[Fivetide]

Diver pulls 900-year-old Crusader sword from seafloor

Though encrusted with marine organisms, one-meter-long blade is preserved in perfect condition, expert says; finder given outstanding citizen award for handing in relic


Nir Distelfeld, inspector for the Israel Antiquities Authority, with the Crusader sword.
(Anastasia Shapiro/Israel Antiquities Authority)

A diver found a 900-year-old sword dating back to the Crusader period off the Carmel beach in the north of the country, along with various other artifacts, the Israel Antiques Authority said Monday.

Atlit resident Shlomi Katzin turned over the weapon to the Israel Antiques Authority and was awarded a certificate of good citizenship.

Katzin found the sword during a Saturday dive in an area off the coast where waves and undercurrents had apparently shifted sand, revealing the item, the IAI said in a statement.

Spying stone and metal anchors, Katzin also noticed the sword, which was encrusted with marine life.

It has a one-meter blade and a 30-centimeter hilt.


A Crusader sword found by diver Shlomi Katzin on the Mediterranean seabed (Shlomi Katzin)

“The sword, which has been preserved in perfect condition, is a beautiful and rare find and evidently belonged to a Crusader knight,” said Nir Distelfeld, inspector for the IAI’s Robbery Prevention Unit. He assessed it is likely made of iron.

Concerned that others might find the sword before IAA officials had a chance to examine it in place, Katzin bought it ashore and took it to the Robbery Prevention Unit’s northern district office. The sword has been handed over to the National Treasures Department, the statement said.

“Once the sword has been cleaned and researched in the Israel Antiquities Authority’s laboratories, we will ensure it is displayed to the public,” IAA general director Eli Escosido said.



The director of the Israel Antiquities Authority’s Marine Archaeology Unit, Kobi Sharvit, explained that the Carmel coast, with its many natural coves, provided shelter for ships during storms throughout centuries of shipping activity along the coast.

“These conditions have attracted merchant ships down the ages, leaving behind rich archaeological finds,” he said. “The recently recovered sword is just one such find.”

The site where the sword was found was first noticed in June and has since been monitored by the IAA, as it contains items of archaeological interest.

Discoveries show that it was used as early as 4,000 years ago as a natural anchorage site and the sword indicates it was still in use 900 years ago, the IAA said.



However, finds are elusive as they are revealed or covered over with the shifting sands on the seafloor.

“Even the smallest storm moves the sand and reveals areas on the seabed, meanwhile burying others,” Sharvit said, noting that as the popularity of leisure diving has grown in recent years there has been an increase in finds.

See video here: https://www.facebook.com/AntiquitiesIL/posts/4634352773254315

[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
TUESDAY OCTOBER 19
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]

Young Dutch football fan, 23, goes viral after he was caught carrying 48 PINTS of beer in one go during top-flight match in Holland

A young football fan in Holland went viral over the weekend after he was caught carrying 48 beers in one go at his side's top-flight clash on Sunday.

FC Twente supporter Christiaan Roetgering, 23, was captured holding five full cartons of beer stacked one on top of the other for him and his friends, much to the delight of the onlooking fans.

The football fan delightedly revealed he did not manage to spill or drop any of the beers on his way back to his mates, but the youngster did admit that Saturday's achievement was not a record for the most beers carried at an FC Twente match.


A Dutch football fan went viral on Sunday after he was seen carrying 48 beers in one bar trip

'I always go to the game with a group of friends, and each time one of us has the job of getting the beers in,' Roetgering said.

'This time it was my turn, and I didn't fancy having to keep going back and forth to the bar. So I decided to get everything in one visit.

'I had to carry the trays through a passageway and up some stairs, but it all went fine. But it's not a record - my friend Jochen has managed in the past to carry 50 beers in one go.

'I must have had 300 friend requests on Instagram. I was watching the highlights on TV on Sunday, and my phone just exploded.'

The 23-year-old was cheered on by some of the 30,000 fans present at the De Grolsch Veste arena, with one fan heard shouting: 'Come on! You've got this!'


The Twente fan was cheered on by some of the 30,000 fans in the De Grolsch Veste arena

Football fans in Holland are allowed to drink beer in their seats after the Dutch FA lifted a ban on fans drinking alcohol when they are in view of the pitch in 2018. A similar relaxation of the same rule is being considered in England at the moment.

