http://www.3v8.org/forums/ Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:43:53 -0700 MyBB http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=19 Thu, 30 Aug 2007 19:09:42 -0700 MIKE http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=19
The other Michael Jackson, the world's leading beer critic/scholar/historian/writer, was found dead in his London home last night.

Likely, not many of you have heard of this Michael Jackson. He was possibly the most important driving force in the world-wide beer community over the past 30 years. Starting with his first publication of "World Guide to Beer" in 1977, he has always been a strong voice for the beer community. He helped to bring good beer into the mainstream press, and he has studied the history of beer like no other. He started out as a newspaper reporter, and eventually combined his love of reporting with his love of beer.

Maybe you remember him from his television show called "The Beer Hunter", which aired on PBS during the early 90's. Or, maybe you saw his talk show appearances on either David Letterman or Conan O'Brien. If you are a beer lover, perhaps you have read one of his books or one of the many articles he published.

Over the years, his appearance had become more and more eccentric. His friends thought that maybe his profession was finally getting to him. People often just wrote off his erratic behavior to his being drunk. He revealed the truth in December of 2006; that he had been dealing with Parkinson's Disease for the past 10 years.

His last published article, titled "Did I Cheat Mort Subite?", is a bit of a chilling read after today's news.

This is a sad day, as this is a huge loss for the beer community. He will be missed by his friends and by beer lovers that never had the pleasure of meeting him. For those of us that take pleasure in writing about beer, he is about as good of a role model as one could imagine.

I will definitely be drinking a good beer in honor of Mr. Jackson this evening.]]>
The other Michael Jackson, the world's leading beer critic/scholar/historian/writer, was found dead in his London home last night.

Likely, not many of you have heard of this Michael Jackson. He was possibly the most important driving force in the world-wide beer community over the past 30 years. Starting with his first publication of "World Guide to Beer" in 1977, he has always been a strong voice for the beer community. He helped to bring good beer into the mainstream press, and he has studied the history of beer like no other. He started out as a newspaper reporter, and eventually combined his love of reporting with his love of beer.

Maybe you remember him from his television show called "The Beer Hunter", which aired on PBS during the early 90's. Or, maybe you saw his talk show appearances on either David Letterman or Conan O'Brien. If you are a beer lover, perhaps you have read one of his books or one of the many articles he published.

Over the years, his appearance had become more and more eccentric. His friends thought that maybe his profession was finally getting to him. People often just wrote off his erratic behavior to his being drunk. He revealed the truth in December of 2006; that he had been dealing with Parkinson's Disease for the past 10 years.

His last published article, titled "Did I Cheat Mort Subite?", is a bit of a chilling read after today's news.

This is a sad day, as this is a huge loss for the beer community. He will be missed by his friends and by beer lovers that never had the pleasure of meeting him. For those of us that take pleasure in writing about beer, he is about as good of a role model as one could imagine.

I will definitely be drinking a good beer in honor of Mr. Jackson this evening.]]> http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=18 Tue, 14 Aug 2007 21:58:36 -0700 MIKE http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=18
Kia Vaughn filed the slander and defamation of character lawsuit in state Supreme Court in the Bronx the same day Imus, who was fired after his comments, settled with CBS Radio in a deal that pre-empts his threatened $120 million breach-of-contract lawsuit against CBS.

Vaughn's lawsuit, believed to be the first by a player in the case, says Imus and his former co-host Bernard McGuirk along with CBS Corp., CBS Radio, MSNBC and other media outlets that broadcast his show are legally responsible for damage done to her character and reputation. There is no dollar amount listed in the suit.

Vaughn's attorney, Richard Ancowitz, said, "The full effect of the damage remains to be seen."

"This is about Kia Vaughn's good name," Ancowitz said. "She would do anything to return to her life as a student and respected basketball player _ a more simple life before Imus opened his mouth."

Imus referred to the basketball players as "nappy-headed hos" on his nationally syndicated radio program April 4 and became the target of heated protests led by the Rev. Al Sharpton. He was fired shortly after. But he overcame a major hurdle in his widely expected comeback with the settlement Tuesday. It's possible he will return to the air.

The Vaughn suit claims that the comments were made in the context of a news or sports report and therefore Imus had certain standards to abide by but ignored them. The suit reprints the script from the "Imus in the Morning" show on which the comments were made.

"The ... false, defamatory, sexually denigrating and slanderous statements and comments against the women athletes of said basketball team were heard, believed and understood by millions of listeners ... as factual pronouncements concerning the character, chastity and reputation of the plaintiff," the lawsuit says.

Vaughn was humiliated, embarrassed and publicly mocked for the comments, the suit claims.

After the comments were made, she said at a press conference: "Unless they've given 'ho' a whole new definition, that's not what I am."

A telephone message left for Imus' attorney was not immediately returned Tuesday. There was no phone listing for McGuirk in the New York area. A spokeswoman for CBS Radio declined to comment, and CBS network spokesman Dana McClintock did not immediately return a message. MSNBC said it hadn't seen the lawsuit.

Rutgers women's basketball program spokeswoman Stacey Brann said the university had no comment on the lawsuit. She said she didn't know if other players had filed lawsuits.

Vaughn, a junior from the Bronx who was a center on the team, had spoken out about Imus on Oprah Winfrey's talk show in April. She said the comments overshadowed her team's amazing season _ one the coach has called the most rewarding of her career.

"Our moment was stolen from us," Vaughn said. "Instead of us coming here to enjoy what we accomplished and how far we came, we had to sit back and look at media asking questions about what he said."

Cop]]>
Kia Vaughn filed the slander and defamation of character lawsuit in state Supreme Court in the Bronx the same day Imus, who was fired after his comments, settled with CBS Radio in a deal that pre-empts his threatened $120 million breach-of-contract lawsuit against CBS.

Vaughn's lawsuit, believed to be the first by a player in the case, says Imus and his former co-host Bernard McGuirk along with CBS Corp., CBS Radio, MSNBC and other media outlets that broadcast his show are legally responsible for damage done to her character and reputation. There is no dollar amount listed in the suit.

