[Governor3]

Hunters are swarming the Florida Everglades for the annual python challenge. The state says it's vital to save the ecosystem



(CNN)Deer, raccoons, possums and fox once flocked the area of the Everglades National Park in south Florida.

Nowadays, you're lucky if you spot one mammal in the area, according to wildlife experts.
Who's to blame for this decline in wildlife? The invasive species known as Burmese pythons.
To help combat this problem for Florida's ecosystem, snake hunters are congregating in the hundreds for the Florida Python Challenge. The event, created by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, started in 2013.

"I love snakes. I hate that we have to do this, but they're invasive and changing the entire ecosystem." professional python hunter Amy Siewe told CNN.
According to the commission, these reptiles were detected as early as 1979 in Florida.
"They were introduced to Florida through accidental and intentional release through the pet trade," a spokesperson with the commission told CNN on Friday.
Since then, they've killed and continue to pose a major threat to wildlife.
The event brings hundreds of professional snake hunters to the Everglades to hunt and kill the reptiles. As of Friday, more than 850 people had signed up, the commission said.


August 5 marked the start of this year's 10-day challenge.
To participate, members were required to take an online training course and pay a $25 registration fee. The hunter who brings back the most pythons wins $2,500.
Last year, participants killed more than 200 pythons.

Aside from the challenge, year-round removal efforts are still in play. Since 2000, more than 17,000 pythons have been removed and reported, according to the commission.
Michael Kirkland, a biologist with the South Florida Water Management District, told CNN that pythons have been "decimating wildlife for years."
"The challenge is designed to remove as many pythons from the area as possible," he said, "Human detection and removal are the most efficient and effective tools in the toolbox right now,"
Contractors hired with the water management district work year-round and participate in the challenge to capture the creatures.
Kirkland said there has been up to a 90% decline of animals in the area due to pythons.


A full-time job
Among the many partaking in the challenge this year are Siewe and Donna Kalil.
Kalil told CNN he has been professionally hunting the reptiles since 2017. Siewe was hired in 2019.
Combined, the two have killed more than 1,000 pythons -- Kalil at more than 670 and Siewe at close to 400.
They share a love for the creatures but understand the importance of this challenge. "The hunters are the best way we have at this moment to help with this problem," Siewe said.
Kalil grew up in Florida and said when she went to the Everglades as a kid there were "so many rabbits you couldn't count them all." Fast forward to the 2000s when Kalil said there were practically no rabbits, possums or raccoons as a result of the pythons.
In last year's challenge, Kalil took home the $2,500 prize for removing the most pythons at 19. She's been participating since 2013.
This will be Siewe's third year. In her first year, she won second place for heaviest snake.
The two will base their hunting on factors like weather, time of day and sleep schedule. "This time of the year, the nighttime is best to go out," Kalil said.

And hunting doesn't come easy.
Throughout her career, Siewe has suffered from many python bites and said she doesn't recommend it.
"It's like a warm knife going through butter," Siewe described. Pythons, while not venomous, have hundreds of teeth that are razor sharp, according to Siewe.
The creatures can grow to massive sizes and it's a feat to take them on. Siewe said her largest capture measured 17 feet and 110 pounds, which she caught standing 5 foot 4.
Kalil shares that you can't catch them all. "I've had four get away from me during my career," she said. "It can be difficult during the night in the water and weeds."
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been an avid fan of the python challenge. In a June press release, he said, "I am proud of the progress we've made, and I look forward to seeing the results of this year's Python Challenge."
In fact, his wife, Casey DeSantis, said in a press conference Friday that her 10-year anniversary gift to the governor was a pair of python skin boots.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/06/us/florida-python-challenge-everglades/index.html
----------
...and today I learned that "Whacking Day" is a real thing in Florida. Yep, it figures - Gov

Watch what you EMOJI! Expert warns how using smiley emoticons at work could land you in hot water thanks to VERY different perceptions of what they really mean - from the 'distrustful' smirk to the 'DEAD' laughing face



Emojis have sparked debate in the office since the pandemic brought on a new wave of communicating online through Zoom and Slack
While they've become commonplace in a text message or on social media, it's important to consider if they should be used in the office
The small visual representations of emotions have become apart of modern communication, but as the use of emoji's have grown, so have their meanings
Amy Worley, communications expert at VMLY&R said emojis were a great way to 'remind each other that we're people who have feelings'
In a study by corporate communication giant Slack and language-learning program Duolingo, the companies showed what workers thought of emojis

By Kelsi Karruli

Emojis have become a key part of corporate communications thanks to the pandemic - which saw a huge surge in the number of people forced to chat with their colleagues over online applications like Slack and Zoom.

