Tuesday, April 30, 2024
THE EPICURUS PARADOX
The Epicurus paradox is a logical dilemma about the problem of evil attributed to the Greek philosopher Epicurus, who argued against the existence of a god who is simultaneously omniscient, omnipotent, and omnibenevolent.
The paradox
The logic of the paradox proposed by Epicurus takes three possible characteristics of a god (omnipotence, omniscience, and omnibenevolence—complete power, knowledge, and benevolence) and pairs the concepts together.
It is postulated that in each pair, if the two members are true, the missing member cannot also be true, making the paradox a trilemma.
The paradox also theorizes how if it is illogical for one of the characteristics to be true, then it cannot be the case that a god with all three exists.
The pairs of the characteristics and their potential contradictions they would create consist of the following:
- If a god knows everything and has unlimited power, then they have knowledge of all evil and have the power to put an end to it. But if they do not end it, they are not completely benevolent.
- If a god has unlimited power and is completely good, then they have the power to extinguish evil and want to extinguish it. But if they do not do it, their knowledge of evil is limited, so they are not all-knowing.
Monday, April 29, 2024
READERS WRITE
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David G sent me an email with a link to the following video:
David’s text:
Hi Otto
Hopefully even if this one isn’t new it still brings a smile to your face.
David
Thanks David.
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The transcript of the video:
A lawyer purchased a box of very rare and expensive cigars, then insured them against, among other things, loss due to fire.
Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile of these great cigars, the lawyer filed a claim against the insurance company.
In his claim, the lawyer stated the cigars were lost ‘in a series of small fires.’
The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason, that the man had consumed the cigars in the normal fashion.
The lawyer sued and WON!
Delivering the ruling, the judge agreed with the insurance company that the claim was frivolous. The judge stated nevertheless, that the lawyer held a policy from the company, in which it had warranted that the cigars were insurable and also guaranteed that it would insure them against fire, without defining what is considered to be unacceptable ‘fire’ and was obligated to pay the claim.
Rather than endure lengthy and costly appeal process, the insurance company accepted the ruling and paid $15,000 to the lawyer for his loss of the cigars that perished in the ‘fires’.
NOW FOR THE BEST PART!
After the lawyer cashed the cheque, the insurance company had him arrested on 24 counts of arson!
With his own insurance claim and testimony from the previous case being used against him, the lawyer was convicted of intentionally burning his insured property and was sentenced to 24 months in jail and a $24,000 fine.
This true story won First Place in last year’s Criminal Lawyers Award contest in USA.
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I sent a reply to David, which appears below, together with his response:
Thanks David, unfortunately it’s not real:
David:
Yeah, most Law based jokes not true but our imagination seems to enjoy taking aim.
David
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A nice compliment from Joy C:
Hello Otto,
I’m a friend of Tom C’s.
I just wanted to thank you for your emails and every one you send gives me something to think about or reflect on.
Tom speaks very highly of you and you are in my prayers every day.
In kindness
Joy
Thanks Joy
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Also from Kathryn C:
Hi Otto, I hope you are faring well. I enjoy each of your informative and gregarious posts. This particular piece encourages me to say this. Thank you for sharing your time with us. You are much appreciated.
Take care and stay well.
Kat
Thank you, Kat.
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An email from Ron in the US, in response to the posted poem Tying Knows in the Devil’s Tail, about 2 drunken cowboys who rope and brand the Devil:
Otto, greetings,
The more I enjoy the Bytes, I come to the [obvious] conclusion that Australia and the US are so wonderfully similar in so many ways.
Watched the series on Queen Elizabeth and noted the independent spirit of Australia and your PM at the time Princess Dianna visited.
Too bad that Pacific Ocean is in the way.
Warm regards for you, Kate and your family.
Thanks, Ron
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I mentioned in that post that the lyrics as a poem did not scan as well as the song, a comment disputed by Tim B:
I don’t know Otto, I kind of like the poem better than the song. Hope you’re doing well.
Tim B
Thanks Tim
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David B sent me an email in response to the post about Pooh and Piglet supporting Eeyore, who was feeling down with the blues:
My favourite:
Piglet asks Pooh "What day is it?"
Pooh replies "Today"
"Good" says piglet "That's my favourite day."
Carp diem.
Thanks, David.
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By the way, ever wondered why they’re called the blues?
The name originated with the 17th-century English expression “the blue devils,” for the intense visual hallucinations that can accompany severe alcohol withdrawal. Shortened over time to “the blues,” it came to mean a state of agitation or depression.
American slaves used the term ‘the blues’ in the above sense from the early 1800s, from there coming to also refer to the melancholy music and depressive songs sung and played by them.
“The blues are because you're getting fat and maybe it's been raining too long, you're just sad that's all. The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you're afraid and you don't know what you're afraid of.”
- Holly Golightly, Breakfast at Tiffany’s
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Tim B also sent an email in response to the post about VC winner Stan Gurney, an instlament in the Remembering Heroes series:
Hello Otto,
I can’t say I enjoyed reading this byte, but I am thankful that you posted it as I think it is important that we remember these gallant people. They are truly heroes and the reason we are free nations today. Thank you.
Tim B
Thanks Tim, I echo your sentiments.
