[prokroustis]

The Ancient Greek “Dragon Houses” Still Standing Today



There is a mysterious group of ancient Greek homes in Greece called “drakospita,” or dragon houses, even though they have nothing to do with dragons.

Their architecture is still admired today for its simplicity and endurance.

The drakospita are a group of around 25 ancient homes in Evia, central Greece. It is unknown when exactly they were built, but records of these structures, which are now abandoned, go back centuries.

Due to the massive rock slabs that make up the structure of the dragon homes, some of which weigh thousands of pounds, many theories about the construction and use of these mysterious homes have cropped up throughout the years.

Some argue that the impressive structures served as ancient sanctuaries of the gods, particularly Hera or Zeus, while others argue that they served as military guard posts or defense outposts.

Initially it was thought that they were devotional buildings, but archaeologists are not certain if that is the case. They are estimated to belong to the early Hellenistic times (5th-4th century BC).

Regardless of the purpose they served, or when they were constructed, the Greek dragon homes, or drakospita, were built to last.

The mysterious construction of the Greek drakospita

The dragon houses are built of massive square and oblong stones made of limestone, which have been placed on top of each other without any binding materials, like mud or cement, standing in place only by their weight.

Any gaps in the walls are filled with smaller stones, while the roof was elaborately made of huge, thicker stones in a pyramid shape. A long hole in the middle of the facade is left for the light, or any smoke from fire inside, to go through.

Drakospita still stand near Styra, Karystos, and the peaks of Mount Ochi. Locals believe they were farmhouses, shelters or military structures.

According to ancient local tradition, the word “dragon” did not only refer to the mythical beast, but any person with superhuman power. This has led many to believe that the origin of the homes stems back to the ancient Greek gods.

Most of the Greek dragon homes are preserved in excellent condition despite the fact that no binding materials were used in their construction. Near the drakospita, archaeologists have found animal bones, vase fragments and sacrificial remains.

Some of the best preserved ones are located in Styra, in the so-called Palli-Lakka complex. It consists of three farmhouses dating back to the Classical to Hellenistic eras. They are made of famous Karystian stone.

The town of Karystos, Evia, where the dragon houses are located
Karystos is a must-visit place on Evia island. A small coastal town on the southern shore of the island, it is where ferries from Athens’ coastal suburb of Rafina come and go all day long.

It is home to the 13th-century castle of Bourtzi within Karystos town, right on the seashore. Then there is also the 11th century Castello Rosso, which sits imposingly against the Ochi mountain range nearby.

At night, traditional tavernas, restaurants and waterfront bars and cafes brim with well-dressed throngs of people. On the weekends, mainlanders flock to Karystos and mingle with the locals, giving an authentic picture of Greeks enjoying the summertime.

[Fatima99]

Hydrogen is Powering the Olympic Village – Heat, Electric, and Lights That Are a Model of Japanese Innovation

The Tokyo Olympic Games in 1964 left a mark on the world in the form of the Shinkansen high-speed train, a feat which this year’s repeat hosts look to match with a vision of the future of civic planning.

While enduring some criticism for going through with the games during COVID-19, Tokyo has presented the world with the first hydrogen-powered Olympics, complete with an entire fleet of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, a hydrogen-powered pair of stadiums, a hotel, and Olympic village.

Hydrogen power, not to be confused with hydro-electric power, is foreseen by some as the obvious renewable energy of the future. As the most abundant element in the universe, hydrogen fuel-cells produce no emissions of any kind except for water, which can be used to irrigate agriculture or gardens.

Like most renewables technologies, hydrogen power has had its fair share of growing pains, but with help from Tokyo’s Research Center for a Hydrogen Energy-Based Society (ReHES), established by the city government in the lead-up to the games, these problems can be surmounted.

“With their immense reach and visibility, the Olympic Games are a great opportunity to demonstrate technologies which can help tackle today’s challenges, such as climate change,” says Marie Sallois, Director for Sustainability at the International Olympic Committee.

“Tokyo 2020’s showcasing of hydrogen is just one example of how these Games will contribute to this goal.”

Starting in 2017, Japan became the first nation-state to adopt a national hydrogen strategy, and increased their hydrogen power R&D to around $300 million to fund 2018 and 2019. As part of this push they built one of the largest hydrogen fuel plants in the world in the town of Namie in Fukushima.

