The World Events Thread

[Ilunga]

On 9/26/2023 at 9:27 AM, Canuck Surfer said:

@Ilunga  A Western (American) view of Middle East power vacuums.

 

 

 

 

Sorry Brother, I missed this, really distracted, I believe you know why.

Been 8 weeks now.

 

Thanks for posting, not a bad summary IMO.

[Ilunga]

On 10/21/2023 at 9:24 AM, RupertKBD said:

All I can say is that I really hope there are some dog lovers in the same lockup as this POS....

 

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/man-tortured-11-week-old-puppy-to-death-for-a-laugh/ar-AA1izHth?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=955916044389494d9a575b203bd9e94a&ei=25

 

 

 

Animal cruelty, especially to dogs makes my blood boil.

Messed up story.

 

One of my friends is raising his grandkids, two boys, his son is in jail, their mother is an ICE addict.

Not only is he raising his grandsons he has also taken on 3 bull Mastiffs that were his sons and his grandkids.

A few weeks ago the cops shot one of the dogs for no reason, he did get out of the property but wasn't threatening them, they just don't like his son.

On top of that they came around a week later and were bragging about it front of my friend and the actual owner of the dog, his eight year old grandson, who was by my friends side.

My friend has been breeding dogs all his adult life, they are almost like his kids to him.

My friend, who has mellowed with age was still so f#ckin mad he told the cop, take your uniform off, let's go up the street and sort this out.

Cop sh!t himself.

 

My last dog, Tusk, I got from him, big mastiff cross.

She nearly made 17 before she died.

Best dog that ever owned me.

I was so gutted I have not been able to get a dog since.

 

[Canuck Surfer]

 

[UnkNuk]

What to Know About Pakistan’s Deportation Deadline for Afghan Refugees

 

Pakistan’s government has called for all undocumented migrants to leave the country by November 1 or face deportation. The decision largely stands to impact the 1.7 million Afghan refugees who live in the country without documentation, though experts tell TIME that many Afghans with proper documentation have found themselves swept up in the enforcement as well. 

 

https://time.com/6330122/pakistan-afganistan-refugees/

[the destroyer of worlds]

Thought this thread would be the best place for this news.

 

 

 

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/sag-aftra-deal-reached-studios-union-contract-terms-1235607563/

STRIKE OVER: Actors Make a Deal With Studios After 118 Days

The work stoppage will end 12:01 a.m. on Thursday.

[Gurn]

Iceland is in trouble with volcanic activity. Towns have been evacuated, thousands of earthquakes and seems lava is flowing.

Air traffic is restricted due to volcanic ash risk-can't get that stuff into the engines.

 

Note- the first picture is actually from 2021, but the others, from a different link are current.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/10/iceland-declares-state-of-emergency-over-volcanic-eruption-threat

 

Icelandic authorities have declared a state of emergency after a series of powerful earthquakes rocked the country’s southwestern Reykjanes peninsula, signalling the increased likelihood of a volcanic eruption in the region.

“The National police chief … declares a state of emergency for civil defence due to the intense earthquake (activity) at Sundhnjukagigar, north of Grindavik,” the Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management said in a statement.

 

“Earthquakes can become larger than those that have occurred and this series of events could lead to an eruption,” the administration warned.

The Icelandic Met Office (IMO) said an eruption could take place “in several days”.

The village of Grindavik, home to about 4,000 people, is located 1.86 miles (3km) south-west of the area where Friday’s earthquake swarm was registered. It has evacuation plans in place in case of an eruption.

At about 5.30pm GMT, two strong earthquakes were felt as far as the capital, Reykjavik, 40km away, and along much of the country’s southern coast, causing windows and household objects to shake.

The biggest tremor, north of Grindavik, had a magnitude of 5.2, according to preliminary IMO figures.

Police closed a road running north-south to Grindavik on Friday after it was damaged by the earthquakes.

Since late October, 24,000 tremors have been registered on the peninsula, according to the IMO, with “a dense swarm” of nearly 800 quakes registered between midnight and 2pm GMT on Friday.

The IMO noted an accumulation of magma underground at a depth of about 3.1 miles (5km). Should it start moving towards the surface it could lead to a volcanic eruption.

“The most likely scenario is that it will take several days rather than hours for magma to reach the surface,” it said. “If a fissure were to appear where the seismic activity is at its highest now, lava would flow to the south-east and to the west, but not towards Grindavik.”

Since 2021, three eruptions have taken place on the Reykjanes peninsula, in March 2021, August 2022 and July 2023. Those three were located far from any infrastructure or populated areas.

 

On Thursday, the Blue Lagoon, located near Grindavik and famed for its geothermal spas and luxury hotels, closed as a precaution after another earthquake swarm.

Also nearby is the Svartsengi geothermal plant, the main supplier of electricity and water to 30,000 residents on the Reykjanes peninsula. It has contingency plans in place to protect the plant and its workers in the event of an eruption.

Iceland has 33 active volcanic systems, the highest number in Europe.

