MERS Alert
Saudi Arabia has advised its citizens to wear gloves and face masks when around camels to keep from becoming infected with the deadly MERS virus. Also known as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, MERS has killed at least 157 people in Saudi Arabia alone since it was detected in 2012. But passengers traveling to Europe, asia and the United States have spread the disease to several other areas of the world. The number of new cases has soared over the past six weeks, especially in Saudi Arabia. Camels are believed to be the main source of infection. The animals are widely used for transportation, ritual sacrifice and racing in the Middle East, with some being kept as pets.
Rock Snot
A new and unsightly phenomenon known as "rock snot", which has appeared in some of the world's rivers during the past decade, is not an invasive species, but rather a native organism responding to a changing environment, researchers say. Previously rare blooms of Didymosphenia geminate are the culprits. The evolved forms of the algae have now been found in rivers of the United States, Canada, Europe and New Zealand. Researcher Brad Taylor of Dartmouth College says earlier spring melt, run off of nitrogen from agriculture and even the burning of fossil fuels could be responsible for the recent appearances. There is evidence that the long filaments of the algae blooms are promoting the growth of a worm that hosts a parasite responsible for "whirling disease" in salmon and trout. When the parasite penetrates the heads and spines of the fish, it causes them to swim erratically, or whirl. The affliction makes it hard for the fish to feed or avoid predators.
Antarctic Melt
A sudden and unexpected undermining of vast glaciers in western Antarctica is set to reshape the world's coastlines for centuries, researchers warn. The bases of six of the glaciers are reported to be melting away due to the warming of the Southern Ocean, which surronds the continent. A NASA report says "a large sector of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet has gone into a state of irreversible retreat." The glaciers involved have the potential to elevate sea level by 4 feet, but that was not factored into the recent U.N. climate change report. It predicted sea level was likely to rise between 10 and 32 inches by the end of this century.
Cyclone Shifts
People living in population centers far north and south of the equator are coming under greater threat of powerful tropical cyclones due to a shift in where the strongest such storms can strike. Researchers have found that the location of where hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons reach their maximum intensity has shifted toward the poles at a rate of about 35 miles per decade during the past 30 years. Writing in the journal Nature, NOAA scientists say that the greatest poleward shift is found in the North and South Pacific, as well as in the southern Indian Ocean. There is no evidence of such a shift for hurricanes in the Atlantic basin.
Earthquakes
A mild earthquake killed one person and left 70 others injured in southern Pakistan on May 9.
* Earth movements were also felt in western India, southwestern New Zealand, Panama, southwestern Mexico, Alaska's Cook Inlet and along the Yukon-Alaska panhandle border.
Alaskan Rumblings
Alaska's Shishaldin volcano began producing long seismic tremors that geologists say could be signs of an impending eruption. Shishaldin is located on Unimak Island in the Aleutians and is unique among volcanoes. Rather than containing a lava dome or crater, the volcano has a deep, open vent. When the volcano erupts, "gas bubbles come up through the throat or the vent of the volcano. And when they pop, it just kind of throws magma up into the air," Alaska Volcano Observatory geologist Robert McGimsey told Alaska Public Radio. The mountain is the most symmetrical and conical volcano in the world because its lava glides down the flanks, leaving a smooth layer.
In the Pink
Researchers attempting to tag wild flamingos in South Florida came across the largest flock of the birds ever observed in the state's history. While the 147 pink birds counted in far western Palm Beach County may not seem like a large flock to some, the number startled the researchers. "Since the late 1800s, we have had very small numbers show up in South Florida," said Zoo Miami's Frank Ridgley. He and colleagues from the Tropical Audubon Society were attempting to tag some of the birds when a large helicopter flew overhead. "It scared them all up into the air and we were afraid they were going to fly off, and it turned out to be Donald Trump's helicopter," said Ridgley. The species breeds in the Bahamas, Cuba, Mexico and Ecuador, but the researchers said they didn't know exactly from where members of the large flock came.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Weird News
Loafin' around in his undies
New York ---------- A man stole a New York City bread truck and began delivering loaves of savory baked goods to random businesses, the bakery's owner said.
David Bastar hopped into the Grimaldi's Home of Bread truck on Manhattan's Upper East Side while the real driver was making a delivery at a pizzeria, according to police.
Reportedly wearing only his underwear, Bastar then allegedly began dropping off baguettes, whole-wheat rolls and sourdough bread ------- but not to the bakery's customers, said Joe Grimaldi, the owner of the baker in the Ridgewood neighborhood of Queens.
Grimaldi said about $5,000 in bread was taken. The bakery later was able to accommodate all its customers.
Bastar, who was taken to a hospital for evaluation, was charged with criminal possession of stolen goods and driving without a license.
Very honest man on bake ride
Springfield, Mass. -------------- Massachusetts police say a Springfield man blew through a stop sign and also blew a cloud of marijuana smoke when he was pulled over.
An officer enforcing seat belt laws as part of the annual "Click It or Ticket" campaign saw a vehicle drive through a stop sign. When the driver stopped and rolled down the window, police say, the officer was "covered in a plume of smoke."
Sgt. John Delaney says the officer asked : "Are you smoking marijuana while operating this motor vehicle?"
The driver allegedly responded : "Why, yes I am, officer."
The 30-year-old driver was scheduled for arraignment on charges of operating under the influence of drugs, failure to obey a stop sign and failure to wear a seat belt.
He's having a bad hair day
Bremerton, Wash. ----------- A 24-year-old Bremerton man told a Washington State Trooper he was not wearing pants because he had recently received a body wax.
After the "manzilian" or Brazilian hair removal for men, he said his jeans irritated his skin so he was driving in his underwear.
The Kitsap Sun reports a witness saw the man exposing himself. He was arrested on suspicion of indecent exposure.
Brain freeze when counting change?
Rock Hill, S.C. --------------- Authorities in South Carolina say a man who was not in good humor smacked an ice-cream truck driver with a fudge bar in a dispute over correct change after his daughter bought the frozen confection.
The ice cream vendor told Rock Hill, South Carolina, police the man accused her of not giving his daughter correct change after a purchase. That's when the fudge bar was allegedly employed as a weapon.
The driver gave officers a description of the man and the white truck he used for a getaway vehicle. The police report did not say whether he took the fudge bar with him.
New York ---------- A man stole a New York City bread truck and began delivering loaves of savory baked goods to random businesses, the bakery's owner said.
David Bastar hopped into the Grimaldi's Home of Bread truck on Manhattan's Upper East Side while the real driver was making a delivery at a pizzeria, according to police.
Reportedly wearing only his underwear, Bastar then allegedly began dropping off baguettes, whole-wheat rolls and sourdough bread ------- but not to the bakery's customers, said Joe Grimaldi, the owner of the baker in the Ridgewood neighborhood of Queens.
Grimaldi said about $5,000 in bread was taken. The bakery later was able to accommodate all its customers.
Bastar, who was taken to a hospital for evaluation, was charged with criminal possession of stolen goods and driving without a license.
Very honest man on bake ride
Springfield, Mass. -------------- Massachusetts police say a Springfield man blew through a stop sign and also blew a cloud of marijuana smoke when he was pulled over.
An officer enforcing seat belt laws as part of the annual "Click It or Ticket" campaign saw a vehicle drive through a stop sign. When the driver stopped and rolled down the window, police say, the officer was "covered in a plume of smoke."
Sgt. John Delaney says the officer asked : "Are you smoking marijuana while operating this motor vehicle?"
The driver allegedly responded : "Why, yes I am, officer."
The 30-year-old driver was scheduled for arraignment on charges of operating under the influence of drugs, failure to obey a stop sign and failure to wear a seat belt.
He's having a bad hair day
Bremerton, Wash. ----------- A 24-year-old Bremerton man told a Washington State Trooper he was not wearing pants because he had recently received a body wax.
After the "manzilian" or Brazilian hair removal for men, he said his jeans irritated his skin so he was driving in his underwear.
The Kitsap Sun reports a witness saw the man exposing himself. He was arrested on suspicion of indecent exposure.
Brain freeze when counting change?
Rock Hill, S.C. --------------- Authorities in South Carolina say a man who was not in good humor smacked an ice-cream truck driver with a fudge bar in a dispute over correct change after his daughter bought the frozen confection.
The ice cream vendor told Rock Hill, South Carolina, police the man accused her of not giving his daughter correct change after a purchase. That's when the fudge bar was allegedly employed as a weapon.
The driver gave officers a description of the man and the white truck he used for a getaway vehicle. The police report did not say whether he took the fudge bar with him.
F. Y. I.
Quotable
by Kurt Vonnegut, American writer (1922-2007)
"There is love enough in this world for everybody, if people will just look."
First Up
The very first TV commercial, for Bulova watches, aired in the middle of a baseball game between the Dodgers and Phillies in 1941 and cost $9.
Family Ties
Many of the pygmy hippos in U.S. zoos are descendants of the one tire mogul Harvey Firestone gave to President Calvin Coolidge in 1927.
Name Change
The popular game bingo was originally called Beano because players used beans to cover the numbered squares.
Celebrate This
On May 20th, is Pick Strawberries Day!
Film Fever
India's Bollywood industry is the largest in the world, producing more than 800 movies a year.
by Kurt Vonnegut, American writer (1922-2007)
"There is love enough in this world for everybody, if people will just look."
First Up
The very first TV commercial, for Bulova watches, aired in the middle of a baseball game between the Dodgers and Phillies in 1941 and cost $9.
Family Ties
Many of the pygmy hippos in U.S. zoos are descendants of the one tire mogul Harvey Firestone gave to President Calvin Coolidge in 1927.
Name Change
The popular game bingo was originally called Beano because players used beans to cover the numbered squares.
Celebrate This
On May 20th, is Pick Strawberries Day!
Film Fever
India's Bollywood industry is the largest in the world, producing more than 800 movies a year.
F. Y. I.
Quotable
by Audrey Hepburn, actor and humanitarian (1929-1993)
"Success is like reaching an important birthday and finding you're exactly the same."
Tight Squeeze
Since octopi have no bones, their bodies are so flexible, they can squeeze through openings not much bigger than their eyeballs.
Celebrate This
On May 27th, is Tiara Day.
Before Fame
Simon Cowell worked as a runner on Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining."
Still on the Books
In LeFors, Texas, it is illegal to take more than three swallows of beer while standing.
Word Origins
The popular dice game known as Yahtzee was created by a Canadian couple who played it aboard their yacht.
by Audrey Hepburn, actor and humanitarian (1929-1993)
"Success is like reaching an important birthday and finding you're exactly the same."
Tight Squeeze
Since octopi have no bones, their bodies are so flexible, they can squeeze through openings not much bigger than their eyeballs.
Celebrate This
On May 27th, is Tiara Day.
Before Fame
Simon Cowell worked as a runner on Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining."
Still on the Books
In LeFors, Texas, it is illegal to take more than three swallows of beer while standing.
Word Origins
The popular dice game known as Yahtzee was created by a Canadian couple who played it aboard their yacht.
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Earthweek: A Diary of the Planet (May 9, 2014)
A Powerful Warming
Weather agencies around the world are predicting that the El Nino ocean-warming in the tropical Pacific is likely to return within the next few months. Some say the weather-altering phenomenon could arrive as early as July and warn that nations typically affected by its weather shifts should prepare for an unusually strong outbreak. El Nino typically begins when ocean water spreads eastward from Indonesia and rises to the surface. El Nino robs rain from Australia and Indonesia then dumps it on parts of the Pacific coast of North and South America. This often brings drought to Australasia and floods to Peru and California. El Nino could also weaken storms in the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season.
Rising Magma
Washington state's Mount St. Helens volcano is showing signs that magma is rising deep inside, but geologists say that an eruption is not likely anytime soon. The volcano exploded on May 18, 1980, killing 57 people, Seismologist Seth Moran at the Cascades Volcano Observatory told CBS News that the Volcano could accumulate pressure inside for a long time before it starts to erupt. "The reassuring thing is, when it's really ready to erupt, it gives lots and lots of signs."
Earthquakes
A sharp quake centered about 60 miles south of Tokyo injured 17 people, mainly due to the victims stumbling while trying to take cover.
* A strong temblor centered in far northern Thailand cracked roads and buildings across a wide area.
* Earth movements were also felt in Tonga and Fiji, central New Zealand, northwestern Sumatra, Los Angeles and central Oklahoma.
Relative Temperaments
Scientists say that chimpanzees have nearly the same personality traits as humans, revealing just how akin we are to our closet relatives in the animal kingdom. The similarity seems to result from the two species comparable neurobiology. Researchers from Georgia State University found that the most fundamental personslity traits in chimps, like humans, vary according to whether the animal is a generally dominant "Alpha" or a more playful and sociable "Beta". They also identified five personality factors that combine differently in each of the 174 individual chimpanzees studied. Those include conscientiousness, dominance, extroversion, agreeableness and intellect. This mirrors the five-factor model of the human personality but the specific factors are a bit different in chimps.
Solar Strokes
More people suffer strokes following solar storms directed at Earth than when the planet's geomagnnetic field is relatively calm, but scientists say they don't know why. Researchers in New Zealand found that of the more than 11,000 stroke suffers studied in Europe, Australia and New Zealand between 1981 and 2004, the sudden disruption of blood flow in the brain was almost 20percent more likely to happen on days with geomagnetic storms. Medical researcher Valery L. Feign and her colleagues found that while most strokes occur around the age of 70, the connection to geomagnetic storms was greater for people under 65. "What we were particularly surprised with was the size and consistency of the effect of geomagnetic storms on the risk of stroke occurrence, suggesting that geomagnetic storms are significant risk factors for stroke," Feigin told Reuters.
Bargain's End
The discount prices for lobster feasts at restaurants across North America could be coming to an end due to a sharp drop in the seafood's numbers off the New England coast. Maine's Department of Marine Resources says the population of baby lobsters appears to have plunged y nearly 50 percent from 2007 levels. While there has been no conclusive explanation for the crustacean crash, scientists think warmer ocean temperatures, pollution and climate change could all be to blame. It takes about eight years for lobsters to grow to legal catching size. That means despite the record catches over the past two years, the lobster boom could soon be a thing of the past. The plunge could return the delicacy to being the luxury item it once was.
