Nature's Mighty Pictures

Wild Boar

2012-02-13T15:41:00.000-08:00

Wild boar, also known as wild pig, (Sus scrofa) is a species of the pig genus Sus, part of the biological family Suidae. The species includes many subspecies. It is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig, an animal with which it freely hybridises. Wild boar are native across much of Northern and Central Europe, the Mediterranean Region (including North Africa's Atlas Mountains) and much of Asia as far south as Indonesia. Populations have also been artificially introduced in some parts of the world, most notably the Americas and Australasia, principally for hunting. Elsewhere, populations have also become established after escapes of wild boar from captivity.

The term boar is used to denote an adult male of certain species — including, confusingly, domestic pigs. However, for wild boar, it applies to the whole species, including, for example, "wild boar sow" or "wild boar piglet".

Wild boar are also known by various names, including wild hogs or simply boars. In North America they are more commonly referred to as razorbacks or European boars.

The body of the wild boar is compact; the head is large, the legs relatively short. The fur consists of stiff bristles and usually finer fur. The colour usually varies from dark grey to black or brown, but there are great regional differences in colour; even whitish animals are known from central Asia. During winter the fur is much denser.

Adult boars measure 90–200 cm (35–79 in) in length, not counting a tail of 15–40 cm (5.9–16 in), and have a shoulder height of 55–110 cm (22–43 in). As a whole, their average weight is 50–90 kg (110–200 pounds), though boars show a great deal of weight variation within their geographical ranges. In central Italy, their weight usually ranges from 80 to 100 kg (180 to 220 lb) while boars shot in Tuscany have been recorded to weigh up to 150 kg (331 lb). An unusually large French specimen shot in Negremont forest in Ardenne in 1999 weighed 227 kg (550 lb). Carpathian boars have been recorded to reach weights of 200 kg (441 lb). Romanian and Russian boars can reach weights of 300 kg (661 lb), while unconfirmed giants reported in early Russian hunting journals have reportedly weighed up to 320 kg (710 lb). Generally speaking, native Eurasian boars follow Bergmann's rule, with smaller boars nearer the tropics and larger, smaller-eared boars in the North of their range. Mature sows from Southeast Asia and southern India may weigh as little as 44 kg (97 lb).

Adult males develop tusks, continuously growing teeth that protrude from the mouth, from their upper and lower canine teeth. These serve as weapons and tools. The upper tusks are bent upwards in males, and are regularly ground against the lower ones to produce sharp edges. The tusks normally measure about 6 cm (2.4 in), in exceptional cases even 12 cm (4.7 in). Females also have sharp canines, but they are smaller, and not protruding like the males' tusks.

Wild boar piglets are coloured differently from adults, having marbled chocolate and cream stripes lengthwise over their bodies. The stripes fade by the time the piglet is about 6 months old, when the animal takes on the adult's grizzled grey or brown colour (see photo in Reproduction section to compare adult and juvenile colouring).

3d Moon, Picture By Jeffrey Ambroziak

2012-02-12T04:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks to a new 3-D map of the moon, earthbound viewers can see its landscape with a clarity that only Apollo’s astronauts have previously enjoyed.

“NASA put out some amazing digital elevation data of the moon late last year, but nobody had released it in true 3-D. So I decided I would,” said Jeffrey Ambroziak, the map’s creator.

Ambroziak recently launched a Kickstarter project to fund the printing of a full-resolution, two-sided “National Geographic-style” 3-D moon map. The image above is a section of that full map. (No 3-D glasses? Follow Wired’s How-To Wiki article on creating a custom pair, which in a pinch can be done with just a CD jewel box and some markers.)

Traditional 3-D images create the illusion of depth by tricking your brain into merging two slightly different images. Red-blue anaglyphs that superimpose separate images use this technique, as do 3-D movies that alternate perspective in every second frame.

Ambroziak doesn’t consider these kinds of images to be truly 3-D, as viewers must look at them from a specific distance and angle. Glancing from the sides, or walking toward or away from the image, distorts or destroys the illusion.

“If you watch Avatar in 3-D and move toward the screen, it becomes so distorted you can’t watch it. With maps, a single perspective doesn’t cut it. You want to stick your nose right up there,” said Ambroziak.

Frustrated by these limitations, Ambroziak and his father, Russell Ambroziak, developed an algorithm to give 3-D maps a broader perspective. The trick works by both altering the brightness of pixels and stretching or compressing them, based on where they’re supposed to appear relative to a predetermined perspective.

In 1999 they filed a patent for their creation, called the Ambroziak Infinite Perspective Projection (or AIPP). At the time, however, there wasn’t enough data to make a moon map.

“Twelve years ago, when I invented the format, I was scratching the bottom of the barrel to get any data at all. Now there’s so much free data out there just waiting to be transformed,” said Ambroziak, who used NASA’s latest Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera data to create the new map.

The map allows for 3-D viewing from nearly any angle or distance. The moon map, along with his 3-D maps of Antarctica and Mars, have been displayed at the Underline art gallery in Manhattan. They’ve also captured the interest of the U.S. military, which could use such maps to train pilots over realistic terrain.

If enough people are interested in the full version of his new lunar map, which covers about 8 percent of the moon’s surface, he’ll look into crafting the remaining 92 percent of NASA’s lunar elevation data into 3-D maps.

“Until recently I’ve resisted licensing [AIPP],” he said. “But I loved the idea of using Kickstarter to gauge people’s interest. We’ll have to see what happens.”

Image: This AIPP image is a 1000-by-666-pixel section of the full-resolution 3-D map, which will be a 5398-by-7000-pixel graphic. The perspective is set about 10,500 feet above the bottom of the Heinsius crater, a three-crater formation just below center. The topological elevation tops out at 3,940 feet on piles of ejected rock at the lip of Capuanus crater at top left. (Jeffrey Ambroziak)

Sar-i Hasan Beg Mountain, Iraq

2012-02-11T07:47:00.000-08:00

Sar-i Hasan Beg Mountain is an elevation standing high above the surrounding area with small summit area, steep slopes and local relief of 300m or more, located in Iraq.

Snow And The Elephant

2012-02-10T12:43:00.000-08:00

Who is for little snowball fight? :)

Crazy Sheep Invasion

2012-02-09T09:11:00.000-08:00

They are using Indians vs. Cowboys tactic. :)

Amazing Aurora Australis

2012-02-08T08:59:00.000-08:00

Red Aurora Australis from Alex Cherney on Vimeo.

After two years of trying to track it down, amateur astronomer Alex Cherney has captured the unadulterated color and beauty of Aurora Australis, also know as the Southern Lights.

On his Vimeo page, Cherney explains that the red color captured in this time lapse "is caused by the charged particles from the sun exciting oxygen atoms high in the Earth's atmosphere."

The incredible scene was captured from Australia's Mornington Peninsula, just outside of Melbourne.

The auroras that occur near the Antarctic circle are called Aurora Australis, as opposed to the Arctic Circle auroras, which are called aurora borealis or the Northern Lights.

A software developer by day, Cherney lives in Melbourne, Australia, and is a member of Mornington Peninsula Astronomical Society, according to his Facebook page.

Cuteness Collection

2012-02-07T08:20:00.000-08:00

This cuteness collection is here because http://naturesmightypictures.blogspot.com just adore cute pictures like this. We also have some cute puppies and really beautiful penguins or some random cuteness here and here.

Evolution Of Men And Women

2012-02-06T14:23:00.000-08:00

It's a joke, so don't get offended! :)

Cats Love

2012-02-05T05:05:00.000-08:00

Beautiful example of animal love. All beings on Earth are the same when it comes to love. :)

Animal Weapons

2012-02-04T15:57:00.000-08:00

1. Electric eel

Despite their name and serpentine appearance, electric eels are not true eels. They are more closely related to carp and catfish. They got the name from the enormous electrical charge they can generate to catch prey and dissuade predators. Their organs contain about 6,000 specialized cells called “electrocytes” that can effectively turn them into batteries. When threatened or attacking a big prey, the cells will discharge simultaneously, producing voltages of 600 volts (this is about five times the shock you would get from sticking the finger into a wall socket). When attacking a smaller fish, the eel delivers small shocks to its prey rendering the victim paralyzed.

2. Hagfish

The hagfish is a primitive bottom-dweller with no teeth, jaws, stomach or even true eyes, but it has well developed senses of smell and touch and an incredible defense mechanism. When threatened, this creature releases a sticky, ropy and slippery slime that acts as a protective coating. When the danger is gone, the hagfish cleans up by tying itself in a knot and pulling its body through – scraping it clean. This animals only grow to be about 40 centimeters long but can release more than a liter of slime in about one second. As soon as the hagfish is bitten by a predatory fish, the slime oozes out of it and the predator will soon have gills full of goo and choke to death.

3. Bombardier beetle

Unlike many other insects, beetles cannot as a rule take instantly to the air when under attack from a predator, so they require other tools to protect themselves against enemies. The bombardier beetle is armed with an impressive defense system. These incredible creatures can make their own hydroquinone and hydrogen peroxide (two very dangerous chemicals), store them in their abdomens and, when in danger, mix the two chemicals to create an acid that heats up to 100 °C (212 °F) and then spray out right into the face of the would be aggressor, making a sound of a gunshot.

4. Horned Lizard

The horned lizard has one of the most bizarre weapons that it uses to protect itself aginst predators. But this lizard is equipped with so many defense tactics and it will use its secret weapon after all of its other tactics fail. When in danger, the lizard will first try to confuse the enemy’s visual acuity by running in short bursts and stopping abruptly. If this doesn’t work, the reptile will then puff up its body to cause it to look bigger and more difficult for the predator to swallow. If this tactic fails too, the horned lizard will use its last tactic – squirting blood out of its eyes. The lizard is able to do this by increasing the blood pressure in its head. When the pressure increases, the blood vessels in the corner of its eyes rupture and blood shoots out, sometimes for a distance of up to 1.5 meters (5 feet). The blood is not poisonous but it seems to confuse predators and allows the lizard to get away.

5. Archer Fish

In the quiet waters of the Orient, there is a strange fish known as the archer fish, famed for its ability to create an effective water pistol and shoot down insects and other small land based creatures flying or walking on the plants above the water. The archer fish usually spends its time just below the surface of the water, and when it notices a victim that is within range, it adjusts eyes like a scope, so the prey lines up horizontally. The fish will then barely break the water’s surface with its lips and squirt the strong jets of water at the insect until it fells down in the water. Despite the fact the archer fish average only 15 centimeters (6 inches) in length, they can spit out very strong jets of water that can reach up to 1.5 meters (5 feet) away. The fact that the fish almost always hit the target on the first shot is truly remarkable.

6. Skunk

Skunks have earned the title of the smelliest animals in the world, but according to the Humane Society of the United States these mammals don’t naturally smell bad and they use their scent glands only as a defensive weapon when threatened. To employ a scent bomb, a skunk will turn around and blast its enemies with a foul mist which can travel as far as 3 meters (10 feet). Skunk’s spray doesn’t cause real damage to its victims, but it is very effective as a defensive technique, since it can be so strong to even ward off bears. The spray can also cause irritation and temporary blindness and can be powerful enough to be detected by a human nose over a mile downwind. Skunks only have enough spray for five or six uses after what they require about ten days to produce another supply of the chemical.

7. Malaysian Ant

In Japanese language the word “ant” is written by linking two characters: one meaning “insect,” the other “loyalty.” The Malaysian ant is so loyal that it is ready to die in one of the most bizarre ways in order to protect the rest of its colony. Also called “exploding ants” and “kamikaze ants,” this little creatures really tend to explode when their colony is in danger. The ant has two poison-filled mandibular glands that run the entire length of its body and, when a predator appears, the little soldier will contract its muscles to build up the poison and then will explode, spraying the toxic glue on the predator.

8. Whip Scorpion

Whip scorpions might look even scarier than scorpions, but they aren’t nearly as dangerous as more common scorpion species. In fact, they are very small (only about 18 centimeters long), don’t have pinschers or venom and their tail don’t sting. But they do have an amazing defense mechanism. When threatened, the whip scorpion will squirt a vinegar-like fluid (a combination of acetic acid and octanoic acid) from defense glands that are situated at the base of the tail. Although not poisonous, this acid is fifteen times stronger than household vinegar and is irritating enough to make most predators back off.

9. Spitting Spider

Despite its body size of only 3-6 mm, the spitting spider is a serious threat to its prey since, unlike other arachnids, it has the ability to spit a glue-like substance at the victim. Besides the silk glands in its abdomen, this creature also has silk glands that are connected with its poison glands. When ready to catch the prey, the spider will sneak carefully towards the victim and, from about 10 mm, it will measure the distance to its prey without disturbing it. When everything’s done, the spider will spit two poisonous silk threads over the victim at lightening fast speeds of 1/600th of a second. After the victim is immobilized, the spider is ready to have a snack. An interesting fact about spitting spiders is that they can be unsocial and sometimes they will use their weapon to spit the substance at each other till the other is immobilised.

10. Humpback Whale

The highly intelligent humpback whales have developed a sophisticated hunting skill, known as bubble net feeding, which involves a group of the whales working together to capture schools of prey. The whales begin their hunt circling a highly concentrated group of fish and then the giants start blowing bubbles, creating the net of bubbles that is incredibly strong and capable of catching fish just like a real net. When the fish are trapped, the whales then swim upward through the net, with their mouths wide open, swallowing thousands of fish in one gulp.

The Poor Dog Saved

2012-02-03T06:23:00.000-08:00

The story of Rasta, saved from certain death and adopted by a woman from Quebec, has moved many people Tuesday.

Three weeks ago, a private impound area contacted the Humane Society of Quebec (SPA) to say that a dog was found in the northwest of the airport. Scholars believe that the animal could wander and survive outside for a few months. It would have ten years.

“They told us to prepare for a surprise. Is it a lost pet or an abandoned animal? It really has no idea, “says CEO, Denys Pelletier.

Six employees of the SPA took turns to care, shaving and grooming the animal that looks like a shih tzu. The hair and dirt accumulated were such that the work lasted three hours.

Catepillar Mimicking A Snake

2012-02-02T05:09:00.000-08:00

This is a very rare glimpse into the Elephant Hawk Moth (deilephila elpenor) caterpillar mimicking a snake. When startled, the caterpillar draws its trunk into its foremost body segment. This posture resembles a snake with a large head and four large eye-like patches.

Once it reaches adulthood, the caterpillar morphs into a colourful moth, and then most likely eaten by a bat.

