[prokroustis]

Van Covered In Slurry After It Was Parked Blocking Access For Farmers



A van was deliberately covered in slurry by angry farm workers who found it parked across the gate of a field, denying them access.

Yes, it's fairly extreme, but they did try to get the van to move before they coated it in excrement, in their defence.

Is that a defence? Maybe not. Still, it's happened now, so we'll just get on with it.

The muck-spreaders exacted their revenge on the driver - who had parked inconsiderately across a farmyard entrance while they went for a pint - and left the Transit van absolutely covered in crap.

The spreaders did say they had called up the pub in an attempt to reach the driver and give them a chance to move, but they didn't manage to get through. So they decided to empty a whole heap of slurry onto the vehicle as a form of punishment.

The farmers - who, for obvious reasons, didn't wish to be named - said this isn't the first time they've had issues with parking. They explained this instance was completely 'obstructive' and left them unable to turn their tankers as the entrance is only about 10 feet wide.

They told The Sun: "Apparently the lads doing the spreading contacted the pub and warned them but the van owner later claimed he didn't recognise his own registration number when they called it out.

"He didn't realise he was blocking the entrance to the field. He came back to find his van covered. He admitted he was totally in the wrong.

"They hosed his van down and everyone had a laugh."

Mercifully, it appears as if the whole thing was resolved amicably, with the farmer travelling along to the pub and buying 'the lads' a drink.

All's well that ends well, right?

[lush]

Elvish More Popular Than Irish? Online Learning Leads to Fictional Language Rise
Posted on June 18, 2021*

The most popular TV and film shows are the ones that fully immerse you in their world. Preply, a leading provider of language tutors, has been analyzing the popularity of fictional languages on our screens.



While great acting, elaborate film sets and extravagant costumes are a must for any successful franchise, there is one other element that really makes these universes successful. Creating languages is actually one of the most effective ways to really bring these fictional worlds to life.

But writers can’t just have their actors reading complete gibberish on screen. Fan bases would quickly pick up inconsistent phrases and it can kill that realistic touch. That’s why these languages are constructed just as carefully as the rest of the scripts themselves.

Mega-fans of these shows and films adore learning these languages, to show off their love for these ‘cultures’. With online learning offering everything nowadays, including fictional language programs, die-hard fans have easy access to these. Before online learning, only those with access to fictional language dictionaries could even attempt, and these weren’t easy to come by before Amazon started selling almost everything known to man.

Preply’s League of Languages has carefully analyzed these fictional languages and ranked the top 5 in order of popularity. This was done by evaluating just how established these languages are with the number of confirmed words, along with average monthly Google searches and mentions on Twitter.

Elvish

Thanks to the workings of J.R.R. Tolkien, when we think of an elf, it’s no longer the helpful
creatures that make toys in Santa’s workshop. Instead, it’s the elegant, beautiful, immortal creatures that inhabit Middle Earth.

Elvish ranked as the most popular fictional language. With over 7000 words in the Elvish dictionary, it is certainly the most evolved.

While The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit books have been around for decades, it’s the Peter Jackson films that really brought this world to life to the masses.

In fact, more people in the world now speak Elvish than Iris, showing just how dedicated the fans really are. However, it may be easier said than done to learn Elvish. Not only is there a whole new alphabet and script to learn, but there are a total of 10 different variations of the language.

Other fantasy worlds have taken inspiration from Tolkien for their own languages. World of Warcraft and Dungeons & Dragons use dialect from Tolkien’s Elvish, with inspiration taken from words, sounds and grammar.

Dothraki

The second most popular language in The League of Languages. George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones is one of the most successful shows in television history. One of the most memorable characters is the Dothraki tribe.

Known for their brutality, it was only natural for Martin to give them their own language to show just how isolated they were from the rest of Westeros.

Since the release of the first episode in 2011, over 1.2 million people have started to learn Dothraki. While Martin did stipulate in the books that the Dothraki had their own dialect, he actually only ever wrote a few words of the language himself.

That’s why David Peterson was brought in to help. While he may have been a member of the Language Creation Society, he was approached by producers for the role. Instead, he actually won a competition to do so. I think we can all agree that the best man won!

