April 6, 1912: Manitoba; the Titanic; Atlantis; a Painting; and a Car

The town of Transcona, Manitoba was incorporated on this date in 1912. This is also the day in 1912 when the territory of Manitoba grew to its present size.

You'll find a whole lot more about what happened on April 6 in Canada, at "April 6," This Day in Canadian History.

The same year, April 6 was the day when the RMS Titanic was four days from starting its first voyage, and nine days from ending its last trip. ("RMS Titanic," Wikipedia)

Elsewhere in 1912:

• Leo Frobenius was in the last year of an expedition
  • In Africa
  • Where he thought he'd found Atlantis
• Gustav Klimt painted a picture of Mäda Primavesi
  • Neither of whom are particularly famous today
• Gaylords were still being built
  • It's a kind of car

None of which is likely to help you fill out your income tax forms. Which, if you're an American, are due April 15. Which, oddly enough, is the same date on which the Titanic sank.

Sort-of-related posts:

• "Gaylord: A Car, Another Car, a Company, a Town, and a Block of Wax"
  (November 18, 2011)
• "Woman 'Cut in Half:' Journalistic Hyperbole, Remarkable Account"
  (September 23, 2010)
  • A Manitoban's surgery in Mayo Clinic, Minnesota
    • That's three words starting with "M"
  • Minnesota is also the home of 3M corporation
    • Significant?
      • Probably Not
• "Map the Titanic: Big Ship, Big Job"
  (August 28, 2010)
• "African Art, Photos, and a Whacking Great Generalization"
  (June 21, 2010)
• "A Portrait by Gustav Klimt"
  (May 2, 2008)

Cambrian Explosion Evidence: Burgess Shale Fossils aren't Alone

"Ancient Animal Explosion Gets Bigger With New Finds"
Animal News, Discovery News (September 9, 2010)

"Eight new kinds of the earliest animals from the Cambrian Explosion have been found in a newly explored section of ancient rock in Canada.

"At least eight new kinds of Earth's earliest animals from the mysterious and controversial Cambrian Explosion have been discovered in a unexpected section of ancient rock 30 miles from the famous Burgess Shale of Canada. The discovery suggests such old, rare fossils are more common than previously thought.

"Like the fossils of the original Burgess Shale, the new discoveries are remarkable because they preserve features of animals which had only soft parts -- like gills and eyes -- and remained intact for more than half a billion years.

"That's a time when animals evolved from being very small, simple organisms into a wildly creative, explosive variety of sometimes bizarre creatures. These were culled by natural selection over time, leaving the more familiar main animal groups we see today.

"Among the more dramatic discoveries is a new kind of 'anomalocaridid' -- the monster shrimp-like top predator a half-billion years ago. Some of these sorts of beasts have been found up to two meters long in shale from Chengjiang, China...."

We've known about the Burgess Shale fossils for a long time - but it looked like that treasure-trove of detailed soft-bodied fossils was a fluke. The Burgess Shale formation happened when fine silt fell off an underwater cliff, burying critters swept up in the avalanche.

The new find is from shale that formed from fine mud that was on a gently sloping surface - and preserved tracks of the buried critters. That strongly suggests that the creatures lived near where they were found. And that the sequence of events needed to preserve the fossils isn't as rare as we thought.

Besides the new Canadian discovery, similar fossils have been found in China, Greenland and Australia.

Looks like paleontologists will have a great deal more data to work with.

Related posts:

• "Two Thirds of a Billion Years Ago: Earth's First Animals?"
  (August 18, 2010)
• "Four Legs, a Tail, and Tracks a Third of a Billion Years Old"
  (July 26, 2010)
• "Clockwork Mass Extinctions, Cosmic Rays, and Cycles"
  (July 14, 2010)
• "Lemming Tracks: Observations by an Opportunistic Omnivore"
  (April 20, 2010)
• "Animals That Don't Need Oxygen - It Gets Weirder"
  (April 9, 2010)

One More Thing: A Hurricane's Coming to the American Northeast

Just so you know the Lemming's paying attention: Earl's coming to New York!

