The unimportant news thread

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Pohjolas Daughter

Quote from: T. D. on September 12, 2021, 05:34:51 PM
More on the shoe thing from Reuters:

https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/vienna-marathon-winner-disqualified-after-shoes-soles-violate-rules-2021-09-12/


Hurisa crossed the line with a time of 2:09:22 but less than 45 minutes later was left distraught when his time was struck off as his shoe soles were five centimetres thick.

The soles of road running shoes cannot be thicker than four centimetres and Hurisa had worn a different set of shoes to the ones he had mentioned on his form.

Race co-ordinator Hannes Langer said: "We also stressed in the technical meeting the rules about the shoes. Unfortunately, we had no other choice than disqualifying the athlete.

"It's the first time something like this has happened. I'm pretty sure that from now on there will be some form of checks to avoid something like this to happen again in a major race."

Thank you for the further information.  Such a shame.

PD
Pohjolas Daughter

MusicTurner

#4061
You've probably seen the sad reports about the massive dolphin killings at the Faroe Islands, a flock of 1400. The locals allegedly underestimated their number a lot, but carried through the slaughter anyway, and it was a village- and family event as usual.

The Faroes are to a large extent self-governing, with special regulations and traditional customs and rules in place up there. There's been critique world-wide and now also locally on a major level, including from local industries, and some thinking that this will probably mark the end - or the beginning of the end - of the dolphin killings as they've been known so far. In the past it has been the policy of the Danish government not to interfere, or provoke things into becoming separatist conflicts. Any hypocritical aspects of the international animal rights uproar aside, this time, the events were obviously not in accordance with modern thinking about respecting animals and our surrounding nature, and they will put a lot of pressure on the community up there in the months to come, regardless of any critique from the Danish government, that would nonetheless be just. Generally, Danish initiatives for animal welfare and nature conservation are also being undermined by such a story from the Faroes.

Karl Henning

Quote from: MusicTurner on September 17, 2021, 11:37:03 AM
You've probably seen the sad reports about the massive dolphin killings at the Faroe Islands, a flock of 1400. The locals allegedly underestimated their number a lot, but carried through the slaughter anyway, and it was a village- and family event as usual.

The Faroes are to a large extent self-governing, with special regulations and traditional customs and rules in place up there. There's been critique world-wide and now also locally on a major level, including from local industries, and some thinking that this will probably mark the end - or the beginning of the end - of the dolphin killings as they've been known so far. In the past it has been the policy of the Danish government not to interfere, or provoke things into becoming separatist conflicts. Any hypocritical aspects of the international animal rights uproar aside, this time, the events were obviously not in accordance with modern thinking about respecting animals and our surrounding nature, and they will put a lot of pressure on the community up there in the months to come, regardless of any critique from the Danish government, that would nonetheless be just. Generally, Danish initiatives for animal welfare and nature conservation are also being undermined by such a story from the Faroes.

I'd seen the headline, and a lurid photograph, but didn't have stomach to read further. Thanks for the thumbnail!
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

T. D.

https://www.chess.com/news/view/nona-gaprindashvili-sues-netflix-the-queens-gambit

GM Nona Gaprindashvili has filed a lawsuit against Netflix for "false light invasion of privacy" and defamation after a line in the hit series The Queen's Gambit erroneously suggested that she was playing only against women.

The fifth women's world chess champion seeks over five million dollars in damages for what the suit claims is a "devastating falsehood, undermining and degrading her accomplishments before an audience of many millions."

The lawsuit is about a line in the last episode of the highly successful series that won two Golden Globes earlier this year and that is expected to win several prizes at the 2021 Emmy Awards on Sunday.

While the main protagonist is playing a tournament in Moscow, a commentator says: "The only unusual thing about her, really, is her sex, and even that's not unique in Russia. There's Nona Gaprindashvili, but she's the female world champion and has never faced men."

