Bearded Arctic seal captured in Tarpon River arrives at SeaWorld

Bearded Arctic seal captured in Tarpon River arrives at SeaWorld: South Florida Sun-Sentinel

And I thought Global Warming caused tropical animals to move TO the Arctic, not vice vesrsa?!?!?
So now no matter what happens, it is blamed on "Global Warming".


``This is the first time we have had a bearded seal show up in Florida,'' said Kim Amendola, a NOAA spokeswoman. ``Their primary habitat is north of Newfoundland.''The farthest previous report of a bearded arctic seal was in New Jersey in 1971, but other species of arctic seals have appeared in Florida waters in the past few years. Wildlife officials said they think this was the same seal sighted last week around Indian River Lagoon. They said there are several possible reasons why seals have shown up in South Florida over the past few years, including global warming, unusual ocean currents or the pursuit of food."These animals could be ambassadors for climate change," said Dr. Juli Goldstein, a Harbor Branch veterinarian involved in the rescue. "Or it could be pollution or other environmental distress."

Biological Warfare

"Austin News
Ticket payment smeared with feces
5/7/2007 10:18:53 AM

By Tim Ruzek

The Post-Bulletin

A 22-year-old man allegedly put dog waste in an envelope with his payment for overtime parking and placed it last week in a drop box for Austin police.

An Austin Police Department staff member noticed a foul smell when getting the man's envelope out of the box April 25 at the Law Enforcement Center, Police Chief Paul Philipp said.

Upon opening it in her office, the woman noticed a brown fluid on the envelope and her hands, the chief said.

Police interviewed the Austin man, who was cited April 18, and he allegedly admitted to putting fecal matter from a dog into the envelope. The man said he regretted doing it, but had been angry that he had to pay the ticket.

'It was just a stupid thing to do,' Philipp said.

People have used pennies to pay for tickets, Philipp said, and he's sure some have spit in a payment envelope, but 'this is a take-the-cake kind of a guy.'

The staff member who opened the envelope became ill the following day and spent several days in a hospital, Philipp said, but officials don't know if her sickness was a result of her handling the envelope."

Postbulletin.com: Ticket payment smeared with feces - Fri, May 4, 2007:

Asian rice emits greenhouse gas

Asian rice emits greenhouse gas - CNN.com

I thought the Kyoto Treat gave "Carbon Credits" to all of the Third World Countries, due to their lack of Pollutants . Then they would turn around and sell them to US (as in U.S.).

And to think that the Kyoto Treaty was born in the midst of the most flagrant use of carbon !!!

TSA loses hard drive with personal info

TSA loses hard drive with personal info - Yahoo! News

Now isn't that special !!!!!

Klondike Kat Goes Looney ...GLOBAL WARMING STRIKES AGAIN!!

Cat too scary for Canadian mail carriers - CNN.com

"I'll make Mince Meat out of that Mouse!!!!"

Speaking of Canada

"Bigfoot risks extinction, says Canadian MP

Wed May 2, 1:52 PM ET

OTTAWA (AFP) - Bigfoot, the legendary hairy man-like beast said to roam the wildernesses of North America, is not shy, merely so rare it risks extinction and should be protected as an endangered species.

So says Canadian MP Mike Lake who has called for Bigfoot to be protected under Canada's species at risk act, alongside Whooping Cranes, Blue Whales, and Red Mulberry trees"

Bigfoot risks extinction, says Canadian MP - Yahoo! News:

3,500 pounds of bat droppings a $25,000 mess

3,500 pounds of bat droppings a $25,000 mess - CNN.com

Isn't this in Senator Clinton's district??? "Holy Batshit, Batman", now we know why the glaciers are melting!!

Help us stop global warming

Rather than continue to encourage the endless debate, we heroes here at 2GH2 blog have decided to action. Starting now this blog is going carbon neutral. That's right, you can help save the planet by clicking onto us, we are posted on carbon-neutral Web servers, our bloggers are themselves certified organic and we are pretty sure that our pixels are biodegradable.