Fish Rain
A rare atmospheric phenomenon brought villagers in western Sri Lanka a bounty of small fish, which rained from the heavens still alive. The BBC reports that people in the district of Chilaw say they heard the sound of something heavy falling on May 5 and went outside to find that more than 100 pounds of fish had been deposited. Some ate the free food right away while others kept the prized commodity in water for a later meal. Meteorologists have determined that such "fish rain" is due to a waterspout, or a tornado moving over a body of water, sucking up the fish and sometimes carrying them for quite a distance. Prawns, eels and even frogs have also been observed falling from the sky due to such a phenomenon.
Weather agencies around the world are predicting that the El Nino ocean-warming in the tropical Pacific is likely to return within the next few months. Some say the weather-altering phenomenon could arrive as early as July and warn that nations typically affected by its weather shifts should prepare for an unusually strong outbreak. El Nino typically begins when ocean water spreads eastward from Indonesia and rises to the surface. El Nino robs rain from Australia and Indonesia then dumps it on parts of the Pacific coast of North and South America. This often brings drought to Australasia and floods to Peru and California. El Nino could also weaken storms in the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season.
Rising Magma
Washington state's Mount St. Helens volcano is showing signs that magma is rising deep inside, but geologists say that an eruption is not likely anytime soon. The volcano exploded on May 18, 1980, killing 57 people, Seismologist Seth Moran at the Cascades Volcano Observatory told CBS News that the Volcano could accumulate pressure inside for a long time before it starts to erupt. "The reassuring thing is, when it's really ready to erupt, it gives lots and lots of signs."
Earthquakes
A sharp quake centered about 60 miles south of Tokyo injured 17 people, mainly due to the victims stumbling while trying to take cover.
* A strong temblor centered in far northern Thailand cracked roads and buildings across a wide area.
* Earth movements were also felt in Tonga and Fiji, central New Zealand, northwestern Sumatra, Los Angeles and central Oklahoma.
Relative Temperaments
Scientists say that chimpanzees have nearly the same personality traits as humans, revealing just how akin we are to our closet relatives in the animal kingdom. The similarity seems to result from the two species comparable neurobiology. Researchers from Georgia State University found that the most fundamental personslity traits in chimps, like humans, vary according to whether the animal is a generally dominant "Alpha" or a more playful and sociable "Beta". They also identified five personality factors that combine differently in each of the 174 individual chimpanzees studied. Those include conscientiousness, dominance, extroversion, agreeableness and intellect. This mirrors the five-factor model of the human personality but the specific factors are a bit different in chimps.
Solar Strokes
More people suffer strokes following solar storms directed at Earth than when the planet's geomagnnetic field is relatively calm, but scientists say they don't know why. Researchers in New Zealand found that of the more than 11,000 stroke suffers studied in Europe, Australia and New Zealand between 1981 and 2004, the sudden disruption of blood flow in the brain was almost 20percent more likely to happen on days with geomagnetic storms. Medical researcher Valery L. Feign and her colleagues found that while most strokes occur around the age of 70, the connection to geomagnetic storms was greater for people under 65. "What we were particularly surprised with was the size and consistency of the effect of geomagnetic storms on the risk of stroke occurrence, suggesting that geomagnetic storms are significant risk factors for stroke," Feigin told Reuters.
Bargain's End
The discount prices for lobster feasts at restaurants across North America could be coming to an end due to a sharp drop in the seafood's numbers off the New England coast. Maine's Department of Marine Resources says the population of baby lobsters appears to have plunged y nearly 50 percent from 2007 levels. While there has been no conclusive explanation for the crustacean crash, scientists think warmer ocean temperatures, pollution and climate change could all be to blame. It takes about eight years for lobsters to grow to legal catching size. That means despite the record catches over the past two years, the lobster boom could soon be a thing of the past. The plunge could return the delicacy to being the luxury item it once was.
Fish Rain
A rare atmospheric phenomenon brought villagers in western Sri Lanka a bounty of small fish, which rained from the heavens still alive. The BBC reports that people in the district of Chilaw say they heard the sound of something heavy falling on May 5 and went outside to find that more than 100 pounds of fish had been deposited. Some ate the free food right away while others kept the prized commodity in water for a later meal. Meteorologists have determined that such "fish rain" is due to a waterspout, or a tornado moving over a body of water, sucking up the fish and sometimes carrying them for quite a distance. Prawns, eels and even frogs have also been observed falling from the sky due to such a phenomenon.
F. Y. I.
Top Viewing
More people watched Elvis Presley's 1973 concert "Aloha from Hawaii" than the landing on the moon.
Still on the Books
In Kansas, rabbits may not be shot from motorboats.
Quotable
by Jack Canfield, American speaker and author
"Everything you want is on the other side of fear."
Tail to Tell
The lion is the only member of the cat family with a tasseled tail, which is used to signal to other members of the pride.
Word Wonders
The cubicle got its name not from its shape but from the Latin word cubiculum, meaning "bed chamber".
Finding Fame
Children's poet and illustrator Shel Silverstein first came to prominence drawing cartoons for Playboy.
More people watched Elvis Presley's 1973 concert "Aloha from Hawaii" than the landing on the moon.
Still on the Books
In Kansas, rabbits may not be shot from motorboats.
Quotable
by Jack Canfield, American speaker and author
"Everything you want is on the other side of fear."
Tail to Tell
The lion is the only member of the cat family with a tasseled tail, which is used to signal to other members of the pride.
Word Wonders
The cubicle got its name not from its shape but from the Latin word cubiculum, meaning "bed chamber".
Finding Fame
Children's poet and illustrator Shel Silverstein first came to prominence drawing cartoons for Playboy.
Kennections
All five correct answers have something in common.
Can you figure what it is ?
1. What was the title character's last name in the Rocky movies?
2. Which book of the Bible is the shortest of the four Gospels?
3. Ron Paul insists that this name, which he gave to his second son, was not a tribute to a favorite libertarian novelist.
4. The soccer teams of Madrid and Salt Lake City both go by what nickname?
5. According to the old kitchen maxim, a pint is equivalent to what unit of measure "the world around"?
Bonus : What's the "Kennection" between all five answers?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Answers : 1. Balboa
2. Mark
3. Rand
4. Real
5. Pound
Bonus : All are names of currencies
Can you figure what it is ?
1. What was the title character's last name in the Rocky movies?
2. Which book of the Bible is the shortest of the four Gospels?
3. Ron Paul insists that this name, which he gave to his second son, was not a tribute to a favorite libertarian novelist.
4. The soccer teams of Madrid and Salt Lake City both go by what nickname?
5. According to the old kitchen maxim, a pint is equivalent to what unit of measure "the world around"?
Bonus : What's the "Kennection" between all five answers?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. Balboa
2. Mark
3. Rand
4. Real
5. Pound
Bonus : All are names of currencies
Weird News
Asparagus festival, hold the asparagus
Empire, Mich. ----------- The missing ingredient at this weekend's Empire Asparagus Festival is asparagus.
The long, cold winter and cool spring have delayed this year's crop in Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula, leaving festival organizers scrambling for a replacement source. The Traverse City Record-Eagle said the festival's usual supplier is Harry Norconk, but that Norconk Farm doesn't have an asparagus crop yet.
Norconk said sufficient asparagus won't be available before Tuesday. He said he's sold as much as 500 pounds of asparagus at earlier festivals. This year, restaurant owners will source asparagus supplies from southern Michigan to meet the demand.
The sun never sets on a .......... oh, wait, it does
London ------------ A London skyscraper that drew ire for having a glare so strong that it melted nearby cars and shops will get a permanent fix.
The offending tower --------- known as the Walkie-Talkie for its curved, bulging shape -------is to have asunshade attached to its south-facing facade to stop the concave surface from reflecting sunlight and beaming concentrated rays to a nearby street, developers said Thursday.
The 37-story building made headlines in September when a Jaguar owner who parked his car at its foot complained that the solar glare melted part of the vehicle. Local shopkeepers also said the beams blistered paintwork and burned a hole in a floor mat during the hottest parts of the day.
A fish in troubled waters
North Royalton, Ohio ---------- A northern Ohio teenager is reeling in attention for a big catch after he spotted a 3-foot carp swimming in receding floodwaters on his street and scooped it into his arms as his mother caught the scene on video.
North Royalton resident Jake Sawyer, 16, waded through more than ankle-deepwater as he stalked the big fish in the dark earlier this week and eventually trapped it. First he tried to throw a towel over it to stun it. He said when that didn't work, he tried to push it toward a curb.
Sawyer said heavy rains that day had caused flash flooding as high as his mailbox, and he suspects the large grass carp slipped out of a nearby pond as the water rose. He said he wanted to ensure the fish didn't become trapped and die in the street, so he carried it back to the pond. He estimates it weighted 40 pounds.
Empire, Mich. ----------- The missing ingredient at this weekend's Empire Asparagus Festival is asparagus.
The long, cold winter and cool spring have delayed this year's crop in Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula, leaving festival organizers scrambling for a replacement source. The Traverse City Record-Eagle said the festival's usual supplier is Harry Norconk, but that Norconk Farm doesn't have an asparagus crop yet.
Norconk said sufficient asparagus won't be available before Tuesday. He said he's sold as much as 500 pounds of asparagus at earlier festivals. This year, restaurant owners will source asparagus supplies from southern Michigan to meet the demand.
The sun never sets on a .......... oh, wait, it does
London ------------ A London skyscraper that drew ire for having a glare so strong that it melted nearby cars and shops will get a permanent fix.
The offending tower --------- known as the Walkie-Talkie for its curved, bulging shape -------is to have asunshade attached to its south-facing facade to stop the concave surface from reflecting sunlight and beaming concentrated rays to a nearby street, developers said Thursday.
The 37-story building made headlines in September when a Jaguar owner who parked his car at its foot complained that the solar glare melted part of the vehicle. Local shopkeepers also said the beams blistered paintwork and burned a hole in a floor mat during the hottest parts of the day.
A fish in troubled waters
North Royalton, Ohio ---------- A northern Ohio teenager is reeling in attention for a big catch after he spotted a 3-foot carp swimming in receding floodwaters on his street and scooped it into his arms as his mother caught the scene on video.
North Royalton resident Jake Sawyer, 16, waded through more than ankle-deepwater as he stalked the big fish in the dark earlier this week and eventually trapped it. First he tried to throw a towel over it to stun it. He said when that didn't work, he tried to push it toward a curb.
Sawyer said heavy rains that day had caused flash flooding as high as his mailbox, and he suspects the large grass carp slipped out of a nearby pond as the water rose. He said he wanted to ensure the fish didn't become trapped and die in the street, so he carried it back to the pond. He estimates it weighted 40 pounds.
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Is Heaven for Real ?
The movie "Heaven Is for Real," based on The New York Times best-seller of the same name, made an impressive debut recently. The film recounts the near-death experience (NDE) of then 4-year-old Colton Burpo as told by his father, a Nebraska pastor. While already grossing more than double its $12 million budget, the movie is generating substantial debate about the reality of such experiences and the nature of heaven. Following closely on the heels of "Son of God," "God Is Not Dead," and "Noah," "Heaven is for Real" is the fourth major faith-based or Bible-inspired movie released in 2014.
The images of heaven supplied by NDEs have fascinated many Americans since the publication of two books in 1975. "Life After Life: The Investigation of a Phenomenon ----- Survival of Bodily Death" and "Beyond Death's Door," by Raymond Moody and Maurice Rawlings, respectively, featured dozens of accounts of these experiences. Moody and Rawlings were physicans at the time.
Soon thereafter, blockbuster narratives appeared. Betty Maltz's 1977 book, "My Glimpse of Eternity," and Richard Eby's 1978 book, "Caught Up into Paradise," set the pattern, but the most dramatic and controversial account of a NDE in the last quarter of the 20th century was in 1992 with Native American Betty J. Eadie's "Embraced by the Light." During the time she was clinically dead, she met "Christ, the Creator and Savior of the Earth," and felt "unconditional love."
Christians debate the validity and value of these NDE accounts, including the one described in "Heaven Is for Real." Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, who produced HBO's "The Bible and Son of God" series, laud the film. Bishop T.D. Jakes, the pastor of The Potter's House, a Dallas negachurch, who helped produce the movie, argues that it provides inspiration and hope. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, insists that the film shows how the purity and innocence of a child enables him "to see what others do not see." He and others urge church members to see the movie, and the blogosphere abounds with praise for "Heaven Is for Real." The movie's supporters also emphasize that Colton supplies details about meeting family members in heaven who had died before he was born and he had not been told about.
Other Christian leaders, however, sharply criticize the movie. John MacArthur, a Baptist author, radio show host and pastor in Sun Valley, Calif., protests that the book and movie are "a hoax" that "has nothing to do with Christianity" or the Bible. Those who believe in the authority of the Bible, he adds, must conclude that "these modern testimonies ----- with their relentless self-focus and the relatively scant attention they pay to the glory of God ----- are simply untrue." MacArthur continues, saying, "They are either figments of the human imagination (dreams, hallucinations, false memories, fantasies, and in the worst cases, deliberate lies), or else they are products of demonic deception."
On the other hand, numerous investigators accentuate the positive benefits of NDEs. Moody, for example, claimed that every subject he interviewed "had a very deep and positive transformation." As a result of their experiences, Moody reported, people lost the fear of dying and lived lives dominated by love. They developed a "profound appreciation of life" and a deeper spirituality.
Many Christians appear to agree with philosopher Jerry Walls that "NDEs have given many people fresh reason to hope for life after death." Although these experiences are not an essential grounds for believing in the Christian doctrine of heaven, he argues, they do supply glimpses of "realities we know about from the revelation of Scripture and Christian tradition."
Burpo, Neal and Alexander have been interviewed on leading television talk shows, and "Newsweek" and "Christianity Today" have included features articles about the afterlife. The brisk sales of these books, the popularity of "Heaven Is for Real" and the tremendous interest in heaven teestify to the human desire to know both what the afterlife is like and to live beyond theis world.
