Posted in Honor of my Multiply friends from Finland, Piia and Riihele!! Although I do not ice skate myself, I did find this an interesting article. Hope you enjoy the read. --John--
Scandinavians invented ice skating in 3000 BC
By Roger Highfield, Science Editor --The Telegraph UK
Last Updated: 1:35am GMT 26/12/2007
The oldest form of human-powered transport was ice skating, and was invented in northern Europe around five thousand years ago.
Archaeological evidence suggests that the first skates made of animal bones date back to 3000 BC, helping people travel more widely during frozen winters in Finland, marking the start of the evolution of more sophisticated skates.
The earliest skates were made of bone - usually horse or cow
Constructed of trimmed horse or cow bones, and pierced at one end and strapped to the foot with leather thongs, they were not powered by the classic skating motion but used in tandem with a long stick; skaters straddled the stick and poled themselves along.
In the Biological Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Dr Frederico Formenti and Professor Alberto Minetti of Oxford University lay out the evidence supporting the idea that the birth of ice skating took place in Southern Finland, where the number of lakes within a given area is the highest in the world.
"In Central and Northern Europe, five thousand years ago people struggled to survive the severe winter conditions and it seems unlikely that ice skating developed as a hobby," says Dr Formenti.
"As happened later for skis and bicycles, I am convinced that we first made ice skates in order to limit the energy required for our daily journeys".
In experiments on an ice rink by the Alps, the team measured the energy consumption of five retired professionals while skating on bones, showing they were relatively slow, reaching around 2.5 mph.
However, through mathematical models and computer simulations of 240 ten-kilometre (six mile) journeys, their research shows that in winter the use of bone skates on frozen lakes - around 60,000 in Finland - would have limited the energy requirements of Finnish people by 10 per cent as they zipped about.
"In order to better adapt to the severe conditions imposed by the long lasting winters, Finnish populations could benefit more than others from developing this ingenious locomotion tool."
Other research by the team shows that the energy cost of skating on ice decreased dramatically through history, as bone gave way to iron and then steel, with modern ice- skating only using 25 per cent of the effort associated with the use of bone skates.
"Moreover, for the same metabolic power, nowadays skaters can achieve speeds four times higher than their ancestors could."
The researchers conclude: "Ice skates were probably the first human powered locomotion tools to take the maximum advantage from the biomechanical properties of the muscular system: even when travelling at relatively high speeds, the skating movement pattern required muscles to shorten slowly so that they could also develop a considerable amount of force."
Do You Hear What I Hear? Said the night wind to the little lamb, "Do you see what I see? Do you see what I see? Way up in the sky, little lamb, Do you see what I see? Do you see what I see?
A star, a star, dancing in the night With a tail as big as a kite, With a tail as big as a kite."
Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy, "Do you hear what I hear? Do you hear what I hear? Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy, Do you hear what I hear? Do you hear what I hear?
A song, a song, high above the trees With a voice as big as the sea, With a voice as big as the sea."
Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king, "Do you know what I know? Do you know what I know? In your palace warm, mighty king, Do you know what I know? Do you know what I know? A Child, a Child shivers in the cold-- Let us bring him silver and gold, Let us bring him silver and gold."
Said the king to the people everywhere, "Listen to what I say! Listen to what I say! Pray for peace, people, everywhere, Listen to what I say! Listen to what I say!
A Child, A Child sleeping in the night He will bring us goodness and light, He will bring us goodness and light."
Please remember our young men and women in uniform in a thought or prayer.
Usually, I like having mine done and up before viewing others, entries on the theme. I had planned to use a photo of a reunion a bunch of us had in Iowa in the 1970s. We all met from various parts of the country at a farm in Iowa, such a neat old farmhouse with wrap around covered porch veranda. There was one shot of the "morning after" beer cans, wine bottles, the occasional sleeping body, strewn across the veranda and lawn. It was just such a funny photo, and we did have quite the festive week. I sent all the pictures off to basically the historian of the group who lives is Chicago, so no photo to post. When viewing a few this morning, especially Caveman's and Annie's, they reminded me that festive does not have to be a big party or event. Festive can be the small things in life, the unplanned events as much as a party. This then is my entry:
Camera is a Kodak EasyShare Z612
This is my grand niece Eilish in the center. She is a downs child. This is at the Carmel Lagoon on a beautiful day last year. There was a man with his daughter and her friend to the left of us. They had a inflatable boat with them. Eilish was fascinated, and would wade out to her knees and just watch and talk to the two young ladies. The water was only three feet deep, but seemed like the deep ocean to Eilish. The two girls came into shore and asked if they could take Eilish out for a ride, That was it for Eilish, the party had begun. These two girls were amazingly generous with their time, and extremely patient with Eilish. She was so estatic, She was taught to row, got close to pelicans and seagulls, small fish would dart under the boat. Her laughing and exclamations had us all is stiches. Just having Eilish around is festive, she is so loving and generous. From painting to reading a story to her is like having a party. In fact we adults have to be like tag teams, one parties with Eilish, while the others rest, ready to come in on relief. She is visiting with her family this Christmas for a week, we can't wait.
