MAD DOGS AND ENGLISHMAN

It is true  what the  song  says us  English  work during the hottest part  of the day.In Europe it  shuts during this time for a siesta.Why we do it  must be a culture thing and we soon forget  the  heavy rain that caused all the floods and  damage so enjoy it would last  forever?mad dog and englishman -noel coward

GREEN EYED DOGS

From observations made by Charles Darwin ,scientists have proven dogs suffer jealousy.Experiments revealed that  when  owners displayed affection to a stuffed dog that -barked  ,whined,wagged its tail.The following  happened exhibited jealous behavior such as snapping ,pushing owner .

Report identifies waters around Devon and Cornwall as jellyfish hotspot

• 
  A lion's mane jellyfish
• 
  A moon jellyfish
• 
  A compass jellyfish
• 
  A barrel jellyfish
• 
  A blue jellyfish
• 
  A lion's mane jellyfish
• 
  A moon jellyfish

• Previous
• Next

 Comments (2)

The Westcountry has been identified as a hotspot for jellyfish sightings in a new report which analyses where and when the creatures appear.

The University of Exeter study – published in the Journal of the Marine Biological Association – was based on more than 5,000 jellyfish sightings, of eight different species, sent to the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) between 2003 and 2011.

The coasts of Devon and Cornwall were identified as hotspots for both the diversity of species seen and in what numbers.

“Our survey puts jellyfish on the map in the UK. In this latest paper we show where and when these species now occur throughout UK coastal waters,” said Peter Richardson, biodiversity programme manager for the MCS.

“The last time the national picture was described was well over four decades ago, so this study provides a very timely update.”

The survey is the largest of its kind in the UK and has been attracting a growing number of sightings, with 1,133 reports last year.

Moon, compass, lion’s mane, blue and barrel jellyfish are the most common, according to the study. Other species include the mauve stinger and the Portuguese man of war and by-the-wind sailor which are close relatives of jellyfish.

More than 500 reports have already been made this year – mainly of barrel jellyfish.

Professor Brendan Godley, of the University of Exeter, said: “The remarkable number of barrel jellyfish reported from South West England this year is quite unusual, and at odds with what our report describes, previous years have seen hotspots for this species in West Welsh and Scottish waters. We’re not sure why, but the very mild winter probably meant more adults survived at depth, which will have returned to the surface in spring as waters warmed up.

“This year’s strange barrel jellyfish results highlight the importance of running the survey year in and year out to track these unusual events

and discover if they turn into trends.”

Dr Richardson said: “We still know relatively little about jellyfish, but given the economic impacts that large numbers of jellyfish can have on tourism, fishing, aquaculture and even power generation, we can’t afford to ignore them.

read more

OUCH- MY TEETH HURT

A boy in India had 232 teeth extracted after a 72 hour operation at JJ Hospital ,Mumba.This was described as a very rare and a world record.

Bats 'fly by polarised light'

Bats use the pattern of polarised light in the evening sky to get their bearings, according to a new study.

As well as having unusual echolocation skills and their own magnetic compass, bats are now the first mammals known to make use of polarised light.

Other animals with this ability include birds, anchovies and dung beetles.

To make the discovery, published in Nature Communications, zoologists placed bats in boxes with polarising windows before watching them fly home.

Light waves normally wiggle all around their direction of travel, but when they pass through special filters - or are scattered by gases in the atmosphere - they can become polarised, so that the oscillations all line up.

"We initially didn't think that the bats would use polarised light," said the paper's senior author, Dr Richard Holland from Queen's University in Belfast.

Dr Holland was one of the scientists who discovered in 2006 that bats navigate by somehow sensing the earth's magnetic field - but that in-built compass needs to be calibrated. Other experiments showed that the calibration was happening at sunset, when the bats' day begins.

"We thought that surely, the sun's disc itself would be a more likely cue," Dr Holland told the BBC. But his team recently tested how bats responded when the sun's image was shifted by mirrors, and found no difference.read more

Think penguins are cute? These bad eggs need an Antarctic

Wildlife documentaries are often criticised for being twee, crammed with adorable fluff-bundles and doe-eyed darlings. 

They make us imagine the wilds are teeming with creatures that yearn to curl up on our sofas and snuggle.

Remember March Of The Penguins, cinema’s 2005 surprise success? Narrator Morgan Freeman convinced us that they were seabird saints - moral guardians of the Antarctic.

All over America, evangelical churches ferried parishioners to the pictures in busloads, to celebrate the pious, monogamous penguins who mate for life.

So it came as a bombshell to learn in Penguin Post Office (BBC2) that Morgan got it badly wrong.

These birds are nothing less than sleazy gangsters in feather tuxedos. They’re thieving, sex-mad chick-murderers and they stink to high heaven.

At least no one is going to accuse director Andrew Graham-Brown of being twee.

His team filmed the bird’s breeding cycle over a summer on the tiny British outpost of Goudier Island, 700 miles south of Argentina, where volunteers man the planet’s most southerly gift shop and Post Office. 

Once, this was a whaling station, and the evidence is still there of hardy seamen stranded for years at a time at the end of the world - images of Liz Taylor and Marilyn Monroe in flimsy negligees are painted lovingly on the walls.

But now it’s a busy tourist stop-off. 

Cruise ships bring 18,000 visitors a year, and they send nearly 80,000 postcards from the red Royal Mail postbox. ‘It’s kinda relaxing,’ smiled the postmistress, on sabbatical from her job teaching at a U.S. school, as she franked each stamp by hand.

This would be an icy idyll, if it weren’t for the 2,000 gentoo penguins. 

