[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
SUNDAY JULY 4
What is it?
Here is your chance to become an "ACE REPORTER" for our weekly news magazine.
It is your job to fine weird, funny or "good feel" stories from around the world and share them with our readers in our weekly magazine

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

EXAMPLE POST

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

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

Rules:
Each Edition of IN OTHER NEWS will be open for 7 days...
You can post as many stories as you like, but you will only get paid for One Story in any 24 hour period
So in other words, you can only earn WRZ$ once a day.
Each news day will start when I post announcing it
OR at:
9:00 AM CHICAGO TIME (UTC -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

Man, 18, rescued from hole he dug on Newquay beach after it collapsed on him

Friday 2 July 2021 15:37, UK
An 18-year-old man had to be rescued from a hole he dug on the beach after it collapsed on him.

Emergency services were called by the coastguard to Fistral Beach in Newquay at 5.30pm on Thursday.

They found the man trapped in a hole he had dug in the sand after it fell in on him, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

The force said that "friends and beachgoers all worked together to dig the man to safety".

He was allowed to return home after being checked over by medics, Newquay Community Fire Station said on Facebook.

"This could have easily resulted in crushing or suffocation," they wrote.

"Please don't dig huge holes in the sand, sand is partial to collapse and the dry weight is around a ton per metre cubed.

"You wouldn't dig a hole in the garden and let your children climb in; please don't do it on a beach either."
(reminds me of Joey of Friends )

[ozswede]

Diver cuts 'frightened' 33ft sperm whale free from ropes that tangled around its giant JAW and anchored it to the ocean floor

A brave diver saved a 'frightened' giant sperm whale that he has 'known' for a decade - by slashing through ropes that had become wrapped around its lower jaw and anchored to the bottom of the ocean.

After Hugues Vitry heard about a tired whale dragging a line of buoys eight miles off Mauritius, he knew he had to help the stranded animal, which he had been following since it was born in 2011. Mr Vitry jumped into the water alongside the 33ft mammal and quickly spotted its jaw was entangled with rope that disappeared more than 1.3 miles to the Indian Ocean floor - dragging the whale's mouth wide open.


The buoy on the end of the rope was making it more difficult for the whale to swim. According to Mr Vitry, the whale was exhausted by the exertion

After taking a few minutes to calm the whale, footage shows Hugues painstakingly cut the ties with special scissors, making sure not to damage the flesh. Having removed the majority of the rope from around its teeth, the whale plunged down into the deep to escape - before the freed buoys resurfaced minutes later.

Mr Vitry, president of Marine Megafauna Conservation Organisation (MMCO), said: 'I have known this whale since he was born in 2011.

'The animal was facing us and he also recognised me because I have been studying the pod and we are regularly in water with them.

Mr Vitry said it was impossible to free the whale without cutting the ropes as there was too much pressure to untie the knots

'I could see that his eye was wide open in fear, like that of a frightened horse. I went over to him and stroked him to calm him down.

'After a few seconds he closed his eye as if he was sleeping, I got down and started to assess how I was going to free him.

'One end of the ropes was anchored far down into the blue at the bottom, some 2,000 metres below.

'At such depths, the pressure of even a slight current on the rope is very high at the surface on the rope and it was pulling on the lower jaw, forcing it to open as wide as possible.

'It was impossible to free the animal without cutting the rope, the pressure of the anchoring part of the rope was too high and it was impossible for me to unwind it due to the fact the rope was stuck about 5ft from the end of the jaw.

'The ropes were so tightly wrapped around the jaw, I knew using a knife would certainly have also cut into the flesh, so I opted to use special scissors to cut the entanglement.

'There was a part of the rope where two shackles were connected to each other that acted as a swivel that was trapped on and in between the teeth.'

Mr Vitry and his team had already identified the whale as one they had been tracking for ten years and called 'tache blanche' or 'white spot' due to distinctive markings on its stomach. MMCO has been studying sperm whales off the west coast of Mauritius for the past decade.

Mr Vitry said: 'He was blowing large amounts of water, much more regularly and much louder than usual. He was swimming in a circular fashion, dragging more than two dozen round buoys behind him.

'As we approached, he dived, pulling on those floats with considerable effort. He stayed underwater for many minutes, then surfaced, completely exhausted.

After removing the ropes the buoys floated to the surface. Mr Vitry said he and his colleagues removed them from the water and took them to port so no other whales could be jeopardised by them.

Source (with video)

[Fatima99]

Interesting Facts about American Independence Day

On July 4, 1776, the American colonies were declared free and independent States from Great Britain and its king.

Did you know it was actually on July 2, 1776, that the Declaration of Independence began? It started with a letter to Britain’s King George to explain why the Continental Congress voted to declare America’s independence.

It was on July 4, that the final wording of the declaration was agreed.

Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence.

Jefferson later served as the third President of America from 1801 to 1809.

Coincidentally, Jefferson died on July 4, 1826.

Strangely, two other US presidents, John Adams and James Monroe, have also died on July 4.

Meanwhile, the 30th president of America, Calvin Coolidge, was born on July 4, 1872.

The first Independence Day was celebrated on July 8, 1776, in Philadelphia and the official signing took place on August 2.

