Random thoughts

[rbkwp]

repeat and why not


Twelve Epic Migratory Journeys Animals Take Every Spring
As temperatures rise and foliage blooms in the north, creatures from insects to whales set out for long treks across the planet

Close-up of a wildebeest, also called gnus or wildebai, in the grasslands of the Masai Mara in Kenya, August 2018. (Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)
By Brian Handwerk
SMITHSONIAN.COM
APRIL 19, 2019
Animal Migration, says the mass wildlife movements have one important thing in common.

“It’s hard; it’s a taxing, energetically expensive journey,” Davis says. “It allows them to exploit different resources that they wouldn’t have been able to find if they’d stayed put, but a lot of animals die trying to complete migrations. So every year it’s a selective episode that helps to keep the population strong.”

If you are in the right spot on the planet, you might even catch some of the natural world’s most incredible migrators on the move.

Caribou
image: https://thumbs-prod.si-cdn.com/Wf4V...3-ab37-c98f9c6e6c4a/gettyimages-589054720.jpg

A herd of caribou or reindeer on the coast of the Chukchi Peninsula in Russia. (Galen Rowell/Corbis via Getty Images)
Famed for circumnavigating the globe on December 25, many reindeer (also known as caribou in North America) spend the rest of the year on an equally epic circuit, hoofing it to greener pastures.

Animal Migrations in the Spring | Science | Smithsonian

 

[rbkwp]

an odditty but
love manatees, known as dugons in our region huh, either way cute

A Florida manatee winters in the warm waters of Crystal River. (Alexander Mustard/Barcroft Media/Getty Images)
There’s Only One Place in the United States Where It’s Legal to Swim With Wild Manatees
In Citrus County, Florida, hundreds of the gentle giants winter in the warm waters of Crystal River

Read more: There's Only One Place in the United States Where It's Legal to Swim With Wild Manatees | Travel | Smithsonian

 

[rbkwp]

Don't miss this

"Catastrophic breeding failure." Antarctica's Halley Bay, once home to the world's second largest emperor penguin colony, has nearly vanished.

Did you Google "Thanos" today? A search for the main bad guy inAvengers: Endgame shows a cheeky Easter egg from the Infinity Gauntlet.

"Future before profit." Beekeepers scattered thousands of dead bees to protest Monsanto outside of a Bayer shareholders meeting in Germany.

Before you go

 

[rbkwp]

i think so yes
feral vs wildlife, no contest
love eco-systems, and it has to be preserved
our fault yet again to allow them to run wild

8 years on island where they were rampant
NZ needs to do the same

sorry feline lovers
you may need to be confronted by one, then may think/feel differently


Is it just Australia? New Zealand, with no native predatory mammals, is considering outlawing even pet cats to protect kiwis and other helpless species

1. 
   Is Australia’s Catocide Program for the Best?
   Their nine lives are up. Conservation officials aim to kill 2 million feral cats by 2020, despite outcry from friends of felines everywhere, including singer Morrissey and 1950s cinematic “sex kitten” Brigitte Bardot. Hunters with guns and bows have led the way, while poisoned sausages have been widely deployed. Ecosystems with native cats can tolerate feral felines, but they’ve been “calamitous” for Australian wildlife, having helped extinguish 22 native species, including a type of wallaby.
   
   Is it just Australia? New Zealand, with no native predatory mammals, is considering outlawing even pet cats to protect kiwis and other helpless species.
   
   MEOW FIX
   INTRIGUING
   SOURCES:
   NYT MAGAZINE, CNN
   EMAIL TO A FRIEND

THIS STORY IS PART OF THE PRESIDENTIA

 

[rbkwp]

way of rhe modern world
i dont have a problem with it
weare guilty as hell of wastin space huh
get over the false morality of it all i say



SMARTNEWS Keeping you current
Washington Will Likely Be First State to Allow ‘Human Composting’ as a Burial Method
The accelerated decomposition method transforms remains into soil and uses just an eighth of the energy required for cremation


image: https://thumbs-prod.si-cdn.com/vasJ...4b-4f0c-93e0-c6938dda326d/lead_large_copy.jpg

