#the north water bbc

[devoted-to-colin-farrell]

Colin Farrell on preparing for The North Water mini series. Alongside bulking up (“I did weights and ate loads... I wouldn’t recommend it”) he got deep into the role, from refusing to wear gloves in Arctic temperatures so that his hands bled, to contemplating exactly what drove the character to take the path he had.

“I’ve never read a role like it where what felt like sheer, carnal brutality was fleshed out so beautifully.”

We were telling a very ugly story in a very beautiful place,” he added. “There was something in that contrast or contradiction that was very powerful.”

[zvaigzdelasas]

[BBC is UK State Media]

A vessel suspected by the Namibian authorities to be carrying military cargo intended for Israeli use in the ongoing war in Gaza has been blocked from docking in the southern African country.

Namibian Justice Minister Yvonne Dausab told state media the ship was stopped because it had “explosive material destined for Israel".

The MV Kathrin, which set off from Vietnam, had requested permission to dock in the port of Walvis Bay – before sailing north, on a suspected route towards the Mediterranean via the Strait of Gibraltar.

Rights groups had warned that Namibia could have been implicated in potential human rights violations had it allowed the vessel to dock.[...]

The MV Kathrin, which was set to dock at Walvis Bay on Monday from Vietnam, was stopped in accordance with Namibia's support for the Palestinian people and the country’s call for an end to the violence in Gaza, Ms Dausab told the state-run New Era news website.

Citing a police investigation, Ms Dausab said the vessel was "indeed carrying explosive material destined for Israel, and was therefore prohibited from entering Namibian waters". “Namibia complies with our obligation not to support or be complicit in Israeli war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, as well as its unlawful occupation of Palestine,” she said.[...]

Namibian human rights organisation the Economic and Social Justice Trust (ESJT) welcomed the move.

"We are pleased that our government has decided to respect international law and decided not to be complicit to genocide," ESJT's Herbert Jauch told the BBC[...]

Namport has not responded to the BBC for comment about the MV Kathrin.

The real stewards of the International Rules Based Order [27 Aug 24]

[justforbooks]

Johnnie Walker

Former pirate radio disc jockey who went to Radio 1 and later became a stalwart of Radio 2

Johnnie Walker, who has died aged 79, began his career as a disc jockey in the offshore pirate radio era of the mid-1960s. He was one of four pirate DJs – the others were John Peel, Tony Blackburn and Kenny Everett – who came to symbolise that time and continued to prosper in its aftermath.

The pirate radio stations, of which the most famous was Radio Caroline, were set up on ships and disused forts in the North Sea, avoiding British regulation by broadcasting from international waters and providing pop music to a British teen market not catered for by the BBC stations of the era.

Their DJs offered a fantasy version of adolescence from clued-up older-brother substitutes who, in the case of Peel, Blackburn and Walker, were former public schoolboys. Within this dreamscape Walker’s persona was that of the smooth-talking kid who got the girl. His theme tune was Duane Eddy’s 1960 American hit Because They’re Young, which more than 40 years later was still being reworked into the intro to Walker’s Radio 2 drivetime slot.

The pirates went on air in the dying months of Sir Alec Douglas-Home’s Conservative government, and Harold Wilson’s succeeding Labour administration devoted an extraordinary amount of energy to suppressing this sound of youth. The Marine Offences Act of 1967 brought an end to prosecution-free pirate radio on 14 August, but Walker could still be heard proclaiming the cause of freedom and the unreasonableness of adults from Radio Caroline the next day.

Peel, Everett and Blackburn were among the DJs who abandoned the rusting boats off the coast for a comfortable billet at BBC Broadcasting House in Langham Place, London, where Radio 1 was launched that September to meet the demand that the pirate stations had identified. The illegal broadcasting had confirmed Walker’s place in teenage affections, but by the spring of 1968 Caroline too had buckled under the pressure to stop broadcasting, and a year later Walker decamped to Radio 1, taking over its lunchtime slot.

Walker was born Peter Dingley in Hampton-in-Arden near Birmingham, the fourth of five children of Trevor Dingley, a salesman for W Canning & Co, an electroplating company, and his wife, Mary (nee Waters). At Solihull school, Peter failed his O-levels because, he claimed, he did not want a piece of paper to determine his path in life. So, at 16, he became a car salesman while moonlighting as a dance hall DJ under the name “Peter Dee”.

In May 1966 he joined Swinging Radio England, on a ship off the coast of Essex, and changed his name to Johnnie Walker. A couple of months later he switched to Radio Caroline, the first, and the most fashionable, of the pirates.

Walker was a radio natural, laconic but warm, and somebody who clearly cared about the music he was playing. His taste was for the adult oriented rock that dominated the pre-punk 1970s – or at least its album charts – bands such as Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan and Steve Harley’s Cockney Rebel.

At BBC Radio 1, this brought him into conflict with a management that had become enamoured with Top 20-dominated playlists. The Bay City Rollers, in those ancient times the teenybopper rage, were, Walker suggested, “musical garbage”. He told callers put out by his views to “take a running jump”. Thus, by 1976 he had quit the station to seek his fortune in California.

He did not really find it, and after spells with the stations KSAN in San Francisco and WHFS in Bethesda, Maryland, he returned to Britain in the early 1980s. He worked for local commercial stations until 1987, when he rejoined Radio 1. He then went to the BBC’s Greater London Radio from 1988 until 1990, when he was sacked for suggesting that the ousting of the prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, would have people “dancing in the streets”.

Despite that setback, his career in the 1990s, with Radio 1, LBC and Classic Gold was a success. In 1998 he joined Radio 2, which by then was playing the very same music he had been promoting three decades earlier when it was young and supposedly fresh.

In 1999 the progress of his revitalised career was disrupted when he became the subject of a classic News of the World undercover sting. Walker was videoed taking cocaine and offering to provide the “tycoons” – NoW reporters – with the services of sex workers. He was suspended by the BBC, went into drug rehabilitation and after being fined £2,000 for possession of cocaine was reinstated at Radio 2. The NoW’s work had made it difficult, the magistrate observed, for him to receive a fair trial.

In 2003 Walker took absence from his show for cancer treatment, from which he made a good recovery. In 2009 he began presenting the show that would define his later career, Sounds of the 70s.

He was appointed MBE in 2006, and in 2013 he received the gold badge of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. His eponymous autobiography was published in 2007. In 2008-09 he was an adviser to the Richard Curtis film The Boat That Rocked, an attempt to recapture the pirate radio era.

