Auto & Event: Tesla Rally Hong Kong 2014 & Shark Conservation

Participants of Tesla Rally HK 2014, photo taken outside Marriott Sky City
Image from TMC HK

This year with the arrival of Model S in Hong Kong, Tesla Motors Club Hong Kong initiated a rally on the 14th December. Families and friends gathered together to promote this latest car model as well as the importance of eco-driving. As a prelude to the upcoming documentary "Racing Extinction" on the 24th January 2015, we showed our support by donating some money raised in this event to the Hong Kong Shark Foundation (HKSF).

Image from Leilani Munter's Facebook

And here is an extract from the rally organisers' letter:

This year, the proceeds will go to the Hong Kong Shark Foundation (hksharkfoundation.org). As many as 73 million sharks are harvested each year for their fins, and more than half of these fins are traded in or through Hong Kong. Leilani Münter (carbonfreegirl.com) is a biology graduate who eventually became the unusual combination of a race car driver and environmental activist. She was involved in the Cove documentary, and drives for the upcoming Racing Extinction documentary movie. Here is what she has to say: "I was thrilled to hear that my fellow Tesla owners in Hong Kong are raising awareness about the terrible practice of shark finning. As a long time scuba diver, I have encountered many sharks in the wild and they are incredibly beautiful creatures. They have roamed the deep unchanged for hundreds of millions of years since before the dinosaurs. The balance of the ocean ecosystem depends on animals from the smallest microbe to the top predator and humans have already killed off 90% of the shark population, largely due to shark fin soup. Humans depend on the health of the ocean, if the oceans die, we die. This horrible practice must end, for their sake - and for ours."

The fact that the organisers managed to get Leilani to say a few words to support us really gave us the morale boost for the rally and the fighting for a greener better world.

Image from markwj

The rally's route has a distance of 153km with an estimated 2 hr 55 mins of driving. A Google Map version has been linked here. The following drone video shows the gathering at the Kai Tai Cruise Terminal and at the Science Park. (My car is the second last near the end of the video.)

All Tesla EVs except mine began at the Kai Tai Cruise Terminal in Kowloon where took photos and videos. Then mine joined in after the group of 14 EVs crossed the Eastern Harbour Tunnel to Hong Kong side, then we headed towards Cyberport all together. The fact that I did not start together with the group was because I lived near the Eastern Harbour Tunnel, it would be a waste of money if I had to cross the tunnel twice just to get back to where I started.

Gathering near Cyberport Superchargers
Image from Locky's English Playground

Because the charging at my car park tripped at 2am the night before, I would need a quick supercharge at Cyberport just to be safe. The entrance to the supercharger car park was horrifically littered with dozens of fist-size pebbles (it must be some sort of vandalism!), and because of the cars behind me, I had to drive over them. Subsequent cracking sounds were terrifying and when nervousness set in, I drove too close to the right side of the curb at the car park entrance and scratched my rim on the front wheel!!! And it just had to be this day after I had failed to search for my rim protector the entire day before (and recovered it after the rim was scratched the next day). So much for my first official charge at a supercharger EVER!! And because of the charging, I missed the chance to have a good chat with the rest of the owners. I did get my No. 14 car stickers though. Since No.13 has left, my car is the last in the queue.

Here's a music video I made using raw videos taken by fellow owner Core (with thanks).

I had about 10 mins of supercharging and got the battery filled up to roughly 275km of range, and then quickly headed back to the group and drove towards Hong Kong International Airport. The drive was awesome, but many highways got me both excited and nervous. For one thing, I have always driven with wife and baby inside the car, going mostly tight city roads means that I had hardly driven passed 70kmph. Although we were going rather slowly for the purpose of keeping in one line and in sequence, being the last of the queue means that if I got lost or going too slowly, there would be a hard time chasing the rest and I had to drive even faster, which could be pretty dangerous for me.

