The Daily Drift

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Today in History

1350		John II, also known as John the Good, succeeds Philip VI as king of France.
1485		Henry Tudor defeats Richard III at Bosworth. This victory establishes the Tudor dynasty in England and ends the War of the Roses.
1642		Civil war in England begins as Charles I declares war on Parliament at Nottingham.
1717		The Austrian army forces the Turkish army out of Belgrade, ending the Turkish revival in the Balkans.
1777		With the approach of General Benedict Arnold’s army, British Colonel Barry St. Ledger abandons Fort Stanwix and returns to Canada.
1849		The Portuguese governor of Macao, China, is assassinated because of his anti-Chinese policies.
1911		The Mona Lisa, the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci, is stolen from the Louvre in Paris, where it had hung for more than 100 years. It is recovered in 1913.
1922		Michael Collins, Irish politician, is killed in an ambush.
1942		Brazil declares war on the Axis powers. She is the only South American country to send combat troops into Europe.
1945		Soviet troops land at Port Arthur and Dairen on the Kwantung Peninsula in China.
1945		Conflict in Vietnam begins when a group of Free French parachute into southern Indochina, in response to a successful coup by communist guerrilla Ho Chi Minh.
1952		Devil’s Island’s penal colony is permanently closed.
1956		Incumbent US President Dwight D. Eisenhower & Vice President Richard Nixon renominated by Republican convention in San Francisco.
1962		OAS (Secret Army Organization) gunmen unsuccessfully attempt to assassinate French president Charles de Gaulle; the incident inspires Frederick Forsyth’s novel, The Day of the Jackal.
1962		The world’s first nuclear-powered passenger-cargo ship, NS Savannah, completes its maiden voyage from Yorktown, Va., to Savannah, Ga.
1968		First papal visit to Latin America; Pope Paul VI arrives in Bogota.
1969		Hurricane Camille hits US Gulf Coast, killing 256 and causing $1.421 billion in damages.
1971		Bolivian military coup: Col. Hugo Banzer Suarez ousts leftist president, Gen. Juan Jose Torres and assumes power.
1971		FBI arrests members of The Camden 28, an anti-war group, as the group is raiding a draft office in Camden, NJ.
1972		International Olympic Committee votes 36–31 with 3 abstentions to ban Rhodesia from the games because of the country’s racist policies.
1975		US president Gerald Ford survives second assassination attempt in 17 days, this one by Sarah Jane Moore in San Francisco, Cal.
1983		Benigno Aquino, the only real opposition on Ferdinand Marcos’ reign as president of the Philippines, is gunned down at Manila Airport.
1989		First complete ring around Neptune discovered.
1995		During 11-day siege at at Ruby Ridge, Id., FBI HRT sniper Lon Horiuchi kills Vicki Weaver while shooting at another target.
2003		Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore suspended for refusing to comply with federal court order to remove the Ten Commandments from the Alabama Supreme Court building’s lobby.
2005		Art heist: a version of The Scream and Madonna, two paintings by Edvard Munch, are stolen at gunpoint from a museum in Oslo, Norway.
2007		Most runs scored by any team in modern MLB history as the Texas Rangers thump the Baltimore Orioles 30-3.

Americans Actually Like Michelle Obama’s Healthier School Lunches

"People in the U.S. overwhelmingly support strong nutrition standards and believe school meals are healthier and on the right track because of these standards.”

Selling Ugly Fruits And Vegetables Could Be Key To Solving America’s Food Waste Problem

Jordan Figueiredo is leading a one-man campaign against food waste, and is taking on some of the country's biggest grocery stores in the process.

The Petrifying Well of Knaresborough

There is a natural well with a waterfall in North Yorkshire, near Knaresborough in the UK, that was once considered cursed by the devil. Objects that came in contact with the water turned to stone! Of course, no one wanted to touch the water, lest they be turned to stone, too. Although there were plenty of supernatural legends associated with the well and nearby Mother Shipton’s Cave, the part about turning to stone was true. Not people, obviously, but anything left in the water stream for some time became petrified. More adventurous people began hanging objects at the fountain deliberately.  