Welcome to PICTURE PERFECT
a weekly photo-blog
rules (not that anyone pays them the slightest bit of attention) for the newbies
Each week a theme will be posted up on Wednesday, and you are invited to put up your best picture
We told him not to take the camera, but some of these raw graduates think they know it all. It is almost universal that tribes do not like the flash or the idea of a camera.
We are researchers with the Anthropological Studies Group of North Western. We are based in the upper reaches of the Amazon basin on the Tapajos, a tributary of the Amazon. Primitive camping does not do justice to our research station. We can only reach our camp in the dry season, which severely limits our research time. One of the reasons we welcome interns to help us.
We study and make contact with "lost tribes" who have lived as they have for thousands of years. Of course they have never considered themselves lost, that is one of the first lessons you learn here, but it makes for a good sound bite back home.
We prefer to call them pre-contact tribes. As social anthropologists it is so important to study their cultures before it is adversely affected by contact, or worst, lost forever.
Williams came highly recommended from Rutgers. After meeting him we weren’t sure if they wished to get him into the bush to mellow him out. He had an ego the size of the Amazon basin, and a grating personality to match the worst of the rapids. But he was good! He could pick up a language like no one we had ever seen. After a few months with us he was speaking better dialects than some of our researchers who had been here year after year. And Williams made sure he could prove it any chance he got.
He was getting itchy feet almost as soon as he stepped out of the supply boat. Instead of learning the ropes, he wanted to be in the jungle. While he should have been watching the old hands, he would wander off, and visit the nearest villages we were studying. I should have sent him packing off home after several of these unauthorized visits.
I have to give him this credit though, he did learn of a tribe we had only heard rumors of on the far side of the Tapajos rapids. That made up for his indiscretions and down right insubordination. We planned an expedition with some of the local Indians to the new tribe’s village for two weeks following, depending on the locals making first contact, telling of our intended visit. If the new tribe was open to our visit we would be on our way, if they were not, we would continue to work with contact through the local tribe.
Three days into our wait, Williams turned up missing again!. We did not think too much of it at first, as he had done this many times before. Three days turned into five, five into seven. We asked the locals if they had seen him, which they had, four days past, which would be the same day he first was missed. We searched the trails and spoke with the Indians, but no one had seen him since that day, if at all. The deep tropical jungle is a dangerous place, you can be standing two feet from someone and not see them for the growth. Of course the occasional Jaguar does not make the jungle any safer, plus the snakes and insects. Most of us were sure he would turn up.
Thirteen days into our wait, the local Indians returned informing us the new tribe did not welcome a visit. We were disappointed, but we had learned it can be a slow process to gain acceptance. Williams would take this hard when he returned, we were sure of that.
The tribe had sent gifts back, which was a very good sign, at least we thought it was at first. We opened the skin pouch with a collective gasp, it is amazing how much a shrunken head looks like the person it belonged to. We never did find his camera.
There are many organizations that are sending donations over to our troops. If you live by a military base, you can call the Public Affairs office and ask if any one is collecting donations to send. You might have a friend whose husband, wife, or son might be in the service, ask if they are sending a box and if their loved one likes something special. We all can keep them and their families in our thoughts and prayers. It is amazing and humbling how a package or letter/card will encourage them. On that note, following is a list of organizations that might be of interest to you. These organizations can be used at any time, not just at Christmas.
This is sponsored by the Xerox Company. You can pick out an ecard, drawn by children, and send it our troops.
This was sent to me by a civilian worker at Camp Pendelton, there is a listing of specific needs from specific soldiers. This is a great site as it also tells of some of the thing that our troops are doing in a non combat role, that we never hear about on our local media.
Wow, this came as a surprise, I mean, sure they look better than we do, they move better than we do, they are softer than we are, they smell better than we do, I think I just changed my own mind, I am no longer surprised!!! And to add the story, just by empherical observation, I have seen far more Beer Bellies on men, than Pregnant Bellies on Women. And there is another thing to add to the above list, Pregnant Bellies on Woman look far better than Beer Bellies on Men. Women, I invite you to read on and acknowledge what you have always known. Men I invite you to read and weep that it has been revealed to the world that we are evolutionarily disadvantaged, or don't read and men,
remember our battle cry "IGNORANCE IS BLISS!!"
