The Daily Drift

Welcome to Today's Edition of Carolina Naturally.

Yes, by all means Happy Nutella Day ..! 

 

Carolina Naturally is read in 205 countries around the world daily.   

  
We know quite a few who are celebrating today ... !

Today is - World Nutella Day

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Today in History

1556		Henry II of France and Philip of Spain sign the truce of Vaucelles.
1631		A ship from Bristol, the Lyon, arrives with provisions for the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
1762		Martinique, a major French base in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, surrenders to the British.
1783		Sweden recognizes U.S. independence.
1846		The first Pacific Coast newspaper, Oregon Spectator, is published.
1864		Federal forces occupy Jackson, Miss.
1865		The three-day Battle of Hatcher’s Run, Va., begins.
1900		The United States and Great Britain sign the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty, giving the United States the right to build a canal in Nicaragua but not to fortify it.
1917		U.S. Congress nullifies President Woordrow Wilson‘s veto of the Immigration Act; literacy tests are required.
1918		The Soviets proclaim separation of church and state.
1922		The Reader’s Digest begins publication in New York.
1922		William Larned’s steel-framed tennis racquet gets its first test.
1945		American and French troops destroy German forces in the Colmar Pocket in France.
1947		The Soviet Union and Great Britain reject terms for an American trusteeship over Japanese Pacific Isles.
1952		New York adopts three-colored traffic lights.
1961		The Soviets launch Sputnik V, the heaviest satellite to date at 7.1 tons.
1968		U.S. troops divide Viet Cong at Hue while the Saigon government claims they will arm loyal citizens.
1971		Two Apollo 14 astronauts walk on the moon.
1972		It is reported that the United States has agreed to sell 42 F-4 Phantom jets to Israel.
1985		U.S. halts a loan to Chile in protest over human rights abuses.

San Diego naval base endorses husband of gay sailor for national ‘Military Spouse of the Year’

San Diego naval base endorses husband of gay sailor for national ‘Military Spouse of the Year’

Sometimes You Break Their Hearts, Sometimes They Break Yours

Marie-Helene Bertino wrote an essay in the persona of an alien, sent from a planet with an untranslatable name, to study humans and send back reports via fax. Musings on human beings and their strange ways from an alien point of view is nothing new, but this is funny.  

Five days ago, the bathroom key went missing. Landry Business Solutions has a PA and I made an announcement over it. Why we have a PA is beyond me since only twelve people work here and they sit in one room. I could have easily walked into that room and made a medium-volumed inquiry but I don’t like to leave my desk. My announcement over the PA was: WILL WHOEVER HAS THE BATHROOM KEY PLEASE RETURN IT! Three hours later Delilah slammed the key on my desk. The door had gotten stuck, and she had been trapped in the bathroom for hours. No one heard her yelling. She missed a meeting, and still no one thought to look for her. She heard my announcement in the bathroom where she sat, hating me. Someone from another office finally heard her and climbed through a heating duct to free her. Delilah, disoriented, left early. It’s a bad day when you realize how unimportant you are.

Of course, the above observation could have been written by any earthling. How about this:

I am bad at asking for help. When you ask a human being for help, there is a chance they will say later: remember when you asked for help, can I have five dollars? That goes for medicine, too. I don’t like asking help from pills in a bottle. I don’t want to be woken up at night by a tab of aspirin asking to borrow five dollars.

Read other disjointed observations of life on Earth at Indiana Review.

This Handy Gadget Will Help You Invade England

Your task is to invade England from across the English Channel. This has been done twice successfully, many times unsuccessfully, and countless times in the dreams of military planners. The challenge is to move an army across the water and then maintain a supply chain long enough for the invading army to become locally sufficient.
By 1798, the project had become all but impossible due to the supremacy of the Royal Navy. But that did not stop French generals and admirals from dreaming up ways of bypassing the Royal Navy, including digging a tunnel beneath the Channel and moving troops with balloons.
This image in the National Maritime Museum in London shows one proposed method that existed only in the terrified imaginations of Britons. It’s a huge fort on a raft that would carry 60,000 soldiers:

Unlike other prints produced during this wave of paranoia in London, which represent the vessel as an excessively fantastic contraption more appropriate to the tales of Baron Münchhausen, this print pares it down to a severe geometric symmetry to assert its claim to being based in fact. Indeed, a greater air of authority is lent by the claim that the engraving is made after an original drawing by a French prisoner of war, and by the wealth of statistical detail in the caption. The machine is described as: 'Flat; 2,100 Feet long, and 1,500 Feet broad; has 500 Cannon round it, 36 and 48 Pounders; at each end is two Wind Mills, which turns Wheels in the Water at every point of the Wind to Navigate; in the middle is a Fort enclosing Mortars, Perriers, &c. It carries 60,000 Men, Cavalry, Infantry, and Artillery.' Nonetheless, this does not disguise the unseaworthiness of the 'new machine', and neither is there any firm evidence that such a vessel was being constructed on the north French coast at this time.

