HOLLYWOOD - Finally, a summer movie worthy of “blockbuster” status. Despite worldwide protests and mixed reviews, the suspense thriller The Da Vinci Code debuted this weekend with a masterful $77 million at the North American box office, while grossing $224 million worldwide. It marks the best opener for both director Ron Howard and star Tom Hanks.
"Da Vinci opening this big just tells you that people do want to go to the movies, they just need the right movie to go," Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations told The Associated Press. "You had a built-in audience from the book and the awareness levels were so high from this film. You would have to live under a rock not to know this movie was opening."
Coming in a strong second was DreamWorks’ CGI comedy Over the Hedge, which grossed $37.2 million. "We thought we could very easily coexist with The Da Vinci Code and I think the numbers bear that out," Dan Harris, executive vice president at Paramount told AP.
Also opening this weekend was the horror flick See No Evil, starring pro-wrestling star Kane, which came in sixth place with $4.3 million.
The Top 12 pics this week grossed an estimated $153.1 million, up 80.14 percent from last weekend’s total of $85 million but down 2.81 percent from last year's draw of $157.6 million.
The Top Three films at the box office this time last year were: 20th Cent Fox’s Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, which debuted at No. 1 with $108.4 million in 3,661 theaters, averaging $29,619 per theater; New Line’s Monster-In-Law, which dropped to second place in its second week with $14.3 million in 3,424 theaters, averaging $4,191 per theaters; and Universal’s Kicking & Screaming, which dropped to third place in its second week with $10.7 million in 3,470 theaters, averaging $3,090 per theaters (Click here to read last year's box office report).
By Hollywood.com Staff| Monday, May 22, 2006
Monday, May 29, 2006
movie news: ‘X-Men’ Set to ‘Stand’ Tall at Holiday Box Office
LOS ANGELES - movie news, X-Men: The Last Stand, the third and last film in the superhero trilogy, is expected to take the box office crown from The Da Vinci Code during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, but will be hard-pressed to match the $85.6 million three-day bow of its 2003 predecessor.
Fox's PG-13 film is debuting in 3,689 theaters, slightly less than the 3,741 in which X2 debuted during the first weekend in May. Unlike this year, there was precious little competition in the marketplace then. X2 went on to gross $214.9 million domestically.
Amid mostly positive reviews, the Marvel sci-fi actioner has been tracking strongly for quite some time, attracting a broad age range but skewing slightly younger and more male.
Sony's Da Vinci Code debuted a week ago with a sterling $77.1 million, and Paramount's Over the Hedge, from DreamWorks Animation, parlayed $38.5 million in its opening session. Conventional box office wisdom says they should gross almost as much in the four-day holiday period.
With Brett Ratner taking over as director from Matthew Vaughn, who himself had replaced Bryan Singer, X3 features returning stars Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, and Famke Janssen. The story follows the battle among mutants when a cure is discovered that would strip them of their powers and make them human.
Copyright 2006 Reuters. http://www.reuters.com.
X3 will also roll out in most countries overseas, with the notable exceptions of Japan, South Korea, China and Taiwan. Last weekend, Da Vinci pulled in an international gross of a record $154.7 million.
Fox's PG-13 film is debuting in 3,689 theaters, slightly less than the 3,741 in which X2 debuted during the first weekend in May. Unlike this year, there was precious little competition in the marketplace then. X2 went on to gross $214.9 million domestically.
Amid mostly positive reviews, the Marvel sci-fi actioner has been tracking strongly for quite some time, attracting a broad age range but skewing slightly younger and more male.
Sony's Da Vinci Code debuted a week ago with a sterling $77.1 million, and Paramount's Over the Hedge, from DreamWorks Animation, parlayed $38.5 million in its opening session. Conventional box office wisdom says they should gross almost as much in the four-day holiday period.
With Brett Ratner taking over as director from Matthew Vaughn, who himself had replaced Bryan Singer, X3 features returning stars Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, and Famke Janssen. The story follows the battle among mutants when a cure is discovered that would strip them of their powers and make them human.
Copyright 2006 Reuters. http://www.reuters.com.
