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Bayard
Bayard's Journal
Bayard's Journal
September 27, 2024
A quiet morning dawns over the sleepy town of Grimsby (Lincolnshire, England). The air, though tinged with uncertainty, holds a glimmer of hope, a beacon of resilience that journeys across its deserted lanes. This is not the flamboyant flicker of a superhero’s cape, but rather the understated resolve of a local school’s Deputy Head – Zane Powles. In a previous life, Powles was a disciplined soldier, now he’s an impassioned educator. However, a crisis of a different kind found him on the frontlines once more. This time, he was not armed with rifles and bayonets, but lunch boxes and compassion.
A significant forty percent of the students at his school rely on the provided meals. With the current crisis, this lifeline was in peril. But, in the heart of Zane Powles, stirred a sense of duty that refused to bow to adversities. With a backpack, bursting at its seams with provisions, Powles would set out every day on a five-mile pilgrimage across Grimsby. The journey would have made even the most seasoned mail carrier blink twice, but Powles was fueled by the spirit of service and kindness. Each home visited would receive a large potato, a symbol of sustenance, providing a comforting warmth in the midst of unsettling times.
The children would wait, their eyes shining with anticipation, their faces carving a landscape of gratitude. The sight was heartwarming, and more so the reactions as the children unraveled their meals, their joy bound within folds of aluminium foil and plastic wrap. These were not just meals; they were packets of hope, joy, and reassurance.
Zane’s mission, however, transcended beyond the mere delivery of meals. His every visit fortified a connection with his students, one that pulsed with compassion and continuity in the face of disarray. His actions, in their beautiful simplicity, reverberated profoundly in the hearts of these children. His familiar face at their doorstep, bearing a meal in times when the world seemed engulfed in an abyss of uncertainty, became a comforting constant, a ray of sunshine piercing the overcast sky.
https://madlyodd.com/devoted-teacher-walks-to-deliver-lunch-to-forty-hungry-students/
Devoted teacher walks to deliver lunch to forty hungry students
A quiet morning dawns over the sleepy town of Grimsby (Lincolnshire, England). The air, though tinged with uncertainty, holds a glimmer of hope, a beacon of resilience that journeys across its deserted lanes. This is not the flamboyant flicker of a superhero’s cape, but rather the understated resolve of a local school’s Deputy Head – Zane Powles. In a previous life, Powles was a disciplined soldier, now he’s an impassioned educator. However, a crisis of a different kind found him on the frontlines once more. This time, he was not armed with rifles and bayonets, but lunch boxes and compassion.
A significant forty percent of the students at his school rely on the provided meals. With the current crisis, this lifeline was in peril. But, in the heart of Zane Powles, stirred a sense of duty that refused to bow to adversities. With a backpack, bursting at its seams with provisions, Powles would set out every day on a five-mile pilgrimage across Grimsby. The journey would have made even the most seasoned mail carrier blink twice, but Powles was fueled by the spirit of service and kindness. Each home visited would receive a large potato, a symbol of sustenance, providing a comforting warmth in the midst of unsettling times.
The children would wait, their eyes shining with anticipation, their faces carving a landscape of gratitude. The sight was heartwarming, and more so the reactions as the children unraveled their meals, their joy bound within folds of aluminium foil and plastic wrap. These were not just meals; they were packets of hope, joy, and reassurance.
Zane’s mission, however, transcended beyond the mere delivery of meals. His every visit fortified a connection with his students, one that pulsed with compassion and continuity in the face of disarray. His actions, in their beautiful simplicity, reverberated profoundly in the hearts of these children. His familiar face at their doorstep, bearing a meal in times when the world seemed engulfed in an abyss of uncertainty, became a comforting constant, a ray of sunshine piercing the overcast sky.
https://madlyodd.com/devoted-teacher-walks-to-deliver-lunch-to-forty-hungry-students/
September 27, 2024
Jake's Butthole
Brilliant Team Work
Love This Wrong Number Reply
I Got Broken Up With By A Random Person
I Might Have Gotten Agnes In Trouble
Hilariously Chaotic "Wrong Number" Texts
Sent Picture Of My Kids (Left) To The Wrong Number And Their (Right) Response WasJake's Butthole
Brilliant Team Work
Love This Wrong Number Reply
I Got Broken Up With By A Random Person
I Might Have Gotten Agnes In Trouble
September 27, 2024
Mummies found at a cemetery in China had traces of cheese smeared on their heads and necks. (Image credit: Wenying Li)
A mysterious white substance smeared on the heads and necks of 3,600-year-old mummies in China is the world's oldest cheese. Researchers initially discovered the enigmatic material smudged on several of the mummies buried at the Xiaohe Cemetery in northwestern China's Tarim Basin about two decades ago. Now, DNA tests have revealed that the mystery goo was kefir cheese, a probiotic soft cheese, and that it was produced using cow and goat cheeses thousands of years ago, according to a study published Wednesday (Sept. 25) in the journal Cell.
The cheese contained several bacterial and fungal species, including Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens and Pichia kudriavzevii, both of which are found in modern-day kefir grains. These grains are "symbiotic cultures" that consist of a mix of bacteria and yeast, which ferment milk into cheese, similar to a "sourdough starter," according to a statement. "This is the oldest known cheese sample ever discovered in the world," study senior author Qiaomei Fu, a paleontologist at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, said in the statement. "Food items like cheese are extremely difficult to preserve over thousands of years, making this a rare and valuable opportunity.
Fu added that "studying the ancient cheese in great detail can help us better understand our ancestors' diet and culture." The researchers also determined that the L. kefiranofaciens grains were closely related to similar ones originating from Tibet. By sequencing the bacterial genes, researchers could "track how probiotic bacteria evolved over the past 3,600 years," according to the statement. "This is the oldest known cheese sample ever discovered in the world," study senior author Qiaomei Fu, a paleontologist at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, said in the statement. "Food items like cheese are extremely difficult to preserve over thousands of years, making this a rare and valuable opportunity.
Fu added that "studying the ancient cheese in great detail can help us better understand our ancestors' diet and culture." The researchers also determined that the L. kefiranofaciens grains were closely related to similar ones originating from Tibet. By sequencing the bacterial genes, researchers could "track how probiotic bacteria evolved over the past 3,600 years," according to the statement. "Our observation suggests kefir culture has been maintained in Northwestern China's Xinjiang region since the Bronze Age," Fu said. "[We can] observe how a bacterium evolved over the past 3,000 years. Moreover, by examining dairy products, we've gained a clearer picture of ancient human life and their interactions with the world."
