CAROLINA NATURALLY: Oct 18, 2015

Sunday, October 18, 2015

The Daily Drift

Welcome to the Sunday Edition of Carolina Naturally.

Grandmas - They're always embarrassing their grand kids ...!

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Today in History

1648		The "shoemakers of Boston"–the first labor organization in what would become the United States–was authorized by the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
1685		Edict of Nantes lifted by Louis XIV. The edict, signed at Nantes, France, by King Henry IV in 1598, gave the Huguenots religious liberty, civil rights and security. By revoking the Edict of Nantes, Louis XIV abrogated their religious liberties.
1813		The Allies defeat Napoleon Bonaparte at Leipzig.
1867		The Alaska territory is formally transferred to the U.S. from Russian control.
1867		The rules for American football are formulated at meeting in New York among delegates from Columbia, Rutgers, Princeton and Yale universities.
1883		The weather station at the top of Ben Nevis, Scotland, the highest mountain in Britain, is declared open. Weather stations were set up on the tops of mountains all over Europe and the Eastern United States in order to gather information for the new weather forecasts.
1910		M. Baudry is the first to fly a dirigible across the English Channel–from La Motte-Breil to Wormwood Scrubbs.
1912		The First Balkan War breaks out between the members of the Balkan League–Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece and Montenegro–and the Ottoman Empire.
1918		Czechs seize Prague and renounce Hapsburg’s rule.
1919		Madrid opens a subway system.
1921		Russian Soviets grant Crimean independence.
1939		President Franklin D. Roosevelt bans war submarines from U.S. ports and waters.
1944		Lt. General Joseph Stilwell is recalled from China by president Franklin Roosevelt.
1950		The First Turkish Brigade arrives in Korea to assist the U.N. forces fighting there.
1967		A Russian unmanned spacecraft makes the first landing on the surface of Venus.
1968		US athletes Tommi Smith and John Carlos suspended by US Olympic Committee for giving “black power” salute while receiving their medals at the Olympic Games in Mexico City.
2003		Bolivian president Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada resigns in the wake of protests centered around Bolivia’s natural gas resources.
2007		Suicide attack on a motorcade in Karachi, Pakistan, kills at least 139 and wounds 450; the subject of the attack, Pakistan’s former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, is not harmed.

Editorial Comment

It has been a great few weeks - even with the massive amount on rain a few days back - around here.
Our new gal everything Brooke is working out nicely.
She has taken a lot of the job of editing Carolina Naturally over and is doing a wonderful job of it.
Which has left us freer to do other things now that the Mrs., is back to full speed as it were from her health scare of the last decade so she is taking a more active role in working the farm like she did when we first got the place - of course her specialty is the animals and the herb garden so the farm staff take care of the bulk of the farming.
My emeritus status at the university allows me to research and teach as I please and I have begun to teach more classes, there is an encouraging trend just beginning to form among young college students ... a love and desire and desperate need to learn science ... after an entire generation of glorifying the stupid and ignorant the light begins to shine bright again. Of course the stupid and ignorant are fighting the losing battle to retain their status ... one needs only to look at the political circus in the U.S. to recognize that (though only if you are not those of the stupid and ignorant variety).

Every Day, The Moving Figures in This Sculpture Kiss and Pass Each Other

The 1937 Azerbaijani novel Ali and Nino tells the story of a muslim man and a christian woman in the city of Baku who fall in love. Their cultures will not tolerate such a relationship and they are torn asunder. This enormous sculpture in Batumi, Georgia by Tamara Kvesitadze tells their story. Every evening at 7 o'clock, the two lovers approach, kiss, then pass right through each other.

(Video Link)

This video shows the sequence. The metal plates forming the bodies don't collide because they are set at alternating heights. You can see more photos at My Modern Met.

