Sergeant Stubby : the only dog to be a sergeant

Sergeant Stubby was the first war dog used by the United States in World War I. He is noted as being the only dog to be promoted to sergeant through combat. It is unknown exactly when Sergeant Stubby was born, but he was a Pit bull breed. In 1916 or 1917, Stubby showed up at Yale Field in New Haven, Connecticut, while a group of soldiers were training. He made friends with Corporal Robert Conroy and when Conroy was deployed to fight in France, Stubby went along. Once in France, Sergeant Stubby was used for a wide range of military tasks.

He served with the 102nd Infantry in the trenches of France for 18 months. Stubby participated in four offensives and 17 battles. He was able to detect sound and smell from an incredible distance, so Stubby was used to warn soldiers of incoming mustard gas and artillery attacks. On many occasions, he saved the life of multiple men. Stubby was also able to locate and comfort wounded soldiers who were separated from the group and located in no man’s land. On one occasions, he was solely responsible for capturing a German spy in the Argonne.

Sergeant Stubby was the most famous U.S. dog used during World War I. In 1918, his exploits were front page news in every major newspaper in the United States. Stubby was wounded on several occasions during the conflict, but survived. After the war, he was smuggled back to the United States and became a celebrity. Sergeant Stubby marched in parades, met U.S. Presidents, and was named the official mascot of the Georgetown Hoyas’. He was also made a life member of the American Legion, the Red Cross, and the YMCA. In 1926, Stubby died at the age of 9 or 10. His body was stuffed and put on display at The Price of Freedom: Americans at War exhibit at the Smithsonian.

Source : http://listverse.com/2012/08/08/top-20-world-famous-animals/

ALTERNATE VERSION OF TORTOISE AND HARE

Lord Dunsany, an Irish dramatist, fantasist, and satirist, had his own adaptation of the story called “The True Story of the Hare and the Tortoise,” published in his Fifty-One Tales in 1915. In it, the hare is at the outset very unwilling to race while it is the tortoise who exhibits all of the confidence in victory. The hare only agrees to do it because all the other animals are on the verge of starting a war over the question of which is faster. Midway though the race, the hare, with an enormous lead, decides the contest is pointless and quits, allowing the tortoise to win.

When the other animals determine the tortoise to be the champion, it is only to their downfall as they later send him to retrieve help for a forest fire in the belief that he’s the fastest animal. This interpretation, while keeping the outcome the same, reverses the two roles. The hare now appears as the more dignified figure as he refuses to plainly defeat a vastly inferior opponent, and it seems as though he falls asleep out of pure disinterest as opposed to stupidity. The other animals thus become the oblivious and unwise ones, to their unfortunate demise.

Wow...an alternate version that very nice....

AFTER THE FLOOD - PHOTO GALLERY

Taken today at noon...

From full mud motorcycle to the orange tent of Emergency Response Team, at Gunung Pangilun Padang City.

FLOOD AT PADANG CITY - WEST SUMATRA INDONESIA

Last night a big flood hits several place at Padang - the capital of West Sumatra Indonesia.

The flood is come from three river flow across the city. After three hours of hard rain, at 18.30 pm the water started heading to people houses.

Several bridges in the area of  Pauh, Gunung Pangilun and Lubuk Begalung are colapses and a lot of houses damaged. The area of Andalas University ( the biggest college in West Sumatra ) is also damaged.

One fisherman boat is reported being swept away to the sea and one house is Lubuk Begalung is also swept away.

The emergency response team already dispatched to the area soon after the flood begins. Together with the Red Cross, police and the army , they begin to help and evacuated the citizen from the area.

Several other picture about the flood :

Hope the distaster will end soon ....let's pray together

Tiger attack at Sumatera

Dear readers ;

Yesterday , a man named Cut Hasan ( 48 y.o ) died after being attack by Sumatera's Tiger ( Panthera Tigris Sumatera ). Hasan was a resident of Pucok Village Geumpang at city of Pidie Nangore Aceh Darusallam ( the western most tip of Sumatera island ).

