...regarding Monsters vs. Aliens:
"Thwee D is gweat!"
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sunday paper tidbits
Almost didn't post any today because a head/chest cold has me down. But I found a few items anyway.
- Such a big debate going on about what to do regarding "sexting" and the like by teens. You know, sending naughty pics of themselves either from cell phones or via social networking sites. Recently this came up here in New Jersey where a 14-year-old posted nude photos of herself on MySpace for her boyfriend, and she is now accused of distributing child pornography. Many feel this is too harsh a treatment for a girl who clearly needs some sort punishment/guidance for this (if arrested and convicted she would be labeled a sex offender), but unfortunately state laws haven't caught up to technology these days. I have no answers, but as a parent I can just add this to my list of things to have discussions with my kids about as they get older (and probably have them cringe at me bringing up).
- Killer whales live in the Gulf of Mexico. While orcas are typically though of as living in cold waters eating seals (or living at Sea World), there are actually some living in the Gulf, dining on tuna and dolphins. Fifteen groups of killer whales have been sighted in the Gulf since 1992, and some experts feel the actual number could approach 500 - a two-month expedition is scheduled to begin this summer which could help confirm this number.
- Swallows are not returning to San Juan Capistrano. While legend has it that the swallows returned to Capistrano each year filling the sky "like a rain cloud," reality now is that the swallows have hardly been seen at the mission in years. None showed up at the Festival of the Swallows this year. Many theories exist as to why the numbers diminished. Some feel the number of swallows never was actually as much as legend says; there is little scientific evidence that the birds migrate to the same spot year after year. Others say preservation work on the mission a decade ago knocked down the bird's nests. And still others blame it on Southern California bird population reduction in general, resulting from loss of habitats due to the building of homes and shopping malls. Experts have been brought in to try to lure the birds back, but nothing has made much of a difference so far. The locals continue each year to hold the festival, always with the thought that "there's always next year."
The family is off to see "Monsters vs. Aliens" today - Alex is overjoyed!
- Such a big debate going on about what to do regarding "sexting" and the like by teens. You know, sending naughty pics of themselves either from cell phones or via social networking sites. Recently this came up here in New Jersey where a 14-year-old posted nude photos of herself on MySpace for her boyfriend, and she is now accused of distributing child pornography. Many feel this is too harsh a treatment for a girl who clearly needs some sort punishment/guidance for this (if arrested and convicted she would be labeled a sex offender), but unfortunately state laws haven't caught up to technology these days. I have no answers, but as a parent I can just add this to my list of things to have discussions with my kids about as they get older (and probably have them cringe at me bringing up).
- Killer whales live in the Gulf of Mexico. While orcas are typically though of as living in cold waters eating seals (or living at Sea World), there are actually some living in the Gulf, dining on tuna and dolphins. Fifteen groups of killer whales have been sighted in the Gulf since 1992, and some experts feel the actual number could approach 500 - a two-month expedition is scheduled to begin this summer which could help confirm this number.
- Swallows are not returning to San Juan Capistrano. While legend has it that the swallows returned to Capistrano each year filling the sky "like a rain cloud," reality now is that the swallows have hardly been seen at the mission in years. None showed up at the Festival of the Swallows this year. Many theories exist as to why the numbers diminished. Some feel the number of swallows never was actually as much as legend says; there is little scientific evidence that the birds migrate to the same spot year after year. Others say preservation work on the mission a decade ago knocked down the bird's nests. And still others blame it on Southern California bird population reduction in general, resulting from loss of habitats due to the building of homes and shopping malls. Experts have been brought in to try to lure the birds back, but nothing has made much of a difference so far. The locals continue each year to hold the festival, always with the thought that "there's always next year."
The family is off to see "Monsters vs. Aliens" today - Alex is overjoyed!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Sometimes...