Roetgering was lucky that he was not carrying those beers during an important moment in the match, with Twente's clash with Willem II a jam-packed encounter in terms of key incidents.

The young football fan's side took an early lead through Dimitris Limnios' sixth-minute strike but Che Nunnely equalised for the visitors mid-way through the first-half.

But Twente's game plan was rocked just as the half-time beer queue was filling up as midfielder Ramiz Zerrouki was shown a second yellow card in the third minute of first-half injury time.

Willem defender Derrick Kohn then received a red card for a second bookable offence of his own but neither side could find a winner before full-time.

[Fivetide]

Bizarre ‘nude’ Lamborghini sold for $111,111



Talk about basic transportation.

A wild custom car inspired by a low-resolution image of a Lamborghini Countach has been auctioned for $111,111.

The “Lo-Res Car” was designed by famed architect Rem Koolhaas as a promotional vehicle for his footwear brand United Nude and represents the most basic form of the iconic supercar.

The tandem two-seat vehicle features a clamshell body fitted to an electric chassis that’s not street legal, but is fully functional, although its top speed is just 31 mph.

Four of the vehicles were built and used in various media for the brand and others, including a feature role in the video for Rich The Kid’s “New Freezer” featuring Kendrick Lamar.

This particular example was owned by the Peterson Automotive Museum and was auctioned on the Bring A Trailer website to raise money for the museum’s collection as well as the Energy Independence Now organization, which promotes the development of hydrogen-powered vehicles and the infrastructure needed for them.

The price paid for the car was interesting, and not just for it’s symmetry. Although it may just be a coincidence, the figure 111111 is binary code for the number 63, which corresponds with the launch of Lamborghini’s first production car in 1963.



Although it may just be a coincidence, the figure 111111 is binary code for the number 63, which corresponds with the launch of Lamborghini’s first production car in 1963.



The “Lo-Res Car” was designed by famed architect Rem Koolhaas as a promotional vehicle for his footwear brand United Nude.



The tandem two-seat vehicle features a clamshell body fitted to an electric chassis that’s not street legal, but is fully functional, although its top speed is just 31 mph.



Four of the vehicles were built and used in various media for the brand and others, including a feature role in the video for Rich The Kid’s “New Freezer” featuring Kendrick Lamar.

See rapper Kendrick Lamar's music video featuring the car: https://youtu.be/6YqSS_b_X1U

All photos courtesy of Bring a Trailer.

A Boston street performer sang ‘All of Me.’ Then John Legend showed up.



Radha Rao covers John Legend’s hit single “All of Me” at almost every set she plays in Boston. But never did she expect the Grammy-winning artist himself to show up at one of her performances.

In a clip posted on social media Sunday, Legend, clad in a tan trench coat, is seen walking up to Rao, giving her a tip and hugging the street musician after her performance outside Boston's historic Faneuil Hall Marketplace.

"I started singing the song and I was enjoying myself, and I see this man wearing a trench coat and a mask and I think, 'That looks a lot like John Legend — why would he be in Boston?'" Rao, whose stage name is Radha, told NBC News. "When he took off his mask, I was shocked."

“I just kept singing," she continued. "It was a nerve-wracking moment, but it was something I enjoyed tremendously."

A large crowd encircling Rao cheered as the 22-year-old singer and Legend embraced, the video showed.

Legend, 42, was in Boston with his wife, Chrissy Teigen, and his two children, Luna and Miles — all of whom could be seen watching from afar, Rao said.

After the performance, Rao said Legend shared a few words of gratitude: "Thank you so much for singing my song."

She continued: "He was so incredibly humble and encouraging to local artists. I look up to him immensely, and I love that he plays acoustic instruments like I do."

As for the future, Rao said she plans to continue balancing street performing and working her full-time job at a music technology company — all while pursuing her dreams to become a full-time artist.

"I personally love R&B, jazz, hip hop, and I like to interweave my Indian melodic training into my music," she added. "I want to continue cultivating strong relationships through my live performances, and I want to continue making my own music."

[Fatima99]

Google Maps user baffled after spotting 'tiny dinosaur' trekking across Chile salt plain



A Google Maps user was baffled after spotting what looks like a 'tiny dinosaur' on a salt plain.