Walker announced in early October that he was retiring from radio after 58 years, having been diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and presented his final Sounds of the 70s show at the end of that month.

He is survived by his second wife, Tiggy (nee Jarvis), whom he married in 2003, and by the son and daughter of his first marriage, to Frances Kum, which ended in divorce.

🔔 Johnnie Walker (Peter Waters Dingley), radio presenter, born 30 March 1945; died 31 December 2024

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[thepastisalreadywritten]

12 June 2024

Wreck hunters have found the ship on which the famous polar explorer Ernest Shackleton made his final voyage.

The vessel, called "Quest," has been located on the seafloor off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

Shackleton suffered a fatal heart attack on board on 5 January 1922 while trying to reach the Antarctic.

And although Quest continued in service until it sank in 1962, the earlier link with the explorer gives it great historic significance.

The British-Irish adventurer is celebrated for his exploits in Antarctica at a time when very few people had visited the frozen wilderness.

"His final voyage kind of ended that Heroic Age of Exploration, of polar exploration, certainly in the south," said renowned shipwreck hunter David Mearns, who directed the successful search operation.

"Afterwards, it was what you would call the scientific age. In the pantheon of polar ships, Quest is definitely an icon," he told BBC News.

The remains of the ship, a 38m-long schooner-rigged steamship, were discovered at the bottom of the Labrador Sea on Sunday by a team led by The Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS).

Sonar equipment found it in 390m (1,280ft) of water. The wreck is sitting almost upright on a seafloor that has been scoured at some point in the past by the passing of icebergs.

The main mast is broken and hanging over the port side, but otherwise, the ship appears to be broadly intact.

Quest was being used by Norwegian sealers in its last days. Its sinking was caused by thick sea-ice, which pierced the hull and sent it to the deep.

The irony, of course, is this was the exact same damage inflicted on Shackleton's Endurance - the ship he used on his ill-fated Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914–1917.

Fortunately, the crews of both Endurance, in 1915, and Quest, in 1962, survived.

Indeed, many of the men who escaped the Endurance sinking signed up for Shackleton's last polar mission in 1921-1922, using Quest.

His original plan had been to explore the Arctic, north of Alaska, but when the Canadian government withdrew financial support, the expedition headed south in Quest to the Antarctic.

The new goal was to map Antarctic islands, collect specimens and look for places to install infrastructure, such as weather stations.

Shackleton never made it, however, struck down by heart failure in the Port of Grytviken on the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia, the last stop before reaching the White Continent. He was just 47 years old.

After his death, Quest was involved in other important expeditions, including the 1930-31 British Arctic Air Route Expedition led by British explorer Gino Watkins, who himself tragically died aged 25 while exploring Greenland.

Quest was also employed in Arctic rescues and served in the Royal Canadian Navy during WWII, before being turned over to the sealers.

The RCGS team members carried out extensive research to find Quest's last resting place.

Information was gathered from ship's logs, navigation records, photographs, and documents from the inquiry into her loss.

The calculated sinking location in the Labrador Sea was pretty much spot on, although the exact co-ordinates are being held back for the time being.

A second visit to the wreck, possibly later this year, will do a more complete investigation.

"Right now, we don't intend to touch the wreck. It actually lies in an already protected area for wildlife, so nobody should be touching it," associate search director Antoine Normandin said.

"But we do hope to go back and photograph it with a remotely operated vehicle, to really understand its state."

Alexandra Shackleton is the explorer's granddaughter and was patron to the RCGS survey.

"I was thrilled, really excited to hear the news; I have relief and happiness and a huge admiration for the members of the team," she told BBC News.

"For me, this represents the last discovery in the Shackleton story. It completes the circle."

The explorer continues to spark interest more than a century after his death.

Hundreds of people visit his grave on South Georgia every year to pay their respects to the man known by his crews simply as "The Boss."

"Shackleton will live forever as one of the greatest explorers of all time, not just because of what he achieved in exploration but for the way he did it, and the way he looked after his men," said David Mearns.

"His story is timeless and will be told again and again; and I'm just one of many disciples who'll keep telling it for as long as I can."

—

Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton CVO OBE FRGS FRSGS (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922) was an Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic.

He was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.

[scotianostra]

The award winning Scottish screenwriter Troy Kennedy Martin was born on February 15th 1932 on the Isle of Bute, his most famous film was The Italian Job with it's iconic line "You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!"

His father was an engineer and his mother a teacher. Moving frequently because of the second world war and his father's work, his was a talented and creative family. His younger brother, Ian, is also a scriptwriter who created The Sweeney and Juliet Bravo.

The family established themselves in north London, only to have the household income, never large, halved by the death of Troy's mother when he was 15. The Catholic church helped to keep them afloat, and Troy went to Finchley Catholic grammar school, followed by Trinity College Dublin.

After completing his National Service he wanted to move into the Foreign Office, but Troy, although having a toffee nosed name, did not speak with toffees in hi mouth and was rejected. He thought if he was a published writer this might be a route in so set about work on a short work of poetry of novel, his novel, Beat on a Damask Drum but it wasn't this that kick started his career on civvy street, but an article he wrote on boy soldiers in Cyprus the BBC picked it up and asked him to adapt it into a TV play. Based on his own experiences during national service as an officer with the Gordon Highlanders, this became the television play Incident at Echo 6, screened in 1958.

He delivered four further plays between 1959-61 before his first series, a six part anthology of original material and adaptations, Storyboard. He followed this with a gritty police drama, The Interrogator. which indirectly led to his next series Z Cars. Kennedy Martin created Z Cars as an antidote to the 'cosy-cop-on-the-corner' style TV police series, epitomised by Dixon of Dock Green Z Cars was revolutionary. For the first time the police were portrayed as real human beings, complete with flaws. Prejudiced, bad-tempered, shifty and sometimes even displaying traits (such as wife-beating) more commonly associated with criminals. The police were horrified at first, but eventually came round to regard the series with some affection.

Other selected TV work by Kennedy-Martin includes, Colditz, the brilliant Reilly, Ace of Spies, and Edge of Darkness. Apart from the Italian Job he wrote screenplays for TV Movies Bravo Two Zero, co-written with Andy McNab and Hostile Waters as well as The Sweeney 2 movie. He also wrote the original play and co-wrote the screenplay for the Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Belushi film Red Heat.

