Hubris - mankind has it in spades
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Rodents were diverse and abundant in prehistoric Africa when our human ancestors evolved
Rodents get a bad rap as vermin and pests because they seem to thrive everywhere.
They have been one of the most common mammals in Africa for the past 50 million years.
From deserts to rainforests, rodents flourished in prehistoric Africa …
World's richest ape set to slum it after owner learns she has lost her entire £40million fortune
The world’s richest ape has learned that it is now 'practically penniless' as its aristocrat heiress owner revealed that she is has lost her entire fortune. Kalu the Congolese chimpanzee was estimated to be worth around £40million as one of the main heirs to eccentric owner Patricia O’Neill’s inherited millions. However, Mrs O’Neill, 85, has revealed that her fabulous wealth has been ‘stolen from under her nose’ and that she is now ‘penniless’.
While Kalu is still in the aristocrat’s will, the ape is likely to receive practically nothing on her owner’s death. Mrs O’Neil is the daughter of the Countess of Kenmore and the ex-wife of Olympic medal winning Australian swimmer Frank O’Neill. The British aristocrat lives with Kalu the chimp, 30 dogs and 11 cats in a sprawling estate near Cape Town, South Africa. Her closest relationship, however, is with her beloved chimp, which she found tied to a tree outside the home of the Argentinian Consul General in war torn Zaire. She took the animal back to Broadlands, her Cape Town estate. Although she said that the animal initially seemed 'terrified and traumatized,' she soon settled in.
Brought up in Britain, she has spent the past 30 years living in the wealthy farming community near Cape Town, where she is at the centre of an aristocratic social circle. However, while she continues to live a life of luxury, she yesterday told a South African newspaper that thanks to ‘a crooked advisor’ she is down to her ‘last £100,000'. She said: 'I was accustomed to a lavish lifestyle. I didn’t have to worry about money. Whatever I wanted then I got. If I wanted a new car I’d get a new car. But things have changed.' She added: 'I’m a woman who does not really know about money. I’m not good with dates and figures.'
Mrs O’Neill revealed that since she discovered her precarious financial situation earlier this year, she has had been living off donations from wealthy friends. She has also been forced to auction off some of her valuable jewellery. Until Mrs O’Neill’s revelation, Kalu, 25, was widely thought to be the second richest pet in the world. The richest is thought to be a German Shepherd dog called Gunther IV, believed to be worth around £90million which he inherited from his father, Gunther III, who had in turn been the sole heir of the German countess Karlotta Liebenstein.
While Kalu is still in the aristocrat’s will, the ape is likely to receive practically nothing on her owner’s death. Mrs O’Neil is the daughter of the Countess of Kenmore and the ex-wife of Olympic medal winning Australian swimmer Frank O’Neill. The British aristocrat lives with Kalu the chimp, 30 dogs and 11 cats in a sprawling estate near Cape Town, South Africa. Her closest relationship, however, is with her beloved chimp, which she found tied to a tree outside the home of the Argentinian Consul General in war torn Zaire. She took the animal back to Broadlands, her Cape Town estate. Although she said that the animal initially seemed 'terrified and traumatized,' she soon settled in.
Brought up in Britain, she has spent the past 30 years living in the wealthy farming community near Cape Town, where she is at the centre of an aristocratic social circle. However, while she continues to live a life of luxury, she yesterday told a South African newspaper that thanks to ‘a crooked advisor’ she is down to her ‘last £100,000'. She said: 'I was accustomed to a lavish lifestyle. I didn’t have to worry about money. Whatever I wanted then I got. If I wanted a new car I’d get a new car. But things have changed.' She added: 'I’m a woman who does not really know about money. I’m not good with dates and figures.'
Mrs O’Neill revealed that since she discovered her precarious financial situation earlier this year, she has had been living off donations from wealthy friends. She has also been forced to auction off some of her valuable jewellery. Until Mrs O’Neill’s revelation, Kalu, 25, was widely thought to be the second richest pet in the world. The richest is thought to be a German Shepherd dog called Gunther IV, believed to be worth around £90million which he inherited from his father, Gunther III, who had in turn been the sole heir of the German countess Karlotta Liebenstein.
Female Chimps Play With Dolls
Female chimpanzees treat sticks and small logs as dolls by cuddling them, creating games and even putting them to bed, new research finds.