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Ron T also sent me some earlier emails:
One in response to favourite items from bakeries:
Otto, hope this note finds you, Kate, and all your loved ones well.
Indeed, I did enjoy the Bytes on pastries. Interesting - many of the pastries, although under differing names, are ones I've loved here in Midwest US - or at least very close to what I've enjoyed.
Sadly, though, I have to lose a rather large amount of weight, so it may be a while before I can again dive into those confections. My problem stems from a misunderstanding that the Food Pyramid consisted of refined sugars, bleached flour, and saturated fats. [What's that protein, fats, and carbohydrates stuff !?!]
In e-mails and text with Acacia I shared my thought that with the Bytes always on their daily and fascinating/engaging basis that your medical support is doing its job. Pray that's the case.
Wishing all the best,
Ron
The other prompted by the photographs from the past:
Great pics. Thanks for sending.
I was particularly struck by the similarities between your AU and US pics of the same periods.
The dense urban areas could have been swapped between the countries and no one would know, except for the differing spelling on signs.
Same for the vast, open spaces with horses, cattle, sheep, and cowboys. Then add in Ned Kelley and Jesse James, football and rugby, love of beer, and nations with rather independent spirits.
Thanks again for all your marvelous Bytes ! !
Thanks, Ron.
I suspect that Ron may be a frustrated Aussie.
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Grace M also sent an email about the bakery items:
Morning O
You missed the most important – democracy sausage roll with one of the best lawyers, person and friend we know…
G and Joe x
Thanks Grace.
I responded to Grace that whilst a sausage sandwich with fried onions and tomato sauce was one of my favourites BPT (Before Peg Tube), it was not a bakery item and therefore not included.
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Rosie J was on the mark in response to the bakery post:
Missed the caramel slice 🤤🤤🤤
Thank you, Rosie.
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A final one, from David B in Scotland, prompted by some Friday Funny items:
Hi Otto,
You are in top form today! Loved the kilt joke! Also the Tarzan one.
Smile 😊 on my face as I sit in our caravan facing the Isle of Arran. Near Culzean Castle
David
Thank ye, laddie, hae aguid day.
Sunday, April 28, 2024
ATTITUDE
A man's mobile phone rang in church by accident during prayers.
The Pastor scolded him.
The worshippers admonished him after prayers for interrupting the silence.
His wife kept on lecturing him on his carelessness all the way home.
You could see the shame, embarrassment and humiliation on his face.
He never stepped foot in the church again.
That evening, he went to a bar.
He was still nervous and trembling.
He spilled his drink on the table by accident.
The waiter apologised and gave him a napkin to clean himself.
The janitor mopped the floor.
The female manager offered him a complimentary drink.
She also gave him a hug, saying, “Don’t worry, who doesn’t make mistakes?”
He has never stopped going to that bar since then.
Lesson:
You can make a difference by how you treat people, especially when they make mistakes.
Saturday, April 27, 2024
READERS WRITE
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From Sue P:
Hi Otto
I saw this on another site and it made me wonder what other superstitions we have about eggs? Like making a changeling laugh by boiling milk in an egg?
(Facebook Dull Men's Club which is a lot of fun random stuff)
"This afternoon, as I was dutifully poking holes in the bottom of the eggshells that I had recenty emptied of their deliciousness, I looked up to see my spouse and kids all looking at me quizzically.I explained that I was doing it for the fairies, thinking that’d be the end of it. When it wasn’t, I went on to (I thought) remind them about the story of the fairies who were fleeing a bad fairy, for some reason and how they escaped the by sailing away, but the bad fairy couldnt follow them because her egg shell had a hole in it… so now and forever more, when one has boiled eggs you’re supposed to put holes in the bottom of the empty shells.Or so I was led to believe by my mother, who now can’t remember the story she once told me (but who also still pokes holes in her emoty shells too).I spent the rest of the evening searching fairy folklore for the stories origin, but could find anything similar."
Hope you are well
Sue
Thanks Sue.
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Here is some folklore about eggs . . .
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From:
Unscrambling the Spooky Secrets of Eggs
While eggs may not be as commonly associated with Halloween as pumpkins or bats, they certainly have a fascinating history of being tied to themes of death, rebirth, and the supernatural! The traditions and superstitions surrounding eggs offer an intriguing dimension to the folklore and customs of this spooky holiday. Here are just a few of the egg-cellent stories we found worth sharing.
Egg Charms and Divination
Since ancient times, eggs have been instruments of divination. One popular ritual, especially around Halloween, was the practice of egg white divination. A young woman would break an egg into a glass of water, and the shape the egg white took was believed to foretell her future, from the nature of her future husband to the life she'd lead. This practice was particularly popular in places like Scotland and Ireland, where Halloween was seen as a time when the boundaries between the world of the living and the dead blurred, allowing for glimpses into the future.
Eggs and Witches
European folklore abounds with stories linking eggs to witches. Eggs laid on Good Friday were especially revered, believed to possess potent properties that ward off evil. These eggs were often kept as talismans in homes, protecting inhabitants from witches and malevolent spirits. However, witches were also believed to harness the power of eggs. Tales tell of them using eggs for various magical activities, including divination, crafting potions, and even flying on broomsticks on moonlit nights.
