Near Misses and Narrow Escapes
Dante Autullo, from Orland Park, Illinois, walked around for almost two days apparently unaware that he’d shot himself in the head with a nail gun. Apparently, the visible wound was so small that he’d assumed that he’d missed, and continued on with his morning chores, even plowing the snow. Later the following day, after a nap, Autullo went to the hospital complaining of nausea.
An x-ray at Palos Community Hospital, Orland Park, revealed that there was a nail in his brain, almost 9cm long. Even Autullo, who posted a picture of the x-ray on his facebook profile from the ambulance while being transferred for surgery, had trouble believing that the doctors weren’t pulling his leg.
You can read more about this extraordinary story on Bigpond and the LATimes.
The featured picture is of Dante Autullo after surgery to remove a nail from his brain, and the X-ray showing it inside him.(Associated Press / January 20, 2012) The original image can be found here.
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Nice little quick story about a serious car crash in Melbourne (Vic, Australia) in which a 4WD was crushed between two trucks in the Burnley Tunnel, and the driver walked away with minor injuries can be found here. I guess he was lucky he wasn’t in a smart car!
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A Queensland (Australia) man survived his 12m catamaran going up in flames early Friday morning at Jacob’s Well, at the Gold Coast. He was treated for smoke inhalation at the Gold Coast Hospital. You can find the story here.
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This story is over a month old, but I only just stumbled on it. It’s the amazing tale of the escape of American 14 year old, Kevin Lunsmann, from his militant kidnappers after five months of captivity in the southern Philippine jungle.
Lunsmann Snr, Heiko, described his son as a hero, describing how the boy wandered barefoot through the jungle for two days to evade his suspected al-Qaida-linked captors, before reaching safety amongst villagers.
Check out this really cool tale here.
"Kevin Lunsman, a kidnapped American teenager, talks to Filipino soldiers inside the Philippine military compound in the southern Philippines following his escape from suspected al-Qaida-linked militants over the weekend." Pic by AP, and can be found at story source.
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Only in Europe
One thing I noticed when visiting several European countries, when I was a youngster in my early 20s, is that the Europeans are, in general, a lot less hung up over their bodies than Aussies are.
On certain French beaches, for instance, bikinis seem to only come with bottoms, not tops — whether you are 5, 50 or even 75 years old, you have your boobs out while you are swimming. Exposed breasts on the beaches of Australia aren’t as common as that, and attract a lot of attention. No problem if you are an extravert, but just be prepared to stand out if you are not.
Anyway, I have drifted a little off topic, but the point that I am making is that I can only imagine the next story happening somewhere in (western) Europe. But, in France, the following marketing concept used by a store in Lyon for the sales season certainly worked a treat.
On the first day of winter (WINTER !!) sales, this store in Lyon has had its customers strip down to their underwear for the chance to win a free outfit.
In fact, the store’s promotion was so popular that people camped out overnight for the chance to line up in their bras and underpants in the hopes of being one of the 100 chosen winners.
One of the patrons who came shopping in the spirit of competition said that shopping in her underwear made trying on clothes all the more convenient, as no change rooms were required for modesty.
Nothing like focusing on the silver lining!
You can find more on this story here.
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An Artistic Flair
I love an eccentric 
I might only have a handful of really good friends, scattered around the world, but one thing they have in common is that they are all a little kooky.
I love kooky, especially when it is combined with talent.
A Russian guy by the name of Denis Lotarev seems to have kookiness and talent by the bucket loads. He has worked out a way to combine two of his passions, painting and scuba diving.
After years of experimentation, Denis is now successfully painting his masterpieces on the sandy floor of the Red and Black Seas.
Although he is aware enough to be environmentally conscious during his ‘process’, Denis has been known to get so carried away that he loses track of his oxygen levels.
Did I mention that I love eccentrics?! 
You can read more here. The feature image of Denis can be found here.
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I’m not very cool, and am probably way off the mark, but when I think of DJs, an image of baggy pants, backwards hat, and showing underwear hunched over a turntable springs to mind.
(My husband, who has a history of being much cooler than me will be shaking his head in disappointment as he reads the above description.)
Anyway, all of my dorkiness aside, most of us picture DJs as being quite young… or at least an aging male who still thinks he’s quite young…
Well this DJ chick breaks all the rules, and just exudes coolness in the process.
