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Jun 21st, 2021, 6:29 am
Italian Town Selling Historic Homes for $1
Posted on May 3, 2021 *

  • If you’re looking for your own Italian villa, here’s your chance.
Have you ever wanted to own a house in a picturesque Italian town, with cobblestoned streets and gorgeous views directly out of your home window? Good news; you can now get one at a real bargain.

In fact, it’ll be about the price of a cup of coffee – or even cheaper. The Sicilian town of Castiglione di Sicilia is selling off houses at the astronomical price of roughly $1.

You can have your pick, too. There are more than 900 houses for sale at stupendously affordable prices.

The location of the town couldn’t be better, either. Castiglione di Sicilia sits on the verdant slopes of Mount Etna, with the beaches of the Sicilian coastline only 10 miles away.

Alright, what gives? This is just too good to be true, what’s the catch?

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Save Our Town

Believe it or not, there really isn’t much of a catch. The town’s mayor Antonino Camarda says that the houses are being sold dirt cheap for one simple reason – it’s an effort to keep Castiglione di Sicilia in existence.

The town is facing a major population crisis, in the sense that there soon won’t any population left. In its heyday in the early 1900s, Castiglione di Sicilia had some 14,000 residents, whereas today they’re lucky to reach 3,000.

As a result of the exodus, the town is now chock full of empty, historically significant houses, says Camarda.

“We have a huge architectural heritage to rescue, packed with history,” he told CNN.

“Over time, too many people have left, leaving behind a bunch of old, picturesque houses, many even dating back to the Renaissance.”

A Handyman’s Dream

If you’re scrambling for your wallet to buy your very own Sicilian villa, hold your horses for just a minute longer. We said there wasn’t much of a catch, but there is still a catch.

You see, some of the houses are in… Questionable condition, to put it mildly. In an effort to save them from complete ruination, buyers have to commit to renovating the houses within three years.

As part of Castiglione di Sicilia’s house offloading scheme, each house has been priced according to its condition.

“We’ve carried out an in-depth study cataloging each property based on maps and land registry data. According to their condition, buildings will be sold at different prices, starting from $1,” explained Camarda.

You can probably guess that the $1 homes are basically barely-standing skeletons of a house. You still don’t have to break the bank to get an Italian summer home that’s in better condition – houses requiring only minimal renovations go for around $5,000-$6,000.

Of course, you might be one of the DIY kinds of folks who love a good home renovating challenge. Still, you should be prepared to do a bit of paperwork before heading to the cashier.

Castiglione di Sicilia requires all potential buyers to submit a detailed description of the kind of house they’d like. In addition, they need to hand in a plan about how they intend to renovate the place.

It might sound like a lot of work, but it makes sense if you consider the town’s perspective.

They’re trying to breathe new life into the locale. The last thing they want is people to buy the cheap houses only to leave them sitting and falling into further ruin.

Taxes, Taxes

Despite it all, this is still a pretty good deal. To begin with, the town doesn’t require buyers to pay a deposit for the houses, unlike many other places with similar schemes.

New homeowners will have to get an insurance policy from a local bank, priced at around $5,000. In the grand scheme of things, that’s really not too bad.

There are also some tax benefits to be reaped. Taxes in Sicily are low compared to elsewhere in Italy. Homeowners can also benefit from the Italian governments 110% tax credit scheme for renovations that make houses more environmentally friendly.

A Paradise on Earth

As we already mentioned, Castiglione di Sicilia makes for pretty much an ideal vacation home locale. The landscape around the town is nothing short of breathtaking.

The surrounding Alcantara Valley has dozens of crystal-watered streams and waterfalls that cut through olive groves and vineyards. There are plenty of opportunities for hiking, rafting, biking, horse riding… The place is an outdoorsman’s dream.

If that sounds too sporty for you, there are miles and miles of white sandy beaches within a half hour drive. And that’s without mentioning the local food – like pastas and desserts – and wines.

