News Weird News Compilation

[berkeman]

Here is a link with the video... https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/07/us/video/lithium-battery-fire-dog-tulsa-cprog-digvid

 

[dlgoff]

View attachment 349606



https://abc7news.com/15155553/

They had a video on one of my TV news channels of the dog chewing and the fire.

edit: I posted before you posted this: https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/weird-news-compilation.878428/post-7111112

 

[berkeman]

Just when you thought you'd head everything...

LONDON -- A Russian chess player has been suspended from participating in all competitions after being accused of trying to poison her opponent's pieces, officials have announced.

<<snip>>

Dagestan Sports Minister Sazhid Sazhidov said in a statement that Abakarova had "treated the table at which she was sitting with an unknown substance, which later turned out to be mercury compounds." Her opponent was fellow Dagestani Umaiganat Osmanov, Sazhidov said.

 

[BillTre]

Just when you thought you'd head everything...

View attachment 349677

Totally weird, but too slow acting to affect a match.

 

[fresh_42]

Dagestan Sports Minister Sazhid Sazhidov said ...

Not exactly what I would call a reliable source, or even noteworthy.

 

[berkeman]

In San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood, neighbors say repeated honking from Waymo driverless cars is disturbing their sleep.

Multiple residents in high-rise buildings off of 2nd Street near Harrison Street told NBC Bay Area News they have been hearing Waymo vehicles honking in a nearby parking lot for the past several weeks. They said that the lot began to be occupied by Waymo vehicles just a few weeks ago. The Waymos appear to go to the lot to rest in between rides.

<<snip>>

Cherry said the honking happens daily at different levels, with the most intense honking occurring at around 4:00 a.m. and at evening rush hour times.

"It's very distracting during the work day, but most importantly it wakes you up at four in the morning," said Cherry, who documented more than a dozen times Thursday when a series of honks disrupted his work-from-home.

Videos from residents of these incidents show Waymo cars filing into the parking lot, and then attempting to back into spots, which appears to trigger honking from the other Waymo cars.

"The cars are robotic and they’re honking at each other and there’s no one in the cars when it’s happening, and that’s absurd," Cherry said.

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/loc...-honking-is-keeping-them-up-at-night/3622181/

 

[Borg]

Disney says man can't sue over wife's death because he agreed to Disney+ terms of service

Sign up for a free trial of Disney+ and you can never sue any portion of Disney anywhere. Sure.
What I don't understand is why he's only suing for $50,000.

Disney is trying to have a widower's wrongful death lawsuit dismissed and sent to arbitration because the man had signed up for a Disney+ account several years ago.

Jeffrey J. Piccolo sued Disney Parks and Resorts in February, months after his wife, Dr. Kanokporn Tangsuan, died after she consumed food containing allergens at a restaurant in Disney World.

Piccolo said in his complaint that he, his wife and his mother went to dinner at Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant at the resort in Orlando, Florida, on Oct. 5. They asked several times whether Tangsuan's allergies could be accommodated, according to the complaint. Despite the server’s having assured them, Tangsuan had a severe allergic reaction and died at a local hospital, the complaint said.

Disney filed court documents in May saying the $50,000 lawsuit should be dismissed and resolved by individual arbitration because of terms Piccolo agreed to when he signed up for a free trial of the streaming service Disney+. The filing also says he accepted the same terms when he used the Walt Disney Parks website to buy tickets.

Piccolo's lawyers filed a response early this month, slamming Disney's reasoning for seeking a dismissal as "preposterous." They said he signed up for the Disney+ account on his PlayStation but believe he canceled it during the free trial.

"There is simply no reading of the Disney+ Subscriber Agreement which would support the notion that Mr. Piccolo agreed to arbitrate claims arising from injuries sustained by his wife at a restaurant located on premises owned by a Disney theme park or resort which ultimately led to her death," the attorneys said.

They went on to say that the "notion that terms agreed to by a consumer when creating a Disney+ free trial account would forever bar that consumer’s right to a jury trial in any dispute ... is so outrageously unreasonable and unfair."

 

[jack action]

Disney says man can't sue over wife's death because he agreed to Disney+ terms of service

Sign up for a free trial of Disney+ and you can never sue any portion of Disney anywhere. Sure.
What I don't understand is why he's only suing for $50,000.

This type of claim is easily destroyed where I live under the Consumer Protection Act:

8. The consumer may demand the nullity of a contract or a reduction in his obligations thereunder where the disproportion between the respective obligations of the parties is so great as to amount to exploitation of the consumer or where the obligation of the consumer is excessive, harsh or unconscionable.

No lawyer would even be stupid enough to make such a claim as that would certainly show the judge the character of his client, especially for a big company like Disney.