Tolkien wasn’t just a great writer, but also a talented linguist. He spoke Finnish, Latin, Welsh and Greek. These languages were used as a basis for Elvish and many native speakers of these dialects will understand hints from their mother tongue in the movies.

Klingon

Number 3 in the League of Languages, Klingon, needs no introduction to sci-fi fans. While many people have attempted to learn the language or can use basic words and phrases, there are actually 100 people who can speak it fluently.

Speaking the language may be difficult enough, but understanding and writing the written text of Klingon may be one of the most difficult on Earth (or space!).

You may think you have got the hang of Klingon when you’ve learned the alphabet, but that can all be turned around, literally. Letters are pronounced differently upside down.

Interestingly, many people associate Spock with the Klingon language. However, he was not actually from the Klingon race at all.

Na’Vi

Na’Vi is the fictional language spoken on the planet of Pandora in Avatar, ranked at number 4 in the League of Languages. When James Cameron wrote Avatar, he wanted to make sure the world was as realistic for the viewers as possible.

Na’Vi took inspiration from numerous Polynesian languages. However, Cameron had very specific factors when choosing words and phrases. He worked with Professor Paul Frommer to create the dialect but put in a requirement that it must be easy for the actors to learn and pronounce.

That’s why Na’Vi is quite possibly the easiest fictional language for English speakers to learn.

Huttese

It may be spoken by one of the most repulsive characters on our screens, but the native tongue of Jabba the Hutt, Huttese, the 5th most popular fictional language.

However, it isn’t a completely developed language, yet. Popular among criminals in the Star Wars universe, it is the most common tongue of the characters, aside from English.

The basis for forming Huttese was from Quechua, the native language of the South American Andes. Star Wars fans are famous for their commitment to the franchise and it probably won’t be long before Huttese is fully developed, allowing fans to fully immerse themselves in their favorite worlds and characters.

So, did your favorite fictional language make the cut? Perhaps you might be inspired to learn one, or at least a few basic phrases. With fictional languages becoming increasingly popular, who knows, perhaps it will replace Spanish or French lessons in schools in the not so distant future?

Myth Busting: No More 8 Glasses a Day
Author
Megan Schimpf, M.D.
May 05, 2016 3:50 PM

The widespread advice to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day lacks evidence. A U-M physician promotes listening to your body instead.

One of the most common reasons a woman comes to the urogynecology practice is urinary frequency — going to the bathroom more than what she considers normal or common.

Sometimes this means in comparison to friends and relatives, and, sometimes, it relates to what was previously normal for her.

When we talk more, often the urinary frequency coincides with a change in a woman’s drinking habits — and the most common one is increasing her water intake. There is a popular and deeply held myth that we should all be drinking more water for more health benefits. There are a growing number of smartphone apps that track water intake during the day and provide automatic reminders to those falling behind. Many of these women feel guilty for not drinking “enough.”

What do we tell patients in this case?

Stop drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day.
The 8x8 myth

There is no medical evidence that drinking that much water is beneficial to your health. Yet I hear from many patients who believe it is necessary for good health.

In fact, that tip was popularized by a widely known weight loss program, but there is even no medical evidence that it helps with weight loss. Drink only if you’re thirsty, and never feel as if you have to force yourself to drink more.

Water is a good, healthy option for what to drink — you just don’t need to force it. (Instead, drink water to replace a high-calorie beverage such as regular soda pop!)

A lot of foods contain water, which helps us meet this threshold, and few of us are in danger of becoming dehydrated. The body has a highly sophisticated regulatory system that monitors hydration and then sends you a message to drink when you need to.

If you exercise regularly, you need to drink more to replenish what you’ve lost in sweat. Some medical conditions like kidney stones mean that you should drink more. Discuss those with your doctors.

Another easy way to check your hydration status is by the color of your urine. Urine should be a pale yellow color — perhaps like that of a common sticky note. Urine does not need to be clear like water. There are some vitamins — such as B complex — and foods that can change the color of your urine, but don’t feel pressured to have it be very pale or clear.

As I tell my patients, “What comes in, must come out.” If you drink more, you will have to go to the bathroom more. Save yourself the time and worry, and just drink when your body tells you.

