Random thoughts

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It's the end of the line for our Dahlias.
All remaining stock is going out at $4 each
While stocks last
Please order Dahlias separately to Amaryllis as they cannot be held until the Amaryllis arrive

We LOVE gardening!

 

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  • North & South
  
  
  • Economy

The Eco Economy: Millennials, money and saving sustainably
by Sharon Stephenson

 

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My hole is itchy.

 

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no way
biggest lot of crap ive ever heard buddy
sick of scientists putting bullshit out huh
no ones going to believe them

p

To stop an insect die-out, the world needs pollinator-friendly policies, scientist warns
Insects are among the most successful creatures on the planet. But they're in decline and that would have serious consequences for the world. Entomologist Josef Settele talks to DW about stopping the insect die-off.

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  WHAT HAVE INSECTS EVER DONE FOR US?
  Planet of the insects
  From pretty butterflies to pesky mosquitoes — insects are among the most diverse and dominant groups on earth. Nearly 1 million species are known to exist and there are likely many more to be discovered. According to a UN biodiversity study, up to 40% of insects species are threatened with extinction in some parts of the world. Many people do not realize that their loss would be keenly felt.
  

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Creepy-crawlies are among the oldest life forms on this planet. Before dinosaurs ever walked the Earth, insects were certainly already there. Some estimates date their origins to 400 million years ago. They're also extremely successful. Of the 7-8 million species documented on Earth, around three quarters are likely bugs.

But several insect species could disappear for good in the next few decades and that would have serious consequences for humans.

Read more: How to stop an insect apocalypse

Insects like bees, butterflies and even certain species of beetle and ant incidentally pollinate our crops when they collect protein-rich pollen and sugary nectar, ensuring we have enough to eat.

DW spoke to Josef Settele, a professor and entomologist at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in the eastern German city of Halle, about whether we need to worry about our food and how politics and business could intervene to halt the insect decline.

Settele was in the global spotlight in May 2019 when the United Nations IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services was published. In the report, the entomologist and his colleagues determined that around 1 million plant and animal species are threatened with extinction.

Insects are being hit particularly hard. The scientists estimate that around 10% of all insect species are threatened with dying out over the next few decades — and that's a conservative calculation.


To stop an insect die-out, the world needs pollinator-friendly policies, scientist warns | DW | 17.10.2019


Germany: Endangered turtle dove is 2020 bird of the year
Known as a symbol of love, peace and happiness, the turtle dove, sometimes knowns as a love bird, is flirting with extinction. A German environmental protection group has named it the 2020 bird of the year.

The European turtle dove's populations in Germany have declined by more than 90% since 1980, according to NABU, which has named the migratory species the 2020 bird of the year.

"Our smallest dove can barely survive due to loss of habitat. In addition, both legal and illegal hunting are threatening the species," NABU's Heinz Kowalski said.

The bird is not faring better in other parts of the world either. The turtle dove — known in German as "Turteltaube" ("flirting dove") has seen its natural habitats dwindling worldwide. In 2015, it was put on the Red List of globally endangered species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Farming, hunting contribute to decline

Known as a symbol of love and fidelity because it can form strong and lasting bonds with a partner, the turtle dove is feeling the effects of intensive farming and loss of woodland throughout Europe.

Read more: The science of migratory birds

The turtle dove, which is smaller and slighter in build than other doves and pigeons, typically lives at the edge of forests, in wooded areas near water or clearings. Its diet consists of wild herbs and seeds.

Hunting, particularly in southern European countries, has also contributed to the population decline killing roughly 2 million of the migratory birds species per year. The turtle dove is the only dove species to migrate to Africa in the winter.

In Germany, the bird can still be spotted in vineyards and former military training grounds that were left untouched to let nature reclaim its territory.

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  MOUTHS, SNOUTS AND BEAKS: THE MOST BIZZARE MOUTHS IN THE ANIMAL WORLD
  Long and pointy
  The sword-billed hummingbird’s beak is longer than its body. It has the longest beak of all known hummingbird species. And it needs it! One of the bird's main sources of food is nectar, which it drinks from very long, slender hanging flower crowns. With its beak wide open, it can also catch insects.
  

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DW RECOMMENDS



Germany: Endangered turtle dove is 2020 bird of the year | DW | 11.10.2019

 

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Some cod species have a newly minted gene involved in preventing freezing. (Paul Nicklen/NG Image Collection)
Think you know how genes are born? Think again.
Scientists long assumed that evolution made new genes from old ones — by copying them in error, or by fusing together or breaking apart existing ones. Now, more and more examples are emerging of genes being created ‘ de novo’ from barren stretches of the genomethat do not code for any functional molecules. Researchers are trying to discover exactly how and why de novo genes are born.

Nature | 11 min read

 

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....
A Sneak Peek at the Next Episode of The Undark Podcast

On the next episode of The Undark Podcast: a look at the messy process of challenging a long-held belief about HIV transmission. Listen to a sneak peek now and stay tuned for the full episode, coming soon. And catch up on past episodes here.
....

 

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admirable Billy
a niece has 3types,we know

Billy Connolly: 'The thing is to just carry on'

 

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7 Supplements You Need on a Vegan Diet

CDC Says 1,500 Illnesses From Vaping, 33 Deaths

Great Lakes Flooding: The Warning Signs That Homes Must Be Moved

New Study Finds Biodiversity Boosts Crop Yields, Pollinators and Pest Control

 

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How to pet a dog the right way
There's more to petting than just a scratch behind the ears
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Pet a dog on his shoulder or side and not on the top of his head. (Photo: Aleksey Boyko/Shutterstock)

If you're a dog lover, it's hard to resist reaching out when you see a pup at a park or on the street. You just want to scratch that cute little guy. But think twice before you do. Even though you've likely been petting dogs your whole life, you may not be doing it the best way.