There, 10,000 kilowatts of clean energy produce 900 metric tons of hydrogen per year: Helping power a fleet of 500 hydrogen cars, 100 hydrogen buses, and even hydrogen forklifts. 35 refueling stations have been built around the city.

At the intersection between the Tokyo Bay and heritage zones, the International Olympic Village is the first full-scale hydrogen infrastructure in Tokyo.

There, hydrogen fuel cells power lights, heating, and hot water to the dormitories and cafeterias which temporarily house 11,000 athletes.

Once the games are concluded, the village will be converted into hydrogen-powered flats, a school, shopping center, and more.

[lush]

Hardcore Gamers Continue Playing in Flooded Internet Cafe
July 29th, 2021*

A group of gamers in the Philippines recently made international news headlines for continuing to play their favorite video game despite being waist-deep in floods from a typhoon.

Surreal footage showing the young video game enthusiasts simply ignoring the rising water level was captured last Thursday, at an internet cafe in the town of Cainta in Rizal, which had been heavily battered by typhoon Ying-fa. Despite being half-submerged in muddy flood water and a very real risk of being electrocuted, the kids appear glued to their monitors, ready to engage in multiplayer matches. It was only when the owner of the cafe realized the danger they were in that the computers were shut down and the gamers finally left.



“We didn’t know the flood water would rise that day, so when I saw them I immediately took action and told them that I have to transfer the equipment to a higher place. After that video, they also stopped and left, none of us was hurt,” owner Sio Samson said.

Luckily, all of the electricity cables in the shop were above the water level, and the power sockets were located up high, as is common in areas prone to flooding, or else this extreme passion for video games could have ended in a tragedy.



Although many people applauded the kids’ “true gamers never quit” attitude, some pointed out that video gamesaren’t worth risking your life over, and that the danger of electrocution was very real under the circumstances.

“You can hear in the video, the kids don’t want to leave, do they? But I actually shut down the computers to avoid tragedy,” the cafe owner added. “As a computer engineer, I know the danger that water poses near an electrical source. So after I took the video, I removed all electrical equipment right away.”

[BigGlen]

Pilots in Los Angeles warned after possible sighting of man wearing jetpack



July 29 (UPI) -- Pilots flying in and out of Los Angeles International Airport were given a warning after a possible sighting of a man flying a jetpack in the area.

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed a pilot contacted aid traffic control on Wednesday evening to report a possible sighting of a man wearing a jetpack flying in the area.



"A Boeing 747 pilot reported seeing an object that might have resembled a jetpack 15 miles east of LAX at 5,000 feet altitude," a Federal Aviation Administration representative told KABC-TV. "Out of an abundance of caution, air traffic controllers alerted other pilots in the vicinity."

The FAA said there were no unusual objects spotted on radar in the area Wednesday evening.

The possible sighting comes after a number of similar sightings in late 2020. A video captured in December shows something resembling a man wearing a jetpack in the sky over Los Angeles.

Investigators have suggested the object in the video could be a drone made to resemble a man.

[PennySerenade]

A 91-foot Van Gogh head will be hovering around Toronto this week



A massive floating head of a historical painter will be floating around Toronto for a few days to celebrate the re-opening of its exhibit.

On July 28, the Immersive Van Gogh walk-through experience will welcome guests back to its extensive exhibit.

A huge Van Gogh head-shaped air balloon will take over the city’s skies in honour of the reopening.

The hot air balloon spans 91-feet high and will be on display on July 28, 31 and August 1 from 5 pm to 8 pm in the area of 1 Yonge Street on Queen Quay.



“We are so thrilled to be finally re-opening IMMERSIVE VAN GOGH and to be a part of Toronto’s re-opening,” said producer Corey Ross in a release.

“Toronto experienced the longest lockdown in North America. So many of the things that bring a city to life – restaurants, cultural life – have been dormant for so long. I wanted to do something special and fun in Toronto to mark this moment, and when I discovered the Van Gogh Hot Air balloon, I knew we had to bring it here!”



According to organizers, the floating head is a “faithful reproduction” of Van Gogh’s 1887 painting Self-Portrait with Grey Felt Hat. It has flown high at hot air balloon festivals across the world.