An artist's rendering of the recomposition facility (MOLT Studios)

By Meilan Solly
SMITHSONIAN.COM
APRIL 23, 2019

2015, cremations outpaced burials for the first time in United States history. And as the National Funeral Directors Association points out, this upward trend is set to continue over the coming decades, with the national cremation rate predicted to reach nearly 80 percent by 2035. Still, while cremation has obvious environmental advantages over burial—think of all the wood, reinforced concrete, steel, copper and carcinogenic formaldehyde needed to inter the deceased—the process isn’t as Earth-friendly as you might think. In fact, Laura Yan reported for Pacific Standard in 2016, cremation releases 600 million pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year.

A new bill passed by Washington


Read more: Washington Will Likely Be First State to Allow 'Human Composting' as a Burial Method | Smart News | Smithsonian

 

[rbkwp]

What are the smartest animals in the world and how do we know?

There are many members of the animal kingdom that rival our own wits.

Augmented Reality Feature: When boats approach the barren outer shore of an active volcano just off the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, they must dodge icebergs and hidden rocks. Inhabited only by mosses, nesting seabirds and an enormous colony of chinstrap penguins, the island might seem from a distance to be an unlikely location for Antarctica’s only successful commercial outpost.But Deception Island, aptly named, hides its history.

After devastating Midwest floods, crisis resource groups gear up to support distressed farmers.

On this week’s The Leading Edge: Antarctica is virtually uninhabited by people. There are no roads, cities, or governing bodies. But thanks to a remarkable Cold War diplomatic breakthrough, the last continent ever discovered is one of the only places devoted almost exclusively to international science initiatives. William Brangham reports on how humans first found Antarctica, and how it proves that occasionally, even rivals can become partners.


Look, Watch

Here is the PBS NewsHour science video of the week.

What can humans learn about ourselves by studying chimpanzees? Primatologist Frans de Waal has spent almost three decades studying their behavior and intelligence, most recently focusing on their emotional lives. He’s found primates and people may have more in common than we thought.

 

[rbkwp]

Euphorbias are winners for you and the bees


This garden favourite will grow pretty much anywhere, and is as joyous as it sounds

‘Searing red, long-lasting flowers set atop sunset-hued new leaves’: Euphorbia griffithii ‘Fireglow’. Photograph: Holmes Garden Photos/Alamy
Rugged, drought tolerant and immune to pretty much every pest and disease out there, euphorbias have to be one of the most resilient and easy-to-grow of all flowering plants. If you have a sunny, well-drained spot on your plot, in exchange for a mere 10 minutes work a year you’ll get a dramatic statement, not to mention scented flowers that bees go crazy about. Here are five great “must have” euphorbias for any site or situation.

The lush leaves of Euphorbia mellifera are a sort of visual sorbet in the garden, with domed canopies of vibrant emerald green, each with a white stripe down the middle. In sheltered spots, they will eventually form large shrubs and even small trees, with a beautiful airy branch structure. From the plant’s centre emerges bunches of curious-looking brown flowers, powerfully honey-scented and like catnip to bees.

FacebookTwitterPinterest
A plant for all situations: euphorbia cuttings. Photograph: Trevor Melton/Getty Images/Dorling Kindersley
While they are normally planted in full sun, I have found the plants to be remarkably versatile, growing larger and lusher leaves when in dappled shade. They are frost hardy and even if cut to the ground by a prolonged Arctic blast, they will soon resurface as if nothing happened. With this surprisingly rugged constitution for an exotic plant from the mountain forests of the Canary Islands, it is no wonder the plant has been granted an award of garden merit (AGM) by the Royal Horticultural Society.

If you love their look, but fancy something a bit stouter and stockier, there is a hybrid between E melliferaand E stygiana called E ‘pasteuri’ with a deeper, richer colouration, as if you’ve whacked up the contrast on the Instagram filter settings. Deservedly, it too has won the prestigious AGM. As with most euphorbias, all you need to keep them in tip-top condition is to snip off the spent flower stems in autumn, being careful to avoid new growth. Be sure to wear gloves though, as the plants will bleed caustic latex, which is the plant’s one downside.

