Malaysia flight 370

[Shaggy Hiker]

If the pilot was saying "good night" - as in "you will never see me again, I am ditching this plane and all the passengers into the Indian ocean" - he would have probably chosen words that really meant what he planned.

That's right. There are two standards used in the latter situation, depending on some subtle nuances to the situation. The first standard phrase ("we're all going to die", which must be repeated twice to be considered valid) generally has to be delivered in a high-pitched, even falsetto voice, which makes it difficult for some pilots. The other version is much easier on Bass and Baritone pilots, and consists of either the phrase "you're all going to die." and/or the simpler "BWAHAHAHAHAHAA"

[dbasnett]

There may be many changes as a result of this incident. Other small countries will learn that updating the families in private has to happen, and that the answer to reporters questions is, "It is to early in the investigation...", or "When we KNOW we will ..."

Almost every time I turned CNN on in the last few days they have been talking about how inept the Malaysian Gov't is, and then last night I switched channels and there was CNN's Nick Roberts saying, "According to a Malaysian officials..." and they ran with it.

I like CNN. If I am feeling stupid or ignorant I turn it on and I feel like a smart person.

[3com]

From some media (read radio, newspapers or television) we can only get the official version of events, which does not always coincide with the truth.

[Shaggy Hiker]

I like CNN. If I am feeling stupid or ignorant I turn it on and I feel like a smart person.

It's good that television news has a purpose in the world.

[dbasnett]

It's good that television news has a purpose in the world.

Right.

[3com]

It's good that television news has a purpose in the world.

Specially reality show

[szlamany]

Well the BBC - or the BBC Asia? - maybe Xinhua news? - is say the Chinese is saying that a boat - a Chinese boat - one of two Chinese boats - picked up a 37.5 kHz signal two hours ago (that sounds like a game of "telephone")

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26902127

Happened too late for the morning news here in the US - wonder what they will be saying about this in the next 24 hours.

I thought the only pinger-locator was a US one that just moved into the area yesterday.

[szlamany]

At least the story appears to have gotten the 37.5 kHz part correct

http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_di...0&tid=400&ct=4

[szlamany]

The tweets coming out of twitter are all over the place on this one - some very comical...

[Shaggy Hiker]

They had best hurry up.

[SJWhiteley]

The tweets coming out of twitter are all over the place on this one - some very comical...

Paying attention to twitter is like digging in your back yard for gold.

[szlamany]

Why do you dislike twitter? Do you actually have an account? Or does Facebook take all your time

I find twitter great - I subscribe to local news (state and area towns) - I have DirectTV and in Fairfield County in Connecticut they lump us in with NY city region - I have no local Connecticut news on TV.

I subscribe to comedians - Jon Stewart (the Daily show) - Stephen Colbert - Jimmy Kimmel.

Otherwise it's mostly Science feeds - several NASA feeds, Phil Plait...

And I follow the Pope - he's always got some inspirational tweet.

All twitter really does for me is to keep me aware of news as it's happening. I don't think I've ever actually tweeted anything myself - although I always re-tweet great astronomical pictures.

[dbasnett]

Paying attention to twitter is like digging in your back yard for gold.

I thought twitter was, "Sources close to CNN..."

[dbasnett]

"The aircraft deliberately skirted Indonesian airspace as it went off the grid and veered off course, a senior Malaysian government source told CNN."

Has CNN had a 'source' that actually appeared on camera?

[SJWhiteley]

I'm currently watching an Air Disasters documentary series. The commonality between all of them is that it take months and years for any facts to be determined. This is not because of any inaction; the NTSB are all over any aircraft accident as soon as they put on their shoes. While part of the government machine, they do a very good job focusing on the singular activity they are tasked with.

So, any 'news' via any medium at this point is not 'news' but speculation and part of the modern/social media 'look at me!' structure.

[szlamany]

What got glazed over about that? My local NY station sent a reporter to the scene - they covered it for several days. I got full details on the problems the shooter had - the fact he was turned away from the office where he asked for a leave-of-absence form. Another crazy buying a gun.

Mental health issues are ignored in this country...

