Monday, November 23, 2020
Readers Write
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Tim B wrote to me about the passion of his brother, Reg, for ukuleles, even sending me a limerick that although he started with one, he now has eight. In commenting, I referred to Tim as being from England.
Tim has responded to my response:
Hi Otto, I sent your Bytes to my brother Reg, who by the way is a retired lawyer, and he saw that you thought I was from England. His response.Take care, love Bytes,Tim B…….from Georgia, USAThe Bellury Tim B. I must sayWas born in the U. S. of A.He doesn’t resideOr in England abideBut England’s in his DNAAnd he told me to tell you he actually has bought nine.
Thanks, Tim, and my apologies to both you and Reg.
Here are some items for Reg, the second being from the UK from someone named Tim, funnily enough . . .
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Last week I also posted some photographs from WW 2 which mentioned the Holocaust.
Friend and Byter Steve Matthews, whose most recent book Hitler’s Brothel has just been published, sent me an email:
A wonderful Bytes today, Otto. They fit right in with my current research. Thank you. I will follow up on the links later.I would like to share a statistic with you. It was sent to me the Auschwitz Museum in Poland as part of my research:WWII- If you were to add all the U.S. soldiers, airmen & women, navy and civilian deaths to all the British soldiers, airmen & women, navy (incl merchant) and civilians who died, you would find that more people were murdered in Auschwitz...Regards alwaysSteve M
Thanks Steve
In reply I sent an email to Steve which read in part:
A horrifying statistic.Josef Stalin is often quoted as having said “One death is a tragedy; one million is a statistic.”The mind finds it difficult to comprehend death in such large numbers. Even 250,000 dead from COVID-19 in the US is hard to appreciate.And still people deny the Holocaust..
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The Stalin quote is also sometimes framed as “A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic.”
It is quite accurate, as I observed above, but did Stalin say it?
Leonard Lyons wrote in the Washington Post in 1947, in what is the first link of Stalin to the subject quotation:
In the days when Stalin was Commissar of Munitions, a meeting was held of the highest ranking Commissars, and the principal matter for discussion was the famine then prevalent in the Ukraine. One official arose and made a speech about this tragedy — the tragedy of having millions of people dying of hunger. He began to enumerate death figures … Stalin interrupted him to say: “If only one man dies of hunger, that is a tragedy. If millions die, that’s only statistics.”
Journalist Kurt Tucholsky wrote in a 1925 German newspaper article:
At which a diplomat from French Ministry of Foreign Affairs replies: “The war? I can’t find it too terrible! The death of one man: that is a catastrophe. One hundred thousand deaths: that is a statistic!”
This human tendency to turn away from mass suffering has been termed by Deborah Small and Paul Slovic as the “collapse of compassion”.
According to Psychology Today:
“It's not simply that as the number of victims goes up, people's sympathy levels off. No, when the numbers go up, the amount of sympathy people feel goes perversely down. And with it goes the willingness to donate money or time to help.But why? In a world where people go around saying things like, "every life is precious" and "all people are equal," why do we react with such apparently unequal preciousness? If we take seriously the idea that every life is of equal value, we'd expect to feel twice the sympathy for two victims as for one; and we'd feel a hundred thousand times as much for a hundred thousand victims. And yet, we do the opposite.Recent studies that Daryl Cameron and I conducted shed light on why this might happen. We found evidence that as the number of victims goes up, so does the motivation to squelch our feelings of sympathy. In other words, when people see multiple victims, they turn the volume down on their emotions for fear of being overwhelmed.
Related concepts are:
Psychic numbing: a tendency for individuals or societies to withdraw attention from past experiences that were traumatic, or from future threats that are perceived to have massive consequences but low probability
Compassion fatigue: a condition characterised by emotional and physical exhaustion leading to a diminished ability to empathise or feel compassion for others, often described as the negative cost of caring. Compassion fatigue is considered to be the result of working directly with victims of disasters, trauma, or illness, especially in the health care industry.
Whether collapse of compassion, psychic numbing or compassion fatigue, we today in our COVID world are in the midst of it.
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Sunday, November 22, 2020
We Didn't Start the Fire, continued
Continuing a brief look at the events and persons listed in Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire”.