--John--
Pregnant? Backache? It could be worse
Thursday, 13 December 2007 Maggie Fox Reuters News in Science ABC
Leaning backwards helps pregnant women avoid extra strain on their spine, according to scientists who say women have evolved this way. But men have no such adaptation so can't balance their beer guts by leaning backwards
Pregnant women who lean backwards to shift their centre of gravity can thank evolution for their awkward stance, anthropologists say.
It may be a way of saving pregnant women from extra back pain, the researchers report today in the journal Nature.
Women's lower vertebrae have evolved a distinct shape to allow them to shift their centre of gravity without damaging the spine, says Dr Katherine Whitcome, now of Harvard University and colleagues.
"It was one of these things like, 'Oh my God, no one's ever thought of this', and it looks so obvious," says Dr Liza Shapiro of the University of Texas at Austin, who helped supervise the work.
Whitcome and Shapiro followed 19 women through their pregnancy, using digital cameras and motion analysis equipment to map the changes in stance and movement as the months passed.
"What women do when their pregnancy reaches about half of the expected mass ... they shift backwards," Shapiro says.
"If you didn't have any of those mechanisms, the only way to offset a load in front of you is to contract your back muscles. The more you have to use your muscles, the more discomfort you would have. It would be worse otherwise, and there would be more potential damage to the vertebrae."
Avoiding stress on spine
Without this change in shape, the vertebrae could be subject to shearing forces, with one sliding over another, damaging the fluid-filled discs in between or pulling on ligaments and muscles.
"The shape of the vertebrae allows her to rotate the upper body," Shapiro says.
When she moved to Harvard, Whitcome continued the study and looked at the fossils of pre-humans known as australopithecenes, as well as at the bone structure of our nearest living relatives, the chimpanzees.
"These differences are absent in the chimpanzee. So there is something unique about humans," Whitcome says.
"We also see some evidence for these adaptations in early australopithecenes."
How about men?
Men do not have this adaptation, either, Shapiro says.
"We can only conclude that men can't resist the forces of their big bellies as well as women. They are at a disadvantage," she says.
"They probably lean back the same way to try and balance that load, but they are kind of putting their vertebrae more at risk. I am sure there has got to be a correlation between having a big beer gut and having back pain," Shapiro says. (added note: Anyone else notice that Chimps, and Men do not have this adaption, but women do? Mother Nature is obviously biased!--John)
(Disclaimer: Those are not my baby pictures, and this is not my beer belly. Thank you.)
The very first thing that came to mind is Dylan Thomas's poem DO NOT GO GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT. I have always liked the poem, have not agreed with it all, but it is one of the great poems. It was written about his Father who was always an active and independent man, one commentator wrote of him as a "robust and militant man". I would have liked the commentator to expound on the "militant" part. Thomas's Father was in his 80s and had become blind and weak, dependent on others, so Dylan is telling his father to rage against it all. To a certain extent I agree. Having seem my Father go from active to being cared for in a blink of an eye, after a sudden stroke. It is hard for a strong active man, such an independent man, coming to terms with having to rely on others. Dad had hunted and fished, camped, backpacked, built his first home, built his and Mom's retirement cabin, was a mechanic, traveled the country over. It is still hard to deal with after all this years that he has been gone, the loss of a Father and a friend. We wanted him to fight and fight he did. But there comes a time, in all our lives where we have to say: "I am tired; I am tired, I am ready to go home."
The picture was taken in Pacific Grove Cemetery. The shadows are long, the sun is going down, the light is fading. . .
John
The camera used was a Kodak TAMI
DO NOT GO GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT
Dylan Thomas
Oct. 27th, 1914 --- Nov. 9th, 1953
Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked no lightning they Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight, And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way, Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height, Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray. Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Welcome to PICTURE PERFECT
a weekly photo-blog
rules (not that anyone pays them the slightest bit of attention) for the newbies
Each week a theme will be posted up on Wednesday, and you are invited to put up your best picture
I am sure I am not the only one who takes walks in graveyards. It is usually very quiet, excellent for thinking and comptemplating. And far from being depressing, to me it is a celebration of life. Everyone will end this part of the journey the same. They all had hopes and dreams, loves and heartaches. They knew joy and pain, laughter and tears. They held and touched, loved and caressed. Just as we all do. I cannot help but wonder, who these people were.
There is one person that has intrigued me for years. His stone sits mainly by itself in the old part of the cemetery. I have tried to track down some history on him, but to no avail. It was suggested that I try the local Later Day Saints as they have a library of local genealogy. That will be the next step.
He wrote his own poem. Where there other poems, other stories, from this one I would think so? I would hope so. From the hills around Monterey, the fog will come in and look like waves, at time completely obscuring the town from view. . .
