Free Republic

Subbing for mylife...

From ORB LAB's FB page: Shark fishing season has officially begun for the ORB LAB. Last Friday, a crew struck out to try and recapture sharks carrying tags containing valuable information about the species assemblage encountered by these coastal apex predators. We caught one large female on our first line Friday, but we were not expecting to catch her like this! This unlucky smooth dogfish couldn't resist the menhaden used as bait and unfortunately fell victim to one of the top predators in the bay. The dogfish was about 3 feet long and completely swallowed by the sand tiger shark.

Look for the 2013 Perseid meteor shower to be at its prolific best from late late August 11 until dawn August 12! Great times to watch: after midnight and before dawn on August 11, 12 or 13. We give the nod to Monday, August 12 – in the hours between midnight and dawn. But any of these mornings should be fine for watching this year’s Perseid shower. At dusk and early evening on August 11, the waxing crescent moon shines between the planet Venus and the star Spica. The planet Saturn is found above Spica. The Perseids are a summertime...

Working on some area and latitude calculations for sea ice. many hundreds of on-line references report that the Antarctic continent is 14,000,000 square kilometers: A nice, convenient even round number. That's obviously always been rounded off as one source copies from everybody, or just never measured accurately. Neither seems correct. the NSIRDC tracks sea ice, and they have explicitly written me that their "Antarctic Sea Ice"totals do NOT include the permanent ice shelves around many areas of that continent. Fine, no problem: and it even makes sense: Why should a federal agency track "permanent sea shelves" when they can get...

A general consensus question, "Why do you carry a gun?" Here are some sentiments from "Gun Owners": -We just want to be safe -Vigilance, not Paranoia -We Don’t Want to Shoot Anyone -It’s a Dangerous World Non-Gun Owners views: -Gun People Think They’re Rambo! -You Have to be Paranoid to Carry a Gun -It’ll be the Wild West All Over Again! They’re Going to Shoot us All! What do you all think? Read the article why carry gun here

This animal cam catches several black bear, 4 grizzly bear, deer, elk and 2 mountain lion at a "scratch" tree over a period of time. What goes on when you are not there

No need for psychedelic substances: The cultural milieu at the week-long annual art festival known as Burning Man is enough to alter your mind. Research published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Emotion Science in July found that an individual’s social and cultural environment influenced how they controlled their emotional responses

BELMAR – A New York City activist on a hunger strike in a Monmouth County jail after refusing to pay fines she received for baring her breasts on a Spring Lake beach, told a judge Thursday that she would rather die than settle up. “I refuse to pay a fine for an act that is legal for a man but is illegal for a woman,” 33-year-old artist Phoenix Feeley told Spring Lake Municipal Court Judge George Pappas via teleconference from the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in Freehold Township on Thursday morning.

.....It’s a geocache (gee-oh-cash). And finding these modern-day treasure chests is worth more than the hunt, devotees say. “It gets you outside — gets you exercise. And while your mind can wander while you’re walking, it makes you think, solve puzzles,” says Kevin Venator, 45, a Johnson County geocacher. Interest is very high in the sport right now, Venator said. “It’s exploding,” he said. Geocaching has become so popular that cities have had to wrestle with the hobby. If a geocacher looks out of place or suspicious, homeowners might call police. That could result in an altercation. The practice recently...

Angler nabs ‘vegetarian’ piranha SEATTLE — Angler John Denton was surprised to catch what he believes to be a pacu, a relative of the piranha at Lake Ki over the weekend. According to The Everett Herald, Denton was fishing for perch and bluegill on Sunday when he cast his line into the lake near his home and came up with the unusual catch. One of his neighbors identified the fish as a pacu, a native South American freshwater fish that are related to the piranha. “Bang, there it was,” Denton told the Herald. “It’s a pretty big fish, a big...

Like the Viking explorer that shares his name, Erik the Red is always looking for adventure on the Halifax Waterfront. The furry feline who calls the Halifax Waterfront home is often mistaken for a stray cat but things aren’t always what they seem. Erik took his place on the CSS Acadia 13 years ago and, since then, he has been a familiar face to visitors in downtown Halifax.

If I recall correctly, the gun laws in the national parks correspond to the state laws in which the park is found. Yes, no? I'm going to the GW National Forest in VA this weekend, and I'm told that there's a big "NO GUNS" sign at the entrance. This is bogus, yes? I have a CC permit in VA, and I've open carried there in the past. Who can help a poor gunslinger from the Old Dominion? Thanks

Alaska fishing trip ends in tragedy for old high-school pals Three old friends from Montesano High School in Grays Harbor County were on a fishing and camping trip in Alaska when high winds and seas dumped them into the water off Baranoff Island. Only one man made it to shore.

