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POPSGreat Whites Hang Out in 'Shark Cafe' It had long been assumed shark species at the top of the ocean food chain that roam the high seas looking for food and mates did so almost randomly. But using satellite tagging, acoustic monitoring of shark "hot spots" and genetic samples, a research team led by Professor Barbara Block of Stanford University found to their surprise that the eastern Pacific's great whites are real homebodies. Over an eight year period, nearly 100 sharks were electronically tagged, and even more had tissue samples taken by scientists working from a ship. Sticking to a schedule They found that the sharks consistently migrate along the same paths and stick to a schedule. Between August and December, the great whites, which can grow up to six metres and weigh three tonnes, stalk waters off the coast of central and northern California, feasting on seals and sea lions. Their preferred hunting grounds in this area are known as the "red triangle", notes the study.
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POPSGreat White Sharks Have Their Own Cafe
"Over an eight year period, nearly 100 sharks were electronically tagged, and even more had tissue samples taken by scientists working from a ship. Not only do the sharks consistently migrate along the same paths, they stick to a schedule too. Between August and December, the Great Whites -- which can grow up to six metres (20 feet) and three tonnes -- stalk waters off the coast of central and northern California, feasting on seals and sea lions. Their preferred hunting grounds in this area are known as the "red triangle", notes the study, published in the British journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Starting in January, they head for the deep blue around Hawaii some 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) to the west, where they are found in largest numbers between April and July. But some -- especially males -- loiter at a halfway point known as the "White Shark Cafe", with females coming and going for what scientists presume is a bit of shark intimacy. The new findi
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POPSRepublicans Hit Poll Bottom, again The withering slide in support for Republicans continues, now down to 19-20% in this latest poll. (Only our corrosive and toxic media might make it seem otherwise). The party deserves to be driven into extinction, due to misleading nations into a false war based on deliberate lies, endorsing the use of torture, violating civil and Constitutional rights, and for being nothing more than a Smear Machine trying to win votes based on fear and hate. The new president (despite the ceaseless rabble and rabid critics) continues to also live up to his campaign promises and has set the nation back on the right track in many important ways. The "Dark Side," is losing; as it should. GOP elephants going extinct. 80% of the nation turned off to their drivel.
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POPSA Tale of Two Soundbites “Mao’s responsibility for the extinction of anywhere from 40 to 70 million lives brands him as a mass killer greater than Hitler or Stalin.” Hey, that’s pretty impressive when they can’t get your big final-score death toll nailed down to closer than 30 million. Still, as President Obama’s communications director might say, he lived his dream, and so can you, although if your dream involves killing, oh, 50–80 million Chinamen, you may have your work cut out.
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POPSDeath As Timeless Reality Death is ultimately just another transformation, from one configuration of matter and energy into another. But unless you can stand outside the arena of change, death represents an end point, an extinction. To escape death ultimately means escaping the worldview that gives death its terrible sense of closure and finality. Adapted from Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, by Deepak Chopra (Three Rivers Press, 1998).
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POPSEndangered Bird Becomes Internet Sensation: Sirocco the Kakapo Hits the Big Time Sirocco was featured in a recent BBC series entitled "Last Chance To See," profiling some of the thousands of species of animals in the world that are threatened with extinction, mostly due to human incursion and our effects on wild habitat. A report last summer by the International Union for Conservation of Nature asserts that "nearly one third of amphibians, more than one in eight birds and nearly a quarter of mammals are threatened with extinction." As the Kakapo Conservation website reminds us, "6 billion people on earth; only 124 kakapo." Not a good ratio, and one repeated thousands of times over, around the world. Sirocco is named for a warm Mediterranean wind. Let's hope he wafts into human conscience with a renewed sense of wonder for the amazing and gorgeous creatures on this planet, and a reminder of our responsibility for them.
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POPSRepublican Support Hits New Lows.
A rash of polls came out this weekend. Support for the Republican party is at an all-time low. Support for the President is on the rise, back to 56%. Despite the impression we may get from our corrosive and toxic media -- which manufactures conflict and sensationalism -- these polls show a growing disgust at the Republican Party. The Democrats, btw, other than the President, also are losing support. The often unspoken public opinion we never hear about it the majority of Americans don't like Congress at all. Yet, it's the system we were born into and we're stuck with it till we work out ways to improve it (which Congress will strongly resist). Hopefully we'll remain on track to drive the Republican Party into extinction. Voting against bad Democrats in their primary also would be a good idea, imo. Lots of folks have come to focus on this lately...defeat the so-called "Blue Dog Democrats," in their primaries. Just keep working to electing better leaders, one step at a
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POPSNew Clovis-Age Comet Impact Theory "Highest concentrations of extraterrestrial impact materials occur in the Great Lakes area and spread out from there," Kennett said. "It would have had major effects on humans. Immediate effects would have been in the North and East, producing shockwaves, heat, flooding, wildfires, and a reduction and fragmentation of the human population."
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POPSEarth will be OK, but for us it's not so good Now it is the New Scientist saying that the best we can expect is a collapse of civilisation. This model assumes a 4 C increase. Today I clipped the latest predictions indicating a 6.3 C degree increase. See http://openintelligence.amplify.com/2009/10/05/new-analysis-brings-dire-forecast-of-63-degree-temperature-increase/.
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POPSTourist poo 'killed rare shrimp' on Uluru The shrimp goes through it's life cycle ( from egg to layer of eggs) after the hollows on the rock fill with water from rain. Not so sure about the toiletry habits being the problem but numbers climbing the Rock increased dramatically in the sixties. Still no toilet at the top, as far as I know. Bits of the Rock are still being sent back by ailing people who have taken them illegally.
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POPSSome Traditions Are Meant to Be Broken In this instance the article says, "Learning from grandma is usually a good thing. But not this time: An eight-year-old boy and his grandmother were arrested after laying a steel trap to kill a tiger."
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