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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:DAL191 caused a lot of major changes in how airports handle weather, and led to the development of airborne wind shear detection and alert systems. Flying never seems to work out well when you factor in my family - hell, I haven't flown since 1999. Spending 3 hours on the tarmac at D/FW in a queue behind 27 other planes...Being in a small commuter plane going through a thunderstorm, etc. Plus it's really hard to do with my mom, considering she's on oxygen 24/7 and "Oh no! This tiny woman in a wheelchair with an oxygen tank is most definitely going to take out this Southwest flight!" I gotta give Southwest a hand, though. My grandmother passed out for 20 minutes on the flight from Midway to Austin Bergstrom, and they handled it perfectly, and weren't assholes about giving me an emergency boarding pass so I could get into the private screening room with the EMTs. I should have known it would be her as soon as I saw the EMTs go running past. We've got bad flight luck.
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Feb 20, 2013 00:56
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My dad saw the Bijlmerramp airplane go down.
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Feb 20, 2013 01:02
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Taeke posted:My dad saw the Bijlmerramp airplane go down. Seriously cannot believe that didn't kill more people.
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Feb 20, 2013 01:23
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One bit of history that has creeped me out since elementary school is the Lost Colony. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Colony Basically, Sir Walter Raleigh tries to found a colony (where the first white child born in North America is born), but fails after a few attempts. The colony is eventually found completely abandoned with no signs of struggle and no real signs of relocation except for the word "Croatoan" carved into a post and the letters "CRO" carved into a tree.
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Feb 20, 2013 02:18
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I don't know why people think that's such a creepy situation. The colony didn't "disappear", they almost certainly just gave up on trying to eke it out on their own and decided to move in with the friendly natives. The whole "mystery" is because none of the white-men of the time wanted to admit the likeliest reality.
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Feb 20, 2013 02:21
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 In the age of their nigh-extinction, the skulls of countless bison were burnt into bone char as a decolorization agent for refined sugar. Fun fact: as protection against BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy, "mad cow disease") the skull and spine of cattle are reduced to bone char, as opposed to being ground into bone meal (which is used as a nutritional supplement). It is still used to decolorize U.S. cane sugar. Beet sugar doesn't require bone char filtration.
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Feb 20, 2013 02:24
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Religious Man posted:One bit of history that has creeped me out since elementary school is the Lost Colony. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Colony No real signs of relocation except for the name they called the Native settlement on the next island over.  except not.You know the guy carving the second "Croatoan" was all "No, no, it's better if we make two signs in case Sir Walter comes back and---okay, okay, I'll get in the loving boat, Jesus Christ, some people." AlbieQuirky has a new favorite as of 02:31 on Feb 20, 2013 |
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Feb 20, 2013 02:28
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It mostly weirds me out because I remember reading out it at a pretty young age and it freaked me out. That wikipedia page along with the one shared earlier about the Essex whaling ship really blow my mind with how casually those people seemed to attempt things that seem so filled with risk. What kind of desperation or insanity would cause those eight men who had to resort to cannibalism to survive on the high seas to return to sea only months after they were rescued? That along with how the ships transporting the Roanoke colonists just said, "Oh, lets do some privateering!" after they dropped the colonists off make me realize that the people of previous centuries were very far removed from us (first worlders) today.
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Feb 20, 2013 02:29
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Religious Man posted:What kind of desperation or insanity would cause those eight men who had to resort to cannibalism to survive on the high seas to return to sea only months after they were rescued? Seamanship's a trade and it doesn't translate into a whole lot of jobs ashore. Gotta make a living somehow. I don't get what's so astonishing about it. You have a lovely experience at work, you take some time off then you go back to work.
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Feb 20, 2013 02:37
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FrozenVent posted:Seamanship's a trade and it doesn't translate into a whole lot of jobs ashore. Gotta make a living somehow. Your lovely days at work are as bad as having to eat your co-workers to survive?
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Feb 20, 2013 02:40
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Religious Man posted:Your lovely days at work are as bad as having to eat your co-workers to survive? It's not like every voyage ends in cannibalism, and the slight risk of such a thing happening certainly outweighs having to turn to cannibalism on shore because you can't afford to buy food.
