[BigGlen]

When will cruise ships sail? The latest cruise line restart dates



Ocean cruise lines continue to cancel sailings and extend their operations pause to comply with the CDC's Conditional Sailing Order. Here are the latest on expected restart dates. Cruise lines are listed in alphabetical order.

Last updated May 13.

Azamara paused operations through August. The Azamara Quest will begin sailings from Greece on Aug. 28.

Carnival Cruise Line extended its operations pause from U.S. ports on all but three ships through July 30. It plans to launch the Carnival Horizon from Miami and the Carnival Vista and Carnival Breeze from Galveston, Texas, in July.

Celebrity Cruises: All sailings are suspended from the U.S. until June 30. Celebrity will launch service on the Celebrity Millennium from St. Maarten June 5 and on the Celebrity Apex from Athens on June 19. Galapagos cruises will launch on the Celebrity Flora July 4, the Celebrity Xpedition July 24 and the Celebrity Xploration Sept. 18.

Celestyal Cruises plans to resume operations May 29 from Piraeus, Greece, with seven-night cruises on the Celestyal Crystal.

Crystal Cruises: The Crystal Serenity will launch Bahamas cruises in July, the Crystal Symphony will launch Caribbean cruises in August and the line's Crystal Endeavor expedition ship. will launch Iceland sailings on Aug. 17. Crystal Esprit yacht sailings are canceled through Aug. 1.

Cunard Line canceled cruises on the Queen Victoria through Aug. 27 and the Queen Mary 2 through Nov. 12. The Queen Elizabeth will operate U.K. cruises for locals this summer.

Disney Cruise Line: The line canceled sailings on the Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy until June 1 and the Disney Wonder through July 8. The line also canceled many scheduled sailings that are longer than seven days to comply with CDC rules.

Holland America Line: The Eurodam will resume service in August from Athens. Otherwise all cruises are canceled through June 30 and cruises of eight days or longer that call in the U.S. through Nov. 1, as well as some longer cruises in other parts of the world.

MSC Cruises canceled its Caribbean sailings from U.S. ports through June 30.

Norwegian Cruise Line suspended cruises through June 30. The Norwegian Jade will launch from Athens on July 25; the Norwegian Joy from Montego Bay, Jamaica, on Aug. 7; the Norwegian Gem from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, on Aug. 15.; the Norwegian Epic from Barcelona Sept. 5; and the Norwegian Getaway from Civitavecchia (Rome) on Sept. 13.

Oceania Cruises suspended all sailing through June 30. The Marina will resume service on Aug. 29 from Copenhagen.

Ponant will resume sailing across Europe in June.


Princess Cruises canceled California coast, Mexico and Caribbean and the Mediterranean on the Enchanted Princess through Aug. 21. Canceled all U.S. itineraries of more than seven days through November.

Royal Caribbean International: All sailings are suspended from the U.S. until June 30. The Adventure of the Seas will launch from Nassau on June 12; the Vision of the Seas will launch from Bermuda on June 26; and the Jewel of the Seas will sail from Limassol, Cyprus, on July 10.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises: All cruises suspended through June 30. The Seven Seas Splendor will launch Sept. 11 from the U.K.

Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection's first ship, the Evrima, will launch Nov. 10 in the Caribbean.

Seabourn has canceled all cruises until July 3. The Seabourn Ovation will launch cruises from Athens on July 3, and the Seabourn Odyssey will launch from Bridgetown, Barbados, on July 18.

Silversea suspended all sailings through June 30 except for those on the Silver Moon, launching from Greece June 18, and the Silver Origin, launching Galapagos Islands cruises June 19.

Viking canceled cruises through June except the Viking Orion on Bermuda sailings and the Viking Sky from Reykjavik, both in June. The Viking Venus and the Viking Sea will both launch cruises from Valletta, Malta, in July.

Virgin Voyages' first ship, the Scarlet Lady, will launch from the U.K. in August. The ship will launch from Miami Sept. 22. The Valiant Lady, the line's second ship, will launch from Miami Nov. 14.

Windstar Cruises postponed its sailings until June. The Star Breeze will launch from Philipsburg, St. Maarten, and the Wind Star from Athens, both on June 19. The Wind Spirit will sail from Papeete, Tahiti, on July 15; the Wind Surf on Aug. 8 from Barcelona; the Star Legend from London on Sept. 4; and the Star Pride from San Juan on Nov. 3.