Eggs and the Dead: Rituals of the Afterlife
Across different cultures, the dead haven't been forgotten when it comes to egg-related rituals. Eggs were often placed on graves during particular festivals. This act was more than just an offering; it was a symbol of hope, representing the cycle of life and death and the belief in rebirth. The egg provided the dead with sustenance, aiding their journey into the afterlife, and ensuring they'd find peace.
The Cosmic Egg: Origins of the Universe
The concept of the cosmic egg, or the world egg, is a recurring theme in various ancient traditions. The ancient Egyptians held the belief that the world emanated from an egg laid upon primordial waters by a celestial bird. This idea parallels Hindu mythology, where the golden egg, or 'Hiranyagarbha', floated aimlessly in a void until it split, forming the heavens and the earth. These tales emphasize the egg's representation as the source of life and the mysteries of the universe.
The Terrifying Basilisk: A Halloween Nightmare
One of the more eerie tales linked to eggs is the legend of the basilisk. Stemming from European folklore, this creature, which is sometimes depicted as a rooster with a serpent’s tail, is said to hatch from an egg laid by a seven-year-old rooster. The circumstances of its birth are even more peculiar, requiring the egg to be incubated by a serpent or toad during a full moon. With the power to kill with just a gaze, the basilisk is a creature that perfectly captures the spine-chilling spirit of Halloween.
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From:
By Patti Wigington
In many cultures and society, the egg is considered the perfect magical symbol. It is, after all, representative of new life. In fact, it is the life cycle personified. While many of us take note of eggs around springtime, because the Ostara season is chock full of them, it’s important to consider that eggs feature prominently in folklore and legend all year long.
In some legends, eggs, as a fertility symbol, are associated with that other symbol of fertility, the rabbit. How did we get the notion that a rabbit comes around and lays colored eggs in the spring? The character of the "Easter bunny" first appeared in 16th-century German writings, which said that if well-behaved children built a nest out of their caps or bonnets, they would be rewarded with colored eggs. This legend became part of American folklore in the 18th century, when German immigrants settled in the eastern U.S.
In Persia, eggs have been painted for thousands of years as part of the spring celebration of No Ruz, which is the Zoroastrian new year. In Iran, the colored eggs are placed on the dinner table at No Ruz, and a mother eats one cooked egg for each child she has. The festival of No Ruz predates the reign of Cyrus the Great, whose rule (580-529 b.c.e.) marks the beginning of Persian history.
In early Christian cultures, consumption of the Easter egg may have marked the end of Lent. In Greek Orthodox Christianity, there is a legend that after Christ's death on the cross, Mary Magdalene went to the emperor of Rome, and told him of Jesus' resurrection. The emperor's response was skeptical, hinting that such an event was just about as likely as a nearby bowl of eggs suddenly turning red. Much to the emperor's surprise, the bowl of eggs turned red, and Mary Magdalene joyfully began preaching Christianity throughout the land.
In some Native American creation tales, the egg features prominently. Typically, this involves the cracking of a giant egg to form the universe, the earth, or even gods. In some tribes of America’s Pacific northwest region, there is a story about thunder eggs–geodes–which are thrown by the angry spirits of the high mountain ranges.
A Chinese folk tale tells of the story of the formation of the universe. Like so many things, it began as an egg. A deity named Pan Gu formed inside the egg, and then in his efforts to get out, cracked it into two halves. The upper portion became the sky and cosmos, and the lower half became the earth and sea. As Pan Gu grew bigger and more powerful, the gap between earth and sky increased, and soon they were separated forever.
Pysanka eggs are a popular item in the Ukraine. This tradition stems from a pre-Christian custom in which eggs were covered in wax and decorated in honor of the sun god Dazhboh. He was celebrated during the spring season, and eggs were magical things indeed. Once Christianity moved into the region, the tradition of pysanka held fast, only it changed so that it was associated with the story of Christ’s resurrection.
There’s an old English superstition that if you’re a girl who wants to see who your true love is, place an egg in front of your fire on a stormy night. As the rain picks up and the wind begins to howl, the man you will marry will come through the door and pick up the egg. In an Ozark version of this story, a girl boils and egg and then removes the yolk, filling the empty space with salt. At bedtime, she eats the salted egg, and then she will dream about a man bringing her a pail of water to quench her thirst. This is the man she will marry.
Another British tale was popular among sailors. It suggested that after you eat a boiled egg, you should always crush up the shells. Otherwise, evil spirits–and even witches!–could sail the seven seas in the shell cups, and sink entire fleets with their sorcery and magic.
In American folk magic, eggs appear regularly in agricultural stories. A farmer who wants to “set” his eggs under broody hens should only do so during the full moon; otherwise, most of them won’t hatch. Likewise, eggs carried around in a woman’s bonnet will provide the best pullets. Eggs placed in a man’s hat for safekeeping will all produce roosters.
Even the eggs of certain birds are special. Owls’ eggs are said to be a sure cure for alcoholism, when scrambled up and fed to someone with a drinking problem. Dirt found under a mockingbird’s egg can be used to alleviate sore throats. A hen’s egg which is too small to bother with cooking can be tossed on the roof of your house, to “appease the witches,” according to Appalachian folklore. If a woman tosses an egg shell into the fire on May Day–Beltane–and sees a spot of blood on the shell, it means her days are numbered.