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Feb 20, 2013 02:45
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Religious Man posted:Your lovely days at work are as bad as having to eat your co-workers to survive? Those guys' did.  It's not like they could pull put their 401k and go back to college to start a second career.
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Feb 20, 2013 02:46
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Religious Man posted:Your lovely days at work are as bad as having to eat your co-workers to survive? Obviously you have never worked a customer service job. 
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Feb 20, 2013 02:47
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Religious Man posted:Your lovely days at work are as bad as having to eat your co-workers to survive? Most of us are living that metaphor, minus the free meal.
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Feb 20, 2013 02:50
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FrozenVent posted:Those guys' did. I definitely realize that. I guess I didn't get my point across. This is exactly what "unnerves" me. I can't imagine living in a time (or place, I realize people face this kind of stuff daily in certain areas of the world) where that is the only decision I had to make. Parallel Paraplegic posted:Obviously you have never worked a customer service job. One time when I worked at a sandwich shop, some guy threw his sandwich over the counter at me because he didn't like it and wanted a new one.
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Feb 20, 2013 02:51
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Religious Man posted:One time when I worked at a sandwich shop, some guy threw his sandwich over the counter at me because he didn't like it and wanted a new one. I hope you slugged the son of a bitch. That's assault.
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Feb 20, 2013 05:47
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Solice Kirsk posted:I hope you slugged the son of a bitch. That's assault. I cannot for the life of me find the article since a more severe version happened recently, but I know there was a case not too long ago where a customer threw an (iced) drink at a barista and it was ruled not assault. Looks like the item itself has to be able to harm you for it to count?
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Feb 20, 2013 06:27
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Huh, that seems odd. I could have sworn spitting on some one was considered assault and I figured a sandwich would have more weight than spit. What sort of sandwich was it? I think any sort of "salad" sandwich (egg, tuna, etc) would probably carry a lesser charge as they are "gooey-er". Was the sandwich toasted?
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Feb 20, 2013 06:32
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sweeperbravo posted:Yeah, but did you read the first half of that sentence? The rationality of safety doesn't really matter when the reason you're panicked and uncomfortable is because you are unable to leave this large metal tube shooting through the air with a ton of strangers packed around you. Yes, you will most likely get to your destination safety, but the duration of the flight is going to be very unnerving for someone with a related phobia. It has nothing to do with the actual safety of the plane. A lack of control is definitely a factor in my dislike of flying.
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Feb 20, 2013 06:42
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Solice Kirsk posted:Huh, that seems odd. I could have sworn spitting on some one was considered assault and I figured a sandwich would have more weight than spit. What sort of sandwich was it? I think any sort of "salad" sandwich (egg, tuna, etc) would probably carry a lesser charge as they are "gooey-er". Was the sandwich toasted? Spit might be considered assault because it's a bodily fluid that potentially carries pathogens. A biological weapon, if you will.
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Feb 20, 2013 07:10
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There was one aspect of the Dec. 2012 mall shooting that still chills me to read..quote:Standing in a large atrium, Roberts first opened fire at the mall's food court that was across from him at his left, after shouting, "I am the shooter!" It just seems like such a strange, straightforward thing to say before you start trying to mow people down...  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clackamas_Town_Center_shooting
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Feb 20, 2013 07:35
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Sex Hobbit posted:I cannot for the life of me find the article since a more severe version happened recently, but I know there was a case not too long ago where a customer threw an (iced) drink at a barista and it was ruled not assault. Looks like the item itself has to be able to harm you for it to count? In the UK, I'm pretty sure assault can be any situation in which someone causes you to feel threatened for your safety. I had a man push his luck trying to 'force' (manipulate and intimidate) his way into my house when I was alone and that constituted assault even though he never touched me.
