UK government tells nursery workers to turn in potential terrorist toddlers

They'll have to report 3-year-olds who are "at risk of radicalisation," according to a consultation document that the Home Office is pushing to turn into legislation.
Not just nursery workers -- teachers all the way up to secondary school will have to spy on and turn in their "potentially radicalized" students.

He added: “It is important that children are taught fundamental British values in an age-appropriate way. For children in the early years, this will be about learning right from wrong and in practitioners challenging negative attitudes and stereotypes.
“We would expect staff to have the training they need to identify children at risk of radicalisation and know where and how to refer them for further help if necessary.”

Anti-terror plan to spy on toddlers 'is heavy-handed’

Pootin' on Putin

Suspicious man with flailing arms was just out for some exercise

Police officers responded to the parking lot at the Civic Center in Mayfield Village, Ohio, on Dec. 24.
This followed a report of an elderly man who seemed to be disoriented.
He was throwing his hands up and wandering back and forth
The officers determined the man was just taking a walk and waving his arms for extra cardio.

Mother locked in cupboard by toddler rescued by firefighters after postman heard cries for help

A mother had to be rescued by fire crews after her one-year-old toddler locked her in a cupboard. The woman's cries for help were heard by a postman, who called the emergency services. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said it used a ladder to get into the property in Radford Park Drive, Plymstock, Devon. The woman was then released from the understairs cupboard and reunited with her child after the 15-minute ordeal on Friday.
A fire spokesman said: "A fire appliance was mobilized from Plymstock fire station and, on arrival, confirmed there was an adult locked in the understairs cupboard as well as a one-year-old child locked in the property.
"Crews used small tools and a triple extension ladder to gain access and release the adult from the cupboard as well as reunite the one-year-old with its mother."

Drink driver arrested after crashing into police station

A suspected drunken driver made the job of catching him an easy one by crashing his car into a police station.

Cheshire Police said the car "rolled" off a neighboring car park and into Frodsham police station shortly after midnight on Friday.
The force tweeted: "Man arrested for drink-drive after losing control on a car park and crashing into Frodsham police station. #epicfail."
A 49-year-old man is currently in police custody, said a spokeswoman.

Roman soldier arrested after breaking into home

A man from Perth, Australia, has been arrested after he allegedly broke into a house and changed into a fancy dress costume he found while rummaging through the owner's belongings.
Police said the 32-year-old man entered the house East Perth through an unsecured garage door just before 7:00pm on Friday. The man allegedly stole several items and found a fancy dress costume of a Roman soldier, which he put on.
He ran from the property after being disturbed by the home owner and was caught a short time later by members of the public.
The man has been charged with several offenses including aggravated burglary, stealing and possession of tools to break into a house. He is due to appear in the Perth Magistrates Court.

People in History

Ione Bright, 1912.

Young Faces Of The American Civil War

Somehow we expect their faces to be different, not so staggeringly modern looking. Place them in contemporary clothing and all of these young men would not look out of place in a mall or a high school yearbook.

Yet these extraordinary ambrotype and tintype photographs were taken during the American Civil War (1861-1865). Almost 150 years separates their lives from our own yet their youthful faces retain a powerful resonance and an immediacy which brings that dreadful conflict into our imagination.

Check #927

In August of 1868 this check authorized payment from the U.S. Treasury to Eduard de Stoeckl, Minister to the United States from the Russian Empire, of $7,200,000 ($119,000,000 in 2014 dollars) for the purchase of what many considered to be worthless land:

Already, so it was said, we were burdened with territory we had no population to fill. The Indians within the present boundaries of the republic strained our power to govern aboriginal peoples. Could it be that we would now, with open eyes, seek to add to our difficulties by increasing the number of such peoples under our national care? The purchase price was small; the annual charges for administration, civil and military, would be yet greater, and continuing. The territory included in the proposed cession was not contiguous to the national domain. It lay away at an inconvenient and a dangerous distance. The treaty had been secretly prepared, and signed and foisted upon the country at one o'clock in the morning. It was a dark deed done in the night… The New York World said that it was a "sucked orange." It contained nothing of value but furbearing animals, and these had been hunted until they were nearly extinct. Except for the Aleutian Islands and a narrow strip of land extending along the southern coast the country would be not worth taking as a gift… Unless gold were found in the country much time would elapse before it would be blessed with Hoe printing presses, Methodist chapels and a metropolitan police. It was "a frozen wilderness."

