NEW YORK (Reuters) – For wild animal lovers not content with watching tigers and gorillas during the day, a growing number of zoos are offering a more thrilling after-dark experience -- overnight stays.
From Philadelphia to Denver nocturnal visitors are learning what happens when the gates slam shut, the sun goes down and the moon rises over some of America's most well-known zoos.
"You get the zoo to yourself," said Jennifer Labows of the Philadelphia Zoo, which is America's first zoo and home to more than 1,300 animals.
"It is a unique experience for guests to see the animals at night."
The Philadelphia Zoo has been running its Roars and Snores Overnight Programs for about 20 years. The most popular theme program is the Night Flight Overnight Program where children aged five to 12 sleep in the zoo's tree house.
The overnight stays are not only popular with young children. Teen programs are offered at many zoos for those young adults interested in the zoo industry. They are also a favorite venue for birthday sleepovers, family trips and with scout troops.
"We customize the overnight to whatever badge the scouts are trying to complete that night," Labows said.
Most overnight stays include a night tour during which youngsters experience the mysterious sights and unusual sounds of the zoo without the usual distractions. A midnight snack and breakfast are also served.
"It is a unique experience to be at the zoo without the crowds and additional noise," explained Tracey Patterson, of the Denver Zoo, which has been running its Bunk with the Beasts program since 1998.
With nearly 4,000 animals and 700 species the zoo attracts more than 1.8 million visitors a year.
"The things you hear and see in the zoo are completely different," said Patterson.
On Denver's two-hour tours, night vision scopes are provided so guests can see nocturnal animals such as owls, and indoor educational games enhance the learning experience.
Guests at the new overnight program at the Wildlife Conservation Society's Queens Zoo in New York make breakfast treats for parrots, bears, pigs, pumas and coyotes, and watch the keepers feed them to the animals the next morning, said Education Curator Tom Hurtubise.
With visitors at the Denver Zoo coming from as far away as Wyoming and Montana, Patterson said parents tend to be more worried about leaving their children than the children themselves. They have rarely had to call up a parent in the middle of the night.
"They love it," Patterson said about the children. "For many, it's their first overnight away from home. They are so excited that by the end of the day they are so tired that they have no opportunity to worry."
The growing popularity of overnights has prompted zoos that only cater to day-time visitors to think again. The Queens Zoo, which started their program this year, is so pleased with its success they want to continue it next year.
The profits from the overnight programs are used to improve other parts of the facility. At the Philadelphia Zoo their programs cost up to $60 per person. Any profits go into their overall operating budget.
Patterson said prices for the Denver Zoo overnight program range from $45 to $65 per person depending on the group and program.
The newer programs, such as the one at the Queens Zoo, tend to be smaller and suited for families more interested in a more intimate experience. With only 36 people at their last weekend, the price tag came to $75 per person for Wildlife Conservative Society members and an additional $10 for non-members.
"The only problem was that the parents didn't realize the parrots could be so loud at 3:30 in the morning," Hurtubise said.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Police Broke Cellphone Conversation Record
A 39-year old woman, Lakeysha Beard, talked for more than half a day while on an Amtrak train going from Oakland, California to Portland, Oregon. The loud cellphone conversation lasted sixteen hours last Monday, after which police stopped the train for twenty minutes at Salem, Oregon to arrest the woman.
Amtrak has no policy forbidding passengers from talking on the phone on a moving train. In the train's car, a few passengers asked the woman to put the phone away or to stop a few times during the conversation prior to notifying the train staff. Staff members were unable to convince the woman to end the conversation and stopped the train to arrest the woman and halt the disruption.
This cellphone conversation doesn't beat the record 51-hour phone call by Sunil Prabhakar of New Delhi in 2009.
Amtrak has no policy forbidding passengers from talking on the phone on a moving train. In the train's car, a few passengers asked the woman to put the phone away or to stop a few times during the conversation prior to notifying the train staff. Staff members were unable to convince the woman to end the conversation and stopped the train to arrest the woman and halt the disruption.
This cellphone conversation doesn't beat the record 51-hour phone call by Sunil Prabhakar of New Delhi in 2009.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
10 Best Charlie Sheen Quotes
1. “I have a disease? Bullshit. I cured it with my brain.”
2. "I’m tired of pretending I’m not a total bitchin’ rock star from Mars."
3. "You can’t process me with a normal brain."
4. "Can't is the cancer of happening."
5. “Look what I’m dealing with, man, I’m dealing with fools and trolls.”
6. “I’m not Thomas Jefferson. He was a pussy.”