X3 will also roll out in most countries overseas, with the notable exceptions of Japan, South Korea, China and Taiwan. Last weekend, Da Vinci pulled in an international gross of a record $154.7 million.
movie news: 'X-Men' Cracks 'Da Vinci Code' at Box Office
LOS ANGELES - The final film in the X-Men superhero trilogy blew past last weekend's box office champ, The Da Vinci Code, to post the fourth-highest all-time opening in North America, according to studio estimates issued on Sunday.
The movie news
X-Men: The Last Stand sold about $107 million worth of tickets in the three-day period from Friday to Sunday, said distributor 20th Century Fox. The News Corp.-owned studio said it hoped the film would open near the $86 million bow of its 2003 predecessor X2: X-Men United.
By contrast, Da Vinci Code opened with $77 million a week ago, the highest bow so far this year. The Vatican conspiracy thriller slipped to No. 2, but sales data were not available as most studios were planning to report estimates for the U.S. Memorial Day holiday weekend on Monday.
However, Da Vinci Code distributor Columbia Pictures said the film earned $92 million in most foreign territories, and enjoyed strong holds in such countries as Germany and Japan. The international total stands at $320 million. As of Thursday evening, the film had earned $102 million in North America.
Columbia, a unit of Sony Corp. said its film earned more overseas than X-Men, which also opened internationally on Friday, but neither Columbia nor Fox had any foreign data for the new arrival.
The three-day record for a film opening on a Friday is held by 2002's Spider-Man ($115 million), followed by 2005's Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith ($108.4 million) and 2004's Shrek 2 ($108 million).
Fox said X-Men: The Last Stand cost about $165 million to make. The studio licensed the comic book franchise from Marvel Entertainment Inc. The first film in the series, "X-Men" opened to $54 million in 2000, and went on to earn $157 million. The sequel finished with $215 million.
The new film, whose returning cast of mutants includes Hugh Jackman as the heroic Wolverine and Ian McKellen as the evil Magneto, was directed by Brett Ratner, best known for the Rush Hour films. It had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival last week, and earned rave reviews--unlike Da Vinci Code.
In addition to taking over from Da Vinci Code as the highest opening so far this year, the new X-Men beats the nine-year-old Memorial Day weekend record held by The Lost World: Jurassic Park, which opened to $72 million during its first three days. Steven Spielberg's dinosaur picture earned an additional $18 million during the Monday holiday.
Projections for the four-day period will be released on Monday, and final data on Tuesday.
Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures said it took the No. 3 and No. 4 places with the barnyard cartoon Over the Hedge ($27.3 million) and the Tom Cruise thriller Mission: Impossible III ($6.6 million), respectively. Their totals rose to $85.3 million after two weeks and $115.5 million after four weeks, respectively.
Copyright 2006 Reuters.http://www.reuters.com.
The movie news
X-Men: The Last Stand sold about $107 million worth of tickets in the three-day period from Friday to Sunday, said distributor 20th Century Fox. The News Corp.-owned studio said it hoped the film would open near the $86 million bow of its 2003 predecessor X2: X-Men United.
By contrast, Da Vinci Code opened with $77 million a week ago, the highest bow so far this year. The Vatican conspiracy thriller slipped to No. 2, but sales data were not available as most studios were planning to report estimates for the U.S. Memorial Day holiday weekend on Monday.
However, Da Vinci Code distributor Columbia Pictures said the film earned $92 million in most foreign territories, and enjoyed strong holds in such countries as Germany and Japan. The international total stands at $320 million. As of Thursday evening, the film had earned $102 million in North America.
Columbia, a unit of Sony Corp. said its film earned more overseas than X-Men, which also opened internationally on Friday, but neither Columbia nor Fox had any foreign data for the new arrival.
The three-day record for a film opening on a Friday is held by 2002's Spider-Man ($115 million), followed by 2005's Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith ($108.4 million) and 2004's Shrek 2 ($108 million).
Fox said X-Men: The Last Stand cost about $165 million to make. The studio licensed the comic book franchise from Marvel Entertainment Inc. The first film in the series, "X-Men" opened to $54 million in 2000, and went on to earn $157 million. The sequel finished with $215 million.
