[Fatima99]

Scientists Engineered a Bacteria to Eat Plastic Bottles and Transforming Them into Useful Liquids



Plastic-chomping bacteria could transform plastic bottles into make-up, drugs, and perfumes, according to a new study.

University of Edinburgh scientists engineered a simple E. coli bacteria to eat our litter and regurgitate it into something else. Writing in ACS Central Science, the researchers announced it was the first “one-pot” solution for making plastic waste useful, or valorizing it, using microbes.

Mountains of disposable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles are thrown out every day. The world produces millions of tons of PET a year, over 80% of which is for single-use products.

The E. coli can upcycle discarded PET into adipic acid, widely relied on in cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and fragrance industries.

Adipic acid is generally created by an energy-intensive process that’s reliant on fossil fuels, and the team hopes their study will encourage industries to use fossil alternatives.

“This approach enables the upcycling of waste carbon from existing industrial processes to create circular economies, avoiding the environmental consequences of landfill and/or incineration processes,” write the authors.

“Although chemical and biological approaches to the depolymerization and recycling of PET waste are being investigated, bio-upcycling technologies to convert plastic waste into higher value small molecules are less established.”

“Herein we report the first one-pot bioproduction of adipic acid from terephthalic acid and terephthalate waste in engineered Escherichia coli.”

Looking to bacteria and other microbes for solutions to biodegrading petro-based plastic polymers is nothing new, and GNN has reported on it here in the Arctic, here in a cemetery, here from the University of Texas, and here from Montana State University.

Previously the authors write, other engineers created an E. coli strain that could transform the main component in PET, terephthalic acid, into vanilla flavoring, otherwise known as vanillin.

Building on that research, the University of Edinburgh’s team practiced getting microbes to metabolize terephthalic acid into small molecules including short acids.

They first turned terephthalic acid into muconic acid using one type of E. coli, and then transformed that into adipic acid using another E. coli. They managed to turn up to 79% of the terephthalic acid into adipic acid.

Next, the team hopes to find a way to create higher-value products through similar processes.

[PennySerenade]

'Your Next Star' helps people with Down syndrome get valuable work experience



John Dunleavy has worked for TD Garden and the Boston Bruins Foundation for the last decade. "It's been 10 years. The best 10 years of my life to work here," he told WBZ-TV.

John has Down syndrome and with the help of the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress, he secured that job right out of high school after an internship with them. He does everything from administrative work to community events and even giving the best pep talks to the Bruins alumni team.

"It means a lot to me because I love to give back to the community," Dunleavy said.

He met former Bruin Bob Sweeney, the president of the Bruins Foundation, through the Congress and the Bruins alumni games a decade ago.

"It was the best thing in my life. He inspired me to come work here," Dunleavy told WBZ. They've formed an unbreakable bond ever since.

"The one thing that resonates with me is he always has a smile on his face. Always has a smile on his face and that's amazing and I think he lights up a room every time he comes in," Sweeney said.

For John, this job means independence. He gets to work on his own by taking the commuter rail on a regular basis. The foundation is also a place where he feels respected by his co-workers.

"It feels like I'm part of the team here. Everyone has been so nice to me here," he said.



They're such a close family that John's co-workers all helped him train when he was chosen to represent Massachusetts at the Special Olympics USA Games in swimming.

"It was a big part of my life when they supported me and helped me train," Dunleavy said. Sweeney even went down to Florida to watch John compete.

The MDSC "Your Next Star" Employment Center connects people with Down syndrome to employers.

"There's so many organizations out there that hire people with disabilities and they add so much to your workforce. It's been an amazing ten years," Sweeney said.

The pair now go around talking to other employers about the benefits of the employment center and hiring people with Down syndrome.

"If anyone can have the opportunity to hire someone like John, you should do it," Sweeney continued. October is National Down Syndrome Awareness Month and Disability Employment Awareness Month.

John let us know he has no plans of retiring anytime soon.

"I'm never going to leave. I'm going to keep working here for the rest of my life.," he said.

For the past few years John has been an honorary coach at the Bruins alumni game that benefits the MDSC and he'll have the honor of doing so again this year. The next Bruins alumni game is on November 19th at the Warrior Ice Arena.

November Stargazing: Double Whammy of Pleiades and the Leonid Meteor Shower in the Sky Together


The Pleiades – Davide Simonetti, CC 3.0.

This month’s night sky will feature two wonderful celestial phenomena appearing in the sky together under a very small moon—leaving nearly nothing to dampen their splendor.

