[lush]

North Korean Teenagers Sentenced to 12 Years of Hard Labor for Watching K-Dramas
013024*

A chilling video showing the apparent conviction of two 16-year-old North Korean boys to 12 years of hard labor for watching South Korean soap operas recently went viral online.

In a video obtained by the BBC, two young boys in grey uniforms can be seen on a stage surrounded by hundreds of people as they receive their sentence for the “horrible” crime of watching and distributing K-dramas from the “puppet” South Korean regime. All manner of South Korean entertainment, including television programs, is forbidden in South Korea, and according to a law enacted by the Hermit Kingdom in 2020, watching or distributing South Korean entertainment is punishable by serious prison time or even death. But some people are still willing to risk their lives for a glimpse into the neighboring country.



“The rotten puppet regime’s culture has spread even to teenagers,” a narrator says in reference to South Korea. “They are just 16 years old, but they ruined their own future.”

It’s a devastating sentence for two teenagers, especially considering their “crime,” but they can technically consider themselves lucky. According to a North Korean defector who agreed to talk to the BBC, he was forced to watch a 22-year-old man get shot by a firing squad for listening to South Korean music and sharing it with his friend.

Interstingly, when getting caught watching American entertainment, you can get out of it with a small bribe, but getting caught in South Korean programs is infinitely worse.

“If you get caught watching an American drama, you can get away with a bribe, but if you watch a Korean drama, you get shot,” a North Korean defector told the BBC. “For North Korean people, Korean dramas are a ‘drug’ that helps them forget their difficult reality.”



That’s because K-dramas and anything that risks earning people’s admiration for the South Korean regime is a major threat to the North Korean leadership, so it justifies ruining young people’s lives to set examples for other offenders.

“In North Korea, we learn that South Korea lives much worse than us, but when you watch South Korean dramas, it’s a completely different world. It seems like the North Korean authorities are wary of that,” another North Korean defector said.

[Zbignieww]

A dentist found an ancient human jawbone embedded in his parents’ tile floor



A dentist was visiting his parents’ newly renovated home in Europe when he noticed something odd: One of the floor tiles in a corridor leading to a terrace held what looked like a human mandible, sliced through at an angle, including a cross section of a few teeth.

Article content
Not knowing exactly what steps to take, the dentist posted a photo of the discovery on Reddit. The internet exploded with enthusiasm, interest and ick.

“It’s not so much the teeth that I noticed but the shape of the mandible that is very recognizable,” the dentist, known as Reddit user Kidipadeli75, wrote in an email. He spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect his family’s privacy.

He pointed out that the object in the tile bears a striking similarity to a slice of an image taken with a form of CT scan used in dentistry. “As I am specialized in implant dentistry I work with this kind of image everyday and it looked very familiar,” he said.

The tile, made of a type of limestone called travertine, was imported from a quarry in Turkey. Scientists are now working with the dentist to make sure the tile is properly studied – along with a few other suspicious-looking tiles installed in the house.

While this all may seem quite shocking, paleoanthropologists were both fascinated and a little unsurprised. Travertine can form quickly, but the stones used for commercial purposes tend to come from deposits that have formed over hundreds of thousands of years, ruling out a recent death.

This tile came from a quarry in the Denizli Basin in western Turkey, where the stone has previously been dated to 1.8 million to 0.7 million years ago, according to Mehmet Cihat Alcicek, a professor at Pamukkale University in Turkey who is part of the scientific team that plans to study the mandible.

This viral photo is a reminder that travertine, which forms near hot springs and is valued as an architectural material, often contains old fossils, and that digging it up can unearth ancient treasures. Those fossils can be anything that washes into the spring, from plants, freshwater crabs, deer and reptiles to – on occasion – human remains.

Article content
John Hawks, a paleoanthropologist at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, titled his blog post on the matter: “How many bathrooms have Neanderthals in the tile?”

“Every time I am in Home Depot, I go through the travertine tile looking for fossils!” said John W. Kappelman Jr., a paleoanthropologist at the University of Texas at Austin.

Scientists have found a menagerie of ancient fossils embedded in travertine from the Denizli Basin, including remains of mammoths, rhinos, giraffes, horses, deer, reptiles and turtles, according to Alcicek.