However, it remains unknown why these individuals were covered with cheese in the first place.
https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/mysterious-white-substance-smeared-on-3600-year-old-mummies-is-worlds-oldest-cheese
I wasn't sure whether to post this in the Anthropology forum, or the Cooking forum......
Mysterious white substance smeared on 3,600-year-old mummies is world's oldest cheese
When researchers tested a mysterious substance on the heads and necks of ancient mummies found in China's Tarim Basin, they discovered that it was the world's oldest cheese.Mummies found at a cemetery in China had traces of cheese smeared on their heads and necks. (Image credit: Wenying Li)
A mysterious white substance smeared on the heads and necks of 3,600-year-old mummies in China is the world's oldest cheese. Researchers initially discovered the enigmatic material smudged on several of the mummies buried at the Xiaohe Cemetery in northwestern China's Tarim Basin about two decades ago. Now, DNA tests have revealed that the mystery goo was kefir cheese, a probiotic soft cheese, and that it was produced using cow and goat cheeses thousands of years ago, according to a study published Wednesday (Sept. 25) in the journal Cell.
The cheese contained several bacterial and fungal species, including Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens and Pichia kudriavzevii, both of which are found in modern-day kefir grains. These grains are "symbiotic cultures" that consist of a mix of bacteria and yeast, which ferment milk into cheese, similar to a "sourdough starter," according to a statement. "This is the oldest known cheese sample ever discovered in the world," study senior author Qiaomei Fu, a paleontologist at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, said in the statement. "Food items like cheese are extremely difficult to preserve over thousands of years, making this a rare and valuable opportunity.
Fu added that "studying the ancient cheese in great detail can help us better understand our ancestors' diet and culture." The researchers also determined that the L. kefiranofaciens grains were closely related to similar ones originating from Tibet. By sequencing the bacterial genes, researchers could "track how probiotic bacteria evolved over the past 3,600 years," according to the statement. "This is the oldest known cheese sample ever discovered in the world," study senior author Qiaomei Fu, a paleontologist at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, said in the statement. "Food items like cheese are extremely difficult to preserve over thousands of years, making this a rare and valuable opportunity.
Fu added that "studying the ancient cheese in great detail can help us better understand our ancestors' diet and culture." The researchers also determined that the L. kefiranofaciens grains were closely related to similar ones originating from Tibet. By sequencing the bacterial genes, researchers could "track how probiotic bacteria evolved over the past 3,600 years," according to the statement. "Our observation suggests kefir culture has been maintained in Northwestern China's Xinjiang region since the Bronze Age," Fu said. "[We can] observe how a bacterium evolved over the past 3,000 years. Moreover, by examining dairy products, we've gained a clearer picture of ancient human life and their interactions with the world."
However, it remains unknown why these individuals were covered with cheese in the first place.
https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/mysterious-white-substance-smeared-on-3600-year-old-mummies-is-worlds-oldest-cheese
I wasn't sure whether to post this in the Anthropology forum, or the Cooking forum......
September 27, 2024
Scientists used lasers to transcribe all 3 billion letters of the human genome onto a "5D memory chip" the size of a coin. (Image credit: University of Southampton)
For the first time, scientists have stored a copy of humanity's genetic blueprint inside a near-indestructible "5D memory crystal" — a new data storage format that could keep the valuable information safe for billions of years, or even potentially to the end of time. The researchers believe the DNA time capsule could be used to revive our species long after we have gone extinct. But not everyone agrees. The coin-size crystal, developed by researchers at the University of Southampton in England, is made from a synthetic material that mimics the properties of fused quartz — a glass made of almost pure silica, which is one of the most thermally and chemically stable materials ever discovered. The team first pioneered the crystal in 2014, and it's remained the "most durable data storage material" on the planet ever since, according to Guinness World Records.
Most data storage formats in use today degrade over time. But researchers predict that the crystals could remain stable at room temperature for 300 quintillion years (3 followed by 20 zeros), which is longer than most theories predict the universe will last. Even at higher temperatures up to 374 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius), the material could stay intact for up to 13.8 billion years, which is around the same age as the universe is now. Either way, the crystal could potentially outlive Earth, which will be destroyed by the sun in around 5 billion years. The crystals can survive in temperatures around 1,800 F (1,000 C) or well below freezing. They can also withstand forces up to 10 tons per square centimeter — roughly equivalent to the weight of two African elephants (Loxodonta sp.) — and long exposure to cosmic radiation, meaning they could survive long journeys through space, researchers wrote in a statement.
To store information within the crystals, the researchers use lasers to transcribe data onto millions of 20-nanometer-wide (0.0000008 inches) nodes stacked within a five-dimensional matrix, which contains "two optical dimensions and three spatial coordinates," researchers wrote. The researchers first accomplished this in 2016, when they transcribed copies of famous texts, such as the Magna Carta, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the King James Bible, onto the crystals. The largest crystals can store up to 360 terabytes of data, which is more than 5,000 times more than a typical iPhone.
In this case, the team spelled out the entire human genome using the four letters that represent the nucleotides, or bases, of DNA: adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G) and thymine (T). The entire genome is about 3 billion letters long, according to the National Human Genome research institute. The crystal will be placed in the Memory of Mankind collection deep within the abandoned Hallstatt salt mine in Germany and "could provide a blueprint to bring humanity back from extinction thousands, millions or even billions of years into the future," researchers wrote.
https://www.livescience.com/technology/human-genome-memory-crystal
Human genome stored inside near-indestructible '5D memory crystal' that could survive to the end of the universe
The record-breaking crystal will act as a DNA time capsule that could be used to bring back humanity after our extinction, researchers say. But not everyone is convinced.Scientists used lasers to transcribe all 3 billion letters of the human genome onto a "5D memory chip" the size of a coin. (Image credit: University of Southampton)
For the first time, scientists have stored a copy of humanity's genetic blueprint inside a near-indestructible "5D memory crystal" — a new data storage format that could keep the valuable information safe for billions of years, or even potentially to the end of time. The researchers believe the DNA time capsule could be used to revive our species long after we have gone extinct. But not everyone agrees. The coin-size crystal, developed by researchers at the University of Southampton in England, is made from a synthetic material that mimics the properties of fused quartz — a glass made of almost pure silica, which is one of the most thermally and chemically stable materials ever discovered. The team first pioneered the crystal in 2014, and it's remained the "most durable data storage material" on the planet ever since, according to Guinness World Records.