The Pleiades is one of the most regal star clusters visible from Earth with the naked eye, and a source of endless fascination among our ancient ancestors.

The Pleiades has many names: the Seven Sisters, Messier 45, or Mul Mul in ancient Mesopotamia, where it was found inlaid of gold on the Nebra Sun Disk from 1,600 BCE.

It is arguably the most famous deep-space object, located about 440 light-years away in the constellation Taurus and consisting of thousands of stars, though 7 stand out in particular.

Around midnight on November 18th, the Pleiades will be in a great spot for viewing—overhead towards the equator. Depending on the light pollution in your area, you won’t need a pair of binoculars, but with them, the Seven Sisters are truly stunning to behold.

It’s also on that night that Earth will pass the peak of the Leonid Meteor Shower, named for the constellation Leo. Leo will be lounging in the northeastern sky for most people, according to Valerie at Space Tourism Guide, and if you can spot the Big Dipper/Plough, you’re in the right part of the sky to spot some shooting stars.

There should be around 15 per hour—a good clip for what should be a pretty cold night. Ideal for this situation, the moon will be only 6 days old.

In other stargazing news, on November 2nd (tonight) Jupiter will be in perfect opposition to the Sun from the Earth’s perspective, meaning it will be lit up and visible in detail for those with telescopes and binoculars.

On the night of November 12th, the Taurid Meteor Stream will peak at around 10 meteors per hour under the complete darkness of a New Moon—optimal time for some star photography.

On November 27th, a full “Frost” or “Beaver” moon will reach opposition at 4:16 a.m. US Eastern Time. The Anishinaabe People of the Northern US/Canada called this “Little Spirit Moon” and was recognized as a time of healing.

NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft Discovers 2nd Asteroid During Dinkinesh Flyby

On Nov. 1, NASA’s Lucy spacecraft flew by not just its first asteroid, but its first two. The first images returned by Lucy reveal that the small main belt asteroid Dinkinesh is actually a binary pair.

This image shows the “moonrise” of the satellite as it emerges from behind asteroid Dinkinesh as seen by the Lucy Long-Range Reconnaissance Imager (L’LORRI), one of the most detailed images returned by NASA’s Lucy spacecraft during its flyby of the asteroid binary. This image was taken at 12:55 p.m. EDT (1655 UTC) Nov. 1, 2023, within a minute of closest approach, from a range of approximately 270 miles (430 km). From this perspective, the satellite is behind the primary asteroid. The image has been sharpened and processed to enhance contrast.
NASA/Goddard/SwRI/Johns Hopkins APL/NOIRLab

“Dinkinesh really did live up to its name; this is marvelous,” said Hal Levison, referring to the meaning of Dinkinesh in the Amharic language, “marvelous.” Levison is principal investigator for Lucy from the Boulder, Colorado, branch of the San-Antonio-based Southwest Research Institute. “When Lucy was originally selected for flight, we planned to fly by seven asteroids. With the addition of Dinkinesh, two Trojan moons, and now this satellite, we’ve turned it up to 11.”

In the weeks prior to the spacecraft’s encounter with Dinkinesh, the Lucy team had wondered if Dinkinesh might be a binary system, given how Lucy’s instruments were seeing the asteroid’s brightness changing with time. The first images from the encounter removed all doubt. Dinkinesh is a close binary. From a preliminary analysis of the first available images, the team estimates that the larger body is approximately 0.5 miles (790 m) at its widest, while the smaller is about 0.15 miles (220 m) in size.

This encounter primarily served as an in-flight test of the spacecraft, specifically focusing on testing the system that allows Lucy to autonomously track an asteroid as it flies past at 10,000 mph, referred to as the terminal tracking system.

A series of images of the binary asteroid pair, Dinkinesh, as seen by the terminal tracking camera (T2CAM) on NASA’s Lucy spacecraft during its closest approach on Nov. 1, 2023. The images were taken 13 seconds apart. The apparent motion of the two asteroids is due to the motion of the spacecraft as
it flew past at 10,000 mph (4.5 km/s). These images have been sharpened and processed to enhance contrast.
NASA/Goddard/SwRI/ASU

“This is an awesome series of images. They indicate that the terminal tracking system worked as intended, even when the universe presented us with a more difficult target than we expected,” said Tom Kennedy, guidance and navigation engineer at Lockheed Martin in Littleton, Colorado. “It’s one thing to simulate, test, and practice. It’s another thing entirely to see it actually happen.”