"Earl Downgraded, but Suffolk Remains on Alert"
City Room, N.Y. / Region, The New York Times blog (September 2, 2010)

"The National Weather Service has downgraded Hurricane Earl to a Category 3 hurricane as of 2 p.m. Thursday, but a tropical storm warning remains in effect for Suffolk County, where sustained winds of more than 40 miles an hour are expected to blow in Friday afternoon, with gusts of up to 60 miles an hour. All up and down the East Coast residents were preparing.

"People hoping to get to and from the East End via Long Island Rail Road will have a hard time doing so Friday. The only train from Penn Station going all the way to Montauk Friday will leave at 12:39 a.m. Heading toward the city, trains will leave Montauk and Greenport at 5:30 a.m.

"After that, the railroad is suspending service east of Speonk on the Montauk Branch and east of Ronkonkoma on the main line...."

And eastern Canada, too.

"Hurricane watch closes N.S. parks"
CBC News (September 2, 2010)

"Parks Canada will close several Nova Scotia parks and historical sites this weekend due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Earl.

"Kejimkujik National Park, Kejimkujik Seaside, the Fort Anne National Historic Site and the Port Royal National Historic Site will all close Friday. Parks Canada will reassess the closures Saturday.

"The Canadian Hurricane Centre has issued a hurricane watch for four Nova Scotia counties and expanded its tropical storm watch to include large sections of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick...."

Looks like one concern is that Earl and Labor Day Weekend will reach the New England states at about the same time. You'd think that folks would have more sense than to start traveling into an area that's about to have a late-summer storm - but I suppose not everybody pays attention to the news.

Rain, Snow, and a Place with Wilder Weather than Minnesota's

"July snow, torrential rains pound province"
Edmonton Journal (Edmonton, Alberta, I take it) (July 14, 2010)

"City bus trips prove to be more of a raft ride while chuckwagon races are cancelled in Calgary"

"Pounding rain on Tuesday washed away street performances at Churchill Square and made the commute feel more like a raft ride down the North Saskatchewan River.

"To the south, rain forced the cancellation of the grandstand show and chuckwagon races at the Calgary Stampede. To the west, heavy snow fell in Jasper National Park...."

I think I may have finally found a place that - occasionally - has wilder weather than Minnesota.

Happily, there don't seem to have been any serious injuries - although at least one roof collapsed. From the rain, oddly enough, not the snow. That must have been some rain.

It helps, reading the article, if you are familiar with the metric system. Measurements are in millimeters and centimeters.

One person, at least, knew what snow was for - and made a snowman.

Sort-of-related post, in another blog:

• "Tornado Warning and Sinclair Lewis Days"
  Sauk Centre Journal Blog (July 14, 2010)

What do Edmonton, Alberta; and The Netherlands have In Common?

"Edmonton veterans mark liberation of Netherlands"
Edmonton Journal (May 5, 2010)

" 'We cannot thank you enough,' Mandel tells soldiers

"The city marked the 65th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands during the Second World War with a parade of veterans in downtown Edmonton on Wednesday.

"At 11:30, both past and present members of the Canadian Forces, with vehicles both new and antique, marched from 103rd Street, along Jasper Avenue, to Churchill Square.

"Veterans were awarded medallions in recognition of their service...."

My guess is that the Edmonton Journal is talking about Edmonton, Alberta. The references to Jasper Avenue and Churchill Square seem to make more sense that way. There's another Edmonton in Ontario, though - but that isn't really the point of the article, I think.

Canada, along with quite a few other nations, was very involved in World War II. I'm glad to read that soldiers who fought in that war are still recognized: and that The Netherlands seems to be still, on the whole, glad that the Allies won.

Winter Olympics: It's On in Vancouver

"Games open in Canada's wintry indoor paradise"
Reuters Canada (February 13, 2010)

"A snowboarder soared through the Olympic rings and skiers schussed down mountains in the unlikely confines of a stadium as Canada whipped up a wintry wilderness for Friday's opening of the 2010 Winter Games.

"Vancouver staged the first indoor opening ceremony in the 86-year history of the Winter Games, an ironic choice for a nation with more outdoors than almost any other place as the world's second largest country.