The internet browser came across the discovery in the South American country Chile.

They posted the image to Reddit, writing: "I found what ever this is in a salt plain in Chile."

Other users joked that it was a "tiny dino", while another suggested that this is what happened "when you forgot a towel for after your shower".

Salt plains are flat expanses of ground covered with salt and other minerals, usually shining white under the sun. They are found in deserts and are natural formations.

The largest one in the world is Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, which borders with Chile.

Google Maps users are often making curious discoveries on the site.

Recently a blacked out island on Google Maps sparked a mystery among users of the popular site.

The mysterious looking piece of land has caused a stir for forum members on Reddit with one member refers to it as 'God's guitar pick.'

Users describe the island as something out of the popular TV series Lost or a covered-up island similar to Area 51, the secretive and classified site in the US desert.

Google sometimes blacks out areas on maps when people on the database don't want to be on there or want them to know what is going on there.

Meanwhile, hungry Google Maps users found a mystery Burger King hidden on an uninhabited island.

A screenshot shows a pin seemingly pointing to a branch of the fast-food burger giant on an uninhabited island off the coast of Oman in Western Asia.

User sevenluck77 posted the screenshot on the Google Maps sub-reddit with the caption: "A Burger King pin on this clearly desolate island off the coast of Oman".

[PennySerenade]

As Halloween approaches it seems about the right time to revisit some of the horror movies filmed in and around Toronto. There certainly have been many of them from zombie flicks made by the legendary George Romero to those that took over the abandoned Hearn Generating Station.

Here are some notable horror movies made in and around Toronto and the locations you can still visit.

Urban Legend, 1998
After the success of Scream (1996), the late '90s were flooded with teen slasher movies. Filmed in Toronto, Urban Legend was one of the more successful movies of that era. Several of Toronto's universities and campuses were used to portray the fictional New England university.

Location: Humber College, Lake Shore Blvd W.


Carrie, 2013
This remake of the 1972 classic was filmed entirely in Toronto and the surrounding area, with the climax of the movie taking place on Islington Avenue in Etobicoke where Carrie (played by Chloë Grace Moretz) finally realizes the extent of her powers.

Location: 215 Islington Ave.


Land of the Dead, 2005
Land of the Dead is the fourth Living Dead movie by zombie genre legend, George A. Romero. In this movie, Toronto stands in for the city of Pittsburg and the movie is shot all over the GTA. The Cherry Street bridge is used in one particular suspenseful scene as they try to lower the bridge to safety.

Location: Cherry St Strauss Trunnion Bascule Bridge


Devil, 2010
Written by M. Night Shyamalan, Devil is a horror-based whodunit taking place in an elevator. While supposedly taking place in Chicago, it was in fact Toronto's very own Bay Adelaide Centre that would house the ill-fated elevator.

Location: 333 Bay St.


Silent Hill, 2016
The movie is an adaptation of the video game Silent Hill. While the city of Brantford is used as the actual town of Silent Hill, it was Toronto's Sewells Road Bridge that is used as the police checkpoint to the abandoned town.

Location: 1119 Sewells Rd.


Resident Evil: Apocalypse, 2004
In this movie, Toronto is the backdrop for the fictional Raccoon City, a city in lockdown due to a zombie outbreak. Toronto is featured throughout the movie, with the climax being filmed on the Podium Green Roof at City Hall. Apocalypse is the second movie in the Resident Evil franchise and the first to be filmed fully in Toronto. Afterlife (2010) and Retribution (2012) would later be filmed here too.

Location: 100 Queen St W.


The Dead Zone, 1983
While not filmed in Toronto, but rather in the Niagara region, The Dead Zone has made the list for bringing together two powerhouses of the horror genre, Stephen King and David Cronenberg. The movie follows Johnny Smith who awakens from a coma to find he now has psychic abilities.

Location: Screaming Tunnel, Warner Rd, Niagara Falls


Videodrome, 1983
This 1983 classic by David Cronenberg is filmed entirely in Toronto. The movie follows Max as he searches for the truth behind the underground TV series, Videodrome. His search takes him to the Cathode Ray Mission, a homeless shelter conducting TV-related experiments on its inhabitants.

