The octopus, called Paul by his handlers at the Aquarium Sea Life Centre in Oberhausen, predicted the outcome of all six of Germany's matches - including the 1-0 semi-final loss to Spain - by choosing to eat a morsel of food from boxes emblazoned with the flags of the German team and its rivals.
Four times he chose the Germans and they won; twice he plumped for their rivals - and they won too.
Now Spain's politicians are worried some German fans may take their "revenge" on the octopus for their team's exit.
"I am concerned for the octopus ... I am thinking of sending him a protective team," joked Spanish Prime Minister Jose Zapatero on Radio Cadena Ser.
His Environment and Fisheries Minister, Elena Espinosa, also suggested a moratorium on going after Paul.
"On Monday, I shall be at the European Council of Ministers and I shall be asking for a [fishing] ban on Paul the octopus so the Germans do not eat him!"
Some Germany fans have posted messages on internet forums suggesting that Paul's reward for his clairvoyant powers should be a meeting with the barbecue or the paella pot. One German journalist said after the semi-final that he had "a sudden desire to eat a bit of squid".
That struck a chord with Spanish fans and even ahead of the match Spanish Industry Minister Miguel Sebastian called for the creature to be given an "immediate" free transfer to Spain to "ensure his protection".
In something that sounds like a low-budget Hollywood horror movie, the Los Alamos Campground in the massive Angeles National Forest has been closed and will remain so for a lease eight days. This comes as wildlife officials investigate reports that a squirrel found in the area tested positive for the plague. Look, "journalist", there are things in life that don't involve movies. The fact that that's all you can think of speaks volumes about how ignorant you are.
The CDC has a page on the plague. I found it by googling 'Los Angeles bubonic plague'. On this page the CDC has the entire western half of the United States marked as a region where plague occurs in animals... and where 10-15 cases of plague are treated in humans every year. Of course, I'm merely a little suburban housewife rather than a trained journalist, so quite probably I'm not doing this background research thingy right.
The campground will remain closed while animal experts comb the forest and dust squirrel burrows with flea killer, as it is actually the insects that transmit the disease not the squirrels themselves.
Although a concern, public health officials from Los Angeles County said that there is no need for panic as their have only been four cases of the plague in humans in Los Angeles County in the last 25 years. None of those proved to be deadly.
The park itself will remain open and wildlife experts say visitors must avoid the burrows of animals such as squirrels and chipmunks and other rodents. They advise that visitors should also make sure to use plenty of insect repellent.
#3
One of the unofficial mottoes of New Mexico is 'Home of the flea, Land of the Plague'. Several local cases a year. It's endemic to the place. Outside of urban areas, wear long pants. Unfortunately neighboring states' medicos are not attune to the symptoms as the locals are. As a consequence they shuffle off dying patients to NM in a too late attempt to save them and the state gets stuck with the statistical death.
#4
The campground will remain closed while animal experts comb the forest and dust squirrel burrows with flea killer, as it is actually the insects that transmit the disease not the squirrels themselves.
Oh, and you don't kill the squirrels to start with because the fleas will then seek out other hosts immediately. Like humans. First you reduce the population of fleas, then the population of the tree rats.
#5
My Dad - the research biologist - told us years ago on our nature walks in the hills of SoCal around the edge of the Angeles National Forest, that we shouldn't go poking around in ground squirrel nests because of this danger ... so I am having trouble figuring out why this is news all of a sudden. Have they already dialed up the panic on every other possible way to scare the ever-loving c**p out of the audience and have to fall back on this?
#6
Have they already dialed up the panic on every other possible way to scare the ever-loving c**p out of the audience
Yup, you just described the MSM in a nutshell.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
07/08/2010 9:20 Comments ||
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Good point Mom, but the only person who seems to be scared is the journalist ...
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/08/2010 9:22 Comments ||
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I suspect the local health authorities have a pattern of screening for plague among the local critters, then step up suppression efforts when an animal is noted to be positive. Since early treatment of a patient is critical for their survival, news like this is important to heighten suspicion among caregivers / diagnosticians to think of plague as a cause of sudden illness. Campers who may have been exposed to plague near LA may already be back home in Iowa or Vermont. Remember the postal worker in DC who died of anthrax even after he had diagnosed himself? His concerns were ignored by his caregiver(s) even though there was extensive media coverage of that issue.