"On the big white canvas of BC Place, Canada painted starry skies, polar bears, blue ice and indigenous icons, with the participation of 60,000 'pixels' (spectators and athletes) to welcome the world to its cold yet coveted paradise.

"In what appeared to be the sole glitch of the night, only three of the four giant icicles supporting an Olympic cauldron emerged from the floor...."

Everybody else on the planet seems to be writing about the Winter Olympics in Canada: so I figured I'd put in my two cents' worth.

First of all "ironic choice" or not - I think the Olympic planners were smart to put the opening ceremonies inside. Not that the 48°F / 9°C it was there when I checked is all that bad. This time of year, here in central Minnesota, that'd be downright torrid. (It got up to 40°F on this date, back in 1967, but that's freakishly hot.)

Then there was that luge accident. I trust that: first, if there was an equipment failure it's been found and fixed; second, that we continue to see and hear about the more positive events at the Olympics.

Okay. I've written about the Winter Olympics.

Now, what else is there online?

North American Quake and Japanese Tsunami: 1700

"Jan. 26, 1700: Northwest Quake Unleashes Trans-Pacific Tsunami"
This Day in Tech, Wired (January 25, 2010)

"1700: A massive earthquake strikes the Pacific Northwest coast, sending a tsunami racing across the ocean all the way to Japan.

"The earthquake was likely around magnitude 9 and occurred in the Cascadia Subduction Zone. The oceanic crust there is being forced beneath the North American Plate along 680 miles of the coastline between Mendocino in northern California and Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Subduction zones are capable of generating the largest earthquakes on Earth, including the 2004 magnitude 9.2 in Sumatra that caused the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami.

"Scientists were able to pinpoint the precise date of the 1700 earthquake using tree rings in ghost forests along the coast...."

There's another large graphic with the article, showing how the wave was spreading across the Pacific.

The article quotes (in translation, happily) Japanese records of the 6-foot waves that flooded fields, caused loss of life and fires, and sank tons of rice in a shipping accident.

The Wired article should be a wake-up call for city governments from about Washington State northwards.

"...The Cascadia Subduction Zone is still active and will generate more major earthquakes in the future. Scientists have found that at least seven earthquakes around magnitude 9 have occurred over the last 3,500 years, an average of one every 500 years. But recent research has shown that many magnitude 8 quakes have shaken the area in the intervening years, bringing the average time between quakes down to 270 years...."

There hasn't been a major quake in that area for the last 300 years. Buildings in cities like Portland aren't necessarily designed to stand a major jolt. It's not hopeless: buildings can be retrofitted. But the time to do it is before the next 9.0 quake hits.

And now, a not-entirely-unrelated post:

• "Haiti: About the Earthquake, Relief, and Related Topics"

Why Don't We Hear More About Tree Shrews? And Sozzled Raccoons?

"Tupaia tana"
Brookfield Zoo

"A Case of Mistaken Identity

"They're not squirrels
"Tree shrews are small mammals that live part of their lives in trees in the tropical forests of southeast Asia. Their legs are short, with padded feet and long claws for gripping branches. They have a long, pointy snout, and a great sense of smell. Tree shrews have small, elongated bodies and big bushy tails---just like squirrels. With their similarities, you might think that trees shrews and squirrels are closely related, but they aren't.

"They aren't really shrews, either
"Tree shrews got their name from English sailors exploring southeast Asia, way back in 1780. To the sailors, these long-nosed creatures reminded them of shrews back home. ..."

And, according to the Brookfield Zoo, they aren't primates either.

Yes, some sorts of tree shrews live (mostly) in trees. And, back in the 1920s somebody said they were primates. I ran into the 'tree shrews are primates' assertion while researching this post. (Tree Shrews as Primates)

I'm inclined to think that Brookfield Zoo is on the right track: Tree shrews aren't squirrels; they're not shrews; they're not primates either. They're tree shrews - a separate group.

Works for me.

They're a bit on the small side: roughly eight and a half inches plus six and a half inches of tail; weighing a bit under eight ounces.

And, they can hold their liquor better than we can, weight-for-weight:

"The shrew that can drink 'nine glasses of wine' and not get drunk"
Science & Tech, Mail Online (July 29, 2008)

"It weighs no more than a golf ball and could curl up in the palm of your hand.

