Category: World Culture

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An Archaeological Dig on MT. Zion Revealed the Babylonian Destruction of Jerusalem

One of the most significant events of the Old Testament is the fall of Jerusalem, including the destruction of King Solomon’s temple. The Babylonian siege ended in 586 (or 587) B.C.E. and cost much of the local population their lives or their freedom. Exile in Babylon lasted 50 years, and the entire event is commemorated by the fast of Tisha B’Av, one of the holiest days on the Jewish calendar.

The event has again been verified by a new excavation that found layers of ash, smashed pottery, Babylonian arrows – even an earring left behind in the panic.

Image Credit: Mount Zion Dig

The archaeological site is located on Mount Zion, inside the walls of the old city, and Dr. Shimon Gibson of the University of North Carolina says they’ve likely only scratched the surface of what it holds – and that they’re sure the finds reveal details about the Babylonian conquest.

Image Credit: Dig Mount Zion

“Nobody abandons golden jewelry and nobody has arrowheads in their domestic refuse. It’s the kind of jumble that you would expect to find in a ruined household following a raid or battle. Household objects, lamps, broken bits from pottery which had been overturned and shattered…Frankly, jewelry is a rare find at conflict sites, because this is a rare find at conflict sites, because this is exactly the sort of thing that attackers will loot and later melt down.”

As they dig deeper, expect more exciting information from the site – they’ve also managed to reveal basements from around the time of the last King Herod, and part of the defenses used to keep out Crusaders in 1099.

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Sony Has a New Walkman to Commemorate Its 40th Anniversary

It must’ve been about 1984 when my older brother Rich got a Walkman for Christmas. I was mesmerized by it. Of course, I wasn’t allowed to touch it, but I did admire it from afar until I got my own a few years later and started amassing a killer tape collection featuring hand-me-downs from Rich like AC/DC, The Ramones, and other bands that warped my young mind.

But I digress. We should all be excited that Sony announced it is releasing a Walkman to celebrate the original Walkman’s 40th anniversary. The original Sony TPS-L2 debuted in 1979 and quickly changed the electronics game. It was the first truly portable personal tape player, and it quickly became a staple of music lovers everywhere.

At the IFA electronics trade show in Berlin last week, Sony announced it is releasing a new version of the groundbreaking Walkman. The new Sony NW-A100TPS Walkman looks pretty amazing and is powered by Android.

Sony releases a Walkman for its 40th anniversary.The Sony Walkman is back.The electronics maker will release a new…

Posted by HOT 102 on Tuesday, September 10, 2019

It features a cassette tape interface, and the case has a 40th-anniversary logo on the back. It also has an S-Master HX digital amplifier to give listeners high-res audio, a processor to give compressed audio tracks a higher quality, and a vinyl processor that gives digital tracks a vinyl-like quality.

It also has 26 hours of battery life.

Here’s a video of the new Sony Walkman in action.

I don’t know about you, but my nostalgia just kicked into high gear, and I’m gonna need to get my hands on one of these!

Exciting!

The post Sony Has a New Walkman to Commemorate Its 40th Anniversary appeared first on UberFacts.

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These Are the Android Apps Infected with New ‘Joker’ Malware That You Should Probably Delete

If you’ve used or are currently using any of the following Android apps, you’ll probably want to get busy erasing them AND you’ll want to check your credit card statement.

Here’s why.

A new malware called “Joker” has made its way into Android apps that ended up in the Google Play store. The malware silently signs users up for subscriptions that might go undetected by people unless they closely look at their monthly credit card statements.

Aleksejs Kuprins, writing at the cybersecurity company CSIS, described how the scam works:

“For example, in Denmark, Joker can silently sign the victim up for a 50 DKK/week service (roughly ~6,71 EUR). This strategy works by automating the necessary interaction with the premium offer’s webpage, entering the operator’s offer code, then waiting for a SMS message with a confirmation code and extracting it using regular expressions. Finally, the Joker submits the extracted code to the offer’s webpage, in order to authorize the premium subscription.”