You know what, this is starting to sound pretty dang good. Where can we submit an application?
Jun 21st, 2021, 6:29 am

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Jun 21st, 2021, 12:00 pm
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IN OTHER NEWS...
CURRENTLY OFFLINE


Hold off posting your news stories
The editors and accountant department are reviewing last weeks reports to insure that all our reporters get their proper paycheck
Jun 21st, 2021, 12:00 pm

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Jun 21st, 2021, 12:11 pm
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FOR STORIES POSTED THE W/O JUNE 14

Our news editors at IN OTHER NEWS have carefully reviewed all the stories submitted by our reporters
Following is last weeks Reporter Log

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LEGEND:
X = Acceptable Story
X = PULITZER PRIZE
NA = Not Acceptable Story
DS = Duplicate Story
NOTE: If you feel the editors made a mistake, please feel free to PM me so that we can review your claim


A SPECIAL THANKS TO 10 ACE REPORTERS WHO FILED A NEWS STORY EVERY DAY
Fatima99
Fivetide
goldie0608
hija
lush
mrvictor
ozswede
PennySerenade
prokroustis
Zbignieww


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Every week the editors will review all the stories and pick the one story that we feels deserves a
MOBI PULITZER PRIZE

There are many different categories for submissions. The previous week, the category was "NEW INFORMATION"
But this week, the category was "FATHER'S DAY"

W/O JUNE 14TH CATEGORY = FATHER'S DAY
goldie0608
DAY = SUNDAY JUNE 20

STORY = "Chris Pratt Surprises Four Deployed Service member Fathers and Their Families for Father's Day."
Now granted, it was a promotional stunt to hype the new movie, but I'm sure it was also a big hit with the servicemen." :lol: :lol: :lol:

CONGRATULATIONS TO THIS WEEKS MOBI PULITZER PRIZE WINNER = 100 WRZ

THE NEXT NEWS CYCLE WILL BEGIN SHORTLY
Jun 21st, 2021, 12:11 pm

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Jun 21st, 2021, 12:14 pm
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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
MONDAY JUNE 21

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 :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

EXAMPLE POST
Naked sunbather chases wild boar through park after it steals his laptop bag
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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 :lol:
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 :lol: :lol: :lol:

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


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Jun 21st, 2021, 12:14 pm

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Jun 21st, 2021, 12:17 pm
The world's most premature baby has celebrated his first birthday after beating 0% odds of surviving

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Richard Scott William Hutchinson was named by Guinness World Records as the most premature baby to survive.

A baby born weighing less than a pound has beaten the odds and celebrated his first birthday, becoming the most premature baby to survive, according to Guinness World Records.

When Richard Scott William Hutchinson was born five months prematurely -- recognized by Guinness as the world's most premature baby -- his doctors prepared his parents for the worst.

Richard was born at Children's Minnesota hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after his mother, Beth Hutchinson, suffered medical complications that caused her to go into labor.

Born 131 days prior to the expected due date and weighing just 11.9 ounces, Richard was so tiny his parents could hold him in a single palm of their hands, Guinness said.

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Richard in the hospital shortly after his birth.

"When [his father] Rick and Beth received prenatal counseling on what to expect with a baby born so early, they were given a 0% chance of survival by our neonatology team," Dr. Stacy Kern, Richard's neonatologist at Children's Minnesota, told Guinness World Records.

"I knew the first few weeks of Richard's life would be very difficult, but I felt that if he could make it through that, he would be a survivor."


Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Richard's parents were unable to stay overnight with him at the hospital, and his other family members couldn't visit him either.

So the parents traveled daily from their home in St Croix County, Wisconsin to Minneapolis, according to Guinness.

"We made sure we were there to give him support," Rick told Guinness World Records. "I think that helped him get through this because he knew he could count on us."

In December 2020, after spending more than six months in the hospital, Richard was able to go home with his family.

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Richard and his parents with the Guinness World Records certificate.

"The day Richard was discharged from the NICU was such a special day. I remember picking him up out of his crib and just holding him with tears in my eyes," Kern said.

"I couldn't believe this was the same little boy that once was so sick, that I feared he may not survive. The same little boy that once fit in the palm of my hand, with skin so translucent that I could see every rib and vessel in his tiny body. I couldn't help but squeeze him and tell him how proud I was of him."


