CAROLINA NATURALLY

Monday, December 20, 2010

Ten Of The Worst Natural Disasters Ever

A natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard (e.g., flood, tornado, hurricane, volcanic eruption, earthquake, or landslide) that affects the environment, and leads to financial, environmental and human losses. The resulting loss depends on the capacity of the population to support or resist the disaster, and their resilience.

This understanding is concentrated in the formulation: 'disasters occur when hazards meet vulnerability.' The term natural has consequently been disputed because the events simply are not hazards or disasters without human involvement.

Colorful Geyser

This geothermal geyser is somewhere near Gerlach, Nevada. The colors are due to different mineral deposits as well as algae growing on it. Read about how this strange formation came about at Kuriositas. Link

image credit

They look as if they were taken on another planet, or at least on the set of a new and very expensive science fiction movie. Yet these pictures are of the Fly Geyser which is very much of planet earth even though - and herein lies the surprise - it is effectively man made.

What Can This 300 Year Old French Fortress Tell Us About Green Architecture?

Photo: GIPE under a Creative Commons license.

These days it seems that every new building is being billed as green: LEED certifications and new technologies that limit the environmental impact of lighting, water use, heating and air conditioning abound. But on a trip last weekend to Besançon, in eastern France, I visited a building that isn't LEED certified or equipped with any fancy technology, but that nonetheless showcases important principles of green architecture. The building: the Citadel of Besançon. The architect: Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban. The client: King Louis XIV of France.

Article continues: What Can This 300 Year Old French Fortress Tell Us About Green Architecture?

Erosion Eating Up South Carolina Beaches

folly beach erosion charleston harbor photo

Photo: Jack Duval

Folly Beach, a South Carolina Beach just outside of Charleston, needs another re-nourishment project just five years after the last one, according to a recent article in The State.

Article continues: Erosion Eating Up South Carolina Beaches

Iran's Lake Urmia Is Drying Up Fast

Salt crystals in Lake Urmia.

Photo: Ehsan Mahdiyan / Creative Commons.

About 100 years ago, my grandfather emigrated to the United States from a village near Lake Urmia, in what is now northwestern Iran. He died long before I was born, leaving me with little connection to my ancestors in the region, but a strong desire to someday visit the place -- tantalizing close to Turkey, where I now live, though difficult to reach due to visa restrictions -- where they apparently once tended vineyards. If I don't manage to get there soon, though, there may not be much left to see of the lake itself.

Article continues: Iran's Lake Urmia Is Drying Up Fast

B.C.

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The Most Heroic Animals of 2010

The Daily Beast collected stories of animal heroism from the past year that might make you a bit teary-eyed. The story of Angel the golden retriever is an example.

Eleven-year-old Austin Foreman was gathering firewood near his home in Boston Bar, British Columbia, when he came face to face with a cougar. When the wild cat lunged at him, his Golden Retriever, Angel, stepped in. She put herself between Austin and the cougar, giving him time to escape to the house. The cougar viciously attacked Angel, carrying her around by the neck while Austin’s mother called 911. Police arrived just in time to shoot the cougar, and after a few moments of suspense, Angel coughed back to life. She had several puncture wounds and a punctured sinus cavity, but she made a full recovery.

See a video report about Angel and read about the other heroic animals in a slide show.

Full Story

Ohio zoo names snake Hanna, after celebrity zookeeper

An Ohio zoo has settled on a familiar name for its new snake that has replaced her record-breaking mother.
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium says its new reticulated python will be called Hanna - which happens to be the last name of the zoo's celebrity zookeeper, Jack Hanna.Hanna the snake was acquired last month from the same private breeder ...