We are attempting to register to go further in the fight by actually selling carbon offsets so fighters like Mrs. Clinton can continue to criss-cross the country in up to 3 different corporate jets a day. Our carbon offsets will also help in the fight against cow farts, but this may end up removing Rosie's roughage.

Lock up Paris Hilton for 45 days

Prosecutor: Lock up Paris Hilton for 45 days - CNN.com

I'm Tired of big fat Rosie.... Paris has such a nice smile (and she is a very , naughty girl.......)

Parenting ain't for wimps

U.S. Army clamping down on soldiers' blogs

U.S. Army clamping down on soldiers' blogs - CNN.com

You never know when some "KOOK" is going to make a ficticious comment that is taken seriously by a bunch of pinheads.

Here's why real estate values are down

"Owner lay dead while pair toured her home

(Published Tuesday, May 1, 2007 11:14:08 AM CST)

By Shelly Birkelo
Gazette staff

A Janesville real estate agent can't believe she didn't realize that a form on the bed at a house she showed Monday night was a woman who apparently had been dead for two weeks.

'I've smelled death. I know what death smells like,' she said. 'I can't believe my sinuses were that bad.'

Linda Chabucos-Galow, a realtor with Shorewest, was showing the east side house at 1160 N. Claremont Drive to Justin and Colleen McKeen.

Chabucos-Galow stood in the dining room while the couple walked through the house. She heard Colleen scream as the couple stood at the doorway of the front bedroom.

'I thought, 'What's wrong?' Maybe it was a dead mouse or something,' Chabucos-Galow said.

But when Chabucos-Galow peered into the bedroom, she saw what looked like a dummy on the bed.

'It looked like a Halloween prop,'' Chabucos-Galow said.

It wasn't.

It was the body of Linda L. O'Leary, 55, the owner of the home.

The small, uncovered body was wearing dark shorts. Chabucos-Galow said the legs were wrapped in material that appeared similar to cheesecloth"

"If we spent five minutes in there, I'd be stretching it. 'We need to leave. This is not right. We need to get out of here,'" Chabucos-Galow said she told the couple.

She thought it was a hoax, she said.

Owner lay dead while pair toured her home | The Janesville Gazette | Janesville, Wisconsin, USA:

Spider Bite Causes Erection

Natural Viagra: Spider Bite Causes Erection

By Jeanna Bryner
LiveScience Staff Writer

posted: 01 May, 2007
12:10 am ET


WASHINGTON — A Brazilian spider delivers more than a painful bite that sends most victims to the hospital. Its venom stimulates an hours-long erection. Now scientists have figured out the chemical that seems to be responsible for the penis boost.

In Brazil, emergency room staff can immediately spot the victims of a bite from the Brazilian wandering spider (Phoneutria nigriventer). Patients not only experience overall pain and an increase in blood pressure, they also sport an uncomfortable erection.

“The erection is a side effect that everybody who gets stung by this spider will experience along with the pain and discomfort,” said study team member Romulo Leite of the Medical College of Georgia. “We’re hoping eventually this will end up in the development of real drugs for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.”

The research was presented here at a poster session at the American Physiological Society (APS) annual meeting.

LiveScience.com - Natural Viagra: Spider Bite Causes Erection:

Arms race? Is that the right part?

Could this have something to do with global warming?

Some scientists really have too much time on their hands:

Duck penises show 'arms race' between sexes: study

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
Tue May 1, 12:22 AM ET

Several species of ducks have evolved complicated genitals in what appears to be an 'arms race' between the sexes, researchers reported on Tuesday.

And females may be coming out ahead, said the team of biologists at Yale University in Connecticut and the University of Sheffield in Britain.

Their findings not only open a window into a little-studied area of biology, but could help shed light on how evolution works to help both males and females control their own breeding, the researchers said.

Patricia Brennan of both Yale and Sheffield was trying to figure out why some species of birds have penises and some do not.