On June 5, the lucky baby got to celebrate his first birthday surrounded by family and their three dogs.

"It doesn't feel real," Beth said about Richard breaking the record. "We're still surprised about it. But we're happy. It's a way we can share his story to raise awareness about premature births."

Source
Jun 21st, 2021, 12:17 pm

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Jun 21st, 2021, 12:27 pm
Neanderthals Reached Greek Island of Naxos 200,000 Years Ago

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According to groundbreaking archaeological evidence, neanderthals and early humans are now believed to have inhabited Naxos 200,000 years ago, much earlier than previously though.

A team of US, Canadian and Greek archaeologists announced on Wednesday the discovery of stone tools on the island of Naxos which have been proven to go back at least 200,000 years. Naxos is a Cycladic Greek island located in the very middle of the Aegean Sea.

Grecian Delight supports Greece
The tools, according to the team of Tristan Carter of McMaster University, demonstrate that somehow, both Neanderthals and early humans found a way to reach this island — and stayed there for some time.

Neanderthals were an extinct species of the genus Homo that inhabited Europe, the Near East, the Middle East and Central Asia, between 230,000 and 40,000 years before the present, during the late Middle Pleistocene and almost all of the Upper Pleistocene.

Paleogenetic studies indicate a common origin for modern humans and Neanderthals, as well as hybridizations between the two hominin species, in at least two places and times: the Near East and Western Europe.

Findings shed light on Neanderthals in Greece
Discovering evidence of hominid activity at Stelida, Naxos hundreds of thousands of years ago completely changes the theory of how humans dispersed out of Africa, the scientists posit in their research, published recently in the journal Science Advances.

While Stone Age hunters are now known to have been living on mainland Europe for over one million years, the Mediterranean islands were previously believed to have been settled only 9,000 years ago, by farmers.

Before the discovery of Stelida in 1981, the oldest settlements around the Cycladic islands were 7,000 years old.

The discovery of the site calls much of what were previously accepted theories regarding early humans and neanderthals in the region into question.

The prevailing theory as to why the Mediterranean islands were inhabited so much later was that only modern humans — Homo sapiens — were sophisticated enough to build seafaring vessels.

Did early humans and Neanderthals travel to Naxos on foot?
However, scientists now believe that Naxos was not an island 200,000 years ago.

During one of the glacial periods amounting to an ice age, when huge volumes of seawater was locked up in glaciers and ocean levels were low, there were apparently marshy land masses between continental Greece and Turkey.

“We believe that pre-Homo sapiens populations and early modern humans (Homo sapiens) were also entering Europe via what today is the submerged Aegean basin, (and) via what today is the island of Naxos, where they would have stopped off to extract chert (a type of rock) to make their tools,” Carter explained to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

Some of these tools were in what is known as the Mousterian and Levallois styles, which are associated with Neanderthals in mainland Greece. Others were of an Early Aurignacian type, associated with the first appearance of modern humans, Homo sapiens, across the European continent.

What is perhaps most intriguing is that the very oldest tools found at Naxos actually date from tens of thousands of years before Neanderthals, let alone modern humans, were known to have reached the Aegean.

Carter explains, however, that no ancient bones have been found on the island. “Unfortunately, the soil is very alkaline, so human bones do not survive,” the archaeologist told Haaretz.

These finds have inspired renewed debate and research into the arrival of neanderthals and early humans on the Mediterranean islands. Archaeologists plan to continue excavations at the site, hoping to find more groundbreaking artifacts.

Evidence of neanderthals sailing to Crete 130,000 years ago
Stone age tool discoveries made on the Greek island of Crete in 2010 indicate that man traveled the Mediterranean as early as 130,000 years ago — and not 10,000 years ago as originally believed — according to Science magazine.

In an article entitled “Searching for a Stone Age Odysseus“, authors say that up until a decade ago, archaeologists assumed that the adventurous travels of Odysseus, as reflected in Homer’s Odyssey, were the first ventures in the Mediterranean, believed to have taken place 10,000 years ago.

Some others assumed that sea travel was a human endeavor that started in the Bronze Age.