Vaughn's attorney, Richard Ancowitz, said, "The full effect of the damage remains to be seen."

"This is about Kia Vaughn's good name," Ancowitz said. "She would do anything to return to her life as a student and respected basketball player _ a more simple life before Imus opened his mouth."

Imus referred to the basketball players as "nappy-headed hos" on his nationally syndicated radio program April 4 and became the target of heated protests led by the Rev. Al Sharpton. He was fired shortly after. But he overcame a major hurdle in his widely expected comeback with the settlement Tuesday. It's possible he will return to the air.

The Vaughn suit claims that the comments were made in the context of a news or sports report and therefore Imus had certain standards to abide by but ignored them. The suit reprints the script from the "Imus in the Morning" show on which the comments were made.

"The ... false, defamatory, sexually denigrating and slanderous statements and comments against the women athletes of said basketball team were heard, believed and understood by millions of listeners ... as factual pronouncements concerning the character, chastity and reputation of the plaintiff," the lawsuit says.

Vaughn was humiliated, embarrassed and publicly mocked for the comments, the suit claims.

After the comments were made, she said at a press conference: "Unless they've given 'ho' a whole new definition, that's not what I am."

A telephone message left for Imus' attorney was not immediately returned Tuesday. There was no phone listing for McGuirk in the New York area. A spokeswoman for CBS Radio declined to comment, and CBS network spokesman Dana McClintock did not immediately return a message. MSNBC said it hadn't seen the lawsuit.

Rutgers women's basketball program spokeswoman Stacey Brann said the university had no comment on the lawsuit. She said she didn't know if other players had filed lawsuits.

Vaughn, a junior from the Bronx who was a center on the team, had spoken out about Imus on Oprah Winfrey's talk show in April. She said the comments overshadowed her team's amazing season _ one the coach has called the most rewarding of her career.

"Our moment was stolen from us," Vaughn said. "Instead of us coming here to enjoy what we accomplished and how far we came, we had to sit back and look at media asking questions about what he said."

Cop]]> http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=17 Fri, 10 Aug 2007 18:13:38 -0700 MIKE http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=17 Xingu is said to be intelligent and fond of salty biscuits

Explorer's tale
Explorer Colonel John Blashford-Snell has had close encounters with vampire bats and angry bees, but his latest brush has been with a rather odd dog.

He spotted a rare breed of Double-Nosed Andean tiger hound, which has two noses, on a recent trip to Bolivia.

The chairman of the Scientific Exploration Society said the dog, named Xingu, was "not terribly handsome".

He said: "This breed could be used for sniffing out mines or narcotics because they have an enhanced sense of smell."

Colonel Blashford-Snell first encountered a Double-Nosed Andean tiger hound called Bella in 2005 when he was carrying out reconnaissance for this year's expedition in the area near Ojaki.

He said: "While we were there, sitting by the fire one night, I saw an extraordinary-looking dog that appeared to have two noses.

"I was sober at the time, and then I remembered the story that the legendary explorer Colonel Percy Fawcett came back with in 1913 of seeing such strange dogs in the Amazon jungle.

"Nobody believed him, they laughed him out of court."


He's very intelligent and with a wonderful sense of smell, as you might think
John Blashford-Snell

The dog seen two years ago was Bella, and on a second trip to the area, which began in May and has just ended, the explorer discovered her son Xingu in the village of Ojaki.

He had just produced a litter of puppies with a bitch that had a single nose.

Two of their offspring had double noses, and two had the normal quantity, but the double-nosed pups died after three days.

A veterinary expert with the group examined Xingu to see if he had a cleft palate, but this was not the case.

"There is a chance that these dogs came from a breed with double noses that's known in Spain as Pachon Navarro, which were hunting dogs at the time of the Conquistadors," said Colonel Blashford-Snell.

"I think it's highly likely some of these were taken to South America and they continued to breed. They're good hunting dogs."

Bella the double-nosed Andean Tiger Hound
Bella is Xingu's mother and was spotted on an expedition in 2005

He added that Xingu was "quite an aggressive little chap" who stood about 16 inches in height and loved salt biscuits but "wasn't a terribly handsome dog".

Xingu's best friend is apparently a wild pig called Gregory, and the two animals "rule the roost" in their village.

"Other dogs snarl at Xingu, because they can sense he's different. He's the smallest dog there but he sees the other dogs off," Colonel Blashford-Snell said.

"He's very intelligent and with a wonderful sense of smell, as you might think.

"The Bolivian Army came and took DNA samples because they're interested in the breed. He's not the only dog like this, there are others in the area."

The Scientific Exploration Society was in Bolivia to investigate a shallow crater about five miles in width.

According to Colonel Blashford-Snell, he has now found evidence that this was caused by a giant meteorite, which struck the Bolivian Amazon Basin up to 30,000 years ago.

He says he has found evidence of human habitation within 50 miles of the blast zone, and believes these people were wiped out as a result of the meteor's impact.

The explorers also carried with them a church organ from Dorset as a gift to local Bolivians in order to secure their help with finding the meteorite.]]> Xingu is said to be intelligent and fond of salty biscuits

Explorer's tale
Explorer Colonel John Blashford-Snell has had close encounters with vampire bats and angry bees, but his latest brush has been with a rather odd dog.

He spotted a rare breed of Double-Nosed Andean tiger hound, which has two noses, on a recent trip to Bolivia.

The chairman of the Scientific Exploration Society said the dog, named Xingu, was "not terribly handsome".

He said: "This breed could be used for sniffing out mines or narcotics because they have an enhanced sense of smell."

Colonel Blashford-Snell first encountered a Double-Nosed Andean tiger hound called Bella in 2005 when he was carrying out reconnaissance for this year's expedition in the area near Ojaki.

He said: "While we were there, sitting by the fire one night, I saw an extraordinary-looking dog that appeared to have two noses.

"I was sober at the time, and then I remembered the story that the legendary explorer Colonel Percy Fawcett came back with in 1913 of seeing such strange dogs in the Amazon jungle.