#11
The campground will remain closed while animal experts comb the forest...
I have a cat. She is smart, but I am not sure that I can make her an expert in anything except her natural proclivity to scare meeces so that they consistently drop due to hearth attack.
Maybe using experts that are human may bring better result?
#12
If you ever come across an area of prairie dog or ground squirrel burrows with spider webs across the openings, get the hell out of there. That is generally your first indication that plague has spread through that population. The animals are dead in their burrows and fleas in the area are looking for new hosts.
This would include pretty much the entire western US including most of California.
#14
I have a cat. She is smart, but I am not sure that I can make her an expert in anything except her natural proclivity to scare meeces so that they consistently drop due to hearth attack
I had a cat who wouldn't kill them.
She'd bring them to me, guess she thought I was her Very Big Baby Kitten, she'd also "Fetch" only cat I ever heard of who would.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
07/08/2010 12:44 Comments ||
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#15
We could hire unemployed census workers to chase squirrels around the park with bags of 7-Dust.
That would get the economy going again!
#16
she'd also "Fetch" only cat I ever heard of who would.
My two cats would fetch, Redneck Jim. They quickly learnt that if they wanted me to throw things for them to chase, they had to bring them back to me. And yes, your cat probably did have moments of despair because you were so retarded about learning to hunt properly. ;-)
#18
Damn guys, I live in the Angeles National Forest, near Millard campground (a few miles away) and I didn't even know about this.
I guess it pays to read Rantburg!!
Posted by: Mike hunt ||
07/08/2010 21:55 Comments ||
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#19
"Californias governor and its Democrat-led Legislature are at odds over how to close a $19.1 billion deficit for the fiscal year that began July 1st - oh look, a squirrel!"
MEXICO CITY -- The Cuban government will free 52 political prisoners, Catholic officials in Havana said Wednesday, the largest release of captive dissidents in decades. The scheduled release of those arrested in a March 2003 crackdown against pro-democracy activists on the island was brokered by the country's archbishop, Cardinal Jaime Ortega, with help from visiting Spanish diplomats.
Ortega met this week with Cuban President Raúl Castro, brother of the country's ailing dictator.
The Cuban government had nothing to say about the release, and human rights activists were cautious in their response to the church's announcement.
"This is significant, and good news, from the point of view of the prisoners and their families," Elizardo Sanchez, head of the Cuban Commission for Human Rights, said by telephone from Havana. "But it is a political decision of the Cuban government, taken for short-term political motives, to have an immediate effect overseas, not in Cuba itself." look for Hillary or Obama to imply they should get the credit for this-- even though it clearly catches them by surprise
Posted by: lord garth ||
07/08/2010 08:30 ||
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#1
This may actually be the time to consider ending the Embargo.
#1
A Paris court has convicted aging former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega of laundering drug money in France and ordered him to spend seven years behind bars - a decision that left friends and foes worried he might die in a prison far from home.
I think that's the whole idea.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
07/08/2010 10:27 Comments ||
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#2
Convicted outside of the US. In France. Laundering drug money.
Awaiting the apology of all the teachers I had at the time who would sneer, "Just Cuz", as part of the teaching curriculum. Oh not to me, to the brave men and women of the mission, some of whom never came back.
H/T The Holy Blogfaddah
Youd think the well-heeled and enlightened eggheads at the Aspen Ideas Festival--which is running all week in this fashionable resort town with heady panel discussions and earnest disquisitions involving all manner of deep thinkers and do-gooders--would be receptive to an intellectually ambitious president with big ideas of his own.
In a way, the folks attending this cerebral conclave pairing the Aspen Institute think tank with the Atlantic Monthly magazine might even be seen as President Obamas natural base.
Apparently not so much. If Bambi's losing THIS crowd, he is well and truly toast.
"If youre asking if the United States is about to become a socialist state, Id say its actually about to become a European state, with the expansiveness of the welfare system and the progressive tax system like what weve already experienced in Western Europe," Harvard business and history professor Niall Ferguson , who's nobody's idea of a conservative Trunk,
declared during Mondays kickoff session, offering a withering critique of Obamas economic policies, which he claimed were encouraging laziness.
"The curse of longterm unemployment is that if you pay people to do nothing, theyll find themselves doing nothing for very long periods of time," Ferguson said. "Long-term unemployment is at an all-time high in the United States, and it is a direct consequence of a misconceived public policy."