[goldie0608]

After beating cancer, daughter climbs Mount Everest with her mom



For climbers, Mount Everest is the ultimate test. But not for a mother and daughter from Oklahoma, who have already conquered something much tougher.

Valari and Jess Wedel hope to become the first American mother-daughter team to reach the world's highest peak. CBS News spoke with them via Zoom from Everest base camp, which has an elevation of 17,600 feet.

Jess Wedel said the trip wasn't solely about getting to the summit. "The possibility exists that we can get there and that would be amazing," she said. "But if we're not enjoying every single moment along the way, then we've missed the point almost."

The duo, both experienced climbers, started their trek weeks ago.

It's a brutal undertaking for Valari Wedel, who's 61 and has asthma. But also for Jess Wedel, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2016. She's had multiple surgeries and months of chemotherapy. She's now cancer-free.

"It feels like part of our healing was coming into the mountains and being able to enjoy each other and have fun and just live life," Jess Wedel said.

They've already weathered storms on Everest. The pair said there were 60 mph winds with whiteout conditions for 43 hours.

"When we say we live everyday, we really do because we have been in a place where we didn't have maybe the next day," Valari Wedel said.

They're having the adventure of a lifetime but time together has been the greatest gift.

Volcanoes could still be active on Mars



The barren landscape of Mars makes the planet seem like a quiet, frozen desert where nothing has happened for billions of years except for the occasional dust storm.

New research, however, suggests that the red planet has a more recent history of activity -- and it could still be volcanically active.
Scientists still are trying to understand the history of Mars, and NASA rovers like Curiosity and Perseverance can help uncover evidence to piece together the planet's time line.
Mars was once much wetter and warmer than it is today about 4 billion years ago. Something happened to cause the planet to lose its atmosphere and send its water beneath the surface about 3 billion years ago -- but the cause remains a mystery.
Scientists had believed much of the planet's volcanic activity occurred between 3 and 4 billion years ago, along with some isolated eruptions happening about 3 million years ago.
Now, orbiters circling Mars have provided imagery and data of a previously unknown area of interest. This latest information shows evidence of volcanic activity that happened within the last 50,000 years -- which is fairly young, astronomically speaking.
The smooth, dark area stretches for 8 miles. It's surrounded by a 20-mile-long volcanic fissure in the Cerberus Fossae system of faults where the Martian crust has pulled apart.
This intriguing feature is located in the Elysium Planitia region, a plain spread across the planet's equator and second largest volcanic region.
The study published Monday in the journal Icarus.
"This may be the youngest volcanic deposit yet documented on Mars," said lead study author David Horvath, a research scientist at the Planetary Science Institute, in a statement. "If we were to compress Mars' geologic history into a single day, this would have occurred in the very last second."
The researchers believe the evidence, including how the material was distributed on the surface, matches a pyroclastic eruption. This type of volcanic eruption occurs when magma explodes due to expanding gases.
In other words, think about what happens when you shake up a soda.
"When we first noticed this deposit, we knew it was something special," said study coauthor Jeff Andrews-Hanna, an associate professor at the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, in a statement. "The deposit was unlike anything else found in the region, or indeed on all of Mars, and more closely resembled features created by older volcanic eruptions on the Moon and Mercury."
Most of the evidence of previous volcanic activity is similar to lava flows that we might see on Earth. But this one is different.
"This feature overlies the surrounding lava flows and appears to be a relatively fresh and thin deposit of ash and rock, representing a different style of eruption than previously identified pyroclastic features," Horvath said. "This eruption could have spewed ash as high as 6 miles into Mars' atmosphere. It is possible that these sorts of deposits were more common but have been eroded or buried."