Friday, April 26, 2024
LAST WORDS OF PILOTS
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Pacific Air Lines, Flight 773
Pacific Air Lines Flight 773 was a Fairchild F27A Friendship airliner that crashed on May 7, 1964, near Danville, California, a suburb east of Oakland. The crash was most likely the first instance in the United States of an airliner's pilots being shot by a passenger as part of a murder–suicide. Francisco Paula Gonzales, 27, shot both pilots before turning the gun on himself, causing the plane to crash, killing all 44 aboard.
As of May 2021, the crash of Flight 773 remains the worst incident of mass murder in modern California history, one death more than the subsequent Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 1771 hijacking in 1987.
Last words:
First officer: Skipper’s shot! We’ve been shot. I was trying to help.
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American Airlines, Flight 383
Two flights named American Airlines Flight 383 ave been involved in notable aviation accidents:
- American Airlines Flight 383 (1965), crashed on approach to the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, leaving only 4 survivors out of the 62 onboard
- American Airlines Flight 383 (2016), suffered an uncontained engine failure and fire during takeoff at Chicago O'Hare Airport on October 28, 2016
The 1965 crash happened short of the runway due to poor weather conditions and carelessness of the crew. The aircraft was a Boeing 727, with 57 passengers, and 5 crew on board. The aircraft crashed on final approach to the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport located in Hebron, Kentucky, United States. Only three passengers and one flight attendant survived the crash. The Civil Aeronautics Board determined that the probable cause of the accident was the pilots' failure to properly monitor their altitude during a visual approach into deteriorating weather conditions.
Last words:
TWR Have you in sight – cleared to land.
AA: We’re cleared to land, roger. How far west is that precipitation line now?
TWR: Looks like it’s just about over the field at this time, sir. We’re not getting anything on the field however … if we have a windshift I’ll keep you advised as you turn on to final.
AA: Thank you – we’d appreciate it.
TWR: We’re beginning to pick up a little rain now.
AA: OK.
TWR: Have you still got the runway OK?
AA: Ah … just barely … we’ll pick up the ILS here.
TWR: Approach lights, flashers and runway lights are all on high intensity.
AA: OK.
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Thai International, Flight 601
While passing through a typhoon in 1967, the plane dived into the sea. Surprisingly, the majority of passengers actually survived (but not the pilots). The probable cause of the accident was pilot error, specifically not noticing that the aircraft had descended below the glide slope. The presence of strong wind shear and downdrafts as a result of then-present Typhoon Anita was a probable contributing factor. However, at the time of the accident there were no means of detecting such weather phenomena.
Further factors included:
- The pilots did not adhere to Thai Airways procedure for a captain-monitored Instrument approach in bad visibility.
- The captain did not monitor the approach adequately.
- The abrupt heading change after the aircraft descended below minimum altitude may have exacerbated the high rate of descent.
- Downdrafts and wind shear may have contributed to the height loss which resulted from this mishandling.
Last Words:
07.07:30 PAR Six miles from touch down. There’s heavy rain at the field in the event of an overshoot. You’ll be cleared for the emergency overshoot procedure.
07.07:35 PAR RW beacon left turn to Stonecutters then to Cheung Chan, climbing immediately to 3,500 feet, 601.
TG601 Understand sir.
07.07:52 PAR You’re now five miles from touch down.
TG601 Thank you sir.
07.08:20 PAR Four miles check your wheels are down and locked and you are clear to land. I say again clear to land.
07.08:24 TG601 Thank you.
07.08:35 PAR Three and a half miles the heavy rain is at one and a half miles from touch down all over the field.
(Transmission clicks)
07.08:51 PAR Three miles you’re just a little to the right of centre.
07.09:19 PAR Two miles.
07.09:33 PAR One and a half miles. You’re slightly right of centre.
07.09:43 PAR Coming back to the centre line now.
07.09:48 PAR One mile. Going left of centre.
07.10:00 PAR Well. Left of the centre line. If you’re not visual, climb immediately on your present heading.
07.10:19 PAR 06.01, I have no radar contact with you.
07.10:30 PAR 06.01. Are you overshooting?
07.10:40 PAR 06.01, Hong Kong Precision.
07.10:49 PAR 06.01, Hong Kong.
07.11:04 PAR 06.01, Hong Kong Precision.
07.11:28 PAR 06.01, Hong Kong, do you read?
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Trans World Airlines, Flight 159
Trans World Airlines (TWA) Flight 159 was a regularly scheduled passenger flight from New York City to Los Angeles, California, with a stopover in Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Kentucky, that crashed after an aborted takeoff from Cincinnati on November 6, 1967. The Boeing 707 attempted to abort takeoff when the copilot became concerned that the aircraft had collided with a disabled DC-9 on the runway. The aircraft overran the runway, struck an embankment and caught fire. One passenger died as a result of the accident.
The NTSB concluded that the crash occurred due to the TWA flight crew's inability to successfully abort takeoff due to the speed of the aircraft, and that a runway overrun was unavoidable at the 707's speed. The disabled DC-9, a Delta Air Lines flight which had reported that it had cleared the runway when in fact it had not, was a contributing factor in the crash.
