The Off Topic Topic

[Tamas]

I find such craziness the sign of a comfortable and well-off society. In Hungary people would be too stressed and in general too frustrated to care remotely this much about a single tree.

[PJL]

Losing one tree is a tragedy. Losing a million becomes a statistic.

[garbon]

I find such craziness the sign of a comfortable and well-off society. In Hungary people would be too stressed and in general too frustrated to care remotely this much about a single tree.

Or it is an easy collective place to moan. Sort of like the outsized reaction to statues being taken down but with no strong conservative vs liberal divide. Something you can control and project rage into safely.

[Richard Hakluyt]

It is a moment of consensus, 90% or more of the country is in agreement, this makes a nice change from divisions over brexit, migrants etc etc, so people embrace it.

[Josquius]

My little boys first words were "Earl Grey".
Sounded clear as anything.

Oddly my tiny boy has ended up with the same first words.

I theorise this is due to language collision. British babies say ga ga goo goo, francophone babies say areu areu.
This combines in a baby speaking both into earl grey.

I wonder if this is a known phenomena and what other pairings come up with

[Grey Fox]

I don't recall my children saying areu areu.

[Josquius]

I don't recall my children saying areu areu.

Just a euro francophone cliche?
What to Quebecois babies say?

[Sheilbh]

It is a moment of consensus, 90% or more of the country is in agreement, this makes a nice change from divisions over brexit, migrants etc etc, so people embrace it.

We're a spectacularly mawkish nation too

But I think this is a big part of it - it's not a million miles from, say, Princess Di's death or the wild mob mentality about cat bin lady. It's weird but as you say I think people like doing something together - and then memory-holing it because in retrospect it's a bit mad.

[Grey Fox]

I don't recall my children saying areu areu.

Just a euro francophone cliche?
What to Quebecois babies say?

On utilise le terme gazouillis.

[Tonitrus]

My little boys first words were "Earl Grey".
Sounded clear as anything.

If he had paused slightly, and added "hot", that would have really been a triumph. 

[viper37]

Only in America...

MADISON, Wis. — A man with a handgun showed up at the Wisconsin Capitol demanding to see Gov. Tony Evers (D) on Wednesday, was arrested, posted bail, returned to the Statehouse with an assault rifle and was taken into protective custody, according to police.

The shirtless man had a holstered handgun and leashed dog with him when he appeared at the security desk outside of the governor's office Wednesday afternoon demanding to see the governor, according to a statement from the state police. An officer arrested him for openly carrying a firearm.

The man was booked into jail and posted bail. He returned to the outside of the Capitol with a loaded AK-47 around 9 p.m., three hours after the Statehouse closed, according to the state police. He asked to see the governor again. Officers spoke with him and asked to search his backpack. He agreed and they found a police baton, which they said violated state law because the man did not have a concealed-weapons permit, according to police.

[Sheilbh]

Whatever happened to spycraft?
https://apnews.com/article/espionage-us-officer-china-classified-information-8daaea60445cc747e24b71374a1ad86c

Former US intelligence officer charged with trying to give classified defense information to China
By GENE JOHNSON
Updated 11:01 PM BST, October 6, 2023

SEATTLE (AP) — A former U.S. Army intelligence officer has been charged with attempting to provide classified defense information to the Chinese security services during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic — including some listed in a Microsoft Word document titled "Important Information to Share with Chinese Government."

[Sheilbh]

Very large poll from Australia on the voice referendum. Now at 60% no, 40% yes - from the MRP it looks like only 22 of the 151 seats are voting yes. Again there is a double majority - so yes needs a majority of votes and a majority of states but doesn't look like it'll gain either:


(Also I think that colour choice is to be helpful for colour blind people but is not as clear as it could be)....

Earlier this year and those numbers were reversed and before then Yes was even polling as high as 75-80%.

[Admiral Yi]

Whatever happened to spycraft?

I heard this story on NPR. 

Email to Chinese embassy in Istanbul: I would like to give you a bunch of secret stuff.

Surprised the AP writer didn't know sargents aren't officers.

[grumbler]

Whatever happened to spycraft?

I heard this story on NPR. 

Email to Chinese embassy in Istanbul: I would like to give you a bunch of secret stuff.

Surprised the AP writer didn't know sargents aren't officers.

The press release called him a former "intelligence officer."  Possibly it was referring to his job, as opposed to his military rank.  "Intelligence sergeant" just isn't a title you see.