Rare White Penguin

2012-02-01T04:27:00.000-08:00

In a sea of atramentous and white penguins waddling on Antarctica’s Aitcho Islands, National Geographic Explorers spotted an acutely rare, about all-white Chinstrap penguin this week.

This rare all-white Chinstrap penguin stands out against his friends as he takes his morning waddle around Antarctica.

The unusual bird was photographed by naturalist David Stephens during a nature expedition to the Aitcho Islands. Chinstrap penguins' normal black-and-white colouring provides them with camouflage while they dive for fish.

Rare: The condition known as leucism only occurs in around 1 in 146,000 penguins

The condition which causes the whiteness is known as leucism. It differs from albinism which is a total lack of skin pigment.

Mr Stephen, who works aboard Lindblad Expeditions' National Geographic Explorer ship, wrote in the daily expedition report: 'At the water’s edge stood a leucistic Chinstrap.

'This bird was whitish, but not quite an albino. Instead, it had pigmented eyes and a washed-out version of a Chinstrap’s normal pattern.

'Many wondered about this unusual bird’s chances of success. While odd coloration may make fishing a bit more difficult, leucistic birds are regularly found breeding normally.'

Dyan deNapoli, a penguin expert and author of 'The Great Penguin Rescue, said the rate of leucism in Chinstrap penguins is about 1 in 146,000.

He added: 'It is a fairly rare phenomenon. When I was in Antarctica, I never saw one, and I saw a lot of penguins.'

Lindblad Expeditions is a travel company which works in partnership with National Geographic, providing trips to both poles.

Spokeswoman Patty Disken-Cahill said: 'Expedition photography is a big component of our expeditions.

'The photography that comes out of our ships is pretty spectacular.'

For more albino animals click here.

Cute Puppies

2012-01-31T15:33:00.000-08:00

If you want more cute pictures, click here and here. :)

Swans And Black Swans

2012-01-30T08:20:00.000-08:00

Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae. There are six to seven species of swan in the genus Cygnus; in addition there is another species known as the Coscoroba Swan, although this species is no longer considered related to the true swans. Swans usually mate for life, though 'divorce' does sometimes occur, particularly following nesting failure. The number of eggs in each clutch ranges from three to eight.

The Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) is a large waterbird, a species of swan, which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. The species was hunted to extinction in New Zealand, but later reintroduced. Within Australia they are nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent upon climatic conditions. Black Swans are large birds with mostly black plumage and red bills. They are monogamous breeders that share incubation duties and cygnet rearing between the sexes.

Described scientifically by English naturalist John Latham in 1790, the Black Swan was formerly placed into a monotypic genus, Chenopis. Black Swans can be found singly, or in loose companies numbering into the hundreds or even thousands. Black Swans are popular birds in zoological gardens and bird collections, and escapees are sometimes seen outside their natural range.

Guilin Mountains

2012-01-29T15:58:00.000-08:00

The Guilin Mountains and surrounding area is one of the most inspirational spots for poets and artists in the world. Limestone mountains and incredible rock formations spring up in various shapes and sizes all along the Li River. Seven-star Park, which covers an area of 100 hectares, features rivers, caves, the Seven Star Peaks, Morning of Camel Hill, Crescent Rainbow Shadow, and Putuo Stone Forest.
The Guilin Mountains and Seven-Star Park area also features scenic features like Flower Bridge, Longyin Cave, Zenggong Stong, Crescent Stone, Camel Hill, Longyin Stone, and Flower Bridge.

The Morning Glory, Rare Meteorological Phenomenon

2012-01-28T08:38:00.000-08:00

The Morning Glory cloud is a rare meteorological phenomenon occasionally observed in different locations around the world. The southern part of Northern Australia's Gulf of Carpentaria is the only known location where it can be predicted and observed on a more or less regular basis. The settlement of Burketown attracts glider pilots intent on riding this phenomenon.

Despite being studied extensively, the Morning Glory cloud is not clearly understood.
Regardless of the complexity behind the nature of this atmospheric phenomenon, some conclusions have been made about its causes. Through research, one of the main causes of most Morning Glory occurrences is the mesoscale circulations associated with sea breezes that develop over the peninsula and the gulf. On the large scale, Morning Glories are usually associated with frontal systems crossing central Australia and high pressure in northern Australia. Locals have noted that the Morning Glory is likely to occur when the humidity in the area is high, which provides moisture for the cloud to form, and when strong sea breezes have blown the preceding day.

Funnel cloud is also very interesting and you can also check out this funny cloud post.

Mount Danxia, Famous Scenic Area

2012-01-27T09:34:00.000-08:00

Mount Danxia is a famous scenic area near Shaoguan city in the northern part of Guangdong, China. The Danxia mountain is formed from a reddish sandstone which has been eroded over time into a series of mountains surrounded by curvaceous cliffs and many unusual rock formations (Danxia Landform). It is described in local signage as a "world famous UNESCO geopark of China". There are a number of temples located on the mountains and many scenic walks can be undertaken. There is also a river winding through the mountains on which boat trips can be taken to enjoy the scenery.

Hawaii Surfing, Dangerous Waves

2012-01-26T13:03:00.000-08:00

Hawaii surfing has long been part of Polynesian culture. A sport reserved for royalty, the ancients would move from their winter homes in the north shore to their summer retreats in the south of the islands to pick up the best waves all year round. The sport was popularized by Olympic swimmer Duke Kahanamoku in the 1920's, whose statue claims prize position on Waikiki's waterfront.

Hawaii surfing waves have two distinct seasons. The biggest hit the north shores of all the islands between November and March, generated from winter storms around Alaska. The first landmass the resulting waves hit to the south are the Hawaii Islands, a distance of over 5000km, by which time the waves can be massive. The lie of the land and ocean floor on Oahu's north shore are particularly favourable to receiving monster waves and endless barrels. The north shore of Maui (Hookipa Beach) receives the best of the wind-surfing conditions.

By summer, the waves on the north shores are as flat as glass and unimaginable for surfing. But things are different on the south shores. Tropical storms in the south pacific send waves northwards and reach the exposed south shores of all islands between June and October. These waves are not as intense as the winter waves that hit the north shores, but the south coast of Oahu (including Waikiki Beach) and Kauai (Poipu Beach) have particularly favourable conditions for surfing and excellent boogie boarding.

Oahu surfing is fabled for its monster waves between October and March and its world surfing championships. The small town of Haleiwa is a mecca for travelling surfers with several large surf board rentals and good breaks at Haleiwa Beach Park where there are camping facilities. The biggest breaks are along Sunset Beach to the east of Haleiwa. The Banzai Pipeline is probably the best known surfing break in the world with its excellent tubes and surging crest. Sunset Rip is another notorious break and is the venue for several international competitions. The surf at Sunset Beach is summer is remarkably calm and placid and is ironically a good scuba diving and snorkelling area. Other good winter surfing sites are along the west coast, especially around the small village of Makaha where international surfing competitions are held.

Waikiki Beach has excellent year round surfing for beginners and is the best place to ride the waves in the summer months when the north shore waters become tame. Waikiki Beach has numerous surfing schools and board rentals. The best boogie boarding and body surfing beaches are along the south east corner of Oahu, including the best and most dangerous spot at Sandy Beach. Waikiki Beach also has great boogie boarding breaks.

Kauai is an excellent surfing spot for beginners with reliable waves on the south coast at Poipu most of the year as well as at the protected bay at Kalapaki Beach on the south east coast. The winter months can bring on monster waves to the north east coast where the surf is at its roughest and experienced surfers will be seen challenging them at Kealia Beach. Wind-surfing and kite-boarding are excellent around Kailua on the east coast.

Big Island surfing has the least appeal of the Hawaiian Islands, although there are several excellent breaks at Waipio on the north coast and at Papeekeo just north of Hilo on the east coast. There are several reasonable breaks also at Keauhopu just south of Kailua Town on the west coast.

In Maui, the best spots for surfing are off the north shore between Hookipa Beach and Baldwin Park (summer surfing is good) and Napili Bay. Beginners will find Kealia Beach in Kihei (west coast) a great place to learn. Winds pick up in the afternoons so if you are not experienced, go early. Body surfing is good at Lahaina harbour. Maui also has the very best wind-surfing spot at Hookipa Beach on the north shore and is the location of several world championships between March and May.

Skagen , Where The Baltic And North Seas Meet

2012-01-25T05:33:00.000-08:00

In the resort town of Skagen you can watch an amazing natural phenomenon. This city is the northernmost point of Denmark, where the Baltic and North Seas meet. The two opposing tides in this place can not merge because they have different densities.

Baltic sea is cold, whilst North sea is warm. So when you stand at the meeting point, you feel one side is cold while the other side is warm.

Stingray Migration photos, Mexico

2012-01-24T05:18:00.000-08:00

Taken by an amateur photographer in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, these photos show the great migration of the Cow-nose Stingrays from the Yucatan Peninsula to western Florida. They travel in compact packs of up to 10,000 individuals, following the counter-clockwise current to their summer feeding grounds.

These bovine-looking stingrays have a poisonous stinger, similar to the one that killed animal-lover Steve Irwin, but this doesn’t make them less pleasant to look at, especially during their migration.

Gryfino Forrest, Drunken Trees

2012-01-23T03:34:00.000-08:00

According to a couple of webpages in Polish, the trees were planted around 1930. One hypothesis states that they were bent by a carpenter to use for furniture making. They were cut and forced to grow horizontally for a while before being allowed to grow upright. But nobody's really sure.

Nature's Mighty Pictures Android Application

2012-01-22T06:23:00.000-08:00

And here we are with a fresh new Android application. Now the beauty of nature is just a click away. Install this free application and enjoy beautiful nature pictures and videos on your mobile phone or tablet. It should work on all android based devices so let us know if something doesn't work. It's daily refreshed so you can enjoy every day in new nature pictures.

Amazing Cappadocia

2012-01-22T05:12:00.000-08:00

Cappadocia ( also Capadocia; Turkish Kapadokya, from Greek: Καππαδοκία / Kappadokía, Armenian: Kapadovkia, Persian: Kāpādōkiyeh) is a historical region in Central Anatolia, largely in Nevşehir Province.

In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians were reported as occupying the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine (Black Sea). Cappadocia, in this sense, was bounded in the south by the chain of the Taurus Mountains that separate it from Cilicia, to the east by the upper Euphrates and the Armenian Highland, to the north by Pontus, and to the west by Lycaonia and eastern Galatia.

The name was traditionally used in Christian sources throughout history and is still widely used as an international tourism concept to define a region of exceptional natural wonders, in particular characterized by fairy chimneys and a unique historical and cultural heritage. The term, as used in tourism, roughly corresponds to present-day Nevşehir Province.

The area is a popular tourist destination, as it has many areas with unique geological, historic, and cultural features.

The region is located southwest of the major city Kayseri, which has airline and railroad (railway) service to Ankara and Istanbul.

The most important towns and destinations in Cappadocia are Urgup, Goreme, Ihlara Valley, Selime, Guzelyurt, Uchisar, Avanos, and Zelve. Among the underground cities worth seeing are Derinkuyu, Kaymakli, Gaziemir, and Ozkanak. The best historic mansions and cave houses for tourist stays are in Urgup, Goreme, Guzelyurt, and Uchisar.

Hot-air ballooning is very popular in Cappadocia and is available in Goreme. Trekking is enjoyed in Ihlara Valley, Monestry Valley (Guzelyurt), Urgup, and Goreme.

Sedimentary rocks formed in lakes and streams and ignimbrite deposits that erupted from ancient volcanoes approximately 9 to 3 million years ago, during the late Miocene to Pliocene epochs, underlie the Cappadocia region. The rocks of Cappadocia near Göreme eroded into hundreds of spectacular pillars and minaret-like forms. People of the villages at the heart of the Cappadocia Region carved out houses, churches, and monasteries from the soft rocks of volcanic deposits. Göreme became a monastic center in 300—1200 AD.

The first period of settlement in Göreme goes back to the Roman period. The Yusuf Koç, Ortahane, Durmus Kadir, and Bezirhane churches in Göreme, and houses and churches carved into rocks in the Uzundere, Bağıldere, and Zemi Valleys all illustrate history and can be seen today. The Göreme Open Air Museum is the most visited site of the monastic communities in Cappadocia (see Churches of Göreme, Turkey) and is one of the most famous sites in central Turkey. The complex contains more than 30 carved-from-rock churches and chapels, some having superb frescoes inside, dating from the ninth century to the eleventh century.

Desert of purple wildflowers

2012-01-21T09:41:00.000-08:00

The cracks in the parched earth are clearly visible, but for a few short weeks - every few years - this remote section of desert is transformed into a magic carpet of purple.

The wildflower Scorpion Weed takes over this corner of the Mojave Desert in southwestern Utah when the conditions are right.

But its beauty is best appreciated in a photo- locals talk of the plants giving off a foul smell like human body odour.

Worse still, it's not called Scorpion Weed for nothing - pick this desert blossom up and you'll get a nasty rash akin to the perils of touching poison ivy or poison oak.

The weed is part of the Phacelia family and it doesn't always appear every year.

But given the right combination of winter precipitation and April sunshine and you have deep purple time.

The photo, named Badlands In Bloom, was taken by photographer and writer Guy Tal near the one-horse town of Caineville in the area known as the Colorado Plateau.

He wrote: 'Over the years, this magical and endangered landscape had not only been my home but also my sanctuary and my main source of inspiration.

'It is my goal as a person, as a writer, and as an artist, to promote and to share its wild beauty, and advocate for its preservation. It is a place like no other - a treasure for the soul that future generations deserve to experience in its wild state as we have been privileged to.'

The picture recently gain the recognition it deserves when it went viral in an email titled Extraordinary Pictures.

Now it's so popular it even has its own Facebook page!

By Mike O'Brien

The Rock Restaurant, Zanzibar

2012-01-20T05:02:00.000-08:00

The Rock Restaurant Zanzibar is perched on a rock near the shore of the beautiful Michanwi Pingwe beach. Depending on the tides it is possible to wade across or should you prefer the restaurant has a boat to transport you from the beach to the steps at the bottom of the rock and back again.

Naturally the restaurant serves a wide variety of sea food with a distinctly Zanzibari twist as well as a decent selection of wines, beers and soft drinks. There is even champagne should you have cause to celebrate!

Eating at Rock Restaurant is an experience you can’t miss: colours, relish and sensations blend together in unique ‘edge of the world’ magic.

Just look at that pictures and beautiful nature around that restaurant. O how I wish to be there. :)

Emerald Lakes, Mount Tongariro, New Zealand

2012-01-19T07:24:00.000-08:00

The Emerald Lakes are located in New Zealand, on Mount Tongariro. The lakes are considered to be sacred to the Maori people.