More Articles About:
Nutrition
, Wellness and Prevention
Newsletter Sign-up

[Fivetide]

Lumberjack rescues crows from felled tree, teaches them to log roll



Watch news video here: https://twitter.com/globalhalifax/status/1405477523820105733

A Nova Scotia lumberjack who rescued three young crows from a felled tree said the birds are now thriving -- and he's taught them how to log roll.

Darren Hudson of Barrington said he was on a job in early June when he felled a tree and discovered he had disturbed the nest of three young crows.

"When it came crashing to the ground these guys were sitting there looking up at me and I was like 'Oh my gosh, I can't believe this,'" Hudson told SaltWire.

He put the crows in a box and left them in a nearby open field, but there was no sign of the birds' parents.

"I kept them in a box wide open in the field I was working on that day, but the parents weren't around. And so I took them home that night," Hudson told Global News.

The lumberjack said he tried again the next day, but there was no sign of the mother and father crow, so he took it on himself to finish raising the birds to adulthood.

"We're just good buddies. We've really bonded, maybe spiritually," he said.

One of the crows has a foot injury and is currently living with some friends who have experience with animal rehabilitation, but the other two have become Hudson's near-constant companions.

Hudson, who has been chronicling his life with the crows on YouTube, said he has now taught the birds how to log roll.

"Of course, they have good balance, but these guys really took to it. It was no problem for them to jump on the log and they stayed right there, and I rolled that log back and forth and they really enjoyed it," he said.

Hudson said they showed real skill at the sport.

"They're not as fast as a dog but they can stay right up there and if they start to get too far back on the log, they flap their wings and it brings them right on top again so they might have got their tail feathers wet, but I couldn't dunk them," Hudson said.

[johngriffen]

I sometimes get REALLY DEPRESSED reviewing the news these days.
It's always about a global pandemic threatening life as we know it,
protests around the world, stupid politicians, natural disasters,
or some other really bad story.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

Welcome to The mobi weekly news magazine
IN OTHER NEWS
SUNDAY JUNE 20
What is it?
Here is your chance to become an "ACE REPORTER" for our weekly news magazine.
It is your job to fine weird, funny or "good feel" stories from around the world and share them with our readers in our weekly magazine

How do you play?
Just post a story that you have come across that made you smile, laugh, feel good...
BUT NOTHING DEPRESSING

EXAMPLE POST

​Naked sunbather chases wild boar through park after it steals his laptop bag

A naked sunbather was seen chasing wild boar through a park after it stole his laptop bag.
Amusing photographs from Germany show the man running after the animal to try and claim the plastic bag back.
But the cheeky boar and its two piglets appear to be too quick for the sunbather, who can't keep up with their speedy little trotters.
As the incident unfolds, groups of friends and family sat on the grass watch on and laugh.
Heads are seen turning in surprise and amusement in the hilarious photographs.
The incident happened at Teufelssee Lake - a bathing spot in the Grunwell Forest in Berlin, Germany.

Rules:
Each Edition of IN OTHER NEWS will be open for 7 days...
You can post as many stories as you like, but you will only get paid for One Story in any 24 hour period
So in other words, you can only earn WRZ$ once a day.
Each news day will start when I post announcing it
OR at:
9:00 AM CHICAGO TIME (UTC -5)
2:00 PM GMT (UTC -0)
on those days I space out and forget to post or can't due to Real Life
Stories may be accompanied with images - but No big images, please! 800x800 pixels wide maximum
Videos are allowed, but please keep them short, and post a short summary for those that don't like to click on videos
No Duplicate stories - Where a post has been edited resulting in duplicates, then the last one in time gets disallowed.
And please limit this to reasonably family friendly stories

Reward:
Each news story posted that I feel is acceptable (must be a real story, too few words or simply a headline are not considered acceptable) will earn you 50 WRZ$
If you post multiple stories on any given day, you will only earn 50 WRZ$ for the first story of the Day
All payments will be made at THE END of the weekly news cycle.
Special Bonus - Each week I will award "The Pulitzer Prize" for the best story of the week
The weekly winner of the "The Pulitzer Prize" will receive a 100 WRZ$ bonus
It's just my personal opinion, so my judgement is final

So help bring GOOD news to the members of mobi, and join our reporting team...

