Easy Christmas Cookies – One Dough‚ Three Different Cookies

A Trail Question. ( Funny )

Putin Ramps Up Attacks on Ukraine

Illegal Aliens Entering at Rate of 4.6 Million a Year

New: Federal Appeals Court Rules in Favor of Texas with Temporary Block to Removing Razor Wire

If you’re a Brit reading this‚ we have some news that may shock you. No seriously – you may want to sit down for this. Many Americans have never tasted the flavor of blackcurrant. Told you it was shocking. “But what about purple sweets?!” you cry. Well… most of them are grape-flavored. Now that the Brits have lost consciousness and the Americans are looking on in bemusement‚ we can dive into the story of why this tasty teaser came to pass‚ and for that we have to go back in time to the dawn of the last century.What are blackcurrants?Blackcurrants (Ribes nigrum) are small purple berries that grow on deciduous shrubs native to northern Europe and Asia. They are rich in vitamin C‚ and their strong flavor is equally delicious when they’re eaten raw or used in cooking. Now a staple of British and many other European cuisines‚ you’ll find no shortage of blackcurrant-containing products‚ from jams to alcoholic beverages‚ on grocery store shelves.As we’ve alluded to‚ blackcurrant is also very often the default “purple” flavor for candy and drinks‚ hence the confusion of many a British tourist when they open their first pack of US Skittles‚ or pick up a can of purple Fanta.While blackcurrant plants are not native to the US‚ they were at one time a favorite of fruit farmers‚ particularly in New York State. It’s been estimated that nearly 3‚000 hectares (7‚400 acres) was given over to the cultivation of blackcurrants‚ and the closely related white currants and gooseberries‚ in the late 19th century. But there was a problem. A fungus was beginning to attack the all-important pine forests that were essential for the US timber industry‚ and Ribes shrubs were fingered as the culprit. The war on blackcurrants beginsWhite pine blister rust is caused by the fungus Cronartium ribicola‚ and it’s bad news for pine trees. In order to complete its life cycle‚ the fungus must infect both a currant or gooseberry bush and a pine tree‚ so it makes sense that horticulturalists would be concerned about these plants being grown in close proximity. Spurred on by calls from the logging industry to protect its workers’ livelihoods‚ the federal government took decisive action. In the early 1900s‚ with the powers granted it under the Plant Quarantine Act of 1912‚ the Department of Agriculture began prohibiting the growth of blackcurrant and similar plants.As Warren V. Benedict summarized in the 1981 book History of White Pine Blister Rust Control – A Personal Account‚ “So discovery of a few small pine trees infected with blister rust was to trigger a gigantic fight to protect the white pines of America‚ a fight that has been waged coast to coast for 70 years.”It’s difficult to pinpoint a precise date‚ but many sources cite 1911 as the year when the great blackcurrant ban began. What we do know is that lots of government documents from the 1920s and 30s mention the prohibition and efforts to contain the spread of blister rust‚ and that scientists were also exploring ways of eradicating the plants. Back to black(currant)Things began to look up for lovers of blackcurrants in the mid-20th century when disease-resistant cultivars began to be developed. But fears about the threat to pine trees had been embedded in people’s memory for some time by then‚ plus the fact that most consumers had never tasted a blackcurrant and so were not clamoring for their reintroduction. In 1966‚ the government allowed individual states to lift the ban‚ but progress was slow.In New York State‚ once the center of blackcurrant cultivation in the country‚ the ban was lifted in 2003 thanks largely to the efforts of one man: Greg Quinn. After liaising with researchers at Cornell University to confirm that the plants could indeed be grown safely‚ Quinn set about lobbying the state government to overturn the ban‚ as well as visiting numerous European countries to learn more about their cultivation from local growers.Through his CurrantCâ„¢ brand‚ Quinn now produces and champions blackcurrant products – but this is not without it’s difficulties‚ in a country where most people‚ if asked‚ still would not be able to describe the flavor of the berry. “This may be the last product that everybody knows about except the US‚” Quinn told Business Insider. “A large majority [of Americans] have never eaten one – probably less than 0.1 [percent]‚” said Marvin Pritts of Cornell University‚ also speaking to Business Insider.   That’s a fact that will remain hard to believe for UK residents (if they’ve regained consciousness by now). After all‚ what child growing up in Britain has not experienced the flavor of Ribena‚ a blackcurrant cordial that’s mixed with water before drinking‚ and which first gained popularity as a vitamin C supplement during World War 2?So that’s the story of why the humble blackcurrant remains so little-known in the USA‚ and why “purple” flavor means two very different things on each side of the Atlantic. Nowadays‚ blackcurrant products are creeping onto the US market‚ so they’re not impossible to find. But some of the fear and confusion still remains‚ as evidenced by Kathy Saunders’ 2019 account in the Tampa Bay Times. Not wishing to fall foul of state legislation‚ but keen to taste the once-forbidden fruit‚ Saunders was eventually given a somewhat equivocal response from officials: “So are they legal in Florida? The best answer I could get is: probably.”Although‚ after all that‚ it turned out that the fruit Saunders wanted to try was actually a Zante currant – not a blackcurrant at all‚ but a type of dried grape. It’s a surprisingly easy mistake to make. 

