http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/consumer_goods/article6919420.ece
The biggest dairy in the world is to be be built near London as the consolidation of the milk market continues.
Arla Foods, the Danish producer that processes 28 per cent of Britain’s milk, will build the processing plant, which will handle one billion litres of milk a year and will be operational in 2012. It will create about 500 jobs and cost Arla more than £70 million. The exact location is as yet undecided. The company said that it was operating at full capacity in its other plants.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Lab Grown Meat
Lamb Club
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Enfield Island Village
RSA island Centre
RSA Factory Apprentices Association
Enfield Island Village trust
Hidden London - Enfield Island Village
A ‘flagship’ development of ‘regional significance’, according to the government, built from 1997 to 2003 by Fairview New Homes on a 100-acre flood plain lying between the River Lea and the Cattlegate Flood Relief Channel. The site was formerly occupied by the Royal Small Arms Factory. Some original buildings have been retained and the design incorporates a network of waterways, creating a habitat for waterfowl. There are distinct neighbourhoods within the village, each with its own architectural variations. The council originally imposed a limit on the number of homes that could be built before shops and community services were provided, but this was later withdrawn. The developers also increased housing density from their original proposals, with a higher proportion of social accommodation, including some that went to asylum seekers. Enfield Island Village featured prominently in a 2000 investigation by the BBC TV programme Panorama into housing developments on contaminated land. It reported that a survey had found traces of toxic chemicals and metals such as lead, cadmium, arsenic and copper. The land has been ‘remediated’ by capping with a layer of clay to prevent contaminants leaching to the surface but there have been stories of children suffering dermatological problems after playing in their back gardens, and residents have been warned not to dig more than three feet down.
There was further disquiet when Enfield’s chief planning officer left to join Fairview. The borough subsequently convened a special panel to investigate the various allegations surrounding the project, which were refuted as “unsubstantiated rumours.” However, “robust and permanent monitoring” of the site was recommended for the future and the report was narrowly adopted by the council.
Transcript from BBC Panaorama programme into Enfield Island Village Development
20/3/00 "BLIGHT"
RSA Factory Apprentices Association
Enfield Island Village trust
Hidden London - Enfield Island Village
A ‘flagship’ development of ‘regional significance’, according to the government, built from 1997 to 2003 by Fairview New Homes on a 100-acre flood plain lying between the River Lea and the Cattlegate Flood Relief Channel. The site was formerly occupied by the Royal Small Arms Factory. Some original buildings have been retained and the design incorporates a network of waterways, creating a habitat for waterfowl. There are distinct neighbourhoods within the village, each with its own architectural variations. The council originally imposed a limit on the number of homes that could be built before shops and community services were provided, but this was later withdrawn. The developers also increased housing density from their original proposals, with a higher proportion of social accommodation, including some that went to asylum seekers. Enfield Island Village featured prominently in a 2000 investigation by the BBC TV programme Panorama into housing developments on contaminated land. It reported that a survey had found traces of toxic chemicals and metals such as lead, cadmium, arsenic and copper. The land has been ‘remediated’ by capping with a layer of clay to prevent contaminants leaching to the surface but there have been stories of children suffering dermatological problems after playing in their back gardens, and residents have been warned not to dig more than three feet down.
There was further disquiet when Enfield’s chief planning officer left to join Fairview. The borough subsequently convened a special panel to investigate the various allegations surrounding the project, which were refuted as “unsubstantiated rumours.” However, “robust and permanent monitoring” of the site was recommended for the future and the report was narrowly adopted by the council.
Transcript from BBC Panaorama programme into Enfield Island Village Development
20/3/00 "BLIGHT"
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Farming and fishing in crisis as food demand doubles
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b58f7cf2-d9e6-11de-b2d5-00144feabdc0.html
"Feeding the world is now recognised as one of the key problems for the next few decades. An international food summit held in November showed the extent of the difficulties we face: in order to feed a world population that is likely to exceed 9bn before 2050, the world will have to almost double food production. This will have to be managed at the same time as cutting greenhouse gases by between 50 and 80 per cent over the same period."
"Feeding the world is now recognised as one of the key problems for the next few decades. An international food summit held in November showed the extent of the difficulties we face: in order to feed a world population that is likely to exceed 9bn before 2050, the world will have to almost double food production. This will have to be managed at the same time as cutting greenhouse gases by between 50 and 80 per cent over the same period."
To some, pets are a source of cute, absolute love. To me, they're a perpetual looming spectre of death
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jun/15/charlie-brooker-pets-death
I Love this article, and its all about pets and immortality!
'To some, pets are a source of cute, absolute love. To me, they're a perpetual looming spectre of death
Somebody suggested buying a scorpion or a tiger. That way, rather than worrying about its death, I'd be worrying about my own'
"I should perhaps point out that I'm not equating wives with pets. For one thing, you can't bury a wife in a shoebox"
"Because animals die, that's why. And they die too soon. They've got short life spans. I had a cat once. And I loved that cat. But eventually the cat died, and I don't know if I want to go through that again. Literally every time I stroke someone else's cat or dog, all I can think is, "Yes, it's lovely, but it'll die". Every time I envisage myself owning a pet, my mind immediately floods with pre-emptive grief. What if it got run over? Or it choked on something? What if I tripped and fell and dropped a Yellow Pages on its head? I just couldn't bear it."
"Yes, I know humans die too, and usually leave even sharper grief in their wake when they do so. But you can't go through life without becoming at least vaguely attached to at least one or two humans in some form or another. The pain they'll cause is unavoidable. Whereas pets seem easier to cut out."
"I know, pet lovers, I know. The joy your pets give while alive far outweighs the grief of their passing. You might even argue that foreknowledge of your pet's future death actually lends your delight in their comparatively fleeting existence even more resonance"
"One person suggested buying something dangerous, like a scorpion or a tiger. That way, rather than worrying about its death, I'd be worrying about my own. Our day-to-day existence would turn into a nail-biting contest in which only one of us would make it out alive"
"Someone else suggested a virtual pet, like a Tamagotchi. I had one of those years ago: accidentally put it through the washing machine in a jeans pocket and felt like a murderer. Taxidermy also got a mention. True, a stuffed pet wouldn't die. But it would stand around in a glass box, advertising death"
"I suppose what I'm getting at here is I'm just too damn angsty to own a pet. Which is a pity because, like I say, I've got a cat flap. And whenever people see it they go, "Ooh, have you got a cat?" and I have to explain that I don't, because of death and everything, and it's a bit of a conversation-killer to be honest. And it's happened so many times now that every time I see the cat flap, I think about the cat I don't have, and how much I'd like one if only it wouldn't die, and then I realise I'm mourning a theoretical cat, which in turn leads me to contemplate how little time I have in my own life, and how I shouldn't really waste it in morbid mental cul-de-sacs, and that makes me sad. The cat flap makes me sad.
Which is why I'm going to stop typing now and brick the bastard up. Who's laughing now, cat flap? WHO'S LAUGHING NOW?"
I Love this article, and its all about pets and immortality!
'To some, pets are a source of cute, absolute love. To me, they're a perpetual looming spectre of death
Somebody suggested buying a scorpion or a tiger. That way, rather than worrying about its death, I'd be worrying about my own'
"I should perhaps point out that I'm not equating wives with pets. For one thing, you can't bury a wife in a shoebox"
"Because animals die, that's why. And they die too soon. They've got short life spans. I had a cat once. And I loved that cat. But eventually the cat died, and I don't know if I want to go through that again. Literally every time I stroke someone else's cat or dog, all I can think is, "Yes, it's lovely, but it'll die". Every time I envisage myself owning a pet, my mind immediately floods with pre-emptive grief. What if it got run over? Or it choked on something? What if I tripped and fell and dropped a Yellow Pages on its head? I just couldn't bear it."
"Yes, I know humans die too, and usually leave even sharper grief in their wake when they do so. But you can't go through life without becoming at least vaguely attached to at least one or two humans in some form or another. The pain they'll cause is unavoidable. Whereas pets seem easier to cut out."
"I know, pet lovers, I know. The joy your pets give while alive far outweighs the grief of their passing. You might even argue that foreknowledge of your pet's future death actually lends your delight in their comparatively fleeting existence even more resonance"
"One person suggested buying something dangerous, like a scorpion or a tiger. That way, rather than worrying about its death, I'd be worrying about my own. Our day-to-day existence would turn into a nail-biting contest in which only one of us would make it out alive"
"Someone else suggested a virtual pet, like a Tamagotchi. I had one of those years ago: accidentally put it through the washing machine in a jeans pocket and felt like a murderer. Taxidermy also got a mention. True, a stuffed pet wouldn't die. But it would stand around in a glass box, advertising death"
"I suppose what I'm getting at here is I'm just too damn angsty to own a pet. Which is a pity because, like I say, I've got a cat flap. And whenever people see it they go, "Ooh, have you got a cat?" and I have to explain that I don't, because of death and everything, and it's a bit of a conversation-killer to be honest. And it's happened so many times now that every time I see the cat flap, I think about the cat I don't have, and how much I'd like one if only it wouldn't die, and then I realise I'm mourning a theoretical cat, which in turn leads me to contemplate how little time I have in my own life, and how I shouldn't really waste it in morbid mental cul-de-sacs, and that makes me sad. The cat flap makes me sad.
Which is why I'm going to stop typing now and brick the bastard up. Who's laughing now, cat flap? WHO'S LAUGHING NOW?"
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Slaughter of the horses: More animals will be shot as recession bites
Slaughter of the horses: More animals will be shot as recession bites
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1228089/Slaughter-horses-More-animals-shot-recession-bites.html#ixzz0XtL10YiG
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Increase in number of stray dogs
The number of stray dogs on London streets has risen by 64% over the past year, a charity has found.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8245531.stm
Battersea rescues more stray dogs
The south London charity said it had given a home to 5,357 dogs, a 20% increase compared with 2007.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7883297.stm
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Amount of time spouces spend together
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/article.asp?ID=931&Pos=6&ColRank=2&Rank=224
On average couples spend about 2½ hours a day together. There is wide variation in this figure. The time spent together on weekdays is much lower than at weekends (2hrs compared to 3½ hrs). The presence of children decreases the amount of time couples spend together, falling from about 2½ hrs on a weekday for couples without children, to about 1¼ hours on a weekday for couples with children. Unsurprisingly, retired couples spend longer together, while those in full-time work spend less time together. And interestingly, cohabiting couples spend about half an hour less per day together than married couples. The most common shared activity for most groups is TV watching, accounting for about a third of all shared time together (about an hour per day), followed by eating together (about half an hour per day).