Ancient Indian aircraft on agenda of major science conference

Indian Vedic myths tell of ancient pilots flying craft around the world and out of this world. But some think the myths were true, and that modern science has it all wrong.

by Eric Mack

The Wright brothers were a little late to the aviation game when you consider that pilots in ancient India were flying aircraft not only around the world, but from planet to planet as well. At least, that's one of the claims scheduled to be presented at the Indian Science Congress beginning Saturday at the University of Mumbai, in a session titled "Ancient Indian Aviation Technology."The presenters of the session are apparently serious in their belief that ancient Indian planes were not only able to travel across the solar system, but also "could move left, right, as well as backwards, unlike modern planes which only fly forward," according to one of the speakers, Captain Anand J Bodas, quoted in the Mumbai Mirror.
It's easy enough to fly around the Internet and find plenty of material from folks who believe we were visited by ancient astronauts or that humans had cracked flight much earlier than 1903. But the Indian Science Congress is not the type of gathering where you would normally find such topics on the agenda. Most of the other sessions are on topics more fitting of a university science setting, such as biodiversity, quantum chemistry or fusion.
The session is tucked into a symposium on "Ancient Sciences Through Sanskrit," with other talks on things like the "Neuroscience of Yoga" or "Scientific Principles of Ancient Indian Architecture and Civil Engineering."
The idea of mixing in a serious talk on ancient Indian astronauts with presentations on more rigorous research and science policy issues at a major science conference has drawn the ire of Dr. Ram Prasad Gandhiraman, a NASA scientist at the agency's Ames research center in California. Gandhiraman has collected hundreds of signatures from other scientists around the world on a petition demanding that the session be cancelled.
The petition also cites what Gandhiraman sees as increasing political attempts to mix mythology and science in India:
"We as scientific community should be seriously concerned about the infiltration of pseudo-science in science curricula with backing of influential political parties," the petition reads. "Giving a scientific platform for a pseudo-science talk is worse than a systematic attack that has been carried out by politically powerful pseudo-science propagandists in the recent past. If we scientists remain passive, we are betraying not only the science, but also our children."
The Sanskrit text that describes the ancient flying machines which Bodas cites, the Vaimanika Shastra, has itself been studied thoroughly by scientists who have concluded that very few of the craft it describes would likely be able to fly at all.
This leaves a few possible explanations: ancient Indian aviation truly is the stuff of mythology, or alternate ancient laws of physics allowed ancient astronauts to fly all over in shoddily conceived craft, by today's standards. Perhaps the answer lies in a study of this "bone" on Mars, left behind by an ancient Indian "pilot?"

Sleep Inside a "Boulder" in the Swiss Alps

Bureau A, a studio in Geneva, Switzerland, created what looks like a boulder on the outside, but is actually a cabin with just enough living space for one. Named "Antoine," the structure, designed to blend in perfectly with the Swiss Alps where it is now placed, is a nod to the Swiss idea of observing the Alps from hidden places within them, according to the design studio. Their site explains,

"The mountains have the power to call for feelings of fascination and fear at the same time. Switzerland has a strong tradition of observing the Alps, living with them, hiding inside them. The awe and the anxiety that this monumental landscape appeals is reflected in the writings of Charles-Ferdinand Ramuz, one of the most important Swiss writers. His novel, Derborence, describes the massive rock fall that covered the pastures of the valley of Lizerne in 1714. Antoine, the main character, survives seven weeks under the rocks before he manages to reach his village, and life.

ANTOINE is a tribute to the alpine experience and to the writer. The small wooden cabin, big enough for the life of one man, is hidden inside a projected concrete rock. Referring to the long lasting Swiss tradition of hidden bunkers, the project integrates the highly urbanized landscape of the Alps. Already described by the French philosopher Paul Virilio in 1975, military architecture conducted by principles of camouflage has, for long, fascinated the architects."

The cabin contains a fireplace, bed, table, stool and window. According to Bureau A, any inhabitant of the cabin accepts the risk of the shelter being situated in an area where it's susceptible to rock falls. Not only is it fit for a Thoreau, but a daredevil Thoreau!

Read more about the cabin and see pictures of the inside at the Bureau A website.

Snowstorm in the Grand Canyon

Last month, we got to see the Grand Canyon filled to the brim with fog. On this past New Year's Eve, snow poured into the Grand Canyon area, making it a winter wonderland. Many of the roads remained open, but driving over them could be hazardous. Thankfully, the National Park Service staff was able to take some great photos of the snow.

Random Photos

Random Photos

The 10 Coolest Dinosaur Discoveries Of 2014

It was a good year for dinosaur buffs, and not just because the latest Jurassic Park movie unleashed an exhilarating new trailer. Here's a look back at 2014's ten awesomest dinosaur stories.

