-
-
Here.
He really must have been OD-ing on rum, sodomy and the lash to drive his boat into something that big!Arrest made after 50-foot power boat collides with USS Midway Museum
Authorities said that the operator of the boat was arrested under suspicion of boating while intoxicated.
SAN DIEGO — A video obtained by CBS 8 captured the moment a 50-foot power boat hit the USS Midway Museum, Friday morning.
The call of the collision came in at 11:49 a.m., and San Diego Harbor Police investigators were dispatched to the scene and made contact with the vessel. Police said no injuries were reported and no significant damage was reported to the Midway.
According to a spokesperson at the USS Midway Museum, the Midway's hull was not breached, and there were no injuries. There were also no disruptions to the museum operation.
Authorities said that the operator of the boat was arrested under suspicion of boating while intoxicated, and the incident is now under investigation by the San Diego Harbor Police.Comment
-
I was looking up information on old theaters in the Midwest USA, when I came across this
story in the July 25th 1925 issue of the Kansas City, KS Star. I'm not sure how this could happen.
Was the 3rd floor being built above the 4th? ; or perhaps they had the blueprints upside down?
The workers were hospitalized, but were not too seriously injured. They returned to work a few
days later, finished the job, and the Commercial National Bank Building is still standing today.
CommBankStory1925.jpg
The building still stands today, and has landmark status.
ComNtnlBank1935.jpgComment
-
Probably a see-saw effect, as so:
-\
So the top end flipped up and smacked the guys on the next floor.Comment
-
-
Source.
Users Sue Amazon Prime Video for Removing Media Purchases from Their Library
By Paul Bois, 26 August 2025.
Users have sued Amazon Prime Video for removing media from their library after being purchased, accusing the company of fraudulent advertising.
Users have been “purchasing” media on Prime Video (movies, television shows) only to realize months later that their purchases no longer exists in their media library. That’s because Amazon only sells a limited-time license to its users so that they watch the movie in perpetuity until the company loses the rights.
Per The Hollywood Reporter:If the tech giant loses the rights to that version, the movie can be replaced with a different cut, like the one for theaters. And if Amazon loses the rights to the film altogether, it’ll completely disappear from the viewer’s library.
So should Amazon be able to say a consumer is “buying” that movie? Some people don’t think so, and they’ve turned to court.
Filed on Friday in Washington federal court, the class action lawsuit accuses Amazon of doing a “bait and switch” to mislead consumers into a “purchasing” media they do not actually own under false labels.
“On its website and platform, the company tells consumers they can ‘buy’ a movie. But hidden in a footnote on the confirmation page is fine print that says, ‘You receive a license to the video and you agree to our terms,’ the complaint says,'” noted the outlet.
The lawsuit only highlights the growing distrust between cinema lovers and streaming services following the decline of physical media. As Breitbart News reported in 2023, the Criterion Channel, a streaming platform that prides itself on the preservation of classic cinema, was discovered to have been airing a censored version of The French Connection that inexplicably removed the line in which Gene Hackman’s character, Popeye Doyle, utters the N-word and an anti-Italian slur.
Also in 2023, Academy Award-winning filmmaker Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight) threw shade at streaming services following the release of Oppenheimer on Blu-ray when he advocated that people buy physical media “so no evil streaming service can come steal it from you.”
“Obviously Oppenheimer has been quite a ride for us and now it is time for me to release a home version of the film. I’ve been working very hard on it for months,” Nolan said. “I’m known for my love of theatrical and put my whole life into that, but, the truth is, the way the film goes out at home is equally important.”Comment
-
Source
$2.2B Obama-Backed Solar Plant to CloseI pass it every time I drive on the 15 between SoCal and Vegas, and it's certainly an impressive sight.
By Jim Thomas | Thursday, 25 September 2025 10:15 PM EDT
A California solar power facility once hailed as a renewable energy breakthrough is shutting down two decades ahead of schedule after killing tens of thousands of birds and failing to meet electricity output goals, Blaze Media reported.
