The Drift

Welcome to today's issue of Carolina Naturally

'Nuff Said!

Today is April 25, 2023

Today is: Red Hat Society Day

On This Day In History

In 1792CE: Guillotine first used in France, executes highwayman Nicolas Pelletier

Ain't That The Truth

Oh, and while you're at it - check out our sister blog Come What May for off the cuff and off the wall seriousness. Heck, who are we kidding, it's just fun and hilarity.

Editorial Comment

At least the weather is more seasonal ...

We do want to give a shout out to our readers in the Germany and the US and say thanks for stopping by to read Carolina Naturally.

Remember to have fun and enjoy life.

Editorial Staff

Honest Opinions People Have on Women Proposing to Men

What is your opinion about women proposing to men? Several people from a popular internet forum weighed in on this question ...

10 Honest Opinions People Have on Women Proposing to Men

Dinner ...

These Countries Are Discouraging Citizens From Visiting The United States

Travel advisories should be a two-way street. As international adventures regain momentum, it’s vital not only for Americans to follow the State Department’s travel warnings but also for non-American tourists to stay informed about their governments’ advisories. Surprisingly, the United States has also been the target of warnings from several nations, asking their nationals to be cautious during their travels.

These Countries Are Discouraging Citizens From Visiting The United States

Some of the World's Strangest Cultural Traditions

Ready for a tour around the world – right now? Don’t bother booking a flight – we are going to share some amazing cultural traditions right here. 
Our world is full of rich cultures in which people have kept rituals and practices for millennia. Learning about how others live is part of understanding our world, and we’re glad to be able to share these facts with you. So buckle up and read on.
Some of the World's Strangest Cultural Traditions

On the phone, again ...

Most Useless Job Skills Companies Don’t Want Today

Workers in the U.S. have been switching jobs more often than in the past as part of a post-pandemic realigning of the workforce. In fact, it even has a name: The Great Resignation.
The shift means more Americans are updating their resumes as they pursue opportunities that allow them to move beyond living paycheck to paycheck.
But refreshing your resume might require you to remove listed job skills that are obsolete. Listing these skills might actually reduce your chances of landing a potential new job.
So, if you’re hoping to find a position that might make you more money, purge some of these job skills from your resume.
11 Most Useless Job Skills Companies Don’t Want Today

Facebook Probably Owes You Money

Facebook may not be your social media platform of choice in 2023, but if you had an active account at any point in the last 15 or so years, you may be entitled to free money.
Meta, which owns Facebook (and Instagram and WhatsApp), is paying out $725 million to current and former users as part of a class-action settlement, the result of a handful of lawsuits related to Facebook’s poor track record on data privacy. For example, users alleged that their data, and their friends’ data, was shared with third parties without permission. U.S. users dating back to mid-2007 may be eligible for a payment from the settlement.
The exact amount you receive will ultimately depend on how many people file a claim and the sum of legal and administrative fees associated with the suit. In any case, the payment is likely to be small—but something is better than nothing.

Facebook Probably Owes You Money

Things That Are Actually Worth Stockpiling

As the coronavirus pandemic reminded us all, it’s good to be prepared.
That means knowing what’s worth stockpiling in case you need to quarantine or just spend more time at home.
Of course, stocking up on a year’s supply of something just to have it go bad in a couple of weeks would be a waste of money.
Following are some of the best options if you’re looking to add to your stockpile.
20 Things That Are Actually Worth Stockpiling

Brain Pose

These Extraordinary Ancient Wonders Have Only Just Been Discovered

Fresh perspectives thanks to advances in technology, new excavations and curious amateurs have helped unearth some of the world's greatest treasures in the last 50 years. From secret Maya pyramids and fascinating fossils to buried treasures and hidden cities, we bring you some of the most exciting archaeological discoveries of modern times.

