A team from Cornell University, New York, have spent the last seven years travelling the world and collecting blood samples from village dogs—free-ranging, feral, stray dogs that live near human settlements. These unleashed hounds represent the full genetic diversity of our canine companions.
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Who doesn't love dogs? They are some of humanities oldest companions. But little is known about stray village dogs.

The team collected blood samples from 549 village dogs in 38 countries across 6 continents. All they did was offer food and the dogs appeared.

After analyzing more than 185,000 genetic markers in these individuals, the team concluded that dogs were first domesticated in Central Asia, somewhere near India or Nepal.

But this isn't a final answer. It's just the latest volley in a long-running debate about when, where, and why wild wolves first transformed into man's best friend.

The oldest dog fossils are at least 15,000 years old and come from Western Europe and Siberia.

'In 2013 alone, a whole-genome study of living wolves and dogs argued that domestication took place around 10,000 years ago during the Agricultural Revolution, when wolves that scavenged at humanity's scrapheap became more accustomed to life with us. Four months later, another whole-genome study argued that wolves were domesticated in East Asia around 32,000 years ago. Six months after that, yet another study—this one of mitochondrial DNA in both modern and fossil dogs—put the site of domestication in Europe and the time somewhere between 18,000 and 32,000 years ago. That's well before the Agricultural Revolution, and suggests that wolves may have accompanied European hunter-gatherers as either hunting partners or scavengers.'

The Cornell University team have spent years collecting samples from over 1,500 ancient dogs and wolves, and is now finally ready to analyze them all. Source: The Atlantic.
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I like the idea of looking for clues among stray dogs. I'll await the final results with interest.

Did you guess the correct location?

 This story is too good to let go. I shared the earlier part on the 14th.

The UK woman who was sexually assaulted on a bus launched an online Facebook appeal to find the man who stepped up and faced her attacker.

The 30 year-old writer and filmmaker, was aboard a 207 bus in London when a man grabbed her. A fellow passenger defended her.

She wrote on a Facebook post: “To the man on the 207 bus towards Acton last night (the tall, dark, and dapper one with the beard)

“Thank you for saying something when that man grabbed me. Thank you for insisting that it was not acceptable."

“Most of all, thank you for asking him about the women in his life, his mother, his sister... You said, “She could be your sister. She is someone's sister”, and in doing so you made me a person. You made us a community.

“Please, let's all endeavour to 'say something', please share, and please help me find this awesome dude so I can buy him a pint!”

Now, she has tracked down a man who defended her and shared a photo of her beside the man who stood up for her on the bus.

“Last night, I got to meet and thank this Good Samaritan and all round awesome dude - Firat!” she wrote on Facebook.
She went on to thank all those who had shared her story, as well as the Metropolitan Police.

“Most of all, I am grateful the many who shared their own stories. In this way, the post went far beyond one person speaking out for another in the microcosm of a 207 bus towards Acton.

“It became an international and intersectional discussion. For that, Firat and I agreed, we are both very thankful."

She went on to urge others to “follow Firat’s lead” and stand up against sexual harassment. Source: Independent.

It is important to thank someone when they help you. The connection gives a sense of completion.

I don't remember ever being at risk of injury, although I feared the seedy side of the London streets when I first arrived in 1987 all alone. I'd heard of attacks on women on the underground. After living in my home country of Australia for all of my 45 years, I was not prepared for danger.

However, I never faced a threat.

I helped other women with their pushchairs up and down the steep underground stairs. They thanked me. I spoke to other women about trivial matters while waiting for a train. An open, friendly countenance does wonders for the way we are treated.

If anybody does something for me, my immediate response is to thank them. But why is this so important to us? I think it goes beyond the early lessons we are taught. It's a basic response, coming deep from the heart.
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Why do YOU need to thank a person who has helped you in some way?

 Do you like clowns? Their original purpose was to make light of troubles within a circus performance. Hence the song: Send in The Clowns.
Listen to the hauntingly beautiful version of the song by Barbra Streisand, (ad. free), on YouTube. https://youtu.be/ODqj9Mq39FM

But clowns have never amused me. Perhaps children can appreciate their ridiculous appearance.
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That same childhood innocence has now caused a problem in the UK. Police are seeking a suspicious clown gang after they terrified young school children in Kent. Police patrols have been stepped up, especially after the two other attempted child abductions in the area where the perpetrators were dressed normally.