1860 - Edward Thompson Nelson - 1886
Sometimes in the morning, we would stand
And mark the mimic ocean at our feet
The silent sea-fog that in silence beat
On unresounding silences of land-
Such joyless wastes of weariness, we thought
Lie all about him who doth dare despond-
Full well we knew the valley lay beyond,
For on the moment hung the morning, caught
Upon the summit of a mountain peak
And all the east with molten gold did reek,
The sea-fog heaved, the town before concealed
Gleamed out from roof and spire, the valley
lay revealed.
E.T.N.
Only 26 years old, Who did he stand with on that mountain, the waves of fog mirroring the ocean waves, those many years ago, a lover, a friend, a wife? Was he born here? His is the only Nelson marker, so was he an adventurer from the east, or English, seeking his fame and fortune. A new beginning? Did he die alone, or have the comfort of friends in the great passing. He is us in so many ways.
Once again the ancients did it first, and research will tell if they did it better. I imagine major companies are scrambling around to get the rights to this. -- John
Glue used by the Romans has stuck around for 2,000 years
By Tony Paterson in Berlin --The Independent
Independent.co.uk on line edition
Published: 06 December 2007
German archaeologists claim to have found traces of a glue they say was made by the Romans more than 2,000 years ago and used to mount silver laurel leaves on legionnaires' battle helmets.
Researchers at the Rhineland historical museum in Bonn said they had found remnants of the glue on a legionnaire's iron helmet unearthed near the town of Xanten. It had lain on what was once the bed of the Rhine for at least 1,500 years.
Frank Willer, the museum's chief restorer, said researchers came across the glue by surprise while removing a tiny sample of metal from the helmet with a fine saw. The heat from the tool caused silver laurel leaves decorating the helmet to peel off leaving thread-like traces of the glue behind.
"It is a sensational find and a complete stroke of luck that we were still able to find traces of the substance on the helmet after 2,000 years," Mr Willer said.
The museum's team of archaeologists maintains that, as the helmet lay on the river-bed for so long, its glue was not exposed to the destructive effects of the atmosphere and therefore did not lose its adhesive power.
Mr Willer said that other Roman remains, including ancient battle masks, kept by the museum bore traces of silver decorations and had probably been glued in the same way. Their condition has deteriorated too far to find evidence of glue.
Analysis shows that the Roman glue was made of bitumen, beef tallow and pitch. But researchers said they had failed so far to recreate the adhesive and that sawdust, soot or sand might have to be added to complete the process.
"When we finally manage to remake the superglue, it will easily compete with its modern equivalents," Mr Willer said. "After all, which of today's glues stick for 2,000 years?"
Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the Senate, and of the House of Representatives:
Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 -- a date which will live in infamy -- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.
USS ARIZONA -- BB-39 There is a sailor standing on the turret top at the lower left.
The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.
Rescuing survivors near USS West Virginia during Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, USA
Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.
Photo of Pearl Harbor attack taken from a Japanese plane
photo and caption credit
U.S. Naval Historical Center Public Domain Photographs
It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.
Navy's caption: Keel of the capsized USS Oklahoma with the USS Maryland in the background during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941.
photo and caption credit National Archives and Records Administration Public Domain Photographs
The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.
Navy's caption: The terrific explosion of the destroyer USS SHAW when her magazine exploded after being bombed by Japanese aircraft in the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. (This picture, in some books, is captioned as the USS ARIZONA exploading, but the Navy's archives says it is the Shaw.--John)
photo and caption credit National Archives and Records Administration Public Domain Photographs
Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.
Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.
Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.
Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.
Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.
And this morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.
photo and caption credit National Archives and Records Administration Public Domain Photographs
Naval photograph documenting the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii which initiated US participation in World War II. The destroyers USS Cassin and USS Downes in dry-dock with the battleship USS Pennsylvania in the background after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.
As commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.
No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.
photo and caption credit Franklin D. Roosevelt Library Public Domain Photographs
Wreckage of the bombed USS Shaw in Pearl Harbor.
I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.
Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger.
With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph -- so help us God.
I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Pearl Harbor Speech before the Senate and Congress, December 8, 1941
****
We still have young men and women in harms way, please remember them in our thoughts and prayers.--John
This just fascinated me, I remember quite a few years ago when a paleontologist said he had found a fossilized heart in one Dinosaur ribcage, he was ridiculed and told it was just a hunk of mud turned to stone by other senior "knowing" paleontologists. Over the years the findings are leaning towards it being a heart. Too often do findings that do not follow what is expected, what is the "norm" are just thrown out because it upsets the findings of other scientists. Gee kind of just like every day life. -- John
This hadrosaur's larger-than-expected backside allowed it to run at up to 45 kilometres an hour (Source: National Geographic Society)
Scientists have revealed a partly mummified dinosaur, complete with fossilised skin and muscles, an incredibly rare find that sheds new light on the species that once ruled the earth.
