APR 25 RAVEN CHICKS HATCH AT TOWER OF LONDON

APR 25  RAVEN CHICKS HATCH AT TOWER OF LONDON

With the Coronavirus pandemic dominating headlines, the DUBER BLOG searches the globe for uplifting stories. This week, we head to London. The Tower of London to be precise. Here, three raven chicks were hatched. Proud parents Huginn and Muninn will oversee the first month of their lives. Ravens grow quickly and quadruple in size in just weeks. Chris Skaife, Tower Ravenmaster, is thrilled: "We're pleased the bloodline is secure. Good news for the Kingdom!"

Are you confused? Let's review the legend. It's said that if the ravens ever leave the Tower of London, the Kingdom of England will fall. Apparently, the Welsh attribute ravens with the powers of protection. When the Northeast turret was built in 1078, the superstition was followed. Ravens roamed the White Tower to guard against another French invasion.

For centuries, the ravens thrived. They even survived the Great Fire. Then everything changed in the year 1675. That's when astronomer John Flansteed complained about the ravens the King Charles II. The birds were interfering with his observations and pooping on his telescopes. At first the King agreed, but then advisors warned him of the superstition. He changed his mind and wise King Charles II took it a step further: A Royal decree was issued demanding at least six ravens be kept in the tower at all times. It was also decided to move all astronomers to Greenwich.

Insuring a raven population in the tower wasn't an issue at the time. The native species were welcome scavengers in dirty Tudor London and flourished. Yet as the city urbanized, the large birds found less and less territory to habit. The last wild one was spotted in Hyde Park in 1826. To keep the raven tradition alive, a Ravenmaster was appointed to the Tower of London to tend to the flock. His biggest test came during WWII. German bombing raids scared the birds to death. Literally. Thankfully, one lived. Gripp survived and the Kingdom continued.

Nowadays, science has helped ensure that if England falls...it won't be raven's fault. In 1987, a captive breeding program was launched. Vets clip one of their wings. This painless process throws off their balance and they can't fly far. Even if they do, they are micro-chipped. Most ravens don't want to leave, because they eat so well. Their diet consists of six ounces of raw meat and biscuits soaked in blood. Once a month, they eat an entire rabbit: Fur helps a raven's digestion.

Over time, the ravens have become semi-domesticated pets. They'll pose surprisingly close to the six million annual visitors the Tower receives. Despite their perceived passivity, don't forget: Ravens are ravenous. In 2004, Thor took a peck at a visiting Vladimir Putin. In 1981, Grog flew to Rose & Punchbowl, an East End pub. Just remember: If you meet the ravens, stay calm and don't lose your head like Lady Jane Grey. After her execution in 1554, the birds picked the eyes out of her severed head.

APR 18 WILDLIFE MAKES A COMEBACK DURING QUARANTINE

APR 18  WILDLIFE MAKES A COMEBACK DURING QUARANTINE

The numerous 'shelter in place' mandates worldwide due to COVID19 have created silent cities and tranquil towns. Shocking images of a deserted Times Square and a car-less LA freeways are not being photo-shopped! All this peace and quiet has resulted in an unexpected scenario. Wild animals are reclaiming their turf! Let's check out five stunning instances:

Coyotes in San Francisco. The dry chaparral that once covered coastal California isn't hospitable to much wildlife. Atop this small food chain is the crafty coyote. Over the last fifty years, suburban sprawl has forced them to live in open land reserves, regional parks and drainage gullies. Yet they continue to survive. Californians...who already know to lock up those pets at night...take note: Coyotes were spotted at the corner of Greenwich and Powell Streets.

Bears in Yosemite. Duh! There's tons of bears in Yosemite. Anyone who has ever camped in the valley knows that it is imperative to place all food in a lock box. Bears have a spectacular sense of smell and they comb campsites day and night. Boy, the bears must be confused these days! Last April, 308,000 people visited the park. This April, the number is zero. Always curious, they are investigating the empty valley. "They are literally walking down the streets" quipped a ranger. "They are having a bear party!"

Deer in Nara. According to Shinto tradition, animals are given ample land in Japan and are never hunted. This has resulted in large deer populations. In the popular medieval capital, Sika deer roam the forests that surround the famed Nara castle. Over time, they have become semi-domesticated, as they are fed rice cakes by the tourists. With the city on lockdown, the hungry deer have ventured past the park and into the city. They're not just foraging in the streets, Sika deer have been spotted in the subway!