Albert Goering, Brother of a Nazi and Hero of the Holocaust

Hermann Goering (left) was a devoted Nazi, an early supporter of Adolf Hitler, and eventually the senior commander of the Luftwaffe, Nazi Germany’s air force. He was a war criminal of the highest order and well on his way to a proper hanging before he killed himself with a secret cyanide pill.
His brother, Albert (right), was quite different. In fact, at great risk to his own life, Albert Goering rescued dozens of Jews from concentration camps. Here’s how the Daily Mail describes one of his many daring escapades during the Holocaust:

Albert, it emerged, had not only lobbied his brother to release individual prisoners from Dachau, but also forged Hermann’s signature on documents that allowed anti-Nazi activists and Jews to escape Hitler’s henchmen.
He took company trucks and drove away inmates as ‘forced laborers’ before parking in secluded areas and allowing them to escape.

Albert Goering was nearly tried as a war criminal due to his family connections. It was only at the intervention of the Jews that he rescued that he was able to escape prosecution. Albert went on to die in 1966 in obscurity. But now Yad Vashem, the Israeli organization that honors gentiles who rescued Jews during the Holocaust, may honor with the title of Righteous among the Nations

Get Out of Debt Forever

These simple steps will help you eliminate debt and stay in the black.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Pushed For A Law To Make Sure Women Get Equal Pay

How Ruth Bader Ginsburg Pushed For A Law To Make Sure Women Get Equal Pay

"Membership libraries" still exist

As explained at Quartz:

Public libraries are a relatively new phenomenon. Before the 1880s, when Andrew Carnegie started funding the more than 1,600 library buildings that bear his name, most libraries in America were subscription-based, with members funding and shaping the collections. As free public libraries sprouted up across the United States, membership libraries mostly died off, but 19 non-profit membership libraries still exist, and are reinventing themselves as cultural centers and the coolest coworking spaces you could dream of.

I’m an itinerant freelance writer and work most of the year in Cincinnati, where I discovered the Mercantile Library a few years ago, when it was hosting a small concert. The majestic space immediately appealed to my aesthetics, but I had no idea of its history. The Mercantile was founded in 1835 as a young merchants’ association library—the collection is generalist, though early on there was a ban on novels that has since been reversed. The original cast iron and walnut newspaper reading desks remain in the building that the association secured with a 10,000-year lease for $1 annually.

Membership in the Mercantile Library is $55/year.  Even with that incredible lease, there is no way that such dues can cover maintenance and staff expenses.  They must have an immense endowment. 

There is a list of other membership libraries at the link; check there to see if one is available near you.

How Do Scars Form?

How Do Scars Form?

The first cut might not always be the deepest, but one thing's for sure: If it's deep enough, you're going to have a scar. How come skin sometimes leaves reminders of our pain?

Everything You Thought You Knew About Giving CPR Is Wrong

Why Everything You Thought You Knew About Giving CPR Is Wrong

Forget mouth-to-mouth rescue breaths. This expert-backed technique is the correct way to perform this lifesaver

Identity Theft Can Be Far Worse Than You Might Imagine

Here's Why Identity Theft Can Be Far Worse Than You Might Imagine

Sake-Flavored Kit Kat Contains Actual Alcohol

Japan is crazy for Kit Kat chocolate bars and that nation is home to numerous flavors that Americans might find unusual, including soy sauce and green tea. Now residents of Japan can get Kit Kat bars flavored with rice wine. They consist of 0.08% alcohol, so you will need to eat a lot of them in order to get a real sake experience. I humbly volunteer for that task.
You can read more about these new Kit Kats at Kotaku.

Couple who felt restaurant food and service fell short of expectations stole mirrors from toilets