This poor guy was on the way home at Lam Jreu Mountain Sloop from two days ago. Not arriving home, the fellow family search for him and found the dead body left by the tiger. All the meat and skin are no longer left. Only the bone and the full head that not eaten by the tiger.

This attack remind us about the same attack on 21st of March. When one Illegal Logging Crew named Damilus ( 25 y.o ) was attacked by tiger while sleeping in the hut inside the jungle of Barbak Jambi National Park. Damilus also found dead with terrible condition. Only 11 days before the attack, one anonymous man also being attacked by tiger in nearby Jambi area. Lucky for him, the fellow crews was be able to scared away the beast and he only had minor injuries.

Not only single victim, tiger attacks at Sumatera Island sometimes take multiple victims. Last year at 22 February , two man ( Ali 50 y.o and Deri 18 y.o ) killed at Lampung Province inside the River Gelang Ujung Pompa jungle. The third man manage to run away from the hut when the tiger attack and survive.

Many environmental analyst said that the attack happened when human are pushing their border line of life to enter the tigers habitat. Or lack of food that forced tigers to hunt more downhill that they used to.

A few tips to avoid the attack :

1. Avoid their habitat. Listen to locals about the tiger path or they customs.

2. Basically they are rarely attack people, unless they are too ill to hunt their normal preys.

3. Some tribe avoid the attack by wearing a face mask on the back of their heads. Tiger prefers to attack from behind and will think twice when they see the face.

One Fun fact from Wiki :

" Tiger are striped through and through. If you were to shave a tiger, and few ever have, you would see the stripes on the skin "

Fun stuff : Real Insect Candy

Dear blogger ;

Ant Candy ? Scorpion lollipops ? With real ant and scorpion ? Ok..you'll get one ( visit the bone room for more detail ). Awesome...

Fun stuff : Adorable animals around the globe...

Dear blogger ;

A few collection of adorable animals from listverse. Enjoy...

Fun Stuff : Mammatus Clouds

Dear blogger ;

A bizarre nature phenomena from Neatorama. Check the link here.

Work stuff : How long does it takes ?

Dear blogger ;

It takes up to 12 years for cigarette butts to biodegrade.

It takes 10 - 20 years for plastic bags to biodegrade.

It takes up to 100 years for styrofoam cups to biodegrade.

It takes 50 - 100 years for alumunium and tin cans to biodegrade.

It takes 450 years for soda cans plastic carriers to biodegrade.

It takes 500 - 800 years for diapers and sanitary pads to biodegrade.

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE is the best options.

Work stuff : Water Conservation at home...

Dear blogger ;

Conserve water save your water bills.
Water is earth's most precious and non-renewable resource.

A little fact at your home :

Each shower uses 80 - 220 liters of water.
Turning off the water while soaping & shampooing uses only 11,5 liters of water.
Every two minutes of less shower saves up to 38 liters of water.

Each toilet flush uses 6-27 liters of water.
Dual flush toilet saves up to 200 - 310 liters of water a day.
A leaking toilet wastes up to 340.000 liters of water a month.

Turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth saves up to 23 liters of water each day.
Dripping faucet wastes up to 76 liters of water a day.

Do your part .... please....

Fun stuff : Awesome animal facts from Wired.

Dear blogger ;

A little bit shocking facts from the animal world ( presented by Wired ) :

1. Giraffe birth canal. Mama giraffes stand up while giving birth, so baby's entry into the world is a 5-foot drop. Wheeee! Crack.

2. Shark-fetus teeth. A few shark species have live births (instead of laying eggs). The Jaws juniors grow teeth in the womb. The first sibling or two to mature sometimes eat their siblings in utero. Mmm ... siblings

3. Quadrupeds. Let's say you're a four-footed animal. Now let's say you get a wound on your back, or an itch, or a bug wandering up there. Tough luck, kid. You probably can't do much about it. Hope there's a low branch around.

See the full list at Wired. Enjoy....

