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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80952939763572524102016-05-27T00:32:27.710+10:00Centre for Fortean Zoology AustraliaMonster hunters of the Southern Hemisphere >>> email@example.com@blogger.comBlogger905125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095293976357252410.post-71167613416635122712015-03-15T22:01:00.000+11:002015-03-15T22:01:12.361+11:00Exhaust Notes talks to us about tracking Tigers with Toyota

The team over at Exhaust Notes caught up with some CFZers recently to talk about the recent Tasmanian expedition sponsored by Toyota Australia.

Here's a snippet:

Why did Toyota Australia sponsor your trips?

Toyota Australia agreed to sponsor our trips after we approached them with our idea. They thought the premise was exciting and a good fit for their 4WD vehicles; popular in regional and rural Australia. We were attracted to Toyota because of its solid reputation as a manufacturer of high performance off-road vehicles, and their popularity in the bush. It was a perfect match for us really, and meant we were able to do so much more than we had originally planned.

Get the full story over at Exhaust Notes.

firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095293976357252410.post-50626494535768891072015-03-15T21:07:00.000+11:002015-03-15T22:20:13.680+11:00On the trail of the Tiger

NSW man Michael Williams is on his eighth Toyota-sponsored trip in 10 years to the State searching for evidence the Tasmanian tiger walks the Apple Isle - 29 years after it was officially declared dead and gone.

The last known thylacine died in captivity on November 7, 1936.

"Initially I wasn't that much interested in the tiger and we did a book called Australian Big Cats: An Unnatural History of Panthers, which is folklore on the big cat mythology on the mainland," Mr Williams said.

"While we were doing that, we started to get Tassie tiger reports and we started to follow that up.

"I initially thought it couldn't exist and the quality of witnesses really surprised me.

"When I'm dealing with multiple witnesses especially on the same event, I just don't think that everyone of them is lying to or hoaxing me.

"When a husband and wife are sitting there and saying to me in 1994, 2004, or whatever, 'we saw three animals cross the road in front of us with a funny head, weird gait and stripes', I think they are telling the truth.

"All up, I have spoken to about 30 to 40 people."

Mr Williams said the last reported sighting he had received was 13 months ago when multiple witnesses allegedly watched a large adult male thylacine cross the road in the North-East.

He said if the carnivorous marsupial was still around, it would most likely be in the North-West or North East.

"The technology that I think will prove they do exist will be 'Joe Tourist' driving around with those crash cameras," Mr Williams said.

"At the moment I am primarily collecting reports and trying to find locations, farms and areas where the highest probability of me finding the tiger is.

"I'm looking for game trails to put cameras on."

Mr Williams said there were five other people in Tasmania searching for evidence and was excited for what may be discovered.

He said the best secondary evidence available was a coloured image of a thylacine's footprint, allegedly shot dead in 1990 near Adamsfield, published in Col Bailey's book.

"The original photo is in colour which means there was an animal existing, after the black and white era, so it was up to 1991 that they were still around, we believe," he said.

"What the museum does is play a subtle game with the truth, they go 'there is no secondary evidence'.

"If you speak to either of the museums when they get scats, they say 'this could be a Tassie tiger'.

"Their question is 'are you going to do DNA for it', and they say they 'don't have the budget'.

"If you go to the museum in Hobart they now use the term 'biological extinction', which is quite a weird argument.

"It means that it has got such a small genetic pool it has very little effect on the local fauna."

Mr Williams said he had been stalled by some Tasmanian private land owners, not wanting him to explore their land for various reasons.

"Eventually, we think it is worth a book - and after finding some really compelling evidence," he said.

"I think we will keep coming back for another 10 years.

"By that stage we will either be going 'yes we proved it' or know we are just deluded."

Mr Williams heads home on March 29 and is asking private land owners and those who believe they know where the animal is to call 0416 303 371.

Read the full story at The Examiner.

firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095293976357252410.post-75486819624383681452015-02-26T22:43:00.000+11:002015-03-15T22:17:23.403+11:00Tasmanian tiger trackers return to island for new expedition

An international team of Tasmanian tigers trackers is back in the island state for another Toyota-sponsored expedition to find the fabled creature.

The group of naturalists, headed by Mike Williams, returned last week to search for the thylacine, which was officially declared extinct in the early 1980s.

The last captive thylacine died in Hobart Zoo in 1936.

Joining Mr Williams on his latest six-week search will be zoologists and thylacine hunters from Britain and Denmark.

The expedition is being run by the Centre for Fortean Zoology, based in the UK and Australia, which investigates "mystery animals" considered rare, extinct or undiscovered.

It will be the group's second expedition after travelling south in October 2013.

But Mr Williams, from New South Wales, has personally been searching for the largest known carnivorous marsupial of modern times for more than a decade

"If someone said to me when I first started that 10 years on we would still be getting tips — our last one was a year ago — I wouldn't have believed you," he said.

"With the increase of people using crash (dashboard-mounted) cameras, we believe a local using one might be a good chance of stumbling across a thylacine while driving."

TIGER HUNTER CONFIDENT TECHNOLOGY WILL PROVIDE ANSWERS

The five-person team arrived in the state last week and has already been following up tips and speaking to people who claim they spotted the animal in the state's north.

They will explore areas around northern Tasmania for about four weeks before shifting their focus to the state's isolated south-west.

"Tasmania is recognised as one of the most biologically rich places on the planet, so it makes sense that the Tasmanian tiger could survive in remote parts of the state," Mr Williams said.

"We believe that there is a breeding pack somewhere in Tasmania but we need proof."

Robert Paddle, who wrote a book on the history and extinction of the thylacine titled The Last Tasmanian Tiger, said finding proof might be impossible.

"I would love to be proved wrong," he said.

"But there is a definition of extinction and to change that you need a body."

Have you seen a thylacine? Call Mr Williams on 0416 303 371.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/tasmanian-tiger-trackers-return-to-island-state-for-new-expedition/story-fnjj6013-1227239807893?sv=9bfbb1f0e0723868b2eacfcdc22ee86f#.VPKy6moDCD8.facebookmikehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095293976357252410.post-69321170725090229482015-02-11T21:59:00.000+11:002015-03-06T22:00:23.257+11:00Search combs state for elusive Tasmanian Tiger

Mike Williams and Lars Thomas hit the Tiger trail.

An international team of naturalists from the Centre for Fortean Zoology has returned to Tasmania to search for the Tasmanian Tiger, Thylacinus cynocephalus, in one of the biggest concentrated ongoing searches yet for the elusive animal, which was officially declared extinct in the early 1980s.

Expedition leader Michael Williams said the six-week trip – once again generously sponsored by Toyota Australia - is exploring densely forested areas in the State's north and south west.

"Tasmania is recognised as one of the most biologically rich places on the planet, so it makes sense that the Tasmanian Tiger could survive in remote parts of the State," Mr Williams said.

"Tasmania is also something of an ark for Australia, acting as a final refuge for many species declared extinct on the mainland, such as the Eastern quoll.

"As on previous trips, we have already collected several compelling accounts of recent sightings of the Tasmanian Tiger. On this trip we're hopeful of finding scats, hair or footage to back up claims this rare marsupial remains active in these areas."

Danish zoologist Lars Thomas has joined this year's expedition, and said the Tasmanian Tiger has long been a source of interest for him.

"The Tasmanian Tiger is possibly one of the most fascinating 'extinct' animals I can think of - for me it's very much an animal of the Victorian era, evoking the frontier times of Australia's convicts, colonists, and early Aboriginal tribes," Mr Thomas said.

"I think it's one of the few supposedly extinct animals on the planet that has the biggest likelihood of surviving."

The team is traversing the difficult terrain in two Toyota 4WD LandCruisers, using sophisticated game cameras, starlight scopes, and dash-cameras to monitor wildlife.

Expedition team members for 2015 include: Michael Williams (NSW/AUS), Lars Thomas (DENMARK), Dr Chris Clark (UK), Rebecca Lang (NSW/AUS), and Tony Healy (ACT/AUS).

Media Contact: Michael Williams on 0416 303 371.

Seen a Tiger? Share your sighting at email@example.com

mikehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095293976357252410.post-66151892591343407662014-12-24T19:42:00.002+11:002014-12-24T19:44:06.633+11:00The Tasmanian Tiger: Extinct or Extant? makes Top 20

Great news!

The Tasmanian Tiger: Extinct or Extant? has made Loren Coleman's Top 20 list of best cryptozoology books for 2014.

Cryptomundo recently featured a guest blog post by anthology editor Rebecca Lang:

The last Thylacine in captivity died on September 7, 1936, ironically just two weeks shy of the species receiving protection status. In 1986, 50 years later, it would be declared extinct. By international standards it no longer exists, and is just another marsupial ghost haunting the Australian landscape following European settlement.

While Benjamin is often symbolically referred to as 'The Last Thylacine', in all likelihood the species persisted in the Tasmanian wilderness well into the 1930s, possibly until the 1950s. In 1980 then-Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife officer Steven Smith conducted a detailed study of sightings between 1934 and 1980, concluding of the 320 sightings, just under half could be considered good, if inconclusive.

Judging by the thousands of sightings logged by government departments and private research groups since that time, however, it may still roam remote parts of Tasmania...

email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095293976357252410.post-61931884436409662312014-12-04T22:35:00.000+11:002014-12-04T23:16:46.556+11:00New Australian book queries Tasmanian Tiger extinction...

Does the Tasmanian Tiger still roam the island state, parts of the Australian mainland, and the northern land mass of Irian Jaya-Papua New Guinea?

Despite being hunted to extinction in the early part of the 20th century, the Tasmanian Tiger continues to stalk the imaginations of people the world over. What's more, hundreds of reports of the striped dog-like marsupial with the fearsome gaping jaw are made each year in Australia.

