[johngriffen]

IN OTHER NEWS...
CURRENTLY OFFLINE

Hold off posting your news stories
The editors and accountant department are reviewing last weeks reports to insure that all our reporters get their proper paycheck

[johngriffen]

FOR STORIES POSTED THE W/O JANUARY 11
Our news editors at IN OTHER NEWS have carefully reviewed all the stories submitted by our reporters
Following is last weeks Reporter Log

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

A SPECIAL THANKS TO 7 ACE REPORTERS WHO FILED A NEW STORY EVERY DAY
BigGlen
Fatima99
hija
HogwartsExpress
PennySerenade
rg_789
Zbignieww



Every week the editors will review all the stories and pick the one story that we feels deserves a
MOBI PULITZER PRIZE
There are many different categories for submissions. The previous week, the category was "HUMEROUS"
But this week, the category was "PLEASANT SURPRISE"
For those interested in how the category is decided, it's simple. When the week begins, before ANY story is posted, I randomly select a category and record it on my spread sheet. And the reason why I don't post up front the category, is also simple. I'm sure we would all like to see many different diverse types of stories each week, and I don't want people to focus on past categories. Yeah, as time passes, some of the old categories will appear again, but it will remain pretty much random to keep our reporters on their toes

W/O JANUARY 11 CATEGORY = PLEASANT SURPRISE = RG_789
DAY = MONDAY, JANUARY 1
STORY = "He Tweeted About Bus Making Him Late For School. Then This Happened"
Gee... A boy complains online about a problem, and A GOVERNMENT AGENCY not only notices, but they listen to him, and THEN DO SOMETHING TO HELP... WHAT A SURPRISE

CONGRATULATIONS TO THIS WEEKS MOBI PULITZER PRIZE WINNERS = 100 WRZ

THE NEXT NEWS CYCLE WILL BEGIN SHORTLY

[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
MONDAY JANUARY 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 may post One Story in any 24 hour period
So in other words, you can enter only once a day
Each news day will start when I post announcing it
OR at:
9:00 AM CHICAGO TIME (UTC -6)
3:00 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 to under a minute, 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
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

[HogwartsExpress]

Massachusetts might soon have an official state dinosaur. A bunch of other states already do

We've all heard of state flowers and state birds, but Massachusetts is stepping it up by proposing a state dinosaur.




There's already a state fossil (surprisingly enough, dinosaur tracks), but now state Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis has announced plans to propose a bill aimed at adopting a state dinosaur.

He told CNN he has high hopes that the initiative will help kids in Massachusetts learn more about science and prehistory in their area, along with the legislative process.

"I was unprepared for the excitement that this project would generate," said Lewis, adding that tens of thousands of people have already voted in a poll to choose the dinosaur.

"My hope continues to be that this project will help young people better understand the prehistoric world and career opportunities that might grow out of a childhood interest or a love of science."

Massachusetts is far from the first state to adopt an official dinosaur. More than a dozen others and the District of Colombia already have prehistoric pals to represent them.The number changes a bit depending on how the dinos are counted -- nine states and DC have official state dinosaurs (Arizona, Arkansas, California, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming), while six have state fossils that happen to be dinosaurs (Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah and Oklahoma).

States have long had a tradition of naming official state fossils. In 1981, New Mexico became the first to name a bona fide dinosaur (the Coelophysis). A decade later, New Jersey went all in and coined the term "state dinosaur" by adopting the Hadrosaurus foulkii as one of their official symbols.

According to New Jersey officials, Victorian fossil hobbyist William Parker Foulke hired a crew in 1858 to dig up a clay pit in Haddonfield because he had heard a rumor that giant bones were buried there. Eventually, they found the bones of a duckbilled dinosaur. Dubbed "Haddy," it was later nominated to become an official New Jersey state symbol by an elementary school class in 1991.A prehistoric poll

Before Massachusetts citizens can adopt a dinosaur of their own, they are being asked to decide in a poll which of their state's "oldest constituents" to designate: Podokesaurus holyokensis or Anchisaurus polyzelus.

"Learning real facts about ancient dinosaurs requires our best scientific skill and equipment. Fortunately Massachusetts is well-versed in this regard, especially in the biological sciences," Mark McMenamin, a professor of geology at Mount Holyoke College, told CNN in an email.

"Dinosaurs already serve as a gateway to science for many young people," added McMenamin, who is one of the paleontologists working on the project to adopt a state dinosaur. "As we move forward with naming a state dinosaur, kids will learn the names of dinosaurs that lived here in Massachusetts. This emphasizes the fact that dinosaur bones and tracks exist right under our feet."