The potential for life on Mars
While neither of the rovers are close enough to investigate this feature, NASA's InSight Lander is about 1,000 miles away. The stationary craft has been studying seismic activity on Mars since it landed in November 2018.
While tracking seismic activity, InSight detected two Marsquakes -- like earthquakes but not caused by tectonic plates since Mars doesn't have any -- that originated from the region around Cerberus Fossae.
Since tectonic activity isn't the cause, scientists think magma could be moving deep within the planet's interior to cause these quakes.
"The young age of this deposit absolutely raises the possibility that there could still be volcanic activity on Mars, and it is intriguing that recent Marsquakes detected by the InSight mission are sourced from the Cerberus Fossae," Horvath said.
Fissures in Cerberus Fossae likely occurred 20 million years ago when groundwater spewed up and onto the surface, although the cause for this eruption is unknown.
And these volcanic deposits could suggest something many scientists have speculated: Mars could have been habitable below the surface more recently than the surface itself.
"The interaction of ascending magma and the icy substrate of this region could have provided favorable conditions for microbial life fairly recently and raises the possibility of extant life in this region," Horvath said.
Eruptions could have occurred when Martian magma made contact with permafrost beneath the surface.
"The ice melts to water, mixes with the magma and vaporizes, forcing a violent explosion of the mixture," said study coauthor Pranabendu Moitra, a research scientist in the University of Arizona's department of geosciences, in a statement. "When water mixes with magma, it's like pouring gasoline on a fire."
High activity
Just 6 miles away from this volcanic eruption, considered to be the youngest on the planet, is also the youngest impact crater on Mars. The crater is 6 miles wide.
"The ages of the eruption and the impact are indistinguishable, which raises the possibility, however speculative, that the impact actually triggered the volcanic eruption," Moitra said.
Large impacts to Mars may have shaken up the subsurface magma, much like large earthquakes have been linked to volcanic eruptions.
Elysium may seem flat and boring, but it's no coincidence that this area is home to active Marsquakes, the planet's most recent water floods and lava flows -- and now, the most recent volcanic eruption.
"This may be the most recent volcanic eruption on Mars, but I think we can rest assured that it won't be the last," Andrews-Hanna said. "All these data seem to be telling the same story: Mars isn't dead."

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/05/15/world/mars-volcanoes-activity-scn/index.html

[Fatima99]

Truck driver praised for incredible act of kindness as he helps old lady avoid huge puddle

The adorable moment shows the driver move the truck into the just the right position so the woman can use the vehicle's lift to get to her car without stepping in a massive puddle



A heart-warming video showing the moment a truck driver stopped to help an old lady avoid a puddle, in a seemingly random act of kindness, has gone viral.

The old woman, who struggles to walk, can be seen trying to access her car but a giant puddle has formed between the path and her door.

There are at least a few feet of water she has to cross, which must be several inches deep, which would have left her completely soaked.

So a truck driver stopped to help the woman, by position his vehicle in just the right place so that she can use the tail-lift to walk to the door of her car.



The video was shared on TikTok on Wednesday, May 12, and it has already received 608k likes.

After the driver backs the truck into the right place and lowers the lift, the woman can be seen successfully walking to her car and climbing in.

Many people commented on the post to praise the truck driver, describing the act as 'wholesome'.

One said: "My heart melted."

[PennySerenade]

Ontario father given months to live now cancer-free after surgery on rare tumour



TORONTO -- An Ontario father is cancer-free after a rare life-saving surgery performed by a Toronto cardiac surgeon.

“It’s surreal. I play with my kids, I get to call my family and tell them the good news. It’s overwhelming, it’s amazing,” Ross Mangan told CTV News Toronto.

The turnaround comes just six months after Mangan, 31, a Kingston, Ont. father of two young boys found out he had a rare tumour on his heart. He was told at the time he had less than one year to live.



The initial symptoms of his cancer appeared to come on suddenly in November.

“I ended up fainting and hitting my head,” Mangan said. “My wife called an ambulance. They ended up taking me in and finding out I had a lot of fluid around my heart which led team to find the cancer that was on my heart.”

Mangan’s fate was handed to Dr. Robert James (RJ) Cusimano, a cardiac surgeon at Toronto General.

At first the tumour was too advanced to operate. There was a biopsy, chemotherapy, then the intricate surgery.

“Remove and rebuild probably about a quarter of his heart, including a heart valve, blood vessels leading out of the heart, part of the heart, base of the heart, did a bypass on him, so that’s sort of something I’ve gained with experience here,” said Cusimano.

Cusimano explained that not only is Mangan’s cancer rare, so too are the number of doctors doing the procedure.

