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Animals that eat plants are a common sight, but plants eating animals? Well, there is the Venus fly trap. Then there are all those plants in fantasy and science fiction movies. In real life, though, it is rare that we hear about flesh-eating plants.
British botanists Alastair Robinson and Stewart McPherson headed over to the Philippine island of Palawan in 2007 to check out a pitcher plant they heard about from some missionaries. They discovered the plant in Mount Victoria, and published the report earlier this year in the Botanical Journal of Linnean Society.
The plant has been named Nepenthes attenboroughii, in honor of Sir David, the wildlife broadcaster. To this, Sir David replied:
“I was contacted by the team shortly after the discovery and they asked if they could name it after me. I was delighted and told them, ‘Thank you very much’. I’m absolutely flattered. This is a remarkable species the largest of its kind. I’m told it can catch rats then eat them with its digestive enzymes. It’s certainly capable of that.”
Indeed, the pitcher plant is unique in so many ways. More than catching flies and other small insects, it can devour rats! The botanists describe the plant as “immediately distinguishable from other Nepenthes by its great dimensions and trumpet-shaped lower and upper pitchers.” It is also unique in that it is the only member of its genus that “lives” at such a high elevation.
Can you imagine just how much more there is left to discover in the wild?
Short on cash but need a vacation? Who doesn’t? For those who have been having trouble coming up with a plan for the summer due to cash flow problems, the Rancho Bernardo Inn in Southern California just might have the solution for you.
Contrary to what many other hotels and resorts are doing (that is to offer more perks, freebies, and amenities in a bid to attract more customers), the management of Rancho Bernardo Inn is making lemonade, so to speak. They are currently offering what is dubbed the “Survivor Package,” which is an adventurous way of saying that guests receive practically nothing.
Well, there is a room with no bed, no toilet paper, no towels, and no air-conditioning. At least there is a bed, right? Oh, and there is only ONE light bulb to go by. This is the most basic package, costing $19 per night. There are variations, with amenities being added to the list. Naturally, the price goes up with each upgrade.
At first glance, I think that any sane person would be horrified at the thought of having to pay for a room without anything in it. Then again, I have been wrong before – and it seems that in this case, I am. A lot of people are actually buying into this marketing idea. Families are delighted that they do not have to spend hundreds of dollars on a room and they do not seem to mind bringing their own toilet paper and towels with them. As one mother put it, the boys feel like they’re camping and she can still go to the spa.
I believe him. I really do. And I think that anyone who has been under so much stress for a long time would probably understand this outstanding citizen turned bank robber. I don’t know if I would actually go and rob a bank but who knows?
In any case, this guy from Detroit has been sentenced to two years in prison for robbing banks. Jimmie Lee Fortune started robbing banks in April of 2008. His reason, as he told the judge, was that he needed money to pay for his mother’s plumbing bills. He also needed money to get his driver’s license reinstated. Without money, he wouldn’t have been able to do these things. As such, he decided to go ahead and rob a bank.
After the first successful attempt, he just kept going. Fortune’s MO was quite simple. He would enter a bank and demand money. His threats ran along the lines of “Large bills or I start shooting!” The funny thing is, he was not even armed when he did this.
Then the inevitable happened – he got caught. U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman was the one assigned to hear Fortune’s case. He said that he received 17 letters of support for Fortune, who asserts that he was very depressed and stressed at that time. He said that he was having difficulty separating reality from fiction. Prior to his bank robbing spree, he was an outstanding citizen. This is what saved him from a worse fate – more years in prison.
News anchor icon Walter Cronkite passed away this month, and it is but inevitable that people would look for the next news personality to take his place. Well, maybe not literally but figuratively speaking. If Walter Cronkite was known for one thing, it was that he was the man that all of America trusted when it came to the news. Now that he is gone, who does America trust most?
Time conducted a poll with this exact question: “Now that Walter Cronkite has passed on, who is America’s most trusted newscaster?”
The choices were:
a. Katie Couric
b. Charlie Gibson
c. Jon Stewart
d. Brian Williams
And the results?
e. Katie Couric – 7% (that low?)
f. Charlie Gibson – 19%
g. Jon Stewart – 44%
h. Brian Williams – 29%
If the figures are to be believed, Jon Stewart has gained the trust of the American people. Now don’t get me wrong – I love watching Jon Stewart do his thing on TV. Indeed, I rarely watch TV but on the rare occasion that I do, I find myself watching this “newsman.” The interesting thing about this, though, is that Jon Stewart is primarily a comedian and not a news anchor!
Walter Cronkite and Jon Stewart have practically NOTHING in common. So how did America get from Cronkite to Stewart? Is it a reflection of the state of the news media in the country or is it a reflection of the American culture in general? Maybe there is a confusion between “trusted” and “funny”? You tell me.
Remember those shoes (slippers or clogs or whatever you want to call them) that suddenly were seen on everyone’s feet several years ago? They are not-so-pretty rubberized (or foam, maybe) footwear in all sorts of garish colors. Who can forget them?
For one reason or another, Crocs became so popular. Children aged 2 wore them. Your next door neighbor wore them. Your boss might have even worn them. I know President Bush did. Even Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler sported Crocs!
They say that this was a sign of the economic times – there was a boom and the company behind Crocs rode that wave. In spite of the fact that everyone with the slightest bit of fashion sense knew that there was something off about the footwear, about 100 million pairs were sold in seven years.
Almost a decade later, the economy has crashed, and it seems that Crocs is going down with it. Reports say that last year alone, the company lost $185.1 million. Around 2,000 jobs have been cut, and the company is scrambling to find money to pay its debts.
So what happened? Was the pricing too much or did people just wake up to reality (fashion wise)? They say it’s a bit of both. Crocs are not that expensive – you can get a pair for $30. With financial problems, though, even $30 may be too much for some. And then, the good old flip flops seem to be making a comeback, pushing Crocs to the back of the closet.
So where are your Crocs? I know where mine are – oh wait, I never had a pair!
