Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[outragous76]

ive always found it strange how unsinkable and invincible ships never make it

Titanic
HMS Hood
Bismark

Its like the ultimate kiss of death

[AndrewT]

On the subject of sunken ships, saw this story a few days ago and was astounded that I'd never heard of it - the greatest loss of life on a single ship in history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Wilhelm_Gustloff

[tikay]

ive always found it strange how unsinkable and invincible ships never make it

Titanic
HMS Hood
Bismark

Its like the ultimate kiss of death

Sounds like a good spot to me, but we may need gatters to give a BS ruling on that.

I see Gatters not to much as an Internet Policeman - not a proper one, like Greeky - more as a sort of Special Constable.

[tikay]

On the subject of sunken ships, saw this story a few days ago and was astounded that I'd never heard of it - the greatest loss of life on a single ship in history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Wilhelm_Gustloff

9,400 died? THREE times 9/11!

We need Gatters again, methinks.

Good find.

[Dino]

On the subject of sunken ships, saw this story a few days ago and was astounded that I'd never heard of it - the greatest loss of life on a single ship in history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Wilhelm_Gustloff

Once you start looking at one you find others.
http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?105102
Although a smaller loss of life it was POW's and slave labourers that lost their lives.

[AndrewT]

Remember that Air France plane that crashed in the Atlantic a couple of years ago, for seemingly no reason?

This article goes through the voice recording from the cockpit to find out what happened - fascinating reading.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/aviation/crashes/what-really-happened-aboard-air-france-447-6611877

[rex008]

Remember that Air France plane that crashed in the Atlantic a couple of years ago, for seemingly no reason?

This article goes through the voice recording from the cockpit to find out what happened - fascinating reading.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/aviation/crashes/what-really-happened-aboard-air-france-447-6611877

Wow. Just wow. Interesting thoughts in the final paragraph too. Quite eerie just reading a transcript of the conversation, knowing you're listening to dead men talking, who seem to have no idea what's happening.

[millidonk]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-16094360

Scotland pics of the storm, pic 13 shows a wind turbine catching fire due to the 165mph winds.

[ripple11]

Remember that Air France plane that crashed in the Atlantic a couple of years ago, for seemingly no reason?

This article goes through the voice recording from the cockpit to find out what happened - fascinating reading.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/aviation/crashes/what-really-happened-aboard-air-france-447-6611877

Wow. Just wow. Interesting thoughts in the final paragraph too. Quite eerie just reading a transcript of the conversation, knowing you're listening to dead men talking, who seem to have no idea what's happening.

+1

[JaffaCake]

I have to say I'm enormously interested in the events at Pearl Harbour. How wonderful to have been to the place and seen it for yourself.

When I learn about these huge, world-changing events, it's always the little individual stories that capture my imagination and make it real for me.

I can't for instance grasp the enormity of all those people dying in the tsunami, but it all comes to life when you see it through the eyes of one person.

I spent some time talking to a Holocaust survivor a couple of years ago, and it was one of the most moving experiences of my life. 

Apparently there are still some Pearl Harbour veterans alive and kicking.


http://www.kare11.com/news/blogs/article/950289/458/Pearl-Harbor-survivors-live-to-see-70th-anniversary

That link is a wonderful story Tom, thank you.

What a wonderful tool the internet is, if properly used, eh? How much has it developed our understanding of life, & our education?

Many poorer parts of the world - deffo large swathes of Africa, for example, & I'm sure parts of South America, & Asia, still don't have much by way of internet, or even reliable electricity supply, but when the infrastructure starts to support the internet, the education gain will be immense.

I'm hopelessly addicted to it, & spend countless hours researching & reading stuff. But not wasted hours. I'd wager I have learned more in the last 5 years than in my entire life.

I reckon I learn more from watching QI than anything else, then after that, reading grampa's diary. Today I've learned all about Pearl Harbour and that Air France crash off Brazil. I flew from Brazil to London a few months before that, they don't mention this norious area that planes struggle to get through around the equator when you're booking your flights do they

[celtic]

Remember that Air France plane that crashed in the Atlantic a couple of years ago, for seemingly no reason?

This article goes through the voice recording from the cockpit to find out what happened - fascinating reading.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/aviation/crashes/what-really-happened-aboard-air-france-447-6611877

Find this kind of stuff fascinating. Great read.

[tikay]

Breaking cricket news.

In typical style, Virender Sehwag has just thrown away his wicket instead of batting out the overs for India v West Indies in the 4th ODI.

You completely whooshed me with this earlier, Vince - oh my, 219 in an ODI!

Was he just murdering the bowlers, or was there some extenuating circumstances - a "Taunton" style ground, or super flat pitch, or something?

Not to decry a splendid performance, but ODI's are not for me, 418 in 50 overs is ridiculous, & I much prefer the finer nuances of the 3 & 5 day game, with a good tussle between bat & ball. The first morning, for example, of a Headingly Test might not see many runs, but what theatre, as both teams struggle for the early advantage.

Each to their own, I guess.

[tikay]

On the subject of sunken ships, saw this story a few days ago and was astounded that I'd never heard of it - the greatest loss of life on a single ship in history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Wilhelm_Gustloff

Once you start looking at one you find others.
http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?105102
Although a smaller loss of life it was POW's and slave labourers that lost their lives.

Another amazing story, thank you.

[tikay]

Remember that Air France plane that crashed in the Atlantic a couple of years ago, for seemingly no reason?

This article goes through the voice recording from the cockpit to find out what happened - fascinating reading.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/aviation/crashes/what-really-happened-aboard-air-france-447-6611877

That's an amazing read, Andrew. All sorts of weird theories were put forward, & now we know the reason - pilot (or Co-Pilot, it seems) error.

Now re-wind, & that info would never have been known had they not located the Cockpit Voice Recorder, in, I assume, one of the Black Boxes, or whatever. And that's the clever bit - the exact, or even approximate location of the crash was never known, & they had to search thousands of square miles of Ocean to first find the wreckage of the plane, & then rinse repeat the needle in a haystck trick, & find, right down on the Ocean bed, (4,000 metres deep!) the Black Box(es). A Nucleur Sub was amongst the search vessels.

"Never give up" comes to mind, & is testament to the thorougness of Air Safety standards.

The wider story is on the Wiki Page below. Note "Search Effort", "Search Results, & "Search & Recovery".

There were 33 different nationalities on board, in itself quite remarkable, it seems to me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_France_Flight_447

[tikay]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-16094360

Scotland pics of the storm, pic 13 shows a wind turbine catching fire due to the 165mph winds.

I wonder why the wind turbine caught fire? Not to be silly, but was it "whizzing round" due to the gale force winds? Surely not? They must "damp" those things, no?