The Daily Drift

Pleasant Dreams ...!

 

Carolina Naturally is read in 203 countries around the world daily.   

    
Ready and Waiting  ... !

Today is - National Wait Staff 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
Argentina - Brazil - Canada - Colombia - Honduras - Mexico - Nicaragua - Peru - Puerto Rico
Sint Eustatius/Saba - United States - Venezuela
Europe
Bosnia/Herzegovina - Bulgaria - Cyprus - Czech Republic - Denmark - England - Finland - France  Germany - Greece - Ireland - Italy - Netherlands - Norway - Poland - Portugal - Romania - Russia  Scotland - Serbia - Spain - Sweden - Switzerland - Turkey - Ukraine - Wales
Asia
China - Hong Kong - India - Indonesia - Japan - Korea - Malaysia - Pakistan - Singapore - Sri Lanka  Thailand - United Arab Emirates
Africa
Cote D'ivoire - South Africa
The Pacific
Australia - Philippines

Don't forget to visit our sister blogs Here and Here.

Today in History

996   Sixteen year old Otto III is crowned the Roman Emperor.  
1471   King Henry VI is killed in the Tower of London. Edward IV takes the throne.  
1506   Christopher Columbus dies.  
1536   The Reformation is officially adopted in Geneva, Switzerland.  
1620   Present-day Martha's Vineyard is first sighted by Captain Bartholomew Gosnold.
1790   Paris is divided into 48 zones.  
1832   The Democratic party holds its first national convention.  
1856   Lawrence, Kansas is captured and sacked by pro-slavery forces.  
1863   The siege of the Confederate Port Hudson, Louisiana, begins.  
1881   The American Red Cross is founded by Clara Barton.  
1927   Charles Lindbergh lands in Paris completing the first solo air crossing of the Atlantic.  
1940   British forces attack German General Rommel's 7th Panzer Division at Arras, slowing his blitzkrieg of France.  
1941   The first U.S. ship, the S.S. Robin Moor, is sunk by a U-boat.
1951   The U.S. Eighth Army counterattacks to drive the Communist Chinese and North Koreans out of South Korea.  
1961   Governor Patterson declares martial law in Montgomery, Alabama.
1970   The U.S. National Guard mobilizes to quell disturbances at Ohio State University.  
1991   In Madras, India, a suicide bomber kills the former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi.

Kebabs: Skewers 23 Tantalizing Ways

Sambal chicken skewers, with a spicy, sticky glaze made of brown sugar and Sriracha  

Recipe here 

Nothing says summer eating like grilling on skewers. Shish Kebab has ancient roots in the Middle East, Eastern Mediterranean and South Asia in the days of Homer and the Mongol Empire. Traditional lamb skewers have since been supplemented with unlimited options from all food groups.
This article is full of delicious kebab ideas. Select your favorite, place some seasoned or marinated meat, vegetables, fruits or a combination on skewers, then once grilled to perfection, bring them inside and serve over a bed of salad, rice or noodles for a delicious meal that's filling and keeps well as leftovers.

Thai-Style Grilled Pork (Moo Ping)

Recipe here

Inspirational Teen With Down Syndrome Starts a Modeling Career

An 18-year-old Australian teenager with Down syndrome is shaking up the world of modeling.
Her name is Madeline Stuart, or "Maddy," and she has been working out for over a year and a half to ready herself for a modeling career, having already lost more than 40 pounds.
She wants people to know she sees her genetic disability as a gift.
Her mother says, "I think it is time people realised that people with Down syndrome can be sexy and beautiful and should be celebrated."
Maddy's story has been making the headlines and Australian fashion brand Living Dead Clothing has already hired her. They start shooting very soon. Smart move! Congrats, Maddy!

To keep up with Maddy the model, follow her on Instagram and on Twitter. 

You Can Rent This Complete 2-Bedroom House That Floats along the Thames

Airbnb is offering an increasingly unusual if not eccentric range of property rentals, including a Super Mario Bros.-themed apartment, a hotel room at the top of a ski jump, and a hotel room inside a cable car. Now add to those travel possibilities a fairly ordinary house.
That happens to float down the main river of London.

Yes, this is a house with a fully functional kitchen, bathroom, and 2 bedrooms. There’s a steering wheel in that kitchen, which is something that most household kitchens can’t boast of.

It’s a lot more than a houseboat. There’s a backyard with a living apple tree, real grass, and a doghouse. Airbnb offers it for rent until May 22.