Last words:
23.39:37.5 CAM-1 Okay, you’re lookin’ fine. [engine sound reaches highest pitch]
23.39:57.5 CAM-1 Eighty knots, you got ‘er.
23.40:01 TWR TWA one twenty eight cleared to land.
23.40:09 CAM-1 Not very # far off the runway.
CAM-2 Sure as fuck isn’t.
23.40:15 CAM-1 See that fire in the end?
23.40:15.5 CAM-? [Sound of “Pop”]
23.40:16.5 CAM-2 [Sound of engine power cut]
Good God I hit him.
23.40:17.5 CAM-2 Yokes!
23.40:20 [Sound of engine power resumption]
23.40:20.5 CAM-2 Spoilers!
CAM-1 Oh fuck.
CAM-2 Sorry.
CAM-3 Fuck.
23.40:32 [Sound of impact]
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Ariana Afghan Airlines, Flight 701
Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 was involved in a fatal air accident on 5 January 1969, when a Boeing 727 with 62 people on board crashed into a house on its approach to London Gatwick Airport in heavy fog. Due to pilot error the flaps were not extended to maintain flight at final approach speed. That Sunday morning the Gatwick area was affected by patches of dense freezing fog, Boeing 727 YA-FAR descended below its correct glide slope as it approached the airport from the east. As it passed over the hamlet of Fernhill on the Surrey/Sussex border, it hit trees and roofs, began to roll and crashed into a field south of Fernhill Lane, 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) short of the runway. It collided with a large detached house, demolished it and caught fire. Forty-eight passengers and crew died, and two adult occupants of the house were killed when it was destroyed by the impact. A baby in the house survived with minor injuries. The captain, first officer, flight engineer and eleven passengers also survived.
Last words:
01.32 F/E: Stand by for the flaps
F/E: [says that flaps should have been going to 25 and 40 degrees]
GA: [gives 701 clearance to land]
GA: Runway visual range still 100 meters.
GA: [acknowledges 701 over the outer marker]
CPT: Flaps three zero.
CPT: Three zero coming down.
01.33 F/O: Four hundred feet.
CPT: Four hundred feet?
F/O: Yes, we have four hundred feet.
[Sound of full power being applied]
F/O: We’re finished!
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Air Canada 621
Air Canada Flight 621 was an Air Canada Douglas DC-8 that crashed on July 5, 1970, while attempting to land at Toronto Pearson International Airport. All 100 passengers and 9 crew on board were killed, and at the time it was Canada's second-deadliest aviation accident.
Flight 621, which was to make a brief stopover in Toronto en route to Los Angeles, approached Toronto International Airport on a sunny Sunday. It was flown by Captain Peter Hamilton, a respected veteran of World War II air combat, and First Officer Donald Rowland. As the DC-8 approached the tarmac, Hamilton cheerfully surrendered. “I have given up,” he joked in a conversation preserved by the cockpit voice recorder. “I am tired of fighting it.” His conciliatory gesture led to the error that triggered the chain of events that brought the plane down. In the DC-8, the spoilers were both armed and deployed using the same poorly designed lever. Instead of simply manipulating the lever to arm the spoilers, as Hamilton wanted, Rowland unthinkingly deployed them. He was wrong. Hamilton did not know, and the tower did not tell him, that the DC-8 had dropped one of its engines on the runway. It was also on fire. Three explosions and about three minutes later, Flight 621 plummeted into a field about 50 metres from the home of a Castlemore truck driver.
Last Words:
CA We’ve lost number 4 engine
FO Have we?
CA (unintelligible)
SO Fuel
SO Fuel
CA Aye?
SO Fuel
CA Is it?
FO Yes
CA Okay, cut number 4
?O Number 4 engine
CA Yes
FO Number 3 engine
CA Number 4
FO Number 4, right.
CA Number 3 is jammed, too
FO Is it?
CA There it is.
CA The whole thing is jammed.
[crackling noise]
FO What was that?
FO What happened there, Peter?
CA That’t number 4 (unintelligible) Something’s happened (unintelligible)
FO Oh, look, we’ve got a (unintelligible).
[loud sound of explosion]
FO Pete, sorry.
[louder sound of explosion]
CA All right.
DEP 621. The status of your aircraft, please.
[sound of metal tearing]
CA We’ve got an explosion
FO Oh look, we’ve got (unintelligible) flame
FO Oh, gosh
?? We’ve lost a wing
[end of transcript]
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Pan American, Flight 1736
The Tenerife airport disaster occurred on 27 March 1977, when two Boeing 747 passenger jets collided on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport, (now Tenerife North Airport) on the Spanish island of Tenerife. The collision occurred when KLM Flight 4805 initiated its takeoff run during dense fog while Pan Am Flight 1736 was still on the runway. The impact and resulting fire killed all on board KLM Flight 4805 and most of the occupants of Pan Am Flight 1736, with only 61 survivors in the front section of the aircraft. With a total of 583 fatalities, the disaster is the deadliest accident in aviation history.
Last words:
1706:20.08 APP Stand by for take-off, I will call you.
1706:20.3 PA RT And we’re still taxiing down the runway, the clipper one seven three six.
1706:19.39 – 1706:23.19 [PA radio transmission and APP communications caused a shrill noise in KLM cockpit – messages not heard by KLM crew]
1706:25.6 APP Roger alpha one seven three six report when runway clear.