...it's nice to know there is a pirate superhero looking out for you and keeping you safe from one hundred mean robots.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Daddy's gone so it's pancake dinner tonight
Showed a little pancake-love to the kiddos tonight. Alex got an extra "snake" pancake since he has one less letter in his name (Lord knows things have to be "even" around here).
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Sunday paper tidbits
I couldn't find anything in the front section of my paper because I don't want to post depressing stories on the economy. Luckily there were some other interesting items as I got further in to the paper.
- Tonight is the season finale for "Flight of the Conchords" on HBO, and could possibly be the series finale. As I read the beginning of the article with dismay, it made more sense as I went on. It's a fairly difficult show to create - two songs with music videos per episode, plus the comedy in between. And Bret and Jemaine used up most of their pre-existing songs in the first season and probably used up all their new songs created on the long hiatus in season 2. But the article points out that the British model of television doesn't require its TV shows to run as long as they are making money. They tend to exist as long as their creators feel it is necessary - "Fawlty Towers" only had 12 episodes ever produced (John Cleese took four years off between creating the first 6 and the last 6 shows). Sounds like there is not as many "jumping the shark" situations with that scenario - and can explain why many cult-favorite US shows had short runs (two of my favorites, "Freaks and Geeks" and "Sports Night" ran for only 1 and 2 seasons, respectively). But hopefully there will be a season 3, and it will be good.
- At least two libraries last month pulled books due to the new federal law banning more than minute levels of lead in products for children. Apparently lead was present in printer's ink until it was banned in 1986, so any books printed before that year probably used the leaded ink. The CDC has come out saying lead-based ink poses little danger in children's books ("...on a scale of one to 10, this is like a 0.5 level of concern"), but a CPSC spokesman said in a recent interview that schools and libraries should take steps to ensure children are kept away from these books until more testing is done (this statement was then modified later that week to say the spokesman "misspoke" and they are not telling libraries to take them off shelves). Once again this misguided law has reared its head - while we need to protect children against defective, lead-tainted products, the concern over the books and the restriction of home-crafted, Etsy-type toys is taking things a little too far.
- Experts say that half of the world's 7000 languages may disappear by 2100. Last month UNESCO launched an online atlas of endangered languages, featuring more than 2,400 at risk of extinction. Language extinction has been around for 10,000 years - the norm in the pre-agricultural society was to have lots and lots of little languages, but as humans developed agriculture larger population groups could live together, developing larger languages. A language is considered extinct when the last person who learned it as his or her primary tongue dies. While many of these languages can be preserved, and many that have been lost because of the communities being forcibly made to drop them through discrimination, etc., should be, much of this appears to be just natural cultural evolution occuring.
- Tonight is the season finale for "Flight of the Conchords" on HBO, and could possibly be the series finale. As I read the beginning of the article with dismay, it made more sense as I went on. It's a fairly difficult show to create - two songs with music videos per episode, plus the comedy in between. And Bret and Jemaine used up most of their pre-existing songs in the first season and probably used up all their new songs created on the long hiatus in season 2. But the article points out that the British model of television doesn't require its TV shows to run as long as they are making money. They tend to exist as long as their creators feel it is necessary - "Fawlty Towers" only had 12 episodes ever produced (John Cleese took four years off between creating the first 6 and the last 6 shows). Sounds like there is not as many "jumping the shark" situations with that scenario - and can explain why many cult-favorite US shows had short runs (two of my favorites, "Freaks and Geeks" and "Sports Night" ran for only 1 and 2 seasons, respectively). But hopefully there will be a season 3, and it will be good.
- At least two libraries last month pulled books due to the new federal law banning more than minute levels of lead in products for children. Apparently lead was present in printer's ink until it was banned in 1986, so any books printed before that year probably used the leaded ink. The CDC has come out saying lead-based ink poses little danger in children's books ("...on a scale of one to 10, this is like a 0.5 level of concern"), but a CPSC spokesman said in a recent interview that schools and libraries should take steps to ensure children are kept away from these books until more testing is done (this statement was then modified later that week to say the spokesman "misspoke" and they are not telling libraries to take them off shelves). Once again this misguided law has reared its head - while we need to protect children against defective, lead-tainted products, the concern over the books and the restriction of home-crafted, Etsy-type toys is taking things a little too far.