Eventually, scientific analysis of the water revealed the magic behind the petrification process. The water has high mineral content that precipitates over objects creating a hard shell of mineral over it in much the same way as stalactites and stalagmites form in a cave. What’s amazing, however, is the speed at which petrification occurred. Rather than centuries, small toys like teddy bears can petrify in just three to five months. Teddy bears are popular because they are porous which allows water to soak in and petrify the toy inside out. Other have left personal items such as rings and clothing, kitchen utensils, and even a bicycle.

King Charles I sold the well to a private owner in 1630, who opened it as a tourist attraction and charged for guided tours. Almost 400 years later, it’s still operated as a tourist attraction, part of Mother Shipton’s Park. Read the legend behind the park and see more pictures of the Petrifying Well at Amusing Planet. Yes, even the bicycle

Controversy over 'misogynistic' sign for men's parking space

A German town has earned criticism from gender equality officers after advertising a "men's parking space" in a public car-park using a naked woman's silhouette. The silhouette shows a woman lolling backwards, legs splayed and breasts exposed.
Painted beside her are the words "Steep mountains, moist valleys" in German. This "Männerparkplatz" is the first of its kind in the Black Forest town of Triberg. The artwork is a contribution to humour in today's society, Triberg Mayor Dr. Gallus Strobel claims.
However, not everyone is so enthusiastic. The new artwork has angered gender equality and equal opportunity officers in Baden-Württemberg. "This type of sexist advertising, which uses a woman's naked body to grab attention and suggests women are a sexual commodity, is both misogynistic and inhuman," they said.

However, Mayor Strobel has no plans to remove the image in the near future. "It's a matter of artistic freedom," he said. "Art is allowed to provoke people, and should do so." As for artist Werner Oppelt, this is a debate he wants nothing more to do with. "I was unwilling to take part in this from the start," the pensioner admitted. "It's simply not my style." For Oppelt, who paints as a hobby, this was a commissioned work, and nothing more.

10 Weird Facts About the KKK

(Video Link)

The KKK is hardly a cabal to look up to, but like the Nazis, they're still interesting from a historical and political perspective. This article about the racist, terrorist group by TopTenz includes all kinds of fascinating facts, including the fact that even the KKK hates the Westboro baptist cult, that Superman once took on the Klan or that the cabal even once tried to start their own country. You can watch the video above, but if you prefer to read, here's a text version of the article.

Fox's Steve Doocy repeats white supremacist myth

14th Amendment is for slaves, not 'anchor babies'

The hacks at Fox & Friends suggested the 14th Amendment did not grant citizenship to the children of undocumented immigrants because it was meant only for slaves, which is a constitutional interpretation that is popular among white supremacists.

What Happens When The Largest City In The U.S. Decides To End Veteran Homelessness?

New York City says it will end veteran homelessness by the end of the year. A look inside exactly what it takes.

Children as property ...

The common root of religious child abuse and the anti-choice movement

On the surface, valuing embryonic life and abusing children are at odds, but with a biblical view of childhood, these positions can go hand in hand.

Afghanistan’s Female Artists Have A Lot To Show You About Their Country

Afghanistan's women artists are taking on their country's societal problems through painting.

Dress code violation

Sent home from high school for violating the school's dress code.
Not because of the faded jeans.
Because her outfit doesn't completely cover her clavicle (collarbone).
This incident didn't happen in a church school - she attends Woodford County High School, a public school in Versailles, Kentucky.  The controversy regarding the dress code was recently reported by the Lexington Herald-Leader:

An online petition has begun seeking support to change Woodford County High School's 11-year-old dress code...
Wednesday was the first day of classes for students. One Facebook post said there was "a group of female students standing in the office" because they were not complying with the dress code.
Another post said, "This is ridiculous! Parents are being called away from important jobs and students are missing important class time because they are showing their collarbones!"...
Among the criteria in the Woodford County High dress code is that students must wear a rounded crewneck shirt or a button-down shirt that may have only the top button open. Shirts must not expose the collarbone. Shorts and skirts must be knee-length or longer.