The new film, whose returning cast of mutants includes Hugh Jackman as the heroic Wolverine and Ian McKellen as the evil Magneto, was directed by Brett Ratner, best known for the Rush Hour films. It had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival last week, and earned rave reviews--unlike Da Vinci Code.
In addition to taking over from Da Vinci Code as the highest opening so far this year, the new X-Men beats the nine-year-old Memorial Day weekend record held by The Lost World: Jurassic Park, which opened to $72 million during its first three days. Steven Spielberg's dinosaur picture earned an additional $18 million during the Monday holiday.
Projections for the four-day period will be released on Monday, and final data on Tuesday.
Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures said it took the No. 3 and No. 4 places with the barnyard cartoon Over the Hedge ($27.3 million) and the Tom Cruise thriller Mission: Impossible III ($6.6 million), respectively. Their totals rose to $85.3 million after two weeks and $115.5 million after four weeks, respectively.
Copyright 2006 Reuters.http://www.reuters.com.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Motorola HT820/ 98689 Bluetooth Stereo
Music automatically pauses when a call comes in. Then when the call ends, the music resumes play. The Motorola HT820/ 98689 Bluetooth Stereo headphones eliminate the need to carry headphones for listening to music, and a separate mono Bluetooth headset for hands free voice communication, by integrating a microphone into the Bluetooth stereo headphones for use with voice calling.
The advanced DSP technology within the BlueCore3-Multimedia (BlueCore3-MM) chip significantly reduces background noise and echo and allows the headset to switch between paired devices.
The Bluetooth Stereo headphones can receive music from any Bluetooth-enabled device that supports the new Advance Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP), thus widening the range of potential music sources. For example, use the Motorola DC800/ 98729H/ 98690 Bluetooth Home Stereo Adapter with your in-home stereo sound system! Some MP3 players are now becoming Bluetooth A2DP profile enabled as well. The Motorola V360 cell phone, and the Audiovox PPC-6600/ PPC6700 cell phones also support the Bluetooth A2DP profile.
When paired to a Bluetooth product that supports the Audio Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP), a touch of the headphone抯 multifunction button is all that is required to pause music being streamed to the Motorola HT820/ 98689 Bluetooth Stereo Headphones and answer an incoming call, and you can even skip tracks using buttons right on the headset. Once the call is finished, one touch of the same button hangs up the call and resumes the stereo music stream from the point where it was interrupted. This means that users will no longer miss calls if they are listening to music, and no longer need to remove their headphones to answer or make a call, without compromising on sound quality.
The lightweight, ergonomic Motorola HT820/ 98689 Bluetooth Stereo Headphones provide premium communication and music connectivity with minimized background noise and reliable battery power. Battery lasts up to 16 hours for cell phone, 12 hours for music, and recharges in a fast 2 hour charge time with the included AC charger.
Copyright 2006 TangShop.com. All rights reserved.
The advanced DSP technology within the BlueCore3-Multimedia (BlueCore3-MM) chip significantly reduces background noise and echo and allows the headset to switch between paired devices.
The Bluetooth Stereo headphones can receive music from any Bluetooth-enabled device that supports the new Advance Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP), thus widening the range of potential music sources. For example, use the Motorola DC800/ 98729H/ 98690 Bluetooth Home Stereo Adapter with your in-home stereo sound system! Some MP3 players are now becoming Bluetooth A2DP profile enabled as well. The Motorola V360 cell phone, and the Audiovox PPC-6600/ PPC6700 cell phones also support the Bluetooth A2DP profile.
When paired to a Bluetooth product that supports the Audio Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP), a touch of the headphone抯 multifunction button is all that is required to pause music being streamed to the Motorola HT820/ 98689 Bluetooth Stereo Headphones and answer an incoming call, and you can even skip tracks using buttons right on the headset. Once the call is finished, one touch of the same button hangs up the call and resumes the stereo music stream from the point where it was interrupted. This means that users will no longer miss calls if they are listening to music, and no longer need to remove their headphones to answer or make a call, without compromising on sound quality.
