From ERIC SHACKLE in Sydney, Australia. <ericshackle*bigpond.com>
This blog is now closed. For future stories, please click on "Nimble Nonagenarians"
Tuesday 6 September 2011
Monday 5 September 2011
Max: World's Oldest Dog
From ERIC SHACKLE in Sydney, Australia. <ericshackle*bigpond.com>
Max, a "mixed terrier" living in New Iberia, Louisiana, is probably the oldest dog alive today. He celebrated his 28th birthday on August 9. If he survives 18 more months, he'll be the oldest pooch in recorded history.
An Australian cattle dog, Bluey, worked among sheep and cattle for 20 years, and survived until November 14, 1939, when he was put down. He had lived for 29 years, five months and seven days, on a diet of kangaroos and emus. He was the world'soldest dog, a record that has never been beaten.
"Though Max has 'slowed up' up a bit in recent years and his coarse, light brown coat is graying, he still manages to play with his owner, Janelle deRouen's visiting grandchildren in the backyard and trots through the house in search of a place to nap", Jessica Goff reported in the The New Iberian newspaper.
“He is really protective of us and the grandkids, said Janelle. 'Being an old man, he is set pretty in his ways. He is just like some elderly people. He goes to bed early and wakes up with the chickens."
Jessica Goff continued, "Derouen acquired Max as a 6-week-old puppy in 1983 from a local sugar cane farmer who had a litter of six, she said. Ever since, the dog has been a part of her family, which includes her husband, Billy, and her five children and now grandchildren.
"Other than having a tooth pulled, Max has never had any major health problems, Janelle Derouen said.
"In recent years he began suffering from cataracts, but his eyesight is still relatively keen. She said she doesn’t know the secret to his longevity, other than she keeps him up to date with his annual shots and keeps him away from table scraps.
“'These days he is just happy to wake up every day,' she said. 'He just sits and lounges till he falls off to sleep.'
"Though unofficial, Max has even been recognized as the world’s oldest dog by British newspapers The Daily Mail and The Telegraph which featured Max’s 26th birthday party two years ago in their publications.
“'It’s discouraging that we haven’t heard back [from Guinness World Records] so that it’s official,' she said. 'But we know, and everyone who knows Max already knows that he is the world’s oldest dog,' she said Thursday as the timeworn terrier dozed off by her feet.
“'It’s discouraging that we haven’t heard back so that it’s official. But we know, and everyone who knows Max already knows that he is the world’s oldest dog.'"
Here are photos of Max taken two years ago:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1205517/Max-terrier-worlds-oldest-dog-celebrates-26th-birthday.html
Max, a "mixed terrier" living in New Iberia, Louisiana, is probably the oldest dog alive today. He celebrated his 28th birthday on August 9. If he survives 18 more months, he'll be the oldest pooch in recorded history.
An Australian cattle dog, Bluey, worked among sheep and cattle for 20 years, and survived until November 14, 1939, when he was put down. He had lived for 29 years, five months and seven days, on a diet of kangaroos and emus. He was the world'soldest dog, a record that has never been beaten.
"Though Max has 'slowed up' up a bit in recent years and his coarse, light brown coat is graying, he still manages to play with his owner, Janelle deRouen's visiting grandchildren in the backyard and trots through the house in search of a place to nap", Jessica Goff reported in the The New Iberian newspaper.
“He is really protective of us and the grandkids, said Janelle. 'Being an old man, he is set pretty in his ways. He is just like some elderly people. He goes to bed early and wakes up with the chickens."
Jessica Goff continued, "Derouen acquired Max as a 6-week-old puppy in 1983 from a local sugar cane farmer who had a litter of six, she said. Ever since, the dog has been a part of her family, which includes her husband, Billy, and her five children and now grandchildren.
"Other than having a tooth pulled, Max has never had any major health problems, Janelle Derouen said.
"In recent years he began suffering from cataracts, but his eyesight is still relatively keen. She said she doesn’t know the secret to his longevity, other than she keeps him up to date with his annual shots and keeps him away from table scraps.
“'These days he is just happy to wake up every day,' she said. 'He just sits and lounges till he falls off to sleep.'
"Though unofficial, Max has even been recognized as the world’s oldest dog by British newspapers The Daily Mail and The Telegraph which featured Max’s 26th birthday party two years ago in their publications.
“'It’s discouraging that we haven’t heard back [from Guinness World Records] so that it’s official,' she said. 'But we know, and everyone who knows Max already knows that he is the world’s oldest dog,' she said Thursday as the timeworn terrier dozed off by her feet.
“'It’s discouraging that we haven’t heard back so that it’s official. But we know, and everyone who knows Max already knows that he is the world’s oldest dog.'"
Here are photos of Max taken two years ago:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1205517/Max-terrier-worlds-oldest-dog-celebrates-26th-birthday.html
Friday 2 September 2011
World's Two Oldest Columnists Call It a Day
From ERIC SHACKLE in Sydney, Australia.,ericshackle*bigpond.com>
The world's two oldest columnists have both just thrown away their quills, or stopped tapping their computer keyboards.
In the US, Margaret Caldwell (104) has quit writing for the Desert Valley Times, and in Ireland, James Kelly (100) has written his last column for the Irish News.
"Everyone misses Margaret's column, but she felt she was repeating herself,and didn't have anything new to offer," says David Bly, editor of the Desert Valley Times, in Mesquite, Nevada.
"Her health is poor, but she's still alert and full of laughs.
"She leaves on a high note: her column has been awarded first place in non-staff columns by the Nevada Press Association. This is the second time she was won that award."
Earlier this year, the Irish News published this tribute to its veteran columnist:
Centurion columnist retires
Mr Kelly joined The Irish News in 1928 and on Saturday he celebrated his birthday and the end of his time at the paper at a party with friends and family.He has written about Northern Ireland's major issues for the past 82 years, covering everything from the opening of Stormont in 1932 to the introduction of Home Rule, 40 years later.
After his long and distinguished career with The Irish News, the west Belfast man said he knew it was time to step down from his column:
Here's a story I wrote about Margaret Caldwell two years ago, when she was a feisty 102. It was published by the South Korean newszine OhmyNewsInternational:
The world's two oldest columnists have both just thrown away their quills, or stopped tapping their computer keyboards.
In the US, Margaret Caldwell (104) has quit writing for the Desert Valley Times, and in Ireland, James Kelly (100) has written his last column for the Irish News.
"Everyone misses Margaret's column, but she felt she was repeating herself,and didn't have anything new to offer," says David Bly, editor of the Desert Valley Times, in Mesquite, Nevada.
"Her health is poor, but she's still alert and full of laughs.
"She leaves on a high note: her column has been awarded first place in non-staff columns by the Nevada Press Association. This is the second time she was won that award."
Earlier this year, the Irish News published this tribute to its veteran columnist:
Centurion columnist retires
The oldest newspaper columnist in the world, James Kelly, has written his final column, at the grand age of 100.