However, excavators in 2010 claimed to have found stone tools in Crete dating back at least 130,000 years, leading to assumptions that man traveled the seas as early as in the Neanderthal stage of human development.
Jun 21st, 2021, 12:27 pm
Jun 21st, 2021, 12:40 pm
Ram on the lam after escape from New Zealand animal shelter
June 18, 2021 / 12:46 PM *

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A ram captured after running loose in New Plymouth, New Zealand, is back on the lam after escaping from the city's animal shelter, officials said. Photo by the New Plymouth District Council/Facebook

June 18 (UPI) -- Officials in a New Zealand city said a loose ram picked up after intruding into a local woman's house is back on the lam after escaping from the city animal shelter.

The New Plymouth District Council said the ram was captured on the Huatoki Walkway, in the Glenpark area of the city, after attempted to head-butt pedestrians.

The ram was taken to the city's animal shelter, but escaped the following day.

"This character pulled the wool over our eyes and made a dash from our Pound on Rifle Range Road sometime on Tuesday," the council said in a Facebook post. "The unnamed ram is possibly on the loose somewhere in the Waiwhakaiho area. If you spot him, don't approach him, but give us a call so we can round him up and take him back."

Linda Moeller, who lives in the Sycamore Grove area, said the ram came into her home before his capture on Monday. Moeller said she heard a bleating outside and opened her door.

"He pushed his way in," she told Stuff.co.nz. "He just came into the house as if he was a dog."

"I was laughing. He almost jumped up on my couch," Moeller said.

She said the ram was "friendly as anything" and only attempted to butt her as she was pushing him back out of her home.

"He's a lovely boy," she said.

Moeller and other locals said they believe the ram is named Duggy and belongs to a man who has been seen walking his dog with the ram close in tow.

"It's quite a funny sight," Moeller said.
Jun 21st, 2021, 12:40 pm

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Jun 21st, 2021, 12:45 pm
Florida man allegedly pulls a gun on Starbucks employee over botched order, but not on just any employee
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He just wanted some cream cheese for the bagel.

But when a Florida man allegedly pulled a gun at a Starbucks drive-thru, irate over a botched order, he unwittingly brandished the firearm at the local police chief’s daughter, who was working the counter, according to Miami Gardens authorities.

Chief Delma Noel-Pratt told local media that her 23-year-old daughter was berated with verbal and physical threats before she handed the driver his cream cheese and he drove off.

"She felt in fear of her life," Noel-Pratt said. "It was upsetting to me to know that someone would go to that extreme not having cream cheese on his bagel."

Police arrested Omar Wright, 38, on Thursday in connection with the incident on charges that include aggravated assault and armed robbery. He was being held on a $10,000 bond.

During his first court appearance Friday, he said he did not believe the robbery charge was warranted – although it remains unclear whether or not he had paid for the creamy spread.
Jun 21st, 2021, 12:45 pm
Jun 21st, 2021, 2:21 pm
Scientists Can Now Make Vanilla Flavoring Out of Old Plastic Bottles
BY ILE KAUPPILA


You can now have your vanilla ice cream and eat it too – if you don’t mind consuming old bottles.
Man, who doesn’t like vanilla ice cream. Some might say it’s a boring flavor, but sometimes the simplest things just are the best. But did you know that a lot of the vanilla flavoring – or vanillin – used in the food industry has never actually ever been inside a vanilla bean? What you’re tasting is actually a blend of fossil fuel-sourced chemicals.

That’s right, you’re basically eating oil derivatives. The global demand for vanillin is much, much more than what natural vanilla beans could ever provide, so producers had to improvise.

You know what else is made out of fossil fuels? Plastic bottles. And we’re using so many plastic bottles that it’s becoming a real issue. In case you’ve lived under a rock, you might not know that the planet is having a bit of an issue with the enormous amount of plastic waste we produce. Actually, scratch that, you would know – there would be some waste plastic even under your rock.

Perhaps the best example of that is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It’s an island of trash – most of it plastic – twice the size of Texas floating in the Pacific Ocean.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could make more vanillin easily while at the same time cutting down on plastic waste? Good news, now we can.

