I read the news today, oh boy!

[Ruby]

Lol! True.
As far as I know, yes, re snowflakes.
Amazing patterns in nature - romanesco brocolli, nautilus, succulents, ammonite, an endless list!

[CRAZY-HORSE]

good to read a little 'good news' story amongst the doom and gloom of the news reports everyday:
https://www.msn.com/en-au/lifestyle/fami...d=msedgntp

[Jerome]

Here we go again - https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/south...g--report/

[Jerome]

https://uk.yahoo.com/news/divvy-bike-rid...46791.html

[CRAZY-HORSE]

^^
should be protests for #82YOSafetyMatters

[CRAZY-HORSE]

Poor old Elton john, his electric bill on his Windsor mansion costs around 50,000 pounds per annum (only second to Buckingham Palace!).
https://www.msn.com/en-au/money/other/el...d=msedgntp

[CRAZY-HORSE]

the Martin D-18 guitar Elvis owned and used on his iconic "sun sessions" in 54-55 has sold at auction for USD $1.32M,
a record for Presley memorabilia: https://www.msn.com/en-au/entertainment/...d=msedgdhp

on a sad note,
his Grandson committed suicide from an apparent drug overdose several weeks ago: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/07...d-aged-27/

---

a couple of days late
but my EPL team Arsenal won the F.A Cup on Saturday against cross-town rivals Chelsea 2-1.

was a good result after a disappointing season in the League where they didnt even finish in the top10.

[CRAZY-HORSE]

grumpy Uncle Neil sues the Trump campaign for using his songs at his rallies against the artists wishes claiming breach of copyright and no licence to use the songs....

https://www.msn.com/en-au/entertainment/...d=msedgdhp

[Jerome]

Hell that explosion in Beirut was just devastating. Half the city is gone. Don't know what the hell happened but obviously an industrial accident of epic proportions. Apparently they were storing 2750 TONS of ammonia nitrate in the port. There is also talk of fireworks exploding before the main explosion. Don't know how much of this is correct or not. Or was it ammunition going off initially? I am sure there will be many conspiracy theories on this one but at the end of the day the people of Beirut are in a dire situation. God help them. Can you just imagine what Hiroshima/Nagasaki must have been like for the Japanese. 2020 is turning out to be a really, really bad year.

[CRAZY-HORSE]

^^
yeah, devastating images of the aftermath and video of the explosion.
thoughts and prayers should be with the people of Beirut ATM.

BBC World did a bit of a special on it last night prior to me nodding off.
there was a similar sized Ammonia Nitrate explosion in china in 2015 but the first huge accidental explosion of Ammonia Nitrate was around 1948 in Texas at a shipping yard apparently.
it was the Texas explosion that is was discovered just how volatile it could be given the correct environment.