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Jun 21st, 2021, 6:41 pm
Drinking straw device is instant cure for hiccups, say scientists

Sipping water through an L-shaped ‘suction and swallow tool’ cured 92% of attacks, according to study

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From holding your breath to having a friend shout “boo!”, there is no shortage of alleged cures for hiccups. Now scientists say they have found a better solution: a drinking straw device.

When you get hiccups – or singultus as they are known in medicine – the diaphragm and intercostal muscles suddenly contract. The subsequent abrupt intake of air causes the opening between the vocal folds – known as the glottis – to shut, resulting in a “hic” sound, often to the embarrassment of the afflicted and the amusement of others.

But while home remedies abound, a team of scientists say they have come up with a new answer.

Called “the forced inspiratory suction and swallow tool” (FISST), and patented as HiccAway, the $14 (£10) plastic device is a rigid L-shaped straw that has a mouthpiece at one end and an adjustable cap with a pressure valve, in the form of a small hole, at the other. Hiccuping people place the device into a glass of water and use it to sip.

The idea is that the enhanced suction required to draw water up through the device requires the phrenic nerve to trigger a contraction of the diaphragm, while the subsequent swallow involves activation of the vagus nerve, among others. As these two nerves are responsible for the hiccups in the first place, the researchers say keeping them busy stops them from causing the unwanted phenomenon.

“It works instantly and the effect stays for several hours,” Dr Ali Seifi, associate professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and a co-author of the study, said.

To evaluate the device the team analysed responses from 249 volunteers – more than two-thirds of whom said they had hiccups at least once a month.

Published in the journal Jama Network Open, the results reveal that the device stopped hiccups in almost 92% of cases. Just over 90% of participants said they found it more convenient than other home remedies, while 183 of 203 participants said it gave better results. The authors say the results held across all demographics, hiccup frequencies and hiccup durations.

However the study has limitations, including that it did not include a control group and was based on self-reported results.

Dr Rhys Thomas, a consultant neurologist and epilepsy neuroscientist at Newcastle University, who was not involved in the study, said the device was likely to work and was Covid-safe as it did not require input from others.

But he added: “I think this is a solution to a problem that nobody has been asking for,” noting there were other effective and low-cost options, including his own favourite approach of plugging both ears tightly, while drinking a glass of water through a normal straw.

“Anything that allows you to inflate your chest and swallow will work – the key down the back, the ‘boo!’ and the fingers in the ears will do that to a certain degree – and then this [device], if it allows you to have a long, slow swallow, will be a pretty potent way of doing that,” said Thomas, adding another approach was to drink from a glass backwards.

“If you are prepared for the fact you’ll end up wearing some of it, that is my second favourite option,” he said.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/202 ... scientists
Jun 21st, 2021, 6:41 pm
Jun 21st, 2021, 8:40 pm
Wild boar takes a ride on two Hong Kong subway trains

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June 21 (UPI) -- A wild boar caused a stir on the Hong Kong subway when it took a ride on a train -- and switched trains at a station to evade its pursuers before being captured.

Witnesses said the boar boarded the train at the Quarry Bay station and transit employees chased after the wild pig, but it darted off the train a few stations away and boarded a second train.

A video of the chase was posted to Facebook by the Hong Kong Wild Boar Concern Group, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the animals.

The second train was diverted to a depot where Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department officers were able to safely capture the boar and return it to the wild.
Jun 21st, 2021, 8:40 pm

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Jun 22nd, 2021, 12:04 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
TUESDAY JUNE 22

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 22nd, 2021, 12:04 pm

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Jun 22nd, 2021, 12:10 pm
Man's vanished penis returns, yet to start functioning

* The penis of a 52-year-old farmer vanished at a funeral ground
* It has however returned, but is yet to function
* The man with the returned penis has been asked to refrain from sex for a while.


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A 52-year-old farmer in the Krachi East Municipality of the Oti Region has had his vanished penis returned to him and in its normal state, but it is yet to start functioning.

According to the younger brother of the victim, Issifu Yeliwa, who narrated the horrific ordeal, they were at the funeral when an unknown person came to them and complained that he was hungry.

When they were serving him food to eat, the man suddenly touched his senior brother’s manhood. Shortly after that, Mr Yeliwa’s manhood vanished.