The Ivanpah Solar Power Facility in California's Mojave Desert was once the largest solar plant in the world. Built on 3,471 acres of public land, the $2.2 billion project included three 459-foot power towers and more than 173,000 heliostat mirrors, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Launched with $1.6 billion in federal loan guarantees from the Obama administration, Ivanpah began operations in 2014 with an expected lifespan of 30 years. But it is now scheduled to shut down in 2026 after failing to generate solar power efficiently, the New York Post reported.
NRG Energy, the Texas-based company that invested most heavily in the project, said in a statement that Ivanpah "has been surpassed by solar photovoltaics (PV) due to much lower capital and operating costs in producing clean energy."
The company said shutdown procedures will commence in 2026, pending regulatory approval. Once closed, the site may be repurposed for PV energy production.
The plant's struggles were compounded in January, when utility giant PG&E announced it would terminate power purchase agreements with Ivanpah.
PG&E announced that terminating the agreements now would reduce costs for customers compared with maintaining them through 2039.
Performance issues plagued Ivanpah for years.
Jenny Chase, a solar analyst at BloombergNEF, told Climate Depot that the plant never generated more than 75% of its planned annual output.
Sierra Daily News reported that Ivanpah continued to rely on natural gas to operate, undermining its image as a green alternative.
Critics say the project is another cautionary tale of failed green energy experiments.
Jason Isaac, CEO of the American Energy Institute, told Fox News, "Ivanpah is yet another failed green energy boondoggle, much like Solyndra. Despite receiving $1.6 billion in federal loan guarantees, it never lived up to its promises, producing less electricity than expected while still relying on natural gas to stay operational."
Steven Milloy, a senior fellow at the Energy & Environmental Legal Institute and a former member of President Donald Trump's Environmental Protection Agency transition team, warned that Ivanpah reflects broader problems with taxpayer-funded renewable energy.
"Soon we will be looking at failures of larger magnitude than Green New Deal spending. No green project relying on taxpayer subsidies has ever made any economic or environmental sense," Milloy told Fox News.
"It's important that President Trump stop the taxpayer bleeding by ending what he accurately calls the 'Green New Scam.'"
Sadly, all the coverage of this story I've seen is like the above - very politically polarized, citing it as evidence of the "green new scam" suspicion (which, IMHO, is not completely baseless, but does not apply here). It misses the more important underlying point, which is that the cost per kilowatt hour of photovoltaic panels has come down by around 80% in the last two decades. When this heliostatic system was put up, the math suggested that it would be cheaper. It now likely makes economic sense to tear the mirror arrangement down and simply put up regular photovoltaics in its place, something that likely couldn't have been predicted when Ivanpah was in the initial planning stages.Comment
-
Source
image.pngPaddington producers sue Spitting Image over foul-mouthed parody
Satirical show features Paddington Bear and Prince Harry as hosts of podcast The Rest Is B------t
India McTaggart
Entertainment and Royal Correspondent
06 October 2025 8:08pm BST
The Paddington Bear producers have sued Spitting Image over its foul-mouthed parody of television’s favourite bear.
The satirical puppet show depicted the beloved children’s character as red-eyed and drug-addled in a skit for its new YouTube series, titled Spitting Image: The Rest Is B------t.
In the sketch, which also features a caricature of the Duke of Sussex as podcast co-host, Paddington introduces himself by saying: “I am from Peru, motherf-----s. I am Paddington Bear from Peru.”
When asked what is the secret to his “personal glow”, the bear says his healthcare routine involves “100 per cent Peruvian, biodynamic, organic, catastrophic cocaine”.
The original character, as written in Michael Bond’s books, was brought up by his Aunt Lucy in Peru after being orphaned at a few weeks old.
Entertainment news outlet Deadline revealed StudioCanal, Paddington Bear’s rights holder and producer of the hit films, filed a High Court complaint citing design rights concerns and copyright.
While the filing does not reveal the particulars of the claim against Spitting Image’s production company, Avalon, it comes just months after The Rest is B-------t series was released on YouTube.