Researchers have also found at least one other ancient human in tile. In 2002, Alcicek began studying the formation of travertine in the Denizli Basin. Workers in a tile factory had been cutting stone when they noticed an ancient human fossil, part of a skull. The travertine had been sliced into a slab a little more than an inch thick, so parts of the skull had probably been destroyed – but fragments of the skull cap were recovered.

Article content
Alcicek and Kappelman studied the skull fragments, now known as the Kocabas hominin, and found it was the first specimen of Homo erectus to be discovered in Turkey. The skull fragments bore small lesions that were an indicator of tuberculosis, showing evidence of that pathogen in an ancient human. Recent efforts to date the specimen suggest it is more than a million years old.

“Who knows how much of the rest of it from the inferior portion of the cranium on down went unnoticed? We joke that maybe it was a complete skeleton, all the way to the tip of its toes,” Kappelman said in an email. “We literally spent weeks going through the discard pile at the factory looking for any additional bits but no go.”

It’s possible that other parts of the remains went on to be installed in kitchens.

Article content
Quarries elsewhere in the world have yielded similar finds. Parts of two hominin skulls and a mandible were discovered during excavations at a quarry in Bilzingsleben, Germany. Hawks said in his blog that they are thought to have been early Neanderthals or a different early human, Homo heidelbergensis.

But how common are incidental finds of ancient human remains in architectural tile?

“It’s twice as common as it was last week!” Hawks said in an email.

The latest find created immediate buzz among scientists who study ancient humans. Several paleoanthropologists said it was too tricky to hazard a guess from a photo as to the age or the precise species, but said it was absolutely worth following up on.

“It is clearly a human relative of some kind, but to rule out modern human or find out which ancient population it may belong to will take detailed study,” Hawks said.

Article content
Kappelman suggested that follow-up studies could include taking CT scans and 3D-printing the mandible, or perhaps even trying to see if ancient DNA could be recovered. The enamel of the teeth could be scrutinized to learn about what this individual ate.

The dentist who discovered the mandible said that he was inundated with interest from researchers from multiple universities after his Reddit post, and he is working with them now in hopes of learning more about the specimen. He said those researchers have also reached out to the company that sold the travertine to track the batch to the quarry and look for more pieces there.

Hawks said that, in general, if people see what might be human remains in their tile, they should contact local authorities. Laws vary, but in the United States, the process might involve a call to the state archaeologist or historical society.

Alcicek said that after the Homo erectus found in a factory was thoroughly studied, it was given to authorities and is now on exhibit in the Denizli Museum. He expected something similar would happen after the new specimen is carefully examined.

The entire episode is a reminder that construction projects and quarries have what Hawks calls an “uneasy symbiosis” with archaeologists. They can both expose and destroy ancient remains.

“The main constraint on finding the fossils is whether the travertine is being quarried!” Hawks wrote in an email.

https://torontosun.com/news/world/a-den ... tile-floor

[johngriffen]

I sometimes get REALLY DEPRESSED reviewing the news these days.
It's always about a global pandemic threatening life as we know it,
protests around the world, stupid politicians, natural disasters,
or some other really bad story.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

Welcome to The mobi weekly news magazine
IN OTHER NEWS
WEDNESDAY APRIL 24
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)
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 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]

Belgian man whose body makes its own alcohol cleared of drunk-driving

An unnamed Belgian man has been ordered to take precautions because of his condition. The man was found to be four times over the legal limit, but has been acquitted of drink driving after a Belgian court found he hadn't actually been drinking.

The unfortunate guy was stopped by cops three times for drink driving, insisting on each occasion he hadn't been drinking - despite recording alcohol measurements of 2.09mg, over four times the legal limit in Belgium of 0.5mg.

Luckily for him, he's now proven he was telling the truth.

Confused? Let me explain.



What is auto brewery syndrome (ABS)?

As per Healthline, auto brewery syndrome (ABS) is 'a rare condition in which your body turns sugary and starchy foods into alcohol'.

Also known as gut fermentation syndrome and endogenous ethanol fermentation, ABS is a condition that makes you drunk without actually drinking alcohol.

So how exactly does this happen?

Well, your body turns sugary and starchy foods (carbohydrates) into alcohol, though the ABS diagnosis is certainly hard to come by.

On top of a more difficult diagnosis, ABS can also be mistaken for other conditions.