He died of liver cancer on 15th September 2009, aged 77

[fishfingersalad]

Rvb bbc ghosts x buzzfeed unsolved au Leonard “Alpha” Church III and his older sister Carolina Church inherit a creepy manor in the middle of nowhere halfway across the country after their great grandfather Leonard “Epsilon” Church dies of old age (yes Epsilon being their great grandfather is odd, it's for lore reasons).

Church’s college roommate Tucker has a ghost hunting youtube channel (Church edits his videos for him) and decides the manor seems spooky so he tags along to check it out with his co host (Kai) and camera/audio guy (Caboose) as well as Junior. Tex (Churches on again off again gf) comes along to bully them for getting scared, whenever she ends up on the show their views go up so they don’t complain. Carolina doesn’t wanna be stuck alone with Church’s friends so she invites her workout buddy Wash.

Unbeknownst to them, Tuckers “rival” youtube channel (the reds, Simmons is video and editing, Grif is audio, Lopez is in charge of their other equipment) catch wind of their plan to investigate the manor (Kai told Grif who accidentally let slip to Sarge) and they (literally just Sarge) take it as a challenge and they decide (are forced by Sarge) to follow the others to the manor to do their own investigation (Donut flirts with Locus the gas station attendant. This is important to me for some reason). Doc is unofficially part of the red team crew as first aid aka he follows them around bc he's worried about them going to all these abandoned buildings with no medical knowledge

Cw: talk of deaths in some detail, especially fires.

The Manor is actually haunted, by fifteen different ghosts:

Wyoming: 1840’s, fell out a window onto a weathervane

Florida: 1960’s, aspirin overdose 

York: 1980’s, car crash, has poltergeist abilities

North: 1850s, arsenic poisoning

South: 1850s, arsenic poisoning

Maine: 1910s, hunting accident, can sometimes be seen as a looming shadow in the dark

Ct: 1940s, military spy, shot

479er: 1960s, pilot, small aircraft crash

AI: 1920s, Children of a rich man who burned his house down while his wife was away with their youngest son, Leonard “Epsilon” Church (age 2 at the time). Delta (17), Theta (7), Eta (11), and Iota(11) died from smoke inhalation,  Gamma (15) and Omega (14) were burned,  Sigma (18) escaped the fire but succumbed to infection while still on the manor grounds. All of the ai ghosts carry a smell of smoke wherever they go (I have a drawing of them somewhere)

The only ones who can see the ghosts without outside influence (cameras, sensors, that stuff) are Church, Carolina, Wash, Donut, and Caboose, due to all five of them having near death experiences in their pasts, and later Doc after he’s possessed by Omega. Junior is also able to see ghosts though no one is sure why. 

Most of the au’s “story” is just silly interactions with the ghosts pranking the youtubers and various shenanigans. Wash deadpan pretends there are no ghosts to annoy both York and Tucker. Junior befriends Theta, Eta, and Iota, which concerns Tucker to no end especially since he tends to act like a horror movie child, all “Daddy, the lady with the hole in her head is in the corner again, daddy my friends with no faces wanna go play outside”. Sarge has a holy water super soaker that he carries everywhere incase of “ghouls”. South takes great joy in tormenting Simmons specifically. York follows the youtubers around and throws things at them, he only uses his poltergeist abilities for mischief. Ct finds a secret joy in sneaking up on Church to make him jump. Donut keeps telling his friends that the ghosts are there and real but none of them really believe him despite York pelting them with random objects. Wash finds a stray kitten and the ghosts are all immediately infatuated and begin following it around. Florida and Donut gossip together. Doc has to figure out how to deal with a rage fueled fourteen year old taking over his body. Tex punches Tucker on camera and it becomes their most popular video to date. Their second most popular video includes Tucker being attacked by Sarge with his holy water super soaker.

I just have so many little silly ideas about them...

[girlactionfigure]

🟤 RESTRICTIONS DROPPED, BEACHES RE-OPEN - Sunday afternoon Israel News

ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

▪️HOME FRONT - MOST RESTRICTIONS REMOVED.. Home Front Command lifted the restrictions in most of the country, except the north and near-Gaza communities - which have returned to their previous restrictions.

.. Minster of Labor signs an order allowing work to continue at “factories providing essential services” overriding Home Front Command restrictions in that specific situation.  Valid for 48 hours.

▪️KINNERET BEACHES.. to re-open at 17:00 today.

▪️HAIFA BEACHES.. returning to normal activity, lifeguards headed to their stations.

▪️HIGH COURT - WHY NOT RED CROSS VISITS?  The High Court issued a conditional order and requires the state to explain why the Red Cross will not visit the murdering raping baby killing Nuchba terrorists of Hamas.  The Nat. Sec. Minister’s previous statement: “when the Red Cross checks our hostages, they will be permitted to check the Hamas prisoners.”

▪️AIR TRAVEL.. while Ben Gurion and Israel airspace have re-opened, many airlines canceled their flights - some until the end of the month.  At least 15% of operating flights are affected.

▪️THEY BELIEVE THEIR OWN LIES.. the Houthis congratulated Hezbollah: "A big and brave attack against Israel”.

.. The IDF clarifies, following Hezbollah's claims: "No military base in Israel was hit, and no target in the center of the country was hit by Hezbollah's barrages."

.. Hamas welcomed Hezbollah's response: "A high-quality and large response against several vital and strategic targets deep in Israel, in response to the assassination of Fuad Shuker. This is a slap in the face to the Israeli government and a message that its crimes against the Palestinian and Lebanese people will not go unanswered."

▪️TEN BIS (lunch delivery program for employees) REPORTS.. people ordered water, cottage cheese, and yogurt - up 143% today.

▪️GROCERIES.. All the grocery chains in Israel are reporting a lively movement of customers today. It is emphasized that there is NO SHORTAGE OF PRODUCTS and branches will continue to be open in most areas of the country.  Preparation, not panic.

⭕ RUMORS HEZBOLLAH HIT AN IDF SHIP.. a number of channels are reporting that Hezbollah hit an IDF navy ship this morning.  In pictures and video on some channels, a significant explosion is shown at sea somewhat near, but not that close, to a navy ship.  Other channels show video of moderate damage to a ship engine room and what appears to be a part of a rocket body.

⭕ HEAVY BOMBING.. across southern Lebanese towns.

🔹BBC SAYS.. A BBC reporter in Beirut reports from Western security sources:  Israel is expected to carry out wider preventive attacks throughout Lebanon.