"But the pen-tailed tree shrew can drink most humans under the table.

"The tiny creature has a formidable capacity for alcohol, showing no signs of drunkenness despite spending its nights gorging on alcohol-rich nectar...."

The pen-tailed tree shrew looks like something you might see after a six-pack or three - but it's a very real critter that lives in part of Malaysia.

The Mail Online article explains the utility of that particular tree shrew's relative immunity to alcohol:

"...Each flower bud is a miniature brewery, containing a yeast that turns the nectar into a frothy beverage with an alcohol content of up to 3.8 per cent - similar to many beers.

The researchers, writing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, say animals just like the shrew were our direct ancestors - so the human taste for alcohol could have its roots deep in evolution."

Really deep, if Brookfield Zoo (and a whole lot of other serious researchers) are right: Looks like whoever wrote the Mail Online article was of the 'tree shrews are primates' persuasion.

Actually, quite a few mammals like alcohol. Beer, anyway.

A case in point:

"Raccoon Drinking Beer"

paulrichter74, YouTube (June 13, 2009)
video, 0:41

"Taken on our Holidays at Rondeau Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada "

H1N1 in Canadian Turkey Flock: The System's Working

The headline is scary:

"H1N1 flu strain found in Canadian turkey flock"
Reuters India (October 21, 2009)

"Turkeys in the Canadian province of Ontario have become infected with the H1N1 flu virus, but no birds or eggs from the farm entered the food supply, provincial government officials said on Tuesday.

"The infection poses minimal risk to human health, Dr. Arlene King, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, said in a news conference in Toronto.

"However, she noted the discovery highlights the need for those who work with farm animals to be vaccinated for both seasonal flu and the pandemic H1N1 flu strain...."

Looks like Canadian Turkey farms work about the same way their counterparts here in central Minnesota do: with health safeguards that stop short of armed guards, razor-wire fences and killer robots - but not by much.

Of course around here, when we see a sign at the gate that says something like "disease-controlled area: no entry without authorization," we figure that we aren't supposed to go in unless we've got some well-defined reason - and the permission of the owner.

And, we don't go in.

One thing I'll say for the "oppressive" atmosphere of small town America and how it "stifles" people: folks who have grown up in places like this seem to generally have the good sense to pay attention when a neighbor makes it clear that a certain area is really, seriously, off-limits.

But, like everywhere else, there are the occasional jerks and fools.

Back to those diseased turkeys.

From what the article said, it looks like the Canadian system did what it's supposed to: caught a disease outbreak before it hit the food supply.

And, followed up on people who had contact with the birds.

About the turkeys:

"...The turkeys' owner has voluntarily agreed to quarantine the infected birds, but they aren't likely to be prematurely slaughtered, said Dr. Deb Stark, Ontario's chief veterinarian...."

List of posts relating to Swine flu 2009; and list of background resources:

• "Swine Flu 2009"
  • "Swine flu 2009 posts"
  • "Background and more information"
  • "WHO Alert Phases"
  • " 'Public Health Emergency' - What's That Mean? "

Roadside Statues of North America: Somebody's Top-21 List

"21 Roadside Statues"
Eric Peterson, HowStuffWorks.com

"Without a doubt the most prevalent form of roadside kitsch, the larger-than-life statue takes a familiar image and presents it in an entirely new context.

"Maybe it's a fish out of water. Or a corporate mascot finally free from the label on a can of beans. Or it might be a city's favorite son or daughter, molded in concrete to forever remind people of the local link to greatness.

"There is something at once disconcerting and reassuring about colossal statues near the highway. Like guardians of this strange land you're speeding through, they watch and protect. It's nearly impossible to escape the stare of someone who looms 100 feet over a city...."

The list goes from the Hobo Joe Statue in Buckeye, Arizona (#21) to Turtleford, Saskatchewan's, Ernie the Turtle; by way of the Jimmy Carter Peanut Sculpture in Plains, Georgia (#17). You can't make this sort of thing up.

If you think there are a disproportionate number of Minnesota roadside sculptures in the list, there's a reason: the state of Minnesota is famous (or notorious, depending on your point of view) for having an abundance of these cultural icons.

