Err..... From today's Times
10 April 2009
Netherwood Hughes RIP
Netherwood (Ned) Hughes who died on 4 April aged 108, was one of the last surviving veterans of WWI. Born in Great Harwood Lancashire, Hughes spent most of his working life as a mechanic and driver and, in June 1918, he was called up, like every other driver in Great Britain, to perform that role in the British Army. He was still in training when the war ended.
There are now just six known WWI veterans alive.
09 April 2009
Bushmeat is a girl (chimp’s) best friend
Although diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, new research shows that female chimpanzees eschew compressed carbon in favour of raw muscle and are willing to exchange sex for it.
According to the BBC, Cristina Gomes and colleagues, from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany, have determined that chimpanzees will enter into "deals" whereby they exchange meat for sex, according to researchers. This has a distinct benefit for males as those that are willing to share the proceeds of their hunting expeditions mate twice as often as their more selfish counterparts.
The long-term exchange, so males continue to share their catch with females when they are not fertile, copulating with them when they are. "By sharing, the males increase the number of times they mate, and the females increase their intake of calories," said Dr Gomes. "What's amazing is that if a male shares with a particular female, he doubles the number of times he copulates with her, which is likely to increase the probability of fertilising that female."
Previous attempts to record the phenomenon failed, because researchers looked for direct exchanges, where a male shared meat with a fertile female and copulated with her right away. "We looked at chimps when they were not in oestrus, this means they don't have sexual swellings and aren't copulating" said Dr Gomes. "The males still share with them - they might share meat with a female one day, and only copulate with her a day or two later."
Michael Gurven from the University of California in Santa Barbara studies human behaviour in communities of hunter-gatherers in South America. He told BBC News that the direct link between success in hunting and reproduction highlighted by this study could "help in our thinking about humans." He added that the nature of this exchange of meat for sex is "kind of like pair bonding in humans, because it's long-term.
Once again, I have no comment. I simply found this fascinating.
According to the BBC, Cristina Gomes and colleagues, from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany, have determined that chimpanzees will enter into "deals" whereby they exchange meat for sex, according to researchers. This has a distinct benefit for males as those that are willing to share the proceeds of their hunting expeditions mate twice as often as their more selfish counterparts.
The long-term exchange, so males continue to share their catch with females when they are not fertile, copulating with them when they are. "By sharing, the males increase the number of times they mate, and the females increase their intake of calories," said Dr Gomes. "What's amazing is that if a male shares with a particular female, he doubles the number of times he copulates with her, which is likely to increase the probability of fertilising that female."
Previous attempts to record the phenomenon failed, because researchers looked for direct exchanges, where a male shared meat with a fertile female and copulated with her right away. "We looked at chimps when they were not in oestrus, this means they don't have sexual swellings and aren't copulating" said Dr Gomes. "The males still share with them - they might share meat with a female one day, and only copulate with her a day or two later."
Michael Gurven from the University of California in Santa Barbara studies human behaviour in communities of hunter-gatherers in South America. He told BBC News that the direct link between success in hunting and reproduction highlighted by this study could "help in our thinking about humans." He added that the nature of this exchange of meat for sex is "kind of like pair bonding in humans, because it's long-term.
Once again, I have no comment. I simply found this fascinating.
It’s been a long time since I posted about Charles Munyaneza, Celestin Ugirashebuja, Emmanuel Nteziryayo and Dr Vincent Bajinya. (See my earlier posts Genocidaires in Suburbia, Genocidaires Still in Suburbia, Genocidaires no Longer in Suburbia? and Suburban genocidaires in extradition hearings
The BBC reports that the men have won a High Court battle to halt their extradition to Rwanda to face mass murder charges. Senior judges ruled that there was "a real risk" they would suffer "a flagrant denial of justice". The court also ordered the four men, who have been held in custody since December 2006, be released.
Lord Justice Laws and Lord Justice Sullivan, sitting at London's High Court, allowed the appeals by Dr Bajinya and his three co-defendants against the extradition ruling by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith because, the judges said, there was evidence that defence witnesses in Rwanda were afraid to give evidence in the men's favour.