 

[Swamp Thing]

 

[gleem]

Regarding EV tire wear. I looked up the average life of tires for a Ford Expedition which is on average 5500 lbs 23% higher than a Tesla. The average life is 36,000 to 45,000 miles depending on tire inflation, suspension alignment, and driver habits. When looking for causes of tire wear for the Expedition weight was never mentioned. So although weight might be an issue for tire wear it does not seem big. I would bet on the initial torque of the motor as the issue. New owners not accustomed to it might be a little heavy on the peddle initially but back off quickly. When passing other vehicles on the highway the driver punching the accelerator while appreciating the acceleration may not notice some slippage.

 

[Astronuc]

Flight Diverted (While on Approach to Land) After Pilot's Shocking Admission to Passengers
https://news.yahoo.com/news/flight-diverted-pilots-shocking-admission-172601514.html

The Reddit user claimed one of the pilots gave an unbelievable reason for the diversion. “Hey, I’m really sorry folks,” the pilot allegedly said over the P.A. system, “but due to me not having the proper qualification to land in Jackson Hole, we need to divert to Salt Lake City Utah. We’ll keep you posted on the next steps.”

. . .

As it turns out, JAC is a particularly difficult airport at which to land. In 1990, the airport earned a Special PIC (Pilot In Command) qualification which requires that “a more experienced line check airman” be sitting copilot. Each individual airline has its own parameters in regards to how much flight time qualifies a pilot to make a Special PIC landing. Even highly experienced pilots with thousands of hours of flying may not be able to meet the minimum requirement of some airlines.

The plane instead flew to Salt Lake City (300 miles away), where the pilot landed safely. A qualified pilot was found and the passengers were flown to Jackson Hole, arriving 3 hours later than scheduled.

 

[Astronuc]

California Highway Patrol (CHP): Driver got ticket speeding on Cuesta Grade. Thirty minutes later, driver crashed into a boulder.
https://news.yahoo.com/news/chp-driver-got-ticket-speeding-174428347.html

Half an hour after receiving a ticket for going 85 mph on the Cuesta Grade, a driver crashed into a boulder further south on Highway 101 on Saturday, according to California Highway Patrol.

CHP San Luis Obispo said a car crashed off an embankment and into a boulder in the area of Laetitia Winery near Nipomo.

Probably driving above speed limit again, and above his/her ability.

 

[berkeman]

Thankfully they didn't hurt anybody else. Sometimes you can't fix stupid.

 

[Tom.G]

Sometimes?

Isn't that like trying to argue with crazy?

 

[berkeman]

I've fixed stupid a few times, but I don't know for sure that the fixes stuck forever.

 

[Borg]

The path to stupid is often littered with discarded knowledge.

 

[berkeman]

This is really strange. I sure hope OSHA doesn't have long wait times on its phone lines...

San Francisco rescue technicians had to obtain an OSHA permit before going into a sewer pipe to extricate a man early Sunday.

After all the proper protocols were observed, firefighters found the man and rescued him, extricating him from the pipe shortly after 5 a.m., San Francisco Lt. Mariano Elias told 7news.

The man was taken to San Francisco General Hospital with serious injuries.

A man called 9-1-1 telling dispatchers he heard scraming coming from a manhole.

Elias said the victim somehow got into the pipe which was 20 feet below street level. At some point, there was a downward drop in the pipe, and the man fell on his head.

https://www.firehouse.com/rescue/te...co-technicans-get-osha-permit-prior-to-rescue

 

[Astronuc]

Dump truck leaves hole in covered bridge when it crashes into river in Maine
https://news.yahoo.com/news/dump-truck-leaves-hole-covered-222822367.html

Bridge load limit was 3 tons; the truck loaded with crushed stone weighed many times that.

 

[gmax137]

Black bear and cub destroy car in Connecticut after getting trapped inside
https://news.yahoo.com/news/black-bear-cub-destroy-car-215006816.html


I have to wonder how a bear gets into a car, and how they get trapped.

A coworker lives in rural Mass just north of Winsted. He opened his car door one morning to a huge puff of foul air. The interior of his car was ripped to sheds and there was a massive bear "dump" on the driver's seat. Ugh.

 

[gmax137]

Flight Diverted (While on Approach to Land) After Pilot's Shocking Admission to Passengers
https://news.yahoo.com/news/flight-diverted-pilots-shocking-admission-172601514.html


The plane instead flew to Salt Lake City (300 miles away), where the pilot landed safely. A qualified pilot was found and the passengers were flown to Jackson Hole, arriving 3 hours later than scheduled.

I found this: Special Pilot-In-Command Qualification Airport List: Updates

https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Notice/N_8900.304.pdf

This list is out of date, I didn't bother looking for the current list.