The list isn't exhaustive, and the ranking (in my opinion) subjective - but it's a fun read, with a photo for every statue.

Have fun.

Never Heard of the Dunseith Turtle? Now You Have!

Turtle Mountain Tourism Association

" Welcome to the Turtle Mountain region, the four seasons playground of North Dakota and Manitoba! The Turtle Mountain Tourism Association is an organization dedicated to promoting the beauty, fun, and excitement of the Turtle Mountains. Northern North Dakota and southern Manitoba's best-kept secret, these hills and the surrounding area truly offer something for everyone.

"Come join us on the journey across Scenic Byway 43--North Dakota's highway of mystery and adventure, of beauty and peace. Stretching through Rolette and Bottineau Counties, this road will guide you and your family through charming towns, friendly people, and some of the most breathtaking views in the North Dakota/Manitoba region...."

You may have heard of the International Peace Garden, on the United States-Canada border. You probably haven't heard of the turtle of Dunseith, North Dakota.

Dunseith, in addition to being the only town of that name in the United States (there are quite a few 'Rockfords' for example), is home to a huge turtle - made out of truck wheels hubs. It's next to Dale's Truck Stop, on the south side of town. "You can't miss it."

My family and I lived in Dunseith during the eighties: it's a town south of the Peace Garden, just south of the Turtle Mountains themselves.

"Mountains" and "Hills" are comparative terms. I grew up in the Red River Valley of the North - some of the flattest land on Earth. There, a rise of land amounting to five feet in a mile might be called a "ridge." Most of North Dakota isn't particularly hilly, so the Turtle Mountains - a whacking great gravel and sand, with a little soil on top, left by the last glaciers - stick out like, well, mountains.

They're really not that tall. On the other hand, there are some really nice-looking views in them.

Wendy: a Canine Conan

"Bully Whippet: Double-Muscle."
DogForum.org (March, 2007)

"Many of you may remember an earlier report we covered about the amazing toddler, Liam Hoekstra, with superstrength and superspeed. Just like the buff combination of Superman and his best friend Krypto...."

This is a quite short post about Wendy, a bully Whippet with a mutation called myostatin related muscle hypertrophy. For everyday use, it's called double-muscle.

There's quite a bit of information, with six photos (not all of Wendy), a mention of some ethical questions about this mutation and dog breeding, and links to more detailed discussions of the mutation.

Like an earlier post today, this one started out with my second-oldest daughter seeing part of a documentary. I gather that she and her husband-to-be had been watching something on Animal Planet. He left, and she left the television turned on.

According to her, Wendy - although she may be fast, as the post says these dogs are - isn't particularly maneuverable. Looking like a canine Conan the Barbarian, I'm not surprised.

On the other hand, the double-muscled Whippet seems to be comfortable.

Squirrel Photobomber: Scene Stealer Charms Vacationers

"Squirrel Photobomber Steals the Scene"
Kelly Reeves, Urlesque, (August 10, 2009)

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce the greatest photo on the internet.... the squirrel photobomb.

"Melissa Brandts and her husband stopped to take a photo using their camera's self-timer while vacationing in Canada. Intrigued by the sounds of the camera, a curious ground squirrel came over to check things out and...."

Looks like this squirrel (gopher?) has made the big time - he's making (virtual, surely) appearances 'everywhere.' That thumbnail leads to one of the better accidental photos I've seen. And, among the cutest.

"Photobomber" is a relatively new term for me - which in itself is nothing new, since I was born during the Truman administration. This squirrel (gopher? I'm not all that sure about rodents) popped up at the right place - at just about exactly the right time.

Mostly, this post shows a cute photo - and illustrates that, if you take enough photos, one of them will turn out special.

It helps to have the lens cap off, things in focus, and batteries in the camera, of course. I remember when it was 'film in the camera.'

This is a seriously cute post. But, a bit of a disclaimer, since I never know what sort of tastes visitors to this blog may have. Some of the 'related posts' that the squirrel photobomber links to are - in my opinion - funny, but now quite as downright cute as this one. That said:

Enjoy!