Fun stuff : Another insect stuff....

Dear blogger ;

Two rotting bananas have sex on a lead ? No, this is Lixus angustatus ( Snout Bettle ) doing its marital ritual. A rare picture collected from the Webphemera blog. A nice sharing guys. Another close up picture are taken at Belgian by James K Lindsey.

Fun stuff : A spider Pizza from Okinawa

Dear blogger ;

Eight legs Pizza from Okinawa. Fresh from the Tokyomango blog. Enjoy...

Fun stuff : Penguins are turning to prostitution

Dear blogger ;

It its true that only human do prostitution ? Well it is not. I'm stumbled upon a news ages a decade ago from BBC regarding Penguins Prostituted.

Here is the full coverage :
Penguins are turning to prostitution. But instead of doing it for money, Antarctic dolly-birds are turning tricks to get rocks off their menfolk.

Stones are essential for penguins to build their nests. A shortage has led to the unorthodox tactics.

"Stones are the valuable currency in penguin terms," said Dr Fiona Hunter, a researcher in the Zoology Department at Cambridge University, who has spent five years observing the birds' mating patterns.

Prostitution is described as the world's oldest profession. But Dr Hunter is convinced it is the first time it has been seen in animals.

Penguin partners

All of the female penguins Dr Hunter observed trading sex for stones had partners.

Penguins stick to the same mate, she said, but none of the males twigged what was happening.

"There was no suspicion on the part of the males. Females quite often go off on their own to collect stones, so as far as the males are concerned there is no reason to suspect."

She added: "It tends to be females targeting single males, otherwise the partner female would beat the intruder up."

Dr Hunter and Dr Lloyd Davis of the University of Otago watched the penguins at work on Ross Island, about 800 miles from the South Pole as part of a Antarctica New Zealand programme.

Tricking their prey

On some occasions the prostitute penguins trick the males. They carry out the elaborate courtship ritual, which usually leads to mating.

Having bagged their stone, they would then run off.

"The courtship display is a head-bowing display," Dr Hunter said. "It usually starts with the male, who bows his head and looks out the corner of his eye."

She said she does not think the female penguins are doing it just for the stones.

"The female only takes one or two stones," she said. "It takes hundreds to build the nest to get their eggs off the ground.

"I think what they are doing is having copulation for another reason and just taking the stones as well. We don't know exactly why, but they are using the males."

She said the female penguins could also be testing potential future mates, in case their existing partner died before the next mating period.

The single male penguins appeared to have only their own pleasure as a motive.

The action takes place during a three-week mating period starting in late October.

The most stones Dr Hunter saw a single female taking was 62, although she said she suspects her final total was higher.

The number of prostitute penguins is quite low, she said.

"It's probably only a few percent," she said. "I was watching opportunistically, so I can't give an exact figure of how common it really is."

Other animals have been seen trading food for sexual favours but only within a partnership.

WOW....

Fun stuff : World Ocean Confrence

Dear blogger ;

Today the World Ocean Conference ( A meeting forum of head of states whose territories include marine areas a part of global ocean communities ) will be started at Manado ( North Sulawesi - Indonesia ).

This forum come from a several reasons including : global warming, pollution and over exploitation of marine resources all over the world ; the fact that ocean is an absolute resource for the future of human kind and to avoid Geo politic problem from ocean border.

This meeting goals is to carry out a meeting of head of states to discuss comprehensively sustainable management of marine, fishery and ocean biodiversity.

To prevent the spreading of swine flu, Sam Ratulangi Airport of Manado already equipped with standard preventing devices including the thermo scanner.

A total of 121 countries is invited but WOC secretarial officer Dr Deisy Mantiri said that probably only 65 % of invited countries will attend the meeting. That is not include delegation from the UN and other foreign NGO's. USA foreign minister Mrs Hillary Rodham Clinton will not attending the conference but will sent a text speech that will be addressed at this forum.

Let's hope this forum will help us all...