'Birds are the only group where it mostly has been lost -- 97 percent of birds do not have phalluses at all,' Brennan said in a telephone interview.

'So if it is such a handy tool, why don't they have them any more?' Brennan asked.

Instead, they mate using what biologists call a 'cloacal kiss' -- a brief touch of the single opening that birds of both sexes have for disposing of waste and that both eggs and sperm come out of.

Brennan noted that in many species, females choose a mate after he puts on an elaborate courtship display, and breeding pairs are often monogamous.

An exception is ducks -- especially mallards. Although mallards pair off to mate, females are often raped by stray males.

Yet studies show that these rapes do not pay off for the males. "Even in a species where 40 percent of the copulations are forced copulations, the ducklings still are mostly sired by the mates," Brennan said.

"That implies the females may have some kind of mechanism that allows them to keep control of the paternity."

So Brennan's team looked at a lot of duck bottoms.

What they found surprised them -- corkscrew-shaped oviducts, with plenty of potential dead-ends.

"Interestingly, the male phallus is also a spiral, but it twists in the opposite, counterclockwise, direction," said Yale ornithologist Richard Prum in a statement.

"So, the twists in the oviduct appear designed to exclude the opposing twists of the male phallus. It's an exquisite anti-lock-and-key system."

Brennan believes females evolved convoluted oviducts to foil the male rapists.

"You can envision an evolutionary scenario that, as the male phallus increases in size, the female creates more barriers. You get this evolutionary arms race," Brennan said.

Only if the female is relaxed and cooperative can the male's sperm get anywhere near the unfertilized eggs, the researchers suggest.

"What I think is really cool is this does speak a lot about the ability of the female to have these cryptic mechanisms of choice," Brennan said.

And it may mean something for people. "We can expect that these types of antagonistic traits are probably widespread and are likely part of the reproductive interactions of all sorts of animals, including humans," Brennan said.

The study is available online in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS One at http://www.plosone.org/doi/pone.0000418.

Posted without comment from me

A Rosie Explanation

Lesbians twice as likely to be obese

From correspondents in the US

April 28, 2007 12:00
Article from: Reuters



LESBIANS are twice as likely as heterosexual women to be overweight or obese, which puts them at greater risk for obesity-related health problems and death, US researchers said.

The report, published in the American Journal of Public Health, is one of the first large studies to look at obesity among lesbians.

Ulrike Boehmer of the Boston University School of Public Health and colleagues looked at a 2002 national survey of almost 6000 women, and found that lesbians were 2.69 times more likely to be overweight and 2.47 times more likely to be obese.

“Lesbians have more than twice the odds of (being) overweight,” the authors wrote.

This would put them at a higher risk for diabetes and heart disease, among other ailments.

“Our findings indicate that lesbian sexual identity is linked to a greater prevalence of overweight and obesity,” the authors wrote in the study, released this week.

They reviewed smaller studies that have suggested a higher prevalence of obesity among lesbians and the possible reasons why.

“The results of these studies indicate that lesbian women have a better body image than do heterosexual women,” they wrote.

But the authors said they placed little confidence in the idea that lesbians were more muscular than straight women, and thus were more likely to have a high body mass index, or BMI, while having little body fat.

High muscle mass is “unlikely to lead to classification as obese,” the researchers said.

“We reported greater odds of both overweight and obesity in lesbians and we feel confident in asserting that these differences are a result of increased adiposity,” the researchers wrote.

Caption this

I have no words.

Suddenly I am worried about myself

Charlie Blatt (left) of Morristown, N.J., and Rozie Tomlinson of Richmond compete in the Guitar Hero II competition Sunday at Higher Ground in South Burlington.
PETER HUOPPI, Free Press

Guitar Heros pack video game tournament

By Ashley Matthews
Free Press Staff Writer

April 30, 2007
SOUTH BURLINGTON -- This weekend, a different kind of hero was in town -- Guitar Hero.