July Fourth, American Independence Day: Fireworks, Barbecue and a Freedom Swim

"Chill, grill and thrill this Independence Day weekend"
Herald Tribune (Sarasota, Florida) (July 3, 2009)

"America turns 233 years old Saturday.

"And that means it's time to get ready for family gatherings, barbecues, parades and fireworks.

"With everyone looking for cheap thrills, Independence Day offers a brief reprieve from all the talk about the economy, unemployment and bailouts.

"The holiday also offers plenty of inexpensive family-friendly activities, especially along the Gulf Coast, where passionate displays of patriotism are tradition.

"Here's a list of Fourth of July activities that won't strain your wallet, to help you commemorate our country's independence:..."

I likes that phrases, "won't strain your wallet," and the word "inexpensive family-friendly activities," but then I've got a teenage son and daughter, another daughter who's back for the summer because this makes a good base of operations for her job, and yet another daughter back because she's preparing for her wedding.

"Inexpensive" takes on a special glow under those circumstances.

This article, although an excellent summary of events, lost a bit of its luster when I found that it focused on specific activities and events in the Sarasota, Florida, area.

Leading with "Sarasota Reds Baseball & Fireworks Night" and a "...Parade of Boats", it went on to touch on the virtues of an all-you-can-eat restaurant, a 5k run, and something called the "Freedom Swim". And, of course, several Fourth of July parades and celebrations, and a July Fourth block party.

There's quite a bit more, all about Sarasota area celebrations. A fine resource for folks living there, and a sort of inspiration for others in America: showing what to look for in their own area.

The U.S. Census Bureau has something of more general interest for Americans:

"The Fourth of July 2008"
Facts for features, U.S. Census Bureau (May 5, 2008)

The year-old press release says that there were around 2,500,000 Americans in 1776, and about 304,000,000 in 2008. And upwards of 74,000,000 of us had been at a barbecue during the previous year. That's a bit more than 24 percent: almost one in four.

And, as the Census Bureau said, "It's probably safe to assume a lot of these events took place on Independence Day."

Barbecues on July Fourth have become something of an American tradition. But even without the grills, many Americans pay special attention to Independence Day.

"Fourth of July goes global"
CNN (July 3, 2009)

"Hot dogs? Check. Fireworks? Check. Big Ben? Wait a minute...

"There may not be international landmarks at your neighbor's Fourth of July barbecue, but for Americans living abroad, they're the perfect backdrop when celebrating independence.

"To global Yanks, it's just as important -- if not more so -- to throw an Independence Day party that feels just like home.

"From Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Rome, Italy, Fourth of July soirees are happening on Saturday in nearly every corner of the world...."

Wednesday, July 1, was Canada Day, and Canadians celebrate with, among other things, fireworks. Then, three days later, around 15,000 or 20,000 people show up for the Canada Dry Festival of Fire: "an extensive fireworks display". (More at Canada Dry Festival of Fire, ontarioplace.com)

Across the Atlantic, American Independence Day celebrations happen in London and Rome. Australia sees celebrations of the Forth, too: but it's winter there, this time of year.

There's more in the article about America's Independence Day as celebrated in other places. By focusing on a handful of examples, it shows how Americans traveling through or staying in other countries celebrate July Fourth.

Swine Flu / Influenza A(H1N1) - Pork is Safe, the Pigs Aren't

Pigs on a farm in Alberta, Canada, have influenza A(H1N1). Odds are, they caught it from the farmer, who had been in Mexico recently. (CNN)

Apparently, though, Canadian authorities have quarantined the pigs - not started slaughtering a significant source of revenue, like Egypt did. (May 1, 2009, post)

Looks like this influenza A(H1N1) could be called "human flu" from the pigs' point of view - since in this instance the odds are that the pigs caught it from a human.

Pork is Safe, Pigs Not So Much - WHO

I'll admit to a bias: I like pork, and I live in central Minnesota, where pork production is a significant part of the regional economy.

For that matter, this household gets a whiff of the manure pits if the wind's from the right direction when they're being turned.

My guess is that the people running WHO and a few other organizations don't live in quite so bucolic a setting: and they say that pork is okay to eat.