If it’s a blaze of colour you hanker after, E griffithii ‘Fireglow’ does what it promises: searing red, long-lasting flowers set atop sunset-hued new leaves. When exposed to falling temperatures, the foliage flushes yellow, providing a changing display across the season. They look stunning amid drifts of bronze-toned grasses in dry gravel gardens.

I love E rigida as a smaller-statured candidate for pots, producing compact, silver-blue growth just 60cm high and crowned with sulphur-yellow flowers. The spiky, architectural branches form neat, ground-hugging rosettes, a bit like a wreath of monkey-puzzle branches spray-painted steely blue.

The very similar looking E myrsinites is smaller still, with an even more prostrate, trailing habit, which makes it an excellent choice to tumble over the edge of raised gravel beds, window boxes and hanging baskets that you will rarely need to water.

Email James at james.wong@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter@Botanygeek

 

[rbkwp]

DOGS


No, a Dog Year Is Not Exactly 7 Human Years

By Jessica Stillma

The 'watergate scandal' is still as clear as mud in a drought
ANALYSIS: Labor is intent on pushing the "watergate scandal". What exactly it is alleging is about as clear as the water flowing through the Menindee Lakes.

'Everest of shearing' conquered as 16yo world record clipped
Lou Brown used meditation and shear effort to clip about one sheep a minute for eight hours and claim the new world record.

Inside the small, unusual farm behind Australian skincare giant Jurlique
A South Australian natural skincare company is beating the big French beauty product companies at their own game.

Bee venom harvesting has amateur apiarists buzzing
Amateur apiarists are excited by a new bee venom harvesting collector that won't damage their colonies.

 

[rbkwp]

how could one not be interested
lke scientists, gems of humankind
imagine the makeup/mentality of deners who refute there expertise grrrr


The Thorny Tale of America’s Favorite Botanist and His Spineless Cacti
Luther Burbank dreamed of deserts filled with cow food.

 

[rbkwp]

quite alarming no doubt


BREAKING NEWS
The measles outbreak has grown to more than 700 cases in 22 states, making it the worst in decades, the C.D.C. reported.
Monday, April 29, 2019 12:23 PM EST
More than 500 of the 704 cases recorded as of last Friday were in people who had not been vaccinated, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Sixty-six people have been hospitalized.

A third of the infections are in children under 5, who normally would have had only one of the two shots recommended to confer full immunity.

Read More »

 

[rbkwp]

listen
underwhelming huh
oh well, good try,modern days


anada's Weed Market Isn't Living up to Expectations
Download


April 30, 2019

Share
Share this via Email

In this Sept. 25, 2018 file photo, marijuana plants grow in a tomato greenhouse being renovated to grow pot in Delta, British Columbia.
( AP Photo )


Six months ago, Canada became one of the few countries to fully legalize recreational marijuana. Expectations were high for a booming market and huge earnings. However, the budding legal weed market has been underwhelming at best. Black market sales are predicted to make up nearly three-quarters of Canada’s marijuana sales in 2019.

Vanmala Subramaniam, cannabis reporter for the Financial Post in Ottawa, Joins The Takeaway to discuss these shortcomings and her recent reporting on Canopy Growth Corporation, one of the largest companies in the cannabis business.

Click on the 'Listen' button above to hear this segment. Don't have time to listen right now? Subscribe to our podcast via iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts to take this segment with you on the go.

Want to comment on this story? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page or Twitter.

