BS: Will we all go together when we go?

Subject: BS: Will we all go together when we go?
From: Wolfgang
Date: 14 Apr 05 - 08:21 AM

Today's Guardian has an article that just must please all doomsayers. Ten scenarios how human life on Earth could be at least severely damaged:

Super-volcano, robotic rebellion or terrorism? 10 scientists name the biggest danger to Earth and assesses the chances of it happening

nature is the ultimate bioterrorist

Some bits in the article are outrageously silly and should not have been printed in a serious newspaper:
There is a 0.15% probability that one will happen in your lifetime. is followed a few lines later by Chance of a super-volcano in the next 70 years: Very high.
Don't they proofread in the Guardian?

The reading was for me a mixture between scary and amusing. I do not worry about natural disasters like super-volcanoes for there's nothing we can do about at this moment, so why worry? I think it is worth worrying about things we can influence.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: Will we all go together when we go?
From: Crystal
Date: 14 Apr 05 - 08:25 AM

We are all going to die anyway (well except me, I plan on living forever!) so why worry about the how of it happening?

Subject: RE: BS: Will we all go together when we go?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 14 Apr 05 - 08:34 AM

Don't they proofread in the Guardian

They never used to preafrood at the Groaniad but I thought they had mended the problem.

Perhaps not...

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: Will we all go together when we go?
From: Bunnahabhain
Date: 14 Apr 05 - 08:38 AM

Wolfgang,

Don't they proofread in the Guardian?

In a word, no. They could employ sir jOhn as chief proofreader and improve standards. They are renouwned for it, and have been for a long time. Plus scaring people has always sold papers...

Bunnhabhain.

Subject: RE: BS: Will we all go together when we go?
From: Rapparee
Date: 14 Apr 05 - 08:52 AM

If it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen. I live on the Snake River Plain (or really, just a tiny little bit off of it, not enough to make any difference) which for the last 16 million years has been the site of HUGE volcanic eruptions (the most recent formed the Yellowstone caldera). I have no idea how I'd dodge if it happened today -- and it will happen again; Nature isn't finished here.

Same thing with the other stuff. You can do your best to prevent getting a disease or being blasted by a car bomb, but if you happen to be there when it happens you aren't going to stop it.

Now, Crystal, you might live forever, but I'm going to skip the Big Roll Call Up Yonder. I've been told too often about my probable destination, so I'm not going to make the trip.

Subject: RE: BS: Will we all go together when we go?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 14 Apr 05 - 08:53 AM

Sir joh9n always specifically asks for his chips to be wrapped in the Guardian;~)
G

Subject: RE: BS: Will we all go together when we go?
From: Bunnahabhain
Date: 14 Apr 05 - 09:00 AM

Best use for it, most of the time...

Subject: RE: BS: Will we all go together when we go?
From: Bill D
Date: 14 Apr 05 - 12:12 PM

In the USA, the Discovery Channel and its sister purveyors of programs of potential pan-global portents of planetary destruction run these scary scenarios every few weeks....sometimes 3-4 a night.

It is all very well to inform us of the status of our poor little planet and the forces that are at work...but do they HAVE to hire the most sonorous, chilling voices possible to give the impression that it is useless to worry about paying your taxes, because some impending disaster is probably gonna get you before you can write the check?

I have seen images or graphic representation of every tidal wave, hurricane, tornado, earthquake, asteroid, meteor, landslide, avalanche, flood, and volcano that has happened for the last 20 million years.....and most of the ones for the next few million also. Add these to the stories of killer bees, alligator attacks, nuclear power plant explosions, mining disasters, dam breaks, red tides,disease pandemics, raw sewage spills, and stories of how the cockroaches are doing JUST fine, and I must say, reading about transvestism in Hull is a welcome relief.

Subject: RE: BS: Will we all go together when we go?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 14 Apr 05 - 12:24 PM

I figure...most likely not. The reason people are so attracted to End-of-the-World dramas is that they know THEY are going to die anyway, and they'd rather not that everything else just kept going merrily on without them. It doesn't make as good a storyline as EVERYTHING ending all in one glorious KAAARUUUMPH! like in the movies or in books like "Moby Dick", etc...

Much more dramatic for everyone to go out at the same time, after all. That's a story that'll sell tickets! :-)

I mean...how DARE the World go on without me???? Right?

Subject: RE: BS: Will we all go together when we go?
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 14 Apr 05 - 12:28 PM

The Guardian? A serious newspaper? Ha...