Thor's Well And The Devil’s Churn

2012-01-18T08:16:00.000-08:00

The Devil’s Churn is a long crack in the coastal rock that fills with each ocean wave, occasionally exploding as incoming and outgoing waves collide. The Spouting Horn (also known as Thor's Well) is a salt water fountain driven by the power of the ocean tide. The Devil’s Churn and the Spouting Horn are popular with visitors; however, both can be dangerous especially at high tide and during winter storms.

Thor's Well

Devil's Churn

Baby Rhino

2012-01-17T07:42:00.000-08:00

Each three years on average, after an 18-month pregnancy the female rhinoceros gives birth to only one young. It weighs about 30 to 40 kilograms and only 10 minutes after it appears it can already stand upright, a couple of hours later it begins to suck. It sucks from its mother during 18 months, but it also begins to graze long before it stops sucking. The young has no horn, it is unprotected and depends entirely on its mother. The mother protects the young carefully from each predator. From time to time the young stays with its mother even after the birth of the second young, although at the age of three years the young rhinoceros is already able to take care of itself alone.

See gorgeous baby white rhino at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo:

Panda, Growing Up In Few Pictures

2012-01-16T03:43:00.000-08:00

And here is a fully functional cute panda cub. :)

Do you know how loud little panda can sneeze? Check it here!

Amazon River

2012-01-15T07:37:00.000-08:00

The Amazon River ( Portuguese: Amazonas; Spanish: Amazonas) in South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined (not including Madeira and Rio Negro, which are tributaries of the Amazon). The Amazon, which has the largest drainage basin in the world, about 7,050,000 square kilometres (2,720,000 sq mi), accounts for approximately one-fifth of the world's total river flow.

In its upper stretches, above the confluence of the Negro River, the Amazon is called Solimões in Brazil; however, in Peru, Colombia and Ecuador, as well as the rest of the Spanish-speaking world, the river is generally called the Amazon downstream from the confluence of the Marañón and Ucayali rivers in Peru. The Ucayali-Apurímac river system is considered the main source of the Amazon.

Riverboat at the Amazon river

The width of the Amazon varies between 1.6 and 10 kilometres (1.0 and 6.2 mi) at low stage, but expands during the wet season to 48 kilometres (30 mi) or more. The river enters the Atlantic Ocean in a broad estuary about 240 kilometres (150 mi) wide. The mouth of the main stem is 80 kilometres (50 mi). Because of its vast dimensions, it is sometimes called The River Sea. At no point is the Amazon crossed by a bridge. This is not because of its huge dimensions; in fact, for most of its length (which is 4,080 miles), the Amazon's width is well within the capability of modern engineers to bridge. However, the bulk of the river flows through tropical rainforest, where there are few roads or cities, limiting the need for crossings.

The origin of the Amazon River at Nevado Mismi marked only by a wooden cross

More than one-third of all species in the world live in the Amazon Rainforest, a giant tropical forest and river basin with an area that stretches more than 5,400,000 square kilometres (2,100,000 sq mi). It is the richest tropical forest in the world in terms of biodiversity. There are over 2,100 species of fish currently recognized in the Amazon Basin, with more being discovered every year.

While debate as to whether the Amazon or the Nile is the world's longest river has gone on for many years, the historic consensus of geographic authorities has been to regard the Amazon as the second longest river in the world, with the Nile being the longest. However, the Amazon has been measured by different geographers as being anywhere between 6,259 and 6,800 kilometres (3,889 and 4,200 mi) long. It is often said to be "at least" 6,400 kilometres (4,000 mi) long. The Nile is reported to be anywhere from 5,499 to 6,690 kilometres (3,417 to 4,160 mi). Often it is said to be "about" 6,650 kilometres (4,130 mi) long. There are many factors that can affect these measurements.

A study by Brazilian scientists concluded that the Amazon is actually longer than the Nile. Using Nevado Mismi, which in 2001 was labeled by the National Geographic Society as the Amazon's source, these scientists made new calculations of the Amazon's length. They calculated the Amazon's length as 6,992 kilometres (4,345 mi). Using the same techniques they calculated the length of the Nile as 6,853 kilometres (4,258 mi), which is longer than previous estimates but still shorter than the Amazon. They made it possible by measuring the Amazon downstream to the beginning of the tidal estuary of Canal do Sul and then, after a sharp turn back, following tidal canals surrounding the isle of Marajó and finally including the marine Waters of the Río Pará bay in its entire length. Guido Gelli, director of science at the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), told the Brazilian TV network Globo in June 2007 that it could be considered as a fact that the Amazon was the longest river in the world. However, other geographers have had access to the same data since 2001, and a consensus has yet to emerge to support the claims of these Brazilian scientists. As of 2010 the length of both the Amazon and the Nile remains open to interpretation and continued debate.

Scientists have discovered the longest underground river in the world, in Brazil, running for a length of 6,000 km at a depth of nearly 4 km. It flows from the Andean foothills to the Atlantic coast in a nearly west-to-east direction like the Amazon River. The discovery was made public at a recent meeting of the Brazilian Geophysical Society in Rio de Janeiro. The river ‘Hamza,' named after the discoverer, an Indian-born scientist Valiya Mannathal Hamza who is working with the National Observatory at Rio, makes it the first and geologically unusual instance of a twin-river system flowing at different levels of the earth's crust in Brazil. If the slowing down of certain seismic waves caused by the damp spot helped uncover the underground ocean, the unusual temperature variation with depth measured in 241 inactive oil wells helped locate the subterranean river. Except for the flow direction, the Amazon and the Hamza have very different characteristics. The most obvious ones are their width and flow speed. While the former is 1 km to 100 km wide, the latter is 200 km to 400 km in width. But the flow speed is five meters per second in the Amazon and less than a millimeter per second speed in the Hamza.

Several geological factors have played a vital role in the formation and existence of these subterranean water bodies. The underground ocean, discovered in 2007, has been formed when the plate carrying the Pacific Ocean bottom gets dragged and ends up under the continental plate. Water at such depths would normally escape upwards but the unusual conditions that exist along the eastern Pacific Rim allow the moisture to remain intact. In the case of the Hamza, the porous and permeable sedimentary rocks behave as conduits for the water to sink to greater depths. East-west trending faults and the karst topography present along the northern border of the Amazon basin may have some role in supplying water to the river. If the impermeable rocks stop the vertical flow, the west to east gradient of the topography directs it to flow towards the Atlantic Ocean. Unlike the Hamza, the 153 km-long underground river in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula and the 8.2 km-long Cabayugan River in the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in the Philippines have come into being thanks to the karst topography. Water in these places drills its way downward by dissolving the carbonate rock to form an extensive underground river system.

Satellite image of mouths of Amazon river in Brazil

And here is short film about Amazon

You may also like to see beautiful rainforest photos or beauty of Latin America..

Probably the Funniest Cat Video Compilation You'll Ever See

2012-01-14T13:45:00.000-08:00

Now don't let the corny opening fool you, this is surely the most hilarious cat video you will ever see in your life.

Giraffe

2012-01-13T08:49:00.000-08:00

The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest extant terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant. Its specific name refers to its camel-like face and irregular patches of color on a light background, which bear a vague resemblance to a leopard's spots. The giraffe is also noted for its extremely long neck and legs and prominent horns. It stands 5–6 m (16–20 ft) tall and has an average weight of 1,200 kg (2,600 lb) for males and 830 kg (1,800 lb) for females. It is classified under the family Giraffidae, along with its closest extant relative, the okapi. There are nine subspecies of giraffe, which differ in size, coloration, pattern and range.

The giraffe's range extends from Chad in the north to South Africa in the south and from Niger in the west to Somalia in the east, but it is very scattered. Giraffes usually inhabit savannas, grasslands and open woodlands. They prefer areas with plenty of acacia trees, which are important food sources. Because of their extreme height, giraffes can browse for vegetation that most other herbivores cannot reach. While adults are nearly invulnerable to predation, lions, leopards, spotted hyenas and wild dogs prey on calves. Although they commonly gather together, giraffe aggregations usually disband every few hours. Male giraffes use their necks as weapons in combat, a behavior known as "necking". Dominant males each mate with multiple females. Females bear the sole responsibility for raising their young.

The giraffe has intrigued various cultures, both ancient and modern, for its peculiar appearance, and has often been featured in paintings, novels and cartoons. The giraffe is classified by the IUCN as Least Concern. However, it has been extirpated from many parts of its former range, and some subspecies are classified as endangered. Nevertheless, giraffes are still found in numerous reserves.

Giraffes were probably a favorite target for the hunters of the Sahara, the Kalahari and central and eastern Africa. They were hunted for their tails, hides and meat. The tails were used as good luck charms, for thread and as flyswatters; the skin was used for shields, sandals and drums; the tendons were used for stringed instruments and thread; the hairs were used to make necklaces and bracelets. The smoke of burning giraffe skins was prescribed by the medicine men of Buganda as a cure for persistent nose bleeding. European explorers also hunted them. Habitat destruction has hurt the giraffe, too: in the Sahel, trees are cut down for firewood and to make way for livestock. Normally, giraffes can coexist with livestock, since they feed on the trees above the latter's heads.

Overall, the giraffe is assessed as Least Concern from a conservation perspective by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as it is still widespread and lives in numerous reserves. However, giraffes have been extirpated from Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Guinea, Malawi, Mauritania and Senegal. They may also have disappeared from Angola, Mali, and Nigeria, but have been introduced to Rwanda and Swaziland. Two subspecies, the West African giraffe and the Rothschild giraffe, have been classified as endangered, as wild populations of each of them number in the hundreds. In 1997, Jonathan Kingdon suggested that the Nubian giraffe was the most threatened of all giraffes; as of 2010, it may number fewer than 250, but little recent information is available and consequently that estimate is the subject of considerable uncertainty. While giraffe populations have declined in western Africa, they are stable and expanding in southern Africa thanks to private game reserves. The giraffe is a protected species in most of its range. In 1999, the total wild giraffe population was estimated at over 140,000. However, estimates in 2010 indicate that fewer than 80,000 remain.

Maltese

2012-01-12T04:11:00.000-08:00

The Maltese is a small breed of dog in the toy group. It descends from dogs originating in the Central Mediterranean Area. The breed name and origins are generally understood to derive from the Mediterranean island of Malta; however, the name is sometimes described with reference to the Adriatic island of Mljet, or a defunct Sicilian town called Melita.

This ancient breed has been known by a variety of names throughout the centuries. Originally called the "Canis Melitaeus" in Latin, it has also been known in English as the "ancient dog of Malta," the "Roman Ladies' Dog," the "Maltese Lion Dog." The origin of the common name "Cokie" is unknown, but is believed to originate in the mid 1960's on the East Coast and spread in popular use. This breed has been referred falsely as the "Bichon", as that name refers to the family and not the breed of the dog. The Kennel Club settled on the name "Maltese" for the breed in the 19th century.

The Maltese is thought to have been descended from a Spitz type dog found among the Swiss Lake dwellers and was selectively bred to obtain its small size. There is also some evidence that the breed originated in Asia and is related to the Tibetan Terrier; however, the exact origin is unknown. The dogs probably made their way to Europe through the Middle East with the migration of nomadic tribes. Some writers believe these proto-Maltese were used for rodent control before the appearance of the breed gained paramount importance.

The oldest record of this breed was found on a Greek amphora found in the Etruscan town of Vulci, in which a Maltese-like dog is portrayed along with the word Μελιταιε (Melitaie). Archaeologists date this ancient Athenian product to the decades around 500 BC. References to the dog can also be found in Ancient Greek and Roman literature.

Aristotle was the first to mention its name Melitaei Catelli, when he compares the dog to a Mustelidae, around 370 BC. The first written document (supported by Stephanus of Byzantium) describing the small Canis Melitaeus was given by the Greek writer Callimachus, around 350 BC. Pliny suggests the dog as having taken its name from the island of Adriatic island Méléda; however, Strabo, in the early first century AD, identifies the breed as originating from the Mediterranean island of Malta, and writes that they were favored by noble women.

During the first century, the Roman poet Martial wrote descriptive verses to a small white dog named Issa owned by his friend Publius. It is commonly thought that Issa was a Maltese dog, and various sources link Martial's Publius with the Roman Governor Publius of Malta, though others do not identify him.

John Caius, physician to Queen Elizabeth I, also claimed that Callimachus was referring to the island of Melita "in the Sicilian strait" (Malta). This claim is often repeated, especially by English writers. The dog's links to Malta are mentioned in the writings of Abbé Jean Quintin d'Autun, Secretary to the Grand Master of the Knights of Malta Philippe Villiers de L'Isle-Adam, in his work of 1536, Insulae Melitae Descriptio.

Around the 17th and 18th centuries, some breeders decided to "improve" the breed, by making it smaller still. Linnaeus wrote in 1792 that these dogs were about the size of a squirrel. The breed nearly disappeared and was crossbred with other small dogs such as Poodles and miniature Spaniels. In the early 19th century there were as many as nine different breeds of Maltese dog.

Parti-colour and solid colour dogs were accepted in the show ring from 1902 until 1913 in England, and as late as 1950 in Victoria, Australia. However, white Maltese were required to be pure white. Coloured Maltese could be obtained from the south of France.

Adult Maltese range from roughly 5 to 12 lb (2.3 to 5.4 kg), though breed standards, as a whole, call for weights between 4-7 lbs. There are variations depending on which standard is being used. Many, like the American Kennel Club, call for a weight that is ideally less than 7 lbs. They stand normally 7-12 inches.

Maltese are bred to be cuddly companion dogs, and thrive on love and attention. They are extremely lively and playful, and even as a Maltese ages, his or her energy level and playful demeanor remain fairly constant. Some Maltese may occasionally be snappish with smaller children and should be supervised when playing, although socializing them at a young age will reduce this habit. They also adore humans, and prefer to stay near them. Basically, Maltese is a breed that is cuddly, playful, and very kind and loving. The Maltese is very active within a house, and, preferring enclosed spaces, does very well with small yards. For this reason, the breed also fares well in apartments and townhouses, and is a prized pet of urban dwellers. Maltese also suffer from separation anxiety, so potential owners should be cognizant of this behavior.

An Australia-wide (not including Tasmania) research project carried out in conjunction with RSPCA found owners likely to dump their Maltese terriers, citing the tendency of Maltese to bark constantly.[31] This breed is Australia's most dumped dog. In addition, figures released in 2010 by the Korean National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service show that some 1,208 Maltese were abandoned between January and August 2010, making it the most abandoned breed in Seoul, Korea. Though, many people mistreat them and abandoned Maltese in Australia and Seoul.