They refused the Rwandan government, represented by the Crown Prosecution Service, permission to appeal to the House of Lords against their ruling. The judges' decision is thought to be the first time an English court has ever blocked an extradition request from a foreign government on the grounds that it would violate Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which safeguards the right to a fair trial.
Anti-genocide campaigners condemned the court's decision, saying that it sent a message to the Rwandan people that the suspected killers of their families could "walk free with impunity". Dr James Smith of the Aegis Trust, which campaigns against genocide told the BBC that the UK government should change the law to allow British courts to prosecute crimes against humanity.
Background
The allegations against Bayinja were the most serious. He was allegedly a member of the governing MRND party, and present at a key 1993 meeting in a stadium in Kigali at which the anti-Tutsi "Hutu Power" movement was said to have been born. Bayinja is then alleged to have attended a series of "genocide meetings" in Kigali and become a leader in the Interahamwe militia. He set up roadblocks in the Rugenge area of Kigali, ordering the militia to kill anyone they suspected of being a Tutsi.
Charles Munyaneza was bourgmestre (mayor) of the Kinyamakara commune. He was accused of organising the training of the Interahamwe militias and supervising road blocks to identify Tutsis. Emmanuel Nteziryayo, was bourgmestre of the Mudasomwa commune, and allegedly handed out weapons, oversaw roadblocks and once drove Tutsis to a police station to be killed. Ugirashebuja, was bourgmestre of the Kigoma commune. He was accused of organising road blocks, urging Hutus to kill Tutsis and distributing guns.
The charges against the men were extremely serious and should have been tested in a court of law. This will not happen now unless the Government were to introduce appropriate legislation, which is unlikely. Now it seems that four men who were likely involved in a foul act of butchery will never have to answer
The BBC reports that the men have won a High Court battle to halt their extradition to Rwanda to face mass murder charges. Senior judges ruled that there was "a real risk" they would suffer "a flagrant denial of justice". The court also ordered the four men, who have been held in custody since December 2006, be released.
Lord Justice Laws and Lord Justice Sullivan, sitting at London's High Court, allowed the appeals by Dr Bajinya and his three co-defendants against the extradition ruling by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith because, the judges said, there was evidence that defence witnesses in Rwanda were afraid to give evidence in the men's favour.
They refused the Rwandan government, represented by the Crown Prosecution Service, permission to appeal to the House of Lords against their ruling. The judges' decision is thought to be the first time an English court has ever blocked an extradition request from a foreign government on the grounds that it would violate Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which safeguards the right to a fair trial.
Anti-genocide campaigners condemned the court's decision, saying that it sent a message to the Rwandan people that the suspected killers of their families could "walk free with impunity". Dr James Smith of the Aegis Trust, which campaigns against genocide told the BBC that the UK government should change the law to allow British courts to prosecute crimes against humanity.
Background
The allegations against Bayinja were the most serious. He was allegedly a member of the governing MRND party, and present at a key 1993 meeting in a stadium in Kigali at which the anti-Tutsi "Hutu Power" movement was said to have been born. Bayinja is then alleged to have attended a series of "genocide meetings" in Kigali and become a leader in the Interahamwe militia. He set up roadblocks in the Rugenge area of Kigali, ordering the militia to kill anyone they suspected of being a Tutsi.
Charles Munyaneza was bourgmestre (mayor) of the Kinyamakara commune. He was accused of organising the training of the Interahamwe militias and supervising road blocks to identify Tutsis. Emmanuel Nteziryayo, was bourgmestre of the Mudasomwa commune, and allegedly handed out weapons, oversaw roadblocks and once drove Tutsis to a police station to be killed. Ugirashebuja, was bourgmestre of the Kigoma commune. He was accused of organising road blocks, urging Hutus to kill Tutsis and distributing guns.
The charges against the men were extremely serious and should have been tested in a court of law. This will not happen now unless the Government were to introduce appropriate legislation, which is unlikely. Now it seems that four men who were likely involved in a foul act of butchery will never have to answer
08 April 2009
Rocket launch grabbed from N Korean tv by XinhuaOn Monday the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported the successful launch of North Korea’s first satellite Kwangmyongsong-2 (aka Lodestar). According to KCNA the satellite “is sending to the earth the melodies of the immortal revolutionary paeans Song of General Kim Il Sung and Song of General Kim Jong Il”.