Most data storage formats in use today degrade over time. But researchers predict that the crystals could remain stable at room temperature for 300 quintillion years (3 followed by 20 zeros), which is longer than most theories predict the universe will last. Even at higher temperatures up to 374 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius), the material could stay intact for up to 13.8 billion years, which is around the same age as the universe is now. Either way, the crystal could potentially outlive Earth, which will be destroyed by the sun in around 5 billion years. The crystals can survive in temperatures around 1,800 F (1,000 C) or well below freezing. They can also withstand forces up to 10 tons per square centimeter — roughly equivalent to the weight of two African elephants (Loxodonta sp.) — and long exposure to cosmic radiation, meaning they could survive long journeys through space, researchers wrote in a statement.
To store information within the crystals, the researchers use lasers to transcribe data onto millions of 20-nanometer-wide (0.0000008 inches) nodes stacked within a five-dimensional matrix, which contains "two optical dimensions and three spatial coordinates," researchers wrote. The researchers first accomplished this in 2016, when they transcribed copies of famous texts, such as the Magna Carta, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the King James Bible, onto the crystals. The largest crystals can store up to 360 terabytes of data, which is more than 5,000 times more than a typical iPhone.
In this case, the team spelled out the entire human genome using the four letters that represent the nucleotides, or bases, of DNA: adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G) and thymine (T). The entire genome is about 3 billion letters long, according to the National Human Genome research institute. The crystal will be placed in the Memory of Mankind collection deep within the abandoned Hallstatt salt mine in Germany and "could provide a blueprint to bring humanity back from extinction thousands, millions or even billions of years into the future," researchers wrote.
https://www.livescience.com/technology/human-genome-memory-crystal
September 27, 2024
THE BURNT-ORANGE dirt road leading into the forest was new, but it already had deep tire tracks. Building the road had been the first step for Plants & Goodwin workers when they arrived in Crown, Pennsylvania, a tiny dot on the map, somewhere between a vast state park and a vaster national forest.
The road led to a single oil rig on private property. The well at the site was one of 19 that the state had contracted Plants & Goodwin to seal. A mechanical humming filled the air as the drill string, a snake-like configuration of metal piping, returned from its 1,000-foot descent into the ground, emerging piece by piece from a muddy puddle. Workers in hardhats and mud-splattered coveralls disabled a link and then hauled up another piece. Encircling the rig were all the vehicles and rusted industrial contraptions needed for an operation like this.
This oil well was last used more than 80 years ago, probably. No one knows for sure. The drill string reached a depth of 1,080 feet, but Luke Plants, the third-generation owner of Plants & Goodwin, knew that many wells from Pennsylvania’s oil boom went down 2,000 feet. “You have to think like an oil speculator,” he said. Maybe the drill snake had hit some debris that could be washed away, revealing the well’s true depth. But no, this one seemed to be 1,080 feet. Dressed in jeans, work boots, and a crisply pressed shirt, Plants surveyed the site from behind black-rimmed glasses. He waited for a phone call from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, giving the OK to pour down cement.
Many of these orphan wells—earthen holes once used for oil and gas drilling that have no record of ownership or entity responsible for their cleanup—date back to black-gold rushes from decades or centuries past. In 1859, an unemployed railroad conductor struck oil north of Pittsburgh. Overnight, swaths of land were punctured by drills. Within three years, production in Pennsylvania increased from 4,500 barrels a year to 3 million. Boomtowns sprang up. Then more lucrative wells in other states caused the oil industry to go elsewhere. The Pennsylvania wells ran dry, and the infrastructure was abandoned. The wells were not plugged properly, and there were no standards for cleanup.
https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2024-3-fall/notes-here-there/orphaned-oil-and-gas-wells-are-huge-source-greenhouse-gases?promoid=701Po00000OQJafIAH&utm_medium=email&utm_source=insider&utm_content=September2Insider
Orphaned Oil and Gas Wells Are a Huge Source of Greenhouse Gases
This company is racing to fix Pennsylvania's leaking wells. The EPA estimates that there are about 2.2 million unsealed wells in the United States.THE BURNT-ORANGE dirt road leading into the forest was new, but it already had deep tire tracks. Building the road had been the first step for Plants & Goodwin workers when they arrived in Crown, Pennsylvania, a tiny dot on the map, somewhere between a vast state park and a vaster national forest.
The road led to a single oil rig on private property. The well at the site was one of 19 that the state had contracted Plants & Goodwin to seal. A mechanical humming filled the air as the drill string, a snake-like configuration of metal piping, returned from its 1,000-foot descent into the ground, emerging piece by piece from a muddy puddle. Workers in hardhats and mud-splattered coveralls disabled a link and then hauled up another piece. Encircling the rig were all the vehicles and rusted industrial contraptions needed for an operation like this.
This oil well was last used more than 80 years ago, probably. No one knows for sure. The drill string reached a depth of 1,080 feet, but Luke Plants, the third-generation owner of Plants & Goodwin, knew that many wells from Pennsylvania’s oil boom went down 2,000 feet. “You have to think like an oil speculator,” he said. Maybe the drill snake had hit some debris that could be washed away, revealing the well’s true depth. But no, this one seemed to be 1,080 feet. Dressed in jeans, work boots, and a crisply pressed shirt, Plants surveyed the site from behind black-rimmed glasses. He waited for a phone call from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, giving the OK to pour down cement.
Many of these orphan wells—earthen holes once used for oil and gas drilling that have no record of ownership or entity responsible for their cleanup—date back to black-gold rushes from decades or centuries past. In 1859, an unemployed railroad conductor struck oil north of Pittsburgh. Overnight, swaths of land were punctured by drills. Within three years, production in Pennsylvania increased from 4,500 barrels a year to 3 million. Boomtowns sprang up. Then more lucrative wells in other states caused the oil industry to go elsewhere. The Pennsylvania wells ran dry, and the infrastructure was abandoned. The wells were not plugged properly, and there were no standards for cleanup.
https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2024-3-fall/notes-here-there/orphaned-oil-and-gas-wells-are-huge-source-greenhouse-gases?promoid=701Po00000OQJafIAH&utm_medium=email&utm_source=insider&utm_content=September2Insider
September 27, 2024
For 50 years, the plastics industry lied about the recyclability of plastic, a “campaign of deception” that deflected regulation and boosted profits while unleashing a tide of toxic plastic pollution, according to a pair of groundbreaking lawsuits filed Monday by the California attorney general and four environmental groups.
