Bill Gates:
What would you say is the most dangerous animal on Earth? Sharks? Snakes? Humans?
Of course the answer depends on how you define dangerous. Personally I’ve had a thing about sharks since the first time I saw Jaws. But if you’re judging by how many people are killed by an animal every year, then the answer isn’t any of the above. It’s mosquitoes. …
Gates Notes – Mosquito Week
(via Bill Gates on Facebook)
The biggest split is on Obamacare.
They are not all that far apart on Immigration and Education.
Nate Silver – Like Bush, Many Republicans Are Moderate on Immigration
You can SHOP for both in Mauritius. 🙂
Thanks Fernando.
… but they are far, far better than the alternative.
When a global effort to end polio was launched in 1988, the disease crippled more than 200,000 children every year in India. Almost two decades later, in 2009, India still reported half of the world’s new cases — 741 out of 1,604.
The development of the Salk and Sabine vaccines helped lead to eradication of polio in the United States in 1979. In India, too, vaccination was critical. …
Put it on the “list”.
Lake Windermere is has the longest maintained ice surface in British Columbia, named ‘The Whiteway‘ this ice surface is used by skaters, skiers, anglers, cyclists, pedestrians, and more. Over the winter months each year the lake plays host to curling bonspiels, hockey tournaments, snow golfers and recreational users.
The video features an original score by local band the Dandelions, called “Take Me There”.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Thanks TC.
The Zambezi (also spelled Zambeze and Zambesi) is the fourth-longest river in Africa …
The Zambezi’s most noted feature is Victoria Falls. …
The river flows swiftly through the Batoka Gorge, the current being continually interrupted by reefs. It has been described as one of the world’s most spectacular whitewater trips …
March is very high water. The first 10 rapids after the falls too dangerous, all that water quickly compressed between towering walls of black basalt.
We put in at rapids #11. Came out by cable car near rapids #24.
One portage was required, around a dangerous bend.
Here’s a promo video from this epic adventure. Click PLAY or watch it on Vimeo.
Or a short clip of a couple of the BIG waves.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Though the rapids we took on my day ranged from only Class 2 – Class 4, I took some damage during my 3 raft flips. And drank plenty of Zambezi River.
I posted a few more photos.
Actually, I did in the leg climbing up into the truck on the way to the put-in. 🙂
Not inexpensive at about $175 for the day (PDF). But I didn’t hear any complaints. 🙂
Safari Par Excellence – Rafting
related – White-Water Rafting on the Zambezi River
As published by the L.A. Times:
Click on the map for details.
OK … Vaccines are not perfect. There are unintended side-effects, understood and not understood.
But on balance, the author of that article is correct.
“Vaccinate your kids,” he writes. “Please.”
For only the 2nd time ever, I made it to Dave & Lisa’s crazy New Year’s celebration / fitness binge. Great food. Plenty of exercise.
On arrival I found some welcoming letters from Delaney.
New Year’s morning found dozens of bodies asleep all over the log cabin. I was snuggled into Delaney’s new bunk bed / fort.
We all went for a 6mi (10km) run. Went well for me — about 57min.
Followed that with a 6mi mountain bike warm down. Later in the day we took to icy trails in Faragut State Park.
Coffee and Chai were much needed.
All the best in 2014.
It’s much worse than I had previously heard.
… PBS Frontline documentary “Hunting the Nightmare Bacteria” brings to light the reach and magnitude of antibiotic resistance.
Through first-hand accounts tracking personal brushes with so-called “superbugs” – bacteria resistant to most known forms of antimicrobial treatment – the documentary shows how the problem has catapulted the international medical community into crisis.
The entire documentary is now available to watch online.
A complete edited transcript of the interview can be found here. …
Holidays are slowing yet another wave of hysteria over the Fukushima risk.
The newest update in the highly disconcerting series of devastating failures that is the Fukushima cleanup effort is troubling to say the least.
Tepco has confirmed that (unexplained) plumes of steam have been rising from the mangled remains of Reactor Building 3. In other words, there’s a chance Fukushima could be in the middle of another meltdown. …
Mystery Steam Over Fukushima Could Be Sign of Another Meltdown
What do real experts — who have no profit motive for alarming the world public — have to say?
Kim Martini, a Physical Oceanographer at the Joint Institute for the Study of Atmosphere and Ocean at the University of Washington, would like to put the (grossly exaggerated) danger in perspective:
Deep Sea News:
On March 11th, 2011 the Tōhoku earthquake and resulting tsunami wreaked havoc on Japan. It also resulted in the largest nuclear disaster since Chernobyl when the tsunami damaged the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Radioactive particles were released into the atmosphere and ocean, contaminating groundwater, soil and seawater which effectively closed local Japanese fisheries.
Rather unfortunately, it has also led to some wild speculation on the widespread dangers of Fukushima radiation on the internet. Posts with titles like “Holy Fukushima – Radiation From Japan Is Already Killing North Americans” and ”28 Signs That The West Coast Is Being Absolutely Fried With Nuclear Radiation From Fukushima” (which Southern Fried Science has already throughly debunked ) keep popping up on my facebook feed from well-meaning friends.
I’m here to tell you that these posts are just plain garbage. …