Location: 125 Bathurst St.


Black Christmas, 1974
(My personal favourite as I lived on the street at the time)

Black Christmas is renowned for being the first true slasher movie, and the inspiration for movies like Halloween and Friday the 13th. Filming took place across Toronto with Community Centre 55 in the Upper Beaches being used as the Police Station.

Location: 97 Main St.


In the Mouth of Madness, 1994
Directed by horror legend John Carpenter, the movie follows John Trent a man who starts to question his own sanity as the lines between reality and fiction seem to blur. The Black Church is a prominent location in the movie, which in reality is the Cathedral of the Transfiguration in Markham.

Location: 10350 Victoria Square Blvd, Markham


Dead Ringers, 1988
Another entry from acclaimed horror director David Cronenberg. This movie focuses on the Mantle twins and how they take advantage of the fact nobody can tell them apart. The climax of the movie takes place at their apartment at Bell Trinity Square and outside at Trinity Square Park.

Location: Trinity Square Park


Dawn of the Dead, 2004
In this 2004 remake, Thornhill Square Shopping Centre in Thornhill was used as the interior of the mall. However, the sections used in the movie were demolished shortly after filming. The establishing shot of the mall was filmed around the corner on Royal Orchard Blvd (under the Bayview bridge) with the mall added with CGI.

Location: Royal Orchard Blvd, Markham


It, 2007
While Port Hope was mainly used as the fictional town of Derry, Toronto still gets screen time with some key scenes. The whole opening sequence in the rain where George meets Pennywise was filmed in Weston.

Location: Queens Dr, York


The Fly, 1986
The Fly is about a brilliant scientist, played by Jeff Goldblum who manages to teleport himself with his own transportation machine, but with dire consequences. The movie was filmed all over downtown with the laboratory scenes being filmed in the pre-gentrified Liberty Village.

Location: 135 Liberty St.


Spiral: From the Book of Saw, 2021
The entire Saw franchise has all been filmed in Toronto with the exception of the first installment. Revolving around the killer Jigsaw and his gruesome murders, the Saw franchise has redefined the horror genre. In the most recent installment, Spiral, Toronto's old city morgue on Lombard St is used as the exterior of the police station.

Location: 86 Lombard St.

Colombia is putting its 'cocaine hippos' on birth control

By Stefano Pozzebon and Jack Guy, CNN
Updated 0006 GMT (0806 HKT) October 19, 2021

Bogota, Colombia (CNN)Colombia may have finally found a solution to one of the lesser-known legacies of notorious drug trafficker Pablo Escobar: invasive hippos.
A handful of hippos brought to Colombia in the 1980s for Escobar's private zoo has grown to a population of 80, prompting biologists to express concern over their environmental impact and threat to human safety. In January, a study published in Biological Conservation called for the growing herd -- now ranging wild in the Antioquia department -- to be culled.

The regional government has instead tried neutering the enormous beasts, but traditional surgical sterilization is too dangerous and demanding to scale up. Only 11 of the hippos have so far been sterilized this way, according to local authorities.

On Friday, however, the regional environmental agency Cornare announced its efforts to control the hippo population had led to 24 more hippos being treated with a new method: darts laden with the contraceptive drug GonaCon.

Compared to surgery, GonaCon is "a much cheaper option," according to a Cornare statement. "However it is still complex since experts suggest giving three doses, based on studies and comparisons made in other large animals such as horses." The same drug has been tested on other wild animal populations, including wild horses in the United States, kangaroos in Australia and wild cattle in Hong Kong, it said.

Scientists must now track the efficacy of the drug by measuring hormone levels in hippo feces.
"It is the first time that we are implementing this procedure. We are going to follow up and monitor it to find out how successful it can be," said David Echeverri López, coordinator of the Cornare Forest and Biodiversity Group.

Escobar's hippopotamus collection began with only one male and three females. Upon his death, other species of exotic animals were relocated, but the hippos were left because they were too difficult to capture and transport, according to the Biological Conservation study. They soon began to multiply, spreading around the Magdalena river basin from their original home some 100 miles east of the city of Medellin.