"Nobody believed him, they laughed him out of court."


He's very intelligent and with a wonderful sense of smell, as you might think
John Blashford-Snell

The dog seen two years ago was Bella, and on a second trip to the area, which began in May and has just ended, the explorer discovered her son Xingu in the village of Ojaki.

He had just produced a litter of puppies with a bitch that had a single nose.

Two of their offspring had double noses, and two had the normal quantity, but the double-nosed pups died after three days.

A veterinary expert with the group examined Xingu to see if he had a cleft palate, but this was not the case.

"There is a chance that these dogs came from a breed with double noses that's known in Spain as Pachon Navarro, which were hunting dogs at the time of the Conquistadors," said Colonel Blashford-Snell.

"I think it's highly likely some of these were taken to South America and they continued to breed. They're good hunting dogs."

Bella the double-nosed Andean Tiger Hound
Bella is Xingu's mother and was spotted on an expedition in 2005

He added that Xingu was "quite an aggressive little chap" who stood about 16 inches in height and loved salt biscuits but "wasn't a terribly handsome dog".

Xingu's best friend is apparently a wild pig called Gregory, and the two animals "rule the roost" in their village.

"Other dogs snarl at Xingu, because they can sense he's different. He's the smallest dog there but he sees the other dogs off," Colonel Blashford-Snell said.

"He's very intelligent and with a wonderful sense of smell, as you might think.

"The Bolivian Army came and took DNA samples because they're interested in the breed. He's not the only dog like this, there are others in the area."

The Scientific Exploration Society was in Bolivia to investigate a shallow crater about five miles in width.

According to Colonel Blashford-Snell, he has now found evidence that this was caused by a giant meteorite, which struck the Bolivian Amazon Basin up to 30,000 years ago.

He says he has found evidence of human habitation within 50 miles of the blast zone, and believes these people were wiped out as a result of the meteor's impact.

The explorers also carried with them a church organ from Dorset as a gift to local Bolivians in order to secure their help with finding the meteorite.]]> http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=16 Tue, 01 May 2007 06:38:24 -0700 MIKE http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=16 A Nigerian woman reported to have "married" four women last weekend in Kano State has denied the allegations.

Aunty Maiduguri told the BBC the reports of her wedding were false, and that she was not a lesbian.

She had gone to the police and lawyers and would take the case to court in an effort to clear her name, she said.

Under Sharia law, adopted in the state seven years ago, homosexuality and same-sex marriages are outlawed and considered very serious offences.

Lesbianism is also illegal under Nigeria's national penal code.

'A lie'

Aunty Maiduguri insisted she "never practised" lesbianism.

"It's a lie, it's unbelievable. I have never in my life seen where a lady can marry four ladies at one time.

"I have never practised - never heard the word 'lesbian' - truly," she told the BBC in Kano.

She said the elaborate wedding celebration held on Sunday was actually a ceremony to raise money for the women's weddings to men.

She said: "One of them gets a husband to marry so I organised in order to get something sorted."

The theatre where the ceremony took place has since been demolished by Kano city's authorities.

Eyewitnesses said there was a large turnout and guests were given leaflets as a souvenir showing Aunty Maiduguri surrounded by her "brides".

But she said the words on the pamphlets meant "love and understanding".

"They are my sisters, what will I put apart from love and understanding or love and kindness?"

Aunty Maiduguri said she was willing to challenge Kano's Hisbah board, which uses volunteers to enforce Islamic rule.

"I am ever ready to fight the director of that Hisbah," she said.

Aunty Maiduguri and the four other women went into hiding after religious police issued warrants against them.

Punishment

All five women are believed to be film actresses in the local home-video industry, and said to be born Muslims, otherwise they would not be covered by Sharia law.

Nigeria's parliament is considering tightening its laws on homosexuality.

Islam says a man can take up to four wives if he is able to support them.

"As defenders of the Sharia laws, we shall not allow this unhealthy development to take root in the state," the Hisbah's deputy commander Ustaz Abubakar Rabo told Nigeria's This Day newspaper.

Mr Rabo told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme that if the women were found guilty of lesbianism they faced one of two punishments.

For a married woman the offence would be considered adultery for which the punishment is death by stoning. A single woman would be caned.

A Kano police spokesman told the BBC that his officers were not actively looking for the women, but would arrest them if need be.]]> A Nigerian woman reported to have "married" four women last weekend in Kano State has denied the allegations.

Aunty Maiduguri told the BBC the reports of her wedding were false, and that she was not a lesbian.

She had gone to the police and lawyers and would take the case to court in an effort to clear her name, she said.

Under Sharia law, adopted in the state seven years ago, homosexuality and same-sex marriages are outlawed and considered very serious offences.

Lesbianism is also illegal under Nigeria's national penal code.

'A lie'

Aunty Maiduguri insisted she "never practised" lesbianism.

"It's a lie, it's unbelievable. I have never in my life seen where a lady can marry four ladies at one time.

"I have never practised - never heard the word 'lesbian' - truly," she told the BBC in Kano.

She said the elaborate wedding celebration held on Sunday was actually a ceremony to raise money for the women's weddings to men.

She said: "One of them gets a husband to marry so I organised in order to get something sorted."

The theatre where the ceremony took place has since been demolished by Kano city's authorities.

Eyewitnesses said there was a large turnout and guests were given leaflets as a souvenir showing Aunty Maiduguri surrounded by her "brides".

But she said the words on the pamphlets meant "love and understanding".

"They are my sisters, what will I put apart from love and understanding or love and kindness?"

Aunty Maiduguri said she was willing to challenge Kano's Hisbah board, which uses volunteers to enforce Islamic rule.

"I am ever ready to fight the director of that Hisbah," she said.

Aunty Maiduguri and the four other women went into hiding after religious police issued warrants against them.

Punishment

All five women are believed to be film actresses in the local home-video industry, and said to be born Muslims, otherwise they would not be covered by Sharia law.

Nigeria's parliament is considering tightening its laws on homosexuality.

Islam says a man can take up to four wives if he is able to support them.