The legend has returned – and its splash is sure to reverberate from Main Street all the way to Juneau Avenue in Milwaukee. The new generation of American V-Twin cruisers made its grand debut in front of a crowd of thousands of enthusiasts and dignitaries at the Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame Saturday night....... For those who worried Polaris would severely alter the legend, fear not: the new 2014 Indians harken back to a bygone era of motorcycling.

From NavSource Online, John C. Driskill - "In 1972, I was stationed on the Lexington (CVT-16) as a PH3. President Richard Nixon asked Don Garlits to do a "Fly Navy Promo" with his car the Swamp Rat 16. We photographers mates were allowed to photograph the scene while assisting the photographers from "Hot Rod" Magazine. We had to swear we would not sell the photographs we took to any other magazines. This is my shot of the Swamp Rat 16 on the flight deck of the Lexington," [ready to race an A-7E Corsair II of VA-81 "Sunliners."] William Carter Fields...

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - A Colorado black bear with a taste for German food came up empty on its third night visit to a Colorado Springs restaurant. Surveillance video taken at the back of the Edelweiss Restaurant showed the bear pulling a dumpster full of restaurant garbage away from restaurant. In the second foraging incident, the bear deftly maneuvered the dumpster around another dumpster and out of the view of the camera. The bear rolls the dumpster away from the restaurant then tips it over, foraging for scraps. The dumpster weighs about 500 pounds. Edelweiss manager Dieter Schnakenberg said it...

An amateur astronomer has become the first person to capture a massive lightning strike ‘into space’ above the British Isles. The atmospheric phenomena, known as sprites, had never been recorded in the UK before an amateur astronomer in East Yorkshire managed to take the photographic first. Richard Kacerek, 33, spotted the sprite – caused by an upward lightning discharge five miles east of Hull – and has sparked excitement in the scientific community with his image. An amateur astronomer has become the first person to capture a massive lightning strike ‘into space’ (pictured) above the British Isles An amateur astronomer...

Sharks are the predators of the sea and there is nothing they like more than to snack on a tasty morsel like a seal. However, they can mistake a diver in wetsuit for a seal, and as a consequence the attack humans. Now an Australian company has invented wetsuits that confuse a shark’s vision by making the wearer seem invisible. One of the designs repels the shark by making the wearer unpalatable, and the other replicates the natural patterns of the ocean. …

Orca Spotted with Plastic Bag in Mouth Researchers snapped a picture of a baby killer whale in the Pacific Northwest holding a plastic bag in its mouth, just the latest example of plastic pollution in the world's oceans. Last month, scientists from the Center for Whale Research monitoring orcas in the Salish Sea say they spotted a calf playing with what at first looked like a small scrap of blubber. When the baby whale dropped the item from its mouth, they realized it was actually a plastic bag.

Norwegian photographer Arvid Strømnes learned a lesson earlier this week about why you shouldn’t get too close to wild animals while trying to capture them on camera.

Aerial photographs from the 1950s didn’t prepare Adam Shoalts for what he was about to encounter. The self-dubbed “modern explorer” was canoeing a stretch of little-known whitewater rapids just south of Hudson Bay when the river started to disappear in front of him. Courtesy: Adam Shoalts “I’ve discovered a waterfall and now I’m about to go straight over it,” Mr. Shoalts thought. “This is not good.” He tried to back paddle, but the current was too swift. And then, “It’s past the point of no return.” The current pivoted his canoe sideways, sending him down the 12-metre waterfall. As he...

...The zoo also had the opportunity to place a GoPro camera on Tasul’s collar, which gives a great bear’s-eye view of his life at the zoo. Credit: YouTube/Oregon Zoo.

Shot placement, shot placement, shot placement. Failing that caliber. Failing that lots of shots on target. To wit: “The hiker, who has not been identified by Alaska State Troopers, had set out from the Rainbow trail head at Milepost 108 of the highway Sunday morning, said Tom Crockett, a park ranger. He was near the first Turnagain Arm viewpoint, about a half-mile up the trail toward McHugh Creek, when he spotted the bear . . . The man called, “Hey, bear,” hoping not to startle the animal, he said. The bear turned and charged, the hiker later told rangers. The...

Lyn Mitchell, a Missouri rancher living about 80 miles from Kansas City, has reported three cow deaths on her property. That wouldn't be unusual were it not for the state the carcasses were found in. The most recent cow was discovered in the field, her tongue removed, her teats cut off, her heart removed and dangling outside of her body. When the rancher moved her, there was a strange, char-like pattern in the dead grass. What does all this mean? One theory: alien experimentation. Mitchell told news station KSHB that she's open to the possibility that these bizarre surgeries were...