Canada's Weed Market Isn't Living up to Expectations | The Takeaway | WNYC Studios

 

[rbkwp]

smile

dognapping
or
catnapping huh

Philadelphia Cop Allegedly Orchestrated Armed Dognapping From Brooklyn Home
BY CLAIRE LAMPEN IN NEWS ON APR 29, 2019 5:05 PM

A Philadelphia police officer allegedly broke into a Brooklyn man's apartment and dognapped his Maltese puppy (not this one). (Ed Yourdon/Wikimedia Commons)


A Philadelphia police officer allegedly burst into his girlfriend's brother's Brooklyn apartment early Thursday morning and put him in a chokehold, demanding the brother hand over a very charming 11-month-old Maltese puppy—or else. The pet-owner, 25-year-old Rafael Santos, says 30-year-old Angel Lopez attacked him while he slept, threatening false arrest if he refused to surrender the pooch.

"He came in full uniform, full gear, right after work," Santos told the NY Daily News. "He slammed open my door. Right away, you could see he was in a hostile state ... He was like, 'I'll arrest you for hitting a cop.' I was like, 'Bro you're putting your hands on me, you came into my home, you're the one looking for an altercation.'"

Santos explained that he adopted his surprisingly contentious pup, Mia, as a companion for his other Maltese puppy of the same age (Adina). His sister—who goes back and forth between Bushwick, where Santos lives, and Philadelphia—was reportedly so jazzed about the new addition that she offered to pay Santos $200 for the privilege of looking after his dog. He told the Daily News that she and Lopez liked the idea of buying a puppy together because they found it "romantic," but didn't want to take on the full responsibility. According to Santos, though, his sister grew attached about a week and a half into her chaperone duties, and wanted to take Mia back to Philadelphia.

"All of a sudden everybody wanted the puppy," Santos told the Daily News. He reminded his sister that Mia was supposed to keep Adina company, he continued, and that he hadn't agreed to sell her his dog, only to let her watch it.

That "no" does not seem to have sat well with Santos's sister: According to Santos, the pair came barreling into his Bushwick apartment at 5:30 a.m. on April 25th, Lopez shouting, "Where is the dog? I want the dog!" He allegedly came fully outfitted with handcuffs, his gun, the full array of his law enforcement affects. Santos says he tried to diffuse the situation, but Lopez aggressively restrained him, while his sister wrenched the dog from his grip and ran off with it.

"My whole shirt was ripped up. He was grabbing me. They treated me like an animal," Santos told the News. "I had a bruise above my right eye where I got hit in the face."

According to the NYPD, Lopez was arrested in Bushwick on Friday, around 8:45 p.m. He faces robbery charges. 24-year-old Kenya Santos was also arrested on robbery charges in connection with the incident, the spokesperson said.

Todd Spodek, Lopez's New York-based attorney, put a different spin on the alleged dog-napping. Spodek said in a statement that Rafael Santos "a history of fabricating stories against Mr. Lopez and his family." Two people who witnessed the alleged assault, which Santos claimed happened before dawn and in the privacy of his own home, confirmed that Lopez "acted appropriately at all times," Spodek said, adding that he "anticipate Mr. Lopez being permitted to return to the force shortly."

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross told the Philadelphia Inquirer that Lopez has been placed on 30-day leave with intent to dismiss, adding: "It's so very unfortunate that someone will give up a good job for something that's so ridiculous."

Meanwhile, Santos told the Daily News that Mia is still missing: "I want my puppy back—that's my biggest concern."

 

[516778]

Nothing feels right anymore.

 

[rbkwp]

mr.suphachai praserdumrongchai / Getty Images
BRAINWAVES
Why your brain doesn’t register the words ‘climate change’

Why your brain doesn’t register the words ‘climate change’

 

[rbkwp]

all is not lost for those of us who need it

UCSF Dept. of Neurosurgery
Scientists Create Speech From Brain Signals
By BENEDICT CAREY
A prosthetic voice decodes what the brain intends to say and generates (mostly) understandable speech, no muscle movement needed.

 

[rbkwp]

Adam Ferguson for The New York Times
Australia Is Deadly Serious About Killing Millions of Cats
By JESSICA CAMILLE AGUIRRE
Feral felines are driving the country’s native species to extinction. Now a massive culling is underway to preserve what’s left of the wild.