This head will be hard to miss.

Would YOU leap from the world’s highest bungee jump platform? Stomach-churning 853ft drop awaits those willing to fall from Chinese canyon-spanning bridge

Visitors to Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge in China can do a bungee jump from a height of 853ft
The cost of the jump over the Wulingyuan wilderness, a UNSECO World Heritage site, was cut to about $306
The pedestrian bridge, once the longest glass-bottomed suspension bridge in the world, first opened in 2016

By Lauren Lewis For Mailonline and Reuters

Published: 03:57 EDT, 30 July 2021 | Updated: 04:22 EDT, 30 July 2021

Straddled between two cliffs in China's Hunan province, a glass-bottomed suspension bridge offers the world's highest bungee jump from a footbridge.

Visitors to the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge can take a leap from a height of 853ft, a stomach-churning way to take in the views of the surrounding Wulingyuan wilderness, a UNSECO World Heritage site.

The area, a popular international tourist attraction, is famous for its quartzite sandstone pillars and peaks extending into the clouds, along with deep ravines and gorges.
Bungee jumpers enjoy an aerial view of the Wulingyuan wilderness, a popular international tourist attraction, famous for its quartzite sandstone pillars and peaks extending into the clouds, along with deep ravines and gorges
+17

The pedestrian bridge, designed by Israeli architect Haim Dotan and opened in August 2016, was once the longest glass-bottomed suspension bridge in the world
Tourists stand on the edge of the platform
+17

Tourists are helped by an instructor ahead of their bungee jump
+17

Tourists stand on the edge of the platform, helped by an instructor, ahead of their 853ft bungee jump over the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, Hunan province, China
Cameras capture the 853ft bungee jump from all angles, including upwards shots showing the bottom of the glass-suspension bridge in Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon
+17

The bungee jumping operation opened at the end of 2020, delayed by restrictions imposed by the Chinese government because of the coronavirus pandemic, which included some of the world's toughest border restrictions.

Operator Jonni Deaker said business had been building slowly as domestic tourists began to return to the region.

'We are probably averaging twenty jumps a day at the moment, which is pretty good for a jump this size,' Deaker said, adding he was confident of a solid July-August holiday season.

To compensate for the lack of foreign tourists, the cost of a jump has been cut by around 40 per cent to RMB 1998 (roughly US$306).
A participant jumps during a freestyle bungee competition from the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge in China in May 2018, before the site was open to the public
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Jumpers from different countries joined a freestyle bungee competition from a 853ft platform looking down on the Wulingyuan wilderness, a UNSECO World Heritage site

A tourist jumps from the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge in China on July 12, 2021, after the site opened to the public following the Covid-19 pandemic
A freestyle bungee jumping competitor takes the leap while holding a miniature bike on May 26, 2018 in Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, China
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Jumping into the abyss below might be terrifying for some, but operator Jonni Deaker believes the sheer height makes it less intimidating than smaller jumps
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A tourist takes the leap from the bungee jumping platform at the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon in July 2021, only months after the operation opened amid the pandemic in 2020
A participant in a freestyle bungee jumping competition looks calm as they take a leap off the 853ft platform ahead of its public opening in May 2018
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The pedestrian bridge, designed by Israeli architect Haim Dotan and opened in August 2016, was once the longest glass-bottomed suspension bridge in the world.

Jumping into the abyss below might be terrifying for some, but Deaker believes the sheer height makes it less intimidating than smaller jumps.

'Because it's so high, it actually makes it easier', Deaker said. 'When you're this high, it's kind of like skydiving.'

The glass-bottomed suspension bridge, designed by Israeli architect Haim Dotan and opened in August 2016, was once the longest in the world
Tourists can walk along the 1410ft long glass-bottomed suspension bridge above Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, looking down at the Wulingyuan wilderness below
+17

[mrvictor]

Man is Stunned After He Sets Up Camera Inside Bird Box and Attracts 41 Million Fans Worldwide



A wildlife fan who set up a camera in a bird box to film a family of blue tits was stunned when the videos attracted 41 million hits in one month.

43-year-old John Chadwick started live-streaming footage of the birds with their chicks so his family could watch their progress before they flew the nest.