On average couples spend about 2½ hours a day together. There is wide variation in this figure. The time spent together on weekdays is much lower than at weekends (2hrs compared to 3½ hrs). The presence of children decreases the amount of time couples spend together, falling from about 2½ hrs on a weekday for couples without children, to about 1¼ hours on a weekday for couples with children. Unsurprisingly, retired couples spend longer together, while those in full-time work spend less time together. And interestingly, cohabiting couples spend about half an hour less per day together than married couples. The most common shared activity for most groups is TV watching, accounting for about a third of all shared time together (about an hour per day), followed by eating together (about half an hour per day).
The National Autistic Society
http://www.nas.org.uk/
We champion the rights and interests of all people with autism and aim to provide individuals with autism and their families with help, support and services that they can access, trust and rely upon and which can make a positive difference to their lives.
Funding
We champion the rights and interests of all people with autism and aim to provide individuals with autism and their families with help, support and services that they can access, trust and rely upon and which can make a positive difference to their lives.
Funding
The UK's First Halal cat formula
http://www.petfoodindustry.com/ViewConsumerProduct.aspx?id=26192
Golden Acres Pet Food Partners offers Muezza Pure Halal cat food. Designed with Muslim cat owners in mind, the formula contains Halal chicken, ensuring the cat’s saliva is clean and free from haram (unclean) foodstuffs.
And World's First No-Carb Pet Food
Where computers go to die
Modern day definition of 'farming' as workers take apart old computers to remove pollutants and seperate valuable metals such as gold.
http://www.wired.com/gadgets/miscellaneous/news/2009/03/gallery_ewaste_recycling?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Index+3+%28Top+Stories+2%29%29&utm_content=Google+Reader
Specialisterne - Niche work for Autistics
Specialisterne finds a place in workforce for people with autism
Carol Evans, director of the National Autistic Society Scotland, said, "Only 6% of people with autism are in full-time employment, yet they tend to be highly qualified
A Danish IT consultancy is using the special skills of people with autism to improve the quality of its software testing.
Thorkil Sonne: Recruit Autistics
Lego Mindstorms used to measure autistic potential
Carol Evans, director of the National Autistic Society Scotland, said, "Only 6% of people with autism are in full-time employment, yet they tend to be highly qualified
A Danish IT consultancy is using the special skills of people with autism to improve the quality of its software testing.
Thorkil Sonne: Recruit Autistics
Lego Mindstorms used to measure autistic potential
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Birth Control Pills Affect Women's Taste in Men
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=birth-control-pills-affect-womens-taste
Recent research suggests that the contraceptive pill—which prevents women from ovulating by fooling their body into believing it is pregnant—could affect which types of men women desire. Going on or off the pill during a relationship, therefore, may tempt a woman away from her man.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=pill-may-change-attraction-09-10-08
First, let’s go over a woman’s cycle and how that affects attraction. When women are ovulating, their features change in ways that men unconsciously pick up. So men are particularly attracted to women when they’re fertile. And it works the other way, too. When a woman is fertile, she’s more attracted to men with more traditionally masculine features and who are genetically dissimilar to her, or more compatible in terms of procreating.
Of course oral contraception changes a woman’s hormonal cycles. Her body thinks it’s pregnant and doesn’t go through ovulation-induced changes. And in a study published this month in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution, researchers say that women on the pill do not show the ovulation-induced attraction to genetically dissimilar partners. So they might be choosing men who are more genetically similar—which could lead to some of the problems with conception that have become increasingly common. Because attraction isn’t fate. It’s chemistry.
Lily's Kitchen
http://www.lilyskitchen.co.uk/
Lily's Kitchen has been named the UK's Best Pet Food Company for the second year running, by the Ethical Good Shopping Guide
DUAL USE
PLANS to outlaw dual funding claims for the same piece of land will see farmers and the environment suffer in Wales, claims a rural group.
A case of dual use: Iran's free zones
America's Dilemma: Close Security Holes, or Exploit Them Ourselves
Japanese Man Sentenced for Sending Dual-Use Equipment to Myanmar
Symantec warns of retro gaming styled Trojan Horse
A case of dual use: Iran's free zones
America's Dilemma: Close Security Holes, or Exploit Them Ourselves
Japanese Man Sentenced for Sending Dual-Use Equipment to Myanmar
Symantec warns of retro gaming styled Trojan Horse
London Statistics
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/profiles/H-A.asp#ethnic
http://www.bbc.co.uk/relationships/tv_and_radio/love_map/ukmaplove_london.shtml
"In 1991 we drew a map of the country, and London was the only place where the majority of working age people were not married. There wasn't another city, town or village like it," says Daniel Dorling Professor of Human Geography at Sheffield University, "Now, the rest of the country is following in London's footsteps, but they will never catch up with London."Trying to work out what the capital will be like in 20 to 30 years is near to impossible."
"Almost every young graduate wants to work in London. Now there are three to four young people sharing a flat where there used to be two. Such crowding has an effect on human relationships. Housing is not keeping pace with needs in London; the cost of homes is rising and the consequence among the graduates who migrate will be an even further delay in having children," predicts Dorling.
There is a higher proportion of single people living in London than anywhere else in the UK. Around half the London population between 20 and 59 years are single, with the widest difference between London and elsewhere among 45- to 60-year-olds. There are twice as many single people in this age group in London than in the rest of the UK.
London is also unusual because 70 per cent of marriages are the first for both partners; elsewhere in the UK the average is nearer 50 per cent.
Religious weddings in London are a rarity, with the vast majority, 81 per cent, being civil ceremonies. This compares with 68 per cent for the rest of the UK.
While cohabiting with no children is most common in London, accounting for nine per cent of the population, cohabiting with children, especially when both parents work, is becoming rarer in London.
The City of London is second only to Brighton in the percentage of same-sex couples declared by people on their Census returns (1.2 per cent and 1.1 per cent respectively). Eleven other London boroughs are included in the top 20 places for same-sex couples.
A Times poll revealed that a third of all love cheats meet their lovers through work. As the biggest centre of employment this makes the likelihood of infidelity greater in London, said to be the affairs capital of the UK, than in many other places.
Lone-parent households have become the fourth most common type of household in the UK and they are most numerous in London, mainly in the east.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/relationships/tv_and_radio/love_map/ukmaplove_london.shtml
"In 1991 we drew a map of the country, and London was the only place where the majority of working age people were not married. There wasn't another city, town or village like it," says Daniel Dorling Professor of Human Geography at Sheffield University, "Now, the rest of the country is following in London's footsteps, but they will never catch up with London."Trying to work out what the capital will be like in 20 to 30 years is near to impossible."
"Almost every young graduate wants to work in London. Now there are three to four young people sharing a flat where there used to be two. Such crowding has an effect on human relationships. Housing is not keeping pace with needs in London; the cost of homes is rising and the consequence among the graduates who migrate will be an even further delay in having children," predicts Dorling.
There is a higher proportion of single people living in London than anywhere else in the UK. Around half the London population between 20 and 59 years are single, with the widest difference between London and elsewhere among 45- to 60-year-olds. There are twice as many single people in this age group in London than in the rest of the UK.
London is also unusual because 70 per cent of marriages are the first for both partners; elsewhere in the UK the average is nearer 50 per cent.
Religious weddings in London are a rarity, with the vast majority, 81 per cent, being civil ceremonies. This compares with 68 per cent for the rest of the UK.
While cohabiting with no children is most common in London, accounting for nine per cent of the population, cohabiting with children, especially when both parents work, is becoming rarer in London.
The City of London is second only to Brighton in the percentage of same-sex couples declared by people on their Census returns (1.2 per cent and 1.1 per cent respectively). Eleven other London boroughs are included in the top 20 places for same-sex couples.
A Times poll revealed that a third of all love cheats meet their lovers through work. As the biggest centre of employment this makes the likelihood of infidelity greater in London, said to be the affairs capital of the UK, than in many other places.
Lone-parent households have become the fourth most common type of household in the UK and they are most numerous in London, mainly in the east.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Pet Ownership Statistics
Pet food manufacturer's Association (PFMA) Pet Statistics
Results of PFMA Survey Published in Dog Magazine
Key Facts:
* There are 27 million pets in the UK with dogs and cats being the animal of choice for pet lovers with over 7.3 and 7.2 million across the UK respectively. (The UK’s Top Ten Pets can be found in the notes below)
* 39% of London’s pet owners purchase their pet for companionship, despite living in the UK’s highest populated city.
* 60% of single people in the UK buy a pet for companionship – 39% of whom have replaced their partner with a pet. (so 23.4% of single people replaced their partner with a pet)
* 21% of pet owners have wanted a pet since childhood, and almost of half of people living in the North East have wanted a pet since their early years
* The East Midlands has the most pet lovers, with 14% of the pet population living in the heart of the UK, compared to only 4% of the population residing in Wales.
* 39% of London pet owners feel the need for companionship despite having over 7.5 million neighbours across the city
* 21% of owners bought their pet for companionship, compared to only 5% who have their pet for security
* Over a quarter (27%) of the UK’s pets were bought or acquired from an animal welfare or rescue centre compared to 20% from a pet shop
Phil Sketchley, Chairman of National Pet Month, commented, “Pet ownership has grown over the years to this national high and it’s no surprise that so many pet lovers see their pet as a companion.”
Top 10 pets as per the Pet Food Manufacturers Association (PFMA) Pet Research
Dogs
Cats
Rabbits
Birds
Hamsters
Horses/Ponies
Snakes
Gerbils
Tortoises/Turtles
Rats
Top 10 dogs as per the Pet Food Manufacturers Association (PFMA) Pet Research
Labrador
Border Collie
Jack Russell Terrier
Yorkshire Terrier
German Shepard
Rottweiler/ Dalmation
Bischon Frise
Cocker Spaniel/ Shitzu
Labradoodle/ Golden Retriever
Geryhound (incorporating Whippets)/ Chihuahua
Separation Anxiety in Pets
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091114/A_LIFE1202/911140305/-1/a_life#STS=g23h9uon.1jk8
Pet insurance shoppers 'must teach their dogs to be alone'
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1551&aid=2266
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND STATISTICS
Primary: The dog grows up to adult hood separation anxiety persists they have dysfunctional attachment.
In chronic stress states we know that dogs higher prolactin level.
In acute stress states we know that dogs have a lower prolactin level.
A dog in chronic stress is a different animal.
