The unimportant news thread

[Todd]

Pilot dies aboard Turkish Airlines flight, forcing emergency landing in New York

Thank goodness Ted Striker was on board.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Germans decry influence of English as possessive apostrophe gets official approval.


https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/07/germany-influence-of-english-idiots-apostrophe

[Todd]

Al Pacino says he briefly died from Covid: 'I was gone'

Mr Pacino really should not audition for the sequel.

[Todd]

Washington state woman calls 911 after being hounded by up to 100 raccoons

[Kalevala]

Washington state woman calls 911 after being hounded by up to 100 raccoons

Wow!

K

[Todd]

From the Graun: SpaceX launches Starship rocket and catches booster in giant metal arms

SpaceX is the Unboeing.

[Todd]

Things are looking up for Boeing!

Boeing to raise as much as $25 billion to shore up balance sheet

Boeing delivered just one 737 plane this month—yes, a single plane—as manufacturing remains at a standstill

Boeing prepares layoff notices for thousands of workers as turmoil deepens

Hey, wait.

[Todd]

From ABC (in Oz): Hackers take control of robot vacuums in multiple cities, yell racial slurs

Whew!  It wasn't all in my head.

[Kalevala]

"New" Bram Stoker story unearthed.  It hadn't been seen since 1890!  It's called Gibbet Hill.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g9119l64qo

K

[DavidW]

"New" Bram Stoker story unearthed.  It hadn't been seen since 1890!  It's called Gibbet Hill.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g9119l64qo

K

If anyone wants to read it, start on p 2 here: https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000924296

[Todd]

Internet Archive Breached Again—Third Cyber Attack In October 2024

[Todd]

From CBS, so it's real news: Sotheby's to auction its first artwork made by a humanoid robot

[NumberSix]

From CBS, so it's real news: Sotheby's to auction its first artwork made by a humanoid robot

It's an interesting piece of art. But the question in my mind is: how did he get it to make that particular item? Did he ask it to simply paint a picture, anything of its choice? Did he ask it to paint a picture of a man — or even of Alan Turing specifically?

[Todd]

It's an interesting piece of art. But the question in my mind is: how did he get it to make that particular item? Did he ask it to simply paint a picture, anything of its choice? Did he ask it to paint a picture of a man — or even of Alan Turing specifically?

The subject, the title ("AI God"), the sales venue - all were curated with Barnumesque skill to maximize the sales price and, more importantly, to garner publicity.  Not for nothing is the robot the property of an art dealer. 

I await the robot Bob Ross.

[Kalevala]

Paddington Bear finally gets a British passport:  https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2l2dvvwqno

K

[Kalevala]

Striking Boeing workers reject pay increase:  https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp9zrylmdk0o

I'm sure that the Seattle area must be expensive to live (from what I've heard over time).

K

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

A class action lawsuit claims that Subway sandwiches are short on meat.


https://www.reuters.com/legal/subway-sandwiches-are-short-meat-lawsuit-claims-2024-10-28/#:~:text=NEW%20YORK%2C%20Oct%2028%20(Reuters,much%20meat%20as%20it%20delivers.

[Spotted Horses]

Striking Boeing workers reject pay increase:  https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp9zrylmdk0o

I'm sure that the Seattle area must be expensive to live (from what I've heard over time).

K

Are they in Seattle anymore? They've moved their headquarters twice, and have moved to a model where they assemble parts made by contractors. Who exactly is striking?

[Todd]

Are they in Seattle anymore?

From Boeing: Employment Data

~67,000 people work in Washington State, which is ~40% of total Boeing employees.  So, yes, they are in Seattle.