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Today in History

1403		Henry IV defeats the Percys in the Battle of Shrewsbury in England.
1667		The Peace of Breda ends the Second Anglo-Dutch War and cedes Dutch New Amsterdam to the English.
1711		Russia and Turkey sign the Treaty of Pruth, ending the year-long Russo-Turkish War.
1718		The Treaty of Passarowitz is signed by Austria, Venice and the Ottoman Empire.
1773		Pope Clement XIV abolishes the Jesuit order.
1798		Napoleon Bonaparte defeats the Arab Mameluke warriors at the Battle of the Pyramids.
1861		In the first major battle of the Civil War, Confederate forces defeat the Union Army along Bull Run near Manassas Junction, Virginia. The battle becomes known as Manassas by the Confederates, while the Union calls it Bull Run.
1865		Wild Bill Hickok kills gunman Dave Tutt in Springfield, Missouri, in what is regarded as the first formal quick-draw duel.
1873		The James Gang robs a train in Adair, Iowa.
1896		Mary Church Terrell founds the National Association of Colored Women in Washington, D.C.
1906		French Captain Alfred Dreyfus is vindicated of his earlier court-martial for spying for Germany.
1919		The British House of Lords ratifies the Versailles Treaty.
1925		John Scopes is found guilty for teaching evolution in Dayton, Tenn., and is fined $100.
1941		France accepts Japan’s demand for military control of Indochina.
1944		U.S. Army and Marine forces land on Guam in the Marianas.
1954		The French sign an armistice with the Viet Minh that ends the war but divides Vietnam into two countries.
1960		Sirimavo Bandaranaike becomes the first woman prime minister of Ceylon.

Starting Off Right ...

Bloom County is back and better then ever!

The Secret American Military Cemetery Where There Are No Names and Flags Are Forbidden

The Oise-Anise American Cemetery in Seringes-et-Nesles, France contains 6,021 graves, almost all of whom are American soldiers who died in the line of duty during World War I. The United States and France honor these fallen heroes to this day. The cemetery is well-tended and open for anyone who wishes to pay their respects.
Except for Plot E.
It's a small section in the 36.5 acre cemetery, hidden behind bushes. It does not exist on official maps of the cemetery and is accessible only through a door in the superintendent's office. Plot E has tiny marker stones, but there are no names on them--only numbers. The colors of the United States are expressly forbidden there.
And for good reason. These graves without honor are for American soldiers who were executed for crimes during World War II. Atlas Obscura explains:

The soldiers eventually interred in Plot E were tried for rape, murder, and in one case, desertion (although the remains of the deserter, Eddie Slovik, the only American executed for desertion in WWII, were returned to the states in 1987). After being convicted in U.S. courts martial held in Europe, the men were dishonorably discharged and executed via hanging or firing squad. In many cases, the men who were buried in Plot E were initially buried close to the site of their execution. Those bodies were later exhumed and moved to Oise Aisne in 1949 when the plot of shame was established.
Plot E has been referred to as an anti-memorial. No US flag is permitted to fly over the plot and the graves themselves, small in-ground stones the size of index cards, have no names; they are only differentiated by numbers. Even underground they are set apart with each body buried in Plot E positioned with its back to the main cemetery. The site does not exist on maps of the cemetery, and is not mentioned on their website.

Now we know where we can put all the America hating republican wingnuts!

The Gift America Didn't Know It Wanted: Florida

Florida has always been different. Now known as America’s retirement home, theme park destination, and the source of crazy news headlines, the history of the state is also strange and different. After Spanish conquistadors took charge, it was traded back and forth between Spain and Britain, and served as a refuge for those who didn’t want anything to do with the colonies that became the United States. That included those escaping from slavery.

4. The First Settlement of Ex-Slaves

In the late 17th century, the Spanish government began offering official asylum to all slaves who managed to escape the British colonies and get to Florida, provided they agreed to convert to Catholicism and serve in the Spanish military. The newly free (or free-er) people settled in a town called Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mosé, a.k.a. Fort Mose. The fort was home to hundreds, and is now considered a precursor to the Underground Railroad.

8. Abolitionist American Indians

After Fort Mose closed, the Seminole and Creek tribes picked up the slack, welcoming runaway slaves into their communities. When officials ordered their return, Seminoles reportedly responded that they “had merely given hungry people food, and invited the slaveholders to catch the runaways themselves.” Partially because of this, the American colonies began warring with Floridian Indians in the 1810s, and Secretary of State John Quincy Adams declared the whole territory “a derelict, open to the occupancy of every enemy, civilized or savage, of the United States and serving no other earthly purpose, than as a post of annoyance to them.” He convinced Spain to give up Florida to the United States so that they could tame it; on July 17th, 1821, the reins were officially passed.

Florida was also a refuge for “lawless rascals,” Americans who didn’t care for that whole revolution business, and horses imported from Europe. Atlas Obscura has a list of highlights from the history of Florida that you probably didn’t know if you didn’t grow up there.