SEPERATION ANXIETY STATISTICS
29-50% of senior dogs have separation anxiety
14-35% of dogs have separation anxiety (depending on which study you read)
41% Are not treated
22% Are treated with behavior modification and drugs
10% Are treated with drugs alone
17% Are treated with behavior modification alone
10% Are referred for help
Separation Anxiety effects the dog/human bond, the number of dog relinquished to shelter or euthanized due to destructive behavior, owner discouragement, owners banishing pets to parts of house or locking them up. The welfare of dogs with separation anxiety is at great risk.
http://dogpsychologyhelp.com/separationanxiety.aspx
Pet insurance shoppers 'must teach their dogs to be alone'
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1551&aid=2266
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND STATISTICS
Primary: The dog grows up to adult hood separation anxiety persists they have dysfunctional attachment.
In chronic stress states we know that dogs higher prolactin level.
In acute stress states we know that dogs have a lower prolactin level.
A dog in chronic stress is a different animal.
SEPERATION ANXIETY STATISTICS
29-50% of senior dogs have separation anxiety
14-35% of dogs have separation anxiety (depending on which study you read)
41% Are not treated
22% Are treated with behavior modification and drugs
10% Are treated with drugs alone
17% Are treated with behavior modification alone
10% Are referred for help
Separation Anxiety effects the dog/human bond, the number of dog relinquished to shelter or euthanized due to destructive behavior, owner discouragement, owners banishing pets to parts of house or locking them up. The welfare of dogs with separation anxiety is at great risk.
http://dogpsychologyhelp.com/separationanxiety.aspx
Children's Expenditure in UK
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/nugget.asp?ID=1103&Pos=2&ColRank=2&Rank=208
Children aged 7 to 15 in the United Kingdom spent an average of £13.00 a week in 2002-2003 to 2003-04. Girls spent more than boys, at £13.60 a week compared with £12.40 spent by boys.
Boys spend more than girls on ‘games, toys, hobbies and pets’. At ages 7 to 9, boys spent £2.40 a week (35 per cent of their total spend). This was twice as much as the £1.20 a week spent by girls (17 per cent of their spending). By the ages 13 to 15 boys were spending £2.60 a week (14 per cent) and girls just 50p (2 per cent) on this category.
The Fido awards are the canine Oscars
http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2009/nov/16/fido-award-canine-oscars
"Put your paws together for the third annual Fido awards, the Oscars for canine actors, which will be presented at the BFI Southbank in London on Sunday."
Pet Emergency Evacuation Jacket
http://www.petgadgets.com/product_details.cfm?product_id=1123&content_id=100
'Longtime pets feel like part of the family, but in times of crisis, they can get skittish and hard to manage, endangering themselves and their owners. You can stop worrying, though, because the brand-new Pet Evacuation Jacket is here to get you and your pet to safety in fires, earthquakes, and other disasters. '
Track your pets with GPS
http://www.mr-lee-catcam.de/pe_cc_o2_en.htm
'Trace your cat's ways and find out how far it walked, where it got food and where it spent the night. In conjunction with the CatCam the ultimate tool to get in touch with you pets life.'
DNA11 can transform a DNA sample from your favorite pet and turn it into a modern meaningful masterpiece.
http://www.petgadgets.com/product_details.cfm?product_id=1137&content_id=35
'A DNA Pet Portrait is a beautiful way to celebrate the spirit of your friend. The process, like that for your human companions is easy and painless (just a quick swab from the mouth). And the result is spectacular. Every portrait is as unique as your pet.'
'Deceased pet? We can actually create a portrait from any hair clippings you might have.'
The best pet gadgets ever made
Shop while pooch frolics in playground
http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20091116-180124.html
DOG owners can look forward to a shopping mall in Serangoon Central by the end of next year with a dedicated playground for dogs, where pets can frolic for free
DOG owners can look forward to a shopping mall in Serangoon Central by the end of next year with a dedicated playground for dogs, where pets can frolic for free
Pet Economy: Meet the Fur Babies
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/petshealth/6507575/Pet-economy-meet-the-fur-babies.html
While most retail sectors are struggling, the pet industry has a projected increase of 4.9 per cent in 2009
We now spend more than £2.4 billion a year in Britain on our pets, 40 per cent more than we spent a decade ago.
Seventy per cent of dog owners now list their pet as 'like a child/family member’
The change in our pets’ status coincides with the increase in divorce rates, more atomised families, longer work hours and a decline in communities. As we lose our social support, we are using pets to fill the gap
'Fur baby’ is the industry’s term for this phenomenon
In response to the huge demand, last year Harrods quadrupled the size of its pet department to 11,000sq ft. It is now the third most requested location in the store
pets can have a positive impact on health, improving your immune system and lowering blood pressure
The interior designer Michelle Polak and her business partner Alan Mowrer, who own La Petite Maison in Denver, create top-of-the-line miniature mansions for cats and dogs (from $6,000 to $35,000), from Italian palazzos to Tudor mansions, complete with underfloor heating, air conditioning and marble floors. For the model Rachel Hunter they built a house complete with custom-made dog wallpaper, crystal chandeliers and a dog bed and wardrobe. 'Most of our clients don’t care if the dog ever uses it,’ Polak says. 'It’s like a little garden folly.
the dog insurer Esure calculates that a chihuahua will cost £88,691 over a lifespan of 13 years
In America, 59 per cent of all dogs and 73 per cent of all cats are 'latchkey pets’, left home alone during the week. This has resulted in more than 10 million US dogs suffering from separation anxiety, an illness characterised by home- and self-destruction, prolonged barking, inappropriate defecation or simply standing by the front door in an all-day vigil.
In England 10,000 dogs and cats are euthanised annually.
More than 40 per cent of Americans and Britons let their dogs sleep in their bed with them
Unshackled by expensive liability insurance and extensive testing, the cutting edge of veterinary science is developing all manner of treatments that may eventually benefit humans. Two auspicious breakthroughs are canine and feline stem cell treatments for arthritis, and a canine cancer vaccine that has proved highly successful in treating malignant melanomas. 'The vaccine shows phenomenal promise for humans,’
genetic engineering is being used to modify pets to make them more 'human-compatible’. Time magazine named Lifestyle Pets’ genetically modified hypoallergenic cats and dogs one of the best inventions of 2006. The Delaware-based biotech company’s breakthrough was discovering that the Fel d 1 gene in cats and dogs makes them secrete a glycoprotein that causes allergic reactions in more than 30 million Americans (and millions of others worldwide). It now breeds cats and dogs with a mutated gene, which, it says, guarantees no more allergic reactions. The downside is that this kind of genetically modified animal is even more expensive than a pure-bred show dog. Cats start at $6,950 and a puppy is $9,950.
While most retail sectors are struggling, the pet industry has a projected increase of 4.9 per cent in 2009
We now spend more than £2.4 billion a year in Britain on our pets, 40 per cent more than we spent a decade ago.
Seventy per cent of dog owners now list their pet as 'like a child/family member’
The change in our pets’ status coincides with the increase in divorce rates, more atomised families, longer work hours and a decline in communities. As we lose our social support, we are using pets to fill the gap
'Fur baby’ is the industry’s term for this phenomenon
In response to the huge demand, last year Harrods quadrupled the size of its pet department to 11,000sq ft. It is now the third most requested location in the store
pets can have a positive impact on health, improving your immune system and lowering blood pressure
The interior designer Michelle Polak and her business partner Alan Mowrer, who own La Petite Maison in Denver, create top-of-the-line miniature mansions for cats and dogs (from $6,000 to $35,000), from Italian palazzos to Tudor mansions, complete with underfloor heating, air conditioning and marble floors. For the model Rachel Hunter they built a house complete with custom-made dog wallpaper, crystal chandeliers and a dog bed and wardrobe. 'Most of our clients don’t care if the dog ever uses it,’ Polak says. 'It’s like a little garden folly.
the dog insurer Esure calculates that a chihuahua will cost £88,691 over a lifespan of 13 years
In America, 59 per cent of all dogs and 73 per cent of all cats are 'latchkey pets’, left home alone during the week. This has resulted in more than 10 million US dogs suffering from separation anxiety, an illness characterised by home- and self-destruction, prolonged barking, inappropriate defecation or simply standing by the front door in an all-day vigil.
In England 10,000 dogs and cats are euthanised annually.
More than 40 per cent of Americans and Britons let their dogs sleep in their bed with them
Unshackled by expensive liability insurance and extensive testing, the cutting edge of veterinary science is developing all manner of treatments that may eventually benefit humans. Two auspicious breakthroughs are canine and feline stem cell treatments for arthritis, and a canine cancer vaccine that has proved highly successful in treating malignant melanomas. 'The vaccine shows phenomenal promise for humans,’
genetic engineering is being used to modify pets to make them more 'human-compatible’. Time magazine named Lifestyle Pets’ genetically modified hypoallergenic cats and dogs one of the best inventions of 2006. The Delaware-based biotech company’s breakthrough was discovering that the Fel d 1 gene in cats and dogs makes them secrete a glycoprotein that causes allergic reactions in more than 30 million Americans (and millions of others worldwide). It now breeds cats and dogs with a mutated gene, which, it says, guarantees no more allergic reactions. The downside is that this kind of genetically modified animal is even more expensive than a pure-bred show dog. Cats start at $6,950 and a puppy is $9,950.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
The Evolution of House Cats
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-taming-of-the-cat
The house cat has not stopped evolving, though—far from it. Armed with artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization technology, cat breeders today are pushing domestic cat genetics into uncharted territory: they are hybridizing house cats with other felid species to create exotic new breeds. The Bengal and the Caracat, for example, resulted from crossing the house cat with the Asian leopard cat and the caracal, respectively. The domestic cat may thus be on the verge of an unprecedented and radical evolution into a multispecies composite whose future can only be imagined.
The Truth about Cats and Dogs
Unlike dogs, which exhibit a huge range of sizes, shapes and temperaments, house cats are relatively homogeneous, differing mostly in the characteristics of their coats. The reason for the relative lack of variability in cats is simple: humans have long bred dogs to assist with particular tasks, such as hunting or sled pulling, but cats, which lack any inclination for performing most tasks that would be useful to humans, experienced no such selective breeding pressures.
FW 75: Leading farming figures' predictions for 2084
http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2009/10/30/118332/FW-75-Leading-farming-figures39-predictions-for.htm
PATRICK HOLDEN, Soil Association director
UK agriculture is on the threshold of a period of more far-reaching change than any time since the Industrial Revolution.
During the period since the Second World War, our farming systems have been treating environmental capital, including fossil fuels, mineral fertiliser, water and the fertility of soil itself, as if it was income.