However, while emojis are seen by some as an ideal way to quickly and effectively express their thoughts and feelings, their increased usage has also led to some very awkward miscommunication between colleagues thanks to differing views on what each emoticon actually means.

A picture may well be worth a thousand words - but it turns out an emoji could be worth a few very awkward interactions.

While they've become commonplace in a text message or on social media, it's important to consider if they should be used and which emojis should be used, if any in the office.

Amy Worley, chief connections officer of marketing and communications company VMLY&R is a proud advocate of emojis in the workplace and told DailyMail.com that emoji usage can be very helpful in corporate comms, but only when they are used accurately and appropriately.

'[Emojis] are a way to remind each other that we’re people who have feelings,' she explained.

However, it is important to keep in mind that while use of emotions, symbols or objects have become apart of modern communication, their meanings have also evolved over time - particularly when it comes to generational understandings of emojis.

The slightly smiling emoji

In a recent study done by corporate communication giant Slack and language-learning program Duolingo, the companies showed what over 9,400 workers thought of emojis in the office.

The study noted that 69 per cent of operation managers and HR leads admitted that emoji usage in the workplace allows them to communicate effectively with fewer words, and 67 per cent said emojis speed up communications.

Furthermore, more than half of participants revealed they use emoji's in work-related exchanges, while 30 per cent said they never use them.

The study gave an example of one emoji that can come off differently depending on who you're sending it to, noting that the slightly smiling face varied in emotional responses.

The slightly smiling face emoji indicated 'general positivity' for 39 per cent of people, while 14 per cent of respondents found it 'denoted deep exasperation or distrust.'

The laughing crying face

Amy noted that Gen Z has 'decided' the meanings of emojis in the recent years, causing misinterpretation.

She added that the laughing crying face, which now means 'dead,' and replaced it the skull emoji, it 'definitely resulted in some misinterpretation.'

Gen Zers - born after 1996 - were raised during a time when the internet was already inescapable and in the palm of their hands.

Some millennials, who were launched into the world of emojis through AOL, are still trying to keep up with the everchanging meanings of emojis decided by Gen Z.

And the emoji on the chopping block is now the laughing crying face emoji, which Gen Z has deemed uncool when used for its actual meaning, which is to represent laughter.

Many Gen Z-ers decided the skull emoji has become a popular replacement for conveying laughter and the laughing crying emoji has come to mean 'dead.'

The tongue out emoji

The tongue out emoji was once used to represent a playful and cheeky joke among friends.

Now, Gen-Zers have added a double meaning to the once innocent emoji.

The new meaning of the tongue out emojis is playful sexiness.

The tongue out emoji, also called the zany face emoji, is often used in combination with the eggplant emoji to symbolize oral sex.

It's also often used as a way of letting someone know you want to have sex.

WHOOPS! Woman accidentally leaves her eyebrow tint on while dealing with a dead pigeon but people are all saying the same thing


Courtney Nettleton was left fuming when she accidentally left her eyebrow tint on for an HOUR instead of the recommended three minutes

SHE'D been hoping to give herself a quick beauty treatment before hopping in the bath.

But Courtney Nettleton was left fuming when an incident with her dog led to her accidentally leaving her eyebrow tint on for an HOUR - instead of the recommended three minutes.


She panicked after removing some of the tint from one of her brows, admitting they were too dark for her liking

Taking to her TikTok page to explain what had happened, while sporting brows still covered in the dark black tint, Courtney began: "Guys I’m in such a dilemma and I actually don’t know what to do.

"So I tinted my eyebrows and I went downstairs to get a drink and then I was obviously going to wipe the tint off.

"But one thing led to another - my dog had bought an actual full on dead pigeon into the kitchen.

"So I’ve had to clean a dead pigeon off of the kitchen."

Once she'd done that, she went upstairs, and felt her face itching.

She scratched it and saw something black on her fingers, but had no idea where it had come from.

"I’ve actually left this tint on my eyebrows for an hour, and it’s meant to be on for three minutes," she raged.

"I’m traumatised. I’m going to have to take it off now but I’m actually dreading it.

"I’m working in the morning and I’ve got a really big night out on Saturday."

Courtney then began the process of attempting to remove the tint, with a damp cotton pad.

"It’s going to look so bad," she said, laughing as she realised just how dark her brows were.