Since young male chimps were less inclined to play dollies, the authors say their study presents the first evidence of an animal species in the wild in which play differs between males and females.
Since young male chimps were less inclined to play dollies, the authors say their study presents the first evidence of an animal species in the wild in which play differs between males and females.
Sick Kitten
G.A, Smith made this film in 1903 and it is quite possibly the first precursor to the 'cute cat videos' that are all the rage on the internet today.
Injured dog's selflessness draws tears
She was a young, homeless single mother trying to raise a family of five, but true to the spirit of the season there was room for one more. Esperanza had been badly injured when she was hit by a car, but the young shepherd-cross with the thick white coat was still caring for her newborn puppies - and a kitten - when she was found on a central Alberta reserve.
Criss Gerwing, who runs a small animal rescue group, discovered the dog earlier this month and couldn't believe it when the canine led her to her blended brood. "I cried because she was in such bad condition with her leg, but she was obviously nursing her puppies and this kitten," Gerwing told a media outlet.
Gerwing took the entire family to the Edmonton Humane Society, where veterinarians thought they'd have to amputate the mother dog's bad leg. But local vet Dr. Milton Ness volunteered to do a special surgery that saved Esperanza's hind quarter. He calls her a "special soul."
Shawna Randolph at the humane society couldn't agree more. "She is such a sweet, sweet dog. She has such a wonderful personality," Randoph said. "It's amazing when you think about it. You have this dog who is just so giving of herself, caring for these newborn puppies and the kitten, making sure they were cared for even though she was obviously in a lot of pain."
Criss Gerwing, who runs a small animal rescue group, discovered the dog earlier this month and couldn't believe it when the canine led her to her blended brood. "I cried because she was in such bad condition with her leg, but she was obviously nursing her puppies and this kitten," Gerwing told a media outlet.
Gerwing took the entire family to the Edmonton Humane Society, where veterinarians thought they'd have to amputate the mother dog's bad leg. But local vet Dr. Milton Ness volunteered to do a special surgery that saved Esperanza's hind quarter. He calls her a "special soul."
Shawna Randolph at the humane society couldn't agree more. "She is such a sweet, sweet dog. She has such a wonderful personality," Randoph said. "It's amazing when you think about it. You have this dog who is just so giving of herself, caring for these newborn puppies and the kitten, making sure they were cared for even though she was obviously in a lot of pain."
Underwater world
Underwater photographers bring together their best images in the name of marine conservation.
Monday, December 20, 2010
The Daily Drift
The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:Whatever you're working on -- installing a new shower head, replacing your old kitchen towels with new ones, building a new back porch from driftwood without using any tools that the Pilgrims wouldn't have access to -- today is a day to start wrapping it up.
Sure, sometimes in the middle of a project you're tempted to expand to bigger and better things (The bathroom towels? A whole new driftwood wing?), but don't give in -- finish up.
Some of our readers today have been in:
Rome, Lazio, Italy
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Kiev, Kyyiv, Ukraine
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Sittard, Limburg, Netherlands
Venice, Veneto, Italy
Baden, Niederosterreich, Austria
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Edithvale, Victoria, Australia
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Cairo, Al Qahirah, Egypt
London, England, United Kingdom
Petaling jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Espoo, Southern Finland, Finland
Santander, Cantabria, Spain
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey
Martigues, Provence-Alpes-Cote D'Azur, France
Jeddah, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Harlow, England, United Kingdom
Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
as well as Bulgaria, Israel, Austria, Norway, Georgia, Mexico, Peru, Kuwait, Serbia, Bangladesh, Latvia, Greece, Scotland, Hong Kong, Denmark, Wales, Iran, Singapore, Poland, Taiwan, Sweden, Afghanistan, Belgium, Tibet, Croatia, Pakistan, Romania, Paraguay, Vietnam, Argentina, Cambodia, Egypt, France, Estonia, Puerto Rico, Brazil, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, China, Iraq, Ecuador, Nigeria, Colombia, Chile, Honduras, Paupa New Guinea, Moldova, Venezuela, Germany, Mexico and in cities across the United States such as Jasper, Wakefield, Chesapeake, San Diego and more.
Today is:
Today is Monday, December 20, the 354th day of 2010.
There are 11 days left in the year.
Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:
Mudd Day.
Don't forget to visit our sister blog!
Dying teen's chance on love
Sabrina Parker was too young to marry Matt Scozzari — but before she died, they found an alternative.
Also: Rare twist to lunar eclipse
For the first time in almost 400 years, two major celestial events will occur back to back.
Also: The 2010 Word of the Year
A term tied to spreading economic woes sent people flocking to the dictionary for answers.
Also: Snow wreaks havoc in Europe
A winter storm's icy wrath leaves thousands of holiday travelers stranded in bleak conditions.
Also: California rain shatters records
Relentless storms spawn mudslides and uproot trees — but forecasters warn the real impact may still lie ahead.
Also: 
Odds and Sods
A 95cm-long replica of the ill-fated Lusitania owned by the late Malcolm Forbes and his sons sold for US$194,500 at Sotheby's , setting a record for a toy boat at auction.
An Ohio judge has joined attorneys in chipping in money to help clear a defendant's record.
An Ohio judge has joined attorneys in chipping in money to help clear a defendant's record.
Woman swallowed 1200 ecstasy pills to smuggle into Bali
A Thai woman swallowed more than 1200 ecstasy pills wrapped in plastic and tried to smuggle them into the Indonesian resort island of Bali, officials have revealed.
Sudanese woman publicly flogged
Some versions of the disturbing clip, which seems to have been filmed with the knowledge of the officers, were reportedly removed from YouTube, but dozens of copies remain on the video-sharing site. One copy, which has been viewed nearly half a million times, was edited to add English subtitles, and some music. (Warning: the images in the video are graphic and may upset many viewers.)
As the [Reuters] explained, “Floggings carried out under Islamic law are almost a daily punishment in Sudan for crimes ranging from drinking alcohol to adultery. But vague laws on women’s dress and behavior are implemented inconsistently.”
DADT repeal's ripple effect
The end of "don't ask, don't tell" will likely spark challenges to other key policies.
Also: 
Hard adjustment to temp worklife
Forced to take temp jobs, workers worry about their insurance, 401(k)s, and resumés.
Also: BP's other drilling crisis
A nearly unreported leak in the Caspian Sea bears uncanny similarities to the Gulf oil spill.
Also: Flashy new bills full of errors
Critics blast the Philippines for bungling basic geography and even inventing a new species.
Also: Companies that fell in 2010
Iconic car brands, a grocery chain, and a video-store giant led the casualty list.
Also: Billions in Afghan aid lost
An inquiry finds that billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars may have been lost to fraud.
Also: Wall St. braces for no bonuses
Even after huge salary increases, many will be disappointed not to receive a bonus.
Also: When refinancing makes sense
More homeowners are looking to lock in historically low rates or shorten the loan term.
Also: How to wreck a credit score
Transferring your balance from a high-rate card to a low-rate one can be harmful.
Also: 
Top 30 Biggest And Best Comedy Movies Of 2011
We've all laughed so hard over the last 12 months, but could it turn out that 2011 is the funniest year, ever?
Let's see if that's possible.
Here are the biggest and best comedy movies of 2011.
"Yarn Bombing"
Photo via picocool
A new form of street art has been gaining popularity throughout the US -- and, while it may not be taking the world by storm just yet, it's certainly helping to keep things cozy just in case. Quite often, graffiti is cited as making neighborhoods seem rundown or unwelcoming, but it seems that some vigilante artisans have been putting down the spray-paint and picking up a needle and thread. "Yarn bombing" -- as its been dubbed -- isn't just about unbridled self-expression; it's about bringing a little warmth to a cold urban cityscape.Article continues: "Yarn Bombing" Graffiti Cozies Up Cold Cityscapes
What not to do in five big cities
When in Los Angeles, pass up Venice Beach and maps of stars' homes.
Also: 
Culinary DeLites
A Christmas rib roast with fruit and onions is a hearty alternative to ham or turkey.
Also: Food Safety Bill passes Senate
Not a bad surprise after years of failure in Washington on the issue of food safety.
ABC News:
ABC News:
In an unexpected move, the Senate today passed a sweeping food safety bill by unanimous consent, sending the bill back for a vote in the House before it will move on to President Obama’s desk.