This year he organized a conference and started an international heart cancer registry to help patients and medical teams.

Cusimano didn’t tell Mangan when they first met just how close he was to death at the time.

“People often say to me, ‘Doctor, how can I ever thank you?’, just the fact that we took somebody who six months ago who had less than a month to live probably ... to a point where the chemotherapy worked on him, and when it worked on him, I was able able to rebuild his heart, and the fact that we left no cancer behind, that’s the thanks I get from him. That’s why I do this sort of thing.”

On Wednesday, Mangan went home, reuniting with his wife and boys, two and four years old.

“I feel very lucky, very fortunate,” he said.

“You think of all the things you’re going to miss and not be a part of. It was heartbreaking. Even to be home with them [the boys] to play is phenomenal. It’s such a great feeling.”

[hija]

‘Airbnb for gardens’: the platform connecting growers with green spaces



As the UK went into lockdown last March, sparking a wave of panic buying that left supermarket shelves bare, many people looked to vegetable patches for solace and security. With shades of ‘dig for victory’, sowing, hoeing and growing were ways of taking control in uncertain times – but only for those lucky enough to have gardens or allotments.

Many of those who had neither joined waiting lists for the latter. The National Allotment Society reported a more than 300 per cent increase in applications in some areas, extending already-long waiting lists by decades. One allotment in Leeds now reportedly has a waiting list of 170 years – that’s a long time to hang around for your runner beans.

While would-be growers wait indefinitely, many homeowners are either unable or unwilling to tend their gardens, meaning potential growing space is going to waste. If only there was a way of connecting the two.

Well, now there is, thanks to architect Conor Gallagher, who this week launched AllotMe, a digital platform touted as the ‘Airbnb for gardens’. It allows people who have green spaces they don’t use to rent them out to would-be growers looking for land. Gallagher came up with the idea after moving to London from Belfast.

“I was aware of so many people with no garden or access to outdoor space, and of the difficulty verging on the impossibility of obtaining an allotment through traditional routes. It became apparent there is a huge desire for sustainable living but no way of satisfying it,” he says.

“As an architect, I’m trained to spot opportunities in space, and it dawned on me when passing an overgrown and unloved garden that there is an untapped reservoir of outdoor space in London that is going unused, so why not bring the two together.” AllotMe was born.

The first plot listed on the platform was Gallagher’s own back yard, echoing Airbnb’s founders, who were the first people to post their homes on the site. Gallagher’s garden has been rented by Corrie Rounding, of south London, who is the first ‘greenfinger’ to use the platform.

“I’ve wanted to find a space to grow my own for so long, but it’s so hard to come by in London,” says Rounding. “The chance to grow my own is brilliant, but it’s also so therapeutic. I love how calming it is to work in outdoor space.”

Gallagher himself is a recent convert to gardening. He plunged his hands into the soil for the first time a couple of years ago, discovering the mental health benefits of growing his own. He hopes AllotMe will help boost other people’s wellbeing in much the same way, while also strengthening relationships in communities. That AllotMe launched in Mental Health Awareness Week is apt.

So, how much? Well, the going rate for a plot is currently between £15 and £30 a month, depending on size. Part of the fee goes to AllotMe, which provides insurance – or ‘garden guarantee’ – for those renting out their yards.

The platform’s ‘greenfingers’ can’t be neatly potted into a particular demographic, says Gallagher, but he reckons “they are probably slightly younger than the typical perception of a gardener”.

Despite only launching this week, there are already more than 1,000 people on the AllotMe waiting list in London alone. But this isn’t just a trendy capital initiative. People are signing up all over the UK, says Gallagher, though he admits that demand for plots is currently outstripping supply. This is something he hopes will shift as more people become aware of the platform, and the desire for sustainable living catches on further.

“Sustainability is a big part of it,” he says. “Hosts, for a wide variety of reasons may not be able to use their outdoor space, but by letting somebody rent it and use it to grow food, they are enabling a contribution to a greener society and playing a part too.”

Charlie Bit My Finger Set To Be Deleted From YouTube For Good With 880 Million Views






The legendary 'Charlie bit my finger' video is being auctioned off as a NFT later this month before being deleted from the internet.