"They are literally black. Oh my God. That’s not even funny. Right. Ugh. I think only me could do this."

However, as she continued taking off the tint, she realised that things could have been a lot worse - and her brows actually looked okay.

"Actually I do take that back, they don’t actually look that bad, but an hour?" she said.

"I’m surprised I haven’t fried my eyebrows off!

"But anyway, I’m off to go and get in the bath, panic over."

And people in the comments section were quick to agree with Courtney that her brows looked fine after the near-miss.

"They look nice," one wrote, while another added: "They look gorge!"

And someone else commented: "The max time is how long before it stops developing and wouldn’t get any darker after that time.

"No need to panic."

https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/19364 ... ing-same/#

[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 AUGUST 9
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]

Like a scene out of Jurassic Park: annoyed cassowary chases rangers

Cape York rangers have narrowly escaped the deadly claws of an angry cassowary – and walked away with footage to prove it.

Several Wuthathi Land and Sea custodians were inspecting an overgrown track near Shelburne Bay recently when they came into contact with the angry bird.

Senior custodian Cameron Wilson had just passed through a patch of rainforest on his quad bike when he spotted the cassowary chasing him at full speed.

After hitting an embankment, Mr Wilson stared down the cassowary for a “tense” eight minutes before ranger Clayton Enoch came to his aid.

“Cam was waving at me to slow down and I was like, ‘What for?’” Mr Enoch said.

“Then he held two fingers up to his eyes and pointed behind me and I saw the cassowary in the scrub. I thought, ‘Holy shit.’”

The pair quickly hopped on their quad bikes but the cassowary remained in close pursuit.

“He just wouldn’t let us go,” Mr Enoch said.

“I got whacked by a branch with green ants on it and had them crawling all over me at the same time. It was crazy.

“He was flying alongside me and he let out this pterodactyl-like noise out of his beak.

“The casque on top of his head was close to 30 centimetres long. He was a really healthy bird.

“I’ve been working in wildlife for years and I’ve never seen anything like that.”



The cassowary soon turned its attention to the remaining Wuthathi custodians travelling along the same track on a six-seater buggy.

“It was like a scene out of Jurassic Park,” Indigenous Protected Area Coordinator Sophie Holt said.

“Jim (Turnour), our general manager, did a very good job of keeping his speed up because the tracks are incredibly overgrown.”

“We kept thinking ‘What if this cassowary catches us?’. We were just praying there weren’t any logs or debris on the track.”

After stalking the buggy for almost a kilometre, the cassowary, affectionately known as ‘CC’ gave up the chase. But footage of CC’s wild run through the rainforest has ensured he’ll remain a social media sensation for years to come.

“It amazed me because I didn’t realise how fast they could run,” Mr Enoch said.



“My auntie and sister when they saw the footage said it took them back to an experience they had in Cairns about 15 years ago.

“My two-year-old cousin was with them at the time and they were trying to keep him still while the cassowary looked them up and down.

“I’ve never been chased by one before.

“I think we were pretty lucky we were in a vehicle with bars on it, to be honest.”

Ms Holt said rangers hoped to find more cassowaries in remote parts of Wuthathi country.

“There definitely would be more cassowaries here but there just haven’t been that many sightings,” she said.

“In terms of documenting the northern populations there’s not too much known about them.

“I think that’s an experience of a lifetime. We have a deep respect for cassowaries. We just didn’t expect it.”

You can watch the Jurassic Park-like video on the Cape York Weekly Facebook page or their Twitter page.

[Governor3]

The Times’ ‘Hunt’ Columnist Is Being Sued for Back Rent


Joyce Cohen, a newspaper columnist, had a few options when she started looking for an apartment, and … Business Insider reports that Cohen, the longtime real-estate writer behind the New York Times’ popular “The Hunt,” and her partner, Benjamin Meltzer, seemed to have found one of the happy endings in which her column specializes, settling into a mid-priced Upper West Side sublet. Now they’re being sued by the couple from whom they sublet that apartment — even though, at least judging by Insider’s reporting, the Cohen-Meltzers are just trying to ride out the remainder of the sublet term.

In the fall of 2020, Cohen and Meltzer, who both have hyperacusis, a condition of hypersensitivity to noise, sought out a sublet while construction work was being completed outside their own Upper West Side apartment. They found a listing on Craigslist that November for an apartment being rented out for $2,999 a month by Amit and Jasmine Matta (a.k.a. Jasmine Caprizzo), who had relocated to a condo they owned. The Meltzer-Cohens signed a two-year sublease that runs until mid-January 2023. (Full disclosure: I used to work with Cohen at the Times.)