Maltese have no undercoat, and have little to no shedding if cared for properly. Like their relatives Poodles and Bichon Frisé, they are considered to be largely hypoallergenic and many people who are allergic to dogs may not be allergic to the Maltese (See list of Hypoallergenic dog breeds). Daily cleaning is required to prevent the risk of tear-staining.

Regular grooming is also required to prevent the coats of non-shedding dogs from matting. Many owners will keep their Maltese clipped in a "puppy cut," a 1 - 2" all over trim that makes the dog resemble a puppy. Some owners, especially those who show Maltese in the sport of conformation, prefer to wrap the long fur to keep it from matting and breaking off, and then to show the dog with the hair unwrapped combed out to its full length.

Dark staining in the hair around the eyes, "tear staining," can be a problem in this breed, and is mostly a function of how much the individual dog's eyes water and the size of the tear ducts. Tear stain can be readily removed if a fine-toothed metal comb, moistened with lukewarm water, is carefully drawn through the snout hair just below the eyes. This maintenance activity must be performed every two or three days, as a layer of sticky film is quick to redevelop. If the face is kept dry and cleaned daily, the staining can be minimized. Many veterinarians recommend avoiding foods treated with food coloring, and serving distilled water to reduce tear staining. There are also a few products on the market, for preventing tear stains. Also, with the Maltese, you need to watch out for hypoglycemia and dental problems.

Maltese are susceptible to "reverse sneezing," which sounds like a honking, snorting, or gagging sound and results often from overexcitement, play, allergies, or upon waking up. It is not life threatening.

It is ranked 59th in Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs.

Maltese are really cute dogs. For more cute animals, click here.

Lioness tries to eat baby at the zoo

2012-01-11T03:38:00.000-08:00

1 year old baby Trent has the attention of Angie, a 400 pound lioness at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
Brings new meaning to the phrase, "Baby is so cute, I could just eat him up.":)

One and only - Kung Fu Panda

2012-01-10T10:13:00.000-08:00

He is so cute! :) And nice athletic abilities too.

Galaxy

2012-01-09T13:34:00.000-08:00

NGC 4414, a typical spiral galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices, is about 55,000 light-years in diameter and approximately 60 million light-years away from Earth.

A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system that consists of stars and stellar remnants, an interstellar medium of gas and dust, and an important but poorly understood component tentatively dubbed dark matter. The word galaxy is derived from the Greek galaxias (γαλαξίας), literally "milky", a reference to the Milky Way galaxy. Examples of galaxies range from dwarfs with as few as ten million (107) stars to giants with a hundred trillion (1014) stars, each orbiting their galaxy's own center of mass.

The Antennae Galaxies are undergoing a collision that will result in their eventual merger.

Galaxies contain varying amounts of star systems, star clusters and types of interstellar clouds. In between these objects is a sparse interstellar medium of gas, dust, and cosmic rays. Dark matter appears to account for around 90% of the mass of most galaxies. Observational data suggests that supermassive black holes may exist at the center of many, if not all, galaxies. They are thought to be the primary driver of active galactic nuclei found at the core of some galaxies. The Milky Way galaxy appears to harbor at least one such object.

The Whirlpool Galaxy (on left), an example of an unbarred spiral galaxy.

Galaxies have been historically categorized according to their apparent shape; usually referred to as their visual morphology. A common form is the elliptical galaxy, which has an ellipse-shaped light profile. Spiral galaxies are disk-shaped with dusty, curving arms. Those with irregular or unusual shapes are known as irregular galaxies and typically originate from disruption by the gravitational pull of neighboring galaxies. Such interactions between nearby galaxies, which may ultimately result in a merging, sometimes induce significantly increased incidents of star formation leading to starburst galaxies. Smaller galaxies lacking a coherent structure are referred to as irregular galaxies.

Hoag's Object, an example of a ring galaxy

There are probably more than 170 billion (1.7 × 1011) galaxies in the observable universe. Most are 1,000 to 100,000 parsecs in diameter and usually separated by distances on the order of millions of parsecs (or megaparsecs). Intergalactic space (the space between galaxies) is filled with a tenuous gas of an average density less than one atom per cubic meter. The majority of galaxies are organized into a hierarchy of associations known as groups and clusters, which, in turn usually form larger superclusters. At the largest scale, these associations are generally arranged into sheets and filaments, which are surrounded by immense voids.

NGC 1300, an example of a barred spiral galaxy.

Spiral galaxies consist of a rotating disk of stars and interstellar medium, along with a central bulge of generally older stars. Extending outward from the bulge are relatively bright arms. In the Hubble classification scheme, spiral galaxies are listed as type S, followed by a letter (a, b, or c) that indicates the degree of tightness of the spiral arms and the size of the central bulge. An Sa galaxy has tightly wound, poorly defined arms and possesses a relatively large core region. At the other extreme, an Sc galaxy has open, well-defined arms and a small core region. A galaxy with poorly defined arms is sometimes referred to as a flocculent spiral galaxy; in contrast to the grand design spiral galaxy that has prominent and well-defined spiral arms.

In spiral galaxies, the spiral arms do have the shape of approximate logarithmic spirals, a pattern that can be theoretically shown to result from a disturbance in a uniformly rotating mass of stars. Like the stars, the spiral arms rotate around the center, but they do so with constant angular velocity. The spiral arms are thought to be areas of high-density matter, or "density waves". As stars move through an arm, the space velocity of each stellar system is modified by the gravitational force of the higher density. (The velocity returns to normal after the stars depart on the other side of the arm.) This effect is akin to a "wave" of slowdowns moving along a highway full of moving cars. The arms are visible because the high density facilitates star formation, and therefore they harbor many bright and young stars.

Galactic Center of the Milky Way

The word galaxy derives from the Greek term for our own galaxy, galaxias (γαλαξίας), or kyklos galaktikos, meaning "milky circle" for its appearance in the sky. In Greek mythology, Zeus places his son born by a mortal woman, the infant Heracles, on Hera's breast while she is asleep so that the baby will drink her divine milk and will thus become immortal. Hera wakes up while breastfeeding and then realizes she is nursing an unknown baby: she pushes the baby away and a jet of her milk sprays the night sky, producing the faint band of light known as the Milky Way.

In the astronomical literature, the capitalized word 'Galaxy' is used to refer to our galaxy, the Milky Way, to distinguish it from the billions of other galaxies. The term Milky Way first appeared in the English language in a story by Chaucer.

"See yonder, lo, the Galaxyë
Which men clepeth the Milky Wey,
For hit is whyt."
—Geoffrey Chaucer. The House of Fame, c. 1380.

NGC 5866, an example of a lenticular galaxy

A lenticular galaxy is a type of galaxy which is intermediate between an elliptical galaxy and a spiral galaxy in galaxy morphological classification schemes. Lenticular galaxies are disk galaxies (like spiral galaxies) which have used up or lost most of their interstellar matter and therefore have very little ongoing star formation. They may, however, retain significant dust in their disks. As a result, they consist mainly of aging stars (like elliptical galaxies). Because of their ill-defined spiral arms, if they are inclined face-on it is often difficult to distinguish between them and elliptical galaxies. Despite the morphological differences, lenticular and elliptical galaxies share common properties like spectral features, scaling relations and both can be considered as early type galaxies which are passively evolving, at least in the local universe.

Apocephalus borealis, bee killer fly

2012-01-08T03:48:00.000-08:00

Throughout North America, honeybees are abandoning their hives. The workers are often found dead, some distance away. Meanwhile, the hives are like honeycombed Marie Celestes, with honey and pollen left uneaten, and larvae still trapped in their chambers.

There are many possible causes of this “colony collapse disorder” (CCD). These include various viruses, a single-celled parasite called Nosema apis, a dramatically named mite called Varroa destructor, exposure to pesticides, or a combination of all of the above. Any or all of these factors could explain why the bees die, but why do the workers abandon the hive?

Andrew Core from San Francisco State University has a possible answer, and a new suspect for CCD. He has shown that a parasitic fly, usually known for attacking bumblebees, also targets honeybees. The fly, Apocephalus borealis, lays up to a dozen eggs in bee workers. Its grubs eventually eat the bees from the inside-out. And the infected workers, for whatever reason, abandon their hives to die.

There are hundreds of species of Apocephalus flies, and they’re best known for decapitating ants from the inside. The larvae, laid within an ant, migrate to the head and devour the tissue inside. The brainless ant wanders aimlessly for weeks, before the larvae release an enzyme that dissolves the connection between the ant’s head and body. The head falls off, and adult flies emerge from it.

A. borealis has a similar modus operandi, but it targets bees not ants. Core discovered its penchant for honeybees by sampling workers that had been stranded in the lights of his faculty building, and other locations throughout the San Francisco Bay area. The fly was everywhere. It was parasitizing bees in three-quarters of the places that Core studied, and its DNA confirmed that the species that attacked honeybees was the same one that kills bumblebees.

When Core exposed honeybees to the flies in his lab, he saw the same events that befall unfortunate ants. The flies lay eggs in a bee’s body and weeks later, larvae burst out from behind the insect’s head. It’s no surprise that the infected bees, with up to 13 larvae feasting on their brains, seem a little disoriented. They walk round like zombies, pacing in circles and often unable to stand up.

They also abandon their hives. Core found that the dying insects literally head towards the light. Large numbers of them become stranded within bright lights. Many flying insects show a similar attraction, but the stranded bees were stock still rather than buzzing about. They would also head towards lights on cold, rainy nights when other insects seek shelter.

It’s not clear why the bees would leave. It could be the fly’s doing, since several parasites can change the behaviour of their hosts. One virus compels caterpillars to climb to high spots where their bodies liquefy, releasing virus particles that rain down on the foliage below. Some fungi steer infected ants towards places with the right conditions for its spore capsules to develop (which erupt from the ants’ heads). Given such manipulations, perhaps the fly changes a bee’s daily rhythms or its sensitivity to light.

Alternatively, the bees could flee their hives to avoid infecting their colony-mates. Such altruism is common among social insects – terminally ill ants, which have been infected with a fungus, will often walk off to die alone.

None of this means that the fly is the sole cause of CCD. The other viruses and parasites that have been linked to CCD are still important. The fly could even transmit some of them. Core found that many flies tested positive for the Nosema parasite and the “deformed wing virus” (DMV).

But certainly, Core’s evidence suggests that the flies are playing some role. Not only do the infected bees behaved in a way consistent with CCD, but the timing also fits. The flies attack the bees most heavily between October and January, and then once more in the late summer. Both peaks happen just before the times of year when CCD is most common in the Bay Area.

Core hopes that beekeepers will now help to measure and monitor the spread of the flies. The easiest way is to stick light traps near a hive, and to check the trapped bees for fly larvae. Core himself will try to find out where the flies are attacking the bees, to find ways of stopping them.

Similar flies attack honeybees in Central and South America, but North American bees have always seemed to be free of such parasites. That’s no longer the case. Core thinks that A.borealis may be a new threat. After all, honeybees have only recently started to gather around electric lights at night.

Honeybees are so economically important that they are very carefully studied. If the flies have been attacking them for decades, we’d probably know about it. Either it has recently expanded its choice of host or it always targeted honeybees at low levels and is now picking up its game.

Both scenarios are equally worrying. While bumblebees live in small colonies that die at the end of each year, honeybees live in massive hives that persist throughout the seasons and are often found in close quarters. If A.borealis has gained the ability to parasitise honeybees, its population could explode. That would spell problems not just for honeybees, but for bumblebees and the fly’s other victims. As Core writes, “The domestic honey bee is potentially A. borealis’ ticket to global invasion.”

Penguins, Cute Animals and Beautiful Photos

2011-10-24T15:36:00.000-07:00

Penguins (order Sphenisciformes, family Spheniscidae) are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage, and their wings have become flippers. Most penguins feed on krill, fish, squid, and other forms of sealife caught while swimming underwater. They spend about half of their lives on land and half in the oceans.

Although all penguin species are native to the southern hemisphere, they are not found only in cold climates, such as Antarctica. In fact, only a few species of penguin live so far south. Several species are found in the temperate zone, and one species, the Galápagos Penguin, lives near the equator.

The largest living species is the Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri): adults average about 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in) tall and weigh 35 kg (75 lb) or more. The smallest penguin species is the Little Blue Penguin (Eudyptula minor), also known as the Fairy Penguin, which stands around 40 cm tall (16 in) and weighs 1 kg (2.2 lb). Among extant penguins, larger penguins inhabit colder regions, while smaller penguins are generally found in temperate or even tropical climates (see also Bergmann's Rule). Some prehistoric species attained enormous sizes, becoming as tall or as heavy as an adult human. These were not restricted to Antarctic regions; on the contrary, subantarctic regions harboured high diversity, and at least one giant penguin occurred in a region not quite 2,000 km south of the equator 35 mya, in a climate decidedly warmer than today.

Nature's Mighty Pictures just love cute animals. :) If you want some cute overload be sure to check more cute animals, especially little polar bear Knut, or just some of the cutest moments ever.

Waterspouts or Water Tornadoes

2011-10-23T17:43:00.000-07:00

A waterspout is an intense columnar vortex (usually appearing as a funnel-shaped cloud) that occurs over a body of water and is connected to a cumuliform cloud. In the common form, it is a non-supercell tornado over water. While it is often weaker than most of its land counterparts, stronger versions spawned by mesocyclones do occur. Waterspouts do not suck up water; the water seen in the main funnel cloud is actually water droplets formed by condensation. While many waterspouts form in the tropics, locations at higher latitude within temperate zones also report waterspouts, such as Europe and the Great Lakes. Although rare, waterspouts have been observed in connection with lake-effect snow precipitation bands.

Waterspouts have a five-part life cycle: formation of a dark spot on the water surface, spiral pattern on the water surface, formation of a spray ring, development of the visible condensation funnel, and ultimately decay.

Non-tornadic

Waterspouts that are not associated with a rotating updraft of a supercell thunderstorm are known as "non-tornadic" or "fair-weather waterspouts", and are by far the most common type. Fair-weather waterspouts occur in coastal waters and are associated with dark, flat-bottomed, developing convective cumulus towers. Waterspouts of this type rapidly develop and dissipate, having life cycles shorter than 20 minutes. They usually rate no higher than EF0 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, generally exhibiting winds of less than 30 m/s (67 mi/h). They are most frequently seen in tropical and sub-tropical climates, with upwards of 400 per year observed in the Florida Keys. They typically move slowly, if at all, since the cloud they are attached to is horizontally static, being formed by vertical convective action instead of the subduction/adduction interaction between colliding fronts. Fair-weather waterspouts are very similar in both appearance and mechanics to landspouts, and largely behave as such if they move ashore.

