Paris Hilton in White House

Paris Hilton has finally responded to the taunting attack ad which so insensitively compared her to Barack Obama. Paris shows that unlike either Obama or rival John McCain (to whom she refers herein as “that wrinkly white-haired guy”), that she can gracefully and eloquently explain complicated matters of energy policy…while wearing a bikini and heels and looking at magazines.

The video’s creator, Adam Mckay (the guy behind “The Landlord”) talks about the moment he came up with the idea in Los Angeles Times.

Dead Baby Penguins on Rio de Janeiro’s Beaches

Can you imagine what’s it like to go to the beach and find hundreds of dead baby penguins washed up on the beach? Well the beach go-ers of Rio de Janeiro beach know. At last count, more than 400 penguins, swept from the shores of Patagonia and Antarctica, have been found dead on Rio de Janeiro’s beaches according to Michael Astor from Associated Press. So what are the causes?

Some say over-fishing; “Thiago Muniz, a veterinarian at the Niteroi Zoo, said he believed overfishing has forced the penguins to swim further from shore to find fish to eat “and that leaves them more vulnerable to getting caught up in the strong ocean currents.” Others say pollution, but scholars has pointed out it’s not likely. Instead, they suggested global warming; “I don’t think the levels of pollution are high enough to affect the birds so quickly. I think instead we’re seeing more young and sick penguins because of global warming, which affects ocean currents and creates more cyclones, making the seas rougher,” biologist Erli Costa said.

Mars Soil for Asparagus but not Strawberries

NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander discovered that a sample of Martian dirt contained several soluble minerals, including potassium, magnesium and chloride. This means the soil in Mars may have enough nutrients to grow plants. Asparagus would grow happily in it, scientists say.

BBC reports: “We basically have found what appears to be the requirements for nutrients to support life,” said Phoenix’s wet chemistry lab lead, Sam Kounaves of Tufts University. “This is the type of soil you’d probably have in your backyard. You might be able to grow asparagus pretty well, but probably not strawberries.”

Jellyfish Outbreak= Nature Out of Balance

So we’re seeing more Jellyfish around, but what does it mean?  Experts say that driven by overfishing and climate change, this is a sure sign of ecosystems out of kilter.

“Jellyfish are an excellent bellwether for the environment,” explains Jacqueline Goy, of the Oceanographic Institute of Paris. “The more jellyfish, the stronger the signal that something has changed.”

“Jellyfish both compete with fish for plankton food, and predate directly on fish,” explains Andrew Brierley from the University of St Andrews in Scotland. “It is hard, therefore, to see a way back for fish once jellyfish have become established, even if commercial fishing is reduced.”

Read the full article here

First Beaver Dam Seen in England in 800 Years

They did it! After 800 years with no Beaver dams in England, a pair of them have finally build one recently.

Telegraph UK reports:”The male beaver has been spotted feeding alone some distance from the lodge, whereas the female seems keen to stay close to their home,” he said. “This might suggest that she has young inside, but we won’t know until at least late July when they’re ready to come outside.

We haven’t had beavers here for 800 years because they were hunted to extinction. Now, a year after they came to Escot, they have built a dam and we think they are breeding. We won’t know for sure for a couple of months but it is very encouraging. It really is a superb structure – quite a feat of engineering for two small beavers.”

Unicorn Spotted in Italy!

A little baby unicorn has been discovered in Tuscay, Italy! It is actually a 10-month-old deer with a horn in the middle of its head. He lives in a nature preserve near Prato with his family.

“This is a demonstration that the fabled unicorn, which we all know from icons and legends, probably was not just a fantasy.”

So for those who dream of fairyland and unicorns, here’s your dream come true.

Read the full article at Telegraph UK