🔹BBC ALSO SAYS.. BBC: Many Lebanese living in the Dahiya (Hezbollah) quarter of Beirut were instructed in the 48 hours before the planned Hezbollah attack to evacuate their homes to "safe areas" - until further notice.

🔸DEAL NEWS.. Egyptian source: Israel agreed in principle to withdraw from the Philadelphia border corridor and the Rafah crossing. ( Unlikely, the Prime Minister’s Office has denied this multiple times. 

[beardedmrbean]

An estimated 4,000 illegal gold miners are hiding underground in South Africa after the government cut off food and water in an effort to "smoke them out" and arrest them.

The miners have been in a mineshaft in Stilfontein, in the North West province, for about a month.

They have refused to cooperate with authorities as some are undocumented - coming from neighbouring countries like Lesotho and Mozambique - and fear being deported.

Illegal miners are called "zama zama" ("take a chance" in Zulu) and operate in abandoned mines in the mineral-rich country. Illegal mining costs the South African government hundreds of millions of dollars in lost sales each year.

Many South African mines have closed down in recent years and workers have been sacked.

To survive, the miners and undocumented migrants go beneath the surface to escape poverty and dig up gold to sell it on the black market.

Some spend months underground - there is even a small economy of people selling food, cigarettes and cooked meals to the miners.

WATCH: The dangerous world of illegal mining in South Africa

South African miner feared for his life during 'hostage situation'

Local residents have pleaded with the authorities to assist the miners, but they have refused.

"We are going to smoke them out. They will come out. We are not sending help to criminals. Criminals are not to be helped - they are to be persecuted [sic]," said Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni on Wednesday.

Police are hesitant to go into the mine as some of those underground may be armed.

Some are part of criminal syndicates or "recruited" to be in one, Busi Thabane, from Benchmarks Foundation, a charity which monitors corporations in South Africa, told the BBC's NewsDay programme.

Without any access to supplies, conditions underground are said to be dire.

"It is no longer about illegal miners – this is a humanitarian crisis," said Ms Thabane.

On Thursday, community leader Thembile Botman told the BBC that volunteers had used ropes and seat belts to pull a body out of the mine.

"The stench of decomposing bodies has left the volunteers traumatised," he said.

It's not clear how the person died.

Although the authorities have been blocking food and water, they have temporarily allowed local residents to send some supplies down by rope.

Mr Botman said they had been communicating with the miners by notes written on pieces of paper.

Police have blocked off entrances and exits in an effort to compel the miners to come out.

This is part of the Vala Umgodi, or "Close the Hole", operation to curb illegal mining.

Five miners were pulled out on Wednesday by rope, but they were frail and weak. Paramedics attended to them, and then they were taken into police custody.

In the last week, 1,000 miners have emerged and been arrested.

Police and the army are still at the scene waiting to detain those who are not in need of medical care after resurfacing.

"It’s not as easy as the police make it seem – some of them are fearing for their lives," said Ms Thabane.

Many miners spend months underground in unsafe conditions to provide for their families.

"For many of them it's the only way they know how to put food on the table," said Ms Thabane.

Local residents have also attempted to convince the miners to come out of the mineshaft.

"Those people must come out because we have brothers there, we have sons there, the fathers of our kids are there, our children are struggling," local resident Emily Photsoa told AFP.

The South African Human Rights Commission says it will investigate the police for depriving the miners of food and water.

It said there is concern that the government’s operation could have an impact on the right to life.

Minister Ntshavheni's remarks have provoked mixed reaction from South Africans, with some praising the government's unyielding approach.

"I love this. Finally, our government is not tiptoeing on these serious matters. Decisiveness will help this country," one person wrote on X.

While others felt the stance was inhumane.

"In my view, this kind of talk from the Minister in the Presidency is disgraceful and dangerous hate speech," one user said.

Another wrote: "They are criminals but they have rights too."

Illegal mining is a lucrative business across many of South Africa's mining towns.

Since December last year, nearly 400 high-calibre firearms, thousands of bullets, uncut diamonds and money have been confiscated from illegal miners.

This is part of an intensive police and military operation to stop the practice that has severe environmental implications.

[master-john-uk]

BEWARE THE FULL MOON! 19th August 2024.

The Full Moon will reach it's peak at 19:26 (British Summer Time)... shortly before midnight in New York.

August's Full Moon is most commonly known as the Sturgeon Moon. This is due to the abundance of these prehistoric fish that used to be seen in the rivers and lakes of North America at this time of year. Due to overfishing, poaching and water pollution they are now one of the most critically endangered species on Earth.

In China it is called The Hungry Ghosts' Moon... when the gates of Hell open up, and the hungry dead walk among the living once more. Despite it's rather macabre atmosphere... The Hungry Ghost Festival originates from a celebration of the harvest.

It is also a Super Moon tonight... which means it will appear much larger than usual. [Some news agencies, including the BBC are incorrectly saying that it is a Blue Moon. A Blue Moon is the second Full Moon within a calendar month. This does not happen very often!]

I am now safely locked inside my Dorset farmhouse. If you have to go out tonight... take care!

[hazel-of-sodor]

Sodor in the age of scoial media

Sodor in the age of social Media

2. Henry

Henry was perhaps the slowest of the famous eight to adapt to the internet. Henry prefers to spend his free time in quiet nature, and the internet had little appeal to him. He would occasionally post inline about some mishap that befell his shedmates, but was largely inactive till the early 2000s.

In 2005 Cyclone Gudrun flooded the North Western coast, which was home to a large part of the Island's population of the endangered Welsh Pine Martin. He worried endlessly for several days. It came to a head one night when Gordon finally snapped. The express engine was sympathetic, but days of evacuation and emergency supply trains had left the mighty pacific sleep deprived and irritable. He had been looking forward to his well deserved sleep, and Henry's rambling was keeping him awake.

"Henry my dear engine, the poor Pine Martians.."

"Pine Martins"

"...Indeed. The poor Pine Martins have my deepest sympathies, but I am desperately in need of sleep, and since it has escaped your notice, all of us here are engines, with little ability to help the creatures even if we had the time."

Henry's face fell, leaving Gordon feeling as if he had kicked an 80 ton puppy.

The No.4 sighed, and turned his attention to the problem, "what is it they need?"

"Pardon?"

