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Don't worry, more China posts coming soon!

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Also, Tfaith is becoming more and more famous.

Now, as I am reading through this, it seems that there is a majority of scientists who are now attuning to Nature.  I like this, “The increase in global carbon dioxide emissions is not just damaging the Earth's climate, but also threatening the very fabric of our oceans.”  

First of all, we are not learning from our mistakes. We are also not taking more direct and unwavering action. Apparently, that is only reserved for the bankers on Wall Street to suck us, the common folk, dry.  Dry of what exactly?  Last time I checked they were not a purple people eaters, but a human being too that relied on the environment to sustain them.  Shelter, food, and well you know the capability to live. Yet as with all things we as human beings have grown accustomed too, we look to the dollar to sustain us.  Common folk out there, hee-hee, you might be able to burn it for firewood here soon! Ha!

Second, is this an admission to global warming, that other scientists continue to attempt to debunk?? Face it and start now. When you were a kid or even five years ago, a summer was a summer and a winter was a winter, and there was no doubt about how it felt outside. We are beginning to see and feel (back to the five senses again) a totally different atmosphere from this planet we live on. 

Onward, The Nature Conservancy and top marine scientists want to actually tackle the “ocean acidification”.  How long have we, the apes with no fur, but big brain J, known that our oceans are toxic? Answer: A long time. 

(1) Heck, there was just an article out about the trash in our oceans – TONS and the millions of dollars it would take to clean it up. (2) Beach signs during the summer saying “no swimming due to …” (3) Blooms of algae and dead zones – that keep getting bigger.  

Guess what? When you see trash – pick it up.  When you see a six-pack, plastic holder, un-cut ----cut it up.  When you see it needs to be done – do it.  There are OBVIOUS, small steps that we can take, without government “action” (due to the inaction that are obvious) to clean up.  You start in your own home.  That is the most effective way to achieve what has to be done.  Demand that your town, your home, your environment – have recycling centers and organize groups to clean up roadside trash.  If they will not do it because the budget “cannot allow for it”, go out and start something on your own – BUT do the research first to do it right the first time.    

Back on subject, again…Oceans have had the Great Barrier Reef – the Caribbean Reef – and all these other priceless pieces of Natural art, ecosystems, and biodiversity of life screaming for help over a number of years.  Read a National Geographic. Animals show intelligence in these places – it is there home!  How is it we do not even respect our own? Pardon me. I am upset for our environment.  I know that the impacts are far more reaching than what anyone knows right now.  So, with that I move forward….

“Two major strategies emerged as the backbone of the Declaration resulting from the workshop:
•    Limit fossil fuel emissions - stabilization of atmospheric CO2 is the most logical step to address ocean acidification impacts; and
•    Build the resilience of tropical marine ecosystems and communities to maximize their ability to resist and recover from climate change impacts, including ocean acidification.”

While the above is all well and good, we have businesses that do not wish to curb the harmful emissions.  We walk the streets and travel to work everyday guys. How are your lungs holding up during the waking hours in a city?  Smell a difference in the air? Yuck.

More children and elderly people, with breathing and upper respiratory infections – seems kind of odd doesn’t? How in the word will a bunch of scientists, get the businesses of the World to stop polluting our environments with harmful emissions (otherwise known as greenhouse gases). Please note:  I classify greenhouse gases as anything that should not be inhaled into your lungs that will cause your lungs and/or body harm over time.

Ah – Time.  Didn’t see the results of that first cigarette did you?  But you sure saw a difference after say…five years.  Time. 

Why must we sit around and talk, talk, talk, about things we knew about twenty years ago? Always with the talk, and limited and/or lack of continual education to the general public.  Ever heard an elder person, country person, or farmer, talk about how things use to grow or be?  Same thing – different generation that did not learn or listen. 

What does all of this mean for mankind?  Rotate the general knowledge that is out there, and see the patterns.  What do you see? How and where did the alarms go off, but we failed to listen? 