While this encounter was carried out as an engineering test, the team’s scientists are excitedly poring over the data to glean insights into the nature of small asteroids.

“We knew this was going to be the smallest main belt asteroid ever seen up close,” said Keith Noll, Lucy project scientist from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “The fact that it is two makes it even more exciting. In some ways these asteroids look similar to the near-Earth asteroid binary Didymos and Dimorphos that DART saw, but there are some really interesting differences that we will be investigating.”

It will take up to a week for the team to downlink the remainder of the encounter data from the spacecraft. The team will use this data to evaluate the spacecraft’s behavior during the encounter and to prepare for the next close-up look at an asteroid, the main belt asteroid Donaldjohanson, in 2025. Lucy will then be well-prepared to encounter the mission’s main targets, the Jupiter Trojan asteroids, starting in 2027.


Source: NASA

[Misstee]

14,000-year-old hyena poop reveals secrets of extinct wooly rhinos
Scientists have sequenced the mitochondrial DNA of a European wooly rhino from a fossilized hyena poop.







A new study has shown that the fossilized feces of cave hyenas can help us learn more about the extinct wooly rhinoceros, a giant herbivore that roamed the Eurasian steppes during the Ice Age.
Wooly Rhino

The researchers could extract and sequence the mitochondrial DNA of a wooly rhino from a coprolite, or dried dung, of a cave hyena that had eaten it. This is the first time that the genome of a European wooly rhino has been recovered, as previous genetic data came only from Siberian specimens.

The study, published in Biology Letters, reveals that the European and Siberian wooly rhinos had diverged from each other long before the last glacial maximum, around 20,000 years ago. This contradicts the idea that wooly rhinos expanded their range into Western Europe repeatedly during the late Pleistocene.

The wooly rhino (Coelodonta antiquitatis) was one of the most widespread and iconic megafauna species of the Ice Age, along with mammoths, wooly mammoths, and saber-toothed cats. It had a thick coat of fur, two massive horns on its nose, and a hump on its back. It went extinct around 14,000 years ago, possibly due to climate change and human hunting.

The cave hyena (Crocuta crocuta spelea) was a subspecies of the modern spotted hyena that lived in Europe and Asia during the Pleistocene. It was larger and more powerful than its African cousin and hunted large prey such as horses, bison, and rhinos. It also scavenged carcasses and bones, which it could crush with its strong jaws.

The researchers analyzed two coprolites from the Middle Paleolithic, around 300,000 to 30,000 years ago that were found in Germany and stored in museum collections. They used a unique tool to extract material inside the coprolites, prepared the DNA for reading, and ran the results through a DNA sequencer.
Geographic isolation of Rhinos

They were able to identify both cave hyena and wooly rhino DNA in the samples and compared them with other genomes, both modern and ancient. They found that the wooly rhino DNA belonged to a European lineage that had split from the Siberian lineage sometime between 2.5 million and 150,000 years ago.

This suggests geographic isolation between the two groups of wooly rhinos, possibly due to mountain ranges or glaciers. The researchers also noted that the European wooly rhino had lower genetic diversity than the Siberian one, which could have made it more vulnerable to extinction.

The study demonstrates that coprolites can be a valuable source of ancient DNA, especially for species that are rare or poorly preserved in the fossil record. Coprolites can also provide information about the diet and ecology of ancient animals and humans.
Study abstract:

The woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis) is an iconic species of the Eurasian Pleistocene megafauna, which was abundant in Eurasia in the Pleistocene until its demise beginning approximately 10 000 years ago. Despite the early recovery of several specimens from well-known European archaeological sites, including its type specimen (Blumenbach 1799), no genomes of European populations were available so far, and all available genomic data originated exclusively from Siberian populations. Using coprolites of cave hyenas (Crocuta crocuta spelea) recovered from Middle Palaeolithic layers of two caves in Germany (Bockstein-Loch and Hohlenstein-Stadel), we isolated and enriched predator and prey DNA to assemble the first European woolly rhinoceros mitogenomes, in addition to cave hyena mitogenomes. Both coprolite samples produced copious sequences assigned to C. crocuta (27% and 59% mitogenome coverage, respectively) and woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis; 27% and 81% coverage, respectively). The sequences suggested considerable DNA degradation, which may limit the conclusions to be drawn; however, the mitogenomes of European woolly rhinoceros are genetically distinct from the Siberian woolly rhinoceros, and analyses of the more complete mitogenome suggest a split of the populations potentially coinciding with the earliest fossil records of woolly rhinoceros in Europe.