The lightweight, ergonomic Motorola HT820/ 98689 Bluetooth Stereo Headphones provide premium communication and music connectivity with minimized background noise and reliable battery power. Battery lasts up to 16 hours for cell phone, 12 hours for music, and recharges in a fast 2 hour charge time with the included AC charger.
Copyright 2006 TangShop.com. All rights reserved.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Surround Sound Basics
The main thing that sets a home theater apart from an ordinary television setup is the surround sound. For a proper surround-sound system, you need two to three speakers in front of you and two to three speakers to your sides or behind you. The audio signal is split into multiple channels so that different sound information comes out of the various speakers.
The most prominent sounds come out of the front speakers. When someone or something is making noise on the left side of the screen, you hear it more from a speaker to the left of the screen. When something is happening on the right, you hear it more from a speaker to the right of the screen.
The third speaker sits in the center, just under or above the screen. This center speaker is very important because it anchors the sound coming from the left and right speakers -- it plays all the dialogue and front sound effects so that they seem to be coming from the center of your television screen, rather than from the sides.
The speakers behind you fill in various sorts of background noise in the movie -- dogs barking, rushing water, the sound of a plane overhead. They also work with the speakers in front of you to give the sensation of movement -- a sound starts from the front and then moves behind you.
But how do all these sounds get split up? This is the job of the audio/video receiver, which is the real heart of a home theater.
by Tom Harris and Tracy V. Wilson
The most prominent sounds come out of the front speakers. When someone or something is making noise on the left side of the screen, you hear it more from a speaker to the left of the screen. When something is happening on the right, you hear it more from a speaker to the right of the screen.
The third speaker sits in the center, just under or above the screen. This center speaker is very important because it anchors the sound coming from the left and right speakers -- it plays all the dialogue and front sound effects so that they seem to be coming from the center of your television screen, rather than from the sides.
The speakers behind you fill in various sorts of background noise in the movie -- dogs barking, rushing water, the sound of a plane overhead. They also work with the speakers in front of you to give the sensation of movement -- a sound starts from the front and then moves behind you.
But how do all these sounds get split up? This is the job of the audio/video receiver, which is the real heart of a home theater.
by Tom Harris and Tracy V. Wilson
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Casino Debate On The Table Again In Britain
We all live in a global village. And very different countries thousands of miles apart can have raging debates on exactly the same social issues. Casino gambling is the subject of controversy here in Britain, but it is also the subject of debate in Jamaica. And, although the social and economic realities are very different, the issues raised are the same.
The background to casino gambling in Britain is that, although we have casinos, they are so tightly regulated that for most of the population they might as well not exist. As a deliberate act of government policy, we have no equivalent to Las Vegas.
Casino owners cannot advertise their casinos, serve drinks on the gaming floor or offer live entertainment. They are run as private clubs and you have to be a member for at least 24 hours before you can gamble.
There are very strict controls over where they can be set up and who can run them. These restrictions were brought in because of the fear of the link between gambling and organised crime. The underlying thinking was that gambling was to be tolerated but not encouraged.
Casinos have never formed an integral part of our leisure or tourism industry; the determined American tourist who wanted to gamble could probably find one, but that was about it. Then the British government decided to deregulate casino gambling. They wanted a new generation of 24-hour casinos and a wave of mega-casinos on the Las Vegas model with 1,250 slot machines, all with a £1-million jackpot.
There were a number of reasons for the change in policy: there was a feeling that our existing gambling legislation was old fashioned and had not caught up with new developments like Internet gambling and the lottery; there was the idea that deregulation in general was a good thing and there was sustained pressure from US gambling interests who saw Britain as a huge untapped source of profits.
But what did not exist was public demand for bigger and better casino gambling on the Las Vegas model. Even so, the government was taken aback by the strength of the public backlash against their proposals. In the anti-casino gambling camp were: the churches, progressive opinion, social conservatives and much of the media.
The churches argued the moral case and some conservative commentators argued against the new casinos because they were seizing on any stick to beat the government. But there was widespread concern about the social consequences of these new huge casinos which, for the first time, would be allowed to advertise and actively encourage new gamblers.