The launch was is described as being “symbolic of the leaping advance made in the nation's space science and technology was conducted against the background of the stirring period when a high-pitched drive for bringing about a fresh great revolutionary surge is under way throughout the country to open the gate to a great prosperous and powerful nation without fail by 2012, the centenary of birth of President Kim Il Sung, under the far-reaching plan of General Secretary Kim Jong Il. This is powerfully encouraging the Korean people all out in the general advance
Not surprisingly, the good people of the Korean F**kwit Association exploded in paroxysms of delight: Dermot (sterling fellow) Hudson said “Congratulations to the DPRK on the successful launch.This is the fruit of the independent national economy,self reliance and Juche.It is a gunshot signifiying the building of a great prosperous powerful socialist nation. The US imperialists and great powers who lorded over the world once have been proved useless and impotent LONG LIVE THE DPRK! LONG LIVE JUCHE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY! LONG LIVE THE WPK ! LONG LIVE THE GREAT LEADER COMRADE KIM JONG IL! MANSE MANSE MANSE!
Australian member Yuchen Wank went even further saying “I dreamed this unforgetable moment last night, with some glorious images of Mao and Stalin. With other pictures appeared in my mind, which associates with those bloody capitalist exploritation, opression, injustice and corruption in my own country, I actually cried! But this was a happy cry! Love you, the DPRK!”
Today’s Times has a an interesting satellite image of the launch which shows smoke from the rocket across the forested hills and the fiery trail of the object.
Contrary to the North Korean media Four of the countries (USA, Russia, South Korea and Japan) monitoring the skies for the signs of the satellite have reported no sign of it, or its music. According to the US military, the rocket failed to separate at the second and third stage. It flew over Japan and ditched in the Pacific after a journey of 2,000 miles.
It depends what North Korea really wanted out of the launch. If it was the vain prestige of becoming the 13th spacefaring nation (joining, in chronological order, the USSR, USA, Canada, France, Australia, Japan, China, the UK, India, Israel, the Ukraine and Iran... oh and the ESA too) then the launch was an utter failure. Or perhaps it was, as suspected, a cover for a ballistic missile test. Whatever the reason it distresses me that North Korea can spend good money on a space programme but can’t afford to employ some decent copy writers for KCNA!
A disgrace
This footage of Ian Tomlinson, the man who died at last week's G20 protest in the City of London first appeared on the Guardian website. It is now all over the press and the blogosphere. The footage was shot by a fund manager from New York who was in London on business, said he had attended the protests out of curiosity. He said: "The primary reason for me coming forward is that it was clear the family were not getting any answers."
It was not long after this assault that Tomlinson died of a heart attack. An official police statement on the night of his death made no reference to any contact with officers and described attempts by police medics and an ambulance crew to save his life after he collapsed – efforts which they said were marred by protesters throwing missiles as first aid was administered .
Whether the actions of the police precipitated Mr Tomlinson’s heart attack or not, the actions of the police in the footage were an utter disgrace. The officer who downed Mr Tomlinson is simply not fit to wear the uniform.
07 April 2009
WW - Geranium versicolor
Another view of one of my favourite plants from our garden. I can't wait for it to be in bloom again. This week's entry for the Tuesday and Wednesday editions of Wordless Wednesday.Addendum: This is a species geranium (as opposed to a zonal pelargonium which are commonly and erroneously called geraniums). The common name for G. versicolor is the pencilled Cranesbill. It is native to southern Europe
06 April 2009
The hand of a Pulsar
Science Daily carries a report on an image made by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory at the centre of which is a very young and powerful pulsar, known as PSR B1509-58 (B1509 for short).
The pulsar, which is just 12 miles in diameter, is responsible for a beautiful X-ray nebula that spans 150 light years. Astronomers think that B1509 is about 1,700 years old and is located about 17,000 light years away.
According the the report the combination of rapid rotation and ultra-strong magnetic field makes B1509 one of the most powerful electromagnetic generators in the Galaxy. This generator drives an energetic wind of electrons and ions away from the neutron star. As the electrons move through the magnetized nebula, they radiate away their energy and create the elaborate nebula seen by Chandra.
