaghan mysteries, almost all set in Baltimore ("Ballimer," as a friend used to say). I know that bridge has been mentioned because of all of her time spent rowing in the racing boats on the river (though I think she was always closer to town, not near this particular bridge).

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Mrrzy
Date: 26 Mar 24 - 11:05 AM

Cargo shp took out only bridge over Baltimore harbor!



Vid

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Donuel
Date: 14 Mar 24 - 12:00 PM

Not all of our 1,000 US billionaires are bad but they all die.
The Einstein School of Medine will be tuition-free in perpetuity due to a gift from a billionaire.

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Donuel
Date: 14 Mar 24 - 11:46 AM

thats a real clusterf**k.

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Mar 24 - 08:10 PM

500 pounds of pure snake: Massive python mating ball snagged in Florida

“For 10 years, we’ve been catching and putting them (Burmese pythons) down humanely," conservatory wildlife spokesperson Ian Bartoszek wrote in the post. "You can’t put them in zoos and send them back to Southeast Asia. Invasive species management doesn’t end with rainbows and kittens. These are remarkable creatures, here through no fault of their own. They are impressive animals, good at what they do.”

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Donuel
Date: 13 Mar 24 - 05:53 AM

The whistleblower of MnDonel Douglass was found dead of a suspicious suicide weeks from his retirement yesterday.

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Donuel
Date: 08 Mar 24 - 07:16 AM

John Oliver recounts exactly why Boeing can't build a safe 737 Max.
Sorry UK, Your country won't allow you to see John Oliver because the Royals objected to his views.
Boeing unfortunate merger with McDonald Douglass

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Mar 24 - 12:36 AM

Yes, he was, and he got some zingers in "off script" - to the delight of the MSNBC commentators who rehashed the talk.

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Joe Offer
Date: 07 Mar 24 - 11:55 PM

Joe Biden was at the top of his game in the State of the Union address today. I'm proud that he is our President.
https://m.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=100063509179160

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Mar 24 - 10:09 PM

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Colorado "star analyst" Missy Woods (in DNA analysis in criminal cases) has altered data.

The DNA Scandal That Threatens Thousands of Criminal Cases
Colorado investigators say star analyst Yvonne ‘Missy’ Woods altered data. Now people she helped send to prison want their convictions re-examined.

I'm pretty sure people will hit a paywall, but putting her name and state into a search engine will bring up more stories. Here's the introduction:

For nearly three decades, Yvonne “Missy” Woods was Colorado’s star forensic scientist, relied on by police and prosecutors to test DNA evidence in the state’s most baffling crimes.

Her work was considered the gold standard by colleagues and helped put away infamous murderers, including the “Colorado Hammer Killer.”

Then, in November, Woods abruptly resigned. The same day, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said it had discovered anomalies in her work during an internal review and was launching a criminal probe.

The unfolding scandal—potentially one of the largest in the history of forensic DNA testing, according to experts—is throwing Colorado’s criminal justice system into chaos. The state said it would need to review and retest approximately 3,000 DNA samples that Woods handled. Public defenders estimate thousands of cases could be affected.

Prosecutors are bracing for numerous legal challenges from people charged or convicted based on Woods’s findings. State lawmakers recently allocated nearly $7.5 million for possible retrials and case reviews, along with the retesting.

At the center of the storm is a mystery: Was Woods just sloppy, or has she been purposefully cutting corners for decades to put people behind bars?

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Feb 24 - 10:55 AM

Bizarre story this morning about a shooter at a Texas megachurch. Considering how difficult Osteen made it for people to seek shelter there during a recent hurricane, you'd think they'd have the doors pretty well hardened against crazies with guns. CNN.

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Feb 24 - 02:40 PM

The "smart" toothbrush story was a question on Wait Wait Don't Tell Me today. Generally I don't hear the odd news they pick up for some of their questions. (The panelist needed a hint.)

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 08 Feb 24 - 06:20 AM

*Agree*, SRS: "smart" toothbrushes are even worse than "smart" motorways, the main function of which is to demonstrate that any politician who calls a motorway "smart" is thicker than tarmac.

.... And how, pray, are all those programmable toothbrushes going to have their software updated to fix this security bug? via "smart" toothpaste tubes?

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 08 Feb 24 - 05:08 AM

I think smart toilet paper would be a much better idea.

I’ll get me coat… ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 08 Feb 24 - 01:56 AM

so one doesn't need to clean one's own teeth????

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Feb 24 - 11:32 PM

3 million smart toothbrushes were just used in a DDoS attack. Really

It sounds more like science fiction than reality, but Swiss newspaper Aargauer Zeitung reports that approximately three million smart toothbrushes were hijacked by hackers to launch a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. These innocuous bathroom gadgets -- transformed into soldiers in a botnet army -- knocked out a Swiss company for several hours, costing millions of euros in damages.

Smart toothbrush? What on earth would you want one for?

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Donuel
Date: 03 Feb 24 - 07:58 AM

For the first time in 200 years the 17 year cicadas will emerge at the same time as the 13 year cicadas in my area. No one knows if interbreeding will occur and what the results could be. The hungry wildlife will splurge on the easy meal of cicadas since cicadas have no defense and are quite nutritious.

