Can't make this (stuff) up

[Vrede too]

Don't mess with vets in their 70s.


Man picks a fight with 75-year-old vet on an airplane

Fake.

Opps You sure? TikTok and NSAbook are divided.

[GoCubsGo]

Don't mess with vets in their 70s.


Man picks a fight with 75-year-old vet on an airplane

Fake.

Opps You sure? TikTok and NSAbook are divided.

Yeah, I've fallen down enough YouTube rabbit holes. When all the blinds are down it's a tell. They have to be up on the ground by regulation and not everyone wants them down in the air. Also, no rattling or engine whine.

[O Really]

Nobody made up the stuff about the Menendez brothers, but here they are back in the news. Their lawyer has apparently turned up some documents from well before the murders that supports their claim for abuse, so now they are filing for a new trial or at least a parole hearing. As might be expected, I have an opinion. I'm sorry if they got abused, and maybe their claim that they feared their father would kill them is valid. But...

They didn't just shoot their father in the head and call the cops. They put multiple shotgun rounds into their father and mother, including in the face. Then they went out to a movie to try to establish an alibi, ditched the bloody clothes and the shotgun, and went to other measures to try to conceal their crime.

And they were adult-ish at the time, 19 or so - no longer legally minors or "kids." They could have left, of course that would have been without the family millions. They could have taken precautions, but waited to see if their father was going to harm them and literally defend themselves. But what they did wouldn't count for self defense even in gun-happy ground-standing Florida.

So if they want to argue that maybe the extenuating circumstances of the killings should let them be considered for parole after 30 years, OK fine, argue that. But to claim any kind of justification or excuse as fear of harm should be tossed with a bit of ridicule. IMNVHO. Some may differ.

[GoCubsGo]

Because everyone knows that two wrongs makes a right.

[O Really]

TIL that the San Francisco Muni Metro's Automatic Train Control System runs on 5.25 floppy discs. Floppies? That they haven't made in 15 years or so? And they run the effin' trains with them? And it'll be 10 years before they're finished transition???

https://www.techspot.com/news/105295-go ... e/TechSpot

[Vrede too]

A Search Begins for the Wreck Behind an Epic Tale of Survival

A century after Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance sank in the waters of Antarctica, resulting in one of the greatest survival stories in the history of exploration, a team of modern adventurers, technicians and scientists is setting sail to find the wreck....

Endurance is also one of the most famous shipwrecks, perhaps on par with the Titanic. It’s a relic of the heroic age of Antarctic exploration, when adventurers undertook elaborate, risky and wildly popular expeditions to the continent and the pole. Some, like Roald Amundsen, succeeded. Others, like Robert Falcon Scott, died in the process.

Shackleton failed to achieve his goal, but when he returned to Britain having saved all his crew after an epic open-boat journey across treacherous seas, he was hailed as a hero. He’s still lionized today, in books, films and even business school courses, where the expedition is considered a case study in effective leadership....

It's an incredible tale. Many books have been written about it. This one is excellent, I've heard it's the best but idk:

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

They found it!

Ernest Shackleton’s Legendary Lost Ship Endurance Discovered After 107 Years
The ship is in nearly pristine condition at a depth of almost 2 miles.


The stern of the Endurance with the name and emblematic polestar

... Much of the expedition was documented by photographer, Frank Hurley, who captured haunting images of Endurance trapped in the ice:


This image was taken by Hurley during the winter of 1915, using 20 flashlights to create a 'spectre ship' effect, Antarctica, 1915.

Several other amazing pics from today and during the expedition at the link.

Interesting it was named "Endurance"

One of many coincidences and lucky breaks that led to the survival of the entire crew.

... After Shackleton purchased the ship, she was rechristened Endurance after the Shackleton family motto, Fortitudine vincimus ("By endurance we conquer")....

Documentary about the discovery:

Endurance
2024 * 1h 43m

Maritime Heritage Trust locates Shackleton's shipwrecked Endurance near Antarctica in 1915. Shackleton and 27 crew survive incredible journey to South Georgia to seek rescue after ship sinks, showcasing human resilience against all odds.

