Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Krusher on December 23, 2004, 10:59:24 AM
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The obscure nation of Belgium, often called "Europe's forgotten country," was virtually destroyed by the impact of an asteroid -- but incredibly, outsiders didn't notice for three weeks.
And even after they found out, newspapers and TV stations in the United States didn't bother to report it!
A concerned media critic is calling this the "most underreported story of 2003."
"I conducted an Internet search and I found only two references in the American media to the catastrophe in Belgium. Yet for the same time period I found more than 6,500 stories about Kobe Bryant," blasts media critic John Blancing of New York.
"We have to start getting our priorities straight as journalists. Belgium is a country of more than 10 million people, with a very rich history. To let its destruction go unreported is appalling and unforgivable."
The oversight has been blamed on a number of factors, among them the fact that the asteroid struck on September 12, when media attention was largely focused on the deaths of singer Johnny Cash and actor John Ritter.
There's also the sad reality that no one, either in the United States or the rest of Europe, is particularly interested in what happens in Belgium.
"Belgium hasn't made a major contribution to world history since the days of Flemish artists like Pieter Rubens in the 17th century," notes an expert.
"No American vacations there -- why would you, when there's London, Paris and Rome? To most outsiders, it's as if Belgium doesn't exist. And of course now it doesn't."
When astronomers first spotted the tiny, 460-square-foot "mini-asteroid," dubbed Appler 3710, late last year, it generated quite a stir, but interest died down after experts determined it would probably not hit Earth.
That turned out to be a big miscalculation, however.
"No one was keeping an eye on Appler 3710. Against all expectations, it landed in the heart of Europe," Blancing says.
The careening space rock spawned earthquakes across Belgium, which is about they size of Maryland, damaging concrete dikes and creating massive flooding in coastal areas. The death toll is believed to be at least 8,000, with millions more left homeless and hundreds of historical sites destroyed.
Extensive damage occurred in nine of the 10 provinces, with Antwerpen, Brabant and Wallon especially hard hit.
Fiercely proud, King Albert II has refused to allow Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt to reach out to fellow European nations for aid. And appealing to America for help was "out of the question," given Belgium's stubborn refusal to back Operation Iraqi Freedom earlier this year, Blancing notes.
In neighboring Luxembourg, which experienced minor quake damage, reports of the disaster in Belgium first began to surface in early October. But newspapers in France and Germany, which also border the tiny country, ignored rumors of a catastrophe.
"To put it bluntly, the Germans and French are concerned only with themselves," Blancing says.
It was only when the media critic happened to interview the Belgian ambassador to the U.N. that he himself learned what had happened.
"The ambassador didn't know about the asteroid until he phoned relatives back home," Blancing notes.
A trickle of reports on the deepimpact tragedy are finally beginning to crop up in the U.S., but it's too little, too late.
"CNN and FOX News should have been on top of this," the expert says, "but apparently Britney Spears' bare midriff or Eminem's latest antics are more important."
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"Belgium hasn't made a major contribution to world history since the days of Flemish artists like Pieter Rubens in the 17th century," notes an expert.
:rofl :rofl :rofl :rofl :aok
it wouldn't be so funny if it were not so true!
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um. jean claude van dam
hello!!!
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Originally posted by JB88
um. jean claude van dam
hello!!!
they said major contribution.
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Chimay beer is a major contribution but you freak barbarians wouldn't know anything about that...
Pomp Fritz is another...
:p
DoctorYo
PS: The comment on major contributions on Claude Van Damme was right on the belgian franc....muahhahah that guy is flaming drunkard with a lump on his forehead..
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Dont put down belgium. its a great placeholder for the territory between those other countries there.... without belgium it would just be a big void.
:)
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Belgium? Who cares about some silly little french village?
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Can you post some links to this story? I've done a couple web searches, and I can't find it.
BTW, asteriods don't impact the earth. When an asteriod enters the earth's atmosphere, it is called a meteor. Should the thing be large enough that it does not burn up completely, the remaining chunk of former space rock is now dubbed a meteorite. (Just some pointless rabbel to go with the story.)