1706:29.6 PA RT OK, we’ll report when we’re clear.
APP Thank you
PA CAM 1 Let’s get the hell out of here!
PA CAM 2 Yeh, he’s anxious isn’t he.
PA CAM 3 Yeh, after he held us up for half an hour. Now he’s in a rush.
1706:32.43 KLM CAM 3 Is he not clear then?
1706:34.1 KLM CAM 1 What do you say?
1706:34.15 KLM CAM ? Yup.
1706:34.7 KLM CAM 3 Is he not clear that Pan American?
1706:35.7 KLM-1 Oh yes. [emphatically]
1706:40 [PanAm captain sees landing lights of KLM at approximately 700 meters]
PA CAM 1 There he is .. look at him! Goddamn that son-of-a-bitch is coming! Get off! Get off! Get off!
1706:44 [KLM starts rotation]
1706:47.44 KLM CAM 1 [Scream]
1706:50 [Collision]
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Pacific Southwest Airlines, Flight 182
Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182 was a scheduled flight of Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) from Sacramento to San Diego with a stopover at Los Angeles. On September 25, 1978, the Boeing 727-214 collided with a private Cessna 172 light aircraft over San Diego, California. It was Pacific Southwest Airlines' first fatal accident, and it remains the deadliest air disaster in California history. At the time, it was the deadliest air crash to occur in the United States, and remained so until American Airlines Flight 191 crashed in May 1979.
Both aircraft crashed into North Park, a San Diego neighbourhood. The Boeing 727 crash killed all 135 people aboard the aircraft and seven people on the ground in houses, including two children. The Cessna lost its two pilots on board. Nine others on the ground were injured and a total of twenty-two residences were destroyed or damaged by the impact and debris.
The National Transportation Safety Board report determined that the probable cause of the accident was the failure of the Boeing flight crew to follow proper air traffic control (ATC) procedures. Flight 182's crew lost sight of the Cessna in contravention of ATC instructions to "keep visual separation from that traffic", and did not alert ATC that they had lost sight of it. Errors on the part of ATC were also named as contributing factors, including the use of visual separation procedures when radar clearances were available. Additionally, the Cessna pilots, for reasons unknown, did not maintain their assigned east-northeasterly heading of 070° after completing a practice instrument approach, nor did they notify ATC of their course change.
Last Words:
09.01:11 CAM 2 Are we clear of that Cessna?
09.01:13 CAM- Suppose to be.
09.01:14 CAM 1 I guess.
09.01:20 CAM 4 I hope.
09.01:21 CAM-1 Oh yeah, before we turned downwind, I saw him about one o’clock, probably behind us now.
09.01:38 CAM-2 There’s one underneath.
09.01:39 CAM 2 I was looking at that inbound there.
09.01:45 CAM 1 Whoop!
09.01:46 CAM 2 Aghhh!
09.01:47 CAM Sound of impact
09.01:48 CAM 1 On shit!
09.01:49 CAM-1 Easy baby, easy baby.
09.01:51 CAM [sound of electrical system reactivation tone on CVR, system off less than one second]
09.01:51 CAM-1 What have we got here?
09.01:52 CAM-2 It’s bad.
09.01:53 CAM-2 We’re hit man, we are hit.
09.01:56 RDO-1 Tower, we’re going down, this is PSA.
09.01:57 TWR Okay, we’ll call the equipment for you.
09.01:58 CAM [sound of stall warning]
CAM 1 This is it baby!
CAM ? Bob [name of F/O]
CAM 1 Brace yourself.
CAM ? Hey baby..
CAM? Ma I love you..
09.02:04 [End of recording]
__________
Air New Zealand, Flight 901
The Mount Erebus disaster occurred on 28 November 1979 when Air New Zealand Flight 901 flew into Mount Erebus on Ross Island, Antarctica, killing all 237 passengers and 20 crew on board. Air New Zealand had been operating scheduled Antarctic sightseeing flights since 1977. This flight was supposed to leave Auckland Airport in the morning and spend a few hours flying over the Antarctic continent, before returning to Auckland in the evening via Christchurch.
The initial investigation concluded the accident was caused primarily by pilot error, but public outcry led to the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the crash. The commission, presided over by Justice Peter Mahon QC, concluded that the accident was primarily caused by a correction made to the coordinates of the flight path the night before the disaster, coupled with a failure to inform the flight crew of the change, with the result that the aircraft, instead of being directed by computer down McMurdo Sound (as the crew had been led to believe), was instead rerouted to a path toward Mount Erebus. Justice Mahon's report accused Air New Zealand of presenting "an orchestrated litany of lies", and this led to changes in senior management at the airline. The Privy Council later ruled that the finding of a conspiracy was a breach of natural justice and not supported by the evidence.
The accident is the deadliest accident in the history of Air New Zealand, the deadliest aviation accident in Antarctica and one of New Zealand's deadliest peacetime disasters.
Last words:
CA Actually, these conditions don’t look very good at all, do they?
MU No they don’t.
12:49 MU That look like the edge of Ross Island there.
F/E I don’t like this.
CA Have you got anything from him?
F/O No
CA We’re 26 miles north. We’ll have to climb out of this.
MU You can see Ross Island? Fine.