My dear childhood community of Glendale Oregon and the entire surrounding area is threatened by numerous forest fires. 150 strikes from lightening Friday night started the mess. There's 1500 fire fighters living in tents on the high school grounds and the town only has a few hundred residents. Here's a link http://www.swofire.com/ Prayers would be greatly appreciated all around for not only the residents but for the amazing folks involved with fighting the fires.

(Email received this morning.) Dear Friends, So far, we have released our proposed membership standards and a statement of faith & values that all adult members will be required to sign. We now also submit a Key Differences chart and outline between the new Youth Adventure Program and the Boy Scouts of America. Please forward this email to everyone in your troop and council to understand more about the new (soon to be formally named) organization. Outline of Differences between the Boy Scouts of America and the new Youth Adventure Program: 1) The BSA's new policy requires troops to accept...

A giant fungus the size of a tyre has been found by villagers in China's Jianshui County. The large clump of mushrooms, which weighed more than 15 kilograms and measured nearly a metre in diameter, was proudly put on display by the finder. It is not known what type of fungus it is or whether the mushrooms are safe to eat.

Snuffy the Seal's triumphant return to the ocean is interrupted by Shark Week, premiering Sunday, August 4 2013.

MELBOURNE BEACH -- It’s a race like no other where 11 athletes are tracked as they swim through the ocean over the next three months. The athletes are sea turtles and the 6th Annual Tour de Turtles got underway Sunday morning in Brevard County. Two female loggerhead turtles -- Ripley and Johnny -- began their trek from the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge. “I just liked watching them go back to their natural habitat and back in the ocean,” said Winter Park resident Dalton Joseph. Early Sunday morning, the Sea Turtle Conservancy captured the two turtles after they finished...

An American lawyer who was attacked by a polar bear in Torngat Mountains National Park in northern Labrador remains in critical yet stable condition in a Montreal hospital, his wife said Saturday. Matthew Dyer, of Maine, was on a tour of the park with a group from the Sierra Club when he was attacked by a polar bear at 2:30 a.m. Wednesday. He was initially brought by helicopter to a George River, Que., hospital before being transferred to Montreal for treatment of broken bones and bite wounds. Dyer's wife, Jeanne Wells, said in a statement: "My husband is in critical...

It's a disturbing story. A six year old mauled by three dogs in a Pueblo West neighborhood. Arynn Clements' father tells 11 News it happened Thursday afternoon when his son walked down the street to see a friend. " My six year old went over to play with his friend and nobody was home and their dogs had come around the corner and attacked him," Chester said. The boy somehow got away from the dogs and walked back home, his father says he was covered in blood when he got to them.

<p>The dolphin was originally part of a small group swimming off the Mexican coast But the others managed to get away - leaving it at the mercy of a whole pod of whales With the setting sun just beginning to turn the sky pink, a killer whale leaps out of the ocean and soars into the air, spray cascading down in its wake.</p>

Campers and preppers : I'm finding these chafing heaters at 99 cent stores. They will burn for 2 hours with enough heat to cook a small meal.

OnMyHonor.Net Final Naming Survey After conducting multiple online and email surveys, conducting Focus Group testing in two cities with both parents and scouting age boys, and running initial trademark searches on selected names, we have narrowed the names down to the following selection. The list of names below has been carefully evaluated to address the goals contained in the Mission Statement. Please read through the following names and cast a vote for the ONE name you think best typifies the mission of the new organization. That's it! Based on your input and the recommendations of our steering committee we'll be...

John Morillo, a 47-year-old Canadian man, acknowledged that it was "really stupid" of him to drink eight beers and swim across the Detroit River on Monday night. However, he is glad that he actually made it. “If I’m going to be in the paper, I’d at least like them to say I actually made it, even though I got in trouble and everything,” he told The Windsor Star Tuesday. “I gotta pay fines and stuff. But I don’t want it to sound like I didn’t make it, because then my buddies are going to say ‘ha, ha, you didn’t make...

In the early evening on July 3, four local men went fishing. Not raiding or robbing. Not pillaging. Not plundering. Just fishing.

The divers quickly take this as their clue to get out of the water. But it is unlikely that they could have become like a modern day Jonah, actually being swallowed into the whale’s belly if they were taken up.

MORRO BAY, Calif. - Two scuba divers almost ended up in the mouth of some huge whales near Morro Bay this weekend and it was all caught on camera. The encounter happened near Souza Rock on Saturday. The video starts off with the whales in the distance. Then, the shot switches to underwater, where you see a school of fish come out of nowhere. When the diver resurfaces, a humpback whale comes crashing out of the water and almost swallows him up. Shawn Stamback of SLO Divers described the shocking moments to Central Coast News. He said when he saw...

