Bucket orchid

From PZ Myers' Pharyngula blog comes the link to this image of a "bucket orchid" (Coryanthes), originally posted at Environmental Graffiti, where you can read about the reproductive strategies embodied in this complex flower (see also the Wikipedia summary).

A hat tip to Mike B, for sending me the link.

The "severed feet" saga continues...

Almost four years ago when a flurry of severed feet started washing ashore in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, I created a severed feet category for this blog, never imagining that I would be writing additional posts on the subject this many years later. 

It's not a fetish for me, and I don't monitor the web for additional incidents or set any Google alerts, but having posted so many stories in the past, I now have a set of readers alert to new developments.  Thus it was that when I took a few days off to attend to family matters, Mike and a couple anons posted comments, and Phil sent me an email - all alerting me to another one of these bizarre incidents.

The severed foot, with a "leg bone" protruding from its running shoe, was discovered on August 30; depending on how the feet are enumerated, this can be considered the 11th incident.  AOL has covered the story (briefly), with a link to a report on the incidents by Rachel Maddow (from August 2010, after the ninth foot was found).  ABC News has a report (via Neatorama). The Vancouver Sun also has a brief article about this most recent incident, and there was some detailed coverage in an apparently undated report in Outside magazine online.  None of these sources have any significant details about the most recent event, which obviously is still under investigation.

My understanding re the huge Japanese tsunami is that it is too early for debris from that incident to start washing ashore in North America (due to arrive in the spring of 2013).

Addendum:  A hat tip to Nathanial Hoodrich for finding a recent article on this subject in the National Post, which included this better map (click for bigger):

Carduelis tristis

Last weekend I hiked with the SWBA group at the Pheasant Branch Conservancy.  We spotted about a dozen species of butterflies, but the highlight of the walk for me came as I was scanning the thistle plants looking for nectaring insects.

One of the thistles was looking back at me.  Only about five feet off the trail, but reasonably camouflaged was the nest of an American Goldfinch:

She remained perfectly immobile for the several minutes it took me to capture her portrait, but when my camera strap jiggled, she fluttered a short distance away, revealing a beautiful nest and her four five eggs:

I am repeatedly in awe of the fact that creatures with no hands can create such intricate structures.  From Wikipedia:

The nest is built in late summer by the female in the branches of a deciduous shrub or tree at a height of up to 10 meters (30 ft). The nest-building lasts approximately six days, during which time the female works in 10–40 minute increments. The male frequently flies with the female as she collects nesting materials, and though he may carry some materials back to the nest, he leaves its construction to the female. The outer shell of the nest is built of bark, weeds, vines, and grass.  The inside diameter of the finished nest is about 6.5 centimeters (2.5 in). The rim is reinforced with bark bound by spiderwebs and caterpillar silk, and the cup is lined with plant down from milkweed, thistle, or cattail. The nest is so tightly woven that it can hold water, and it is possible for nestlings to drown following a rainstorm if the parents do not cover the nest. 

Before I was even out of sight down the trail, she was back on her nest to incubate and hide her precious eggs.

A search for the UK's most multilingual child

To mark the launch of their new language learning courses, Collins and Livemocha – the world’s largest online language-learning community – are searching for the UK’s most multilingual children and students. From 1st June 2011, Collins and Livemocha want to hear from the parents or guardians of children (up to and including the age of 15), and students (aged 16 to 22 years), who are conversant in multiple languages, and believe they have what it takes to be awarded the title of ‘Most Multilingual Child in Britain’ or ‘Most Multilingual Student in Britain’.

In keeping with this quest, Collins and Livemocha have discovered the UK’s leading multilingual adults... Richard Simcott is conversant in a staggering 33 languages. Richard works as the language consultant for eModeration – an international, specialist user-generated content moderation company – giving advice on multilingual projects and providing a QA service for their multilingual work. The list of languages Richard speaks and has studied in any depth are: English (mother tongue); French, Spanish, German, Dutch and Macedonian (near-native level, Richard is often assumed to be a native or bilingual speaker of these languages); Italian, Portuguese, Swedish, Welsh, Czech, Esperanto, Bulgarian and Serbo-Croat (able to communicate thoughts and ideas easily); Danish, Romanian, Russian, Albanian, Greek and British Sign Language - able to converse with speakers at a conversational level and read (intermediate level); Icelandic, Hebrew, Mandarin, Arabic, Thai, Georgian, Norwegian, Luxembourgish, Polish, Estonian, Turkish, Slovene and Latvian (has studied and can communicate these languages at a basic level).

At the Collins website are instructions on how to submit your child's name for this award.

Alfred Hitchcock distinguishes "mystery" and "suspense"

YouTube link. 

From a 1970 AFI seminar.  Via HuffPo.

Google River View

From the Telegraph:

Google team members sail a boat with a 360-degree camera system mounted on a trike on its roof to record Google Street View images of the Amazon on the Negro River, around Tumbira Community, Amazonas State. In partnership with Brazil's Amazonas Sustainable Foundation (FAS), Google's Street View for the Amazon project will capture 360-degree imagery of the Amazon's Negro River...

Does anyone know if they've already photographed other rivers?

Photo: EVARISTO SA/AFP/Getty Images

"Trying to become the fattest woman ever."

From the Telegraph:

Susanne Eman, 32, and her two sons, Brendin and Gabriel, do their weekly shopping trip at the local supermarket in Casa Grande, Arizona. She is trying to become the fattest woman ever. Already 50 stone, she aims to reach a whopping 115 stone by guzzling more and more food every day. 

Photo: Laurentiu Garofeanu / Barcroft Media