Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Monday, November 18, 2013
The Daily Drift
Carolina Naturally is read in 194 countries around the world daily.
Yum, smells great ... !
Today is - Mickey Mouse Day
Don't forget to visit our sister blog: It Is What It Is
Some of our readers today have been in:
The Americas
Santiago, Chile
Thunder Bay, Longueuil, Pikangikum, Ottawa, Blainville and Richmond Hill, Canada
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Buenos Aires and Rosario, Argentina
Saint
Helier, Saint Cloud, Saint Louis, San Diego, San Jose, San Gabriel,
Boiling Springs, Manitou Springs and Cedar Rapids, United States
Tipitapa, Nicaragua
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Europe
Moscow and Chelyabinsk, Russia
London, Brighton and Exeter, England
Brussels, Belgium
Oslo, Norway
Laval, Paris, Lyon, Velizy-Villacoublay and Salon-De-Provence, France
Este, Florence and Pistoia, Italy
Koblenz, Nuremberg, Rothe Erde and Widdern, Germany
Melitopol' and Kiev, Ukraine
Belgrade, Serbia
Newport, Wales
Rioja and Madrid, Spain
Sunds, Denmark
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Stockholm, Sweden
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Riga, Latvia
Dublin, Ireland
Bucharest, Romania
Zurich, Switzerland
Asia
Pune, Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Bhubaneshwar, Kottayam, Jodhpur, Mumbai and Ghaziabad, India
Seoul, Korea
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Bangkok, Thailand
Jakarta, Indonesia
Bayan Lepas and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tehran, Iran
Haifa, Israel
Osaka-Shi, Japan
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Muscat, Oman
Karachi, Pakistan
Africa
Ikeja, Nigeria
Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa
Nairobi, Kenya
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Pacific
Makati and Valenzuela, Philippines
Homebush, Australia
Today in History
| 1477 | William Claxton publishes the first dated book printed in England. It is a translation from the French of The Dictes and Sayings of the Philosopers by Earl Rivers. | |
| 1626 | St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome is officially dedicated. | |
| 1861 | The first provisional meeting of the Confederate Congress is held in Richmond, Virginia. | |
| 1865 | Mark Twain's first story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" is published in the New York Saturday Press. | |
| 1901 | The second Hay-Pauncefote Treaty is signed. The United States is given extensive rights by Britain for building and operating a canal through Central America. | |
| 1905 | The Norwegian Parliament elects Prince Charles of Denmark to be the next King of Norway. Prince Charles takes the name Haakon VII. | |
| 1906 | Anarchists bomb St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. | |
| 1912 | Cholera breaks out in Constantinople, in the Ottoman Empire. | |
| 1921 | New York City considers varying work hours to avoid long traffic jams. | |
| 1928 | Mickey mouse makes his film debut in Steamboat Willie, the first animated talking picture. | |
| 1936 | The main span of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco is joined. | |
| 1939 | The Irish Republican Army explodes three bombs in Piccadilly Circus. | |
| 1949 | The U.S. Air Force grounds B-29s after two crashes and 23 deaths in three days. | |
| 1950 | The Bureau of Mines discloses its first production of oil from coal in practical amounts. | |
| 1968 | Soviets recover the Zond 6 spacecraft after a flight around the moon. | |
| 1978 | Congressman Leo Ryan is announced missing on a visit to Jonestown, Guyana. | |
| 1983 | Argentina announces its ability to produce enriched uranium for nuclear weapons. | |
| 1984 | The Soviet Union helps deliver American wheat during the Ethiopian famine. |
Koch Sucking Sands
Koch "Carbon Bomb" Brothers Could Cash in Billions on Alberta Tar Sands Holdings
A recent study by the International Forum on Globalization (IFG), provides evidence that the Koch Brothers could earn at least $1 billion from Alberta tar sand land holdings (with additional profit from their processing plants and related products and services). This is despite the unconvincing Koch Brothers claim that they have no personal interest in the pipeline.That disconnect reflects a larger problem that befuddles the northern section of the Keystone XL Pipeline decision. Tar sands oil is already flowing into the US and the Koch Brothers are already profiting from it through its conversion into petroleum coke. [...]Major tar sands oil pipeline spills have already occurred in Michigan and Arkansas. And the southern leg of the Keystone Pipeline -- the one Obama approved -- has already needed 125 repairs from faulty pipes, and it hasn't even started flowing yet. [...]The carbon bomb come at either end of the process: primarily in the extraction of tar sands oil in Alberta and in the refining or conversion to petroleum coke at the other end of the pipeline. [...]The carbon bomb comes from the increased processing that will result from a northern pipeline with more capacity; in short the size of the carbon bomb will be increased because more tar sands oil will be able to be extracted and carried efficiently (otherwise more train tankers and land transport options will need to be used, which will slow the processing and profit down). [...]