"We are, without question, in a period of decline, particularly in the business world," Zuckerman said (that'd be Mort Zuckerman, NYC real estate zillionairre and also nobody's idea of a conservative Trunk).
"The real problem we have...are some of the worst economic policies in place today that, in my judgment, go directly against the long-term interests of this country." as Rantburgers have been saying ever since this nest of mooks, fixers, thugs, crackpots, bagmen and faculty-lounge Bolsheviks took office
Ferguson called for what he called "radical" measures. "I cant emphasize strongly enough the need for radical fiscal reform to restore the incentives for work and remove the incentives for idleness." RTWT, as the wise man said. Co-starring Barbra Streisand and James (Mr. Barbra) Brolin in a jaw-dropping scene.
Posted by: Ricky vin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) ||
07/08/2010 11:51 ||
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Who did these clowns support?
What did they think they were going to get?
Who or what do they support now?
Attention is focused on the federal government's decision to challenge Arizona's strict anti-immigration law, but three other states could pass similar legislation next year. Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah have each taken steps against illegal immigration, and politicians in the three states are advocating further measures when their legislatures reconvene early next year.
The Obama administration sued Arizona in federal court Tuesday, charging that the state law usurps federal authority, would hamper immigration enforcement and would lead to police harassment of those without proof of lawful status.
Lawmakers in at least 17 states drew up bills this year similar to Arizona's law, which allows officers to question anyone they suspect of being in the county illegally. But most of those measures are not considered likely to be adopted by state legislatures or signed by governors.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
07/08/2010 00:00 ||
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In an fascinating development for Sarah Palin fans, readers of People magazine, and people who think it's best to believe a woman when she claims the infant she's carrying is her biological child, Levi Johnston has publicly apologized to the Palin family for lying about them. Johnston tells People magazine that he "publicly said things about the Palins that were not completely true."
"Last year, after Bristol and I broke up, I was unhappy and a little angry. Unfortunately, against my better judgment, I publicly said things about the Palins that were not completely true," he tells PEOPLE exclusively. "I have already privately apologized to Todd and Sarah. Since my statements were public, I owe it to the Palins to publicly apologize."
Bristol added her own statement Tuesday saying, "Part of co-parenting is creating healthy and honest relationships between the parents. Tripp one day needs to know the truth and needs to know that even if a mistake is made the honorable thing to do is to own up to it."
Posted by: Fred ||
07/08/2010 00:00 ||
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Buck up Levi. Andrew Sullivan will always love you long time.
Posted by: ed ||
07/08/2010 0:25 Comments ||
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I look forward to the Federline - Johnston bout on a resurrected Celebrity Boxing...
Several readers have sent word that today NASA launched Moonbase Alpha, an online game with single- and multi-player capability that "allows participants to step into the role of an exploration team member in a futuristic 3-D lunar settlement." The game is available now through Steam for free. Moonbase Alpha was built as a precursor to an upcoming NASA MMO called Astronaut: Moon, Mars & Beyond, and they hope it will be "a proof of concept to show how NASA content can be combined with a cutting-edge game engine to inspire, engage and educate students about agency technologies, job opportunities and the future of space exploration."
Posted by: Fred ||
07/08/2010 00:00 ||
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Eleven years behind schedule, of course.
Posted by: Eric Jablow ||
07/08/2010 0:26 Comments ||
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One could wish, however, that Gary Gygax would have been alive to see it. Metamorphosis Alpha, cough, cough.
Posted by: Eric Jablow ||
07/08/2010 0:27 Comments ||
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#3
to show how NASA content can be combined with a cutting-edge game engine to blow the moon out of earth orbit.
Explain that one to the muzzies, Chief Bolden.
Posted by: ed ||
07/08/2010 0:28 Comments ||
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#4
IIRC PAKISTANI DEFENCE FORUM > IFF CHINA BUILDS A LUNAR BASE FIRST BEFORE THE US [etal], WILL PART(S) OF THE MOON BELONG TO CHINA?
2013 Solar Flares, Nicholas Cage Sci-Fi movies, + OWG Comet Apophis lunar impact? notwithstanding.
Posted by: Matt ||
07/08/2010 9:00 Comments ||
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#6
If they wanted to see some space enthusiasm, someone could lay down a couple of million dollars for Caterpillar Corp to design a Lunar tunneling robot system.