(Oh and please notice how when you click on the link, or read the article, that the first three steps – yeah they are the same but re-worded.  Freaky.  I would have gotten an “F” from the professor if I tried those shenanigans.)

While the “Honolulu Declaration” was being discussed and presented, the World Conservation Congress in Barcelona had a little meeting.  What was the topic of discussion? The animals that face extinction and the results it could mean for us.  http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081007/sc_afp/environmentbiodiversityspeciesdisease <-- Link

“But perhaps the greatest threat will come from emerging infectious diseases as a result of changing temperatures and rainfall levels."

Multiply the swiftness of the common flu with unknown wind patterns, and ocean currents due to the climate change.  This is a scary thought of just how quick the World population will dwindle.  Damn – here it is as I re-read it - "Disease has always had a role to play in affecting populations, but now we are seeing diseases that are highly pathogenic," he told AFP.

We know what happens when a building, or trees, are cleared – rodents and animals run.  Rodents flood into the next best thing they can find.  Eeek!  Very bad mojo if you ask me, yet we just talk about it and do nothing about it. The bubonic plague --- ?? The outbreak of the Hanta Virus? It still happens. 

Finally, “Any disturbance in the environment shows up in wildlife because they don't adapt very quickly or easily," he said. With what we know, and what we do not know, how will the World react when there are no animals? I have touched on this subject before – in much, much earlier entries onto this blog.  People, it is never too late, till one day it is too late. Save the environment = Saving mankind -- This is balance.

**Next on Breetreport** The Ozone Hole ;)

Here you can see the location of Alan Shepard’s lunar golf game — the astronaut’s ball traveled “for miles and miles and miles” — and find out where the first baseball game was played (it was played in a small town in the hard-to-locate state of New Jersey). Follow Cortez through the Yucatan, and De Soto in Florida. Then try to guess the historical event that MotD will peg tomorrow’s map to. The daily doses are accompanied by capsule histories and quick, multiple-choice trivia tests: They’re perfectly sized geography drills for kids and parents both." - - VSL 

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/map/map-day/index

Serial ini bener-bener ngungkap kehidupan masyarakat di sebuah negara secara rinci dan gokil. Investigasi gokil ini dipandu oleh Diego Bunuel. Si MC ini selalu menyamar pada setiap episod, entah jadi aktor sampe jadi pedagang. Hehehe emang untuk menggampangkan investigasinya. Gue baru nonton yang North Korea dan emang bener-bener keren cara Diego masuk ke North Korea. Untuk dokumenternya, dia udah nyiapin sebuah kamera video yang kalo kasat mata kaya lensa buat SLR. Sebuah teknik yang bagus untuk menghindari disitanya barang seperti handycam. Jadi petugasnya ngira oh kamera doang masi boleh soalnya, kalo handycam udah susah urusannya. Mesti rogoh kocek.

Terus pas ngobrol, si MC make bahasa Prancis, supaya orang ngira ooh bukan orang Amrik, jadi gue gak perlu khawatir dalam perspektif orang Korea. Diego pertamakali diajak nonton pesta rakyat untuk memperingati ultah Korut yang ke-60, yang Kim Jong-Il keliatan ga ada, langsung dibilang stroke ma orang2 Amrik. Terus besoknya diajak nunduk didepan sebuah patung besar, sang Eternal President yang sekarang disiksa ama Nakir Munkar meskipun tubuhnya awet. Dia having fun aja dengan semua itu, disuruh2 melakukan ritual ala diktatorship. Tapi si Diego rada2 masang senyum melecehkan setelah itu. Heheh.