Speaking in an interview with Adom News’ Obrempongba K Owusu, the brother to the farmer, Akwasi Michael, who doubles as a fetish priest said the penis has returned.

“It has returned but I can’t tell if it will function as it used to or not,” he said laughing.

According to him, although the vanished penis has returned after search and performance of traditional rites, he has been given some days to abstain from sex to enable the progress of work.

“He has not been permitted to have sexual intercourse at the moment,” but was optimistic that after the number of days given, the penis might start working again as never before.

The suspect at the time, who was identified as Adams Kwasi, was taken to the police station for investigations when all efforts to bring back the manhood failed.

However, the Krachi East Municipality Police commander, DSP Aboagye, said the police hierarchy does not deal with spiritual matters but rescued the suspect from being assaulted.

Source
Jun 22nd, 2021, 12:10 pm

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Jun 22nd, 2021, 12:31 pm
NASA sends squid from Hawaii into space for research
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HONOLULU (AP) — Dozens of baby squid from Hawaii are in space for study.

The baby Hawaiian bobtail squid were raised at the University of Hawaii’s Kewalo Marine Laboratory and were blasted into space earlier this month on a SpaceX resupply mission to the International Space Station.

Researcher Jamie Foster, who completed her doctorate at the University of Hawaii, is studying how spaceflight affects the squid in hopes of bolstering human health during long space missions, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Monday.

The squid have a symbiotic relationship with natural bacteria that help regulate their bioluminescence.

When astronauts are in low gravity their body’s relationship with microbes changes, said University of Hawaii professor Margaret McFall-Ngai, who Foster studied under in the 1990s.

“We have found that the symbiosis of humans with their microbes is perturbed in microgravity, and Jamie has shown that is true in squid,” said McFall-Ngai. “And, because it’s a simple system, she can get to the bottom of what’s going wrong.”

“There are aspects of the immune system that just don’t work properly under long-duration spaceflights,” she said. “If humans want to spend time on the moon or Mars, we have to solve health problems to get them there safely.”

The Kewalo Marine Laboratory breeds the squid for research projects around the world. The tiny animals are plentiful in Hawaiian waters and are about 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) long as adults.

The squid will come back to Earth in July.
Jun 22nd, 2021, 12:31 pm
Jun 22nd, 2021, 12:53 pm
Woman Finds $1 Billion In Her Bank Account After Checking Balance

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When most of us go to the hole in the wall, we tend to bypass the option to see our balance, because sometimes it's better not to know, right?

But one woman was thankful she chose to have a look at hers, as it turned out she was a multi-multi millionaire.

Julia Yonkowski from Largo, Florida, was stunned when she went to withdraw $20 (£14.40) from an ATM on Saturday (19 June) and discovered that she somehow had $999,985,855.94 (£719,984,816.35) sitting in her account.

Speaking to WFLA, Julia said: "Oh my God, I was horrified. I know most people would think they won the lottery but I was horrified.

"When I put in for the $20, the machine came back and said we'll give you the $20 but that'll cause an overdraft and you will be charged and I said, 'Oh just forget it'."

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Adding: "I know I've read stories about people that took the money or took out money, and then they had to repay it and I wouldn't do that anyway because it's not my money.

"It kind of scares me because you know with cyber threats. You know I don't know what to think."

And while this made the 60-year-old the 615th wealthiest person in the US, she has been trying desperately to give the money back ever since.

However, with it happening over a weekend, she said she's struggled to get hold of anyone at the bank.

She said: "I just can't get through. I get tied up with their automated system and I can't get a person."

As of yet, it's not clear how the mix-up happened, but Julia is keen for the money to be taken out of her account sooner rather than later.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that there could be around £850 million in lost or forgotten bank accounts in the UK.

Personal finance blogger Charlotte Jessop - who blogs as Looking After Your Pennies - posted a clip to TikTok in which she explained how simple it is to find out if you've got any cash lying around in old bank accounts.

She said: "Maybe you had a bank account as a child or you've had several bank accounts along the way and you've lost track of those.

"There is an estimated £850 million sitting in dormant bank accounts here in the UK and perhaps some of that money is yours."

Charlotte added: "The government has created a way for you to track those lost bank accounts.

"So, the website is called mylostaccount.org.uk and if you go here it will give you all the details you need to trace these old bank accounts.