The Damaging Effects Of The ‘Model Minority’ Myth

Immigrants from China now outnumber immigrants from Latin America -- and they face their own challenges here.

‘Medical Group’ Behind Planned Parenthood ‘Sting’ Is A Fake Front Group

And They Lied To The IRS

“Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practice to deceive!”
Read more 

A Rare Look At Lucille Ball's Home Life

Audiences have grown up watching I Love Lucy for generations, and because of the domestic nature of the program we feel like we know how Lucille Ball would have dressed and acted while at home.

But Lucy is the character Lucille portrayed on the small screen, and her offstage life couldn’t have been more different than that of domestic diva Lucy Ricardo.

House Beautiful shared a collection of rare photos, taken in the 50s and 60s, that give us a glimpse into the real home life of Lucille Ball, and as you would expect it's quite a bit more glamorous than Lucy's Upper East Side experience.

See A Rare Glimpse Into Life At Home With Lucille Ball here

Spanish town introduces compulsory siesta law

A town in Valencia, Spain, is bringing in a law that ensures each citizen has the right to enjoy an afternoon nap. Between the hours of 2pm and 5pm the inhabitants of Ador will be catching their mandatory forty winks. The town’s summer siesta tradition is so deep-rooted the mayor has enshrined his citizen’s right to an afternoon snooze in law.

"Everything closes between 2pm and 5pm," a town hall spokesman said. "Bars, shops, the swimming pool, everything." It is well-known that taking an afternoon siesta is good for you and it was even scientifically proven in early 2015. But Ador could be the first town in Spain to actually make taking a siesta obligatory by law.
Mayor of Ador, Joan Faus Vitòria, has ordered that that town’s inhabitants stay quiet between 2pm and 5pm. The new rules also stipulate that children should remain indoors: "Children should stay indoors between 2pm and 5pm so that they do not go outside and play with balls and disturb older people," the town hall spokesman added.
There is a long tradition of taking an afternoon siesta in Ador, stemming from the town's agricultural history: "Many people here work in the countryside, so it’s very usual to take a long lunch break and have a siesta after eating." The people of Ador have proudly carried on the practice, cementing the summer tradition into a town custom that they hope to preserve for generations of future nappers.

Road blocked by thatched roof

Police issued traffic warnings after a thatched roof collapsed and blocked a road in Hertfordshire. The roof formed an archway at the entrance to the front garden of a house on Loudwater Lane in Rickmansworth.
Hertfordshire Police tweeted to advise motorists to avoid the area due to a "large obstruction" which was reported to them at about 3:55pm on Thursday.
Officers said the roof was due to be removed from the road, near to its junction with Chorleywood Road.

This is what it comes to ...

Single mom arrested for ‘abandoning’ her kids at food court while interviewing for job 30 feet away

Single mom arrested for ‘abandoning’ her kids at food court while interviewing for job 30 feet away

Shoeless mouse-headed man robbed store at knife-point

A man wearing a costume mouse head robbed a convenience store in Barrie, Ontario, Canada, at knife-point early on Tuesday morning. Police are now trying to trap the rodent.

The man, about 6-feet tall with a slim build, dressed in a black shirt and black pants, boldly walked into the Mac’s in the middle of the night brandishing the knife. The alarmed clerk quickly handed him cash and the barefoot man scampered away into the darkness.
“I would have to say this is the first time I came across a mask used for a robbery that looks like a child’s cute mouse mask,” Barrie police Det. Brett Haynes said. Surveillance footage shows the man had the mask on before he walked into the store, he said. Luckily, the store only carries small amounts of cash and the bandit got away with only $60.

YouTube link.

“It was a pretty brazen attack for just 60 bucks,” Haynes said. Police found the mouse mask on the ground behind the store and sent it for forensic tests. The canine unit later found the suspect’s pants and shirt on the ground not far from the store. “I can’t say what he wore once he discarded his clothing,” Haynes said. Police say the suspect is considered dangerous and ask that anyone who has seen the unusual mask call Crime Stoppers.

Man fell from third floor of building while trying to spit on police officers

A French man trying to impress his friends by spitting on police from his balcony ended up falling to the ground three stories below. The 27-year-old was left seriously injured when he fell from the third story balcony at his home in eastern France this week.

He had invited his friends round to his house in the town of Colmar to celebrate France’s national day on July 14th. The man was standing on his balcony at around 2am when he spotted a police car coming down the street.
He leaned back preparing to unleash a volley of phlegm onto the officers below, but as he lurched forward he went over the balcony railings and fell, luckily landing in some bushes.
He was rushed to hospital suffering from a head injury and multiple fractures. In another twist, when police questioned the shocked friends up on the balcony, officers realized that one of them had been on the run for several months. He was arrested and hauled off to prison.

Sheriff In Sandra Bland Case Was Fired For Misconduct From Previous Job

He was fired because he and members of his department had engaged in racially biased behavior and police brutality.