The remains of the duck-billed hadrosaur were first discovered in 1999 by a schoolboy in a treasure trove of fossils called Hell Creek, in North Dakota.
They were then brought to the attention of UK palaeontologist Dr Phil Manning, who is based at the University of Manchester.
After two years of excavation work, Manning and his team unveiled the exceptionally well preserved 'dino-mummy' in Washington this week, describing this sort of discovery as the Holy Grail of palaeontology.
"Palaeontology is used to finding single bones. Occasionally we find a few bones together, articulated, but very, very rarely do we find a complete skeleton," says Manning.
"This comes off the scale. This is a remarkable find, a breathtaking find that defies logic."
The herbivore hadrosaur, nicknamed Dakota, lived 67 million years ago. It was about 7-9 metres long and weighed 3.6 tonnes.
Preserved in mud
Dakota remained so intact because it was quickly buried in a layer of muddy sediment, and preserved its shape once its soft tissue turned to fossil, the scientists say.
Hell Creek, which stretches into the badlands of Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming, has yielded several Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons including what Manning says is the world's first known T. rex footprint.
But Dr Matthew Carrano, dinosaur curator at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, says Dakota is one of less than 10 'mummified' dinosaur specimens discovered so far worldwide.
Edmontosaurus fossil mummy Mummified Edmontosaurus Dinosaur Fossil on sand Lynton Gardiner (c) Dorling Kindersley, Courtesy of The American Museum of Natural History (This is a picture of one of the other dinosaur mummies that has been found -- John)
Helped by funding from the National Geographic Society, Manning is taking a detailed look at the remains in a giant Boeing scanner normally used to test aircraft.
Large backside
Armed with that 3D insight into Dakota's muscle mass, the scientists estimate that its backside was 25% larger than previously thought for a hadrosaur.
With a larger rear end, it could have reached top speeds of 45 kilometres per hour, quick enough to outrun a T. rex.
Dakota's skin envelope also suggested evidence of stripes that would have produced a camouflage pattern, also handy for evading predators.
Because the hadrosaur was so well preserved, the researchers could more accurately estimate the spacing between its vertebrae, giving a gap of about 1 centimetre between each bone.
In contrast, most natural history museums display their dinosaur fossils with the bones stacked tightly together.
Longer beasts
Manning's research therefore suggests that some dinosaurs were at least a metre longer than previously thought.
"Our dinosaur mummy makes many other dinosaurs look like road kill, simply because the evidence we're getting from our creature is so complete compared to the disjointed sort of skeletons that we usually have to draw conclusions from," he says.
1) The cardinal number, represented by the symbol "1", designating the first such unit in a series.
2) A single person, thing, or unit.
"We shall never forget that it was our submarines that held the lines against the enemy while our fleets replaced losses and repaired wounds."
Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, USN.
One can be a noun, an adjective, or a pronoun, I chose the Noun. I have been collecting Navy patches and Welcome Aboard booklets for years (along other military, police and fire depts.) One of my best finds and one of my favorites is a patch from the SS 391 USS POMFREY, a WWII Balao class attack submarine. What makes this special to me is the history behind the boat. Although a surface ship is given credit for first entering into the Inner Toyko Bay, SS POMFREY was the first one to enter the Outer Bay in August of 1945, to rescue downed US flyers, she did this under US air cover.
The following is from the Naval Historical Center:
USS Pomfret (SS-391), 1944-1971
USS Pomfret, a 1526-ton Balao class submarine built at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine, was commissioned in February 1944. She joined the Pacific fleet several months later and made her first war patrol, in the waters off Japan, in June-August 1944. Though the submarine attacked three Japanese ships, including a battleship, none were hit. A second patrol, which took her into the Luzon Strait during September and October, produced the sinking of a Japanese transport. Returning to the Luzon Strait for her third combat cruise, Pomfret sank three more ships. Between late January and the end of the Pacific War in mid-August 1945, she made three patrols, during which she rescued several downed U.S. aviators (one in outer Tokyo Bay), shelled shore facilities and sank a number of floating mines.
As part of the post-war active fleet, Pomfret deployed three times to the Western Pacific during 1946-1949 and again in 1951, during the Korean War. In 1952 and early 1953 Pomfret underwent a "Guppy IIA" modernization, greatly enhancing her underwater performance. Her Pacific Fleet service continued for nearly two more decades, with regular deployments to the Far East. Decommissioned in mid-1971, Pomfret was loaned to the Turkish Navy and renamed Oruc Reis. She was sold to Turkey two years later and remained a unit of that nation's navy until the later 1980s.