Although the supply of nature's capital is not yet exhausted, we are nearing the end of this exploitative phase during which we have lived beyond our means.
Our food and farming systems need to go through a transition from our current approach, which uses up to 10 calories of mainly fossil fuel energy to produce each calorie of food, to a system of renewable and recyclable inputs.
The transition period will probably span at least 20 years but if we fast forward, the landscape of a sustainably farmed Britain will be radical different.
Mixed organic farming will be the norm not the exception; fertility for arable cropping will be built through clover grass leys grazed by ruminants. Because of this, cereal output will reduce by 40%, white meat becoming an expensive luxury, while red meat fattened on forage will be considered the more sustainable, affordable meat option.
This radical transformation will not stop at the farm gate - our staple foods will once again be sourced mainly much closer to where we live.
The infrastructure needed to enable this will include more abattoirs and processing units, most of which have disappeared over the last 60 years.
The mutual dependency between producer and consumer which once characterised the food culture of this country and which still exists in parts of mainland Europe will undergo a renaissance and the simple pleasure of eating fresh, sustainably produced and local food will once again occupy a central point in our lives.
It will return the primary producers of this country to their rightful high social, cultural and economic status.
PATRICK HOLDEN, Soil Association director
UK agriculture is on the threshold of a period of more far-reaching change than any time since the Industrial Revolution.
During the period since the Second World War, our farming systems have been treating environmental capital, including fossil fuels, mineral fertiliser, water and the fertility of soil itself, as if it was income.
Although the supply of nature's capital is not yet exhausted, we are nearing the end of this exploitative phase during which we have lived beyond our means.
Our food and farming systems need to go through a transition from our current approach, which uses up to 10 calories of mainly fossil fuel energy to produce each calorie of food, to a system of renewable and recyclable inputs.
The transition period will probably span at least 20 years but if we fast forward, the landscape of a sustainably farmed Britain will be radical different.
Mixed organic farming will be the norm not the exception; fertility for arable cropping will be built through clover grass leys grazed by ruminants. Because of this, cereal output will reduce by 40%, white meat becoming an expensive luxury, while red meat fattened on forage will be considered the more sustainable, affordable meat option.
This radical transformation will not stop at the farm gate - our staple foods will once again be sourced mainly much closer to where we live.
The infrastructure needed to enable this will include more abattoirs and processing units, most of which have disappeared over the last 60 years.
The mutual dependency between producer and consumer which once characterised the food culture of this country and which still exists in parts of mainland Europe will undergo a renaissance and the simple pleasure of eating fresh, sustainably produced and local food will once again occupy a central point in our lives.
It will return the primary producers of this country to their rightful high social, cultural and economic status.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Britain's problem with pets: they're bad for the planet
pets are bad for the planet. They consume vast amounts of precious resources, produce mountains of noxious waste – and they can be a disaster for wildlife
Lily's Kitchen and its range of anthropomorphised pet "recipes" represent the somewhat rarefied summit of the UK's pet food industry, which is now said to be worth close to £2bn a year
In recent years, and despite the economic downturn, the pet food industry has witnessed a move towards "premium products", but the market is still dominated by products made with ingredients that, frankly, can send a shudder down any owner's spine. "Hydrolysed feather meal", "derivatives of vegetable origin", "ash" and "animal derivatives" are just some of the delights routinely found in pet food.
Ben Helm, the sales and marketing director of Golden Acres, the UK's largest manufacturer of own-brand pet foods. The company owns Lancashire's largest arable farm and its on-site factory produces 70,000 tonnes of pet food a year, exporting to 37 countries around the world. By most measures, it's a huge operation, but it's a doggie biscuit in scale compared with the four leading pet-food manufacturers – P&G, Nestlé, Mars and Colgate-Palmolive – which, between them, are thought to account for more than 80% of the world's pet-food market.
the Pet Food Manufacturers' Association. It says: "So far as we can tell, our industry uses 50,000-150,000 tonnes of mostly 'broken rice' [a byproduct of the milling process] a year. This compares with rice imports for human consumption of around 450,000 tonnes in the UK."
children from households with pets are found to have stronger immune systems and take fewer days off school. People with pets make fewer visits to the doctor – 21% less for elderly people.
Archaeology has shown that we have been living with companion animals for at least 12,000 years
the UK's 7.7 million cats kill around 188 million wild animals a year
an estimated 250,000 tonnes of dog faeces are deposited on our streets and in our parks each year
It is calculated that 100 tonnes of dog shit is left on Richmond Park in London each year alone
in San Francisco, city officials say that dog faeces now account for 4% of the municipal waste sent to landfill each year – the same level as used nappies.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
The Dad's Army of British cryonics
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/nov/07/cryonics-british-dads-army
'In sleepy Sussex is a group of dedicated cryonicists who believe they hold the secret to eternal life'
Cryonics
liquid nitrogen
Cryonics UK
Benjamin Franklin
Robert Ettinger
Alcor - Biggest Cryonics Company in the World
Cryonics UK
KryoRus - Russian Cryonics Company
The Knife MAn - Book about John Hunter (surgeon)
Mike Darwin
Aubrey de Grey
Nembutal
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Pets as a disease risk
Warning over 'superbug' risk from pets
"Superbugs" originating in hospitals are now increasingly being found in cats and dogs, and in victims of bites.
Of pathogens and pets: Tokay gecko harbors 10 types of salmonella
'The magnitude of the international wildlife trade is immense, with estimates of billions of live animals and animal products traded globally each year (1, 2). This trade has facilitated the introduction of species to new regions, where they compete with native species for resources, alter ecosystems, damage infrastructure, and destroy crops (1, 3). It has also led to the introduction of pathogens that threaten public health, agricultural production, and biodiversity (1, 4). '
"Superbugs" originating in hospitals are now increasingly being found in cats and dogs, and in victims of bites.
Of pathogens and pets: Tokay gecko harbors 10 types of salmonella
'The magnitude of the international wildlife trade is immense, with estimates of billions of live animals and animal products traded globally each year (1, 2). This trade has facilitated the introduction of species to new regions, where they compete with native species for resources, alter ecosystems, damage infrastructure, and destroy crops (1, 3). It has also led to the introduction of pathogens that threaten public health, agricultural production, and biodiversity (1, 4). '
How Green is your pet?
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/10/ecosmackdown-solar-versus-pets/
'It takes 17 times more land to feed American pets than would be required by solar farms producing enough electricity to meet all the demand in the United States.'
How green is your pet?
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427311.600-how-green-is-your-pet.html?page=1
'Cat excrement is particularly toxic. In 2002, it emerged that sea otters along the Californian coast are dying from a brain disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii. The parasite, which is found in cat faeces, ends up in rivers and estuaries thanks to cat owners who flush their cat litter down the toilet or allow their cats to defecate outside. Dolphins and whales are also affected (newscientist.com/article/dn14037).'
'As well as guzzling resources, cats and dogs devastate wildlife populations, spread disease and add to pollution. It is time to take eco-stock of our pets.'
'if you must own your own, think about getting an animal that serves a dual purpose. He recommends hens, which partly compensate for their eco-footprint by providing eggs. Or there is an even better alternative, if you can stomach it. "Rabbits are good," he says, "provided you eat them."'
Cute, fluffy and horribly greedy
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427313.200-cute-fluffy-and-horribly-greedy.html
'According to the authors of the new book Time to Eat the Dog, it takes 0.84 hectares of land to keep a medium-sized dog fed. In contrast, running a 4.6-litre Toyota Land Cruiser, including the energy required to construct the thing and drive it 10,000 kilometres a year, requires 0.41 hectares'
'In 2004, the average citizen of Vietnam had an ecological footprint of 0.76 hectares. For an Ethiopian, it was just 0.67 hectares'
Heartbeat converted into electric current to recharge mobile phones
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6339171/Heartbeat-converted-into-electric-current-to-recharge-mobile-phones.html
The idea is considered to have great potential in both developing countries, where mobile phone use is growing fast but electricity is in short supply, and in developed markets where charger cables are considered a bulky burden.
The idea is considered to have great potential in both developing countries, where mobile phone use is growing fast but electricity is in short supply, and in developed markets where charger cables are considered a bulky burden.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
GLoFish - The First Genetically Modified 'Pet'
The GloFish is a patented brand of genetically modified (GM) fluorescent zebrafish with bright red, green, and orange fluorescent color. Although not originally developed for the ornamental fish trade, it is the first genetically modified animal to become publicly available as a pet.
The original zebrafish (Danio rerio) from which the GloFish was developed is a native of rivers in India and Bangladesh. It measures three centimeters long and has gold and dark blue stripes, and over 200 million have been sold in the last 50 years in the United States ornamental fish market. Despite the number of zebrafish sold, they have never established any reproducing populations in the United States, primarily because they are tropical fish, unable to survive in the temperate North American climate.
In 1999, Dr. Zhiyuan Gong and his colleagues at the National University of Singapore were working with a gene called green fluorescent protein (GFP), originally extracted from a jellyfish, that naturally produced bright green bioluminescence. They inserted the gene into a zebrafish embryo, allowing it to integrate into the zebrafish's genome, which caused the fish to be brightly fluorescent under both natural white light and ultraviolet light. Their goal was to develop a fish that could detect pollution by selectively fluorescing in the presence of environmental toxins. The development of the always fluorescing fish was the first step in this process. Shortly thereafter, his team developed a line of red fluorescent zebra fish by adding a gene from a sea coral, and yellow fluorescent zebra fish, by adding a variant of the jellyfish gene. Later, a team of Taiwanese researchers at the National University of Taiwan, headed by Professor Huai-Jen Tsai (蔡懷禎), succeeded in creating a medaka (rice fish) with a fluorescent green color.
The scientists from NUS and businessmen Alan Blake & Richard Crockett from Yorktown Technologies, L.P., a company in Austin, Texas, met and a deal was signed whereby Yorktown obtained the worldwide rights to market the GloFish. At around the same time, a separate deal was made between Taikong, the largest aquarium fish producer in Taiwan, and the Taiwanese researchers to market the green medaka in Taiwan under the name TK-1. In spring of 2003, Taiwan became the first to authorize sales of a genetically modified organism as a pet. One hundred thousand fish were reported sold in less than a month at US$18.60 a piece. It should be clarified that the fluorescent medaka are not GloFish, as they are not marketed by Yorktown Technologies, but instead by Taikong Corp under a different brand name.
