In Other News

[BeBMan]

The days of fax machines may be over, or so asks the Bibs:

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-63472371

I have to admit I never used a fax machine in my life.

I'm wondering if I should scramble to still get one. just for the experience.

Later I can look towards younger folks with an-oh-so-superior-attitude enabling me to spread wisdoms like:

"I have used a fax machine long before you could even say 'smartphone', son."

Or:

"If you never used a fax machine you haven't lived".

etcetc.

[PLATO]

The days of fax machines may be over, or so asks the Bibs:

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-63472371

I have to admit I never used a fax machine in my life.

I'm wondering if I should scramble to still get one. just for the experience.

Later I can look towards younger folks with an-oh-so-superior-attitude enabling me to spread wisdoms like:

"I have used a fax machine long before you could even say 'smartphone', son."

Or:

"If you never used a fax machine you haven't lived".

etcetc.

I remember when the office I worked in got its first fax machine. It used thermal paper and was amazing. Before that we had to wait on the U.S. Mail. Haven't seen one around an office in years though. Technology has moved at an incredible pace.

[Dauphin]

Halloween is over, and the UK doesn't have thanksgiving, so that means.....time for Christmas fun:

https://www.itv.com/news/2022-11-01/giant-runaway-christmas-baubles-tumble-through-london-street-wreaking-havoc

Two runaway Christmas baubles, each larger than cars, were spotted tumbling through central London.

The decorative balls were seen flying down what appears to be Tottenham Court Road.

Bouncing into the path of on-coming traffic, one of the oversized baubles was filmed hitting a lamppost, causing it to shed its glittery skin.

It is unclear where the balls had escaped from, but as they rolled down the street, drivers were filmed having to take evasive action to dodge their ricocheting path.

The footage was posted on social media on Halloween, as the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning over Storm Claudio's strong winds and rain.

Video in the link

[BeBMan]

Balls

[Broken_Erika]

KFC apologises after German Kristallnacht promotion


KFC has apologised after sending a promotional message to customers in Germany, urging them to commemorate Kristallnacht with cheesy chicken.

The Nazi-led series of attacks in the country in 1938 left more than 90 people dead, and destroyed Jewish-owned businesses and places of worship.

It is widely seen as the beginning of the Holocaust.

The message, heavily criticised for its insensitivity, was later blamed on "an error in our system".

The fast food chain sent an app alert on Wednesday, saying: "It's memorial day for Kristallnacht! Treat yourself with more tender cheese on your crispy chicken. Now at KFCheese!"

Around an hour later another message was sent with an apology, according to the Bild newspaper.

"We are very sorry, we will check our internal processes immediately so that this does not happen again. Please excuse this error," the message is reported to have said.

Germany takes the 9 November anniversary of Kristallnacht (the night of broken glass) seriously, with numerous memorial events and discussions scheduled to reflect the Nazis' murder of more than six million Jewish people.

Daniel Sugarman, Director of Public Affairs at the Board of Deputies of British Jews described the original KFC message as "absolutely hideous".

Dalia Grinfeld, the associate director of European affairs at the Jewish NGO Anti-Defamation League, tweeted: "How wrong can you get on Kristallnacht KFC Germany. Shame on you!"

In a statement issued to Newsweek magazine, KFC Germany blamed the message on a bot.

The fast food chain said the "automated push notification" was "linked to calendars that include national observances".

It added that it "sincerely" apologised for the "unplanned, insensitive and unacceptable message" and said app communications had been suspended while an examination of them takes place.

"We understand and respect the gravity and history of this day, and remain committed to equity, inclusion and belonging for all," the company finished by saying.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63499057

[BeBMan]

Fail

They could rebrand it for Fall of the Berlin Wall (Nov 9 1989) use. Or for the more niche history nerds for the End of the Kaiserreich/Monarchy in 1918.

[Broken_Erika]

It's like a real life version of that onion article

https://www.theonion.com/new-subway-promotion-to-honor-subtember-11-1819575535

[BeBMan]

Human beings used fire to cook food hundreds of thousands of years earlier than previously thought, an Israeli-led group of researchers have suggested.