And this is from HYPER-WAR Ships of the US Navy -- 1940-1945
It is just amazing how some old folk medicines have basis in fact. Modern medicine is using maggots to keep gangrene from spreading, again using leeches in certain procedures. And now studying worms, which are used in Chinese folk medicine. Even the Ice Man found several years ago in the Alps carried dried mushrooms that are known to have medicinal properties. How did they ever manage without a PHD and computers? --John
Worm poo shows there's brass in muck
Monday, 26 November 2007 Jennifer Viegas Discovery News
Earthworms selectively kill, then digest or ferment soil bacteria. Now scientists think we can learn from these slimy killers to develop new antimicrobial agents (Source: iStockphoto)
Scientists say they might find new antimicrobial compounds in a source most people associate with dirt and germs: worms.
Two teams, one from Russia, the other from China, publish their findings in the European Journal of Soil Biology.
For hundreds of thousands of years, worms have flourished in excrement and germ-filled conditions that people spend countless dollars and hours trying to wash off and avoid.
"Phylogenetically, earthworms are a very old group," says Boris Byzov, from , Moscow Lomonosov State University and lead researcher of one of the teams.
"They are presumably the most ancient soil dwellers and have been around in sediments of the Precambrian and Ordovician [over 500 million years ago]," he says.
Byzov and his colleagues dug up worms from soils rich in cow manure, then measured the amount of bacteria and fungi in soil and "fresh excrement" from worms.
Interestingly, the worm poo contained a different microorganism mixture, with significantly fewer fungi.
The scientists then took fluid from the worms' digestive tract and subjected it to a bacterial and fungi barrage.
FILTERS AND FERMENTS
The tests indicate the earthworm gut filters, and even ferments, at least some types of microorganisms.
"Earthworms selectively kill and then digest some bacteria and fungi," says Byzov. "Other microorganisms can successfully pass the digestive tract with some populations multiplying in the posterior part of the gut."
He says this activity helps to keep soil microbial communities in balance. Worm poo even changes how soil absorbs water.
"[Earthworms] make soil more water resistant through their excretion of mucus-rich casts," Byzov says.
"Consuming soil, they make big channels and burrows, which are then easily occupied by plant roots and small animals."
CHINESE WORMS KILL TOO
As these experiments were taking place, Sun Zhenjun from China Agricultural University in Beijing and colleagues were making worm discoveries of their own.
Zhenjun knew that, for centuries, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners had included worms in their preparations.
He describes the insect treatments as "cold" and "slightly salty", with claims of treating everything from herpes to cancer.
The Beijing team introduced cancerous cells, obtained from China-Japan Friendship Hospital, to worm tissues and fluids.
The researchers say they saw significant change, with many of the cancer cells dying.
CARBOHYDRATES AND PROTEINS
Zhenjun says he and his colleagues then accidentally found that worm compounds, specifically some complex carbohydrates and protein components, have antibacterial functions.
Like Byzov, Zhenjun's team mix all kinds of human-infecting microbes with the worm compounds, such as Escherichia coli, staphylococcus, pneumonia-causing bugs and candida.
The worm goo easily killed off each one, including the extremely harmful bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is naturally resistant to penicillin and most other antibiotics.
Zhenjun and his colleagues are now trying to isolate the most powerful anticancer and antibacterial agents in worms, so that these might be synthesised for human use in future.
Tami, love of Frogs, captured another version of this phenomenon on film in Oregon earlier this year. I am trying to see if she will put it up and link to it. I have seen it over the years, not to the degree that is pictured here. Of course, did I think to get a picture!! NO!!
I love the fall and the winter. My focus changes, from outdoor activities, trips, Camping, adventures, to quieter pursuits and times. I tend to look more at the small things, and not get side tracked so easily. I tend to think that the small things reveals more revelations about ourselves, our lives, living, what is important. I think of times by the fire, listening to its' conversations, reading a good book, bundled up walking along the shore, listening to rain, feeling the cold bite of wind on my face. Holding on to one you love and carrying on long talks without saying anything.
One reason I really love Opus's character, he always tends to return to the simple things. Embrace the winter, spring will come in its' own time.--John
SIMPLE GIFTS
Shaker Elder Joseph Brackett, Jr. in 1848
'Tis the gift to be simple, 'Tis the gift to be free, 'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be, And when we find ourselves in the place just right, It will be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gained, to bow and to bend, we will not be ashamed To turn, turn, will be our delight, 'Til by turning, turning, we come round right.