Last year the students at the school created a 33-minute video about their grievances.

New Jersey priest raped 15-year-old in rectory and then said ‘evil’ teen ‘wanted’ it

New Jersey priest raped 15-year-old in rectory and then said ‘evil’ teen ‘wanted’ it

A former New Jersey priest who is accused of raping a 15-year-old boy said this week that the teen had “evil” thoughts and “wanted” to have sex.

Fox News guest: ‘Many women’ falsely claim rape after having ‘what’s known as regret sex’

Fox News guest: ‘Many women’ falsely claim rape after having ‘what’s known as regret sex’

***

OK, while many women claim rape and a larger number than you'd expect are false claims this idiot is just that an idiot in making his assertions. Rape is Rape, and while false accusations diminish the perceptions people have concerning rape they do not alter that fact. 

South Sudanese President’s Chilling Threat Against The Lives Of Journalists

The government’s troops were accused by the UN in June of “new levels of brutality,” including raping and immolating young women and girls.

Store Owner Fights off Sword-Wielding Robber with Bigger Sword

That little knife isn't a sword.
Now this scimitar-that's a sword!
Two masked robbers entered a convenience store in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. One brandished a sword at the owner and demanded money.
It was a formidable weapon. But it was still an inadequate sword for the task. The store owner responded by whipping out his scimitar and chasing the pair out of his store. The robbers dropped all of their loot and fled. You can watch the hilarious security footage here.

Archaeology News

Oldest Case of Leukemia Found on 7,000-Year-Old Skeleton

Scientists scanned the skeleton and found a pattern of deep loss of spongy bone in both the bone tissue of the humerus.

Confederate Warship, Weapons Recovered from Georgia River

The armored husk of a Confederate warship is being raised out of the depths of a Georgia river, 150 years after the ship's crew deliberately sunk it.

Botanical News

Mythical First Flower Found

The oldest known flower did not produce showy blooms, but it once thrived in an area that included multiple dinosaurs.

The Tunguska Event Explained

(YouTube link)

It was the largest explosion ever recorded up to that point. No one went near it for twenty years, partially because there were no roads going to the middle of Siberia where the explosion originated. Dylan Thuras explains the Tunguska event of 1908, or what we know about it, anyway. This is another episode of the 100 Wonders series from Atlas Obscura.

Earth News

Floods and Drought: NASA Satellites Map 'Tale of 2 Countries' in US

It's been a wild 2015 for United States weather, and more changes are afoot when El Niño takes hold in the Pacific, NASA said.

Sun Causes City Buildings to Release Air Pollution

The sun triggers the release of smog-forming nitrogen oxide compounds from urban grime. 

Must-See Planet Pics: Stunning Waterfalls

See some of the most spectacular waterfalls from around the world.

Saharan Heat Amped Up by Climate Change

The desert's rising heat could affect everything from rainfall in the Sahel to the quality of soils in Italy.

Red Sprites

Enormous Red Sprites Seen From Space 

In two stunning orbital photos, a thunderstorm over Mexico generated two huge, red sprites reaching into space.

Paleontology News

Dog Ancestors Evolved From Mongoose-Like Forest Dwellers

Past climate change had a huge impact on the ancestors of today's canines.

First-Ever Salamander in Amber Found in Caribbean

The never-before seen, and now extinct, species confirms that the creatures once lived in the Caribbean, where they are not found today.

A Tale of Bagging a Mammoth in Alaska

In 1899, a story appeared in McClure's magazine by Henry Tukeman. It told of the time he tracked and killed a mammoth in the Alaskan wilderness, and sold the hide, tusks, and bones to a man who donated them to the Smithsonian Institution.