In The Tasmanian Tiger: Extinct or Extant?, biologists, geneticists, naturalists, and academics explore the evidence for and against the continuing existence of Thylacinus cynocephalus.

Featuring essays by Peter Chapple, Ned Terry, Col Bailey, Bob Paddle, Nick Mooney, Tony Healy, Paul Cropper, Andrew Pask, Malcolm Smith, Gary Opit and Michael Williams.

email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095293976357252410.post-46198835772009395822014-12-04T19:58:00.000+11:002014-12-04T22:58:57.008+11:00Monster croc stalks Queensland fishermen

A 6-metre-long "man-eater sized" crocodile has stalked two Queensland fishermen while they sat in a small boat in the Hinchenbrook Channel north of Ingham.

Whitsunday man Andy Thomsen and a friend were fly fishing from their dinghy when the monster croc appeared only 2m away and "scared the s--- out of" them.

The keen angler captured the whole ordeal with a camera strapped to his head to record for his YouTube channel.

"This is a man-eater sized croc and if we had not been watching who knows what it may have done," Mr Thomsen told the Townsville Bulletin.

Over a 50 minute period the carnivorous reptile had followed them for more than 50m and then another 2km before popping up in the water beside them.

"We were sliding down the food chain," Mr Thomsen wrote in the video.

"I've never got that close to one before," he said about the encounter on the weekend.

"If it had have stayed up, I don't know what we would have done."

Despite his terrifyingly close encounter, Mr Thomsen said he would not be giving fishing away any time soon.

Read more at http://www.9news.com.au/national/2014/12/04/11/20/queensland-fishermen-stalked-by-6m-man-eating-croc#RwhCVsBKiV4MlgDf.99firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095293976357252410.post-82246501212417224552014-09-14T22:17:00.000+10:002014-09-14T22:17:14.096+10:00Book review: The Science of Monsters by Matt Kaplan

The Science of Monsters by science journalist Matt Kaplan

Review by Mike Williams

It was with some trepidation I initially delved in to this book. Perhaps it was the title 'The Science of Monsters' that was a bit off-putting (cue: slightly patronising tone and allusions to 'frightened, hysterical peasants'). But it turned out to be a really fun read on legendary monsters...and how they might be explained by modern science and the cultures that lived in awe and fear of them.

Did dragons really terrify people?
How did the legends of werewolves and vampires really start?
Could science resurrect dinosaurs? And would you really want a T.Rex living next door?

Kaplan discusses animals that really did exist, such as the fierce Eurasian cave lion, which was about 25 per cent bigger than today's lions, and then elegantly segues to giant European boars and the 2004 Alabama 'Hogzilla' which, when dug up, suddenly shrank in dimensions.

And he makes a thorough job of sifting through folklore, history and literature for clues to the origins of monsters. With references to everything from King Kong and giant squids to demons and vampires (and more than a few nods to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and other icons of popular culture), it's sure to interest most readers.

Grounded in facts that would one day bear the fruit of fiction, The Science of Monsters is all about humans making sense of the world around them, even if it means putting fangs, fur and fear into the equation when it comes time to grapple with the great unknown.

The last word must go to Kaplan: "People have always looked to the horizon and feared that which they did not understand…"

If you like history, fables, with a dose of real science, then you will love this email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095293976357252410.post-85299094614155315272014-06-26T22:04:00.001+10:002014-06-26T22:05:32.819+10:00Book review: A Gift From the Snake That Bit Him

A Gift From the Snake That Bit Him: Adventures of an Australian Reptile Man by Neville Burns

Review by Mike Williams

Neville Burns, of www.nevilleburns.net, is one of Australia's most famous herpetologists.

After years of being prodded by his friends, Neville has finally released his much anticipated memoir detailing his life-long interest in, and the early days of, reptile collecting in Australia.

Combine the weird sense of Australian humour, a complete disregard for his own safety and a genuine love and passion for reptiles, and you end up with this great book.

His early travels up and down the coast of Australia are fascinating as well as his encounters with all sorts of 'crazy' characters, the kinds of people you could only meet in the Antipodes.

One of the genuine good guys in this field who holds no airs or graces, Neville has always been the first to give fellow enthusiasts his sought-after advice and time.

Even if you don't know the difference between a Death Adder and a Taipan, you will still find the book an enjoyable collection of stories about these fascinating animals.

And you might actual learn a thing or two, especially why you should never 'borrow' a young crocodile when owed money!

Of course you have to buy the book to find out what happened next.

The book is available through www.nevilleburns.net.

CFZ Australia's Mike Williams caught up with Neville this week to talk all things herpetological.

email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095293976357252410.post-65561752321384737732014-02-15T20:13:00.001+11:002014-02-15T20:13:32.775+11:00Mystery animal captured on thermal camera - what is it?

Now here's something interesting.

This game camera footage was shot by Wayne Knight in rural Victoria.

The mystery creature with felid-like movements was captured on a thermal camera. We guesstimate the distance at about 400 metres.

If you think you know what this animal is, please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com

firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095293976357252410.post-28417658198595931362014-01-20T21:44:00.000+11:002014-01-20T21:44:18.636+11:002013 CFZ Tasmanian Tiger expedition snippets

Poisonous spiders, Tasmanian Devils, Thylacine sightings...the 2013 CFZ Tasmanian Tiger expedition had it all! Here are a few highlights...including some fascinating sightings.

firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095293976357252410.post-92024943937804026782014-01-07T11:46:00.001+11:002014-01-07T12:45:08.542+11:00Book review: Abominable Science! by Loxton & Prothero

By Mike Williams

The last book I had read by so-called "skeptics" on cryptozoology consisted of an anger-filled polemic against the "stupid people that chase monsters that everyone knows cannot exist".
I expected Abominable Science! to be something along the same lines. I was wrong.
But let me make a brief digression.

While on Facebook recently, I noticed some cryptozoologists deriding this book as garbage.
When I asked them directly which pages exactly contained mistakes, I was told that the authors "were being smart arses" in their book.
I agreed that they may well have been, but again I asked what information was wrong.
I was then told by one of the Facebook critics that they had already pointed out problems with the book on another site and were not going to do it again.
And from the cricket sounds to my subsequent questions, I guessed that I had been hit by the dreaded Facebook comeback, "the unfollow". (Apparently when some people find themselves in a corner and cannot answer a question, they "unfollow" the conversation.)

Anyway, this book slays any semblance of the possibility of the existence of the Yeti, Sasquatch and Loch Ness Monster dead.
The authors carefully lay out the claims, and then show you the actual facts.
Personally I gave up years ago on a Sasquatch-type creature ever existing. In Abominable Science, the authors expose all the fakery around the Yeti, and language translation problems involved with the word itself.
Who would not be annoyed at being told there was a Yeti, and having people point at a bear? Just a quick hint: a bear at a distance can be bipedal for short periods of times. There is your Yeti.

A popular representation of a Yeti.

But then the authors went too far and destroyed my fondest, dearest belief in the possible existence of The Loch Ness Monster! :-)
The Loch Ness Monster industry was spawned in the 1930s, around the same time that the first version of King Kong was released in Scotland by Hollywood studios. And in that film was a long-necked water monster. What a coincidence!
But believers often point to the "historical" account of a sighting of the beast by Columba, the Irish missionary monk, in the 560s.What they forget to mention is that it's not a first person account, but a story, one of many stories about Columba, made up by a man called Adomnan about 100 years later.

If you love the cryptozoology field - that is, what's left of it (and what hasn't been destroyed by hoaxing), then you should definitely buy Abominable Science!

 The famous (and disputed) 1934 'surgeon's photo' taken by
Lt. Col. Robert Kenneth Wilson.

A still from the original film King Kong. Inset image: A sketch made from a

witness's description many months after his sighting.

email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095293976357252410.post-47941069622845666082014-01-06T11:52:00.000+11:002014-01-07T11:57:01.612+11:00Denmark gets behind Tasmanian Devil preservation

Denmark's Copenhagen Zoo hopes to become a centre of excellence in Tasmanian devil handling.

The zoo celebrated the first successful breeding of the endangered animals outside Australia last year when two female devils gave birth to a total of seven joeys.

Now the zoo is planning to open a dedicated devil handling school, where staff from other European zoos can receive the training that will be necessary to take part in Tasmania's overseas Ambassador Devils initiative.

Copenhagen zoo curator Flemming Neilsen, who received his training at Tasmania's Trowunna Wildlife Park, has become the first so-called devils' advocate outside Australia, which also supplied the zoo's devils.