Man violently sick after McDonalds gave him a cup of salt to drink
A man got a nasty surprise after ordering a milkshake from a McDonald's.
Ron Luffman called at the McDonald's drive-through restaurant in North
Cheam, in the London Borough of Sutton, last Thursday. After picked
up his food he stayed in the restaurant's car park to eat. He said: "I
sucked hard on the straw in my milkshake because they're usually quite
thick and - wallop!
"I've got a about four teaspoons of salt in my mouth. I was violently sick because I'd swallowed that much salt. Where I sucked it up through the straw it went straight to the back of my throat and I couldn't help but swallow it. I was sick right there. I was fuming so I went into the restaurant and I opened up the cup to show them thinking it would just be a bit of salt on top of the milkshake or something but it wasn't - it was a whole cup full of salt.
"I was so angry I poured it out on the counter. The boy who served me
was there and he just looked at me and said 'it wasn't me'." Mr Luffman
explained how the manager came to offer him a refund but he said he
could see the kitchen workers looking and laughing at him. He added:
"One of them has done this deliberately. Why would salt be in a drink
cup? I was very sick and then I haven't been feeling too clever for the
whole weekend - but what if this had happened to a child? This could have killed a kid."
A spokesman for McDonald's said the incident has been investigated and claimed it was a mistake that arose from someone transferring salt into a cup, a practice the staff at the branch had routinely adopted but was not standard procedure. The spokesman added: "The quality of our products and the well-being of our customers is our number one priority. We apologize to Mr Luffman for this genuine error and for any upset caused. The restaurant will be asked to review their procedures to ensure that this does not happen again."
"I've got a about four teaspoons of salt in my mouth. I was violently sick because I'd swallowed that much salt. Where I sucked it up through the straw it went straight to the back of my throat and I couldn't help but swallow it. I was sick right there. I was fuming so I went into the restaurant and I opened up the cup to show them thinking it would just be a bit of salt on top of the milkshake or something but it wasn't - it was a whole cup full of salt.
A spokesman for McDonald's said the incident has been investigated and claimed it was a mistake that arose from someone transferring salt into a cup, a practice the staff at the branch had routinely adopted but was not standard procedure. The spokesman added: "The quality of our products and the well-being of our customers is our number one priority. We apologize to Mr Luffman for this genuine error and for any upset caused. The restaurant will be asked to review their procedures to ensure that this does not happen again."
You Can Help Cut Acrylamide in Your Diet
If you’re trying to lose weight, you may already be telling your
waiter to hold the fries. Now there’s another health benefit you can
reap: Cutting down on certain fried foods can also help you […]
Gardener mystified by strange growth on his potatoes
A mysterious growth has sprouted on a gardener’s potatoes.
Huw Evans, 87, from Hafan Deg, Pwllheli, said: “I planted the potatoes last July, and about a month ago I noticed four of these things on a twig and three on another. I really haven't a clue what they are.
Women swallowed cash in bid to smuggle it through airport
Two Ecuadoran women have been arrested at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport
after trying to smuggle out 400,000 euros in cash - including by
swallowing some of the money, Dutch border police say.
The two women, aged 38 and 39 were detained last weekend after arriving on a flight from Madrid, Dutch Gendarmerie spokesman Alfred Ellwanger said. Suspicions were raised when customs officials found 8000 euros in 500-euro bills in their hand luggage, prompting a body search.
"I don't want to go into details, but you can easily imagine which
bodily orifices you can use to hide something," Mr Ellwanger said.
Further investigation revealed the women also swallowed some money,
rolled up to form a number of 4.5cm-long cellophane-wrapped cylinders.
The spokesman said it took several days to retrieve the cylinders. "It works on the same principle as when people swallow drug packages in order to pass through customs, but it's not often you see this system being used to smuggle money," Mr Ellwanger said. The women remain in custody as an investigation continues, he added.
The two women, aged 38 and 39 were detained last weekend after arriving on a flight from Madrid, Dutch Gendarmerie spokesman Alfred Ellwanger said. Suspicions were raised when customs officials found 8000 euros in 500-euro bills in their hand luggage, prompting a body search.
The spokesman said it took several days to retrieve the cylinders. "It works on the same principle as when people swallow drug packages in order to pass through customs, but it's not often you see this system being used to smuggle money," Mr Ellwanger said. The women remain in custody as an investigation continues, he added.
Man arrested for repeatedly firing Civil War replica cannon at neighbor's property
A western New York man has been accused of dealing with a neighborly dispute by rattling
nearby houses with blasts from his Civil War replica cannon.
The barrage, heard miles away, eventually led to an arrest and confiscation
of the cannon, which apparently was firing charges but no cannon balls. Powder
charges are held in place by wads of paper or foil. “We had reports from people that had heard the cannon go off,” explained
County Sheriff Joseph A. Gerace.
