Posted by
Grim..., around January 2006:
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england...
A whale has made its way up the River Thames to central London, where it is being watched by riverside crowds.
The northern bottle-nosed whale, which is 16-18ft long and is usually found in deep sea waters, has passed Parliament and is moving upstream.
I hope it turns around or someone turns it around before it gets stuck somewhere.
Posted by
Grim..., around 20th January 2006:
Stuck? It got past the Thames Barrier somehow...
There a live video feed on that page, you can see it every now and again when it comes up to breathe.
Posted by
Sul_DUPE1, around 20th January 2006:
I just heard that theres another one at southend making its way up.
Posted by
Grim..., around 20th January 2006:
Really?
Is it on the net, or anything?
Posted by
Sul_DUPE1, around 20th January 2006:
My dad told me. I assume he heard it on the radio.
Posted by
graybo, around 20th January 2006:
It's being covered live on BBC News 24. They don't rate its chances very highly as it is clearly distressed and confused - and, at 7 tonnes, they reckon they can't do anything to make it go anywhere but where it chooses to go of its own will.
(relurks)
Posted by
Sul_DUPE1, around 20th January 2006:
We have lurkers? What must they think?
The link that grim put at the top of the thread has that picture too.
And a diagram of whale sizes.
We saw that on our news over here, too. Poor thing, I hope it will be alright.
The northern bottle-nosed whale, which is 16-18ft long and is usually found in deep sea waters, has passed Parliament
just our bloody luck. a whale FINALLY eats the politicians but even whaleguts can't tolerate them.
cool vid. looks like it's beaching itself down by where i used to live. lucky i watched it, actually: had been tossing up about heading back out into the cold to see if i could see it, but judging by the types of boats it's bumping into at the tail of the vid, it either didn't really go past parliament at all, or it's turned and headed back downstream. or else is up past wapping.
not really sure i see what the problem is with it beaching itself here. there's no surf to worry about, the beaches are a stones throw from the navigable channel, and there are more spare barges around than you can throw a tasty fish at. wait till it exhausts itself, lob a canvas sheet around it and strap it to side of barge, wait till tide floats barge off beach, float barge down to sea. not quick but rat's arse. half a day's wait's not going to matter much one way or the other.
Apparently he's heading back. Hoorah.
is THAT what all that bloody noise is outside?
the minicab touts are going berzerk.
fucking whales: "ohhhh, i haven't got any money on me, can we stop at an AtlanTicM?"
you just KNOW he's gonna do a swimmer
Posted by
Sul_DUPE1, around 20th January 2006:
But what was it fucking?
****BLEEUUAARRRGGHHHHH****
"ewww.
corrr.
wow.
got a tissue?"
"verdigris"
"in the jar, and HURRY UP"
Posted by
graybo, around 21st January 2006:
Said Sul: We have lurkers? What must they think?
They don't think. Not if we can help it. 100% fact.
Besides, I'm only a lurker. I can't guarantee that there is a plurality of lurker. There may be others - who can say?
What's the update on the whale, Londoners? Is he alright?
Posted by
Brock, around 21st January 2006:
He died:
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england...
Oh no. Poor, poor thing.
:(
Posted by
Sul_DUPE1, around 21st January 2006:
'Earlier, naturalist and television presenter Terry Nutkins said the rescue operation was the wrong thing to do...
...he later concluded he had "no doubts" the rescue operation had been the best way to try to save the whale.'
Make your mind up Terry. Although why him liking to get naked needs pointing out I fail to see.
He has form for not making his mind up though.
'Earlier, naturalist and television presenter Terry Nutkins said he really loved otters...
...Stumpy later concluded he had "no doubts" the otter should be hunted to extinction'
i thought terry nutkins was a character in a child's book
That's Squirrel Nutkin. (Beatrix Potter, I think)
Posted by
WarHead, around 22nd January 2006:
Terry Nutkins has a Max Wall haircut.
And the end of one of his fingers is missing, possibly bitten off by a notter.
Posted by
Brock, around 22nd January 2006:
It was bitten off by an otter, wasn't it? I thought he was rearing one at home when he was younger and it chmoped him.
Yes an otter.
Hence my whole "Terry Nutkins said he really loved otters" thing ^^^
Posted by
WarHead, around 22nd January 2006:
£&!$&*£$
I thought it was bitten of by a nutter.
Posted by
Grim..., around 22nd January 2006:
It seems that traffic wardens made some money on the day the whale was rescued - they slapped £300 of fines onto the rescuers cars =]
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england...
Posted by
Grim..., around 23rd January 2006:
Does it fuck. There is no reason why they should get special treatment because a big fucking fish happened to swim up a river (which, incidently, they have - the fines are not going to be enforced).
If a pigeon is hit by a train or a car runs over a city fox no-one gives a fuck.
Just because it's a whale doesn't make it's life any more important.
Posted by
Brock, around 23rd January 2006:
NO, but it's rarity does and the extraordinary circumstances make it noteworthy.
i notice NOONE has fined it yet for navigating the Thames without a licence. i, personally, am outraged by this flagrant flouting of rules we demand are applied to everyone who's not "special".
