Open Thread - Thurs 02 Apr 2026 - Interesting Things!
Interesting Things!
Here’s a few interesting things, starting with beavers…
Beavers have been reintroduced to Scotland. Beavers had been extinct in Britain for about 400 years. The species was hunted to extinction there. In 2009 11 beavers were introduced to a ‘dead’ river in Scotland. And they flourished and so did the river, the plants and animals which live in and along it, and more. Yes! Beavers have been, and are, being reintroduced to other places in Britain as well, which is a good thing, I think.
There are beavers which live up the creek from my parent’s property. They have built dams which make useful ponds and they stop the lower levels of the creek, like where my parents live, from flooding. I love visiting their ponds and dams.
Dogs:
New archaeological evidence shows that the friendship between humans and dogs goes back at least 5,000 more years than previously thought. So, about 15,000 years ago the two species lived together and were ‘friends’. This is earlier than farm animals and cats were domesticated (as far as we know for now!).
The archaeological evidence, a bone, was found in a cave in the Cheddar gorge. Yea, where cheese is made and aged! Woot!
Elephants:
Archaeologists working in Spain have probably found the first direct evidence of Hannibal’s elephants in Europe. This is from 218 BCE during the second Punic war, when Hannibal crossed the Alps (from Carthage in North Africa, to Spain, across the Alps, to Italy) with a company of elephants. The bone was found along with a lot of other items which lead archaeologists and historians to believe the elephant was killed during a battle in Spain before the journey across the Alps. Wow!
Here's the open thread! What's up, whatcha doing? Reading? Thinking? Listening to? Remember, everything is interesting if you dive deep enough, so tell us about where you're diving!
Comments
Thursday!
How you doing? What's up? I am still dealing with tons of family stuff, so kinda out of it. However, it rained almost an inch yesterday, and the daffodils are happy. Yay! Let us know what's going on!
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Good morning...
Beavers are amazing in terms of water management. However, I don't like them in our pond. I learned a trick to run them away. I have a foot wide board and slap the water with it. I guess they think I'm a giant beaver and leave. The occasional otter we get I leave alone.
Human relations with dogs almost seems innate. Elephants are also very social animals.
Well, gotta go, but thanks for the OT!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Hey there
Good luck with the family stuff,
it goes on doesn't it?
Today is the birthday of Emmylou Harris.
Also the anniversary of Leon Russell's birthday.
Zionism is a social disease
Good morning, sima!
I received an article from a scientist that constantly reviews medical studies and protocols. The newest "normal" cholesterol levels are recommended to be lowered. Why? When one is normal, one is pre-high cholesterol and must stay medicated to keep from being medicated from high cholesterol levels. The study was done by scientists who were paid by Big Pharma. Big Pharma is on the cusp of producing an array of drugs for healthy people to keep them healthy so they will not need different drugs until they are unhealthy. They are coming soon! Imagine Big Pharma's delight in finding a way to make bank off of healthy, normal folks! How creative!
As yesterday wore on, I succumbed to temptation and watched Trump's 19 minutes of lies and sales pitches. So, yesterday I was pummeled with lies and marketing ploys! At least I was aware of it, unlike most of my friends.
I need to get a horse, go trail riding.
Best of luck with your family duties, chica!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Latest research
indicates cholesterol is a key for
healthy brain functioning. Also,
studies found that recommended levels
should be elevated to more reasonable numbers.
Kinda shoots down all of these blood tests
resulting in prescriptions (and pharma sales).
Question everything.
Zionism is a social disease
But...but...
Big Pharma didn't fund the research on the positive contributions of cholesterol to our health and well being, so they must be ignored!
Incidentally, I have been reading numerous articles on the positive health contributions of cholesterol. We have to do our own research nowadays.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Statins
More than 20 years ago someone pointed me to articles on the internet about people who’d experienced sudden memory problems while taking a statin. About the same time my uncle who was on Lipitor was driving to his son’s house, in the same town, and had to stop and call his wife to come get him. He suddenly didn’t know where he was. He’d lived there all his life, a very intelligent man. Now had dementia.