Every 4th of July the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is tapped – although not actually rung – 13 times in honour of the original 13 American colonies.

The stars on the original American flag were in a circle so all the Colonies would appear equal.

The White House celebrated Independence Day for the first time in 1801.

America’s oldest continuous Independence Day celebration is the 4th of July Parade in Bristol on Rhode Island. This year it will celebrate its 232nd year.

The first Independence Day was celebrated by around 2.5 million people compared to more than 316 million people today.

Almost 100 years after the Declaration of Independence, in 1870, July 4 was made an official holiday by Congress.

Fireworks are a major part of the celebrations because the first Independence Day celebration on July 4, 1777, saw Americans gathering to watch as the sky illuminated to celebrate the new nation.

[prokroustis]

The Science Behind Greek Food’s Amazing Healthy Properties



Greek food is often considered among the most healthy cuisines in the world, as it is linked to the Mediterranean diet, which has been proven to have countless health benefits.

The Mediterranean diet is the utmost example of a diet that never goes out of style; it has stood the test of time and it is still considered one of the healthiest of all.

The Mediterranean Sea is home to significant cultural diversity as it is bordered by Greece, Italy, Spain, France, Lebanon, Turkey and North Africa.

Although each country presents its own food choices and traditions, recipes from each culture present a substantial overlap, therefore distinctive cuisines share nutritional attributes and ingredients.

Principles of the Mediterranean diet

As a rule, the Mediterranean diet is mainly plant-based, as it is high in vegetables, fruits, legumes, and unprocessed grains while low in meat and meat products (only a few times per month).

Adherents to the diet also consume a reduced amount of dairy products.

These ingredients are bound together by olive oil, an essential ingredient when it comes to defining the basics of healthy Greek food and the Mediterranean diet.

Health benefits

High in monounsaturated fatty acids, carotenoids, antioxidants, vitamin C, polyphenols as well as other vitamins and minerals, the Greek diet is composed of exceptionally healthy foods.

Grains are whole or in the form of bread or pasta cooked al dente, which lowers the glycemic index. Minimally processed foods, which are a staple in the Greek diet, also provide prebiotic fiber, which promotes intestinal health.

According to several studies, the Mediterranean diet is associated with reduced risk of several chronic diseases, including cancer, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Some have even linked it to preventing depression.

Key healthy ingredients in Greek food and the Mediterranean diet

As an integral part and expression of the local culture, the Mediterranean diet is mostly based on home cooking using local ingredients.

Olive trees, vineyards, and wheat have always been part of the Mediterranean region. But the area has also been a point of convergence for many different cultures; this means that typical Mediterranean foods include native ingredients as well as those imported long ago from other regions.

These are some of the superstar foods in this delicious health-promoting diet.

Olive oil and olives are a staple

Olive oil is the common denominator in the different dietary patterns of the Mediterranean diet across the region, with Italy, Spain and Greece being the top three producers in the world.

Extra-virgin olive oil is rich in carotenoids and polyphenols, offering antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Olive oil is the main source of fat in the diet, and it is also used for cooking and baking.

Despite common beliefs, high-quality extra-virgin olive oil has a high smoke point because of its lower free fatty acid content.

Table olives, especially Kalamata olives, are another rich source of antioxidant polyphenols. Olives are also used for cooking and flavoring dishes, or just to snack on.

Wheat

Wheat is the basic grain of the Mediterranean while another traditional grain is farro (or emmer), an ancient wheat with renewed popularity in recent years.

Bread is often baked using unrefined wheat and barley flours. Mediterranean wheat is also used for couscous and pasta.

Traditionally, wheat was ground with millstones, producing a fiber-rich whole-wheat flour with a lower glycemic index.

Wild greens are one of the most healthy Greek foods

Savory pies made with greens are key dishes in Greece and in other areas of the Mediterranean. Fennel, dandelion greens, rocket and chicory are just a few.

Of course, the nutritional composition varies between species; for example, darker greens are rich in carotenoids, vitamins C, magnesium, iron and calcium.

Not all greens are equal in their flavonoid content, so variety in the diet is ideal. Greens are also a source of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids.

In North America, it is possible to find dandelion greens and purslane as well as other cultivated greens.

Wine: an ancient ingredient

Alcohol is common in the traditional Mediterranean diet, dating back to ancient times.

However, it is consumed in moderation and usually in the form of wine and, as a rule, during meals.

Red wine, in particular, contains antioxidant polyphenols and flavonoids. Wine helps increase HDL (good) cholesterol while decreasing LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.

Capers
This important ingredient is generally used as a garnish that provides flavor, and grows wild all around Greece.

Capers have significant antioxidant properties and are easily found as a healthy condiment in salads in Greece.

Even when they are low in calories, capers are fermented in sea salt, this makes them high in sodium, so rinsing them under running water before using is always a good idea if you’re trying to watch your salt intake.

Chickpeas
Chickpeas are a good source of fiber, folate and manganese while also providing proteins, iron and magnesium.

Chickpeas are one the earliest known cultivated legumes, they are the key ingredient in many traditional Greek dishes.

Lemon provides flavor and health benefits in Greek food

Acidic foods lower glycemic response since they slow the stomach emptying process.