But just weeks after uploading the videos to YouTube, he racked up millions of views from around the world.

John said: “It’s gone a little bit bonkers. I only wanted to show my neighbors, friends, nieces, and nephews what the birds were up to. I had no idea the films would attract such interest.

“To think that literally tens of millions of people have been avidly watching the birds from around the world is just incredible and quite overwhelming.”

The sound engineer, who has toured with Aerosmith and the Beatles’ Ringo Starr, bought the bird box on a whim during lockdown.

He installed it on a willow tree in the back garden of his home in Leicester in March, and within hours two blue tits moved in and they had five chicks.

John said: “Within a day the birds moved in, and I wanted to know what was going on inside.

“I’d learnt how to livestream to help my local pub do their open mic, and over lockdown in February I bought a bird box camera.

“I started to livestream and do a highlights video every day—on the first day 100 people watched it.

“It showed things like the chicks being fed in the nests as the parents carried in caterpillars.

“Daily highlights continued, and about three days before the chicks fledged, I hit 100 subscribers.

“After three months of doing three hours editing a night of 15 hours of daily footage, I had 2,000 subscribers.

“I decided to put a final video together and keep it as short as possible—showing the birds going into the nests, the eggs hatching, and the chicks fledging.

“I put that up on June 7 and by Thursday 100,000 people had watched it, and by Saturday I had five million views.

“I went to a barbecue on Saturday afternoon and when I came back I had two million more In the first week I had done 10 million and now more than 41 million. It is just bizarre.”

John’s videos are mostly watched by people in America and India, with UK audiences accounting for just five per cent of his total views.

And despite the huge global success of the films, John is unlikely to make enough for a nest egg of his own.

He said: “My personal challenge to myself was to cross the threshold to get monetized, and then recoup the £150 I paid for the camera and £90 for the hard drive—it is due any day.

“Some people say they find it quite relaxing and some people are genuinely fascinated.”

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/john-chadwick-birdbox-videos-41-million-hits/

Michelangelo's fingerprint possibly found on butt of wax statue

Museum curators hadn't noticed the print until now.



A 500-year-old wax sculpture attributed to Michelangelo might hold the famed Renaissance artist's fingerprint, a new analysis finds.

Michelangelo reportedly created the wax sculpture as a study for a larger sculpture he planned for St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, according to a statement from BBC Two, which just released the new season of "Secrets of the Museum" featuring the figurine. However, the larger sculpture was never completed, and now the model belongs to the Victoria and Albert Museum, or the V&A, in London.

Called "A Slave," the wax figurine had been on display, but curators moved it from an upper-level gallery during the unusually warm spring in 2020 to a cooler storage area when the museum temporarily closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to The Times. Five months later, curators checked up on the figurine in storage, and they noticed a never-before-seen fingerprint or thumbprint on the sculpture's derrière.

Perhaps the changing temperatures and humidity levels modified the figurine's wax composition, which made the print more apparent, art scholars told the Times. Given that Michelangelo reportedly created the sculpture, it's possible that the fingerprint is his.

"It is an exciting prospect that one of Michelangelo's prints could have survived in the wax," Peta Motture, a senior curator at the V&A, said in the statement. "Such marks would suggest the physical presence of the creative process of an artist. It is where mind and hand somehow come together."

Michelangelo destroyed many of his wax models before he died, Motture said. In fact, just before his death at age 88 in Rome in 1564, Michelangelo had many of his drawings and papers burned in two bonfires; he had other drawings burned in 1518, according to The New York Times. It's unknown why he ordered his work burned, but renaissance biographer Giorgio Vasari opined that maybe Michelangelo didn't want people to know the supreme effort he put into his work, as he wanted to appear as a genius whose work was perfect. Or, perhaps Michelangelo burned his work to prevent plagiarism, The New York Times reported.

Because so much of Michelangelo's work was destroyed, "a fingerprint would be a direct connection with the artist," Motture said.


A magnified view of the finger or thumbprint on the figurine's hiney.

That said, many of Michelangelo's masterpieces — including the paintings on the Sistine Chapel and the statues of Pietà and David — are on display for the public.