The Davis-Carr family, who created the video, plan to mark its 14th anniversary said in a statement that whoever wins the auction will be the sole owner of the clip as well as being offered the chance to recreate the video with the original stars.

The family wrote: "Seen by over 880 million people, Charlie Bit My Finger is the most-viewed viral video of all time.

"The beloved clip has become a household name and holds a special place in the hearts of many.

"Now, the iconic video will be removed from YouTube and one person will have the opportunity to own it in its new form as a 1/1 NFT, memorializing them in internet history forever.

"The NFT winner will also get the opportunity to create their own parody of the video featuring the original stars, Harry and Charlie."

Harry (who was aged three at the time) and Charlie (aged one) ended up starring in one of the first big viral YouTube clips after their parents filmed them playing around.

Speaking to the Times in 2009, mum Shelley said: "Susan Boyle has never had the hits we have had.

"The video got on to a college networking site in the U.S. and from there it went viral. I think the British accents have helped make it so globally viewed."

And now, after hundreds of millions of views across the world, one person will be able to call themselves the video's owner thanks to the NFT auction.

NFT's - or non-fungible tokens - are digital assets that are unique and can't be exchanged. They hold value as a crypto token and are currently getting a lot of attention as celebrities and other public figures get in on the action.

Among those who have decided to cash in on NFTs are Twitter creator Jack Dorsey, who sold the first ever tweet, and Danielle Bregoli, also known as Bhad Bhabie but probably best known as 'Cash Me Outside' Girl, who auctioned off 20 NFTs to mark her 18th birthday.

Bregoli NFT featured original works based on the meme, her music and her rise to viral stardom, as well as works from various creatives including photographers, visual artists and filmmakers.

https://www.ladbible.com/news/interesti ... t-20210518

[lush]

Dutch club Ajax melts league trophy into star gifts for fans
Wed, May 12, 2021, 2:39 AM*


Netherlands Soccer Eredivisie
Ajax coach Erik ten Hag, holding the trophy, and players celebrate clinching the Dutch Eredivisie Premier League title after winning the soccer match between Ajax and Emmen with a 4-0 score at the Johan Cruyff ArenA in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Sunday, May 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

AMSTERDAM (AP) — Ajax has melted down its Dutch league trophy to give a tiny silver star to all 42,000 season-ticket holders who were locked out of games during the coronavirus pandemic.

The storied Amsterdam club published movie-like videos Wednesday of the Eredivisie trophy -- a wide silver plate — being torched and recast into small stars.

A star weighing 3.45 grams (1/8 ounce) will be sent to supporters, Ajax said.

“After a turbulent year, we are ensuring our fans feel part of our championship,” said chief executive Edwin van der Sar, arguably the club’s greatest-ever goalkeeper.

The project slogan is, “A Piece of Victory. A Piece of History. A Piece of Ajax.”

“Previously, when we said ‘this title is for you’, we were expressing how we were doing it for the fans. However, sharing the trophy is the ultimate proof that we really are,” Van der Sar said.

The Dutch soccer federation gave Ajax a second silver plate as an exceptional gift to display in its trophy cabinet, the club said.

Ajax played 30 of its 34 league games in an empty stadium this season.

The team, which plays in a 55,000-seat arena named after Dutch soccer icon Johan Cruyff, also won the Dutch Cup to complete a double.

The stadium is expected to have 12,000 spectators when it hosts each of four European Championship games next month. They include all three of Netherlands' games in Group C, against Ukraine, Austria and North Macedonia.

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

[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 MAY 18
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]

'Tree-bilee' unveiled by Prince Charles to celebrate Queen's 70 years on the throne

Public urged to plant trees to create a lasting legacy and mark the Platinum Jubilee


Queen Elizabeth and the Prince of Wales plant the first Jubilee tree in the grounds of Windsor Castle on March 23, 2021

As someone who has planted more than 1,500 trees during her long reign, the Queen might be considered something of an expert.

So it was fitting that she was on hand to cast a careful eye over her eldest son as he launched the Queen’s Green Canopy, a nationwide planting initiative designed to create a lasting legacy to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee. Or, as the Prince of Wales described it, a "Tree-bilee".