The tourists thought they were cute, but after a week of living cheek by beak beside them, you’d be begging the courts for a seabird Asbo.

They steal incessantly. It would be safer to hand your house keys to a junkie than let a gentoo anywhere near your rockery.

+3

The penguins in Natural World are 'nothing less than sleazy gangsters in feather tuxedos'

Given half a chance, any gentoo will be having a fling with a neighbour, and they don’t care who finds out. Penguin morality would make a rabbit blush.

Domestic violence is rife. 

Husband and wife stab and peck at each other, jealously bickering about everything from their ramshackle stone nests to whose turn it is to sit on the egg. 

Chicks that stray from the nest will be viciously battered to death: penguins appear to enjoy violence.

On top of all that, the human volunteers have to spend every morning with a broom and buckets of hot water, knee-deep in rank droppings on their doorstep. 

Graham-Brown couldn’t have done a better hatchet job if he’d caught penguins dealing drugs to the cruise ship v

ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM - TV PROGRAMME

If you visit Mfuwe Lodge,Zambia for a holiday you may see unexpected guests .Every year elephants walk through reception ,nose around the  lobby ,wander through the  gardens.This trek is done  to feast  on large mango tree in the garden.-link -animal planet

Red squirrel hand-reared by rangers after mother rejects her baby

Red squirrel Flower in the office at Escot – the kit is being hand-reared by two nature rangers after being abandoned by her mother

 Comments (0)

A baby red squirrel is being hand-reared by two nature rangers at a Devon estate, writes Louis Doree.

Flower was abandoned by her mother, Holly, who had her first litter of four at Escot in East Devon.

Initially Flower was cared for by her mother, but staff noted she was being neglected.

Nature rangers Kerry James and Victoria Sissons stepped in to save the red squirrel kit and have been successful in hand-rearing her.

Now at eight weeks old, Flower has put on weight and is taking more solid food.

Kerry said: “It is very rewarding to care for Flower and to see her developing so well – though I must admit I am pleased that the late night and early morning feeds are almost over.

“Because she did spend a few weeks with her mother and siblings, Flower knows she is a squirrel and does not mistake us for her parents. It is really great to see her becoming more independent and displaying good squirrel behaviour such as hiding her food.”

Escot Park houses free-range red squirrels in a three-quarters of an acre walk-through enclosure, the second environment of its kind in the UK designed to protect them from the far more numerous and disease carrying greys. Red squirrels have declined due to increased competition from greys and the introduction of squirrel parapoxvirus.

Owner of Escot Park, John-Michael Kennaway is the most recent recipient of The David Stapleton Award, from the Red Squirrel Survival Trust.

Mr Kennaway received the award in recognition of his contribution to saving the red squirrel in the UK through the successful breeding programme at Escot Park and for opening a free access to all red squirrel encounter at Escot park.

Read more: http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Red-squirrel-hand-reared-rangers-mother-rejects/story-21746675-detail/story.html#ixzz38Zxus1ua

NEW WORLD - LONG YEAR

Kepler has found a distant  planet with  the  longest  year  of any planet found so far -704 days around its parent sun.link-Kepler sees world with distant orbit -bbc-science

SCHIZOPHRENIA

SCHIZOPHRENIA-80 previously unknown genes discovered by scientists.These are believed to be a reason people  are at  risk for SCHIZOPHRENIA.This was found in the worlds largest genetic study of disease putting on par with other medical conditions. link- large genes  find in schizophrenia -bbc-health

Two 8ft snakes found in children's playground

Two 8ft boa constrictors have been found close to a children’s playground in east London.

Police were called to Plashet Park in East Ham after numerous reports of two large snakes being spotted in the undergrowth.

Officers used a litter picker and a brown paper bag to retrieve the reptiles, which are non-venomous, but kill they prey by suffocation.

The snakes were taken to a local pet shop where they were identified as mature boa constrictors.

No one was hurt in the incident and police said they believed the snakes may have been released as unwanted pets.

HORSEFLY DON,T BOTHER ME

Dear Horsefly,I am sorry but your constant love bites are causing redness,pain and discomfort.We are going to have to end this relationship as i am fed up with you buzzing me every time i am out and about.So i hope this will help you understand why i wish not to see you anymore.yours Ghostman

DRUNK WASPS ARE HOOLIGANS

Wasps a getting drunk on fermented fruit and attacking people who disturb them.Nests of 20,000 wasps ,double the normal size and more hooligan like.Which in turn means sting send out signals to other wasps to join in -unsure if true

Design

House Lam by Nico van der Meulen Architects http://weandthecolor.com/house-lam-nico-van-der-meulen-architects/36252