World’s Oldest Pyramid Was Built 25,000 Years Ago Inside This Mountain
We thought it was just a hill. Now we know better.



If you thought the ancient inhabitants of Egypt or South America were the first to build pyramids then think again, because new research indicates that the earliest man-made conical monument may have been constructed in Indonesia as far back as 25,000 years ago. Known as Gunung Padang, the site had previously been mistaken for a natural hill, yet extensive fieldwork has revealed that the entire structure was in fact built by human hands over the course of several millennia.

Located in Cianjur District, West Java Province, Gunung Padang is a megalithic complex that sits atop an eye-catching hill. It was only in 2018 that archaeologists first theorized that the entire mound may actually have been artificial, and that Gunung Padang - which means “Mountain of Enlightenment” - encompasses much more than the visible stone structures sitting on its surface.

This startling claim was made by a multidisciplinary team of researchers who had spent three years surveying the site between 2011 and 2014. And while many experts were initially unconvinced, the researchers have now published a detailed account of their investigations, providing concrete evidence to support the idea of Gunung Padang as the world’s oldest pyramid.

“Radiocarbon dating of organic soils from the structures uncovered multiple construction stages dating back thousands of years BCE, with the initial phase dating to the Palaeolithic era,” write the authors. “This study strongly suggests that Gunung Padang is not a natural hill but a pyramid-like construction,” they continue.

Using a variety of techniques including electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), ground-penetrating radar (GPR), and seismic tomography (ST), the researchers were able to build a picture of the hill’s internal features as well as the chronology of its construction. Core drillings at seven different points revealed that the pyramid was built in four distinct stages over thousands of years.

Spanning 20 to 30 meters (65 to 98 feet) in height, the structure began with the creation of what the authors call Unit 4. Buried deep within the hill, this initial phase “likely originated as a natural lava hill” that was “meticulously sculpted” into its current form some time between 25,000 and 14,000 years ago.

Unit 3 - which consists of columnar rocks “arranged like bricks in a building” - was then built between 7900 and 6100 BCE. “Approximately a millennium later, between 6000 and 5500 BCE, a subsequent builder arrived at Gunung Padang and constructed Unit 2,” write the authors, who add that “the final builder arrived between 2000 and 1100 BCE, constructing Unit 1.”



Intriguingly, the team also found evidence of “hidden cavities or chambers within the site”, though these will need to be explored in greater detail during future field surveys. Even more bewildering is the fact that the site appears to have been deliberately buried on numerous occasions, “possibly to conceal its true identity for preservation purposes”.

Noting the “remarkable masonry capabilities” of the palaeolithic instigators of Gunung Padang, the researchers say their findings challenge the assumption that sophisticated building techniques were only developed with the advent of agriculture some 11,000 years ago.

Rewriting a longstanding anthropological narrative, the authors conclude that the evidence at Gunung Padang “suggests that advanced construction practices were already present when agriculture had, perhaps, not yet been invented.”

The study is published in the journal Archaeological Prospection.

https://www.iflscience.com/worlds-oldes ... tain-71414

[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
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 4
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 -6)
3:00 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

[ozswede]

Man lists pothole on eBay to highlight state of roads - and 500 people are interested

A grandad has staged an unusual protest over the state of his local roads - by listing a pothole on eBay. Paul Webb, 71, didn't get any bids, although he says 500 people were 'watching' at one point.

Paul, a business owner and disabled blue badge holder from South Molton in Devon, wants his county council to take action over bad roads. He says the roads in neighbouring Cornwall are "blemish free" - and wants the same for Devonians.

Paul said: "I have my own business and I’m used to thinking outside the box. My wife says no one understands my sense of humour.

“I was trying to think of new ideas, and it just came into my head - I will sell a pothole on eBay.”


Paul Webb, 71, beside an image of one of his listings

Paul admits the listing is a bit childish - but says the issue is important for Devon locals, and people like him who are disabled. He said: "The only way I can get is with my car, I can’t walk any distance at all because of my back pain from vertebrae damage.

"I was in a coma for six weeks after contracting double pneumonia. The only way I can get around is by car, I can’t walk any distance at all because of my back pain, because of my problem I applied for and have got a disabled blue badge."

Paul described his protest as "humour but with a bit of acid in it."

He said: “Everybody is suffering. I lost two tyres to potholes on my Range Rover - imagine what it’s like for people with normal cars. Nobody seems to give a toss."