Read more at: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/denmarks-copenhagen-zoo-plans-to-lead-way-in-tasmanian-devil-care/story-fnjj6013-1226795010612

email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095293976357252410.post-20647924518794557192014-01-04T12:02:00.000+11:002014-01-07T12:04:00.833+11:00Is Prof Sykes putting the nail in the Yeti coffin?

by Andrew Masterson, www.brisbanetimes.com.au

October 2013 will go down as a bittersweet watershed in the curious field of cryptozoology - the study of creatures that probably don't exist.
Cryptozoologists are people who search for animals of folklore and rumour: yowies, bunyips, rogue panthers, ape-men, the Loch Ness monster, the Beast of Buderim, the Goatman of Maryland, Oklahoma Octopus and many more.
In October, though, something really weird happened.
A well-respected mainstream geneticist, Dr Bryan Sykes, from Oxford University, announced that he had done DNA tests on two hair samples collected, centuries apart, by yeti hunters. The samples, he reported, both came from a species unknown to science.
For believers in the Abominable Snowman, that was the good news. The bad followed immediately: the species was not an ape, but some type of bear. The mysterious creature roaming the Himalayas was not so much Yeti as Yogi.
Sykes' research, yet to be published in full, has done little to dampen the enthusiasm of Australia's cryptozoological community. The hunt for our own ape-man, the Yowie, continues unabated.
Prime among the Yowie hunters is Rex Gilroy, 70, self-proclaimed ''father of Australian cryptozoology'', author, naturalist and hunter of improbable beasts.
''The silly sketches of Yowies as giant, hairy apes are all wrong,'' he says. ''Yowies are a living form of [human ancestor] Homo erectus.''
Gilroy claims to have collected a number of fossil hominid skulls - of Homo erectus and the even earlier Australopithecus - which he says proves that human ancestors were living in Australia long before the arrival of Aborigines.
Some of his best specimens were discovered near the Fish River in the central western district of NSW.
''I believe there is a population of Homo erectus still living there,'' he said.
''The Yowie is no gorilla-like monster. It's a fire-making, tool-making hominid. I've found campsites and stone tools, some of them only a few months old.''
Gilroy is also active in the hunt for two perennials of Australian cryptozoology - the thylacine and wild panthers.
This last is a popular target for investigation in Victoria. Reports of big cat sightings appear frequently in country newspapers, blurry video clips crop up on telly, and shots of hideously mauled dead sheep are often cited as evidence of big cat kills.
Indeed, in 2012 one of the first acts of incoming Victorian Premier Denis Napthine was to commission a review of big cat sightings. The review, conducted by the Department of Primary Industries, concluded that feral panthers, jaguars or other feline peak predators were almost certainly not roaming around the state.
However, because it is impossible to prove a negative, the report's findings are unlikely to dampen the spirits of the cryptozoological sleuths. Prime among them is Simon Townsend, of Geelong, who heads a group called Big Cats Victoria.
''We are desperate for actual specimens,'' he said, ''but that's a difficult thing. We think the cats are Malay leopards - black leopards - and there are maybe only a couple of dozen across the state.''
Townsend is careful to separate his pursuit from the windier shores of crypto-research.
''We take this as a totally serious undertaking,'' he said. ''We keep well away from the 'goblin university' folk. They're not very useful when you're after something that kills sheep and eats roos.''
Townsend enjoys a long-term collaboration with crypto-sceptic historian Dr David Waldron, based at Federation University in Ballarat. In 2012 the pair combined to produce a book: Snarls from the Tea-Tree: Big Cat Folklore. Waldron said that while ideas of yowies, bunyips and other fabulous beasts can be traced to the creation myths of different Aboriginal communities, the big cat idea arrived with the Europeans.
''Big cat stories go way back into the 19th century,'' he said.
''Settlers found themselves in an alien landscape, and they had to try to make sense of things such as stock predation and farm failures.
''Their tools for doing this derived from European colonial experience in Africa and Asia - where there were big, dangerous animals, including big cats.''
Some early settlers, he said, were startled that there were no monkeys in Australia. In 1826, settlers visiting Rottnest Island heard sounds in the night, noted dig-marks in the ground, and saw a large shape in the water. They concluded the place was home to hippos.
Big cats in the bush are not, in one sense, mythical at all. There have been several cases, especially in the later 19th century, when lions, pumas and so forth have escaped from travelling menageries and nicked off into the scrub. Waldron has a collection of skeletal remnants lodged in Federation University's library.
The myth kicks in with the idea that these cats somehow survived, bred, and established permanent populations. The usual evidence for this - bizarre stock mutilations - is easily explained.
''Most likely, the mutilations are caused by multiple animals,'' said Waldron. ''A wild dog kills the sheep, then a fox has a go, then birds, rats, and so forth. The result looks unusual.''
Back in NSW, Rex Gilroy, perhaps surprisingly, rejects the idea of wild big cats roaming the bush.
''The panther is a marsupial,'' he says. ''It's a large marsupial, possibly a relation to the extinct marsupial lion. There have been plenty of sightings around Katoomba.''
While many professional scientists dismiss cryptozoology as complete fruit-loopery, Professor Bill Laurence, a distinguished biologist at Queensland's James Cook University, sees great value in the field.
He points out that cryptozoologists have a good record of finding ''Lazarus species'' - types of animals presumed to be extinct but subsequently rediscovered. If the thylacine turns out not to be extinct, it will be a cryptozoologist who finds it, if only because no one else is looking.
''I think there is something similar between cryptozoologists and people who search for aliens, for instance,'' Laurence said. ''There's a desire for mystery, a love of the notion of something out there that we don't understand. It touches something deep in the human spirit.''
As for Sykes' possible Himalayan bear-cum-yeti discovery, Laurence is waiting for the full results to be published.
''A giant bear there would be very remarkable,'' he said. ''What's its food base? I'm a bit leery about it, but it's certainly put the cat among the pigeons.''

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/where-the-wild-things-arent-20140103-308eu.html#ixzz2pfaz5zAE
email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095293976357252410.post-88500910306820141982013-12-30T12:10:00.000+11:002014-01-07T12:11:58.605+11:00Secrecy shrouds world's most 'mysterious' bird

Some good discussion is happening over at The Conversation's website about the Night Parrot - the short answer, of course, is for its own protection!

The Night Parrot has been called the "world's most mysterious bird". First discovered in 1845, it was rarely seen alive for most of the next hundred and seventy years, but it has been rediscovered in 2013 by Queensland naturalist John Young.

The rediscovery has been shrouded in secrecy; photo and video evidence of the parrot was presented at an invitation-only viewing, and the Queensland government hasn't been told the location of the parrot. So, why all the secrecy?

In 2013, Queensland naturalist John Young found what he thinks might be two pairs of Night Parrots, and, to top it off, a nest with three nestlings. Young recently presented a select group of experts with photographic and video evidence of Night Parrots from May 2013, confirming that these were indeed Night Parrots.

Young also made recordings of the parrot's vocalisations, which he used to draw the birds close enough to photograph.

Young is keeping the Night Parrots' western Queensland location secret for now. The fragile environments at the locality, if revealed, could be damaged by well-meaning but perhaps over-enthusiastic birdwatchers. The birds appear to have recently bred, and even relatively small numbers of people could have a serious impact. Disturbance could also interfere with research.

There is also the ongoing threat of illegal bird trade. Secrecy at least provides some restraint on this unscrupulous activity.

Read more at: http://theconversation.com/found-worlds-most-mysterious-bird-but-why-all-the-secrecy-18000
firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095293976357252410.post-16464911452435649772013-12-26T12:55:00.000+11:002014-01-07T13:00:36.980+11:00Australia's 'Bunyip Bird' on the brink

Dubbed Australia's 'bunyip bird', the Australasian Bittern is among the nation's most endangered species, and they've taken a liking to rice crops.

A pilot study conducted last summer identified rice growers as custodians of what appears to be the largest population ever recorded.

Neil Bull from the Ricegrowers' Association of Australia (RGA) said it was very encouraging to confirm a minimum of 70 individuals using rice crops during the 2012-13 season.

"Only a small proportion of rice crops were surveyed, so the actual number was likely to run well into the hundreds. It's now clear that the rice industry can play in a key role in the conservation of bitterns," Mr Bull said.

Bitterns Boom in Rice from BitternsBoomInRice on Vimeo.

Ecologist Matt Herring, who is continuing the bitterns in rice study this season, said there are some key questions to answer in order to help the birds.

"Now that we know rice crops are so important for bitterns, we need to get a more accurate population estimate so that we can monitor them, especially for birds that are breeding," he said.

"We want to get a better idea of what it is about rice crops that bitterns like most.

"Many rice farmers I've spoken to are chuffed to be supporting an endangered species and are keen to adopt bittern-friendly rice-growing guidelines where possible," Mr Herring said.

Andrew Silcocks from Birdlife Australia is encouraging rice farmers to report their sightings of bitterns.

"This is a very poorly-known species and it's a national conservation priority. The more we learn about bitterns, the better chance we'll have of boosting their numbers."

Sightings can be reported online via the Birdlife Australia website.

Read more at: http://www.theland.com.au/news/agriculture/cropping/general-news/bitterns-sweet-returns/2682232.aspxemail@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095293976357252410.post-64053660082239575452013-12-15T10:19:00.002+11:002013-12-15T10:20:13.742+11:00No myth-taking what he saw - it was a big cat!

Weeks after the government declared the Blue Mountains big cat file closed, a Sydney father has spoken of a terrifying encounter with a panther-like creature outside his Riverstone, NSW home.

Peter Russell told NSW Police he feared for his life after being stalked by a large, ''completely foreign'' feline predator at Riverstone, on the fringes of dense national park bushland.

It has been sighted at least 12 times in the Riverstone area in recent years.

On December 5, Mr Russell went to investigate why his neighbour's dogs were acting ''so distressed''.
He said, as he looked along the path that led up the street, a very large, broad, cat-like creature ran straight for him.

''This was definitely no dog,'' he said. ''It had a low rumbling growl. It was between knee and hip height, extremely stocky and very fast. I spun on my heel and ran back towards the house. I didn't know that I was going to make it to the door.

''My mind was completely thrown by what I had just witnessed. I thought I was a goner.''

Mr Russell made it safely inside and called Riverstone police.

''The officer laughed and I acknowledged her reaction was understandable,'' he said. ''But I also explained that if some poor kid ends up being taken, and I hadn't called, I would be left devastated.''

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/animals/blue-mountains-panther-spotted-again-20131214-2ze1p.html#ixzz2nUgwK3zdfirstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095293976357252410.post-54594775037190484982013-11-22T15:10:00.001+11:002013-11-22T15:10:20.091+11:00Tassie Tiger search attracts cranky critics

In November, the CFZ launched a project to find evidence for a surviving population of Thylacines in Tasmania, Australia.