Research has shown negative effects of hippo waste on oxygen levels in bodies of water, which can affect fish and ultimately humans. Hippos also pose a threat to agriculture and to the security of people in affected areas, according to the Biological Conservation study. In May 2020, a hippo attack left a 45-year-old man seriously injured.

[Mintydreams00]

Aylesham family baffled by pet cat's penchant for workmen's gloves

Most cat owners will be familiar with their pet returning home with the odd 'treat', often a dead bird or a terrified mouse.

But five-year-old Chai has a penchant for something quite different - workmen's gloves.


Chai and his gloves

The tabby has amassed an impressive haul of more than 30 in the past month, all stolen on her daily travels in Aylesham, near Canterbury.

They have been arriving regularly on the patio of Sam and Kira Mandon-Jones, who are baffled by Chai's bizarre compulsion.

"It started about a month ago," said Kira, who works as a product designer for Canterbury City Council.

"All of a sudden single gloves starting arriving on our patio.

"We've never seen her actually carrying one in her mouth but she always meows loudly to let us know she is back with one, and there's no other way they could get there.

"There is a lot of building work going on around here, and we can only think she is finding them discarded on sites because they all look pretty worn."


Chai and the gloves he's found

Sam, a business analyst, has a theory that Chai is trying to get their attention after they acquired a new dog.

"It started happening about the same time and it's the only reason we can think of," he said.

The couple took Chai in about four years ago after finding her at a rescue centre.

"She had been stray before that, and that's very much still her nature," Kira said.

"She's certainly not a house cat and much prefers to be out most of the day, and often into the evening.


Chai and his gloves

"We're never quite sure when she's going to to turn up - she just does her own thing."

And Chai certainly wasn't going to play to the cameras when KentOnline arrived at the house in Dorman Avenue North.

Kira had warned us she could not guarantee the fussy feline would even be home.

But with the help of a few treats, we managed to briefly engage her attention for a photo call before she vanished again over the garden fence for another wander, most likely returning with yet more gloves.

Such is the scale of the growing haul, that Kira has even taken to a local residents page asking people to get in contact if they think they have fallen victim to Chai's thieving ways.

One commenter responded: "I’m so glad it’s not just my cat that brings stuff home.

"My Luke brings back slices of bread and leaves them at the front and back door! And last week half a slice of pizza!"

[BigGlen]

October 19 in History



October 19 is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 73 days remain until the end of the year.

Pre-1600
202 BC – Second Punic War: At the Battle of Zama, Roman legions under Scipio Africanus defeat Hannibal Barca, leader of the army defending Carthage.
439 – The Vandals, led by King Gaiseric, take Carthage in North Africa.
1216 – King John of England dies at Newark-on-Trent and is succeeded by his nine-year-old son Henry.
1386 – The Universität Heidelberg holds its first lecture, making it the oldest German university.
1453 – Hundred Years' War: Three months after the Battle of Castillon, England loses its last possessions in southern France.
1466 – The Thirteen Years' War between Poland and the Teutonic Order ends with the Second Treaty of Thorn.
1469 – Ferdinand II of Aragon marries Isabella I of Castile, a marriage that paves the way to the unification of Aragon and Castile into a single country, Spain.
1512 – Martin Luther becomes a doctor of theology.
1579 – James VI of Scotland is celebrated as an adult ruler by a festival in Edinburgh.[1]
1596 – The Spanish ship San Felipe runs aground on the coast of Japan and its cargo is confiscated by local authorities

1601–1900
1649 – New Ross town in Ireland surrenders to Oliver Cromwell.
1781 – American Revolutionary War: The siege of Yorktown comes to an end.
1789 – John Jay is sworn in as the first Chief Justice of the United States.
1805 – War of the Third Coalition: Austrian General Mack surrenders his army to Napoleon at the Battle of Ulm.
1812 – The French invasion of Russia fails when Napoleon begins his retreat from Moscow.
1813 – War of the Sixth Coalition: Napoleon is forced to retreat from Germany after the Battle of Leipzig.
1864 – American Civil War: The Battle of Cedar Creek ends the last Confederate threat to Washington, DC.
1864 – American Civil War: Confederate agents based in Canada rob three banks in Saint Albans, Vermont.
1866 – In accordance with the Treaty of Vienna, Austria cedes Veneto and Mantua to France, which immediately awards them to Italy in exchange for the earlier Italian acquiescence to the French annexation of Savoy and Nice.
1900 – Max Planck discovers Planck's law of black-body radiation.