These Extraordinary Ancient Wonders Have Only Just Been Discovered

Scientists Finally Solved the Mystery of How the Mayan Calendar Works

The Mayan calendar’s 819-day cycle has confounded scholars for decades, but new research shows how it matches up to planetary cycles over a 45-year span. That’s a much broader view of the tricky calendar than anyone previously tried to take.
In a study published in the journal Ancient Mesoamerica, two Tulane University scholars highlighted how researchers never could quite explain the 819-day count calendar until they broadened their view.
Scientists Finally Solved the Mystery of How the Mayan Calendar Works

Here's how out of whack Earth's climate is today

Scientists who research Earth’s deep past have uncovered bounties and bounties and bounties of evidence that the planet’s climate has changed repeatedly and dramatically.
But nothing compares to what's happening today.
Here's how out of whack Earth's climate is today

You Can Experience ‘Pluto Time’ Twice a Day on Earth

As the quote goes, “Born too late to explore earth, born too early to explore space.” It’s true: Barring some monumental development, our kind is destined to live the rest of our lives on Earth, leaving space exploration to some future generation that actually gets their act together. But just because you’re stuck on Earth doesn’t mean you can’t experience other parts of the solar system. As it happens, you likely see what it’s like to live on Pluto twice a day, and you have your whole life.

You Can Experience ‘Pluto Time’ Twice a Day on Earth

Loving it ...

Scientists Are Still Trying to Explain Mysterious Space Object 'Oumuamua's Odd Behavior

Since astronomers first laid eyes on the interstellar object known as ‘Oumuamua in October of 2017 at the Pan STARRS telescope in Hawaii, it's strange behavior and mysterious origins have sparked speculation and debate. The interstellar object appears to have originated from outside of our solar system.

Scientists Are Still Trying to Explain Mysterious Space Object 'Oumuamua's Odd Behavior

This String Theory "Star" Looks And Acts Exactly Like a Black Hole

Predicted over a century ago as monstrous concentrations of mass that torture the fabric of the Universe into traps of light and information, black holes are now established as objects of fact.

This String Theory "Star" Looks And Acts Exactly Like a Black Hole

From platypus to parsecs and milliCrab: why do astronomers use such weird units?

You may have heard about an asteroid set to fly near Earth that is the size of 18 platypus, or maybe the one that’s the size of 33 armadillos, or even one the size of 22 tuna fish.

From platypus to parsecs and milliCrab: why do astronomers use such weird units?

Dinosaur-killing asteroid did not trigger a long 'nuclear winter' after all

The asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs did not trigger a long-lasting impact winter, scientists have found — a discovery that raises new questions about what happened on Earth just after it hit. 
One spring day 66 million years ago, a 6-mile-wide (10 kilometers) asteroid smashed into the Yucatán Peninsula and upended life on Earth. This event, called the Chicxulub impact, triggered a mass extinction that wiped out 75% of species, including all non-avian dinosaurs. 
But how exactly it killed the dinosaurs is a bit of a mystery — after all, they weren't congregated beneath the asteroid, waiting to be squashed. For decades, scientists speculated that the impact tossed so much dust and dirt into the atmosphere that it triggered an "impact winter" (similar to a nuclear winter) — a period of prolonged cooling during which global temperatures plummeted. 
However, a study published March 22 in the journal Geology tells a different story.
Dinosaur-killing asteroid did not trigger a long 'nuclear winter' after all

A Quick One ...

These 10 Scary American Animals Frighten Even Australians

Hey there, wildlife enthusiasts! Are you ready to discover which American animals are so terrifying that even Australians are left quaking in their boots? 

These 10 Scary American Animals Frighten Even Australians

The Most Dangerous Species On The Planet

The Earth is home to many creatures, some are cute, whereas others are not. Many animals are pretty scary, read on find out which species are the most dangerous in the world.

10+ Of The Most Dangerous Species On The Planet

Meet 10 Amazing Animals Faster Than a Cheetah

A cheetah can reach speeds of 69–75 miles per hour. A cheetah is around 2.7 times faster than the quickest human runner. The peregrine falcon, dubbed the fastest animal on the planet, can reach speeds of nearly 200 miles per hour (320 kilometers per hour) during a stooping dive. The 10 animals faster than a cheetah are ...

Meet 10 Amazing Animals Faster Than a Cheetah

Animal Pictures

The Drift

Welcome to today's issue of Carolina Naturally

'Nuff Said!

Today is April 19, 2023

Today is: Bicycle Day

On This Day In History

In 1770CE: British explorer Captain James Cook first sights Australia. Writes in his log book that “what we have as yet seen of this land appears rather low, and not very hilly, the face of the Country green and Woody, but the Sea shore is all a white Sand.”

Ain't That The Truth

Oh, and while you're at it - check out our sister blog Come What May for off the cuff and off the wall seriousness. Heck, who are we kidding, it's just fun and hilarity.

