Latest news with #decompression
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Women are told to be assertive at work, then made to feel scummy for actually doing it
In my day job as a television journalist, I live a sort of ridiculous existence of dressing like a real estate agent in brightly coloured suits while asking people about the horrendous thing that has happened to them or their loved ones. After leaving court or an inquest or a crime scene for the day, I often want to remove my brain, give it a spray and wipe and put it back fresh for the next day. Because that's not physically possible, I have to make do with the next best thing - trying my best to melt it out of my ears with reality television. My white noise machine is the sound of very thin and very rich white women screaming at each other across various series from the Real Housewives franchise. My salve is disappearing into the beige world of the Kardashians, where nothing bad happens except having to eat those massive salads they're always shaking in giant plastic containers. Lately I've been watching the half women, half hair extension cast of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. I don't want to have a single thought while I watch producers do a truly commendable job of creating dramatic fight scenes at parties where nobody is drinking. I just want to exist as a piece of half sentient play-dough watching the shape and colours of these women doing TikTok dances in matching tracksuit sets. Maybe this is the adult equivalent of calming baby sensory videos. Perhaps like other journalists I should take up running or boxing to decompress. But I prefer the thinking woman's alternative, and welcome the comforting glow of Love Islanders on an OLED screen. READ MORE The benevolent gods over at Netflix have bestowed a second season of America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders upon us. It seems to be a show about southern women with big hair breaking the spirits of some of the most beautiful and talented dancers I have ever seen. I have neither an interest in cheerleading nor the NFL, but I am glued to the plotlines of young hopefuls trying to join the squad. Will so-and-so perfect her high kicks in time? Why are all these women pushing their body through gruelling training if being a cheerleader pays less than minimum wage? Helpfully, Dallas Cowboys' executive vice-president and the daughter of the team's owner, Charlotte Jones, explains 'they actually don't come here for the money'. 'It is about a sisterhood that they were able to form, about relationships that they have for the rest of their life,' says the daughter of a billionaire with a completely straight face. Which leaves the women to try to eke out a living doing whatever they can to pay their rent while putting in 14-hour days between work and rehearsals. This season we see the dancers refuse to sign their contracts, as they attempt to negotiate a liveable wage from a football team making huge sums of money from their labour and likeness. It's syndicalism in spandex. RIP Karl Marx: you would have loved this season and the Thunderstruck dance routine. One girl breaks down in tears explaining she's just exhausted between the demands of the team, looking perfect and working full time. 'But why do we want people to quit their full-time jobs, when that's what's so impressive about ya'll?' a team official responds. Again with a completely straight face. [ Brianna Parkins: I am quite good with money. I know exactly how to spend it all Opens in new window ] When women ask for more money, particularly young women or women from minorities, they are made to feel unreasonable for making an entirely reasonable request. You can take all the advice about women needing to be more assertive and asking for what they want, like men do, in order to close the gender pay gap. But I have found that when I have done just that, it has rarely been received well. Instead, especially in my early career, I was gaslit into thinking I was just lucky to be there. Or they would plámás me. Telling me how much they loved my work. I was very important to them. They just couldn't show me that by giving me more money. Which is odd because in free-market capitalism, money is probably the most popular way of rewarding someone for doing a good job. Instead I was made to feel greedy and scummy. As if I was cheapening myself and my profession for stooping to something as low as 'working for money'. Until I finally had a (male) boss in Australia who hinted at me to ask for a pay rise and then rolled his eyes at my lowly request and added another $10k on the figure. I can never make up for the years on less money than I should have been earning. But I can advise young women (and cheerleaders) to learn from my mistakes.