Transgenics
Pollution-Busting Plants
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=genetically-modified-plants-suck-up-pollution
Next generation: Glowing transgenic monkeys
The first drug from a transgenic animal may be nearing approval
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=atryn-the-land-of-milk-and-mone
Scientists hope that a handful of monkeys that glow—in the ultraviolet (UV)—will help shed light on human genetic diseases.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/gallery_directory.cfm?photo_id=83C84C0A-9BDC-9E33-D7B8BCF82D4B315B
Micro Pigs
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1218472/The-700-teacup-sized-pigs-latest-celebrity-pet.html
And the biofriendly benefits of a micro pig:
http://climatechange.thinkaboutit.eu/think2/post/micro_pigs_-_the_ultimate_sweetheart_energy_saver/
We speak about modern, living, totally bio-friendly vacuum-cleaner. It works just like a microprocessor – it`s quiet, low maintenance, don`t need much space and its latest model spends energy. Actually it doesn`t consume any electricity, all it needs is some sunlight.
The micro pig lives for up to 18 years long, you don’t need to clean a lot after the tiny animal, which doesn’t have a lot of hair. Also it`s great for people with allergies, because the pigs skin is very near to the human ones. They don`t need long walks, all they need is love.
“I like pigs.
Dogs look up to us.
Cats look down on us.
Pigs treat us as equals.”
by Winston Churchill
http://vimeo.com/6944915
Push to overturn pig-human transplant ban
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/29/2727817.htm?section=justin
Australia's national health regulator is considering overturning the ban on transplanting animal cells and organs into humans.
"Pigs like humans eat just about anything and their blood sugar levels run about the same as humans, so from that point of view they're pretty ideal."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/nov/05/micro-pigs-pets-victoria-beckham
This little piggy makes the perfect pet
Micro pigs are the new must-have pets – even Victoria Beckham has bought two for David for Christmas
Dangerous Dogs
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/article6898663.ece
'weapon dogs'
'Over the past few years, the proliferation of the “weapon dog” — American pit bulls and other bull breeds — has been prodigious. From 2002 to 2006, the Metropolitan Police picked up 43 weapon dogs. In 2008 they seized 719. This year they are on target to remove more than 1,000 animals from London’s streets. Battersea Dogs Home reports that bull breeds account for nearly 50 per cent of its “inmates”, a proportion that has doubled in the past five years. In England and Wales the number of prosecutions brought under the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act has also more than doubled in the past 10 years, and the number of convictions has tripled. And on any given night there are hundreds of seized dogs in taxpayer-funded kennels, awaiting judgment. '
'Bull terriers were bred as weapons'
'The provincial government [of Ontario] produced a law that banned all bull breeds and derivatives, including pitbulls and the Staffordshire bull terrier. All such existing dogs had to be registered, neutered and muzzled, leading to the bull-types dying out and owners learning to love the labrador or pug. The result? A huge fall in the number of dog-related injuries and incidents
'weapon dogs'
'Over the past few years, the proliferation of the “weapon dog” — American pit bulls and other bull breeds — has been prodigious. From 2002 to 2006, the Metropolitan Police picked up 43 weapon dogs. In 2008 they seized 719. This year they are on target to remove more than 1,000 animals from London’s streets. Battersea Dogs Home reports that bull breeds account for nearly 50 per cent of its “inmates”, a proportion that has doubled in the past five years. In England and Wales the number of prosecutions brought under the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act has also more than doubled in the past 10 years, and the number of convictions has tripled. And on any given night there are hundreds of seized dogs in taxpayer-funded kennels, awaiting judgment. '
'Bull terriers were bred as weapons'
'The provincial government [of Ontario] produced a law that banned all bull breeds and derivatives, including pitbulls and the Staffordshire bull terrier. All such existing dogs had to be registered, neutered and muzzled, leading to the bull-types dying out and owners learning to love the labrador or pug. The result? A huge fall in the number of dog-related injuries and incidents
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Online behaviour based advertising
Google Serves up behaviour based ads
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7937201.stm
Nationwide building society opts out of phorm services
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/marketforceslive/2009/jul/21/phorm
EU goes to next stage in privacy action against Britain
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/oct/30/digital-media-phorm
Phorm Website
http://www.phorm.com/
Phorm Investigated
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/aug/20/phorm-investigated
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7937201.stm
Nationwide building society opts out of phorm services
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/marketforceslive/2009/jul/21/phorm
EU goes to next stage in privacy action against Britain
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/oct/30/digital-media-phorm
Phorm Website
http://www.phorm.com/
Phorm Investigated
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/aug/20/phorm-investigated
Using your browser URL history to estimate gender
This site will be able to tell what gender you are just from how you use the internet.
http://www.mikeonads.com/2008/07/13/using-your-browser-url-history-estimate-gender/
Interesting patent by Xerox:
http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220070073681%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20070073681&RS=DN/20070073681
http://www.mikeonads.com/2008/07/13/using-your-browser-url-history-estimate-gender/
Interesting patent by Xerox:
http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220070073681%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20070073681&RS=DN/20070073681
Object Gender
A light hearted entry to an online blog about object gender:
'Object Gender
FREEZER BAGS
They are male, because they hold everything in, but you can see right through them.
PHOTOCOPIERS
These are female, because once turned off; it takes a while to warm them up again. They are an effective reproductive device if the right buttons are pushed, but can also wreak havoc if you push the wrong buttons.
TYRES
Tyres are male, because they go bald easily and are often over inflated.
HOT AIR BALLOONS
Also a male object, because to get them to go anywhere, you have to light a fire under their butt.
SPONGES
These are female, because they are soft, squeezable and retain water.
WEB PAGES
Female, because they're constantly being looked at and frequently getting hit on.
TRAINS
Definitely male, because they always use the same old lines for picking up people.
EGG TIMERS
Egg timers are female because, over time, all the weight shifts to the bottom.
HAMMERS
Male, because in the last 5000 years, they've hardly changed at all, and are occasionally handy to have around.
THE REMOTE CONTROL
Female. Ha! You probably thought it would be male, but consider this: It easily gives a man pleasure, he'd be lost without it, and while he doesn't always know which buttons to push, he just keeps trying.'
http://forums.computing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=132819
'Object Gender
FREEZER BAGS
They are male, because they hold everything in, but you can see right through them.
PHOTOCOPIERS
These are female, because once turned off; it takes a while to warm them up again. They are an effective reproductive device if the right buttons are pushed, but can also wreak havoc if you push the wrong buttons.
TYRES
Tyres are male, because they go bald easily and are often over inflated.
HOT AIR BALLOONS
Also a male object, because to get them to go anywhere, you have to light a fire under their butt.
SPONGES
These are female, because they are soft, squeezable and retain water.
WEB PAGES
Female, because they're constantly being looked at and frequently getting hit on.
TRAINS
Definitely male, because they always use the same old lines for picking up people.
EGG TIMERS
Egg timers are female because, over time, all the weight shifts to the bottom.
HAMMERS
Male, because in the last 5000 years, they've hardly changed at all, and are occasionally handy to have around.
THE REMOTE CONTROL
Female. Ha! You probably thought it would be male, but consider this: It easily gives a man pleasure, he'd be lost without it, and while he doesn't always know which buttons to push, he just keeps trying.'
http://forums.computing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=132819
Tinkebell. at Torch Gallery
Thanks adam for this.
Tinkebell., the Dutch performance artist best known for making a handbag out of her own cat (above), presents an exhibition of her work at Torch Gallery in Amsterdam starting later this week.
http://www.dezeen.com/2009/10/26/tinkebell-at-torch-gallery/
Neuticles
Neuticles, a patented testicular implant that sells for up to $919 a pair
"Neutering is creepy. But with Neuticles, it's like nothing has changed." Nothing, except there's a fake body part where a real one used to be.
A happy Customer:
Dear Neuticles,
I had my standard Dachshund, Bruno, neutered six months ago using Neuticles. I am very glad that I did so. Bruno has the same look as before and I am extremely pleased with the results. My veterinarian had never done the Neuticles procedure before. I am very grateful for your information and assistance in preparing the veterinarian for the procedure. Some of my friends have commended me for being a caring owner who knew the importance of maintaining Bruno's natural look. I gladly advertise to everyone.
Thank you again for your wonderful product. I have attached a photo of Bruno and me - two happy Neuticles advocates.
Eddie Hamblin
Archdale, NC
http://www.neuticles.com/
"Neutering is creepy. But with Neuticles, it's like nothing has changed." Nothing, except there's a fake body part where a real one used to be.
A happy Customer:
Dear Neuticles,
I had my standard Dachshund, Bruno, neutered six months ago using Neuticles. I am very glad that I did so. Bruno has the same look as before and I am extremely pleased with the results. My veterinarian had never done the Neuticles procedure before. I am very grateful for your information and assistance in preparing the veterinarian for the procedure. Some of my friends have commended me for being a caring owner who knew the importance of maintaining Bruno's natural look. I gladly advertise to everyone.
Thank you again for your wonderful product. I have attached a photo of Bruno and me - two happy Neuticles advocates.
Eddie Hamblin
Archdale, NC
http://www.neuticles.com/
David C Novak, Chairman and CEO of Yum! Brands Connections
David C. Novak current relationships:
Friends of the World Food Program - director
JPMorgan Chase & Co. - director
Yum! Brands Foundation - director
YUM! Brands, Inc. - chairman & CEO
http://www.muckety.com/David-C-Novak/5230.muckety
World Food Program Statement
WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, working to put hunger at the center of the international agenda and promoting policies, strategies and operations that directly benefit the poor and hungry.
http://www.friendsofwfp.org/site/c.hrKJIXPFIqE/b.5018823/k.C7EA/About_Us.htm
Yum! Brands Foundation
http://www.yum.com/responsibility/foundation.asp
JPmorgan Chase
http://www.jpmorganchase.com/cm/Satellite?c=Page&cid=1159304834085&pagename=jpmc/Page/New_JPMC_Homepage
Monday, November 2, 2009
A project from the Past
Just a reminder of Jordan Hodgson's RCA project in 2008 - reference to biofuel using pets - not that radical at all now it may seem, considering this sort of thing now occurs worldwide, but a great project nonetheless.
http://www.we-make-money-not-art.com/archives/2008/02/-dog-eat-dog-nicolas.php
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Paro Baby Seal
Paro Baby Seal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkjLZdSQpfg&NR=1
related:
while my android gently weeps
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/mar/02/robots-usa
Realistic Einstein head
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1156985/Introducing-scarily-realistic-Einstein-robot-tell-feel.html
You can catch schizophrenia from Cat Phaeces
You can catch schizophrenia from Cat Phaeces
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427301.600-3-schizophrenia.html
Toxoplasma Gondii
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg17623665.200-all-in-the-mind.html
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427301.600-3-schizophrenia.html
Toxoplasma Gondii
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg17623665.200-all-in-the-mind.html
Pet Economy
Pet Economy
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_32/b4045001.htm
http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/may2009/pi20090521_054370.htm
'Despite a serious recession, the American Pet Products Assn. estimates Americans will spend $45.4 billion on pets in 2009, up 5.1% from last year and nearly double pet spending a decade ago'
'Deutsche Bank (DB) analyst Mike Baker said PetSmart beat expectations by controlling expenses and driving traffic to its stores through sales and other promotions'
'Once acquired as sidekicks for kids, animal companions are more popular now with empty-nesters, single professionals, and couples who delay having children'
'Companies from Procter & Gamble (PG ) and Nestlé (NSRGY ) to fashion brands including Polo Ralph Lauren (RL ) and thousands of small entrepreneurs are sniffing around for new opportunities in the pet sector. After consumer electronics, pet care is the fastest-growing category in retail, expanding about 6% a year'
'Del Monte has refocused staples to look more like human snacks—from Snausages breakfast treats shaped like bacon and eggs to Pup-Peroni rib snacks so appetizing that Wolford had to stop a TV anchor from popping one into his mouth on air. Even Meow Mix now comes in plastic cups rather than cans.'