For Christians, the teachings of the Bible and the resurrection of Jesus provide the primary reason for believing in heaven. Nevertheless, many Christians find firsthand accounts of journeys to heaven to be fascinating and reassuring. These experiences confirm scriptural teaching that they will be reunited with loved ones and have a more intimate relationship with God. Because of their belief in the afterlife and desire to go to heaven, many find NDEs both encouraging and comforting.
The images of heaven supplied by NDEs have fascinated many Americans since the publication of two books in 1975. "Life After Life: The Investigation of a Phenomenon ----- Survival of Bodily Death" and "Beyond Death's Door," by Raymond Moody and Maurice Rawlings, respectively, featured dozens of accounts of these experiences. Moody and Rawlings were physicans at the time.
Soon thereafter, blockbuster narratives appeared. Betty Maltz's 1977 book, "My Glimpse of Eternity," and Richard Eby's 1978 book, "Caught Up into Paradise," set the pattern, but the most dramatic and controversial account of a NDE in the last quarter of the 20th century was in 1992 with Native American Betty J. Eadie's "Embraced by the Light." During the time she was clinically dead, she met "Christ, the Creator and Savior of the Earth," and felt "unconditional love."
Christians debate the validity and value of these NDE accounts, including the one described in "Heaven Is for Real." Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, who produced HBO's "The Bible and Son of God" series, laud the film. Bishop T.D. Jakes, the pastor of The Potter's House, a Dallas negachurch, who helped produce the movie, argues that it provides inspiration and hope. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, insists that the film shows how the purity and innocence of a child enables him "to see what others do not see." He and others urge church members to see the movie, and the blogosphere abounds with praise for "Heaven Is for Real." The movie's supporters also emphasize that Colton supplies details about meeting family members in heaven who had died before he was born and he had not been told about.
Other Christian leaders, however, sharply criticize the movie. John MacArthur, a Baptist author, radio show host and pastor in Sun Valley, Calif., protests that the book and movie are "a hoax" that "has nothing to do with Christianity" or the Bible. Those who believe in the authority of the Bible, he adds, must conclude that "these modern testimonies ----- with their relentless self-focus and the relatively scant attention they pay to the glory of God ----- are simply untrue." MacArthur continues, saying, "They are either figments of the human imagination (dreams, hallucinations, false memories, fantasies, and in the worst cases, deliberate lies), or else they are products of demonic deception."
On the other hand, numerous investigators accentuate the positive benefits of NDEs. Moody, for example, claimed that every subject he interviewed "had a very deep and positive transformation." As a result of their experiences, Moody reported, people lost the fear of dying and lived lives dominated by love. They developed a "profound appreciation of life" and a deeper spirituality.
Many Christians appear to agree with philosopher Jerry Walls that "NDEs have given many people fresh reason to hope for life after death." Although these experiences are not an essential grounds for believing in the Christian doctrine of heaven, he argues, they do supply glimpses of "realities we know about from the revelation of Scripture and Christian tradition."
Burpo, Neal and Alexander have been interviewed on leading television talk shows, and "Newsweek" and "Christianity Today" have included features articles about the afterlife. The brisk sales of these books, the popularity of "Heaven Is for Real" and the tremendous interest in heaven teestify to the human desire to know both what the afterlife is like and to live beyond theis world.
For Christians, the teachings of the Bible and the resurrection of Jesus provide the primary reason for believing in heaven. Nevertheless, many Christians find firsthand accounts of journeys to heaven to be fascinating and reassuring. These experiences confirm scriptural teaching that they will be reunited with loved ones and have a more intimate relationship with God. Because of their belief in the afterlife and desire to go to heaven, many find NDEs both encouraging and comforting.
Pray for a Change
My family always said grace before dinner. We thanked God for the bounty my mother prepared, except for the Brussels spouts my little brother stuffed in his pockets and I tossed beneath my chair. When mom discovered the mess we'd made, it was truly time to bow our heads and say our prayers.
When I slept at grandma's house as a young child, I'd kneel beside the bed and recite prayers. Then I'd lie in bed and hear her whisper prayers in Italian. I swear I heard a hosanna choir.
We prayed in church, in hospitals for the sick, and at funerals for the deceased. I even remember kneeling and praying in front of the TV as a 10-year-old, hoping Bart Starr wouldn't quarterback sneak the Packers past the Cowboys in the final seconds of the NFL Championship. That prayer went unanswered. Who knew God favored Lombardi the Catholic over Landry the Methodist?
In each instance, prayer was appropriate, if not always answered, and no one felt excluded.
The same cannot be said of those negatively affected by the U.S. Supreme Court's 5-4 opinion Monday that allows local government officials to begin public meetings with a prayer. The case refers to local religious leaders in Greece, N.Y., who were invited to begin the town's monthly meetings with a prayer. Between 1999 and 2007, nearly all the clerics were Christian, and the town did nothing to encourage members of other faiths to give the prayer. That angered some non-Christians who attended meetings, and two women filed suit, contending the policy violated the First Amendment ban on establishment of religion.
The high court viewed it differently, ruling that sectarian invocations at public meetings aren't unconstitutional as long as attendees aren't forced to join in reciting the prayer or feel coerced to convert to a religion.
But how could those attending such meetings not feel marginalized? If all prayers were delivered by a Christian clergy member, how would Jews, Buddhists, Islamists, Hindus, Taoists or followers of other non-Christian religions feel. Or non-believers? It may not sound like such a big deal until it's not the prayer of your faith. If each town meeting were to begin with an Islamic prayer, or salaat, instead of a Christian one, you can bet sparks would-fly. Opinions would be different if the prayer was on the other foot.
I'm one who believes in God, and have wrung my hands as a young boy after mistakenly eating a hot dog on Friday during Lent. But is open prayer at a government meeting necessary? Can't we pray in the car on the way to the meeting or when we return home? That way, no one would feel offended or marginalized at the meeting, and we'd all enjoy a direct line to our deity.
Justice Elena Kagan, expressing the opinion for the dissenters, framed the issue perfectly.
"When the citizens of this country approach their government, they do so only as Americans, not as members of one faith or other," she wrote. "They should not confront government-sponsored worship that divides them along religious lines."
Open prayer has its place: before unpopular dinner vegetables are dumped on the floor; before bed; before the altar; before the infirm and the dead; and before a quarterback sneaks into the end zone and brings a 10-year-old to his knees.
But not before discussions about sidewalk easements and property taxes.
When I slept at grandma's house as a young child, I'd kneel beside the bed and recite prayers. Then I'd lie in bed and hear her whisper prayers in Italian. I swear I heard a hosanna choir.
We prayed in church, in hospitals for the sick, and at funerals for the deceased. I even remember kneeling and praying in front of the TV as a 10-year-old, hoping Bart Starr wouldn't quarterback sneak the Packers past the Cowboys in the final seconds of the NFL Championship. That prayer went unanswered. Who knew God favored Lombardi the Catholic over Landry the Methodist?
In each instance, prayer was appropriate, if not always answered, and no one felt excluded.
The same cannot be said of those negatively affected by the U.S. Supreme Court's 5-4 opinion Monday that allows local government officials to begin public meetings with a prayer. The case refers to local religious leaders in Greece, N.Y., who were invited to begin the town's monthly meetings with a prayer. Between 1999 and 2007, nearly all the clerics were Christian, and the town did nothing to encourage members of other faiths to give the prayer. That angered some non-Christians who attended meetings, and two women filed suit, contending the policy violated the First Amendment ban on establishment of religion.
The high court viewed it differently, ruling that sectarian invocations at public meetings aren't unconstitutional as long as attendees aren't forced to join in reciting the prayer or feel coerced to convert to a religion.
But how could those attending such meetings not feel marginalized? If all prayers were delivered by a Christian clergy member, how would Jews, Buddhists, Islamists, Hindus, Taoists or followers of other non-Christian religions feel. Or non-believers? It may not sound like such a big deal until it's not the prayer of your faith. If each town meeting were to begin with an Islamic prayer, or salaat, instead of a Christian one, you can bet sparks would-fly. Opinions would be different if the prayer was on the other foot.
I'm one who believes in God, and have wrung my hands as a young boy after mistakenly eating a hot dog on Friday during Lent. But is open prayer at a government meeting necessary? Can't we pray in the car on the way to the meeting or when we return home? That way, no one would feel offended or marginalized at the meeting, and we'd all enjoy a direct line to our deity.
Justice Elena Kagan, expressing the opinion for the dissenters, framed the issue perfectly.
"When the citizens of this country approach their government, they do so only as Americans, not as members of one faith or other," she wrote. "They should not confront government-sponsored worship that divides them along religious lines."
Open prayer has its place: before unpopular dinner vegetables are dumped on the floor; before bed; before the altar; before the infirm and the dead; and before a quarterback sneaks into the end zone and brings a 10-year-old to his knees.
But not before discussions about sidewalk easements and property taxes.
Saturday, May 10, 2014
To heal the world, God needs our help
On the island of St. Thomas, there is a mountain that dominates the beautiful landscape. One place that offers a breathtaking view of the land and the water is called "Lookout Point." There is a sign erected by a real estate company on the site that reads:
"View courtesy of Scott-Free Estates, with a little help from G-d"
That sign echoes a Jewish teaching on the song of thanksgiving that our ancestors sang after they crossed the Red Sea in safety,which was about the barrier that separated them from Egyptian slavery behind them and the freedom that was ahead of them.
In their relief and exuberance they proclaimed. "This is my G-d and I will glorify him........."
The ancient Jewish sages took the Hebrew word V'anveyhu (and I will glorify him),and broke it into two Hebrew words, Ani and V'hu (I and He). "I and He" is a great partnership. Man and G-d are joined together in a wide variety of sacred enterprises, and they are dependent upon each other.
An agricultural college in Iowa did a study on the production of 100 bushels of corn on one acre of land. The farmer contributed the labor and G-d provided a few things, as well:
Just as human beings depend on G-d, so too does G-d depend on human beings. "I and He." G-d can no more do without us than we can do without G-d.
Even the Passover story was interpreted by our sages in such a way that the miracle of the parting of the Red Sea was not a solo performance by the Almighty. The Israelites made their vital contribution. Our sages said, "The sea did not part for them until they entered the waters up to their nostrils." Without the faith and courage of the Israelites who ventured into the stormy sea, there would have been no miracle. "I and He."
Perhaps it may sound blasphemous or irreverent, but a mature understanding of G-d should include an awareness of how much G-d needs us. There is not a single challenge that we face ------ war, poverty, pollution, injustice ------- that G-d can remaove without our cooperation. There is no blessing we pray for ------ world peace, food, shelter for all, clean air and a just society ------- that G-d can bring without our cooperation.
G-d is the power who works in us and through us to enable us to achieve those things that our faith in him assures us are capable of coming into being. "I and He."
G-d helps the poor with the charity we give, he heals the sick with the skill and support we provide, he comforts the bereaved with words we speak, and he blesses our lives with the good deeds that we perform.
"We and G-d," wrote William James, "have business with each other and in that business our highest destiny is fulfilled."
As we contemplate the sacred meanings of Passover and Easter, may our prayers and rituals inspire us to strengthen the holy partnership that is "I and He."
May yours be a blessing.Rabbi Howard K. Cove is the spiritual leader of Congregation Kol Emet, Yardley. From a Faith Perspective is a weekly column written by members of Lower Bucks faith communities.
"View courtesy of Scott-Free Estates, with a little help from G-d"
That sign echoes a Jewish teaching on the song of thanksgiving that our ancestors sang after they crossed the Red Sea in safety,which was about the barrier that separated them from Egyptian slavery behind them and the freedom that was ahead of them.
In their relief and exuberance they proclaimed. "This is my G-d and I will glorify him........."
The ancient Jewish sages took the Hebrew word V'anveyhu (and I will glorify him),and broke it into two Hebrew words, Ani and V'hu (I and He). "I and He" is a great partnership. Man and G-d are joined together in a wide variety of sacred enterprises, and they are dependent upon each other.
An agricultural college in Iowa did a study on the production of 100 bushels of corn on one acre of land. The farmer contributed the labor and G-d provided a few things, as well:
- 4,000,000 pounds of water
- 6,800 pounds of oxygen
- 5,200 pounds of carbon
- 125 pounds of potassium
- 160 pounds of nitrogen
- 1,900 pounds of carbon dioxide
- 75 pounds of yellow sulphur
- 50 pounds of calcium
- 40 pounds of phosphorus
Just as human beings depend on G-d, so too does G-d depend on human beings. "I and He." G-d can no more do without us than we can do without G-d.
Even the Passover story was interpreted by our sages in such a way that the miracle of the parting of the Red Sea was not a solo performance by the Almighty. The Israelites made their vital contribution. Our sages said, "The sea did not part for them until they entered the waters up to their nostrils." Without the faith and courage of the Israelites who ventured into the stormy sea, there would have been no miracle. "I and He."
Perhaps it may sound blasphemous or irreverent, but a mature understanding of G-d should include an awareness of how much G-d needs us. There is not a single challenge that we face ------ war, poverty, pollution, injustice ------- that G-d can remaove without our cooperation. There is no blessing we pray for ------ world peace, food, shelter for all, clean air and a just society ------- that G-d can bring without our cooperation.
G-d is the power who works in us and through us to enable us to achieve those things that our faith in him assures us are capable of coming into being. "I and He."
G-d helps the poor with the charity we give, he heals the sick with the skill and support we provide, he comforts the bereaved with words we speak, and he blesses our lives with the good deeds that we perform.
"We and G-d," wrote William James, "have business with each other and in that business our highest destiny is fulfilled."
As we contemplate the sacred meanings of Passover and Easter, may our prayers and rituals inspire us to strengthen the holy partnership that is "I and He."
May yours be a blessing.Rabbi Howard K. Cove is the spiritual leader of Congregation Kol Emet, Yardley. From a Faith Perspective is a weekly column written by members of Lower Bucks faith communities.
Kennections
All five correct answers have something in common.
Can you figure out what it is ?