Wild Goats in Wales. Of all the urban-animal photos we examined, the one that generated the most questions came from Llandndno, a Welsh town. It shows a herd of enormous Great Orme Kashmiri goats owning the streets. Why are their wild goats from India in the mountains of Wales? They are escaped descendants from a gift from Queen Victoria. "They are mischievous" observed Andrew Stuart as the goats ate his hedges and roses.

Dolphins in Venice. If this sounds too fantastic to be true...that's because it's FAKE NEWS. While the pictures of the crystal-blue canals is true, the dolphins are NOT. However, residents were stunned at how quickly their famed waterways changed. Venice is one island in an enormous lagoon, most of which is protected reserves. With the constant cruise ships gone, schools of fish and clusters of crabs are invading a new island in the marshlands.

APR 11 THE HISTORY OF CORONA BEER

APR 11  THE HISTORY OF CORONA BEER

Beer lovers worldwide panicked on Wednesday when Grupo Modelo announced its suspending production of Corona Extra. See, both the beer and the virus are named after the Latin word Coronam, (Corona in Spanish and Italian), which means 'Crown.' While many people initially searched on "Beer Virus," just the opposite occurred. Sales of Corona beer are up 24% from a year ago. Nope, the reason for the closure is simple: the Mexican government shut down non-essential businesses (beer isn't essential?) until April 30. All of which has many people wondering about the history of this beloved beer, so here goes:

THE ORIGINS. Ellis Island was the top port of entry during the Great Second Migration from Europe to the Americas. Yet nearly a million immigrants also came to the New World through the Mexican port city of Veracruz. These included numerous German brew-masters. They introduced a Viennese lager in Monterrey in 1890 called Negro Modelo. It was a hit. Then, in 1925 they released another popular style back home: The Pale Lager. It was called Corona Extra.

THE BOTTLE. At first, the Corona brand used the same brown bottles as Negra Modelo. See, even today, most beer is placed in dark colored bottles. That's because sunlight...UV rays to be exact...damages the product. Tinted glass protects beer. Nonetheless, the brewers wanted to show off the beautiful golden color of their new lager. They bucked science in favor of marketing and the result was fabulous!

THE LIME. Even more iconic than the clear bottle is Corona beer's famous garnish: A green lime wedge inserted into the bottle's mouth. Millennial beer enthusiasts will tell you: 'The lime adds a citric zest to enhance a tart bouquet and finish.' But if you've ever drank a cerveza at a cantina in humid Jalisco, you know the real reason behind the tradition: Lime keeps flies from swimming in your beer!

THE PUSH: With government help, Grupo Modelo became the top brewer in Latin America. With breweries in the capital and Guadalajara, it looked to expand into other Mexican states. Rather than compete with popular regional brands like Victoria and Pacifico, Grupo Modelo instead just purchased the breweries. Then, in 1976, Corona Beer went viral. It crossed the border and was sold in California and Texas. It instantly became associated with surfers and nachos and was a hit.

THE MERGER. In the 45 years since, sales of Corona have never decreased. It's now available in all 50 states...and 180 countries as well. With $29 million in annual earnings, it's the ninth most popular beer on earth. In the US, it's fifth on the list. Sales for #5 Corona continue to rise, while sales for #1 Bud Light continue to slide. In response, Anheuser-Busch InBev decided: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. They purchased Grupo Modelo in 2013...much in the same manner Modelo bought up Victoria and Pacifico decades earlier.

MAR 28 A QUICK PRIMER ON U.S. COUNTIES

MAR 28  A QUICK PRIMER ON U.S. COUNTIES

While watching the Coronavirus news coverage, many Americans have noticed something different about the CDC. They show statistics based on counties. Normally, cities and states are the standard geographic units used. Wedged in between these two commonly known terms is the often overlooked entity known as the county. Most Federal agencies, including the US Census Bureau, prefer to organize operations using them. So we here at the DUNER BLOG thought we'd offer a quick primer about our curious counties!

THE NAME. The term is French in origin. A 'conte' is region of land containing towns and villages. After 1066, conte became an English word as well. A county was an area of land that was ruled by a count. The royal aspect of the word didn't stop it from becoming an American colonial term as well, and the first county was in Massachusetts. The term county seat, designating the city in charge of government, is wholly American.

HOW MANY? There are a staggering 3,142 separate counties in the United States! Naturally, smaller states have fewer and larger states have more. Delaware has but three counties, while Texas has a whopping 254. (Loving County is the smallest with only 134 people.) Also: This total number includes variant names for counties. Louisiana has 64 parishes...a throwback to the Catholic missionary days. In Alaska and New York City, they call counties boroughs.

