Ship of Fools: The Seven Modern Plagues

Thread: The Seven Modern Plagues Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

To visit this thread, use this URL:
http://forum.ship-of-fools.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=70;t=029946

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :

A call to hell to all those stupendously intelligent nerds that like to inflict terror and inconvenience with one phone call, one computer click, one twitter. May you be on the receiving end one day soon. I hope you live long enough to be a parent juggling work, daycare, school, transport and health issues at the same time and then get something similar inflicted on you.

Orfeo's recent biblical type woes with ice and wasps made me think about the modern but entirely manmade plagues upon us.

Suicide bombers; Computer viruses; Hoax terrorist calls; Guns on campus; Crystal meth; Factory and vehicular driven pollution; Cyber bullying and the Kardashians....

In the human-made call to hell, what would your seven modern plagues be?

Posted by Doc Tor (# 9748) on :

If this turns into a Circus thread, it'll be clobbering time...

Posted by mousethief (# 953) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Banner Lady:
A call to hell to all those stupendously intelligent nerds that like to inflict terror and inconvenience with one phone call, one computer click, one twitter.

What exactly are you talking about here?

Posted by Net Spinster (# 16058) on :

quote:
Originally posted by mousethief:

quote:
Originally posted by Banner Lady:
A call to hell to all those stupendously intelligent nerds that like to inflict terror and inconvenience with one phone call, one computer click, one twitter.
What exactly are you talking about here?

Possibly swatting.

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :

Just this.

A week ago 20 schools in the state of Victoria were targeted with bomb hoaxes. It has now spread further. Other Australian states, Canada and the US reported an increase in hoax calls. At least one call has been traced back to France. The story has been yanked from the media probably to deter copycat behaviour. But a school an hour from where I live had to deal with a hoax call yesterday.

Why is it you can tell me the colour of my mailbox from outer space, access my asset details in the blink of an eye, and onsell all my private details yet these idiots can continue to operate? [Mad]

A plague on the plague of them.

[ 13. February 2016, 02:38: Message edited by: Banner Lady ]

Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :

Back in the '70s, we sometimes got bomb threats at my school. Nothing actually happened, and most of them were thought to be attempts to skip taking a test. But we still had to go outside and wait while the building was checked, just in case.

Not to in anyway minimize your story and anger, Banner Lady. But I wonder if *some* of the things you mentioned might have been kids who could hack and wanted to skip tests, etc.? They might have routed their communication to look like it came from elsewhere. FWIW.

Horrible things to do, whatever the reason.
[Votive]

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :

Skip tests? School has been back from the summer break in Oz for all of two weeks. I can understand a malcontent doing this to one school, or even a denominational group of schools. Especially at end of term time. The scope of this seems much wider. I don't remember it happening quite like this before.

I am surprised you think that we should just shrug and accept this as part of life in the 21st century and not an action to be condemned to hell. Bet all those parents home schooling are feeling even more justified now.

Posted by mousethief (# 953) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Banner Lady:
I am surprised you think that we should just shrug and accept this as part of life in the 21st century and not an action to be condemned to hell.

Uh, yeah. That's why Golden Key called it

quote:
Horrible things to do, whatever the reason.

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :

quote:
Originally posted by mousethief:

quote:
Originally posted by Banner Lady:
A call to hell to all those stupendously intelligent nerds that like to inflict terror and inconvenience with one phone call, one computer click, one twitter.
What exactly are you talking about here?

This is my understanding of this hilarious practice:

1. Person A gets involved in a gaming group that uses webcam chat .

2. Person B, part of same group, gains persons trust and starts pumping them for personal info, such as their address.

3. Person B calls Person A's local law enforcement and claims that Person A has been threatening to set off a bomb during said webcam chat.

4. While game/ chat is in progress, everyone on that channel is treated to the sight of a SWAT team bursting in to Person A's room and flinging him to the floor.

Tee fucking Hee Hee Hee.

Little shits deserve to see the inside of a jail cell ASAP.

[ 13. February 2016, 05:48: Message edited by: Kelly Alves ]

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :

I lived in Birmingham UK in the 70s - we got at least 3 bomb threats a week, so did plenty of other schools. We enjoyed them! Half an hour out of lessons while they had a check round.

I was going on a date to the Tavern pub but finished with my boyfriend that afternoon. It was bombed that evening - so I was very relieved that boyfriend kissed like a wet fish (the reason I finished with him)

Posted by rolyn (# 16840) on :

Had he kissed like Casanova surgeons would have removing nails from both your butts the following morning, or worse.
Funny old world ain't it.

Back to plagues. The only one that springs mind is that of roadside litter. It offends my eyes, but then whose to say a beetle does survive a cold wet night inside a discarded drinks can.
Funny old world....

<glad you gave that pub a miss that night BTW>

Posted by Wesley J (# 6075) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
[...] I was going on a date to the Tavern pub but finished with my boyfriend that afternoon. It was bombed that evening - so I was very relieved that boyfriend kissed like a wet fish (the reason I finished with him)

This is Hell, and I am curious: Did they get him? I suppose he still went, to drown his sorrow. Did the fish get chipped?

Posted by rolyn (# 16840) on :

Stood-up and blown to pieces, that really would rate as the mother of all bum dates.

Posted by JonahMan (# 12126) on :

quote:
Originally posted by rolyn:
Stood-up and blown to pieces, that really would rate as the mother of all bum dates.

It would still be one of my more successful ones.

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Wesley J:

quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
[...] I was going on a date to the Tavern pub but finished with my boyfriend that afternoon. It was bombed that evening - so I was very relieved that boyfriend kissed like a wet fish (the reason I finished with him)
This is Hell, and I am curious: Did they get him? I suppose he still went, to drown his sorrow. Did the fish get chipped?

No,no - he didn't go out at all, it was a shocking time and he phoned me the next day. They were more night clubs than pubs, I was under age and used to pride myself for getting in [Roll Eyes]

Posted by rolyn (# 16840) on :

Continuing the tangent I read up on the 2 Birmingham attacks in 1974. The Tavern and Mulberry . Incidentally, and possibly ironically, a young couple out on their first date were among the dead at the Tavern basement.
Even as a teenager living in the sticks I well recall the feeling of National outrage . And, as now we know, six innocent men served 15 years to satisfy that outrage. Ridiculous and grim times, and looking back most certainly a plague.

Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :

Re bad dates:

There's a movie called "Harold and Maude". H is a young man who's kind of at loose ends, and trying to break out of the world in which he was brought up.

Pertinent part is that H's awful mom is pushing him to date. IIRC, he's had some his mom set up, a fixed number of them. Current one is an actress. They're talking in his room, and she starts to explain a part she's working on. She needs a prop knife, and IIRC he has one. Smart girl tests it against her hand to make sure it's fake. She's flat on the floor, reciting her part, and "stabs" herself , and "dies".

Just then, H's mother comes bustling into the room, and sees the "dead" girl on the floor. She looks at her son in shock, and says "Harold! That was your last date!!"

[Devil]

UBB.classic^TM 6.5.0