Heading towards Marriott Sky City
Image from Locky's English Playground

There were indeed one scary incidence in which I was cut off from the group by a taxi, and because there was enough space between the Model S in front and the taxi, I decided to overtake the taxi again. I cut out on my right, but the car behind was too fast and too close without my noticing, I heard the first honk of complaint from the car behind. Then I accelerated and cut left before the taxi back to the queue and then there was the second honk, this time from the taxi, as I was probably too close once again. But that wasn't it, the taxi driver thought I was doing it on purpose instead of being inexperience in driving fast, decided to take revenge and dangerously overtook me in a similar fashion as I did. I had to brake pretty hard when he did that. However, soon enough he realised that the rest of the Model Ss in front of him are going way too slowly for his liking, he left for the fast lane and I was back with the group again. I bet the driver realised that he had intervened our rally once he switched to a faster lane and it was stupid to take revenge on a car with women and baby just to get into a slow-moving lane.

Intra-rally communication was carried out using Zello, but I had no idea that my Zello wasn't even working from the start. I found this strange because no one was using the app throughout the journey but somehow the rest of the group seems to know when the video taking was going to happen (Can't believe Core was driving with his legs only while his hands were holding the camera!!). It was only on Tsingma bridge that I asked my sister to check out what was wrong with the app by Whatsapping her boyfriend who was in another Model S in front, and finally got connected with the group. The above is another music video I made using raw videos taken by fellow owner Core (with thanks).

Getting parked for photos
Image from Locky's English Playground

Coolly parked outside Marriott Sky City
Image from Locky's English Playground

Being able to reach airport intact was a real blessing for me with all those car chases and without communications with the group and thus knowledge of the exact route. Lunch was most needed at that time.

Someone is having fun
Image from Locky's English Playground

Buffet at Marriott was great, but the people were even greater.

More someones
Image from Locky's English Playground

Chatting with the rest was so much fun and friendship just seemed to have formed immediately.

Some babies need game time
Image from Locky's English Playground

The babies would agree with me too.

He's faster on bare feet
Image from Locky's English Playground

After their meal, they just couldn't sit on their high chairs any more.

Babies chit chat
Image from Locky's English Playground

They had to socialise...

Beads can be fun for baby Muse
Image from Locky's English Playground

...and played with everything they find fun.

Organizer Mark(left) with wife and daughter (centre) and Mike from Liberty
Photo by Vincent

After lunch, there was a lucky draw and everyone got a small gift, some more photo-taking of each one of us holding signs and plush toys of sharks, and then we left for Science Park .

We Love Sharks!!! Particularly my baby
Image from Vincent

I let my sister drive this part and I became her co-driver. We were told explicitly that we had to stick to the left before the toll but both of us weren't sure how left was left, since all other cars have autotoll tag, our car was the only one that had to look for a cash toll, ended up we couldn't switch lanes to rejoin the rest after the toll and we had to drive to Science Park on our own.

Car Exhibition?
Image from Locky's English Playground

Lucky that we still managed to reach the same place, though we were the last to get there as we got lost once more, that allowed us to see the scene of a scary car crash that the group was telling us to be careful of.

A Red Roadster led the entire rally
Image from Locky's English Playground

The fact that suddenly so many Teslas appeared made people think that this is a car show.

L1TELOG Owner Core is better than most sales on the Tesla Motors HK team
Image from Vincent

Most of them were definitely attracted by the passion of our fellow owner Core, here demonstrating the hugeness of the frunk himself, while the rest started digging their fingers into the tiny gaps of door handles wondering why they failed. After 15 minutes of stay, we left the completely Model S-amazed weekend families at Science Park and headed to our final stop of the day, Clear Water Bay Golf and Country Club. Here is the last music video I made:

Nicely parked outside Clear Water Bay Golf and Country Club
Image from Locky's English Playground

Sunset on Teslas
Image from Vincent

The sun was setting beautifully on these gorgeous eco-friendly cars while hunger was also setting in, so it was time for tea.

Most energy efficient drivers of the rally
Image from Vincent

There was another prize presentation then for the most energy efficient drivers. Although I drove a lighter 60kWh battery car, my slow-driving tendency made me the least energy efficient driver of the day, so no prize for me.