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Feb 20, 2013 08:15
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Religious Man posted:It mostly weirds me out because I remember reading out it at a pretty young age and it freaked me out. That wikipedia page along with the one shared earlier about the Essex whaling ship really blow my mind with how casually those people seemed to attempt things that seem so filled with risk. What kind of desperation or insanity would cause those eight men who had to resort to cannibalism to survive on the high seas to return to sea only months after they were rescued? That along with how the ships transporting the Roanoke colonists just said, "Oh, lets do some privateering!" after they dropped the colonists off make me realize that the people of previous centuries were very far removed from us (first worlders) today. This isn't even a modern thing, just a modern first world thing. Which you acknowledge to a degree, but I think you still largely feel like this is a relic of the past. The world is full of poor people who do mind-numbingly dangerous things just to eat on an irregular basis. The stuff in this video is possibly literally happening as I type this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otmWD5_va8E
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Feb 20, 2013 08:26
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Ysidro_McDonald%27s_massacre This part is really more infuriating than creepy: quote:Before Huberty left for McDonald's with his weapons, his wife Etna asked him where he was going. Huberty responded that he was "hunting humans". Earlier that day he had commented to her, "Society had its chance." When questioned by police, she gave no explanation as to why she failed to report this bizarre behavior. Uh..your husband of twenty years walks out the door with an Uzi saying he's going to go "hunt humans" and your first reaction isn't to..you know...CALL THE loving POLICE?!  But wait, there's more... quote:In 1986, Etna Huberty, James's widow, also tried (unsuccessfully) to sue McDonald's..in an Ohio state court for $5 million. She claimed that the massacre was triggered by..eating too many of their chicken nuggets. She alleged that monosodium glutamate in the food, combined with the high levels of lead and cadmium in his body, induced delusions and uncontrollable rage. Nah, it's got nothing to do with the fact that she just kind of shrugged off a pretty clear statement of intended murder..it's all those murderous McNuggets!
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Feb 20, 2013 10:42
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Read After Burning posted:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Ysidro_McDonald%27s_massacre That entire wiki is absolutely infuriating. On top of the completely senseless and tragic waste of life, there are some baffling details. He called a mental health centre prior to the massacre and they never returned his call. Someone called the police after seeing him with weapons and the dispatcher gave the police the wrong address. His wife doesn't do a thing when she sees him leave the house with weapons and announce his intentions to murder people. And then somehow his wife and several of the victims' families see fit to sue McDonald's? Not that that is the most outrageous part of the story of course, but I definitely did a double take when I saw that.
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Feb 20, 2013 13:06
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Religious Man posted:It mostly weirds me out because I remember reading out it at a pretty young age and it freaked me out. That wikipedia page along with the one shared earlier about the Essex whaling ship really blow my mind with how casually those people seemed to attempt things that seem so filled with risk. What kind of desperation or insanity would cause those eight men who had to resort to cannibalism to survive on the high seas to return to sea only months after they were rescued? That along with how the ships transporting the Roanoke colonists just said, "Oh, lets do some privateering!" after they dropped the colonists off make me realize that the people of previous centuries were very far removed from us (first worlders) today.
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Feb 20, 2013 19:37
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Religious Man posted:One bit of history that has creeped me out since elementary school is the Lost Colony. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Colony redmercer posted:It's just that people at the time would rather believe they up and disappeared into thin air than believe that they just gave up and started practicing miscegenation with the closest tribe of friendly Indians.
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Feb 20, 2013 20:14
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Nuclear war is scary. Dead hand is super scary. Wonder if we have one of these too. quote:By most accounts, it is normally switched off and is supposed to be activated during dangerous crises only. However, it is said to remain fully functional and able to serve its purpose whenever needed. Reagan almost starting WW3 is scary.
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Feb 20, 2013 21:47
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Walter Scott, vocalist for Bob Kuban and The In-Men, a band in the 1960s. This band's top song (seems like they were a one-hit wonder) was about an unfaithful lover. He ends up getting killed by his wife's lover, with her help.  On a lighter note (  ) the song is really catchy if you like 60s-era tunes.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Scott_%28vocalist%29
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Feb 22, 2013 19:00
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zoux posted:Reagan almost starting WW3 is scary. The best part of that page is this: quote:KGB chairman Yuri Andropov bluntly announced that the United States was preparing a secret nuclear attack on the USSR. To combat this threat, Andropov announced, the KGB and GRU would begin Operation RYAN. RYAN (РЯН) was a Russian acronym for "Nuclear Missile Attack" (Ракетное Ядерное Нападение); Operation RYAN was the largest, most comprehensive peacetime intelligence-gathering operation in Soviet history. I just love that while the American military is coming up with names like Operation Eagle Claw, Operation Urgent Fury or Operation Frequent Wind, the no-nonsense commies are all "eh, call it Operation Nuclear Missile Attack and let's go home".