In the lawsuit, filed in New York State court, the Mattas claim that the landlord found out about the sublet and moved to evict everyone. Tenants in New York State have the right to sublet their apartments, provided they inform the landlord in writing and give information about the subletter. Landlords can only deny subletters on reasonable grounds. But it appears that the landlord did not authorize the sublet, brought a case against both the Mattas and the subletters, and the Mattas tried to stop the legal action against them by asking Cohen and Meltzer to leave.

They didn’t go — the couple, according to the suit, had already installed plexiglass sound barriers and modified the doorbell to make the space sufficiently quiet for their needs. Instead, they started paying rent into an escrow account — as tenants are advised to do during rental disputes. According to the suit, the couple’s lawyer also told the Mattas that instead of paying $2,999 as the sublet terms specify, the couple would agree to the legal rent of $2,558 a month. The Mattas weren’t happy about that and accused the couple of having “a scheme to live for free,” according to Business Insider. But Cohen’s lawyer Jeffrey McAdams told the New York Post that “after renting this apartment on an emergency basis to escape construction-related noise injuries, Joyce and Ben discovered that the overtenants sublet to them under false pretenses. The landlord stopped accepting rent and the tenants now live in their condominium.”

He added that Cohen and Meltzer are still depositing money into that escrow account. “On my advice, for the last two months they have put rent payments on hold as we attempted to settle with Jasmine and Amit, who admit they sublet their apartment without the landlord’s permission. The tenants refuse to settle and instead are continuing an ongoing pattern of harassing and threatening to injure Joyce and Ben.” (Jasmine Matta allegedly threatened to “come through the apartment with a bullhorn,” which the Mattas denied when they spoke to BI.) Cohen declined to comment, and the Mattas could not be reached this afternoon.
https://www.curbed.com/2022/08/new-york ... l#comments
----------------------
Fairly recently I had remarked that if the NY Times real-estate section were a person, it would be wandering the streets in a half open dressing gown. Reading this I know realize it's also only wearing one slipper and is speaking into the handset of a disconnected landline phone - Gov

[Fatima99]

Seagulls are getting drunk on leftover booze and throwing up on firefighters

Seagulls may be getting drunk on leftover alcohol left on South West beaches.

And when firefighters were called to rescue one seagull it was reeking of beer after it fell off a roof, was too drunk to fly and then promptly threw up all over them.

One theory is that early morning scavenger gulls find half-drunk plastic cups left lying around by revellers from the night before. But the RSPCA is not convinced that is the cause.



A crew of six firefighters were called by the RSPCA to rescue a seagull behaving erratically in the Westcountry. When they arrived the bird had already fallen off the roof and was sitting shaking its head.

Firefighter watch manager Virgil Turner was called to Lyme Regis with his team and said: “When we arrived he had already fallen off the roof, he was sitting shaking his head and he then tried to fly and he nearly hit me in the face, I caught him and he threw-up all over me and he reeked of beer.”

The gull was taken to the RSPCA HQ at West Hatch near Taunton in Somerset where staff revealed they already had three others all in the ‘Drunk-Tank’ waiting to sober-up for release.

It was initially thought the gulls had been scavenging and found half drunk plastic cups left laying around from the night-before revellers.

But a spokesman for RSPCA West Hatch said they have almost certainly ruled out the theory that the gulls are drunk on leftover alcohol, as birds had been regurgitating a pulpy brown substance.

He said: “They are getting in such a state that they are almost unconscious. People have been taking them to the vet, who has thought they were on their way out, so some of the them have been put to sleep.”

He added: “I’m almost positive it is not that they are drinking beer left on beaches as they have all eaten a substance that they have brought back up.

“Our suspicion is that it is a by-product of the brewing process, as they all seem to have eaten the same thing.

“We are looking at possible brewery sources, but we really don’t know where it’s coming from – but I certainly don’t think it’s that they are drinking from pint glasses.”

Another theory is that the gulls get 'drunk' by feasting on annual Flying Ant Day. This is because it’s been reported seagulls have been “getting drunk” after feasting on flying ants.

Faith in humanity…



‘I would love to have this girl’s faith in humanity’: Person puts up lost and found sign for Cartier bracelet
'The reward is probably less than what you could sell this for but it's a reward nonetheless.'