Lemon zest is high in flavonoid content, with a beneficial impact on blood glucose, helping to control or prevent diabetes.

Oranges and lemons originally come from the East, and they were introduced to the region by the Arabs.

A healthy habit in the Mediterranean is that of squeezing lemons on salads or fish, as well as in drinking water. This lowers the glycemic load of the entire meal.

Garlic

This essential ingredient of all Mediterranean cuisines is often found in a variety of sauces and dishes.

For instance, tzatziki, a staple in Greek food, is yogurt mixed with garlic, cucumbers and olive oil, while aioli, an Italian sauce, is made mixing garlic with eggs and olive oil.

The sulfur compounds in garlic produce both its pungent odor but are the key to its health benefits, which include anticancer, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Herbs

Herbs contain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds, especially polyphenols. In Greek cuisine, herbs contribute to the overall intake of flavonols.

Herbs vary in each Mediterranean region yet, together with spices, they are essential to the Mediterranean cuisine.

Many of the classic herbs cultivated in North America grow wild in the Mediterranean.

Feta and yogurt

Traditional feta cheese and yogurt are fermented, which makes them rich in probiotics, also providing an extra portion of protein to a diet that’s mostly plant-based.

Authentic Greek feta is made with goat’s milk or sheep’s milk while yogurt with honey is a common Greek breakfast.

Bring home the Mediterranean with healthy Greek food
The traditional Mediterranean diet is based on local foods, but that does not mean that people from other regions can’t enjoy its benefits.

Adjusting to its basic principles is easy and it offers a tasty way to bring healthy meals to the table.

Preparing simple meals from fresh ingredients at home is a basic tenet of the traditional Mediterranean lifestyle.

Besides, its balanced approach to eating does not disregard enjoying some meat, sweet treats, and wine in moderation.

Basic rules to remember

Eat more plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts.
Replace butter with healthy Greek olive oil.
Use herbs and spices instead of salt to add flavor.
Limit red meat to no more than a few times a month.
Eat fish and poultry at least twice a week.
Drink red wine in moderation.
For better results, also include physical activity and enjoy meals in the company of family and friends.

[HogwartsExpress]

Duo robs gas station with watermelon head disguises




Two robbery suspects in Virginia have been dubbed the "Melon-headed Bandits" after their strange choice in disguise was caught on camera.

Photos show the two suspects wearing watermelons on their heads with eye holes cut out.

Police say the robbery happened at a gas station on May 5.

WRIC reports officers managed to arrest one of the suspects, 20-year-old Justin M. Roger.

He's charged with wearing a mask in public while committing larceny as well as stealing alcohol while underage.

Police say they're still looking for the second "watermelon head."


source: https://abc7.com/duo-robs-gas-station-with-watermelon-head-disguises-/6195652/

[Fivetide]

Dogs on display: Museum fetes 200 years of cartoon canines


Anne Drozd, museum coordinator at Ohio State University's Billy Ireland Cartoon Library Museum, stands at the entrance to the library's new exhibit, "The Dog Show," on Thursday, June 24, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio. Drozd said the genesis for the exhibit came when the late Brad Anderson, the creator of Marmaduke, donated his collection in 2018, including 16,000 original Marmaduke cartoons from 1954 to 2010. (AP Photo/Andrew Welsh-Huggins)

In a 1970 Beetle Bailey comic strip, the character known as Sarge berates his uniform-wearing dog, Otto, for a paperwork mistake.

“Think, Otto, think!!” Sarge says.

“We can’t all be Snoopy,” a dejected Otto replies.

This confluence of two iconic comic strip dogs is on exhibit along with dozens of other images at the world’s largest cartoon museum as part of a new presentation of the history of canines in the world of cartooning.

“The Dog Show: Two Centuries of Canine Cartoons” at Ohio State University’s Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum is running through October.

The genesis for the exhibit came when the late Brad Anderson, the creator of Marmaduke, donated his collection in 2018, including 16,000 original Marmaduke cartoons from 1954 to 2010, other original art, business correspondence, fan mail and books. That began a conversation about plumbing the depths of the museum’s extensive collection for dog-related images, according to museum coordinator Anne Drozd.

“There were so many comic strips and magazine cartoons and comic books, and so many different examples that have dogs in them,” Drozd said. “It seemed like a no brainer to bring everything together in one theme that so many people can relate to and love.”

There are plenty of scene-stealing cats in cartoons, including Jim Davis’ Garfield and the stuffed tiger that comes to life in Bill Watterson’s “Calvin and Hobbes.”

But dogs’ personalities make them a perfect fit for the comic strip form, said exhibit curator Brian Walker.

“Dogs have that eagerness, they aim to please, so they actually make really good cartoon characters,” said Walker, a cartoonist and cartoon historian and the son of Mort Walker, the creator of Beetle Bailey.

Though Otto first appeared in Beetle Bailey in 1956, he was a regular four-legged dog until around 1970 when Mort Walker anthropomorphized him, providing Otto his own uniform and desk, likely thanks to the influence of Snoopy in Charles Schutz’ Peanuts strip, Brian Walker said.

The oldest image in the exhibit is a reprint of British artist George Cruikshank’s illustration of weather so bad it’s “raining cats and dogs.”