- Experts say that half of the world's 7000 languages may disappear by 2100. Last month UNESCO launched an online atlas of endangered languages, featuring more than 2,400 at risk of extinction. Language extinction has been around for 10,000 years - the norm in the pre-agricultural society was to have lots and lots of little languages, but as humans developed agriculture larger population groups could live together, developing larger languages. A language is considered extinct when the last person who learned it as his or her primary tongue dies. While many of these languages can be preserved, and many that have been lost because of the communities being forcibly made to drop them through discrimination, etc., should be, much of this appears to be just natural cultural evolution occuring.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
The Daily Show
Thanks to my sister, we got to have an amazing time attending the taping of The Daily Show in NYC yesterday. Logistically it was a challenge - we had to get someone in line early enough to get good seats, get five kids covered for childcare in NJ, and get everyone else in line before 4:30pm (you show up at 4:31 you get booted to the back of the line and don't make it in).
Jim was coming straight from work, so that was taken care of. Kathy and David took the train in around lunchtime to get in line early. Since the babysitters are in high school, and I had to leave by 2:15pm to physically make it to NYC in time, Emma got to do babysitter duty for about 40 minutes (with both neighbors' phone numbers handy should any help be needed) until both high school girls made it to the house. But it all worked out in the end. Kathy was so worried about making it into the show that she ended up waiting in line for 2 1/2 hours, making us FIRST in line for the non-VIP tickets. Way to go Kathy!!!
So Kathy is there by about 2pm, Jim and I both show up around 3:45pm, David (who was exploring the area) was there a little after 4pm. We got briefed outside on how things work and got our tickets to enter which just looked like laminated sticky notes with a Daily Show stamp and a number written on it. At 5:15 we watched the "VIP" tickets file in - looked like it was about 65 people for that night's show. Then we got shuffled in through a metal detector and bag checking station to wait in an interior waiting room. From there we waited about another 30 minutes before they finally started putting us into the studio. It was SO COOL to see the studio - all the backdrops and props you see every night. The music is loud enough to get you pumped, but not so loud to be annoying (not that we need much of a reason to be pumped). And due to Kathy's patience with waiting, our seats were about the best we could get - third row back, center section, first row up on risers so no heads were in front of us.
The warm up comedian (Paul Mecurio) came out to make sure we know how to cheer and clap loudly, and he was actually pretty darn funny. Then after his bit he announces Jon Stewart, who comes out into the studio to all of us cheering wildly. It was a really awesome moment - very exciting. Jon asks the crowd for questions, and I got picked to ask one! Kathy was totally ready with one of the best questions ("Who would your all time dream interview be - Karl Rove or Dick Cheney?") but got too nervous to even put her hand up when faced with the opportunity. But I stuck mine right up to ask why he doesn't have his face on a bag like Stephen Colbert, and then hold the one up from Barnes & Nobel that Kathy brought to me as a gift. I honestly can't remember what he said back to me - that is where MY nervousness kicked in.
Then they started the show taping. Pretty much just like watching it on TV, except no commercials and you are VERY close to it. They had a skit where Aasif Mandiv had to hold a live snake, but the first take the snake looked asleep, so they reshot it after the show had finished. They also have an international version of the show which since it was Wednesday they needed to record the intro for it, so we got a little bonus show (and extra thanks from Jon for sticking around for both the International bit and the Aasif retake).
But one of the best bits was when he did his back and forth with Stephen Colbert at the end of the show. Because before they record the actual part that airs, these two joke back and forth with each other a lot to warm up. And they are VERY funny with each other.
Anyway, lots and lots of fun. I highly recommend it for anyone traveling up to NYC. As Kathy commented, Jon Stewart seems like such a nice guy on TV and seems like an even nicer guy in real life.