Wika Szmyt, AKA DJ Wika, is a 73 year old Polish Grandmother who used to be a youth counselor.
Some of that youth certainly seems to have rubbed off on her!
Wika Szmyt is a 73 year old Grandmother and a DJ legend.
After teaching herself the mixing gear of the trade and, in the process, earning the respect of younger, more experienced DJs, DJ Wika can be found whooping it up for an elderly audience in Warsaw. Three days a week Wika mixes disco, rumba and samba tracks for her fans.
Way to go Wika!
More information, as well as the original image of Wika, can be found here.
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Environews From Around the World
Recent storms on the Dutch coast have wrenched helpless baby seals from their mothers, some so young they still have their umbilical cords attached, creating a “wave” of new orphans. Fortunately their mournful cries, that would tug on the heartstrings of any human mother, are not falling on deaf ears.
An existing seal nursery near the northern city of Groningen, formally known as the Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre, has put up tents in order to accommodate the new, needy guests. When the pups have been nurtured to health and an appropriate level of maturity, they will be released back into the wild. You can read more here.
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In the vertebrate world in New Guinea, two relatively recent frog discoveries demonstrated, once again, that good things come in small packages. [Being a short-arse myself, I wholeheartedly support that sentiment :-p ] The Paedophryne amauensis is only 7.7mm in size, while the Paedophryne swiftorum is only 8mm.
Due to their diminutive size, as well as their location in the leaf litter on the forest floor, these tricky little frogs are hard to find (probably why they weren’t discovered until recently).
The little male versions of the species do their best to be heard, however, with their high-pitched, insect-like mating calls. It seems no matter the species, the males are vocal about their desire to procreate 
The science journal PLoS ONE reports that the Paedophryne amauensis and Paedophryne swiftorum are the smallest frogs so far known to biologists, and are also the smallest vertebrates. The Kermit fans amongst you can read more here.
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Speaking of the desire to procreate…
Female mosquitofish are more attracted to their male counterparts who have a solid nutritional upbringing. I guess beefier (or fishier) is better in the marine world.
The female mosquitofish could even tell the difference between related males, born the same day and of the same current physical condition, where one had been temporarily malnourished during maturation. The male who had no history of malnourishment was the preferred mate.
Research author Andrew Kahn, a PhD student at ANU’s Research School of Biology, believes that well fed males are more resistant to disease and show a history of being better at getting food, a skill required when they bare young. You can read more here.
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Six pandas bred in captivity in China are being conditioned to be eventually released in to the wild. Part of the process of weaning these pandas from their human dependency has involved releasing them into a 20 hectare controlled nature reserve called Panda Valley in the forested hills of Sichuan province.
The pandas were initially, understandably, unsure and tentative, but have now settled in and are eating bamboo.
This bold project aims to assist the dwindling wild panda population, but is not without its risks. It is never an easy task to teach captive-bred animals how to be successful in the wild, and previous attempts with pandas have not been as successful as hoped.
These pandas were carefully chosen for their chances of successful wild re-habitation (is that a word??) from a pool of 108 pandas at Chengdu Panda Base, a breeding centre in the provincial capital. They even had a ceremonial release into their new habitat.
I really, really hope it goes well for them. You can read more here.
The featured image of a panda is from Bigpond News.
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The Thai navy has intercepted a dog smuggling mission, rescuing hundreds of dogs from Vietnamese tables. You can read more here. Man’s best friends and I thank them profusely.
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Some of you might remember that a while back I wrote about a Brisbane company creating a sustainable source of omega 3 through farming algae. Well, it turns out that a company from the U.S. is also cultivating algae, but in the Australian desert!
Aurora Algae had built 6 seawater ponds, and is utilising technology to combine sunlight, carbon dioxide and seawater, to grow algae for renewable bio-diesel fuel for the mining industry.
Managing director Matthew Caspar said that it was exciting to be able to utilise land unsuitable for traditional farming. The company is also able to utilise waste CO2 for the process, and extract Omega-3 for the health and pharmaceutical industries.
It sounds very efficient and exciting if, indeed, what we are told is the truth. (I don’t mean to be cynical!) I guess time will tell.