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Feb 22, 2013 19:11
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If we're doing scary train disasters, how about the Potters Bar train crash of 2002? Admittedly, it didn't cause the huge casualties that some did, but if you use trains a lot, all train crashes are scary. Especially if your train to work goes through Potters Bar station twice a day, which mine did for two years. The worst peacetime train crash in the UK was the Harrow and Wealdstone crash in 1952. A driver's attention was distracted from signals for a few seconds in foggy weather and 112 people wound up dead. I used to use that station a lot too; there's still a plaque up outside to the victims of the accident.
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Feb 22, 2013 19:34
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General Panic posted:If we're doing scary train disasters, how about the Potters Bar train crash of 2002? Scary train disasters? How about running a train, everything is fine, but then all of a sudden coming around a curve and seeing this?  Yeah, that's a passenger train coming at you. Your combined speeds are roughly 80 mph. The jackass driving the other train didn't see a red signal because he was texting. You're about to be involved in one of the deadliest rail accidents in the United States. This accident really changed the way the Federal Railroad Administration viewed using "Personal Portable Electronic devices", or PPE. They don't gently caress around with this kind of stuff now. When I was going through my rules class to become a train conductor, the man who would be my boss told me that if we were ever found to be using PPEs while running trains, we'd be fired, which is really, REALLY unfortunate because he's good friends with the FRA inspector for the region, and he would report such use immediately. The FRA man would then give us a personal fine of a couple of thousand dollars, if I recall correctly, which we probably couldn't pay because we were broke from being unemployed! Tex Avery has a new favorite as of 02:21 on Feb 23, 2013 |
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Feb 22, 2013 22:37
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Tex Avery posted:This accident really changed the way the Federal Railroad Administration viewed using "Personal Portable Electronic devices", or PPE.
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Feb 22, 2013 22:49
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Is there supposed to be a picture of that? I want to see it.
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Feb 22, 2013 22:50
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Don't copy the url from the address bar.
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Feb 22, 2013 22:51
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Read After Burning posted:Walter Scott, vocalist for Bob Kuban and The In-Men, a band in the 1960s. The story of Scott's murder was actually featured on the old HBO Autopsy series. Not only did Scott's wife's lover kill him, he dumped him in a cistern on his property and built a flower box over it, and Scott's corpse lay floating face down in the cistern for the next three years before police found him. His murderer, Jim Williams, was also found guilty of killing his own wife about a month prior to Scott's disappearance. The pathologist made the connection when she realized the wife had died in a front-end car accident, yet all the blunt trauma was to the back of her head. Williams died in a Missouri prison a couple years ago, if I recall correctly. Scott's wife got out after doing just a few years for hindering the investigation.
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Feb 23, 2013 00:42
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Last Chance posted:Err, which accident was this again? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Chatsworth_train_collision
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Feb 23, 2013 03:29
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Fun fact: the Soviets killed a Congressman from my district when they shot down Korean Air Lines Flight 007 on September 1, 1983. I'm really surprised that there were no reprisals or anything to come out of a Soviet Major shooting down a civilian airliner using his Su-15 and killing a sitting member of the United States government. I know MAD would prevent anything serious from happening, but if any other country had done that then there would have been major reprisals following it.
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Feb 23, 2013 03:55
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Superpowers Don't Apologize. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Air_Flight_655
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Feb 23, 2013 05:54
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So now we're on the topic of airliners shot down now. Alright. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerolinee_Itavia_Flight_870 In 1980, a plane in Italy explodes in mid-air. No one knows exactly what caused it and there's no official explaination as of yet, but it's widely accepted that it happened when a joint USA-French operation tried to shoot down a plane carrying a high-level member of the Libyan government (maybe even Gaddafi himself), and the missile locked on to the airliner instead. Later on, a lot of people who could have shed light on the incident die under mysterious circumstances (car accidents, plane accidents, suicides...).
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Feb 23, 2013 12:34
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