"As defenders of the Sharia laws, we shall not allow this unhealthy development to take root in the state," the Hisbah's deputy commander Ustaz Abubakar Rabo told Nigeria's This Day newspaper.

Mr Rabo told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme that if the women were found guilty of lesbianism they faced one of two punishments.

For a married woman the offence would be considered adultery for which the punishment is death by stoning. A single woman would be caned.

A Kano police spokesman told the BBC that his officers were not actively looking for the women, but would arrest them if need be.]]> http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=15 Tue, 01 May 2007 06:34:06 -0700 MIKE http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=15 A Nigerian Islamic court has sentenced a man to six months in prison and fined him $38 for living as a woman for seven years in the northern city of Kano.

The judge told 19-year-old Abubakar Hamza, who used his female identity to sell aphrodisiacs, to desist from "immoral behaviour".

Mr Hamza, who appeared in court dressed in a pink kaftan and matching cap, said he was now "a reformed man".

Since his arrest, he has become a celebrity in the strict Muslim city.

Posters of him dressed in women's clothing have been selling well.

Free man

Leading a double life, Mr Hamza had a wife in his village, but in town lived as a woman in quarters reserved for married Muslim women.

He used his female identity, Fatima Kawaji, to sell herbal aphrodisiacs to women.

God makes people differently. This is how my voice is
Abubakar Hamza

Until his arrest, Mr Hamza lived with the Adamu family, who fondly called him Kawajo which in the Fulani language means friend.

The family's teenage daughters did not suspect he was not a girl, despite the fact that he always dressed and undressed in the bathroom.

"It is hoped that you have learnt some lessons during your trial and I hope you will be of good character and desist from this immoral behaviour of posing as a woman," Judge Lawal Isa Rabo said.

A Kano resident present in the court paid the fine on Mr Hamza's behalf and having already spent nine months in jail, he left the Sharia court a free man.

"I am grateful to them for paying the fine," Mr Hamza told the BBC's Hausa service.

Livelihood

But he called on the Kano state government to help him find a job.

"I used my previous identity [as a woman] to earn my livelihood, now that I have stopped that, I need a job."

When questioned about his high pitched voice, he said: "God makes people differently."

"This is how my voice is... and you know when you live with women and you are close to them, you take up their ways."

He was charged under the Prostitution and Immoral Acts law of the Sharia penal code, which was reintroduced in Kano in 2000.]]> A Nigerian Islamic court has sentenced a man to six months in prison and fined him $38 for living as a woman for seven years in the northern city of Kano.

The judge told 19-year-old Abubakar Hamza, who used his female identity to sell aphrodisiacs, to desist from "immoral behaviour".

Mr Hamza, who appeared in court dressed in a pink kaftan and matching cap, said he was now "a reformed man".

Since his arrest, he has become a celebrity in the strict Muslim city.

Posters of him dressed in women's clothing have been selling well.

Free man

Leading a double life, Mr Hamza had a wife in his village, but in town lived as a woman in quarters reserved for married Muslim women.

He used his female identity, Fatima Kawaji, to sell herbal aphrodisiacs to women.

God makes people differently. This is how my voice is
Abubakar Hamza

Until his arrest, Mr Hamza lived with the Adamu family, who fondly called him Kawajo which in the Fulani language means friend.

The family's teenage daughters did not suspect he was not a girl, despite the fact that he always dressed and undressed in the bathroom.

"It is hoped that you have learnt some lessons during your trial and I hope you will be of good character and desist from this immoral behaviour of posing as a woman," Judge Lawal Isa Rabo said.

A Kano resident present in the court paid the fine on Mr Hamza's behalf and having already spent nine months in jail, he left the Sharia court a free man.

"I am grateful to them for paying the fine," Mr Hamza told the BBC's Hausa service.

Livelihood

But he called on the Kano state government to help him find a job.

"I used my previous identity [as a woman] to earn my livelihood, now that I have stopped that, I need a job."

When questioned about his high pitched voice, he said: "God makes people differently."

"This is how my voice is... and you know when you live with women and you are close to them, you take up their ways."

He was charged under the Prostitution and Immoral Acts law of the Sharia penal code, which was reintroduced in Kano in 2000.]]> http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=14 Tue, 01 May 2007 06:05:23 -0700 MIKE http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=14
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.

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 unfertilised 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.

Copyright © 2007 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.]]>
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.

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 unfertilised 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.

Copyright © 2007 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.]]> http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=13 Tue, 01 May 2007 06:03:10 -0700 MIKE http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=13
As many as 200 students decided to celebrate graduation at Concordia College by skinny dipping in a murky campus pond early Monday, authorities said.

A security officer tried to shoo the students out of the pond but they wouldn't cooperate, Concordia security chief Sherri Arnold said.

Moorhead police were called after students pushed the security officer's golf cart into the pond.

Police estimated that when they arrived on the scene, about 50-75 students were in various states of undress and fleeing, but no one was naked.

Although no one was arrested, several people could face charges for damage to the cart.

Arnold said 10 people were identified because they left their clothes and wallets behind.

Sunday was graduation day at Concordia.]]>
As many as 200 students decided to celebrate graduation at Concordia College by skinny dipping in a murky campus pond early Monday, authorities said.

A security officer tried to shoo the students out of the pond but they wouldn't cooperate, Concordia security chief Sherri Arnold said.

Moorhead police were called after students pushed the security officer's golf cart into the pond.

Police estimated that when they arrived on the scene, about 50-75 students were in various states of undress and fleeing, but no one was naked.

Although no one was arrested, several people could face charges for damage to the cart.

Arnold said 10 people were identified because they left their clothes and wallets behind.

Sunday was graduation day at Concordia.]]> http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=12 Tue, 01 May 2007 05:58:42 -0700 MIKE http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=12
Andy Borowitz

Just days after his "Imus in the Morning" program was dropped by MSNBC, embattled shock jock Don Imus bounced back nicely today, landing a new show on Osama bin Laden's fledgling Al-Qaeda TV network.