Moving through the years, the exhibit includes well-known dogs like “Sandy” from Little Orphan Annie, “Daisy” from Blondie and “Dogbert” from Scott Adams’ Dilbert strip. George Booth’s scraggly New Yorker magazine cartoon dogs show up, as well as images by alternative newspaper cartoonist Lynda Barry, and Shary Flenniken’s “Trots and Bonnie,” about a girl and her talking dog that appeared in “National Lampoon” from 1972 to 1990.

There are well-known characters like “Dog Man” from the book series by cartoonist Dave Pilkey, but also lesser known mutts, including six strips from a 1940s Dick Tracy series featuring the appearance of a Boxer named “Mugg” that the famous detective temporarily takes ownership of.

The exhibit also includes a video highlighting animated dogs such as Scooby-Doo, Huckleberry Hound, Underdog, Disney’s Pluto and Goofy, Slinky the Dog from the “Toy Story” movies, and even Santa’s Little Helper from “The Simpsons.”

Brian Walker said his favorite image in the exhibit comes from the classic Disney movie “Lady and the Tramp,” showing the scene where the dogs eat at an Italian restaurant.

“They’re both eating the same piece of spaghetti and their lips kind of come together and they fall in love,” Walker said. “It doesn’t get much better than that.”

[Zbignieww]

Astronomers discover record-breaking star as small as the moon but with more mass than the sun



Astronomers have discovered the smallest yet most massive white dwarf star ever seen.

According to a new study published Thursday in the journal Nature, the "very special" star has a mass greater than that of our sun, all packed into a relatively small body, similar in size to our moon. It formed when two less massive white dwarf stars, which spent their lives as a pair orbiting around each other, collided and merged together.

At the end of their lives, the vast majority of stars become white dwarfs, which are essentially smoldering corpses, in addition to being one of the densest objects in the universe alongside black holes and neutron stars. In about 5 billion years, our sun will become a red giant before ultimately suffering the same fate.

"It may seem counterintuitive, but smaller white dwarfs happen to be more massive," lead author Ilaria Caiazzo said in a statement. "This is due to the fact that white dwarfs lack the nuclear burning that keep up normal stars against their own self gravity, and their size is instead regulated by quantum mechanics."

The highly-magnetized dead star, named ZTF J1901+1458, is located relatively close to Earth, only about 130 million light years away. It was discovered by the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) from Caltech's Palomar Observatory.

When the two white dwarfs merged, they combined to form a new star, about 1.35 times the mass of our sun, the most massive of its kind ever found. If either of the stars had just slightly more mass, the merger would have resulted in an intense explosion called a supernova.

ZTF J1901+1458 also has an "extreme" magnetic field nearly 1 billion times stronger than the sun, rapidly rotating to complete one full revolution in just seven minutes. It takes the sun about 27 days to complete a rotation.

With a diameter of 2,670 miles, it's the smallest known white dwarf in the universe by over 400 miles. In comparison, the moon is 2,174 miles across.

"We caught this very interesting object that wasn't quite massive enough to explode," says Caiazzo. "We are truly probing how massive a white dwarf can be."

So, what's next for the rare star?

Researchers believe the star has a large enough mass to possibly evolve into a neutron star, which usually forms when a star with a mass much larger than the sun explodes in a supernova. If their hypothesis is correct, it means many of the neutron stars in the universe may have formed in this previously unknown way.

"It is so massive and dense that, in its core, electrons are being captured by protons in nuclei to form neutrons," Caiazzo said. "Because the pressure from electrons pushes against the force of gravity, keeping the star intact, the core collapses when a large enough number of electrons are removed."

The star's proximity to Earth and young age — only about 100 million years old or less — means similar stellar phenomena may occur more commonly in our own galaxy.

"No one has systematically been able to explore short-timescale astronomical phenomena on this kind of scale until now. The results of these efforts are stunning," said Kevin Burdge, who first spotted the star in all-sky images.

But researchers say they are just getting started.

"There are so many questions to address, such as what is the rate of white dwarf mergers in the galaxy, and is it enough to explain the number of type Ia supernovae?" Caiazzo said. "How is a magnetic field generated in these powerful events, and why is there such diversity in magnetic field strengths among white dwarfs? Finding a large population of white dwarfs born from mergers will help us answer all these questions and more."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/white-dwarf-star-smallest-massive-astronomers/

[PennySerenade]

Road trip alert! Just one hour outside of Toronto is the most charming pick-your-own cherry farm.

The family-run Smith Two Century Farms is located at 400 Main St W, in Grimsby ON and is now open for cherry-picking.


For more the 200 years, the Smith family has been tending to their land in the Grimsby area and is the oldest farm in the beautiful region of the Niagara escarpment.

The smith family told blogTO that, "Cherries are usually available for two weeks in the summer, and because we have had good weather and lots of heat and rain they should be really sweet this season."

Although there is an art to the process, "Cherries are actually a very difficult fruit to farm because they are super delicate and you need the blossoms to bloom at just the right time - it really is a labour of love."

Everything about the Smith's farm is wholesome. From the red barn on-site, the enduring family that provides interesting cherry facts to the farm's logo. The logo consists of multiple S's and each S stands for a generation "we just need to add a few more S's because we're now on generation number 8."