Taking aim at the world’s largest maker of single-use plastic polymers, the suits name ExxonMobil as defendant, though numerous plastic industry front groups are also named as supporting players in the attorney general’s 147-page filing, and other defendants could be added later. The two paired suits filed in San Francisco Superior Court follow an investigation announced in April 2022 by California attorney general Robert Bonta, and a separate probe by lawyers working for the Sierra Club, the Surfrider Foundation, Heal the Bay, and San Francisco Baykeeper.
During a Monday morning press conference, Bonta criticized ExxonMobil for ramping up production of single-use plastics while making false promises about sustainability and recyclability. The recycling campaign was great public relations, Bonta said, but the company knew all along that recycling disposable plastics was either too technically challenging or too expensive to work. Its newest tactic is to promote a supposedly new technology, “advanced recycling,” that uses heat or solvents to reduce plastic chemically—as opposed to the usual mechanical recycling process of grinding up the material. Bonta said this idea is neither new nor practical and can only recycle 1 percent or less of plastic waste at great expense. “The company has propped up sham solutions, manipulated the public, and lied to consumers,” Bonta said. “It's time ExxonMobil pays the price for its deceit.” The attorney general went on to say, “Plastic contaminates our drinking water, strangles our wildlife, and blights our landscapes. Microplastics have been found in our lungs, maternal and placental tissue, breast milk, and blood.… It's time ExxonMobil is held accountable.”
A central premise of both the state lawsuit and the environmental groups’ complaint is that during a critical time in the 1970s and 1980s, when consumers were being asked to shift from such products as reusable glass soda bottles to disposable plastic ones, the false promise of recyclability assuaged the public and persuaded policymakers not to regulate the new materials or to demand a return to reusability. The shift was also a windfall for certain industries—dairies, breweries, and soda companies—which once bore the cost of washing and reusing glass bottles as part of their cost of doing business. The shift to throwaway plastics meant those items would be collected with the trash, and taxpayers would foot the bill. That shift, according to the lawsuits, is how the industry can claim plastics are cheaper—because the cost of the plastic waste left behind, whether it’s landfilled or recycled, isn’t reflected in the manufacturer’s cost.
https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/exxonmobil-lied-about-plastics-recycling-lawsuits-california-sierra-club-claim
I think its time to go back to glass bottles. I don't feel sorry for companies whining about washing them.
ExxonMobil Lied About Plastics Recycling, Lawsuits Claim
The State of California and environmental groups including the Sierra Club say the petrochemical giant always knew recycling wouldn’t workFor 50 years, the plastics industry lied about the recyclability of plastic, a “campaign of deception” that deflected regulation and boosted profits while unleashing a tide of toxic plastic pollution, according to a pair of groundbreaking lawsuits filed Monday by the California attorney general and four environmental groups.
Taking aim at the world’s largest maker of single-use plastic polymers, the suits name ExxonMobil as defendant, though numerous plastic industry front groups are also named as supporting players in the attorney general’s 147-page filing, and other defendants could be added later. The two paired suits filed in San Francisco Superior Court follow an investigation announced in April 2022 by California attorney general Robert Bonta, and a separate probe by lawyers working for the Sierra Club, the Surfrider Foundation, Heal the Bay, and San Francisco Baykeeper.
During a Monday morning press conference, Bonta criticized ExxonMobil for ramping up production of single-use plastics while making false promises about sustainability and recyclability. The recycling campaign was great public relations, Bonta said, but the company knew all along that recycling disposable plastics was either too technically challenging or too expensive to work. Its newest tactic is to promote a supposedly new technology, “advanced recycling,” that uses heat or solvents to reduce plastic chemically—as opposed to the usual mechanical recycling process of grinding up the material. Bonta said this idea is neither new nor practical and can only recycle 1 percent or less of plastic waste at great expense. “The company has propped up sham solutions, manipulated the public, and lied to consumers,” Bonta said. “It's time ExxonMobil pays the price for its deceit.” The attorney general went on to say, “Plastic contaminates our drinking water, strangles our wildlife, and blights our landscapes. Microplastics have been found in our lungs, maternal and placental tissue, breast milk, and blood.… It's time ExxonMobil is held accountable.”
A central premise of both the state lawsuit and the environmental groups’ complaint is that during a critical time in the 1970s and 1980s, when consumers were being asked to shift from such products as reusable glass soda bottles to disposable plastic ones, the false promise of recyclability assuaged the public and persuaded policymakers not to regulate the new materials or to demand a return to reusability. The shift was also a windfall for certain industries—dairies, breweries, and soda companies—which once bore the cost of washing and reusing glass bottles as part of their cost of doing business. The shift to throwaway plastics meant those items would be collected with the trash, and taxpayers would foot the bill. That shift, according to the lawsuits, is how the industry can claim plastics are cheaper—because the cost of the plastic waste left behind, whether it’s landfilled or recycled, isn’t reflected in the manufacturer’s cost.
https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/exxonmobil-lied-about-plastics-recycling-lawsuits-california-sierra-club-claim
I think its time to go back to glass bottles. I don't feel sorry for companies whining about washing them.
September 24, 2024
Dogs Who Love Their UPS Driver
If you forget to bring treats, you become the treat!
They have the driver well trained.
Twinsies
Rain or shine, this dog knows when it's biscuit time.
Hugs!
You can't say no to a little cuddle with this big beast.
This precious face deserves an extra cookie.
The UPS guy and his loyal fan club.
"Give me the biscuit and be on your way."
"Have I told you lately that I love you?"
"I haf a thtick for you."
"Where to next, boss?"
Hope the driver brought 101 biscuits.
Kisses!
Time for a quick game?
No one shows love like a dog.
September 23, 2024
There's a section of the beach for dogs. All the locals take their dogs there to play, no leads. There's signs designated for it. One time, we took our previous dog down to play. This collie had nothing but absolute love for any human, even more so for kids. She saw a kid, she'd grab the ball, walk up and drop it about 5 foot away and wait patiently with a wagging tail for the throw.