Perjalanannya lanjut ke sebuah pusat grosiran di Korut. Pas mau take kamera, malah ga boleh. Wajarlah , soalnya grosiran ini diam2 menjual produk Amrik, supaya privasinya kejaga, gak boleh bawa kamera. Hehehe, semua grosiran tempat lain di dunia juga kaya gitu ah. Tapi aneh aja di negara yang anti-Amrik banget, lah kok ada produk Amrik. Jualan 7up lagi! Ahahahaha.. gokil2. Dia juga ke taman bermain. Guidenya bilang kalo ada cewek kesini mesti bawa celana dalem dua, terutama kalo naek sejenis Korakora di Pyongyang Playground. Soalnya cewek bakalan ngompol dicelana pas naek korakora itu, pasti! kata si guide. Yakin amat sih lo.. guide gila.

Ada juga cerita pas Diego ke villa gitu. Pas Diego nanya, "Ni villa sering diinepin ma orang Korea ga?". Kata guidenya "Sering kok". Diego komen "Lah kok sepi sih? Padahal sekarang libur". Guide jawab "Iya sih lagi pada kerja kali (kerja kok pas libur dlm pikiran diego seperti itu kira2)". Diego nanya lagi "Bayarannya berapa emang?" Guide jawab "Disini sih pake 100 Euro". Diego aneh rasanya terus bilang "Lho dari mana orang Korea dapet Euro". Guidenya bilang "Ada kok beberapa yang punya". Dari sini gue dapet kalo rakyat yang berada dibawah represi diktator itu kebanyakan baik tapi ga jujur n ga konsisten. Idealisme mereka ga jelas dan ternodai oleh kekolotan. Mereka hanya bisa diperbaiki dengan pemerintahan yang terbuka juga societynya yang ga kolot.

Serial ini udah ngekover beberapa negara kaya Afghanistan, Palestina, Korut, next inline mungkin Iran (gimana tuh caranya) terus gue nunggu yang episod Indonesiaa! Di episode Indonesia mungkin Diego bakal ngungkap masalah suap-korupsi dimana2, terus masalah PSK di Dolly yang murah2 dan ranum2, mungkin masalah kucing di terminal internasional Soehatt. Hahahaha!

Intinya, gue salut ma Diego dengan caranya ngebawain dokumenter ini!

We were originally going to charge a click-thru fee for links, but it was more hassle than it was worth. So links are free. We do charge a small fee for display ads on our home page, but it is basically a site that matches people with questions to  people with answers on all things DNArelated.  We expect our reference links to triple before the end of the year.

Have a look. See what's new.  www.dnadatasource.com

e-mail info@dnadatasource.com

On the Net: Brian Skerry - Underwater Photographer

Image Found Here

The more votes an organization receives, the larger its share of the $1 million. And however you vote, no organization will receive less than $50,000.  So, get out there and vote!

Por cierto, al acabar el vídeo, entre otros conceptos, seguro que si te preguntan qué es un tetrápodo lo sabrás. ¡Ah! y verás un pez con dedos...

Más vídeos sorprendentes de Discovery Channel. Los dos capítulos del documental Paseando con monstruos. Nos habla de la evolución de las especies.

Aprende las principales características de los animales vertebrados. Pincha aquí

Mira estos mapas conceptuales.Esquema de los animales vertebrados.

Thanks Sarah for the heads up!

Entre os dias 1º de agosto e 31 de outubro de 2008, as fotos enviadas ao concurso cultural Sua foto também concorrem a uma viagem para Washington para conhecer a sede da National Geographic Society.

Nesse período, os leitores selecionados como vencedores (1º lugar) nos concursos locais (Sua foto, no caso do Brasil), que acontecem em vários países ao redor do mundo, concorrem automaticamente ao Concurso Internacional de Fotografia National Geographic 2008.

Esse concurso elege a melhor foto de natureza, pessoas e lugares. O resultado dos vencedores brasileiros serão divulgados em novembro de 2008, no site da National Geographic Brasil e haverá um vencedor por categoria. O resultado final, com os vencedores internacionais, será divulgado no dia 15 de dezembro de 2008.