THE LARGEST. Not surprisingly, the largest counties occupy the most desolate areas. Covering 20,105 square miles, San Bernardino County in California takes the top spot. This means one individual county is bigger than nine other US states. The vast majority is the Mojave Desert, but two million people now live in the urban south. Second place is Arizona's Coconino County. It's home the Grand Canyon. NOTE: Four Alaskan boroughs are larger in area.

THE MOST POPULATED. With over ten million people, Los Angeles County is #1. It really feels more like a continent than a county. See, there's a Chinatown and a Koreatown. Don't forget Little Tokyo, Little Armenia and Little Ethiopia as well. Next up with five million people is Chicago's Cook County. #3 is Houston's Harris County and #4 is Phoenix's Maricopa County.

THE EXCEPTIONS. As with any field of geography, there are exceptions. For example, New York City is so ginormous, it spills over into five counties. San Francisco and Philadelphia are the only counties that are just one city. Then there's Baltimore and St. Louis, which are free cities without any county jurisdiction. Finally, there's our national capital. Washington is the only district in the USA, and we still can't figure out who is really in control there!  

MAR 21 THE MOST REMOTE PLACES ON EARTH

MAR 21  THE MOST REMOTE PLACES ON EARTH

Coronavirus restrictions have many people feeling uneasy. Social distancing and sheltering at home creates anxiety. It's making urbanites nervous. It's making rural people suspicious. This issue came up during the DUNER-BLOG staff meeting. (Done remotely, of course). We began to wonder...where is the safest and...therefore...the most remote place on earth?

POINT NEMO. If we define remote in terms of isolation, that would mean the place farthest from another landmass. That place is Point Nemo. No, this tiny island is not named after the captain in the Jules Verne novel. Nemo is Latin for 'No One.' True, no one lives there. At 1,400 miles from the closest continent (Antarctica), it takes the title of most remote place on earth. NOTE: Point Nemo is mentioned in the HP Lovecraft story 'The Call of Cthulhu.'

TRISTAN DA CUNHA. This British Oversea Territory lays claim to being the most remote habitated place on earth. Let's see. Located in the South Atlantic Ocean, the nearest mainland is Cape Town, South Africa. The closest islands are the Falklands and St. Helena. All 246 people live on the main island and the other ten are nature reserves. One island in the chain is named 'Inaccessible,' just in case you wanted to try!

LONGYEARBYEN. Svalbard is the 36th largest island in the world. You've likely never heard of it because it is entirely above the Arctic Circle. The capital, Longyearbyen is northernmost city on earth. It's permafrost, meaning the land is frozen year round. So when people die here, they can't be buried here. Also interesting: The 2,000 residents are grossly outnumbered by polar bears. In fact, there's a law requiring residents to carry a firearm, as attacks are frequent.

CRESCENT LAKE. The previous three entries have all been islands. What about the opposite? What place on land is farthest from an ocean shore? Of course it's in Asia...that's the world's largest continent. Located in the middle of an equidistant triangle from the Pacific, Arctic and Indian oceans is a spot in the Xinjiang Province in China's Gobi Desert. Not surprisingly, it is also one of the driest places on earth too. The only place to get water is the tiny oasis of Crescent Lake.

PITCAIRN ISLAND. Our final entry is not only remote geographically, but its also remote socially. With only 53 inhabitants, Pitcairn Island has the smallest population of any national jurisdiction worldwide. Today's residents are all biracial descendants from Tahitians and the 'Mutiny on the Bounty' sailors such as Fletcher Christian. With no air transport, the only visitors are tourist charter boats that arrive six times a year.

MAR 14 RUSSIAN AMUSEMENT PARK 'DREAM ISLAND' OPENS

MAR 14  RUSSIAN AMUSEMENT PARK 'DREAM ISLAND' OPENS

The sudden closure of Disneyland due to Coronavirus precautions has enormous ramifications. The happiest place on earth NEVER closes! Don't panic, readers! Coincidentally, a new amusement park, specifically designed to compete with Disneyland, opened last week in Russia. So let's take a virtual tour of DREAM ISLAND!

THE NAME. Built on an enormously flat island on the Nagatinskaya River, Dream Island is a whopping 30 hectares big. Since it's in Moscow, that means it's going to be freezing for six months a year. (Nothing amusing about that!) Hence, the vast majority of the park in indoors. The center part lies under an impressive glass dome, which is now the largest in Europe. It's modeled after the one in Paris' Gallaries Lafayette, which is now the second largest glass dome in Europe.