Paddington wears his signature red hat and blue overcoat in the sketch, but his eyes are bloodshot and his behaviour erratic.
While speaking in an exaggerated South American accent, Paddington interviews Elon Musk and reads ads for guns and robot sex dolls.
Paddington’s puppet also jokes that he had a starring role in Netflix’s series about the Colombian cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar as “Pablo Esco-bear”.
Elsewhere, Harry’s puppet says: “I’m here to tell my truth and make a s--t tonne of money out of podcasting as I don’t have any discernible talent.”
Fans of the beloved bear have pushed back against the episode, which is a satirical take on the popular podcast The Rest is Politics, with one writing on TikTok that his childhood has been “ruined” and another saying: “We cannot stand for the disrespect of Paddington Bear!”
It is not the first time Spitting Image has mocked Paddington Bear, with the show seemingly using this drug-addled version in stage shows in 2023.
A poster for Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image The Musical features the dishevelled bear under the headline: “Cocaine bear has got nothing on Paddington in Peru.”
The accompanying caption reads: “Paddington’s back… and he’s been through a lot recently.”
Another promotional post on X showed a picture of the bear apparently at Buckingham Palace, with the caption: “Are we sure it’s just marmalade in those sandwiches, Paddington?”
Other celebrities targeted in the series reboot include Taylor Swift, US vice-president JD Vance and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.
It follows the show’s 2020 return to TV through the now-disbanded BritBox, which was described by The Telegraph as “the reanimated corpse” of Spitting Image.
StudioCanal declined to comment.
image.png
Parody is a protected fair use/fair dealing carve out in copyright law (on both sides of the Atlantic), so I can't see this lawsuit getting very far. However, that would be one jury duty call that I would not want to find an excuse to get out of!
Comment
-
Saskatchewan's Duck Lake inviting corporations to bid on renaming the town
The town of Duck Lake — a place with rich Métis history, located about an hour northeast of Saskatoon — says it is putting its name up for sale to a successful bidder.
In what town officials describe as “a bold, unprecedented move aimed at rewriting its future while honouring its storied past,” Duck Lake announced it is officially inviting corporate partners to bid for the naming rights to the community.
The town’s council on Wednesday voted in favour of the initiative, which it says “aims to raise transformative funding to kickstart revitalization efforts, from new housing and business incentives to community infrastructure, cultural investment and economic development.”
According to the town council, the partnership would give a company full naming rights and result in “Duck Lake” being replaced by “BrandName, Saskatchewan.”
Mayor Jason Anderson said the town is inviting “forward-thinking companies” to reach out.
“Renaming a town as historic as Duck Lake doesn’t come cheap,” he said. “We’re not talking about a rink or a stadium here — we’re talking about a living, breathing community with deep roots in Canada’s story. Brands will need to put their best foot forward if they want to be part of that legacy.”
Anderson said “$5 million won’t cut it. But $10 million? That’s worth asking the community about.”
The town noted Duck Lake’s history as a “crossroads of cultures, commerce and identity.” Now, the town said in its announcement, it is welcoming “innovation, investment, and opportunity.”
The Battle of Duck Lake is recognized as a national historic site, commemorating the first battle in the 1885 Northwest Resistance which took place on March 26, 1885 at a location now within the Beardy’s and Okemasis reserve near Duck Lake.
The town is located at the junction of the Prince Albert Trail and the Carlton Trail. It was the midway point between Métis headquarters in Batoche and the North-West Mounted Police at Fort Carlton.
Duck Lake was incorporated as a village in 1894 and as a town in 1911.
“Duck Lake has always been more than a dot on the map. It’s been a symbol of resilience, identity and possibility,” Anderson said.
“Now we’re inviting forward-thinking companies to write the next chapter with us.”Comment
-
Wild bear pays surprise visit to bear enclosure at California zoo: ‘He was very polite’
Sequoia park zoo said staff were doing an inspection when they saw a wild black bear looking in at three captive bears
image.png
A wild bear in California has broken into a zoo and paid an unexpected visit to the bear enclosure.