Premiação - O primeiro lugar de cada categoria (natureza, pessoas e lugareas) receberá uma viagem para conhecer a sede da National Geographic Society em Washington, D.C. por cinco dias e quatro noites em datas ainda a serem definidas, em Dezembro de 2008 ou começo de 2009.

Mais informações em:

http://viajeaqui.abril.com.br/ng/promo_foto_dia.shtml

There's a whole lot of potential to explore here. Biologically speaking, I can see a tool for extrapolating, hypothesizing animal/organism behavior based on how an organism is constructed. Described in this Wired article:

Before you even begin the Cell stage, you have to make a decision: Is your little guy an herbivore or a carnivore? This can have lasting repercussions throughout the rest of the game. As a carnivore, the easiest way to get meat is to attack your fellow creatures. This turns your bacteria into kind of a jerk, and when he evolves, he'll be more suited to being an aggressive land animal. Establishing dominance with violence will be easier than trying to reason with other creatures. And if you take this path of least resistance throughout the rest of the game, you'll be a warlike, spacefaring race of jerks in no time, just because your aquatic ancestors went on the Atkins diet eons ago.

What's cool is that some researchers already have their game on. This video from National Geographic shows us just how geeky us academics can be in creating the "ultimate animal". Can spore be partially integrated into the life science curriculum?

I guess Spore isn't just for science freaks as well. Like all Sim(...) games one must carefully decide the social science angle in determining the anthropological, sociological and political ramifications in the civilization stage, even if such a term can be said to exist in real, non-virtual life. My guess is that this segment of the game will devolve into the typical hulk-smash warmongering typically seen in most Sim games.

Even though Spore may try to be everything for every player, it does seem to set up an interesting template for game designers, simulation programmers to share with scholars in the academic sphere. I'm curious to find out where on the evolutionary scale librarians enter the picture.

 A montadora Toyota e sua agência de propaganda Dentsu Latin America, em parceria à National Geographic, revista da Editora Abril e canal de TV por assinatura transmitido pelaNatGeo, criaram a série “Across the Amazon – De Leste a Oeste em 70 dias”, que estréia no dia 05 de outubro de 2008.

 Dessa parceria, surgiu a expedição Across the Amazon, realizada entre os meses de maio e julho deste ano e que percorreu da Costa Leste ao Extremo Oeste do Continente Sul-Americano. Durante 70 dias a bordo de duas Picapes Hilux, da Toyota, os participantes da Expedição narram a aventura de cruzar a América Latina partindo da cidade de Ponta dos Seixas (PA) até Talara (Peru), num total de 8.375 quilômetros.

 A viagem foi relatada em publieditoriais nas edições de junho a setembro das revistasNational Geographic e Quatro Rodas. No final de semana de estréia da série, um publieditorial será veiculado também na revista Veja.

 A série contará com seis episódios com duração de meia hora cada, transmitidos sempre às quintas-feiras, às 22h30. Além disso, foi criado também um site da expedição onde há um blog com as aventuras e desafios que o grupo de fotógrafos, cinegrafistas, pilotos, produtores e técnicos em Áudio vivenciaram. “O Across the Amazon é um projeto grandioso não só pela marcas envolvidas, empresas líderes que prezam pela alta qualidade de seus produtos, mas também pela audácia de produzir um conteúdo exclusivo e muito atraente ao público final e que será distribuído em diversas plataformas, como TV, revista e Internet. A adequação editorial, os meios de divulgação e a tradução do conceito de “determinação” por meio de uma história real fazem deste projeto um case de Branded Content (Comunicação por Conteúdo) para a Toyota do Brasil. Do ponto de vista de mídia, é perfeito, pois o produto está inserido no conteúdo, que chega de forma pertinente e sem dispersão para o target da Hilux”, afirma o diretor de Mídia da Dentsu, Alexandre Ugadin.

