September 27, 20241 yr 17 minutes ago, DrPhilly said: They do some unbelievable stretching for sure. Their strength and flexibility is quite impressive.
September 27, 20241 yr Most big cities are safer than the media portrays, but then there are Oakland and San Francisco. You need to have a death wish to walk around Oakland.
September 27, 20241 yr Good Quote UK court hands prison terms to climate activists who threw soup on Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers Two climate activists in their early 20s were sentenced to prison by a London court Friday for throwing soup over Vincent Van Gogh’s "Sunflowers” painting during a protest against fossil fuels. Phoebe Plummer, 23, and Anna Holland, 22, from the protest group Just Stop Oil were imprisoned for two years, and 20 months, respectively, according to PA Media. These are the latest in a string of prison sentences handed to climate activists in the UK for engaging in disruptive protests against the use of fossil fuels. Two relatively new, controversial laws have boosted the powers of police and courts to crack down on protests that are disruptive, even when they are peaceful. The sentences appeared to do little to deter Just Stop Oil: Hours after they were handed down, three more Just Stop Oil activists threw soup over two other Van Gogh paintings of sunflowers in the Poets and Lovers exhibition at the National Gallery, the same venue the 2022 protests was staged, according to the group. The two activists sentenced Friday were found guilty of criminal damage offenses for pouring the contents of two tins of tomato soup over the famous painting in October 2022, causing damage to the artwork’s gold-colored frame. They also glued themselves to the wall beneath the painting, at the National Gallery in London. "Sunflowers” — worth more than $84 million — was preserved under protective glass but the protesters were accused of causing £10,000 (over $13,000) worth of damage to its golden frame. Judge Christopher Hehir admonished Plummer and Holland in court Friday, saying the "cultural treasure” could have been "seriously damaged or even destroyed” by their actions. "Soup might have seeped through the glass. You couldn’t have cared less if the painting was damaged or not,” he said in court. "You had no right to do what you did to ‘Sunflowers.’” The judge handed Plummer an additional three-month sentence for her part in a "slow march,” a 2023 protest that caused traffic delays in west London. "You clearly think your beliefs give you the right to commit crimes when you feel like it. You do not,” the judge said. Hehir is the same judge who recently handed yearslong prison terms to five climate activists for their roles in disruptive protests. All were from Just Stop Oil or its allied group, Extinction Rebellion. Plummer, representing herself, told the court: "My choice today is to accept whatever sentence I receive with a smile. It is not just myself being sentenced today, or my co-defendants, but the foundations of democracy itself.” The UK government has been criticized for its laws designed to crack down on disruptive protest by rights groups and the UN’s special rapporteur on environmental defenders, Michael Forst, who said the laws were being enforced in "punitive and repressive” ways.
September 30, 20241 yr Dish circling the drain is no secret if you were paying attention, but this is f'n hilarious
October 2, 20241 yr Claudia Sheinbaum sworn in as 1st female president of Mexico MEXICO CITY (AP) — Claudia Sheinbaum was sworn in Tuesday as Mexico’s first female president, riding the enthusiasm over her predecessor’s social programs but also facing challenges that include stubbornly high levels of violence. After a smiling Sheinbaum took the oath of office on the floor of Congress, legislators shouted "Presidenta! Presidenta!” using the feminine form of president in Spanish for the first time in over 200 years of Mexico’s history as an independent country https://apnews.com/article/mexico-president-claudia-sheinbaum-7d3599b39a7298df46e7eda34d80afee
October 2, 20241 yr 7 hours ago, DaEagles4Life said: legislators shouted "Presidenta! Presidenta!” Bigots it’s PresidentX
October 2, 20241 yr 9 hours ago, DaEagles4Life said: Claudia Sheinbaum sworn in as 1st female president of Mexico "scientist-turned-politician”. 👍
October 25, 2024Oct 25 https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/burmese-pythons-can-eat-bigger-prey-than-previously-thought/ar-AA1sS16c Quote urmese pythons can consume prey even larger than scientists realized, according to a new study published in the journal Reptiles & Amphibians. That means more animals are on the menu across southern Florida, where the nonnative, invasive snakes have decimated populations of foxes, bobcats, raccoons and other animals. Pythons swallow deer, alligators and other prey whole. What they eat is limited in part by how big an animal they can wrap their flexible, stretchy jaws around. Researchers call this the snake's gape. University of Cincinnati Professor Bruce Jayne said measurements of snakes captured in and around Everglades National Park show that the biggest pythons have an even bigger gape than mathematical models would suggest. Jayne examined three of the largest snakes captured by research partners Ian Easterling and Ian Bartoszek at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, measuring 15, 17 and 19 feet long. Researchers had previously examined pythons with a gape of 22 centimeters (or 8.7 inches) in diameter. But the largest of the snakes Jayne's research partners captured had a maximal gape of 26 centimeters (or 10.2 inches). "That doesn't sound like a lot—just 18% bigger," Jayne said. But the total area of the gape increased by a whopping 40%, Jayne said. The largest snakes had a gape circumference of more than 81 centimeters—the equivalent of a 32-inch waist on a pair of pants. That means snakes can consume far larger prey than was previously known. Based on prey items researchers found inside Burmese pythons, researchers know they will kill and consume animals nearly too big to swallow. Researchers observed one snake consuming a 77-pound deer, representing two-thirds of the snake's total mass. "Watching an invasive apex predator swallow a full-sized deer in front of you is something that you will never forget," Bartoszek said. "The impact the Burmese python is having on native wildlife cannot be denied. This is a wildlife issue of our time for the Greater Everglades ecosystem."