This one particular day, she did just this when she saw a family. We saw her go to them, lay down and wait, we waved and smiled at them saying "You can throw it". Before we even finished the sentence, this dude stood up and full on kicked her in the ribs.
She turned to run but was gasping and crying. He went for a 2nd kick, she dodged and his bare foot went straight into a rock, f****r broke all his toes. F**k tourists honestly.
8 years ago I was very pregnant and crossing a busy street in a crosswalk in Austin. An old SUV zoomed around the corner, accelerated like it was trying to hit me (I guess because I was too slowly waddling across the crosswalk), slammed on their brake about 2 feet from running me over, and leaned on their horn while flicking me off and yelling out the window at me to walk faster. It all happened in about 5 seconds and had me really freaked out, I thought they were going to get out of the car and attack me. Out of nowhere, an undercover police car parked on the street who'd seen the whole thing, turned on their siren and lights, pulled the car over, and absolutely LIT into them. Like totally tore the guy apart. I stood there and listened for a while 😂 I'm still chasing that instant karma high. I have never ever seen as amazing an instant karma as that! I was super freaked out because they'd acted like they'd wanted to kill me. I still can't believe how it turned out because tbh their road rage was so scary.
Was walking back from the pub, not too late at night. It was raining. My friend stopped, lifted his foot above a snail (ready to stomp on it) and said "I f'ing hate snails" and then stomped.. It wasn't a snail, but a dog turd, which sprayed right up his other leg and shoes.
Years ago I was walking past a bar in upstate NY when a couple walks out, the guy goes left and the woman goes right. The guy flipped into a rage, grabs the woman, slaps her across the face and screams at her “I told you to follow me b***h!”. As soon as the words leave his mouth a giant bouncer tackles the guy, sits on his chest and starts repeatedly slapping him across the face and calling him a b***h.
Hows that feel b***h? *SLAP*
Hows that feel b***h? *SLAP*
Over and over until the cops showed up. Thats when I got out of there, not sure what happened after that lol.
One time a guy pulled up next to me in a modified car at a red light. I'm not sure what it's called in English but it was one of those cars that are very close to the ground. As he pulled up next to me he started revving the engine while giving me the finger for some reason. as the light turned green he hit the gas and drove straight into a bump on the road and his entire fender fell off. I just smiled at him while driving past.
Over 20 years ago at Megacon in Orlando Florida, traffic was bad for parking, I let a car squeeze in ahead of me, well apparently this guy had been trying to merge for a while, and next thing I know he pays for my parking. Instant Carma.
A guy cut me in line at the grocery store. I pointed out that I was in line and he just shrugged his shoulders and turned his back to me. The checker on the next line over called for next in line and he ran over there. Then the checker left while he was unloading groceries. I was able to check out and bag my groceries before his checker ever came back.
In high school, a shy girl asked a guy to the prom and he scornfully said no and made his disgust very public. He wasn't exactly the most popular or good looking guy, but he had big ambitions. Right after publicly embarrassing his would-be suitor, he asked a very popular girl to the prom. She made it known, very loudly, that she wanted nothing to do with him. Nasty, but I felt like he deserved it. A few days later, he asked another popular girl to the prom in a very over the top, very public promposal involving multiple expensive flower bouquets. She took one look at the spectacle and walked away without saying anything. I actually don't blame her b/c it was a pretty embarrassing and she didn't want to be involved. That was a good second wave of karma.
I use to work in a 24 hour emergency vet hospital. We were extremely busy one night dealing with stat after stat so the waiting room filled up with cases that were non emergent. One woman, who was there because her dog had an ear infection, kept harassing the receptionists demanding when she would be seen. They tried to explain to her many times that there were more emergent cases that needed to be seen first, which included one dog needing immediate cpr, she did not care. She called us every name under the sun and demanded that because she arrived before everyone she needed to be put in a room next, told her to sit down to see what could be done. Shortly after sitting down she started screaming at the top of her lungs. A family next to her whose Saint Bernard happened to have an extremely large pus filled abscess on his ear decided to shake his head right after she sat down and ruptured his foul smelling abscess allllll over her. She decided right after that her dog could wait to see his regular vet tomorrow and she went home. Everyone in the waiting room and the entire staff told that Saint Bernard how much of a good boy he was.
I was playing volleyball in middle school gym, and I messed up. Marc came up and started berating me, telling me I’m awful and mess everything up and I suck. In the middle of his insults, someone else kicked a volleyball that accidentally smacked him right in the face, knocking out a tooth. He cried like a baby. I got detention for laughing. Worth it.
30 years ago, I paid for one newspaper (from a newspaper coin operated container), but I took two out. As I left, my untucked shirt got stuck in the door. I had to pay to get my shirt back out as I laughed at the justice.
Seeing one of my logo designs in a job candidate’s portfolio during an interview. End of interview.
Old lady with a walker shoved my toddler out the way to get on a tram, then scolded her for being in the way. Two seconds later her walker got jammed between the tram and the pavement, she panicked and shouted for help. I helped her out, but with a loud commentary to toddler about THAT’S why we don’t push in front of people.
On my way to work, almost running late. Pulled up to a 4 way stop the same time as this other dude im the lane perpendicular to me, said dude is to my right so he has the right of way (in this state anyway). So I wait but blinks the high beams to let me know to go first. I start to go, dude guns in right in front or me as im like halfway across the intersection so I slam my brakes and let the dips**t go. I get through the intersection and the cop that was sitting in a driveway with the lights off whips past me and pulls this idiot over. Very satisfying. .
I once saw a guy steal a bag of dog turds, the woman that picked it up put it in one of those little gift bags. She set the bag down on a bench and went over to get a bottle of water from a vending machine. While her back was turned I saw a guy creeping up, looking around to see if anyone was looking at him. When he got a little closer, he snatched up the bag of turds and took off running down the boardwalk. I didn't get to see his face when he opened the bag to check out his big heist or just stuck his hand in to pull out what was in there, but it had to be funny.
There was a long line for drinks at an outdoor bar in Tahoe. I’m next in line when a smug guy just walks straight up to the window, cutting in front of everybody. I confronted him and he said something like “I’ve been here for hours. What are you doing to do?” Right as the bartender came back from running the last person’s card, the guy starts ordering. I look at the bartender and loudly say “he cut in front of the line and seems intoxicated”.
As soon as I said that, another bartender comes over and tells the guy “you’re cut off”. He called the other bartenders over and said “this guy is cut off”. No more drinks for him that night.