Tornadic

"Tornadic waterspouts", also accurately referred to as "tornadoes over water", are formed from mesocyclonic action in a manner essentially identical to traditional land-based tornadoes in connection with severe thunderstorms, but simply occurring over water. A tornado which travels from land to a body of water would also be considered a tornadic waterspout. Since the vast majority of mesocyclonic thunderstorms occur in land-locked areas of the United States, true tornadic waterspouts are correspondingly rarer than their fair-weather counterparts. However, in some areas, such as the Adriatic, Aegean and Ionian seas, tornadic waterspouts can make up half of the total number.

Snowspout

A winter waterspout, also known as a snow devil, an icespout, an ice devil, a snonado, or a snowspout, is an extremely rare instance of a waterspout forming under the base of a snow squall. The term "winter waterspout" is used to differentiate between the common warm season waterspout and this rare winter season event. Very little is known about this phenomenon and only six known pictures of this event exist to date, four of which were taken in Ontario, Canada. There are a couple of critical criteria for the formation of a winter waterspout. Extremely cold temperatures need to be present over a body of warm water enough to produce fog resembling steam above the water's surface; this requires a 19°C (34°F) temperature difference between the water and the invading surface air mass. Like the more efficient lake-effect snow events, winds focusing down the axis of long lakes enhance wind convergence and likely enhance their development.

Waterspouts have long been recognized as serious marine hazards. Stronger waterspouts are usually quite dangerous, posing threats to ships, planes, helicopters, and swimmers. It is recommended to keep a considerable distance from these phenomena, and to always be on alert through weather reports. The United States National Weather Service will often issue special marine warnings when waterspouts are likely or have been sighted over coastal waters, or tornado warnings when waterspouts are expected to move onshore. When close to shorelines, waterspouts can devastate nearby coral reefs and marine organisms close to the surface.

Rainforest, What Is That?

2011-10-22T04:44:00.000-07:00

Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm (68-78 inches). The monsoon trough, alternatively known as the intertropical convergence zone, plays a significant role in creating the climatic conditions necessary for the Earth's tropical rainforests.

Around 40% to 75% of all biotic species are indigenous to the rainforests. It has been estimated that there may be many millions of species of plants, insects and microorganisms still undiscovered in tropical rainforests. Tropical rainforests have been called the "jewels of the Earth" and the "world's largest pharmacy", because over one quarter of natural medicines have been discovered there. Rainforests are also responsible for 28% of the world's oxygen turnover, sometimes misnamed oxygen production,processing it through photosynthesis from carbon dioxide and consuming it through respiration.

The undergrowth in a rainforest is restricted in many areas by the poor penetration of sunlight to ground level. This makes it easy to walk through undisturbed, mature rainforest. If the leaf canopy is destroyed or thinned, the ground beneath is soon colonized by a dense, tangled growth of vines, shrubs and small trees, called a jungle. There are two types of rainforest, tropical rainforest and temperate rainforest.

Many of the world's rainforests are associated with the location of the monsoon trough, also known as the intertropical convergence zone. Tropical rainforests are rainforests in the tropics, found in the equatorial zone (between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn). Tropical rainforest is present in Southeast Asia (from Myanmar (Burma) to Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and northeastern Australia), Sri Lanka, sub-Saharan Africa from Cameroon to the Congo (Congo Rainforest), South America (e.g. the Amazon Rainforest), Central America (e.g. Bosawás, southern Yucatán Peninsula-El Peten-Belize-Calakmul), and on many of the Pacific Islands (such as Hawaiiʻi). Tropical rainforests have been called the "Earth's lungs", although it is now known that rainforests contribute little net oxygen addition to the atmosphere through photosynthesis.

Temperate rainforests are rainforests in temperate regions. They occur in North America (in the Pacific Northwest, the British Columbia Coast and in the inland rainforest of the Rocky Mountain Trench east of Prince George), in Europe (parts of the British Isles such as the coastal areas of Ireland and Scotland, southern Norway, parts of the western Balkans along the Adriatic coast, as well as in the North West of Spain and coastal areas of the eastern Black Sea, including Georgia and coastal Turkey), in East Asia (in southern China, Taiwan, much of Japan and Korea, and on Sakhalin Island and the adjacent Russian Far East coast), in South America (southern Chile) and also in Australia and New Zealand.

Tropical and temperate rainforests have been subjected to heavy logging and agricultural clearance throughout the 20th century and the area covered by rainforests around the world is shrinking. Biologists have estimated that large numbers of species are being driven to extinction (possibly more than 50,000 a year; at that rate, says E. O. Wilson of Harvard University, a quarter or more of all species on Earth could be exterminated within 50 years) due to the removal of habitat with destruction of the rainforests.

Another factor causing the loss of rainforest is expanding urban areas. Littoral rainforest growing along coastal areas of eastern Australia is now rare due to ribbon development to accommodate the demand for seachange lifestyles.

The forests are being destroyed at a rapid pace. Almost 90% of West Africa's rainforest has been destroyed. Since the arrival of humans 2000 years ago, Madagascar has lost two thirds of its original rainforest. At present rates, tropical rainforests in Indonesia would be logged out in 10 years and Papua New Guinea in 13 to 16 years.

Several countries, notably Brazil, have declared their deforestation a national emergency. Amazon deforestation jumped by 69% in 2008 compared to 2007's twelve months, according to official government data.Deforestation could wipe out or severely damage nearly 60% of the Amazon Rainforest by 2030, says a new report from WWF.

However, a January 30, 2009 New York Times article stated, "By one estimate, for every acre of rain forest cut down each year, more than 50 acres of new forest are growing in the tropics..." The new forest includes secondary forest on former farmland and so-called degraded forest.

Fig Tree

2011-10-20T10:21:00.000-07:00

In the Book of Genesis in the Bible, Adam and Eve clad themselves with fig leaves (Genesis 3:7) after eating the "forbidden fruit" from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Likewise, fig leaves, or depictions of fig leaves, have long been used to cover the genitals of nude figures in painting and sculpture. Art collectors and exhibitors often added these depictions long after the original work was completed. The use of the fig leaf as a protector of modesty or shield of some kind has entered the language.

Also in the Bible (Matthew 21:18-22 and Mark 11:12-14, 19-21) is a story of Jesus finding a fig tree when he was hungry; the tree only had leaves on it, but no fruit. Jesus, then, curses the fig tree, which withers.

The biblical quote "each man under his own vine and fig tree" (1 Kings 4:25) has been used to denote peace and prosperity. It was commonly quoted to refer to the life that would be led by settlers in the American West, and was used by Theodor Herzl in his depiction of the future Jewish Homeland: "We are a commonwealth. In form it is new, but in purpose very ancient. Our aim is mentioned in the First Book of Kings: 'Judah and Israel shall dwell securely, each man under his own vine and fig tree, from Dan to Beersheba".

Buddha achieved enlightenment under the bodhi tree, a large and old sacred fig tree (Ficus religiosa).

Sura 95 of the Qur'an is named al-Tīn (Arabic for "The Fig"), as it opens with the oath "By the fig and the olive." The fruit is also mentioned elsewhere in the Qur'an. Within the Hadith, Sahih al-Bukhari records Muhammad stating: "If I had to mention a fruit that descended from paradise, I would say this is it because the paradisiacal fruits do not have pits...eat from these fruits for they prevent hemorrhoids, prevent piles and help gout."

In Greek mythology, the god Apollo sends a crow to collect water from a stream for him. The crow sees a fig tree and waits for the figs to ripen, tempted by the fruit. He knows that he is late and that his tardiness will be punished, so he gets a snake from the stream and collects the water. He presents Apollo with the water and uses the snake as an excuse. Apollo sees through the crow's lie and throws the crow, goblet, and snake into the sky where they form the constellations Hydra, Crater, and Corvus.

In Aristophanes' Lysistrata one of the women boasts about the "curriculum" of initiation rites she went through to become an adult woman (Lys. 641–7). As her final accomplishment before marriage, when she was already a fair girl, she bore the basket as a kanephoros, wearing a necklace of dried figs.

In the course of his campaign to persuade the Roman Republic to pursue a third Punic War, Cato the Elder produced before the Senate a handful of fresh figs, said to be from Carthage. This showed its proximity to Rome (and hence the threat), and also accused the Senate of weakness and effeminacy: figs were associated with femininity, owing to the appearance of the inside of the fruit.

The word "sycophant" comes from the Greek word sykophantes, meaning"one who shows the fig". "Showing the fig" was a vulgar gesture made with the hand.

The fig tree is sacred to Dionysus Sukites (Συκίτης). The Indian fig tree, Ficus bengalensis, is the National Tree of India.

Since the flower is invisible, there are various idioms related to it in languages around the world. In a Bengali idiom as used in tumi jeno dumurer phool hoe gele, i.e., you have become (invisible like) the dumur flower. The derisive English idiom I don't care a fig probably originates from the abundance of this fruit. There is a Hindi idiom related to flower of fig tree, (Gular ka phool i.e. flower of fig) means something that just would not ever see i.e. rare of the rarest In Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh state of India apart from standard Hindi idiom a variant is also used; in the region it is assumed that if some thing or work or job contains (or is contaminated by) flower of fig it will not get finished e.g. this work contains fig flower i.e. it is not getting completed by any means.

Gular ka phool (flower of fig) is a collection of poetry in written in Hindi by Rajiv Kumar Trigarti.

There is also an old phrase in telugu Telugu which says 'Medi pandu chuda melimayyi undunu, potta vippi chuda purugulundunu', It means - 'The fig fruit looks harmless but once you open you find tiny insects [refers to the fig wasp] in there'. The phrase is synonymous to an english phrase - 'Don't judge a book by its cover'.

The Common Fig is widely known for its edible fruit throughout its natural range in the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern region, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, northern India, and also in other areas of the world with a similar climate, including Arkansas, Louisiana, California, Georgia, Oregon, Texas, South Carolina, and Washington in the United States, south-western British Columbia in Canada, Durango, Nuevo León and Coahuila in northeastern Mexico, as well as areas of Argentina, Australia, Chile, Peru, and South Africa.

Two crops of figs are potentially produced each year. The first or breva crop develops in the spring on last year's shoot growth. In contrast, the main fig crop develops on the current year's shoot growth and ripens in the late summer or fall. The main crop is generally superior in both quantity and quality than the breva crop. However, some cultivars produce good breva crops (e.g., Black Mission, Croisic, and Ventura).

There are basically three varieties of common figs:

Caducous (or Smyrna) figs require pollination by the fig wasp and caprifigs to develop crops. Some cultivars are Calimyrna, Marabout, and Zidi.

Persistent (or Common) figs do not need pollination; fruit develop through parthenocarpic means. This is the variety of fig most commonly grown by home gardeners. Adriatic, Black Mission, Brown Turkey, Brunswick, and Celeste are some representative cultivars.

Intermediate (or San Pedro) figs do not need pollination to set the breva crop, but do need pollination, at least in some regions, for the main crop. Examples are Lampeira, King, and San Pedro.

Figs plants are easy to propagate through several methods. Propagation using seeds is not the preferred method since vegetative methods exist that are quicker and more reliable, that is, they do not yield the inedible caprifigs. However, those desiring to can plant seeds of dried figs with moist sphagnum moss or other media in a zip lock bag and expect germination in a few weeks to several months. The tiny plants can be transplanted out little by little once the leaves open, and despite the tiny initial size can grow to 1 foot (30 cm) or more one year from planting seeds.

For propagation in the mid-summer months, air layer new growth in August (mid-summer) or insert hardened off 15–25 cm (6-10 inches) shoots into moist perlite or a sandy soil mix, keeping the cuttings shaded until new growth begins; then gradually move them into full sun. An alternative propagation method is bending over a taller branch, scratching the bark to reveal the green inner bark, then pinning the scratched area tightly to the ground. Within a few weeks, roots will develop and the branch can be clipped from the mother plant and transplanted where desired.

For spring propagation, before the tree starts growth, cut 15–25 cm (6-10 inches) shoots that have healthy buds at their ends, and set into a moist perlite and/or sandy soil mix located in the shade. Once the cuttings start to produce leaves, bury them up to the bottom leaf to give the plant a good start in the desired location.

Figs can also be found in continental climate with hot summer, as far north as Hungary and Moravia, and can be harvested up to four times per year. Thousands of cultivars, most named, have been developed or come into existence as human migration brought the fig to many places outside its natural range. It has been an important food crop for thousands of years, and was also thought to be highly beneficial in the diet.

The edible fig is one of the first plants that was cultivated by humans. Nine subfossil figs of a parthenocarpic type dating to about 9400–9200 BC were found in the early Neolithic village Gilgal I (in the Jordan Valley, 13 km north of Jericho). The find predates the domestication of wheat, barley, and legumes, and may thus be the first known instance of agriculture. It is proposed that they may have been planted and cultivated intentionally, one thousand years before the next crops were domesticated (wheat and rye).

Figs were also a common food source for the Romans. Cato the Elder, in his De Agri Cultura, lists several strains of figs grown at the time he wrote his handbook: the Mariscan, African, Herculanean, Saguntine, and the black Tellanian (De agri cultura, ch. 8). The fruits were used, among other things, to fatten geese for the production of a precursor of foie gras.

Figs can be eaten fresh or dried, and used in jam-making. Most commercial production is in dried or otherwise processed forms, since the ripe fruit does not transport well, and once picked does not keep well.

Sun Bursts

2011-10-19T04:24:00.000-07:00

Sun bursts are sudden releases of energy from the sun's atmosphere, known as the corona. Although the bursts are not visible to the naked eye, they represent tremendous amounts of power, and they can have an impact on Earth and more distant planets as the energy travels through the solar system. During periods of increased solar activity, sun bursts can become severe enough to disable satellites and other equipment, as humans have learned to their chagrin.

Changes in the sun's level of activity are caused by the sun's rotation. Like other bodies in space, the sun moves, and as it does, it creates a solar cycle which is caused by rotational forces along the surface of the sun. Sun bursts typically start with sunspots, dark areas which appear on the sun when the cooler inner core of the sun is temporarily exposed by the shifting corona. When sunspots start to spread, it can signal an expected increase in solar activity.