Billy the Kid in a Striped Cardigan Playing Croquet

There was only one photograph of outlaw William Bonney, also known as Billy the Kid, in existence -until now. A vintage photo collector bought a tintype at a Fresno junk shop in 2010 which has been verified by a team of experts at Kagin’s as depicting Bonney playing croquet during a wedding reception.

The latest photo, a 4 x 5 inch tintype, captures Billy the Kid surrounded by several members of his gang after a wedding, according to Kagin’s. The outlaws are surrounded by friends and family in Chaves County, N.M., in the summer of 1878. The company said a team spent a year dissecting the photo and determining the location, which required investigators to travel to the supposed site where it was taken.
“We found the old lumber underneath,” Jeff Aiello, who directed a National Geographic Channel documentary about the photo, told ABC affiliate KFSN. “We found those exact rock piers are still there.”

It’s not only precious because of the scarcity of pictures of Bonney, but also because it shows him with his gang, the Regulators. Kagin’s has already fielded some offers for the picture, and expect it to sell in the neighborhood of $5 million. See the full picture and read more about it at The Washington Post.

Researchers find neural switch that turns dreams on and off

Researchers find neural switch that turns dreams on and off

At the flip of a switch, UC Berkeley neuroscientists can send a sleeping mouse into dreamland. The researchers inserted an optogenetic switch into a group of nerve cells located in the ancient part of the brain called the medulla, allowing them to activate or...

The Yazidi People: Latest Targets of ISIL

The Yazidi People: Latest Targets of ISIL

The Yazidis are a religious group with an extremely ancient lineage. In recent times, they've become targets of the terrorist group ISIL. Find out why.

‘Wealth therapy'

‘Wealth therapy': The top one percent turn to counseling because it’s hard being a rich person

From the bible to the Lannisters of Game of Thrones, it’s easy to argue that the rich have always been vilified, scorned and envied. But their therapists argue things have only gotten worse since the financial crisis and the debate over income inequality

Rich People Scared to Move into High Rent Apartments Because of Homeless Displaced by High Rents

Rich People Scared to Move into High Rent Apartments Because of Homeless Displaced by High Rents

DC cult claims that a proposed bike lane violates their 'religious freedom'

DC cult claims that a proposed bike lane violates their 'religious freedom'

One of the pettiest appeals to religious freedom ever.

DoD Orders Police Nationwide to Give Back Grenade Launchers, Bayonets, & Tanks

DoD Orders Police Nationwide to Give Back Grenade Launchers, Bayonets, and Tanks

Elderly Veteran Fights off Knife Attack to Save 16 Children

On Thursday, 16 children and several mothers had gathered in a meeting room at the Morton Public Library in Morton, Illinois. A 19-year old man wielding two knives walked in and, blocking the door, announced his intention to kill them.

Standing between him and the children was 75-year old James Vernon. Vernon talked to the criminal, maneuvered him away from the door, then signaled the kids to slip out. After they did so, Vernon made good use of the knife-fighting training that the US Army gave him 50 years ago. The Pekin Daily Times reports:

Brown slashed from the right towards Vernon, who blocked the blade with his left hand. “I should have hit his wrist. That’s how you’re trained, but it’s been half a century,” he said.
“First rule of combat: Be fast and vigorous,” said Vernon, who was trained but never served in combat. Vernon’s medium build was enough to overcome his smaller attacker.
“I grabbed him and threw ... Somehow he wound up on a table” with the knife in his left hand pinned under his body, Vernon said. “I hit him on the (right) collarbone with my closed hand” until Brown, his arm numbed by the blows, dropped that knife.

Neighbors unhappy with man's giant commode

"Literally, it's a potty chair. A chair with a hole in the seat," Steven Chayt explains, pointing to the massive structure in his Florida backyard. It's a 24-foot tall backyard throne, a replica of a smaller-scale potty chair he designed more than 20 years ago.

He decided it was time to go public with his masterpiece, which he calls the Lawn Chair Project, even it means sticking out like a sore thumb in his Winter Haven neighborhood. While passers-by may chuckle, many neighbors are not. "Everybody coming and everybody going sees it," said James Barfield, who lives nearby.

