Cool and Interesting News & Such.

[Tawmis]

That literally reads as some parody news.

[Rath Darkblade]

I know, it reads like something out of The Onion. But it's true.

[Tawmis]

I know, it reads like something out of The Onion. But it's true.

They may want to get an editor - because either there's some noticeable typos in there or I don't know how to read. Both of which may be true.

[Rath Darkblade]

Er, I didn't notice any typos. What are they? *curious*

[Tawmis]

Er, I didn't notice any typos. What are they? *curious*

Here -

Ganja believe it? Police make hash of suspected weed farm raid, pot Bitcoin mine instead
Cops weren’t total dopes: chronic electricity theft means they still smoked crims

West Midlands Police in the UK has revealed that its officers raided a suspected cannabis growing operation and ended up smoking out a Bitcoin mine run on stolen electricity.

A statement explains that the site of the raid, a local industrial unit, bore several signs of a wacky baccy cultivation operation.

“We heard how lots of people were visiting the unit at different times of day, lots of wiring and ventilation ducts were visible, and a police drone picked up a considerable heat source from above,” the statement said. That combo was considered “classic cannabis factory signs” so a warrant was procured and on May 18th officers forced entry.

They found no jazz cabbage but did spot “a huge bank of around 100 computer units as part of what’s understood to be a Bitcoin mining operation.”

The devil’s lettuce wasn’t the only thing missing on site: chronic lack of connectivity to electricity meters was apparent, suggesting the miners had bypassed billing.

“It’s certainly not what we were expecting,” said a blunt canned quote from Sandwell Police sergeant Jennifer Griffin. “It had all the hallmarks of a cannabis cultivation set-up and I believe it’s only the second such crypto mine we’ve encountered in the West Midlands.”

The mining kit has been seized, but no arrests have been made as no-one was present at the time of the raid.

“But we’ll be making enquiries with the unit’s owner”, said sergeant Griffin.

- Not even sure what "crims" is? Not even a typo for "crimes"
And "enquiries" is "inquiries" - again, perhaps just not a US thing on the spelling.

[Rath Darkblade]

Aha! No problem. "The Register" is a UK site, and being an Aussie, I'm used to UK slang etc. But I guess I was so used to it, I didn't even notice.

1. "Crims" is UK (and Aussie) slang, short for "criminals".
2. "Enquiries" is just the UK/Canada/Australia/etc. way of spelling "inquiries".

[BBP]

https://www.livescience.com/best-astron ... raphs.html

Some of the best astronomy photos of the year.

And I need to visit Chambord <3

[Tawmis]

https://www.livescience.com/best-astron ... raphs.html
Some of the best astronomy photos of the year.
And I need to visit Chambord <3

Those are so incredible. Many of the Earth ones are fantastic (Star Watch is pretty trippy!) - but those space ones make my jaw drop.

[Rath Darkblade]

Only in Florida. I still can't believe this is true -- it reads so much like The Onion! From the NY Post (I highlighted the bit that concerns me in red):

‘Drunk driver’ named Booze busted for allegedly crashing into Taco Bell sign

A Florida woman with the last name Booze was busted for driving drunk after she allegedly slammed her car into a Taco Bell sign and sped off, according to cops.

Kanisha Booze, 34, of St. Petersburg was arrested when an officer spotted her allegedly speeding through two red lights near the fast food joint at 10:20 p.m. Friday, according to The Smoking Gun.

When a cop confronted the aptly named driver, she was allegedly wobbly with “bloodshot, watery eyes” and “an odor of an alcoholic beverage on her breath,” according to a police report cited by the outlet, which notes she refused to perform a breath test.

Booze, who works at the Taco Bell where she crashed, was charged with driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident and driving with a suspended or revoked license. She was released from jail Saturday morning after posting a $1,750 bond.

Booze has previously been convicted seven times for driving without a license and once for grand theft, according to the outlet.

It's an amusing story, except for the bit I highlighted. She has 8 previous convictions (all of them pretty serious), she caused so much damage ... so why are they letting her go?

[Tawmis]

Only in Florida. I still can't believe this is true -- it reads so much like The Onion! From the NY Post (I highlighted the bit that concerns me in red):

‘Drunk driver’ named Booze busted for allegedly crashing into Taco Bell sign
A Florida woman with the last name Booze was busted for driving drunk after she allegedly slammed her car into a Taco Bell sign and sped off, according to cops.
Kanisha Booze, 34, of St. Petersburg was arrested when an officer spotted her allegedly speeding through two red lights near the fast food joint at 10:20 p.m. Friday, according to The Smoking Gun.
When a cop confronted the aptly named driver, she was allegedly wobbly with “bloodshot, watery eyes” and “an odor of an alcoholic beverage on her breath,” according to a police report cited by the outlet, which notes she refused to perform a breath test.
Booze, who works at the Taco Bell where she crashed, was charged with driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident and driving with a suspended or revoked license. She was released from jail Saturday morning after posting a $1,750 bond.
Booze has previously been convicted seven times for driving without a license and once for grand theft, according to the outlet.

It's an amusing story, except for the bit I highlighted. She has 8 previous convictions (all of them pretty serious), she caused so much damage ... so why are they letting her go?