It’s a shame that it is a foreign company making money off Australian resources, too… but it might still be a leap forward as an environmental achievement. If anyone knows more about this project, good or bad, feel free to comment
You can read more about this story here.
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Who’s Your Favourite?
Gorgeous!
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Inspirational After Death
Last Wednesday, Stephanie Bedford’s life came to a premature end when she crashed her car. Her mother, Eileen (of Cairns, Qld, Australia), is as devastated as a mother could be, but she is also sooo proud of her little girl’s generosity, even in death.
Years earlier Stephanie had made it clear that, should anything happen to her, she wanted to donate her organs to those who might need them.
And, her wishes have come true. Less than 24 hours after the earth-bound life of Stephanie Bedford came to an end, four strangers were given the gift of a second chance using her organs. Stephanie’s heart, liver, kidney and pancreas live on in four other individuals who also have family and friends who love them.
And this gives her mother Eileen some solace as she grieves over the loss of her daughter. I also hope that Stephanie’s four year old daughter, who is now without a mother, will also realise and be proud of the difference her mother made by that one act of charity – to give away that which she could no longer use.
You can read the full story here.
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Featured image: Eileen Bedford and her daughter Stephanie at a Cairns Amateurs function last year. The original image can be found here.
Adopt a Battered Hen Project
This is another one of those important projects that, while it might seem insignificant to some, really defines what we like to call our “humanity.”
Many consumers have no concept where their chicken (to eat) and eggs come from, nor the conditions from which they were obtained. Media outlets have also informed us that even the concerned amongst us will be duped by dodgy labelling laws, preying on those of us who want to support “free range” and “organic” initiatives.
To take this level of consumer awareness even further, have you ever considered what constitutes a “profitable” hen, and what happens to the hens after they are deemed non-profitable?
In Brisbane, Australia, there is a group of concerned individuals (I think — since I have only seen the web presence it may be just one super-keen individual, or even a family project) who are rescuing non-profitable hens by purchasing them and adopting them out.
According to my source (who is keen to replicate the process in Innisfail, Qld, Australia), these hens are purchased just before they are due to be slaughtered. They may be just 18mths of age but now unable to produce the obligatory minimum of 2 eggs a day.
That doesn’t mean that adopters won’t have hens that lay nicely for them when they are settled in to their new homes. Two eggs per day per hen is a lot of hard work and eggs!
The website gives you fantastic information about how to care for your new hens too, so they, and you, can look as happy and healthy as these:
Groups such as this (remember the group that re-homes Beagles used for scientific research?) need our support to continue to do their work. But, even if we can’t always help them directly, we need to take notice and allow them to inspire us to make a difference of our own in the world.
Sometimes, it only takes one person with a good idea…
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Both images are from http://www.homesforhens.net, where you can adopt an ex-battery hen if you live in SE Qld. The chickens are shown immediately after rescue in the first image, and 2 months of care later in the second image.
Definitely Not Space Junk
This weekend will be a very exciting time for all of you space nerds out there (not that there’s anything wrong with being a space nerd!). A lunar probe is landing on Earth’s largest natural satellite (… the moon…) to solve the mystery of the moon’s interior, and how the moon formed.
Chances are that it’s not made of swiss cheese after all.
The probe, called GRAIL (Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory) has been flying to the moon since September, and this Saturday (which is now if you are in Australia) will hit the brakes to enter the moon’s orbit.
It’s counterpart is due to arrive 25 hours later and, together, they will begin an intricate mapping mission in March.
Definitely not a rush job then!
For the space-savvy amongst you, you can find out more about this mission here.
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Ever wish you could don Harry Potter’s invisability cloak, even for just a moment?
What about hiding something small for a special event, such as that pimple on your nose for the school formal?
I have lost count the number of times I would have liked to be able to hide something visually. Less so as I get older and even less cooler than I never was, but it’s an ability I’d LOVE nonetheless (… hmmm… no dear, I think you’re mistaken… I never had cellulite!…)
Well, while we are not there yet, Pentagon-supported physicists (sounds really impressive already, doesn’t it!) have devised a step up towards a complete spatio-temporal cloaking device, whereby for the merest fraction of a second, an event can appear invisible.