I was sitting in my wife's car while she ran into the store for something. I was watching a baseball game on my phone when this hand came through the window and tried to grab my phone. I jerked it away and it fell between the car seats, he started calling me names which insinuated that my first name was Ritz. I don't know where that cop came from, but the phone grabber was quickly on the ground in handcuffs. It turns out that I wasn't the first person he tried to do the grab on, the cop was following him because he was recognized by security cam.
Late 1960's. 50 guys taking a physical for the Navy. When it's my turn to have blood drawn, I turn my head and close my eyes. Big burly guy calls me a wuss. When it's his turn, he watches ostentatiously. Corpsman gets about halfway through, BBG faints dead away.
One time, I was at a busy grocery store, and this guy cut in front of an elderly woman in the checkout line, acting like he didn’t see her. Not even two minutes later, his credit card got declined. The cashier looked at him and said, 'Looks like you’ll have to wait your turn after all.' The old lady gave a little smirk as she got to go first. Instant karma at its finest!
I went to the bank after work one time to deposit some money. Noticed that someone left their debit card in the slot, so I turned it in to the front desk. Went to Chipotle after, got my usual order and they told me to just take it away for free since the register/card system was having issues.
What's your karma story?
The Most Glorious Moments Of Instant Karma
There's a section of the beach for dogs. All the locals take their dogs there to play, no leads. There's signs designated for it. One time, we took our previous dog down to play. This collie had nothing but absolute love for any human, even more so for kids. She saw a kid, she'd grab the ball, walk up and drop it about 5 foot away and wait patiently with a wagging tail for the throw.
This one particular day, she did just this when she saw a family. We saw her go to them, lay down and wait, we waved and smiled at them saying "You can throw it". Before we even finished the sentence, this dude stood up and full on kicked her in the ribs.
She turned to run but was gasping and crying. He went for a 2nd kick, she dodged and his bare foot went straight into a rock, f****r broke all his toes. F**k tourists honestly.
8 years ago I was very pregnant and crossing a busy street in a crosswalk in Austin. An old SUV zoomed around the corner, accelerated like it was trying to hit me (I guess because I was too slowly waddling across the crosswalk), slammed on their brake about 2 feet from running me over, and leaned on their horn while flicking me off and yelling out the window at me to walk faster. It all happened in about 5 seconds and had me really freaked out, I thought they were going to get out of the car and attack me. Out of nowhere, an undercover police car parked on the street who'd seen the whole thing, turned on their siren and lights, pulled the car over, and absolutely LIT into them. Like totally tore the guy apart. I stood there and listened for a while 😂 I'm still chasing that instant karma high. I have never ever seen as amazing an instant karma as that! I was super freaked out because they'd acted like they'd wanted to kill me. I still can't believe how it turned out because tbh their road rage was so scary.
Was walking back from the pub, not too late at night. It was raining. My friend stopped, lifted his foot above a snail (ready to stomp on it) and said "I f'ing hate snails" and then stomped.. It wasn't a snail, but a dog turd, which sprayed right up his other leg and shoes.
Years ago I was walking past a bar in upstate NY when a couple walks out, the guy goes left and the woman goes right. The guy flipped into a rage, grabs the woman, slaps her across the face and screams at her “I told you to follow me b***h!”. As soon as the words leave his mouth a giant bouncer tackles the guy, sits on his chest and starts repeatedly slapping him across the face and calling him a b***h.
Hows that feel b***h? *SLAP*
Hows that feel b***h? *SLAP*
Over and over until the cops showed up. Thats when I got out of there, not sure what happened after that lol.
One time a guy pulled up next to me in a modified car at a red light. I'm not sure what it's called in English but it was one of those cars that are very close to the ground. As he pulled up next to me he started revving the engine while giving me the finger for some reason. as the light turned green he hit the gas and drove straight into a bump on the road and his entire fender fell off. I just smiled at him while driving past.
Over 20 years ago at Megacon in Orlando Florida, traffic was bad for parking, I let a car squeeze in ahead of me, well apparently this guy had been trying to merge for a while, and next thing I know he pays for my parking. Instant Carma.
A guy cut me in line at the grocery store. I pointed out that I was in line and he just shrugged his shoulders and turned his back to me. The checker on the next line over called for next in line and he ran over there. Then the checker left while he was unloading groceries. I was able to check out and bag my groceries before his checker ever came back.
In high school, a shy girl asked a guy to the prom and he scornfully said no and made his disgust very public. He wasn't exactly the most popular or good looking guy, but he had big ambitions. Right after publicly embarrassing his would-be suitor, he asked a very popular girl to the prom. She made it known, very loudly, that she wanted nothing to do with him. Nasty, but I felt like he deserved it. A few days later, he asked another popular girl to the prom in a very over the top, very public promposal involving multiple expensive flower bouquets. She took one look at the spectacle and walked away without saying anything. I actually don't blame her b/c it was a pretty embarrassing and she didn't want to be involved. That was a good second wave of karma.
I use to work in a 24 hour emergency vet hospital. We were extremely busy one night dealing with stat after stat so the waiting room filled up with cases that were non emergent. One woman, who was there because her dog had an ear infection, kept harassing the receptionists demanding when she would be seen. They tried to explain to her many times that there were more emergent cases that needed to be seen first, which included one dog needing immediate cpr, she did not care. She called us every name under the sun and demanded that because she arrived before everyone she needed to be put in a room next, told her to sit down to see what could be done. Shortly after sitting down she started screaming at the top of her lungs. A family next to her whose Saint Bernard happened to have an extremely large pus filled abscess on his ear decided to shake his head right after she sat down and ruptured his foul smelling abscess allllll over her. She decided right after that her dog could wait to see his regular vet tomorrow and she went home. Everyone in the waiting room and the entire staff told that Saint Bernard how much of a good boy he was.
I was playing volleyball in middle school gym, and I messed up. Marc came up and started berating me, telling me I’m awful and mess everything up and I suck. In the middle of his insults, someone else kicked a volleyball that accidentally smacked him right in the face, knocking out a tooth. He cried like a baby. I got detention for laughing. Worth it.
30 years ago, I paid for one newspaper (from a newspaper coin operated container), but I took two out. As I left, my untucked shirt got stuck in the door. I had to pay to get my shirt back out as I laughed at the justice.
Seeing one of my logo designs in a job candidate’s portfolio during an interview. End of interview.