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“Mmm, you can really taste the trash.”

Brewing Acid
A research team from the University of Edinburgh have developed a method to transform waste plastic bottles into vanillin. In the future, when you have your vanilla ice cream, you might be eating your old Coke bottles.

The research – published in the journal Green Chemistry – builds on previous studies. The earlier discoveries showed that we could turn bottles made from polyethylene terephthalate (PTE) into something called terephthalic acid. On its own, the acid isn’t much good for eating. Apart from plastic bottles, it’s used to make drugs, paints, and military smoke grenades. Yummy.

Authentic Bacteria Flavor
But the researchers from Edinburgh found that it’s possible to turn terephthalic acid into vanillin. All you need is some E. coli. Yep, that’s the same bacteria that make you poop your guts out. We’re using diarrheic bacteria to process trash – still feeling like some ice cream?

Luckily, in this case, the bacteria have been genetically modified. Apparently, terephthalic acid and vanillin are very similar in chemical structure, so the bacteria only need to make minor changes to the acid.

To get the results they wanted, the scientists threw some bacteria into a batch of acid. They then heated the concoction to 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit and let it sit for 24 hours. Their results were promising. The modified E. coli turned roughly 79% of the acid into vanillin.

According to the researchers, the resulting vanillin would be fit for human consumption. In the same breath, though, they add that more research is needed to finetune the process and meet food regulatory standards.

Making the Economy Circular
If the researchers’ results progress enough to make it to the industrial level, they could have a small but significant impact on the circular economy. Every minute, one million plastic bottles are sold around the world, but out of them, only 14% are recycled.

If we started turning some of those bottles into vanillin, it could make a small dent in the trash mountain.

“This is the first example of using a biological system to upcycle plastic waste into a valuable industrial chemical and this has very exciting implications for the circular economy,” said the study’s lead author Dr Joanna Sadler.

“The results from our research have major implications for the field of plastic sustainability and demonstrate the power of synthetic biology to address real-world challenges,” she added.

According to co-author Dr Stephen Wallace, the study could even change the way we think about plastic waste altogether.

“Our work challenges the perception of plastic being a problematic waste and instead demonstrates its use as a new carbon resource from which high-value products can be made,” said Wallace.

That’s all great news for both environmental advocates and fans of vanilla ice cream. But we bet you’re now wishing you didn’t know where that vanilla flavor comes from.

We sure are.
Jun 21st, 2021, 2:21 pm

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Jun 21st, 2021, 2:29 pm
Rescuers summoned to fish 'drowned woman' out of sea discover discarded sex doll

The awkward mistake was witnessed by Japanese YouTuber Tanaka Natsuki, who said she "thought a corpse had come floating by" before realising the grisly sight was in fact a deflated love doll

Rescue services were scrambled to Hachinohe in northeastern Honshu, Japan, after reports of a “drowned woman” floating in the waters.

But Japanese YouTuber Tanaka Natsuki, who happened to be on the scene to record a clip for her channel, witnessed the "rescue" of what turned out to be a "Dutch Wife", Japanese slang for a rubber sex doll.

"While I was filming for my fishing video, I thought that a corpse had come floating by, but it turned out to be a Dutch wife," she posted on Twitter

"It seems someone misunderstood what it was and called the authorities, so a ton of police, fire trucks, and ambulances showed up. Thankfully the 'wife' was safely rescued. Nice."

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Another social media user who witnessed the bizarre "rescue" added: "It’s funny for sure, but not fun for the emergency services. Dispose of your garbage properly, people!"

In fact, there is a more respectful way to dispose of unwanted sex dolls than dumping them in the sea.

The Human Love Doll Company, a Japanese company whose slogan is "love dolls are born to be loved", offers a full funeral service for dolls that are no longer needed.

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Complete with funeral rites led by Japanese monk and actress Rei Kato, the services cost upwards of 50,000 Yen (about £320).