Google has already removed the bad apps from the Google Play Store, but you should still do a double-check to see if you’ve downloaded or used any of them because they racked up more than 472,000 downloads before they were taken down.

Here’s a list of the infected Android apps (with links).

After you’ve done the deletions (if you needed to), be sure to check your credit card statements back to June of this year to make sure that you don’t have any suspicious charges for subscriptions you didn’t buy.

If you are one of the unlucky ones, the next step is to alert the people in your contact list: the “Joker” malware steals your entire contact list and uploads it to a command and control server, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.

The post These Are the Android Apps Infected with New ‘Joker’ Malware That You Should Probably Delete appeared first on UberFacts.

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A Vegan Woman Demanded Her Neighbor Stop Using Meat on the Barbecue Because of the Smell

Many vegans aren’t exactly subtle about their beliefs. But one vegan in Australia really took things several steps too far when she sued her neighbor for barbecuing in their own backyard.

Cilla Carden is a vegan massage therapist from Girrawheen, Australia. She claims that her neighbors intentionally barbecued fish in their backyard to bother her.

“They’ve put [the barbecue] there so I smell fish, all I can smell is fish. I can’t enjoy my back yard, I can’t go out there,” Cilla told Nine News Perth.

“It’s deliberate, that’s what I told the courts, it’s deliberate.”

Photo Credit: iStock

To repeat: the argument is that they are deliberately cooking in their own backyard in order to waft the scent of fish, which Cilla does not eat as she is vegan, into Cilla’s yard. To…punish her? Or something?

This seems to be a case of a long-running neighborly feud. Cilla is not only bothered by the barbecuing, but also by her neighbors’ cigarette smoke and the sounds of their children playing, both of which drift into her own yard.

So, she filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court of the state of Western Australia, accusing her neighbors of breaching residential laws. The legal battle has dragged on since 2017. Her case was thrown out by a tribunal and a Supreme Court judge. Cilla filed an appeal, but that was thrown out too.

“What they are doing is living in their backyard and their home as a family,” said the State Administrative Tribunal of Western Australia.

Photo Credit: iStock

Cilla’s neighbors have reportedly conceded to some of Cilla’s demands. They removed the barbecue and banned their kids from playing basketball in the yard.

But Cilla plans to continue fighting them in court.

The post A Vegan Woman Demanded Her Neighbor Stop Using Meat on the Barbecue Because of the Smell appeared first on UberFacts.

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A Vegan Woman Demanded Her Neighbor Stop Using Meat on the Barbecue Because of the Smell

Many vegans aren’t exactly subtle about their beliefs. But one vegan in Australia really took things several steps too far when she sued her neighbor for barbecuing in their own backyard.

Cilla Carden is a vegan massage therapist from Girrawheen, Australia. She claims that her neighbors intentionally barbecued fish in their backyard to bother her.

“They’ve put [the barbecue] there so I smell fish, all I can smell is fish. I can’t enjoy my back yard, I can’t go out there,” Cilla told Nine News Perth.

“It’s deliberate, that’s what I told the courts, it’s deliberate.”

Photo Credit: iStock

To repeat: the argument is that they are deliberately cooking in their own backyard in order to waft the scent of fish, which Cilla does not eat as she is vegan, into Cilla’s yard. To…punish her? Or something?

This seems to be a case of a long-running neighborly feud. Cilla is not only bothered by the barbecuing, but also by her neighbors’ cigarette smoke and the sounds of their children playing, both of which drift into her own yard.

So, she filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court of the state of Western Australia, accusing her neighbors of breaching residential laws. The legal battle has dragged on since 2017. Her case was thrown out by a tribunal and a Supreme Court judge. Cilla filed an appeal, but that was thrown out too.

“What they are doing is living in their backyard and their home as a family,” said the State Administrative Tribunal of Western Australia.

Photo Credit: iStock

Cilla’s neighbors have reportedly conceded to some of Cilla’s demands. They removed the barbecue and banned their kids from playing basketball in the yard.