While in Florence, Italy, Michelangelo made the 7-inch-tall (17.6 centimeters) figurine with the fingerprint, some time between 1516 and 1519. Later, he used the figurine as a model to create the marble statue "Young Slave," which is unfinished. This larger statue was designed for the tomb of Pope Julius II. But the design for the pope's tomb was later changed, and so now the unfinished statue — which has a few differences from the earlier model — sits at the Accademia gallery in Florence, according to the V&A.

"A Slave" was acquired in 1854 by the Museum of Ornamental Art at Marlborough House, which later became the V&A. In 1924, a member of the public fell and knocked over the figurine, smashing its limbs, The Telegraph reported. The museum carefully pieced it back together, and did a "pretty amazing" repair job, Victoria Oakley, a conservator at the V&A, told The Telegraph. But after the accident, additives that the artist, presumably Michelangelo, imbibed in the wax began to seep out, which created a dark spot on the surface, she said.

To check the claim that the finger or thumb print on the figurine's rear is really Michelangelo's, V&A staff plan to compare it with a fingerprint on a 1530 terracotta statue known as "Two Wrestlers," which is known to have a fingerprint from Michelangelo, the Times reported.

The BBC Two documentary "Secrets Of The Museum" first aired July 20 and will run for the next six weeks.

https://www.livescience.com/michelangelo-fingerprint-found-statue.html

Welcome to Miami? A weird-looking, noodle-shaped animal was just found in a canal





Welcome to Miami? A weird-looking, noodle-shaped animal was just found in a canal

Traffic, partiers, sunshine. And now caecilians?

You can find them all in South Florida. We know about the first three in the list, so let’s try to explain the fourth.

Weird, noodle-shaped amphibians (pronounced “Sicilians”) have been found in the Tamiami Canal, the first discovery of its kind seen in the United States, according to a new report from the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville.



Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers recently came upon one of the obscure legless creatures in the canal, about a mile south of Miami International Airport. Scientists used DNA testing to identify the specimen, whose name comes from the Latin word “caecus,” meaning “blind,” due to their small or nonexistent eyes. Caecilians have sensory “tentacles” located on their head that may help them find food.

The aquatic, limbless, worm-like animals belong to an ancient order of amphibians that has been around since even before the dinosaurs.

There’s a new species of spider in town, Miami. And this little guy has legs for days

The species that was found in Miami is a Rio Cauca caecilian, or Typhlonectes natans, a native of Colombia and Venezuela. Sometimes incorrectly called rubber eels, they are the most common caecilian in the pet trade and were possibly discarded by an owner that could no longer handle it.

Experts say it’s too early to predict the critters’ potential impact on our ecosystem.

“Very little is known about these animals in the wild, but there’s nothing particularly dangerous about them, and they don’t appear to be serious predators,” said Coleman Sheehy, the museum’s herpetology collection manager. “They’ll probably eat small animals and get eaten by larger ones. This could be just another non-native species in the South Florida mix.”



https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/caecilians-found-in-south-florida/

You can find them all in South Florida. We know about the first three in the list, so let’s try to explain the fourth.

Weird, noodle-shaped amphibians (pronounced “Sicilians”) have been found in the Tamiami Canal, the first discovery of its kind seen in the United States, according to a new report from the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers recently came upon one of the obscure legless creatures in the canal, about a mile south of Miami International Airport. Scientists used DNA testing to identify the specimen, whose name comes from the Latin word “caecus,” meaning “blind,” due to their small or nonexistent eyes. Caecilians have sensory “tentacles” located on their head that may help them find food.

The aquatic, limbless, worm-like animals belong to an ancient order of amphibians that has been around since even before the dinosaurs.

There’s a new species of spider in town, Miami. And this little guy has legs for days

The species that was found in Miami is a Rio Cauca caecilian, or Typhlonectes natans, a native of Colombia and Venezuela. Sometimes incorrectly called rubber eels, they are the most common caecilian in the pet trade and were possibly discarded by an owner that could no longer handle it.

Experts say it’s too early to predict the critters’ potential impact on our ecosystem.

“Very little is known about these animals in the wild, but there’s nothing particularly dangerous about them, and they don’t appear to be serious predators,” said Coleman Sheehy, the museum’s herpetology collection manager. “They’ll probably eat small animals and get eaten by larger ones. This could be just another non-native species in the South Florida mix.”

