You can't make this stuff up: Crazy stories ripped from the headlines

[Sibhusky]

Don't speed in Finland.

Driver fined $129,544 after latest speeding episode

In Finland, such penalties are calculated on the basis of an offender’s income.

www.pennlive.com

 

[James]

This is weird. Dictation.

https://www.npr.org/2023/06/05/1180134832/champs-elysees-paris-giant-dictation

 

[Andy Mink]

Modern day Jonah(s)!

 

[dbostedo]

Modern day Jonah(s)!

Sort of... almost...

https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/03/us/whale-kayak-trnd/index.html

 

[Uncle-A]

Modern day Jonah(s)!

Didn't we just have a thread about ocean kayaks? Sit inside or sit on top type. I keep mine in Barneguate Bay and have not put it in the ocean.

 

[Lauren]

Sort of... almost...

https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/03/us/whale-kayak-trnd/index.html

I like the story where they got swallowed, spit out, and everyone was okay better....

 

[James]

In Colorado, teen flying drone finds a Jeep upside down in a sinkhole in the road.

Teen Flying Drone Saves 2 Jeep Passengers Stranded in Flooded Sinkhole

A Colorado teen with a hobby of flying drones spotted an S.U.V. stranded in a flooded sinkhole on Saturday

people.com

 

[neonorchid]

 

[John Webb]

Cant believe people fall for this shit !
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/27/us/cow-manure-fraud-montana.html

 

[skibob]

This is weird. Dictation.
View attachment 205136

https://www.npr.org/2023/06/05/1180134832/champs-elysees-paris-giant-dictation

Dictation is inherent in the French educaitonal regime. French is a complicated language when it comes to tenses, punctuation, and contractions. Add to that the fact that so many sounds are suppressed, omitted, or incredibly subtle in spoken French. For example, in most tenses there are 6 conjugations, but only 2 or 3 actually are pronounced differently (but they are spelled differently). And you get the fact that taking dictation in French is exceedingly challenging. And so it is used as a way of teaching/testing language comprehension.

Hence, great pride in dictation. It is kind of a way of testing the intelligence and "Frenchness" of oneself. And, to the French these are kind of the same thing anyway

 

[skiki]

Is that not a common thing in the US? I was in the Netherlands grades 4-7, and dictation was part of the usual line up along with tests and pop quizzes, be it in Dutch, French, or English. Kind of a test of spelling, grammar, listening skills and processing speed all in one. I've never seen a mass dictation event like that before, but it seems kind of akin to a spelling bee, but everyone at the same time.

 

[dbostedo]

Is that not a common thing in the US? I was in the Netherlands grades 4-7, and dictation was part of the usual line up along with tests and pop quizzes, be it in Dutch, French, or English. Kind of a test of spelling, grammar, listening skills and processing speed all in one. I've never seen a mass dictation event like that before, but it seems kind of akin to a spelling bee, but everyone at the same time.

I don't recall ever doing dictation all through my schooling (1980's and 90's)

 

[Sibhusky]

I don't recall ever doing dictation all through my schooling (1980's and 90's)

Me neither. 50's and 60's. Catholic schools. In those grades we were diagramming sentences. Talk about useless.

 

[Uncle-A]

Me neither. 50's and 60's. Catholic schools. In those grades we were diagramming sentences. Talk about useless.

The curriculum has changed since those days. I was in public school at the same time as you and they would not let guys take typing class we had to take drafting and shop. On the other side they would not let girls take shop they had to take typing and home economics (cooking and sewing).

 

[chilehed]

In those grades we were diagramming sentences. Talk about useless.

That's certainly what I thought at the time.

 

[skibob]

The curriculum has changed since those days. I was in public school at the same time as you and they would not let guys take typing class we had to take drafting and shop. On the other side they would not let girls take shop they had to take typing and home economics (cooking and sewing).

Yikes! Taking typing was one of the most useful things I did in HS.

 

[Bad Bob]

Loved typing class in the late 60's. That was where all the girls were.
Can't say that I learned a lot about typing though.

 

[skibob]

Loved typing class in the late 60's. That was where all the girls were.
Can't say that I learned a lot about typing though.

I graduated from HS in 87. Literally within a few years--before I graduated from college--typing suddenly became a fundamental skill for professionals.

 

[Tricia]

I took typing and dictation in HS. When I was in college I ended up getting a job in the records office, typing records into the computer (1984-85) They tested me for typing speed mid year and it came in the high 90s.
There is something about typing names, names of classes, digits and dots (.) for 4 hrs a day over a year that makes you get really quick and accurate, which is a requirement in a college records office.

Edit to add, its probably closer to 50-60 now.

I never got good with dictation.

 

[noncrazycanuck]

Loved typing class in the late 60's. That was where all the girls were.
Can't say that I learned a lot about typing though.

Same here, met a lot of girls, but failed the course.