After his long and distinguished career with The Irish News, the west Belfast man said he knew it was time to step down from his column:
Here's a story I wrote about Margaret Caldwell two years ago, when she was a feisty 102. It was published by the South Korean newszine OhmyNewsInternational:
"I think the slogan 'What happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas' is totally wrong," she told OhmyNews. "It denotes the wrong kind of reputation for Las Vegas. What happens in Las Vegas should be in the public domain as far as I am concerned." Margaret writes a weekly column for the Desert Valley Times in Mesquite, Nevada, owned by Gannett Co., Inc. which publishes 85 daily newspapers, including the national newspaper USA TODAY (circulation 2,284,219), and nearly 900 non-daily publications David Bly, editor and general manager of the Desert Valley Times, says "I interviewed Margaret as a centenarian, and was so taken with her wit and sharpness I asked her to write a weekly column, which she has been doing faithfully ever since under the title, 'Memoirs of a Crone,' which was her choice of titles. "She simply writes about her life, and our readers are very fond of her... She still has a way with words." OhmyNews interviewed Margaret by email. Here is the Q and A: When and where was your first writing published?One of those people is Barb King, who praised Margaret's and daughter Patrisha's performances in a New Year's Eve stage show a few weeks ago. "In this play she [Margaret] was Miss Patience, and what a wonderful job she did re-creating a sweet, prim and proper school marm who had once been engaged to the sheriff.," Barb wrote. "Margaret continues to amaze everyone who meets her, with her wonderful humor and fabulous abilities with story-telling." Margaret's columns cover a wide variety of subjects, ranging from "My First Kiss" to her latest column, "Hard times again - when will we ever learn?." She wrote "My First Kiss" last year, when she was only 101. Here's a copy: When I was young, about nine years old, there was a preacher who came to our country schoolhouse to preach.You can see five photos of Margaret at different stages of life posted on MySpace. And here's an edited copy of this remarkable woman's autobiography: I was born on Feb. 1, 1907, in the backwoods of Minnesota on a homestead, 25 miles from Backus, which now has a population of 2,500 people, the year before Henry Ford came out with his first Model T Ford. | |||||||||||
Margaret Caldwell in 2009 Sunday 21 August 2011
Let Dr. Fish nibble your toenails!
From ERIC SHACKLE in Sydney, Australia.<ericshackle*bigpond.com>
How would you like to dangle your legs in a warm spa, and let shoals of small fish nibble your skin and toenails?
These finny dermatologists, Garra Rufa, are called doctor fish or nibble fish. They are particularly helpful to people with psoriasis and dermatitis.
People in Turkey, China and Japan have indulged themselves in this way for many years, and now the practice is spreading to other countries, notably the UK, but also the US, South Africa and Singapore.
While most spa operators promote their pools as health resorts, one in Eilat, Israel,
emphasises the fun aspect. Its website says:
Among the many treatment experiences the city of Eilat offers, ranging from massages to a variety of holistic treatments, there is another unique species of therapy. Doctor Fish brings the newest trend in a series of amenities and cleaning fish gospel of Eilat.
At the Spiral Complex , between the Leonardo Plaza Hotel promenade to the Hilton Promenade, for only 50 dollars, you can get fifteen minutes, in which tiny fish will kiss (kissing fish) your feet.
This is an amusing experience of trying the trend traveling the world for several years.
The Small pool, which is on the second floor at the Spiral center, full with fish, brought in specifically to bite you. Instead of them resting in your plate, you are the first and main courses in their plate. These are not cruel Pyrenees or other predators, but small fish, with no teeth, a breed called Garra Rufa a sort of miniature carp, which has become popular in dermatology and pedicures in particular.
The fish, filling Doctor Fish's small pool, were brought from Japan to the city of Eilat by Amir Rosens, although originally the origin of the fish is in Turkey. The Garra rufa fish live in warm water, where there is no existence of plankton or enough algae to feed the fish, and therefore, in an ecologically adaptive process the fish began to eat dry skin.
The fish have become a global trend, especially for patients who suffer from psoriasis. This is due to the fish nutrition, which consume only the dead or Hard area "of the skin, leaving behind healthy skin. Of course this is not a cure but a temporary treatment that relieves the symptoms of the disease.
Treatment at Dr. Fish is not only painless, but also tickles a lot. The pool's water is very clean, thanks to its everyday recurrent refill, and thanks to meticulous cleanliness and hygiene. The place offers the possibility to buy treatments ticket tab, which for five treatments you will receive an additional gift treatment (250 ₪ for 6 treatments). Also, while soaking your feet in the pool, you can order drinks and lay back to enjoy.
The pool at Dr. Fish is suitable for use by several people simultaneously, and to sum everything up it seems that Spa fishes have been eagerly waiting for a taste of the splendor of your feet.
Dr. Fish is open every weekday from 9:00 to 23:00.
Wikipedia says "In a museum near the River Kwai, recording the privations of prison camps, a sketch drawn by a prisoner showed him up to his waist in water, but with small fish attending to his leg ulcers. There is widespread use of such fish in India, particularly in rural areas."
You can see the fish in action in this video:
http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/magic-fish-spa
And take part in a competition in Ireland:
http://insideireland.ie/2011/08/24/competition-win-a-fish-pedicure-with-aqua-foot-spa-2-31789/
How would you like to dangle your legs in a warm spa, and let shoals of small fish nibble your skin and toenails?
These finny dermatologists, Garra Rufa, are called doctor fish or nibble fish. They are particularly helpful to people with psoriasis and dermatitis.
People in Turkey, China and Japan have indulged themselves in this way for many years, and now the practice is spreading to other countries, notably the UK, but also the US, South Africa and Singapore.
While most spa operators promote their pools as health resorts, one in Eilat, Israel,
emphasises the fun aspect. Its website says:
Among the many treatment experiences the city of Eilat offers, ranging from massages to a variety of holistic treatments, there is another unique species of therapy. Doctor Fish brings the newest trend in a series of amenities and cleaning fish gospel of Eilat.
At the Spiral Complex , between the Leonardo Plaza Hotel promenade to the Hilton Promenade, for only 50 dollars, you can get fifteen minutes, in which tiny fish will kiss (kissing fish) your feet.
This is an amusing experience of trying the trend traveling the world for several years.
The Small pool, which is on the second floor at the Spiral center, full with fish, brought in specifically to bite you. Instead of them resting in your plate, you are the first and main courses in their plate. These are not cruel Pyrenees or other predators, but small fish, with no teeth, a breed called Garra Rufa a sort of miniature carp, which has become popular in dermatology and pedicures in particular.
The fish, filling Doctor Fish's small pool, were brought from Japan to the city of Eilat by Amir Rosens, although originally the origin of the fish is in Turkey. The Garra rufa fish live in warm water, where there is no existence of plankton or enough algae to feed the fish, and therefore, in an ecologically adaptive process the fish began to eat dry skin.
The fish have become a global trend, especially for patients who suffer from psoriasis. This is due to the fish nutrition, which consume only the dead or Hard area "of the skin, leaving behind healthy skin. Of course this is not a cure but a temporary treatment that relieves the symptoms of the disease.
Treatment at Dr. Fish is not only painless, but also tickles a lot. The pool's water is very clean, thanks to its everyday recurrent refill, and thanks to meticulous cleanliness and hygiene. The place offers the possibility to buy treatments ticket tab, which for five treatments you will receive an additional gift treatment (250 ₪ for 6 treatments). Also, while soaking your feet in the pool, you can order drinks and lay back to enjoy.
The pool at Dr. Fish is suitable for use by several people simultaneously, and to sum everything up it seems that Spa fishes have been eagerly waiting for a taste of the splendor of your feet.
Dr. Fish is open every weekday from 9:00 to 23:00.
Wikipedia says "In a museum near the River Kwai, recording the privations of prison camps, a sketch drawn by a prisoner showed him up to his waist in water, but with small fish attending to his leg ulcers. There is widespread use of such fish in India, particularly in rural areas."