Final shot of the day
Image from Vincent

When the rally drew to a close, everyone still felt awesome and promised to join the rally again next year! Meaningful and educational, and that is HK$4,133.75 worth of donation to the Hong Kong Shark Foundation.

We did it for the sharks and our future generations, what have you done for the world lately?

PS: For more photos, please visit TMC_HK_Pic's photostream .

Resources:

Hong Kong Shark Foundation Official Website

http://hksharkfoundation.org/

Racing Extinction

http://www.racingextinction.com/

Tesla Motors Club Hong Kong 2014 Rally +YouTube

http://youtu.be/fnP5Qccbvc0

Tesla Rally Hong Kong 2014

https://plus.google.com/photos/+LockyLoki/albums/6092699056807911953

TMCHK_2014_Rally.pdf

http://goo.gl/TdUzyO

Leilani Munter @ Twitter

https://twitter.com/leilanimunter

Rally route @ Google Map

http://goo.gl/McBVmh

Tesla Motors Club Hong Kong 2014 Rally @ YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnP5Qccbvc0

Tesla Rally HK 2014 @Locky's Google Plus

https://plus.google.com/106778983332901434418/stories/fc8c56a8-5ec3-3d0b-a05b-36b0c2f4471314a4acba666

Tesla Rally Hong Kong 2014 Cyperport Stop @ YouTube

http://youtu.be/zpVRKlb-Q2E

Tesla Rally Hong Kong 2014 Science Park & Clear Water Bay Golf and Country Club @ YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN_HZHyGhGo&list=PLpmeKgu8vwcl7VqnS5yHilZ3EHGL2IMCT&index=7

TMC_HK_Pic's photostream 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9g4cq95qrtiimgb/AAC_R6GO_qPsdu6HcEGNMpQZa?dl=0#/

It's On: Oil Versus Electric @ Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leilani-munter/its-on-oil-vs-electric_b_4423011.html

Liberty International

https://www.libertyinternational.com.hk/

The Chinese White Dolphins Tale – Part 2

Will these dolphins ever be this happy again?
Image from scmp

What happened next is of anyone’s guess.

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge construction began in Hong Kong in December 2011 as all environmental impact assessments failed to stop it. Government claims that the impact on the Chinese White Dolphins will be kept at minimal level.

The ‘possibility’ of economic benefits always ranks much higher than lives of dolphins, as a result, the total number of dolphins plunged from 158 in 2003 to just 62 dolphins in 2013. The dolphins complained, they even demonstrated year after year, some even offered their lives to get attentions, but the government wouldn’t listen. Every day, they tolerated, quietly they allowed their livable areas shrink.

The government said they are “are studying the designation of the Brothers Islands as a marine park in accordance with the statutory process stipulated in the Marine Parks Ordinance to compensate the permanent loss of the dolphin’s habitat arising from the reclamation”, but this isn’t a promise and so the study goes on forever.

And then came another project – a third airport runway construction which requires reclamation of 650 hectares of the sea and expects an additional 981 hectares of heavy impact zone. In a sense, it means taking over the dolphins’ entire habitat! In return, the authority involved “has so far agreed to set up a 2,400 hectare marine park to compensate for the habitat loss, but will build the park only after the runway is completed in 2023.”

The dolphins of Hong Kong aren’t stupid. They won’t “Take It First” and accept a fake compensation of the homeland-we-want –not, so they decided to fight the power in their own peaceful way, calling their movement Occupy Sha Chau. The main idea is to use their own body and flesh to block marine traffic from using major routes such as Urmston Road, Adamsta Channel and West Lamma Channel in exchange for more bargaining power and an opportunity to negotiate with the government. To protect themselves from any forceful clearance, the dolphins covered themselves with layers of rubber-like dead skin cells and some plastic bags they conveniently picked up from the abundant marine garbage.

But what did the Hong Kong government do? They responded with more vessels, sprayed them with thick, stinging diesel and injured them with vessel propellers. It was brutal. To make this even more outrageous, the environmental impact assessment report received the endorsement by the Advisory Council on the Environment, which means only the acceptance from the director of environmental protection is needed for the project to get a green light. There was also no apology from the government, who claimed that it is simply futile because the dolphins speak a different language which they cannot comprehend.