   While wintering at Fort Yukon in 1890, he said, he passed the time by reading aloud to an Indian friend named Joe. One of the stories concerned elephants. When he showed Joe a picture of an elephant the Indian became excited. He said he had seen such an animal, up there, pointing north and east.
    Joe said he had been hunting on the upper Porcupine River when he came to a cave filled with bones of big animals. The cave opened onto a valley, and in the valley were fresh tracks, "footprints longer than a rifle." Joe followed the tracks to a lake, and in the lake stood a creature of size and shape he had never seen, or heard of around the campfire.
    "He is throwing water over himself with his long nose, and his two front teeth stand out before his head for ten gunlengths, turned up and shining like a swan's wing in the sunlight. Alongside him, this cabin would be like a two-week boar cub beside its mother."
    Tukeman said Joe wouldn't guide him to the cave but told a younger tribesman named Paul how to get to the mammoth stomping grounds. They found the cave, found the valley, and, sure enough, found a mammoth.

The account goes on to describe how he killed the mammoth and what he did with the remains. It caused the Smithsonian no small amount of grief. The number of visitors to the institution surged, and many of those visitors became angry when hearing that the museum had no such exhibit. Read how such a fantastic story ended up in a respectable magazine at the Tacoma Public Library website.

Thrown fish led to assault with a weapon charge

A man from Dundas in Ontario, Canada, is facing assault charges for hurling a fish, among other things, at another person on Friday night. Police were first called to a home just before 7pm, after hearing of an ongoing disturbance where someone "was reported to have thrown a fish and other property" at another person inside the house.

The 911 caller indicated the situation was "escalating out of control," police say. When officers got there, they were met by a man who "immediately began yelling and screaming vulgarities towards them." "It was an already dead fish that was obtained and thrown at an individual," Constable Steve Welton said.
"He was certainly intent on causing damages and injuries to others." The man was identified as the person who had been wielding a fish as a weapon, and was arrested. But things further escalated, police say, when a woman inside the home saw the arrest happening and ran out of the home.
She allegedly attacked the officer by punching him in the back of the head, police say. The woman was then also promptly arrested. A 27-year-old man is facing assault with a weapon and mischief charges, while a 22-year-old Dundas woman is charged with assaulting a police officer.

Woman allegedly stuffed stolen clams down her shorts

Police in Florida arrested a woman they say stuffed stolen clams in her pants and walked out of a store.

Debra Marceau, 52, was charged with retail theft in the incident earlier this month.
Police said Marceau went into the freezer section of Publix in Palm Bay, opened a box of frozen clams and put them down the front of her shorts. Marceau also tried to put $45 worth of items in her purse, including a frozen pizza, police said.
Marceau told police that she removed the food without paying because she is "homeless and disabled," according to the report. She was arrested and taken to Palm Bay Police Department.

Meat-Inclusive Diets Are Hurting Biodiversity

Researchers say that land use changes meant to keep up with global demand for meat will be the leading contribution to species extinction in the future.

Sammy the Miniature Horse Practices His Strut

YouTube Link

Sammy is a three-day-old miniature horse born to mother Grace, seen here keeping a close watch over her newborn. Sterling Barlow, part owner of the farm shown in the footage above and below, shows off Sammy as the little colt mostly follows his lead.

YouTube Link

Drug Trafficking Pigeon

Drug Trafficking Pigeon Busted in Costa Rica

The avian smuggler was caught bringing drugs into a prison courtyard.

Animal News

Flat Spiders Can Fly With Precision

The spiders smoothly soar through the air and make strategic, head-first landings on desired spots.

New Miniature Frog Discovered in Brazil

The animal lives only in one mountainous region and requires a cold, humid environment.

Giant Panda Liang Liang Gives Birth in Malaysia

The protective mother, loaned by China to Malaysia, is still shielding her new arrival, and only its legs and some body parts are visible to onlookers.

Elephant Skin Graft Gives Mutilated Rhino Second Chance

The female rhino was attacked by poachers, who removed one of its horns and also killed the rhino's baby.

Black-Footed Ferrets Get a Boost: Photos

The critically endangered critters are responding well to the use of long-stored frozen sperm to help with their diversity.

Animal Picture