Showing how rare it really is, only a few cases of auto brewery syndrome have been reported in the last few decades.

And it appears the medical condition has only really appeared in recent years because of people being arrested for drinking and driving.



How doctors helped clear a man of drink driving

A Belgian man was cleared of drinking driving after doctors confirmed he has ABS.

Lawyer Anse Ghesquiere said on Monday (22 April) that in 'another unfortunate coincidence' her client worked at a brewery.

The unnamed man was first convicted of drinking driving in 2019, and was not aware of his condition at the time.

According to local media, he was confused because he had not been drinking.

He was pulled over once more in April 2022, and then once more a month later.

Both times he was found to be over the country's drink-drive limit.

Local media have reported that the first stop took place around 4pm and the man told police that he had two beers the previous day.

Obviously stumped as to how he could be over the limit, the man had himself examined by doctors.

They independently confirmed he suffered from ABS.



The diagnosis came after the man was fed sugary food for 24 hours and without drinking a drop of alcohol, his body 'massively converted the carbohydrates into alcohol'.

Another medical professional appointed by the police court in Bruges came to the same conclusion. People are not born with ABS but can develop it when they already have another intestine-related condition. Patients can present with symptoms consistent with alcohol intoxication such as slurred speech, stumbling, loss of motor functions, dizziness and belching.

The judge emphasised that the defendant did not experience symptoms of intoxication, according to Belgium media.

The man has since been cleared of any wrongdoing, while the judge did not order a driving ban based on his condition.

Instead, the judge ruled that the man must take measures such as a dietary change, or use an alcolock, which stops someone driving if they're over the limit.

If he doesn't make these changes, his next drink driving conviction will stand.

[Alessa9]

Portuguese man first European citizen jailed under Hong Kong’s national security law



https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/Q0Tu0Kmx

A Portuguese man has been sentenced in Hong Kong for posting pro-independence content on social media, becoming the first European to be punished under the controversial China-imposed national security law.

Joseph John, also known as Wong Kin-Chung, has dual citizenship of Portugal and Hong Kong. He was sentenced to five years in jail on Thursday for “incitement to secession” under the stringent law.

Under the law, which has been used to silence critics and pro-democracy voices, secession is the offence of advocating for Hong Kong to break away from China.

John was arrested in 2022 after he returned to Hong Kong to visit his family. He was charged for posting pro-independence and anti-China content on social media.

The 41-year-old had been running social media activities and a website for a political group called the Hong Kong Independence Party. The group’s website was registered in the UK where he was previously based.

The group advocated for foreign intervention in China’s rule over Hong Kong following the 2019 pro-democracy protests.

The prosecution outlined 42 posts on the party’s social media handles that they considered “secessionist”, including calls for the “UK and US to send troops to Hong Kong” and crowdfunding to build an army for Hong Kong.

The pages were shut down in 2022 when John returned to Hong Kong to visit his ailing mother. But he was arrested by the authorities during his trip.

Following months-long investigation during which remained in custody, John pleaded guilty to “inciting secession” in February and was convicted in March.

In his sentencing trial on Thursday, Judge Ernest Lin said John had “distorted history, demonised China, and appealed to foreign countries to destroy [Hong Kong] and China by political or simply violent means”.

“Those posts lent excuses to foreign politicians ... to criticize, boycott and even suppress China and (Hong Kong) in the name of helping Hong Kong,” Mr Lin said.

He was sentenced to five years in prison under the stringent act, a common punishment for “serious” cases.


Protest against Hong Kong's new Article 23 national security law in Taipei

John was denied bail several times during his 16-month custody which has become a standard practice in Hong Kong for defendants in cases relating to the national security law.

He was also denied consular access, according to Portuguese officials, as Beijing does not allow dual citizenship.

Representatives from Portugal and the European Union were present in the Hong Kong District Court on Thursday.

Since the enactment of the controversial law in 2020, in response to the massive pro-democracy protests, this is believed to be the first time a European citizen has been sentenced.

However, approximately 300 people have been arrested so far under the law until 31 January 2023, according to Hong Kong Security Bureau.

The act, widely criticised by EU and United Nations as “deeply worrying”, criminalises anything that relates to treason, sabotage, sedition, the theft of state secrets, external interference and espionage with sentences ranging from several years to life imprisonment.