Opponents pointed out that the US style mega-casino is not really about the blackjack and roulette. Where they make their money is from the slot machines. And these slot machines attract the poor, the female and the gambling addict. An American survey has revealed that the very poorest gamblers spend three times as much (as a proportion of their income) as the better off.
Commentators argued that more casinos with thousands of these slot machines will lead to a rise in the number of gambling addicts and middle-aged women gambling away their housekeeping money. And where you have casinos you have organised crime and opponents were not slow to point out that casinos were ideal for laundering money, even without the active co-operation of the owners.
This debate all took place in the run-up to last year's general election, and public feeling was so strong that the government had to backtrack for fear of losing votes. They promised to limit the numbers of new casinos and only have one mega-casino. But now that the election is out of the way, the lobbyists for US gambling interests have resumed their pressure and the issue is being debated again.
The strongest supporters of casino gambling are some of our run-down resort areas which see it as a way of regenerating their communities. But public opposition is still strong. I have an open mind on the issue. Gambling is one of the few vices I have never been able to see the point of.
I have visited a casino only twice in my life and placed a bet on a horserace just once. (I lost.) And, the last thing that the poor people in East London that I represent need is more opportunities to throw away their money gambling.
But I can see how, carefully regulated, a mega-casino could form part of a leisure complex. In Jamaica, the debate is different again. A developed economy like Britain has many alternatives for regenerating run-down tourist areas, but for Jamaica, casino gambling may be a lifeline. Only Jamaicans can judge that. But it is interesting to see that this is a live issue on both sides of the Atlantic
http://pokermag.com/managearticle.asp?C=310&A=11685
The background to casino gambling in Britain is that, although we have casinos, they are so tightly regulated that for most of the population they might as well not exist. As a deliberate act of government policy, we have no equivalent to Las Vegas.
Casino owners cannot advertise their casinos, serve drinks on the gaming floor or offer live entertainment. They are run as private clubs and you have to be a member for at least 24 hours before you can gamble.
There are very strict controls over where they can be set up and who can run them. These restrictions were brought in because of the fear of the link between gambling and organised crime. The underlying thinking was that gambling was to be tolerated but not encouraged.
Casinos have never formed an integral part of our leisure or tourism industry; the determined American tourist who wanted to gamble could probably find one, but that was about it. Then the British government decided to deregulate casino gambling. They wanted a new generation of 24-hour casinos and a wave of mega-casinos on the Las Vegas model with 1,250 slot machines, all with a £1-million jackpot.
There were a number of reasons for the change in policy: there was a feeling that our existing gambling legislation was old fashioned and had not caught up with new developments like Internet gambling and the lottery; there was the idea that deregulation in general was a good thing and there was sustained pressure from US gambling interests who saw Britain as a huge untapped source of profits.
But what did not exist was public demand for bigger and better casino gambling on the Las Vegas model. Even so, the government was taken aback by the strength of the public backlash against their proposals. In the anti-casino gambling camp were: the churches, progressive opinion, social conservatives and much of the media.
The churches argued the moral case and some conservative commentators argued against the new casinos because they were seizing on any stick to beat the government. But there was widespread concern about the social consequences of these new huge casinos which, for the first time, would be allowed to advertise and actively encourage new gamblers.
Opponents pointed out that the US style mega-casino is not really about the blackjack and roulette. Where they make their money is from the slot machines. And these slot machines attract the poor, the female and the gambling addict. An American survey has revealed that the very poorest gamblers spend three times as much (as a proportion of their income) as the better off.
Commentators argued that more casinos with thousands of these slot machines will lead to a rise in the number of gambling addicts and middle-aged women gambling away their housekeeping money. And where you have casinos you have organised crime and opponents were not slow to point out that casinos were ideal for laundering money, even without the active co-operation of the owners.
This debate all took place in the run-up to last year's general election, and public feeling was so strong that the government had to backtrack for fear of losing votes. They promised to limit the numbers of new casinos and only have one mega-casino. But now that the election is out of the way, the lobbyists for US gambling interests have resumed their pressure and the issue is being debated again.