The first fossil of Podokesaurus holyokensis, a fast-moving, carnivorous dinosaur, was discovered in Mount Holyoke in 1910. It has the distinction of being the first dinosaur to be named and described by a female scientist, American paleontologist Mignon Talbot.

Anchisaurus polyzelus was an herbivore. Its bones were first discovered in 1855 in Springfield, Massachusetts, but because these dinosaurs were so small (only 60 to 75 pounds) their bones were initially mistaken for human remains.

"While they aren't the largest dinosaurs to roam the planet, they begin to tell the story of how dinosaurs came to rule the Earth," says the state dinosaur poll, which is open to Massachusetts residents and those with close connections to the Commonwealth. So far, it has received more than 20,000 votes.

"Ultimately, if this exploration of a 'state dinosaur' helps even one person make contact with their local elected officials, and if that contact is helpful down the road, this would have been all worth it," Lewis told CNN.

"And, in case anyone ever doubted it, dinosaurs are still pretty cool."

source
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/17/us/m ... index.html

[HogwartsExpress]

Amazon's Lord of the Rings reveals an epic official description of the new series


I hope I would be able to finish reading the books before this begins

Amazon Studios has finally revealed a detailed description of its mysterious Lord of the Rings TV series.

The streamer has confirmed an official description of the Middle Earth adventure series that's based on the works of author J.R.R. Tolkien.

As first reported by TheOneRing.Net: "Amazon Studios' forthcoming series brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth's history. This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien's pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness. Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone."

The Second Age followed the rise and fall of the first Dark Lord Morgoth's servant Sauron (the "greatest villain" teased above), whose battlefield defeat was shown in flashback during the opening of Peter Jackson's 2001 film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The previously unseen location of Númenor will likely figure prominently in the series as it played a key role in the time period, which also included Sauron's forging of the One Ring and fall of the Nine Kings into becoming Ringwraiths.

A sprawling ensemble cast has been announced for the series, including Cynthia Addai-Robinson (Power, Spartacus), Benjamin Walker (Heart of the Sea), and Peter Mullan (Westworld), among many others.

Amazon is reportedly spending an incredible $500 million on the project with a five-season commitment – an unprecedented investment for a new TV series. The Lord of the Rings is currently filming in New Zealand, which is also where Jackson shot his acclaimed trilogy. The first season is expected to debut in either late 2021 or 2022.

source
https://ew.com/tv/lord-of-the-rings-series-official-description/

Man Drives Car Onto Airport Runway, Says He Took A "Wrong Turn".

A motorist drove his car right onto an active airport runway in Thailand, allegedly under the influence of drugs. In the bizarre incident which unfolded on Tuesday, shocked airport staff watched as the man drove his car towards a plane which had just landed at the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok.

Footage of the incident shows the man being escorted off the runway by airport officials. The video was filmed by an unnamed member of the ground staff, reports the Daily Mail, and has gone viral on social media.



"I don't know how the car made it onto the runway," the person filming can be heard saying. "The airport is such a valuable company, but they haven't even managed to stop the car from getting into the airport. This is such a safety and security breach. It's so terrible."

According to news website The Thaiger, Airports of Thailand released a press statement saying the man was "quickly" apprehended. He was later identified as one Prathipat Masakul.

Mr Masakul, when apprehended by airport police, claimed that he had "taken a wrong turn".

However, officials say that was high on methamphetamine. The drug was also found inside his vehicle.

Squadron Leader Suthirawat Suwanwat, Director of the airport, said that staff "immediately intercepted and detained the driver to be investigated and prosecuted."

While Mr Masakul has been detained on suspicion of intruding into restricted areas, illegal possession of drugs and illegally consuming and driving while under the influence of methamphetamine, airport officials are also trying to figure out how he managed to breach security and enter the runway.

https://www.ndtv.com/offbeat/bangkok-ma ... ai-rum=off

[BigGlen]

Rare Mickey Mantle card sells for record-breaking $5.2 million

A rare Mickey Mantle card was sold for a record-breaking $5.2 million, the highest price ever for a baseball card, broker PWCC Marketplace announced Thursday. The card was purchased by "Billionaire Boys Club" actor and entrepreneur Rob Gough.



"I always dreamt of owning a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle since I was a kid collecting cards," Gough said in a statement. "It's the Mona Lisa of sports cards and I've been searching for this high graded example talking to industry experts, dealers, auction houses, friends and I'm ecstatic that I'm now the proud owner of this iconic card."

