Pic at link.
An animal expert in Italy is claiming to have found proof of the existence of unicorns after he stumbled upon a young roe deer with a single horn growing from the centre of its forehead. The 10-month old animal is part of a herd of deer that are otherwise equipped with two antlers at the Prato natural science centre in Tuscany.
''It's proof that the mythical unicorn celebrated in iconography and legends was probably not just a fantastic creature but a real animal: a deer or other species with an anomaly similar to that of our deer,'' said the centre's director Gilberto Tozzi.
Unicorns have been a fixture in mythology and art since pre-Roman times, often said to be solitary creature unless accompanied by a maiden, with horns that can be used to cure poisonings. Christian writers promoted unicorns as symbols of Christ.
Marco Polo claimed to have spotted a unicorn on his travels, but from his description of an "ugly" animal wallowing in mud, it is believed he had stumbled upon a rhino.
Tozzi said his "unicorn" was shy. "Our little freak deer may be aware that he is different as he doesn't allow himself to be seem very easily," he said. "Don't look at me!"
The mother of the unusual deer was brought to the centre a few years ago after being hit and injured by a car in Italy's Apennine mountains.
#2
The ark started moving, it drifted with the tide
The unicorns looked up from the rocks and they cried
And the waters came down and sort of floated them away
That's why you never see unicorns to this very day
You'll see green alligators and long-necked geese
Some humpty-backed camels and some chimpanzees
Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you're born
You're never gonna see no unicorns
Posted by: Mike ||
06/12/2008 14:12 Comments ||
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#3
I note his mother was injured, doesn't say if injured during pregnancy or not.
Could account for this as a birth defect.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
06/12/2008 14:14 Comments ||
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Will the Clydesdales be replaced by Belgian Draft Horses?
Belgian-Brazilian brewing giant InBev wooed Anheuser-Busch on Thursday, vowing to respect its St. Louis heritage and not close any US breweries if it accepts a 46-billion-dollar (30-billion-euro) takeover bid. InBev, which already owns leading brands such as Stella Artois, Beck's, Leffe and Brahma, offered 65 dollars a share for Anheuser-Busch on Wednesday, seeking to build an unrivalled global brewer.
Even though the St. Louis, Missouri-based company said it would "review the merits" of the takeover, InBev faces stiff opposition from local politicians and beer lovers, who were quick to attack the takeover.
SABMiller, the world�s largest brewing company (unless and until InBev manages to buy Anheuser-Busch), announced it would buy Russian brewer Vladpivo, located in Russia�s growing Far East in Vladivostok. It�s not much of a deal money-wise (the price is undisclosed, the assets of the company seem to be under $70 million). The deal will be SABMiller�s third location in Russia, where SABMiller is the leader (with Russian brands like Zolotaya Bochka, Tri Bogatiria, and Moi Kaluga). After Carlsberg bought up control of the Russian Baltic brand, SABMiller management may have felt it had to get even bigger in Russia.
Meanwhile, the company is rolling out its Grolsch beer brand, purchased last year, in South Africa. It has also been spreading key brands like Grolsch, Pilsner Urquell, Miller Genuine Draft, and even Italy�s Peroni Nostro Azzuro across the globe as "premium" brands. In a world where it would seem that beer was at a saturation point, SABMiller saw an 11% growth in profits over the last year.
#3
I'm afraid Belgian draft hoses and Clydesdales would be much too "masculine" for the new French masters of Budweiser.
I mean, big, powerful symbols of American male masculinity? C'mon, that soooo 20th Century. The new French Budweiser must have a modern, neo-21st Century, metrosexual mascot as it's new symbol.
Perhaps the French Foreign Minister Vische Schwaz or whatever his name was is available?
#4
Oh great, another Muslim bombing target announced.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
06/12/2008 19:23 Comments ||
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#5
"We see the potential to take the Budweiser brand and develop it across our footprint"
Yeah, right. I don't drink beer, but I used to live in Western Europe. The EUros drinking Bud (as a beer, anyway) would be right up there alongside "cold day in hades."
"vowing to respect its St. Louis heritage and not close any US breweries for at least a month after the takeover"
There - fixed.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
06/12/2008 19:45 Comments ||
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#6
They'd have a hard time making it worse than it already is.
#1
If they want to be taken seriously they should develop an Orion launch platform, the old style one that used nuclear bomb blasts as propulsion. Make two flights. One to test that it works, and the second to life everything and their mother into orbit in one single shot.
A side benefit is using up some of the stockpile before it gets misplaced.
If neutron bombs are used the fallout and such might not even be that bad and if it is, well it's Russia so who will complain.
#2
Russia could do a lot better by planning a series of about 20 heavy-lift launches, each of which could carry a 100 ton modular or fuel payload into orbit.
Then a US manned mission could assemble the modules into an interplanetary "shuttle", an unmanned, reusable engine that would take other rockets to the Moon and Mars, and back.
The biggest advantages of doing this would be that spaceships launched from Earth would only need enough fuel to takeoff and land twice, not haul the fuel needed for the trip. This would mean that astronauts could carry much more provisions, water and oxygen.
Their missions could last much longer, and they could bring along materials to build infrastructure on the Moon and Mars.
KATHMANDU - Resigned to his fate, Nepal's deposed King Gyanendra left his pink pagoda-roofed palace for the last time on Wednesday, but vowed to stay in the country and work for its people. He swept out of the sprawling Narayanhiti complex in the heart of the capital in a black limousine, driving behind an armed police pick-up, past thousands of onlookers and hundreds of riot police.
Three hours earlier, the former monarch had calmly addressed his first-ever press conference, expressing his desire not to go into exile. "I would like to live in my Motherland and contribute in whatever way possible to the greater good of the country and peace in this land," he said.
Gyanendra will be allowed to continue his business interests, and is believed to have a substantial fortune in tea, tobacco and casinos.
At the press conference, he had seemed composed and often smiled. With the tips of his fingers pressed together, he said he accepted the assembly's verdict and had already handed over the diamond- and ruby-studded crown and a ceremonial sceptre.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/12/2008 00:00 ||
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Link ||
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Archaeologists in Jordan have unearthed what they claim is the world's first church, dating back almost 2,000 years, The Jordan Times reported on Tuesday. "We have uncovered what we believe to be the first church in the world, dating from 33 AD to 70 AD," the head of Jordan's Rihab Centre for Archaeological Studies, Abdul Qader al-Husan, said. The church, it turns out, was built right on top of Islam's 4,562,274th holiest site.
He said it was uncovered under Saint Georgeous Church, which itself dates back to 230 AD, in Rihab in northern Jordan near the Syrian border. "We have evidence to believe this church sheltered the early Christians -- the 70 disciples of Jesus Christ," Husan said.
These Christians, who are described in a mosaic as "the 70 beloved by God and Divine," are said to have fled persecution in Jerusalem and founded churches in northern Jordan, Husan added.
He cited historical sources which suggest they both lived and practised religious rituals in the underground church and only left it after Christianity was embraced by Roman rulers.
The bishop deputy of the Greek Orthodox archdiocese, Archimandrite Nektarious, described the discovery as an "important milestone for Christians all around the world."
Researchers recovered pottery dating back to between the 3rd and 7th centuries, which they say suggests these first Christians and their followers lived in the area until late Roman rule. Inside the cave there are several stone seats which are believed to have been for the clergy and a circular shaped area, thought to be the apse. There is also a deep tunnel which is believed to have led to a water source, the archaeologist added.
Rihab is home to a total of 30 churches and Jesus and the Virgin Mary are believed to have passed through the area, Husan said.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