The farm does not require a reservation, you can simply swing by and get to picking. They are also pet friendly, they just ask that you keep your furry friend on a leash.

Cherry season begins in early July and can go until mid-August. Both sweet and sour cherries are available and the prices go by litres, 3L ($24), 5L ($30) and 7L ($40).

The working farm is very cherry focused however they also farm peaches and they are typically available mid-August.

The farm is open Wednesday to Sunday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed Monday and Tuesday.

This is an experience you'll certainly want to cherry-pick.

America's most successful squatter, 52, avoids eviction from Long Island home he's lived in rent-free for 20 years AGAIN by hiring a new attorney one day before court hearing

Guramrit Hanspal, 52, has been living for free in a Long Island house that he doesn't own for 23 years
The current owner, real estate firm Diamond Ridge, tried to boot him
Hanspal hired a new lawyer ahead of his eviction hearing Wednesday
The lawyer argued that he needed more time to get acquainted with the case
A Nassau County judge agreed to prolong the case
Hanspal bought the house in 1998 for $290,000, made one mortgage payment and defaulted before he was foreclosed upon
Since then, two banks and Diamond Ridge have owned the property and fought Hanspal in court for years
In total, he's filed four lawsuits and claimed bankruptcy seven times and uses the Bankruptcy Courts' 'automatic stay' rules to keep living in the house
The COVID-19 pandemic clogged New York's housing courts, keeping the current owner, a real estate company, from pursuing eviction

By Christopher Eberhart

Published: 09:57 EDT, 4 July 2021 | Updated: 10:04 EDT, 4 July 2021

A Long Island man who's been living for free in a three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath home for over 20 years has dodged eviction again by hiring a new lawyer a day before a judge was set to hear his case.

Three different owners have tried to kick Guramrit Hanspal, 52, from the East Meadow home since he was foreclosed upon by Washington Mutual in 2000.

But he has managed to avoid eviction numerous times by drowning each of the three owners in legal actions and perverting the courts' rules to his favor.

The current owner is real estate firm Diamond Ridge, which tried to boot Hanspal from the home on Wednesday.

Hanspal's lawyer, William Friedman, requested more time because his co-counsel, David Gevanter, had been hired the day before, the New York Post reported.

Nassau County Judge William A. Hohauser agreed to delay the case.
Guramrit Hanspal is the owner of the house who bought it in 1998 and only ever paid one mortgage payment. A backlog in housing court cases likely means it'll be a while before he's finally evicted

The Long Island home looks relatively tidy from the outside, but isn't in great shape on the inside. A late-model Mercedes sits out front along with a Volkswagen

[mrvictor]

Brooklyn Museum Returns 1,305 Ancient Artifacts To Costa Rica



A New York City museum has returned more than 1,300 ancient artifacts — some older than 2,000 years — to their country of origin.

The Brooklyn Museum in New York City returned 1,305 pieces to Costa Rica, leaving Costa Rican archaeologists in awe.

According to Reuters, Tycoon Minor Keith brought the artifacts, looted during the construction of a railway, to the United States in the 19th or early 20th century, along with shipments of bananas.

The artifacts include an unfinished tombstone, a large ceramic vase painted with beeswax, human representations and ancient tools.

"The tombstone is a piece we have only seen as illustrations in study books here," Daniela Meneses, a researcher at the National Museum of Costa Rica, said at a viewing for the media. "It's amazing to see that piece now. It's very emotional."

"We don't know why they did it, but it's something very good and atypical in the world," archaeologist Javier Fallas said.

https://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news/431 ... Costa-Rica

[hija]

11 Good News Stories: The 4th Of July Independent Spirit Edition



It's Independence Day weekend, so what better time to celebrate the independent spirits of a group of senior citizens in Illinois who just "want to live." They've spent four months alone in their apartments, chased into seclusion by the coronavirus pandemic.

They're waiting out the scourge as other residents of their state rush to reclaim daily routines. They're finding ways to entertain themselves — playing bingo, blackjack, "Wheel of Fortune" and other games in the halls of their assisted living complex — but missing out the chance to be out and about.

Is the sacrifice worth it? You bet it is. "I want to live," 70-year-old Nancy Brown told Patch.

Independence Made Her A Pioneer

Some 22 years ago, Gina Laschiavo wanted a job no other woman in her area of New Jersey had ever held. She wanted to be a cop. She had to sit on a couple of phone books in "old boat" of a patrol car she was first issued. She grew in the job — not physically, but professionally — and when she retired, she called her career "a wonderful journey of me growing up, not only in my personal life but in my blue family as well."

Independence Day Lemonade With A Twist

For four years, now 12-year-old Lucas Oskwarek has spent Fourth of July at his frozen lemonade stand in Middleburg, Connecticut, often with his dog, Boston Terrier Bailey, as his sidekick. Last year, he made just over $300 in a day, but this year, the coronavirus scuttled his plan. He wasn't daunted, finding a way go virtual with his stand — and do something good for his community.

Nature Provided The Pride Flag

Many of June's Pride month festivities were canceled by the coronavirus. A double rainbow arched across the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey, last weekend as June was drawing to a close, and it's almost as if Mother Nature knew just when to step in.