The inhabitants of the earliest human megasites got most of their protein from peas rather than meat‚ new research has revealed. Located in modern-day Ukraine and Moldova‚ the rural towns of the ancient Trypillia culture were founded more than 6‚000 years ago and contained around 15‚000 residents‚ making them the largest known prehistoric settlements in the world.From around 4100 BCE‚ Trypillia sites of around 320 hectares (790 acres) began to appear on the forest-steppe area northwest of the Black Sea. To understand how these massive communities subsisted‚ the study authors analyzed stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes from more than 480 human and animal bones‚ as well as charred crops and soil‚ collected from 40 different sites.This enabled the researchers to reconstruct the Trypillian diet while also learning about how livestock was raised and crops were grown. “The food web models indicate a low proportion of meat in human diet (approximately 10 percent)‚” report the study authors. “The largely crop-based diet‚ consisting of cereals plus up to 46 percent pulses‚ was balanced in calories and indispensable amino acids.”According to the researchers‚ the consumption of meat “may have played an important role for social cohesion during feasts‚” yet peas were the primary fuel for most of the site’s inhabitants. High levels of nitrogen detected in ancient pea samples indicate that they were heavily fertilized with animal manure‚ thus ensuring sufficient yields to feed the entire population.Based on the isotope measurements in the animal bones‚ the authors suspect that cattle were probably kept in fenced pastures close to the settlement itself‚ allowing for easy collection of the vast amounts of dung that were needed for the production of pulses."We concluded that a large proportion of the cattle and sheep were kept on fenced pastures‚” explained study author Dr Frank Schlütz in a statement. “Moreover‚ the manure of the animals produced there was used by people to intensively fertilize the peas in particular." According to the researchers‚ the pea-powered cities eliminated the need for meat production‚ which typically consumes high amounts of resources. The whole point of cattle raising‚ they say‚ was to provide the manure for the peas. “Due to the development of a pasture- and pulses-based mega-economy‚ including the wise management of nutrients‚ such as nitrogen‚ the flourishing of the Trypillia mega-sites did not result in any overexploitation of natural resources‚” write the researchers. Despite this‚ the Trypillia settlements were abandoned around 5‚000 years ago. However‚ study author Dr Robert Hofmann said that the decline of these megasites was unlikely to have been caused by economic or environmental collapse‚ and was probably triggered by socio-political conflict. "As we know from previous studies‚ social tensions arose as a result of increasing social inequality‚” he explained. As a result‚ “people turned their backs on large settlements and decided to live in smaller settlements again."The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Last week‚ the Sun released the strongest flare yet of this cycle and the strongest in six years. It was an X 2.8 class flare‚ the strongest recorded since September 10‚ 2017‚ and about 5 to 10 percent of the strongest on record from November 2003. The Sun is approaching its maximum activity for its current solar cycle‚ Cycle 25. And we will be seeing a lot more energetic events from here on out.Solar flares can create radio blackouts. The flares release powerful light in the form of X-rays and ultraviolet light that ionizes deeper‚ denser layers of the ionosphere around our planet. The light strips atoms in the atmosphere of electrons‚ leading to radio waves losing a lot more energy with all those free electrons around. The light from the recent flares reached Earth just eight minutes after the release on December 14‚ at 5:02 pm UTC.The portion of our planet facing the Sun at that time was across the Americas. The effects were strongest in South America‚ but there were reports of radio communication interference over the United States. From the US‚ Thomas Ashcraft was able to record it from the Heliotown Observatory.  “This audio specimen was recorded December 14‚ 2023‚ at [5.05 pm] UT during the onset of an X 2.8 solar flare. It exhibits what are known as Type II solar emissions‚ also known as 'slow drift bursts'. The audio was recorded using two separate shortwave radios‚ one tuned to 22.2 MHz [megahertz] and the other tuned to 21.1 MHz. If you listen close‚ preferably with headphones‚ you will be able to hear the emissions slowly drift down in frequency‚ first passing through 22 MHz and then 21 MHz‚” Ashcraft told IFLScience.During a Type II solar emission‚ its radio frequency shifts‚ moving from high frequencies to low frequencies of around 1 MHz per second‚ and it exhibits two bands of emission. The recent powerful flare was preceded by a weaker M-class one originating from the same sunspot. It did not cause a blackout‚ but there was moderate interference across the sunlit portion of the Earth‚ which at that point was Europe‚ Africa‚ and parts of Asia.               A solar cycle lasts 11 years‚ going from a minimum of activity to a maximum. The current cycle is expected to peak between January and October of 2024‚ so more flares‚ more aurorae‚ and more blackouts are to be expected. 