You can see the fish in action in this video:
http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/magic-fish-spa
And take part in a competition in Ireland:
http://insideireland.ie/2011/08/24/competition-win-a-fish-pedicure-with-aqua-foot-spa-2-31789/
Sunday 24 July 2011
A good story goes on, and on, and on forever
From ERIC SHACKLE in Sydney, Australia <ericshackle*bigpond.com>
Many years ago, I wrote a nostalgic story about my life as a teenage cub/cadet reporter on The Press, a daily newspaper in Christchurch, Newe Zealand.
I sent it to Don Cooper, editor of a daily newspaper in the small town of Hereford, in Texas. With a nice touch of whimsy, the paper is named The Hereford Brand.
My story duly appeared in The Brand, and since then has been published in several other newspapers around the world.
Last week, I was dismayed to learn that The Press building of fond memory is to be demolished, following a series of severe earthquakes which have devastated Christchurch since February 2011 and are still causing havoc.
Two days ago I was surprised to receive the following email::
Hi Eric I am the weekend web editor of The Press website (www.stuff.co.nz/the-press) and noticed your comment with the link to the story you wrote in 2001 I was just wondering if you would be ok with me using that for a separate story to put on the website?
Please let me know.
Many thanks
Regards
Kim
Kim Triegaardt
Writer
021-128 3165
Naturally, I readily agreed. ..
So now, at the age of 92, I've staggered on to the front page of The Press, something I could never have achieved as a teenage cadet/cub reporter.
As a matter of fact, the front page of The Press, like that of most broadsheets, was filled with advertisements for picture shows, births, deaths and marriages, and goods for sale.
You can read my original story for The Hereford Brand at :
http://www.openwriting.com/archives/2011/04/copyboys_are_an.php#more
and yesterday's story by Kim at :
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch-earthquake-2011/5332452/Demolition-sparks-fond-memories
Many years ago, I wrote a nostalgic story about my life as a teenage cub/cadet reporter on The Press, a daily newspaper in Christchurch, Newe Zealand.
I sent it to Don Cooper, editor of a daily newspaper in the small town of Hereford, in Texas. With a nice touch of whimsy, the paper is named The Hereford Brand.
My story duly appeared in The Brand, and since then has been published in several other newspapers around the world.
Last week, I was dismayed to learn that The Press building of fond memory is to be demolished, following a series of severe earthquakes which have devastated Christchurch since February 2011 and are still causing havoc.
Two days ago I was surprised to receive the following email::
Hi Eric I am the weekend web editor of The Press website (www.stuff.co.nz/the-press) and noticed your comment with the link to the story you wrote in 2001 I was just wondering if you would be ok with me using that for a separate story to put on the website?
Please let me know.
Many thanks
Regards
Kim
Kim Triegaardt
Writer
021-128 3165
Naturally, I readily agreed. ..
So now, at the age of 92, I've staggered on to the front page of The Press, something I could never have achieved as a teenage cadet/cub reporter.
As a matter of fact, the front page of The Press, like that of most broadsheets, was filled with advertisements for picture shows, births, deaths and marriages, and goods for sale.
You can read my original story for The Hereford Brand at :
http://www.openwriting.com/archives/2011/04/copyboys_are_an.php#more
and yesterday's story by Kim at :
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch-earthquake-2011/5332452/Demolition-sparks-fond-memories
Thursday 14 July 2011
Treasure Hunters Set to Sail
From ERIC SHACKLE in Sydney, Australia. <ericshackle*bigpond.com>
Now that gold is worth more than $1800 an ounce -- the most it has ever been -- Australian adventurer Don McIntyre could not have chosen a better time to set out on his Blue Treasure expedition.
He is about to sail from Tarawa in a 15.2 metre 40-tonne steel ice-strengthened motor sailor dive support vessel named ICE. Two crew members have already been selected, and McIntyre is looking for others to join them -- and to share the costs.
Tarawa, an island in the central Pacific, was the scene of a fierce battle in WWII, in which thousands of US and Japanese forces lost their lives.
In his latest blog post, McIntyre reports: "After crossing the equator Sunday weather was fantastic. We made a call to Macca [ABC radio host Ian MacNamara] on Australia All Over. We listen to Radio Australia every Sunday which was fun as he has many listeners in Australia and around the \Pacific.
"Then we passed another cruising yacht... going the other way..They left England 20 years ago and are still cruising..They were suprised to see us, as they heard us talking to Macca a few hours before on their radio.
"We cruised past great islands and were settling into another moonlit night with light winds when..silience!.. the engine just stopped dead like someone switched it off. It was 1930hrs.".
You can follow the ICE and contact its crew by visiting its website:
http://www.bluetreasure.me/blog/
Don will be donating 20% of any share of the treasure that he finds toa British charity, The Sheffield Institute Foundation for Research into Motor Neurone Disease, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's & Other Neurological Disorders.SMA,(SMA is a children's form of MND).
Now that gold is worth more than $1800 an ounce -- the most it has ever been -- Australian adventurer Don McIntyre could not have chosen a better time to set out on his Blue Treasure expedition.
He is about to sail from Tarawa in a 15.2 metre 40-tonne steel ice-strengthened motor sailor dive support vessel named ICE. Two crew members have already been selected, and McIntyre is looking for others to join them -- and to share the costs.
Tarawa, an island in the central Pacific, was the scene of a fierce battle in WWII, in which thousands of US and Japanese forces lost their lives.
In his latest blog post, McIntyre reports: "After crossing the equator Sunday weather was fantastic. We made a call to Macca [ABC radio host Ian MacNamara] on Australia All Over. We listen to Radio Australia every Sunday which was fun as he has many listeners in Australia and around the \Pacific.
"Then we passed another cruising yacht... going the other way..They left England 20 years ago and are still cruising..They were suprised to see us, as they heard us talking to Macca a few hours before on their radio.
"We cruised past great islands and were settling into another moonlit night with light winds when..silience!.. the engine just stopped dead like someone switched it off. It was 1930hrs.".
You can follow the ICE and contact its crew by visiting its website:
http://www.bluetreasure.me/blog/
Don will be donating 20% of any share of the treasure that he finds toa British charity, The Sheffield Institute Foundation for Research into Motor Neurone Disease, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's & Other Neurological Disorders.SMA,(SMA is a children's form of MND).
Monday 27 June 2011
Skunks make great pets!
From ERIC SHACKLE in Sydney, Australia. <ericshackle*bigpond.com>
Skunks (de-odorised, of course), may not be your idea of a pet, but hundreds of skunklovers around the world think they're cute and lovable.
These clever critters are popular pets in the US, Canada, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.
Citizens of North Ridgeville, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, are eagerly preparing to hold the 10th annual Skunkfest there on Saturday, September 10.
Judges will select a King Skunk, a Queen Skunk, and Prince and Princess Skunks.
The official website says it will be "a friendly gathering for skunk lovers and skunk owners from everywhere to share some fun and discussionsabout skunks."
Most skunks are black with a white stripe, but others are white, gray, brown, beige or pale lavender.
A skunk's stink comes from a gland under its tail. It can squirt a vile-smelling but harmless oily liquid as far as 10 feet (three metres).
"Skunk spray causes no real damage to its victims, but it sure makes them uncomfortable," says an anonymous writer in National Geographic.
"It can linger for many days and defy attempts to remove it. As a defensive technique, the spray is very effective.
"Predators typically give skunks a wide berth unless little other food is available."
