Jets and the word "miracle".

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

It makes me smile when 37 accuses people of intellectual laziness.

Boru

[Brian37]

It makes me smile when 37 accuses people of intellectual laziness.

Boru

Ok fine. Explain to me how one word, "miracle" is going to end up providing answers as to why the engine failed.  Guess we don't need the NTSB, lets just stop now and not investigate because people used the word "miracle".

Nonsense. 

"Miracle" is just a word people use as an emotional reaction to having an "oh shit" moment and surviving it. It is a hollow place card, it explains nothing.

Having an emotional reaction to stress is very normal. But that is not what will get answers to help prevent such events in the future.

"Bird strike" is a possible explanation. 

"Bad maintenance" is another possible explanation.

" Bad part design" is another possible explanation.

"Miracle" is an utterance, not an explanation.

When the NTSB puts out it's report, the conclusions will not be "miracle".

[arewethereyet]

You don't know how people are using the word.

And how you understand it isn't the only way people use it.

Not the point. I wouldn't assume everyone who uses isn't chalking it up to a magic sky daddy. 

Even if one is arguing your usage, it is still intellectual laziness. The real answers are going to be found in the NTSB investigation. "Miracle" isn't an explanation. It is a word used as an emotional reaction to stress and surviving that stress. 

If I had been on that plane, I damned sure would have been freaking out and shitting my pants. Just mere turbulence scares the shit out of me. But I would just simply say, "glad I didn't die" and be extremely happy I didn't die. But that is how I would put it.  That is simply one word I hate hearing being used after such events.

You are pretty much the last person I would go to for advice on the language.  However, you are an expert on intellectual laziness so you might have some answers there.

I'm actually surprised you don't freak out and shit your pants on the regular.

[Brian37]

Not the point. I wouldn't assume everyone who uses isn't chalking it up to a magic sky daddy. 

Even if one is arguing your usage, it is still intellectual laziness. The real answers are going to be found in the NTSB investigation. "Miracle" isn't an explanation. It is a word used as an emotional reaction to stress and surviving that stress. 

If I had been on that plane, I damned sure would have been freaking out and shitting my pants. Just mere turbulence scares the shit out of me. But I would just simply say, "glad I didn't die" and be extremely happy I didn't die. But that is how I would put it.  That is simply one word I hate hearing being used after such events.

You are pretty much the last person I would go to for advice on the language.  However, you are an expert on intellectual laziness so you might have some answers there.

I'm actually surprised you don't freak out and shit your pants on the regular.

I will concede if the conclusion as to why this event happened is chalked up to the word "miracle", no matter which definition you chose to use. Lets wait for the NTSB report and see what they chalk it up to. 

"Oh shit" is a reaction, not an explanation. Either chalking it up to a sky daddy, or merely using it as "Phew, I survived, that was close" are reactions, not explanations. "Miracle" is  word used in utterance in a moment of stress and surviving that stress. Quite normal, but hardly an explanation.

[arewethereyet]

From post #2 - a highly improbable or extraordinary event, development, or accomplishment that brings very welcome consequences.[/color]
"it was a miracle that more people hadn't been killed or injured"

No god required.

And the use of miracle to describe what happened had nothing to do with the reason it happened. None, Nada, Nil.

It's a reaction to an extraordinary event...period...not an explanation.

[AFTT47]

To be fair to Brian, there is no acceptable use of the word, "miracle" which applies here.

Modern, twin-engine planes are fully capable of flying on one engine just fine. Boeing 777s routinely cross the 8000 miles of ocean between Los Angeles and Sidney because of this ability. The danger from an uncontained engine failure is that shrapnel will damage the plane and render it unflyable. I don't know what the odds of that happening are but they are certainly < 50%. Most planes suffering this type of accident survive. So, a pilot landing a twin engine plane after suffering a failure of this type is the norm - hardly a miracle by any use of the word.

[brewer]

Out local newscast person said the passengers prayed their way to safety.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

It makes me smile when 37 accuses people of intellectual laziness.

Boru

Ok fine. Explain to me how one word, "miracle" is going to end up providing answers as to why the engine failed.  Guess we don't need the NTSB, lets just stop now and not investigate because people used the word "miracle".

Nonsense. 

"Miracle" is just a word people use as an emotional reaction to having an "oh shit" moment and surviving it. It is a hollow place card, it explains nothing.

Having an emotional reaction to stress is very normal. But that is not what will get answers to help prevent such events in the future.

"Bird strike" is a possible explanation. 

"Bad maintenance" is another possible explanation.

" Bad part design" is another possible explanation.

"Miracle" is an utterance, not an explanation.

When the NTSB puts out it's report, the conclusions will not be "miracle".

You're correct that it's just an utterance and explains nothing. But it isn't SUPPOSED to be an explanation, it's not supposed to provide answers or to conclude an investigation. When there's a house fire and the local fire chief says, 'It's a miracle no one was killed', does that mean they throw up their hands and don't investigate for cause? It's an expression. Calm down.

Boru

[Irreligious Atheist]

Brian, the anger phase of atheism is not supposed to last forever. We know religion lied to you and that you don't like that, but at some point you are letting the religion rule your life when you freak out over someone saying God bless, soul or miracle. It's time to move on.

[Brian37]

Brian, the anger phase of atheism is not supposed to last forever. We know religion lied to you and that you don't like that, but at some point you are letting the religion rule your life when you freak out over someone saying God bless, soul or miracle. It's time to move on.

Oh please. This isn't "anger" in the sense that I want to pass laws banning the use of the word, it is merely annoying as hell to me. 

It is like having a friend who keeps repeating "The Chiefs won the Super Bowl not Tampa." 

It is just annoying. I am not militant, not going to go out and riot.

---

Ok fine. Explain to me how one word, "miracle" is going to end up providing answers as to why the engine failed.  Guess we don't need the NTSB, lets just stop now and not investigate because people used the word "miracle".

Nonsense. 

"Miracle" is just a word people use as an emotional reaction to having an "oh shit" moment and surviving it. It is a hollow place card, it explains nothing.

Having an emotional reaction to stress is very normal. But that is not what will get answers to help prevent such events in the future.

"Bird strike" is a possible explanation. 

"Bad maintenance" is another possible explanation.

" Bad part design" is another possible explanation.

"Miracle" is an utterance, not an explanation.

When the NTSB puts out it's report, the conclusions will not be "miracle".

You're correct that it's just an utterance and explains nothing. But it isn't SUPPOSED to be an explanation, it's not supposed to provide answers or to conclude an investigation. When there's a house fire and the local fire chief says, 'It's a miracle no one was killed', does that mean they throw up their hands and don't investigate for cause? It's an expression. Calm down.

Boru

You are right it isn't supposed to be an explanation, but you can't tell me many on that plan explain their survival as being because of some magic hand, or superstitious luck. 

And of course it won't stop an investigation. I simply get tired of hearing it. 

I like what Sully said when he was asked if he said a prayer, "I didn't have time" when he landed the plain on the Hudson.

If you also remember, quite a few years ago when Wolf Blitzer asked a lady, after a tornado hit, "You have to thank God" and she responded, "actually I am an atheist." But responses like that rarely if ever get aired. 

I am genuinely happy nobody died. I damned sure know how scared I am flying even without such things happening. But not all news stories have to keep using the same old cliches to convey a sense of empathy for your fellow human.

Sometimes I simply would like to see the story told without God or superstition interjected into the editing.