For "Dutch Wife" owners that really care about their deceased sex dolls, reports Japan Today, the luxury 90,000-Yen package allows the bereaved to attend the ceremony, a special letter to be read to the doll as she is buried, and one part of the doll to be removed and given to the owner as a keepsake.
Jun 21st, 2021, 2:29 pm

Twitter: Fatima99@fatima99_mobi
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Jun 21st, 2021, 2:38 pm
Cat born without an anus took her first poop following surgery

Annex Cat Rescue says the cat had her first poop after surgeons at Central Toronto Veterinary Referral Clinic created an opening

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Dora, the cat that was born without an anus, took her first poop overnight on June 15. The playful kitten is currently under the care of Central Toronto Veterinary Referral Clinic, after undergoing surgery to create an opening for her stool and rebuild some of her intestines. The complicated surgery and care is paid through donations collected by Annex Cat Rescue, who are still raising funds for Dora’s follow-up treatments.

Dora, named after the cartoon explorer because she was so energetic and curious, was born to one of Annex Cat Rescue’s rescued fosters. They spay or neuter feral cats surviving on the streets to keep Toronto’s 100,000-plus street feline population under control and find homes for feral kittens or abandoned cats that can be domesticated with care.

At first, everything seemed normal because Dora was feeding from highly digestible mother’s milk, says Annex Cat Rescue’s foster program coordinator Jacqueline Chan. “In her first six weeks of life, there weren’t severe impacts from her not having an anus.”

But a week after Dora was introduced to kitten food, her foster care giver noticed her straining at the litter box and vomiting after eating. The vet at Roncy Village Veterinary Clinic who went to examine Dora for constipation on June 3 discovered that the kitten had no anus, which is an incredibly rare condition that no one involved had dealt with before. She was immediately turned over to specialists at Central Toronto Veterinary Referral Clinic who performed the emergency surgery the following day.

“Now it’s just a matter of getting her through this and getting everything that was backed up inside cleared out,” says Chan. “That’s why she is still at the emergency clinic. It’s not a straightforward process. But she is hopefully on the road towards recovery.”

Dora had a follow-up procedure to carefully remove some of the blockage in her system before she managed to pass stool overnight on June 15. She needs another 24 hours for monitoring following her first poop but Annex Cat Rescue says they are hopeful she will be back at her foster home tomorrow. Chan explains that they’ll still have to see how she heals up and what kind of control she has over going to the litter box.

“It is quite possible that she’ll never really be able to control it,” she says. “And that is something that we’ll have to obviously find a very special adopter for. Because it just makes it a little bit more challenging to have her in the house. But she is a wonderful, playful, cuddly, sweet little girl. And we know that there’s going to be someone out there that doesn’t mind having a bit of a special needs cat when she is this lovely and affectionate.”

Annex Cat Rescue is still collecting funds at canadahelps.org for Dora. Any remaining funds following her treatment will be used for other cats brought in off the street into the care of volunteers at Annex Cat Rescue.

Chan says the organization, which helps find street kittens a home, has seen adoptions rates go “off the charts” during the pandemic. But organizations like them, Toronto Animal Services and Toronto Humane Society have not been able to operate as regularly during the pandemic in terms of spaying and neutering the street cat population, which she worries could result in its own version of a baby boom.

“I worry that this year and next year there’s going to be an awful lot more kittens to deal with,” says Chan. “And I think we are seeing it in terms of how many kittens and how many pregnant cats we have had come in this spring.”

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Jun 21st, 2021, 2:38 pm

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Jun 21st, 2021, 3:21 pm
A man traveled cross-country to mine the diamonds for his girlfriend's engagement ring -- he dug up a 2.2 carat beauty

A Washington man dreamed his whole life of finding a raw diamond to create a one-of-a-kind engagement ring for his future spouse, but he didn't know that it would actually become a reality.
Christian Liden told CNN that the idea of mining his own gems for an engagement ring was planted in his head in middle school, but he had no idea how to accomplish the task. As he got older, he said he discovered just how difficult it is to find raw gems in the US.
However, when Liden's coworker told him about Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas three years ago, he knew his dream could be a reality. He had been dating his girlfriend, Desirae, for two years, and knew the ring would be for her.
"That's when I started really planning the trip and planning to actually go out and do this -- finding out it was possible to actually do it -- so I started doing research on diamonds," Liden said.
He watched videos from those who were successful in finding diamonds at the park, and tried to get as much information as he could before deciding to plan his trip. His friend Josh, who has known about Liden's dream from the beginning, decided to join him on the adventure.