'Mario DiFante, who staged New York's first Pet Fashion Week last August, has an elevated view of the place of dogs and cats in the family hierarchy. As he puts it: "Many of us consider pets as the new babies."'
'Americans now spend $9.8 billion a year on vet services. That doesn't include the over-the-counter drugs and other supplies, which add $9.9 billion in costs'
'There are even animal grief counselors to help families cope with the demise of beloved pets. Not only is state-of-the-art technology such as magnetic resonance imaging, with costs that range around $1,500 a scan, now available in small-town labs, but consumers' expectations of medical care have been transformed. They want the same best-in-class care for their pets that they want for themselves.'
'new products like Pfizer Inc.'s (PFE ) dog-obesity drug Slentrol, which will cost $1 to $2 a day. Reconcile, a new drug from Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY ) for "canine separation anxiety," is based on the active ingredients in Prozac'
'Drugmakers love the category because, compared with human drugs, there's less risk of liability, less competition, and less pressure to switch to generics because so few consumers carry pet insurance'
'for some pet lovers, no medical procedure is too extreme. Plastic surgeons offer rhinoplasty, eye lifts, and other cosmetic procedures to help tone down certain doggy features, from droopy eyes to puggish noses. Root canals, braces, and even crowns for chipped teeth are also becoming more popular.'
'Eric Olander paid $500 for a plane ticket to get a stray chow chow mix from Atlanta to his home in Los Angeles'
Donate animal carcasses to Vet School
http://newsok.com/city-might-donate-animal-carcasses/article/3408788
Your pet has a bigger carbon footprint that your car
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/26/your-pet-has-a-bigger-carbon-footprint-than-your-car/
More Cluck for your buck
More cluck for your buck - Will Self
http://www.newstatesman.com/food/2009/10/fried-chicken-kfc-8220-known
Elixir - An elixir (Arabic: الإكسير, Al-Ikseer, Greek: ξήριον, medical powder, Greek: ξηρός, dry) is a sweet flavored liquid (usually containing alcohol) used in compounding medicines to be taken orally in order to mask an unpleasant taste and intended to cure one's ills.
will self quote: how can anything that tastes this awful be quite so popular?
recherché
1. Sought out with care; choice. Hence: of rare quality, elegance, or attractiveness; peculiar and refined in kind — especially with an artificial or pretentious effect.
YUM! Brands
Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Ky., is the world's largest restaurant company in terms of system restaurants with more than 36,000 restaurants in over 110 countries and territories and more than 1 million associates. Yum! is ranked #239 on the Fortune 500 List, with revenues in excess of $11 billion in 2008. Four of our restaurant brands – KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Long John Silver's – are the global leaders of the chicken, pizza, Mexican-style food and quick-service seafood categories.
http://www.yum.com/company/ourbrands.asp
At Yum! we're building a vibrant global business by focusing on four key business strategies:
* Build leading brands across China in every significant category
* Drive aggressive international expansion and build strong brands everywhere
* Dramatically improve U.S. brand positions, consistency and returns
* Drive industry-leading, long-term shareholder and franchisee value
David C. Novak became Chairman of the Board on January 1, 2001, and Chief Executive Officer of Yum! on January 1, 2000. He also serves as President of Yum!, a position he has held since October 21, 1997. He previously served as Group President and Chief Executive Officer, KFC and Pizza Hut from August 1996 to July 1997, at which time he became acting Vice Chairman of Yum!. He also held senior management positions at Pepsi-Cola Company, including Chief Operating Officer, and Executive Vice President of Marketing and Sales.
With more than 36,000 restaurants in over 110 countries and territories, Yum! Brands international growth sees no signs of stopping as we continue to enter international markets, introducing people around the world to our winning brands.
Statement from Yum! regarding External Consultation on animal Welfare:
While our standards for animal welfare are high, we always seek knowledge from external sources to improve our practices where appropriate. In the U.S., KFC has enlisted the assistance of the American Association of Avian Pathologists (AAAP) in an effort to clarify and further define poultry welfare criteria, policy and audit points. Yum! serves on two AAAP Welfare subcommittees, exploring questions concerning poultry welfare. We were also a prominent player in the joint effort conducted by the National Council of Chain Restaurants and the Food Marketing Institute to develop comprehensive guidelines for all species of farm animals. We also have a veterinarian on staff in the U.S. who provides oversight on animal welfare practices.
Supplier Audits
Our goal is to work with suppliers who maintain our high standards and share our commitment to animal welfare. We monitor our suppliers on a continuous basis through audits to determine whether they are using procedures that ensure respectful caring for, and handling of, animals they supply to us. Audits are conducted at two levels:
* Farm level - In the U.S., KFC manages a farm-level audit program for the breeding, hatching and raising of poultry. The program exceeds the standards set by the U.S. Chicken Council and the Food Marketing Institute. Beginning in 2005, all of our suppliers completed farm-level audits. This marked the beginning of a continuous, bi-annual audit program for all supplier locations in the U.S. based on standards developed by leading animal welfare experts at the direction of the National Council of Chain Restaurants and the Food Marketing Institute.
* Processing level - In 2000, KFC adopted specific, comprehensive welfare performance standards for processing chickens and audits its suppliers against those standards. The processing guidelines and audits are designed to monitor and manage each step of the process to determine whether the birds supplied to us are handled humanely and their suffering is minimized. KFC audits its suppliers for compliance, with non-compliance potentially resulting in termination of the supplier's contract. We have engaged the Professional Animal Auditors Certification Organization (PAACO) to enhance our auditing standards systemwide in our processing facilities. It is our goal to conduct 100-percent external PAACO audits of our poultry processing facilities in the U.S. in 2008.
---------
More Yum Brands Info: Expanding in China
As of now, the United States accounts for 41% of Yum’s operating profits. China accounts for 28% and the rest of the company’s operations around the world account for the remaining 31%.
By 2013, China will account for 40% of Yum’s operating profit, while the United States and the rest of the world will each account for a 30% share, according to company projections.
As this plays out, Yum should outdistance some of its rivals, especially McDonald’s Corp. (MCD). That’s because Yum has done a better job penetrating the China market.
From 2002 to 2007, Yum opened 1,678 new stores in China, for a total of 2,558. In that same span, McDonald’s added 330 stores, giving the Golden Arches’ owner a total of 876 stores in China.
Yum has even stolen McDonald’s thunder in the mascot department. Its KFC mascot, a chicken character (naturally) named “Chicky,” roams stores and interacts with children. And the company’s Chicky program includes in-store birthday parties, kids’ fun camp and school tours of its stores. No wonder that Novak, the Yum CEO, boasted to Business Week two years ago that Chicky had already become “the Ronald McDonald of China.”
http://www.moneymorning.com/2008/12/22/david-novak/
World Food Programme (WFP) is the food aid arm of the United Nations system. Food aid is one of the many instruments that can help to promote food security, which is defined as access of all people at all times to the food needed for an active and healthy life.
KFC (YUM! Foods) Publicity Techniques
KFC publicity stunt ends in international incident
http://www.qsrweb.com/article.php?id=16287&prc=52&page=56
KFC's latest publicity stunt involving the United Nations is just another example of the outrageous means Yum! Brands chains will take to get attention.
Last year, it was a public letter to rapper 50 Cent from Taco Bell asking him to change his name to 79, 89 or 99 Cent for a day to promote the chain's value menu. The rapper was not amused and filed a $4 million lawsuit for trademark infringement.
This spring, fellow Yum! Brands chain KFC paired up with Oprah Winfrey to promote its new grilled chicken, a public relations fiasco that overwhelmed under-prepared operators as consumers flocked to stores with a downloadable coupon for a free two-piece meal. The chain also wrote letters to select U.S. mayors offering to fill the cities' potholes in exchange for the opportunity to temporarily brand the streets. The offer drew critics' scorn and was turned down by several cities.
Last week, KFC sent a tongue-in-cheek letter to the U.N. asking for acceptance of the company's Grilled Nation — representing the 60 million people who have purchased its Kentucky Grilled Chicken — as its 193rd member country. The company also offered free samples of the grilled chicken across the street from U.N. headquarters to promote Monday's in-store free piece of grilled chicken event. The brand's Colonel Sanders' impersonator was on hand to greet visitors.
The promotion might have ended there, with the U.N. chastising the company for inappropriate use of its name for commercial purposes. But a U.N. security guard invited Bob Thompson, the Colonel's impersonator, inside for a tour and then allowed him access to Ali A. Treki of Libya, the General Assembly’s president, according to a story by The Courier-Journal of Louisville, Ky.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/finger+licking+free+Canada+this+weekend/2157228/story.html
KFC's finger-licking free in Canada this weekend
Fried chicken giant vows not to repeat U.S. fiasco when buckets went empty
October 29, 2009
KFC is promising to spice things up this weekend by offering free chicken at more than 700 of its restaurants across Canada.
But it also promises to avoid any repeat of the near-riots that broke out at some U.S. outlets after they ran out of chicken during a similar promotion in May.
"They got in a little over their heads in the U.S. We set it up so consumers will not be disappointed," said Steve Langford, president of Priszm Income Fund, the largest KFC Canada franchisee. "We hope that there are long lineups and lots of people; we want to get this product into the most mouths as possible."