IN OTHER NEWS

[prokroustis]

Farmers Accidentally Grow The 'World's Most Expensive Mango'



A pair of farmers accidentally grew the 'world's most expensive mangoes' and now need a special team of security to protect them.

Sankalp Singh Parihar, from India, was on a train to Chennai a few years ago when a fellow passenger asked him if he wanted a special mango sapling for Rs 2,500 ($33).

Taking a gamble, he agreed. But after a few months, he started to notice something different about them.

Speaking to Vice, he said: "I did not know what the mango breed was but I named it Damini after my mother and planted it.

"I grew it [the sapling] like an ordinary mango plant, but a few months later, saw that it had developed a beautiful red colour."


The Miyazaki mango's bright red skin is very distinctive.

And when people caught wind of his produce, Parihar said he was offered a huge amount of money for them.

"It was only when they offered me more than Rs 21,000 ($283) for it that I realised it was something valuable," he told the publication.

It turned out that what Parihar had bought from the stranger on a train was something called the Miyazaki mango, which have been known to sell for thousands at special auctions in Japan.

According to reports, the fruit originates from the Miyazaki prefecture on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu.

And it is taken very seriously, with it having to be grown in special conditions, using nets to suspend them in the air, to make sure the sugar content is just right and that each one weighs at least 350 grams.

However, Parihar realised that none of this was necessary in India.

He said: "Since I did not know what breed these mangoes were, I grew them like I would grow any ordinary Indian variety like the alphonso."

Adding: "My vision is that every Indian household should be able to afford this mango.


They have hired a special security team to protect the mangoes.

"In Japan, it is expensive because it is grown in an expensive environment. In India, we can grow it naturally and cut down on expenses."

Growing such high-end fruit, however, comes with its dangers.

After Parihar's valuable mangoes were reported in the media, thieves broke into his farm and stole more than a dozen of them

As a result, he now employs a special security team to protect the 52 he currently has.

He said: "Last year, after a local news channel reported that we had these mangoes, a thief broke in and stole 14 mangoes.

"So now, we have hired a team of guards and pay them Rs 8,000 ($108) every month.

"I would rather pay for security than lose these mangoes, which to us are worth so much more than money."

Adding: "These are our babies and our focus right now is to keep nurturing them and using the fruits' seeds to plant new ones,."

[ozswede]

Eyeharp allows a woman with cerebral palsy to play music without using her hands

Alexandra Kerlidou sits in her wheelchair on stage in Athens. With only the shift of her eyes across a computer screen, the 21-year-old fills the air with harp music. The student with cerebral palsy, who cannot use her hands or speak, is playing the "Eyeharp", gaze-controlled digital software which allows people with physical disabilities to play music, something she had never thought possible.

"I felt strange, I had never imagined such a thing," said Ms Kerlidou, using a speech-generating computer program as she described trying the Eyeharp for the first time in her home on Lesbos with creator Zacharias Vamvakousis.

A computer scientist and musician, Mr Vamvakousis was inspired to create the program after a musician friend was hurt in a motorcycle accident shortly before they were to play a concert together.

"At the beginning it was not clear whether he would be able to move his arms, his hands, and play music again," said Mr Vamvakousis of his friend, who played the Cretan lyra.

"It was a shock for me and I realised there is a need for this kind of technology."

The digital eye-tracking technology, widely used in gaming, security and medicine, monitors eye movements to perform commands.


Ms Kerlidou, who has cerebral palsy, played the Eyeharp on stage in Greece.

The eye rests on each musical note spaced out on a wheel on the screen and on average can play three to four notes per second. The program can "play" 25 musical instruments.

"Without doing it digitally, this would never be possible to play music in real time," Mr Vamvakousis said.

"It takes away the actual action of strumming a chord."

The program needs discipline and concentration, he says, as one has to keep the eyes from wandering too quickly to the next note, but students are thrilled when they hear their efforts.

"Most of the children first start with the drum sound just to make noise, just to interact with the environment right now," said Mr Vamvakousis.


Mr Vamvakousis says over 2,000 people have downloaded the instrument.

He has taught the program in special-needs schools in Barcelona, where he studied, and says more than 2,000 people have downloaded the program.