Jim got a better shot of this than mine here. The sign over the door you walk in from the street to enter the studio says "Abandon News, All Ye Who Enter Here."
The hanging banners in the waiting area with the pictures of (old) correspondents on them. I think they all said things like "Trustworthiness" on them except for the one of Jon Stewart, which said "Afraid of Heights."
Kathy, very excited about getting into the studio.
Jim was coming straight from work, so that was taken care of. Kathy and David took the train in around lunchtime to get in line early. Since the babysitters are in high school, and I had to leave by 2:15pm to physically make it to NYC in time, Emma got to do babysitter duty for about 40 minutes (with both neighbors' phone numbers handy should any help be needed) until both high school girls made it to the house. But it all worked out in the end. Kathy was so worried about making it into the show that she ended up waiting in line for 2 1/2 hours, making us FIRST in line for the non-VIP tickets. Way to go Kathy!!!
So Kathy is there by about 2pm, Jim and I both show up around 3:45pm, David (who was exploring the area) was there a little after 4pm. We got briefed outside on how things work and got our tickets to enter which just looked like laminated sticky notes with a Daily Show stamp and a number written on it. At 5:15 we watched the "VIP" tickets file in - looked like it was about 65 people for that night's show. Then we got shuffled in through a metal detector and bag checking station to wait in an interior waiting room. From there we waited about another 30 minutes before they finally started putting us into the studio. It was SO COOL to see the studio - all the backdrops and props you see every night. The music is loud enough to get you pumped, but not so loud to be annoying (not that we need much of a reason to be pumped). And due to Kathy's patience with waiting, our seats were about the best we could get - third row back, center section, first row up on risers so no heads were in front of us.
The warm up comedian (Paul Mecurio) came out to make sure we know how to cheer and clap loudly, and he was actually pretty darn funny. Then after his bit he announces Jon Stewart, who comes out into the studio to all of us cheering wildly. It was a really awesome moment - very exciting. Jon asks the crowd for questions, and I got picked to ask one! Kathy was totally ready with one of the best questions ("Who would your all time dream interview be - Karl Rove or Dick Cheney?") but got too nervous to even put her hand up when faced with the opportunity. But I stuck mine right up to ask why he doesn't have his face on a bag like Stephen Colbert, and then hold the one up from Barnes & Nobel that Kathy brought to me as a gift. I honestly can't remember what he said back to me - that is where MY nervousness kicked in.
Then they started the show taping. Pretty much just like watching it on TV, except no commercials and you are VERY close to it. They had a skit where Aasif Mandiv had to hold a live snake, but the first take the snake looked asleep, so they reshot it after the show had finished. They also have an international version of the show which since it was Wednesday they needed to record the intro for it, so we got a little bonus show (and extra thanks from Jon for sticking around for both the International bit and the Aasif retake).
But one of the best bits was when he did his back and forth with Stephen Colbert at the end of the show. Because before they record the actual part that airs, these two joke back and forth with each other a lot to warm up. And they are VERY funny with each other.
Anyway, lots and lots of fun. I highly recommend it for anyone traveling up to NYC. As Kathy commented, Jon Stewart seems like such a nice guy on TV and seems like an even nicer guy in real life.
Jim got a better shot of this than mine here. The sign over the door you walk in from the street to enter the studio says "Abandon News, All Ye Who Enter Here."
The hanging banners in the waiting area with the pictures of (old) correspondents on them. I think they all said things like "Trustworthiness" on them except for the one of Jon Stewart, which said "Afraid of Heights."
Kathy, very excited about getting into the studio.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
No tidbits today
I didn't have a chance to write up my Sunday paper tidbits for the day, what with our house full of guests right now.
I did lose my computer for a while to the kids all holed up in Grace's room this evening. When I logged back on just now I discovered 76 new pictures in my Photo Booth. Somebody has been having fun with photo effects...
