The unimportant news thread

[Todd]

From the BBC web site:



https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-66724246

This is fine.

I'm gonna book a February 2040 Antarctic cruise. 

[Todd]

Jann Wenner removed from Rock & Roll Hall of Fame board after interview

There are several things to enjoy about this story.  First, per the MSN landing page version of the article, four people contributed to the story.  Teamwork, and all that, I guess.  Second, Jann Wenner turns out to be dafter than I thought.  And third, nothing says rock 'n' roll more than sitting on a board.

[T. D.]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-09-18/rudy-giuliani-sued-over-1-4-million-in-unpaid-legal-fees

Odour in the court!

[Todd]

Round 1: Canada expels an Indian diplomat as it investigates a Sikh's killing. India denies an alleged link

Round 2: Modi government expels a Canadian diplomat after Trudeau says India was involved in Sikh's killing

Since Trudeau is a bona fide tough guy, in addition to being real smart, perhaps he challenges Modi or Modi's appropriate stand-in to settle this matter in the ring.

[T. D.]

It keeps getting better and better!   

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/20/trump-aide-says-rudy-giuliani-groped-her-on-january-6.html

Is assault by flatus covered by any statutes? https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/davidmack/rudy-giuliani-fart

BUT OF COURSE IT'S ALL A FAKE NEWS CONSPIRACY!!! PAGING SOROS AND THE CLINTONS!!!

[Todd]

First private US passenger rail line in 100 years is about to link Miami and Orlando at high speed

A Fortress joint.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

First private US passenger rail line in 100 years is about to link Miami and Orlando at high speed

A Fortress joint.

It's nice to see that someone's willing to take the risk to put in some high-speed trains in the US.  I just wish that the Feds and maybe state governments would too; as far as I know, there's only the one run by the Feds (between Boston and Washington).  Cool that it's also running on bio fuel.

PD

[greg]

This is so amusing. Probably how most of these takedowns happen.

After the Russell Brand accusations, why would a government official be so determined to take away his source of income and exposure, basically deplatforming/silencing him, over accusations that haven't even gone through any trial yet? Enough to write letters to these social media platforms to do so?

Considering all he does is bash the government, seems he painted a big target on himself. People should realize that we only live in "free" and "fair" countries in the best scenario, successful manipulation of power will always win in the end- that's how the world works.

[DavidW]

First private US passenger rail line in 100 years is about to link Miami and Orlando at high speed

A Fortress joint.

I look forward to the inevitable article containing "passenger rail" and "Florida man arrested after"...

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Artist ordered to pay museum back $77,000 after submitting 2 blank canvases under the title 'Take the Money and Run'.



https://fortune.com/2023/09/19/artist-jens-haaning-ordered-pay-museum-77000-submitting-2-blank-canvases-title-take-money-run/

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Artist ordered to pay museum back $77,000 after submitting 2 blank canvases under the title 'Take the Money and Run'.



https://fortune.com/2023/09/19/artist-jens-haaning-ordered-pay-museum-77000-submitting-2-blank-canvases-title-take-money-run/

I can't see much of the article, but I remember another poster bringing up this subject with a link to an article.  From what I remember, the money was to be used to recreate a couple of earlier works for a Danish museum...a fairly small one (museum).

If you can't access the Fortune article, here's one that you might be able to:  https://edition.cnn.com/style/jens-haaning-kunsten-take-money-run/index.html

PD

[drogulus]

I look forward to the inevitable article containing "passenger rail" and "Florida man arrested after"...

    It's like "area man" only even more.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

I can't see much of the article, but I remember another poster bringing up this subject with a link to an article.  From what I remember, the money was to be used to recreate a couple of earlier works for a Danish museum...a fairly small one (museum).

If you can't access the Fortune article, here's one that you might be able to:  https://edition.cnn.com/style/jens-haaning-kunsten-take-money-run/index.html

PD

The news reminded me of John Cage.

[JBS]

It's nice to see that someone's willing to take the risk to put in some high-speed trains in the US.  I just wish that the Feds and maybe state governments would too; as far as I know, there's only the one run by the Feds (between Boston and Washington).  Cool that it's also running on bio fuel.

PD

This high speed rail route has been a project envisioning state funds for a couple of decades, and in fact got written into the state constitution before being allowed to fade.

I don't know where the Orlando terminus is exactly, but I'll just note the theme parks are naturally on the outside edge of the metropolitan area.
ETA distance from downtown Orlando to Universal Studios is about 10 miles; distance to Walt Disney World is 13-19 miles, depending on the route taken.

Finally, as a local, I want to point out Brightline's record of fatalities, and that it uses the same set of tracks as Amtrak's passenger service, yet Amtrak's service never had anything approaching the rate of deaths Brightline has.

[Todd]

Surveillance of Indian diplomats in Canada led to allegations around Sikh killing, official says

The official did not say which ally provided intelligence or give details of what was contained in the communications or how they were obtained.

Gee whiz, I wonder which ally provided the intelligence.

[LKB]

... Finally, as a local, I want to point out Brightline's record of fatalities, and that it uses the same set of tracks as Amtrak's passenger service, yet Amtrak's service never had anything approaching the rate of deaths Brightline has.

That problem reportedly isn't really attributable to the company:

" None of the deaths involving Brightline have been found to be the railroad's fault. Most have been suicides, pedestrians who tried to run across the tracks ahead of a train, or drivers who maneuvered around crossing gates rather than wait. "

https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/two-killed-brightline-train-collision-delray-beach/

[JBS]

That problem reportedly isn't really attributable to the company:

" None of the deaths involving Brightline have been found to be the railroad's fault. Most have been suicides, pedestrians who tried to run across the tracks ahead of a train, or drivers who maneuvered around crossing gates rather than wait. "

https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/two-killed-brightline-train-collision-delray-beach/

Then why doesn't Amtrak service over the exact same set of tracks have an equally high number of deaths?

After all, if you're going to throw yourself under a train, does it matter what train you're going to throw yourself under?

In fact, the incentive to "beat the train to the crossing" can be much greater with the incredibly long freight trains that come through 2 or 3 times a day on those tracks, and can take five minutes or more to clear through a crossing.

[LKB]

Then why doesn't Amtrak service over the exact same set of tracks have an equally high number of deaths?

After all, if you're going to throw yourself under a train, does it matter what train you're going to throw yourself under?

In fact, the incentive to "beat the train to the crossing" can be much greater with the incredibly long freight trains that come through 2 or 3 times a day on those tracks, and can take five minutes or more to clear through a crossing.

Are the Brightline trains somehow less conspicuous than the normal Amtrak hardware? If the usual acoustic and/or visual cues are diminished or absent, people may be less aware of an approaching train.

[JBS]

Are the Brightline trains somehow less conspicuous than the normal Amtrak hardware? If the usual acoustic and/or visual cues are diminished or absent, people may be less aware of an approaching train.

Not that I know of.
In certain stretches of track the train can't toot its horn, but that applies to all trains and is mostly late at night, when Brightline isn't running.

[T. D.]

Today's chuckle from the windy dye-dripper:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-09-22/giuliani-owes-236k-and-counting-over-defamation-case-failures