Each two lines represent a year.
Joseph Stalin, Malenkov, Nasser and Prokofiev
Rockefeller, Campanella, Communist Bloc
Roy Cohn, Juan Peron, Toscanini, dacron
Dien Bien Phu falls, "Rock Around the Clock"
Einstein, James Dean, Brooklyn’s got a winning team.
Davy Crockett, Peter Pan, Elvis Presley, Disneyland
Bardot, Budapest, Alabama, Krushchev
Princess Grace, "Peyton Place", trouble in the Suez
1955:
Einstein, James Dean, Brooklyn’s got a winning team.
Davy Crockett, Peter Pan, Elvis Presley, Disneyland
Today's item: Disneyland:
Caution: some risque content. What?? For Disneyland?!? Yep.
Disneyland was opened in Anaheim, Los Angeles, California in 1955. A plaque at the entry reads “Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy.”
Some facts and trivia about Disneyland:
The plants in Tomorrowland are all edible, as the themed island is meant to double as a farm “where humanity makes the most of its resources.”
A pet cemetery is located behind the Haunted Mansion. There’s even a gravestone for Mr. Toad.
It originally opened with only 18 attractions and 14 of them are still there.
The Matterhorn has a basketball court. A half-court basketball structure can supposedly be found above the coaster ride, where employees go to shoot hoops during breaks.
Disneyland was built in just one year. Despite early financial troubles, the $17 million theme park opened its doors within the estimated time span of 365 days.
Bonus
Steve Martin and Michelle Pfeiffer both worked there, Martin selling guidebooks at the Main Street magic shop in the ‘50s and Pfeiffer portraying Alice from Alice in Wonderland during the ‘70s.
A secret apartment hides inside the theme park’s fire station. Urban legend has it that this was Walt Disney’s private apartment.
Over 200 feral cats live in the park, there to keep rodents away.
Walt Disney required all employees to be cleanly shaven. Theme park workers were allowed to grow moustaches in the 2000s.
Real human skeletons were used as props when Pirates of the Caribbean first opened. Adding a sense of realism to the attraction, Disneyland had real human remains on exhibit, on loan from UCLA, but only one human skull remains as of today.
Walt Disney waited in line with park guests out of sheer joy. His love of Disneyland was so deep that he used to accompany guests as they waited to ride their favourite attractions.
Park admission was only $3.50 when it first opened.
Walt Disney’s daughters were the inspiration behind Disneyland. A trip to L.A.’s Griffith Park and one ride around the merry-go-round inspired the Disney to create the theme park.
Disneyland has had six unscheduled closures:
1963, following the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
1970, due to an anti-Vietnam riot instigated by the Youth International Party.
1987, on December 16 due to a winter storm.
1994, for inspection after the Northridge earthquake.
2001, after the September 11 attacks.
2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The park closed on March 14, 2020, and remains closed until further notice.
George Lucas is cryptically paged when waiting in line for Star Tours. The overhead speaker calls for Egroeg Sacul, which is George Lucas backwards.
Gum and shelled peanuts are prohibited from the park to keep the grounds clean.
The term “Code V” is used when guests vomit.
You can own a piece of Disneyland for $150, that’s the suggested asking price to walk away with a brick from the park.
The King Arthur Carousel is older than the actual theme park. Though the property was bought in 1953, this attraction was built in 1922.
The Sleeping Beauty Castle is the only Disney park castle that has a real functioning drawbridge - it’s only been used twice: for opening day and the remodelling of Fantasyland.
Walt Disney made a deal with ABC to help fund the theme park, agreeing to a Disneyland series that would boost viewership and help promote the park.
Money restraints forced Disney to choose between bathrooms and drinking fountains. He went with restrooms. After critics accused him of forcing guests to purchase soft drinks, he responded “People can buy Pepsi-Cola, but they can’t pee in the street!"
The Indiana Jones Ride was originally conceived as a two-part experience. The creators had planned to develop a mini-land dubbed Indiana Jones and the Lost Expedition—a giant complex that featured the Adventure ride and a mine cart roller coaster.
A time capsule was buried at the Sleeping Beauty Castle in 1995. No one knows exactly what’s inside, but that will be found out when it is unearthed during the park’s 80th anniversary on July 17, 2035.