Everyone from individuals to Scout and Girlguiding groups, villages, cities, counties, schools and businesses will be encouraged to plant trees from October, when the tree planting season begins, through to the end of the Jubilee year in 2022.

The initiative launched on Monday to give people time to plan their projects.

The Prince said that planting trees was “a statement of hope and faith in the future” – one that the Queen, 95, has approached with gusto for many decades.


Queen Elizabeth reading the inscription on the spade with which she planted the Queen's Tree to commemorate her coronation

He appealed to the nation to reciprocate the “profoundly symbolic act” to celebrate the historic milestone of his mother’s 70 years on the throne.

Participants will be encouraged to learn more about the best way to plant trees to ensure they flourish for years to come.

Prince Charles, 72, said forests are “amongst the richest biological areas on Earth,” noting that “quite simply, we cannot live without them”.

The famously green-fingered Prince said he was “delighted” to launch the QGC initiative by planting an oak with his mother at Windsor Castle earlier this year.

He added: “As we approach this most special year, I invite you all to join me to ‘Plant a tree for the Jubilee’ – in other words, a ‘Tree-bilee!’”

The Prince, patron of the QGC, is likely to have concluded his own brief planting ceremony as he always does, with the words: “Good luck, tree!”

He will be a vocal champion of the project, having reflected in 2018: “As I get older, all I really long for is to plant trees.”

The Queen too, still enjoys such moments. In 2019, at the age of 93, she politely turned down an offer of help in scattering soil over the roots of a new hornbeam at the National Institute of Agricultural Botany, outside Cambridge.

“No, no! I’m still perfectly capable of planting a tree,” she declared, before handing her handbag to her lady-in-waiting and grasping the shovel.


Queen Elizabeth plants a tree during a visit to the National Institute of Agricultural Botany on July 9, 2019

Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, welcomed the initiative, saying: “Our trees stand at the frontline of our fight against climate change and by sustaining our beautiful countryside for generations to come, the Queen’s Green Canopy is a fitting tribute to Her Majesty’s years of service to this country.

“I urge everyone to get involved and plant a tree for the Jubilee.”

It is hoped that each county will have at least one significant planting – a Platinum Jubilee Avenue or a woodland or copse in the Queen's name, in addition to single tree plantings.

A number of community forests are also planned through a partnership with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

From June, the Woodland Trust will offer schools and community groups the chance to apply for three million free saplings, available on a first-come first-served basis.

The QGC will also make contact with as many state schools in the UK as possible to arrange free trees through partner organisations.

An interactive map on the QGC website will track all planting projects in the hope of inspiring others whilst creating a map of the green canopy stretching across the country.

From October, participants will be able to upload images of their newly planted Jubilee trees.

The initiative will also showcase 70 irreplaceable ancient woodlands across the country and identify 70 ancient trees to celebrate the Queen’s 70 years of service.

A pilot training programme for unemployed young people will also be created to plant and manage trees.

The initiative is supported by the Woodland Trust, the Royal Horticultural Society, Trees for Cities, The Forest Canopy Foundation and the Forestry Commission.

The QGC follows the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy, which aims to create a network of forest conservation projects across the 53 Commonwealth countries to mark Her Majesty’s lifetime of service.

Source

Note: It reminded me of an old Greek quote: “A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. “

Australian woman says she woke up with an Irish accent after tonsil surgery.


Angela Yen, 27, has been documenting her experience on the social media website TikTok. She reveals how she was taken aback when she realised she was speaking in an Irish accent after her tonsillectomy on April 19.

"I've never visited Ireland before. Since I went to Australia when I was eight years old, I've had an Aussie accent for the past 20 years, "She told Storyful.

Though many people have said that Yen is lying in her posts, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki, an Australian science communicator, says that while cases like Yen's are rare, they have been documented.

Kruszelnicki claimed in his own TikTok video that Yen could have "foreign accent syndrome" based on what he has witnessed.

According to Kruszelnicki, about 150 cases of foreign accent syndrome have been recorded in medical publications, but he believes there could be more.

A Texas woman who had jaw surgery in 2016 awoke with a variety of accents, ranging from a British to a subtle Australian twang.

Foreign accent syndrome is a rare medical disorder when the brain that controls speech is damaged or injured.

Although the exact aetiology is unknown, it has been connected to strokes, head trauma, and psychiatric disorders.