I did lose my computer for a while to the kids all holed up in Grace's room this evening. When I logged back on just now I discovered 76 new pictures in my Photo Booth. Somebody has been having fun with photo effects...
Friday, March 13, 2009
Piece-able kingdom
Alex has toys that he says are "piece-able" - the ones that can pop apart and be put back together. He has even made a few piece-able that weren't originally intended for that. But this morning he informed me that "Mommy, my little toe is piece-able." At first I laughed it off, telling him that if it was piece-able there would be blood and toe guts everywhere (easily understandable to a 4-year old boy), but then he wouldn't let me look at his toe, wanted to keep it hidden under the blanket, and kept telling me "I just don't want to talk about it" (which usually means he's done something he knows he wasn't supposed to do).
Then it finally hit me - his toe's day of reckoning had come.
A week or so ago he was running through the house and really whacked his pinkie toe on the big metal tool box on the floor. After a lot of tears and a little blood, I realized that his toenail would probably be coming off at some point. And today's the day. It didn't bother him in the least; I'd tried to really explain what would happen and to point out that it has happened to me a couple times. So after it had hung on by a thread all day (that was the point he'd gotten it to this morning that he was hiding from me), he just ran in here and presented the toenail to me. So now we are keeping it to show Daddy when he gets home from work. Ick.
And I did clear the piece-able confusion earlier today, so he knows he did nothing wrong in pulling it loose. Thank goodness - I was feeling like I'd had one of those horrible parenting moments this morning that would give my adult son therapy for many years to come.
Then it finally hit me - his toe's day of reckoning had come.
A week or so ago he was running through the house and really whacked his pinkie toe on the big metal tool box on the floor. After a lot of tears and a little blood, I realized that his toenail would probably be coming off at some point. And today's the day. It didn't bother him in the least; I'd tried to really explain what would happen and to point out that it has happened to me a couple times. So after it had hung on by a thread all day (that was the point he'd gotten it to this morning that he was hiding from me), he just ran in here and presented the toenail to me. So now we are keeping it to show Daddy when he gets home from work. Ick.
And I did clear the piece-able confusion earlier today, so he knows he did nothing wrong in pulling it loose. Thank goodness - I was feeling like I'd had one of those horrible parenting moments this morning that would give my adult son therapy for many years to come.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
They're creepy and they're kooky...
Jim and I saw this house the other day when we ventured to Cranford to go to the movies. We decided it looked very Addam's family-esque, even down to the creepy, droopy trees in the front. You can't really see the sign to the right of it, but this is actually some sort of day spa. Yikes!
Monday, March 09, 2009
Quote featured in my new Real Simple
"What I expect from my male friends is that they are polite and clean. What I expect from my female friends is unconditional love, the ability to finish my sentences for me when I am sobbing, a complete and total willingness to pour their hearts out to me, and the ability to tell me why the meat thermometer isn't supposed to touch the bone." - Anna Quindlen, Living Out Loud
When Jim read it and I told him how much I liked it, he just looked at me and said "Women are so weird."
When Jim read it and I told him how much I liked it, he just looked at me and said "Women are so weird."
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Sunday Newspaper Tidbits
Just a couple today.
- New Jersey plus five other states here in the Northeast are going to launch a month-long hunting season targeting the overpopulation of snow geese. I still think it is really cool to see all these geese around here, but of course I've only been here for 4 months. And I have seen the green nasty goose poop all over the path near the pond in the park close to our house. But the concern over the goose population really raised it's head when the plane went down into the Hudson after hitting a bird (was it ever determined if it was a goose? or just assumed?). Anyway, the overpopulation problem is largely man-made. Historically migrating geese would winter in coastal marshes in the southern U.S. and Mexico, feeding on the grasses, and the limited food supplies would keep the numbers in check. But as the geese have discovered fields of grain and corn on farms throughout the United States they began to alter their migratory routes. Now with food available everywhere the geese have become hardier and predators have become fewer, resulting in lots of birds. And these stronger, healthier birds are returning to the Arctic and laying more eggs and hatching more young. The results of this are massive "eatouts" on the tundra, where geese are ripping huge swaths of grass up by the roots, altering the ecologically fragile area that many other rare migrating shorebirds rely on. Unfortunately Arctic geese are not very tasty to eat. The article states it is like "chewing on a catcher's mitt." Maybe I should invest in a pressure cooker...
