Tuesday, October 25, 2022
READER CONTRIBUTION
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My thanks to Steve M for sending me the items below on Darwin Award contenders.
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The Darwin Awards are a tongue-in-cheek honour that originated in Usenet newsgroup discussions around 1985. They recognise individuals who have contributed to human evolution by removing themselves from the gene pool by dying or becoming sterilised via their own actions.
The criterion for the awards states:
"In the spirit of Charles Darwin, the Darwin Awards commemorate individuals who protect our gene pool by making the ultimate sacrifice of their own lives. Darwin Award winners eliminate themselves in an extraordinarily idiotic manner, thereby improving our species' chances of long-term survival."
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This South African cop probably missed a few training days
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Irony overload
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Timber!
Garden or no garden, we must have a trampoline
I'll wear it, but only because I have to!
Easy to walk forwards, not so easy to get back..
This man's got his priorities straight.
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If they pull this off they're engineering geniuses
I like teamwork, but this…?
Keep on believing! Nothing can go wrong.
What's the one part of your body you'd trust to a galloping giant?
Oh yeah, like that's gonna help?
Can't find your helmet? No problem - use a bucket.
Ok, friend, I've got a job for you. It's a tough one…
An opened window does not a balcony make
This guy likes his odds.
Do you think he's a professional window cleaner?
. . . and some more . . .
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Monday, October 24, 2022
POETRY SPOT
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Edgar Albert Guest (1881 – 1959) was a British-born American poet who became known as the People's Poet. His poems often had an inspirational and optimistic view of everyday life.
Guest on his radio program, 1935.
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His poems may not always be thought of as best,
They may not pass a fine literature test,
Dorothy Parker has expressed her detest*,
But here is another by Edgar A Guest
"I'd rather flunk my Wassermann test (the test for syphilis back then) than read a poem by Edgar Guest." - Dorothy Parker
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See It Through
Edgar Guest
When you’re up against a trouble,
Meet it squarely, face to face;
Lift your chin and set your shoulders,
Plant your feet and take a brace.
When it’s vain to try to dodge it,
Do the best that you can do;
You may fail, but you may conquer,
See it through!
Black may be the clouds about you
And your future may seem grim,
But don’t let your nerve desert you;
Keep yourself in fighting trim.
If the worst is bound to happen,
Spite of all that you can do,
Running from it will not save you,
See it through!
Even hope may seem but futile,
When with troubles you’re beset,
But remember you are facing
Just what other men have met.
You may fail, but fall still fighting;
Don’t give up, whate’er you do;
Eyes front, head high to the finish.
See it through!
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A reader’s comment on the website that posted the poem:
By Deborah M. Figueira, Toronto 3 years ago
Edgar Guest's poem caused me to reflect back to a situation where this poem would be best suited. In 2015, one of my daughter's best friend, a truly lovely girl, committed suicide at the age of 26. Maybe, just maybe, if only she could have read something like this minutes prior, she may have paused to ponder her decision, but it's difficult to assume. Depression can be insidious even for those who are aware of its presence in their life. Compounded by the daily stresses of toil and trouble, those afflicted can feel hopeless. This poem reminds us that just when you think you can no longer go on, a new day can bring new hope and new beginnings. See it through is a classic because each and every one of us, rich or poor, young or old, deal with our own stresses every day. Very worthy to see it through indeed!
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Sunday, October 23, 2022
THE LINE
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Construction has commenced on The Line.
You may have seen ads for the line on the internet although a detailed explanation is never given.
Some facts and pics . . .
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- The Line is a proposed smart linear city in Saudi Arabia in Neom.
- It is designed to have no cars, streets or carbon emissions and is 170-kilometres (110 miles) long.
- It is part of the Saudi Vision 2030 project, which Saudi Arabia claims will create 380,000 jobs and add $48 billion to the country's GDP.
- The Line will be the first development in Neom, a planned $500 billion city. The city's plans anticipate a population of 9 million.
- As of October 2022, excavation work had started along the entire length of the project.
- Upon completion, The Line will preserve 95% of the nature within Neom. Its planned nine million residents will result in a population density of 260,000 people per square kilometre. By comparison, Manila was the world's most densely populated city as of 2019, with a density of 44,000/km2.
- The Line's plan consists of two mirrored buildings with an outdoor space in between, having a total width of 200 metres (660 ft) and a total height of 500 metres (1,600 ft). The city will be divided into nodes. All daily services are designed to be reachable within a 5-minute walk.
- The city will also be powered entirely by renewable energy. The Line will consist of three layers, including one on the surface for pedestrians, one underground for infrastructure, and another underground for transportation. The transportation layer will include a high-speed rail system, which is claimed to allow people to go from one side of the city to the other side in 20 minutes. Without accounting for stops, this would require an average speed of 512 km/h, which is faster than any existing high-speed rail at the time of announcement.
- Artificial intelligence will monitor the city and use predictive and data models to figure out ways to improve daily life for citizens.
- The community of millions will also be fed through vertical farming that will be integrated into the walls of the shiny buildings.
- Estimated building cost is US$100–200 billion (400–700 billion SAR), with some estimates as high as $1 trillion. It is claimed by the Saudi government that it will create 380,000 jobs.
- When fully completed, the skyscraper will run from the Gulf of Aqaba, through a mountain range, and then extend along the coast into a desert 'aerotropolis'.
- The plan for The Line was announced on January 10, 2021, by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
- Questions have been raised about the merits of the design and environmental issues, with critics concerned the project would create a "dystopian" and "artificial" facility that has already displaced the Huwaitat indigenous tribe and would impact the migration of birds and wildlife.
- The effect on the ecosystem and upon wildlife have been major concerns, along with the carbon footprint.
- Digital rights researchers have characterized the city's data collection scheme as tantamount to a "surveillance city", due to arrangements that distort consent to sharing data, and because Saudi Arabia's poor human rights record implies potential abuse of data.
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Some pics . . .
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The project was launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and will be part of the vast desert complex of Neom, which will also feature an artificial ski resort, a 100-mile vertical city, an octagonal floating port city, flying elevators, a swimming lane for commuters and robots and AI to serve its future residents. Pictured: A plan of how The Line may look.
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Artist impressions . . .
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Work begins . . .
Excavators begin digging the trench
The huge trench can be seen going into the distance as foundations for the megacity are dug out
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