And all these, triggered something that no one would ever expect…

Part 2 Ends

(To be continued)

Resources:

Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society

http://hkdcs.org/

https://www.facebook.com/HKDCSorg

#chinesewhitedolphinstale

#chinesewhitedolphins

#occupycentral

“30 Third Runway Victims” Campaign @Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society

http://hkdcs.org/30victims/

HongKong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) : Q&A

http://www.hzmb.hk/eng/qna.php

Hong Kong must act to save pink dolphins, conservationists say @South China Morning Post

http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1235511/conservation-groups-demand-more-action-save-pink-dolphins

Highways Department Hong Kong – Zhuhai – Macao Bridge Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities Project Profile

http://www.epd.gov.hk/eia/register/profile/latest/esb183/esb183.pdf

LCQ1: Judicial review case regarding the Environmental Impact Assessment reports of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge

http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201110/26/P201110260238.htm

LCQ20: Judgement of the environmental impact assessment reports of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge project

http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201105/18/P201105180180.htm

China's white dolphins headed for extinction in Pearl River Delta? @ CNN.com

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/19/world/china-hong-kong-white-dolphin-extinction/

Impact on the Chinese white dolphin @WWF Hong Kong

http://www.wwf.org.hk/en/whatwedo/conservation/watchdog/3rdrunway/cwd_impacts/

Third runway decision on hold over dolphin habitat concerns @South China Morning Post

http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1577141/government-advisers-hold-back-giving-nod-third-runway

Plea to reject airport runway impact study @South China Morning Post

http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1611598/plea-reject-airport-runway-impact-study

The Chinese White Dolphins Tale – Part 1

A Chinese White Dolphin
Image from HKDCS

Part 1:

In 1997, the Chinese White Dolphins celebrated the handover of Hong Kong. Being the official mascot they helped raise people’s awareness. They are the symbol of prestige – a rare, small bunch, probably the lasts of its kind. They had been through some tough time when the Chek Lap Kok Airport was built in the early 1990s, but those days were behind them. Some hoped for a better future, others would remain satisfied as long as their habitat remains intact. Overall, they simply wanted to live a simple, stable life in their little natural habitat. Unfortunately, situation did not turn out the way they expected.

Throughout the years, their small natural habitat keeps shrinking as investments from the mainland China pour into Hong Kong financing construction projects after construction projects. Where there is money spent, pollution soars. What was once crystal clear water the dolphins were extremely proud of became stinking sewage and waste from numerous constructions. The dolphins know this well enough, they witness the problems, they feel the impact, they swim in shrinking free waters. A few got fed up and left, some send their calves away to clearer waters while they stay behind, some deny the situation while others decided to stay simply because of their love for their homeland. Silly, or brave things these dolphins, even though there is danger lurking at home, they always return for it.

But what happens next?

Part 1 Ends

(To be continued)

Resources:

Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society

http://hkdcs.org/

https://www.facebook.com/HKDCSorg

#chinesewhitedolphinstale

#chinesewhitedolphins

Movie, Animals & Auto: "6" The Movie X Elon Musk & Tesla Model S!!!

Tesla Model S on a mission
Image from "6" the movie

Hong Kong is a centre of shark fin and other illegal wildlife trafficking / trading and this must be stopped! In the movie 6, the OPS team together with Elon and Tesla Model S are teaming up on a daring mission to change the way we see the world!!!

Endangered sea animals, how many can you count?
Image from "6" the movie

The release date of the movie is yet to be announced, but the trailer has been updated to YouTube yesterday.

Giant clam Vulnerable (IUCN 2.3) shells in huge number appeared to be guarded
Image from "6" the movie

 Some of the images are simply indelible!

I am glad that my small donations including that one from my Ice-Bucket Challenge has in some way helped the production of such awakening documentary.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk,  executive director Louie Psihoyos and race car driver Leilani Maaja Münter
Image from "6" the movie

As a big fan of both Elon and Louie's work, I highly recommend this documentary "6" to everyone who cares about education and believes that our effort today can make a difference to the world for our future generations.