Critics say the act is vaguely worded and makes it easy for authorities to target individuals who criticse the authorities.

[Fatima99]

At Just 19, Runner with Down’s Syndrome Makes History as the Youngest Impaired Person to Finish the London Marathon



19-year-old Lloyd Martin has become the youngest person ever to finish the London Marathon with Down Syndrome.

Receiving a Guinness World Records plaque at the finishing line, Martin says it’s a dream come true, and celebrated the 26.4 miles with some pretty fly dance moves for someone with impaired motor function.

He ran continuously for the first 14 miles—a personal best—before switching to bouts of walking and jogging.

“In Lloyd’s words, it’s achieving his dream,” said his mom, Ceri Hooper. “Really anything is possible if you put your mind to it. With a bit of work, you can achieve it.”

Hooper represented Wales internationally in track and field competitions, and ensured that her son Lloyd had all the training and motivation he needed when he set his mind on the task of a marathon.

He had developed his strength and stamina mainly through 5k races.

She herself has run six marathons in her life: 4x in London, the Boston Marathon, and the Chicago edition.

The Special Olympics organization for Great Britain helped Lloyd get everything prepared for the race, where he became the youngest person ever to finish in the intellectual impairment category.

[PennySerenade]

Molly on a mission: N.S. student collecting books about women in sport for school library



Molly Knight, a grade four student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that.

“I wanted to have more people see women doing sports, because people need women to play sports so they can motivate themselves and see other people play,” said Molly in an interview with CTV’s Mike Lamb. “So then they feel really excited to do something new.”

Molly said she is looking for books with lots of pictures.

“I would like some people to donate books that have lots of pictures of girls playing basketball because then other people will be like ‘wow that’s so cool, maybe I’ll be like them sometime.’”

Molly’s mother Lucy said she would like to see more books available for young readers that focus on women in sport.

“I think girls in sports is really gaining momentum, there’s been a lot of great attention lately with PWHL and the March Madness in the U.S. More girls are playing more sports I think than ever and that’s not really reflected yet in the books that are available for young readers,” she said.

“I think it would be great if we can have more available so that girls can see not just boys and men as people to inspire to be like in the sports world, and can start to see themselves on those pages as well,” she adds.

“The school librarian said she’s all in for it and she’s really excited,” said Molly.

“Were really proud of her, she very determined and she likes to speak up and speak out about things that she thinks are important and this is something she thought was important and she likes to get things done and make it happen. So she’s going for it and we totally support that,” said Lucy.

Donations have already started to come in for the book drive.

“We’ve had a few people reach out to us already that have books there ready for us to pick up or are planning to donate. So that’s great,” said Lucy.

Molly said she is grateful for everyone who donates.

“I feel pretty happy. I’m really grateful also for all the people who are chipping in and helping.”



Donations for Molly’s Book Drive can be made by contacting [email protected] by April 30.

[rflash8]

John Lennon's lost guitar found in loft after 50 years to go up for auction

Estimated to fetch more than £600,000, auctioneers believe the 12-string acoustic guitar used in the recording of The Beatles' Help! album and film, could set a new world record as "the highest-selling Beatles guitar".



A guitar used by John Lennon in the recording of The Beatles album and film Help! is going up for auction after being found in a loft.

Believed to have been lost, the 12-string acoustic guitar had not been seen or played for more than 50 years before it was rediscovered in the home of a British couple.

It is now going up for auction where it is estimated to fetch between £485,000 to £647,000.

Auctioneers believe it could set a "new world record for the highest-selling Beatles guitar".

The Hootenanny model, made by German firm Framus, was used by the Liverpool band in the 1965 Help! film, specifically in the scene when the group perform You've Got To Hide Your Love Away.

It was also used during the recording sessions for It's Only Love and I've Just Seen A Face and Girl along with the rhythm track for Norwegian Wood played by George Harrison.



"Finding this remarkable instrument is like finding a lost Rembrandt or Picasso, and it still looks and plays like a dream after having been preserved in an attic for more than 50 years," said Darren Julien, co-founder and executive director at auction house Julien's Auctions.

"To awaken this sleeping beauty is a sacred honour and is a great moment for music, Julien's, Beatles and auction history."