“Very very important for our country,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said this evening on the Senate floor. “Perfect legislation? No. But a broad broad step in the right direction. We haven’t done anything in this regard for more than a hundred years for our country. With all the changes in processing food, it’s so very important. I’ve spoken to the Speaker tonight and this will pass the House when they come back Monday night or Tuesday.”
The surprising development is only the latest bizarre twist for the measure. Just a few days ago the food safety bill was seen as dead on Capitol Hill, but the Senate this weekend modified it to resolve a revenue technicality and managed to pass it.
Worst and Best
Can you live on Twinkies or baby food and watch the pounds melt away? Probably not.
Also: 
Resistance exercise breaks down muscle, so recharge with these protein-packed foods.
Also: 
Harmful chemical in tap water
Millions of Americans in 31 cities could be drinking tainted water, a study finds.
Also: Free Radicals Don't Cause Aging.
Dr. Siegfried Hekimi and his student Dr. Wen Yang, who are in the Montreal university's biology department, planned to test the so-called “free radical theory of aging” by genetically modifying wild worms in a lab to accelerate production of free radicals — toxic molecules generated as a byproduct of oxygen use.
Although the theory has long been held as conventional wisdom by some, Hekimi said he “stands the theory on its head” by showing in his experiment that increasing free radical production did not necessarily speed up aging.
The production of mitochondrial free radicals may actually protect organisms from the damage of cells associated with aging, he said.
“It also suggests that free radical generation and aging are correlated because free radical generation is a positive reaction. It’s an attempt to turn on stress responses to fight the damage that accumulates during aging.”
He suggested that taking antioxidants such as vitamin C, meanwhile, may actually be “misguided.” As far as it goes for attempting to prolong life, they may not be the answer. Such vitamins could actually be a factor of resistance as they soak up free radicals like a sponge.
So antioxidant food products and supplements are just bullshit marketing, and may actually accelerate the aging process? Who'd have ever guessed that?
Although the theory has long been held as conventional wisdom by some, Hekimi said he “stands the theory on its head” by showing in his experiment that increasing free radical production did not necessarily speed up aging.
The production of mitochondrial free radicals may actually protect organisms from the damage of cells associated with aging, he said.
“It also suggests that free radical generation and aging are correlated because free radical generation is a positive reaction. It’s an attempt to turn on stress responses to fight the damage that accumulates during aging.”
He suggested that taking antioxidants such as vitamin C, meanwhile, may actually be “misguided.” As far as it goes for attempting to prolong life, they may not be the answer. Such vitamins could actually be a factor of resistance as they soak up free radicals like a sponge.
So antioxidant food products and supplements are just bullshit marketing, and may actually accelerate the aging process? Who'd have ever guessed that?
Surprising facts about colds
Orange juice and echinacea are both touted as ways to stay healthy.
Also: Periodic Table Gets A Makeover
Remember memorizing the periodic table in high school? Well, forget it. Some information on the table is about to be reset. The world's top chemists and physicists have determined that the atomic weights of 10 elements need to be expressed as an interval rather than a static number, Science Daily reports.
The new atomic weights of hydrogen, lithium, boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, silicon, sulfur, chlorine and thallium will more accurately reflect how those elements occur in nature.
Amazing Automatons: Ancient Robots & Victorian Androids
Dark Roasted Blend does a roundup of wonderful, ingenious automata of ages past -- the early clockwork robots that boggled crowds with their ticktock liveliness: "As watch making developed in the Age of Enlightenment in the eighteenth century, so did the art of creating mechanical people and animals. Jacques Vaucason created numerous working figures, including a flute player, which actually played the instrument, in 1738, plus this duck from 1739. The gilded copper bird could sit, stand, splash around in water, quack and even give the impression of eating food and digesting it:"
The Hermitage Of San Colombano
As you drive over the Passo Pian delle Fugazze in Italy, between Vivenza and Rovereto for the first time, you are due for something of a surprise. The Leno valley of the Trento province is home to the Hermitage of San Colombano.
You would expect a hermitage to be somewhat off the beaten track but this takes isolation to a new height - literally.
Ten Of The Worst Natural Disasters Ever
A natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard (e.g., flood, tornado, hurricane, volcanic eruption, earthquake, or landslide) that affects the environment, and leads to financial, environmental and human losses. The resulting loss depends on the capacity of the population to support or resist the disaster, and their resilience.
