Thread: Trivia and other useless but interesting items

1.5 billion was spent to clean up the river. Mon Dieu!

"Day five of the Paris Olympics begins with the triathlons, as officials deem the Seine safe to swim.
Follow all the action from the Paris Olympics live."

Inside the Billion-Dollar Effort to Clean Up the Seine | TIME
Once the €1.4 billion ($1.5 billion) project is finished—by next spring, if all goes to plan—Parisians will be legally allowed to swim in the river for the first time in a century. (Authorities banned it in 1923 because of high levels of pollution.) “Swimming at the foot of the Eiffel Tower will be very romantic,” Grégoire says, before guiding TIME underground into the giant—and decidedly unromantic—rainwater storage tank, crucial to cleaning the Seine.

A few days ago e-coli ten time the acceptable limit may have floated away I am NOT planning a swim in the sewers again myself Mia Culpa as I have done so as I did dive a LOT in a river/port in Bangkok keeping the water intakes on my ship clear of Lots of crud. It was not the best diving of my life and the resulting ear infection was PITA ++++

""Barring major disruptions, the BoJ is on course to tighten further, with another interest hike by the start of next year," he added.In March, the BoJ raised borrowing costs for the first time since 2007.
It meant that there were no longer any countries in the world left with negative interest rates.
In 2016, the BoJ cut its main interest rate below zero in an attempt to stimulate the country's stagnating economy.
When negative rates are in force people have to pay to deposit money in a bank. They have been used by several countries as a way of encouraging people to spend their money rather than putting it in a bank.
During the pandemic, central banks around the world slashed interest rates as they attempted to counteract the negative impact of border closures and lockdowns.
At the time some countries, including Switzerland and Denmark, as well as the European Central Bank, introduced negative interest rates."

Cash under the bed?

Originally Posted by p38arover

We lived in one of those houses near the station.

Pic taken in 1971 with my new car:

Attachment 190745

Here you go Ron, some old mates maybe?:

Carnarvon anniversary marks remote WA tracking station's 60-year NASA lunar history milestone - ABC News

Renewed my drivers license which arrived in the post. Had a quick look to see that it looked OK. Noticed that in addition to my existing classifications I am now the proud holder of a full unrestricted motor bike rating. Have never had this before nor have I ever done any training on riding one

Thousands of people have been caught by new seatbelt detection cameras across New South Wales in just three weeks, with the government expressing "shock" at the numbers. More than 11,400 fines have been issued after drivers and their passengers were detected by the cameras, which began operating on July 1.

How much " $410 and receive three demerit points on their licence if they or their passengers are caught not wearing or incorrectly wearing their seatbelt."

Triva 11,400 * 400 is $4,560,000

I wonder how they cope with vehicles that do not have seat belts or only have lap belts.

Originally Posted by 101RRS

I wonder how they cope with vehicles that do not have seat belts or only have lap belts.

I'm sure governments will have thought this through thoroughly and after full consultation with the experts in 'Traffic Branch', have a comprehensive list of such vehicles.

Surely they wouldn't place the onus on the driver or passenger, to prove their innocence?

Originally Posted by Saitch

I'm sure governments will have thought this through thoroughly and after full consultation with the experts in 'Traffic Branch', have a comprehensive list of such vehicles.

Surely they wouldn't place the onus on the driver or passenger, to prove their innocence?

You should not make me laugh so violently this early in the morning!