Sheehy said he first learned of the caecilian when FWC officers sent him a photograph in 2019, puzzled at the two-foot-long eel-like animal they had netted in shallow water during a routine survey of the Tamiami Canal, also known as the C-4 Canal. After dying in captivity, the caecilian was sent to the Florida museum for analysis.

Little is known about this group of “reclusive” animals as many caecilians spend their lives burrowed underground. They can range in size from a few inches to five feet long, depending on the species, and are found in southern Mexico, as well as parts of Africa and Southeast Asia.

The one uncovered in the Miami area canal was a shocker.

“This was not on my radar,” Sheehy said. “I didn’t think we’d one day find a caecilian in Florida. So, this was a huge surprise.”

Since the FWC find, Sheehy has received several other reports of caecilians in the canal, and will conduct fieldwork there to find more and try to figure out the situation.

“At this point, we really don’t know enough to say whether caecilians are established in the C-4 Canal,” he said. “That’s what we want to find out.”

[goldie0608]

Dog missing for two years reunited with owner after spotted on TV news segment



A Wisconsin man has been reunited with his missing dog nearly two years later after he spotted the dog on a TV news segment about adoptable pets, according to UPI.

The owner, who identified himself to the news station as Dwight, called in about the dog after recognizing his long-lost pet named Payday who at the time had been missing for two years. Dwight said that he doesn't usually sleep with the TV on. But this particular night he must have forgotten to turn it off or it was kept on in a stroke of luck, because the next morning, he was awakened by the Adopt-A-Pet segment and the description of a "little brown dog with an adorable underbite," according to the Wisconsin Humane Society (WHS).

Dwight's family was still devastated over the loss of their beloved Payday, according to UPI.

The Wisconsin Humane Society wrote about the exciting reunion in a post on its Facebook page saying "Payday was originally brought home as a companion for Dwight’s now 12-year-old daughter, who was still distraught over the incredible loss of her best friend. Dwight’s mom, Melissa, came to pick up the beloved pup and — as you can see — it was the most incredible reunion! We are beyond ecstatic for this amazing family to finally be whole again."

After Dwight was connected with the Wisconsin Humane Society, the family was able to reunite with Payday, who was at the Wisconsin Humane Society Milwaukee Campus location not too far from their home, later that same day, according to WHS.

Dwight's mother, Melissa, went to retrieve Payday in what turned out to be a joyful reunion for both the family and the dog. The heartwarming moment was captured on camera by the WHS staff and has since been shared as a post on the organization's Facebook page, earning celebratory comments and shares from dozens across social media.

In the video, a happy Payday jumps into the woman's arms, both of them full of excitement.

Dwight told the Wisconsin Humane Society that "it only took one glance at the picture for (him) to immediately recognize Payday," according to the WHS.

[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 JULY 31
What is it?
Here is your chance to become an "ACE REPORTER" for our weekly news magazine.
It is your job to fine weird, funny or "good feel" stories from around the world and share them with our readers in our weekly magazine

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

EXAMPLE POST

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

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

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

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

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

IN OTHER NEWS

[ozswede]

Purr-fect pick me up! Adorable moment a friendly cat consoles sad little boy as he sits alone on the curb

This is the adorable moment a sad little boy was consoled by a friendly neighboring cat.

Krystal Woessner of Boise, Idaho, noticed that her five-year-old son Liam was having a rough day.

Liam's tee ball league's season had just ended and he was feeling very sad about it.


Click on the picture to see the video

He went out to the curb outside his house to sit on his own with his legs against his chest and his head down in defeat.

His mom was recording him when she realised he was spotted by Lily, the cat owned by the neighbors next door.

Lily is an outdoor cat that frequently visits Krystal and Liam's house.


Liam was receptive to the cuddles and gave Lily pets on her neck

Cats are not especially famous for their tenderness, but this dark-coloured cat is full of love to give.

Picking up on Liam's sorrow, Lily walked over and gave him a bit of a cuddle to help cheer him up out of his rut.

The little boy tilts his head back as he is comforted by the affectionate cat.

In the video, somebody can be heard saying: 'Aww, she knows you are sad, buddy.'