In a Facebook post, the Sequoia Park Zoo in Eureka in the northern part of the state said its staff were conducting a routine inspection of part of the complex when they spotted a wild American black bear leaning on a gate and looking in at three captive black bears in their enclosure.
“The wild bear did not appear aggressive and was observed interacting with [the captive bears] through their habitat fencing,” the zoo said.
“At no point did the wild bear enter any animal habitats and, after a brief exploration of the enrichment items around the night house, the bear was safely coaxed back into the woods through a service gate.”
The bear is believed to have come from the wooded 60-acre (24-hectare) Sequoia park directly behind the zoo.
“Overall, he was a very polite visitor,” the zoo added. “He stayed on the boardwalk path, kept two feet on the ground and didn’t try to climb over the railings!”
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...quoia-park-zoo
Comment
-
There was a similar incident that didn't have such a happy ending, soon after I moved to SoCal in the early 'teens. A mountain lion living in the hills around the Hollywood sign broke into the LA Zoo, and killed and ate several of the meerkats in their enclosure.
Changing the subject a little...
Source
There is one that I believe regularly flies cargo between Long Beach and Catalina Island. Driving on the 405 between MiT and a service call, the sound of it absolutely grabs my attention if it's departing or arriving while I'm passing the airport. Add to that a Zeppelin NT that lives at a Goodyear facility in Gardena next to the 405/110 interchange and often flies low over the freeway, and it can be a challenge to keep your eyes on the road.The Most Produced Commercial Airliner Isn't The Boeing 737 Or The Airbus A320 (And It Still Flies Today)
When considering the success of commercial aircraft, one important metric that can be used to quantify the argument is production numbers. In this context, there are really two big players that spring to mind — Boeing and Airbus. More specifically, the similar-looking Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 models. These narrow-bodied aircraft are the workhorses of modern aviation. Both boast considerable production numbers, with nearly 12,000 737s having been built as of 2024, with Airbus delivering 11,524 planes as of June 2024. But neither of these aircraft is the most produced of all time.
That title belongs to the Douglas DC-3, which first flew in 1935, and in total, there were over 13,000 of the planes built. This stat helps cement the DC-3's place as one of the most influential planes ever built. It could fly from New York to Los Angeles with only three fuel stops (before this, 15 or so stops were considered the norm). It was the plane that kick-started commercial aviation, as witnessed by the fact that in 1940 more than two million Americans took journeys by air. Yet, as it nears its 100th birthday, the old lady of the skies is still flying, and even more remarkably, is still flying commercially. Let's take a look at the most produced commercial plane ever and how it revolutionized air travel.
Douglas DC-3 - The plane that revolutionized air travel
It's fair to say that the DC-3 was a revolutionary plane that transformed aviation. At the time of its launch, the major competition for the DC-3 was the Boeing 247. The Boeing plane was introduced two years before the DC-3. Being first in the air could have given Boeing an advantage in terms of cornering the market. However, such was the success of the DC-3 that by the mid-forties, 275 out of the 300 airline planes operating in the US were DC-3s. The DC-3 was developed from its predecessor, the DC-2. Effectively, the DC-2 was stretched to increase the seating capacity from 14 up to 21 passengers and even 28 in certain configurations. It was powered by two Wright SGR 1820-71 engines that produced 1,200 hp each. These allowed it to cruise along comfortably at 185 mph at 10,000 feet for up to 2,100 miles without refueling.
Comfortably is a word that can also be applied to the passenger experience. Perhaps the best way to sum this up is to recount Orville Wright's reaction when he first saw the aircraft: "They tell me that the plane is so sound-proof that the passengers can talk to each other without shouting." Pilots also loved the aircraft – it was known as simple to land, easy to fly on a single engine, and with superb handling characteristics. However, no one in those early days could have predicted another trait of the aircraft — longevity.