Disgruntled diners took to stealing bathroom fixtures from a restaurant in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, after they were left disappointed with the quality of their meal. Michael Ross, 36, and his partner had treated themselves to a slap-up meal at Sambuca on December 10, when, they claim, the food and service fell short of their expectations. As a result, the pair decided to make off with two wall mirrors from the toilets at the eatery, in Wylam Wharf, city magistrates heard. Prosecutor Paul Anderson said: “Mr Ross and his girlfriend had gone to Sambuca for a three-course meal.
“It seems they weren’t particularly happy with either the quality of the meal or the service, or something, but for reasons known only to them, they each went to the respective toilets and removed vanity mirrors off the wall and took them home with them in their child’s pushchair.” Mr Anderson said the couple were seen on CCTV, each removing a mirror. When he was interviewed by police, Ross told them: “I saw the mirror in the toilet and thought they would look quite nice in the house.” Ross, of Pallion, pleaded guilty to theft at Sunderland Magistrates Court. His girlfriend accepted a police caution. James Palmer, defending, said Ross had turned over a new leaf after regularly appearing before the courts due to his past drug use.
“This is completely different to anything he’s done before,” Mr Palmer said. “He has gone for a meal with his partner. He wasn’t pleased with the service he had received in that occasion. He saw the mirror, as did his partner, and they took them home. As a result, one mirror broke. It was stupid, it was a spur-of-the-moment thing.” Bench chairman John Cowley said: “It’s a shame to see you in court at all, but you cannot go around and help yourself to various bits and pieces in people’s restaurants, because you are disgruntled about the meal. It leaves them even more disgruntled about your behavior. The fact that you both took the mirrors lends an element of planning on behalf of both of you.”
Ross was fined £80 and was told to pay £25 compensation, £85 costs and a £20 surcharge. Staff at Sambuca spoke of their disbelief at the raid. Floor manager Alina Ciobotaru was serving at the bar when Michael Ross and his girlfriend arrived. The couple had entered the first floor restaurant via the lift from the ground floor entrance, where the toilets are located. “It’s bad but funny at the same time,” Alina said. She said it is the first time an item that was fixed to the wall had disappeared, adding: “I couldn’t believe it, you don’t expect customers to come in and sit at the table and leave with the furnishings. Two weeks ago the police came back with our mirrors. They said they found the mirrors on the wall in their house. One was already cracked. I’m amazed, because you don’t expect it from customers, to come in for a meal and leave with a souvenir.”

‘Christians’ Who Leave Fake $20 Tips For Servers Draw Epic Response From Restaurant Manager

‘Christians’ Who Leave Fake $20 Tips For Servers Draw Epic Response From Restaurant Manager

'Christian' fundamentalists picked on the wrong restaurant to leave their fake $20 tips. For quite some time now, 'christian' fundamentalists have been angering...

***

First - those assholes leaving these "tips" should be publicly horsewhipped.
Second - Servers should be paid a livable wage in the first place and not have to rely on tips to survive!

Nine Americans detained in Saudi Arabia over possible links to jihadists

Nine Americans detained in Saudi Arabia over possible links to jihadists

Chicago police officers sabotage their dashcams

Last month the CPD [Chicago Police Department] found that 80 percent of its 850 dash cams do not record audio, and 12 percent don’t record video either. 

The CPD has blamed the failures on "operator error or in some cases intentional destruction," and a close reading of that review by DNAinfo Chicago reveals the extent of the latter. Officers frequently tampered with dash cams, stashing microphones in their glove boxes or pulling out batteries. Some dash cams were found with their antennae deliberately destroyed, and others had had their microphones removed altogether.
DNAinfo also describes a months-long repair time for dash cams that experienced “intentional destruction.” For example: Jason Van Dyke, the officer who shot and killed McDonald and has been charged with first-degree murder, brought in his dash cam in early 2014 to have a wiring problem fixed, and got it back three months later, on June 17. The very next day, the dash cam was broken again. This time it took until October 8 to fix what appeared to be intentional damage. Less than two weeks later, his dash-cam footage of the McDonald shooting (which differs from the viral video we all saw) had no sound. Police records show that the microphones in his car had never been synced up to the camera. 
More information at NY Magazine,

Facebook Cracks Down On Private Gun Sales

While actual transactions do not take place on Facebook or Instagram, users were able to post photos and information about the guns, as well as negotiate on their price.

Man accused of hitting his mother with a pack of bacon

A man from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, has been charged with battery and disorderly conduct after throwing a pack of bacon at his mother.

Police were called to their apartment at around 8pm on Monday. The woman told police her son, Thomas J. Winkel, 44, had hit her with a package of bacon.
Police said they observed a one inch laceration on the left side of her face. According to the criminal complaint, Winkel admitted he threw the package his mother because "she was pissing him off."
Winkel, who lives with his mother, admitted to drinking a six pack prior to returning home that night, the criminal complaint said. An officer noted in the complaint that the man seemed to be intoxicated and showed no remorse toward his mother, saying he hopes "she rots in hell."

Man arrested for DUI after suspected carjacker turned out to be a sweatshirt, bucket and tools

The suspect in a carjacking in Woodland, California, turned out to be a sweatshirt draped over a bucket and tools, police said on Wednesday. The dispatch recordings reveal what had the makings of a scary scenario. “The subject is advising that he’s possibly carjacked somewhere between Natomas and Woodland and it sounds like he’s currently walking with the suspect in that area.”