It is believed the guitar came to be in the possession of Scottish guitarist Gordon Waller, known for being one half of the pop duo Peter & Gordon, who later gave it to his band's road managers in the 1970s.

It is not the first piece of Beatles memorabilia to be rediscovered.

In February, Sir Paul McCartney was reunited with his 1961 Hofner bass guitar, which he used on songs such as Twist And Shout and She Loves You.

Julien's Auctions has previously sold another Lennon acoustic guitar for $2.4m (£1.93m), Ringo Starr's Ludwig drum kit was purchased for $2.2m (£1.77m) and a Ludwig drumhead bass used on The Ed Sullivan Show was auctioned at $2.1m (£1.64m).

The Hootenanny guitar will go up for auction along with the guitar's Maton Australian-made case as part of Julien's Music Icons two-day auction on 29 and 30 May.

Also being sold at the auction is an Adam Clayton stage-played and owned rose sparkle Fender bass guitar, used at the U2 Las Vegas Sphere shows, which has an estimate of $50,000 to 70,000 (£40,199 to £56,279).

Tina Turner's Versace dress, worn during her 1996 to 1997 Wildest Dreams Tour, and Amy Winehouse's Black Fendi gown made for the opening of the clothes shop during Paris Fashion Week, are also up for auction.

[goldie0608]

11 Sets of Twins to Graduate from Same Pennsylvania High School Together

Norwin High School's principal, who is also a parent of twins, joked, "I don't know if there's something the water"



A high school graduation ceremony in Pennsylvania is set to look a little different this summer.

According to CBS News, Norwin High School in Westmoreland County will see 11 sets of twins receive their high school diplomas at the end of the school year.

"You always have a friend around, so it's like you're never really bored," student Sophie Bowser told the outlet. "I always have someone to talk to."

Speaking about being part of the 11 pairs of twins, Luke Klamut added, "It's super interesting to see. I'm not sure if this is a record, but it's super interesting. If anyone is like, 'Do you have a fun fact?' you can be like, 'Well I graduated with 10 other sets of twins in high school.' "

Norwin High School Principal Dr. Michael Choby also shared his thoughts on the news, explaining that despite the students being twins, they were individuals with different personalities.

“Very different personalities as a group and as twins for sure. It makes them special and makes them unique, as you mentioned, it makes them unique to hang around with at school," he told the outlet.

Choby added that he had never experienced having so many twins graduate at the same time.

"It is my ninth year as the building principal," he said. "I don't remember it happening in the past. It's exciting because of the camaraderie amongst the students."

"I also am a parent of twins," he added. "So I have twins here at Norwinn School District, not in high school yet, but someday. I don't know if there's something the water."

CBS News also reports that while some twins are set to attend the same college together, others are going separate directions.

"We're going to try to stick together," Sophie's twin Abby Bowser told the outlet.

"This is just a stepping stone," added Choby. "Their futures are going to be phenomenal. I'm excited to just follow from a distance."

Fungus Devastating Frogs Worldwide May Have an Achilles Heel – And it May Save the Amphibians



Brain Gratewick, CC 2.0 license

A pandemic among frogs has been going on worldwide for years—the culprit: a fungal infection that has affected amphibians on nearly every continent.

But now, the discovery of a virus that has evolved to replicate inside this fungus could be the key to saving nearly 500 species of frogs that have experienced declines due to this amphibian pandemic.

Viruses are the smallest organisms we know about, and researchers at Univ. of California, Riverside weren’t out looking for one when they found it embedded in the fungus DNA.

The fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis or Bd, wasn’t prevalent until the late 1990s, when suddenly frogs just started dropping dead all over the world.

“We wanted to see how different strains of fungus differ in places like Africa, Brazil, and the U.S., just like people study different strains of COVID-19,” said UCR microbiology professor Jason Stajich.

To do this, Stajich and colleagues used DNA sequencing technology. As they examined the data, they noticed some sequences that did not match the DNA of the fungus.

“We realized these extra sequences, when put together, had the hallmarks of a viral genome,” Stajich said.

The team found that the virus—a single-strand DNA virus which literally is the smallest known organism—is integrated into the nuclear genome in some strains of Bd.

Attempts to cure virus-positive isolates were unsuccessful; however, differences between naturally virus-positive and virus-negative Bd isolates suggested that this virus decreases the growth of its host in vitro, the authors write.

