Shark in the Pool

400kunstler, a street artist, painted the bottom of this pool in Thessaloniki, Greece.
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Moving in

Toronto mayor in shops now

Hundreds of people lined up at Toronto City Hall on Tuesday to buy a limited-edition bobblehead doll of embattled Mayor Rob Ford, which quickly sold out and began popping up on eBay for as much as 15 times its purchase price. Mayor Ford, who insists he will not step down despite admitting smoking crack cocaine, was on hand to sign the figurines.

 

Thank you for smoking!

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Hank is Ready

Hank just knows you’re going to make your next move soon. But, take your time. It’s OK.

 

The Eager Pursuit of Sloths

Sloth, sloth, sloth. Sloths. Yes, their name is synonymous and homonymous with a certain style of sin. But scientists pursue them for other reasons, too.

 

Captain

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Croatian firefighter lifted magic carpet style

 Filmed yesterday in the port of Rijeka, this firefighter was standing on top of part a tin roof that had been blown off during a storm, when he was lifted by a further gust of wind.

 

Beauty And Dignity of Elderly Animals

While caring for both of her aging parents, Philadelphia-based photographer Isa Leshko made a conscious decision not to photograph her family. But about a year later, while visiting a friend’s farm, she found herself drawn to an elderly horse. Since then, she has captured dozens of animals in their winter years, including farm animals, horses and dogs.

 

War elephant

As war raged during World War One, the military purchased most of England's horses and sent them to the Western Front. Many farmers and traders had to find alternative beasts of burden, but none more exotic than elephants.

 

That Monday morning feeling

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Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson

'Space Ferrari' falls to Earth

The European Space Agency's Goce gravity mapping satellite re-enters the Earth's atmosphere, without reports of any dangers from falling debris.

 

Severe storm hits Croatia

The Croatian capital, Zagreb, was also hit by showers and strong winds which brought down parts of roofs, antennas, traffic signs, tree branches and even snapped some trees in half.

 

Fears of 10,000 dead after typhoon

Officials say up to 10,000 people may have died on Leyte island, which bore the brunt of the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

 

What a Blind Chicken Can Teach Us About Humanity

When my husband and I moved back to my hometown in southern New Hampshire six years ago, a friend – long-time resident and farmer – said “you have to get chickens, if only for their entertainment value.” Mostly we wanted eggs, but I was glad to be reminded that chickens had other charms as well. Soon we were the overseers of a mixed-breed clan of 12 chicks who morphed in a few months into 12 busy hens. It didn’t take long for personalities and a social order to become evident.

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 Ellen Chase, 74, is an artist and craftsman who lives with her husband, John Mann, in a rural New Hampshire home on a dirt road. She gets her entertainment watching ants and wild turkeys, and is an admirer of chickens and goats, two species that she says helped make her who she is today.

 

Instagrammus

Row over US mobile phone 'cockroach backpack' app

A US company that has developed an "electronic backpack" that fits onto a cockroach allowing its movements to be controlled by a mobile phone app has defended itself against cruelty claims. The Backyard Brains company says that the device is intended to get children to be interested in neuroscience. A spokeswoman told the BBC that the device - being formally launched on Saturday - was not a gimmick. But critics say that the company's stance is "disingenuous".

 

Typhoon Haiyan: 'More than 120 dead' in Philippines

Aviation officials said 100 bodies were lying in the streets of the city of Tacloban. Local journalists reported 20 bodies in a church in a nearby town. The storm destroyed buildings and triggered landslides. The military has begun relief efforts. Video from Tacloban showed it engulfed by water when the typhoon struck. Typhoon Haiyan was one of the most powerful storms on record to make landfall. 

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Nightfall in the Fishing Village of Caloura

Photo and caption by Mansoor Farooqi

 

The most effective time to drink coffee is between 09:30 and 11:30.

HERE'S a word you shouldn't try to get your head around if you haven't had your morning coffee yet: chronopharmacology.
 It is the "the study of the interaction of biological rhythms and drug action", says Steven Miller, a neuroscience PhD student of Washington DC, and it applies significantly to the flat white or latte most Australians will consume sometime during the morning. It also explains why you shouldn’t have consumed one at 8am. "Drug tolerance is an important subject, especially in the case of caffeine since most of us overuse this drug," Miller says. "If you drink caffeine at a time when your cortisol concentration in the blood is at its peak, you probably should not be drinking it." This is because cortisol production is strongly related to your level of alertness and it just so happens that cortisol peaks for your 24-hour rhythm between 8am and 9am on average.

 "Therefore, you are drinking caffeine at a time when you are already approaching your maximal level of alertness naturally. One of the key principles of pharmacology is use a drug when it is needed. Otherwise, we can develop tolerance to a drug administered at the same dose."

 Miller says the optimal time for caffeine is between 9.30am and 11.30am. On average, he says, blood levels peak again between 12pm and 1pm, and between 5.30pm and 6.30pm. Your coffee will therefore be the most effective if you enjoy it when your cortisol levels are dropping, but before the next spike. If you just can't wait for your morning caffeine hit, Miller suggests a tip learned from a professor: providing the sun isn't blindingly bright, drive or walk to work without sunglasses. This will help increase morning cortisol production at a faster rate and make you feel more alert.

 

Busted

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word on the street

The Internet

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Soon.

Photographer Xabi Barreneche, 23, watched as Farell the cat mischievously looks on at Leon the fish Picture: SOLENT