DC-3 - Still flying after all these years
When the first DC-3 took off in 1935, it's unlikely that anyone present would have believed any DC-3 would still be flying over 90 years later. Yet, the DC-3 still takes to the air, not just as a historical curiosity, but as a plane that still earns a living. Pinning down exactly how many are still flying is difficult, but as of 2020, there were believed to be 172 DC-3s still active. Perhaps most famous are the Buffalo Airways DC-3s that feature in the reality television documentary Ice Pilots. At the time of writing, Buffalo Airways listed three DC-3s in its fleet.
Part of what makes the DC-3 so long-lasting is down to solid engineering. With a close eye on the importance of safety, the designers at Douglas over-engineered the plane, which undoubtedly helped with the plane's durability. Additionally, the DC-3 wasn't a pressurized plane, a factor that removed a lot of stress on the airplane. Simplicity of design is also a key to the DC-3's longevity, as noted by Mike Woodley, a UK operator of the plane. Speaking to the Royal Aeronautical Society, he said, "It's a very simple aeroplane — a clockwork aeroplane, basically. It has no hydraulic controls on it."
Clockwork or not, the greatest testament to this plane is that we can still wind it up and watch it fly today, over 90 years on from its maiden flight.Comment
-
In April 1953, the SF Examiner printed this amazingly accurate prediction
made at a business conference by Mr Mark Sullivan, who at that time was
acting president of the Pacific Bell Telephone Company:
CellPhoneFutureApr1953.jpg
A little more about Mr Sullivan: He was born in 1896, and died in 1985
at the age of 89, just two years after Motorola and AT&T introduced the
first truly portable cell phone in 1983. (Too bad he didn't live one more
year, which would have made his lifespan from 1896 to 1986)Comment
-
Source
The Louvre’s video security password was reportedly ‘Louvre’
Oh dear. It may not have had anything to do with the jewel robbery, but audits of the Paris museum's security system have revealed glaring issues that go back years.Maybe that password was also written on a Post-It sticky in a public area of the museum, just for good measure?
By Michael Crider
Staff Writer, PCWorld Nov 4, 2025 8:56 am PST
If you’ve been watching the non-technology news for the last couple of weeks… well first of all, I’m sorry. But you might have noticed that one of the most brazen robberies in recent memory happened at the legendary Louvre museum in Paris, where thieves made off with centuries-old crown jewels that have yet to be recovered.
According to a security investigation, the password for video surveillance system was “Louvre,” which is basically one step above “password.” Maybe this was less a jewel heist for the ages and more of a Hackers cosplay attempt. Safe, non-guessable passwords are kind of a big deal, as our own security expert will tell you.
French newspaper Libération (via PCGamer) reports that various audits of the museum’s security systems have revealed glaring and obvious issues. One such audit carried out in 2014 by France’s national cybersecurity agency showed that, indeed, the Louvre’s video surveillance system password was “Louvre.”
Subsequent audits found “serious shortcomings” in the museum’s systems, notably including easy access to rooftops during periods of construction and security software that was more than two decades old, and now unsupported by its developer. Anyone who’s had to work in an office that still has one Windows 98 machine running the ancient inventory system might be able to sympathize.
Currently it’s not known what factors contributed to the security failures of the robbery, though dozens of people are investigating. It occurred at 9:30 AM local time, during operating hours on a Sunday. A small truck with a mechanical ladder parked next to the museum, with four suspects using power tools to break into the gallery from the second floor.
Though guards and visitors were threatened, no one was hurt, and the thieves were out of the museum in just four minutes before escaping into Paris. The entire episode took only eight minutes in total.
Much will be said about the museum’s security in the aftermath — indeed, much has already been said — but I haven’t seen any indication that the video system was actually compromised or malfunctioning in 2025. Arrests have been made, and at the time of writing four people have been charged. The jewels and jewelry, valued at tens of millions of dollars, have not been recovered. The Louvre has been the site of many famous robberies and burglaries, including the Mona Lisa in 1911, but the most recent before now was in 1998.Comment
Comment