They speculate that if the virus could be replicated and then engineered to further reduce this growth, biologists may have a method of saving amphibians like the harlequin frogs of Ecuador which have been heavily affected by Bd.

The scientists say that a lot more research is needed before such a cure might be manufactured, including for questions like how this virus infects its host.

[lush]

Trendy Ice Cream Shop Specializes in Hyper-Realistic Edible Flower Bouquets
013024*

(THISIS)SHIZEN is a Kyoto-based café that has gained popularity mainly thanks to its artistic ice cream cones which resemble intricate flower bouquets.

We use the phrase ‘too beautiful to eat’ to describe food art pretty often here on Oddity Central, but the edible ice-cream bouquets created by (THISIS)SHIZEN really look too pretty to eat, regardless of how tasty they are. Featuring a botanical-themed decor containing potted plants and nature-inspired paintings, this relatively new Japanese café serves a variety of ice-cream bouquets that are only available for a limited time, depending on the season. You can treat yourself to creamy roses, lilac, Japanese camellia, and many more flavorful wonders.



Located inside Kyoto’s ShinPuhKan shopping complex, (THISIS)SHIZEN rose to fame thanks to photo and video-focused social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Its flower bouquet-inspired treats constantly go viral, and the café has already become famous for offering the most beautiful ice cream in the world.



The main ingredient for these gorgeous ice-cream flowers is anko, a sweet red bean paste made from boiled azuki beans that are mashed into a thick paste and mixed with sugar. Its texture and taste are comparable to cooked sweet potato.



The edible bouquets come in a variety of colors and flavors that can be mixed to each customer’s preferences. A bouquet costs 1,650 Japanese yen ($11), which isn’t a bad price for a handmade edible artwork.


https://www.odditycentral.com/wp-conten ... uets6.jpeg

[Misstee]

Kevin Bacon dances back to 'Footloose' high school




In this photo provided by Jesse Sorenson, actor Kevin Bacon, center, helps fill care packages for his charity, Saturday, April 20, 2024, in Payson, Utah, while visiting the Utah high school where cult classic "Footloose," was filmed. (Jesse Sorenson via AP)

PAYSON, Utah – Actor Kevin Bacon on Saturday returned to the Utah high school where the cult classic movie “Footloose” was filmed more than 40 years.

Bacon danced his way to a stage on a Payson High School athletic field Saturday to greet students before what likely was the final prom held at the school, which is set to be torn down next spring.

“You talked me into it," Bacon said, according to video posted by Salt Lake City's ABC 4. “It’s great to see that kind of commitment to anything. I also think that it’s amazing to see the power that this movie has had to bring people together.”

Bacon starred in “Footloose” as a Chicago teen who moved to a small town and fought its ban on dancing. Payson High School students ended Saturday with a “Footloose”-themed prom, just as the movie ended.

About 21,000 people live in Payson, which is about 60 miles south of Salt Lake City.

Principal Jesse Sorenson said students for years have tried to persuade Bacon to visit.

What started as lighthearted appeals on social media turned into a community wide campaign to partner with Bacon's charity, Sorenson said. Students agreed to help put together 5,000 care packages for the charity, SixDegrees, to convince Bacon to visit.

Students for weeks wrote hopeful messages for the eventual owners of each of the care packages and worked with the Utah Film Commission and SixDegrees to raise money and donations of toiletries, clothing and other items to go in the backpacks, Sorenson said.

On Saturday, Bacon helped fill the bags alongside what Sorenson estimated was about 700 students and 300 community members.

Sorenson, who graduated from Payson High School in 1995, said DJs always play the song “Footloose” at proms, and students recreate the film's iconic dance. Older residents tell stories of being an extra in the film and delight in pointing out spots in Payson shown in the movie, he said.

“It's something they can be proud of, and it’s fun for them,” the principal said.

Disney World Earns Its First Michelin Star
Source: Forbes


Disney World earned its first Michelin star in April 2024.
Image: GETTY IMAGES

Michelin and Mickey Mouse now coexist in one spot, thanks to the Michelin Guide Florida.

The 2024 MICHELIN Guide for Miami, Orlando and Tampa was announced on Thursday, April 18, awarding stars to nine more restaurants in the region. Now, Florida is home to 26 Michelin Starred restaurants, with L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon Miami remaining atop the list with two stars.