 This article was amended on 12 November 2023. An earlier picture caption did not make clear that the photograph showing the red glimmer of magma was from March 2021 when the Fagradalsfjall volcano erupted.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/11/europe/iceland-emergency-evacuates-threat-volcanic-eruption-intl-hnk/index.html

Iceland has declared a state of emergency, with police officials urging residents to evacuate the coastal town of Grindavík following an intense wave of earthquakes in the southwest of the country linked to a possible volcanic eruption.

Nearly 800 quakes were recorded between midnight and 2 p.m. on Friday, with the shallowest at a depth of 3-3.5 kilometers (1.86-2.18 miles), according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office.

In statements Friday, Iceland’s Civil Protection Agency said a magma tunnel that is forming could reach Grindavík. But as of Friday evening, the Icelandic authority said it has been impossible to tell if and where the magma might break through to the surface.

 

NY times

[Gurn]

about 390,000 people live in Iceland,  the oldest democracy on the planet at 930 years of age.

With air space being restricted, I'm hoping other nations are sending ships to help out with what could end up being an absolutely, massive evacuation.

[bishopshodan]

Didn't expect Trevor Noah to pull this off. What's going on Bros?

 

Just the debut but ...times, they are a changin?

 

https://www.mmamania.com/2023/11/16/23963817/trevor-noah-dethrones-joe-rogan-claims-top-spot-on-spotify-podcast-chart-ufc

[RupertKBD]

Anyone up for a swim?

 

 

This is an aerial photo of Caimans on the banks of a partially dried up river in Brazil.....they're smaller than their cousins, Crocs and Alligators, but I still don't think I'd risk it.....

[Boudrias]

59 minutes ago, RupertKBD said:

Anyone up for a swim?

 

 

This is an aerial photo of Caimans on the banks of a partially dried up river in Brazil.....they're smaller than their cousins, Crocs and Alligators, but I still don't think I'd risk it.....

My high school buddy swam in the headwaters of the Nile, Uganda I think, and was worried about gators. They didn't get him but he got a parasite instead. It took many years to be diagnosed and then drugs that nearly killed him to stabilize his condition. Has never totally recovered.   

[Gurn]

2 hours ago, RupertKBD said:

Anyone up for a swim?

 

 

This is an aerial photo of Caimans on the banks of a partially dried up river in Brazil.....they're smaller than their cousins, Crocs and Alligators, but I still don't think I'd risk it.....

 

[bishopshodan]

Well, the US has been annoying us for a while.

 

So, some of our most elite are threatening to invade. Don't know if it will result in just regional skirmishes or full blown war.

 

Canada’s ‘super pigs’ threatening to invade northern U.S. states

 

https://globalnews.ca/news/10107878/wild-pig-invasion-us-canada/

[Gurn]

1 hour ago, bishopshodan said:

Well, the US has been annoying us for a while.

 

So, some of our most elite are threatening to invade. Don't know if it will result in just regional skirmishes or full blown war.

 

Canada’s ‘super pigs’ threatening to invade northern U.S. states

 

https://globalnews.ca/news/10107878/wild-pig-invasion-us-canada/

Iirc the problem is so bad, you don't require a license and it is open season, all year long, on these animals.

 

My question is 

 

Who is the Einstein that allows people to bring foreign species into an area?

euro pigs--- in North America

Atlantic salmon-- in Pacific Ocean

Burmese rock python-- in Florida

rabbits- in Australia

 

This is stuff we were told not to do-when we were in high school. FFs.

 

Edit to add:

let's combine these bees, with these other bees, what could possibly go wrong?

"The Africanized bee, also known as the Africanized honey bee and colloquially as the "killer bee", is a hybrid of the western honey bee (Apis mellifera), produced originally by crossbreeding of the East African lowland honey bee (A. m. scutellata) with various European honey bee subspecies such as the Italian honey bee (A. m. ligustica) and the Iberian honey bee (A. m. iberiensis).

Edited November 23, 2023 by Gurn

[6of1_halfdozenofother]

1 hour ago, Gurn said:

My question is 

 

Who is the Einstein that allows people to bring foreign species into an area?

 

Probably people of the mentality of: "Introduce an alien species to a non-native locale, they said.  It'll be cute and attention-grabbing, they said."  

[UnkNuk]

An article in the NY Times:

 

What Happens When the Superrich Are This Selfish? (It Isn’t Pretty.)

 

An excerpt:

 

If the rich have been trying to avoid being made to contribute more, then they might not be doing themselves (or anybody else) a favor. In many Western countries, the electoral success of parties with a clear anti-establishment, anti-rich character most likely arises from widespread anger at an economic (and political) elite perceived as self-centered and self-serving. Arguably, this is also because the rich have reneged on a centuries-old social contract, shutting the doors to their barns of money.