Neighbors Do What Good Neighbors Do

It's been a difficult two months for Joshua "Josh" Funk and his family of Reston, Virginia. First, Funk's wife got sick with the coronavirus. Then one of his four children started showing symptoms a doctor later said were due to strep throat. His son also got antibiotics for strep. His 7-month-old twins stayed healthy, but were teething. And then Funk got sick. The community rallied around him.

How Do You Say 'Thank You' For This?

Doreen Williams, a 48-year-old Long Island nurse, was terrified when she was diagnosed with COVID-19. So were the people who loved her, from her mom who fretted away too many pounds, right down to her baby cousin. She spent two months in the hospital, and when she came home, she was given a full police escort home. "I felt like a queen," she told Patch.

For The Record …

Young children may not remember the coronavirus shutdown, but a photographer in Gaithersburg, Maryland, is doing his part to record it by joining hundreds of others in what's called "The Front Steps Project." Jerry Frishman told Patch the photos he's snapping "create a sense of community," but also "capture a moment in time that hopefully never happens again." With a catch in his voice, he added: "Parents with younger kids, they want these shots for the record. The little kids might not remember 25 years from now, but they'll have pictures to show that.

Bow Ties For Dogs

Darius Brown Jr. has already gotten a big nod of approval from former U.S. President Barack Obama for his heartwarming dog bow ties, which help attract attention for shelter animals at risk of euthanasia. Now, the Newark13-year-old has earned another accolade he and his community can hold their heads high about: The Diana Award, established in memory of the late Princess Diana.

Bucking The Coronavirus Business Trend

It was a tough call for Stacha Madsen when she had to lay off her own daughter and other workers at her St. Petersburg, Florida, coffee shop. "She's my best friend in the world," Madsen told Patch. "And it was a double whammy because I had to lay her off as an employee, and I couldn't help her with the bills because I wasn't generating any income." They decided to stay positive that it would all work out. It did.

Keeping The Dream Alive

The dream for Iowa's first Major League Baseball game is still alive at a ballfield in the middle of a pretty famous cornfield, but the cast has changed for the anticipated Aug. 13 game thrown a curveball by the coronavirus. The Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals are now scheduled to face off in the temporary but regulation 8,000-seat stadium overlooking the "Field of Dreams" movie site on a farm near Dyersville.

And Finally, A Mystery

No one knows who, or what, knocked over a 117-year-old cairn at the remote peak of Rincon Mountain overlooking Tucson, Arizona. But it is what once lay concealed in the rocks that nags retired U.S. Forest Service Ranger John Williams: He claims that the cairn contained dozens of mementos, including military medals and handwritten notes left behind by generations of pilgrims ascending the overlook of the Tucson Valley.

[goldie0608]

Joey Chestnut sets record in his 14th Nathan’s Hot Dog Contest victory



Joey Chestnut broke his own world record at the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest Sunday — a Fourth of July feat much of America missed thanks to ESPN’s shoddy live feed.

Live footage from the contest in Coney Island cut out three times — including just as the 37-year-old eating champ hoovered up his 76th hot dog and bun in front of a packed Maimonides Park stadium.

Chestnut eclipsed his previous record of 75 hot dogs and buns in 2020, when the competition was held at Nathan’s headquarters in Williamsburg without an audience.

Sunday’s total topped that of Chestnut’s closest competitor, Geoffrey Esper, by 26 dogs.

Chestnut held the lead for the entirety of the 10-minute contest. ESPN’s feed began to cut in and out in the last five minutes before going entirely dark as Chestnut chewed his 76th dog with second remaining on the clock.

Fans were outraged to miss the historic finish.

“10 minutes, once a year, and you absolutely blew it, @espn,” tweeted @notmalkinego. “after all we’ve been through, we deserve to watch joey chestnut without interruption.”

The victory marks Chestnut’s 14th at the competition. Ranked number one in the world by Major League Eating, the California native has won all but one Nathan’s contest since 2006.

Thousands of people from across the country packed the stadium for the 2021 competition, eager to get back to normal after the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s a staple of New York,” said Valerie Gagnon, 45, of Long Island. “This is what 4th of July is – it’s American, it’s hot dogs.”

Raed Jarrar, who works for Nathan’s as president of its in-house “BunBoy Nation” hype team, noted the glorious weather.

“The weather sucked the whole weekend, but today, God knows to shine his sun down on America for the Hot Dog Eating Contest,” said Jarrar, 40.

“For us to be back this year I think is a sign that Americans are now united, and that we are one strong people,” he added. “And we’re united around hot dogs, and we’re united around the buns. It’s all about the hot dogs, it’s all about the buns.”

Organizers have promised to return to the contest’s historic staging ground outside the Nathan’s Famous on Surf Avenue for next year’s competition.

[BigGlen]

July 4th is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 180 days remain until the end of the year.



The Aphelion, the point in the year when the Earth is farthest from the Sun, occurs around this date.