 O site Across the Amazon (www.acrosstheamazon.com.br) realizou também um Concurso Cultural onde dois das centenas de inscritos tiveram a oportunidade de se juntar durante cinco dias à equipe Across The Amazon, dirigindo uma Toyota Hilux na última fase da Expedição, de Trujillo a Talara, no Peru. Ao voltar para o Brasil, os ganhadores ainda participaram de um jantar com a equipe da Toyota e da Dentsu. O Concurso foi divulgado por meio de peças na Internet e nos publieditoriais, além de mala-direta e e-mail marketing para clientes Toyota e assinantes da Editora Abril.

 Across the Amazon – De Leste a Oeste em 70 dias

Estréia:

Domingo – 05 de outubro – 20h

 Novos episódios:

Quintas-feiras – 22h30

 Reprises:

Quintas-feiras – 22h

Ana Paula Ruiz / Sandra Santos
ECCO - Escritório de Consultoria e Comunicação

Surah Rahman Chapter: 55 , Verse no : 13

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?

پھر تم اپنے رب کی کس کس نعمت کو جھٹلاؤ گے

Photo Courtesy: Harris Farooq

Buscando fotografías para un nuevo post sobre la ciudad de Burgos, me he encontrado con esta página de la edición americana de la prestigiosa revista National Geographic. No conozco el número ni la fecha. Supongo, debido al texto, que se trate de un reportaje sobre las ciudades castellanas. La foto está tomada desde las Llanas de afuera. Una verdadera curiosidad.

El texto dice:

El ruido de bueyes, burros y camiones sobre los adoquines de Burgos.

Campo de batalla de moros y cristianos; hogar del Cid, héroe nacional español; y capital del la reina Isabel de Castilla; Burgos fue durante mucho tiempo la representación de la Edad Media. Comenzada en el año 1221, la catedral, al final de esta calle, es considerada como una de las mejores de España.

PS - Think you know what the picture at right is? I bet you're wrong!

Read this week's BioBites!

1.) Wondering how big your carbon footprint is? TierneyLab at the NY Times unveils details about a gizmo for your phone that uses GPS to track your carbon usage by movement and will be available soon.

2.) Worried about finding a mate with a good MHC match? Check out ScientificMatch.com where, for a saliva sample and a mere $1000, you can find one!

3.) As reported by e! Science News, a new study shows that HIV has been around longer than we thought - since about 1900.

4.) Also from e! Science news: eating too much is bad for your brain.

5.) The Discovery Channel reports from across the Charles River at MIT, where they were able to create smell receptors in the lab. Someday this could lead to artifical noses that could detect things like drugs, explosives and cancer!

6.) Ring a bell and a dog moth salivates?

7.) Having problems with your teenage son? Maybe he has a mutation in his DAT1 gene, as reported by ScienceDaily.com.

8.) Check out the amazing images that won this year's National Geographic Best Science Images awards.

9.) Word associations with the word organic? Farming. Food. TVs?

fotografía de Andrew Wong

De repente, donde antes no había nada, aparecían ballenas, y pasaban junto a mí tranquilas, como si yo no existiera, como si mi presencia no las molestara.

Y entonces una pasó más cerca que el resto, y pude tocarla. Y al tocar su morro, abrió su ojo, y me miró.

Fue un sueño precioso.

(vía)

From a National Geographic photoshoot of right whales:

One whale repeatedly swam within inches of photographer Brian Skerry and assistant Mauricio Handler (pictured) as they dived off the Auckland Islands. "It looked at me with great curiosity," Handler says. "No aggression."