This, however, is far from the truth and even somewhat ironic. The now 80-year-old Gaprindashvili, who still plays in senior tournaments, is in fact the first female player ever to gain the "general" grandmaster title, which she achieved in 1978. In addition to holding the women's world champion title for 16 years (1962-1978), the Georgian chess legend often played in open tournaments as well and faced many men, including three world champions: GMs Mikhail Tal, Boris Spassky, and Viswanathan Anand.

In its coverage of the lawsuit, The New York Times mentions that a headline of one of their articles from 1968 reads, "Chess: Miss Gaprindashvili Beats 7 Men in a Strong Tourney."
...
Interestingly, the 1983 novel The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis, on which the series was largely based, does not state that Gaprindashvili had never faced men. In fact, the book reads: "There was Nona Gaprindashvili, not up to the level of this tournament, but a player who had met all these Russian Grandmasters many times before."
...


Karl Henning

Quote from: T. D. on September 18, 2021, 04:31:51 PM
https://www.chess.com/news/view/nona-gaprindashvili-sues-netflix-the-queens-gambit

GM Nona Gaprindashvili has filed a lawsuit against Netflix for "false light invasion of privacy" and defamation after a line in the hit series The Queen's Gambit erroneously suggested that she was playing only against women.

The fifth women's world chess champion seeks over five million dollars in damages for what the suit claims is a "devastating falsehood, undermining and degrading her accomplishments before an audience of many millions."

The lawsuit is about a line in the last episode of the highly successful series that won two Golden Globes earlier this year and that is expected to win several prizes at the 2021 Emmy Awards on Sunday.

While the main protagonist is playing a tournament in Moscow, a commentator says: "The only unusual thing about her, really, is her sex, and even that's not unique in Russia. There's Nona Gaprindashvili, but she's the female world champion and has never faced men."

This, however, is far from the truth and even somewhat ironic. The now 80-year-old Gaprindashvili, who still plays in senior tournaments, is in fact the first female player ever to gain the "general" grandmaster title, which she achieved in 1978. In addition to holding the women's world champion title for 16 years (1962-1978), the Georgian chess legend often played in open tournaments as well and faced many men, including three world champions: GMs Mikhail Tal, Boris Spassky, and Viswanathan Anand.

In its coverage of the lawsuit, The New York Times mentions that a headline of one of their articles from 1968 reads, "Chess: Miss Gaprindashvili Beats 7 Men in a Strong Tourney."
...
Interestingly, the 1983 novel The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis, on which the series was largely based, does not state that Gaprindashvili had never faced men. In fact, the book reads: "There was Nona Gaprindashvili, not up to the level of this tournament, but a player who had met all these Russian Grandmasters many times before."
...



Most interesting.

Nope, I don't count on TV series producers getting all their facts straight.
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot


Karl Henning

Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Pohjolas Daughter

#4067
Interesting to read; thanks for that link.

Here's one that will make your jaws drop:  https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/15/homes/bel-air-mansion-the-one/?hpt=ob_blogfooterold

Watching the videos showing the tour of the place, you could see that the developer would never be totally happy with it; he seemed to be constantly wanting to add to it or change things (bigger = custom made master bedroom bed), etc.  Alas, he ran out of money.  Cannot believe how HUGE that mansion is!  Felt very impersonal to me...more like a hotel or designed to be a big party kind of place.  He did come up with some cool ideas though (like a stone door).

PD

p.s.  Here's another one for you all:  After seeing more about Theranos and the trial, I ran across this fascinating talk that Erika Cheung gave about working there and how she became a whistleblower, what she learned about herself in the process and what she had to share with others:  https://www.ted.com/talks/erika_cheung_theranos_whistleblowing_and_speaking_truth_to_power?language=en#t-890335

Pohjolas Daughter

DavidW

I've seen on youtube mansions that big before.  Once it gets to be that size it stops making sense for even a single family to live there.  It is ultimately to me not that impressive.  What is more impressive is a smaller mansion thoughtfully designed to reflect the owner's interests and aesthetics imo.

Spotted Horses

Quote from: DavidW on September 20, 2021, 08:23:02 AM
I've seen on youtube mansions that big before.  Once it gets to be that size it stops making sense for even a single family to live there.  It is ultimately to me not that impressive.  What is more impressive is a smaller mansion thoughtfully designed to reflect the owner's interests and aesthetics imo.