This understanding is concentrated in the formulation: 'disasters occur when hazards meet vulnerability.' The term natural has consequently been disputed because the events simply are not hazards or disasters without human involvement.
Colorful Geyser
This geothermal geyser is somewhere near Gerlach, Nevada. The colors are due to different mineral deposits as well as algae growing on it. Read about how this strange formation came about at Kuriositas. Link
They look as if they were taken on another planet, or at least on the set of a new and very expensive science fiction movie. Yet these pictures are of the Fly Geyser which is very much of planet earth even though - and herein lies the surprise - it is effectively man made.
What Can This 300 Year Old French Fortress Tell Us About Green Architecture?
Photo: GIPE under a Creative Commons license.
These days it seems that every new building is being billed as green: LEED certifications and new technologies that limit the environmental impact of lighting, water use, heating and air conditioning abound. But on a trip last weekend to Besançon, in eastern France, I visited a building that isn't LEED certified or equipped with any fancy technology, but that nonetheless showcases important principles of green architecture. The building: the Citadel of Besançon. The architect: Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban. The client: King Louis XIV of France.Article continues: What Can This 300 Year Old French Fortress Tell Us About Green Architecture?
Erosion Eating Up South Carolina Beaches
Photo: Jack Duval
Folly Beach, a South Carolina Beach just outside of Charleston, needs another re-nourishment project just five years after the last one, according to a recent article in The State.Article continues: Erosion Eating Up South Carolina Beaches
Iran's Lake Urmia Is Drying Up Fast
Salt crystals in Lake Urmia.
Photo: Ehsan Mahdiyan / Creative Commons.
About 100 years ago, my grandfather emigrated to the United States from a village near Lake Urmia, in what is now northwestern Iran. He died long before I was born, leaving me with little connection to my ancestors in the region, but a strong desire to someday visit the place -- tantalizing close to Turkey, where I now live, though difficult to reach due to visa restrictions -- where they apparently once tended vineyards. If I don't manage to get there soon, though, there may not be much left to see of the lake itself.Article continues: Iran's Lake Urmia Is Drying Up Fast
The Most Heroic Animals of 2010
The Daily Beast collected stories of animal heroism from the past year that might make you a bit teary-eyed. The story of Angel the golden retriever is an example.Eleven-year-old Austin Foreman was gathering firewood near his home in Boston Bar, British Columbia, when he came face to face with a cougar. When the wild cat lunged at him, his Golden Retriever, Angel, stepped in. She put herself between Austin and the cougar, giving him time to escape to the house. The cougar viciously attacked Angel, carrying her around by the neck while Austin’s mother called 911. Police arrived just in time to shoot the cougar, and after a few moments of suspense, Angel coughed back to life. She had several puncture wounds and a punctured sinus cavity, but she made a full recovery.See a video report about Angel and read about the other heroic animals in a slide show.
Ohio zoo names snake Hanna, after celebrity zookeeper
An Ohio zoo has settled on a familiar name for its new snake that has replaced her record-breaking mother.
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium says its new reticulated python will be called Hanna - which happens to be the last name of the zoo's celebrity zookeeper, Jack Hanna.Hanna the snake was acquired last month from the same private breeder ...
Giant Yummy Eggs Killed Off the Elephant Bird
Photo: De Agostini Picture Library/BBC
Sir David Attenborough explains:
Recent archaeological evidence has revealed the fragments of elephant bird egg shells among the remains of human fires, suggesting that the eggs, which are 180 times bigger than a chicken egg, regularly provided food for entire families.
Sir David says: "I doubt it was hunted to extinction – anyone who has seen an ostrich in a zoo knows that it has a kick which can open a man’s stomach and an enraged elephant bird, many times the size of an ostrich, must have been a truly formidable opponent.
"I suspect it was its egg. They may not have been able to tackle an adult bird, but they could have taken its eggs which would have been a huge source of food.
"Even if the bird itself was held in awe or fear by the people here, it’s unlikely the eggs were – and that would have meant the gradual disappearance of this unique giant."
Dog gives birth to 17 puppies
A dog in Germany has given birth to 17 puppies, leaving their owner thrilled but fatigued after having to feed them with a bottle for several weeks because their mother couldn't cope with the demand.
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