Links
Feeeding orphaned baby skunk http://squee.icanhascheezburger.com/2011/06/21/cute-baby-animals-feeding-orphaned-baby-skunk/
Pepe le Pew cartoon;
http://au.search.yahoo.com/search?fr=mcafee&p=video+pepe+le+pew
Skunks (de-odorised, of course), may not be your idea of a pet, but hundreds of skunklovers around the world think they're cute and lovable.
These clever critters are popular pets in the US, Canada, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.
Citizens of North Ridgeville, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, are eagerly preparing to hold the 10th annual Skunkfest there on Saturday, September 10.
Judges will select a King Skunk, a Queen Skunk, and Prince and Princess Skunks.
The official website says it will be "a friendly gathering for skunk lovers and skunk owners from everywhere to share some fun and discussionsabout skunks."
Most skunks are black with a white stripe, but others are white, gray, brown, beige or pale lavender.
A skunk's stink comes from a gland under its tail. It can squirt a vile-smelling but harmless oily liquid as far as 10 feet (three metres).
"Skunk spray causes no real damage to its victims, but it sure makes them uncomfortable," says an anonymous writer in National Geographic.
"It can linger for many days and defy attempts to remove it. As a defensive technique, the spray is very effective.
"Predators typically give skunks a wide berth unless little other food is available."
Links
About Skunkfest 2011:
http://www.skunkhaven.net/images/CurrentSkunkfestFlyer.pdf
National Geographic:
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/skunk/
Videos:
Nature
http://www.videosurf.com/video/nature-is-that-skunk-video-full-episode-58656783http://www.skunkhaven.net/images/CurrentSkunkfestFlyer.pdf
National Geographic:
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/skunk/
Videos:
Nature
Feeeding orphaned baby skunk
Pepe le Pew cartoon;
http://au.search.yahoo.com/search?fr=mcafee&p=video+pepe+le+pew
Sunday 19 June 2011
Does your pet feel lonely?
From ERIC SHACKLE in Sydney, Australia. <ericshackle*bigpond.com>
Phew!
You call yourself a petlover, but have you ever thought how lonesome your pet must feel when you are away from home? Don't fret, my pet. Sydney Pet Sitters provides professional pet minding and dog walking services in the lower north shore.
"We will send a qualified and compassionate sitter to visit your home where your pet is most comfortable", says its website.
"Whether your pet needs regular walking or just a quick visit, Sydney Pet Sitters guarantees friendly, reliable service that will meet your needs. Ask us about our new companionship visits that last 2.5 hours".
A cattery in the Sydney suburb of Arcadia says "Our Sydney cattery offers the best luxury cat minding service available
"Our cattery stands out from the rest when it comes to cat sitting because we offer luxury five star facilities which boast reverse cycle air conditioning and oversized verandah penthouse suites to house your loved ones while you escape Sydney for a short or long break.
Melbourne's Happy House Sitters offers a free in home house and pet sitting service to all pet owners anywhere in Australia.
"Save big $$$ on kennels/catteries and dog walkers," it says on its website. "We have hundreds of registered pet loving house and pet sitters who would love to look after your house and pet while you are away, and they will do it for free. It doesn't matter if you are away for a week or a year."
What if you are away for only a few hours? Well, in the UK, there are carers who will happily look after lonely humans, or their pets - dogs, cats, even goldfish (how lonely a solitary goldfish must feel, swimming around and around in his bowl).
First London Pet Sitting and its sister businesses "provide a loving alternative to boarding your pets outside the home. We are a family business and our priority is to provide first class care for your pets. Whether it is a dog, cat, turtle or ferret, we would love to care for them."
...And we used to think that only another ferret could love a ferret!
In Downey, California, Uncle Denny's Critter Sitters website says, "With Uncle Denny’s help your pets will stay in the secure comfort of their own home amidst the familiar sights, sounds and smells of their own environment.""We will send a qualified and compassionate sitter to visit your home where your pet is most comfortable", says its website.
"Whether your pet needs regular walking or just a quick visit, Sydney Pet Sitters guarantees friendly, reliable service that will meet your needs. Ask us about our new companionship visits that last 2.5 hours".
A cattery in the Sydney suburb of Arcadia says "Our Sydney cattery offers the best luxury cat minding service available
"If you're looking for a Sydney cattery that will treat your feline like royalty, you've come to the right place. Aragon Cattery prides itself on providing Sydney's best cat minding service.
"Our cattery stands out from the rest when it comes to cat sitting because we offer luxury five star facilities which boast reverse cycle air conditioning and oversized verandah penthouse suites to house your loved ones while you escape Sydney for a short or long break.
"We also have large apartment condos and soon new villa suites which are set in peaceful rural surroundings even though our cattery is located only 45 minutes from Sydney's CBD."
"Save big $$$ on kennels/catteries and dog walkers," it says on its website. "We have hundreds of registered pet loving house and pet sitters who would love to look after your house and pet while you are away, and they will do it for free. It doesn't matter if you are away for a week or a year."
What if you are away for only a few hours? Well, in the UK, there are carers who will happily look after lonely humans, or their pets - dogs, cats, even goldfish (how lonely a solitary goldfish must feel, swimming around and around in his bowl).
First London Pet Sitting and its sister businesses "provide a loving alternative to boarding your pets outside the home. We are a family business and our priority is to provide first class care for your pets. Whether it is a dog, cat, turtle or ferret, we would love to care for them."
...And we used to think that only another ferret could love a ferret!
Phew!
Thursday 9 June 2011
Bicycle Art Display in Sydney
From ERIC SHACKLE in Sydney, Australia. <ericshackle*bigpond.com>
My friend Mike Rubbo, a talented film maker and artist, spends much of his time riding an electric-powered bicycle.
He believes more people ought to ride bikes, both to improve their health and to lessen pollution.
He also thinks most Australian cyclists adopt the wrong posture when they lean forward; he says
they should sit upright, as practised in Europe.
Mike has put togther a large collection of photos, drawings and some of his own sketches and lino
cuts, for an exhibition in Sydney.
It will be held in the TAP Gallery, 278 Palmer Street, Darlinghurst, from July 4 (12 to 6pm daily).
You can preview some of the exhibits by visiting Mike's website:
http://www.situp-cycle.com/
My friend Mike Rubbo, a talented film maker and artist, spends much of his time riding an electric-powered bicycle.
He believes more people ought to ride bikes, both to improve their health and to lessen pollution.
He also thinks most Australian cyclists adopt the wrong posture when they lean forward; he says
they should sit upright, as practised in Europe.
Mike has put togther a large collection of photos, drawings and some of his own sketches and lino
cuts, for an exhibition in Sydney.
It will be held in the TAP Gallery, 278 Palmer Street, Darlinghurst, from July 4 (12 to 6pm daily).
You can preview some of the exhibits by visiting Mike's website:
http://www.situp-cycle.com/
Wednesday 1 June 2011
World's Oldest Blogger, Bernando la Pallo, is 109
From ERIC SHACKLE, in Sydney, Australia. <ericshackle*bigpond.com>
Brazilian-born Bernando la Pallo, who now lives in Phoenix, Arizona, is almost certainly the world's oldest blogger. He will celebrate his 110th birthday on August 17.
He looks half his age, and is a shining endorsement of his motto: "Age less, live more."
He moved to the U.S.with his family when he was five, and lived in New York for most of his life.
After studying abroad, he became an internationally renowned chef. He said he spent decades cooking for prominent people including Winston Churchill.
LaPallo has four children and four grandchildren. He hopes to live until he's at least 125.
Asked what are his favorite foods. he replied,"Garlic, olive oil, cinnamon, chocolate and honey."