1. Which of Disney's Seven Dwarfs wears glasses?
2. Which of the Bluth brothers on TV's Arrested Development had his hand bitten off by a seal?
3. In what city would you find Progressive Field, where baseball's Indians play their home games?
4. What perfume, which made a record $10 million in its first year of sale in 1973, was named for the man who founded Revlon?
5. The 18th-century scholars Ephraim Chambers and Denis Diderot are best known for compiling what kind of reference work?
Bonus : What's the "Kennection" between all five answers?
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Answers : 1. Doc
2. Buster
3. Cleveland
4. Charlie
5. Encyclopedia
Bonus : All are fictional characters named "Brown"
Can you figure out what it is ?
1. Which of Disney's Seven Dwarfs wears glasses?
2. Which of the Bluth brothers on TV's Arrested Development had his hand bitten off by a seal?
3. In what city would you find Progressive Field, where baseball's Indians play their home games?
4. What perfume, which made a record $10 million in its first year of sale in 1973, was named for the man who founded Revlon?
5. The 18th-century scholars Ephraim Chambers and Denis Diderot are best known for compiling what kind of reference work?
Bonus : What's the "Kennection" between all five answers?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. Doc
2. Buster
3. Cleveland
4. Charlie
5. Encyclopedia
Bonus : All are fictional characters named "Brown"
Pop Quiz (Singer & Hit Song)
Match the Singer to the Hit Song
1. Robert Goulet A) Wheel of Fortune
2. Perry Como B) My Way
3. Eydie Gorme C) Little White Lies
4. Kay Starr D) On the Street Where You Live
5. Frank Sinatra E) If Ever I Would Leave You
6. Dick Haymes F) I Believe
7. Alice Faye G) If He Walked into My Life
8. Kate Smith H) Prisoner of Love
9. Vic Damone I) God Bless America
10. Frankie Laine J) You'll Never Know
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Answers : 1. E ; 2. H ; 3. G ; 4. A ; 5. B ; 6. C ; 7. J ; 8. I ; 9. D ; 10. F
1. Robert Goulet A) Wheel of Fortune
2. Perry Como B) My Way
3. Eydie Gorme C) Little White Lies
4. Kay Starr D) On the Street Where You Live
5. Frank Sinatra E) If Ever I Would Leave You
6. Dick Haymes F) I Believe
7. Alice Faye G) If He Walked into My Life
8. Kate Smith H) Prisoner of Love
9. Vic Damone I) God Bless America
10. Frankie Laine J) You'll Never Know
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Answers : 1. E ; 2. H ; 3. G ; 4. A ; 5. B ; 6. C ; 7. J ; 8. I ; 9. D ; 10. F
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Of pets and their people
In Italy, they make shoelaces out of dogs.
This little tidbit is shared by Father-in-law, 89, over breakfast at his house Friday.
I do not believe that, I tell him, as I pour my coffee. Just because you say it with authority doesn't make it so.
He shrugs, and closes the newspaper, which I'd mistakenly shared with him. In it, I'd shared with readers Dog's travails at the animal hospital.
What Father-in-law cannot believe is that his son and I took Dog to an emergency room veterinarian and forked over $429. Another $8 at the drugstore for Pepcid.
The antacid was prescribed for Dog, but I consider taking some as I explain to Father-in-law what about this particular dog is so special that she warrants our dipping deep into our checkbook.
"Crazy," he sayswhen I tell him Dog is like family. More likeable than some other family members, too.
Dog never would be allowed in his kitchen.
Dog sleeps with Husband and me. I cook for her. I bathe her in the same bathtub in which I used to bathe the kids, being careful the water temperature is just comfortably warm.
Father-in-law grimaces at this and goes back to his egg and bacon. He's wondering where he went wrong with Husband, I'm sure.
Born in the United States, but raised in a village in northern Italy, Father-in-law sees dogs as farm apparatus to be stored outdoors.
A dog owner in his day would feed and water the dog, but he would not (NOT EVER, unless he'd lost his mind) give it a bubble bath, feed it cookies or haul it off to a doctor's office, he shares.
I tell Father-in-law, as I drop a slice of bread into the toaster, I am not the only one who thinks of my dog as a furry kid. These days, lots of sane people do.
And to strengthen my argument, I point out that his granddaughter while living in Italy right out of college, worked for a woman who brought a little French bulldog to her restaurant every day. It was allowed to sleep under the piano when it tried of greeting guests. Daughter used to send me photos of that pampered pooch from Rome.
No one in modern Italy would suggest making shoelaces out of that animal, I tell Father-in-law, who holds his hand to his ear and pretends, as he often does, not to hear me.
I will not share with him the words of readers who emailed or stopped me in the office and on the street to share some costly medical incident involving a beloved pet. Some were horror stories, some sad, others shared happy endings.
Like Anthony of Bristol Township, who paid for multiple cancer surgeries and chemo for the family greyhound, 11. The results have been positive. Cancer not spreading. Five months later, the dog seems well.
"I will not say the total cost for everything so far but suffice it to say we have invested many thousands. I realize many would look at what we have spent and see it as excessive. Have I reached the expenditure limit? Looking into the eyes of my wife and dog I would have to say no," Anthony said.
Others note that even the sums for basic care are substantial.
"I, too, look at our dogs as an extension of our family," wrote Carolyn of Lower Makefield.
"We have spent thousands over the years, taking care of them ----- groomer, vet bills, special food when necessary, and medications. Our dog has terrible allergies, so I have to give him allergy meds starting in September all the way till the frost kills whatever the heck is making him itch like a fiend. That adds up quickly. But, thank goodness, we can afford it. I have had many discussions with the vet about how best to take care of the dogs without going broke ......... I do simple things like making sure vaccinations are scheduled with their annual exams, so we don't get him with extra visits."
Bottom line for me? Families who are considering a pet, really must be conscious of the potential cost associalted with caring for a precious, unpredictable life.
Bottom line for Father-in-law? You don't want to know. I pretended not to hear him.
This little tidbit is shared by Father-in-law, 89, over breakfast at his house Friday.
I do not believe that, I tell him, as I pour my coffee. Just because you say it with authority doesn't make it so.
He shrugs, and closes the newspaper, which I'd mistakenly shared with him. In it, I'd shared with readers Dog's travails at the animal hospital.
What Father-in-law cannot believe is that his son and I took Dog to an emergency room veterinarian and forked over $429. Another $8 at the drugstore for Pepcid.
The antacid was prescribed for Dog, but I consider taking some as I explain to Father-in-law what about this particular dog is so special that she warrants our dipping deep into our checkbook.
"Crazy," he sayswhen I tell him Dog is like family. More likeable than some other family members, too.
Dog never would be allowed in his kitchen.
Dog sleeps with Husband and me. I cook for her. I bathe her in the same bathtub in which I used to bathe the kids, being careful the water temperature is just comfortably warm.
Father-in-law grimaces at this and goes back to his egg and bacon. He's wondering where he went wrong with Husband, I'm sure.
Born in the United States, but raised in a village in northern Italy, Father-in-law sees dogs as farm apparatus to be stored outdoors.
A dog owner in his day would feed and water the dog, but he would not (NOT EVER, unless he'd lost his mind) give it a bubble bath, feed it cookies or haul it off to a doctor's office, he shares.
I tell Father-in-law, as I drop a slice of bread into the toaster, I am not the only one who thinks of my dog as a furry kid. These days, lots of sane people do.
And to strengthen my argument, I point out that his granddaughter while living in Italy right out of college, worked for a woman who brought a little French bulldog to her restaurant every day. It was allowed to sleep under the piano when it tried of greeting guests. Daughter used to send me photos of that pampered pooch from Rome.
No one in modern Italy would suggest making shoelaces out of that animal, I tell Father-in-law, who holds his hand to his ear and pretends, as he often does, not to hear me.
I will not share with him the words of readers who emailed or stopped me in the office and on the street to share some costly medical incident involving a beloved pet. Some were horror stories, some sad, others shared happy endings.
Like Anthony of Bristol Township, who paid for multiple cancer surgeries and chemo for the family greyhound, 11. The results have been positive. Cancer not spreading. Five months later, the dog seems well.
"I will not say the total cost for everything so far but suffice it to say we have invested many thousands. I realize many would look at what we have spent and see it as excessive. Have I reached the expenditure limit? Looking into the eyes of my wife and dog I would have to say no," Anthony said.
Others note that even the sums for basic care are substantial.
"I, too, look at our dogs as an extension of our family," wrote Carolyn of Lower Makefield.
"We have spent thousands over the years, taking care of them ----- groomer, vet bills, special food when necessary, and medications. Our dog has terrible allergies, so I have to give him allergy meds starting in September all the way till the frost kills whatever the heck is making him itch like a fiend. That adds up quickly. But, thank goodness, we can afford it. I have had many discussions with the vet about how best to take care of the dogs without going broke ......... I do simple things like making sure vaccinations are scheduled with their annual exams, so we don't get him with extra visits."
Bottom line for me? Families who are considering a pet, really must be conscious of the potential cost associalted with caring for a precious, unpredictable life.
Bottom line for Father-in-law? You don't want to know. I pretended not to hear him.
F. Y. I.
Celebrate This
Today is No Homework Day.
Quotable
by James A. Garfield, 20th U.S. president (1831-1881)
"I am trying to do two things: dare to be a radical and not a fool, which is a matter of no small difficulty."
Love Below
Seahorses are monogamous and mate for life.
Lore of Old
In the 19th century, English men avoided eating salads if they wanted to start a family since lettuce was considered a "sterile" plant.
Screen Turn
Actor Richard Gere was considered for the role of John McClane, the part that ultimately went to Bruce Wills, in "Die Hard."
Still on the Books
In Fargo, North Dakota, one may be jailed for wearing a hat while dancing.
Today is No Homework Day.
Quotable
by James A. Garfield, 20th U.S. president (1831-1881)
"I am trying to do two things: dare to be a radical and not a fool, which is a matter of no small difficulty."
Love Below
Seahorses are monogamous and mate for life.
Lore of Old
In the 19th century, English men avoided eating salads if they wanted to start a family since lettuce was considered a "sterile" plant.
Screen Turn
Actor Richard Gere was considered for the role of John McClane, the part that ultimately went to Bruce Wills, in "Die Hard."
Still on the Books
In Fargo, North Dakota, one may be jailed for wearing a hat while dancing.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Earthweek: A Diary of the Planet (May 2, 2014)
Trashing the Deep
Litter from modern civilization has become so pervasive that scientists conducting the first-ever study of its undersea distribution couldn't find any place, including in some of the deepest oceans, where it didn't exist. Using video from underwater drones and samples dredged off the seabed, researchers from 16 European organizations say they found rubbish everywhere from the Mediterranean to the mid-Atlantic ridge, about 1,250 miles from land. Plastic was the most common type of litter found, with items associated with fishing coming in second. But an extensive distribution of glass, metal, wood, paper and cardboard was also observed. Writing in the journal PLoS ONE, the researchers said the densest accumulations of litter were found in deep underwater canyons. "Submarine canyons form the main connection between shallow coastal waters and the deep sea," said mapping team leader Veerle Huvenne. "Canyons that are located close to major coastal towns and cities.......can funnel litter straight to water depths of 4,500 meters (14,800 feet) or more." He added that the accumulation of marine litter is now a worldwide problem.
Volcanic Illness
Ongoing eruptions of Peru's Ubinas volcano produced such a high volume of ash falling over nearby villages that some people were reported suffering from conjunctivitis. The ailment was said to be caused by eye irritation from the caustic debris. El Comercio reports that the affected residents were prescribed eye drops for use throughout the day. The eruptions have prompted the evacuation of nearly 30,000 head of livestock from nearby pastures. Ash also has damaged more than 2,000 acres of crops.
Nuclear Endurance
Some species of birds living in the Chemobyl nuclear disaster zone appear to be thriving, and maybe even benefiting, from long-term exposure to radiation. Since the 1990s, researchers have captured and examined 16 different bird species and measured radiation levels, oxidative stress and DNA damage. They also checked levels of pigments in the feathers, finding that birds with the most red pigments had the most difficulty coping with radiation. The findings were published in the British Ecological Society's journal Functional Ecology. The Chemobyl disaster occurred just over 28 years ago in northern Ukraine, contaminating a wide area of Europe and forcing authorities to establish an exclusion zone around the wrecked nuclear plant. But it has also provided a working laboratory for scientists to study how long-term radiation affects wild animals and plants.
Tropical Cyclone
Typhoon Tapah brought high surf and occasionally gusty winds to Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands as it passed well to the east of the archipelago. Tapah achieved typhoon (hurricane) strength for only a brief period of time to the northeast of Saipan, then dissipated over the cooler waters of the North Pacific.
Earthquakes
Residents of the South Pacific island nation of Tonga reported a violent jolt from a 6.2 magnitude undersea quake located 45 miles northeast of the capital Nuku'alofa. The shaking knocked items off shelves and sent people fleeing for higher ground in fear of a tsunami, but there were no reported changes in sea level.
* Earth movements were also felt near South Australia's Flinders Ranges, around the Greek capital of Athens and in central Oklahoma.
Cosmic Hazard
Climbers venturing to the summit of Mount Everest and back are exposed to a dose of cosmic radiation five times higher than that received by British nuclear power plant workers each year, according to new research. In a report published by the Society for Radiological Protection, measurements gathered by mountaineer Bob Kerr indicate the dose received from an Everest ascent brings a 1-in-10,000 risk of developing a fatal cancer later in life. But since Sherpa guides climb Everest many times during their lives, their exposure is likely to be far greater. Kerr concludes that most guides and climbers are probably unaware of the radiation exposure they receive on the world's highest peak.
Desperate Measures
The past winter, dominated by the polar vortex, was so harsh that it drove New York City rats to eat trees to survive, according to a U.S. Forest Service scientist. "With the deep snow and the cold winter, probably they didn't have access to the normal food supply and it was a lot colder this winter," research ecologist Rich Hallett told WNYC. "So they went after the trees." The tenacious rodents gnawed through the bark to get to a sugary layer for nourishment and energy. But experts warn that some of the coldest winter weather on record is not likely to have made a significant dent in the plucky rat population.