Ever-restless Shackleton organized one last Antarctic expedition. Before he finally headed to the ice he died of a heart attack on 5 January 1922 on South Georgia Island, the same island he reached for rescue from the whaling station there. 100 years after his death the wreck of Endurance was discovered on the sea floor.

Very well crafted doc, made amazing by the simultaneous retelling of the extraordinary 1914-16 achievement.
x 28

[O Really]

Things you (might) see only in California:

Sign at the local quick-stop "Now Hiring Cashiers - $21/hour" Well, that sounds pretty good. If you got a full-time job you'd be making almost $43K per year. But - but if you get taxes deducted up to, say 15%, you've got a little over $3K take home. And the average rent around here is about $2,300, leaving you $700 for everything else.

Guy at the car wash vacuuming his German shepherd in the bed of his truck.

Homeless guy on a park bench eating a sushi tray.

And best of all for today, hardly a Trump sign in sight anywhere.

[Vrede too]

Things you (might) see only in California:

Sign at the local quick-stop "Now Hiring Cashiers - $21/hour" Well, that sounds pretty good. If you got a full-time job you'd be making almost $43K per year. But - but if you get taxes deducted up to, say 15%, you've got a little over $3K take home. And the average rent around here is about $2,300, leaving you $700 for everything else.

Guy at the car wash vacuuming his German shepherd in the bed of his truck.

Homeless guy on a park bench eating a sushi tray.

And best of all for today, hardly a Trump sign in sight anywhere.

Lizzo before:



Lizzo after:


Article
Denies weight loss drugs.

Call her "Thin Lizzy".

[O Really]

So I guess if you're a fat celebrity who take Ozempic or something you either (a) get paid to endorse or (b) deny using it.

[O Really]

Well, I suppose there's some distorted logic in it, in an age of "cultural misappropriation" and constant outrage and offence, but it certainly demonstrates the truth that "not everything equal is fair, and not everything fair is equal"
Also demonstrates that people with "administration" titles, especially in education may have too much time on their hands.

n March 2023, San Diego County library administrators banned professional
actress Annette Hubbell from portraying during a library program Harriet
Tubman, an escaped slave who participated in a network of safe houses known
as the Underground Railroad.
The reason? Hubbell is White and Tubman was Black.
Hubbell performs one-actress portrayals of historical characters through firstperson accounts of their lives using their own words. Entitled “Women
Warriors — Remarkable Women Who Transformed the World,” each portrayal
lasts 20 minutes.
Since 2009, Hubbell has acted in about 400 such performances in theaters,
schools, churches, libraries and club meetings.
Her material comes from her book, “Eternity Through the Rearview Mirror,”
which chronicles the lives of 17 historical characters, including Tubman.
It took Hubbell five years to research and write the 230-page book, which
includes footnotes.
“I used the internet, source documents, biographies and autobiographies,
interviewed experts and visited sites,” Hubbell said. “Accuracy was extremely
important. My stories are true. The power of storytelling can bridge gaps and
foster understanding.”
In March 2023, Hubbell was scheduled to portray three historical characters at
the Rancho Santa Fe library, including Tubman, who the local librarian had
requested.
However, two weeks before the engagement, the local librarian wrote Hubbell
requesting she exclude Tubman because “our administration was
Annette Hubbell depicts historical figures in her one-woman show. Bruce K.
Manson
12/5/24, 7:57 AM San Diego Union Tribune
https://enewspaper.sandiegouniontribune ... 2ec4e52f36 1/3
uncomfortable with you performing a Black character as a White woman.”
Hubbell refused on principle and the library canceled her performance.
“I was quite taken aback,” Hubbell explained. “Since I’ve been performing
these characters, there has never been a hint of offense, even from anonymous
surveys. And why should there be? Am I only to honor White women? How
could we ever explore our common humanity with these kind of restrictions?”
The local librarian wrote further to Hubbell, explaining, “I have to respect their
decision and their wishes. I can see and I respect what you have done in the
past and how you have used your talent to educate people. I apologize for
putting you in this position.”
Hubbell said she spoke with a high-level library administrator and “asked if
this meant that I could only tell stories of women who displayed courage,
honesty and integrity if they were White. She replied: ‘That’s pretty much it.’”
A library spokesperson recently added that administrators were uncomfortable
with Hubbell portraying Tubman because “the performance’s potential impact
may not be culturally sensitive to some customers.”
“San Diego County library remains steadfast in its mission to foster an
inclusive and welcoming environment for all.”
The decision to ban Hubbell from portraying Tubman was endorsed by the
county’s “Diversity and Inclusion Executive Council,” which is composed of
representatives from county departments. “Our priority is ensuring that our
programs align with our values of equity, respect and inclusivity,” the
spokesperson said.
It is hardly equitable, respectful or inclusive to ban an actress from honoring in
a performance an historical character because they are of different races. The
apparent assumption is only an actress of the character’s race can understand
and convey that character’s feelings. That is simply untrue.
Certainly, there have been historical abuses, such as “Blackface” performances
over 100 years ago, that stereotyped and mocked Black people.
However, Hubbell’s performances are nothing like those abuses.
Her performances honor historical characters of various races detailed in her
carefully researched book and bring them to life on stage in their own words.
If we truly want diversity and inclusivity, we should view Hubbell wanting to
portray and honor an historical character of a different race as a positive.
12/5/24, 7:57 AM San Diego Union Tribune
https://enewspaper.sandiegouniontribune ... 2ec4e52f36 2/3
Hubbell was right to ask in response to her being banned, “Am I only to honor
White women?”
Today’s world of art is quite different from the stereotyping and mocking of 100
years ago. Today, one of the most popular musicals of our time is “Hamilton,”
which is performed by Black actors portraying White historical characters.
Although “Hamilton” is an award-winning production, it is unclear whether
administrators and the Diversity and Inclusion Executive Council would allow a
segment of “Hamilton” in San Diego County libraries.
Upon reflection, library administrators’ decision to overrule their local
librarian and ban Hubbell’s performance was misguided. That decision should
be reversed either by the administrators or the county Board of Supervisors.
Goldsmith, now retired, is the former San Diego city attorney. He lives in San Diego.