Due to the pandemic he currently teaches online, mostly children with cerebral palsy, but the program is also designed for those with muscular dystrophy, limb amputation, quadriplegia or spinal cord injury.

"I cried, her mother too," said Ms Kerlidou's father Anastasios after his daughter first played the Eyeharp.

Ms Kerlidou, who wants to work in computer programming after finishing school, likes popular Greek songs and the piano. She could not imagine life without music.

"When I am sad, or happy, I put on music," she says.

Source

[Fatima99]

Gold coins lost in Black Death confusion found in Reepham



A "very rare" Edward III gold coin lost in the wake of the Black Death has been found by a metal detectorist.

The 23-carat leopard was discovered with another gold coin, called a noble, near Reepham, Norfolk.

Finds liaison officer Helen Geake said the leopard was withdrawn within months of being minted in 1344 and "hardly any have survived".

She said the coins were equivalent to £12,000 today and would have been owned by someone "at the top of society".

The leopard - which has never been found with another coin - was discovered with a "rare" 1351-52 Edward III noble.



After the Norman Conquest, the only coins in circulation were silver pennies.

"The royal treasury might talk in terms of pounds, shillings and pence, but the physical reality was sacks of silver pennies," said Dr Geake.

"Then Edward III decided to reintroduce the first gold coins in England since the Anglo-Saxon era - and no-one knows why."

The coins, called a florin, a leopard and a helm, were minted in early 1344, but withdrawn within months.

Dr Geake said: "For some reason they didn't catch on, but when one or two pennies were the equivalent of a day's wages at today's minimum wage rate, perhaps very few people used them."

he Reepham find shows the leopard, which was worth three shillings, was in circulation for much longer than previously thought.

Dr Geake said: "We asked ourselves why and realised the Black Death reached England in 1348.

"It was hugely cataclysmic, a third of the population was dying.

"Usually the authorities would be keen to remove a withdrawn coin as soon as possible."

The coins were found in October 2019. Their status as treasure is subject to a coroner's inquest.

[goldie0608]

Chris Pratt Surprises Four Deployed Servicemember Fathers and Their Families for Father's Day

The actor treated servicemembers with a sneak peek of his upcoming movie The Tomorrow War



Chris Pratt is wishing active army members a very special Father's Day.

The actor surprised four deployed servicemen and their families virtually ahead of the release of his film The Tomorrow War. "We got a special treat for you," he said to them as seen in a video exclusive to PEOPLE.

"We're going to give you guys, your families at least, a special dinner and a sneak peek of the movie that y'all can watch together," Pratt, 41, said. "That's coming from us to you with a tremendous amount of love and gratitude for your service."

Pratt then took a couple of questions from those in attendance, including whether he always wanted to be an actor.

The father of two said he knew his "whole life" he wanted to act.

"My brother went into the army and he's now a sheriff's deputy. I thought I wanted to be an actor, but I thought I wanted to be an actor the way a kid wants to be an astronaut," he said. "I knew I wanted to do it but I never knew how I'd do it."

Pratt also thanked those serving, saying, "My favorite part of this life that I've been blessed to be able to live and lead is to be able to openly show support for our men and women in uniform. You mean the world to me, I mean that."

"I understand that the life I live inside of a bubble of protection that you provide for me," he said. "Just know, I do not take it for granted. I'm living my dream and I know you're making that possible. Thank you."

Parenthood plays a big role in Pratt's action thriller which required him to tap into his own family history.

"We focus a lot on the parent and child relationship," the actor told PEOPLE, who is dad to Jack, 8½, with ex Anna Faris, and Lyla Maria with wife Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt. "My character is a father and a husband and he has a contentious relationship with his father. I think it's impossible for me to do these types of roles without diving into some of the turmoil of my own relationships in life. And I think this is a film about redemption and second chances and coming to grips with the fact that maybe you're a lot more like your father than you've ever realized. And finding grace and forgiveness for your father and yourself at the same time in those moments."

Pratt said he feels there is "a natural progression in life," when you become a parent that provides perspective on your own parents.