Farmers are still hungry for change
Auto Steer Farming
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/10/precisionfarming/
----
Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming
----
Rose Prince
Reviving UK food production is impossible without undoing policies and laws hostile to producers
http://www.newstatesman.com/food/2009/08/fish-production-british
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/10/precisionfarming/
----
Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming
----
Rose Prince
Reviving UK food production is impossible without undoing policies and laws hostile to producers
http://www.newstatesman.com/food/2009/08/fish-production-british
Biofuel
water worries cloud future for U.S biofuel
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE53D00A20090414
Biodiesel Makes Haste With Waste
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2006/12/biodiesel_makes/
While today biodiesel relies on agricultural crops or waste vegetable oil for raw material, a heaping portion of the fuel could come from plant waste and animal fat that would not take resources from the food supply.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE53D00A20090414
Biodiesel Makes Haste With Waste
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2006/12/biodiesel_makes/
While today biodiesel relies on agricultural crops or waste vegetable oil for raw material, a heaping portion of the fuel could come from plant waste and animal fat that would not take resources from the food supply.
Thereapeutic powers of pets
Pet-Children Relationships
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/health/06pets.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
Thereapeutic powers of pets
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=is-animal-assisted-therapy&sc=rss
Swedes Burning Rabbiys
Swedes burning rabbits - BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8309156.stm
Swedes burning rabbits – scientific american
http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=burning-bunnies-for-biofuel-2009-10-14
Related: Rabbits threaten Mandela Island
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/02/robben-island-rabbits
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8309156.stm
Swedes burning rabbits – scientific american
http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=burning-bunnies-for-biofuel-2009-10-14
Related: Rabbits threaten Mandela Island
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/02/robben-island-rabbits
First Couple of Weeks Research
fog harvesting:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8297276.stm
Chile Fog Tower
http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/04/02/coastal-fog-tower/
Nuclear rabbit poo:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/15/science/earth/15rabbit.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
Prostate Cancer:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/health/20case.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
LifeCam:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17992-new-camera-promises-to-capture-your-whole-life.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news
Sea anemone sting:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17985-sea-anemone-stings-make-a-hypodermic-skin-cream.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news
VR mice:
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/10/mouse-virtual-reality/
Auto Steer Farming
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/10/precisionfarming/
Swedes burning rabbits
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8309156.stm
Swedes burning rabbits – scientific american
http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=burning-bunnies-for-biofuel-2009-10-14
water worries cloud future for U.S biofuel
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE53D00A20090414
Rabbits threaten Mandela Island
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/02/robben-island-rabbits
Paula Rego
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/aug/22/paula-rego-art-interview
Pet-Children Relationships
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/health/06pets.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
Social games to change the world?
http://blogs.ft.com/techblog/2009/10/social-games-to-change-the-world/
Proposed Water Plant Raises Growth Issues in Marin County
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/23/science/earth/23sfdesal.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
Submarines for Everyone!
http://www.wired.com/cars/coolwheels/news/2009/07/personal_subs
The nocebo effect
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327247.100-13-more-things-the-nocebo-effect.html
Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-rise-of-vertical-farms
The idling mind is the mother of invention
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2009/10/st_thompson/
More cluck for your buck - Will Self
http://www.newstatesman.com/food/2009/10/fried-chicken-kfc-8220-known
Donate animal carcasses to Vet School
http://newsok.com/city-might-donate-animal-carcasses/article/3408788
Understanding the Anxious mind
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/magazine/04anxiety-t.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
Pet Economy
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_32/b4045001.htm
while my android gently weeps
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/mar/02/robots-usa
Paro Baby Seal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkjLZdSQpfg&NR=1
Realistic Einstein head
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1156985/Introducing-scarily-realistic-Einstein-robot-tell-feel.html
Review of 'Life' BBC documentary
http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/7573/
You can catch schizophrenia from Cat Phaeces
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427301.600-3-schizophrenia.html
Toxoplasma Gondii
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg17623665.200-all-in-the-mind.html
Your pet has a bigger carbon footprint that your car
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/26/your-pet-has-a-bigger-carbon-footprint-than-your-car/
armageddon worthy cloud
http://www.wired.com/science/planetearth/magazine/17-10/st_clouds
Thereapeutic powers of pets
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=is-animal-assisted-therapy&sc=rss
Research 30/10/2009
Elixir - An elixir (Arabic: الإكسير, Al-Ikseer, Greek: ξήριον, medical powder, Greek: ξηρός, dry) is a sweet flavored liquid (usually containing alcohol) used in compounding medicines to be taken orally in order to mask an unpleasant taste and intended to cure one's ills.
will self quote: how can anything that tastes this awful be quite so popular?
recherché
1. Sought out with care; choice. Hence: of rare quality, elegance, or attractiveness; peculiar and refined in kind — especially with an artificial or pretentious effect.
Biodiesel Makes Haste With Waste
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2006/12/biodiesel_makes/
While today biodiesel relies on agricultural crops or waste vegetable oil for raw material, a heaping portion of the fuel could come from plant waste and animal fat that would not take resources from the food supply.
Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Ky., is the world's largest restaurant company in terms of system restaurants with more than 36,000 restaurants in over 110 countries and territories and more than 1 million associates. Yum! is ranked #239 on the Fortune 500 List, with revenues in excess of $11 billion in 2008. Four of our restaurant brands – KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Long John Silver's – are the global leaders of the chicken, pizza, Mexican-style food and quick-service seafood categories.
http://www.yum.com/company/ourbrands.asp
Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Ky., is the world's largest restaurant company in terms of system restaurants with more than 36,000 restaurants in over 110 countries and territories and more than 1 million associates. Yum! is ranked #239 on the Fortune 500 List, with revenues in excess of $11 billion in 2008. Four of our restaurant brands – KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Long John Silver's – are the global leaders of the chicken, pizza, Mexican-style food and quick-service seafood categories.
At Yum! we're building a vibrant global business by focusing on four key business strategies:
* Build leading brands across China in every significant category
* Drive aggressive international expansion and build strong brands everywhere
* Dramatically improve U.S. brand positions, consistency and returns
* Drive industry-leading, long-term shareholder and franchisee value
David C. Novak became Chairman of the Board on January 1, 2001, and Chief Executive Officer of Yum! on January 1, 2000. He also serves as President of Yum!, a position he has held since October 21, 1997. He previously served as Group President and Chief Executive Officer, KFC and Pizza Hut from August 1996 to July 1997, at which time he became acting Vice Chairman of Yum!. He also held senior management positions at Pepsi-Cola Company, including Chief Operating Officer, and Executive Vice President of Marketing and Sales.
With more than 36,000 restaurants in over 110 countries and territories, Yum! Brands international growth sees no signs of stopping as we continue to enter international markets, introducing people around the world to our winning brands.
Statement from Yum! regarding External Consultation on animal Welfare:
While our standards for animal welfare are high, we always seek knowledge from external sources to improve our practices where appropriate. In the U.S., KFC has enlisted the assistance of the American Association of Avian Pathologists (AAAP) in an effort to clarify and further define poultry welfare criteria, policy and audit points. Yum! serves on two AAAP Welfare subcommittees, exploring questions concerning poultry welfare. We were also a prominent player in the joint effort conducted by the National Council of Chain Restaurants and the Food Marketing Institute to develop comprehensive guidelines for all species of farm animals. We also have a veterinarian on staff in the U.S. who provides oversight on animal welfare practices.
Supplier Audits
Our goal is to work with suppliers who maintain our high standards and share our commitment to animal welfare. We monitor our suppliers on a continuous basis through audits to determine whether they are using procedures that ensure respectful caring for, and handling of, animals they supply to us. Audits are conducted at two levels:
* Farm level - In the U.S., KFC manages a farm-level audit program for the breeding, hatching and raising of poultry. The program exceeds the standards set by the U.S. Chicken Council and the Food Marketing Institute. Beginning in 2005, all of our suppliers completed farm-level audits. This marked the beginning of a continuous, bi-annual audit program for all supplier locations in the U.S. based on standards developed by leading animal welfare experts at the direction of the National Council of Chain Restaurants and the Food Marketing Institute.
* Processing level - In 2000, KFC adopted specific, comprehensive welfare performance standards for processing chickens and audits its suppliers against those standards. The processing guidelines and audits are designed to monitor and manage each step of the process to determine whether the birds supplied to us are handled humanely and their suffering is minimized. KFC audits its suppliers for compliance, with non-compliance potentially resulting in termination of the supplier's contract. We have engaged the Professional Animal Auditors Certification Organization (PAACO) to enhance our auditing standards systemwide in our processing facilities. It is our goal to conduct 100-percent external PAACO audits of our poultry processing facilities in the U.S. in 2008.
World Food Programme (WFP) is the food aid arm of the United Nations system. Food aid is one of the many instruments that can help to promote food security, which is defined as access of all people at all times to the food needed for an active and healthy life.
KFC publicity stunt ends in international incident
http://www.qsrweb.com/article.php?id=16287&prc=52&page=56
KFC's latest publicity stunt involving the United Nations is just another example of the outrageous means Yum! Brands chains will take to get attention.
Last year, it was a public letter to rapper 50 Cent from Taco Bell asking him to change his name to 79, 89 or 99 Cent for a day to promote the chain's value menu. The rapper was not amused and filed a $4 million lawsuit for trademark infringement.
This spring, fellow Yum! Brands chain KFC paired up with Oprah Winfrey to promote its new grilled chicken, a public relations fiasco that overwhelmed under-prepared operators as consumers flocked to stores with a downloadable coupon for a free two-piece meal. The chain also wrote letters to select U.S. mayors offering to fill the cities' potholes in exchange for the opportunity to temporarily brand the streets. The offer drew critics' scorn and was turned down by several cities.
Last week, KFC sent a tongue-in-cheek letter to the U.N. asking for acceptance of the company's Grilled Nation — representing the 60 million people who have purchased its Kentucky Grilled Chicken — as its 193rd member country. The company also offered free samples of the grilled chicken across the street from U.N. headquarters to promote Monday's in-store free piece of grilled chicken event. The brand's Colonel Sanders' impersonator was on hand to greet visitors.
The promotion might have ended there, with the U.N. chastising the company for inappropriate use of its name for commercial purposes. But a U.N. security guard invited Bob Thompson, the Colonel's impersonator, inside for a tour and then allowed him access to Ali A. Treki of Libya, the General Assembly’s president, according to a story by The Courier-Journal of Louisville, Ky.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/finger+licking+free+Canada+this+weekend/2157228/story.html
KFC's finger-licking free in Canada this weekend
Fried chicken giant vows not to repeat U.S. fiasco when buckets went empty
October 29, 2009
KFC is promising to spice things up this weekend by offering free chicken at more than 700 of its restaurants across Canada.