Although the human population officially reached 8 billion a little over a year ago‚ its growth rate is the slowest it’s been since 1950‚ dropping under 1 percent back in 2020. Some have even predicted this might be a sign of an impending decline in the global population. Whilst there’s no guarantee of this on a global scale‚ United Nations (UN) projections suggest that the populations of 61 countries will decrease by 1 percent or more by 2050. But what would cause such a decline and what could the consequences be?Falling fertility ratesPopulations can grow or decline for many reasons – migration‚ medical advances and disease affecting mortality‚ for example – but arguably‚ one of the most important is the global fertility rate. On average‚ people are having fewer babies; according to the 2022 edition of World Population Prospects‚ an annual report of UN population estimates and projections‚ two-thirds of us humans live in a country or area where lifetime fertility is below 2.1 births per woman. That’s below what’s known as replacement fertility – in theory‚ keeping a population stable by every two people having two children to replace them. Although it’s projected that this decline will have a limited effect on the global population between now and 2050‚ these things can eventually add up.“The cumulative effect of lower fertility‚ if maintained over several decades‚ could be a more substantial deceleration of global population growth in the second half of the century‚” explained John Wilmoth‚ director of the population division of the UN’s department of economic and social affairs‚ in a statement.Are the consequences positive or negative?The consequences of falling fertility rates‚ combined with an increase in life expectancy‚ may not only lead to a declining population‚ but also an aging one. Back in 2018‚ globally‚ people aged 65 or above outnumbered those aged under five for the first time in history‚ and this gap is expected to continue widening.Fewer people around and a greater proportion of them being elderly might present many problems – although some older people can be just as healthy as those decades younger than them‚ it’s still important to consider some of the potential negative consequences. This could include fewer people in the workforce (depending on retirement age)‚ increased demand on healthcare and welfare systems‚ and the economic impact of both.The UN has suggested that “countries with ageing populations should take steps to adapt public programmes to the growing numbers of older persons‚ including by establishing universal health care and long-term care systems and by improving the sustainability of social security and pension systems.”Others have focused less on aging and more on the possibility that with fewer people around‚ there could also be a reduction “in the flow of new ideas”‚ with a stagnation of knowledge and living standards. Not only would that have a knock-on impact on the economy‚ it also just doesn’t sound very fun.Some‚ however‚ have argued that a global population decline may actually be a sign of something good happening. Wang Feng‚ a professor of sociology at University of California‚ Irvine‚ wrote in the New York Times that in countries with population decline‚ there have also been increases in education and employment‚ as well as more reproductive freedom and professional opportunities for women. Whilst acknowledging the potential challenges of a declining global population‚ Feng argues that it is an inevitability and that‚ rather than trying to stop or reverse it‚ it’s an opportunity to “embrace it and adapt.”Only time will tell which‚ if any‚ of the above predictions and arguments will stand true. All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text‚ images‚ and links may be edited‚ removed‚ or added to at a later date to keep information current. 

A nightclub in London‚ UK‚ has been fined after accidentally serving tequila shots with caustic soda instead of salt.On 7 December 2021‚ four customers at Tiger Tiger nightclub asked for tequila shots‚ traditionally served with salt and lime. The barman noticed there was no salt and‚ according to the Westminster City Council‚ went to an unlit area behind the bar and scooped what he thought was salt into a cup from a white container on a shelf. "The customers then poured the white substance onto the back of their hands‚ licked it and drank the shot‚" Westminster City Council explains. "At this point‚ the bartender realised something was wrong as the customers immediately became unwell. After tasting the substance for himself it burnt his mouth and tongue and immediately realised that it wasn’t salt."The customers were taken to hospital‚ suffering from vomiting and burns in their mouths. Technically‚ caustic soda is a salt‚ it's just not the type of salt you want to use to slam tequilas. You may know it by the name sodium hydroxide (NaOH)‚ or "lye"‚ as featured in the below scene from Fight Club.    The alkali salt is generally used for cleaning purposes. Contact with it can cause "severe burns to the eyes‚ skin‚ digestive system or lungs‚ resulting in permanent damage or death" according to the Tennessee Department of Health. These burns can be particularly nasty‚ even in comparison to acid burns."Most acids produce a coagulative necrosis by denaturing proteins‚ forming a coagulum (i.e. eschar) that limits the penetration of the acid‚" one case report of an alkali burn explains. "By contrast‚ alkali typically produces a more severe injury known as liquefactive necrosis. This involves the denaturing of proteins as well as saponification of adipose tissue‚ which does not limit tissue penetration. Alkalis cause deeper burns as they continue to penetrate the skin following initial contact."The nightclub has now been charged under the Health and Safety at Work act‚ and fined £120‚000.