EDIT: this is kind of interesting
https://simpleflying.com/pilot-training-for-specific-airports-guide/

 

[nsaspook]

https://www.theregister.com/2024/08/20/missing_scissors_cut_flights_japan/
Missing scissors cause 36 flight cancellations in Japan
Plus a further 200 delays, rockstars knocked off stage … all on a holiday weekend

Happily, the scissors were eventually found – in the very same shop from which they had gone missing, and not in the hands of someone nefarious. But it took time for authorities to verify the scissors were the missing cutters and not another misplaced pair.

 

[nsaspook]

Dump truck leaves hole in covered bridge when it crashes into river in Maine
https://news.yahoo.com/news/dump-truck-leaves-hole-covered-222822367.html

Bridge load limit was 3 tons; the truck loaded with crushed stone weighed many times that.

 

[MidgetDwarf]

I've fixed stupid a few times, but I don't know for sure that the fixes stuck forever.

Slapped some sense into them I see.

 

[Hornbein]

Dump truck leaves hole in covered bridge when it crashes into river in Maine
https://news.yahoo.com/news/dump-truck-leaves-hole-covered-222822367.html

Bridge load limit was 3 tons; the truck loaded with crushed stone weighed many times that.

On the main street of Little India, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a sinkhole opened up under the feet of a tourist. An intensive search of the sewers has so far failed to recover the body. Her son reportedly said, "this is not why I invited my mother to Kuala Lumpur."

 

[Hornbein]

https://www.newsflare.com/video/393199/crocodile-weighing-almost-a-tonne-caught-in-drain-in-malaysia

Well, half a ton anyway. It got trapped in a ditch and its little limbs couldn't get it out.

Something like this happens about once a year. The Orang Asli [Original Men] who appear to be African and live in the jungle were criticized as wimps when they asked the state for help getting rid of a tiger.

 

[jack action]

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/25/technology/pavel-durov-telegram-detained-france.html

Telegram Becomes Free Speech Flashpoint After Founder’s Arrest​

Pavel Durov, the founder of the app, which has more than 900 million users, was taken into custody by the French authorities.

The reaction over the news of the arrest showed how concerns about free expression, censorship and government oversight of online content are rising at a time when regulatory scrutiny of speech on the internet around the world has ramped up. National governments, especially those in the European Union, have intensified pressure on companies to address disinformation, online extremism, child safety and the spread of illicit material.

Telegram has long been on the radar of law enforcement agencies around the world because terrorist organizations, drug sellers, weapons dealers and far-right extremist groups have used it for communicating, recruiting and organizing.

Mr. Durov, 39, was arrested at Le Bourget Airport near Paris after landing on a private plane from Azerbaijan, according to French news reports. The French judicial official said on Sunday evening that his time in custody had been extended. Under French law, the initial 24 hours spent in custody can be extended to up to 96 hours, depending on the seriousness of the criminal accusations.

Of particular interest after Mr. Durov’s reported detainment in France could be what information Telegram would decide to share, or withhold. The French authorities may try to force Telegram to share information with them on criminal channels that, for instance, are used to sell firearms or coordinate terrorist attacks. Such a move could test Telegram’s claim to its users that it strictly safeguards their information.

Although Mr. Durov portrays himself as a crusader for free speech, many security experts have said Telegram is not sufficiently encrypted. Disinformation analysts also say that, by taking a light touch with moderation, the app has become a major vector for the spread of terrorist propaganda and far-right extremism.

Mr. Durov has linked the creation of Telegram to a run-in he had with Russia’s security services, who he said broke into his apartment in an effort to force him to take down opposition political material on Vkontakte. [...]

 

[berkeman]

Whelp, that Team Building exercise didn't go so well...

A man who was left behind on a Colorado mountain while on hiking retreat with coworkers was rescued by emergency services.

The man, who has not been named, was part of a group of 15 people hiking Mount Shavano, a 14,000-foot mountain in the southern Rocky Mountains. All 15 were coworkers participating in an office retreat and were taking the "standard route" to the top of the mountain. That route is an 11-mile hike, according to AllTrails, and almost nine hours to complete on average. The group had started the trek at sunrise on Aug. 23.

"In what might cause some awkward encounters at the office in the coming days and weeks," the man was left to "complete his final summit push alone," Chaffee County Search and Rescue said on social media.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hiker-rescued-mount-shavano-colorado-left-by-coworkers/

 

[Bystander]

"..., or may be, it did...?"

Whelp, that Team Building exercise didn't go so well...

View attachment 350511



https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hiker-rescued-mount-shavano-colorado-left-by-coworkers/

 

[berkeman]

Go ahead and fall over backwards, we'll catch you!

 

[Swamp Thing]

Whelp, that Team Building exercise didn't go so well...

View attachment 350511



https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hiker-rescued-mount-shavano-colorado-left-by-coworkers/

Was it these guys ?

View attachment 348824