Police: Solo Suicide Bomber Responsible For Manchester Attack-One terrorist is directly responsible for the devastation at a Manchester, England Ariana Grande concert.
We told you earlier about the attack that has killed 22 and injured 50. Now we know a lone suicide bomber detonated an improvised explosive device and in the process killed himself. Investigators, at one point numbering 400, are now tasked with making sure he acted alone and not as part of a cell.
It’s been reported that nuts and bolts were found scattered in the area, but police are not releasing information as to whether they were part of the device.
British Prime Minister Theresa May condemned what she called "an appalling terrorist attack." President Trump, who is in Israel, said he blamed "evil losers" for the attack, adding that he won't call terrorists "monsters" as "they'd think that's a great name." He added: "We cannot stand for a moment longer for the slaughter of innocent people."Source: NBC News
A Country Is Listing Itself On Airbnb
Sweden is bringing its centuries-old hospitality tradition into the digital age.
Sweden has listed the entire countryside on Airbnb. The listing means anyone can hike, camp, and pick berries or mushrooms pretty much anywhere. Actually, that's been the case in Sweden and other Nordic countries since the Middle Ages. The English translation of the tradition is "everyman's right." The president of Sweden's tourism agency says the only limits to hiking, camping, or picking berries anywhere is that people are asked not to get too close to houses or disturb fields or animals that are grazing. Source: Ad Week
Today is World Turtle Day
May 23rd is World Turtle Day! Did you know that turtles have been around for more than 200 million years? These ancient creatures evolved before mammals, birds, snakes, or lizards! Biologists believe that turtles have managed to outlive many other species due to the unique protection provided by their shells.
Turtles come in all different shapes and sizes, and can be found on every continent except Antarctica. The smallest is the Bog Turtle, which usually measures just four inches in length, and the largest is the Leathery Turtle, which can weigh up to 1500 pounds!
Today is National Taffy Day
May 23rd is National Taffy Day! What a sweet and sticky way to start the week – to is National Taffy Day, and it’s celebrated every year on May 23rd. Not familiar Taffy? It’s a candy that’s been around since the 1880s.
Available in many flavors and colors, the most popular are fruit flavors, like banana and lemon, but actually anything can works. But the very first taffies were flavorless. Later molasses and vanilla were added to make them better. That was the beginning of experiments with different flavors. Color experiments began much later and they were designated to match the flavor of the candies.
Contrary to popular belief, saltwater taffy isn't made with saltwater, but really contains water and salt. There are many rumors on that how this kind of taffy was first created, according to Jersey Shore legend, it was back 1883 that a storm hit Atlantic City. The boardwalk at the time was smaller and lower than it is today. During the storm, waves easily flooded several businesses with sea water, including a candy shop owned by David Bradley.
When a young girl came in to the shop to buy some taffy after the storm, Bradley looked around his soggy store and jokingly told her all he had was “salt water taffy.” Not understanding the sarcasm, she bought some and went on her way. Bradley’s mom overheard the exchange and suggested that the name was catchy and the rest is history.
Today is Lucky Penny Day
May 23rd is Lucky Penny Day! A penny may not buy you much, but it used to. During your parents and grandparents days, a penny bought a lot of things. Most notably, "Penny Candy" got its name because a piece of candy cost a penny. Inflation year after year after year, eroded the penny's value. There’s been some discussion as to whether to discontinue the penny. Still, it lives on – and serves a very useful purpose.
And then there are the lucky ones found on the ground. Not all of the pennies you find will be lucky. But, it will only take one lucky penny used to scratch off the mega winner on a scratch-off ticket. Are you superstitious? Then only pick up a penny that’s lying face up.
The Quirkiest Summer Festivals of 2017
Now that summer’s almost here, more and more people will be headed out on vacation. And while heading to a beach or a big city is a typical summer vacation destination, there’s no doubt some people like to experience something a little more unique during their time of.
Well, several cities across the country hold festivals in the summer months, and we’re not talking Coachella or Lollapalooza. There are a whole host of unique festivals taking place between May and September, and Motel 6 has just come out with a list of the Six Quirkiest Summer Festivals of 2017.
The quirky fests include:
- Mule Days Celebration, Bishop, California, May 23rd – May 28th – The annual equestrian festival attracts more than 30,000 fans from around the world. The fest is a cross between a mule competition and a Wild West show, and features more than a dozen shows with over 700 mules, as well as a live country concert, barbecues and more.
- Watermelon Thump, Luling, Texas, June 22nd – June 25th – About 25,000 visitors help pay tribute to the iconic summer fruit and its local growers, with the fest featruing watermelon seed-spitting competitions, watermelon eating contests, a giant parade, a queen's coronation, and more.