Fun stuff : Very Rare Pink Dolphin

Dear blogger ;

Two days ago a report came about very rare pink dolphin caught by camera. The location is the Lake Calcasieu north of Gulf of Mexico, and pictured by Captain Erick Rue ( a dolphin researcher ).
The pink colour probably an Albinism phenomena which is a genetic trait. Read the full report here.

As we know, the dolphins can live either in a salt or fresh water. Many pink dolphin spotted in the Amazon River South America is a fresh water species. Local name it " bufeo colorado "This species is different from the one at the Lake Calcasieu. The report of Amazonian Pink dolphins can be read here.

Pictures of the Lake Calcasieu dolphin and the Amazonian Pink Dolphin :

Fun stuff : Top 10 Scary ( Sounding ) Nature Destination

Dear blogger ;

According to official WWF website, this is a Top 10 Scary ( Sounding ) Destination around the world that worth to visit.

They may sound scary and forbidding but these natural destinations are home to rich biodiversity, rare species, cultural heritage and spectacular landscape.

More scary than their names are the threats they face - urban development, pollution, deforestation, overfishing, drought and global warming.

They are actually beautiful places that need to be protected and safeguarded for future generations to enjoy and explore.

The list are :

1. Black Sea
2. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
3. Dead Sea
4. Death Valley
5. Devil's Gorge
6. Dragon Mountains
7. Lake Erie
8. The Abyss, Mariana Trench
9. The Never Never
10. Transylvania

Interesting name and also more interesting to visit and taking care of.

Regards .

Work stuff : 200 years celebration of Charles Darwin

Dear blogger ;

Charles Robert Darwin is one of the most important scientists in the human history. The man who first described biological evolution via natural selection with scientific rigor and provide the enormous benefits that scientific knowledge, acquired through human curiosity and ingenuity, has contributed to the advancement of humanity.

For more than 20 years Darwin collected vast amounts of scientific data and pondered the issue of how animals and plants changed their morphology over long periods of time. In addition to establishing the science of evolutionary biology, Darwin was an accomplished geologist and had collected many fossils from various strata of rocks during his five-year voyage on the Beagle; as a result of this activity, he was aware of the vast age of the earth. He also studied mutations resulting from breeding experiments with domestic animals and plants. He was able to consider all this information when he was trying to determine the ‘specific mechanism’ that permitted animals and plants to change over time. Eventually he realized that the mechanism underlying the process of evolution was that of ‘natural selection’. This idea led him to publish On The Origin Of Species, arguably the most significant book of the last two centuries, on November the 24, 1859.

This now famous theory of evolution has sparked many a heated debate, with bible enthusiasts on one side of the fence, and everybody else on the other.

People who are fans of the bible and its Biblical view of creation shun Darwin’s theory because according to them, it goes against God, and what he stands for.

What many do not know, is that Darwin held back the publishing of his book detailing his theory of evolution over concerns that it might offend his religious wife. ( source : dbtechno )

Public opinion surveys consistently have shown that Americans are deeply divided over evolution. The most recent Gallup poll on the issue, in June 2007, found that 49 percent of those surveyed said they believed in evolution and 48 percent said they didn't. Those percentages have stayed almost even for at least 25 years.

Gallup found a political angle to the split. Two-thirds of Republicans rejected Darwin's theory, while majorities of Democrats and political independents accepted it. ( source : physorg )

Today the world held a Global Celebration all across the nations. As describe at the Darwin Day Celebration Website :

The Darwin Day Celebration website provides resources and publicity for individuals and institutions across the world to celebrate science and humanity every year, on, or near, February 12, Darwin's birthday. In addition to information about the life and legacy of Charles Darwin, this website provides practical examples, advice and templates for organizing and publicizing Darwin Day events. It also provides a directory of events where you can find celebrations taking place near you or register your own event for others to find.

