Things Noticeable this week

[Greenman]

I understand what you mean and to be honest I never liked the way she used to yell rather than sing but she was a major singing star for many years and garnered respect(or should that be R.E.S.P.E.C.T) from people around the world and a was a huge figure in the world of music so it is no surprise that it lead the bulletin.

[Devius]

Originally Posted by otokonomidori

I know Aretha Franklin was an important figure in popular music, especially to her fans, but does her death merit first spot on the BBC news bulletins?

Even in August there are far more significant things happening in the world than the demise of an elderly singer.

We may have a tendency these days to put our celebrities on gilded pedestals, only to find out later they had feet of clay, but I believe this "elderly singer" fully deserves the plaudits.

[cicciobuki]

Originally Posted by otokonomidori

I know Aretha Franklin was an important figure in popular music, especially to her fans, but does her death merit first spot on the BBC news bulletins?

Even in August there are far more significant things happening in the world than the demise of an elderly singer.

Dunno, what were the other items in today's BBC news?

[rotobott]

Originally Posted by cicciobuki

Dunno, what were the other items in today's BBC news?

I caught the end of the ITV news and thought Madonna had died, turned out it was her 60th birthday, surely the BBC would not be as shallow.

[otokonomidori]

Originally Posted by cicciobuki

Dunno, what were the other items in today's BBC news?

Collapsing bridge killing dozens in Italy, Obersturmbahnfuhrer Corbyn and The Final Solution, some crazy Islamic blackamoor trying to kill people with a car in London , Brexit developments etc etc - all much more important than the fact that a pop singer, who did all her best stuff fifty years ago, has gone to meet her Maker.

[trailmaster]

In America news about a celebrity's birthday or death takes precedent over any other news except a national disaster or an assassination!. That's the way it has always been in my long lifetime!

[Dr Pepper]

Originally Posted by scoundrel

The tragedy of the Morandi Bridge collapse in Genoa continues to unfold. Apparently the death toll so far is 39 and there are other cars still buried in the rubble of the bridge, and another 12 casualties in critical care units in hospital, not all of whom are expected to survive. The final tally will be more.

There is already a pass-the-parcel blame game being played, with even the EU austerity measures imposed on Italy being cited as a reason why this happened. But this is quite an old bridge and it was known to be deteriorating as early as the 1990s, with a lot of money and effort being expended on it all the time since then. It failed during a severe weather event and the part played by the weather has not yet been explained; this would be valuable to know so that the risk to other bridges can be assessed and preventive measures adopted if need be. It gets harder to learn from such an accident if there has to be a sacrificial scapegoat, so I would be more inclined to just follow the facts and only punish people where punishment is warranted, rather than look for someone to punish, someone to blame.

Well this IS the country that arrested scientists for not predicting an earthquake a few years back............

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...ific-community

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-20025626

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_L...ila_earthquake

[cicciobuki]

Originally Posted by otokonomidori

Collapsing bridge killing dozens in Italy, Obersturmbahnfuhrer Corbyn and The Final Solution, some crazy Islamic blackamoor trying to kill people with a car in London , Brexit developments etc etc - all much more important than the fact that a pop singer, who did all her best stuff fifty years ago, has gone to meet her Maker.

The Italian bridge happened a few days ago, is the BBC that slow?

As for the other stuff, for the average right wing fanatic that will be the top news sure (even worded like you did). For the average person not that much.
I have no affinity for Aretha Franklin (i have no soul), but i didn't read anything that would take a logical first spot from her demise in the mainstream news.

And as someone else here mentioned, obituaries first is a form of respect for the dead.

[scoundrel]

Originally Posted by wildtig2013

That autostrada was built in the 1960's when construction companies in Italy were ran by the mafia.

There are various theories about what might have caused the bridge to fall down, but it has stood for 50 years so probably wasn't so very badly built in the first instance - not for example like the legendary Tay Bridge Disaster, which happened less than three years after the bridge was opened, proving that the design and construction were at fault. When a fifty year old bridge falls down, one had to wonder about the standard of the running maintenance and whether there were issues which the engineering inspections should have brought to light.

I remember how much heartburning and recriminations there were before the 2012 London Olympics when the elevated section of the M4 had to be closed. Routine inspection had discovered cracks in the concrete (maybe victims of the Richardson family were turning in their "graves"). Despite the unpopularity of having the motorway closed, the Highways Agency did it anyway and made extensive repairs. They would have been much more unpopular if they had downplayed the problem and the structure had fallen down; someone senior in the Highways Agency decided the risk was too serious and took care of business.

Maybe it wasn't the mafia after all.

[charliels531]

Originally Posted by otokonomidori

Brexit developments

I admire your exceedingly dry humor. Or humour.