Yen's new accent, according to Kruszelnicki, is a distorted version of her tongue, not a true one.

He explained that a traumatic event on the body, such as tonsil surgery, can affect speech patterns and cause a person to slur their words, similar to how alcohol can affect speech patterns and cause a person to slur their words.

Yen responded to a dubious user in her most recent update, showing the amount she could end up spending on medical costs while attempting to regain her Australian accent.

The good news for her, according to Kruszelnicki, is that speech therapy may be able to help her regain her typical accent.

https://www.folkspaper.com/topic/austra ... 60320.html

[prokroustis]

Optical Illusion Showing Girl Sunk Into Pavement Baffles The Internet

People online have been baffled by an optical illusion in a photograph that appears to show a young girl sunk into a pavement.

Of course, like all things like this, once you realise what is actually going on, everything becomes clear. But the photograph - shared first on Reddit, then picked up by others online - really does confuse the eye when first seen.

The youngster appears to have sunk completely down into the cobbled road, leaving half of her exposed above ground.



However, upon closer inspection it you can spot that there's actually a wall just next to her that is obscuring the rest of the girl from view.

Now, if you hadn't already noticed it, you will now.

The post was originally shared on Reddit by a user called u/MK24ever who claimed that the girl shown in the image was their daughter.

They wrote: "My daughter, where's the rest of her?! Ohh I see, do you?"

It's since been upvoted more than 70,000 times, with many commenting to ask what was going on.

One such person said: "Great one OP! I'll admit I had to come to the comments for this one and still struggled a bit."

The photo was then shared on Facebook by user Josh Davis, who declared it the 'illusion of the year'.

He wrote: "Illusion of the year? Not photoshopped.

"It took me ages to realise exactly what I was seeing even though I predicted what must be going on in advance..."

That post was liked more than 54,000 times and loads of people also piped up to express their thoughts on the optical illusion in the comments.

One of those said: "It took me 5 whole minutes to work that out!"

Another wrote: "I had to look in comments. I couldn't see it until I saw it, now I can't unsee it."


This should give you a decent steer.

That's how these sorts of things tend to work.

A third commented: "Even with the tips I still can't figure it out.

"It's like magic eye, I felt like I was not functioning correctly for years till the optician made me feel better that my astigmatism made it harder for me to see them."

In case you're still struggling, focus on the young girl's elbow and you might get a better idea of where the cobbled road ends and the wall begins.

If you still can't see it after that, there's probably no chance.

[Fatima99]

You Can Get A Crochet Penis Blanket For Cosy Nights On The Sofa



You can now get yourself your very own crocheted penis blanket, if that's your kind of thing.

The handmade blankets are perfect for a cosy night on the couch and are specially designed so you can hop inside the shaft and completely cocoon yourself. And who wouldn't want that, eh?

The blankets even come with removable balls at the bottom, so you can look a proper d***, if you want.

The penis blanket will set you back £106 ($150) - a bargain, I'm sure you'll agree - and is available on Etsy, but sadly the item doesn't ship to the UK.

A description for the item reads: "Would you like to have a different and funny blanket?

"This Penis blanket with hoodie is wrapped around your feet and then stretches back and lies on your body.

"This blanket will come in its cover with its balls and you will need to inflate the balls."

It's made of 100 percent acrylic yarn, tricot fabric and comes with those removable, inflatable beach balls.

Of course, you don't have to stop there, because Etsy is a treasure trove of crocheted penis items, believe it or not.

You can get your very own penis-beer-can-cover for just under £16.94 ($24) or why not splash out on an entire bag of d***?

The fully crocheted item comprises a range of handmade willies, in various colours and sizes, all chucked into a crocheted bag - the ideal present for that special someone.



But if a crochet willy isn't what your after, then how about a 7-foot steel penis?

That's what one bloke ordered as a prank to p*** off his pal on his birthday.

The impressive custom-made member was created by Latham's Steel Doors, a steel fabricator in Oldbury, West Midlands.

The company decided to take on the unusual order, after a tough year. Photos show workers standing on a platform next to the giant object, which was made complete with 3D balls.

The surprise birthday gift was engraved with a happy birthday message and came with some very specific requests.