CNN
26-06-2025
- General
- CNN
A mother thought her baby was blown out of a plane. The FAA still allows infants on laps
It was horrifying enough for anyone when a door plug popped off an Alaska Airlines flight at more than 16,000 feet last year, causing an explosive decompression. But one mother's nightmare was particularly acute, as she thought she lost her baby out of the gaping hole in the side of the plane. It's an unimaginable horror, and one that safety regulators could have prevented by requiring that parents secure infants on board planes in a car seat, as they must be when riding in a car. But despite years of calls for just such a rule, none exists. Testimony this week at the National Transportation Safety Board hearing into the incident, and transcripts of interviews with flight attendants conducted by NTSB investigators that were released this week, tell of the panic aboard the flight. Passengers' clothing was ripped off, and their phones were blown out of their hands and sent hurtling into the night by the by the rush of air that accompanied the rapid decompression. The flight attendants weren't sure whether they had lost any of the passengers until the plane had landed. Initially, they weren't even sure if the pilots were conscious or in need of medical attention themselves due to problems communicating between the cabin and cockpit. But among the flight attendants' most serious concerns were the three infants on the flight who were being held on their parents' laps, not in a car seat. And one of those parents, a mother, told flight attendants during the incident that she had lost her son and believed he had been blown outside the plane. 'I was holding her, I said, 'What's going on, what's happening?' and she just says, 'I was holding my son and I think my son blew out the window,'' one of the flight attendants told NTSB investigators, according to a transcript of the interview. 'And that's when I lift up my head and saw the hole and I just started like shaking.' 'I didn't know at that point that that mom was freaking out because she thought her son went out the window,' another flight attendant told investigators. Fortunately, the child had not gone out the hole, although the transcripts from the NTSB did not detail where the child was during the incident or give the name of the mother involved. The plane was able to land within minutes without any serious physical injuries to the 177 people on aboard, including the three infants. Among the NTSB's recommendations following the conclusion of its investigation this week was to once again suggest that the Federal Aviation Administration require passengers ages two and younger have their own seats to protect them. The NTSB does not have the power to make such a requirement. It has been asking the FAA, which is the federal regulator that sets such regulations, for such a rule for decades. Even if parts don't often fall off planes mid-flight, infants on planes are at risk of being thrown from their parents' arms by far more common turbulence, which can occur without warning. One NTSB investigator testified Tuesday about incidents in which infants were injured during severe turbulence, in one instance landing a few rows behind the child's mother in an empty row. 'I've long believed that parents of lap children do not fully realize the serious risk to which they're exposing their young children,' NTSB board member Thomas Chapman said at the hearing. 'The experts agree that the safest place for an infant is secured in their own seat. If there's turbulence or worse, you may not be able to protect your baby in your arms.' Chapman said the NTSB has been pushing for a rule requiring infants be secured in a seat but that 'we just have not been able to persuade FAA that this is an area where they should take action.' An advisory to airlines posted on the FAA's website advises that the agency 'does not require but, because of the safety benefits thereof, does encourage the use of approved child/infant seats aboard aircraft.' When CNN asked about the lack of a rule, the FAA said in a statement: 'The FAA takes NTSB recommendations seriously and will carefully consider those issued yesterday.' The statement added: 'The safest place for a child under age two is an approved child-restraint system or device, not an adult's lap. This can go a long way in keeping children safe during a flight.' But there may be a more intricate calculus involved for the FAA. An agency spokesperson told CNN it is concerned that requiring parents to buy an extra seat for plane travel will lead more of them to drive to their destinations. And the agency believes that would create a greater risk to the children and parents, since flying is a much safer method of transportation than driving. Airlines also likely worry about lost revenue from more parents opting to drive instead. Airlines for America, the industry trade group, did not directly address whether or not there should be a rule requiring infants to have their own seat in a statement. 'The safety of all passengers and crew members is always the top priority of U.S. airlines, which is why we follow federal laws and strictly comply with the guidance and rules established by our safety regulator, the FAA,' the group said. But one expert accused the FAA of putting airline profits over safety. 'The NTSB has one job, and that's to improve safety. They're not concerned about the financial impact,' said Anthony Brickhouse, a crash investigator and US-based aerospace safety consultant. 'The FAA looks at safety, but they also look at the financial impact. Safety and money have been in conflict since the beginning of time. And if you want to know the reasons for anything they do, follow the money.' Brickhouse said if the lap babies had been in or near row 26, where the door plug blew off, they likely would have be lost. 'Why is it that you're required to be buckled in a car, but mommy and daddy can hold you on a flight?' he said. 'You would think this close call could move the needle. It's frustrating to think we need to get tragedy to get change.'