Gordon eyed the 4-6-0 grumpily, "What is needed to save the creatures, as I am quite certain you will not be able to rest until something is done. The last thing needed right now is for you to have an accident because you went without sleep."

"One would think you hadn't been listening to him at all these last few days." James snarked from Gordon's opposite side.

"Listening and understanding are not the same thing Little James. I understand the Martins homes are flooded, and they are already quite rare, but I do not know what can or should be done to remedy their plight."

Henry considered his pseudo cousin. "We need volunteers mainly, to search for Martins displaced by the storm, and the funds to care for them until they can be returned to the forest once the flood waters. recede." He paused thoughtfully , "The main problem is people don't know. All the focus is in the displaced people. Which that is just as important but..."

"Post it." Gordon interupted.

"What?" James asked.

Gordon sighed, "Post the situation online. When a engine in the mainland needs funds for overhaul, they often ask for Thomas to make a post online to raise awareness. I do not see why you could not do the same for the Pine Martins. We will all share the post as well so more people will see it."

Several engines stared at the Pacific, but Henry slowly started to smile, "Really? You would do that."

Gordon hrmped, "I can spare a few moments to help the critters so we can all finally sleep. When I see little Thomas tomorrow I will ask him to share it as well."

It should come as no surprise that having Thomas the Tank Engine ask for help saving cute little creatures with wide pleading ideas was just as effective as a full broadside from HMS Hood. Volunteers and funds poured in, and a foundation was quickly established to help look after the Islands population of Pine Martins, but this gave Henry an Idea.

Henry began to chronicle his encounters with Sodor wildlife, his crew helpfully taking videos, which he would post as he read descriptions of the animals. This quickly gained traction (and followers.) Children loved listening to one of the Famous Eight talking about new animals.

In 2007, the newly prosperous Sodor Conservation Society officially partnered with Henry, and began an online docuseries about the endangered animals of Sodor. The Series, aptly named Preservation and Conservation, would become a run away success. Series Three saw the series leave Sodor (although their steam powered narrator remained on the island), with Series four and beyond playing on the BBC in Britain, and Series Five and beyond playing on PBS in the United States. Preservation and Conservation is now on its sixteenth series, with series 18 greenlit.

Henry is now the Mascot and board director of the SCS, and a well respected figure in ecological conservation. From 2008 onwards he has carried the society's emblem on the side of his cab.

If you find his pages online these days, Henry can be found documenting the animals and plants he sees on his daily runs, and. Occasionally documeting the hijinx of his fleetmates as well (most notably the time James got sprayed by a skunk during the filming of series 7) While more Niche than many of the other online engines in the North Western fleets, Henry would argue his online presence is one of the most important.

[time-being]

On the "US" airdrop in Gaza

I've put "US" in quotes because the first caption on this BBC story calls that into question.

I believe that Jordan is a different country than Jordan. It's not clear to me what the US's involvement was in this operation. Maybe the US asked Jordan to do it and paid for it?

Regardless, the reported number of meals is 38,000.

Nobody really knows how many people remain in the north of Gaza, but it's probably hundreds of thousands.

Genocide Joe's plan for the starvation he's facilitated in Gaza is roughly one meal for every 4, 5, or 10 people, every few months.

This is reminiscent of US news about a delivery of 50,000 liter bottles of water earlier on in the genocide.

It's a pittance.

[eurovision-revisited]

Eurovision 2008 - Number 48 - Andy Abraham - "Even If"

Back again to the UK and Andy Abraham has snuck into my top sixty-four owing to a highly favourable draw and some luck. Which is how he ended up at Eurovision in the first place.

Andy is a former bus driver and binman from North London who rose to fame on the second ever series of the X Factor in the UK. His 'journey' from a humble background to runner up that year made him a darling of the tabloids and he achieved some much deserved success with a huge selling album in 2006, which hit number two in the UK charts. He followed that up with another top twenty album the year afterwards.

It's not as if Andy was unknown coming into Your Decision 2008. He also had a career, and he was possibly the only act that year who had something to lose should it all go wrong. His established career also got him some big names in his team. Even If was written by Andy Watkins and Paul Wilson, better known as the production team Absolute. They were the main producers and song-writing team behind the Spice Girls' debut album, Spice, and as well as working UK pop royalty in Atomic Kitten, Girls Aloud and S Club 7, had brought their R&B and soul sensibilities to work for everyone from Lisa Stansfield to Al Green.

Andy had scored some big names, and the song they brought was funky enough for the Eurovision stage, even if that 1990s UK soul-pop sound wasn't truly the norm there. The thing was Andy very nearly didn't make it there. He needed the help of another big name to do it.

In the duels he lost. He would have been out of the UK's selection process, but there was a wildcard that would save one of the three eliminated acts and put them into the final four. For some reason, that wildcard was the decision of one man: Terry Wogan. Terry picked Andy to go forward. Andy repaid that faith by progressing to the final two, and facing the person who beat him 3-0 in the duels - Michelle Gayle, soap actress and part-time pop artist from the 1990s.

Unlike the duels, the final was 100% televote, and the public loved Andy. He won, beating Michelle and heading to Belgrade. At Eurovision he was most definitely a fish out of water. He claims he doesn't remember much of the occasion - possibly because he drew the death slot in the final, got on stage second and then retired to the green room.

As UK entries go, there was nothing at all wrong with his performance. He gave it his all, yet there was something delightfully wrong about everything, from his jacket to the stained glass LED background in every colour, but none of them matching. The staging of everything felt like an afterthought by a broadcaster who was just glad they'd found someone to represent the country.

Andy finished last. He only got points from Ireland and the San Marino jury. There were some rumblings about the European public's unconscious prejudice, and as ever for the UK, the complaints about block-voting, potential rigging and the now annual whining about 'Europe not liking the UK'. In this case it had nothing to do with Andy though, it was an unfortunate draw and a broadcaster not really trying.

The one person at the BBC who was completely invested in this was of course Terry Wogan. He was the person who had single-handedly given Andy this opportunity, and when he came in last place, it was too much for him. The bitterness that had been building for years overflowed in one of the most memorable commentaries for Eurovision there's been - for all the wrong reasons. Terry thought Andy should obviously have done better (notably better than both Spain and Bosnia - we'll see how I feel later). His rancour and misgivings were enough for Terry to choose to step down as the UKs commentator having had the gig for nearly thirty years.