[Vrede too]

There's a Hawaiian woman, Hannah, who went missing in LA on Nov 11. Her father went searching for her there for 13 days. Heart-broken, he took his own life by leaping from a parking deck. He will never be there for the rest of the family. It was eventually learned that Hannah entered Mexico voluntarily and alone. She has since been contacted by phone, but has no desire to reunite with friends and family, nor to return to Hawaii.

Does this tragic "no-win" situation remind you of anything from the world of fiction?

Spoiler:

Hannah Kobayashi

Kobayashi Maru

Irony.

[O Really]

I haven't followed the story closely, but 13 days seems a bit early to give up on a 31 year old without any definitive evidence.

[Vrede too]

I haven't followed the story closely, but 13 days seems a bit early to give up on a 31 year old without any definitive evidence.

Yeah, sad. It's also crushing to mark the suspected death of a daughter by forcing one's own actual death upon the survivors.



Mystery Golf Ball in a Block of Wood (WoodLogger.com)

[O Really]

Supposedly a real question asked of a Yellowstone ranger:

"Do I put on the bear spray before I go hiking, or wait until I see the bear?"

[Vrede too]

Supposedly a real question asked of a Yellowstone ranger:

"Do I put on the bear spray before I go hiking, or wait until I see the bear?"

Some people spray it on their garden fences and animal pens. Absent its aerosolized irritant effect it smells like food. Opps.

[Vrede too]

Storm at sea for Aussie cruise ship giant after wild dress-up party
Article
"The Christmas cruise from Melbourne to Tasmania departed on Dec. 19."
Happy Holidays!
OPPS!

[Vrede too]

Yet another InCel serial killer

That's sick!

[Vrede too]

Guess who:

Spoiler:

Jill Biden, 1974, 22 or 23

Wow, teenage Vrede would have been sooo besotted and intimidated. Another, published July 17, 1977:

[O Really]

She's gorgeous.

[Vrede too]

She's gorgeous.

Spoiler:

Joe thought so.

He saw the first pic in some airport advertisement and tracked her down.

Did you guess correctly or already know?