[kscherer]

I was away for a long weekend and am just now catching up.

Here's my two cents:

As a moderator, I'm trying to keep things on track, and will split out any arguments that drift too far into politics or nonsense. This is *Daily News*, after all, and one man's news is another man's porn … or something!

Free speech will not be interrupted by me, unless one member begins attacking another, and even then some latitude will be allowed. I mean, you're all assholes from time to time.

This thread was started by Windswept a million years ago to share compelling* daily news stories of interest (and it needs to remain that way) where "of interest" is up to the poster. The reader can push the skip button.

If y'all want a "positivity" thread, please start one. I'll keep tabs on it and kill off anything that isn't "positive", whatever that means. I suppose I'll just make a simple rule that should anyone request a post be removed for being too "negative" then it will be. That will be lots of fun! Or, I'll append any post with a graphical "*WARNING* Possible negativity ahead!" notation so folks can skip it. Input will be accepted.

Otherwise, the world is full of bad news, and the good news seems to mostly revolve around cat videos. Personally, I have no issue with the thread's progress. In fact, I get my daily amusement from the joint.

* evoking interest, attention, or admiration in a powerfully irresistible way. You crazies decide what that means.

[psmith2.0]

In short, nothing needs to change.

Maybe “tag” each story linked with the type of article it is and its verbatim headline in the link, as I’ve done in my most recent 2-3 news postings above (Dolly Parton, Machine Gun Kelly’s Grammy complaint, North Korea’s trench coat ban, etc.), and that should reasonably give everyone a solid indication of the kind of story/commentary they’d be wading into should they clink the link.

Simple, quick and doesn’t requiring having numerous “news” threads catering to every mood/sensibility that may be present at any given time. All it does is demand maybe an extra 3-4 seconds from the poster to “tag” the story, as I’ve done upthread.

A solution that never really had a problem. You’re welcome.

On a story that’s positive/uplifting, tag/format it as such at the start of the post:

**Positive/Who’s Cutting Onions?**

Baby orphan ducks complete their high school diploma, against all odds <— clickable link

Who wouldn’t click on such goodness?!

[drewprops]

I don't think there needs to be a separate thread either, for the record. It's just that y'all had an old man pile-on happening there for a minute. It isn't that I particularly disagreed with the issues at hand, it's just the wave that built up. Maybe I'm the only one who sensed that. No re-engineering of the boards necessary.


...

[709]

If we had a Positivity thread, where would "moron offs themself" stories go? *I* find them to be funny and heartwarming, others may not.

[kscherer]

It gets muddy.

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by psmith2.0 "As it turns out, I really don't need to watch hobos fist-fighting. And far too many sites are vague/unclear about their definition of MILF. I'm good, Internet."

I just saw this and oh, hell!

I'll be laughing all day.

[psmith2.0]

Originally Posted by drewprops I don't think there needs to be a separate thread either, for the record. It's just that y'all had an old man pile-on happening there for a minute. ...

Well, some of us are old men. Fuck off, junior.









You know I'm kidding.

And you're older than me (by two whole years), making the "junior" thing even sillier.

Hey, the world is getting nuttier by the day. We're gonna talk about it. My idea above easily addresses everything if everyone besides just me will start to use it. At least try it for a few weeks to see if it provides enough front-end "guard rail" to let others know what sort of story they're in for (and can easily sidestep/ignore, should they choose). I do it automatically now, without even thinking. I'm sure I'll post something before the day is out, and I'll use the **content tag** + verbatim headline link to make it clear what kind of article I'm sharing.

And, yes...**Florida** is acceptable as a tag.

[kscherer]

Ain't nobody on this forum younger than dirt.

GeriNova, anyone?

Geri will be happy about that.

[psmith2.0]

I wonder who the oldest, and youngest (active) members are? I’m 52, and will be 53 in less than two months (January 26).

[kieran]

I think I"m right in the middle at 35.

[kscherer]

December 3 I'm 52.

I'm younger than Paaaul, I'm younger than Paaaul.

[chucker]

I'm twelve.

[kscherer]

Is that metric?

[Ryan]

31. Why I joined AI when I was still a kid is beyond me.

[psmith2.0]

**Entertainment/Yeah, We Know Already! News**

ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill dies; band scheduled for December show in Abilene

...according to a Greg Jaklewicz, from the Abilene Reporter-News, with a byline of today...Monday, November 29, 2021 (at 1:45pm).

Dusty Hill, bass player for the Texas trio ZZ Top, has died. According to the band in a statement, Joseph "Dusty" Hill, 72, died in his sleep at his home in Houston. “You will be missed greatly, amigo," lead guitarist Billy Gibbons and drummer Frank Beard said in the statement.