A pothole listing on Ebay by Paul Webb

Paul was blown away after posting the listing - which was actually for a picture of a pothole. He said: “The number of people and the speed at which the views went up worried me!

“I was concerned I was going to in essence con someone into giving me £10 plus postage for something worthless.”

With eight hours to go and some 500 people watching the listing, Paul said he took it down as he “wouldn’t have been able to live with himself if someone bought it.” Paul said: “It lifted the mood a bit in our community, but there’s a serious point behind it.

“They say the roads in Cornwall are blemish free. Some of the roads in Devon though, my god, someone will lose their life to this if things aren’t improved, it’s the worst condition I’ve seen them in and I’ve lived here all my life.”

“People might think I’m a miserable old git, but most of the time I’m not grumpy, I just want it sorted out.


A listing of a pothole on Ebay by Paul Webb

A Devon County Council spokesperson said: “Road maintenance investment is a national issue. The backlog of carriageway repairs in England and Wales has reached £14.02 billion, and in Devon it is over £200 million. The Government’s additional £9.4 million announced at the Spring Budget to help tackle this has been very welcome.

“But given that inflation remains high, severe weather events are more frequent and that Devon has 8,000 miles of roads, the largest network in England, this only partially addresses the sheer scale of the challenge we face. Nevertheless, our Highways and Traffic Management Service has continued to focus on reviewing and improving current working practices to increase efficiency and reduce disruption, something the National Highway and Transport Network (NHT) recognises.

“Their recent benchmarking data shows us to be an efficient highways authority which strives to squeeze the maximum from our limited resources. We are investing £66 million in highways and bridge maintenance in 2023/24, this includes the additional £9.4 million from Government and a further £500,000 from our own efficiency savings.”

[Alessa9]

Bride gobsmacked after finding £1,100 wedding gown for just £80 at Goodwill
A thrifty bride-to-be is celebrating after finding a £1,100 gown priced at just £80 at her local Goodwill store, as she urges others to look around before buying new



A thrifty bride-to-be is celebrating after finding a brand new £1,100 wedding dress for just £80. With wedding dresses notoriously eating up a huge amount of the bridal budget (and arguably the most expensive item of clothing a bride will ever wear), this savvy shopper was thrilled to find her dream wedding-day gown at Goodwill – in perfect condition and for a fraction of the retail price.

Describing her excitement on Reddit, the bride-to-be (known as EvolvedLurkermon on the social platform) posted photos of the divine dress, a stunning all-over lace garment, complete with a scoop neckline and a buttoned back. Sourced secondhand at her local Goodwill store, which operates thrift stores across the country, it was love at first sight for the savvy shopper, who told readers the dress still had the tags on, and although it originally retailed for $1,350 (£1,100), was selling for just $100 (£80), causing many Reddit readers to wonder if they had read it right.

“I can finally share my wedding dress,” she said. “Pricier for Goodwill, but still a steal.” The photos she shared included a shot of the dress after it had been altered by her mother-in-law. Describing her as “amazing” she said the fit didn’t need to be adjusted, but she decided to personalise the simple straps for a more boho-bride vibe.



“[The] only update made before the big day was adding the beaded cap sleeves,” she told her Reddit readers, with one commenting on the sleeves being: “Such a lovely touch.” Another commented on her bridal bargain being: “The thrift store score of the Reddit year.”

Another user who had volunteered in a thrift store told readers that donated wedding gowns were often stored in the basement, only being showcased in the store in late April or early May. “They could be seen by appointment at other times. It’s worth calling thrift stores to learn what's available.”

And it seems Goodwill bridal bargains have been on the rise, with Emmali Osterhoudt who goes by @emmalifaith on TikTok also detailing her incredible wedding-day find, after walking away with a Galia Lahav wedding dress that retailed for $6,200 for just $25.

“I found my wedding dress at Goodwill for $25,” she said to her followers, noting how Paris Hilton wore the designer for one of her wedding dresses and Beyonce had also been spotted wearing the designer, too.

“It fits me like a glove. It’s gorgeous,” she continued. With more than 5.5m views, one viewer said: “You are the chosen one omg.” Another commented: “As someone who has worked in bridal for 9 years and still has never seen a Galia Lahav in person, my jaw is on the floor. The find of a lifetime!”