While Mr. bin Laden's Al-Qaeda terror network has made headlines in recent years, the same cannot be said for his Al-Qaeda TV network, a perennial ratings laggard.

Critics of the network's programming say that it is dull and uninspired, including such shows as "Osama in the Morning," in which the fugitive terror mastermind spews repetitious hate-filled rants from a drab-looking cave.

In fact, Mr. bin Laden's programming woes have been so pronounced that jihadist viewers around the world have urged the madman to abandon television altogether and focus on terrorism instead.

But after seeing Mr. Imus make his controversial remarks about the Rutgers women's basketball team, Mr. bin Laden decided that the New York shock-jock was just what the doctor ordered to pump on the Al-Qaeda network's anemic schedule.

According to network insiders, Mr. bin Laden envisions Mr. Imus as the anchor of a daily, three-hour "hate block" of programs, the other two of which would star actor Mel Gibson and comedian Michael Richards.

Professor Davis Logsdon, dean of the University of Minnesota School of Broadcasting, said that the controversial Mr. Imus could be "the perfect fit" for the Al-Qaeda TV network.

"When Osama bin Laden's face appears on television, millions recoil in horror," Professor Logsdon said. "The same is true of Don Imus."

Elsewhere, James Frey's book "A Million Little Pieces" won the Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction, and also for fiction.]]>
Andy Borowitz

Just days after his "Imus in the Morning" program was dropped by MSNBC, embattled shock jock Don Imus bounced back nicely today, landing a new show on Osama bin Laden's fledgling Al-Qaeda TV network.

While Mr. bin Laden's Al-Qaeda terror network has made headlines in recent years, the same cannot be said for his Al-Qaeda TV network, a perennial ratings laggard.

Critics of the network's programming say that it is dull and uninspired, including such shows as "Osama in the Morning," in which the fugitive terror mastermind spews repetitious hate-filled rants from a drab-looking cave.

In fact, Mr. bin Laden's programming woes have been so pronounced that jihadist viewers around the world have urged the madman to abandon television altogether and focus on terrorism instead.

But after seeing Mr. Imus make his controversial remarks about the Rutgers women's basketball team, Mr. bin Laden decided that the New York shock-jock was just what the doctor ordered to pump on the Al-Qaeda network's anemic schedule.

According to network insiders, Mr. bin Laden envisions Mr. Imus as the anchor of a daily, three-hour "hate block" of programs, the other two of which would star actor Mel Gibson and comedian Michael Richards.

Professor Davis Logsdon, dean of the University of Minnesota School of Broadcasting, said that the controversial Mr. Imus could be "the perfect fit" for the Al-Qaeda TV network.

"When Osama bin Laden's face appears on television, millions recoil in horror," Professor Logsdon said. "The same is true of Don Imus."

Elsewhere, James Frey's book "A Million Little Pieces" won the Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction, and also for fiction.]]> http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=11 Tue, 01 May 2007 05:54:28 -0700 MIKE http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=11
The spokesman, Dr. Hiroshi Kyosuke of the University of Tokyo, is one of over 400 eminent brain scientists who have gathered in Oslo, Norway, this week for a high-level research conference to probe the recent phenomenon of memory loss that has plagued the nation's politicians. ??

"The question at hand is this: Why are politicians so good at remembering contributors' names and phone numbers but so bad at remembering everything else?" Dr. Kyosuke said.

??Over the course of the conference, brain scientists have presented research papers on a variety of subjects related to memory loss, such as former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani's inability to remember a briefing he received about former police commissioner Bernard Kerik's possible ties to organized crime. ??

"That seems like the sort of thing that a normal human brain would have no difficulty remembering," Dr. Kyosuke said. "What we are learning at this conference is that when it comes to politicians' brains, we have so much more to learn."

??On Monday, a full day of the conference was devoted to a paper entitled "The Neuroscience of Scooter Libby," followed by a keynote address given by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. ??

While many attendees considered Mr. Gonzales' speech a highpoint of the conference, the attorney general offered a different assessment: "I have no recollection of it." ??]]>
The spokesman, Dr. Hiroshi Kyosuke of the University of Tokyo, is one of over 400 eminent brain scientists who have gathered in Oslo, Norway, this week for a high-level research conference to probe the recent phenomenon of memory loss that has plagued the nation's politicians. ??

"The question at hand is this: Why are politicians so good at remembering contributors' names and phone numbers but so bad at remembering everything else?" Dr. Kyosuke said.

??Over the course of the conference, brain scientists have presented research papers on a variety of subjects related to memory loss, such as former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani's inability to remember a briefing he received about former police commissioner Bernard Kerik's possible ties to organized crime. ??

"That seems like the sort of thing that a normal human brain would have no difficulty remembering," Dr. Kyosuke said. "What we are learning at this conference is that when it comes to politicians' brains, we have so much more to learn."

??On Monday, a full day of the conference was devoted to a paper entitled "The Neuroscience of Scooter Libby," followed by a keynote address given by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. ??

While many attendees considered Mr. Gonzales' speech a highpoint of the conference, the attorney general offered a different assessment: "I have no recollection of it." ??]]> http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=10 Tue, 01 May 2007 05:49:22 -0700 MIKE http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=10

What a couple of days for shareholders of Amazon.com (AMZN, news, msgs). And what a couple of days for company founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. It was like the 1990s again.

Amazon shares soared nearly 27% Wednesday, from $44.75 to $56.81, after the company reported that first-quarter profits doubled from a year ago.

The shares jumped an additional 10.5% on Thursday, to $62.78, and were up a little more in after-hours trading.

The total gain for Amazon.com over the two days: 40.3%.

The past two days' gains boosted the company's market capitalization -- the value of all the shares trading in the public domain -- from $18.3 billion to $25.7 billion, a gain of about $7.4 billion.

For Bezos, who started Amazon.com in 1994, that meant the value of his 101.3 million shares in the company jumped in value from $4.53 billion to $6.36 billion, a gain of roughly $1.8 billion.

Wednesday's gain was its fourth-largest one-day percentage gain. The two-day percentage gain was the third-largest in the company's history. The larger two-day gains:

A 43.4% gain between April 9 and April 10, 2001, when the stock closed at $12.01.

