Weird News Compilation

[Astronuc]

Don't put your hand in 174.7 degrees Fahrenheit, or 79.3 degrees Celsius water!

https://www.yahoo.com/news/visitor-yellowstone-national-park-scrambled-051005711.html

Do authorities need to put up signs that say "Don't be stupid"? I wonder if she got 2nd or 3rd degree burns on her hand. She's fortunate that she didn't slip and fall in, and pull her companion in. They both would have died.

 

[Borg]

I love the Tourons bit that combines Tourist and Morons.

 

[phinds]

Do mammals get drunk in the wild or not?

My understanding is that wart hogs get drunk on fermented berries --- they are so ugly that that's the only way they can work up the nerve to mate.

 

[Hornbein]

Don't put your hand in 174.7 degrees Fahrenheit, or 79.3 degrees Celsius water!

https://www.yahoo.com/news/visitor-yellowstone-national-park-scrambled-051005711.html

Do authorities need to put up signs that say "Don't be stupid"? I wonder if she got 2nd or 3rd degree burns on her hand. She's fortunate that she didn't slip and fall in, and pull her companion in. They both would have died.

Hiking in Sumatra I lost my balance and put my foot in hot water. It was only a moment but all the skin on top of the foot came off. We still had to get out of the jungle wearing sandals without getting the burn dirty. I had some tape and some clean underwear. If wrapped just right it would cover the foot nicely. So nicely that I kept using it as a dressing after I got back to civilization. The scars faded away over the years.

It was the sort of place we had to leave a guard at the camp so the monkeys wouldn't mess with it.

In Sumatra I saw the crater of the largest volcanic explosion known, now Lake Toba. Two hundred miles wide. Some believe the resulting dust almost wiped out the human race. Also saw a doctor named Elvis and met a Veronica.

 

[BillTre]

I don't golf, but this is impressive:

 

[Hornbein]

I don't golf, but this is impressive:

He did it on purpose. This is traditional.

 

[berkeman]

Oops...

A Philippines advertising agency has apologised for using footage of other countries in a promotional tourism video.
The campaign used images of rice terraces in Indonesia, sand dunes in the United Arab Emirates and an aircraft landing in Switzerland.
The agency, DDB Philippines, apologised for the "unfortunate oversight".

 

[Ibix]

Join the Philippines Tourism Board, see the world.

 

[berkeman]

Um...

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/nat...-be-better-world-leaders-than-humans/3267877/

Robots told reporters Friday they could be more efficient leaders than humans, but wouldn't take anyone's job away and had no intention of rebelling against their creators.

Nine AI-enabled humanoid robots sat or stood with their creators at a podium in a Geneva conference center for what the United Nations' International Telecommunication Union billed as the world's first news conference featuring humanoid social robots.

Among them: Sophia, the first robot innovation ambassador for the U.N. Development Program; Grace, described as the world's most advanced humanoid health care robot; and Desdemona, a rock star robot. Two, Geminoid and Nadine, closely resembled their makers.

The event was part of the AI for Good Global Summit, meant to illustrate how new technology can support the U.N.'s goals for sustainable development.

Reporters were asked to speak slowly and clearly when addressing the robots, and were informed that time lags in responses would be due to the internet connection and not to the robots themselves. That didn't prevent awkward pauses, audio problems and some robotic replies.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Um...

View attachment 328960
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/nat...-be-better-world-leaders-than-humans/3267877/

My AI says I should never trust an AI

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Is it appropriate for me to identify as AI?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

On another note, I won't say more for now, but check out what Senator Marco Rubio is doing these days [key word "whistleblower"].

PS It was Senators John McCain and Harry Reid who started all of this.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I keep thinking of Asimov's Three Laws, and how one of the first things we did with robots was weaponize them.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Toronto Zoo Asks Visitors to Stop Showing Gorillas 'Upsetting' Cell Phone Videos​

...Nassir [a teenage gorilla] is described on the zoo’s website as “truly the epitome of a teenager, fascinated by videos and screen time would dominate his life if he had his way.”