Litter from modern civilization has become so pervasive that scientists conducting the first-ever study of its undersea distribution couldn't find any place, including in some of the deepest oceans, where it didn't exist. Using video from underwater drones and samples dredged off the seabed, researchers from 16 European organizations say they found rubbish everywhere from the Mediterranean to the mid-Atlantic ridge, about 1,250 miles from land. Plastic was the most common type of litter found, with items associated with fishing coming in second. But an extensive distribution of glass, metal, wood, paper and cardboard was also observed. Writing in the journal PLoS ONE, the researchers said the densest accumulations of litter were found in deep underwater canyons. "Submarine canyons form the main connection between shallow coastal waters and the deep sea," said mapping team leader Veerle Huvenne. "Canyons that are located close to major coastal towns and cities.......can funnel litter straight to water depths of 4,500 meters (14,800 feet) or more." He added that the accumulation of marine litter is now a worldwide problem.
Volcanic Illness
Ongoing eruptions of Peru's Ubinas volcano produced such a high volume of ash falling over nearby villages that some people were reported suffering from conjunctivitis. The ailment was said to be caused by eye irritation from the caustic debris. El Comercio reports that the affected residents were prescribed eye drops for use throughout the day. The eruptions have prompted the evacuation of nearly 30,000 head of livestock from nearby pastures. Ash also has damaged more than 2,000 acres of crops.
Nuclear Endurance
Some species of birds living in the Chemobyl nuclear disaster zone appear to be thriving, and maybe even benefiting, from long-term exposure to radiation. Since the 1990s, researchers have captured and examined 16 different bird species and measured radiation levels, oxidative stress and DNA damage. They also checked levels of pigments in the feathers, finding that birds with the most red pigments had the most difficulty coping with radiation. The findings were published in the British Ecological Society's journal Functional Ecology. The Chemobyl disaster occurred just over 28 years ago in northern Ukraine, contaminating a wide area of Europe and forcing authorities to establish an exclusion zone around the wrecked nuclear plant. But it has also provided a working laboratory for scientists to study how long-term radiation affects wild animals and plants.
Tropical Cyclone
Typhoon Tapah brought high surf and occasionally gusty winds to Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands as it passed well to the east of the archipelago. Tapah achieved typhoon (hurricane) strength for only a brief period of time to the northeast of Saipan, then dissipated over the cooler waters of the North Pacific.
Earthquakes
Residents of the South Pacific island nation of Tonga reported a violent jolt from a 6.2 magnitude undersea quake located 45 miles northeast of the capital Nuku'alofa. The shaking knocked items off shelves and sent people fleeing for higher ground in fear of a tsunami, but there were no reported changes in sea level.
* Earth movements were also felt near South Australia's Flinders Ranges, around the Greek capital of Athens and in central Oklahoma.
Cosmic Hazard
Climbers venturing to the summit of Mount Everest and back are exposed to a dose of cosmic radiation five times higher than that received by British nuclear power plant workers each year, according to new research. In a report published by the Society for Radiological Protection, measurements gathered by mountaineer Bob Kerr indicate the dose received from an Everest ascent brings a 1-in-10,000 risk of developing a fatal cancer later in life. But since Sherpa guides climb Everest many times during their lives, their exposure is likely to be far greater. Kerr concludes that most guides and climbers are probably unaware of the radiation exposure they receive on the world's highest peak.
Desperate Measures
The past winter, dominated by the polar vortex, was so harsh that it drove New York City rats to eat trees to survive, according to a U.S. Forest Service scientist. "With the deep snow and the cold winter, probably they didn't have access to the normal food supply and it was a lot colder this winter," research ecologist Rich Hallett told WNYC. "So they went after the trees." The tenacious rodents gnawed through the bark to get to a sugary layer for nourishment and energy. But experts warn that some of the coldest winter weather on record is not likely to have made a significant dent in the plucky rat population.
Question & Answer
Are Catholics required to spread the Gospel?
Yes, Pope Francis has said it is the responsibility of every Catholic to spread the Gospel. And Jesus said, "Go into allthe world and preach the gospel to the whole creation" (Mark 16:15). While not all have the gift of preaching, there are other ways to share the Good News.
Social media. New media can be a great evangelization tool. We can post Gospel verses, inspiring stories of others who live virtuous lives, encouragement for friends. What we don't do can also be inspiring --- choosing not to gossip or brag, for example.
Be a friend. Most people who leave a church say it's because they don't feel connected. Try welcoming newcomers to your church or anywhere, for that matter ---- neighborhood or workplace --- and let your faith show as the friendship grows.
Lend a book. Share something you have read that moved you. Studies show that Catholics who left the Church often read their way back. Often non-Catholics enter the Church the same way.
Yes, Pope Francis has said it is the responsibility of every Catholic to spread the Gospel. And Jesus said, "Go into allthe world and preach the gospel to the whole creation" (Mark 16:15). While not all have the gift of preaching, there are other ways to share the Good News.
Social media. New media can be a great evangelization tool. We can post Gospel verses, inspiring stories of others who live virtuous lives, encouragement for friends. What we don't do can also be inspiring --- choosing not to gossip or brag, for example.
Be a friend. Most people who leave a church say it's because they don't feel connected. Try welcoming newcomers to your church or anywhere, for that matter ---- neighborhood or workplace --- and let your faith show as the friendship grows.
Lend a book. Share something you have read that moved you. Studies show that Catholics who left the Church often read their way back. Often non-Catholics enter the Church the same way.
Feast & Celebrations
In May we celebrate mothers and honor the mother of all, the Blessed Virgin Mary. We can grow closer to Mary by praying the Rosary, honoring her feasts, and praising her to others.
May 1 - St. Joseph the Worker (1st century).
Entrusted with the care of the Blessed Mother and Jesus, Joseph was a carpenter dedicated to his family and obedient to God.
May 13 - Our Lady of Fatima (1917).
The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three children near Fatima, Portugal. Mary asked the children to pray the rosary for world peace, for the end of World War I, for sinners and for the conversion of Russia.
May 22 - St. Rita of Cascia (1457).
Unwillingly married off to a cruel husband at the age of twelve, St. Rita spent eighteen unhappy years before being widowed. She became an Augustinian nun known for her devotion to prayer and charity.
May 29 - Ascension of the Lord
This solemnity marks the completion of Jesus' mission of salvation and his triumphant entry into Heaven by his own power.
Note: In some dioceses, observance has been moved to the following Sunday.
May 1 - St. Joseph the Worker (1st century).
Entrusted with the care of the Blessed Mother and Jesus, Joseph was a carpenter dedicated to his family and obedient to God.
May 13 - Our Lady of Fatima (1917).
The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three children near Fatima, Portugal. Mary asked the children to pray the rosary for world peace, for the end of World War I, for sinners and for the conversion of Russia.
May 22 - St. Rita of Cascia (1457).
Unwillingly married off to a cruel husband at the age of twelve, St. Rita spent eighteen unhappy years before being widowed. She became an Augustinian nun known for her devotion to prayer and charity.
May 29 - Ascension of the Lord
This solemnity marks the completion of Jesus' mission of salvation and his triumphant entry into Heaven by his own power.
Note: In some dioceses, observance has been moved to the following Sunday.
From Scripture
John 14:15-21; I will not leave you.
In this, one of his farewell speeches to his disciples, Jesus laid the foundation for them to become his Church. He was preparing the Apostles to become the people who carried him to the rest of the world.
Pope Francis said, "It is not easy to follow Jesus closely, because the path he chooses is the way of the Cross." Jesus knew that what he asks of his followers is difficult without him there as a guide, so he made two powerful promises to us.
First - he promised to send as Advocate --- the Holy Spirit --- who would always be with us. The gift of the Holy Spirit would be poured out on all his followers and help us to see the truth of God's love for us.
Second - he promised that he wouldn't leave us even though he was going away. When we are absorbed by the world, we can't "see" Jesus because we are too focused on ourselves.
Yet, when we live our love for God by obeying his commandments and loving others, we show Jesus to the world.
In this, one of his farewell speeches to his disciples, Jesus laid the foundation for them to become his Church. He was preparing the Apostles to become the people who carried him to the rest of the world.
Pope Francis said, "It is not easy to follow Jesus closely, because the path he chooses is the way of the Cross." Jesus knew that what he asks of his followers is difficult without him there as a guide, so he made two powerful promises to us.
First - he promised to send as Advocate --- the Holy Spirit --- who would always be with us. The gift of the Holy Spirit would be poured out on all his followers and help us to see the truth of God's love for us.
Second - he promised that he wouldn't leave us even though he was going away. When we are absorbed by the world, we can't "see" Jesus because we are too focused on ourselves.
Yet, when we live our love for God by obeying his commandments and loving others, we show Jesus to the world.
Don't give up on God's mercy
Throughout our lives, we all have choices we wish we hadn't made or missed opportunities to do good. They add up as we get older. We may even fear our transgressions are so many or so serious that we are beyond forgiveness but nothing could be farther from the truth. Learn a lesson from Judas.
Judas' fatal mistake. There's no doubt that Judas' act of betrayal was horrible. It is inconceivable that he could know Jesus' friendship for three years, be among his closet and most beloved friends and then deliver him for judgement and probable death. Yet, that wasn't Judas' worst sin. Doubting God's mercy was worse. God will always forgive us if we ask. It's we who don't ask. Jesus waits. Jesus never abandoned Judas. It was Judas who abandoned hope in Jesus when he killed himself in remorse for his part in Jesus' death. Peter betrayed Jesus, too, by denying him. But Jesus forgave him just as he will always forgive us if we give him the chance.
Judas' fatal mistake. There's no doubt that Judas' act of betrayal was horrible. It is inconceivable that he could know Jesus' friendship for three years, be among his closet and most beloved friends and then deliver him for judgement and probable death. Yet, that wasn't Judas' worst sin. Doubting God's mercy was worse. God will always forgive us if we ask. It's we who don't ask. Jesus waits. Jesus never abandoned Judas. It was Judas who abandoned hope in Jesus when he killed himself in remorse for his part in Jesus' death. Peter betrayed Jesus, too, by denying him. But Jesus forgave him just as he will always forgive us if we give him the chance.
What is a "Liturgy"?
Liturgy is a public work or service done on behalf of the people. To Catholics, it means publicly participating in the work of God. Liturgy can refer to divine worship, the proclamation of the Gospel or acts of charity. Through the Liturgy, the people continue the work of God.
"Christ, our High Priest, continues the work of our redemption through the Church's celebration of the Paschal Mystery by which he accomplished our salvation".
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1067-1069).
"Christ, our High Priest, continues the work of our redemption through the Church's celebration of the Paschal Mystery by which he accomplished our salvation".
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1067-1069).
Accept God's invitation to be his
The Ten Commandments are divine laws but they are also invitations to discover what God can accomplish in us and through us. When we live them as our personal response to God's request to become his children, we begin to merit eternal life. To help us live the challenge of the Commandments, however, we need to practice the virtues of faith, hope, and charity.
Faith. God reveals himself to us through Scripture, through his creations, through the Catholic Church and through Jesus. Faith is our response to that revelation ------ a belief in the One Triune God as a reality. We practice faith when we entrust ourselves completely to God. Our trust is in God rather than in human beings.
Hope. When we have confidence that God walks with us each day and guides us to life with him, we have hope. Hope means believing Jesus' promises and relying on his strength instead of our own. People of hope have no use for despair or discouragement because all things are possible with God.
Love. Our greatest response to God's love for us is to love him. In fact, Jesus made love the greatest of the two great commandments (Matthew 22:37). We love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God.
Faith. God reveals himself to us through Scripture, through his creations, through the Catholic Church and through Jesus. Faith is our response to that revelation ------ a belief in the One Triune God as a reality. We practice faith when we entrust ourselves completely to God. Our trust is in God rather than in human beings.
Hope. When we have confidence that God walks with us each day and guides us to life with him, we have hope. Hope means believing Jesus' promises and relying on his strength instead of our own. People of hope have no use for despair or discouragement because all things are possible with God.
Love. Our greatest response to God's love for us is to love him. In fact, Jesus made love the greatest of the two great commandments (Matthew 22:37). We love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God.
One Minute Meditations
St. Philip Neri
Philip Neri was a puzzle of contradiction -------- popular but pious, jubilant and holy, firm but kind.
Born in Italy in 1515, he became a priest after spending many years devoted to prayer. As a priest, he had a gift for seeing through pretenses in the Confessional and became known for creative penances.
He arranged talks, discussions, and prayer sessions ----- the beginnings of a religious institute he founded called the Oratory. He was sought for his holiness and joy.
The highest goal
It doesn't make sense to pursue pleasure or pleasant things; they don't last. Chasing pleasure draws us away from true joy. Instead, seek the lasting wonders of Heaven as the highest goal.
Universal love
Love wills the good of another. "Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor."
(Romans 12:9-10)
Philip Neri was a puzzle of contradiction -------- popular but pious, jubilant and holy, firm but kind.
Born in Italy in 1515, he became a priest after spending many years devoted to prayer. As a priest, he had a gift for seeing through pretenses in the Confessional and became known for creative penances.
He arranged talks, discussions, and prayer sessions ----- the beginnings of a religious institute he founded called the Oratory. He was sought for his holiness and joy.
The highest goal
It doesn't make sense to pursue pleasure or pleasant things; they don't last. Chasing pleasure draws us away from true joy. Instead, seek the lasting wonders of Heaven as the highest goal.
Universal love
Love wills the good of another. "Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor."
(Romans 12:9-10)
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Weird News
Police seek theif who stole $500, $1000 bills
Sharon, Pa. --------- Whose picture is on the U.S. $500 bill? How about the $1000 bill? Police in one western Pennsylvania city said a burglar would be able to answer those currency trivia questions, because he or she stole one of each bill from a resident.
The high-denomination bills were taken out of circulation in the late 1960s, which is why collectors covet them. They're still worth their face value ---- and more to collectors if they're in good shape. Sharon police said a homeowner reported the thefts. The large bills were part of $10,300 taken from a strong box in the home. Police Chief Mike Menster said there was no forced entry into the home or the box.