1901–present
1912 – Italo-Turkish War: Italy takes possession of what is now Libya from the Ottoman Empire.
1914 – First World War: The First Battle of Ypres begins.
1921 – The Portuguese Prime Minister and several officials are murdered in the Bloody Night coup.
1922 – British Conservative MPs vote to terminate the coalition government with the Liberal Party.
1935 – The League of Nations places economic sanctions on Italy for its invasion of Ethiopia.
1943 – The cargo vessel Sinfra is attacked by Allied aircraft at Crete and sunk. 2,098 Italian prisoners of war drown with it.
1943 – Streptomycin, the first antibiotic remedy for tuberculosis, is isolated by researchers at Rutgers University.
1944 – United States forces land in the Philippines.
1944 – A coup is launched against Juan Federico Ponce Vaides, beginning the ten-year Guatemalan Revolution.
1950 – China defeats the Tibetan Army at Chambo.
1950 – Korean War: The Battle of Pyongyang ends in a United Nations victory. Hours later, the Chinese Army begins crossing the border into Korea.
1950 – Iran becomes the first country to accept technical assistance from the United States under the Point Four Program.
1955 – The General Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union approves the staging of the first Eurovision Song Contest.[2]
1956 – The Soviet Union and Japan sign a Joint Declaration, officially ending the state of war between the two countries that had existed since August 1945.
1960 – The United States imposes a near-total trade embargo against Cuba.
1973 – President Nixon rejects an Appeals Court decision that he turn over the Watergate tapes.
1974 – Niue becomes a self-governing colony of New Zealand.
1984 – A Roman Catholic priest, Jerzy Popiełuszko, associated with the Solidarity Union, is killed by three agents of the Polish Communist internal intelligence agency.
1986 – The president of Mozambique and a prominent leader of FRELIMO, along with 33 others, die when their aircraft crashes into the Lebombo Mountains.
1987 – The United States Navy conducts Operation Nimble Archer, an attack on two Iranian oil platforms in the Persian Gulf.
1987 – Black Monday: The Dow Jones Industrial Average falls by 22%, 508 points.
1988 – The British government imposes a broadcasting ban on television and radio interviews with members of Sinn Féin and eleven Irish republican and Ulster loyalist paramilitary groups.
1989 – The convictions of the Guildford Four are quashed by the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, after they had spent 15 years in prison.
2001 – SIEV X, an Indonesian fishing boat en route to Christmas Island, carrying over 400 migrants, sinks in international waters with the loss of 353 people.
2003 – Mother Teresa is beatified by Pope John Paul II.
2004 – Thirteen people are killed when Corporate Airlines Flight 5966 crashes in Adair County, Missouri, whilst on approach to Kirksville Regional Airport.[3]
2005 – Saddam Hussein goes on trial in Baghdad for crimes against humanity.
2005 – Hurricane Wilma becomes the most intense Atlantic hurricane on record with a minimum pressure of 882 mb.
2012 – A bomb explosion kills eight people and injures 110 more in Lebanon.
2013 – At least 105 people are injured in a train crash in Buenos Aires.

[goldie0608]

Seville becomes the first major city in the world to categorize and name heat waves



The city of Seville, Spain has announced plans to become the first major city in the world to start naming and categorizing heat waves, the same way tropical storms and hurricanes are named in other parts of the world. The effort is set to begin in 2022

The city's mayor, Juan Espadas, said in a statement on Monday that he's proud that Seville, located in one of the hottest regions of Spain, is the first city to start naming and categorizing heat waves. He hopes other cities in the world also take on the idea.

"Extreme heat waves are becoming more frequent and devastating as a direct effect from climate change. Local governments should address the threat heat poses to our populations, particularly the most vulnerable, by raising awareness of heat-health related hazards through evidence based data and science, Espadas said.

In order to come up with the system, the city is collaborating with the Atlantic Council, Spain's meteorological agency, the Spanish Agency for Climate Change and two universities.

