The "And in other news..." thread

[birchesgreen]

When he was making his cider did he ask "What is the worst that could happen?"

 

[Purple Train]

When he was making his cider did he ask "What is the worst that could happen?"

"How hard can it be?"

 

[Northumbriana]

Any idea what the hearse protest was about?

From the BBC item

From what I understand it may have been a shot fired in some sort of gang feud. Two people in that area are accused of being paedophiles according to posters in the hearse and their deaths predicted. One of the targets is a reasonably well known and not entirely liked Newcastle United supporter who has some sort of pseudo celebrity status.

 

[birchesgreen]

From what I understand it may have been a shot fired in some sort of gang feud. Two people in that area are accused of being paedophiles according to posters in the hearse and their deaths predicted. One of the targets is a reasonably well known and not entirely liked Newcastle United supporter who has some sort of pseudo celebrity status.

Wow a lot darker than i thought it'd be (i assumed it would be some kind of club ownership thing!)

 

[341o2]

Pigeons have the intelligence of AI

The pigeon has a brain that rivals artificial intelligence.

A study found the animal is one of the smartest creatures despite inspiring the insult “birdbrain”.


Pigeons were given complex tests that high-level thinking such as logic or reasoning would not solve.

They turned to trial and error, memorising scenarios. Experts equate it to AI that uses the basic methodology.


Machines are “taught” to identify patterns and objects. Making associations – low-level thinking – is the same.

Prof Ed Wasserman, of the University of Iowa, said: “The pigeons are like AI masters.”

Four pigeons were shown a stimulus and had to decide, by pecking a button, on the correct category.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/pigeons-smart-brains-can-rival-29159027

 

[PG]

Pigeons have the intelligence of AI



https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/pigeons-smart-brains-can-rival-29159027

This might ruffle a few feathers and cause some people to get in a flap

 

[341o2]

A railway related news item, according to the Dorset Echo, residents came to see Bahamas "make its way through Weymouth Station"
So that's why there is a diesel at the rear

Residents turned out to see an iconic preserved steam train pass through Dorset.


The Bahamas Locomotive, also known as the LMS Jubilee Class 5596 Bahamas, made its way through Weymouth station and Dorchester South station yesterday afternoon, Wednesday, July 26

https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/23683520.steam-train-bahamas-locomotive-weymouth-dorchester/

 

[brad465]

Taylor Swift capable of earth-shattering performances it seems:

Taylor Swift Seattle concert generates seismic activity

The activity equivalent to a 2.3 magnitude quake beats a previous record set by fans celebrating a touchdown.

www.bbc.co.uk

Taylor Swift's concerts in the US city of Seattle generated seismic activity equivalent to a 2.3 magnitude earthquake, a seismologist has said.
The data was recorded at Swift's sell-out Eras tour performances at Lumen Field on 22 and 23 July.
Seismologist Jackie Caplan-Auerbach said the activity was caused by Swift's fans or the sound system.
The shows beat the previous record in Seattle, known as the city's "Beast Quake" in 2011.
That was generated by American football fans celebrating Marshawn Lynch's touchdown for the Seattle Seahawks during a game against the New Orleans Saints.
Ms Caplan-Auerbach, a geology professor at Western Washington University, told CNN the difference between the NFL game and Swift's recent concerts was just 0.3, but the "shaking was twice as strong" and "absolutely doubled it".
"I grabbed the data from both nights of the concert and quickly noticed they were clearly the same pattern of signals," she said. "If I overlay them on top of each other, they're nearly identical."
The Seattle concerts were played in front of a total of 144,000 fans over two nights.
Posting on Instagram afterwards, Swift said: "Seattle that was genuinely one of my favourite weekends ever. Thank you for everything. All the cheering, screaming, jumping, dancing, singing at the top of your lungs."
Swift's Seattle concerts came towards the end of the US leg of the Eras tour - her first tour in five years.
Music concerts have been known to cause seismic activity before, for example during a 2011 Foo Fighters concert in New Zealand.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Jul 2023 ==