Hundreds packed into the Showcase Lounge at Higher Ground on Sunday, carrying colorful, toy-like guitars and sporting rock star garb. The aspiring celebrities competed one on one, rocking out to the popular video game.

Guitar Hero uses a guitar-shaped controller to simulate performance of popular songs. Players press buttons and flick levers to play notes that scroll down the screen.

"It's really interactive -- songs you grew up with, songs that you love, that you can actually simulate like karaoke transferred to an air guitar realm," said Justin Pelletier of Burlington, who said his favorite Guitar Hero song is "Jessica" by the Allman Brothers.

The 26-year-old graphic designer came to the competition in ripped synthetic leather pants, a stonewashed denim vest and a black wig with purple cellophane sparkles. He was named winner of the best costume contest.

More than 150 people entered the competition, and many more crowded into the room to watch. It wasn't long before the room reached maximum capacity and organizers turned away would-be competitors and spectators.

As players took their turns, crowds crushed behind them, loudly offering suggestions and advice. Others practiced, holding their guitars and hitting the appropriate buttons for whichever song happened to be scrolling on the screen in front of them.

Just like famous musicians, many players had unique styles. Some lunged and ducked, others stood up straight or even sat on the ground. They stared at the screens with intense concentration, some moving their eyebrows, mouths or tongues as they clicked the appropriate buttons.

"It's a lot of pressure," said Jeff Breuer, 13 of Essex Junction. "It gets boxed in on you because everyone's like talking to you to go into star power and everything -- it really gets inside your head."

Breuer colored his hair hot pink for the competition.

Rachel Keller, 16, of Sheldon was one of the few girls who competed, clobbering her competition in the first round. She said Guitar Hero is a great pastime for rainy days, and it's even fun to watch others play.

"I think it's cool, but some people are like, 'You should play a real guitar instead,'" she said. "But, I think it's cool."

Contact Ashley Matthews at 651-4811 or amatthews@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com.


http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20070430&Category=NEWS01&ArtNo=704300318&SectionCat=NEWS05&Template=printart

Do you REALLY want to hurt....

News of the weird, from Sydney Morning Herald:

Boy George 'cuffed me to a hook'

Cleaning the streets ... Boy George in New York last year during his five days' community service for filing a false police report.
Photo: REUTERS

Jano Gibson
April 30, 2007 - 4:34PM

British pop star Boy George has been arrested over allegations that he held captive and assaulted a man reported to be a Norwegian male escort.

Scotland Yard would not name the 45-year-old former Culture Club singer directly, but told smh.com.au that police were investigating allegations of the false imprisonment and common assault of a 28-year-old man in London's East End in the early hours of April 28.

British tabloid The Sun named the alleged victim as 28-year-old Norwegian escort Auden Carlsen.

"It's ironic that his biggest hit was Do You Really Want To Hurt Me? - because I'm sure he did want to hurt me," Mr Carlsen was quoted as saying.

"I was convinced I was going to die."

He told the paper he had met George through a gay website and agreed to go to his flat as a £400 [$960] photographic model, not as an escort.

But after having his photo taken by George, Mr Carlsen claimed he was set upon by the pop star and another man.

"George handcuffed me to a hook by the bed as they held me down."

The Sun said Mr Carlsen claimed George then pulled out a box of whips and sex toys.

"Now you'll get what you deserve," George is alleged to have said.

Mr Carlsen said he was able to escape after pulling the hook from the wall and raising the alarm from a nearby newsagency.

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman told smh.com.au: "Hackney CID are investigating and a man in his forties has been arrested in connection with the allegation," the spokeswoman said.

"He was originally taken to an east London police station but has subsequently been bailed to return on a date in July pending further inquires."

She said George, whose real name is George O'Dowd, has not been charged.

George was sentenced last year to five days' community service cleaning New York streets after pleading guilty to filing a false police report.

Delta flies out of bankruptcy court - Apr. 30, 2007

Well, my stock is worthless, I just hope my FF miles don't go away!






Delta flies out of bankruptcy court - Apr. 30, 2007