deanb Posted October 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2012 As devils advocate I will say that while it's silly to expect them to predict a quake, by the sounds of it it wasn't just that they didn't predict it, it's that they actually said it's all clear. It's a bit like if you're an electronics tester, you give a toaster a sticker of a-okay, and then it electrocutes someone then you'd expect folks to take up issue with the tester that said it was okay. But yes the ruling was retarded. Negligence at worst, not manslaughter. It does feel like there's an agenda behind it all, even if it's as simple as finding someone to blame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted October 23, 2012 Report Share Posted October 23, 2012 The impression I got from the article was that they said something like "the small quakes don't give us any reason to believe there will be a big quake", which is true. If they actually said something more like "there's not going to be a big quake" then I'd probably agree with you. It does feel like there's an agenda behind it all, even if it's as simple as finding someone to blame. Yeah, I'm guessing that's all it is; they have to hold someone responsible, truth be damned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted October 23, 2012 Report Share Posted October 23, 2012 After cooling off... there maybe a communication problem and perhaps a want to appear confident. http://www.gns.cri.nz/Home/News-and-Events/Media-Releases/L-Aquila That is what the Kiwis has to say about it and in general, I agree but truth be told, the only thing reasonable to say is "We don't know" and something about shoring up your structures. It doesn't tell you anything other than "Good luck!". The group was assigned to, more or less, reassure the general public since it would bad to say that a large earthquake will happen in the coming days or weeks. "We don't know" is the truth but the government and certainly the public wouldn't like that answer since there are so many damned "What ifs". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuchikoma Posted October 23, 2012 Report Share Posted October 23, 2012 While obviously completely ridiculous, I don't know that it's fair to say it would almost herald a new dark age. Maybe in Italy, yes, but there's nothing to say this kind of retardation would expand to other countries. Oh definitely if you take it seriously. It was angry rhetoric to respond to an absurd issue. Even in Italy I'd think it'd just be more of a chilling effect on Earth sciences and warning services. I also don't expect the ruling to stand, but frankly, I wouldn't expect it to get this far either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted October 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2012 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20116548 Greek journalist arrested for publishing a list of 2000 Greeks with Swiss bank accounts. With a slight twist in that the list he published isn't the first time the Greek government has seen it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted November 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2012 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-20321741 Woman in Ireland dies after being refused an abortion as Ireland is "a catholic country" (she was Hindu). Seems it might be a turning point on that stance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuchikoma Posted November 15, 2012 Report Share Posted November 15, 2012 http://www.bbc.co.uk...reland-20321741 Woman in Ireland dies after being refused an abortion as Ireland is "a catholic country" (she was Hindu). Seems it might be a turning point on that stance. Funny you should post that today - Reddit in various places has UN Says Access to Contraception a Human Right. (Yes, abortion isn't counted in that, but it ties into reproductive rights issues.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted November 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2012 A few other bits in the World Politics front. Israel declares war on Hamas via Twitter http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-11/israel-declares-war-hamas-twitter-hamas-responds-twitter-welcome-2012?cmpid=tw China has a new group of guys at the top of its communist party for the next 10 years http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-20322288 And here's a great piece about the president of Uruguay http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20243493 The poorest president in the world. I liked this bit: Mujica accuses most world leaders of having a "blind obsession to achieve growth with consumption, as if the contrary would mean the end of the world". Which is a pretty fair sentiment, having bigger and bigger houses and such does not necessarily mean the country and it's peoples are any better off in the grand scheme of things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted January 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2013 (edited) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drKifHr5UsU So this is has pretty much just happened. God that could have ended up completely different live footage. I have no idea on the why of the attack.Also the Algeria thing is supposedly over. 11 militants and 7 hostages dead.http://www.bbc.co.uk...africa-21101092 Edited January 19, 2013 by Deanb woops, wrong tag. Stupid Fringe thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFlyingGerbil Posted January 19, 2013 Report Share Posted January 19, 2013 The guards seemed quite slow to react. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted January 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2013 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21237254 Queen Beatrix is to abdicate. Will likely stir up some conversation on the matter over here (though general impression I get is Liz is fine, it's Charles they'd want to abdicate) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted February 11, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-21411304 Pope Benedict XVI to resign. No one knows why as of yet (but the article will likely be all updated n shit by time most of you are awake n reading it) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 http://live.reuters.com/Event/North_Korea North Korea is up to their games again, now with a nuke that went all the way. If I recall, last time was a dud. If they're whining for more food, then this is quite a tantrum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 Here's the best case scenario for North Korea if they ever actually attack anyone: they get off a good first strike before being completely obliterated from the air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 Even the North Koreans know that and yet, they sabre rattle... with a big atomic sabre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thursday Next Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Isn't that the point of any nuclear attack though? Do a horrific level of damage before you are wiped out. It's not really about "winning" at that point. It's about going out in style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Well yes, but 1) NK might actually do it because goddamn, 2) with other nuclear-armed countries it's at least about giving as good as you get (you get wiped out but so does the other guy), but NK has such a limited stockpile of fissile material they would likely only be able to get a couple warheads out of it, and 3) I wasn't specifically meaning a nuclear attack, just any kind of major attack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister Jack Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 I think North Korea is the new shining example of lack of foresight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thursday Next Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Sure, depends on who they go for though. A couple of warheads in Seoul would wreak huge damage, require a response from the US and could lead to an all out global nuclear war. Which, for NK would be quite the achievement. That said, I don't think they'd ever actually pull the trigger on it. I know they're a bit bonkers, but I don't think they are totally suicidal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 I honestly think China might do something against NK. Communist bonds can only go so far. The NK problem is one that everybody wants gone. I see China as the only outside force that can end it. If they do it, China will have a ton of power on the negotiating table.They don't need the land but if they end it, they can get their main desire of not having American troops in NK. They can force a UN only zone. There is no good way for this to unfuck itself but the above may be the best of the bad. Absolute best way is if NK fixes themselves but... Yeah. Not happening. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 Not really politics, but close enough: Meteor strike in Russia injures several hundred people. Here's a video. That Boston Globe article is the best one I found. In various articles I've read estimates of the injuries ranging from 250 to 900 people. So far no reports of any fatalities. I wonder if this will spark discussion about the need to develop some kind of system to protect us from these things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFlyingGerbil Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 Would they be able to detect/track objects that small and numerous? You only ever seem to hear people talking about the big, city-devastating/exctinction level objects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 The problem is finding the thing in the first place. We also do have stuff that can chase it but to do anything about it? Nah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted February 17, 2013 Report Share Posted February 17, 2013 (edited) Oh yeah, we're nowhere near being able to deal with stuff this small, but I was thinking maybe it will wake people up to the idea that asteroid impacts can actually happen. *Edit* - And work on developing systems to better track (I know we do a little of that now) and deal with the big ones. Edited February 17, 2013 by TheMightyEthan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted February 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2013 The big ones are already tracked, and as far as I'm aware there's stuff in place to deal with "the big ones" (though not dinosaur level ones). The small ones just aren't worth tracking, would require way too much effort for very little pay-off, since most of them will burn up in the atmosphere and those that hit tend to hit ocean/middle of nowhere (humans cover like >1% of earth) and be not much bigger than a fist. Tunguska is one of the biggest in living memory and hit(well..) with the force measure in megatons. Killed....no one. If it's bigger than a kilimotre it's most likely being tracked, anythign smaller is assumed to be of little to no harm to humans should it reach the ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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