Goodwill Industries is a non-profit employment agency that operates thrift stores, relying on donations, that can be resold, with proceeds from sales supporting the operation of stores and the employment services they provide. Launched in 1902 in Boston, Massachusetts, US the company operates across 17 countries, with more than 4,250 stores.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/b ... 0-31354704

You can tell if a woman is millennial or Gen Z — just by looking at her feet, TikToker claims




Distinguishing whether someone is a millennial or Gen Z is no small feet, but a podcast host believes she has a sure-fire way to tell.

Phoebe Parsons, the millennial host of the FIT(ish) podcast, claimed all she has to do to figure out a women’s generation is looking at their feet for a certain “controversial” fashion trend.

“Gen Z exclusively wears their socks up and millennials still wear ankle socks,” Parsons explained in a video posted to TikTok.

The pilates and barre instructor then showed that she, a millennial, was wearing ankle socks while recording the video.

For a while, ankle and no-show socks were standard — but ankle socks started to make a comeback in 2020.

There were a few runway moments early that year that featured a white tube sock, but the trend really started to uptick when people were staying home during the height of the pandemic and weren’t wearing “real” clothes or shoes.

Phoebe Parsons claimed all she has to do to figure out a women’s generation is looking at their feet for a certain “controversial” fashion trend.

Gen Z has adopted the trend as a mainstay of fashion, but many millennials in the comments still swear by their no-shows.

“As someone with short legs hidden socks are best for elongating the legs,” another said.

“Socks up remind me of when my mom would dress me as a child. It makes me feel like a small child,” someone pointed out.

“If they’d been as aggressively bullied over the smallest hint of sock as we were, they’d never dare,” one millennial declared.

For a while, ankle and no-show socks were standard — but ankle socks started to make a comeback in 2020.

“Gen Z exclusively wears their socks up and millennials still wear ankle socks,” Phoebe Parsons explained in a TikTok video.

“I wore the socks up to the gym one day and I felt like they looked soooo bad every time I saw myself in the mirror all I could see were the socks,” one shared.

“I will NEVER let my socks show *shutters in millennial*,” someone quipped.

Gen Z has an affinity for bringing back old fashion trends, many of which have millennials cringing.

They especially love resurrecting dead trends of the ‘90s and early 2000s, such as unbuttoned pants, exposed bras, no bras, jorts, dresses over jeans, and underwear as outerwear.

https://nypost.com/2023/11/01/lifestyle ... er-claims/

[Fatima99]

‘Secret Room’ Where Michelangelo Hid Beneath Trap Door is Covered With His Drawings–And Now Opens to the Public



The walls of a “secret” underground room discovered in 1975, covered in sketches by the persecuted Michelangelo, are now being unveiled to the public for the first time.

The Italian Renaissance master sculpture who carved David and decorated the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel hid in the tiny chamber for about two months in 1530 while evading a death sentence ordered by Pope Clement VII.

The pope, who was a member of the powerful Medici family, was enraged at the artist for aiding a rebellion against their reign, the same family whose magnificent tombs Michelangelo carved in the chapel just above his hiding place.

50 years ago, museum officials were searching for a suitable space to create a new exit for tourists visiting the Medici chapel, where the artist had adorned the family tombs with sculptures depicting the passing of time.

They discovered a trapdoor beneath a wardrobe that led to a 10-foot wide room. Stripping two layers of plaster from the walls revealed the existence of the drawings sketched by the maestro using charcoal and sanguine wooden sticks.



“He drew things from the past as if he was taking a trip down memory lane … it was like having an album of his works,” said Paola D’Agostino, the director of the Bargello Museums, which includes four other state museums besides the Medici Chapels.

“(It’s) a place of extraordinary charm,” said Massimo Osanna, Italy’s Director General of Museums.



Public access will be allowed on an experimental basis until March, 2024, with only 4 people at a time able to view the room, in order to maintain adequate conservation conditions for the precious drawings, with alternating periods of exposure to LED light and prolonged periods of darkness.



“This very small environment is truly unique due to its exceptional evocative potential… traced by signs that attest to great clarity of design,” commented Francesca de Luca, curator of the Museum of the Medici Chapels.

This, despite the looming wrath of the Medici pope due to Michelangelo’s activity as head of fortifications for the short-lived republican government, which had expelled the family in 1527. It was the Prior of San Lorenzo—the larger Basilica to which the smaller funerary chapel designed by Michelangelo is attached—Giovan Battista Figiovanni, who hid Michelangelo in the room which has a small window where he could see the feet of passersby.



