From Good:
The ongoing battle between medical marijuana advocates and law enforcement has begotten some tricky legality, which has lead to all sorts of uncertainty regarding growth and distribution, and, ultimately, prosecution (or non-prosecution) of distributors. Meanwhile, in places like Northern California?
From Monterey Bay Aquarium:
Brilliant and seemingly glowing, the bloodybelly comb jelly comes in different shades of red but always has a blood-red stomach. The sparkling display on the outside comes from light diffracting from tiny transparent, hair-like cilia. These beat continuously, propelling the jelly through the water.
This species has only recently come to the attention of scientists, thanks to images like this, supplied by the
As someone who lives close to the hills in Los Angeles, this has been a concern of mine ever since reading that “Maneaters of the Sierra Madre” chapter in Mike Davis’ excellent City of Quartz:
Two coyotes have attacked and killed a 19-year-old folk singer in Nova Scotia, eastern Canada, officials say. Taylor Mitchell, a promising musician from Toronto, died in hospital after the animals pounced as she hiked alone in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Walkers alerted park rangers after hearing her screams. The rangers shot one coyote, but were still searching for the second. Attacks by coyotes on humans are rare; they usually prey on deer and hares. Bleeding heavily from multiple bite wounds, the singer-songwriter was airlifted to a Halifax hospital, but died of her injuries on Wednesday morning, authorities said.
Via BBC News: Coyotes Kill Canadian Folk Singer
In the LA Times: Taylor Mitchell Dies After Coyote Attack While Hiking
Beautiful life-size flash banner of a blue whale brought to you by Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.
The ban on commercial whaling is one of the greatest conservation victories of all time. Before it came into effect in 1986, whaling had brought entire species to the brink of extinction. Today, shocking developments are threatening its existence.
Many governments represented at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) are poised to vote for a deal that will allow Japan to legally slaughter whales in its coastal waters in return for reductions in its so called ‘scientific’ whaling in Antarctica. This coastal whaling deal would not only mark the end of the ban on commercial whaling, but offers no guarantee of stopping ‘scientific’ whaling, and it does nothing to stop Norway and Iceland’s expanding hunts.
Meanwhile, South Korea has announced that it is ready to start whaling too and is looking to the IWC to tell it how many whales it can kill.
Life-size blue whale is here.
(via Testpiel.de)
Via the Telegraph:
In a high-tech country that grew rich selling cars and electronics, young farmers are standing up to reinvent the image of agriculture. Organic farming converts, rice-growing Tokyo fashionistas and other young green fingers have trickled back into rural Japan, where many farm towns have been slowly dying amid fast-greying Japan’s demographic crunch.
Japan, the world’s second-largest economy, now imports 60 per cent of its food, and many worry about future food security if climate change affects global food supplies or energy costs increase international grain prices.
No matter how big Japan’s economy is, no matter how much cash it stacks up, this country will soon be unable to buy so much food from overseas,” Yusuke Miyaji, 31, recently told a crowd of young farmers.
“I want to make a job in the primary sector cool, striking and profitable,” said Miyaji, dressed in overalls, to applause from his audience. “Kids should dream of becoming farmers, not baseball players!”
Miyaji, who comes from a pig farming family, has created a network called Kosegare, a word meaning “farmer’s son”, that has attracted more than 200 young farmers and supporters who share his sense of crisis.
Interesting video from Informationactivism.org, found via the excellent responsible-advertising blog Osocio.
10 tactics for turning information into action shows how rights advocates around the world have used the internet and digital technologies to create positive change. The 50 minute film will be launched at the Front Line Club in London, in December 2009 with a series of screenings worldwide. It is accompanied with a deck of cards featuring tools, tips and advice to help you plan your Info-activism action. The 10 Tactics project website will be launched in November.
Etsy seller lovedtodeath:
This is a OOAK piece of anthropomorphic taxidermy art. It is made with genuine taxidermy squirrel parts that have been professionally preserved. She is in a custom made wooden box with beautifully gold and red flocked Victorian decorated walls. She is clutching her golden heart (genuine preserved squirrel heart in 24K gold gilding), “Her Hearts Best Treasure”. Her dress is trimmed in fur and she is wearing a ruby heart pendant on a gold chain necklace. Atop her head is her rhinestone crown. On the wall hangs a framed painting of her beloved family. The floor is rich black velvet and the ceiling is painted gold with black Victorian accents.
Squirrel Queen Victoria can be yours for $495.00.
A Russian armoured-car builder is boasting that its latest vehicle has seats covered with ?
A marine survey team off the north Wales coast discovered dolphins, playing ‘football’ with jellyfish lying on the water’s surface.
The bottlenose dolphins were spotted tossing the jellyfish off Tremadog Bay. Jonathan Easter, one of the team said the “incredible images…present more questions than answers!”
Gorgeous images from California Carnivores. According to their website it is the ?