I think the purpose of a large mansion not to live there with your family, but that that your life is a perpetual party, with a stead stream of elite, celebrity guests (freeloaders).
There are simply two kinds of music, good music and the other kind. - Duke Ellington

Pohjolas Daughter

Quote from: Spotted Horses on September 20, 2021, 08:43:13 AM
I think the purpose of a large mansion not to live there with your family, but that that your life is a perpetual party, with a stead stream of elite, celebrity guests (freeloaders).

Yes, it feels more like a party place (for example, a cigar room with vintage Playboy covers illuminated behind glass?!).  Though how he designed all of those fire pits (some set in/surrounded by water with stepping stones to get to them) is asking for a lawsuit to happen.
Quote from: DavidW on September 20, 2021, 08:23:02 AM
I've seen on youtube mansions that big before.  Once it gets to be that size it stops making sense for even a single family to live there.  It is ultimately to me not that impressive.  What is more impressive is a smaller mansion thoughtfully designed to reflect the owner's interests and aesthetics imo.
Must admit that I haven't heard of one that is a 105,000 sq. ft. one before!

Yes, I think that an individual--or even a family---would get lost in all of that!  Wonder what it will end up selling for?  He was hoping to get $500,000,000 for it.

PD
Pohjolas Daughter

SonicMan46

Well, more irritating than unimportant - yesterday, I was listening to John Taverner and noticed that one of the discs was either not the correct one or mislabeled?  Now did I notice this on purchase years ago - probably since the music was that as represented on the outside and in the booklet - but this time I was curious and sent Hyperion an email - well they responded by the next day (see exchange in quotes) - no offer for a replacement so I'll pull out my old CD Label Kit and waste a half hour making a label!   ::)  8)  Dave

QuoteDave: Hello - I own the John Taverner CD on your Helios label shown below - when I open the jewel box, the disc inside is labeled 'Oboe Quintets' w/ Sarah Francis; the disc itself is numbered CDH55015 vs. CDH55051 on the outside (see first and second pics below); when I load the CD into my external optical drive, the third pic @ the bottom has the correct Taverner information as in the booklet or back cover - of course the disc plays the Tavener music.

Hyperion: Dear Dave,

I note that both CDH55015 and CDH55051 were repressed at the same time (by the same manufacturer) in June 2002, so it's likely that your wrongly labelled CD originates from that pressing. We haven't had any other reports of wrongly labelled copies of either CD, although discs with the wrong label do occasionally surface. It's perhaps slightly more common for the disc to have the correct label but the wrong music; there is a short article on 'Facts about CDs' at https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/pages/CD-facts.asp, which you might find interesting.   

We hope that the label doesn't detract from The Sixteen's performances of Taverner.

With best wishes,

Edward

Edward Taylor
Copyright & Licensing Manager
Hyperion Records Limited
PO Box 25
London SE9 1AX

 

Pohjolas Daughter

Quote from: SonicMan46 on September 20, 2021, 08:58:44 AM
Well, more irritating than unimportant - yesterday, I was listening to John Taverner and noticed that one of the discs was either not the correct one or mislabeled?  Now did I notice this on purchase years ago - probably since the music was that as represented on the outside and in the booklet - but this time I was curious and sent Hyperion an email - well they responded by the next day (see exchange in quotes) - no offer for a replacement so I'll pull out my old CD Label Kit and waste a half hour making a label!   ::)  8)  Dave

 
That's annoying!  Well, at least you have the correct music.  One thing to think of (if you haven't yet made your new label); is there any chance that your new label might cause the CD to not play properly--since you're putting it on top of a pre-existing one?

In any event, it was nice of them to get back to you and so quickly.

PD

p.s.  You've reminded me that I should be good when I first receive a set (big or small) to check to see if at least all of the discs are in the set and are labeled correctly (as in not two copies of one CD and none of another).
Pohjolas Daughter

Pohjolas Daughter

This article is disturbing.  I wonder how they will fix the shortage?  And is this going on in other countries too?