Yet, it seems like one unlucky New Yorker managed to lose their Cartier bracelet judging by the posters of the missing bracelet captured in a viral TikTok.

In the TikTok, posted by user Jewell Samone, the poster can be seen taped to a pole while the TikToker says, “You guys, if anyone has seen this girl’s Cartier Love bracelet, it’s of great sentimental value also there’s a reward offered.”

She added, “It’s probably less than what you could sell this for, but it’s a reward nonetheless.”

“I would love to have this girl’s faith in humanity,” the TikToker joked in the video description. “And also her bracelet.”

“That is a $7,000 bracelet. You bet I’d give it back,” one comment read, “The owner probably had a heart attack when they lost it.” The missing Cartier Love bracelet retails for $6,900, and could increase to over $10,000 if it features any diamond additions.

Replying to the comment, the TikToker wrote, “If they’re putting up signs instead of buying a new one you know they probably had to save like crazy to get it.” She later added in response to another comment that “you could tell” the bracelet owner was “desperate” because she found similar posters “everywhere.”

Hopefully, with the video approaching 1 million views, the owner will be reunited with their bracelet soon.

The TikToker did not immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via email.



View article: https://www.dailydot.com/irl/lost-sign-cartier-bracelet/

View bracelet: https://www.cartier.com/en-us/jewelry/b ... lsrc=aw.ds

Idaho man reels in state record 42.5-inch catfish




Wildlife officials in Idaho said an angler broke a state record when he reeled in a massive catfish measuring 42.5 inches long.

The Idaho Department of Fish & Game said Paul Newman was fishing with Hammett Valley Fishing Adventures on the Snake River's CJ Strike Reservoir when he hooked the group's only fish of the day: a gigantic catfish.

The catfish measured 42.5 inches long, breaking the state record for catfish by 9 1/2 inches. The fish measured 32 inches in girth and weighed in at 37 pounds.

"If you are going to set records, this is the state to set the record out in god's country," Newman told KIVI-TV. "It was such an awesome catch, we had good adrenaline on the boat, everybody was hyped, they could tell it was a record breaking catfish."

The fish was released back into the water after being measured and weighed.

[PennySerenade]

Toronto Zoo welcomes three bison calves using 'innovative' reproductive method



The Toronto Zoo has welcomed three wood bison calves, two females and one male, to their menagerie this summer.

The zoo said the three calves were born in late June using “innovative reproductive techniques” that allowed them to “deliberately” choose to breed females – a technique applied in an effort to keep wood bison populations stable and healthy.

“Although wood bison have been down-listed from "endangered" to "threatened" since 1988, on-going diseases, such as tuberculosis and brucellosis, in wild wood bison populations continue to threaten this species,” the zoo said in a release issued Wednesday.

“Reproductive technologies, such as artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization, are important tools for improving the genetic management and connectivity of small populations.”



They say, ultimately, they hope the technique help restore “genetically diverse, disease-free herds” into the wild.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The zoo is currently home to a herd of five male and 18 female wood bison.

The facility said they move the bison through a handling system from mid-September to December to undergo artificial inseminations or embryo transfers – both of which the zoo calls “extremely intricate processes.” It says the timing of each procedure is dependent on the animal’s ovulation cycle, which is synchronized using hormone injections.



“Every step in the process could have a large impact on pregnancy success, so each task is done with the utmost care for both the research and the wellbeing of our bison – from freezing and thawing the sperm and embryos, to transferring them to the females, to training and caring for the herd,” the zoo said.

Ferrari Recalls Nearly Every Model Made Since 2005
Aug. 07, 2022 4:44 PM ET
by Chase Bierenkoven

The recall affects 20,000 cars across 17 years.

The brake fluid reservoir cap may not vent correctly, leading to a vacuum
This could impact the braking performance
Luckily, the fix is easy



Ferrari has had to issue a recall for nearly every car it has made since 2005. The recall affects varying numbers of prancing horses dating back to 2005, totaling roughly 20,000 vehicles. That may not seem like a lot, but for Ferrari, this is. The brand made just under half that in 2020, one of its better financial years since 2005.

There's a staggering number of models affected, so we're simply going to list all of them out here before getting into the meat of the recall.

If you're lucky enough to own a Ferrari, you'll be getting that dreaded recall letter in the mail on or before September 24, 2022. Unfortunately, this isn't a Tesla recall, where things can be fixed over the air. The NHTSA says the brake fluid reservoir cap may not vent correctly. Should you be unlucky enough to have that happen, a vacuum can build up inside the brake fluid reservoir.