And now for something completely familiar

Eric Idle's latest project, his long-awaited Monty Python musical, Spamalot, has singing cows, a killer rabbit, a legless knight, flatulent Frenchmen and young women demanding spankings. It is, he admits, "lovingly ripped off" from the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which cost just £400,000 to make in 1975. The stage production is epic in scale, with direction by Mike Nichols, who won an Oscar for The Graduate. Investors, who have put up £6 million, are gambling that it will be as big a worldwide hit as The Producers, after a Chicago opening on Tuesday. Last week, tickets went on sale for a Broadway run in March, with Nichols saying: "I knew the material was hilarious and that I laughed at it all the time. But I still had to know that crucial thing: what is this show really all about?" Then Tim Curry, the actor who made his name as Dr Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, walked onto the rehearsal room stage in New York. "About one minute and 15 seconds into the first reading, Tim pronounced his lines: 'I am King Arthur and these are the knights of the rhooond table.' And then I had it. "It was that upper-class accent that Tim knew to use instinctively. The way he pronounced that one word reminded me that everything English is, finally, about class. I knew where to go from that moment on." The biggest production number is a raucous version of We're Knights of the Round Table ("We dance when e'er we're able"), featuring Las Vegas-style dancing divas in body stockings. John Cleese is said to have taped "the voice of God", previously played by Graham Chapman, who died in 1989. Idle began working on the script from the moment he saw The Producers on its first night in New York. The surviving Pythons have a veto over any Python project. Idle waited until he had a draft script to show the others, and had recorded six versions of the songs. Terry Jones, co-director of the film, arranged a conference call, and a particular tune persuaded the others to approve the project - The Song That Goes Like This, a skit on Lloyd Webber ballads. It was agreed that while everybody provided constructive criticism, it was Idle's project. He said: "If it flops, they can just blame me." Jones said there was a feeling that Idle would not appreciate interference from "superannuated white-haired ex-Pythons". Nichols, 73, insisted that the show be more than a "Python Flying Circus". "There are some things you know will be there - killer rabbits - but you also need to feel that you're getting somewhere; that it isn't a random review." He hand-picked the stars. David Hyde Pierce, from the television show Frasier, plays Brave Sir Robin. A Python fan since childhood, the actor said he told his agent: "I don't care what the part is, I just want it." Hank Azaria, the voice of Moe the bartender in The Simpsons, is both Sir Lancelot and the French Taunter. Lancelot is thought to be more murderous than in the movie, as well as being sexually disorientated. Nichols said that, in explaining his approach, he told a friend: "You know how in the movie there's a cow that flies out of a castle and lands on a page? Well, in the musical, the cow has a singing part." With the script under wraps, there is no word on whether the cast will include the film's 142 Ecuadorian llamas. According to Idle, the movie, while dealing with an heroic theme, was really quite small in scale. "We couldn't afford armies or even horses - thank God for coconuts. That means most of the scenes can be fairly easily reconstructed on stage. "There are technical problems - just how do you lop off people's arms and legs on stage? But somebody else has to solve them. That's the great thing about being a writer." Idle, 61, picked the Camelot-pun title, it seems, both as a tribute to junk-mail and Spam tinned meat. Idle, born in South Shields and now living in Los Angeles, worked on the songs with composer John Du Prez, who played trumpet on Always Look on the Bright Side of Life"which was sung by Idle in the crucifixion scene of The Life of Brian. Nichols sums up Spamalot as "strange", a show in which "you laugh and laugh, and at the same time you don't know why you are so moved." UK News News » In UK News Lightning storm in pictures William Hague in pictures Monty Python Live (Mostly):