I found a story about Belgium approving same sex marriage in January 31, 2003 - http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/01/30/world/main538668.shtml
Another about a $100M jewl heist - February 27, 2003 - http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/02/27/world/main542274.shtml
OK.. I found the story - ON WEEKLY WORLD NEWS!!!! :rolleyes: http://rds.yahoo.com/S=2766679/K=Belgium+hit+by+asteroid/v=2/SID=w/TID=OOP5_5/l=WS1/R=4/IPC=us/SHE=0/H=2/SIG=1291kh2ne/EXP=1103915643/*-http%3A//www.weeklyworldnews.com/features/science/60195
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Hehe, you had a solid strike and you let him wiggle off the hook dangit!
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Originally posted by JB73
they said major contribution.
i take great umbrage to that comment 73, even if you are my squaddie and senior member.
John claude van dam is not only the greatest actor who ever lived, (second only to bill paxton in independence day) but a walking god amonst us lowly peasants.
to the DA!!!!!
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Bill Paxton was in Independance Day? Perhaps you mean Bill Pullman? In which case you must be shot.
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Perk the Asteroids!!!!!
:aok
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yes, i meant bill pullman.
that i got the miestro's name wrong...i deserve to be shot.
i will gladly die for his honor.
sepuku!!!!!!!!
mMMmmmMmmMAAAAAMMMMmmmmmmnnnn gh....
thud.
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President Thomas Whitmore: Good morning. In less than an hour, aircraft from here will join others from around the world. And you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind. "Mankind." That word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can't be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests. Perhaps it's fate that today is the Fourth of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom... Not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution... but from annihilation. We are fighting for our right to live. To exist. And should we win the day, the Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day the world declared in one voice: "We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight!" We're going to live on! We're going to survive! Today we celebrate our Independence Day!
[Crowd cheers]
(sniffle)
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Originally posted by JB88
um. jean claude van dam
hello!!!
That would be reason enough to get the God rocket. I`d be POed too if my company turned out something like that. :D
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What a great site...all sorts of useful and insightful bits of information. I mean it's even better the FOX...
FATTIES MAKE THE BEST LOVERS
New survey finds Americans are sexiest people on Earth!
And that's why Americans, the fattest people on earth, have just been named the world's greatest lovers.
Italians choked on their spaghetti and hopping mad Frenchmen spat out their frog legs in disgust after a team of international researchers announced its findings last week.
"After three years of research in a dozen different countries we discovered two very interesting facts," says team leader Dr. Susan Boyd of Manchester, England.
"The first was that overweight people have a higher sex drive than their skinny cousins, and that Americans have replaced both the Italians and French as the world's greatest lovers.
"We used some basic criteria to come to this conclusion: The number of times males and females engaged in sexual intercourse, the pleasure and satisfaction index of both sexes, graded on a scale of one to 10, and finally the perceived attractiveness of the sexual partner, again on a one to 10 scale.
"In all three categories, Americans scored highest. And the fatter the man or woman, the higher the score.
"Americans say they engage in sexual intercourse 5.5 times a week, far surpassing the Italian average of 2.1, the French running a poor third at 1.0 even.
"When asked how much pleasure and satisfaction they got from sex, on a scale of one to 10, Americans, both male and female, entered the lists at an incredible 9.5. The Italian satisfaction index was 5.5 and the French a measly 2.3.
"When asked how attractive they considered their sex partner on a scale of one to 10, Americans responded with a whopping 10. The more fastidious Italians gave their partners a 5, and the French a woeful 2."
The study was bankrolled by beauty product companies in Europe and the U.S., and was similar to a study they financed 25 years ago.
"Americans have come a long way since then," Dr. Boyd says. "In 1979 the world's greatest lovers were the Italians, with the French a close second. America tied with Ethiopia near the bottom of the list, beating only Russia and Morocco.
"The difference is that the fattest nation on Earth is now the sexiest, proving that fat can indeed be beautiful -- it's all in the eye of the beholder.