To save the world, we need OPS, Elon, Tesla, and all of us!!! Watch 6 the movie!

Will need your full support!! Our future generations depends on us!

Go to the "6" the Movie OPS page to subscribe to their movie updates.



Vocabulary:
indelible -- (adj) [before noun] Indelible memories or actions are impossible to forget, or have a permanent influence or effect:


Resources:
Event: Locky's Ice Bucket Challenge!!! @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2014/08/event-lockys-ice-bucket-challenge.html

"6" the Movie Trailer @ YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrw-fVADtv0

"6" the Movie @ OPS
http://6themovie.opsociety.org/

Leilani Maaja Münter @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leilani_Munter#Animal_Activism

Giant Clam @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_clam

6 @ IMDb
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1618448/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/indelible

Event: Locky's Ice Bucket Challenge!!!

Me VS Ice in the Ice Bucket Challenge
Image from Locky's English Playground

The following video will be slightly poor in quality at times, due to the sacrifice of a lower resolution for a higher frame rate.

I know the Ice Bucket Challenge is very much meant solely for Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) fundraising now, but tracing the root of the event, it all started with cancer fundraising. Through this post I would like to bring your attention to a couple more non-profit organisations (NGO) such that you may consider making your donations more frequent to many more NGOs so as to benefit more people and animals.

Image from Cancer Fund

First off, the Cancer Fund may be quite well-known in Hong Kong, but as the number of cancer patients increases, support is continuously needed. I will never forget the day -- the day I returned from overseas studies, I was broken the news that my brother-like cousin had passed away from brain cancer months before. I was heartbroken, pieces turned to dust and dust get washed away by icy cold rain......

While we are still healthy, we can all do the Cancer Fund a bit more help.

bbSharky
Image from bbSharky @ Facebook

I have always been a wildlife conservationist, though may not be as active as I have wished I can, I have always worked hard in lessons to convey the message of conservations to the people I teach, particularly the future generations. This is the reason and goal why I created bbSharky, such that the children can understand the importance and preciousness of these amazing creatures to the world and especially to us, our very own existence.

Image from WWF Hong Kong

WWF Hong Kong again is a famous NGO and people might think because they are wealthy enough to get the job done, the fact is that they have so many projects on hand and so many animals to save that they are in constant need of support as well. 

Pink Dolphin
Image from Hong Kong DolphinWatch Ltd.

Heard of the impact of the new airport runway the Hong Kong government is trying to force construct? The government claims that they will 'borrow' the pink dolphin's home for the constructions and repay them with a 'new', 'relocated' living habitat after all is completed. Even a child can tell the flaw of this argument. Obviously, the government  is either lack of intelligence and knowledge about pink dolphin conservation, or it is too money-minded. If it is the former, maybe WWF can help them. The Hong Kong DolphinWatch Ltd. is not a charity but they do educate the general public with all their might.

Blackfish
Image from OPS

If you still think WWF is too popular, here's another one I have donated money to for their filming of the Oscar Award winning documentary "The Cove" -- Oceanic Preservation Society. Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS) is a non-profit organization that creates film, photography and media, inspiring people to save the oceans. Their work keeps shocking the world by exposing horrific truth of human cruelty and animal abuse. If you care about education and want our future generations to be able to see these beautiful living creatures in the wild, then OPS is surely worth your donation.


Donation is made to CancerFund and Oceanic Preservation Society.