After about two months of self-imprisonment (beneath the smaller chapel pictured above), Michelangelo obtained the family’s forgiveness and resumed his Florentine duties. But the artist abandoned Florence four years later, taking up residence in Rome, never to return. However, he remained so beloved in Florence that the Medici family stole his remains from Rome bringing them back to be entombed in the local Basilica Santa Croce.

The small room, 10 meters long by 3 meters wide and 2.50 meters high at the top of the vault, had been used as a charcoal deposit until 1955 and then unused, remaining closed and forgotten for decades, under a trap door covered by furniture.

According to Dal Poggetto, the artist used the walls of the small room to sketch some of his past projects including works from the New Sacristy above him, like the legs of Giuliano de’ Medici carved for his tomb, along with quotations from antiquity.

Reservations to visit the secret room will be limited to 100 people per week until March 30 and cost 20 euros, though visitors must also pay for entry to the San Lorenzo site (10 euros) plus a 3 euro reservation charge. Youth aged 18-25 get a discount.

“This place grants today’s visitors the unique experience of being able to come into direct contact not only with the creative process of the maestro, but also with the perception of the formation of his myth as a divine artist,” said Francesca de Luca, curator of the Museum of the Medici Chapels, in a press release.

[rflash8]

This ‘Only Fans’ calendar is not what you think it is when you open it up: ‘Can you believe it?’



This calendar looks like it’ll make you hot, but its images might actually help you cool down.

A 2024 “OnlyFans” wall calendar featuring photos of air coolers will no doubt become one of the festive season’s most popular gag gifts.

The cover of the calendar features a bikini-clad brunette with a come-hither look on her face.

The word “OnlyFans” is emblazoned across the top of the image, suggesting that the item’s pages will be filled with sizzling snaps of scantily clad models.

But once opened, the calendar only features photos of actual fans — leaving viewers more amused than aroused.

The hilarious present — which is less sleazy and more breezy — is the brainchild of the UK company The Calendar King.

“We all know someone in our lives that just loves to have a bit of fun at every opportunity and be seen as the funny one in the bunch,” an advertisement on the business’s website reads. “That’s where this novelty calendar comes in.”

The calendar creator, Paul Gibson, told The Post that the calendars have been selling well since they launched around three months ago — and one customer so far was completely fooled by the gag calendar.

“One of the most fascinating interactions we’ve had was when a customer actually wanted to return a calendar,” Gibson said via email. “Can you believe it? Returns are like unicorns for us, super rare! But this customer, oh boy, he didn’t even bother to check out what’s inside and then complained that it wasn’t what he expected. Classic!”




The item retails between $18 and $36, depending on its size, with tickled shoppers already ordering the item ahead of the silly season.

According to The Sun, one punny person who purchased the gift left a review, which read: “I at least hoped it would take the edge of the winter months. But I’m not blown away.”

The Calendar King’s CEO told The Post in an email that it was a pal who proposed the idea for the funny calendar.





“During the busy Christmas season last year, I had a friend named Eifion who kindly offered his help,” Gibson. “He assisted with finishing the calendars and whilst cutting the paper with our guillotine, he paused, looked at me, and proposed an idea.”

“He said, ‘You know what might work? An ‘Only Fans’ calendar. But here’s the twist: instead of featuring people, it would showcase actual fans to keep you cool.’ I replied, That’s genius! Let’s go with it.'”

[PennySerenade]

Baaaad dog: Rez goat roams community with his family pack


Bruce the goat with his family pack of dogs in Beaver Lake Cree Nation.

Mark Gladue did a double take when he was driving through Beaver Lake Cree Nation, about 170 kilometres north of Edmonton, earlier this week.

"I stopped and I looked. I'm like, that's a goat with a bunch of freaking rez dogs," said Gladue, a community water treatment operator who is Cree and Navajo.

"I made a little noise, like 'baaaa' and got the others' attention, and they looked and I took a picture."

Gladue posted the photo to social media and had people commenting from all over Canada and it was shared as far as Arizona.

"I'm just really happy that I'm able to make people laugh and I think that's a huge thing for Native Americans. Laughter is a really big thing for medicine," said Gladue.

Goats aren't common in the community; Gerald Whitford, the band's chief administrative officer, said you're more likely to see horses or cows in the area.

It turns out the goat's name is Bruce and he belongs to nine-year-old Louise May Lewis, known by her family as Baby May.

May wanted a pet deer for her birthday, but her parents didn't think that was possible. Instead the pair got her a bottle-fed goat that was still in diapers.