But Cilla plans to continue fighting them in court.

The post A Vegan Woman Demanded Her Neighbor Stop Using Meat on the Barbecue Because of the Smell appeared first on UberFacts.

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Zoos Are No Longer Able to Acquire African Elephants from the Wild

You might have already assumed that trade in wild African elephants – and endangered species in general – was illegal, even if it was a zoo that was looking to take one in.

We would have been wrong.

Though hopefully that won’t be the case for much longer.

At the 18th meeting of CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, members from over 180 countries reassessed regulations on international elephant trade. A vast majority of the the representatives voted to end the capture and sale of wild African elephants for display in zoos worldwide.

The issue will go for a vote in front of the full conference, but with 46 of the 83 countries in favor, it looks to have a good chance of passing.

Iris Ho, a senior policy advisor at Humane Society International (HSI), told Bloomberg that everyone in the business of supporting endangered species sees this as a win.

“It’s a huge step forward. It’s really historic that the majority of the parties present recognized that African elephants should not be captured in the wild, sent to zoos and be kept in captivity for the rest of their lives.”

The ban would largely affect countries in southern Africa, where elephant populations are healthier and herds are regularly thinned for the purpose of selling them to zoos. Zimbabwe alone sold over 100 wild-caught baby elephants to China in the past 7 years, and the issue of separating calves from their mothers and the rest of the herd certainly has animal welfare experts concerned.

“Calves suffer psychological and physical harm when taken from their mothers,” explains elephant biologist Audrey Delsink of HSI Africa. “Zoos and other captive facilities force these calves to live in an unnatural, unhealthy environment that doesn’t meet their complex needs.”

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Did you know that African elephants are the largest land animals on Earth? They are slightly larger than their Asian cousins and can be identified by their large ears that look like the continent of Africa. Their ears radiate heat to help keep them cool, but sometimes the African heat can be too much so they use their trunk to give themselves a shower. Elephants eat roots, grasses, fruits, and bark and they eat a lot of it. In fact, an adult elephant can consume up to 300 pounds of food a day. Female elephants have a longer pregnancy than any other mammal (22 months) and usually give birth to one calf. In 2018, Tarangire’s famed Eloise was the oldest elephant to give birth to twin calves. Source of information: National Geographic https://www.wanderlusttours.org #wanderlust #tours #africa #tanzani #tarangirenationalpark #tarangire #elephants #africanelephants #thisisafrica #travel #concioustravel #mindfultravel

A post shared by Wanderlust Tours (@wanderlusttoursafrica) on

Elephant trade has long been a hot topic, with African nations often territorial about managing their own wildlife without outside interference. Black market demands for ivory has drastically increased elephant poaching in the last few decades, though, so organizations like CITES feel as if they have a duty to protect the endangered species as if it belongs to the world, and not only to its endemic areas in Africa.

Over a million species are listed as at risk thanks to all manner of human activity, so committees like CITES are set to have busy years as they work to revamp how different species are protected around the globe.

“Nature’s dangerous decline is unprecedented,” says CITES Secretary General Ivonne Higuero. “Business as usual is no longer an option.”

I feel like that statement applies to environmental challenges all over the globe, and I hope there are people in every nook and cranny waiting to step up to do their part to save us all.

The post Zoos Are No Longer Able to Acquire African Elephants from the Wild appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

Zoos Are No Longer Able to Acquire African Elephants from the Wild

You might have already assumed that trade in wild African elephants – and endangered species in general – was illegal, even if it was a zoo that was looking to take one in.

We would have been wrong.

Though hopefully that won’t be the case for much longer.

At the 18th meeting of CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, members from over 180 countries reassessed regulations on international elephant trade. A vast majority of the the representatives voted to end the capture and sale of wild African elephants for display in zoos worldwide.

The issue will go for a vote in front of the full conference, but with 46 of the 83 countries in favor, it looks to have a good chance of passing.