The day grecians of Exeter kick started a football dynasty

As Exeter City mark the centenary of the club’s historic game against Brazil 100 years ago, Stuart James recounts the circumstances of the strange encounter Sport is full of strange co-incidences, quirky facts and bizarre anomalies. But few can be as extreme as the fact that Brazil, the five-times World champions and masters of football, played their first-ever competitive fixture against little old Exeter City. Exactly 100 years ago, the Grecians embarked on a long and arduous tour of South America. Their first game was in Argentina on June 14, where they lost 1-0 to a team called Norte in Buenos Aires. It was the first of eight games the Grecians played against clubs and representative teams from Argentina and it turned out to be the only game they lost. Six were won with the other a goalless stalemate with Argentinos. Across the border, Brazilian teams had been trying to get English clubs, regarded in the country as the ‘Gods of Football’ or ‘Fathers of the Game’ to play them for some time, but invitations to clubs like Southampton and Nottingham Forest had been politely declined. Not so by Exeter. Despite a gruelling month or so in Argentina, they agreed to extend their trip and play three further matches in Brazil. All three were to be played at the Laranjeiras Stadium in Rio de Janeiro and the third of those games was to be against Brasileiros, a Brazilian select XI, or Seleção, which remains the nickname of the Brazilian national side to this day. The Exeter team of 100 years ago were no mugs. In goal, for instance, was Dick Pym, who went on to play for Bolton Wanderers and England, but the tired and weary Grecians were no match in a rumbustious encounter that ended in a 2-0 win for the Seleção. Back then, the result was deemed quite a success for the Brazilian side as the excitable public, who had long pined for the opportunity to play against a professional English team, regarded the English as invincible. Over 3,000 packed into Laranjeiras Stadium to watch the game and witness a small-time club from Devon unwittingly kick-start one of the greatest footballing dynasties the game has ever seen. The Brazilian game went from strength to strength with the Seleção going on to win five World Cups – in 1958, 1962, 1970 1994 and 2002. However, their hopes of a sixth in their own country this summer ended in humiliation as the people’s favourites crashed out at the semi-final stage following a 7-1 mauling to Germany; a result that rocked the footballing world and left a nation shell-shocked. As well as their five titles, Brazil have twice been World Cup runners-up, but their brand of exciting attacking play and silky skills has endeared them into the hearts of football fans worldwide. By comparison, Exeter’s history has been far less glamorous. Their one notable piece of silverware came in 1990 when Terry Cooper guided the Grecians to the Fourth Division championship, although Paul Tisdale did lead Exeter to back-to-back promotions in 2008 and 2009, the first of those at the famous Wembley Stadium. Promotion has also been achieved in 1964 and 1977, while a goalless draw against the mighty Manchester United in a third-round FA Cup tie in 2005 felt every bit as good as winning a trophy when the full-time whistle blew. However, as is often the case in sport, there is always the ‘What if?’ scenario. The seeds for the future of Brazilian football had been sewn back in 1914, while the Exeter ship sailed home and into the breakout of the First World War. In fact, the Exeter party, which had left Brazil on July 22 aboard the SS Alcantara, had only reached Madeira when war with the Germans was declared. Their vessel, with its full cargo of bullion and frozen meat, was deemed a German target and on setting sail from Madeira for Lisbon and Vigo, the ship steamed at her utmost capacity, which was about 18 knots, and with its lights out. After the most arduous of journeys, the boat finally docked in Liverpool and the Exeter City players aboard faced targets of a different kind on returning to Devon. Deemed as young, fit and athletic, they were wanted for the ‘New Army’ and to fight in the fields, rather than play on them. At first, football continued with the message from the FA it was “business as usual” but such was the public outcry, backed by a shaming campaign by numerous newspapers of the time, that it was not until 1915 that football eventually ceased. Many of the Exeter party that travelled to South America signed up to fight in the war and either died or were so badly injured, they were never able to play football again. One hundred years on and the Grecians are returning to Brazil to mark the historic anniversary of that tour with a match against Fluminense tomorrow. The game will be played in that same Laranjeiras Stadium and will be kicked off using the same ball as the one used in 1914. But one thing the Grecians will hope for is that the next 100 years brings more fortune than it did the last time they returned from Brazil. Share Share Tweet Share Report this article Get Involved! Upload your pics and stories here. Life Insurance Companies Hate This New Trick The Finance Authority How New iPads are Selling for under £30 ConsoBlogger 5 Ways to Make Your Bathroom More Beautiful by Sainsbury's You Need to See This Wedding Cake Disaster (Video) Foodnetwork.co.uk by TaboolaSponsored Content MORE NEWS England's Liam Plunkett reaps rewards for aggressive streak Impressive Torquay are too strong for Walsall at Plainmoor Lewis Hamilton focused on damage limitation Rory McIlroy refuses to contemplate victory at The Open Yeovil Town draw with Reading at home in pre-season friendly Share Share Tweet Share Report this article PreviousNext READ MORE FROM WESTERN MORNING NEWS Most Recent Most Commented Most Read Exeter and Fluminense draw 0-0 in Centenary friendly clash Hamilton charges up from rear of grid to snatch third place in... Tears for Bauer as breakaway fails to produce stage win by TaboolaSponsored ContentFROM THE WEB Health Insurance Companies Hate This New Trick... The Finance Authority How New iPads are Selling for under £30 ConsoBlogger Best New Car Deals 2014! Carbuyer "One of the Most Gifted Fund Managers I Have Ever Met" Peter Hargreaves Hargreaves Lansdown You Need to See This Wedding Cake Disaster (Video) Foodnetwork.co.uk How to Improve Your Home For Free by Sainsbury's Do you have something to say? Leave your comment here... (4000 characters remaining)   MORE NEWS HEADLINES WESTMINSTER INSIDER: We must grab the chance to make our voices... WESTMINSTER INSIDER: Pale and stale' get the boot for a younger,... Heart-pounding and haunting sounds ring out across Dartmoor for... Fire at Devon car breakers yard Jack Johnson turns head over heels at Somersault   CLASSIFIEDS Cars Properties Jobs Directory £19,500 Skoda Octavia 1.6 TDI CR Elegance £12,000 Skoda Yeti 1.2 TSI S (Import) £21,995 BMW 5 Series 520d M Sport Step Auto   VOUCHER DEALS FREE SHREDDER Office Furniture and Equipment New s class mercedes to... Wedding Services RICHARD BROWN PLASTERING... Plasterers Print voucher Supalite Conservatory... Double Glazing Tradesmen Print voucher ATTENTION LANDLORDS Property Services Print voucher  