A team of 10 – five from the UK, five from Australia – went 'in search of' the Tasmanian Tiger, the first of several planned expeditions over a two-year period.

While we've had a few bouquets and 'good onyas', we've also received a few brickbats and nasty asides, which is mildly amusing all things considered.

We've even spent some time in the past few days directly responding to some of these ill-founded criticisms.

So here are the general criticisms and our responses to them, to save us time, as we won't be visiting every cyber bolthole to personally respond to critics or address inaccuracies.

~~~

Criticism: It was a success, when clearly it wasn't.

We never claimed it was! Put it down to journalistic licence – not everything you read is going to be verbatim, folks.

The journalist made the quote up (Wow, really? Never!). Her original question was "So it wasn't a roaring success, was it?" His reply: "If you judge the word success as having a body or video of the animal as success, then no, our trip was not a success, but it was successful in that we collected many recent eyewitness statements and some scat for analysis." (Not verbatim, but you get the drift.)

This trip is merely the first stage in a series of largely self-funded trips to be conducted over the next two years to gauge whether there is sufficient evidence of the Thylacine's survival.

You can read our aims here: http://www.cfzaustralia.com/2013/10/toyota-backs-biggest-search-yet-for.html

Criticism: You created the perception that outsiders (outside Tasmania, that is) are coming to solve the mystery!

No, we didn't. We have been liaising with some Tasmanians for many years. We have travelled down almost every year for the past eight years or so.

This is a wildlife mystery that transcends state lines and international borders.

We can't control media interpretations or individual perceptions.

Criticism: We have ignored the previous excellent work by other researchers.

No, we haven't.

We have been at pains to continually mention the work of countless other researchers including some of the luminaries in the field – David Fleay, Stephen Sleightholme, Eric Guiler, Heinz Moeller, Col Bailey, Bob Paddle, and Nick Mooney, to name a few.

Indeed, we are referring to their knowledge to inform what we are doing for our own project.

The media edit, omit and relay information as they see fit – we have no control over the final news product.

Criticism: The time period in the field is too short.

We would have loved to stay longer but we are all governed by financial obligations and mundane work-a-day concerns. This was the first of many trips over a two-year period.

Anyone want to sponsor us for some fulltime research? ☺

Criticism: We had too many people, or we didn't have enough people.

The number of people on the trip is really irrelevant – members were split into teams to canvass areas, set up camera traps and interview witnesses.

There was not, as some people might imagine, a conga line of cryptozoologists shuffling through the Australian bush.

Criticism: We didn't have the right background/expertise/knowledge to be undertaking the expedition.

Bear in mind that many of the great zoological rediscoveries of 'Lazarus' species (those species labelled extinct that have been 'rediscovered') have been made by everyday people, including naturalists (surviving night parrot population), fishermen (coelacanth, subsequently handed to a museum curator), teenagers (the Bermuda petrel was found by a 15yo boy, and subsequently a naturalist and ornithologist), and bushwalkers (the NZ Takahe was discovered by a bushwalker who also happened to be a doctor of medicine).

Many if not all scientists are at some stage informed in their discoveries by the knowledge of local people who are aware of the species but have felt no need to either classify them or study them in-depth. Seldom are these discoveries the work of just one person.

The team collectively is well read on the subject of Thylacines, have studied the scats and tracks of Australian (and in particular Tasmanian) wildlife, and plotted maps of contemporary sightings to inform the direction of the project.

The team is also liaising with scientists and other naturalists over any interesting discoveries we come across.

Like any good expedition, it's all about teamwork both within and beyond the immediate team of people who travelled to Tasmania.

~~~

If you think you can do better by all means get involved – the more the merrier, and we just might collectively achieve something great!

If you think it's all a waste of time, well, that's fine too. But don't waste your time or ours by moaning about it and expecting a reply.

In the meantime, we'll just get on with it. As I'm sure every one of you has had personal experience of by now, the Internet can be a fantastic time sink.

Better we all spend our time doing something rather than just talking about doing, or rubbishing those out there who are doing. We're not the only ones out there looking, after all :-)

And to our loyal readers, supporters, and peers – thanks for rallying behind our multi-faceted project. Let's hope some good comes of it.

firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095293976357252410.post-47905455161777478362013-11-21T19:53:00.001+11:002013-11-21T19:53:35.499+11:00Bunyip billabong retains air of mystery

The legend of the bunyip has lived long in Australian history.

Elders and long-time cattlemen have told of bubbling water, disappearing cattle and eerie sensations throughout the generations.

Several communities claim the mythical creature lurks in their local rivers, but residents in one small Queensland township insist they have the waterhole where the bunyip resides.

The Bunyip Hole at Mulgildie in the upper North Burnett is unsettling.

It's a still pool blanketed with green slime, silent except for the occasional buzz of birds and flies.

Known to bubble and gurgle, some Aboriginal elders believe the hole is connected to a network of underground waterways.

Joan Farrell is the president of the local Bunyip Committee, and says the bunyip has a strong presence in the community.

"I came here in 1975 and I kept hearing about the bunyip at the Bunyip Hole," she said.

"Now, you don't go out there especially on dark and don't swim in it, because you can get dragged down never to be seen again."

She said it was always her aim to see the Bunyip Hole become an attraction.

"It was our 80th year in CWA and money became available, so we decided we would do it," she said.

"Because I've been fascinated; I've had this thing with the bunyip all the time, that I would like to see it become like it is."

On the side of the highway coming into Mulgilde stands a tall statue of the famed bunyip.

He looks like a cross between a crocodile and a small dinosaur, and he's the creation of Brett Benecke.

"We began with a bit of a design and nobody knew what a bunyip looked like so we made something up."

The bunyip statue, which holds a cow's skull in one arm and a lungfish in the other, is made of 6mm plate mild steel and took 18 months to construct.

The tiny 49-house township held its annual bunyip festival on the weekend, which attracted about 250 visitors.

The day was complete with a bunyip pie competition.

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-21/bunyip-legend/5108398

firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095293976357252410.post-14468611831232343012013-11-21T14:49:00.001+11:002013-11-21T14:49:40.910+11:00Will the Dingo join the Thylacine?

The last Tasmanian tiger died a lonely death in the Hobart Zoo in 1936, just 59 days after new state laws aimed at protecting it from extinction were passed in parliament.

But the warning bells about its likely demise had been pealing for several decades before that protection came too late - and today we're making many of the same deadly mistakes, only now it's with dingoes.

Read more at The Conversation.

email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095293976357252410.post-17988026383461065002013-11-20T13:10:00.000+11:002013-11-20T13:10:08.119+11:00Cascade makes Thylacine extinct on label

In what we think is one of the strangest marketing decisions ever made, Tasmanian brewery Cascade has dumped the iconic Tasmanian Tiger from its labels.

As part of its rebranding to tap into the niche market for craft beer, it has ditched the (supposedly extinct) marsupial and replaced it with...a picture of the brewery.

We've also heard Cascade has quietly moved its Thylacine model, the one which used to sit behind the bar, elsewhere in line with the new branding direction. We'll miss that Tiger!

firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095293976357252410.post-13953517800546110762013-11-20T12:07:00.001+11:002013-11-20T12:07:13.686+11:00We're back!

Apologies for disappearing there for a few days - we had some hosting issues while we were down south in Tasmania and too far away (and offline) to do anything about them :-)

Thanks to Guillermo and the Google Apps team for helping us sort everything out. You guys rock!

email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095293976357252410.post-7129517604536411452013-11-13T10:27:00.004+11:002013-11-13T10:29:28.525+11:00Is Thylacine truly extinct? The CFZ team not convinced.

Humans may be responsible for the extinction of the West African black rhinoceros and the Caribbean monk seal, but what about the Tasmanian tiger? A team of zoologists is not so sure.

The Centre for Fortean Zoology (CFZ) recently launched a new hunt for the species, which was once endemic to Australia.

The Thylacinus cynocephalus, commonly called thylacine or Tasmanian tiger for its characteristic stripes, was determined to be extinct as early as 1982.

Researchers are now scouring near Smithton on the island of Tasmania, in an attempt to find evidence that the Tasmanian tiger endures. So far, the team has spoken to several locals who claim to have spotted the creature and have submitted samples of animal feces for DNA testing.

Speaking to The Guardian, CFZ Zoological Director Richard Freeman said he has "no doubt" the species still exists. He told the British newspaper:

The area is so damn remote, there are so many prey species and we have so many reliable witnesses who know the bush that I'd say there is a reasonable population of them left. ... The people who say they've seen it have nothing to gain and everything to lose. I'd say there is a population of at least 300 of them.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the last reported Tasmanian tiger was captured in the wild in 1933 and taken to Tasmania's Hobart Zoo. Believed to be the last of its kind due to the population's decimation by Australian hunters, the animal died after three years in captivity.

The question of whether the Tasmanian tiger is really extinct has plagued zoologists for decades. Every so often, researchers seek to disprove the species' extinct status by searching for new evidence of the thylacine's existence.

Zoologists have been unsuccessful to date, and the Australian government still holds that no conclusive evidence has been uncovered. Until it is, the possible existence of the Tasmanian tiger remains a mystery.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/11/tasmanian-tiger-not-extinct-still-alive_n_4255895.html?ir=Greenfirstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095293976357252410.post-8431413337248739742013-11-12T14:35:00.000+11:002013-11-13T14:36:54.489+11:00Extinct species may be alive

A species long believed to be extinct may be declared alive thanks to a team of British naturalists set on finding the elusive wild animal.

A group from the Centre for Fortean Zoology has began looking for the Tasmanian tiger, also known as the thylacine, in Tasmania's northwest, where clues to the animal's existence have reportedly been found, The Guardian reports.