"There's a moment where you realize your own parents are just kids who had kids," he said. "And it's like, 'Oh wow. So this deity in my life that I looked up to as a god is really just a flawed human being just like myself.' And so you learn to forgive them for any issues that they may have had because hey, they were just trying. They're just people just like you."

The Tomorrow War is available to stream on Amazon Prime on July 2.

[mrvictor]

One-legged Woman is a World Class Salsa Dancer and Inspiration to All



A salsa dancer in Venezuela has become a YouTube sensation and an inspiration to differently-abled people everywhere.

After losing a limb in an accident five years ago, Andreyna Hernandez returned to the very spot of the tragedy to show that she’s still got the moves.

In a video that went viral, she sways gracefully with her partner, Robert Terán, at a Social Dance festival, the Salsa Casino.

Terán is her life partner and director of the dance academy FeedBack Latino.

Andreyna wrote on Instagram, “Observing the happiness and motivation of people when seeing a person in my condition dance, and much more considering that just in that area was where that tree was that was… that caused the loss of my lower left limb.”

“This loss was not an impediment at all. from the first moment I discovered that I could dance again. nothing stopped me. I’ll keep doing what I like until the end of time!” she exclaimed

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/one-legged-salsa-dancer/

[Fivetide]

AI-powered Mayflower, beset with glitch, returns to England


In this Monday, Sept. 14, 2020 file photo, technicians lower the Mayflower Autonomous Ship into the water at its launch site for it's first outing on water since being built in Turnchapel, Plymouth south west England. Four centuries and one year after the Mayflower departed from Plymouth, England on a historic sea journey to America, another trailblazing vessel with the same name has set off to retrace the voyage. It’s being piloted by sophisticated artificial intelligence technology for a trans-Atlantic crossing that could take up to three weeks, in a project aimed at revolutionizing marine research. IBM, which built the ship with nonprofit marine research organization ProMare, confirmed the Mayflower Autonomous Ship began its trip early Tuesday June 15, 2021.(AP Photo/Alastair Grant, file)

The Mayflower had a few false starts before its trailblazing sea voyage to America more than 400 years ago. Now, its artificial intelligence-powered namesake is having some glitches of its own.

A sleek robotic trimaran retracing the 1620 journey of the famous English vessel had to turn back Friday to fix a mechanical problem.

Nonprofit marine research organization ProMare, which worked with IBM to build the autonomous ship, said it made the decision to return to base “to investigate and fix a minor mechanical issue” but hopes to be back on the trans-Atlantic journey as soon as possible.

With no humans on board the ship, there’s no one to make repairs while it’s at sea.

Piloted by artificial intelligence technology, the 50-foot (15-meter) Mayflower Autonomous Ship began its trip early Tuesday, departing from Plymouth, England, and spending some time off the Isles of Scilly before it headed for deeper waters.

It was supposed to take up to three weeks to reach Provincetown on Cape Cod before making its way to Plymouth, Massachusetts. If successful, it would be the largest autonomous vessel to cross the Atlantic.

There is some historical precedent for the malfunction: The original Mayflower that carried Pilgrim settlers to New England was supposed to set sail in the summer of 1620 but twice turned back to England because of a leaking problem affecting its sister ship, the Speedwell.

[Zbignieww]

German police say 17th century paintings found in highway dumpster

German police are appealing for information about the possible owners of two 17th-century paintings discovered in a highway rest stop dumpster.


A portrait of a boy by the 17th-century Dutch artist Samuel van Hoogstraten, date unknown. (Supplied)


A self-portrait by Pietro Bellotti showing the Italian artist smiling and dating to 1665. (Supplied)

Police said a 64-year-old man found the oil paintings at the rest stop near Ohrenbach in central Germany last month.
He later handed them in to police in the western city of Cologne.
An initial assessment by an art expert concluded the two framed paintings were originals, police said.
One is a self-portrait by Pietro Belloti showing the Italian artist smiling and dating to 1665.
The other is a portrait of a boy by the 17th-century Dutch artist Samuel van Hoogstraten, date unknown.
It's unknown how valuable the paintings are.
Some auction websites suggest Bellotti paintings in the past have sold for more than $200,000, while van Hoogstraten has attracted prices above $400,000.

