The "And in other news..." thread

[Cowley]

I remember when we used to talk about sensible things on this forum like the Mallard.

 

[341o2]

But isn't "other news" supposed to be bizarre and even silly?

as in a children's maths exam, which time is closest to midnight?

The question was shared by a man under the username @yawdmontweet, and it simply asked: "What is the closest time to midnight?"


Children sitting the test then had four multiple choice answers to choose from, which were: "A. 11:55 am, B. 12:06 am, C. 11:50 am, or D. 12:03 am."

And while the answer might seem obvious to you at first, people were left baffled in the comments of the tweet as they were unable to work out if the question was asking them to find the time that was closest to midnight without having past midnight.

For this reason, many thought the answer was A, as it's the latest time listed, so therefore the closest to the next midnight.

One person said: "It says closest 'To' midnight. And not 'From' Midnight. Stop overcomplicating everything. Answer is A."


While another added: "It says closest TO midnight ... not after midnight. A."

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/childrens-maths-question-leaves-adults-30397012

 

[61653 HTAFC]

But isn't "other news" supposed to be bizarre and even silly?

as in a children's maths exam, which time is closest to midnight?



https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/childrens-maths-question-leaves-adults-30397012

The most irritating thing about that is the journalist using two near-identical comments to boost his/her word count. News "stories" that are just a list of tweets about a banal subject are worthy of an entry in the "things you would ban" thread.

 

[Strat-tastic]

But isn't "other news" supposed to be bizarre and even silly?

as in a children's maths exam, which time is closest to midnight?



https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/childrens-maths-question-leaves-adults-30397012

A is the furthest away

 

[341o2]

The most irritating thing about that is the journalist using two near-identical comments to boost his/her word count. News "stories" that are just a list of tweets about a banal subject are worthy of an entry in the "things you would ban" thread.

Agreed, rather like the recent Telegraph article about somebody's relationship breaking up in graphic detail. Reminds me of a soap opera blooper, where she is going through an extensive explanation, fluffs her line, pauses, and says "So then I thought 'who cares?'"

 

[Baxenden Bank]

But isn't "other news" supposed to be bizarre and even silly?

I think @Cowley is entering into the spirit of things. A Mallard being a duck! Presumably the source of the name for a certain steam locomotive.

 

[Cowley]

I think @Cowley is entering into the spirit of things. A Mallard being a duck! Presumably the source of the name for a certain steam locomotive.

I was indeed, but if you have to explain a joke it’s obviously not gone very well.

 

[brad465]

Someone at Wimbledon was asked by the umpire not to open Champagne while a player was preparing to serve:

Is this the most Wimbledon warning ever?

Watch as umpire John Blom asks the crowd not to open their champagne during serve, as Anastasia Potapova faces Mirra Andreeva at Wimbledon.

www.bbc.co.uk

Watch as umpire John Blom asks the crowd not to open their champagne during serve, as Anastasia Potapova faces Mirra Andreeva at Wimbledon.

Video attached

 

[Loppylugs]

Someone at Wimbledon was asked by the umpire not to open Champagne while a player was preparing to serve:

Is this the most Wimbledon warning ever?

Watch as umpire John Blom asks the crowd not to open their champagne during serve, as Anastasia Potapova faces Mirra Andreeva at Wimbledon.

www.bbc.co.uk

It doesn't actually specify which player was serving the champagne. No matter, they're both quite bubbly characters.

 

[Purple Train]

But isn't "other news" supposed to be bizarre and even silly?

as in a children's maths exam, which time is closest to midnight?



https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/childrens-maths-question-leaves-adults-30397012

I think they're confusing two different contexts of "to"... "What is the closest time from midnight?" makes no sense at all.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I think they're confusing two different contexts of "to"... "What is the closest time from midnight?" makes no sense at all.

Agreed- but time usually only moves in one direction, so I'd interpret the question in the same way, and give A as my answer.

 

[birchesgreen]

Agreed - but time usually only moves in one direction, so I'd interpret the question in the same way, and give A as my answer.

You obviously haven't worked in my office.

I'd answer D anyway.

 

[Trackman]

You obviously haven't worked in my office.

I'd answer D anyway.

I'd say D too.. what was the answer anyway?

 

[GusB]

A) 11.55am
11 hours and 55 minutes after the previous midnight and 12 hours and 5 minutes until the next.

B) 12.06am
6 minutes after the previous midnight and 23 hours and 54 minutes until the next.

C) 11.50am
11 hours and 50 minutes since the previous midnight, 12 hours and 10 minutes until the next.

D) 12.03am
3 minutes after the previous midnight, 23 hours and 57 minutes until the next

The shortest time interval is 3 minutes, so D is clearly the answer. It doesn't matter whether time is going forwards or not. Simples

 

[Purple Train]

Agreed- but time usually only moves in one direction, so I'd interpret the question in the same way, and give A as my answer.