A flight restriction has been placed over the park. No aircraft is allowed to fly within a three-mile radius of Disneyland.
Cast members can’t use one-finger gestures. To avoid offending certain cultures, everyone in suit is required to communicate with an open palm or two fingers to point.
The Main Street Opera House is the oldest building on Disneyland property. Originally, it served as the Park’s lumber mill and was converted into an opera house after 1961.
There is a secret club in the park where only special guests can enter. It’s called Club 33 and it’s where a select few can escape the massive crowds to drink fancy cocktails, eat five-star cuisine, and hang with celebrities such as rumoured members Elton John and Tom Hanks.
And some lesser known, by the way facts . . .
Snopes.com confirms that some women flash their breasts at the camera that takes pictures of Splash Mountain riders as they plunge down the final waterfall. The ride is nicknamed “Flash Mountain” and Snopes explains that you won’t see these pictures as you exit the ride, because a cast member will prevent them from appearing on the screen. Some of these pictures have been sneaked out and posted on the Internet. If a party happens to be riding in the same ride on Splash Mountain with someone who pulls this stunt, a further free ride is offered so that they can ride again and obtain a non-topless photo.
Example pics:
Not only topless photos feature on Flash Mountain, as these pics show:
Yep, that is The Rock
Still on the topic of Splash Mountain, in June 2020 Disney announced plans to drop Song of the South references from Splash Mountain rides at Disneyland in California and Magic Kingdom Park in Florida. Song of the South centres on Johnny, a young white boy who learns life lessons from a formerly enslaved man named Uncle Remus. The film also features Hattie McDaniel, the first black person to win an Oscar; in 1940, she took home the Best Supporting Actress trophy for her portrayal of “Mammy” in Gone with the Wind. The movie paints a rosy picture of a post-Civil War era Georgia plantation with stereotypical black servants speaking in stereotypical speech. Disney no longer screens Song of the South but Splash Mountain was based on it. The ride will be re-imagined and based on the Disney animation file The Princess and the Frog.
A further by the way:
The American flags in the park are not real. The flags in Main Street are missing a stripe or a star so that they don’t have to follow standard American flag regulations, such as flying them half-mast at certain times.
To read of some of the Disneyland secrets, click on:
Bonus item #1:
Bonus Item #2:
Saturday, November 21, 2020
Quotes for the Day
“When the President does it, that means it’s not illegal.”
- Ex-President Richard Nixon,
during interview with David Frost, 1977
“I shall resign the Presidency effective at noon tomorrow. Vice President Ford will be sworn in as President at that hour in this office.”
- President Richard Nixon, August 8, 1974
“. . . the tranquility to which this nation has been restored by the events of recent weeks could be irreparably lost by the prospects of bringing to trial a former President of the United States. The prospects of such trial will cause prolonged and divisive debate over the propriety of exposing to further punishment and degradation a man who has already paid the unprecedented penalty of relinquishing the highest elective office of the United States.
Now, THEREFORE, I, GERALD R. FORD, President of the United States . . do grant a full, free, and absolute pardon unto Richard Nixon for all offenses against the United States which he, Richard Nixon, has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 20, 1969 through August 9, 1974.”
- Part of the text of the pardon of Richard Nixon
by President Ford, September 8, 1974
"I was wrong in not acting more decisively and more forthrightly in dealing with Watergate, particularly when it reached the stage of judicial proceedings and grew from a political scandal into a national tragedy. No words can describe the depth of my regret and pain at the anguish my mistakes over Watergate have caused the nation and the presidency, a nation I so deeply love, and an institution I so greatly respect. "
- Statement released by Richard Nixon
September 8, 1974 as a condition of being pardoned
“Ford, who believes strongly in Heaven and Hell, has told more than one of his celebrity golf partners that ‘I know I will go to hell, because I pardoned Richard Nixon.’ "
- Hunter S Thompson, obituary of Richard Nixon,
originally published in Rolling Stone on June 16, 1994
By the Way:
Historians believe that the controversy over Ford’s pardon of Nixon was one of the major reasons that Ford lost the election in 1976, and Ford agreed with that observation. Ford's approval rating dropped from 71% to 50% following the pardon.