The Provocations of Biking

Discoveries made possible by person-powered wheeled vehicles

Compiled by D.L.N Travasco

Bicycling presents both an opportunity and a source for insights into human anatomy, physiology and, in a variety of ways, psychology. Here are several published reports on what might be called bicycle science.
Biking 1
“Bicyclist’s Vulva: Observational Study,” (link NSFW) Luc Baeyens, British Medical Journal, vol. 325, July 20, 2002, pp. 138-9. The author is at Brugmann University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
Biking 2
“Bicyclist’s Nipples,” B. Powell, Journal of  the  American  Medical  Association, vol. 249, 1983, p. 2457.
Biking 3
“Effects of Altering Cycling Technique on Gluteus Medius Syndrome,” B.N. Green, C.D. Johnson, and A. Maloney, Journal of Manipulative  and Physiological Therapeutics, vol. 22, no. 2, February 1999, pp. 108-13. The authors, who are at  the Palmer College of Chiropractic West, San Jose, California, report that:

A  24-year-old  male amateur  cyclist  had numbness  and  tingling localized to a small region on the superior portion of the right buttock.... The cyclist had received chiropractic adjustments 2 days before the onset of the symptoms. One week earlier, the patient began riding a new bicycle with different gearing than his previous one.... Repetitive strain of the patient’s gluteus medius muscle as a result of poor cycling technique appeared to be the cause here.

Biking 4
“Familial Idiopathic Priapism in a 48-Year-Old Man: Self-Treatment Through Bicycling,” F. Sommer, S.  Nazari, T. Klotz and U. Engelmann, BJU International, vol. 89, 2002, p. 791. (Thanks to Peter Melvoin for bringing this to our attention.) The authors are at University Medical Centre of Cologne, Germany.

Culture

DO NOT GO GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT

by Dylan Thomas

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

A Map Showing the "Most Distinctive" Causes of Death by State

In creating a map illustrating the causes of death most common in the citizens of each state, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention went further than merely to show the main culprits such as heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes, which are basically equal opportunity killers across the board. Some lesser causes of mortality are far more common in some states than in others. After performing several calculations in their line of research, the CDC revealed a list of 23 secondary causes of death. Read more about how the findings were calculated and see which of the 23 causes of death was most common in your state here. 

How Much of Your Life Has the U.S. Spent in War?

During the drawdown of the Vietnam War, I recall feeling surreal about the U.S. not being at war, because, while we weren’t involved in Vietnam all my life, it sure felt like we were. That was an in-your-face war, with film footage dominating the evening news, war protesters, and fear of the draft. Times have changed. Journalist Martha Raddatz included this line in her commencement speech at Kenyon College:

You have spent more than half your lives with this country at war. And yet the huge majority of you, and those your age, the huge majority of all people in this country have not been affected by these conflicts.

The Washington Post, ever on alert for factual errors, checked to see if that was true. Students graduating from college in 2015 were mostly born in the early ‘90s, and have lived between 60 and 70 percent of their lives during the War on Terror. To see how this compares to other age groups, they made a table for all Americans born in the past 100 years. I see that while our country has been at war for 43% of my life, that figure is 83% for my two youngest children, born in 1998. The graph is a bit small in the image above, but you can see it much larger and read how it came about at The Washington Post.

Angry man drove his truck through his house

John Paul Jones Jr. of Senoia, Georgia, said he was angry and fed up, so on Thursday afternoon he started up his pickup truck in the backyard of his house and drove to the front yard by way of the living room.

Man who murdered housemate with frying pan and mop jailed

A man from Adelaide, Australia, who used a frying pan and a mop to murder his sleeping housemate has been jailed for more than two decades. The South Australian Supreme Court heard Peter James Freyer, 49, attacked Joe Triulcio last August at a house at Parafield Gardens after the man had threatened, purely as a joke, to kill Freyer's uncle at a time when he was in a bad mood about family matters. The court heard Mr Triulcio, 42, had no warning of the attack to be able to defend himself.

While the threat to kill Freyer's uncle was never meant seriously, the killer took that remark that way. Justice David Lovell said Freyer, 49, had stewed for several hours before deciding to act against his housemate. "Your motive to commit this murder was to make a pre-emptive strike, given your perception of the threats made by the deceased," he said. "The prosecution maintained there was objectively no danger [from the threat]." Mr Triulcio was asleep in the living room when Freyer grabbed a frying pan and bashed the victim up to 15 times. The man did not die immediately.
The court was told he made a gurgling sound for about 45 minutes until Freyer got a mop and shoved it down the victim's throat to suffocate him. Before the killing, Freyer had watched a home movie with deceased family members in it. Justice Lovell said the murder was horrific and Freyer had been significantly affected by alcohol. "The number of blows and the force with which you inflicted the head injuries ... make this a particularly callous and gruesome murder," he told Freyer. "I'm not confident about your prospects for rehabilitation."
Mr Triulcio moved in with Freyer and two other people to their property after a relationship ended. After brutally killing his housemate, Freyer sent a text message to a cousin saying: "You or your dad can rest easy. I did this all for you. Joe is dead." He also left a phone message on an uncle's answering machine saying: "I've killed Joe. He is dead." The court heard Freyer had a history of depression and anxiety. The judge said the crime had "torn apart" Mr Triulcio's family, who described him as a loved and valued man. Freyer's mandatory life sentence for murder came with a non-parole period of 21 years.