"[We'll have] a lot of trail cameras, game cameras and we've all got infra-red devices ... just spotlighting, looking for tracks," team member Tony Healy told the Australian Broadcast Corporation.

The last confirmed sighting of a Tasmanian tiger was in 1933, when one was captured and taken to the Hobart Zoo. It died three years later and the species was declared extinct in the 1980s. While there have been numerous sightings since then, none have been confirmed, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

The animal, which looks like a large, long dog with stripes, was usually mute – except while hunting, when it made distinctive yaps. The arrival of European settlers are partially to blame for the Tasmanian tiger's extinction where bounties were placed on thylacines' heads, effectively wiping them out.

Previous photographic searches conducted between 1988 and 1993 were inconclusive. Even the latest expedition has little support from the scientific community. "It would be great to have traditional scientists on board, but most scientists wouldn't put their name to this sort of thing anyway," expedition leader Mike Williams, a landscaper from New South Wales, told The Examiner. "Let's face it, it's not going to enhance your career with this sort of fringe subject."

The team says they have spoken to several "highly credible" witnesses who have seen the Tasmanian tiger, including a forestry worker who reportedly saw the animal in daylight in 2011, and have collected animal feces that could belong to the thylacine which will be sent away for DNA analysis.

Richard Freeman, zoological director for the Centre for Fortean Zoology, firmly believes the Tasmanian tiger still exists. "The area is so damn remote, there are so many prey species and we have so many reliable witnesses who know the bush that I'd say there is a reasonable population of them left," he said. ""The people who say they've seen it have nothing to gain and everything to lose. I'd say there is a population of at least 300 of them."

Read more at: http://www.ibtimes.com/tasmanian-tiger-still-exists-new-hunt-extinct-thylacine-begins-1465120
email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095293976357252410.post-83274168614317121732013-11-12T10:22:00.000+11:002013-11-13T10:23:49.487+11:00Credible witnesses and interesting scats - compelling evidence?

It had been considered extinct for nearly 80 years, but the Tasmanian tiger has been declared alive and kicking by an intrepid group of British naturalists.

A team of investigators from the Centre for Fortean Zoology, which operates from a small farmhouse in north Devon, is currently in Tasmania hunting down clues to prove the thylacine, commonly known as the Tassie tiger, still exists.

The group claims to have gathered compelling evidence of the thylacine's presence in remote parts of Tasmania's north-west, despite the last known animal dying in Hobart Zoo on 7 September 1936.

The Centre for Fortean Zoology said it has talked to several "highly credible" witnesses of the thylacine and has found animal faeces that could belong to the beast. The droppings have been preserved in alcohol and are being sent awayfor DNA analysis.

The cryptozoologist team, which has previously attempted to find the yeti and boasts that has evidence of a mysterious Indonesian ape that walks on two legs, is one week into a fortnight-long trip to discover if the thylacine still exists.

Richard Freeman, zoological director of the organisation, told Guardian Australia he has "no doubt" the species still roams isolated areas of Tasmania.

"The area is so damn remote, there are so many prey species and we have so many reliable witnesses who know the bush that I'd say there is a reasonable population of them left," he said. "I'd say there are more of them around in the world than Javan rhinos." The World Wildlife Fund estimates that there are just 35 Javan rhinos left.

Freeman said he had spoken to a forestry worker who had seen an animal in daylight in 2011 which was distinctive because of its striped rear end, long stiff tail and "weird rolling motion, almost like a cow" when it walked.

A government wildlife marksman and several local people had spotted the same distinctive type of animal in recent years, Freeman said.

He admitted that no pawprints or dead thylacines have been found, attributing this to the sparse rocky ground of the region and the ferociousness of Tasmanian devils, which swiftly devour animal corpses when they discover them.

However, Freeman said he had heard reports of distinctive thylacine kills, where prey is effectively disembowelled, as well as the discovery of the droppings.

"If we get the DNA from them, that'll be interesting," he said. "They are far too big for a Tasmanian devil and it can't be a dog. Why would a dog be so far out there? It's a very remote area.

"We've been baiting and also setting up camera traps. We've seen a lot of devils and a feral cat, but nothing else so far. It's only been up for a week, though, and it can take months. In the UK, we saw deer, otters and even a woman taking a pee on a bush before we saw anything interesting."

The thylacine, which looked much like a striped, elongated dog, was zealously hunted by European settlers. They were trapped, snared, shot and poisoned, due to fears the animal would ravage sheep stocks.

Several attempts have been found to prove the animal still exists, although the Tasmanian government states that there is "no conclusive evidence" it lives on.

That won't deter Freeman, who plans several return trips to prove mainstream science wrong.

"I'll be coming back again and again," he said. "The people who say they've seen it have nothing to gain and everything to lose. I'd say there is a population of at least 300 of them.

Read more at: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/11/zoologists-on-the-hunt-for-tasmanian-tiger-declare-no-doubt-species-still-alive
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Iški Vintgar All sport climbing38 routes in crag
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'Twilight' Author Stephenie Meyer Producing, 'Napoleon Dynamite' Co-Writer Jerusha Hess Making Directorial Debut
If you've been feeling a strange, nagging void in the part of your soul where you keep your love for costume drama, there's a reason for that: we've somehow gone four years without a major Jane Austen-centered movie. Sure, Bollywood flick "Aisha" borrowed the plot of "Emma," and "From Prada to Nada" was (very) loosely based on "Sense & Sensibility," but given the wealth of adaptations, and even biographical entries like "Becoming Jane" and "Miss Austen Regrets" that appeared in the middle of the last decade, it doesn't quite compare.
Never fear, however: "Pride & Prejudice & Zombies" is finally creaking forward (assuming it can find a lead, Emma Stone having turned the project down recently), and now a contemporary rom-com riffing on the legendary author is just getting underway. The Hollywood Reporter brings news that filming starts this week on "Austenland," an adaptation of the novel by Shannon Hale, which marks the directorial debut of Jerusha Hess.
If Hess rings a bell, it's because she's the wife and writing partner of Jared Hess, the pair having worked together on "Napoleon Dynamite," "Nacho Libre" and "Gentlemen Broncos," but she's going solo for this project, having co-written the script with Hale. The plot involves a single woman in her thirties whose love life has been ruined by her obsession with Austen's creation Mr. Darcy, the romantic lead in "Pride & Prejudice." She spends her life savings on a trip to the U.K. to visit Austenland, a theme park catering to fellow obsessives, and meets an actor there more than a little reminiscent of her love.
"Felicity" star Keri Russell takes the lead, while rising star J.J. Feild, who'll next be seen as Union Jack in "Captain America: The First Avenger" (and has Austen cred, playing Henry Tilney in an ITV adaptation of "Northanger Abbey" opposite Felicity Jones and Carey Mulligan a few years back) will play her love interest. Christopher Guest veteran Jennifer Coolidge will play a crude American tourist, while "Flight of the Conchords" star Bret McKenzie, veteran actress Jane Seymour ("Wedding Crashers"), Rupert Vansitartt, who appeared in the BBC "Pride & Prejudice" with Colin Firth, and "Battlestar Galactica" star James Callis are also on board the cast.
Perhaps most importantly for a certain segment of the audience, the producer is someone who knows more than a little about writing literary figures that millions are obsessed with: "Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer is making her producing debut, financing the film through her company, Fickle Fish Films, having called the book on its jacket "Adorable! This is the best tribute to obsessed Austen freaks (like me) that I've ever read."
We're far from convinced yet: the cast is faintly promising, but the material sounds like it has a real of risk of being patronizing, and Hess' writing work is fairly infuriating. But if she can break away from the insular tweeness of "Napoleon Dynamite," maybe the film will turn out more "Bridget Jones' Diary" than, well, "Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason." The film's shooting now in the U.K, and, as long as distributors pick it up, we should see it sometime in 2012.