Snowmobilers dug moose out of avalanche after they spotted its snout sticking out of snow

A moose caught in an avalanche in Hatcher Pass in Alaska may have three passing snowmachiners to thank for making it into the new year. The men dug the moose, a young cow, they think, out of the snow, apparently unharmed, after it was caught in an avalanche on Dec. 28. One of the men, Marty Mobley, 44, said the moose probably caused the slide that swallowed it and that without the group's help, it would not have survived. "There was just enough of its snout sticking above the snow that it could breathe," Mobley said. Mobley said he and friends Rob Uphus, 30, and Avery Vucinich, 27, all of them Valley residents, had gone snowmachining on the Willow side of Hatcher Pass, about 55 miles northeast of Anchorage, in an area known to locals as "God's Country." They rode carefully, he said, because of the constant fear of avalanches.

They saw a small bowl covered in moose tracks. Ski tracks were also easy to spot, something Mobley said he doesn't often see in the area. "We figured we scared the moose off and saw his tracks go up the side and over the crest," Mobley said. About an hour later, coming back through the same area, the trio saw an avalanche had come down in the bowl, obliterating both the moose and ski tracks. Mobley said the men were worried a skier got caught in the slide, so they took a closer look, nervous about the possibility of more avalanches. "We had about 2,500 feet of mountain above us still," Mobley said. "Half slid, half didn’t, so we didn’t want to screw around a bunch there." Mobley said as he got closer, he could see something brown and moving sticking above the hard-packed snow of the avalanche debris field.
"It looked like a guy's arm at first because we were expecting to see a skier," Mobley said. "But it was moaning and groaning and moving and we realized it was a moose, even though only his ears and some of its snout was sticking out of the snow." Mobley said the men grabbed their shovels and began to dig the moose out of the snow. Mobley said it didn’t move as they worked and even seemed to get calmer as they cleared snow away. Mobley said two men dug while the other served as an avalanche lookout. "It didn’t even fight us," Mobley said. "It was like, 'Help me. Help me.' It was totally docile and let us touch it. It just (lay) there," Mobley said. After about 10 minutes of digging, Mobley said, the men were able to free about three-quarters of the animal and weren't sure if it was injured. So one of the men gently poked the moose's backside with a shovel.
"It stood right up and towered over us, because we were in kind of a hole from the digging," Mobley said. "It looked like the abominable snowman because its fur was so packed with snow and it looked at us, shook the snow off it, and off it went." Mobley said the moose was "at full steam" when it ran down the mountain and appeared to be completely uninjured, something that surprised the men. "It slid at least 1,500 to 2,000 feet down the mountain when it got caught in the avalanche," Mobley said. Mobley said the trio look on their moose rescue as an act that they hope will be repaid by nature as they continue to ride their snowmachines in Alaska's often unpredictable backcountry. "I am an animal lover, and I couldn’t leave it there," Mobley said. "Besides, we deal with a lot of avalanches and a lot of snow. That kind of karma is something we don’t pass up."
There's a video interview with two of the moose rescuers here.

Here's How Fast Different Animals Are Disappearing From Earth

by Chelsea Harvey 

The red panda is ranked "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

From red pandas to golden-striped salamanders, Earth's wildlife is in trouble.

Many scientists believe our planet is in the early stages of a mass extinction, an event defined by a loss of 75% of species on Earth. It will be the sixth one to occur in the planet's 4.5 billion year history — and the first to be caused by humans.

But just how fast are species disappearing from Earth, and how much should we be worried?

Information recently compiled by the journal Nature, the World Wildlife Fund, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) sheds some light on these questions. It's not a pretty picture.

Drawing from the IUCN's "Red List," a catalogue of species considered in danger of extinction, Nature recently published a detailed analysis of threatened animals on Earth. The report concluded that 26% of all known mammals, 13% of birds, and 41% of amphibians are in jeopardy. Scientists don't have enough data for fish and reptiles to make an assessment for them, and insects got off comparatively easy — an estimated 0.5% of known species are thought to be facing extinction.

But these are just the species that we know of. There are about 1.7 million species of animals, plants, and fungi that humans are aware of, but scientists estimate there are millions more yet to be discovered, and we have no idea what kind of shape their populations will be in if we ever do discover them before they die off.

The Andean flamingo is threatened by habitat destruction. And there's more bad news where that came from.

Scientists aren't completely sure how fast all these species are disappearing from the planet, but the fastest estimates — which suggest 690 extinctions take place every week — indicate that the mass extinction could be complete in the next 200 years. (Slower estimates give us several more hundred years before 75% of life on Earth is gone, and the most conservative guesses allow us thousands.)

In fact, research from the World Wildlife Fund suggests that the number of vertebrates on Earth (excluding humans) is only half what it was 40 years ago.