“We’ve had a lot of members and guests that actually will put their phones up to the glass and show him videos,” Maria Franke, the zoo’s director of wildlife conservation and welfare, reported to The Toronto Star.

“It was causing him to be distracted and not interacting with the other gorillas, and you know, being a gorilla. He was just so enthralled with gadgets and phones and the videos.”

https://www.mensjournal.com/news/gorilla-videos-toronto-zoo

 

[Ivan Seeking]

The Secret Service has given up trying to identify the owner of cocaine found in the White House. They were not able to do a DNA analysis.

Whewwwwww! That's a relief.

 

[Astronuc]

When an airline made his bag disappear, a magician bought another plane ticket just to get back in the airport and track it down with an Apple AirTag — and found it sitting right on the tarmac.​

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/ne...nd-it-sitting-right-on-the-tarmac/ar-AA1e8Giu

Danny Orleans told Insider he got off the plane around 12:15 p.m., went to the United Lounge for a free lunch, and then headed to baggage claim. When he arrived, everyone on his flight was still waiting for their luggage to appear.

Thankfully he had a trick up his sleeve — an Apple AirTag in his missing bag.

"I checked and I could still see that it was still out on the runway. It was not in the terminal," Orleans said. "I waited and it didn't move. I waited and it didn't move. I waited about 30 minutes, and then it moved — but it moved to another place on the runway."

He explained that he could see where his bag was on the AirTag app, but the employee said they could not do anything with the information. Instead, they said they could send his luggage to where he was staying within five days, but he needed the bag for his show the following day and was only planning to be in town for three.

"After I waited in that line I said, 'I'm going to take matters into my own hands,'" he said.

He consulted the terminal map and thought it looked like his bag might be near gate 90, even though his flight had pulled in at gate 113. But, he was outside security in baggage claim.

Orleans said he bought a fully refundable ticket to Boston that he had no intention of taking. He went back through security, walked all the way to gate 90, and looked out the window.

There was his bag, right where the AirTag said it would be, stranded and alone on the tarmac.

He found a United employee who listened to his story and went out of their way to help. Orleans pointed out his bag on the tarmac and said the employee's "eyes got really big," adding "he hadn't seen that kind of thing before."

The employee then went out to the tarmac to recover the bag, all while Orleans watched through the window. The employee could not bring the bag directly to Orleans, but moved it into the proper channels so it would come out at baggage claim, where Orleans was finally able to pick it up — four hours after his flight had landed.

He made it to the trade show the following day and was able to perform.

 

[Swamp Thing]

When an airline made his bag disappear, a magician bought another plane ticket just to get back in the airport and track it down with an Apple AirTag — and found it sitting right on the tarmac.​

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/ne...nd-it-sitting-right-on-the-tarmac/ar-AA1e8GiuHe consulted the terminal map and thought it looked like his bag might be near gate 90, even though his flight had pulled in at gate 113. But, he was outside security in baggage claim.

If you aren't a magician, it's bye-bye luggage.

 

[Astronuc]

‘Loud boom’ heard as object lands in backyard, reports say. It fell from an airplane​

https://news.yahoo.com/loud-boom-heard-object-lands-181942159.html

As far as I know, evacuation slides are stowed inside the aircraft.

"An investigation into the incident is ongoing."

 

[Ivan Seeking]

‘Loud boom’ heard as object lands in backyard, reports say. It fell from an airplane​

https://news.yahoo.com/loud-boom-heard-object-lands-181942159.html

As far as I know, evacuation slides are stowed inside the aircraft.

"An investigation into the incident is ongoing."

Reminds me of

 

[jack action]

Reminds me of

For my part, I was thinking about Donnie Darko:

​

 

[berkeman]

https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/24/entertainment/oppenheimer-flag-mistake-intl-scli/index.html

CNN —

Christopher Nolan’s latest film, “Oppenheimer,” has become one half of the box office and pop culture phenomenon “Barbenheimer,” sweeping up glowing reviews along the way.

But eagle-eyed fans have spotted a mistake in a scene set in 1945, as Cillian Murphy’s J. Robert Oppenheimer stands among a crowd waving American flags – bearing the wrong number of stars.