Article is titled:  "Why is there a CO2 shortage and how will it hit food supplies?"

https://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-58626935

PD
Pohjolas Daughter

Pohjolas Daughter

Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on September 21, 2021, 05:40:00 AM
This article is disturbing.  I wonder how they will fix the shortage?  And is this going on in other countries too?

Article is titled:  "Why is there a CO2 shortage and how will it hit food supplies?"

https://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-58626935

PD

Looks like an American company will be at least temporarily bailed out by the British government (meaning UK taxpayers) to help alleviate an imminent food crisis in the UK due to CO2 shortages:  https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/22/business/cf-industries-uk-co2-food-shortages/index.html  I hadn't realized how CO2 was used in the food industry before now.  The food chain is truly fragile.  :(

PD
Pohjolas Daughter

SonicMan46

Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on September 21, 2021, 02:31:38 AM
That's annoying!  Well, at least you have the correct music.  One thing to think of (if you haven't yet made your new label); is there any chance that your new label might cause the CD to not play properly--since you're putting it on top of a pre-existing one?

In any event, it was nice of them to get back to you and so quickly.

PD

p.s.  You've reminded me that I should be good when I first receive a set (big or small) to check to see if at least all of the discs are in the set and are labeled correctly (as in not two copies of one CD and none of another).

Hi PD - thanks for your comments - commercial CDs usually have their front images printed directly on the surface, i.e. no paper label - I did this w/ my old Canon printer, i.e. printing labels on CD-Rs (usually MP3 DL purchases) but replaced it w/ a newer Canon that did not have this feature, so back to paper labels (which I rarely make these days).

So, the disc in question would have just one paper label applied - the CD laser focuses just beneath the reading surface of the CD so not an issue - the main problems w/ paper labels is their adherence to the CD's surface; I've had a few loosen at the edges and could have potentially jammed in the CD player; also, I have an Apple Super Drive that has a tight slot, i.e. the CD is 'sucked into' the device - I never put a CD in that drive w/ a paper label.

BTW, I rewrote the guy from Hyperion 'hinting' at a replacement - no response to date -  ::)  Dave

T. D.

#4076
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on September 22, 2021, 03:52:02 AM
Looks like an American company will be at least temporarily bailed out by the British government (meaning UK taxpayers) to help alleviate an imminent food crisis in the UK due to CO2 shortages:  https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/22/business/cf-industries-uk-co2-food-shortages/index.html  I hadn't realized how CO2 was used in the food industry before now.  The food chain is truly fragile.  :(

PD

A cynic might say that such companies (American? no surprise there) are dumb/lazy/poor planners, but don't care because their game plan is to ask for bailouts in the event of "disruptions".
Or that they're good planners, simply adept at gaming the system.  :laugh: :'(

Spotted Horses

Quote from: T. D. on September 22, 2021, 07:48:55 AM
A cynic would say that such companies (American? no surprise there) are dumb/lazy/poor planners, but don't care because their game plan is to ask for bailouts in the event of "disruptions".

It has nothing to do with bad planning. It is self-interest. Why would the plant run if the cost of their supplies caused them to lose money? They are closing to wait for the resulting shortage to drive up the cost of their product high enough for them to make a profit.
There are simply two kinds of music, good music and the other kind. - Duke Ellington

T. D.

Quote from: Spotted Horses on September 22, 2021, 07:57:54 AM
It has nothing to do with bad planning. It is self-interest. Why would the plant run if the cost of their supplies caused them to lose money? They are closing to wait for the resulting shortage to drive up the cost of their product high enough for them to make a profit.

Smart companies tend to hedge the prices of their raw materials.

Pohjolas Daughter

#4079
So, um, how could you not know that you were using a gravestone to make fudge?  Or perhaps they did know, but didn't think anything of it (*unclear in article)?  Bizarre!  Thankfully, it's now where it belongs....

*Looking at the article again, it does seem like the family knew what it was but how or when it got there is unknown.  ???

https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/24/us/gravestone-returned-after-missing-150-years-trnd/index.html

PD
Pohjolas Daughter