The men and women clowns in question were wearing black outfits with white clown masks.
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Police want to find them urgently amid fears their interest is more sinister than just a Halloween prank. School heads have issued warnings to pupils and parents. Special assemblies have been held and children have been told to go straight home after school and not to loiter anywhere. Source: Express. 

 US researchers monitored 98 people from traditional societies in Africa and South America for 1,165 nights to find out their sleeping patterns. These people's lifestyles closely resemble ancient hunter gatherers and are rapidly disappearing.

The results showed they slept for an average of 6.5 hours per night.



​By comparison, the scientists said that most people in the US get about seven hours, according to a large sleep poll, published in the journal Current Biology.

Temperature played a greater role than light in shaping sleeping patterns. When it gets too cold, they wake up.

For the poll, researchers studied the Hadza of Tanzania, the San of Namibia and the Tsimane of Bolivia, fitting their volunteers with wristwatches that monitor sleep.

A professor said that all three groups had similar sleep duration and pretty much the same timing of sleep.
As well as discovering that the average sleep duration was six hours and 25 minutes, the researchers also found the participants very rarely took naps and did not wake up during the night. Insomnia was also extremely rare. Two of the groups did not even have a word for it.

While the hunter gatherers did not fall asleep until several hours after sunset, artificial light was keeping so called modern man awake for even longer due in part to artificial lights, to late night TV, and the ever-present glow of smart phones. Source: BBC. 

Our household consists of two people past their seventies. One sleeps well and the other suffers from insomnia. Our lifestyle is the same—no smart phones disturb us. I get tired at 10 pm, but will remain awake for another hour if a film holds my interest. My husband wakes and retires late—a never-ending cycle of stress seems to cause his insomnia.
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Of course, we're all different. How do you sleep?

 A scientific study shows a cup of coffee in the evening may be keeping you awake for more reasons than you realise.

Published in Science Translation Medicine, the results showed how caffeine was more than just a stimulant and actually slowed down the body's internal clock.

Cells were grown in a dish, and then exposed to caffeine to work out how it changed their ability to keep time.

They found the drug was also able to alter the chemical clocks ticking away in every cell of the human body.

A double espresso three hours before bedtime delayed the production of the sleep hormone melatonin by about 40 minutes, making it harder to nod off.

One of the doctors said it would be "complete speculation" to set a cut-off time for drinking caffeine in the evening but he personally never drank coffee after 17:00. Source: BBC. 

Black coffee affects my husband this way—he just can't drop off to sleep. On the other hand, I don't drink coffee, preferring tea in varied forms. And I never drink anything after 6 pm. Consequently, I sleep well.

And now to the revelation of a character trait judged on how a person drinks their coffee. A just-in-time-for-Halloween study revealed that people who like their coffee black are more likely to possess anti-social and psychopathic personality traits. ​

 The research, published in the journal Appetite, which comes from the University of Innsbruck in Austria, examined the taste preferences of about 1,000 people. Those who preferred more bitter foods like black coffee scored higher on a series personality questionnaires that assessed Machiavellianism, a term used in psychology to describe personalities that are dark, psychopathic, narcissistic and sadistic.


The study also notes that participants who reported a fondness for any bitter foods including radishes, and celery were also more likely to exhibit psychopathic traits.

But there's a bright side of drinking coffee without milk and sugar.

From the standpoint of physical health, consuming your morning coffee earns two thumbs up.
Coffee provides major proven benefits:
increased feelings of happiness,
decreased risk for some cancers,
improved brain function.

Straight black coffee-drinkers are reaping the benefits without consuming added calories and fat.
Source: Huffington Post. 

I like bitter foods. Tea leaves a bitter tang on the palette and I like that, as well as celery. But I'm no psychopath.

Do you drink your coffee black? Does coffee affect your sleep or reveal your personality?

 Worldwide, we are facing a climate of suspicion, hatred and racism. Here's a humourous story that lifts the veil of negativity and shows how we can all live together.

A 27 year-old man living in Israel walked into his apartment building recently to find an anonymous notice in the hallway.

"In light of the security situation," it read in Hebrew, "I think that we cannot afford to let ourselves be indifferent and do nothing about the fact that we have an Arab tenant in the building."
The notice included his name and apartment number.

"I don't preclude his presence right away, but I do think it's very important that we know him and vet him," the notice continued. "It is our right to look after ourselves and our families and to want to feel safe in the building in which we are living."

A meeting was mentioned, which would be held later in the week to discuss the issue.