Full Story

Giant Yummy Eggs Killed Off the Elephant Bird

Photo: De Agostini Picture Library/BBC

Scientists have put forth various theories to explain the extinction of the giant Elephant Bird, the largest bird to ever live on Earth, including climate change and hunting by humans. The truth, it turns out, can be summed up in two words: yummy eggs.
Sir David Attenborough explains:

Recent archaeological evidence has revealed the fragments of elephant bird egg shells among the remains of human fires, suggesting that the eggs, which are 180 times bigger than a chicken egg, regularly provided food for entire families.
Sir David says: "I doubt it was hunted to extinction – anyone who has seen an ostrich in a zoo knows that it has a kick which can open a man’s stomach and an enraged elephant bird, many times the size of an ostrich, must have been a truly formidable opponent.
"I suspect it was its egg. They may not have been able to tackle an adult bird, but they could have taken its eggs which would have been a huge source of food.
"Even if the bird itself was held in awe or fear by the people here, it’s unlikely the eggs were – and that would have meant the gradual disappearance of this unique giant."

Full Story

Dog gives birth to 17 puppies

A dog in Germany has given birth to 17 puppies, leaving their owner thrilled but fatigued after having to feed them with a bottle for several weeks because their mother couldn't cope with the demand.

Full Story

Brahmin moth

Adult and caterpillar.

Photo credit to Igor Siwanowicz (gallery at the Telegraph).

Truths for mature humans

Sunday, December 19, 2010

The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
Surprises are fun for some folks, but for you -- well, you'd rather have everything that's been penciled into your day-timer go just as you'd planned it.
Of course, that's not always possible, and you've definitely learned that over the course of your time here on the planet.
You've also learned that the way to have any kind of control over what you wish had happened and what actually did happen lies in your reaction.
Give 'em heck.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Espoo, Southern Finland, Finland

Santander, Cantabria, Spain

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan

Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

Sittard, Limburg, Netherlands

Turnhout, Antwerpen, Belgium

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

Harlow, England, United Kingdom

Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, malaysia

Jeddah, Makkah, Saudi Arabia

Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

as well as Bulgaria, Israel, Austria, Norway, Georgia, Mexico, Peru, Kuwait, Serbia, Bangladesh, Latvia, Greece, Scotland, Hong Kong, Denmark, Wales, Iran, Singapore, Poland, Taiwan, Sweden, Afghanistan, Belgium, Tibet, Croatia, Pakistan, Romania, Paraguay, Vietnam, Argentina, Cambodia, Egypt, France, Estonia, Puerto Rico, Brazil, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, China, Iraq, Ecuador, Nigeria, Colombia, Chile, Honduras, Paupa New Guinea, Moldova, Venezuela, Germany, Mexico and in cities across the United States such as Kill Devil Hills, Durham, Asheville, Cornelius and more.

Today is:

Today is Sunday, December 19, the 353rd day of 2010.

There are 12 days left in the year.

Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:

There isn't one.

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

Non Sequitur

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'Don't ask, don't tell' repealed

Senate repeals 'don't ask, don't tell'

In a landmark for gay rights, the final vote sends an overturn of the ban to President Obama.

Critics' warnings

Also:

US irritated with EU human rights laws

From the WikiLeaks File:

This is a problem, with the modern US political system problem and it's only getting worse.

The Guardian:

US officials regard European human rights standards as an "irritant", secret cables show, and have strongly objected to the safeguards which could protect WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange from extradition.

In a confidential cable from the US embassy in Strasbourg, US consul general Vincent Carver criticized the Council of Europe, the most authoritative human-rights body for European countries, for its stance against extraditions to America, as well as secret renditions and prisons used to hold terrorist suspects.

He blamed the council for creating anti-US sentiment and hampering the US war on terror. "The Council of Europe (COE) likes to portray itself as a bastion of democracy, a promoter of human rights, and the last best hope for defending the rule of law in Europe – and beyond," Carver said. "[But] it is an organization with an inferiority complex and, simultaneously, an overambitious agenda.

Bank of America bans all payments to WikiLeaks, who respond accordingly

The new year promises to be an exciting one for the banking industry. It's not surprising that Bank of America - rumored to be the target of new WikiLeaks reports - is targeting WikiLeaks though the grounds do sound suspicious and maybe even illegal since WikiLeaks has yet to be found guilty of any crime. If only the banking industry was as vigilant when it came to illegal drug related money.

In classic form, WikiLeaks has sent out a message on Twitter related to Bank of America.