Vocabulary:
break the news (to sb) -- to tell someone some important news, usually bad news.
flaw -- (n)[C] a fault, mistake or weakness, especially one that happens while something is being planned or made, or which causes something not to be perfect
might -- (n)[U] power, strength or force


Resources:
Movie: Documentary -- The Cove @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2010/06/movie-documentary-cove.html

Documentary: The Cove @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2011/01/documentary-cove.html

Ice Bucket Challenge 2014 @ YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=momsI5DbT_M

Ice Bucket Challenge @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Bucket_Challenge

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amyotrophic_lateral_sclerosis

Cancer Fund
http://www.cancer-fund.org/en/cancer-donation.html

bbSharky @ Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/bbSharky

City advisers blast runway environmental report as 'wishful thinking' @ SCMP
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1571451/airport-authority-experts-fairy-tale-predictions-about-marine-park

Hong Kong DolphinWatch Ltd.
http://www.hkdolphinwatch.com/faq.php

WWF Hong Kong
http://www.wwf.org.hk/en/

The Cove @ IMDb
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1313104/

Oceanic Preservation Society
https://opsociety.worldsecuresystems.com/home.htm


http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/break+the+news
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english-chinese-traditional/flaw_1?q=flaw
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english-chinese-traditional/might_7

Animals & Opinion: Whaling Is For Morons! (Same Goes For All Unsustainable Hunting!)

A January 2013 image from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society shows three minke whales on the deck of a Japanese boat in the Southern Ocean. Credit Tim Watters/Sea Shepherd Australia, via European Pressphoto Agency

Image from New York Times

Whaling is for morons! Same goes for all unsustainable hunting!

Why do I say that, because whale-watching in the wild generates more profit than killing them, the same goes for shark-finning, dolphin slaughtering and mantas killing.

Whale-watching VS Whale-slaughtering, which do you prefer?
Images from Google

The math is simple, when they are not killed, they can be of a bigger number, and a bigger number means that it is easier for the whale-watching tours to find, thus the less fuel, time and in turn money is needed. Since the number of people who are interested in whale-watching and are willing to pay up for distant sea mammals viewing keeps growing and growing, (according to Discovery News, some 13 million eco-tourists fueled the $2-billion industry in 2009!! And whale tourism could add more than $400 million and 5,700 jobs to the global economy each year!!!) the more whales there are in the ocean, the quicker one can satisfy the tourists' whim and so the more tourists they can serve per day, thus increasing profit. But if they decide to kill them all, then sorry, eventually, they will be left with no whales, no job and no money, but lots of hatred from those whale-watchers and conservationists.

Which is why I said, if they can't do the math, then they are all morons!!! Don't care what their 'tradition' card is, because if their traditions are all about making them less rich illegally than they could have been legally, they are still idiots!!

For more info and support, go join OPS on Facebook.

Also, do take a look at my earlier article, Animals & TV: Saving the Cetaceans & Whale Wars -- Animal Planets.

And don't forget to like this page here and on Facebook.



Vocabulary:
moron -- (n)[C] informal  a very stupid person:
hatred -- (n)[U] an extremely strong feeling of dislike:


Resources:
Why Japan Needs To Stop Whaling!
http://youtu.be/Sd1v5HPxI30

U.N. Court Orders Japan to Halt Whaling Off Antarctica @ NYTimes.com
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/01/world/europe/united-nations-court-rules-against-japan-in-whaling-dispute.html&assetType=nyt_now&_r=0

UN Court Orders Japan to End Antarctic Whale Hunt @ Discovery News
http://news.discovery.com/animals/endangered-species/un-court-orders-japan-to-end-antarctic-whale-hunt-140331.htm

Whale-Watching a Booming Business @ Discovery News
http://news.discovery.com/animals/whale-watching-industry.htm

"The Cove" Director: Newsweek's Coverage Of Dolphin Hunt Is Wrong, Cowardly @ The DoDo
https://www.thedodo.com/community/LouiePsihoyos/the-cove-director-releases-une-491697664.html

Animals & TV: Saving the Cetaceans & Whale Wars -- Animal Planets @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2012/08/animals-tv-saving-cetaceans-whale-wars.html


http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/moron?q=moron
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/hatred?q=hatred+

Science & Animals: Fun Facts We All Should Know -- Part 3

Guess the name of Android 4.4, no prize if you are correct
Image from geeky-gadgets.com

Android 4.4 Is KitKat Everyone! 

What a great name! Just imagine the revenue that this joint promotion will bring! Even my wife and I bought my first pack of KitKat in years last night! Really missed that taste.

