The Off Topic Topic

[Duque de Bragança]

Conflict in Mali and other parts of the Sahel is ongoing indeed.

[Sheilbh]

Yeah I think we're conflating a lot of conflicts across a large spectrum. But I think we are back at basically Cold War levels of deaths in conflict and numbers of conflict without the structuring logic of the Cold War.

There is instability in the Sahel but for example, I have a friend who is regularly in Mali and Burkina for work and was there just the last fortnight. It's a "be careful" level of conflict (possibly unless your French). I think that's significantly less than the incredibly brutal civil war, really a war of all against all (heavily sponsored by UAE and others) in, say, Sudan.

Similarly I think there's probably a fair difference between Afghanistan-Pakistan to Ukraine-Russia.

[Sheilbh]

This has been a very good month for news headlines that are basically the plots of children's films. First there was the fox from Southampton that stayed away on a ship to New York and is now being looked after in Brooklyn.

And recently in the UK there's been the story of Samba the capybara who escaped one day after arriving at the zoo that's their new home (also near Southampton ) - and has been on the run for the last week or two. I've enjoyed some of the headlines which make her sound like Ronnie Biggs, saying things like the "net is closing in". But still evading capture so far, much to locals great enjoyment:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/28/samba-runaway-capybara-search

"We've seen Samba sunbathing already. So I think she's a lady of leisure," said Holland. While she ha not glimpsed the capybara, she has enjoyed trading theories with passersby.

[mongers]

This has been a very good month for news headlines that are basically the plots of children's films. First there was the fox from Southampton that stayed away on a ship to New York and is now being looked after in Brooklyn.

And recently in the UK there's been the story of Samba the capybara who escaped one day after arriving at the zoo that's their new home (also near Southampton ) - and has been on the run for the last week or two. I've enjoyed some of the headlines which make her sound like Ronnie Biggs, saying things like the "net is closing in".....
snip

It's Hampshire, many are trying to escape the county, but few succeed; I've gotten within 500 metres of the Dorset 'border' but have now gotten stuck here. 

[viper37]

China's anti fatigue system.
Fuck I hope this never makes it here.

[Sheilbh]

Love it

Edit: Though you really do need sound systems on the hard shoulder for the full effect

[HVC]

Wasted rave potential.

[viper37]

Love it

Edit: Though you really do need sound systems on the hard shoulder for the full effect

I knew someone here would love it 

I don't need the light show with my music 

[Crazy_Ivan80]

Cyberpunk 2027...

[Syt]

China's anti fatigue system.
Fuck I hope this never makes it here.

That looks distracting more than anything

[Syt]

So I learned that the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem is ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierbattista_Pizzaballa

How is anyone supposed to take someone with the name "Pizzaballa" serious? That's like a joke name you give an Italian character on an 80s sitcom.

[HVC]

Pier *wrecking pizza ball. Now that's a name


*taking liberties, but baptism comes from submerge, and if you submerge a pier you basically wrecked it

[The Brain]

I noticed that NASA uses words like "for all Humanity" when talking about Artemis II. Now that they're off maybe the White House learns about the mission, we'll know when NASA switches to "for White America".

What will they do actually? Make some TikToks as they round the moon, but other than that?

[garbon]

I noticed that NASA uses words like "for all Humanity" when talking about Artemis II. Now that they're off maybe the White House learns about the mission, we'll know when NASA switches to "for White America".

What will they do actually? Make some TikToks as they round the moon, but other than that?

From wiki:

The mission is expected to set several human spaceflight records, including distance from Earth (about 4,700 miles (7,600 km; 4,100 nmi) beyond the Moon) and velocity (atmospheric reentry speed of about 25,000 miles per hour (40,000 km/h)).

Artemis II is a flight test supporting subsequent Artemis missions, which are planned to return humans to the lunar surface in 2028 for the first time since Apollo 17.

[garbon]

Also diversity casting is strong.

Glover became the first person of color, Koch the first woman, and Hansen the first non-U.S. citizen to travel beyond low Earth orbit, and plan to become the first person of color, woman, and non-U.S. citizen to travel to the vicinity of the Moon.