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Reply With QuoteI remember when Mt St Helens blew. It sucked. Ash flippin' everywhere. Granted it there were only two explosions of note and a handful of minor ones.
And yes we have become so out of touch that we think we own the planet.
Do you have ash everywhere?
Ask any five year old child about volcanoes and what do you reckon they'll tell you? I'm willing to wager they mention the fact that they like to erupt. It's just a fact of life. In fact if it weren't for countless thousands of volcanic eruptions there would be no human beings at all.
Throughout human history, volcanoes have erupted and often, the result is a detrimental efffect on some portion of the human population.
So why are people up in arms about a volcanic eruption disrupting air travel? Well, I'm going to answer my own question really which is sort of cheating. But us humans seem to be beholden of the crazy belief that this is OUR planet. Obviously this just ain't true and at any point the Earth could wipe out every human on this planet and it wouldn't matter.
Have we become so wound-up in our own little fantasy land that we seem to have totally forgotten that there is in fact a real world out there? Because in the past week, you'd think that air travel was some kind of God-given right and that it had been here before anybody even thought of volcanoes.
I'm not disputing the fact that air travel is important in today's world but are the financial games we play so important that we're practically being told that the world will end unless European flights are resumed immediately? I have all the sympathy in the world for families who are stuck in airports BUT it should just help us to realise that air-travel is an absolute luxury and shouldn't be taken for granted, and that it CAN and WILL be disrupted by good ol' mother nature. When I flew back from Spain over Christmas, our flight was delayed several hours and eventually cancelled due to heavy snow. We had to drive half way accross the country to catch a flight home. But y'know what? Shit happens and unlike some other people I wasn't hounding the hapless airport staff because I wanted someone to blame. 50 years ago someone like me could only dream of flying somewhere! Times like these should be times for reflection so that we can take a moment to appreciate the things we do actually have. Instead we seem to just panic or get angry. That makes me saaaad
Oh, and it's absolutely laughable that people in the media are talking about 'the spirit of Dunkirk'. One was the Nazis sweeping through France, killing a load of soldiers and civilians and forcing the British to evacuate France and the other is some dust in the sky and some people coming back from their holidays late.
The broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily; and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods. It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously. Even though the facts which prove this to be so may be brought clearly to their minds, they will still doubt and waver and will continue to think that there may be some other explanation. For the grossly impudent lie always leaves traces behind it, even after it has been nailed down, a fact which is known to all expert liars in this world and to all who conspire together in the art of lying. These people know only too well how to use falsehood for the basest purposes... Adolf Hitler
I remember when Mt St Helens blew. It sucked. Ash flippin' everywhere. Granted it there were only two explosions of note and a handful of minor ones.
And yes we have become so out of touch that we think we own the planet.
Do you have ash everywhere?
Your mind can only hold one thought at a time. Make it a positive and constructive one.
~ H. Jackson Brown Jr.
It's definitely killing my profession. We've canceled flights all weekend because of this. Only flew to Rome, Tel Aviv, Barcelona and Madrid. Wound up canceling the rest of our European flight schedules. I'm just thankful this is a bit off season. If this were summertime, we'd really hear howling!
I'm guessing that if it continues, to get back to the US people are going to have to take to the seas. Or vice-versa, back to Europe. At least there (in Europe), you have the option of driving/taking trains/ferries if you're bound somewhere on the Continent. If you're headed across the pond, then you've got a spot of bother.
Tequesian
savmotronPeople do what they do. I mitigate their hazard to me and move on.
stuff is just stuff. your emotional health is much more important. holding raging anger in is more harmful than your faggot-assed tv that probably deserves to get its ass beat anyway.
And because people are stranded abroad, can't go on holidays they paid thousands of pounds for, probably won't get their money back, and share prices are falling.Originally Posted by Brewtality
I heard from a friend about a pregnant woman who came to Australia to be bridesmaid for her friend. They had it timed that she'd be able to fly over and get back before she passed the cut off date of being too pregnant to fly. But her flights home were cancelled, and now that date has passed and the doctors have told her she'll have to stay here until she has the baby. That changes the birth plan slightly, doesn't it.
True beauty is an exchange, not an observation. - Lucid Rog
Sadly not! It's too spread out and high up for all that gubbins. It just poses a potential danger to jet engines. The irony is that if the planes did fly and one of them crashed due to the ash then there'd be all sorts of criticism of the authorities for not acting in the interests of passenger safety etc..
Like I said, I have sympathy but I also have two words....travel insurance.And because people are stranded abroad, can't go on holidays they paid thousands of pounds for, probably won't get their money back, and share prices are falling.
Gutted. It just shows that you can never take anything for granted. Having the baby in Australia won't do any harm though will it?
The broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily; and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods. It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously. Even though the facts which prove this to be so may be brought clearly to their minds, they will still doubt and waver and will continue to think that there may be some other explanation. For the grossly impudent lie always leaves traces behind it, even after it has been nailed down, a fact which is known to all expert liars in this world and to all who conspire together in the art of lying. These people know only too well how to use falsehood for the basest purposes... Adolf Hitler
It is a very good reminder how much is really not in our control.
On the radio last night, they interviewed a guy on his way home from england, and the plane had to turn around and fly back to Korea. He's been their 6 nights now, and his travel insurance said they'll only cover 4 nights. The airline have now told him that the people stuck aren't high priority as they've decided people already booked in on flights will be going first and any leftover seats will be filled with stranded people. He has no idea how long he'll be stuck there. anything he spends from now on comes out of his savings.
I just assumed that Travel Insurance would cover you for longer than that. but i guess they weren't really prepared for this to happen
True beauty is an exchange, not an observation. - Lucid Rog
Be glad you don't have it all over the ground. It's not cool like snow and the novelty wears off in less than 30 seconds when you have to be out in it. It screws up air filters, water sanitation systems, yards... the whole enchilada. And clean up is a complete bitch.
Your mind can only hold one thought at a time. Make it a positive and constructive one.
~ H. Jackson Brown Jr.
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