THE LAYOUT. It's no secret that Dream Island is Russia's answer to Disneyland...the similarities are everywhere. For example, Dream Island is divided into nine separate lands...just like Fantasyland, Tomorrowland and Adventureland. There's even a version of Epcot Center called the City Promenade. Here you can stroll down four of the world's favorite streets: Barcelona's Las Ramblas, London's Hyde Street, Rome's Via Veneto and Rodeo Drive...all amazingly re-created under a dome in Russia.

THE SPONSORS. Part of Disneyland's magic is being greeted by a costumed Micky, Minnie or Pluto upon arrival To duplicate this feeling, Dream Island searched the globe for similarly beloved characters to serve as 'Greeters.' Here's who they partnered with: For toddlers, there's the Smurfs. Boys get the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, while girls can flock to Hello Kitty. There's also some Russian fairy tale characters for the locals.

THE CASTLE. Sleeping Beauty's castle dominated the original Disneyland. Walt came up with the ideal when he visited Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria. It follows that Dream Island should also be centered around a Fairy Tale castle. They chose the Snow Queen. Although it looks similar to the castle in the Disney movie Frozen, both are based on a Scandinavian folk tale. It's more palace than castle, but still impressive.

THE FUTURE. On hand for the Dream Island Opening Ceremony was none other than Vladmir Putin himself. With Moscow mayor Sergei Soyanin by his side, they strolled through the gardens and galleries...but didn't go on any of the 27 rides. Putin noted that Dream Island costs much less than Disneyland. It's just 11,000 Rubles ($163) for a family of four. Despite coronavirus fears that shuttered Disneyland, Dream Island will remain open to the public.



 

MAR 7 OUR FAVORITE FIRST LADIES

MAR 7  OUR FAVORITE FIRST LADIES

Possible future first lady Jill Biden made headlines this week. It began as something she'd done dozens of times before: Standing next to husband Joe while he delivered a victory speech. Suddenly, everything changed! A crazed pro-vegan protester jumped on stage and lurched at her hubby. "Let Dairy Die!" she shouted. Instinctively, Jill seized the vegan's wrists and wrested the delusional heckler off stage. Wow!

Often overlooked, we'd like to share our favorite First Ladies:

BRAVEST: Dolley Madison. This trailblazer defined the role of the First Lady as proactive. In fact, she started first as 'White House Hostess' for widower president Thomas Jefferson. Her famous moment came during the War of 1812. America's 'least-thought-through' conflict, we declared war on Britain, despite having no navy. The British simply sailed up the Potomac River and burned DC. With no cellphone to warn her, Dolley was caught by surprise. Rather than flee, she risked her life to save priceless treasures, like the official portrait of George Washington.

SMARTEST: Abigail Fillmore. Continually ranked as one of our most lackadaisical presidents, Fillmore's greatest accomplishment came via his wife. Abigail was scholarly and was aghast when she first arrived at the White House: There was no library! See, the Founding Fathers wanted the library only in Congress. It was 1850 now, and books were for everyone. Abigail received $2,000, which bought a lot of books back then. The complete Shakespeare catalog is still on the shelf.

MOST INDUSTRIOUS: Eleanor Roosevelt. The runaway favorite, Mrs. Roosevelt didn't spend much time in the White House. Nope, Eleanor helped out her wheelchair-restricted husband by doing his job. She went to factories to reassure workers during the Great Depression. She went to England during WWII to reassure American troops. You'd think after fourteen years, the longest-serving First Lady would retire. No way! Eleanor went on the chair the NCAAP and helped form the United Nations.

MOST GLAMOROUS: Jacqueline Kennedy. Prior to Jackie, First Ladies emphasized a domestic look. The favorite was a buttoned-up white blouse. Mrs. Kennedy changed all that. She wore Cassini strapless gowns with tailored coats and chic pillowbox hats to match. She became a worldwide fashion icon. But it didn't stop with herself. Jackie completely re-modelled the White House's dated Victorian interior. Oh! She also raised three kids under ten at the same time.

MOST INSPIRATIONAL: Betty Ford. Prior to Betty, if you went to a shrink it was because you were crazy. Prior to Betty, alcoholics were shameful failures. Then along came Mrs. Ford, who suffered from both aliments . Rather than do the expected--withdraw from society--she actually spoke about her issues. To everyone. Her unprecedented openness regarding personal problems was a game-changer. Today, it is considered the norm for politicians (and the rest of us too) to discuss such

matters.

HONORABLE MENTION: Hilary Clinton is the only First Lady to hold a public office (Senator). Edith Wilson was a de-facto president after Woodrow's stroke was kept secret. Nancy Reagan sat on Mr. T's lap.