On Wednesday, after several days of the racket, sheriff’s deputies went to Brian J. Malta’s home in Kiantone, south of Jamestown. Accused of firing a replica Civil War cannon toward a neighbor property, 52-year-old Malta was charged with three misdemeanor counts of menacing and three violation counts of harassment. He is free on $2,500 bail.
“It’s a civil matter,” Gerace said, declining to comment further on its
nature. It is not illegal to own a cannon in New York State, but this one is now
being held as evidence by the Sheriff’s Office, a first for Gerace in terms of
confiscated weapons. “I don’t recall, during my 34-year career, taking a cannon,” he said.
On Wednesday, after several days of the racket, sheriff’s deputies went to Brian J. Malta’s home in Kiantone, south of Jamestown. Accused of firing a replica Civil War cannon toward a neighbor property, 52-year-old Malta was charged with three misdemeanor counts of menacing and three violation counts of harassment. He is free on $2,500 bail.
Trumpet Frenzy
Why Brass Musicians Can't Resist Serbia's Wildest Festival
In 2010, New York’s Zlatne Uste became the first American group to compete at Guča, where Serbian orchestras have long battled for the title of best band in the country. The band's journey caught the attention of Adam Pogoff, who produced 'Brasslands,' a documentary film about the 2010 Guča festival, 11 years after NATO waged the Kosovo War against Serbia.
Most Influential Psychologists Working Today
The quest to understand the workings of human thought and behavior can
be traced back to ancient peoples. Before it was established as a
scientific discipline, the study of psychology was of interest to many
great thinkers and philosophers.
These days, it has become a popular field, even outside the realm of
science. After all, psychology influences so many different spheres of
life, from marketing, education and entertainment to economics and even
law enforcement. Here is a list of 30 of the most influential psychologists who continue to do groundbreaking and far-reaching work today.
These days, it has become a popular field, even outside the realm of
science. After all, psychology influences so many different spheres of
life, from marketing, education and entertainment to economics and even
law enforcement. Here is a list of 30 of the most influential psychologists who continue to do groundbreaking and far-reaching work today.
Hoaxes That Fooled The World
There have always been hoaxes (even before the Internet), and we've all fallen for them at one time or another.
Little Red Riding Hood
Using analytical models, a researcher traces the roots of the fairy tale to oral traditions in Asia and Africa.
Early uses of chili peppers in Mexico
Chili peppers may have been used to make spicy beverages thousands of years ago in Mexico, according to new research published November 13 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Terry Powis at Kennesaw State University and colleagues from other institutions.
Capsicum species are usually referred to as chili peppers, and their
uses are well known in the history of Spain and Portugal. There are
relatively few sites in Mesoamerica, Central America, and South America
that contain remains of Capsicum, and therefore, we know little about
how groups such as the Mayans and the Mixe-Zoquean, inhabitants of the
site studied here, used chili peppers in those regions.
In this study, the authors used chemical extractions to reveal the presence of Capsicum residues in pottery samples from a site in southern Mexico. Some of these pottery vessels were over 2000 years old, dating from 400 BC to 300 AD.
They found Capsicum residue in multiple types of jars and vessels, which suggests that those cultures may have been using chili peppers for many different culinary purposes. For instance, Capsicum was found in a vessel called a sprouted jar, which is used for pouring a liquid into another container. The authors suggest that chili peppers may have been used to prepare spicy beverages or dining condiments.
Powis elaborates, "The significance of our study is that it is the first of its kind to detect ancient chili pepper residues from early Mixe-Zoquean pottery in Mexico. While our findings of Capsicum species in these Preclassic pots provides the earliest evidence of chili consumption in well-dated Mesoamerican archaeological contexts, we believe our scientific study opens the door for further collaborative research into how the pepper may have been used either from a culinary, pharmaceutical, or ritual perspective during the last few centuries before the time of christ."
 |
| This photo shows the vessels that tested positive for Capsicum. Each vessel had a culinary use [Credit: Roberto Lopez and Emiliano Gallaga Murrieta] |
In this study, the authors used chemical extractions to reveal the presence of Capsicum residues in pottery samples from a site in southern Mexico. Some of these pottery vessels were over 2000 years old, dating from 400 BC to 300 AD.
They found Capsicum residue in multiple types of jars and vessels, which suggests that those cultures may have been using chili peppers for many different culinary purposes. For instance, Capsicum was found in a vessel called a sprouted jar, which is used for pouring a liquid into another container. The authors suggest that chili peppers may have been used to prepare spicy beverages or dining condiments.