Here's a story by Alexis Vance, a Fox-10 TV reporter who interviewed him on his 109th birthday:
"Believe him when he says he’s 104 "
Aging skipped Bernando LaPallo’s genes. He marked 104 years of life Wednesday, still defying every truth to getting old.
Barely a gray hair on his head, with saber-sharp social skills and shiny cocoa skin that shuns wrinkles.
I honestly couldn’t believe my eyes, much less my ears, at the fact he’s 104. He tires of the fuss people make over this number, but really, you can’t blame their awe — or envy.
I still looked for clues at his Mesa apartment, not so much because of doubt, but for a personal reality check. On a shelf, one trophy honored 20 years of service for his work as a chef on cruise lines. LaPallo got the trophy in 1957.
The disbelief, as hard as it is to put down, must go. LaPallo has earned every year on this planet through faith, education and taking care of his body.
He doesn’t eat meat, and for that matter, doesn’t indulge beyond satisfying hunger. Vegetables, fruit, fish and an overall organic diet do the trick.
Born Aug. 17, 1901, in Brazil, LaPallo moved to the United States with his family at age 5, where he was raised in New York and Philadelphia. Educated at a prestigious culinary arts school in Paris, his lifelong career path has included stints as a chef, podiatrist, herb specialist and massage therapist. Those topics dominate shelves filled with encyclopedias, textbooks and more.
It’s no surprise that longevity runs in the family. His father lived to be 97. His mother lived to be 105. In fact, photos of her at ages 104 and 68 just made me shake my head in amazement once again.
Georgette, his wife of 46 years, credits him for revitalizing her health. With the help of good nutrition and herbal supplements, her medication intake has been reduced from more than 20 pills to only two daily.
One would think LaPallo could make some serious money by selling his example of healthy living. I even suggested it, but he insists his philosophy would clash with the health care industry’s profit goals.
About a year ago, the couple moved from North Carolina to a modest Mesa apartment, where a good share of the residents run on the younger side.
For a guy who still hits the bowling alley — he recently bowled a 210 — LaPallo, in a way, really isn’t out of place.
"I have a friend who asks, ‘When are you going to age? When are you going to get old?’ ’’ he said.
"I ask myself the same thing.’’
Yvette Leslie of Mesa is LaPallo's unofficial adopted daughter who considers LaPallo her mentor. The two met 25 years ago and learned how to do theatrical and street makeup together at the Robert Fiance Hair Design Institute in New York.
After studying abroad, he became an internationally renowned chef. He said he spent decades cooking for prominent people including Winston Churchill.
LaPallo has four children and four grandchildren. He hopes to live until he's at least 125.
Asked what are his favorite foods. he replied,"Garlic, olive oil, cinnamon, chocolate and honey."
Here's a story by Alexis Vance, a Fox-10 TV reporter who interviewed him on his 109th birthday:
MESA, Ariz. - On August 17, Bernando LaPallo turned 109 years old! This Mesa resident lives on his own, still drives and walks around just fine - it's incredible, so I asked him to share some of his secrets.
Bernando eats primarily raw fruits, veggies and fish. Meat is a treat only once a year.
"This is my lifesaver, it keeps me alive..superfood..plus I take it everyday since 1979 - I never miss." said LaPallo.
He believes his clean lifestyle is why he's still alive.
"Well, I don't think I know that eating it's what you eat, you've heard people say you are what you eat, well you are."
Bernando reads daily, walks a mile and a half as soon as he gets up and his favorite product to use on his skin is olive oil.
Extra virgin olive oil is an age old secret he's practiced for years.
His faith is his foundation and his father his role model.
At 109, he's a popular man. He consults people who are trying to change their life for the better and makes speeches around the country. He's written one book, Age Less and Live More and is working on a second. His phone never stops ringing.
"I get calls from all over..Miami, Italy..I'm on TV in South America."
I asked him if he thinks about his final days. "I never gave dying any thought. I still don't. I know I've got to die. Everybody dies." said Bernando.
So what's next for a man who's lived over a century? He wants to open a restaurant here in the valley with raw foods on one side and healthy American food on the other. But on his birthday, he's going to take a break from his busy days and celebrate another year of life.
Four years earlier, Andy Hobbs, from the East Valley Tribune, interviewed Bernando, and reported:
Four years earlier, Andy Hobbs, from the East Valley Tribune, interviewed Bernando, and reported:
"Believe him when he says he’s 104 "
Aging skipped Bernando LaPallo’s genes. He marked 104 years of life Wednesday, still defying every truth to getting old.
Barely a gray hair on his head, with saber-sharp social skills and shiny cocoa skin that shuns wrinkles.
I honestly couldn’t believe my eyes, much less my ears, at the fact he’s 104. He tires of the fuss people make over this number, but really, you can’t blame their awe — or envy.
I still looked for clues at his Mesa apartment, not so much because of doubt, but for a personal reality check. On a shelf, one trophy honored 20 years of service for his work as a chef on cruise lines. LaPallo got the trophy in 1957.
The disbelief, as hard as it is to put down, must go. LaPallo has earned every year on this planet through faith, education and taking care of his body.
He doesn’t eat meat, and for that matter, doesn’t indulge beyond satisfying hunger. Vegetables, fruit, fish and an overall organic diet do the trick.
Born Aug. 17, 1901, in Brazil, LaPallo moved to the United States with his family at age 5, where he was raised in New York and Philadelphia. Educated at a prestigious culinary arts school in Paris, his lifelong career path has included stints as a chef, podiatrist, herb specialist and massage therapist. Those topics dominate shelves filled with encyclopedias, textbooks and more.
It’s no surprise that longevity runs in the family. His father lived to be 97. His mother lived to be 105. In fact, photos of her at ages 104 and 68 just made me shake my head in amazement once again.
Georgette, his wife of 46 years, credits him for revitalizing her health. With the help of good nutrition and herbal supplements, her medication intake has been reduced from more than 20 pills to only two daily.
One would think LaPallo could make some serious money by selling his example of healthy living. I even suggested it, but he insists his philosophy would clash with the health care industry’s profit goals.
About a year ago, the couple moved from North Carolina to a modest Mesa apartment, where a good share of the residents run on the younger side.
For a guy who still hits the bowling alley — he recently bowled a 210 — LaPallo, in a way, really isn’t out of place.
"I have a friend who asks, ‘When are you going to age? When are you going to get old?’ ’’ he said.
"I ask myself the same thing.’’
She was shocked at his age when she first met him, and she still marvels at how well he's aged. "His memory is amazing," said Leslie, 52, a licensed massage therapist. "I've never seen him angry. His skin is so tight and in perfect condition. It just blows me away. "He's an amazing man. I've been blessed to have him in my life."
and see (and hear) him in videos at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj7knA3-YUs
and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UlfJwn9GIU&feature=player_embedded
Friday 27 May 2011
Was Little Miss Muffet a Local Girl?
Was Little Miss Muffet a Local Girl?
This story was first posted in 2001, in the Brookmans Park (London) newsletter.
Dr. Thomas Muffet, who lived in Brookmans Park in the 16th century, would have been delighted to see a news item featured on this website of his old hometown. Under the headline Rare hornet found in Brookmans Park, it says "A hornet seldom seen in England has been captured in Brookmans Park. A resident living in Woodlands spotted the large insect flying around his kitchen."
The website also shows a page of colour photographs of local insects, most of which he would have recognised, for he was a famous entomologist, who wrote The Theatre of Insects, the first scientific catalogue of British native species.