It's one of six PSA 9 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle cards in existence, PWCC said in a release. Jesse Craig, director of business development at PWCC Marketplace, spoke highly of the unique item.

"Based on our research, this is the nicest looking 1952 Topps Mantle PSA 9 in existence," Craig said.

Some of the other cards were discovered by two New Jersey brothers, who found five of them in their childhood collection, "CBS This Morning" reported in 2018. Two of the brothers' Mantle cards sold for more than a quarter million dollars. The brothers' prized third Mantle card — a near-mint version of it — was put on display at the National Sports Collectors Convention in Cleveland — and was receiving bids of more than $600,000 at the time.

The brothers got the idea to look through their collection when they heard a '52 Topps Mantle had sold for nearly $3 million. Former NFL lineman Evan Mathis parted with that card. CBS News confirmed with PWCC on Thursday that Gough's card once belonged to the player.

Considered the "holy grail" for baseball memorabilia collectors, Chris Ivy, director of sports auctions for Heritage Auctions, explained why the cards were so valuable.

"Mickey Mantle is one of the most popular players of a generation, and 1952, 'cause they made the cards larger, they used real photography, they had statistics on the back. So, those were all things that were exciting for kids at the time," Ivy told "CBS This Morning" two years ago.

The sale of the Mickey Mantle card surpassed the previous record held by a Mike Trout rookie card that sold for $3.93 million at an auction last summer. This particular card received a grade of MINT 9 by Beckett Grading Services, which is the third-highest grade that a card can receive, according to CBS Sports.

[Fatima99]

This Could Be Your Dream Job: Thousands Apply to Be Caretakers on Remote Irish Island

If you love the rugged wilderness and rustic living, this might be your dream job.



For the second year running, owners of a coffee shop and four rental cottages on Great Blasket Island are in search of an intrepid duo to take up concierge duty for the tourist season from April 1st through October 1st.

According to owners Billy O’Connor and his partner Alice Hayes, last year they received more than 40,000 applications for the sought-after gig, from as far away as Mexico, Finland, and Argentina.

Located just off the coast of Ireland’s County Kerry, the isolated island is a hiker’s paradise during the height of the summer, with hundreds of visitors daily.

Caretakers will be provided with accommodation, food, and glorious views of some of Mother Nature’s most spectacular seaside scenery.

“It’s absolutely fantastic that so many people want to come here,” O’Connor told The Irish Examiner, “but many didn’t realize what the living conditions are like.”



He is referring to the fact that there’s no electricity or hot running water on the Island. That means anyone who gets the job will need to go with the flow.

Since they’ll be living in a main bedroom above the coffee shop, O’Connor and Hayes think a couple would be ideally suited for the situation. Chores basically entail running the coffee shop and maintaining the holiday cabins.

Since so much of the local tourist trade is weather-dependent—and it rains a lot in Ireland—there can also be long stretches of downtime. (The daily schedule is detailed on the website.) Additionally, when it get hectic in June and July, a volunteer or two will be hosted in a second bedroom upstairs.

To narrow the field of entries, this year they’re asking that any would-be caretakers make sure they meet the criteria posted on the website prior to filling out the application. Applications will be accepted, here, until January 22.

While they concede that due to COVID-19 considerations, this year’s caretakers will likely be Irish (as were the two previous couples), O’Connor and Hayes will consider all viable applications, with hopes of opening the opportunity to more candidates from abroad.

[PennySerenade]

Ontario university student learns to sew 'winter bundles' for people experiencing homelessness



TORONTO -- Emma Weller’s sewing machine has been working overtime.

“I have been making ‘winter bundles’,” she tells CTV News Toronto. “So hats, mittens and neck-warmers to hand out to the homeless in Ottawa, Toronto and in Kingston. I thought, with COVID, they’re suffering more than anyone.”

With a reduced school and hockey schedule, the 18-year-old Carleton University student from Keswick found herself with some downtime and decided to use it to help others. She dusted off her grandmother’s sewing machine and got to work on her new hobby.


“I don’t sew, actually,” she laughs. “I learned from YouTube tutorials.”

Weller says her passion for social justice issues is what motivated her and fueled this project.

“I thought it was really important, even if I didn’t know how to sew, to just try,” she says.

“(Emma has) always been charitable and kind and doing all sorts of things and offering her time, so it’s no surprise for her to be doing this,” Corrine Weller, Emma’s mother, tells CTV News Toronto. “What’s different this time is the notoriety she’s getting for it.”

Weller started a GoFundMe page to help with the project. She had a goal of raising $100, but quickly the donations amounted to more than $2,500.