This is all accomplished by manipulating light, and a more complete description can be found here. For the lay persons amongst us, I like this description offered by optical engineers Robert Boyd and Zhimin Shi of New York’s University of Rochester, where they likened the experiment to a level crossing on a busy road:
“When a train comes, the cars are stopped, and this causes a gap in the traffic.
When the train has passed, the stopped cars speed up until they catch up with the traffic in front of them. To the observer, the flow seems quite normal, and there is no evidence that a train has crossed the intersection.”
Sounds simple, huh
Anyway, now that the “cloak” has been proven possible, the next step is to work on the magnitude of the event that can be hidden, and take it from there.
One of the predicted applications of this spacio-temporal cloak is increased security in fibre-optic communications by breaking up optical signals, letting them travel at different speeds and then reassembing them. Data that has been managed this way will be much harder to interpret.
Last year scientists made a leap forward in the cloaking of space, and now there is an advance in the cloaking of time.
Exciting, but the part of me very concerned about “informed” consent wonders how much is being accomplished that we know nothing about??
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Featured image: NASA handout image shows an artist’s concept of the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission’s twin spacecraft in orbit around the moon.
Rich Reward For Garden Toil
Have you ever lost something really precious, in the sentimental sense, to you, and despaired that you would never see it again? I remember losing my wedding ring for several days and, after combing the house, thought that it was lost for ever.
Fortunately for me, I did manage to find my ring. My ring was lodged in the end of the finger of one of my exfoliating gloves — my lovely husband calls them my “de-scalers” — and I have been more careful ever since.
But what if you hadn’t seen your wedding ring for 16 years? You would presume that you would never see it again, wouldn’t you?
In this good news story, Lena Paahlsson from Sweden, definitely thought that any chances of her seeing the wedding ring she had lost 16 years earlier were buckley’s and none. But she was wrong!
Paahlsson and her family had searched high and low for the white gold band containing seven small diamonds. From the baking they had been doing on the day of the ring’s disappearance, to under the kitchen floor boards during renovations, they peeked and poked, but they never expected the ring to show up where it did.
It sure pays to have a vegetable garden. You know what has been added to the food you eat, you can save money, it is a healthy activity and, as in Paahlsson’s case, you may find that a small carrot in your very own garden has sprouted through your long lost wedding ring!
“The carrot was sprouting in the middle of the ring. It was quite incredible,” Ola Paahlsson, Lena’s husband, told the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter.
The couple believe that the wedding ring may have ended up becoming part of some compost after being accidentally lost in vegetable peelings. Fortunately, the couple actually put their compost to good use, and the ring was returned along with the fruits of their gardening labour. A gift for their toils, perhaps?
The ring unfortunately no longer fits Lena Paahlsson’s wedding finger, but she is keen to have it resized.
If I’d found my ring after such an absence, I’d bloody well want to wear it again as soon as possible too!
You can read more about this story here.
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The feature image of a carrot was taken from this blog.
Pei Pei The Pug
We have all heared that dogs are a man’s best friend but, when it comes to canines trained as service dogs, they are sooo much more.
Guide dogs, seizure dogs, anxiety disorder dogs, hearing dogs, rescue dogs, cadaver dogs, explosives dogs… I’m sure there are many more, and they are all worth their weight in gold.
Retired US army police officer James Taylor (Vero Beach, Florida, USA) suffers from PTSD (Poat Traumatic Stress Disorder) and hearing loss, and without his little pug Pei Pei, he believes that he’d be house-bound. Pei Pei might be a little dog, but he has a few tricks up his sleeve.
At home, Pei Pei can alert his owner if the smoke alarm goes off or a guest arrives at the front door. He can also call emergency services on the telephone, although he lacks the language ability to further communicate with them. Working for emergency services in Queensland, Australia, though, I can say that I have personally been sent to investigate calls where no one has spoken to the operator, so presumably this ability should still, theoretically, summon help.
Pei Pei also cleverly walks rings around his master out in public, to prevent crowding. I imagine this would also be an invaluable skill for adept shoppers at the New Years’ sales
You can read more about Pei Pei and Taylor here.
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The featured image is of a pug similar to Pei Pei. The original image can be found on Pug Rescue, an Australian site that re-homes pugs.