Old lady with a walker shoved my toddler out the way to get on a tram, then scolded her for being in the way. Two seconds later her walker got jammed between the tram and the pavement, she panicked and shouted for help. I helped her out, but with a loud commentary to toddler about THAT’S why we don’t push in front of people.
On my way to work, almost running late. Pulled up to a 4 way stop the same time as this other dude im the lane perpendicular to me, said dude is to my right so he has the right of way (in this state anyway). So I wait but blinks the high beams to let me know to go first. I start to go, dude guns in right in front or me as im like halfway across the intersection so I slam my brakes and let the dips**t go. I get through the intersection and the cop that was sitting in a driveway with the lights off whips past me and pulls this idiot over. Very satisfying. .
I once saw a guy steal a bag of dog turds, the woman that picked it up put it in one of those little gift bags. She set the bag down on a bench and went over to get a bottle of water from a vending machine. While her back was turned I saw a guy creeping up, looking around to see if anyone was looking at him. When he got a little closer, he snatched up the bag of turds and took off running down the boardwalk. I didn't get to see his face when he opened the bag to check out his big heist or just stuck his hand in to pull out what was in there, but it had to be funny.
There was a long line for drinks at an outdoor bar in Tahoe. I’m next in line when a smug guy just walks straight up to the window, cutting in front of everybody. I confronted him and he said something like “I’ve been here for hours. What are you doing to do?” Right as the bartender came back from running the last person’s card, the guy starts ordering. I look at the bartender and loudly say “he cut in front of the line and seems intoxicated”.
As soon as I said that, another bartender comes over and tells the guy “you’re cut off”. He called the other bartenders over and said “this guy is cut off”. No more drinks for him that night.
I was sitting in my wife's car while she ran into the store for something. I was watching a baseball game on my phone when this hand came through the window and tried to grab my phone. I jerked it away and it fell between the car seats, he started calling me names which insinuated that my first name was Ritz. I don't know where that cop came from, but the phone grabber was quickly on the ground in handcuffs. It turns out that I wasn't the first person he tried to do the grab on, the cop was following him because he was recognized by security cam.
Late 1960's. 50 guys taking a physical for the Navy. When it's my turn to have blood drawn, I turn my head and close my eyes. Big burly guy calls me a wuss. When it's his turn, he watches ostentatiously. Corpsman gets about halfway through, BBG faints dead away.
One time, I was at a busy grocery store, and this guy cut in front of an elderly woman in the checkout line, acting like he didn’t see her. Not even two minutes later, his credit card got declined. The cashier looked at him and said, 'Looks like you’ll have to wait your turn after all.' The old lady gave a little smirk as she got to go first. Instant karma at its finest!
I went to the bank after work one time to deposit some money. Noticed that someone left their debit card in the slot, so I turned it in to the front desk. Went to Chipotle after, got my usual order and they told me to just take it away for free since the register/card system was having issues.
What's your karma story?
September 23, 2024
Large stones were placed on the chest of a man buried at the execution site, supposedly to prevent him "rising from the grave" as a "revenant." (Image credit: Jörg Orschiedt/State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt )
Archaeologists have unearthed the grave of a man weighed down by stones — apparently to prevent him from rising from the dead as a "revenant" — while excavating around a 17th-century gallows in Germany. The grave, located near the town of Quedlinburg in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, is one of at least 16 discovered at the gallows site, where criminals were executed by hanging from the 1660s until the early 19th century. Fear of such revenants in Europe rose between the 16th and 18th centuries, Marita Genesis, an archaeologist who is leading the excavations on behalf of state authorities, told Live Science.
"These were people who had possibly died an early death, or a sudden death, without confession or absolution," she said. "It was fear that they might return to the realm of living, [so] various measures were taken to prevent the deceased from doing so." Such measures could include spraying incense, placing wooden crosses, binding the limbs of the deceased, or covering them with brushwood, she said. In this case, the man was buried on his back, without a coffin, and large stones were placed on his chest — a measure "obviously intended to prevent him from rising from the grave," Genesis said.
The buried skeleton showed no signs of execution, though hanging and drowning wouldn't have left any visible marks. Further examinations may reveal how the man died, she said. The execution site was a "galgenberg" — "gallows hill" in English — where convicted criminals were hanged and often buried so no one had to carry the bodies long distances, Genesis said. The site has at least 16 individual graves and two "bone pits" that held remains disturbed by later burials. Some of the skeletons show sharp-force injuries that may have been inflicted during torture on "the wheel" or during "quartering," a gruesome form of execution reserved for the worst criminals.
Most of the deceased, including the "revenant," were buried without coffins. "People were usually buried lovelessly in the ground like animal carcasses, without any sympathy or care," Genesis said. They often lay on their stomachs or on their sides with their hands on top of each other, "which indicates that they were bound," she added. But one of the burials at Quedlinburg is unusual because the person was interred in a wooden coffin, lying on their back with their hands placed in front of them. The archaeologists suspect this person had killed themselves, which was then seen as a type of murder — so the law required that they be buried at an execution site, Genesis said.
One of the people buried at the site was placed in a wooden coffin, which has now mostly rotted away; archaeologists think this person took their own life. (Image credit: Jörg Orschiedt/State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt )
https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/man-buried-with-large-stones-on-his-chest-to-prevent-him-from-rising-from-the-grave-unearthed-in-germany
I had to look up, "revenant,"--one that returns from the dead. Yay, zombies!
Man buried with large stones on his chest to prevent him from 'rising from the grave' unearthed in Germany
Archaeologists in Germany have unearthed a "revenant" grave where a man was buried with large stones on his chest to prevent him from rising from the dead.Large stones were placed on the chest of a man buried at the execution site, supposedly to prevent him "rising from the grave" as a "revenant." (Image credit: Jörg Orschiedt/State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt )
Archaeologists have unearthed the grave of a man weighed down by stones — apparently to prevent him from rising from the dead as a "revenant" — while excavating around a 17th-century gallows in Germany. The grave, located near the town of Quedlinburg in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, is one of at least 16 discovered at the gallows site, where criminals were executed by hanging from the 1660s until the early 19th century. Fear of such revenants in Europe rose between the 16th and 18th centuries, Marita Genesis, an archaeologist who is leading the excavations on behalf of state authorities, told Live Science.