I've been in a similar position here in the UK. When we first moved in to our tiny community, I hoped we would all get along. Unfortunately, some people don't make this easy. One morning we found a note on the wind-shield of our car accusing my husband of side-swiping another parked car late one night—entirely wrong. He'd been out walking the dog when he heard the bang of metal on metal. The assertion made us feel ostracised. I wanted to leave, and hid inside my flat for weeks, unwilling to bump into the nasty neighbour. In the end, when the situation was straightened out, I forgave our accuser, but remained wary. After all, I didn't want to be best friends.

But, back to the news item. After the man living in the Israeli block read the notice, he posed in front of it, snapped a selfie, and authored the picture on Facebook with the humorous message: "I’m coming and I’ll bring muffins!"

His photo went viral on social media and was covered by Israeli media outlets, including The Times of Israel newspaper.

"I've got hundreds of messages from all over the county, and also abroad, full of love and support," he told The WorldPost in a Facebook message.

Some neighbours brought him cakes and cookies. Another posted a new notice in the building.

"In light of the security situation, I think we cannot afford to let ourselves be indifferent to xenophobia and fear," it reads, in Hebrew. "I invite you to a revolution of joy -- because we are all family."

That sums up the solution to the problem. The Bible tells us, 'Love thy neighbour'. I heartily agree with this concept. I could forgive my false accuser without becoming too close.

I wish I had acted with humour instead. Seeing the funny side of life takes the tension out of an awkward situation.
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Have you experienced anything similar?

 The world’s oldest parrot, or so she says, famous for appearing in many Hollywood films, is celebrating her 90th birthday.

In 2012, Poncho snapped at the press at 87 years of age. The photographer got too close for comfort, and she wasn't putting up with the interviewer's pecking comments.

Her impressive avian CV includes roles alongside Jim Carrey in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Doctor Dolittle with Eddie Murphy. The famous bird first came to Britain to film 102 Dalmatians with Glenn Close in 2000.
​Deemed too old to make the journey back to America at 75 years old, Poncho retired to Shropshire, UK.

The green-winged macaw entered her 10th decade with a party at her home in England complete with a parrot-shaped cake.

Despite leaving the movie business more than 15 years ago, Poncho is still prone to showing off her diva traits when making her daily visits to her handler's pet store, Beck’s Pets and Exotics.

Her personal groomer said, “Poncho is just a massive princess. She hasn’t flown in about 10 years, but we put that down to her being really lazy. Now she gets carried everywhere.”

I've never been up close and personal to a bird. But this one is rather magnificent, despite her feathers showing signs of grey.
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Have you ever lived with a bird?

​ A news story from London today, gave me goose bumps. A stranger stepped in to help a woman who was being assaulted on a bus.

Now, she wants to thank him.

In a Facebook post which has been shared more than 16,000 times, the UK woman did not describe the details of the assault but wrote: "Thank you for saying something when that man attacked me. Thank you for insisting that it was not acceptable [...] You said, 'She could be your sister. She is someone's sister,' and in doing so you made me a person. You made us a community.

"I thank you not just because you stood up for me, or because you made me feel safe, but because on your transit home - in this big, potentially anonymous city - you humanised assault. You didn't turn away. You took a stand.

"Because you are right. I am someone's sister. We all are. And us kids should all stand up for each other."

In Britain, ninety per cent of women have experienced a form of street harassment before the age of 17, according to a recent international survey carried out by Cornell University and anti-harassment campaign group Hollaback! This was higher than the international average of 84 per cent. Source: Independent.

I'd like to think we would all do the same thing—step in and make a difference when we see something that isn't right. Even little old ladies like me, waving my stick. If one person takes a stand, others would join in. We should yell and shout, call for the police, do anything to stop attacks on defenceless young women.

https://youtu.be/wGGW4IezbC4
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The wonderful blues song, "Let's Stick Together" or "Let's Work Together" as it was subsequently titled, was released in 1962. In 1969–1970, the song became a hit for the songwriter Harrison and has been recorded by a variety of artists, including Bryan Ferry and Canned Heat, who had chart successes with the song.
An excerpt from Let's Work Together:

Together we'll stand
Divided we'll fall
Come on now, people
Let's get on the ball
~
And work together
Come on, come on
Let's work together
Now, now people
Because together we will stand
Every boy, every girl and man

​I know—If we intervene in an attack, we might get hurt. But, let's stick together.

  To my mind the answer is a lot of effort. I'm not sure any two people are actually made for each other.
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Yesterday, Goldie Hawn, the American actress, gave her views about compatibility on the UK television show, Loose Women.