"You can see here they'll help you find savings and lost accounts from when you were a child, or even an adult."
Jun 22nd, 2021, 12:53 pm
Jun 22nd, 2021, 1:10 pm
This Grandma Turned 90 And Had a Blast at Her Princess-Themed Birthday Party

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This fun-loving gran had a blast at her 90th birthday, with a princess-themed party.

The cheerful grandmother, known as ‘G-Ma’ to family, looked like a queen as she donned a huge pink tutu, plastic crown, and a beaming smile for the pictures.

G-Ma’s family organized a throne, tutu, cake, balloons, biscuits in the shape of her face, crown, and a custom t-shirt that read ‘It took me 90 years to look this good!’.

It was G-Ma’s granddaughter, Stephanie Perkins, who had the idea for the shoot.

Stephanie said: “My grandma is very special to me and during the pandemic and quarantine, we did not get to see much of her.

“I knew her 90th birthday was coming and we wanted to do something special just for her.

“I had seen people on the internet do photoshoots for first birthdays, and even 30th birthdays so I thought why not do one for her 90th with the whole tutu and crown outfit?

“She was very happy to pose. She was smiling and laughing the whole time. We all had a lot of fun celebrating G-Ma.”

Photographer Melissa Denny, who went to high school with Stephanie, was the talented snapper booked for the celebration in Reynolda Gardens in North Carolina.

She said: “We had the best time, talking, laughing, dancing—G-Ma was a great sport and down for anything.

“What an amazing opportunity to spend time with a sweet, 90-year-old, wonderful lady, making memories, and having fun celebrating her milestone birthday.”

G-Ma was joined by her daughter Debra, her son-in-law, and and her two granddaughters at the shoot.

SWNSAfter the photo session, the celebrations were not over for G-Ma—who had a drive-thru party the next day where her other friends could come and wish her happy birthday safely.

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Jun 22nd, 2021, 1:10 pm

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Jun 22nd, 2021, 2:00 pm
Mum finds baby son spent £7,800 upgrading her car after playing on iPad

A mum says she was stunned to find her 10-month-old son had spent £7,807 installing an automatic upgrade on her Tesla to add the self-driving package - and she had no idea until she checked her bank

There's a fair few horror stories of parents finding their little ones have landed them with some pretty sizeable bills after getting hold of their iPads.

Treating themselves to in-app purchases while playing their favourite game is usually the main offender, but when your toys go up a level into the realms of having a Tesla, so too it seems do the dangers.

One mum claims that her 10-month-old son managed to purchase the full self-driving capability package for her Tesla after finding his way onto the car's app - and she had no idea until the £7,807 ($10,837) fee appeared on her bank statement.

TikTok user @Stayfitstaylit shared screenshots to show the receipt, including the warning message that it would be non-refundable 48 hours after purchase, adding that the clever Tesla would automatically update while parked.

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The mum showed that her son had bought a package that allows her car to navigate on autopilot, automatically change lanes and park, upgrade to a full self-driving computer and recognise traffic lights - with autosteer on city streets coming later in the year.

Thankfully her son will not be repaying his debt for years to come as the parent said she and her partner had been considering the upgrade themselves, and their little boy simply took matters into his own hands to give them the final push.

She demonstrated the results of her son's first shopping spree as she filmed her white Tesla driving itself out of the garage and opening its doors to let passengers in.

The series of videos have been watched more than two million times, and were captioned: "Well our son decided we needed the self driving package we debated on before."
Jun 22nd, 2021, 2:00 pm

Twitter: Fatima99@fatima99_mobi
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Jun 22nd, 2021, 4:11 pm
US bridal dress designer makes own wedding dress on subway commute to work over nine months

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Bridal dress designer Esther Andrews took nine months to make her own wedding dress, stitching it together during her trips to work on the New York City subway.

The founder of Esther Andrews Bridal, who shared the process on her social media, only completed the dress a day before her wedding.

Andrews shared that her dress was inspired by “space pirate meets a tomato patch because it was just silly and fun.”

She also made her husband’s outfit, which looked like an astronaut suit.

Andrews revealed her wedding dress was made from six kilometers of mohair lace yarn featuring layers of ruffles.

Insider reported that the final dress had a V neckline trimmed with oversize ruffles, long sleeves, and a tiered skirt while the white base was topped with smaller yarn tomatoes as applique.