Many Brookmans Park residents believe the good doctor, who lived from 1553 to 1604, was the father of Little Miss Muffet, and that he had composed the cute little nursery rhyme which millions of children around the world have recited since his day:
Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey;
Along came a spider, who sat down beside her
And frightened Miss Muffet away.
One theory suggests that his daughter Patience was Little Miss Muffet, but as the oldest printed version of the rhyme is dated 1805, that seems unlikely. Muffet had no children of his own; and the two stepdaughters from his second marriage to a widow named Catherine Brown would probably have been Little Miss Browns.
In that case, the doctor would have written Little Miss Brown / Went to Town...
A second theory was that Little Miss Muffet referred to Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-1587), who was said to have been frightened by John Knox (1505-1572), Scottish religious reformer. The rhyme might then have been Along came John Knox / That wily old fox.. The 1812 edition of Songs for the Nursery has a rhyme telling us that Little Mary Ester sat upon a tester. Thirty years later, Halliwell's 1842 collection included Little Miss Mopsey sat in a shopsey.
Curds and whey, the dish Little Miss Muffet enjoyed was none other than junket, a custard-like food made of sweetened milk, which is better-known in Britain than in America. It got its name because it was taken to market in little reed baskets called jonquettes (from Latin joncus, reed.) Jonquil has a similar derivation.
These days, junket describes a politician's luxury trip charged to the taxpayers. That use of the word dates back to 1814, when a picnic basket was known as a junket basket. The politicians were having a picnic at public expense. Curds and whey was also an old name for cottage cheese, the curds being lumpy and the whey milky.
There's doubt too, as to what sort of tuffet Little Miss Muffet sat on. It could have been either a low three-legged stool or a small mound of grass-covered earth. You can buy the former kind today from dozens of furniture suppliers advertising them on the internet.
The Little Miss Muffet mystery was revived last week (June 2001) in the London Times, in an article headed Riddle of Dr Moufet's vanishing mole kricket. Mark Henderson, the newspaper's science correspondent, and Mia Jarlov wrote:
"The mole cricket (Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa) was named in 1634 by the entomologist Thomas Moufet (from whom Little Miss Muffet got her name) in The Theatre of Insects, the first scientific catalogue of British native species. The name comes from the spade-like front legs with which it makes underground burrows similar to miniature molehills.
"Dr Moufet wrote: 'If we make names, we may call it Gryllotalpa; a Mole kricket, a Kricket because it makes the same shrill noyse which a Kricket doth towards night; a Mole, because it digs the earth continually. It is an insect ugly to sight and monstrous.'"
Researchers from the Natural History Museum, English Nature and London Zoo have asked the public to help compile a national census of mole crickets, known in Britain since the 16th century but sighted only four times in the last 25 years.
Dr Muffet didn't spend all his time studying insects. In 1595 he wrote in Health's Improvement: "[Sweet potatoes] nourish mightily...engendering much flesh, blood, and seed, but withal encreasing wind and lust."
You can't believe everything you read on the internet, but one website tells us that in those days, doctors in England used spiders as medicine. "To treat a fever, a doctor would roll a spider in bread crumbs and feed it to the patient," it asserts. "Dr. Thomas Muffet admired spiders so much, he kept them as pets and let them have the run of his house. His daughter, Patience Muffet, did not share her father's love of spiders.”
Another site says "Miss Muffet was a really little girl. Her father, Dr. Thomas Muffet, was a medical doctor and an expert on spiders. He believed that eating mashed spiders was a cure for the common cold. It was said that Miss Muffet ate her share of mashed spiders."
Yet another site says "Miss Muffet was a 16th century little girl whose name was Patience. Her father, Dr. Thomas Muffet (possibly Moffett or Moufet), an entomologist who died in 1604, wrote The Silkworms and their flies 'lively described in verse.' Patience did not share her father's love of bugs. One morning while eating breakfast, one of her father's bugs appeared. She leapt up spilling the curds and whey and ran out of the house."
The U.S. website Planet Proctor tells an even better story. "This once-famous 16th century naturalist got the notion that spiders were not only beautiful but therapeutic," it claims. "He turned a bunch of them loose in his house and when his little daughter got sick, he emptied a sackful of them on her head and body, thinking they would make her well. They didn't. She was terrified. The father was Thomas Muffet, the daughter the real-life Little Miss Muffet."
Planet Proctor promotes famous U.S. film and TV personality Phil Proctor, who supplies a voice for such animated series as Rugrats and The Tick and is featured in the Rugrats movie. He won praise in the summer of 1998 for his voice work as the drunken monkey in the Eddie Murphy movie Dr. Dolittle. By a happy coincidence, Phil and David Ossman also lend their voices to the Disney/Pixar animated movie A Bug's Life.
Back to Little Miss Muffet: In 1893, American poet Guy Wetmore Carryl (1873-1904) composed an engaging poem, which deserves to be reprinted here. It's full of clever rhymes reminiscent of W.S. Gilbert, of Gilbert and Sullivan fame, who wrote, in the Lord Chancellor's song from Iolanthe, “When you're lying awake, with a dismal headache"
The Embarrassing Episode of Little Miss Muffet
By Guy Wetmore Carryl
Little Miss Muffet discovered a tuffet,
(Which never occurred to the rest of us)
And, as 'twas a June day, and just about noonday,
She wanted to eat - like the rest of us:
Her diet was whey, and I hasten to say
It is wholesome and people grow fat on it.
The spot being lonely, the lady not only
Discovered the tuffet, but sat on it.
A rivulet gabbled beside her and babbled,
As rivulets always are thought to do,
And dragon flies sported around and cavorted,
As poets say dragon flies ought to do;
When, glancing aside for a moment, she spied
A horrible sight that brought fear to her,
A hideous spider was sitting beside her,
And most unavoidably near to her!
Albeit unsightly, this creature politely, said:
"Madam, I earnestly vow to you,
I'm penitent that I did not bring my hat.
I should otherwise certainly bow to you."
Thought anxious to please, he was so ill at ease
That he lost all his sense of propriety,
And grew so inept that he clumsily stept
In her plate - which is barred in Society.
This curious error completed her terror;
She shuddered, and growing much paler, not
Only left tuffet, but dealt him a buffet
Which doubled him up in a sailor knot.
It should be explained that at this he was pained:
He cried: "I have vexed you, no doubt of it!
Your fists's like a truncheon." "You're still in my luncheon,"
Was all that she answered. "Get out of it!"
And the Moral is this: Be it madam or miss
To whom you have something to say,
You are only absurd when you get in the curd
But you're rude when you get in the whey.
Footnote: There's an enchanting painting of Little Miss Muffet by Scott Gustafson on the Internet. The caption reads, "There are so many light and interesting touches in this beautifully colored and bordered work. She sits in a formal garden of the 18th century, next to her faithful King Charles Spaniel. A suave little spider has come to 'sit down beside her' but perhaps this Miss Muffet will not be frightened away. Scott says: 'The sheet music at her feet is a Tarantella, a popular dance of the period that, according to folklore, when danced wards off the effects of the venomous bite of a tarantula. Whether or not that's true I don't know, but it was a nice musical tie-in to the spidery theme I was painting.'"
Thursday 26 May 2011
Death of a Truly Colorful Character
From ERIC SHACKLE, in Sydney, Australia. <eshackle*bigpond.com>
"Buster Martin said he was 101 when he ran the London Marathon in 2008.
"He was still working as a van cleaner at Pimlico Plumbers. His boss Charlie Mullins said:
'Buster sadly passed away last night at the age of 104.'