Like any thoughtful citizen, Tracey Hayes always stops to pick up stray crisp packets and sweet wrappers in her local park without expecting any thanks. But when she paused to brush away some excess fur from her two dogs while she was walking there, the jobsworths pounced – and handed her a £50 fine for littering. Two council wardens told Mrs Hayes, 46, she had committed an offence after they spotted her brushing her golden retriever Biskit and German shepherd Rocky.

LONG ISLAND, NY, July 17, 2013 (LifeSiteNews) – Young boys preening in front of mirrors putting on makeup, picking flowers in skirts, and prancing in heels and dresses at a talent show: all these are depicted in controversial photoessay, featured on Slate this week, documenting an annual summer camp for gender confused boys. The images are drawing praise from gay activists, and criticisms from pro-family leaders. For the last three years, photographer Lindsay Morris has attended the four-day-long camp for “gender variant” boys from 6 to 16 and their families held in an undisclosed location in New England. Morris refers...

In the 1980s, the conservative humourist P.J. O’Rourke wrote “A Cool and Logical Analysis of the Bicycle Menace.” He was joking. In 2013, Wall Street Journal editorial board member Dorothy Rabinowitz said, “the bike lobby is an all-powerful enterprise” and the presence of a bike-sharing program in New York was an example of “the totalitarians running the government of this city.” She wasn’t joking. Rabinowitz’s widely discussed appearance on a Wall Street Journal video, which was picked up by many news outlets and The Daily Show (“Slow down, lady, they’re just bikes!” Jon Stewart exclaimed), did more than draw attention...

<p>Honda, in conjunction with Top Gear magazine and racing outfit Team Dynamics, has built a high performance ride-on lawn mower capable of reaching speeds up to 130 mph.</p> <p>And, yes, it can still cut the grass.</p> <p>The so-called Mean Mower started out as a production Honda HF2620 Lawn Tractor before the team replaced its stock 20 hp motor with the 109 hp 1,000 cc V-twin from a Honda VTR1000 Firestorm sport bike along with its six-speed transmission and reengineered the suspension to handle a set of ATV wheels and tires.</p>

Ellen Wohl, a geology professor at Colorado State University, has published a paper in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, describing the role beavers play in climate change. In a field study she undertook, she found that carbon is sequestered when beavers build dams and is released after the beavers abandon the dams they've built. Most people are aware that beavers build dams. They're responsible for river and stream blockage across many parts of North America. What has not been known, until now, is what sort of impact beaver dams and their backed up water have on carbon sequestering. Carbon of...

Whether you've always been a fan of the latest and greatest roller coasters or appreciate new spins on the familiar (like the chance to ride an old-fashioned wooden coaster backwards), we've rounded up this year's newest thrill rides, and there's something for everybody! Plus, we've included links to videos of the rides and important information about ticket prices and parking fees so you know exactly what you're getting into.

Webcams offer glimpse into lives of Alaska's famed Katmai brown bears

Officials In Yankton Put Out Unusual Fire YANKTON, SD - Firefighters in Yankton were called to extinguish an unusual blaze that involved an apparent small animal and a smoke bomb. A resident who noticed a large hole had been dug in his yard overnight dropped a smoke bomb down the hole Sunday afternoon to scare off the varmint. The result was flames shooting from the ground. Officials believe the animal might have chewed or clawed its way through a gas line, and the smoke bomb ignited the fumes. Firefighters monitored the scene for nearly an hour until a gas company...

Academic and journalistic research over the past five years shows the key role of Nazi figures in the party’s founding and development. After strong similarities were revealed between an initiative by Germany’s neo- Nazi NPD party last year in a state parliament to demarcate Israeli products and a Green Party federal initiative in the Bundestag to impose a similar system on Israeli goods ...

The largest dam removal in U.S. history is running into problems. Over 200,000 fish were found dead at a hatchery on Washington's Elwha River after a water pump failed over the weekend. The water pump was put in to supply water to the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe’s hatchery. Originally, the hatchery was supposed to get its water from the newly constructed Elwha Water Treatment Plant. But this past spring, sediment released from above the dams clogged the Plant.

The old I-280 and Buckeye Basin Greenbelt Parkway bike path is not safe to travel. It is littered with broken glass and stones. There are gangs of kids loitering and blocking the path, trying to prevent cyclists from passing through. Monday, June 24 2013, three boys attempted to attack me and prevent my passage. I recorded the event with a GoPro camera mounted on my bike.

As vacationers head to the beach this holiday weekend, an expert says communities are taking a variety of approaches to keep swimmers safe.Would you go swimming where there's recently been a shark attack? It's a quandary that shark attack expert Christopher Neff, a doctoral researcher at the University of Sydney, strives to understand. Neff has studied how the public and governments respond to shark bites in North America, Australia, and Africa. He says that with more and more people using the ocean, the way we talk about shark attacks and the methods governments use to reduce the risk of shark...