"She was just surprised, everybody was," said May's mother April Mountain.

"Everyone was shocked, like, 'Is that a goat in the house?'"


Bruce was bottle fed and wore diapers when he was first given to nine-year-old Louise May Lewis.

Bruce joined the family that includes five children, three dogs and two birds. Bruce is out with the family dogs in Gladue's photo.

Mountain said owning a goat was an adjustment because they had to put rubber handle bar grips on his horns to stop him from scratching up the place.

And Bruce has quite the attitude.

"He's very stubborn. He won't eat goat food; he thinks he is a dog," said Mountain.


Bruce is stubborn and thinks he's a dog, says April Mountain.

When he roams with his pack, neighbours call concerned that he's out with dogs, but Mountain said they just laugh and go and pick him up.

"We love him," said Mountain.

[goldie0608]

2024 Apple Watch to Monitor Blood Pressure and Detect Sleep Apnea

Apple plans to make its upcoming Vision Pro headset a health device as well, according to a new report



A future Apple Watch is reportedly set to be a game changer for wearers' health.

According to a new report from Bloomberg, an upcoming version of the popular Apple product could feature blood pressure monitoring and sleep apnea detection by 2024.

Apple’s forthcoming blood pressure sensor will reportedly detect when a wearer's blood pressure has risen, the outlet said, but it won’t show specific numbers.

The accessory will instead implore a user to talk to their doctor or check their blood pressure by other means. Apple hopes, however, that a future watch will be able to share exact numbers, Bloomberg said.

Apple did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment about its 2024 product plans.

The 2024 Apple Watch will also reportedly monitor breathing and sleeping habits, Bloomberg added, with the device able to predict if a user has sleep apnea, a condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts throughout the night, according to The Mayo Clinic.

Once the watch detects a potential case of sleep apnea, Bloomberg reported that the device will recommend a watch wearer talk to a doctor for further confirmation.

Alongside the Apple Watch, the outlet also reported that the famed technology company wants to turn its Vision Pro headset into a health device as well.
Per Bloomberg, Apple is working on new "anti-anxiety" and "enhanced meditation" features for the product, which is currently scheduled to be released in early 2024. Apple wants the product to become a virtual-reality system that will "reinforce positive thinking and improve mental health."

Apple also plans to utilize the sensors located within the Vision Pro to determine cognitive health data by scanning a user's eyes, the outlet said.

Portland’s New Airport Built with Local Tribal Timber is Inherently Fire Resistant and Less Carbon-Intensive


Port of Portland – released

Oregon is famous for forests, and so it makes sense that the new “Port of Portland” airport terminal is going to be built almost entirely of state-of-the-art timber.

Cross-laminated timber (CLT) also known as “mass-timber” is taking the construction world by storm with its incredible durability, robust fire resistance, low carbon footprint, and beautiful aesthetic. In Europe, CLT has been used to build skyscrapers, aka “plyscrapers.”

But CLT is not plywood, and is instead made of long boards pressed together cross-ways with glue and high temperatures, making it strong but also flexible.

In Portland’s new terminal, a giant roof for the main atrium—9 acres in area, is being built with CLT made from Douglas fir, hemlock, and southern yellow pine sourced entirely from within 300 miles of its location, all from either Oregon landowners or Tribal nations.

“The process was so exacting, the architects knew every board that frames the skylights above the 26 Y-columns came from the Yakama Nation, and all the double beams in the six massive oval skylights came from the Coquille Indian Tribe,” writes Patrick Sisson from Fast Company.

“The Portland project has almost created a market across the country,” Dean Lewis, director of mass timber and prefabrication for Skanska, the company that is handling construction, told the magazine. “We’re getting calls from Atlanta and New York asking about the kinds of timber we can get within 300 miles of the city. ‘Can we do that here?’ They all want that local story.”


Port of Portland at its current state of construction – released

Along with being a beautiful place to embark and disembark, the terminal is envisioned as a huge flexing of the muscles of the American mass timber market, which internationally is mainly controlled by other countries like Sweden and Canada.

Mass timber is also, despite the chopping down of the trees, a low-carbon building solution. Concrete manufacturing is one of the three largest emitters of greenhouse gases in the world economy, and part of the appeal of mass timber is that by the time the tree is of the right age for building, the carbon absorbed in the tree is not only significant but removed from the global carbon cycle when it’s turned into mass timber.

If, as is so often the case on timber plantations, trees die of natural causes, their decomposing releases that carbon into the atmosphere anew.