2008 had claimed its first casualty. It wouldn't be the last. Andy released a compilation album later that year, but that was his last recorded musical output barring the occasional collaboration and Christmas single. He was still available for birthdays and wedding bookings and was rumoured to have got involved in property investment. He did get a part in the 2015 UK production of Godspell in the West End, but that had a short run.

2008 is another nadir in the UKs Eurovision journey, but this time for non-musical reasons, as in 2008 there may have actually been some substance to the finger-pointing and block-voting allegations in a way that could force the EBU to act. Maybe Terry Wogan picking Andy to progress into the second round on Your Decision 2008 was the domino that led to some major changes for Eurovision down the road. More to come...

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 10.18

Holidays

Alaska Day

Anti-Slavery Day (UK)

Anti-Trafficking Day (EU)

BBC Day

Boost Your Brain Day

Chili Pepper Day (French Republic)

Clean Water Act Day

Day Without the Delaware

Developmental Language Disorder Awareness Day

Dia de la Raza Day (Colombia)

Doctor’s Day (Brazil)

European Paper Bag Day

Festival of Poetic Terrorism

Flag Day (Chile)

Flora Duffy Olympic Commemoration Day (Bermuda)

Geologic Map Day

Hard Boiled Guy and B-Girl Day

Healthcare Aide Day (Canada)

Heroes’ and Forefathers Day (British Virgin Islands)

Information Overload Awareness Day

International Legging Day

International Necktie Day

Kati Bihu (Assam, India)

King Look Under Your Mattress’s Unique Hiding Display

Mason/Dixon Line Day

Medical Assistants Recognition Day

Moby Dick Day

National Bioenergy Day

National Comic Strip Appreciation Day

National Day of Prayer (Zambia)

National Exascale Day

National Ken Day

National Louie Day

National Mark Day

National No Beard Day

National Put a Shoe on Your Head Day

National Speak Up for Victims of Sexual Abuse Day

National Statistics Day (Japan)

National Sunday Day

National Unity Day

National Work Bestie Day

National Zane Day

Necktie Day (Croatia)

Newspaper Comic Strip Appreciation Day

No Beard Day

Old Farmers Day

Operation Safe Stop Day

Persons Day (Canada)

Postman’s Day (Poland)

Procession of the Lord of Miracles (Peru)

Rocky Horror Picture Show Day (L.A., California)

Shine a Light Night (Ireland)

Timber Innovation Day

Watch a Squirrel Day

World Bank Action Day

World Cravat Day (Croatia)

World Guitar Day

World Inherited Blood Disorders Day

World Menopause Day

World Nature Protection Day

World Okapi Day

World Seitan Day

World Vasectomy Day

World Youth Day for Democracy

Food & Drink Celebrations

Chocolate Cupcake Day

Meatloaf Appreciation Day

National Mashed Potato Day

World Seitan Day

Independence & Related Days

Alaska (Official Transfer from Russia to US; 1867)

Azerbaijan (from the USSR, 1991)

Tinakula (Declared; 2021) [unrecognized]

3rd Friday in October

Buckle Up Phone Down Day (Missouri) [3rd Friday]

Comfort Food Friday [Every Friday]

Developmental Language Disorder Awareness Day [3rd Friday]

Five For Friday [Every Friday]

Flashback Friday [Every Friday]

Fondue Friday [3rd Friday of Each Month]

Food Waste Friday (Canada) [3rd Friday]

Friday Finds [Every Friday]

Friendly Friday [3rd Friday of Each Month]

Fry Day (Pastafarian; Fritism) [Every Friday]

Global Champagne Day [3rd Friday]

Library Workers Day (Canada) [3rd Friday]

National Mammography Day [3rd Friday]

National Pharmacy Buyer Day [Friday of 3rd Full Week]

TGIF (Thank God It's Friday) [Every Friday]

World Fruit & Vegetable Day [3rd Friday]

World Student Day [3rd Friday]

Weekly Holidays beginning October 18 (2nd Full Week of October)

Charlotte Craft Beer Week (Charlotte, North Carolina) [thru 10.27]

Festivals Beginning October 18, 2024

Alabama Gourd Show (Hartselle, Alabama) [thru 10.19]

Andouille Festival (LaPlace, Louisiana) [thru 10.20

Apple Butter Stirrin' Festival (Coshocton, Ohio) [thru 10.20]

Crossville Oktoberfest (Crossville, Tennessee) [thru 10.19]

Delta Hot Tamale Festival (Greenville, Mississippi) [thru 10.19]

Freimarkt in Bremen (Bremen, Germany) [thru 11.3]

Georgia Peanut Festival (Sylvester, Georgia) [thru 10.19]

GogolFest (Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine) [thru 10.20]

Greek Festival (Fort Walton Beach, Florida) [thru 10.20]

Halifax County Harvest Days (Halifax, North Carolina) [thru 10.19]

Harvest Happenings, Apple Festival, Dairy Barn Emporium (Van Wert, Ohio) [thru 10.19]

Kickin’ Chicken Wing & Chili Fest (Florence, South Carolina)

Klamath Basin Potato Festival (Merrill, Oregon) [thru 10.19]

La Fête du Champagne (Houston, Texas) [thru 10.20]

Lviv Cheese & Wine Festival (Lviv, Ukraine) [thru 10.20

Message to Man International Film Festival (Saint Petersburg, Russia) [thru 10.27]

PalmFest: Fiesta de Palmas (McAllen, Texas) [thru 10.20]

Panama City Beach Oktoberfest (Panama City, Florida) [thru 10.20]

Poquoson Seafood Festival (Poquoson, Virginia) [thru 10.20]

Sparta Persimmon Days Festival (Sparta, Missouri) [thru 10.19]

Taste of Downtown Boise (Boise, Idaho) [thru 10.27]

TASTE Philadelphia Festival of Food, Wine and Spirits (Valley Forge, Pennsylvania) [thru 10.19]

Tuzla Film Festival (Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina) [thru 10.22]

Ukiah Country PumpkinFest (Mendocino County, California) [thru 10.20]

unWINE Downtown (Starkville, Mississippi)

Valladolid International Film Festival [Seminci] (Valladolid, Spain) [thru 10.26]

WhistleStop BBQ Festival at Midcity (Huntsville, Alabama) [thru 10.19]

Yachats Village Mushroom Fest (Yachats, Oregon) [thru 10.20]

Feast Days

Amish Tripathi (Writerism)

Doburoku Matsuri (Sake Festival; Shirahigetawara Shrine, Japan) [Day 2]