[szlamany]

TV is driven by ratings and market share - it's how they justify themselves to advertisers. That was the reason that public TV and radio existed - unfortunately they also have a bias - so you have no place to get true "news".

[Shaggy Hiker]

The last time I watched television news I noted that pretty nearly all the stories were tied to celebrity activity one way or another. It's not news, it's a giant infomercial.

[techgnome]

I watch the local "news" in the mornings before work... I barely pay attention to the first 30 minutes of Good Morning America, sometimes watch Kelly & Michael (they crack me up), and get the rest of my news from The Daily Show and Colbert Report... And the news paper on Sundays. I don't feel like I'm missing much.


-tg

[Shaggy Hiker]

What TG just wrote got me thinking: If the recent pings turn out to be the plane, and it proves to have crashed into the ocean with the loss of everybody onboard, then this story ceased to be news several weeks ago for the vast majority of the world. For a thousand or so people directly affected, this is a tragedy of the first order. For a few hundred more, it's a job. For another thousand, a mystery. For the rest...it's over. A few hundred more people are dead, just like the thousands of others around the world who die each day of one thing or another that could have been prevented if something else had happened. It's not so much that we shouldn't regret this loss, but that we should regret so many more that we don't have time to pay so much as attention to their numbers. This one thread was plucked from the tapestry and focused on to the exclusion of much else.

Even the shooting at Fort Hood could be seen that way. On the same day as the first shooting, a guy walked into his former place of employment and killed several people in Portland. It might not have made the news beyond the region even without the Fort Hood shooting, but because of the other shooting, the one was almost entirely ignored, but the similarities are there: A disturbed guy shot up his place of employment killing a bunch of people. There were two such incidents that I heard about on that same day. One was a sensation that even brought in the president. The other was just another day in the life, which brought no notice from the president and no notice by most national media.

We are largely told what to pay attention to by the media. DDay didn't hear about a workplace shooting and appears disturbed to be left in the dark, yet we are not told of every workplace shooting. The Malaysian crash would have been off the news weeks ago had the debris in the South China Sea proved to have been from the airplane. Now that it has been shown to have been a crash...it's just another crash, only amplified by the focus previously turned on it.

[TysonLPrice]

I saw/heard maybe two days on this shooting. In fact, if it wasn't for a local TV station that has an app that gives out alerts, I probably would've never known about it.

I remember the first spaces days like John Glenn orbiting space to the moon landing. That is all you could see on all three major channels. As a kid I was sick of it.

[Shaggy Hiker]

I see they found that machine that goes "ping".

[homer13j]

I see they found that machine that goes "ping".

What they really need is The Very Expensive Machine in case the administrator comes by.

[Shaggy Hiker]

I heard what those ships are costing to operate. They've GOT The Very Expensive Machine.

By the way, I also heard a discussion about why there aren't any automated satellite reporting systems. Apparently, they are now standard on corporate jets, but not on commercial airlines. The reason is simply that it would cost money to add them. The cost is justified when it comes to corporate jets, but when it comes to commercial airlines, if there is enough room to add a satelite transciever, then there is enough room to shave off another inch of legroom per person and add another row of seats.

[szlamany]

Interesting read

http://www.crescent-news.com/ap%20in...plane-searcher

The Navy P-8 Poseidon costs $4000 an hour to operate...

And they are flying 737's at altitudes of 200 feet...

Amazing!

[TysonLPrice]

I heard what those ships are costing to operate. They've GOT The Very Expensive Machine.

By the way, I also heard a discussion about why there aren't any automated satellite reporting systems. Apparently, they are now standard on corporate jets, but not on commercial airlines. The reason is simply that it would cost money to add them. The cost is justified when it comes to corporate jets, but when it comes to commercial airlines, if there is enough room to add a satelite transciever, then there is enough room to shave off another inch of legroom per person and add another row of seats.

The two biggests US airlines spent $74 million on lobbying efforts in the US governent. If that doesn't speak volumes to that I don't know what does.

[szlamany]

Interesting read

http://news.yahoo.com/search-mh370-r...210758573.html

[homer13j]

[Niya]

LOL!!!