"Since the arrival of the MICHELIN Guide to Florida in 2022, there has been significant growth in the state's local culinary scene, proving Florida is a leading gastronomic destination for travelers near and far," said Gwendal Poullennec, the International Director of the MICHELIN Guides. "In addition to the nine new restaurants awarded one MICHELIN Star, we are thrilled to announce Green Star restaurants in the selection for the first time, showcasing these restaurants' commitment to a more sustainable gastronomy."


Alaskan King Crab with compressed watermelon at Victoria & Albert's
Image: DISNEY

New to the list are two Tampa restaurants, Ebbe and Kosen, along with three Miami eateries, EntreNos, Ogawa, and Shingo. In Orlando, Camille, Natsu, Papa Llama, and Victoria & Albert's were also awarded stars. The last one has a special designation: It's at Disney World.

Housed at the Grand Floridian Resort, Victoria & Albert's is known for its difficult to secure reservations for an opulent, Victorian-era inspired meal. The pre-fixed meal is $295 per guest, with optional wine pairings starting at $155 per person and zero-proof pairings starting at $115. To round out the elegant experience, a formal dress code is encouraged for all diners, who must be 10 years of age or older.


Langoustines with daikon and crispy sea beans at Victoria & Albert's
Image: DISNEY

"It's an incredible honor to be recognized by Michelin for the innovative dining experience our team brings to life here at Victoria & Albert's," Chef de Cuisine Matthew Sowers said in a statement. "Everybody on our team earned this Star, from our stewards to our culinarians to our pastry chefs, and we hope to inspire future generations of culinary professionals to follow their dreams."

Michelin was impressed by Chef Sowers' "contemporary verve" that draws on influences spanning from Asia to the Nordic region. Dishes like delicate tarts set with New Zealand langoustine, nouveau sandwiches made with venison carpaccio and red cabbage, and bold sauces like cherry-cola bordelaise all impressed the anonymous inspectors. Other details like water lists, an ornate coffee and tea service, and a serious wine program further made an impression and earned the Disney World restaurant its first Michelin star.


Turbot with fennel and clam at Victoria & Albert's
Image: DISNEY

This is far from the first notable accolade for the theme park restaurant since its opening in 1988. Victoria & Albert's has maintained a AAA Five Diamond Award since 2000, Forbes Travel Guide Five Star since 2018, and earned a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence.

[HogwartsExpress]

Original “Harry Potter” Cast Members React to New Max Series – Part 1


With last year’s announcement of the Harry Potter reboot, fans have many questions about the highly anticipated series. Who will play the much-loved characters? What does the original cast from the Harry Potter films think about the show, and would any original cast members consider making an appearance?

We’ve taken a look at some of the original cast members’ reactions below.

Daniel Radcliffe
Of course, we had to start with the original Harry Potter himself, who is “excited” to watch the TV series as a viewer, as he told Variety.

I’ll be able to enjoy it with everyone else possibly, with a slightly different perspective. It’s a nice thing that a whole new generation is going to get introduced to the stories in a new way. They’ll see it as a TV series, so they’ll probably have time to go into all the things. So for the people that were angry about things that were cut from the film, hopefully, they will finally be able to see the full version they wanted.

Reminiscing about his time on the set of Potter, Daniel described it as “such a safe place to grow up” and hopes this safe environment will be replicated for the TV show’s cast.

He was, however, doubtful that he will be asked to join as a cameo.

It seems to me that they are wanting to make a very fresh series. It feels like it would be distracting to have old, haggard Harry also entering from stage left, so I’m certainly not seeking it out. But I’m very supportive of [the show] happening and wish particularly the kids nothing but the best.

David Yates
As director of the final four Harry Potter films and the Fantastic Beasts films, much of the wizarding world we know and love from the big screen was brought to us by David Yates.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Yates has no intention of getting involved with the TV series.

I could not, in any conceivable way, get involved… I spent a long time at that school, in those corridors and in those classrooms, and it was an exquisite experience and one I will always treasure. But to go back and do another year or two, for me, I feel I’ve left it.

Yates also spoke about the importance of protecting the young cast chosen for the TV series and how this will be much harder to do now than it was for the films because of social media.