For the record, Grover Cleveland is pictured on the $1000 bill.
William McKinley is on the $500 note.
She hopes house bounces back
Anchorage, Alaska -------------- Michelle Appel is hoping to solve a big Alaska mystery with a colorful past. She's hoping someone will helop her track down the Anchorage customer who rented a king-size, kids-only bounce house from her in 2012 ------ and then bounced with it.
Appel and her husband, Adam, own For Fun Alaska, an inflatable games-rental business. Two years ago, they spent $4,000 for a "Big Big Bouncer," an inflatable structure 25 feet wide, 20 feet deep and about 15 feet high, Appel said, decked out in primary colors. "It was just a monster," she said.
It had been used only a couple of times when a woman on June 30, 2012, paid $400 on a credit card to rent the Big Big Bouncer and a generator for one day, the Anchorage Daily News reported.
The Appels tracked the customer to her home. No one answered the door, and neighbors said the residents had just moved or been evicted. The Appels handed out fliers at the park with a bounce-house photo. No luck. The woman who rented the house canceled her credit card.
Sharon, Pa. --------- Whose picture is on the U.S. $500 bill? How about the $1000 bill? Police in one western Pennsylvania city said a burglar would be able to answer those currency trivia questions, because he or she stole one of each bill from a resident.
The high-denomination bills were taken out of circulation in the late 1960s, which is why collectors covet them. They're still worth their face value ---- and more to collectors if they're in good shape. Sharon police said a homeowner reported the thefts. The large bills were part of $10,300 taken from a strong box in the home. Police Chief Mike Menster said there was no forced entry into the home or the box.
For the record, Grover Cleveland is pictured on the $1000 bill.
William McKinley is on the $500 note.
She hopes house bounces back
Anchorage, Alaska -------------- Michelle Appel is hoping to solve a big Alaska mystery with a colorful past. She's hoping someone will helop her track down the Anchorage customer who rented a king-size, kids-only bounce house from her in 2012 ------ and then bounced with it.
Appel and her husband, Adam, own For Fun Alaska, an inflatable games-rental business. Two years ago, they spent $4,000 for a "Big Big Bouncer," an inflatable structure 25 feet wide, 20 feet deep and about 15 feet high, Appel said, decked out in primary colors. "It was just a monster," she said.
It had been used only a couple of times when a woman on June 30, 2012, paid $400 on a credit card to rent the Big Big Bouncer and a generator for one day, the Anchorage Daily News reported.
The Appels tracked the customer to her home. No one answered the door, and neighbors said the residents had just moved or been evicted. The Appels handed out fliers at the park with a bounce-house photo. No luck. The woman who rented the house canceled her credit card.
F. Y. I.
Celebrate This
Today is Zipper Day: Swedish-American scientist and inventor Gideon Sundback received a patent for his "hook-less fastener" on this date in 1913.
Still on the Books
In Oklahoma, it is illegal to have a sleeping donkey in your bathtub after 7 p.m.
Quotable
by Karl Augustus Menninger, American psychiatrist (1893-1990)
"Fears are educated into us, and can, if we wish, be educated out."
Lap of Luxury
Three dogs survived the sinking of the Titanic ------- two Pomeranians and one Pekingese; they were from first-class cabins.
Lore Has It
In China, where long noodles symbolize a long life, cutting them up, instead of slurping them without breaking them, means you're cutting life short.
No Small Threat
Despite its tiny golf-ball size, the blue-ringed octopus is the deadliest of all cephalopods, carrying enough poison to kill 26 adults within minutes.
Today is Zipper Day: Swedish-American scientist and inventor Gideon Sundback received a patent for his "hook-less fastener" on this date in 1913.
Still on the Books
In Oklahoma, it is illegal to have a sleeping donkey in your bathtub after 7 p.m.
Quotable
by Karl Augustus Menninger, American psychiatrist (1893-1990)
"Fears are educated into us, and can, if we wish, be educated out."
Lap of Luxury
Three dogs survived the sinking of the Titanic ------- two Pomeranians and one Pekingese; they were from first-class cabins.
Lore Has It
In China, where long noodles symbolize a long life, cutting them up, instead of slurping them without breaking them, means you're cutting life short.
No Small Threat
Despite its tiny golf-ball size, the blue-ringed octopus is the deadliest of all cephalopods, carrying enough poison to kill 26 adults within minutes.
Earthweek: A Diary of the Planet (April 25, 2014)
Impact Odds
A group aiming for early detection of asteroids that threaten to collide with Earth says our planet experienced 26 powerful asteroid explosions in the atmosphere from 2000 to 2013. The nonprofit B612 Foundation says data collected by the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization, which uncovered the blasts, demonstrates that the chance of an asteroid inflicting catastrophic damage is higher than previously estimated. Former astronaut Ed Lu, who now heads the California-based foundation, told reporters that an asteroid as small as 130 feet across has the potential to level a city. While the 2013 blast above the Russian city of Chelyabinsk got global news coverage, the B612 Foundation says asteroid impacts with a force greater than 20 kilotons also occurred above the Indonesian island of Sulawesi in 2009, over the Southern Ocean in 2004 and above the Mediterranean in 2002. The group is currently constructing an asteroid-hunting, infrared space telescope called Sentinel. It's likely to track more than 200,000 asteroids once launched in 2018.
March Contrasts
The U.S. environmental agency NOAA says March 2014 was the fourth-hottest on record for the planet, even though America notably bucked that trend. The agency calculated that the overall global temperature for the month was 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th-century average. But the continental United States was almost a full degree cooler than normal, making it the country's 43rd coolest March on record. The Eastern European nation of Slovakia had its hottest March on record while South Korea experienced its second-warmest. Northern Siberia came in at 9-degrees warmer than normal for the month.
Ebola Variant Strain
Scientists have found that a new strain of the Ebola virus is responsible for the latest outbreak in West Africa, where more than 140 people of the nearly 230 believed infected have died from the disease. In a report published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers say that the virus may not even be new to the area, and could have been circulating undetected for some time. It suggests that there was probably "a single introduction of the virus into the human population" prior to December 2013, adding, "the virus was (probably) transmitted for months before the outbreak became apparent." It's now thought that "patient zero" was a 2-year-old girl who died in December. A variant of the most virulent Zaire strain has been identified as the cause of the girl's death in Guinea, before Ebola spread elsewhere across that country and into neighboring Liberia. The study said fruit bats were likely carriers of the virus.
Java Rumblings
Increased seismic activity from within Indonesia's Mount Merapi was punctuated before dawn on April 20 by a blast that showered ash over areas within about 7 miles of the volcano's summit. While a glow was observed at the top of Merapi around the time of the blast, vulcanologists said no new lava was observed flowing from the volcano. That means the mountain was probably not entering a new eruptive phase. An eruption of Merapi in 2010 released poisonous gases and blanketed the region in ash, killing more than 300 people.
* Explosions from Guatemala's Fuego (Fire) volcano intensified, prompting officials to warn some nearby residents that lava flows could soon threaten their homes.
Tropical Cyclone
Tropical Cyclone Jack formed briefly over the open waters of the eastern Indian Ocean. The storm was initially a threat only to shipping lanes in the region, but its remnants later forced a temporary halt to the aerial search for missing Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370.
Earthquakes
A wide area of southwestern and central Mexico was rocked on the morning of April 18 by a 7.2 magnitude quake, centered near the Pacific resort of Acapulco. At least 127 homes were damaged near the epicenter in the state of Guerrero.
* Earth movements were also felt in the northeastern Caribbean, the northwestern Philippines, eastern Papua New Guinea, northwestern Vancouver Island and central Oklahoma.
Stork Revival
Two wild storks recently observed nesting in eastern England could be the first pair to breed in Britain for nearly 600 years. The BBC reports the birds are nesting on a chimney at Norfolk's Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens and are engaging in mating rituals. The last wild stork documented to be nesting in Britain was at St. Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, back in 1416. Conservation efforts elsewhere in Europe during recent years have resulted in a modest return of the birds, which now appear to have ventured across the North Sea to raise a proper English brood. The storks nest in North Africa, across Europe and into Asia. They are known around the world as symbols of fertility.
A group aiming for early detection of asteroids that threaten to collide with Earth says our planet experienced 26 powerful asteroid explosions in the atmosphere from 2000 to 2013. The nonprofit B612 Foundation says data collected by the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization, which uncovered the blasts, demonstrates that the chance of an asteroid inflicting catastrophic damage is higher than previously estimated. Former astronaut Ed Lu, who now heads the California-based foundation, told reporters that an asteroid as small as 130 feet across has the potential to level a city. While the 2013 blast above the Russian city of Chelyabinsk got global news coverage, the B612 Foundation says asteroid impacts with a force greater than 20 kilotons also occurred above the Indonesian island of Sulawesi in 2009, over the Southern Ocean in 2004 and above the Mediterranean in 2002. The group is currently constructing an asteroid-hunting, infrared space telescope called Sentinel. It's likely to track more than 200,000 asteroids once launched in 2018.
March Contrasts
The U.S. environmental agency NOAA says March 2014 was the fourth-hottest on record for the planet, even though America notably bucked that trend. The agency calculated that the overall global temperature for the month was 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th-century average. But the continental United States was almost a full degree cooler than normal, making it the country's 43rd coolest March on record. The Eastern European nation of Slovakia had its hottest March on record while South Korea experienced its second-warmest. Northern Siberia came in at 9-degrees warmer than normal for the month.
Ebola Variant Strain
Scientists have found that a new strain of the Ebola virus is responsible for the latest outbreak in West Africa, where more than 140 people of the nearly 230 believed infected have died from the disease. In a report published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers say that the virus may not even be new to the area, and could have been circulating undetected for some time. It suggests that there was probably "a single introduction of the virus into the human population" prior to December 2013, adding, "the virus was (probably) transmitted for months before the outbreak became apparent." It's now thought that "patient zero" was a 2-year-old girl who died in December. A variant of the most virulent Zaire strain has been identified as the cause of the girl's death in Guinea, before Ebola spread elsewhere across that country and into neighboring Liberia. The study said fruit bats were likely carriers of the virus.
Java Rumblings
Increased seismic activity from within Indonesia's Mount Merapi was punctuated before dawn on April 20 by a blast that showered ash over areas within about 7 miles of the volcano's summit. While a glow was observed at the top of Merapi around the time of the blast, vulcanologists said no new lava was observed flowing from the volcano. That means the mountain was probably not entering a new eruptive phase. An eruption of Merapi in 2010 released poisonous gases and blanketed the region in ash, killing more than 300 people.
* Explosions from Guatemala's Fuego (Fire) volcano intensified, prompting officials to warn some nearby residents that lava flows could soon threaten their homes.
Tropical Cyclone
Tropical Cyclone Jack formed briefly over the open waters of the eastern Indian Ocean. The storm was initially a threat only to shipping lanes in the region, but its remnants later forced a temporary halt to the aerial search for missing Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370.
Earthquakes
A wide area of southwestern and central Mexico was rocked on the morning of April 18 by a 7.2 magnitude quake, centered near the Pacific resort of Acapulco. At least 127 homes were damaged near the epicenter in the state of Guerrero.
* Earth movements were also felt in the northeastern Caribbean, the northwestern Philippines, eastern Papua New Guinea, northwestern Vancouver Island and central Oklahoma.
Stork Revival
Two wild storks recently observed nesting in eastern England could be the first pair to breed in Britain for nearly 600 years. The BBC reports the birds are nesting on a chimney at Norfolk's Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens and are engaging in mating rituals. The last wild stork documented to be nesting in Britain was at St. Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, back in 1416. Conservation efforts elsewhere in Europe during recent years have resulted in a modest return of the birds, which now appear to have ventured across the North Sea to raise a proper English brood. The storks nest in North Africa, across Europe and into Asia. They are known around the world as symbols of fertility.
Earthweek: A Diary of the Planet (April 18, 2014)
U.N. Climate Warning
The latest report by the U.N. group responsible for assessing climate change says the world is running out of time to keep global warming from exceeding the 2 degrees Celsius limit (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) agreed to in 2010. If greenhouse gas emissions are not curbed sharply, and soon, climate experts say that by 2100, temperatures will rise by between 3.7 and 4.8 degrees Celsius (6.6 and 8.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-industrial times. China, the United States and Europe are the top emitterss. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) cautions in the new report that there must be a "massive shift" to renewable energy to avert more severe heat waves, droughts and rising sea levels. The IPCC has said there is a 95 percent probability that climate change since 1950 is mainly due to human activities rather than natural variations.
Orchid Renewal
Botanists in Miami are enlisting local students to help raise a million native orchids in an attempt to repopulate the plants, which once covered South Florida. Collectors in the late 19th and early 20th centuries virtually wiped out the plants by selling them to northern customers. "We want to bring back not just the orchids, but the insects that pollinate them." said Carl Lewis, who leads the Million Orchid Project and is director of the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. The garden has been trying various methods to see what stimulates the fastest growth. Once the initial batchof orchids is gently placed in trees that line South Florida roadways, students from 250 area schools will keep track of the orchids in their neighborhoods. Those observations will help the botanists determine how best to introduce even more of the colorful plants.
El Nino
Weeks of speculation by various weather agencies about a possible re-emergence of El Nino later this year have led Australia's Bureau of Meteorology to predict that there is now a more than 70 percent chance of the ocean warming's return. That country is especially vulnerable to weather shifts from the phenomenon, which typically returns about every three to seven years. El Nino usually brings drier-than normal conditions to Australia, now suffering from a drought in the northeast that has forced ranchers to cull cows. The U.S. agency NOAA estimates the chance of El Nino expanding across the tropical Pacific during the Northern Hemisphere's summer at about 50 percent. During the worst El Nino on record in 1997-98, the warming brought devastating storms to California and costly drought to southern parts of the U.S.
Earthquakes
Nicaragua was rocked by a series of quakes that damaged homes and injured hundreds of residents.
* A series of powerful temblors jolted the Solomon Islands and parts of neighboring Papua New Guinea, with the strongest two prompting brief tsunami alerts across the Pacific.