All fine and dandy, except for the fact that Hill died in late July (July 28, to be exact...see how easy it is to look up/confirm stuff?). So unless Mr. Jaklewicz/Yahoo are holding some sort of four-month commemoration of the event, I'm not sure why it's on Yahoo's homepage, positioned/slugged/timed as though it just happened today or last night.



But wait, there's more...

See that pic in the article of the long-bearded guy at the microphone? The pic with the following caption:

ZZ Top's Dusty Hill sings during the band's concert Jan. 20, 2015, at the Taylor County Coliseum. Hill was reported Wednesday to have died at 72.

Except that's Billy Gibbons. And even if I didn't know what Gibbons looked like (compared to Hill), see the guitar he's holding? Six strings (three-on-a-side Les Paul headstock/tuners), vs. the four of a bass? Again, all things easily confirmed with just an ounce of research or questioning...even the quick-n-easy Google variety.

Barely three paragraphs in and everything is already weird and loused up. A possible record?

I'm thinking this Jaklewicz fella is the type who'd probably mix up all the black guys in Earth Wind & Fire or Kool & the Gang should one of them die. Hey, you've seen one horn player with an afro and platform shoes, you've seen 'em all, right? Yeah, I know..."all you long-bearded, hat-wearing Texas blues-rockers all kinda look alike". Something like that?

PS - I'm not done.

Fourth paragraph in:

This month, the band was booked for a concert Dec. 7 in Abilene. They last here at the Taylor County Coliseum in 2015.

Mr. Jaklewicz is honoring his caveman roots here, I take it?

"They last here in 2015...me no go see them, me had go work at Jiffy Lube."

Proofreaders Anonymous?

I do, however, give props to Mr. Jaklewicz for being the first reporter in the history of the solar system to not point out that ZZ Top's drummer, Frank Beard, is the only member of the trio without a beard. I've only seen/heard that pointed about about 47,000 times since ~1983. I applaud your restraint, Greg! I know you had that somewhere in your original draft! You opted to swap that for three errors instead?

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by Ryan 31. Why I joined AI when I was still a kid is beyond me.

Clearly you were hoping for some sexting parties.

[psmith2.0]

"Hey, Ken...please have a seat."



Never gets old.

[psmith2.0]

**International/Medical/COVID News**

Hundreds of People Queued Up to Be Injected With an Illegal ‘Homemade’ Vaccine



It appears Phil Donahue and Rutger Hauer had a baby, and he grew up to be an asshole (see pic in article above).

Four men are under investigation for violating German medical laws after dozens of people were injected with an illegal homemade COVID vaccine in the northern German city of Lübeck, police said. Police said they arrived at the underground vaccination drive, being held at Lübeck airport on Saturday afternoon, following a tipoff. Once there, they found 150 people waiting to be vaccinated in the airport’s check-in hall, and about 80 others gathered in front of the terminal.

Hey, what's the worst that could happen?

German werewolves, dammit. That's what.

In a joint statement on Monday, Lübeck police and public prosecutors said that four men, aged 81, 80, 74 and 61, were being investigated on suspicion of violating Section 96 of the Medicines Act, which relates to the manufacture and use of unapproved drugs. While police would not reveal the identities of the men under investigation to VICE World News, German media reported that the man who developed the vaccine was Winfried Stöcker [he'll always be Rutger Donahue to me - P], a Lübeck-based doctor and entrepreneur who has publicly claimed to have developed his own COVID vaccine, and who owns the city’s airport.

Overachiever, and full of shit. Always a nice combo.

[psmith2.0]

**Walmart/Retail/Crime News**

Walmart said she shoplifted; jury awards her $2.1 million

I think I may have found the most America: 2021 headline...

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama woman who says she was falsely arrested for shoplifting at a Walmart and then threatened by the company after her case was dismissed has been awarded $2.1 million in damages. A Mobile County jury on Monday ruled in favor of Lesleigh Nurse of Semmes, news outlets reported.

Nice work if you can get it.

Something about it just seems a bit off to me, though...

Nurse said in a lawsuit that she was stopped in November 2016 when trying to leave a Walmart with groceries she said she already paid for, according to AL.com. She said she used self-checkout but the scanning device froze. Workers didn’t accept her explanation and she was arrested for shoplifting.

Yeahhhh...

