Archive of entries posted on March 2024

I’m Not Even Sure What Planet This Is Anymore

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Krock robot in Uganda by the banks of the Nile River, avoiding overheating. Credit: Tomislav Horvat and Kamilo Melo 2016

“Based on their experience in Africa, the researchers developed an improved version of the Krock platform, Krock-2, which is more robust, flexible, and waterproof. With less need for elaborate camouflaging elements like realistic latex skin, the upgraded robot has great potential for disaster response and rescue applications.”

Hey, nerds: if that thing comes towards me in a disaster response or rescue application, either it will be left in little pieces, or I will.

This . . . Is Not Honorable

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Critic Complains That Show Set in 1500s Japan Didn’t Have Any Black Characters
Western Journal | 3/15/23 | Michael Austin

The reviews for Disney-owned FX’s new hit miniseries “Shōgun” have been absolutely glowing.

That is, apart from one notable exception.

The series, based on a 1975 novel by James Clavell, follows the story of an English explorer in the 1500s who finds himself smack-dab in the middle of an intense political conflict unfolding in the Japanese empire.

Though many seem to be enjoying the show, one critic — writer William Spivey — felt it was failing for one major reason: There is no black representation.

1

SI Swimsuit Madness : Round 4 Matches 105 & 106 : Round 3 Matches 79 & 80 Results

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Round three is over and we move back over to the winners side with this week’s matches, 105 & 106.

Results

Round 3 Match 79

Natasha Barnard 109 Defeates Kelly Gale 63

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Round 3 Match 80

Sailor Brinkley-Cook 95 Defeats Lacy Schnoor 67

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This week

Round 4 Match 105

Alyssa Miller vs Bo Krasmanovic

Alyssa Miller

  • Round 1 Match 4 Defeated Ana Ivanovic 130-67
  • Round 2 Match 50 Defeated Aly Raisman 133-57
  • Round 3 Match 81 Defeated Alana Bouchard 105-47

VS

Bo Krsmanovic

  • Round 1 Match 7 Defeated Bregje Heinen 243-22
  • Round 2 Match 52 Defeated Brooks Nader 110-42
  • Round 3 Match 82 Defeated Anna Kournakova 95-81

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Round 4 Match 106

Christen Harper vs Hailey Clauson

Christen Harper

  • Round 1 Match 10 Defeated Chrissy Tiegen 208-18
  • Round 2 Match 53 Defeated Chase Carter 148-43
  • Round 3 Match 83 Defeated Dominique Piek 122-45

VS

Hailey Clauson

  • Round 1 Match 15 Defeated Gigi Hadid 125-54
  • Round 2 Match 56 Defeated Hannah Ferguson 81-80
  • Round 3 Match 84 Defeated Georgia Gibbs 99-63

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Well, That’s Comforting

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Cockpit Mishap Might Have Caused Plunge on Latam Boeing 787: Flight Attendant Hit a Seat Switch
Wall Street Journal | March 14, 2024 | Andrew Tangel & Sharon Terlep

A cockpit seat mishap might have pushed a pilot into the controls on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner that took a sudden, terrifying plunge on a flight to New Zealand this week, according to U.S. industry officials briefed on preliminary evidence from an investigation of the incident.

A Latam Airlines flight attendant hit a switch on the pilot’s seat while serving a meal, leading a motorized feature to push the pilot into the controls and push down the plane’s nose, these officials said. The switch has a cover and isn’t supposed to be used when a pilot is in the seat.

[How about we change that to “cannot be used”?]

Around 50 passengers on the flight from Sydney to Auckland required medical attention, and some passengers were pinned to the ceiling as the airplane suddenly declined. Latam, a Chile-based airline, has said the Dreamliner suffered a “technical event during the flight which caused strong movement.”

Is she . . . busty?

So the pilot wasn’t in a locked and upright position, huh? Rules for thee, but not for me.

2

Straight Line of the Day: Other Ways To Sabotage the Summer Olympics: …

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This Isn’t Going to Go Well: No A/C for Olympic Athletes in Paris
Hotair | 03/14/2024 | David Strom

Olympic athletes are going to be on the hot seat this summer in Paris. 

Not just metaphorically; the Paris Olympic Committee wants this Olympics to be the greenest ever (take that, Classical Greeks!), and one of the measures they have taken is to build the Olympic village without any air conditioning. 

There will be no air conditioning in athletes’ rooms at Paris2024, which pledged to host the ‘greenest ever’ Olympic Games. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo spoke to Reuters about the city’s plans to keep athletes cool— Reuters (@Reuters) March 14, 2024

I think this is one virtue signal that will see plenty of athletes breathing fire and with smoke coming out of their ears. 

The French are very proud of the fact that all these athletes and visitors who flew on private and chartered jets are going to emit fewer pounds of CO2 once they arrive in Paris; sure, their commitment to climate virtue signaling didn’t prevent them from emitting tons of CO2 in preparation for the event, but then again nobody was watching them closely then. 

Not everybody is thrilled with the decision, perhaps because athletes suffering from heat exhaustion might not perform optimally, or even for the simple reason that going to bed sweating kinda sucks eggs. 

“Our clear wish is that there should be air-conditioning in all rooms,” the Norwegian Committee told Reuters, with Brazil saying “the heat forecast” made it “necessary to invest in renting air-conditioning units for the entire delegation”.

Australia’s Chef de Mission Anna Meares said they were “looking at portable air conditioners to offer the athletes should they choose to if it gets hot, if it’s uncomfortable”.

The Canadian Olympic Committee told Reuters it had “implemented a number of heat mitigation strategies in Paris to complement the measures put in place by the Paris 2024 Organising Committee, including air conditioning units in some athlete rooms in case of extreme heat”.

What matters for Hidalgo, however, is that the athletes’ village, which will be home to some 6,000 Parisiens after the Games, is a sustainable project.

Hmmmm. One wonders if the same will be true for the VIP and press pavilions at the venues.

Babesleaga Group Y : Week 4 : Dawn Wells vs Angie Dickinson

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Dawn Wells vs Angie Dickinson

Dawn Wells (1-2-0 Pts. 282 Avg. 94.00)

  • Defeated Linda Evans 108-76
  • Lost to Suzanne Pleshette 109-130
  • Lost to Barbara Eden 65-126

VS

Angie Dickinson (2-1-0 Pts. 293 Avg. 97.67)

  • Lost to Barbara Eden 20-148
  • Defeated Sally Fields 153-59
  • Defeated Tina Louise 110-90

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Babesleaga Group Y : Week 4 : Barbara Eden vs Elizabeth Montgomery

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Barbara Eden vs Elizabeth Montgomery

Barbara Eden (3-0-0 Pts. 437 Avg. 145.67)

  • Defeated Angie Dickinson 148-20
  • Defeated Linda Evans 163-61
  • Defeated Sawn Wells 126-65

VS

Elizabeth Montgomery (2-1-0 Pts. 369 Avg. 123.00)

  • Lost to Barbara Eden 20-148
  • Defeated Sally Fields 153-59
  • Defeated Linda Evans 107-85

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