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Rabbit at Rest (1990)
by John Updike
No current Talk conversations about this book.
At times I really enjoyed reading this book with its spot on observations on modern life (1980's) that were often so witty and humorous. That said, I really couldn't finish it as it was such slow going with all those distracting flashbacks and endless descriptions of trees, and streets and whatever before the narrator would get around to some action to move the plot and dialogue on. Plus, it seems pointless to be so patient to get through all the description when the protagonist is such a creep: self-centered and self-serving, only slightly morally improved from his youth (Run Rabbit Run- I did get through that one). Seems life didn't teach him much. A pretty depressing and cynical progression overall.
It felt like I was on a long winding road to nowhere, but with detailed descriptions of everything and everyone in sight. A newspaper on the kitchen table was where I stopped ... flipping to the end of the book there was another newspaper. Good for a laugh!
Without a doubt, "Rabbit at Rest" is the best of the series. I did not want it to end.
In the opening scene Harry Angstrom is 55 years old and is feeling tired and used up. He is no longer remembered as Rabbit- champ of the local high school basketball team. In fact, he and Janice are spending the cold winter months in Florida, and it's a trying challenge for Harry to play a decent golf game with the older Jewish crowd. Harry is overweight, out of shape, and ornery as ever.
Aside from his health issues, Harry is still having family problems. Janice has outlived the chauvinistic rituals and insists on having a career. And 32 year old Nelson? I don't want to give away the entire plot but will say that Nelson is a mess. He's running the Toyota dealership... that is- running it into the ground. And he is heavily into doing drugs.
"Rabbit at Rest" beautifully reflects the late 1980's. There are lots of references to current events and cultural norms: the Florida snowbirds, shopping trends for cars, clothing and housing, drug use, and the medical industry.
Harry has a heart attack. His treatment and recovery- told from his own perspective- is both profound and amusing. And I imagine 25 years ago when the book was first published, and the angioplasty was a relatively new procedure, it made for interesting reading.
The most impressive thing about Updike's writing is the dialogue which encompasses a huge portion of the story. His conversations with his grand-daughter are funny and insightful. They show a very caring, human side to Harry. He really does have a big heart under all his smutty, abrasive observations and the crude arrogant interaction he has with others.
His sexual appetite is the one thing that is consistent throughout the series. Harry is a man of uncontrollable urges and little self control. A lot of Harry's behavior is shocking and unforgivable. He is so far out of control that it is hopeless to advocate for his redemption. By the end of the series, however, you can almost feel sorry for him.
It was a fascinating experience reading all the intimate details of a man's personal life.
Looking back on the entire series, the first two books "Rabbit Run" and "Rabbit Redux" offered colorful images, but vague details. It was almost as though the older Rabbit was looking back on his past. The final two books, "Rabbit is Rich" and "Rabbit at Rest" seem to be in the here and now- alive and vibrant- bigger than life. Perhaps that is because Updike's writing skills improved with each new story. Or maybe Harry Angstrom took on a life of his own… with intensity and passion the plot builds to a crescendo. Harry Rabbit Angstrom is one of the most authentic fictional characters I've ever encountered.
Thank you Mr. Updike.
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and the National Book Award.
I read the first Rabbit book and then this one, the last in that series, thirty years later. My younger self liked Rabbit, Run a lot--five stars worth. But then I was put off, over then years, by essays written by Updike in NYRB and some general things I read about him, including the opinions of others--including moves based upon his books, like The Witches of Eastwick--which influenced me, which is to say I foolishly formed some secondhand preconceptions.
At any rate, recently I've been reading authors whom I've had these nebulous, prejudicial attitudes about--often contemporary or almost contemporary writers, like Philip Roth and Saul Bellow (I discovered I don't care for Bellow, whom I find turgid, and can only take a few of Roth's books, because of his sexual o0bsessions). And then I came to this one Rabbit at Rest, which I thought superlative.
Rabbit at Rest is the fourth and final installment of the tetralogy written by John Updike, featuring as its protagonist, Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom. This book follows Rabbit Run, Rabbit Redux and Rabbit is Rich which follow the life of Angstrom in his hometown of Mt. Judge, near Brewster, Pennsylvania. When we left Rabbit at the conclusion of Rabbit is Rich, he has settled into a comfortable middle class lifestyle as the successful owner (through his wife Janice) and operator of a Toyota dealership in Brewster. He is a country club member and a pillar of the community, experiencing some mid-life crises, mainly having to do with his ne'er-do-well, college-aged Nelson with whom he has a running conflict.
Rabbit at Rest finds Angstrom roughly ten years later, semi-retired and spending winters in Florida with his wife Janice while Nelson runs the family dealership.
The time frame is the late 80s, George Bush, the elder, is President, and cocaine is the drug of choice. Most of the action centers upon Rabbit's dysfunctional relationship with his son and the resulting conflict which necessarily develops between he, his wife and daughter-in-law as the prodigal son systematically destroys the family legacy. Rabbit's declining health and his relationship with his grandchildren are also story lines.
While much of the writing is entertaining and very well done, it must be noted that at times, Updike seems to fly off on wild screeds of florid, almost unintelligible prose that leave the reader simply rolling his eyes. In fact, I found this annoying trait to be far more common in this installment than in the previous three. I lost count of the number of ways Updike describes the smells and tastes of female body parts in various states of arousal.
Nevertheless, the characters contained in the story are well presented and fleshed out beautifully, even some of the more peripheral players. All in all, this is a fascinating look at life during the late 80s, from the perspective of a middle class, Pennsylvania family, though Rabbit and his circumstances can hardly be viewed as representative. In fact, each of the four installments acts as an in-depth look at American society, and taken as whole give an accurate depiction of American life and societal mores from the late 50s through 1990. As such, the series is quite instructive, immensely entertaining and for someone of my generation, quite reflective.
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Wikipedia in English (1)
Amazon.com Amazon.com Review (ISBN 0449911942, Paperback)It's 1989, and Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom feels anything but restful. In fact he's frozen, incapacitated by his fear of death--and in the final year of the Reagan era, he's right to be afraid. His 55-year-old body, swollen with beer and munchies and racked with chest pains, wears its bulk "like a set of blankets the decades have brought one by one." He suspects that his son Nelson, who's recently taken over the family car dealership, is embezzling money to support a cocaine habit.
Indeed, from Rabbit's vantage point--which alternates between a winter condo in Florida and the ancestral digs in Pennsylvania, not to mention a detour to an intensive care unit--decay is overtaking the entire world. The budget deficit is destroying America, his accountant is dying of AIDS, and a terrorist bomb has just destroyed Pan Am Flight 103 above Lockerbie, Scotland. This last incident, with its rapid transit from life to death, hits Rabbit particularly hard:
Imagine sitting there in your seat being lulled by the hum of the big Rolls-Royce engines and the stewardesses bring the clinking drinks caddy... and then with a roar and giant ripping noise and scattered screams this whole cozy world dropping away and nothing under you but black space and your chest squeezed by the terrible unbreathable cold, that cold you can scarcely believe is there but that you sometimes actually feel still packed into the suitcases, stored in the unpressurized hold, when you unpack your clothes, the dirty underwear and beach towels with the merciless chill of death from outer space still in them.Marching through the decades, John Updike's first three Rabbit novels--Rabbit, Run (1960), Rabbit Redux (1971), and Rabbit Is Rich (1981)--dissect middle-class America in all its dysfunctional glory. Rabbit at Rest (1990), the final installment and winner of the Pulitzer Prize, continues this brilliant dissection. Yet it also develops Rabbit's character more fully as he grapples with an uncertain future and the consequences of his past. At one point, for example, he's taken his granddaughter Judy for a sailing expedition when his first heart attack strikes. Rabbit gamely navigates the tiny craft to shore--and then, lying on the beach, feels a paradoxical relief at having both saved his beloved Judy and meeting his own death. (He doesn't, not yet.) Meanwhile, this all-American dad feels responsible for his son's full-blown drug addiction but incapable of helping him. (Ironically, it's Rabbit's wife Janice, the "poor dumb mutt," who marches Nelson into rehab.)
His misplaced sense of responsibility--plus his crude sexual urges and racial slurs--can make Rabbit seems less than lovable. Still, there's something utterly heroic about his character. When the end comes, after all, it's the Angstrom family that refuses to accept the reality of Rabbit's mortality. Only Updike's irreplaceable mouthpiece rises to the occasion, delivering a stoical, one-word valediction: "Enough." --Rob McDonald
(retrieved from Amazon Thu, 12 Mar 2015 18:19:50 -0400)
Ex-basketball player Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom has acquired heart trouble, a second grandchild, and he is looking for a reason to live.
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THE READING ROOMS, pet-friendly riverside cottage, woodburner, walks from door, National Park, near Buckden Ref 5414
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Description This detached cottage in Oughtershaw near Buckden sleeps four people in two bedrooms. The Reading Rooms in Oughtershaw is a detached riverside cottage in the heart of the National Park. The cottage has a mezzanine reading area on the first floor but everything else is at ground floor level - there are two king-size double bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen with dining area and a sitting room with woodburning stove. Outside is off road parking for two cars, and a riverside garden with furniture. The Reading Rooms offers good walking from the doorstep, including along the Dales Way, which passes through Oughtershaw, making this an ideal base for exploring ...Read more
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Steve McCurry - Stolen Childhoods
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Hulamike • Senior Member • Posts: 2,810
Re: there you go sweet cheeks.
Geeze. I'm hungry all of a sudden.
Regarding the images there does seem to be something lacking. Despite the dire circumstances, these are the kind of staged faces one sees on late night TV asking for donations to UNICEF. Their sweetness belies their predicament and so they do seem contrived.
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Bring the pain.
The PSP is a video game, movie and MP3 player all-in-one. In addition, you can play multi-player games wirelessly. I believe there's about 20 games that are already available and at least 1 movie: Spider Man 2. Other movies are being released in April. The format for the video game and movies is not a standard CD or DVD; it's called UMD (Universal Media Disk) and it can hold up to 1.8 gig of data.
It just doesn't seem worth it if you have to rebuy all the dvd's you already own. You might as well just buy a portable DVD player for like 100 bucks at walmart. That way you still have 150 bucks to spend on your bike.
I ride a stuntman tough frame on a cappochino pullers paycheck.
The graphics are kick ass, the only problem is the batt is like 2 hours. Trust me I am an only Ps2 guy, if the batterywas longer I would get it.Originally Posted by paintballdude
Got one for my hubby's B-day on Saturday. The thing is kick*ss compared to the rest of the gadgets out there. Now I am glad we never got him the Nintendo DS. The graphics are as good as any computer. Right now it is coming with the movie Spiderman and the graphics are as good as watching it on my good Television.
Definitely worth it IMO... Came with earphones, remote, carrying case and memory card. You can hook it up to the PC via USB to download other movies if you like..
It might be a bit before any new games/movies come out, but I can't wait..
I picked one up yesterday. It is awesome!!
More like 4 hours...Originally Posted by hi565
Originally Posted by Original 6
yah true...
Damn now i want one!!!!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAH!!! My friend came out at recess today and one of my other friends bumped into him, at that same moment he was taking out his brand new PSP that he just got yesterday. It hit the concrete and BAM! Broken...$240 only for it to be smashed. After awhile he managed to fix the sceen but it was still pretty scratched up. You think he'd be smart enough to not bring it to school.
4 hours still isnt very long, does it use its own special battery or AAsOriginally Posted by Original 6
Recess.... what is this grade 5?Originally Posted by madbiker555
Fine "lunch" break, Im in grade 8. They call it recess but that makes it sound childish.
It has a special battery.Originally Posted by dirtjumpP.1
Not likely. I believe they've already sold about a million of them and some stores, like Best Buy, are already sold out and taking back orders.Originally Posted by MERTON
My son is getting one and I'm thinking of getting one for myself. I don't have a DVD player or an MP3 player. So, I might get just the PSP (no package) and use it when I commute on the train.
I'd kill for some recess. seriously, kill!
I am Signature-less
Not a good idea, it can't hold many songs and it takes small DVDs. You could burn DVDs to a smaller disc using your computer but that sounds like too much work just to be used for commuting.Originally Posted by DEK
How many hours of music can you get on it? Also do you have to pay for the online services?
I ride a stuntman tough frame on a cappochino pullers paycheck.
As to the PS3, I'm going to E3...I'll let you know *winks*
"Riding bikes on the street is the fuggin jam!" Juvi-Kyle
Originally Posted by Original 6
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text:
Issue date: Wednesday, October 24, 1956
Pages available: 42
Previous edition: Tuesday, October 23, 1956
Next edition: Thursday, October 25, 1956
Publication name: Winnipeg Free Press
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Pages available: 2,360,014
Years available: 1874 - 2016Learn more about this publication
Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - October 24, 1956, Winnipeg, Manitoba Free Press Phone Number 93-9331 All departments Including clarified ads. Final Edition Press The Weather Winnipeg: Cloudy, clearing Thursday after- noon. Little change in temperature. Winds west 15. Low tonight and high Thursday, 35 and 45. VOL. 64 NO. 22 42 PACFS Single Copy Price 5 cents Weekend Edition With Comics 10 cents WINNIPEG, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1956 Sun. rises 7.05 a.m. Moon rises 9.21 p.m. Sun sets 5.20 p.m. Moon seti 12.21 p.m. FORECAST: CLOUDY Drive For U.S. Canada Hopes To Lure Trained Men North By VICTOR MACKIE OTTAWA (Special) Plans are being made by the federal government to try to reverse the" steady [low of professional man- power that is draining from Canada to the United States many of the trained men badly needed in Canadian industry. There has developed a drive by U.S. industry to attract Canadians across the border. This has re- sulted in a mounting tide nf trained Canadians moving south to take up residence and jobs, through Winnipeg and other major Canadian centres where American consuls are located. The Canadian government has decided to launch its. own campaign to raid the U.S. store of "trained one official explained here today. See'u.S. BRAINS Page 5 The outsize statue of Sta- lin that overshadowed Bu- dapest was the first tar- get of anti-Communist in- surgents in the Hungarian capital. Lower picture shows Hie Russian techni- que in Europe, with I heir tanks crushing' popular de- mand for freedom. Today it is happening: in Hungary. Last time it took place in" Berlin. BUDAPEST IN FLAMES oviet Tanks Battle ungarian MAO AND TITO SEND BEST WISHES WASHINGTON (Special-NYHT) According to a re- liable report, Chinese Communist President Mao Tse- tung was the first major Communist figure to congratu- late Wladyslaw Gomulka, newly-elected Politburo chief of the Polish Workers (Communist) party. The second congratulatory telegram came from Presi- dent Marshal Tito of Yugoslavia, and the third Gero, Hungarian party boss. The telegram of congratulation's from the Red Chinese leader was delivered with pointed swiftness and within only a few hours of Mr. Gomulka's selection as the Polish Com- munist party boss. Mr. Gomulka's possession of the three telegrams made It plain to the Kremlin that any move against the Poles would put Russia at odds with its Communist Chinese comrades in the Far East and revive danger of a new break with Marshal Tito. b QUEBEC (CP) A student isj due to appear in municipal court I today following his arrest Tues- day night on a charge of drunk- enness and disorderly conduct; during masg demonstrations. Police said the 21-year-old stu-! dent was injured slightly on the nose when they arrested him at Place d'Youville where he was in- sulting passers-by, striking cars and obstructing traffic. Other students tried to tip overj the police car when the officers! arrested him. The arrest came as milling (APl_preraier from the Politburo last versity students pelted Quebec told the He asserted, however, that legislature building with eggs, to-1 forcefullv Wednesday Poland's re-jin the future Russian troops in I matoes and oranges and de- lations with the Soviet Union in (Poland will be restricted ex- mancled a "positive and concrete the future will be based on fulljclusivcly to bases granted by attitude of any type- by the pro- vincial government on the ques- tion of financial aid to universities, mostly staged Some 1.000 students, from Laval University, Communist boss is'ikita Khrush- chev had backed clown in his quar- rel with the Poles and apologized. Responsible sources also re- day-long demonstrations in front Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski, of the legislature and on Quebec Roman Catholic primate of Po- land, will be released in a 'few streets. They had gone there to days if the situation in Poland con- back requests by a 12 student i tinues quiet. The informants said group for an interview with Pre- the cardinal's release was dis- cussed Tuesday by Wladyslaw mier Duplessis. Mr. Duplessis refused them. Student representatives of members val, McGill University, Sir George general support to see I Gomulka. the new party boss, and n dplegation of Catholic parlia- who expressed for Gomulka's Williams College and the univerei- independent Socialism, ties of Montreal and Sherbrooke got together later in the and adopted a motion calling for a "positive and concrete attitude" by the Quebec government. Mr. Cyrankiewicz, scheduled to fly to Moscow this week, indica- ted Marshal Konstantin Rokossoy- sky remains in good standing in the Communist party, despite his next week. "We want to base the relations between our nations and- parlies on the principles of equality and rid ourselves of anything which could contradict these Cyrankiewicz said. In the next few days, he said, all Russian troops will be sta- tioned exclusively at bases whose existence stems from interna- tional treaties. Reflecting the ever-present Polish fear of Ger- nian reunification, Mr. Cyrankew- icz added: "These treaties are dictated by our security, especially in the face ol German revisionism." Mr. Cyrankiewicz said members of the Polish Communist Polit- buro will meet with members of the Soviet Communist presidium THE PROFESSOR VS. THE PEOPLE TORONTO sociologist] der of a typical fast-growing On- who wrote a report questioning the moral standards of residents of suburban'Highland Creek said Tuesday: "If I'd known it was going to be made public. I wouldn't have written the report." Prof. S. D. Clark of the Univer- sity of Toronto prepared the 23- page report on economic and so-, cial developments in Scarborough township for a research group' which is to make a study of the area. It described the Highland Creek resident as a man who could set up housekeeping with a common- tario community. Prof. Clark said he did not have an opportunity to edit his report for the press. "It was written in longhand, Peter Lewicki, 34, of 517 Rjver- ton avenue was seriously injured law wife without inviting the Wednesday morning when he fell sure of his neighbors; a man from the new Eaton car-park whose heavy expenditures in beer parlors kept him poor. Highland Creekers didn't take it lightly. MP PROTESTS Richard E. Button, Progressive Conservative member of the On- tario legislature for York Scar- borough, said the ereport was "mean, contemptible, filthy slan- being built on Hargraye street. Police said Mr. Lewicki, an em- ployee of Claydon Construction Co., was in "very poor" .condition in Winnipeg General hospital. At press time hospital officials said the victim. was still in the X-ray room and the extent of his injuries had not yet been deter- mined. and it was my understanding it was purely confidential. It was written with no thought on my part that all these statements were necessarily true, but to pro- voke discussion among the group." He said he was not referring to the whole population of Highland Creek, but only to a certain type of individual who is more readily found in that part of Scarborough than in other parts. UNFORTUNATE TAG "I wouldn't venture to say there was even one per cent of resi- dents who are like this. "The term Highland Creek resi-. dent, which I first defined as one particular sociological type as op- posed to the general Scarborough resident, was an unfortunate tag. "I only meant that I had found more of this type in Highland Creek than in Scarborough gen- erally. If I'd known the report was to be released to the'.press, I would have chosen the name more carefully. Some of my col- leagues live in Highland Creek." With 'onuses (CP) Troops Tlle provincial political arena has been suddenly brought to life stood by here' Wednesday as a crowd of students brought traffic to a standstill by marching through Warsaw streets shouting "down with Russia." About 50 armed troops on motorcycles drove along streets parallel to the marching stu- dents. Fire engines were brought out and made ready. Despite an earnest appeal for an end to demonstrations, the students gathered less than four hours later. PRISONERS RELEASED LONDON (Reuters) Warsaw- Radio reported Wednesday that'94 prisoners were released from Poz- nan prison Tuesday under an or- der to revise all indictments re- sulting from the June 28 riots in the west Polish city. FLYING COPS CAPETOWN (Reuters) Pass- ers-by were startled when they saw seven policemen climb through a window in the magis- trate's court building at Beaufort west and jump into a flower bed. They had been writing their ex- aminations and were accidentally locked in the building. Anti- Communist Figkters Defy Ultimatum BULLETIN VIENNA (Reuters) The Hungarian gov- ernment tonight de- clared a state of emer- gency throughout the country, Budapest Radio reported. The radio said heavy fight- ing was still going on near the city's Karoly Robert barracks. By RICHARD KASISCHKE VIENNA (AP) Radio Budapest afternoon said that Wednesday Communist It Looks Like A Record Vote Early Balloting In Winnipeg Hits A New Higli Spurred by the referendums liquor and a hot mayoralty contest, Winnipeggers were turning out to vote Wednesday in what looked like the biggest numbers in city history. Spot checks at six polling divi- sions at noon showed that approxi- mately 6.2 per cent of the eligjble voters had already cast their ballots. This compares with about 5.4 per cent at the same hour in both 1954 and 1952 when the highest percentage of voters in recent city history exercised their franchise. Here is a comparison of the number of citizens who had voted at noon today compared with the TUNIS Sultan Mohammed V glumly ordered a plane home Wednesday. He and Tunisian leaders broke off talks interrupted when France seized five Algerian rebel leaders and cnranged the Arab world. Mindful of the ruse France used to capture the leaders of the Al- gerian rebellion, the sultan's household made clear he would not travel in a French plane. The sultan came to Tunisia to warplanes had joined tanks and machine-gunners in the fierce battle to crush the anti-Soviet and presumably anti Communist rebellion gripping t h e Hungarian capital. Budapest radio announced to- night that the anti-Soviet rebels fighting Russian and Hungarian soldiers in Budapest had defied the latest Hungarian government ultimatum to surrender and con- tinued their battle. Russians tanks by the dozens were reported rolling through the streets and firing on blazing build- ings. Budapest Radio reported "numerous soldiers, .citizens and .members of the security forces" were slain in wild, riotous fighting which burgeoned from peaceful demonstrations against Moscow Tuesday night. 150 Dead A Westerner who reached War- saw from Budapest said 150 per- sons were reported killed as tanks fought the rebels outside the Hun- garian parliament building. Budapest radio announced sol- diers had captured a machinery plant where rebels held out for three hours. It appealed to wives and trade unions to dissuade men from joining the demonstrations.: I T. same time in 1954, when the last mayoralty election was held, and in 1952 when the modern record turnout of 54.8 per cent of the elec- torate was marked up. Ward One 1956 1954 1952 Gordon Bell 209 223 254 Kelvin 242 234 337 Ward Two: City Hall 211 174 144 Isbister 192 162 149 Ward Three: St. John's Tech. 125 76 53 Aberdeen 66 60 53 Polls close at 9 p.m. and count- ing of the mayoralty, aldermanic and school trustee ballots plus the _i_i _i i_i_ confer on a purported plan tc> scllooi and bridge money bylaw bring peace to and weld it wjll b in immediately. i nniir nf Tvnrrh Africa i- into a new union of North Africa. The French trick which di- verted the planeload of rebel chiefs to French-run Algiers and waiting French troops instead of their destination in independent Tunis kicked up a storm on both sides of the Mediterranean. The action touched off riots' and pro- test strikes in both Tunisia and Morocco, Arab mobs killed nine Results of the mayoralty vote, the school and bridge bylaws and the first count of the aldermanic and school trustee votes should be known late. tonight. At city hall a staff of about 25 has been hired to count the liquor referendum ballots, beginning Thursday morning. It may be Fri- day night before the final liquor of them in the Moroccan town of Meknes. See N. AFRICA Page 5 Court Restores Fitton Conviction OTTAWA Supreme Court of Canada today restored the conviction of Robert Fitton, convicted of the sex slaying of a POLITICAL GUESSING Just how the big turnout will affect the mayoralty election was not clear. But political observers felt that one fact was significant. In St. Boniface five days ago, as in Winnipeg Wednesday the peo- ple were voting on liquor. But the St. Boniface turnout was little bet- ter than usual. What then made the Winnipeg advance poll double the 1954 ad- vance? What was pushing Wed- execution date. The 21-year-old Toronto mail truck driver was convicted last raging into this afternoon in the city of some t h e n e w of Premier Imre by Premier D. L. Campbell's an- nouncement of a by-election in thej interlake riding of St. George, andj there are signs of a no-holds-bar- red battle shaping up for the seat. Wednesday Duff Roblin, provin- cial Conservative leader, was re- ported in the area laying the groundwork for his campaign. Also in the riding was B. H. Remple, provincial leader of the Social Credit. Lloyd Stinson, CCF lead- er, was preoccupied with his party's activities in the Winnipeg civic election, but he was sched- uled to go into the constituency Friday for a general "look see." The Liberals have scheduled a nominating convention for Lundar. Nov. 1, and Mr. Roblin has stated categorically that his party will make a fight to capture the Liber- al stronghold, formerly held by Chris Halldorson, whose death last month created the vacancy. Doubts still remain, however, as to .whether CCF and Social Credit will enter the race, and decisions by these parties are expected by the end of this week. All through the night students, workers, off-duty soldiers and oth- shouted for trial last June. m government o remier rf A rf d Nagy extended an ultimatum, zero I i__i. TV._. hour for surrender of the rebels to 6 p.m. Budapest time (11 a.m. CST.) In an apparent gesture of ap- peasement to the rebels, Commu- nist leaders had removed Andras Hegedus as premier and installed Nagy. who was purged in 1955. set Nov. 21 as mornjng's higher 'than all records for parallel per- iods of time? Was liquor more an issue in Winnipeg than in St. Boniface? If not, the mayoralty election and not liquor may be pulling out the large numbers in Winnipeg. See VOTING Page 6 ronto and was sentenced to be hanged. However the Ontario Soviet troops from Hungary. But when the Communist government tjave in to the demands for Nagy, apparently the rebels were not to be appeased without some indica- tion the Russians would get out. See HUNGARY Page 6 Temperatures Maximum, minimum temperatures and precipitation readings tor 2-1 hour period, ending S.30 a.m. Oct. -M were: Vancouver Calsary Edmonton Swill. Current Retina....... Saskatoon Brandon Max. Fort William Ottawa Toronto Halifax 40 43 60 69 Min. IS 34 34 36 U 2G LOOKING FOR A "PLAYER This want ad under "Musical Instruments." MASON AND RISCH MAHOGANY case, player piano, with approx- imately 100 rolls. S175. VErnon 2-233S. is among.the hundreds of bargains in today's classified section. No matter what you need, shop and save in Free Press want ads. Another Great Free Press Feature The Story Of My Early Life Sir Winston Churchill Starting Friday (Read Sir Winston's own preface in tomorrow's Free Press] By DON COOK LONDON (Special NYHT) French Foreign Minister Christian Pineau paid an unexpected and unannounced visit to London Tues- day night to have dinner with Foreign Secretary Rt. Hon. Sel wyn Lloyd and Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden to co-ordinate the next moves in the Suez crisis. The French foreign minister ar- rived with almost no prior an- nouncement in a French military aircraft at London airport and was driven immediately to the official residence of the Foreign Secretary at No. 1 Carlton Gar- dens, where Sir Anthony joined the party for dinner. Diplomatic sources reported that the visit is understood to have followed messages from UN Sec- retary-General Dag Hammarsk- jold in New York on the possibility of renewing talks with Egypt. The dinner party discussion centered on an Anglo-French response. COMMON'S RETURNS Meanwhile, the House of Com- mons returned from its summer recess Tuesday, its political knives sharpened by the recent Conser- vative and Labor party confer- ences, and immediately plunged into a discussion of the two prime national the Suez Canal Free Press Flies United Nations Flag In honor of United Nations Day which is being celebrated throughout all member na- tions of the UN, the UN flag is today being flown from the courtesy flagstaff' the Free Press Building. dispute and abolition of the death penalty. Mr. Lloyd reviewed the events since the House debated the Suez situation in mid-September. See SUEZ Page 6 Continued TodaysSChiickle Californian visiting in Texas: "Now in my state we can grow a tree like that one over there in about a year. How long did it take you to grow Texan: "Can't say for sure. But it wasn't there yesterday." You Will Find Main Inside Page No. News 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, S, 9 20 Radio and TV 10 Hollywood Column 11 Entertainment 11 Comics 13 14 Social News 15 to IS Deaths and Funerals 21 Sports............... 24 to 27 Finance 37 38 Special Features: Billy Graham 4 Greener Thumbs 9 Medical Memos 12 Jumble Contest 28 Soviet Youth Article Page 2 There's Still Time To Vote-Polls Close At 9p.m. ;