PBS had a show on the Bonobos last month. It really set me to wondering what the world would be like if women ran it. I would hope it would be a better and peaceful world. This interesting and too human species of Great Apes may help socialogists find out. Warning some descriptions of Monkey Love follows.--John
The following article is from the Bonobo Conservation Initiative. The link to their site is:
It is difficult to answer the question: "What is a Bonobo?" Bonobos are complex beings with profound intelligence, emotionality, and sensitivity. It's like asking the question: "What is a human?" And, how do you answer? Philosophers, scientists, and mystics have been trying to figure it out for thousands of years!
Biologically speaking, bonobos are the closest you can get to being human without being human. Bonobos look more like humans than other apes, and display many behavioral similarities as well. Bonobos and people share 98.4% of the same genetic make-up (DNA). Bonobos and their cousins the chimpanzees, are more closely related genetically to us than they are to gorillas! But, like gorillas, they dwell only in the equatorial forests of central Africa, the cradle of humanity itself.
Bonobos are great apes, along with chimpanzees, orangutans, and gorillas. Because we share so many characteristics with these simian species, some scientists contend that humans should be classified as apes too. Indigenous people who have dwelled among bonobos in the Congo forest have many legends about how bonobos and man were brothers in the distant past. They tell stories about how bonobos showed people what foods to eat in the forest, how a bonobo saved a man who needed help, how bonobos themselves are trying to become human.
These apes have fascinated indigenous people of Africa for hundreds, even thousands of years, yet to most of the world's population, they have been known to exist only for the span of one lifetime. Bonobos were not discovered by scientists until 1933, and even then, not alive, but in the Tervuren Museum in Belgium, identified by means of a skull. Classified as Pan paniscus, bonobos have been studied in the wild and in captivity for about 30 years, since the mid-1970s. They dwell in the tropical forests of the Congo Basin south of the Congo River. Bonobos are found in only one country: the Democratic Republic of Congo (former Zaire), a resource-rich region ravaged by years of war.
Although more research is needed to determine current populations, we do know that that their numbers have been decimated during the war. Urgent help is needed
A Different Breed of Ape
Physically, their anatomy most closely resembles Australopithecus, our early human ancestor. Bonobos walk bipedally, on two feet, more easily and for longer periods of time than the other apes. They are highly intelligent. Some bonobos in captivity have even learned to use human language! But perhaps the most compelling feature of bonobos is their society.
Peaceful and powered by females
... In contrast to the competitive, male-dominated culture of their close relative the chimpanzee, bonobo society is peaceful, matriarchal and more egalitarian. Bonobos live in large groups where harmonious coexistence is the norm. While in many ways, males and females have "separate but equal" roles, females carry the highest rank, and the sons of ranking females are the leaders among males. Females form close bonds and alliances, which is another way they maintain their power among males, who are larger and stronger physically.
Like chimps, bonobo society is "male philopatric," meaning that the females migrate to other groups when they reach puberty. This eliminates the chance of incest and increases genetic diversity. However, the wild bonobo population is so fragmented now in the Congo, with small groups living in isolated pockets, that the sustainability of the species is severely threatened. It will be critical for us to establish protected areas and corridors to provide for genetic viability of the species. However, bonobos share a human landscape, and our work with indigenous Congolese people is an important aspect of bonobo conservation. Learn about BCI's programs to protect bonobos.
"Make Love, Not War"
Bonobos seem to ascribe to the 1960s hippie credo, "make love, not war." They make a lot of love, and do so in every conceivable fashion. Beyond that, they are very loving too, showing care and compassion for each other in many ways. Sex in bonobo society transcends reproduction, as it does in humans. It serves as a way of bonding, exchanging energy and sharing pleasure.
Bonobos have been described as "pansexual" by psychologist Frans de Waal. Sex permeates the fabric of bonobo society, weaving through all aspects of daily life. It serves an important function in keeping the society together, maintaining peaceful, cooperative relations. Besides heterosexual contact, both male and female bonobos engage in same-sex encounters, and even group sex occurs. Female-female contact, or "GG-rubbing," is actually the most common. Unlike other apes, bonobos frequently copulate face-to-face, looking into each others eyes. When bonobo groups meet in the forest, they greet each other, bond sexually, and share food instead of fighting. Likewise, almost any conflict between bonobos is eased by sexual activity, grooming, or sharing food.
Like humans, bonobo females are sexually receptive throughout most of their estrus cycle. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), on the other hand, only mate during the few days when a female is fertile. Generally, the ranking males in chimp society "get the girls." Male chimps make macho displays to impress females and can be quite vehement in their demands. Consequently, chimp females do not have much control over who they mate with. Bonobo males tend to be a bit more polite. They ask first, by displaying themselves in a persuasive but non-aggressive manner, offering food or making other propositions - and bonobo females have the right to refuse.
The sexual aspect of bonobo behavior is best understood in the context of bonobo culture. Sex does not necessarily mean the same thing to a bonobo that it does to a human. However, it raises compelling questions about the roots of human nature, and is particularly striking in contrast to chimpanzee society. Scholars continue to study this unique phenomenon and debate its implications.
