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The place where the world comes together in honesty and mirth.
Windmills Tilted, Scared Cows Butchered, Lies Skewered on the Lance of Reality ... or something to that effect.


Saturday, March 7, 2015

The Daily Drift

Don't forget to check out the new The Truth Be Told today
True ...!
 
Carolina Naturally is read in 201 countries around the world daily.   
    
Dreaming of Sock Monkeys ... !
Today is  - Sock Monkey Day

You want the unvarnished truth?
Don't forget to visit:The Truth Be Told

Some of our readers today have been in:
The Americas
Beunos Aires and Mar del Plata, Argentina
La Paz, Bolivia
Brasilia, Rio De Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Vitoria da Conquista, Brazil
Halifax, Quebec and Youngs Crossing, Canada
Santiago and Valparaiso, Chile
Bogota, Colombia
San Jose, Costa Rica 
Guadalajara, Mexico City and San Jose del Cabo, Mexico
Catano and San Juan, Puerto Rico
Europe
Mostar and Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina
Silistra and Varna, Bulgaria
London and Slough, England
Turku, Finland
Cerny, Paris, Rouen and Saint-Caradec, France
Tbilisi, Georgia
Berlin, Hamburg and Nuremberg, Germany
Athens and Thessaloniki, Greece
Reykjavik, Iceland
Dublin, Rathcoole and Waterford, Ireland
Milan, Palermo and Ravenna, Italy
Riga, Latvia
Skopje, Macedonia
Arendal, Norway
Bucharest, Romania
Ryazan and Vladivostok, Russia
Banska Bystrica, Bratislava, Slovakia
Barcelona, Basauri, Erandio, Madrid, Valencia and Zaragoza, Spain
Bromma and Lulea, Sweden
Asia
Khodzhi-Gasan, Azerbaijan
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Airoli, Bangalore, Beawar, Bhubaneshwar, Delhi, Gaya,  Mumbai, Nawada, New Delhi, Patna, Pune, Pondicherry and Trichur, India
Jakarta, Indonesia
Robat Karim and Tehran,  Iran
Seoul, Korea
Bandar Labuan, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Papar, Petaling Jaya and Victoria, Malaysia
Multan, Pakistan
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Bangkok, Thailand
Africa
Nouakchott, Mauritania
Lagos, Nigeria
Johannesburg and Pretoria, South Africa
The Pacific
Homebush and Sydney, Australia
Makati and Manila, Philippines

Today in History

322 BC 
The Greek philosopher Aristotle dies.
161
On the death of Antoninus at Lorium, Marcus Aurelius becomes emperor.
1774
The British close the port of Boston to all commerce.
1799 
In Palestine, Napoleon captures Jaffa and his men massacre more than 2,000 Albanian prisoners.
1809
Aeronaut Jean Pierre Blanchard — the first person to make the an aerial voyage in the New World — died on March 7, 1809, at the age of 56.
1838 
Soprano Jenny Lind ("the Swedish Nightingale") makes her debut in Weber's opera Der Freischultz.
1847
U.S. General Winfield Scott occupies Vera Cruz, Mexico.
1849
The Austrian Reichstag is dissolved.
1862
Confederate forces surprise the Union army at the Battle of Pea Ridge, in Arkansas, but the Union is victorious.
1876
Alexander Graham Bell is granted a patent for the telephone.
1904 
The Japanese bomb the Russian town of Vladivostok.
1906 
Finland becomes the third country to give women the right to vote, decreeing universal suffrage for all citizens over 24, however, barring those persons who are supported by the state.
1912 
French aviator, Heri Seimet flies non-stop from London to Paris in three hours.
1918
Finland signs an alliance treaty with Germany.
1925
The Soviet Red Army occupies Outer Mongolia.
1927 
A Texas law that bans Negroes from voting is ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
1933 
The board game Monopoly is invented.
1933
The film King Kong premieres in New York City.
1935 
Malcolm Campbell sets an auto speed record of 276.8 mph in Florida.
1936
Hitler sends German troops into the Rhineland, violating the Locarno Pact.
1942
Japanese troops land on New Guinea.
1951
U.N. forces in Korea under General Matthew Ridgeway launch Operation Ripper, an offensive to straighten out the U.N. front lines against the Chinese.
1968 
The Battle of Saigon, begun on the day of the Tet Offensive, ends.
1971 
A thousand U.S. planes bomb Cambodia and Laos.
1979 
Voyager 1 reaches Jupiter.