F/O You’re clear to turn right. There’s no high ground if you do a one eighty.
CA No … negative.
GPWS [Whoop whoop pull up. Whoop whoop]
F/E Five hundred feet.
GPWS [Pull up]
F/E Four hundred feet.
GPWS [Whoop, whoop pull up. Whoop whoop pull up]
CA Go-around power please.
GPWS [Whoop whoop pull -]
[Sound of impact]
__________
Polish Air Force, Tupolev 154M
On 10 April 2010, a Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft operating Polish Air Force Flight 101 crashed near the Russian city of Smolensk, killing all 96 people on board. Among the victims were the president of Poland, Lech Kaczyński, and his wife, Maria; the former president of Poland in exile, Ryszard Kaczorowski; the chief of the Polish General Staff and other senior Polish military officers; the president of the National Bank of Poland; Polish government officials; 18 members of the Polish parliament; senior members of the Polish clergy; and relatives of victims of the Katyn massacre. The group was arriving from Warsaw to attend an event commemorating the 70th anniversary of the massacre, which took place not far from Smolensk.
The pilots were attempting to land at Smolensk North Airport — a former military airbase — in thick fog, with visibility reduced to about 500 metres (1,600 ft). The aircraft descended far below the normal approach path until it struck trees, rolled, inverted and crashed into the ground, coming to rest in a wooded area a short distance from the runway.
Both the Russian and Polish official investigations found no technical faults with the aircraft, and concluded that the crew failed to conduct the approach in a safe manner in the given weather conditions. The Polish authorities found serious deficiencies in the organization and training of the Air Force unit involved, which was subsequently disbanded. Several high-ranking members of the Polish military resigned following pressure from politicians and the media.
Last words:
TAWS:PULL UP, PULL UP.
ST: 80.
2P: Go around.
Signal at F=400 Hz. (Decision height).
TAWS:PULL UP, PULL UP.
ST: 60.
ST: 50.
D: Horizon 101.
ST: 40.
TAWS:PULL UP, PULL UP.
ST: 30.
D: Height control, horizon.
ST: 20.
Signal at F=400 Hz. Autopilot disconnect.
Signal at F=800 Hz. Inner marker.
Signal at F=400 Hz. Autothrottle disconnect.
TAWS:PULL UP, PULL UP.
TAWS:Signal at F=400 Hz. ABSU.
TAWS:PULL UP, PULL UP.
TAWS:Sound of hitting trees.
2P: F*cking hell!
TAWS:PULL UP, PULL
D: Abort to second approach!
A: Screaming Fuckkkkkkkkkkkk….. END OF TRANSMISSION.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
FUNNY FRIDAY
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Time for anoither Friday with some funnies.
Enjoy.
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SOME HUMOUR:
__________
Met this girl online yesterday. She's so into me. She wants to know the name of my first pet, my mom's maiden name, and where I was born.
It's called a conversation. Ladies, take note.
Reader comments:
LMAO. She wants to learn his passwords.
Dear Seller
A month ago I ordered and paid for a book "How to scam people online"
Tell me please, when will I receive it? Or can I have a refund.
Thanks
__________
My 7 year old nephew showed me with pride the "telephone" he had just made from a string and two tin cans.
I pulled out my iPhone and said, "That's nice, but...look at what kids your age make in China!"
__________
A teacher explained biology to her 3rd-grade students. She said, "Human beings are the only animals that stutter." A little girl raised her hand saying, "I had a kitty-cat that stuttered."
The teacher, knowing how precious some of these stories could become, asked the girl to describe the incident.
"Well,'' she began, "I was in the backyard with my kitty when the Rottweiler that lives next door got a running start and before we knew it, he jumped over the fence into our yard!"
The teacher exclaimed, "That must've been scary."
The little girl said, "It sure was. My kitty raised her back, went Sssss, Sssss, Sssss and before she could say 'Shit,' the Rottweiler ate her!"
__________
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin trained in a desert location in the United States for their moon landing.
They met an old Indian. He asked them what they were doing. They told him they were going to the moon. The old Indian said that there were spirits on the moon and he wanted them to give them a message.
He drilled them in how to give the message in his native tongue but would not tell them what it meant. When they got back to their base they managed to find an Indian who laughed when they related the message to him. It was: "Don't believe a single word these people are telling you, they have come to steal your lands."
__________
Same theme:
A native American:
When the Missionaries arrived, we had the land and the Missionaries had the Bible. They taught us how to pray with our eyes closed. When we opened them, they had the land and we had the Bible.
---- 😊😊😊 -----
There is a factory in Northern Ireland which makes the Tickle Me Elmo toys. The toy laughs when you tickle it under the arms.
Well, Lena is hired at The Tickle Me Elmo factory and she reports for her first day promptly at 8:00 AM. The next day at 8:45 AM there is a knock at the Personnel Manager's door.
The Foreman throws open the door and begins to rant about the new employee. He complains that she is incredibly slow and the whole line is backing up, putting the entire production line behind schedule.
The Personnel Manager decides he should see this for himself, so the 2 men march down to the factory floor. When they get there the line is so backed up that there are Tickle Me Elmo's all over the factory floor and they're really beginning to pile up. At the end of the line stands Lena surrounded by mountains of Tickle Me Elmo's.