 

More at:

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/19/opinion/rich-billionaires-philanthropy-covid.html?campaign_id=2&emc=edit_th_20231119&instance_id=108161&nl=todaysheadlines&regi_id=56405277&segment_id=150522&user_id=dc88543b79693b0f05322365a827e237

[Ronaldoescobar]

What a clown lol

[the destroyer of worlds]

On 11/23/2023 at 8:23 AM, Gurn said:

Iirc the problem is so bad, you don't require a license and it is open season, all year long, on these animals.

 

My question is 

 

Who is the Einstein that allows people to bring foreign species into an area?

euro pigs--- in North America

Atlantic salmon-- in Pacific Ocean

Burmese rock python-- in Florida

rabbits- in Australia

 

This is stuff we were told not to do-when we were in high school. FFs.

 

Edit to add:

let's combine these bees, with these other bees, what could possibly go wrong?

"The Africanized bee, also known as the Africanized honey bee and colloquially as the "killer bee", is a hybrid of the western honey bee (Apis mellifera), produced originally by crossbreeding of the East African lowland honey bee (A. m. scutellata) with various European honey bee subspecies such as the Italian honey bee (A. m. ligustica) and the Iberian honey bee (A. m. iberiensis).

I'll add one.  Murder hornets.

 

The pig issue also his affecting southern states like Texas.

[Crimson JH]

A crazy dude went streaking and waddling through Disneyland’s “It’s a small world” ride. 

 

Disneyland‘s “It’s a Small World” attraction was the site of a big disturbance over the weekend when a man decided to strip downmid-ride and crawl around the exhibit, to the shock of his fellow passengers.

Police in Anaheim, Calif., responded to a call to the theme park early Sunday afternoon after the unidentified 26-year-old man exited his boat, took off his shirt, shoes and pants and began climbing over and around the ride’s animatronic characters.

Video captured of the incident and posted to Instagram by user @magic.with.maegra shows other visitors and staff encouraging the man to rejoin the ride as a passenger.

“Stop, stop! I need you to stop,” a staff member can be heard yelling.

“Please just stop, you’re going to get hurt.”

Story continues below advertisement

A passenger cries out, “Oh God, he’s going to break all the stuff.”

“They should stop the music,” another visitor suggests.

And while the video posted to Instagram is fairly tame as he remains in his underwear, other very NSFW video shows the man wading through the outdoor part of the attraction fully naked.

 

https://globalnews.ca/news/10117385/naked-man-small-world-ride-disneyland/
 

 

[Goal_thecup]

On 10/4/2023 at 9:48 AM, The Lock said:

 

While it's a noble cause, my question would be whether that would actually work or would it turn vaping into the new "marijuana" where you just get dealers, etc. This could be a double edged sword that could also potentially increase the popularity due to it being less obtainable. Society sometimes works in weird ways after all.

 

That being said, we're getting close to the time where we'll see if New Zealand's strategy works or not.

We already have a very active black market in cigarettes here in Canada.

As you imply, the government created this market with their strategy of "Sin Taxes".

 

They are making the same mistake with cannabis, i.e. the government-taxed and over-regulated products are crap.

(Also, they do not sell fast enough, and are dry and stale and pretty freakin' weak.)

 

The black market cannabis is still alive and well with great product, wide selection, and way cheaper.

How do I know these things?  Old Man Strength.

[Goal_thecup]

On 10/23/2023 at 12:19 AM, Ilunga said:

 

I was so gutted I have not been able to get a dog since.

I understand this; lost my dog, my best friend over 50 years ago; no dog since.

[Goal_thecup]

On 10/24/2023 at 4:04 AM, Canuck Surfer said:

 

Hope he did; and has many more until the world is rid of this scourge.

[Boudrias]

41 minutes ago, Goal_thecup said:

We already have a very active black market in cigarettes here in Canada.

As you imply, the government created this market with their strategy of "Sin Taxes".

 

They are making the same mistake with cannabis, i.e. the government-taxed and over-regulated products are crap.

(Also, they do not sell fast enough, and are dry and stale and pretty freakin' weak.)

 

The black market cannabis is still alive and well with great product, wide selection, and way cheaper.

How do I know these things?  Old Man Strength.

The Mohawks smuggle billions of $'s of cigs each year. Crickets on enforcement? I guess the money may as well go to Mohawk reserves than the Ontario government. I just hope that all Mohawks get a share.

[Goal_thecup]

29 minutes ago, Boudrias said:

The Mohawks smuggle billions of $'s of cigs each year. Crickets on enforcement? I guess the money may as well go to Mohawk reserves than the Ontario government. I just hope that all Mohawks get a share.

And if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

Like any criminal enterprise, the money goes to the bosses.

The government's systems of oppression to our natives ensures that "chiefs" get the cream and the band gets paid if they allow the big companies to do what they want.

Sell out an old growth ecosystem for a few lousy dollars for example.

Ah shit, this is ruining my morning.

Cheers Bouds!

[Optimist Prime]

 

[the destroyer of worlds]

On the old forum, there were a couple threads covering this guy.   I don't think he really warrants a thread here as most/all was already discussed there, but I thought this moment is telling.  

 

Interviewer was taken aback by what he said, but was on the ball to follow up.