A 42% gain between Nov. 22 and Nov. 23, 1998, when the stock closed at $36.33.


His is a volatile stock
Bezos may be the first to say, "So what?" His net worth has been all over the place from $10.1 billion in 1999, according to Forbes, to $1.5 billion in 2002. Last year, Forbes said he was worth $4.3 billion.

Amazon's closing price on Nov. 23, 1998, after that 42% gain, was $36.33, adjusted for splits.

The stock peaked a year later -- on Dec. 10, 1999 -- at $106.69. Then, the stock lost 94% of its value over roughly the next 22 months before bottoming at $5.97 on Sept. 28, 2001. Since then, the stock is up 951%.

Over its first seven years as a publicly traded company, Amazon.com lost nearly $3 billion on total revenue of $12.2 billion.

In the last three years, its profits have totaled nearly $924 million on total revenue of $20.7 billion.

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com...InTwoDays.aspx]]>

What a couple of days for shareholders of Amazon.com (AMZN, news, msgs). And what a couple of days for company founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. It was like the 1990s again.

Amazon shares soared nearly 27% Wednesday, from $44.75 to $56.81, after the company reported that first-quarter profits doubled from a year ago.

The shares jumped an additional 10.5% on Thursday, to $62.78, and were up a little more in after-hours trading.

The total gain for Amazon.com over the two days: 40.3%.

The past two days' gains boosted the company's market capitalization -- the value of all the shares trading in the public domain -- from $18.3 billion to $25.7 billion, a gain of about $7.4 billion.

For Bezos, who started Amazon.com in 1994, that meant the value of his 101.3 million shares in the company jumped in value from $4.53 billion to $6.36 billion, a gain of roughly $1.8 billion.

Wednesday's gain was its fourth-largest one-day percentage gain. The two-day percentage gain was the third-largest in the company's history. The larger two-day gains:

A 43.4% gain between April 9 and April 10, 2001, when the stock closed at $12.01.

A 42% gain between Nov. 22 and Nov. 23, 1998, when the stock closed at $36.33.


His is a volatile stock
Bezos may be the first to say, "So what?" His net worth has been all over the place from $10.1 billion in 1999, according to Forbes, to $1.5 billion in 2002. Last year, Forbes said he was worth $4.3 billion.

Amazon's closing price on Nov. 23, 1998, after that 42% gain, was $36.33, adjusted for splits.

The stock peaked a year later -- on Dec. 10, 1999 -- at $106.69. Then, the stock lost 94% of its value over roughly the next 22 months before bottoming at $5.97 on Sept. 28, 2001. Since then, the stock is up 951%.

Over its first seven years as a publicly traded company, Amazon.com lost nearly $3 billion on total revenue of $12.2 billion.

In the last three years, its profits have totaled nearly $924 million on total revenue of $20.7 billion.

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com...InTwoDays.aspx]]> http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=9 Tue, 01 May 2007 05:44:21 -0700 MIKE http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=9 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puT64gjbg...machine%2F]]> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puT64gjbg...machine%2F]]> http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=8 Tue, 01 May 2007 05:25:09 -0700 MIKE http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=8
To maintain its tradition, the restaurant said it will keep embers from its wood-fired ovens burning during the six-month refurbishing job.

Beijing roast duck restaurantThe oldest outlet of Quanjude Group of roast duck restaurants, on Qianmen Street in downtown Beijing, closed for business on Tuesday night.

A ceremony to preserve the oven fire, which the restaurant says has not been extinguished since it first opened in 1864, was conducted before the end of business at 8 PM on Tuesday.

According to the restaurant’s electronic board, the restaurant has served 115,330,259 ducks in over 140 years of service.

Beijing roast duck restaurant"The electric board will stop tracking the ducks, but the stove has been burning for about a century and a half, and the fire will never die out," Jiang Junxian, chairman of the board of Quanjude Group Co. Ltd. said.

Source: Xinhua]]>
To maintain its tradition, the restaurant said it will keep embers from its wood-fired ovens burning during the six-month refurbishing job.

Beijing roast duck restaurantThe oldest outlet of Quanjude Group of roast duck restaurants, on Qianmen Street in downtown Beijing, closed for business on Tuesday night.

A ceremony to preserve the oven fire, which the restaurant says has not been extinguished since it first opened in 1864, was conducted before the end of business at 8 PM on Tuesday.

According to the restaurant’s electronic board, the restaurant has served 115,330,259 ducks in over 140 years of service.

Beijing roast duck restaurant"The electric board will stop tracking the ducks, but the stove has been burning for about a century and a half, and the fire will never die out," Jiang Junxian, chairman of the board of Quanjude Group Co. Ltd. said.

Source: Xinhua]]> http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=7 Tue, 01 May 2007 05:14:35 -0700 MIKE http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=7 http://www.liberatedfilms.com/film-85491...ra%20(Clip]]> http://www.liberatedfilms.com/film-85491...ra%20(Clip]]> http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=6 Tue, 01 May 2007 05:12:21 -0700 MIKE http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=6
The aggressors took out the eyes of the victim - Vanessa Russo, 22 - with an umbrella at the Termini underground station in the Italian capital.

The victim died later in the hospital. An autopsy showed the death was caused by a skull fracture produced by the umbrella that hit her, according to Italian news agency Ansa.

The two women, Doina Matei, 21, and an under-aged friend are thought to have flad the scene of the murder and were later found at a friend’s place in the Macerata province.

A reason for the murder is yet to be established.

You can read more in here (italian language) pics + video + news

The two Romanian suspects were prostitutes, according to police records.]]>
The aggressors took out the eyes of the victim - Vanessa Russo, 22 - with an umbrella at the Termini underground station in the Italian capital.

The victim died later in the hospital. An autopsy showed the death was caused by a skull fracture produced by the umbrella that hit her, according to Italian news agency Ansa.

The two women, Doina Matei, 21, and an under-aged friend are thought to have flad the scene of the murder and were later found at a friend’s place in the Macerata province.

