>> And meanwhile.
Meanwhile, in Turkmenistan, the gates of hell are apparently about to be closed.
But it's not as bad as it sounds, that sounds apocalyptic.
It's the dar voz, a gas crater which is 70 m wide, 65 m deep.
And you're seeing a photo there, it has been consistently burning for more than a half
century and you can see the scale.
They're an absolutely massive crater that is effectively permanently on fire, can be
seen from miles around.
And no one apparently knows how it was originally created.
But there is a theory that back in 1971 Soviet scientists ignited it, thinking that that
was the best way to get rid of the gas.
They thought it would burn itself out in a couple of weeks, they were off by a bit admittedly,
it's still going now 51 years later.
And so it's also spewing out methane and other noxious gasses, locals in the area are rightfully
I think concerned about the effects of that pollution.
And so the president of Turkmenistan, who I'm not going to try to pronounce very long,
but Gurbanguly, I will say I know him, I can go by the first name, I think.
He says he is going to close the whole up for good.
But to be fair, he did also say that back in 2010 and it's still burning now.
So, by the way back in 2019, the Gates of Hell got a little bit more publicity because
in an attempt to prove to the world that he was still alive.
The president was seen doing donuts near it in a rally car.
So Caroline, there's a lot going on in this story, but what do you make of the Gates of
Hell and the president?
>> Yeah, that last bit sort of threw Me for a loop.
I mean, I guess it makes sense that a country that has this like incredible natural phenomenon,
the president.
It might just so happen that sometimes he disappears for months at a time, I'm not that
surprised.
This is insane, I mean, just kind of similar to the last story, it's like this is so our
Earth is just like this, it's beautiful, but it's also terrifying.
And are there were those people in the picture actually, they're like, you can go up to it.
>> Yeah, you can go up to it and like in theory could be like a tourist thing.
I don't know what it smells like, or how dangerous it is and right around it.
And obviously like if there are locals that are worried about this, then then yeah, something
needs to be done about it.
Although I don't know how the hell you put out something like that, like you cap it or
something.
But almost into to the point you were making, I kind of don't want it to be kept like that's
there's like nothing like that.
I mean, I know there are other gas craters, but something as big as that.
Like I wanna see that now, I wanna go to stand and see it.
>> Yeah, I like it tourist opportunity, who knows.
>> Exactly.
>> Crazy.
>> Well we will see he's been making these promises for a while.
I don't know how you managed to do it and it doesn't appear that he knows either, but
we will see, and meanwhile Meanwhile in Afghanistan, a member of the
Taliban had something interesting to say about Western women, take a
look at this.
>> Okay, so for the few of you in the audience who don't speak the language and limit translate.
The Taliban official, there says 60% of women over 40 in the West marry their pets, which
is a bold claim, Caroline thoughts.
>> Yeah, I mean it's been a tough a tough few weeks for unmarried women with pets, I'll
tell you that.
But I am, I mean, my question is, can you legally marry your pet asking for me or is
he just saying that like companionship?
>> I mean, I am going to guess the context is that to defray or to ward off criticisms
of their approach to society.
Women's rights, things like that very often they will point to how the experience goes
in other places.
So if you wanted to scare people of your country, say all of these women are like marrying shiba
inu shoes or something like.
let's not become like them, that sounds kind of delightful, but look as you pointed out,
it has been a rough time for unmarried women.
Like the thing that the Taliban guy says is obviously crazy.
I don't know how you could possibly believe that, like, and I don't mean for him, I don't
know that he believes it, but anyone listening to it, how can you believe it?
What is it that dissimilar from what the Pope said, that he says, couples who choose pets
over kids are bad.
That's not saying they get married to them, but it is saying that they have to close of
an attachment, I feel like those are in the same neighborhood, I don't know am I wrong?
>> No, I think it's absolutely right and all of these, it's interesting that these two
stories are happening around a similar time.
Because all you need to ask is is why I mean, it's one thing to just keep saying like, women
don't do this and young people don't do this anymore.
But without a conversation about the real material reasons why it is so incredibly difficult
to bring up a child in our society right now.
It's just fodder for this like viral content and I think it's nice that we're at a place
where we can sort of laugh at these things rather than really take them seriously, yeah,
we all know.
If you want to get serious they are in charge there now, and it's probably gonna be a pretty
rough time, like it was last time.
But yeah, at least this comment we can laugh about a little bit and then hopefully, push
for more recognition of women's rights in that country.
But yeah, look, it is difficult, it's expensive to have a kid and also dogs are objectively
cuter than children.
That is just an issue for children going forward, they're being out competed in the marketplace
of cute.
So kids come on up your game, maybe a little rouge or something.
>> And they're pretty they do a lot, under one year old.
>> Exactly.
>> I can't absolutely be surprised by how much my dog can figure out and she's one.
>> Exactly, that's my air, my air is a chihuahua, anyway, meanwhile in
that's adorable.
Meanwhile in new Zealand a man named Zane Wedding had a little bit of irritation in
his ear.
Now he initially thought the problem was just water.
The Aucklander had been for a swim at a local pool on Friday morning and fell asleep on
his couch that evening.
He woke up with a blocked ear and the feeling that there was something wriggling inside.
Well it wasn't water and they did find it, it was this, it was a cockroach that had to
be pulled out of his ear, his ear had to be syringe.
He was given antibiotics instructions to blow dry the side of his head in a suggestion to
return if he still felt movement.
Well, someone looked in and they immediately saw that there was a cockroach in his ear
and they used a suction device and tweezers to pull it out.
Tragically, the cockroach did not survive the procedure.
>> That that sheep image was so misleading.
I thought I thought that was going to be the story and now I'm really scared and I hate
bugs and I was like, wait what?
They didn't read this story beforehand, but not as fun, that's not as fun.
I'd much rather have a sheep come out of my ear, and it's New Zealand, I don't know, stuff
like that.
Probably happens in New Zealand too, but- >> If it was gonna happen anywhere, a sheep
coming out of here, it would have been there.
Sorry, I just wanted to say in the chat said in, the chat is not happy with me right now,
but it happens okay, this is a cautionary tale.
If you start to feel wriggling in your ear, go to the doctor soon, that's all I'm saying.