The 911 caller was somehow convinced of a carjacking, only he was very confused. “I’ve seen people that were under the influence report interesting things, but this is a new one,” said Sgt. Brett Hancock. Woodland Police responded to the call with sirens. The caller told police he had been carjacked and driven from Sacramento to Woodland. “He was the victim of a carjacking, and the suspect fell asleep, and he stopped the vehicle and got out of the vehicle and that’s when he called 911,” he said.
Police arrived and looked through the window at what looked like a carjacking suspect, “We have one male, probably suspect slumped over in the driver’s seat, unresponsive.” Officers fired a beanbag round through the window to get the suspect’s attention. When nobody inside moved, a K-9 was brought in, and officers found a surprise. The slumped over suspect was actually a bucket, tools and a sweatshirt. “My only recommendation is don’t do drugs,” Hancock said.
The victim quickly turned into a suspect and was arrested for driving under the influence. “He was obviously a danger to others driving down the road,” Hancock said. When asked if that meant he actually did the right thing by calling 911, Hancock replied: “That's one way to look at it.” Police arrested the caller, identified as 52-year-old Gabriel Orozco, and booked him into Yolo County jail. His car was impounded, along with the sweatshirt, bucket, and tools. Orozco has since been released from jail, but is due back in court next month.

El Niño hasn't stopped California's drought

Despite fueling deluges, El Niño hasn't stopped California's drought

"The Idol" (North Yorkshire)

Brimham Rocks are balancing rock formations on Brimham Moor in North Yorkshire, England. The rocks stand at a height of nearly 30 meters in an area owned by the National Trust which is part of the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

This plant sucks!

This plant sucks! (But how?)

The bladderwort has a trap faster than the blink of an eye. It uses powerful suction to snatch its prey. A recently published review is helping reveal exactly how a plant can suck so much. When comes to catching prey, carnivorous plants have a variety of techniques....

What species would become dominant on Earth if humans died out?

What species would become dominant on Earth if humans died out?

The answer may surprise you.

Winnie the Pooh's toothless skull to go on display

The skull of the bear that inspired AA Milne to write Winnie the Pooh has gone on public display for the first time.
The cuddly fictional bear was named after a Canadian black bear called Winnie that son Christopher Robin enjoyed visiting and feeding honey in London Zoo during the Twenties.
Winnie died in 1934 but her skull was preserved by the Royal College of Surgeons and is now being exhibited in its Hunterian Museum in London. So many children fed her sweet treats that she lost many teeth in old age.

Couple surprised to find a tiger quoll prowling around their house

Katina Stowe and her partner Timmy Bronson were woken with a start in the early hours of Thursday morning by loud scratching in their home in Raymond Terrace, New South Wales, Australia. “I said ‘What are you and what are you doing in my house?’ and it bolted into my bathroom,” Miss Stowe said of the animal that looked like a possum.

“It’s knocked over ornaments and shampoo bottles. It trashed my bathroom. And I’m thinking how did it get into my house when it’s all locked up?” Faced with so many questions the couple turned to the internet for answers. “I Googled ‘possum with spots’ and it came up with spotted quoll,” Miss Stowe said. Alternatively known as tiger quolls generally grow to three or four kilograms and have a taste for backyard chickens.
“It started sleeping in my sink,” Miss Stowe said. “We said ‘come on, mate, here’s the window, you can leave now.” A good Samaritan offered to rescue the tiger quoll but it left of its own will at about 7.30am. The carnivorous species is considered vulnerable since its habitat has dwindled across the state. “They’re hunting at night and it may well have been after a mouse or rat,” National Parks and Wildlife Service quoll guru Geoff Ross said. “Or it might have just liked that bathroom. For those people to have one in their home is quite a privilege.”
Carnivorous marsupials are a rarity. The eastern quoll is all but extinct and the tiger quoll can sometimes be found on the urban fringes. It’s next biggest cousin is the Tasmanian devil. Mr Ross said the largest tiger quoll he had seen was sadly dead by the side of the road near Kiama and weighed nearly four kilograms. “That’s the kind of animal that would even take on a brush tail possum,” he said. “That’s something even I’m reluctant to do.” People who see a spotted-tail quoll are asked to report it to the National Parks and Wildlife Service for mapping purposes.
There's a short video of the errant tiger quoll here. You may need to unmute it.

Hot New Thing: Yoga with Bunnies

Out: yoga with cats and dogs. In: yoga with rabbits! Metro News reports that Sunberry Fitness in Richmond, British Columbia, recently held classes in which people performed yoga while rabbits hopped around the studio.
The studio offered these classes in conjunction with Bandaids for Bunnies, a local rabbit rescue charity. Their goal was to offer a new yoga experience and get some of the rabbits adopted into good homes. The first two classes sold out and there’s a waiting list for future classes.

(Video Link)

Camouflage Really Works

Camouflage really does reduce the chances of being eaten

A ground-breaking study has confirmed the long held assumption that camouflage protects animals from the clutches of predators, and offers insights into the most important aspects of camouflage. The research, by scientists from the Universities of Exeter and...

Psychedelic Latrans

California Coyotes on Drugs?

Animal Pictures