Swingin' in the Trees ... Singin' in the Breeze
What's it like to come upon a group of bonobos in the forest? First of all, you'd better look up! Bonobos spend a lot of time high in the rainforest canopy. These acrobatic apes move through the trees swiftly and gracefully, maneuvering through the forest to forage on fruit and other foods. They also travel on the ground, often single file along their own sort of trail system. They tend to like swampy areas, where sometimes they dig for grubs or small crustaceons. Bonobos have complex “mind maps” of the forest and coordinate travel through vocalizations and other forms of communication people do not yet understand.
Bonobos live in groups of up to 100, breaking up into foraging groups by day and gathering to nest at night, in a fission-fusion modality. When bonobos gather in the trees to make their night nests, they fill the twilight with a symphony of soprano squeals. Their high-pitched vocalizations sound like a flock of exotic birds, compared to the more gutteral hoots of chimpanzees.
Bonobos eat a variety of foods, including fruits, nuts, seeds, sprouts, vegetation, and mushrooms. They eat various parts of plants, including the leaves, flowers, bark, stems, pith, and roots. They also eat small mammals, insect larvae, earthworms, honey, eggs, and soil. Unlike chimpanzees who form hunting parties to capture monkeys, bonobos do not aggressively hunt mammals. On rare occasions, they have been observed to capture duikers (small antelope) or flying squirrels, but this seems to be circumstantial.
Bonobos do forage for "mbindjos," or caterpillars, the larvae of various butterfly species. Mbindjos are also collected and eaten by local villagers who share the forest with bonobos. In fact, indigenous people of the Congo Basin and bonobos eat many of the same foods.
Life Stage
Age (years)
• Nursing Period
0-5
• First Genital swelling
7
• Begins to wander between groups
8
• Settles into new group
9-13
• Menarche and first-sized swelling
10
• Growth-cessation
14-16
• First offspring
13-15
• Cessation of ovulation
40
• Longevity
50-55
• Number of offspring possible in lifetime:
The Following link is to a long article on the Bonobos by Frans de Wall who is mentioned in the above blog, it has more links at the bottom of the article. Hope you enjoy the read, JohnOh: http://songweaver.com/info/bonobos.html
This is one of the few family pictures we have of my twin Harm and I together. What could be more of a repetition than twins!!! Our birth was always considered somewhat of a miracle, after all we were born 20 years apart and 3000 miles away from each other. We are still not sure how Mom pulled that off. We looked so much alike it was hard to tell who was who, except that Harm was always a bit more modest than I. That and Mom always liked him best, you could tell. That was the one thing that was repeated and repeated as we grew up together in different places. It became such a repetition to hear: "Mom always liked Harm best" But I would not want any other twin except Harm. Though I may be open to trades for some chocolate!!
Sorry, I probably broke every rule in the book, I just am not going to have time to get out to the Salinas Valley to take the shot I hope to find out there. The picture of me (I mean the face!!!) was taken a few weeks ago by Cherie.
For those of you who do not know Harm, aka Matthew, you are missing out, you can find him in my friends list, stop by and say hey.
Welcome to PICTURE PERFECT
Each week a theme will be posted up on Wednesday, and you are invited to put up your best picture with that theme in mind, it should be just
ONE and ORIGINAL,
not off the internet,
then post a comment on this page
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Bonobos seem to ascribe to the 1960s hippie credo, "make love, not war." They make a lot of love, and do so in every conceivable fashion. Beyond that, they are very loving too, showing care and compassion for each other in many ways. Sex in bonobo society transcends reproduction, as it does in humans. It serves as a way of bonding, exchanging energy and sharing pleasure.
Like humans, bonobo females are sexually receptive throughout most of their estrus cycle. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), on the other hand, only mate during the few days when a female is fertile. Generally, the ranking males in chimp society "get the girls." Male chimps make macho displays to impress females and can be quite vehement in their demands. Consequently, chimp females do not have much control over who they mate with. Bonobo males tend to be a bit more polite. They ask first, by displaying themselves in a persuasive but non-aggressive manner, offering food or making other propositions - and bonobo females have the right to refuse.
What's it like to come upon a group of bonobos in the forest? First of all, you'd better look up! Bonobos spend a lot of time high in the rainforest canopy. These acrobatic apes move through the trees swiftly and gracefully, maneuvering through the forest to forage on fruit and other foods. They also travel on the ground, often single file along their own sort of trail system. They tend to like swampy areas, where sometimes they dig for grubs or small crustaceons. Bonobos have complex “mind maps” of the forest and coordinate travel through vocalizations and other forms of communication people do not yet understand.