She and her husband have spent more than 30 years together, but have never married.

"We'd been married before (to other people), it didn't work, so why do it again. And marriage ends up being a business deal, because at the end of a marriage, no matter how long or short it is, somebody owes somebody money," Goldie said. "I was on the short end of the stick on that one. So I looked at that and I thought, well this is ridiculous, this kind of thing when you're together two, three, four, even five years, it's an inappropriate amount of money that you have to pay. Money can destroy people."

When asked what she thinks is the key to keeping romance alive, Goldie replied: "We're all different, you enter a relationship with a fingerprint that's all your own, and you want to be able to know how to match your fingerprint to somebody else's, and it doesn't.

"So you work around it, you find the things that are working for you, and things that aren't working for you, and we go through stages of our lives. So we have to be very self-aware, and very reflective and extremely empathetic toward the other person, and forgiving."

The last word sums up reality. Nobody's perfect. If we're committed to our relationship, we need to accept that and move on.

If I'd allowed money matters to overrule my devotion, my husband and I wouldn't have lasted over a year together. Like everything else, we both approach finances a different way. Of course, my way is best (haha) but I understand that we are two entirely different people, brought up with diverse values beliefs. I wouldn't impose my way on him, just as he allows me to be myself. We respect one another, and care about each other's welfare.

We are now approaching another phase of our lives—and these never remain stagnant. Both well into our seventies, we face a final split-up that has nothing to do with our compatibility. I will stand by my man whatever comes our way. The stress caused by his illness transfers to me at times. I try to remain steady and supportive, not matter what.

Of course, I wish he'd conquered more of his failures—like smoking etc. But I know he's done the best he can during his life. Nobody could ask for more. I hope the Great Judge will be lenient.
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And so, I think tolerance and forgiveness are two of the most important attitudes in any relationship. What would you say works best to keep couples together?

 I've always been envious of people who can gaze at bright autumn colours on the trees nearby in countries like Canada and the USA. You see, the only trees I can see for miles around are horse chestnuts.

The giant trees tower above our street and fill the view from our front windows. In the full flush of spring, lovely conical flower bracts appear among the bright leaves. Petals fall on the path like confetti. Apart from absorbing dust in the air and exhaust fumes, the trees shelter us from summer heat, and shield the late rays of the sun, keeping our home cool.

At the moment, the distinctive palmate leaves are giving a better display of golden, russet, and brown than they have for years. They have only just begun to fall. In previous years, disease has shortened the life of their leaves, sometimes falling as early as June—far too soon. This was due to the leaf miner moth, which made the leaves turn brown, crumble and fall off.

Horse chestnuts (Aesculus hippocastanum) were introduced into Britain from Turkey in the late 16th Century, rapidly becoming naturalised in the UK. They are now a common sight in many landscaped parks, gardens, streets and village greens.

A national inventory estimated there to be approximately half a million horse chestnut trees in Great Britain, whether they all live up to their potential height of 30 metres and 300 years old is currently difficult to predict. Ours are over a hundred years old.

 Soon, the conkers will fall. On a previous year. one even hit me on the head as I walked underneath.

Conkers are the hard mahogany-brown seeds that sit inside a protective casing, which drop to the ground in autumn. Children come with their parents from miles around to gather their chosen ammunition, ready to wage war on the schoolyard battlefield in a game of conkers.

Many adult combatants competed with their prize conkers on the 11th October at the World Conker Championships in Southwick, Northamptonshire. The annual contest has been held since 1965. Some 200 entrants from 10 countries, including Japan, South Africa and the US, battled it out. The third-time winner was a man from West Sussex, who beat a woman from London.

The tradition goes back, with the first recorded game of conkers believed to have taken place on the Isle of Wight in 1848. Originally it was played with snail (conch) shells and then cobnuts, eventually being replaced with horse chestnut seeds by the 20th century.

If you don’t know the rules, they are quite simple. The conker is threaded onto a lace, with each player taking turns to strike the others until one gets smashed or destroyed.

However, the seeds of a horse chestnut tree have a more serious side. Conkers can be mildly poisonous to many animals, causing sickness if eaten, although some animals can safely consume them, most notably deer and wild boar.

Like the name implies, conkers have been fed to poor horses as a stimulant, to make their coat shine and as a remedy for coughs, and also made into food for both horses and cattle.

Conkers are very rich in starch, but, due to their toxicity are unfit for human consumption, although they are used in extracts in shampoos and body washes. Source: BBC.

Have you ever played the game of conkers?