Wikipedia Founder Ready To Counter 'Fake News'
The founder of Wikipedia says plans are in the works for a crowd-funded website offering stories by journalists and volunteers working together to counter fake news. Jimmy Wales calls the new platform Wikitribune.
It'll be free to read and won't have advertising, but will ask readers to donate ten-dollars a month. Backers say its stories will be easy to verify because source material will be included. In a promotional video, Wales says, "The news is broken, but we've figured out how to fix it." The page indicates Wikitribune is going live in 29 days.
"This will be the first time that professional journalists and citizen journalists will work side-by-side as equals,” Wales adds. “Writing stories as they happen, editing them live as they develop, and at all times backed by a community checking and re-checking all facts."
Source: Jimmy Wales
These Hungry Caterpillars Could Fix Our Plastic Bag Problem
Scientists have discovered a possible solution to the global plastic bag crisis: worms. Specifically, a waxworm that they’ve learned can eat through plastic at “uniquely high speeds.”
Researchers say the little caterpillar’s ability to break down even the toughest plastics is “extremely exciting” and could provide an environmentally friendly solution to the plastic bag problem. There are around a trillion plastic bags used across the globe every year and a lot of them end up in the oceans or landfills, so this little worm could change all that.
The waxworm is commonly found living in beehives and scientists believe it’s the enzymes in it’s saliva or gut that break down the chemical bonds in plastics, just like it digests the wax in the hives. It can eat through polyethylene more than 1,400 times faster than other organisms. And mother earth would be a lot happier without all those bags.
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald
Today is National Pretzel Day
April 26th is National Pretzel Day! Centuries ago, Catholic monks created the first pretzels from scraps of leftover dough. The unique knot shape represented the Holy Trinity, but the significance of this symbol has evolved over the course of history. During the 17th century, pretzels symbolized the bond of marriage. This is where the phrase “tying the knot” originated! Today, traditional soft pretzels are popular at sporting events, carnivals, and festivals.
Hard pretzels are a fairly new invention compared to the original soft pretzels. According to legend, in the late 1600s a Pennsylvania baker forgot a batch of pretzels in the oven. The over-baked treats were dark and hard, but the baker sampled one anyway. He was pleasantly surprised by the crunchy deliciousness. Hard pretzels are now one of the most popular snack foods.
Today is National Kids and Pets Day
April 26th is National Kids and Pets Day! This special day was created in 2005 by Family & Pet Lifestyle Expert, mother and pet lover, Colleen Paige. This day is dedicated to two things: “furthering the magical bond between children and animals”; and to help raise awareness to pets waiting in shelters for their foreverhomes.
It’s a pretty simple equation: the responsibility that a child can learn from caring for a pet is an important part of their social development. Plus, studies have shown that children who that grow up with pets tend to be extremely nurturing and compassionate. This simply makes for a happier world.
Looking to add a furbaby to your human family? Check out Colleen Paige’s website, and you can find some guidelines as well as a useful list of safety tips and for families looking for the right pet.
Shirtless Toddler on Splash Pad Sparks Debate
A mother says an employee made her put a shirt on her 3-year-old daughter while she played on the splash pad at Town Square. It's sparked a huge debate on whether or not female toddlers should be treated the same as male toddlers when it comes to what they're wearing.
Gwen Buckles said her 3-year-old daughter was playing on the splash pad in her clothes. She went up to her mom and said she was cold and asked if she could take her wet shirt off. Gwen thought nothing of it and allowed her daughter to take off her wet shirt. A few minutes later, an employee approached Gwen telling her it’s policy that all girls must wear some sort of top.
“I said well what about my son and she said no well little boys are fine to run around without their tops. I looked at her and I said she's three and she's cold,” Gwen said.
She says she put the wet shirt back on her toddler and went to management. A sign outside of the splash pad says, “swim diapers are required.” However, management sent her a revised list of rules that also adds, “proper swim attire.”
“Afterward I'm like 'why did I just put my daughter into a cold wet shirt, but my son is playing without his shirt on just the same as she was? It's ridiculous,’’’ Gwen said.
Link: http://www.fox5vegas.com/story/35219308/shirtless-female-toddler-on-splash-pad-
Hooters Takes First Step To Ditching Sexy Uniforms
There's no way to beat around the bush, there's a reason why Hooters Girls wear skin-tight tank tops and booty shorts ⸺ because sex sells. The cleavage-heavy tops have become part of their identity, but it looks like they're starting to veer toward a more modest approach.
The president of Hooters Asia said its current six restaurants, and its anticipated 30 future locations across the continent will be more family-friendly. With a more conservative outlook, the new uniforms will feature longer skirts and higher necklines, according to Channel News Asia.
This is a pretty big shakeup that probably wouldn't fly in the U.S., but you never know, we might someday see Hooters as a family-first, kid-friendly establishment. Stranger things have happened.
“Muddy” Jeans Available For 425-Bucks A Pair
In case you missed it, you can now look dirty without really being dirty – if you're willing to pay for it. For 425-bucks, you can now buy a pair of jeans with fake mud on them. They're available at Nordstrom and the jeans look like the real deal coated in mud.
The retailer says the Barracuda Straight Leg Jeans feature "caked-on muddy coating" that gives the effect of being worn in the dirty and mud. Nordstrom says the pants embody "rugged Americana" that shows "you're not afraid" to get down and dirty.
The reaction has been decidedly negative – both for the price and the idea itself. "This is a joke, right?" one now-deleted commenter offered. "Do you also sell jeans covered in cow manure? Oh, that must be the deluxe model."
Source: CNET
Fruit Juice Floods Russian Town
Residents living near the PepsiCo factory in Lebedyansky, Russia were in for quite for a surprise when they had to deal with a flash flood...of fruit juice.
The roof of the factory collapsed, sending two tons of juice into the streets and the nearby River Don. According to a company spokesperson, two workers were stranded after the collapse, but no one was injured. Now, the company is figuring out how to clean their sticky mess up.
Source: RT