Animated Movie About Stallion Due From Dreamworks

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Fans of horses will be interested in a film being made by Dreamworks (who made "Shrek"), which will probably appear in 2002, "Spirit: Stallion of Cimarron". You can read more about it at http://www.dreamworksfansite.com/spirit/, which also has a link to a more detailed review at AintItCool.

Most existing stem cell lines are transgenics!

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According to this article in the Washington Post, most stem cell lines have been nurtured with embryonic mouse cells. Therefore, they're likely to be transgenic: cells with mixtures of human and animal DNA. Any transplanting of them into humans would be considered xenotransplanting: bringing animal cells into patients.

In other words, this makes them mostly useless for the sort of research that scientists would like to do with them. Thanks, Curious George.

Cow finds Washington man's wallet -- in Japan

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Okay, a bit of a stretch for news, but this story on the Boston Globe's Boston.com site tells the strange tale of a wallet, a cow, a bunch of hay, and how they're all linked together somewhere in Japan...

Vote for new Cartoon Network Series

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The Cartoon Network is screening 10 animated pilots this weekend and inviting viewers to vote for the one that will join the network's line-up. The network's second annual Big Pick, runs Aug. 24-26.

Worldcon in Philadelphia; how many Furry fans there?

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Millennium Philcon, the 2001 World S-f Convention, is at the Philadelphia downtown Convention Center from Thursday, Aug. 30 through Monday, Sept. 3. Paul Kidd will be there; so will I (Fred Patten). How many other Furfen will be there? Are there any plans yet for a gettogether or party? The Worldcon is very expensive to join at the door, but memberships are not needed for hotel parties at night.

New species of elephant

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CNN has the following report on a new elephant species:

Researchers analyzing genes of African elephants found that the forest and
grassland groups are different enough to be considered separate species, which
means that three distinct species of elephants exist in the world. Science has
long recognized the clear differences between the African and Asian elephants.

The genetic dissimilarity between the forest and the savanna elephants "is like
the difference between the lion and the tiger. It is that large," said Jill
Pecon-Slattery, a genetic researcher at the National Cancer Institute.

For the full article, see A new elephant species?

Child critically injured by pet snake

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The Seattle P-I reports that an 8-year-old girl in Irwin, Pennsylvania, was critically injured yesterday by the family's 10-foot long Burmese python. The snake, one of five large constrictors the family owns, had gotten out of its pen. The girl's mother found her dauther unconscious with the snake wrapped around her neck. Paramedics reported no heart beat when they arrived. Breathing and heart beat were restored in the ambulance, but the child remains unconscious at Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh.

Environmental News Service

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Lycos hosts a useful site for people concerned about the environment: ENS, the Environment News Service. Here you can catch up on daily news about the environment, everything from information on the antarctic winds being harnessed for power to possible oil drilling near the Great Barrier Reef. The only annoying thing about this site is that right-clicking on the links will get you an amazing pop-up box about the article being copyrighted. Some of us aren't trying to steal, you know, just trying to avoid evil-nasty frames.

Brittlestars Have Eyes in Their Arms

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The sea harbors strange creatures, among them the brittlestar. According to this New Scientist article, brittlestars can 'see' through their arms because of microscopic lens in their skeletons. Since I had no idea what a brittlestar looked like, I went hunting and found this photo of an orange-red brittlestar and a second, striking photograph of a spiny brittlestar. Since this is the Internet, my search also brought up a site where you can buy fossils of echinoderms online, including (naturally) brittlestars.

Bald Eagle Attack!

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A bit of an exaggeration, but head to Boston.com's article about a beach-lovin' bald eagle. The article calls him immature... I'd say he's acting just like a young adult, heading for adventure on the coast. ;) But seriously, check out the photograph... what a magnificent creature!

The Grand List of Science Fiction Cliches

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An oldie but goodie: the Grand List of Science Fiction Cliches will provide some laughs for those of us who have read too many books or seen too many movies where "Aliens travel a zillion miles to loot the earth of resources which exist in far greater and much more easily exploitable quantities on the many uninhabited bodies they pass on their way to earth", or "the government bans music, painting, dancing or some other art form; only the hero seems to care enough to do anything about it." Check it out for some grins.

Health camp for working elephants

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ABC News has posted a Reuters story about a free health camp for working elephants in Jaipur, India, near the major tourist attraction known as the Amber Fort. Vetinarians specializing in elephants are training the local handlers and vets to deal with a variety of health problems unique to the hard-working "Jumbos."

Paf! in Triathlon for AIDS Action Committee donations

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Boston furry artist paf! (aka Chris Goodwin) is raising money for his run in the Monster Challenge: Tri Boston triathlon this coming Labor Day weekend. Anyone who makes a donation of $20 or more to help the AIDS Action Committee will receive a free limited edition 12 x 18 poster, signed, numbered, and with their name on it too.

Check out the poster and make a donation and learn more about the run here.

Help Sought for 2001 Furry Reading list

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This is a spinoff of the ConFurence's new annual Anthropomorphic Awards. I am trying to compile a database of the Furry novels, short stories, fanzines, movies, art, etc. published and released during 2001 that are good enough to be worth nominating for the final ballot at the end of 2001. I am sure that I have not discovered or had time to read and watch everything that is good enough to qualify. I will send my list so far to anyone who wants to compare notes. Recommendations from others are solicited; it would be nice if this database can be built into a general Recommended Reading/Viewing List of all the best Furry fiction and art of 2001. Contact me at: fredpatten@earthlink.net.

More than 100 animals dead in Brazilian Zoo

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Over 100 animals were found dead when new owners bought a zoo near Rio De Janeiro in Brazil. Enviromental authorities were brought in, and charges have been laid against the previous owners, who, unsatified with running a zoo, were looking into starting a sex club and may have abandoned the animals up to two months before they sold the property.

The animals represented three quarters of the animals in the zoo, and many of them were endangered species. The new owners have closed the property to try and bring the remaining animals back to health.
BBC article can be found here.

From the Yerf Archive