WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[Stanley]

THIS BBC report that the Russian cruiser Moskva has sunk while being towed to port. The Russian defence ministry hasn't admitted to any loss of life but it's difficult to imagine a 12,000 ton ship with 510 crew escaping without loss when hit by an attack heavy enough to sink it.

[Tizer]

There's still very little reliable information about the incident. It's an old (1980s) ship, badly maintained, had lots of problems over the years, has suffered fires on board previously and may have needed only a relatively small attack to push it over the edge. Zelensky claims two of his missiles hit it, the Russians said not so, it was a fire that caused the problem. The ship was such a basket case that anything is possible! Putin claims the crew were able to escape so perhaps the sailors rebelled, started a fire and then abandoned the ship. Who knows!

[Stanley]

What struck me was that if Ukraine is right about two missiles sinking the Moskva what does this say about our white elephant aircraft carriers?

[Tizer]

Mariupol’s mayor, Vadym Boychenko, says that Russian soldiers are now digging up the bodies of people they've killed in the city and have brought in a mobile crematorium to dispose of them - the evidence of their war crimes.

[Stanley]

I wonder if they signed up to do jobs like that?
How much worse do Russia's actions have to get before we draw a line in the sand.

[Stanley]

A lovely sit out in the Town Square with coffee accompanied by Susan and Mick. Possibly the nicest weather we have had all year! This and better will do...

[Cathy]

41BE03BA-7B12-4D3A-90A0-1F296CF93737.jpeg

[Stanley]

[Stanley]

I came across Elaine Kaplan the lead engineer responsible for designing propellers for the US Navy and the liner United States. See THIS for her story. I have never heard of her before and surprisingly there is no mention of her on Wikipedia.

[Tizer]

I saw a reference to this interesting study published in March. It refers to Americans but I suspect the same big discrepancies would be found in the UK...
`From millionaires to Muslims, small subgroups of the population seem much larger to many Americans' You Gov
`When it comes to estimating the size of demographic groups, Americans rarely get it right. In two recent YouGov polls, we asked respondents to guess the percentage (ranging from 0% to 100%) of American adults who are members of 43 different groups, including racial and religious groups, as well as other less frequently studied groups, such as pet owners and those who are left-handed.

`When people’s average perceptions of group sizes are compared to actual population estimates, an intriguing pattern emerges: Americans tend to vastly overestimate the size of minority groups. This holds for sexual minorities, including the proportion of gays and lesbians (estimate: 30%, true: 3%), bisexuals (estimate: 29%, true: 4%), and people who are transgender (estimate: 21%, true: 0.6%).

`It also applies to religious minorities, such as Muslim Americans (estimate: 27%, true: 1%) and Jewish Americans (estimate: 30%, true: 2%). And we find the same sorts of overestimates for racial and ethnic minorities, such as Native Americans (estimate: 27%, true: 1%), Asian Americans (estimate: 29%, true: 6%), and Black Americans (estimate: 41%, true: 12%).'
Accompanied in the web page by bar charts and graphs.

[Stanley]

That sounds like a good way of measuring national paranoia to me Peter!

[plaques]

The overestimates appear to be on subjects that may 'threaten' the accepted norm. Even small numbers of different cultures are seen as a threat to their way of life. People are always suspicious of change which is often stoked up by media groups or loud mouthed politicians who see themselves as guardians of stability. At ground level on a one to one basis most people have no problem accepting individuals who are labeled different to norm by the sensationalist.

[Stanley]

I was having a crack with my friend Gulam and his older friend the other day as I passed them in the Town Square. They are both from the Punjab. Susan commented on the fact and said she wondered how many people spoke to them during a normal day. You're right Ken, too many people see minorities as a threat. In my case they are part of the family!

[Cathy]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY POSTMAN PETE
Have a Great Day

[Wendyf]

Well spotted Cathy! Happy Birthday Postman Pete.

[Big Kev]

Happy Birthday Pete, did you ever get to see AFL last year?

