Polenko’s last words were…

сыыррррррррррррррррррррррррррррррррррррррррррррррррррррррррррррррррр……

Okay, okay, sorry.

A tourist fell more than 170 feet to her death when she stumbled while taking a selfie from a clifftop viewing platform, the latest in a string of such incidents.

39-year-old Inessa Polenko plunged from the panoramic Gagry viewing point in Abkhazia, a breakaway region of Georgia as she tried to take a photo of herself.

Polenko, who was a beautician and a keen Instagram user, climbed over a barrier to reach the clifftop viewing point which overlooks the Black Sea. However, as she climbed over the barrier to take a selfie, Polenko stumbled and fell onto a beach below, according to eyewitnesses.

Not to be callous (I guess it’s too late for that) but isn’t this and the above-linked tragic incidents the very definition of “culling the herd”?


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  • snekerpimp@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    Deadliest hiking trail in Virginia is Crabtree Falls, and every single death was someone climbing over the barrier and ignoring the “you will die if you pass this point” signs to take a picture closer to the falls. Every year some dumbass jumps the barrier, slips on lichen and dies. Natural selection I guess?

      • snekerpimp@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        They replace the signs and make the barrier higher every other year. Surprised it’s not an 8 foot barbed wire fence by now.

        • fsxylo@sh.itjust.works
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          7 months ago

          Idiots would just die getting shredded by the barb wire and the janitors would have to pull their chunks out.

    • Subverb@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      It’s aptly named then, “Crabtree Falls”.

      Decent pun but I can’t say I’m lichen it.

  • Adderbox76@lemmy.ca
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    7 months ago

    As per the article saying that “selfies pose a health concern”, I’m going to posit that instead of a health concern, it’s literally just Darwinism at it’s most basic.

    • hoch@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      It’s hard not to smile watching a Russian tourist die while vacationing on land their country stole

      • skye@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        Apart from doing a dumb thing and die, why the absolute psychopathy?? Do you realise this person didn’t steal the land themselves?? Are you that desperate to be a racist prick for no reason?

        Don’t just blame the war and whatever Russia did on random citizens of the country lmao

        • yokonzo@lemmy.world
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          7 months ago

          Yeah no seriously. Y’all are fucked and slaves to politics. Just like the people who say " why Do aLl YoU aMerICaNs" like we have a fucking say in the matter. Don’t beleive propaganda. The enemy is government officials not the fucking people living their lives

  • RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    a string of

    Minnewaska State Park is not near Rochester.

    E: The article states that Minnewaska is near Rochester. Read it before you downvote.

    • Jax@sh.itjust.works
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      7 months ago

      Neither is Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park, the point isn’t the location.

      Edit: their point stands, Minnewaska is like an hour-ish from New York, New York and like 4 hours from Rochester. Kind of a weird decision by the journalist. Shit, Rochester is closer to Canada than it is Minnewaska.

        • Jax@sh.itjust.works
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          7 months ago

          Holy shit, I just mapped it out.

          Why wouldn’t they just say it’s outside of the big apple? New York, New York isn’t even a third of the distance from Minnewaska to Rochester.

          I’ll edit my response too, I didn’t realize how egregious this was.

        • EatATaco@lemm.ee
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          I mean, in the grand scheme of things, it kind of is. It’s not like they said it is “near the Andromeda Galaxy.”

          Which to be fair, might actually be pretty close in the grand scheme of things too.

  • Grass@sh.itjust.works
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    7 months ago

    I climbed up a pretty sketchy rock formation once and I did take a photo but not a selfie and I didn’t fall off and die. It was a pretty neato structure it was a really steep ass rocky slope leading into a bit of bouldering to get up to the top where you could see a massive drop on the other side and I could wave to my family on the viewing platform on the other side of the drop and they got a bit freaked out. I didn’t even pretend to fall or anything and they were pretty mad.