Homer Simpson Figured Out Higgs Boson 14 Years Before Scientists

Homer Simpson Figured Out Higgs Boson 14 Years Before Scientists
Higgs boson, aka the "God particle," was allegedly confirmed to exist by CERN in 2013, but this complex idea -- an elementary particle that is key in explaining certain "mass" situations -- apparently was confirmed first by ... wait for it ... Homer Simpson?!
Yes, the same Homer Simpson you know and love from "The Simpsons."
In a 1998 episode of the long-running show, Homer draws an equation on the chalkboard that Dr. Simon Singh says "almost predicted the mass of the elementary particle," according to The Independent newspaper in Britain.
The episode is titled, "The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace," and features Homer taking on a new persona as an inventor. The Independent spoke to Singh about the crazy coincidence.
“That equation predicts the mass of the Higgs boson” he said. “If you work it out, you get the mass of a Higgs boson that’s only a bit larger than the nano-mass of a Higgs boson actually is. It’s kind of amazing as Homer makes this prediction 14 years before it was discovered.”
Singh said the crazy find might not actually be so crazy.
"A lot of the writers on 'The Simpsons' are mathematicians," he said. Singh even recently wrote a book, "'The Simpsons' and Their Mathematical Secrets."
Higgs was first predicted in the 1960s by Peter Higgs to explain how some particles get mass, but not confirmed until 50 years later, or maybe until Homer stopped eating donuts long enough to figure it out!

9 Facts About Computer Security That Experts Wish You Knew

Every day, you hear about security flaws, viruses, and evil hacker gangs that could leave you destitute - or, worse, bring your country to its knees.
But what's the truth about these digital dangers? Computer security experts separate the myths from the facts. Here's what they wish you knew.

Random Celebrity Photos

fabforgottennobility:

Eva Mendes
Eva Mendes

The Street Corner That Changed The World

In the capital city of Sarajevo, in Bosnia-Herzegovina, on a street corner just across Latin Bridge, hangs a big purple banner that proclaims in white capital letters: 'The street corner that started the 20th century.'
It was on this very place, on June 28, 1914, a 19-year-old Bosnian named Gavrilo Princip assassinated the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sofia, setting in motion a chain of events that led to the First World War and changed the course of the 20th century.

Million dollar house sold for $70,000 came with a catch

A North Dakota man got a good deal on a million dollar house, but with a catch. Scott Adelman paid $70,000 for the 4,500-square-foot brick home in Fargo, but due to flood diversion work he has to move it out to nearby Horace.
This is no small task: four moving companies, dozens of people including police officers, electricians, sign experts, and a truck with 23 axles. "It's quite the project to just get it moved,” says Adelman.
Authorities helped by clearing the way for Adelman as crews move the 200-ton home. And, after some brick work, Adelman says it will be as good as new.
For plumbing, electrical, and a new foundation and brickwork, the timeline is 5 weeks for a crew of 15 workers. Adelman expects to sell the soon to be relocated five bedroom home for around $700,000.
There's a news video here.

Young lady got herself into a bit of a predicament while waiting for train

A youngster managed to get her head stuck between two poles at Mandurah Train Station in Western Australia on Tuesday afternoon.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services said a Triple-0 caller reported the unfortunate incident shortly after 2pm.
A spokeswoman from the department said a crew from Mandurah Fire Station were sent in to assist.
"Firefighters used hand tools to free the child and by 2.25pm the crew reported the child had been released," she said. It's understood the girl was not injured. It is not known if she missed her train.

Adult carers left five children and a kangaroo joey locked in hot car while they drank in pub

Police have broken into a car to rescue five children and a kangaroo joey while their adult carers were allegedly drinking inside a pub in central Australia. The children were freed unharmed, but by the time police opened the car the joey had died.
Alice Springs Watch Commander Chris Wilson said passersby alerted officers to the children trapped inside the car about 1:30pm on Tuesday in the hotel's car park. The temperature in Alice Springs was hovering around 40 degrees Celsius at the time.
"It was alleged the children were playing roughly with the joey," Commander Wilson said. "Upon attendance, police located five children aged between two and 13 years who had been left in the car for over two hours. The children were checked by St John Ambulance staff while the two adults looking after the kids were located inside the licensed premises."
Commander Wilson said the children were not injured "but had they been left much longer, this event may have had a far worse ending". Police said the Department of Children and Families was conducting an investigation into the children's welfare. Animal Welfare staff were also called. Commander Wilson said the incident was a timely reminder that leaving children and animals in hot cars was not safe.

Random Photos

Lazy Thinking

cell phone addictionReliance on smartphones linked to lazy thinking


Our smartphones help us find a phone number quickly, provide us with instant directions and recommend restaurants, but new research indicates that this convenience at our fingertips is making it […]

Beyond Menopause

Some females (including women) often live beyond their child-rearing years because their wisdom improves the survival of others.

Psychedelics and Mental Illness

Psilocybe-mushrooms_RSSNo link between psychedelics and mental health problems


The use of psychedelics, such as LSD and magic mushrooms, does not increase a person’s risk of developing mental health problems, according to an analysis of information from more than […]

The First Person to Use the Temporary Insanity Defense

by Eddie Deezen
I thought the insanity defense was a relatively new thing. I mean, maybe it began in the 1940's or possibly the '30’s, what with all the psychobabble around in those times. But no. It was actually much earlier.
It all started with a guy named Dan Sickles.
Dan Sickles (1819-1914) was also a congressman who was known for a number of things. As a union general in the Civil War. As a U.S. minister to Spain. For being censured by the New York State Assembly for escorting Fanny White, a known prostitute, into its chambers.
And, not the least, for being the first person to use temporary insanity as a legal defense.
In 1859, Sickles was accused of murdering his wife's paramour, Phillip Barton Key. (Phillip was the son of Francis Scott Key- composer of “The Star Spangled Banner.") After the murder, Sickles confessed and surrendered himself to Attorney General Jeremiah Black at Black's home.