But it also promises to avoid any repeat of the near-riots that broke out at some U.S. outlets after they ran out of chicken during a similar promotion in May.
"They got in a little over their heads in the U.S. We set it up so consumers will not be disappointed," said Steve Langford, president of Priszm Income Fund, the largest KFC Canada franchisee. "We hope that there are long lineups and lots of people; we want to get this product into the most mouths as possible."
Farmers are still hungry for change
Rose Prince
Reviving UK food production is impossible without undoing policies and laws hostile to producers
http://www.newstatesman.com/food/2009/08/fish-production-british
Dog Sex Toy
http://ifitshipitshere.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8297276.stm
Chile Fog Tower
http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/04/02/coastal-fog-tower/
Nuclear rabbit poo:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/15/science/earth/15rabbit.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
Prostate Cancer:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/health/20case.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
LifeCam:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17992-new-camera-promises-to-capture-your-whole-life.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news
Sea anemone sting:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17985-sea-anemone-stings-make-a-hypodermic-skin-cream.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news
VR mice:
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/10/mouse-virtual-reality/
Auto Steer Farming
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/10/precisionfarming/
Swedes burning rabbits
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8309156.stm
Swedes burning rabbits – scientific american
http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=burning-bunnies-for-biofuel-2009-10-14
water worries cloud future for U.S biofuel
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE53D00A20090414
Rabbits threaten Mandela Island
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/02/robben-island-rabbits
Paula Rego
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/aug/22/paula-rego-art-interview
Pet-Children Relationships
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/health/06pets.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
Social games to change the world?
http://blogs.ft.com/techblog/2009/10/social-games-to-change-the-world/
Proposed Water Plant Raises Growth Issues in Marin County
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/23/science/earth/23sfdesal.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
Submarines for Everyone!
http://www.wired.com/cars/coolwheels/news/2009/07/personal_subs
The nocebo effect
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327247.100-13-more-things-the-nocebo-effect.html
Growing Vertical Skyscraper Farming
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-rise-of-vertical-farms
The idling mind is the mother of invention
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2009/10/st_thompson/
More cluck for your buck - Will Self
http://www.newstatesman.com/food/2009/10/fried-chicken-kfc-8220-known
Donate animal carcasses to Vet School
http://newsok.com/city-might-donate-animal-carcasses/article/3408788
Understanding the Anxious mind
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/magazine/04anxiety-t.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
Pet Economy
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_32/b4045001.htm
while my android gently weeps
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/mar/02/robots-usa
Paro Baby Seal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkjLZdSQpfg&NR=1
Realistic Einstein head
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1156985/Introducing-scarily-realistic-Einstein-robot-tell-feel.html
Review of 'Life' BBC documentary
http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/7573/
You can catch schizophrenia from Cat Phaeces
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427301.600-3-schizophrenia.html
Toxoplasma Gondii
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg17623665.200-all-in-the-mind.html
Your pet has a bigger carbon footprint that your car
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/26/your-pet-has-a-bigger-carbon-footprint-than-your-car/
armageddon worthy cloud
http://www.wired.com/science/planetearth/magazine/17-10/st_clouds
Thereapeutic powers of pets
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=is-animal-assisted-therapy&sc=rss
Research 30/10/2009
Elixir - An elixir (Arabic: الإكسير, Al-Ikseer, Greek: ξήριον, medical powder, Greek: ξηρός, dry) is a sweet flavored liquid (usually containing alcohol) used in compounding medicines to be taken orally in order to mask an unpleasant taste and intended to cure one's ills.
will self quote: how can anything that tastes this awful be quite so popular?
recherché
1. Sought out with care; choice. Hence: of rare quality, elegance, or attractiveness; peculiar and refined in kind — especially with an artificial or pretentious effect.
Biodiesel Makes Haste With Waste
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2006/12/biodiesel_makes/
While today biodiesel relies on agricultural crops or waste vegetable oil for raw material, a heaping portion of the fuel could come from plant waste and animal fat that would not take resources from the food supply.
Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Ky., is the world's largest restaurant company in terms of system restaurants with more than 36,000 restaurants in over 110 countries and territories and more than 1 million associates. Yum! is ranked #239 on the Fortune 500 List, with revenues in excess of $11 billion in 2008. Four of our restaurant brands – KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Long John Silver's – are the global leaders of the chicken, pizza, Mexican-style food and quick-service seafood categories.
http://www.yum.com/company/ourbrands.asp
Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Ky., is the world's largest restaurant company in terms of system restaurants with more than 36,000 restaurants in over 110 countries and territories and more than 1 million associates. Yum! is ranked #239 on the Fortune 500 List, with revenues in excess of $11 billion in 2008. Four of our restaurant brands – KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Long John Silver's – are the global leaders of the chicken, pizza, Mexican-style food and quick-service seafood categories.
At Yum! we're building a vibrant global business by focusing on four key business strategies:
* Build leading brands across China in every significant category
* Drive aggressive international expansion and build strong brands everywhere
* Dramatically improve U.S. brand positions, consistency and returns
* Drive industry-leading, long-term shareholder and franchisee value
David C. Novak became Chairman of the Board on January 1, 2001, and Chief Executive Officer of Yum! on January 1, 2000. He also serves as President of Yum!, a position he has held since October 21, 1997. He previously served as Group President and Chief Executive Officer, KFC and Pizza Hut from August 1996 to July 1997, at which time he became acting Vice Chairman of Yum!. He also held senior management positions at Pepsi-Cola Company, including Chief Operating Officer, and Executive Vice President of Marketing and Sales.
With more than 36,000 restaurants in over 110 countries and territories, Yum! Brands international growth sees no signs of stopping as we continue to enter international markets, introducing people around the world to our winning brands.
Statement from Yum! regarding External Consultation on animal Welfare:
While our standards for animal welfare are high, we always seek knowledge from external sources to improve our practices where appropriate. In the U.S., KFC has enlisted the assistance of the American Association of Avian Pathologists (AAAP) in an effort to clarify and further define poultry welfare criteria, policy and audit points. Yum! serves on two AAAP Welfare subcommittees, exploring questions concerning poultry welfare. We were also a prominent player in the joint effort conducted by the National Council of Chain Restaurants and the Food Marketing Institute to develop comprehensive guidelines for all species of farm animals. We also have a veterinarian on staff in the U.S. who provides oversight on animal welfare practices.
Supplier Audits
Our goal is to work with suppliers who maintain our high standards and share our commitment to animal welfare. We monitor our suppliers on a continuous basis through audits to determine whether they are using procedures that ensure respectful caring for, and handling of, animals they supply to us. Audits are conducted at two levels:
* Farm level - In the U.S., KFC manages a farm-level audit program for the breeding, hatching and raising of poultry. The program exceeds the standards set by the U.S. Chicken Council and the Food Marketing Institute. Beginning in 2005, all of our suppliers completed farm-level audits. This marked the beginning of a continuous, bi-annual audit program for all supplier locations in the U.S. based on standards developed by leading animal welfare experts at the direction of the National Council of Chain Restaurants and the Food Marketing Institute.
* Processing level - In 2000, KFC adopted specific, comprehensive welfare performance standards for processing chickens and audits its suppliers against those standards. The processing guidelines and audits are designed to monitor and manage each step of the process to determine whether the birds supplied to us are handled humanely and their suffering is minimized. KFC audits its suppliers for compliance, with non-compliance potentially resulting in termination of the supplier's contract. We have engaged the Professional Animal Auditors Certification Organization (PAACO) to enhance our auditing standards systemwide in our processing facilities. It is our goal to conduct 100-percent external PAACO audits of our poultry processing facilities in the U.S. in 2008.
World Food Programme (WFP) is the food aid arm of the United Nations system. Food aid is one of the many instruments that can help to promote food security, which is defined as access of all people at all times to the food needed for an active and healthy life.
KFC publicity stunt ends in international incident
http://www.qsrweb.com/article.php?id=16287&prc=52&page=56
KFC's latest publicity stunt involving the United Nations is just another example of the outrageous means Yum! Brands chains will take to get attention.
Last year, it was a public letter to rapper 50 Cent from Taco Bell asking him to change his name to 79, 89 or 99 Cent for a day to promote the chain's value menu. The rapper was not amused and filed a $4 million lawsuit for trademark infringement.
This spring, fellow Yum! Brands chain KFC paired up with Oprah Winfrey to promote its new grilled chicken, a public relations fiasco that overwhelmed under-prepared operators as consumers flocked to stores with a downloadable coupon for a free two-piece meal. The chain also wrote letters to select U.S. mayors offering to fill the cities' potholes in exchange for the opportunity to temporarily brand the streets. The offer drew critics' scorn and was turned down by several cities.
Last week, KFC sent a tongue-in-cheek letter to the U.N. asking for acceptance of the company's Grilled Nation — representing the 60 million people who have purchased its Kentucky Grilled Chicken — as its 193rd member country. The company also offered free samples of the grilled chicken across the street from U.N. headquarters to promote Monday's in-store free piece of grilled chicken event. The brand's Colonel Sanders' impersonator was on hand to greet visitors.
The promotion might have ended there, with the U.N. chastising the company for inappropriate use of its name for commercial purposes. But a U.N. security guard invited Bob Thompson, the Colonel's impersonator, inside for a tour and then allowed him access to Ali A. Treki of Libya, the General Assembly’s president, according to a story by The Courier-Journal of Louisville, Ky.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/finger+licking+free+Canada+this+weekend/2157228/story.html
KFC's finger-licking free in Canada this weekend
Fried chicken giant vows not to repeat U.S. fiasco when buckets went empty
October 29, 2009
KFC is promising to spice things up this weekend by offering free chicken at more than 700 of its restaurants across Canada.
But it also promises to avoid any repeat of the near-riots that broke out at some U.S. outlets after they ran out of chicken during a similar promotion in May.
"They got in a little over their heads in the U.S. We set it up so consumers will not be disappointed," said Steve Langford, president of Priszm Income Fund, the largest KFC Canada franchisee. "We hope that there are long lineups and lots of people; we want to get this product into the most mouths as possible."
Farmers are still hungry for change
Rose Prince
Reviving UK food production is impossible without undoing policies and laws hostile to producers
http://www.newstatesman.com/food/2009/08/fish-production-british
Dog Sex Toy
http://ifitshipitshere.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html
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