“That has been funding this entire thing. So all the materials, all the resources, everything like that, all my thread to do it so that has been a huge help,” she says. “I couldn’t do it without the people who donated.”

The “winter bundles” include Emma’s sewing creations, along with other useful items.



“I provide two water bottles, also hand-warmers, wipes for like sanitation with COVID, tissues, socks, two pieces like granola bars, a piece of fruit and then my bundles,” Weller explains. “We loaded up our two wagons and we walk the streets of downtown.”

While Weller has experience helping those experiencing homelessness, she called this year’s project an eye-opening experience because the need was so great.

“It was very overwhelming. It opens your eyes more to see how much people are truly suffering,” she says. “I was grateful to see it, but it was also saddening. But that’s why I’m doing this.”

It’s a gift of warmth and comfort that Weller hopes to be able to keep giving for years to come.

“Whether it grows into something bigger or just stays me in my dorm room sewing, it’s something I think I want to make like a seasonal thing, because people never not go cold,” she says.


“It’s not something every 18-year-old wants to do, or thinks to do on their own without being encouraged by a group or a school,” says Corrine about her daughter. “You know, it’s doesn’t take much. Very little can help very much.”

[hija]

The Most Bizarre Things Librarians Have Found in Returned Books



According to this librarian, people will use *anything* for a bookmark.

As a librarian I usually agree that most things do go better with a book, especially meals, baths and country picnics. Apparently many people agree—and they take it quite a bit further than I ever would! Here are some things that have been found in library books (not necessarily by me or my colleagues). Let’s break it down by categories:

Financial
Apparently valuables make great bookmarks. We’re talking crisp $100 bills, credit cards, lottery tickets, theatre tickets and even live paychecks (not a receipt of direct deposit).

Natural
Books seem to be a popular place for readers to store natural souvenirs. Librarians have opened returned books to find pressed flowers, four-leaf clovers, dandelions gone to seed and whole marijuana leaves.

Unmentionable
What you do in your private reading time sometimes ends up in public. Imagine picking up a returned book and having one of these fall out: tampons (thankfully unused), unrolled condoms (ditto), a home pregnancy test (positive!) and a glass vial labeled “smallpox sample.”

Dangerous
Sharp objects and books should probably not go together, and yet librarians have found scissors, knives, a cheese slicer and even a small hatchet.

Theoretically edible
Eating and reading are a natural combo, which is why snacks are a popular bookmark. We’re talking Cheetos (mostly crumbled), a pickle slice, a Pop-Tart, a Kraft Single (still wrapped) and even whole strips of bacon (both cooked and raw).

Way too personal
If you thought condoms and tampons were private, these other items make those look tame. Librarians have found genuine love letters, a visitor registration form for the local jail, divorce agreements and even naughty photos.

[Zbignieww]

Stag fright! Deer crashes into the side of car after locking antlers with a rival as rutting season hits its peak in Richmond Park

Two stags were spotted locking antlers for fight in Richmond Park, west London
Sensing defeat, one of the deer flees before slamming into the side of a car
It is currently mating season for deer and people are warned to stay 50m away

This is the moment a wild deer slams into the side of a car after fleeing a fight with a competing stag.
The pair of rutting deer had got a little bit carried away when they locked antlers for a showdown in London's Richmond Park last Wednesday.
Video captured by a walker shows the stags, just yards away, coming together several times as they attempt to assert their dominance.
Completely unaware of their surroundings, the animals bring their battle closer and closer to a road where onlookers have gathered to watch the pair.
The more powerful male lands a series of blows to his weaker opponent, who is forced to retreat further backwards.
Sensing defeat, the deer decides to flee, but he runs straight into the road and smashes into the side of a car.
Lander Esparza Zudaire captured the footage in the park last week while he was on a walk.



'I thought I was safe keeping enough distance… but clearly I was wrong,' he wrote on social.
Lander said the stag who crashed into the car seemed to be 'isolated from the surroundings, just focused on fighting' and hadn't noticed the vehicle.
Autumn is rutting or breeding season for the 1,000 free-roaming fallow deer that live in the Royal Parks of Richmond-upon-Thames.



Between September and November, which is known as the 'rut', dominant stags compete to mate with the female deer by roaring at their rivals.
This can lead to a standoff between two males who may then lock horns to compete for a mate.
The Royal Parks have warned people that the animals are not 'Disney creatures' and advise keeping a safe distance of around 50 yards.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... melessDM_0

Man tries to clean wife's make-up brushes while she's at work but gets it horribly wrong

A man has gone viral on TikTok after his plan to surprise his wife with a kind gesture



The husband, named Kevin K, attempted to clean his wife's make-up brushes for her while she was at work but his method wasn't quite right.