Poetry Spot
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This one's for my father in law Noel, who is a Benny Hill fan . . .
It's actually not a poem, rather they are the lyrics to a 1970 Benny Hill song, which you can see him perform by clicking on:
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BROKEN HEARTED LOVERS' STEW
by Benny Hill
And there's a heartache and a memory and just a tear or two
In a broken-hearted lovers' stew
There are nine carrots to remind me of the ring I bought for you
Some mint for all the crazy things that we 'mint' to do
A lettuce, 'cause your Mum and Dad would not 'lettuce' alone
I won't put in the truffles, you've got truffles of your own
An artichoke for the hearty jokes your father used to tell
And as he was a Welshman we'll have a leek as well
And your cousin, the religious one, so sanctimonious
For him some loafs and fishes 'cause that's all he ever does
And there's a heartache and a memory and just a tear or two
In a broken-hearted lovers' stew
There's a radish 'cause you kept repeating that your love was true
A beetroot for the time I said that I'd "bee-troot"-to you
Some shallots for the time I said I love you such "shallot"
Some capers to remind me of what up to which we got
A turnip for the way you always used to "turnip" late
A melon for the "melon"-choly way I used to wait
A chilli for how I felt as I waited for you
And a marrow to remind me of what I was frozen to
And there's a heartache and a memory and just a tear or two
In a broken-hearted lovers' stew
There's a swede to remind me of the man you left for me
An egg because you used to egg me on incessantly
And your little baby brother, what a messy little kid
For him some wine and water, 'cause that's all he ever did
Oh, I was fond of olives and you liked herbs I know
I gave up seeing "Olive" but "Herb" didn't want to go
So for the man who won you, there is one thing I must do
Put in some sage and onions 'cause he wants stuffing too
And there's a heartache and a memory and just a tear or two
In a broken-hearted lovers' stew
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Friday, November 20, 2020
Funny Friday
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Enjoy Friday and the weekend, readers . . .
Caution: risque language ahead.
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SOME HUMOUR . . .
A fortune teller told me that, in 12 years time, I'd suffer terrible heartbreak.
So, to cheer myself up, I bought a puppy.
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A New York attorney representing a wealthy art collector called and asked to speak to his client, "Saul, I have some good news and, I have some bad news."
The art collector replied, "I've had an awful day; let's hear the good news first."
The lawyer said, "Well, I met with your wife today, and she informed me that she invested $5,000 in two pictures that she thinks will bring a minimum of $15-20 million. I think she could be right."
Saul replied enthusiastically, "Well done! My wife is a brilliant businesswoman! You've just made my day. Now I know I can handle the bad news. What is it?"
The lawyer replied, "The pictures are of you with your secretary."
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Two guys, one old, one young, are pushing their carts around the supermarket when they collide.
The old guy says to the young guy: "Sorry about that. I'm looking for my wife and I guess I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."
"That's okay," the young guy says. "It's a coincidence really because I'm looking for my wife, too."
"Well, maybe I can help you find her. What does she look like?"
"Right, she is 27 years old, tall, with red hair, blue eyes, is buxom, and wearing no bra. She has long legs and is wearing mini-shorts. What does YOUR wife look like?"
"Doesn't matter, let's look for yours."
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A man goes into a pet shop to buy a monkey. The shop owner points to 3 identical looking monkeys on a perch and says the monkey on the left cost $ 500.00 Why does that one cost so much? asked the shopper. The owner says well the monkey knows how to use a computer.
The man then asks about the next monkey and was told that this one cost $1000.00 because it can do everything the other monkey can do plus he knows the Unix operating system.
Naturally the increasingly startled man asks about the third monkey, to be told that it costs $2000.00. Needless to say this begs the question: What can it do? To which the owner replies: “To be honest I have never seen him do a thing but the other two call him BOSS.”
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FROM THE VAULT:
Two Mexicans are stuck in the desert, wandering aimlessly and close to death. They are close to just lying down and waiting for the inevitable, when all of a sudden...
“Hey Pepe, do you smell what I smell? Ees bacon, I is sure of eet.”
“Si, Luis, eet smells like bacon to meee.”