As they planned, Liden built their own mining equipment while his girlfriend was at work, so he wouldn't have to explain the real purpose behind the road trip.
"She knew I was going on a road trip, but she didn't know what we were doing. I told her we would be visiting some state parks and some national parks, but other than that, she didn't know we were going to find gemstones," he said.
Liden planned to propose to Desirae when he got back, and didn't want to tip her off.
On May 1, Liden and Josh started their adventure and made their first stop in Montana to mine sapphires, just in case they ended up empty handed when they got to the park.
After a successful first dig and a day in Yellowstone, the two arrived in Arkansas on May 7, hoping to find a needle in a haystack.
The next two days were unsuccessful, even after trying to get to untouched material. The next day they decided to try a different approach and just mine the surface of the gravel.
"It was towards the end of the day, it was the last two carts... and we just started throwing materials in the screens," he said.
Then something amazing happened: When he flipped his tool there on top was a yellow diamond weighing over two carats.
"I started shaking right away -- I was shaking so bad. I waved my buddy over... and I moved my hand and he saw it," Liden said.
He was in such a state of shock, he let Josh grab the gem and put it in a ziplock bag because it was afraid he was going to drop it.
"I never expected anything like that. I was just hoping to find one -- just one small one -- just so I could put it on the ring and say 'hey, I mined that diamond out,'' Liden said.

They immediately went to the discovery center to report what they had found, and the staff confirmed the size of the yellow diamond.
The 2.20 carat gem is the largest that's been found at the park since last October, when a visitor from Fayetteville, Arkansas, discovered a 4.49-carat yellow diamond, according to a news release from Diamond Crater State Park.
"Mr. Liden's diamond is light yellow, with a triangular shape and a sparkling, metallic luster. Like most diamonds from the park, it contains a few inclusions, making it one-of-a-kind," Assistant Superintendent Dru Edmonds said.
The day after Liden arrived back, he and his girlfriend went mushroom hunting, and during their walk in the woods Liden pulled out the diamond and proposed. She said yes.
The two are looking for someone to design and build the ring composed of the gems Liden mined on the trip. He said they aren't in any hurry.
"It all worked out just right," Liden said.
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Jun 21st, 2021, 3:21 pm
Jun 21st, 2021, 5:25 pm
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One local woman's quest to stop baby ducks from drowning in the Toronto harbour has proven fruitful with the installation of four low, thin floating docks — perfect for ducklings who haven't yet been waterproofed by their parents' oils.

PortsToronto announced yesterday that it would be putting four "duckling docks" at water level in the Portland, York, Yonge and Jarvis slips beginning this afternoon.

The move comes in response to reports of ducklings drowning due to a lack of resting places along the waterfront.

One of those reports, published by blogTO earlier this week, came by way of a Harbourfront resident named Alexandra, who said she had noticed at least 15 dead floating babies, and rescued two, over the past three weeks between York and Bathurst.

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Alexandra spoke to the Toronto Wildlife Centre and learned that young ducks aren't fully waterproofed as babies, and that they rely on low-to-the-water resting places until their parents can coat them in oil or their own waterproof down grows in.

"After talking to TWC, we realized that since the area doesn't have any low-to-the-water floating docks or anything, babies just die constantly because there's just nowhere for them to rest," she said.

"One day I saw a new family of babies and I spent a couple of hours following them around the marina area trying to figure out if there was anywhere they could go, and there just wasn't."

PortsToronto was quick to respond as news of the dead ducklings spread, and hopes that its new duckling docks will help make good on its commitment to making the harbour "clean, safe and enjoyable."

"Though building such docks is not an obvious area of expertise for PortsToronto, the organization is experienced in the construction of infrastructure and has consulted with the Toronto Wildlife Centre for advice on how best to build the docks and where to place them," reads a release issued by PortsToronto on Thursday.