Big cat news

Big cat adventures in the Serengeti Alongside herds of migrating wildebeest in the Serengeti, our writers have been enjoying some spectacular big cat sightings 00:5403:12 By Richard and Sarah Madden8:00AM BST 16 Jul 2014Comment In the months leading up to the famously frenetic crossings of the Mara River between August and November, huge herds of wildebeest gather in the southern plains of the Serengeti NP in Tanzania before making their way northwards following the rains that sustain the grasslands on which they feed. Unlike the river crossings themselves which attract huge herds of 4x4s as well as the wildebeest themselves, moving between Nomad Tanzania’s mobile tented camp, Serengeti Safari Camp, and its seasonal cousin, Nduara Loliondo, is a great way of following the migration while often finding yourself completely alone surrounded by thousands of wildebeest and zebra. Further north, Lamai Camp has one of the best locations of any safari camp in Africa, hidden away among the huge boulders of Kogakuria kopje looking north towards the Mara River. It was from here that the spectacular leopard and lion sightings in this film were shot. Film shot on a Panasonic HC-X920 The Bush Telegraph: cheetahs on the bonnet On the plains of the Serengeti our safari columnists have an unforgettable, heart-stopping encounter with a cheetah family Related Content What makes the perfect safari? The Bush Telegraph: Meet the meerkats The Bush Telegraph: Scotland in Africa, I presume Bush Telegraph: The dogs fighting rhino poachers The Bush Telegraph: 'The highlights of a Malawi safari' The Bush Telegraph: a Namibian road trip Read all the Maddens' previous Bush Telegraph columns Essentials The Ultimate Travel Company (020 73051 8098 www.theultimatetravelcompany.co.uk) tailor-make a week at Nomad Serengeti camps from £4,475 per person. A three night stay at Nduara Loliondo followed by four nights at Lamai, comes with all meals, drinks and activities. The price also includes flights from Heathrow with Kenya Airways, connecting flights by light aircraft and private transfers throughout. Early booking is recommended for Nduara Loliondo’s seasonal game viewing, the camp operates from 15 December to 30 April. The Bush Telegraph Travel » Activity and adventure » Tanzania » Safari and wildlife holidays » Travel Video » More Video Telegraph TV Activity and adventure The Bush Telegraph Ads By Google Equity Release Calculator Calculate How Much Equity You Could Release Today. Find Out Now! www.keyrs.co.uk/Calculator Top10 Broadband in the UK Broadband From £2.50. Broadband Comparison. Latest Deals Online. www.uswitch.com/Broadband Eurostar Breaks from £92 Eurostar to Bruges, Lille, Paris or Brussels, includes hotel and B&B www.short-breaks.com/Eurostar How we moderate RELATED VIDEO   The thrill of walking safaris 26 May 2014   The magical herds of Tanzania 12 May 2014   Cheetahs pounce on Telegraph writer's bonnet 16 Apr 2014   Bush Telegraph: diving with whale sharks 26 Mar 2014   Lions take a glorious mudbath in South Africa 26 Feb 2014   Bush Telegraph: On the trail of the black rhino 12 Mar 2014 WATCH MORE»   Prince George's first birthday scrapbook 19 Jul 2014   Leopard saved from a well in India 18 Jul 2014 TELEGRAPH VIDEO Goodwood Festival of Speed 2014: the best classic cars on display Henry Winter's Google+ hangout: Telegraph's Football Correspondent discusses England's World Cup build-up FROM THE WEB 8 Reasons Why Messi is Better Than Ronaldo SportsBreak Which Brands Won The World Cup Of Marketing? Uberflip [?] MORE FROM TELEGRAPH.CO.UK TELEGRAPH TRAVEL COLLECTION Exclusive reader offers carefully selected by our travel experts View TELEGRAPH TRAVEL HAND-PICKED Get amazing deals on luxury hotels and holidays with The Telegraph View TELEGRAPH SHOP Dartmouth Leather Deck Shoes - save £10 View TELEGRAPH FANTASY FOOTBALL Select your FREE Telegraph Fantasy Football XI, £120,00 to be won View Back to top HOME Travel Travel News Travel Advice Picture Galleries Luxury Travel Hand-picked Deals Holiday Type Cruises Snow and Ski Adventure Best Beaches City Breaks Family Holidays Travel Deals Hotel Deals Cruise Deals Travel Money Cottage Deals Travel Competitions Destinations Paris Nice Rome New York Saint Lucia Hong Kong Contact Us Privacy and Cookies Advertising Fantasy Football Tickets Announcements Reader Prints Follow Us Apps Epaper Expat Promotions Subscriber Syndication © Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2014Terms and Conditions Today's NewsArchiveStyle BookWeather Forecast