Peter Fretwell/British Antarctic Survey, via Associated Press
An Emperor Penguin Colony in Antarctica Vanishes
By KAREN WEINTRAUB
A colony in Halley Bay lost more than 10,000 chicks in 2016 and hasn’t recovered. Some adults have relocated.

 

[rbkwp]

listen


Earth Day has come and gone, but the work continues


Living on Earth

Students make a sand sculpture on Earth Day, on the banks of the river Yamuna in Allahabad, India, April 22, 2018.

Credit:
Jitendra Prakash/ReutersEvery April 22 since 1970, we celebrate Earth Day. And since that first Earth Day, the water in the US is cleaner and local air less polluted, but carbon pollution of the planet's entire atmosphere has gotten worse and is changing our climate.

The leadership the US government once showed on the climate crisis has almost vanished, as President Donald Trump vows to pull the country out of the landmark Paris Climate Agreement of 2015.

Related: Earth Day: Species at risk

Jonathan Pershing, who led the US delegation to the UN climate negotiations during the Obama administration and is currently the program director of environment at the Hewlett Foundation, says the cost to the US in terms of moral leadership is immense.

 

[rbkwp]

GardenPost Growing Guides or click Here

We LOVE gardening

 

[rbkwp]

Found: One of the Oldest Burial Sites in the Amazon
The discovery could change what we understand about the rainforest’s ancient settlements.
BY JONATHAN CAREY
APRIL 26, 2019
683

Llanos de Moxos in Bolivia. AGE FOTOSTOCK / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
IN THE LLANOS DE MOXOS region of the Amazon rainforest in northern Bolivia, a team of researchers may have found one of the oldest burial sites ever discovered in southwest Amazonia. Five human burials, along with snail shells, fish bones, and mammal bones, were discovered in the region. The graves are estimated to be more than 6,000 years old and could rearrange the timeline of when people settled and began cultivating the Amazon rainforest. Their findings were published in the journal Science Advances.

The excavations took place on the “forest islands” of Isla del Tesoro, La Chacra, and San Pablo. During the rainy season, the Llanos de Moxos savanna is typically flooded, but these islands offered the perfect refuge for ancient Amazonians escaping flood waters. According to the researchers, it is likely that these islands were used as seasonal settlements.

The burials, along with discarded food remnants and evidence of fires, are all considered the territorial behaviors of a more settled society. During the Early to Middle Holocene period, the settlers at Llanos de Moxos were thought to be hunter-gatherers. With this recent discovery, however, researchers believe that this group may have established the foundation for more complex societies in the region 10,000 years earlier than previously thought.

A burial in La Chacra exposed during the archaeological excavation. JOSÉ CAPRILES
“These findings suggest that the remaining indigenous populations of the Amazon are the descendants of generations of inhabitants that not only adapted to and transformed this tropical landscape, but also did so in a sustainable manner,” says José M. Capriles, assistant professor at Penn State University and lead author of the study, via email.


By discarding their waste on the islands and constantly returning for extended stays, the ancient indigenous population unknowingly altered the composition of the soil, resulting in thicker vegetation growth and greater land elevation on the islands. When they began to deplete their foraging resources, according to Capriles, they turned to domesticating plants such as peanuts, sweet potatoes, and cassava. Later generations emerging from the area would advance this knowledge of managing the land through building roads, burial mounds, and other earthworks.

Related Stories
Found: Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Coffin in a Wine Cellar30,000 Hidden Images Reveal the World of a Soviet-Era PhotographerFound: A 127-Million-Year-Old Fossil of a Fledgling
There are sure to be other discoveries made across the Amazon regarding ancient civilizations. Those discoveries will continue to alter our understanding of how humans shaped the rainforest, according to Capriles. “Even the most pristine landscape we see today is not the result of the absence of humans in these biomes, he says, “but of extensive landscape practices that in tandem with landscape change, shaped cultural and biological diversity.”

 

[rbkwp]

FROM OUR FRIENDS AT QUARTZ
Saving the Banana
The destructive Panama disease is wiping out banana plants and threatening the $44 billion industry. Scientists are scrambling to save the banana—but history tells us it can be done.
READ MORE →