"Joint FAO/WHO/OIE/WTO Statement on influenza A(H1N1) and the safety of pork"

"In light of the spread of influenza A(H1N1), and the rising concerns about the possibility of this virus being found in pigs and the safety of pork and pork products, we stress that pork and pork products, handled in accordance with good hygienic practices recommended by the WHO, FAO, Codex Alimentarius Commission and the OIE, will not be a source of infection.

"To date there is no evidence that the virus is transmitted by food...."

They do point out that it's important for vets and doctors to cooperate, since pigs can catch influenza A(H1H1) from people and vice versa.

Pork, however, is safe to eat - providing that common-sense cleanliness standards are kept. And that's an alphabet soup bowl-full of international agencies' considered opinion.

More:

• "Confirmed cases of H1N1 virus now at 787, WHO says"
  CNN (May 3, 2009)
• "Joint FAO/WHO/OIE/WTO Statement on influenza A(H1N1) and the safety of pork"
  WHO (May 2, 2009)

List of posts relating to Swine flu 2009; and list of background resources:

• "Swine Flu 2009"
  • "Swine flu 2009 posts"
  • "Background and more information"
    Including links to
    • "1918 Influenza Timeline"
    • "The Influenza Pandemic of 1918"
  • "WHO Alert Phases"
  • " 'Public Health Emergency' - What's That Mean? "

Dr. Li's Cupola Formula, the Bond Market, and Wall Street's Meltdown

"Recipe for Disaster: The Formula That Killed Wall Street"
Wired (February 23, 2009)

"A year ago, it was hardly unthinkable that a math wizard like David X. Li might someday earn a Nobel Prize. After all, financial economists—even Wall Street quants—have received the Nobel in economics before, and Li's work on measuring risk has had more impact, more quickly, than previous Nobel Prize-winning contributions to the field...."

According to Wired magazine, quants are "brainy financial engineers" - and one of them, David X. Li, might have gotten a Nobel Prize - if the committee had acted a lot faster.

As it is, Dr. Li seems to be getting credit for bringing Wall Street to its knees.

I don't think that's entirely fair, but a brilliant piece of theoretical mathematics he created did help. Here it is:


(from Wired, used w/o permission)

David X. Li's Gaussian Copula Function: 'It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time'

"...It was a brilliant simplification of an intractable problem...."

Just one small problem: it was wrong.

But, investors and bankers loved it. Li's equation could be used to tell how risky a particular sort of investment was. Without spending a lot of time and effort, looking into underlying data.

And, best of all, it was accurate.

Usually. At first.

"...The damage was foreseeable and, in fact, foreseen. In 1998, before Li had even invented his copula function, Paul Wilmott wrote that 'the correlations between financial quantities are notoriously unstable.' Wilmott, a quantitative-finance consultant and lecturer, argued that no theory should be built on such unpredictable parameters. And he wasn't alone...."

"...As Li himself said of his own model: 'The most dangerous part is when people believe everything coming out of it.' "

Wired did what seems to be a good job of discussing what happened. If you're interested in the nuts-and-bolts end of economics, I suggest reading the whole article.

I Don't Blame Dr. Li

I think that it's unfair to blame Dr. Li for the meltdown we're watching on Wall Street. Wired is, I think, partly right in their article's title: "The Formula That Killed Wall Street."

I think Wired's third paragraph is spot-on, as far as it goes:

"...His [Dr. Li's] method was adopted by everybody from bond investors and Wall Street banks to ratings agencies and regulators. And it became so deeply entrenched—and was making people so much money—that warnings about its limitations were largely ignored...."

There's an old saying, "don't put all your eggs in one basket." Assuming that the Wired article is an accurate, and complete, look at the mess on Wall Street, it looks to me like over-reliance on one method, and letting greed overrule good sense, is what's creating so much exciting economic news.

I'm Taking This Personally

I live on Earth, and use money. That means that what happens in any of the major financial markets will affect me, sooner or later. And, what happened last year went 'way beyond New York City's Wall Street.

On the up side, I've got some wonderful motivation to make my online publishing business work.