Ghost tales from oldest city

In the nearly 450 years of St. Augustine’s existence, many bizarre, eerie and inexplicable events have taken place here. Nowadays, the town’s ample supply of ghostly phenomena entices thousands of visitors and has brought television crews who attempt to capture the elusive spirits on audio and video. Whether or not you’re convinced that supernatural beings inhabit our town, it’s intriguing to consider the possibility they exist. Lily, for instance, the ghost who haunts room 3A at the St. Francis Inn, has been spotted numerous times by the inn’s staff and guests. She doesn’t like certain TV programs and turns them off when no one’s looking. She’s also been known to steal a kiss from the sleeping husband of a honeymooning couple. And who is the ghostly man who wanders the basement of the Lighthouse keeper’s residence, leaving behind a trail of cigar smoke? In “Ghost Tales from the Oldest City,” author Suzy Cain, takes readers on a tour of the city’s most famous haunted locales. Such phenomena as the house where an unseen child cries in the night or the spectral woman in white who carries a suitcase as she wanders the halls of the Casa de la Paz Inn at 22 Avenida Menendez bring chills and thrills to those attuned to the spirit world. Why is it that St. Augustine seems to have more than its share of ghostly presences? Those who look at the phenomena more dispassionately might conclude that the days when rooms were lit only by flickering candlelight, and a lantern’s gleam barely pierced the darkness of streets and alleys, shadows and fog from the river were easily interpreted as visitors from the spirit world. Old houses tend to creak and groan. The wind might whistle down a chimney and sound like a baby crying or cause a poorly latched door to swing open. Then there’s the human propensity to expand and enhance legends of the supernatural as they pass from person to person. A slender volume illustrated by local artist, Dianne Jacoby, “Ghost Tales form the Oldest City” is an entertaining read that will make you look at many familiar locales with a new perspective. When St. Augustine’s streets are empty and a fog is rolling in off the river, who’s to say what’s hidden in the shadows? Q&A Author Suzy Cain: Q. HOW DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN ST. AUGUSTINE’S GHOSTS? SUZY CAIN: My family and I moved to St Augustine from Vero Beach in 1994 and stayed there until I immigrated to New Zealand in 2006. When I arrived in St Augustine, I was not sure what I would do for work. One night I saw a woman dressed in historic clothing, lantern in hand, leading a small group through the old city. I was immediately intrigued and later found out that she was leading a ghost tour. Her name was Sandy Craig. I tracked her down and soon took a job leading ghost tours (with Tour Saint Augustine). 2. HOW DID YOU AND ILLUSTRATOR DIANNE JACOBY MEET AND HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO WRITE THE BOOK? Dianne and I met when she joined the Tour Saint Augustine staff. Many of the people we met during the tours asked if the stories were written down. They were not, and so we decided to do just that. Dianne is an artist and she and I got together to talk about the stories and how we wanted them to be presented. Our efforts culminated in a self-published book in 1997, and we sold more than 10,000 copies. We managed all the marketing, sales, distribution and promotion, but when I moved to New Zealand, it became unfair for her to do it on her own, so I approached Pineapple Press, and they agreed to publish a new edition of our book. 3. HOW DID YOU DEVELOPED AN INTEREST IN THE PARANORMAL? I have always been fascinated with great stories (and ghost stories always are great ones). With my theatrical background, being a ghost tour guide was just up my alley. Combine that with a love of history, and it is the perfect job. During my years in St. Augustine, I also formed a small theater troupe called City Gate Productions (of which Dianne was a part), and we produced murder mysteries and historical plays as well as a play for students about the history of St. Augustine. 4. WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO LEAVE ST. AUGUSINE FOR NEW ZEALAND? It was hard to leave beautiful St. Augustine, but I had always wanted to live in New Zealand from the time I was a kid. The first job I had upon arriving in Wellington was in the mayor’s office taking care of the correspondence. I am now working for The New Zealand Festival as the executive coordinator. It’s a multi-arts festival that is produced every two years. It features theatre, music, dance, fine arts and a Writers Week program. My husband and I love living in Wellington and our two son Wilson, 21, and Joseph, 23, (and now three cats) live here as well. *** Q&A with Dianne Jacoby, illustrator 1. HOW AND WHERE DID YOU AND SUZY MEET? We met when we began giving Ghost Tours of downtown St. Augustine almost 20 years ago. We were the first to conduct guided walking ghost tours in town. Now it’s a big business with many companies involved. After five years, we decided it was time to write a book about some of our favorite ghosts. We carefully researched our stories, most of which were handed down by oral tradition. Some stories we collected or experienced ourselves. 2. HAVE YOU DONE BOOK ILLUSTRATIONS BEFORE? Yes. I have illustrated a number of books and have shown my paintings throughout the country. Now I am specializing in murals and commission paintings. 3. WAS THERE A REASON TO CHOOSE THE LINE DRAWING STYLE YOU EMPLOYED TO ILLUSTRATE THE BOOK? To me drawing is the essence of all art. I love the expressiveness of line drawing, so it was a natural choice for the ethereal, dramatic look I wanted. I had long wanted to draw my impressions of the spirits in their historical locales about town. 4. WERE THERE PARTICULAR PLACES IN TOWN THAT PROVIDED INSPIRATION FOR THE DRAWINGS? I felt it was important to place my images in the proper context as far as historical authenticity. So I loved using the coquina City Gate for the cover. Also the wonderful variety of textures found in the cemeteries are so evocative of our transient past. 5. AS A LONG-TIME ST. AUGUSTINE RESIDENT, DO YOU RECALL ANY GHOST STORIES OR LEGENDS YOU HEARD REPEATED AS A CHILD? My mother’s father was a railroad engineer for the FEC who died in the FEC hospital here in town as a result of injuries from a train wreck. A switchman near Palatka was asleep and did not switch his train’s track and a head on collision occurred with another train. When my grandfather was thrown off his train by the impact, he slammed into the switchman standing by the tracks. The switchman was killed by the impact. My grandfather died some time later. When I began giving ghost tours in town several people with psychic ability told me my grandfather walks by my side to protect me from harm. I find consolation in the companionship of this man who died so long before I was born. 6. HAVE YOU EVER FELT YOU WERE IN A PLACE THAT WAS HAUNTED? Yes. The strongest feelings I have experienced are in the back of the Tolomato Cemetery, inside the De Mesa House on St. George St. and in the northwest corner of the Alcazar building. 7. DOES YOUR INTEREST IN THEATER TIE IN WITH EITHER THE BOOK’S CONTENT OR YOUR ILLUSTRATIONS? Oh yes. The ghosts of St. Augustine were just waiting to be portrayed, so several years ago, I wrote a play called “Haunted Theatre: the Last Act.” We will perform it again this year in late October — just in time for Halloween! Our spirits speak in first person to tell the tragic and terrifying experiences of their lives throughout time in St. Augustine. I see theater as a 3-D art form, so it is definitely an extension of my drawings. More Sharing Services 0 Share on facebook Share on twitter Login to post a comment Mobile Menu Best of 2014 Local News Sports Entertainment Obituaries Opinion Living Daily Jail Log Police Report Slideshows High School Football Find Local Events Real Estate Classifieds Jobs Publications Manage Print Subscription St. Augustine 450th Subscribe Subscriber Rewards Advertise Welcome, guest Login Switch to Full Site © 2014 Morris Publishing, Inc. Privacy Policy Contact Us Site Map Posting Rules Newsletter Subscriber Services All-Access Support Line: 1-866-471-4909