Recognizing science as an international language accessible to all individuals and societies, the Darwin Day Celebration provides global holiday that transcends separate nationalities and cultures. Darwin Day can be celebrated in many different ways: civic ceremonies with official proclamations, educational symposia, birthday parties, art shows, book discussions, lobby days, games, protests, and dinner parties. Organizers may include: academic societies, science organizations, freethought groups, religious congregations, libraries, museums, galleries, teachers and students, families and friends. In Darwin Day, we are able to recognize the diversity among us, while celebrating our common humanity and the universal understanding we share.

Another interesting article from bbc uk regarding the original house where Darwin once live and wrote all of his important notes and book can be found here. I also inserted the picture of the room where Charles Darwin wrote the On the Origin of the Species ( after a huge restoration by the English Heritage ).

Work stuff : Go Green ...Where to start ?

Dear blogger ;

Go green is a must for us. Hence we only have 1 earth to live in. And we don't have a space ship big enough for all of us. Here is the guide for beginning the Green Live. Taken from the www.webecoist.com.

This article is published here , and I found it really user for beginner just like me.

Going green: where to start?

If you are interested in living a more eco-friendly lifestyle, this is for you. We hope you will find WebEcoist to be pleasantly free of politics and we’ll never tell you to eat granola, hug a tree or vote for the Greens. You don’t even have to switch to tofu. The great thing about modern green living is that there is truly room for every lifestyle - from green consumers to chic eco mamas to tech-obsessed geeks. Modern green living is for people interested in living harder, better, faster, stronger (to paraphase Daft Punk). If that sounds like you, you’re in the right place. Do you view life as an ongoing learning experiment?

Then here’s what you need to do to go green:

1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

This classic mantra is still the most important one. Next to the crisis of climate change, resources (particularly petroleum, water and food) are getting ever more scarce. We must relearn the “three R’s” - and we’re not talking about grammar school. There are literally thousands of things you can do, large and small, to help the environment. Most of them benefit you in addition to helping the planet. Some are cheap, some are expensive, and many are free. But before you go and purchase carbon offsets or consider a hybrid, first just shift your mindset. Reuse, reduce, recycle - it’s fundamental for anyone who wants to go green.

Getting started: just begin observing your daily habits and purchases. Do you need to throw everything away? Is there something permanent you could use instead of that disposable version? Can you donate, compost, or trade that widget? Once you make the mental shift from a NIMBY (not in my backyard) approach that is wasteful and careless, you’ll be ready for higher-level greening. Ready for more? Read on for the overview. In future posts we’ll bring you detailed breakdowns of everything you need to go green - but this summary will help you know what to expect.

2. Transportation

We’re not only running out of accessible petroleum reserves - the global political climate isn’t exactly friendly to gas prices. If you didn’t worry about the environmental effects before, the cost of filling up the tank has just about everyone looking for ways to save green. Come back soon to find tips for mass transit that doesn’t suck, carpooling that doesn’t kill, and telecommuting that your boss actually goes for. You’ll also learn about the more extreme and wacky tips you might want to try, from hyper-miling to alternative modes of transport. It’ll be good for the planet and your wallet, too.

Getting started: Simply begin exploring your options. If you can purchase a hybrid or more fuel-efficient car, that’s great. Try asking your boss about telecommuting a few days a week, and take advantage of mass transit if you have access in your area.

3. Shopping

Purists may deride “eco products” as nothing more than greenwash or a new marketing opportunity, but consider:

- We are consumers and that’s not going to change soon.

- Some of the latest and best green innovations are coming from consumer-driven trends. Buying organic jeans is not going to save the planet, but green consumption is helping to “mainstream” green living. Besides, green these days is pretty cool. You won’t believe how hard you can geek out on all kinds of green tech, green gadgets, and green hacks. Think longer battery life. Think a water container that won’t give you cancer, soap that doesn’t dry your skin out and a safer toilet-scrubbing experience. And be sure to let us know what kind of consumables you’re interested in greening. Since many products can be made at home, we’ll also be sharing DIY money-saving tips for many necessities.