Solar flares, another type of sun burst, occur when the corona releases huge amounts of energy in the fraction of a second, causing a bright spot to appear. Solar flares often occur around sunspots, although they also occur inside the corona, where they cannot be confirmed with visual observations. A big solar flare can release enough energy to interfere with communications on Earth, as the electromagnetic energy from the sun interacts with Earth-bound communications systems and satellites.

In a radical form of sun burst called a coronal mass ejection (CME), the sun pushes out huge flares of plasma. These plasma flares can push against the Earth's atmosphere, causing especially bright, prolonged, and brilliant auroras, and they also increase radiation levels in space substantially. CMEs are one of the reasons that space travel is potentially very dangerous, as the increased radiation level could pose a risk to living organisms in spacecraft.

Scientists can use the ebb and flow of sun bursts to track the sun's cycles, and to gather more information about how the sun works. The activities observed in the sun are also known to occur in other stars, even though researchers cannot usually see them in action because of the great distances involved. Understanding patterns of sun bursts is important to the business community as well as the scientific community, because sun bursts can interrupt satellite launches, the flight of spacecraft, and many other human activities, sometimes with devastating effects.

For more articles about sun and sky click here. Also, check out how big our sun is.

Surgeon And 21-week Old Fetus Shaking Hands

2011-10-18T07:58:00.000-07:00

This picture of a 21-week fetus hand reaching up through an incision in its mother's uterus to grab the finger of the surgeon who had just performed a life-saving procedure appeared in the November 16 edition of The National Enquirer.

It should be "The Picture of the Year," or perhaps, "The Picture of the Decade."

The 21-week-old unborn baby is named Samuel Alexander Armas, and is being operated on by a surgeon named Joseph Bruner. The baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and would not survive if removed from the mother's womb.

Little Samuel's mother, Julie Armas, is an obstetrics nurse in Atlanta. She knew of Dr. Bruner's remarkable surgical procedure. Practicing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, he performs these special operations while the baby is still in the womb. In the procedure, a C-section removes the uterus and the doctor makes a small incision to operate on the baby.

During the surgery on little Samuel, the little guy reached his tiny, but fully developed, hand through the incision and firmly grasped the surgeon's finger. The photograph captures this amazing event with perfect clarity.

The editors titled the picture, "Hand of Hope."

The text explaining the picture begins, "The tiny hand of 21-week-old foetus Samuel Alexander Armas emerges from the mother's uterus to grasp the finger of Dr. Joseph Bruner as if thanking the doctor for the gift of life."

That picture should be shown on every television newscast and run in every newspaper in America. It is a graphic reminder that growing in the womb of his or her mother is a baby. It is not a "glob of tissue," or "product of conception." That pre-born baby is a human being with all the emotions, will and personality of any human being. That picture says it in a way that a thousand words cannot.

Little Samuel's mother said they "wept for days" when they saw the picture. She said, "The photo reminds us my pregnancy isn't about disability or illness, it's about a little person." That's what it's always been about. That's what the liberal elite have tried to get us to forget. May this image jog our memories so that we will never forget.

Here is this amazing moment from different angle.

Mount Everest, The Highest Mountain In The World

2011-10-17T13:43:00.000-07:00

Mount Everest (Tibetan: Chomolungma or Qomolangma, "Holy Mother") is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at 8,848 metres (29,029 ft) above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas on the Nepal side of Nepal-China (Tibet) border. Its massif includes neighboring peaks Lhotse (8516 m), Nuptse (7855 m) and Changtse (7580 m).

In 1856, the Great Trigonometric Survey of British India established the first published height of Everest, then known as Peak XV, at 29,002 ft (8,840 m). In 1865, Everest was given its official English name by the Royal Geographical Society upon a recommendation by Andrew Waugh, the British Surveyor General of India. Waugh named the mountain after his predecessor in the post, Sir George Everest. Although Tibetans had called Everest "Chomolungma" for centuries, Waugh was unaware of this because Nepal and Tibet were closed to foreigners.

The highest mountain in the world attracts many well-experienced mountaineers as well as novice climbers willing to hire professional guides. While not posing substantial technical climbing challenges on the standard route (other eight-thousanders such as K2 or Nanga Parbat are much more difficult), Everest presents dangers such as altitude sickness, weather and wind.

By the end of the 2010 climbing season, there had been 5,104 ascents to the summit by about 3,142 individuals. Climbers are a significant source of tourist revenue for Nepal, whose government also requires all prospective climbers to obtain an expensive permit, costing up to US$25,000 per person. By the end of 2010 Everest had claimed 219 lives, including eight who perished during a 1996 storm high on the mountain. Conditions are so difficult in the death zone—altitudes higher than 8,000 metres (26,000 ft)—that most corpses have been left where they fell. Some of them are visible from standard climbing routes.

Climbing Mount Everest is an expensive undertaking. Just the climbing gear required to reach the summit may cost in excess of US$8,000. Most climbers use bottled oxygen, which adds around $3,000 to the cost. The permit to enter the Everest area from the south via Nepal costs $10,000 to $25,000 per person, depending on the size of the team. The ascent typically starts in one of the two base camps near the mountain, both of which are approximately 100 km from Kathmandu and 300 km from Lhasa (the two nearest cities with major airports); transferring one's equipment from the airport to the base camp may add as much as $2,000.

Beyond this point, costs may vary widely. It is technically possible to reach the summit with minimal additional expenses, and there are 'budget' travel agencies which offer logistical support for such trips. However, this is considered difficult and dangerous (as illustrated by the case of David Sharp). Many climbers hire "full service" guide companies, which provide a wide spectrum of services, including acquisition of permits, transportation to/from base camp, food, tents, medical assistance while on the mountain, an experienced mountaineer guide, and even personal porters to carry one's backpack and cook one's meals. The cost of such a guide service may range from $40,000 to $80,000 per person. Since most equipment is moved by sherpas, clients of full-service guide companies can often keep their backpack weights under 10 kg, or hire a sherpa to carry their gear for them. This can be contrasted with expeditions to less commercialized peaks (for example, climbers attempting Mount McKinley are often expected to carry 30+ kg backpacks and occasionally to tow a sled with 35 kg of gear and food.

The degree of commercialization of Mount Everest is a frequent subject of criticism. Jamling Tenzing Norgay, the son of Tenzing Norgay, said in a 2003 interview that his late father would have been shocked to discover that rich thrill-seekers with no climbing experience were now routinely reaching the summit.

For more mountain pictures check out this amazing mountain passage or these beautiful mountain peeks.

Penguin Island In Western Australia

2011-10-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

Penguin Island is a 12.5 ha island off the coast near Perth Western Australia, 700 m from Rockingham. It is home to a colony of Little Penguins, the largest population of the birds in Western Australia. The waters surrounding the island make up the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park.

Regular ferries carry tourists to and from the island and other marine-park sights. Access is also available by private boat or by swimming. Walking across a tidal sandbar at low tide looks tempting but is very hazardous—unpredictable tide rises have resulted in several drownings. Visitors should take their own supply of food and drink, since none can be purchased on Penguin Island, though there is a picnic area with seating. Waterless composting toilets are in use there.

Visitors are strictly prohibited from being on the island except during specified daylight hours from mid-September to early June. This means that only a small population of captive penguins can be viewed. However, there are many other sights including nesting seabirds and a 500-strong colony of pelicans.

Penguin Island has many geographical features, such as cliffs, small sea caves, headlands, beaches, coves, notches and natural bridges. There are also numerous wave-cut platforms.

Significant areas of Penguin Island include North Rock, Pelican Bluff, North Beach, McKenzies Well, South Beach, Abalone Point, and Surfers Beach.

There are numerous lookouts and walkways throughout most of the island. Some areas are fenced off to the public to protect wildlife and lessen dune erosion.

Cyclops Shark In Sea of Cortez

2011-10-14T18:02:00.000-07:00

The cyclops shark was an unborn pup that was removed from a large female bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas, captured off of Mexico in the Sea of Cortez. Even though the photo of the cyclops shark is totally real and confirmed by scientists who have seen the shark pup, there’s a natural tendency to dismiss the photo as an excellent photoshopping job. But it isn’t.

Unfortunately the cyclops shark fetus was already dead by the time it was removed from its large female bull shark mother. Although the cyclops shark may have been at a disadvantage in the wild, bull sharks are pretty aggressive and they have a keenly developed sense of smell and electromagnetic field which is their primary mode of hunting.

You can also check out this rare "prehistoric" shark.

Funny Underwater Animals

2010-02-24T03:22:00.001-08:00

Hopefully we will give you a laugh as you look through the photos.

Celestial Burial in Tibet

2010-02-23T11:55:00.000-08:00

Death does not discriminate. It stalks everyone from emperors, buddhas to men in the street, with no exception.

Throughout history, people have tried to avoid death or at least delay it. Some try to find a fountain of youth. Some hope good works can prolong lifespan. Most view death as something to be dreaded. The Tibetan view of death is, on the contrary, optimistic . One of their burial customs is called sky burial, or celestial burial, which shows their respect for nature and an understanding of life.

Before the ceremony begins, the Lamas chant a prayer to help the soul of the deceased person ascend. This is in fact a requiem for the dead. The corpse is then chopped and cypress branches are burnt to attract hawks or vultures. It is considered auspicious if the birds eat up the minced flesh. This is a kind of sacrifice proposed by Tibetan Buddhism which believes in human elevation with the help of animals. It also shows the Buddhist's love for all creatures of the world.

To the Tibetans, the sky, or the universe, holds a supreme position. It is where the sacred world lies. To merge with the sky is a holy event, one which replaces the sufferings of this world with peace.

Oarfish

2009-01-02T19:08:00.000-08:00

Oarfish are large, greatly elongated, pelagic Lampriform fish comprising the small family Regalecidae.[1] Found in all temperate to tropical oceans yet rarely seen, the oarfish family contains four species in two genera. One of these, the king of herrings (Regalecus glesne), is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest bony fish alive, at up to 11 metres (36 ft) in length.

DENMARK: WHAT A SHAME, A SAD SHAME

2008-11-14T06:28:00.000-08:00

DENMARK: WHAT A SHAME, A SAD SHAME. THIS HAS TO BE SEEN. THERE IS NO WORST BEAST THAN HUMAN KIND ITSELF!!!!BRUTAL, Dantesque, bloody slaughter in the Faroe Islands, which belong to Denmark . A country supposedly 'civilized' & a European Union country. For many people this attack to life is unknown , to sensitivity. THIS bloody slaughter is an insane 'show' of entering adulthood! Is absolutely incredible that no one does anything to prevent this barbarism that are committed against Calderon, an intelligent dolphin who has the particularity of approaching people out of sheer curiosity. Some traditions just MUST STOP!PLEASE inform people.

Cat and Mouse Friends

2008-02-18T16:41:00.000-08:00

Click on photo to enlarge

If they can do it, then so can we!

Watermelon Art

2008-02-15T02:54:00.000-08:00

Now, you have a bunch of watermelons. That are you going to do with them? You can eat them or you can be a little creative with them. :)

Dramatic Tarsius

2008-02-12T04:46:00.000-08:00

HAHAHAH! It makes me open my eyes big for some reason. =)

Saving Endangered Sea Turtles

2008-02-05T08:17:00.001-08:00

Two leading environmental organizations, Earthwatch Institute and Ocean Conservancy, have partnered on the SEE Turtles project to promote conservation of the world’s endangered sea turtle populations. As all seven of the planet’s species are under threat, the goal of the project is to demonstrate how public involvement in turtle conservation can have a bigger economic impact on local communities than traditional hunting.

SEE Turtles formally launches at the 28th Annual Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation Symposium, held by the International Sea Turtle Society, in Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico, from January 19 to 26. Like the SEE Turtles campaign itself, many of this year’s Symposium offerings will demonstrate both the environmental and economic benefits of turtle conservation.

Sea turtles—marine reptiles whose forms and lifecycles have been virtually unchanged for millions of years—are under threat from many angles, including increased human development that destroys coastal nesting habitats, ocean pollution, indiscriminate fishing practices, and hunting. As a result, some turtle populations have seen up to a 90% decline in recent decades. In response, the SEE Turtles project will work to bring together concerned members of the public with local communities as a way to underscore the economic value of conservation. Recent studies by the World Wildlife Fund suggest that turtle-based conservation experiences have the potential to bring in more than three times the income of egg poaching.

Both Earthwatch and Ocean Conservancy have already shown the proof of the concept in popular destinations ranging from Baja to the Northwest coast of Coast Rica and the Caribbean isles of Trinidad and Tobago. These areas have well-established, ongoing sea-turtle studies in which volunteers can participate and help impact significant victories for the turtles.

Perhaps nowhere has success been more evident than on the Parque Nacional Las Baulas beaches of Costa Rica. When Dr. Frank Paladino of Indiana-Purdue University and Dr. James Spotila of Drexel University first arrived there in 1988 to study the leatherback sea turtles, they had to “rent” a territory from the local egg-poachers. That year, only a single leatherback hatchling made it to the sea. Years later, former poachers have become employed as proud and capable national park guards and guides, and virtually the entire community is invested in its leatherbacks.

“Local attitudes and awareness have improved immensely since we began working in Costa Rica,” said Dr. Richard Reina of Monash University, another principal investigator of Costa Rican Sea Turtles. “Our education program in local schools has fostered an understanding of and appreciation for natural resources in the children. Local people now appreciate that long-term survival and sustainability of natural resources including turtles is far more desirable than the short-term exploitation without constraint.”

Comet Between Fireworks and Lightning

2008-01-27T16:08:00.001-08:00

Click on photo to enlarge!

Sometimes the sky itself is the best show in town. On January 26, people from Perth, Australia gathered on a local beach to watch a sky light up with delights near and far. Nearby, fireworks exploded as part of Australia Day celebrations. On the far right, lightning from a thunderstorm flashed in the distance. Near the image center, though, seen through clouds, was the most unusual sight of all: Comet McNaught. The photogenic comet was so bright that it even remained visible though the din of Earthly flashes. Comet McNaught continues to move out from the Sun and dim, but should remain visible in southern skies with binoculars through the end of this month. The above image is actually a three photograph panorama digitally processed to reduce red reflections from the exploding firework.

Flocke - German Polar Bear Cub

2008-01-21T07:28:00.001-08:00

In the end, the official name for the Nuremberg Zoo's celebrity baby polar bear was no surprise at all.

The 6.5-pound (3-kilogram) bundle of fluff that zookeepers dubbed Flocke, or Flake—as in snowflake—will be called … Flocke.

"The most important thing leading to this decision was the name that the zookeepers, based on their first impressions, gave her," Nuremberg Mayor Ulrich Maly told a news conference.