Please bear in mind China has form for being untrustworthy

Hangzhou Zoo: Our sun bears are real, not humans in disguise

A Chinese zoo denies its bears are people in costume, after a video of one standing like a human went viral.

www.bbc.co.uk

A zoo in eastern China has reassured visitors its sun bears are real rather than humans in disguise, after footage of one animal standing like a person sent rumours flying online.
Responding to a viral video of a bear on its hind legs, Hangzhou Zoo said people "don't understand" the species.
Social media users had speculated that the bear could be a person in costume.
Sun bears, the smallest bear species in the world, are generally the size of a large dog, the zoo says.
They are an endangered species native to the rainforests of South East Asia.
In the video, the sun bear is seen standing tall on the edge of its enclosure, holding its paws by its side and seemingly observing the zoo's visitors for itself.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Taylor Swift capable of earth-shattering performances it seems

Madness caused a 4.1 tremor at their 1992 Madstock concert in Finsbury Park.

 

[GusB]

Boris's pool plans have been newtered:

Newts threaten Boris Johnson’s plan to build swimming pool

Creature railed against by ex-prime minister could thwart planning application for Oxfordshire home

www.theguardian.com

Boris Johnson may finally be out of political hot water, but plans to erect an outdoor swimming pool at his Oxfordshire home have been disrupted by a population of great crested newts.

Since leaving frontline politics, the former prime minister has been keen to press ahead with improvements to the home he purchased in May and has been living in with his wife, Carrie, and their three children.

However, it seems that the great crested newt, against which Johnson railed when he was in No 10 and accused of being “a massive drag on the prosperity of this country”, has had its revenge.

The UK’s largest newt, which takes its name from the striking jagged crest that males display in the spring breeding season, is a protected species under British law.


As such, an unlimited fine and up to six months in prison could await anyone found guilty of disturbing the newt’s resting places and breeding sites, or taking their eggs.

Johnson launched an application with South Oxfordshire district council in June for the construction of an outdoor pool, measuring 11 metres by 4 metres (36ft x 13ft).

But Edward Church, a local government ecologist who reviewed the application, did not recommend granting permission for the pool to be built because there are great crested newts living in the grounds.

 

[brad465]

Boris's pool plans have been newtered:

Newts threaten Boris Johnson’s plan to build swimming pool

Creature railed against by ex-prime minister could thwart planning application for Oxfordshire home

www.theguardian.com

We're talking about Johnson, I wouldn't be surprised if he just goes ahead anyway and claims "all 'guidance' was followed", and anyone with intel on any law breaking that occurred in relation to this gets a bung/peerage for silence.

 

[AM9]

We're talking about Johnson, I wouldn't be surprised if he just goes ahead anyway and claims "all 'guidance' was followed", and anyone with intel on any law breaking that occurred in relation to this gets a bung/peerage for silence.

Might be a bit more difficult now the Grauniad's got hold of it.

 

[341o2]

He'll probably go ahead and have a hole dug, but this has nothing to do with a swimming pool

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Someone else will dig the hole, he will have been looking the other way and know nothing about it.

 

[edwin_m]

Someone else will dig the hole, he will have been looking the other way and know nothing about it.

Sooner or later though, he'll fall into it. Probably through assuming that the law of gravity doesn't apply to him.

 

[AM9]

Sooner or later though, he'll fall into it. Probably through assuming that the law of gravity doesn't apply to him.

There's still p,enty who think that he walks on water, so walking in air across the hole should be do-able.