  • rowinxavier@lemmy.world
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    Something worth noting is that this is yet another example of how the patriarchy hurts people. She felt that her image on Instagram was so important that she took risks which ultimately lead to her death. She doesn’t have to be an idiot to have this happen, I’ve done tonnes of stupid dangerous stuff in my life and I’m fairly sure everyone else here can think of a few things that could have gone wrong.

    The algorithm of something like Instagram is built around enhancing use of the platform. This is the same fundamental motivation as tobacco companies or gambling companies. Your continued use of the product is essential, even if it is harmful to your health. So they design their product to enhance it’s addictiveness and market to people who are vulnerable, say younger women for example, and boom, revenue.

    Meta has a meaningful hand in this type of situation. The same goes for all the other attention economy companies. Their product doesn’t have to be harmful but it is way more profitable if harm is not a consideration.

    • toofpic@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      She wanted to be popular, and men are to blame, ok. Is it about me as well? I identify myself as a man.

      • voracitude@lemmy.world
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        She wanted to be popular, and men are to blame

        No… She wanted to be popular on social media, because of the dirty bullshit tactics that social media networks use to keep people addicted, online, and posting.

        “The Patriarchy” is not “men”. The apparatus is called that because it’s grown over a long period of our society being ruled primarily by men, that’s all. It’s a structure that victimises men as well as women.

        I’m open to calling it something else, but I don’t have a better name.

        Edit: Aw, snowflakes can’t handle the idea they might share their sex with horrible people, so they lash out impotently at people who can articulate the problem. When a bunch of people downvote me I question my beliefs, and upon reflection I am convinced I’ve said nothing wrong or objectionable. So I guess in response to all of you - especially the troglodytes I’ve already blocked - neener neener nibble my wiener

        • ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          “The Patriarchy” is not “men”. The apparatus is called that because it’s grown over a long period of our society being ruled primarily by men, that’s all. It’s a structure that victimises men as well as women.

          Then frankly needlessly gendering the issue turns away would-be supporters with those that don’t understand your coded language.

          • voracitude@lemmy.world
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            It’s not my language, but it’s also not needlessly gendered. Unless you’re gonna contend that society in general hasn’t historically been run by men? Since that is the direct and exact reason it is called the thing it is.

            And if the name of a thing is enough reason for you to turn on your fellow man, then your support isn’t anything more than “would-be” regardless.

          • voracitude@lemmy.world
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            7 months ago

            An inability to comprehend basic concepts like cause and effect, combined with a towering arrogance that assures you that you’ve thought this through and haven’t missed anything. Bravo 🤡 I’d engage further, but you aren’t worth even this much of my time.

            • MotoAsh@lemmy.world
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              7 months ago

              Keep blaming “patriarchy” for a thing that the entire arrangement of the economy gets you will only blind you to effective change. Do better. Stop being so pathetically narrow sighted.

    • MotoAsh@lemmy.world
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      Are you so dumb as to confuse capitalism with patriarchy?

      … wow… just … wow. Companies doing shady shit to grow and protect their bottom line is distinctly NOT a product of patriarchy. Last I checked, women were fully capable of greed, too. Stop being sexist in your judgements of evil.

      • radicalautonomy@lemmy.world
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        They’re not wrong, and neither are you because both forces are at work. Patriarchy and capitalism have long gone hand in hand; after all, they say prostitution is the oldest profession. Read about the kyriarchy and how various systems of oppression impact us all simultaneously

    • xePBMg9@lemmynsfw.com
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      I suspect this was also her income source. She had a monetary incentive to draw eyes to her profiles. It’s tempting to take risks when one sees a way to improve their livelyhood.

  • DessertStorms@kbin.social
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    7 months ago

    You’re not only callous, but just like the so called “Darwin awards” the idea of “culling the heard” is deeply if not entirely based on eugenics, which in turn is entirely based on racism, ableism, classism and sexism.

    You (like the rest of the disgusting commenters) could have so easily just not, and yet here we are…