The group says the system of categorizing heat waves will be based on their impact on human health. Doing so will also help the city's emergency and disaster planning — if a heat wave is ranked as particularly hot and dangerous, categorizing it as so could lead the city to open more air conditioned shelters or add extra staff in hospital emergency rooms.

As climate change worsens, heat waves have become far more prevalent around the world, and disproportionately impact people of color.

In the United States, heat is the biggest weather-related killer, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This past summer, about 800 people are thought to have died in the heat wave that struck the Pacific Northwest.

'Big John,' the world's largest Triceratops ever found, sells for $7.7 million



The world's biggest Triceratops fossil ever found, a 66-million-old skeleton affectionately dubbed "Big John," has sold for €6.6 million ($7.7 million) -- smashing its high auction estimate of €1.5 million ($1.7 million).
The sale took place on Thursday afternoon at the Drouot auction house in Paris, where Big John was presented alongside a treasure trove of fossils, meteorites and other natural history artifacts.

The skeleton was first discovered in South Dakota by geologist Walter W. Stein Bill in 2014. It is thought the dinosaur lived in Laramidia, an enormous, ancient continent that, today, would have stretched between Alaska and Mexico.
After excavation, the muddied dinosaur remains were then restored in Italy, where archeologists were able to see its true size. Big John has a nearly 9-foot-long skull that stretches just over six-and-a-half feet wide, and the skeleton is more than 60% complete. According to the UK's Natural History Museum, Triceratops skulls are an evolutionary triumph and some of the "most striking" of all land animals.

Not everyone is likely to be excited by the sale of Big John, however. In September 2020, ahead of the Christie's sale of the Tyrannosaurus Rex called "Stan" -- which sold the following month for a record-breaking $31.8 million -- the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP) voiced concerns to the auction house.
"Fossil specimens that are sold into private hands are potentially lost to science," they stated. "Even if made accessible to scientists, information contained within privately owned specimens and future access cannot be guaranteed, and therefore verification of scientific claims (the essence of scientific progress) cannot be performed."

[Basia1971]

Kind 13-Year-Old Son Works As Gardener, Sells Off His Xbox Game so He Can Buy Mother a Car


A mother of three, Krystal, was surprised with a car from her oldest child, William Preston, who is just 13 To get the vehicle, he had to trade his Xbox game console and also work for many days cutting grass William worked hard to gift his mother the car because he wanted to give her some comfort in life Your support matters. Sustain independent journalism in Nigeria – contribute to Legit.ng. A 13-year-old boy, William Preston, did not like the way his mother was going through life's tough challenges as a single mother of three. As a way to help his mother, William got a job as a land mower as part of a plan to get his mother a vehicle.



When the teen came home one day and told his mother that he had got her a car, the woman laughed it off and said “ya, right!”

William replied: “No mum, I’m so serious I bought you a car. Come on we have to go.” The mother stated that when he said that, she had mixed emotions of confusion and doubt as she asked him, “To where?”

When they got outside, a woman was waiting who drove them to where the car was. Krystal broke down in tears, CBS reports.

She said:

I completely lost it. I started balling my eyes out… I am speechless… my 13-year-old son bought me a car.” How he did it When William saw that a woman was selling a car online in his area, he traded his Xbox and also did as much lawn clearing work as possible in exchange for the car. William’s mum said: “I am so proud of my son. He is such a good kid. He may have his days but OMG what 13-year-old kid do you know that buys his mom a car… William I love you son and thank you. You have such a big heart and I love you.”

by Joseph Omotayo

https://www.legit.ng

[prokroustis]

Greek-Canadian Drag Queen Pythia Stuns on “Canada’s Drag Race”



Greek-Canadian drag queen Pythia made a splash during the first episode of the second season of “Canada’s Drag Race,” which premiered on Crave on Thursday evening.

Hailing from Montreal, Quebec, Pythia is the first performer of Greek heritage to be featured on any of the show’s multinational franchises.

Greek fans of the show are incredibly proud of the performer, and many have shared their excitement on social media.

A self-titled “Grecian goddess,” the drag queen’s name refers to Pythia, the head priestess and legendary oracle of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi.

Competitors and viewers alike were stunned when the Greek-Canadian drag queen entered the show’s “Werk Room” donning a hot pink helmet inspired by ancient Greek warriors.