* Earth Movements were felt in the English Midlands, south-central Alaska and central Idaho.
Andean Eruption
Peru's Ubinas volcano spewed ash high above the Andes Mountains in the south of the country during a violent eruption that forced the evacuation of nearby residents. The country's mining institute said the mountain awakened with explosions that also shot out white-hot chunks of rock, some as large as 1 foot in diameter.
Tropical Cyclone
Australia's northern Queensland coast was lashed by powerful Cyclone Ita, which was the strongest such storm to strike the region in three years. The cyclone made landfall as a Category-4 storm on the international Saffir-Simpson scale very near Cooktown. Officials estimate Ita inflicted more than $1 billion in damage, including the destruction of a banana plantation and large tracts of sugarcane crops. Remnants of the storm later hit New Zealand with high winds and squalls that knocked out power and caused numerous traffic accidents.
Myna Menaces
Zimbabwe wildlife experts say that the invasive myna bird has arrived in the southern African nation, posing a threat to indigenous bird species. The common, or Indian, mynas have become serious pests in many areas of the world where they have been introduced. In South Africa, the birds have been observed killing other birds chicks and taking over the nest. The first birds to escape captivity and breed in the African wild established a population around the South African port of Durban in the early 20th century. Australian officials conduct frequent and aggressive culling campaigns to protect both indigenous parrots and marsupials from the birds. Mynas, which are members of the starling family and native to South Asia, can easily adapt to new environments and have been kept as pets because of their unique ability to vocalize, or "talk." They breed in stolen nests, beneath bridges, in roofs and urban trees, as well as on lampposts and other structures.
The latest report by the U.N. group responsible for assessing climate change says the world is running out of time to keep global warming from exceeding the 2 degrees Celsius limit (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) agreed to in 2010. If greenhouse gas emissions are not curbed sharply, and soon, climate experts say that by 2100, temperatures will rise by between 3.7 and 4.8 degrees Celsius (6.6 and 8.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-industrial times. China, the United States and Europe are the top emitterss. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) cautions in the new report that there must be a "massive shift" to renewable energy to avert more severe heat waves, droughts and rising sea levels. The IPCC has said there is a 95 percent probability that climate change since 1950 is mainly due to human activities rather than natural variations.
Orchid Renewal
Botanists in Miami are enlisting local students to help raise a million native orchids in an attempt to repopulate the plants, which once covered South Florida. Collectors in the late 19th and early 20th centuries virtually wiped out the plants by selling them to northern customers. "We want to bring back not just the orchids, but the insects that pollinate them." said Carl Lewis, who leads the Million Orchid Project and is director of the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. The garden has been trying various methods to see what stimulates the fastest growth. Once the initial batchof orchids is gently placed in trees that line South Florida roadways, students from 250 area schools will keep track of the orchids in their neighborhoods. Those observations will help the botanists determine how best to introduce even more of the colorful plants.
El Nino
Weeks of speculation by various weather agencies about a possible re-emergence of El Nino later this year have led Australia's Bureau of Meteorology to predict that there is now a more than 70 percent chance of the ocean warming's return. That country is especially vulnerable to weather shifts from the phenomenon, which typically returns about every three to seven years. El Nino usually brings drier-than normal conditions to Australia, now suffering from a drought in the northeast that has forced ranchers to cull cows. The U.S. agency NOAA estimates the chance of El Nino expanding across the tropical Pacific during the Northern Hemisphere's summer at about 50 percent. During the worst El Nino on record in 1997-98, the warming brought devastating storms to California and costly drought to southern parts of the U.S.
Earthquakes
Nicaragua was rocked by a series of quakes that damaged homes and injured hundreds of residents.
* A series of powerful temblors jolted the Solomon Islands and parts of neighboring Papua New Guinea, with the strongest two prompting brief tsunami alerts across the Pacific.
* Earth Movements were felt in the English Midlands, south-central Alaska and central Idaho.
Andean Eruption
Peru's Ubinas volcano spewed ash high above the Andes Mountains in the south of the country during a violent eruption that forced the evacuation of nearby residents. The country's mining institute said the mountain awakened with explosions that also shot out white-hot chunks of rock, some as large as 1 foot in diameter.
Tropical Cyclone
Australia's northern Queensland coast was lashed by powerful Cyclone Ita, which was the strongest such storm to strike the region in three years. The cyclone made landfall as a Category-4 storm on the international Saffir-Simpson scale very near Cooktown. Officials estimate Ita inflicted more than $1 billion in damage, including the destruction of a banana plantation and large tracts of sugarcane crops. Remnants of the storm later hit New Zealand with high winds and squalls that knocked out power and caused numerous traffic accidents.
Myna Menaces
Zimbabwe wildlife experts say that the invasive myna bird has arrived in the southern African nation, posing a threat to indigenous bird species. The common, or Indian, mynas have become serious pests in many areas of the world where they have been introduced. In South Africa, the birds have been observed killing other birds chicks and taking over the nest. The first birds to escape captivity and breed in the African wild established a population around the South African port of Durban in the early 20th century. Australian officials conduct frequent and aggressive culling campaigns to protect both indigenous parrots and marsupials from the birds. Mynas, which are members of the starling family and native to South Asia, can easily adapt to new environments and have been kept as pets because of their unique ability to vocalize, or "talk." They breed in stolen nests, beneath bridges, in roofs and urban trees, as well as on lampposts and other structures.
Earthweek: A Diary of the Planet (April 11, 2014)
Arctic Ice Maximum
The winter ice cap around the North Pole reached its greatest extent on March 21, but it also fell to the fifth-lowest peak coverage on record. Arctic sea ice usually grows to the largest expanse for winter on or about March 9. The U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center said the annual peak would have occurred about then and been even smaller than the eventual coverage of 5.76 million square miles had it not been for strong and frigid surface winds that swirled around the Arctic in mid-March. The Colorado-based center said the latest measurements reinforce previous studies that have revealed ice around the North Pole is disappearing much faster than earlier predictions. The ice has steadily declined by an average of 12 percent per decade since 1978. Experts predict the Arctic will lose all of its summer ice within decades, if not sooner.
Smog Domes
A London-based firm has a solution to China's smog crisis ---- botanical gardens enclosed in giant "bubbles" where residents can take refuge. Orproject presented the idea to Beijing officials, including plans for a light-weight dome that would house a climate-controlled park with air kept clean by the plants inside and filtered air from outside. "The buildings surrounding the park, which are connected to the controlled air system, can house apartments, offices and retail, but may also offer sports or medical facilities which make specific use of the healthy air," the company said. Critics say more should be done to combat the pollution at its sources. They also point out that the domes would separate those living inside from those unable to afford the luxury. Beijing smog has become so acute that outdoor sports are often banned.
Earthquakes
The at least 110 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or higher that have shaken Oklahoma so far this year totalmore than those during all of 2013. They come in the wake of the state's recent explosive growth in fracking, or underground hydrological fracturing, used in the extraction of natural gas and oil. Before fracking became common, Oklahoma experienced fewer than six quakes per year.
* A strong quake centered in southwest China's Yunnan province injured 26 people as it wrecked 75 homes and damaged thousands of others.
* Earth movements were also felt in southern Greece, southeastern France, far northern Chile and interior parts of California's San Diego County.
Volcanic Merger
Two small Japanese volcanic islands have merged into one after the younger islet grew to overwhelm its older brother. Niijima Island broke through the ocean's surface last Nov. 20 next to Nishinoshima, about 600 miles south of Tokyo. While scientists at the time questioned how long the island would survive before being eroded by the sea, it defied expectations and grew to merge with its neighbor and form one landmass. The newer portion is now larger than the original Nishinoshima, which last 40 years ago. he combined islands have reached about 200 feet in height above sea level.
Tropical Cyclone
Heavy storms that eventually collected into Cyclone Ita triggered floods in the Solomon Islands that killed 23 people and left 25 others missing. Ita strengthened to a Category 4 storm late in the week as it approached Australia's northern Queensland coast.
* Tropical Storm Peipah buffeted the western Pacific island nation of Palau, then dissipated before reaching the Philippines as a tropical depression.
* Tropical Storm Ivanoe formed briefly in the eastern Indian Ocean.
Ebola Crisis
Less than a month after West Africa's first Ebola outbreak emerged, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns it is the "most challenging" to strike since the disease first appeared four decades ago. More than 100 of the 157 people suspected of being infected have died in Guinea, where the hemorrhagic fever first struck in mid-March. A mob in the south of that country has since attacked international aid workers, whom they blame for bringing in the disease. Neighboring Liberia and Mali have also reported a few suspected infections. Despite isolated resistance. WHO is rushing in workers to teach residents how to avoid being infected, and how to handle those who are.
Bovine Tragedies
Lightening from freak thunderstorms, stronger than some southern Chile residents can remember ever experiencing before, killed 63 cows in two separate strikes. A single bolt killed 54 dairy cows that hadtaken refuge beneath a tree near Los Rios. One cow survived, but was left blinded, according to rancher Cecil Fourt. In a similar incident, nine other cows died beneath a tree hit by lightning near El Pilar. "We have electrical storms here, but never like this," Carlos Godoy, administrator of the Las Cascadas estate, told Chile's El Universo daily.
The winter ice cap around the North Pole reached its greatest extent on March 21, but it also fell to the fifth-lowest peak coverage on record. Arctic sea ice usually grows to the largest expanse for winter on or about March 9. The U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center said the annual peak would have occurred about then and been even smaller than the eventual coverage of 5.76 million square miles had it not been for strong and frigid surface winds that swirled around the Arctic in mid-March. The Colorado-based center said the latest measurements reinforce previous studies that have revealed ice around the North Pole is disappearing much faster than earlier predictions. The ice has steadily declined by an average of 12 percent per decade since 1978. Experts predict the Arctic will lose all of its summer ice within decades, if not sooner.
Smog Domes
A London-based firm has a solution to China's smog crisis ---- botanical gardens enclosed in giant "bubbles" where residents can take refuge. Orproject presented the idea to Beijing officials, including plans for a light-weight dome that would house a climate-controlled park with air kept clean by the plants inside and filtered air from outside. "The buildings surrounding the park, which are connected to the controlled air system, can house apartments, offices and retail, but may also offer sports or medical facilities which make specific use of the healthy air," the company said. Critics say more should be done to combat the pollution at its sources. They also point out that the domes would separate those living inside from those unable to afford the luxury. Beijing smog has become so acute that outdoor sports are often banned.
Earthquakes
The at least 110 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or higher that have shaken Oklahoma so far this year totalmore than those during all of 2013. They come in the wake of the state's recent explosive growth in fracking, or underground hydrological fracturing, used in the extraction of natural gas and oil. Before fracking became common, Oklahoma experienced fewer than six quakes per year.
* A strong quake centered in southwest China's Yunnan province injured 26 people as it wrecked 75 homes and damaged thousands of others.
* Earth movements were also felt in southern Greece, southeastern France, far northern Chile and interior parts of California's San Diego County.
Volcanic Merger
Two small Japanese volcanic islands have merged into one after the younger islet grew to overwhelm its older brother. Niijima Island broke through the ocean's surface last Nov. 20 next to Nishinoshima, about 600 miles south of Tokyo. While scientists at the time questioned how long the island would survive before being eroded by the sea, it defied expectations and grew to merge with its neighbor and form one landmass. The newer portion is now larger than the original Nishinoshima, which last 40 years ago. he combined islands have reached about 200 feet in height above sea level.
Tropical Cyclone
Heavy storms that eventually collected into Cyclone Ita triggered floods in the Solomon Islands that killed 23 people and left 25 others missing. Ita strengthened to a Category 4 storm late in the week as it approached Australia's northern Queensland coast.
* Tropical Storm Peipah buffeted the western Pacific island nation of Palau, then dissipated before reaching the Philippines as a tropical depression.
* Tropical Storm Ivanoe formed briefly in the eastern Indian Ocean.
Ebola Crisis
Less than a month after West Africa's first Ebola outbreak emerged, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns it is the "most challenging" to strike since the disease first appeared four decades ago. More than 100 of the 157 people suspected of being infected have died in Guinea, where the hemorrhagic fever first struck in mid-March. A mob in the south of that country has since attacked international aid workers, whom they blame for bringing in the disease. Neighboring Liberia and Mali have also reported a few suspected infections. Despite isolated resistance. WHO is rushing in workers to teach residents how to avoid being infected, and how to handle those who are.
Bovine Tragedies
Lightening from freak thunderstorms, stronger than some southern Chile residents can remember ever experiencing before, killed 63 cows in two separate strikes. A single bolt killed 54 dairy cows that hadtaken refuge beneath a tree near Los Rios. One cow survived, but was left blinded, according to rancher Cecil Fourt. In a similar incident, nine other cows died beneath a tree hit by lightning near El Pilar. "We have electrical storms here, but never like this," Carlos Godoy, administrator of the Las Cascadas estate, told Chile's El Universo daily.
Friday, May 2, 2014
Earthweek: A Diary of the Planet (April 4, 2014)
Whaling's End
Japan was ordered by the World Court to halt its annual slaughter of whales in the Antarctic under the pretext of scientific research. Japan then announced it was cancelling its hunt for the first time in a quarter century. The ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) was a victory for Australia, which has fought for years to prove there is no scientific reason for targeting 850 minke whales and 50 endangered fin whales each year. Critics have said Japan's harpooning of the marine mammals is strictly to provide whale meat for domestic consumption under the ruse of research. But changing appetites and cost cutting may have a far greater impact than the ICJ ruling. Stockpiles of whale meat have doubled over the past 10 years. The government-subsidized program operates at a sizable deficit, while the whaling mother ship, the Nisshin Maru, is due for an overhaul.
Long-Haul Fallout
Migratory seabirds that spend part of the year around New Zealand after flying in from Japan's coastal waters are being checked for contamination from the Fukushima nuclear disaster. A study by the University of Auckland is investigating whether radioactive cesium has entered the New Zealand ecosystem or food chain via the shearwaters, known in New Zealand as muttonbirds. Vast amounts of contaminated water from the meltdown-plagued Fukushima Daiichi plant have poured into the Pacific since the disaster began in March 2011. Fish there have since been measured with unsafe levels of nuclear contamination. Because the shearwaters feed on seafood, it is feared the long-haul birds could be carying radioactive debris many thousands of miles around the Pacific Rim.