So with renewed strength, they struggle off up the next sand dune, and there, in the distance, is a tree, just loaded with bacon. There’s raw bacon, dripping with moisture… fried bacon, back bacon, double smoked bacon - every imaginable kind of cured pig meat you can imagine!
“Pepe, Pepe - we ees saved - eees a bacon tree!”
“Luis, are sure ees not a meerage? We ees in the desert, don’ forget.”
“Pepe, when deed you ever hear of a meerage that smell of bacon? Ees no meerage - ees a bacon tree.”
And with that, Luis races towards the tree. He gets to within 5 metres - Pepe following closely behind - when all of a sudden, a machine gun opens up, and Luis is cut down in his tracks. It is clear he is mortally wounded but, true friend that he is, he manages to warn Pepe with his dying breath.
“Pepe, go back man - you was right, ees not a bacon tree.”
“Luis, Luis, mi amigo… what ees eet?”
“Pepe, ees not a bacon tree… ees...
ees...
ees...
(wait for it)
... a Ham Bush.”
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LIMERICK OF THE WEEK:
There was a young lady from Tottenham
Who’d no manners or else she'd forgotten 'em.
At tea at the vicar's
She took off her knickers
Because, she explained, she felt hot in 'em.
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GALLERY:
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CORN CORNER:
If someone calls you fat, just ignore them.
You are bigger than that!
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English puns make me numb.
But Math puns make me number.
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One time i was at a bar, a lady asked me if alcoholics run in my family.
i said "No, but they stumble around and break shit."
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A fat man goes into a fast food restaurant and orders his food. The cashier says that it will be a minute or two for his food. Finally his food is ready. The cashier hands the food to the fat guy and tells him,
"Sorry about your weight."
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I was walking down the street and heard this beautiful music coming from up on a hill.
So I went up there and found out it was a place for the mentally challenged. The music was the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard. So I looked in a window and saw all the patients holding pencils and tapping them on apples. I couldn’t believe the music was coming from them. How could they do it?
So I went in and met a staff worker. I said "I can’t believe that a pencil and an apple can make this music." He told me they were a famous group and I’ve probably heard of them. I asked their name. He said "They are the Moron Tapping Apple Choir."
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Thursday, November 19, 2020
Interesting as F. . .
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Caution: risqué site title
There is a wonderful website which is called Interesting as Fuck because it is . . . well . . . as interesting as fuck. The site can be viewed by clicking on the following link:
Here are some of the interesting pics submitted to the site as recently featured on Bored Panda, together with BP headings and some BP reader comments, viewable at:
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Meet Narnia, A Rare Two Faced Cat
Reader comments:
Narnia's a Chimera cat.
So pretty!
Narnia is beautiful.
All cats are two faced
Day and Night Cat!
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A German Circus Is Using Holograms Instead Of Live Animals For A Cruelty-Free Magical Experience. And It's Cool
Does anyone know the circus?
It's Circus Roncalli, one of the most famous circuses in Europe
That's awesome! No cruelty or lethal accidents!
That's so impressive
It's a shame that there's even circuses still using live animals.
Wait! Holograms are REAL? Well colour me surprised! I thought it was only science fiction.
I love this idea I’m gonna go...I said i wasn’t going back to another circus ever but after seeing this i might visit this place
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Turkish Garbage Collectors Open A Library With All Of The Books Citizens Discard In Their Trash
I never throw away books. I donate to the local libraries
Depending on the books the libraries might throw them away though.
BSR - garbage collecting company in Berlin opened their own second hand store with stuff people try to get rid off: furniture, clothes, books... Bought the most beautiful blue couch in perfect condition from there :)
Donate books to prisons and older people care facilities and hospitals.
I only discard books if they're damaged. This is a great idea!
How can someone even think of throwing books in garbage?
Lots of reasons. Maybe they're outdated textbooks or guidebooks. Maybe it's on a subject no one cares about. Maybe it's simple oversaturation. I've gone digging through the bins at thrift store outlets, the last stop before the dump, and let me tell you there are about a million Danielle Steel, James Patterson, and John Grisham novels floating around. I don't know why people bother buying them new, within two days of a book release it'll appear on a thrift store shelf for a dollar, like magic. And you could build a house from all the copies of Fifty Shades of Grey.