7. "There’s a new sheriff in town. And he has an army of assassins.”
8. "The run I was on made Sinatra, Flynn, Jagger, Richards, all of them look like droopy-eyed armless children."
9. "The only thing I’m addicted to right now is winning.”
10. "If you’re a part of my family, I will love you violently."
Charlie Sheen Venn Diagram
Charlie Sheen Quotes Mens Shirt
Charlie Sheen Winning Movie Poster
2. "I’m tired of pretending I’m not a total bitchin’ rock star from Mars."
3. "You can’t process me with a normal brain."
4. "Can't is the cancer of happening."
5. “Look what I’m dealing with, man, I’m dealing with fools and trolls.”
6. “I’m not Thomas Jefferson. He was a pussy.”
7. "There’s a new sheriff in town. And he has an army of assassins.”
8. "The run I was on made Sinatra, Flynn, Jagger, Richards, all of them look like droopy-eyed armless children."
9. "The only thing I’m addicted to right now is winning.”
10. "If you’re a part of my family, I will love you violently."
Charlie Sheen Venn Diagram
Charlie Sheen Quotes Mens Shirt
Charlie Sheen Winning Movie Poster
Monday, May 2, 2011
Grumpy Bridesmaid Not Amused by Royal Kiss
LONDON (AFP) – The crowds outside Buckingham Palace were all begging for Prince William and Kate Middleton to kiss -- but one young bridesmaid's expression showed just what she thought of the whole business.
Three-year-old Grace van Cutsem, the new Duke of Cambridge's goddaughter, covered her ears, leaned on the ledge and stared balefully at the crowd as the royal couple locked lips behind her.
Kate tried to comfort the little girl, whose comedy moment apparently came after she became overwhelmed by the noise of the event as some 500,000 people massed in The Mall outside the palace.
Grace and the other five children who made up Middleton's troupe of bridesmaids and pageboys had otherwise behaved impeccably throughout the wedding service in London's Westminster Abbey.
The only other hiccup was when Eliza Lopes, the three-year-old granddaughter of William's stepmother Camilla, repeatedly fiddled with her floral headdress apparently fearing it would slip off.
"Their quality was superb. Everything was perfection," said one of the well-wishers below, Doris Narty, 74, from Ghana.
Royal Wedding Venn Diagram
Albert Einstein's School Grades
10 Rules Kids Won't Learn in School
Three-year-old Grace van Cutsem, the new Duke of Cambridge's goddaughter, covered her ears, leaned on the ledge and stared balefully at the crowd as the royal couple locked lips behind her.
Kate tried to comfort the little girl, whose comedy moment apparently came after she became overwhelmed by the noise of the event as some 500,000 people massed in The Mall outside the palace.
Grace and the other five children who made up Middleton's troupe of bridesmaids and pageboys had otherwise behaved impeccably throughout the wedding service in London's Westminster Abbey.
The only other hiccup was when Eliza Lopes, the three-year-old granddaughter of William's stepmother Camilla, repeatedly fiddled with her floral headdress apparently fearing it would slip off.
"Their quality was superb. Everything was perfection," said one of the well-wishers below, Doris Narty, 74, from Ghana.
Royal Wedding Venn Diagram
Albert Einstein's School Grades
10 Rules Kids Won't Learn in School
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Alabama Senate Seek to Kick Racist Language from Constitution
Birmingham, Ala (Reuters) – The Alabama Senate approved a measure on Wednesday that would eliminate references to "Jim Crow" or segregationist laws as well as all mentions of race from the state constitution.
The legislation passed in a 22-9 vote, with all Republicans voting in favor after an all-night session, said Republican Senator Jabo Waggoner.
The proposed amendment would eliminate language that calls for separate schools for black and white students and poll taxes, the latter generally viewed as instituted to keep black residents from voting.
"Even though federal laws nullify these old wordings, it remains a black eye on the state," said Cam Ward, another Republican senator.
Some lawmakers have tried for years to rewrite the entire state constitution, which they criticize as outdated and cumbersome.
Written in 1901, the document has 827 amendments and 340,000 words, making it 40 times longer than the U.S. Constitution.
The proposed amendment will now move to the House of Representatives for consideration. If signed by the governor, it must go to voters for approval.
A similar bill passed by the Legislature in 2004 was defeated in a statewide vote.
The legislation passed in a 22-9 vote, with all Republicans voting in favor after an all-night session, said Republican Senator Jabo Waggoner.
The proposed amendment would eliminate language that calls for separate schools for black and white students and poll taxes, the latter generally viewed as instituted to keep black residents from voting.