[PostmanPete]

Thank you all for the Birthday greetings...! I always know when it's my Birthday because they play 'God Save The Queen' for me on the radio at 8am
I have reached 68 years young today - maybe I should change my username to 'ExPostmanPete' after being retired for 2 years..?

Kev, I never did get to see AFL last year but I see he is playing Cliviger on June 4th during the Cliviger Sounds retro music festival on the June Jubilee weekend. I won't be seeing him then either as other plans have been made but he is booking dates into 2023 so hopefully I will get another chance to see a great show.

[Stanley]

Many happy returns Pete. I wish I was 68 again!
On another matter.... I watch what is happening in Mariupol and the troops in the steel works who are holding out and I can't help remembering the troops who held out in the ruins of the tractor works at Stalingrad in WW2. Just to remind Mr Putin, they eventually prevailed......

[PanBiker]

I watch what is happening in Mariupol and the troops in the steel works who are holding out and I can't help remembering the troops who held out in the ruins of the tractor works at Stalingrad in WW2. Just to remind Mr Putin, they eventually prevailed......

Do you know I thought the exact same thing. Couldn't stop thinking about the sniper wars depicted in "Enemy at the Gate". They forget that the Ukrainians are defending their homeland despite the Russians thinking that they own it.

[Stanley]

I don't think Putin has forgotten that Ian, he is simply ignoring it because he is blinded by his vision of a Greater Russia.
There is another parallel with WW2. The Nazis murdered and massacred their way across Europe and never seemed to think that one day they would be proved to be criminals and made to pay. Putin should remember this. Russia is already a pariah in global terms. Eventually the truth will dawn on the ordinary Russian people. Then Putin will really be in trouble.

[PanBiker]

It amazes me that a lot of the ordinary folk in Russia are still being sucked in by his lies which is helping to perpetuate the war. Back in the 20's and 30's with the rise of fascism and the Nazi party you can understand to some degree how the likes of Goebbels and Hitler used the media of the day (press and radio) to brainwash the population. That was it along with rallies and the like that's all they had. I cant understand how Putin can repeat this with everyone having access to World News, Facebook, Instagram, Radio, Television etc and the stance of the rest of the world. I know some avenues are restricted but even so much of the reality must get through. How they can get away wit portraying Ukraine as the aggressor when they invaded beggars belief. Maybe the penny will drop with the more Russian lads they have to bury.

[Stanley]

have a look at this Youtube video on the Skipton to Colne railway line.

[Tizer]

I cant understand how Putin can repeat this with everyone having access to World News, Facebook, Instagram, Radio, Television etc and the stance of the rest of the world. I know some avenues are restricted but even so much of the reality must get through. How they can get away wit portraying Ukraine as the aggressor when they invaded beggars belief. Maybe the penny will drop with the more Russian lads they have to bury.

He has complete control of news, radio, TV, newspapers etc and has shut off practically all the outside web services. This has been the case since his invasion of Crimea in 2014. Anybody who dissents will be dealt with severely. It must be like North Korea now. If Trump get back in as US president we might see America heading in the same direction (and that's another reason for getting this war won before Putin's friend gets in - Trump hates Nato).

[Stanley]

Good grief Peter! Things are bad enough without reminding us of the possibility of another term for the Yellow Knob.

[PanBiker]

Our Jack came round to collect the small table that we have been keeping for him round at Bosom Friends Centre.

He went shopping to Harrogate yesterday and bought his new Bee Hive. It's a hard polystyrene job recommended for Northern climates rather than the wooden varieties of hives. He has completed his bee keeping course at Townley Hall and has bought all the other kit needed for the roll. He just needs some kind of storage box now to keep his bee suit, wellies, gloves, smoker and the other tools for the job. There could be a candidate coming up soon in the ALDI special buys.

The table is to keep the hive off the ground which helps to keep parasites and unwelcome guests out of the hive. The legs of the table will be stood in plastic containers which will fill with water creating a kind of moat around each leg. Not long now before he will get his first Queen and genus bees to populate their new home.