Some 50,000 name suggestions came in from around the world vie email, many of which showed strong support for keeping the name Flocke, Maly said.

The 5-week-old cub attained star status after being taken from her mother, Vera, on January 8 amid concerns that Vera might harm or even kill the newborn.

The Bavarian city's zoo made the decision to bottle-feed the cub and not return her to her mother after keepers spotted Vera carrying the cub around in her jaws and tossing it around her enclosure.

On the polar bear's personal Web site, the zoo thanked all those who participated for "the many creative and original suggestions."

Little more than a year ago, another polar bear club in Germany—Knut—was hand-raised by his keepers in Berlin and became a celebrity after being rescued when his mother rejected him.

The daily newspaper Bild has already asked of Flocke: "Will she become Mrs. Knut?"

Zookeeper Harald Hager told reporters Flocke was doing well but was, well, a little boring.

"Outside of eating and sleeping, she's doing nothing at the moment," he said.

How to Survive an Encounter With an Ostrich

2008-01-18T08:28:00.000-08:00

Anyone who's seen Hitchcock's classic film The Birds may feel a little uneasy around pointy beaks and razor-sharp talons. An ostrich attack, however, is straight out of Jurassic Park. Like that movie's velociraptors, ostriches are fast--they can run at up to 45 mph--and they have a sharp nail on each of their feet that is capable of slicing a person open with one kick. Unlike velociraptors, however, an ostrich can reach more than nine feet tall and 350 pounds. The best defense? Stay at least 50-100 yards away from ostriches. If, however, you end up face to face with one of these birds, follow these tips.

STEPS:

1. Get to safety. When hiking or working near ostriches, you should always be aware of your surroundings and the nearest place you can run to safety. Remember, you won't be able to outrun an ostrich over any distance, but if you've got a good head start you should be able to get someplace safe if it's close enough. Head for a building, a car, or a high fence or tree that you can scale (ostriches can't fly). In the wild, go into a thorn bush if you have to; you'll get scratched up pretty good, but an ostrich won't pursue you into thorns.

2. Put something between you and the ostrich. If you can't make it to safety, grab a long pole and hold it in front of you. Since you don't want to have to find something like this while you're being attacked, it's best to carry an implement with you when there's a chance of an ostrich encounter. A strong branch with a forked end or a rake are good options, as you can hold the crook or the broader end against the ostrich's neck or chest. A broom or catching hook might be available when working with captive ostriches. A branch from a thorn tree, such as an acacia, is particularly effective in warding off an ostrich. Keep in mind, however, that whatever pole, tool, or branch you choose must be strong and long enough to keep the bird's legs from reaching you.

--- Holding the ostrich at bay works well in situations in which the ostrich is in captivity and handlers (it's best to have at least four when trying to handle a large ostrich) can come at the ostrich from the side or, preferably, the rear and subdue it by placing a hood over its neck and/or bending its neck down to the ground so that it cannot kick.
--- If your life is in danger and you have a stout stick, a hard blow to the ostrich's neck will usually break its neck and kill the animal. A machete blow to the neck will also kill the bird. Naturally, killing the animal should be a last resort only.

3. Play dead. In a 1918 article in The Atlantic magazine, former President Theodore Roosevelt wrote, "If, when assailed by the ostrich, the man stands erect, he is in great danger. But by the simple expedient of lying down, he escapes all danger." The experience of ostrich farmers, naturalists, and adventurers has largely confirmed Roosevelt's observation. Since ostriches kick forward and downward, the chance of injury is much lower if you lie face down on the ground and cover your head and neck with your arms. Your back will still be exposed, but this is much safer than if your front were open to attack. Additionally, the ostrich is not able to kick very effectively at an object on the ground, and eventually it will lose interest if you play dead. The bird will still likely stand on you--it's been described as dancing by some who've gone through the experience--and it may even sit on you for a while, but it will most likely not rip you open if you do this equivalent of burying your head in the sand.

A male and female ostrich on a farm. The powerful legs and sharp nails can deliver a fatal blow.

TIPS:

Ostriches love man-made objects, especially shiny ones, so before you go out on safari or onto an ostrich farm remove all jewelry, and avoid displaying shiny or dangling objects when near ostriches. Even the most mild mannered of ostriches practice investigative pecking, and a peck at an earring or your eyeglasses - or your eyes, for instance, could result in serious injury.
Ostriches can only kick forward, and rarely, to the side, so if you're behind or to the side of an ostrich you're pretty safe. Ostriches can maneuver quite deftly, however, so you're only safe temporarily.

Ostriches are usually very skittish and will run if given the chance. If you don't try to corner an ostrich, then, you'll usually have no problems. Males ready for breeding, however, tend to be very territorial and may become aggressive. You can spot these by the red flush on the front of their legs. Hopefully, however, you won't get close enough to see this without binoculars.

Ostriches don't really bury their heads in the sand, as is often thought. They sometimes put their heads to the ground if they sense danger in the distance, as when they do so their bodies can look like mounds of earth. They do this so well, in fact, that it's sometimes possible for you to come very close to an ostrich before you see it.

In the wild, it's pretty easy to stay out of an ostrich's way if you keep your distance. On ostrich farms, however, injuries and deaths are more common--in fact the late country singer Johnny Cash received serious injuries from an ostrich attack on his farm. Never try to handle an ostrich without proper training and backup.

Professional handlers and ostrich farmers sometimes hold a board of thick plywood with arm holes in front of them to protect themselves from the ostrich's nails. The ostrich's kick, however, which can exert more than 500 pounds of pressure per square inch, can still cause serious injury even if the nail doesn't penetrate the board.

David Attenborough Makes Final Wildlife Series

2008-01-17T03:30:00.001-08:00

Sir David Attenborough admires a perentie lizard in the Australian outback

For more than 50 years, the name David Attenborough has been synonymous with the BBC's ground-breaking wildlife programmes.

Since he presented the first of his Zoo Quest series in 1954, he has delighted television viewers with his compelling commentary and insight into natural history.

But after a distinguished career, in which he has made pioneering films on almost every group of animals (remeber amazing mimic bird - Lyrebird?), Sir David, 81, looks likely to bow out next year with his series, Life In Cold Blood.

Shot in high definition at a cost of £800,000 per episode, the five-part series examines the world of reptiles and amphibians and marks the final chapter in Sir David's epic Life series.

It took two years to make in more than 20 countries, and used innovative filming methods to reveal that the creatures, far from being cold and slow, are in fact extremely dynamic.

Some of the techniques, including mounting tiny cameras on tortoise shells and sending microscopic lenses deep into underground lizard burrows, captured incredible moments.

Amazing firsts include wild rattlesnakes hunting, anacondas being born underwater, a male frog "giving birth", a mother caiman leading her crèche of babies to safety, and semaphoring Panamanian golden frogs.

In one scene, Sir David is filmed dangerously close to a spitting cobra whose venom, if it hits the naked eye, can permanently blind.

The broadcaster said his objective was to show the true nature of the animals.
"Reptiles and amphibians are sometimes thought of as slow, dim-witted and primitive," he said.
"In fact they can be lethally fast, spectacularly beautiful, surprisingly affectionate and extremely sophisticated."

Life in Cold Blood, which is due to be screened in February, comes 30 years after Sir David started his Life series with Life on Earth, watched by an estimated 500 million people.
At the time it was the most ambitious series produced and was followed by other classics including The Living Planet, The Life of Birds, The Life of Mammals and Life in the Freezer, a celebration of Antarctica.

The new series has been made by the BBC's renowned natural history unit, which is having £12 million taken from its £37 million budget, with 57 out of 180 posts being axed, as part of corporation-wide budget cuts.

Andrew Jackson, the managing director of Tigress Productions, an independent television company which makes wildlife shows, said the cuts were "short-sighted".

"The natural history unit is the leader in its field and what happens there has reverberations way beyond the BBC," he said.

"It's the depletion of the BBC talent base."

The BBC said the unit would continue to make landmark series.
Keith Scholey, the controller of factual production, said: "The natural history brand is probably the most important thing the BBC does and it has to be protected."

Other nature shows scheduled for next year include Pacific Abyss, in which a team of experts search for new marine species, Wild China, which focuses on the country's diverse landscapes, and Elephant Diaries, about a year in the life of orphaned baby elephants in Kenya.

By Nicole Martin

Awww And Funny Pics

2007-10-27T05:34:00.000-07:00

When Gets Hard...

2007-10-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

Life isn't always easy, but there are good days.

Patagonia - To The End Of The World

2007-10-20T09:14:00.000-07:00

Patagonia is the southernmost portion of South America. Mostly located in Argentina and partly in Chile, it comprises the Andes mountains to the west and south, and plateaux and low plains to the east. The name Patagonia comes from the word patagon used by Magellan to describe the native people who his expedition thought to be giants. It is now believed the Patagons were actually Tehuelches and Aonikenk with an average height of 1.80 m compared to the 1.55 average for Spaniards of the time.

To the east of the Andes, it lies south of the Neuquén River and Colorado rivers, and, to the west of the Andes, south of (39°S), excluding the Chiloé Archipelago. East of the Andes the Argentine portion of Patagonia includes the provinces of Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut, Santa Cruz, and Tierra del Fuego, as well as the southern tips of the provinces of Buenos Aires, Mendoza and La Pampa. The Chilean portion embraces the southern part of the region of Los Lagos, and the regions of Aysen and Magallanes. It excludes those portions of Antarctica claimed by both countries.

Blonde Chick With Nice Pussy

2007-10-10T09:22:00.000-07:00

Yes, shame on you! :))

Hungry Cat

2007-10-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

Do not mess with hungry cat! :)

We also have one crazy cat, some cutomized cats and one sleepy, cute kitty, so be sure to chek them out.

Beauty of Latin America

2007-10-01T02:54:00.000-07:00

There are several definitions of Latin America, none of them perfect or necessarily logically consistent:

In most common contemporary usage, Latin America refers only to those territories in the Americas where Spanish or Portuguese prevail: Mexico, most of Central and South America, plus Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico in the Caribbean. Strictly speaking, this is called Ibero-America (a term widely used in Spain -as well as Hispano America-, but not in Latin America).

Strictly and technically speaking, Latin America designates all those countries and territories in the Americas where Romance languages (i.e. languages derived from Latin, and hence the name of Latin America) are spoken: Spanish, Portuguese, and their creoles. Indeed, this was the original intent when the term was coined by the French. This would then include former French colonies such as Quebec in Canada, Haiti, Martinique and Guadeloupe in the Caribbean, and French Guiana in South America.

The former Dutch colonies Suriname, the Netherlands Antilles, and Aruba are not usually considered part of Latin America, even though in the latter two, the predominantly Iberian-influenced language Papiamento is spoken by the majority of the population.

Sometimes, particularly in the United States, the term Latin America is used to refer to all of the Americas south of the U.S., including countries such as Belize, Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Suriname where non-Romance languages prevail.

Indeed, in historical terms, Latin America could be defined as all those parts of the Americas that were once part of the Spanish or Portuguese (and arguably also French) Empires. Hence much of the US Southwest plus Florida (and also French Louisiana) would be covered by this definition.

Finally, it's worth noting that the distinction between Latin and Anglo America, and more generally the stress on European heritage, passes over the fact that there are many places in the Americas (e.g. highland Peru or Guatemala) where non-European cultures and languages are still important, as well as the influence of African cultures in other areas (e.g. the Caribbean, including parts of Colombia and Venezuela, and coastal Brazil).

Beautiful Landscapes Of Iceland

2007-09-29T10:17:00.000-07:00

Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland is a country of north-western Europe, comprising the island of Iceland and its outlying islets in the North Atlantic Ocean between the rest of Europe and Greenland. As of July 2007, it had a population of 311,396. Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík.

Due to its location on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Iceland is volcanically and geologically active on a large scale; this defines the landscape in various ways. The interior mainly consists of a plateau characterized by sand fields, mountains and glaciers, while many big glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Because of the Gulf Stream, Iceland has a temperate climate relative to its latitude and provides a habitable environment and nature.

Iceland has a history of habitation since about the year 874 when, according to Landnámabók, the Norwegian chieftain Ingólfur Arnarson became the first permanent Norwegian settler on the island. Others had visited the island earlier and stayed over winter. Over the next centuries, people of Nordic and Gaelic origin settled in Iceland. Until the twentieth century, the Icelandic population relied on fisheries and agriculture, and was from 1262 to 1944 a part of the Norwegian and later the Danish monarchies. In the twentieth century, Iceland’s economy and welfare system developed quickly.

Today, Iceland is a developed country, the world’s fifth in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and second in human development. It is based upon a free market economy where service, finance, fishing and various industries are the main sectors. Tourism is popular, as many people are attracted to Iceland’s exotic scenery. Iceland is a member of the UN, NATO, EFTA, EEA and OECD, but not of the European Union.

Top 10 World's Scariest and Ugliest Insects

2007-09-09T06:21:00.000-07:00

10.The Weta

Weta are around 70 insect species endemic to the New Zealand archipelago. Weta are large by insect standards, some species among the largest and heaviest in the world. Their physical appearance is that of a cross between a cockroach and a cricket with the addition of large legs. The name comes from the Māori language word 'wētā'.By virtue of their ability to cope with variations in temperature, weta can be found in a variety of environments including alpine, forests, grasslands, caves, shrub lands and urban gardens. They are nocturnal and flightless. Different species have different diets. Most weta eat other invertebrates but one group of weta endemic to New Zealand (the tree and giant weta) have evolved to eat mostly leaves, flowers and fruit.Weta can bite. Tree weta bites are painful but not particularly common. Weta look like they can inflict painful scratches (with the potential of infection) but their defence displays are about looking large and spikey and they will retreat if given a chance. Tree weta are known to arc their hind legs into the air in warning to foes.

New Zealand had no native land mammals apart from native bats before humans arrived. Ecological niches that were filled by mammals in other parts of the world were filled by native fauna in New Zealand. It has been suggested that the weta’s place in the ecosystem is comparable to that held by mice and other rodents elsewhere in the world. For example, like their foreign mouse equivalents, they are hunted by an owl: in this case the Morepork, New Zealand’s only surviving native owl. Weta also pass seeds of some plant species through their digestive tracts unharmed, thus acting as seed dispersers. It is yet to be seen how decreases in weta populations are affecting native plant species that rely on the weta's help.