"Even though federal laws nullify these old wordings, it remains a black eye on the state," said Cam Ward, another Republican senator.
Some lawmakers have tried for years to rewrite the entire state constitution, which they criticize as outdated and cumbersome.
Written in 1901, the document has 827 amendments and 340,000 words, making it 40 times longer than the U.S. Constitution.
The proposed amendment will now move to the House of Representatives for consideration. If signed by the governor, it must go to voters for approval.
A similar bill passed by the Legislature in 2004 was defeated in a statewide vote.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Weight Loss Improves Memory?
John Gunstad, an associate professor in Kent State University's Department of Psychology, and a team of researchers have discovered a link between weight loss and improved memory and concentration. The study shows that bariatric surgery patients exhibited improved memory function 12 weeks after their operations.
"The initial idea came from our clinical work," Gunstad said. "I was working at Brown Medical School in Rhode Island at the time and had the chance to work with a large number of people who were looking to lose weight through either behavioral means or weight loss surgery."
Gunstad said he kept noticing that these patients would make similar mistakes. "As a neuropsychologist who is focused on how the brain functions, I look for these little mental errors all the time," Gunstad explained.
The researchers discovered that bariatric surgery patients demonstrated improved memory and concentration 12 weeks after surgery, improving from the slightly impaired range to the normal range.
"The primary motivation for looking at surgery patients is that we know they lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time, so it was a good group to study," Gunstad said. "This is the first evidence to show that by going through this surgery, individuals might improve their memory, concentration and problem solving."
Gunstad thinks the study is reason for optimism. "One of the things about obesity, relative to other medical conditions, is that something can be done to fix it," Gunstad said. "Our thought was, if some of these effects are reversible, then we're really on to something -- that it might be an opportunity for individuals who have memory or concentration problems to make those things better in a short amount of time. And that's what we found."
Gunstad wasn't surprised by the study's findings. "A lot of the factors that come with obesity -- things such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea -- that might damage the brain are somewhat reversible," Gunstad said. "As those problems go away, memory function gets better."
"The initial idea came from our clinical work," Gunstad said. "I was working at Brown Medical School in Rhode Island at the time and had the chance to work with a large number of people who were looking to lose weight through either behavioral means or weight loss surgery."
Gunstad said he kept noticing that these patients would make similar mistakes. "As a neuropsychologist who is focused on how the brain functions, I look for these little mental errors all the time," Gunstad explained.
The researchers discovered that bariatric surgery patients demonstrated improved memory and concentration 12 weeks after surgery, improving from the slightly impaired range to the normal range.
"The primary motivation for looking at surgery patients is that we know they lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time, so it was a good group to study," Gunstad said. "This is the first evidence to show that by going through this surgery, individuals might improve their memory, concentration and problem solving."
Gunstad thinks the study is reason for optimism. "One of the things about obesity, relative to other medical conditions, is that something can be done to fix it," Gunstad said. "Our thought was, if some of these effects are reversible, then we're really on to something -- that it might be an opportunity for individuals who have memory or concentration problems to make those things better in a short amount of time. And that's what we found."
Gunstad wasn't surprised by the study's findings. "A lot of the factors that come with obesity -- things such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea -- that might damage the brain are somewhat reversible," Gunstad said. "As those problems go away, memory function gets better."
Sunday, April 3, 2011
10 Rules Kids Won't Learn in School
1. Life is not fair.
2. The real world won't care as much about your self-esteem as much
as your school does.
3. You won't make $200,000 a year right out of high school, and you won't be a vice president.
4. If you think your teacher is tough, wait 'til you get a boss. When you screw up, he's not going to ask you how you feel about it.
5. Before you were born your parents weren't as boring as they are
now.
6. Your school may have done away with winners and losers. Life
hasn't.
7. Be nice to nerds. You may end up working for them. We all
could.
8. Smoking does not make you look cool. It makes you look moronic.
9. You are not immortal.
10. How wonderful it was to be a kid.
2. The real world won't care as much about your self-esteem as much
as your school does.
3. You won't make $200,000 a year right out of high school, and you won't be a vice president.
4. If you think your teacher is tough, wait 'til you get a boss. When you screw up, he's not going to ask you how you feel about it.
5. Before you were born your parents weren't as boring as they are
now.
6. Your school may have done away with winners and losers. Life
hasn't.
7. Be nice to nerds. You may end up working for them. We all
could.
8. Smoking does not make you look cool. It makes you look moronic.
9. You are not immortal.
10. How wonderful it was to be a kid.
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