Iris Ho, a senior policy advisor at Humane Society International (HSI), told Bloomberg that everyone in the business of supporting endangered species sees this as a win.

“It’s a huge step forward. It’s really historic that the majority of the parties present recognized that African elephants should not be captured in the wild, sent to zoos and be kept in captivity for the rest of their lives.”

The ban would largely affect countries in southern Africa, where elephant populations are healthier and herds are regularly thinned for the purpose of selling them to zoos. Zimbabwe alone sold over 100 wild-caught baby elephants to China in the past 7 years, and the issue of separating calves from their mothers and the rest of the herd certainly has animal welfare experts concerned.

“Calves suffer psychological and physical harm when taken from their mothers,” explains elephant biologist Audrey Delsink of HSI Africa. “Zoos and other captive facilities force these calves to live in an unnatural, unhealthy environment that doesn’t meet their complex needs.”

View this post on Instagram

Did you know that African elephants are the largest land animals on Earth? They are slightly larger than their Asian cousins and can be identified by their large ears that look like the continent of Africa. Their ears radiate heat to help keep them cool, but sometimes the African heat can be too much so they use their trunk to give themselves a shower. Elephants eat roots, grasses, fruits, and bark and they eat a lot of it. In fact, an adult elephant can consume up to 300 pounds of food a day. Female elephants have a longer pregnancy than any other mammal (22 months) and usually give birth to one calf. In 2018, Tarangire’s famed Eloise was the oldest elephant to give birth to twin calves. Source of information: National Geographic https://www.wanderlusttours.org #wanderlust #tours #africa #tanzani #tarangirenationalpark #tarangire #elephants #africanelephants #thisisafrica #travel #concioustravel #mindfultravel

A post shared by Wanderlust Tours (@wanderlusttoursafrica) on

Elephant trade has long been a hot topic, with African nations often territorial about managing their own wildlife without outside interference. Black market demands for ivory has drastically increased elephant poaching in the last few decades, though, so organizations like CITES feel as if they have a duty to protect the endangered species as if it belongs to the world, and not only to its endemic areas in Africa.

Over a million species are listed as at risk thanks to all manner of human activity, so committees like CITES are set to have busy years as they work to revamp how different species are protected around the globe.

“Nature’s dangerous decline is unprecedented,” says CITES Secretary General Ivonne Higuero. “Business as usual is no longer an option.”

I feel like that statement applies to environmental challenges all over the globe, and I hope there are people in every nook and cranny waiting to step up to do their part to save us all.

The post Zoos Are No Longer Able to Acquire African Elephants from the Wild appeared first on UberFacts.

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This Is How 5 Famous Fast-Food Restaurants Got Their Names

We all know fast food isn’t great for us, but that doesn’t mean you (and I) still don’t love it! Just in moderation, right? Or something like that…

Anyway, we all have our favorite fast food joints, but do you know where their names come from?

Let’s take a look and find out!

1. Whataburger

#TBT to the 9th Whataburger location in Corpus Christi, TX which must have been spectacular at night with its neon sign.

Posted by Whataburger on Thursday, March 7, 2019

What a taste, what a place! The regional burger chain started at a time when there were no patties bigger than 4 inches. What to do? Founder Harmon Dobson wanted a 5-inch burger that would make people exclaim “What a burger!” And the name stuck…

2. Wendy’s

Posted by Wendy's on Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Dave Thomas opened the first Wendy’s restaurant in Columbus, Ohio, in 1969, and he named his burger joint after his daughter Melinda, who was nicknamed Wendy.

3. Subway

Posted by Subway on Thursday, October 4, 2018

In 1965, Pete’s Super Submarines was opened in Bridgeport, Connecticut, by Frank DeLuca and Peter Buck. They renamed it “Pete’s Subway” a few years later. In 1974, DeLuca and Buck wanted to franchise their shop, so they simply renamed it Subway.