Off season, Caterpillar has a huge number of engineers that just sit on their hands, who would jump at the opportunity for a cool design program like this.
The system would have to be modular, and in small enough modules to be carried up individually by a heavy lift cargo rocket and assembled in space. The eventual system would have to be nuclear powered.
Eventually, a Lunar spaceship would be launched from Earth, load up the Lunar lander with robots on board, and head on a one way trip to the Moon.
Every part of the ship would be recycled into the tunnel habitat, especially the pressure doors.
So after a year or two, astronauts could travel to the Moon with far more supplies and equipment, and arrive at a permanent base, fully powered with the nuclear reactor.
The real breakthrough will be the 3 directional axis appendage which will keep the head pointed toward Mecca during transit.
Look at the bright side. A person who believes the lunar landings and the hollywood conspiracy person used to sit down all day long and not convince the other. Now they can both agree that any future landings will be artificial.
Raytheon Company received a $368 million, three-year, contract from the U.S. Navy to manufacture Standard Missile-6 ("SM-6") systems.
The contract includes the production of missiles, spare parts, and system and design engineering efforts, to meet the requirements of the U.S. Navy.
SM-6 is capable of providing over-the-horizon air defense and takes full advantage of the kinematics available to the Standard Missile family, allowing the use of both active and semi-active modes and advanced fuzing techniques. The missile is designed to help ships protect themselves against various aircraft, including unmanned aerial vehicles and anti-ship missiles.
Raytheon stated that SM-6 is undergoing development testing presently and will go for operational testing in fiscal year 2011, with initial operational start-up by March 2011. The company plans to begin the delivery of the extended-range, anti-aircraft missiles in early 2011.
Going forward, the companys focus on Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance ("ISR") unmanned systems, training, cyber security, Standard Missile-6, Patriot, Zumwalt and THAAD is expected to fuel growth.
#3
meh...submarines are the future. there is no way ships can defend from the huge amount of missiles and guided projectiles that came from land.
Ummm, don't subs face the same problem?
I understand that to a satellite the oceans are as transparent as Glass, so hiding Beneath the surface is No longer possible.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
07/08/2010 10:36 Comments ||
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#4
With the oceans not the hiding place they used to be, against advanced enemies, the real key now is going to be point defense, not stealth. Being able to shoot down the vast majority of whatever is incoming is going to be the real need.
The fact we are finally starting to get useful weapons grade lasers might be key for this. For subs though, they're ability to mount point defense is limited.
#5
Instead of one big target, we need tons of little ones that each need a missile to destroy. One Sunburn = one dead carrier. We need a swarm navy instead. Of course, it'll never happen.
#6
Subs or surface ships, I don't know. I think the current biggest threat, as has been pointed out are saturation attacks and the supercavitating torpedo. Near as I know, Russia and China have them. I could easily imagine China using saturation tactics. They've been working on tactics to counter the US tech edge for some years now.
[Straits Times] A FUGITIVE marine captain, who led two attempts to oust former Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, has given himself up, a spokesman for the Philippine Navy said on Wednesday.
Nicanor Faeldon, who had been in hiding since November 2007, arrived at the headquarters of the Marine Corps on Wednesday, navy spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Edgard Arevalo, told reporters.
Faeldon's lawyer confirmed the surrender, saying the fugitive coup leader was hoping for a just and fair trial under a legitimate government.
'He was not captured,' Trixie Angeles told reporters. 'He voluntarily returned to his camp. This has been planned long ago because he wanted himself to be under the jurisdiction of a duly elected president.'
Faeldon was first implicated in the takeover of high-rise apartments at the heart of Manila's financial district in July 2003, when 300 junior officers staged a mutiny demanding the resignation of then president Mrs Arroyo over corruption charges.
He escaped from military detention in December 2005, but was captured a month later. He escaped a second time after a handful of soldiers occupied a luxury hotel in Manila's financial district in November 2007.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/08/2010 00:00 ||
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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.
In an fascinating development for Sarah Palin fans, readers of People magazine, and people who think it's best to believe a woman when she claims the infant she's carrying is her biological child, Levi Johnston has publicly apologized to the Palin family for lying about them. Johnston tells People magazine that he "publicly said things about the Palins that were not completely true."