"Mr Martin was not awarded the Guinness World Record as the oldest person to complete a marathon after being unable to verify his age.
"He features in a film by American documentary-maker Mark Wexler being released in the US in May, called How to Live Forever.
"In a blog entry on London firm Pimlico Plumbers' website, managing director Charlie
Mullins wrote: 'I can't believe it, only yesterday afternoon was he in the canteen knocking back one of Buster's beers, and now today he is gone. Buster certainly enjoyed life and was living life to the full right up until the end.'
"Several months after his marathon run, Mr Martin claimed to have been issued a passport with a date of birth verifying his age, after there were suggestions that he was 'only' 94.
"Guinness World Records were still not able to verify the record because of the absence of a birth certificate.
"Pimlico Plumbers said that Mr Martin completed the 2008 marathon in just under ten hours, and he raised £20,000 for charity.
"A biography on the website for the film that features Mr Martin, described him as 'Britain's oldest working man' and said he enjoyed 'a beeror two and 20 cigarettes daily.'"
BBC News last month reported the death of Jean-Baptiste("Buster") Martin, a truly colorful character. I first
wrote about him two years ago. That story is posted at
http://www.pencilstubs.com/magazine/MagPage.asp?NID=3290
wrote about him two years ago. That story is posted at
http://www.pencilstubs.com/magazine/MagPage.asp?NID=3290
"A London man who claimed to be the world's oldest marathon runner has died," said the BBC.
"Buster Martin said he was 101 when he ran the London Marathon in 2008.
"He was still working as a van cleaner at Pimlico Plumbers. His boss Charlie Mullins said:
'Buster sadly passed away last night at the age of 104.'
"Mr Martin was not awarded the Guinness World Record as the oldest person to complete a marathon after being unable to verify his age.
"He features in a film by American documentary-maker Mark Wexler being released in the US in May, called How to Live Forever.
"In a blog entry on London firm Pimlico Plumbers' website, managing director Charlie
Mullins wrote: 'I can't believe it, only yesterday afternoon was he in the canteen knocking back one of Buster's beers, and now today he is gone. Buster certainly enjoyed life and was living life to the full right up until the end.'
"Several months after his marathon run, Mr Martin claimed to have been issued a passport with a date of birth verifying his age, after there were suggestions that he was 'only' 94.
"Guinness World Records were still not able to verify the record because of the absence of a birth certificate.
"Pimlico Plumbers said that Mr Martin completed the 2008 marathon in just under ten hours, and he raised £20,000 for charity.
"A biography on the website for the film that features Mr Martin, described him as 'Britain's oldest working man' and said he enjoyed 'a beeror two and 20 cigarettes daily.'"
Saturday 21 May 2011
Is Luke, Zach or Terry World's Best Whistler?
From ERIC SHACKLE in Sydney, Australia. <EricShackle*BigPond.com>
Our bid to find the world's best whistler has taken a new turn. First we had Luke Janssen of Sydney, Australia, and Zach Wade, of Columbia, Missouri, claiming the title. Now we've discovered that 60-year-old Terry Rappold, of New Orleans, Louisians, has won the 2011 world whistling championship, just as he did in 2007.
"I've been whistling since I was about five years old," he told George Gurtner in a story in Louisiana's Country Roads Magazine.
"Walking down the street, in the school yard, you name it, I was usually whistling. Growing up, my whistling was a constant source of irritation for my brothers and sisters. But into adulthood, as I progressed and got better, they came to appreciate it."
Gurtner recalled Mae West's comment, " You do know how to whistle, don't you? You just put your lips together and blow." He added. "... unless you're Terry Rappold, of course. Rappold is the king of the whistlers, the pucker's pucker, the warbling wizard of Louisiana, the man who is as apt to make a joyful noise through his trilling lips as he shaves as when he's behind the wheel of his car.
So now we have to decide which of the talented trio truly deserves to be called The World's Best Whistler.
You can hear (and see) them performing in these videos:
Our bid to find the world's best whistler has taken a new turn. First we had Luke Janssen of Sydney, Australia, and Zach Wade, of Columbia, Missouri, claiming the title. Now we've discovered that 60-year-old Terry Rappold, of New Orleans, Louisians, has won the 2011 world whistling championship, just as he did in 2007.
"I've been whistling since I was about five years old," he told George Gurtner in a story in Louisiana's Country Roads Magazine.
"Walking down the street, in the school yard, you name it, I was usually whistling. Growing up, my whistling was a constant source of irritation for my brothers and sisters. But into adulthood, as I progressed and got better, they came to appreciate it."
Gurtner recalled Mae West's comment, " You do know how to whistle, don't you? You just put your lips together and blow." He added. "... unless you're Terry Rappold, of course. Rappold is the king of the whistlers, the pucker's pucker, the warbling wizard of Louisiana, the man who is as apt to make a joyful noise through his trilling lips as he shaves as when he's behind the wheel of his car.
So now we have to decide which of the talented trio truly deserves to be called The World's Best Whistler.
You can hear (and see) them performing in these videos:
Tuesday 10 May 2011
Treasure Hunters in Palau
From ERIC SHACKLE in Sydney, Australia. <ericshackle*bigpond.com>
Australian adventurer Don McIntyre and his team of treasure hunters have reached Palau, one of the most remote places on earth. It's an island nation in the Pacific, about 500 miles (800 km) east of the Philippines, and 2000 miles (3200 km) south of Tokyo.
"If you have to be stuck somewhere, Palau is just the ticket," McIntyre says in his blog.Australian adventurer Don McIntyre and his team of treasure hunters have reached Palau, one of the most remote places on earth. It's an island nation in the Pacific, about 500 miles (800 km) east of the Philippines, and 2000 miles (3200 km) south of Tokyo.
"Unfortunately it is a little more expensive than the Philippines. But the people are great."
In April 2008 McIntyre launched his new15.2m steel, 40 tonne ice strengthend expedition motor-sailer "ICE", following a three year, 50,000 man hour build in China. This new adventure ship is capable of going anywhere, has a 5000-mile range under power, carries comprehensive dive gear and its own Polaris Amphib flying boat for filming and exploration.
McIntyre intends to fly back to Australia on May 17, before taking off from Pelau on the first leg of the exciting voyage to Tonga.
You can follow the voyage by checking out the BlueTreasure blog: http://www.bluetreasure.me/blog/
Sunday 24 April 2011
Let's Whistle While We Work!
From ERIC SHACKLE in Sydney, Australia. <ericshackleATbigpond.com>
The world would be a happier place if we all whistled lively tunes while we worked ... and at other times as well.
Two years ago, Luke Janssen, CEO of a Sydney firm, was acclaimed as the world's best whistler, when he won an intenational contest held annually in Louisburg, North Carolina (pop. 3000).
It's ironic that he's better known in the US than in Australia. Last week he was featured in articles in the New York Times and the Arabic news agency Al Jazeera.
"Luke Janssen wants to make whistling cool again," Erik Olsen wrote in the New York Times.
* You can hear (and see) Luke Janssen's
Two years ago, Luke Janssen, CEO of a Sydney firm, was acclaimed as the world's best whistler, when he won an intenational contest held annually in Louisburg, North Carolina (pop. 3000).
It's ironic that he's better known in the US than in Australia. Last week he was featured in articles in the New York Times and the Arabic news agency Al Jazeera.
"Luke Janssen wants to make whistling cool again," Erik Olsen wrote in the New York Times.