You're all heart, aren't you Grim?
It was a significant, highly unusual event. We even had it on the news over here, for goodness sake. I think it was
petty to fine them. Besides, it's not true that no-one gives a fuck about foxes and pigeons, because
I DO! (for one)
Having said that, however, on the issue of people being policed, I
wouldrather be over-policed than under-policed.
Posted by
Grim..., around January 2006:
I'm realistic.
"charismatic megafauna"
'Size' talks to the same human tendency as creates gods: big implies power implies social power implies worth
^ Hmm. I see your point.
(/aside :Maybe the Loch Ness Monster does exist.)
Posted by
bumdog, around January 2006:
I don't think the whole whale incident has been covered better than by popular cultural commentator, Gavin the Cat:
blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?...
Posted by
Grim..., around January 2006:
Perfect, Salt.
I also love the way people felt oh-so-sorry for the Thames whale because it died, didn't mumble about the £50,000 (I think that's what I read) it cost to 'rescue' it, but don't stop to think about the Japanese harpooning them on the other side of the world.
Posted by
Grim..., around January 2006:
Except for whales are mammals, so they don't stop breathing when you take them out of the water.
Well, until they die, that is.
No, it's a sign. Repent! Sinnahs!
Posted by
Brock, around 24th January 2006:
It's interesting that Grim started this thread as being related to something noteworthy, even using incredulous emphasis in the title about it being a "*whale*" (of all things) "in the Thames", but has now completed a complete volte face and denied it having any worth.
Do we have several "A fucking car hit a *fox*!" threads on the way then, Grim?
i think you need to re-read grim…'s posts, brock.
Posted by
Brock, around 24th January 2006:
"There is no reason why they should get special treatment because a big fucking fish happened to swim up a river"
"Just because it's a whale doesn't make it's life any more important."
But "just because a big fish..." is enough to generate a special thread in iamcal and a news story that generates enough interest and public pressure to get fines rescinded by the council for fear of a backlash? It wasn't the fact it was a whale that got the fines rescinded, it was the public pressure.
(and if I didn't twist it slightly, he's not going to get all riled up, is he? And what's the point of that?) :)
Posted by
Grim..., around 24th January 2006:
Starting a thread is a little different to dropping £50k on something...
Twist away, and I shall twist back - the is no "There's a fucking dead *whale* in a boat on the Thames" thread =]
a whale isn't a big fish.
Posted by
Brock, around 24th January 2006:
I had that filed under "pedant", Alfie, but you're right, it probably needs to be said.
It's not a
mammel either... :p
Oh, and the whale is on the dock.
[/pedant-a-go-go}
Posted by
Grim..., around 24th January 2006:
Did you mean ']'?
</bobby brown>
Posted by
Brock, around 24th January 2006:
Hahaha! Fucker.
Grim, would you be happy if someone stopped to give you artificial respiraton because you were choking but then they got a ticket for stopping on a double yellow line?? or if they didnt stop because of the line. of course then you would be dead!!
Posted by
Brock, around 25th January 2006:
And THEN think how sad we'd be? ;)
Posted by
WarHead, around 25th January 2006:
Good point. I never thought of that.
i know he was a friend but you would soon get over him,
"la spume de ma tante"
Wasn't that a song in the Lion King?"
Posted by
Brock, around 25th January 2006:
"you would soon get over him"
Not unless I changed my sexual orientation and got him really pissed...
/me thinks that kerri_2001 may need an irony/sarcasm injection if she is going to cope with being here... :)
Posted by
WarHead, around 25th January 2006:
Unless it's just another of the doc's multiple personalities.
It's interesting that Grim started this thread as being related to something noteworthy, even using incredulous emphasis in the title about it being a "*whale*" (of all things) "in the Thames", but has now completed a complete volte face and denied it having any worth.
Good point Brock. This did occur to me, but I am not nearly as eloquent as you are.
Posted by
Grim..., around 25th January 2006:
Yeah. It was interesting (mainly because I live in London), but I really didn't think it was world news...
Posted by
Grim..., around 25th January 2006:
Grim, would you be happy if someone stopped to give you artificial respiraton because you were choking
I'd be more impressed if he were to give me the heimlich manouver, but hey, I'm a good looking guy.
True. True. Yeah, that's true.
Posted by
Brock, around 25th January 2006:
Yeah, if they gave artificial respiration to someone who was, albeit choking, still breathing, you'd probably kill them. So I imagine happy is the last thing he'd be.
Posted by
Sul_DUPE1, around 25th January 2006:
It probably only deserved the coverage it got on London local news, yeah, but it was certainly worldly news in an "and in other news..." oddity kinda way.
I would quite like to blow a piece of food back into your trhoat!
Posted by
syl_DUPE1, around 26th January 2006:
Woah, there Kerri...surely you're not serious?
Posted by
Sul_DUPE1, around 2nd February 2006:
Oh crap. By the time the divers realise that all the acid is missing, four whales will be on the tube with a tear in their eye, chemical explosives in their backbacks and a "This is for Terry, Mother Fuckers!" warcry.
Posted by
Sul_DUPE1, around 2nd February 2006:
hehe :)