Andrews wrote that she loved the process of making her wedding dress.

“I will always cherish this dress and the time that went into making it.”
Jun 22nd, 2021, 4:11 pm
Jun 22nd, 2021, 4:59 pm
Viral video shows monkeys climbing down a building in sync

You must have often seen monkeys playing together. The sight is definitely fun to watch unless it turns terrifying with one monkey attacking the other. Also, it is amusing when monkeys show a rhythm and coordination that isn't expected of them.
One such video of two monkeys climbing down a building is surfacing over the internet and has left viewers amused. Netizens reacted to the video with hilarious memes and jokes that will surely leave you laughing.
The 10-second long clip shared by industrialist Harsh Goenka on his Twitter handle is running viral over the Internet. Sharing the video, Harsh Goenka wrote, "There are simple things in life you see and they light up your day.."
If you are looking forward to watching something fun and interesting, then this video should definitely top your priority list. Take a look at it here.

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In the video, two monkeys are seen climbing down a long building in sync. It is amusing to watch because of the coordination of both the monkeys while climbing down the building. The first monkey could be seen climbing down the building without any support followed by the other in synchronization.
Shared on June 19, the video has garnered over 100K likes and several comments. Netizens also created several memes about it. One user commented, "This looks like the game I use to play in my childhood…. A monkey in a spring-loaded stick brings up n down. I miss those toys!!"
Another user said, "These are the stunt man in the movies. Bcz of covid, they are jobless so they are Atmanirbhar." While another commented, "Valuable clip. #Monkeys showed their intelligence, determination, artistic tactics - which are better than destructive #Humans."

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/lif ... 738612.cms
Jun 22nd, 2021, 4:59 pm

Exodus A.D.: A Warning to Civilians by Paul Troubetzkoy [10000 WRZ$] Reward!
https://forum.mobilism.org/viewtopic.php?f=72&t=5556807
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Jun 22nd, 2021, 5:07 pm
June 22 in History....

June 22 is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 192 days remain until the end of the year.

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On this day the Summer solstice may occur in the Northern Hemisphere, and the Winter solstice may occur in the Southern Hemisphere.

Pre-1600
217 BC – Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV Philopator of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom.
168 BC – Battle of Pydna: Romans under Lucius Aemilius Paullus defeat Macedonian King Perseus who surrenders after the battle, ending the Third Macedonian War.
813 – Battle of Versinikia: The Bulgars led by Krum defeat the Byzantine army near Edirne. Emperor Michael I is forced to abdicate in favor of Leo V the Armenian.
910 – The Hungarians defeat the East Frankish army near the Rednitz River, killing its leader Gebhard, Duke of Lotharingia (Lorraine).
1527 – Fatahillah expels Portuguese forces from Sunda Kelapa, now regarded as the foundation of Jakarta.
1593 – Battle of Sisak: Allied Christian troops defeat the Ottomans.

1601-1900
1633 – The Holy Office in Rome forces Galileo Galilei to recant his view that the Sun, not the Earth, is the center of the Universe in the form he presented it in, after heated controversy.
1774 – The British pass the Quebec Act, setting out rules of governance for the colony of Quebec in British North America.
1783 – A poisonous cloud caused by the eruption of the Laki volcano in Iceland reaches Le Havre in France.
1807 – In the Chesapeake–Leopard affair, the British warship HMS Leopard attacks and boards the American frigate USS Chesapeake.
1813 – War of 1812: After learning of American plans for a surprise attack on Beaver Dams in Ontario, Laura Secord sets out on a 30 kilometer journey on foot to warn Lieutenant James FitzGibbon.
1839 – Cherokee leaders Major Ridge, John Ridge, and Elias Boudinot are assassinated for signing the Treaty of New Echota, which had resulted in the Trail of Tears.
1870 – The United States Department of Justice is created by the U.S. Congress.
1893 – The Royal Navy battleship HMS Camperdown accidentally rams the British Mediterranean Fleet flagship HMS Victoria which sinks taking 358 crew with her, including the fleet's commander, Vice-Admiral Sir George Tryon.
1897 – British colonial officers Charles Walter Rand and Lt. Charles Egerton Ayerst are assassinated in Pune, Maharashtra, India by the Chapekar brothers and Mahadeo Vinayak Ranade, who are later caught and hanged.
1898 – Spanish–American War: In a chaotic operation, 6,000 men of the U.S. Fifth Army Corps begins landing at Daiquirí, Cuba, about 16 miles (26 km) east of Santiago de Cuba. Lt. Gen. Arsenio Linares y Pombo of the Spanish Army outnumbers them two-to-one, but does not oppose the landings.