Amphipods are the most abundant of free-swimming creatures in the deepest depths Marine scientists are delighted with the latest video footage of life and death from the deepest, most mysterious region of the ocean. One has described it as the best they have yet collected. A deep sea probe shot the videos in April and May during an expedition that plumbed the 10,000m depths of the Kermadec Trench, northeast of New Zealand. The images reveal the hunting strategy of a large enigmatic fish, the swimming style of a gigantic deep sea crustacean and new information on the activities of the world's deepest living fish. These are new insights on the behaviour of marine animals which inhabit one of the most extreme and inhospitable realms of the planet - the ocean depth range between 6,000m to 11,000m where the floor of the abyss plunges into great troughs, known as ocean trenches. Oceanographers call it the hadal zone. At its lowest point, the pressure reaches one tonne per square centimetre and the temperature drops to one degree C. The technical challenges to sending manned and unmanned submersibles into this environment mean that a sizeable portion of the planet's sea floor remains terra incognito. According to Andy Bowen, chief engineer at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in the US: "The hadal zone… represents an area somewhat equivalent to that of North America. So it's a substantial area of the ocean that is essentially unexplored." Marine biologist Alan Jamieson of the University of Aberdeen in Scotland regards this as an unacceptable gap in our knowledge of the ocean ecosystem. "The hadal zone is 45% of the ocean's depth range. So the entire discipline of deep sea biology has concentrated on the shallowest 50% and that seems wrong," he said. Jamieson led the team which collected the latest video material. He talks about the expedition and its discoveries in the science radio series Into the Abyss on BBC Radio 4. His spectacular images are some consolation for a technical disaster during the scientific voyage: The catastrophic implosion at 10km depth of the US$3.1m submersible robot, Nereus. Nereus was the world's most advanced deep sea research vehicle - designed and built at Woods Hole. Nereus was lost during only its second mission in the hadal zone. The flagship Nereus underwater vehicle was destroyed recently in the Kermadec trench The expedition was the first to attempt to study systematically an ocean trench at the different depths across its entire width. It was the inaugural mission of an international research programme called Hades - Hadal Ecosystem Studies. The scope of that project is much reduced with the destruction of Nereus at the bottom of the Kermadec Trench. Trenches exist where tectonic plates of ocean crust collide. One great raft of crust is slowly descending into the Earth's interior beneath the edge of the other plate. At the surface, the junction between them is the trench - a broadly V-shaped feature which can run thousands of kilometres in length. The deepest is the Mariana Trench with a floor as deep as 11,000 metres at one location. The Hollywood film maker Cameron visited its lowest point, Challenger Deep, in 2012. Cameron's submarine mission cost millions of dollars and he reported seeing little in the way of interesting creatures. Alan Jamieson's new video images came at much cheaper price. The videos were captured during several deployments of a device called a hadal lander. A lander is relatively simple piece of hardware: lights and cameras within a pressure-resistant housing. It also carries a pole on which a dead fish is secured. The bait lures hadal creatures into the camera's field of view, once the whole contraption has been dropped to the sea floor. In the recent Kermadec expedition, the Aberdeen team began their deployments in the relative shallows. At 1,554m depth, the lander and its mackerel lure pulled in a mass of squirming eels of two species: large arrow tooth eels and smaller snubnose eels. The video camera caught the last few seconds of existence for a snubnose eel. In the frenzy of scavenging, a large arrow tooth grabbed the smaller species and carried it off, undulating backwards, into the darkness. "That was a direct kill," said Alan Jamieson. Even at 1,500 metres, food parcels like the one delivered by the lander are few and far between. Fish detect its odour and emerge from the enveloping darkness to converge on the feast. All species in this environment will scavenge but the new footage creepily shows that a feeding frenzy is also an opportunity for predation. Another revelation about deep sea hunting behaviour came with a deployment to the upper slopes of the trench itself at 5100 metres. Eel-like fish called cusk eels are frequently spotted at this depth, and deeper. The deep dwelling cusk eels, Bassozetus sp, grow up to one metre in length. Alan Jamieson said that on previous expeditions, he often saw cusk eels come to the bait but he never saw them do anything interesting. This time the lander caught several occasions when they burst into action in what Jamieson described as some of the best video sequences he's ever taken. The fish's glum-looking, tight-lipped face opens up to form a submarine vacuum cleaner. Deep dwelling cusk eels grow up to 1m in length The cusk eel holds its position at the bait and waits for the odour of dead fish to attract crustaceans called amphipods. Amphipods are the most abundant of free-swimming creatures in the deepest depths. Dr Jamieson theorises that cusk eels only spring into action when amphipods large enough to bother with swims close. When the fish somehow detects their proximity, its mouth springs wide open in a split second, sucking up the amphipod in a rush of water. Deeper in the trench, there is an amphipod species which has nothing to fear from fish. This creature is unofficially known as the Supergiant - its scientific name is Alicella gigantea. The Kermadec expedition this year captured the first footage of the Supergiant swimming. On this occasion, the animal was caught, brazenly ploughing through a shoal of pink snailfish at 7,243 metres below the surface. Most members of the amphipod group are small, typified by the species many of us are likely to have encountered: the sand hoppers which ping out of disturbed seaweed on the beach. The adult Supergiant is colossal compared to any other amphipod species. On previous expeditions in the Kermadec and Japan trenches, individuals brought up in deep sea traps have measured as long as 28 centimetres, almost one foot. Marine biologists speculate that Supergiants evolved gigantic size as a defence against predation. At some point in the past, their ancestors had the luck to develop mutations in genes which regulate growth. Another adaptation to this environment are food stores in their bodies, according to marine biologist Ashley Rowden at New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research. He said that Supergiants which have been brought to the surface feel as though they are made of wax. "The belief is that the waxy materials are a food storage source for times when there isn't food for those Supergiants to exist on. They are able to use what they've stored from a previous big feast." Sharing the Middle Trench depth range with the Super Giants are the snailfish - the deepest living fish known. They have the appearance of large tadpoles made of pink jelly. They are semi-transparent. The lights of the hadal camera illuminate orange blobs within their bodies. These blobs are their livers. Snailfish feed on small amphipods. The greatest depth at which they have been seen is 7,700 metres. The fish (Notoliparis kermadecensis) in the Kermadec Trench look more or less identical to those seen in the Japan Trench way to the north. However genetic analyses show they are different species and not that closely related to one another. They are closer cousins of the shallower water snailfish species in their respective parts of the world. On this and previous expeditions, snailfish have been brought to the surface in traps. According to Ashley Rowden, the jelly-like consistency makes a snailfish hard to handle. "It's like handling a water-filled condom. It slips around in your hand and you're not quite sure which bit you should be holding so that it doesn't drop to the deck." The latest footage of snailfish in their natural environment reveals them to be more numerous and more energetic than the scientists had supposed. Alan Jamieson says the snailfish had also appeared to be wedded to the sea floor. The new video reveals them disporting in mid water around a precipitous cliff of volcanic rock. The water depth here was 7,669 metres. "We always thought that when you get down to those depths, you'd be lucky if you saw one or two, eking out an existence in this really deep water but we've been very, very surprised to see so many being so active," said Alan Jamieson. "The more I do this the more I don't consider the very deepest parts of the ocean as that different (from the rest of it). They are not weird and 'out there'…. They are just an extension of every other marine environment." The first part of 'Into the Abyss' was broadcast on Wednesday 16th July at 9 pm and will be repeated on Tuesday 22nd July at 11 am. Share this page ShareFacebookTwitter EmailPrint More Science & Environment storiesRSS Boom in satellite ship tracking The demand for ship identification and tracking data acquired by satellites is growing rapidly. EC 'confident' in brain project 'Shoved' sea eagle chick flies nest Top Stories Pressure grows on Russia over crash UK demands access to MH17 crash site Egyptian troops killed at checkpoint UK storms cause further disruption Casualties mount in Gaza conflict Features Five to watch Inspiring tales from athletes heading to Glasgow 2014 BBC SPORT Victorian Strangeness The era when it was fashionable for ladies to limp Last survivors Who will keep Holocaust memories alive? Dying trade Are these the last master craftsmen in England? Little or large Why cyclists who fly uphill do not have thighs like these Most Popular Shared 1: Ukraine rebels 'destroy MH17 clues' 2: Iraqi Christians flee from Mosul 3: Why sprinters are muscly and climbers are wiry 4: The bizarre tale of the ladies who limped 5: In pictures: Lightning storms hit UKRead 1: Pressure grows on Russia over crash 2: Looting reports halt bargain sale 3: Scant respect for bodies at crash site 4: UK storms cause further disruption 5: Why sprinters are muscly and climbers are wiry 6: Britain challenges Russia over jet 7: Driver used rope to kill himself 8: The bizarre tale of the ladies who limped 9: Egyptian troops killed at checkpoint 10: Four hurt as ferry deck collapsesVideo/Audio 1: 'Horrific scenes in beautiful fields' Watch 3: BBC News Channel Watch 4: Lightning drama filmed in UK Watch 5: Grief for six members of one family Watch 6: The problem with sex education in India Watch 7: 'We just shot down a plane' Watch 8: Airliner hit from rebel area - Obama Watch 9: The appeal of 'real life' simulators Watch 10: Who was on board Flight MH17? Watch Services  Mobile Connected TV News feeds Alerts E-mail news About BBC News Editors' blogBBC College of JournalismNews sourcesEditorial Guidelines BBC links Mobile siteTerms of UseAbout the BBC PrivacyAccessibility Help CookiesContact the BBC Parental Guidance BBC © 2014 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.