While another person in the background says: 'So cute!'

Lily then rubs her tail against Liam's face and a slightly less upset Liam pets her neck.

As she sees Liam is feeling a bit better, she decides to give him a little space but stays close and lays down next to him with her belly up, in case Liam wants to give her more pets.

The 30-second video has more than two million views on YouTube.

Liam might be going through a hard time but Lily surely has his back and will be there to help him feel better.

Source

[Fatima99]

Here’s How Wasps Have Inspired an Innovative New Tool for Keyhole Surgery

Dutch scientists have designed a new device to be used in keyhole surgery—and it’s inspired by the way parasitoid wasps lay their eggs.

At the moment, the tools used in such surgery can end up clogging because they use suction.

This new tool doesn’t have that problem because it uses friction.

According to the BBC, the Delft University of Technology team has been busy creating a working prototype.

The plan is for the tool to be ready and available for use in the next few years.

[PennySerenade]

An iconic moment for the Toronto Raptors occurred during this week's NBA draft as Canada's team drafted the first-ever Canadian pick in franchise history.

While a number of Canadian players have represented the Raptors in the past, Rexdale's own Dalano Banton became the first-ever Canadian to join the Raptors via the NBA entry draft when he was selected 46th overall. Banton joins the team out of Nebraska, where he started as a 6'9 guard for the majority of the 2021 NCAA season. Before that, he played high school ball for Central Toronto Academy before moving on to high school prep programs in Massachusetts where he was named a four-star recruit.

He's apparently a workhorse who believes in betting on himself, the kind of character kid that Toronto sports fans have grown to love, from the likes of Doug Gilmour to Jose Bautista. Much like both of those Toronto superstars, Banton is a late draft pick who people say will be determined to prove the doubters wrong.



"He's working really hard on his game daily, shooting the ball really well, and people will be amazed at how far his skill set and shooting comes along throughout the summer and his rookie year," his agent Daniel Poneman told Sportsnet.

"He's a very, very special talent in his ability to play-make and think the game at six-foot-nine. He'll be a very special player in the league for years to come." He adds more size and defensive ability to a Raptors core team that used their fourth overall pick on another 6'9 guard when they selected Scottie Barnes.

The Raptors' recent identity has been a defense-first team, and that mindset is largely responsible for the team's 2019 championship when they were lead by two-time Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard.

The Raptors will hope that the hometown kid can become a quick fan favourite, and playing for his hometown team will motivate Dalano Banton to become an integral part of the team for many years.

[goldie0608]

He sold cheesesteaks to take his mom on the trip of a lifetime. She died weeks after getting back.



Dustin Vitale wanted to take his mom Gloria on the trip she always dreamed of: To see the pyramids in Egypt with the whole family — 14 people.

As CBS News first reported back in March, he decided to so after his mom was diagnosed with terminal bladder cancer.

Dustin worked as a middle school teacher in Philadelphia and could never afford $10,000 to fly everyone, so he started selling cheesesteaks from his home with his mother's recipe.

Dustin made sandwiches so big no container could contain them, and peddled them to friends and family. Those people must have told their friends and family, too — because almost immediately, cars started double-parking outside his house. A food truck operator offered his services to help.

It took six weeks for Dustin to raise enough, and then some — $18,000.

The Egyptian government saw Dustin's story and gave Gloria the Cleopatra treatment during their May trip. According to Dustin, the government even let them visit a sphinx, which wasn't open to the public.

"She repeated over and over that it was the best thing she has ever done in her life," Dustin said.

His mom died shortly after coming home from the trip.

"If you had seen her in Egypt, you would've thought she had three more years, but it ended up being three more weeks," Dustin said.

The day they got back from the trip, Gloria was hospitalized. They released her so she could do hospice at home, where she passed away at 56.

"We created so many new memories that will last forever," Dustin said. "It was all focused on her living her best life."

To make sure no one ever forgets her, Dustin wants to open a cheesesteak restaurant. He doesn't know where or when, he just knows the name: Gloria's.

Dustin and his wife Hailey are also pregnant with a boy expected to be born in the fall. They plan to name him Glory.

When asked what pushed him forward, Dustin said, "Just my mom, just the love for my mom."