CNN
26-06-2025
- General
- CNN
A mother thought her baby was blown out of a plane. The FAA still allows infants on laps
It was horrifying enough for anyone when a door plug popped off an Alaska Airlines flight at more than 16,000 feet last year, causing an explosive decompression. But one mother's nightmare was particularly acute, as she thought she lost her baby out of the gaping hole in the side of the plane. It's an unimaginable horror, and one that safety regulators could have prevented by requiring that parents secure infants on board planes in a car seat, as they must be when riding in a car. But despite years of calls for just such a rule, none exists. Testimony this week at the National Transportation Safety Board hearing into the incident, and transcripts of interviews with flight attendants conducted by NTSB investigators that were released this week, tell of the panic aboard the flight. Passengers' clothing was ripped off, and their phones were blown out of their hands and sent hurtling into the night by the by the rush of air that accompanied the rapid decompression. The flight attendants weren't sure whether they had lost any of the passengers until the plane had landed. Initially, they weren't even sure if the pilots were conscious or in need of medical attention themselves due to problems communicating between the cabin and cockpit. But among the flight attendants' most serious concerns were the three infants on the flight who were being held on their parents' laps, not in a car seat. And one of those parents, a mother, told flight attendants during the incident that she had lost her son and believed he had been blown outside the plane. 'I was holding her, I said, 'What's going on, what's happening?' and she just says, 'I was holding my son and I think my son blew out the window,'' one of the flight attendants told NTSB investigators, according to a transcript of the interview. 'And that's when I lift up my head and saw the hole and I just started like shaking.' 'I didn't know at that point that that mom was freaking out because she thought her son went out the window,' another flight attendant told investigators. Fortunately, the child had not gone out the hole, although the transcripts from the NTSB did not detail where the child was during the incident or give the name of the mother involved. The plane was able to land within minutes without any serious physical injuries to the 177 people on aboard, including the three infants. Among the NTSB's recommendations following the conclusion of its investigation this week was to once again suggest that the Federal Aviation Administration require passengers ages two and younger have their own seats to protect them. The NTSB does not have the power to make such a requirement. It has been asking the FAA, which is the federal regulator that sets such regulations, for such a rule for decades. Even if parts don't often fall off planes mid-flight, infants on planes are at risk of being thrown from their parents' arms by far more common turbulence, which can occur without warning. One NTSB investigator testified Tuesday about incidents in which infants were injured during severe turbulence, in one instance landing a few rows behind the child's mother in an empty row. 'I've long believed that parents of lap children do not fully realize the serious risk to which they're exposing their young children,' NTSB board member Thomas Chapman said at the hearing. 'The experts agree that the safest place for an infant is secured in their own seat. If there's turbulence or worse, you may not be able to protect your baby in your arms.' Chapman said the NTSB has been pushing for a rule requiring infants be secured in a seat but that 'we just have not been able to persuade FAA that this is an area where they should take action.' An advisory to airlines posted on the FAA's website advises that the agency 'does not require but, because of the safety benefits thereof, does encourage the use of approved child/infant seats aboard aircraft.' When CNN asked about the lack of a rule, the FAA said in a statement: 'The FAA takes NTSB recommendations seriously and will carefully consider those issued yesterday.' The statement added: 'The safest place for a child under age two is an approved child-restraint system or device, not an adult's lap. This can go a long way in keeping children safe during a flight.' But there may be a more intricate calculus involved for the FAA. An agency spokesperson told CNN it is concerned that requiring parents to buy an extra seat for plane travel will lead more of them to drive to their destinations. And the agency believes that would create a greater risk to the children and parents, since flying is a much safer method of transportation than driving. Airlines also likely worry about lost revenue from more parents opting to drive instead. Airlines for America, the industry trade group, did not directly address whether or not there should be a rule requiring infants to have their own seat in a statement. 'The safety of all passengers and crew members is always the top priority of U.S. airlines, which is why we follow federal laws and strictly comply with the guidance and rules established by our safety regulator, the FAA,' the group said. But one expert accused the FAA of putting airline profits over safety. 'The NTSB has one job, and that's to improve safety. They're not concerned about the financial impact,' said Anthony Brickhouse, a crash investigator and US-based aerospace safety consultant. 'The FAA looks at safety, but they also look at the financial impact. Safety and money have been in conflict since the beginning of time. And if you want to know the reasons for anything they do, follow the money.' Brickhouse said if the lap babies had been in or near row 26, where the door plug blew off, they likely would have be lost. 'Why is it that you're required to be buckled in a car, but mommy and daddy can hold you on a flight?' he said. 'You would think this close call could move the needle. It's frustrating to think we need to get tragedy to get change.'