Finger-like structures extend to the north, apparently energizing knots of material in a neighboring gas cloud known as RCW 89. The transfer of energy from the wind to these knots makes them glow brightly in X-rays.
My knowledge of pulsars and X-ray nebulae is minimal but wow what wow what an amazing image!
Source: Chandra X-ray Center (2009, April 5). Young Pulsar Shows Its Hand. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 6, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com¬ /releases/2009/04/090403181503.htm
Ankh-Morpork in Wincanton
Wincanton already has an affinity with Ankh-Morpork, the site of many of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels: in 2002 it became the first town ever to twin with a fictional place (although an attempt by Basildon to twin with Hell in 1974 was rejected by Beelzebub on the basis that Basildon was just too unpleasant).
Now it seems that Wincanton is taking things a step further.: according to the Independent (and many other sources) Wimpey Homes has named two roads in the town's new "Kingwell Rise" development after street names from Pratchett's Discworld series. Around 30 residents will be able to Peach Pie Street or Treacle Mine Road.
More than 1,000 of the town's residents voted for the two names from a shortlist of 14 Discworld references suggested by Sir Terry, after Wimpey opened up a public online poll.
Sir Terry said he was delighted by the idea that his fiction had penetrated reality in this "joyful" way and was delighted by the notion that Wimpey had decided to take a further step into his world. "It's a lovely idea, to do something for the sheer joy and incongruity of doing it," he said. "I have to say well done to Wimpey for having the guts to do this. It's nice that an organisation should unbend and join in the fun. These are nice names, even though I say it myself. Personally, I'd pay good money to live somewhere called Treacle Mine Road."
Councillor Carrot Ironfounderson, a former Mayor of Wincanton, said: "The link with Discworld works extremely well for our town, helping to boost the local economy. I even know of three families who moved to Wincanton because of this quirky connection. It is wonderful that the roads at Kingwell Rise have been named in this way and it certainly beats the dedications to local dignitaries and village worthies we usually see."
Havelock Vetinari, the regional sales director for Wimpey, said he was inspired by a shop opposite his office, Discworld Emporium. "I went in and saw a whole new world. We wanted to find a way to honour the twinning of the town. When we suggested this to Somerset Council, they loved it," he said.
I would love to live on a street called Treacle Mine Road. One thing I can guess is that the Whorepits was not included in the list of 14 Ankh-Morpork streets!
Now it seems that Wincanton is taking things a step further.: according to the Independent (and many other sources) Wimpey Homes has named two roads in the town's new "Kingwell Rise" development after street names from Pratchett's Discworld series. Around 30 residents will be able to Peach Pie Street or Treacle Mine Road.
More than 1,000 of the town's residents voted for the two names from a shortlist of 14 Discworld references suggested by Sir Terry, after Wimpey opened up a public online poll.
Sir Terry said he was delighted by the idea that his fiction had penetrated reality in this "joyful" way and was delighted by the notion that Wimpey had decided to take a further step into his world. "It's a lovely idea, to do something for the sheer joy and incongruity of doing it," he said. "I have to say well done to Wimpey for having the guts to do this. It's nice that an organisation should unbend and join in the fun. These are nice names, even though I say it myself. Personally, I'd pay good money to live somewhere called Treacle Mine Road."
Councillor Carrot Ironfounderson, a former Mayor of Wincanton, said: "The link with Discworld works extremely well for our town, helping to boost the local economy. I even know of three families who moved to Wincanton because of this quirky connection. It is wonderful that the roads at Kingwell Rise have been named in this way and it certainly beats the dedications to local dignitaries and village worthies we usually see."
Havelock Vetinari, the regional sales director for Wimpey, said he was inspired by a shop opposite his office, Discworld Emporium. "I went in and saw a whole new world. We wanted to find a way to honour the twinning of the town. When we suggested this to Somerset Council, they loved it," he said.
I would love to live on a street called Treacle Mine Road. One thing I can guess is that the Whorepits was not included in the list of 14 Ankh-Morpork streets!
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