Does your business do business with Bank of America? Our advise is to place your funds somewhere safer.

What's also interesting here is that the Bank of America hasn't realized that we're living in a different age. Smearing and attacking WikiLeaks a decade ago would have been easier but with the tools and technology available today (at least before Comcast scraps Net Neutrality with the help of Washington) the fight is less one-sided. It's not as easy to dominate the message today.

Try something different ...

saddest-summer:

Underground (by sin bot)

Spelunking can be fun.

Thief steals 'Honesty' sculpture

Honesty walked right out the door of Normandale Community College on Tuesday night and hasn't been seen since. Muddy footprints and a trail of rolled-up dollar bills hint that a getaway car may have been parked in front of the Fine Arts building, but officials at the Bloomington school are baffled.

"Honesty" is, or was, a wire-mesh sculpture by John Ilg in which 316 rolled-up dollar bills were stuffed into the mesh to spell out the word "Honesty." It had hung in the college gallery since Nov. 9 with other works by Ilg. When it was first shown at the Minnesota State Fair in 2008, visitors liked the sculpture so much they added $150 to the piece. It has been exhibited unharmed several times since. "People like to tug on the bills to see if they're glued in and if I'm really trusting them," said Ilg, 53, of Woodbury.

He can tell when the bills have been tampered with because he rolls and folds them so the words "In God We Trust" are visible. Additions or replacements aren't rolled that way. A student reported the theft to campus security at about 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Two security officers followed footprints to the parking lot where another student found two rolled bills in an entrance parking spot. The officers retrieved a total of seven bills from the gallery and environs. Security cameras had no record of the crime and there are no suspects.

"It was a wonderful piece that really spurred a lot of discussion," said Jeff Judge, Normandale's dean of humanities whose office adjoins the gallery. Asked what the theft suggested about the college, he said, "I don't think it says anything about Normandale, but it says a whole lot about the person who took it. I'm holding out hope that the person was not in any way connected with Normandale." Ilg may recreate the piece. "All you can do is laugh," he said.

How to burn off holiday foods

How to burn off 12 delicious holiday foods

It takes an hour of lifting weights to shed the calories in one serving of potatoes.

1 slice of yule log = 1 hour of yoga

Also:

Awesome Pictures

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Disastrous money mistakes

Money mistakes that could cripple you

These missteps seem insignificant but could be disastrous for your finances in the long run.

One missed payment

Also:

Property tax boosters

9 things that make property taxes go up

You might think you're adding value to your home, but you could also be adding to your tax bill.

Biggest factors

Also:

Tax deal: More pay for most

Tax deal: What to expect in your paycheck

Most American workers will be keeping more of their wages starting next month.

How to calculate your take

Also:

The 10 worst states for retirees

High taxes, cold winters, and fiscal woes tarnish these places for your golden years.

A surprising No. 1

Also:

Six gifts not to buy this Christmas

Flowers can be inconvenient, and monthly food baskets aren't worth the money.

Gift cards that have a catch

Also:

Shoe

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Total lunar eclipse coming

Total lunar eclipse coming Monday night

Skywatchers will have a view of one of nature's most beautiful spectacles if the weather is clear.

When to look up

Also:

The Ghost Cities of China

Photo: Michael Christopher Brown/TIME Magazine

If you build it, they will come – or so the famous saying goes … but what if you build it in the middle of nowhere, Inner Mongolia? Michael Christopher Brown visited the famous ghost city of Ordos, Inner Mongolia for TIME Magazine:

The Kangbashi district began as a public-works project in Ordos, a wealthy coal-mining town in Inner Mongolia. The area is filled with office towers, administrative centers, government buildings, museums, theaters and sports fields—not to mention acre on acre of subdivisions overflowing with middle-class duplexes and bungalows. The only problem: the district was originally designed to house, support and entertain 1 million people, yet hardly anyone lives there.

Full Story

Similarly, Business Insider has the satellite photos of Ordos and other ghost cities of China:

There are no cars in the city, except for a few dozen parked at the glamorous government center.

B.C.