The strongest supporters of casino gambling are some of our run-down resort areas which see it as a way of regenerating their communities. But public opposition is still strong. I have an open mind on the issue. Gambling is one of the few vices I have never been able to see the point of.
I have visited a casino only twice in my life and placed a bet on a horserace just once. (I lost.) And, the last thing that the poor people in East London that I represent need is more opportunities to throw away their money gambling.
But I can see how, carefully regulated, a mega-casino could form part of a leisure complex. In Jamaica, the debate is different again. A developed economy like Britain has many alternatives for regenerating run-down tourist areas, but for Jamaica, casino gambling may be a lifeline. Only Jamaicans can judge that. But it is interesting to see that this is a live issue on both sides of the Atlantic
http://pokermag.com/managearticle.asp?C=310&A=11685
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Strange new rodent discovered as Asian snack
A weird species of rodent, totally new to science, has been discovered on sale in a southeast Asian food market. The rock rat - or kha-nyou as it is known in Laos - is unlike any rodent seen before by scientists.
“It was for sale on a table next to some vegetables,” says conservation biologist Robert Timmins, “And I knew immediately it was something I had never seen before.” People in the Khammouan region of Laos know of the species, and prepare it by roasting it on a skewer, says Timmins, of the Wildlife Conservation Society, based in New York City, US.
Timmins and his team have subsequently trapped the animal with the help of local people, but have never seen it alive either in the wild or in the market. Relatively little is yet known of how it lives or the full extent of its habitats.
The creature looks something like a cross between a large dark rat and a squirrel, but is actually more closely related to guinea pigs and chinchillas. The long-whiskered rodent has a thick, furry tail, large paws, stubby limbs and is around 40 centimetres from nose to tail. Initial evidence suggests it gives birth to a single young at a time. The discovery was reported in the journal Systematics and Biodiversity.
What makes Laonastes aenigmamus so unusual is that it is not closely related to any other rodents. The researchers behind the find have had to create a whole new family, the Laonastidae, to accommodate it.
Rare delicacy
Although new rodents are discovered by scientists at the rate of about one a year, new mammal families are much rarer, Timmins told New Scientist. The last new mammal family was created in 1974 with the discovery of the bumblebee bat. “To find something so distinct in this day and age is just extraordinary,” he says.
The species may be the primitive ancestor to a large group of mostly African and South American rodents known as the Hystricognathi. This group includes mole rats, guinea pigs, capybaras, porcupines and chinchillas. Laonastes may have diverged from these species tens of millions of years ago, Timmins says. Today its closest living relatives are found in Africa.
“The discovery is particularly interesting because it may throw new light on theories about the evolution and past distribution of Old and New World rodents,” says rodent expert and study co-author Paulina Jenkins of the Natural History Museum in London, UK.
The researchers have too little information on the population size and distribution of Laonastes to currently confirm whether or not it is an endangered species, says Jenkins. However, evidence suggests its habitat is confined to rocky limestone outcrops in and around the protected Khammouan National Biodiversity Conservation Area, and is therefore not likely to be very widespread.
by John Pickrell
“It was for sale on a table next to some vegetables,” says conservation biologist Robert Timmins, “And I knew immediately it was something I had never seen before.” People in the Khammouan region of Laos know of the species, and prepare it by roasting it on a skewer, says Timmins, of the Wildlife Conservation Society, based in New York City, US.
Timmins and his team have subsequently trapped the animal with the help of local people, but have never seen it alive either in the wild or in the market. Relatively little is yet known of how it lives or the full extent of its habitats.
The creature looks something like a cross between a large dark rat and a squirrel, but is actually more closely related to guinea pigs and chinchillas. The long-whiskered rodent has a thick, furry tail, large paws, stubby limbs and is around 40 centimetres from nose to tail. Initial evidence suggests it gives birth to a single young at a time. The discovery was reported in the journal Systematics and Biodiversity.
What makes Laonastes aenigmamus so unusual is that it is not closely related to any other rodents. The researchers behind the find have had to create a whole new family, the Laonastidae, to accommodate it.