Feralia: Day of Purification (Pagan)

Irony Day (Pastafarian)

James Brooks (Artology)

Julian Sabas (Christian; Saint)

Justus (a.k.a. Justin) of Beauvais (Christian; Saint)

King Look Under Your Mattress’s Unique Hiding Display (Shamanism)

Little Summer (St. Luke’s)

Luca Giordano (Artology)

Luke the Evangelist (Christian; Saint) [brewers] *

Monan (Christian; Saint)

Ntozake Shange (Writerism)

Pandrosos (Greek all-refreshing Goddess)

Peter of Alcantara (Christian; Saint)

Richelieu Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Simhat Torah (begins at sundown; Judaism) [23 Tishrei]

Shemini Atzeret (Day 2; Judaism)

Stu Mead (Artology)

Swiss Cheese (Muppetism)

Terry McMillan (Writerism)

Thomas Phillips (Artology)

Vauvenargues (Positivist; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Premieres

Alice the Fire Fighter (Ub Iwerks Alice Disney Cartoon; 1926)

Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons (WB Animated Film; 2022)

The Batman vs. Dracula (WB Animated Film; 2005)

Batman: Year One (WB Animated Film; 2011)

Battlestar Galactica (TV Series; 2004)

BBC (UK Public Service Broadcaster; 1922)

Ben & Me: An Astonishing Life of Benjamin Franklin by His Good Mouse Amos, by Robert Lawson (Children’s Biography; 1923)

Chet Baker Big Band, by Chet Baker (Album; 1956)

Cowboy Bebop (Japanese Anime Series; 1998)

Cruise Cat (Tom & Jerry cartoon; 1952)

The Cuckoo Murder Case (Ub Iwerks Flip the Frog Disney Cartoon; 1930)

Happy Hunting Grounds (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1940)

Howard’s End, by E.M. Forster (Novel; 1910)

How I Won the War (Film; 1967)

The Human Condition, by Hannah Arendt (Science Book; 1958)

I’m Getting Sentimental Over You, by Tommy Dorsey (Song; 1935)

Jingle Bells (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1931)

Jojo Rabbit (Film; 2019)

The Jungle Book (Animated Disney Film; 1967)

The Keeper of the Lions (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1937)

La Bamba, by Ritchie Valens (Song; 1958)

The Lighthouse (Film; 2019)

Little Orphan Willie (Ub Iwerks Flip the Frog Disney Cartoon; 1930)

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (Film; 2019)

Moby-Dick (Novel; 1851)

My Pop, My Pop (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1940)

Other People’s Money (Film; 1991)

The Ring (Film; 2002)

Roseanne (TV Series; 1988)

The Saint in Action (a.k.a. The Ace of Knaves), by Leslie Charteris (Short Stories; 1937) [Saint #18]

Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers (Hanna-Barbera Animated TV Special; 1987)

Sudden Fried Chicken (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1946)

Swingers (Film; 1996)

Symphony No. 3, by Aaron Copland (Symphony; 1946)

Tennis for Two (Video Game; 1958)

Tree for Two (WB MM Cartoon; 1952)

12 Years a Slave (Film; 2013)

West Side Story (Film; 1961)

What a Wonderful World, by Louis Armstrong (Song; 1967)

The Yellow Kid (Comic Strip; 1896)

Zombieland: Double Tap (Film; 2019)

Zen and Japanese Culture, by D.T. Suzuki (Spiritual Book; 1938)

Today’s Name Days

Gwenn, Justus, Lukas (Austria)

Zlata, Zlatan, Zlatka, Zlatko, Zlatomir (Bulgaria)

Flavijan, Justus, Luka, Lukša (Croatia)

Lukáš (Czech Republic)

Lucas (Denmark)

Ludvig, Lui, Luukas (Estonia)

Luka, Luukas, Säde, Satu (Finland)

Luc (France)

Gwenn, Justus, Lukas, Viviana (Germany)

Loukas, Luke, Marinos (Greece)

Lukács (Hungary)

Luca (Italy)

Lūkass, Rolands, Ronalds (Latvia)

Kęsmina, Liubartas, Lukas (Lithuania)

Kjersti, Kjerstin (Norway)

Julian, Łukasz, René (Poland)

Luca (Romania)

Lukáš (Slovakia)

Lucas (Spain)

Lukas (Sweden)

Luke (Ukraine)

Blaine, Blair, Blane, Luca, Lucas, Lukas, Luke, Wynn, Wynton (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 292 of 2024; 74 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 5 of Week 42 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Gort (Ivy) [Day 20 of 28]

Chinese: Month 9 (Jia-Xu), Day 16 (Yi-Mao)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 16 Tishri 5785

Islamic: 14 Rabi II 1446

J Cal: 22 Orange; Oneday [22 of 30]

Julian: 5 October 2024

Moon: 97%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 12 Descartes (11th Month) [Duclos / Diderot]

Runic Half Month: Gyfu (Gift) [Day 12 of 15]

Season: Autumn or Fall (Day 27 of 90)

Week: 2nd Full Week of October

Zodiac: Libra (Day 26 of 30)

[scotianostra]

January 17th 1883 saw the birth of Compton Mackenzie, in Hartlepool in North East England.

Compton Mackenzie is today best remembered for writing two comic novels set in Scotland – The Monarch of the Glen, which inspired the BBC drama series of the same name, and the much-loved Whisky Galore, which has twice been adapted for cinema. The story of a fictional Hebridean island taking advantage of a ship wreck full of spirits at the height of wartime rationing has entertained generations since it first appeared in 1947. The most recent cinematic version, starring Gregor Fisher, goes on general release in May. But Mackenzie was much more than a gentle chronicler of the Highlands and islands in the mid-20th century.

He was, at various times, an actor, soldier, Government spy, political activist, journalist, Jacobite supporter, cultural commentator, snooker enthusiast, raconteur and, in 1928, a co-founder of the National Party of Scotland – the forerunner to the modern SNP.