Tumbling Nuisance
A plague of tumbleweeds has hit parts of Colorado this spring with mounds of the rolling debris piling up against homes so high that some residents resorted to calling authorities to be rescued. Masses of the dried weeds have also posed a high risk of wildfires across the front range. Experts say the "opportunistic invaders" need just a sprinkle of water to sprout and grow into maturity before drying into woody orbs suitable for use in Western movies. And sprinkles are just what the drought-resistant plants got back in October, allowing them to thrive unchecked by grazing livestock, which ranchers had by then moved to greener pastures. Subsequent high winds broke off the weeds from their roots, allowing them to spread seeds as they tumbled across the plains.
Earthquakes
An estimated 17 million Southern California residents were jolted on the afternoon of March 28 by a 5.1 magnitude quake centered in interior parts of the Los Angeles Basin. The brief but powerful shaking burst water mains, tossed items off shelves and caused other scattered damage.
* Northern Chile was rocked by a massive "great" earthquake that killed six people and triggered a local tsunami that smashed between 70 and 80 boats near the offshore epicenter.
* Earth movements were also felt in eastern Romania, southeastern New Zealand, Panama and in America's Yellowstone National Park.
Tropical Cyclone
Cyclone Hellen strengthened to one of the most powerful such storms on record in the northwestern Indian Ocean just before striking northwestern Madagascar.
Smog-Dust Pall
Parts of England were blanketed with record high levels of choking smog, which was worsened by a plume of dust that blew in from the Sahara Desert. Many motorists awoke to find their vehicles coated with the red dust. Smog reached the top of the official 10-point scale of air pollution in Norfolk, the East Midlands and Yorkshire. Greater London suffered with smog that reached level 7. The environment department said the smog was caused by pollution from Britain and industrialized areas of neighboring Europe that stayed in place because of light winds.
Volcanic Instinct?
Videos posted online of bison apparently fleeing Yellowstone National Park at about the same time the area was jolted by the strongest quake since 1980 have sparked fears of a catastrophic eruption. The geothermal park sits atop a massive super volcano that produced a series of violent eruptions in prehistoric times. Catastrophic blasts 2 million years ago covered half of North America with ash and wiped out populations of prehistoric animals, according to the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO). So bloggers and survivalists say the videos clearly show the park's bison have been "running for their lives" due to instincts that warn them of impending disaster. But the YVO denies there is an increased threat of eruption, pointing out that the bison videos were posted weeks before the March 30 quake. Seismologists have said a Yellowstone eruption is unlikely to occur within the next thousand or even ten thousand years.
Japan was ordered by the World Court to halt its annual slaughter of whales in the Antarctic under the pretext of scientific research. Japan then announced it was cancelling its hunt for the first time in a quarter century. The ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) was a victory for Australia, which has fought for years to prove there is no scientific reason for targeting 850 minke whales and 50 endangered fin whales each year. Critics have said Japan's harpooning of the marine mammals is strictly to provide whale meat for domestic consumption under the ruse of research. But changing appetites and cost cutting may have a far greater impact than the ICJ ruling. Stockpiles of whale meat have doubled over the past 10 years. The government-subsidized program operates at a sizable deficit, while the whaling mother ship, the Nisshin Maru, is due for an overhaul.
Long-Haul Fallout
Migratory seabirds that spend part of the year around New Zealand after flying in from Japan's coastal waters are being checked for contamination from the Fukushima nuclear disaster. A study by the University of Auckland is investigating whether radioactive cesium has entered the New Zealand ecosystem or food chain via the shearwaters, known in New Zealand as muttonbirds. Vast amounts of contaminated water from the meltdown-plagued Fukushima Daiichi plant have poured into the Pacific since the disaster began in March 2011. Fish there have since been measured with unsafe levels of nuclear contamination. Because the shearwaters feed on seafood, it is feared the long-haul birds could be carying radioactive debris many thousands of miles around the Pacific Rim.
Tumbling Nuisance
A plague of tumbleweeds has hit parts of Colorado this spring with mounds of the rolling debris piling up against homes so high that some residents resorted to calling authorities to be rescued. Masses of the dried weeds have also posed a high risk of wildfires across the front range. Experts say the "opportunistic invaders" need just a sprinkle of water to sprout and grow into maturity before drying into woody orbs suitable for use in Western movies. And sprinkles are just what the drought-resistant plants got back in October, allowing them to thrive unchecked by grazing livestock, which ranchers had by then moved to greener pastures. Subsequent high winds broke off the weeds from their roots, allowing them to spread seeds as they tumbled across the plains.
Earthquakes
An estimated 17 million Southern California residents were jolted on the afternoon of March 28 by a 5.1 magnitude quake centered in interior parts of the Los Angeles Basin. The brief but powerful shaking burst water mains, tossed items off shelves and caused other scattered damage.
* Northern Chile was rocked by a massive "great" earthquake that killed six people and triggered a local tsunami that smashed between 70 and 80 boats near the offshore epicenter.
* Earth movements were also felt in eastern Romania, southeastern New Zealand, Panama and in America's Yellowstone National Park.
Tropical Cyclone
Cyclone Hellen strengthened to one of the most powerful such storms on record in the northwestern Indian Ocean just before striking northwestern Madagascar.
Smog-Dust Pall
Parts of England were blanketed with record high levels of choking smog, which was worsened by a plume of dust that blew in from the Sahara Desert. Many motorists awoke to find their vehicles coated with the red dust. Smog reached the top of the official 10-point scale of air pollution in Norfolk, the East Midlands and Yorkshire. Greater London suffered with smog that reached level 7. The environment department said the smog was caused by pollution from Britain and industrialized areas of neighboring Europe that stayed in place because of light winds.
Volcanic Instinct?
Videos posted online of bison apparently fleeing Yellowstone National Park at about the same time the area was jolted by the strongest quake since 1980 have sparked fears of a catastrophic eruption. The geothermal park sits atop a massive super volcano that produced a series of violent eruptions in prehistoric times. Catastrophic blasts 2 million years ago covered half of North America with ash and wiped out populations of prehistoric animals, according to the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO). So bloggers and survivalists say the videos clearly show the park's bison have been "running for their lives" due to instincts that warn them of impending disaster. But the YVO denies there is an increased threat of eruption, pointing out that the bison videos were posted weeks before the March 30 quake. Seismologists have said a Yellowstone eruption is unlikely to occur within the next thousand or even ten thousand years.
Earthweek: A Diary of the Planet (March 28, 2014)
Warming for the Ages
The head of the U.N.'s weather agency says that global warming has not stopped and will continue for at least centuries due to the burning of fossil fuels by humans. Michel Jarraud made the pronouncement as he presented the World Meteorological Organization's annual review of the world's climate. The report concludes that last year tied with 2007 as the sixth hottest since reliable records began over 150 years ago. It also says that 13 of the 14 qwarmest years on record have occurred in this century. "Greenhouse gases are at record levels, meaning that our atmosphere and oceans will continue to warm for centuries to come. The laws of physics are non-negotiable." Jarraud told a news conference.
Bird of Paradise
One of the most endangered waterfowl in the world has been found living in the wild on the Hawaiian island of Oahu for the first time in centuries. A pair of Hawaiian geese, or nene, is believed to have flown on its own from another island to nest on Oahu's North Shore. It has since successfully hatched three healthy goslings. The nene, the official state bird, is believed to have descended from Canada geese that arrived nearly 1 million years ago. It was brought to near extinction by the middle of the 20th century by the expansion of agriculture by early Polynesian settlers and then through unrestricted hunting by European colonists. Only 30 birds were left by 1952. But conservation efforts have lifted the population to about 2,000, mainly on the island of Kauai. Some pairs have been airlifted for resettlement to the Big Island and Maui, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the pair found on Oahu was not part of that program.
Blooming Response
Climate change has stretched the wildflower blooming season in the Rocky Mountains by more than a month, with half the flowers beginning to bloom weeks earlier than before. But researcher David Inouye of the University of Maryland says that the flowering plants response to climate change is complex, with different species responding in unexpected ways. Inouye began counting flowers in the Rockies in 1974, long before climate change was even on the scientific radar. He and his students have since amassed an enormous amount of data on wildflower blooming, and say the blooming times are now changing rapidly. Writing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, he says that the peak time of wildflowers bursting into blooms has moved up five days per decade during his study.
Tropical Cyclone
Cyclone Gillian lashed Australia's Indian Ocean territory of Christmas Island with high winds that tore the roofs off homes and brought down trees as well as power lines. Gillian was only at tropical storm force when it skirted the island, just south of Java, but later intensified into a Category-5 cyclone over a remote stretch of the eastern Indian Ocean.
Earthquakes
People in far northern Chile became alarmed by more than 300 offshore quakes that struck in a single week. The swarm began with a 6.2 magnitude temblor that prompted more than 100,000costal residents to briefly evacuate low-lying areas.
* Earth movements were also felt in the Nicobar Islands and central Oklahoma.
Ebola Outbreak
Countries across West Africa began scrambling to halt a new outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus that is suspected of killing at least 63 people. The hemorrhagic disease emerged in mid-March in parts of Guinea, and is now feared to have spread to neighboring Sierra Leone and Liberia. Initial symptoms are severe fever, headaches, muscle pain and weakness. Those can advance to life-threatening diarrhea, vomiting and hemorrhaging. Humans can become infected from bats, gorillas and forest antelope, then spread it to others through contact with infected blood, bodily fluids and tissue. Fatality rates can be as high as 90 percent.
Worm Woes
Worms struggle to cope with the use of pesticides, which a new study reveals impacts both the physiology and behavior of the important soil-aerating creatures. A Danish-French research team studied earthworms that had been living for generations in soil sprayed with a fungicide. "We see that the worms have developed methods to detoxify themselves, so that they can live in soil sprayed with fungicide. They spend a lot of energy on detoxifying, and that comes with a cost," said researchers Nicolas Givaudan and Claudia Wiegand, whose report was published in the journal Soil Biology and Biochemistry. And that cost is that they are less successful at reproducing and are much smaller than worms living in organic farming fields. There are often two to three times more earthworms in unsprayed soil than in soil treated with pesticide, the report says.
The head of the U.N.'s weather agency says that global warming has not stopped and will continue for at least centuries due to the burning of fossil fuels by humans. Michel Jarraud made the pronouncement as he presented the World Meteorological Organization's annual review of the world's climate. The report concludes that last year tied with 2007 as the sixth hottest since reliable records began over 150 years ago. It also says that 13 of the 14 qwarmest years on record have occurred in this century. "Greenhouse gases are at record levels, meaning that our atmosphere and oceans will continue to warm for centuries to come. The laws of physics are non-negotiable." Jarraud told a news conference.
Bird of Paradise
One of the most endangered waterfowl in the world has been found living in the wild on the Hawaiian island of Oahu for the first time in centuries. A pair of Hawaiian geese, or nene, is believed to have flown on its own from another island to nest on Oahu's North Shore. It has since successfully hatched three healthy goslings. The nene, the official state bird, is believed to have descended from Canada geese that arrived nearly 1 million years ago. It was brought to near extinction by the middle of the 20th century by the expansion of agriculture by early Polynesian settlers and then through unrestricted hunting by European colonists. Only 30 birds were left by 1952. But conservation efforts have lifted the population to about 2,000, mainly on the island of Kauai. Some pairs have been airlifted for resettlement to the Big Island and Maui, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the pair found on Oahu was not part of that program.
Blooming Response
Climate change has stretched the wildflower blooming season in the Rocky Mountains by more than a month, with half the flowers beginning to bloom weeks earlier than before. But researcher David Inouye of the University of Maryland says that the flowering plants response to climate change is complex, with different species responding in unexpected ways. Inouye began counting flowers in the Rockies in 1974, long before climate change was even on the scientific radar. He and his students have since amassed an enormous amount of data on wildflower blooming, and say the blooming times are now changing rapidly. Writing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, he says that the peak time of wildflowers bursting into blooms has moved up five days per decade during his study.
Tropical Cyclone
Cyclone Gillian lashed Australia's Indian Ocean territory of Christmas Island with high winds that tore the roofs off homes and brought down trees as well as power lines. Gillian was only at tropical storm force when it skirted the island, just south of Java, but later intensified into a Category-5 cyclone over a remote stretch of the eastern Indian Ocean.
Earthquakes
People in far northern Chile became alarmed by more than 300 offshore quakes that struck in a single week. The swarm began with a 6.2 magnitude temblor that prompted more than 100,000costal residents to briefly evacuate low-lying areas.
* Earth movements were also felt in the Nicobar Islands and central Oklahoma.
Ebola Outbreak
Countries across West Africa began scrambling to halt a new outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus that is suspected of killing at least 63 people. The hemorrhagic disease emerged in mid-March in parts of Guinea, and is now feared to have spread to neighboring Sierra Leone and Liberia. Initial symptoms are severe fever, headaches, muscle pain and weakness. Those can advance to life-threatening diarrhea, vomiting and hemorrhaging. Humans can become infected from bats, gorillas and forest antelope, then spread it to others through contact with infected blood, bodily fluids and tissue. Fatality rates can be as high as 90 percent.
Worm Woes
Worms struggle to cope with the use of pesticides, which a new study reveals impacts both the physiology and behavior of the important soil-aerating creatures. A Danish-French research team studied earthworms that had been living for generations in soil sprayed with a fungicide. "We see that the worms have developed methods to detoxify themselves, so that they can live in soil sprayed with fungicide. They spend a lot of energy on detoxifying, and that comes with a cost," said researchers Nicolas Givaudan and Claudia Wiegand, whose report was published in the journal Soil Biology and Biochemistry. And that cost is that they are less successful at reproducing and are much smaller than worms living in organic farming fields. There are often two to three times more earthworms in unsprayed soil than in soil treated with pesticide, the report says.
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