The prankster, who has not been named, asked for it to be self-standing, and it also had to be thick enough to make it difficult to get rid of.

It was also specified that the penis had to be welded together to make it impossible to take apart.

The mystery customer also asked that it be galvanised so it could stay outside exposed to the elements.

That is some serious dedication to a prank, but sadly, it turned out that the recipient wasn't too keen and the item was spotted on Facebook Marketplace the next day with a price tag of £123 ($174).

hmmmm just what I've always wanted

Chicago fire crew rescues parrot from office building ledge




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B__1cJXMtWI


The Chicago Fire Department didn’t have to raise a ladder to rescue a cat from a tree, but firefighters did grab a pole to snatch a pet parrot from an office building ledge.

A fire crew was returning from a emergency medical run on Sunday when the owner of the bird asked them to grab what appeared to be a macaw from a second-floor ledge of the Railway Exchange Building.

Officials say the bird apparently was with someone who had taken it with them while attending a rally.

In a video of the rescue, onlookers began cheering when the bird stepped atop the pole and was slowly lowered from a second-floor window to street level. The bird was returned to its owner.


https://www.wate.com/news/watch-chicago ... ing-ledge/

[Zbignieww]

'World's strangest turtle' is brought back from the brink of extinction: Scientists track down rare Cantor's giant softshell turtle eggs in India and release five hatchlings back in the wild

The species is among the world's biggest freshwater turtles
It was thought to have vanished from India after no sightings for a decade
It's threatened by local people harvesting it for meat and habitat destruction

London Zoo has rescued one of the world's rarest – and strangest – turtles from extinction.

Cantor’s giant softshell turtle, which can grow up to 3.3ft long, was thought to have permanently vanished from India after it had not been sighted for 10 years.

It's the world's biggest freshwater turtle – and considered one of the strangest as it spends much of its life buried in sand with only its eyes visible.



But it can suddenly dart forward faster than a king cobra to catch a crab or fish – crushing bone with one snap of its powerful jaws.

Unfortunately, the endangered turtle is at high risk of disappearing, with just small pockets surviving in Cambodia and Vietnam.

It is on the brink of extinction, under threat from harvesting by local people for meat, accidental killing and the destruction of its freshwater and coastal habitats.

But a team from the Zoological Society of London tracked down some baby turtles – giving hope that the species will make a recovery in the sub-continent.



In India, it was thought to be extinct until a nest was found in Kerala in 2020, although it had been destroyed by sand mining.

Considered one of the strangest-looking turtles, Cantor’s giant softshell turtle does not have a 'shell'.

Instead, it is protected from predators by the protruding ribcage over its back but still under its skin.

ZSL researcher Ayushi Jain tracked down the turtle on the Chandragiri river in Kerala.



With the help of a network of locals – who know the turtle as Bheemanama or Paala poovan in Malayalam, the local language of Kerala – Jain found some turtle eggs.

The eggs were transported to a hatchery under the guidance of Ben Tapley, ZSL London Zoo's curator of amphibians and reptiles.

Last week, Jain’s team released five healthy hatchlings back to the wild for the first time in India.

It is now hoped that more hatchlings can be released in the country.

The survival and safe release of the hatchlings will increase the likelihood of bringing this species back from the brink, according to ZSL.


Pictured, an adult Cantor's giant softshell turtle (species name Pelochelys cantorii)

Cantor’s giant softshell is an exceptionally large freshwater turtle (with lengths up to six feet (200cm).

It's easily recognised by its broad head with eyes close to the tip of the snout giving it a frog-like appearance.

The species (Pelochelys cantorii) have an extremely large distribution, from Bangladesh to the Philippines and Borneo.

Cambodia is believed to hold a number of significant populations of this species in river swamps, estuaries, and mudflats in lowland areas.

Unusually for most freshwater species, it is also found in brackish coastal waters.

Cantor’s giant softshell is on the brink of extinction, under threat from harvesting by local people for meat, accidental killing and the destruction of its freshwater and coastal habitats.

The species is listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List.

But according to the EDGE of Existence programme, this assessment is long out-of-date and in need of updating.

Cantor’s giant softshell is listed under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, designated as a First Grade Protected Animal in China, and is also a protected species in Myanmar and in Vietnam.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech ... ction.html