“It was good and all, but I’ll be that guy and complain they used 50-star flags in a scene set in 1945,” Twitter user Andy Craig wrote on Friday.

In 1945, the American flag featured 48 stars, as Alaska and Hawaii hadn’t yet become US states.

It wasn’t until July 4, 1960 that a 50-star flag was first flown in the US.

 

[Borg]

My favorite science blooper has always been this one from the movie 2010.

 

[Swamp Thing]

If you can hear them talk, you can hear them breathe. The "fourth wall" convention allows the audience to hear their radio comms. Or am I missing something?

 

[phinds]

If you can hear them talk, you can hear them breathe. The "fourth wall" convention allows the audience to hear their radio comms. Or am I missing something?

Although I share your puzzlement, I don't agree that this has anything to do with the "forth wall". "Breaking the forth wall" specifically means that an actor turns to the audience (or camera) and address us directly.

EDIT: OOPS ! Looked it up just to be sure. Your use is of the "forth wall" is correct. Sorry. My understanding of "BREAKING the forth wall" is also correct (and the only way in which I had ever heard the term used), but that's not the sense in which you were using it.

 

[Hornbein]

My favorite science blooper has always been this one from the movie 2010.

How are they holding on to the rotating sphere?

 

[phinds]

How are they holding on to the rotating sphere?

Sheer animal magnetism

 

[Borg]

How are they holding on to the rotating sphere?

That's the blooper. The ship is rotating away from them.

 

[Swamp Thing]

Scientists charged absurd fees after speaking at webinars

 

[DaveE]

Thank goodness the dog is not facing any charges...

A driver in Colorado tried to switch seats with his dog to avoid a DUI arrest, police sayhttps://www.cnn.com/2023/05/16/us/colorado-dog-driver-dui-arrest/index.html

Yep, no blood test or breathalyzer required for that conviction. No sober person is that stupid.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

LOL! Too funny.

 

[berkeman]

When you fail a urine drug test, in the most embarassing way...

College Sports Corner​

ronSepdtoshf:e73m938ca0mr6eM28m3tl cYd3s1c0t34aah51 tfPy7u1 ·

Come to find out, he got the urine from a female friend

... -Jon

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Colorado Changes 420 Mile Marker Sign to Ward Off Heists​

Reddit and
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/colorado-changes-420-mile-marker-sign-ward-heists-n8051

 

[Astronuc]

Hawk drops a snake onto a woman mowing her lawn, snake wraps itself around woman's arm, hawk attempts to retrieve snake, . . . .

https://www.yahoo.com/news/texas-woman-seriously-injured-hawk-005655559.html
https://www.yahoo.com/news/help-jesus-hawk-appears-drop-142216750.html

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/texas-woman-attacked-snake-hawk-180139076.html

 

[nsaspook]

https://www.wweek.com/news/2023/08/...o-are-dead-because-the-city-didnt-water-them/

Trees Planted By the City in East Portland Two Years Ago Are Dead Because the City Didn’t Water Them​

Schafer says watering trees is outside the bureau’s scope: “We only trim trees for visibility and clear brush. We simply are not set up for nor have the skills for tree maintenance beyond that.”

 

[berkeman]

https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/19/us/sayreville-nj-fish-power-outage-trnd/index.html

CNN —

An incident involving a bird gave new meaning to the term “fish fry” after an electric company suspected an osprey of dropping its meal onto power lines – triggering an outage in a New Jersey neighborhood.

A fish that fell from a bird’s grip landed on a transponder in Sayreville, located just southwest of New York’s Staten Island, according to Jersey Central Power and Light Company spokesperson Chris Hoenig.

“Animal contact is a common cause of power outages; however, fish are not on the list of frequent offenders,” Hoenig told CNN in an email.

The outage on August 12 impacted around 2,100 people and lasted less than two hours.

The Sayreville Police Department poked fun at the incident on Facebook, naming the deceased fish as Gilligan and pointing a finger at an osprey as “the suspect,” which was “last seen flying south,” the post read.