9.Camel Spider

The order Solifugae is a group of arachnids, containing around 900 species. The name derives from Latin, and means those that flee from the sun. The order is also known by the names Solpugida, Solpugides, Solpugae, Galeodea and Mycetophorae. Their common names include camel spider, wind scorpion, sun spider and matevenados ("deer-killer" - a Mexican nickname).
Solifugae are not true spiders (which are from a different order, Araneae). Like scorpions and harvestmen, they belong to a distinct arachnid order.

Most Solifugae live in tropical or semitropical regions where they inhabit warm and arid habitats, but some species have been known to live in grassland or forest habitats. The most distinctive feature of Solifugae is their large chelicerae. Each of the two chelicerae are composed of two articles forming a powerful pincer; each article bears a variable number of teeth. Males in all families but Eremobatidae possess a flagellum on the basal article of the chelicera. Solifugae also have long pedipalps, which function as sense organs similar to insects' antennae and give the appearance of the two extra legs. Pedipalps terminate in eversible adhesive organs.

Solifugae are carnivorous or omnivorous, with most species feeding on termites, darkling beetles, and other small arthropods; however, solifugae have been videotaped consuming larger prey such as lizards. Prey is located with the pedipalps and killed and cut into pieces by the chelicerae. The prey is then liquefied and the liquid ingested through the pharynx.

As indicated by their name, Solifugae are mostly nocturnal, and seek shade during the day. It was this behaviour which led coalition soldiers in the 2003 invasion of Iraq to think these arachnids were attacking them. In reality, they were merely moving toward the newly available shade provided by the soldiers' presence. The absence of shade sends them away.

8.Mexican Redknee Tarantula

The Mexican redknee tarantula (Brachypelma smithi) is a species of burrowing tarantula native to Mexico, but might be found in small numbers in neighboring countries. They are among the most popular tarantulas available in the pet trade, due to their impressive size and striking coloration. A similar terrestrial tarantula is named Mexican Painted Redleg ("Brachypelma emilia").he mature Mexican redknee tarantula has a dark-colored body with orange patches on the joints of its legs; the second element of the legs (the trochanter) is orange-red. Following moulting, the colors are more pronounced. The dark portion is very black while the orange-red portions will be far more on the reddish side. This is usually the best time to take pictures.
An adult female has a body roughly 4 inches (10cm) long, with a legspan of 6–7 inches (15 to 18 cm), and a weight of approximately 15 to 16 grams, and usually contains large amount of venom.

7.European Earwig ( Forficula auricularia)

Forficula auricularia, the Common earwig or European earwig, is an omnivorous insect in the family Forficulidae. Native to Europe, it has been introduced to North America in the early twentieth century and is now present throughout much of the continent.

This earwig is about one centimetre long, shiny brown, with yellowish wings and legs. The cerci (pincers) of the male are thick and sli ghtly curved; those of the female are straighter and less robust. The cerci are used during mating, feeding, and self-defence. The earwig has functional wings but rarely flies.

This insect is considered a pest of crops, although it does eat other pest insects and eg gs as well as plant parts. Earwigs readily consume corn silk and can damage the crop. It wedges itself into enclosed spaces, and can be found resting in harvested produce and cut flowers.
The female earwig lays a clutch of about 50 eggs in an underground nest in the autumn. She enters a dormant state and stays in the nest with the eggs. In the spring the young emerge from the eggs and she guards them until they reach maturity after about one month.
Interestingly, the male earwig has two identical, fully-functional and independantly operable penises.

6.Thorn Bug

The thorn bug is an occasional pest of ornamentals and fruit trees in southern Florida. During heavy infestations, nymphs and adults form dense clusters around the twigs, branches and even small tree trunks. Some hosts which have been severely damaged include Hibiscus sp., powder-puff (Calliandra spp.), woman's tongue tree (Albizzia lebbek), and Acacia spp. Young trees of jacaranda (Jacaranda acutifolia) and royal poinciana (Delonix regia) with a diameter of 1.5 to 2 inches have been killed by thorn bugs in the Tampa area. The trunks were so heavily infested that is was difficult to place a finger anywhere on the trunk without touching a specimen. Damage is caused by sucking the sap and by oviposition cuts. Butcher (19 53) reported that certain trees, especially some cassias, suffered considerable loss of foliage, and that pithecellobiums (Pithecellobium spp.) suffered ge neral and extensive terminal twig death.

He also mentioned that thorn bug honey-dew secretions and ac companying sooty mold development caused a nuisance to home owners. Kuitert (1958) noted that heavy accumulations of honey-dew sometimes occurred on parked automobiles. There are reports of barefooted c hildren stepping on the spines of thorn bugs which drop out of tre es. The wounds are slow healing and sometimes become infected.

5.Goliath Beetle

The Goliath beetles are among the largest insects on Earth, if measured in terms of size, bulk and weight. They are members of subfamily Cetoniinae, within the scarab beetle family. Goliath beetles can be found in many of Africa's tropical forests, where they feed primarily on tree sap and fruit. Little appears to be known of the l arval cycle in the wild, but in captivity, Goliathus beetles have been successfully reared from egg to adult using protein-rich foods such as commercial cat and dog food. Goliath beetles measure from 50–110 mm (2 to 4-1/3 inches) in length as adults, and can reach weights of up to 80-100 grams (3 to 3-1/2 oz) in the larval stage, though the adults are only about half this weight. The heavily armored adults are so large that when flying, they produce a sound akin to a toy helicopter in flight. The females range from a dark brown to silky white, but the males are nomally brown/white/black or black/white.

4.Giant African Stick Insect

The Giant African Stick Insect Bactrododema tiaratum from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa (known from all provinces except Eastern Cape and Free State), Swaziland and Zimbabwe i s known to reach a length of 125-185mm. in females (up to 350mm. including legs stretched out). This is much shorter than the largest known stick insect, Phobaeticus kirbyi from Borneo, also the longest insect in the world, the females of which reach 328mm (548mm. includin g legs stretched out). A 278mm. Malayan Phobaeticus serratipes measured 555mm. including legs stretched out.Giant stick insects are particularly interesting because of their size and weight and the fact that some of them can fly with their relatively small wings. The flight of these insects may be regarded as one of t he wonders of aerodynamics, although often it is only a downward gliding flight. Although Giant stick insects can make very good pets, and there is a d emand for specimens in insect zoos, Giant African Stick Insects have rarely been kept in captivity. A stock kept in the London Zoo was stolen in the 1960's! If you want to keep a Giant African Stick Insect as a pet, make sure you have a good supply of potted Acacia saplings. Peltophorum might also work. In other countries people have had success feeding stick insects from various countries on rose or oak plants. Make sure the leaves have NOT been sprayed with insecticide! It is not easy to keep these insects in captivity, so it would be wise to refer to Brock (2000).

3.Cockroach

The name of the order is derived from the Latin word for "cockroach", blatta. The folk etymology of the English word cockroach is the Spanish cucaracha.

Cockroaches exist worldwide, with the exception of the polar regions. There are roughly 4,500 species in six families.

Among the most well-known species are the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana, which is about 3 cm long, the Germa n cockroach, Blattella germanica, about 1½ cm long, the Asian cockroach, Blattella asahinai, also about 1½ cm in length, and the Oriental cockroach, Blatta orientalis, about 2½ cm. Tropical cockroaches are often much bigger, and extinct cockroach relatives such as the Carboniferous Archimylacris and the Permian Apthoroblattina were several times as large as these. When infesting buildings, cockroaches are considered pests; out of the thousands of species, however, only about 30 (less than 1%) fall into this designation.

2.Horse Fly

The bite from a larger specimen can be painful, especially considering the light, agile, and airborne nature of the fly. Unlike insects which surreptitiously puncture the skin with needle-like organs, horse flies have mandibles like tiny serrated scimitars, which they use to rip and/or slice flesh apart. This causes the blood to seep out as the horsefly licks it up. They may even carve a chunk completely out of the victim, to be digested at its leisure.

The horsefly's modus operandi is less secretive than that of its mosquito counterparts, although it still aims to escape before pain signals reach their mark's sphere of awareness. Moreover, the pain of a horsefly bite may mean that the victim is more concerned with assess ing and repairing the wound, than finding and swatting the interloper.

1.Giant Water Bug

The Giant Water Bug is one of the largest insects in the U.S. and Canada. Giant water bugs are approximately 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) in length. Some species grow as long as 4 inches (10 cm).

Because it often
turns up under street lights and porch lights, it is also one of the most asked about insects. It is commonly mistaken for a beetle or even a cockroach. Alternate names include toe biter because they can deliver a nasty bite, and electric light bug because they are attracted to lights.
Clear, freshwater streams and ponds, preferring those with aquatic vegetation. Giant Water Bugs like slowly moving water, especially where there is emergent vegetation such as cattails. They usually grab hold of a plant near the surface, and stick their short breathing tube out of the water to allow them to breath while waiting for prey. With their powerful front legs they are able to grab other bugs and prey as big as small fish, frogs and salamanders. They pierce their prey with their sharp beak and secrete enzymes that dissolve the body tissues, thus allowing them to suck up the resulting liquid.

But insect may be ugly but they are important.

We have also some really UGLY BUGS, so be shure to check that also. For carnivorous plants click HERE.

In Beijing, only one 'best friend' allowed

2007-08-03T02:50:00.000-07:00

BEIJING: Wu Tianyu gave fair warning about the odor and then pushed open the heavy metal door to the ground-floor apartment. The smell rushed out, and so did the tiny dogs, tongues wagging, yipping, unaware of their central role in an issue gripping China's capital city.

The small apartment was the equivalent of a safe house: Wu, head of a local animal rescue association, had stashed about 10 strays and handicapped mutts. She said the dogs, one paralyzed, another recovering from a broken spine, should be exempt from a new "strike hard" campaign against dogs in Beijing. But she was not certain.

"They cannot move out these dogs!" she declared. But then she hesitated slightly, "How could they do it?"

Beijing is a city of at least 12 million people and at least a million dogs, about half of which are unregistered and deemed fugitives in the eyes of the local police.

The complication, of course, is that many of these fugitives are also beloved pets, so confrontation is almost inevitable and has been rising in recent weeks as the police have begun a swift and harsh crackdown against illegal dogs.

The police have already rejected applications by different pet advocacy groups to stage demonstrations. On Saturday, at least 100 police officers blocked roads as a large crowd congregated outside the city zoo. One participant said officers manhandled and detained more than 20 people who tried to hand out leaflets promoting animal protection. The people were released later the same day.

The conflict is over city regulations that limit households in eight designated districts to a single dog and also forbid people from owning large dogs like golden retrievers and huskies.

The regulations, considered misguided by many dog owners, were introduced in 2003 but have been only loosely enforced as the city's pet industry has boomed. Dogs in Beijing can now eat at a dog restaurant, be groomed at a dog boutique and swim in an outdoor dog lap pool.

Last Tuesday, though, Beijing newspapers carried a notice about the new campaign, under way since October, concerning "pet dog management work." It said households with too many dogs, or with big dogs, would have 10 days to relocate them. In essence, owners had 10 days to get rid of the dogs or the police would do it for them.

The note also promised to pay rewards to people who helped the police catch neighbors violating the dog rules.

Anxiety and outrage have quickly spread among dog owners. Several reported that the police were already apprehending large dogs in apartment compounds and had even entered individual apartments to seize some dogs. Web sites posted photographs of dogs crammed into holding pens at dingy city pounds. Another Internet posting warned that a slaughter of stray dogs and cats would begin next week.

"We are all worried," said a woman who owns several dogs and asked not to be identified for fear the police would try to seize her pets. She is building a kennel in her uncle's village in nearby Hebei Province to ensure that her dogs and others are not seized.

Rabies is the primary reason offered for the new crackdown. Nationally, China reported that 1,735 people died from the disease between January and August, a 29 percent increase from the period a year earlier. The Ministry of Health said growing numbers of people were taking dogs as pets without properly vaccinating them.

But what has horrified pet advocates worldwide is the brutal solution that some places in China have adopted to solve the rabies problem. This summer, officials in one section of Yunnan Province ordered an extermination campaign that led to the slaughter of more than 54,000 dogs. Another smaller extermination drive was held in Shandong Province.

Grace Ge Gabriel, the Asia director for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, said her group agreed that dog owners should vaccinate their pets and register them. But she said Beijing's current ban against big dogs was wrongheaded because it was based on the premise that they are more vicious.

She also said that using rabies to justify the crackdown was misleading because Beijing did not have a rabies problem, a point confirmed by a state media report.

Last Friday, at the Huayuan Street police precinct in the northeastern quadrant of the city, a red-and-white banner stated: "If You Have a Dog, You Need a License." Inside, at the Dog Management Office, Shi Chenhe said he had registered 10 new dogs in recent days and argued that rabies and dog bites were serious problems in Beijing.

He said officials wanted to ensure that no one was bitten and injured during the 2008 Olympics. "Of course, it is related to the Games," Shi said. "Everything needs to be cleaned up before the Olympics."

Shi said that officers in his precinct had not begun cracking down on illegal dogs but that each police district was handling the issue differently. "We're waiting to be notified," he said.

Wu, the head of the association for stray dogs, has been racing to different meetings with dog advocates, trying to find a solution, and some dog owners have told her they will defend their dogs at any cost.

"People are saying that if they have to, they will fight back," Wu said. "I told the young people that they shouldn't fight back. It is the order of the government. If you fight back, it will hurt the dogs in the long run."

Across town at a trendy pet store, Man Qingwei, 32, helped hold down his two border collies on Friday afternoon as an attendant cleaned the dogs' ears with a cotton swab. Man bought the dogs recently even though he knew their size violated city regulations. "Of course, we hide them," Mr. Man said as his girlfriend patted the collies. "I have to sneak them out quickly into my car."

Man said he wanted dog owners to organize to force the city to change the rules. "I think the one-dog rule is ridiculous," he said. "It's a matter of one's personal life and tastes. You should be able to have as many dogs as you like."

Man said that he and his girlfriend owned several dogs but that the new regulations were making ordinary tasks difficult. "We can no longer walk them," he said. "I'm thinking about buying them a treadmill."

Lin Yang contributed research.

by Jim Yardley

Cat on LSD

2007-07-16T08:23:00.000-07:00

Effect of Mescaline Analogues on Behavior of Cats. This video could be offensive to some people.
We should stay away from drugs such as LSD.

Amazing Mountain Passage

2007-07-05T11:59:00.001-07:00

The awesome ice tunnel on the Mons Glacier.

Panda Prison Break

2007-07-04T01:32:00.000-07:00

These are some very clever Pandas. Although I think they'll have a hard time disguising themselves once they make it outside in the real world.

The small panda is supposed to open the door for the big panda so they can escape. ;)