"Sitting in a chair in his Williamsburg apartment, Mr. Janssen, who is from England, whistled along to a blues song as he strummed his guitar. But his is no ordinary warble. In fact, Mr. Janssen, 35, is considered one of the world's best whistlers. And he may also be one of the more controversial.
"Mr. Janssen, who is chief executive of a mobile applications company based in Sydney, Australia, was in vigorous practice mode in his apartment, preparing for a return to Louisburg, N.C., and the International Whistlers Convention, which was held this month and is considered the whistling world's most prestigious competition."
The Al Jazeera story said: "Whistlers often talk about the need to "pucker-up" but oh boy do they need to have rubber lips and flexible tongues to do it."I dunno if you saw that but that's how it's done," said competitor Luke Janssen, baring teeth, tongue and epiglottis to demonstrate his own special brand of trilling.
"Luke was a champion whistler two years ago and he came for his crown once again ... but the competition was stiff."
Last week, whistlers from 25 US states and 14 countries competed in Louisburg. Damariscotia Helm of Rocky Mount, North Carolina was judged best female whistler,
and Terry Rappold, of New Orleans, Louisiana won the men's section.
and Terry Rappold, of New Orleans, Louisiana won the men's section.
Luke Janssen is CEO and founder of TigerSpike, a technology
driven personal media company. He took part in the 2004 Sydney to Hobart yacht race.
* You can hear (and see) Luke Janssen's
remarkable whistling style in this video:
Sunday 10 April 2011
Sarbi and Horrie: Two Brave Dogs
From ERIC SHACKLE, in Sydney, Australia. ericshackle@bigpond.com
Sarbi the Bomb Sniffer has saved many lives on both sides of the war in Afghanistan, and
Horrie the Wog Dog probably saved many lives in Egypt in the second world war.
Sarbi received an award for bravery at a formal ceremony at the Austalian National War Memorial in Canberra last week.
In London, in 2009, The Guardian reported
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/12/bomb-dog-safi-found-afghanistan
A highly trained Australian special forces combatant who disappeared during a firefight in Afghanistan has been found safe, well and waggy-tailed after surviving for more than a year in the desert.
Horrie the Wog Dog was owned by a WWII digger, Jim Moody. His cousin,
Neil Moody, was a colleague of mine on the staff of the Sydney Daily
Telegraph in the 1930s.
And here's the Australian National War Memorial's tribute to Horrie:
Horrie in Syria. He is shown in his uniform
Sarbi the Bomb Sniffer has saved many lives on both sides of the war in Afghanistan, and
Horrie the Wog Dog probably saved many lives in Egypt in the second world war.
Sarbi received an award for bravery at a formal ceremony at the Austalian National War Memorial in Canberra last week.
RSPCA president Lynne Bradshaw presented Sarbi, who went missing in action in Afghanistan for 13 months, with the medal at a ceremony attended by Chief of the Army Lieutenant-General Ken Gillespie.
"I think there is no doubt that Sarbi has shown an incredible strength and resilience that should be recognised," Ms Bradshaw said.
Sporting a new coat in the bright green of her Special Forces unit and with two campaign medals pinned to her side, Sarbi was presented with her Purple Cross in front of the Animals in War Memorial at the Canberra Australian War Memorial.
The labrador's adventure began back in 2008 when she was separated from her handler in a battle that left nine soldiers wounded.
The story made headlines around the world.In London, in 2009, The Guardian reported
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/12/bomb-dog-safi-found-afghanistan
A highly trained Australian special forces combatant who disappeared during a firefight in Afghanistan has been found safe, well and waggy-tailed after surviving for more than a year in the desert.
Sabi, an expert in detecting improvised explosive devices who also happens to be a four-year-old black labrador, went missing 14 months ago during a battle in which nine Australian soldiers, including her handler, were wounded. Months of searching revealed nothing and the dog, on her second tour of Afghanistan, was officially listed as missing in action.
Last week, however, a US serviceman known only as John spotted Sabi wandering in a remote area of the southern province of Oruzgan and, knowing his Australian counterparts had lost a bomb-sniffing dog, tried out some commands to which, Lassie-style, the labrador responded.
Back at Tarin Kowt base, Sabi was a little grizzled but otherwise unharmed. Her trainer checked she really was Sabi by means of the tennis ball test: he nudged a ball to her; she picked it up. "It's amazing, just incredible, to have her back," the trainer said.
Australia's prime minister, Kevin Rudd, who was coincidentally visiting his country's troops during a brief visit to Afghanistan, posed for photographs petting the dog, alongside US General Stanley McChrystal, overall commander of the US and Nato missions to Afghanistan. Rudd declared Sabi "a genuinely nice pooch".
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Sabi showed no signs of stress after her ordeal and greeted strangers "with a sniff and a lick".
It is not known whether the dog spent the past 14 months eluding Taliban forces in the area, as befits a special forces combatant, or whether she was captured and held as a prisoner of war, but the fact that she was in good condition when found suggested she had been well looked after, military spokesman Brigadier Brian Dawson, told reporters in Canberra.
She is now being tested for disease, with a view to returning to Australia, although Rudd suggested that passing quarantine tests "might be the greatest challenge".
Trooper Mark Donaldson was awarded a Victoria Cross for his part in the battle in which Sabi disappeared in September 2008, when a joint Australian-Afghan patrol was ambushed. He declared her return "the last piece of the puzzle.
"Having Sabi back gives some closure for the handler and the rest of us [who] served with her in 2008. It's a fantastic morale booster for the guys," he said.
Neil Moody, was a colleague of mine on the staff of the Sydney Daily
Telegraph in the 1930s.
And here's the Australian National War Memorial's tribute to Horrie:
Early in 1941, Private Jim Moody, VX13091, 2/1st Machine Gun Battalion found a puppy in the Ikingi Mariut area of the Western Desert, Egypt. He became the unofficial mascot of the battalion, travelling with it from Egypt to Greece, Crete, Palestine and Syria then back to Australia in 1942.
Horrie was intelligent and easily trained. He acted as a guard dog and many times gave early warning of the approach of enemy aircraft. He survived the sinking of the Costa Rica on which the unit was being evacuated from Greece to Crete, wounding by a bomb splinter in Crete and the effects of the severe cold in Syria.
Ion Idriess, in his book Horrie the wog-dog: with the A.I.F. in Egypt, Greece, Crete and Palestinepublished in 1948, related the entertaining story of Horrie written from the diary of Jim Moody. Horrie is also mentioned briefly in the book The long carry: a history of the 2/1 Australian Machine Gun Battalion 1939-46 by Philip Hocking and published by the 2/1 Machine Gun Battalion Association in 1997.
The Memorial has on display Horrie's uniform shown in the photograph as well as Horrie's travelling pack. This pack, lined with wood and with slits cut in the back for ventilation, was used to smuggle Horrie back to Australia in 1942.
Here he survived for three years before being discovered by Quarantine officials after being exhibited in a Red Cross charity appeal. Following Quarantine Regulations Moody was ordered to surrender Horrie to be shot.
Instead he found a look-alike dog at the pound and surrendered it. This dog was duly shot and Horrie was sent to live out his life near Corryong, Victoria.
Horrie in Syria. He is shown in his uniform
provided to give protection from the cold.
AWM 076877 Let's put aside sentimental thoughts about Sarbi and Horrie, and reflect on this: Are dogs truly brave, or do they merely respond obedientlyto the commands of their very brave handlers?
AWM 076877 Let's put aside sentimental thoughts about Sarbi and Horrie, and reflect on this: Are dogs truly brave, or do they merely respond obedientlyto the commands of their very brave handlers?
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