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102-Year-Old Beatrice Lumpkin Put On A Face Shield And Gloves And Took Her Ballot To The Mailbox Today. When She Was Born, Women Couldn't Vote
Beatrice Lumpkin sounds like the name of a kindly old hare in a children's book.
Or a character in a Harry Potter book. :-)
Beatrice Lumpkin is AN ABSOLUTE ROCKSTAR, and we need more women just like her!!!
This is soooo sweet and sooo wholesome
She’s so cute, kudos to her
Women could vote from 1893 though??
I assumed this photo was taken in the USA, where women got the vote in 1920.
People act like this is the worst time ever, but that's untrue on almost every single measure imaginable. We've come a ridiculously long way with rights for all in the blink of a eye, considering we've been humans for over 100,000 years. Most of the change has come in the last 150 years.
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Some Drugstores In The Czech Republic Introduced Shampoo And Shower Gel Filling Machines. Customers Can Refill Their Empty Bottles With Various Products So They Don't Have To Buy A New One Everytime
Such a brilliant idea, need something like this in our shops.
But maybe it's not very hygienic? Or maybe it's fine. I honestly don't know.
I really wish the U.S. had these refill stations in more stores.
Wait, you mean that shampoo is just... shampoo? I don't need thirty kinds to choose from? Oh 2020 you just keep ruining things
There is a store here in Indianapolis that used to do this. They also have dispenser for olive oil, vegetable oil, and other kitchen staples. However, because of COVID, they had to shut down the dispensers. Many stores no longer allow us to bring our own bags in the stores now and that upsets me. I understand the virus, I wear a mask, I am not a "hoaxer" or anti-masker, I just miss being able to provide my own bags and containers so I don't generate so much waste.
I've seen these in a few eco friendly NY stores.
The whole world needs to do this. In fact it should be done with everything that comes in a plastic bottle.
That's a good idea, but the irony would probably be that it's cheaper to buy another bottle instead of bringing yours and refilling it.
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These 3 Jewish Men Arrived In Auschwitz On The Same Day, & Were Tattooed 10 Numbers Apart. 73 Years Later, Sandi Bachom Photographed Them Meeting For The First Time For The Last Eyewitness Project, As Free Men Who Survived To Build Families And Prosperous Lives
That’s astonishing. Live forever.
I'd like a Nazi to see this...
I'm a WW2/Holocaust nerd. I'm just so blown away by it all. I'd been thinking, pretty soon there will no longer be any living survivors. This part of history needs to be a mandatory taught subject in schools.
My eyes just exploded with tears!
There was probably a time where they never thought they'd display those numbers and smile. I can't even imagine the horror and terror of what they lived through.
Two of the three are not smiling. I wouldn't imagine it either, had it not been ingrained in me since childhood.
The atrocities of this time will never be forgotten, but it is always nice to see the people who survived them and were able to rebuild their lives.
They're already being forgotten, some schools won't teach it. Some groups dispute it ever happened. We have to make sure it is never forgotten.
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My Grandpa In Front Of The Plane He Flew In World War II. He Is 97 Now
All hail your grandpa
Udvar-Hazy Center 14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway Chantilly, Virginia 20151
My great grandfather designed this plane that he flew. It’s called the Vought F4U Corsair. My great grandfather’s name was Rex Beisel. I only learned this fact a few weeks ago and it still shocks me. I’m a huge WWII study geek and the F4U was one of the most common and accurate fighter planes in WWII!
It's a miracle he survived. The life expectancy of pilots was measured in weeks
Fortunately, it was an excellent plane, which certainly helped.
Absolutely amazing that he got to see it again. He has some tales to tell.
Badass grandpa:-)
Your Grandpa is a hero. Thank you for your service Sir.
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Saying Goodbye To A Species, The Very Last Male Northern White Rhino. A Powerful Photo Of 2018
I am ashamed to be a human right now
We all should be. If someone doesn't feel ashamed of the horror we brought, then they must not have a heart.
Poor boy, he must have been so lonely :( I hope he’s in a much better place now
I just read up on this. Apparently, vets previously retrieved sperm from various bulls and aim to keep the species alive by artificial insemination, but it‘s not looking good so far :(
Only two females left in the wild ( daughters of the male above) and they are not reproducing for some reason.