1901-present
1907 – The London Underground's Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway opens.
1911 – George V and Mary of Teck are crowned King and Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
1911 – Mexican Revolution: Government forces bring an end to the Magonista rebellion of 1911 in the Second Battle of Tijuana.
1918 – The Hammond Circus Train Wreck kills 86 and injures 127 near Hammond, Indiana.
1940 – World War II: France is forced to sign the Second Compiègne armistice with Germany, in the same railroad car in which the Germans signed the Armistice in 1918.
1941 – World War II: Nazi Germany invades the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa.
1942 – World War II: Erwin Rommel is promoted to Field Marshal after the Axis capture of Tobruk.
1942 – The Pledge of Allegiance is formally adopted by US Congress.
1944 – World War II: Opening day of the Soviet Union's Operation Bagration against the Army Group Centre.
1944 – U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs into law the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill.
1945 – World War II: The Battle of Okinawa comes to an end.
1948 – The ship HMT Empire Windrush brought the first group of 802 West Indian immigrants to Tilbury, marking the start of modern immigration to the United Kingdom.
1948 – King George VI formally gives up the title "Emperor of India", half a year after Britain actually gave up its rule of India.
1962 – Air France Flight 117 crashes on approach to Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport in Guadeloupe, killing 112 people.
1965 – The Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea is signed.
1966 – Vietnamese Buddhist activist leader Thích Trí Quang was arrested as the military junta of Nguyen Cao Ky crushed the Buddhist Uprising.
1969 – The Cuyahoga River catches fire in Cleveland, Ohio, drawing national attention to water pollution, and spurring the passing of the Clean Water Act and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.
1978 – Charon, the first of Pluto's satellites to be discovered, was first seen at the United States Naval Observatory by James W. Christy.
1984 – Virgin Atlantic launches with its first flight from London to Newark.
1986 – The famous Hand of God goal, scored by Diego Maradona in the quarter-finals of the 1986 FIFA World Cup match between Argentina and England, ignites controversy. This was later followed by the Goal of the Century. Argentina wins 2–1 and later goes on to win the World Cup.
1990 – Cold War: Checkpoint Charlie is dismantled in Berlin.
2000 – Wuhan Airlines Flight 343 is struck by lightning and crashes into Wuhan's Hanyang District, killing 49 people.
2002 – An earthquake measuring 6.5 Mw strikes a region of northwestern Iran killing at least 261 people and injuring 1,300 others and eventually causing widespread public anger due to the slow official response.
2009 – A Washington D.C Metro train traveling southbound near Fort Totten station collides into another train waiting to enter the station. Nine people are killed in the collision (eight passengers and the train operator) and at least 80 others are injured.
2012 – Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo is removed from office by impeachment and succeeded by Federico Franco.
2012 – A Turkish Air Force McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II fighter plane is shot down by the Syrian Armed Forces, killing both of the plane's pilots and worsening already-strained relations between Turkey and Syria.
2015 – The Afghan National Assembly building is attacked by gunmen after a suicide bombing. All six of the gunmen are killed and 18 people are injured.
Jun 22nd, 2021, 5:07 pm

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Jun 22nd, 2021, 5:21 pm
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Toronto just got a new 7000-square-foot space that comes with arcade games, a 55-inch TV and a mural wall for selfies entirely designed by local artists.

The Laneway in the Castlefield Design District has started taking bookings.

The space may look like little more than a fancy driveway at the moment, but it's a giant blank canvas for almost any kind of event that Hart Entertainment president Phil Hart describes as a "funky, cool outdoor space."

Basically, if you've ever wanted to throw your own private party in Toronto's renowned Graffiti Alley, this is the next best thing. Just don't expect prices to be cheap.

Two tents are 1250 square feet and 600 square feet, and can be joined to create almost 2000 square feet of tent coverage. Those who have boiled in the sun or gotten caught in a brief shower at outdoor events know how important that can be.

"So far we have booked weddings, engagement parties, corp events and Bar/Bat Mitzvahs," Hart tells blogTO.