"Scientists will now study our results and try to determine why being obese makes us sexier. Perhaps it's a throwback to cave man times when the fatter a man or woman was, the more likely they were to survive hard times, which would make them very attractive as potential mates.
"Why sexual performance is enhanced among fat people is a mystery. It's possible that, since they know they are not skinny and attractive like the fashion model ideal, they try harder.
"And why Americans see their obese sex partner as attractive could be a changing beauty norm. The reign of the skinny could be over, giving way to the obese. Today, in America at least, fat's where it's at."
The French are crying foul over the report, saying that the enduring reputation of Frenchman as great lovers was established centuries ago and continues to this day.
"This report was skewed in favor of Americans who buy more beauty products than any other nation," sniffs a government spokesman. "I fail to see how two, great, 300-pound porkers rolling on a squeaking bed is sexy."
An Italian Ministry of Tourism spokesman adds: "People should vacation in Italy where they will quickly discover that we are still the greatest lovers on Earth.
"I do not believe this report. Somebody was bought -- big time."
-- G.A. Gunns
:p :p
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"I'm going to die and miss out on telling my son all the important facts of life, like fat chicks tend to cum alot." - Dudley Moore in that tank movie.
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Fabrique National nuff said
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Originally posted by DoctorYO
Chimay beer is a major contribution but you freak barbarians wouldn't know anything about that...
Pomp Fritz is another...
:p
DoctorYo
PS: The comment on major contributions on Claude Van Damme was right on the belgian franc....muahhahah that guy is flaming drunkard with a lump on his forehead..
At the risk of mindlessly 13th TAS pig piling on Doctor Yo, I will agree with him on the Pomp Fritz (with mayo) and the Chimay, although I will say the Duval and Westmal are better IMHO.
Of course, I do expect to be ranted on by Doctor Yo for my opinion, but such is life and I think I'll survive his BBS tongue lashing (barely of course).
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Hold on....didn't the vare-mark us it as a back door to France. I'd spell vare-mark right, but I'm to lazy to look it up.
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Originally posted by Ripsnort
"Belgium hasn't made a major contribution to world history since the days of Flemish artists like Pieter Rubens in the 17th century," notes an expert.
:rofl :rofl :rofl :rofl :aok
it wouldn't be so funny if it were not so true!
Belgium, a peacefull nation unlike other warmonger nations,
with beatyfull girls & food, what else is better for the "world history" ? LOL ;)
R
Gh0stFT
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Originally posted by Gh0stFT
Belgium, a peacefull nation unlike other warmonger nations,
with beatyfull girls & food, what else is better for the "world history" ? LOL ;)
R
Gh0stFT
Beautiful girls? Dude when I was there the main thing I noticed was that they could grow better moustaches than the men. Now there are French restaurants...Italian restaurants... Chinese restaurants ,,,,,,where outside of Belgium is a Belgium restaurant.
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There are 3 good things about Belgium;
1. Hooegaarden
2. Stella Artois
3. It's a short train ride from Amsterdam
;)
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weaselsan maybe your blind or just plain unlucky,
sorry man ;)
but i visited Belgium once and it was a GREAT time,
Girls & Food!
But if you still feel u have to dinner French, Italian or Chinese
while on vacation in Belgium, im sure you will find one fancy restaurant *g*
looks like the asteroid didnt destroyed enough ;)
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Rodger De Coster 5 time world 500cc motocross champion
Joel ROBERT 6 time world 250cc motocross champion
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Originally posted by Curval
"I'm going to die and miss out on telling my son all the important facts of life, like fat chicks tend to cum alot." - Dudley Moore in that tank movie.
Curval ....... i wont ask how, you know that or Dudley does nor will i tell you that i do too .....................but damn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:rofl
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Originally posted by Ripsnort
"Belgium hasn't made a major contribution to world history since the days of Flemish artists like Pieter Rubens in the 17th century," notes an expert.
:rofl :rofl :rofl :rofl :aok
it wouldn't be so funny if it were not so true!
Well not defending Belgium, but they have produced some very good beer!
:D :D