Halibut Herald December 24

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ALIBUT HERALDDecember 24, 2009

Once upon a time, in Germany, the first gingerbread houses were built after bakers were inspired by the BrothersGrimm tale, Hansel and Gretel. Since that time, gingerbread house designs have exploded with popularity.READ ON: http://weburbanist.com/2009/12/16/32-astounding-architectural-designs-of-gingerbread-houses/

Gingerbread Mansions & Other GB Architectural Wonders

IY Projects Galore! MAKE Sendsut 2009 Opensource Hardwareuide

pensource! We love this golden green idea because itcompasses the idea-sharing that is vital to DIYmmunities, which in turn are vital for sustainableng. Jam-packed with projects for the do-it-yourselfmmunity, it is "the definitive guide to open sourcerdware projects in 2009."

EAD ON:p://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/12/diy-ojects-galore-make-sends-out-2009-opensource-rdware-guide.php

Follow Santa Claus, courtesy Google and NO

Santa Claus is coming to your town -- and NORAD is tracking him asdrops off presents around the world. The North American AerospaceDefense Command, which monitors the North American airspace, onThursday set up an official "Santa Tracker" on its website(www.noradsanta.org) in seven languages to find the current location

upcoming stops of Santa and his storied reindeer.’READ ON: http://www.physorg.com/news180877905.html



aciers Feed the Ocean's Food Webs

nificant rivers, but new research is showing that they are alsoessential support for the coastal and oceanic food webs.solved organic matter, some more than 4,000 years old, ischarged by the glaciers and, in spite of its age, has proven toa highly potent food source for microbes in the ocean.AD ON: http://bit.ly/6V0gEJ

anta Gang in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan

t a shot I came across this morning that made me smile. Enjoy! SOURCE: http://twitpic.com/uy8jq

Spiders Decorate Webs with Ornaments

However, the festive scene takes on sinister new meaning.Researchers have just discovered that, similar to how humaare drawn to holiday ornaments, spider prey are drawn to thdeath by colorful, shimmering decorations.READ ON: http://news.discovery.com/animals/spider-wchristmas-decorations.html

Ribbons,shimmery fltufts and hinred and gremight soundChristmas tornaments,these decortouches havbeen spottethe webs ofweaving spaccording tonew study.

Glaciersare animportantsource formany oftheworld'slargest

andmost

To Save Fish, Conservation Loops in the Locals:Conservationists are learning to collaborate with people -- and their

cultures -- to help preserve biodiversity.

It's a trend echoed globally: As natural resources decline, local peopleseek employment in cities and at resorts. In the process, native cultures

disappear, as does biodiversity.

At hundreds of sites around the world, conservation groups areattempting to protect ecosystems and cultures at the same time. It's

conservation with a local twist, but compromises are essential.READ ON: http://news.discovery.com/earth/fiji-fishing-

conservation-cultures.html



assive Snowstorm Seen From Space: BIG PIC

at does almost two feet of snow covering several hundred miles look like fromce? Well, this: a giant mass of white. NASA's Aqua satellite captured this

w of the storm's aftermath -- stretching from the ridges of the Appalachianuntains, over to the Chesapeake Bay and the Delmarva Peninsula -- as thetem moved out of the region early morning on December 20.AD ON: http://news.discovery.com/earth/record-breaking-snow-storm-

ellite-image.html

Female Reindeer Pull Santa'sSleigh… And Other Fun ReindFacts

Mixing fact with fiction, Jeanna Bryner at LiveScience argues that all of the reindeer mentiin stories about Santa Claus had to have beefemale. Here's why:

• Females keep their antlers throughowinter, but males shed theirs in earlyDecember. Illustrations of Santa's slpullers uniformly show reindeer withantlers.

• The mating season depletes males ofat, leaving them with just 5 percent their scrawny frames around Christmtime. Females, on the other hand, re50 percent of their body fat. They'd bshape to haul Santa.

• The extra body fat on females duringwinter "which can be a couple of inchthick on their rumps, keeps the reindtoasty in temperatures as low as mindegrees Fahrenheit," Bryner writes. Females again would be prepared fo journey.

Conclusion according to Bryner, "Santa chosall-female crew."READ ON: http://news.discovery.com/animals/femalereindeers-pull-santas-sleigh.htmlC

ecycled Christmas Trees Make Fish Habitat

u wouldn't believe how beneficial those recycled trees are," said Blake.

erywhere (Division of Natural Resources workers) put them, you cannt on finding fish."ry year, the DNR collects discarded trees and sinks them into Westinia's lakes to create fish habitat. Blake, a diving enthusiast from Tyler

untain, said the trees act as artificial reefs, providing fish with places toe or to ambush prey.e difference between areas without trees and with them is like night and," he said. "You can be cruising along, seeing nothing but mud and rocks maybe a fish or two, and all of a sudden you come upon a clump of

istmas trees and there are 100 fish around it."AD ON:p://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/92/2009/decembe8/recycled-christmas-trees-make-wva-fish-habitat.html

Ancient Pygmy Sea Cow Discove

A McGill researcher has discovered a near-comp

skull of a primitive "dugong" illuminating a virtuallyunknown period in Madagascar fossil history. READ ON: http://bit.ly/7XejqV



Events



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UVy7uUceXw



The VAHC meetings begin at

7:30 p.m. in the Aquatic Planclassroom on the first Wedneof each month. Meet at theAquaquest reception entrancTalks generally get going aro8 p.m. after a hobby club Q &session. The talks/meetings free to attend, but if you findyourself coming to quite a fewmembership to the club is alwa great idea (a mere $20/yea

Halibut Herald December 24

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