Powis elaborates, "The significance of our study is that it is the first of its kind to detect ancient chili pepper residues from early Mixe-Zoquean pottery in Mexico. While our findings of Capsicum species in these Preclassic pots provides the earliest evidence of chili consumption in well-dated Mesoamerican archaeological contexts, we believe our scientific study opens the door for further collaborative research into how the pepper may have been used either from a culinary, pharmaceutical, or ritual perspective during the last few centuries before the time of christ."
Oldest large body of ancient seawater identified under Chesapeake Bay
USGS scientists have determined that high-salinity groundwater found
more than 1,000 meters (0.6 mi.) deep under the Chesapeake Bay is
actually remnant water from the Early Cretaceous North Atlantic Sea and
is probably 100-145 million years old. This is the oldest sizeable body
of seawater to be identified worldwide.
Twice as salty as modern seawater, the ancient seawater was preserved
like a prehistoric fly in amber, partly by the aid of the impact of a
massive comet or meteorite that struck the area about 35 million years
ago, creating Chesapeake Bay.
"Previous evidence for temperature and salinity levels of geologic-era oceans around the globe have been estimated indirectly from various types of evidence in deep sediment cores," said Ward Sanford, a USGS research hydrologist and lead author of the investigation. "In contrast, our study identifies ancient seawater that remains in place in its geologic setting, enabling us to provide a direct estimate of its age and salinity."
The largest crater discovered in the United States, the Chesapeake Bay impact crater is one of only a few oceanic impact craters that have been documented worldwide.
About 35 million years ago a huge rock or chunk of ice traveling through space blasted a 56-mile-wide hole in the shallow ocean floor near what is now the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. The force of the impact ejected enormous amounts of debris into the atmosphere and spawned a train of gigantic tsunamis that probably reached as far as the Blue Ridge Mountains, more than 110 miles away.
The impact of the comet or meteorite would have deformed and broken up the existing arrangement of aquifers (water-bearing rocks) and confining units (layers of rock that restrict the flow of groundwater). Virginia's "inland saltwater wedge" is a well-known phenomenon that is thought to be related to the impact crater. The outer rim of the crater appears to coincide with the boundary separating salty and fresh groundwater.
"We knew from previous observations that there is deep groundwater in quite a few areas in the Atlantic Coastal Plain around the Chesapeake Bay that have salinities higher than seawater,” said Jerad Bales, acting USGS Associate Director for Water. "Various theories related to the crater impact have been developed to explain the origin of this high salinity. But, up to this point, no one thought that this was North Atlantic Ocean water that had essentially been in place for about 100 million years."
"This study gives us confidence that we are working directly with seawater that dates far back in Earth’s history,” Bales continued. “The study also has heightened our understanding of the geologic context of the Chesapeake Bay region as it relates to improving our understanding of hydrology in the region."
The research study appears in the November 14 issue of the journal Nature.
 |
| Satellite picture of Chesapeake Bay (center) and Delaware Bay (upper right) and Atlantic coast of the central-eastern United States. [Credit: NASA] |
"Previous evidence for temperature and salinity levels of geologic-era oceans around the globe have been estimated indirectly from various types of evidence in deep sediment cores," said Ward Sanford, a USGS research hydrologist and lead author of the investigation. "In contrast, our study identifies ancient seawater that remains in place in its geologic setting, enabling us to provide a direct estimate of its age and salinity."
The largest crater discovered in the United States, the Chesapeake Bay impact crater is one of only a few oceanic impact craters that have been documented worldwide.
About 35 million years ago a huge rock or chunk of ice traveling through space blasted a 56-mile-wide hole in the shallow ocean floor near what is now the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. The force of the impact ejected enormous amounts of debris into the atmosphere and spawned a train of gigantic tsunamis that probably reached as far as the Blue Ridge Mountains, more than 110 miles away.
The impact of the comet or meteorite would have deformed and broken up the existing arrangement of aquifers (water-bearing rocks) and confining units (layers of rock that restrict the flow of groundwater). Virginia's "inland saltwater wedge" is a well-known phenomenon that is thought to be related to the impact crater. The outer rim of the crater appears to coincide with the boundary separating salty and fresh groundwater.
"We knew from previous observations that there is deep groundwater in quite a few areas in the Atlantic Coastal Plain around the Chesapeake Bay that have salinities higher than seawater,” said Jerad Bales, acting USGS Associate Director for Water. "Various theories related to the crater impact have been developed to explain the origin of this high salinity. But, up to this point, no one thought that this was North Atlantic Ocean water that had essentially been in place for about 100 million years."
"This study gives us confidence that we are working directly with seawater that dates far back in Earth’s history,” Bales continued. “The study also has heightened our understanding of the geologic context of the Chesapeake Bay region as it relates to improving our understanding of hydrology in the region."
The research study appears in the November 14 issue of the journal Nature.
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