- In the stupid criminal category, an inmate who escaped from a Georgia jail was arrested trying to sneak back into the jail. Deputies found the inmate, who had escaped through a door to the exercise yard and over the fence, trying to come back in with 14 packs of cigarettes he had apparently stolen from a convenience store about a block away. Now he faces new charges for breaking out of jail and burglary. Stupid.
- Last tidbit: Watchmen is playing at the Cranford theater today at 3:45. We're getting a sitter to watch the kids so we can go. Yay!
- New Jersey plus five other states here in the Northeast are going to launch a month-long hunting season targeting the overpopulation of snow geese. I still think it is really cool to see all these geese around here, but of course I've only been here for 4 months. And I have seen the green nasty goose poop all over the path near the pond in the park close to our house. But the concern over the goose population really raised it's head when the plane went down into the Hudson after hitting a bird (was it ever determined if it was a goose? or just assumed?). Anyway, the overpopulation problem is largely man-made. Historically migrating geese would winter in coastal marshes in the southern U.S. and Mexico, feeding on the grasses, and the limited food supplies would keep the numbers in check. But as the geese have discovered fields of grain and corn on farms throughout the United States they began to alter their migratory routes. Now with food available everywhere the geese have become hardier and predators have become fewer, resulting in lots of birds. And these stronger, healthier birds are returning to the Arctic and laying more eggs and hatching more young. The results of this are massive "eatouts" on the tundra, where geese are ripping huge swaths of grass up by the roots, altering the ecologically fragile area that many other rare migrating shorebirds rely on. Unfortunately Arctic geese are not very tasty to eat. The article states it is like "chewing on a catcher's mitt." Maybe I should invest in a pressure cooker...
- In the stupid criminal category, an inmate who escaped from a Georgia jail was arrested trying to sneak back into the jail. Deputies found the inmate, who had escaped through a door to the exercise yard and over the fence, trying to come back in with 14 packs of cigarettes he had apparently stolen from a convenience store about a block away. Now he faces new charges for breaking out of jail and burglary. Stupid.
- Last tidbit: Watchmen is playing at the Cranford theater today at 3:45. We're getting a sitter to watch the kids so we can go. Yay!
Friday, March 06, 2009
Okay, I'll start out by stating the obvious: I love Facebook. It is so fun to stay connected to all my friends and family, even if most times it is a one-line update of what they are currently up to, no matter how mundane it is. I also like how I've discovered people I slightly knew 20+ years ago that I now realize are extremely interesting and like-minded as me (and discover people I thought I knew who surprise me with their current views on the world). And while I probably do hop on more than I should each day to get an update, that time is getting smaller, and I find myself just briefly looking rather than spending much time on it.
But I also have a little dissonance with the whole experience too. I've been surprised by this small feeling of being "left out" that pops up every once in a while. Finding myself seeing a name from high school of someone that has friended multiple people on my friend list, and wondering why I haven't been asked to be a friend too. Or seeing "notes" that people post and noticing that I wasn't one of the 25 chosen to be mentioned down the side that would ensure I'd notice what had been put out there. I have to then remind myself that honestly I don't care all that much about keeping in touch with that person, or I would have sent them a friend request myself. Or that I really don't care that much what a particular person had written about themselves (of course this doesn't mean anyone reading this blog - I read ALL of what you guy post).