Sickles' stay in jail was quite unusual. All of Washington society turned out to visit him. Senators and congressmen came in and wished Sickles well. President James Buchanan did not personally visit, but he sent Sickles a personal note. Continue reading So many people came to see Sickles, he was given use of the head jailer's apartment to welcome them. Also, even more incredibly, Sickles was allowed to keep possession of his personal weapon while in jail!
Although he confessed to the murder, at his trial, Sickles' lawyer claimed Sickles was driven insane by his wife's infidelity. The newspapers declared that Sickles was actually "protecting" other innocent women from the evil lustfulness of Key.
Apparently, the jury swallowed it- hook, line and sinker. Sickles was acquitted. And a legal precedent of specious value entered our legal tomes of jurisprudence.
Sickles went on to win the Congressional Medal of Honor for his acts of bravery during the Civil War- for the fact that he got one of his legs blown off during the battle of Gettysburg. He served as sheriff in New York in 1890.
Dan Sickles' very colorful life ended in 1914. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

People in History

secretsocietyofnone:

Annie Oakley: First American female superstar.  Beat her future husband in a sharp shooting match when she was 15 years old (and won $100 from him, a tidy sum in those days).  Had a rivalry with another female sharpshooter (who billed herself as younger and more attractive than Annie) who was also part of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show (but no one remembers that other woman’s name, so guess who won?).  She taught over 15,000 women how to shoot in her lifetime and once said “I would like to see every woman know how to handle [firearms] as naturally as they know how to handle babies.” and was a total bad ass.
 
Annie Oakley: First American female superstar.  Beat her future husband in a sharp shooting match when she was 15 years old (and won $100 from him, a tidy sum in those days).  Had a rivalry with another female sharpshooter (who billed herself as younger and more attractive than Annie) who was also part of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show (but no one remembers that other woman’s name, so guess who won?).  She taught over 15,000 women how to shoot in her lifetime and once said “I would like to see every woman know how to handle [firearms] as naturally as they know how to handle babies.” and was a total bad ass.

Japanese WWII Battleship

The recovered wreck was one of the world's largest and most technologically advanced battleships deployed during its time. 

Medieval Bodies

The bodies, which were lined up head to feet, were found at the site of an ancient cemetery attached to the Trinity Hospital, which was founded in the 13th century.

Celtic Prince's Tomb

See photos of items recovered at the burial mound of a Celtic Prince.
An Iron Age Celtic prince was discovered buried with his chariot at the center of a huge mound in the Champagne region of France.

Pre-Colombian South American Faces

Study finds significant facial variation in pre-Columbian South AmericaSignificant facial variation in pre-Columbian South America


A team of anthropology researchers has found significant differences in facial features between all seven pre-Columbian peoples they evaluated from what is now Peru – disproving a longstanding perception that […]

Ziggy

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Where Does Volcano Lightning Come From?

The weird appearance of lightning during volcanic eruptions has been documented for some time now, but until recently, scientists weren't sure what caused the lightning bolts to appear.
They were pretty sure it had something to do with the particles of ash from the eruption getting an electric charge as they spewed out of the volcano, but nobody could figure out how the charge got there. And getting a closer look wasn't exactly an option, since directly observing a volcanic eruption isn't the safest thing to do.

Cloud-Gazing

Check out the most common cloud types found in the atmosphere, according to the Center for Science Education.

El Nino

The long-anticipated El Niño has finally arrived, according to forecasters with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.

Global Warming & California’s Drought

Climate change turned up the heat on California's drought, heat that could be a fixture by the 2030s.

Getting Thinner, Faster

Arctic sea ice isn't just shrinking in area, it's also thinning, and potentially more than previously thought.

Mind Blowing… These Unbelievable Facts Will DESTROY Your Understanding Of Time

Time has always perplexed the human race. We’ve tried to define it, track it, and measure it since the emergence of civilization. However, facts like these listed here show us how distorted our perception of time can be and how much we still need to learn about the fourth dimension.
21. There are whales alive today who were born before Moby Dick was written.
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Some of the bowhead whales living off the coast of Alaska are well over 200 years old. They were born well before Moby Dick was written in 1851.

Grand Tree of Life

Grand tree of life study shows a clock-like trend in new species emergence and diversityGrand tree of life study shows a clock-like trend in new species emergence, diversity


Temple University researchers have assembled the largest and most accurate tree of life calibrated to time, and surprisingly, it reveals that life has been expanding at a constant rate.

'Living Dinosaur'

The discovery on Kangaroo Island in South Australia represents a new family of primitive moths.

Aerial Acrobats

The insects use a complex sequence of body movements to stick the landing every time.

Animal Pictures