CNN
26-06-2025
- General
- CNN
A mother thought her baby was blown out of a plane. The FAA still allows infants on laps
It was horrifying enough for anyone when a door plug popped off an Alaska Airlines flight at more than 16,000 feet last year, causing an explosive decompression. But one mother's nightmare was particularly acute, as she thought she lost her baby out of the gaping hole in the side of the plane. It's an unimaginable horror, and one that safety regulators could have prevented by requiring that parents secure infants on board planes in a car seat, as they must be when riding in a car. But despite years of calls for just such a rule, none exists. Testimony this week at the National Transportation Safety Board hearing into the incident, and transcripts of interviews with flight attendants conducted by NTSB investigators that were released this week, tell of the panic aboard the flight. Passengers' clothing was ripped off, and their phones were blown out of their hands and sent hurtling into the night by the by the rush of air that accompanied the rapid decompression. The flight attendants weren't sure whether they had lost any of the passengers until the plane had landed. Initially, they weren't even sure if the pilots were conscious or in need of medical attention themselves due to problems communicating between the cabin and cockpit. But among the flight attendants' most serious concerns were the three infants on the flight who were being held on their parents' laps, not in a car seat. And one of those parents, a mother, told flight attendants during the incident that she had lost her son and believed he had been blown outside the plane. 'I was holding her, I said, 'What's going on, what's happening?' and she just says, 'I was holding my son and I think my son blew out the window,'' one of the flight attendants told NTSB investigators, according to a transcript of the interview. 'And that's when I lift up my head and saw the hole and I just started like shaking.' 'I didn't know at that point that that mom was freaking out because she thought her son went out the window,' another flight attendant told investigators. Fortunately, the child had not gone out the hole, although the transcripts from the NTSB did not detail where the child was during the incident or give the name of the mother involved. The plane was able to land within minutes without any serious physical injuries to the 177 people on aboard, including the three infants. Among the NTSB's recommendations following the conclusion of its investigation this week was to once again suggest that the Federal Aviation Administration require passengers ages two and younger have their own seats to protect them. The NTSB does not have the power to make such a requirement. It has been asking the FAA, which is the federal regulator that sets such regulations, for such a rule for decades. Even if parts don't often fall off planes mid-flight, infants on planes are at risk of being thrown from their parents' arms by far more common turbulence, which can occur without warning. One NTSB investigator testified Tuesday about incidents in which infants were injured during severe turbulence, in one instance landing a few rows behind the child's mother in an empty row. 'I've long believed that parents of lap children do not fully realize the serious risk to which they're exposing their young children,' NTSB board member Thomas Chapman said at the hearing. 'The experts agree that the safest place for an infant is secured in their own seat. If there's turbulence or worse, you may not be able to protect your baby in your arms.' Chapman said the NTSB has been pushing for a rule requiring infants be secured in a seat but that 'we just have not been able to persuade FAA that this is an area where they should take action.' An advisory to airlines posted on the FAA's website advises that the agency 'does not require but, because of the safety benefits thereof, does encourage the use of approved child/infant seats aboard aircraft.' When CNN asked about the lack of a rule, the FAA said in a statement: 'The FAA takes NTSB recommendations seriously and will carefully consider those issued yesterday.' The statement added: 'The safest place for a child under age two is an approved child-restraint system or device, not an adult's lap. This can go a long way in keeping children safe during a flight.' But there may be a more intricate calculus involved for the FAA. An agency spokesperson told CNN it is concerned that requiring parents to buy an extra seat for plane travel will lead more of them to drive to their destinations. And the agency believes that would create a greater risk to the children and parents, since flying is a much safer method of transportation than driving. Airlines also likely worry about lost revenue from more parents opting to drive instead. Airlines for America, the industry trade group, did not directly address whether or not there should be a rule requiring infants to have their own seat in a statement. 'The safety of all passengers and crew members is always the top priority of U.S. airlines, which is why we follow federal laws and strictly comply with the guidance and rules established by our safety regulator, the FAA,' the group said. But one expert accused the FAA of putting airline profits over safety. 'The NTSB has one job, and that's to improve safety. They're not concerned about the financial impact,' said Anthony Brickhouse, a crash investigator and US-based aerospace safety consultant. 'The FAA looks at safety, but they also look at the financial impact. Safety and money have been in conflict since the beginning of time. And if you want to know the reasons for anything they do, follow the money.' Brickhouse said if the lap babies had been in or near row 26, where the door plug blew off, they likely would have be lost. 'Why is it that you're required to be buckled in a car, but mommy and daddy can hold you on a flight?' he said. 'You would think this close call could move the needle. It's frustrating to think we need to get tragedy to get change.'