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The port authority worked with Toronto Wildlife Centre to design a duckling dock that would "provide an accessible floating rest area for young ducklings still growing their waterproof down."

Four wooden planks, all 12 inches wide and six feet long with beveled edges to make climbing aboard easier, have now been attached to existing floating docks or dock walls in the aforementioned slips.

Right now, PortsToronto says it is only installing duckling docks where it has jurisdiction, but "is open to having discussions with waterfront partners that own and operate other areas along the waterfront to move or add docks."

"Toronto Wildlife Centre is thrilled that PortsToronto would react to this situation as quickly and as professionally as they have," said Andrew Wight, Rescue and Release Manager at TWC.

"And we expect many other waterfowl will also benefit from these floating docks. This is a relatively simple solution to a large problem."
Jun 21st, 2021, 5:25 pm

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Buzz is the best doggo ever.
Jun 21st, 2021, 6:29 pm
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Virginia boy receives surprise from Pokémon after selling his collection to save his puppy
He was sent rare Pokémon cards and a letter of appreciation


Southwest Virginia boy receives surprise from Pokemon

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. An eight-year-old boy from Southwest Virginia proved that to be true after going above and beyond for his puppy.

Bryson Killean, of Lebanon, Virginia, gained national attention last week for selling his Pokémon card collection to save his puppy who had been diagnosed with Parvo, a highly contagious dog virus.

Not long after, his mom made a GoFundMe with the goal of $800 that would go toward the vet expenses. However, thanks to the support from people around the globe, the fundraiser raised more than $5,000.
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Bryson has since then been reunited with his furry best friend who is now healthier than ever, WCYB reports.

“He has more vaccine appointments, but he’s doing great, like amazing,” Bryson’s mother, Kimberly Woodruff, said.

But Bryson’s kind act didn’t just get the attention of people around the world, it also caught the attention of Pokémon employees based in Bellevue, Washington.

They sent the diehard Pokémon fanatic a package of rare Pokémon cards that are hard to find in stores.

They even sent a letter of appreciation that read: “Hey Bryson, we were so inspired by your story about selling your cards for your dog’s recovery, these are some cards to help you replace the ones you had to sell.”

Bryson couldn’t believe it.

“I’m happy he’s home, and I’m proud of myself. Now my brother and sister are playing with him too, and now I’m really playing with him pretty often,” he said.

The additional money that was raised in the fundraiser will go toward medical expenses for other sick pets in Southwest Virginia.

Copyright 2021 by WSLS 10 - All rights reserved.
Jun 21st, 2021, 6:29 pm
Jun 21st, 2021, 6:40 pm
Hard hat lost in Massachusetts washes up on Portuguese island

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June 21 (UPI) -- A Massachusetts man whose hard hat fell into the Atlantic Ocean in 2014 received word that his lost hat washed up 2,000 miles away in Portugal.

Conrad Roy Jr., of Fairhaven, said his hat fell into the water while he was working on a job site in New Bedford in 2014.

Roy said it came as a surprise when he learned from a Facebook post Sunday that his hat had washed up Portugal's Azores archipelago.

"I just happen to see this post and I'm like, 'Wow, it looks like my hard hat,' and I start reading it and I said, 'Oh my gosh, that is my hard hat,'" Roy told WCVB-TV.

Sandra Machado said she spotted the hat's unnatural color sticking out in the water.

"I saw something right in the waves. I went to pick it up and saw a helmet, and the stickers say it was from New Bedford," Machado said.

Roy said he believes the Father's Day discovery was a message from his son, Conrad Roy III, who died by suicide at age 18 on 2014. He said his son had been on the job site with him when he lost the hat.

"I'm happy today because it felt like he brought that to me," Roy said.

He said he is working on a plan to get his hat back to the United States. Roy said he is considering taking a trip to the Azores to retrieve it in person.

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2021/06/21 ... 624296342/
Jun 21st, 2021, 6:40 pm

Exodus A.D.: A Warning to Civilians by Paul Troubetzkoy [10000 WRZ$] Reward!
https://forum.mobilism.org/viewtopic.php?f=72&t=5556807