Quite a photo - though if that were me on the right, I would have instantly soiled myself.  Imagine having something that size swim right up to you...  Though it must also have been an amazing experience.

from National Geographic via Towleroad

SURSA: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

Dar aş fi în stare să pun pariu că sunteţi curioşi de ce „Marcă Înregistrată” şi ce-mi veni să aleg subiectul ăsta? Păi, între nişte butoneli la telecomandă, derulând programele româneşti, îl văd la un moment dat pe Florin Piersic, ăl bătrân, chitit să ne facă o mărturisire. Mă, zic în sinea mea, ce-o vrea să zică omul ăsta? Personal, Piersic ăl bătrân îmi place. Şi ca om, şi ca actor. Şi zăbovesc să văd ce vrea să ne mărturisească, aveam senzaţia că e vreo ştire de-aia gen „acasă tv”, mă rog... omul continuă, spunând că toată viaţa lui i-au plăcut femeile şi prăjiturile. În spatele lui, pe fundal, începe să se fâţâie un fel de piţi beib la care nu prea îi văd rolul... Aflu, tot de la dom’ Florin, că juna se numeşte Veronica, marea lui descoperire făcută ieri. Duduiţa bate nişte oo într-un castron şi se îndreaptă agale către maestru, ocolind canapeaua pe care şedea acesta. Maestrul, extaziat la culme (meritul lui, dom’ne, e actor bun), îşi vâră un deşte în castronul de-l freca piţilina de zor şi-l degustă apoi plin de beatitudine... Între timp, duduia zdrăngăne castronul de ceva, aruncat aşa în sictir, şi dă să se aşeze pe canapea. Conu Piersic, leşinat, o pune deasupra extazului cauzat de frecangeala Veronicăi, dar stupoare!!! Veronica are pe post de cap o prăjitură. Şi mai mare stupoare!! Maestrul se repede să-i lingă frişca din creştet!! Veronico, mânca-ţi-ar naţiunea dulceaţa ta de piersicele, ce-i făcuşi lui dom’ Florin?!?!... Zbang, euforia moare când camera se răsuceşte brusc către o masă pe care stă pompos „Lemarco alb”. Cică e dulce, dulce de tot.

Acuma, să nu mă întelegeţi greşit. Cu Florin Piersic n-am nimic, chiar îl preţuiesc şi ca om, şi ca actor. Dar am ce am cu aştia de la Lemarco de pildă. Şi cu băieţeii deştepţi din media românească. De ce? Că mereu merg pe stereotipul sexul vinde. Pui un crac de piţipoancă, pui o ţâţă mai tunată, cu airbaguri supradimensionate şi gata. Succesul e asigurat. Nu le mai rămâne decât să bage sound de manele şi pe reclame, că treaba-i gata.  Vezi povestea de cartier, protagonist tot un Florin, de data asta pe nume Călinescu. Eee.. nu,  nu-mi spuneţi că dacă ar fi făcut un decor rupt din anii 1800 când don’şoarele aveau alte preocupări şi nu fuste scurte şi burice goale în care să evidenţieze zahărul din care s-au făcut prăjiturile de la serbarea câmpenească ar fi avut succes. Nuu, să fim serioşi. Adevărul e că media oferă ceea ce se cere. Manele, piţipoance şi baieţi de-aia plini de cultură care-şi măsoară bărbăţia în başii boxelor de la maşină, în ochelarii de soare contrafăcuţi pe vapoarele din Hong-Kong şi mă opresc aici. Cu caracterizarea. Continui doar cu o idee. E febra mărcilor înregistrate, în România. Caşcaval de Rucăr, cârnaţi de Pleşcoi, dulceaţa de nu stiu care...

 Gogule, păi dacă vrei să faci bani, subscrie repede la mărci înregistrate şi fă un brand din manele, piţipoance, cocalari... Hai, nu trebuie să-mi mulţumeşti pentru idee, şi nici că ai să fii bogat... nu-i cazul. Cum? De ce o fac publică şi nu le înregistrez eu? Pai, hai să-ţi zic... Mă bate gândul să transform în marcă înregistrată prostia românească. Şi-apoi să pretind statului câte un euro pe luna de fiecare prost. Drept taxă. De cultură. Cultura inculturii, evident. Vă las, că uite, încep iar ştirile ProsTV, şi am treabă... să mut pe National Geographic.