Police have also not said how they intend to prove any claimed owners are telling the truth.

https://www.9news.com.au/world/painting ... 3dd62902b0

[PennySerenade]

Toronto house selling for $500,000 smells so bad it might be hard to view it


This is what half a million dollars gets you in the Toronto housing market.

TORONTO -- A Toronto house selling for $500,000 might seem like a good deal but according to the property’s listing the home smells so bad that viewing it could even be difficult.

The home is located at 11 Lucy Avenue, which is in the Victoria Park and Danforth avenues area, in Scarborough.

"Viewing may be difficult, due to pungent odor," the listing says, attributing the foul smell to a cat.
The home is also missing a subfloor in the front bedroom and it has been taped off for safety reasons.

The home has three bedrooms and one bathroom. It has an unfinished basement.

No photographs of the home's interior were made available.


Considering the average price of a Toronto home is now over $1 million, this listing might still catch your eye.

The real estate agent makes it clear that this home is "best suited to tear down" and says that "newer homes are being built in the area."

Property taxes for the home will set you back $2,425 annually.

Considering the skyrocketing price of a detached home in Toronto, getting past the smell might just be worth it.

[hija]

A UK supermarket embraced the refill concept



The UK supermarket Asda announced this week that it will roll out packaging-free shopping at more of its shops, following a successful trial in Leeds. Customers will be able to refill their own containers with grains, detergents and other goods.

Asda said the Leeds pilot exceeded its expectations, and that some goods outperformed packaged sales. The new stores offering refill zones will be in York, Buckinghamshire, Warwickshire and Glasgow.

Susan Thomas, director of commercial sustainability at Asda, said: “Our ultimate goal is to make refill and reuse a part of every Asda shopping trip and to achieve this, we have to make it easy, accessible and affordable for all our customers to shop this way.”

[BigGlen]

Father's Day



Father's Day is a holiday of honoring fatherhood and paternal bonds, as well as the influence of fathers in society. In Catholic countries of Europe, it has been celebrated on 19 March as Saint Joseph's Day since the Middle Ages. In the United States, Father's Day was founded by Sonora Smart Dodd, and celebrated on the third Sunday of June for the first time in 1910. The day is held on various dates across the world and different regions maintain their own traditions of honoring fatherhood.

Father's Day is a recognized Public holiday in Lithuania and some parts of Spain, and was regarded as such in Italy until 1977. It is a national holiday in Estonia, Samoa, and equivalently in South Korea, where it is celebrated as Parents' Day. The holiday complements similar celebrations honoring family members, such as Mother's Day, Siblings Day, and Grandparents' Day.

Early history
For centuries, the Eastern Orthodox Church has appointed the second Sunday before Nativity as the Sunday of the Forefathers to commemorate the ancestors of Christ according to the flesh, starting with Adam and emphasizing the Patriarch Abraham, to whom God said, In thy seed shall all of the nations of the earth be blessed — Genesis 12:3, 22:18

This feast can fall between December 11 and 17. This feast includes the ancestors of the Mary, mother of Jesus and various prophets.

A customary day for the celebration of fatherhood in Catholic Europe is known to date back to at least 1508. It is usually celebrated on March 19, as the feast day of Saint Joseph, who is referred to as the fatherly Nutritor Domini ("Nourisher of the Lord") in Catholicism and "the putative father of Jesus" in southern European tradition. This celebration was brought to the Americas by the Spanish and Portuguese. The Catholic Church actively supported the custom of a celebration of fatherhood on St. Joseph's Day from either the last years of the 14th century or from the early 15th century, apparently on the initiative of the Franciscans.

In the Coptic Orthodox Church, the celebration of fatherhood is also observed on St Joseph's Day, but the Copts observe this on July 20. The Coptic celebration may date back to the fifth century.

Whether to celebrate this day worldwide or not remained a debatable topic. In 1908, Grace Golden Clayton proposed the day to honor those men who had lost their lives in a mining accident in the US. Though it was not accepted then, in 1909 Sonora Smart Dodd, who along with her five brothers was raised by her father alone, after attending Mother's Day in a church, convinced the Spokane Ministerial Association to celebrate Father’s Day worldwide.

In addition to Father's Day, International Men's Day is celebrated in many countries on November 19 in honor of both men and boys.