The Living Planet Index, an assessment of vertebrate populations, shows that between 1970 and 2010, terrestrial and marine vertebrate populations both declined by 39%, and freshwater vertebrates declined by a whopping 76%. Altogether, the total rate of decline for vertebrates was 52%, meaning their populations have been cut in half since 1970.

Deforestation in Brazil. Habitat destruction is a major threat to animals on Earth.

So what's causing all the trouble, anyway?

The report says that the biggest current threat to animals, accounting for 37% of all threats, is exploitation — hunting, fishing, and other similar activities. Habitat degradation is a close second at 31%, and habitat loss comes in third at 13%.

Other threats include climate change, invasive species, pollution, and disease, although scientists expect climate change to become a much bigger threat as temperatures continue to rise around the globe.

Extinctions are bad news for more than just the species facing them. Ecosystems are inextricably tangled up in the organisms that compose them, meaning if one species die off, others will feel its loss. That means humans, too. For instance, ecologists are gravely concerned over declining honey bees, because they pollinate many of the plants humans rely on for food.

It's a scary future we're looking at, given the stats — and, if the sixth extinction really does occur, a lonely one, too.

Animal Pictures

The Daily Drift

Editor's Note: Tomorrow's postings will be made around midday local time instead of midnight due to commitments of the staff here as noted in the last editorial.

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Today in History

1477   Swiss troops defeat the forces under Charles the Bold of Burgundy at the Battle of Nancy.  
1815   Federalists from all over New England, angered over the War of 1812, draw up the Hartford Convention, demanding several important changes in the U.S. Constitution.  
1861   The merchant vessel Star of the West sets sail from New York to Fort Sumter, in response to rebel attack, carrying supplies and 250 troops.  
1904   American Marines arrive in Seoul, Korea, to guard the U.S. legation there.
1914   Henry Ford astounds the world as he announces that he will pay a minimum wage of $5 a day and will share with employees $10 million in the previous year's profits.  
1917   Bulgarian and German troops occupy the Port of Braila.  
1919   British ships shell the Bolshevik headquarters in Riga.  
1920   repugican women demand equal representation at the repugican national coven in June.  
1921   Wagner's "Die Walkyrie" opens in Paris. This is the first German opera performed in Paris since the beginning of World War I.  
1923   The U.S. Senate debates the benefits of Peyote for the American Indian.  
1925   Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming is sworn in as the first woman governor in the United States.  
1936   Daggha Bur, Ethiopia, is bombed by the Italians.  
1942   U.S. and Filipino troops complete their withdrawal to a new defensive line along the base of the Bataan peninsula.  
1947   Great Britain nationalizes its coal mines.  
1951   Inchon, South Korea, the sight of General Douglas MacArthur's amphibious flanking maneuver, is abandoned by United Nations force to the advancing Chinese Army.  
1952   Prime Minister Winston Churchill arrives in Washington to confer with President Harry S. Truman.  
1968   U.S. forces in Vietnam launch Operation Niagara I to locate enemy units around the Marine base at Khe Sanh.  
1969   Pretender Richard M. Nixon appoints Henry Cabot Lodge as negotiator at the Paris Peace Talks.  
1971   Pretender Richard M. Nixon names Robert Dole as chairman of the repugican national cabal.
1982   A Federal judge voids a state law requiring balanced classroom treatment of evolution and creationism.  
1991   The South Ossetia War (1991-92) begins as Georgian forces enter Tskhinvali, capital of South Ossetia, Georgia.  
2005  Eris, largest known dwarf planet in the Solar System is discovered in images taken Oct. 21, 2003, at Palomar Observatory.

New Laws That Take Effect in 2015

"It's the law" is a phrase uttered by authority figures everywhere. At times, laws can cause public controversy. Sometimes a lack of laws against certain acts can cause a furor when those acts are committed and condemned in the court of public opinion. Occasionally we hear of odd, archaic laws that are still on the books, though rarely enforced. Such examples are often legislation that seems so odd, it's hard to wrap our brains around it coming into existence.
Whether residents of these states like it or not, there are a number of laws that went into effect with the change of year to 2015. In Massachusetts, residents are now able to order wine online from wineries in other states. Before that law was effective, Massachusetts residents were banned from ordering from approximately 98% of all wine producers. Cheers, Massachusetts!In New York, all residents must now recycle their old computers and other unwanted tech toys, or they're subject to a $100 fine. More importantly, also in New York, selfies with big cats such as tigers are now banned. Who knows how many lives that legislation will touch? Hopefully the backlash won't result in social unrest.
Read about more laws that became effective in 2015 here.