What's in the news?

[Callie Del Noire]

It seems there are a big spot of Cellphone and internet outages across the US

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/cellphone-internet-outages-reported-across-us/ar-BBCTZdc?li=BBnbcA1&ocid=HPCOMMDHP15

I expect we will see more of this as most carriers see reluctant to upgrade or maintain their networks properly. This particular event looks like a case one not checking before working in an area. 

[gaggedLouise]

The rumour of the death of Clint Eastwood (from a heart attack) is highly exaggerated.  (just ran into it on the web, and had to check)

[Orval Wintermute]

The shower of shit aka: The UK Government, keeps on getting shittier. The about 12 to go before the Queen's Speech the Conservatives and DUP still haven't come to an agreement over what the Government's legislative agenda is going to be, and an agreement won't be reached until Thursday at the earliest. At this point the DUP have the Conservatives so far over the barrel that id they turned up to Downing Street in ski masks, wielding shotguns and ask for the money to be in unmarked non-sequential bills I wouldn't be surprised.

All this is after the Conservatives decided that the legislative session is going to two years instead of the normal one year session, they claim it's about providing stability during Brexit but really it's because they don't to go through all the horse trading again next year, lose the vote on the Queen's Speech and then be forced into another election which they'll lose.

Not forgetting the legal challenge that is being prepared to be launched against the Government for any deal that it does with DUP, which is likely to be a breach of the Good Friday Agreement.

[Oniya]

Not forgetting the legal challenge that is being prepared to be launched against the Government for any deal that it does with DUP, which is likely to be a breach of the Good Friday Agreement.

Is this because the DUP is likely to pull some shenanigans (being the only party that opposed the Good Friday Agreement), or is there something buried in the legalese of the Agreement regarding the DUP in particular?

[Orval Wintermute]

I don't like the DUP's policies but none of this is their fault, there are 650 MP's in the House of Commons and the most the DUP could ever get is 18 because they only stand in Northern Ireland. Under normal circumstances they're not really a factor in UK politics, so this is their one shot at grabbing everything they possibly can and who can blame them for trying?
And the legal challenge is directed solely at the UK Government who under the Good Friday agreement have to remain completely impartial in Northern Ireland power sharing arrangements, by having a political agreement between the DUP and the Conservatives that impartiality would be broken. In theory the same breach would happen if they did a deal with Sinn Fein, but in practice can't happen because while Northern Ireland does elect Sinn Fein MP's those MP's never turn up to Westminster. To sit in the House of Commons you have to swear an oath of loyalty to the Queen, as Irish Republicans that's something Sinn Fein refuses to do.

[Oniya]

under the Good Friday agreement have to remain completely impartial in Northern Ireland power sharing arrangements, by having a political agreement between the DUP and the Conservatives that impartiality would be broken.

Thanks!  That answers my question.  ^^

[Lustful Bride]

According to experts, the American student who went into a coma and later died (after being a prisoner in North Korea) suffered torture via oxygen deprivation.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40335169

[Callie Del Noire]

According to experts, the American student who went into a coma and later died (after being a prisoner in North Korea) suffered torture via oxygen deprivation.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40335169

That fits with the symptoms.. but I have to wonder why the break with the usual 'fair' treatment of westerners They typically are not extensively tortured as they are usually set aside for trades and bargaining. Think some little torture expert went too far?

[RedRose]

Callie I thought the same. Some guy went too far or otherwise messed up. It's really horrible.

[Beguile's Mistress]

I doubt that North Korea considers any kind of torture of their prisoners unfair.

[Lustful Bride]

I doubt that North Korea considers any kind of torture of their prisoners unfair.

+1

For all we know he might not have bowed enough and that was justification to abuse him. And the sad truth is that its likely not even the worst that could be done :(  This is a country with a cult dedicated to worshipping their leader as a living god. Sanity isn't something that is in high supply there.

[Iniquitous]

+1

For all we know he might not have bowed enough and that was justification to abuse him. And the sad truth is that its likely not even the worst that could be done :(  This is a country with a cult dedicated to worshipping their leader as a living god. Sanity isn't something that is in high supply there.

I wouldn't call it a lack of sanity.  It is more that they have been raised since birth to believe this and all flow of information is tightly controlled by the regime.  And it is also questionable as to how many truly believe the party line and how many are just giving lip service to avoid the three generation rule for those convicted of crimes.

[Lustful Bride]

I wouldn't call it a lack of sanity.  It is more that they have been raised since birth to believe this and all flow of information is tightly controlled by the regime.  And it is also questionable as to how many truly believe the party line and how many are just giving lip service to avoid the three generation rule for those convicted of crimes.

That's fair.