Getting started: look for fair trade, organic, and eco-friendly labels or certification on goods you buy. Choose local meat, dairy, and produce when you can. Try not to buy “fast fashion” and needless gadgets that are cheap but will soon fall apart. Invest in quality over quantity. Buy your furnishings and electronics used when you can. Read your favorite magazines and books online instead of choosing print versions. Avoid plastic when a sustainable alternative is available such as wood, metal, fiber or bioplastic.

4. Food

Green grub is not just tofu and organic carrots. Really. In future posts, you’ll learn about the foods you don’t have to buy organic and cheap ways to buy the ones you do. You’ll learn about food miles and whether local is really best. You’ll find out how you can be a green steak lover. Green food should be healthy, cheap, delicious and accessible - and it can be, so stay tuned.

Getting started: for now, start shopping at the farmers’ market for your veggies because they’ll be a lot cheaper and healthier and safer. Eat a vegetarian dinner one day a week. Cut back on the soda, fast food and other overly-packaged and processed junk. You don’t have to do it all at once - try going “100% whole food” one day a week to start.

5. Your Pad

The home is the easiest place to start greening. There are literally hundreds of relatively easy home hacks - many free and most inexpensive. (Note that we will be providing in-depth guides to you super DIY’ers out there who want to get extreme. Bookmark this page and check back in the future for updated links to new posts.)

Getting started: you can switch dead light bulbs with CFLs, buy a programmable thermostat, toughen up a little and adjust your heat and A/C by two degrees of comfort, buy a compost bucket, and give up disposables like paper plates and paper towels. You can also use eco-friendly detergent, carpet cleaner, soap, plant fertilizer, pet food…it goes on and on! Many of these things you can make yourself for pennies. Which helps to offset the cost of that LED plasma.

6. Lifestyle

This ties into Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, but goes a little deeper. Is your laundry green? What about your workplace? Are you greening your travel? What gifts can you give at holidays that aren’t going to hurt the environment (without annoying your friends and family)? Look for upcoing lifestyle guides that go beyond generic clichés and address green solutions for every kind of lifestyle. So you have an SUV and there’s no way you can trade it in for what they’re offering - no problem. You can still be green. Maybe you are addicted to the latest gadgets, or you’re a die-hard designer shoe girl. Maybe you refuse to give up your burgers. That’s O.K. - there is a green way of doing things for every lifestyle. No challenge is impossible to solve with creativity, investigation, and a little bit of humor. If you think that’s too ambitious, you’re probably not in the right place. But if you are excited by new, innovative ideas and solutions with a positive point of view, stick around.

Getting started: Get out a notebook and write down the following: how often you travel; how often you dine out; how many family members/dependents you have; how far you drive to work; where you shop for your food, clothing, household products and electronics. This will give you a pretty good idea of your lifestyle. You should also figure out your carbon footprint. Don’t worry; no changes to make yet. Simply take stock of how you live so you can make smart changes down the road.

7. Habits

This is a bit different from lifestyle; the lifestyles people lead - based on family size, location, profession and so on - are diverse. But habits are more about the daily actions we take, often without thinking. You will find helpful tips, hacks and tricks in the future to live a little greener without too much stress. Sane green living is the goal. Whether it is turning off your lights or saving water, check back weekly for new tips.

Getting started: like “reduce, reuse, recycle”, simply make it a goal to consciously think about your habits this week. Do you order take-out or do you shop at the farmers’ market and prep your veggies for fast meals during the week? Do you shop at stores that use sweat shop labor to produce their goods, or do you look for products that are either fair-trade certified or made in the U.S.A.? Do you buy heavily processed junk food on a regular basis or do you try to avoid it? What cleaning products are you using? Simply start thinking about your habits. There are so many habits where, with slight modification, you can quickly reduce your carbon footprint.

Why don't start it now, from ourselves and from little amount ?

Fun stuff : Strange Fish from Mollucas

Dear blogger ;

Two days ago, a group of fisherman at North Moluccas Eastern of Indonesia catch a very strange fish. With the fin looks like a shark fin but the tail is more likely for a Manta- Ray. Can you tell us what species it is ? Credits for the Malut Post.