- WestFest, Chicago, Illinois, July 7th – July 9th – Each year Chicago’s West Town celebrates its hip local talent and businesses. In addition to unique local offerings and entertainment, the fest also features WestFest’s Kid Fest, featuring activities for the youngsters, as well as WestFest’s Pet Fest, a dog-friendly spot with pet-related vendors and more.
- Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, July 29th– July 30th – The annual event is considered the largest Dragon Boat Festival in the country, featuring a lake race with more than 50 colorful dragon boat teams. The fest also incldes live performances, an Asian marketplace, and even a spicy ramen eating contest.
- Twins Days, Twinsburg, Ohio, August 4th – August 6th – Considered the largest gathering of twins and other multiple in the world, each year hundreds of twins, triplets, quads and more descend on Twinsburg, for a fun festival featuring costume contests, live entertainment, talent shows and more.
- Wisconsin State Cow Chip Throw & Festival, Prairie Du Sac, Wisconsin, September 1st – September 2nd – Each year more than 40,000 people head to this fest to try and beat the 248-foot record for the longest cow chip throw. The fest also features live entertainment, arts and crafts, food, and a 5K and 10K run.
Source: Yahoo Finance
Your Drunk Self Is Your Real Self, New Study Suggests
Bad news for insufferable drunks everywhere: according to a new study, outside observers don’t notice much difference between drunk you and the “real” you at all.
The Clinical Psychological Science published the study, which had intoxicated participant’s rank themselves on a series of personality factors both before and after drinking, and had sober participants do the same of the drinking participants.
Researchers from the University of Missouri discovered that “outside observers rarely clocked significant changes in the drunk subjects’ personalities,” Bustle reports.
After a 15-minute absorption period, drinking participants played games and ranked themselves on standard personality factors (conscientiousness, openness to experience, agreeableness, extraversion, and neuroticism.) While they themselves noticed a huge difference in personality — including lower consciousness and heightened agreeability — sober onlookers found that the study participants only differed in extraversion.
“We were surprised to find such a discrepancy between drinkers’ perceptions of their own alcohol-induced personalities and how observers perceived them,” lead writer Rachel Winograd said.
So while alcohol may make you more extroverted than usual, your core personality is constant. So listen to Ignition (Remix) and sob openly about the beautiful voices of the sisters on Nashville with pride. This is the real you.
Link: http://collegecandy.com/2017/05/19/drunk-self-real-self-study-results-analysis-details/
STD Verifying Dating App
Ever hear of the dating app “NeatClub?” Creators claim that aside from connecting you with people, it’ll verify that your matches have been checked for STDs and STIs by one of their lab-testing partners.
The app founder, Ashka Shah, claims the idea behind the app is to make people feel more comfortable about coming forward about their STD and STI status. After all, there are close to 20-million new STI cases reported annually according to Shah. It keeps people safer when considering gettin’ in the sack with your matches, right?!
Shah thinks the greatest benefit of this app is keeping people in the know about their sexual health. But it also seems like a great way to encourage knowing about what the deal is downstairs before you decide to get a little dirty.
Source: Forbes
Bacon Summer Camp Is A Real Thing
Listen up bacon lovers: now you can head to an adult summer camp based around your favorite thing - get ready for Camp Bacon. YES! Created by specialty food store Zingerman's in Ann Arbor, Michigan, it includes five days of tasting, cooking, partying and even a Bacon Ball.
"We love to taste the bacon and don't get us wrong, you will leave having tasted a lot of bacon, but we are there to share the story behind the bacon," organizers explain. "We share with you new ways to appreciate bacon.” So not only is it delicious, it’s educational too. Bacon for the win-win!
With a motto like “bacon is for the brain, belly, and soul,” this camp for grown-ups will fill up fast. The camp is happening May 31st through June 4th, and has a full schedule of salty fried pork-related events. Plus, the proceeds benefit local 4-H clubs. Get your tickets here.
Source: Chowhound
The Great Lakes Are Being Treated Like A Family Fishbowl
Apparently a lot of people think it's okay to dump their pet fish into the Great Lakes.
From thousands of gold fish to exotic carp, the Great Lakes are becoming home to invasive and non-invasive species of fish. One commercial fisherman tells the "Detroit News" he recently reeled in a South American red tail catfish which can grow to five-feet in the Amazon River. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has received reports of what it calls "unique species" in the state's waterways. The state has issued warnings for owners not to release pet fish back into the wild.Source: Detroit Free Press