In 2003, students from the University of Plymouth placed a computer keyboard in the enclosure of six Celebes crested macaques in Paignton Zoo, Devon, UK, for one month. "They are very intentional, deliberate, and very dexterous, so they do want to interact with stuff you give them," offered zoo biologist
Sideswipe: March 8: Experiment inconclusive (and messy)
Humanity in war
My father served in the 3rd Army in the Pacific, 35th Battalion. He was a Gunnery Sergeant - Vickers Machine Guns, he was quite deaf from that for the rest of his life. Dad didn't talk about the war much but what he did say was that one time - his group had been battling with machetes through a dense area of jungle and they heard the sounds of another group ahead of them. It sounded like English being spoken, friendly and very busy. They had come across a large group of Americans who were calling them buddies and said to join them. The Kiwis had no idea what was going on, some aircraft had flown a lot of items in. The Kiwis were soon told it was thanksgiving and were invited to join in. Dad said their resourcefulness was incredible. Turkeys, corn and pumpkin pie arriving by air. What an unbelievable feast Dad said. He had never seen anything like it. They were shortly back to the business of the war at hand, but Dad said he never forgot the camaraderie and friendly, generous attitude of the Americans they had come across."
The cool dude abides
Peter writes: "A cool dude was a dude who actually was "at home" on the farm, i.e. he/she was actually quite good in the rural arena hence he/she was a cool dude. So if you are called a dude, you are a clueless city slicker but if you are a cool dude, then you are respected on the farm."