Editorial Comment

Spring and the Summer heat is here. 

Third day of the same ... and yes, it's even hotter today than yesterday.

We do want to give a shout out to our readers in the UK and the US and say thanks for stopping by to read Carolina Naturally.

Remember to have fun and enjoy life.

Editorial Staff

Pizza Delivery Man Trips Suspect Fleeing from Police

Pizza delivery drivers are humble heroes who do more than merely provide us with delicious pizzas. They can save customers'  lives and rescue children from burning buildings. Tyler Morrell of Cocco's Pizza Aston of Brookhaven, Pennsylvania fits perfectly into that mold.
Yahoo! News reports that on Sunday, Morrell was delivering a pizza when police chased down a suspect who fled his car on foot through a residential neighborhood. Morrell tripped him, sending the suspect down to the ground, where police restrained him within seconds.
What's even more impressive is that Morrell did this without dropping the pizza! He fulfilled both duties of the pizza delivery guy: bringing pizza and taking down criminals.

Pizza Delivery Man Trips Suspect Fleeing from Police

Words That Don’t Mean What You Think They Do

There are more than 200,000 words in the English language -- words drawn from Germanic roots, from Latin and Greek, and in lesser quantities from more than 350 other tongues. And more words get added every year. (For instance, here are 30 words that didn’t exist 30 years ago.)
Not surprisingly, considering its size and varied origins, English can also be a very confusing language, full of ambiguities and rife with words that are easily confused with one another or mean something other than what we think they mean.
Of course, English -- like most languages -- is constantly evolving, and the meanings of words can change over time. “Nice” was an insult hundreds of years ago, meaning foolish or insipid. “Awful” once meant awe-inspiring. (These are 36 old words we use today but with new meanings.)
As a more recent example, for most of its life “hopefully” meant “with hope” (“‘Can I go to the park?’ he asked hopefully”). Today, to the dismay of some purists, it is generally accepted to also mean “it is to be hoped” (“Hopefully it won’t rain while we’re at the park”).
Yes, language changes. But communicating successfully with others depends on a shared vocabulary. Even if the meanings of words slowly change, we need to know what they mean when we write or speak them. Here are 10 words that are often misused. Remembering what they really mean will help us to better get our ideas and thoughts across to others.
10 Words That Don’t Mean What You Think They Do

Homebody

 

Barbecue and Doughnuts Are Better Together

Sweet and savory is a combination we at Skillet like to mess with. I like to think there are no pairings amongst the five flavors–sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami–that are truly off-limits. No, sprinkling salt on cookies isn’t enough for us (no shade on salt). We enjoy Maple syrup-soaked bacon, egg and cheeses, and drizzling honey on unsuspecting savory foods. Today we’ll add another sweet and savory power couple to the list: Eat your barbecue with a side of doughnuts.

Barbecue and Doughnuts Are Better Together

Cognitive reappraisal might help to boost sexual desire, particularly for women

Those who frequently engage in cognitive reappraisal — a coping strategy that involves changing one’s interpretation of a situation — tend to have heightened sexual desire, according to new research published in Scientific Reports. Cognitive reappraisal is a technique commonly used in cognitive-behavioral therapy and involves actively reinterpreting a situation to change the emotional impact it has on an individual. By changing the way they think about the situation, they can reduce the intensity of their emotional response and feel more in control. 
Read More

Home Gym

Detrimental to Humanity

Countless inventions have changed the course of civilization. Many were initially viewed as helpful advances but later turned out to have a dark side or become obsolete. After asking the internet for their opinion, here are the ten top-voted worst human inventions. 