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In related news:

Texas trooper who arrested Sandra Bland violated police policies: investigators

Bad Cops

Texas Police Chief Used Authority To Solicit And Stalk Teenage Girls

According to a search warrant issued in Ellis County, Texas, Maypearl Police Chief Kevin Coffey used the power of his office to solicit, stalk and harass...

Mouse-catching kestrel rescued after getting stuck in car grille

A kestrel had to be rescued from the grille of a sports car after it swooped to chase a mouse and got stuck. The RSPCA was called after staff at Graham Gillis Auto Repair in Whittington, Norfolk, discovered the bird of prey trapped in the car on Friday.

They managed to carefully release the bird and contain it in a box until the RSPCA arrived, and took it to a nearby wildlife center for care. Animal welfare officer Craig Plumley said: “It is very rare that a kestrel gets stuck in a grille like this. It is the first time I have known it happen in the 19 years I have been working at the RSPCA.
“This bird was victim to very unfortunate timing. He got hit by the car at the exact moment it swooped up from catching a mouse. The dead mouse was also found in the car grille. Thankfully, the quick-thinking driver drove slowly to a garage just around the corner from the incident and it was released by the garage’s technicians.”
Sue Levings, from East Winch wildlife center, said an x-ray showed the bird had not broken any bones. She said: “Apart from tail feather damage, the bird is making a good recovery. He is receiving treatment for a wound but it is eating well and it seems bright. We hope to release him back to the wild soon.”

Police officer rescued meowing kitten from overpass

An officer from Pasadena Police Department in Texas rescued a meowing kitten early on Wednesday morning. According to PPD, Officer Galvan was at the overpass when he heard the kitten crying.

The department said on its Facebook page: "The crying sounded like it was coming from the Beltway. After shining his light up on the overpass, he could see the kitten's eyes reflecting back. The kitten was stuck on the Beltway 8 overpass over Red Bluff and could not get down. The angle was too steep for Officer Galvan to walk up to the kitten, so he had to make a U-turn back to the overpass.
"After searching for a bit, he located the kitten wedged in between the drain openings at the bottom of the barriers. He could see the back of the kitten sticking out on the other side of the barrier and reached over in attempts to grab it. Apparently this kitten was NOT in the mood to be rescued and began scratching and biting Officer Galvan.

YouTube link.

"As a result, Officer Galvan lost his grip and the kitten fell back onto the Beltway and ran back under the barrier. Determined to rescue the kitten, Officer Galvan regrouped, licked his wounds, grabbed his gloves and lock out device and made a second successful attempt. After calming the kitten down, and making sure it received plenty of water, Officer Galvan took the kitten to the caring arms of the Pasadena Animal Shelter. All in a day's work for our night shift officers."
You can see the original video here and a follow-up video of the kitten here.

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With all the bad cops getting the headlines, good cops get let out in the cold.
This is a feel good story nothing more, nothing less.
We don't know what motivated the officer to do as he did, we don't need to know.
His humane actions were simply because it was the right thing to do.
The overwhelming majority of our police officers are good people and we'd be willing to bet that most would have done exactly as this officer did.
We will continue to expose the bad cops here until they are rooted out completely from the ranks of our police.
We will also highlight the good cops whenever they unheralded things they do are held under the spotlight or we will hold a spotlight on them whenever necessary.

Picky bear broke into bakery eating all the pies except for the strawberry rhubarb one

A bear with a sweet tooth broke into a Colorado bakery, ate 24 pies and then took two to go. But he left the strawberry rhubarb one, the daughter of the owner of the Colorado Cherry Company said. The bear broke into the store, located in the city of Lyons, through a window and climbed on top of the oven before eating “about two dozen pies, bags of cocoa, and a bag of sugar”, according to Mikaela Lehnert, the owner’s daughter.

“He went for the apple and the cherry and left behind the strawberry rhubarb so he was a picky little guy,” Lehnert said. During his late-night feast, he avoided being caught on tape as the surveillance cameras inside the pie shop are pointed away from the room he invaded and towards the freezer, home to many more pies, which he left untouched. He avoided that area and left through the window he entered. The morning following the break-in, Lehnert and her mother found the mess he left behind and two pie boxes in the yard.
Despite the mess, the damage was minimal, aside from the broken window. The owners have boarded it up but Lehnert said they plan on putting new windows in as soon as possible. She worries the bear might have enjoyed the pies so much that they will now have a repeat customer. “We have a feeling he knows it’s here so he’s going to come back,” she said. According to Lehnert, this isn’t the first time something like this has happened. They had a bear break in to their other location in Loveland, Colorado, and snack on some pies.

The damage from that break-in was more extensive as he broke not only a window but the main doors and the freezer during his mission for sweets. Bears have also gone through their garbage in the past so they’ve had electrical fences installed. But this particular heist was “kind of creative” compared to the rest. “If anything it’s boosted [our business] because it put our pies and product out there,” Lehnert said. She and her mother may have to leave a pie out to thank their visitor for his services. But not a strawberry rhubarb, of course.
There's a news video here.

Animal Pictures