Why? D is closer - three minutes against five.

 

[Gloster]

I think that it is D and the question is fairly straightforward. The word ‘to’ is related to the word ‘closest’ and so it is clear what the sentence means: proximity to midnight.

 

[brad465]

This reminds me of "The price is right", where in order to win the showcase you can be underneath the value within the range you obtain, but not even a penny over.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Time only moves forward, so the closeness to the previous midnight is irrelevant.

 

[birchesgreen]

The question could probably be better written but i think some folks are overthinking it.

 

[Purple Train]

Time only moves forward, so the closeness to the previous midnight is irrelevant.

How is the way time moves relevant?

The question could probably be better written but i think some folks are overthinking it.

Is the grade 9 answer.

 

[pdeaves]

Time only moves forward, so the closeness to the previous midnight is irrelevant.

I leave my local station, travelling to another place a long way away. After a minute of travel I am closer to the origin than the destination. I'm still travelling away from the origin. Until I reach the journey's half way point (analogous to noon in the example), I'm still closer to the origin than the destination.

In my view, the question is asking for that logic.

 

[High Dyke]

The question could probably be better written but i think some folks are overthinking it.

Probably. IMO the correct answer is 2. Enough said!

 

[Howardh]

Time, like distance, is man made to cover our lack of knowledge of the universe which has infinite everything, no start, no end.

If you set off you can never arrive as at half way, you still have half of the next half to travel, then half of the remainder etc.

Blimey, and I haven't even set off to the pub yet!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

If you set off you can never arrive as at half way, you still have half of the next half to travel, then half of the remainder etc.

I've never been able to get my head round that particular conundrum.

"Logically" you never ever get to your destination.

Bit like travelling with TPE, then?!

 

[Howardh]

I've never been able to get my head round that particular conundrum.

"Logically" you never ever get to your destination.

Bit like travelling with TPE, then?!

Well, that's if you start on one in the first place!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Time, like distance, is man made to cover our lack of knowledge of the universe which has infinite everything, no start, no end.

If you set off you can never arrive as at half way, you still have half of the next half to travel, then half of the remainder etc.

Blimey, and I haven't even set off to the pub yet!

That sounds like a variation of the Coastline paradox...

 

[341o2]

Meanwhile, for those who have a garden, but dislike gardening,

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has said gardeners should stop using the term "weeds" in a diminishing way and should instead refer to them as "superweeds" or "weed heroes".

In a move that will likely be music to the ears of those tired of suffering with a bad back or gardener's knee, a third of the gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show this year will feature plants traditionally regarded as weeds, including brambles, thistles and knapweed.

The RHS' new attitude is fitting given the name of its president, Keith Weed.

https://www.itv.com/news/2023-04-25/weeds-rebranded-as-hero-plants-ahead-of-chelsea-flower-show

Does this give a new meaning to Bill and Ben?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Meanwhile, for those who have a garden, but dislike gardening,


https://www.itv.com/news/2023-04-25/weeds-rebranded-as-hero-plants-ahead-of-chelsea-flower-show

Does this give a new meaning to Bill and Ben?

I remember being told that a "weed" was any plant growing where a gardener didn't want it... therefore the term wasn't contingent on the species of plant under discussion. Now to find a way to object to this daft proposition without using a certain other four letter word beginning with W... I'll get back to you on that, maybe!

 

[birchesgreen]

Oh dear, how sad, never mind

Sun and Mail publishers examine claims against journalist Dan Wootton

GB News presenter facing allegations he inappropriately offered colleagues large sums in return for sexual material

www.theguardian.com

The publishers behind the Sun and MailOnline are looking into allegations that Dan Wootton inappropriately offered colleagues tens of thousands of pounds in return for sexual material.

Wootton’s ex-boyfriend claimed last week that Wootton, who is now a presenter on GB News, used the pseudonym “Martin Branning” and offered individuals large sums of money in return for filming themselves carrying out sex acts.

Alex Truby alleged he made the discovery after accessing Wootton’s hard drive in 2013 and seeing emails mentioning the pseudonym.

On Monday, the website Byline Times went further and published an article claiming that an anonymous “trusted former colleague” of the GB News anchor had come forward to say Wootton used the Branning name. The Guardian has not been able to independently establish the link between Branning and Wootton.

 

[pdeaves]

I remember being told that a "weed" was any plant growing where a gardener didn't want it...

Quite. If you specifically want dandelions and daisies, they aren't weeds. If you want grass and vegetables, dandelions and daisies are weeds. Dictionary.com defines a weed thus:

a valueless plant growing wild, especially one that grows on cultivated ground to the exclusion or injury of the desired crop.
any undesirable or troublesome plant, especially one that grows profusely where it is not wanted