Bengal Nurses Piglets Dressed In Tiger-Striped Coats
BANGKOK, Thailand — What do you get when you mingle piglets with a tiger or tiger cubs with a pig? Motherly love.
At least that’s what a zoo in Thailand found out after placing several piglets with a 6-year-old bengal tigress.
The bengal feeds the piglets, which were dressed by zoo workers in tiger-pattern coats, and across the cage tiger cubs are fed by a sow.
Zoo officials said the animals have been interchanged with parents for the past few years.
Officials said the reason for the experiment is to amuse visitors.
Giant rat species found in Papua forest
A giant rat and a pygmy possum, both believed to be new to science, have been found in an ecological ‘lost world’ hidden in the pristine cloud forests of New Guinea.
Dr Ucok holds this 1.4 kg giant rat that is probably a new species.
The huge rat - about five times as large as a sewer rat - had no fear of people and regularly wandered into a camp set up by scientists in the remote region of Papua, the Indonesian half of the island of New Guinea.
In contrast, the Cercartetus possum was shy and ranks as one of the world’s smallest marsupials.
Both creatures were found by scientists from the US-based group Conservation International and the Indonesian Institute of Science, which led an expedition to the Foja mountains of eastern Papua in June.
It is extremely rare to discover new species of mammal, particularly one as large as the Mallomys rat.
“The giant rat is about five times the size of a typical city rat,” said Kristofer Helgen, a scientist with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington.
“With no fear of humans, it apparently came into the camp several times during the trip.”
A 2005 expedition to the same stretch of jungle - dubbed by Conservation International as a “Lost World” because of its remoteness and biological richness - found dozens of exotic new species of plants and insects.
On this most recent trip, the scientists also recorded the mating displays of several little-known birds for the first time, including the golden-fronted bowerbird and the black sicklebill bird of paradise.
They also observed a “lost” bird of paradise, Berlepsch’s six-wired bird of paradise, last seen by outsiders in the 19th century.
The expedition was accompanied by a National Geographic photographer and a camera crew from the American network CBS.
“It’s comforting to know that there is a place on earth so isolated that it remains the absolute realm of wild nature,” said Conservation International’s vice-president, Bruce Beehler, who led the expedition.
“We were pleased to see that this little piece of Eden remains as pristine and enchanting as it was when we first visited.”
The Foja Wilderness is part of the great Mamberamo Basin, the largest untouched tropical forest in the Asia Pacific region.
The province of Papua - not to be confused with neighbouring Papua New Guinea - boasts more than 100 million acres of tropical forest and some of the richest bio-diversity in the world.
The Indonesian government has declared the region a National Wildlife Sanctuary, but surrounding areas are under threat from clearing for palm oil plantations as well as rampant illegal logging.
The scientists plan another expedition to the area in late 2008 or 2009, when they expect to discover more species of mammals, frogs and butterflies.
Eunice Lopez: Marriage Mill
MIAMI - The honeymoons are over for a 26-year-old woman who authorities say has at least 10 husbands.
Eunice Lopez has been charged with bigamy, accused of marrying 10 men between 2002 and 2006 - and never divorcing any of them, immigration authorities say, the Miami Herald reported over the weekend.
Lopez - who arrived in South Florida from Cuba in 2002 and is a legal U.S. resident - charged her husbands big bucks to help them secure legal status and continued asking for money long after the weddings, threatening to expose them if they didn’t pay.
Terry Chavez, a spokesman for the Miami-Dade office of the state attorney, said the state attorney’s office began investigating after being tipped off by federal immigration agents.
Lopez was released on $18,000 bond; she could not be reached for comment.
It was not known if she had a lawyer.
Elf Yourself
Have a little fun online this year for the Holidays. Now you can turn yourself into an elf. Just what you always wanted … right? Elf the whole family and send your Holiday message to friends. Go Elf Yourself here.
Gator Friendship No Crock
Japanese Robot Plays the Violin
Horoscopes warn of Naked Busdriver
Many people believe in horoscopes, and that astrology controls their fate.
While I respect these folks’ personal beliefs, I don’t really buy into it. When I asked my Magic 8-Ball if astrology has any bearing on our lives, it said, “My sources say no.”
Whatever your beliefs, there are few men, women, or household pets alive who haven’t once scanned, or urinated on, a newspaper horoscope. For the record, I’ve done both.
At a newspaper I worked at long ago, I was the person responsible for placing the horoscopes in the paper.