He and others in the neighborhood feel it's nothing more than an eyesore. They miss the natural beauty of the neighborhood, the way it looked before the artist turned it into his canvas. Many also worry about property values diminishing with what they call a "toilet" towering above the horizon. "Really, I think it would be best where people like that kind of art can enjoy it on a regular basis instead of in a residential community," said Barfield.

YouTube link.

The neighbors are now passing around a petition, urging Chayt to considering moving it or taking down the structure. "Somebody said, 'well, you're going to take it down, aren't you?' And I said, 'well, I wasn't planning on it,'" he said. Polk County officials say Chayt got all the necessary permits to build the potty chair, and that since it's on private land, he's not breaking any laws or ordinances. Chayt is hoping neighbors will change their tune once they see the finished product.

Couple surprised by theft of 43 bushes from their garden

Thieves have stolen 43 bushes planted in a front garden, leaving a couple who own the property somewhat surprised. Chris Mizen and his wife, Judy, paid £3,900 to have 73 Laurel bushes planted in the garden of their home in Fleet, Hampshire.

Mr Mizen and his wife have vacated their home at the junction while extensive work is carried out, but hope to be back in by November. Steve Bollen Landscape Gardening planted the 73 Laurel bushes on Saturday to create a hedge along the border of their property.

Mr Mizen, 52, said the bushes were between 1.75 meters and 2m in height, and took three men most of the day to plant, including the installation of underground irrigation. Prior to this, trenches were dug, which took two men two days to dig. “At some point during Sunday night, 43 of the bushes were pulled up and taken,” said Mr Mizen.
“Steve Bollen told me that on the Saturday, many people stopped to tell him how much nicer it made that whole area look, and subsequently a few people have expressed their sadness at the theft. This is a busy main road and we feel someone must have seen something as it wasn’t a small operation.” Anyone with information about the bushes should call Hampshire Constabulary.

Suspected toxic waste was discarded sauerkraut

Nine smelly barrels discovered on an allotment south of Stockholm, Sweden, last week were initially thought to be filled with toxic waste.

But officials say that the containers were in fact packed with sauerkraut, the pickled cabbage dish loved by Germans. The potent food was dumped in the dead of night at a car park next to community allotments in Skärholmen, around 15 kilometers south of Stockholm.

Local council officials in charge of clearing the area said that they had made the find last Thursday. They said that 8-900 kilograms of the pickled cabbage had been discovered, following initial speculation that the barrels were full of dangerous chemicals.
According to park maintenance staff, it remains a mystery who left the waste. Mammad Shahbazi, who has an allotment in the area, said: "It is not the first time. They usually come at night and leave. They think only of themselves and not those who have to clean up."

Undocumented Woman Faces 24 Felony Counts For Collecting A Paycheck

She was trying to fight wage theft. But the local police force cracked down.

Serving 13-Year Sentence For Satire, Iranian Cartoonist Is Charged For Shaking Hands With Lawyer

She was also charged with having "illegitimate sexual relations."

Professor Gets Suspended For Going To Black Lives Matter Protest

A fearless teacher is being punished for defending the lives of others.

Read more

Couple accused of abusing man's elderly mother

A husband and wife in Florida were arrested earlier this week, accused of abusing the man's mother.

According to the Osceola County Sheriff's Office, the investigation began in September after deputies got a report of an 81-year-old woman who was recovering at a rehabilitation center in Kissimmee.

The woman had told the deputies that she had fallen in her room and asked her son, Raymond Southerland, for help multiple times. She said she lost consciousness and woke up in a pool of blood. Investigators say after some time, Southerland called for medical assistance. Deputies say he originally didn't admit to harming her, but said medication he takes causes him to black out.
According to doctors, the victim's injuries weren't consistent with a fall, but rather abuse. Detectives say after interviewing both Raymond and his wife, Debbie Southerland, they determined that the victim had been abused and felony warrants were issued. On Monday, both Raymond and Debbie Southerland were arrested and booked into the Osceola County Jail.