"These were people who had possibly died an early death, or a sudden death, without confession or absolution," she said. "It was fear that they might return to the realm of living, [so] various measures were taken to prevent the deceased from doing so." Such measures could include spraying incense, placing wooden crosses, binding the limbs of the deceased, or covering them with brushwood, she said. In this case, the man was buried on his back, without a coffin, and large stones were placed on his chest — a measure "obviously intended to prevent him from rising from the grave," Genesis said.
The buried skeleton showed no signs of execution, though hanging and drowning wouldn't have left any visible marks. Further examinations may reveal how the man died, she said. The execution site was a "galgenberg" — "gallows hill" in English — where convicted criminals were hanged and often buried so no one had to carry the bodies long distances, Genesis said. The site has at least 16 individual graves and two "bone pits" that held remains disturbed by later burials. Some of the skeletons show sharp-force injuries that may have been inflicted during torture on "the wheel" or during "quartering," a gruesome form of execution reserved for the worst criminals.
Most of the deceased, including the "revenant," were buried without coffins. "People were usually buried lovelessly in the ground like animal carcasses, without any sympathy or care," Genesis said. They often lay on their stomachs or on their sides with their hands on top of each other, "which indicates that they were bound," she added. But one of the burials at Quedlinburg is unusual because the person was interred in a wooden coffin, lying on their back with their hands placed in front of them. The archaeologists suspect this person had killed themselves, which was then seen as a type of murder — so the law required that they be buried at an execution site, Genesis said.
One of the people buried at the site was placed in a wooden coffin, which has now mostly rotted away; archaeologists think this person took their own life. (Image credit: Jörg Orschiedt/State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt )
https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/man-buried-with-large-stones-on-his-chest-to-prevent-him-from-rising-from-the-grave-unearthed-in-germany
I had to look up, "revenant,"--one that returns from the dead. Yay, zombies!
September 23, 2024
Gladiator fights in ancient Rome were brutal, but did these fighters usually die in the arena? (Image credit: peepo via Getty Images)
Popular media, such as the 2000 film "Gladiator," often depict Roman gladiators in gory battles that don't end until at least one of the fighters is slain. But in real life, did gladiators really fight to the death? In fact, sometimes they did, but not always, experts told Live Science. Alfonso Manas, a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley who has studied gladiators extensively, said evidence indicates that the mortality rate of gladiators varied considerably over time. For instance, tomb paintings dating to the fourth century B.C. at the site of Paestum a Greek city in Italy that eventually came under Roman rule, show that the "gladiators are receiving terrible wounds," such as spears getting stuck in their opponent's head, that would have been fatal, Manas told Live Science in an email. This suggests that many early gladiator fights ended in the death of one or both fighters.
Gladiator games were reformed after 27 B.C., causing the death rate to decrease, Manas noted. These reforms happened during the reigns of Emperor Augustus (circa 30 B.C. to A.D. 14) and Tiberius (circa 14 to 37) . "In the 1st century A.D. we know [the] death rate perfectly: the study of the results of gladiator fights painted on the walls of Pompeii say that out of 5 fights, one ended with the death of the loser," Manas said, adding that this death rate probably remained similar during the second century A.D. Although many gladiators were slaves, with the drop in mortality, some free individuals volunteered to become gladiators, Manas added.
We don't know the specific rules that changed after 27 B.C. However, evidence does indicate that a gladiator could surrender by dropping their shield and extending their index finger, Manas said. Additionally, there was a "summa rudis" — a referee — who could enforce rules and stop the fight if a gladiator was on the verge of being killed. If the person holding gladiator fights granted it, the loser would be allowed to leave the arena without further harm. If the person hosting the event insisted on the gladiator being killed, they would have to pay a large sum to the person who provided the gladiators.
"Gladiators could be rented from their owners by magistrates who wanted to put on games, and there is some evidence of these contracts that shows that if a gladiator was returned severely injured — or killed outright — the lease of the gladiator would be converted to a sale [and] the price could increase by something like 50 times the original contract cost," Virginia Campbell, a lecturer of classical studies at The Open University, told Live Science in an email.
https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/did-roman-gladiators-really-fight-to-the-death
Did Roman gladiators really fight to the death?
Being a Roman gladiator was a bloody business, but did all gladiators really fight to the death?Gladiator fights in ancient Rome were brutal, but did these fighters usually die in the arena? (Image credit: peepo via Getty Images)
Popular media, such as the 2000 film "Gladiator," often depict Roman gladiators in gory battles that don't end until at least one of the fighters is slain. But in real life, did gladiators really fight to the death? In fact, sometimes they did, but not always, experts told Live Science. Alfonso Manas, a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley who has studied gladiators extensively, said evidence indicates that the mortality rate of gladiators varied considerably over time. For instance, tomb paintings dating to the fourth century B.C. at the site of Paestum a Greek city in Italy that eventually came under Roman rule, show that the "gladiators are receiving terrible wounds," such as spears getting stuck in their opponent's head, that would have been fatal, Manas told Live Science in an email. This suggests that many early gladiator fights ended in the death of one or both fighters.
Gladiator games were reformed after 27 B.C., causing the death rate to decrease, Manas noted. These reforms happened during the reigns of Emperor Augustus (circa 30 B.C. to A.D. 14) and Tiberius (circa 14 to 37) . "In the 1st century A.D. we know [the] death rate perfectly: the study of the results of gladiator fights painted on the walls of Pompeii say that out of 5 fights, one ended with the death of the loser," Manas said, adding that this death rate probably remained similar during the second century A.D. Although many gladiators were slaves, with the drop in mortality, some free individuals volunteered to become gladiators, Manas added.
We don't know the specific rules that changed after 27 B.C. However, evidence does indicate that a gladiator could surrender by dropping their shield and extending their index finger, Manas said. Additionally, there was a "summa rudis" — a referee — who could enforce rules and stop the fight if a gladiator was on the verge of being killed. If the person holding gladiator fights granted it, the loser would be allowed to leave the arena without further harm. If the person hosting the event insisted on the gladiator being killed, they would have to pay a large sum to the person who provided the gladiators.
"Gladiators could be rented from their owners by magistrates who wanted to put on games, and there is some evidence of these contracts that shows that if a gladiator was returned severely injured — or killed outright — the lease of the gladiator would be converted to a sale [and] the price could increase by something like 50 times the original contract cost," Virginia Campbell, a lecturer of classical studies at The Open University, told Live Science in an email.
https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/did-roman-gladiators-really-fight-to-the-death
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