Andro Linklater, who wrote a biography of Mackenzie, commented: “(He) wasn’t born a Scot, and he didn’t sound like a Scot. But nevertheless his imagination was truly Scottish.” Edward Montague Compton Mackenzie was born in West Hartlepool in 1883 and raised in London. His was a theatrical family – many of whose members used Compton as their stage name. His grandfather Henry Compton was a well-known Shakespearean actor of the Victorian era. A history graduate of Magdalen College, Oxford, the young Mackenzie published his first novel in 1912 but his writing career was stalled by the outbreak of war. He quickly signed up and saw action at Gallipoli. In 1915 he was recruited into the fledgling Secret Service and was posted across the eastern Mediterranean. Although he would later be awarded a knighthood, Mackenzie was no darling of the British establishment. In 1932 he was hauled before the courts and fined for breaching the Official Secrets Act for writing Greek Memories – a candid reflection of his time as a spy. At a time when the British public was scarcely aware of the security services, Mackenzie freely outlined its organisation. It was withdrawn from sale and was only published in full as recently as 2011.

In 1933 he took revenge on the Secret Service with Water on the Brain, an obvious swipe at the Service. Despite its satirical cover, he managed to include a few genuine morsels – such as the fact that the chief of the Service always wrote in green ink. At story’s end, the location of the Secret Service’s headquarters is revealed in a spy thriller and the spooks have to move out. The building becomes an asylum for “the servants of bureaucracy who have been driven mad in the service of the country”. By this point Mackenzie was already resident in Scotland and had become close friends with the poet Hugh MacDiarmid and the influential writer, thinker and adventurer Robert Cunninghame Graham. Together they helped establish the National Party of Scotland in 1928, which emerged in 1934 as the modern SNP.

Mackenzie settled on the Hebridean island of Barra and concentrated on his most ambitious project, The Four Winds of Love. Gavin Wallace, another of his biographers, later wrote: “The Four Winds of Love, published in six volumes between 1937 and 1945 and containing almost 1 million words, is one of the most ambitious Scottish novels of the twentieth century, an enormous historical odyssey which anatomizes the politics of peripheral nationalism both throughout Europe and in Britain, again through semi-autobiographical character development.” But it was Mackenzie’s comic novels that won him UK-wide fame and fortune. Whisky Galore, based on a real-life incident in Eriskay in 1941, was first adapted for the big screen by Ealing studios and released to popular acclaim in 1948. The enduring appeal of the novel was later summed up by one Scotsman literary critic: “So what if it perpetrates the old, cliched ‘Brigadoon’ myth? Scots, English, American or Martian, no-one can resist this tale of ill-gotten whisky gain on a Scottish island in wartime. It’s simply hilarious.” Such was Mackenzie’s status as an elder statesman of letters he was knighted in 1952 and remained a much-respected cultural commentator for the rest of his life. In later years he lived in Drummond Place, in Edinburgh’s New Town, where he died from cancer aged 89, in 1972. Lavish tributes followed. Dr Robert McIntyre, president of the SNP and the first Scottish nationalist elected to parliament, described Mackenzie as “the Grand Old Man of Scotland”. Novelist Eric Linklater said he was a “consummate stylist, who, unlike most writers, also lived with style.”

[dzthenerd490]

News Post

Palestine

‘Missing in action’: Where has Palestinian Authority been since October 7? | Israel-Palestine conflict News | Al Jazeera

From exodus to exodus: Palestinian refugees in Lebanon flee Israeli attacks | International | EL PAÍS English (elpais.com)

Tributes pour in for Palestinian student burned to death in Israeli attack on al-Aqsa Hospital | Middle East Eye

The Israeli ‘General’s Plan’ for northern Gaza is unlikely to succeed | Israel-Palestine conflict | Al Jazeera

US imposes sanctions on 'sham charity' fundraising for Palestinian terror group | The Times of Israel (Israel-US Propaganda Bullshit)

Sudan

Sudan war: Afcon 2025 qualifying wins bring 'pride and joy' to country - BBC Sport

Sudanese army claims gains in Khartoum, retakes key water station - Sudan Tribune

Spiraling Sudan bloodshed sparks refugee surge into Chad (voanews.com)

Sudan war: 'They ransacked my home and left my town in ruins' (bbc.com)

Ukraine

Zelenskyy says ‘victory plan’ to end Russia war includes NATO membership | Russia-Ukraine war News | Al Jazeera

Ukraine says North Korea is sending soldiers to help Russia in the war : NPR

Ukraine war: Meet Bucha's female unit who gun down Russian drones (bbc.com)

Exclusive: Inside a secretive Ukraine drone unit targeting Russian territory | CNN

Record high deaths in the Russia-Ukraine war: What you should know | Russia-Ukraine war News | Al Jazeera

Lebanon

Lebanon official says Nabatiyeh province's mayor killed in Israeli strike | AP News

Israel row with Unifil peacekeepers driven by long distrust (bbc.com)

Netanyahu wants UNIFIL out of Lebanon. Why? | Israel attacks Lebanon News | Al Jazeera

Other

Taliban-run media stops showing images of living beings in some Afghan provinces | AP News

Afghan Triples: Hundreds of ex-special forces to be allowed in UK (bbc.com)

Congo cancels an auction for 27 sites earmarked for oil exploration | AP News

ICC prosecutor announces renewed probe into alleged crimes in eastern Congo | Africanews

Congo's war is creating a mental health crisis for those in displacement camps near Goma | AP News

Saudi Arabia, Egypt strengthen investment ties, urge Gaza and Lebanon Ceasefires | Africanews

Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia Counter Ethiopia in New Alliance (foreignpolicy.com)

A rare rain in the Sahara Desert | Weather News | Al Jazeera

Flooding kills more than 20 people in Morocco and Algeria | AP News

Myanmar and China have world’s ‘worst environment’ for internet freedom | Internet News | Al Jazeera

Israeli-Palestinian conflict – Rafah – Mother Jones

[tubeteevee]

can we hear about why youre not supposed to dive around the titanic im curiouse

the titanic is in 12,000 feet of water in a remote area in the north atlantic ocean. she wasnt even located until 1985 (that is a 45,000-ton ship that was lost here for seventy-three years). the idea of “touring” a location like that is just absurd, you cant even see more than a few feet ahead of you thats WHY the BBC did that whole (UNMANNED) 3D scanning mission earlier this year. people don’t dive the titanic because there’s just no feasible reason to put a human being in that much danger to look at 4 square feet of what’s left of a boat.

shipwreck diving is a hobby, but it’s limited to shallow wrecks and experienced divers and even then you’re risking your life down there. it’s not unheard of for a wreck to have a post-sinking body count (the SS andrea doria comes to mind with her current total of 22) because they’re unstable structures in a state of decay and there’s a whole lot that can go wrong.