No bell on bicycle led to multitude of charges for man

A man riding a bicycle on a sidewalk in Edmonton, Canada, on Tuesday was stopped by police because he didn’t have a bell on his bike.

After stopping the 25-year-old man, police said he gave them a fake name. He was then arrested for obstruction.
As he was being arrested, a knife fell out of his pants. Officers searched him and his backpack and found a sawed-off shotgun, drugs and trafficking paraphernalia.
The man is now facing 18 charges for weapons, trafficking, obstruction and breaching conditions. He was also given a ticket for riding a bicycle without a bell.

Man Breaks Into Ranch House, Feeds Pets, Makes Dinner, Writes In Diary

What would you think if you came home to find a burglar still hanging out in your house, kicking back watching TV like he owns the place?

The ranch house residents who found Christopher Hiscock sitting on their couch sipping coffee probably thought the worst too, but then they discovered Christopher was no ordinary burglar, because he was born to be a rancher.

He had fed the cat, given the horses some hay, and basked in the glory of a sleepover on the ranch, which he described in this entry he added to the resident's diary:

"Today was my first full day at the ranch. I fed the cats and horses. So much I can do here I have to remind myself to just relax and take my time. I don't feel alone here, I guess with 2 cats and 3 horses it's kinda hard to be alone. Last night I had a fire in the house. It was so (peaceful). I slept like a little baby. I saw a picture in the basement on the wall of a man holding and weighing fish on a boat. Looking at him I think we look a lot alike, but I think I'm more handsome."

Christopher was placed on a one-year probation for his crime, which he strangely feels is a small price to pay for a glorious day spent living that ranch life. Maybe he needs to get a cat?

Our ancestors probably didn’t get 8 hours a night, either

Our ancestors probably didn’t get 8 hours a night, either

They stay up late into the evening, average less than 6 1/2 hours of sleep and rarely nap. College students during final exams? Working moms? Hard-charging executives? Think again, says a UCLA-led team of researchers who studied sleeping patterns among traditional...

Cultured Neanderthals

Strong El Niño sets the stage for 2015-2016 winter weather

Strong El Niño sets the stage for 2015-2016 winter weather

Forecasters at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center issued the U.S. Winter Outlook today favoring cooler and wetter weather in Southern Tier states with above-average temperatures most likely in the West and across the Northern Tier. This year’s El Niño, among the...

NASA releases dramatic video of solar winds and a massive coronal hole larger than 50 Earths

Artificial whisker reveals source of harbor seal’s uncanny prey-sensing ability

Artificial whisker reveals source of harbor seal’s uncanny prey-sensing ability

Harbor seals have an amazingly fine-tuned sense for detecting prey, as marine biologists have noted for years. Even when blindfolded, trained seals are able to chase the precise path of an object that swam by 30 seconds earlier. Scientists have suspected that the...

Snake Pit Video

Camera Falls Into Angry Snake Pit

New video shows a camera falling into a noisy pit of rattlesnakes illustrates how many snakes gather at this time of year.

Caffeinated Bees

Caffeinated Bees: What's the Buzz About?

Bees seek out caffeinated nectar – and experience both the good and the bad that comes from a caffeine buzz.

Inquiry into why Russia shopping mall bear was shot dead by police

Police in Russia's far east have shot dead a wild bear that wandered around a closed shopping mall. The bear entered the mall in Khabarovsk, near the Chinese border, on Tuesday night and barged out of a door.

Police then shot it dead in the playground of a school before a veterinary worker arrived. Government investigators said that they have now opened an inquiry, after "numerous requests" to do so, into why the animal was killed.
Security camera footage showed the bear running through empty corridors before pushing two doors open to escape. It was then shot dead by a camouflaged officer after running away from the mall.