One day, the horoscopes did not arrive as scheduled. They were somehow scrambled in the modem from the company of prophets that sent them to us daily. Perhaps, if I had checked my horoscope the day before, I would have seen that coming.
Anyway, under the siege of deadline, I grabbed the horoscope from the day before, borrowed from its verbiage, spiced it up a little, and basically wrote the horoscope that day myself.
It went as follows:
ARIES: Stress independence, neutrality, eagerness. Don’t wear brown shoes. They make your ankles look like tree stumps.
TAURUS: You will find laughter today. Unfortunately, it will be at your expense. Check zipper periodically.
GEMINI: Pisces plays prominent role in transaction. Watch out for naked busdriver. He can’t be trusted.
CANCER: Remember - to get a smile, you must give a smile. Man with hat wants to kill you.
LEO: Utilize your people skills to win new friends. You will not hear something very important due to ear wax buildup.
VIRGO: Close relative is in need of your advice. You’ll be chosen for the lead role in “The Man from LaMancha.”
LIBRA: Temperamental Leo says, “You sure are lucky to know me!” You’ll knock him upside the head with a paint bucket.
SCORPIO: Attention revolves around domestic situation. Whatever you do - don’t go outside.
SAGITTARIUS: Former teacher will play a role. She now works for the IRS. Deny everything. That pink stuff in your attic is not cotton candy - don’t eat it.
CAPRICORN: Lunar aspect coincides with physical attraction, participation in creative endeavor, whatever that means. Horshack from “Welcome Back Kotter” plays role.
AQUARIUS: Emphasis on financial power, marital status, Viking food. Watch sky for falling anvil.
PISCES: Absolutely nothing will happen to you today.
IF YOUR BIRTHDAY IS TODAY: Scorpio, Taurus persons play outstanding role in your life. Attitude toward others undergoes transformation due to incident with left-handed rake. During coming year, you will meet long-lost sibling you didn’t know you had (Hint: He works at Shoney’s). You will be one year older today than you were yesterday. Close relative will make call to you. Cake plays prominent role.
As astrology would have it, a couple of days later, I (of the astrological sign Cancer) did have a man with a hat who wanted to kill me. He was a Virgo and was rather upset that he didn’t get the lead role in “The Man from LaMancha.” Source
Snow Globe Boy Seeking World Record
Ben Eckerson, a 24-year-old production coordinator at McKinney advertising agency in Durham, N.C., has been spending much of the past several days sitting inside a giant inflatable snow globe. As of Friday morning, Eckerson had been in the globe for nearly three full days.
Eckerson’s snow globe adventure is being shown live, 24-hours per day, 7 days peer week through a webcam at snowglobeboy.mckinney.com. According to the site, he is hoping to set a world record for time spent in such a spot, and hopes to spread some holiday cheer.
He has been spending all but 51 minutes per day inside the snow globe, and utilizes those minutes away to take care of personal needs. All of his meals are delivered to him inside the snow globe, which is located inside the McKinney headquarters building.
Eckerson also has a number of items in the snowglobe to keep himself entertained, including a Playstation, exercise equipment, games, and paper towels.
The idea initially behind the snow globe was to send out a different, creative, yet green holiday card this year, and so the agency came up with the snow globe idea - sending out digital cards through the website. The idea quickly snowballed, and “Snow Globe Boy” became an internet phenomenon.
He says has hes received so many emails since entering the snow globe that he can’t even respond to them all. Eckerson plans to leave the globe Friday to attend the company’s holiday party.
Eva Mendes - You’re a Fraud and So Are You Peta
Nothing sells quite as well as sex and a butt naked woman, so Peta’s latest winter campaign is utilizing naked hotties (in this case, Eva Mendes) to attract suckers supporters to their cause. Source
Other celebrities to strip buck naked for Peta have been Sadie Frost, Jamelia, and Alicia Silverstone
Eva Mendes Doesn’t Wear Fur, Except When She Does
Would-be surrogate mother, husband accused of bilking clients; Web sites detail numerous scams
As first reported by The Index-Journal, a Hodges couple have been arrested after authorities say they bilked thousands of dollars from a Pennsylvania family in a ruse in which she reportedly agreed to be a surrogate mother for the couple.
Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office arrested Jessica O’Donnell, 28, of 1006 Sally White Road, Hodges and charged her with obtaining money under false pretenses.
Deputies also arrested her husband, Daniel O’Donnell, and charged him with obtaining money under false pretenses.
GCSO investigators say more charges are pending, as there is evidence the O’Donnells allegedly conned numerous other victims.