His wife had been complaining about having to wash her extensive collection of brushes, so he decided to give it a go but instead of washing each one carefully, he put all of them into the cutlery section in the dishwasher.

He put them through a cycle, but when it ended and he opened up the door, he soon realised he'd made a big mistake.
When he removed the make-up brushes from the dishwasher, many of the bristles had fallen out in the wash.

He shared a video of the whole thing, which he captioned: "Ummmmmm TikTok I need your help!!! How do I fix this?"

Writing over the top of the clip he explained that he'd made a "horrible mistake" and that he had 20 minutes until his partner got home from work.

More than two million people have viewed the TikTok video, with over 300,000 liking it and 24,000 comments.
Many people were quick to encourage Kevin to buy his wife a gift card for a beauty store.

"As sweet as this is, just get her a gift card... better yet just hand her the credit card. Good luck friend," suggested one person.

Another replied: "Aww anyone else sad that his idea was entirely wholesome yet went horribly wrong?"

"Uhhh... your wallet is about to hurt sir," proclaimed a third.

Someone else joked: "Oh you woke up and chose death."

A different user said: "I gasped. The only fix is to go and buy her new brushes. So sorry. Such a sweetheart. (Some can be saved but some not)."

Others were quick to point out that her brushes probably cost anywhere between $300 to $600 as there were a lot of expensive brands - ouch!



https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/man-tries-clean-wifes-make-23321059

[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 JANUARY 19
What is it?
Here is your chance to become an "ACE REPORTER" for our weekly news magazine.
It is your job to fine weird, funny or "good feel" stories from around the world and share them with our readers in our weekly magazine

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

EXAMPLE POST

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

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

Rules:
Each Edition of IN OTHER NEWS will be open for 7 days...
You may post One Story in any 24 hour period
So in other words, you can enter only once a day
Each news day will start when I post announcing it
OR at:
9:00 AM CHICAGO TIME (UTC -6)
3:00 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 to under a minute, 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
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

[Fatima99]

Sahara desert: Rare snowfall leaves extraordinary pattern on sand dunes

The Algerian town of Ain Sefra has experienced snow for only the fourth time in 42 years.



Snow has fallen in the Sahara desert after temperatures dropped to -3C (27F).

Karim Bouchetata recorded the rare event in Ain Sefra, Algeria, with thawing ice creating beautiful patterns on the sand.

The Sahara desert, which covers most of Northern Africa, has gone through shifts in temperature over the past few hundred thousand years - but snow and ice are still very rare.

The town in the Naama province has experienced snow only three other times in 42 years - in 1979, 2017 and 2018.

In 1979, a snowstorm was severe enough to stop traffic; while in 2017 a blizzard dumped snow up to a metre thick. In 2018 there was 40cm (15in) of snow.

Ain Sefra - known as "the gateway to the desert" - is around 1,000m above sea level and surrounded by the Atlas Mountains.

January is one of the coldest months there with an average temperature of 14C (57F). In the summer this reaches, on average, 38C (100F).

Couple Sends Wedding Cards With QR Code For Guests To Transfer Money

One family in Tamil Nadu (India) has found a unique, no-contact way to collect wedding gifts from loved ones amid the coronavirus pandemic. As the world continues to adjust to the new normal of social distancing and no contact, a couple in Madurai printed QR codes on their wedding invite so their guests could transfer cash gifts directly into their accounts, reports The News Minute. According to the news website, the culture of giving cash gifts or "moi" to the hosts of any function is prevalent in Tamil Nadu.



Guests invited to the wedding on Sunday had the option to send them monetary gifts by scanning the Google Pay or PhonePe QR code printed on their wedding invites, instead of gifting cash in envelopes as is the norm.

The move also helped relatives who could not attend the function send gifts to the couple.

The wedding industry has seen various innovations and changes ever since the coronavirus pandemic restricted the number of people who could meet at one place. The pandemic gave rise to the culture of 'Zoom weddings' - with a number of couples opting for virtual ceremonies over huge gatherings.

It was the bride - a programme analyst in Bengaluru - who thought of the idea of printing QR codes on the invites, reports The Hindu.

"About 30 persons had used the QR code facility and gave cash as their wedding present," TJ Jeyanthi, the bride's mother, was quoted as saying. Jeyanthi, who runs a beauty parlour in Madurai, added, "This is the first time such a thing has been attempted in our family."

https://www.ndtv.com/offbeat/madurai-co ... ey-2354806