Subject: RE: BS: Will we all go together when we go?
From: GUEST,*Laura*
Date: 14 Apr 05 - 12:58 PM

Super robots! Ha!
Have these people never used a computer!?!?

xLx

Subject: RE: BS: Will we all go together when we go?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 14 Apr 05 - 01:11 PM

Just start learning the song by Tom Lehrer 'We'll all go together when we go' and one day, it'll be right!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Will we all go together when we go?
From: GUEST,*Laura*
Date: 14 Apr 05 - 01:49 PM

Will ye go lassie go
And we'll all go together...

hang on.
oh yeh - that song's about heather, not the end of the human race. Whoops!

xLx

Subject: RE: BS: Will we all go together when we go?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 14 Apr 05 - 01:53 PM

I love the Weather Channel's strategy. Every night there is a show "Storm Stories" that is designed to give us shivers about this or that bad-scary weather event and the heroes who rescue people. It's carefully crafted to generate a sense that a scary weather event could be coming any time to your own little world. Of course that's true, logically-- but the more scared their programming gets us, the more urgently we're expected to tune in to their endlessly commerical weather forecasts! Get up to the date news that you're safe for now, but don't relax! Cuz this could change at ANY TIME! Nonono-- don't look up at the sky or out the window-- tune in HERE to see when the sky is falling!

Ain't falled yet, is all I know.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Will we all go together when we go?
From: Rapparee
Date: 14 Apr 05 - 04:40 PM

Fire And Ice
By Robert Frost

SOME say the world will end in fire,        
Some say in ice.        
From what I've tasted of desire        
I hold with those who favor fire.        
But if it had to perish twice,              
I think I know enough of hate        
To know that for destruction ice        
Is also great        
And would suffice.

Subject: RE: BS: Will we all go together when we go?
From: DougR
Date: 14 Apr 05 - 04:53 PM

Gee, I can't count the number of times The Guardian has been cited to support someone's particular point of view on the Mudcat. Now you tell me the newspaper is unreliable?

(Sigh)
DougR

Subject: RE: BS: Will we all go together when we go?
From: Linda Kelly
Date: 14 Apr 05 - 06:16 PM

I live in hope that Jude Law will ditch sienna Millr and take off with me-I just don't plan my life around it-a little bit like volcanos asteroids and bird flu-its all out there but i reckon I stand as good a chance of avoiding it all as anyone else.....

Subject: RE: BS: Will we all go together when we go?
From: tarheel
Date: 14 Apr 05 - 07:46 PM

if earth is going to be destroyed by an asteriod,so much foir the "global warming" theory!...geeezzz, what will those enviromentalist whackos do now!
just a thought!!

Subject: RE: BS: Will we all go together when we go?
From: Amergin
Date: 14 Apr 05 - 08:08 PM

That has to be the most asinine argument I have ever come across.

Subject: RE: BS: Will we all go together when we go?
From: Bunnahabhain
Date: 14 Apr 05 - 08:17 PM

Citing one reputable source for simple events is fine- 'NASA says comet Zaphrod Beeblebrox 2005-42 will hit on X date'

It's the big uncertain issue type things- 'How much will sea levels rise? When will oil run out? Are bodhrans musical instruments? ' we should reference properly, with a couple of independent sources, but we're all just too lazy.

Subject: RE: BS: Will we all go together when we go?
From: Boab
Date: 15 Apr 05 - 02:55 AM

Doug---the Guardian IS a good newspaper.Now, if you can point to a newspaper which has 100% staff which produces stuff in print that coincides with YOUR point of view, then I will be able to avoid a REAL bad publication. In the UK we have a tabloid press which would fit perfectly on the superstore checkouts alongside the National Inquirer. Some people believe that they are reading "news"papers when they have this crap delivered to their front door. The Guardian at least has its share of decent journalists to balance the inevitable crap-merchants. Newspapers are like politicians---some of them are deliberate liars. As you do with politicians, once you recogise the liars, you conclude that nothing they say can ever again be given credit, and apart from regretting the fact that some fools believe what they say, you tend to ignore their mouthings thereafter.
Rereading this, I would qualify my opening two sentences by conceding the fact that a publication which has no columnists which tend against my viewpoint must also be faulted as far as balance is concerned.

Subject: RE: BS: Will we all go together when we go?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 15 Apr 05 - 03:07 AM

There's a comet called Zaphod Beeblebrox? Does it have 2 heads? (Looking forward to the film coming out in 2 weeks in the UK.....not sure about ZB but Arthur Dent looks perfect!)

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Will we all go together when we go?
From: jacqui.c
Date: 15 Apr 05 - 09:46 AM

LTS - I've missed this - who's playing Arthur?

LH - know what you mean - to my way of thinking whatever I am is part of the whole of creation and will go on after I'm dead. Those energies will be reused in a different form.

Subject: RE: BS: Will we all go together when we go?
From: GUEST,*Laura*
Date: 15 Apr 05 - 06:24 PM

FORD PREFECT IS A LEGEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

















and that's all I have to say on the matter. Really.

xLx

Subject: RE: BS: Will we all go together when we go?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 16 Apr 05 - 05:39 AM

You will all go to your respective Valhalla's,
Do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars.

[ Lehrer ]

eric

Subject: RE: BS: Will we all go together when we go?
From: Pied Piper
Date: 16 Apr 05 - 07:03 AM

"Zaphods just this guy"

Amergin, asinine arguments are tarheel and Martins speciality.

PP