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Good samaritans face fine after rescuing deer from icy water

They fought to save a life, and now they say they’ll fight the fine. It all revolves around the rescue of a deer trapped in icy water on Thursday night. Strangers banded together to pull a deer out of the freezing water of the Patapsco River near Linthicum.

“We seen the deer going under,” said Khalil Abusakran. “It couldn’t maintain. It was starting to freeze, and it was really getting bad.” Abusakran brought a raft, and Jim Hart joined him. “We had oars and shovels to break the ice, for the deer to get out,” Abusakran said.

But in the excited aftermath of the rescue, a natural resources police officer on the scene wrote both men a ticket.“And he didn’t say anything,” Jim Hart said. “We went in and out of the water numerous times. He didn’t stop us at all.” They say they were ticketed for not wearing life vests, although both are over the age for mandatory use of flotation devices.

“No, we didn’t have vests on, but we’re not 16 years old,” Abusakran said. “There were personal floating devices on the boat.” The ticket itself doesn’t check off any specific violation, just a $90 fine. They’ll fight it in court, as they fought for the deer. The two men ticketed say they will fight the citations at the court hearing in Annapolis set for Feb. 18.

Coyote rescued from floating sheet of ice on Lake Michigan

A coyote which became trapped on a sheet of ice has been rescued by firemen in Chicago. The animal, which rescuers named Holly, spent over an hour floating on the lake in the United States.

Rescue workers were called at around 9.30am when passers by spotted the coyote on a block of ice.

Helicopter camera crews recorded the event. At one point, the coyote jumped off the ice and tried to swim to shore in the zero-degree celsius water.

The animal then climbed on a another ice flow, said Larry Langford, fire department spokesman, before being pulled to safety.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
Bet you've thought of nothing else for days but spending some quality time at home alone with yourself.
You're not antisocial, but the world and its inhabitants have definitely taken their toll on you.
When you least expect it, however, your mood may change.
So -- should you call everyone you turned down and say you changed your mind, or stay in because you said you would?
Is that question even worth asking?
Get dressed while you're dialing.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Reutlingen, Baden-Wurttemburg, Germany

Paris, Ile-De-France, France

Espoo, Southern Finland, Finland

Martiques, Provence-Alpes-Cote D'Azur, France

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Tangier, Tanger, Morocco

Frankfurt, Hessen, Germany

Madrid, Madrid, Spain

Sittard, Limburg, Netherlands

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Edithvale, Victoria, Australia

Santander, Cantabria, Spain

New Delhi, Delhi, India

Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey

Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada

as well as Bulgaria, Israel, Austria, Saudi Arabia, Georgia, Mexico, Peru, Kuwait, Serbia, Bangladesh, Latvia, Greece, Scotland, Hong Kong, Denmark, Wales, Iran, Singapore, Poland, Taiwan, Sweden, Afghanistan, Belgium, Tibet, Croatia, Pakistan, Romania, Paraguay, Vietnam, Argentina, Cambodia, Egypt, Italy, Estonia, Puerto Rico, Brazil, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, China, Iraq, Ecuador, Nigeria, Colombia, Chile, Honduras, Paupa New Guinea, Moldova, Venezuela, England and in cities across the United States such as Morehead, Seattle, Defuniak Springs, Charlotte and more.

Today is:

Today is Saturday, December 18, the 352nd day of 2010.

There are 13 days left in the year.

Today In History December 18

Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:

There isn't one.

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

President Obama's Weekly Address

Remarks of President Barack Obama – As Prepared for Delivery
Weekly Address
The White House
December 18, 2010

This week, Congress passed – and I signed into law – an essential economic package that will help grow our economy, spur businesses, and jumpstart job creation.

Instead of a New Years Day tax hike on the vast majority of Americans, two million Americans who’ve lost their jobs through no fault of their own will now know with certainty that they won’t lose their emergency unemployment insurance at the end of the month. Eight million college students who’d otherwise face a tuition hike next semester will continue having access to the American Opportunity Tax Credit. Twelve million families with twenty-four million children will benefit from extensions of the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit. And millions of entrepreneurs who’ve been waiting to invest in their businesses will receive new tax incentives to help them expand, buy new equipment, or make upgrades, freeing up money to hire new workers.