A reason for the murder is yet to be established.

You can read more in here (italian language) pics + video + news

The two Romanian suspects were prostitutes, according to police records.]]> http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=5 Tue, 01 May 2007 05:10:15 -0700 MIKE http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=5 (http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/36069...7.article)

April 27, 2007

BY ANNIE SWEENEY, STEFANO ESPOSITO AND MAUDLYNE IHEJIRIKA Staff Reporters

He first bashed his girlfriend's oldest boy with a weight after a squabble over chores.

By the time Brian Gilbert's fury ended, the boy and his brother were stabbed to death and their sister raped, stabbed and left to die inside a closet with her hands tied, a law enforcement source said.

The 13-year-old girl -- who allegedly twice tried to protect her brothers from Gilbert's rage -- managed to free herself and run nearly two blocks to get help at a gas station. The squabble started just after midnight, and by the time the girl reached the gas station, it was 3:30 a.m.

Dead in the first-floor apartment in the 7900 block of Ellis were her brothers, Quinton Jackson, 14, and Marquise Jackson, 12. The Sun-Times is not naming the girl because she is said to be a victim of sexual assault.

Gilbert went to the apartment shortly after midnight to return some belongings to his girlfriend, who was working overnight as a security guard, the source said. The kids were arguing about cleaning the house, and Gilbert allegedly got angry with Quinton.

He allegedly picked up the weight and hit Quinton on the head, but the girl got between them and told Gilbert not to hit her brother. He turned on the girl, allegedly striking her with a weight. The girl and Marquise fled into a bedroom, but Gilbert followed, armed with a steak knife, an investigator said. He lunged at Marquise, and the sister again tried to stop him, but Gilbert stabbed her, the source said.

Sister hospitalized
Gilbert then turned on Marquise, stabbing him repeatedly and tying his hands with a phone cord before putting him in a closet, the source said. He also stabbed Quinton repeatedly, the source said. He then allegedly put a pillowcase over their sister's head and sexually assaulted her before putting her in the closet -- hands tied -- next to her brother.

Gilbert told investigators he thought the girl was dead, the source said. The boys died from multiple stab wounds, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. Their sister was recovering at the University of Chicago Hospitals.

Gilbert, 36, was charged Thursday evening with two counts of murder, attempted murder and aggravated criminal sexual assault. He had been convicted in the 1990s for sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl.

All day Thursday, cars slowed as motorists pointed at the apartment building on Ellis. Word soon spread about the brutal attacks on the siblings, who attended Avalon Park Elementary School.

"Very nice, respectful kids'
Quinton, who was about to graduate, beamed in his eighth-grade picture. He was remembered as a tall, athletic boy and a fine dresser. He shoveled snow for neighbors and loved playing video games. He often was seen with his younger brother in tow.

They played basketball and baseball together. Marquise was due to get an award at school Thursday. Teachers and classmates said their sister was reserved but bright.

"All three were very nice, respectful kids,'' said Gloria Dixon, a school security guard. "The oldest one, he was so sweet. He was just telling me he had taken his eighth-grade picture and couldn't wait to see it. The youngest, he was just quiet."

Contributing: Lisa Donovan and Leonard N. Fleming]]> (http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/36069...7.article)

April 27, 2007

BY ANNIE SWEENEY, STEFANO ESPOSITO AND MAUDLYNE IHEJIRIKA Staff Reporters

He first bashed his girlfriend's oldest boy with a weight after a squabble over chores.

By the time Brian Gilbert's fury ended, the boy and his brother were stabbed to death and their sister raped, stabbed and left to die inside a closet with her hands tied, a law enforcement source said.

The 13-year-old girl -- who allegedly twice tried to protect her brothers from Gilbert's rage -- managed to free herself and run nearly two blocks to get help at a gas station. The squabble started just after midnight, and by the time the girl reached the gas station, it was 3:30 a.m.

Dead in the first-floor apartment in the 7900 block of Ellis were her brothers, Quinton Jackson, 14, and Marquise Jackson, 12. The Sun-Times is not naming the girl because she is said to be a victim of sexual assault.

Gilbert went to the apartment shortly after midnight to return some belongings to his girlfriend, who was working overnight as a security guard, the source said. The kids were arguing about cleaning the house, and Gilbert allegedly got angry with Quinton.

He allegedly picked up the weight and hit Quinton on the head, but the girl got between them and told Gilbert not to hit her brother. He turned on the girl, allegedly striking her with a weight. The girl and Marquise fled into a bedroom, but Gilbert followed, armed with a steak knife, an investigator said. He lunged at Marquise, and the sister again tried to stop him, but Gilbert stabbed her, the source said.

Sister hospitalized
Gilbert then turned on Marquise, stabbing him repeatedly and tying his hands with a phone cord before putting him in a closet, the source said. He also stabbed Quinton repeatedly, the source said. He then allegedly put a pillowcase over their sister's head and sexually assaulted her before putting her in the closet -- hands tied -- next to her brother.

Gilbert told investigators he thought the girl was dead, the source said. The boys died from multiple stab wounds, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. Their sister was recovering at the University of Chicago Hospitals.

Gilbert, 36, was charged Thursday evening with two counts of murder, attempted murder and aggravated criminal sexual assault. He had been convicted in the 1990s for sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl.

All day Thursday, cars slowed as motorists pointed at the apartment building on Ellis. Word soon spread about the brutal attacks on the siblings, who attended Avalon Park Elementary School.

"Very nice, respectful kids'
Quinton, who was about to graduate, beamed in his eighth-grade picture. He was remembered as a tall, athletic boy and a fine dresser. He shoveled snow for neighbors and loved playing video games. He often was seen with his younger brother in tow.

They played basketball and baseball together. Marquise was due to get an award at school Thursday. Teachers and classmates said their sister was reserved but bright.

"All three were very nice, respectful kids,'' said Gloria Dixon, a school security guard. "The oldest one, he was so sweet. He was just telling me he had taken his eighth-grade picture and couldn't wait to see it. The youngest, he was just quiet."