Non Sequitur

Man stuck in train toilet forced to tweet staff for help

A desperate rail passenger was forced to tweet rail staff for help after he got locked in the loo on a train to Orpington, south east London.

Steven Staples was travelling on the 7.38am service from London Blackfriars on Saturday morning when he found himself in a jam. The 38-year-old said: "I locked it but it wouldn't unlock again after, I tried a credit card, but didn't want to break it so turned to Twitter."

He tweeted: “@Se_Railway I'm stuck in a toilet - just pulling to elephant and castle, please help. Going to Orpington.” Thankfully Southeastern were quick to respond, finding out which service Mr Staples was trapped on so that they could send the driver to free him.

Despite railway staff promptly responding on social media Mr Staples was left holding his nose for 15 minutes before a little girl managed to open the door moments before the driver arrived.

Man rescued after four days stuck in storm drain

A 53-year old Tennessee man was rescued on Sunday after he got stuck in a storm drain four days ago near Centennial Park in Nashville. Brian Williams, who was attending a swim meet at the Centennial Sportsplex heard the man calling for help at around 12:30pm. “He was yelling, ‘Help! Help!’ sort of repeatedly,” Williams said. “We used our flashlights from our cellphones and we could see him, but he was back in the pipeline a good ways, probably about 10 feet,” Williams explained.

The man was elated when he heard Williams and his family come to his aid. “He said, ‘Praise God. Thank you. I have been down here forever.’ And he was just very happy at that point,” Williams added. Firefighters had to dig into the ground and break into a cement pipe to free the man. It took over two hours. The assistant chief with the Nashville Fire Department said the man had entered the pipe last Thursday. The man got stuck due to a bend in the narrow drain pipe, which ran next to the Sportsplex’s tennis courts.
He told firefighters that he climbed in the pipe because he has always been “adventurous.” Firefighters had to dig down to reach the section of pipe he was stuck in to cut him out. He was in deep enough that they had to use a 4-foot pry bar to get oxygen to him as they worked to free him. He appeared to have been about 6 to 7 feet from the opening of the pipe. A firefighter sat at the opening of the pipe and spoke with the man throughout the ordeal, explaining the process to free him in an effort to keep him from panicking.

YouTube link.

The man suffered cuts to his body and appeared to be dehydrated. He was immediately given oxygen once he was free and taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation and treatment. It was a situation that could have ended much worse. “If we had some rain, you know obviously he was in a storm drain, so it could have ended very badly for him. I think he had a guardian angel overlooking him and he was able to get out of there alive,” Williams said.

Police appeal to reunite bush with its owner

Cleveland police are appealing to trace the owners of a Topiary bush which is believed to have been stolen from a front door or drive.

It is believed the garden item may have been taken from a property in the Foggy Furze area of Hartlepool.

A man and woman were charged with theft in relation to the incident.
The owner or anyone with any information regarding the theft is asked to contact officers.

Polish gardener caught smuggling plants in his underpants

A Polish gardener is facing prosecution for smuggling plants in his underpants into New Zealand.

Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) staff intercepted plant cuttings, a bulb, a tuber and seeds after an arriving air passenger was searched at Auckland airport on Saturday. MPI strip-searched the passenger after a biosecurity detector dog sniffed out the plants near the man’s groin.
A Customs drug dog had also indicated the man was carrying something in his pants. The man, a New Zealand resident, was wearing two pairs of underpants and the concealment included ivy from a castle in Poland, says Craig Hughes, MPI’s Northern Border Clearance Manager, Passengers and Mail. “He wanted the plants for his garden, saying he could not find them in New Zealand,” says Mr Hughes.
He says the case has been referred to MPI investigators and that the man is likely to be prosecuted under the Biosecurity Act. “We have zero tolerance towards this type of behavior, which could endanger New Zealand’s primary industries and native plant life by introducing foreign pests and diseases.” If convicted, the man could face a fine of up to $100,000, or a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
There's an audio news report here.

Shoe

Woman surprised to find opossum and its babies in her closet

A woman from Beverly Grove, Los Angeles, had quite a surprise when she went into her closet last week. Amid the clothes and shoes, she found an angry, hissing opossum hiding in a plastic bag.

Teacher ate live worms after pupils passed tests

Teachers at a Central Texas elementary school rewarded their students for finishing their end-of-year tests by performing a series of dares, including eating live worms.

As a reward for exceeding school goals on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness tests, four fifth-grade teachers from Clements/Parsons school in Copperas Cove accepted a challenge from students to do some “gross but awesome” things.
One teacher had to kiss a guinea pig, another kissed a bulldog and another ate frog legs. But reading and language arts teacher Michele Cox had to eat live earthworms.
“Worms taste pretty much like dirt”, Cox said. “But it’s okay. I chased it with chocolate. It was really great, seeing (students’) reactions and the fact you actually followed through with what you said you would do,” Cox added. “Most of them don’t think you’ll do it.”

Animal Pictures