This package, which is so important for our economy at this pivotal time, was the product of hard negotiations. Like any negotiations, there was give and take on both sides. But I’m heartened by our ability to come together to do what’s best for middle class families across this country, and our economy as a whole.

Before going away for the holiday break, I’m hopeful we can also come together on another urgent national priority – and that is, the new START treaty that will reduce the world’s nuclear arsenals and make America more secure. Twenty-five years ago, the Soviet Union and United States each had about 25,000 nuclear weapons. In the decades since, that number has been reduced by over 70 percent, and we have had on-site inspections of Russian nuclear facilities. That progress would not have been possible without strategic arms control treaties.

During the past year, however, our old treaty with Russia expired, and without a new one, we won’t be able to verify Russia’s nuclear arsenal, which would undercut President Reagan’s call to trust, but verify, when it comes to nuclear weapons. Without a new treaty, we’ll risk turning back the progress we’ve made in our relationship with Russia, which is essential to enforce strong sanctions against Iran, secure vulnerable nuclear materials from terrorists, and resupply our troops in Afghanistan. And we’ll risk undermining American leadership not only on nuclear proliferation, but a host of other challenges around the world.

Ratifying a treaty like START isn’t about winning a victory for an administration or a political party. It’s about the safety and security of the United States of America. That’s why this treaty is supported by both Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush. That’s why it’s supported by every living Republican Secretary of State, our NATO allies, and the leadership of the United States military. Indeed, the Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Hoss Cartwright, said this week that the military needs this treaty, and they need it badly. And that’s why every President since Ronald Reagan has pursued a treaty like START, and every one that has been reviewed by the Senate has passed with strong bipartisan support.

We have taken the time to get this right. The START treaty has now been under review by the Senate for over seven months. It’s gone through 18 hearings. Nearly 1,000 questions have been asked – and answered. Several Republican Senators have come out in support of ratification. Meanwhile, further delay comes at a cost. Every minute we drag our feet is a minute that we have no inspectors on the ground at those Russian nuclear sites.

It’s time to get this done. It’s time to show the same spirit of common purpose on our security that we showed this week on our economy. It’s time to remember the old saying that politics stops at the water’s edge. That saying was coined by a Republican Senator, Arthur Vandenberg, who partnered with a Democratic President, Harry Truman, to pass landmark national security measures at the dawn of the Cold War. Today, over sixty years later, when we’re threatened not only by nuclear weapons, but an array of other dangers, that’s a principle we must continue to uphold. Thank you, and have a nice weekend.

F.Y.I - Just so you know ...

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*****

Assange: WikiLeaks being 'attacked' by banks in US, UK, Switzerland and Dubai

Surely the upstanding members of the international banking community would never do anything illegal, would they? Don't they know that they can be indicted by Interpol? Sounds like one industry is getting nervous about the reports due out in 2011.

CNBC:

“We have been attacked, primarily, not by government, primarily, in fact, not by the US government, but by banks—banks from Dubai, banks from Switzerland, banks from the United States, banks from the UK, so, yes, of course, we are continuing to release material about banks,” said Assange, who is out on bail from a Swedish court in relation to sexual assault charges.

In October of 2009, when Assange announced that WikiLeaks had copious documents about the Bank of America, the stock took a hit.

Repugicans hate 9/11 first responders

Jon Stewart has a few things to say about the repugicans hating 9/11 first responders.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Worst Responders

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor & Satire Blog</a>

The Daily Show on Facebook

and...unlike Faux news, Comedy Central actually has someone sitting down with first responders to talk about their thoughts on why the repugicans wants them to die and the hell they are going through due to fighting for their healthcare.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

9/11 First Responders React to the Senate Filibuster

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor & Satire Blog</a>

The Daily Show on Facebook

I think we found the problem ...

Profit from the new tax law

Tax deal: What's in it for you

Most people will see bigger paychecks and a few popular tax breaks are back.