 

[MotCO]

Royal Marines lose rifle on Dartmoor​

A Royal Marine Commando lost an assault rifle on Dartmoor while undergoing a leadership exercise.
The Commando Training Centre in Lympstone were running the exercise in late July when the unloaded SA80 automatic rifle went missing, The Telegraph understands.
The marines were operating on open moorland terrain while conducting the leadership tasks, where individuals lead their peers to complete timed tasks, and live in field conditions.
Carrying unloaded rifles is a crucial part of the test that enables marines to learn how to lead a team in challenging conditions whilst wearing the kit they would wear on operations, ultimately allowing them to develop fitness and familiarity with the weapons.
According to defence sources the weapon has not yet been located, although the search is still being conducted.

“You’ve got to remember that Dartmoor is difficult terrain,” they said. “There are crevices, ditches, all sorts, so it isn’t that easy to find it, but they are searching. You’ve got to remember these people are tired, it’s dark, wet, miserable, they get distracted. But that’s not an excuse.”
As first reported in The Sun, the exercise was stopped and a fingertip search for the weapon was ordered after it was reported lost.
It was then brought to the attention of Devon and Cornwall Police after they were unable to recover the gun.
The Royal Navy confirmed that an investigation into what happened is ongoing.
A spokesman said: “We are investigating an incident related to the loss of an unloaded rifle by the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines. The incident is under investigation, therefore it would be inappropriate to comment further.”

Whoops!

Royal Marines lose rifle on Dartmoor

Commandos were on a training exercise on Dartmoor when they misplaced the unloaded weapon

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[Ashley Hill]

Whoops!

Royal Marines lose rifle on Dartmoor

Commandos were on a training exercise on Dartmoor when they misplaced the unloaded weapon

www.telegraph.co.uk

Let’s hope the legendary Hairy Hands don’t find it!

 

[Cowley]

Let’s hope the legendary Hairy Hands don’t find it!

Should be alright, they only know how to steer drunk drivers into ditches (honestly hocifer).

 

[swt_passenger]

Extreme ship stowaway location - reported on the BBC website.

Good thing they didn’t hit rough weather, or ballast the ship down, or do any extreme rudder movements…

This is the moment Brazilian federal police rescued four Nigerian migrants, who'd spent 14 days at sea on a ship's rudder. The migrants had hoped to reach Europe from Nigeria but were shocked to learn they'd landed thousands of miles away in Brazil.

Migrants rescued after 14 days at sea on ship's rudder

The Nigerian migrants hoped to travel to Europe, but ended up thousands of miles away in Brazil.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[najaB]

Influencer says that airlines should provide a free second seat for "customers of size":

Jaelynn Chaney, a plus-sized influencer, says that airlines must provide accessible seats or shell out to provide larger customers with an extra seat, free of charge.

She's circulating a petition among her 133,000 TikTok and Twitter followers - and it's being well-received by individuals who say that it is time that passengers stop being harassed and squished into small seats.

Influencer calls on airlines to provide extra seats for plus-size passengers

A plus-size influencer is circulating a petition meant for airlines - and she's asking for free seats as an accommodation, not just for her, but for every larger traveller

www.mirror.co.uk

Don't know about you, but it seems fair that if you need more than one seat that you pay for more than one seat.

 

[birchesgreen]

Smaller, lighter people might wonder why they pay the same as much bigger people considering how much weight affects aviation, i've always considered that a bit unfair, and i'm not a small lad myself before anyone says...

 

[najaB]

Smaller, lighter people might wonder why they pay the same as much bigger people considering how much weight affects aviation, i've always considered that a bit unfair, and i'm not a small lad myself before anyone says...

True. But it's not like the airline can sell the part of the seat that they not using.

In the same way, if someone is taking up a seat and a half that's a whole seat that the airline can't sell to someone else.

 

[al78]

Pigeons have the intelligence of AI



https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/pigeons-smart-brains-can-rival-29159027

Pigeons tend to move out of the way when you approach them. The man stood next to me in London yesterday whilst waiting to cross a road first proceeded to walk in front of a bus that was (clearly) turning into the road, fortunately he saw the bus in time and got back to the pavement, then he immediately walked in front of a cyclist. The fact he was gawping at a smartphone the whole time may have had something to do with it, and makes me question if humans really are as intelligent as they like to believe.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Aug 2023 ==

Smaller, lighter people might wonder why they pay the same as much bigger people considering how much weight affects aviation, i've always considered that a bit unfair, and i'm not a small lad myself before anyone says...