October 28, 2024Oct 28 On 10/25/2024 at 9:56 AM, Mike030270 said: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/burmese-pythons-can-eat-bigger-prey-than-previously-thought/ar-AA1sS16c
October 28, 2024Oct 28 https://www.cnbc.com/2024/10/28/jpmorgan-suing-customers-over-infinite-money-glitch.html Quote JPMorgan Chase has begun suing customers who allegedly stole thousands of dollars from ATMs by taking advantage of a technical glitch that allowed them to withdraw funds before a check bounced. The bank on Monday filed lawsuits in at least three federal courts, taking aim at some of the people who drew down the highest amounts in the so-called infinite money glitch that went viral on TikTok. A Houston case involves a man who owes JPMorgan $290,939.47 after an unidentified accomplice deposited a counterfeit $335,000 check at an ATM, according to the bank. Quote JPMorgan Chase has begun suing customers who allegedly stole thousands of dollars from ATMs by taking advantage of a technical glitch that allowed them to withdraw funds before a check bounced. The bank on Monday filed lawsuits in at least three federal courts, taking aim at some of the people who withdrew the highest amounts in the so-called infinite money glitch that went viral on TikTok and other social media platforms in late August. A Houston case involves a man who owes JPMorgan $290,939.47 after an unidentified accomplice deposited a counterfeit $335,000 check at an ATM, according to the bank. "On August 29, 2024, a masked man deposited a check in Defendant’s Chase bank account in the amount of $335,000,” the bank said in the Texas filing. "After the check was deposited, Defendant began withdrawing the vast majority of the ill-gotten funds.” JPMorgan, the biggest U.S. bank by assets, is investigating thousands of possible cases related to the "infinite money glitch,” though it hasn’t disclosed the scope of associated losses. Despite the waning use of paper checks as digital forms of payment gain popularity, they’re still a major avenue for fraud, resulting in $26.6 billion in losses globally last year, according to Nasdaq’s Global Financial Crime Report.
October 28, 2024Oct 28 I mean... how would anyone in their right mind think they could pull that stunt and there not be consequences?