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Donuel
Date: 02 Feb 24 - 05:33 AM

Today is Groundhog Day! Along with every day hereafter regarding record high temps worldwide and demented conspiracy right-wing politics.

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Mrrzy
Date: 01 Feb 24 - 05:25 PM

Hungary either shat or got off the pot

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 28 Jan 24 - 04:13 PM

I hope he hasn't spent his retirement savings on booking helicopters etc. to move that beautiful piano to exotic locations.

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Jan 24 - 10:12 PM

What a beautiful piano!

Next he should take up the harmonica; he'll be able to visit a lot more places more easily! :)

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 27 Jan 24 - 02:44 PM

Tasmania's 'piano man' Kelvin Smith says it's time to retire his instrument
It started with a vision — to get back into playing piano, and to do it in the most beautiful locations possible.
More than four years on, it has given musician and labourer Kelvin Smith more incredible experiences than he expected.
His piano has been dropped by helicopter on the Gordon Dam wall and has hung from a crane on Hobart's waterfront.
"But even the simplest of locations, just wheeling it out into the backyard, the local park, the local beach … just having a piano outdoors, there's something beautiful about that," Mr Smith said (read on & admire the pics!)

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Donuel
Date: 22 Jan 24 - 06:49 PM

An estimated 80% of the world’s population have a caffeinated product daily. In Peru or Asian and African countries, there are different stimulants that are more or less legal.

Both the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) define a safe caffeine intake as up to 400 mg per day, 200 mg per single dose, or 1.4 mg per pound (3 mg per kg) of body weight.

Due to its stimulating effects, caffeine has been linked to health benefits like enhanced alertness, improved athletic performance, elevated mood, and increased metabolism. I am clearly over caffeinated by these standards. Evidenced by my posting activity and eclectic interests I should probably have half the coffee I make.

Coffee and tea both contain caffeine. A standard 8-ounce cup of coffee contains about 95 milligrams of caffeine, while a cup of black tea has about 50 milligrams, and green tea has about 30 milligrams. That means coffee has twice as much caffeine as the same amount of black tea, and over three times the amount of caffeine as green tea.

“While tea also contains caffeine and has been shown to improve cognitive function and alertness, the addition of theanine, an amino acid, gives tea the added benefit of reducing stress”. If you’re about to embark on a major project or need a laser level of focus, black or green tea may be your ideal go-to beverage with no caffeine trembles and reduced stress might help you make it to the project finish line.

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Thompson
Date: 22 Jan 24 - 09:54 AM

Fabulous, world-cheering, wonderful news: in Cameroon they're starting the first ever vaccination drive against malaria, a disease that kills 600,000 people a year in Africa, 80% of them children.
This is a world-changing vaccine, comparable to the effect of vaccination and antibiotics against tuberculosis in the 20th century. This, spreading across the continent, could be the first step to prosperity in Africa. God bless its makers.

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Thompson
Date: 22 Jan 24 - 02:49 AM

The map of countries with countries with legal execution by the state is embarrassing if you're living in one of them; the Devil loves good company; by their friends shall you know them…

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Jan 24 - 11:48 PM

I heard a story about that - it is the most bizarre, cruel thing in the world, these states racing to execute prisoners.

In other news, a friend sent this piece, it sounds rather like a Chinese propaganda video, but it is interesting. I can't exactly figure out where this desert reclamation project is (looking on Google Earth). https://youtu.be/zqkok2p-Kw8. Apparently in the Maowusu Desert desert, also called the Mu Us Desert. She has apparently turned 42,200 square kilometers into more of a forest and farmland.

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Donuel
Date: 21 Jan 24 - 08:00 AM

Alabama has a brand new way to execute people via a mask that infuses pure nitrogen into the prisoner. While N alone is known to be fatal the length of time to suffocate is unknown. The prisoner they will try it on already survived a 3-hour lethal injection attempt because of the prison authority's incompetence.

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Mrrzy
Date: 16 Jan 24 - 06:59 PM

Athur C. Clarke's and Gene Roddenberry's ashes won't make it to the moon.

I am, personally, glad. No corpse powder, no chindis.

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 16 Jan 24 - 05:39 PM

meanwhile in the Land of Oz - Egg producer Fabian Fabbro discovers round egg, first in more than a million eggs collected ... But looks can be deceiving, and it turned out the egg was not quite perfectly round. "Jodie, my partner, put it on the vernier calipers and it was a couple of millimetres out of being geometrically perfect," Mr Fabbro said ...

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: Mrrzy
Date: 16 Jan 24 - 05:02 PM

Africa's Cup > US football. And in my home country!

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: keberoxu
Date: 12 Jan 24 - 06:54 PM

Boston has had an interesting six months or so, sports-wise.
First their soccer team, the New England Revolution
(think Robert Kraft, owner),
had their coach, Bruce Arena, resign ignominiously.

Today, Bill Belichek, coach for the New England Patriots,
is leaving his post after 24 years
(Robert Kraft, owner, again).

Subject: RE: BS: New news *not* about the virus
From: keberoxu
Date: 10 Jan 24 - 06:50 PM

Not exactly new news, but today's New York Times had a fascinating feature article about
a community across the township line from Austin, Texas,
where tiny houses are being utilized
to help the chronically homeless.
It's a long article with lots of photographs.