Perhaps lighter people should have a higher luggage weight allowance. Weight limits based on combined weight of passenger and luggage, pay an excess charge for going over the limit.

 

[birchesgreen]

Perhaps lighter people should have a higher luggage weight allowance. Weight limits based on combined weight of passenger and luggage, pay an excess charge for going over the limit.

I'm sure i read of an airline doing that (or maybe considering it).

 

[Purple Train]

Smaller, lighter people might wonder why they pay the same as much bigger people considering how much weight affects aviation, i've always considered that a bit unfair, and i'm not a small lad myself before anyone says...

Well, children do pay half fare on trains...

And, as someone who is quite small, I like the idea of continuing to pay half fare because I don't quite take up a full seat on most stock - though perhaps because I'd exploit it by travelling a lot on 720s

Given Lumo's other bright ideas regarding luggage, I wonder if they will take up your idea on their services?

 

[DelW]

I'm sure i read of an airline doing that (or maybe considering it).

A few years ago, flying from Southampton to Alderney with Aurigny, I noticed when my boarding card was issued that it didn't have a seat number. The reason became clear when we went out to the plane for boarding - we were lined up like a primary school games lesson "smallest on the left, largest on the right", and assigned seats to balance the weight evenly. There were no cheaper fares for the lightweight ones though.
(It was a very small aircraft.)

 

[AndyPJG]

BBC News

Urinal appears on the side of Sonning bridge over River Thames

The urinal is the latest in a series of art installations on Sonning Bridge
A urinal has appeared on the side of a bridge in an apparent protest at the water quality of the River Thames.
The installation has been added to Sonning Bridge, in Berkshire, by the anonymous artist Impro.
It is the latest in a string of works he has attached to the side of the same bridge, with previous additions including a telephone and a post box.
The artist joked his latest work was causing the council to ask questions about the urinal's usefulness.
Impro also directly referenced Thames Water, which has recently faced criticism over sewage discharges and leaks.
Other works by Impro include Santa Claus seemingly stuck in a giant post box on an Oxfordshire roundabout last December.
Former resident Uri Geller said he was initially "puzzled" by the mysterious Sonning Bridge post box
Another fake post box on the same bridge as the urinal confused Sonning residents - including entertainer Uri Geller - when it popped up in 2013.
It even forced Royal Mail to issue a statement saying it was not real, and any letters posted using it would not get delivered.
The next bizarre addition to the bridge was a black front door, complete with a floating doormat, prompting one resident to row up to the door to knock on it.
A white phone with an "Emergency Flood Line" sign above it on the buttress of Sonning Bridge
The white phone was Impro's most recent installation on the bridge before the urinal
Then in 2021 a telephone appeared on the same bridge, with an "Emergency Flood Line" sign above it.
As with the other items, the urinal will have to come down as the bridge is a listed structure, which means it is protected and any alterations must be approved by Wokingham Borough Council.

 

[High Dyke]

BBC News - Joe Pasquale impaled in freak moose antler incident in Skegness

Joe Pasquale impaled in freak moose antler incident in Skegness

The comic was given seven stitches and says he is lucky to be alive.

www.bbc.co.uk

Describing the incident, Pasquale said he had tripped and narrowly avoided stabbing himself in the stomach.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

freak moose antler incident

That is not a string I ever expected to read.

But at the end of the act the curtains came down and all my props are strewn all over the stage and they bring the lights down obviously.

I feel like that's clearly the reason there, if the curtains are shut surely it's sensible to put the lights on to let the stage be cleaned and actors exit safely?