My mother lived to 99. I lived w/her the last few years, took her to medical appointments and managed her meds. On one hospital visit I asked a nurse what pills she was giving her. When she mentioned Lipitor I asked how much. She said 40 mg. I said that’s a lot (my uncle had been on 20 mg.). She agreed. I said I don’t want her on it, the Dr. can prescribe it but I won’t give it to her. The Dr. Oz show had a doctor on who’d written a book saying everyone over age 40 should be on a statin—and if you’re not on one you should be asking your doctor “why not”. I did come across a retired doctor with a different view, about 2015. When I mentioned our family experiences, he said but of course—the cholesterol being blocked by the statin is needed by your brain. A Midwestern Doctor has also written about it.
Of course I’m not knowledgeable enough to say who should or shouldn’t be on a statin. I was a bit surprised to see that Dr. Peter McCullough, well-known cardiologist who fought against COVID vaccines, recently wrote to complain about negative publicity which statins had recently gotten.
Anya
McCullough?
WOW!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Statins are not good for several reasons.
The docs prescribe them for a variety of symptoms.
I can't list them as my research was done so long ago.
Like antibiotics, I just refuse to take them. This is the
danger of over prescribing medications. Long term
effects are the price paid for short term solutions.
Zionism is a social disease
I keep hearing about Dr. Oz
The impression I am left with is that he is for medicine what Jim Cramer is for stocks.
In the Land of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is declared mentally ill for describing colors.
Yes Virginia, there is a Global Banking Conspiracy!
Could you please share these?
This would be quite the revelation.
In the Land of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is declared mentally ill for describing colors.
Yes Virginia, there is a Global Banking Conspiracy!
I just looked at the websites
and emails I received yesterday, couldn't find it. I bet it was a link in some comment thread. Next time, I will book mark things like this.I will search one last site to see if I can find this article.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Beaver dams
Good morning and glad you are getting rain. We are currently getting some much needed rain here in the hill country of Texas. While I was in Santa Fe, took part in beaver re-introduction to waterways that had been impacted by the policy of allowing cattle to run free in National forest land. We planted trees that could be used by beavers and then left the area. Fast forward five years, we returned and there was evidence of beaver dams being built. The area around the new beaver dams had an enclosure built to prevent cattle from entering the stream bed at that point.
We also took part in a beaver dam construction further down the river to attract beaver to the area. The area has been revisited by member of our group and there is beaver activity. I know they can be a problem for locals but I am excited to see the return of a keystone animal to the area.
Life is what you make it, so make it something worthwhile.
This ain't no dress rehearsal!
Good morning Sima, thanks for the OT. Interesting that it took
them this long to find an elephant bone in Europe. Hannibal must've lost several, what happened to all the remains?
speaking of which:
Actually, war elephants weren't such a great thing. Hannibal had his greatest successes in battles where he lacked elephants, fwiw, os so my memory tells me.
meanwhile our war continues, without elephants, unless you count aircraft carriers which can, I guess, contribute toward providing air superiority over the battlefield, except that there isn't any actual battlefield. Curiouser and curiouser, said Alice.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
speaking of elephant carriers
Trying to keep tabs on them is tough.
Lincoln and Tripoli are in theater with
Bush leaving Norfolk. Ford is out.
What a way to run a war.
Zionism is a social disease
Trump
just fired Pam Bondi!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
What did she do?
Or, perhaps what didn't she do?
Zionism is a social disease
Good news and bad news; now he gets to
appoint a replacement, who will very likely be no better if not worse.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Thanks a bunch
for that beaver documentary. It gives me ideas for the beaver dam in Otter Creek going through my parcel. It is slowly closing off the creek and already creating a backup and pond. But at some point a culvert will be needed to allow salmon passage to continue.
I will endeavor to approach the Dept. of Fish & Wildlife with the fix used in that video.
Have not seen any otters up the creek yet, but have seen them in the Cowlitz River, 400 ft. down the creek.
Salmon continue to spawn up here and the fingerlings will eventually draw the otters.
I also continue to plant native species and trees along the 450 ft of creek frontage on my parcel. While the neighbor across the creek continues to cut trees and clear bush, illegally I might add.
There is supposed to be a 150' all natural buffer zone on both sides of the creek.
Perhaps if I can get Fish and Wildlife out here to look at the dam, they may take note of the bare buffer zone and take some action.
And I will feel I haven't narc'd on my neighbor.
The DFW, local Native American tribes and the State Dept of Natural Resources teamed up over a decade ago to alter the Cowlitz River flow and built an artificial island to better enable the salmon to re-enter the Otter Creek watershed and rewild the creek after many decades of loss.
It is slowly becoming a success.
My idiot neighbor is not helping, but harming the process.
Thanks for hosting the OT.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.