I know some amazing people who live in Florida.
But #%^ Florida and their @#$%ing laws.
This reminds me way too much of the drunk driver who killed Criss Oliva.

It's disgusting.

[DeadPoolX]

2. "Enquiries" is just the UK/Canada/Australia/etc. way of spelling "inquiries".

Not entirely true. Inquiry and inquiries is how it's normally spelled in Canada. Canadian English uses a confusing mix of UK and US English, so some words will be more like the UK (such as writing "labour" instead of "labor" or "sabre" instead of "saber") but others will be more like US English (such as writing "tires" instead of "tyres" or use a "Z" instead of an "S" in some words, like "specialize").

This can get really messy when there's disagreement about it or common usage is different from what's officially on the books.

For instance, in the Canadian Army the rank "lieutenant" is supposed to be pronounced "leftenant," which is the same way it's pronounced in the UK (and presumably Australia), but the vast majority of people — including Canadian TV, films, and radio — will pronounce the rank as "lootenant," which is the same way it's pronounced in the US.

But #%^ Florida and their @#$%ing laws.

Interestingly enough, Florida's strange laws is what allows all the reporting about the crazy stuff that happens there. Most states don't release the same amount of information about state-related legal issues.

[Rath Darkblade]

2. "Enquiries" is just the UK/Canada/Australia/etc. way of spelling "inquiries".

Not entirely true. Inquiry and inquiries is how it's normally spelled in Canada. Canadian English uses a confusing mix of UK and US English...

OK, I didn't know that. Thanks, DPX!

But #%^ Florida and their @#$%ing laws.

Interestingly enough, Florida's strange laws is what allows all the reporting about the crazy stuff that happens there. Most states don't release the same amount of information about state-related legal issues.

Er, I have no idea what's going on here (speaking as a "damn'd furrnier"). Does Florida have different laws to the rest of the US? Do they have more lenient penalties for criminals, which is why people keep getting away with doing crazy (and criminal) things?

[BBP]

Here in my neck of the woods the summer has been wet so far - after the droughts from the last years that's somewhat welcome - except it's been getting way too much. The storm last night and this morning that floods the tunnels and is causing my garden to bubble up the water it can no longer soak in, killed 33 people and counting in Germany, plus six in Belgium. We're still in luck but it won't be long before the excess rain water comes down the Rhine, Ruhr and other rivers to cause havoc. The images from our neighboring countries and the very beautiful southeast of the Netherlands are horrifying.

Today 25 years ago a plane crashed at Eindhoven Airport after a flock of sterlings flew into the engines - a military vehicle carrying 4 military crew members and, unknown to the emergency teams, 37 young members of the Dutch Royal Military Fanfare. Because the fire brigade was unaware of the fanfare being on the plane, they concentrated on putting the fire out rather than saving the people inside. The disaster cost 34 lives.

[Rath Darkblade]

So sorry to hear about the plane crash, BBP.

I also hope the summer rains will become less frequent for you and the Netherlands. What tunnels do you mean? Are you referring to the irrigation ditches that criss-cross rural areas? I've heard of them.

[DeadPoolX]

Er, I have no idea what's going on here (speaking as a "damn'd furrnier"). Does Florida have different laws to the rest of the US? Do they have more lenient penalties for criminals, which is why people keep getting away with doing crazy (and criminal) things?

Every state has its own laws and it's own state government. In most cases, states are free to operate as they choose (within reason), but there are instances when the federal government overrides state governments.

State law can't directly contradict federal law, but it can be used in place of federal law (in some circumstances) and in other cases, state and federal law exist side-by-side.

Here's an example: the federal minimum wage is used when a state doesn't have a minimum wage listed by its state government. If a state government has a minimum wage that's at least as much as the federal minimum wage or higher, then the state minimum wage takes precedence. Even within that context it can be further broken down by area in some situations.

New York state, for instance, has more than one minimum wage:
New York City (Manhattan) — $15 per hour
Long Island (Brooklyn, Queens, etc.) and Westchester County — $14.50 per hour (going up to $15 per hour on Dec 31, 2021)
Everywhere else in New York — $12.50 per hour

Now what's the US federal minimum wage? It's $7.25 per hour. Because New York pays more than that, the state minimum wage is used, but if New York didn't have one (and some states don't have a minimum wage officially on the books), then the federal minimum wage would go into effect.

Every state also has its own tax laws in addition to federal taxes. As an example... Texas has no state income tax, but you still need to pay federal income tax.

Criminal law, especially the penalties involved, can also differ from state to state. Some states, like Texas and Florida, have the death penalty not just in statute, but also make active use of it; in contrast, some states may have had it and repealed it (sometimes several times) like New York, and yet other states still have the death penalty on the books, but executions have been formally suspended for an indefinite amount of time.

(NOTE: I am not looking to debate capital punishment. If you're in favor of it, great; likewise, if you're against it, that's also great. I don't care and really don't want to get into that argument.)

All of this is to say that it's an incredibly confusing and complex web of state and federal laws. So from what little I've read about Florida's laws regarding release of information, I believe they have fewer concerns about privacy when it comes to the individual, particularly revolving around criminal actions.