In a small study published in Journal of Veterinary Behavior, researchers observed 28 dogs of different breeds, ages and backgrounds. The dogs wore heart rate monitors and were observed when a stranger was brought into the room while their owners were present, but ignoring them. The strangers were told to pet the dog in nine different ways — including on the top of the head, the chest, shoulder, neck, base of tail and holding a paw — and researchers observed their responses.

How to pet a dog the right way

Are you drawn to male or female dogs?
Some people think one gender is smarter or sweeter than the other.

Are you drawn to male or female dogs?

 

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10 cats that act like dogs (but still have kitty traits)
By: Mary Jo DiLonardo on July 3, 2019, 8:29 a.m.

Some cats have all the characteristics of their canine counterparts.


(Photo: Popel Arseniy/Shutterstock)

Dog-like kitties


There are dog people, cat people and people who want a little bit of both. Perhaps they don't adore the standoffish-ness that many felines are known for, yet they crave the independence of a kitty.

No one asked the cat what he thinks of us (we think we know), but here are several cat breeds that are in touch with their canine side. They might not bring you your slippers, but they're less aloof than some of their feline friends and might even come when you call them.


10 cats that act like dogs (but still have kitty traits)

 

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i wont say no ha
well ...

 

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This house is only 37 square meters, but check out the interior

 

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27 Oddest Cars Ever Made

 

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know
this is a lemon
but be aware
the GRAPEFRUIT apparently has dubious qualities when combined with certain things
be aware, i just dont go there myself haha

Lateral thinking is a way of approaching problems. It deliberately forgoes obvious approaches in favor of oblique or unexpected ones.

Deliberately ignoring perfectly good but straightforward solutions enables us to find hidden innovations we would otherwise miss.
Edward de Bono, who developed the concept of lateral thinking, lays out 4 specific lateral thinking techniques: awareness, random stimulation, alternatives, and alteration.

 

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c...ts of wealth and power stick together pull each others ....ks
and made billions in the meantime
and everyone thinks/believes you have the most wonderful system on the planet
never mind the countless deaths before after and in the future
or many years/geerations to come
f'kn sick disgusting bs society



BREAKING NEWS
The three major drug distributors and an opioid manufacturer reached a settlement to avoid the federal opioid trial that was set to begin today.
Monday, October 21, 2019 8:25 AM EST
The deal was struck in the early dawn hours and is expected to be announced in court this morning. People familiar with the discussions said that details about a broader settlement to resolve thousands of cases brought by local governments and states across the U.S. could be announced later in the day by state attorneys general.

Read More »

 

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laughing at NZs likeky trollster bot
forever trying to tell me i was looking at there site for a particular shopping item

makes me even more determined to not oblige them, i shop with them

but
wont hesitate to tell them off, next time they send a supposed SURVEY out
about, how are they doing duh

the warehouse NZ btw

 

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN all you lovers of the macabre haha


This Spooky Coastal Town Inspired Bram Stoker's "Dracula"
July 9, 2018
Written by Annie Hartman

There's more to the coastal town of Whitby that meets the eye. Hidden in Whitby's cottages and cobblestone streets lie legends and tales that inspired the famous story of Dracula. This led to the largest and spookiest festival around. Goths, ghosts, vampires, and ruins: Whitby has them all.

stanciuc / iStock / Getty Images Plus
Far From Transylvania

Up in northern England lies a coastal town surrounded by gravestones and ruins that's home to one of Gothic horror's most famous villains: Dracula. It all began when Bram Stoker visited the town in 1890. He immediately became enamored with Whitby Abbey's spooky charm, even mentioning in his novel that the church was the town's nicest part.


It's no wonder that Stoker loved it so: Whitby Abbey is one of the most striking ruins in British history. The ruins of the 13th-century church stand high on a cliff overlooking Whitby itself. Below the abbey is an ancient parish church and a graveyard that can be reached via a 199-step climb. Not only did Stoker take inspiration from the spooky setting, but he also jotted down a few names from tombstones and used one of them (Swales) as Dracula's first victim. Freaked out yet?




Stoker's first encounter with Dracula was in 1890 at a local coffee shop, where he found a book published in 1820. It told stories from the life of William Wilkinson, a famous British consul in Bucharest. Those stories spoke of a 15th-century prince named Vlad Tepes who was said to have killed his enemies with wooden stakes. He was also known as Dracula, or "the son of the devil." The author published a footnote below this account: "Dracula in the Wallachian language means Devil. The Wallachians at that time ... used to give this as a surname to any person who rendered himself conspicuous either by courage, cruel actions, or cunning." Appropriate.


A large portion of the language Stoker used in his novel was also inspired by the Yorkshire dialect, bits of which he also found in a book, this time in Whitby's museum library. He wrote down 168 words from the Yorkshire dialect and their English meanings. In his novel Dracula, these terms are used by old Mr. Swales in his conversations with Mina. For example, one of the words he used was "barguest," a term for a "terrifying ghostlike image of someone" that also refers to a "large black dog with flaming eyes as big as saucers" in Yorkshire folklore.

"I do think Stoker meant for that connection," horror expert John Edgar Browning told Mental Floss. "Moreover, he probably would have meant for the people of Whitby in the novel to make the connection, since it was they who perceived Dracula's form as a large black dog."

richjem / iStock / Getty Images Plus

Cherry_Girl / iStock / Getty Images Plus

Ian Forsyth / Stringer / Getty Images

Ian Forsyth / Contributor / Getty Images
Black Is the New ... Black

This Spooky Coastal Town Inspired Bram Stoker's "Dracula"

 

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todays mood



SHITTY


sorry members,not meaning to project that on you but ...

 

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finally FFS