4. Starbucks

Where it all started. #coffeepassion

Posted by Starbucks on Saturday, January 12, 2013

Starbucks co-founder Gordon Bowker heard from a friend who worked at an ad agency that words that started with “st” were considered powerful. While brainstorming, they came across a map with a town on it called “Starbo.” Bowker was reminded of the character Starbuck from Moby Dick and a coffee giant was born. They also considered calling the place “Pequod,” after the ship in Moby Dick.

Side note: Pequod’s is the name of my favorite deep-dish pizza place in Chicago. Booyah!

5. Domino’s

Eenie, meenie, miny, moe…LOL, JK. We'll take a slice of each!

Posted by Domino's Pizza on Tuesday, March 27, 2018

The pizza favorite owes its name to a deadline. Brothers Jim and Tom Monaghan bought a pizza place called DomiNick’s in Ypsilanti, Michigan, in 1960. When the original owner decided he wanted to retain his rights to the name, the brothers had to make a decision so they could put their name in the phone book before a deadline.

Domino’s was reportedly dreamed up by a delivery driver named Jim Kennedy. Good choice.

The post This Is How 5 Famous Fast-Food Restaurants Got Their Names appeared first on UberFacts.

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Teen Activist Greta Thunberg Faces Cruel Jokes About Drowning as She Sails Across the Atlantic to Battle Climate Change

Is there anything worse than Grade A Internet trolls?

Greta Thunberg is 16 years old and has made it her life’s work (so far) to raise awareness for, and to do her best to combat, climate change around the world.

Apparently, this makes grown ass people with keyboards think it’s okay to joke about a teenaged girl drowning in a boating accident, because that’s the world we’re living in today.

Thunberg wanted to attend the United Nations climate change summits in the United States and Chile, but wanted to a find a responsible way to do it – air travel is the most carbon intensive form of transportation. So she landed on boat travel in order to minimize her carbon emissions.

The Malizia II, a racing yacht that employs solar panels to power her underwater turbines, offered her a ride, which she accepted. She and her father set out from Portsmouth (in the United Kingdom) on a two-week sail to the States.

Good for her, right?

You would think that most adults would feel that way, but, sadly, there are plenty who don’t.

It turns out that grown-ups who have dug into their (incorrect) positions about climate change being non-anthropological feel the need to attack a child in order to defend their own insecurities.

Like radio personality Julia Hartley-Brewer, who thinks being irresponsible is…funny?

And this totally gross comment from U.K. media personality Arron Banks.

Luckily, there are just as many people (if not more) ready to defend Greta and her actions.

As it should be.

True to form, Greta seems to be soldiering on and enjoying her trip.

And, I assume, the bleak pleasure of knowing she’s right.

The post Teen Activist Greta Thunberg Faces Cruel Jokes About Drowning as She Sails Across the Atlantic to Battle Climate Change appeared first on UberFacts.

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A Man Landed in the Hospital After Sniffing His Own Dirty Socks

If you’ve ever done the laundry of a teenaged boy, then you’re probably aware that the smell can get pretty rank, but hospitalization via stinky socks?

Read on, my friends.

A 37-year-old man from southeast China went to the hospital experiencing chest pains. There, he was admitted and given X-rays to determine the cause of his pain, as well as a cough he couldn’t seem to shake.

The diagnosis? A fungal infection deep in his lungs.

It took doctors some time to deduce the cause, and they were only able to do so after the man admitted to a habit (addiction?) of sniffing his dirty socks after they’d just come off his feet.

Feet that, it turns out, were harboring a fungus. Which they then transferred to his socks. Which he then sniffed.

A fungal infection he’d developed on his feet was transferred to his lungs when he smelled his socks, taking in some of the fungal spores (microscopic particles that allow fungi to reproduce and disperse) as he did so.

The questionable habit, combined with a weakened immune system due to life and parenting, contributed to the seriousness of the incident, according to doctors.

The patient had to spend some time in the hospital, but is expected to make a full recovery – as long as he can find a new hobby.

Like, literally anything else.

Parents of teens, be warned – maybe don’t breathe in at all while dumping that laundry in the machine. You never know what’s in there.

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