Pythia announced “Let’s have tzatziki!” when first arriving on the show, making a memorable entrance.

Greek-Canadian drag queen Pythia impresses
During the first mini-challenge, during which the contestants had to jump into a foam pit and pose for a photo shoot in mid-air, Pythia even made a hasty prayer in Greek before jumping.

The contestants were challenged to create haute-couture looks fit for a premiere party out of materials that could be leftover at a coat check, including coat tickets and plastic party cups.

With a stunning lime green Y2K-inspired look, Pythia was safe to compete in the next episode.

The drag queens whose looks were not up to snuff had to compete in a “lip sync for their lives” in order to stay in the competition.

The winner of Canada’s Drag Race will receive $100,000, a full supply of makeup and beauty products courtesy of Shoppers Drug Mart, and, of course, the title of Canada’s Next Drag Superstar.

Canada’s Drag Race part of international phenomenon RuPaul’s Drag Race
The first season of Canada’s Drag Race aired in the summer of 2020, and soon garnered millions of fans. The show was the most critically acclaimed original production for the network Crave.

The second season is judged by Brooke Lynn Hytes, Canadian drag queen and runner up in the eleventh season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, actress Amanda Brugel, and celebrity stylist Brad Goreski.

Canada’s Drag Race is one of the many international spin-offs, which include shows in Spain, Holland, Thailand, and the UK, of the wildly successful and critically acclaimed US show RuPaul’s Drag Race.

The show is hosted by drag queen, actress, singer, and fashion icon RuPaul Charles, and has won not only countless awards but also a dedicated fan base.

RuPaul himself has won six consecutive Emmy awards from 2016 to 2021 for Outstanding Host for a Reality Program, and the show has been awarded the Emmy for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program four consecutive times.

The show has been likened to the Superbowl for the LGBT community, as large viewing parties in clubs, bars, and homes were popular before the pandemic.

The show was ranked 93 on the Guardian’s list of top 100 television shows of the 21st century in 2019.

[lush]

Japanese Company Specializes in Fashion Apparel For Robots
October 13th, 2021*

Rocket Road is a unique clothing brand aimed not at humans, but at robots of all shapes and sizes. It aims to offer customization options and seamlessly bridge the gap between humans and machines.

Last month, Japanese company Rocket Road announced the launch of its first lineup of functional protective cover wear for robotic arms. These decorative and functional covers are available in over 40 different colors, can be made out of dustproof, anti-bacterial, water repellent or heat-resistant material, and are meant to brighten up the otherwise bland working environment and provide the robotic arms with a bit of personality. But this is only the company’s latest project. Rocket Road has been creating robot clothing for a long time now and has quite an impressive portfolio.


Photo: Rocket Road/Facebook

Before you start rolling your eyes at the idea of robot apparel, it’s worth considering that robots are very popular in Japan, from the adorable canine aibo bots to more advanced humanoid robots capable of mimicking complex human movements and actions. And they all need fly clothes…

“It has become ‘natural’ for robots to wear clothes,” Rocket Road CEO, Yukinori Izumi, said. “It would be great if we could bring people closer to each other through robot apparel, and many people, including children, women, and the elderly, would be close to and utilize the robots to enrich their lives and social lives. And I would be honored if robot wear could create a new category in the apparel industry and become a new culture in Japan.”

Yukinori has quite the colorful life experience, having studied Zen Buddhism in college, then going to work in space design at a space display company, before fulfilling his childhood dream of becoming a professional wrestler. He also worked in Silicone Valley before returning to his home country and founding his unique robot apparel company, Rocket Road.

Ever since 2016, Rocket Road has been dedicated to creating specialized, high-quality clothing for a variety of robots, working with some of the biggest robotics corporations in Japan, including SoftBank Robotics, Sony, and Sharp.

While robot clothing may sound like a joke, according to the Rocket Road website, it’s serious business that requires the utmost care and dedication. Not only does the apparel need to fit each robot perfectly while looking fashionable, but there are other factors to consider as well.

For example, the weight of the clothes can have an impact on the robot’s balance sensor, the clothes can catch on fire because of the heat generated by the electric components of the robot, and last but not least, the robot needs to function just as well with or without its clothing. These are all things that Rocket Road needs to consider when designing its robot apparel.