Very Cool: Edmonton Meteor Bits Found on Frozen Pond

• "Scientists find fragments of 10-tonne space rock"
  CTV (November 28, 2008)
  • "University of Calgary researchers say they have found fragments from the 10-tonne space rock that caused a late-night light show near the Alberta-Saskatchewan border last week.
  • "In a written statement, planetary scientist Alan Hildebrand and graduate student Ellen Milley said they found meteorite fragments in a rural area near the border town of Lloydminster, Alta., late Thursday...."
• "Calgary researchers find meteorite bits near Lloydminster"
  The Windsor Star (November 28, 2008)
  • "LLOYDMINSTER, Sask - A University of Calgary student got the thrill of a lifetime when she found bits of meteorite from a fireball that lit up the sky over Alberta and Saskatchewan last week.
  • "Master's student Ellen Milley was travelling with meteorite expert Alan Hildebrand south of Lloydminster on Thursday afternoon when she noticed some dark bits on a small frozen pond.
  • "The first dark bit they investigated brought disappointment, as it turned out to be a leaf. But...."

Granted, it's not glowing green, or saying 'take me to your leader,' but that bit of gravel came from space - probably the the asteroid belt. Which makes it pretty special for scientists who study such things.

Particularly since we don't have regular cargo or passenger runs to that part of the solar system yet.


(from Grady Semmens, University of Calgary, via CTV, used without permission)
One chip of a ten-ton space rock. It's a lot cooler than it looks.

Background:

• "Edmonton Meteor on Video and in Scientists' Thoughts"
  (November 23, 2008)

How to Decompose a Plastic Bag

"Teen Decomposes Plastic Bag in Three Months"
Wired (May 23, 2008)

"Plastic takes thousands of years to decompose -- but 16-year-old science fair contestant Daniel Burd made it happen in just three months.

"The Waterloo, Ontario high school junior figured that something must make plastic degrade, even if it does take millennia, and that something was probably bacteria.

"(Hey, at between one-half and 90 percent of Earth's biomass, bacteria's a pretty safe bet for any biological mystery.)..."

Actually, it's a bit more than a guess. Mr. Burd isolated the bacteria involved: One's from the genus Pseudomonas, the other's from the genus Sphingomonas.

More:

"WCI student isolates microbe that lunches on plastic bags
The Record (May 22, 2008)

The article says that the teenager ground the plastic bags into powder, then used "household chemicals, yeast and tap water to create a solution that would encourage microbe growth. To that, he added the plastic powder and dirt...."

Wow. Sounds like a relatively cheap, and quite simple, process - Kudos.

Edmonton Meteor on Video and in Scientists' Thoughts

"Police dash cam of Meteor over Edmonton, Canada"
YouTube (November 20, 2008)
video (0:16)

"Police dash cam of Meteor over Edmonton, Canada. Filmed about 5:30pm Thursday November 20th 2008."

This bit of video shows an eight-second clip twice. Even with the way-below-studio-quality imagery, and no sound, it's spectacular.



There's more to the Edmonton meteor than a Canadian light show.

"Martin Beech, an associate professor of astronomy at the University of Regina, said meteorites are valuable to learning about the history of the solar system.

" 'Picking up a meteorite is almost equivalent to doing a space exploration mission between Mars and Jupiter,' he said."

Which is why scientists are looking for pieces of this thing. And, they're in a hurry; since after it snows, nobody's going to find the pieces until spring.

In the news:

• "Scientists Searching for Meteor That Lit Up Canadian Sky"
  FOXNews (November 23, 2008)
• "Witnesses: Large meteor streaks across Canada sky"
  Associated Press (November 22, 2008)
• "Massive fireball lights up night skies in Alberta, Saskatchewan."
  Calgary Herald (November 21, 2008)
• "Hundreds call in spectacular meteor sighting"
  Edmonton Sun (November 21, 2008)

---

Updated (November 29, 2008)

Pieces have been found:

• "November 29, 2008
  Very Cool: Edmonton Meteor Bits Found on Frozen Pond "
  (November 29, 2008)

Friday the 13th: The Official Website!

"Friday the 13th Port Dover, Ontario"

"The official Friday the 13th information website."

If you're anywhere near Port Dover, Ontario, this looks like fun.


View Larger Map