GeneBreshears's stories

South African stork arrested
Tue 9 Oct 2001 - 18:59

BBC Online reports police in Burundi, Africa, "arrested" a stork on suspicion of spying. The South African stork was fitted with a satellite tracking device and was part of a study of the migratory patterns of the bird. There's a picture of the stork and the device in the story.

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Cave wall pony pics older than thought
Fri 5 Oct 2001 - 14:19

BBC News Online also reports that new accelerator mass spectrometry tests on the carbon atoms from the ancient charcoal drawings of horses on the wall of a cave near Chauvet, France, date the pictures at 30,000 years old. The spectacular pictures have been described as intricate and sophisticated, indicating that early humans began developing art techniques far earlier than previously thought. The article includes a photograph of a portion of the cave drawings.

Endangered sheep cloned
Fri 5 Oct 2001 - 14:10

BBC News online reports the existence of a six-month-old lamb cloned from a dead member of an endangered species of wild sheep. The mouflon sheep is native to Sadinia, Corsica and Cyprus. The surrogate mother was a domesticated ewe of a related species. Click on the link to read the full story. There's a picture of the cute little lamb there, too.

Cats are sociable, after all
Mon 17 Sep 2001 - 16:42

Science news online has posted a nice summary of numerous recent studies showing that cat social organization is far more complex than previously thought.

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Time running out for ConiFur hotel
Mon 17 Sep 2001 - 15:05

ConiFur NW, the Seattle area's own furry convention, is less than six weeks away. Deadline for the cheap membership rate of $30 is Oct. 12. And the deadline to have the room block expanded is Sept. 28.

For the latest newsletter from the convention chair, click "Read more."

Furry Conflict named SF site of the week
Fri 14 Sep 2001 - 14:02

Science Fiction Weekly has named The Furry Conflict: Trek Wars as the science fiction site of the week. As the reviewer says, "All of the characters in this Trek Wars milieu are furry—that is, anthropomorphized animals" and "For anyone looking for new perspectives on the Star Trek or Star Wars universe, The Furry Conflict is an essential first stop."

ConiFur souvenir book, charity auction, and t-shirts
Mon 10 Sep 2001 - 13:13

Less than a week remains to get artwork, fiction, poetry, or advertisments into the ConiFur Northwest 2001 souvenir and program book! Deadline is September 15.

There's still plenty of time to donate to the charity auction, benefiting the Washington State Ferret Rescue and Shelter. And the convention is taking pre-orders on convention t-shirts.

The submission addresses and other details appear when you click "Read more" below.

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New Octopus species master of disguise
Thu 6 Sep 2001 - 16:23

Science News Online reports a species of octopus which is so new, it doesn't have an official scientific name, has the ability to mimic a large number of venomous creatures, included the sea snake, lion fish, and flat fish. While the octopus's ability to mimic the ocean bottom has been well-documented, and many other species of animals use mimicry as a defense, this is the first documented case of a species that not only mimics a multitude of species, but appears to choose which animal to pretend to be based on the menace it is facing.

While we're on the topic of smart invertebrates, BBC News reports that nerve bundles in the arms of an octopus are programmed with the necessary information to perform various motions on their own.

Catnip oil repells mosquitoes
Tue 28 Aug 2001 - 13:04

ABC News has posted an AP article about an Iowa State University study which found catnip oil up to ten times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than the most common ingredient in repellent sprays. The story also briefly mentions and earlier study which showed catnip repelled cockroaches. Note from Gene: no wonder mosquitoes almost never bit me back when I lived in mosquito country.

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Uncle Kage's Feral! report
Tue 28 Aug 2001 - 12:36

I had a BLAST!

It was the most delightful experience. I am *definitely* going back next year.

There were some interesting similarities between Anthrocon and FERAL!

ANTHROCON: Climbing stairs to get to rooms
FERAL!: Climbing steep hills to get to cabins

ANTHROCON: Long wait in registration
FERAL!: Long ride on bus

ANTHROCON: Philadelphia tap water
FERAL!: Lake Nestea

ANTHROCON: Lack of towels made showering difficult
FERAL!: Lack of hot water made showering difficult.

ANTHROCON: Muggers.
FERAL!: Mosquitos.

The camaraderie was unequalled. Just about everyone got to know everybody else, starting with the Great Communal Bus Ride and continuing through the many gatherings they had, through the communal meals (which could have offered a tiny bit more fare, but that's a minor nitpick), to the Cabin Games and Cabin Skits.

I took part in a game of "Predator and Prey" which was so much fun I almost missed the call to return at its end. This year a little twist got thrown in, in that Rogue (the megawolf) showed up and ate everyone who came near him, including the human antagonists in the game. :)

There were workshops for just about everyone, water sports (in the lake, of course), canoes to paddle around in...I had brought things to read and writing to work on but never picked any of it up.

My hat is off to the FERAL! staff for a job well done. I don't think that wild horses could keep me from returning in 2002.

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