[stormwyrm]

https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/06/cats-are-an-extreme-outlier-among-domestic-animals/

People who live with cats like to joke about how these small fuzzy creatures are still wild, basically training us rather than the other way around. Now a new genetic study of ancient cat DNA reveals that we are basically right. Cats were not domesticated in the same way dogs, cows, pigs, and goats were. They have lived among us, but it wasn't until very recently that we began to change them.

[Cookie]

Just read this: economist likens the gig economy to pre-industrial revolution patterns of working and self employment.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jun/21/slow-wage-growth-down-to-return-to-the-past-bank-of-england-chief-economist

Anyway I'm off to drop off a lobster thermidore for Deliveroo, then scrabble around in the dirt to gather a  few mushrooms for tea. 

[Lustful Bride]

US aid worker successfully runs through hail of gunfire and saves little girl in the Mideast.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/american-aid-worker-runs-through-isis-gunfire-to-save-little-girl/ar-BBD0xJX?li=BBnbfcL&ocid=HPCOMMDHP15


Airport Stabbing Attack in the Michigan US ends with Police officer suffering a neck stab wound, and the attacker being subdued alive.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/us-airport-stabbing-investigated-as-terror-canadian-charged/ar-BBCZTG8?li=BBnbfcL&ocid=HPCOMMDHP15

[Sara Nilsson]

Minor thing, but it made me chuckle.

John Oliver made a piece on the coal industry and mentioned Murry Energy several times as well as saying that Murry Energy threatened to sue if they went ahead with the piece (

Code Select Expand

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw6RsUhw1Q8)

Aaaaanndddd

they did :) both went ahead with the piece and mr Murry sued :) And listening to the lawsuit is.. amusing. Our favorite copyright attorney was on the case :) (

Code Select Expand

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns71Z8RoVn0)

[Yukina]

Minor thing, but it made me chuckle.

John Oliver made a piece on the coal industry and mentioned Murry Energy several times as well as saying that Murry Energy threatened to sue if they went ahead with the piece (

Code Select Expand

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw6RsUhw1Q8)

Aaaaanndddd

they did :) both went ahead with the piece and mr Murry sued :) And listening to the lawsuit is.. amusing. Our favorite copyright attorney was on the case :) (

Code Select Expand

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns71Z8RoVn0)

Leonard French makes rather interesting videos :)

[Lustful Bride]

French Fitness model killed by Can exploding while she used it.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40362094

life is so fleeting. :(

[Lustful Bride]

Virginia Man charged with Espionage after being caught giving classified information to suspected Chinese agents.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/virginia-man-charged-with-giving-secret-documents-to-china/ar-BBD3hHQ?li=BBnbcA1&ocid=HPCOMMDHP15

The Suitcase full of $16K is what really confirms this for me. I hope they throw the book at him and he spends the rest of his life staring at the sun past the bars of his jail cell.

[Cookie]

French bus drivers, wears skirts in protest at shorts being forbidden https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/22/french-bus-drivers-skirts-dress-code-nantes

Breaking down gender norms one heatwave at a time 

[Lustful Bride]

It seems that there is now an increase in Car Accidents due to people driving while high :/

http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/study-shows-correlation-between-legal-pot-and-more-car-crashes/ar-BBD32RY?ocid=HPCOMMDHP15

I agree that this should be classified and punished the same way as driving while drunk.

[Iniquitous]

It seems that there is now an increase in Car Accidents due to people driving while high :/

http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/study-shows-correlation-between-legal-pot-and-more-car-crashes/ar-BBD32RY?ocid=HPCOMMDHP15

I agree that this should be classified and punished the same way as driving while drunk.

I am extremely pro-marijuana but I agree with you on this.  Driving while under the influence of marijuana should be treated as a DUI - after all, DUI simply means Driving Under the Influence and already covers such things as prescription narcotics (at least here it does).

[Lustful Bride]

I am extremely pro-marijuana but I agree with you on this.  Driving while under the influence of marijuana should be treated as a DUI - after all, DUI simply means Driving Under the Influence and already covers such things as prescription narcotics (at least here it does).

I'm personally only pro Medical uses for Marijuana, but I am glad we can all agree on this.

When they get into a car, they are putting countless other people's lives at risk.

[LisztesFerenc]

It seems that there is now an increase in Car Accidents due to people driving while high :/

  Not quite. From the article:

"It is worth noting that this is an early study of just a few states, and of course, correlation doesn't necessarily imply causation. The HLDA also notes that there is very limited data on connections between marijuana use and actual car crashes. Some studies have contradicted each other as well. AAA performed a study that showed an increase in driving fatalities in Washington, while another study looked at multiple states and found a reduction in fatalities. So more research is needed to get a clearer picture."