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Sustainable Business
based in Annandale, VIRGINIA (USA)
SustainableBusiness.com`s role includes finding consulting work, the green job of a lifetime or experienced employees that are committed to sustainability. Green Dream Jobs is our very popular job service that connects people with business skills with environmentally conscious nonprofits, government agencies and businesses.
Green Translations
based in OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA (USA)
Green Translations is a full-service language consulting agency using its language skills to help with the problem of Global Warming. Our more than 200 language professionals are experts in at least one field of translation, are furnished with credentials and diplomas, and always natives of the country they work on. The agency has been in business for more than 11 years ...
based in Wembley, UNITED KINGDOM
Green-Works is an award-winning registered charity and social enterprise dedicated to radically changing the way society thinks about waste. Our aim is to turn redundant office furniture into an asset and a resource. Using the 4 R`s we aim to, Reduce, Re-use Remanufacture or Recycle all unwanted office furniture, diverting it from landfill. Green-Works not only removes ...
Green Running
based in Bath, UNITED KINGDOM
A leader in technology, Green Running Ltd has been designing and manufacturing energy monitoring and power saving products since 2008. Green Running's eController utilises automated reporting software that highlights specific power saving opportunities by analysing all critical power data. Green Running's eAnalyser is the perfect portable energy monitor for sustainability ...
Bright Green
based in San Diego, CALIFORNIA (USA)
Bright Green's mission is to identify and develop the talent to shape a better world, by helping organisations with an environmental or CSR agenda recruit and retain the best people they need to grow and be agents of positive change. We look after a community of talented individuals with the skills and values to drive these organisations forward, and help these ...
Environmental Business International (EBI)
based in San Diego, CALIFORNIA (USA)
Environmental Business International (EBI) offers strategic business information in the form of Newsletters - world renowned Environmental Business Journal and Asia EBJ. We also offer comprehensive reports on all segments of the environmental industry. Our in-depth reports on such topics as the Water Industry, Consulting & Engineering, Remediation, etc. provide ...
Green Education On Line
based in Tampa, FLORIDA (USA)
corporations and those in government globally are looking for training resources for sustainability planning for both internal training of their own employees and a training series to offer affiliate organizations so they can train their employees who have not yet discovered a good, comprehensive source of existing materials. Green Education On Line meets this need in the ...