Giant duck escapes

China: Giant yellow rubber duck swept away in flood By News from Elsewhere... ...media reports from around the world, found by BBC Monitoring People gather to see the giant bath toy in Taiwan Continue reading the main story More News from Elsewhere Azerbaijan funds dig at Roman Forum Seoul city workers 'can nap at work' S America's first opera house reopens A giant yellow rubber duck floating on Nanming River in China's south-west Guizhou Province has reportedly been swept away by floodwaters just months after it exploded on display in Taiwan. The 18m (59ft) sculpture by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman disappeared around 19:00 local time on Wednesday, after the city saw days of heavy rainfall, the Taiwan-based Want China Times reports. Even though the duck weighs 1 tonne, and was sitting on a 10 tonne metal platform lashed to the riverbed with steel wires, it was easily dislodged by the storm. "The duck flopped over and was flushed away really quickly by the torrential flood," exhibition co-ordinator Yan Jianxin tells the Wall Street Journal's China Real Time blog. "It disappeared right in front of me." It's the latest mishap for the yellow duck, which burst while on display at a port in Taiwan and deflated during its exhibition in Hong Kong. The duck has been on tour since 2007, popping up in cities including Sydney, Sao Paulo and Baku as a way of bringing people together. Earlier, the duck was on show in Sydney Use #NewsfromElsewhere to stay up-to-date with our reports via Twitter. More on This Story More News from Elsewhere Azerbaijan funds dig at Roman Forum Seoul city workers 'can nap at work' S America's first opera house reopens Share this page ShareFacebookTwitter EmailPrint About #NewsfromElsewhere A collection of stories being reported by media around the world, as found by BBC Monitoring. Find out more. More from BBC Monitoring About BBC Monitoring Reports and analysis from TV, radio, web and print media around the world Country Profiles An instant guide to the history, politics and economics of countries and territories More from the Magazine Answering life’s questions through daily features, quizzes and opinions. Follow us BBC Monitoring on Twitter You can follow the latest updates on Twitter …and on Facebook You can also become a fan of BBC Monitoring on Facebook Services  Mobile Connected TV News feeds Alerts E-mail news About BBC News Editors' blogBBC College of JournalismNews sourcesEditorial Guidelines BBC links Mobile siteTerms of UseAbout the BBC PrivacyAccessibility Help CookiesContact the BBC Parental Guidance BBC © 2014 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.