She has a roll of plush red fabric and a huge bag of small marbles. The 2 men watch in amazement as she cuts a little piece of fabric, wraps it around two marbles and begins to carefully sew the little package between Elmo's legs.
The Personnel Manager bursts into laughter. After several minutes of hysterics he pulls himself together and approaches Lena.
"I'm sorry," he says to her, barely able to keep a straight face, "but I think you misunderstood the instructions I gave you yesterday..."
"Your job is to give Elmo two test tickles.
---- 😊😊😊 -----
LIMERICK OF THE WEEK:
One Saturday morning at three,
A cheesemonger’s shop in Paree,
Collapsed to the ground,
With a thunderous sound,
Leaving only a pile of de brie.
---- 😊😊😊 -----
GALLERY:
---- 😊😊😊 -----
RELIGION SPOT
A guy walks into a bar, completely drunk.
He calls for everyone’s attention and yells “Make way, everybody, ’cause God Himself is here”, pointing at himself.
Everyone is either embarrassed or nervously laughing. The barman rolls his eyes and goes to the proud drunkard, and asks him “What makes you think you’re Him?”
“Follow me,” the drunkard said.
The barman follows the drunkard for a while, until both arrive at a church, during a mass. The drunkard yells from the entrance “Hey there, priest, remember me?”
The priest interrupts the mass and groans “Oh, my God, you’re here again?!”
---- 😊😊😊 -----
CORN CORNER:
__________
I told my boss I needed a pay rise as 3 other companies were after me… He asked which ones? I said "gas, water & electricity"
__________
What’s the difference between Wuhan and Vegas?
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.
__________
The punchline arrives before the setup.
What's the worst part about telling time travel jokes?
__________
There was a big chess tournament at a hotel with a big atrium . Many of the players were gathered in the atrium before the matches began. There was a lot of trash talking among the players, each trying to top the other with their accomplishments within the game and chess acumen. It was a clear case of chess nuts boasting in an open foyer.
I’ll see myself out.
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
QUOTE FOR THE DAY
Thursday 25 April 2024 is Anzac Day, one of the most sacred days in the Australian calendar. It is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, commemorating all Australians and New Zealanders "who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations" and "the contribution and suffering of all those who have served".
They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
From 'For the Fallen' by Lawrence Binyon, 1914
THINGS LEARNED
Some wise words from Stephanie Dawson but the thing is, all of us have to learn those things for ourselves, not just someone telling us. Still, there is food for thought in each of the points below . . .
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
POETRY SPOT
-----------ooOoo-----------
Ron, Tim et al in the US, here is an American item in the nature of the Australian bush poets and reminiscent of The Devil Went Down to Georgia, Tim’s neck of the woods.
It is called Tying Knots in the Devil’s Tail and is an original poem by Gail Gardner set to music by Michael Martin Murphy and his band in Red River, New Mexico. Hear him tell the story of the poem and hear him and his boys sing it by clicking on:
I admit it scans better as a song than as a poem but it is a bit of fun.
"Tying Knots In The Devil's Tail"
Oh, way up high in the Sierra Peaks
Where the yellow jack pines grow tall
Sandy Bob and Buster Jiggs
Had a round-up camp last fall
They're takin' their ponies and they're runnin' irons
Maybe a dog or two
And they allowed their brand on every long-eared calf
That come within their view
Now many a long-eared dogie
That didn't hush up that day
Had his ol' ears whittled and his ol' hide sizzled
In the most artistic way
Now, Sandy Bob, he said one day
As he throwed his cigar down
I'm tired of this cowography
And all else, I'm goin' to town
Well, they saddled their ponies and they struck them a load
And how them boys can ride
And them was the days that an ol' cowboy
Could oil up his ol' insides
Well, it started out at the Kentucky bar
At the head of the whiskey row
And they wound up down at the depot house
About forty drinks below
Well, they set 'em up and they turned them around
And they went the other way
And I'll swear the godforsaken truth
Them boys got drunk that day
They mounted up and they headed to camp
And they's packin' a pretty good load
When who should they meet, but the Devil himself
Come prancin' down the road
Well, the Devil said, "You ornery skunks
You better hunt your holes
'Cause I'm the Devil from Hell's Rim Rock
Come to gather in your souls"
Sandy Bob said, "Devil be damned
It may be a little bit tight
Before you gather any cowboy souls
You gonna have a hell of a fight"
He swung his rope and he swung it straight
He also swung it true
He caught the devil by both his horns
And taken his dallies too
Now Buster Jiggs was a lariat man
With his rawhide coiled up neat
He shook it out and built him a loop
And he latched the Devil's hind feet
Well, they stretched him out and they tailed him down
And the irons was gettin' hot
They cropped and swallow-forked his ears
And they branded him up a lot
And they left him there in the Sierra Peaks
Necked to a black-jack oak
But before they left, they tied some knots
In his tail just for a joke
So if you're ever up there in Sierra Peaks
And you hear one hell of a wail
It's just the Devil
A feller and a thousand knots tied in his tail
As Murphy says in his background commentary, the Devil had horns, hooves and a tail so they rope him and brand him, even tie knots in his tail as a playful joke. They leave the Devil in the Sierra Peaks, bellowing, tied to an oak by his neck.
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