Pre-1600
362 BC – Battle of Mantinea: The Thebans, led by Epaminondas, defeated the Spartans.
414 – Emperor Theodosius II, age 13, yields power to his older sister Aelia Pulcheria, who reigned as regent and proclaimed herself empress (Augusta) of the Eastern Roman Empire.
836 – Pactum Sicardi, a peace treaty between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples, is signed.
993 – Ulrich of Augsburg is canonized as a saint.
1054 – A supernova, called SN 1054, is seen by Chinese Song dynasty, Arab, and possibly Amerindian observers near the star Zeta Tauri. For several months it remains bright enough to be seen during the day. Its remnants form the Crab Nebula.
1120 – Jordan II of Capua is anointed as prince after his infant nephew's death.
1187 – The Crusades: Battle of Hattin: Saladin defeats Guy of Lusignan, King of Jerusalem.
1253 – Battle of West-Capelle: John I of Avesnes defeats Guy of Dampierre.
1359 – Francesco II Ordelaffi of Forlì surrenders to the Papal commander Gil de Albornoz.
1456 – Ottoman–Hungarian wars: The Siege of Nándorfehérvár (Belgrade) begins.
1534 – Christian III is elected King of Denmark and Norway in the town of Rye.
1584 – Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe arrive at Roanoke Island

1601-1900
1610 – The Battle of Klushino is fought between forces of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Russia during the Polish–Muscovite War.
1634 – The city of Trois-Rivières is founded in New France (now Quebec, Canada).
1744 – The Treaty of Lancaster, in which the Iroquois cede lands between the Allegheny Mountains and the Ohio River to the British colonies, was signed in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
1774 – Orangetown Resolutions are adopted in the Province of New York, one of many protests against the British Parliament's Coercive Acts.
1776 – American Revolution: The United States Declaration of Independence is adopted by the Second Continental Congress.
1778 – American Revolutionary War: U.S. forces under George Clark capture Kaskaskia during the Illinois campaign.
1802 – At West Point, New York, the United States Military Academy opens.
1803 – The Louisiana Purchase is announced to the American people.
1817 – In Rome, New York, construction on the Erie Canal begins.
1826 – John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, respectively the second and third presidents of the United States, die the same day, on the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the United States Declaration of Independence. Adams' last words were, "Thomas Jefferson survives."
1827 – Slavery is abolished in the State of New York.
1831 – Samuel Francis Smith writes "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" for the Boston, Massachusetts July 4 festivities.
1832 – John Neal delivers the first public lecture in the US to advocate the rights of women.
1837 – Grand Junction Railway, the world's first long-distance railway, opens between Birmingham and Liverpool.
1838 – The Iowa Territory is organized.
1845 – Henry David Thoreau moves into a small cabin on Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. Thoreau's account of his two years there, Walden, will become a touchstone of the environmental movement.
1855 – The first edition of Walt Whitman's book of poems, Leaves of Grass, is published in Brooklyn.
1862 – Lewis Carroll tells Alice Liddell a story that would grow into Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequels.
1863 – American Civil War: Siege of Vicksburg: Vicksburg, Mississippi surrenders to U.S. forces under Ulysses S. Grant after 47 days of siege.
1863 – American Civil War: Union forces repulse a Confederate army at the Battle of Helena in Arkansas. The Confederate loss fails to relieve pressure on the besieged city of Vicksburg, and paves the way for the Union to capture Little Rock.
1863 – American Civil War: The Army of Northern Virginia withdraws from the battlefield after losing the Battle of Gettysburg, signalling an end to the Confederate invasion of U.S. territory.
1879 – Anglo-Zulu War: The Zululand capital of Ulundi is captured by British troops and burned to the ground, ending the war and forcing King Cetshwayo to flee.
1881 – In Alabama, the Tuskegee Institute opens.
1886 – The Canadian Pacific Railway's first scheduled train from Montreal arrives in Port Moody on the Pacific coast, after six days of travel.
1887 – The founder of Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, joins Sindh-Madrasa-tul-Islam, Karachi.
1892 – Western Samoa changes the International Date Line, causing Monday (July 4) to occur twice, resulting in a year with 367 days.
1894 – The short-lived Republic of Hawaii is proclaimed by Sanford B. Dole.
1898 – En route from New York to Le Havre, the SS La Bourgogne collides with another ship and sinks off the coast of Sable Island, with the loss of 549 lives.