Contributing: Lisa Donovan and Leonard N. Fleming]]> http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=4 Tue, 01 May 2007 05:00:38 -0700 MIKE http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=4 ]]> ]]> http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=3 Tue, 01 May 2007 04:55:53 -0700 MIKE http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=3 ]]> ]]> http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=2 Tue, 01 May 2007 04:50:56 -0700 MIKE http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=2
Scientists from NASA say that Mars has warmed by about 0.5C since the 1970s. This is similar to the warming experienced on Earth over approximately the same period.

Since there is no known life on Mars it suggests rapid changes in planetary climates could be natural phenomena.

The mechanism at work on Mars appears, however, to be different from that on Earth. One of the researchers, Lori Fenton, believes variations in radiation and temperature across the surface of the Red Planet are generating strong winds.

In a paper published in the journal Nature, she suggests that such winds can stir up giant dust storms, trapping heat and raising the planet’s temperature.

Fenton’s team unearthed heat maps of the Martian surface from Nasa’s Viking mission in the 1970s and compared them with maps gathered more than two decades later by Mars Global Surveyor. They found there had been widespread changes, with some areas becoming darker.

When a surface darkens it absorbs more heat, eventually radiating that heat back to warm the thin Martian atmosphere: lighter surfaces have the opposite effect. The temperature differences between the two are thought to be stirring up more winds, and dust, creating a cycle that is warming the planet.]]>
Scientists from NASA say that Mars has warmed by about 0.5C since the 1970s. This is similar to the warming experienced on Earth over approximately the same period.

Since there is no known life on Mars it suggests rapid changes in planetary climates could be natural phenomena.

The mechanism at work on Mars appears, however, to be different from that on Earth. One of the researchers, Lori Fenton, believes variations in radiation and temperature across the surface of the Red Planet are generating strong winds.

In a paper published in the journal Nature, she suggests that such winds can stir up giant dust storms, trapping heat and raising the planet’s temperature.

Fenton’s team unearthed heat maps of the Martian surface from Nasa’s Viking mission in the 1970s and compared them with maps gathered more than two decades later by Mars Global Surveyor. They found there had been widespread changes, with some areas becoming darker.

When a surface darkens it absorbs more heat, eventually radiating that heat back to warm the thin Martian atmosphere: lighter surfaces have the opposite effect. The temperature differences between the two are thought to be stirring up more winds, and dust, creating a cycle that is warming the planet.]]> http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=1 Tue, 01 May 2007 04:48:41 -0700 MIKE http://www.3v8.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=1
Commanders reportedly had reconsidered their decision to allow the prince to fight in Iraq for fear he would become a target of insurgents and his presence could endanger other soldiers. Harry’s regiment, the Blues and Royals, is due to begin a six-month tour of duty in Iraq within weeks.

Over the past two weeks, newspapers have reported threats by Iraqi insurgents to kill or kidnap the prince, including claims his photograph had been widely circulated among militants. Military chiefs acknowledge that Harry would be an attractive target and that his presence could lead to a surge in attacks on British forces.

Gen. Sir Richard Dannatt said the decision would be kept under review, but he hoped his statement would end media speculation on Harry’s deployment.

“The decision has been taken by myself that he will deploy in due course,” Dannatt said. “I would urge that the somewhat frenzied media activity surrounding this particular story should cease in the interests of the overall security of all our people deployed in Iraq.”

He spoke after newspaper reports cited unidentified senior military officials as saying an army review was likely to lead to Harry being banned from the battlefield, although he could still do a desk job.

Clarence House, Prince Charles’ London office, would not comment on Dannatt’s statement.

First royal in harm's way since '82
Harry, a 22-year-old second lieutenant, is a tank commander trained to lead a 12-man team in four armored reconnaissance vehicles. If deployed, he would become the first royal to serve in a war zone since his uncle, Prince Andrew, flew as a helicopter pilot in Britain’s conflict with Argentina over the Falkland Islands in 1982.

The younger son of the late Princess Diana, Harry has been a frequent face on the front of Britain’s tabloid newspapers, which have provided a constant stream of coverage of his party-going lifestyle at glitzy London nightclubs.

But he has said he is serious about an army career. After graduating from the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst last year, Harry insisted on an opportunity to serve in the armed forces.



http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18399400/?GT1=9246]]>
Commanders reportedly had reconsidered their decision to allow the prince to fight in Iraq for fear he would become a target of insurgents and his presence could endanger other soldiers. Harry’s regiment, the Blues and Royals, is due to begin a six-month tour of duty in Iraq within weeks.

Over the past two weeks, newspapers have reported threats by Iraqi insurgents to kill or kidnap the prince, including claims his photograph had been widely circulated among militants. Military chiefs acknowledge that Harry would be an attractive target and that his presence could lead to a surge in attacks on British forces.

Gen. Sir Richard Dannatt said the decision would be kept under review, but he hoped his statement would end media speculation on Harry’s deployment.

“The decision has been taken by myself that he will deploy in due course,” Dannatt said. “I would urge that the somewhat frenzied media activity surrounding this particular story should cease in the interests of the overall security of all our people deployed in Iraq.”

He spoke after newspaper reports cited unidentified senior military officials as saying an army review was likely to lead to Harry being banned from the battlefield, although he could still do a desk job.

Clarence House, Prince Charles’ London office, would not comment on Dannatt’s statement.

First royal in harm's way since '82
Harry, a 22-year-old second lieutenant, is a tank commander trained to lead a 12-man team in four armored reconnaissance vehicles. If deployed, he would become the first royal to serve in a war zone since his uncle, Prince Andrew, flew as a helicopter pilot in Britain’s conflict with Argentina over the Falkland Islands in 1982.

The younger son of the late Princess Diana, Harry has been a frequent face on the front of Britain’s tabloid newspapers, which have provided a constant stream of coverage of his party-going lifestyle at glitzy London nightclubs.

But he has said he is serious about an army career. After graduating from the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst last year, Harry insisted on an opportunity to serve in the armed forces.



http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18399400/?GT1=9246]]>