Hart Entertainment is a party rental company that's been in the game for almost 20 years, so they were more than prepared to adapt to COVID with interactive virtual party offerings and now this safe outdoor venue.

For The Laneway, pricing is scaled based on how much space your event takes up and what your package includes.

A "Kids Alley" is available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Thursday and includes use of 2500 square feet of space for $3595.

For $4995, "Graffiti Alley" includes partial use of 4000 square feet of space, a 55" mobile TV, a mobile photo booth and operator, sanitizing units, free parking, and for an extra charge, washrooms.

The "Wynwood" option includes everything above as well as a red carpet, a portable wood bar, WiFi and coat racks for $5995.

Packages with add-ons work much the same way on a sliding scale, ranging from $1750 for ping pong, a pool table, foos ball and shuffleboard (all of which are available individually) all the way up to $3750 for a package that includes glowing shuffleboard, Pong and glow-in-the dark mini golf.

You can also get packages with casino games like craps, roulette, blackjack and poker, and they have options for arcade games like Donkey Kong, Space Invaders and Ms. Pacman.

If you want to go really extreme, there are also add-ons like a rock climbing wall or a mechanical bull, surfing or snowboarding.

They have access to DJs, food vendors and bands, or you're welcome to book your own for an event at the space. Food vendors include reputed caterers like Encore and Daniel et Daniel.

Murals surrounding the space were created by Nick Sweetman, Christina Mazzulla, Flips, Rowell Soller, Fathom and Sight.
Jun 22nd, 2021, 5:21 pm

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Buzz is the best doggo ever.
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Jun 22nd, 2021, 6:30 pm
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Search engine Ecosia plants trees in exchange for searches. It uses pay-per-click ads to fund projects that positively impact both people and nature.

Grace Dean
May 23, 2021, 8:39 AM


Ecosia has supported Makada to plant cashew and mango trees on her farm along the Daka river in Ghana.

The more searches people make, the more trees Ecosia plants.
The German search engine finances its eco-regeneration activities through pay-per-click ads.
The company’s chief tree planting officer told Insider how it chooses which projects to fund.
See more stories on Insider’s business page.

Ecosia is a search engine with a difference.

For roughly every 45 searches made, the Berlin-based company plants a tree.

And Ecosia measures its success not based on how much money it makes, but on how many trees it has planted – and it’s planted almost 126 million so far, at a current rate of one tree per second.

“Trees are really our currency,” Pieter Van Midwoud, the company’s chief tree planting officer, told Insider, calling it the company’s KPI.

When CEO Christian Kroll set up the company in December 2009, “he wanted to plant trees,” Midwoud said.
Ecosia CEO Christian KrollEcosia
CEO Christian Kroll set up the search engine so he could finance tree planting.

“He didn’t necessarily want to set up a search engine. His idea was: ‘where is there a lot of money to plant trees with?'”

“So the search engine was built to serve the purpose of planting the trees,” he said.

Midwoud has worked at Ecosia since 2016, and has overseen the company’s reforestation projects across the world. This involves choosing sites, ensuring the correct trees are planted in each region, working with local communities, and using satellite tech to monitor the trees.

Ecosia focuses largely on biodiversity hotspots with biologically isolated ecosystems, such as East African mountains, Madagascar, and the Brazilian coast.

Midwoud said Ecosia only plants native trees, and not exotic or invasive species. It’s planted more than 750 species so far and is working to create a diverse portfolio.

There are two main criteria that Ecosia considers when choosing which projects to support: they need to have an impact on both people and nature, supporting the local community, as well as restoring nature in the area.
Ecosia trees in SenegalJoshi Gottlieb/Ecosia
A tree-growing project that Ecosia has funded in Senegal.

For projects to be successful, Midwoud said Ecosia has to understand the “socio-economic reality” of the communities it’s working with, and what drives them to take ownership of the projects.
Ecosia finances its tree planting through ads

Midwoud said there had been a big jump in users over recent years, especially among young people, as awareness of the climate crisis grows. He said it had the youngest audience of all search engines.

Ecosia describes its business model as “a hybrid between a non-profit and full-profit business.” Rather than using its profits to pay dividends to shareholders, it uses them to fund reforestation projects.

In 2018, Ecosia became a “steward-owned” company, which means its shares can’t be sold at a profit or owned by people outside of the company, and that profits can’t be taken out of Ecosia.