I've used these machines - we all have - at various stores over the years, including Walmart. I've had them wig-out or act up on me too on a few occasions. It's electronic/digital gear; it's gonna happen. The one thing I didn't do was continuing to "scan" items on a machine I knew was frozen/malfunctioning. I'd find an employee to come fix/reset it. Or deem the register was in freakout mode and ask that I conduct my transaction at another checkout lane (human or automated). And I'd do so.

What I wouldn't do - call me crazy - is continue on, assuming/thinking stuff is being scanned and my payment was accepted, and proceed to walk out like everything was normal and above-board.

You know who would do that sort of thing? A shoplifter.

The story, as too often the case, is a bit lacking in the Details That Matter™ department, but from what I'm reading (and two other articles I've read), the customer seemed to think it was okay to continue interacting with a "frozen" machine, "pay" and then start to walk out. And then get all indignant when the store called her on it.

Naturally, she has no receipt because "the machine was frozen".

Yeah? Okay, then how did you scan/pay for all this stuff? She seems to want it both ways...the machine somehow worked perfectly, up until the time it came to spit out a receipt...at which point it goes on the fritz. Amazing!

"I paid for everything...I just ain't got a receipt!" Again, do you know who says that? Stars with an "s"...

[PB PM]

I’ve been doing it all wrong, I’ve tried to earn a living the legal way. Should have gone into shoplifting.

[kscherer]

Hopefully an appeals court chucks it, but somehow I doubt that will happen. Too much money on the table.

[psmith2.0]

I can't believe her flimsy thing held up. And, on top of that, she got to be a millionaire because of it.

I know these machines can be flaky, but I'm sorry...her timing and explanation just isn't cutting it for me.

Had she notified an employee, as I've done, about a machine acting up, none of this happens. You can't tell me she stood there, saw the "error" or blank/non-functioning screen and just thought "well, I'll continue on scanning and bag my stuff and go. I'm sure it's all still working fine behind the scenes. And if I don't get a receipt, then they'll understand that too!"



The first thing that would cross my mind is "they're gonna know I didn't scan/pay for any of this...they're gonna think I'm stealing!"

[kscherer]

**School shooting**

3 dead, multiple others injured in east Michigan school shooting

Again?

What the hell is wrong with these people?

15 years old, and now he's murdered 3 people? How many lives (including your own and your entire family) do you have to destroy to make your point?

And, Grey, I hope you and yours are OK.

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by psmith2.0 The first thing that would cross my mind is "they're gonna know I didn't scan/pay for any of this...they're gonna think I'm stealing!"

Yep. I don't buy the story, but we haven't got all of the facts. Perhaps the jury was shown some things that the rest of us don't get to see? Perhaps management knew something and spread some emails? Maybe they harassed her after the fact?

Or, maybe the jury was composed of 12 monkeys?

[psmith2.0]

Ever since the OJ trial, my opinion of juries has slipped a little.

[PB PM]

Originally Posted by kscherer **School shooting** 3 dead, multiple others injured in east Michigan school shooting Again? What the hell is wrong with these people? 15 years old, and now he's murdered 3 people? How many lives (including your own and your entire family) do you have to destroy to make your point? And, Grey, I hope you and yours are OK.

You know that fake quote from Albert Einstein? The one about if you keep doing the same thing over and over again, and doing that leads to failure, and expecting different results? Yeah, that's the American gun culture in a nutshell. Sorry, but not sorry.

[kscherer]

**Blowing stuff up for old time's sake.**

WWII bomb explodes in Germany, 4 injured, trains disrupted

Come on Deutschlanders, the war is over!

Seriously, though, how many of these things do you think are still laying around all over the planet? Old mines, old bombs, old rusty knives … All just waiting for exactly the right circumstances to saw someone's leg off.

Sometimes the the consequences hang around for a very long time.

[psmith2.0]

Serious question...would such a thing be counted as a war injury/casualty of war, and go into the WWII records of injuries/deaths, or, since the war has been over for 75+ years(!), does it just get considered a "freaky, unfortunate accident" that just happened to involve some WWII hardware/weaponry?

I'm assuming the latter, but there may be those who prefer to see it as the former?

"The evil and horrors of war linger long after the treaties are signed and peace is declared...", etc.

[PB PM]

They are finding unexploded ordnance in Europe often. Most of it is mines and motor rounds, I believe. The ones that make the news tend to be 250+ pound bombs from the then heavy bombers (B17, B24/Liberator). Sometimes entire towns are evacuated.

People who die from these unexploded rounds aren’t listed as war causality as far as I know. They would be listed as per the cause, given that the war is over and all.

[Matsu]

Paul, it’s both isn’t it? Maybe it needs a special category/classification that recognizes the war related origins while accepting that a particular event is long since over?