Everyone will have a view and a perspective, and it seems to me, since we finished the [‘Potter’] films ten years ago, the public discourse and the people offering opinions about things has somehow become much more confrontational and aggressive…. That’s the only thing that I would be wary of, is to protect that group and help them through that process because there’ll be a lot of stuff coming at them, and they need to be protected.

He has wished the show well, stating it’s going to be “amazing” for the next generation to explore the wizarding world in a new way.

Matthew Lewis
While attending a panel at MegaCon, Matt Lewis pondered whom he’d like to play in the Max series.

Gosh, I have no idea. It’s very difficult as well because everyone just did such a wonderful job.

Stating he was “too old” to play Neville again, he decided that based on his reading of the books, he enjoyed the character of Remus Lupin. Lewis then complimented David Thewlis’s portrayal of Lupin in the films, saying he “could never be beaten.”

David Bradley
Speaking to RadioTimes.com, David Bradley (Argus Filch) joked that he hasn’t “had the call yet” to be in the TV show. He also gave his thoughts on how the series will allow more book content to be included because the films had to “sacrifice quite a lot of plot and characters.”

I’m assuming the reason they’re doing it is they’ll be able to include more of the story because they’ll have more screen time – a lot more than the films had. I’ll be interested.

Toby Jones
A beloved fan favorite who, despite being CGI, will be hard to replace is Dobby the house-elf. When asked by TheWrap if he would voice the role of Dobby again, Toby Jones responded, “Of course I would. I’m very proud of that. Yeah, yeah, definitely.”


src: https://www.mugglenet.com/2024/04/origi ... es-part-1/

Astronomers Find Evidence Of A Massive Object Beyond The Orbit Of Neptune

Something gigantic appears to be stabilizing objects beyond the orbit of Neptune


A proposed orbit of Planet 9, according to an earlier team.
Image credit: MagentaGreen/Prokaryotes/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 1.0)

A team of researchers say they have found the "strongest statistical evidence yet that Planet 9 is really out there" in the solar system after studying a population of distant, unstable objects that cross Neptune's orbit.

When it comes to discovering planets, finding them around other stars is actually a little easier than locating them around our own. Astronomers can watch for dips in light as planets pass their host star and block the light reaching our telescopes on Earth or in space, known as the "transit method"; or by observing the wobble of a star caused by planets orbiting it and the knock-on effect that has. Through these methods, and a few others, we have discovered thousands of exoplanets in the last few decades, while the number of planets in our solar system has remained at eight.

Discovering planets around our own sun has relied on two methods: seeing them in the sky, and observing slight disturbances in the orbits of other objects. Venus, Mercury, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars we
re all found through visual sightings. Uranus was discovered in 1781 by astronomer William Herschel after he noticed a bright object had moved compared to other stars in a survey and took a closer look. Neptune was discovered when astronomer and mathematician Urbain Le Verrier noticed that Uranus's orbit was different from the orbit predicted by Newtonian physics. He realized that this could be explained by another planet beyond Uranus affecting its orbit, and predicted where this planet would be.

But our discovery of planets within the solar system might not yet be over. In 2015, two astronomers from Caltech presented evidence that six objects past the orbit of Neptune were bunched together in a way that suggested they were being "herded" by something with a large gravitational pull. Despite suggestions the planet could be due to a statistical anomaly and selection bias, the team believes the objects could be moving due to the influence of a large object beyond Neptune's orbit.

In a new paper, the team looked at long-period objects that crossed the path of Neptune's orbit, finding that their closest point of orbit to the sun was around 15-30 astronomical units (AU), with one AU being the distance between the sun and the Earth.

Carrying out simulations to try and discover what best explains the orbits of these objects, the team found that a model that includes a massive planet beyond the region of Neptune explained the steady state of these objects much better than in simulations where planet 9 was not included. In the model, the team included other variables, such as the galactic tide and the gravitational influence of passing stars.

Though this is intriguing, the analysis does not narrow down where to look for such a planet. Thankfully, we might not have too long to wait on that front.

"Excitingly, the dynamics described here, along with all other lines of evidence for Planet 9, will soon face a rigorous test with the operational commencement of the Vera Rubin Observatory," the team concluded. "This upcoming phase of exploration promises to provide critical insights into the mysteries of our solar system’s outer reaches."

The paper is posted on the pre-print server arXiv and has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.