Speaking of that friend list, why is it when I want to cull some people out of it the ones I pick are all the ones with like 10 friends or less? So while Facebook may not send any message about you leaving to the person you are dropping, don't you think they would notice if their friend total suddenly drops 10%? So don't judge my shallowness by the size of my friend list - I now have morning-after regrets for a few of those. Yet I still keep searching for more...
But I also have a little dissonance with the whole experience too. I've been surprised by this small feeling of being "left out" that pops up every once in a while. Finding myself seeing a name from high school of someone that has friended multiple people on my friend list, and wondering why I haven't been asked to be a friend too. Or seeing "notes" that people post and noticing that I wasn't one of the 25 chosen to be mentioned down the side that would ensure I'd notice what had been put out there. I have to then remind myself that honestly I don't care all that much about keeping in touch with that person, or I would have sent them a friend request myself. Or that I really don't care that much what a particular person had written about themselves (of course this doesn't mean anyone reading this blog - I read ALL of what you guy post).
Speaking of that friend list, why is it when I want to cull some people out of it the ones I pick are all the ones with like 10 friends or less? So while Facebook may not send any message about you leaving to the person you are dropping, don't you think they would notice if their friend total suddenly drops 10%? So don't judge my shallowness by the size of my friend list - I now have morning-after regrets for a few of those. Yet I still keep searching for more...
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Sunday paper tidbits
- Apparently many Christian computer users are giving up Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and other technology for Lent. Not me. I think it's probably easier to give up sweets.
- An entrepreneur in New York City is selling Tap'd NY, which is simply bottled NYC tap water. Description on the bottle states "No glaciers were harmed in making this water." And the price is $1.50 versus $1.85 for the Smartwater sold in the same Manhattan coffee shop. This start up venture is doing pretty well. New York City has one of the nation's healthiest water supplies (the EPA declared doesn't even need filtration), coming from a system of 19 reservoirs and three lakes in Upstate New York. It seems the pride of being a New Yorker combined with good tasting water and the green element of not being shipped from thousands of miles away is a pretty good business plan.
- New Jersey held its first feral pig hunt in December and January that managed to wipe out half the estimated pig population. This is a good thing - unlike the peccary or javelina of the Southwest, these are entirely non-native creatures, likely descending from some pigs that got loose from a hog farm in the early 1990's. According to the story, feral pigs have become one of the most destructive invasive species on the planet, rooting up native grasses and plants, killing habitat for native creatures and pushing out other wildlife in an agressive fight for territory. The state hopes to find the remaining pigs by using the "Judas pig technique," where a pig will be trapped and fitted with a radio collar with the hopes that the collared pig will eventually lead biologists to the the rest of them.
Have a great week!
- An entrepreneur in New York City is selling Tap'd NY, which is simply bottled NYC tap water. Description on the bottle states "No glaciers were harmed in making this water." And the price is $1.50 versus $1.85 for the Smartwater sold in the same Manhattan coffee shop. This start up venture is doing pretty well. New York City has one of the nation's healthiest water supplies (the EPA declared doesn't even need filtration), coming from a system of 19 reservoirs and three lakes in Upstate New York. It seems the pride of being a New Yorker combined with good tasting water and the green element of not being shipped from thousands of miles away is a pretty good business plan.
- New Jersey held its first feral pig hunt in December and January that managed to wipe out half the estimated pig population. This is a good thing - unlike the peccary or javelina of the Southwest, these are entirely non-native creatures, likely descending from some pigs that got loose from a hog farm in the early 1990's. According to the story, feral pigs have become one of the most destructive invasive species on the planet, rooting up native grasses and plants, killing habitat for native creatures and pushing out other wildlife in an agressive fight for territory. The state hopes to find the remaining pigs by using the "Judas pig technique," where a pig will be trapped and fitted with a radio collar with the hopes that the collared pig will eventually lead biologists to the the rest of them.
Have a great week!
I am wondering...
Does "total snow accumulation of 10 to 14 inches" on Tuesday mean ON TOP OF the "total snow accumulation of 6 to 9 inches" predicted for tonight?
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