Rare delicacy
Although new rodents are discovered by scientists at the rate of about one a year, new mammal families are much rarer, Timmins told New Scientist. The last new mammal family was created in 1974 with the discovery of the bumblebee bat. “To find something so distinct in this day and age is just extraordinary,” he says.
The species may be the primitive ancestor to a large group of mostly African and South American rodents known as the Hystricognathi. This group includes mole rats, guinea pigs, capybaras, porcupines and chinchillas. Laonastes may have diverged from these species tens of millions of years ago, Timmins says. Today its closest living relatives are found in Africa.
“The discovery is particularly interesting because it may throw new light on theories about the evolution and past distribution of Old and New World rodents,” says rodent expert and study co-author Paulina Jenkins of the Natural History Museum in London, UK.
The researchers have too little information on the population size and distribution of Laonastes to currently confirm whether or not it is an endangered species, says Jenkins. However, evidence suggests its habitat is confined to rocky limestone outcrops in and around the protected Khammouan National Biodiversity Conservation Area, and is therefore not likely to be very widespread.
by John Pickrell
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Ocean rescue
As I walked along the beach in northern Washington, scouting for garbage to put in the heavy-duty trash bag they had given me at the Olympic Coast clean-up orientation session a few hours earlier, I came upon a sad sight. A sea otter had somehow lost its way and ended up dead on Shi Shi Beach. With its life drained away, the otter's matted fur seemed to have lost its luxuriant richness, appearing more a drab gray than the chestnut brown I would have expected from the world's most prized fur.
Lacking a Ph.D. in marine biology, it was hard to tell what exactly killed the wayward sea otter. It might have been a predator, but I didn't see any visible wounds. Maybe it succumbed to leptospirosis or one of any dozen other bacterial outbreaks slowly making their way up the coast from California's marine mammal populations. Or perhaps one of the hundreds of tanker ships that pass through the area every week had discharged some oil into the waters contaminating an abalone or crab that the otter had enjoyed as an unwitting last meal. Or maybe it has starved while foraging far and wide for dwindling amounts of shellfish. I noted the dead otter's location to report to the National Marine Sanctuary group that was overseeing the beach clean-up.
Then I got back to work. I had volunteered to help cleanup Shi Shi Beach, a pristine sea-stacked affair on the northwest corner of the continental United States, just a four-hour drive from downtown Seattle. While other beach clean-ups happening around the country on this Earth Day might have focused on empty beer cans and abandoned beach toys, my work at Shi Shi, three miles from the nearest road and only accessible via a muddy tromp through verdant old-growth forest, focused more on debris washed up onto the beach from the turbulent Pacific. A large piece of broken fishing net. A weathered shipping palette. An oil can. A melange of odd-shaped plastic pieces. Each item in my assemblage represented one or another major threat to the world's oceans. The otter was just the coup de grace.
by Roddy Scheer
Lacking a Ph.D. in marine biology, it was hard to tell what exactly killed the wayward sea otter. It might have been a predator, but I didn't see any visible wounds. Maybe it succumbed to leptospirosis or one of any dozen other bacterial outbreaks slowly making their way up the coast from California's marine mammal populations. Or perhaps one of the hundreds of tanker ships that pass through the area every week had discharged some oil into the waters contaminating an abalone or crab that the otter had enjoyed as an unwitting last meal. Or maybe it has starved while foraging far and wide for dwindling amounts of shellfish. I noted the dead otter's location to report to the National Marine Sanctuary group that was overseeing the beach clean-up.
Then I got back to work. I had volunteered to help cleanup Shi Shi Beach, a pristine sea-stacked affair on the northwest corner of the continental United States, just a four-hour drive from downtown Seattle. While other beach clean-ups happening around the country on this Earth Day might have focused on empty beer cans and abandoned beach toys, my work at Shi Shi, three miles from the nearest road and only accessible via a muddy tromp through verdant old-growth forest, focused more on debris washed up onto the beach from the turbulent Pacific. A large piece of broken fishing net. A weathered shipping palette. An oil can. A melange of odd-shaped plastic pieces. Each item in my assemblage represented one or another major threat to the world's oceans. The otter was just the coup de grace.
by Roddy Scheer
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