They found evidence in the 780,000-year-old remains of a huge carp-like fish discovered in northern Israel.

The scientists noted "the transition from eating raw food to eating cooked food had dramatic implications for human development and behaviour".

The previous earliest evidence of cooking dated from about 170,000 BC.

The remains of the two-metre (6.5ft) fish were found at the Gesher Benot Yaaqob archaeological site which spans the River Jordan about 14km (8.5 miles) north of the Sea of Galilee .

Researchers studied crystals from the enamel of the fish's teeth, which were found in large quantities at the site. The way the crystals had expanded was a sign that they had not been exposed to direct fire, but cooked at a lower temperature.


"Gaining the skill required to cook food marks a significant evolutionary advance, as it provided an additional means for making optimal use of available food resources," said Professor Naama Goren-Inbar from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who directed the excavation.

"It is even possible that cooking was not limited to fish, but also included various types of animals and plants."

(...)

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-63596141

I'm glad humans had it first

Imagine wild lions, sharks and whatnot had dev'ed cooking before humans.

Nah, but the 780,000-year figure surprised me, thought it to be a much later thing.

[Berzerker]

thats a pretty big gap but doesn't mean they invented fire

[Proteus_MST]

Of course every fundamentalist christian who believes in the truth of the bible (so around half of the Americans AFAIK) (as well as, I guess, every "true believing" muslim) knows that this cannot bee true, as the earth is only 6k years old and humans already used fire to cook dinosaurs (which ultimately led to their extinction)

[Berzerker]

Insider interviewed a cartel cook explaining 'rainbow fentanyl', he said they make it that way because some dealers in the US were cutting cocaine and heroin with fentanyl so they artificially colored it

[pchang]

Don't Cry For Me, Argentina!

[Broken_Erika]

Kidderminster man catches giant goldfish


Now here's something you don't see at the fair - a man using two hands to lift a goldfish nearly as big as he is.

Worcestershire angler Andy Hackett landed the orange beast while on a trip to France, in a region worthy of toasting such success - Champagne.

The giant, known as The Carrot, was introduced to Bluewater Lakes there 20 years ago, proving elusive since.

But then came along Mr Hackett and rod; using, you might say, a Carrot and stick approach.

The fish, he explained, was a hybrid of a leather carp and a koi carp and after a 25-minute battle, it was all over. The goldfish that had been a white whale to many was in Mr Hackett's net.

"You're gonna need a bigger bowl," was everyone's first thought, quickly followed by whether there were scales large enough to weigh scaly Carrot.

But a weigh-in was achieved, with this beauty's vital statistic being a whopping 30kg (67 pounds).

And yet there was no need for a mountain of potatoes for chips - The Carrot was released back from whence he came to leave another angler with a chance of a fishy tale.

The goldfish commonly kept as pets do not achieve more than a few inches in length, but they are part of the carp family which can reach impressive proportions, with colourful koi sometimes fetching small fortunes from hobbyists.

Mr Hackett's run-in with the special breed came during a visit to a fishery on one of his many French trips, and he said while The Carrot was often seen due to his striking hue, he was harder to land.

"With normal fish," Mr Hackett explained, "you struggle to see them if they're just under the surface, but The Carrot is obviously bright orange so you can't miss it.

"[But] it's a much sought-after fish, not many people have caught it, it's quite elusive."

Anglers, however, always have a chance.

"Just like a general big fish, they're heavy, they're slow, they plod around," Mr Hackett said.

Yet anyone fancying a crack themselves may face disappointment - the fishery has a waiting list of at least five years.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-63707394

[Berzerker]

that is one ugly fish

[Dinner]

What do you even do with such a goldfish? Kill it and turn it into fertilizer? It is to boney to eat and I wouldn't want to release an invasive species.

[BlackCat]

What do you even do with such a goldfish? Kill it and turn it into fertilizer? It is to boney to eat and I wouldn't want to release an invasive species.

Well, the goldfish might be an invasive species, but compared to humans and cockroaches they doesn't have a great impact.

[Dinner]

It is a carp species from Asia. Some of the Asian carp species have devastating impact on native wildlife in North America.

https://youtu.be/rPeg1tbBt0A