Payroll tax cut up to $4,272 for couples

Also:

Brazilian TV clown elected to high office, passes literacy test

Brazilian TV clown Francisco Oliveira (AKA Tiririca) has been elected to the Brazilian government, running on such slogans as "What does a federal deputy do? I have no idea -- but vote for me and I'll let you know." He was required to take a literacy test (which he narrowly passed) before taking office.

He ran a humorous television campaign dressed as a clown with a blond wig and colorful costume, and spouting riffs like "What does a federal deputy do? I have no idea -- but vote for me and I'll let you know." Detractors, including several longtime lawmakers, said Oliveira was bringing Brazil's congress -- known for its many corruption scandals -- into disrepute, and challenged his candidacy on literacy grounds.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a former shoeshine boy and metalworker, called the demand for the test an "idiocy" disrespecting those who voted for Oliveira.

Brazil clown secures congress seat after literacy test

Belarus opposition troubled by dirty tricks ahead of presidential election

An opposition activist depicted as a bikini-clad gay on national TV.
Leaflets telling lies about a presidential hopeful.

Full Story

CIA chief pulled from Pakistan; drones kill 54

Map locates the Kyhber tribal region of Pakistan, where three U.S. missile attacks killed more than 50 alleged militants Friday.

The CIA yanked its top spy out of Pakistan after his cover was blown and his life threatened, and 54 suspected militants were killed in a U.S. drone missile attack Friday in stark new signs of the troubled relationship ...

Full Story

Myth of kids' sugary cereals

Busting the myth of kids' sugary cereals

Many parents figure children's super-sweet breakfasts are unavoidable.

Study suggests a better alternative

Also:

Schoolchildren, 14, become Britain's youngest mother and father ... and vow 'We'll be good parents'

Two 14-year-old schoolchildren have become Britain's youngest ever parents, it was revealed last night.

Full Story

Teenage girl charged with murder

A teenage girl has been charged with murder following the death of a young mother, police have said.

Full Story

Non Sequitur

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Boutique hotels under $150

Exquisite boutique hotels under $150

These spots offer touches you won't find in chain resorts, and they won't break the bank.

9 picks across the globe

Also:

Got the Indian Vapours,
Topsy Turvey,
As Drunk as David’s Sow,
He’s got his Top Gallant Sails out,
Seen the yellow Star,
As Stiff as a Ring-bolt,
The King is his Cousin,
Got Kib’d Heels,
As Dizzy as a Goose,
Had a Kick in the Guts,
Spoke with his Friend,
Cherubimical,
He’s kiss’d black Betty,
He’s had a Thump over the Head with Sampson’s Jawbone

Of course, that’s not 200.

See the rest here.

Treasure hoard of Roman coins

... What he found that afternoon is now stacked in a waist-high pile of shoe box-sized cardboard boxes, in a corner of an office in the coins department of the British Museum – a Diagon Alley place of mysteries, on two floors, protected by a three-inch-thick strongroom door.

The boxes hold the contents of a giant potbellied jar which lay in the clay of that sloping Somerset field for almost 2,000 years, filled to overflowing with the largest coin hoard ever found in a single container in Britain. "You can see what a job it's going to be to clean the horrors," Sam Moorhead, a Roman coins specialist, says fondly, running through his fingers a handful of disgusting bits of metal, green with corrosion, ragged with welded-on bits of other broken coins. Studying the 52,503 of them that are legible will occupy the experts for the rest of their careers...

... an expert committee met at the British Museum, and after hours of debate and three widely varying outside opinions on the value of the hoard, finally set a price of £320,250 on the coins, to be shared between Crisp and the landowners, Geoff and Anne Sheppard...

The conventional explanation is that these hoards are either underground piggy banks, or stashed in times of danger to be recovered when normal life resumes – or never, if the feared catastrophe overwhelms the owner... But the Frome hoard doesn't match that picture at all...

Moorhead is convinced the Frome hoard represents a stupendous offering of as much cash as the community could raise. The swords and bronze shields their ancestors threw into rivers and springs were gone, and coins were the easiest way of assembling a massive quantity of metal...

The rest of the story is at The Guardian.