This is a very distressing thing, but there's something we ought to keep in mind- There are still two female northern white rhinos in the world, who produce eggs. They are under protection and the genetic information and eggs of a dozen of these rhinos have been carefully collected and preserved by scientific research centers, as well as frozen sperm from male rhinos who have since passed. in 2019 ten of the eggs were planned to be inseminated, and two proved to be viable. These viable embryos will be placed inside of a surrogate mother when one is found, likely a southern white rhino, to develop. There is still hope for this species and many others. Rather than giving up hope or hating on humanity, it's best to be proactive in developing the technologies and politics (and is very possible) to preserve these species.
Tell me why I’m sobbing in online class right now
Oh, God, I'm crying
Look at that eye, how can we be so cruel?!
When humans have wiped out most life, there will left us,. Scorpions, cockroachs, viruses, bacteria and no clean water, no farm land. This will be the end of humanity, already bees are dying out. No bees no food.
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Anti Poachers Guarding The Gorillas Selfie
Aww it looks like the gorillas are protecting them too! It is also very dangerous to be an anti-poaching guard.
The gorillas look like they are posing!! 😂😂
BEER BELLY GORILLA
Poachers are the worst
The gorilla is like: are you done?
"We's the Gorilla Mafia. You's don't mess with us."
Gorrila's got attitude
The cheeky one leaning in for the picture! Love it!
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More IAF to follow.
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
World War II Photos That Most Have Never Seen, Part 2
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https://www.horizontimes.com/worldwide/world-war-two
Fascinating photographs, some of which have been posted in Bytes before.
Further instalments to come.
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The use of kamikaze pilots during World War II was at the forefront of Japan’s attack in the Pacific. American naval forces managed to shoot and disable this kamikaze plane just moments before disaster.
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Strange Tactics
Innovation is
strong during wars and this is especially true when it comes to new tactics.
German soldiers pose here with a man in a bear suit, and this soldier probably
hid out in the forest in his unusual camouflage.
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This photo from 1944, shows a member of the French resistance living life on his terms until his final moment. His name was Georges Blind and his smiling face against a German shooting squad has made it one of the most iconic World War II photos.
Note:
The web site
Rare Historical Photos says that this was a mock execution, one where the
subject is made to believe that he or she is about to be executed as a means of
getting them to reveal information.
Blind was not executed at the above execution but believed that he was
about to be. Nonetheless he revealed
nothing and smiled at those he thought were about to execute him. Georges Blind was eventually forwarded to a
concentration camp, where he was selected for termination on arrival, dying in
late November 1944.
Source:
Otto
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Burning the Belsen Concentration Camp
This harrowing photograph shows the Bergen concentration camp in Germany up in flames. The British Army ordered the camp to be burned after the bodies were buried by the German soldiers. The Allies didn’t want the diseases from the camp to be spread.
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A Moment’s Silence
Even during
World War II, these U.S. Marines found a moment to relax. The destruction
surrounding them just shows how costly war can be.
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An Odd Lighter
Two German
soldiers find an interesting way to light a cigarette. The “lighter” that they
are using is actually a flamethrower.
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Belgian Beer
Canadian
soldiers find some time to relax and kick back with some local beer. The Allies
liberated Belgium entirely on February 4th, 1945.
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Burying The Dead
American
soldiers happened across this American soldier’s grave. The Germans gave him a
respectful burial, and the Americans then donned the unknown soldier’s grave
with a wreath.
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After eventually making a successful advance and take-over of Normandy on D-Day, Allied soldiers take a rest. You can see surviving German soldiers being led away by American soldiers.
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Feeding Polar Bears
Soviet tank
soldiers risk it all in the freezing cold. But it wasn’t the cold that they
should have been afraid of – perhaps the polar bears seeking out food would
have been more threatening.
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Finding The Humour
Even during the
hardest times, soldiers found time for humor. Here you can see an American
soldier doing an impression of the Nazi Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler.
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Flight Photographers
These
photographers pose in front of an aircraft before splitting up to snap aerial
photographs of the war. If it wasn’t for brave photographers like them, we
would have missed out on a massive part of history.
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