Detrimental to Humanity: Top 10 Worst Inventions of All Time

How to Tell If You’re Buying Nudes of a Real Person...or AI Porn

Artificial intelligence is already being used to generate nude models. Obviously.
From VHS to Web 1.0, pornographers have always been early adopters of technology, so it should be no surprise they’re pioneering the use of artificial intelligence to sell sex. According to a recent Rolling Stone article, enterprising smut-peddlers are using AI to create computer generated simulacra of women in order to sell their “nudes.”
Claudia, the creation of a couple of computer science students using Stable Diffusion, has been posting all over Reddit for the past three months. She doesn’t exist, but shares naked pictures, posts about her sexual interests, and responds to comments—everything a real person might do to sell nude pictures. Judging by the thirsty comments, it seems to work for a lot of people. This particular robot-woman seems to have been created as an experiment, but her authors report they made over $100 selling her pictures before other Redditors called out the deception.
How many other AI creations are out there posing as real people isn’t known. The technology isn’t quite advanced enough to make the ruse fully believable, but the time is fast approaching when it will be. While OnlyFans, the internet’s leading adult content subscription service, has a strict verification process that will likely weed out AIs, sites like Reddit don’t, so there’s no foolproof way to tell for sure whether the online model you’re lusting over isn’t actually a machine (not that there’s anything wrong with that). But there are some tells you can look for.
How to Tell If You’re Buying Nudes of a Real Person...or AI Porn

Companies Are Now Using AI To Steal The Voices Of Voice Actors

You’ve heard of artists and writers getting replaced by artificial intelligence (AI), and these machines using their work to generate content— get ready for voice actors (VAs) getting replaced by AI who stole their voices. 
A troubling trend has arisen in the voice-acting industry. Companies are now asking professional VAs to sign contracts that would allow corporations to synthesize their voices using AI. This meant that companies now have these voices for as long as they want. They can use them to say what they want without paying additional compensation. Sometimes they have to deceptively hide these statements deep in the contracts. 
"The language can be confusing and ambiguous," Tim Friedlander, president of the National Association of Voice Actors, told Vice. "Many voice actors may have signed a contract without realizing language like this had been added. Some actors are being told they cannot be hired without agreeing to these clauses.”

Kids today ... always on the phone

The most painful ways to die (according to science)

We are all mortal, and there is nothing we can do about it, other than hoping to live a long, happy life. Of course, if we pass away in a peaceful, pain-free way, that is very much welcome. But unfortunately this is not the case for everyone. In fact, there are indeed very painful ways to die. In this gallery, we delve into what science has to say about it.
Click through and discover the most painful ways to die.
The most painful ways to die (according to science)

Take a look inside this magical Beverly Hills witch house. Enchanting!

Take a look inside this magical Beverly Hills witch house. 

Making Abraham Lincoln Less Ugly and Other Stories Behind Iconic Photos

When Abraham Lincoln was a presidential candidate in 1860, it had been more than ten years since he served in the House of Representatives, so he had to be introduced to the national electorate. His campaign staffers were afraid that voters would find him just too ugly to vote for. His opponents had indeed spread talk of Lincoln's looks, calling him grotesque and worse. Photography was fairly new at the time, and Lincoln's advisors raced to get ahead of the game before the other side did.
Lincoln turned to the most famous photographer of the era, Matthew Brady, for a portrait that could be disseminated. Brady took the image shown, but there were some tweaks made. While it didn't make Lincoln look like a movie star (it couldn't, because there were no movies then), it did improve upon his actual appearance, and staved off the rumors of his hideousness. It wasn't the last time photo manipulation was used on Abraham Lincoln.  

Read the entire story of Lincoln's portrait and the stories behind a dozen other iconic historical photographs at History Collection

Going Downtown

The Truth About Neanderthals and Early Humans

Neanderthals, or Homo neanderthalensis, existed on Earth in the Late Pleistocene Age. They were a species of early human that some may not know actually walked the earth alongside modern humans. 
DNA suggests that the species split from one another more than 300,000 years ago, and Neanderthals continued to live in Eurasia up until 40,000 years ago!
The Truth About Neanderthals and Early Humans

The Pine Tree that Yearns for the Equator

Once upon a time, the Cook pine tree (Araucaria columnaris) was only found on New Caledonia in the Pacific. But over the last couple of hundred years, they were imported and cultivated in far-flung parts of the globe. As they grew tall, a peculiar behavior was noticed among these trees. They have a tendency to lean. It's not just because they are tall, as other, much taller pines manage to grow completely upright. Cook pine trees have their own agenda.
All the Cook pines that grow in the Northern Hemisphere lean to the south, and all that grow in the Southern Hemisphere lean to the north. Those that grow near the equator manage to stand up straight. What's more, the angle of the tilt also depends on location- trees that are further from the equator lean more. The reason for the tilt has not been scientifically proven, but common sense would tell us that the tree is looking for optimized sunlight. However, other pine trees prioritize standing straight for longevity. Something about Cook pine trees makes leaning toward the sun more important than balancing its weight. 

The Pine Tree that Yearns for the Equator