If that happens, you're in trouble, as the vacuum creates the same effect as not properly bleeding your brakes: partial or total loss of braking power. In a Ferrari capable of (broadly speaking) 180 mph and up, that's an unpleasant prospect.

Thankfully, the fix is almost laughably easy for any dealer service tech, much less one trained to work on Ferraris. All your local wrencher needs do is swap the fluid reservoir cap and reset the accompanying low brake fluid message.

[johngriffen]

FOR STORIES POSTED THE W/O AUGUST 1
Our news editors at IN OTHER NEWS have carefully reviewed all the stories submitted by our reporters.

Following is last weeks Reporter Log

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

A SPECIAL THANKS TO 8 ACE REPORTERS WHO FILED A NEWS STORY EVERY DAY
Fatima99
goldie0608
Governor3
Jmalarkey1010
lush
midgemental
ozswede
PennySerenade



Every week the editors will review all the stories and pick the one story that we feels deserves a
MOBI PULITZER PRIZE
There are many different categories for submissions.
This week, the category was "BEST HEADLINE"

W/O AUGUST 1 CATEGORY = "BEST HEADLINE"
OrphanX
DAY = FRIDAY AUGUST 5
STORY = "Runaway giant tortoise that stopped trains was looking for love when he went onto railway line, owner reveals"

There were a tons of stories that my wife and I thought were funny this week.
There were also some other great headlines, but this one got our attention
Some great lines... “I think he smashed his way out to freedom because he wanted to find a girl tortoise. I guess he just wanted some female company, and he thought that Norwich was the right place to find some.
A train runs him over and they had to cancel service and delay trains on that line But no worries, the turtle is ok, as the one said "“As many of you may know tortoises in general are extremely good at escaping."

CONGRATULATIONS TO THIS WEEKS MOBI PULITZER PRIZE WINNER = 100 WRZ

[goldie0608]

Ukraine Photo of Nesting Storks Returned Home Becomes a Symbol of Hope for Country



This picture from Ukraine of a stalwart mother stork nesting her two chicks has become a ‘symbol of hope’ for the country.

The new nest was photographed on the outskirts of Kyiv—months after a violent invasion interrupted the normal arrival of the majestic species for annual mating here.

Storks are a ‘sacred’ bird in Ukraine, where they nest every spring after wintering in Africa.

Of the 224,000 storks that visit Europe every year, 16 percent build new nests or return to established ones in Ukraine, and raise chicks through the end of summer.

Some birds have begun to return to their usual nesting areas now, bringing hope to Ukrainians living with the aftermath of the Russian invasion.

Pictures of the nest were taken by the Ukrainian Society for the Protection of Birds. Their director, Oleg Dudkin, explained that the explosions, shelling, and roar of tanks frightened the storks away.

However, these new images captured in the town of Moshchun, 10 miles from Kyiv, show the return of storks is underway—at least for this couple that set up a home.

According to local tradition, storks are seen as a symbol for the arrival of spring, and as an age-old symbol of fertility. They also symbolize “a big harvest, as well as family happiness, procreation, cessation of conflicts and love for the homeland.”

“She has come to symbolize not merely a mother’s devotion to her young but also the great love and devotion of Ukrainians to their motherland and a readiness not to leave,” said Dudkin.

“The storks returned a few days after the Russian troops left the village and immediately began to rearrange their usual nesting place.”

“Storks will always be amulet birds for Ukrainians, strengthening the hope for peace and the inevitable victory of spring over winter and good over evil.”

[lush]

California man eats 17 ghost peppers in one minute for world record
Aug. 9, 2022 / 11:39 AM*



Aug. 9 (UPI) -- A strong-stomached California man broke a Guinness World Record by wolfing down 17 ghost chili peppers in one minute.

Gregory Foster, who previously broke a world record by finishing three Carolina reaper chili peppers in 8.72 seconds, added another title to his name by taking on the record for most Bhut Jolokia chili peppers -- also known as ghost peppers -- eaten in one minute.

Foster downed 17 of the peppers in one minute. His intake was measured at 3.98 ounces, beating the record of 3.42 ounces, which was set by Canadian speed-eater Mike Jack in 2019.

"This record attempt is a personal challenge to see how far I can push myself and my love of the super hot peppers," Foster told Guinness World Records. "As a chili lover, I've been trying to advance the awareness and the excitement surrounding the super-hot chilies out there."

[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
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 10
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