October 29, 2024Oct 29 https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2024/10/28/new-refund-rules-for-delayed-and-canceled-flights/75837222007/ Quote The U.S. Department of Transportation's new refund rule for air travelers mandates automatic refunds for significantly delayed or canceled flights. Domestic flights delayed by three hours or more and international flights delayed by six hours or more qualify for a full refund. Airlines must issue refunds within seven days for credit card purchases and 20 days for other forms of payment. The rule also requires refunds for checked bag fees if luggage is not delivered within a specified timeframe, as well as for non-functional or unavailable paid services like Wi-Fi. Quote Refunds for canceled flights Even before the new rule was announced, the DOT required airlines to provide refunds to travelers whose flights were canceled, so long as they chose not to take alternative flights offered by the airline. The DOT's policy clarifies how and when these refunds need to be processed. Under the latest guidelines, an airline must provide the refunds automatically, without passengers specifically requesting them. Airlines and ticket agents are also required to complete the refund within seven days for credit card purchases, and 20 days for other forms of payment. The refunds must be made to the original form of payment – they cannot be covered by airline vouchers or credits if the tickets weren't paid for that way. And, the refunds must cover the full, unused value of the ticket. Airlines will not be required to issue refunds for segments of an itinerary that were already flown before the trip was canceled. Cruising Altitude:Bumped from a flight? What airlines owe you, and why it may be nothing. Refunds for delayed flights The bigger change to the DOT's policy is how it clarifies what counts as a significant delay. Where the previous policy was ambiguous, the new rule specifies that delayed flights become refund-eligible after three hours for a domestic itinerary or six hours for an international itinerary. These time limits apply both to departure and arrival delays. The policy also covers "significantly changed" flights, which the DOT explains means "departures or arrivals from a different airport; increases in the number of connections; instances where passengers are downgraded to a lower class of service; or connections at different airports or flights on different planes that are less accessible or accommodating to a person with a disability." All of the refund guidelines for cancellations also apply to delayed flights. That is, the refunds must be issued automatically, in full, to the original form of payment. Refunds for baggage issues Passengers are now also entitled to get checked bag fees refunded if their luggage does not arrive in a timely manner at their destination. Under the DOT's new rule, bag fees become refundable for passengers who file a mishandled baggage claim if their luggage isn't delivered within 12 hours on a domestic itinerary, or 15-30 hours on an international itinerary, depending on the length of the flight. Airline fee reimbursements The DOT's rule also requires airlines to issue refunds for fees like inflight Wi-Fi, seat selection or inflight entertainment if the passenger paid for such a service but it was non-functional or unavailable during their flight. Medical and government travel exemptions Passengers will soon also be entitled to airline credit valid for at least five years from the issue date if they are restricted by a government or advised by a medical professional not to travel because they have been diagnosed with a serious communicable disease after booking a flight. The DOT's policy said airlines can require passengers applying for this credit to provide documentary evidence to support their request. This part of the policy doesn't fully take effect until May.
October 30, 2024Oct 30 This was a policy in Europe for a while. Had a flight delayed 7 hours coming home and got $600 back.
November 4, 2024Nov 4 https://www.instagram.com/reel/DB4UOIgvVg7/?utm_source=ig_embed Polar bear eating seal alive
November 4, 2024Nov 4 8 minutes ago, Mike030270 said: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DB4UOIgvVg7/?utm_source=ig_embed Polar bear eating seal alive Is that what happened to his face?
November 7, 2024Nov 7 From the "Everything in Australia is trying to kill you" file: Quote Mysterious black balls that washed up on Sydney beach were foul-smelling mini ‘fatbergs’ The mystery of the black balls that washed up on some of Sydney’s most iconic beaches last month has now been solved – and it’s more disgusting than you could ever imagine. Australian beachgoers were turned away from seven beaches last month after lifeguards spotted thousands of black spheres, prompting closures and clean-up efforts. A team of scientists at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) has revealed the black balls – initially thought to be made of tar – were actually mini "fatbergs,” made up of human feces, methamphetamine, human hair, fatty acids, and food waste, among hundreds of other vile and befuddling substances. "They smell absolutely disgusting, they smell worse than anything you’ve ever smelt,” lead investigator Associate Professor Jon Beves told CNN affiliate 9News. The New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA) first warned Sydney residents to avoid swimming or touching the balls on October 17, after they were spotted at seven beaches including the city’s famed Bondi Beach. At that stage their contents were "a mystery” and local officials ordered a series of tests to find out what they were and where they came from. Initial testing suggested they were made from unrefined oil, potentially from an oil spill, Beves and UNSW professor William Alexander Donald wrote on website The Conversation. "However, further testing indicated a different, more disgusting, composition.” The balls were consistent with fatbergs, congealed masses of fats, oils and greasy molecules that can accumulate in sewage, the scientists wrote, noting their presence highlights the issue of pollution along Sydney’s coastline. "I wouldn’t want to be swimming with them,” Donald told 9News. Fatbergs come in all shapes and sizes. In 2021, a massive, 330-ton fatberg wreaked havoc in Birmingham, UK when it clogged a city sewer for weeks. These Sydney fatbergs were no ordinary fatbergs, however. The blobs contained everything from fecal matter to medication and recreational drugs, the scientists wrote. Where these gross balls came from still remains a mystery. The balls likely originated from "a source that releases mixed waste,” according to a media release from the EPA Wednesday. "Authorities have considered several possible causes, such as a shipping spill or wastewater outflow,” the statement said. "However, due to the complex composition of the balls and the time they have spent in the water, testing has not been able to confirm their exact origin.”
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