1901-present
1901 – William Howard Taft becomes American governor of the Philippines.
1903 – The Philippine–American War is officially concluded.
1910 – The Johnson–Jeffries riots occur after African-American boxer Jack Johnson knocks out white boxer Jim Jeffries in the 15th round. Between 11 and 26 people are killed and hundreds more injured.
1911 – A massive heat wave strikes the northeastern United States, killing 380 people in eleven days and breaking temperature records in several cities.
1913 – President Woodrow Wilson addresses American Civil War veterans at the Great Reunion of 1913.
1914 – The funeral of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie takes place in Vienna, six days after their assassinations in Sarajevo.
1918 – Mehmed V died at the age of 73 and Ottoman sultan Mehmed VI ascends to the throne.
1918 – World War I: The Battle of Hamel, a successful attack by the Australian Corps against German positions near the town of Le Hamel on the Western Front.
1918 – Bolsheviks kill Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his family (Julian calendar date).
1927 – First flight of the Lockheed Vega.
1939 – Lou Gehrig, recently diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, informs a crowd at Yankee Stadium that he considers himself "The luckiest man on the face of the earth", then announces his retirement from major league baseball.
1941 – Nazi crimes against the Polish nation: Nazi troops massacre Polish scientists and writers in the captured Ukrainian city of Lviv.
1941 – World War II: The Burning of the Riga synagogues: The Great Choral Synagogue in German-occupied Riga is burnt with 300 Jews locked in the basement.
1942 – World War II: The 250-day Siege of Sevastopol in the Crimea ends when the city falls to Axis forces.
1943 – World War II: The Battle of Kursk, the largest full-scale battle in history and the world's largest tank battle, begins in the village of Prokhorovka.
1943 – World War II: In Gibraltar, a Royal Air Force B-24 Liberator bomber crashes into the sea in an apparent accident moments after takeoff, killing sixteen passengers on board, including general Władysław Sikorski, the commander-in-chief of the Polish Army and the Prime Minister of the Polish government-in-exile; only the pilot survives.
1946 – The Kielce pogrom against Jewish Holocaust survivors in Poland.
1946 – After 381 years of near-continuous colonial rule by various powers, the Philippines attains full independence from the United States.
1947 – The "Indian Independence Bill" is presented before the British House of Commons, proposing the independence of the Provinces of British India into two sovereign countries: India and Pakistan.
1950 – Cold War: Radio Free Europe first broadcasts.
1951 – Cold War: A court in Czechoslovakia sentences American journalist William N. Oatis to ten years in prison on charges of espionage.
1951 – William Shockley announces the invention of the junction transistor.
1954 – Rationing ends in the United Kingdom.
1960 – Due to the post-Independence Day admission of Hawaii as the 50th U.S. state on August 21, 1959, the 50-star flag of the United States debuts in Philadelphia, almost ten and a half months later (see Flag Acts (United States)).
1961 – On its maiden voyage, the Soviet nuclear-powered submarine K-19 suffers a complete loss of coolant to its reactor. The crew are able to effect repairs, but 22 of them die of radiation poisoning over the following two years.
1966 – U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Freedom of Information Act into United States law. The act went into effect the next year.
1976 – Israeli commandos raid Entebbe airport in Uganda, rescuing all but four of the passengers and crew of an Air France jetliner seized by Palestinian terrorists.
1976 – The U.S. celebrates its Bicentennial.
1977 – The George Jackson Brigade plants a bomb at the main power substation for the Washington state capitol in Olympia, in solidarity with a prison strike at the Walla Walla State Penitentiary Intensive Security Unit.
1982 – Three Iranian diplomats and a journalist are kidnapped in Lebanon by Phalange forces, and their fate remains unknown.
1987 – In France, former Gestapo chief Klaus Barbie (a.k.a. the "Butcher of Lyon") is convicted of crimes against humanity and sentenced to life imprisonment.
1994 – Rwandan genocide: Kigali, the Rwandan capital, is captured by the Rwandan Patriotic Front, ending the genocide in the city.
1997 – NASA's Pathfinder space probe lands on the surface of Mars.
1998 – Japan launches the Nozomi probe to Mars, joining the United States and Russia as a space exploring nation.
2001 – Vladivostock Air Flight 352 crashes on approach to Irkutsk Airport killing all 145 people on board.
2002 – A Boeing 707 crashes near Bangui M'Poko International Airport in Bangui, Central African Republic, killing 28.
2004 – The cornerstone of the Freedom Tower is laid on the World Trade Center site in New York City.
2004 – Greece beats Portugal in the UEFA Euro 2004 Final and becomes European Champion for first time in its history.
2005 – The Deep Impact collider hits the comet Tempel 1.
2006 – Space Shuttle program: Discovery launches STS-121 to the International Space Station. The event gained wide media attention as it was the only shuttle launch in the program's history to occur on the United States' Independence Day.
2009 – The Statue of Liberty's crown reopens to the public after eight years of closure due to security concerns following the September 11 attacks.
2009 – The first of four days of bombings begins on the southern Philippine island group of Mindanao.
2012 – The discovery of particles consistent with the Higgs boson at the Large Hadron Collider is announced at CERN.
2015 – Chile claims its first title in international football by defeating Argentina in the 2015 Copa América Final.

[lush]

Awkwardly placed motivational message in Tesco toilet leaves customer in stitches
10:13, 4 JUL 2021Updated22:40, 4 JUL 2021*

An unfortunately-placed motivational poster in the customer toilets at Tesco has left Reddit users in stitches after a fellow user posted a photo of it with a wry caption

A motivational message placed on the wall of a supermarket has left people giggling after a Reddit user posted a photograph showing its unfortunate placement.

Tesco had put up signs in its shops with messages such as "Together we can do this," to unite and support customers amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

But there are some areas the sign might not work well in - for example, the toilet.

A Reddit account posted a photo from their local Tesco toilets where that very sign was placed right next to a urinal - not somewhere customers will usually want shop assistance.

They wrote alongside it: " Nah, I got this one all by myself thanks Tesco".


A Tesco sign with an unfortunate placement had customers giggling (Image: Reddit)

The amusing snap garnered a lot of attention on the social media platform with many sharing hilarious replies in the comments.

One person replied: " Ok, but only three shakes please; any more and I’d need to know your name first."

Another joked: "Would you like help with your package?"

"If you’re pee shy, this is the perfect motivation," added a third.