There's more fun then just naming an Android version as KitKat, for example, mocking Apple, again.

Whales Get Sunburned Too!

Like we already know, whales and dolphins are very much like humans, but you might not know that they are as similar to us as the bikini girls at the beaches! They both like sunshine and suntanning!

Animals Can Regrow Body Parts, but We Can't Even Regrow Teeth

The famous Piccolo arm regeneration in Dragonball Z
Image from Dragonball Wikia

Actually we can too, if we got a cut on the skin, it will heal, you may be able to regrow a finger when you are a fetus during your mummy's first 16-20 weeks of pregnancy, and to regrow a fingertip when you were 2-year-old. But if one is older than 5 years old and the limbs are gone, one cannot regrow them back.

National Geographic has an article listing out 5 animals which can regrow body parts, among them, I think the axolotl is the coolest.

The Mexican axolotl. Photograph by Stephen Dalton, NHPA/Photoshot
Image from National Geographic Stock

Why?

First, its name is /ˈæksəlɒtəl/, "ek-sa-lo-tle", how cool is that?

Image from aquaamazon.ru

Second, this Critically Endangered amphibian does very much look like a dragon, doesn't it?

How To Train Your Dragon (2010)
Image from ttgtmedia

Third, they appear in many different colours: white black and blue, although I think the semi-transparent white looks the cutest.

Image from caudata.org

Oh, by the way, those horns-looking things around its head are not horns, they are gills, just like those of a fish. Interesting?

Here are some facts about the Axolotl from Wikipedia,

Axolotl -- also known as a Mexican salamander (Ambystoma mexicanum) or a Mexican walking fish, is a neotenic salamander, closely related to the tiger salamander. Although the axolotl is colloquially known as a "walking fish", it is not a fish, but an amphibian. The species originates from numerous lakes, such as Lake Xochimilco underlying Mexico City. Larvae of this species fail to undergo metamorphosis, so the adults remain aquatic and gilled. 
As of 2010, wild axolotls are near extinction due to urbanization in Mexico City and polluted waters. They are currently listed by CITES as an endangered species and by IUCN as critically endangered in the wild, with a decreasing population. Axolotls are used extensively in scientific research due to their ability to regenerate limbs. Axolotls are also sold as food in Mexican markets and were a staple in the Aztec diet.


Vocabulary:
lesion -- (n)[C] specialized an injury to a person's body or to an organ inside their body:
blister -- (n)[C] a painful swelling on the skin that contains liquid, caused usually by continuous rubbing, especially on your foot, or by burning:
melanin -- (n)[U] a dark brown pigment (= substance that gives colour), found in eyes, skin, hair, feathers, etc. It helps to protect the skin against harmful light from the sun.
pigmentation -- (n)[U] the natural colour of something, usually a living thing
limb -- (n)[C] an arm or leg of a person or animal, or a large branch of a tree:
fetus -- (n)[C] also foetus a young human being or animal before birth, after the organs have started to develop 
amphibian -- (n) an animal, such as a frog, that lives both on land and in water but must produce its eggs in water

Resources:
Android 4.4 KitKat Video Makes Fun Of Apple’s Jonny Ive @ Geeky Gadgets
http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/android-4-4-kitkat-video-makes-fun-of-apples-jonny-ive-04-09-2013/

Android KITKAT 4.4 -- The future of confectionery @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/OKOrkLxOBoY

Whales Get Sunburned, Too @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czC2DTvPIIM

Can you really re-grow a fingertip? – The Chart @ CNN.com Blogs
http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/10/can-you-really-re-grow-a-fingertip/

Why Can't We Regrow Teeth?  @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wETbxYz0DNI

Pictures: 5 Animals That Regrow Body Parts @ National Geographic
http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/08/28/worms-that-regrow-heads-and-other-regenerators/

Axolotl @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axolotl

How to Train Your Dragon @ IMDb
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0892769/

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/lesion?q=lesion
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/blister_1?q=blister+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/melanin?q=Melanin
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/pigmentation?q=pigmentation+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/foetus
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/limb?q=limb
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/amphibian?q=amphibian+