Ecosia earns money from pay-per-click ads that appear alongside search results. The ads are delivered by Ecosia’s partner Bing, who pays Ecosia a share of the revenue generated via these ads.

Ecosia said the amount of the money it earns per click depends on the competition of the keyword and the value of what is being advertised.
Ecosia has planted almost 126 million trees.

“A click on one of the more lucrative keyword ads may finance multiple trees at a time, others may finance a fraction,” the company says in its FAQs, noting that search terms like “bank account” are likely to be of higher value than “chocolate.” It said that it earns an average of 0.005 euros per search.

Because of this, the company said that its income varies between months. It gets less income during the European summer months because people would rather be outside, but revenue peaks during the winter, especially around the holidays.

The company focuses on transparency and publishes monthly financial reports that show how much money it made from searches, what percentage of its revenue went towards trees, and how many trees it planted.
Ghana cashew trees EcosiaJoshi Gottlieb/Ecosia
Ecosia supported a project in Ghana growing cashew trees.

In April, Ecosia made 2.25 million euros. Just under half of this revenue – or 80% of its profits – went towards planting almost 7 million trees. The rest of the income was largely spent on direct and indirect costs such as taxes, salaries, and advertising. The remaining 20% of its profits went towards “green investments.”

As for Midwoud, his favorite species is the baobab, a tree with a nutritious fruit found mainly in Africa. The trees survive by storing a lot of water in their bark, and can grow up to more than 60.96m tall, making them often the only tree you can see.
Jun 22nd, 2021, 6:30 pm
Jun 22nd, 2021, 7:25 pm
US Honors 98-yo Irish Woman Whose Weather Forecast Fortuitously Delayed D-Day Landings, Changing Course of WWII

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The day was June 3rd, 1944. In County Mayo on the west coast of Ireland, a remote North Atlantic weather station operator noticed that her barometer was dropping fast, indicating a storm was going to pass over the English Channel before long.

Her name was Maureen Flavin Sweeney, and her weather report, which postponed the D-Day landings by 24 hours, saving thousands of lives, recently won her an official honor in the Congressional Record.

Maureen, now 98, received the honor as part of a ceremony in the Tí Arie nursing home where she now lives at the hands of the highest ranking veteran serving in the U.S. Congress, Jack Bergman.

“Her skill and professionalism were crucial in ensuring Allied victory, and her legacy will live on for generations to come,” he wrote, according to the Irish Times.

The weather station at the post office at Blacksod Point was recording weather every hour, sending it on to Dublin, and then to the offices of the Allied Expeditionary Force in London. In the early morning on the day Mrs. Sweeney turned 21, an agitated English woman rang her office asking “please check… please repeat.”

However after reading the barometer again with the help of her husband Ted, the result was the same—that a storm which would cause General Eisenhower to postpone the landings by 24 hours, would indeed pass over the English Channel on June 5th. Sweeney did not become aware of her reports significance until a decade after a war.

The Allies needed clear skies for air support and calm seas to ensure even and safe landings for the troops. The losses suffered across the five landing beaches were great, but would have been far greater had her report not come in.

Maureen’s son Vincent said he was proud of his mom’s contribution to the war outcome, but admitted he was just happy, “that she got it right.”

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/irish-w ... -congress/
Jun 22nd, 2021, 7:25 pm
Jun 22nd, 2021, 8:37 pm
The Space Sustainability Rating

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One of the less madcap, more prosaic, solutions to space junk is the Space Sustainability Rating (SSR) system. Unveiled last week by the European Space Agency (ESA) and World Economic Forum, it promises to bring some order to the ‘wild west’ of space, and ensure that future missions mitigate the chances of generating yet more orbital litter.

From early 2022, spacecraft operators will be able to have their expeditions accredited by the SSR. The system will give a peer-reviewed assessment of each mission, based on factors including choice of orbit, measures taken to avoid collisions and plans to de-orbit satellites on completion of the mission.

The accreditation system is voluntary, but supporters hope that it will create a race to the top for space actors.

Holger Krag, from the ESA, which helped develop the system, said: “The SSR aims to influence behaviour by all spaceflight actors, especially commercial entities, and help bring into common usage the sustainable practices that we desperately require.”
Jun 22nd, 2021, 8:37 pm

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